The Red Mansions

Chapter 338 Emperor Chongping: ...can be rectified!
In Kunning Palace——

As Concubine Wu bowed to Empress Song, such as Wei Wang Chen Ran and Liang Wang Chen Wei, all showed strange expressions on their faces, looking at Jia Heng's expression.

Seeing his calm and calm appearance, they all secretly said, but they could hold their breath.

Empress Song frowned, her phoenix eyes flickered slightly, she turned her head to look at Jia Heng, and asked, "Zi Yu, what Concubine Wu said, is there such a thing?"

This is of course pretending to be confused.

Concubine Wu, who was still observing Empress Song's expression, changed her expression suddenly when she heard the word "Ziyu". Looking at the reputation, she saw a group of people sitting on the embroidered pier next to the small table next to King Wei and King Liang. A young military officer in brocade robes.

Just now because of his eagerness to plead for mercy, he never noticed it.

"Could it be... Jia Heng?"

Concubine Wu was startled, and thought to herself, why is General Yunhui Jia Heng here?

In the blink of an eye, he also reacted.

Since today is the birth of the King of Wei, it makes sense for Jia Heng, as the person in charge of the Wucheng Bingmasi, to celebrate the birthday of Wei Wang, who is going to the Wucheng Bingmasi to observe the government next year.

Facing everyone's attention, Jia Heng got up, looked at the beautiful woman in palace clothes, cupped his hands and said: "My lady, the general of the town, Chen Rui, violated the law and order issued by the Wucheng soldiers and horses in Dongshi. At that time, I happened to meet Princess Xianning. , let the soldiers of the Patrol Superintendent detain General Zhen Guo and detain him for 14 days according to the system. If Concubine Wu has any objections, she can first go to the office of the Wucheng Bingma Division to seek Kong Mu from the Public Security Division to apply for reconsideration instead of disturbing him here. The empress's tranquility."

As he spoke, he frowned, and looked at Concubine Wu at the side coldly.

Concubine Wu's face changed when she heard the words, maybe the young man's eyes were too sharp, and she didn't dare to look at each other for a moment.

Wei Wang Chen Ran and Liang Wang Chen Wei looked at each other with different thoughts.

Empress Song smoothed things over with a smile, and said, "Zi Yu doesn't have to be too serious, you might as well sit down and talk about it. Concubine Wu came here today to admit her mistake. See, Zi Yu, what kind of regulations are there? Can we be lenient?" "

Jia Heng said: "Mother, Chen Rui, the general of the town, was detained in violation of the public security regulations. If he is released easily, where will the court's laws be placed? In the future, if the soldiers and horses of the five cities want to follow the law, some people will use Chen Rui as a precedent. But against the law, my lord, I really don't know how to open the net."

Empress Song nodded and said, "What Ziyu said is not without reason."

Jia Heng turned to look at Concubine Wu, and said: "Concubine Wu, you don't have to worry. This time, General Zhen Guo will be detained for only half a month. Half a month is fleeting, and General Zhen Guo will not be wronged in prison."

Concubine Wu's face was pale, she didn't look at Jia Heng, she turned to look at Empress Song, her voice was almost pleading, and she said: "Madam, Rui'er broke the law, and the concubine has nothing to say, but seeing that the New Year is approaching, we just shut it up like this, At the end of the year, you can’t even worship your ancestors, and your concubine thinks that legal principles are nothing more than human feelings, isn’t Wucheng Bingmasi not accommodating at all?”

Empress Song's bright eyes moved slightly, she cast her gaze on Jia Heng again, and said softly, "Zi Yu, what do you think?"

Jia Heng said: "My lady, the laws of the country do not follow private interests. Concubine Wu wants to be lenient today, and others will ask for accommodation tomorrow. What prestige does the Wucheng Bingmasi have?"

Concubine Wu opened her mouth, and for a while, she couldn't speak well.

Seeing Jia Heng's resolute attitude, saying that he must uphold the law of the country, although Empress Song was happy to see the success, but when she met Concubine Wu's eyes, her crystal-clear and beautiful face showed embarrassment.

Of course, the key point is that Jia Heng was originally venting his anger for Xianning, and if she acted recklessly on her side, wouldn't it be frustrating for him?
It's just that it doesn't make sense to really ignore Concubine Wu's request, because the matter involves Xianning, on the contrary, someone should say that she is narrow-minded and should be forgiven.

Just when Empress Song was thinking about the advantages and disadvantages, Wei Wang Chen Ran's heart moved, stood up from the side, and said loudly: "Mother, my son thinks that General Yunhui's words are not bad, how can he ignore the law because of one person, If this matter gets out, I'm afraid that the law and order regulations issued by the five cities' soldiers and horses will be fully written."

When Concubine Wu heard what King Wei said, her heart turned cold in an instant.

Even the king of Wei said so, this matter is difficult.

Empress Song glared at Chen Ran, and said coquettishly, "Sit down."

Wei Wang Chen Ran was stunned, and sat down again.

Empress Song said slowly: "Concubine Wu, what Ran'er and General Yunhui said is not unreasonable. If someone uses it as a precedent to resist the law, it will be difficult for the Wucheng Bingma Division to control the law and order in Shenjing in the future."

Hearing this, Concubine Wu became more anxious. She got up from her seat and greeted Empress Song again: "Your Majesty, please be kind."

It's almost a crying plea.

In this era, in the final analysis, it is still the rule of man, and the law is nothing more than human feelings. Concubine Wu made such a posture, and Empress Song really couldn't be more aggressive.

At this time, Princess Xianning suddenly spoke to take over the conversation, staring at Jia Heng with bright eyes, and asked: "General Yunhui, is there any other method of redemption in the public security regulations?"

Upon hearing this, Concubine Wu felt hopeful in her heart, and looked expectantly at Jia Heng and Princess Xianning.

Empress Song also said: "Ziyu, if the law stipulates the law of redemption, it can't be an exception because Chen Rui is a son of the clan?"

Even if it is the law of the Han Dynasty, there is a law for asking for redemption.

Jia Heng knew that Empress Song already had the intention of condescending, and after thinking about it, she felt that the heat was about the same, the purpose of warning King Zhongshun had been achieved, and by the way, she also sold Empress Song's favor, so it was not good to continue the stalemate.

"Go back to your majesty and Your Highness, if General Zhen Guo wants to come out early, he can use the government's hard labor to pay off the detention period. The so-called hard labor is to assist the soldiers and horses in the five cities to do things like dredging ditches, banning fires and fighting more. The two-day detention period As long as the general Zhen Guo works for the soldiers and horses of the five cities for seven days, he can return home."

This is the redemption method established for some unemployed vagrants who violated the public security regulations. Otherwise, they would all live in the Wucheng Bingmasi and waste rice.

Concubine Wu was overjoyed when she heard these words, and hurriedly said: "Jia Yunhui, can our Ruier use this method to pay off?"

Jia Heng said: "Of course you can."

Empress Song said softly: "Since there are laws to follow, we can just deal with this matter like this, and Rui'er can go home earlier to reunite with Concubine Wu."

Concubine Wu's complexion changed at this moment, she bowed down again and said, "My concubine thank you for your kindness."

Although he couldn't be released and returned home immediately, at least the sentence could be shortened, and it was not in vain.

Princess Jinyang glanced at Jia Heng with a half-smile, and joked: "Chanyue, you heard me, you must abide by the law in Beijing, otherwise, you will be imprisoned in the prison of the Wucheng Bingmasi. There is nothing the palace can do."

Li Chanyue said softly: "Mother, I have always kept my law and order."

Jia Heng glanced at Princess Jinyang, and met those charming eyes.

For some reason, there was a faint smell of vinegar.

Empress Song looked at Concubine Wu, and said with emotion and persuasion: "In general, a country and a family have no rules, and Chen Rui has learned a lot from this incident."

Concubine Wu nodded yes.

Empress Song talked with Concubine Wu for a while, but it was mostly about raising children.

Concubine Wu listened, and gradually felt as if she was sitting on pins and needles. Now that the purpose of begging for love had been achieved, she didn't want to stay any longer. Taking advantage of the time that Empress Song paused, she said goodbye: "Mother, my concubine still wants to go to the prison of soldiers and horses in the five cities." Go see Rui'er, go back first."

Empress Song smiled lightly, and said, "Then Concubine Wu, let's go."

While talking, he called the female officer to see him off on his behalf.

After Concubine Wu left, the hall fell into silence for a while.

Empress Song looked at the calm young man, and said, "Zi Yu, it's not that my palace wants to abolish the national law because of private affairs. Concubine Wu begs again and again, but my palace can't be too unfeeling."

Jia Heng said: "Your Majesty is merciful and magnanimous. What Chen Rui committed is not a big deal."

Wei Wang Chen Ran said: "Mother, in the city of Shenjing, civilians can still be regulated for breaking the law, but the nobles of the clan are facing difficulties in enforcing law. Soldiers and horses, do your best to get rid of this evil and enforce the law impartially."

If he can enforce the law impartially and be impartial, he should be able to get the approval of his father who worked in the Ministry of Criminal Justice in his early years.

Empress Song showed a look of relief on her beautiful jade face, and said: "However, my mother is very relieved to have this ambition."

After a while, the palace maid came to report, "Your Majesty, Uncle Guo has brought his family into the palace."

Empress Song showed joy on her face, and asked: "Hurry up and let someone come in."

Empress Song had two younger brothers, one was Diankecheng in the Dianke Department of Honglu Temple, and the other was a county magistrate in Henan. King Wei gave birth to a child, and the third uncle of the Song family brought his family to give birth to his nephew.

Empress Song smiled and said: "Ran'er, Wei'er, Xianning, you guys go outside to meet your uncle."

One is siblings, and the other is monarch and minister. It is not easy for Empress Song and Concubine Duan Rong to come out of the palace to greet her, but it is in accordance with the etiquette for the children of the two sisters to come out to welcome their mother-in-law.

"Yes, Queen Mother." Wei Wang Chen Ran, Liang Wang Chen Wei, and Princess Xianning hurriedly responded, and they all went out of the palace gate to meet them.

Not long after, I saw a tall middle-aged official wearing a sixth-rank official robe, and a woman wearing heavy make-up, entered the hall. little girl.

Jia Heng put down the teacup and watched the scene quietly.

Secretly said, King Wei gave birth today, and relatives came to congratulate him. This is a full family feast.

After coming to open the mansion, there will be officials from the DPRK and China among the guests who come to celebrate.

As soon as they entered the palace, the leading middle-aged officials led the female relatives to pay homage to the Empress Song, Concubine Rong, and Princess Jinyang, "I have seen the Empress, the Empress, and Your Highness Jinyang, thousands of years old."

Empress Song bowed her body, stretched out her hands to help, and said with a gentle smile: "Brother, brother and sister, Yan'er, please get up quickly."

When the middle-aged official Xie En raised his head, he had to say that the genes of the Song family were very good. There was a warm smile on his handsome and elegant face, and he said, "Mother, are you not late?"

Song Jing, the third younger brother of Empress Song, is in his early thirties, and now he is a sixth-rank official in Honglu Temple, in charge of Dianke, with a generous temperament.

Empress Song joked with a smile: "The third brother came just in time, and the banquet hasn't started yet."

Concubine Duanrong smiled sweetly and asked: "Third brother, are mother and father all right at home?"

The Song family, where Empress Song and Concubine Duanrong were born, is actually a family of merchants. The head of the family, Song Sheng, did some work for Emperor Chongping who was still in the hidden mansion. It is not easy to move around the house.

Although Empress Song's mother was over sixty years old, she was also in good health.

Song Jing said with a smile: "The old lady is in good health. This time she ordered me to come over to celebrate the birth of my nephew, so I brought along the musk bracelet that I always wear as a gift."

In this era, there is no reason for the elders to visit the younger generation to give birth to their children, but sending some small personal items reveals intimacy and love.

Empress Song looked at Song Jing with a smile on her face as she took a brocade box from his wife Shen Shi behind her.

Wei Wang Chen Ran said with a smile: "The last time I saw my grandmother, I saw that this musk bracelet was rare, so I remembered it if I didn't want my grandmother."

Song Jing's wife smiled and said, "This was consecrated by Zen Master Huitong of Da'an Temple. The old lady has been wearing it for more than ten years. After wearing it, there is no disease or disaster. It is quite effective."

Several people chatted and laughed, sat down and exchanged greetings.

While Song Jing was speaking, she turned her head to look at Jia Heng, and asked with a smile: "Young master, you seem to be very tense."

Because Song Jing's official rank is not above the fifth rank, she hasn't even attended the court meeting during this period of time, otherwise she would have recognized Jia Heng just now.

Empress Song smiled and introduced: "This is General Yunhui Jia Heng."

Jia Heng got up first, bowed his hands to Song Jing, and said, "I have seen Mr. Song."

Song Jing's eyes lit up, and he smiled and said, "So it's the famous General Yun Hui, he is indeed a handsome young man, with a rich spirit like jade, and he is even more famous when we meet."

This boy is considered to be the most famous in the past six months in Shenjing City, and now he is holding a heavy army, and he came to celebrate his nephew's birthday...

Jia Heng said: "With a little reputation, I dare not be praised by Master Song."

"Jia Yunhui is too modest."

Song Jing was worthy of being a guest in Honglu Temple, she was very enthusiastic in dealing with people, making people feel like a spring breeze, and she kept complimenting Jia Heng while talking.

Jia Heng could only resist with his heart, but in the eyes of outsiders, the two had a happy conversation.

Seeing Jia Heng joking with his younger brother Song Jing, Empress Song exchanged glances with her younger sister, Concubine Duan Rong, clearly happy to see it.

Concubine Rong's beautiful eyes twinkled, and she smiled peacefully.

Everyone in the hall was chatting and laughing, Empress Song said with a smile: "It's almost noon, it's time to announce lunch, Xia Shouzhong, go and see when His Majesty is coming?"

At this time, an eunuch flashed past behind the beams, pillars, and curtains. It was Xia Shouzhong, the eunuch of Liugongdu, who responded and turned away.

Empress Song looked at Song Jing and Concubine Rong, and sighed: "If the fourth brother is here, our brothers and sisters can also be reunited."

Song Jing said: "Madam, the fourth brother wrote a letter the day before yesterday and said that he will go to Beijing to report on his work before the year, and we will always be reunited in the New Year."

King Wei put down the teacup in his hand, stared and asked: "Little uncle has been in Renzhi County, Henan Province for three years, right? Why hasn't there been a transfer?"

Song Jing glanced at Empress Song, and said: "In the first year of the assessment by the Ministry of Officials, there was an upper-middle class, but in the past two years, the weather has not been smooth, and the drought in Henan has continued, so I only got two middle-lower comments. Whether I can be transferred this year depends See what the officials mean."

Speaking of which, in order to prevent his relatives from gaining power, Emperor Chongping didn't pay much attention to the official careers of Empress Song's two younger brothers. He neither suppressed nor supported them.

Empress Song said quietly: "Henan, Shandong and other places have been frequently affected by disasters in the past two years. Your Majesty is also quite worried. The fourth younger brother is in Henan to share the country's worries, protect one Li Shu, and serve two terms. It is not a bad thing to experience a lot. .”

After all, this topic was a bit heavy, and Empress Song didn't go into it any further after she said a few words.

Jia Heng quietly listened to the conversation between the siblings, with a thoughtful expression on his face.

According to the original book, after the Yuan concubine visited her relatives, Jia Zheng released Xuezheng to the outside world, and historians were also favored and sent officials from other provinces.

From this point of view, the emperor does not seem to reject being a relative, but after careful consideration, it is actually not the case.

Because Yuanchun had no children, unlike Queen Song who had two adult princes under her knees.

Moreover, it may not be that there is no intention to paralyze the Jia family and other martial arts families.

In the hall, the Song siblings were talking, and when Jia Heng was thinking about it, the eunuch's sharp voice finally came from outside the hall, "Your Majesty is here."

At this time, the music and dancing in the hall had long since stopped. When everyone heard the words, they all stood up one after another, and bowed to the middle-aged emperor who was wearing a bright yellow dragon robe and walked into the hall with dragon and tiger steps.

Emperor Chongping's complexion was much more relaxed than before, and he said, "Let's all be at peace."

"Thank you, Lord."

Emperor Chongping glanced at Song Jing, then walked towards Queen Song, and sat down on the soft couch beside her.

It's just that as the cold-faced emperor took his seat, the atmosphere in the hall changed from the original lightness to a bit solemn and serious.

Empress Song took Emperor Chongping's arm and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, today is Ran'er's birth, and he will be eighteen in a blink of an eye. Next year, he will open a government office to observe government affairs. Would Your Majesty want to say something to Ran'er? "

When Wei Wang Chen Ran heard the words, he hurriedly stepped forward and bowed to salute, and said: "My son, I would like to ask my father to give me instructions."

Emperor Chongping narrowed his eyes slightly, looked at his eldest son, was silent for a moment, and said in a deep voice: "Next year, when you go to the Five Cities to watch politics, you should watch more, listen more, do more, and talk less. The military and government have their own rules and regulations. Now I will mention the five cities' military and horse commanders to take charge of the security of Shenjing. If you are ordered to do something, you must not neglect it, and don't take the arrogance of your prince. If I know that you have lost the dignity of the Tian family and are arrogant, I, hum!"

Empress Song: "..."

There was even a sense of depression in my heart, but there was still a sweet smile on my face.

Wei Wang Chen Ran seemed to be familiar with the tough style of Emperor Chongping, he bowed his head deeply, and said: "My son, I would like to follow the sacred teachings of my father."

As for the Liang Wang Chen Wei who came after Xiaoji, he was already as quiet as a chicken, and he didn't even dare to breathe out, lest he would be caught by the eyes of Emperor Chongping and be reprimanded.

Seeing the scene of the emperor admonishing the son, Jia Heng secretly thought that although the emperor raised some points in public and disciplined the king of Wei, he still had the intention of loving and caring.

At this moment, the emperor might also plan to give King Wei a chance?
Otherwise, it would not be tolerated that the King of Wei would enter the Wucheng Bingma Division and contact him, an "important minister".

In fact, the emperor is the most complicated political animal. No matter how vigilant and defensive, it is impossible to completely let the heir go.

But this way of father and son like enemies is undoubtedly easy to develop a cold and cold temperament.

Jia Heng pondered for a moment, stood up, cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I'm not talented, I don't know much about myself, and I don't have any special skills. If there's one or two things I can praise, the only word is Keqin. His Royal Highness the King of Wei is very talented. , can be a minister's arm."

Emperor Chongping waved his hand and said: "Ziyu, I gave you the Sword of Heaven to use your integrity and uprightness, just like the king of Wei who doesn't know how to advance and retreat, and who is illogical, don't be shy about anything, you can rectify it!"

Wei Wang Chen Ran knelt down below, lowered his head tightly, and the corner of his mouth twitched. He obviously didn't do anything, so why didn't he know how to advance or retreat?
Jia Heng was stunned for a moment, then said with firm eyes, "I thank you, Your Majesty, for your trustworthiness."

Emperor Chongping's words had a profound meaning.

Kuang Zhengzhi is to help teach his son, and he is also a candidate for heir, but his expectations for him are self-evident, upright and upright...to improve his political position.

(End of this chapter)