The Red Mansions

Chapter 720 Jia Heng: Master Wang is there too?

Yangzhou Hundred Households Office
Shang Ming replied: "Ma Zeyi said no, he said that he also heard from his father Ma Xianjun that he had sent someone to poison the back kitchen of the Yanyuan Yamen and murdered the inspector of Yanyuan. In addition, when the Jinyi Mansion went south to investigate and was attacked, the Yangzhou Hundred Households investigated the matter, but there was no clue, so after the Yangzhou salt merchant was caught, we took the opportunity to torture, and the third son of Ma Xianjun, Ma Zeyi, also confessed."

Jia Heng thought for a moment, then asked: "Ma Xianjun has three sons? What about the first two?"

"The eldest son is not in Yangzhou, but still in Jinling. The Jinling Thousand Households Office is still arresting him. The second son was heard to be missing last year." Shang Ming quickly replied.

"Missing?" Jia Heng pondered for a while, and said: "The Ma family is not the only one who colluded with Donglu, I will go and ask."

"Yes, my lord." Shang Ming said hastily.

While speaking, under the guidance of Shang Ming, Jia Heng quickly came to the torture room of Jinyi Mansion. Compared with the temporary renovation of Yangzhou Yanyuan Yamen, Yangzhou Jinyi Baihu House has all kinds of torture facilities.

It was dark and humid, and the air still smelled of blood and stench. Jia Heng frowned, picked up a handkerchief to cover his mouth and nose, and his palms were illuminated by a ray of light, making them look white.

Ma Xianjun's third son, Ma Zeyi, is tied to a cross wooden frame at this moment, his hair is loose, his body is blood-stained, bloody and bloody, he is not very old, not as young as the weak crown.

"My lord." Seeing Jia Heng coming in, several Jinyi school captains who had been guarding him all bowed their hands in salute.

As the Jinyi school lieutenant and Lishi around him called out, Ma Zeyi also raised his fluffy hair like a bush, and looked at the young man through the gaps in the hair, but when his eyes fell on Shang Ming, his face showed fear.

Sitting on the rattan chair, Jia Heng looked at Ma Zeyi and asked, "Ma Zeyi, I have something to ask you."

"Ma Zeyi, this is my lord, the great man Yongningbo, the governor of Jinyi." Shang Ming said coldly.

Ma Zeyi raised his eyes to look at the boy in the black and red python suit, and said in a weak voice, "You are... Uncle Yongning?"

Jia Heng looked indifferent, and asked: "It's my officer, you are Ma Xianjun's son, do you know that apart from Ma's family and Donglu's smuggling business, are there other smuggling businesses?"

Ma Zeyi said weakly: "I don't know about the other family's affairs."

"In the case of murdering the Xunyan Yushi, besides the Ma family, is there anyone else?" Jia Heng asked again.

Ma Zeyi was silent for a moment, then replied: "I don't know."

Jia Heng said: "You know that colluding with the Eastern captives and murdering the officials of the court was done independently by the Ma family, but is it a capital crime to exterminate the three clans?"

Ma Zeyi's body trembled, fear appeared in his eyes.

Jia Heng said: "If you confess to one person, I can save your life. If you confess to other people's smuggling of the Eastern captives, you can make a difference to Majiawang. You should have heard of my name and never said anything. Count."

Hearing this, Ma Zeyi remained silent, weighing the pros and cons in his heart.

Jia Heng asked: "The Ma family and the Cheng family are related by marriage. Did the Cheng family participate in the smuggling by the Ma family? How much did the Cheng family participate? What other unscrupulous things did the Cheng family, the Ma family, and even several other salt merchants do? Regardless of the matter of colluding with the Eastern Captives, you can tell the truth about everything you know, and if you provide clues, I can spare you from death.

Such words can only be said by him, others do not have this power, and the Ma family is just a breakthrough, as long as it involves Yangzhou salt merchants, they are all valuable clues.

"You want to..." Ma Zeyi's eyes were gloomy, and his heart was inexplicably terrified.

This Yongning Bo clearly wanted to wipe out all the salt merchants in Yangzhou.

Jia Heng said, looked at Shang Ming at the side, and said with a blank expression: "Continue to interrogate. In addition, for the shopkeepers, housekeepers, and female relatives of the Ma family, whoever exposes meritorious deeds will save the male from death and reduce the sentence, and the female relatives do not need to be sent to Jiaofang. Secretary, if there are any clues, they will be collected first, and then investigated one by one."

This is a rare sweep of Yangzhou salt merchants, why should it be limited to this case?
If Ma Xianjun doesn't say it, others may not say it, as long as someone says even a little bit, it can become a new breakthrough.

"Yes, my lord." Shang Ming cheered up.

Immediately, under the escort of the personal guards, Jia Heng left the execution room, and under the escort of all the guards in brocade clothes, he went to the Yamen of Yanyuan in Yangzhou.

At this moment, the official hall of the Yanyuan Yamen in Yangzhou is full of people, noisy and chaotic.

Liu Shengzao, the transshipment envoy of the two Huaihe Rivers, and seven other salt merchants from Yangzhou were all seated in the official hall, while Qi Kun and Lin Ruhai sat in front of the Ming Hall, sitting on both sides of a small table.

Liu Shengzao said in a deep voice: "Old Qige, Master Lin, this Yongning Bo arrested the salt merchant and said that he was colluding with the Eastern captives. What is going on?"

Qi Kun put down his teacup with a pale face, and said softly, "Right now Yangzhou is full of cavalry, rumors are spreading all over the place, don't Lord Liu know about Donglu's entry to assassinate important military officials of the imperial court?"

After several months of wrangling, Qi Kun didn't have a good look at this foreign relative.

Liu Shengzao sneered and said, "I don't know if there is any real evidence for colluding with the Eastern captives? The Jinyi Mansion has always been skeptical about criminal affairs, and tortured into tricks. The lower officials thought that the rich and wealthy in Yangzhou, rich and well-fed, and luxurious life, they were full. Persevering, risking the risk of exterminating the clan to collude with Donglu? In the eyes of the following officials, there must be grievances in this."

"With the culprit's confession as proof, the two parties often have collusion in smuggling. It is too early for Mr. Liu to make such an assertion." Lin Ruhai continued with a slightly cold gaze.

At this moment, a guard's voice called out from outside, saying: "Uncle Yongning is here!"

While speaking, he saw a group of young men in black, red and gold thread embroidered python suits under the guards of Jinyi Mansion, walking quickly, and everyone in the room got up one after another.

Jia Heng nodded towards Qi Kun and Lin Ruhai, glanced at several salt merchants, looked at Liu Shengzao, and said in a deep voice: "Last night, Donglu assassinated, Master Liu escaped very quickly."

Liu Shengzao's expression turned strange, and he said, "Uncle Yongning, I don't know if that gangster caught him or not?"

"We're arresting." Jia Heng said lightly, then looked at the salt merchants present, with a calm expression, and asked, "Master Wang is here?"

Wang Shouqi accompanied him with a smile and said, "Uncle Yongning, I just came here to ask about the situation. What's the story of Lao Ma's case? Our family has been friends for decades. How can we all go to jail?"

"Ma Xianjun, the general merchant of the Huainan salt industry, colluded with the captives in the east, smuggled goods to the captives for a long time, and colluded with the enemy's country. The Ma family has confessed." Jia Heng said slowly.

When Wang Shouqi heard this, his heart shuddered, and the smile on his face froze.

This person from Jinyi Mansion tortured him all day and night, and got a confession?
In fact, the process of smuggling to the grassland is complicated, and it is unrealistic to require every person to be a tough man and keep his mouth shut. However, the torture in Jinyi Mansion is a one-piece torture.

Liu Shengzao felt a little apprehensive in his heart, he couldn't say anything for a while, and looked at the boy coldly.

Jia Heng said: "Master Wang, the Ma family colluded with the Eastern Captives, and the evidence of the crime is solid. You can rest assured that I will not implicate innocent people."

As long as this case continues to be tried, it will always dig deeper and deeper, and then it will become a major case with extensive ramifications.

Seeing the tense atmosphere in the room, Qi Kun took over the conversation and said, "Everyone, since Ma Xianjun has been arrested, his business name Yanyin should also be taken back. This summer, Jiangxi Jiujiang and other places selling salt should also redistribute the amount of Yanyin write-off."

As soon as this remark came out, all the salt merchants looked at each other in blank dismay. They were afraid of being implicated by Ma Xianjun, but this kind of matter depended entirely on Jia Heng, the governor in Jinyi.

Wang Shouqi sized up the young man with a face like black water, and thought, since he was willing to accept the money, it meant that it was not because he didn't want to get in, and if he had another banquet in private, there was still room for change.

Jia Heng's face was indifferent, and he said in a deep voice: "Lord Qi and Lin Yanzheng are talking about salt affairs, and I will go to Jinling tomorrow."

Qi Kun was helping him attract the attention of several salt merchants, and he happened to release another smoke bomb.

Jia Heng left the official hall and headed towards the backyard, but saw a nun at the moon gate and said, "Master, Princess Chu and Princess Beijing are here, and they will be entertained by Miss Lin in the backyard."

Jia Heng nodded and said softly, "I'll go right away."

Just after walking not far, I saw vines hanging down, and under the flower wall with green eaves and black tiles, there was a slim figure of a girl in a green skirt, holding a sword in both hands, looking at Jia Heng's cold eyes and seeing some sarcasm, and asked: "Sister Zhen came to force you again?"

Jia Heng: "..."

Chen Xiao's eyes flickered, and she didn't continue to ask. There was no abnormality on her cold and jade face, and she asked, "How is the investigation going?"

Jia Heng also pretended not to have heard of it, and walked towards the inner room with Chen Xiao, and said in a low voice: "There are some clues, if a large prison is set up here, by investigating the case, it is possible to find out the deficit of the salt business, with For Liu Shengzao, it can be regarded as two-handed preparation."

Chen Xiaoqing said in a clear voice, "As long as you have a way."

Jia Heng said: "By the way, follow me to Jinling tomorrow."

Chen Xiao responded, but didn't say anything more.

The inner hall in the backyard——

Zhen Qing and Zhen Xue sat side by side on the bamboo chairs. The two young women with flower letters, one in red dress and the other in blue skirt, looked at Daiyu who was talking with Xinxin in her arms, and Lin Ruhai's concubine beside her. Zhou was talking.

While talking, I heard the nurse outside said: "Uncle Yongning is here."

Under the attention of everyone, a young man wearing a python suit and a wingless crown with a mountain character on his head strode into the hall, with sword eyebrows and bright eyes, heroic.

"Godfather!" Shui Xin saw the young man, with a warm smile on his face, rushed over to Jia Heng's arms, pecked Jia Heng's face as soon as he came up.

"Good Xinxin." Jia Heng said with a smile, then bent down and hugged the pink and jade-carved little Lolita, and sat down.

Jia Heng stared at Zhen Qing and Zhen Xue, and asked, "Why are the two concubines here?"

Zhen Qing looked at the young man with a smile on her face, and said, "It's not that Yangzhou is closed, and I can't get out of the city now, so come and have a look."

"This morning, I also said that I wrote a warrant to the Zhen family so as not to delay the two concubines returning to Jinling to visit their relatives. The two concubines didn't receive it?" Jia Heng looked at the beauty whose eyebrows and eyes were becoming more and more charming, and said in his heart. Zhen Qing's addiction is really big.

Zhen Qing said with a sweet smile: "I have received it, but my heart is not settled. I am afraid that if this bandit goes to the doctor in a hurry and sneaks into our boat, it will be bad."

Hearing this, Jia Heng raised her eyes to look at Zhen Qing's beautiful and beautiful face, and said in her heart, this poisonous woman has a lot of intentions to save others by herself, but this kind of worry is not impossible.

Zhen Qing said softly: "Actually, I also came to see Ziyu. Last night a chieftain from Donglu came to assassinate Ziyu. Now the city is full of uproar. Ziyu even fought with that chieftain and injured the chieftain." Wang, I wonder if someone has caught him now?"

When Zhen Xue heard the words, under her beautiful eyebrows, her eyes frowned at the young man, and the handkerchief in her hand was clenched a little.

It's always scary.

Jia Heng said: "The man is still hunting, but he hasn't been caught yet."

In front of the Zhen sisters, it is not easy to mention Huanhualou.

Zhen Qing took a look at the young man and said, "Seeing that Ziyu is not injured, my sister and I are relieved."

Jia Heng wrote lightly: "It's nothing, and I have taken precautions early."

Zhen Qing seemed to say with emotion: "I thought that the northern captives were raging in the north, but I didn't expect that there was also a land in the south of the Yangtze River. It's really hard to say. If ordinary people encounter it, I don't know what to do. It's really thanks to the journey. Ziyu is escorting him."

Shui Xin looked at Jia Heng at this moment, and asked in a waxy voice, "Isn't godfather going to Jinling? Let's go there together."

Jia Heng smiled, pinched Shui Xin's cheeks, and said, "Yes, I will go to Jinling tomorrow, and take Xin Xin with me."

Zhen Qing was slightly happy when she heard the words, and asked, "Zi Yu is leaving tomorrow?"

Jia Heng nodded.

"That's really a coincidence." Zhen Qing said softly: "I was worried about whether those people would assassinate again, and this time I have Zi Yu with me, so I have a firm mind."

Jia Heng didn't refuse this time, but she was actually a little worried... Xinxin.

"My sister and I still have something to ask Ziyu, I don't know if it's convenient for Ziyu." Zhen Qing said suddenly.

After thinking about it yesterday, the marriage between the fourth younger sister and Baoyu really needs his consent.

Jia Heng put Shui Xin down and said, "Let's talk in the study."

Xin Xin pouted her pink lips, and said in a waxy voice: "Godfather is like this every time. He always plays with mother and aunt, but godfather doesn't play with me either."

Zhen Qing and Zhen Xue's heart skipped a beat when they said these words, and they secretly said, children's words are ruthless, it's not for fun.

Jia Heng smiled lightly, and said: "Then in the evening, Xinxin don't leave, godfather will tell you a story."

If it was Aiwujiwu at first, now I really like this cute and clever little girl.

Maybe Jinyang can give birth to one. Jinyang is old, and now she is an advanced mother.

Shui Xin turned worry into joy, and responded with a smile.

Jia Heng turned to look at Zhen Xue, and said softly, "Xin Xin stay here for one night, she will take my boat to Jinling tomorrow."

Zhen Xue's gentle eyes brimming with a smile, said: "Zi Yu, children like to cling to others, don't spoil her too much."

Jia Heng said, "It's okay, I really like Xinxin."

Daiyu watched the scene of the conversation between the two, and a hint of thought floated in her eyes.

While speaking, he handed Shui Xin to Daiyu to take her with him, while Jia Heng, Zhen Qing and Zhen Xue came to the courtyard where they usually lived and entered the study.

Jia Heng asked Qingwen to go down, and Princess Chu Zhen Qing also turned away the female officer, and there were only three people left in the room for a while. Yangzhou, which has been rainy for many days, has just cleared up today, and the afternoon sun is a bit lazy.

Jia Heng looked up at Princess Chu Zhen Qing across the other side of the table.

She is dressed in a peach red dress, dressed in fine clothes, under the rolled-up temples, the bright and clean forehead is painted with flowers, under the thin eyebrows of willow leaves, the autumn water is the god, under the straight bridge of the nose, the lips are like roses. Under the plump, slender and fair neck, the full moon is eye-catching, and the skin is snow-white.

Perhaps it was because the millstone was relatively stable, when he sat upright, he had a somewhat majestic and gorgeous posture.

On the other side, Zhen Xue is wearing a sky-blue streamer dress, her blue silk is twisted into a peach heart bun, her hairpin is pinned between her hair, her skin is frosty like snow, her peach cheeks and almond eyes are obviously rouged Pink lips pursed slightly.

Jia Heng picked up the teapot and poured two cups for the two, and asked: "Princess, you may as well speak up if you have something to say."

Because I was worried about being peeped by Chen Xiao again, I still had to be more careful.

"I want to discuss something with you." Zhen Qing looked at the young man who was pouring tea slowly, and said softly.

Jia Heng took two teacups, handed them over, and asked, "What's the matter?"

However, Zhen Xue took the conversation, and said in a soft and soft voice, "Ziyu is like this, my sister and I have two sisters who are waiting in the boudoir, and there is a young man from the same age who has not yet promised Man, I heard that there is Baoyu in the Rongguo Mansion, and thinking that our two families are also old relatives, if we give it to him like this, it will also be an added kiss, so I want to ask what do you think?"

The four sisters of the Zhen family, Qingxue Lanxi, and Zhen Lan have already committed themselves, and they will not get married in two years, but Zhenxi has not yet committed herself to Doukou.

Jia Heng was silent for a moment, then asked, "You mean Baoyu?"

"It's Baoyu." Zhen Qing watched the young man's expression unmovingly with her phoenix eyes, and said with a light smile, "I heard that he was born with a jade title and has the same name as our family's Baoyu."

Jia Heng said: "I don't care about Baoyu's marriage. Baoyu's marriage is decided by the old lady in our house."

This is the truth, Mother Jia kowtowed at Baodai's CP, and wanted Daiyu to agree to Baoyu, so the fourth lady of the Zhen family might not be in her eyes.

It’s just that I remember when Yuanchun wanted him to match the little princess and Baoyu, he said that it was really difficult for him to intervene in Baoyu’s marriage. It is also easy to hurt feelings in front of you.

Hearing this, Zhen Qing frowned her eyebrows, narrowed her phoenix eyes, and said in a low tone: "It really is so."

Jia Heng frowned, looked at the beauty whose smile disappeared and her eyes were clear, and said, "Why is that so? You understand again?"

Zhen Qing felt angry for a moment, her jade face was as frosty, and she said coldly: "You just don't want to get involved with the Zhen family, so you deliberately made an excuse. What happened last time in Yuan Chun was that you didn't want to get involved with the King of Chu. Now it's still the same, what are you talking about?" Make the decision, you are the patriarch, you can tell Mrs. Rong Guotai, for the sake of the overall situation of the clan, she should agree."

As the two got tired of being together for a long time, Zhen Qing also gradually understood some of Jia Heng's temperament.

Jia Heng smiled and said: "There is also a reason for this, I am afraid of being implicated by your Zhen family."

Zhen Qing: "..."

Jia Heng got up, came to Zhen Qing, stared at Zhen Xue, and said softly: "Xue'er, go watch the wind."

Zhen Xue: "???"

So, he and his sister are a couple, she is redundant, right?
Jia Heng turned to look at the beautiful woman with gloomy eyes and pursed lips, and said softly: "Xue'er, your sister thinks about it all day long, so I'll talk to her about it."

Zhen Xueli nodded, left the table, and went to the bead curtain to watch the wind.

Jia Heng took the hand of Zhen Qing, who was as beautiful as frost, and sat down on the soft couch in the inner room, saying: "You can't live in peace for a few days."

Ever since she had physical contact with him, Zhen Qing wished she could tie herself to her so-called ambition.

Zhen Qing lightly patted Jia Hengzheng's dishonest hand, under the slender brows of willow leaves, her charming phoenix eyes were clear, and said angrily: "Don't touch me, be careful, I've implicated you."

Jia Heng said: "I shouldn't have told you about the Zhen family before, but now I want to drag my Jia family into the water."

It was obvious at a glance what Zhen Qing was up to.

"Then don't go into the water for a while." Zhen Qing said angrily, "You think I don't know if you don't tell? Once the emperor and the courtiers, the Weaving Bureau, the father will take it back after all, we Zhen If everyone knows, they will think about preserving wealth, otherwise, they would not have let me marry the King of Chu, and let my younger sister marry the King of Beijing."

There are some things that the Zhen family may not know, but being lucky is one thing, and not being able to turn around is two.

Marrying the two sisters to the second king at the beginning was to save himself a way out.

Jia Heng said: "Since you know, then don't think about getting involved, take care of yourself, the water splashed by the married daughter, in the future, unless the Zhen family rebels, otherwise, it will not be involved in you."

Talking, not much to say, rolled up a thousand piles of snow...

"Is there really nothing I can do?" Zhen Qing turned her beautiful face like Xia, her phoenix eyes were filled with mist, she looked at Jia Heng, and said, "Help me think of a way, I, I... "

She didn't know how to bribe the young man in front of her.

Jia Heng said: "Anyway, I have no choice. The wealth of the Zhen family can no longer be preserved, so don't even try to transfer the property, it will only annoy the palace even more, and I will keep an eye on you."

As I said that, I felt that it was almost the same, the rocks pierced through the sky, and the stormy waves crashed on the shore.

Zhen Qingxiu frowned slightly, her snow-skinned face was as red as blood, and she said in a low voice: "You will not be able to plead with the emperor in the future..."

"No." Jia Heng whispered.

Zhen Qingfen hit Jia Heng with clenched fists, and cursed: "You bastard, you only know how to take advantage, and you can't count on anything else."

Zai was bullying her hard, but he could say such cruel words. Thinking of this, a pang of annoyance arose in his heart, and the clouds and tassels circled lightly on his hair.

But after a while, Jia Heng was fine, but Zhen Qing was as soft as a silkworm, unable to lift any strength.

After a while, Jia Heng hugged Zhen Qing and said in a low voice, "Actually, there is another way."

It's also impossible not to give Zhen Qing a little hope, otherwise she will definitely mess up again.

"What method?" Under Zhen Qing's beautiful eyebrows, her phoenix eyes were slightly opened, her charm was flowing, and she said softly with joy in her heart.

"Bring crimes and meritorious deeds." Jia Heng said: "Even if the Zhen family can't be saved, your Zhen family's children will recover in the future. The Zhen family has worked in Liangjiang for many years, and I think they know a lot about the illegal things in Liangjiang's officialdom. If you can report Expose it, the sage Longyan is delighted."

There is indeed a historical reason for the extravagant spending of the Supreme Emperor on his southern tour, and the Zhen family's greedy money was confiscated and then sold to Liangjiang's officialdom, and it may be able to recover in the future.

"No, if this happens, my Zhen family will become the target of public criticism." Zhen Qing's face was rosy, sweat accumulated on her temples, her lips were biting her lips, and she said softly: "Why don't you let the children of the Zhen family go to the capital camp?" In the army, if you make contributions in the future, you will be able to have affection with your father..."

Jia Heng looked at Zhen Qing with a half-smile, and said: "I still want to put people in the Beijing camp. When the Zhen family falls in the future, these people who commanded the soldiers and horses of the Beijing camp will be tied up with the king of Chu. You fought well." abacus."

In fact, the members of the Zhen family also had errands in Daying Jiangnan. As for other young children, like the Jia family, there were quite a few.

"How can it be considered as an arrangement of manpower, it is also to share the worries of the military. You are a military privy, and you will always use people in future wars. Who will you use? Besides, you help me this time, and I will rely on you for everything in the future." Zhen Qing put her arms around Jia Heng's neck, looked at the young man with clear eyebrows, moved to her lips, and pecked lightly, her watery phoenix eyes sucked a bit of charm, and said softly: "I It belongs only to you."

Anyway, the prince doesn't touch her very much, and she also has a son.

Jia Heng whispered: "Even if I don't help you, I can make you belong to me only."

Zhen Qing: "..."

Where did you get your confidence from?

Jia Heng lowered his voice and asked: "In the heart of the princess, who is the king of Chu or me..."

The voice behind the voice was weak, and it was somewhat inaudible.

"You..." Zhen Qingtan opened her mouth slightly and spoke out of breath. Her heart was inexplicably shocked, and her delicate body trembled slightly. She felt an indescribable feeling all over her body, and distant memories floated in her heart. Immediately, as if The crystal in his heart shattered, and a series of cobweb cracks appeared.

No, how can he compare himself with the prince?But as in between the curtains, it is indeed him...

Jia Heng smiled lightly and said: "Don't you know, my concubine, it's easy to go from frugal to extravagant, but difficult to go from extravagant to frugal."

Any subtle changes in the skin-to-skin contact can be detected, this poisonous woman, um, is also a wonderful person.

"You bastard, shut up." Zhen Qing was also a person with a clear mind, and instantly understood what she said. Under the playful eyes of the young man, she seemed to have seen through her mind, and became angry and ashamed beyond words.

Here, Zhen Xue was standing by the bead curtain, hearing the two whispering their ears and other sounds, Xue's cheeks were flushed, and she felt her heart skip a beat.

(End of this chapter)