Red Mansion Royal Cat

Chapter 589: The old dandy's reputation is also very useful

Master She, who seemed drunk and asleep in the market, did not open his eyes until he entered the gate of Mengyuan.

"Damn it, Ji Chengming is really an old fox. Fortunately, I was alert, otherwise I would have been exposed."

Ji Chengming is the middle-aged man. Master She has already made a rough guess about his true identity.

"On the surface, he is the head of the Ji family, a grain merchant, who sells grain from Jiaozhi to the north. But which grain merchant can earn hundreds of thousands or millions of silver from a single sea voyage? Moreover, this man's hands are stained with blood, and he is definitely not just a pampered country gentleman."

When this person toasted, Master She took the opportunity to clink glasses and glanced at the other person's palm. The calluses on his palm were definitely caused by holding a knife handle for decades.

Moreover, there was a strong smell of spices on this person's body. Master She had smelled this kind of person on three types of people: the first was the eunuchs in the palace, the second was the barbarians who came to the Central Plains, and the third was the pirates who had been wandering on the sea for many years.

After ruling out the first two possibilities, only the third one remains.

But the pirates of Daxia have disappeared in recent years, so it is unlikely that Ji Chengming is a pirate.

Or was it possible that Ji Chengming was a pirate in his early years, and after the imperial court issued an amnesty and wiped out the pirates along the coast, he came ashore and became a good citizen again?
"But I'm not sure about his true identity. He has such a strong smell of spices on him. What is he trying to hide..."

"No matter what he is trying to cover up, the fact that he dares to take this gamble and is so anxious to get the documents to go to sea proves that he is up to something. Daddy should not go to sea with him. It is too dangerous."

In fact, from the very beginning, Jia Cong did not agree with his father taking the risk himself.

A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall. How could a dignified Duke and the court's top military hero take such a risk alone?

But Master She insisted on going there himself, saying that only in this way would others believe him and would he take the risk.

Moreover, at this time, Master She was obviously interested in Ji Chengming. He glanced at Jia Cong, turned around and started to analyze with Old Thirteen.

"Just hold on for a few more days. As long as Xu Jinglong doesn't reveal the truth, I will definitely be able to get Ji Chengming's identity out. And those artillery pieces are most likely in this person's hands. It doesn't matter if we go out to sea. Whatever we do on the sea won't affect the people..."

Even though Mr. She likes to play and make noise, he never makes mistakes when it comes to important matters.

Even Old Thirteen knew that one cannot catch a wolf without sacrificing a lamb. If the batch of artillery pieces were not found, the problem of the Jiangnan camp would never be solved, and he would not be able to sleep peacefully.

Liu Ke pursed his lips, changing his usual cynicism, and nodded seriously in response: "Then let's take this gamble. When the time comes, you can bring my personal soldiers with you, and I will secretly send the Songjiang navy to follow from a distance, just in case."

"Okay, wait for my message to come back, and you will immediately blockade Jinling City and arrest all those who are colluding with Xu Jinglong. You can decide on the Jiangnan Camp, whether to disband it on the spot or disband it and reorganize it. I think you have an idea in mind."

The two men went south with the imperial edict. Originally, they were only going to investigate the matter of the eunuchs who were sent abroad. They didn't expect that they would have to act first and report later, so they had to deal with the problem of the Jiangnan camp first.

Alas, when will Jiangnan ever be truly peaceful?

After fighting all my life, I just want to enjoy myself by the Qinhuai River. Why is it so difficult?
On small matters, Master She rarely opposed his good son's opinions, but on big matters, once he made up his mind, no one's opinion would matter.

Just like that, amid the worries of Jia Cong and Daiyu, Master She began to secretly mobilize troops and even sent people to Shandong to mobilize troops.

Even if the old, weak, sick and disabled are excluded from the Jiangnan camp, there are still nearly 30,000 troops. If you want to control this army, it would be easy for a mutiny or a camp-bursting incident to occur without 40,000 to 50,000 people.

……

Just when Dream Garden had returned to peace, everyone went back to their houses to rest.

Under the cover of night, in a farmhouse outside Jinling City, Ji Chengming, holding sandalwood, worshipped respectfully towards the three-eyed Maitreya in the shrine.

Behind him, there were several men and women doing the same thing...

"Master, is it too dangerous to cooperate with Marquis Jia En? After all, Marquis Jia En was born a military officer in the imperial court. He will definitely notice the problem with our firearms."

Someone raised questions, but Ji Chengming nodded nonchalantly.

"Of course I know he will notice it, but I believe more in the desires of this Lord Jia. Human desires will make him unscrupulous. Don't forget, the old emperor is dead!"

Ok?
Everyone was puzzled, but Ji Chengming laughed confidently.

"You don't understand. Marquis Jia En has been deposed and even imprisoned in the imperial mausoleum by the emperor for more than half a year. Can you think about the reason behind this?"

Seeing the people sitting below shaking their heads, Ji Chengming became more confident with an arrogant look as if everyone else was drunk but he was sober.

"Because he is not the emperor's man, understand? He is the former crown prince's confidant. A new emperor chooses new ministers. Without the old emperor, Marquis Jia En would not be valued by the court. If you were a duke and a top military commander who was idle at home before the age of 60, would you resent the emperor?"

This is the truth, but...

The only woman below frowned and expressed her different opinion. She said, "Master Xiang, please don't forget that although the emperor stripped him of his official title, his eldest son inherited the title and was appointed as the governor of the Beijing camp. His second son, Jia Cong, has been favored by the emperor since he was a child. Rongguo Mansion can be said to be the confidant of the emperor's party. Why do you think that Marquis Jia En would be resentful of the emperor?"

"You still don't understand. When a person is in a high position and suddenly falls, how can he not feel resentful? After tasting the taste of power, no one will get used to the life of an ordinary person. For power, fathers and sons kill each other and brothers fight each other. Didn't the former crown prince almost succeed in the palace coup? It's a pity that the Holy Church suffered too much loss that time, otherwise it would not have been silent until now."

Ji Chengming thought he understood human nature very well and had guessed what was in Master She's mind. He no longer cared about the opinions of his subordinates and made up his mind with a wave of his hand.

"The permission to go to sea in Marquis Jia En's hand is what we urgently need. The Central Plains is becoming more and more prosperous now. Only by going to the sea and going to the holy land of Persia can we seek the true scriptures and restore the glory of the Holy Religion. Everyone, this matter is settled. When you go back, gather the believers from all over the place. After I bring Marquis Jia En into the Holy Religion, we will start planning the journey to the west."

……

There was no disturbance or incident in the next few days. Master She played his whole trick and swindled 100,000 taels of silver from Xu Jinglong. He then wandered around the market town with his big rooster with a golden crown and had fun.

Old Thirteen had a reputation as a homosexual and had to suppress his anger and nausea every day while flattering the dignitaries who sent him male pets.

For his father's safety, Jia Cong had to repeatedly discuss the deployment of troops with the people of Songjiang Navy. Finally, it was Daiyu who stepped forward and pulled him out of the study.

"What kind of people are father-in-law and uncle Thirteen in the eyes of the world?"

"Old dandy?"

These three words are the best interpretation of Master She and Old Thirteen. Daiyu covered her mouth and laughed, while Old Thirteen on the side had a dark face and was very dissatisfied with the evaluation of these three words.

Although Daiyu laughed, she also explained the reason why she asked.

"So, if the old dude wants to go out to sea and experience the thrill of being a naval commander, doesn't he need someone under him? He can't just take Ji Chengming's crooked little guy with him, right?"

Jia Cong slapped his head, and an idea suddenly occurred to him: "So..."

"So, at this time, you should personally write a letter to Ji Chengming and tell him that in order to let your father-in-law have fun, you will send a troop of soldiers to board the ship, and warn Ji Chengming that the fleet must obey your father-in-law on this voyage. As long as Ji Chengming can let your father-in-law have fun, the sea permit is nothing. Even if Ji Chengming wants the latest firearms from the Ministry of Industry, he can get them from you."

Daiyu not only reassured Jia Cong, but also gave him a good idea.

Everyone knows that Master She of Rongguo Mansion dotes on his son. As a good son, and one who holds great power, what's wrong with him giving up public power for personal gain? Isn't this normal?
Ji Chengming is just a "businessman". Just tell me whether you want to make money? Do you want the permission to go to sea? Do you want the latest firearms from the imperial court?
No matter whether Ji Chengming wanted the firearms from the Jiangnan camp to go out to sea to rob silver or for other purposes, if Jia Cong really threw out such a big bait, I don't believe he would not take the bait.

Old Thirteen, who was standing by, was delighted. He slapped his thigh and nodded in praise at his eldest niece.

"I never thought, niece, you would come up with such a brilliant idea!"

Daiyu tilted her head and smiled: "This is also a good show performed by Uncle Thirteen and Father-in-law. I am just repeating what they said."

"Then give me another idea, Uncle Wang. It's not a good idea for me to keep Xu Jinglong in prison without telling anyone. I can't continue this drama any more."

Xu Jinglong has been imprisoned by him for more than ten days. People from the Duke of Wei's mansion come to him every day to beg him to release him. Even if Xu Jinglong gave him sweet tofu pudding at the beginning, it is not a revenge for the murder of his father or the abduction of his wife, so he can't continue to detain him.

Daiyu blinked and smiled sweetly, "If you like men, you can only deceive others. The heads of the Duke of Wei's mansion will not really believe it. But Uncle Thirteen can send a letter to the Duke of Wei's mansion... 8 million. As long as the Duke of Wei's mansion can pay 8 million taels of redemption silver, Uncle Thirteen will release the person."

what?
"Eight, eight, eight million? How can the Xu family possibly afford that?"

Although the Duke of Wei's Mansion is the most noble in Jinling City, no family in the capital can afford eight million taels of silver.

Old Thirteen was confused, but Jia Cong was already winking at Daiyu.

My wife is the female Zhuge Liang!

"It's right that he can't take it out. If he really takes it out, Uncle Thirteen should keep his promise and release him. When doing business, you have to bargain back and forth. It will take ten days or half a month to get any results. Uncle Thirteen, do you think this is the truth?"

……

The people in the Duke of Wei's mansion were dumbfounded. Prince Zhongshun Liu Ke actually gave his old lady a letter.

It was clearly stated in the letter that he came to seek revenge on the Xu family. In the past, a bowl of sweet tofu pudding caused him to be beaten by the old saint. Now, if the Xu family does not pay 8 million taels of silver, Xu Jinglong will be whipped every day.

"He is robbing money. Is there any law in this world?"

"That's right, he actually dared to mention the redemption silver of eight million taels of silver, he must be shot!"

"Liu Ke has the nerve to ask us for redemption silver and sweet or salty tofu pudding. I think he just wants silver."

The old lady at the main seat was almost laughing out of anger. She knocked her cane on the ground again and again, and scolded the people sitting below: "He is the emperor's brother, a prince of the imperial court. What kind of royal law are you talking to him about? When has Liu Ke ever obeyed the royal law?"

Old Mrs. Xu's words choked everyone present.

Yes, that person was Prince Zhongshun Liu Ke. The old saint was a lawless person at that time. He was hung on a crooked tree and beaten by the old saint every now and then.

If he obeys any royal law, that would be crazy.

"But eight million taels of silver is not something we can raise even if we sell our house..."

Old Madam Xu glanced at her nephew and said with amusement and anger, "This is just an excuse. Liu Ke is negotiating terms with us. He knows that eight million is impossible. You go and talk to him. It was indeed our Duke of Wei's poor hospitality that caused him to be beaten. Eight million is impossible. The maximum is eight hundred thousand taels of silver."

"Ah? Auntie, he won't agree to eight hundred thousand taels of silver, will he?"

The price is too low. What if the lawless Liu Ke is angered? Will my cousin still be alive?

But if my cousin loses his life, the title of Duke of Wei...

"Okay, I'll go talk to you in person and I'll definitely invite you back."

Thinking of this, the heads of each branch of the Xu family began to have ideas.

Old Madam Xu was too lazy to deal with these people with their own ulterior motives. When the room was quiet again, she said to her eldest grandson Xu Youwei, "Your uncles are all ambitious. We don't need to rely on them. Take the gifts that your grandmother prepared for you and secretly go to Mengyuan to meet Yongfeng Marquis Jia Cong. Tell him to ask him to be a middleman and mediate for the sake of my relationship with his old lady."

……

When Jia Cong saw Xu Youwei, he felt like he had returned to the past.

This Xu Youwei has a similar personality to Baoyu from the Zhen family. He is gentle and kind, not like an heir to a noble family.

His father was clearly imprisoned by King Zhongshun Liu Ke and was whipped every day, but Xu Youwei was different. After entering the room, he first looked at the calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall, and then put the important matters behind his mind and talked to Jia Cong about the poems of the ancients.

Sometimes Jia Cong really wanted to pry open these people's brains and take a good look. He really had no idea what they were thinking.

It wasn't until Jia Cong finally brought the topic back that Xu Youwei came back to his senses.

"Please bear with me, Mr. Wenkui. I have loved poetry since I was young. This is my first time meeting you, Mr. Wenkui. I was a little excited and lost my composure a little."

Why does this sound so familiar? I seem to have heard it somewhere before...

Jia Cong hadn't heard anyone call him Wen Kui Jun for a long time. He waved his hand and said, "No problem, I understand. But let's talk about business first. What exactly is it that brought Master Xu here today?"

Monthly ticket recommendation ticket

　That’s all for today, continue tomorrow.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)