The son of the red mansion is unscrupulous

The snow fell all night, and in the morning, it was more than a foot thick.

In order to appease Xu Qingheng, who was overwhelmed by knowing Fang Wenhui's affairs, Jia Lian tried his best to "know the current affairs" all night, and only slowly got up from Xu Qingheng's bed when the snow light shone through the window screen so that people could not keep their eyes open.

"Go to the back building to sleep back in the cage?" Xu Qingheng asked with one arm exposed.

Jia Lian said with a smile: "I'm sixteen today, and it's almost New Year's Eve, so I should go to each house for a walk."

Xu Qingheng counted with his fingers, and was planning who to invite to the banquet every year and year after year, when he heard through the window, Yuanyang said: "Master Zhu is not good."

Jia Lian was taken aback, got up while putting on his clothes and asked, "What do you say? Didn't your body look good before?"

Yuanyang approached the window and said: "Li Jijiu is gone, and the two uncles of the Li family are not good at human beings. I don't know which one has offended them. Both of them have lost their jobs in the Imperial College. Grandma Zhu is in a hurry. Seeing that Uncle Zhu is not going to be big this winter." When he coughed, he asked him to go around to inquire, and see if there is still room for him to return to Huan. After hearing this, Master Zhu immediately got into a sedan chair and went to inquire around. Bisheng Baoyu wrote a poem in the Beijing Palace these two days King Beijing and all the gentlemen praised him so much, he patted his chest generously, led Master Zhu to have a drink with those gentlemen, and asked someone to sell favors to the Li family. Master Zhu went At the banquet, he couldn't help being persuaded and encouraged, and returned home drunk. Before he could tell Grandma Zhu what happened to Li's family, he vomited, first the food and wine he had eaten, and then blood. "

"Have you invited the imperial physician?" Jia Lian wondered if the Li family brothers had suffered for Li Shouzhong. Li Shouzhong has been honest and behaved all his life, and the bad thing is that he was taught to read the test paper first.Since Chang Sheng told the Taishanghuang, the Taishanghuang had to deal with this matter as an example to others.

"Last night it snowed so heavily, I finally invited the imperial physician. The imperial physician came to have a look, but he didn't dare to prescribe a prescription, so he bowed his hands and didn't even ask for a gift money, so he went back."

Jia Lian hastily wiped his face with a wet handkerchief, and just as he was leaving the house, he saw Jin Cai's family coming again.

"Second Master, Uncle Zhu is gone. The old lady said that it is too cold to open the coffin, so she asked to bring the coffin that was prepared for her and stored in the temple to Uncle Zhu."

Jia Lian's breath stagnates, and he thinks to himself that Jia Zhu just got another daughter two days ago, and she died so soon?Seeing that Xu Qingheng also came out in a hurry, he said: "You go to see the old lady first, and then go to see Mrs. Zhu who is in confinement." After speaking, he followed Yuanyang and Jincai's family in the car first Go to the garden on the east side.

As soon as I went there, I saw a pot of porridge in the east: Jia Zheng beat his chest and stamped his feet, trying to catch Baoyu and beat him up; Mrs. Wang stood crying outside the door of Li Wan's room and cursed; Shi Xiangyun hid in the room with Baoyu and dared not come out; Everyone said that Baoyu deliberately harmed Jia Zhu and tried to seize the family property.

"Where's Miss Yuanda?" Jia Lian asked, it was a mess, and she had to come out and take charge of the overall situation.

Yuanyang hurriedly said, "Let me go and have a look."

Jia Lian nodded, and first went to Jia Zhu's room to take a look, seeing Jia Zhu lying on the bed soundlessly, he thought to himself, is this doomed?Shanghuizi also almost lost his life in the Li family because of Li Wan, but this time he really lost his life because of Li Wan.

"Second Master," Yuanyang led Jia Lan over, "Miss Yuan Da said that she is married and can't manage the overall situation, and asked Lian Second Master to take care of Master Zhu's funeral for the second master and second wife. "

Jia Lian was taken aback, but then he thought about not spending much money, so he said to Yuanyang: "Look at them, they just let go of each other. You can ask the second grandma to take your parents and Lin Zhixiao to take care of it."

"Hey."

Jia Lian sighed, and was about to go out to talk to Jia Zheng, when he suddenly saw Jia Lan coming over and knelt down and said, "Second Uncle Lian, please save my mother, my grandmother just rushed into my mother's room, and she is going to fight her to the death; The uncle just came here, and before he entered the door, he asked my grandfather to order someone to beat him out with a broom." As he spoke, he kowtowed his head.

"...ask your mother's servant girl to clean up, and let Yuanyang lead your mother back to Rongguo Mansion to recuperate. You also take your sister and go with you."

"But on my father's side, no one can burn the paper and offer incense."

"There is no shortage of you, please appease your mother before coming here."

"Yes." Jia Lan agreed, kowtowed again, and then got up to go out.

Jia Lian burned a handful of yellow paper in front of Jia Zhuling's bed, looked at Jia Zhu, and suddenly wondered whether Lin Ruhai and Jia Min, who died young in the book, had escaped their fate.Just as he was thinking, he heard footsteps and saw Jia Zheng approaching with a blushing face, so he asked, "What's the matter with Baoyu?"

Jia Zheng sneered and said, "What else can he do? I asked his servant Mingyan, and Mingyan refused to tell the truth first, and beat him hard, and then said that Baoyu took it all on him first. At the banquet, seeing everyone drinking and drinking fiercely, I showed my timidity, and asked Zhu'er to stand in for him." Suddenly he sobbed, threw himself on Jia Zhuling's bed, and began to wail.

Jia Lian tried a few words of persuasion, but she couldn't persuade her, and when she heard that Xu Qingheng had brought Jia's mother over, she pulled Jia Zheng aside and reminded, "The old lady is here, don't make the old lady worry."

After hearing this, Jia Zheng could barely hold back his weeping.

After a while, I saw Xu Qingheng wearing a navy blue trousers, supporting Jia Mu who was faltering.

With a calm face, Jia Mu came slowly, touched Jia Zhu's face with her hand, shed only two tears, and followed Xu Qingheng calmly.

After a while, Xu Qingheng came back again and said to Jia Zheng and Jia Lian: "The old lady said that brother Zhu's funeral should be as simple as possible, and the rest of the money will be handed over to sister-in-law Zhu for Lan'er and Hui'er."

Jia Lian looked at Jia Zheng, "What does Second Uncle say?"

Jia Zheng knew that the family didn't have much spare money, and all the affairs had to be taken care of by Jia Lian, so he said, "Just do it according to your conscience."

Xu Qingheng frowned.

Jia Lian saw that Jia Zheng was forcing him to give Jia Zhu a big deal, so he said to Xu Qingheng: "I took 1 taels and gave it to the old lady, and asked the old lady to weigh it, and took out a sum of money for the funeral. Give it to sister-in-law Zhu."

Hearing what he said, Jia Zheng's face sank immediately, and he sneered, "If you are like this, you just don't want to do anything to Zhu'er? It's thanks to you being so brotherly and respectful before, and it's because Zhu'er didn't hesitate to turn against me because of you."

"Second uncle says such unreasonable things again, we don't care." Jia Lian also sneered.

Jia Zheng immediately fell silent.

Jia Lian gave Xu Qingheng a wink, and went out together with her. The two of them took the car back to the mansion from the east corner gate, and went to sit and talk in the east side room of Rongxi Hall.

Xu Qingheng warmed up on the smoke cage, first said: "Master Zhu went too wronged, it was a waste of his daily care." Then said: "There are not many people in the east, only the Wang family, the Xue family, the Shi family, and others. The Second Master’s disciple, Fu Shi, is coming, so it’s easy to cook. Besides, they are short of everything, so it’s not too much trouble to send them directly from us.” Thinking of Jia Zhuying’s early death, his eyes turned red , shedding tears, saw Jia Lian lying on the couch, and asked him, "Don't you say a few words?"

"Death is like a lamp going out, there is nothing to talk about." Jia Lian rested his arms on his head and thought to himself that he didn't even see Jia Zhu for the last time, which shows the impermanence of the world.

Xu Qingheng also got on the couch, leaned on him and looked at him, saw that he looked sad but did not shed a single tear, so he asked: "If I die, will you be like this too?" Thinking of the day when Li Wanting had an accident, Jia Lian was also sad Seeing the restrained appearance of the injury, he couldn't help but think of himself, and then Fang Wenhui who didn't know what to do with Jia Lian.

"Don't worry, I will die before you."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Xu Qingheng said angrily, and for a while, he heard Yuanyang say that the Jincai couple, Lin Zhixiao couple, and other wives in charge were waiting in the inverted hall to discuss the affairs of Jia Zhu's death, so he hugged the stove and went up the inverted hall.In just an hour, several people worked together to discuss everything, and then sent people to the warehouse to move out the tables, chairs, screens, dishes, etc., and then bought candles, paper money, etc. from various shops.Just before the new year, Zhuangzi from various places sent chickens, ducks, deer, pigs, and various fruits and vegetables. In this way, everything was prepared in just two or three days, and the funeral on the 25th of the first lunar month came without much trouble.

Let’s say that on that day, brothers Li Jin and Li Cheng came to the door early in the morning and were beaten out by Jia Zheng’s order. Jia Lian had to appease Li Cheng brothers on Ningrong Street; Behind Jing Huanzhai's house, he pointed at Sang and scolded Huai, and Li Wan cursed him with vicious intentions. After killing Jia Zhu, he came to kill Jia Lian.Jia Lian knew that Jia Amnesty was afraid that Jia Lan and Jia Cong would compete for family wealth in the future, so he deliberately wanted to force Li Wan to go back to the East Garden, so he asked Jia's mother to come forward and reprimand Jia Amnesty.

After Jia Lian was busy, he burned the paper in front of Jia Zhuling, and saw Fu Shi coming over in sackcloth.

"Teacher, Concubine Fang entered the palace with cold air. Do you think she will help Qiufang conceive?" After killing Fu Shi, he did not believe that Fang Wenhui would place all his bets on the fifth prince.

Jia Lian took the paper and slowly threw it into the brazier. Hearing the humming sound of monks and priests chanting scriptures in the back hall separated by a bamboo curtain, he glanced at Fu Shi and said nothing.

Fu Shi graciously burned the paper for Jia Lian, and then said with a smile: "Eunuch Dai is here, and he is surrounded by the second master and Brother Huan in the front study."

After Jia Lian finished burning the paper, he stood up and said to Fu Shi, "You stay here later." Then he walked to the back hall, and when he walked to the back hall, he saw Taoist Zhang who had been the substitute of the old Duke of Jia's mansion. Sitting on the futon, he stepped forward and asked, "How is Grandpa Zhang recently?"

Taoist Zhang had his eyes closed, but when he saw him coming, he opened them a little, stood up, and said with a smile, "I've done a few matches for people recently, and they all worked out. It's not necessarily bad."

"I heard that Prince Zhongshun often goes to Qingxu Temple recently?" Jia Lian asked tentatively.

Daoist Zhang immediately put away his smiling face, waved the whisk, and said: "The poor Taoist just collect a little money and be a pleasing matchmaker. He doesn't know anything else." Then he sat back on the futon.

Jia Lian nodded and smiled, turned around, and saw Fu Shi showing half of his body behind the snow-white curtain, secretly thought that this fellow was indeed eavesdropping, Chen Yejun couldn't deal with it because of his feelings, could he be soft on Fu Shi ?

"Teacher, let's go to the front." Fu Shidui said with a smile, looking at Zhang Daoshi with a pair of eyes, secretly thinking that he would be loyal to the prince to go to Qingxu Guan, what's the inside story?After thinking about it, he followed Jia Lian all the way out of the gate of Sanchongyi, hand in hand with the gentlemen everywhere.

When he arrived in Jia Zhengwai's study, Dai Quan shook his head and sighed, "Such a man with a crystal heart is gone."

Jia Zheng choked up and said, "It's God's will."

Jia Huan's eyes were as anxious as black corns in the back, and he took the time to ask: "Eunuch Dai, is there anything more about the fifth prince's appointment as king? Is it the prince or the county king?"

Jia Zheng choked, and said angrily, "What nonsense are you talking about, why don't you just go out and socialize?"

Dai Quan glanced at Jia Huan, and wondered why all the boys in Jia Zheng's room lost to the girls?In the early years, Yuanchun was very noble and graceful before she got married. In recent years, Tanchun has also grown up and down so well that people can't take their eyes off her. She speaks freely and freely, which is admirable.However, these three boys are either weak and sick, or sentimental, or talk obscenely, which is annoying.

"Fu Shi, go out with your second uncle and Huan'er to socialize, and I'll have a few words with Eunuch Dai," Jia Lian said.

Fu Shi hurriedly cupped his hands and asked Jia Zheng to go first.

Jia Zheng gritted his teeth and had to follow Fu Shi and Jia Huan out.

Jia Lian took a look at Jia Zheng's study, and saw that the layout of the study was very shabby. Although there were a few things that could be seen occasionally, they were all old things of some years. He thought that Jia Zheng's foundation was almost empty No, and when there was no sound outside the room, he bowed his hands to Dai Quan.

Dai Quan also cupped his hands and said with a smile, "What does Second Master Lian want to say to our family?"

"If you don't understand something, you have to teach your father-in-law."

"Which thing you don't understand?" Dai Quan asked with a smile.

Jia Lian said: "Little Lizi came a few years ago and told my wife about the cold concubine entering the palace. For some reason, he linked this with my internal injury."

"If you can pull out the truth, it's not worth it." Dai Quan said with a smile.

Jia Lian thought to himself that Xiao Lizi really didn't have the ability to do things behind Dai Quan's back, so he cupped his hands and said with a smile, "Eunuch Dai, this is not a joke."

"I'm not joking with you. Concubine Fang has high hopes for Second Master Lian." Dai Quan sighed long, stroked the finger on his finger, and said, "Our family was seven years old and stayed in the palace all our lives. , What kind of things haven't you seen? It's lonely in the deep palace, and those women who enter the palace either have a big change in temperament and don't recognize their relatives, or think about the lover outside the palace day and night, these are common things. "

"Lover?" Jia Lian sneered, "Eunuch, our friendship is not ordinary, so just speak up if you have something to say."

Dai Quan laughed and said, "It's because of our unusual friendship that our family opened up to talk. Concubine Fang will go out and share the good and bad with Lian Er Ye, and Lian Er Ye cannot abandon her." Approaching Jia Lian, he whispered in his ear Said: "If the second master has something to say, let's say it clearly, so as not to prevent our family from facing east and the second master from facing west, and going in the opposite direction in the future, what should we do?"

"I don't know whether the father-in-law is facing east or west?" Jia Lian asked with a smile, thinking that the old fox Dai Quan was really cunning. up.

Dai Quan stretched out two hands and showed Jia Lian seven fingers.

Jia Lian knew that a great eunuch like Dai Quan loved the young and inert children more than those princes who could handle their own affairs, so after thinking about it, he took Dai Quan's hand with two fingers outstretched.

"Second Master Lian, this is..." Dai Quan frowned, wondering why Jia Lian had a "handle" in his hands, why didn't he know how to give in?

Jia Lian smiled: "Elder-in-law, mother and child are very close, even if they can succeed, they must guard against you—and the one above him must guard against his mother's family becoming bigger, and it will be very difficult to achieve success; the mother and son are halfway Those who gather together, although one values ​​love and righteousness, and the other expresses gratitude, but in the end they are not biological, and the father-in-law is between them, so it can be said."

After hearing this, Dai Quan folded his arms and murmured, hesitantly said: "Fang concubine has no importance in her mother's family, and the concubine chosen by the fifth prince is even more condescending, and the Qi family changes every day..."

"Maybe it's hibernation?" Jia Lian laughed.

Dai Quan was startled, and thought to himself that after Concubine Qi passed away, there was no movement in the Qi family, maybe it was really dormant and it is unknown.

"Besides, it's still too early to draw conclusions. It's better to focus on doing things for the Lord. Speaking of which, the Zhen family will come to Beijing in Mingyue and April. I don't know what Concubine Ji Hui thinks?"

"What do you think?" Dai Quan sneered, "When it comes to the Zhen family, you have to talk about those ridiculous things in the palace. The empress first said that she would make the third girl of the Zhen family the eldest prince's side concubine, but Wu Guifei is eloquent. Concubine Ji Hui was happily waiting for the Zhen family to come to Beijing, but unexpectedly, Concubine Ji Hui and Concubine Wu Guifei sang together in the palace banquet on New Year's Eve , and then pushed Miss Zhen's family on the head of the fourth prince. The fourth prince's original spouse disappeared in the spring of last year, and his mother and concubine came from humble backgrounds. It is expected that he would have no choice but to push."

"...What does the lord think about such repeated prevarications?" Jia Lian's eyes flickered, and he even sighed that Concubine Ji Hui and Concubine Wu Guifei were indeed not easy-going lamps, but also persimmons.

Dai Quan's eyelids twitched, secretly thinking that the second master's question really hit the nail on the head, and hurriedly said: "My lord frowned when he heard about this."

"I'm afraid, the lord is going to investigate, where is it rumored that the Zhen family is not good." Jia Lian said with a smile.

Dai Quan was taken aback, "How do you know?"

"I got the news at Prince Zhongshun's mansion a few days ago." Jia Lian said.

"The Palace of Zhongshun?" Dai Quan frowned, secretly thinking that the news about the Palace of Zhongshun was too well-informed, so the emperor was interested, and the Palace of Zhongshun spied on it and spread it.

Just as I was about to say more, I heard Fu Shi from outside say: "Teacher, the time has come."

"Elder-in-law, I will send my elder brother to Tieshan Temple. I won't be able to return for a few days. See you again. That little Li, tell him to come and talk to me when you have time." Jia Lian clasped his fists at Dai Quan and strode out.

Dai Quan followed closely, and waited until Jia Lian led Jia Zhu's coffin out of Ningrong Street with a group of weeping people in linen and filial piety, and then went into the palace in a sedan chair.After stepping into the palace gate, he saw Xiao Lizi approaching with a smile, so he took the sleeve made of hozen leather and threw it at his face, scolding: "Little monkey, if you tell you to go to Rongguo Mansion to spread a message, you will offend others." .”

The wind in the palace alley was very strong, Xiao Lizi hurriedly took the sleeve, and asked with a smile: "Elder-in-law, which sentence did I say wrong?"

Dai Quan sneered, heaved a long sigh, and said to him: "Go and apologize to Second Master Lian when you have time."

"Hey." Xiao Lizi quickly agreed.

"My lord is waiting for Eunuch." Xiao Lizi suddenly said.

"Monkey boy, did you just say now that you want to turn the world upside down?" Dai Quan scolded, and then walked quickly to Daming Palace, panting for a long time outside the gate of the palace before raising his foot to step over the high threshold.

"Where have you been these days? Has Xue's money been collected this month?" Shui Mu asked while sitting behind the case.

Dai Quan hurriedly said: "Return to the Lord, because it is not easy to pay for the New Year, it will be confiscated for the time being. Years ago, Jia Lian's cousin Jia Zhu disappeared, so I went to take a look."

"Is it Jia Zheng's eldest son?"

"Exactly." Said Dai Quan, stepped forward again with small steps, bowed his body and said, "My lord, I heard something from Jia Lian."

"what's up?"

"It turns out that Concubine Wu Gui and Concubine Ji Hui in the palace pushed the third girl of the Zhen family to the fourth prince, and they knew from Prince Zhongshun's residence that the Zhen family was in trouble."

Shui Mu paused while holding the vermilion pen, and the pen left a heavy dot on the memorial, "Zhongshun Palace, how did you get the news so quickly?"

Dai Quan bowed his body and said nothing.

Shui Mu closed his eyes, thinking about where Prince Zhongshun got the news from, and thought about the people around him one by one. He secretly thought that the queen was the first person to push the Zhen family out. It can be seen that the queen's natal family is really strong. There are so many eyes and ears, it is hard to guard against; but the queen will definitely not tell Zhongshun Wangfu; when Zhongshun Wangfu heard the news, he immediately sent accountants Huifei and Wu Guifei, which shows the close relationship between these three families.

"Dai Quan."

"The servant is here." Dai Quan said hurriedly.

Shui Mu pondered for a while, and then said: "It is a decree, the third girl of the Zhen family is gentle and virtuous, and bestowed on the sixth prince as the concubine."

"Yes." Dai Quan hurriedly waved to Xiao Lizi from behind, urging him to ask someone to draft the imperial decree.

"Also," Shui Mu blinked, "Give the eldest prince the side concubine of Concubine Ji Hui's niece from her natal family who was previously said to be the fifth prince's concubine."