[Red Mansions] The Road to Empress Dowager

Prince Fu breathed out and said, "Jia Zheng, you can open the warehouse and count the money now. The old lady is fine, let the imperial doctor watch over it. It's important for us to get down to business."

At this time, Jia Zheng couldn't help feeling a little annoyed, and said, "Your Majesty, let me tell you, elder brother is the head of the family, we should ask him about this matter."

After hearing this, Jia Amnesty stepped forward and said, "Second brother, you can be the master when you borrow the money, but why do you need to ask me when you pay it back? Since your father passed away, you live in the head of the Rongxi Hall, and the family property is also in your hands. My brother and sister borrowed money, and they must have used my seal. Therefore, this matter cannot be regarded as a private loan from my brother and sister, and I have nothing to say if I want to return the money she borrowed from the public."

How can Jia Huan not understand at this time?These three princes came to ask Mrs. Jia Zhengwang to pay back the money, and they obviously wanted to favor Dafang to protect them.These three princes are here, even if Jia Mu makes a fuss again, it will be useless.Jia Huan recalled the last time he saw Prince Ying and Jia Lian hanging shoulder to shoulder with a group of princes and grandsons drinking and having a banquet in the restaurant, and couldn't help cursing Jia Lian's good fortune, he was really like Wei Xiaobao.

He, Jia Huan, relied on real talent and learning, but now he is only mixed into the editor of the Imperial Academy, and has not yet been reused by the emperor.But now Jia Lian is in charge of a lot of things. Half of the projects of the Armory Department are handled by him, and he was also the logistics manager for the last martial arts event.I heard Wang Xifeng mention it when he was proud, and several times the emperor invited him to report or accompany him.And he, Jia Huan Hanchuang, studied hard and did a good job. He had thousands of years of splendor, and he met the emperor four times in total.During the palace examination, Qionglin banquet, and when he was appointed as an official, when he met with many Jinshi, the emperor also came to the Hanlin Academy for inspection, and there was nothing else.

In the future, if he wanted to be admitted to the cabinet, he would have to stay in the Imperial Academy for three years before he could get an admission ticket. Since the Ming Dynasty, this has been an unwritten threshold for civil servants.What he called "Qinggui" was different from Jia Lian, but sometimes Jia Huan really didn't want such "Qinggui".

Prince Fu said: "Jia Zheng, please, if you don't cooperate, we will have to enforce it."

Jia Zheng couldn't help looking at Jia Huan. Jia Huan's scalp tingled for a while, thinking that Jia Zheng wouldn't think that his "washing agent" could clean up the debts of the Ministry of Households, right?It's not bad that the emperor didn't confiscate his home like in the original book.Jia Huan didn't think he had the bastard spirit of a seven-point brainless stallion hero. After hearing him read a few poems from later generations, the three kings and the people in the household were overwhelmed and overwhelmed, and then forgave his father's debt.And it was the three kings who came forward, who didn't know that the emperor stood behind them?Is he insane for making an ineffective resistance for money that he can't inherit, offending the emperor and prince, and losing his own future?

Jia Huan said: "Father, the Ministry of Household Affairs has decided to pay back the money owed, but there is nothing to change. Let the wife cooperate."

Mrs. Wang kept silent all the time because she wanted Mother Jia to leave this matter to the eldest room, or to muddy the water first. She is not very good at talking, so she just waits and sees the changes.However, Mother Jia's original means of being a woman in the inner house was useless when facing the three princes and officials of the household department.

At this moment, Mrs. Wang had no choice but to betray Wang Xifeng, saying: "Actually, part of the family property in the mansion is also in the hands of the nephew and daughter-in-law. Does it mean that they have to hand over the things first?"

Prince Fu sneered, and said, "I have seen shameless women before, but I have never seen such shameless women."

Prince Rong said: "Fourteenth brother, don't be rude. Jia Zheng and Mrs. Jia are a good couple made in heaven."

Prince Rong bit the word "virtuous", and Jia Zheng turned pale.

Seeing that the officials of the Ministry of Household Affairs were staring at each other and refused to give up, Jia Zheng gritted his teeth and said to Mrs. Wang, "Go and open the treasury!"

……

It's too empty, so empty that it makes people panic and chills down the spine.

The warehouses in the public house were forcibly opened one by one.

This is what I saw.

The most pleasant surprise is that there are moldy medicinal materials or faded old cloths in a few broken boxes and old cages. Occasionally, you can see a piece of porcelain that is not well-known except Jia She, an expert.

Everyone in the big house was mentally prepared when they opened the first two warehouses, especially Wang Xifeng, who was in charge of the house, knew that there was no money in these warehouses.

But in the end, the warehouse where the treasures passed down by the ancestors was opened was still empty, which shocked Wang Xifeng.

Aunt, isn't this too cruel?So, there are only those real estate shops in Nuo Darong Kingdom Mansion?

Jia Amnesty exclaimed, "Why are there none? Why are there none? I also came to see my late wife when she was in charge of the house. There are still many precious jades! What about the coral tree that is one person tall? What about the white jade Guanyin? And that Three boxes of gold left by my great-grandfather, my father said, if there is a big change in the family, I won’t use the gold, who will take it?”

Jia Amnesty pointed to such empty places, and counted those old empty boxes, and couldn't help crying.

Jia Amnesty fell to the ground, howling and crying, Jia Lian thought that the second aunt would be greedy for the money of the father, but never thought that the defeat was so clean.

Jia Amnesty became angry, rushed to Jia Zheng, grabbed his shoulders, and cried, "Give me back my money! Give me back my money! Aren't you very good? So you have been a master for more than 20 years, and I am just an old man. Master, if you do this, how can you ruin my family property! Don’t think that I don’t know how much money your good daughter spent in the palace. Now she is ashamed to stay at my house and eat my food at the age of 30. Use mine, your precious jade has been more valuable than others since childhood, and the gold spent on him can beat several golden men! How can I be sorry to you!"

Jia Zheng struggled and said, "That's enough! Everyone in the mansion is responsible for such a situation. Why are you only blaming me?"

Jia She said: "I'm not going to blame you? But if you are incompetent, why do you still want to dominate the family? Your daughter-in-law obviously doesn't know how to run a business, so why have you managed my family for more than [-] years? Master I continued, Brother Feng has been in the house for many years, why didn't we return it to us! Tell me, I don't blame you, but who is to blame?"

Jia Zheng said angrily: "Brother, have you spent less on drinking and listening to operas with your maids and concubines? You spent it by yourself, and you ask me who is to blame."

At this time, Wang Xifeng said: "Second Uncle, I helped take care of the internal affairs of the mansion a few years ago, and the monthly expenditure account is still there. Eating wine and listening to the opera is not considered economical, but you take care of the clean-up guests, pens, inks, papers and inkstones, and buy money." The cost of calligraphy, painting and books is no less than that of the father-in-law. The cost of cleaning guests is higher than that of maids, second uncle, you are still a corporal, have you forgotten?"

The young Prince Ying giggled, and Prince Fu asked, "My fifteenth brother, what are you laughing at?"

Prince Ying patted Jia Lian on the shoulder and said, "Jia Lian, your daughter-in-law is really not educated. Look at what your wife said, 'Corporal Lixian'. It's so funny. Jia Zheng is an eighth-rank official, and he is honored in front of him. Who is the 'Corporal'? A beggar?"

All of a sudden, Prince Rong, Prince Fu, and the household officials all burst into laughter. The laughter was so arrogant that Jia Zheng's old face was slapped and swollen.

At this time Jia Huan had no choice but to step out of the queue, bowed his hands to the Prince Ying and said, "His Royal Highness, please take back what you just said."

Prince Ying raised his eyebrows and said, "Jia Chuanlu, are you not convinced?"

Jia Huan said: "The prince can insult the official, but not the father of the official. The father of the official is fifty-six this year. Although he is a small official, he is also old. It is precisely because the prince is a nobleman of the royal family that he should be the leader of the world. A model scholar, respecting the old and loving the young, how could it be so contrary to the teachings of the saints? Everyone has a time when they are old, respecting the elders and humiliating the elders, humiliating the elders, I implore the prince to think twice!"

Prince Ying put away his smile and said, "You are quite interesting. You are indeed a young Jinshi with vigor. Although Jia Zheng is not very good, I think you are okay."

As he spoke, the Prince of England ordered: "This matter has been exposed, and everyone is not allowed to laugh."

Although Prince Ying is the youngest, his ambition is the highest among the three young princes. He has been loved by Tu Yuanyi since he was a child, and he is somewhat powerful at a young age.He ordered and prohibited, and everyone dared not laugh.

At this time, Prince Fu looked at the so-called warehouse with his hands behind his back, and sighed: "Will the things be stored elsewhere? It will be difficult for the king to do this!"

At that moment, an official said: "Your Majesty, there are many guards and robbers in the world. You can't just look at this place."

Prince Fu said: "That's right, this king is responsible for recovering the owed money. If everyone says that there is no money in the treasury, don't they have to pay it back? How unreasonable! Who in this world dares to rely on the court's account?!"

"Come here!" Prince Fu called out immediately, "You don't have to drink a toast. Let me go to the yard of Mr. and Mrs. Jia's husband and wife to move, and move whatever is valuable. I will count it face to face!"

Mrs. Wang was startled, and said: "My lord, we are Rongguo Mansion after all, how can we be like this?"

Prince Fu sneered: "Rongguo Mansion? Hehe, this is obviously the third-class general's mansion."

As a result, the accompanying officials flocked to the east courtyard in groups, and none of the servants in the mansion dared to stop them.Just a joke, a slave obstructing an official mission, is he looking for death?

This time, the team of officials responsible for recovering the owed money was "seconded" from the household department's skilled "house raiding" team. During the work, it was inevitable that they would forget that this was recovering the owed money rather than ransacking the house. When they saw Mrs. Wang "Stubbornly resisting in the corner", so he is even more impolite.

When they entered the east courtyard, they accurately found the private warehouse of the second room, and moved out various ornaments from it, and then went to Jia Zheng's study room, rummaged through boxes and cabinets, and found valuable calligraphy and paintings, rare books, and antiques.Then he broke into Mrs. Wang's room, took out three cabinets from the inner room, and dug out two treasure chests from under the bed.What's more amazing, the Jade Buddha statue and two large boxes hidden in the Buddhist hall were removed from the Buddhist hall...

All the hiding places in the "Sly Rabbit's Three Caves" that Mrs. Wang thinks she is clever are all found out by the "experienced" "house copying" team.

Mrs. Wang couldn't hold back anymore, and wanted to rush over to grab the things back, but was stopped by the officials.Outside the house in the east courtyard, I saw more and more things being moved out, all of which made people dazzled, it was different from the emptiness in the public.

Jia She suddenly snorted, pointed to a purple gold bottle, and said, "Isn't this the purple gold bottle in the public library? Why is it here?"

"Ah, this golden bowl was used by my grandfather back then, and it is also stored in the warehouse. This jade cabbage, wow, Lian'er, this is your mother's. Go and see that there is a word 'stone' engraved on the bottom. ..." Jia She is not stupid, he is also good at singing and reciting at this time.

Prince Fu sighed: "It's no wonder the public is empty."

Suddenly, Mrs. Wang went mad and went to snatch a box taken out by an official from the Buddhist hall, and Prince Ying hurriedly asked someone to stop her.

Prince Fu made people come up, without a key, he pried it open with a dagger, only to see a stack of bank notes.

Everyone's eyes widened, Prince Fu immediately counted, and there were 39 taels of silver!

Originally, Aunt Xue wanted to return 10 taels. Mrs. Wang did not have such a lot of money, but the last time the two houses were exchanged, she almost lost the right to manage the house. Mrs. Wang deeply realized that the things in the warehouse and the things in the Rongfu The farm does not belong to her, she is only in charge.

One day, for example, when the ancestor passed away and the two families separated, they would definitely have to go back.So, she stepped up to buy some valuables left in the mansion, and she also decided to sell two of the Qianqing Farm in the mansion, in exchange for 10 taels of silver.In this way, she has so much money, which is the money next to the second house after the separation of the two families in the future.

Prince Fu decided to accept it and asked the accountant to register. Mrs. Wang said angrily: "Give it back to me! It's my money! Give it back to me!"

Mrs. Xing, Wang Xifeng and others were surprised. They now have small private treasuries, but compared with Mrs. Wang, they are not enough to look down upon.

Or did Jia Yuanchun know how to measure, went to hold Mrs. Wang, and said, "Mother, don't get excited."

Mrs. Wang suddenly pulled Jia Yuanchun back, endless resentment flashed in her eyes, and she said: "Yuanchun, you are a freshman in junior high school, and you have a great fortune. You want to enter the palace and become a concubine, why do you want to come back home? I spent so much money, why do you want to come back? Why don't you fight for Baoyu's future, why don't you give me a royal grandson..."

Jia Yuanchun fell to his knees and wept endlessly: "My daughter is not filial, mother...don't say anything..."

All the people present couldn't help being dumbfounded watching all this, and inevitably laughed in their hearts: Just dream about it.

Mrs. Wang raised her head to look at the sky, and murmured: "It's gone, it's gone..." Suddenly, she rolled her eyes and fainted, but fortunately Jia Yuanchun cushioned her.

The officials of the Ministry of Households counted the property, 39 taels of silver in cash, plus discounted items, the total value was about 53 taels, which was far from 80 taels.

Then look at the land deeds of the five other farms, and let the professionals in the Ministry of Household Valuation take a look and use the abacus to make a calculation. Then the "expert" with a gray beard said: "These five farms are not worth 10 taels in total. It's still not enough."

Jia She said: "Why are there only five farms? When my deceased wife was alive, I vaguely remember that there were twelve farms in the palace."

The three kings and many officials looked at him sympathetically: no matter how many, in short, you will have none of them in your hands.

Jia Huan's mind has its own dark side, looking at the three kings or the emperor behind it, it is obvious that Erfang wants to bear this bad debt - and it is also appropriate for Erfang to bear it.However, he is the son of the second wife, so don’t end up with Jia Baoyu not doing anything and sharing it with him. He managed to let Hua Zhenzhu and Zhao Guoji manage some property outside. This is his foundation, and he doesn’t want to return to zero. .

Jia Huan then reminded the three princes and officials of the household department that the slaves in the Rong Mansion were richer than their masters.Most of the uncontrolled dark slaves who stayed in Jinling back then were eliminated in the big Jiangnan case, but what could be missing from the Lai family and Zhou Rui's family who stayed in Beijing?

When Jia She heard this, he certainly didn't want to burden himself with the rest of the money owed. Although Jia Lian was still heartbroken that the Rong Mansion had been defeated to such an extent, he thought the same way.

At this time, they all agreed with Jia Huan's idea.

Therefore, Jia Amnesty asked Jia Lian and Jia Huan to lead people to surround Lai everyone and Zhou Rui's family, and there was no need to report this matter to the government. According to the law, slaves are not allowed to have private property unless the master forgives them.

Jia Lian borrowed the help of an expert from the household department to raid the Lai family together with Jia Huan. It was miserable and sad. Nanny Lai was originally Jia's mother's dowry maid, who married Lai Da's father Lai. The housekeeper has always been highly relied on by Jia's mother.She was about to go to Jia Mu to file a complaint, but Jia Amnesty told her that the old lady had passed out and was still awake. Nanny Lai was dumbfounded at the moment, and the old man couldn't stand it and fainted.

A group of people have been rummaging and digging at Lai's house for three feet until the sun goes down, only to feel that the accumulation of belongings is increasing, and they are still in Lai's big house. The sharp-eyed "expert" saw that there was something wrong with a wall, and dug it open. There is a compartment in the middle, and there is actually a layer of gold bars!It was not until the third watch that all the gold bars were turned out.

At the moment of counting, there are a full 1 taels of gold bars, which is 10 taels of silver.A few people moved out a batch of "Silver East Melon" from the cellar, and after weighing it, it turned out to be 30 taels.

Adding in the silver bills and bits and pieces of gold and silver, there are more than 50 taels of gold and silver alone, not including real estate, ornaments, and women's jewelry.

Jia Amnesty, Jia Lian, and Jia Huanju felt greedy.What Jia Amnesty is thinking about is that my master, I will never inherit any property from the public in the future. Even the farm has been sold off and the money is owed. If I don’t make up for it now, I’ve been thinking about it for so many years. Isn’t it all gone?

Jia Lian is also in the general mind.

But Jia Huan thought that his foundation was too shallow, relying on Zhao Guoji and Hua Zhenzhu to take care of his private property, he couldn't compare with the real prince and grandson.

There are so many places to spend money in life, whether it is to marry a wife, Tanchun also has to find an in-law and a good brother-in-law for him to be a horn in the officialdom. If the dowry is too ugly, he may be ashamed in front of his future brother-in-law.

In this way, the three sons of the Jia family, young and old, did a thorough job this time. They turned the Lai family and Zhou Rui's family upside down, and paid off the money they owed.