The Red Mansions

Chapter 1676 Jia Heng: The last piece of the puzzle of changing dynasties...

Godly City, Ningguo Mansion

Jia Heng, on his side, reached out and gently put his arm around Feng Ji's shoulders, his face calm and thoughtful.

Sister Feng chuckled and said, "The other day, the old lady sent Yuanyang to bring some supplements. I don't know what happened?"

Jia Heng smiled and said, "The old lady is a smart person. She must have known something, so she came to comfort you and told you not to think too much."

Today, he has become the regent prince who holds all the power. As long as everything goes smoothly, he can ensure the prosperity of the Ning and Rong mansions for fifty years.

Grandmother Jia had long since tacitly approved of his affairs with women in the rear quarters, such as Li Wan and Feng Ji.

Sister Feng said "hmm" in a coquettish and tender voice, and nestled her head in Jia Heng's arms, whispering: "The old lady has always been a clear-sighted person. Now that Baoyu has a family and the second master has also become a provincial governor, the old lady can be said to be satisfied in every way."

Jia Heng talked to Fengjie for a while, but since Fengjie was pregnant, they couldn't be intimate. He didn't stay for long and got up and left Ping'er's room.

Jia Heng and Sister Feng snuggled together for a long time before they quickly left the hall and stood on the eaves of the corridor. After thinking for a while, they decided to go see Xingzi.

During the Lantern Festival, he had actually met Xingzi once, and he did not ignore these girls in the backyard, whether it was Yaruo or Xingzi.

On the third day of the first lunar month of the first year of Qiande, envoys from Japan arrived in Shenjing and presented a congratulatory letter to the Han Dynasty, congratulating the new emperor of the Han Dynasty on his ascension to the throne as a sign of their submissive submission.

At this moment, three miles away from Ningguo Mansion, there is a large mansion with several entrances. It covers a vast area and is majestic and magnificent.

In the backyard, in the wing room, Xingzi was wearing a floral dress with crabapple and lily patterns, her long black hair tied into a beautiful bun. She sat on a wooden couch, gazing at the overlapping and flickering rockery in the courtyard, her eyes lost in thought.

At this moment, the maid came closer, and said in a soft and tender voice, "My lady, the Prince Wei is here."

When Xingzi heard this, her face, as gentle and lovely as that of a Yamato Nadeshiko, suddenly showed an inexplicable joy. She stood up, looked at Jia Heng who was walking in from the outside, and said, "Mr. Jia, you are here."

Jia Heng nodded and said, "Yes, I came to see you, Xingzi, how are you doing recently?"

As he spoke, Jia Heng stared at the rice paper on the desk, looking at the words written on it, with a hint of surprise in his eyes, and said, "Xingzi, what are you writing?"

Xingzi smiled faintly and said, "Just some folk songs from my hometown."

Jia Heng suddenly realized something, walked closer, held Xingzi's delicate hand, and asked, "Xingzi, are you homesick?"

Xingzi sighed, with nostalgia and memories in her sparkling eyes, "In a blink of an eye, I have been away from my hometown for several years."

Jia Heng sensed the beauty's sadness and asked, "Why don't you find a chance to go back to your hometown?"

"I'll just stay here with Mr. Jia." Xingzi whispered, and suddenly turned her head with long black hair, looked at Jia Heng, and said softly, "Mr. Jia, let's have a child."

Previously, Xingzi wanted to have a child with Jia Heng, but at that time, Jia Heng's health had not yet recovered and the pregnancy rate was not high.

When Jia Heng heard this, he was shocked and asked, "Are you lonely?"

Xingzi's voice was filled with resentment and sadness, and he said, "I don't see Mr. Jia very often. If I have a child, I will have something to think about when Mr. Jia doesn't come to my place in the future."

Jia Heng chuckled, hugged Xingzi's plump body, and said, "Then let's have one child."

Xingzi hummed, her face flushed and her eyes as soft as water. Just as she was about to say something, she saw a black shadow flash before her eyes, and then a ball of warm breath came over and covered her lips. The intoxicating and fascinating breath flooded Yingzi.

After a while, Jia Heng looked at Xingzi's flushed face and said, "Xingzi, let's go inside."

As they were talking, Jia Heng embraced the beautiful woman's plump and delicate body and came to the inner room. Soon, he sat down in the room with curtains all around and moved close to her soft and slightly pink lips.

Under Xingzi's two curved eyebrows as beautiful as spring mountains, her beautiful and charming eyes were as bright as water, as if she was depicting every inch of the chiseled face of the young man in the python robe.

Jia Heng's expression paused, staring at Xingzi's rosy face. He was revisiting the old place, like a tired bird returning to the forest.

Xing Zini snorted, then her eyelashes trembled, and she closed her beautiful eyes slightly, allowing the young man in the python robe to hit her violently.

After an unknown amount of time, Jia Heng hugged Xingzi's delicate body tightly, leaned close to her ear, and asked, "Has your brother sent you any letters recently?"

Xingzi's voice was sweet and soft, and she felt shy because of Jia Heng's teasing. She said, "It was the one before the New Year anyway, and there is no more after that."

There was a hint of thought on Jia Heng's resolute and calm face.

It has been several years since the Han Dynasty sent troops to Japan, and the political situation in Japan has gradually stabilized. It is possible that Emperor Go-Mirai will have the idea of ​​"great talent and strategy" and want to work hard to govern the country and restore complete control over Japan.

According to his plan, both Japan and Korea would submit to the rule of the Han Dynasty and thus become Chinese.

Therefore, there will be conflicts with the nobles in Japan sooner or later.

Jia Heng was lost in thought, hugging Xingzi's smooth and round shoulders, thinking about his plans for Japan in his mind.

Emperor Guangmei will not always be submissive. There will be changes in the future. At that time, he will mobilize troops and then send the prince to Japan to be a fief.

Then the child born to Xingzi would be more important, as he would carry his bloodline and the blood of the Japanese royal family, and would be legitimate.

However, in order to achieve long-term rule over Japan, it was necessary to develop the steam engine, improve productivity, and form an economic community of trade, markets, and raw materials between Japan and China, so as to achieve the goals of economic binding and cultural assimilation.

The government and the opposition should also plan in this way, so that they can eventually digest these two pieces of land.

……

……

Time flies and years pass like a song. In the blink of an eye, it is the beginning of March in the first year of Qiande in the Han Dynasty. Today is the day of the Enke examination.

About three to four thousand candidates in Beijing who came to take the special examination took the examination first. Then, within half a month, the Ministry of Rites arranged for the scholars and candidates who had passed the examinations of Minggong, Mingsuan, and Mingjing to take the examination.

Because it is not like the Jinshi exam, which has a complete series of exams such as Xiucai, Juren, Gongshi, etc.

However, the examination system for Minggong, Mingsuan and Mingjing had not yet been established. Therefore, in the first year of Qiande, all the scholars in Beijing who were interested in applying for Mingjing, Minggong and Mingsuan were not limited to Juren or Xiucai, and they were also not limited to taking the Jinshi examination.

Among them, some young candidates naturally despised this "evil way" that did not allow those who passed the imperial examinations on the two lists of Jinshi. However, there were also some candidates who had failed the examinations many times, especially some older ones, who had seen another way and naturally became interested in it.

In other words, the explanation given by the court was extremely tempting, as there would still be no restrictions on applying for the Jinshi degree in the future.

Isn't this just another way?

In the city of Shenjing, most of the candidates thought the same way.

Ever since Fengming asked the three questions, the candidates in Beijing no longer rejected the new learning, at least on the surface. Or it could be said that the new learning was still in its infancy and had not yet shaken the status of Confucianism. It was more of a supplement and infiltration to Confucianism.

No slogans such as "Down with the Kong family business" were shouted.

Zongli Affairs Office, Guanting——

This majestic and dignified yamen was located near Anshun Gate. It had several courtyards in front and back, tall houses, and carved beams and painted rafters.

At this moment, Jia Heng, wearing a black and red satin dragon robe, sat down at a lacquered wooden desk and began to work.

At this moment, on the lacquered wooden table, there were clearly piles of memorials submitted from various places, and officials from the six ministries and hundreds of departments were queuing in and out of the Zongli Yamen, most of them with hurried looks on their faces.

At this moment, a captain of the Jinyifu Guards quickly entered the official hall, clasped his fists and said, "Governor, urgent news from Jiangnan."

When Jia Heng heard this, his expression slightly changed. His bright eyes flickered under his sword-like eyebrows and he said, "Give it to me."

The Jinyifu guard looked respectful as he approached and handed over the paper in his hand. A thoughtful look appeared on his resolute and calm face.

Fan Yi lowered his voice and asked, "My Lord, this..."

Jia Heng handed the paper in his hand over, his face as frosty as a frost, and said in a cold voice: "These people in Jiangnan are dissatisfied with the government's policies. During the banquet, they often made slanderous remarks, and recently they have formed cliques. I don't know why."

Fan Yi raised his eyebrows, looked at him with burning eyes, rolled up the paper in his hand, and reminded: "Prince Wei, I'm afraid that the lamp has already started to take substantial actions."

They, the royal relatives, were already preparing to plot a rebellion, or in other words, to support the Han Dynasty and eliminate the treacherous villains.

Jia Heng said: "No matter what, let the spies from the Jinyi Mansion keep an eye on them. I want to know their every move."

Fan Yi nodded and obeyed the order.

However, even if there was a rebellion in Jiangnan, it would be very easy for the imperial court to quell it, as local governments rarely succeeded in opposing the central government.

Jia Heng's face showed a thoughtful look, his eyes flickered, and he said in a deep voice: "We need to give them a chance."

Upon hearing this, Fan Yi's eyes lit up under his thick eyebrows and asked, "Your Highness, do you mean to lure the snake out of its hole?"

Jia Heng nodded and said, "Only in this way can we catch all these people in one fell swoop, and at the same time make room to attract those who are close to us."

If Bashu and Shenjing are the two larger pieces of the puzzle for cleansing the court and local forces, then Jiangnan is the last piece of the puzzle for changing dynasties.

Otherwise, if he attempted to usurp the throne in the capital and ascend the throne, do you believe that the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River could temporarily set up a small court in Nanjing?

Anyone who attempts to usurp the throne must first purge the forces of the previous dynasty, without any exception, and consolidate their own power through repeated political turmoil, ultimately achieving a one-party layout from top to bottom.

Jia Heng ordered, "Come here, get some pen, ink and paper. I need a letter."

If you want to lure out the Jiangnan gentry, you need to give them military power, so you need the cooperation of the Ye family to lure the Jiangnan gentry to take action.

Any unusual movement could lead to a major prison in Jiangnan, causing a bloody storm.

Jia Heng picked up the brush, wrote on the rice paper, and handed it to the Jinyi captain who was serving beside him. He said, "Seal this letter with wax, put it in a confidential box, and send someone to deliver it to the Ye family in Jiangnan by fast horse for 600 miles."

Upon hearing this, the Jinyi captain took the letter and bowed to leave.

Jia Heng stood up, walked quickly to the study in the back hall, entered and sat down.

Fan Yi also stood up and looked at Jia Heng, asking worriedly, "Your Majesty, if the gentry and the royal family collude with each other in Jiangnan, how do you think we should deal with it?"

Jia Heng was silent for a moment, and then said, "I want a situation where if the retired gentry in Jiangnan and the princes of the clans plot to usurp the throne, I can just launch a large-scale investigation and wipe them out completely."

Fan Yi asked in surprise, "Didn't the prince say before that it is better to be still than to move?"

Jia Heng said: "We can't rush to make further progress. We need to slowly eliminate those who oppose us, cultivate our party members, and then move on to others when necessary."

Fan Yi looked thoughtful.

Jia Heng's eyes flickered, and he said loudly: "The banner of assisting the government to defend the Han Dynasty cannot be lost. This is the banner that gathers the hearts of the people in the world."

Fan Yi nodded and agreed, "Your Majesty is right."

Jia Heng put down the teacup in his hand and asked, "How are you doing with the job of recruiting talents that I asked you to do earlier?"

Fan Yi hesitated for a moment and asked, "Your Majesty, there are many scholars in the capital who want to work in the Ministry of General Affairs. Do you want to recruit them?"

Jia Heng said: "We need to carefully screen these people, see their real talents and knowledge, and recruit them according to their abilities. After they pass the imperial examinations, we can also select a group of them to work in the Zongli Yamen."

These will be his disciples and former officials in the future.

In fact, this is the reason why he cannot make further progress during this period of time. How many civil officials are available under his command?

If someone attempted to usurp the throne, all the governors and governors-general in the country would not have been rotated, let alone the huge prefectures and counties. This would be impossible to accomplish without time for accumulation and preparation.

The assembly line of talents provided by the imperial examinations every year were recruited by him, and these people would support him even for their own future.

Fan Yi looked solemn and nodded in agreement.

Jia Heng was silent for a moment, then asked, "How is the situation with the Sichuan chieftain?"

Fan Yi thought for a moment and asked, "The Duke of England hasn't sent any news yet."

Jia Heng said: "The Beijing army has been lingering outside for many days, and it is time for them to return to the capital."

Fan Yi said: "Then let the cabinet send a letter to Bashu, urging Duke Ying to return."

Jia Heng thought for a moment and said, "I will write a letter later to ask for the Duke of Ying's opinion. The Sichuan chieftain's mess should have been dealt with."

As he becomes the leader of a faction and transforms from a subject to a lord, he also needs to pay attention to how to handle the relationship with his former capable generals.

Upon hearing this, Fan Yi nodded.

Jia Heng thought for a moment and said, "The Zongli Yamen will contact the six ministries and send people to the Tongzhengsi to copy the memorials sent to the capital from all over the country and submit them to the government office. I want to check them."

The establishment of the Zongli Yamen officially marked the beginning of his government and the establishment of his own small imperial court.

Fan Yi said, "Your Majesty, in the cabinet, it seems that Qi Ge Lao is respectful on the outside but not convinced on the inside."

Jia Heng said: "Qi Kun is a man who knows the current situation. Although he has hidden intentions, they are not revealed on the surface. We should not pursue him now. We can wait for a while and replace the Prime Minister of the Cabinet."

Fan Yi nodded and said, "Then I'll follow your instructions, Your Majesty. For now, we'll just have to be safe."

Jia Heng nodded and said, "Go and get busy first."

Fan Yi said nothing else and left.

……

……

Jiangnan, Hao Family

Hao Jiru, the patriarch of the Hao family, sat on the armchair in the study, wearing a pine-patterned brown gown with the word "longevity" on it, and a look of worry appeared on his old face.

"According to the news from the capital, Prince Wei asked Xu Guangqi to hold the Fengming Three Questions in the Imperial College. Now the candidates and scholars in the capital have begun to shift their opinions. They all say that the so-called new learning is the learning of investigating things and seeking knowledge, which does not violate the teachings of sages." Hao Jiru said worriedly.

Shen Fang frowned and suggested, "Master Hao, the scholars from Jiangnan Province have not seen it in person in the Southern Province, so maybe we can write an article about it."

Lu Boqi, the director of the Nanjing Imperial College, also sat down and nodded, saying, "Master Shen is right. Hearing is false, seeing is true. The scholars in Jiangnan did not witness the so-called Three Questions of the Phoenix with their own eyes, so they certainly do not agree with this so-called study of the study of things to gain knowledge."

Hao Jiru nodded and said, "Then let's do something about it from now on."

Lu Boqi responded, "But if the court, the King of Wei, sends someone to blame us, we will definitely find out who is behind it."

Hao Jiru said: "There is no need to make trouble. As the saying goes, words can be used as swords. If you publish articles criticizing the new learning in the newspapers of various newspapers in Jiangnan, the scholars in Jiangnan will naturally dislike the King of Wei and keep their distance from him."

With the opening of the seas to trade, maritime trade flourished. Under the influence of the open-minded spirit of the South, the Imperial College and the Chamber of Commerce began to publish newspapers, mainly to report on business affairs and review opera.

Hao Jiru thought for a moment and said, "However, my colleagues in the south are quite afraid of the majesty of the King of Wei's sword and military power. It is not easy to make a fuss about this."

Shen Fang frowned, his eyes flickered, and asked, "Master Hao, what do those people mean?"

The so-called few people are the royal relatives in the Southern Province, and the princes of the royal family represented by King Wu.

Hao Jiru shook his head and said, "The general trend of attacking Wei has not yet been fully formed, so we should not act rashly. Besides, the military power of the Southern Province is still in the hands of the King of Wei's trusted subordinates, so we need to make plans."

"The Ye family of Annan Hou chose to hand over their military power because of the power of King Wei. They may not be convinced by this in their hearts. If we can send lobbyists to persuade them, we may be able to get their help." Shen Fang thought about it and said loudly.

A thoughtful expression suddenly appeared on Hao Jiru's old, wrinkled face, and he said, "Then send someone to ask the Ye family of Annan Marquis for their opinions."

Hao Huaizheng, the eldest son of Hao Jiru, came out of the line, bowed in response, then quickly walked out of the study and went to instruct the servants.

Shen Fang said: "Master Hao, the King of Wei has many spies throughout the provinces. What we are planning is of great importance and we must not let them know."

Hao Jiru thought for a moment, his eyes deep, and said in a gentle voice: "What Lord Shen said is not without reason. There are countless people in the world who want to flatter the King of Wei. Who knows, they may tip off the King of Wei."

Shen Fang said: "There are still many people with lofty ideals in the world, and many of them are loyal to the Han Dynasty. Master Hao does not need to worry too much about state affairs."

Hao Jiru nodded.