The Red Mansions

Chapter 1711 Jia Heng: The word "violent" is enough to summarize his life...

Shenjing City, Grand View Garden, Xiaoxiang Pavilion

From the courtyard surrounded by high walls, there seemed to be the rustling sound of bamboos, and Daiyu was sitting on a soft couch covered with a bamboo mat.

The beauty's face, as white as snow, was serene, and in her arms she was holding her daughter, Jia Ru.

This former Immortal Crimson Pearl Grass is now in her twenties, and her features and demeanor reveal the gentleness and softness of a married woman.

Zijuan stood by, her clear eyes twinkled under her willow brows, and she said in a gentle voice, "Miss, Miss Yun and Miss Baoqin already have a child."

Daiyu's sparkling eyes flickered under her smoky brows and she said, "They have been married for a year or two, so it's time for them to have a child."

Zijuan's pink lips moved, and she lowered her voice and said, "Miss, you must give birth to a boy someday. I heard from the servants that the prince may enter the palace and ascend the throne to become the emperor..."

The following words were inevitably lowered in voice, and he said: "By that time, the harem will have concubines. If the girl has a boy, she will also be able to... have someone to rely on in the future."

Daiyu's eyes froze slightly under her willow-like eyebrows, and she said in a gentle voice, "I have never thought about this."

Brother Heng has always doted on her, but she doesn't really care about it.

Besides, she has also read a lot of secret history of the imperial palace.

Zijuan said in a soft and charming voice, "Young lady, you should also consider the long-term."

Daiyu was silent for a moment, then whispered, "Just let Brother Heng worry about these things."

At this moment, the voice of a maid came from outside, saying softly: "Miss, the prince is here."

Hearing this, Daiyu turned her beautiful head with long black hair like a waterfall, looked in the direction of the voice, looked at the young man in the python robe, and said softly, "Brother Heng, you are here."

While Jia Heng was talking, he quickly walked closer and whispered, "Sister Lin."

Daiyu's face, as white as snow, was as red as the clouds. She seemed to call out softly, "Brother Heng, you're here?"

Jia Heng's face was filled with an extremely prosperous smile, and he said, "Sister Lin, I just came to see you."

Then, he picked up his daughter and asked, "Ru'er, why don't you call me daddy?"

Jia Ru's fair and rosy face pouted slightly, and she said softly, "Daddy hasn't come to see Ru'er for several days."

Jia Heng smiled and said, "Dad is busy, so I came here to look for you."

Jia Ru hummed, and a sweet smile appeared on her pretty, bright face.

Jia Heng looked at Jia Ru's snow-white face, kissed her, and said, "Good daughter, let daddy see."

Daiyu's clear and glittering eyes seemed to be moistened with soft waves under her two light and cloud-like eyebrows. She looked at the young man in the python robe with a flickering light in her eyes. She was surprised for a moment and said, "Brother Heng, are you done with the things outside?"

Jia Heng was silent for a moment, nodded, and said softly: "It's all done."

Daiyu was silent for a moment, then said in a gentle voice, "Just now Zijuan said that Brother Heng will...enter the palace and ascend the throne to become the emperor in the future?"

Since they are basically an old couple, they don't really shy away from this matter.

Jia Heng was silent for a moment, then said, "I do have such a plan."

Daiyu's tone was full of worry, and she asked, "Will there be any objection from outside?"

Jia Heng was silent for a moment, and then whispered, "There are some who oppose, but the general trend of the world is so great that if you follow it, you will prosper, but if you go against it, you will perish. Their opposition is useless."

Daiyu's eyebrows were as green as willow, and her eyes were as bright as rainbows, full of concern. She said, "I don't understand these things outside. Brother Heng, you just need to know them."

Jia Heng gently stretched out his hand to hold Daiyu's slender shoulders and said in a gentle voice, "Don't worry, Sister Lin. I know what's going on."

Daiyu pursed her pink lips under her furrowed brows and said, "Brother Heng, Ru'er is still here."

As he said this, he looked at his daughter, whose eyes were wide open and as clear as black grapes.

Jia Heng smiled gently, kissed his daughter's rosy cheeks, and said softly, "Ru'er, go and make trouble with Aunt Zijuan."

"Daddy, play with me." Ru'er stretched out her two snow-white arms, opened her little mouth and called softly.

Daiyu blinked her bright eyes, snorted, and said, "Your father still wants to play with your mother."

Jia Heng: "..."

Daiyu is a little different now that she is married. At least she can tell jokes like this more easily.

On this side, Zijuan smiled and carried Jia Ru out of the room, leaving the space for the couple.

Jia Heng's expression paused for a moment, then he turned his eyes to look at Daiyu's rosy lips and said, "Sister Lin."

Daiyu let out a sweet hum through her delicate, straight nose and turned her bright and rosy face away, only to find that the man had already pulled her shoulders over and then moved close to her lips, like a violent storm.

It goes without saying that an old couple is very affectionate with each other.

……

……

The Jade Rabbit sets in the west and the Golden Crow rises in the east, and before you know it, a day has passed.

The case of Yan Wang Chen Ze's rebellion has quietly come to an end, but public opinion in the capital is still buzzing with discussion.

First of all, after this incident, a prime minister and a cabinet minister were both taken down, and the court fell into a brief period of turmoil.

Jia Heng was in the mansion trying to put on a black and red satin robe with golden thread, and then he went out.

At this moment, a young maid entered the hall, looked at Jia Heng intently, and said, "Your Highness, the Jinyifu guards outside have come to report."

When Jia Heng heard this, his resolute and calm face became solemn. He stood up and went to the front hall. He looked at the junior officer from the Jinyifu who came to report the matter and asked, "What's going on?"

"Your Highness, the Prince of Yan has committed suicide out of fear of punishment." The young officer in brocade uniform looked serious, walked quickly forward and said to Jia Heng.

Jia Heng frowned and asked, "What's going on?"

As he spoke, he stood up, a thin layer of frost on his face, and said in a gentle voice, "Come here, I want to go to the imperial prison."

Although the Prince of Yan was guilty, he was still the offspring of Emperor Sejong Xian, so the loyalty and filial piety archway on him could not be thrown away for the time being.

As he was speaking, Jia Heng, surrounded by a group of Jinyifu guards, was heading to the imperial prison of Jinyifu.

At this moment, Qu Lang and Liu Jixian had already led the leaders of the Jinyi Mansion and stood in front of the official office of the Jinyi Mansion to greet the young man in the python robe.

"Your humble servant greets His Majesty. May His Majesty live a thousand years and a thousand thousand years." The leaders of the Jinyi Guards present gathered around and spoke to Jia Heng one after another.

While Jia Heng was speaking, he cast his clear and bright eyes on Qu Lang and asked, "What happened? Why did the Prince of Yan suddenly die in the imperial prison?"

Qu Lang's face turned serious, and he stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, Prince Wei, Prince Yan knew that he had committed a grave sin, so he asked the jailer for poison and then committed suicide by taking it."

Jia Heng turned his head to look at Qu Lang, feeling a little strange, but frowning, he shouted coldly: "The jailer is so careless and lazy, don't you know that the Prince of Yan is an important prisoner?"

As he spoke, he looked at Liu Jixian standing beside him, was surprised, and asked: "Liu Jixian, how is that Jinyifu guard?"

Liu Jixian said: "Reporting to the prince, the criminal has been dealt with according to the family rules of the Jinyi Mansion!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Heng's face became as solemn as iron, and he said in a deep voice: "I want to go and see the body of the King of Yan."

Liu Jixian stared at the young man in the python robe, extended his hand and said, "Your Highness, please come this way."

As he spoke, he extended his hand to invite Jia Heng to walk towards the inner room of the imperial prison.

Accompanied by a group of Jinyifu officers and soldiers, Jia Heng walked through the dark corridor and looked at the prison with high bars.

Chen Ze's body had now been covered with a white cloth. Several jailers around him lowered their heads, feeling very uneasy.

Jia Heng watched the scene expressionlessly and winked at Liu Jixian standing beside him.

Immediately, Liu Jixian ordered the captain of the Jinyifu beside him to lift the white cloth. Shockingly, there was a pale face, black and red blood stains, and a faint stench of corpse.

After all, it was already the midsummer of the fourth year of Qiande.

Jia Heng was silent for a moment, then sighed and said, "Come here, prepare the coffin and bury the Prince of Yan with honor. In the next two days, the cabinet will draft an edict to put a final verdict on the rebellious actions of the Prince of Yan and other rebels."

Although the person has committed suicide out of fear of punishment, subsequent accountability is still necessary.

As Jia Heng spoke, he took a deep look at Liu Jixian and Qu Lang, then turned around and quickly left the imperial prison and headed towards the outer room.

He also had to think about how to talk to Xianning later.

Otherwise, he would not go back to Princess Jinyang's Mansion for the next few days. But hiding like this is not an option. If Xianning sees this, he might think it was an order from him.

Liu Jixian and Qu Lang looked respectful, and immediately bowed to Jia Heng in response.

After Jia Heng left, Liu Jixian looked at Qu Lang standing beside him and said, "Commander Qu, is this the end?"

Qu Lang's expression remained solemn as he said, "Wait for the follow-up measures."

This matter is obviously not over yet, and he has already prepared to temporarily resign from his position as the commander of the Jinyi Guards.

Palace Garden, Wuying Palace——

At this moment, several cabinet ministers and military ministers were also discussing Prince Yan's suicide.

Zhao Yi looked at Lin Ruhai, who was temporarily acting as the cabinet secretary, and whispered, "Mr. Lin, the Prince of Yan has committed suicide. How will the posthumous title be decided?"

Lin Ruhai frowned and whispered, "The matter of posthumous title should be decided by the Ministry of Rites, but it would be more appropriate to discuss it after Prince Wei arrives."

Zhao Yi turned his head to look at Liu Zheng who was standing beside him and asked, "What do you think, Elder Liu?"

Liu Zheng looked calm and composed, and said, "Let's wait until King Wei arrives."

Zhao Yi seemed to be thinking about something, and said, "The King of Wei should have made up his mind. You and I should not interfere."

Just as the cabinet ministers were looking at each other in bewilderment, they heard a eunuch outside the palace shouting in a shrill voice, reporting to Lin Ruhai and others: "Lord Lin, the King of Wei has arrived."

After a short while, the young man in the python robe came quickly, surrounded by eunuchs and Jinyi Guards, like a moon surrounded by stars.

"We greet King Wei." As the cabinet ministers spoke, they all stood up and bowed respectfully to the young man in the python robe.

Jia Heng extended his hand to support him and said, "Please don't be polite, everyone."

Upon hearing this, all the cabinet ministers responded in agreement.

The visual experience at this moment is undoubtedly like the emperor meeting with his cabinet ministers.

Jia Heng then sat down beside a small lacquered wooden chair, his eyes deep, he picked up the blue and white porcelain teacup, took a sip, and immediately felt the fragrance on his teeth and cheeks.

"Prince Wei, how should the posthumous title of Prince Yan be decided?" At this time, the Minister of Rites Liu Zheng asked.

Jia Heng's face was as cold as ice. He said, "The word 'cruel' is enough to describe his whole life."

Liu Zheng: “…”

Li is obviously a posthumous title that cannot be any worse.

Lin Ruhai and Zhao Yi beside him looked at each other, and both saw a hint of surprise in each other's eyes.

Jia Heng said: "The cabinet will record the crimes of the Prince of Yan in detail in an imperial edict and announce it to the world to serve as a warning to others."

The ministers were silent for a long time.

In fact, executing a deposed emperor and giving him an evil posthumous title and announcing it to the world had political implications, and it was more like testing the reaction of the scholars of the world.

At this moment, Zhao Yi was silent for a moment, and then asked, "Prince Wei, there is a vacancy in the cabinet now. Who do you think can directly enter the cabinet and know about the affairs in advance?"

The current prime minister of the cabinet is temporarily vacant, and Lin Ruhai should take over. In addition, there are two other vacancies among the cabinet ministers, Liu Zheng and Zhao Yi.

Jia Heng was silent for a moment, then said, "The cabinet position is vacant for now, I will consider it later."

Not only are the cabinet ministers temporarily vacant, but the military minister should also be filled to assist in military affairs.

With the establishment of the navy and the increasing number of Liaodong affairs, the military affairs that the prime ministers needed to deal with also increased.

However, he can slowly adjust these personnel until he is satisfied.

The main reason is that he wants to abdicate, and he may have to win over the scholars in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, because the scholar group in Jiangsu and Zhejiang has always been a political force that cannot be ignored, so they can only unite for the time being.

Of course, the officials in the south of the Yangtze River had already been warned once before, and after a slap in the face, they would be given a sweet reward.

Therefore, the position of cabinet minister needs to be left to the Zhejiang Party in order to temporarily win over the scholars in the southeast. Of course, before that, he needs to meet with Han Huang, the former leader of the Zhejiang Party.

It has been six or seven years since Han Huang retired. This old fox sat in the southeast, observing the situation in the world and perfectly avoiding every political storm.

……

……

Zhejiang, Shaoxing

Han Yang was wearing a plain robe, clearly his everyday home clothes, his gray hair was held in place with a pine hairpin, he looked vigorous and had a solemn demeanor.

At this moment, Han Yang was sitting in a study room decorated with mahogany furniture. A pile of scriptures were placed on the desk. He held a brush in his hand and marked the scriptures from time to time.

After a while, there were hurried footsteps coming from the corridor outside, and then the eldest son came over. When he came closer, he said with his hands clasped, "Father, there has been a pigeon message from the capital, and news has come that the King of Yan has been arrested for plotting to murder the King of Wei, and the chief minister of the cabinet, Qi Kun, has been arrested, and the military minister, Shi Jie, has also been implicated and has been imprisoned."

Han Huang frowned slightly, then relaxed his brows, put down the brush in his hand, and asked, "Qi Kun is in prison?"

Han Hui's tone was filled with excitement and agitation, and he said, "As father said, the Prince of Wei has begun to eliminate dissidents, and Qi Kun in the cabinet has lost power. This is the opportunity for our Zhejiang Party."

Han Huang looked thoughtful and said, "This matter still depends on the opinion of the King of Wei in the capital."

Han Hui was surprised for a moment and asked, "Father, do you think the King of Wei will appoint you to the throne?"

Han Huang said: "The major case in the second year of Qiande dealt a heavy blow to the Jiangnan scholars in Nanjing. Now the Zhejiang Party is all silent. It is time for Prince Wei to win over the people's hearts."

Han Hui was overjoyed and asked, "So, it is almost certain that my father will return to the capital?

Han Huang was silent for a moment, then continued, "Now that Qi Kun has left the court, Lin Ruhai has taken over as the chief minister of the cabinet, and there is no longer a position for me to be your father."

The former prime minister of the cabinet has returned to the court. What official position would be appropriate for him to hold?
Of course, he is still suitable to be the Minister of Personnel, but Prince Wei will obviously not give such a key personnel position to someone from the Zhejiang Party.

Han Hui's face changed slightly when he heard this, and he asked anxiously, "What does father mean?"

Han Huang was silent for a moment, shook his head, and said, "I am no longer suitable for officialdom, but your uncle can re-employ me. As for your official career, we must also find a way to solve it."

Han Hui looked a little gloomy, and said, "Father, I was implicated in a case of cheating in the imperial examinations, so I can no longer take the imperial examination."

It can be said that Han Hui’s involvement in the imperial examination case has been recorded in the integrity file.

Han Huang was silent for a moment, his eyes as clear as rainbows, and he said loudly: "We can not take the imperial examination, or... the new emperor will start a new dynasty and grant amnesty to the world. At that time, the imperial examination fraud cases of the previous dynasty will naturally be over."

Han Hui was silent for a moment, then said, "Father, do you mean that the King of Wei will definitely change the dynasty?"

Han Huang looked surprised and said, "Is this still a matter of doubt?"

Han Hui said: "Father, Chen Han has been established for a hundred years, and there are loyal ministers and righteous men all over the world. How dare the King of Wei?"

"Why not?" Han Huang's eyes were covered with a gloomy color, and he said in a deep voice: "Prince Wei has been cautious in every step, removing obstacles to his ascension to the throne one by one. There is no opponent in the court or the country."

This is the cleverness of King Wei. He is neither hasty nor slow, always holding up a big banner, and then gradually achieving the goal of replacing the dead with the dead.

I'm afraid we'll have to wait a few more years until the foundation is more solid.

Just as the father and son were talking, an old servant with wrinkles all over his face walked quickly into the hall from outside and whispered, "Master, Master Yan is here."

The so-called Master Yan refers to Yan Hong.

Yan Hong was once exiled because he was involved in a cheating case in the imperial examination. Later, he stayed at home and taught the children of his clan.

After a while, Yan Hong came in quickly from outside. His elegant and fair face showed his excitement. He said, "Brother, something big happened in the capital."

Han Huang said in a clear voice under his gray and thin eyebrows: "I have heard Hui'er mention it just now."

Yan Hong said: "Brother, what are you going to do?"

Han Huang nodded and whispered, "I am too old to be of any use. I cannot work with the King of Wei. I have to wait a little longer. But you are different. You can return to the capital to serve as an official. I plan to recommend you to the King of Wei as the Left Vice-Chief Censor."

Yan Hong retired as a fourth-rank Imperial College official. Now that he has returned to the court, he should be promoted one level to the position of Left Vice-Censor-in-Chief according to the rules.

Yan Hong asked uncertainly: "Brother, will King Wei agree?"

Han Huang said with great confidence, "Prince Wei is now eager to win over the Zhejiang people, so I am naturally happy to see this happen."

Yan Hong nodded, turned to look at Han Hui on the side, and said, "What about Han Hui's nephew?"

Han Huang was silent for a moment, and then whispered, "I will write another letter to King Wei and see his attitude then."

Yan Hong frowned and asked, "Brother, does the King of Wei really want to replace the Han Dynasty?"

Han Huang said: "The current situation is very clear. Prince Wei has completed the preliminary cleanup of the royal family and even the old ministers. With Prince Wei's control over military power, the military will naturally support him. This is half the battle. Moreover, Prince Wei's surname is Su, and he has a grudge against Emperor Shizong Xian for killing his father."

Yan Hong was silent for a moment, and said: "I didn't expect that the Han Dynasty has been established for a hundred years, and the Chen family's luck has run out. It is really unexpected. If Emperor Shizong Xian was still alive, how could Prince Wei dare to be so rebellious?"

Han Huang sighed softly, and said with emotion: "Emperor Shizong Xian was also a wise ruler, but he met a brilliant man like Prince Wei, who had been hiding for many years. If Emperor Shizong Xian knew about this, I wonder how upset he would be."

When Emperor Sejong Xian was in power, Prince Wei was extremely obedient and loyal, but Emperor Sejong Xian did not know that a traitor could appear loyal.