The Succession Struggle in the Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 248 Prince Bei Jing Investigates Hidden Secrets

Seeing that the fight was coming to an end, Tu Chengyu was not in a hurry.

He doesn't necessarily need to fight; as long as he can rescue the person and incidentally make a big scene, that's fine.

Therefore, Tu Chengyu, who later became the manager, requested that no action be taken, and Tu Chengyu then instructed Jia Lian and the others to wait.

He then asked the steward, "So, you're willing to hand over the person?"

The man quickly nodded: "I'm willing to hand it over, I'm willing."

Upon hearing this, Tu Chengyu laughed and said, "It would have been better if we had done this earlier. You've wasted my time. Someone, go to the backyard and bring the person out."

The new steward thought that as long as they agreed to hand over the person, Prince Su would stop causing trouble.

They didn't expect that even though they had taken the initiative to call for help, Prince Su would still make his subordinates go find people personally.

The steward immediately replied, "How could I trouble you gentlemen? I'll just bring the person over."

Upon hearing this, Tu Chengyu laughed and said:
"I don't trust you all, so I'll find it myself for peace of mind. Jia Lian and Lao Yao, you must be careful when you search, and make sure you don't make a mistake."

The following sentence was spoken by Tu Chengyu to Jia Lian.

Jia Lian naturally understood the meaning behind Tu Chengyu's words and quickly replied:

"Your Highness, rest assured, this humble servant will search carefully and leave no place unchecked."

It must be said that Jia Lian understood it very thoroughly.

That was exactly what Tu Chengyu meant. He insisted that Jia Lian go find someone, not to summon someone.

Instead, he allowed Jia Lian to take the opportunity to search the entire Chunfeng Pavilion thoroughly.

As a result, those who frequented Chunfeng Pavilion for drinking and carousing, especially officials from the court and scholars from various regions, would not dare to stay there any longer and would inevitably flee in panic.

Moreover, after this commotion, everyone knows that Chunfeng Pavilion has offended Prince Su.

As a result, those who want to come to Chunfeng Pavilion for pleasure in the future will have to think twice. Anyone with even a little bit of reservations will not consider Chunfeng Pavilion as their first choice.

Such an impact would be fatal for Chunfeng Pavilion.

The reason why Tu Chengyu caused so much trouble for Chunfeng Pavilion is quite simple.

Firstly, they went back on their word; they initially promised to release the person, but later found reasons not to.

Secondly, when Tu Chengyu demanded the people, he specifically emphasized that it was the Crown Prince's order, but they remained indifferent, which Tu Chengyu could not tolerate.

Thirdly, Chunfeng Pavilion had clearly seen through Tu Chengyu's identity long ago, but it pretended not to know until the situation became serious, and only then did it try to calm Tu Chengyu down. It's not that simple.

Now that Tu Chengyu has revealed his identity, the thugs from Chunfeng Pavilion naturally dare not make a move anymore.

And so they watched helplessly as Jia Lian led his men into several pavilions of Chunfeng Pavilion.

Those guests who came to Chunfeng Pavilion today, the more clever ones, had already secretly slipped away elsewhere when they learned that the visitor was Prince Su.

Those who were bolder hid in the shadows and observed, and when they heard that a search was to be conducted, they hurriedly ran away.

Only a few foolish fellows, disturbed by Jia Lian and his men from their boudoir, ran around in tattered clothes.

Among these people running around, the sharp-eyed Tu Chengyu spotted a familiar face.

It's unclear whether Jia Lian did this on purpose after listening to Tu Chengyu, or whether the girl was being kept very well hidden by Chunfeng Pavilion.

Anyway, Tu Chengyu waited here for a long time, but Jia Lian didn't send anyone to say that he had found it.

Tu Chengyu wasn't in a hurry, so he leisurely continued to enjoy the scenery inside Chunfeng Pavilion.

However, this situation was somewhat unbearable for the people of Chunfeng Pavilion standing below the pavilion.

The manager who later became the head of the household was sweating with anxiety, his eyes constantly glancing at the gatekeeper, as if he were waiting for someone.

Tu Chengyu could tell at a glance that someone had been hired to lobby for them.

Tu Chengyu was eager to know who would dare to get involved in this mess.

Time passed, and just as Tu Chengyu was getting tired of the scenery, a group of people walked in from outside the gate of Chunfeng Pavilion.

Because Tu Chengyu was standing in the pavilion, he was taller than the others, so he saw the people coming in immediately and recognized who was in the lead.

Tu Chengyu never expected that Prince Bei Jing, Shui Rong, who always lived a secluded life, would actually appear here.

Could this be the lobbyist Chunfeng Pavilion was hoping for? If so, Tu Chengyu felt he needed to re-evaluate his opinion of Prince Bei Jing.

As Tu Chengyu was thinking about these things, Prince Bei Jing noticed him and walked towards him without hesitation.

As a member of the royal family, Tu Chengyu naturally couldn't put on airs in front of Prince Bei Jing.

He quickly came out of the pavilion to greet them.

“Brother Prince Bei Jing, what a coincidence to run into you here.”

The handsome, fair-skinned Prince Bei Jing was also all smiles. Upon hearing Tu Chengyu's words, he replied:

“Your Highness is too kind. I have come here specifically to see you.”

"What business does Brother Wang have with me?"

"I have been asked by someone to come and plead on their behalf."

As expected, he came as a mediator, but Prince Bei Jing was quite frank and directly addressed the matter face to face.

His words made Tu Chengyu feel much better.

"Brother Wang, is this because of the Spring Phoenix Pavilion?"

“What Prince Su said is true; it is indeed about this matter.”

Although Prince Bei Jing, as a member of the royal family, always held considerable influence within the royal court, Tu Chengyu couldn't simply refrain from doing his duty because of his status. Therefore, he said:
"Brother Wang may be disappointed. I am acting under orders and I am afraid I cannot do as you wish."

Prince Bei Jing laughed and said, "Prince Su, you are overthinking it. I have come here only to put in a good word for someone. As for what you do, I will not concern myself with it."

Judging from these words, it seems that Prince Bei Jing was only coming to plead for someone out of consideration for them, but in reality, it was just a formality.

With that in mind, Tu Chengyu felt relieved and said to Prince Bei Jing:
"Since Brother Wang is here, then come with me and see what's going on here."

"That's exactly what I was thinking."

After saying this, Prince Bei Jing actually stood next to Tu Chengyu and began to admire the scenery of Chunfeng Pavilion.

Seeing this, Tu Chengyu began to look at him in a different light. At the same time, he couldn't figure out what the Prince of Bei Jing's true intentions were.

After thinking for a long time, Tu Chengyu still couldn't figure it out, so he took the initiative to start a casual conversation:
"Brother Wang, you seem so captivated by the scenery here. Have you never been here before?"

Upon hearing Tu Chengyu's words, Prince Bei Jing turned his gaze away from the scenery and said with a smile, "I have been here once or twice before, but I was always thinking about drinking with others and never paid attention to the scenery. Now, seeing it with my fifth brother, I realize that the scenery here is quite nice."

Tu Chengyu nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes, it's a pity that such a beautiful view is placed in such a remote location."

Prince Bei Jing said, "If Fifth Brother likes it, he can come to see it often, and I'm sure no one will dare to stop him."

Tu Chengyu waved his hand and said, "Brother Wang, you are joking. If I come here once, it will definitely cause a great uproar. I would not dare to come again. Besides, I am on duty here and do not have time to come here."

Upon hearing this, Prince Bei Jing nodded in agreement and said:
"Given your status, it is indeed inconvenient for you to come here. But Fifth Brother, don't worry, the scenery at my residence is quite nice. If you wish to enjoy the scenery in the future, you can come to my residence."

Tu Chengyu hadn't expected the Prince of Bei Jing to invite him so directly, but he couldn't refuse outright, so he said:

"Thank you very much, Brother Wang. When I have time in the future, I will definitely visit your residence to admire the scenery."

And so, the two chatted about everyday things in a harmonious atmosphere for a while.

Finally, whether intentionally or unintentionally, Prince Bei Jing said:

"The task you mentioned earlier, Fifth Brother, is it to help the Crown Prince resettle the disaster victims?"

Tu Chengyu nodded and said, "That's it. I've been so busy these past few days that I haven't had a moment to rest."

"Speaking of this matter, I have a question that I'm a little puzzled about. May I ask?" Prince Bei Jing said with a curious expression.

Having said that, how could Tu Chengyu refuse?

"If there's anything you need, please feel free to ask, Brother Wang."

"What I don't understand is why, in the past few days, my fifth brother has led people to divide the place where disaster victims are being resettled into separate sections?"

This is what Prince Bei Jing originally wanted to ask, and I imagine many people in the capital have the same question at this time.

They probably don't understand why it's such a hassle to resettle disaster victims.

Despite their doubts, Tu Chengyu was actually quite proud.

This is because it was the best solution that Tu Chengyu had come up with after much thought, one that could help the disaster victims survive better and even save up enough money to return home.

However, Tu Chengyu would not easily tell others about all of this.

So he smiled and said to Prince Bei Jing:

"So that's what you're wondering about, Brother Wang. This is a preparation I made in advance to manage the disaster victims. When they gradually arrive..."

They could then be dispersed and resettled in different places. This would both keep the disaster victims under control and prevent them from wandering around and disturbing the capital.

It also protects disaster victims, preventing them from being bullied.

Upon hearing this, Prince Bei Jing couldn't help but sigh:
"Fifth Brother, you have some impressive skills. If this matter can be accomplished, the court and the public will surely treat you differently."

Tu Chengyu had no intention of claiming credit, so he simply said:

"Brother, you flatter me. I don't have such ability. This was all planned by the Crown Prince. I was just following his orders."

Prince Bei Jing did not refute Tu Chengyu's words.

Everyone in the capital knew that Prince Su only had eyes for the Crown Prince. Let alone a small merit, even something more important, if the Crown Prince asked, Prince Su would give it to him without hesitation.

Therefore, even though everyone knew that Prince Su was behind it, no one was foolish enough to expose him.

A man as intelligent as Prince Bei Jing would never do something so tactless.

He changed the subject, saying, "The Crown Prince and Fifth Brother's plan has indeed brought the disaster victims under control. However, I have a question: if the disaster victims want to work in the capital, will they also be subject to restrictions?"

"What are the disaster victims doing? What are they doing?" Tu Chengyu asked, puzzled.

Prince Bei Jing explained, “Fifth brother, you may not know this, but in the past, whenever disaster victims fled to the capital, the gentry and common people of the capital would pay them to work in order to help them get through their difficulties, so that they could earn more money.”

At first glance, this statement seems reasonable, and those who don't know the situation might even applaud the good deeds of the gentry and common people in the capital.

However, the actual situation was quite different from what Prince Bei Jing had described.

In fact, the reason why people in the capital hired disaster victims was because they were greedy for the low wages and the fact that the victims were reliable.

There are also some people who are simply using the guise of helping disaster victims to actually take advantage of others.

After hiring the disaster victims, no matter how nicely they talked, they would try every means to avoid paying them after the work was done.

The disaster victims were helpless and alone in the capital, with no way to fight back, and could only suffer in silence.

That's not all. The worst part is that some people tricked the disaster victims into going there, and there wasn't enough food or water.

They exploit disaster victims like slaves, and perfectly healthy people might not even be able to save their lives in the end.

However, because so many disaster victims arrived, the imperial court did not know the exact number, so these mysteriously disappeared disaster victims were eventually left unresolved.

Tu Chengyu didn't know whether the Prince of Bei Jing, a member of the royal family, knew about these dark matters, but Tu Chengyu himself did know.

So he spoke directly to Prince Bei Jing:

"If people in the capital want to hire disaster victims, the court will naturally not stop them, but it will not allow them to hire them on their own as it did before."

This time, any employment arrangement requires the court's approval. Employers and disaster victims must sign employment contracts before the victims are allowed to work.

Upon hearing this, Prince Bei Jing asked, puzzled:
"Fifth Brother, wouldn't doing this make the hiring process more complicated? Aren't you worried that people in the capital won't hire disaster victims because it's too complicated?"

Tu Chengyu said with a smile, "It doesn't matter if we don't hire them. Anyway, with the government's relief efforts, the disaster victims won't starve to death."

Prince Bei Jing sighed helplessly after hearing this and said:
"Fifth Brother isn't afraid. This move will cause dissatisfaction among the disaster victims. You know, by doing this, Fifth Brother is blocking the disaster victims' path to wealth."

Tu Chengyu said nonchalantly, "These are just disaster victims. How could they possibly cause any trouble? Brother Wang, you don't need to worry about me."

Seeing Tu Chengyu's firm stance, Prince Bei Jing couldn't say anything more and could only say:

"It's good that Fifth Brother knows what's going on."

After he finished speaking, Prince Bei Jing stopped talking and turned to look at the scenery again.

However, Tu Chengyu noticed that the expression of the Prince of Bei Jing was no longer as calm and relaxed as it had been at the beginning.

Seeing this, Tu Chengyu guessed that the Prince of Bei Jing's visit was not just a formality to plead for someone, but his real purpose was probably to find out about the situation of the disaster victims.

He or they must have discerned from Tu Chengyu's various actions that the imperial court's arrangements for the disaster victims were unusual this time.

That's why I came here indirectly, hoping to find out what's going on from Tu Chengyu.

Judging from the reaction of Prince Bei Jing, Tu Chengyu's answer certainly did not meet their expectations.

(End of this chapter)