Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 305 Different People Have Different Ambitions

There was no one else around, and Qin Keqing lost her previous arrogance and bowed to Xue Baochai.

"Sister Bao, I'm begging you..."

Xue Baochai was caught off guard by the sudden change. She squatted down with her, helped her up, and comforted her, "Sister Keqing, please don't be like this. If the Marquis saw this, he would think I was secretly making things difficult for you."

Hearing this, Qin Keqing's eyes lit up and a glimmer of hope seemed to flash in her mind.

Since Xue Baochai doesn't want to make things difficult for her, doesn't that mean that she can get that shameful thing back?

"So, sister Bao is willing?"

Xue Baochai nodded shyly and said, "It wasn't my intention to take it away. Sister Lin also noticed it at the time. I covered for you at the time, saying that it was the Xue family's account. If I didn't take it away and left it there, and someone else saw it, wouldn't I be in trouble as well?"

After listening to Xue Baochai's words, Qin Keqing actually thought there was some truth in them.

"Then...why didn't Sister Bao come back later?"

Qin Keqing asked tentatively, still holding on to a glimmer of hope.

Xue Baochai's face became more embarrassed, and she stammered, "Sister Keqing's writing is really good, and the portrayal is very vivid. I read it several times."

Qin Keqing raised her fist in shame and anger, "You, you!"

Xue Baochai quickly dodged and said, "Sister Keqing, let me be fair. You really have a talent for this. Why don't you publish a book and try it out?"

Qin Keqing stroked a strand of hair on her forehead. She was so angry at Xue Baochai that she gasped and said, "It would be fine if you just read it yourself, but you want to spread it around and make my shameful deeds known to everyone in the world? What is your intention?"

Qin Keqing pinched Xue Baochai's waist angrily and twisted it, causing Xue Baochai to feel some pain. She quickly explained, "No, it's not like that. There are many books of this kind in the world nowadays, and they all have pen names. How can we know who the author is?"

"Besides, didn't you tell me that you owed the Marquis one thousand taels of silver and some land? I have calculated all of this for you. According to the current market price, it is about five thousand taels."

"If you want to pay back the money, how long will it take you to pay it back just by living frugally and relying on your monthly salary? Even if you have the pearls to help you share the burden, you still won't be able to pay it back."

Qin Keqing lowered her head in shame; her disadvantaged background had always been a source of worry for her.

Qin Keqing whispered, "On weekdays, I also make some needlework and rouge and powder for Ruizhu to sell."

Xue Baochai asked, "How much have you saved?"

Qin Keqing replied, "I still have forty strings of cash and thirty-two coins in my hand."

Xue Baochai sighed, "That's right. Now you have been in the mansion for five years. How long will it take to save up all this money? If the book you wrote is really popular, I estimate that you can save up a thousand taels in a year."

Qin Keqing was slightly moved, and raised her head and asked, "Is it really that profitable? Besides, is it that good for me to remember it casually?"

Xue Baochai nodded in approval and said, "Trust my judgment, Sister Keqing's writing is really good. Fengzihao is preparing to publish newspapers in various places. Selling the information we have collected is not a waste of manpower, but also an additional source of income. Sister Keqing will give me an article every three days, and I will publish it in a corner of the official newspaper as a pastime. I think it is not bad."

"I give Sister Keqing 500 coins each time. If the effect is good, I can raise the price. Ordinary fine brushwork writers only get 200 coins. I am already treating you well."

Five hundred wen each time, that's five taels of silver a month, which is at least an income. If it's really well written and increases the sales of the court bulletin, the price can be raised.

According to Xue Baochai, even if she compiled the works into a volume and bound them to sell as a book in the future, there would still be a chance. By that time, she would be able to pay back the money.

She should pay back everything she owed Yue Ling and no longer have to feel guilty about it.

Thinking about it, she had no reason to refuse, so she readily agreed, "Okay, then, I'll try?"

Xue Baochai smiled and said, "Then I will give you a nickname. How about 'Master of Qimeng Xuan'? Qimeng is a fascinating fantasy, and Sister Keqing is the master who created this fantasy."

Qin Keqing opened her mouth and wanted to ask Xue Baochai whether she had planned this in advance because she was so well prepared. But then she changed her mind and thought that since she would be her boss in the future, it would be difficult to offend her, so she endured it.

Xue Baochai happily took Qin Keqing's arm and said with a smile: "Sister Keqing, when you write, you must not reveal the real characters. It would be bad if people could see that you wrote it according to the Marquis. Write one tonight and give it to me. I will help you polish it. Of course, I will not charge you for polishing it."

Then he took out the booklet from his arms and returned it to Qin Keqing, "Okay, you can continue to write down some trivial things in the future, just as a record of inspiration for your article."

Qin Keqing took it back stiffly, her mind still a little confused.

But now he had been coaxed into the humiliation by Xue Baochai and was dragged into the main hall to have dinner without even touching the ground.

The two left, and a figure came out from the back garden. Zijuan, holding a flower broom and a hoe, looked at the two of them in confusion, and said to herself, "Announcement? What announcement?"

……

Lin Daiyu's face was ruddy and she looked shy, but she still picked up food for Yue Ling as usual.

Qin Keqing and Xue Baochai, two maids who seemed to have been at odds with each other, reconciled this time and sat together.

Instead, Ying'er looked at them with an unfriendly look.

The maids in the room all lowered their heads and kept silent, as if they all had something on their minds. Only Xueyan was still the same as usual. She swept up the food on the table like a whirlwind, and when Nanny Wang wasn't paying attention, she added a spoonful of porridge into the bowl.

The thoughts of little girls are the most difficult to understand, not to mention that there are so many little girls in Yue Ling’s room now.

He didn't have the energy to think about them one by one. After finishing his breakfast, he went to the government office.

Today is the day to interrogate the prisoners, and I guess a big drama is brewing.

"Master, everyone has been brought here, and Jia Lian from the Jia family is also waiting outside the government office."

When Yue Ling walked through the main gate of the yamen, Jia Yun hurried over to report.

Yue Ling nodded slightly, "Okay, let's see what they can do."

At today's interrogation, the eunuch Chen Ju of the Imperial Palace, the Deputy Censor-in-Chief Wang Xianzhi of the Censorate, and the new prefect of Suzhou Su Moyun were all present, and the atmosphere was much more serious than usual.

Unlike usual practice, all the prisoners have been called to the scene for interrogation today.

Qian Shiyuan, the Vice-Minister of Jiangsu and Zhejiang Province, Sun Yicai, the Minister of the Court, Zhen Yingjia, the Supervisor of the Suzhou and Hangzhou Weaving Bureau, and Xu Yaozu of the Xu family, all four of them were in tattered clothes, bound by shackles and fetters, kneeling in the middle of the field, as if they were being treated like prisoners, without any chance of dignity.

Among them, Qian Shiyuan looked up and looked around at everyone. He saw that the information given by Zhao Deyong was not wrong. There was indeed an imperial envoy present, and there was also a eunuch. He felt more confident.

Before Yue Ling could slam the gavel down, he suddenly stood up and said, "I have a grievance to defend myself!"

This shout broke the silence in the hall and attracted everyone's attention.

Not only the jurors, but also the accomplices behind him, could not help but look at him in astonishment, wondering what Qian Shiyuan was planning.

But Zhen Yingjia and Xu Yaozu were both smart people. When Qian Shiyuan said that he wanted to seek justice, they immediately sensed something and started to redress their grievances.

"That's right. We were tortured into confessing by Yue Ling. He fabricated charges against us and deliberately framed us."

"Changing rice crops to mulberry trees is a national policy. We are following the national policy. What's wrong with that?"

Chen Ju and the others couldn't help but turn their eyes to Yue Ling. Yue Ling's face was as calm as water, but he still slammed the gavel and said, "You change your confession in court. Do you know that it is an aggravated crime? Xu Yaozu, you signed and sealed your confession before. Who is behind this change of confession?"

Xu Yaozu started by saying, "I don't know what Marquis An Jing is talking about. If you want to accuse someone, you can always find a pretext."

Yue Ling nodded, "Okay, very good. All the imperial envoys are here today. Let them hear what grievances you have. Are they worse than those of the deceased Prefect Zhu?"

Qian Shiyuan looked around, turned around with difficulty, exchanged glances with Xu Yaozu and Zhen Yingjia, and then glared at Sun Yicai fiercely, as if as a warning.

Then he slowly said, "We deny all the charges that Marquis Anjing has accused us of. First of all, it was not us who framed Prefect Zhu and killed him in prison. The coroner has already performed an autopsy and found that he committed suicide. Your Excellency the Censor can go to the Ministry of Experience to investigate."

"Secondly, the embankment was destroyed and the fields were flooded, which is absurd. It was because Governor Zhu embezzled public funds that the embankment fell into disrepair. This matter can be checked. How can the embankment be destroyed?"

"Third, we do not recognize the witness brought by the Marquis. That person claims to be the daughter of Prefect Zhu. As far as we know, Prefect Zhu has no children at all. Marquis Anjing randomly found a nun to be a witness. Isn't this going to make people all over the world laugh at him? Moreover, before the Marquis entered the garden, he was with this woman and behaved in an ambiguous way. Can Marquis Anjing make a judgment based on personal feelings alone?"

Qian Shiyuan slapped him in a very spirited manner, and Zhen Yingjia immediately added: "As the supervisor of the Suzhou and Hangzhou Weaving Bureau, I am only doing my job for the palace. Even if there is a case in Suzhou, why did they put me in jail? What does it have to do with me? I hope that the eunuch will look into it and make the decision for me!"

"This this……"

The pressure they exerted was so great that Chen Ju didn't know how to respond for a moment. He could not help but look at Yue Ling with concern, wanting to speak up and interrupt the interrogation.

But Yue Ling raised his hand and said, "Bring the witness in."

The people kneeling in the hall didn't even bother to look back, as they all thought that it was Yue Ling's old lover who came to the hall to testify for him again.

In fact, people whose identities are unclear and who have a personal relationship with Yue Ling cannot serve as witnesses at all, so they have nothing to be afraid of.

As long as he doesn't plead guilty in court, Prime Minister Zhao will definitely try his best to win your case.

Unlike what they expected, the person who came was also wearing shackles and shackles like them, and they made a series of harsh noises as they dragged on the ground.

Only then did Xu Yaozu turn around and found a face that was very familiar to him, the head of the Shen family, Shen Yishu.

Xu Yaozu's heart trembled. Could this good situation be ruined by Yue Ling again?
He was unwilling to give in, and hurriedly reminded: "Old Shen, watch what you say!"

The soldiers from the Beijing camp escorted Xu Yaozu without any courtesy and forced him to straighten his body. "Behave yourself!"

At this moment, the gentle and elegant head of the Shen family had completely disappeared, as if his soul had been stripped away, like a dead tree.

Before, Yue Ling arranged a family meeting for him, and he also got the news from his wife Feng. Until now, the Shen family's survival path had been divided by Yue Ling. A group is most afraid of internal division. The stronger it was in the past, the more vulnerable it is now.

"I, Shen Yishu, plead guilty."

Shen Yishu gradually kowtowed, his forehead touching the ground, and uttered a hoarse voice, "I am greedy and self-interest blinded. I was entrusted by Xu Yaozu to create momentum for him to wrongly accuse Su Zhifu. I have an unshirkable responsibility for Su Zhifu's unjust death."

"Afterwards, the dike-destroying and farmland-flooding project failed to proceed as planned, and the grain that Xu Yaozu had stored earlier had nowhere to go. I was entrusted by Xu Yaozu's son Xu Lang to send people to burn down the Cao Gang's granary."

"Both are serious offenses, and I am willing to accept the punishment. My family is not aware of the details, so I hope that the Marquis can show some leniency."

Yue Ling continued without stopping: "Take Xu Yaozu's son, Xu Lang."

Xu Lang had been living a life of luxury since childhood, but now he has been in jail for over a month and has become extremely thin. How could he endure this torture?

He didn't even bother to look at his father's expression. After hearing Shen Yishu's confession, he also bowed his head and confessed, completely losing the instinct to fight for it.

Because he was just a messenger and not the mastermind, he would be able to survive even if the case was sentenced.

The addition of two witnesses completely reversed the situation.

But Yue Ling had no intention of stopping. He glared at Zhen Yingjia fiercely, causing him to shiver.

"Where is Jia Lian? Come to the front of the hall!"

Jia Lian, who had been listening in the compartment, now walked out with his feet as if uncontrollably.

This was the first time he had seen such a big scene. A third-rank official was kneeling on the ground like a mangy dog. How could he dare not disobey Yue Ling's wishes?

Although Jia Lian was not a good person, he was still smart. He knew why Yue Ling called him in, so he bowed and said, "My Lord, Eunuch, Censor, Prefect, and all the nobles, I am Jia Lian from the Rongguo Mansion. I came to Jiangnan at the request of the Zhen family to plead for the Second Master of the Zhen family, and I brought some gifts from the Zhen family."

"Bribing the presiding judge, Zhen Yingjia, what else do you have to say?"

The Zhen family looked at the younger generation of the Jia family in astonishment, and asked unwillingly: "Yue Ling, do you want to involve the Jia family as well? Besides, what does what my family did have to do with me in prison?"

Yue Ling nodded, "That makes sense. I will send another runner to Jinling to fetch your family."

Zhen Yingjia was so angry that he almost vomited blood, but he bit his lip and stopped talking, so as to avoid being caught by Yue Ling.

But what Yue Ling said was also good news. Since his family had already tried their best and even went to the capital, they would definitely have pleaded with the Empress Dowager in the palace.

Dachang ruled the world with filial piety. As long as Empress Dowager Sun spoke, Emperor Longyou would not do anything to the Zhen family, so he kept silent.

The excitement in the classroom is not over yet.

Yue Ling added: "Bring more people."

The man who responded to the call was actually wearing an official uniform with a big "Prison" written in the middle, as if he had just been arrested from the government office.

The visitor still looked stunned, totally confused as to what was going on.

But Yue Ling asked, "On the fifth day of September, what news did you pass on to Qian Shiyuan? Who is the person behind you? Tell me the truth. If you dare to conceal it, I will punish you for being in cahoots with them."

Qian Shiyuan's face, which had been tense the whole time, finally fell. He should have thought of it earlier. In the airtight prison, all the news that came in must have been intentional by Yue Ling.

It was just that his instinct for survival overcame his reason, causing him to forget to think carefully.

These days, he has been thinking about how to gain the upper hand in class, but he has not thought about this most fundamental issue.

The jailer's knees went weak; he was frightened by this scene. He knelt down and told the whole story. Nothing could be concealed any more.

"Yes, someone gave me money and said that the charges against Qian Canzhi were false and that Prime Minister Zhao had not fallen yet, so I dared to do this. I was blinded by greed!"

The unexpected turn of events gave both Chen Ju and Wang Xianzhi a good show. While they were amazed at Yue Ling's skill, they couldn't help but sigh that this matter finally involved Prime Minister Zhao.

It would be strange if a major corruption case in Jiangsu and Zhejiang could bypass the local prime minister.

The prime minister's actual power is too great, and there are too many disadvantages. Even if the military power is separated from it, the impact on people's livelihood is that the prime minister is more like a local tyrant.

And what Yue Ling said before, that Prime Minister Zhao had secret dealings with the Japanese, became even more credible.

Fortunately, Chen Ju had already written the letter overnight and sent it to the capital at an expedited speed of 800 miles. This would definitely not ruin Yue Ling's plan.

The hall returned to silence, with only a few clerks nearby quickly writing down the confessions, and the sound of flipping papers.

In this silence, Xu Yaozu's inner emotions had been squeezed to a point, and he couldn't help but sneer, and then his voice became louder and turned into a wild laugh.

Then, he looked at Qian Shiyuan and Zhen Yingjia, and scolded them with a smile: "After such a scene today, I thought you had some hidden cards, but it turns out that Yue Ling had figured it out. Why didn't I see it before? Are you so stupid?"

"Working with stupid people like you, something bad is bound to happen one day!"

"Zhen Yingjia, aren't you still waiting for someone from the palace to rescue you? Can't you see that this eunuch is on Yue Ling's side?"

Then Xu Yaozu raised his head almost frantically, looked directly at Yue Ling and said, "I didn't understand why the Marquis was so obsessed with this matter before, but now I understand it a little better."

"From the beginning, you pointed your finger at the Xu family's assets. It was only when you learned that my Xu family had no assets that you were shocked."

"Then, you pointed the finger at the Zhen family. In the final analysis, you just lacked military pay to wipe out the Japanese pirates near the coast."

"Marquis An Jing's reputation is indeed loud, but I think he is just a person who seeks fame and reputation! You defeated me, and you defeated all of us. The Xu family can't escape, and the Zhen family can't escape. I will be watching you achieve success in heaven, and how can you escape!"

Chen Ju immediately became furious and slammed the table and stood up, saying, "How dare you! How dare you, a small merchant, discuss state affairs!"

Xu Yaozu was not afraid of death, so how could he shut up just because Chen Ju scolded him? He spat and said, "No matter what their confessions are, you only need to hand in my confession intact."

"Let the world know what whitewashing means, what collusion means, there are no honest officials, only corrupt officials!"

"I hope that this sharp sword of the Marquis can also cut off the past affairs of the previous dynasty!"

The clerks in the hall were so shocked that they didn't know how to record anything. They all looked at Yue Ling's expression.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Yue Ling slowly stood up and walked down the hall. He came to the front of several guilty ministers and said slowly, "No one is perfect. Your Majesty is willing to be a wise ruler. Reforming the old system is correcting the mistakes of the previous dynasty. Otherwise, why would you change it?"

"The son pays for the father's debt. Your Majesty will make the final decision on the sins committed by the previous dynasty. Why do you need to comment on this?"

"Do you think that if you try to implicate the late emperor, I won't dare to act rashly? Are you taking advantage of my weakness?"

"Your Majesty and I have always had the same idea. We are doing this for the people of the world. The country is not just a family. Why can't we talk about the mistakes of the previous emperor?"

Glancing at the people kneeling in the hall, Yue Ling said, "You are all people who have read the books of sages to some extent. Haven't you heard the saying 'the people are the most important, the country is second, and the emperor is the least important'?"

"Nowadays, the court is open to all opinions, and Your Majesty accepts the opinions of hundreds of schools of thought. Many of them have raised questions. Has Your Majesty ever punished others for this?"

"Your Majesty is doing this with your own hands, but you are still eating the emperor's salary in vain, and you are still speaking loudly and barking in the hall today. Who gave you the courage?"

"Is it Zhao Deyong or An Jingzhong?"

Turning his head to look at the clerk who was taking notes, Yue Ling said loudly: "Remember, write down my words as well, without missing a single word!"

Xu Yaozu's eyes widened in shock. He didn't expect Yue Ling to be so bold as to say such words. He was suddenly speechless and lowered his proud head. All his beliefs were shattered.

Yue Ling looked around, then slowly walked up the stone steps and sat back in his original seat.

"The future generations will judge right from wrong. Today, we just need to act according to the law, abide by our conscience, abide by the people, and abide by the trust of His Majesty."

"The facts of this case are clear, the evidence is irrefutable, and the crime will be convicted according to the law to uphold the law. All confessions will be sealed and submitted to the capital, awaiting your majesty's decision!"

Yue Ling waved his robe and left, and Wang Xianzhi, Chen Ju, and Su Moyun also left.

Everyone in the hall was in deep sorrow, completely stunned by Yue Ling. All that awaited them was confiscation of property, exile, or even death.

Outside the government courtyard, a breeze gradually arose, causing the branches to sway. A few leaves that were still hanging on the branches eventually fell slowly to the ground accompanied by the wind.

No one helps me reach my lofty ambitions, I walk on the snow to the top of the mountain by myself.

If Emperor Longyou had not been a wise ruler who would go down in history, Yue Ling would not have worked wholeheartedly for the royal family.

As a time traveler, there is really no psychological pressure in rebelling, but war will bring disaster to more poor people.

"My Lord, it's a bit windy outside."

Su Moyun took the crane cloak from Jia Yun and put it on Yue Ling. He then asked, "What did the Marquis say today? Are you sure that His Majesty will really kill the Zhen family?"

"The Zhen family has been working for the Heavenly Family for generations, and they even have in-laws with many royal families."

Yue Ling shook his head and smiled, "I can't say I'm completely sure about other things, but I can say I'm 100% sure about your majesty's determination to stabilize the country."

In the distance, Chen Ju, who also took the outer robe, silently remembered what Yue Ling and the others said, and retreated without making a sound...

(End of this chapter)