Chapter 18

Outside at the banquet, Jia She heard some movement inside and hurriedly asked his personal servant to inquire.

As a result, he heard that Prince Jia Shun's mansion had sent someone to deliver New Year's gifts to Jia Cong. He had treated that beast like a dog, but Prince Jia Shun had held him up several times. Wasn't this slapping his own face?

Jia She was furious in his heart. If there weren't other men from other families at the banquet, he might have even flipped the table.

So what if this beast is held up by someone? Even if he goes to the ends of the earth, I am still his biological father. The father is the guide for the son. Whether he lives or dies is all up to one word from me.

Jia She was furious, picked up the wine on the table and drank it in one gulp. He had truly drunk a lot today. At this time, the fragrance around him moved, and it was a maid walking over to serve dishes.

Jia She actually thought of Jia Cong's pretty maid by mistake. He was drunk and muttered: "This beast is also worthy of using such a person!"

Zhi Shao's slender and beautiful appearance seemed to flash before Jia She's eyes, stirring up restlessness in his heart, mixed with a surge of evil energy....

After New Year's Eve, the close old relatives and the nobles such as the Four Kings and Eight Dukes who were of the same mind as the Jia mansion, either the heads of the families came in person, or sent close sons and nephews, all came to visit for the New Year.

Both the Ning and Rong mansions were busy welcoming and sending off guests every day. Younger generations like Jia Lian and Baoyu also followed their fathers to entertain guests, busy spinning around.

He and his brother Jia Cong had always been at odds, and it had been like this since childhood.

Jia Lian's personality could be considered kind, but his lecherous and absurd nature was similar to his father's. However, he had honey on his lips, which could seduce women to move their hearts, unlike Jia She who used force.

Because he was still young and his behavior was a bit wretched, he made some jokes in front of guests and was scolded by Jia Zheng to the point of crying several times.

Baoyu barely managed to hold on for two days, then felt disgusted with dealing with these vulgar people, ran to the Old Lady to act like a spoiled child, and excused himself by saying he had caught a cold and needed to recuperate for a few days.

Jia Huan, who originally beat dogs and chased chickens every day, suffered and replaced Baoyu to follow Jia Zheng to entertain guests.

Compared with the noisy and lively New Year atmosphere in front, the granary room where Jia Cong lived was as cold and clear as ever.

The Old Lady realized that the grandson she disliked the most was someone who could stir up trouble, which made people feel a bit annoyed, but he also had some ability.

Jia She still disliked him to the bone, but this evil obstacle's life was too hard, and he didn't dare to be too decisive, so as not to hurt himself.

Until the third day of the first lunar month, Xiao Jindong invited him to attend the spring banquet on the fourth day. Those who went together were some people who consigned calligraphy and paintings in his shop.

What should be ignored was still ignored. At such a critical juncture of New Year's greetings with old relatives and colleagues, no one would think of pulling him out.

It was not just that the two were different in legitimacy, it seemed there was no reason. Perhaps in Jia Lian's consciousness, there was no such brother.

In the eyes of the sisters in the backyard, they had an extra brother who was well-behaved and proficient in calligraphy.

Jia Zheng looked at the terrible Jia Huan and thought about asking that nephew with extraordinary bearing to follow him to entertain guests. However, Jia Cong was after all a person of the First Mansion, so he couldn't be too abrupt.

Compared with before, Jia Cong just deepened his impression in the eyes of the Jia family. Generally, he still hadn't broken through the original situation of being dispensable.

Although he had some highlights in the past few days, these didn't change anything. His status in the Jia mansion was the same as ever.

The first few days of the New Year passed without much waves.

For Jia Zheng, the Jia family had a descendant who possessed the spirit of literature and was diligent.

Jia Cong thought, isn't this the routine of customer group visits in later generations? He was confined to the granary room every day and also wanted to see the outside world, so he agreed.

Early on the fourth day, Xiao Jindong drove to the East Courtyard to pick him up.

That day, the second uncle in the shop said that Jia Cong was a descendant of the Rongguo Mansion. After the fact, Xiao Jindong inquired, and it was really correct.

He asked the second uncle why he guessed so accurately. The old man just kept sweeping the floor and didn't pick up his words, so he didn't ask anymore.

Knowing that Jia Cong was not only excellent in calligraphy but also had an extraordinary background, Xiao Jindong valued him even more.

Those who consigned calligraphy and paintings in Xiao Jindong's shop were all learned scholars. They interacted with each other many times and often gathered together to drink and talk. He had never thought of asking Jia Cong, a child, to join them.

However, those few calligraphy works of Jia Cong in his shop were seen by these people, and everyone regarded them as divine works, one after another urging Xiao Jindong to invite him out to meet.

Xiao Jindong booked a private room in the famous Chunhua Building in the west of the city. When the carriage passed through Dongsheng Street, four or five large carriages came head-on, and there were more than ten sturdy men following the carriages.

The leading carriage was hung with the sign of the Dezhou Military Advisor, looking like a team of official carriages.

Xiao Jindong in the carriage felt a bit disgusted: "I heard early on that Zhou Yanluo was returning to the capital to take office. I didn't expect to meet him just right. It's bad luck for the New Year."

Jia Cong heard this nickname and knew there was a story in it, so he asked: "Zhou Yanluo? What kind of person is that?"

Xiao Jindong looked through the carriage window at the shimmering carriage team coming from the opposite side and said: "Brother Cong grew up in a noble mansion, so you must not know this person."

"Zhou Yanluo's real name is Zhou Junxing. He was originally a military advisor in Dezhou. This time he was transferred to the capital by His Majesty and promoted to Junior Minister of the Imperial Stud, in charge of the Imperial Carriage Court."

"It is said that this person was originally a rascal in the market of Yongzhou. Because he committed a crime, he was thrown into prison and relied on reporting his cellmates to make contributions and escape."

"Later, he turned into a small official in the Yongzhou government office. This person had read books, was shrewd and ruthless, good at investigating cases and interrogating, and was also good at scheming."

"Because he had gains in investigating cases and arresting criminals, he was promoted step by step in Yongzhou for several years."

"Because he was cruel by nature, he often used unscrupulous means to investigate cases and arrest people, and countless lives were lost at his hands, which is why he got the nickname Zhou Yanluo."

"The year His Majesty ascended the throne, he followed his superior, who was promoted to Censor-in-Chief, to the capital and became an ordinary censor in the Censorate."

"He had only been in the capital for a year when he reported the Censor-in-Chief who had brought him to the capital, causing the other party to be executed for corruption and dereliction of duty, and he also occupied the other party's property and beautiful concubines. His behavior was despised."

"When His Majesty first ascended the throne, the court situation was turbulent, and hidden images frequently appeared. His Majesty spent a lot of effort to stabilize the situation. It is said that this Zhou Junxing contributed a lot to it."

"So although this person's private morality and reputation were not good, His Majesty still tolerated him. But this Zhou Yanluo offended too many people, and was impeached several times."

"In the end, His Majesty couldn't protect him either, so he sent him to Dezhou to be a military advisor. Now His Majesty intends to reuse the Imperial Carriage Court created during the late emperor's period."

"I heard that this Zhou Junxing didn't stay idle in Dezhou either. He arrested bandits and thieves, and also pulled out the branch of the Hidden Sect in Dezhou, killing three or four hundred people, shaking the four states and eight counties of the martial arts world."

"Only then did His Majesty think of this old minister who, although cruel in means, was shrewd and capable. This person suffered in Dezhou for five years and was finally reused."

Xiao Jindong sighed in fear: "This Divine Capital is going to be in an autumn of trouble. I don't know how many people will fall into the hands of this Zhou Yanluo."

Jia Cong watched the four or five large carriages pass by. The leading carriage was surrounded by more than ten sturdy men, each with a long knife at their waist, their expressions alert.

The Zhou Yanluo mentioned by Xiao Jindong should be sitting in that carriage. But for a state military advisor, this momentum and scene are not small.

Reporting others to escape, framing his master to get ahead, seizing others' property, bullying others' beautiful concubines, this is a cruel official with an extremely low moral bottom line. In short, he is not a good thing.

The current emperor, who would use such a person, looks like someone who believes in pragmatism and is not a fuel-efficient lamp. But these are too far from him, so just watch it as a lively scene.

(End of this chapter)