Chapter 223

Jia Cong returned from Qu Hongxiu's place, took a carriage into the back street of Rongguo Prefecture, and prepared to return to Qingzhi Studio from the back corner gate.

But he saw a carriage parked at the entrance of the Lixiang Courtyard facing the street, and two people got off the carriage, one of whom was a handsome man he had never seen before, while the other was Jia Rong.

The two were intimate and ambiguous in their posture, which made him feel a bit disgusted; he had seen Jia Rong and that Liu Yuer fooling around last year, and now it was the same posture.

At this time, Jia Rong saw him, and seemed a bit embarrassed to be seen by Jia Cong in that posture; just as he was about to greet Jia Cong, he saw Jia Cong enter the back corner gate without looking back.

Before Jia Cong entered the door, he said to Jiang Liu who was following him: "Go and find out who the person with Jia Rong just now is and what his background is."

When he returned to Qingzhi Studio, he saw thick, pink, and crisp fresh lotus roots on the corridor of the main room, as well as a very large watermelon, which looked fresh even in the dog days of summer.

Entering the main room, he saw Baochai talking to Zhi Shao.

Jia Cong asked with a smile: "Why does Sister Bao have time to come today?"

Baochai's face was slightly red; she was wearing a yellow, edge-trimmed, front-opening jacket today, with a tea-white camisole inside and a long skirt embroidered with orchids, looking extraordinarily clear and stunning in a different way.

Yesterday, outside Daiyu's room, she had heard the two of them laughing and joking without restraint, which made people envious; when he talked to Sister Lin, he would definitely not have such eyes.

The visitor said that Qiguan had not returned to the Prince's mansion for a long time, and the Prince of Zhongshun could not do without this person for a moment; the ambiguity in this can be imagined, nothing more than the likes of broken sleeves and luan boys.

When evening came, the old woman outside the second gate came to pass a message, saying that the third master's little servant was outside the door, having come to report after handling a matter.

In fact, Xue Pan had also invited friends to drink today and had also invited Baoyu; these days, Baoyu often came to Lixiang Courtyard to talk to her, and Baochai was afraid that he would come over today and have something to say again.

Jia Cong went out of the back corner gate and saw Jiang Liu already waiting there.

"Cong Sanye, I have been waiting in the back street all afternoon and happened to meet the cook who delivers food from the restaurant next door; he said that Young Master Xue invited friends to drink today."

"Our antique shop's Cheng Rixin doesn't know where he got these very large watermelons and fresh lotus roots; I thought they were rare, so I sent some for you to taste."

Baochai saw that although his face was full of smiles, his eyes, deep like autumn pools, were calm and indifferent, without any ripples, which made people feel a bit disappointed.

"Later I saw them go to a house in Zitan Fort in the eastern suburbs, and then they didn't come out for a long time; it looks like that must be a house purchased by Jia Rong or Qiguan."

I waited until their banquet dispersed, and when they went out, the man who was with Jia Rong, I heard Second Master Bao call him Qiguan."

Ever since the talk of the "Gold and Jade Connection" spread, Baochai had become wary of Baoyu, fearing that getting too close would invite gossip, which was why she hid out of Lixiang Courtyard today.

……

Jia Cong smiled and said: "This fresh lotus root looks like the best quality; later I will ask the kitchen to make it and send some to you, Sister, considering it as borrowing flowers to offer to Buddha."

And Baoyu said that Qiguan had purchased a private house outside the eastern suburbs by himself, which the people in the Prince's mansion didn't know about, and they even had to come to Rongguo Prefecture to ask.

Jia Cong's heart moved: Isn't Qiguan Jiang Yuhan? The actor who played the young female role in the Prince of Zhongshun's mansion.

Jiang Liu continued: "Later I saw that Qiguan and Jia Rong got into the same carriage, and feeling strange, I followed them all the way."

Jia Cong felt a bit enlightened after hearing this; the Prince of Zhongshun's mansion had appeared in "Dream of the Red Chamber," sending people to Rongguo Prefecture to ask Baoyu about Qiguan's whereabouts.

Now the case is solved; it turns out that Qiguan purchased a private house outside the eastern suburbs, which actually has something to do with Jia Rong, and this house might even have been purchased by Jia Rong; it is likely a place for the two to meet privately.

Perhaps Baoyu also knew the bottom line and just didn't say it; even for someone like Baoyu, most people are accustomed to these things.

That Qiguan is the Prince of Zhongshun's person, and the Prince of Zhongshun has always been quite hostile to the Jia family; as for the reason, Jia Cong does not know, but in any case, the two sides are at odds.

It was fine that Jia Rong fooled around with Liu Yuer back then, but now he actually dares to provoke the Prince of Zhongshun's person; isn't this inviting disaster for himself? "The beginning of the trouble lies in Ning," it really wasn't said wrong.

……

Ningguo Prefecture, Conglü Hall.

"Old Master, I have sent people to talk about that shop several times, but things didn't work out, and the other party didn't leave any room, I'm afraid it's difficult to end well."

Steward Dong Laier looked at the gloomy-faced Jia Zhen, feeling terrified in his heart.

As the steward of the East Prefecture, he knew best that the internal coffers of the East Prefecture had been gradually emptying in recent years, the Old Master's life was not as comfortable as before, and his temper had become increasingly strange.

Both the Old Master and the Eldest Master were people who enjoyed themselves, not knowing how to manage and save; the family's industries not only did not grow, but they had also thrown away several shops in the past two years.

The income from shops and fields in the Divine Capital and Jin Ling was less than 20,000 taels throughout the year, and after adding some corruption and embezzlement, it was reduced by another 4,000 to 5,000.

Plus the abnormal climate in the north of the Great Zhou, the harvest sent by Wu Jinxiao, who managed eight or nine fields and manors in the East Prefecture, was at most 5,000 taels during the New Year.

The total annual income of Ningguo Prefecture was less than 20,000 taels, and the mansion raised so many people, while the Old Master and the Eldest Master were people who lived a life of debauchery.

Not seeing any savings, but rather a lot of deficits.

Last time the Eldest Master got married, the Old Master even borrowed 3,000 taels from Rongguo Prefecture; with tight silver on hand, he still wanted to put on a show, not knowing who it was for.

So this year, the Old Master had been racking his brains to find ways to earn silver.

This spring, I don't know where the Old Master got a few bottles of strange perfume.

And I don't know where he heard that an incense shop that had been open for several years in the West City had a secret recipe for making perfume and could earn a lot of silver.

He also asked an expert to secretly calculate that since that shop started selling that kind of Dongying water jade perfume, plus other inferior incense items, the net profit per month, after deducting losses, was 3,000 to 4,000 taels.

Calculating for a year, it was 50,000 taels of silver, which was already twice the annual income of Ningguo Prefecture!

The Old Master also asked people to check the bottom line; that incense shop was only opened by two women without any foundation, looking easy to manipulate, so he grew greedy.

He asked me to think of a way, whether to cheat or rob, no matter what, to get the secret recipe for making perfume from that shop.

But I asked my nephew Shangrong to talk several times, but it didn't work out; just as I was about to think of some other means, my nephew was inexplicably beaten, and the matter was delayed.

Today the Old Master thought of this matter again, and I don't know how to deal with it.

Jia Zhen cursed loudly: "How can you not handle even such a small matter? The Jia family has raised a group of rice buckets like you for nothing!"

This Dong Laier was the son of Lai Mama, the companion maid of the Old Lady of the West Prefecture, but he was sent by the Old Lady to the East Prefecture to be a steward; isn't this driving a nail into the East Prefecture?

Jia Zhen had always disliked this, but because of the Old Lady's seniority, it was not easy to oppose it; he was originally a proud and extravagant person, and naturally didn't give Dong Laier much of a good face.

"Old Master, the Eldest Master often moves around outside and knows many figures in the government offices; maybe he will have some ways."

"With that beast's dissolute appearance, what means could he have? Forget it, go and call him to see me."

"The Eldest Master has not been in the mansion these days; I heard he has been in Zitan Fort in the eastern suburbs."

"What is that beast doing there? Tell him to come see me immediately."

(End of chapter)