Chapter 330

Rongguo Prefecture, Rongxi Hall.

Liu Yong saw Jia Zheng send someone to pass a message to Jia Cong.

He also felt relieved in his heart. He knew that the Prince was a man of great talent and had always respected the virtuous, and had long held Jia Cong of Rongguo Prefecture in high regard.

Now that this person has established military merit in Liaodong and demonstrated extraordinary talent in military affairs, the Prince admires and values him even more.

It is just that Jia Cong has never liked socializing in official circles. Last time the Prince's Prefecture held the Autumn Chrysanthemum Poetry Gathering, the Prince had ordered him to send a visiting card, but at that time, Jia Cong did not attend because he was supervising the construction of firearms.

Prince Beijing's Prefecture and the Ning and Rong Jia families have been on good terms for generations. This time, the Prince used the name of a family friendship to invite Baoyu to meet guests, but in reality, interacting with Jia Cong was the true intention.

Liu Yong thought that among the people the Prince associates with, there are many talents, each with their own strengths, but Jia Cong, who is not yet of age, is peerless in both literature and martial arts, and has been granted a title for military merit, is absolutely unique.

It is no wonder the Prince has invited him so warmly several times.

……

Therefore, he will never get involved in the muddy waters of Prince Beijing.

However, it always makes him feel a bit regretful.

He has always had suspicions and precautions against Shui Rong, but since it is Jia Zheng passing the message, he still has to go over and show his face.

It seems that the Jia family members do not realize it. Sometimes Jia Cong even feels surprised; how could a family with hereditary titles for generations be so dull in their sense of the political situation?

The meaning in Jia Cong's words is very clear: not only is he not free tomorrow, but afterward, except for going to the office, he will close his doors to study at all other times, so do not come to disturb me...

Jia Zheng originally thought that after Jia Cong was granted the title of Count, he would definitely no longer get involved in the imperial examinations and would no longer be burdened by those eight-legged essays and classics. In fact, this can be considered human nature.

In fact, the Jia family has always been on good terms with Prince Beijing and on bad terms with Prince Zhongshun, who is close to the Emperor. From the essence, they have stood in the wrong position.

And Jia Cong also rose due to the trend, and was stripped out of the old meritorious camp by the Emperor using various methods, which formed today's situation.

He said, "I did not expect that you, Count, are already a noble, yet your heart for learning is still so pious. It makes me very impressed, so I can only plan to invite you again."

……

In short, the Emperor's deep disgust for the old meritorious officials of the Four Princes and Eight Dukes, and his determination to remove the old and establish the new, has become a foregone conclusion.

However, even with his closeness to Jia Zheng, it is not appropriate for him to say that the Jia family should distance themselves from Prince Beijing's Prefecture, because this is almost asking the Jia family to deviate from the group of the Four Princes and Eight Dukes.

When he arrived at Rongxi Hall, Jia Zheng stated Liu Yong's intention. Jia Cong had just heard that Baoyu was to go meet guests, but he did not expect that it would eventually turn to himself.

Jia Cong said to Liu Yong, "I am grateful for the Prince's warm invitation, but tomorrow I have to go to the Liu residence at Mount Luocang. Having been in Liaodong for half a year, my studies have been neglected quite a bit. My teacher wants to instruct and teach me, and I dare not disobey."

However, he used the teacher's path and teacher's orders as an excuse, which made people unable to refute him, and they could not pick out any flaws. It is just that although he is young, his hidden thoughts are somewhat deep.

Disappointment appeared on Liu Yong's face. He knew that this was Jia Cong using an excuse to decline. Could it be that he has doubts about associating with the Prince and is afraid of inviting criticism? Otherwise, how could he decline the Prince's favor and respect several times?

On this side, Jia Cong was talking with the sisters. Hearing that someone from Prince Beijing's Prefecture had visited and that Jia Zheng wanted him to go over and talk, he felt slightly uncomfortable in his heart.

Therefore, no matter how close and compatible two people are, once different perspectives and positions arise, the invisible distance becomes difficult to cross.

Even with Jia Zheng's esteem for him, as long as he says such things, it will make Jia Zheng suspicious of him. This is determined by Jia Zheng's background.

Last time, Jia Cong used a presumptuous poem to let Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao take the opportunity to kick Prince Beijing Shui Rong out of the competition for the control of the Nine Provinces. One can imagine the Emperor's perception of this person.

And next year is the time for the Spring Examination. Besides being busy with office matters, I will only decline guests to study, and I dare not disobey the expectations of my teacher's sect, so I have to disappoint the Prince's invitation."

Jia Zheng comes from a noble family. Titles are common things to him; instead, the glory of the imperial examination is what he has yearned for all his life.

Due to his limited talent and opportunities, he had no hope for the imperial examination all his life, and among his descendants, Baoyu and Jia Huan, let alone...

He originally thought that even if the Rongguo Prefecture produced a talented person like Jia Cong, it would still be desolate in the path of the imperial examination. Perhaps this is the destiny of the family.

Now that he heard Jia Cong say that he would take the Spring Examination next year and restart the path of the imperial examination, it really made Jia Zheng overjoyed.

In Jia Zheng's view, with Jia Cong's literary talent, as long as he enters the Spring Examination, obtaining the status of a Jinshi will be no problem at all.

He did not expect that since Jia Jing passed the examination thirty years ago, the Jia family would soon display the glory of a Jinshi again, which really made him feel greatly comforted.

Liu Yong discovered that when Jia Zheng sent him out of the door, his face was full of smiles, and he did not know why this person was so happy.

……

Baoyu saw Jia Cong leave and also wanted to follow him out of Rongxi Hall, but he saw Jia Zheng just step over the threshold, yet he turned his head and said to Baoyu, "Baoyu, stay behind. I will carefully ask you about your studies later!"

After Jia Zheng finished speaking, he did not look back and continued to send Liu Yong out of the door, leaving Baoyu as if he had been struck by lightning, his face pale and his legs weak.

Baoyu looked at Jia Cong's departing back and could not help but feel full of resentment. This damn Jia Cong, you have already been granted a title and become an official, yet you still go to read those rotten books and take the Spring Examination.

You have brought out the Old Master's heart disease, and now you have killed me!

Right now, Baoyu is thinking about how to find the Old Lady to save his life.

Now it is useless for Baoyu to find Lady Wang. Ever since Jia Cong passed the Jieyuan, whenever Lady Wang has time, she nags Baoyu, telling him to study hard and at least win some face for her.

……

On the way back, Jia Cong's thoughts were surging. Last time Prince Beijing's Prefecture held the Autumn Chrysanthemum Poetry Banquet, Shui Rong had already sent an invitation to invite him, and this time it was his second invitation.

Jia Cong could naturally see that Shui Rong inviting Baoyu to meet guests was just a pretext, and the goal was still himself.

Shui Rong has always built an image of a virtuous prince, but in history, none of the virtuous princes were simple characters.

From Shui Rong's performance in competing for the control of the Nine Provinces last time, how could this be a virtuous prince who views fame and wealth as floating clouds?

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao would use the presumptuous poem to bring Shui Rong back to his original form, and he must have also seen the hidden ambition in Shui Rong's heart.

And such a hereditary prince of a different surname has expressed his closeness to him several times.

Jia Cong would not simply think that Shui Rong only admires his literary talent and that is why he has invited him repeatedly. Could it be that they are going to talk about the bright moon and the clear breeze?

That Supreme One in the Qianyang Palace would not think so, and Jia Cong can be certain that the Prince's Chief Steward visited this morning, and it will appear in the intelligence report of the Zhongche Office this afternoon.

However, what Jia Cong is currently concerned about is not this boring guy Shui Rong who has wild fantasies.

But the news that Jiang Liu found out a few days ago, that strange fur shop of Jia She, and the complicated relationship between him and Sun Shaozu.

Behind Sun Shaozu is the hereditary Commander Sun family of Datong.

And Gu Yankui happened to find out about the corruption of the border army in Datong...

And half a year ago, Jia She instigated Jia Qiang to seek the position of the firearms workshop...

These complicated pieces of information are like a tangled mess, but he cannot sort out the clues for a while.

……

When Jia Cong returned to the East Prefecture, he heard clear and pleasant laughter and sweet words, which seemed to seep into his heart and wash away the complicated thoughts in his brain.

Beautiful figures were moving back and forth in Yingchun's courtyard. Jia Cong had not been to the West Prefecture for long, and the whole courtyard had already been tidied up.

Relying solely on Xiu Ju and those few newly bought maids and nannies, it could not have been so fast.

Zhi Shao, Wu Er, Ying Lian, Qing Wen, and others from Jia Cong's room all came over to help.

Today, Daiyu and the others came over, all bringing their personal maids such as Hearing Zi Juan, Shi Shu, and Ying'er.

These people are all quick-witted and nimble-handed. Hanging curtains, spreading quilts, and arranging objects, they naturally did it extremely smoothly.

They even chattered and discussed how to arrange things to make them look better.

And Yingchun led Xichun, Daiyu, and the other sisters to stroll around the prefecture, and each of them had chosen a courtyard they were satisfied with, and they just happened to return together.

Among them, Daiyu and Seeing Tan Chun have more opportunities to stay for a short time, while Xiangyun is actually just joining in the fun. After all, her time at the Jia Prefecture in a year is limited.

Baochai did not choose a place, only saying that if she came over, she could just stay with Daiyu and Seeing Tan Chun.

Although she had long had a deep obsession with Jia Cong in her heart, she was delicate and sharp-minded, but she knew that Jia Cong had no other thoughts about her. Compared to Daiyu and the three sisters, she was still a bit more distant.

The talented girl who used to be calm and composed in dealing with human relationships became unlike the original Baochai when facing the person in her heart. She lost her spiritual wisdom and sense of proportion, and added a lot of reserve and restraint.

(End of chapter)