Chapter 362: Heart Strategy for a Lone Official

Rongguo Prefecture, Rongqing Hall.

When Yingchun entered the hall with Yuanyang, she saw pearls and jade everywhere, and fragrant wind floating. Many people were already sitting there.

Among them were several women with unfamiliar faces, so she knew the female guests of the Zhen family had already arrived.

Sisters like Daiyu, Seeing Tan Chun, and Xichun were all sitting there accompanying the guests. Baoyu, who always liked to appear with his sisters, was not in the hall.

Although in the inner chambers of the Jia family, Baoyu didn't avoid his own sisters, but to the female relatives of the Zhen family, he was an outsider.

Moreover, with an unmarried young lady of the Zhen family present, no matter how much Jia Mu doted on him, she would absolutely not let him appear in Rongqing Hall at this time, otherwise, the Jia family would lose the great etiquette of preventing men and women from being together.

When Yingchun entered the hall, Jia Mu smiled and said to a middle-aged woman in gorgeous clothes sitting there: "This is my second granddaughter, Yingchun. She usually lives in the Eastern Prefecture with her brother."

Yingchun saw this noble woman, who was in her thirties, with a beautiful appearance, generous demeanor, full of pearls and jade, and a rich and noble style, so she guessed that this must be the wife of the Zhen family.

The wife of the Zhen family seemed to care about Yingchun and looked her up and down carefully.

Although she was born in a great noble family, she didn't see a trace of luxury. She wasn't wearing brocade clothes, but a single-colored green shirt and long skirt, with light and slow clothes, simple and plain.

Daiyu and Seeing Tan Chun, who were sitting there, looked at each other, and both felt somewhat rare.

The wife of the Zhen family on the side also had an awkward face: "Old Lady, our Third Young Lady, the Old Lady dotes on her extremely. She has been pampered since she was a child, and her speech and actions are somewhat strange. Please don't take offense, Old Lady."

Fortunately, he had been in Liaodong for most of the past half year, otherwise, he would have been summoned to Rongqing Hall every few days.

Therefore, Seeing Tan Chun still envied this strange Zhen family young lady in her heart.

"I like his 'Linjiang Xian' the most. Because it is not convenient for men to meet, I wonder if sister can help me ask for a piece of calligraphy from Third Brother Cong? I will be very grateful."

The Princess of Beijing said somewhat reproachfully: "Third Sister, you are a guest here. Why do you ask for the calligraphy of the Earl of Lord Weiyuan as soon as you open your mouth? What kind of etiquette is this?"

This Third Miss Zhen, who was very fierce in Yuanyang's words, looked about the same age as herself.

Jia Mu heard the meaning of the Zhen family wife. In the past two years, Jia Mu had seen too many such things. Many old relatives came to visit, and most of them wanted to see this great rarity, Jia Cong.

Seeing Tan Chun saw such a Third Miss Zhen, and not only was she very novel, but she also felt a bit of admiration.

Although Jia Mu wanted to say that her Baoyu was also born with a proud appearance and was not much worse than Jia Cong, she could only say a few polite words.

She asked Jia Mu: "Old Lady, since this Second Young Lady lives in the Eastern Prefecture, she must be the own sister of the Earl of Lord Weiyuan."

That Third Miss Zhen smiled and said: "Yingchun sister has a good brother. I read the poems of this Cong brother in Jin Ling, and they are extremely good. I also heard that his calligraphy has already reached the realm of a master. I am very grateful."

Jia Mu smiled: "They are all old relatives of the family, and they are all brothers and sisters. What is this worth?"

Seeing that she was a few years older than other Jia family young ladies, her demeanor was quiet, her beauty was dignified, her skin was moist, her style was elegant, and she had already grown up very outstandingly.

Jia Mu looked at Yingchun, and Yingchun understood: "Third Brother is not on duty today and is studying at home."

The wife of the Zhen family asked: "Old Lady, is that Brother Cong in the mansion today? Nowadays, this brother is famous all over the world. It is the first time in the Great Zhou Dynasty that he has been granted an Earl title at such an age."

Daiyu and other sisters had already met the female guests of the Zhen family, and Jia Mu introduced Yingchun to meet them.

Her features were exquisite, her appearance was beautiful and elegant, her style was charming, and her appearance was extremely beautiful.

When Yingchun and this Third Miss Zhen bowed to each other, the young lady also smiled and returned the bow. Her snow-white and crystal-clear pretty face, with slight pear dimples, was moving and generous, without half a bit of the restraint of a boudoir woman.

But her life was drifting, and she had lived in her mother's family since she was a child, so she had more thoughts and suppression in her heart, and could not be as uninhibited as the Third Miss Zhen.

……

Jia Mu smiled: "Exactly, they have been close since childhood. My grandson is someone who can toss and turn, and only this second granddaughter can manage him."

The wife of the Zhen family smiled: "The Old Lady's second granddaughter has an outstanding appearance and demeanor. It is rumored in the capital that Jia's Cong brother has amazing talent and appearance, and is outstanding in both literature and martial arts, rare in the world. I haven't had the opportunity to see him."

"This sister already has such a spirit, so I don't know what kind of proud appearance the brother has."

……

Sitting on the left of the Zhen family wife was a beautiful and graceful woman, with a dignified demeanor, wearing a phoenix palace robe. She was the Second Miss of the Zhen family, now the Princess of Beijing.

Sitting on the right of the Zhen family wife was a woman. In fact, when Yingchun entered Rongqing Hall, she had already noticed her, because in Yingchun's eyes, she was truly different.

And Seeing Tan Chun, because of her concubine-born status, knew the coldness of the world in the big mansion since she was a child. Every word and action was cautious and meticulous, sharp and shrewd, and she didn't want to leave any handles for others.

Jia Mu said to the wife of the Zhen family: "Old Lady, you are being polite. They are old relatives of the family for generations, just like the same family. I heard that Cong brother is not yet twenty."

With obstacles in her heart and rules in her actions, she naturally couldn't be as uninhibited and free as this Third Miss Zhen.

Her long hair was just simply combed into a bun, without other jewelry, just pinned with a pearl hairpin. She was simple and uninhibited. Although she was a daughter, she had a detached and vulgar atmosphere.

However, it was just asking for a piece of calligraphy, which was not a big deal, so she said: "Sister, don't be polite. I will ask Third Brother to write a piece of calligraphy for you when I go back."

She admired the Third Miss Zhen's temperament somewhat, but that was all. Knowing that people live in the world, their fates are different, and their appearances must be different. How can everyone be similar?

Daiyu was born with a spiritual and transparent nature, full of poetry and literature, frank and wise, and had a kind of aloofness that was different from the vulgar flow.

This Third Miss Zhen was a woman with an extremely good appearance, but without a trace of boudoir tenderness. Instead, she had a free and easy temperament like a clear wind and bright moon, as if she had been born in the wrong womb.

A pair of wonderful eyes were as clear as water, shining brightly, seemingly able to see into people's hearts at a glance, making people unable to look directly.

For this Third Young Lady who was born of a concubine, all the slaves in the mansion knew that she was a fragrant and beautiful thorn rose, and never dared to have half a bit of contempt or slowness.

Her temperament was shrewd and capable, and she was also a person who compared herself to a man.

Yingchun was also seeing such an uninhibited daughter for the first time, who could even chase a man, and couldn't help but be slightly stunned.

Although she was born of a concubine, she understood everything, was intelligent and courageous. Jia Mu liked this third granddaughter very much, and Lady Wang also valued this concubine-born daughter.

Now that the visitors were the wife of the Zhen family and the Princess of Beijing, it was fine for Jia Cong to come and meet them as a junior.

It was just that now there was an unmarried Third Miss Zhen, so naturally, there were more scruples. Jia Mu was experienced in worldly affairs and naturally wouldn't let people feel that the Jia family lacked etiquette.

The wife of the Zhen family smiled: "Old Lady, you are being polite. We are old relatives of the family for generations, just like the same family. I heard that Cong brother is not yet twenty."

"In our eyes, he is still a child, even a year or two younger than our Third Girl, so there is no need to worry about these things."

The Princess of Beijing on the side also smiled: "I know that the Earl of Lord Weiyuan loves reading very much and is a talented person of the current era. No wonder he can take the honor of Jieyuan."

"Last time our Prince invited him to the mansion to meet friends, but because he wanted to go to Mount Luocang to listen to his master's teachings, he didn't make it. Living in the Love Shenjing, I have never seen his true appearance."

"Today is a coincidence, just to see the young talent of the Jia family."

Jia Mu was stunned when she heard the Prince of Beijing say this. When did this kid refuse even the Prince of Beijing's invitation? This was too rude.

Jia Mu even heard a trace of vague dissatisfaction from the words of the Princess of Beijing.

Originally, Jia Mu wanted her Baoyu to show his face. This Third Miss Zhen's appearance was not inferior to her Lin girl, which was also excellent. Baoyu would definitely be rare if he saw it...

Now that she heard the Princess of Beijing's words, she knew that she must let the kid show his face to cover up the awkwardness of the Prince of Beijing.

So she had Yuanyang go to the Eastern Prefecture to invite Jia Cong to come and talk.

Daiyu's wonderful eyes flowed, but she saw the Zhen family wife's gaze following Yuanyang as she left Rongqing Hall, and then looked at the Third Miss Zhen, seemingly with a vague expectation, and couldn't help but frown.

She looked at the Third Miss Zhen again and saw her talking to Yingchun. Her side face was crystal clear, her skin was like snow, and she didn't seem to care about Jia Cong's arrival.

Not long after, Yuanyang returned and said that just now an official from the palace had come to the Earl's Mansion to pass an imperial decree, asking the Third Master to enter the palace to meet the Emperor immediately, and she didn't know when he would return to the mansion.

Jia Mu, Lady Wang, and others were also shocked. Why was he summoned to the palace to meet the Emperor for no reason?

At this time, even Seeing Tan Chun noticed that hearing Jia Cong was summoned to the palace to meet the Emperor and could not enter Rongqing Hall to meet, the Zhen family wife's face seemed somewhat disappointed.

Jia Mu chatted with the female relatives of the Zhen family about the old affairs of Jin Ling, knowing that they were going to set off to return to Jin Ling in a few days, and asked Lady Wang to prepare a banquet to entertain them.

……

The Great Zhou Imperial Palace, Qianyang Palace.

In the morning, Yuanyang came to call Yingchun to the Western Prefecture to meet guests. Jia Cong was originally studying at home, but he didn't expect an imperial attendant to suddenly come to the mansion to summon him.

He followed the summoning attendant into the palace, walked for a long time, and kept guessing the reason why Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao summoned him into the palace, but he couldn't find the reason. Before he knew it, he had arrived.

The majestic Qianyang Palace was still the same. Every brick, every tile, every table, and every chair revealed the majesty of the royal family. The vast and quiet great hall was filled with the familiar gloom and indifference.

Although Jia Cong had been here many times, every time he entered the great hall, that strange majesty and oppression had never lessened by half.

Once in the deep palace, life, death, glory, and sorrow are out of control, and everything is in the hands of others.

The heart has no place to rely on, and the fate is in the hands of others.

All kinds of feelings made him extremely uncomfortable, making the resistance and escape contained in this place of the Nine-Five Supreme linger in his heart.

This is the majesty and cruelty of imperial power, and it is also the fate of a minister like walking on the edge of an abyss.

……

Jia Cong found that besides Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao and Guo Lin, who was always by the Emperor's side, there were two other ministers in the great hall.

One was his acquaintance, the Minister of War and Commander of the Nine Provinces, Gu Yankui. The other minister was in his forties, but with an unfamiliar face, whom he had never seen before.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao saw Jia Cong arrive and had the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Wei Guanyao, explain the ins and outs of the Zhou Zhengyang case to him, and prepared to send him to Jin Ling to assist in the investigation.

Jia Cong was also somewhat surprised. When he accidentally captured Zhou Suqing in Liaodong, he ordered the Ya Fu Guan military office to escort Zhou Suqing back to the capital, and then withdrew in time, no longer asking about it.

He just didn't want to get involved in this matter, but he didn't expect that he still couldn't avoid it. Now that the imperial will was like this, he couldn't avoid it.

When he assisted the Prince of Ning in solving the case in Jin Ling, the scene of Zou Huaiyi committing suicide to resist arrest was still fresh in his memory.

At that time, he realized that there must be something hidden behind this matter, and the involvement was deep. Now that the old case was mentioned again, there would be no shortage of tricky parts.

Jia Cong thought for a moment and said: "Emperor, the leak of the Court of Judicial Review's confession information and the failure to capture Zhou Zhengyang in Jin Ling have already become a situation of startling the snake."

The relationships and figures involved with Zhou Zhengyang in Jin Ling must have already hidden and escaped.

And whether Zhou Zhengyang is the mastermind, and whether there is someone else behind him, cannot be determined now.

Now the Emperor is sending officials to Jin Ling to increase the investigation. The momentum is grand, and everyone inside and outside knows it. Even if the Emperor uses the Court of Investigation to temporarily catch the person who leaked the secret...

But there are countless officials in the Love Shenjing, and the government offices are dense and intertwined. Who can guarantee that when I go to Jin Ling to assist in the investigation, the news will not be passed to Jin Ling in advance?

I am only afraid that after arriving in Jin Ling, I will repeat Yang Hongbin's mistakes. Before entering Jin Ling, I have already lost the first opportunity. If I want to find out what is going on inside, it will be even more difficult."

……

Whether it was the major case of the Water Supervision Office or the current Zhou Zhengyang case, because of a Zhou Suqing, they were closely connected and inherited from each other. Jia Cong knew the darkness and obscurity better than anyone else.

Whether it was Zou Huaiyi or Zhou Zhengyang, they were all from the regular army of the guard station. The whole thing could not avoid the connection with military power.

Historically, as long as it involves the military, it is an extremely dangerous affair. No matter how high the difficulties are estimated, it is not an exaggeration.

Since Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao intended for him to go to Jin Ling to assist in this matter, he could not avoid it. He had to convey the risks and difficulties to the Emperor in advance, at least to minimize his expectations.

Don't let the Emperor think that as soon as he goes to Jin Ling, he can easily turn the tide. Even if he, Jia Cong, has this ability, he will never give the Emperor this illusion.

Gu Yankui on the side heard Jia Cong's analysis and nodded secretly. He was also an old hand in officialdom and naturally knew that for a matter to succeed, the first opportunity was the most important.

The confession was leaked, the criminal escaped, and the first opportunity was lost. If he didn't find a way to reverse it, sending more capable people to Jin Ling would mostly be helpless.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao said: "What Jia Aiqing said is reasonable. Do you have any good strategies to deal with it?"

Jia Cong replied: "I think that matters are achieved by secrecy, and words are leaked by failure."

"When the Jin Ling maritime trade major case occurred, its root cause was foreign maritime trade, involving huge silver flows. Wealth corrupted people's hearts, causing corrupt officials in the Water Supervision Office and the Shipping Office to take risks."

"Now that Zhou Zhengyang has escaped, most of the poisonous people in the Water Supervision Office major case have become alert and must be hiding carefully."

"Zhou Zhengyang is a third-grade high-ranking official. Since he has the energy to promote malpractice in the Ministry of Personnel's evaluation in the Love Shenjing, he must also have managed and colluded with people in various government offices in Jin Ling."

"The Emperor can be loose on the outside and tight on the inside, letting Yang Hongbin handle the case normally in Jin Ling, step by step, without showing impatience, showing weakness, and easing the situation."

"On the other hand, take the opportunity to rotate the officials in the key positions of the Jin Ling maritime administration-related government offices, and appoint loyal and trustworthy people to handle affairs. This can not only prevent loopholes but also break the existing collusion."

"And sending capable personnel to Jin Ling to assist in the investigation can also adopt the method of adapting to changes..."

……

Gu Yankui and Wei Guanyao on the side looked at this young minister beside them, talking eloquently to the Emperor, with clear thinking, rigorous logic, bright and dazzling eyes, and dense and persuasive words.

Gu Yankui had seen Jia Cong's outstanding ability many times, whether it was in firearms strategy or leading troops in Liaodong. Although his plan this time was still surprising, it was not strange.

Wei Guanyao had only heard of Jia Cong's reputation before, but had never had any official contact with him.

Now seeing him analyze a tricky matter thoroughly in a moment and propose a very wise strategy, he was so young and already so experienced, he couldn't help but admire him.

It was just that Gu Yankui and Wei Guanyao were both experienced in worldly affairs and had seen countless people.

They watched Jia Cong's demeanor in responding to the memorial, and their hearts were somewhat horrified, because they felt that Jia Cong's style was really like one person.

That was the first cruel official in the court, Zhou Junxing, who had recently made the Court of Investigation arrogant in the Love Shenjing.

The same imposing appearance, full of wisdom; the same rigorous and strict, revealing an extremely pragmatic calmness; even the seduction and persuasiveness in his words were so similar.

This trait revealed from the bones could not be faked; it was the original and true side of a person.

And this young man was younger than Zhou Junxing. He had more talent than Zhou Junxing, he had the top family background of the Great Zhou, and a noble Earl status, which were things Zhou Junxing could not reach.

The lone officials trusted by the Emperor seemed to have some common points.

Gu Yankui had a good private friendship with Jia Cong and didn't want to think about it anymore.

Wei Guanyao had already thought that Jia Cong's talent and potential were far above Zhou Junxing's. The Emperor valued him so much. If one day he became a lone official like Zhou Junxing...

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 363 =====