Chapter 401

Jin Ling, Xinglong Square, Jia family old mansion.

The sun gradually slanted to the west, shedding its scorching heat, and fell upon the trees and houses of the inner courtyard, creating an atmosphere of warmth and peace.

In the small kitchen of the inner residence, Lingguan rolled up her sleeves, revealing two sections of crystal-clear, snow-white forearms.

Her black hair was like clouds, her pretty face was full of charm, and a pink-white sweat towel tied her slender waist into a handful.

Her right hand grasped a kitchen knife, and her left hand pinched a handful of fresh green vegetables.

The kitchen knife and the cutting board collided with a dense and rapid sound, cutting the emerald green vegetables into uniform sizes.

She also marinated a cleaned fresh fish with various spices and placed it neatly into a steamer, but did not light the fire to steam it.

In the courtyard of the small kitchen, Douguan was holding a small axe, preparing to split a piece of dry wood into two, but being small and weak, it seemed she never succeeded; the playful element was more significant.

Two kitchen matrons, carrying rice bags and many fresh ingredients, entered the small kitchen.

Seeing Lingguan busy back and forth, they said flatteringly, "Young Lady is a delicate person, how can you be busy in the kitchen? Let us do it, otherwise the Head Steward will scold us for being lazy."

Lingguan smiled slightly, "What kind of delicate person am I? I was used to doing kitchen work before. Today the Cong Sanye is coming back, so I am cooking for him. I will tell Steward Jin that it has nothing to do with you."

The two kitchen matrons said a few more polite words and left the kitchen.

One of them looked back at the pretty and moving little girl on the stove, busy back and forth, with a pure and moving smile on her face.

She said to the other kitchen matron, "Doesn't the mansion say that this little girl is a little actress bought by the Cong Sanye?"

"They all say she is often in the Cong Sanye's courtyard, singing little tunes for him, and it sounds better than the famous actors in the city."

"Aren't those actors all seductive, knowing only how to dress up and hook men all day? But this little girl is different; she can even cook and wash clothes for the Cong Sanye. She is a down-to-earth person."

The other one said, "Just shut your mouth. Talking about actors this and actors that, can you talk about the people in the Cong Sanye's room like this? If Steward Jin hears it, he will definitely deal with you."

"I have heard from Jin Cai's wife that the Cong Sanye used to be busy with yamen affairs and didn't return to the mansion much. But since this little girl came, the Cong Sanye definitely returns every other day."

"Do you know why the Cong Sanye comes back so eagerly? He specifically teaches this little girl to read and write, and he treats her very well on weekdays. You say it's strange or not? If he just bought a little actress, could he be so attentive?"

"Jin Cai's wife said that after the Cong Sanye finishes his errands in Jin Ling, he will take this girl back to the Count's mansion in the Love Shenjing. Look at this little girl, she looks like a fairy, she will have a future..."

Since the Jia family's direct line moved to the Love Shenjing, the inner residence behind the second gate of the old mansion had been vacant, with only servants entering to clean it regularly.

This time Jia Cong returned, and Jin Cai re-organized the inner residence behind the second gate, not only assigning four maids to Jia Cong's courtyard.

But also specifically invited two kitchen matrons to the small kitchen in the inner courtyard, responsible for Jia Cong's daily diet.

Lingguan and Douguan moved into Jia Cong's courtyard. Jia Cong was usually not in the mansion, so everything was as usual. Every time it was time to eat, the kitchen matrons would send the food to the courtyard.

But every time she counted the days until Jia Cong returned to the mansion, Lingguan would take Douguan to help and personally cook to prepare food for Jia Cong.

She had been doing chores like washing and cooking when she first entered the opera troupe, so her cooking skills were not bad at all, and doing these things was very normal for her.

She had not yet reached the age of thirteen, and some things were still half-understood; it was not just pure infatuation with Jia Cong.

It was just that she had lived a life of poverty and displacement, and Jia Cong cared for and looked after her, which was very different. She felt very stable and secure following him.

Whenever she calculated the days that Jia Cong was to return to the mansion, she would be busy in the kitchen in advance, always feeling that he was good to her, and she wanted to do something for him.

At first, the kitchen matrons in the kitchen were muttering, after all, she was a woman in the master's courtyard, and letting her be busy in the kitchen seemed somewhat inappropriate.

Later, Jin Cai let his wife enter the inner courtyard to see twice. Originally, the couple felt that Jia Cong bringing a strange little girl back was somewhat absurd.

Now seeing Lingguan was diligent and meticulous, they felt that the Cong Sanye was not messing around, and the girl he brought was reliable.

Therefore, Jin Cai ordered the kitchen matrons in the inner courtyard that when the Cong Sanye returned to the mansion, the kitchen affairs would be directed by Lingguan.

Jia Cong received the letter from the Third Young Lady of the Zhen family and logically went to the Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-Household Office.

Embroidered Uniform Guard Battalion Commander Ge Captain Ge Zhi Cheng was an old, wise, and cautious man, and had long heard Liu Yong's report on the search of the Zhen family shop.

The secret edict from the Embroidered Uniform Guard Command in the Love Shenjing stated that the new firearms of the Yafu Pass in Liaodong had been stolen, and the current Emperor was furious. The situation and the state of affairs were still ringing in his ears.

Now, at the height of the firearm smuggling crackdown, a large batch of Ottoman refined iron that could be used to forge firearm barrels was discovered in the shop of the Zhen clan, a Jin Ling noble family.

He had to treat this with caution as the head of the Jin Ling Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The foundation of the Jin Ling Zhen family was different from other noble families.

If it were really verified that the Zhen family was privately manufacturing firearms with ulterior motives, for Ge Captain Ge Zhi Cheng, the head of the Jin Ling Embroidered Uniform Guard, it might be a great achievement, or it might be a disaster.

However, when the great case of the Water Supervision Office broke out, the former Embroidered Uniform Guard Battalion Commander Feng Fengnian fell from power due to his involvement in the great case.

Ge Captain Ge Zhi Cheng took over the mess of the Jin Ling Embroidered Uniform Guard, not only transitioning smoothly and peacefully, but also managing the Jin Ling Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-Household Office without a single leak.

Regardless of courage and talent, he was far superior to his predecessor Feng Fengnian, and he deeply understood the truth that wealth is sought in danger.

Encountering such a matter with the Zhen family, although he feared the esteemed Old Imperial Consort of the Zhen family in the palace, Ge Captain Ge Zhi Cheng was not about to be a turtle hiding its head.

Two years ago, when Jia Cong was assassinated in Gusu, Ge Captain Ge Zhi Cheng had official dealings with Jia Cong and could be considered an old acquaintance.

After hearing Jia Cong explain the cause of the matter and his plans, the two naturally hit it off. The Embroidered Uniform Guard made a superficial gesture and released Zhen Shiwen from the Thousand-Household Office.

Ge Captain Ge Zhi Cheng also sent capable men from the Embroidered Uniform Guard to set up many secret posts in the Zhen family shop, casting a net just waiting for a harvest.

However, for Jia Cong, bringing Zhou Zhengyang to justice, clearing up the aftermath of the Water Supervision Office case, and clearing the worries of the Great Zhou maritime administration were his responsibilities for coming to Jin Ling this time.

The firearm smuggling crackdown in Jin Ling was not the focus of his attention in Jin Ling.

This was just something he happened to encounter, and as the Supervisor of the Firearm Division, he acted accordingly.

Since the handover with the Embroidered Uniform Guard was in place, it came to an end.

As for the Zhen family's involvement in firearm smuggling or private manufacturing crimes, and the resulting disaster, he did not take it too much to heart.

Although the Jia and Zhen families were old family friends, he, Jia Cong, had no connection with the Zhen family at all, and did not even know a single Zhen family member, so he had a somewhat indifferent attitude.

Moreover, all things in this world are self-inflicted. If the Zhen family really did such things, they must bear the corresponding consequences.

He came out of the Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-Household Office and went directly back to the old mansion in Xinglong Square.

Just as he entered his courtyard, he did not see Lingguan and Douguan. The maids in the courtyard said that Lingguan was cooking in the small kitchen.

Jia Cong smiled when he heard this; it was not the first time.

Although the little girl had a somewhat stubborn and proud temper, she also had a well-behaved and sensible side, which was very heartwarming. Every time he came back, she personally cooked to prepare dishes for him.

Jia Cong persuaded her twice but it didn't work, so he followed her wishes, and the little girl's cooking skills were quite good, almost catching up to Sister Liu of the Count's mansion.

Lingguan cooked for Jia Cong several times, and it was as if Jia Cong had been put under a spell by her; he always thought about that taste in his heart, and would remember to return to the mansion when the time came.

When Jia Cong arrived at the small kitchen, Douguan in the courtyard was sweating profusely and finally split a pile of broken wood with a small axe.

Because Lingguan said that only by using this kind of broken wood could she burn the appropriate gentle fire, steam the fragrant fresh fish, and stew the clear and thick soup.

When Jia Cong entered the kitchen, he saw Lingguan putting pieces of broken wood into the fire stove under the steamer.

The bright red firelight flickered, reflecting her pretty and delicate little face, as beautiful and moving as a flower.

Lingguan's side profile had beautiful and moist lines, which were indescribable. Jia Cong was a little dazed for a moment; the outline of that side profile was really becoming more and more similar.

But Daiyu was a noble daughter who did not touch the spring water, so how could she appear in front of him like this?

Although the two looked similar, the girl in front of him ultimately had her own brilliance.

Lingguan turned back to see Jia Cong and said happily, "Cong Sanye, you are back! You have to wait a while, the food will be ready in a while."

Saying that, she pushed Jia Cong out of the kitchen and smiled, "How can a master enter the kitchen? The book you showed me last time wrote, 'A gentleman stays away from the kitchen'."

"Look, the Sage says so, how can you come in?"

Lingguan's talent for reading was very outstanding. Jia Cong taught her for a period of time, and the characters she recognized could already roughly read common books, but she still needed Jia Cong to teach her when she encountered new characters.

Jia Cong smiled, "How long have you been reading and writing? You already know 'A gentleman stays away from the kitchen'. It's a pity you were born a daughter, otherwise, if I taught you for a few years, it wouldn't be difficult to pass the scholar exam."

Lingguan was very happy to hear his praise and smiled beautifully, "Then I will learn to read and write from the Cong Sanye more in the future. Even if I can't pass the scholar exam, I will learn the scholar's knowledge, so as not to let the Cong Sanye praise me in vain."

The two walked to the threshold of the courtyard and sat down casually, where they could just see the fire in the kitchen.

Jia Cong smiled, "'A gentleman stays away from the kitchen' can be explained as you did, but there are two more sentences behind it: 'Those with blood and breath, do not step on them personally'."

"The true meaning expressed by the Sage is that a gentleman does not approach the kitchen because he is worried about seeing blood and killing, so as not to violate the virtue of a gentleman."

Lingguan said 'Ah' when she heard this and said, "Today I made mushroom stewed chicken. There is blood in the kitchen. The opera troupe was not rich before, so there were no such good ingredients. I made this dish very fragrant."

"If the Cong Sanye enters the kitchen at this time, wouldn't it be harmful to you not being able to be a gentleman?"

Jia Cong smiled indifferently, "It's okay. In order to eat the food made by Lingguan, I, the Cong Sanye, will just not be a gentleman. What is it worth?"

Lingguan found it interesting to hear him say this and couldn't help but giggle, like silver bells, like pearls falling on a jade plate.

The two people sitting on the threshold talked aimlessly. The fire in the earthen stove in the kitchen was red, and milky white smoke began to emerge from the steamer, revealing a pleasant fresh fragrance.

Jin Ling, Rongyu Square, Zhen Mansion.

The Old Lady and the Old Lady of the Zhen family breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Zhen Shiwen return safely from the Embroidered Uniform Thousand-Household Office.

They thought that Zhen Fangqing had only written to Jia Cong for help in the morning, and in less than half a day, Zhen Shiwen was able to escape from the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

I don't know if it was the Third Young Lady of the family who was capable, or if that young Count Lord Weiyuan was really powerful, being able to fish people out of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's hands so easily.

At this time, the Third Young Lady Zhen Fangqing stood beside the Old Lady, gently pounding the old lady's back.

A pair of wonderful eyes glanced at Zhen Shiwen kneeling on the ground, and then looked at a middle-aged man sitting in the first seat on the left.

This man was over forty years old, with an elegant appearance, official prestige on his face, and cautious behavior. He was the head of the Zhen family, Zhen Yingjia, the President of the Tiren Academy in Jin Ling.

He received a report from a servant in the house that his son had been taken by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so he rushed back to the mansion.

It was just that although his official position was not low, it was a clear and noble position without real power. In officialdom, he was mostly a mascot, without much real power, and had no dealings with the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Hearing that his son had fallen into the hands of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he was thinking about how to rescue him, but he did not expect that shortly after returning to the mansion, his son had actually returned, and it was the help of that young Count Lord Weiyuan of the Jia family.

They were all fathers. His own son only knew how to cause trouble and lose his face, while the other's son was famous at a young age, held the title of Count, and had eyes and ears that reached the sky, being able to easily fish people out of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's hands.

Comparing people makes one want to die, and comparing goods makes one want to throw them away. This made Zhen Yingjia feel full of frustration.

Therefore, he seemed to scold his son kneeling on the ground even more severely, "You useless beast, you actually dared to privately transport firearms outside."

"This is a crime that leads to prison and beheading, and it even caused trouble with the Embroidered Uniform Guard. If the matter spreads, the face of our Jin Ling Zhen family will be ruined by you."

"Tell me, why did you privately transport firearms? What kind of business have you been doing outside!"

Zhen Fangqing, standing behind the Old Lady of the Zhen family, heard Zhen Yingjia ask this question, and her bright eyes lit up slightly, staring at Zhen Shiwen kneeling on the ground without blinking.

Zhen Shiwen said, "It was two friends from Huizhou. We have some business dealings. They are big families in Huizhou and have the custom of hunting in the mountains, so they wanted a few Ottoman firearms."

"It just so happened that our sea ship went down to the West Sea, so I brought a few for them. This was a common thing in the market before."

"As long as the quantity is not large and some benefits are given, the government usually turns a blind eye, so I didn't take it to heart."

"Who knew that the Maritime Trade Office had changed to a new person who didn't know the old rules of the pier, and insisted on seizing and fining, which is why the case record was left."

Zhen Yingjia snorted coldly, "Truly failing to achieve anything, but succeeding in ruining everything!"

The Old Lady and the Old Lady in the hall were both people who had lived in the South of the Yangtze for generations and knew that what Zhen Shiwen said was indeed the truth.

Some wealthy merchants and big families in the South and North of the Yangtze indeed had the hobby of hunting in the mountains for fun. It was not strange for civilians to privately store and use firearms.

Even poor hunters who made a living by hunting often had a homemade fire gun in their hands.

The meaning of Zhen Yingjia's words just now was that although his son did not know the severity and acted recklessly, there was no major mistake, but he was just unlucky and ran into the Maritime Trade Office.

However, Zhen Fangqing, standing behind the Old Lady of the Zhen family, had a look of mockery in her eyes, disapproving of the father and son's response.

This uncle of hers, although on the surface a clear and noble official without real power, had a very simple mind. How could he be deceived by a few words from the Third Brother?

Back then, the marriage of the second sister of the first branch, although there was the enthusiasm of the Old Lady to climb up to the powerful, the ability of a woman in the inner residence was truly limited.

In the final analysis, it was this uncle of hers who relied on his official position and the influence of the head of the Zhen family to form a marriage with the Prince Beijing mansion.

And the second sister of the first branch became the Princess Beijing, becoming another powerful backing for the Zhen family besides the Old Imperial Consort of the Zhen family.

I don't know if this uncle of hers was covering up for his son.

How could the truth of the matter be as understated as the Third Brother said?

Others only thought that Zhen Shiwen had privately transported firearms once, but Zhen Fangqing knew that he had privately transported them twice, only that the first time he muddled through and was not seized by the Maritime Trade Office.

Privately transporting once can be said to be occasionally helping a friend, but could both times be like this? How can this be self-consistent?

More importantly, this Third Brother also hid so much high-grade Ottoman refined iron in the shop that could be used to forge firearm barrels.

Originally, Zhen Fangqing wanted to question Zhen Shiwen about this matter in the hall to see how her Third Brother would reply.

But thinking of how Jia Cong easily got Zhen Shiwen out of the Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-Household Office, she always felt that it was somewhat unreasonable, and there must be another reason.

So she swallowed the words she wanted to ask. She felt that in this matter, at least on the surface, being an outsider who knew nothing might be more beneficial to her. (End of chapter) *** **【402-0】 Marriage Ravines Run Deep**