Chapter 406

Love Shenjing, Rongguo Mansion, East Road Courtyard.

Yesterday, Jia Zheng and the Old Lady discussed the matter of the Zhen family's letter.

Because secrets are hard to keep in Rongqing Hall, it spread throughout the Rongguo mansion in less than half a day.

Jia She was busy with outside business and drinking and feasting, only caring about his own fun, and did not care about the affairs in the mansion.

Lady Xing also tried to go to Rongqing Hall as little as possible, only doing her own thing in the East Road Courtyard as a local emperor.

Therefore, Lady Xing did not hear the news about the Zhen family's letter until the second day, and could not help but feel a burst of shame and anger.

Since she married into the Jia family, she knew that because of Jia Cong and his mother, her own master had suffered a huge loss.

That woman gave birth to a son back then, which angered the Old Master into illness.

Before the old man died, I don't know if he was extremely disgusted with his own master, or for some other reason.

He actually divided the hereditary title into two.

Her own master was the eldest son, but only inherited the empty title and was sent to live in the East Road Courtyard.

The huge Rongguo mansion and the title property were all occupied by the second branch.

In the final analysis, it was all caused by this disaster star, Jia Cong.

Therefore, she had always disliked this illegitimate son to the bone, and took every opportunity to humiliate him from childhood to adulthood.

But she didn't expect that this disaster star would turn his luck around, and now he had earned a large family business.

Lady Xing forgot how she humiliated others before, but she never forgot that she was the legitimate mother of the current Count Weiyuan.

It was just that since Jia Cong moved to the West Mansion, except for the etiquette during the New Year and festivals, he never stepped into the East Road Courtyard at all.

The Old Lady also never said anything about this.

Perhaps it was because she knew that the father and son were as cold as fire, so more things were better than less, which was a kind of helpless acquiescence.

Therefore, although Lady Xing was angry, she had no choice but to do nothing, and dared not find an excuse to vent.

Now hearing that the Jin Ling Zhen family had taken a fancy to Jia Cong and wanted to discuss marriage with the Jia family, without finding her own master, but writing directly to the second branch, it was simply too bullying.

You must know that she and the Old Master were the legitimate parents of that beast.

Lady Xing couldn't swallow this breath, so she hurriedly found Jia She and said.

She stirred up her own master's anger, and she could also vent her anger by the way, and she had her own plans...

She walked quickly into Jia She's study and saw her master playing with a valuable ancient fan he had just obtained.

She stepped forward and told the story of the Zhen family she heard, adding fuel to the fire.

Jia She was furious when he heard this, and almost tore the valuable ancient fan to pieces.

He roared angrily, "The Jin Ling Zhen family is truly bullying people too much! I am the Count of the Rongguo mansion, the clan leader of the Jia clan in the Love Shenjing, and the biological father of that beast!"

Lady Xing added fuel to the fire on the side, "The Old Master is right. The orders of parents and the words of matchmakers are the heavenly principles."

"That kid's marriage can only be decided by the Old Master!"

"The Second Uncle is also too ignorant. After receiving the letter from the Jin Ling Zhen family, he should have discussed it with the Old Master first. How could he hide it from the Old Master and go directly to the Old Lady to discuss it?"

"This makes people in the mansion look at the Old Master, what should he become!"

Lady Xing saw that Jia She was already flushed with anger and breathing heavily, and felt that the heat was enough, so as not to say more and anger her own master, which would be hard to clean up.

She softened her tone and said, "If I were to say, only the Old Master is qualified to be the master of Cong Ge'er's marriage."

"They want to hide it from the Old Master and set the kid's marriage, that is absolutely impossible!"

"Since they can discuss marriage for him, the Old Master is his own father, so he can't set a marriage for his own son himself."

Jia She's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he said, "The

I socialize outside daily and have come to know quite a few high-ranking officials and nobles in this Love Shenjing; finding an official's daughter for this brat isn't too difficult a task."

Lady Xing, however, said: "If you, Master, really find him a daughter from an official's noble family, then this marriage will be of no benefit to you at all."

Upon hearing this, Jia She looked puzzled and asked: "What do you mean by that, Madam?"

Lady Xing said: "Any woman from an official's noble family has extremely deep schemes.

Once she uses your promotion, Master, to secure her position as a Countess, she will immediately cross the river and burn the bridge, never again keeping you in her heart, only caring about her own prestige within the family.

Moreover, that son of yours now has a significant reputation and is someone who has moved out of the mansion to establish his own household.

Once a future official's daughter enters the Jia family's gates, she will only uphold the status of her own Count's mansion; how could she possibly remember your kindness, Master, or keep you in her heart?

Master, I am not saying this for nothing; in our own family, there is already a ready-made example of such a thing.

Isn't that daughter-in-law of Lian'er from the Jin Ling Wang family? That is a true official's noble family.

Look at her after she married in; seeing that the second branch is in favor with Grandmother, she puts all her heart into helping the second branch manage the household. Where in her eyes is there any room for you, Master, or me?

Because of this, how many people in this Love Shenjing are laughing at us."

When Lady Xing spoke of this, she felt quite gnashing of teeth; she had always been extremely unable to stand Wang Xifeng's style.

There is another more important point, which is that Lady Xing herself comes from a humble household; her maiden family is not a respectable high-ranking one, otherwise she would not have become someone's second wife.

This is her lifelong complex and inferiority; what she herself does not have, she naturally envies in others.

……

Hearing this, Jia She felt his anger rise again; his wife was absolutely right—isn't that daughter-in-law of Lian'er just a wind-chaser?

His daily habit of beating and scolding Jia Lian at every turn was mostly because he had no way to deal with his own daughter-in-law, so he could only vent his temper on his own son.

These women from official noble families are indeed none of them easy to deal with; not to mention his own daughter-in-law, even the one his brother married is an even more two-faced character.

"Madam, what you say also makes sense; even if I find him a daughter from a high-ranking noble family, that brat might not necessarily appreciate my kindness, hmph!"

"Since you say so, Madam, you must have a suitable young lady in mind that you can bring up and talk about."

Lady Xing had spoken at such length that her mouth was a bit dry, and she was just waiting for these words from her husband.

She breathed a slight sigh of relief and said with a smile: "I have an excellent young lady in mind, who is the only daughter of my brother, Xiuyan.

This child has been a beauty since she was small, is literate, well-read, and sensible; she is the best candidate possible. If she were promised to Cong-geer, it would be a match made in heaven."

Jia She's expression stiffened, and he said: "A match made in heaven? Although there is no need to find him a high-ranking noble girl, the family must at least have official status.

This brat is, after all, a Count; your brother is a commoner, which is too mismatched. How can this work?"

Although Lady Xing was somewhat prepared, hearing this still made her face flush red.

To put it bluntly, she was single-mindedly planning for her maiden family; that brat is a hereditary Count, and she wanted to bask in the reflected glory.

But her maiden family only had this niece who was outstanding; apart from the lack of family background, she did not lose to anyone else in other aspects and could still be presented.

Lady Xing bit the bullet and said: "Master, your consideration, while reasonable, also overlooks some points.

Although my brother is a commoner, Xiuyan is the daughter of an innocent family, and my brother listens to me in everything; Xiuyan even more so, naturally everything is decided by me, her aunt.

Master, think about it: even if you find a girl from a family with official status, would she have the benefits that Xiuyan has?

If she becomes the mistress of the Count's mansion, she would have no family backing her up, and wouldn't she rely on you and me, Master, for everything? You, Master, could then be considered to be managing half of the Count's mansion.

When that time comes, Xiuyan will be the one by his side; no matter how stubborn that brat's temper is, he will have to give you and me, Master, face."

Jia She listened to Lady Xing's persuasion and felt it was extremely reasonable; a commoner's daughter actually had such benefits.

Since his wife had put forward this reasoning, Jia She no longer had any lingering thoughts about the Xing family lacking official status and being unworthy of Jia Cong.

That Count's mansion had a large amount of imperial-bestowed property, and Jia She had long been envious.

As long as Jia Cong marries Xiuyan, it will be beneficial to him in the future, allowing him to get a hand in the Count's mansion and have a say; then nothing else would be a problem.

……

Jin Ling, Ministry of War Office of the Auxiliary Capital.

Liu Yongfu, a Director of the Ministry of War, took a document and entered the office of the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.

Seeing Zhang Kangnian, who was hunched over his desk processing official documents, he placed the document in his hand on the official desk.

Seeing that Zhang Kangnian was focused on reading documents, he did not speak to avoid disturbing his superior, but stood respectfully to one side.

Although Zhang Kangnian had only been in the Ministry of War for a little over a year, because the Left Vice Minister He Yongzheng was in a semi-retired state, Zhang Kangnian became the de facto head as soon as he entered the Ministry of War of the Auxiliary Capital.

He is a man of deep schemes and has quite a few methods in handling affairs.

In the last few months, the Ministry of War office of the Auxiliary Capital has had heavy affairs and fluctuating risks.

Zhou Zhengyang, the Commander of the Jin Ling Embroidered Uniform Guard, colluded with officials in the Love Shenjing, stole interrogation information from the Court of Judicial Review, violated imperial decrees, and fled in fear of punishment.

As the Ministry of War of the Auxiliary Capital, which oversees the military affairs of the six prefectures and one province in Jiangnan, it suffered another impact like a stormy sea after the Zou Huaiyi incident of the Water Surveillance Department.

At this critical juncture, Zhang Kangnian, who had been in office for less than a year, demonstrated excellent administrative ability in the face of major events.

When Yang Hongbin, the Left Temple Judge of the Court of Judicial Review, entered Jin Ling to arrest Zhou Zhengyang but failed and fell into a dilemma.

Zhang Kangnian timely notified the Jin Ling Regional Military Commission to set up checkpoints in all cities around Jin Ling to arrest him, and coordinated with the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Ying Tian Prefecture to conduct a massive search within Jin Ling city.

He also supervised the transfer of one thousand guard troops into the city to guard the Jin Ling Guard camp, which had lost its head, with all matters clearly arranged and watertight.

Compared to the Jin Ling Regional Military Commission, which was at a loss when facing the rebellion of the directly-controlled Jin Ling Guard Commander, Zhang Kangnian's calmness and strategic planning seemed surprisingly dazzling!

……

Especially after Zhou Zhengyang fled, seven civil and military officials in Jin Ling city were killed almost overnight, shocking the entire Jin Ling officialdom to the point where everyone felt endangered.

Among the seven officials killed, five were mid-level military officers of the Jin Ling Guard, causing the already turbulent Jin Ling Guard to be stimulated again and fall into a huge crisis of mutiny in the camp.

Even if the Ministry of War had already mobilized a thousand guard troops from outside provinces to enter the city for vigilance, it would probably be difficult to control the situation.

At the critical moment, it was Zhang Kangnian who entered the Jin Ling Guard camp alone, and by virtue of the prestige he had accumulated in the Jiangnan guard troops in the past, he successfully suppressed the Jin Ling Guard and prevented a dangerous mutiny.

After the Zhou Zhengyang incident, the Jin Ling Regional Military Commission, which directly controlled the Jiangnan guard troops, was eclipsed, while Zhang Kangnian seemed to be helped by the gods, with every step hitting the mark and reversing the decline in everything!

The Zhou Zhengyang incident dealt a heavy blow to the Jin Ling Regional Military Commission, but it caused Zhang Kangnian's prestige in the Ministry of War of the Auxiliary Capital to climb at a rapid speed.

Comparing the two, black and white are separated, and the strengths and weaknesses are clear.

In addition, he has deep seniority in the military world and is an in-law of the current Prince Zhao.

Whether it is personal talent or official background, he can be considered uniquely gifted.

Therefore, after the Zhou Zhengyang incident, the entire Jin Ling officialdom was walking on thin ice, while Zhang Kangnian had gathered all the power of the Ministry of War of the Auxiliary Capital into his own hands!

There are even rumors in the Jin Ling officialdom that the current Emperor has affirmed his powerful actions in cleaning up the situation after the incident.

Many people predict that Zhang Kangnian, who has been in office as Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War for only a little over a year, is very likely to welcome another opportunity for glorious promotion.

……

The subordinate officials at all levels of the Ministry of War of the Auxiliary Capital all feel awe for this superior who has not been in office for long but has outstanding methods and schemes.

Liu Yongfu waited until Zhang Kangnian had finished reading the document in his hand before stepping forward and saying:

"Lord Zhang, this is the training record of the artillery of the Su Zhou and Songjiang Guards, verified and signed by Lord Jia, the Commissioner of the Firearm Department. Please review it, my lord."

Zhang Kangnian asked: "What is the assessment of the Firearm Department regarding the progress of the training? When will the artillery of the two guards complete their training and be able to be officially put into artillery river defense? The Jin Ling Regional Military Commission also sent someone to inquire yesterday."

Liu Yongfu replied: "This subordinate asked the artillery instructor of the Firearm Department, and he said that it will take another half a month of training before the artillery of the two guards can set out and transport the artillery to the guard stations for garrison."

Zhang Kangnian asked again: "Lord Liu, your elder brother serves in the Ministry of Rites in the Love Shenjing. Is there any news about the matter I entrusted you to inquire about?"

Liu Yongfu smiled and said: "This subordinate dared not neglect the matter entrusted by Lord Zhang. Yesterday I received a letter from my elder brother, and the matter you inquired about, my lord, has already been found out clearly.

The Music Conservatory of the Love Shenjing has reached the age for changing the singing girls. Some of the older music and song girls are no longer suitable for playing and singing. The Ministry of Rites will, according to precedent, select from the female relatives of criminal officials or purchase them among the common people.

And the places where music girls are purchased are all in places where music and song are prosperous in Jiangnan. Because Du Qingniang, the head of the Pipa section of the Music Conservatory, is a famous master of music and song in Jiangnan, the Ministry of Rites entrusted her to take charge of the purchase matters in Jiangnan.

This Head Du sent three capable music girls to Yangzhou, Jin Ling, and Hangzhou Prefecture respectively to be responsible for screening the top-quality music girls there.

Among these three music girls who left the capital to handle affairs, the one who went to Yangzhou is called Wang Ke, the one who went to Jin Ling is called Zhou Yun, and the one who went to Hangzhou Prefecture is called Bi Wanzhen."

Liu Yongfu saw that Zhang Kangnian's face was as calm as water, showing no joy or anger, with a thoughtful expression on his face.

Liu Yongfu's parents and elder brother are all in the Love Shenjing, and he has always wanted to be transferred to the Love Shenjing to be an official, but such things are almost impossible without a solid official background.

But the Lord Zhang in front of him is not an ordinary person. Many people in the Ministry of War of the Auxiliary Capital know that Zhang Kangnian is an in-law of the former Prince Zhao and has a very close relationship.

Liu Yongfu was so enthusiastic in running errands for Zhang Kangnian's private affairs just to build a good relationship with this superior, so that in the future he could borrow the bridge to take Prince Zhao's path and one day be transferred back to the Love Shenjing to be an official.

Now seeing the look of difficulty on Zhang Kangnian's face, he, who has always been quick-witted, naturally wanted to show favor and welcome.

He asked: "My lord, you are inquiring about the music and song girls of the Music Conservatory. I don't know what the difficulty is. Perhaps this subordinate can solve the worries for you, my lord."

Zhang Kangnian smiled faintly and said: "It's not a big deal. I have a distant relative whom I haven't contacted for many years. A few days ago, I heard that he passed away. Because the family fell into decline, his only daughter fell into the Music Conservatory.

Recently I heard news that this person would go to Jiangnan to handle affairs, so I asked Lord Liu to inquire about this matter. If she really went to Jiangnan, as an elder, I want to take care of her a little to fulfill the friendship of an old acquaintance."

Liu Yongfu smiled and said: "My lord, you are kind-hearted, which makes this subordinate very admirable. Among the names of the three women I just mentioned, is there your junior, my lord?"

Zhang Kangnian seemed to have a somewhat disappointed expression and said: "None of these three people are my distant relative's junior. It's a pity. It should be that the news I heard was wrong."

"However, I still thank Lord Liu for your help. I know that Lord Liu's parents are both in the Love Shenjing. I will write to Prince Zhao. If there is a vacancy for an official in the Love Shenjing, I can plan for Lord Liu."

Liu Yongfu was overjoyed upon hearing this, feeling that this superior was truly considerate of his subordinates' feelings, and that he could get such a reward for just a small matter.

Zhang Kangnian sent away the profusely grateful Liu Yongfu, walked slowly in the office, his eyes cold and deep, and muttered: "Du Qingniang, Zhou Yun..." (End of chapter)