Chapter 463: Matchmaking for the Duke

Love Shenjing, Hongde Gate, the sun rises.

Three carriages followed one another. Under the guard of seven or eight knights, the horses' hooves were rapid, the wheels rolled, passed through the city gate, and followed the flow of people into the Love Shenjing.

In the carriage, Hearing Zhen Fangqing's expression was haggard. She was ultimately just a weak woman. After several days of long-distance rapid travel, her body was already exhausted.

Hearing Zhen Fangqing lifted half of the carriage curtain, looking at the prosperous and noisy Love Shenjing. A few months ago, she had come to pay respects to the Old Imperial Consort Zhen. At that time, the Old Imperial Consort was still in good health, and everything was well.

In just a few months, the situation had turned sharply. The Old Imperial Consort was terminally ill and in imminent danger.

Not only would she lose an elder who loved her, but the Zhen family would also lose its greatest reliance, and the entire family would face unpredictable risks.

She suddenly thought that according to the calculation of time, Jia Cong should have already returned to the Love Shenjing.

When they first met at Xinglong Ward in Jin Ling, Jia Cong made her unforgettable, and the eldest uncle's plan for the Zhen and Jia families to marry stirred up the feelings of love in her heart.

Later, Jia Cong took the opportunity of mourning Zhen Shiwen to specifically visit her to warn her, which made Hearing Zhen Fangqing's heart turn with tenderness.

She had hoped that the Old Imperial Consort Zhen would mediate the bestowed marriage, and she and he could be a perfect match. This matter circled in her heart and was hard to let go. Her longing and admiration grew day by day.

But she never expected that the news of the Old Imperial Consort's critical illness would suddenly come.

If the Old Imperial Consort were unfortunate, the matter of the bestowed marriage would never be spoken of again. As the saying goes, when people leave, the tea cools. By then, where would the Jia family in the Love Shenjing still care about marrying the Zhen family?

With such an outstanding figure as Jia Cong, among the many daughters of noble families in the Love Shenjing, who couldn't he marry? Where would he still remember that there was a person like her?

Thinking of this, Hearing Zhen Fangqing bit her silver teeth, her heart aching with pain, and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.

The maid Bei'er looked worried and said, "Young Lady, we have already entered the city. It will take some time to enter the palace for inspection and pass the message. Why don't you take a nap for a while? You haven't rested steadily on this whole journey."

She didn't listen to the maid Bei'er's advice and said, "Where can I sleep now? Only by seeing the Old Imperial Consort as soon as possible can I be at ease."

The carriage turned a corner. Hearing Zhen Fangqing let a guard go to the Prince Beijing's mansion to report, and she herself took the carriage straight to the Noon Gate.

Just after the Zhen family's motorcade entered Hongde Gate, two other inconspicuous carriages also entered the Love Shenjing from Hongde Gate.

The first carriage carried passengers, and the second one was full of stacked sacks, emitting a heavy smell of herbs.

After they passed through the city gate and walked for half a cup of tea's time, the two carriages separated at the intersection. The first carriage headed straight for Anfeng Ward.

Anfeng Ward gathered many of the Love Shenjing's tile-roofed markets, wine shops, and flower buildings. Here, the crowd was complex every day, noisy day and night, and the flow of people was chaotic.

The carriage drove into a street paved with blue bricks in the ward and stopped in front of an inconspicuous small wine shop by the street.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and a man in a cyan robe stepped down. He was of medium build, his waist and back straight, his gaze spirited.

He quickly went up to a private room on the second floor of the wine shop. Inside, a man with a clear and upright appearance was already sitting.

Seeing the man in the cyan robe enter and sit down, the man asked, "Manager Zhao, was the journey stable?"

Manager Zhao, who was wearing a cyan robe, replied, "The workshop had an incident, but it didn't involve this subordinate, so there was nothing unusual on the journey."

The man asked again, "Besides Zhen Shiwen in Jin Ling, were all the other loose ends cleaned up?"

Manager Zhao replied, "Before Lord Liu left Jin Ling, all the people involved were dealt with. No one in Jin Ling knows the source of the workshop anymore."

"As for the craftsmen and guards in the workshop, although they all fell into the hands of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they were just working for money and didn't know the background of the workshop at all. No matter how many cruel tortures the Embroidered Uniform Guard uses, they won't be able to ask anything."

"Those craftsmen have learned the new firearm construction method. The Embroidered Uniform Guard will definitely not let anyone live out. This is also very clean."

"The few batches of firearms made and transported from the workshop have currently been transported to Dezhou. At present, they are near Yunyan Mountain. We need to find a remote and suitable place to settle down."

"As long as we find new technicians and craftsmen, we can soon make new firearms."

The man with a clear and upright appearance said, "Have you found out who kidnapped that English technician in the end?"

Manager Zhao said, "This subordinate spent a lot of effort, but couldn't find the identity of these people, and that English person also had no trace, so the schedule to come to the Love Shenjing was delayed."

"It's just that the two wooden boxes in the Jin Ling workshop left traces. At present, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is searching according to the map in various states in the south. I'm afraid that one day they will find the Love Shenjing."

"The one surnamed Sun said before he died that he had never revealed his background to anyone. When he shipped the goods in the Love Shenjing back then, the other party thought it was just furs from Liaodong."

The man said, "We have managed this great matter for many years. Once we fall short of success, I don't know how many people will die without a burial place, so there must be no leaks."

"I have received news that the Emperor wants to replace the Jin Ling Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-Household Ge Ge Zhi Cheng."

"Personnel transferred from the Embroidered Uniform Guard have already left the capital today to strictly investigate the Zhen Shiwen case. It is said that they might let people find the horse's feet. To prevent trouble before it happens, the Love Shenjing side also needs to be combed through."

"Moreover, Jia Cong has already returned to the Love Shenjing. He knows a lot about the Jin Ling matter. He is harder to deal with than anyone else. We cannot give him any opportunity. This matter is left to you to do!"

Manager Zhao's complexion changed slightly when he heard this.

Great Zhou Palace, Ganyang Palace.

After the early morning court, the sun gradually climbed high. The golden paint on the palace gate reflected cold and gorgeous brilliance in the sunlight. The heavy palace gate cast a large shadow on the black gold bricks.

After Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao retreated from the court, he had a little food and began to sit in front of the imperial desk to review the stacked memorials. An hour had passed, and he hadn't stood up once.

Since his ascension to the throne, imperial power had been highly concentrated, and the monarch's prestige had subdued the world. There was no rest in the daily court discussions, and there were endless memorials to be reviewed.

The monarch indulging in beauty and lingering in the harem was almost invisible in Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao.

There were only three princes raised under his knees, and four or five princesses, and most of them were born before his ascension.

Even if the court officials had many criticisms about the severity and gloominess of this monarch in their hearts or privately, no one could deny that Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao was an extremely diligent and pragmatic monarch.

Guo Lin walked into the main hall holding a scroll of edict.

He said to the Emperor behind the imperial desk, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the edict for Jia Cong's ennoblement has been checked and verified by the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Imperial Clan Court. If Your Majesty previews it without error, you can use the seal to proclaim the edict."

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao browsed the edict once and said, "Tell the Ceremonial Supervision to use the seal and proclaim the edict."

Guo Lin quickly took the edict, retreated two steps, and replied, "This servant obeys the decree."

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao thought for a moment and asked, "Has the Old Imperial Consort Zhen's condition improved in the past few days?"

Guo Lin replied, "Last night, the Old Imperial Consort Zhen fainted once. After emergency treatment by the imperial physician, she is now safe. The Imperial Hospital's Li Mingcheng said the Imperial Consort is too old, so she can only be fully nourished and maintained."

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao heard the meaning in it. The so-called "nourishing and maintaining" was just to survive one day at a time. For a person of eighty, once she was terminally ill, she would mostly be unable to escape.

Guo Lin said, "News came out of Qinghe Palace that the Imperial Consort had sent a letter to Jin Ling through the Prince Beijing's mansion many days ago, asking Hearing Zhen Fangqing to enter the capital to pay respects. Calculating the time, Hearing Zhen Fangqing will arrive in the capital in these few days."

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao said calmly, "I didn't expect the Old Imperial Consort to care so much about this great-granddaughter of the main family. This is to let her come to see her one last time..."

Rongguo Prefecture.

Jia Cong and Yuanyang passed through the small gate of the two-prefecture corridor, walked through the wind and rain corridor, and headed towards Rongqing Hall.

Yuanyang suddenly said, "Just now when the young ladies were all there, some words were inconvenient to say. Actually, in the past half year, the Lady Bao Ling Marquis's wife has come frequently and mentioned Cong Sanye's marriage several times."

"She also often mentioned that the eldest Miss Shi is close to Cong Sanye. Yesterday, the Old Madam sent Lin Zhixiao's wife to the Shi mansion to send two rolls of tribute satin to the eldest Miss Shi. Cong Sanye is smart, so you must know the meaning."

Jia Cong's footsteps paused slightly. Yesterday, Jia Mu sent a trusted old woman to send things to Shi Xiangyun, and today the Shi mansion's Marquis's wife came to visit. According to common sense, Shi Xiangyun would come together, but she didn't come.

Yuanyang could see this matter clearly, and Jia Cong naturally could understand the mystery within it.

After Xing Xiuyan's matter came out, now another Shi Xiangyun came out, and the Old Imperial Consort Zhen in the palace still held the talk of bestowing marriage with Hearing Zhen Fangqing. Jia Cong smiled bitterly. Could it be that his red-luan star was really moving?

Jia Cong said to Yuanyang, "Thank you, Yuanyang sister, for the reminder, otherwise I would be confused when I entered the hall and wouldn't have a suitable response."

The sunlight was brilliant, shining on Yuanyang's pretty and delicate face, adding a trace of moist and moving luster.

She said, "These words can only be said quietly to Cong Sanye. However, it is mostly in vain. Cong Sanye is so sharp. Even without these words of mine, how could Cong Sanye not respond well?"

Yuanyang looked at Jia Cong with his handsome and elegant demeanor from the corner of her eyes, her heart trembling slightly. Thinking of the sentence Old Madam Jia had said: "As long as you do as I say, you will naturally be satisfied after a few years." She couldn't help thinking that actually, the eldest Miss Shi was extremely good. She had been raised by the Old Madam since she was young and had always been close and good with her, and they knew each other's roots...

In Rongqing Hall, besides Jia Mu, Lady Wang and Wang Xifeng were all present. Another noble woman with a head full of pearls and jade was the Lady Bao Ling Marquis's wife, Madam Li.

Madam Li was in high spirits today and looked very energetic, accompanying Jia Mu to talk about idle things.

"Aunt, a few days ago I heard our Marquis say that this time Cong-brother made great contributions in Jin Ling again, broke a great case, and even a Second-Grade high official of the Jin Ling Commandery was caught by Cong-brother."

Jia Mu was shocked to hear this: "He is only a Fifth-Grade official, and he really caught a Second-Grade high official."

Jia Mu had heard some things about Jia Cong's errand in Jin Ling from Jia Zheng, saying that he broke a great case again and caught more than a hundred people.

In Jia Mu's cognition, catching so many people at once must be some petty thieves who committed crimes.

But she never expected that there was actually a Second-Grade high official among them.

Jia Mu was born in a noble family and knew some things about the court official system.

A Second-Grade official was already considered a high official, and in any province, he was considered a frontier official.

Her grandson was only a Fifth-Grade official, and he could actually climb on the back of a radish and catch a Second-Grade official. It was truly unbelievable.

Madam Li replied, "How could that be fake? It is written in black and white on the imperial decree. The entire court is spreading it. Cong-brother has been home for several days, and he didn't mention it to you, Old Madam?"

Jia Mu's expression was slightly depressed. That boy returned this time and gave her gifts. At that time, she even praised him a few words.

But she didn't expect that he didn't say a word about this important matter, which made her lose face in front of the younger generation for nothing.

So she quickly made up for it and said, "My grandson is very strange. The day he returned, he paid respects to me, but didn't mention half a word about the errand he handled outside."

"I guess he felt that these things were nothing to talk about."

"Besides, I don't like to hear about these things. Every time he goes out, it's either charging into battle or breaking cases and catching thieves, and every time he makes some bloody things. I'm too lazy to listen to these."

Madam Li was shocked to hear this. She didn't know why Jia Cong didn't talk about these glorious things when he returned home.

But this aunt of hers was clearly ignorant of this matter, but from her mouth, she could still be so proud, revealing a sense of showing off. Ginger is still old and spicy.

Madam Li said, "Oh my, I say aunt, you can just say this at home. If it spreads out, how many old ladies of noble families would be ashamed to death."

"Other people's sons want to do these bloody things, borrow merit to be ennobled, and don't have this ability and skill. You still don't like to listen. Is the Jia family's blessing about to overflow?"

Lady Bao Ling Marquis's wife Madam Chen's beautiful words made Jia Mu feel very useful in her heart, and she quickly humbled herself a few words, and the two finally became praising Jia Cong in disguise.

Wang Xifeng was smiling on the side, just treating it as watching a play.

Lady Wang saw the Old Madam and Madam Li singing in harmony, and felt uncomfortable in her heart, only feeling that the boy was really strange, making him show off in various ways every time.

At this time, Jia Cong and Yuanyang entered Rongqing Hall, paid respects to the elders in the hall, and then found a seat.

Madam Li smiled, "Cong-brother went south to handle errands, and has been away for several months, becoming more outstanding and capable. The Old Madam really has good fortune. Now it is rumored outside that brother will definitely be rewarded again this time."

Because Madam Li was Shi Xiangyun's aunt and had always been kind to him, Jia Cong was also polite to her, but he couldn't take these words, so he just smiled politely.

Jia Mu said on the side, "At his age, he already has such a family business and decency. It is truly the vast imperial grace. It is what he should do to handle the errand well. It doesn't matter whether he is rewarded or not."

"Cong-brother, if you ask me, you have already made a family business at this age. Having such a scene is already the imperial grace and love. You should be content and happy, cherish your fortune and protect your body."

"Next year you will reach the age of twenty. Since you have established a career, it is time to start a family."

"Usually, others only say that I love Baoyu alone. Actually, you and Baoyu are both my grandsons. Although I love him more on weekdays, I won't let you suffer any losses."

"Now that you have established a career first, I will prioritize your marriage. Let Baoyu wait for a while later. I know your heart is high, so I have found a noble and high-door marriage for you, which will definitely satisfy you."

As soon as Madam Li heard this, her heart couldn't help but vibrate. The aunt finally got to the point.

A few days ago, Jia Mu saw that the rumor of the bestowed marriage in the palace had passed for a long time without any movement, which was mostly a rumor.

Added to the fact that the rumor of the bestowed marriage was circulating in the two mansions, but Lady Xing still messed up Xing Xiuyan's matter, which showed that others also saw that the bestowed marriage was unreliable, so she really didn't need to worry too much.

Added to the fact that Jia Zheng said Jia Cong made contributions in Jin Ling again this time, and if he was rewarded after returning to the capital, the situation would change again.

So she sent Lin Zhixiao's wife to send tribute satin to Shi Xiangyun, which was actually to bring a message to Lady Bao Ling Marquis's wife Madam Chen.

The meaning was nothing more than that although the rumor of the bestowed marriage came out of the palace, it had been many days without any movement, which showed that the matter of the bestowed marriage could not be accomplished for the time being.

As long as the Jia and Shi families first set the marriage, although the Old Imperial Consort Zhen had a respected status, that Third Young Lady Zhen was not a princess, and there was no reason for others to break the marriage and remarry.

Jia Mu's argument made Madam Li feel reasonable and well-founded. Added to the fact that she had long intended for Jia Cong and Xiangyun to be a match, it naturally hit it off.

Today Madam Li came to the mansion to clarify this matter.

She often came to the Jia mansion on weekdays and observed carefully, seeing that Jia Cong was close to Xiangyun's temperament, and the two were very close. Whenever he got good things, besides his own sisters, he never forgot to leave a share for Xiangyun.

Madam Li was also a married woman who had come over. If Jia Cong didn't like Xiangyun's temperament, he wouldn't have such actions and attitudes.

Her own Xiangyun was even more inseparable from this cousin in her mouth, and she admired and was close to him in her heart.

Such two harmonious and well-matched young men and women, happy to combine, would definitely be a perfect match.

Therefore, Madam Li and Jia Mu had the same idea. Although this marriage was a union of the two families to join forces, it would definitely not be a forced marriage.

Jia Mu regarded Jia Cong's power as a piece of fat, and using him to join the Jia and Shi families was a major event in her heart.

She was well-versed in the affairs of the inner chamber and knew deeply that if such things were exposed early, and the inner chamber was boiling, it would mostly lead to complications and eventually ruin the matter.

Moreover, although she was old, she was not yet senile, and naturally clearly saw that her second daughter-in-law, because of Baoyu, felt that Jia Cong had stolen the limelight and was somewhat jealous of this boy.

Although her daughter-in-law usually disguised herself and still had a compassionate and loving demeanor, Jia Mu could still vaguely feel it.

Therefore, Jia Mu would not release the wind about Jia Cong and Xiangyun in the mansion in advance, so as not to make things happen and ruin her grand-niece's reputation.

Today, the reason why she let Lady Wang and Wang Xifeng be present was just that this fire was about to burn before her eyes, so she let them be witnesses.

Lady Wang and Wang Xifeng heard Jia Mu's tone change suddenly, and then looked at the expression and attitude of Lady Bao Ling Marquis's wife Madam Chen today, and were all shocked.

They were both the best in the inner chamber. Seeing the scene of the words, how could they not see what was going on? The Old Madam wanted to marry Shi Xiangyun to Jia Cong! Lady Wang felt even more twisted in her heart. On the surface, the Old Madam was not close to Cong-brother, but in her heart, she still valued him, actually marrying her own niece's eldest granddaughter to him.

If it weren't for her disgust that Shi Xiangyun had lost both parents and had signs of bad luck, and she was determined to let Baoyu marry Baochai, she would have been jealous to death if she knew about this marriage now.

But even so, for Jia Cong, a concubine's son, to be able to marry the eldest granddaughter of the Shi family still made her feel uncomfortable and unhappy, which was ultimately unavoidable.

Wang Xifeng was shocked in her heart. She didn't expect the Old Madam's tone to be so tight, actually hiding this major event until now, and suddenly bringing it out, making people somewhat caught off guard.

However, although Wang Xifeng was surprised, she couldn't have the same thoughts as Lady Wang. Who Jia Cong married had nothing to do with her.

Moreover, Wang Xifeng also thought of another layer. If Third Cong married Xiangyun sister and became the Old Madam's grand-niece's husband, the estrangement between the grandmother and grandson for many years would also be made up for.

From then on, it was really hard to say which one the Old Madam would lean more towards between Baoyu and Third Cong.

Jia Cong was Wang Xifeng's first-branch brother, and such a situation was naturally what she was happy to see.

Wang Xifeng figured it out in her heart and wanted to speak out to congratulate, to help the Old Madam accomplish this matter.

But she saw Jia Cong, who had been silent, suddenly say, "Old Madam is planning a high-door marriage for me. I am endlessly grateful for this kind heart and care, but discussing marriage at this time is somewhat inappropriate."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 464 =====