Chapter 467: The Hidden Truth

Juede Lane, the Count's Mansion.

In the early morning, the air was slightly intoxicating and the warm sun slanted from the east. The light in the study was dappled, and everything was quiet. Jia Cong held a collection of contemporary essays in his hand, yet his mind was elsewhere.

Early this morning, he had sent Jiang Liu outside the second gate to tell him to go to Hongwen Street to investigate, but Jiang Liu had not yet returned with any news.

Suddenly, he heard light footsteps behind him and a faint, lingering fragrance. He turned his head and saw Zhi Shao bringing over a cup of hot tea.

She wore a light purple skirt embroidered with plum blossoms, with a white silk cross-collared inner garment underneath. She was graceful, delicate, and intoxicatingly beautiful.

Zhi Shao had just bathed; her beautiful hair was not coiled into a bun but tied with a ribbon and draped behind her head, the water stains still wet.

Jia Cong took the teacup and shifted his body, clearing a space on the study bench. Zhi Shao smiled slightly and sat down beside him, tidying up the books and sundries on the table.

"Are Abbess Xiushan and your senior sister both settled? If there is anything improper, I will have the steward take care of it."

"When I returned that day, they were already settled. Although Master suffered from the journey, she has already improved much after receiving treatment and prescriptions from Physician Zhang. As long as she rests for a while longer, she will recover."

Jia Cong listened to Zhi Shao speak so lightly, but in his heart, he understood that although Abbess Xiushan's condition was temporarily stable, she would eventually pass away at the Muni Nunnery outside the West Gate.

Abbess Xiushan was well-versed in the innate divine arts. Before she passed, she instructed Miao Yu not to return to the Panxiang Temple in Gusu, but to stay in the Love Shenjing to await her destiny. From then on, Miao Yu lived in the Love Shenjing.

Naturally, Jia Cong would not tell Zhi Shao these things, lest it sadden her, and he could not explain how he knew these things either.

This was Zhi Shao's carefree happiness; every extra day was a blessing, so why easily disrupt it?

The autumn sun was warm, slanting in from the window and draping over them. Zhi Shao's body, fresh from her bath, diffused a warm, charming, and sweet fragrance.

Jia Cong recalled the days when the two of them were in the storeroom of the East Road Courtyard; their situation was lonely, yet they accompanied each other through the hardships. At that time, he never imagined there would be today.

His heart stirred, and he reached out to embrace her slender waist. Zhi Shao leaned into his arms naturally, letting Jia Cong nuzzle against her slightly damp temples a few times.

"Cong Sanye, look how good things are now. You are by my side every day, and Master and Senior Sister have also come to the Love Shenjing. All the good things I have hoped for my whole life have now come true."

Jia Cong smiled slightly: "Are these all the good things you hoped for? Is there nothing else?"

Zhi Shao seemed to think of something and smiled slightly, her face flushing with shyness, as beautiful as a peony in bloom.

Such beauty made Jia Cong's heart race. He couldn't help but hug her tighter and kiss her lips a few times. Zhi Shao closed her eyes, naturally yielding, her long, curled eyelashes trembling incessantly.

At this moment, footsteps came from the doorway of the study. Jia Cong reluctantly let go of Zhi Shao and saw the little maid, Juan'er, enter.

She handed a note to Jia Cong and said, "Cong Sanye's follower, Jiang Liu, sent this note to you from outside the second gate."

Jia Cong took the note and saw it written: Hongchun Furs.

Zhi Shao saw Jia Cong's face turn ugly and was worried, asking, "Cong Sanye, has something happened?"

Jia Cong forced a smile and said, "It's nothing major, don't worry."

He took the note and left his courtyard. He walked in the garden for a while and sat down in a secluded veranda, his thoughts surging.

Jia She's fur shop was called Hongchun Furs, and the shop's emblem written on the two wooden crates seized at the private firearms workshop in Jin Ling was exactly the same.

And Jia She had recently received merchants from Jin Ling, which was enough to prove that he had business dealings with that side.

Jia Cong did not believe there were so many coincidences in this world. He didn't even need to send anyone to investigate carefully to roughly conclude that Jia She must be involved in the stolen firearms from Liaodong.

It was just that although Jia She was despicable and greedy, he was born into the Rongguo family and could not be completely ignorant of the weight of matters. If he knew that transporting this batch of goods would involve the theft and private manufacture of firearms, he would certainly not dare to touch it.

Therefore, someone stole firearms from Liaodong, and under the court's strict investigation, after the stolen firearms were transported to the Love Shenjing, there were mostly obstacles.

So these people borrowed Jia She's fur shop to smuggle the goods to Jin Ling. After all, the name of the First-Rank General of the Rongguo Mansion still carried some weight in the Love Shenjing.

These people must have used some method to hide the truth of the transported goods from Jia She. After the stolen firearms were smuggled to Jin Ling, they were used for disassembly and imitation.

But even if Jia She was ignorant of the truth, he could not wash himself clean of the crime of being involved in the theft and private manufacture of firearms, a charge bordering on treason.

When things reached this point, Jia Cong pondered left and right, only to find that he could do nothing at all.

Based on Jia Cong's understanding of Jia She, he would use his own fur shop to help others transport goods, which must have been for a high reward.

So even if something happened to him, it was his own fault, so emotionally, he didn't want to intervene at all.

But once something happened to Jia She, it would implicate the entire Rongguo Jia family. Jia Zheng, Tan Chun, and other sisters would certainly be impacted, which made it impossible for him to stand by.

But Jia She's fur shop had been open for more than half a year, and the Hongchun Furs sign was known to everyone.

Even if Jia Cong used means to cover it up now, it would be of no avail, because it could no longer be hidden from people. Instead, because of rash actions, he would implicate himself.

And the two wooden crates associated with Hongchun Furs were now in the hands of the Jin Ling Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard Battalion Commander Ge Ge Zhi Cheng was not an ordinary character. At the moment, he might still be in the prefectures and counties near Jin Ling, looking for the location of Hongchun Furs.

But there were too many channels and possibilities; sooner or later, he would know that in the Love Shenjing, thousands of miles away, there was such a Hongchun Furs.

Jia She's fur shop had received no attention in the Love Shenjing so far, and it was highly likely that the Jin Ling Embroidered Uniform Guard's report had not yet been sent back to the Embroidered Uniform Guard Command in the Love Shenjing.

Therefore, Jia Cong could no longer prevent the exposure of Jia She's involvement in the theft and private manufacture of firearms, because the initiative was with the Jin Ling Embroidered Uniform Guard, not him.

The only thing he could do now was to control the damage caused after the matter was exposed so that it would not spread to himself and those he cared about.

Da Zhou Palace, Qinghe Palace.

Zhen Fangqing had been in the palace for several days, accompanying the Empress Dowager Zhen day and night.

Perhaps because of Zhen Fangqing's arrival, the Empress Dowager's complexion had improved much, and even her spirit was more vigorous than before.

Every day when the imperial physician diagnosed and treated her, Zhen Fangqing observed from behind the curtain.

But the Taiyi Academy Minister Li Chengming did not show any relief regarding the Empress Dowager's improvement; his expression was increasingly solemn, which made Zhen Fangqing's mood unusually oppressive.

This day, after the Empress Dowager Zhen had a little meal, she said to the trusted old Mama beside her: "You all withdraw, let Fangqing accompany me."

Everyone in the room withdrew outside the door, and the old Mama closed the door, guarding the entrance quietly alone.

Such a situation had happened once every day since Zhen Fangqing entered the palace. This was their daily time alone.

Empress Dowager Zhen would tell her about many past events at this time.

The carefree time in the Zhen family mansion during her youth, the youthful aspirations when she first entered the palace, and the sixty years in the deep palace—there had been joy and ease, but even more, there had been much hardship and heaviness.

Many of these things, Zhen Fangqing had never heard of before. Her mood was often in a state of intense shock and fluctuation. She believed that some things, the number of people in this world who could hear them, must be countable on one's fingers.

It was like an old person whose time was running out, passing on all the joys, sorrows, ups, and downs, wisdom, and insights of her life without reservation, to enrich the heart and guide her most beloved descendant.

Today, Empress Dowager Zhen's spirit seemed clearer than in the past few days, and her interest in talking seemed better than usual.

Empress Dowager Zhen asked: "Fangqing, do you know that the Founding Emperor once established the capital in Jin Ling, went north to the Central Plains, and finally established the vast territory of Da Zhou?"

Zhen Fangqing replied: "I have heard a lot since I was a child. The Founding Emperor was a peerless hero. He swept away the separatist regimes in the south and unified half of the territory. Only then did he have the foundation to sweep the Central Plains and reshape the Han attire."

"The Founding Emperor's peerless achievements are hard for later generations to surpass, but in the great affairs of the world, a general's success is built on ten thousand bones; it has always been like this."

Zhen Fangqing felt a slight chill in her heart when she heard the Empress Dowager suddenly say such desolate words.

Empress Dowager Zhen's voice was old and low, and she continued: "In those years, the Jin and Mongols successively ravaged the Central Plains, and the Han people crossed south to defend the country for a hundred years.

The various heroes fought against the barbarians while never stopping the struggle for the supreme position of the southern crossing army. The banners on the city walls changed, and the country south of the Yangtze River changed hands several times. The spirit of power and sharp soldiers far surpassed previous generations.

The Founding Emperor Li Tianling rose in the south with a peerless talent.

It only took him ten years to destroy the southern states such as Zhang Chu and Chen Han, and bring all the heroes under his command, only then did he have the strength to contend with the Northern Mongols.

But although the leaders of the heroes were destroyed, there were many people among the various Han armies under his command who harbored hidden ambitions.

In order to prevent future trouble and ensure that the various Han armies worked together to go north and resist the Mongols, the Founding Emperor...

... transferred the elite dead soldiers under his command, led by his younger brother Li Tianmin, and under the name of walking the rivers and lakes, privately specialized in the supervision and deterrence within the army."

Zhen Fangqing felt very strange when she heard the name Li Tianmin. It was a name she had never heard of, but the Empress Dowager said he was the Founding Emperor's younger brother. According to common sense, he should not be unknown, so she felt slightly strange in her heart.

Empress Dowager Zhen continued: The Founding Emperor's talent in military affairs was unparalleled in the world, so he could be invincible and unify the world.

But his younger brother Li Tianmin indeed had a different kind of talent. Although his military ability was inferior to the Founding Emperor, his heart was deep, his actions were meticulous, and his strategy was superior. He was also an extremely formidable figure.

Li Tianmin only spent a year or so using the power in his hands to secretly eliminate hidden dangers in the various armies, condense and combine forces, and build a strong army that swept the world for the Founding Emperor.

After the Founding Emperor went north, Li Tianmin commanded the elites under his command, recruited strange people and scholars, assassinated Mongol generals, burned grain and grass, and spied on military intelligence, making great contributions.

At that time, the Founding Emperor also ordered his generals and confidants to screen the elite descendants of their families to join Li Tianmin's command to enrich their strength and conspire for the great cause of the country.

Today, the four great families of Jia, Wang, Shi, and Xue in Jin Ling, as well as our Zhen family, all had descendants serving under Li Tianmin's command at that time.

The Founding Emperor went north for ten years, finally showing a trend of sweeping the Central Plains, with his troops pointing directly at the Mongol Yuan capital. The success or failure of the world was left with only the last battle. Just when the survival of the world was to be determined, Li Tianmin dispatched masters and strange scholars to enter the capital and assassinate the Mongol Emperor Toghun Temür. The Mongol Yuan army was in chaos, and the Founding Emperor took the opportunity to break through the capital and pacify the world in one fell swoop."

Empress Dowager Zhen told this story of the past with ups and downs, and Zhen Fangqing also listened with surging emotions.

Although she had heard the heroic deeds of the Zhou Founding Emperor from books or predecessors, it was far less fascinating than what Empress Dowager Zhen said, and it was the first time she had heard of Li Tianmin's deeds.

Zhen Fangqing saw that Empress Dowager Zhen had been talking for a long time, so she got up and poured a cup of hot tea, wanting to moisten the Empress Dowager's throat.

She said: "According to what the ancestor said, Li Tianmin really made great contributions to the establishment of the world by Da Zhou."

It was just that Empress Dowager Zhen was slightly stunned after hearing Zhen Fangqing's casual words, as if she was thinking deeply, and did not take the teacup in her hand.

She muttered in her mouth: "Establishing the world, great contributions, it is precisely this matter that will make people feel fear and ambition, and will lead to a disaster that reaches the sky!"

Zhen Fangqing's thoughts flew when she heard this, and she even forgot to put down the teacup in her hand. She was sharp-minded and vaguely guessed the meaning of Empress Dowager Zhen's words.

Empress Dowager Zhen said: "The Founding Emperor entered the capital, unified the world, and returned to Jin Ling to ascend the throne, becoming the common master of the world.

But just at this time, the news broke out that Li Tianmin was conspiring with his subordinates to seize the world."

Zhen Fangqing's heart trembled, and it was indeed the same as she had guessed.

It must be that Li Tianmin followed the Founding Emperor to raise troops and made countless shocking contributions. After the world was established, his ambition burned, and he was unwilling to be under the Founding Emperor, so he gave birth to the heart of usurping the throne and seizing power!

Empress Dowager Zhen continued: "The older generation thought that Li Tianmin was invincible in his life, while the Founding Emperor was just an invincible military commander, and his ability in secret strategies and dark plots was hard to compare with Li Tianmin's strengths.

But the world is impermanent, or perhaps it is the destiny, it is said that the news of Li Tianmin's treason was leaked, and he soon fell into a desperate situation.

Although he had many capable people and strange scholars under his command, and thousands of loyal and brave dead soldiers, the Founding Emperor fought the world and had nearly a million heroic soldiers under his command. Comparing the two, the strength was too disparate.

At that time, the Founding Emperor swept the Central Plains and expelled the Northern Mongols, and his prestige was at its peak. Compared with his elder brother, Li Tianmin's reputation and fame were far inferior.

It is said that when Li Tianmin wanted to rebel, the descendants of the various families who were loyal to him under his command turned against him one after another. Before the event was revealed, the defeat was already decided.

Li Tianmin soon failed and died, and his loyal subordinates took his only bloodline and fled in a panic, and since then it has been difficult to find them."

Zhen Fangqing felt a gradual horror in her heart when she heard Empress Dowager Zhen say this, as if she thought of something, but she couldn't grasp the clue for a moment.

Empress Dowager Zhen continued: "The court has always regarded Li Tianmin's bloodline as a serious threat, and for the followers who gathered around him, it has been a generational slaughter, never to be forgiven.

These people also have a name. In fact, since Li Tianmin became an independent army under the name of walking the rivers and lakes, this name has existed.

Qing'er, you must have heard of it in the south."

Empress Dowager Zhen saw Zhen Fangqing's eyes flickering, so she lowered her voice slightly and said: "This name is the Hidden Sect!"

Although the words were light, they carried a sharp chill.

With a "pop", the teacup in Zhen Fangqing's hand slipped and fell to the ground, shattering into pieces, and her pretty face turned pale.

The palace door was pushed open, and the old Mama's expression changed, asking: "Empress Dowager, is there something wrong?"

Empress Dowager Zhen's expression was as usual, and she said: "Fangqing accidentally broke the teacup, you go and wait, I will talk to Fangqing."

Jin Ling is the place where Da Zhou rose, the foundation of the Founding Emperor's quest for the world, and the auxiliary capital of the Da Zhou Dynasty.

In those years, the Hidden Sect also rose in Jin Ling, and it is rumored that it was endless in various places in the south. Zhen Fangqing grew up in Jin Ling and naturally heard the name of the Hidden Sect.

But she never thought that the notorious treacherous cult actually came from the same lineage as the current Da Zhou royal family, which was really too inconceivable.

After the old Mama went out again and closed the door, Zhen Fangqing said after a long while: "Ancestor, according to this, Li Tianmin came from the same imperial lineage, and his bloodline descendants are also dragon seeds and phoenix blood?"

Empress Dowager Zhen said: "Li Tianmin was the Founding Emperor's younger brother. One stroke cannot write two 'Li' characters. In terms of blood relatives, he is naturally also of the imperial lineage.

It is just that Li Tianmin's descendants have always been a serious threat to the court, and they only have the fate of being exterminated."

Zhen Fangqing's eyes flickered, and she asked: "Ancestor, you told me these past events, is it because there is a connection with the Zhen family?"

Empress Dowager Zhen smiled: "You child is finally smart, asking the key point.

I told you that in those years, the Founding Emperor and Li Tianmin, the two brothers each managed the inside and outside, conspiring for the world. Many subordinates and generals under the Founding Emperor had descendants in their families who joined Li Tianmin's command.

These descendants of the families, when Li Tianmin rebelled, most of them turned against him, except for one person who was different, and that was my grandfather, your great-great-grandfather.

In those years, my grandfather was Li Tianmin's confidant strategist, who had made contributions for Li Tianmin, planned, and made many contributions.

When the Founding Emperor occupied the capital, expelled the Northern Yuan, and unified the world, my grandfather retreated quickly, suddenly resigned from his post, enjoyed his days, and did not ask about external affairs.

It was precisely because of this that he avoided the danger of the imperial family's fighting at the beginning of the founding of the country, allowing the Zhen family to escape a disaster.

But compared to the descendants of the families who turned against Li Tianmin under his command, my grandfather's behavior was somewhat different, and he was considered to have treacherous and opportunistic schemes, without the loyalty of a subject, and was suspected by others.

Therefore, throughout the Founding Emperor's reign, my grandfather was left idle and never reused, and the Zhen family also settled into an ordinary large family and wealthy household in Jin Ling.

And the four kings and eight dukes who fought and founded the country with the Zhen family were all granted high official titles during the Founding Emperor's reign and have been passed down to this day.

The Zhen family did not reach my generation until decades after the old events passed, the aftermath gradually faded, and my grandfather had long since passed away, before I accidentally entered the palace through selection.

The late emperor was kind, so he granted the Zhen family hereditary official positions, but compared to the four kings and eight dukes, its value is a big gap."

Zhen Fangqing at home, at most only knew about her grandfather's generation, and tracing back to her great-great-grandfather's generation, she was ignorant.

She estimated that even her grandmother, Empress Dowager Zhen, did not know about that generation, and only someone with such a high generation as the Empress Dowager would be so clear about the details.

Empress Dowager Zhen sighed: "With this past event, the Zhen family is inherently insufficient compared to families like Jia and Shi.

Since your father had an accident, there has been no outstanding person in the Zhen family.

Your cousin was even involved in the private manufacture of firearms and treason, and the descendants of the Zhen family are so withered.

Once I am gone, there will be no one to cover the family, and the decline of the Zhen family may be in the blink of an eye."

Zhen Fangqing thought that everyone in the world knew that the current emperor ascended the throne with strange skills, had deep suspicions, and the two generations of monarchs had a hidden confrontation. The four kings and eight dukes of the past were heavily suppressed.

The Zhen family's unique origin with the Retired Emperor must also be alienated and ignored by the current emperor.

Cousin Zhen Shiwen was killed for suspected private manufacture of firearms, the Jin Ling Embroidered Uniform Guard had been eyeing the Zhen family, and the Empress Dowager was seriously ill and dying. At the moment, the Zhen family's situation was not exactly a decline in the blink of an eye.

Empress Dowager Zhen said so many words, her complexion was slightly pale, and her breath was unstable, but she still did not stop talking.

She looked at Zhen Fangqing, her eyes containing a longing look.

She said faintly: "Qing'er, the reason I told you these secret and taboo past events is to let you know the origin of the country's major events and the reason for the rise and fall of the Zhen family.

Only by delving into the origin of things can you see the trend of the general situation and know how to seek good fortune and avoid evil.

It is said that descendants can pass on the family, but the descendants of the Zhen family are so withered that they must be unreliable. Women can also be outstanding and can pass on the family and inherit the lineage. After I leave, only you can ensure that the Zhen family's luck will not be cut off.

At the moment, if the Zhen family wants to overcome the difficulties, only by assisting external forces can they protect themselves.

In those years, the Zhen family married into the Prince Beijing's mansion, thinking that the family would combine forces, but your second brother-in-law, although he was a prince, liked to invite fame and raise expectations, which was not liked by the emperor, and he was someone who could not achieve anything.

Among the descendants of the four kings and eight dukes today, there is only one person who has emerged, has experienced strange things, is outstanding, is not rejected by the emperor, but is reused. It can be considered a strange fate and a strange commodity that can be lived in."

Empress Dowager Zhen said this, her dim old eyes suddenly brightened a bit, flickering, not knowing what she was thinking.

And Zhen Fangqing heard this, her heart jumped, and she naturally understood who the Empress Dowager was talking about.

"This person is Jia Cong, the Count of Weiyuan of the Rongguo Jia family."

Empress Dowager Zhen looked at Zhen Fangqing as she spoke, and seeing her bright eyes and blushing face, she naturally saw her thoughts and couldn't help but smile slightly.

"What is even more strange is that the Retired Emperor also appreciates Jia Cong very much, and he is quite concerned about him in his words. Jia Cong can be favored by the father and son monarchs. Do you know what this means?"

Zhen Fangqing did not hesitate to think and said: "Jia Cong acts with careful thought and understanding, and is valued by two generations of monarchs. As long as he does not get involved in accidental disasters, no matter how the political situation is, he can stand firm!"

Empress Dowager Zhen said: "That's right, that's why I want to complete your marriage with Jia Cong. Prince Beijing Shui Rong won't work. Only a figure like Jia Cong can be the fence for my Zhen family in the future.

In this way, after I leave, whether it is you or the Zhen family, I can rest assured."

Empress Dowager Zhen smiled again: "A few days ago, I summoned Jia Cong. That child is indeed an extremely outstanding figure and is quite a match for you. I can also see that you are satisfied with him, which is just right."

Perhaps because she said too many words, Empress Dowager Zhen's emotions were a bit excited, and a flush appeared on her face, and she coughed violently, the sound echoing in the room.

Zhen Fangqing fed Empress Dowager Zhen a few more sips of water, called the old Mama outside, and helped her lie down to rest together.

This half-day Empress Dowager Zhen and Zhen Fangqing said too many words, which might have hurt her spirit and vitality.

In the second half of the night, the Empress Dowager suddenly fainted again, and the Qinghe Palace was in chaos... (End of chapter)