Chapter 502

Lady Rongguo Prefecture, Jia Baoyu's Courtyard.

The sky had just brightened, and the residual snow in the courtyard had not yet melted. Lady Wang, with the maid Yu Chuan, entered the courtyard gate.

Lifting the green embroidered soft curtain, the fragrant heat in the room rushed toward them, instantly dispelling the chill outside.

In the center of the room was a bronze incense burner with auspicious clouds and flying phoenixes. The zither, sword, vase, and stove were all inlaid on the wall. The brocade cage and gauze cover were beautiful, with gold and pearls shining, and the bricks stepped on the ground were all emerald green with chiseled flowers.

Sister Xi Ren, Sheyue, and other delicate and graceful maids moved back and forth, diligent and attentive.

Jia Baoyu is the phoenix of the Lady Rongguo Prefecture. Since childhood, he has been spoiled by Jia Mu. His room is naturally extremely luxurious, like a fairy palace.

It's just that the furnishings and layout in the room are too rich and delicate, thick and beautiful, looking like a young lady's boudoir, without any atmosphere of a scholar.

Lady Wang entered the room and saw that Jia Baoyu had already combed his hair and dressed, walking around the room.

Since the day the Zongren Prefecture issued a document to reprimand him, Jia Baoyu had been severely punished by Jia Zheng's family staff. He had been bedridden for nearly two months before he could barely walk on the ground.

Lady Wang saw that he could walk without hindrance, and a look of joy appeared on her face.

Jia Baoyu had been resting in bed for two months. Because of less exercise, and daily delicacies and nourishing medicinal meals, he had become whiter than before, and his big face was even more round and pleasing.

Lady Wang saw his appearance, and more love arose in her heart. She smiled and said, "You have finally recovered. Now that you can walk without hindrance, you have caught up with the important time of the year-end."

She stepped forward again to straighten Jia Baoyu's collar and said, "Jia Baoyu, you must strive for me in the future and don't make your father angry again.

In the future, you will also be a person who will shoulder the family business. You can't be as willful and lazy as before. Listen more to your father's teachings, and the dignity and glory of the Lady Rongguo Prefecture will naturally all be yours."

When Sister Xi Ren heard Lady Wang's words, she joined in the fun from the side and said, "Lady, the day before yesterday I heard people say that Grandmother has already submitted a memorial to the imperial court for the Bao Er Ye to inherit the title. The Lady is about to have a great joy."

Lady Wang found these words very pleasant to hear. This time, her husband inheriting the title, even if it is a lower-grade inheritance, is still the noble rank of a second-class general.

She herself can be honored because of her husband and can also be promoted from a Grade 5 Rank Yiren to a Grade 2 noble lady. This is the greatest glory for a woman in her life.

Lady Wang thought of Jia Cong's birth mother, that lowly flower-selling woman, who was actually worthy of the same Grade 5 Rank Yiren as herself, which was truly unlucky.

Now that the second branch is inheriting the title, she is truly proud and has vented a bit of idle anger in her heart.

Lady Wang's heart was full of longing. Now that Grandmother has submitted a memorial to the imperial court, the super-grade noble lady status of the Duke's family naturally has some weight.

The inheritance of the title is a matter of course. Originally, the imperial court had delays, but this time, with Grandmother's memorial requesting the title, it must be a matter of course.

Although Lady Wang was full of joy, she still had to maintain her posture on the surface and could not show it too much in front of others.

She said to Sister Xi Ren with a reserved expression, "What kind of great joy is this? There are only two brothers in the family. The main branch has had an accident, and the ancestors' family business cannot be abandoned.

The Master cannot avoid it either, and he must shoulder this burden. Whether it is the Master or Jia Baoyu in the future, he will also have to inherit his father's business and suffer this labor."

Lady Wang smiled and took Sister Xi Ren's hand, saying, "You are a sensible and careful child. I only trust you. I am also relieved to hand Jia Baoyu over to you to serve and guide.

As long as you take good care of Jia Baoyu, you are also taking good care of the two of us. I will definitely remember your kindness."

When Sister Xi Ren heard this, she was happy in her heart. Now that the Master is inheriting the Lady Rongguo title, the Bao Er Ye Bao will also be able to inherit the title in the future. If she gets the Lady's care, she might be able to be a noble concubine in the future. Isn't that decent?

A reserved and restrained smile similar to Lady Wang's appeared on Sister Xi Ren's face, and she said, "Lady, you overstate it. As a servant maid, I serve the Master wholeheartedly, which is my duty.

Lady, please rest assured, I will definitely do my best for the Bao Er Ye Bao and not let you worry too much."

Lady Wang said a few more words before leaving Jia Baoyu's courtyard with Yu Chuan.

Jia Baoyu sighed. Hearing Lady Wang talk about inheriting the title and the family business just now really made him feel bored and uninteresting.

He really couldn't understand, isn't it good to live a good life? The people around him always talk about these vulgar things of titles and salaries, which really stains his pure heart.

Sister Xi Ren saw Jia Baoyu muttering to himself, not knowing what he was saying, and a look of sorrow appeared on his round white face, so she knew his old problem had come back, and she didn't take it too much to heart.

Seeing him rummaging on the display shelf, he took a small flat round porcelain box and was about to go out in a hurry.

Sister Xi Ren asked, "It's almost noon, why are you going out at this time?"

Jia Baoyu said, "I heard that Sister Feng is starting to have morning sickness. I have been resting in the room for two months, so I should go and see her. Now that the Second Brother Lady Lian has been sent to the army, it is not good for the family to be too cold to her."

Sister Xi Ren was also happy when she heard this and said, "Now the Bao Er Ye has grown up and his thoughts are much more sensible. He knows how to care for his family."

She asked again, "You just go to see the Second Grandmother, why bring a box of rouge? She has many precious things in her hands, so she doesn't lack these."

Jia Baoyu smiled, "Last time I saw Sister Ping'er, she was asking a woman to buy rouge for her outside. How can the dirty things outside be used? It would just stain a person like Sister Ping'er.

Last time I got rose paste steamed with flower dew for you, and there happened to be one box left. I have been remembering it, and it happens to be sent to Sister Ping'er. Wouldn't that make her happy?"

When Sister Xi Ren heard this, she frowned slightly. She had been by Jia Baoyu's side for many years and knew his character and preferences best.

She originally thought he was more sensible now, thinking of visiting the Second Grandmother who was in trouble, but she didn't expect it to be half a pretense, and his thoughts were on the beautiful Ping'er.

Lying in bed for two months, he still remembered to send rouge to people, but he didn't expect that things had changed outside long ago.

Sister Xi Ren knew about Jia Baoyu's heart disease for the past two years. Back then, Jia Mu wanted to give him Qingwen, who was in the room, but later there was an accident, and Qingwen eventually followed the Cong Sanye.

From that time on, it was as if he was possessed. It seemed that all the beautiful daughters in the prefecture had gone to the East Prefecture.

The Bao Er Ye Bao is a person who loves beauty, and he is used to working hard on beautiful maids, feeling like a cat scratching in his heart, but he has no way to do it.

Besides, the threshold of the East Prefecture is high, the rules are strict, and they don't like men from outside to enter... The Bao Er Ye can only be the king in the West Prefecture.

There are not many outstanding maids in the West Prefecture. Sister Yuanyang beside Jia Mu, the Bao Er Ye dare not provoke; Hearing Zi Juan who follows Miss Lin, the Bao Er Ye dare not be presumptuous.

He originally provoked Jin Jin Chuan beside the Lady, but later it almost caused a human life. Now when Jin Jin Chuan sees the Bao Er Ye, it's like seeing a ghost.

Ping'er beside the Second Grandmother is also a first-class figure among the maids in the Jia Prefecture. Not only is she beautiful, but she is also capable, and she is very eye-catching.

Now that the Bao Er Ye Lady Lian has been sent to the army, the Bao Er Ye Bao has relaxed his taboos in his heart and suddenly thought of sending rouge...

At this time, Sheyue brought a teacup in. Hearing Jia Baoyu's words, she smiled, "The rouge that the Bao Er Ye rummaged for should be saved for us to use.

Times have changed, Ping'er now has an owner, I advise the Bao Er Ye to provoke her less."

When Jia Baoyu heard this, his big round face turned slightly pale, and he asked, "How can Sister Ping'er have an owner? You should explain this clearly."

Sister Xi Ren saw Jia Baoyu's expression and said, "The Bao Er Ye has been resting in the room for two months and doesn't know about things outside. The Bao Er Ye Lady Lian committed a great crime and was originally going to be sentenced to be beheaded.

It was the Cong Sanye Jia who submitted a memorial to the Emperor to plead for mercy, which changed the sentence to exile for the Bao Er Ye Lady Lian. The Second Grandmother was grateful for the Cong Sanye Jia's favor, so she gave Ping'er to the Cong Sanye. When the Cong Sanye reaches the age next year, she will enter his room."

When Jia Baoyu heard this, his face turned pale, and he said with great pain, "I thought Jia Cong was a romantic figure, but he actually did such a vulgar and dirty thing.

With a little favor, he cheated Sister Ping'er away. A perfectly innocent daughter was treated by them like an object, bought and sent at will. It is truly vulgar and stinking!

Sister Ping'er is truly miserable. How can I get over this?"

Sister Xi Ren's expression was strange, and there was a hint of sourness in her words, "What is the Bao Er Ye saying? You have only spoken a few words to Ping'er on a daily basis. Now that she has been given to someone, it has nothing to do with you.

How can you not get over it? Is she much stronger than us who have served you since childhood?"

Sheyue advised from the side, "The Bao Er Ye doesn't need to worry. The Cong Sanye Jia can be the master, and it is a good thing for Ping'er to follow him.

Everyone in the prefecture says that Sister Ping'er is very willing about this, smiling every day, very happy. The Bao Er Ye shouldn't worry in vain."

Jia Baoyu didn't believe it, frowned and scolded, "You are just talking nonsense. How could a beautiful daughter like Sister Ping'er be willing to follow a person like Jia Cong who is opportunistic and corrupt?"

She must have been forced to be sent to someone, and no one came out to save her. The daughters in this world are all made of water and gentleness, but how many really know how to cherish them?"

In Jia Baoyu's eyes, he is the person who understands daughters best in the world. All the women in the world are what he thinks in his heart, and only if they follow him can they get a good result, otherwise it is all a tragedy.

Sister Xi Ren advised from the side, "Since Ping'er has promised the Cong Sanye, let it be. Why does the Bao Er Ye care about these trifles?

The Lady also said that the Bao Er Ye is a person who will shoulder the family business. Inheriting the ancestors' title in the future is the most important thing."

When Jia Baoyu heard this, he felt indescribably awkward. Now even the gentle and close Sister Xi Ren has been smoked by those people with vulgarity, opening and closing her mouth about titles, which is too disappointing.

He said indignantly, "What kind of title is that? I have never cared for it. If I wear the title of general, I would be disgusted to death. I am not a person like Jia Cong who falls and degrades himself in vain. Whoever wants this title can take it."

Outside the eastern suburbs of Love Shenjing City, Firearm Department Construction Workshop.

There were seven or eight people standing in Jia Cong's office, full and crowded, and it was hard to find a place to stand.

His office looked very different from the offices of other officials in the Ministry.

There were no pens, inks, or papers on the table. There were two simple bamboo tubes on the corner of the table, inserted with charcoal pens, triangles, rulers, tape measures, ink fountains, and other strange tools.

Various strange drawings were hung on the wall, and various styles of firearms were displayed on the wooden frame on the side.

These firearms included both the original Lu Mi guns from the Ottoman country, the improved Lu Mi guns made by the Firearm Department, and other various firearms collected from Western countries.

The seven or eight people in the office included Liu Liu Shizhen, the deputy supervisor of the Firearm Department, Guo Huai, the manager, and the rest were blacksmiths, carpenters, and gunpowder masters in the workshop, as well as several newly hired needle craftsmen and paper craftsmen.

Jia Cong's desk in the office was exceptionally large, with disassembled parts of a new firearm neatly arranged on the table, totaling more than forty parts including the gun stock and gun barrel.

Liu Liu Shizhen said to Jia Cong, "My Lord, according to your drawings, we have accelerated the forging of the whole gun parts. At present, except for the firing pin and paper-cased bullets, other parts have been formed.

The formed parts will be continuously improved in strength and precision through test assembly and polishing. In another two months, the formed parts will be finalized.

The most difficult thing at present is the firing pin and paper-cased bullets. The newly hired craftsmen have explored the general forging method. Although some samples have been manufactured, there is still a gap with your requirements.

At present, the craftsmen are working day and night to explore, and according to the five-month period you required, it can still be achieved."

Jia Cong said, "You shouldn't put all your energy into polishing and refining the parts. Every batch of parts must be assembled and tested to know the defects of grinding.

If the rear-loading gun wants to reach the expected range and power, the assembly of components such as the gun chamber requires extremely high sealing, which requires excellent manual precision.

Once the sealing of the rear-loading gun is out of control, not only will the lethality of the firearm be greatly reduced, but there will also be gunpowder gas leakage and burns, or even gun explosion.

Don't think that five months is very abundant. To build a qualified rear-loading gun, the time is actually very tight."

Jia Cong looked at the firing pins and paper-cased bullets of several batches among the firearm components on the table, all of which looked a bit rough.

At least compared with the actual parts of the needle-firing rear-loading gun he had seen, they were similar.

But he also observed that each new batch of firing pins and paper-cased bullets had visible improvements and enhancements compared to the previous batch.

This shows that the needle craftsmen and pulp masters he newly recruited have gradually become familiar with and explored the secrets of construction.

All things in the world are from nothing to something. They are the first batch of rear-loading gun construction craftsmen in the Great Zhou. From clumsy and negligent to meticulous and precise, it is a process they must experience.

Accumulating stones can form a mountain, and accumulating water can form an abyss.

While Jia Cong was making every effort to promote the firearm military industry, he never stopped exploring and understanding this world.

He realized more deeply than anyone else the vastness of this world.

His Xinchun Bank has spread across the six prefectures and one province of Jiangnan, its tentacles extending north to the Jiaozhou Peninsula and the vast Liaodong, and south across Zhejiang and Fujian to the land of Southern Guangdong.

And these places are places where foreign barbarians and the Great Zhou communicate prosperously. Through branches in various places, Xinchun Bank understands and collects the status and information of foreign barbarians in various countries.

Now, Zhen Zhen Fangqing, who is guarding the system for the Zhen Imperial Concubine at the Imperial Tombs in the suburbs of the capital, is remotely controlling the Zhen family's Jinling sea fleet. Wherever these sea ships go, the information tentacles will be more distant and intuitive than what Xinchun Bank can reach.

Therefore, Jia Cong can be sure that the rear-loading gun being developed by the Firearm Department will be the first in the world. Once the development is successful, the Great Zhou's firearm skills will undoubtedly walk to the forefront of the world.

Jia Cong looked at the neatly arranged firearm parts on the table and said, "His Majesty has high hopes for the construction of the rear-loading gun. From today on, the batch of firearm parts has been updated and significantly improved.

All of them must be written into detailed reports, and after being reviewed by me and Deputy Supervisor Liu, they must be immediately reported to the palace for His Majesty's preview."

Jia Cong suddenly looked at Master Qian Huai in the crowd and said, "Manager Master Qian will be responsible for writing the reports. If I am not in the workshop, you will personally send them to my mansion. The content of the reports must be kept confidential."

Master Qian Huai's gaze met Jia Cong's, and he felt that the other party's gaze was sharp, which made his heart jump, and he said, "Your subordinate obeys."

Lady Rongguo Prefecture, Rongqing Hall.

It has been four days since Jia Mu's memorial for the title was reported to the Tongzheng Office, but there is still no news from the palace.

Jia Zheng found a colleague who was familiar with the connections of the Tongzheng Office and learned that because Jia Mu was not a court official, but only a super-grade noble lady, the memorial she submitted had to go through a three-day process in the Tongzheng Office and other internal offices.

According to the time calculation, it entered the palace at the earliest yesterday. His Majesty is busy with ten thousand things every day and reads a lot of memorials every day. It is reasonable that there is no news for a while.

When Jia Mu and Lady Wang heard this news, they were relieved and just waited for the palace to reply about the inheritance of the title, and a big event in the Lady Rongguo Prefecture would be settled.

At this time, in Love Shenjing, it is naturally known to everyone that the heir of the Lady Rongguo main branch has committed a crime.

But more people know that this heir of the main branch was originally a capital crime, but because of a memorial from the Lord Weiyuan Count Jia Cong pleading for mercy, he was exempted from the death penalty by His Majesty and lightly sentenced to exile in Liaodong.

Compared with several other noble families who were also involved in crimes and experienced tragic things such as stripping of titles, heavy crimes, and consecutive demotions of four ranks, His Majesty can be considered very generous to the Lady Rongguo Jia family.

Everyone knows clearly in their hearts that the reason is that the Lady Rongguo Jia family produced a Lord Weiyuan Count Jia Cong who is in the Emperor's heart.

With this Lord Weiyuan Count, the Jia family's reputation is growing day by day, and the future is long, which can be easily imagined. Just look at the age of this young count.

And the news that Jia Mu submitted a memorial to the imperial court requesting her second son Jia Zheng to inherit the Lady Rongguo title has also gradually spread in the noble circle of Love Shenjing.

With the Lord Weiyuan Count Jia Cong who has won the Emperor's heart as a solid backing for the family, the inheritance of the Lady Rongguo hereditary title is just a matter of course and a situation that can be expected soon.

I don't know how many noble families in Love Shenjing envy the Lady Rongguo Jia family. Although they experienced the death of Jia She and the crime of Jia Lady Lian, they eventually could not avoid the glory of two titles in one family.

Many noble families in Love Shenjing began to find various reasons to visit and congratulate the Lady Rongguo Duke's title for generations, and the Rongqing Hall began to restore its past glory.

The old relatives of the Jia family were not to be outdone, submitting posts to Jia Zheng to visit, or inviting him to participate in literary gatherings. People came and went like crucian carp crossing the river, which made Jia Zheng flattered.

The actions of these people are not about the wine, because Jia Zheng is not only the new heir of Lady Rongguo.

And almost the whole city of Love Shenjing knows that Jia Zheng and that Lord Weiyuan Count, although they are uncle and nephew, are like father and son and are very respected by the Lord Weiyuan Count.

This kind of burning the cold stove in advance, pulling relationships, and accumulating feelings are the most familiar means for noble and official families.

Jia Mu and Lady Wang felt the vigorous vitality of the family's prosperity and were very happy and comfortable in their hearts.

Originally, the death of Jia She and the crime of Jia Lady Lian were a big blow to the Lady Rongguo Prefecture. Now that time has passed, Jia Mu and Lady Wang have clearly foreseen that the revival of the Lady Rongguo Prefecture's family reputation is already in sight.

Lady Wang thought that her proposal for Jia Mu to submit a memorial to the imperial court to request the title was such an outstanding idea, as if she had given the Lady Rongguo Prefecture a fairy medicine. The family has been crowded with visitors in a few days, even better than before.

She is now just counting the days, waiting for the decree for Jia Zheng to inherit the title to be issued, the glory of the second branch, and her own Grade 5 Rank Yiren to be promoted to a Grade 2 noble lady.

Jia Mu did not expect that her memorial would have such great power for the family. Even she did not expect that her super-grade noble lady status would be so useful.

If she had known she could be so useful, why would she have to beg that stubborn grandson in the East Prefecture again and again.

This time the matter was so lively that almost all the old relatives of the Jia family appeared, and naturally it was indispensable for Jia Mu's mother's family to visit.

The reason for the two families to move around naturally could not be separated from the beautiful and romantic Shi Shi Xiangyun. It is said that she was shouting to come to the Jia Prefecture to stay and play. The wife of Marquis Marquis Zhongjing and the wife of Marquis Lady Bao Ling came together to accompany her.

It's just that Jia Mu felt that the two nieces-in-law were a bit different this time.

They didn't say any auspicious words like "two titles in one family," "generations of dukes," or "two sons inheriting titles" like other old relatives, but only talked about ordinary family affairs, and their words and deeds seemed very restrained and low-key.

Although Jia Mu felt a bit strange, she didn't take it too much to heart, just thinking that it was because her mother's family was too familiar, so they didn't say these polite words.

When Shi Shi Xiangyun wanted to go to the East Prefecture to find her sisters to play, the wife of Marquis Lady Bao Ling said casually that she heard the East Prefecture had just been promoted to a first-class system, and she didn't know what it looked like, but she hadn't seen it before.

When Seeing Yingchun heard the wind, she invited the two elders of the Shi family to visit the garden in the East Prefecture. It is said that the two Marchionesses were in high spirits that day and got along well with the sisters in the East Prefecture.

They also gave a lot of boudoir gifts, and even the confidant maids and girls in Jia Cong's room each got a share, as if the two Marchionesses had been prepared long ago.

Jia Mu and Lady Wang both felt strange in their hearts, not knowing which nerve of the two Shi family wives was wrong. (End of chapter)