Chapter 512: The Anxious Rongxi Hall

Count Mansion, Jia Cong's courtyard.

At dawn, Jia Cong woke up from a deep sleep. In the warm and soft quilt, there was still the sweet scent of a daughter, which seemed to linger for a long time.

The twelfth lunar month was halfway through, and the taste of the New Year was getting stronger, and the East and West Mansions began to fill with the atmosphere of the festival.

But these external atmospheres did not affect Jia Cong's rhythm of work and rest. Except for going to the firearm workshop every few days to check the progress of the rear-loading gun construction.

For the rest of the time, he followed the habits of many years. He warmed books in the study every night until the hour of Si, and just after the hour of Mao at dawn, he would get up and start the day's homework again.

He was able to pass the imperial examination twice in the examination field, with glory and glory, not relying on any vision and insight of a later comer.

These things, although they have the merit of outlining, can never replace everything.

He was able to be proud in the examination field because he had a world-class famous teacher like Liu Jingan, and more because he, like other successful students, studied hard and focused on his studies without slackening.

Every day after the hour of Si, he finished his homework and went to bed, and the quilt was warmed up by the maid in advance. This was a habit brought by the old family education of the Jia family's West Mansion.

Even when Jia Cong lived in the East Courtyard in the West Mansion, he was miserable, and there was only one maid, Zhi Shao, by his side. Every time it was the severe winter, the quilt was warmed up by Zhi Shao in advance.

This was the first winter he moved into the East Mansion. The habits of the West Mansion in those years were naturally brought to the East Mansion by maids like Wuer and Qingwen.

It was just that there were more people in the courtyard now, and these daily delicate things, Jia Cong never cared about, and they were all arranged by Zhi Shao and Wuer.

So every night when he went to bed, he generally didn't know which maid contributed her body temperature.

However, when he returned to the room last night, he found Ying Lian curled up in his quilt and sleeping soundly. He pushed for a long time before waking her up, and asked to know that it was her turn to warm the bed today, and she didn't want to sleep to death.

Now this sweet and fragrant smell was the trace left by Ying Lian sleeping with her head covered.

……

At dawn, the sky in the east was still gray-blue. Through the semi-transparent glass window lattice, one could see the shadows of jade trees and Qionghua in the courtyard.

The end of the year was approaching, the year was extremely cold, and there was another heavy snow last night.

Jia Cong just lifted the bed curtain, and Zhi Shao, who was sleeping on the side couch, woke up and got up to rub her eyes.

Stretching her slender waist slightly, in the dim light of the room at dawn, she stretched out a moving figure. In the dark room, the bright and water-like eyes could still be seen clearly.

She got up to light the candle, buttoned a long coat with gold-woven flower satin, tidied up her full hair, and her hands were like flowers and willows, skillfully combing her long hair into a pretty bun.

She came over to help Jia Cong lift the bed curtain, hooked it with a five-son-ascending-the-ke-old-copper account hook, took a round-collar robe with silver-patterned satin on a treasure blue background from the sandalwood ruyi hanging cloud clothes rack by the bed, and helped Jia Cong put it on.

The door of the main room was knocked twice, and Wuer brought in a large copper basin, which was emitting white steam and hot water.

She wore a smoke-pine-green water-blue embroidered long coat, ivory-colored fur-lined inner clothes, and a section of ink-blue embroidered long skirt exposed underneath. Perhaps the early morning in winter was too cold, and a pretty face was blown red by the wind.

She put the copper basin on the rack, scalded the face towel with hot water, gave it to Jia Cong to clean his face, and took a comb to help Jia Cong comb his messy hair bun.

This was a scene that would be repeated every morning in the courtyard, overflowing with a warm and peaceful home atmosphere.

……

Jia Cong looked at Wuer in the dressing mirror. Her figure was slender and slim, graceful and well-proportioned. Her eyes were spiritual and bright, her eyebrows were curved, and her demeanor and demeanor had a showy and gentle air, which was pleasing to the eye.

Asked: "These two days you went to the West Mansion to help the Second Sister-in-law manage the house, are things going smoothly?"

Zhi Shao on the side smiled and said: "Wuer has always been proper and detailed, what else do you have to worry about."

Jia Cong smiled: "Even if you are smart, there is a time for beginners. It is always right to be careful."

Wuer replied: "Cong Sanye, don't worry, the West Mansion is fine. The Second Grandmother and Sister Ping'er are used to managing the house, and they are very familiar with the affairs inside and outside, so I don't need to worry about anything.

I just watch and do it on the side. I have learned a lot these days."

Jia Cong knew that Wang Xifeng let him send someone over, not to pull a laborer to work, but to borrow his momentum to help her stand in position, so that people like Lady Xing would have scruples and not dare to easily restrain her from managing the house.

So Wuer went to the West Mansion, just like Jia Cong's skirt-clothed envoy. No one in the West Mansion dared to look down on her.

When Wuer first followed Jia Cong, at that time he was seriously injured by Jia She, and Jia Mu was worried that he would lose his life in the East Courtyard, so she picked him up to the East Mansion to raise him.

At that time, many servants in the West Mansion laughed at Willow sister-in-law, saying that her daughter followed a master who was not in the stream. With such a low and unbearable background, even if she was a master, she was a dog meat that could not be on the table.

At that time, when they saw Wuer, they would arrogantly call Wuer the Willow girl.

Later, Jia Cong studied and entered the school, and became increasingly prominent in the Rongguo Mansion. The Willow girl in the mouths of those servants became the respectful Willow girl.

Now Jia Cong has dual titles, full of glory, and has become the master of the East and West Mansions. Wuer, as his personal maid, was sent back to the West Mansion to manage housework.

As a result, those servants born in the West Mansion saw the wind and steered the rudder, and the Willow girl in the mouth of the past immediately became the eldest Willow girl……

No one cares when you are poor and down, and you are admired and complimented when you are glorious. In fact, you don't need to feel vulgar, because the world is like this.

Wang Xifeng knew that she was a favorite confidant by Jia Cong's side, so she wouldn't really use her, just let her follow her side to manage affairs.

Wuer used a comb to comb her hair, and Jia Cong asked again: "How have the Master and the Lady been these past few days?"

Wuer replied: "These two days, the Master, the Lady, Zhou Yiniang, Zhao Yiniang, and several masters' luggage and family property have all been moved to the side courtyard.

Since that day, the Master has lived in the Mengpo Study, and has never returned to the Rongxi Hall."

……

Since the day the Imperial Clan Court and the Ministry of Personnel brought the impeachment memorial to the door and asked Jia Zheng to defend himself.

Jia Zheng learned that so many officials in the court jointly impeached him for lingering in the Rongxi Hall, and couldn't help but be terrified and regretful.

He had been a hall official for more than ten years. Although he was mediocre, he had always followed the rules and had never made any mistakes. Where had he experienced the scene in front of him?

After the people from the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Clan Court left, he didn't ask Jia Mu and Lady Xing's meaning, and strictly ordered Lin Zhixiao to arrange manpower to move all the second branch's family property out of the Rongxi Hall.

He himself entered the Mengpo Study, didn't come out all day, and stayed in the study that night.

After Jia Cong heard the news, he hurriedly went to the Mengpo Study to persuade him. Jia Zheng only said that he regretted not listening to the words of the inner boudoir, and had nothing else to say.

As for the seven impeachment memorials, Jia Zheng did not defend himself one by one. The big mistake was clear, what else could he defend?

As for one of the memorials impeaching Jia Mu for not managing the family strictly, Jia Zheng didn't have the reason to let his mother suffer, so it was naturally the son inheriting the mother's responsibility.

That night, he wrote a sincere memorial of confession, and personally sent it to the Imperial Clan Court the next day, which was transferred to Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao by the Imperial Clan Court to confess his guilt.

Things reached this point. Although Jia Mu and Lady Xing were women in the inner boudoir, so many officials impeached, and the Emperor issued an edict to ask about the guilt, they also knew that this matter was extremely dangerous.

Therefore, for Jia Zheng's move to move out of the Rongxi Hall immediately, although he was unwilling, he didn't dare to have half a word of obstruction.

Jia Mu's expression was withered, and she couldn't help sighing, but she was tied up and didn't dare to point fingers in the inner courtyard again, so as not to cause trouble again.

Lady Xing was desperate, like mourning for her parents, but didn't dare to have any thoughts of making trouble again.

That night, she stayed in the Rongxi Hall for the last night with infinite nostalgia. The next morning, she was urged by Jia Zheng's people, and moved out of the Rongxi Hall in a panic and loss.

……

In the following days, Lady Xing was driven out of the Rongxi Hall, terrified, ashamed and angry, and had no mind to intervene in the Rongguo family business.

Wang Xifeng seized the opportunity, took advantage of the fire to rob, used ruthless means, and mercilessly screened the dowry servants arranged by Lady Xing in various places.

They were all transferred to idle positions, so as not to follow Lady Xing's instructions and make ghosts in key places.

She also spent two days sorting out the family slaves, rewarding the diligent and punishing the lazy, and clearing up the accounts of the mansion, saving expenses.

Because Jia Cong had reminded her, now that he inherited the title with decreasing rank, the Rongguo title property was correspondingly reduced by five hundred stones, and the silver entering the account of the West Mansion's public account would also be reduced.

Although the East and West Mansions were Jia Cong's industries, there was no reason to tear down the East Wall to make up for the West Wall. Otherwise, the two mansions would cannibalize each other and be extravagant. In a few years, the East Mansion would also be dragged into the water and ruined.

Therefore, the rules Jia Cong set for Wang Xifeng were that the two mansions closed their accounts separately, were responsible for their own profits and losses, and managed their own silver flow.

This also disguisedly made people in the West Mansion like Jia Mu, Lady Xing, Baoyu, etc., who were used to extravagance, restrain their various expenses.

Wang Xifeng heard this, and also felt vigilant in her heart, knowing that although Jia Cong didn't manage the house directly, his mind was meticulous and detailed, and he couldn't tolerate half a mistake.

So she became more energetic, carefully rectified the accounts, and found out the repeated and extravagant items in the daily housework of the West Mansion.

For example, when the children of the family go to school, the clan school will supply pens, ink, paper, and inkstones, but Baoyu, Jia Huan, Jia Lan, etc., go to school, and each person has to receive eight taels of silver for snacks and paper and pen fees from the public account.

You know, eight taels of silver are enough for the poor to eat for more than half a year. Even if they use the best snacks and paper and pens every day, they can't use up eight taels of silver a month. It is a means of falsely spending silver.

This old rule was set by Lady Xing that year, because the second branch of the Rongguo Mansion had the most prosperous descendants, and Jia Zhu, Baoyu, Jia Huan, Jia Lan, etc., all had to read.

In the past, Wang Xifeng had micro-words about this expenditure, but when Lady Xing was in charge of the house, she never said it.

Now that the West Mansion has changed the sky, and she can manage the house again, she first donated this item, saving three hundred taels of silver a year, which is enough for the purchase of the small kitchen in the second gate for two months.

There are also the expenses of head oil and rouge powder for the women of each room every month, which are purchased uniformly by the outside purchase office, but the goods bought are often inferior, and the purchase office is suspected of scraping and falsely reporting.

The women in the inner courtyard couldn't get the suitable makeup items, and had to take out the monthly silver of each person, and let the trusted maids and old women go out to buy good ones, which was not only very troublesome, but also wasted extra silver.

Wang Xifeng herself was a woman, so she naturally knew the reason, but the outside purchase office was a dowry old woman of Lady Xing, so no one dared to manage this matter, and it had continued for many years.

This item was naturally donated by Wang Xifeng, and the extra head oil and rouge powder purchase silver, besides a part being taken back to the public account, the other part was distributed to the women of each room as pocket money for self-purchase.

Wang Xifeng, with Ping'er and Wuer, calculated and planned every day, and means like this to save money were implemented one by one, making the silver flow of the West Mansion's public account much more relaxed.

But these were ultimately small means. If she wanted to cure the symptoms and root causes in the West Mansion, it was far from enough.

……

Wuer combed Jia Cong's hair while talking about the things she heard in the West Mansion helping Wang Xifeng manage the house. After the West Mansion inherited the title with decreasing rank, it still had two thousand stones of title property, and the quantity was still above the East Mansion. As long as it was managed well, there was absolutely no problem in daily life.

It was just that the population of the West Mansion was too large. Besides the masters of each room of Rongguo, there were also servants born in the mansion who had inherited blood for several generations.

When Jia Mu, Lady Xing, Wang Xifeng, Li Wan, etc., married into the Jia family, each of them would bring several rooms of dowry servants.

Now that decades have passed, these servants born in the mansion and dowry servants have each formed families and multiplied. The number of servants in the West Mansion increases every year, and the quantity is quite considerable.

Although the imperial court implemented the new policy last year, the expenditure of the Rongguo Mansion's summer and autumn taxes increased significantly, and the expenditure of the Rongguo public account was tight.

Wang Xifeng had obtained Jia Mu and Lady Xing's consent to cut off a part of the Rongguo Mansion's servants.

But the Duke Mansion of nearly a hundred years, any corner, would be a servant born in the mansion for several generations. Many people had close relationships with Jia Mu, Lady Xing, etc., and could not be cut off at all.

That time, those who could be taken away by Wang Xifeng were either not good in reputation and popularity in the mansion, or had no reliance and foundation themselves. In total, they didn't cut off many people.

Wang Xifeng sorted out the population list. The servants of each room and each courtyard in the West Mansion totaled more than 460, not counting the servants born every year.

She thought that only by cutting off the excess population could she really make up for the deficit of the title property decreasing. But this matter was very difficult to handle.

When Jia Cong heard the population number of the West Mansion reported by Wuer, he was also startled.

No wonder the West Mansion's title property was more than the East Mansion, but in the past few years, it had appeared in a predicament of not making ends meet.

A mansion raised so many people, and there was no way to open source and save expenditure, no matter how much title property there was, it would always be eaten to the extreme.

The East Mansion of Jia Cong had bought fifty servants from Jiangnan since it opened, plus the maids and old women by Jia Cong and Ying Chun's side, the entire East Mansion was less than eighty people in total.

Comparing the two, the gap was obvious. The East Mansion occupied more land than the West Mansion, and fifty servants were enough for Ying Chun to manage and distribute. Even if the West Mansion cut off half of the population, it was enough to use.

It was just that now Jia Cong had just inherited the Rongguo Mansion, and all places had just stabilized, so it was not suitable to make such a large population cut.

He asked Wuer to pass a message to Wang Xifeng that the population cut of the West Mansion could not be rushed. After the spring of next year, he would think of a chapter, and then gradually do it.

Zhi Shao smiled and didn't speak on the side, seeing Jia Cong and Wuer asking and answering, and they were very serious, like a teacher pointing out a student. Could it be that the Cong Sanye really wanted to raise Wuer as a housekeeper?

The two were talking, when suddenly Sister Yuanyang entered the courtyard, saying that the old lady invited the Cong Sanye to the Rongqing Hall to discuss matters.

Jia Cong frowned when he heard this. Every time Jia Mu called him to the Rongqing Hall, there was never a good thing. Although he couldn't be difficult for himself, he would be crazy if he was tossed like this for days.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

There were only Jia Mu, Jia Zheng, and Lady Xing in the hall.

These days, Jia Zheng and Lady Xing moving out of the Rongxi Hall was a major event that turned the mansion upside down.

I don't know how many servants in the mansion were whispering behind their backs. Since the old master passed away, the second master became the master of the mansion and moved into the Rongxi Hall for fifteen years. Now it is really going to change the sky.

These days, sisters like Daiyu, Tan Chun, and Ying Chun were more careful, knowing that the old lady was depressed and difficult to send, and they didn't disturb Jia Mu at ordinary times.

Even Zhao Yiniang saw that the situation was bad, and restrained Jia Huan from staying in the room, not to go out and stand corpse, in case he bumped into the old lady's discomfort, he would definitely have to eat a hanging.

Jia Mu saw Lin Zhixiao bringing servants to move the second branch's objects out of the Rongxi Hall one by one these days, and her old face was trembling with depression.

She had a strong illusion, as if the Rongguo Mansion in front of her was no longer the Rongguo Mansion where she had lived for half a lifetime and was extremely familiar with every grass and tree.

This Duke Mansion, which had continued for five generations of descendants, had become a bit strange in Jia Mu's eyes now.

And the root cause of all this was the grandson of her own in the East Mansion. What kind of fate is this kid?

He killed his biological mother as soon as he landed, and now his father also died unexpectedly, and his own brother was convicted and exiled.

Even the second son Jia Zheng, who had always been valued by him, had to move out of the Rongxi Hall because he suddenly inherited the Rongguo title.

Jia Mu also thought of Jia Zhen and Jia Rong, who secretly plotted to seize Jia Cong's property, and they didn't end well……

On the day he was granted the title, the imperial edict showed that he inherited the Rongguo family business, and at the same time, her Baoyu was belittled to nothing, and his reputation was ruined.

Thinking of these, Jia Mu couldn't help but feel creepy. How could the Jia family give birth to such a monster, and how could there be such a hard fate.

The two mansions, as long as they were related to his elders or brothers, seemed to be punished by him, and none of them ended well.

Jia Mu was nearly seventy years old, but she still couldn't let go of the wealth and glory she had enjoyed for a lifetime, but she met such a debt-collecting evil star in her old age.

Jia Mu was afraid whenever she thought of it, fearing that one day she would also be punished by this grandson.

She thought of what the old sister-in-law of the third branch said a few days ago, that the Daoist leader Zhang Yuzhen of the Mingchun Dao sect was going to the Divine Capital to pray for the Emperor. The previous generation of Zhang Tianshi and the previous generation of Rongguo Duke had some friendship.

Jia Mu thought about asking this Daoist leader for good luck and asking him to do a ritual to turn the luck of the Rongguo Mansion.

……

In short, these days Jia Mu always thought of some strange methods to send her inner loss and depression, and her mood slowly calmed down.

But didn't expect her son Jia Zheng, I don't know if he was hit by a guest, people had already moved out of the Rongxi Hall, and the impeachment and questioning in the court could be dealt with.

Actually, it was like something was wrong with his tendons. People had already moved out of the Rongxi Hall, and he mentioned moving to the East Courtyard to live, which almost angered Jia Mu to death.

At this moment, she asked sternly: "Zheng'er, what you said before might be a reason, but it doesn't work in our family.

Now that Cong Geer inherited the Rongguo family business, although he is young, his means and schemes are powerful. None of you are his opponents. At this juncture, you must not act on impulse.

Once you move out of the Rongxi Hall, the righteousness and name will be gone. I can still maintain it while I am alive. The day I die, your second branch will have no place to stand in the Rongguo Mansion!"

Jia Zheng said: "The old lady is overstating it. Cong Geer is a seed of reading, with upright character, and will never treat his elders and brothers in the family like this."

Jia Mu sneered: "I think you have read the books rotten. Just like him, he is considered upright. Don't forget that he was only ten years old that year, and a few words could abolish Wang Shanbao's wife.

The means are ruthless, the heart is cold, what does such a person have to do with upright character.

When the Ningguo Mansion was suddenly raided, Zhen'er was actually angered to death by his son, and Rong'er is afraid that he will never come back in this life.

I thought about this matter over and over again. Although there is no solid evidence, it has something to do with Cong Geer. We don't know what he did behind his back.

How old is this kid, he didn't make a sound and borrowed someone else's name to set up such a large shop. The clan rules couldn't catch any faults, and he even let the Emperor grant him a royal merchant, earning so much silver a year.

Look at how many years he has been an official, but every time he goes out, he must get benefits back. If he is upright, how can he do this."

Jia Zheng still didn't believe it, saying: "The old lady is a bit worried. Cong Geer's promotion in the past two years is faster than ordinary people because he is both civil and military, and he is valued by the Emperor, so he is so outstanding.

He can be taught by the contemporary literary sect, and can write those peerless poems. Without a magnanimous breadth of mind, he can never do it. I don't believe that he will have so many treacherous thoughts."

Jia Mu looked at this old naive son, hating that iron could not become steel, and said: "He can pass the imperial examination and write some poems, so he is a perfect person? Even I, the old lady, know that in history books and operas, those great treacherous officials are all on the gold list. How many people were great talents in the first place? You are really reading books rotten and confused! In short, you just live in the Rongxi Hall with peace of mind. If you mention moving and giving up your seat again, you are unfilial! Even if Cong Geer makes me unable to see through, he does have a conscience in one thing, and I see it very clearly. He has always respected you in his heart.

As long as you don't move out of the Rongxi Hall, he will never force you to leave. You just live in peace.

Just let the first branch manage this family business, and he won't be short of your daily expenses anyway.

Waiting for this period of time to pass, I think about helping Baoyu marry a good family with a foundation and power, so that the second branch will have more foundation, and the population of the two branches will not be too disparate in the future."

Lady Xing heard Jia Mu's words, and felt settled in her heart. Although her master was a bit pedantic, the old lady was planning for the second branch with all her heart, and her thinking was long-term enough.

The old lady was right. Just let Feng Yatou toss this family business. Could they dare to be short of the second branch's expenses?

As long as the old lady is in the hall, the second branch will not collapse, and the Rongguo Mansion will not change the sky! Originally, for most of the day, she was led by the nose by Jia Cong and Wang Xifeng. She lost the luxury of continuing to intervene in the Rongguo family business, and her heart was like an extinguished furnace, gray and lifeless.

Now hearing Jia Mu's words, Lady Xing's heart began to revive, and she became ambitious again.

Just when Jia Mu was planning, and Lady Xing's heart began to flourish.

Lin Zhixiao's wife suddenly walked quickly into the Rongqing Hall, her face and expression were a bit nervous, and it was difficult to distinguish between joy and worry.

Seeing Jia Mu, she said: "Old lady, our master sent a message, saying that the officials of the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Clan Court have just entered the mansion, and are now being led to the Rongxi Hall.

Said they brought the Emperor's edict for the Master."

Jia Mu and Lady Xing were both frightened when they heard this. It was fine for the people of the Ministry of Rites to come, but it was not a good thing for the people of the Imperial Clan Court to come to the door.

Last time the people of the Imperial Clan Court came to the door, they issued a document reprimanding Baoyu for insulting the Retired Emperor, almost taking Baoyu's life. Jia Mu and Lady Xing still have lingering fears.

This time the Imperial Clan Court suddenly came to the door, and said they brought the Emperor's edict. What kind of mystery is this? Jia Zheng heard the news and was also confused. He had been an official for more than ten years, and had always been mediocre and sitting in vain.

He had always watched others receive the imperial edict, but he had never had this blessing.

Although he was a bit pedantic, he was not a stupid person. At this juncture, the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Clan Court came to the door, which always made people have some bad premonitions.

Jia Zheng followed Lin Zhixiao's wife to the Rongxi Hall with anxiety. Jia Mu and Lady Xing were worried, so they followed.

However, the people of the two government offices specified to see Jia Zheng, so they, as inner family members, were not easy to show their faces, so they walked another way, bypassed the back door of the Rongxi Hall, and entered behind the screen of the front hall to listen to the movement.

Jia Zheng entered the Rongxi Hall and saw three officials waiting there, two of whom were familiar faces.

One was Liu Shuyou, a Grade 5 official of the Imperial Clan Court. Last time he came to the mansion to issue a document to demote Baoyu, which left Jia Zheng with an extremely embarrassing memory.

The other was Zhang Zhenghe, a director of the Ministry of Rites, who had accompanied Guo Lin to the Jia Mansion last time to announce the edict for Jia Cong to inherit the Rongguo title.

The other person was a strange face. Looking at the official uniform, he was just a Grade 7B small official, holding several memorials in his hands, following closely behind Liu Shuyou.

Jia Zheng asked with anxiety: "I don't know why the two lords came to the mansion today, what is the instruction?"

Liu Shuyou of the Imperial Clan Court still had the same face as last time, and said coldly: "Jia Master, the Emperor issued an edict for Weiyuan Count Jia Cong to inherit the Rongguo title, and he is the master of Rongguo.