Chapter 747: Many Monsters in Peace Talks

Great Zhou Palace, Ganyang Palace.

Jia Cong had already pondered the draft in his heart on the way after hearing the reason from Yuan Jing, and could mostly guess the Emperor's intention.

He was now a Hanlin, his status was noble, and he was a formal civil official of the court, whose duties were not directly related to the war situation in the nine towns.

But he had led troops to fight in the nine towns, must have insights into the war situation in the nine towns, and had been to Jinling several times, breaking many important cases, and had the talent for investigation.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao summoned him to the palace at this time, nothing more than to ask for strategies and advice.

Therefore, in the few quarters of an hour on the road, Jia Cong had already sorted out a general idea in his heart.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao asked, and he replied after a little thought: "Reporting to the Emperor, I also heard that eight hundred people of the Remnant Mongol mission entered the city, and not only is the Tongwen Hall full."

"The Court of State Ceremonial also rented several large inns nearby, cleared out the residents, and concentrated the rest of the mission."

"This move is convenient for monitoring and checking, but the number of people in the mission entering the city is huge, and they must go in and out of the residence frequently for purchasing, running errands, sightseeing, banquets, etc."

"These mission members go in and out daily, and it is impossible for everyone to do secret spying. Because the Grand Court of Justice and the Embroidered Uniform Guard cannot be sure, they must pay attention to everything."

"Even if the two major yamen have more manpower, they cannot afford this kind of consumption, not only will they be exhausted, but they will also have little effect."

"I think the key to this matter is to concentrate manpower, cut to the chase, and abandon the side branches, so that we can achieve results."

"The Emperor sees everything clearly. Anda Khan is a hero of the grassland. Relaxing the scale of border trade will not fill his ambition. The Great Zhou and the Remnant Mongols will surely have a war!"

When Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao heard this, although he didn't speak, his eyes lit up. Wei Guanyao, who was on the side, saw it clearly and knew that Jia Cong's words hit the Emperor's heart.

Jia Cong continued: "This Remnant Mongol mission is composed of three major tribes: the Tuman tribe, the Yongxielun tribe, and the Ordos tribe."

"The Tuman tribe is Anda Khan's direct line and the strongest among the three major tribes. Once the Great Zhou and the Remnant Mongols go to war, the Tuman tribe will surely be the army that supports the Remnant Mongols."

"Therefore, among the three major tribes of the mission, the Tuman tribe's misconduct should be the head, and its importance must be far higher than that of the Yongxielun tribe and the Ordos tribe."

"The Grand Court of Justice and the Embroidered Uniform Guard should arrange manpower to focus on monitoring, and the other two major tribes only need to follow up."

"But for any misconduct, the tribal leaders of the mission must know about it, and most of the people used are close attendants."

"I don't know the personnel composition of the mission's tribes, but the personal guards of the tribal leaders are only a few dozen people, and the rest are mostly for duties or chores."

"Therefore, if you want to prevent and investigate misconduct, the people who need to be closely monitored by the three major tribes of the mission are probably only about a hundred people."

"If you focus on locking in the Tuman tribe, a few dozen people are enough."

"In this way, you can use the elite manpower in the key places, watching day and night, and you will surely gain something..."

Jia Cong thought of the Ordos tribe's Prince Taiji and Liu Binfang's evaluation of this person.

He could not be sure what role this Prince Taiji played in the Remnant Mongol mission, but this person had deep city and scheming, and was not a person to be underestimated.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao heard what Jia Cong said, which was novel, interlocking, cautious, and meticulous, as if seeing the clouds and seeing the sun, feeling a sense of sudden enlightenment, and couldn't help but nod slightly.

Wei Guanyao had long seen Jia Cong's eloquence and wit, and seeing him say this, although he was not surprised, he also felt a sense of freshness.

A thought suddenly popped into his mind: a meticulous person like Jia Cong, if he could enter the Grand Court of Justice to sit in the yamen and break cases, it would be much more practical than him being in the Hanlin Academy...

Jia Cong continued: "In addition, for the tracking and monitoring of mission personnel, I suggest that manpower can be mobilized from the Zhen'an Prefecture and Qinian Prefecture."

"The officials, head constables, and yamen runners of the prefecture yamen often go in and out of the streets and alleys, and are accustomed to dealing with all kinds of people."

"Even the ruffians and gangs in the city have to fear them by three points. These people are more ears and eyes than other yamen officials."

"I think we can screen experienced and capable people from the two prefectures to cooperate with the Grand Court of Justice and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which may have twice the result with half the effort."

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao heard what Jia Cong said, his face became gentle, and he said: "I summoned you to discuss matters, and it was indeed not wrong."

"Your words are meticulous and pertinent, clear and concise, and your thinking is profound. No wonder you can break many important cases in Jinling."

Jia Cong said: "The Emperor is over-praising me, I dare not accept it. Because of my limited duties, I don't know the details of the Remnant Mongol mission."

"What I said just now is based on common sense. The Grand Court of Justice and the Embroidered Uniform Guard are both specialized yamen for investigation, and they must have planned early. I am just throwing a brick to attract jade."

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao suddenly asked: "How much of your task is completed now?"

The Emperor's question was quite abrupt. Wei Guanyao and Xu Kun, who were present, were confused and didn't know what the Emperor meant.

Jia Cong knew it well and replied: "Reporting to the Emperor, I inspected and checked this morning, and I have already achieved more than 90 percent. It will surely be completed before the end of the year."

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao didn't reply, but nodded with satisfaction. Wei Guanyao and Xu Kun were both confused.

They didn't know what kind of riddle this monarch and minister were playing, so they naturally didn't dare to ask in front of the Emperor.

Afterwards, the three of them played against the Emperor separately, and also discussed several key points, which lasted for half an hour before reaching a conclusion.

And the final method generally continued Jia Cong's thinking, only the Grand Court of Justice and the Embroidered Uniform Guard made additions and improvements based on their own situation.

After the three of them resigned from the Emperor, they went out of the palace to the Wumen together. Jia Cong was taking the palace carriage and had no self-used carriage, so he bid farewell to the two first.

Thinking of one thing when leaving, he said: "Two officials, I once encountered Prince Taiji of the Ordos tribe in the market."

"We had some conflicts and friction, but fortunately no situation occurred. Although this person is young, his city and scheming are not ordinary."

"The two officials are investigating the Remnant Mongol mission, and the Tuman tribe will surely bear the brunt. Please pay more attention to this person to avoid any omissions."

Wei Guanyao smiled: "This official and Commander Xu thank Count Lord Weiyuan for the reminder."

For Jia Cong, today the Emperor only let him enter the palace to give advice, and the investigation of the Mongol mission was still unrelated to him, so he could stay out of it.

But the encounter with Prince Taiji on Hanzheng Street that day caused a huge disturbance, and even Liu Binfang, the judge of Zhen'an Prefecture, had intervened.

This matter could not be hidden from anyone. Now that the Remnant Mongol mission was paid attention to by the Emperor, the Zhongche Division must have secretly reported this to the palace early.

Wei Guanyao, the Minister of the Grand Court of Justice, might not have heard of this, but the Embroidered Uniform Guard had eyes and ears all over the Divine Capital, and Xu Kun must know about this.

It was inconvenient for Jia Cong to say more in front of the Emperor when playing in the Ganyang Palace, so as not to lose etiquette.

But mentioning this to Wei Guanyao and Xu Kun afterwards was a pit that had to be filled, so as not to leave a handle in the future...

Xu Kun looked at Jia Cong's departing back, his eyes flickering slightly.

He said to Wei Guanyao: "Minister Wei, Count Lord Weiyuan has broken many important cases in Jinling, and his ability to investigate is well-known inside and outside the court."

"Today the Emperor summoned him to the hall to discuss matters. I thought the Emperor would let him participate in the investigation, or even let Count Lord Weiyuan coordinate this matter."

"I didn't expect the Emperor to just let him give advice in the hall, which was a bit unexpected."

Wei Guanyao smiled: "The Emperor might have had this intention, who knows. It's just that the Emperor values Count Lord Weiyuan, not because of his ability to investigate."

"Naturally, he doesn't want him to delay his energy because of this, hindering the important matters at hand."

"Besides, there is no specialized yamen for investigating the Remnant Mongol mission, and the Grand Court of Justice and the Embroidered Uniform Guard are also duty-bound." Xu Kun heard Wei Guanyao's words and naturally understood the hidden meaning in his words.

Jia Cong was valued by the Emperor, not only because of his wisdom in investigating cases, but also because of his ability to develop firearms.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao required Jia Cong to complete the construction of a thousand rear-loading firearms before the end of the year, and the secret decree was issued, and very few people knew about it.

Although Xu Kun was the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he knew nothing about this matter. Even if he heard the wind, he would never dare to send someone to investigate.

Although the Embroidered Uniform Guard had many eyes and ears, the Zhongche Division under the Emperor was even more magical. If they knew that their curiosity was too strong, they would likely face a great disaster...

But for the past half year, the firearm workshop in the east of the city had added guards from the Forbidden Army, and the Emperor had visited the workshop in person, which was quite solemn.

For a period of time, the carriages of the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue continued to transport personnel and materials to the firearm workshop before the east city gate closed.

Even if these things didn't need to be investigated, Xu Kun, as the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, knew it clearly.

He thought of the strange conversation between the Emperor and Jia Cong in the Ganyang Hall, and guessed that it must be related to firearm construction.

Wei Guanyao glanced at Xu Kun, feeling disdain in his heart. This Commander Xu actually feared Jia Cong, seemingly worried that the other party would restrain him.

He didn't figure out one point: Jia Cong was the Emperor's important minister and talent, and it was difficult for others to replace him. The Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was just an eagle dog, and someone else would do the same...

Xu Kun could think that Jia Cong must be undertaking important firearm tasks, and Wei Guanyao naturally thought of it long ago.

The reason why his words to Xu Kun were obscure and he didn't want to say it thoroughly was just the natural defensive heart of a civil official facing the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Rongguo Prefecture, Rongxi Hall.

Because the end of the year was approaching, the West Prefecture had become old, such as the backyard of Rongqing Hall and the small main room of the East Corridor of Rongxi Hall, which had been renovated.

Wang Xifeng thought that there would be many guests coming and going during the New Year, and Jia Cong would often receive old relatives of noble families in Rongxi Hall.

Because Jia Cong was now an official in the Hanlin Academy, the reputation of the Rongguo Prefecture was much better than before, and the facade outside was becoming more and more important.

Wang Xifeng took the opportunity of renovating the small main room of the East Corridor to repaint and renovate the entire Rongxi Hall, making it look more magnificent and solemn than before.

Hearing Wang Xifeng boasting in front of her, the Grand Matriarch became interested in visiting Rongxi Hall, and coincidentally Yingchun, Daiyu, and others came to pay respects.

The Grand Matriarch was a person who loved liveliness, so she naturally took her granddaughters to go together. Just as they reached the door, they met Lady Wang, and the maid behind her was carrying two gift boxes.

Seeing Lady Wang's posture, the old lady knew she must have something to do, so she took everyone back to the hall to talk.

After everyone was seated, the Grand Matriarch smiled: "Yesterday the East Prefecture sent betrothal gifts, I haven't had time to ask if everything went smoothly."

Lady Wang smiled: "I asked Yun Ge'er of the outer fifth branch to send them. This boy speaks cleverly and does things properly, so the matter went very smoothly."

"He said that Lady Xia was very happy and satisfied when she received the betrothal gifts, saying that our Jia family is worthy of being a Duke's family, and everything is very decent."

"Lady Xia and Xia Gu Niang both sent return gifts, specifically to honor the Grand Matriarch. I sent them to you early this morning."

The Grand Matriarch saw that one of the gift boxes contained a few pieces of top-grade silk, a pair of gold-inlaid jade bracelets, and two old wild ginsengs.

The other gift box was slightly smaller and more exquisite, which Lady Wang said was sent by Xia Gu Niang, containing a few boxes of exquisite snacks, two top-grade sachets, and a white jade longevity star offering peach ornament.

Although the things were not very expensive, they looked very decent and thoughtful, and the Grand Matriarch was very happy.

She had been rich and noble all her life and had seen all kinds of good things, so she didn't care much about what gifts others gave her.

It was just that Xia Gu Niang hadn't entered the door yet, and the mother and daughter of the in-laws were so thoughtful, thinking of her old woman in everything.

Originally, the Grand Matriarch felt that the Xia family's status was slightly lower, but the etiquette and conduct of the Xia mother and daughter were truly impeccable, and Baoyu could be considered blessed.

Wang Xifeng listened to Lady Wang's words on the side and smiled meaningfully. Second Lady chose a good person to handle the betrothal gifts for Baoyu.

This Yun Ge'er not only knew how to do things, but also knew how to be a person. Just yesterday, after the betrothal gifts were sent, the Fifth Sister-in-law of the corridor came to visit at noon.

At that time, Wang Xifeng was still drinking tea and chatting with her. Although this branch of Jia Yun had long since declined, they were still within the five clothes and were formal blood relatives, so the etiquette could not be neglected.

The two talked about some idle things, and the Fifth Sister-in-law mentioned her son helping Baoyu send betrothal gifts, and said a few good words about the Xia family's wealth and the luxury of the house.

When Wang Xifeng smiled and said that Second Lady had made a heavy move on the betrothal gifts, and the in-law Lady must be very happy, the Fifth Sister-in-law's face tightened.

Wang Xifeng was curious and liked to gossip, so seeing her situation, how could she not ask a few more questions.

The Fifth Sister-in-law then said: "To tell the Second Lady, Yun'er went to send the betrothal gifts, but Lady Xia's face was not good-looking, although her etiquette was thorough."

"It was as if she had encountered something unsatisfactory. Yun'er was also confused in her heart at that time. On such a happy day, the in-law Lady shouldn't have this kind of face."

"Yun'er didn't dare to mention this to Second Lady, otherwise sending betrothal gifts is a happy event, and if it makes people feel uncomfortable, it won't be easy to meet between relatives."

Wang Xifeng couldn't ask for the bottom line, so she couldn't ask more, and the two talked about other idle things, mostly about Baoyu's marriage.

Finally, the Fifth Sister-in-law said: "I heard that the maid in Baoyu's room is pregnant again, this is a good thing."

Wang Xifeng felt strange when she heard this and asked: "How did this matter in the inner chambers reach your ears?"

The Fifth Sister-in-law said: "Second Lady might not know, good things spread thousands of miles. Yun'er heard it from outside and came to tell me. Now the whole Ningrong Street is spreading it."

Wang Xifeng laughed when she heard this and didn't take it seriously. Lady Wang had a smile on her face, and the Buddhist beads in her hand turned slowly.

After the Fifth Sister-in-law left, Wang Xifeng came back to her senses. It must be this ghost-smart Jia Yun. He went to the Xia family to send betrothal gifts and received an ugly face from Lady Xia.

He couldn't figure out the reason for a while, so he naturally didn't dare to talk nonsense with Second Lady, so he must have figured out the reason after returning.

Baoyu's maid being pregnant was spreading all over the street. Lady Xia managed a huge royal merchant business and was a woman walking on the scene.

Could she not know the good deeds her son-in-law did?

This mother and son didn't even make it clear, just let her think of it, not leaving herself half a handle.

As for why she didn't tell her aunt, but came to tell herself in a roundabout way.

One is that this is just a guess, and since the Second Prefecture declined, the temper of her aunt has been heard by relatives.

Most of them won't sell people's favor after hearing it, but will be ashamed and angry.

So Jia Yun let his mother come to visit and sell her favor. Selling her favor as the Second Lady is much more practical than selling the favor of the Second Prefecture Lady.

As for the root cause, it is nothing more than that Third Brother Cong stands behind her...

It's just that Baoyu making the maid pregnant, how did it spread to the street? It's really strange?

Wang Xifeng saw her aunt talking enthusiastically with the Grand Matriarch, her face still carrying the glory of being honored, and she felt a bit gloating in her heart.

Suddenly she heard the maid outside the door say: "Second Master Bao is here..." (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 748 =====

Suddenly, she heard a maid outside the door say: "Second Master Bao is here..." (End of chapter)