Chapter 769: The Emperor

East of the Love Shenjing, Chunhua Tower.

Inside the elegant room, the candles burned brightly, the wine was mellow, and the food was fragrant. Jia Cong and Noyan Taiji raised their cups to each other, their conversation harmonious and highly congenial.

Because of Noyan Taiji's previous remarks, Jia Cong vaguely surmised that the three major tribes of the Remnant Mongols were not of one mind, but rather harbored disputes and disagreements.

He had originally wanted to use Noyan Taiji to peek into the root of the matter, which was the reason he had set aside his misgivings and was willing to drink with the other party.

However, there were some things he could not say, because Noyan Taiji was clever and shrewd, and it would be very easy for the other party to notice.

He could only wait for an opportunity in the other party's words and beat around the bush in a roundabout way to probe the other's secret thoughts.

Yet, as a prince of the Ordos tribe and one of the three major leaders of the Remnant Mongol mission, Noyan Taiji seemed not very interested in the matter of war or peace between the two sides.

Not a word or half a sentence was mentioned at the table; he only spoke to Jia Cong about the scenery of the desert, the setting sun over the long river, and the fast horses of the grasslands.

He also asked Jia Cong about his trips to Jin Ling and the beautiful scenery of Jiang Nan he had seen, expressing great admiration and longing in his words.

He often asked for the bottom of things regarding Jia Cong's descriptions of Jiang Nan's splendor, appearing full of zest.

It seemed he was very familiar with Jia Cong's past, but Jia Cong did not find this strange.

His own two trips to Jin Ling, his repeated solving of major cases, and his two imperial rewards were extremely glorious matters in the eyes of the common people, long since spread to every street and alley.

Noyan Taiji had been in the Love Shenjing for some time; it was not an abrupt thing for him to know about these past events.

Originally, he had brought some ulterior motives to this small drinking session, but since Noyan Taiji did not touch upon them, he naturally would not act rashly, just waiting for future opportunities.

Instead, Noyan Taiji's words were meticulous, his expression warm, and his storytelling smooth, which inadvertently stirred Jia Cong's interest in talking.

Past the hour of Xu, the wine was dry, the dishes were finished, the candle tears were half-spent, and they chatted and laughed over their drinks.

The two of them were actually quite satisfied; even Jia Cong felt it was a bit strange. He had originally held impure motives, but he had not expected that after three rounds of drinks, the flavor had completely changed.

When the two of them left Chunhua Tower, Jia Cong saw a carriage parked across the street with three men standing beside it.

Although they had all changed into Han clothing, two of them had imposing physiques, and Jia Cong could vaguely recognize that these two were Noyan Taiji's personal guards.

The third man had a thin build, a slightly hunched back, and wore a felt hat that covered most of his cheeks, his demeanor lacking any military air.

Although he could not see the man's face clearly in the night, Jia Cong could be certain that in the two times he had met Noyan Taiji, this person had not been among his guards.

That man stepped forward and said, "Taiji, Hu Ergan was worried about ruining your mood, so we changed into Han clothes and waited here to escort you back to the guesthouse."

Jia Cong cupped his hands and said, "My residence is some distance from here; I will borrow a horse for now, and tomorrow I will have a retainer return it to the Tongwen Guesthouse."

After Jia Cong rode away, Noyan Taiji still stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance, his expression unreadable.

The thin man said, "Taiji, this time the Great Khan sent us into the capital to negotiate peace, and he once said to let you make friends with the powerful in the capital."

"Although Jia Cong is a young hero, he is ultimately shallow in qualifications, and his official rank is not high; he had no part in this peace negotiation."

"Why does Taiji look upon him with favor and seem so exceptionally enthusiastic about befriending him?"

"The lowly one feels that those who control the power of the Great Zhou peace talks, such as Grand Secretary Wang Shilun and Minister of War Gu Yankui, are the true heavyweights of the Great Zhou."

Noyan Taiji said, "Shu Ergan, your words are not wrong, but people like Gu Yankui and Wang Shilun are either decrepit with age or have already lost their sharp edge."

"Moreover, these people are under the eyes of everyone, and they themselves are old and calculating; they would never befriend us deeply."

"They are either advanced in years or fixed in their views; even if we befriended them deeply, it would be of little help to us."

"But Jia Cong is different from them, because he is very young; only fifteen years old, yet he has been granted a title for military merit and is favored by the Emperor."

"Youth is his greatest capital; even the current Emperor of the Great Zhou cannot outlast him."

"Given his background and his ability, as long as he does not die young, in time, he will surely become a powerful minister of the Great Zhou."

"Eternal Heaven once left a proverb: the most powerful force in a wolf pack does not come from the mighty wolf king, but from the young wolf that has just left the den."

"Because the young wolf grows stronger with every passing day, while the mighty wolf king grows older with every passing day."

"Jia Cong can create magical firearms; he possesses strange ideas that ordinary people do not have."

"My mother once said that anyone with strange ideas and interests will have a broader mind and a vision that can better tolerate others."

"Ever since my two older brothers met with disaster, my father the Khan has been filled with worry and anger, and his health has been failing day by day."

"The life and death of the thirty Battalion Commander of the Ordos tribe, where we go and what we do—we cannot help but be cautious in everything and look to the long term..."

Love Shenjing, Ministry of Rites Jiaofang Division, Pipa Pavilion.

In the head instructor's room on the second floor, sandalwood incense curled, fragrant and refreshing. The lattice windows were propped open halfway, and the warm winter sun shone into the room.

Du Qingniang wore her hair in a high bun, unadorned by hairpins, dressed in a cyan Daoist robe, her bearing elegant and her appearance radiant.

She held a pipa in her arms, plucking and strumming slowly. A melody of "Spring River Flower Moon Night" flowed slowly from the strings, and the jade-adorned head of the pipa shimmered with a moist luster in the morning light.

The sound of the zither was at times clear and bright, at times winding and low, as if telling a story, and at times like a secret complaint, making people unconsciously lose themselves in it.

In the main hall on the first floor, the dancing girls practicing songs and dances, or the musicians tuning their instruments,

could not help but stop their movements, everyone sitting upright and standing still, listening to this pipa sound that was like heavenly music.

Du Qingniang's reputation once resounded throughout Jiang Nan; people called her the "Heavenly Sound of the Jade Pipa," and her great fame was by no means false.

Just as everyone was listening with delight, they saw a little maid in green hurriedly climb the stairs, heading toward the head instructor's room of the Pipa Pavilion.

When the little maid in green entered the room, the melodious and moving pipa sound in the room slowly stopped, the lingering charm seeming to circle the beams without dispersing.

The dancing girls and musicians in the main hall who were listening to the music felt a sense of loss as this heavenly sound came to an abrupt end.

Inside the head instructor's room, Du Qingniang put down the pipa in her hand and asked the little maid in green who had entered: "Yun Luo, you've come in such a hurry, is there something the matter?"

Yun Luo took a gray-white secret dossier from her sleeve and said, "Lady Qing, our secret agent at Chunhua Tower has just sent a secret dossier."

"It records that last night at the hour of You, Count Lord Weiyuan Jia Cong and Noyan Taiji of the Remnant Mongol mission drank together in an elegant room at Chunhua Tower, and the two left at the second quarter of the hour of Xu."

Du Qingniang's expression flickered slightly; she took the secret dossier from Yun Luo's hand and read it line by line carefully.

The secret dossier recorded: Last night at the first quarter of the hour of You, Jia Cong and Noyan Taiji led their horses to the shop and entered an elegant room of the 'Yi' grade on the second floor.

Noyan Taiji ordered fourteen kinds of dried and fresh fruits and vegetables, and two pots of cellar-aged Yutangchun wine. During the meal, their conversation was warm, and the intention to befriend was obvious.

Jia Cong's words were initially within the bounds of propriety. Because there were many customers coming and going, it was inconvenient to hear everything, but the two left the shop at the second quarter of the hour of Xu and returned separately.

The appendix of the secret dossier also recorded in detail the dishes ordered by Noyan Taiji.

Yun Luo said, "Lady Qing, Noyan Taiji is a prince of the Ordos tribe and one of the three major leaders of this Remnant Mongol peace mission."

"Jia Cong did not participate in this peace negotiation and has no official dealings with Noyan Taiji. Will he face criticism for drinking with this person at Chunhua Tower?"

"Should this secret dossier be reported truthfully?"

The reason Yun Luo asked this was that she knew Lady Qing had a deep master-disciple relationship with Jia Cong's elders, and the two had some bond of incense.

Therefore, Lady Qing had always been protective of Jia Cong; whenever Jia Cong made a request, she would always agree.

Now, the matter recorded in this secret dossier, although not yet a violation of the rules or an illegal act, would be somewhat troublesome if reported to the palace.

Du Qingniang pondered for a moment and said, "Chunhua Tower is a place where people come and go; many officials like to hold banquets and gatherings there."

"Now that the Remnant Mongol mission has entered the capital to seek peace, the three major leaders of the mission have official dealings with various government offices, and many people recognize them."

"Jia Cong's reputation in the Love Shenjing is resounding; ordinary people might recognize Jia Cong, but not necessarily Noyan Taiji."

"But there must be people in official circles who recognize him. If our secret agent could discover this, couldn't others discover it too?"

"This matter cannot be hidden in any case. The record in the secret dossier is fair enough; let's report it truthfully."

"Moreover, although Jia Cong is young, he has always been quite calculating, thoughtful, and cautious, leaving no handle for others. Do we think he wouldn't have thought of Noyan Taiji's sensitive identity?"

"He went in and out of the busy streets with Noyan Taiji, gathering for drinks without avoiding suspicion; he must have his reasons."

Yun Luo said, "Lady is right. In a place like Chunhua Tower, there are many people and many mouths; things have always been impossible to hide."

"Count Lord Weiyuan's reputation is now far and wide, and everyone is watching him. Even if we didn't report it, the palace could learn of it through other channels."

Du Qingniang suddenly asked, "Noyan Taiji and Jia Cong have nothing to do with each other; how did these two get involved?"

Yun Luo said, "Last month, the Zhen'an Prefecture sent a secret report. Although the matter was a bit lively, it was an ordinary affair."

"It just so happened that Lady received the Superintendent's order to let us closely monitor the movements of the Tongwen Guesthouse."

"If we could make gains from the Remnant Mongol mission before the Dali Temple and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Superintendent said he would definitely ask for credit from the Emperor. At that time, Lady was busy allocating manpower and painstakingly handling this matter, and I was also tied up with miscellaneous tasks, so I didn't pay much attention to it."

As Yun Luo spoke, she entered the inner room, pressed lightly on the display shelf, and opened a hidden bookcase on the wall, which was piled with many gray-white secret dossiers.

She searched slightly and pulled out one of them. Du Qingniang took it and read it carefully.

She said, "The secret report from Zhen'an Prefecture is recorded in great detail. Observing Noyan Taiji's words and actions, this person is quite calculating; it can be seen that he is deliberately befriending Jia Cong."

"Does anyone in the Love Shenjing office know the detailed background of this person?"

Yun Luo said, "None of the secret dossiers submitted by various places mentioned it. Lady, we are the Love Shenjing office and have always had very little involvement with the grassland people."

"This person is a prince of the Ordos tribe and an important figure among the Remnant Mongols. I imagine offices like Datong at the Nine Passes probably have detailed information on this person."

Du Qingniang said, "If offices like Datong have information on this person, the Superintendent must also have it."

"Submit this secret dossier to the Superintendent truthfully, and additionally, write to the Superintendent to request the relevant files on Noyan Taiji; I want to get to the bottom of this person."

Love Shenjing, eastern outskirts, Ministry of Works firearm workshop.

Although it was a day off from court, Jia Cong still got up very early. Before the sky was fully bright, he left the mansion and went to the firearm workshop.

Today was the final day for the construction of the five hundred breech-loading guns; the remaining twelve breech-loading guns would be completed, tested, and boxed today.

Today was a very important day for everyone in the workshop; their half-year of hard work had finally yielded fruitful results.

For the chief official of the firearm workshop, today was also very important for Jia Cong.

So even though there was no morning court today, and he could have had more intimacy with Wu'er who was on night duty, he still left the "nest of tenderness" early.

By the time he arrived at the firearm workshop, the morning light was already showing in the east, but the sky in the west was still a deep blue.

Inside the workshop, however, there was already a clamor of voices, with craftsmen walking back and forth everywhere.

He saw the workshop manager, Qian Huai, inspecting various workshops, either discussing with people or allocating manpower and materials, appearing busy.

Jia Cong knew that Qian Huai lived in the west of the city, which was further from the workshop than his own mansion.

But he had arrived earlier than himself, his dedication and diligence beyond reproach. His gaze toward this person became somewhat deep.

Not long after, the Vice Superintendent, Liu Shizhen, also arrived at the workshop. The few of them patrolled the various construction workshops, discussing workshop affairs with each other.

This was not limited to the construction of the five hundred breech-loading guns, but also how to add one hundred more before the end of the year, as well as subsequent construction plans.

It was originally expected that the testing and boxing of the remaining twelve breech-loading guns would be completed before sunset today.

But the actual progress was ahead of schedule; by noon, all five hundred breech-loading guns had been boxed.

As the news spread, the various workshops of the workshop were filled with cheers. The workshop's construction task for the year had been perfectly concluded, and the imperial court would surely have rewards and commendations.

Those craftsmen who had not stepped out of the workshop for half a year would be able to reunite briefly with their families and have a prosperous New Year.

Jia Cong's heart was also filled with indescribable joy, but when he saw Qian Huai in the crowd, a sense of vigilance arose in his heart.

He also thought of drinking with Noyan Taiji at Chunhua Tower last night, when someone outside the elegant room held their breath and stood still for a long time.

Noyan Taiji did not notice this at all, but Jia Cong's blade technique had reached the realm of "blade energy shaking objects," and his martial arts cultivation had entered the hall, his ears and eyes much sharper than ordinary people's.

He took the opportunity of going out to change clothes to calmly scare away the peeper. His conversation with Noyan Taiji had been about flowers, snow, and rain, with no handles to be found.

His official rank was now noble, his reputation was far and wide, and he bore the heavy responsibility of firearm research and construction; it was impossible for the palace not to pay attention to him.

The manager Qian Huai in the workshop and the peeper in Chunhua Tower were hiding a kind of cold scrutiny behind the illustrious glory.

While everyone in the workshop was still immersed in joy, Jia Cong entered his own room alone and quickly wrote a memorial.

He also ordered Qian Huai to write to the Ministry of War for verification. Once the Ministry of War verified the five hundred breech-loading guns, he would report the good news to the palace.

He also let Liu Shizhen handle the workshop affairs, while he himself had to leave the workshop to handle important matters.

Less than an hour later, he went to the Chengtian Gate of the palace, showed his official waist tag, and had the guards at the gate send a message to the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Not long after, a eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial arrived, and Jia Cong handed the written memorial to him for collection, to be presented directly to the palace that day.

Originally, only officials of Grade 4 and above had the right to present memorials directly to the Emperor. Jia Cong was currently only Grade 5 and should not have had this authority.

But when he performed meritorious service in Jin Ling, he was granted the right of direct memorial with the rank of Grade 8. In special circumstances, it was still very useful...

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

The Arhat bed in the hall was covered with red brocade embroidered soft cushions, set with silver-red gold-patterned pillows and large gold-patterned mattresses, looking very rich and luxurious.

Jia Mu sat on the couch with a smile on her face, wearing a pink-collared dark blue patterned satin jacket, a snow-green stand-up collar coat, and a ginger-yellow horse-face skirt with red gold floral satin.

Two large hollowed-out Tai-blue incense burners were placed on both sides of the hall, burning silver frost charcoal inside, with Suhe incense added, emitting a warm and fragrant scent.

On the armchairs on both sides sat Yingchun, Daiyu, Seeing Tan Chun, Shi Xiangyun, and other sisters, with Xichun sitting in the last seat, playing with a cloth doll and enjoying herself.

Yingchun said, "Grandmother, yesterday Cong's friend sent some freshly hunted game. Besides things like wild chickens and rabbits that just left their nests, there was also a whole spotted deer."

Jia Mu laughed, "The game in the forest is fattest in this season. That friend of his is quite knowledgeable, knowing to send game at this time."

"Wild chicken soup is a good thing for nourishing the lungs, and venison is a top-grade product for replenishing vital energy, which both adults and children can eat."

"This whole spotted deer is even more valuable; you can't buy it even with silver. The ones you buy outside are all scraps, and they have lost their freshness."

"This friend of Cong'er's is not vulgar. Is he a young nobleman from the capital who went hunting outside the city?"

Yingchun replied, "Last night Cong was invited out for drinks and didn't return to the mansion until dark. He didn't say which family sent the game."

"But he returned on horseback last night, and before leaving the mansion for his office this morning, he had a little servant return the horse to the Tongwen Guesthouse."

"I imagine it was probably a treat from an official at the Tongwen Guesthouse; it's hard to say."

"Before Cong left the mansion this morning, he had a maid pass a message to me, saying to choose some game to honor Grandmother, and also to nourish Second Sister-in-law after her childbirth."

"I have already had the kitchen cut up a whole deer leg, and three cleaned wild chickens, and have already had them sent to the West Mansion kitchen."

Jia Mu laughed, "You've prepared quite a lot of things; how much can we few women and children eat?"

"Since you are all here today, stay for a meal at noon. Let the kitchen make us a venison feast, and we'll have a good time for half a day."

Jia Mu also said to Feicui, "Go call Baoyu to come over for a meal together; he's just sleeping at home alone anyway."

When Yingchun, Daiyu, and the others heard this, their expressions were all somewhat uncomfortable. A few days ago, Baoyu had spouted nonsense outside Rongqing Hall, and they had all heard it with their own ears.

It was one thing for Grandmother to keep them for a meal, but why call Baoyu over? It would just be awkward for everyone to see each other.

But since Jia Mu had already spoken, Yingchun, Daiyu, and the others could not say much, just planning to muddle through a meal and leave.

Rongguo Mansion, Baoyu's courtyard.

The room was filled with the warm breath of the incense burner. Because of the incident Baoyu caused last time, there were no precious antiques on display in the room, but all kinds of daily necessities were still filled with wealth and luxury.

Although Jia Mu could not give Baoyu antiques anymore, all other living supplies were of the best quality, and there was no shortage for Baoyu at all.

Because these were not major matters, Wang Xifeng could not argue with Jia Mu, so she could only endure it for now, just waiting for Baoyu to marry in March next year, and then he could get lost quickly.

Recently, Baoyu's preferences had also changed a lot. The furnishings in the room were becoming more and more soft and luxurious, not like a young man's bedroom, but more and more like a young lady's boudoir.

The original pine-smoke green bedding had all been changed to red brocade, and the moon-white dark-patterned bed curtains had been changed to pink double-embroidered floral gauze curtains.

At this time, he was leaning on the couch, flipping through a copy of the *Zhuangzi*, appearing bored.

Last time he spouted nonsense at the entrance of Rongqing Hall, he happened to be heard by Jia Cong and Yingchun.

That day, the usually gentle Yingchun looked at him with an unprecedented coldness, which made Baoyu feel flustered and ashamed in his heart.

Thinking of it now, he still felt a tremor in his heart. Even the gentle Second Sister had become like this; he didn't know how the other sisters would be.

"In this world, no one understands me after all," he felt unbearable grief in his heart. For the past few days, he had been hiding in his room, actually somewhat afraid of meeting his sisters.

He repeatedly read that sentence in the *Zhuangzi*: "Those who are incapable have no desires." He was somewhat yearning for it, as if he had instantly found some relief.

Suddenly, he saw Grandmother's maid, Feicui, come in and say, "Bao Er Ye Bao, Grandmother has obtained some wild chicken and venison today, and there will be a feast at Rongqing Hall at noon."

"The young ladies from the East Mansion are all there, and Grandmother wants you to go over and eat together." (End of chapter)