Mother Jia said that the white-haired person was sending the black-haired person away. She didn't know why, but she felt all kinds of discomfort in her heart. She couldn't help but think of Miaoyu who had lectured on Buddhism together in the morning, and told Yuanyang: "Go and call the queen.
Master Miaoyu from the Huayuan Nunnery, come over and read a scripture to Brother Zhen."
Yuanyang responded softly and hurried away.
Not long after, Mrs. Wang, surrounded by maids such as Jin Chuan, Yu Chuan, Caiyun, Caixia and other women, led Baoyu into Rongqing Hall. Not far away, Yuanyang, Miaoyu and a little girl followed closely.
back.
"old lady."
As soon as Mrs. Wang entered the Rongqing Hall, she greeted Mother Jia with an ugly face and a clearly evil look in her eyes.
Jia Mu nodded towards Mrs. Wang, looked at Baoyu, and called her over.
Baoyu exclaimed in shock: "Ancestor, why did your grandson just listen...that Brother Zhen is dead?"
He used to go to Dongfu frequently, but since Brother Zhen went there, it was inconvenient for him to go to Dongfu.
Jia Mu sighed and said: "The bad news just came from Jingzhao Yamen. Your elder brother Zhen died of a malignant disease in Lingnan. Brother Rong went to Xuanzhen Temple outside the city to inform Brother Zhen that I have gone."
, let’s take care of the funeral first.”
Baoyu looked blank and murmured: "Brother Zhen has always been healthy, why did he suddenly die of a serious illness?"
Mrs. Wang said coldly: "Brother Zhen is only in his early thirties. He is in the prime of life. He has only been to Lingnan when something unexpected happened!"
As soon as these words came out, Jia's mother's face changed and she hurriedly said: "Baoyu mother, what nonsense are you talking about? It turns out that brother Zhen is ill-fated. Lingnan is thousands of miles away. Who can do anything to him?"
These words can be said randomly, implying that the methods used by Brother Heng of Dongfu are not better, if it is really...impossible, Brother Heng will not be so ruthless, and he always has to worry about his reputation.
Jia Mu frowned and said: "Lingnan has always been a bitter place of exile. Brother Zhen cannot bear the pain of exile, and his body cannot bear it. It's just that his life is poor. How can he blame others?"
It was not easy for Mrs. Wang to argue with Jia's mother. She expressed her doubts about Jia Zhen's death from illness in the South, and the servants in the palace helped her secretly gossip and add fuel to the flames. This was her real purpose.
Mother Jia felt unhappy and did not want to talk to Mrs. Wang anymore. She turned to Miaoyu with kind eyes and said, "Master Miaoyu, I would like to help you recite some salvation scriptures."
Miaoyu is wearing a moon-white monk's robe, tied with a blue brocade belt on her head. This gives this female nun a fresher and more elegant temperament. After hearing Jia Mu's words, Miaoyu is as cold as frost.
There was a trace of compassion on his face and he said, "You're too polite, old man."
As he spoke, he read the scriptures.
The little girl who brought it handed the sandalwood box to Yuanyang, who sprinkled it in the incense cage and burned it. Strangely enough, the aroma spread out and made everyone in the Rongqing Hall feel better.
Much calmer.
Miaoyu read the scriptures for a while, and then someone from Lin Zhixiao's family came in and said, "Old lady, madam, Uncle Heng is here."
Miaoyu, who was reciting the scriptures to herself, paused for a moment, opened her bright eyes, and continued to close her eyes. The wooden fish was in sync with the recitation of the scriptures.
Jia Heng entered the hall, listened to the sound of wooden fish, glanced at Miaoyu, ignored her, cupped his hands towards Jia's mother who was sitting on the Arhat bed and said, "Old lady."
Mother Jia sighed, her complex eyes fell on the young military attache who was wearing a python suit and a jade belt around his waist, and said, "Brother Heng, here you go."
Jia Heng spoke again: "My condolences, old lady."
Jia Mu sighed and said: "I have watched Brother Zhen grow up, but now he is gone, alas..."
Sister Feng took over the conversation from the side and asked: "Brother Heng is the clan leader, how are the funerals of the clan members handled now?"
Even though Jia Zhen was convicted of a crime and lost her title and was exiled to Lingnan, Jia Heng did not summon her clan members to remove Jia Zhen's clan membership.
Firstly, it was to show tolerance, but secondly, it accidentally ended up exchanging clan memberships and making people laugh at each other.
Jia Mu heard Sister Feng's question and listened attentively.
Mrs. Wang glanced at Jia Heng, holding a tea cup in her hand and looking indifferent.
Jia Heng said: "My father-in-law gave me a sum of money and asked Brother Rong to go south to support the spirit and bury it properly in the ancestral land of Jinling."
After hearing this, Jia Mu thought for a moment, nodded and said: "Beijing is thousands of miles away from Lingnan, so it is really not suitable to travel back and forth. People say that fallen leaves return to their roots, and it is only natural to return to their ancestral home for burial."
From the bottom of her heart, she didn't want to carry Brother Zhen to the capital for funeral arrangements anymore. Without him, it would be too embarrassing.
But it is obviously much more appropriate to send them to their ancestral land for burial.
Even if Jia Zhenke dies in a foreign country, there is no need to raise the mourning of Rong Ning and the second house. It is best to deal with the matter in a low-key manner.
Jia Mu thought for a while and then said: "Over there at Xuanzhen Temple, the next day, you can go with Brother Rong. Brother Zhen is also a sensible person."
But she remembered what Mrs. Wang Cai said just now. Although she didn't think that the young man in front of her had done anything secretly, there was no guarantee that Brother Zhen and I wouldn't think the worst of people and cause some embarrassment, which would make everyone look bad.
Jia Heng nodded, agreeing.
It was also time for him to meet Jia Jing to see if he was really confused or just pretending to be confused.
Seeing everything in order, Jia Heng turned to Miaoyu, mentioned the purpose of his visit, and asked: "Old lady, sister Xichun and sister-in-law You are in the East Mansion. They suddenly heard the bad news, and they were depressed. They thought of calling the monks to make a show.
Regarding the ritual, I heard that Master Miaoyu, who is a guest in Xifu, is very effective in magic. I want to invite him to the mansion to read some scriptures. I wonder what Master Miaoyu wants?"
Miaoyu was startled when she heard the words. She couldn't help but stop chanting sutras, slowly opened a pair of clear and cold eyes, and followed the sound to look at the young man.
What caught his eye was a pair of eyes as sharp as swords, cold as lightning, a clear face, and a calm expression.
Miaoyu lowered her gaze slightly, clasped her palms together, "Amitabha."
Jia Heng heard the Buddha's name, nodded to Miaoyu, looked at the nun, and asked: "I think this must be Master Miaoyu. It turns out that he is an immortal and has a graceful appearance."
The female nun wears a wonderful bun, a moon-white monk's robe with plain sleeves, and an autumn-colored silk ribbon tied around her waist. Her cheeks are fair and rosy, she has no make-up, and her temperament is cold, exuding an aura that repels people from thousands of miles away.
Jia Heng couldn't help but think of the record of Miaoyu in the original work. She was originally the daughter of an official family and a native of Suzhou. She was sick when she was young. She bought many substitutes but they didn't work. She didn't grow up until she became a monk, and then her family fell into decline.
.
Maybe he lingered for a while to look at her, and the bright autumn eyes under the beautiful jade eyebrows were raised, and he looked at the handsome young man opposite him who was wearing a python suit without showing any signs of weakness, and his voice was like a cold plum blossom in a mountain temple.
After the ice water melted, Yu Daiwa's voice was cold and silent: "The poor nun has met General Yunhui."
Miaoyu naturally knew Jia Heng's name.
Jia Heng smiled softly and said, "I wonder if Master Miaoyu has troubled me to come to his residence to chant sutras and be saved?"
In fact, he didn't want Miaoyu to have too much contact with Xichun, and he might be led into a ditch by Miaoyu.
But Xichun usually seldom talks in the house and has few friends with whom she can talk.
In short, he still felt a little conflicted.
Miaoyu looked indifferent and said: "The monks are compassionate and willing to chant sutras."
Here, watching this scene, the expression on Baoyu's face changed like the moonlight in the Mid-Autumn Festival, and his heart sank to the bottom of the valley.
Whenever he came home these days, he felt that the house was empty. When he looked for anyone, he found that his eldest sister, third sister, sister Yun, and sister Lin had all gone to Dongfu.
He could only go to his aunt's courtyard to hunt for Sister Bao, but Sister Bao had not been feeling very well these past two days. She closed the door to thank guests. Finally, such an unusual monk came here. Instead of talking about Buddhism, he only felt enlightened by the bells in the morning and the drums in the evening.
I feel like I regret meeting you too late.
But are we going to Dongfu again?
Jia Heng nodded and said, "Master Miaoyu, come with me."
Miaoyu responded, turned to look at Mrs. Wang and Jia Mu, stood up with one palm, and saluted: "I'll go first, poor nun. This incense is for soothing the gods. If the old lady doesn't sleep well at night, you can light it."
Some."
Jia Mu smiled and said, "Just go."
Jia Heng and Miaoyu left Rongqing Hall and walked along the Chaoshou veranda, holding lanterns.
Jia Heng looked at the nun aside and said, "I have a sister who is cold-tempered and withdrawn. Although she is young, she often wants to escape from the world. Zen Master Miaoyu would like to advise her to be more open-minded and cheerful."
This is of course a vaccination in advance, allowing you to persuade her, but not allowing you to take her to become a monk.
Just the words "cold and lonely" fell on Miaoyu's ears, but she felt a little uncomfortable in her heart.
I'd say she's average.
Miaoyu whispered: "General Yunhui..."
Jia Heng said: "Since we are at home, Master Miaoyu can just call me Uncle Heng."
…
…
But he said that the Ning Mansion reported the news of Jia Zhen's death in the south to the Black Throttle Courtyard where Jia She lived.
In a private courtyard in the southwest corner, Jia Rong, Jia Lian, and Jia Qiang were drinking and mingling.
Jia Rong is handsome, with a fair face, flushed from drinking. Although this former uncle Xiao Rong of Dongfu moved to another house, he only used food, clothing and utensils because of Jia Mu's special care and Jia She's intentional promotion.
There are too many, but I don't have an old man above me who is always swearing, so I feel much more comfortable than before.
Jia Rong asked with a smile: "Second Uncle Lian, it's not a problem that you don't go home often. Isn't it possible that the elder is still worried about that matter?"
Speaking of which, I feel envious. He hooked up with his concubine without saying a word, and even got a concubine in his house.
Jia Lian was wearing a purple headscarf and a plain round-collared robe decorated with bamboo and brocade. He was drunk and his cheeks were red. He said: "That matter has already passed. The eldest man rewarded Qiutong because he saw that I was able to do things well."
Got me."
"Besides, the business that the eldest master is doing cannot be separated from me even for a moment. How can it ever annoy me?" Jia Lian picked up a peanut, put it in his mouth, and said with a smile.
Jia Qiang smiled and said: "Father and son have no overnight feud."
Jia Lian smiled and said, "Brother Qiang is right."
Jia Qiang picked up another wine bottle and poured a glass for Jia Lian. With a smile on her handsome face, she said, "Second uncle is doing a big business. I wonder if I can bring some nephews with me to make a profit?"
In the past few days, he had seen Uncle Lian in front of him, with so much money that he seemed to have endless money to spend, and he was really envious of him.
I think Jia Qiang is also an upright great-great-grandson of Ning Mansion.
Jia Lian glanced at Jia Qiang's handsome face, and there was a surge of anger in his lower abdomen. He smiled, walked closer, took a breath of alcohol, and said in a confidential manner: "It's not easy to find out the details of this business. Wait until I figure it out."
Come on, my second uncle will help you become a big one."
Because after winter, the grassland suffered a snowstorm, and Jia Lian heard about business opportunities in Yunshuo and took advantage of the situation to purchase a batch of wine from Shanxi and sell it to the grassland, making a huge profit.
The deer antlers and mink skins originally exchanged were resold to northern merchants at high prices. This move made Jia She very happy, and he praised Jia Lian a few words, and the original incident of hooking up with Qiu Tong was written off.
As for Jia Lian, as the manager, he was much richer. This was the reason why Jia Lian was enjoying life outside during this period and did not return home for a long time.
Of course, with more money, my heart became a little lively. I thought it would be nice to set up a business secretly without telling Jia She and get all the money.
But there was no one in hand, so he focused on Jia Rong and Jia Qiang.
It's just that Jia Lian has always been safe and ready to plan slowly.
Facing the envious looks of Jia Rong and Jia Qiang, Jia Lian raised the wine cup, raised his head and drank it, and said with a smile: "I have finally understood that a big man cannot be without power for a day, and a young husband cannot be without money for a day. I
I can't do the work of working hard in the army, licking blood from the edge of a knife, and I can't do the work of killing for an official. I can only do some business and make more money... But Brother Rong, you are different.
Young man, you can go to the capital camp. I heard that the tribesman who found many concubines went to the capital camp to work hard."
This was a deliberate attempt to provoke Jia Rong.
If Jia Rong had the courage, he would not end up in this situation.
Jia Rong said with a bitter face: "Second Brother Lian, how can I have that ability? I'm going to the army, if there is a horse that is too high and the pedal is short..."
Jia Lian smiled and said: "That's right, Xue Datou is still lying on the bed these days, right?"
When everyone heard this, they couldn't help laughing.
Jia Rong chuckled and said: "Last time he dragged five and six people, and I don't want my butt to explode in the blink of an eye."
Hearing the word "butt blossom", Jia Lian's smile faltered and he felt a little uncomfortable. He picked up the wine cup and drank.
After several people laughed for a while, Jia Lian said: "Brother Rong, you are not young now. It's time to start a family and start a business."
Mentioning this matter, the smile on Jia Rong's face gradually faded away, and she became a bit gloomy, and her eyes became a bit violent, saying: "Which of the decent and good people nowadays would like me, the son of a criminal official?
"
If it weren't for the one from Dongfu, he might still be the one who held the title of Ningguo. Uncle Xiaorong, how could he be alone now and have no choice but to live here.
Jia Lian gently patted Jia Rong's shoulder, both comforting and warning: "Brother Rong, don't worry, I will talk to the eldest master when we get back and settle your marriage as soon as possible. You will still be here for the rest of your life.
Don't do stupid things, wait until you have a family and do business with me."
"Thank you, Uncle Lian, for taking care of me." Jia Rong suppressed the irritability in her heart, raised the wine cup to Jia Lian, and said, "I would like to propose a toast to Uncle Lian."
Jia Lian smiled and drank.
He lowered his voice again and said: "That second prince is becoming more and more powerful now and is at the height of his power. He just took care of Prince Zhongshun's palace not long ago."
This is a rumor that Jia Lian heard from a group of princes while he was drinking flower wine. It may be ironic that the sons of the powerful in the capital, because of the growing power of Jia Heng, the leader of the Jia clan, gave him a lot of money in banquets and entertainment.
Jia Lian has a lot of face.
When Jia Rong heard this, her expression changed slightly and she said, "Prince Zhongshun... is so impressive."
Jia Lian smiled and said: "No, he is now the famous man in front of the Holy Emperor in the palace."
Jia Rong looked around and whispered: "Second Uncle Lian, don't you... blame him? That incident with the Sanhe Gang..."
Jia Lian's expression froze, he frowned and said, "Brother Rong, I was careless that time and didn't care about other people's affairs."
Jia Qiang listened to the conversation between the two, but just picked up the wine bottle and poured wine for them.
Jia Rong felt a sense of powerlessness in her heart.
That's right, who wants to go against that person? It's just that the unwillingness and resentment hidden deep in his heart are getting stronger and stronger.
At this moment, noises came from outside, "Uncle Xiao Rong, something happened."
Not long after, an old servant came in. As soon as he entered the drunken wing, he met Jia Rong's questioning eyes and said, "The master is gone."
Jia Rong didn't react for a moment, put down the wine cup and asked: "Who hasn't..."
Then he stood up suddenly, as if struck by thunder, his body swayed, and he held on to the table to steady himself.
...his father is gone?
"Jingzhao Yamen came to report that the master died of illness in Lingnan, and Uncle Heng asked Uncle Xiaorong to go to Xuanzhen Temple to report the funeral."
Jia Lian was also startled. He put down the wine cup, his face changed for a moment, and he said: "Brother Rong, my condolences."
Jia Rong looked sad and was about to say something.
Suddenly, someone else came to report: "Uncle Xiao Rong, the second master asked you to come over."
Jia She obviously also learned the news of Jia Zhen's death and called Jia Rong.
Jia Rong hesitated and said: "Second uncle."
"Let's go, I'll go over and take a look at the situation later." Jia Lian waved his hand, his heart heavy.
He and Jia Zhen were friends who had gone to prostitution together. Suddenly hearing that Jia Zhen had passed away, it was inevitable that he would feel sad.
Jia Rong didn't say much, and went to see Jia She first with a sad face.
In Jia She's study, Jia She and Mrs. Xing were sitting, their faces as frozen as ice.
Just like Mrs. Wang, Jia She's first thought was that Jia Zhen had been killed.