The Red Mansions

Chapter 1681 Jia Heng: It doesn’t seem to be very fun.

Chapter 1681 Jia Heng: ...It doesn’t seem to be very fun.

Palace Garden, Funing Palace

Concubine Duanrong had lush hair tied up in a bun, a slender neck, and was beautiful and bright. She was wearing a gorgeous peach-colored palace dress, which made her skin look as white as snow, and her temperament was even more noble and elegant.

On the west side of the warm room, the windows are bright and clean. On a lacquered wooden table, you can see a blue and white porcelain vase from Jingdezhen, emitting a faint glow.

Chen Ze was wearing a round-necked Shu brocade robe and sitting on a red lacquered wooden armchair. He was holding a military book with a light yellow cover in his hand. He lowered his head with an extremely focused expression.

On a summer morning, the dazzling sunlight shone through the carved wooden window lattices onto Chen Ze's face. There was a heroic spirit lingering between the young man's brows.

"Mother, the guards outside the palace are getting stricter now." Chen Ze put down the book in his hand, raised his handsome face, looked at Concubine Duanrong, and said worriedly.

Concubine Duanrong frowned, and a look of worry appeared in her bright eyes. She said, "Your brother-in-law should be on guard against you now."

Chen Ze's handsome face was covered with a thin layer of frost, as dark as mysterious water.

Concubine Duanrong thought for a moment and said, "If this continues, you and I will be like being trapped in a cage in the palace."

Chen Ze said: "Don't worry, mother. Right now, the government and the people are quite dissatisfied with the ruling of the king of Wei. The loyal officials and righteous men inside and outside the government dare not speak out. They are just waiting for the loyal officials and righteous men to speak out. Mother, please wait patiently."

Concubine Duanrong sighed and said, "Gao Zhongping, Li Zan and others were killed by your brother-in-law one after another. It is not easy for others to accomplish their goals without soldiers and generals."

Chen Ze's pair of clear jade eyes beneath his sword-like brows were soft and gentle as he said, "Mother, that's not entirely true. Now we just need a leader to lead the uprising."

Concubine Duanrong said, "It's hard to find a person who can lead the rebellion. You have to act in secret now. Don't let your brother-in-law's people get any evidence against you. Otherwise, you and I will be in a more difficult situation in the palace."

Of course, things are already quite difficult now. Fortunately, Queen Song is in power in the palace, and the palace people dare not openly disrespect Concubine Duanrong and her son.

Chen Ze nodded, his eyes darkening, and said, "Don't worry, mother. I will be careful."

Concubine Duanrong looked at the handsome young man and said, "Ze'er, you are not young anymore. Wait for your elder sister to come over. Mother will discuss with her and arrange a marriage for you."

Chen Ze is now at the age of marriage, and it is time to discuss the marriage. Besides, Chen Ze is alone and weak now, and he needs his wife's family to help expand his power.

Chen Ze suddenly said, "Mother, if you are asking about marriage, I hope to marry the daughter of the Shui family, the Prince of Beijing."

Hearing this, Concubine Duanrong was surprised and asked, "Are you interested in the girl from the Shui family?"

Eight or nine years have passed since the 14th year of Chongping to the first year of Qiande. The young girl in the Beijing Wang family has now grown into a graceful young lady, waiting to be married.

Because she inherited the fair skin of her mother Zhen Xue and the handsome appearance of Beijing Prince Shui Rong, Shui Xin, although she has just come of age, has already shown the beauty and elegance of a fairy.

Chen Ze's snow-white face showed some unnatural expression. He said, "Mother, Shui Xin's father is the Prince of Beijing. I think if I want to ascend to the throne again in the future, I may be able to make use of the power of the Shui family of Prince of Beijing in the army."

"Shui family?" Imperial Concubine Duanrong thought for a moment, and her snow-white face showed a strange expression. She asked, "But you are still a generation away, right?"

Then, Concubine Duanrong's fair and delicate face paused slightly, and a sparkling light seemed to flash in her bright eyes. She said, "But these are not very important. We can indeed rely on the power of the Shui family in the future."

Prince Beijing Shui Rong is not only one of the four princes, but also a minister of military affairs. Even in front of Jia Heng, his words carry a lot of weight.

Chen Ze nodded, his resolute and calm face paused slightly, his cold and bright eyes flickered, and he whispered: "Mother, let's ask someone to invite my sister to the palace to discuss this matter."

Ever since Chen Ze met Shui Xin at the coronation ceremony last year, he fell in love with her at first sight and has never forgotten her ever since.

Concubine Duanrong laughed and said jokingly: "This is too hasty, let's talk about it tomorrow."

Chen Ze said, "Mother, I miss my elder sister a little bit, so let's make it as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Concubine Duanrong smiled and said, "Then I will ask someone to invite your sister to the palace now."

As he spoke, he called over a female official standing beside the curtain and said, "Go to Princess Jinyang's residence and invite Princess Xianning over."

The female official responded and then turned and left.

Not long after the female official left, while the mother and son were talking, a tall maid quickly entered the warm room and whispered, "My lady, the Prince Wei is here."

The mother and son, who were originally talking and laughing, suddenly lost their smiles on their faces.

After a while, the young man in the python robe came quickly from outside, with a rare look of sadness on his face. He came closer and bowed, saying, "Your humble servant greets the Concubine Rong."

Concubine Duanrong was usually good at observing people's expressions. She caught the change in Jia Heng's expression and asked curiously, "Prince Wei is not in Hanyuan Hall chatting with the ministers. What is he doing here?"

Jia Heng's face was gloomy, and he said in a cold voice: "In Jiangnan, the King of Wu and Hao Jiru and others in the Jiangnan officialdom have already rebelled."

"Why did they rebel?" Concubine Duanrong was shocked and asked.

A thoughtful look appeared on Chen Ze's handsome face, and an inexplicable feeling surged in his heart.

Jia Heng looked at Concubine Duanrong and was stunned for a moment.

My mother-in-law's face originally looked a little cold and beautiful, but at this moment, it actually looked plump and lovely.

Jia Heng sorted out his words and explained, "King Wu of Jiangnan and some civil officials rebelled and wanted to support the country and help Ze'er ascend the throne."

Concubine Duanrong and Chen Ze: "..."

When Concubine Duanrong heard this, she couldn't help but feel ecstatic. Two faint blushes appeared on both sides of her snow-white face because of her excitement.

Chen Ze was overjoyed and couldn't hide the smile on his face.

Jia Heng looked gloomy and said in a bad tone: "The Queen and Ze'er seem very happy."

Well, the smiles on the faces of this mother and son are harder to suppress than AK.

Hearing this, Concubine Duanrong's expression faded a little and she asked, "Zi Yu, why do you say that? I am just a little surprised. I don't know why the King of Wu in Jiangnan would rebel?"

Jia Heng did not pursue the matter further, saying, "In name, he is supporting the Han Dynasty, but in reality, he is pursuing his own selfish interests."

Concubine Duanrong was surprised and asked, "Zi Yu, how are you going to deal with this?"

Jia Heng stared at that cold and beautiful face, and was surprised. He asked, "Is Concubine Rong trying to gather information for the rebels? To tip off the rebels?"

Chen Ze's eyes were filled with anger, but he suppressed his anger and said, "Brother-in-law, my mother is just concerned about the Han Dynasty."

Jia Heng sneered and said in a deep voice, "You are not concerned about the Han Dynasty, but you want to take advantage of the chaos in the south to make a profit. However, even if the King of Wu enters the capital, he will only be the emperor himself, and will not make wedding clothes for others. At that time, it may be worse than now. At least for me, the queen is still Xianning's mother, and Ze'er is still Xianning's brother."

Concubine Duanrong's snow-white face paused for a moment, her beautiful eyes sparkling under her willow-shaped eyebrows softened slightly, and she said, "Zi Yu, what nonsense are you talking about? When will we..."

Could it be that the King of Wu is also a traitor?

Jia Heng said, looking at his brother-in-law Chen Ze beside him, chuckled, and said, "What do you think, Ze'er?"

Hearing that "contemptuous" sneer, Chen Ze was so angry that he could not suppress it, and said: "The King of Wu and those people in the Jiangnan officialdom may have been deceived and thought that the treacherous ministers controlled the government. That's why they united and wanted to lead troops to the capital to wipe out the treacherous villains."

"The people in the Jiangnan camp and the Jiangnan officialdom are colluding with each other. With complete military forces, they are heading south to attack the north. It's possible that they could set up a small court in Nanjing." Jia Heng said in a cold voice with a grim expression.

Turning his head to look at the elegant concubine whose skin was as white as a pear blossom, a strange feeling welled up in his heart.

This...mystery is revealed all at once, which doesn't seem very fun.

He waited for a while, letting Concubine Duanrong and Chen Ze be expectant and happy for a while, then he poured a basin of cold water on them, and then solved the mystery, causing Concubine Duanrong and Chen Ze, mother and son, to feel a sense of despair from the bottom of their hearts.

Concubine Duanrong's slender, white hands were already clenching a handkerchief, and an indescribable expectation was welling up in her heart.

Jia Heng raised his eyebrows and said loudly, "Madam Rongfei, I still have things to discuss with the cabinet military affairs, so I won't stay here any longer."

While speaking, he stood up and went to the outside.

Concubine Duanrong raised her eyebrows and watched the young man in the python robe leave the palace. A hint of doubt appeared on her snow-white face. She said, "Ze'er, what do you think your brother-in-law meant by saying this?"

Chen Ze's snow-white face seemed to show a trace of thought, and he said, "Mother, I think you are worried that there will be trouble in the harem again."

Concubine Duanrong's jade-like face was covered with a layer of worry. She said, "Your brother-in-law is very scheming. Gao Zhongping, Li Zan and other famous officials are no match for him. I always feel that something is wrong."

After all, he had experienced the previous incident of Li Zan's manipulation of the throne and was already aware of Jia Heng's methods.

Chen Ze stood up, paced back and forth, and said, "Mother, there is nothing we can do now. We can only wait and see what happens."

Concubine Duanrong hummed softly and said, "Ze'er, you are right. It is not appropriate to act rashly now."

As for Jia Heng, after expressing his expectations to Concubine Duanrong and his brother-in-law, he left the Funing Palace leisurely. After thinking for a while, he decided to go see Zhen Qing and Chen Jie.

Palace Garden, Palace Center, West Warm Pavilion——

Zhen Qing was sitting on a wooden couch near the window. At this moment, the dazzling summer sunlight shone through the window lattice onto the beautiful woman's plump and graceful body, and the golden-winged phoenix crown on her bun was shining brightly.

Not far away was Zhen Xue and a beautiful girl in a pink dress. It was none other than Shui Xin.

Shui Xin has reached marriageable age. Her snow-white face has become rosy beneath her lush green hair.

Zhen Qing's emerald eyebrows, her white and snowy face paused slightly, her eyes were deep, and she whispered, "It's hard for you two to have time to come down and see me today."

Zhen Xue said: "Sister is usually alone in the harem and bored."

Zhen Qing sighed quietly, then looked at Shui Xin and said softly, "Xinxin, you are already so old, it's time to talk about marriage."

Zhen Xue said softly, "Sister is right. I am worried right now as well."

Zhen Qing's beautiful face showed an "auntie" smile, and she said, "If Jie'er wasn't still young, if Xinxin was promised to Jie'er, it would be a closer relationship."

Zhen Xue chuckled when she heard this and said, "Sister, Jie'er is only a few years old now, it's too early."

"Yes." Zhen Qing said in a low voice with her beautiful eyes soft and moist under her emerald eyebrows.

Shui Xin, who was sitting not far away, had a fair and tender face that was as rosy as a rosy cloud. She held a handkerchief in her slender hands, and an indescribable worry welled up in her heart.

A blurry figure was reflected in the girl's heart, and judging from the facial features, it was Jia Heng.

The so-called girl's feelings are always poetic.

Jia Heng is only about 22 years old now, and to Shui Xin, he is more like an older brother.

The two sisters were chatting about family matters at this moment. At this moment, a graceful and beautiful female official walked into the warm room quickly and said softly, "My queen, the prince Wei is here."

When Shui Xin heard this, her beautiful eyes, soft and slightly curved under her slender eyebrows, became crystal clear, and an indescribable joy surged in her heart.

After a while, the young man in the python robe entered the warm room and looked at the two sisters Zhen Qing and Zhen Xue.

Shui Xin stood up, bowed and said, "Godfather."

Jia Heng smiled and said, "Xinxin is here too."

My goddaughter has now grown up, and now she looks very beautiful and pleasing to the eye.

Shui Xin slowly stood up, her sparkling eyes sparkling with surprise and joy, and she called out sweetly, "Godfather."

Zhen Xuening looked at him, her pink lips slightly parted, and she said softly, "Zi Yu, are you done with the things outside?"

Jia Heng nodded and said, "Come and see you."

Then, Jia Heng turned to look at Zhen Qing who was standing beside him, and happened to meet a pair of eyes full of resentment. He whispered, "Where's Jie'er?"

Zhen Qing took over and said, "Jie'er has gone to Hongwenguan to study and practice calligraphy."

Jia Heng was silent for a moment, then said, "It's a good idea to study now."

Shui Xin sat aside, staring at the young man in the python robe intently, her eyes sparkling with a charming look.

Zhen Qing's cold and clear face was covered with a thin layer of frost. She said shyly, "When did you pay attention to Jie'er?"

When Jia Heng heard this, his heart was moved and he asked, "What do you mean?"

At this moment, Zhen Xue's snow-white face suddenly changed a little. She turned her snow-white face and looked at Shui Xin who was not far away. She said, "Xinxin, go to the side hall first."

Shui Xin came back to her senses, pursed her slightly pink lips, and without saying anything else, turned and left, but a feeling of inexplicable surprise welled up in her heart.

What did my aunt and mother say when they were looking for my godfather?

On this side, Jia Heng looked warm and smiled at Zhen Qing, saying, "Why are you so angry for no reason?"

To some extent, the two of them are an old married couple.

Under Zhen Qing's emerald eyebrows, a hint of shame and anger appeared in her charming eyes. She whispered, "How can I not be angry? I stay in this palace every day and never see you. You have become a widow."

Jia Heng walked closer, sat down, and said, "It's not that I'm too busy outside, so it's inevitable that I can't take care of it. I can't always take care of everything."

Upon hearing this, Zhen Qing snorted softly from her straight and delicate nose, and a hint of resentment could be seen in her charming eyes. She whispered, "I'm afraid that there are too many children in the backyard, and they have long forgotten about me and Jie'er. Since we can't take care of everything, let's just focus on the important things first."

Apparently, just now, during her conversation with Zhen Xue, Zhen Qing had already learned the news that all the concubines in Jia Heng's backyard were pregnant.

At the beginning, Zhen Qing thought that her son Chen Jie was Jia Heng's eldest son, so she couldn't help but feel a little arrogant.

Jia Heng heard this and asked, "How is that possible? Jie'er is my own flesh and blood. How could I not treat him well?"

Zhen Qing said unhappily, "You just say nice things."

Jia Heng walked closer, gently put his arm around Zhen Qing's shoulders, looked at her snow-white face, and said softly, "Okay."

Zhen Qing's snow-white face flushed, and she said softly, "What do you mean by making Jie'er a vassal king?"

Under Jia Heng's sword-like eyebrows, his pair of bright and shining eyes were full of light, and he whispered, "This is still under preparation. It won't be too late to talk about it later."

Zhen Xue said softly, "Sister, Ziyu has finally come here, so don't argue over these trivial matters."

Jia Heng said: "Xue'er is right, Xue'er, it's been a long time."

As he spoke, he took Zhen Xue's slender hand, looked at her bright and beautiful face, and said softly, "Xue'er, let me see."

As he spoke, he gently embraced Zhen Xue's slender shoulders, looked at her slightly pink lips, and without saying anything else, he moved closer and covered her with his hands.

Without saying anything else, I just absorbed the sweet and refreshing breath.

Under Zhen Xue's beautiful head, two blushes appeared on both sides of her snow-white face. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and a trace of joy surged in her crystal clear heart.

It seemed like almost a year had passed and Zi Yu had hardly touched her.

Of course, it was also because the two of them had no chance and Zi Yu was busy with things outside.

Zhen Qing's jade-like face paused for a moment, she stared at the young man in the python robe and snorted.

Being intimate with his sister in front of her and ignoring her on purpose, this is...

Jia Heng raised his sword-like eyebrows, his eyes flickered, and he said, "I almost forgot about you."

As he spoke, he put his arm around Zhen Qing's shoulders, leaned close to the beautiful woman's lips, and grasped her moist lips.

Zhen Qing snorted softly, and her beautiful face, as pure as snow, was covered on him. Suddenly, her beautiful face turned red like a rosy cloud due to shame.

This bastard, he said he had forgotten her, he did it on purpose.

Afterwards, the two embraced and kissed, and Zhen Qing's bright face was already covered with a blush, which was indescribably beautiful.

After a while, Zhen Xue's delicate body almost turned into a ball of mud, and she said in a trembling voice: "Zi Yu, let's go to the warm room inside."

Jia Heng said "hmm" and embraced Zhen Xue's plump body. Then, he looked at Zhen Qing who was breathing softly not far away.

Zhen Qing's jade-like face was also flushed, her eyebrows were as green as ink, and her eyes were as bright as water. She said, "Why don't you lend me a hand?"

Jia Heng said, "You won't follow me. Besides, it's been a long time since Xue'er and I saw each other."

Zhen Xue's delicate and straight nose seemed to let out a sweet hum, and her beautiful and bright face was as rosy as a cloud. She just let Jia Heng control her and followed Jia Heng to the bedroom.