Red Mansion and Crimson Pearl

Chapter 268 Physical Evidence

The Empress Dowager and Daiyu couldn't help laughing.

The Queen Mother urged her to knock: "Listen to this mouth that I have spoiled! It is getting more and more shameless!"

Tanchun held her hand and begged for mercy, and the empress dowager then hugged her and smiled.

Zijuan had already brewed the tea and brought it over with a smile, then asked Daiyu, "What would the princess like to ask the queen mother to eat tonight?

"Think about it earlier so that Sister Liu can go buy fresh ingredients."

When the Queen Mother heard this, her eyes lit up: "Can I buy some groceries? I want to go buy some groceries!"

Tanchun covered her eyes with her hands and tried to persuade him helplessly.

Daiyu smiled and spoke first: "If you had come to my place earlier, no one else would know, and it would have been okay quietly.

"Now the whole Suzhou Prefecture knows that the Empress Dowager is staying in my house. The prefect has also sent soldiers and servants to guard it.

"You may no longer have this freedom."

The Queen Mother was immediately disappointed and blamed the Supreme Lord: "It's all his fault, he's so mysterious and spooky."

Daiyu thought for a moment and then smiled and said, "How about this? It's too late today.

"Tomorrow, find an excuse to call the governor of Suzhou. I will discuss this with him and ask him to find a way out for us.

"It's not easy for us to walk around Suzhou city, so let's go somewhere further.

"I was thinking about packing up and returning to Beijing, so I was in a hurry when I went to Chenhu the other day."

At this point, he paused with a sigh and asked Zijuan, "Where are those pottery jars you bought from the temple the other day?"

Zijuan smiled and replied, "You said you would take it back to Beijing to give to the Empress Dowager and the County Lady, so you didn't unpack it. It's now in the east wing."

Daiyu hurriedly asked her to bring it over.

The Queen Mother and Tanchun were both curious: "Why? Did he bring gifts back to Beijing for us from there?"

"I saw it at first sight. It's very interesting." Daiyu smiled and waited for Zijuan and Qingwen to bring in the boxes. She opened them and took out everything to show the empress dowager.

When the empress dowager saw that they were actually some old painted pottery monkey jars and piglet pottery pillows, she fell in love with them immediately. She looked at them over and over again and couldn't let them go.

Daiyu continued with a smile, "In fact, there are many things in the temple, the water is also beautiful, and there is a town next to it, which is very lively.

"It's a pity that I only took one look and left.

“I heard that there are many places like this near Suzhou.

"Why don't we ask the prefect where the people are more honest and simple, and then go and take a look. What do you think?"

The Queen Mother could only nod her head repeatedly at this time: "Your way of playing is better than the one your Majesty used.

"He only knows how to ride horses and sail boats, and the scenery passes by in a flash!

"I just want to find some nice views, stay there and watch them for a few days. That's fun!"

A few people chatted and laughed, and the plan was made.

Sure enough, the next day, as soon as the empress dowager got up, she went to call the prefect of Suzhou over.

Daiyu smiled and advised: "I have official business to attend to. It must be almost noon before it's appropriate."

The Queen Mother was impatient: "It won't delay him much!"

Daiyu thought for a moment, then ordered someone to call Jia Jin in: "When you came out of the yamen that night, what was the most important business the prefect had on his hands?"

Jia Jin knew that the Empress Dowager was behind the screen, so he became even more respectful and polite:

"In reply to the princess, when I came out, I heard that Prefect Wei was looking for a quiet room in the government office to accommodate...Prince Beijing."

The room suddenly became quiet.

Daiyu didn't ask any more questions. After a pause, she wanted to let him go.

The Queen Mother immediately came up with an idea and called out to Jia Jin: "Your name is Jia Jin?"

Jia Jin hurriedly lifted his robe and knelt down: "Student Jia Jin, I pay my respects to the Queen Mother, may you live forever!"

"Well. It's just right. You can go and talk to that Wei, Wei what?" The Empress Dowager looked at Tanchun.

Tanchun shook her head and looked at Daiyu.

Daiyu smiled and said, "Wei Jun."

The Queen Mother: "Well, tell Wei Jun to report Shui Rong's situation to me. I'll wait for him here."

Jia Jin listened with bated breath and kowtowed again: "Yes! I will take my leave."

Go quickly.

The Queen Mother was filled with joy, and she also liked this man, and said with a smile: "Not all the people in the Jia family are stupid and useless.

"I think this is pretty neat. You call yourself a student, do you have any achievements?"

Daiyu hesitated a little, then looked at Zijuan, who looked at Xiaohong without saying a word.

When the Queen Mother saw them gathered together, she couldn't help laughing: "Why, Zhaoqing doesn't know?"

"How much can I think of? How can I remember so many things?" Daiyu smiled embarrassedly and pointed at Xiaohong.

"My girl is also surnamed Lin, and her name is Xiaohong. She is very smart and can remember everything. If we forget something, we just listen to her."

Xiaohong smiled and reported: "This Mr. Jin is a juren. The brother Wei who is traveling with us is a scholar.

"In the letter that Grandma Zhen wrote later, she also said that she would wait until Wei Ge'er passed the imperial examination next year.

"Let them go to the capital together to take the imperial examinations!"

At this point, the Queen Mother was in a trance for a moment, and then she remembered, "I remember that in this year's imperial examination, there were four people from the Rong Mansion who passed?"

Then he asked Tanchun, "Your brother didn't win, right?"

Tanchun lowered her head: "Yes."

"Your brother is young and ignorant, and really behaves like a bad boy. Do you still want to discipline him?" The empress dowager looked at Tanchun inquiringly.

Tanchun still lowered her head, and after a while she said, "I can't make up my mind."

Daiyu sighed for her and said, "She is now your adopted daughter, the Queen Mother.

“If she were to intervene, her biological father would be in the way. If Yimin didn’t listen to her, she would have no way to stop him.

"If we don't care, if this child gets into trouble outside in the future, I'm afraid they won't say that he is the young master of Rongfu, but will only say that he is Yimin's younger brother."

The Queen Mother nodded: "I know you are in a dilemma. But it doesn't matter.

"When we return to the capital tomorrow, I will ask the Supreme Lord to show him mercy and send him to the Imperial Academy to study.

"Give good instructions to the chief priest and the secretary. Even if he is not very talented, he is not that bad. Don't worry."

Tanchun had no choice but to thank him.

Daiyu looked at her and sat down next to the Queen Mother, saying with a smile, “That’s not necessary.

"The kid just needs a good beating. After that, he'll be quiet.

"What's the point of imprisoning them in the Imperial College? They are just a bunch of playboys, and they are only trying to cause trouble."

The Queen Mother laughed and then let go of her hand.

As they were talking, someone outside reported: "Prefect Wei is here."

The Queen Mother hurriedly ordered him to come in.

Wei Jun brought Guan Sheng with him and asked him to wait outside the hall. He went in and kowtowed in front of the screen.

The queen mother stood up and asked calmly, "How is Shui Rong?"

Wei Jun bowed and said in a deep voice: "Since Shui Rong was confined, he asked for a pen, ink, paper and inkstone, and he has been writing and drawing for a long time without stopping for a day and a night.

"I just finished writing this chapter this morning and asked you to pass it on to the Supreme."

As he spoke, he reached out from his sleeve and took out a memorial, holding it high: "I was just hesitating whether to send someone to present this memorial to the Supreme Lord on horseback;

"Let's send it directly to the capital for your inspection!"

The Queen Mother was stunned: "What did he say in the memorial that you are so careful?"

"Prince Beijing said that his original intention in coming to Suzhou was not to look for Princess Zhaoqing, but because he heard that new evidence was found in the case of the extermination of three families many years ago, so he came to see it."

Wei Jun still held the memorial high and lowered his head to answer, "The King of the North said that he has physical evidence of this case in his house in the capital!"