The Red Mansion: From a Small Pawn to a Leader

Chapter 71 February
Before daybreak, the gate of the Hall of Mental Cultivation slowly opened with a "click".

Two eunuchs in red robes were holding lanterns in front, and Dai Quan was following behind. They escorted Emperor Yongchang out and walked towards the Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Yongchang walked briskly while asking Dai Quan, "Is there no news from Hetao yet?"

Dai Quan: “No.”

Emperor Yongchang's face darkened.

Dai Quan sighed in his heart. With the victory, the Second Prince was carried away by the victory. He ignored the advice of Shanguogong Shi Guangzhu and went deep into the enemy territory. However, he neglected to be on guard. When he was pursuing the remnants of the royal court of the Ikh Zhao League, he was ambushed and defeated. More than half of the 3,000 elite cavalry were killed, and the deputy general of Yulin Town was killed in the battle.

If Duke Shan had not immediately ordered the general of Yulin Town and Xie Jing to lead their troops to search for the Second Prince's troops after receiving the 800-mile urgent message reminding the Second Prince not to "pursue a desperate enemy", and if the general of Yulin Town happened to arrive in time, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The military report was delivered at the end of the month. Today is the tenth day of February. Eleven days have passed without any news. He is very confident in the fighting power of Yulin Town, and he also firmly believes that the court will win the final victory, but he is still very worried that the second prince will do something weird again and drag down the entire army.

In a blink of an eye, the group arrived at the study.

After lighting the lamp on the imperial desk, Dai Quan waved to the two eunuchs in red robes. The two eunuchs blew out the lanterns and retreated.

Emperor Yongchang spread out the memorial on the table and prepared to review it.

He suddenly remembered: "How is the Gongyuan going?"

Dai Quan brought a copper kettle from the compartment, brewed some tea, and replied, "Everything is normal."

The Spring Examination is held every three years, on the 9th, 12th and 15th day of the second lunar month, with three sessions each lasting three days.

Emperor Yongchang picked up the tea bowl, drank a few mouthfuls in succession, and then put it down, and then said: "Keep a close eye on it, and make sure that no one will do anything that will hurt the country and the people, so as to remove a few decent talents for the court."

Dai Quan: “Yes.”

At this moment, a red-robed eunuch from the Imperial Household Department walked quickly and silently to the door and gestured to Dai Quan.

Dai Quan walked over.

The eunuch in red took out a stack of ink paper from his bosom and presented it to Dai Quan.

Dai Quan took them and looked at them carefully one by one.

Dai Quan was in charge of the Northern Pacification Office and the Imperial Household Department, and he was always aware of the actions of the officials in the capital. He had daily and monthly reports, and he knew everything about the officials in the capital. One day's report would record the situation of dozens of officials in the capital.

The sky gradually brightened, and a few rays of morning light shone through the window onto the imperial desk. Emperor Yongchang stood up, lowered his head and blew out the lamp on the desk, glanced at Dai Quan, and sat down again to read the memorials.

After reading the last page, Dai Quan thought for a moment, picked out one of the pages, walked back to Emperor Yongchang, and said softly, "Your Majesty, the daily newspaper that was just delivered is quite interesting."

Emperor Yongchang raised his head and said, "Oh?" He put down his pen, took it and took a look.

"On the ninth day of the second month of the fourth year of Yongchang, at the hour of Xu, Qiu Ying, the son of Qiu Duwei, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, had an argument with Feng Ziying, the son of General Shenwu, Han Qi, the son of the Earl of Jinxiang, Wang Li, the son of Wang Ziteng, and Xue Pan, a nominal merchant of the Ministry of Revenue, at the Jiaofang Division, and was injured by Feng Ziying."

The Jiaofangsi was actually a government-run brothel, but it only received princes, nobles and high-ranking officials. Most of the women in the Jiaofangsi were the wives of officials who had committed crimes and their descendants. They were registered in a special list and had been engaged in entertainment for generations, so they were considered to be of low status.

Emperor Yongchang frowned and said, "Since when can a merchant enter the Jiaofangsi?!"

Dai Quan: "Your Majesty, do you still remember Mr. Xue, the 'Ziwei Sheren'?"

Emperor Yongchang: "His descendants? Wasn't his family an imperial merchant of the Imperial Household Department? How come he became a nominal merchant of the Ministry of Revenue?" He was stunned when he said this. Wasn't it this Xue family that was demoted by the Imperial Household Department at his suggestion?
Dai Quan sorted out the memorials on his desk. Xue Pan's father had an extremely close relationship with the deposed crown prince. If he had not died early, the Xue family would not have been simply downgraded.

Emperor Yongchang suddenly remembered: "How did Wang Ziteng deal with the Jinling case?" Dai Quan replied: "I was just about to report to the emperor that the Jinling case has been sentenced. Under Wang Ziteng's instruction, the new Jinling prefect sentenced him to 'accomplice but not committing the crime', 100 strokes of the cane, and exile to southern Xinjiang."

Emperor Yongchang: "It's fair."

Dai Quan: “This.”

Emperor Yongchang: "What's wrong?"

Dai Quan: "Wang Ziteng found someone to replace Xue Pan and went to southern Xinjiang, and then let Xue Pan wait in the capital for the imperial court to issue a general amnesty."

Emperor Yongchang snorted coldly, but said nothing.

Dai Quan pretended to hesitate for a moment and said softly: "There is one more thing"

"Speak." Emperor Yongchang looked at him.

Dai Quan: "Wang Ziteng also wrote a letter to the chief official in charge of the selection at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, asking him to take care of the Xue family girl who was participating in the selection at the Ministry of Internal Affairs."

There were two types of selections during the Dashun Dynasty. One was a selection of concubines every three years, organized by the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Clan Affairs, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, specifically for selecting concubines for the emperor.

The other is the "one-year selection" of the Imperial Household Department. The Imperial Household Department is responsible for the household affairs of the emperor's mansion. The Imperial Household Department selects qualified women from the families of officials of the Imperial Household Department and imperial merchants to serve as female officials in the palace to serve the concubines of various palaces, or to accompany the princesses and county ladies to school. Of course, if you are lucky enough to be favored by the emperor, you can also become a low-level concubine.

Emperor Yongchang turned his face and asked Dai Quan, "Does the Ministry of Internal Affairs send women to the palace every year who are asked by those who have given benefits?"

Dai Quan: "In reply to the emperor, the Ministry of Internal Affairs smuggles several women every year, but they do not accept bribes. They are all commissioned by people with connections or who may help them in the future."

"Hum," Emperor Yongchang said, "This is worse than greed! They are secretly making friends with foreign officials. In a more serious case, it can be said that they are forming a clique. Investigate and spare no one who is involved in this matter! The chief official will be beaten to death, and the rest will be exiled to southern Xinjiang."

Dai Quan: “Yes.”

Emperor Yongchang: "Tell the other people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs that although the female officials selected are servants, they must be from honest and decent families. Also, send a secret decree to Prince Teng, telling him not to always think of seeking profit through crooked means and do something practical!"

Dai Quan: “Yes.”

Emperor Yongchang picked up the tea bowl as usual and thought, "By the way, how is Li Hu's military training going?"

Dai Quan smiled and said, "I am not speaking for Li Hu. He is really good at training soldiers. Even though he leads a group of young men to run and stand in formation all day long, the spirit and energy of those young men change every day. Several old generals saw this and said that if they train well and see blood again, they will not be much worse than the old soldiers."

Emperor Yongchang was surprised: "Really?"

Dai Quan: "Several old generals said so."

Emperor Yongchang nodded and said: "When the army is formed, you can go and see it yourself."

Just then, the chief eunuch on duty led the chief eunuch on duty at the Meridian Gate to the door, holding a military newspaper with chicken feathers stuck on it.

The eunuch on duty at the Meridian Gate said: "Your Majesty, a great victory at Hetao!"

Dai Quan strode over, snatched the military newspaper and ran to Emperor Yongchang.

Emperor Yongchang took the military report, tore open the seal and read it, then stood up from the dragon throne and said loudly: "Well done!"

In less than half an hour, the news of the great victory in Hetao spread throughout the capital. From the six ministries and nine ministers to teahouses and taverns, even peddlers and hawkers all knew about it.

(End of this chapter)