The Famous Detective of the Red Mansion

Chapter 464: Thick Foundation

| On the first day of August. |

Within the Capital, there were thousands of people in the alleys and at the entrance of the vegetable market.

The 629 people implicated in the ”Dragon Root Case,” regardless of age or gender, all died under head knives. Even a few days later, the long street seemed to still be filled with uproarious cries of injustice.

On the seventh day of August, autumn rain continued.

Sun Shaozong walked out of Xiangling’s room early in the morning and reluctantly left the house. Until the carriage stopped outside the government office, he was still thinking about his daughter, who had just turned ten days old.

On July 27th, Xiangling successfully gave birth to a daughter. Originally, she looked quite healthy, but unexpectedly, on the first day of August, she suddenly developed a low fever, which lasted intermittently for four days.

This tiny baby, unable to take medication, could only use physical cooling methods, but could there be any results?

Watching his daughter's chubby little face, she soon lost her shape, and Sun Shaozong began to feel sorry for her. He guarded her all day without saying anything and even, for the first time, invited Taoist Zhang, who was humble and upright, to his home for a ritual.

This was mainly Ruan Rong's idea. She suspected that it was the unjust ghost of the ”Dragon Root Case” that caused trouble to the children. Although Sun Shaozong didn’t believe in ghosts and gods, when the disease was urgent and he sought medical attention, he couldn’t care much about it.

Strange to say, that Taoist had a magical act, and the child's illness improved. In the past two days, not only did the low fever have subsided, but her appetite was much better than before.

It was precisely because of this that Sun Shaozong had the leisure to take orders and prepare to submit the list of autumn dues to the Jinmen Mansion. As early as August was almost over if he didn't send the list again, he might not be able to catch up with the comments of autumn dues.

Of course, Sun Shaozong would choose to go to the Jinmen Mansion for official work at this time because he had been increasingly close to the Crown Prince recently. Since he accidentally saw the Crown Princess' intimate clothes that day, the Crown Prince sent people every three to five days to comfort him. A few days ago, he even sent a whole cart of tonic medicine to the child.

When he arrived at the government office, he ordered someone to move the list of the autumn verdict to the carriage and then went to the courtyard of Jia Yucun to apply for the certificate of a clerical officer sent this time.

With the complete collapse of Han Anbang and the vague speculation that Sun Shaozong played a crucial role in the ”Dragon Root Case,” Jia Yucun became increasingly enthusiastic about Sun Shaozong and no longer had his usual collusion.

This time, there was no exception.

When Sun Shaozong arrived at his courtyard, he had already been waiting at the door. Before Sun Shaozong could come forward and salute him, he hurriedly welcomed him and asked with concern, "Dear Brother, after Taoist Zhang's treatment, has the niece's condition been repeated?”

The look in his eyes, the trembling beard, and the subtle expressions on his face seem to have improved again!

As Sun Shaozong pretended to be moved, he bowed and said, "Your Excellency, thanks for your concern. She’s now all right; otherwise, I would not have gone south to Jinmen at this time.”

“That's good, that's good.”

Jia Yucun breathed a sigh and, holding hands, invited Sun Shaozong into the hall.

After the guests were seated and the fragrant tea was laid down, Jia Yucun held back and said sternly, "Actually, I thought you should have gone to Jinmen Mansion for a while now.”

Upon hearing him mention official matters, Sun Shaozong quickly stood up again and said, "I have been delayed in submitting the list of autumn decisions due to family matters. It is indeed...”

Sigh.

Jia Yucun shook his head to interrupt his speech, lightly patted his chest, and said disapprovingly, "Ask yourself, who is selfless in this world? I have no intention of blaming you, just standing from the perspective of those who have come over, trying to remind me of something.”

Sun Shaozong saw the seriousness of what he said and knew that he had been trying to make good on himself recently to firmly take over the position of the Minister. He shouldn’t be aimless.

So he also put away his official tone and solemnly arched his hand, saying, "Please give me your advice, Brother.”

“Advice? I can't even say so.”

He then heard Jia Yucun's inappropriate answer; he said, "You used to sail north with me and naturally knew that I was an official in Jinling Prefecture. Do you know how many officials in Jinling Prefecture have been transferred to the Capital this year?”

“This…”

Sun Shaozong was asked inexplicably, how could he know about the transfer of officials from Jinling Prefecture?

However, Jia Yucun didn't want him to answer either. After a brief pause, he continued, "In the past year, a total of seven officials have been transferred from Jinling to the Capital city. There are two officials above the sixth grade and five officials below the sixth grade, each with six literary and one martial arts.”

As he spoke, he reached out and tapped lightly on his black hat, calmly saying, "What was the promotion of these seven people? When did they arrive in the Capital for their assignment? What family members did they bring? Whether they had a difficult livelihood in the Capital or had a family, their character, appearance, talents, preferences…”

“I remember everything clearly and dare not forget it at all times.”

“Similarly, if encountering any difficulties in the Capital, I am naturally one of the candidates they come up with for help. Although I may not be the first choice, I will never be ranked lower.”

Upon hearing this, Sun Shaozong had roughly guessed what Jia Yucun was about to impart his own experience. In summary, it could be summarized in two ways; “Forming a party!”

It was obvious that Jia Yucun regarded officials from the Jinling officialdom as natural party members. Although not everyone might be able to follow his wishes and obediently adhere to his banner, it shouldn’t be difficult to win over most of them with his innate advantages.

But what did it have to do with him?

He has never been a serious parent official but firmly controlled the Criminal Department. However, it was pure wishful thinking to incubate officials in batches from within.

Just as Sun Shaozong was puzzled, Jia Yucun leaned forward slightly and said, "The number of officials transferred from various prefectures to the Capital in this world has always been at the top of the list in Jinling. Do you know who this number one scholar is?”

“Is it from the Jinmen Mansion?”

This was not too difficult to guess. If someone excelled in his work far away from the Capital, and the deeds couldn’t be heard by the Emperor or important officials, what was the use of it?

Jinmen Prefecture has the advantage of being close to the water and having a good reputation, so once it has a good reputation for performance, it is naturally easier to get promoted and transferred than an outsider.

But…

Sun Shaozong couldn't help but smile bitterly and said, "What does the promotion of officials have to do with me?”

“Originally, there shouldn't have been any relevance.”

Jia Yucun shook his head and said with a smirk, "But your big trouble at the beginning of the year may not have left with much greater prestige in the Jinmen Mansion than the foundation I laid in the two prefects of Jinling.”

“Moreover, the Magistrate of Jinmen Prefecture was just transferred a month ago, and the new Magistrate is a close life and death friend of mine.”

A close relationship between life and death?

Upon hearing this, Sun Shaozong couldn't help but blurt out, "Has Xiang Yi been promoted to the position of Magistrate of Jinmen?”

Among the friends he met in Jinmen at the beginning, Xiang Yi and Jia Shanyao could be considered close friends of life and death. Although they had also gone through life and death together, they were hierarchical and not considered close friends of life and death.

A few months ago, because Zhao Wutong, a member of the Jinmen Mansion, was found to be involved in the Korean envoy to expose the culprit behind Zhou Ruqing's case and had been dismissed, investigated, and brought back to the Capital, Xiang Yi was transferred to the Jinmen Mansion, replacing Zhao Wutong as the member of the Jinmen Mansion.

In the beginning, Xiang Yi wrote a letter specifically to Sun Shaozong about this, pouring bitter water on him. He said that he was the Second Master of Cangzhou Prefecture who was well-behaved and was simply transferred to the Provincial Capital to become a flattery official.

Who could have imagined that after only a few months of hard work, he was promoted to the position of Magistrate of Jinmen?

Tch!

Speaking of the Zhou Ruqing case, it was his contribution that was the greatest, but to this day, only he remained in the same position.

It seemed that being a young and promising person might not necessarily be a good thing!

Sun Shaozong was feeling depressed when he heard Jia Yucun smile and said, "That's right, it's Lord Xiang who took over the position of Magistrate of Jinmen Prefecture.”

“Nowadays, the position of Governor of Zhili was temporarily taken over by the Cabinet, and all government affairs in Zhili Province are temporarily under the control of the Chengxuan Political Envoy's Office. And this Chief Political Envoy, Lord Su, is not unfamiliar to me.”

Naturally, it would not be unfamiliar!

That guy was at both ends of the line, watching Zhou Ruqing rebel with money and only entered at the last minute at the urging of Xiang Yi, which was truly futile.

It was only when Sun Shaozong was seriously injured that he found it difficult to take care of his actions. He was afraid that if he pushed that guy too hard, he would end up with a net of fish. Therefore, he had to cover up for him in the joint memorial and even shared some credit with him.

As a result, Lord Su not only owed Sun Shaozong his favor but was also held in his hands.

In this way of thinking, the two officials in charge of the provincial government in Jinmen have extraordinary relationships with Sun Shaozong. In addition, with the prestige of taking over Governor Zhou Ruqing and killing the prosecutor in the street, Jinmen Prefecture was indeed a place where he thrived.

Especially since the Capital was adjacent to the Jinmen Prefecture, once there was anything, it was not beyond their reach.

Seeing Sun Shaozong's gaze flickering with a hint of intention, Jia Yucun smiled again and said, "Although it is not advisable to form a clique for personal gain, how can one stand firmly on the court without the help of a few like-minded friends in one's official life?”

“You have already established a prominent reputation in the Jinmen Prefecture and have a good relationship with the political envoys and prefects. Being able to participate in the Crown Prince case with the approval of the Emperor is a testament to the immeasurable future of the Emperor.”

“This ”power” and ”momentum” are already in place. To go to Jinmen Prefecture, you only need to select a young man to show kindness and righteousness, and then you can set up a big flag in Jinmen Prefecture with the opportunity.”

“In the future, all you need to do is keep an eye on the dynamics of the official scene in the Jinmen Prefecture and treat the officials in the Jinmen Prefecture with both kindness and authority. Why worry about officials from Jinmen who are not loyal to you?”

“Furthermore, if there are suitable candidates around me, I might as well send them to Jinmen Mansion to lay a solid foundation.”

“If one can achieve the goal of not being in Jinmen but hearing the name of you everywhere in Jinmen, there will be a place for you in this court in the future.”

After listening to this long-term plan, Sun Shaozong was excited by what he said.

Immediately, he bowed and said, "Indeed, it's better to listen to your words than to read for ten years. This Sun has been taught today.”

“Haha.”

Jia Yucun chuckled and waved his hand, saying, "It's just some empirical talk. If it weren't for you who hasn't served as a local official, you might have already become familiar with it. Why should I bother?”

As he spoke, he stood up and solemnly saluted, saying, "I used to be an old man with shallow eyelids. It's ridiculous to insist on competing for power and profit in the Central Judicial Office.”

“Now, in retrospect, if I were to share the same boat with you, what would a mere Central Judicial Office be?”

Just listening would be enough. If it weren't for securing the position of the Minister at the moment, how could he have made every effort to show favor to Sun Shaozong?

However, the idea of cultivating power in the Jinmen Prefecture did have some feasibility. If the Sun family wanted to develop and grow in the court at present, what was missing was not the upper-level relationship but the foundation of the middle and lower levels.

Especially a few days ago, before Jia Zheng left, he revealed a message with a hint of jealousy; “The Emperor is highly likely to grant Sun Shaozong the position of Left Counselor of Zhili Political Envoy.”

Although this Left Councilor was only from the Fourth Rank, he was also considered a pivotal figure in the Political Affairs Department. He could not only inquire and comment on any government affairs in Zhili Province but also assess the authority of local officials.

Although Sun Shaozong's main task in the future might still be to oversee the Criminal of the Central Judicial Office, with this position of Left Counselor, participating in the affairs of Jinmen Prefecture would be justified.

As expected, his Big Brother would be stationed in Jinmen Prefecture to train soldiers before the end of the year, and there would also be a lot of involvement with Jinmen Prefecture at that time.

As long as the operation was done properly, it shouldn’t be a problem for one to sing a white face and the other to sing a red face and seize the opportunity to win people's hearts.

Also…

Listening to the meaning behind Jia Zheng's words, it seemed that he still wanted to match Xue Baochai with him.

If he could marry the Xue family and take advantage of Xue Pan's father-in-law, Minister Wang's tiger skin of the Ministry of Personnel, he would be twice as successful in handling affairs as Prince Zhongshun’s. It would be extremely useful to use it to deceive people, but trying to win over people seems to be lacking in value.

“My good brother? Good brother?”

As he was pondering over what he had, he heard Jia Yucun's puzzled call. Sun Shaozong then remembered that he had not yet responded to his kindness and quickly stood up and bowed to the end, saying, "What Brother said is exactly what I wanted! Brother, now that spring and autumn are in full swing, a third grade is to be confirmed. Although I am not talented, I can easily change into a red robe this year.”

“How can the prospects of you and me be limited by just the Central Judicial Office? Instead of fighting against each other for petty gain, we work together and compete with others in the court in the future.”

Upon hearing this, Jia Yucun immediately looked very excited. He stood up and took a few steps forward, lifted Sun Shaozong, tightly clenched his wrist, and with tears in his eyes, he said, "Dear Brother...”

Sun Shaozong couldn't cry like that, so he had to turn around and tremble, saying, "Brother...”

Eh?

Does this script seem familiar?

It seems like it has been staged before.

Bang!

Sun Shaozong was roasting in the bottom of his heart while trying to pretend to be excited, but the door of his room was suddenly pushed open heavily. A small official rushed in hurriedly and cried excitedly, "My Lords, something... something..."

“Get out of here!”

Jia Yucun saw this great ”lyrical atmosphere” was unexpectedly disturbed by him. He angrily rebuked him.

To his surprise, the petty official refused to obey his orders. Instead, he swallowed hard and shouted, "Something big has happened!”

It seemed that he couldn't even care about his dignity or future. Jia Yucun and Sun Shaozong glanced at each other and asked in unison, "What's the matter? Come quickly?”

“Yes... It's Assistant Magistrate Wei.”

They then heard the young official excitedly say, "Assistant Magistrate Wei took advantage of his rest yesterday and went out of the city with his friends for autumn hunting, but he was careless... careless…”

Upon hearing him stumbling again, Jia Yucun couldn't help but chase after him and ask, "What happened to Assistant Magistrate Wei?”

The petty official shook his head like a rattledrum and stuttered, "No... It wasn't Assistant Magistrate Wei who had an accident; it was he who accidentally shot the son of Duke Yongyi... to death.”

What?!

Sun Shaozong and Jia Yucun were immediately stunned.