freenovelworld Chapter 951: Jia Mansion is Raided
Chapter 951: Jia Mansion is Raided
Just as Lu Cheng led the girls southward to Jinling, the city of Kyoto became increasingly chaotic.
Emperor Changtai's illness became more and more serious. He did not attend court for more than half a month. The three princes began to win over the troops of the Kyoto City Defense Battalion and the Five Cities Military Department, and the concubines in the harem also looked for a way out.
Not only that, the emperor who was unwilling to be lonely also began to contact various nobles, hoping to sit on the throne again. For a time, the whole city of Kyoto was in chaos.
Just when some officials in the court were busy taking sides and the retired emperor and the three princes were busy fighting for power, Emperor Changtai suddenly woke up, and his illness seemed to be cured all of a sudden. He immediately took the court to preside over the affairs of state.
Within one day, Emperor Changtai ordered the Jinyiwei to arrest a large number of civil and military officials and nobles who participated in the power seizure. The Jinyiwei rode everywhere, confiscating properties and exterminating families, and even the Jia family was not spared.
After the Zhen, Wang, and Shi families were successively raided and exterminated, the Jia family had lost its main political allies. Even if they did not take sides or participate, they could easily be bullied.
Moreover, Jia Zheng was the only member of the Ministry of Works left in the Jia family's officialdom, but he occupied mansions as large as the Rong and Ning mansions, and had the silver he had obtained from the previous reorganization of the servants. It was like a child carrying gold walking in a busy city, and he would easily be targeted.
On the eighth day after Lu Cheng left Kyoto by boat, the Jia Mansion in Kyoto was ransacked and Jia Zheng was taken to the Ministry of Justice for trial. Female relatives including Mrs. Wang, Mrs. Xing, Tanchun, Qin Keqing and young men including Jia Baoyu and Jia Huan were all sent to the Prison Temple for detention.
Not only that, even Yuanchun, who originally served as a female historian beside the queen in the palace, was implicated. She was sent out of the palace and imprisoned in the Prison Temple together with the female members of the Jia family.
Because Jia She and Jia Lian of Rongguo Mansion and Jia Rong of Ningguo Mansion participated in smuggling, the titles of Rongguo Mansion and Ningguo Mansion were removed in advance and their status was greatly reduced. This also affected Yuanchun in the palace, making Yuanchun, who should have been canonized as a concubine in the original work, always serve as a female official beside the queen. Later, when Wang Ziteng fell from power, Yuanchun never had a chance to rise again.
Who could have imagined that a family of officials that was so prosperous just a few days ago would suddenly become prisoners.
Although Wang Xifeng had driven out a large number of people when she reorganized the Jia Mansion, the masters and servants of the Rong and Ning Mansions still numbered more than 300 people in total.
With so many people imprisoned in the Prison God Temple, the temple was suddenly packed with people.
That afternoon, some ordinary servants in the mansion were sent to the South Gate Market to be sold.
In the Prison God Temple, Yuanchun and Tanchun were imprisoned together with their maids, while older people such as Lady Xing, Lady Wang, and Aunt Zhao were imprisoned in another place, as well as Qin Keqing and others from Ningguo Mansion. As for the younger generation of the Jia family, such as Jia Baoyu and Jia Huan, they were also imprisoned in another cell.
Only Li Wan, a chaste woman who had remained faithful to her husband for many years, and the young Jia Lan were spared and sent out of the Jia Mansion.
Fortunately, Li Wan was able to support Jia Lan with her savings from years of frugality. Moreover, Li Wan had some relatives and elders at home who could also take care of her.
On winter nights, the wind is cold and the chill is biting.
In the Temple of the Prison God, Yuanchun, Tanchun, Baoqin and Shishu were huddled together. On the wall behind them were paintings of all kinds of ferocious gods and evil spirits. In front of them was a wooden fence through which the wind let in. In their ears were the cries of the women of the Jia family.
At this moment, footsteps were heard outside, and then the voice of the jailer was heard: "Master Lei, please come in, the women of the Jia family are all here. The person Master Lei is looking for should also be here."
"Where is Jia Zheng's daughter imprisoned in Rongguo Mansion?"
"It should be in Room B-6. This way, please."
Yuanchun and Tanchun were startled when they heard the noise outside. They hurriedly leaned towards the corner and looked outside with some fear.
Soon, a tall, stern-faced man came here, led by the jailer.
"Master Lei, the two daughters of the criminal official Jia Zheng are imprisoned here. However, Jia Zheng is currently awaiting trial at the Ministry of Justice, and the specific verdict has not yet been issued, so these women cannot be moved."
"Liu the prisoner, I know the rules. I just came to take a look at them because of our past friendship and to give them some food and cotton clothes. Take this silver. In this cold weather, buy a few pots of good wine for the brothers."
"Then I won't be polite."
"Can I talk to them alone for a few words?"
"I'm afraid..."
"Don't worry, there's no need to open the cell door. I'll only be here for a quarter of an hour and then I'll leave."
"Well, I'll give Master Lei a favor. You guys, follow me out first."
When Yuanchun and Tanchun heard the conversation between the two, they both looked up at the strange Mr. Lei, wondering where he came from.
At this moment, the man named "Master Lei" had already arrived at the prison door: "Who is Miss Jia Tanchun? Here is a letter for you."
After hearing this, Tanchun hesitated for a moment, then stood up and walked forward: "I am Jia Tanchun, who is this gentleman?"
"Miss Jia will understand everything after reading the letter."
Tanchun took the letter and opened it. She immediately recognized the handwriting inside and was delighted: "It's Cheng..."
As soon as the words came out, Tanchun realized something was wrong. She quickly covered her mouth and read the letter quickly.
"Miss Jia, if you have finished reading, please return the letter to me."
"Thank you sir."
"Miss Jia, you don't have to be polite. Just call me Lei Peng. My master has arranged everything and we will start the action in the second half of the night. When the time comes, please point out those who need to leave with us."
"Well, thank you, Mr. Lei. I just don't know about my father's..."
"The prison of the Ministry of Justice is heavily guarded, so it is not advisable to force your way in. Well, time is limited, and I cannot stay any longer. These cotton-padded clothes are for you to keep warm first. Please fill your stomach first and wait patiently."
After Lei Peng left, Yuanchun approached Tanchun and asked quietly, "Third sister, what's going on?"
"Don't worry, sister. This is a good thing. We will be able to escape from the cage soon. Please be patient for now."
Soon, it was the early morning of the morning, the coldest time of the night, and most of the jailers in the Prison Temple had fallen into a deep sleep.
At this moment, a group of men in black suddenly came to the Prison Temple, quietly drugged all the jailers there, and took away all the cell keys.
The whole process did not cause much noise, and even the people in the Jia family who were imprisoned were not alarmed.
Immediately afterwards, several women in black clothes first came to the door of Jia Tanchun's cell and opened it.
Tanchun, who was well prepared, immediately took Yuanchun and two maids out of the cell.
"Miss Jia, there are too many people here. We can't take them all away. We won't be able to take care of the servants and maids..."
"Yes, I know. Please open the cell next door first..."
"No problem. Miss Jia, please point them out as soon as possible. There are also Type A No. 3 and No. 5..."
Soon, dozens of people were taken out of the Prison Temple. Each of them was given a cotton coat and put on, and they walked outside in a hurry.
After passing through an alley, the group immediately boarded the carriage and headed towards the south of the city.
After arriving at the south of the city, the group entered a courtyard and, served by a group of female disciples from the Xuanwu Hall, changed their clothes, disguised themselves, and prepared to leave the city.
At 3:30 in the morning, as the south gate of Kyoto opened, a caravan of merchants from the Cao Gang left the city. The city guards simply checked them out and let them pass...