The Assistant Military Council was accused of being greedy for beauty and ordered the confiscation of Ningrong Mansion.

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Chapter Two: The Grand Council's Advisory Committee's Investigation of the Qing Palace and the Search of Ningrong Mansion
. Hongzhou entered the inner hall of the Grand Council. All the Grand Council
officials rose to greet him according to protocol. Hongzhou waved them off and entered. He saw three men gathered around a desk in the side hall, dressed in the robes, boots, and hats of first-rank officials. They all rose to greet him;
these were the Grand Council ministers on duty that day: Ma'erkang, Ma Qi, and Zhang Tingyu. After exchanging pleasantries, Hongzhou
sat idly on a chair with a fox fur cushion on the north side, listening to the three men continue their discussion. He found it both laughable and
lamentable . To someone from the past, things like the Miao region's conversion of hereditary chieftains to imperial officials, the unified taxation of Henan gentry
, and the etiquette of the English envoy's audience were nothing but old clouds and smoke of the past. Life was but
a dream , and compared to the fleeting years and the ceaseless flow of rivers, these so-called national affairs seemed almost comical, not worth
mentioning, and of no interest to discuss.
Zhang Tingyu mentioned that an imperial censor had impeached the daughter of Longkodo, a disgraced official who had been forced into slavery in the Imperial Household Department.
Hongzhou listened only briefly, and was astonished by the Qing court's strict rules. It turned out that Longkodo had been convicted for several years without a verdict. Even if
Yongzheng didn't punish him, he would release him, but his entire family had already been enslaved. He was taken to Prince Bao's residence,
while his eldest daughter was sent to the Imperial Household Department. For some reason, she hadn't served them well, which had led to the imperial censor's impeachment. Hongzhou
reflected on the Qing dynasty; these imperial censors truly controlled the princes above and influenced public opinion below. Although their words were often harsh and their rhetoric flamboyant
, they were indeed beneficial to the government's rectification. However, Longkodo, once the Grand Secretary, was now implicated,
and his family was forced into hard labor, with even minor mistakes being criticized. It was lamentable how fickle the world was and how
cold human relationships could be.
As Hongzhou pondered this, he heard Grand Councilor Malkang pointing to a memorial and mentioning something, bringing his thoughts
back from their reverie.
Malkang said, "This memorial from the Yangzhou Provincial Administration Commissioner is again impeaching Duke Rongguo, Jia She. Your Highness and the Grand Secretary,
do you think should submit a summary, or suppress it and observe further?" Zhang Tingyu hesitated for a moment and asked, "
What does Grand Secretary Ma think?" Ma Qi, though his hair was already white, was one of the most senior Grand Councilors in the Yongzheng era. He didn't mince words and smiled
faintly "Ahem... what's there to suppress? The Vice Minister of the Ministry of War has a memorial, the Prefect of Huaiyin has a memorial, the Circuit Intendant of Jining
has a memorial, and the Provincial Surveillance Commission of the Court of Colonial Affairs also has a memorial, all impeaching Jia She and his nephew Jia Zhen. This
couldn't have happened without Li Wei's approval; it's likely that Li Wei personally instructed them to do so." " Perhaps Li Wei has already submitted a secret memorial
. Behind Li Wei is the Emperor's will, and the Empress's face is probably no longer a concern." Zhang Tingyu,
shrewd and calculating , still refused to express his opinion. However, Ma'erkang said, "What Minister Ma said is quite right. But even if we don't suppress it, this matter
has been going on for more than half a month. What is the attitude of our Grand Council when the Emperor asks about it?"
Hongzhou's eyebrows twitched slightly upon hearing this. Zhang Tingyu seemed to have seen through something and asked with a smile, "Speaking
of which, the Jia family can be considered the Emperor's servants, and the Empress is a member of the Emperor's clan. Your Highness, as the head of the Imperial Clan Court and the Imperial Household
Department , should take charge. I wonder what Your Highness thinks?"
Hongzhou had been planning this for half a month and naturally had a well-prepared explanation. He began, "
What's there to say? Corruption, selling official positions, deceiving the emperor—each is a capital offense, and several lives have been lost. According to the Qing Dynasty
law , they are punishable by execution. Moreover, there is the crime of treason. Such accusations must be verified.
Only after verification can we discuss how to proceed. However, treason is not easy to verify, but we can discuss the murder case first…
We can only proceed according to the law. However, since the two Dukes Ning and Rong have contributed to the conquest of the capital, I'm afraid the emperor
will still show them favor. Favor comes from above, and punishment is determined by the law, so we don't need to have any particular stance."
This was said euphemistically, but in reality, he was indecisive and lacked a clear plan, which suited Hongzhou's personality. The other
Grand Councilors all smiled, assuming he didn't want to get involved and didn't take it seriously. Knowing he wasn't someone to be trifled with, Hongzhou rose
and said with a smile, "Today, I still need to present my nameplate to pay my respects to Father Emperor, so I'll take my leave first." Several
ministers
Hongzhou said nothing more, left the Grand Council, summoned his attendants and a group of
eunuchs , and the group presented their nameplates and headed towards the inner palace. He sighed inwardly: "These old men in the Grand Council seem to be
preparing to kick the Ning and Rong families when they're down. It seems the Jia family's affairs are about to come to a close."
Upon entering the Qianqing Palace to pay his respects to Emperor Yongzheng, he found his elder brother, Prince Bao, Hongli, already there. People say Emperor Yongzheng is
harsh , ungrateful, and ruthless, but fortunately, he has always been kind and tolerant towards Hongzhou, even indulging his willful behavior. Therefore, Hongzhou
wasn't too afraid of this "Father Emperor." He kowtowed to the Emperor and paid his respects, then bowed to Hongli, before standing
aside to listen to his fourth brother, a prince who wielded considerable power and was dashing and debonair, discussing state affairs with the Yongzheng Emperor.
Yongzheng took a sip of ginseng soup and pondered, "Hongzhou… it's best if you listen to this matter from the sidelines. It involves the Imperial Clan
Court and the Imperial Household Department; I can have you handle it later. Hongli, continue with the case of the Consort Xian's family."
Hongli, unhurried and unhurried, bowed slightly and began to speak eloquently, "Yes, Your Majesty,
I have thoroughly investigated this matter at the Ministry of Justice. There are witnesses and physical evidence. There are twenty-two cases involving the Consort Xian's maternal family; they can be summarized as bribery,
selling official positions, extortion, and murder. Jia Zhen, who inherited the title of Duke of Ningguo, received approximately
500,000 taels of silver as 'tribute' from porcelain, silk, jade, and gold workshops across the country while working at the Imperial Workshops. Furthermore, a red coral from Persia
is missing whereabouts are also unknown." On him; his son Jia Rong, who held a position in the imperial court, also engaged in
corrupt practices; Rongguo Gong Jia She and his son Jia Lian, while serving as the Jiangnan Provincial Administration Commissioner, were documented to have embezzled more than 100,000 taels of silver; Jia She seized the people's property and
forced the innocent Shi Ting to his death over a few fans, which is also documented; there is also Jia Jing, who has already resigned from his official post, but he is not well-behaved in the Taoist temple and
even tried to interfere in the personnel matters of the Jining County Magistrate; and... Jia Zheng, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Works, is the father of the Virtuous Consort.
During his tenure as the Education Commissioner, he bribed and sold the quota of students. Although it was the servants who committed the fraud, he is still guilty...” Seeing that he was
cautious, Yongzheng said gently, “Don’t hesitate. Not to mention the father of a concubine, even the father of the Empress, if he commits such a crime
, be dealt with according to the law.” Hongli said, "Yes, Father Emperor understands perfectly," and then boldly continued, "Actually,
these crimes have already been verified and are related to the law. The Ministry has already submitted a memorial. However, there are still cases that the Ministry
cannot thoroughly investigate, and these are the real major cases..." Yongzheng encouraged him, "Go on..."
Hongli said, "One case is that in June of the fourth year of Yongzheng's reign, during a family banquet in the inner palace, Father Emperor mentioned the need to investigate the
descendants of the Ming dynasty and revise the History of the Ming dynasty. Later, he never mentioned it again. However, in August, Jia She wrote a letter to his servants to go to Jiangnan to investigate. This is
clearly an act of currying favor with the Emperor..." "What currying favor with the Emperor!" Yongzheng interrupted him, "He is just a minor official in Jiangning..."
" How could the officials know that my casual remarks in the palace were either leaked by Consort Xian and her family,
or that they bribed palace eunuchs to spy on my likes and dislikes... How despicable!!!" "Father, you see,"
Hongli said, finding an idea in the Emperor's mind. "Colluding with the inner palace and leaking palace secrets is a serious crime. Moreover, letters were later found in
Eighth Uncle's residence, showing that these words had reached Eighth Uncle's ears..." Yongzheng smiled venomously,
making Hongli sweat profusely. "They actually relayed the message to Eighth Prince, who then spread rumors that my search for
Ming Dynasty descendants was disrespectful to ancestral teachings and an attempt to distort the achievements of the late Emperor... How laughable! The Holy Ancestor..." " I'm going
to revise . Shouldn't that be in accordance with ancestral teachings? Actually, isn't it because I implemented new policies that they blocked their path to wealth, and now they're trying to slander me?" "Father's instructions are absolutely right." Hongli knew that Yongzheng would become increasingly angry and prone to rambling on about Yinzhi, so he simply replied, "Actually, bribery, selling official positions, seizing public funds, and causing deaths are secondary. The important crime committed by the Jia family is their deep entanglement with Aqina. " "Deep entanglement?" Yongzheng smiled coldly. "Don't try to hide it. It's actually treason, colluding with the inner palace to plot Aqina's rebellion. It's just that the Six Ministries, out of respect for Consort Xian, dare not prosecute them so openly. Heh heh ..." …Well, even my concubine is conspiring with Aqina to seize my throne. How can I, as emperor, have such a good reputation and glory…” Hongzhou, standing to the side, was sweating profusely. In the past month, he had personally witnessed Yongzheng's temper tantrums and the punishment of officials several times, but this time he was particularly infuriated. Moreover, he was especially concerned about the Ningrong Jia family and was increasingly worried that Yongzheng would say something harsh and unpleasant that would be difficult to control. He glanced around, trying to gauge Yongzheng's likes and dislikes, and had already thought of how to attract the emperor's attention back to leave room for maneuver. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Father, the punishment can be decided later, but there have already been many memorials impeaching the Jia family . I'm afraid the Jia family has already heard the news and we must guard against them transferring their assets…” Yongzheng's heart skipped a beat, but he was also delighted. He thought to himself that it was rare for his foolish and absurd youngest son to have such insight . Then, with a pleasing expression, he said, "Yes, Hongzhou's suggestion is quite correct. Since that's the case , the task will fall to you. I hereby issue an order: you will take the people from the Imperial Clan Court and inspect the Jia family's property... We'll discuss the matter of punishment later." Hongzhou was overjoyed. He had originally planned to take this assignment, and he hadn't expected it to come true so easily. It should be known that at that time, confiscating property and inspecting assets was a well-known lucrative job. Officials could embezzle any property, wives, and daughters of those whose property was being confiscated, as long as they found something they liked. Yongzheng was also aware of this corrupt practice, and by appointing him to conduct the inspection, he was essentially rewarding him. So he hurriedly kowtowed and left the palace. Thinking that this matter should be handled by the Imperial Clan Court, he went directly to the court to summon guards and mobilize soldiers. He met with the commanding officer and ordered his officers to surround Ningrong Street in the south of the city. He then leisurely drank tea in the Imperial Clan Court until the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Study, Xia Shouzhong, delivered the revised imperial edict from Emperor Yongzheng. After chatting and laughing with Xia Shouzhong and others, he led his men, along with the attendants of the Prince's Palace palanquin, to Ningguo Mansion to deliver the decree. Ningrong Street was a town south of the capital, near the source of the Laozhuangzi River. It was a place of spiritual cultivation, seemingly both part of the capital and the suburbs. Because it was the former site of the residences of the Duke of Ningguo and the Duke of Rongguo, many villagers had gathered there, hence the name Ningrong Street. At this moment, Ningrong Street was devoid of its former bustling prosperity and thriving population. Every ten steps a guard, every five steps a sentry, soldiers stood at attention, their cold iron spears and silver guns flashing. From within the Ning and Rong mansions, the faint sounds of wailing could be heard. A few idle villagers watched from afar, some mocking the fallen rich and reveling in the officials' squandering of their fortunes. Hongzhou, of course, paid them no heed. He led his eunuchs and soldiers along the red-lacquered plaque that read "Imperial Construction of Ningguo Mansion," and entered the gates of the Ningguo Duke's mansion. An eight-bearer, yellow-canopied, silk-embroidered sedan chair stopped. Only after the eunuchs lifted the curtains did they emerge to observe. Inside the gates, a pall of gloom hung heavy; the entire Jia family had already heard the news. The hereditary Duke of Rong, Jia She, the head of the Ning and Rong mansions ; Jia Zheng, the father of the Virtuous Consort; and Jia Zhen, the hereditary Duke of Ning, the patriarch of the Jia family clan, along with Jia Lian, Jia Rong, Jia Qiang, Jia Yun, Jia Qin, Jia Baoyu, Jia Jun, Jia Huan, and other male members of the family, regardless of their official positions, were already kneeling in a dense, unbroken mass. Several children not yet of age were accompanied by kneeling matrons. The older ones were ashen-faced, while the younger ones were weeping uncontrollably. Upon seeing Prince Hongzhou enter, they all kowtowed with a thunderous roar. Jia She, already over sixty, was now the head of the group in terms of official rank. He knelt and wept, saying, "Your Majesty, we, your humble servants Jia She, Jia Zheng, Jia Zhen, Jia Rong, Jia Lian… respectfully welcome Your Highness." Prince Hongzhou, now somewhat familiar with court etiquette, replied listlessly, "There is an imperial decree." The crowd erupted in another chaotic kowtow, wailing and shouting "Long live the Emperor!" Hongzhou's face darkened. He took out a yellow silk edict from his sleeve and coldly read: "Jia Zhen, the hereditary First-Class General of Mighty Valor and Duke of Ningguo , and Jia She, the hereditary First-Class General of Valiant Might and Duke of Rongguo, and others; their conduct is perverse, greedy and shameless, they exploit the people and harm innocent civilians, they are intolerable under the law, and they do not abide by it; their clans and followers have colluded with the remnants of Aqina's faction, bribed the harem, and acted in ways unbecoming of subjects, thus damaging the wisdom of the Holy Ancestor and defying my imperial orders, arousing the wrath of both gods and men; I, following the ancestral laws and the late Emperor's instructions, will not act according to my own selfish desires, nor will I be swayed by nepotism." "Those who are imprisoned must be severely punished according to the laws of the land. The hereditary title is hereby revoked , and the title of Consort Jia Yuanchun is stripped! Prince Heqin, Hongzhou, is hereby ordered to lead the Imperial Clan Court, the Court of Colonial Affairs, and the Infantry Commander's Office to inspect the properties of the Duke of Ningguo and the Duke of Rongguo…and their families…all members of the clan are to be detained upon receipt of this decree. Once the properties are investigated and any remaining members are identified, they will be punished together. This is the imperial decree!" After proclaiming this, the emperor put away the yellow silk edict. In ancient times , imperial edicts like this could be slightly embellished, but Hongzhou, without showing any emotion, subtly added the words "family members," which was common practice. Hongzhou had his own plans, and the kneeling crowd, in this moment of utter devastation, dared not question him. However, the eunuch Xia Shouzhong behind him raised an eyebrow, smiled slightly, and then looked down at the ground. Jia She, Jia Zheng, and the others were already sobbing uncontrollably, but they had no choice but to obey and kowtow again, saying, "This guilty subject accepts the decree and begs Your Highness for your judgment." Confiscating property was commonplace during the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, and the soldiers were already used to it. With a gesture from Hong Zhou, the soldiers immediately split into several groups like hungry tigers and wolves, rushing into the inner courtyards of the Ning and Rong mansions. They smashed doors, broke down windows, and ransacked the place. Immediately, chaos erupted, with chickens running wild, dogs barking, rabbits scurrying, and hawks howling. The sounds of wailing echoed from the inner courtyard walls. Hong Zhou thought for a moment, then stepped forward, making a gesture to help Jia Zheng and the others up, saying soothingly, "Elder Zheng, Elder She, I am acting on imperial orders. You need not be so distressed; His Majesty will surely grant further favors." The Jia family members were all pale-faced, speechless, and the entire room was eerily silent. They had never expected this.

Emperor Yongzheng's furious outburst set such a tone. If the decree truly reflected the "perverted conduct,
greedy , cruel to the people, and harming innocent citizens," then the ringleaders would likely face at least hanging, and their families
might be reduced to hard labor. Furthermore, if it mentioned "colluding with the remnants of Aqina's faction, bribing the harem, and acting in ways unbecoming of officials,
" then according to the Qing Dynasty law, given Yongzheng's character, the ringleaders would be executed by slow slicing, and the accomplices by beheading—there was no
hope .
After a short while, Jia She, Jia Lian, and Jia Rong remained limp and trembling on the ground.
Only Jia Zhen, regaining his senses for a moment, collapsed to the ground, wailing, "Your Majesty!" Realizing the emperor wouldn't
hear , he knelt and crawled a few steps to Hongzhou, pleading, "Your Highness, please
show us boundless mercy! We have already confessed our crimes! Please, Your Highness, grant us a glimmer of hope!"
Hongzhou's calculations were as follows: the fate of the Jia family was of no concern to him whatsoever. His only interest lay with the women
of the Jia family , hoping that their punishment would be particularly severe so he could take a few beauties into his household as slaves,
indulging in debauchery with Daiyu and Fengqing, satisfying his desires of a thousand years. However, being from a thousand years in the future, he couldn't bear to witness such
severe punishments and the grief and fear of his subjects. At this moment, he couldn't help but feel a pang of compassion. He then
weighed . He then said, "Elder She, Elder Zheng, do not be distressed. Thunder and rain are all imperial grace. The emperor will naturally decide how to
deal with you. You should speak up where I have the right to speak..."
Jia Zhen still kept asking him for help. Hongzhou ignored him. The Jia family members were all
useless fools. Only Jia Zheng, though not the heir to the title, was
the most esteemed, being the father of the Virtuous Consort and the face of the household. His face was ashen. After a long silence, he knelt and wept,
saying, "Your Highness, this sinful subject, a lowly weed, has failed the Emperor's grace and is ashamed of my ancestors' virtue. I am despicable and greedy, my conduct flawed. I live in constant
fear and dare not cover up my mistakes or evade responsibility. I only beg to be executed quickly. I only beg Your Highness to plead with the Emperor on my behalf.
If there is any crime punishable by the extermination of my entire clan, I hope you will consider the Virtuous Consort… no, Consort Yuanchun, who served the Emperor for many years, and spare her life.
Even in the netherworld, I will be grateful for Your Highness's boundless grace."
Hongzhou, hearing his words, guessed that he had already heard rumors of the "Eighth Prince's Party" and anticipated
the worst-case scenario. Seeing that Jia Zheng had answered appropriately, he said, "Elder Zheng, please don't be like this. Speaking of your crimes, your
actions are secondary; what's more serious is your hearts. In fact, you have betrayed the trust of the Emperor and the late Emperor. The best course of action now is
to behave yourself properly state the crimes of your clan. If there is punishment, you must not complain, and you may still hope for a glimmer of mercy from the Emperor. For example,
when inspecting your family property this time... you must not hide anything anymore." Upon hearing this, the three men repeatedly kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, we would never dare to do so."
Hongzhou
then pressed on, "Then let me ask you, besides the residences of the two mansions, where else do your families live?
"
Jia Zhen hurriedly replied, "Your Highness, there is also the villa behind the Rongguo Mansion, built for Yuan Chun's visit home. Initially,
Consort Yuan Chun decreed that it should be occupied by the women of the household..."
Seeing the subtle hint in the words, Hongzhou immediately put on a stern face and frowned, saying, "What villa for the visit home? Back then, you squandered national
funds and depleted the treasury's silver; under the guise of welcoming the emperor, you built such a luxurious garden. I heard that this villa, the Grand View Garden, stretches for several days, overstepping
the bounds of the imperial gardens, absurd and extravagant. This
is one of the reasons why the emperor is furious..." Jia She and the others readily agreed. Hongzhou continued, "So, regardless of whether any women live there, I, the prince, am here to inspect the family property and relatives by imperial decree
, and naturally, I will confiscate them all! Am I not allowed to inspect the women? Humph." The three elders of the Jia family were not fools
; they immediately understood that the prince wanted to examine the women's appearances, perhaps selecting a few to fill the prince's harem. At this point,
they dared not have the slightest doubt and repeatedly agreed.
In ancient times, the women of wealthy families were usually confined to their chambers and
not . However, during the Yongzheng reign, there were many cases of confiscating the entire families of officials, which later became a custom. Whenever
officials were ordered to confiscate the residences of convicted officials, they would often also examine the women of the offending family. If any caught their eye
, whether a wife, concubine, young lady, or maid, they could be directly made into servants for the officials conducting the confiscation. Although
this violated official rules, people were naturally inclined to curry favor, and gradually, everyone did it. If
the women who were taken into custody could win the favor of the officials conducting the raids, then even if they were rescued from their
misery, the entire family could be spared the calamity of being destroyed. Furthermore, their protection could sometimes slightly mitigate
the punishment . However, if the women who were taken into custody harbored a virtuous heart or attempted suicide, it would inevitably implicate their families. Last year
, Liu Mo, the governor of Sichuan, raided the home of a prefectural magistrate and took the magistrate's youngest sister as a slave. After a month of abuse, seemingly
unable to bear the mistreatment from her family, she committed suicide. The Ministry of Rites even issued a proclamation rebuking him for "negligence in instructing his family members, disobedience as a slave, and
disrespect as a maid, intending to commit suicide, thus defying orders; the perversion of his family is evident..." He was further punished while still in prison
, which can be seen as advocating and condoning this system of taking other men's wives and daughters into slavery.
However, Hongzhou, as a prince and the youngest son of Emperor Yongzheng, was a first-rate figure in the Qing Dynasty at that time, far surpassing
even governor of Sichuan. If he took a fancy to any woman and wanted a few to be his slaves, even if they weren't
from the families of disgraced officials or just daughters of ordinary officials, he could easily order them to do so without any reason or courtesy to refuse.
At this moment, with the Jia family on the verge of collapse, Hongzhou's willingness to speak up, specifically mentioning "inspecting the family
members," even if one dared not expect the prince to protect the Jia family, was still a glimmer of hope, almost an act of special
favor What could the three elders of the Jia family say at this point? They repeatedly kowtowed and agreed.
Thus, Jia Zhen gave a few instructions, and Jia Lian, still sobbing, took Xia Shouzhong out to make the arrangements. Hongzhou sat there
for a while, merely glancing through the letters and books presented by the soldiers confiscating the property. After a short while,
Xia Shouzhong returned, bowing to Hongzhou and saying, "Your Highness, the villa is also awaiting your orders.
"
Hongzhou grunted and said, "I'll go take a look." Jia Zheng, Jia She, and Jia Zhen rose to accompany him, but Hongzhou turned
and glared at them. The three of them immediately froze like startled birds, not daring to move. Hongzhou ignored
the confiscating affairs and went straight to the prince's sedan chair. Eight men carried it with a loud rumble, crossing half a street and entering a
garden. Just as Hongzhou was about to lift the curtain to look, his personal eunuch approached, lifted the silk curtain draped with
dragons playing with a pearl, and reported, "Your Highness, the women of the Ning and Rong Jia families are kneeling and awaiting your orders."
Hongzhou stepped out of the sedan chair and looked up. He saw a five-bay main gate with tiled roofs and ridged windows.
It features intricately carved, fresh patterns, devoid of any vermilion or powdered embellishments. The walls are uniformly polished, with white stone steps carved into the shape of exotic floral
patterns . Looking left and right, all are snow-white walls, with tiger-skin stones laid out naturally, avoiding any vulgar or gaudy appearance.
The main gate is wide open, inscribed with the three characters "Grand View Garden," the handwriting of the virtuous Consort Yuan Chun.
The gates on either side are nine zhang wide, a royal designation. A stretch of verdant mountains blocks the view, and in the distance, one sees clusters of green bamboo and blooming flowers. Red buildings, pavilions, and bridges rise and fall,
their magnificence beyond words, their tranquility beyond description. The magnificent buildings and pavilions are indeed among the finest gardens in the capital.
Upon seeing this, Chuan Yue was filled with countless emotions. A thousand years later, reading *Dream of the Red Chamber*, he composed a poem: "Built with exquisite skill, embracing mountains and water,
how much effort was put into its construction? All the scenes of heaven and earth are present, this fragrant garden truly deserves the name Grand View." Seeing the true scene, one realizes the ingenuity and artistry of the gardens and
landscapes , the magnificent buildings and grandeur—truly beyond the power of words to describe.
On the bluestone steps, a vibrant array of women, dressed in red, green, and shimmering hues, knelt. At the
head of the group, four women knelt in a triangular formation, like swans in flight. Hongzhou compared them to the women of Ning and Rong he remembered.
The first two , in their early forties, one in dark blue and the other in purplish-brown, both dressed in elegant Hanfu, their faces streaked with tears, hinting at their sorrow
. He assumed they were the two most prominent women of the Ning and Rong mansions, Madam Xing and Madam Wang. The woman on the left, slightly younger and quite
attractive, knelt half a step behind; this must be Madam You, wife of Jia Zhen, the head steward of the Ning mansion. But
the woman on the right, however, immediately caught Hongzhou's eye:
a young woman of about twenty, dressed differently from the other young ladies and wives, her beauty captivating,
like Chang'e from the moon, radiant with colorful embroidery, a goddess among celestial beings. Judging from her attire, she wore a gold-threaded, pearl-encrusted bun, adorned
with a phoenix-shaped hairpin, a red-gold necklace with dragon motifs, and a pea-green palace sash tied at the hem of her skirt. She wore a double-flowered
rose a five-colored, carved silk, dark blue, silver-fox fur coat, and
a jade-green, flower-sprinkled crepe skirt. As for her beauty, she had almond-shaped eyes, willow-leaf eyebrows, a slender figure, and a captivating
charm. Her fair face held a cool, aloof air, and her smile preceded her words. At this moment, Hongzhou, comparing his descriptions with ancient texts, knew that this woman must be
Wang Xifeng, the young wife of Jia Lian of the Rongguo Mansion. Her beauty was truly captivating;
any .
Hongzhou had imagined the Grand View Garden to be filled with enchanting beauties, countless charming young ladies, and numerous alluring maids, enough to
dazzle and captivate him. He truly hadn't expected that among the kneeling beauties vying for his attention,
this stunning young woman would be the most prominent.
Just as he was about to look around for Daiyu and the others, Xia Shouzhong stepped forward and announced, "This is
the Prince of Heqin." Madam Xing, as the leader of the women, knelt and crawled forward a few steps, kowtowed, and said, "This sinful woman, Xing,
on behalf of the women of Ningguo and Rongguo mansions, kowtows to Your Highness, wishing you a thousand years of peace and health."
Immediately, a cacophony of sweet, delicate voices chanting "Kowtowing to Your Highness, wishing you a
thousand years of peace and health!" rose and fell, nearly swaying Hongzhou's very soul. At this moment, Hongzhou saw a group of beautiful women curled up like kittens. He thought of
the ancient kneeling ritual, which truly brought satisfaction and fulfillment to the one being knelt to. His lust was aroused; he wished he could immediately
embrace them and grovel over them, or even take a few back to his palace, forgetting about the confiscation of Ningrong Palace, and simply
indulge in the company of beauties. However, thinking of Wang Xifeng's dazzling beauty, he had other thoughts. His
lustful desires ; he needed to possess many beauties before he could be satisfied. Therefore, he was in no hurry and remained silent, maintaining his composure.
Xing, unaware of Hongzhou's expression, began to announce herself according to custom: "This sinful woman, Lady Xing of the Jia family,
Lady Wang of the Jia family…" she was about to finish her sentence when Hongzhou, however, felt he didn't want to hear the women's words anymore.
He coughed and raised his hand, saying, "No need."
Lady Xing quickly stopped speaking. The other beauties were puzzled but dared not look up at this newly rich and dissolute prince,
wondering how he would deal with them. Most of the women were sheltered ladies, accustomed to such sordid affairs. However, with
signs of Ning Rong's downfall emerging for months, the household was in a state of panic, and rumors of confiscation and other taboos circulated throughout the garden.
Today, news indeed arrived, and everyone wondered if the Prince would truly, as rumored, select a few
women to be enslaved.
Unexpectedly, Hong Zhou said, "You, you come and register." The women exchanged furtive glances, realizing that
Hong Zhou was pointing at Wang Xifeng, the most alluring woman in both Ning and Rong mansions.
Upon being pointed at, Wang Xifeng's face flushed crimson, and the other beauties also blushed with embarrassment. The Prince's
meaning was clear: he disliked the words of the mature woman, Madam Xing, and had immediately taken a liking to Wang Xifeng's captivating beauty.
At this moment, Sister Feng's heart was in turmoil. Nine parts shame made her want to bury herself in the ground, yet there was also
a of pride in being the most beautiful among the women. Although she couldn't fathom the meaning of the prince's decision to call her out
, she had heard whispers in her chambers about the prince's various licentious habits and strange behaviors. She knew that in front of everyone, this gesture
was tantamount to the prince declaring that he wanted her. Could it be that he would choose her later? But for now
, she was Jia Lian's wife, a daughter-in-law of the Jia family, and her face and status were paramount in the garden. However, the prince's command was like heaven,
carrying the strict decree of the court. No matter how ashamed or embarrassed she was, how could she dare to disobey? Her pretty face flushed red, she choked back a sob,
and barely managed to say, "Yes." She
then knelt forward and began to announce her name one by one, her voice sweet and melodious. When her name was mentioned, the woman would raise
her forehead and kowtow, as if to let the prince recognize her and admire her.
"A total of 339 women from the Ning and Rong mansions and their relatives were summoned." "Excluding those who are sick and unable to move,
320 women are kneeling and waiting today."
"There are three ladies of the 'Wen' generation: Lady Wang of the Jia family, Lady Xing of the Jia family, and Lady Wang of the Xue
family." (Note: Lady and Lady are both ancient imperial titles; Lady Wang is the mother of Yuan Chun, and her rank is slightly higher than others.)
"There are seven close relatives of criminals of the 'Yu' and 'Cao' generations:
Lady You (wife of Jia Zhen), Lady Wang (student), Lady Li (student), Lady Qin (student), Lady Xia (student), Lady Zhao
(student), Lady Zhou (student), and Lady Zhou (student)."
"There are four unmarried daughters of the Jia family within the mansion: Jia's maiden names are Yingchun, Tanchun, and Xichun. There is also a maidservant
who has not yet been named." "There are nine unmarried daughters of close relatives within the mansion: Xue's maiden name is Baochai;
Lin's maiden name is Daiyu; Shi's maiden name is Xiangyun; Li's maiden name is Qi; Li's maiden name is Wen; Xing's maiden name is Youyan; You's
maiden name is Zhi (You Erjie); You's maiden name is Ying (You Sanjie); and there is also a newly named Xue's maiden name is Baoqin."
"There are thirty-nine maids and servants in various departments within the mansion." "There are one hundred and twenty-seven maids and servants in various departments within the mansion."
"There are 106 nannies and old women in the mansion. "In addition,
there are 18 female actors and actresses serving in the mansion; 9 nuns and 1 Taoist nun who practices with her hair still intact. "In addition, there are 16 young girls who are servants and nannies in the mansion
. Hongzhou
didn't stand on ceremony. As each woman named by Fengjie entered, he carefully examined her complexion and figure. Unfortunately,
he remembered names like Daiyu and Xing Youyan, who had reported illness and hadn't yet entered. After Fengjie
finished the room fell silent. At this moment, all the women in the Grand View Garden knew that the Jia family was facing imminent disaster, and even their nine generations of relatives
were not immune to calamity. Although the Jia family was a prestigious clan, compared to this absurd Prince Hongzhou, the emperor's
own son , they were like figures in the clouds. Since he had come by imperial decree to confiscate their property and inspect the women, they feared he would
select a few to take as servants. That's why they had registered, waiting for the
prince who he would choose. Unexpectedly, after listening to Fengjie's registration and examining everyone, Hongzhou simply smiled faintly at Fengjie and the others
, saying, "Alright, since the count of the relatives is correct, make a register." Xia Shouzhong quickly replied, "Yes." Hongzhou's sedan chair
had already risen, its curtains drawn, and departed from the Grand View Garden. Leaving behind a field of beautiful women, bewildered and lost, their fate unknown.
As the saying goes: "
In times of chaos, power is wielded; when strength is broken
, sorrow is revealed; throughout
history, how many willow-like beauties have escaped the ravages of time
, leaving behind only ruined grand mansions."

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