Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 456: Imprisonment and the Jia Family

Dali Temple Prison,
The damp blue brick walls were covered with mildew, and the gloomy cell was filled with a pungent smell of decay. Even without the use of any torture instruments, the pampered prisoners of the Jia family looked listless and lifeless after only one day in prison.

Grandmother Jia curled up in a corner of the cell. What she sat on was no longer the mink fur mat in her room, but some dry grass, which could not even keep out the moisture from the ground.

And Grandmother Jia no longer had the heart to care about it. She curled up her body, her eyes dull, and her thoughts wandered to who knows where.

She didn't sleep at all that night.

As soon as she closed her eyes tiredly, the words of Yue Ling and Jia Yuanchun would echo in her ears.

The Jia family fell into this situation and ended up with the confiscation of property and extermination of the clan. Was she responsible? If what Jia Yuanchun said was true, how would she meet the old Duke in the underworld?

Grandmother Jia hoped that things would take a turn for the better, but she knew that it was impossible.

With all kinds of worries in mind, the constant sobbing coming from the nearby cell made Grandmother Jia even more irritated.

But now, Grandmother Jia no longer had the authority to control others and could only listen to the intermittent crying.

The source of the crying was Mrs. Wang and Baoyu next door.

Baoyu was born into a wealthy and luxurious family and had enjoyed wealth and splendor since childhood. How could he have ever lived in a prison cell like this?

The filth that he hated the most in the past is now all over him, and the rotten smell is probably impossible to wash away.

Especially the cell that was delivered last night, a dish of rotten vegetables that you couldn't tell what they were, and a soup that sounded like slop, emitting a smell even worse than that of the cell. Baoyu just got close to smell it and vomited uncontrollably. There was no way he could eat anything.

Baoyu had not eaten a single bite of food since last night, and his stomach kept growling, as if in response to his crying.

"Ma'am, we're not going to die in this cell, are we?"

Mrs. Wang also looked haggard. Wang Ziteng's kick on her chest had left a large red and purple patch on it, and it was still aching.

But seeing Baoyu's pitiful appearance, Mrs. Wang felt even more distressed. She hugged Baoyu in her arms and comforted him softly, "Don't be afraid, mother is still here. As long as we hold hands, we will be together even if we turn into ghosts."

Although she said this, Mrs. Wang's body had actually begun to tremble slightly.

The cell in the middle of summer was not particularly cold; it was simply due to the fear in her heart.

Looking around again, Baoyu's heart couldn't calm down.

He even closed his eyes and meditated several times, then opened them again, trying to confirm whether all this was a dream or reality.

The huge Rongguo Mansion, like a towering tree, collapsed overnight. It was hard for anyone to accept it for a while.

"Does it smell like rice?"

The instinct of his body made Baoyu's sense of smell more acute. He arched his nose, stood up immediately, held the iron fence with his hands, and moved his body closer.

"Sir, Sir? Is there anyone outside delivering food? Who is the brother who is so lonely in my house and is willing to lend a helping hand? Sir, please tell me his name. If I can survive this hardship, I will definitely repay his kindness!"

Seeing this, Baoyu, with his hair dishevelled and his face unkempt, looked even more like a madman. Mrs. Wang felt distressed and burst into tears, "Baoyu, save your energy and stop making trouble."

The first time Mrs. Wang tried to dissuade Baoyu, she was already in the prison cell.

Baoyu, however, pretended not to hear anything and stared at the jailer as he brought over a plate of food. The food was completely different from the slop he had eaten last night and even contained a few snacks from Liuye Hutong. It looked very exquisite.

Moreover, there were three sets of bowls and chopsticks stacked clearly on the plate. Even if Baoyu was dull, he could tell who these foods were for.

"Why? Sir, why is this happening? Why do they still receive such preferential treatment in this prison? This is not fair!"

The prison boss who came to deliver the food laughed even more.

Originally, the Dali Temple had cells that treated prisoners with special treatment.

During the Dachang Dynasty, most crimes involving the Dali Temple were political prisoners, embezzlers, and members of aristocratic families. These people had special identities, so it was inevitable that they would have a chance to turn things around. Therefore, the jailers would generally give them preferential treatment and deal with them carefully. Even if they could not promote themselves once they were rehabilitated, they were afraid that they would turn around and cause trouble for themselves.

The jailers have very little power. They act arrogantly in prison but are like grass outside.

The three sisters of the Jia family were naturally treated preferentially for this reason.

Everyone in the capital knew that these three sisters were the concubines of Duke Dingguo's mansion. Coming to this cell was just a formality. How could they not be careful?
But the situation in Rongguo Mansion was completely different.

The jailer was not in a hurry to move forward to deliver the meal, but stopped in front of Baoyu and brought the food closer to him so that he could smell it carefully and enjoy it.

Although normally these ordinary snacks from the market would not catch Baoyu's eye, let alone his appetite, now they are as attractive to Baoyu as delicacies from land and sea, making his mouth water uncontrollably.

"Good officer, if you give me some, I will definitely repay you."

The jailer also laughed, "Sir, how do you want to repay me?"

Baoyu's tone froze, he really couldn't think of how to answer.

The jailer teased again, "The huge Rongguo Mansion was ransacked overnight. Can your crime be changed? You don't have a penny on you, and you still think you are the son of the Duke's Mansion? Repay? Bah, who are you trying to fool!"

Seeing the jailer walking away, Baoyu became anxious, "Brother, don't leave in a hurry. Although I don't have any money, I have brothers outside. Do you know the Xue family, the Feng family?"

"The head of the Feng family is a good brother of mine. He has a lot of silver. His name is Xue Pan. Even if I write you a note, I can exchange it for thousands of taels of silver from him."

"I'm really not bragging. His family is rich, and he wouldn't care about a few hundred taels. Big brother, give me a full meal first, and I'll definitely satisfy you."

The jailer paused and turned around.

Baoyu's eyes lit up, thinking that things were turning around. His cleverness had captured the heart of the jailer, and that a vulgar man should be tempted with benefits.

But the prison boss continued to mock him, "A good meal? Don't worry, I believe it won't be long before you can have a good meal."

Baoyu asked happily, "Really? When?"

The jailer and his colleague who was serving food looked at each other, burst into laughter, and left without looking back.

Baoyu was so hungry that he was very anxious. "Sir, Sir, you haven't said when!"

Jia Zheng, who was imprisoned in the cell opposite, could not bear the annoyance. It had already reached this point, and he was powerless to control him. After Baoyu had embarrassed himself, he could not help but scold him: "Idiot! With a junior like you in the mansion, it is only a matter of time before the family is ruined!"

On the other side, Li Wan and her son, who were awakened by the noise, gradually came to their senses.

Jia Lan showed no fear on his face, and was very calm. He asked his mother, "Mom, are you feeling okay? Can you still bear it?"

Li Wan rubbed Jia Lan's head and nodded silently, "It's okay. Talk less and save some energy. It's hard to get even a sip of water in the prison."

Jia Lan also nodded, his eyes brighter. The setbacks did not wear down his mind, but instead made his desire to survive stronger and his goal clearer.

After walking to the end of the chaotic prison cell and climbing more than ten stone steps, there was a cell separated by a small door.

The cell was equipped with all kinds of furnishings, including beds, wooden cabinets, and even an oil lamp on the table.

Yingchun, Tanchun, and Xichun sat side by side on the bed, holding hands and leaning against each other. If Yue Ling hadn't told them not to worry too much, they would definitely not be so calm now.

"Second sister, third sister, how long do we have to stay in this cell?"

Xichun shrank back slightly; the dark cell still made her feel a little at a loss.

"Don't be afraid, I believe it won't take long."

Tanchun said, "Since the Marquis has said so before, he will certainly not forget us."

"So after we are released from prison, will we live in Dingguo Mansion forever?"

Tanchun sighed, "Where else can we go? Even if Sister Lin is willing to take us in, it's already a great honor."

Xichun blinked and looked at Tanchun's cheek.

But he found that although Tanchun said this with a sigh, there was no sign of loss on her face. Instead, her eyes were bright and there seemed to be a hint of expectation.

The Jia family collapsed, and for them, the shackles that bound them were no longer there.

The current outcome is not really a bad thing.

Yingchun remained silent, as if she was still worried.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Sanchun was startled, but then she looked happy, thinking that Yue Ling had arrived. When she opened the door, she was greeted by several jailers who came in with some food in their hands, so the three women were not overjoyed in vain.

"You three, we haven't had our meals yet, so I'll hastily prepare some food. If it doesn't suit your taste, I hope you can bear with me. This is the only condition we have in the Dali Temple prison."

Yingchun and Xichun took it. Tanchun greeted them and said, "I dare not ask for anything more. Thank you for your care, sir."

"No, no, I dare not disturb you to rest, I will take my leave first."

After a simple greeting, only three women were left in the room. Even they had not imagined that they could have such decent food in prison.

"Second sister, fourth sister, please eat. After eating, take a rest for a while. Maybe when you open your eyes again, the Marquis will be here."

……

"My Lord, my Lord, please be careful with your steps. I will hold the lamp, I will hold the lamp."

The jailer greeted him humbly and also brought in the eunuch who came from the palace to announce the imperial decree.

Arriving at the Jia mansion's prison door, the eunuch unfolded the imperial edict and read it out without the slightest hesitation, "The Rongguo Mansion usurped control of the garden, privately stored imperial property, colluded with the enemy and conspired for treason, and bent the law for personal gain... Jia Shi's crimes are extremely serious and will be executed in the autumn. The rest of us who are over 15 will be exiled to Qiongzhou, and those who are under 15 will be demoted to commoners. This is my decree!"

Everyone in the Jia family fell to the ground and kowtowed, some were happy and some were sad.

Grandmother Jia's face was haggard, having lost the last bit of color. She immediately fell backwards on the straw mat, sobbing and unable to utter a word.

However, Jia She, Jia Zheng and others were lucky to have saved their lives. Although being exiled to Qiongzhou was a risk of death, it was better than dying in prison.

Mrs. Wang choked up and hugged Baoyu, "My son, you are so lucky. You still have ten days to go before you turn fifteen. You don't have to be exiled to Qiongzhou. You can make a living in the capital and take care of yourself."

"Mother, I'm afraid I won't be able to see you get married and have a family."

Before Jia Baoyu could come to his senses, he heard screams from the opposite side.

Looking closely, it was Jia Lian who was banging his head against the wall in agony, nearly on the verge of mental collapse. He was older than Baoyu, over twenty years old, and was about to be exiled to Qiongzhou with the Jia family's large group.

Mrs. Wang tugged at Baoyu's sleeve and warned him earnestly, "Without the Jia family in the capital, you have to rely on yourself for everything. Your Majesty only said that I was demoted to a commoner, but did not mention my status as a criminal. This is already a pardon beyond the law."

"In this way, you can still take the imperial examination. As long as you are willing to study hard and pass the examination, it will be impossible for you to revive the Jia family."

"Mother has always believed that you are smarter than your brother and will definitely be admitted to high school. By then, I will be content even if I die in the south!"

Baoyu's pupils shrank suddenly, and he felt the joy of surviving the disaster.

But before he could even laugh out loud, he came face to face with the other person he feared most in his life besides his father.

He was also the second person who had beaten him, besides his father.

"You...you, why are you here?"

Yue Ling ignored him and continued walking forward under the guidance of the jailer.

When he passed another cell door, a childish voice called him.

"Duke Dingguo, please stay. I have something to ask you."

Yue Ling tilted his head slightly and saw Jia Lan behind the iron railing. His clothes were ragged but his face was clean. He was performing the ceremony very respectfully. He was much more presentable than Jia Lian, Jia Baoyu and the like.

Yue Ling couldn't help but nod. He did not look down on Jia Lan because of his age. Instead, he thought that this was the brother who inherited the style of the Rongguo Mansion.

Thinking of his old friendship with Rong Laogong Jia Daishan, Yue Ling stopped.

When the jailer was about to drive him away, Yue Ling magnanimously stopped him and said, "Please speak."

Jia Lan bowed again and asked, "Excuse me, Duke Dingguo, if I pass the imperial examination one day, can I redeem my mother's sin? According to your majesty's decree, my mother is also guilty of exile."

"Yes, if you pass the imperial examination, whether it is civil or military, you can absolve your mother of her guilt."

After a pause, Yue Ling continued, "Don't just focus on the Four Books and Five Classics. You need to be well-informed and knowledgeable to win the emperor's favor."

"Thank you, Duke Dingguo, for your guidance."

Yue Ling raised his foot again and walked straight into Sanchun's cell.

Three people were squeezed into one bed and sleeping soundly. There were leftover dishes on the table. It can be said that they were taken care of very well.

Seeing that the three were not too frightened, Yue Ling was quite satisfied. After giving some rewards to the jailer, he walked closer and wanted to wake up the three women.

Tanchun was very alert. When she heard the sound, she sat up immediately. But when she saw Yue Ling, she jumped off the bed and fell into Yue Ling's arms.

Yingchun and Xichun were both awakened by Tanchun's big movements. After realizing the situation in the prison, they all opened their arms and hugged Yue Ling, competing with Tanchun for position.

"My Lord, you are finally here..."

The situation was not good, so the jailer quickly covered his eyes and dodged, then retreated.

The eunuch who followed in to announce the pardon was also quite uncomfortable, "Duke, how about we go out and hide for a while? Come back in two hours later?"

Yue Ling twitched his lips, feeling speechless. He wanted to say that he didn't have that kind of relationship with these girls, but there was no way to defend himself...

(End of this chapter)