The Overlord of the Red Mansion

Chapter 109 Harsh words
The old empress dowager was the concubine of the late emperor and accompanied him through many springs, summers, autumns and winters.

Not long after the death of the retired emperor, the old concubine also died.

Why don't we die together?
There was no way around it. All the imperial edicts had to be submitted to the court to observe mourning, and the families with titles were not allowed to hold banquets or music for a year.

The death of the old empress dowager had nothing to do with Jia Rong. She was dead when Jia Rong came back. Besides, the imperial physicians who usually treated the old empress dowager were those whom she trusted.

The matter of taking a concubine will have to be postponed, and the couple will continue to not sleep together for a year?

That’s nonsense…how many years have you been filial to your parents?
This garbage country should just die.

Jia Rong was thinking about boring things while accompanying the emperor in front of the old empress dowager's body, with a sad look on his face.

Yushi and Jia Yuanchun, who were conferred the title of Lady of Imperial Noble Consort, had to come to the palace every day to attend the sacrifices and keep vigil for 21 days, leaving early and returning late.

Jia Rong really couldn't stand this filial piety, so he found an excuse to inspect safety work and prevent any accidents from happening when the emperor was escorting the coffin and slipped away the next day.

He rode on horseback and patrolled the streets with a group of his men.

The subordinate asked, "Duke Ningguo, where are we going?"

Jia Rong casually said, "Look around. If I don't do something, you will have to change a boss who will take you to war and make merit."

Everyone was frightened when they heard this.

"My Lord, how can this be considered doing something?"

Jia Rong said, "I don't know either, but I have been a minister for a year or two, and nothing has happened, but I haven't done anything either, so I accept being removed."

Everyone hurriedly advised: "Don't! We all want to continue to work with the Duke."

Jia Rong didn't care about the official hat at all. He took it off and said, "You are the elite soldiers of the Beijing Army. Many of you have replaced your fathers and brothers. If you become useless people who can't fight under my command, your family members and ancestors will definitely blame me."

The subordinates hurriedly said: "We won't complain or scold, our whole family will only praise the Duke as a good man!"

Jia Rong smiled and said, "Disband! Go home and have dinner. Remember to gather at the gate tomorrow afternoon. Act like you are being treated well. Don't make things difficult for me. Otherwise, I will replace you with a tough guy to lead you into battle and kill the enemy!"

The group of people were frightened by Jia Rong and quickly agreed.

More people came on the second day than on the first. Many people who were just there to receive a salary came, even more than those on the list.

Damn, how could there be more than that list?

After asking, I found out that these people were not very smart and I couldn't get anything out of them.

Maybe they are all born from close relatives.

Jia Rong said, "Brothers, you are really giving me face. Let's play rock-paper-scissors and keep 100 of you to go out with me on patrol. The rest of you can go home to eat and sleep."

"If anyone asks, just say that we went on patrol. Those who are going home, don't say that I asked you to go back. You go back on your own accord. I will continue to be an official and will not bother with you. If you throw the blame on me and ask me to get out, then I will go to the Imperial Hospital to enjoy my life, and you will have to go to the battlefield to hone your skills. Whether you stand or lie down, it's your choice."

Jia Rong always threatens his subordinates. In fact, many of them are descendants of aristocrats, and some are even royal relatives.

But the parents and elders of these people actually sent them to Jia Rong's place to live out their lives because they didn't want them to go to the battlefield.

These are a group of Beijing gentlemen who pretend to be sick and would rather break their legs than go to war.

The Beijing Camp was considered to be useless, but it was not Jia Rong's fault. It was because too many Beijing Camp soldiers died in the last war that the emperor himself fought, which frightened his own base and caused them to become stressed.

Jia Rong quickly went on patrol. This group of people refused to fight, but they had no problem patrolling and maintaining public order, especially in scaring the common people.

When Jia Rong was riding his horse and getting bored, he saw his men extorting merchants.

This kind of thing is very normal. Anyway, these people know the Jia family’s shop and activity area, so just don’t cause trouble there.

The blackmailed man was about to push the cart out with his men when Jia Rong rode over on horseback.

"Wait, what do you do?"

The man hurriedly said, "Reporting to the Duke! We are servants of the Xia family, a royal merchant registered under the Ministry of Revenue. We have come specially to deliver flowers and bonsai to the palace. We are affiliated with the Ministry of Internal Affairs."

Jia Rong looked thoughtful and said quickly, "I don't know who your master is. Is he an official or a businessman?"

The servant replied, "Our master has passed away, and we only have the lady and the daughter."

Jia Rong thought for a moment, "Oh, I remember now. It's the Xia family that sells osmanthus flowers. OK, you can go now."

"Thank you, Duke!" The servant hurriedly thanked him and carefully led his men away.

Jia Rong continued patrolling, and took his men to stroll around the neighborhoods of several businesses that were trying to gain business.

Collecting protection fees is also one of Jia Rong's sources of income.

The Assistant Minister of War also has his own way of making money that everyone accepts.

Just like the Ministry of Works embezzled money when repairing houses, the Ministry of Revenue revised some statistics, the Ministry of Rites accepted bribes, the Ministry of Justice had a lot of money in the prisons, and the Ministry of Personnel had many ways of getting promoted. Everyone has his own way.

Censors may offend their colleagues, but rarely do they break the unspoken rules.

It is a clear rule that patrol soldiers collect protection fees, so Jia Rong is not afraid of being sued.

After earning money and getting off work, his wife was not at home, so he took his concubines out to drink and have fun, not caring about the national mourning.

While Youshi and Jia Yuanchun were in the palace mourning for the empress along with a group of ladies with imperial titles, Jia Rong, on the other hand, had a cheerful smile on his face.

Xia Family Outside Beijing

When Xia Jingui and her daughter heard the report from the servants, they became nervous.

"Ningguo Duke Jia Rong..." Xia Jingui's mother said carefully, "Our family has no contact with their family. I don't know whether it is a good thing or a bad thing."

Xia Jingui thought for a moment and said, "It shouldn't be a bad thing, and there's no one trying to embarrass us."

Extorting money is not a problem. It is reasonable and inevitable to encounter such things when doing business.

Xia Jingui thought about it for a while and quickly said, "Let's go and deliver some things, just in case it works."

Mother Xia shook her head. "Who is he? He is the Duke. How can our family have the ability to know the Duke?"

The Xia family is a merchant family. Not to mention that they are just a widowed mother and her daughter, even if Master Xia were here, he would have to kneel down when he saw Jia Rong.

The two sides are not on the same level at all. Just one word from Duke Ningguo can destroy the Xia family and wipe out millions of family wealth.

The Xia family doesn't have millions of assets, otherwise they would have been slaughtered long ago.

"Let's give it a try. Our family is not as well off as before. If we don't find a backer, our business won't be able to continue."

Xia Jingui is particularly gentle and sensible now. She is thinking that she is not facing the Xue family, but the Jia family.

Mother Xia also nodded. Even though the family was not as wealthy as before and life was becoming somewhat difficult, she still took a few valuable antiques and three thousand gold and silver as gifts.

Jia Rong soon learned about this from his servants.

"I have already said that I do not accept gifts. Please return them." Jia Rong looked down upon the money and said, "My house is short of some flowers and plants. If Miss Xia is free, please come and sit with me. I need some flowers and plants, so we can chat."

After hearing this, Xiao Hong asked curiously, "Master, is this Miss Xia very powerful?"

Because Jia Rong was often not at home and Jia Yuanchun was busy keeping vigil in the palace, Xiaohong knew that she would need to entertain the guests herself and wanted to know how to do so.

Jia Rong was just looking for something to do.

"She's just an ordinary person. If she comes, just let her walk around the garden. You guys can keep her company while she eats. Don't worry about anything else."

Xiao Hong knew what to do, "Yes, Master!"

After Jia Rong asked his servants to go out and refuse the other party's gifts, he felt bored again.

I can’t have children this year, and I don’t want to care about women’s affairs anymore.

Bored, Jia Rong quickly went to watch some kids fighting.

I don't know why I could just laugh when I saw Jia Qiaoer bullying her own son.

The affairs of Guihua Xia's family were soon forgotten. Without a single official in the Xia family, they were just a nouveau riche family that should have been wiped out by this generation.

Not to mention Jia Rong, they can't even compare with the Xue family, whose ancestors produced high-ranking officials.

Ordinary people only know the horror of power when they are put in prison. Businessmen do not need to go to that step. When they see the official rank and title management department, they can clearly know whether the other party can destroy their family with just one word.

Jia Rong was eating braised pig's trotters with the children. Seeing the children eating the meat seriously, he felt it was a good way to kill time.

The nanny who was watching the yard to prevent the children from running away came in and said, "Master, the mistress and Grandmother Zhu are here. They said they want to visit the young master."

Jia Rong knew very well the purpose of these two people's visit.

"Tell them that Yuanchun has gone to the palace."

When the nanny heard Jia Rong say this, she went out to the courtyard gate to pass on the message.

As Jia Yuanchun's relatives, Mrs. Wang and Li Wan were able to enter the mansion without any notification.

However, Jia Rong didn't care about Jia Yuanchun's opinion at all, and he would inform everyone he saw, including Jia Yuanchun.

This is Jia Yuanchun’s favorite rule, and Jia Rong thinks it’s pretty good too.

Soon the nanny came in again, lowered her head and said carefully, "Master, the mistress said she has something to ask of you."

Jia Rong stood up and went to wash his hands. "Tell them to wait for me in the front yard. I will send someone to call Tanchun over. Just let her come here by herself."

The servant replied, "Yes."

Jia Rong washed his hands to remove the oil, and then said to the children who were still gnawing on the bones: "After you finish eating, go play in the yard, but don't go to the water."

Each child has a nanny to look after him or her, and there is always someone to accompany him or her wherever he or she goes.

Children have always been very capable of committing suicide. Jia Rong has done his best to help them overcome the initial difficulties. If any accidents happen again, it will be their own fault.

Moreover, the infant mortality rate has been very high in this era, and many diseases are untreatable. Jia Rong does not have the ability to ensure that more than a dozen children will live to adulthood in good health.

It is normal for someone to die in the family, so the best thing to do is to have more children.

The fact that one cannot have children during the mourning period has little impact on Jia Rong.

Just give birth.

The biggest impact was that one could not legally take a concubine, and there could be no general increase in wages. This was a good thing for Jia Rong as it saved him money.

It’s not that I don’t have money or that I’m stingy, but I just don’t like spending money on women.

Jia Rong has always been very patient when it comes to taking a concubine.

Even Qin Keqing was secretly trained for several years.

Who made Xue Baochai, Xue Baoqin, Xing Yuyan and the Li family girls not offer themselves for sex, but instead act like budding young ladies? Now they have all become old virgins.

Jia Rong went out to the front yard. It was now deep spring, with flowers in bloom and grass green.

Jia Rong wondered whether he should buy some chrysanthemums to remind the girls in the garden that they were about to turn yellow.

After Tanchun came over from the garden, the two went to the front yard together.

Soon they reached the front yard, and Xiao Hong shouted, "Master!"

Jia Rong went in with the maid Xiaohong, who was there to tell them about the incident. Inside were his aunt Yuanyang and aunt Ping'er, as well as the maid Qingwen.

Mrs. Wang was accompanied by her maid Caixia, and Li Wan was also accompanied by her maid. In addition to the maids, there was also an aunt Xiren who also had no official status.

Xiren was Jia Baoyu's maid. She still receives a maid's salary and has not become an aunt.

Only an irregular family would allow their maid to become an aunt. People like Jia Zheng and Wang Fu-ren would never agree to this.

"Your Majesty!" Several people greeted him respectfully.

The title of Duke is not an official title, but a proof of status and power. It means being trusted and valued by the emperor, being able to participate in state affairs and hold state power.

Jia Rong walked to the small room and sat down on the couch. In this era, both royal families and ordinary people liked to use small beds and also liked to make their sleeping rooms smaller.

There is a table and two chairs in the main hall at the entrance, and the layout is traditional.

Jia Rong was sitting in a small room on the side of the main hall, where there was a couch for chatting and it was also where the female members of the family usually sat to entertain guests. It was separated from the main hall by a curtain.

Generally people don't talk in the main hall where they can be seen by others.

Further inside is the bedroom for sleeping.

After Jia Rong sat down on the east side, Mrs. Wang did not dare to sit on the west side. She just sat on a chair next to the kang on the west side, where the maids usually sat.

Tanchun stood next to Jia Rong, and Li Wan and Xiren also stood behind Mrs. Wang.

Jia Rong asked, "Madam, if you have anything to say, please feel free to tell me."

Mrs. Wang had a sad look on her face and slowly explained her purpose.

"My family is related to the old concubine. After asking someone to send some gifts to her, my family is now in a very tight spot."

Jia Rong smiled and said, "So that's the case. This is easy to handle. I remember that Yuanchun gave me one thousand taels last August, and another two thousand taels during the New Year. Last year, the combined harvest from my family's several farms was only three or four thousand taels."

Mrs. Wang felt very guilty, "It's because I'm incompetent as a housekeeper and I didn't manage the money well. It's only at this time that I realize how difficult it is for Brother Feng."

Jia Rong raised his hand to stop her, and said with a smile, "I have no intention of blaming you, Madam."

"I know that Madam is a frugal person. She usually eats vegetarian food, chants Buddhist scriptures, and wears simple clothes. She doesn't seek gold or silver jewelry, so she was able to raise a frugal woman like Yuanchun."

"It's just that Madam is not suitable for being a housekeeper. Yuanchun and I were in charge of nearly a thousand people in the mansion back then, and the monthly salary for maids and servants was less than ten thousand taels a year."

"Now, the Madam's group of more than 100 people have spent three or four thousand taels in less than half a year, including the several thousand I gave when you left in August. How can there be no problem?"

"In the past, there were only a few people in Madam Xing's courtyard, and Master She was extremely lustful, so she could manage the household decently by herself. Now, Madam is not as good as her in terms of managing the household."

Mrs. Wang listened to the scolding and accepted the criticism. "The Duke is right. I don't want to get involved in these things, but there is really no one in the family who can take care of this matter well."

Jia Rong looked at Li Wan, who said with a bitter face, "My Lord, there are many things to do in this mansion. I have to take care of Lan Ge'er and accompany the old lady. I really can't manage the household. Those maids and servants don't take me seriously."

Jia Rong looked at Xiren, "Then let Xiren take care of it. Don't be afraid of offending people. Scold those who deserve to be scolded and punished. And keep a careful account of who took the money."

Mrs. Wang was shocked. Xiren is a maid.
Even if she becomes an aunt, she cannot let this maidservant be the housekeeper, otherwise she will be laughed at if the news gets out!
"No!" Mrs. Wang valued face more than money, and said directly: "Let your sister-in-law take care of it. She is also a good woman who can manage the family."

Xiren had nothing to say and just stood there obediently.

Only Jia Rong would be willing to give the power of housekeeper to his concubine who was born a maid.

Seeing that Li Wan had no objection, Jia Rong nodded and said.

"That's it. I'll give you one thousand. Now you only have a few women and immature children. If the servants are disobedient, just drive them away. Don't worry about anything else. Ningrong Street is full of our people. Just deal with the thieves in your house."

"If anyone steals again and moves their belongings to Zhao's mother's house, I will move them to jail. There are a lot more places in the Ministry of Justice jail recently. I don't want to hurt my relatives, but if it comes to the point where I have to kill all my relatives, I will have to be ruthless to protect myself."

Tanchun then understood what she meant by coming here.

The only house in Zhao's maiden home is that of Aunt Zhao.

The main reason why Li Wan didn't want to be a housekeeper was that she was worried that after she became the housekeeper, a group of people would run to her room.

By then, both my reputation and my son’s education will be in question.

"My Lord, can Jia Lan stay in the Duke's Mansion and study?"

If Jia Lan came from the Duke's Mansion, his future prospects would definitely be dozens of times better than the current West Mansion.

Playing with Jia Baoyu and Jia Lan from Xifu, I feel like I’m about to be infected.

Especially now that the three boys are growing up, Li Wan is worried that something bad will happen sooner or later if things continue like this, so it would be better for the mother and son to stay with Jia Rong.

Jia Rong had long ago rejected Li Wan's request to stay overnight.

No matter how much help this kind of woman has given her, all she would say in the end is thank you.

The money he had spent on food from ten years ago to now was enough to make a silver medal for her!
"Your son is cold by nature and doesn't get close to anyone. I don't care about Baoyu, let alone your son."

(End of this chapter)