The Overlord of the Red Mansion

Chapter 110 Ning Guogong

Jia Rong did not do any good deeds when he spoke, he just acted like a villain and spoke clearly.

Mrs. Wang felt that these words were too hurtful, but in the end she couldn't say anything.

Jia Lan really had no contact with Jia Rong.

After being humiliated, Li Wan could no longer stay here and could only quickly go back to wipe her tears.

Cry, go back and cry.

Jia Rong can only laugh.

After they left, Tanchun said to Jia Rong, "Brother-in-law, you are exaggerating."

Jia Rong smiled.

"They left with silver. They wanted money and face, and they also wanted me to continue to take care of them happily in the future. Do you know how much silver Li Wan has taken from me over the years?"

"Don't worry about this kind of woman. If something happens to our family, this kind of woman would rather watch you die than spend a penny of the money she gave to her son on you!"

"Don't give money to them anymore. Whoever secretly gives them money will move over there and see how those people you help will treat you!"

Jia Rong did not mention the specific scope, but it obviously included Jia Yuanchun. If Jia Yuanchun dared to continue taking care of her, based on Jia Rong's performance, he could really send her back to her parents' home.

Tanchun and others were the same and did not dare to disobey Jia Rong's orders.

Ningguo Mansion has only one owner, Ningguo Duke Jia Rong.

Jia Yuanchun was busy with the old empress dowager's funeral. After Jia Rong resolved his worries, he quickly went to Jia Yuanchun's room to have dinner and drinks with his sister-in-law Yingchun, his second aunt and second sister, and his third aunt and third sister.

I feel especially carefree when my wife is not at home.

Without Jia Yuanchun and Youshi at home, Wang Xifeng and others managed the household in an orderly manner, without stopping Jia Rong from having fun all day long.

Even if they are a large group of children, they become happy wild kids without their mothers to take care of them, laughing every day.

Lin Daiyu and others are still ladies from wealthy families, and Jia Rong is not in a hurry. He prefers to waste time with interesting women like Qin Keqing, the third sister, Qingwen, and Wang Xifeng.

He went out to sell coal during the day. Every morning he would go to the yard outside the city where the coal was piled to inquire about the situation, and then patrol the downtown area. In the afternoon, people would come to order coal.

This is the legal income of the city patrol officer, not the legal income of the vice minister of the Ministry of War, and certainly not the legal income of the Duke of Ningguo.

*
Xia Jingui dressed up nicely today.

It is a good time when spring comes and flowers bloom, and you can dress more beautifully.

Because of the national mourning, there cannot be too many head ornaments and the clothes cannot be too bright.

Fortunately, after spending a few hours selecting, it is finally ready.

Xia Jingui quickly took a car to the Ningguo Mansion.

The classes of scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, small families like theirs, have no chance of entering the Duke's Mansion.

The million-dollar fortune was earned by Mr. Xia, who died a long time ago. Now his life is getting worse day by day, and he doesn’t even have 50,000 left.

Xia Jingui soon arrived at the Ningguo Mansion.

As soon as I arrived at the gate, someone came over to ask questions.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

The Xia family’s carriages were of poor quality, the horses were not good looking horses, and the number and attire of the servants were too poor.

The Ningguo Mansion had entertained princes and princesses before, so naturally they had high standards.

The Xia family servant smiled and replied, "We are from the Guihua Xia family. The Duke asked us to come over and take a look a few days ago. Please inform him."

Soon, silver was given to pave the way.

This kind of behavior of a small family let the gatekeeper know their approximate status.

"I will go and report to the Duke. You just wait here obediently."

The servant breathed a sigh of relief and thanked him hurriedly, "Thank you, sir!"

The doorman smiled, exchanged glances with the other people, and went in.

After the person who collected the money went in, there were four people standing guard at the door.

Xia Jingui, the coachman, and the servants were all waiting by the wall.

I was excited and nervous at first, but after waiting for half an hour and no one showed up, I started to get anxious.

He sent someone to inquire more, and after giving away a few taels of silver, he was told to continue waiting.

After waiting for two or three hours, Xia Jingui was in a dilemma. She couldn't just leave, but she also felt uncomfortable sitting in the carriage.

Just when I was feeling anxious, a young man riding a horse passed by.

When the servant standing by the road saw this man, he knelt down and shouted, "Duke!"

Jia Rong had just returned home from get off work. When he heard this, he stopped his horse and looked over here.

"Oh, you are a servant of the Xia family, what are you doing here?"

The servant said hurriedly, "My Lord, I left before dawn today to visit you. My young lady has been waiting here for the whole morning."

Xia Jingui got out of the carriage and said, "Xia Jingui, the daughter of a merchant, pays respect to the Duke."

Jia Rong saw that this woman had a good appearance. She had powder on her face so it was hard to tell the exact condition of her skin. However, her clothes and makeup were good, though a little petty.

The general idea of what was going on was clear as soon as I heard it. "Come with me first. I'll take you inside to have some water and rest. This is a sign of lax discipline. Since you're coming through the main gate, I'll take you in through the main gate."

"But has your family never visited higher-ranking officials? Why are you waiting for someone at the gate? I usually go in and out of the East Corner Gate."

Xia Jingui was ashamed and embarrassed. How could an orphan and a widow have the qualifications to meet such an important person, let alone visit him?

Jia Rong rode his horse towards the gate.

The servants nearby had heard Jia Rong's words long ago. Two servants hurried down the steps to lead the horses, and the other two quickly pushed open the red lacquered door.

"Master!" The servant led the horse and hurriedly apologized, "I deserve to die! I just came out after lunch and I don't know what happened before."

Servants usually refer to themselves as "I", and only call themselves "slave" when they make mistakes and beg for mercy.

Just like kneeling, in most cases it is used to beg for mercy, not to kneel when you see anyone.

The same goes for officials. They usually call themselves subjects, but when they are about to die, they call themselves slaves.

Jia Rong said coldly, "How long have they been here? You made them wait here for hours even though you knew I was out. When you were laughing at them, did you ever think that you were also making fun of my dignity?! This gate is my face!"

The two servants knelt down quickly and said, "I know I was wrong! It was Grandma Qingwen's cousin Wu Gui who collected the money. I didn't dare to say anything after I found out, so I ignored the matter. Master, please understand!"

Jia Rong got off his horse and said, "Go and call Wu Gui over."

The servant quickly said, "He went out to drink, and I don't know where he went."

"Then don't come back." Jia Rong said calmly: "How much money he deposited in the account office, ask the steward to take it out for him to take away, and send Lin Zhixiao to check Wu Gui's room. If there is anything that shouldn't be there, deal with it according to the family rules!"

Jia Rong solved the household affairs lightly. At this time, the door was open. Xia Jingui and the maid carefully followed Jia Rong into the door.

The carriages and horses were led from outside the gate to the east gate, and Jia Rong also took Xia Jingui, who had just entered, to the east gate.

Jia Rong said to Xia Jingui, "I didn't rule strictly enough, and Miss Xia is making fun of me."

Xia Jingui said hurriedly: "I dare not, I just saw that the Duke's family has very strict education."

Jia Rong led his men in through the main gate. The thousands of people in Ningguo Mansion were not blind, so they didn't even send anyone to guard the door.

When Jia Rong brought Xia Jingui in, sixty or seventy people quickly came out from both sides to greet them.

On the left is where the internal affairs of the mansion are handled. It is the place where the old women manage the household and are responsible for some miscellaneous matters in the garden and the inner courtyard. When instructions are needed, there will be special maids and nannies to ask the female managers of the front and back yards.

On the east right side, there are not only the accounting office and servants' room, but also some members of the Jia family who discuss things here.

There are more than a thousand people in Ning Mansion, and more than three or four hundred people gather in the area around the gate every day.

It’s just the number of people in a few classrooms, which is not that many.

"master!"

Everyone bowed to Jia Rong, which was not usually so polite. The main reason was that everyone could clearly feel that Jia Rong was in a bad mood today, so they were all careful.

Anyone who has been beaten knows whether Jia Rong has a good temper or not. It's very genuine.

In novels and plays, it is always the servants of dukes, marquises, and princes who get into trouble and kill people and are investigated and punished, but I have never heard of a duke, marquis, or prince being punished for killing someone with his own hands.

After Wang Xifeng indirectly caused a death, no one dared to sue her, but when Jia Rong beat someone to death, no one dared to say a word.

Jia Rong wanted to change her clothes, so she quickly asked her maid to take her to the toilet and then went to find Xiaohong.

Although he did not actively show off, Xia Jingui, who had just entered the Duke's Mansion, soon discovered that many of the maids and servants here were dressed better than her.

The Duke's Mansion was full of grandeur, with people coming and going quickly, and the huge front yard was spotless, cleaner than the tables of many other people's homes.

There are also sturdy giant trees with huge crowns, green tiles and flying eaves, carved beams and painted buildings in the courtyard, which fully demonstrate the family's wealth and status.

The servants who came and went all wore clean and tidy clothes, and were mostly young people, unlike his own family which only had old women and maids.

After following the maid named Xiaohong into the house, she was even more shocked by the grandeur of the Duke's Mansion.

Not to mention the main living room, even the place where the women went to the toilet was incredibly clean, with many flowers and plants placed there to cover up the odor.

After washing his hands and sitting down to wait for Jia Rong, he discovered that just the furniture in the room, even the carpet on the floor and the cups for drinking tea, each piece was worth no less than a hundred taels of silver.

"Duke!" Xia Jingui quickly stood up and bowed.

Jia Rong had the impression that this was a woman who was aggressive, fierce, vicious and overbearing.

This is the case for Xue Pan, but it doesn't matter to Jia Rong.

Jia Rong got straight to the point and asked directly: "Miss Xia, do you know anything about the planting and cultivation of flowers?"

Xia Jingui didn't quite understand this. "My family members are in charge of this. I... I don't quite understand it."

Jia Rong said, "Let's do this for now. Bring your mother over when you are free some other day. I want to plant some flowers and medicinal herbs. Next time you come, bring someone who knows how to do it with you."

Xia Jingui stood and said, "Yes, Duke."

Her heart was pounding and she dared not make any mistakes. When she spoke to Jia Rong, it was as if she was facing a powerful man who could decide her life or death.

Jia Rong treated her like an inferior and said to Xiao Hong, "Take her to dinner and send her away after dinner."

"Yes, sir." Xiaohong agreed.

Xia Jingui said respectfully, "Thank you, Duke, for the meal."

Jia Rong waved his hand casually, indicating that he could leave.

Xia Jingui finally breathed a sigh of relief, and didn't let out the breath she had been holding until she left Jia Rong's room.

(End of this chapter)