The Overlord of the Red Mansion

Chapter 73 Three Years
Although Jia Rong is full of stains, this is just like corrupt officials, it's nothing serious.

Aren't corrupt officials hated by a group of people? But they are not short of partners in interests.

It’s just marrying a girl with the same surname, it doesn’t matter at all.

The ancients had a very high degree of tolerance, and those who did not know how to adapt could not survive in the officialdom.

Being an official is bound to involve social engagements. Jia Rong spent just two or three months adapting to the official environment, and in June he was sent out to serve as a county magistrate.

He left home at the age of 20. When he was 22, Lin Daiyu's father, Lin Ruhai, could not escape death and died of illness while on his way to serve as an official.

Jia Rong was an able official and was appointed as the fifth-rank deputy minister of the Ministry of Works. He was assigned by the emperor to handle Lin Ruhai's funeral. When he took Lin Daiyu back to arrange the funeral and came back, it was already autumn.

Rongguofu

Jia Zheng held a banquet to welcome Jia Rong and sighed, "The world changes so much. Brother Lin is gone at such a young age."

Jia Rong had no choice but to say, "Uncle Lin is in poor health. He may have stopped taking the medicine because he still hasn't had a son for many years and he is so discouraged. Alas!"

Jia Zheng said, "Miss Lin, you can rest assured to stay here. Everyone here is her relative."

Jia Rong is just Lin Ruhai's student, so Lin Daiyu can only live in Rongguo Mansion now and is not suitable to live with Jia Rong.

Jia Rong was also a straightforward person, and he said directly: "Sister Daiyu and I have counted Uncle Lin's belongings. I will keep the books, ancient books, calligraphy and paintings for now and give them to Miss Lin in the future."

"I have already sent people to manage the land and other properties, which will be used as sister Daiyu's dowry in the future. Here are the money and some house deeds and land deeds. After sister Daiyu and I have confirmed that they are correct, we will hand them over to Master Zheng and the old lady to manage for her, and they will also be used as sister Daiyu's future expenses for food, clothing, housing, transportation, etc."

Jia Rong handed over nearly 100,000 taels of silver to the Rongguo Mansion.

Lin Ruhai was the emperor's confidant and an honest official. He did not have much property, and the fact that he had so much was inseparable from Jia Rong's filial piety.

It took several generations for a big family like the Rongguo Mansion to accumulate a fortune of millions. It was impossible for him to make so much money in just a few years as an official.

Jia Zheng accepted the money and started talking to Jia Rong about official affairs.

"During the past two years when you were away from the capital, large gardens were built all over the capital for your relatives to visit. Jia Lian also had a son, and the old lady said that our family would also have many children in the future, so she also built a large garden in the back."

Jia Rong knew about this, but he didn't care.

"I've built my own house, so I don't need that little money. Just don't be too extravagant."

Jia Rong not only built a big house for Jia Xichun, he also renovated the houses for his concubines and servants in the mansion, and reinforced the walls.

In the past two years, the assassins in the capital have disappeared again. Large-scale construction has been carried out in various parts of the capital, presenting a prosperous scene of peace and prosperity.

Jia Zheng wanted to say something, but when he got to his words, he couldn't help but sighed, "I wanted to talk to you about the Ministry of Works, but you are more familiar with the people there. I will be working as an official outside the Ministry of Works. If you don't understand something about the Ministry of Works, just ask your father-in-law."

Jia Rong's father-in-law Qin Ye is still working in the Ministry of Works. Only high-ranking officials such as county magistrates need to be replaced frequently. Some minor officials do not need to be replaced and can serve for their entire lives without promotion or demotion.

Jia Rong naturally had no objection, as the Ministry of Works was the last of the six ministries.

People here don’t need to take the imperial examination to enter, nor do they need to be familiar with the Four Books and Five Classics. They just need to be able to do arithmetic.

It is responsible for engineering construction, water conservancy supervision, and equipment manufacturing.

Since he neither cares about the people nor governs the country, he naturally ranks last.

It is not a good idea for a father-in-law and a son-in-law to serve in the same department, but this is often the case in the Ministry of Works, where the sons inherit their father's business, so there is no choice.

Some people used this to attack Jia Rong and Jia Zheng, and naturally there were people who were also evil and shared the same hatred.

Jia Rong, who was born as a third place in the imperial examination, is being wasted here. It is unreasonable for him to suffer losses and then be reported by the jealous people.

After Jia Rong finished discussing his business, he said goodbye. As soon as he walked out the door, he saw Yuanyang, an old girl in her twenties who had been waiting for him eagerly.

Yuanyang dressed up specially and waited to meet Jia Rong.

Three years, three years later and another three years.

When Jia Rong saw Yuanyang’s sad face, he smiled, and his smile was very light and frivolous.

"Uncle Rong..." Yuanyang looked at Jia Rong with indescribable sadness.

Jia Rong smiled and said, "I will ask the old lady to take you over next month. I just came home and have many things to do. Please wait until after the Mid-Autumn Festival."

Yuanyang quickly said, "Is it possible this time?"

Jia Rong leaned closer and said, "Of course it's accurate. If you're in a hurry, come to my place tomorrow night after you've taken care of the old lady. I'll test your skills first."

The mandarin duck blushed quickly and looked around. Seeing that there were people nearby looking at them, they quickly walked away shyly.

Jia Rong was in a good mood and went to sit in Wang Xifeng's room again. As soon as he arrived at Wang Xifeng's yard, he saw Ping'er playing with a one and a half year old boy in the yard.

The maid in the yard shouted, "Master Rong!"

Seeing this, Ping'er stood there holding the little boy.

"Uncle Rong is here. Our grandmother has gone to entertain Miss Lin and will be back soon."

Jia Rong and Ping'er went into the house together.

Jia Rong looked at Wang Xifeng's eldest son and asked, "Has he been named yet?"

Ping Er hugged the eldest young master and said with a smile, "Not yet. He said he would wait for Master Rong to come back and ask him to help him pick a lucky name for it."

Jia Rong had many children, and they all grew up healthy, passing the first three years when they were prone to premature death.

Wang Xifeng suggested that Jia Rong help with the name, and Jia Lian naturally agreed.

Jia Rong thought for a moment and said, "Let's call her Jia Ying. Ying means hero. I'll call her Ying'er as a nickname, just like my daughter Yinglian. I'll call her by her female name first."

"What a good name!" Suddenly, Wang Xifeng's cheerful voice came from outside the door. Wang Xifeng came in with her maid and said with a smile, "I've come at a good time! From now on, you'll be called Ying'er!"

Jia Ying reached out for a hug, Ping'er stood up and handed the child to Wang Xifeng, who sat on the other side and continued chatting with Jia Rong.

"When Master Rong becomes an official in Beijing, we will meet each other. It is better to be an official in Beijing."

Jia Rong smiled and said, "Indeed."

Wang Xifeng said to Jia Rong, "It is about time to talk about Ping'er's affairs. You can set a date and bring Ping'er over."

Ping'er had indeed been waiting for a long time. At this moment, she looked at Jia Rong embarrassedly and expectantly.

Jia Rong said, "Then next month, on the seventeenth day after the full moon of Mid-Autumn Festival, Yuanyang and I will get engaged on the sixteenth day, and Ping'er will wait until the seventeenth."

Although it feels a bit cheap, Ping'er is naturally willing to do it as long as she can get on the car.

Wang Xifeng said, "That's it, I'll get ready too. Your second uncle will be here soon, let him drink with you."

Jia Rong could clearly feel Wang Xifeng's unfamiliarity.

It could be because they hadn’t seen each other for two years, or it could be because she wanted to be a good wife and mother after giving birth to her son, so she took the initiative to distance herself from him.

Jia Rong smiled and said, "Okay, I'll go back to see my son too."

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "Then I won't see you off. Master Rong, be careful on your way. Ping'er will help me see you off."

After Jia Rong and Ping Er went out together, Jia Rong asked, "What happened to Feng Ge? He looks much more unfamiliar."

Ping'er didn't understand either. "I don't know. After having a son, she seldom went to Ning Mansion. She stayed at home with Ying'er most of the time. She didn't share a room during the three years of mourning. She slept separately. Second Master has been living with Master She since he came back from mourning. Grandma has been going there to have the house cleaned up these days. I guess she's planning to have more sons."

Jia Rong understood now. Wang Xifeng was guilty. She had not slept with him during the three years of mourning because she was pregnant. After that, she was busy taking care of the child and the housekeeper, so she did not have sex with him.

Now the time is almost here, and she plans to give birth to a son for Jia Lian to make up for him, and then become a good wife to Master Lian in the future.

Jia Rong did not interfere in the affairs of other couples. Instead, he said to Ping'er, "Find a way to go to my place tomorrow night. Go there secretly and don't let your grandmother know."

Ping'er blushed immediately and rolled her eyes at him helplessly, "You're already a third place winner, and you think about this kind of thing all day long."

Jia Rong smiled and said, "You don't want it? If not, forget it."

"I want to... How can I not want to!" Ping'er complained, "The master only knows how to bully people."

When Jia Rong went out to work as an official, he took Jia Yuanchun and You Sanjie with him. Now the Jia family is prosperous, with four more children in two years.

Baoqin and Qin Keqing both helped give birth to daughters.

Next, I was busy enjoying life and working in the police station that my father-in-law had already arranged for me.

Jia Rong was more familiar with the affairs of the Ministry of Works than Jia Zheng, it was like he was back home.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Jia Rong successfully took Yuanyang and Ping'er into his family. Since he was marrying maids as concubines, there was no extravagance and he simply invited a few people.

Just when everything was back to normal and Wang Xifeng and Jia Lian were about to reconcile, the retired emperor in the palace passed away.

National filial piety is coming!

(End of this chapter)