Red Mansion: After being expelled from the family, I was granted the title of Marquis of Mobei

Chapter 131 Xue Baochai Enters the Marquis's Mansion
Grandma Sheng waved her hand and said.

"How could that be? I was just talking to Minglan and I asked you about it."

Minglan said you went out on errands.

"These are turbulent times, and the matter between the Marquis's mansion and the Wang family is still unresolved."

"During this time, Lord Marquis, you should stay at home and spend time with your family to avoid causing trouble."

Jia Jue nodded slightly and said.

“The old lady is right. If it weren’t for this matter that I had to take care of, I wouldn’t have gone out.”

"The mansion has been in turmoil lately, and Minglan and I haven't had a chance to visit you at the Sheng family home."

"We never expected you to come in person. It makes us younger generation feel ashamed."

After hearing this, Old Mrs. Sheng smiled and said...

"I'm content as long as you and Minglan have this intention."

"My legs are still okay now, and I can walk around without any problem."

Jia Jue said after smiling calmly.

“Minglan grew up under your care since she was a child, and she has the deepest affection for you.”

"Once this period is over, if you have some free time, I hope you can stay at the Marquis's residence for a while. Minglan misses you the most while she is here."

Sheng Minglan echoed this sentiment.

"Yes, Grandmother, after the turmoil in the Marquis's mansion has passed, you should come and stay here for a while."

After a moment's thought, Grandma Sheng smiled and said.

"Staying for a few days is fine, let's talk about it when we get there."

Just as the group was chatting, the maid came into the side hall, bowed, and said...

"My lord, Consort Wang requests your presence. She says there are some matters to discuss."

Jia Jue said calmly after hearing this.

"Okay, I'll be there in a bit. You can go now."

"The slaves obey."

After the maid left, Jia Jue looked at Old Madam Sheng and said with a smile.

"Grandma, please talk to Minglan first. I need to take care of some things. I'll have the kitchen prepare lunch, and we can all have a lively meal together."

Grandma Sheng nodded slightly and then said.

"My lord, please go ahead with your business. It's fine for Minglan and I to go together."

Then Jia Jue got up and left, heading straight for Wang Xifeng's courtyard.

At this moment, Wang Xifeng was comforting Xue Baochai in her bedroom.

It turns out that not long ago, after Xue Baochai left the Xue family, she took her maid and found a carriage and went straight to the Marquis of Champion's mansion.

Jia Jue had not yet returned, so after the servants informed him, Wang Xifeng took Xue Baochai to her room first.

After Jia Jue returned, Wang Xifeng ordered a maid to inform him.

Wang Xifeng looked at Xue Baochai and spoke gently.

“Sister Baochai, don’t worry. The Marquis knows perfectly well what’s going on between you and the Xue family.”

"My aunt is so short-sighted; she will surely regret it later."

Xue Baochai sighed and then said.

"Sister Feng, all of that is in the past."

"After all, I come from the Xue family. Although we have severed all ties, I do not wish to speak ill of the Xue family in front of the Marquis."

"Let the Xue family go wherever they want from now on; they have nothing to do with me anymore."

Wang Xifeng said after holding Xue Baochai's hand.

"Well, never mind. Don't worry, from now on, we sisters will work together to serve the Marquis well."

"Both ladies are gentle and kind-hearted, and both are currently pregnant."

“My husband has no prejudice against legitimate or illegitimate children. You and I, sisters, have our own place in the Marquis’s mansion and will certainly not be looked down upon by others.”

Xue Baochai nodded slightly and said.

"I hope Sister Feng will take good care of me in the future."

Just as the two sisters were talking, the sound of a maidservant greeting them came from outside.

After hearing this, Wang Xifeng looked at Xue Baochai and said...

"Sister Baochai, the Marquis is here. Let's go outside."

"it is good."

Xue Baochai responded with a shout and followed Wang Xifeng into the outer hall.

At this moment, Jia Jue was leisurely drinking tea and waiting.

Wang Xifeng and Xue Baochai approached and bowed to each other, saying...

"This humble servant greets Your Excellency."

After hearing this, Jia Jue raised his hand and said.

"Alright, we're all family, no need for formalities, please sit down."

"Thank you, Lord Marquis."

After the two sisters sat down, Jia Jue glanced at Xue Baochai.

It's clear that Xue Baochai's condition is not good, especially considering that Wang Xifeng and Jia Jue had previously discussed the matter.

It's not hard to see that Xue Baochai must have had a big fight with the Xue family.

When Jia Jue thought of Xue Baochai's mother, he couldn't help but recall a particularly apt saying.

When an old woman is in charge, the house collapses and the roof falls down.

Although this statement is somewhat biased, it is quite fitting when applied to Lady Xue.

As the head of the household, Lady Xue was unable to discipline her son or maintain the family business.

Moreover, he is stubborn and self-willed, and refuses to listen to other opinions; he is a typical example of someone who won't turn back until he hits a brick wall.

In the original novel, Xue Pan killed someone in Jinling. The Xue family finally managed to settle the matter and then went to the capital to avoid trouble.

As Xue Pan's mother, Lady Xue knew what kind of person her son was, yet she didn't discipline him but instead let him do as he pleased.

In the end, Xue Pan remarried, but due to jealousy, he killed the son of Commandant Qiu. This time, there was no way to turn the tide, and Xue Pan was sentenced to death with reprieve. The once-powerful Xue family was also ruined.

This proves the old saying: a doting mother spoils her son, and indulging a child is like killing him.

When it came to choosing sides, Xue Wangshi was indecisive and wavering.

Madam Xue knew perfectly well that the Rongguo Mansion was treating the Xue family like pigs to be slaughtered, yet she remained obstinate.

She had finally been persuaded by Xue Baochai to side with the Marquis of Champion's mansion, but as soon as something happened at the mansion, she immediately backed out and wanted to distance herself from it.

This is the biggest taboo when choosing sides.

In contrast, Xue Baochai was clever and understood this principle, so she was willing to break with the Xue family in order to keep her promise and enter the Marquis's mansion.

After observing Jia Jue's expressions, Wang Xifeng smiled and said...

"My lord, please speak with Sister Baochai first. I still have some things to attend to."

Jia Jue nodded slightly and said.

"Okay, by the way, Feng'er, when you're done, remember to arrange a quiet courtyard for Baochai and settle her in."

Wang Xifeng said with a chuckle.

"Don't worry, my husband, I will handle it perfectly. This is my sister."

Then Wang Xifeng gracefully left the hall with her golden lotus.

When only Jia Jue and Xue Baochai remained in the hall, Xue Baochai couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

After all, Xue Baochai came to the Marquis's mansion as a concubine, and she took the initiative to come to his door. For a woman, this was undoubtedly a very low-class act, and Xue Baochai was worried that Jia Jue would look down on her because of this.

However, to Xue Baochai's surprise, Jia Jue looked at her gently and said something.

"You feel wronged and sad, right? If you want to cry, then cry. It's okay." As he spoke, Jia Jue took out a handkerchief and handed it to Xue Baochai.

After Xue Baochai took the handkerchief, her eyes couldn't help but well up with tears.

She looked at Jia Jue and said.

"My lord, I...I..."

Jia Jue gently took Xue Baochai's hand and said.

"The Marquis's residence is going through a turbulent time, and I am very happy that you have come to the Marquis's residence at this time."

"I understand the situation regarding the Xue family."

"Although you had a falling out with your family, you still can't let go of the Xue family in your heart, right?"

After hearing this, Xue Baochai sighed and said...

"Born and raised here, how can one so easily give it up?"

“My mother is not a bad person, she is just a little confused.”

Jia Jue patted Xue Baochai's hand and then said.

"Alright, don't worry, I won't hold a grudge against the Xue family because of this."

"After all, the common people are all about promoting the famous and criticizing the bad."

Xue Baochai naturally understood Jia Jue's implied meaning.

Jia Jue will not hold a grudge against the Xue family, but similarly, he will not offer them any special treatment in the future. This is how one deals with someone whose stance is not firm.

After all, if loyalty is not absolute, then it is absolutely disloyal.

Originally, this crisis in the Marquis's mansion should have been an excellent opportunity for the Xue family to integrate into the mansion, but Madam Xue completely missed this opportunity.

Xue Baochai came to the Marquis's mansion without hesitation, only to ensure that the Xue family would not hold her accountable afterward. But if anything happened to the Xue family in the future, the Marquis's mansion would definitely stand idly by.

Jia Jue's words were both meant to reassure Xue Baochai and to express his own attitude towards her.

Xue Baochai, being shrewd and perceptive, naturally understood Jia Jue's meaning.

Immediately afterwards, Xue Baochai nodded obediently and said.

“What you say is true, my lord. Now that Baochai has come to the Marquis’s mansion, from now on, she will be yours in life and in death, and she will never care about anything else.”

Jia Jue smiled with satisfaction after hearing this. No wonder everyone likes smart people; talking to smart people is so much easier.

"Alright, from now on you are a member of the Marquis's household."

"The Marquis's residence has been embroiled in troubles lately, making it inconvenient for them to conduct business."

"Once this period has passed, I will definitely hold a grand ceremony for you."

Xue Baochai smiled gently.

"I will follow your orders, Lord Marquis."

After chatting with Xue Baochai for a while, Jia Jue arranged for someone to tidy up the courtyard for Xue Baochai and settle her in.

From then on, the Marquis of Champion's mansion gained a new member.

Time flies, and a few more days have passed in the blink of an eye.

Since the last major explosion in the capital, Emperor Yongping suspended court for several days, and the cabinet took over the administration of the government.

Xiao Qinyan went to the palace several times to request an audience with Emperor Yongping, hoping to inquire whether the implementation of the new policies should be postponed, but he was stopped by Xia Shouzhong each time.

Xiao Qinyan had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue to push forward with the new policies.

At the same time, rumors about divine retribution spread like wildfire, causing widespread panic among the people of the capital, who feared that the massive explosion in the southern part of the city would happen again.

At night, outside the Xuanzhen Temple on the outskirts of Beijing, Gu Qianfan was directing a large number of Imperial Guards to surround the temple completely.

After Jia Jue reported in the palace that the explosion in the southern city of Emperor Yongping was man-made, the Embroidered Uniform Guard began to secretly investigate based on the clues provided by Jia Jue.

With the full force of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, it only took three days to find out the flow of the large-scale purchases of saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal in the capital over the past three months.

An investigation revealed that within just three months, over 100,000 kilograms of materials for manufacturing gunpowder were secretly purchased and transported to Xuanzhen Temple.

Xuanzhen Temple is a Taoist temple located on the outskirts of Beijing, but people unfamiliar with Dream of the Red Chamber probably have no impression of it.

But if you mention one person, many people will probably know him: Jia Jing.

Jia Jing was the father of Jia Zhen of the Ningguo Mansion, and he was also the most outstanding person in the Ning and Rong Mansions in recent decades.

Jia Jing passed the imperial examination in his early years and became a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). He was previously on good terms with Prince Yizhong.

Later, during the struggle for the throne, Jia Jing was implicated and could only hide in the Xuanzhen Temple outside the city to cultivate Taoism and avoid disaster.

For this reason, Jia Jing turned misfortune into blessing, as he was subconsciously overlooked when the Ningguo Mansion was raided.

The reason why raw materials for manufacturing large quantities of gunpowder were sent to Xuanzhen Temple is due to the source of the gunpowder.

The invention of gunpowder is closely related to ancient alchemy.

As early as the Eastern Han Dynasty, Wei Boyang mentioned the alchemical methods using substances such as saltpeter and sulfur in his book "Zhouyi Cantongqi".

Ge Hong of the Jin Dynasty also recorded a method of mixing saltpeter, sulfur and charcoal to make elixirs in his book "Baopuzi". This is considered to be the earliest form of gunpowder formula.

Therefore, Xuanzhen Temple's purchase of items such as saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal could also be used to deceive people.

After all, these materials are also widely used by Taoists in alchemy.

Even if someone occasionally discovers these things at Xuanzhen Temple, it won't arouse suspicion.

Getting back to the main point, by this time the Embroidered Uniform Guard had completely surrounded the Xuanzhen Temple.

At Gu Qianfan's command, the Imperial Guards stormed into the Xuanzhen Temple and began arresting people.

At this moment, in the meditation room of Xuanzhen Temple, after hearing the sounds of fighting inside the temple, Jia Jing, dressed as an old Taoist priest, slowly opened his eyes.

After getting involved in this shocking case, Jia Jing guessed that this day would come sooner or later.

What Jia Jing didn't expect was that this day would come so soon.

After sighing, Jia Jing did not hesitate, tore open his sleeve, took out a pill, and swallowed it.

Not long after, Jia Jing collapsed to the ground, bleeding from all seven orifices, and was already dead.

At this time, the Embroidered Uniform Guard had already taken complete control of the entire Xuanzhen Temple.

Gu Qianfan then began interrogating the arrested individuals.

After a night without reading, Gu Qianfan rushed back to the palace the next day to meet the emperor.

Meanwhile, in the inner palace, the young Marquis of Yue was discussing matters with his elder sister, Consort Yue.

Xiao Yuehou said anxiously.

"Your Majesty, what are you really thinking?"

"Now that the eldest prince has become the crown prince, you still want us to remain inactive."

"If this continues, everything will be over once Yunwen takes up his fief."

"We must find the Crown Prince's fatal weakness and bring him down, no matter what."

"Otherwise, all that awaits us in the future is death."

Consort Yue replied calmly after hearing this.

"So, what dirt do you have on the Crown Prince?"

"What else could it be besides the imperial examination cheating scandal?"

“If Your Majesty would depose the Crown Prince because of this, then you wouldn’t have suppressed the matter in the first place.”

Hearing this, Xiao Yuehou said dejectedly.

"So, does that mean we can only sit here and wait to die?"

Consort Yue gave a cold laugh and then said.

"To sit idly by and wait for death? How could that be?"

"I have fought with the Empress for decades, am I just going to sit here and wait to die?"

"Alright, you don't need to worry about it anymore. I have my own ideas."

"You should reassure the people in your faction and tell them not to be anxious. This is a good opportunity to see who is truly loyal to Yunwen and who is just a sycophant."

(End of this chapter)