The Red Mansion

Chapter 263 The Eighth Prince is Imprisoned, Jia She is Stripped of His Title

Jia She had long disliked Jia Qiang, considering him nothing more than a spoiled brat who relied on the family's influence to indulge in cockfighting and dog racing. Today, seeing Jia Qiang dare to obstruct him from moving the family fortune, his violent temper flared, and he ordered his servants to teach him a lesson. He only intended to give him a beating to deter him from further aggression, never imagining it would escalate into a matter of life and death!
Seeing Jia Qiang crash headfirst into the stone steps, blood flowing freely, and fall silent in an instant, Jia She himself was stunned on the spot, his usually imperious old face turning pale instantly.

After a moment of panic, Jia She forced himself to calm down and decided that the most important thing at the moment was to cover up the matter tightly and not let it involve the government! Fortunately, Jia Qiang's parents had died early and he had no powerful backers, which gave him an opportunity to settle the matter privately.

Jia She immediately darkened his face, his gaze sweeping over the pale-faced, slumped You Shi on the ground with a sinister look. He then glared fiercely at the servants in the courtyard and shouted, "Listen up, all of you! Today's incident was caused by Jia Qiang's own tantrum and missteps! Anyone who dares to gossip outside and make trouble will be punished... I'll make sure they die a horrible death!" His voice was ferocious and full of threat.

The matter of moving the family fortune had to be temporarily put on hold due to this change. Although Jia She was heartbroken, he knew that now was not the time to continue pressuring You Shi, and thought that it would be better to wait until this storm passed before moving the family fortune.

Having delivered his threat, Jia She felt it was unwise to linger in this ominous place, lest he be tainted by bad luck and, moreover, cause further trouble. He prepared to leave, but then called Jia Lian aside and whispered, "You stay here and make sure this whole affair is completely resolved! All traces must be properly disposed of; leave no loose ends!"

Jia Lian was already terrified and completely at a loss. Upon hearing this, he was even more worried and fearful, and said in a trembling voice, "Father! This is a matter of life and death! I'm afraid... I'm afraid we can't keep it a secret! What if... what if it gets to the yamen?"

"Snapped!"

A sharp slap landed on Jia Lian's face, making him stagger. Jia She's face contorted, and he growled, "Useless wretch! I told you to calm things down so you could cover this up! If you can't even handle this simple matter, what use are you to me? If anyone from the yamen comes to ask, you'll give a unified story: say that I came here today on Master Jing's orders to dispose of the family property, and that You Shi and Jia Qiang unreasonably obstructed me, throwing a tantrum. Jia Qiang lost his footing and fell to his death while acting tough! Do you hear me?"

Jia Lian covered his burning cheek, feeling a mix of shock, fear, and grievance, but dared not disobey in the slightest. He could only stammer, "Yes...yes...son understands..."

Jia She snorted coldly, glared at Jia Qiang's corpse, cursed inwardly, and then looked around at the silent crowd before fleeing like a plague, leaving behind a scene of chaos and terror for the pale-faced Jia Lian.

……

……

Let's not even talk about Jia She's matter.

The next day was May 19th. The sky was overcast and a light drizzle was falling.

In Changchun Garden, the sound of dripping water from the eaves was incessant, the willow branches drooped like tears, the lotus pond was murky, and even the usually noisy birds were silent.

Yuan Si, Yuan Tang, and Yuan had been detained in the garden for ten days. At this moment, the three of them were being led out of the confinement by guards. Yuan Si's face was ashen, Yuan Tang's lips were tightly closed, and Yuan's eyes showed bewilderment.

Prince Zhongyi stood under the eaves and, seeing the three men brought before him, said in a deep voice, "By order of the Emperor Emeritus and His Majesty, we are bringing the three gentlemen into the city."

Three official carriages with blue curtains were already waiting, their curtains embroidered with the emblem of the Imperial Clan Court, gleaming coldly in the gray rain and mist.

Yuan Si paused slightly as he got into the car, glanced back at the misty Changchun Garden, and seemed to have tears welling up in his eyes before finally bending down and getting into the car.

Prince Zhongyi, as the head of the Imperial Clan Court, personally led a team of men and escorted the three men out of Changchun Garden in the rain and into the Imperial Clan Court prison in the city.

In the following period, Yuan was first transferred to his own residence and placed under house arrest. Then, both Yuan Si and Yuan Tang were stripped of their titles and confined to a special cell set up by the Imperial Clan Court. This cell was surrounded by high walls and heavily guarded, a completely isolated place from the outside world.

The immediate cause, of course, was that the three conspired to assassinate Yuan Li and then staged an assassination attempt on Emperor Jingning to frame Emperor Taishun. However, how could such a palace secret be revealed to the world? Therefore, Emperor Jingning and Emperor Taishun punished the three on other charges.

Yuan Si was the core of the "Eighth Prince's Party," possessing high prestige and great power. Yuan Tang, on the other hand, was a staunch supporter and financial backer of the "Eighth Prince's Party," and also kept loyal followers. Therefore, both of them were severely punished this time, stripped of their titles and placed under house arrest.

As for Yuan, although he also sided with the Eighth Prince's faction, he was by nature rough and unruly, and was merely an accomplice. This time, Emperor Jingning did not wish to punish him severely, and Emperor Taishun also felt that he was not a threat, so he was only placed under house arrest in his residence.

Emperor Jingning was lenient towards Yuan Si and Yuan Tang, and did not want to order the death of these two sons, nor did he remove them from the imperial clan.

However, from then on, Yuan Si, Yuan Tang, and Yuan Jie were all imprisoned. Barring any major unforeseen events, the Eighth Prince's faction, which had dominated Daqing for many years, was finished.

……

……

Let's continue with Jia She.

Jia She condoned his powerful servants' violent acts, which led to a death. Although the matter was suppressed, the truth could not be concealed forever. This incident occurred in the inner city of the capital, right under the emperor's nose, and was witnessed by many. Moreover, it involved a noble family like the Rongguo Mansion, so the news spread quietly and quickly reached the emperor's ears.

On May 20th, the sky remained overcast, with a light drizzle adding to the bleak and oppressive atmosphere.

Emperor Taishun received a secret report in Changchun Garden and immediately issued an edict ordering Lu Keduo, the military governor of the Beijing garrison, to intervene immediately and conduct a preliminary investigation into the case.

Lukodo now not only holds the military power of the Beijing Garrison, but has also been granted the title of Minister of Personnel by the retired Emperor Jingning. He is truly at the pinnacle of power and wields immense influence in the court.

Even with his immense power, he had no authority to summon or arrest hereditary nobles like Jia She on his own.

However, he arrested the powerful servant who directly committed the crime and interrogated the relevant personnel, quickly clarifying the details of the case. In his view, Jia She's crime this time could be either serious or minor.

Instead of submitting a formal petition, he made a special trip to the residence of Prince Yuan Yi, intending to curry favor with this rising star prince.

Upon hearing the news, Yuan Yi received the important minister, Lu Keduo, in his study.

Although Lu Keduo wielded immense power, he was extremely courteous in front of Yuan Yi. He explained the case, his words carrying a hint of probing, and finally asked, "Your Excellency, this case involves your family's relatives by marriage. I wonder if you have any instructions? I will handle it accordingly."

He thought that Yuan Yi might remember that the Rongguo Mansion was Yuan Chun's maternal family and would speak up to protect her to some extent. In that case, he could go with the flow and do her a great favor.

Unexpectedly, Yuan Yi, upon hearing this, had a clear and upright gaze, showing no favoritism, and said in a deep voice: "Lord Lu, Jia She allowed his servant to commit murder, resulting in someone's death. The facts are undeniable. How can we tolerate this? Your Excellency should submit a report based on the truth!"

Lu Keduo quickly abandoned his desire to curry favor, his expression solemn as he cupped his hands and said, "Your Excellency is right! I will certainly follow Your Excellency's words and submit a truthful report!"

Yuan Yi nodded and smiled slightly: "That is the right way. Thank you for your help, Lord Lu."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Rukodo tactfully took his leave.

On that day, Lu Keduo truthfully wrote down the details of the case in a memorial to Emperor Taishun, impeaching Jia She for "allowing his servants to commit violence, resulting in human death," and requesting Emperor Taishun's approval to "dismiss Jia She from his post and then interrogate him."

…… ……

On May 22, the continuous rain stopped, the sky cleared up, and the sky was clear and blue.

Early in the morning, an imperial eunuch arrived at the Duke of Ningrong Street on a fast horse, his hooves clattering, to announce that the fourth prince, Yuan Yi, was to immediately go to Changchun Garden to meet the emperor.

Yuan Yi knew perfectly well that this summons was most likely for the case of Jia She's unleashing his servants to commit violence, resulting in a death.

He immediately changed into his official robes, boarded the prince's carriage, and sped off towards Changchun Garden in the western suburbs.

Upon arriving at Changchun Garden, several nobles and officials were already waiting to be summoned by Emperor Taishun. However, Yuan Yi, being of a different status, was led directly to Danning Residence. After a short while, a eunuch came and respectfully announced, "Your Highness, His Majesty summons you to an audience."

Yuan Yi straightened his clothes and stepped into the familiar warm pavilion, where he saw Emperor Taishun sitting behind his desk, his face calm and expressionless.

Yuan Yi stepped forward and knelt down according to etiquette: "Your subject respectfully wishes Your Majesty good health."

Emperor Taishun did not say anything more. He picked up a memorial from his desk and handed it to Yuan Yi, saying, "This is a memorial submitted by Lu Keduo, the military governor of the capital garrison, impeaching Jia She. Take a look."

Yuan Yi respectfully accepted the document and unfolded it for a close examination. The memorial clearly and meticulously detailed how Jia She attempted to seize the family's wealth using Jia Jing's written edict, how You Shi and Jia Qiang tried to stop him, how the powerful servant committed the crime, and how Jia Qiang was pushed to his death.

After reading it, Yuan Yi closed the memorial.

Emperor Taishun stared at Yuan Yi with a hint of amusement in his eyes: "What do you think should be done about this?"

Yuan Yi had long anticipated that Emperor Taishun might ask this question today, and he already had a plan in mind.

He deliberately hesitated for a moment before bowing and reporting, his voice clear and steady: "Your Majesty, I dare not conceal anything. As far as I know, Jia She has always been violent, eccentric, and insatiably greedy. His actions this time were out of greed for the vast wealth of the Jia family's eldest branch, using a pretext to try and extort it. Furthermore, he condoned his wicked servants' violence, which resulted in a death. This is intolerable under the law and cannot be forgiven by Heaven! In my humble opinion, he should be severely punished according to the law to serve as a warning to others!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Taishun smiled knowingly, but did not immediately respond. He simply said, "I understand. You may leave now."

Yuan Yi bowed and took his leave.

If we accept Jia She's sophistry, claiming that he was acting on Jia Jing's orders to dispose of the Jia family's eldest branch's property, and that You Shi and Jia Qiang unreasonably obstructed him, and that Jia Qiang himself fell to his death while throwing a tantrum, then relying on his hereditary noble status and ancestral merits, he could easily smooth things over and mitigate his punishment.

The key lies in how Emperor Taishun makes his decision.

If Yuan Yi were to plead for Jia She before Emperor Taishun today, the emperor might, out of appreciation for Yuan Yi as a prince, or out of consideration for the reputation of this newly reinstated prince, show leniency towards Jia She and punish him lightly.

However, Yuan Yi not only did not plead for leniency, but instead stated that "he should be severely punished," making his attitude extremely clear.

Moreover, the Rongguo Mansion's original biggest backer—the retired Emperor Jingning—no longer protects the Rongguo Mansion.

In this way, Jia She is doomed and destined to suffer severe punishment!

Yuan Yi stepped out of Danning Residence, looked up at the clear sky after the rain, and remained calm.

He had long wanted to teach Jia She a lesson, but Jia She ended up digging his own grave so quickly.

Of course he wouldn't plead for Jia She. Since Jia She had fallen into the pit himself, he would just fill the hole for Jia She and take the opportunity to bury the old beast!

……

……

On that day, Emperor Taishun's edict was like a thunderbolt, issued from Changchun Garden and shaking the capital!
The decree was concise and severe: Jia She was stripped of his hereditary title of First-Class General, and Lu Keduo, the military governor of the Beijing Garrison, was ordered to arrest Jia She immediately and hand him over to the three judicial departments for severe punishment!
Upon receiving the imperial decree, Lu Keduo dared not delay. He immediately mustered a troop of fierce infantrymen, their swords and spears gleaming, and marched in a mighty procession straight toward the Rongguo Mansion on Ningrong Street.

Outside the Rongguo Mansion, which was now completely surrounded by soldiers, Lu Keduo, dressed in official robes with a cold and stern expression, strode confidently into the east wing where Jia She resided. The servants in the courtyard, seeing this, were terrified, their legs trembling, and dared not stop him. Lu Keduo proceeded unimpeded.

Jia She was still preoccupied with the murder case when he suddenly heard a commotion outside. Before he could react, Lu Keduo led his soldiers in! Lu Keduo shouted sternly, "Jia She! Your crimes are heinous, and His Majesty is furious. He has stripped you of your hereditary title and ordered me to arrest you and hand you over to the Three Judicial Offices for trial! Guards, arrest him!"

Jia She turned ashen-faced in an instant, his usual arrogance vanished, replaced by utter terror.

He collapsed to the ground, incoherently shouting, "Injustice! Injustice!"

The officers and soldiers didn't give him a chance to explain. They rushed forward and, like eagles seizing sparrows, bound him tightly, leaving him looking disheveled, and dragged him away.

A servant rushed to Rongqing Hall to report to Grandmother Jia: "Grandmother! Something terrible has happened! A large number of soldiers have stormed into the east wing, tied up the eldest master, and taken him away! They say that the Emperor has stripped the eldest master of his hereditary title and wants to question him!"

Upon hearing this devastating news, Grandmother Jia felt a sudden darkness engulf her, her heart pounded, and she cried out, almost fainting. Yuanyang and the others rushed forward to support her, rubbing her chest, amidst a chaotic scene of crying and shouting.

How could such earth-shattering news be kept from the neighboring Duke's mansion?

Yuan Chun quickly learned the details from the servants. Although she was not close to Jia She, she was still an elder in her maternal family. With the Rongguo Mansion suffering such a great calamity, she couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions and deep worry.

She composed herself and moved to Yuan Yi's inner study, "Lishenzhai".

Yuan Yi was sitting at his desk reading a book, his expression as usual.

Yuan Chun approached and whispered the events she had just heard, her words carrying a hint of fear at the tragedy that had befallen her family.

After listening, Yuan Yi slowly put down his book, looked calmly at Yuan Chun, and said in a steady tone: "That Jia She, relying on his noble status, acts lawlessly and violently. He is also greedy and insatiable. Now he has even plotted to seize the wealth of the Jia family's eldest branch, and even allowed his servants to commit violence, resulting in a death. This is all due to his accumulated evil deeds. He has brought this upon himself and is to blame. It is not because of external forces. Heaven's justice is clear, and the law of the country is as solid as a mountain. How can it be abandoned because of noble status? You don't need to worry too much. Taking care of yourself is the most important thing."

Seeing her husband's attitude, Yuan Chun knew there was no room for negotiation and that the truth was indeed on Yuan Yi's side. So she silently nodded and suppressed her anxiety for the time being, but she couldn't help but feel a thick gloom over the future of the Rongguo Mansion.

(End of this chapter)