Dream of the Red Chamber: I can upgrade my entries!

Chapter 106 The Rongguo Mansion splits up, and the three great marquises seek help from Jia Yan!

"Mother."

There's something I'd like to tell you.

Jia She suddenly spoke up.

"Boss."

Grandmother Jia, sitting in the main seat, couldn't help but show a surprised expression. Ever since Jia Daishan's death, Jia She had never been very close to her. In the past, the eldest son's family did things their own way and had little to do with the public affairs. Why would he suddenly talk to her now?

Jia Zheng, who was standing to the side, seemed to know what Jia She was going to say and chimed in, "Mother, what my elder brother said concerns the entire household."

'Ugh!'

Apart from Jia Lian and his wife, Madam Xing and Li Wan were also completely baffled.

"Boss."

"What do you want to say to this old woman?"

Grandmother Jia stared at Jia She, her heart filled with doubt and uncertainty.

"Feng Ge'er".

"You tell the story."

Unexpectedly, Jia She changed the subject and threw the question to Wang Xifeng.

"Father-in-law, Ancestor, Second Master."

Wang Xifeng bowed gracefully, a rare seriousness appearing on her beautiful face, and recounted in an orderly manner: "Recently, I was granted the authority to manage the household and personally inventoried the public treasury. Leaving aside the imperial gifts bestowed upon us in previous years, there are fewer than two hundred rare and exotic items. The public treasury holds only 120,000 taels of silver, and the household is in deficit of as much as 200,000 taels."

what?
Everyone present paled instantly, and Grandmother Jia could no longer sit still: "How could there be so little?"

The Rongguo Mansion, a noble family, should have a fortune of at least several million, let alone millions. However, the treasury is not enough to cover the deficit. Most importantly, the antiques and paintings that have been passed down for decades number less than two hundred pieces, which is a laughing stock.

"Ancestor."

Wang Xifeng's pretty face turned cold as she said, word by word, "The Second Madam has never managed affairs; everything in the inner courtyard has been left to the servants."

"Zhou Rui has a son-in-law named Leng Zixing, who is a well-known antique dealer in the capital."

"Zhou Rui was specifically in charge of collecting the land rent for the spring and autumn seasons in the mansion, and it decreased year by year."

"Zhou Rui's wife is the second wife's maid, and so is Wang Shanbao's wife. These two housekeepers are all formidable. If you make even the slightest mistake, they'll laugh and tease you; if you go slightly astray, they'll complain indirectly. They sit back and watch the fight, using others to do their dirty work, stirring up trouble, standing on the sidelines watching others struggle, not even bothering to help if someone knocks over a bottle. These are all their specialties."

"Feng-ge'er, don't talk nonsense."

Madam Xing was getting restless; Wang Shanbao's wife was her personal maid.

"Sit down and keep your mouth shut."

Jia She gave her a cold look, and Madam Xing shut her mouth in fear, not daring to say anything more.

At this moment, in Rongqing Hall, whether it was Grandmother Jia or Jia Zheng and the others, they all felt a chill run down their spines after hearing Wang Xifeng's words. The entire household was in cahoots, and these servants and maids had embezzled an unknown amount of money.

"The biggest source of income for both families is the estates passed down from our ancestors. The East Family owns twelve estates, and our family owns eight."

“I asked Brother Zhen. Last year, Wu Jinxiao, the head of the estate in the East Mansion, contributed less than five thousand taels of silver. There was both drought and flood. Our estate head is his brother. Coincidentally, the eight estates in our manor only brought in two or three thousand taels of silver last year. They also suffered from famine.”

At this point, a mocking expression appeared on Wang Xifeng's face.

"You go on."

Grandmother Jia was indeed a woman of deep thought, and she was able to endure it.

"Yes."

Wang Xifeng continued, "I checked the treasury. Wu Xindeng, the general manager of the treasury, Dai Liang, the head of the warehouse, and several other managers are all connected to the outside world. Our family's compradors are even more selective than the people in the Imperial Household Department."

'Thump!'

The faces of everyone in the Rong family grew increasingly grim. This was hardly a compliment; it meant that these guys had been secretly reporting all sorts of expenses, all of which were from the household.

"Mother."

Jia She interrupted Wang Xifeng and said, "That Granny Lai is someone I've known since I was a child. She was already in charge of things before you even entered the mansion."

"Having served the two noblemen, Xianning and Rong, everyone in the mansion treats her with utmost respect. We have certainly not mistreated her. Lai Da is in charge of the West Mansion, and Lai Er is in charge of the East Mansion. There are some things you may not know, but their grandsons are now serving as county officials."

"If we were to say which of the servants in the two mansions is the most unruly, the Lai family would be at the top of the list."

After the words were spoken, everyone fell silent. They were well aware of Granny Lai's special status in the mansion; she was someone even Grandmother Jia treated with great respect.

"She is a rich person."

After a long silence, Grandmother Jia saw through Jia She's thoughts and realized that it wasn't just Jia She who wanted to clean up the household; Jia Zheng had the same idea. So she simply asked, "Eldest son, what do you want to do?"

"Mother."

Jia She looked up and faced Grandmother Jia directly: "This cannot continue in the mansion. Zhen-ge asked me and Cun-zhou, and we have the same opinion."

"Leaving aside the East Mansion for now, here in our area, Lan-ge'er, Huan-ge'er, and even my illegitimate son have all gained Yan-ge'er's favor."

“The eldest son’s family will definitely be managed by Lian’er and his wife in the future, while the second son’s family will be handed over to Lan’er. We can’t let these younger generation members be put in a difficult position.”

"The memorials from the two families have already been submitted. I estimate they are similar to the other families. Besides the estate, their ancestral property also includes this manor. If they don't produce a noble title, they may not be able to keep it."

"Boss, has it really come to this?"

Grandmother Jia could no longer sit still, her old eyes fixed on Jia She.

"Mother."

Jia Zheng couldn't help but interject, "Of the four kings, eight dukes, and twelve marquises who founded the dynasty, only ten families have managed to preserve the ancestral legacy."

"Our dynasty is not the former Ming dynasty; the so-called hereditary succession has always been an empty promise."

"The Zhenguo Duke's Mansion has been carrying the banner for many years. After three generations, Niu Jizong is only a first-class earl. His family participated in the founding battle and the Yuan Cong battle and has military merits, but they still have to inherit the title in a lower rank."

“Our family relied on the glory of our ancestors. By the time of my eldest brother’s generation, without military merit, the hereditary title was changed to a noble title. Logically speaking, a first-class general is only a first-rank official and it is impossible for him to inherit the Duke’s mansion and eight imperial estates.”

"His Majesty is already being very kind by allowing us to keep these things for the time being, out of consideration for Yan Ge'er."

"Do you really expect the Rongguo Duke's Mansion to last for hundreds of years like it did in the Ming Dynasty?"

‘Click! ’

The white jade chopsticks in Grandmother Jia's hand fell to the ground, the crisp sound echoing throughout Rongqing Hall.

For the first time, Jia Lian and his wife, Madam Xing, and Li Wan were all worried about the situation of the Rongguo Mansion. Without the title of Duke of Rongguo, what status did they have? Perhaps they were not even as good as ordinary official families.

"Mother."

Jia She picked up the conversation: "I've already asked Yan-ge'er."

"With Brother Jing there, we can hold out for a while longer. Our household is entirely dependent on you."

"I see."

With a solemn expression, Grandmother Jia probably understood. Jia Jing's title of Lady of Wu'an was enough for him to keep the Ningguo Mansion, and Grandmother Jia was the principal wife of Jia Daishan, the second Duke of Rongguo, and a first-rank imperial consort of the dynasty. As long as she lived, the Rongguo Mansion would not be taken back.

Once both of them leave, and there is no one with a superior rank (Duke, Marquis, Earl) in the manor, then neither of the two mansions, along with the imperial estates, will be able to remain.

“There are some things we need to plan ahead for and consider for these young people.”

“Cunzhou and I meant to confiscate the property from these audacious lackeys and first fill the deficit in the public funds.”

"Reduce the number of servants in the mansion as much as possible; what's the point of keeping these?"

"The remaining silver was used to purchase land in Xishan, and the ancestral hall and clan school were all moved there."

"Of the eight imperial estates, the eldest son's family will take five, and the second son's family will take three. The eldest son's estate will be managed by Feng Ge'er, and the second son's estate will be managed by Zhu'er's wife."

"From now on, the produce from the fields purchased in Xishan will be used for public purposes, while the produce from these imperial estates will be kept by each household."

Jia She laid out the established procedures in detail. "Me???"

Li Wan was stunned, not expecting her to be involved.

After listening for a long time, Madam Xing realized that it had nothing to do with her and that everything was left to her daughter-in-law, Wang Xifeng.
"You and Cunzhou have already discussed the matters in the manor, and I have no objections."

"But have you discussed the relocation of the ancestral hall and clan school with Jing-ge'er?"

Grandmother Jia raised a question.

"I sent someone to inquire, and it turns out that it was indeed Brother Jing who proposed purchasing land in Xishan."

"The two prefectures, one to the east and one to the west, purchased all the mountains, forests and fields surrounding Xuanzhen Temple."

“Mother, if the two Duke’s mansions in the capital are taken back, I’m afraid we’ll have to go back to Jinling to live.”

"The ancestral hall of the eight branches of the capital is currently in the East Mansion. It will be moved to the West Mountain first, and the clan school will also be set up there. In the future, if any of the clan's children are successful, they can participate in the imperial examinations or the military examinations. These are all ways out. We must plan something for our descendants."

"Brother Jing also said that it would be most appropriate for Yan Ge to handle the cleanup of the two mansions."

Then, Jia She added a few more words.

"As it should be!"

Jia Zheng agreed wholeheartedly.

It's impossible to say exactly how much the servants of the Jia family embezzled, given their intricate network of relationships. Only with Jia Yan, the military commander, stepping in, could they ensure that nothing was overlooked.

"Since it's decided, let's do it."

"I'm tired."

Grandmother Jia rose from her seat, and Yuanyang quickly helped her into the inner room. Only Jia She, Jia Zheng, Jia Lian and his wife, Madam Xing, and Li Wan remained present.

"Second Master."

Li Wan hurriedly got up and looked at Jia Zheng.

"Zhu'er's wife."

"The second wife's family will eventually be handed over to Lan Ge'er."

“Lan’er is being raised in the East Mansion now, so you don’t need to be so strict with him.”

"Let's discuss it with Feng Ge'er in the next few days."

Jia Zheng was exhausted; too many things had happened these past few days, and he couldn't keep up with the situation at home and in the court.

"If you need anything, just come and ask me, Sister-in-law Zhu."

"Those maids and old women below are disobedient, just kick them out."

"There are plenty of obedient people in the city."

Wang Xifeng smiled and reassured Li Wan, after all, from now on, the two of them would be in charge of the inner courtyard of the Rongguo Mansion.

"it is good."

Looking at Wang Xifeng's phoenix eyes, Li Wan managed to calm herself down.

"Feng Ge'er".

Jia She instructed, "Yan-ge'er has guests over. You should first lead Zhu'er's wife to check all the accounts, inside and out."

"Yes, Father-in-law."

Wang Xifeng readily agreed.

In the afternoon, in the backyard of Ningguo Mansion, the dishes in the main hall had already been removed.

"My Lord".

Niu Jizong and the other two exchanged glances and said seriously.

"Why are you uncles being so polite?"

Glancing at the three of them, Jia Yan smiled and teased, "People say that those who offer unsolicited kindness are either up to no good or are thieves."

"I suppose my uncles have come to ask for a favor. Why don't we just tell them frankly?"

"Great kindness."

Niu Jizong, Liu Fang, and Hou Xiaokang responded in unison.

The first to speak was Marquis Niu Jizong, the Lord of Zhenguo: "Nephew, I, Old Niu, will not hide anything."

“Nian Gengyao and the others have all taken up positions. Although the three of us are marquises, we also want to make meritorious contributions like our ancestors.”

"We can't just keep this marquisate until we're buried."

“I know you’re a thoughtful person, so I’d appreciate it if you could help us find a good place to go.”

"Yes, we can't just sit there."

Hou Hsiao-kang is extremely impatient and blurted it out.

"Our wealth and honor all come from the Battle of Datong, thanks to our virtuous nephew."

"I'll say no more, just this: I'd go through fire and water without hesitation!"

Liu Fang's resounding words echoed throughout the hall.

The three men represent the three ducal mansions of the founding line, now second only to the Jia family. They are also top nobles of the dynasty. Just as their ancestors followed the arrangements of the Dukes Ning and Rong and sided with the retired emperor and the former crown prince, they are now willing to follow the young man before them, sharing both glory and loss.

"You're too kind, uncles."

Meeting the gazes of the three, Jia Yan pointed in the direction of the Forbidden City and said meaningfully, "It's not that I'm unwilling, but that I can't."

This was no longer just Emperor Yongping's fear; the retired emperor also did not want the founding lineage to become more powerful. If that happened, the Yuan Cong nobles would be firmly suppressed, and with the three marquises holding real power, how could the royal family sleep soundly?

Moreover, Jia Yan did not believe that he possessed the aura of a tyrant to persuade three marquises to abandon their families and pledge allegiance to him. While the effect of "Zhaolie Reborn (Gold)" was indeed powerful, it required that someone be willing to acknowledge him as their master, rather than adopting such a frivolous attitude.

An alliance based on mutual interests can only move forward by relying on those interests. One day, when those interests disappear, the alliance will break down.

Are we just supposed to sit here and do nothing?

Niu Jizong was extremely unwilling.

“My dear nephew, you have a way, don’t you?”

"Otherwise, you wouldn't have left us alone."

Marquis Liu Fang asked with a suspicious look in his eyes.

"Nephew, stop beating around the bush and tell me quickly."

Marquis Xiaokang of Xiuguo was so anxious that his face turned red.

"hehe."

Jia Yan chuckled lightly, a hint of amusement in his voice: "Then let's see if my three uncles are determined to burn their bridges."

"After all, the ideas I come up with aren't exactly lucrative; they're the kind of things that offend people."

"Uh-huh."

Upon hearing this, Niu Jizong and the other two were slightly taken aback and stood frozen in place, feeling a strange mix of emotions.

PS: In the Rongguo Mansion, Grandmother Jia is the wife of the Duke of Rongguo, a first-rank imperial consort. The Duke is a higher-ranking official. There is no such thing as a higher-ranking imperial consort. Imperial consorts were formal orders or decrees issued by the emperors in ancient China. They were also documents of conferment upon officials and their families. Officials of the fifth rank and above were granted imperial consorts, while officials of the sixth rank and below were granted imperial edicts.

The book stipulates that the bestowal of the title of First Rank Lady shall be made with a brocade cover with dragon border and a jade shaft, and the recipients shall be limited to the wives of princes, dukes, and Grand Secretaries of the Hall of Literary Glory; the bestowal of the title of Second Rank Lady shall be made with a brocade cover and a rhinoceros shaft, and the recipients shall be limited to the wives of marquises, earls, ministers of the Six Ministries, and the Left and Right Censors-in-Chief.

(End of this chapter)