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

Chapter 117 Jia Yan Takes in Qingwen, A Bountiful Harvest of Rats Shocks Both Mansions!
At 9:00 AM, when the sun was high in the sky, the hustle and bustle of the Ning and Rong mansions continued, attracting the attention of the eight branches of the capital.

Leading the group were Jia Yun and Jia Qiang, along with five half-grown boys: Jia Guang, Jia Ying, Jia Chen, Jia Chang, and Jia Xing. Each boy had his hair tied up with a black headscarf, wore a black chrysanthemum-patterned outfit with gold trim, and had a sword at his waist. They looked exceptionally smart. Little rascals like Jia Qiong followed behind, looking quite respectable.

This scene drew attention from the Jia family members, and those who had withdrawn earlier, such as Jia Rui and Jia Qin, were filled with regret.

"Look, that's Lai Da, the chief steward of the Rong family."

"And there's Lai Er, the Grand Steward of Ning Mansion."

"Those being held captive are all prominent figures from both the government and the central government."

The Jia family members noticed the figures being escorted by female servants wielding swords; they were all once arrogant and haughty, but now they were all prisoners.

"Chief Steward Lai."

"A servant born out of wedlock, earned with great difficulty over two or three lifetimes."

“Lai Mama has served several generations of masters in the Jia family, and she has some influence with the old lady.”

"I think you understand what's going on today, so I don't need to say more. Just hand over your assets, and maybe there will still be some room for negotiation with the Lord."

Jia Yun, who was in charge of searching the Rongguo Mansion, spoke kindly to the taciturn middle-aged man in the crowd.

"I can confess everything I need to."

"However, I would like to see my mother."

Lai Da's eyes gleamed with shrewdness as he spoke.

"can."

Jia Yun knew what he wanted to do, but did not stop him. After all, some things cannot be stopped.

"Ah."

Lai Da led Jia Yun straight to the Lai family estate, while Jia Qiang on the other side also ordered Lai Er to search the Lai family estate. The two groups of people coincidentally came together to search the property of the two chief stewards of the Ning and Rong mansions.

Also arrested were Zhou Rui, Wang Shanbao, Wu Xindeng, Shan Daliang, and the brothers Wu Jinxiao, the heads of the two estates. The heads of the estates under their jurisdiction were also arrested. At least a hundred estates were raided, making a huge impact. Even the Shuntian Prefecture had to send people to assist.

"old lady."

In the Rongguo Mansion, Yuanyang rushed in looking flustered.

How is Baoyu?

Grandmother Jia directly inquired about Jia Baoyu with concern.

"old lady."

"Master Bao, he..."

Yuanyang hesitated, unsure of what to say.

Just then, Jia Zheng and his son Jia Huan entered Rongxi Hall one after the other. Several servants carried Jia Baoyu in, and everyone smelled a strong stench of blood. Looking closer, they saw that Jia Baoyu's buttocks had been beaten so badly that the skin was torn and bleeding profusely, and it would take several months for him to recover.

"Baoyu, my darling!"

Upon seeing this scene, Grandmother Jia rose shakily from the couch and, supported by Yuanyang, went to Jia Baoyu's side. She was furious and sternly rebuked Jia Zheng: "If you want to hit someone, kill me first, then kill him. Wouldn't that be cleaner?"

"Mother!"

Jia Zheng immediately knelt down, tears welling in his eyes, and said, "I am disciplining my son so that he may bring honor to our ancestors."

"How can I, as your son, bear to hear such words from you, Mother?"

Since ancient times, the world has been governed by filial piety. If these words were to spread, it would undoubtedly be the biggest blow to Jia Zheng's reputation. Moreover, Jia Zheng has always considered himself a Confucian scholar, valuing the proper relationships between ruler and subject, father and son, and placing the greatest importance on loyalty and filial piety. Grandmother Jia is simply stabbing him in the heart.

"Terrible!!!"

Grandmother Jia spat and said angrily, "You can't even take a single word I say? Do you think Baoyu could withstand the brutal beatings you gave him? You say disciplining your son is bringing honor to the family, but how did your father discipline you back then!"

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes, her old face filled with sorrow, sending chills down one's spine.

"Mother."

Jia Zheng didn't know what to say. If it weren't for the way Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang spoiled him all these years, he would have started to educate Jia Baoyu long ago. How could he have behaved like this today? Others didn't dare to speak up and just watched coldly.

"old lady."

Glancing at Jia Baoyu, Jia Yan said sarcastically, "It's just a few scrapes on his buttocks. With good medicine, he'll be fine in two or three months."

“If you leave it like this any longer, it will get tainted by something unclean, and I’m afraid your sweetheart really won’t be able to live with it.”

"Cough cough."

Upon hearing this, the members of the Jia family coughed a few times to conceal their inner emotions.

"mandarin duck."

"Hurry up and have someone carry him away, and treat him with some good medicine."

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia stopped crying and quickly gave instructions to Yuanyang.

"Yes, old lady."

As expected of Jia Mu's head maid, Yuanyang calmly and methodically arranged for Jia Baoyu to be carried to the back hall. A large group of maids were busy carrying hot water and towels, moving back and forth in an orderly manner.

"Grandma, Granny Lai is here."

Just as Grandmother Jia watched Jia Baoyu enter the inner hall, a maidservant rushed in to report.

"Granny Lai."

With a slight frown, Grandmother Jia glanced at Jia She and Jia Yan, and could only say helplessly, "Let her in."

A moment later, a simply dressed, kind-faced old woman led a pretty and clever maid, whose features resembled Lin Daiyu's, into Rongxi Hall.

"I have met the old lady, the eldest master, the second master, and Master Yan."

As soon as Granny Lai entered the hall, she bowed respectfully, and Jia Yan was not left out either, truly a dutiful person.

"What brings you here, you old codger?"

Although she had a headache, Grandmother Jia, who had returned to her bed at some point, pretended that nothing had happened and teased Granny Lai in a familiar manner.

“I thought the old lady had too few people to serve her. This girl has always been obedient, so it would be better to keep her by her side to serve her.”

Granny Lai stepped back half a step, making way for the maid behind her. Only then could everyone see clearly that she was indeed a clever and pretty girl.

“I don’t lack people here. Yan-ge’er only has four maids by his side, which is a bit too few.”

"Why don't we take this girl with us and have her do some odd jobs on a regular basis?"

Knowing what Granny Lai meant, Grandmother Jia simply passed the conversation to Jia Yan.

'Thump!'

Everyone in the hall understood that Granny Lai's visit today was not to deliver gifts, and they all looked at Jia Yan.

"hehe."

Jia Yan glanced at the maids in the hall and smiled, "I dare not refuse such a gift from an elder; I will accept it."

“There is a line in ‘Village Life’: ‘The fragrance of flowers tells us that the day is warm, and the magpie’s voice through the trees is joyful about the new sunshine.’ So why not name her Qingwen?”

"Qingwen, why haven't you thanked Lord Jun yet!"

Granny Lai's face lit up with joy, and she quickly called to the little maid beside her.

"Thank you, Lord Xie."

Qingwen looked at the dashing young man holding Xichun with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. Little did she know that from this moment on, her fate would quietly change.

'? ? ? '

The Jia family members were dumbfounded. Could it be that Jia Yan had really fallen for this girl? Otherwise, why would he be so easy to talk to?

"Uncle Yan."

Before long, Jia Yun burst into Rongxi Hall, looking travel-worn, accompanied by a dull-looking middle-aged man.

"Have you finished cleaning up?"

Jia Yan raised his head slightly and asked a question.

"Replying to Uncle Yan."

"We've taken down everyone we needed in the Western Prefecture."

“I had Jia Chen and his men search the homes of Zhou Rui, Wang Shanbao, Wu Xindeng, and Shan Daliang separately.”

"The situation at the East Mansion is almost resolved, but we still haven't taken down the Wu Jinxiao brothers and the estate manager."

Without hesitation, Jia Yun reported, "Where is Lai Da?"

'call!!!'

The name made Granny Lai's breathing quicken considerably, while the onlookers watched with amusement.

"Uncle Yan."

"Lai Da is waiting outside."

"Thanks to his cooperation, we were able to raid the Lai family's house so quickly."

"There are fourteen land deeds in the capital, and land deeds in Tongzhou worth fifty hectares. In addition, there are more than one million taels of silver and banknotes."

"Thanks to the fact that the valuables, antiques, and paintings have not yet been tallied, the total amount is roughly no less than three million taels."

Boom!

Jia Yun's words were like a depth charge, causing an uproar throughout Rongxi Hall.

The Lai family's assets amounted to three million taels of silver. What does that mean? The combined assets of the Ning and Rong mansions probably didn't even reach that amount.

'Dangdang!'

Granny Lai stumbled back several steps, barely managing to regain her footing.

"Bring Lai Da in."

With a calm expression, Jia Yan waved his hand.

"Yes."

Jia Yun quickly led Lai Da into Rongxi Hall. The moment Lai Da saw Granny Lai, a determined look flashed in his eyes.

"Grandma, Master, Second Master, and Master Yan!"

Lai Da bowed and greeted them respectfully.

"Humph!!!"

Jia She and Jia Zheng snorted coldly, their faces showing displeasure.

Grandmother Jia didn't have much of a feeling about it. She had some guesses about the wealth of these servants, but she hadn't expected the amount to be so large.

"Lai Shangrong has been apprehended and is being sent to the capital."

"If the matter of buying official positions gets out, the court will hold the Jia family accountable."

“You are a smart man, so I will not mince words. All these people will be sent to Chengde. Chengde will be built from scratch. It is not just a city that needs to be built, but a country.”

"The Lai family will be sent to Chengde. There, someone will take care of you. If you do well, not only will you be freed from slavery, but you will also be granted an official position and title. This is a blessing that your mother has prayed for. Whether you can seize it or not is up to you."

Looking down at Lai Da, Jia Yan displayed the aloof and superior demeanor of a military commander, making it impossible for anyone to muster the will to resist.

"This servant kowtows to thank Your Majesty."

Lai Da knelt down with a complicated expression and kowtowed repeatedly, as if he had already resigned himself to his fate.

"Thank you, Lord Marquis."

Granny Lai knew that her family's lives had been saved, and she kowtowed as well.

"Someone, take them out."

Jia Yan waved his hand dismissively.

Lai Da and Lai Er were the chief stewards of the Rong and Ning mansions, respectively. All of this was directly related to Granny Lai, which also proved their abilities. Granny Lai was an old servant who had served the old masters of the Jia family. With her wisdom gained from being worldly and weathered by life, she was able to get along with everyone.

Lai Da was shrewd and capable. In the original novel, he was the actual mastermind behind the construction of the Grand View Garden. Together with Lai Er, he planned the income and expenditure accounts, counted the personnel, and kept the registers. He even personally supervised the construction, making the Grand View Garden extremely luxurious and of high quality.

Lai Da's wife went to great lengths to please the younger generation of masters in the Jia family, such as Baoyu, Daiyu, and Baoqin. She would send them winter plum blossoms and daffodils in the cold winter and fish kites in the spring, winning their favor and earning them the nickname "Aunt Lai".

These kinds of people don't need to be condemned outright. At least in the construction of Chengde, their role will be particularly prominent. As for whether they will embezzle, Hei Yun is not someone to be trifled with.

"Yes."

The two female attendants with swords on their left and right took Lai Da and his nanny away together.

“Tap tap.”

Accompanied by a cacophony of footsteps, Jia Zhen led the Ningguo Mansion entourage into Rongxi Hall.

"Second brother!"

"Second Uncle/Uncle Yan".

The newcomer greeted Jia Yan immediately, and everyone could see the undisguised joy on the faces of Jia Zhen and his son.

"Has the inventory at the East Mansion been completed?"

Jia Yan ignored Jia Zhen and his son and went directly to ask Jia Qiang.

"Except for the twelve estates, everything in the manor has been inventoried."

"Upon investigation, there were approximately a hundred land deeds and over a hundred hectares of farmland, mostly located near Tongzhou and Miyun. The cash value was 800,000 taels of silver, and the valuables, antiques, and paintings were valued at about 1.2 million taels. All these people are currently detained in the mansion. I would appreciate your guidance, Uncle Yan."

Jia Qiang reported meticulously.

'Oh wow!'

Only then did everyone in the Rong Mansion understand why Jia Zhen and his son were all smiles. They had suddenly received two million taels of silver, along with those land deeds and field deeds. Who could resist such an offer?
"Where is the Rong family?"

"Except for the eight estates, everyone in the manor knows."

"There are 62 land deeds, mostly located in the inner city, and 90 hectares of farmland deeds, distributed in Tongzhou and Tianjin. The total value is 650,000 taels of silver, and the other assets are worth 900,000 taels."

Jia Yun reported to Jia Qiang one by one.

Immediately, Jia She, Jia Zheng, Wang Xifeng, and Li Wan were overjoyed.

"I see."

Jia Yan said calmly, "The captured servants, along with their relatives, will be exiled to Chengde."

"Once Wu Jinxiao and the others have been captured, someone will send them to Gubeikou."

"Very good."

Jia Zhen immediately cheered, as he had been worried about how to deal with so many people, but unexpectedly, he didn't have to worry about this trouble at all.

"Both offices cannot be without a head, so I think we don't need to find an outsider to serve as the chief steward of the East Office."

“Rong’er is not young anymore, so let him take care of these mundane affairs, and leave the inner courtyard to your sister-in-law and Rong’er’s wife to help out, how about that?”

"I"

Jia Rong and his wife, as well as Madam You, were somewhat taken aback when Jia Yan mentioned their names.

What are you doing standing there?!

"You should thank your second uncle."

Jia Zhen knew that Jia Yan's arrangement was simply to tell him that Jia Rong's future lay in the mansion, so he angrily rebuked Jia Rong.

"Thank you, Second Uncle."

"Thank you, Brother Xie Yan!"

Jia Rong and his wife, along with Madam You, quickly expressed their gratitude, their faces beaming with joy.

"Uncle She, Uncle Zheng."

“The West Mansion has already been divided into separate households. It would be inappropriate for Sister-in-law Lian to run it alone.”

"Why not choose a servant to serve as the chief steward, and let Sister Lian and Sister Zhu each take charge of the first and second wives' households?"

"How is Lin Zhixiao?"

Pointing to the taciturn middle-aged man in front of him, Jia Yan made a suggestion.

"It's impossible."

Jia She and Jia Zheng exchanged a glance and both voiced their agreement.

The Rongguo Mansion's main and second branches have already separated. If Wang Xifeng were to manage the public funds alone, the second branch would naturally not be convinced. If an outsider were to manage the public funds, with the main and second branches each managing their own accounts, it would indeed be fair and there would be no objection.

"Thank you, Master Xie, Second Master Xie, and Master Yan."

Lin Zhixiao remained calm and composed, merely bowing respectfully, which made him seem even more reliable.

(End of this chapter)