The destiny of all heavens begins in the Red Chamber

Having received the old IOU and obtained a new one, the Jia family and the two marquises of the Shi family took their leave, politely declining the Ministry of Revenue officials' invitation to stay for dinner. They departed feeling relaxed and with joy on their faces.

It wasn't just repaying the debt that made them feel relaxed; it was the anticipation of a bright future that was the main factor contributing to their wonderful mood.

What is Jia Huan doing at this moment?

Of course, we should strike while the iron is hot and continue to fan the flames, making this repayment incident a big deal so that it will be easier to plan the next step, right?

He had originally wanted to go to the Ministry of Revenue to see what was going on when he returned the silver that morning, but he was ruthlessly refused by the Second Master Zheng, who also strictly forbade him from sneaking over there.

Jia Huan did not insist, and he understood Master Zheng's concerns.

If he rashly gets involved, the old lady and Madam Wang in the mansion will easily notice something amiss and then find an opportunity to target and suppress him, which is no joke.

As a man of officialdom, Master Zheng Er always had to report to the yamen and take his place.

At that time, if the old lady and Madam Wang did anything, he would have no idea and would not have been able to return to the mansion to save people. It would have been better not to expose them.

They were not only worried about Jia Huan's safety, but also about whether Jia Huan had truly become disloyal to the household.

In the eyes of the second master, as long as there is no serious conflict, the family doesn't have such a big grudge; they are all minor disputes that can be resolved.

Jia Huan understood this perfectly well and didn't bother to say anything more.

Fortunately, he had no intention of staying cooped up in the mansion any longer. As long as he could come and go freely without any restrictions, he didn't care.

Outside, the old lady and Madam Wang can't reach that far!

Jia Huan could also play dumb. If he really encountered two big shots in the mansion causing trouble, he could fight back without hesitation. In the end, he could just pass the buck. With the Second Master Zheng's endorsement, what was there to be afraid of?

Chapter 130 We can't afford to mess things up at crucial moments (Please subscribe)

What Jia Huan had to do was actually quite simple.

He arrived at the small martial arts school early and had a good chat with his eager underlings.

Once the feeling of unfamiliarity subsided, he immediately began assigning tasks.

They sent a group of elderly men, along with newly recruited thugs, to spread rumors on the streets.

The rumor was simple: using the amount of silver repaid by the Ning and Rong mansions as a benchmark, it was estimated that the total amount of silver owed by the national treasury of the other six founding dukes' mansions was at least three million taels.

If the Ministry of Revenue can recover these three million taels, the temporary financial difficulties can be easily resolved.

In addition, the national treasury debts of the twelve founding marquis families should add up to at least two million taels, right?

As for the founding dukes, let's not even talk about them. Anyway, these founding nobles were all big borrowers in the national treasury.

Even recovering half of their debt would be an enormous sum!

Of course, the content of the rumors is not that simple; the targeting is too obvious and it is easy to investigate.

In addition, imperial relatives and court officials must also be included; none can be omitted.

The goal is to spread various rumors and confuse the public.

In fact, his thugs could easily do that.

After all, as the issue of repaying the national treasury debt has unfolded, it has become a hot topic in Beijing.

With just a little provocation, it can easily become a real hot topic.

Sure enough, the Second Master Zheng and his entourage successfully repaid the silver, and the entire capital was flooded with all sorts of related rumors.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard naturally noticed this immediately, and since it coincided with the current emperor's orders, they simply gave it a push, making the rumors even more rampant.

Jia Huan noticed something was wrong and immediately stopped what he was doing and sat calmly on the fishing platform.

Around noon, to avoid any unexpected incidents, he simply went to the clan school for lunch.

Sure enough, the servant boy from Master Zheng's side came to the door and asked Jia Huan to return to the mansion immediately.

On the way, without Jia Huan even having to ask, the servant took the initiative to reveal the news: Master Zheng was in a very good mood and planned to host a banquet in the front courtyard for the two men from the Ning family, as well as the two marquises from the Shi family, and asked him to go back and accompany them.

Jia Huan found it amusing. Was Master Zheng getting a little too cocky? Wasn't this kind of accompanying person usually Jia Baoyu's job?

That's why I say this kid knows how to put on an act.

Despite being extremely unwilling, she always behaved very well and sensible in front of relatives and outsiders. In addition, with her pleasing appearance, how could she not be loved by adults?

Fortunately, the messenger also said that all the gentlemen in the mansion were attending this time, including Master She, Cong-ge from the eldest son's family, and of course, Jia Baoyu, the phoenix egg.

That’ll be fine!

Even the old lady wouldn't say much about the men's group activities in the mansion.

When we arrived at the front courtyard flower hall, there was indeed a large round table set up.

One after another, famous dishes from the Dream of the Red Chamber were served in a continuous stream. No matter how unscrupulous the head kitchen was, they wouldn't dare to play tricks in front of Master Zheng and Master She. Did they still want to work there?

Despite having already eaten quite a bit at the clan school, upon seeing the dazzling array of delicacies from the Dream of the Red Chamber, I didn't hesitate to sit down and join the group enjoying them.

He consciously sat down with Cong-ge'er, with Jia Lian right next to him.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Jia Baoyu, sitting between Master Zheng and Marquis Baoling, looked restless and uneasy, as if he had something to hide.

Jia Huan didn't say much; all he did was eat.

I naturally heard the Second Master Zheng and the two Marquises Shi recount the glorious scene of returning the silver today, as well as their feelings and thoughts. In short, it was a harmonious and joyful occasion.

Even the Grand Master She listened with great interest, and surprisingly, he didn't try to compete with the Second Master Zheng.

As for Jia Rong and Jia Qiang, their seniority is too low. Even if they are both direct descendants of the Jia family in the capital, or even the clan head's lineage, it doesn't matter. They don't have much say.

They were in a very good mood, and even whispered among themselves about what rewards the current emperor would bestow upon them after returning the silver, revealing a look of wild imagination.

The lunch lasted a full hour before we dispersed!

Apart from Jia Baoyu, who was constantly restless, everyone else was in a pretty good mood.

After the banquet ended, Jia Baoyu couldn't wait to take his leave and run away. His hasty and reckless manner was, in the eyes of those with a discerning eye, quite inappropriate and even unacceptable.

The Second Master Zheng's expression was slightly unpleasant. He had originally wanted to invite Jia Baoyu to go to the main study to have a chat and listen to some anecdotes from the court.

Master She was quite drunk and his mind wasn't quite right. He blurted out his true feelings: "Second son, I tricked you last time. I never expected the old lady to use me as a scapegoat!"

"By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late. Fortunately, you were unusually tough this time. Even if you had to sell all your treasured artifacts, you still had to raise 400,000 taels of silver!"

"Hey, I don't know what the old lady was thinking, she actually used her private treasury's savings to lure me in..."

At this point, his mind wandered, and he fell into a deep sleep.

The once lively flower hall paused for a moment, and the Second Master Zheng's face twitched. As for the others, they were all full of curiosity and inquiry.

Damn, I never expected that there would be such a mess in the Rong family's repayment of the national treasury's debt!

Fortunately, the maids and servants sent by Madam Xing arrived and together carried away the already fast asleep Master She.

Jia Lian looked rather embarrassed, but he was even more surprised, as he was unaware of these inside stories.

Congge'er left with him; at this point, neither his mind nor his abilities were suited to stay.

The Second Master Zheng and his entourage simply sat in the front courtyard flower hall, drinking tea and chatting.

Some things are better left unsaid; there's no need to bring them up and annoy others.

What they are most concerned about now is when the current emperor's reward will be implemented.

"Huan-ge'er, what's your opinion?"

After some rambling, Lord Baoling called out Jia Huan's name first, wanting to ask him what was going on.

It's not that I really want any specific answer, it's just a way to put my mind at ease.

Right now, everyone sitting in the flower hall knows that Jia Huan has played a crucial role, acting as a strategist. With the repayment of the silver proceeding smoothly, they naturally want to hear the subsequent speculations.

"The following period is crucial for all of you!"

Jia Huan didn't stand on ceremony. While sipping the expensive tea from Master Zheng's place, he said leisurely, "What you all have done has certainly caused a huge uproar!"

"Especially those who have borrowed a lot of money from the national treasury, they're probably going to see you all as thorns in their side!"

"Therefore, those who need to go to the yamen should go to the yamen diligently, and those who need to do their work should do their work diligently. Before the rewards for everyone are implemented, we must not give anyone cause for criticism, otherwise the rewards may be lost!"

"Especially for the two cousins ​​from the Shi family, the next few days will probably be quite difficult for them!"

"After all, our noble families are one of the main forces borrowing money from the national treasury!"

"Master and Second Brother Lian should also be careful. There are quite a few noble sons in the Imperial Stud. It would be too unfair if they were tricked and lost their opportunity!"

"As for the Ning residence, Rong-ge'er should not go out recently. Even for work with the Dragon Guard, find a reasonable excuse to ask for leave and stay in the residence for the time being, don't go anywhere!"

"As for Qiang-ge'er, he should naturally keep the managers of the estates and shops outside the Ning residence in check, as well as the servants who are allowed to leave the residence. Even if they want to cause trouble, they should keep quiet during this period!"

"We can relax and celebrate properly once the rewards are announced!"

His words drew nods from everyone, who knew it was the best course of action.

Who knows how many people are secretly hoping for their downfall, or even cursing them to die?

Jia Huan had no intention of continuing to show off. After offering some advice, he took his leave, as he had other things to take care of outside.

Putting everything else aside, after being cooped up in the mansion for half a month, shouldn't we at least check the profit-sharing accounts of the artificial canal boat fleet during this period?

Only by appearing serious and putting on an air of leaving no loopholes can he obtain and control all of his share of the profits.

They're all a bunch of money-grubbing thugs. Don't expect any loyalty or righteousness from them; it's better to just talk about interests directly.