The destiny of all heavens begins in the Red Chamber

The initial panic subsided, and so did the group of retainers.

As for those guys who were so eager to shift blame and pin the blame, they didn't look too happy at the moment.

Fortunately, they are thick-skinned enough that as long as Master Zheng Er doesn't take the initiative to kick them out, they won't easily give up their stable income as retainers.

But then, the study fell into an awkward silence.

Jia Huan glanced at the Second Master Zheng with some surprise. Wasn't the next thing the eldest master going to give a concluding speech and determine the next course of action?

Since we know that the censor's impeachment poses no threat, it would be more sensible to offer a few words of encouragement to boost morale and discuss how to retaliate.

If he is impeached for no reason and doesn't react, people will really think that the Second Master of the State is an easy target, and he will definitely face a lot of trouble afterward.

But why does Master Zheng look so confused?

Hey, hey, hey, three of the long whiskers under the chin have already been torn off. If you keep pulling them off, you might ruin the overall aesthetic of the whiskers.

Looking around at the retainers, they stared at each other blankly, completely at a loss; they were of no use in this crucial moment.

"Ahem, sir, shall we write a memorial explaining this and submit it?"

Having no other option, Jia Huan spoke up again to break the awkward silence: "We have to let others know our stance!"

"Yes, yes, that's exactly right!"

Master Zheng Er seemed to wake from a dream, hurriedly went to his desk, picked up a blank folded paper, and began grinding ink and picking up a brush, but in the end he hesitated to write anything.

"I've never written a memorial before!"

In the large study, the room was filled with either close retainers or his own illegitimate sons. The Second Master Zheng, disregarding his embarrassment, spoke up in great awkwardness.

Not to mention that Master Zheng was in a difficult position, none of the scholars and gentlemen offered to take on the task, clearly indicating that they were quite unfamiliar with this matter and had no experience whatsoever.

Tsk, now you understand just how important an experienced advisor or clerk with plenty of experience in officialdom really is, right?

In the capital, or rather in the entire officialdom of the Great Qian Dynasty, people like Master Zheng Er are definitely the majority.

"Master, find the memorials that Grandfather wrote in the past and copy them!"

As a cunning strategist, Jia Huan was absolutely dedicated to his duties.

Seeing the Second Master Zheng frantically trying to imitate writing a memorial, he couldn't help but sigh, "Master, once things stabilize, we'll need to hire an experienced and trustworthy advisor!"

Master Zheng nodded slightly, he kept this in mind.

The series of embarrassing incidents today left a particularly deep impression on him, and he has already felt his huge shortcomings, so naturally he has to make some improvements.

We can't rely on a seven-year-old for everything; that would be too useless.

"Ah, if Uncle Wang were still in the capital, Master wouldn't have to go to such trouble!"

Jia Huan couldn't help but sigh, "If an imperial censor impeaches someone, they can refute it on the spot in court. Why bother writing a rebuttal in the mansion?"

The Second Master Zheng's face was very unpleasant, but he didn't say anything.

I don't know if she had a problem with her brother-in-law, Wang Ziteng, or if Jia Huan hit a nerve.

Chapter 69 Good News (Please add to your favorites and read on)

The Rong family, including the Ning family, was in a very awkward situation at this time.

The main problem was the lack of prominent figures in the imperial court, which resulted in the Ning and Rong mansions being severely marginalized.

The so-called "flagship figures" are officials of at least the third rank who are able to participate in regular small court assemblies.

He could know immediately about anything that happened in the imperial court.

If an imperial censor impeaches the family, or if a colleague intends to harm the family, one should be able to stand up and confront the situation immediately, at least to buy the family enough time to respond.

Unfortunately, neither the Ning nor Rong mansions had such a thing.

Previously, there was Wang Ziteng, who was able to speak up and fight for interests during normal small court meetings.

However, at this time, Prince Teng was ordered to leave the capital and it was feared that he would not be able to return for a while. The Rong family suddenly lost a trusted representative in the court.

Such a thing is quite terrifying for the Rong family!

In the original novel *Dream of the Red Chamber*, the Rong family also declined rapidly in the following years due to this reason.

Even though the conferment of the title of Imperial Concubine Yuan Chun gave the Jia family a significant boost, the pillars of the Jia family were not capable of leading the way, and the decline could only be said to have been delayed or slowed down.

This time, in seeking an official position, Lord Zheng Er deeply felt the helplessness of having no one to help him in the imperial court.

Looking at the closely-knit group of the four great families of Jinling, Wang Ziteng, the pillar of the Wang family, was indeed quite capable and became the leader of the four families. Unfortunately, his influence declined significantly after leaving the capital.

He did not rise to power based on genuine military achievements, but rather through the normal military promotion process with the strong support of the Jia family. Naturally, he lacked much of the confidence and deterrent power he possessed.

When someone is in the capital and serves as the military governor of the capital garrison, things are fine. But once they leave the capital garrison, their influence and power diminish significantly.

The Xue family goes without saying; they are the money bag of this small group of four major families.

The Jia family's situation is also not optimistic. They lack a capable pillar of support and are showing signs of being rapidly marginalized.

The two marquises from the Shi family also seemed to be suppressed. One was employed in the Ministry of War and the other in the Five Military Commissions. Neither of them had reached the third rank, and they were also not qualified to participate in the regular small court assemblies.

As a result, the influence of the four major families of Jinling in the capital inevitably shrank rapidly.

Jia Huan was not very clear about these things, mainly because he was unaware of the situation of the two marquises of the Shi family.

These two Marquis Shi seem to be intentionally distancing themselves from the Jia family; I wonder why.

It's probably related to Wang Ziteng's affairs. After all, Wang Ziteng was able to rise to power quickly with the strong support of the Jia family, so it's inevitable that the two marquises of the Shi family would harbor some resentment.

Jia Huan didn't want to deliberately inquire about the Shi family's situation, so he naturally didn't know their true circumstances.

But that didn't stop him from whispering nonsense in the ear of the Second Master Zheng.

"Master, do we have any trustworthy relatives or friends in the Rong family who are already of high enough rank and official position to become high-ranking officials of the third rank or above in the capital with just a push?"

"If such a person exists, we must give him our full support. If there were such a person in the court, not only would we not be caught off guard like we are now when faced with impeachment in the future, but he could also help the master protect him from harm and be promoted in a critical moment!"

"We don't form cliques or engage in favoritism, nor do we intentionally harm anyone. However, we must be wary of others and have a certain level of defensive capability. Otherwise, it would be too beneath us if even a minor censor could throw us into chaos!"

The Second Master Zheng seemed to have taken these words to heart; a name immediately came to mind. However, manipulating this person to go to the capital would not be an easy task.

At this time, a group of learned scholars helped him imitate writing memorials. Their knowledge and writing skills were superior to those of the Second Master Zheng, so there was no need for the Second Master Zheng to continue to work hard to write memorials himself.

These retainers took it very seriously; this was a rare opportunity for them to put their skills to the test, and they wouldn't miss it easily.

As for Master Zheng, with his free time, he could naturally exchange some thoughts with Jia Huan in private.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the Mengpo Studio, the main study, followed by the voice of the trusted servant of Master Zheng: "Master, Master Rong and Master Qiang from the Ning family have arrived at the same time, saying they have good news to tell you!"

"Oh, let the two brothers come in!"

Master Zheng didn't think much of it and simply ordered, "Bring tea and snacks over later!"

Jia Huan's heart skipped a beat, and he met Jia Qiang's eyes, who had just entered. Instantly, he saw a look of undisguised joy in the man's eyes.

"What brings you two brothers here?"

Facing his grandnephews and nieces, Master Zheng Er's face was solemn, giving him the air of a strict teacher.

"Uncle, Father asked me to inform you that the matter I entrusted to him to handle has been settled!"

Jia Rong respectfully replied, "Father said that Uncle only needs to wait patiently for a few days, and the official document will be issued. There is no need to be anxious!"

"What? We've got results so quickly?"

Master Zheng suddenly realized what was happening, and his expression turned quite shocked, along with an undisguised joy.

"Congratulations, sir! Congratulations on your success! Your wish has finally come true!"

Jia Huan hurriedly offered his congratulations, and the scholars and gentlemen present were not to be outdone, quickly following up with various words of congratulations and flattery as if they were free.

This display of power left Jia Rong and Jia Qiang speechless.

Jia Huan was speechless for a moment. Seeing that Master Zheng was beaming with joy and immersed in the praise of his guests, he had no time to pay attention to his two grand-nephews. So he took the initiative to lead the two out of the study.

"The master was so overjoyed that he lost his composure for a moment. Please don't take offense!"

"No, no, it's only human nature, it's understandable!"

"Hehe, you two don't know, but just now the court sent word that an imperial censor impeached you, sir, which should be related to this promotion!"

"Such a thing has actually happened! That censor has quite the nerve. Isn't he afraid of retaliation from the Ning and Rong prefectures?"

"That's how they make a living. Even if they want revenge, they can't be too hasty, otherwise they'll incur the displeasure of the current emperor and the high-ranking officials, and that would be a loss!"

"Uncle Huan is absolutely right, but I never expected there to be such inside information!"

"Whenever it involves conflicts of interest in the imperial court, there are always bound to be some twists and turns. Fortunately, you two arrived in time and brought the best news, otherwise everyone would be in a bad mood right now!"

"Then we brothers won't bother Uncle Huan any longer. We'll come and bother you again when the banquet is held at the West Mansion!"

Jia Rong and Jia Qiang were very perceptive. Knowing that Jia Huan probably had no time to pay attention to them at this moment, they took the opportunity to say goodbye.

Just as the two brothers had thought, Jia Huan had a lot of things to do at the moment, so he didn't stand on ceremony and saw them off to the vicinity of the gate.

When he returned to the main study, Master Zheng and his guests had already returned to normal.

Jia Huan kept his achievements hidden, simply mentioning the departure of Jia Rong and Jia Qiang, and then took his leave.

As for the follow-up matters, as long as they don't involve officialdom or the imperial court, such as informing the old lady or other social niceties, there's no need for Jia Huan to be in the way.