Dream of the Red Chamber: I can see the hidden labels of the beauties.

After the Emperor Emeritus and Jia Can took their seats, the shopkeeper carried a tray and walked in with a bowed back. He walked very quietly, almost without making a sound, for fear of disturbing the distinguished guests in the room.

He placed the tea on the tray on the table, said "Please enjoy your tea, distinguished guest," then bowed and retreated, never looking up at anyone's face. Upon reaching the door, he gently closed it behind him.

After the door was closed tightly, a relatively enclosed space was formed inside the room.

The Emperor Emeritus picked up the teacup on the table, took a small sip, placed the cup back on the table, and looked at Jia Can, saying:

"Young Master Jia, to my shame, I had a past relationship with the former Crown Prince. When I heard from Commander Yu that you had spread the news about that princess, I was furious and shocked, so I wanted to come and see you in person."

"Firstly, I want to confirm in person whether the information you provided is true. Secondly, I also want to hear firsthand what the princess's current condition is like."

"I apologize for disturbing you, Young Master Jia, and for taking up your time."

Upon hearing this, Jia Can quickly cupped his hands in a respectful reply:

"You flatter me, sir. I have already promised the princess, and this is what I should do. There is no question of me bothering you."

"Moreover, I am merely a son of a concubine in the Ningguo Mansion, and I have no major tasks to perform each day, so it is not a waste of time."

The Emperor Emeritus was pleased with his tactful response, which showed neither deliberate flattery nor feigned humility. He nodded slightly, stroked his beard, and said:

"In that case, please tell me, young master Jia, how is that princess doing now?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Can did not rush to speak, but considered it for a moment before speaking about Qin Keqing's situation in Ningguo Mansion.

In fact, he already knew that Yu Hui had investigated Qin Keqing's situation thoroughly and informed the Emperor Emeritus.

However, since the Emperor Emeritus asked him directly, he naturally gave a truthful answer.

Without embellishment or excessive brevity, the text is clear, well-organized, and appropriately detailed, revealing the true situation of Qin Keqing in Ningguo Mansion.

This includes the incident yesterday where Jia Zhen stormed into Tianxiang Tower to confront Qin Keqing after hearing rumors, causing her to lose sleep over it.

The story truthfully presents to the Emperor Emeritus the plight of an orphaned girl struggling to survive in a den of wolves and tigers.

The Emperor Emeritus initially remained calm, but his expression grew increasingly grim as he listened. When Jia Can finished speaking, he abruptly raised his hand and slammed it heavily on the table.

"Hmph, Jia Zhen is worse than a beast! I wish I could kill him right now!"

Jia Can felt an invisible pressure bearing down on him, his heart skipped a beat, but he quickly steadied himself, showing no sign of panic on his face, and gave a slight bow:

"Please calm down, sir. You are getting on in years; you should take care of your health."

"Jia Zhen certainly deserves to die, but he did inherit a title and is the master of the Ningguo Mansion, so killing him is not easy."

These words were well-chosen, both advising the retired emperor to take care of his health and revealing the difficulties in executing Jia Zhen.

The retired emperor could naturally tell that Jia Can's words, on the surface, were meant to comfort him, but in reality, they were a test of whether he had the ability and determination to take action against Jia Zhen.

He raised an eyebrow slightly and replied indifferently:

"I still have some connections. Even though Jia Zhenggui is a hereditary nobleman, I can ensure that the court will not pursue the matter after his death."

Upon hearing this, Jia Can thought to himself, "You are too modest. With just one word from you, who in the world would dare to investigate the cause of Jia Zhen's death?"

Let alone Jia Zhen, who was only a third-rank general, even if he were a first-rank official in the court, the retired emperor could kill him with just a secret decree.

Although he thought this in his heart, his face showed excitement, and he even stood up and solemnly bowed to the Emperor Emeritus:

"If that's the case, I implore you, sir, to help the princess kill that beast Jia Zhen!"

The Emperor Emeritus narrowed his eyes, his gaze lingering on Jia Can's face for a moment. Seeing that Jia Can spoke sincerely and naturally, without any evasiveness in his eyes, he nodded inwardly, but did not immediately agree.

He picked up the teacup, took another sip, put it down, and then asked:

"Young Master Jia, although you and Jia Zhen are not born of the same mother, you are brothers born of the same father. How can you wish him dead?"

"Furthermore, what is your connection with that princess that makes you speak up for her like this?"

These two questions, one about blood ties and the other about personal relationships, both hit the nail on the head.

Jia Can took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling slightly, and a long-suppressed indignation appeared on his face. He cupped his hands in reply:

"In reply to your question, sir, although Jia Zhen and I are half-brothers, he doesn't care about me, his half-brother, at all."

"He cut my monthly pay, assigned only one maid to serve me, and treated me worse than a servant. What's worse, he even harbored filthy thoughts towards me!"

"A few days ago, he tried to rape me. I fought back desperately and managed to break free from his clutches. As a result, I fell seriously ill and almost lost my life."

At this point, Jia Can's face was full of resentment, his teeth were clenched, and his hands were clenched into fists, but he secretly observed the Emperor Emeritus's reaction out of the corner of his eye.

The Emperor Emeritus frowned, a hint of disgust and anger flashing in his eyes.

Jia Can, feeling somewhat relieved, continued:

"After regaining consciousness, in the backyard garden, I happened to see the princess alone in the pavilion, wiping away tears..."

Then he recited the content he had prepared earlier. His explanation was exactly the same as what he had told Yu Hui the day before. His words were coherent and sincere. If one did not know the inside story, one would not be able to detect any flaws.

After listening, the retired emperor did not speak immediately, but quietly looked at Jia Can for a moment.

When he saw Jia Can speak, his emotions suddenly erupted, his eyes were filled with hatred, his face showed anger, and his fists were clenched. All these reactions were natural expressions, rather than deliberate pretense.

If it were a forgery, it could not be so convincing; the Emperor Emeritus was already nine-tenths convinced.

At the same time, like Yu Hui, he also realized a detail from Jia Can's words: Jia Can obviously did not remember his childhood experience of growing up in the Eastern Palace. Upon realizing this, the Emperor Emeritus's eyes flickered slightly, and a glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes.

After a moment, the Emperor Emeritus withdrew his gaze, nodded slightly, stroked his beard, and sighed:

"No wonder the princess sent you here to deliver a message, and no wonder you're not afraid of Jia Zhen finding out and harming you."

The resentment on Jia Can's face did not fade; instead, it intensified. He looked at the Emperor Emeritus with unwavering determination.

"To be honest, sir, I'm not afraid of dying for the sake of killing that beast Jia Zhen!"

These words were resounding and filled with determination.

The retired emperor sensed the determination in his words and felt that he was extraordinary.

To remain untainted by the mire and to refuse to bow to power—such a character is truly rare.

He straightened his expression and praised:

"Very good! If it were someone else with a weak will, they would probably have already submitted to Jia Zhen, or they would have become like Jia Zhen and his son Jia Rong, arrogant, extravagant, and immoral beasts, influenced by what they saw and heard."

"That princess really entrusted herself to the right person. Although the Ningguo Mansion is filthy, it still has a person as upright and righteous as you, like a clear stream in muddy water. It is truly rare. The Ningguo lineage of the Jia family can be said to have a worthy successor."

These words, spoken by the Emperor Emeritus, carried immense weight. They were both a high affirmation of Jia Can's character and a heartfelt expectation for his future success.