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

Jia Can and Yu Hui were talking inside the room when suddenly a maid's voice came from outside. Yu Hui immediately stopped talking, his figure swayed slightly, and he quickly disappeared into the shadows inside the room.

The candlelight in the room flickered, as if blown by the wind, as if it had never been there at all.

Jia Can was already used to this. Although he was still somewhat surprised, he remained outwardly calm and replied to the person outside:

"Okay, I'll go right away."

Then, turning to the shadows where the afterglow had faded, he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture:

"Lord Yu, thank you for your hard work. Everything is proceeding according to plan."

After saying that, he took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and made sure that his appearance did not arouse suspicion before stepping out of the guest room.

As his footsteps faded into the distance and disappeared at the end of the corridor, the afterglow of the setting sun reappeared from the shadows.

Standing inside, his gaze pierced through the half-open door, looking in the direction Jia Can had left. A glint of light flashed in his eyes, and a slight smile played on his lips as he murmured to himself:

"Excellent! Excellent! Truly, Heaven blesses our dynasty!"

His words were full of praise and expectation, as if he saw some exciting prospects.

After saying that, he stood there for a while, deep in thought, his gaze unreadable.

After a moment, he snapped out of his reverie, flashed away from the window, and moved as swiftly as a swallow, making no noise and thus attracting no one's attention.

...

Jia Can walked slowly towards the main house in the backyard. The corridor was winding and secluded, with white lanterns already hanging on both sides.

The white lanterns swayed gently in the night breeze, emitting a pale light, making the entire mansion appear desolate and solemn.

However, the Ningguo Mansion was already bustling with people at this time.

When news of Jia Zhen's sudden death spread, relatives, friends, and acquaintances rushed to the scene.

Along the way, Jia Can encountered many unfamiliar faces; some were in a hurry, some had solemn expressions, and some were whispering among themselves.

Not only did Grandmother Jia, Jia She, and Jia Zheng from the West Mansion come, but also many other well-known members of the Jia clan, such as Jia Dairu, Jia Yun, Jia Qiang, and Jia Qin.

In addition, the Jia family's long-standing friends also sent people to inquire about the news.

Jia Zhen was, after all, the patriarch of the Jia family and had inherited the title of Ningguo Mansion. He was a prominent figure among the old nobles in the capital. His sudden death naturally attracted attention from all sides.

Everyone was curious about how Jia Zhen had suddenly died, and they were also discussing the changes that would follow in the Ningguo Mansion.

When Jia Can arrived at the door of the main room, he sensed the oppressive atmosphere inside, but he was not afraid at all and calmly stepped inside.

Upon entering the room, they saw Grandmother Jia sitting upright at the head of the table, her face sorrowful and her expression solemn.

Jia She, Jia Zheng, and Jia Lian stood in the room, their hands hanging down, all with a hint of sadness in their expressions.

Standing below Grandmother Jia, Lady You looked sorrowful with slightly red eyes, clearly having just cried again.

Madam Wang and Madam Xing were also present, occasionally offering a few words of comfort to Madam You in hushed tones.

When everyone saw Jia Can enter, they all looked at him, their eyes filled with scrutiny and suspicion.

Especially the matriarch, Jia Mu, who sat at the head of the table, narrowed her old eyes, which gleamed with a sharp light as she stared intently at Jia Can, as if trying to see through him from the inside out.

Although she had just heard You Shi explain what had happened and knew that Jia Zhen was killed by Jiao Da in Jia Can's room, she still found it strange.

A loyal old servant dared to kill his master, and Jia Zhen was actually killed.

Is there something more to this story? As the only eyewitness at the scene, is Jia Can related to Jia Zhen's death?

Jia Can bowed slightly, his face respectful, and came before the crowd, greeting each person in turn.

Before he could finish his greetings, Grandmother Jia waved her hand and said:

"Brother Can, tell me exactly how your Brother Zhen died, without omitting or concealing anything."

He spoke with unwavering conviction, his gaze sharp and fixed on Jia Can, gesturing for him to speak quickly.

Jia Can feigned nervousness, his Adam's apple bobbing as if recalling the thrilling scene, or perhaps weighing his words carefully.

After a moment, he replied:

"Yes, ma'am, that's how it is..."

As he spoke, he recounted everything he knew, which consisted mainly of his responses to Yu Shi's previous inquiries.

Of course, Jia Can never revealed the real truth.

Grandmother Jia and the others were all watching him. They saw that he spoke fluently and naturally, yet seemed nervous and uneasy, which did not seem like he was making up lies. They knew that he was not talking nonsense.

Grandmother Jia nodded slightly upon hearing this, the sharp glint in her eyes diminishing somewhat.

After Jia Can finished speaking, Madam You chimed in:

"Madam, this matter is confirmed to have nothing to do with Can-ge'er. I sent someone to inquire, and he did indeed go to Gu Bao Zhai today and spent twenty-one taels of silver to buy an antique bowl."

"The maids and servants in his household have all seen his silver; it has indeed been accumulated over many years."

"In addition, his courtyard has been in disrepair for many years. When Rong'er went to see him the night before last, she kicked his door and broke it. It was the maids and servants who served him who managed to fix it. It was loose and not sturdy at all."

"Therefore, Jiao Da was able to kick the door open and rush in. Master... perhaps he really didn't expect Jiao Da to rush in, and was caught off guard, hence..."

As she finished speaking, Madam You choked up again, dabbed at the corner of her eye with a handkerchief, and did not continue.

After these words were spoken, even if Jia Mu and the others still had doubts, they could only temporarily believe that Jia Can was indeed unrelated to Jia Zhen's death.

After all, there were witnesses and physical evidence, and the evidence was all linked together without any obvious flaws.

Furthermore, on the surface, Jia Can had no motive to kill Jia Zhen, and judging from his usual behavior, he would not have had the courage to do so.

Killing the clan chief and his elder brother is a serious crime. How could Jia Can, a powerless and illegitimate son, dare to do such a thing?

Grandmother Jia was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded and sighed.

"If that's the case, then we can't blame Can-ge'er. But... that old servant Jiao Da truly deserves to die."

"Zhen-ge'er has indeed gone too far, but how could a servant kill his master? Such an evil servant should be severely punished; it would be against all reason."

Madam You continued, "What the old lady says is true. We have already sent people to hunt him down, but that old servant is running very fast, and we haven't caught him yet."

Grandmother Jia waved her hand, not pressing the matter further. She glanced at Jia Can and sighed softly.

"Brother Can has been frightened. Go and rest first. Try to stay home as much as possible these days. We'll talk about it again once things are settled."

Just as Jia Can was about to respond, Jia She stepped forward, his face grim. He glanced at everyone and questioned in a deep voice:

"This is definitely not a simple murder. Jiao Da has served the old master in the East Mansion for many years and is a worldly old servant. How could he dare to kill his master for such a reason?"

"Someone must have instigated this. Zhen's daughter-in-law, you should send someone to investigate thoroughly. Don't let the person behind this get away with it."

He spoke with absolute certainty, convinced that there must be a hidden story. After he finished speaking, he looked at Jia Can, as if he suspected that Jia Can was the mastermind behind Jiao Da's killing of Jia Zhen.