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

Although Grandmother Jia felt that the sudden deaths of Jia Zhen and his son Jia Rong were suspicious, she felt that everything was shrouded in mystery and she couldn't see through the truth at all.

The deaths of Jia Zhen and his son Jia Rong seem reasonable on the surface, but upon closer examination, they appear quite suspicious.

For a moment, Grandmother Jia felt a vague unease, as if an unseen hand was manipulating everything in the dark.

One can't help but wonder whether this was an action taken against the Jia family or an internal conflict within the Ningguo Mansion.

Is this a blessing or a curse for the Jia family as a whole?

Just as she was racking her brains trying to figure it out, Jia She suddenly returned, walked up to Grandmother Jia, bowed, and called out:

"old lady."

Grandmother Jia snapped out of her reverie and, seeing him return, frowned slightly and looked at him, asking:

"Boss, is there anything else you want to say?"

Jia She raised an eyebrow slightly and slowly replied:

"Grandma, I think that although Can-ge is the only male in the East Mansion, he is still young and inexperienced, and he is also born out of wedlock. In this huge mansion, I'm afraid he will have difficulty winning people's respect."

"Besides, it's obvious that Second Brother Jing will no longer manage the affairs of the East Mansion. The East Mansion is currently leaderless. If no one helps him, it will inevitably cause dissatisfaction or make a fool of himself."

"Why not let the second son and the second son take charge of the overall situation first, and then hand it back to Can-ge after he has gained some experience?"

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia knew perfectly well what her eldest son was up to. What he meant by helping to oversee things and preventing a laughing stock was, in the end, nothing more than coveting the Ningguo Mansion's property.

His face immediately darkened, and he glared fiercely at Jia She:

"Eldest brother, don't even think about it! The East and West families are of the same lineage and origin. The previous Duke Ning and Duke Rong were brothers. They couldn't be two Jias."

"Even if the Eastern Mansion were to die out, let alone have someone to carry on the family line, such despicable methods are unacceptable!"

"If outsiders find out, they'll just laugh at us, saying that the Western Mansion took advantage of our misfortune and bullied the orphans and widows of the Eastern Mansion. How will we ever face anyone again? How will we ever establish ourselves in the capital?"

Jia She's expression became somewhat unnatural after hearing what Grandmother Jia said. He lowered his head, not daring to meet her gaze.

After hesitating for a moment, he replied awkwardly:

"Grandma, that's not what I meant. I just thought it might be helpful to get through this difficult time. Also..."

He paused here, seemingly hesitant to continue, but finally gritted his teeth, raised his head, his eyes flickering, and looked at Grandmother Jia:

"Cang-ge'er is born out of wedlock, which raises some issues regarding propriety. It would be better to adopt someone from the West Mansion to inherit the title, making it legitimate and avoiding future criticism. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia's expression froze slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. She immediately realized the hidden meaning in his words.

He exchanged a glance with Jia She, and after a moment, calmly asked:

"Whom do you want to adopt?"

Seeing that Grandmother Jia was pressing him for an answer, Jia She knew that she had already fallen for him. He was secretly pleased, but on the surface he remained calm and bowed as he replied:

"I think Baoyu is quite good. He is young but can already compose poems. Although he is a bit mischievous, he is very intelligent, good-looking, and of good character. It would be best to let him inherit the East Mansion."

As he spoke, a glint of light flashed in Jia She's eyes. He knew that Grandmother Jia cared most about Jia Baoyu, regarding him as the future hope of the Jia family, and treating him with utmost care and affection.

However, when it comes to inheriting the title, it's not Jia Baoyu's turn in the Rongguo Mansion.

Because Jia Lian was the eldest son and grandson of the Rongguo Mansion, and although he was not very capable, he still held the title. Jia Baoyu was the son of the second branch, and according to the patriarchal system, the title could not possibly fall to him.

Jia She's suggestion to adopt Jia Baoyu to the Ningguo Mansion is exactly what Grandmother Jia wanted, providing Jia Baoyu with the best path to advancement.

It would allow her to rightfully inherit the title without violating patriarchal laws, making it impossible for Grandmother Jia not to be tempted.

Sure enough, when he mentioned Jia Baoyu, Grandmother Jia's expression changed noticeably.

His brows, which had been slightly furrowed, relaxed, then furrowed again, a complex light flashing in his eyes.

After a long while, Grandmother Jia looked out the door and fell into deep thought, remaining silent for a long time.

Jia She raised the corners of his mouth slightly, said nothing more, and simply stood there with his hands at his sides, looking down at his nose, seemingly waiting for the outcome.

He knew that such an important matter required time for Grandmother Jia to consider, and could not be rushed or hastily arranged. Rather than saying more, it was better to wait quietly.

The room fell silent for a moment.

After an unknown amount of time, Grandmother Jia seemed to have finally made up her mind. She slowly turned her head and looked at Jia She, asking:

"This is a good suggestion, but will it pass the imperial court's approval? What if the court disagrees?"

"After all, there is still someone to inherit the Ningguo Mansion. With that Can-ge still around, the court may not be willing to bypass him and give the title to the adopted Bao-yu."

"Furthermore, how should we respond if outsiders gossip about it?"

In the end, Grandmother Jia could not resist the temptation of benefits. Jia Baoyu was the apple of her eye, and she wished she could give him everything good in the world. Now that there was an opportunity for Baoyu to compete for a title, she no longer cared about the fact that the East and West mansions were of one mind.

As for the criticisms of outsiders and moral considerations, they seem to become less important in the face of huge profits.

After all, titles of nobility are extremely difficult to obtain these days. Among the many noble families in the capital, each generation is worse than the last, and only a handful can retain their titles.

Even if she faced criticism from outsiders, Grandmother Jia felt that if her beloved grandson Jia Baoyu could inherit the title, it would be worth it.

As for the adoption itself, Grandmother Jia didn't care much. After all, the East and West mansions were right next to each other. After Jia Baoyu was adopted, he wouldn't have to stay in the East mansion. He could still live and eat with her as before.

She even hoped that Jia Baoyu could later shoulder the responsibility, uphold the reputation of the Ning and Rong mansions, and bring glory to his ancestors—that was what she most wanted to see.

When Jia She heard Grandmother Jia ask this question, he knew that she was completely moved and had already tacitly agreed to the adoption. She was only worried about criticism from the court and outsiders.

Overjoyed, a smile spread across his face, and he bowed in response:

"Mother, this matter is not difficult to handle. Our family has some connections in the imperial court. As long as we make some arrangements, it will not be a difficult task."

"Just say that Jia Can is born out of wedlock, of humble origin, and that his behavior is sleazy and his appearance is unbearable, so he is not suitable to inherit the title. That would be enough to shut everyone up."

"I doubt His Majesty will inquire further about this. After all, the Ningguo family inherits the title of General, not some prestigious noble title. His Majesty is extremely busy with state affairs; how could he have time to concern himself with such trivial matters?"

"If they still send people to inquire, we might as well take Jia Can out of the capital first, just say that he is going back to his hometown to guard the tomb, or send him to stay on the estate for a while to avoid the storm, and then we can make a decision after the adoption matter is settled."