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

As Jia She spoke, he secretly observed Grandmother Jia. Seeing that she was listening attentively, he calmly continued:

"As for what outsiders say, there's no need to care. This is an internal family matter of our Jia family, and it doesn't count as encroaching on clan property. After all, the Ningguo Mansion still exists; it's just that the title is being inherited by people from the West Mansion."

Throughout history, there have been many examples of people inheriting family businesses through adoption. It's not a rare occurrence, and outsiders don't have much to say about it. At most, they might gossip a little behind the scenes, but they'll forget about it after a few days.

After hearing this, Grandmother Jia frowned again, looked towards the door, and fell into deep thought once more, seemingly weighing the pros and cons and calculating the gains and losses.

Seeing this, Jia She pressed his advantage and said:

"Mother, Jia Can is just a son of a concubine. It's really too much for him to support this huge Ningguo Mansion, or even too good for him."

"He grew up in the manor since childhood. How could he have learned any skills in managing a household? How could he have seen the world? If he were suddenly put in this position, there would definitely be a lot of trouble. Our great family fortune would be ruined by him. Wouldn't that be a pity?"

"It would be more appropriate to let Baoyu inherit it. Whether it's you, or me and the second brother, we can all help Baoyu manage it, at least ensuring that the Ning family's century-old legacy is not lost."

"Afterwards, we'll give Jia Can a larger share of the family fortune. That'll be enough for him to live comfortably for the rest of his life. I doubt he'll dare say anything more. For a son born out of wedlock to have such an outcome is already a great blessing. What more could he ask for?"

After hearing this, Grandmother Jia slowly came to her senses, narrowed her old eyes, looked at Jia She, remained silent for a long time, and finally nodded gently.

Faced with absolute self-interest, Grandmother Jia ultimately chose to side with self-interest rather than with morality.

Having lived a life of luxury for decades, she knows better than anyone that in this world, profit is the only real thing, and morality is nothing more than a fig leaf.

As Jia She said, Jia Can was ultimately just a son born out of wedlock. In Grandmother Jia's eyes, the difference in importance between a grandson born out of wedlock and a grandson born out of wedlock was like heaven and earth. Sacrificing Jia Can was no big deal.

Not to mention, the beneficiary was her most beloved grandson, Jia Baoyu, so there's even less to say; it was entirely worth the sacrifice.

For the sake of Jia Baoyu's future, let alone a son born out of wedlock, even at a great cost, Grandmother Jia would be willing to pay.

However, Grandmother Jia still had some bottom line and hadn't completely lost her conscience. Looking at Jia She, she gave him some instructions:

"Don't go too far. Leave some for Can-ge'er. Don't be too harsh. Whether it's land or silver, we need to ensure he has a foundation for a stable life in the future."

"Otherwise, if they cause trouble again, or if Jing-ge'er is also dissatisfied and a conflict breaks out, it will be bad for everyone."

Jia She naturally nodded repeatedly, agreeing wholeheartedly, saying things like, "Mother, don't worry, I'm not such a mean person."

However, as he spoke, he couldn't suppress the smile on his lips.

In Jia She's view, how much Jia Can gets depends entirely on his word.

If Jia Can is sensible and behaves himself without arguing or fighting, he might still be able to make a living. But if Jia Can is sensible and insists on making a scene, then he will get nothing at all.

The thought of being able to take most of the Ningguo Mansion's property and assets into his own pocket naturally filled Jia She with secret joy.

Previously, in front of Lady You, Jia She could not show anything, so he had to put on a sorrowful appearance and at least make a show of it, echoing the suggestion that Jia Can should step forward and take the lead.

After turning around, Jia She began to think about how to take advantage of this opportunity to line his own pocket.

Although he was shocked by the deaths of Jia Zhen and Jia Rong, he was not particularly saddened. While the father and son had interacted with him, there was a certain distance between them, and they did not have any deep affection for each other.

He felt that with the father and son dead, the Eastern Mansion was leaderless, which gave him a great opportunity to make a fortune.

In his daily life, Jia She was extremely extravagant and greedy. He wanted to have all the antiques, rare treasures, concubines, and beautiful women that he set his sights on.

However, the Rongguo Mansion's assets were limited. Although he inherited the title, most of the money was in the hands of Grandmother Jia. He only received a fixed monthly allowance, which was far from enough for him to squander.

At present, the Ningguo Mansion is leaderless, and Jia Can, the only heir, is just a lowly illegitimate son. He has no foundation in the mansion, no personal connections, and no followers. He is at the mercy of the man.

In Jia She's eyes, the Ningguo Mansion was a tempting prize that was within his grasp, so how could he not be tempted?

But at that moment, Grandmother Jia suddenly changed her tone and coldly warned:

"However, don't be too happy yet. Whether this will work out is still uncertain. Besides, don't expect me to speak up for you. If things turn out badly, I'll immediately step in to clean up the mess and won't show you any mercy!"

Upon hearing this, Jia She's expression froze, his smile stiffened, as if he had been suddenly doused with a bucket of cold water.

He raised his head and glanced at Grandmother Jia. Seeing her serious face and sharp eyes, he knew she was not joking.

Grandmother Jia is never ambiguous about important matters; she means what she says. If things really come to that, she will truly turn her back on people.

Jia She felt a mix of emotions, but dared not show it on his face.

He naturally understood the deeper meaning behind Grandmother Jia's words; she intended for him to play the good cop and the bad cop.

If things go smoothly, and Baoyu is successfully adopted into the East Mansion and the title of Ningguo is successfully obtained, then Grandmother Jia will be happy to see it happen and will only enjoy the final result without asking about anything else.

However, if things are not handled well and trouble arises, Grandmother Jia will immediately turn against him, kick him out, criticize him as a bad person, quickly quell the situation, and protect her own and Rongguo Mansion's reputation.

To put it simply, it means that Grandmother Jia only enjoys the fruits of success without bearing any risks, while he bears all the risks.

This made Jia She somewhat dissatisfied, even harboring a hint of resentment, but he dared not show it and could only obediently agree.

After all, the fact that Grandmother Jia tacitly approved of his power grab and seizure of Ningguo Mansion's property was already a great support for him.

If he angers Grandmother Jia, he won't even have this much support anymore. How can he put on this show all by himself?

He could only suppress his displeasure, lower his head, and obediently reply:

"Don't worry, Mother, I understand."

Seeing that he obediently agreed, Grandmother Jia said no more and waved her hand, signaling him to leave.

Jia She bowed and left the room, his steps heavier than when he came in.

After Jia She left, Grandmother Jia sat alone in the main hall, lost in thought.

After a long while, she came to her senses, summoned a maid, and instructed her:

"Go and see where Baoyu and the girls are. See what they're doing."

The maid immediately agreed and ran off to inquire.