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

Seeing that Jia She specifically emphasized his status as a son of a concubine, and that the other officials only gave him a cursory glance, Jia Can saw this and became even more certain of his earlier guess.

He glanced deeply at Jia She, who was sitting at the head of the table, but said nothing. He simply walked to the lower seat, lifted his robe and sat down, his face calm and composed, observing everything in the hall with a cold eye.

Jia Zheng, however, noticed that Jia Can had sat down at the lower seat and sensed something was amiss. He frowned, looked at Jia Can, then at Jia She, his lips moved, but he remained silent.

This is, after all, the Ningguo Mansion, not the Rongguo Mansion. Logically speaking, now that Jia Zhen and Jia Rong are both dead, Jia Can is Jia Jing's only surviving bloodline and the rightful heir of the Ningguo Mansion. How could he be sitting in the lower position, acting like an outsider?

However, in front of outsiders, Jia Zheng could not say much, so he had to suppress his doubts and put them aside for the time being.

What Jia She and these officials talked about was nothing more than the circumstances of Jia Zhen and Jia Rong's deaths, as well as the scale of the funeral, the number of days the bodies would be kept in state, and the date of the funeral procession.

Jia She spoke clearly and logically, and the court officials simply took notes, occasionally asking a few questions. As they talked, the topic gradually shifted to the most important matter: the succession of the title of Ningguo Mansion.

Relying on his status as an elder of the Jia clan and the hereditary title holder of the Rongguo Mansion, Jia She made outrageous remarks about the inheritance of the title in the Ningguo Mansion:

"In my opinion, the title of nobility in the Ningguo Mansion is no small matter; it is a title earned by our ancestors through bloodshed on the battlefield. How can it be bestowed lightly?"

"Although Second Brother Jing has another son, he is still born out of wedlock. According to etiquette, he is not legitimate. It would be better to adopt a direct descendant from the West Mansion to inherit the title. This way, it will be proper and will not disgrace the ancestral name."

As she spoke, she glanced at Jia Can almost imperceptibly, with a hint of condescension.

Jia Can sat at the lower end of the table, listening to every word of these words. His expression remained calm, but his heart was in turmoil.

He felt that Jia She had really stopped pretending and was directly trying to strip him of his inheritance right in front of him, without any attempt to hide it.

Just as he had guessed, Jia She was planning to take advantage of the chaos and seize everything in the Ningguo Mansion while it was leaderless, including its property, titles, and clan assets.

However, Jia Can did not act impulsively. The more impatient he was at this moment, the easier it would be for others to use it against him.

He simply sat there calmly, his expression unchanged, watching Jia She talk at length without interrupting or refuting.

After all, he wasn't without backing. The Emperor Emeritus had promised him that after the execution of Jia Zhen and his son Jia Rong, he would inherit the title and be granted a powerful official position.

Let's see how Jia She will seize the title and property.

Finally, Jia Zheng couldn't hold back any longer. He looked at Jia She, frowned, and said:

"Brother, what you're saying isn't quite right, is it? Although Can-ge'er is a son born out of wedlock, he is still Second Brother Jing's biological son, and Second Brother Jing's blood flows in his veins."

"Legally, he is perfectly entitled to inherit the family business and title; what's wrong with that? Why bother with adopting another person? Wouldn't that be redundant?"

Jia She waved his hand and retorted:

"Second son, you don't know this. Although it is not illegal for a son born out of wedlock to inherit the throne, it still requires the approval of the imperial court."

"Our dynasty governs the world with filial piety and rule of law with propriety. The distinction between legitimate and illegitimate sons is of utmost importance. If there is no legitimate heir, and an illegitimate son inherits the title, the court may still be lenient."

"Although Zhen-ge'er and Rong-ge'er are gone from the East Mansion, the West Mansion still has direct descendants. Our Jia family isn't without anyone. Just think about what the imperial court will think?"

"Instead of having the direct descendant of the West Mansion inherit the title, we let a son born out of wedlock inherit it. What will outsiders say if word gets out? They'll probably say that our Jia family is ignorant of etiquette and doesn't abide by ancestral rules."

As he spoke, he stroked his beard, gave Jia Zheng a meaningful look, as if conveying something to him, and continued:

"Besides, Can-ge is young and inexperienced. He has never managed a household before. Suddenly entrusting such a large family business to him, can he handle it? What if something goes wrong and he disgraces our ancestors? Who will take responsibility for that?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Zheng was speechless for a moment. He opened his mouth, but did not know how to refute it.

Although he felt that Jia She's words made some sense, he also felt that something was wrong, and he always felt that there was an unspeakable calculation in his words.

He glanced at Jia Can, then at Jia She, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

Jia Can remained calm and composed, showing no sign of emotion, and asked in a neither humble nor arrogant manner:

"Uncle She, I have a question. If I am not suitable to inherit the throne, then who is more suitable?"

Jia She raised an eyebrow slightly, surprised that Jia Can would ask the question so calmly. He stroked his beard and replied indifferently:

"Of course, it should be a son born of the main wife of the West Mansion, like Baoyu. Although he is a little younger than you, he is intelligent and good-looking. He is also a legitimate son born of the main wife. The old lady loves him the most and he is the most suitable candidate to be adopted into the East Mansion."

After speaking, he slightly raised his head, seemingly waiting for everyone to agree.

Upon hearing this, Jia Can almost burst out laughing. Jia She actually said in a serious tone that Jia Baoyu was the most suitable person to inherit the Ningguo Mansion's business.

Everyone in both households knew what Jia Baoyu was like: spending his days mingling with his sisters, neglecting his studies, not seeking fame or fortune, indulging in cockfighting, horse racing, composing poems, and doing nothing of importance.

If Jia Baoyu is considered a suitable candidate, then wouldn't other people be even more suitable?

However, Jia Can remained silent, showing no sign of his agreement, seemingly acknowledging Jia She's words.

Jia Zheng could no longer restrain himself, and suddenly sat up straight, advising:

"Brother, this is absolutely unacceptable! That wicked boy is always so irresponsible; he's either reciting poetry or painting, or hanging out with the maids and servants. How can he possibly inherit the lineage of Lord Ning? Letting him come would only tarnish the reputation of the East Mansion!"

As he spoke, he shook his head repeatedly, his face full of disapproval.

Jia She, however, stared wide-eyed at Jia Zheng, his eyes revealing both pressure and impatience:

"Second brother, you've gone too far. Baoyu is indeed a bit mischievous, but everyone knows he's exceptionally intelligent and different from others, and is deeply loved by the old lady."

"I think it's best to let him be adopted. Let's settle this matter and not discuss it any further."

"After all, these officials don't have time to wait for us to say more. Let's make a decision as soon as possible so that they can go back and report."

Jia Zheng was somewhat taken aback. He never expected that Jia She would act so arbitrarily in this matter.

He then tried to persuade him again:

"Brother, this is a matter of great importance. How can we make such a hasty decision? At the very least, we should discuss it with the old lady first, and then send someone outside the city to ask Second Brother Jing for his opinion before making any decisions."