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

Seeing Jia She's ashen face and glaring eyes, the steward trembled in fear, bowed even lower, wiped the cold sweat from his brow, and hurriedly replied:

"Reporting to...Master, all the properties are guarded. When we arrived at the estate or the shops, we couldn't get in. When we asked them, they said they were from the imperial court, but they wouldn't say which department they were from. They just told us not to ask any more questions, saying that it wasn't our business to inquire."

After saying that, she secretly glanced at Jia She, then quickly lowered her head again, not daring to breathe.

Upon hearing this, Jia She's expression froze, sensing something amiss. He frowned, pondered for a long while, and then replied in a deep voice:

"What's going on? Why are there imperial officials guarding this place? Go and find out immediately which department they are from, who sent them, and whose orders they are on. Get all the details and report back!"

The manager had no idea about any of this, so he could only agree repeatedly and then ran out to inquire, his steps quick and chaotic, as if he were fleeing for his life.

Previously, Jia She had already made special arrangements, sending out a considerable amount of money and extending favors.

Therefore, whether it was the imperial court sending people to investigate the deaths of Jia Zhen and Jia Rong, or the later matters concerning the inheritance of the Ningguo Mansion's title, the imperial court seemed to be merely going through the motions, asking a few questions and then saying nothing more, relying entirely on the Jia family's statements.

Jia She naturally thought he had handled things well and was secretly pleased with himself, feeling that the matter was now a sure thing.

But right now, there are people from the imperial court guarding the Ningguo Mansion's related industries, and they're acting like they won't listen to reason. This made him vaguely sense that something was wrong.

Just then, several more stewardesses arrived in quick succession, their faces filled with anxiety.

The group entered and stood in a straight line, heads bowed and faces contorted in distress. The one in the lead mustered his courage, took a half-step forward, bowed, and said:

"I am writing to report to the Master that the incense and paper money in front of the coffin are almost gone, the kitchen is running out of vegetables, and even the tea for the guests is almost gone. We need to ask for more money to buy more."

Jia She was already troubled by the fact that the Ningguo Mansion's properties were being controlled by the imperial court. Upon hearing this, he snapped out of his reverie and glared at them with displeasure.

"You bother me with such a trivial matter? If you're short of it, just go and get more. What do you want from me? Do you think I have nothing better to do than go back and forth for something so small?"

The head stewardess tremblingly raised her head, glanced at Jia She, then quickly lowered it again, replying in a trembling voice:

"Reporting to Your Excellency, the treasury manager said that all the silver in the treasury has been withdrawn. When we went to withdraw more, he said that he could not give us a single coin, and sent us to report to Your Excellency."

Jia She was stunned for a moment, then slammed his fist on the table and roared:

"Nonsense! This is utter nonsense! How could the Ningguo Mansion's vast fortune be depleted so quickly?"

"Could it be that you've embezzled and misappropriated funds? Do you think you can fool me?"

The several women in charge were so frightened that they shook their heads repeatedly, their faces turning pale. The one in charge hurriedly tried to explain:

"No...no, sir. The silver in the treasury has indeed been completely withdrawn. Everything is recorded. How could we dare touch a single penny? Please, sir, understand!"

As they spoke, they all knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly.

Jia She naturally didn't believe it. With a sullen face, he snorted coldly and gave the order:

"Someone, go and fetch the treasury manager. I want to see how this silver disappeared!"

The servant beside him immediately agreed and ran out to deliver the message.

Before long, the treasury manager arrived, panting heavily, his forehead covered in sweat. He knelt down as soon as he entered, lowered his head, and dared not utter a sound.

Jia She stared at him and asked coldly:

"I heard the treasury's silver has been completely withdrawn? Is that true? You'd better tell me the truth, or you'll lose your head!"

The treasury steward was so frightened by his imposing manner and words that he immediately knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed against the earth, and replied in a trembling voice:

"Your Honor, all the silver in the treasury has been withdrawn, and there are records to prove it. I dare not conceal it, nor would I dare to embezzle a single coin."

"Every expenditure has a receipt and the signature of the person in charge. I'm just following the rules."

As he spoke, he took out a thick ledger from his sleeve pocket, held it with both hands, and raised it above his head.

Jia She snorted coldly, ordered someone to bring over the account book, and began to look at it. He should have kept quiet until he saw it, at which point he was completely stunned.

Every single penny received was indeed recorded and remembered very clearly; most of it was used for the funerals of Jia Zhen and Jia Rong.

Another portion was fraudulently claimed by Jia She under the guise of assisting in the affairs of the Ningguo Mansion, intending to use some for expenses to cover his own deficit.

Upon seeing this, the surrounding guests began to whisper among themselves, shaking their heads and sighing, saying all sorts of things.

After a long pause, Jia She closed the account book, his face ashen, and stared at the treasury manager, pressing him for an answer:

"Master refuses to believe that such a vast Ningguo Mansion, with its wealth accumulated over generations, has been reduced to this little bit. Where did the rest of the silver go?"

The treasury manager slightly raised his head, glanced at Jia She, then quickly lowered his head again, and cautiously replied:

"Reporting to Your Excellency, the rest of the silver has been deposited in the money exchange by our master. This has been his habit for many years. He says that it is not safe to keep too much silver in the treasury, so it is better to put it in the money exchange to earn interest and then withdraw it when needed."

Upon hearing this, Jia She immediately breathed a sigh of relief, his tense expression softened, and he quickly waved his hand:

"Since it's gone in the treasury, just go to the bank to get it. Do I need to teach you something so simple?"

The treasury manager replied with a bitter face:

"I sent someone over, and the manager of the money shop said that the imperial court had already sent someone to their money shop to say that no property deposited by the Ningguo Mansion could be withdrawn, no matter how much, not a single coin was allowed to be touched."

"They said they were acting on orders from above, but the manager wouldn't say which government office or which official gave the order. He just told us not to ask, because it would be useless."

Upon hearing this, Jia She was stunned again. It seemed to be related to the court's interference once more.

First, his property was seized by others, and then he couldn't withdraw the money from the bank. Now, Jia She's worries deepened, and he felt as if an invisible hand was slowly pressing down on him.

Even if Jia She was muddle-headed and arrogant, he knew something was wrong.

Looking at the group of stewards and servants waiting in the hall to receive their money and do their jobs, all staring at him expectantly, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. A chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and he felt completely unwell.

Jia She was well aware that without money, the entire Ningguo Mansion would come to a standstill.

At that time, let alone holding funerals for Jia Zhen and Jia Rong, even daily operations would be problematic, and the entire Jia family would become a laughing stock among the powerful and wealthy circles in the capital.

He's put so much effort into planning, and if this is the final result, then he's truly lost more than he gained.