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

Emperor Jing'an did not answer Xia Shouzhong's question immediately. He gazed outside the palace, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke in a deep voice:

"Old man, you've probably heard about Jia Baoyu being born with a jade in his mouth, haven't you?"

Xia Shouzhong bowed his head and replied, "This old servant has indeed heard of it. It's all over the capital, saying that when Jia Baoyu was born, he had a magical jade in his mouth with words engraved on it."

Emperor Jing'an continued, saying:

"Only when a great hero is born, such miracles will accompany him. For example, when the founding emperor of our dynasty was born, there was a rosy glow in the sky and colorful auspicious clouds gathered on the roof for two or three days."

"Later, Emperor Taizu did indeed lead the people to establish this dynasty and create this everlasting foundation."

"And Jia Baoyu was born into such a noble family as the Jia family. Although the Jia family no longer had much influence in the army, they still had some foundation. Their old subordinates and former students were scattered in various military units and still remembered some old feelings."

"Not to mention, the Jia family is still a major force among the old noble families, with four kings, eight dukes, and twelve marquises. They were so glorious and prominent when the country was founded. Although they have declined a lot now, they still control a portion of the military power."

"If Jia Baoyu is indeed the chosen one..."

At this point, Emperor Jing'an did not continue speaking, but Xia Shouzhong, who was standing to the side, heard the unfinished words clearly.

If Jia Baoyu is truly the chosen one, and with the foundation left by the Jia family ancestors in the army, and with the support of the old noble faction behind the Jia family, it would be even easier for him to rise to power than for the founding emperor of this dynasty.

By then, it's hard to say who will rule this country.

Xia Shouzhong was startled, but remained outwardly calm. After a moment's thought, he offered words of comfort:

"In my humble opinion, Your Majesty need not worry about this. Although the Jia family is proclaiming that Jia Baoyu was born with a jade in his mouth, in my opinion, this may not be true."

"Such a strange thing could not possibly happen in this world. Perhaps it was just something the Jia family made up on purpose to enhance Jia Baoyu's reputation."

"Moreover, this old servant once secretly sent someone to inquire about it. This Jia Baoyu is extremely useless. He is spoiled rotten by Old Madam Jia. He spends all day in the inner chambers, playing and laughing with the sisters. He does not study hard, is completely ignorant of officialdom and economics, and shows no progress whatsoever."

"Even if such a person has talent, he will ultimately waste it."

Emperor Jing'an disagreed, his brows furrowed as he looked at Xia Shouzhong and slowly said:

"Times change. Who can guarantee that Jia Baoyu won't suddenly become more ambitious later on? Aren't there plenty of examples in history of people who were unruly in their youth but later came to their senses and achieved great things? I can't gamble the fate of the country on something that might not be true."

Xia Shouzhong was adept at reading people's expressions and had served Emperor Jing'an for many years, so he had a thorough understanding of the emperor's thoughts. After hearing this and secretly observing Emperor Jing'an, he guessed some of the emperor's intentions and replied:

"If His Majesty is truly distrustful of Jia Baoyu, then he should reject Jia She's request and order them to choose another person to inherit the title."

Just as Emperor Jing'an was about to reply, a young eunuch rushed in and respectfully announced:

"Your Majesty, the Emperor Emeritus has sent someone to deliver an oral decree."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jing'an quickly composed himself and waved his hand solemnly, saying:

"Announce it quickly!"

The eunuch hurriedly accepted the order and went out.

Before long, he led a messenger eunuch into the imperial study and respectfully bowed to Emperor Jing'an.

"Your Majesty, this servant is here on the orders of the Emperor Emeritus to deliver an oral message to you."

Emperor Jing'an stood up, nodded slightly, and gestured for him to continue.

The messenger eunuch then said, "The Emperor Emeritus says: I have overheard rumors in the capital that Jia She and Jia Zheng of the Rongguo Mansion intend to seize the titles and property of the Ningguo Mansion, engaging in the act of exploiting those who have no descendants. This is truly a perverse act that disregards moral principles and ethics."

"Since everyone is criticizing them, the emperor should severely reprimand and punish Jia She, Jia Zheng, and others to uphold the established order. The Ningguo Mansion still has an heir, who should inherit the title and family business. Why should others interfere or adopt him?"

"Furthermore, the imperial court should also uphold justice and punish the weak. It could strip Jia She of his title while keeping the title of the new heir to the Ningguo Mansion unchanged, only then would the world applaud!"

Emperor Jing'an looked solemn, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He was worried about this matter, not wanting Jia She to succeed, but also not wanting to directly interfere in the family affairs of his ministers.

Unexpectedly, the retired emperor also knew about this matter and even spoke out, so he could take advantage of the situation and deal with the matter legitimately.

Emperor Jing'an's eyes flickered slightly, and he quickly bowed slightly in reply:

"Your son obeys the decree!"

He then said to the messenger eunuch:

"Go and tell the Emperor Emeritus that I will strictly follow his orders, thoroughly investigate this matter, and give the people of the world a satisfactory explanation."

Upon receiving the reply, the messenger bowed again, respectfully took his leave, and backed out of the imperial study before turning to leave.

After the eunuch who delivered the message left, Xia Shouzhong, with a beaming smile, leaned closer and said:

"Your Majesty, you no longer need to worry. The Emperor Emeritus has personally issued an imperial edict, so you can proceed with your plans."

Emperor Jing'an also showed a hint of lightness on his face, and the corners of his mouth slightly raised:

"I never expected that this matter would even alarm the Emperor Emeritus. It seems that everyone in the capital is very dissatisfied with this matter, otherwise it wouldn't have reached the Emperor Emeritus's ears. This shows how big the news is and how deep the resentment is."

"Jia She has really miscalculated this time. I have long wanted to take action against these old noble families, but I have not been able to find a suitable pretext."

"These old nobles, relying on their ancestors' merits, live in luxury and extravagance, disregarding the laws and regulations of the court. How could I not know this?"

"Now that Jia She has come to us, and the Emperor Emeritus has spoken, if I do not seize this opportunity, it will be a waste."

Xia Shouzhong nodded repeatedly and bowed in agreement.

Emperor Jing'an's gaze sharpened, and he gave the order:

"Old fool, immediately send the Dragon Feather Guard to investigate, especially the testimonies of the people in the capital. I will punish the Jia family so severely that they will have nothing to say. Let all the officials see that if an old noble family commits a crime, I will not tolerate it."

"Furthermore, investigate who else in the Ningguo Mansion, besides the deceased Jia Zhen and Jia Rong, is eligible to inherit the title and family fortune?"

Xia Shouzhong naturally understood what Emperor Jing'an wanted.

When the Dragon Feather Guards took action, they weren't just investigating rumors; they were determined to solidify Jia She's crimes, obtain irrefutable evidence, and leave the Jia family with no room for rebuttal.

He immediately agreed: "This old servant obeys the order and will go to the Dragon Feather Guard to deliver the message!"

After saying that, he quickly left the Imperial Study.

The Dragon Feather Guard was a special agency established by the founding emperor of this dynasty. It was dedicated to monitoring civil and military officials, investigating rumors, and had its own independent prison. It was not subject to the control of the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers, and could directly interrogate and handle cases. It was responsible only to the emperor.

Their spies are spread all over the country. Whether they are high-ranking officials in the court or ordinary people in the countryside, they all turn pale at the mere mention of the name Dragon Feather Guard.

Especially in the capital, the Dragon Feather Guard's spies were everywhere. Street vendors selling steamed buns, storytellers in teahouses, waiters in restaurants, and so on could all be Dragon Feather Guard's informants.

Therefore, Xia Shouzhong only needed to deliver the message for half a day before the Dragon Feather Guard's spies compiled the results into a dossier and presented it to the Emperor.