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

Xia Shouzhong respectfully presented the dossier, compiled by the Dragon Feather Guard, to Emperor Jing'an.

"Your Majesty, you are indeed a prophet. Now the whole capital is talking about how Jia She, relying on his status as a hereditary nobleman, is ruthlessly exploiting his own relatives and clansmen."

"This old servant has read through it briefly, and the vast majority of people are criticizing Jia She for being shameless and despicable, saying that he doesn't even spare his own relatives and is simply a beast in human clothing."

"Only a very small number of people think there's nothing wrong with this; it's just a matter of each person acting in their own interest."

Emperor Jing'an took the dossier, opened it, and examined it closely. He saw that it contained a complete transcript of the confession, marked with the speaker's name and identity, and included several pieces of evidence. A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.

"Jia She's behavior was truly despicable. For his own selfish gain, he actually turned against his own relatives. He was utterly despicable and shameless."

"Jia Zhen of Ningguo Mansion is also his nephew. Now that his body is not even cold, he has already done such a thing as taking advantage of the disaster. He is really not afraid of being ridiculed and gossiped about by the world."

As he spoke, he seemed to remember something and pressed on with the question:

"By the way, speaking of the deaths of Jia Zhen and Jia Rong, old man, have you found out anything?"

Xia Shouzhong responded with his head bowed and eyes lowered:

"Your Majesty, this old servant has sent people to inquire carefully. Jia Zhen was indeed killed by his servants. It is said that Jia Zhen often insulted and punished his servants, slapping them or beating them. The servants in the mansion all complained."

"That day, for some unknown reason, Jia Zhen flew into a rage at an old servant. In a fit of anger, the old servant killed him and fled. He has not been caught to this day."

"It's not uncommon, really. There are many precedents of servants killing their masters after being mistreated by them."

Emperor Jing'an largely agreed, saying that not only would powerful officials be killed if they mistreated their servants, but even emperors would be murdered by eunuchs and palace maids if they mistreated them.

Then Xia Shouzhong continued:

"As for Jia Rong, the Jia family said that he died from overwork due to excessive grief over the loss of his father. However, the people I sent secretly investigated and found out the truth from several servants in Ningguo Mansion."

"Jia Rong did not die of grief, but from an affair. It is said that Jia Rong disregarded the mourning period and had an affair with a woman in his room. He was also exhausted from dealing with Jia Zhen's funeral all night. By the time he was discovered, it was too late to save him. As for who the woman he had an affair with was, the Jia family kept it a secret and it has not been found out yet."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jing'an curled his lip slightly:

"Heh... The Jia family is truly despicable, one worse than the next. The father mistreated his servants and was killed, while the son indulged in pleasure and lost his life. With such a family tradition, it's no wonder that Jia She would do such a foolish and muddle-headed thing."

"If it weren't for the sake of the entire old noble faction, I would have wanted to strip him of his title completely, so that everyone could see that if these noble descendants who are living off the merits of their ancestors have no manners, I will not let them off lightly either."

Xia Shouzhong sensed his resentment and helplessness, and quickly bowed to advise him:

"Your Majesty, a small act of impatience can ruin a great plan. The Jia family is in such a state that they are no longer a concern; they are merely something Your Majesty can take at any time."

"Those old noble families, though seemingly united, are actually each harboring their own ambitions. If His Majesty were to break them down one by one, they would crumble."

"If we push too hard because of Jia She, it might make them wary and unite against you. That would be a loss. The best strategy is to proceed slowly and methodically."

Emperor Jing'an nodded slightly upon hearing this, the coldness in his eyes lessening somewhat, before continuing to peruse the documents presented by the Dragon Feather Guards.

Suddenly, his hand stopped, and his brow furrowed.

"Hmm? The case file concludes by saying that this public opinion storm may have been deliberately instigated by someone, but that cannot be verified?"

Xia Shouzhong's smile faded, and his expression turned serious:

"That's right. I asked the Dragon Feather Guards, and they said they discovered something unusual during their investigation. The speed and scope of the rumors are quite unusual, and it's likely that someone is stirring things up behind the scenes."

"But when they followed the clues, they found nothing."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jing'an frowned, stroked his beard, and fell into deep thought.

The hall fell silent, and Xia Shouzhong said no more, standing respectfully to one side with his back bowed.

After a long silence, Emperor Jing'an broke the silence and asked in a deep voice:

"Old man, who do you think is behind this? And what is their purpose?"

Xia Shouzhong slightly raised his eyes, pondered for a moment, and slowly shook his head:

"This old servant is dull-witted and really can't guess who did this. Perhaps it was an enemy of the Jia family who took the opportunity to add fuel to the fire and ruin the Jia family's reputation after seeing such a disgraceful incident."

"Or perhaps it's someone within the Jia family who has a grudge against Jia She, using this opportunity to stir things up and make Jia She suffer a major setback."

"But... to be able to do something so flawlessly, without even the Dragon Feather Guards being able to detect anything, the methods of the person behind this are truly extraordinary."

Emperor Jing'an pondered for a moment, then looked away from the documents. He couldn't immediately guess who was behind it all, so he stopped thinking about it and instead asked about another matter:

"Then it can be ascertained who else in the Ningguo Mansion is still inheriting the title and family business?"

Xia Shouzhong was already aware of this and responded respectfully:

"Your Majesty, it has been confirmed that Jia Jing still has a son born out of wedlock named Jia Can. Logically, after the deaths of Jia Zhen and Jia Rong, Jia Can is the sole heir of the Ningguo Mansion, which is rightful and indisputable."

"But Jia She interfered and insisted on proposing that Jia Baoyu of the Rongguo Mansion be adopted, which caused such a great uproar and even alarmed the Emperor Emeritus."

"In Ningguo Mansion, Jia Can was a pitiful illegitimate son whom no one cared about. His birth mother died early, and Jia Jing ignored him, focusing only on cultivating Taoism outside the city. They rarely even saw each other."

"Jia Zhen was even more harsh on this half-brother, cutting back on his food, clothing, and daily necessities, and frequently scolding and insulting him. The servants in the mansion also changed their tune and treated him with disdain. In fact, Jia Can's situation in the Ningguo Mansion was not even as good as that of a respectable servant."

At this point, Xia Shouzhong glanced at Emperor Jing'an, noticing that the emperor's face remained expressionless except for a slight shift in his gaze, and then continued:

"After Jia She seized power, he sidelined Jia Can and Jia Zhen's wife, You Shi, and forbade them from interfering in any affairs of the household."

"Jia Can stayed in the guest room all day, never venturing out. He neither argued nor resisted, seemingly unwilling to harbor any resentment. He was submissive, timid, and had no temper whatsoever."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jing'an's eyes flashed:

"Oh? So, even if he inherits the Ningguo Mansion, he'll probably be at the mercy of others?"

Xia Shouzhong paused for a moment, then understood the deeper meaning in Emperor Jing'an's words, and smiled as he echoed:

"Your Majesty is absolutely right. Given Jia Can's weakness and incompetence, the Ningguo Mansion is negligible. It's just a piece of fat meat that anyone can take a bite out of. It can't cause any waves. At present, the only Jia family that needs Your Majesty's attention is the Rongguo Mansion."

"It's a pity that the Emperor Emeritus was so benevolent that he didn't have to inherit the title at a lower rank. Otherwise, Jia Zhen would have inherited the title of a third-rank general, and when it was Jia Can's turn, it would have been just a nominal title of a fifth-rank general, which would have been even less of a concern."