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

Upon seeing that Xia Shouzhong wanted the imperial edict from him and Jia She, Jia Can immediately bowed and agreed.

Jia She merely twitched his lips without uttering a sound, but he subconsciously bent over, his legs trembling violently, barely able to stand with the support of two maids.

Xia Shouzhong stood before them, slowly unfurling the scroll of bright yellow imperial edict in his hand, and read aloud:

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:"

Jia She of the Rongguo Mansion, despite holding a noble title, did not think of serving the court. Instead, he indulged in rampant selfishness and violated all moral principles. During the mourning period for his own relatives, he committed the despicable act of eating the blood of those who had died without heirs, causing a great uproar throughout the city, drawing the attention of the people, spreading rumors, and stirring up public outrage.

"Your actions have betrayed the Emperor's grace and disgraced your family. They are truly contrary to human ethics and violate the law. If you are not severely punished, how can we set an example and uphold moral order?"

"Jia She shall be stripped of his title of First-Class General of Mighty Valor and demoted to the rank of Seventh-Class Cavalry Captain, in order to observe his future conduct and hope that he will repent and never repeat his mistakes."

He paused for a moment, glanced at Jia She, then looked at Jia Can, and continued reading:

"Although Jia Can of Ningguo Mansion is a son born out of wedlock, he is still the legitimate heir of the Ningguo lineage. The Emperor Emeritus, mindful of his pitiful plight, has bestowed upon him special favor, allowing Jia Can to retain his title of Third-Class General. It is hoped that he will live up to the Emperor's grace, diligently perform his duties, cultivate himself and manage his family well, so as to repay the court's generous kindness."

"So be it!"

Upon hearing this, Jia She felt dizzy and lightheaded, and then his legs went weak, causing him to fall to the side.

Fortunately, the maids and servants beside him reacted quickly and caught him, preventing him from falling to the ground.

Although he hadn't collapsed, his face was deathly pale, his eyes were closed, and his teeth were clenched; he had fainted.

A commotion broke out in the hall. The servants panicked and ran around in disarray, like headless flies, completely out of control.

Seeing this, Jia Can frowned and immediately reprimanded in a deep voice:

"Everyone calm down! Quickly carry the master back to the West Mansion, then go and fetch a doctor. Also, immediately go to the backyard and inform the Old Madam and the Madam!"

These words stunned the panicked servants, who then came to their senses and hurriedly did as Jia Can said.

Several servants hurriedly lifted Jia She and carefully carried him outside, while a maid rushed to the backyard to inform Grandmother Jia and the others.

Jia She was carried away from the side hall, looking utterly disheveled and desolate.

Xia Shouzhong stood aside and watched all of this.

Seeing Jia She faint, he shook his head slightly, a sneer curling at the corner of his mouth.

Seeing Jia Can remain calm and composed in the face of danger, and to direct everyone to handle the emergency in an orderly manner, he was even more surprised and suspicious.

He narrowed his eyes and stared at Jia Can for a while, seemingly trying to find more clues from him.

Feeling his scrutinizing gaze, Jia Can quickly turned around and bowed to Xia Shouzhong.

"I'm sorry to have startled you, Your Excellency. Master She was unable to accept it for a moment, which is why he acted this way. It was not out of disrespect for the imperial edict or His Majesty. Please forgive him!"

Xia Shouzhong nodded slightly:

"I understand, Young Master Jia, there's no need to take it to heart. Jia She was originally a first-class general, but he was suddenly demoted to a seventh-class cavalry captain. Anyone would find it hard to accept that."

At this point, Xia Shouzhong suddenly had a thought. He recalled what he had heard before: Jia She wanted to seize everything in the Ningguo Mansion, but Jia Can did not fight or make a fuss. He simply stayed at home and did not go out, as if he was just accepting his fate.

At the time, he thought that this illegitimate son was weak and incompetent and dared not resist. But now it seems that Jia Can may have known that Jia She would end up like this, which is why he was so calm and composed.

If that's true, then Jia Can is far more than just a simple man; his cunning and scheming are far beyond what a young gentleman like him could ever hope to achieve.

Xia Shouzhong couldn't help but look at Jia Can with newfound respect, then handed the imperial edict forward and said solemnly:

"Lord Jia, please accept the imperial decree."

The title was changed from Young Master Jia to Lord Jia, since Jia Can had already been confirmed to inherit the title.

Upon hearing this, Jia Can straightened his clothes, respectfully accepted the imperial edict with both hands, raised it above his head, and said loudly:

"Your subject Jia Can receives the imperial decree and expresses his gratitude to the Emperor Emeritus and His Majesty for their great favor. He will certainly not fail in his duty to them!"

Xia Shouzhong nodded slightly, a satisfied look on his face:

"Now that the imperial decree has been delivered, I shall take my leave. His Majesty is waiting for my report, so I dare not linger."

As he spoke, he began to walk outside.

Jia Can knew that these palace eunuchs could not be neglected. These people accompanied the emperor every day, and a single word they uttered could affect the emperor's ears. If one offended them, one might not even know how one died.

He hurriedly and sincerely tried to persuade him to stay: "Sir, please wait a moment. Why not have a cup of tea before you go? You have come from afar and must be tired. If you leave without even having a cup of tea, it would seem that our household is lacking in manners."

Xia Shouzhong also wanted to observe Jia Can a little longer. Seeing his sincere attempt to persuade him to stay, he sat back down in his chair and smiled:

"Since you are so kind, Lord Jia, I will trouble you to have a cup of tea."

Jia Can breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he was willing to stay for tea. He hurriedly instructed the maid beside him to go back to the backyard to find Madam You and ask her to prepare some silver and send it over as soon as possible.

The maid understood and immediately went to the backyard to find Madam You.

Jia Can sat beside him and personally poured Xia Shouzhong a cup of tea, presenting it with both hands, showing great respect.

The two sat facing each other, drinking tea and chatting casually.

Jia Can asked Xia Shouzhong what position he held in the palace, and Xia Shouzhong answered frankly that he was the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, serving the emperor with writing and ink on a daily basis.

Xia Shouzhong also took the opportunity to ask Jia Can about his age, studies, and daily life in the mansion. Jia Can answered honestly, without exaggeration or excessive modesty.

The two understood each other implicitly, testing each other, but on the surface they were both very friendly.

After a conversation, Jia Can was shocked to learn that the eunuch in front of him was Xia Shouzhong.

In the original novel, Xia Shouzhong did appear, but he was a villain who extorted the Jia family, and he was not given much attention.

However, it is also known that this person is greedy by nature, cunning in his methods, extremely difficult to deal with, and a troublesome character who is not easy to mess with.

Since Xia Shouzhong is here to convey Emperor Jing'an's decree, he must be one of Emperor Jing'an's confidants, someone who can speak with the emperor. Under certain circumstances, he may even represent the will of Emperor Jing'an or the imperial power.

With this in mind, Jia Can quickly composed himself and became even more cautious. He weighed each word carefully before speaking, afraid of being negligent in the slightest and offending the other party.

Fortunately, a short while later, Madam You sent a maid to deliver the silver. After entering the room, the maid quietly walked behind Jia Can and handed him the money bag containing the silver.

Jia Can took it and immediately felt its weight. He knew that the silver that Madam You had brought must be a lot, but not too much; it was just the right amount.

Jia immediately stood up, holding the silver bag in both hands, walked up to Xia Shouzhong, and said politely:

"Eunuch Xia, you must be tired from your journey. This small amount of money is for tea and drinks for you and the young eunuchs. Please do not refuse it; consider it a small token of our appreciation."