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

Jia Can sensed that Madam You genuinely cared about him, which warmed his heart, and he replied gently:

"Don't worry, sister-in-law, I'll be careful. Besides, I haven't gone far; I'm still in the capital."

Upon hearing this, Madam You felt a little relieved, but she still couldn't help but give a few more instructions, such as to be careful on the road and to come back early.

Jia Can agreed to everything without finding it troublesome.

After talking for a while, Jia Can got up to say goodbye to her and went to Tianxiang Tower to find Qin Keqing.

Qin Keqing was helping with some accounts when she saw him arrive. She put down the account book and came to greet him.

"Chan-rang, you've arrived."

As she spoke, her face was full of smiles as she gazed intently at Jia Can.

Jia Can looked at her, pulled her to sit down, first asking her about her well-being, and then telling her about his upcoming meeting with the Emperor Emeritus the next day.

Qin Keqing was slightly taken aback. She didn't have much of an impression of her grandfather, the Emperor Emeritus. In fact, because the Emperor Emeritus had ordered the killing of her father and mother, she actually harbored some resentment towards him. Although she didn't hate him, she couldn't get close to him either.

After a moment of silence, without saying much, he only whispered some instructions to Jia Can:

"Chanlang, be careful when you're out and about. When you meet that...Emperor Emeritus, don't offend him. Although he has helped you a lot, he is still a member of the imperial family and his temper is unpredictable. You need to be careful."

Jia Can naturally nodded in agreement, knowing that although she had some reservations, she was still thinking of him. He said a few words of comfort before changing the subject and spending some time with her.

Qin Keqing leaned against him, her gentle and charming expression returning, as she cast aside all trivial matters and became completely absorbed in the moment.

The next day.

Jia Can took off the mourning clothes he had been wearing for the past few days and put on a blue casual outfit, which was neither ostentatious nor shabby.

They boarded a carriage, accompanied by several attendants, and left the Ningguo Mansion, heading towards Baoguzhai.

The carriage stopped in front of Baoguzhai. Jia Can lifted the curtain and stepped out. He looked up and saw the manager come out to greet him, his face beaming with smiles. He was much more enthusiastic than the last time he came and bowed in greeting.

"Young Master Jia... no, Lord Jia, you've arrived! Please come in."

Jia Can responded politely with a few words and followed him to the back hall.

It was still the same relatively enclosed room. Jia Can arrived first, sat down to drink tea and wait, silently going over what he was going to say in his mind as he waited.

Before long, footsteps could be heard outside the door. The curtain was lifted and the retired emperor walked in first, followed by Yu Hui and a personal eunuch.

He was dressed the same as last time, with a black cloak draped over his shoulders and the hood pulled low, covering most of his face.

After entering, he casually took off his cloak and handed it to the eunuch beside him, revealing a purple robe underneath.

Jia Can quickly stood up and respectfully bowed:

"This junior greets the esteemed elder and wishes you good health!"

The retired emperor arrived at the head of the table, calmly took his seat, looked at him with a smile, and waved his hand:

"You're too kind, Lord Jia. Please have a seat."

Jia Can did not sit down immediately, but bowed and expressed his gratitude:

"I would like to express my gratitude to you for your help. Not only did the court not investigate the deaths of Jia Zhen and Jia Rong, but you also helped me regain my right to inherit the throne. I will never forget such kindness."

Upon hearing this, the retired emperor laughed heartily, stroked his beard, and his eyes revealed admiration.

"Haha... You are too modest. Judging from your killing of Jia Zhen and Jia Rong, I know that you are meticulous and resourceful. Even if the court really sent people to investigate, they probably wouldn't find the truth. This shows how ingenious this matter was, it can be said to be flawless."

"As for reclaiming the inheritance, I didn't do much; it was all your own doing. This matter has caused quite a stir in the city, with everyone pointing fingers at Jia She."

"The current emperor already harbors resentment towards the Jia family, so this can be seen as going with the flow. I was merely mentioning it from the sidelines."

Upon hearing this, Jia Can humbly declined, saying he dared not accept such praise, as it was all due to the Emperor Emeritus's kindness.

The retired emperor then praised him further:

"This time, you not only executed Jia Zhen and Jia Rong, those beasts, but also stripped Jia She of his title from the Rongguo Mansion, ruining his reputation. You did an excellent job. I knew I hadn't misjudged you!"

Jia Can lowered his head, his face showing humility, but he knew in his heart that the Emperor Emeritus must have some ulterior motive for praising him.

As expected, the retired emperor changed the subject and said seriously:

"Therefore, I intend to recommend you as the commander of the Dragon Guard and submit a memorial to the emperor, appointing you as an imperial envoy to go south and reorganize the salt administration."

"Of course, the ostensible reason was to appease the people of Jiangnan on behalf of the emperor, to understand their plight, and to proclaim the emperor's benevolence."

Jia Can was slightly pleased to hear this. Just as he had expected, the Emperor Emeritus had recommended him for an official position mainly because of his trip south to reorganize the salt administration. However, he didn't know what the Dragon Guard did, so he quickly calmed down and responded with a cupped-fist salute:

"This junior thanks you for your kind invitation, sir. I will certainly live up to your expectations and do my utmost to manage the salt affairs. However, this junior has never heard of the Longfu Guard before. May I ask you to introduce it to me?"

The retired emperor stroked his beard and smiled, then slowly explained:

"Of course, the Dragon Guard is one of the Twenty-Four Dragon Guards of the Emperor. It was specially established by the founding emperor of this dynasty, and each guard has its own duties."

"The most famous among them is the Dragon Feather Guard, which is responsible for monitoring civil and military officials and can directly arrest and handle cases. I suppose you have heard of them, Young Master Jia."

"For example, the Dragon Guard is one of the palace guards, responsible for guarding the palace inside and out. Lord Yu's Dragon Guard is responsible for protecting the imperial city and patrolling day and night."

"The rest were responsible for the emperor's ceremonial procession and travels, some guarded the nine border regions and supervised the major military camps there, and some were responsible for inspecting the country, pacifying the local areas, and proclaiming the emperor's grace."

Jia Can listened attentively and secretly memorized these points.

The retired emperor glanced at him and continued:

"The duties of the Dragon Guard were such that, but with the passing of the Taizu Emperor, the Dragon Guard gradually fell into obscurity. The inspection work was carried out by the Censorate and the Imperial Censor, and the Dragon Guard became a mere formality, not performing the task of pacification for many years."

After hearing this, Jia Can felt relieved and, after a moment's thought, understood the reason.

When Emperor Taizu established the Twenty-Four Dragon Guards, the country was newly settled and the emperor's power was absolute, so he naturally needed these trusted guards to control the four directions.

However, as the country became more peaceful, the power of the civil service gradually increased, which inevitably squeezed the space of imperial power. These government offices each had their own duties and clear division of labor, so they naturally did not want to see the emperor set up another institution to share power.

Of the twenty-four Dragon Guards, only the Dragon Feather Guard still holds special responsibilities and is exercising its authority; the rest are now defunct.

The retired emperor is now restarting the Dragon Guard for two reasons. First, it is to show the outside world that this rectification of the salt administration is a manifestation of the imperial will, not just a routine matter of the ordinary court. Second, it is to send a warning to the forces behind the salt administration.

Secondly, it was also because he trusted Jia Can and gave him enough power. Long Fuwei had not been out of action for many years, and his re-emergence must be due to his extraordinary status.

Don't worry about the opinions of other government departments. Whether it's the impeachments by censors or the obstruction from the officials of the Six Ministries, just do your own thing and focus on doing your job well.