The Splendor of the Red Chamber

Fifteen minutes later.

In the spacious and elegant hall with its carved beams and painted rafters, Grandmother Jia sat upright on a rosewood couch in the center, while prominent figures of the Rong Mansion stood or sat on either side, all gathered together.

Jia Lian stood alone in the hall, talking incessantly, spittle flying from his mouth:

"I had just escaped from that Red Mansion when I heard my great-grandfather cursing: 'What an unfilial son! The bloodline of the Rongguo Mansion is already thin, and yet they all die young...'"

"Both ancestors said that the only way to survive now is to go to the Nine Heavens of Ice and Fire to cleanse our marrow and essence, so that we can see the light of day again..."

"The Nine Heavens of Ice and Fire are extremely dangerous, known as 'each layer of entanglement is a barrier, and each barrier is more dangerous than the last.' If one's soul is trapped inside, one will never be able to be reborn..."

"I was still hesitating when my great-grandfather got angry. He said that he had survived a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, so how could his descendants be so cowardly and useless? As he spoke, he kicked me in..."

"The breath in that icy hell turns to ice, even a hundred-times-refined sword would become brittle inside, breaking easily with the slightest touch. Thankfully, my great-grandfather bestowed upon me a cloak that could pierce the sky..."

"In that War Soul Prison, countless evil spirits wreak havoc; they are all elite soldiers and valiant generals who have died on the battlefield throughout history, and among them, no fewer than ten thousand have grudges against the two ancestors..."

Seeing that I was surrounded and unable to escape, my great-uncle roared, "I will go to the netherworld to summon my old troops, with ten thousand banners to slay Yama!" At that moment, boundless murderous aura rolled in...

Jia Lian spoke eloquently, selecting the most thrilling and exciting videos he had seen and games he had played in later generations, and weaving them into this adventure in the Nine Heavens of Ice and Fire.

The onlookers were so impressed that they couldn't believe it—how could they describe it so vividly and meticulously if they hadn't seen it with their own eyes?

Even those who didn't believe Jia Lian's empty words pointed out that the large screen, weighing two or three hundred pounds, was still displayed outside the main gate of the fourth courtyard.

If you want to question its authenticity, why don't you pick it up and walk around for a bit?

After keeping everyone under control for more than half an hour, the story finally came to an end:

Before I left, my great-grandfather repeatedly told me to remember this ordeal and to become a pillar of the court who is loyal to the emperor and serves the country.

My great-uncle warned me to remember the scene I had just dreamt about and take it as a warning—I was about to ask what it meant when suddenly the sky collapsed and the earth cracked, and my soul returned to my body.

At this point, Jia Lian raised his fists and clenched them tightly: "When I regained consciousness, I felt that I was ten times stronger, and I was also light and healthy, with sharp eyes, and my reactions were much faster than before."

The hall fell silent for a moment as a series of cracking sounds came from his fist.

"Okay, okay!"

Only when the old lady rose, leaning on her dragon-headed cane, did she exclaim joyfully, "Our ancestors have shown their divine protection to Lian'er! It's clear that the blessings of our Jia family lineage have not yet run out, and the revival of the Rongguo Mansion is promising!"

With this general tone set, everyone began to express their joy.

The most excited person among them was Jia Zheng. He was one of the very few people in the family who wanted to revive the family's reputation, and he had been working diligently in the Ministry of Works for many years.

However, due to his limited talent and lack of political acumen, he has been stuck at the fifth rank for over a decade.

Seeing his nephew transformed by the blessings of their ancestors and inspired with renewed ambition, he was genuinely happy.

But Madam Wang, who was beside him, felt something was amiss.

Originally, Jia Baoyu was born with the title of being born with a jade in his mouth, and was the most beloved and anticipated "auspicious omen" in the mansion.

Now, an even more extraordinary and auspicious Jia Lian has emerged...

After everyone had been rejoicing for a while, someone suddenly asked, "Brother Lian, what did my great-grandfather mean by instructing you to 'take this as a warning'?"

It turned out that Jia Zhen had also heard the news and rushed over, but because he arrived late, he only heard the last part, hence his question.

The hall immediately fell silent again.

The first scene Jia Lian dreamed of was being trapped in a crumbling red mansion, unable to escape no matter how hard he tried.

Many people can guess what this scene means, but the omen is so unlucky that no one dares to reveal it easily.

"That's a good question, Brother Zhen."

Jia Lian didn't expose her directly, but instead went along with it, saying, "Second Madam has already sent someone to invite Granny Ma; she should be able to help resolve this."

"Coming, coming, this old woman has arrived!"

As soon as he finished speaking, an old woman who looked to be over fifty years old walked in.

She had her hair tied up with a wooden hairpin, and her blue Taoist robe was neat and elegant. Her demeanor was humble and composed, and she was surrounded by a faint sandalwood fragrance. She looked like a "good person" who practiced vegetarianism and did good deeds.

She stepped forward and bowed deeply to everyone in the Rong family, then solemnly said, "This is a matter of utmost importance, and this old woman can no longer stand on ceremony. Please, Second Master Lian, tell me in detail the scene you dreamed about at the beginning."

Jia Lian had summoned her for this very reason, and she immediately recounted the scene of the collapsing building with embellishments.

After listening, Granny Ma closed her eyes and began to mutter incantations while calculating with her fingers.

A short while later, she opened her eyes and proclaimed the Daoist name: "May the Heavenly Venerable grant boundless blessings. To be honest, esteemed benefactors, I have just concentrating my mind to deduce that your esteemed household does indeed show some signs of decline after reaching its peak, and that your great edifice is about to collapse."

However, our family has accumulated good deeds for generations, and we are always protected by the spirits of our ancestors.

As long as one cultivates moral character and observes propriety, and one's children and grandchildren study diligently, strive for excellence, and accumulate good deeds, one can avert disasters, turn misfortune into good fortune, and transform adversity into auspiciousness.

This is all official jargon, platitudes, and nonsense.

But wealthy people burn incense and pray to Buddha for peace of mind; few of them actually expect monks and Taoist priests to solve their problems.

So, Granny Ma's repetitive ramblings did, to some extent, have a placebo effect.

Grandmother Jia nodded solemnly and then took the opportunity to instruct Jia She, Jia Zheng, and Jia Zhen, the people in charge of the household, to cultivate their character and manage their families with utmost care.

From now on, we must never indulge in comfort and extravagance. We must always prioritize the rise and fall of the family, restrain the words and deeds of our children, and ensure that they are diligent, thrifty, and law-abiding.

All three solemnly accepted the order.

But how much they can actually absorb, and how long they can hold on, only heaven knows.

Of course, Jia Lian didn't expect that a single warning would save the Rongguo Mansion from annihilation; it was merely a prelude.

Seeing that the time was right, Jia Lian secretly gave Jia Baoyu a wink, signaling him to steer the conversation toward Qin Keqing.

Unexpectedly, Baoyu faltered at the crucial moment, standing there with his eyes vacant and muttering to himself, as if he had been infected by Granny Ma, and it was unclear what kind of madness he was having.

The look Jia Lian gave him was like a flirtatious glance thrown at a blind man.

Opportunity waits for no one!

Jia Lian was secretly anxious, hesitating whether to go over and give him a push or simply step in himself.

However, the former seems too deliberate and could easily trigger associations in people with ulterior motives.

As for the latter...

As an uncle, not a child like Baoyu, what kind of talk is it for him to be so concerned about his nephew's wife all the time?

Just then, Wang Xifeng quietly approached Baoyu and nudged him, then whispered a few words in his ear.

Upon hearing this, Baoyu looked at Jia Lian with a puzzled expression.

Their eyes met, and Baoyu seemed to suddenly wake up, saying urgently, "Godmother, Rong-ge's wife in the East Mansion has been sick for months and hasn't gotten better. Why don't you cast a divination for her and see how to avert the illness?"

Because he always cared deeply about Qin Keqing and spoke without restraint, no one found it strange.

Even Jia Zhen just watched with a smile, completely unaware that something was amiss.

Upon seeing this, Jia Lian was overjoyed.

This was not only because they were happy that the plan was going smoothly, but also because Wang Xifeng had clearly been helping them secretly.

Has Feng Lazi figured it out so quickly?!

Jia Lian subconsciously looked at Wang Xifeng, but Wang Xifeng didn't look at him and deliberately turned her face away.

But that's normal. With that stubborn, prickly Feng's temper, even if she's already relented in her heart, she'll never admit defeat on the surface.

If you want her to beg for mercy, you'll have to give her plenty of "disciplinary action".

Hehe ~

Now that my physical fitness has improved significantly, I can finally give it my all!

Just as Jia Lian was feeling smug, Granny Ma, following her pre-arranged instructions, gave the cause of Qin Keqing's illness:

"This old monk believes that Madam Rong's illness is not caused by wind-cold stagnation, but by mental distress."

She was blessed with good fortune but had a frail constitution. It would have been fine if she lived in a humble household, but she was put in charge of managing the household affairs of the Duke's mansion.

The oppressive grandeur of the Duke's mansion, coupled with the drudgery of mundane affairs, took its toll on her frail body, gradually weakening her foundation and causing her to fall seriously ill.

Upon hearing this, You Shi, who was by Jia Zhen's side, quickly asked, "Ever since she fell ill, I've had her relinquish her household duties, but why hasn't her condition improved?"

Granny Ma calculated with her fingers and said, "According to my divination, her illness was contracted when she was in charge of the household affairs of Ningguo Mansion. She has already been tainted by karma, and I'm afraid she will only recover if she moves out of Ningguo Mansion."