Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 721 Jia Zhu's Unjust Death
Rongguo Mansion,
In front of the main entrance,
A lot of people had already gathered, making a lot of noise. Many members of the Jia family, led by the heads of several branches, accused and cursed each other. Especially the parents of the scholars in the clan school, when they heard the news, it was like a bolt from the blue. They hurriedly called their relatives and friends to come wailing one after another. When they saw that everyone had been taken to the government office, they followed the clan elders crying and knelt on the ground in front of the Rongguo Mansion, crying loudly. Many people also shouted how unfair the master was.

The onlookers pointed and talked about it, secretly pointing at the Rongguo Mansion, and the White Lotus Sect's Cui Tangzhu and others listened with great interest, which was an eye-opener.

always thought,
Rongguo Mansion seemed to be under the control of the old lady, and it was originally a peaceful and benevolent place. Unexpectedly, there were so many dirty things inside. The head of the hall was pressed to put aside his thoughts and was still thinking about how to use this matter. Perhaps there was some interest involved.

"Brother, the Rongguo Mansion can actually do these things. Listening to what they said, it seems to be true. Why haven't we heard these things before? But since someone has spoken first, should we add fuel to the fire?"

Master Ren lowered his head and asked in a low voice. The White Lotus Sect was well aware of this. Spreading rumors and causing trouble was their specialty. This time, the opportunity was rare. The capital had been too quiet these days. Captain Liu of the Imperial City Division of Zuixianlou had his men withdraw their troops two days ago and were all in hiding. It was unknown what they would do next. It was really puzzling. Why not use this incident to lure the snake out of its hole? Would it draw their attention? After all, Ningguo Mansion had been sealed by Liu Chen.
Cui Tangzhu narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at the gate of Rongguo Mansion. It was indeed the noble palace led by Dawu. The majesty was unparalleled. Considering the relationship with Luo Yunhou, would it attract the attention of the Imperial City Department if there was any noise at this time? Liu Chen was not a fool, so it was better to be careful.

"Don't be anxious, let's wait and see. Of course, we can let our people shout a few words, saying that Master Zhu died unjustly, and investigate. Anyway, we still have some friendship with Jia Zhu of Rongguo Mansion, so we won't suffer any loss. As for other words, don't interrupt and attract attention."

"That's good, brother. If they really investigate and find that Jia Zhu's death was suspicious, wouldn't that be even more troublesome?"

Master Ren Xiang had just agreed when he suddenly came to his senses and felt something was wrong. If Master Zhu of Rongguo Mansion really died in a strange way, then no one alive in Rongguo Mansion would be safe, after all, he was the direct descendant of the Jia family.

Cui Tangzhu grinned, his face gloomy, and suddenly his expression changed.
"That would be even better. It would clear Jia Zhu's name and keep those nobles busy for a while. Most importantly, the Jia family has been killed, and Jia Zhen and his sons in Ningguo Mansion are powerless to save the situation. This can be regarded as revenge for our former brothers in the White Lotus Sect."

Looking at the gloomy face of the hall master, Ren Xiangzhu looked heavy-hearted and clasped his fists and said;
"Brother, I understand. Please take a look."

He left after saying this.

After a while,
More and more people gathered around, and at this moment, someone suddenly shouted from the crowd;
"Although the Jia family is a duke, the family tradition is not upright. Poor Master Zhu died before he could enjoy his life. Master Zhu's death was so unjust."

I don't know where from.

A peasant woman and a middle-aged man came, dressed in mourning, holding a basket filled with paper money, and started to scatter the paper money in front of the gate of Rongguo Mansion. I don't know if someone took the lead or it was just the atmosphere, but some people from the common people came and knelt behind them, not to mention the Jia family members who had received favors from Master Zhu, they immediately knelt behind them and shouted,

The cry of injustice could be heard from far away.

Rongguo Mansion, at this time, has its doors tightly closed.
The gatekeeper heard the cries outside and immediately ordered the servant to close the side doors. Only the gatekeeper in the front yard was not convinced and cursed.
"Open the door, let me take people out to see who is so blind as to dare to cause trouble in front of the Duke's Mansion."

After saying that, he walked out with some servants to guard the courtyard. The old steward did not stop him, but asked the servants to open the door and send them all out. As soon as they went out, they immediately closed the door again. The old steward put his ear close to the door to listen to the movement outside.

The manager of the front yard came out arrogantly with his men and rushed to the crowd.

He said sharply;
"What are you doing, making a scene here? Don't you feel embarrassed?"

When I saw someone coming out,

The people in front of the door started crying and shouting even louder.
"My son is almost beaten to death. I want to see the old lady."

"We want to see the old lady too!"

"Mr. Zhu died unjustly, we need to investigate thoroughly,"

All kinds of noisy people rushed over, frightening the steward so much that he retreated again and again. At the door, the old steward who was eavesdropping suddenly changed his expression, ordered the servant not to open the door, and ran to Rongqing Hall with his men.
In Rongqing Hall,
The hall is warm like spring.

There were still laughter and joy. The maids in the kitchen were busy. Sister Liu also made naan and pickles for Master Bao. Even Li Wan's courtyard, which usually did not cook, had smoke rising from the kitchen.
Jia's mother was wearing a silk gown, sitting on the Luohan bed with a smile on her face. She was served by the maids, and accompanied by Fengjie, Li Wan, Tanchun, Yingchun, Xichun, Daiyu and Xiangyun, chatting and laughing, with a happy face. The special examination would be held tomorrow, and no one knew how Baoyu's family was preparing. I thought that he should have gained something from his hard study of poetry and classics these days. At the very least, all the manuscripts left by Jia Zhu could be sent over, and there should be no problem with those eight-part essays.
Looking at the second wife sitting at the east end, he asked;
"Second brother, have you prepared everything that Baoyu needs to bring tomorrow? You won't be able to leave after entering tomorrow. Have you prepared food and the four treasures of the study?"

As the old lady asked the question, the originally noisy room became quiet as if they had agreed to it. Even Mrs. Xing quietly put down the cakes in her hand and looked over with a thoughtful look.
The second wife's face was full of joy. No matter what, she had waited for this day, and replied;
"Madam, the things we are going to bring have already been prepared. Only the dry food is not yet ready. However, Sister Liu has cooked it herself and it will be ready soon. Tomorrow, let Lai Da personally lead the people to escort Baoyu to Hanyuan Palace."

The Second Madam had already arranged the personnel. After all, it was never too careful when it came to such a critical moment. She personally took care of all these matters. When everyone saw that the Second Madam had already made up her mind, they laughed again.
Wang Xifeng had specially changed into a red shirt and long skirt today, paired with a jade hairpin she bought in Jiangnan. Her pretty face and plump figure were still so dazzling. When she saw the second wife replying, she also praised her.
"Don't worry, old lady. Uncle Bao has been studying very hard during this period. He has been reading by lamplight not only during the day but also at night. I think he will pass the provincial examination. I heard that the imperial court will increase the number of admissions this time. This way, his chances will be much greater."

"Yes, old lady, Uncle Bao must be a high school graduate,"

Even Li Wan, who usually kept silent, started to agree. No one knew what she meant. Although the others smiled, they did not say anything. Especially Lin Daiyu, her eyebrows slightly raised, her bright eyes under her smoky eyebrows, she whispered:
"What do the second and first sisters-in-law think? It's not up to them to decide whether I pass or not. How can they use this to please the old lady? The imperial examination has always been based on the eight-part essay. Although the provincial examination is simpler, there are many people. If you want to stand out, you have to study hard for several years. How can you pass the exam by studying a little longer? Doesn't that mean that the books those people read before are useless?"

Thinking of the new words that the husband said, trash also came along, making Tanchun, Xichun, and Yingchun, who were sitting beside him, look strange. Even Shi Xiangyun turned her head and looked at the lovely girl in front of her. She didn't expect Sister Lin to dare to say anything. It seemed that only she dared to say that.

However, when the sisters heard these words, they all kept silent. The old lady smiled happily and nodded repeatedly.
"Oh, it's still our own family who said it well. Look, the two sisters-in-law are so nice to hear. When Baoyu passes the imperial examination, then let him take the thank-you gift and go to the two sisters-in-law's room to thank them."

Rarely, the old lady also made a joke, and Wang Xifeng simply waved her hand.
"Oh, look at what the old lady said, we don't need a thank you gift at all, as long as Uncle Bao doesn't blame our two sisters-in-law. If he gets married with that girl from the Meng family, wouldn't this house be more lively?"

Li Wan glanced at Wang Xifeng, then lowered her watery almond-shaped eyes and looked at Lin Daiyu, whose beautiful face was first stunned and then showed a strange expression. She felt somewhat helpless in her heart.

A sentence suddenly flashed through Fang's mind.

"Why bring up something that is not relevant..."

The girl from the Meng family hasn't replied yet. I guess she's just waiting for Master Bao to pass the imperial examination. If she passes, then it'll be a success. If she doesn't, it's still unclear whether there's even a 50% chance of success.

Fortunately, this awkward atmosphere did not last too long. The old lady knew clearly that the girl from the Meng family was also waiting for a good price. After all, her father was a disciple of Lord Lu, and his mansion was also rising in value. But then again, if Baoyu passed the imperial examination, the girl from the Meng family might not be the best choice.

He looked at the daughter-in-law of the Zhu family and asked;
"Oh, by the way, Zhu's wife, why didn't Madam You come today?"

"Oh, Madam, Madam You is very tired today, so she will go to bed and take a rest first."

Li Wan first found an excuse to speak for Madam You, because in the courtyard, Madam You was helping Lang'er prepare dry food, and it would be too late if she didn't get it done.
"Oh, she has suffered these days, it's better to sleep now, let's not talk about her, let's first..."

I haven't finished speaking yet,
At this time,

A woman came in from the outer room, walked around the screen, her face was pale and flustered, and she was obviously anxious. After entering the room, she knelt down and bowed;
"Old Madam, there is something wrong outside the mansion. The old steward of the gate is waiting outside the door. I have something urgent to report."

This look,
This made Grandmother Jia look obviously unhappy. What could possibly happen? "Why are you panicking? What could possibly happen? Let him in."

"Yes, old lady."

The old woman got up in a hurry, but she didn't stand firmly and fell. She got up quickly again and ran out, leaving everyone in the room with a look of doubt on their faces.

This was the first time Xiangyun had encountered such a thing, so she was inevitably a little worried. She tucked her feet together as she sat on the stool. She had a honey-colored face, a scallion-yellow silk cotton skirt, and a red cloak. She had a beautiful appearance, elegant manners, a dimpled smile, and a flawless face.

Daiyu saw Xiangyun pulling at her sleeves, and she couldn't help but glance at everyone in the room, her starry eyes twinkling, and then asked;

"Is sister Xiangyun scared?"

"Sister Lin, I'm not afraid, but what if something happens?"

Maybe it was because the lady didn't tell her when they were at the Marquis Baoling's mansion, or maybe it was because she was thinking about the bad things in the past, but Shi Xiangyun was still a little uneasy.

Lin Daiyu reached out and touched Xiangyun's hand. She understood and experienced these things, especially when she was in Jiangnan. She felt quite helpless, her family was broken, her parents died of illness, and she was left alone. If it weren't for her husband, she didn't know if she could have survived.

"There won't be any accidents. Even if there are, there are people to deal with it. Don't worry, sister. The nobles' houses will not fall so easily."

Lin Daiyu was no longer the same as before. She had seen more and gradually knew more.

In the hall,

There was another uproar.
After a while, the old steward of the gatehouse rushed in panic from behind the screen, fell to his knees, his face was pale, his mouth was trembling, and he couldn't speak.
Grandmother Jia's heart tightened, but she had never seen the old steward with such an expression, so she calmed down and asked;

"Old steward, what happened today? Look how scared you are."

"Replying to the old lady, I am not frightened today, but shocked. I don't know what bad things the Jia family did today. They fought on Ningrong Street and hurt people. What's worse, they brought up those old stories. These things are too much."

The old steward spoke slowly and calmly, but as Lady Jia listened, her expression became more and more solemn, and Mrs. Xing's expression beside her became even more meaningful.

"Did they beat someone, or did they beat outsiders?"

Immediately, Jia's mother thought of the worst plan, whether she had offended those nobles outside and violated a taboo.
But the old steward shook his head and replied;

"Old lady, no, it was the students of the clan school who had a fight with Jia Rui. Jia Rui beat Jia Qin and no one knew whether he was dead or alive. When the others saw it, they said Jia Rui wanted to beat them to death, and then they attacked him. Jia Rui fell to the ground and couldn't get up. Later, the clan elders brought people to inquire about the matter, but the head of the police from Shuntianfu government happened to pass by and took all the offending clan members to the government, leaving the clan elders outside the door to blame each other."

When I heard this,

Everyone in the room was a little surprised. How could someone be so cruel? Mrs. Xing's mind was turning rapidly. After thinking for a while, she asked,
"Then why didn't you ask why those people in the school would fight and why no one knew whether they were alive or dead?"

"To reply to the Madam, it seems that it is because of the imperial examination. The host family did not give them any recommendation quotas, so that these scholars have no way to serve the country. That is why Master Rui beat them and caused this disaster."

The old steward did not hide it and made it clear, but Mrs. Xing knew that not letting the clan members take the exam was the second wife's own decision. She pretended not to know and shouted in surprise;
"What? Nonsense. Our Rongguo Mansion is managed by the old lady, who is very open-minded. How could she suppress the children of the clan and not allow them to take the special examination? Who made up this rumor? You are making nonsense comments. Besides, I heard that the number of admissions to the special examination has increased this year. It's such a good opportunity. Maybe they didn't report it and kept it secret from the master."

This statement was reasonable, but there was always some sarcasm in it, which made the others feel uncomfortable. Only the Second Madam, Li Wan, and the old lady knew that it was the Second Madam who ordered the matter to be suppressed, so they all kept silent. The others were still discussing whether someone had spread rumors.

Grandmother Jia was already furious after hearing this. Not only did she not want to spread the family's dirty laundry, but the key point was not to spread rumors. Looking at the old lady's expression, she was furious.

"Old man, it's already this hour, and you're still making sarcastic remarks. It's all just rumors."

Mrs. Xing saw that the old lady was anxious, and she was convinced that this matter was not a rumor, and she said;

"What the old lady said is true. My daughter-in-law also knows that they are spreading rumors, but people outside don't know. Now they have gone to the government office, and we don't know what will be spread. In this case, whoever spread the rumor should be sued and let him reflect on himself in prison. How can they talk nonsense about the master's affairs?"

This was like adding fuel to the fire. As if the Jia family was not shameful enough, the second wife opened her mouth and finally muttered "Amitabha."

Then he stopped making any sound.
Only Li Wan, who was sitting below, raised her head slightly and stared at the Second Wife. She actually felt happy in her heart, but was also wondering, since very few people knew about this matter, who leaked it?

He glanced secretly at Wang Xifeng and saw Feng looking at him. He could only shake his head gently to indicate that he didn't know.

Wang Xifeng understood it instantly, but since everyone knew about it, she couldn't admit it. Otherwise, Rongguo Mansion would be in trouble among the scholars.
"Old lady, we still need to send someone to appease the people. Lord Xu, the governor of Shuntian Prefecture, is also an old friend of the Jia family. We should send a letter to Lord Xu to suppress the matter. As for the elders of the clan, the old lady needs to send someone to invite them in. Don't make it public outside. People's words are scary."

Wang Xifeng's words were full of pearls. Now was a critical moment. If something went wrong, the imperial examination would attract the attention of the palace, and it would be troublesome.
Everyone was in a state of panic. Feng was right. They still had to hide it. Grandmother Jia also knew what was important and what was not. She glared at Madam Xing fiercely, then looked deeply at the silent Second Madam, and sighed.

"Feng girl, what you said is very true. We need to appease them at this time. Feng girl, send someone to pass a message to Lord Xu, and then ask Lai Da to bring all the young people back. The elders outside the gate should also give you face. Please go again and call everyone to the yard. I will administer justice to them."

Wang Xifeng felt a little reluctant after hearing this. It was her responsibility to take care of the problem. It seemed that every time something went wrong, she would have to step in.
"Yes, old lady, I'll go right away."

He winked at Ping'er beside him and was about to leave.

Who knows,

at this time,

Suddenly, a servant rushed in from outside, his face covered with sweat. When he reached the inner hall, he knelt down and shouted:
"Old lady, it's bad. A large number of people have gathered outside. After listening to what the students said, they are complaining about Master Zhu's death and saying that Master Zhu died unjustly. They are shouting outside the gate of the mansion."

"What, how could this happen!"

Jia's mother accidentally knocked over the tea bowl, which fell to the ground, and she cried out,
The second wife's face turned pale, and she swayed and collapsed on the chair. Even Li Wan was suddenly startled and looked towards the second wife. Seeing her, her heart sank.
Could it be that Jia Zhu really died unjustly?
(End of this chapter)