The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 503 A little test
The efficiency of the Jinyiwei in confiscating property was beyond reproach. In the afternoon, the search of Jia She's room on the east side of the Rongguo Mansion was completed. All valuables were swept away. Jia Zheng was called to sign and confirm the seized items. Jia Huan was now the housekeeper under the order of Jia's grandmother, so naturally he went along to serve as a witness.

只听一名负责登记物品的小吏报说：“奉旨查抄荣国府大房，一等将军贾赦名下财物：赤金首饰共123件，珠宝俱全。珍珠13挂、淡金盘2件、金碗2对、金抢碗2个、金钥匙40把、银大碗80个、银盘20、三镶金象牙筯2把、镀金执壶4把，镀金折盂3对、银茶托2件、银碟76件、银酒杯36个。黑狐皮18张、青狐皮6张、貂皮36张……

96 jade toys, more than 500 pieces of copper and tin, 9800 taels of Chao silver, 50 taels of red gold, 7000 strings of money, all the tools used to save and register, as well as the house bestowed by the state, were all opened one by one, and the rest of the real estate deeds and family documents were also sealed up. "

Tsk tsk, they are worthy of being a family of nobles, their wealth is not ordinary. Just from Jia She's room, so many valuable things were seized. The list was very long, including gold, silver and bronze objects, antiques and jades, famous paintings and calligraphy, leather clothes and furs, silks and satins. If these things were sold at a discount, it would be enough to make tens of thousands of taels.

What made Jia Huan speechless was that he actually found 9800 taels of silver, 50 taels of pure gold, and 7000 strings of copper coins. Most of these were probably the private money hidden by Jia She and Mrs. Xing. If Mrs. Xing had been more generous last night and handed all the money over to Jia Zheng to return the stolen money, it would have been fine. But this stupid woman was too stingy and only gave out taels of silver. The rest was all confiscated by the Jinyiwei today.

Lu Youwei took the list from the clerk, glanced at it himself, and then handed it to Jia Zheng, saying politely: "Please confirm it, Master Zheng. If the items registered here are correct, please sign and seal it, so that I can go back and report to the emperor."

Jia Zheng felt as if his heart was being torn apart. All these properties were accumulated by several generations of the Jia family with hard work. Now that his descendants were not good and the family business was ruined, he felt truly ashamed of his ancestors!

Jia Zheng's eyes were red, and he picked up the pen with trembling hands, signed the list, and then pressed his fingerprints.

Lu Youwei put away the list, handed a box of house and land deeds to Jia Zheng and said, "The emperor's order is to confiscate only the property of the first branch of Rongguo Mansion, not the second branch. The house and land deeds will be returned. Please keep them, Master Zheng."

Jia Zheng hurriedly took it and knelt down, kowtowed towards the direction of the imperial city to express his gratitude. This is the tyranny of imperial power, thunder, lightning, rain and dew are all grace from the emperor!
After Jia thanked En Zheng and stood up, Lu Youwei clasped his fists and said, "Master Zheng, I am sorry, I am also acting according to the emperor's order. From today on, your mansion is not allowed to hang the imperial calligraphy of the late emperor, so the plaque of Rongguo Mansion should be put away."

Jia Zheng said bitterly, "I will order someone to take it off now."

Lu Youwei nodded, then turned to Jia Huan and said, "Master Huan, I apologize for offending you today. Bye!"

Jia Huan bowed calmly and said, "Captain Lu, you are too kind."

Lu Youwei was about to order the troops to withdraw when a Jinyiwei suddenly came up to him and whispered something. Lu Youwei stopped immediately and turned to Jia Zheng and said, "Excuse me, Master Zheng, your nephew Jia Lian doesn't live here?"

Jia Zheng said hurriedly, "I am usually busy with official duties, and my children and grandchildren are young and inexperienced, so Jia Lian usually helps me with housework. In order to make it easier for me to do things, Lian'er does not live with the eldest master, but lives in a small courtyard behind the old lady's house."

Lu Youwei smiled and said, "That's it. He was missed. Jia Lian is Jia She's son, so he should be copied as well. Master Zheng, please find someone to lead the way so that we don't copy the wrong place."

Jia Zheng sighed secretly and had to find a servant to take the Jinyiwei to search Wang Xifeng's residence.

Wang Xifeng thought she had escaped and was secretly rejoicing, but unexpectedly, the Jinyiwei made a surprise attack before leaving and ransacked her house. Although she had moved her money and other belongings in advance, there were still many valuable furnishings in the house. She also underestimated the Jinyiwei's skills in house-raiding, and some of her jewellery hidden in the beams were also turned out.

Wang Xifeng was so heartbroken that she threw herself on the ground and cried bitterly. Of course, half of that was fake. Wang Fengjie might not have great wisdom, but she was quite clever. The mansion was now heavily in debt, and the old lady asked Jia Huan to be the housekeeper. God knows whether Huan Lao San would take revenge on her. If he knew that he still had savings, he might even cut his own flesh to make up for the debt.

So Wang Xifeng decided to just cry and make a scene like Lady Xing, pretending that all her property had been confiscated by the Embroidered Uniform Guards, to prevent Jia Huan from plotting against her.

In addition, Wang Xifeng was very clear about the current financial situation of the mansion. The foreign debt that could be checked on paper alone was nearly 170,000 taels, and there was probably more that could not be checked. It was a definite negative asset. Now the East Mansion had been ransacked and nothing was left, even the farms, houses, and servants had been confiscated. A large amount of property had also been confiscated from the main house, so the situation was even worse.

He owes a huge amount of foreign debts. When the debt collectors come in droves, it will be enough to make Huan Lao San suffer. What's more, there are hundreds of people in the mansion who need to be supported, paid monthly wages, and provided with clothes and food. How can Huan Lao San support them?
So Wang Xifeng couldn't wait to see Jia Huan make a fool of himself. As for herself, she could just spend the transferred private money frugally and wouldn't have to worry about suffering or starving. At worst, she could take her daughter back to her parents' house to live permanently.

Let’s not talk about Wang Xifeng’s little plot for now, and say that after the Jinyiwei withdrew, Jia Zheng tearfully ordered people to take down the plaque “Built by Imperial Order for the Rongguo Mansion” at the door. He stroked the plaque frame with sadness. The achievements that his ancestors had exchanged for their blood, sweat and lives were destroyed in an instant, and his descendants were ashamed of their ancestors.

Jia Huan stood silently by the side, looking at his cheap father who was hunched over, with gray hair on his temples, and looked as if he was a dozen years older, and he actually felt a trace of sympathy for him.

Jia Zheng obviously realized that Jia Huan was looking at him, and he couldn't help feeling a little ashamed and annoyed. He turned around and pretended to wipe the dust off his forehead, secretly wiping away his tears. Then he turned back and threatened, "What are you doing here, you evil creature? If you don't study hard, you will fail soon. If you don't do well in the exam, you will fail your grandmother's expectations of you. Watch out for your skin!"

Jia Huan had always been disgusted with Jia Zheng's way of educating his children, but this time he was not dissatisfied. Instead, he felt a little sorry for Jia Zheng and said calmly, "The old lady asked Huan'er to help the master share some of the housework."

Jia Zheng sneered, "How old are you? How much do you know? Do you take the old lady's casual words seriously? I have already asked the court for a half-month sick leave. I have my own ideas about all the affairs in the mansion. You should go back and study hard."

Jia Huan shrugged secretly, nodded and said, "Then Huan'er will go back to the garden." After that, he turned around and prepared to leave. He was not very willing to take over this mess. Since Jia Zheng was so concerned about his face, let him worry about it himself.

"Wait!" Jia Zheng called Jia Huan and hesitated for a moment before asking, "Are you close friends with Yi Hong, the commander of the Imperial Guard?"

"I don't care!" Jia Huan said calmly.

"Then why would Captain Lu greet you on behalf of Yi Hong?" Jia Zheng looked at Jia Huan in confusion.

Jia Huan said calmly, "At the beginning, Yi Hong worked with Uncle Lin as the deputy imperial envoy, and Huan'er happened to be taught by Uncle Lin. After a few visits, I did have some friendship with Commander Yi, but I can't say they were close, just casual friends. Moreover, Uncle Lin had specifically warned Huan'er before he died that Yi Hong was a cruel official and that we should not get too close to each other!"

Jia Zheng stroked his beard and nodded, saying, "Your uncle is right. Since I have warned you, I will not say any more. Go!"

Just as Jia Huan was about to leave, he saw a group of people rushing over here. One of them was Manager Qi, the owner of the Shanxi Merchants' Money House who had been there in the morning. He couldn't help but feel a little nervous. Could these all be his creditors?
Hey, Jia Huan’s evidence is correct. It turns out that this group of people are here to collect debts!

As the saying goes, good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels a thousand miles. In just one morning, the news that the housekeeper of the Rong and Ning mansions had run away with the money spread. Coupled with the Jinyiwei's large-scale house searches, it became even more difficult to conceal the truth. So as soon as the Jinyiwei withdrew, these creditors came to the door to collect debts, and even the shopkeeper Qi came again.

Originally, Shopkeeper Qi had promised Jia Huan that he would come to collect the debt tomorrow. However, as soon as he left, the Jinyiwei came to search the house. Shopkeeper Qi was naturally worried that the Jia family would be completely confiscated and he would not get a single penny back, so he came again in a hurry.

Fortunately, although the Ningguo Mansion was confiscated, I heard that only the first wife's house was confiscated in the Rongguo Mansion, and the second wife was not implicated. In addition, the house, land deeds and servants were not confiscated. There are still things that can be used to pay off debts, but the Jia family owes a lot of debts, and it is not known whether selling the house and land will be enough, so it is better to get the debt back as soon as possible to feel at ease.

The other creditors obviously had the same mentality as Manager Qi, so they rushed up and surrounded Jia Zheng, waving the IOUs in their hands and yelling at Jia Zheng to pay back the money quickly. Some impatient ones even started to pull him back, making Jia Zheng sweat profusely, anxious and in a miserable state!

Jia Zheng opened his throat and shouted at the top of his lungs: "Everyone, please be quiet and listen to me. The Jia family will definitely pay back the money we owe you. Please give us some time and we will pay you back once the money is collected!" It would have been better if Jia Zheng had not said that. This showed that the Jia family was really out of money, so everyone became even more anxious. It was like a bank run, and everyone went to withdraw money with their deposit certificates. If the bank paid the money as soon as possible, it might be able to stabilize the situation. But if it drags its feet, makes excuses, and puts up this and that, more and more depositors will come to withdraw money, because everyone is afraid of not getting the money!
"Master Zheng, your family has not paid the bills you owed to my butcher shop since last summer. Now the amount owed exceeds one thousand taels. I can't afford to mess up my small business. I have a family to support. Please be kind and settle the bill."

"Yes, I have owed money for firewood and charcoal for almost two years. It is a full two thousand taels. Now my family can hardly afford to eat."

"That's right, a Duke's Mansion actually owes debts and refuses to pay them back. If I had known this, I would not have agreed to buy on credit."

"I was also deceived by the sign of the Duke's Mansion. I didn't know it was just a donkey's dung egg with a shiny surface. Now the sign of the Duke's Mansion has been taken down and the Jinyiwei has raided the house. Can they still come up with money to pay everyone back?"

"Kill someone and pay for your life. Pay your debts. It's only natural. Pay your money back now!!!"

The creditors kept talking one after another, and their words became more and more unpleasant. Jia Zheng was already thin-skinned, so he could not stand it. His face turned red and his chest rose and fell rapidly.

Jia Huan had been watching the show calmly, but when he saw Jia Zheng's rapid breathing, he was obviously about to collapse. If he spit out another mouthful of blood, he might lose his life on the spot. So he clapped his hands and shouted, "If you want money, follow me!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the surroundings suddenly became quiet, and all eyes fell on Jia Huan.

Shopkeeper Qi narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "Does Third Master Huan really mean what he said?"

Most people present did not know Jia Huan. Only after listening to what Shopkeeper Qi said did they understand Jia Huan's identity. Someone said with a hint of sarcasm: "I have heard that Third Master Huan is a child prodigy. He was the top three in the boy's exam and the top scholar in Nanzhili. It is true that Third Master Huan is good at studying, but can you, a bastard, make the decision?"

Jia Huan glanced at the man indifferently and said coldly: "Whether you are the boss or not is none of your business. If you want money, come in and register for a physical examination first, so that no one can take advantage of the situation and cheat you." After saying that, he turned and walked into the house.

As the saying goes, a phoenix that falls into water is no better than a chicken. Now that the Jia family has fallen into decline and their property has just been ransacked, even the plaque that inscribed the construction of the Rongguo Mansion has been removed. No matter how heavily the gates are guarded, they cannot scare people. Therefore, all the creditors were not afraid and immediately followed Jia Huan into the house.

Jia Zheng was rescued and finally breathed a sigh of relief. His surging blood calmed down, but he soon became nervous again because he knew that the mansion could only scrape together 50,000 or 60,000 taels of silver at best and could not afford to pay back so much money. Moreover, if he paid back the money, the hundreds of people in the mansion would not be able to eat.

Lin Zhixiao knew Jia Huan well. He was smart, flexible, and decisive. If he was not sure, he would never do this. So he supported Jia Zheng and whispered, "Master, don't worry. Master Huan will definitely find a way to deal with it properly."

Jia Zheng was skeptical and was supported by Lin Zhixiao to return to his house.

At this time, Jia Huan had ordered someone to bring a large table and placed it on the open space in front of Rong Xi Tang. He glanced at them coldly and said calmly, "Line up and step forward one by one. Anyone who dares to act recklessly will not be paid a penny."

Although the creditors were unhappy, they still lined up in front of the big case. Jia Huan waved his hand and called Lin Zhixiao over, and said, "Manager Lin, you are responsible for checking the documents. If there are counterfeiters, beat them half to death immediately and then send them to the government for prosecution."

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of everyone present changed slightly.

Next, Jia Huan personally took up the pen and began to register the debts one by one, and checked the account books left by the Lai brothers. Those documents with matching signature dates would be registered, and those that did not match would be treated as doubtful accounts. If it was confirmed that the signature was forged, he would be immediately beaten and sent to the authorities.

Seeing that Jia Huan was so strict and resolute, the real creditors felt relieved. A small number of those who tried to take advantage of the situation were frightened and quietly slipped away.

It was almost dark when Jia Huan finally finished recording all his debts. Together with the doubtful debts that could not be confirmed, his total debts amounted to 223,500 and 72 taels, a full 50,000 taels more than the clear accounts recorded in the account books of the Lai brothers. The pressure was enormous!
"Mr. Huan San, now that the accounts have been recorded and the loan notes have been verified, isn't it time to pay back the money?" Shopkeeper Qi said with a sneer.

Jia Huan said calmly: "It's getting late. I'll just keep the account today and pay you back tomorrow. Please come early tomorrow!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the place suddenly exploded. Some people even started cursing, saying that Jia Huan was making fun of everyone, and they seemed to be ready to rush over and eat Jia Huan alive. Jia Zheng, Lin Zhixiao and others were so frightened that they broke out in cold sweats.

Jia Huan, however, sat calmly behind the desk, as steady as a rock. Seeing this, Jia Zheng was surprised and ashamed. He thought, "I heard that Huan-ge once led troops to suppress bandits in the south. Now it seems to be true. This kind of aura that remains unchanged even when facing a collapse of Mount Tai is something that only ordinary people can achieve."

When the creditors saw Jia Huan like this, their momentum weakened and the noisy scene gradually quieted down.

Jia Huan then said calmly, "I repeat, if you want the silver, please come early tomorrow. We will open the door at noon to welcome you all. Steward Lin, please show us out!"

Lin Zhixiao bowed and smiled, "Everyone, please go back first and come back tomorrow. Our Third Master Huan always keeps his word and will never go back on his word."

The creditors looked at each other in bewilderment, not knowing whether to leave or stay!

Jia Huan stood up and said calmly, "Since you all don't want to leave, then just stay here for one night. I'll go back to my room to have dinner. But I have to say this: it's okay for you to stay here overnight. If you walk around without permission and the house is robbed, then you will be the first suspect!"

This was a bit shameless. Qi Zhang hesitated for a moment, clasped his fists and sneered, "Well, I'll come again tomorrow morning." After that, he turned and left.

The Jia family owed the Shanxi Merchants' Money House 60,000 taels and was the main creditor. Even Manager Qi had left. Seeing this, although the other creditors were unwilling, they also left the Jia Mansion one after another. Soon, all of them were gone, and peace was finally restored. Everyone in the mansion breathed a sigh of relief.

Jia Zheng glanced at Jia Huan, and hesitated for a moment before he asked, "Brother Huan, the mansion doesn't have that much money to pay off the debt. You've made such a boast now, but what if you can't come up with it tomorrow?"

Unconsciously, Jia Zheng had changed his tone to a negotiating one. It was obvious that Jia Huan's performance just now had changed his attitude, and he tacitly acknowledged Jia Huan's ability to handle things.

Jia Huan yawned and said, "Let's talk about tomorrow's matters tomorrow. Master, please have your meal first. I'll go back to the garden to have my meal too." After saying this, he bowed and left.

Jia Zheng couldn't help feeling a little annoyed, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn't handle a situation like the one just now. If the creditor comes again tomorrow and he still can't pay the money, he's afraid the situation will get even worse. He can only rely on this evil son to resolve it. Well, I'll tolerate you for one night!
Hey, Old Man Zheng was very flexible. He held his temper and went home to eat. However, before he finished his dinner, the old lady sent someone to look for him. He could only eat a few bites in a hurry and hurried to Grandmother Jia's room.

(End of this chapter)