The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 636 Burning the bridge across the river
Jia Huan waved goodbye to Prince Min, Xu Wenhou, outside the Donghua Gate, and they went their separate ways. Under the protection of a group of personal guards, Jia Huan headed towards Xiaoshifang, where Rongning Street was located.

The reason Jia Huan refused Xu Wenhou's invitation was not because he was tired from the journey, but to avoid suspicion. He was no longer the scholar without any official position, but a border commander with a large army. Even when interacting with officials in the court, he had to avoid suspicion, let alone a prince. If he continued to be as close as before, it would only arouse Emperor Qiansheng's suspicion.

With his keen insight, Jia Huan could naturally see that the chubby Xu Wenhou's mindset had changed. In the past, Xu Wenhou was only interested in food and painting, and had no desire for the throne, because he knew that the throne would never be his, a "fat otaku".

However, since the restoration of the retired Emperor Kang, the former crown prince Xu Wenhong had almost killed all the princes. He himself was also given death by Emperor Qiansheng. In the battle of Jinzhou, the Prince of Dai and the Prince of Qing were killed and captured respectively. Therefore, the chubby Xu Wenhou became the only suitable candidate for crown prince.

When people know there is no hope, they naturally become indifferent and without desire. But when a glimmer of hope suddenly appears, their mindset naturally changes. So for the past two years, Xu Wenhou has been hoping to be made crown prince. Unfortunately, despite repeated urgings from court officials, Emperor Qiansheng remains unmoved and seems to have no intention of making an heir apparent.

Xu Wenhou was naturally very disappointed. Two days ago, Sun Chengzong, the Liaodong military commissioner, sent someone on horseback to report to the court that Nurhaci intended to negotiate peace with the Great Jin and proposed to exchange Prince Qing for Mangultai. So Xu Wenhou felt as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water. After all, Prince Qing, Xu Wenye, was older than him and more favored by Emperor Qiansheng. Once he returned to the court, the position of crown prince would probably not be available to Xu Wenhou.

The cruelest thing in the world is to give you hope first, and then let you despair. Xu Wenhou had been looking forward to this for two years, and now that his hope was about to be shattered, his frustration and resentment were unimaginable. The reason he took the initiative to invite Jia Huan to his residence for a chat was precisely to show his resentment and to ask Jia Huan for advice.

However, Jia Huan was very clear-headed. At this time, he should not get too close to Xu Wenhou. Because with Emperor Qiansheng's suspiciousness and shrewdness, if he got close to Xu Wenhou, it would only backfire and harm not only himself but also Xu Wenhou.

…………

After Jia Huan left, Emperor Qiansheng returned to the Southern Study. He had just drunk a cup of ginseng tea when Shi Dayong appeared like a ghost, knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "This old servant greets Your Majesty!"

Emperor Qiansheng put down his teacup and asked unhurriedly, "Did Jia Huan go to the Prince of Min's residence or return to the Jia residence?"

Shi Dayong replied with some disappointment, "Jia Huan and His Highness Prince Min parted ways at Donghua Gate and have already returned to the Jia residence."

Emperor Han Sheng nodded in satisfaction. This kid knows his place. Although the seventh prince is two years older, he is far less experienced and composed than Jia Huan.

"Rise!" Emperor Qiansheng said calmly. Shi Dayong then stood up and respectfully stood to the side of the imperial desk.

Because of his exceptional ability to "make money," Shi Dayong has become increasingly favored. The fuller the imperial treasury becomes, the more extravagantly Emperor Qiansheng spends. He not only undertakes lavish palace construction but also expands his mausoleum on its original foundation, with a budget reaching a staggering five million taels of silver. Don't be surprised; feudal emperors, hoping to continue enjoying their posthumous blessings, would typically consult feng shui masters to locate auspicious sites and construct their mausoleums while still in power. For example, Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty began construction of his mausoleum during his reign, a process that took six years and cost a total of eight million taels of silver.

Meanwhile, Shi Dayong stood beside the imperial desk, skillfully grinding ink while smiling obsequiously, saying, "The Battle of Ningyuan truly demonstrated the might of our nation! Not only the officials and civil servants, but even the common people throughout the country are filled with pride. Just look, along the way from Tongzhou to the capital, both sides of the road are packed with onlookers. Those Jurchen prisoners are locked in prison carts, allowing the people to beat and curse them at will. This old servant feels quite pleased just watching. The Liaodong governor, Jia Huan, is now renowned far and wide. Not only are envoys from various countries respectful and obsequious to him, but even our own people adore him. Upon seeing the Liaodong governor's entourage from afar, they immediately kneel down and kowtow, calling Lord Jia a general descended from heaven. Tsk tsk, the spectacle is simply unprecedented!"

Emperor Qiansheng's eyes flashed as he glanced at Shi Dayong and said calmly, "Jia Huan is indeed a skilled warrior. Even someone like Nurhaci suffered a crushing defeat at his hands. It is no exaggeration to say that he is a star general descended to earth. It is a blessing for our Great Jin to have such a talent!"

Shi Dayong said with a smile, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. Minister Jia is a man of both literary talent and military prowess, truly a rare talent that appears only once in a thousand years!"

Emperor Qiansheng said with a half-smile, "You old fool, did you take a bribe from Jia Huan?"

Shi Dayong knelt down with a thud, saying in a trembling voice, "This old servant dares not, this old servant is only sincerely impressed by Jia Ziming's great talent!"

Emperor Qiansheng waved his hand and said indifferently, "You may leave. You are not needed here. Go do what you are supposed to do."

"Yes, this old servant takes his leave!" Shi Dayong deliberately wiped away non-existent cold sweat from his forehead, bent over and carefully retreated from the South Study, a hint of smugness flashing in his eyes.

Shi Dayong was most adept at reading people's expressions and moods. Having served Emperor Qiansheng for more than two years, he dared not say that he had completely figured out Emperor Qiansheng's temperament, but he believed that he had a good grasp of it. Given Emperor Qiansheng's arrogance and suspiciousness, his praise of Jia Huan was obviously not a good thing for Jia Huan.

As for Emperor Qiansheng, after dismissing Shi Dayong, he frowned. Although he relied on Jia Huan's abilities, he did not want to see a powerful regional official with great merit and control of a large army emerge. Therefore, Shi Dayong's words did indeed arouse his vigilance. However, the front line did need a skilled commander like Jia Huan to be in charge. If he were to be transferred at this time, it would be tantamount to destroying his own defenses. He could only restrain him from other aspects to prevent him from becoming too powerful to control in the future.

"Hmm, perhaps... it's time to recall Sun Chengzong!" Emperor Qiansheng mused to himself.

Sun Chengzong and Jia Huan were master and apprentice, and had a close relationship. They served as the top two leaders in Liaodong, which Emperor Qiansheng had long felt was inappropriate. However, due to the critical situation, he had no choice. Now, two years had passed, the Guan-Ning-Jin defense line was almost completed, and Nurhaci had suffered a recent defeat and was forced to negotiate peace. At this time, recalling Sun Chengzong would probably not have much of an impact.

Clearly, seeing that the front lines were stabilizing and that the emperor was gradually gaining the upper hand, Emperor Qiansheng planned to use Jia Huan as a pretext to undermine him and restrict his power. Such is the true nature of imperial cunning!

…………

When Jia Huan returned to Rongning Street, the entire street erupted in excitement, even more so than during the Lantern Festival. Neighbors flocked to him, eager to catch a glimpse of the Third Master Huan. Jia Huan finally arrived at the Rongguo Mansion, where the head steward, Lin Zhixiao, and a host of servants were already waiting to greet him at the main gate. Jia Huan dismounted, and amidst the cheers and entourage of his family, entered the mansion and headed straight for Grandmother Jia's residence.

"Third Master Huan has entered the second gate!"

"Third Master Huan is coming to the old lady's room!"

"Third Master Huan has already passed the covered walkway!"

The servants rushed around, relaying the news to the inner quarters. A group of female relatives, led by Grandmother Jia, waited excitedly. The group included Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang, Li Wan, Wang Xifeng, Qin Keqing, Baochai, Daiyu, Baoqin, Tanchun, and Xichun, as well as Jia Baoyu and Jia Lan.

"Here he comes! Third Master Huan is coming in!" A low murmur arose, the curtain was lifted, and Jia Huan walked in, looking travel-worn. He immediately attracted a pair of beautiful eyes like a magnet.

"Huan'er greets Grandmother!" Jia Huan quickly stepped forward and kowtowed to Grandmother Jia, who smiled broadly and hurriedly helped him up, saying, "Good boy, get up quickly!"

Jia Huan stood up and greeted Madam Wang again. Madam Wang had completely lost her competitive spirit of the past and only smiled ingratiatingly, saying, "It's good that Huan-ge'er is back. Quickly greet your brothers and sisters."

"Greetings, Brother Bao!" Jia Huan greeted Jia Baoyu, who nodded with a forced smile. Jia Lan, on the other hand, respectfully knelt before Jia Huan, saying, "Greetings, Uncle Huan!"

Jia Huan helped Jia Lan up and said with a smile, "Good lad, you've already achieved the rank of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the imperial examinations). Your sister-in-law will be able to enjoy a life of leisure from now on."

Jia Lan was wearing a scholar's robe at the moment, which meant he had already passed the imperial examination and achieved the title of Xiucai. At the age of twelve, he had already achieved quite an accomplishment.

Jia Lan's face flushed red, clearly very excited, yet also a little shy. She smiled and said, "Uncle Huan, you flatter me. Compared to you, I am still far from being worthy of your praise!"

Jia Baoyu, standing to the side, looked embarrassed and felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. In the past two years, he had only been working sporadically and had barely passed the prefectural examination, thus obtaining the status of a student. Meanwhile, his nephew Jia Lan, who was six years younger than him, had already become a scholar.

Jia Huan encouraged Jia Lan for a few words, then looked at the girls and smiled, saying, "Greetings, Sister Bao, Sister Lin, Third Sister, Fourth Sister, and Sister Qin!"

The women all stood up to return the greeting. Baochai, as always, was dignified, elegant, gentle, and serene. She stood up, gave a slight curtsy, and said gently, "Brother Huan!"

The moment Jia Huan entered the room, Lin Daiyu's eyes never left him. The hidden heat in her beautiful eyes almost melted Jia Huan's heart. He stood up, gave a graceful curtsy, and said softly, "Brother Huan!"

After the ladies exchanged greetings and took their seats again, Grandmother Jia ordered someone to bring a chair and had Jia Huan sit down next to her. With a smile, she asked, "How long will Huan-ge'er stay this time?"

Grandmother Jia is almost eighty-four years old this year. Her hair is completely white, and the wrinkles on her face are like ravines on the Loess Plateau. Her eyes are sunken, and she is obviously not as energetic as she used to be.

Jia Huan shook his head and said, "It's not clear yet; we'll know after the ceremony of presenting the prisoners."

Grandmother Jia said happily, "Good, good, good!"

Yuanyang asked curiously, "I heard that Third Master Huan won a great victory in Ningyuan and even captured one of Nurhaci's sons. Everyone says that the Jurchens are all blue-faced, fanged, and bloodthirsty demons. Is that true?"

Jia Huan smiled and said, "If Sister Yuanyang wants to see it, I'll take you to the Ministry of Justice's prison tomorrow."

Yuanyang stuck out her tongue and said, "Let's skip it. I'm afraid I'll have nightmares. Third Master Huan has ulterior motives!"

The women couldn't help but laugh. Grandmother Jia said with a smile, "Those are just rumors that others have exaggerated. The Jurchens are just big, living people with heads and legs. What's so scary about them? Nurhaci is even portrayed as a god of war descended to earth, but he still suffered a great defeat at the hands of Huan-ge'er. He's nothing special."

Xue Baoqin said with a grin, "That's because Brother Huan is even more powerful. Who knows, the Jurchens might say that Brother Huan is also a vicious villain with a blue face and fangs who eats people without spitting out the bones!"

The women all looked at Jia Huan and chuckled.

(End of this chapter)