The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 640: Life and Death
Seeing that Jia Huan was about to be arrested by the Imperial Guards, and knowing that disobeying the imperial edict was a capital offense, Lin Daiyu was extremely anxious and forgot all about a young lady's modesty and reputation. She rushed forward, hugged Jia Huan tightly, and cried out, "Don't arrest my Huan-di!"

The Imperial Guards were already somewhat hesitant, after all, Jia Huan was now very famous and highly regarded by the court. Before the emperor's attitude was clear, they dared not go too far. Now, seeing the fairy-like woman in front of them holding Jia Huan and refusing to let go, crying so heartbreakingly, with tears streaming down her face, she was truly pitiful to see. So they subconsciously stepped back and looked at the Ministry of Rites official with questioning eyes.

The official from the Ministry of Rites was dumbfounded, both amazed by the woman's stunning beauty and shocked by her audacious actions. Indeed, in a society bound by strict feudal etiquette, Lin Daiyu's behavior was undoubtedly shocking and unconventional for a woman.

At this moment, Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang, Wang Xifeng, Li Wan, and others were all dumbfounded. Jia Huan's act of defying the imperial decree was already frightening enough, but they never expected him to be so "unconventional".

The official from the Ministry of Rites finally came to his senses and said patiently, "Young lady, please have some self-respect. As a lady from a respectable family, what kind of behavior is this? Get out of here immediately, or don't blame me for arresting you as well."

"If you want to arrest him, then arrest me too! Even if it means beheading, I'm not afraid!" Lin Daiyu sobbed, hugging her arms even tighter. She had clearly made up her mind that even if she died, she would die with Huandi, never betraying Buddha or her beloved.

Jia Huan was both anxious and touched. He gently advised, "Sister Lin, don't worry, I will be fine. You just wait here in the manor. When I see the Emperor, I will argue my case and I will surely persuade him to retract his decree."

Jia Huan wasn't blindly optimistic; he genuinely had the confidence because the Liaodong front still needed him. Emperor Qiansheng, on the other hand, was a pragmatic man who would weigh the pros and cons. However, even if he managed to get through this ordeal, things might not be easy for him in the future, since he had embarrassed the emperor.

Lin Daiyu raised her tear-filled face and looked at Jia Huan, as if to say, "Really?"

Jia Huan nodded firmly, and Lin Daiyu trembled slightly. Although she did not let go, the hands that were wrapped around Jia Huan's waist visibly relaxed a little, as if she was hesitating.

At this moment, Xue Baochai and Jia Tanchun hurriedly stepped forward and, with a mixture of coaxing and persuasion, helped Lin Daiyu away. The official from the Ministry of Rites breathed a sigh of relief, then glanced at Jia Huan with a complicated expression and asked in a deep voice, "Jia Huan, the imperial edict is here. If you accept it now, I can pretend that nothing has happened."

Jia Huan calmly shook his head and said, "I appreciate your kindness, but please take me to see the Emperor!"

The official from the Ministry of Rites shook his head helplessly and waved his hand, saying, "Take him away!"

Two Imperial Guards were about to step forward when Jia Huan flicked his sleeve and said indifferently, "No need for you two, I can walk by myself." After saying that, he followed behind the Ministry of Rites official and walked out of the ancestral hall.

"Huan—Brother!" Lin Daiyu cried out in anguish, as if her soul had been ripped away. She collapsed weakly into Xue Baochai's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Xue Baochai was also extremely anxious at this moment, but she was a reserved and introverted person, and kept many of her thoughts to herself, so she did not show it, only her face was slightly pale.

"Sister Bao, Huan-di wouldn't be lying to me, would he? He disobeyed the imperial decree and tarnished His Majesty's reputation. How could the Emperor be so lenient?" Lin Daiyu said sadly, "If anything happens to Huan-di, I won't live either!"

Xue Baochai's eyes were slightly red, but she forced a smile and comforted him, "No, Brother Huan can always do what others can't, so don't worry!"

Xue Baoqin chimed in, "That's right, Sister Lin is just waiting for Brother Huan to come back and marry you."

Lin Daiyu blushed instantly, and surprisingly refrained from tearing Baoqin's mouth this time. Tan Chun and the other girls also forced smiles, but in their hearts they were all very heavy and uneasy. This was disobeying the imperial edict, and how could the emperor let it go easily? Unless Jia Huan bowed his head and admitted his mistake, if he dared to stand up to the emperor, even ten heads wouldn't be enough to cut off!
Jia Baoyu lowered his head in despair. At this moment, the last vestige of his feelings for Lin Daiyu had been shattered. "Alas, it's all over!" Jia Zheng stood there blankly for a long time, then stamped his foot and sighed, "Someone, prepare the bridge! Let's send the girls back to the garden first!"

Soon, seven or eight soft-bridged vehicles were brought in, and Bao-dai and the other girls were hurriedly sent back to the Grand View Garden.

"Please get into the sedan chair, Madam and Madam!" Lin Zhixiao's wife said, lifting the sedan curtain.

Grandmother Jia also sighed and said with regret, "It's true that joy turns to sorrow. It's all my fault. If I had settled Huan-ge'er and Dai-yu's affairs earlier, none of this would have happened today."

Yuanyang muttered under her breath, "How can you blame the old lady? Who could have predicted that the Emperor would actually choose Third Master Huan as his consort? Everything's in chaos!"

It's truly a mess. Jia Yuanchun is Jia Huan's half-sister, meaning Emperor Qiansheng is essentially Jia Huan's brother-in-law. Yet, on a whim, he wants to take Jia Huan as his son-in-law, making him both brother-in-law and father-in-law—the family hierarchy is incredibly confusing. However, this phenomenon seems quite common in feudal society; at least Princess Yongning and Jia Huan are not related by blood.

Emperor Qiansheng's sudden decision to take Jia Huan as his son-in-law was not a whim, but a result of careful consideration. First, Emperor Qiansheng was worried that Jia Huan would become too powerful and uncontrollable, but he also needed to rely on Jia Huan. Therefore, he planned to marry Princess Yongning to Jia Huan before recalling Sun Chengzong, as a sign of favor and to alleviate his concerns.

However, Emperor Qiansheng overlooked one crucial detail: Jia Huan dared to defy the imperial decree. Princesses were of noble birth, and marrying one was an unparalleled honor. Moreover, the Great Jin Dynasty was vastly different from the Ming Dynasty in the real world. The title of imperial consort was not merely a symbolic honor; imperial consorts in the Great Jin Dynasty could continue to hold important positions and participate in politics.

Who would refuse such a good thing? Unless they're a fool. And it turns out that Jia Huan, who won six consecutive top prizes, was a "fool"!
Meanwhile, the official from the Ministry of Rites who was delivering the imperial edict led Jia Huan to the palace gate, then went inside to report back to Emperor Qiansheng, truthfully recounting how Jia Huan had refused the imperial edict!

Emperor Qiansheng was both shocked and furious. He slammed his hand on the imperial desk and roared, "What a Jia Huan! How dare he defy the imperial decree! Does he really think that he can be arrogant just because he has made great contributions and doesn't respect me? This is outrageous! This trend must not be allowed to continue. There's no need to bring him in to see me. Tie him up and behead him outside the Meridian Gate!"

Shi Dayong, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, was overjoyed. He had always resented Jia Huan, but the other party was a tough nut to crack and not easy to deal with. Who would have thought that this kid would be such a romantic, defying the imperial edict for a woman? Hehe, heaven is truly helping me!

"Guards!" Shi Dayong shouted triumphantly, and several palace guards immediately rushed in from outside the door.

Shi Dayong, hands on his hips, said sternly, "By imperial decree, Jia Huan has defied the imperial order and shown contempt for the emperor's authority. He shall be immediately bound and beheaded outside the Meridian Gate."

The palace guard immediately agreed and was about to leave when Emperor Qiansheng frowned and said calmly, "Wait!"

The guards on duty immediately stopped in their tracks. Shi Dayong coughed awkwardly and said, "Your Majesty... this Jia Huan is so despicable, he cannot be let off lightly!"

Emperor Qiansheng pondered for a moment, then waved his hand and said, "The morning court is about to begin. Lock Jia Huan in the Ministry of Justice prison first, and I will deal with him later."

"Yes!" The guards on duty withdrew respectfully. Shi Dayong was greatly disappointed. It seemed that Jia Huan was not going to die after all.

(End of this chapter)