The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 642 Raising troops to investigate crimes
The cell was spotless, and despite the dry, cold winter, there was no unpleasant odor, though it was a bit chilly. Jia Huan lay on the brand-new bedding, covered with a thick brocade quilt, his hands behind his head, listening intently to the sound of falling snow outside, his mind unusually calm. After two years of guarding the frontier, his nerves were constantly on edge, surrounded by swords and shadows, with endless political and military affairs to handle. Now, imprisoned in the cell, he found a rare moment of peace and tranquility.

When the jailer brought the food, he saw Jia Huan lying motionless and assumed he was asleep. But when he got closer, he discovered that Jia Huan was staring at two geckos fighting on the wall. He couldn't help but be secretly amazed. He was so calm despite disobeying the imperial edict. Perhaps only this man in the entire court could be so calm.

"Young Master Jia, it's time for dinner!" the jailer called out, passing a plate of hot steamed buns, a plate of pickled vegetables, and a bowl of water through the iron bars.

Jia Huan sat up abruptly, smiled and said, "Thank you for your trouble!" Then he picked up a steamed bun and ate it with pickled vegetables.

The jailer couldn't help but remark that this young master was easy to serve, never picky about food, and didn't seem like a pampered young master from a wealthy family at all.

Although Jia Huan disobeyed the imperial decree, it was not an unforgivable crime, nor did it diminish his heroic image in fighting against foreign enemies. On the contrary, he was willing to sacrifice his promising future and even his life to defy the imperial decree for the sake of his childhood sweetheart. Such a loyal and righteous act won the respect and sympathy of most people.

Therefore, the jailers and guards in the Ministry of Justice prison treated Jia Huan very politely. Apart from the bland food, he didn't suffer much during the few days he was locked up.

As Jia Huan was eating his salted vegetable bun, the prison door suddenly opened, and a fat man wearing a cloak and a snow hat rushed in, stamping his feet to shake off the snow and shouting, "Where is Jia Huan locked up?"

The jailer and guards were stunned for a moment before recognizing that the person was actually His Highness Prince Min. They were so frightened that they immediately knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness Prince Min."

Xu Wenhou had already seen Jia Huan by this time. He waved his hand impatiently and said, "Get up." He then strode over to Jia Huan's cell.

Jia Huan was surprised that Xu Wenhou would brave the wind and snow to visit him in the Ministry of Justice prison. Overwhelmed with joy, he stood up and bowed, saying, "This sinful subject greets Your Highness, Prince Min."

Xu Wenhou, with his round face, snorted coldly and said unhappily, "You know you're guilty? What makes Yongning unworthy of you? What gives you the right to defy the imperial decree and refuse to marry her?"

Jia Huan broke out in a cold sweat. So this fat man had come to interrogate him. But thinking about it, it wasn't surprising. Although Xu Wenhou was gluttonous and lacked self-discipline, he was extremely sentimental, as evidenced by his feelings for his cousin Xie Wanruo. Since Princess Yongning was raised by Xu Wenhou's birth mother, Consort Qi, the sibling relationship between Princess Yongning and Xu Wenhou must have been very deep. It was perfectly normal for him to come and question him now.

"Your Highness, please calm down!" Jia Huan coughed lightly.

Xu Wenhou then realized that there were other prisoners present, and that a group of jailers were also eavesdropping on the gossip. It would be unbecoming of the royal family to interrogate Jia Huan in public. So he glared at the jailer and asked, "Is there a private cell?"

The jailer hurriedly nodded and bowed, saying, "Yes, yes, Your Highness, please come with me."

Xu Wenhou waved his fat hand and said, "Forget it, I'm too lazy to move. Move the other prisoners to the next room, and you can all wait outside."

The jailer dared not utter a word of dissent and immediately complied, quickly clearing the area. Only Xu Wenhou and Jia Huan remained in the large cell.

Xu Wenhou pushed open the iron bars and went inside. He glanced at the steamed buns and pickled vegetables that Jia Huan hadn't finished eating and sneered, "How was it being locked up for a few days?"

Jia Huan smiled and said, "It's alright, I'm used to it!"

Xu Wenhou angrily said, "What a load of rubbish! You made Yongning cry all day. Tell me, you've met Yongning, what's wrong with her? You're really infuriating!"

Jia Huan awkwardly touched his chin. He had indeed met Princess Yongning, but it was almost two years ago. That day, he met Emperor Qiansheng in the Southern Study, and then went to Fengzao Palace to see Jia Yuanchun. Coincidentally, Consort Qi was also there, and then Princess Yongning barged in. She looked to be about thirteen or fourteen years old, with bright eyes and white teeth, and was indeed a beauty in the making. Now, two years later, if she hadn't grown up badly, she would probably have become even more beautiful.

Back then, Jia Huan felt something was amiss. It just so happened that he realized that his encounter with Princess Yongning was probably arranged by Consort Qi.

Hey, Jia Huan actually guessed right. Consort Qi is the birth mother of Prince Min, Xu Wenhou, and anyone with eyes could see Jia Huan's potential. Although Jia Huan already had a close relationship with Xu Wenhou, Consort Qi naturally wanted to go further and bind Jia Huan and her son Xu Wenhou more deeply, so that he could become a great help to Xu Wenhou's ascension to the throne in the future.

Another reason is that Jia Yuanchun also gave birth to a prince. Although he is young and does not pose a threat to Prince Min, Xu Wenhou, the emperor has been slow to establish a crown prince, so Consort Qi is naturally uneasy. If Jia Huan marries Princess Yongning, he will have this relationship, and there is no need to worry that Jia Huan will help his nephew in the future.

However, Jia Huan never saw Princess Yongning again after that meeting. For the next two years, he was stationed in Ningyuan and gradually forgot about the matter. Although Consort Qi was interested, Jia Huan was always on the front lines, so she couldn't bring it up with Emperor Qiansheng. Moreover, the Liaodong battlefield was dangerous. Two military commissioners had died, and one governor had been beheaded. Who knew if Jia Huan, the governor of Liaodong, would follow in their footsteps? If so, Princess Yongning marrying Jia Huan would probably not be a blessing. So Consort Qi simply stopped mentioning it.

Who would have thought that Jia Huan would achieve a great victory at Ningyuan, recovering all the lost territory in Liaoxi, and return to the capital in glory to present the captives? The emperor, for reasons unknown, actually issued an edict to bestow a marriage between Jia Huan and Princess Yongning. Consort Qi was naturally overjoyed and immediately informed Princess Yongning.

As the saying goes, which young man doesn't yearn for love, and which young woman doesn't dream of spring? Princess Yongning was sixteen, the age when love first blossoms. Raised in the deep palace, she rarely encountered young men. However, Jia Huan possessed exceptional looks and refined manners. Since their chance encounter, Princess Yongning was deeply impressed by him. Furthermore, Jia Huan was a renowned scholar who had achieved the highest rank in the imperial examinations, and news of his victories at the front lines frequently arrived. Princess Yongning couldn't forget him, even having unspeakable dreams about him. At this time, her father suddenly issued an edict to choose a husband for her, and this husband was none other than Jia Huan. Princess Yongning was naturally both ashamed and delighted. However, her joy was short-lived; a bolt from the blue struck: Jia Huan refused the edict. Princess Yongning suffered a devastating blow to both her heart and pride, and she wept bitterly for a whole day.

Prince Min, Xu Wenhou, and Princess Yongning had a very good relationship since childhood. Seeing this, he was naturally furious and only came to the prison to confront her after holding it in for several days. It can be said that he was quite tolerant.

Getting back to the main point, when faced with Xu Wenhou's questioning, Jia Huan could only smile bitterly and say, "Your Highness, what makes you say that? Princess Yongning is of noble birth and excellent in both appearance and character. It is Jia Huan who is unworthy of her."

Xu Wenhou angrily retorted, "Stop talking nonsense! I'll just ask you one question: do you want to be the imperial son-in-law or not?"

Jia Huan shook his head and said, "I can't do it!"

Xu Wenhou flew into a rage, his fists clenched and eyes blazing, and roared, "Why?"

To be honest, this fat guy is quite scary when he gets angry. His eyes, which are usually narrowed into slits and have a friendly smile, are now hissing and releasing fury.

Jia Huan frowned and calmly asked, "Your Highness Prince Min is about to get married, why can't you forget Qing'er?"

Xu Wenhou was taken aback for a moment, then said sullenly, "Because I like it."

Jia Huan spread his hands and said, "That settles it then. I already have someone I like, so I can't marry the princess. Qing'er is just a village girl, and the prince can take her as a concubine at any time. She herself won't complain, and her family will even be overjoyed. But if I become the prince consort, then I can't marry her again. I don't want the person I like to suffer."

Xu Wenhou's expression shifted for a long time before his tightly clenched fist slowly loosened, clearly indicating that his anger was dissipating. Besides being sentimental, this fat man had another advantage: he was easygoing and receptive to advice.

"What about Yongning?" Xu Wenhou muttered, troubled.

Jia Huan said casually, "There are countless talented people in the world. Surely Your Highness can find a suitable match? Your Highness is worrying too much."

Xu Wenhou rolled his eyes and said, "Everyone knows that's true, but Yongning has been infatuated with you ever since she saw you that time. It's true that seeing Xiao Lang once can ruin one's life!"

Jia Huan secretly sweated and said, "It can't be that bad!"

Xu Wenhou glared at Jia Huan and said, "Who told you to have such an undesirable pretty face, and yet you claim to be both scholarly and martial? If I were a woman, I would also... Ugh, ptooey ptooey ptooey."

Jia Huan couldn't help but laugh and cry, saying, "Princess Yongning lives deep in the palace and doesn't have much contact with people. It's normal for her to feel a good impression of me when she suddenly sees me. Once things have calmed down, she can choose a suitable husband in the future and forget everything."

Xu Wenhou thought about it and realized it made sense. He sighed and said, "Fine, as the saying goes, a forced melon is not sweet. I don't want to force you, but how do we get past Father? You disobeyed the imperial decree and embarrassed the Emperor. I'm afraid you'll suffer a lot, even if you don't die. Father hates people who are arrogant because of his favor!"

Jia Huan's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "Does Your Highness Prince Min have any good plans?"

Xu Wenhou's eyes darted around and he said, "Why don't you marry Yongning?"

"No way!" Jia Huan said firmly.

Seeing Jia Huan's resolute attitude, Xu Wenhou knew there was no way to change things, so he could only shake his head and say, "Then we can only leave it to fate. Well, let's live for today and worry about tomorrow later." After saying that, he clapped his hands and called out, "Bring in the wine and food!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Li Jinzhong led two guards from the Prince's Palace in, each carrying a food box. As if by magic, they quickly set out a table of steaming hot food and wine.

"Hehe, Your Highness, Lord Jia, please enjoy your meal!" Li Jinzhong said with a fawning smile, then stepped aside to stand in attendance.

(End of this chapter)