The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 659 Jealousy?

After the marriage procession entered the city, Liu Tongpan (a high-ranking official) arranged for Jia Huan and the others to stay at the post station. However, Duan Yong was very dissatisfied because the chief official of Luoyang Prefecture had not appeared at all.

"Prefect Liu, the Prefect of Luoyang Prefecture certainly has quite the airs. Princess Kangle is here, yet you don't even come to pay your respects. Are you perhaps waiting for Her Highness to come and visit?" Duan Yong said coldly.

Liu Tongpan hurriedly replied, "No, no, it's not that I, the prefect, have been disrespectful to Her Highness the princess, but rather that I am unable to come."

Duan Yong sneered, "Why can't he come? Is his leg broken, or are his parents dying?"

Hey, this eunuch has a sharp tongue!

Liu Tongpan said awkwardly, "The prefect and the assistant prefect of this prefecture recently committed some offenses and have been arrested by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and escorted to the capital for questioning. Now, all affairs of Luoyang Prefecture are temporarily under my supervision."

Jia Huan was slightly taken aback. It turned out that the top two officials of Luoyang Prefecture had been arrested by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. No wonder there were so many refugees gathered outside the city, and the granaries were not being opened to distribute food. He wondered what these two had done to warrant the Emperor Qiansheng sending the Embroidered Uniform Guard to arrest them and bring them to the capital for questioning.

Liu Tongpan clearly didn't want to say more, and since it involved the Imperial Guard, Duan Yong obviously didn't want to ask any more questions to avoid getting into trouble. After all, the marriage procession was just passing through; once they had eaten and stayed well, they would simply leave.

After exchanging a few more polite words, Liu Tongpan took his leave, as he had countless matters to attend to. Duan Yong did not try to stop him and waved for him to leave the post station.

After seeing off Prefect Liu, Jia Huan headed towards Lin Daiyu's residence. Duan Yong quickly stopped him, asking warily, "Where is Jia Huan going?"

Jia Huan said irritably, "This envoy greets Your Highness the Princess."

Duan Yong shook his head decisively and said, "It's getting dark now. The princess is tired from her journey and has been frightened. She should take a bath and rest. She can pay her respects tomorrow. Envoy Jia, please go back and rest."

Jia Huan couldn't force his way in, and was about to leave helplessly when he saw Xiangling come out from inside. She gave a graceful curtsy and said, "Duan Zhongshi, Her Highness the Princess's daily scented soap is gone."

"We'll have someone buy it right away, you may leave now!" Duan Yong waved his hand, shooing Xiangling back into the room, as if afraid that Lin Daiyu might use this maid to secretly have an affair with Jia Huan.

Jia Huan was speechless and was about to turn and leave when Duan Yong suddenly asked, "Jia Huan, what scented soap does Her Highness the Princess usually use?"

"The fragrance of lotus leaves or mugwort is fine," Jia Huan replied casually.

Duan Yong asked suspiciously, "How did Jia, the marriage envoy, know this?"

Jia Huan replied calmly, "I grew up under the same roof in the Jia family with Sister Lin. We spend every day together and know each other's temperaments and preferences very well. How could I not know?"

Duan Yong was speechless. Jia Huan was willing to defy the imperial decree for Lin Daiyu, and their relationship was self-evident. They were probably engaged in a private ceremony, but it was unknown whether they had crossed that line.

After a moment of contemplation, Eunuch Duan warned with a dark face, "There is only Princess Kangle now, and no other sisters. Envoy Jia must not make a mistake. If you make any further mistakes, you will be doomed."

Jia Huan ignored Duan Yong and turned to leave. The latter's expression changed, and he said coldly, "Everyone has had a hard journey. Let's rest in Luoyang for two days. If you need anything, please replenish it as soon as possible."

Jia Huan waved his hand without turning his head, indicating that he understood.

Nothing happened that night. The next morning, the sun rose again, and it was another bright and sunny day. The azure sky was cloudless. Although it was early spring, it felt like the height of summer, with a despairing drought.

After washing up and having breakfast, Jia Huan took Mu Ye and Jin Bao for a stroll in the street.

"Envoy Jia, please wait!"

As soon as Jia Huan stepped out of the post station gate, Ahemaiti chased after him, followed by two attendants with curved swords at their waists.

Jia Huan stopped and said with a faint smile, "What advice does the wedding envoy have for me?"

Ahemaiti quickly waved his hand and said, "No, no, where is Envoy Jia going?"

"Just going for a casual stroll around the streets!"

Ahemaiti immediately smiled and said, "I was just thinking of taking a stroll myself. How about we travel together?" Jia Huan's mind raced, and he nodded, saying, "That would be wonderful. I wouldn't dare ask you to!"

Ahemaiti smiled awkwardly, clearly not understanding, so Jia Huan corrected himself, saying, "I couldn't ask for more."

Ahemaiti finally understood and said happily, "That's great! We haven't had a chance along the way. Today, I'll be the host and invite you, Envoy Jia, to have a couple of drinks. Please do me the honor."

Jia Huan didn't refuse, but just nodded slightly. He also wanted to find out more about the other party. He felt that this guy was a bit strange, and his words and actions didn't match his status.

Luoyang was originally a major metropolis in the Central Plains, but at this time the market was very desolate. Nearly half of the shops on both sides of the street were closed, and most of the pedestrians had worried faces and hurried along.

Jia Huan and Ahemaiti walked two streets before finally finding an open restaurant. They went in, sat down, and ordered some food and drinks.

While the waiter was serving the dishes, Jia Huan asked, "Young man, why is Luoyang so desolate?"

The waiter, who looked about twelve or thirteen years old, asked with a strange expression, "Are you two gentlemen from out of town?"

Jia Huan nodded, and the waiter immediately sneered, "It's no wonder you two gentlemen don't know. Our Luoyang used to be a prosperous city in the Central Plains, but ever since the imperial court sent a tax collector here a few years ago, tsk tsk..."

Jia Huan asked in astonishment, "Your Majesty?"

"You brat, you talk too much nonsense. Don't you want to do any work?" The shopkeeper rushed over and kicked the waiter away. Then he smiled obsequiously at Jia Huan and said, "Sir, please don't be offended. That kid always loves to talk nonsense and spout rubbish. His words are like farts. Don't believe his nonsense."

Jia Huan smiled and said, "It's alright, I was just asking casually. But I do have something to ask you about, shopkeeper."

The shopkeeper rubbed his hands together and said, "What would you like to ask, sir?"

"I heard that the prefect and his deputy prefect of Luoyang were recently arrested by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and brought to the capital. I wonder what they did wrong?"

"Well... I'm not quite sure either. It seems to be about opening the granaries to distribute grain for disaster relief." The shopkeeper stammered, remaining tight-lipped.

Seeing this, Jia Huan stopped asking questions and started chatting with Ahemaiti. After a few rounds of drinks, Ahemaiti became more familiar with the place and said with a smile, "Brother Jia, last night while resting at the post station, I overheard two post station workers chatting. What they said surprised me greatly, but I don't know if it's true or not."

"Oh?" Jia Huan gave a soft "oh," his gaze falling on Ahemaiti's face.

Ahemaiti lowered his voice and said, "Judging from the conversation between those two couriers, Brother Jia's relationship with Princess Kangle seems to be quite unusual."

Jia Huan frowned and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"You little brat, still pretending with me!" Ahemaiti sneered inwardly, while saying with a chuckle, "It is said that Princess Kangle and Brother Jia were childhood sweethearts, deeply in love, and Brother Jia even defied the imperial edict for Princess Kangle?"

Jia Huan remained calm. After all, this matter had become such a big fuss, known throughout the city, and it was only a matter of time before it spread to the whole country. However, he still denied it, saying, "It's just gossip and rumors. Don't take it seriously!"

When Ahemaiti saw that Jia Huan refused to admit it, he sneered inwardly again. Thinking of the breathtaking beauty of Lin Daiyu when her veil was blown up by the wind in front of Fengtian Gate, he couldn't help but feel extremely jealous, and his eyes naturally revealed it.

Jia Huan, with his keen observation skills, couldn't help but wonder what this guy was jealous of. He was merely a centurion under King Baiwa of Hami, sent as a wedding envoy. What right did he have to be jealous of him? If anyone should be jealous, it should be King Baiwa of Hami!
As Jia Huan was thinking rapidly, a commotion suddenly broke out on the street. Someone shouted, "It's terrible! The entire Zhou family, including the manager of Hexinglong Cloth Shop, has hanged themselves!"

In an instant, all the diners in the shop ran out, including the shopkeeper and the waiter.

"Third Master, I'm going to see what's going on!" Jinbao, who loved to join in the fun, immediately ran out after him.

The Hexinglong Cloth Shop was right next to the restaurant, and by now the entrance was already crowded with people pointing and talking about what was going on inside.

Jinbao squeezed to the front, peered into the fabric shop, and immediately felt a chill run down his spine. He stuck out his tongue and exclaimed, "My goodness, this is terrible!"

The cloth shop's doors and windows were tightly locked, except for one door that had been forced open from the outside. The room was dimly lit, and ten swaying corpses hung side by side from the beams. There were old and young, men and women, including infants who looked to be several years old. It seemed that they had been strangled by adults with ropes and hung up there. At the feet of each adult was an overturned stool, suggesting that suicide was more likely.

(End of this chapter)