The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 691 A Huge Fortune

After seeing off the palace eunuchs who came to deliver the good news, the entire Jia family was filled with joy. The over eighty-year-old Grandmother Jia was especially energetic and, for the first time ever, did not take a nap. Instead, she called over Lady Wang, Aunt Xue, Lady You, Li Wan, and Lady Qin, among other women, to play cards and chat.

Before long, Jia Zheng also skipped work and returned home. The first thing he did was to go to the inner quarters to pay his respects to Grandmother Jia and inform her that Jia Huan had been appointed as the Governor of Gansu.

Grandmother Jia said with a smile, "It's a wonder you even took leave to come back. The palace has already sent people, and the Imperial Concubine even gave you a reward. Tsk tsk, Huan-ge'er is truly remarkable. This is the best birthday gift I've ever received."

All the wives and sisters-in-law congratulated Grandmother Jia, Jia Zheng, and Lady Wang, saying that Jia Huan had made a great contribution by expanding the territory, and that if this were a military general, he would be granted a noble title.

Grandmother Jia was overjoyed upon hearing this and instructed, "Zheng'er, now that you're back, open the ancestral hall and offer sacrifices to our ancestors."

Jia Zheng nodded repeatedly and turned to do as he was told. Lady Wang watched her husband's excited figure disappear, her heart filled with mixed emotions. Who could have imagined that the once uncouth and uncouth illegitimate son would now become the pillar of the Jia family, the pride and honor of the entire household? On the contrary, her own Baoyu… Alas!

Thinking of her son Jia Baoyu, who had accomplished nothing and was depressed, Lady Wang felt disappointed, helpless, and a little regretful.

It turned out that one day in June of this year, Lady Wang was taking a nap in her room, with her maid Jin Chuan serving her. Just then, Jia Baoyu came in and saw Lady Wang lying on her side on the couch with her eyes closed. He assumed she was asleep and teased Jin Chuan, asking for the rouge on her lips.

Jin Chuan'er already cherished Jia Baoyu and aspired to become his concubine. When no one was around, the two of them would often hug and kiss, and it wasn't the first time they had done such things. So she satisfied Jia Baoyu on the spot and even said some explicit things between men and women. Unexpectedly, Lady Wang was not asleep. She sat up and slapped Jin Chuan'er, scolding her: "You shameless hussy! You've corrupted a good man. No wonder Baoyu has no interest in studying."

Big-faced Bao has never been responsible; he only cares about flirting with girls. When trouble comes, he just packs his bags and runs away, leaving Jin Chuan to bear the wrath of Madam Wang alone. Later, Jin Chuan was kicked out of the mansion and, unable to think straight, committed suicide by jumping into a well.

Lady Wang hadn't expected Jin Chuan to be so fierce, but it was too late for regrets. Fearing damage to her son's reputation, she tried to cover it up, but secrets always come out. The reason why Jin Chuan was expelled spread secretly within the mansion. Soon after, Miaoyu from Longcui Nunnery moved away, and Jia Baoyu became increasingly depressed, spending his days in Yihong Courtyard. Perhaps it was guilt, or perhaps it was shame to go out.

After Aunt Xue finished playing cards with Grandmother Jia and returned to Pear Fragrance Garden, her niece Xue Baoqin was already waiting there. Upon seeing her, she smiled sweetly and said, "Auntie, you can rest assured now. For the sake of Sister Bao and Sister Lin, Brother Huan has even won over Hami."

Aunt Xue was also in a good mood at the moment, and exclaimed, "Amitabha, I never expected Huan-ge'er to be so capable."

Xue Baoqin said playfully, "Back then, when Brother Huan said he wanted to marry Sister Bao as his second wife, you were quite happy and felt that it was unfair to Sister Bao. But now, how are you? Do you feel like you've struck gold? With Brother Huan's abilities, it's not impossible for him to become a marquis and prime minister in the future."

Aunt Xue's face flushed, and she laughed and scolded, "You brat, how dare you embarrass your aunt! You deserve a good beating!"

Xue Baoqin said with a grin, "Auntie, you can't bear to hit me." As she spoke, she threw herself into Aunt Xue's arms and began to act coquettishly.

Aunt Xue affectionately patted Baoqin's head and said with a smile, "I really can't do anything with you. Sigh, you've come all this way. I wonder when Huan-ge'er and Bao-yatou will be able to come back."

"That's hard to say. Brother Huan is now the Governor of Gansu and the Commander of Military Affairs. He is ordered to manage the Guanzhong Plain. It's possible that he won't return to the capital for two or three years, or even five or six years," Xue Baoqin said wistfully.

Aunt Xue exclaimed, "So long? Then... hasn't your Bao-jie been delayed?"

Xue Baoqin chuckled and said, "If you're worried about delays, you can write a letter and ask Huan-gege to marry my sister in Hami. When you return to the capital sometime in the year, your grandson might be calling you Grandma."

Aunt Xue was both amused and distressed, but there was really nothing she could do but accept it!

…………

In August of the lunar calendar, Hami already has a slight autumn chill. Hami melons and grapes are on the market in large quantities. This oasis at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains is filled with the fragrance of fruits and vegetables, and the cattle and sheep are plump. People are immersed in the joy of the harvest and have become accustomed to the Jin army stationed in the city.

It has been a full month since the Jin army occupied Hami City. Although the Jin army has been constantly reinforcing the city's defenses and digging moats during this month, Turpan has remained inactive and the two sides have been at peace. The people of Hami, who were initially worried about being affected by the war, have gradually become more at ease.

On this day, a moat 15 meters wide and more than 3 meters deep was finally completed, adding another layer of defense to the fragile city of Hami. Jia Huan and Duan Yong felt much more at ease. Moreover, the 2,000 reinforcements sent from within the pass were expected to arrive in five or six days. At that time, the defensive strength of Hami City would be greatly increased. The attack might still be insufficient, but the defense would definitely be no problem.

As noon approached, Jia Huan and Duan Yong were patrolling the city wall, where soldiers were methodically carrying stones, logs, and other defensive supplies. Just then, Ayina rushed up the wall and went straight to Jia Huan, saying with an unfriendly expression, "Lord Jia, this princess wants to have a word with you." Duan Yong glanced at Jia Huan meaningfully and smiled, "I'll go check the north gate; you two can talk slowly." He then planned to lead a few eunuchs away first.

Unexpectedly, Ayina said with a straight face, "Please stay, Eunuch Duan. You should know about what I discussed with Lord Jia. You can be a witness to it."

Duan Yong had no choice but to stop. Jia Huan had an idea and smiled, "Princess Ayina, it's windy on the city wall. Let's go inside and talk." He then turned and walked into the city wall.

Ayina snorted coldly and followed Jia Huan into the city tower, while Duan Yong, that scoundrel, slipped away without a second thought, clearly having guessed Ayina's intentions.

Meanwhile, Jia Huan and Ayina entered the city gate tower, dismissed their personal guards, and smiled, "What would Princess Ayina like to talk about?"

Ayina glanced back and, not seeing Duan Yong come in, frowned and said, "Let's talk about it together when Eunuch Duan arrives."

Jia Huan shook his head and said, "Duan Zhongshi is probably too busy. Just tell him what you need."

Seeing that Duan Yong had slipped away, Ayina was secretly annoyed. With a tense face, she questioned, "Lord Jia, did you send people to steal the valuables from the Hami Royal Palace's treasury?"

Jia Huan frowned and feigned ignorance, saying, "What treasure? I've never heard of it."

Ayina said urgently, "The treasures in the royal treasury are the wealth accumulated by the Hami royal family for generations, worth more than two million taels. Although Baiwa, this traitor, has been on the throne for six years, he has not used much of it. Now the treasury has been emptied. Who else could have done this besides you?"

Jia Huan retorted, "Nonsense! I have never seen two million taels of silver, let alone two million taels. I have never even seen two hundred taels. Please, Your Highness, do not slander me out of thin air."

Ayina trembled with anger, pointing at Jia Huan and saying in a trembling voice, "You...you're the one talking nonsense! When we first entered the city, I and Teacher Amulang negotiated with you. Princess Kangle could stay in the palace temporarily, but she could not dispose of anything in the palace without permission, including the treasures in the palace. Moreover, you promised at the time that as long as I inherited the throne of Hami, you would return the palace to me in its entirety."

Jia Huan coughed lightly and said, "That's right, I did agree at the time. Now, apart from the place where Princess Kangle is staying, the furnishings in the rest of the place remain unchanged."

Ayina sneered, "You didn't touch the furnishings, but you emptied the storeroom of all the valuables. Shameless thief, return my valuables at once!"

As Ayina spoke, she stretched out her hand, almost right under Jia Huan's nose. Tsk tsk, the little girl's eyes welled up with tears, her almond-shaped eyes wide open, and tears almost spilled out.

Jia Huan took a small step back and shouted angrily, "This is outrageous! Confucius said, 'A gentleman loves wealth, but he acquires it in a proper way.' I, Jia Huan, have studied the classics since childhood and cultivated a noble and righteous spirit. How could I possibly covet other people's money? This is a great insult to me!"

Ayina, having learned her lesson from her youth, panicked when she saw Jia Huan's handsome face contorted with rage. She wondered if she had truly wronged him, and stammered, "Really...really didn't you do it? Then who did it?"

Jia Huan said angrily, "An honest man doesn't do things in secret. I, Jia Huan, have always been honest and outspoken. But you, have you ever personally seen any valuables worth two million taels in the royal palace treasury?"

Ayina was stumped. She was only thirteen years old this year. Six years ago, when Baiwa rebelled, she was not even seven years old. Her father would never take a daughter like her to visit the national treasury. As for the fact that there were two million taels in the royal treasury, it was Amulang who told her that.

Seeing that Ayina was speechless, Jia Huan became even calmer and sneered: "Perhaps there were indeed many valuables in the former Hami royal palace storehouse, but I can guarantee that when my soldiers stormed the palace, there was nothing in the storehouse. Perhaps Baiwa had already moved the valuables."

Ayina bit her bright red lips, half believing and half doubting. Finally, she stomped her foot and gritted her teeth, saying, "Jia Huan, if this princess finds out that you did it, this princess will never forgive you!" After saying that, she turned around and left angrily.

Not long after Ayina left, Duan Yong started peeking out from outside the gatehouse. Jia Huan said irritably, "Is Eunuch Duan practicing his turtle-shrinking technique?"

Duan Yong slipped in, gave an awkward dry laugh, and said, "Hehe, Lord Jia, you've gone to so much trouble."

(End of this chapter)