Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

After a long time, Jia Cong successfully picked up the two women with his gun. He was very proud and hugged them on both sides, leaning on the bed. The incense burner in the room was burning brightly, and it was warm like spring.

"Good sister-in-law, from now on Sister Ping'er is my wife just like you, you are not allowed to bully her." Jia Cong said.

"Bah, you two, don't try to piss me off, but how dare I be rude to Grandma Ping."

"Grandma..." Ping'er was so embarrassed that she didn't know what to say. She just looked at Jia Cong with a complaining look, "All my enemies blame you. You must be making trouble and making grandma angry."

Jia Cong tightened his grip on her shoulders to comfort her, and glared at Feng Jieer, saying, "If you continue to be so weird, my spear will become thirsty again."

Feng Jieer blushed and spat at him. Fearing that he might be rude, she hurriedly said with a smile, "I was only joking. Ask around in the mansion and everyone knows that Ping'er and you are in love. I'm so happy that you've accepted her. We have been sisters for many years. What else do you need to say?"

"Well, that's more like it." Jia Cong nodded lazily and asked, "What does the old lady want you to do?"

Sister Feng smiled and said, "It's not a good thing anyway, so I won't pollute your ears if I tell you about it."

"Huh? What's the matter?" Jia Cong asked curiously.

"It was like this. This afternoon, the eldest wife was strolling in the garden and saw the silly girl next to the old lady pick up a handkerchief. She was startled and took it to the wife. The wife couldn't make a decision, so she asked the old lady for advice.

The old lady was furious, and seeing that the day of the emperor's arrival was approaching, she ordered me to lock the garden gate and take people in to search for forbidden items. "Sister Feng said.

"Hey, now that my eldest sister-in-law and the others are in charge of the household, why are they still ordering you around?" Jia Cong asked curiously.

Sister Feng laughed and said, "Now your eldest sister-in-law and her family are also living in the garden. They are already suspects themselves. How can we convince everyone if we go to catch the thief?"

"What on earth is this? It's so mysterious."

"A spring scented handkerchief."

Jia Cong was stunned: "What is it?"

Sister Feng rolled her eyes at him and said mockingly, "You spend all day working on women's bellies, but you don't even know this. Feng'er, get the embroidered handkerchief from my box."

"Yes, grandma."

Jia Cong took the handkerchief and looked at it. He saw that the brocade handkerchief was embroidered with two white goblins fighting. Their expressions were so vivid and lifelike that he couldn't help laughing.

After all, he was a young man of the new era who had been baptized by the teachers of the island country for a long time. How could he look down on this thing? Yin smiled and said, "That's it?"

Sister Feng said, "The piece I picked up is naturally much rougher. I guess it was dropped by a maid or an old woman."

"What's it worth? When I got married last time, Fatty Feng gave me a set of atlases, saying they were painted by famous artists from the previous dynasty and were priceless. I forgot about it. I'll get it for you to see some other day."

Sister Feng rolled her eyes at him and said, "You stupid guy, you just don't want good things."

"That's what you thought."

"Bah, I told you to stop talking." Sister Feng raised her hand to twist it, but was caught by Jia Cong.

"Well, my elder sister will be back soon to visit her parents. If this naughty boy appears in the garden and is reported to the censor, it will be troublesome.

Besides, there are many women in the garden now. If the news gets out, it will not be good for the reputation. It is also worth a search."

"That's why the old ladies and wives were so angry that they ordered me to dig three feet underground to find the person." said Sister Feng.

Jia Cong shook his head and said, "There are girls in their teens and twenties in the garden. It's normal for them to be attracted to love. There's no need to kill them all. This is...

In addition, this matter must not be spread out, which will ruin the girls’ reputation.”

Feng Jieer said: "I know you care about the little maids, I have thought about it for a long time, and said that something valuable was lost in the old lady's room, and we must investigate carefully.

Only the old lady, the two ladies, myself and Wang Shanbao knew about this matter, and no one else knew about it. "

Jia Cong said, "If you find anything, don't make it public, just confiscate it quietly. If it's a maid, I'll beat her up and kick her out. If it's a maid, I'll just give her a light punishment."

"I understand, you are such a kind person." Feng Jieer said with a smile.

"There's no harm in doing more good deeds and accumulating virtue." Jia Cong said with a smile.

Sister Feng teased, "Why don't you do good to your wife?"

Jia Cong laughed and said, "Using Baoyu's words, a bunch of dead fish eyes, are you worthy of being pardoned by me?"

"No wonder girls like me. It turns out I learned all the special skills from Master Bao." Ping'er smiled with her hands covering her mouth.

Jia Cong smiled proudly and said, "Baoyu is only good at talking, but I rely on hard work to get to the point. If you don't believe me, ask Sister Feng."

Wang Xifeng glanced at him and spat, "I'm too lazy to care about you. If I go over, you'll bother me and make me exhausted now."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Just ask someone to carry you over in a sedan chair."

"I'll deal with you in a few days, Feng'er."

Feng'er hurriedly brought Xiaohong and Yuchuan'er in, and helped Fengjie to wash and change clothes.

Jia Cong was not interested in Feng Jie'er's search of the Grand View Garden. He just hugged Ping'er and chatted with her, asking about her and Feng Jie'er's childhood stories, which was quite interesting.

After a long time, there were footsteps outside the door, and a weak voice asked, "Sister Feng'er, is Sister Ping'er here? I have something urgent to ask her."

Feng Er waved her hand to interrupt her and whispered, "Come back tomorrow if you have anything to say. The master is in there, don't bother him."

"Ah... then... I'll be leaving first."

It was late at night and the noise outside the door had already been heard by Jia Cong.

Yin raised his voice and said, "Ask her in."

"Yes, sir." Feng Er quickly agreed, opened the door and said, "Come in."

"Thank you sister."

The visitor was petite, and when she smelled the lewd smell mixed with the incense in the room, her face flushed. She didn't dare to look up, walked to the bed, knelt down, and said, "Greetings to Master and Sister Ping'er."

Jia Cong lifted the curtain and said with a smile, "Lingguan, why are you looking for Ping'er so late at night? Did the ladies ask you to come?"

"No, no... I came here to find Sister Ping'er on my own." Lingguan hesitated and didn't know what to say. Seeing Jia Cong wearing a coat with his chest exposed, she felt even more flustered.

"Oh, then, she's looking for you. You can talk to her." Jia Cong glanced at Ping'er.

Ping Er was also embarrassed. Because her clothes were in disarray, she dared not stand up. She just hid in the quilt and asked, "What's the matter?"

Lingguan's heart was beating wildly. Seeing Jia Cong was also there, she dared not say anything more. She smiled awkwardly and said, "Nothing, I just came to talk to my sister. My sister is busy, so I will go down first."

"Oh... then you go first and come back to play tomorrow." Ping'er hurriedly sent her away after hearing that.

"Yes." Lingguan was about to leave when she heard Jia Cong say calmly, "Come back."

Lingguan groaned in her heart and had to come back and kneel down.

"Tell me, what's the matter." Jia Cong said.

"To answer your question, nothing... nothing happened."

Jia Cong sneered, "You little girl, you actually dared to lie in front of the commander of the Jinyiwei. Do you want me to give you a good beating before you confess? Hehe, this is fine."

Seeing Jia Cong pinching his chin and grinning, Lingguan felt embarrassed and afraid, so she lowered her head and dared not say a word.

Ping'er rolled her eyes at him and said, "Be careful not to scare the little girl." Then she asked softly, "Just tell me what you want to say. I will take care of it for you."

Jia Cong laughed and said, "What are you afraid of? Will I eat you? If I am going to eat you, it's not now. What's the matter?" "No, no, it's not my business, it's Ai Guan..."

"Who is Ai Guan...?" Jia Cong was stunned.

Ping Erh said, "It was just a small play, which was given to the third young lady after the troupe dispersed."

Jia Cong nodded and asked, "What's wrong with her?"

"Officer Ai asked me to ask a favor for Sister Ping."

"What favor?"

"Ai Guan said...she has no father or mother, and she only asks Sister Ping to show mercy and decide her life-long affairs." Lingguan said in a low voice.

Jia Cong laughed and said, "It is natural for men to get married when they are old enough, and for women to get married when they are old enough. Is there any need to be so scared? Has she found someone she likes?"

Lingguan nodded.

"Which boy is it?"

"It's Mingyan who is beside Master Bao."

"Well, that boy is quite clever. Go ahead. If both of you are willing, Ping'er will make the decision another day." Jia Cong said with a smile.

"Master, it will be too late some other day." Lingguan said bravely.

Jia Cong frowned slightly and asked, "What do you mean by too late?"

"What Ai Guan said... is too late... He asked me to ask Sister Ping'er for advice immediately. She is already pregnant with Mingyan's baby..." Lingguan said bravely.

Ah! Ping'er was startled and quickly covered her mouth. This girl is so bold.

Jia Cong was so angry that he laughed. He had just temporarily separated Siqi and Pan Youan, a pair of wild lovers, and now someone has died.

If word got out that a maid in the Grand View Garden got pregnant for no apparent reason, the mansion's reputation would be even worse.

"No! How many months has she been pregnant?" Jia Cong asked.

"They said three...three months."

Jia Cong pondered and said, "It's only been three months, and one or two days won't make it. How can it be too late? When did she tell you that?"

"This afternoon."

Could it be that the handkerchief was hers? Because she had just discovered that the handkerchief was lost and knew that something was wrong, she hurriedly asked Ping'er to take charge and leave?

Jia Cong had a guess and said, "I see. You can go."

"Yes..." Lingguan wanted to say something but hesitated. She didn't dare to say anything and just knelt there without moving.

"What else?"

Lingguan plucked up her courage and said, "Master, please have mercy on Ai Guan'er this time. She was deceived by Mingyanhua's sweet words and was confused for a moment. Please have mercy on her." She kowtowed repeatedly.

"Get up." Jia Cong looked at her unhappily and said, "You are very loyal. I taught Fang Guaner and the others a lesson last time, and it turned out to be another incident involving Xiao Xi.

Forget it, it is inevitable that someone will die in the heat of the moment, and it is understandable. Go ahead, I won’t take it seriously.”

"Master is the best. I kowtow to you on behalf of Ai Guan." Lingguan said happily.

Jia Cong said jokingly: "There are many people who kowtow to me, and I don't need you. If you want to thank me, why don't you wash my hair for me?"

"Ah? Do I need to wash my hair now? It's late at night." Lingguan looked silly.

Ping Er blushed and pushed Jia Cong, saying angrily, "Lingguan is still a child."

"What do you mean little? Ai Guan is already a mother. Please let her go for now." Jia Cong waved his hand and said with a smile, "Go away, kid, don't ask too many questions."

"Yes." Lingguan reacted, her heart pounding, and she ran away in panic with a red face.

"Come here, change your clothes."

"Where are you going, sir?" Ping'er asked hurriedly when she saw Jia Cong putting on his clothes and getting up.

Jia Cong sighed helplessly, "My master is destined to work hard. I guess Sister Feng is going crazy in the garden now. I'm afraid she will scare the little girl. It will be bad if something happens. I'll go and take a look."

"Master is not destined to work hard, you are a living Bodhisattva." Ping'er hurriedly helped him change his clothes.

"Go to bed, be careful not to catch a cold." Jia Cong hurriedly held her down. After what happened with Qingwen, he was now more cautious than Kong Ming in deploying his troops.

"Yes, sir." Ping'er smiled, full of joy.

Jia Cong put on his clothes and took a shortcut through Huifang Garden and went directly into the garden's east gate.

"Open the door quickly!" The old woman holding a lantern and leading the way knocked on the door. The sound could be heard from far away in the quiet night.

"Who is it? Madam has ordered that all doors in the garden must not be opened tonight." said the old woman on duty inside the gate.

"You are so blind that you dare to act so presumptuously in front of the Duke!"

"Ah?" The maid inside the door was startled. The door bolts and keys made a sound, and the garden gate opened with a creak. Three or four maids knelt on the ground.

"Greetings to the Duke."

Jia Cong ignored him and went along the road to Qiu Shuang Zhai.

As soon as he arrived at the place, he saw that the house was lit with red candles and was in a mess. Clothes, shoes, socks, and bedding were scattered all over the floor. The maids looked sad and stood solemnly on one side. Tanchun's face was ashen, and she sat at the table sulking.

"Third sister, what happened?" Jia Cong touched his nose. He didn't expect Feng Jieer to make such a big fuss, so he pretended to be stupid first.

Tanchun did not even stand up to greet him, and sneered, "Third brother, your Miss Feng brought people to search and search, and arrested my people, and you didn't know anything about it?"

Jia Cong frowned and said, "How could this happen? You bastard! Why did you make a scene at home for no reason? Tell me about it and I will make the decision for my virtuous sister."

Now he has been in the court for a few years. His acting skills are not only superb, but also quite skilled. At least he can fool a little girl like Tanchun without any problem.

Tanchun felt a little relieved when she saw that he did not seem to be lying, so she explained the whole story.

"…That dog of Wang Shanbao's family, relying on his master's power, dared to pull at my clothes. After I slapped him, he still dared to talk back and shout at me."

Jia Cong nodded, clapped his hands and said with a smile: "She is truly my sister! You fight well, you fight well!"

Tanchun said, "Third brother, please give me some advice on the imperial prison. Even if Ai Guan's behavior is improper and there are some prohibited items, since he is from Qiu Shuang Zhai, I should be the one to deal with whether to beat him or punish him. Why did you arrest him? Although Miss Feng followed the old lady's orders, she was too overbearing."

"Huh? Where was Ai Guan taken?" Jia Cong looked around and saw that one person was missing.

"Mrs. Feng said to lock him up in the gatehouse first and deal with him tomorrow," the maids said hurriedly.

Jia Cong smiled bitterly. It seemed that Feng Jieer's understanding of "light punishment" was quite different from his own, so he said, "It's not a big deal. Someone go to the gatehouse and bring Ai Guan back.

Send someone to tell Miss Feng to stop and come here, and also call the maids and servants from each room here. I want to borrow Third Sister's precious place to try this case at night."

"Yes!" The maids were delighted. It was not easy to see the Duke personally judge the case. It seemed that he still had to make decisions for the people. They hurriedly ran out and called people one by one.

Tanchun smiled, stood up and bowed, "Thank you, Third Brother." (End of this chapter)