Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

After Jia Cong left the palace, he first summoned Zhuang Qing to wait for him with his capable men. He went straight home and sat down in the lobby. Soon Zhuang Qing arrived with his men.

"My lord, please give me your instructions."

Jia Cong looked solemn. He handed him the fake book and told him what happened in the morning court today. He asked, "What do you think?"

Zhuang Qing hesitated for a moment and said, "The key to this case lies in the seal. Since the Ministry of Rites said the seal is authentic, I wonder if your Excellency's seal is available?"

Jia Cong said: "In the inner study, take your men to investigate the scene quickly to see if there are any clues."

"Order."

Zhuang Qing led his men to Jia Cong's study in a hurry and checked it carefully. After a while, he came back and reported: "Your Excellency, after my inspection, the doors, windows and locks of the study are all intact. It has been swept and tidy, and there are no abnormal signs. The seal box is also intact.

Please open the seal box and check if the seal is still there."

Jia Cong nodded and said, "Lingsu, ask Qingwen to take out my Duke's seal box and open it in front of me."

Because he had so many seals, his official seals alone included the seal of the Duke, the seal of the Left Governor-General, the seal of the Governor of the Capital Camp, the seal of the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the seal of the Commander-in-law of the Emperor, and the seal of the General of the Rear Army which had just been issued.

They were usually kept in the government office by a designated person. Only the seal of the Duke and the seal of the imperial concubine's commander were kept at home. They were not used normally, so Jia Cong gave the keys to Qingwen for safekeeping.

"Yes."

Soon, Qingwen came out holding the seal box and opened it in front of everyone.

But there was a two-inch-high tiger-shaped seal made of red gold standing in the box, shining brightly with golden light.

Jia Cong raised his chin and motioned Zhuang Qing to check it.

Zhuang Qing stepped forward, first looked at the location of the seal, then gently took it out, looked at the bottom of the seal in the sunlight, and said, "Sir, this seal has been stolen and forged."

Qingwen's face turned pale and she looked at Jia Cong in panic. She had always kept the key to the seal box and had never shown it to anyone, so how could it have been stolen?

Jia Cong patted her hand and comforted her, "Don't panic. Don't you trust me? Maybe someone has stolen your key, or there is a way to unlock it. It's not worth mentioning."

Zhuang Qing said: "Your Excellency is right. There are some traces of gray clay on the bottom of this seal. It is obvious that someone stole it by using the clay method to steal the seal, and then remade an identical seal to frame you.

The traces are very recent, so it must have been stolen not long ago. We can start by checking the people who usually come in and out of the master's study."

Jia Cong nodded slowly, already having an idea in mind, and said, "You wait." After that, he took Qingwen back to the backyard.

In the inner hall, Jia Cong called all the girls in the family and told them what had happened.

All the women were shocked. Losing the official seal was one of the worst things, but being used as a frame-up for treason was a huge matter!

Ruyi also frowned.

Daiyu was the first one who couldn't sit still. As the housekeeper, she could not escape the blame for such a big problem in the inner study.

With a look of shame on his face, he stood up and said, "Brother Cong, I... have failed you. I didn't take good care of the family, and this happened."

Jia Cong waved his hand and said, "Pin'er, please sit down. How can I blame you for this? There are many people in my family, and sometimes there are some villains. We can't protect them.

I have just explained the matter in the Golden Palace. The Emperor ordered me to come back and investigate thoroughly before I plead guilty.

What I am worried about is not the crime I will suffer, but the fact that my family has been infiltrated. Moreover, this person can enter and leave my inner study room, so I think he is someone close to me. If such a person causes trouble, it will cause great harm. "

All the girls nodded in agreement, secretly shocked.

Baochai pondered and said, "On ordinary days, the inner study is locked. It is only opened when Cong'er is meeting guests. Apart from that, who else can go in? Who is responsible for cleaning?"

Daiyu said, "It was Ling'er and Dang'er. They came from humble beginnings with Brother Cong. They are loyal and honest, and would not do such a thing as betraying their master."

Jia Cong nodded and said, "Call the people over."

Not long after, Ling'erdang'er arrived. Seeing the master and mistress sitting upright with serious expressions, she was frightened and quickly knelt down and kowtowed to greet them.

Daiyu asked, "I'm going to ask you a question, and you must answer honestly. If you tell me even a single word falsely, even the gods cannot save you."

"Madam, please tell us the truth," they said hurriedly.

Daiyu asked, "The Duke's seal was stolen. Do you know who did it?"

The two girls were startled and almost collapsed. They were the ones who entered and left the inner study room most frequently. They kowtowed and said, "We didn't know. Madam, please investigate. Even if we have ten thousand guts, we dare not touch your seal."

Feng Jieer could not help but shouted, "Bullshit! Normally, only you guys come in and out, how dare others go in? If you didn't steal it, could the seal grow legs on its own?
In my opinion, there is no need to torture them. Just make them kneel under the scorching sun on tiles and not give them food or tea. If they keep kneeling for one day without being told, they will confess even if they are made of iron."

"Madam, please spare us. We really didn't steal it." Ling'erdang'er was already frightened and crying. Knowing that Daiyu was kind-hearted, she kowtowed and begged for mercy.

Daiyu looked at Jia Cong with some embarrassment. Although she believed these two maids, they were the most suspicious now and it was difficult for them to exonerate themselves.

Jia Cong asked, "Besides you, who else has entered the inner study?"

"No...we are responsible for taking care of it on weekdays." Ling'er cried.

"No, there is one." Cang'er suddenly remembered something and said hurriedly, "Jing'er, the maid of the third lady of the West Mansion, came to our mansion to play with us that day, but we said we didn't want to go because we wanted to clean the master's inner study.

She volunteered to help us with the work, and we agreed because we were lazy. No one else has ever gone in except her.”

"Yes, that's true." Ling'er wiped her tears and agreed.

"Jing'er? Why have I never heard of this girl?" Jia Cong frowned.

Wang Xifeng often walked around there and said, "I heard that this is the person that Madam gave to Tan Yat this Spring Festival. She is handsome and smart, and her words and actions are generous. Tan Yat trusts her very much."

"Where did you get it, ma'am?"

"She said that her aunt gave it to her because she had no one she could use."

Jia Cong smiled coldly and asked, "Ling'erdang'er, are you on good terms with her?"

The two girls nodded quickly and said, "She often treats us to fruit and snacks, and also does a lot of work for us."

"Is she just like this to you guys, or to all the girls?"

"Um...she said we didn't mean any bad things and just liked to play with us." Ling'er said hesitantly.

Jia Cong laughed in anger and cursed, "Fools! Why did she make friends with you? Isn't it because you are my people? Did she blind you with a few snacks and a few purses?"

"Master, we know we were wrong. Please have mercy on us." The two girls felt ashamed and fell to the ground to plead guilty.

Jia Cong glared at them and said, "Lingsu, bring the person here."

"Yes." Cheng Lingsu walked away quickly.

Hearing this, all the girls breathed a sigh of relief. Most likely, there was something wrong with Jing'er, the new girl in the mansion. It was better than having a traitor in their own mansion.

Daiyu glanced at Jia Cong and saw him nod slightly, so she said, "You two are not careful and careless in your work. I will deal with you later. Leave."

"Yes. Thank you, Mrs. " Ling'erdang'er hurriedly stood up and stood in the corner tremblingly.

Soon, Cheng Lingsu came in with a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl. "Master, she is the newcomer Jing'er."

"Your servant greets the Duke." Jing'er looked normal and greeted him politely.

Jia Cong glanced at her and said calmly, "Do you know why I called you here?"

"This slave doesn't know."

Jia Cong sighed and said, "I pity you because you are so young. As long as you tell the truth, I won't make things difficult for you."

Jing'er shook her head and said, "I wonder what the Duke wants me to tell you?"

Jia Cong stared at her and said, "Tell me who ordered you to break into the Jia Mansion and steal my seal."

Jing'er was silent for a moment, then asked, "Does the Duke know everything?"

Jia Cong sneered, "Everyone saw the 'anti-book' I wrote in the court today, how could I not know about it? Well, you are just a small character, I won't make things difficult for you."

Jing'er looked around and said, "This is a serious matter. If I tell the young guard who is behind this, even if he doesn't punish me, I won't be able to survive. I will only talk to the young guard alone."

Jia Cong glanced at her, hooked his finger, and said, "Come closer and tell me."

"Yes." Jing'er bowed slightly, took two steps closer, and said, "This person gave me something. The young guard will know what it is at a glance."

"Oh? What is it?" Jia Cong asked.

"Young Protector, please look..." Jing'er said as she took something out from her sleeve. Suddenly, a sharp edge flashed in her hand and pierced Jia Cong's throat.

Ah! Everyone in the room was shocked and pale.

Jia Cong snorted coldly, raised his hand to grab her wrist, twisted it gently, and with a clang, a palm-length dagger fell to the ground.

At the same time, Jing'er screamed in pain as a long and sharp blade pierced her shoulder blade. It was Cheng Lingsu who noticed something was wrong behind her and instantly drew his sword to severely injure her.

"Cong'er, are you okay?" Ruyi, Baochai and others were startled and asked hurriedly.

Jia Cong shook his head and said, "It's okay." He looked at Jing'er again and sneered, "You think you can kill me with these two tricks?"

Jing'er endured the severe pain and cursed angrily: "You bastard! If I can't kill you today, someone will kill you one day!"

Then she looked up to the sky and cried, "Dad, your daughter is useless and cannot avenge you!"

Jia Cong frowned and asked, "Who is your father? Have I ever had any grudge against your father?"

Jing'er said coldly: "You have committed many evil deeds and have committed so many crimes. Naturally, you can't remember how many people you have wrongly killed? How many people want to take your life!"

Jia Cong let go of his hand, and Cheng Lingsu used the tip of the knife to push her back two steps.

"Since you are here to avenge your father, just state it clearly so that your trip will not be in vain." Jia Cong said.

Jing'er sneered, "Do you still remember your former commander?"

"Hmm?" Jia Cong frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "Wan Jin? You are Wan Jin's daughter? Jing'er, Jing'er, I see."

Jing'er said in hatred, "Do you remember? You killed my father unjustly and ransacked my house. I only regret that I am a girl and cannot kill you."

Feng Jieer was so angry that she couldn't help but scold, "Cong'er, you are too soft-hearted. There is no point in talking to such a person. You should have cut off the roots of the grass in the first place!"

Jia Cong glanced at Jing'er and said, "You are wrong. It is precisely because you are a girl that you have the opportunity to kill me. How can a man get close to me?"

"Bah, you shameless bastard! If I can't kill you in this life, I'll come back to kill you in the next life!"

Seeing her covered in blood and her indifferent attitude towards life and death, Jia Cong felt a sudden softening in his heart. He suddenly thought of Jinse who must have looked like this that day, so he sighed, "Lingsu, bandage her wound."

"Yes." The knife flashed, Cheng Lingsu sheathed the knife, and immediately a stream of blood spurted out from the wound.

Jing'er's body softened and she fell to the ground. Cheng Lingsu undressed her and applied medicine to her wound.

Jia Cong sighed, "You were still a little girl back then, how could you understand the struggles in the court?

Your father and I have no personal grudges against each other. If there is anything to blame, it is because we have different positions. If I don't kill him, he will kill me.

Because your father is the emperor's man, and I am the emperor's man, understand? Your father and I are both knife makers, and it is not up to the knife to decide who to kill.
It's a pity that you were taken advantage of. Do you know what your father said to me when I went to your house to search it?"

Jing'er endured the pain and trembled, "What did my father say?"

Jia Cong said, "He asked me to show mercy and not to implicate his relatives, and I promised him. I didn't expect you to come to me again. Isn't this a waste of your father's efforts?"

"Dad..." Jing'er burst into tears when she heard that.

Jia Cong waved his hand and said, "Forget it. Since you are filial to your father, I won't make it difficult for you. Take Lingsu down to recuperate. After she recovers, I will give her some money to send her out."

His expression turned cold as he spoke, "But I will only spare you this time. If you dare to be my enemy again in the future, not only you, but everyone else in your Wan family will be killed! You decide for yourself whether the dead or the living are more important!"

Jing'er didn't expect that she could still survive. She said in disbelief: "You...you won't kill me?"

Jia Cong sneered, "What's the point of me killing a little girl like you? Do you think I can't find out if you don't tell me?
Go ahead, marry a good man and live a peaceful life in the future. I'm afraid the people behind you won't let you live in peace, and then you'll know how stupid you are."

Jing'er took two steps and suddenly turned back and said, "It was the East Factory. When my father got into trouble, it was the East Factory that found us and said they could help me get revenge. They asked me to join the East Factory, taught me skills, and looked for opportunities to infiltrate the Jia family."

Jia Cong asked: "The Wang family is also involved?"

Hearing his words, Feng Jieer and Baochai were both startled.

Jing'er shook her head and said, "Wang Ziteng probably doesn't know that someone informed Madam Wang and Master Wang Ren of the Wang family, and entered the mansion through Madam Xifu, and sneaked into the Third Miss's side."

Jia Cong nodded slightly and said, "Go ahead. I understand. When you recover from your injury, I will send someone to take you to live somewhere else and you won't be found by the East Factory."

Jing'er bit her lip, glanced at Jia Cong gently, and said, "Thank you."

He immediately looked at Ling'erdang'er and said apologetically, "I lied to you. I'm very sorry."

Humph. The two girls pouted and turned their heads away, ignoring her.

Jing'er shook her head and left with Cheng Lingsu.

Jia Cong was silent for a moment, then said, "Sister Feng, send someone to invite Master Wang to come over to discuss this matter."

Feng Jieer knew what was going on, so she quickly agreed and left.

Jia Cong looked at Baochai again and said, "Sister Bao, this time we can confirm that the wife of the Wang family, Wang Ren and the wife of the West Mansion were involved in this matter. Don't blame me for being ruthless."

Baochai hesitated and said, "Cong'er... I understand that managing a household is like managing an army. But as for my elder sister in the palace..."

Jia Cong said calmly, "The princess' surname is Jia, not Wang. Once I have investigated thoroughly, I will tell her and the master about this.

As for your wife, please ask Wang Ziteng to take her back himself, as the Jia family temple is too small to accommodate her."

Baochai nodded, seeing that Jia Cong had made up his mind, and would not offend him for her aunt. (End of this chapter)