Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 244: Rong Guo Cannot Escape Blame (Happy New Year)
Rongguo Mansion.

Lai Da was only forty years old, and had been the chief steward of the Rongguo Mansion for more than ten years thanks to his close relationship with his mother and the old lady.

His brother Lai Er also relied on the old lady's seniority and power to take the position of chief steward of Ningguo Mansion.

Although at the beginning, Master Zhen of the East Mansion had some complaints about this, but because of the old lady's seniority, Master Zhen had to listen to her.

The most respectable and powerful servants in the Ning and Rong mansions belong to the Lai family.

The younger generations in the two mansions, such as Jia Qiang, would respectfully address Lai Da as "Grandpa Lai" when they saw him.

Relying on the power and influence of the Ning, Rong and Jia families, the Lai family has accumulated huge wealth over the years.

He also built the luxurious Lai Mansion in Chunhefang near Ningrong Street.

The Lai brothers were in charge of the Ning and Rong mansions, but they were selfish and took advantage of the situation. Although all the family affairs of the two mansions seemed to be well-organized on the surface, there were actually many loopholes.

But when they got home, the two brothers managed the Lai Mansion inside and out so well that it was even more orderly and strict than the Ning and Rong Mansions that they personally managed.

Cannibalize the master's family and enrich oneself.

People in the two governments were not the only ones who could see the secret.

A person as shrewd and experienced as Wang Xifeng, who is proficient in the art of housekeeping, can more or less see the basis of this.

When Nanny Lai invited Lady Jia to visit her shabby garden, Wang Xifeng said coldly that it was okay for her to come, but there was no need for courtesy, and her disdain was obvious.

What I mean is that the wealth of your Lai family was only obtained by swiping from the Jia family. The Jia family came to your house and gave you gifts. You can't afford to lose face.

As there were many young members of the Jia family in the mansion, Lai Da was somewhat afraid of the man in front of him.

Because this Third Master Cong was not as polite to him as the other children of the Jia family, but he never spoke in a polite manner.

That kind of lukewarm, neither humble nor arrogant attitude always made Lai Da feel uncomfortable.

However, Lai Da never dared to show the slightest dissatisfaction. Having been able to sit firmly in the position of steward of Rongguo Mansion for more than ten years, he was certainly not a fool.

This Third Master Cong is completely different from Second Master Lian, Second Master Bao and other members of the Jia family.

He was originally just a bastard who was abandoned by his biological father and almost died, but he managed to pass the imperial examination and became an official in his teens.

I heard that he could go to the palace to meet the emperor every few days, and that he was a person that even the emperor valued.

He is also a famous talent. The things he has done in recent years and the abilities he has shown have made Lai Da realize that he is not a master to be trifled with.

Therefore, Lai Da always kept his distance from Jia Cong, never getting close to him or offending him.

But today Lai Da was a little surprised. Jia Cong suddenly came to him and brought the second master's instructions.

It is said that the East Palace was searched by imperial order, and all the servants in the East Palace have been detained by the Imperial Guards for their involvement in the crime.

Lai Ziran knew about this matter. His brother was questioned by the Dali Temple a few days ago, and the rest of the servants might have been implicated as well.

Now the Second Master asked him to bring the people from the West Mansion over to help with the aftermath, which actually sounded normal.

But the people he was asked to bring over sounded a little strange. They were all managers like Wu Xindeng, Dai Liang and Qian Hua.

Lai Da had a smile on his face. Jia Cong was different today, so he did not dare to offend him easily. He asked:
"Third Master, the East Mansion is being raided and needs to be cleaned up. I can just bring some smart servants with me. Why do we need to send so many people?"

When Jia Cong heard what he said, his face fell: "This is the order of the Second Master. The family business in the East Palace is huge, and a few servants can't do anything.

Butler Lai is very powerful now. It seems that the second master's words are not trustworthy and he can't order you around.

Why don't I go report to the old lady and see if the old ancestor can control you!"

Lai Da's face changed when he heard this. When the other gentlemen in the mansion met him, they all gave him some face and discussed everything with him.

Only Master Cong Sanye was a cold-hearted person who did not play by the rules at all. He turned hostile immediately when I asked him just one more question.

If we report this to the old lady, things will become a big deal.

Although the second master does not usually take charge of affairs, he is the nominal head of the Rong Mansion.

The old lady usually dislikes the eldest master, but she loves the second master very much. If she feels that she has offended the second master.

I can't afford to be blamed by the old lady.

It's just a matter of bringing people over to deal with it. It's not a big deal and there's no need to make trouble.

He immediately apologized with a smile, "Third Master, look at what you are saying. There is no need to alarm the old lady for such a small matter. Lai Da was too talkative just now. I will go and call someone." Jia Cong frowned and said, "I will wait here. When you have gathered everyone, follow me to the East Palace immediately. Don't keep the Second Master waiting for too long."

Lai Da saw that Jia Cong was full of impatience and seemed too lazy to even look at him. Although he was unhappy, the only doubt he had before disappeared.

……

Ningguo Mansion, Conglu Hall.

The eunuchs in charge of checking in the palace made a list of all kinds of property in the mansion, and then the Jinyiwei classified the calligraphy and paintings, antiques, collectibles, treasury silver, etc. and loaded them onto trucks.

Because of the presence of the eunuchs from the Imperial Chariot Department and the inspectors from the Dali Temple, none of the usually domineering Jinyiwei captains dared to make a fortune during the raids.

Jia Zheng felt indescribably sad as he watched dozens of large carts driving out of the west corner gate of the East Palace, carrying away the gold, silver and other valuables accumulated by generations in the Ningguo Mansion.

Many of the descendants of the six branches of the Jia family gathered on Ningrong Street and lined up on both sides of the street to witness with their own eyes the scene of the Ningguo Mansion being completely confiscated.

Among them, the concubine's son who belonged to the Ningguo lineage was extremely depressed.

In the past, these brothers who were given houses in Ningguo lived a carefree life, but they still had the support of the main branch of Ningguo behind them.

During the four festivals every year, Ningguo Mansion would distribute generous gifts. Either for personal use or to sell, the total amount would be a considerable sum of money, enough to provide for one's basic needs.

The Ningguo Mansion was stripped of its title and confiscated. Their greatest support was lost. They could no longer flaunt their status as descendants of nobles, and were no different from ordinary people.

For the Ningguo children who relied on the legacy of their ancestors and spent their days doing nothing, this was like a bolt from the blue.

Just when they were feeling uneasy, they saw Jia Cong and a group of servants from Rongguo Mansion entering Ningguo Mansion one after another. Many people were a little surprised.

In the crowd, Zhou Ruijia looked at Jia Cong who was leading the way in front of her, feeling an indescribable worry in her heart.

When Lai Da sent someone to call her, Zhou Rui's wife was in Lady Wang's room. Lady Wang thought it was arranged by her master and didn't take it seriously.

But when Zhou Ruijia found out that it was Jia Cong who sent them to the East Palace, they began to feel that something was wrong, but they couldn't tell what was wrong.

It was not until General Lai brought more than a dozen long-time servants of Rong State into Conglu Hall that she realized that the atmosphere here was slightly wrong.

In addition to the second master of the mansion, there were also several unfamiliar officials, and outside the hall stood a group of ferocious-looking imperial guardsmen.

The second master, who was always kind to others, was staring at them with an angry face.

Many people have sensed that something is not right. Even a woman like Zhou Ruijia feels weak in her calves.

Lai Da asked timidly, "Master, I wonder what matters we need to take care of. Please tell me."

Jia Zheng said angrily, "You dogs and slaves, the Jia family has been supporting you for generations, and it would be fine if you didn't know how to repay them, but you actually did such a wicked thing!"

Jia Cong, who was standing by, said to Yang Hongbin coldly, "All the people involved in the case files of the Dali Temple are here, not one is missing!"

Yang Hongbin shouted to a captain in imperial uniform guarding outside the hall: "Capture them all!"

When Lai Da heard this, he collapsed to the ground. He suddenly thought of his brother's fate and seemed to have guessed something.

He looked at Jia Cong with resentment, knowing that he had been tricked by him.

I have been planning for half my life in the Jia family and finally lived a wealthy life like a master, but now I am afraid that everything is over.

Prince Beijing Shui Rong, Guo Youchang and others who witnessed this scene all looked at Jia Cong with complicated eyes.

In fact, it is not very difficult to deal with these old servants from aristocratic families in Rongguo Mansion.

However, these people have been servants in the Jia family for generations and have wide-ranging connections, so it would be a troublesome task to arrest them.

Once the news gets out, it is possible that some of these well-informed slaves will escape early to avoid punishment.

A man like Jia Cong came up with such a trick in a hurry to deceive the world and make these cunning old servants come to his door voluntarily.

Moreover, he personally went into the West Palace and tricked the person out, doing it with ease and without revealing any flaws. This could not have been done without some kind of mental tricks.

Those young men who had gathered on Ningrong Street to watch the search in the East Palace were about to leave with sad hearts.

Suddenly, a large number of Jinyiwei rushed out of the East Palace, escorting a dozen men and women with depressed looks.

Many onlookers recognized that one of them was Lai Da, the chief steward of Rongguo Mansion, and the others were also prominent servants of Rongguo.

There was an uproar in the crowd. Could it be that the Ningguo Mansion was ransacked and something happened to the Rongguo Mansion as well?
Some of the clan members who were quick-witted had already run to Rongguo Mansion to inquire about what was going on, and the strange scene happening before their eyes was quickly spread to Rongguo Mansion.

(End of this chapter)