Red Mansion, Ningfu Scholarly Family

Chapter 69 Young Patriarch

……

When Jia Rong returned to Ning Mansion, the house had been cleaned and Jiao Da had arranged guards on duty in various places in the mansion.

"Uncle is back."

Jiao Da saw Jia Rong and hurried forward.

Jia Rong asked, "How are the guard arrangements going?"

When you first arrive, safety is of course your first priority.

Jiao Da laughed and said, "Another thirty guards have been transferred from the ship. Everything has been arranged."

"That's good."

Jia Rong lived in the east wing of the Ning Mansion, and most of the guards were stationed near this area. The rest of the place remained the same as before.

"Uncle, several relatives here have said they want to meet you and welcome you." Jiao said with a big laugh.

The relatives of the second branch of Ning Rong are all in the capital, and the relationship between them and the twelfth branch is even more distant, almost unrelated.

Commonly known as distant relatives.

But after all, they all have the surname Jia.

And Jia Rong is the "young patriarch".

As for Jia Zhen... he was lying on his sickbed, and he was powerless even though he wanted to be the young patriarch.

Jia Rong had no choice but to take over the responsibility.

"Invite them to the mansion. I'll host a banquet tonight."

Jiao Dadao: "No preparations have been made. I'm afraid it's too late to prepare a banquet now."

Jia Rong said, "Then go to the restaurant and ask for it to be delivered directly to your house."

Jiao Da agreed and went down to prepare.

It’s time to hold the lamp.

The courtyard of Ningguo Mansion was already full of people. All the twelve families of Jinling had come, including those of the generation with the character "代" (dai) and those of the generation with the character "文". What was even more shocking was that there was an old man named Jia Qing, who was actually of the same generation as the old Duke.

I don't know how the seniority is arranged here.

If we invite him back to the capital, Lady Jia will have to call him "Uncle" when she sees him.
So Jia Qing was undoubtedly pushed to the seat of honor.

Jia Qing was trembling and unwilling to sit down. He looked at Jia Rong and said, "This is the seat that the young clan leader should sit in. It is wrong for me to sit here."

Jia Rong said, "You are the oldest, so just sit down."

"Then, I will sit down?"

"Please sit down."

The others also advised: "Young Patriarch asked you to sit down, so please sit down."

Only then did Jia Qing sit down carefully.

Jia Rong sat down at the bottom.

One of them, a middle-aged fat man with a ruddy face and dressed in silk, spoke first and said with a smile: "Thank you, Chief, thank you, Young Chief, for still thinking about us old relatives. Chief is too busy with official duties to come here, so we offer a glass of wine to Young Chief.

The rest of the crowd quickly agreed.

"Yes, thank you, Chief Patriarch, and thank you, Young Chief Patriarch."

"It is with the help of the clan leader and the junior clan leader that our family is prosperous today!"

The scene was lively for a while.

Jia Rong also drank a few glasses of wine, then stopped drinking, using the excuse that he couldn't hold his liquor.

Of course, everyone did not dare to persuade them, but laughed and said:
"Young Patriarch Hailiang."

"We were all drunk, too."

"Put aside the wine, and have some tea."

Jia Rong smiled and said, "No, I am young and cannot drink much. Uncles and aunts, just continue to drink."

Everyone said, "Young Patriarch, please don't blame us. We are really drunk. If we continue eating, we will make a fool of ourselves in front of you."

"Yeah, yeah, I really can't eat any more."

So under everyone's strong insistence, the banquet was removed and replaced with tea.

Everyone started chatting about family matters.

Jia Rong smiled and said, "Grandpa is always thinking about our hometown. When he came here, he told everyone to tell me if they have any difficulties. I will do what I can do, and if I can't do it, I will go back to Beijing to ask Grandpa for instructions."

Everyone was so moved that tears filled their eyes.

"The clan leader is in a high position and has worked hard for the country, but he still remembers us country folk."

"The clan leader is kind and righteous!"

"but……"

Jia Rong spoke again. Everyone stopped talking and listened attentively.

"What Grandpa is most concerned about is the academic performance of the disciples in the clan. Has anyone achieved success?" Jia Rong asked with a smile.

"This……"

Everyone looked at each other, and their old faces couldn't help but blush.

Jia You from the third branch of Jinling was a student, and his knowledge was the best here. He said with shame: "I am sorry that my younger disciples are useless, and I have embarrassed the young clan leader. No disciples in the clan have passed the imperial examination yet."

Jia Rong was not surprised by this.

He had experienced the difficulty of passing the imperial examinations. He started studying at the age of five or six, and Jia Jing taught him step by step. He took the county examination at the age of thirteen, and achieved imperial examinations at the age of fifteen, which was already superior to his peers.

"Is there anyone who wants to go to school?"

"Have."

The middle-aged fat man in silk clothes smiled and said, "My son is already studying in the county school...but he is not very capable."

Just now, Jia Rong knew from the casual chat that this person was Jia Shou from the fifth branch of the Jia family in Jinling. He married a girl from the third branch of the Xue family. The family had some assets and was considered a wealthy family in Jinling.

Jia Rong said solemnly: "My uncles and aunts, you still need to urge the younger generation to study hard. If anyone achieves fame in the future, they can come to the capital. The master will naturally arrange for them to study in the Imperial Academy. It is not impossible for them to become officials in the future!"

Everyone was immediately moved to tears of gratitude.

"Don't worry, Young Clan Leader. When we return, we will urge the younger generation to study hard and live up to the expectations of the Clan Leader and Young Clan Leader!"

The dinner was naturally a great pleasure for both the guests and the hosts, and it lasted until the second watch before everyone dispersed.

There is one thing that Jia Rong is also quite curious about.

Why doesn't anyone mention Jia Zhen?

……

The east wing of Ningguo Mansion.

When Jia Rong entered the room fanning himself, he found two maids making a fire, filling the whole yard with smoke.

Xiaoxiao sat aside and watched the show with a smile on her face. It was a typical case of an older girl bullying the new younger girl. The younger girl had no place to complain and could only endure the injustice.

"You've just arrived and you're already bullying people?"

Xiao Xiao pouted: "Even if I don't bully you, you will bully me anyway, so why don't I bully you first?"

Jia Rong was very puzzled.

"Why would I bully them?"

It was only his first day here, and he was not familiar with the maids here, so how could he bully others casually? Although these two maids were indeed good-looking, Jia Rong was not the kind of person who liked every one he met.

Xiao Xiao smiled and said, "Then should I ask them to leave?"

"Ah."

Jia Rong nodded.

"Remember to close the door."

"Let's play with swords."

"Is it okay today?"

"Um……"

……

The news that the eldest son of the Minister of War was coming to Nanjing spread within a day. On the next morning, old relatives came to visit his house. There were also some local officials and gentry in Nanjing, and even the Nanjing Jiedushi sent people to invite him.

But everyone came up empty-handed.

Jia Rong has boarded the ship again and is heading for Yangzhou.

The main focus is efficiency.

Come and go without a trace.

Yangzhou, the Salt Inspectorate’s Office.

Lin Ruhai was holding a note in his hand with a deep frown on his face.

half an hour.

Lin Ruhai slowly said, "Is the news accurate?"

Zhuge Lan said: "Since Dongfang Zi said so... then it's almost certain!"

Lin Ruhai said: "A small military governor is so arrogant that he dares to take the tax silver. I'm afraid there are other people involved!"

Zhuge Lan sneered: "Of course!"

Lin Ruhai said, "Then why don't we use the same trick to lure them out? But I don't have the authority to mobilize the troops in Yangzhou. If I rely solely on the salt soldiers, I'm afraid it won't be enough to accomplish the task, and it may even backfire."

……

(End of this chapter)