Dream of the Red Chamber: I can upgrade my entries!

Chapter 12 The Second Master Yan of the Eastern Mansion: His Arrogance Shocks Everyone!
"Go and have a look."

With a gentle pull on the reins, Jia Yan's black horse galloped towards the Rongguo Mansion.

"Yes."

Twelve personal guards followed on horseback, arriving together in front of the Rongguo Mansion.

"Ta-ta-ta! Ta-ta-ta!"

The crisp sound of horses' hooves drowned out the arguing of the old women and servants, drawing everyone's attention.

"Second Master Yan".

The gatekeepers of Rongguo Mansion recognized the handsome young man before them and quickly bowed.

Lately, Jia Yan has been frequently visiting the Ningguo Mansion, and all the servants in both mansions know about it, fearing that they might offend their master one day.

"The commotion in front of the mansion, are they trying to completely disgrace the West Mansion?"

Jia Yan, seated on horseback, looked down at everyone present.

"Don't dare."

Immediately, the gatekeepers were so frightened that they kowtowed to the ground. If this were to happen, not to mention that they were just servants, even the masters of the mansion would probably be unable to handle such a huge mess.

Where is the person in charge?

"Second Master Yan".

A well-dressed, round-faced middle-aged woman stepped forward and explained, "It's not that we're making a fuss here, it's just that..."

"Open the gate."

However, Jia Yan didn't even glance at her, and said coldly.

"This"

All the gatekeepers and servants of the Rongguo Mansion present looked at the middle-aged woman, after all, she was Lady Wang's personal attendant and had been arranged to come and fetch Lin Daiyu.

The middle-aged woman's expression changed slightly, but she forced a smile and said, "Second Master Yan, this is the Rongguo Mansion."

"Snapped!!!"

Before she could finish speaking, Jia Yan lashed out with his whip.

"what?!"

The middle-aged woman was struck in the face by the whip, her skin torn open and bleeding profusely.

"You dog, how dare you speak to me like that?"

"Guards, drag her away and give her thirty lashes to teach her who the master is."

Jia Yan displayed an overbearing attitude, suppressing everyone present so that no one dared to utter a sound.

"Yes."

Yang Qin and Guan Ye stepped forward and dragged the middle-aged woman aside. Without saying a word, they lashed her with their riding whips.

"what?!"

The sounds of wailing and screaming rose and fell, and all the gatekeepers and servants trembled with fear.

The middle-aged woman was none other than Zhou Rui's wife, Lady Wang's personal maid. She was a prominent figure among the servants of the two households. Now, she was being wantonly whipped. Seeing her miserable state, who wouldn't be terrified?

"There are still people who think that I can't manage the affairs of the West Mansion. If you want, feel free to speak up. I'd like to know if the Rongguo Mansion is still the Jia family's territory."

Looking around at everyone, Jia Yan said expressionlessly, "You dare to neglect Uncle Lin's daughter?"

"Why aren't you opening the main gate to welcome Miss Lin in? Do you expect me to personally ask Uncle She to do it?"

"Don't dare, don't dare."

The gatekeepers of Rongguo Mansion bowed and scraped as they entered and opened the main gate. With the previous example right before their eyes, they had no intention of trying the whip.

After this incident, all the servants realized that Jia Yan was different from any of the masters in the two mansions; this man looked like a ruthless killer.

"Squeak! Squeak!"

And so, the main gate of Rongguo Mansion slowly opened to both sides, and the servants carried the sedan chairs to enter the mansion, while the young servants carried the boxes and followed from the left and right side gates.

Lin Daiyu, sitting in the sedan chair, heard everything clearly. The arrogant voice caught her attention, and she quietly lifted a corner of the curtain, her clear, watery eyes peeking outside. She happened to meet Jia Yan's eyes, and a cry of surprise rang out from inside the sedan chair. The curtain was quickly pulled back down.

"interesting."

Jia Yan also noticed Lin Daiyu, but she had a small face and eyes that resembled those of a small animal that had just left home—sensitive, suspicious, and somewhat afraid.

At this time, Lin Daiyu was only 10 years old, a mere child, and it was impossible to foresee the beautiful, talented, aloof, and arrogant woman she would later become. "Master."

Seeing that it was getting close to noon, Dong Yong quickly called out.

"Ah."

Jia Yan then came to his senses, nodded, and ordered, "Let's go back to the manor first."

"I reckon there'll be some excitement to watch later."

"Yes."

Twelve guards escorted Jia Yan into the backyard of the Ningguo Mansion. The horses were put into the stables, and they began their lunch.

The Rongguo Mansion is separated from the Ningguo Mansion by a wall.

Inside Rongqing Hall, a lively group of women sat on a soft couch at the head of the table. Though her face was aged, her temperament was as elegant as an orchid. Her wrinkles were etched with the vicissitudes of time, and her deep-set eyes reflected a wise gaze that had seen through the world.

"old lady!"

A sudden sound came from outside the hall, shattering the harmonious atmosphere. An old woman, looking flustered, rushed into Rongqing Hall, knelt down without a word, and cried out with a mournful face, "Zhou Rui's wife! Zhou Rui's wife!"

What happened to Zhou Rui's wife?

Sitting to the left of Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang gently twirled her prayer beads and asked a question with a calm expression.

"lady."

The old woman hesitated before replying, "I'm afraid Zhou Rui's wife is no longer able to make it."

'what? '

His words caused a stir throughout the room.

"What did you say?"

Madam Wang put down her prayer beads, her eyes flashing with a cold, sharp light as she stared intently at the old woman before her.

"Zhou Rui's wife was whipped thirty times, and her breathing became weak."

The old woman added cautiously.

"Snapped!!!"

Madam Wang slammed her hand on the table, her previously indifferent face now contorted with anger: "Who dares to act so presumptuously in the Rongguo Mansion?"

In both the upper and lower mansions of the Jia family, everyone knew that Zhou Rui's wife was her personal maid. She was quite tactful and opportunistic, and she managed the ladies' travel arrangements. Her husband, Zhou Rui, was in charge of the income and expenditure of the Ningguo Mansion's land rent and estate. Now, she had been whipped thirty times.

Even an ordinary, strong adult would fall seriously ill after being whipped like this, let alone a woman. Isn't this going to kill her?
'Huh?'

The expressions of the people in the hall varied, while Madam Xing's lips curled slightly upward, as if she were watching a show.

"Replying to Madam."

"Yes, yes, Second Master Yan."

The old woman, kneeling on the ground with her head bowed, uttered a name.

"Asshole."

"There has never been an extra second master in the mansion."

Lady Wang thought the old woman was mocking her, and her anger grew even stronger.

Others were a little apprehensive. In the Rongguo Mansion, only Jia Lian and Jia Baoyu could be called Second Master, so where did this Second Master Yan come from?

"old lady."

"The Second Master of the Eastern Mansion, named Yan."

Yuanyang, the head maidservant of Grandmother Jia, gave a reminder.

She was a household slave. Her father, Jin Cai, and her mother guarded the old Jia family mansion in Jinling. Her elder brother, Jin Wenxiang, was a purchasing agent in the household of Grandmother Jia. She remembered everything about the Jia family, from top to bottom, in both mansions.

'Second Master Yan of the Eastern Mansion?'

For a moment, everyone present showed surprise and doubt, because these women of the Jia family had never seen Jia Yan before.

Jia Yan was the second legitimate son of Ningguo Mansion, the biological son of Jia Jing, and a full sibling of Jia Zhen and Jia Xichun. He was raised in the backyard from a young age. Not to mention them, even Grandmother Jia had never seen him. The only people from Rongguo Mansion who had seen Jia Yan were Jia She and Jia Zheng, and that was many years ago at a grand clan ceremony.

Suddenly, Jia Yan appeared before them, outside the Rongguo Mansion, and ordered someone to whip Zhou Rui's wife thirty times.

　Some clueless people are arguing about this chapter, saying Lin Daiyu should have used the side gate. What side gate? A side gate is just a corner gate. Look at the main gate and the middle gate (or second gate/hanging flower gate). The middle gate is the main entrance. It's used for palace officials, receiving imperial decrees, the main wife's entrance, and distinguished guests. The main gate is where the master of the house usually enters and exits. The corner gate is for servants and those of lower status. Anyone with a brain can see that Lin Daiyu is one of the most important in-laws, with four generations of marquises in the Lin family. Is she on the same level as Xue Baochai? It's perfectly normal for Xue Baochai's family to use the corner gate. If Lin Daiyu doesn't use the main gate, why would she? If you don't understand, just Google it.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)