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

Chapter 84 questions Grandmother Jia: Is the Rongguo Mansion still the Jia family?
"Uncle She, Uncle Zheng."

"Does the Rongguo Mansion still recognize this plaque?"

Ignoring Grandmother Jia, Jia Yan directly questioned Jia She and Jia Zheng.

"The Ning and Rong prefectures are of the same blood and are closely connected."

Without a second thought, Jia She gave his answer.

"Mother."

“Every time I try to teach this wretched child a lesson, you always stop me.”

"Everyone in the household treats him like a treasure, yet they've raised such a disrespectful child."

"If you raise a child but don't teach him, it's the father's fault. I didn't teach him well, so I'm not a good father."

"I only hope that after this experience, Baoyu will repent."

Jia Zheng was filled with bitterness and dared not look at Madam Wang. He closed his eyes and replied, "Everything is as Yan-ge'er wishes."

"Clap!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Wang was overcome with rage and fainted.

"Second Madam!"

"aunt!"

Li Wan and Wang Xifeng quickly stepped forward to help Madam Wang.

"Help her into the inner room and send someone to fetch a doctor."

A hint of reluctance flashed across Jia Zheng's eyes as he gave him instructions.

"Yes."

The maids attending to her took Madam Wang and helped her into the backyard of Rongxi Hall.

Why must it be this way?

Grandmother Jia stared intently at Jia Yan with her old eyes. At this moment, it was no use for her to say anything, because Jia She and Jia Zheng had agreed. In the end, the affairs of the Rongguo Mansion were still decided by the two brothers, Jia She and Jia Zheng. She was just a woman.

The Jia family members all chose to keep quiet; no one was foolish enough to interrupt at this moment. Little Xichun, seeing Grandmother Jia so serious for the first time, was so frightened that she turned her back to her.

"Does the old lady really not know?"

Meeting Grandmother Jia's gaze, Jia Yan said, word by word, "More than a decade ago, you should have known that things would turn out this way."

"The Wang family's daughter is ignorant, but are the Duchess of Rongguo and the eldest daughter of the Duke of Shi also ignorant?"

“There are some things that cannot be said, because they concern the lives and fortunes of all the members of the Jia family’s twelve branches in Jinling and eight branches in the capital.”

'Thump! Thump!'

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia's expression changed drastically, and she staggered back several steps. Fortunately, Yuanyang supported her, otherwise she would have surely fallen to the ground.

"Ugh!!!"

Jia She sighed and said helplessly, "Mother, I didn't mention it because I didn't want to get involved."

“Indeed, you made a mistake. You shouldn’t have let that foolish woman do such a thing, to the point that everyone in the capital knows about it.”

"Born with a jade in his mouth, how are His Majesty and the Emperor Emeritus supposed to feel about that?"

"They don't care, but what about the next generation of the royal family?"

"Do you mean you want all these younger generations to die with Baoyu before you'll be satisfied?!"

boom! ! !
The entire Rongxi Hall was shocked.

Only now did Jia Zheng understand why Jia Yan was so determined to target Jia Baoyu. It wasn't just because Jia Baoyu had made outrageous remarks, but because of the rumor surrounding Jia Baoyu that he was "born with a jade in his mouth."

Jia Zhen, Jia Lian, Jia Rong, and the others were somewhat confused, and they looked at Grandmother Jia with bewildered eyes.

"This old woman"

Grandmother Jia hesitated, but how could she not understand the key point? It's just that as people get older, they sometimes can't help but have some extravagant desires.

"Ancestor."

Jia Baoyu looked at Grandmother Jia in a daze, completely unaware of what had happened, let alone that he had lost his most precious possession.

"My poor Baoyu."

Grandmother Jia stroked Jia Baoyu's head, her old face full of reluctance and worry.

"Yan-ge'er." "Me."

Jia Zheng also felt a pang of pity and looked at Jia Yan with hopeful eyes.

"After he comes of age, Zhengshu can purchase a hundred acres of fertile land in the suburbs of Jinling, build a separate courtyard for him, and let him pass on the family tradition of farming and studying."

"If he could come to his senses, participate in the imperial examination, and pass with flying colors, he might just be able to start a new lineage."

"When my great-uncle Daishan was alive, he established that the eldest son of the Rongguo Mansion would learn martial arts, while the second son would learn literature, so that both could be learned and martial arts could be carried forward and developed."

“Brother Xianzhu passed the imperial examination at a young age, and Sister-in-law Zhu is the daughter of the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy. I think Lan’er is a promising student and will surely inherit Brother Xianzhu’s legacy in the future. Uncle Zheng, why don’t you put your hopes on Lan’er and let him inherit the second branch of the family? That would be the most proper way.”

Jia Yan said calmly.

“Yan-ge’er, I thank you on behalf of Bao-yu.”

Jia Zheng knew that this arrangement was the best choice for Jia Baoyu, and he harbored no resentment towards Jia Yan; on the contrary, he was grateful.

Because he always supported the eldest son to inherit the family business. Even though he usurped Rongxi Hall with his second son, he could not change the Confucian ideas in his bones. The relationship between ruler and subject, father and son, was that Jia Zhu was his eldest son. The foundation of the second son should have been inherited by Jia Zhu. If Jia Zhu died, there was Jia Lan. When would it be the turn of the second son, Jia Baoyu? Wouldn't that disrupt the social order?

However, due to Grandmother Jia's favoritism and Lady Wang's influence, he had not made up his mind. Everyone in the mansion regarded Jia Baoyu as the sole heir of the second branch of the family and even the Rongguo Mansion.

"Lan'er."

"Quickly, kowtow to your second uncle!"

Li Wan, who was always calm and composed, took Jia Lan's small hand and gestured to her.

"Ah."

Jia Lan, bewildered, knelt down and kowtowed several times.

"Okay, get up."

Waving his hand, Jia Yan said gently, "Tomorrow morning, Cong-ge'er, Lan-ge'er, and Huan-ge'er will come to the East Mansion together."

"Notify all eligible members of the eight households in the capital to come to the East Mansion to see me."

"Rong-ge'er, summon your good-natured Jia Qiang here as well."

"Yes, Uncle."

Jia Rong was slightly taken aback, but quickly agreed.

"Thank you very much, Second Brother/Second Uncle."

The three little rascals, Jia Huan, Jia Lan, and Jia Cong, beamed with joy.

This scene amazed everyone present; they never expected that Jia Baoyu's fall would actually benefit these younger generation members.

"Yan-ge'er".

"I heard that the Imperial Household Department is still repairing the Wuhou Mansion, so it is temporarily unavailable for occupancy."

“I thought the West Mansion would be more lively with more people, so I wanted you to stay here. But Zhen-ge’er said he’s already made arrangements, so let’s not do that.”

When Grandmother Jia saw that Jia Yan was preparing to train a group of Jia family sons, her attitude softened somewhat, and she said...

"Second brother."

“The backyard is too remote, so I had Ning’an Hall cleaned up.”

"Have you been staying at Ning'an Hall well during your stay in the manor?"

Jia Zhen asked cautiously.

Before, with the old man around, he wouldn't dare do anything to Jia Yan. Now that Jia Yan is in power, he has to curry favor with him. He'd even go to Ning'an Hall, let alone You Shi, just to please Jia Yan and get some benefit from his favor.

"No need."

Jia Yan gave Jia Zhen a deep look and refused, saying, "The mansion bestowed by His Majesty is not far from Ningrong Street."

“It’s actually closer to go through the backyard. If I lived in Ning’an Hall, it would be even more inconvenient.”

"Eldest brother, you should stay in Ning'an Hall. I'll continue living in the backyard; it's quieter there."

"As you wish, Second Brother."

Jia Zhen dared not say anything more and nodded repeatedly.

Lady You breathed a sigh of relief; at least they didn't have to move. Qin Keqing's gaze swept over Jia Yan and Jia Zhen, as if she was thinking about something, while the others didn't seem to have much of a reaction.

(End of this chapter)