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

Chapter 94. Confining Madam Wang, a fate worse than death!

"Uncle Zheng".

“I think Baoyu is old enough to understand things.”

"Why not arrange for him to marry Jin Chuan?"

Just then, Jia Yan made a suggestion with a half-smile.

"hiss!!!"

The Jia family members gasped in shock.

"No!"

Madam Wang's eyes were filled with resentment and venom; the seeds of hatred had already taken root and sprouted. Her hoarse voice echoed in Rongxi Hall: "You want to ruin my precious jade?"

It is unheard of for a noble family to take a concubine before marrying a wife. If this were to happen, it would not only affect Jia Baoyu's future marriage to his principal wife, but also his future career.

Moreover, Jin Chuan'er was a maidservant serving Lady Wang. If Jia Baoyu took her as a concubine, it would mean that he would be guilty of this crime and would never be able to recover.

"Second brother."

“Yan-ge’er is right.”

Jia She was the first to speak, agreeing with the proposal.

Judging from today's situation, Wang is stirring up trouble, and it's hard to guarantee that she won't use Jia Baoyu to influence the Jia family again in the future. It would be better to completely put an end to her plans.

"Big brother."

Jia Zheng hesitated, unable to make the decision, after all, Jia Baoyu was his own son.

"Uncle Zheng".

“Since Lin Daiyu entered the mansion, Baoyu has been bothering her many times.”

Jia Yan added two sentences casually.

'Thump!'

Everyone felt a jolt and turned their heads in unison.

"Yan-ge'er".

“You’ve made it sound like Baoyu has such wicked thoughts about his close relationship with his sisters.”

"Yu'er hasn't said anything yet, but you have the nerve to ask for this."

Grandmother Jia could no longer contain herself. If Jia Yan continued to speak, Jia Baoyu would likely be plunged into an abyss of no return.

"Grandma."

The usually taciturn and aloof Lin Daiyu stepped forward, attracting everyone's attention.

"Yu'er."

A glint of light flashed in Grandmother Jia's cloudy old eyes.

"The Lin family of Suzhou has always respected sages and valued etiquette. Baoyu and I are not close relatives, and we have only known each other for a few months. I don't know where the sisterly intimacy comes from?"

The Book of Rites, in its chapter on Marriage, states: "Respect, caution, solemnity, and correctness are essential for intimacy. This is the fundamental principle of rites, and it is what establishes the distinction between men and women and the righteousness between husband and wife. Only when men and women are distinguished can there be righteousness between husband and wife; only when husband and wife are righteous can there be affection between father and son; only when father and son are affectionate can there be proper order between ruler and subject. Therefore, it is said: Marriage is the foundation of all rites."

Oops! ! !
Everyone stared in astonishment at the slender figure in the hall.

Lin Daiyu's use of the "Book of Rites: The Meaning of Marriage" as a defense is tantamount to accusing the Jia family's Rongguo Mansion of disrespecting etiquette, which would be a serious crime in today's China.

'How dare you?'

Lady Wang stared intently at Lin Daiyu, wishing she could skin her alive. She never imagined that the Lin family girl, whom she had never thought highly of, would today put an indelible label on Jia Baoyu.

"Yu'er, why did it have to come to this?"

Grandmother Jia couldn't help but break down in tears.

“I swear in the name of the Lin family that everything I say today is true, and I will be condemned by heaven and man if I break this vow.”

Lin Daiyu was not swayed by Grandmother Jia's expression; instead, she stretched out her fair hand and swore an oath to heaven.

"evil creature!"

"How could I have given birth to such a wicked child!"

Jia Zheng was so ashamed that he couldn't say anything else.

The Jia family members present were quite impressed with Lin Daiyu; her frail body belied a fortitude and decisiveness that rivaled any man's.

"How could this happen?!"

Grandmother Jia stood there blankly, almost falling over. Yuanyang helped her to sit on the couch, her old face filled with indescribable heartache.

She originally intended to matchmake Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu, arranging a marriage between the Jia and Lin families to strengthen their ties. Little did she expect things to turn out this way. Lin Daiyu's words were undoubtedly the last straw that broke the camel's back, completely crushing Jia Baoyu to the point of no return.

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

In front of everyone, Jia Yan clapped and cheered: "Wonderful, absolutely wonderful!"

"The West Mansion is truly full of talented people, and they are all cunning and scheming. The old lady wants to strengthen the family ties through marriage, and so do others."

"Coincidentally, we all thought of the same thing, which led to a lot of filthy remarks."

"Uncle Lin is still in Yangzhou. If he knew about all this, the Lin family of Suzhou would probably have to fight with the Jia family."

"Grandma, Uncle She, Uncle Zheng, don't tell me you don't know why Lin Daiyu came to the capital."

"Some people are risking their lives, entrusting their only offspring to the West Mansion, while others are trying to take Lin Daiyu's life."

As he spoke, Jia Yan's eyes were like knives, sweeping over each member of the Jia family with a cold expression.

In the original novel, Lin Ruhai entrusted his orphaned daughter to the Jia family. Not only did the Jia family accept Lin Ruhai's gifts, but Lin Daiyu's dowry was also used to build the Grand View Garden. No one in the entire family was innocent.

In the end, Lin Daiyu died alone in Xiaoxiang Garden. Is this something a human being could do?
"Mother, Shufen."

"you."

"puff!!!"

In a fit of anger, Jia Zheng felt a surge of resentment rising in his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"master!"

"Second brother!"

Upon seeing this, everyone in the hall was shocked. Jia Zheng refused the maid's help, propped himself up on the table with one hand, and said bitterly, "How can I face Ru Hai?"

"Having given birth to such a wicked child has brought disaster to our household. I regret that I should have tolerated him and encouraged this evil practice."

"Mother, Shufen, you have ruined me."

“Since he likes it, I will arrange for him to marry Jin Chuan’er to fulfill the bond between father and son.”

"From now on, he will have no further connection with the Jia family."

"Do not!!!"

A look of despair appeared on Madam Wang's face.

"My son."

"Someone, quickly take the second master back to his room."

Seeing Jia Zheng's near-death state, Grandmother Jia could no longer worry about planning for Jia Baoyu and hurriedly gave instructions.

At this moment, everyone looked at Jia Yan with fear in their eyes; he was simply terrifying!

"I think the West Mansion is no longer suitable for Lin Daiyu to live in, so let her go to the East Mansion to keep Xichun company."

"What did my brother say?"

After glancing at Jia Zhen, Jia Yan continued.

"Second brother is right."

Jia Zhen trembled with fear and could only agree, not daring to say anything more.

"Then I'll trouble you, sister-in-law, to go ahead and help Lin Daiyu and Xichun pack their things."

"it is good."

Lady You could tell who had the most influence here, and she readily agreed.

Afterwards, Lin Daiyu and Xiao Xichun followed closely behind Madam You as they left Rongxi Hall.

"I'm not dead yet!"

Upon seeing this, Grandmother Jia's anger erupted, and she shouted angrily.

Lin Daiyu's identity is so special. She is the only child of Jia Min, the legitimate daughter of Rongguo Mansion. Instead of living in Rongguo Mansion, she lives in Ningguo Mansion. If this gets out, wouldn't Rongguo Mansion become a huge joke?

"Hahaha!"

Jia Yan laughed out loud: "I thought you were getting old and your eyesight and hearing were failing."

"You haven't said a word for so many days, and now you're saying these things, which is just ridiculous."

"Are there some things that I need to explain in detail?"

"You rejected the opportunity that was offered to you, so you can't blame others."

"Yan-ge'er".

Grandmother Jia's face was ashen, and she said coldly, "Among everyone in this mansion, you are the only good person, and none of us are good people?"

In an instant, the atmosphere in Rongxi Hall became tense. With the eldest daughter-in-law being the most senior and Jia Yan the most powerful, their confrontation was undoubtedly filled with deadly tension.

"Whether I'm a good person or not, old lady, it's not up to you to decide."

"But I know some people are definitely not good people."

With a smile on his face, Jia Yan's words directly targeted Madam Wang.

Jia Lian and his wife heard many things from Jia She and were not puzzled by them, but others might not be so. Jia Zheng's eyes were full of surprise and doubt.

"What exactly do you want to say?" Grandmother Jia's heart trembled, and a pleading look appeared on her old face.

“In the past, the eldest son of the Grand Commandant and the County Earl came to our door, saying that he had a gentle and lovely daughter and wanted to marry her to Uncle Zheng.”

“Uncle Daishan politely declined, but you persuaded him, and that's how the marriage was arranged.”

"The old lady forgot that there was another person present that day."

Jia Yan said calmly.

"Did Jing-ge tell you this?"

Grandmother Jia's expression changed drastically, regretting that she had brought it up.

"Look at her, does she look like a good person?"

Pointing at Madam Wang, Jia Yan's lips curled into a mocking smile.

'Shuh! '

Everyone looked in the direction he was pointing. The once serene and compassionate Lady Wang was now contorted with rage, her face contorted like a demon's. Her eyes burned with an undisguised resentment and hatred, as if she wanted nothing more than to kill Jia Yan.

'aunt!'

Wang Xifeng sighed inwardly, thinking, "If only I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have done it in the first place."

"Snapped!!!"

Xiaoxue struck again, her sheathed sword striking Wang Furen's cheek heavily, making it symmetrical.

"what!!!"

A shrill scream rang out in Rongxi Hall. Madam Wang's face was swollen and bruised, with blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes were fixed on Jia Yan, her gaze as sharp as a knife.

"Who dares to be insolent before Your Majesty!"

Xiaoxue's cold voice echoed in everyone's ears, sending chills down their spines.

"Hate?"

Jia Yan looked down at Madam Wang from his high position: "You remember now? Do memories from twenty years ago resurface once again?"

"Back then, you committed so many evil deeds that Aunt Min had to teach you a lesson."

"It's kind of you to remember this for so many years, now you want to get it back from Lin Daiyu."

what?
Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall widened their eyes in surprise; there was such a secret.

"Yan Ge'er"

Grandmother Jia tried to stop Jia Yan, but no one paid any attention to her.

"She's dead, but I'm still alive."

Madam Wang sneered, "Heaven has not let her off the hook. Jia Min deserves to die. Her daughter is just as despicable as she is."

"How could this kind of woman be worthy of my Baoyu? She is not worthy!"

The last three words were shouted out with all her might by Madam Wang, unleashing the resentment that had been building up for twenty years.

'They're insane! They're insane!'

The Jia family's impression of her was once again changed.

"Shufen!"

Jia Zheng could barely stand, and with great effort, he looked at the person he had been with day and night, whom he now shared a pillow with, and found him completely unfamiliar.

"Come on, come on."

Jia Yan waved to everyone and said loudly, "Let me solemnly introduce the illustrious achievements of the eldest daughter of the Wang family."

"More than twenty years ago, there was a noblewoman in Nanjing who was arrogant and domineering, and enjoyed stabbing people in the back. Many ladies from noble families suffered because of her."

"She had a bad reputation in Jinling, so her father had no choice but to take her to the capital to find a good family for her."

"Unfortunately, Aunt Min disciplined her when she was in Jinling, and this lesson became a lifelong memory."

"Grandma, did you and your great-uncle Daishan ever regret vouching for his character back then?"

Boom!

Words as loud as thunder echoed in Rongxi Hall, completely tearing away Madam Wang's virtuous facade and revealing her ugly side.

Everyone present, except Jia She, was amazed. Was this still the same 'good man'?

"puff!!!"

Jia Zheng couldn't believe it at all, but after confirming the facts with Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang, he spat out another mouthful of blood.

"Second Master!"

The maid next to her screamed in fright.

"Yuanyang, help him inside and fetch a doctor."

Grandmother Jia hurriedly gave instructions to Yuanyang.

"Yes, old lady."

Yuanyang quickly instructed the maids to help Jia Zheng into the inner room.

"Yan-ge'er".

"Are you satisfied?"

Grandmother Jia stared at Jia Yan, her words full of resentment.

"Wang."

Are you satisfied?

Jia Yan ignored Grandmother Jia and instead turned his gaze to Lady Wang.

"Do you dare kill me?"

Madam Wang gritted her teeth and questioned him angrily.

"No no no!"

Shaking his head slightly, Jia Yan smiled and said with a playful tone, "Killing people? That's too easy."

"The cruelest thing in this world is not death; living is more painful than dying."

"I know what you're thinking. It's okay, I'll let you see everything you want to see."

"Uncle She, find a courtyard, close the doors and windows, leaving only a small opening, and have someone bring in some food."

“How could Baoyu’s taking a concubine be such a big event without his biological mother present?”

“Lian’s daughter-in-law, you have ordered people to build a courtyard in the corner of the East Courtyard.”

Jia She gave Wang Xifeng a look.

"Yes."

Wang Xifeng glanced at Madam Wang with some reluctance, but still went down to prepare.

"Do not!!!"

"Kill me! Kill me!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Wang roared out in a frenzy.

"Take it down."

Jia Yan waved his hand, indicating.

"Yes."

Two sword-wielding maids escorted the dancing Lady Wang away.

The Jia family members who witnessed this moment were filled with unprecedented fear. They imprisoned Lady Wang, making her live a life worse than death. Jia Baoyu, the legitimate son whom Lady Wang regarded as her hope, was walking step by step into the abyss. How desperate this must have been for Lady Wang.

"There's something else I'd like to discuss with Uncle She and my elder brother."

"Brother Yan/Second Brother, please speak."

Jia She and Jia Zhen straightened up and listened attentively.

"According to the regulations of the dynasty, the honor of having a halberd erected in the family of a meritorious official should be the highest honor, symbolizing the wealth and status of a family of military meritorious officials."

"The two governments may not be able to stand up now, but how can we forget the glory of our ancestors?"

“If the inner court acts improperly, those who come and go will look down on it.”

With piercing eyes, Jia Yan spoke.

At the beginning of the founding of the dynasty, Emperor Taizu of the Great Qian Dynasty, imitating the Tang Dynasty, erected twenty-four halberds in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the Altar of the God of Soil and the Palace, and established a system that stipulated that families of military merit and nobles would take pride in halberds: sixteen for dukes, fourteen for marquises, twelve for earls, eight for viscounts, and six for barons.

In contrast, the stone lions in front of the civil officials' gates have curly hair. There are thirteen for the first rank, twelve for the second rank, eleven for the third rank, and ten for the fourth rank, decreasing in number. These stone lions were made under the supervision of the Imperial Household Department and are carved on a box shape, symbolizing the official seal.

Now that Jia Yan is a military marquis of the dynasty, he can naturally have fourteen halberds erected, but this is limited to the military marquis's mansion; the Ningguo mansion cannot benefit from it.

"???"

Jia She and Jia Zhen were somewhat confused.

“I have 150 female servants under my command, 50 in the West Wing and 50 in the East Wing.”

"How about these sword-wielding maids guarding the inner courtyard from now on?"

"Great!"

Jia She and Jia Zhen exchanged a glance and agreed.

"Now that today's business is finished, I won't stay any longer."

Jia Yan turned and left Rongxi Hall, leaving everyone staring at each other in disbelief.

(End of this chapter)