Dream of the Red Chamber: Start by gaining Zhao Yun's martial prowess, and be ennobled in a sin

Inside Rongqing Hall,

As soon as Jia Jing finished speaking, it was as if a huge stone had been thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a stormy sea.

Everyone present was visibly shaken, especially Madam Zhu, whose face turned deathly pale and who was terrified, speechless for a moment.

The Wang family is no longer around?

What makes you say that?

Madam Wang, Aunt Xue, and Sister Feng were all deeply shocked. For some reason, when they looked at the aloof young man sitting high in the hall, cold sweat suddenly appeared on their foreheads.

Yuan Chun listened from the side, a look of bewilderment and surprise appearing on her beautiful face.

Because these words were spoken by Jia Jing, no one doubted their authenticity!

At this moment, everyone held their breath and looked at Jia Jing, whose face was cold and aloof. Even the aged face of Grandmother Jia showed solemnity as she asked urgently:

"Jing-ge'er, what do you mean by that? What happened to the Wang family?"

Although Grandmother Jia did not particularly like the Wang family, the four great families of Jia, Shi, Wang, and Xue had been related by marriage for a hundred years and were of one blood; this was by no means an empty phrase!

She absolutely did not want to see any major changes happen to the Wang family!

"Yes! Jing... Brother, wasn't Pan'er's uncle already dismissed from his post? Has he committed some other crime?"

Aunt Xue's fair face was filled with panic, and the faint crow's feet at the corners of her eyes gathered. She couldn't help but ask.

"Could it be that my own brother was also involved in today's attack on the eldest son of the illegitimate family? Did he hear that I and Baoyu were bullied in the Jia family and, feeling resentful, secretly commit such a heinous act?"

Madam Wang's expression shifted, her heart filled with shock, fear, and confusion, but at this moment she clearly had no right to speak.

Baochai's face, as delicate as a pear blossom, showed a somber expression, and she let out a soft sigh.

Tan Chun's beautiful eyes showed a thoughtful expression, and she pursed her lips and said:

"Father just said that an account book was found in the Fang residence, and the Imperial City Guard is arresting people all over the city. Could it be that Uncle is in that account book?"

Jia Jing remained calm, his gaze sweeping over the vibrant faces in the hall, each one as beautiful as a blooming peach or plum tree. He then began to speak:

"Third sister is right! I found an account book in the Fang residence, which records all those who have business dealings with the Fang family!"

"Wang Ziteng's name is on it. After being dismissed from his post, he has been lobbying everywhere to try to be reinstated. He gave Fang Congzhe 25,000 taels of silver in two installments. The evidence is conclusive; the amount, the people involved, the dates, and the testimonies all match up!"

"Wang Ziteng has now been imprisoned by the Imperial City Guard and is confessing to the bribery. The Wang family is also being searched by the Imperial City Guard to investigate the source of the embezzled funds and recover the illegal gains in accordance with the law."

"As for the Wang family... all members of the family, young and old, are under surveillance in the backyard of their residence, their movements restricted, awaiting further processing!"

"If it turns out to be just simple bribery, that's fine. But if there's suspicion of 'forming cliques and disrupting the government,' and they're labeled as 'traitors,' then the immediate punishment will be 'immediate execution, wife and children enslaved, and property confiscated by the government.'"

"However, regardless of the outcome, the Wang family is utterly finished after this incident!"

In fact, in the Han Dynasty's officialdom, giving money was a minor matter.

However, this was during a period when the cases of factionalism and assassination occurred simultaneously, and the entire capital city was under a crackdown. When Wang Ziteng's name appeared in Fang Congzhe's account book at this time, he was caught in the crossfire.

Upon hearing this, Zhu was struck dumb, trembling with fear. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared in terror at the indifferent-looking young man before her, her lips trembling unconsciously with fear.

Both Sister Feng and Aunt Xue's expressions changed drastically, and they stared blankly at Jia Jing, looking flustered.

Yuan Chun, Ying Chun, Xiang Yun, and the others were also so shocked that they couldn't speak... This was too horrifying!

Madam Wang kept her head down, her heart heavy with resentment, and the hatred in her eyes was almost uncontrollable. This matter was related to the eldest son of the concubine!

Not content with bullying her and Baoyu in the mansion, they even harmed her own family!

Sending a little silver is no big deal. The Jia family has been bribing the palace for years, and there's never been any talk of them being punished or even having their property confiscated and being executed!

Is there any justice in this world?

It's hard to say whether it was the eldest son's illegitimate son who deliberately sabotaged the affair, framing and harming his own elder brother!

They already had a conflict, so this was a perfect opportunity for them to take revenge!

For a moment, Rongqing Hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; it fell into an eerie silence.

Even when Grandmother Jia and Jia Zheng suddenly heard that the Wang family, one of the four great families, had fallen to such a state, their faces turned pale, their bodies turned cold, and they couldn't utter a single word!

Before, when they heard about who had been arrested or who had been apprehended, they didn't feel it deeply because it hadn't happened to them personally, and they always had a certain composure as detached bystanders.

But now that the Wang family is in trouble and Prince Teng has been imprisoned, his familiar relatives and friends may be beheaded, have their property confiscated, or be exiled as slaves. This makes him somewhat empathetic and understand the severity of the situation outside.

Zhu fell to the ground with a thud, slapping her thigh and crying out.

"I told him not to send it, not to send it, but the master insisted on sending it. He went around trying to find connections and almost spent all the family's savings. He even took money from my dowry."

"Now look what's happened! I didn't get the official position and my whole family is ruined! Why is my life so miserable, having to marry into the Wang family..."

Everyone: "..."

Inside the hall, everyone looked at each other, their hearts filled with fear, yet they found it all somewhat grotesquely comical.

After a long pause, Grandmother Jia's expression shifted, suppressing her surprise and doubt, and carefully chose her words before asking:

"Jing-ge'er, this matter has been entrusted to you by the palace. What do you think about Bao-yu's uncle... how will the court handle it?"

Sister Feng and Aunt Xue also stared intently at Jia Jing, their lips moving and their eyes filled with concern. They wanted to ask Jia Jing for help, but they dared not speak up easily.

Jia Jing said expressionlessly:

"It's too early to say. Firstly, it depends on whether other crimes are uncovered, and secondly, it depends on His Majesty's decision!"

With the Imperial City Guard in place, Jia Jing avoided getting involved with people like Wang Ziteng, who were related to the Jia family by marriage, as much as possible. He didn't want to get involved and was unwilling to interfere.

After thinking for a moment, Grandmother Jia hesitated before continuing to ask:

"Will this matter concerning Wang's uncle affect Baoyu's... and the future marriages and prospects of his eldest and third daughters?"

Compared to the fate of the Wang family, Grandmother Jia's first thought was about the impact this matter would have on Baoyu and the others.

Jia Jingdao;

"If it's just bribery, then it won't have much impact. If it's a charge of being a traitor, as a relative of a disgraced official, it will have some effect on one's reputation, but otherwise, it won't have much of an impact!"

"Of course, with me in the Jia family, I won't be a problem for my eldest sister and third sister."

That being said, in Jia Jing's opinion, Wang Ziteng's matter probably does not qualify as "forming cliques".

After all, Wang Ziteng was no longer an official or held any position, so it was unlikely that he would be convicted of one of the "Ten Evils" for simply giving away silver.

The final result will likely be a conviction for bribery.

In addition to the punishment of "one hundred strokes of the cane and three years of penal servitude," Wang Ziteng himself will be "posthumously stripped of his official rank and never to be employed again."

His son was removed from his official post due to his privileged status, his career was hindered, his family property was confiscated, and he was unable to atone for his crime with money.

At this moment, Zhu Shi, who had been crying and wailing in the hall, suddenly spoke up to Grandmother Jia and Jia Jing, pleading:

"Grandma, Duke Jing, the Jia and Wang families have been related by marriage for generations, with a century-old friendship and close ties. You must help us think of a way to resolve this matter; we can't let the Wang family just end up like this!"

"Pan-ge'er's mother, Feng-jie, please put in a good word for us! The Wang family is your maternal family..."

For once, Madam Zhu was wise enough not to ask Madam Wang for help!

Upon hearing this, Aunt Xue and Sister Feng's fair faces flashed with worry. Their expressions changed slightly as they looked at Jia Jing expectantly, their lips moving slightly.

However, before they could speak, Jia Zheng sighed and spoke first:

"Although Jing-ge'er is currently in charge of all affairs, big and small, in the capital, all the civil and military officials are watching him closely. His responsibilities are heavy, and we cannot act rashly regarding Bao-yu's uncle's matter!"

Upon hearing this, Tan Chun, her bright eyes beneath her delicate willow-leaf eyebrows thoughtful, softly said:

"More than two hundred officials were arrested tonight. If we make an exception for my uncle, it will be difficult to convince the public!"

"Furthermore, the Imperial City Guard is involved in this matter, and the Emperor in the palace must know about it. If Third Brother were to act out of favoritism and pervert the law, I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to explain himself to the Emperor, and he might even implicate himself!"

Seeing that Jia Jing hadn't even spoken yet, Madam Wang felt a heavy gloom settle over her heart as her dim-witted husband and ungrateful illegitimate daughter voiced their opposition in unison.

Is this eldest son from a concubine really to their liking? They'll always consider his feelings, speak up for him, and side with outsiders all the time!