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

Lady Wang knew this was a tried-and-true trick to deal with Jia Zheng; as long as the name of the prematurely deceased Jia Zhu was mentioned, Jia Zheng would give in.

Upon hearing this, Li Wan, who was standing nearby, also thought of her deceased husband and her face immediately filled with sorrow.

really,

Jia Zheng sighed indignantly and said:

"Sigh! Baoyu won't go, but Huan-ge'er absolutely must go; no matter what anyone says, it's useless. I only have these two sons; one of them has to become successful!"

Lady Wang and Grandmother Jia didn't care whether Jia Huan went or not, and immediately agreed.

Jia Jing watched the scene with great interest.

Whether Jia Baoyu went or not was none of his concern; whether he studied or not was none of his business.

It's just a bit of a sigh; Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang are indeed women of some intelligence.

However, this raised Jia Baoyu to be a dull and ignorant good-for-nothing, which led to the later ruin of the Jia family and Jia Baoyu's tragic fate, ending up as a beggar and a monk.

Indeed, throughout history, drowning a child is tantamount to killing a child; the karmic retribution is just!

Having said what he needed to say, Jia Jing stood up and said:

"Grandma, it's getting late. Let's stop here for today! I'll head back now!"

Grandmother Jia looked at Jia Jing, her lips moved slightly, but in the end she didn't say anything, only saying:

"Let Feng'er take you there! We've given you a new courtyard and maids to serve you; let her show you around and introduce you to everyone!"

Sister Feng stood up, her bright eyes shining, and smiled:

"Third brother's original place was a bit small, so the old lady moved you to a big courtyard near North Street. All the furnishings were newly prepared by me."

"The old lady also assigned you eight head maids, ten junior maids, and ten old women to serve you. This kind of treatment is unique in the entire mansion!"

"Oh, by the way, your aunt also sent you a maid, saying it was a return gift. She's very cute and adorable; I liked her too!"

Jia Jing said:

"Let's go over and see what happens!"

After saying goodbye to Grandmother Jia, the three sisters, and others, he led Fengjie out of Rongqing Hall.

Continue along the covered walkway.

Under the bright moonlight, Jia Jing strolled along at a leisurely pace.

Wang Xifeng walked side by side with only Ping'er following behind them, holding a lantern to light their way.

Several old women walked ahead, about ten steps away, so that the two could talk easily.

Wang Xifeng is wearing a pink padded jacket and a headband today, and her figure is plump.

With phoenix eyes, willow-leaf eyebrows, and exquisite features, she was truly a charming and elegant woman.

Jia Jing glanced at it, but his heart remained unmoved.

Although in terms of appearance, figure, temperament, and other aspects, Sister Feng truly deserves to be one of the Twelve Beauties of Jinling

However, she is ruthless, greedy for money and power, and has petty cleverness but no great wisdom. She is a wicked woman and not worth conspiring with!

Sister Feng smiled sweetly and spoke first:

"Third brother, you've really opened my eyes today! I thought you'd come back and unleash your furry servants and old women!"

"I never expected you to propose distributing money and food to the clan members and sponsoring the clan school. You truly have seen the world and are far more insightful and broad-minded than us women confined to our homes!"

Wang Xifeng's words seemed to be praising Jia Jing, but in reality, she was reminding him not to forget how he was bullied by the old women and stewards when he lived in the east wing.

Back when you had no official position, you still kicked Wang Shanbao's wife and Lai Da. Now that you've been ennobled and appointed a general, and your prestige is at its peak, why are you silent now?

Let her wait in vain!

Wang Xifeng hoped that Jia Jing would cause some trouble in the Jia family!

Why?

After Jia She was seriously injured, a real problem confronted her.

That means that after Jia She dies, Jia Lian will inherit the title and become the heir of the Rongguo Mansion's main branch, and she will become the wife of the main branch.

Since Madam Xing had no power, influence, or connections, she naturally had to step aside.

Wang Xifeng no longer needs to manage the household under the guise of helping Madam Wang.

Rather, as the matriarch of the main house and the wife of the heir to the Rongguo Mansion title, she rightfully had the right to manage the household.

After all, once Grandmother Jia passes away, the Rongguo Mansion will be inherited by the couple, and the second branch of the family will need to move out.

Therefore, her relationship with Madam Wang changed from a cooperative one to a competitive one.

Previously, Madam Wang asked her to help manage the household, but in reality, Madam Wang still made most of the decisions.

But now she wants to compete with Madam Wang for control of the household and the public property, even Rongxi Hall.

Previously, Jia She was a good-for-nothing and almost lost his title, which is why he was banished to the east wing by Grandmother Jia.

Now that she and Jia Lian have not made any mistakes, after inheriting the title, they should rightfully become the head housekeepers and take over Rongxi Hall.

In short, Sister Feng wanted to control more power in the Rongguo Mansion.

But she couldn't fight against Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang on her own; she didn't have the resources!

Therefore, she looked forward to Jia Jing returning home and punishing those servants, preferably the head stewards of the Rongguo Mansion, including the Lai family, the Lin family, the Shan family, the Wu family, and Zhou Rui's family.

These stewards were either servants of the household for generations, or confidants and personal attendants of Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang. Wang Xifeng had to treat them with respect on a daily basis.

Only by getting Jia Jing to drive these people out of the Jia family can she reappoint her trusted confidants to manage the household and truly take control of the internal affairs of the Jia family.

Jia Jing was slightly taken aback by Feng Jie's words. He sensed a hint of sarcasm and incitement in her tone.

After thinking about it for a moment, he understood Sister Feng's thoughts.

He didn't beat around the bush with Sister Feng, but went straight to the point and asked:

"Is Second Sister-in-law also dissatisfied with the steward and the old women in the household?"

Sister Feng paused for a moment, then smiled and denied it:

"They are all people that the old lady and madam trust deeply, how could I possibly be dissatisfied with them!"

Jia Jing felt the cold winter wind and spoke in a nonchalant tone:

"These days, the public treasury's savings are probably insufficient to cover expenses every year! Once Second Brother Lian inherits the title, does Second Sister-in-law intend to use her dowry to supplement the family income?"

"I heard that Steward Lai and his family are all wealthy, with no less than 100,000 in assets. They've built a huge garden, and are served by maids and servants every day. They live more comfortably than our masters!"

Jia Jing directly exposed Wang Xifeng's pretense and pointed out the core issue of interests within the steward's household.

Nowadays, the annual income of Rongguo Mansion cannot cover its expenses.

If we can't cut costs and eliminate these corrupt officials, is Wang Xifeng planning to inherit a Rongguo Mansion that is empty-handed or even in debt?

These lackeys are now greedily eyeing the family fortunes they will inherit.

Sister Feng's expression changed slightly, and she pursed her red lips.

Jia Jing's words struck her heart like a heavy hammer.

She certainly didn't want the Lai family and other servants to continue embezzling the manor's money.

You should know that she herself only earns a few thousand taels of silver a year from lending money, and most of it is used to subsidize the household expenses.

But the servants of the Lai family were making a fortune, even richer and more extravagant than their masters. How could she not be envious?

If she could get rid of these servants, she could not only take complete control of the household, but also potentially gain a large windfall. How could she not be tempted?