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

Jia Zhen ignored everyone's reactions and continued:

"This is information I've repeatedly confirmed; it's absolutely correct!"

"Jing-ge'er not only kicked the Marquis of Linchuan to death, but also seriously injured the Marquis of Zhongqin, several generals and captains of the Ba Shang camp, and even killed more than a thousand of the personal guards and retainers under Wu Xun of the Jingnan Camp. The scene was a river of blood!"

Jia Jing's ruthless behavior terrified Jia Zhen; he truly lived up to his reputation as a fierce warrior who had fought his way to the top!

If he hadn't found out the truth, Wu Xun of the Jingnan faction would have already declared that he would absolutely not let Jia Jing off the hook.

Moreover, since the Duke of Cheng and his entourage had already gone to the palace to force the emperor to abdicate and request an imperial decree, he dared not come to the Rongguo Mansion to take advantage of their misfortune.

"what!"

Grandmother Jia cried out in surprise. Her heart, which had just calmed down, surged violently again. A look of pain flashed across her aged face, and her whole body went limp.

Madam Wang, Aunt Xue, Sister Feng, and others all covered their mouths in surprise!

They actually kicked people to pieces; that's incredibly bloody! And they killed over a thousand people; how ruthless!

The thought of the bloodshed in the barracks made them feel nauseous and their stomachs churn.

These women usually punished the maids and servants in the inner quarters by beating them with a board or selling them off. They had never seen such a direct way of killing someone!

Lady Wang now understood why Jia Zhen had asked her to avoid him earlier!

Seeing that Grandmother Jia looked unwell, Jia Zhen seized the opportunity to advise her:

"Grandma! Jing'er has always been arrogant and domineering; his disdain for others is nothing new!"

"Back then, he beat up Wang Shanbao's family, beat up Lai Da, and defied the magistrate. After returning to the capital, in just a few days, he angered the Duke of Zhao to the point of vomiting blood and then brutally murdered the Marquis of Linchuan. He was lawless and reckless!"

"Our peaceful and happy life has been disrupted by him, leaving us in constant fear and unease."

"It's fine if we let him cause trouble at home! Who told him to have such a high rank and such a ruthless temper! But if we let him continue like this outside, he'll offend everyone. What will we do then?"

"We're not even talking about benefiting from his fame; we're afraid we'll be implicated and end up ruined!"

"Grandma, you have to do something about him!"

"And what about all the things Jing-ge'er arranged in the clan? Should we stop them? That'll cost a fortune!"

Grandmother Jia, whose head was throbbing, paid no attention to what Jia Zhen was saying and asked in surprise:

"The tribe's friendly initiatives are all good things, so why stop them?"

Jia Zhen said coldly:

"Of course it must stop! Now that Jing-ge'er has killed the Marquis of Linchuan, even if he doesn't pay with his life, he should at least be imprisoned and punished!"

"Otherwise, how could Wu Xun and his ilk have let this go! Now that he's gone, are we supposed to pay for all this?"

"Besides, what good are these things! It's just a way to win people's hearts! I don't think he has any good intentions at all..."

Before Jia Zhen could finish speaking, a round-faced, cheerful little maid with her hair tied in a topknot came running out of the room and shouted:

"You're talking nonsense! Third Master is a good person! Third Master just meant well, you're wronging him! You're not a good person at all..."

Before the words were finished, Zijuan and Shishu quickly came out of the room and grabbed Xiaojiao'er, saying:

"Little one, hurry back! Don't offend the old lady and Uncle Zhen!"

As they spoke, the two bowed again to Jia Zhen, apologetically saying:

"Uncle Zhen! The young actress is just a child and doesn't know any better. Please don't hold it against her!"

Jia Zhen, displeased at being interrupted, glanced at the young actors and his companions with his cloudy old eyes and said in a gloomy tone:

"Is there no manners at all! How dare a maid interrupt her master!"

"This must be the little maid in Jing-ge'er's room! As expected, the master is arrogant, and the maid is rude too! Guards, give her a good slap on the face!"

He gave the order to have someone slap him in the face.

Unfortunately, this was Jia Mu's Rongqing Hall, not his Ningguo Mansion. The old women and maids standing on both sides looked at each other, but none of them dared to make a move.

Jia Zhen was taken aback upon seeing this, his expression darkening further, and he was about to continue speaking.

Grandmother Jia patted the couch beside her and glared at Jia Zhen, saying:

"Alright! Whether Jing-ge is trying to win people's hearts or not, Jing-ge has always genuinely used his money to do things for the clan."

"Whether it's establishing a clan school or providing relief to the elderly and children, these are all good things. If you're unwilling to contribute money, then it will come from my West Mansion in the future. There's no reason to leave things half-done."

"Furthermore, now that Jing-ge'er is in trouble, instead of helping him, you're here criticizing him and even trying to hit his maid. What kind of behavior is that?"

"What kind of clan leader wishes for misfortune to befall his fellow clansmen! This is hardly a sign of good fortune!"

"Don't say things like that anymore. If Jing-ge'er finds out, you'll be in for a world of trouble!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhen's face flushed red, and he snorted coldly:

"I'm afraid of him! He's never treated me like an elder brother or clan leader!"

"Alright! Alright! If there's nothing else, you can go back now! I also need to send someone out to find out what's going on!"

Grandmother Jia was displeased and waved her hand to shoo them away.

She couldn't stand Jia Zhen's gloomy and eccentric expression, as if mentioning Jia Jing was like mentioning an enemy.

Jia Jing is, after all, her own grandson. How could she allow Jia Zhen to make such a fuss about him!

…………

Meanwhile, inside the Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Jingsheng sat behind his desk, his face displeased, his gaze dark as he looked down at the Duke of Cheng, the Marquis of Nanxiong, and others.

"Your Majesty, please do justice for the Marquis of Linchuan and the others! Even if Jia Jing is a mere military governor, what right does he have to kill the Marquis of Wu of our dynasty!"

"Even if the Marquis of Linchuan is guilty, is his crime unforgivable? Even if he violated military law, the case should be collectively reviewed by the three judicial departments, the sentence determined, and His Majesty should personally decide before execution!"

"The Marquis of Linchuan, the Marquis of Zhongqin, and others are all meritorious officials of our Great Han Dynasty. They have shed blood and made contributions for our Great Han Dynasty. How can they be so easily slaughtered!"

"The Great Han Code established by Emperor Taizu clearly stipulates that military generals who have rendered meritorious service to the dynasty can have their crimes reduced or exempted through 'discussion of merit' and 'discussion of nobility'."

"Furthermore, the Marquis of Linchuan possesses an iron certificate issued by the imperial court, granting him two reprieves from death. How could he possibly end up dying?"

"That brat Jia Jing is so audacious, wantonly slaughtering the Marquis of Wu! I beg Your Majesty to issue an edict, ordering Jia Jing to pay with his life as a warning to others!"

"If such arrogant and lawless behavior goes unpunished, what law and order will the court have left?"

"And will the one who first created this funerary object have no descendants?"

Duke Cheng delivered his impassioned speech with a blank expression, and by the end, his voice was almost stern and somewhat coercive!

His words also contained a veiled threat.

His reasoning was that Jia Jing's killing of the Marquis of Linchuan was procedurally illegal.

Regardless of whether the Marquis of Linchuan is guilty or not, even if he is guilty, it is not up to Jia Jing to make the decision and take action.

High-ranking military officers of the Han Dynasty all possess iron certificates with imperial edicts, which are engraved with the words "immunity from death." As long as it is not a heinous crime or treason, they can be granted amnesty twice.