Dream of the Red Chamber: Starting from Immortal Martial Arts

The Ministry of Justice? The plate of civil officials in Zhejiang Province!

Although there are sordid factional struggles between Jiangsu and Zhejiang, they will still unite against Wu Xun.

The atmosphere instantly froze as Wang Ziteng took sides, and a brief silence fell.

Xia Shouzhong's expression was inscrutable, and he remained silent. Niu Chengxian and the other four stared coldly at the three members of the Wang family, accusing them of being traitors.

Xu Fanghua glanced at Wang Ziteng in surprise, then quickly echoed, "Lord Wang's compromise is excellent."

Jia Tang stopped arguing, took out his ivory token and handed it to Jia He, his tone cold: "Issue this official order to escort the suspects Xu Yuan, Liu Zilang, and Zhou Huanju to the Ministry of War prison, and report to the Five Military Commands for assistance. The rest shall be taken to the Beijing Garrison for execution."

"Report to the Flying Eagle Bureau: The Zhang family, merchants from Jiangnan, have established a stronghold for sorcerers who spread incense. Their entire clan should be exterminated to suppress the evil."

He paused, then continued, "If my cousin dies, Wang Ren will be buried with him, the second branch of the Jinling Wang clan will be expelled from the family, and the Xu, Liu, Zhou, and Lin clans will each send six people of the first rank to commit suicide. Otherwise, the cultivators will wage war until the clans are wiped out."

The chilling words, laced with murderous intent, filled the entire attic.

Go to war?

The expressions on their faces changed drastically. Xu Fanghua laughed angrily, "What? The Jia family has been cowering for over a decade, and now they're suddenly showing their true colors..."

Xia Shouzhong hurriedly interrupted, "Lord Xu, be careful what you say."

Upon hearing this, Jia Tang remained expressionless, his eyes indifferent, and stared at him calmly, saying, "How many great cultivators does the Xu family of Huai'an Prefecture have? If you don't believe me, you can take action against me now, and I guarantee your Xu family will be the first to be expelled from the list."

Xu Fanghua composed herself, her face expressionless, quietly gazing at Jia Tang with deep, increasingly cold eyes.

Upon seeing this, Niu Chengxian and his four men stepped forward and surrounded Jia Tang in the middle. Their personal guards also took out horns from their pockets and held them in their hands, ready to go.

An invisible aura permeated the air, creating an increasingly oppressive atmosphere that made it almost impossible for Jia Rong and the others around to breathe.

At this moment, Xia Shouzhong broke the deadlock, standing between the two men and smiling as he said, "Oh, my lords, you are both pillars of the nation. We can discuss things amicably."

Jia Tang clasped his hands in a salute to Xia Shouzhong, then patted the shoulder of Censor Sun beside him and said with a slight smile, "I will have plenty of free time tomorrow, so please come to my residence for a chat when you have time."

After saying that, he led the group away, leaving behind only Xu Fanghua's furious roar.

"Arrogant and disrespectful to elders, I must submit a memorial to the throne."

Wang Ziteng, along with Wang Ren and Wang De, stood at the door, watching Jia Tang's departing figure with melancholy expressions.

···

When Jia Tang and his entourage left Xiangyu Garden and headed back towards the west city, the moon was already high in the sky. Thanks to the recovery of vital energy, the moonlight often descended to earth like a ribbon from the sky.

Unfortunately, countless second-tier cultivators and even third-tier experts tried to capture it but to no avail, leaving it to merge into the mountains, rivers, plants, and trees, bringing blessings to the world.

Jia Tang parted ways with the group on Deshengmen Street, dissuading Niu Chengxian and his four companions from returning to their mansion. He thanked Feng Ziying and the other two, and made a promise to Jia Lian that he would host a banquet to express his gratitude once Jia Lian's injuries had healed.

As soon as they entered the front courtyard of Rongguo Mansion, Grandmother Jia, Jia Zheng and his wife, Madam Xing and Wang Xifeng rushed forward to check, with the three sisters following behind. Only Jia She and Jia Min, mother and daughter, remained unmoved inside the hall.

The two elders calmly sipped their tea, while Lin Daiyu leaned uneasy against her mother's chest. She wanted to go out, but her mother wouldn't let her.

Inside the courtyard, Madam Xing and Wang Xifeng hurriedly surrounded Jia Lian, and both wept as they looked at Jia Lian, whose face was pale and whose robes were soaked in blood.

When Jia Zheng saw that Jia Baoyu had only suffered physical pain, he was furious and shouted, "That damned brat! Why wasn't he beaten to death outside? He caused the whole family to live in fear and relatives to run around for him. He is truly not worthy of being killed."

Madam Wang, with tears in her eyes, sobbed, "My lord, this is our child, the flesh and blood of my womb. If you would rather let him die, I would rather die with you."

Looking at the injuries of her two grandsons, Grandmother Jia wiped away her tears and said, "The fathers don't stand up for their young children, but instead complain. I, as their mother, am not disliked either. I should go to the ground with my grandchildren early."

"Mother, I dare not, I know I was wrong." Upon hearing this, Jia Zheng's eyes reddened, and he knelt down and kowtowed to beg for forgiveness.

Jia Tang, who had just entered, was also helpless at the scene before him. He stepped forward, pulled Jia Zheng up, and comforted Grandmother Jia, saying, "Alright, Grandmother, I sent someone to the Imperial Hospital to fetch the imperial physicians on the way here. We'll examine Lian Erge first, and then we'll consult with each of them."

Jia Zheng covered his face with his sleeve, wiped away his tears, and bowed to Jia Tang in gratitude. Jia Tang hurriedly jumped aside and turned to go to the main hall to find Jia She.

As soon as he entered the hall, Jia Tang saw a graceful noblewoman sitting next to Jia She, embracing a delicate beauty. He immediately stepped forward to greet her, saying, "Greetings, Aunt Manmin."

Lost in thought, Jia Min looked up at the sound and saw a masculine and robust young man dressed in military officer's robes and wearing a crown standing before her. His large, tiger-like eyes were bright and piercing, and he had a dignified appearance and an imposing aura.

Jia Min looked at her elder brother with a puzzled expression, while Jia She curled his lip and said, "This is the brat who wrote you the letter."

Jia Min was taken aback, then immediately stood up with a beaming smile, patting Jia Tang on the shoulder: "So you're Yu Yin. Your uncle and I have been very kind to you..."

He spoke with a slightly excited expression, and pulled his daughter to give a curtsy.

Jia Tang quickly hid behind Jia She, saying, "We're family, there's no need for such formalities, Aunt."

Jia She stepped forward to offer some words of comfort, then turned away and said irritably, "You brat, come over here and greet your aunt's sister."

Only then did Jia Tang openly observe Lin Daiyu, who was hiding behind Jia Min and secretly sizing her up. He saw two arched eyebrows that seemed to be frowning but not frowning, a pair of eyes that seemed to be happy but not happy, a sorrowful expression on her cheeks, a delicate frailty about her, tears glistening in her eyes, and soft, breathy breathing.

In stillness, she resembles a beautiful flower reflected in water; in motion, she is like a willow swaying in the breeze.

He quickly stepped forward, greeted her, and said, "Greetings, younger sister."

Jia Min pulled Lin Daiyu over and said, "Yu'er, this is your brother Yu Yin from the Ningguo Mansion."

Lin Daiyu returned the greeting: "Greetings, Brother Yu Yin. Thank you, Brother Yu Yin."

Her voice was delicate, but her tone was sincere.

Jia Tang smiled and waved his hand: "It would be too much to thank you again. How old are you, sister?"

"I was born in the Year of the Sheep, and I am sixteen years old."

Lin Daiyu's soft, timid voice rang out, causing Jia Tang to feel momentarily dazed.

Although the person before me appeared frail and weak, their demeanor and speech were refined, displaying a natural and elegant charm, ethereal and otherworldly, as if I had returned to the scene from watching a TV series in my past life.

"I see that my younger sister is quite frail; is there something wrong with her?"

Jia Min sighed with a hint of worry in her eyes, "Your sister has suffered from a deficiency since childhood. We've consulted countless famous doctors in the south, but they've only treated the symptoms, not the root cause."

"Perfect timing. I've ordered someone to the Imperial Hospital to invite a physician to examine the injuries of the people in the mansion. I'll also ask him to examine my sister later; I expect it will be somewhat effective."

Jia Min and her daughter thanked him profusely, and Jia Tang persuaded them to sit down after some persuasion.

During the conversation, Jia Min repeatedly mentioned Jia Luo's help to the Lin family, and Lin Daiyu also frequently looked him over.

Seeing that the atmosphere was good, Jia She told Jia Tang about the discussions that had taken place during the day.

Just then, Grandmother Jia entered the hall. Everyone sat down to greet her and dismissed the servants. Grandmother Jia said, "Tiger, now you know the reason. Send a troop of soldiers south to protect your aunt and uncle."

Jia Tang's smile remained unchanged as he said, "Hey, you can decide this matter. However, one team is a bit too few, so let's have two teams. We can have the steward go to the estate outside the city to pick up the people."

The soldiers, both elite and strong, were divided equally between the prefecture and the village, taking turns on duty and training.

Jia Min stood up and curtsied again: "Thank you for your help, Yu Yin. I am truly ashamed to face you."

"Look at what you're saying, everything we have now was accomplished with the help of our ancestors and the old men."

Grandmother Jia waved her hand and retorted, "There's no need to flatter us. Even an old woman like me would be ashamed to hear such words. It is the household that owes you something these days."

"Alright, alright, that's enough, any more and it'll be too much."

After chatting for a while, Jia Tang noticed that Lin Daiyu coughed lightly from time to time, and that Grandmother Jia and Jia Min looked somewhat tired. So he called over maids and servants to escort the three of them back to their rooms to rest.

After Jia Tang and the other two left, Jia Tang looked at Jia She and said, "Uncle, let's go to your courtyard for some tea. I have some questions for you."

Jia She looked puzzled but said nothing. He gestured for Jia Tang to follow him and then got up and went out.

Rongguo Mansion, East Courtyard Outside Study

The two sat facing each other, and Jia Tang asked, "Uncle She, what do you want to teach me today?"

No sooner had Jia Min arrived than the people in the manor clashed with the sorcerer, involving the salt administration and implicating various parties.

Was it a test from the literati against the Jia family, or something from within the palace, or perhaps related to the turmoil of many years ago?

Jia She shook his head: "There are some flaws, but overall it's fine. It's just that we shouldn't have pointed out the Wang family's good-for-nothings at the end."

"Is this making it difficult for Uncle to make a move?"

Jia She's face stiffened, and he said irritably, "How could I, a person who is idle at home, possibly do anything? Besides, I don't care if your second brother dies or not."

Jia Tang poured him a cup of tea and, upon hearing this, smiled and said, "I was wondering why Uncle She didn't go over to check on them earlier. After all, they are your legitimate son and nephew. I never imagined the reason was like this."

Jia She pursed his lips, looking disdainful: "He only has the title of the eldest son. Besides, the second son's son is only treasured by the old lady. That's right, he's been deceiving himself for eighteen years. If I were him, I would have believed it too."

Jia Tang smiled inwardly as he looked at Jia She, whose fists were clenched and whose eyes were filled with malice, and did not refute him.

The room fell silent, and in the dim light, Jia She's expression was somewhat uncertain.

"By the way, what did you call me here for? What mischief are you up to?"

Jia Tang took a sip of fragrant tea, smacked his lips, and tentatively asked, "Uncle, these days, we only find out about things happening in the capital after they've occurred, let alone in other places. I wonder what you have to teach me?"

Jia She blurted out, "Easy, we just need our own spies."

Jia Tang chuckled, revealing his true colors: "Since Uncle is retired and at home, why not hand over the spies in the manor to me?"

Jia She pointed helplessly at Jia Tang and said irritably, "No, we missed in the battle back then."

"Stop pretending. I didn't mention Wang Ren at all."

"Just a guess. Do you think I don't know your personality?"

"Really not giving it to me?"

"No, really."

"I don't believe it!"

"Get lost."

"Fine, don't give it to me then, I don't care anyway."

Jia Tang snorted, snapped his teacup shut, pushed it aside, and got up to leave.

Jia She shook his head and chuckled as he watched Jia Tang's retreating figure, his expression one of satisfaction.

If it weren't for the fact that we noticed some clues over time and discovered a mysterious force under his command after repeated investigations, we would probably still be in the dark.

They truly have a worthy successor.