Dream of the Red Chamber: Madam, please have some self-respect!

Just as Jia Zheng and Jia She were staring at each other, unsure of what to say,

Standing behind Madam Wang, Sister Feng suddenly stepped forward, her face beaming with her usual bright and polite smile, and took over the conversation in a clear voice.

"In reply to Eunuch Li, it's truly unfortunate! Yun-ge'er was originally in the manor, but a few days ago, the Iron Threshold Temple outside the city needed a capable person to look after it. I thought that the boy was reliable, clever, and hardworking, so I informed the Old Madam and Madam. After receiving their approval, I sent him to be the deputy steward. After all, he's our own child; if he's capable, we should give him more responsibility and experience. Don't you think that makes sense?"

Her words were perfectly worded, explaining why Jia Yun was absent while also implying the Jia family's "importance" and "cultivation" of him. Her phoenix eyes were also subtly observing the expression on Eunuch Li's face.

Sure enough, Li Tai heard it, and the wrinkles on his face deepened with a smile.

"Second Madam is right. Young Master Jia is young, yet he is calm and capable. He writes beautifully and is clever, which His Majesty also praises. To be honest, yesterday on His Majesty's birthday, the scriptures that Young Master Jia copied for His Majesty, as well as... the ingenious diagrams he attached, were very well received. His Majesty was very pleased with them, and therefore His Majesty was pleased and specially rewarded Young Master Jia with a treasure."

"A treasure?" Baoyu, sitting next to Grandmother Jia, was so engrossed in listening that he couldn't help but blurt out, "What treasure? Where is it?"

He has always been most curious about these novel things.

"Baoyu! Don't be rude!" Jia Zheng immediately scolded him, and Lady Wang quickly pulled him back.

When Grandmother Jia saw Baoyu's impatient look, her face turned even uglier. Who exactly spoiled this little devil?

Eunuch Li, however, didn't take it to heart. Instead, he looked at Baoyu and smiled, "This must be the Second Master Bao, who was born with a jade in his mouth, right? He's so innocent and carefree."

He then turned to the crowd, his tone calm yet meaningful: "As for what the reward is, His Highness said it has already been given to Young Master Jia. The main reason I've come here is to convey His Highness's message: Young Master Jia can keep that item; there's no need to return it."

Eunuch Li's gaze swept over Jia Zheng, Jia She, and Wang Xifeng again: "His Highness also said that Young Master Jia is a rare talent, and hopes that your family will... take good care of him."

After saying this, he left gracefully with his entourage amidst repeated pleas and respectful farewells from Jia Zheng and the others.

An eerie silence once again fell over Rongxi Hall.

That eunuch Li may have just come to deliver a message, but every word he said was actually quite meaningful!

"Your Majesty is pleased."

"A gift from His Majesty."

"Take good care of him."

This is clearly Prince Xin's way of explicitly warning everyone in the Jia family—Jia Yun is someone Prince Xin values ​​and someone who is favored by the Emperor. You should think carefully before you act in this way!

Just as everyone was silent, a loud "clang" was heard. Jia Huan had accidentally knocked over the teacup in front of him, and the leftover tea was dripping down the edge of the table.

"Useless thing!" Grandmother Jia, already irritated and with nowhere to vent her frustration, immediately scolded upon seeing this, "So impetuous and ill-mannered! It's clear how your aunt raised you!"

Jia Huan turned pale with fright and stammered, unable to utter a word.

Aunt Zhao was so frightened that she stood up, her face turning red and then pale, but she dared not say anything. Baoyu, Tanchun, Daiyu and the other younger generation saw that Grandmother Jia was truly angry, so they all held their breath and lowered their heads, not daring to utter a sound.

Seeing this, Li Wan, who was sitting in the corner, quickly pulled Jia Lan, who was peeking out, into her arms, gently patted his little bottom, and whispered, "Sit still and don't make a fuss."

Jia Lan obediently shrank her neck and dared not move again.

Li Wan remained outwardly calm, but inwardly sighed, "The old lady is clearly upset and using Huan'er as a pretext to vent her anger."

She couldn't help but recall how, seeing that Jia Yun and her son were struggling, she had secretly asked Su Yun to send them some things.

At the time, it was merely a moment of kindness, but now it seems to have been a lucky accident. Jia Yun has gained the favor of Prince Xin, and if he passes the imperial examinations in the future, his future will likely be limitless.

And if my small act of help can create a positive connection, it's not a bad thing.

As she pondered to herself, no one in the hall dared to pick up their chopsticks or make a sound, leaving only a stifling silence. The banquet had now fallen silent, but Jia Zheng felt an overwhelming surge of excitement and satisfaction.

"How fortunate! How fortunate! The gamble paid off! Yun-ge'er has truly won Prince Xin's favor! This is a blessing for our Jia family, a testament to our ancestors' protection!"

His hand, which was stroking his beard, trembled slightly. He felt that the slight favor he had shown Jia Yun earlier was, in retrospect, the most correct decision he could have made.

Having served as an assistant minister in the Ministry of Works for many years, Jia Zheng, though not expecting a single favor to restore the Jia family's former glory, knew that Jian was already in the emperor's favor. If Jia Yun were to pass the imperial examinations, given time, he might very well rise to prominence.

Wang Xifeng stood beside Grandmother Jia, her phoenix eyes gleaming with a secret delight.

"Excellent! This move was brilliant! Protecting him back then was definitely the right thing to do! With the matter of Prince Xin, Jia Yun is an excellent asset in my hands! If you count the people in the Rong Mansion, there are three or four hundred of them from top to bottom. Although there aren't many things to do, there are still a dozen or twenty a day, like a tangled mess. Without a suitable helper, it would be a real headache."

She had already begun to plan how to further bring Jia Yun under her wing.

Jia She was filled with a mixture of fear and relief, and broke out in a cold sweat.

"Thank goodness! I was lucky to go there yesterday, deliver the letter, and show goodwill! If I had truly offended him, it would have cut off Prince Xin's path..."

He dared not think any further, but his desire to curry favor with Prince Xin grew stronger. The thought of the charming little girl in the Sanqing Temple, however, made his heart itch as if being scratched by a cat.

Grandmother Jia immediately lost her appetite, and her chest felt increasingly constricted. Seeing everyone's conflicted thoughts, she found it all irritating.

The scenery belongs to their west corridor, what does it have to do with me? What does it have to do with my precious jade? The old ancestor slammed the Buddhist beads heavily on the table, her face turning ashen.

Madam Xing, on the other hand, was filled with pure envy, jealousy, and resentment, muttering sourly, "They really got incredibly lucky..."

Madam Wang, holding her Buddhist prayer beads and pretending to be a Bodhisattva, appeared outwardly calm, but inwardly her heart was filled with turmoil.

She was both surprised and a little regretful, wondering if she had been more ruthless... But she quickly suppressed the thought and silently uttered "Amitabha" in her heart.

Baoyu, however, was still preoccupied with the "treasure" that Eunuch Li had mentioned earlier. He quietly tugged at Tanchun's sleeve and whispered, "Third Sister, what wonderful treasure do you think Yun-ge'er got? It must be incredibly interesting!"

How could Tan Chun know? She was simply extremely curious about her distant nephew whom she had only met a few times.

Just who is this Jia Yun?

Even the maids standing behind, such as Xiren and Qingwen, couldn't help but exchange glances and whisper among themselves.

Xi Ren thought to herself, "This Second Master Yun is indeed a man of good fortune."

Qingwen, ever outspoken, retorted, "Hmph, looks like a formidable character; even the Prince has been alerted!"

It seemed she couldn't eat any more of the meal, and Grandmother Jia was the first to stand up. She simply said coldly, "I'm tired," and then, supported by Yuanyang, she left first.

The remaining guests also dispersed, each with their own thoughts, leaving behind a table full of almost untouched delicacies and a lingering sense of oppression. The deep waters of the Rong and Ning mansions were once again stirred up by Jia Yun, the koi fish that suddenly leaped out of the water.

After returning to his study, Jia Zheng immediately ordered Lai Da to personally prepare the carriage and rush to the Iron Threshold Temple outside the city to bring Jia Yun back to the mansion for questioning.

So when Jia Yun returned to the Rongguo Mansion, he was directly led to Jia Zheng's Mengpo Studio.

The study was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. Jia Zheng sat upright in a grand chair, his face serious, exuding an air of authority.

"Grandson greets Master Zheng." Jia Yun bowed respectfully, having overheard the whispers of the crowd along the way, and already understood seven or eight parts of the reason for this summons.

"Yes, get up. Yun'er, someone from the Prince Xin's mansion came today, saying that the Prince had previously bestowed upon you a treasure, and that you don't need to return it." Jia Zheng spoke slowly, his gaze fixed intently on Jia Yun. "May I bring that treasure here for a look?"

After hearing this, Jia Yun pondered for a moment and then understood what had happened. He then took out a soft cloth bag from his bosom and carefully opened it—inside was the mutton-fat white jade dragon pendant.

Even in the dim light of the study, the mutton-fat jade pendant with the dragon coiled around it still shone with a warm luster, clearly indicating that it was no ordinary piece.

"This is it." Jia Yun presented the jade pendant. "That young master... no, His Highness Prince Xin, used this as a deposit that day."

Jia Zheng took the jade pendant and carefully examined its texture and carving, his expression gradually becoming serious.

He was a discerning person and knew the origin of this jade pendant! It was specially commissioned by the late emperor to be made by the imperial craftsmen for several princes.

Now that time has passed, the princes who received the jade pendant back then either died young or from illness. Of those still alive and with the jade pendant still by their side, it is probably only the current emperor and Prince Xin who remain!

This is no ordinary reward! It is clearly a token that Prince Xin cherishes greatly, which he has given to Jia Yun!

The trust and expectations it embodies far surpass those of gold and silver jewelry!

Holding the small jade pendant, Jia Zheng felt a mix of emotions.

There was a mixture of joy at the possibility that his family might receive support, and an indescribable bitterness mixed with a hint of jealousy—Jia Zheng had been an official for many years, but he had never received such favor from the imperial family!