Dream of the Red Chamber: A Refined and Elegant Young Man in a Turbid World

In the morning, he and Li Rong knocked on the gate of the Ning Mansion, using the pretext of visiting Jia Zhen to enter his room. He cheerfully ordered Li Rong to present him with tonics.

"Yesterday, I heard from Rong-ge that Brother Zhen was not feeling well. I was concerned about that, so today I specially found some top-quality ginseng, deer antler, bird's nest, and Poria cocos powder to send over. These are all good things for strengthening the body and nourishing the vital energy. I hope Brother Zhen will take good care of himself."

Jia Zhen leaned against the soft couch, his face slightly haggard but not yet frail. Seeing Jia Cong personally bring gifts, he quickly waved for tea, his tone laced with a hint of jest.

"My third brother is very thoughtful. Even now that he has been promoted to an official position, he still thinks of me. It's not really a serious illness, but lately I've been feeling unwell, and I'm increasingly unable to perform at night. I can't handle things in the bedroom anymore."

After saying that, he slapped his thigh and laughed, taking it as a joke from an ordinary man who was getting older and less energetic, without suspecting anything else.

Upon hearing this, Jia Cong feigned concern and repeatedly offered words of advice.

"Brother Zhen has been overworked with household affairs, which is why he is in this state. With these tonics and some rest, he will naturally recover."

He already knew perfectly well that the slow-acting poison Liu Ergou had been putting in the vegetables and fruits every day was gradually taking effect, only damaging the root cause without leaving any trace. Jia Zhen thought it was just a common illness and had no idea of ​​the hidden truth behind it.

Having achieved his goal, Jia Cong sat for a while longer, said a few words of comfort and politeness, and then got up to take his leave without daring to stay any longer. Jia Zhen took it as a sign of his consideration for his well-being and happily saw him off.

Having just returned to the Rong Mansion, Jia Cong was preparing to practice his spear skills when he saw Ying'er from Hengwu Garden hurrying towards Qingyan Hall. Jia Cong quickly put away his spear and stepped forward.

"Why are you in such a hurry? Is something wrong?"

Ying'er hurriedly curtsied, her words revealing unease.

"My young lady requests that you, Third Master, attend to some matters. Please come immediately!"

Jia Cong was puzzled. He thought that Baochai was usually calm and composed, and even if she had a thousand thoughts in her mind, she would not easily reveal them, let alone summon her in private.

The urgency today must mean a terrible calamity has befallen the family, and it's certainly not due to romantic feelings. He then tossed the silver spear to Li Rong, straightened his clothes, and followed Ying'er to Hengwu Garden.

Upon entering the garden, one immediately sensed a distinct change in atmosphere. All the old women and maids stood with their heads bowed, holding their breath and not daring to speak aloud. Although the few fragrant herbs by the window were in full bloom, they could not conceal the unease that permeated the room.

Ying'er led them to the inner room, then bowed and withdrew, gently closing the partition door behind her.

Baochai was sitting by the window, her usually gentle and graceful features now furrowed, her hands tightly clutching a white silk handkerchief. Seeing Jia Cong enter, she hurriedly rose and curtsied, her voice trembling slightly.

"Brother Cong, you've come at the right time. I... I really have no other choice but to take the liberty of inviting you."

Seeing her like this, Jia Cong knew things were serious, and asked gently,

"Sister Bao, please speak freely. As long as it is within my power, I will grant your request."

Baochai held her breath, looked around to make sure no one was there, and then sobbed softly:

"It was my good-for-nothing brother who got into an argument with a man while drinking at a tavern outside the city. In a fit of drunkenness, he beat the man and injured him. The patrolmen from the Five Cities Garrison happened to see this and arrested him without saying a word."

After saying this, her eyes reddened, and she almost burst into tears:

"My mother is frail and will be furious upon hearing this. If she punishes my brother, things will get even more out of control. I dare not disturb the lady and master of the house. I can only secretly ask my brother Cong to find a way to cover all medical expenses. The Xue family will bear all the costs. I just ask my brother Cong to bail him out first, so that he won't get into trouble and lose face."

After speaking, Baochai was about to curtsy when Jia Cong quickly reached out to help her up. He touched her forearm, which was trembling slightly, clearly indicating that she was extremely anxious.

His expression turned serious, and his voice became firm:

"Don't worry, sister, I'll take care of this. Although Brother Xue is impulsive, he has no intention of killing or harming anyone. It was just a fight, and we can handle it. I'll immediately go to the garrison to gather men and personally go to the military headquarters. I'll make sure he comes back safe and sound, without suffering any injustice, and without uttering a single word to Aunt."

Baochai looked up at him, her anxiety easing slightly, tears welling in her eyes, but she forced herself to hold them back, and only whispered,

"If Brother Cong can truly secure my brother's release, the Xue family will surely repay the favor."

"Sister, what are you saying?" Jia Cong comforted her gently. "Please wait here quietly, I'll be right back."

After saying that, he turned around and left Hengwu Garden. His expression immediately became solemn. He took out fifty taels of silver and gave it to Li Rong to take. Then, he led Ba Hongchen out through the side gate. They first went to the Thousand Household Office to pick up two captains and a team of soldiers before heading towards the Five Cities Military Command.

The Jingji Guard was under the jurisdiction of the Five Military Commands and had no connection with the Five City Garrison. However, the Five City Garrison could manage the same Thousand Household Offices as the Five City Garrison, and could even kill rioters on the spot. The relationship between the two departments was relatively good. If ordinary thieves or fighters were caught by soldiers of the Thousand Household Offices, they would usually be sent to the Five City Garrison for punishment.

Having been informed beforehand, the military commander Wang was waiting respectfully at the gate. He knew that Jia Cong was the legitimate son of the Rong Mansion and the current commander of the Thousand Household Garrison. Moreover, the Xue family had the background of imperial merchants. Why offend the powerful figures of the two mansions over such a trivial matter of fighting?

Upon seeing Jia Cong arrive, Steward Zhang hurriedly bowed and smiled obsequiously.

"I am deeply sorry for not welcoming you properly with the arrival of Governor Jia. As for the little matter concerning Young Master Xue, it was all a misunderstanding." He and Jia Cong were both sixth-rank officials, but he deliberately lowered his posture.

Jia Cong dismounted and bowed with a smile.

"The fight was indeed caused by Xue Pan's drunken misbehavior. I have prepared fifty taels of silver to compensate for the injured party's medical expenses. Considering it was his first offense and no one was killed, I request that you release him, sir, and I will take him back to my residence to discipline him strictly."

Manager Zhang had no reason to refuse, and readily agreed:

"I obey the governor's orders without question." By referring to himself as "this humble servant," he clearly feared Jia Cong's background in the Rong Mansion.

Steward Zhang immediately ordered someone to bring Xue Pan out. The man was disheveled, his hair was slightly loose, and his face was somewhat covered in dirt. Upon seeing Jia Cong, he rushed forward as if he had seen a savior, calling out...

"Third brother! You've finally arrived! These people have taken advantage of me for no reason; it's utterly unreasonable!"

Jia Cong glanced at him coldly and said in a deep voice:

"How dare you speak again! If it weren't for your drunken violence, you wouldn't be in this situation today. If you dare to be insolent again, I'll leave you here to be dealt with by the authorities!"

Although Xue Pan was simple-minded, he knew that this was not the time to try to get close to Jia Cong, who was a proper official. So he shrank back and dared not say a word.

Manager Wang stood by with a smile, trying to smooth things over. Jia Cong handed over the silver—fifty taels, enough for the man's family to not have to work for two years. Then, he gave a slight bow and led Xue Pan out of the military headquarters.

As they traveled, Jia Cong reined in his horse, slowed his pace, and sighed.

"Brother Xue, it's not that I'm being disrespectful, but you spend your days fighting cocks, riding horses, drinking, and causing trouble, making Aunt and Sister Bao worry every day. Fortunately, no one has died, otherwise we would have suffered a great loss."

Xue Pan nodded repeatedly, feeling somewhat resentful but too embarrassed to argue. Halfway there, he suddenly winked and sidled up, looking rather sly.

"Third brother, I know you love me, but you love my sister even more. In my opinion, you and my sister are a perfect match, and you'll inevitably become my Xue family's brother-in-law in the future. With you as my brother-in-law, who am I afraid of?"

Jia Cong's face darkened, thinking to himself, "This idiot actually figured it out?" He could only feign composure and give him a sidelong glance.

"Stop talking nonsense! Baochai is a lady of noble birth, how can you speak carelessly? If you talk nonsense again, I'll slap you."

Xue Pan laughed heartily, but stopped joking. He just pulled Jia Cong aside and chatted about this and that, talking about which theater had a handsome new young actor and which gambling den cheated.