Dream of the Red Chamber: Starting with a Chronicle of Tragic Love

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell silent.

This means... they've admitted it?

Wang Xifeng's crying abruptly ceased amidst the commotion of the crowd.

She stared blankly at Jiao Si, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Was I tricked?

Were we tricked by a gambling addict?

In all these years, I, Wang Xifeng, have ruled the two mansions, scheming against countless people, from top to bottom. Yet today, I've been outsmarted by a mere young lad.

Before she could think further, the matriarch of the family, in the main seat, let out an angry snort, her face filled with heartache and indignation.

"Feng girl, you're far too capable!"

"You've really taken my trust as a license to run rampant in this mansion?"

"If it weren't for this blunder today, we might not even know what happened when the Yingtian Prefecture came knocking on our door!"

At this moment, the initial resentment in Grandmother Jia's heart had vanished.

Compared to losing face, it is clear that what Wang Xifeng is doing is the real deal that shakes the foundation of the Jia family.

She cupped her hands in greeting and looked at Xin Like.

"Director Xin, now that the lending matter has been exposed, and the justice you sought has been served. Shouldn't we now handle some personal matters?"

"Or do you insist that I punish her in front of all the nobles and Feng'er's uncle?"

Having served in government for many years, Xin Like naturally knew that excess is as bad as deficiency.

Besides, he had already achieved his goal today.

Weighing out this prospective apprentice's weight also helped him out of a troublesome situation. Why not do it?

He stepped aside, cupped his hands, and made a "please" gesture.

The nobles, led by the Princess of Changle, had a great show to watch for nothing, a real feast for the eyes.

Now that they were finally free, they quickly got up and took their leave.

only......

Another person stood in front of the door.

"Gentlemen, there is still one thing that remains unclear. Why leave in such a hurry?"

"What Miss Duo just said was that Second Mistress Lian promised her silver to do some private business for 'Jiao's boy'."

"Aren't you all curious about what kind of private matters could the Duchess of the Duke's mansion have with some unknown young man?"

Anxious!

They really want to force me to my death right here in court!

Wang Xifeng's dejected face first showed astonishment, then was filled with resentment.

If looks could hurt, Jiao Si would probably already be torn to pieces by Second Madam Lian right now.

Then look at the nobles led by the Princess of Changle County.

Everything has stopped at this moment.

If the matter of misappropriation and lending just now was something I was forced to watch the whole thing;

At this point, they really wanted to see these kinds of gossip stories about the Duke's wife and young lads for themselves.

What woman doesn't enjoy this kind of juicy gossip...?

Prince Bei Jing's sister glanced at Xin Li Ke from afar. At this moment, she really hoped that Xin Li Ke could step forward again and stop the crowd from entering.

After all, a mere masked man of unknown identity didn't seem capable of holding off the crowd...

Xin Like had the ability to stop him, but he was also quite shocked at this moment.

Jiao Si, what the hell are you up to?

Who would burn themselves with fire?

Have you forgotten who you are?

If, in front of all the nobles today, some scandalous story of a "Duke's wife" and a "poor scholar" were to unfold, the Rongguo Mansion would never be able to hold its head high in Jinling City again.

In return, the Ning and Rong mansions will do everything in their power to crush Jiao Si!

The crowd was buzzing with discussion.

Many people turned their attention to...Master Lian, who had just been so smug.

Jia Lian's eyes were filled with resentment.

His own wife, such a beautiful woman, is having an affair?

Although he had been unfaithful, hearing that his wife had also gone out to seek pleasure, a nameless fire rose within him, only to be blocked by something...

Oh, so it's a green hat...

Just then, Jiao Si pressed for an answer.

"Miss Duo, why don't you tell everyone what you did that day?"

There was silence in the hall.

All that remained was the grinding sound of Jia Lian's teeth.

But then, Miss Duo raised an eyebrow and slowly spoke.

"That day, Second Madam Lian came to me carrying a mahogany box and said that she wanted me to do something important, and that I would be rewarded with silver after I succeeded."

I opened the box, wanting to see what was inside...

"Hey, guess what?"

Princess Chang Le's ears perked up.

"The box contained fruits and pastries, all exquisitely presented and quite pleasing to the eye."

whispering sound......

Princess Chang Le's face was filled with disappointment. Seeing the strange look in Grandmother Jia's eyes, she quickly pretended to breathe a sigh of relief, muttering, "Thank goodness... thank goodness..."

But then Miss Duo spoke again.

"I picked up the box and was about to leave when Aunt Lian called me back."

She quietly pulled an envelope from her bosom and mysteriously slipped it into my arms, giving me a special instruction: "Don't let anyone else see it."

"But seeing her like that, I was really curious, so I couldn't resist and secretly opened it on the way..."

"Hey, guess what?"

Princess Chang Le's ears perked up again.

Jiao Si watched this unfold and almost burst out laughing.

"The envelope contained IOUs and the like, and when I looked at it, they were exactly the same as the ones IOUs from today."

Jiao Si clearly saw a hint of disappointment flash across Princess Chang Le's face.

But then Miss Duo spoke again.

"I carried the pastries, tucked the envelope away, and handed the items to Jiao Jiazi."

"Jiao Jiazi ate his pastries, looked at the contents of the envelope, sighed softly, and then called me to his side. I thought he was going to make a fuss with me, but instead he was telling me about his affair with Lian Er Nai Nai."

"Hey......"

"Miss Duo, stop 'hey'ing. If you keep doing that, the earrings on this Princess Chang Le's ears will probably float to the heavens!"

Jiao Si spoke up to stop her, and the Princess of Chang Le's face turned bright red in an instant.

Duo gave an awkward smile and continued her story.

"It turns out that Second Madam Lian knew that the loan was losing money and that it was wrong to misappropriate the family's money. She felt quite sorry for the old lady's trust."

"Therefore, I approached Headmaster Xin of Chongzheng Academy a few days ago, hoping to use his talent to find a way to make up for the money I had embezzled from the mansion over the past few years through my own private means, so that the old lady could be at ease."

Ah, this...

The nobles were somewhat embarrassed.

After all that fuss, what kind of "prodigal daughter returns, priceless" drama is this whole family putting on?

The crowd was buzzing with discussion.

On the main seat, Old Madam Shi's expression softened slightly.

"Feng'er, is what Miss Duo said true?"

Wang Xifeng quickly closed her wide-open mouth.

His eyes revealed a mixture of stubbornness, grievance, sorrow, and disappointment at not being recognized.

"Grandma, I know I've made a big mistake. I was thinking of finding a way to fill the hole myself."

"It was all on track, and we were just waiting for the right time to settle things."

"Who would have thought that such a huge blunder would happen today?"

"Perhaps, it's because Master Lian is intentionally trying to 'play' with me..."

Grandmother Jia's expression completely relaxed.

Those who believe in Buddhism emphasize the idea of ​​"laying down the butcher's knife and becoming a Buddha on the spot."

My granddaughter-in-law used to be the best at pleasing me, so how could she do something like stealing my husband?

But the way this IOU was scattered today is strange. And listening to what Feng said... it must be that Lian'er is holding a grudge because of the last time he went out for pleasure and wants to play tricks on his wife!

Thinking of this, the old lady glared at Jia Lian.

"Lian'er, husband and wife should value harmony above all else. I didn't investigate further last time, so you mustn't hold a grudge or make fun of Feng'er!"

-----------------

A farce unfolded in a chaotic manner, only to abruptly end.

The nobles all left the scene.

Before leaving, Princess Chang Le glared at Jiao Si, seemingly quite displeased with the "masked man's" teasing words.

Jiao Si naturally didn't care.

With the important matter settled, he relaxed, stretched, and prepared to leave.

Suddenly he heard someone calling him from behind.

"Covered Man~"

Turning my head, I saw Wang Xifeng's pretty face in the distance.

His lips parted and closed, and judging from the shape of his mouth, it was exactly the word "I'm convinced."

Her right hand, with its jade-like fingers swaying slightly, clearly indicated that she would visit him again in three days.