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

After a brief announcement, Jiao Si was led to the Ningguo Mansion courtyard by a haughty steward.

Inside the hall, a middle-aged man was reclining on a couch covered with brocade, with two maids massaging his legs, while he played with an exquisite snuff bottle in his hand.

He was about forty years old, with a fairly decent appearance, but his eyes were puffy and his gaze was cloudy, giving off an air of emptiness that had been drained by wine and women.

At this moment, he was squinting, looking Jiao Si up and down as he stood in the courtyard.

Who else could it be but Jia Zhen, the current head of the Ningguo Mansion?

Jia Zhen glanced at him sideways, his words laced with disdain.

"You're Jiao Si?"

"That arrogant scholar who wrote a rebellious essay in the imperial examination, was stripped of his honors by the Emperor, and punished by being sent to our household as a slave?"

Jiao Si bowed deeply, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Yes, sir, it is indeed I."

Jia Zhen scoffed, sat up, and waved the maid away.

"You? Now, shouldn't you call yourself a servant?"

"I heard you were quite impressive before? You killed Japanese pirates on Plum Blossom Mountain? And you even got some kind of... Yellow Dragon Mandate Talisman?"

"But that's all in the past!"

"Now that you're in my Ningguo Mansion, even if you're a dragon, you must coil up; even if you're a tiger, you must lie low! Here, there are only masters and servants!"

He stood up, walked over to Jiao Si, his eyes sinister and a cold smile on his lips.

"Lord Qian Chou asked me to give you his regards. He said you should 'enjoy' yourself at his residence!"

Jiao Si felt a chill run down his spine.

Sure enough, Qian Chou reached out his hand.

Jia Zhen stared at him and continued.

"The manor has no shortage of idlers. Now that you're here, you have to do some work."

"I think you're in good shape. Starting tomorrow, you'll go to the back garden to carry manure, chop firewood, and clean the stables!"

"Remember, every day you must carry twenty loads of manure, chop fifty catties of firewood, and sweep the stables so clean you can't see a single horse hair! If you don't finish..."

"Hmph, the rods in the manor aren't just for show!"

This is clearly a deliberate attempt to make things difficult.

Twenty loads of manure, fifty catties of firewood, plus cleaning the stables—even a strong man would find it difficult to complete this task every day.

Jiao Si raised his head and looked at Jia Zhen.

"Isn't this arrangement a bit inappropriate? Twenty loads of horse manure..."

Before he could finish speaking, Jia Zhen interrupted him.

"inappropriate?"

Jia Zhen suddenly raised his voice, his fleshy face twitching.

"Am I the master here, or are you? My words are the rules! Do you dare disobey?"

He pointed at Jiao Si's nose, spitting almost onto Jiao Si's face.

"Looks like you won't know the Horse King has three eyes unless I teach you a lesson!"

"Someone come here!"

"First, teach him how a servant should refer to himself and how to bow!"

Several fierce-looking servants immediately surrounded them.

"Drag this ungrateful wretch away and give him twenty strokes of the cane so he can learn how to kneel and pay his respects to his master!"

The servants stepped forward in response, ready to take action.

Jiao Si's eyes turned cold, and his body tensed slightly.

My gaze swept over the long decorative knife on the table in the center of the room.

Although he didn't want to take action in the mansion, he wouldn't allow himself to be bullied.

However, before entering the manor, the young county princess clearly stated that a "big shot" would protect her. So why did she not see the big shot after entering the Ningguo Mansion, but instead received a rude awakening?

Just as tensions were rising, a familiar voice came from the corridor.

"Oh dear, Brother Zhen, who are you getting so worked up about?"

"I could hear you yelling from all over the place. Be careful, or you'll hurt your voice!"

Once inside the room, Wang Xifeng's beautiful eyes darted around.

"Isn't this the infamous Hero Jiao from a few days ago? What, now that he's received an imperial decree and is serving as a servant under our Master Zhen?"

"In the Ningguo Mansion, Brother Zhen is a true master. You mustn't 'offend His Majesty'!"

Wang Xifeng's words, ostensibly blaming Jiao Si, subtly implied that he was acting on imperial orders, decrees, and had offended the emperor, thus preventing Jia Zhen from taking any action against Jiao Si.

Jia Zhen was so enraged that he was stunned by the words "imperial edict," and stood there dumbfounded.

Looking at Wang Xifeng's smiling face, he forced back his burning anger, his chest aching with a tightness in his chest.

"Second Madam Lian, you..." Jia Zhen pointed at Wang Xifeng, his fingers trembling.

Wang Xifeng waved her fan, her phoenix eyes glancing sideways at him.

"Brother Zhen, are you sober yet? If not, shall we serve you another bowl of hangover soup?"

"Those who know will say you were just drunk and confused; those who don't will think Brother Zhen harbors resentment towards the Emperor!"

With these words, she subtly passed the blame to him for being "dissatisfied."

Jia Zhen was so angry that his vision blurred, but he was helpless.

Even the most despicable man knows that what Wang Xifeng said is true.

Now that Jiao Si has received an imperial edict, he realizes that his actions just now were indeed excessive.

He glared at Jiao Si, then looked at Wang Xifeng, his eyes filled with incomprehension and resentment.

He didn't understand why Wang Xifeng was protecting Jiao Si so much.

This Jiao Si was clearly a discarded son who had been stripped of his official rank and exiled to slavery by the emperor!

Lord Qian Chou even sent someone to deliver a message, instructing me to "treat" him well and do him a favor.

Is it better to curry favor with a high-ranking official of the second rank than to protect a scholar in distress?

Seeing Jia Zhen panting heavily with anger, his eyes sweeping unfriendly toward Jiao Si, seemingly still unwilling to give up, Wang Xifeng knew she had to act decisively.

Her face darkened, her fake smile vanished, and her voice suddenly rose.

"What are you all standing there for? Can't you see that Grandpa Zhen needs to rest and sober up? Everyone else, leave!"

Her gaze was sharp as she swept over the servants and lackeys peeking out from outside, eager to make their move.

"How dare you stand idly by while your superiors are handling their affairs! Get out of here immediately and return to your posts!"

Seeing that Second Mistress Lian had spoken and that Jia Zhen had not explicitly objected, the servants had no choice but to retreat dejectedly.

Soon, besides the drunken Jia Zhen and Ping'er standing by, only Wang Xifeng, Jia Zhen, and Jiao Si remained in the warm pavilion.

Wang Xifeng then turned to Jiao Si, her tone softening somewhat, but still distant.

"Brother Zhen, why don't we send someone to arrange accommodations for Hero Jiao?"

"Then let Lai Er lead the way and go with the servants to settle things first. We can discuss other matters after Master Zhen has sobered up."

She gave Jiao Si a look, signaling him to leave first.

Jiao Si glanced at her, then at Jia Zhen, and without saying anything, turned and left the warm pavilion with a steward who was waiting outside.

Seeing Jiao Si leave, Jia Zhen suddenly swung his arm and growled at Wang Xifeng.

"Second Madam Lian! What exactly do you mean by this today?! For the sake of this down-and-out, court outcast, you're putting on this whole show with me?!"

After he finished yelling, Wang Xifeng slowly walked to a chair and sat down. She poured herself a cup of cold tea, took a sip, and then looked up at Jia Zhen.

"Brother Zhen, don't get so angry." Her tone regained its calculated calm. "Do you really think I'm protecting him?"