Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 707 The Death of Jia Jing

Xuanzhen Temple is located dozens of miles from the capital.

It was originally an obscure Taoist temple, but its fame spread greatly after a powerful and wealthy man from the capital was converted to practice there more than 20 years ago.

This powerful gentleman from the capital was Jia Jing, the grandson of the founding meritorious Duke of Ningguo, and the second son of Jia Daihua, a first-class general and military governor of the capital garrison.

This Mr. Jing was quite a remarkable person.

Not only was he born into the direct line of the Duke of the Founding State, but he also passed the imperial examination with top honors in the year of Yimao. Such an achievement is unique in the nearly 100-year history of the Jia family, a family with two Dukes from the founding state.

In addition, his elder brother died young, making him the undisputed heir of the Ningguo Mansion in that generation.

Logically speaking, someone with such a background and such academic achievements should have a bright future and limitless prospects. With just a little effort, it would be easy for them to protect their family for decades, or even become a trusted minister of the court.

But what was unexpected was that this Mr. Jing gave up his good official position and only wanted to become a god!

In his quest for immortality, after his father's death, he resolutely relinquished his ancestral title and family fortune, handing them over to his eldest son, Jia Zhen. He himself, free from all ties, went outside the city to become a monk and cultivate himself.

Such behavior not only shocked outsiders, but even the elders of the various branches of the Jia family were extremely disappointed in him. However, since his father and grandfather had already passed away, and as the eldest son of the eldest branch, there was no one who could restrain him, so they could only let him go.

And so it went on for more than twenty years.

Times change, and a new generation replaces the old...

The thunderous sound of horses' hooves and the clanging of halberds approached, adding a touch of solemnity to the ancient temple.

Lai Sheng, the head steward of Ningguo Mansion, who was completely at a loss, rushed out in a hurry.

Sure enough, a troop of cavalrymen in bright armor had appeared at the entrance of the once empty Taoist temple.

The young man riding a white horse with a silver saddle, though dressed in ordinary clothes, still exuded an extraordinary and dignified presence. He was none other than Jia Lian, the true head of the two Jia families, the heir to the Rongguo Mansion, and the Marquis of Zhenyuan!

Without hesitation, Lai Sheng immediately stepped forward, knelt down, and paid his respects.

Jia Lian jumped off his horse, his expression cold, and asked, "What's the situation?"

Lai Sheng was hunched over, his face showing sorrow and fear.

"Upon hearing the news, this servant immediately led men on horseback to our master. However, when we arrived, he was already dead..."

"Not breathing?"

That means he/she is dead.

"How did he die?"

"The specific servants are unclear; the coroner is currently examining the body inside..."

"Take me there to have a look."

Upon entering a Taoist temple, Jia Lian was immediately greeted by a pungent smell of rust, causing him to frown subconsciously.

Ignoring his surroundings, Jia Lian immediately looked at Jia Jing, the only master of the Ningguo Mansion, who was lying stiffly on a wooden plank under the manipulation of the two coroners.

His body was emaciated, his face was sunken, and his skin was ashen, making him look like a dried corpse.

Jia Lian stood silently, his expression somber.

Only after the coroner had finished his examination did he ask, "How was it?"

Although the coroner did not recognize Jia Lian, he could guess Jia Lian's identity from the infinitely humble Lai Sheng beside him, and thus he was somewhat reserved.

"Reporting to you, sir, according to our examination, your master's lips were bluish-black, his lower abdomen was swollen, and there was a large hard lump in his abdomen. Combining the accounts of the steward and the Taoist priests, the preliminary judgment is that he died from ingesting a large amount of highly poisonous cinnabar and other substances, causing his abdomen to swell and burn..."

Upon hearing this, Lai Sheng glared angrily at the old Taoist priest beside him: "How dare you poison our master!"

The old Taoist priest, who looked rather pitiful with his head slightly lowered, retorted: "How can you say that I poisoned or harmed you? The pills that Master Guizhen took were all precious pills that he himself carefully refined according to Taoist immortal methods. They originally had nothing to do with us."

On the other hand, since Master Guizhen has renounced the world to cultivate, he is now a practitioner. As a practitioner, he can no longer be measured by worldly standards of birth, aging, sickness, and death. In my humble opinion, Master Guizhen has finally achieved enlightenment after many years of cultivation, ascending to immortality and attaining a celestial position.

Guizhen was Jia Jing's Taoist name.

Lai Sheng's expression froze. Of course he knew that the reason his master had neglected the family business for so many years was that he was single-mindedly focused on cultivating immortality.

Just as he was wondering how to refute the old Taoist priest, he saw Jia Lian's gaze turn towards him and quickly introduced, "This is the abbot of Xuanzhen Temple, the Immortal of Longevity."

Jia Lian glanced at the old Taoist priest with graying temples, muscles clinging to his bones, and who looked at least eighty or ninety years old, and thought to himself, no wonder he was able to trick Jia Jing into staying here for so long.

With his white hair and youthful face, he truly resembled a highly accomplished Taoist master. One sought to return to the true nature, the other to achieve immortality. Did Jia Jing really believe that by relinquishing worldly glory, he had reached the state of returning to the true nature and could attain immortality?

Jia Lian had long anticipated Jia Jing's death and didn't care at all. In any case, Jia Jing was focused on cultivating Taoism outside and didn't concern himself with any family affairs; it didn't matter whether the Jia family had him or not.

Even so, as the grandson of the Duke of Ningguo and the patriarch of the Jia family's eldest branch, he could not simply die without a clear explanation.

So Jia Lian said, "Oh, since you believe my master has ascended to immortality and become a celestial being, why not bring all the pills my master has taken and let you take them too, so that you can also achieve enlightenment and ascend to immortality sooner?"

Upon hearing this, the Immortal Daoist hurriedly replied, "No, there's no need. My cultivation is not yet advanced enough. It's better to wait until I've reached that level before consuming such elixirs..."

What a joke! Although he's almost ninety, he hasn't lived enough yet. Seeing that Jia Jing has already died from eating them, how could he dare to eat those "elixirs"?

"Is it because your cultivation is insufficient, or because you dare not?"

Jia Lian sneered, seeing the embarrassed and speechless look on the Changsheng Daoist's face, and didn't bother to waste any more words on him. He raised his arm and said coldly, "Guards, arrest everyone in Xuanzhen Temple and interrogate them thoroughly."

"Lai Sheng, I'm entrusting this matter to you. You must find out all the causes and consequences of Master Jing's death, such as what kind of pill he took that caused his death, where the pill formula came from, and who made the pill, etc."

Anyone found to be connected to the magistrate's death will be handed over to the authorities for legal prosecution.

"Yes, sir."

……

Because Lady You accompanied Grandmother Jia and others to the imperial mausoleum for the funeral, the current head of the Ningguo Mansion is the eldest daughter-in-law, Qin Keqing.

With Jia Jing's sudden death, such a significant event could not be ignored by Qin Keqing.

In fact, when the news first reached Ningguo Mansion, Qin Keqing was the first to know, and she was the one who immediately sent someone to inform Jia Lian.

She didn't even wait for Jia Lian before driving her carriage out of the city. However, her carriage was naturally not as fast as Jia Lian and his guards on horseback, so she was overtaken by Jia Lian as soon as she left the city gate, and then Jia Lian went ahead.

By the time she finally arrived at Xuanzhen Temple, Jia Lian had already settled everything.

After learning about the situation, Qin Keqing naturally went to find Jia Lian.

At that time, Jia Lian was in the quiet room listening to Lai Sheng's report.

"Reporting to Second Master, according to the news, our master passed away several days ago, but the Wang brothers, Wu and Liu, did not report the situation to the manor in time. Although they explained that our master usually mingled with the Taoist priests and did not allow them to serve him closely, so they did not know the specifics."

However, in my opinion, they, like those Taoist priests, were deliberately hiding it because they were afraid of being blamed by the mansion.

Last night, our master suddenly passed away. They realized they could no longer hide it and had no choice but to send the news back to the manor.

"As someone assigned by the manor to take care of the master, you were unaware of his condition and deserve to be punished. Moreover, you concealed it from him."

They were each given eighty strokes of the cane, and all the rewards they had received from the clan over the years were confiscated. They were then sent north to guard the farms.

"Yes."

Lai Sheng was about to say something more when he saw Qin Keqing walk in, so he stopped talking.

"Second Uncle~"

Qin Keqing found a white hemp ribbon from somewhere and tied it on her head. Her eyes were full of tears, making her look exceptionally beautiful.

In front of Lai Sheng, Jia Lian could not say anything and could only nod slightly.

??????????.??????

Qin Keqing then walked to Jia Lian's side and said, "I feel really bad for troubling you, Second Uncle, for the sake of our household affairs."

"It's alright..."

Seeing the hint of helplessness in Jia Lian's eyes, Qin Keqing realized that she had been too close to Jia Lian, so she wiped away her tears and stood aside.

Lai Sheng then said, "Regarding our master's funeral arrangements... items such as the coffin were prepared long ago when Master Zhen was still alive. They are all in the manor, and I have already sent someone back to fetch them..."

Furthermore, Xuanzhen Temple is, after all, just a Taoist temple. This servant would like to ask Second Master, after we collect our master's remains, could we move them directly to the family temple? This would make the subsequent matters more convenient.

"Hmm, your consideration is good. Let's do it this way."

Qin Keqing, who was standing nearby, was somewhat surprised upon hearing this: "Why are you moving them directly to the family temple? Aren't you going to set up an altar and keep vigil for the master?"

Lai Sheng said, "Of course we should set up a memorial service and keep vigil, but Xuanzhen Temple is a Taoist temple after all, not as convenient as a family temple. We can set up the memorial hall when we get to the family temple."

Qin Keqing said "Oh," and then said, "In that case, why not bring the master's body back to the manor? That would make it easier for people from different households to come and pay their respects."

Upon hearing this, Lai Sheng laughed, knowing that his eldest young mistress was still young and inexperienced.

"Young mistress, you may not know this, but the imperial court has a rule that no one may enter the capital to conduct funeral arrangements without an imperial decree. In fact, this rule applies not only to the capital but to almost every city in the country. If one's rank is not high enough, one cannot enter the city to conduct funeral arrangements."

Lai Sheng's reluctant explanation made Qin Keqing suddenly realize what was going on, and she immediately felt a little embarrassed.

It's not entirely her fault. She was taken in from an orphanage by Qin Bangye as a child and raised there, and married into the Duke's mansion when she was just over ten years old.

During this period, she did not receive a proper education. All her knowledge and abilities came from her own understanding after she entered the Ningguo Mansion to assist Madam You in managing the household.

Although the Jia family has held several funerals over the years, Jia She, Jia Zhen, and others all died within the city, so there was no question of whether they could enter the city to hold funerals.

Therefore, when she heard Jia Lian and others say they wanted to move Jia Jing's coffin to the family temple for the funeral, her first reaction was why not move it to their home, so that it would be more convenient for relatives to pay their respects...

The concept of entering the city for a funeral was completely foreign to her. Only after Lai Sheng reminded her did she vaguely recall that it was indeed the case. It seemed to be a common practice, and not difficult to understand.

She couldn't help but look at Jia Lian, only to find him looking at her with a mocking smile on his handsome face. Qin Keqing felt her cheeks burning.

At the same time, he couldn't help but feel resentful. What was wrong with him? He had treated him so well! He knew that the other person didn't understand this and didn't even remind him, making him lose face in front of his servants.

Lai Sheng dared not mock Qin Keqing. He then asked Jia Lian, "Should we send someone to inform the eldest mistress as soon as possible regarding our master's matter?"

Normally, if Jia Jing were to die, his daughter-in-law, Lady You, would never be absent. However, Lady You happened to be at the imperial mausoleum attending the funeral of the Dowager Consort, which left Lai Sheng unsure of what to do.

Jia Lian decisively said, "Such an important matter should naturally be known to my sister-in-law. Lin Zhixiao just came back this morning to pick up some things for the old lady. He probably hasn't gone far yet. I'll send someone to catch up with him and have him inform my sister-in-law. You don't need to worry about it."

However, whether my sister-in-law can return immediately depends on the situation at the imperial mausoleum. Therefore, until she returns, you will need to take good care of all matters, big and small.

"Yes, this is what a servant should do."

Lai Sheng nodded respectfully, and after waiting a moment and seeing that Jia Lian had no further instructions, he withdrew to do his work.

When only Jia Lian and Qin Keqing remained in the quiet room, neither of them spoke for a moment, and the scene became somewhat quiet.

Finally, Qin Keqing, meeting Jia Lian's scrutinizing gaze, blushed slightly and couldn't help but pout, "Uncle, what are you looking at? Is there something on my face?"

Jia Lian smiled and gently beckoned Qin, the great beauty, to come to him.

With her delicate features and graceful figure, her thin spring dress could not completely conceal her beauty, and a subtle fragrance wafted through the air.

Looking at such a beauty, Jia Lian had to admit that, in terms of charm and the ability to arouse a man's desire, no one in the world could surpass this woman.

Take her waist and buttocks for example; at least Jia Lian has never seen anything more shapely or exquisite.

Moreover, this beauty possessed a touch of Baochai's charm and a hint of Daiyu's elegance. Therefore, even though her social status was inappropriate, this woman still held considerable weight in Jia Lian's heart.

He embraced the beauty's irresistible waist, making her sit in his arms, and enjoyed her tenderness up close.

Qin Keqing initially thought that Jia Lian was about to do something to her that was not for outsiders to know, after he had been leering at her for a long time and then pulled her into his arms.

Unexpectedly, Jia Lian simply held her like this, his large, hot hand circling around her waist and seemingly caressing her buttocks. Qin Keqing looked up at Jia Lian a few times, and only after confirming that he had no intention of causing trouble did she calm her restless heart.

After thinking for a moment, she placed one hand on Jia Lian's chest and said softly, "I heard that Second Uncle is in the garden today celebrating Third Aunt's birthday. Second Uncle is busy all day long and rarely has a moment of leisure. He was even disturbed by matters in our mansion. I really feel sorry for Second Uncle."

Jia Lian shook his head, reached out and patted Qin Da Meiren's head, and said with a smile, "No matter what, I am the acting patriarch of the Jia family. It is only natural for me to handle the aftermath of the patriarch's accident. Besides, there is no need for such formalities between us."

Hearing the intimacy in Jia Lian's words and being stroked on the head with such affection, Qin Keqing felt a tingling sensation all over her body, which she found particularly enjoyable, and her body became even softer.

"Uncle, will you rest here tonight or return to the city? It's getting late..."

"After the master's body is placed in the coffin, I will return to the city and come back tomorrow morning when the coffin is moved."

"oh."

Sensing the disappointment in Qin Keqing's tone, Jia Lian lowered his head and playfully flicked her nose, laughing, "With such a big incident, the various branches of the clan are definitely restless. If I don't go back, who knows what kind of chaos they'll create."

"You little slut, you forcibly took my Xiangling away yesterday, and you only left this morning. What, you want her again?"

Hearing Jia Lian call her a lecherous woman, Qin Keqing frowned, twisted her body, and said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "What? How dare you say that about me? It was clearly you... Humph, I have something to say..."

Don't let Xiangling's seemingly dull appearance fool you; she's actually quite shrewd and doesn't just listen to everyone. The reason she didn't refuse after I tricked her yesterday is because she knew that you, as her mistress, hoped she would agree.

Can't they see that she looks down on me as the young mistress of a wealthy family and doesn't want to switch places with me...?

After Qin Da Meiren said that, Jia Lian really couldn't refute it. He could only sigh at how considerate his good Xiangling was.

Qin Keqing was pleased to have won the argument with Jia Lian and no longer cared about his words. She knew her own situation well; since she had seen through the illusions of the past, she had indeed become far too impulsive and unrestrained, especially in front of Jia Lian. Compared to other women, she had undoubtedly been far more unrestrained…

She knew that although Jia Lian said those things, he actually liked her just the way she was. She also knew that it would take some time for Lai Sheng to send people back to the city to carry the coffin, and that Jia Lian wouldn't have anything else to do during that time, so she began to have some thoughts of making advances towards him.

She glanced at Jia Lian with seductive eyes, then tilted her swan-like neck and gently kissed his neck.

She looked up and saw Jia Lian staring straight at her, his eyes gleaming with a distinct fire and a hint of expectation. She smiled brightly, kissed Jia Lian a few more times, and then deftly lowered herself to the ground.

She was skilled in seduction and had been with Jia Lian for so long, so she naturally knew how to arouse Jia Lian's passion as quickly as possible.

As expected, thanks to her skillful methods, Jia Lian did not show the slightest displeasure or resistance from beginning to end.

He sat upright on the round wooden chair in the quiet room, like an emperor.