Dream of the Red Chamber: Rising from Refugees to Sweep Across the Land

Chapter 108 Eating the Dependent Offspring

Liu Feng, in the lobby of the garrison, sneezed several times in a row. He put down the booklet in his hand, took out a handkerchief to wipe his nose, and muttered, "Who the hell is talking about me behind my back again?"

As he spoke, his left eyelid suddenly twitched. He was startled at first, then grinned and said, "A twitching left eye means good fortune! Looks like I'm about to strike it rich!"

As they were talking, Li Shoutian walked in from outside and bowed: "Sir, the matter has been investigated."

"What? You've figured it out?" Liu Feng didn't react for a moment.

"They were the ones spreading rumors that the Northern Garrison Command was going to kill the entire families of its senior officers..."

2

"Who?"

"It is the Wu King's Palace."

Liu Feng's lips twitched. The emperor's sons were indeed all troublesome.

Li Shoutian asked in a low voice, "Sir, should we report this matter to the Directorate of Ceremonial?"

Liu Feng thought for a moment and said, "Send the Gao family members over as well."

Li Shoutian looked puzzled.

Liu Feng sighed, "If we don't act when we should, it'll be too late to investigate now."

"Are we just going to abandon this case?" Li Shoutian asked.

"Never mind."

"But, in the palace..."

"Whatever."

Li Shoutian smiled wryly. That was the emperor!

"Oh, and add fuel to the fire outside."

"More, more?!"

Liu Feng paused for a moment: "No destruction, no construction."

"Yes." Li Shoutian thought to himself, if the pot explodes, Miss Lin will come after you and settle the score. Let's see how you handle it.

"Keep a close eye on Xuanzhen Temple and Qingxu Temple."

"Don't worry, sir."

"Go."

"There's one more thing..."

Liu Feng looked up at him.

"It's about the Xue family case..."

59

"The Xue family? What happened now?"

"The Xue family's case is a bit troublesome; I heard they've already had their official titles removed from the Ministry of Revenue..."

"What happened?"

"With Grand Secretary Qian getting involved, things are likely to go wrong."

"Him?" Liu Feng was slightly taken aback.

Li Shoutian hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice: "This subordinate believes that this is aimed at you, sir."

"Charge me?"

Li Shoutian nodded: "Although you haven't directly intervened in this case, the relationship you have is there... This is forcing you to take action."

"Trying to force me to take action?"

Liu Feng curled his lip. "Why should I get involved? Besides, even the Prince can't help me, what can a mere fourth-rank official like me do?!"

"As the saying goes, a desperate person will try anything. If the Xue family really has no other choice, they might just come knocking on our door..."

"What's it to me!" Liu Feng rolled his eyes.

Li Shoutian shook his head and said no more.

Liu Feng blinked. "Tell the people in front that if anyone from the Xue family comes, they should say I'm not here." He paused, then added, "The same goes for the Jia family."

"What about the Lin family..." Li Shoutian asked instinctively, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he knew something was wrong and turned to run outside.

Liu Feng paused for a moment after picking up the booklet, then slowly put it down and leaned back in his chair.

With a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet involved, Xue Pan's case is basically settled—death with reprieve. Unless new evidence emerges... He suddenly thought of Madam Wang, tapped his fingertips lightly on the armrest a few times, and shook his head.

Half a year has passed, and the evidence is long gone.

I glanced at the clock in the corner. I've had enough rest. Time to go to the drill ground and train those brats.

The Xue family's world has collapsed.

Aunt Xue and her daughter rushed to Madam Wang's place in tears, and Madam Wang Ziteng also arrived shortly after.

Inside the main room, Aunt Xue and Xue Baochai were sweating profusely with worry, tears streaming down their faces.

Madam Wang, however, sat calmly on the kang (a heated brick bed), her eyes slightly closed, her hands slowly and deliberately moving the prayer beads.

Lady Wang Ziteng held her teacup, her eyes darting around, seemingly plotting something.

Aunt Xue panicked, cried out "Sister!" in a tearful voice, and knelt down.

Xue Baochai was stunned for a moment, then knelt down beside her as well.

Wang Ziteng's wife quickly put down her bowl and got up to help him.

Madam Wang slowly stood up from the kang (a heated brick bed) and reached out to pull Aunt Xue up, saying, "What are you doing? The case hasn't been decided yet."

"Yes," Lady Wang Ziteng chimed in, "even if he's sentenced to death with a reprieve, he still has a year to live..."

Upon hearing this, Aunt Xue cried even harder, and Xue Baochai's tears also fell in a steady stream.

Lady Wang Ziteng immediately realized her mistake and looked embarrassed.

Lady Wang pulled Aunt Xue down to sit, twirling her prayer beads in her hand. "Uncle Baoyu sent a letter, which I haven't dared to tell you... He wants us to prepare for the worst. We need to find a way to get Pan'er married in prison, at least to ensure the family line continues."

Aunt Xue rolled her eyes and collapsed onto the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Mom! Mom!" Xue Baochai threw herself onto Aunt Xue and cried out.

Lady Wang quickly ordered Zhou Rui's wife to take people to send Aunt Xue back, and then grabbed Xue Baochai: "Hurry up, while she's still in the Shuntian Prefecture prison..."

Xue Baochai was also flustered at this moment. She nodded and replied, "It's all up to Auntie to decide," and hurriedly chased after her.

The room was quiet for a while.

Wang Ziteng's wife finally couldn't hold back: "Isn't doing this... a bit inappropriate?"

Madam Wang slowly turned her prayer beads: "A life for a life, a debt for a debt."

Madam Wang Ziteng snorted softly, thinking to herself: Don't think I don't know what you two siblings have done! This is your own nephew, how could you do such a thing.

However, none of that concerned her. What she cared about more were tangible benefits: "How will the Xue family's wealth be divided?"

Madam Wang glanced at her and said, "Naturally, it belongs to our Wang family..." Then she changed the subject, "but it has to be kept here with me."

"Why should I?!" Madam Wang Ziteng protested.

Madam Wang said with a disdainful look, "Just because I am a daughter of the Wang family, and Wang Li's own aunt."

"A married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl!"

"You!" Madam Wang was so choked up that her face turned bright red.

Madam Wang Ziteng was overjoyed. She picked up her teacup, took a leisurely sip, and then spoke: "The Xue family's official titles in the Ministry of Revenue have been revoked, and Bao'er's eligibility for selection has also been lost..."

He glanced at Madam Wang and said, "If you don't like her, our Li-ge'er is just short of a concubine."

Madam Wang wasn't annoyed, and asked with a smile, "Is Li-ge'er still a commoner?"

Now it was Lady Wang Ziteng's turn to blush. After choking for a while, she managed to squeeze out, "Uncle Baoyu has sent a letter saying that war is about to break out in Liaoxi, and he has already taken Li Ge'er there. After this battle is over, Li Ge'er will be an official..."

At this point, as if she had just remembered something, she smiled and said, "Oh, right, I heard that Baoyu has recently gone to school? How is he doing?"

"How about it? When will the children's examination be held next?"

These words were like a knife, piercing straight into Madam Wang's heart. Her eyes almost blazed with fire, her hands gripped the prayer beads tightly, and her palms were covered in sweat.

Knowing that Madam Wang couldn't do without the Wang family's support and wouldn't dare to turn against her, Madam Wang straightened her back and said, "We are all women, and the business outside still needs to be managed by the men. Since Bao'er wants to become Li'er's concubine, then the Xue family's business will be handed over to Li'er to manage from now on."

Madam Wang glanced at her and said, "You seem to have forgotten that the Xue family has a second branch."

"So what if she's a second wife? One lives in the south, the other in the north..."

"Such a big thing has happened," Madam Wang sneered, "Do you think Baochai wouldn't write a letter to summon the second branch of the Xue family to the capital?"

Lady Wang Ziteng was momentarily speechless, then nonchalantly curled her lip: "So what? A lowly merchant, once he arrives in the capital, isn't he completely at our mercy!"

He paused, then said in an uncompromising tone, "It's settled then."

Madam Wang didn't reply, but instead chuckled softly, turned around, took out a letter from a box on the kang (heated brick bed), and handed it over: "It's not that I want to manage the Xue family's property, it's Uncle Baoyu's idea."

Madam Wang Ziteng was taken aback. Her gaze fell on the letter, and her expression changed several times. She opened her mouth but couldn't say anything. Finally, she angrily flicked her sleeve and left.

Before she even stepped out of the house, Madam Wang Ziteng caught a glimpse of a figure flashing past the courtyard gate through the window in the door. She paused, thinking, "That person looks just like Bao'er!" But she was too angry to think about it further and walked straight out.