Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

So that's what happened! At this time, the palace's chief eunuch, Xia Shouzhong, arrived at the Jia residence with a letter from his daughter, Jia Yuanchun, demanding money. Usually, matters like this were handled personally by Lady Wang, but this time, she was ill and unable to handle the matter herself. Therefore, she sent Zhou Ruijia to find the husband, Jia Zheng, hoping he could resolve the issue.

In the hall, Xia Shouzhong, upon seeing Jia Zheng arrive, bluntly remarked, "Master Jia, you're so arrogant! You've kept us waiting!" Jia Zheng quickly apologized, saying, "Eunuch Xia, you're being serious. I wonder what brings you here?" Xia Shouzhong sneered and handed Jia Yuanchun's letter to Jia Zheng. After accepting it, Jia Zheng's expression darkened. He knew that if he didn't meet Xia Shouzhong's demands, it would bring trouble to the Jia family.

However, he was unaware of the dire financial situation of the Jia family. Jia Zheng looked at Zhou Ruijia with a calm expression and said in a relaxed tone, "Go to the accounting office and get five thousand taels of silver for the father-in-law." Zhou Ruijia lowered her head, secretly complaining. She knew that the money in the Jia family's account was only enough to cover daily expenses, and the rest was diverted by the mistress for personal use. But she didn't dare to speak out, so she could only reply respectfully, "Yes, master, I will do it right away."

At that moment, Jia Lian stepped into the hall. He quietly walked over to Jia Zheng and said in a low voice, "Uncle, you don't know, but this eunuch Xia comes to our house every now and then to ask for money, claiming that Cousin Yuanchun sent him. But now there's very little left in the account book, and it's really hard to cope." Jia Zheng's face changed drastically when he heard this, and he almost jumped in shock. He asked in disbelief, "Lian'er, what do you mean by that? How could our family be broke? This is the mansion of a great Duke!"

Jia Lian hurriedly explained, "Second Uncle, since Grandfather passed away, our expenses have been increasing, but our income has been decreasing. Furthermore, the mistress took out a large sum of money a few days ago, so there really isn't much money left in the account now."

Upon hearing this, Jia Zheng's brow furrowed, and he slammed the table in anger, then stood up. "How ridiculous! How could Madam Wang be so reckless!" He turned to Xia Shouzhong and said helplessly, "Eunuch Xia, I'm truly sorry, but our family is currently short of funds. Could you please give us some time?"

Xia Shouzhong's face turned gloomy in an instant, and he said coldly: "Lord Jia, this won't do. The palace is still waiting for a reply. I think you should think of a solution quickly." After that, he turned away.

Jia Zheng looked at Xia Shouzhong's departing back, his heart filled with anxiety. He knew that this matter was of great importance. If he could not gather the money in time, it would not only affect his own career, but it would also put the entire Jia family in crisis. He said to Jia Lian anxiously, "Lian'er, go and find a way to gather some money, otherwise the reputation of our Jia family will be ruined." Jia Lian nodded, but he was secretly thinking about how to deal with this situation. He knew very well that the current predicament of the Jia family could not be solved in a short time, and he was not willing to go all out to save the family. He secretly made a plan in his mind and decided to use this opportunity to secretly plan a conspiracy to completely deprive the second branch of its status. So he hurriedly left the hall.

After Jia Lian left, he pondered the situation. He understood that the current problems facing the Jia family were not merely financial difficulties, but rather a manifestation of internal conflict and power struggles. He had long harbored resentment towards the Second House, believing it to have seized too many resources, thus suppressing the First House. Now was the perfect time to strike back. He decided to first report the situation to the head of the First House, Jia He, and seek support.

Jia Lian approached Jia He in the East Courtyard and bowed respectfully before saying, "Master, Xia Shouzhong from the palace just came to ask for money again, but our bank account is almost empty." Jia He frowned, a look of worry on his face. Jia Lian continued, "Master, this is a very difficult matter. As the heirs to the Duke's Mansion, why do we, the First Branch, need the Second Branch's approval even to withdraw a few taels of silver? If this continues, what dignity will we have left?" A flicker of anger crossed Jia He's face. He recalled the constant oppression he had endured from the Second Branch, and a surge of rage flared within him. Seeing this was a bad situation, Jia Lian quickly advised, "Master, calm down. The most urgent task now is to find a way to resolve this difficult situation. If we can seize this opportunity to break free from the Second Branch's control and restore the First Branch's status, our future will be much easier." Jia He nodded in agreement. He looked at Jia Lian, his eyes gleaming with determination. Jia Lian was secretly delighted, knowing that his plan was already halfway successful. Next, as long as he acted according to the plan, he would make the second house pay the price.

Meanwhile, Jia Zheng paced anxiously in the hall. He knew that if he failed to meet Eunuch Xia's demands, the Jia family could face serious trouble. Just as he was at his wit's end, an idea struck him. He decided to go to Lady Jia in person, hoping to gain some financial support from her. However, when Jia Zheng arrived at Lady Jia's residence, he found her conferring with Jia Min.

Seeing Jia Zheng's worried face, Grandmother Jia asked what had happened. Jia Zheng told her the truth about Eunuch Xia's demands for money and asked Grandmother Jia for help. After hearing this, Grandmother Jia was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "I know the current situation of the Jia family, but we really can't afford such a large sum of money right now. However, I do have an idea..."