Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

Jia Zheng took the board and lashed Baoyu with it. Seeing the bloody scene before him, Jia Zheng still felt unsatisfied, so he kicked the servant who was in charge of the board to the ground, grabbed the board, and started to beat Baoyu himself.

Jia Zheng gnashed his teeth as he swung the wooden board, one, two, three times... Baoyu endured the rain of blows, groaning in pain, but Jia Zheng showed no sign of stopping. His heart was filled with anger and disappointment, believing that this punishment was far from enough for Baoyu.

Seeing Baoyu beaten beyond recognition, the maids and servants rushed forward to try to stop Jia Zheng. However, Jia Zheng refused to listen to their advice and even shouted angrily, "Don't you know the crime he committed? This behavior is simply unforgivable! You have always indulged him, allowing him to become what he is today. Now you have the nerve to try to persuade me? Wait until he kills the king and his father tomorrow, and then you can try to persuade me!"

When everyone heard Jia Zheng's harsh rebuke, they knew that he was furious and dared not say anything more. They could only leave the room. However, they were worried that the situation would become more serious, so they quickly sent people to find others to persuade him.

At this moment, Mrs. Wang hurried into the room. As soon as she entered, Jia Zheng's anger grew even more intense, and the board in his hand fell on Baoyu even more fiercely and mercilessly.

The two servants beside Baoyu saw that the situation was not good, and quickly let go of his hands and left the scene. At this time, Baoyu no longer had the strength to struggle and could only lie quietly on the ground, enduring the severe pain coming from his body.

Just as Jia Zheng was about to swing the board again, Mrs. Wang suddenly rushed forward and hugged the board tightly in Jia Zheng's hand.

Mrs. Wang held Baoyu tightly in her arms. She looked at the child, pale as a sheet, breathing weakly. She then glanced at the green gauze dress he wore, stained with blood. She couldn't help but untie Baoyu's handkerchief, wanting to see just how badly he'd been injured. The sight was so heartbreaking that she nearly fainted. From his hips to his calves, Baoyu's body was covered in bruises and purple scars, some even ripped and torn. Not a single spot remained intact.

Seeing this tragic scene, Mrs. Wang finally couldn't help but burst into tears, crying out, "My poor son!" Just as she was crying her heart out, she suddenly heard the maid's voice outside the door announce, "The old lady is here." Before the voice finished, she heard a trembling and angry voice from outside the window: "Beat me to death first, and then beat him to death. Wouldn't that be more efficient and effective?"

Hearing this voice, Jia Zheng was startled and hurried out to greet her. He immediately saw Lady Jia walking towards him, leaning on a cane, breathless and with a very grim expression. He quickly stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said with a smile, "Mother, it's so cold, why are you so angry and even come here in person? If you have any instructions, just send someone to call your son in. Why bother you so much?"

After hearing this, Grandmother Jia stopped, took a few breaths, looked at Jia Zheng angrily and said, "Oh, so you know that I am your mother! I came here today specifically to see you, of course I have something to say to you. It's a pity that I have never given birth to a good son in my life, who can I say these words to!" As she spoke, she knocked the ground hard with her crutch, making a dull sound.

Seeing this, Jia Zheng quickly knelt on the ground, bowed his head and said nothing. Grandmother Jia was so angry that she was shaking all over. She pointed at Jia Zheng and cursed, "You unfilial son, how dare you be so cruel! Baoyu is my dearest child, how dare you hit him like this!"

Mrs. Wang also cried and echoed, "Old lady, you have to make the decision for Baoyu!"

Jia Zheng kowtowed profusely, admitting his faults repeatedly: "Mother, I know I was wrong. It was all due to my impulsiveness. Please forgive me."

Grandmother Jia's anger subsided a little, and she said slowly, "Forget it, get up! Don't act so rashly in the future."

Jia Zheng stood up and stood aside respectfully.

Grandmother Jia turned to look at Jia Baoyu, her eyes full of love and pity, "My son, you have suffered so much, please let the imperial physician treat you."

Entering the room, the imperial physicians busily examined Jia Baoyu's injuries. Grandmother Jia sat by his bed, holding his hand and questioning him with concern. Lady Wang silently wept, while Jia Zheng lowered his head, his heart filled with regret and self-blame.

After a while, the doctors finished their diagnosis and reported to Jia's mother that Jia Baoyu's injuries were not serious, just flesh wounds, and he would recover after resting for a while. After hearing this, Jia's mother breathed a sigh of relief and told everyone to take good care of Jia Baoyu.

Afterwards, Grandmother Jia called Jia Zheng to her side and said earnestly: "Zheng'er, let's forget about this incident. You must never get angry and hit Baoyu again in the future. Although Baoyu is naughty, he is also my sweetheart. If you continue to allow servants to bully him like this, I will never forgive you!" Jia Zheng nodded in agreement and said that he would pay attention in the future.

The storm finally subsided, and the Jia family returned to its former tranquility. However, Jia Baoyu still couldn't let it go. He felt that he was not wrong, and he became more and more afraid of Jia Zheng and hated studying.

During the time that Jia Baoyu was recuperating at home, a depressing atmosphere as if a storm was about to break out filled the capital.

As the health of the retired emperor, who was paralyzed by a stroke, deteriorated and his condition became more serious, the emperor was deeply worried and always showed deep worry on his face when he attended court.

Because Jia Yuanchun had served the retired emperor and Concubine Zhen, she often went to serve the retired emperor after he became seriously ill. This behavior was appreciated by the emperor, and her status in the palace was increasingly improved.

Jia Yuanchun's favor made the Jia family outside the palace even more complacent. They completely ignored the impending storm and only immersed themselves in the joy of having a favored imperial concubine in their family, thinking it was a great thing to be proud of.

However, Lin Ruhai felt helpless about the Jia family's attitude and shook his head in regret. As one of the emperor's confidants, he was well-informed about the inner workings of the palace. The Jia family thought they could rest easy with Jia Yuanchun's favor, but in reality, the real situation was...

However, Lin Ruhai knew that the Jia family's wealth and splendor were fleeting. If the emperor died, the Jia family would likely be implicated for siding with the wrong side. Having repeatedly tried to persuade Lin Daiyu to leave, to no avail, Lin Ruhai finally decided to give up on his daughter.