Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

If Jia Zheng hadn't been so incompetent and ineffective, how could she have been forced into this situation? For the sake of her children's good future and a good way out, she had no choice but to be ruthless and stain her hands with blood! Why did she need to rack her brains and carefully plan and calculate like she is now?

"Old lady..." Before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by Jia's mother. However, Jia She was no longer as submissive as before. His eyes suddenly became extremely firm and he stared at Jia's mother directly. There was no trace of admiration or tenderness in his eyes. At this moment, Jia's mother saw the shadow of Jia Daishan, who had passed away many years ago, in Jia She.

Jia She suddenly turned his head, glanced coldly at Mrs. Wang standing beside him, and slowly said, "Second brother and sister-in-law, there's no need to worry too much. The Zhang family is very arrogant and looks down on our so-called first-class general's mansion." After a brief pause, he continued, "As for now, even Lian'er is not interested in this title. However, if you really want me to give up this title, it is not completely impossible, but you must agree to three conditions of mine."

At this point, Jia She raised his voice slightly so that everyone present could hear clearly: "First, whoever receives the title must serve the old lady wholeheartedly until she dies of old age; second, our family currently owes a lot of foreign debts, and these debts must be paid off in full at once; third, this mansion will be completely divided up, and the family property will be distributed equally to each branch. If anyone dares to violate these conditions... Humph! I don't need to say much about the revenge methods of the Zhang family. By then, even if I want to stop them, I will be powerless!"

The following words were like light willow catkins, falling into the ears of Lady Jia and Lady Wang, but these few words were like a thunderclap in their hearts. Especially when they heard Jia She say that he wanted to give up the title, their reactions were very different.

Jia's previously calm expression instantly turned gloomy, as if shrouded in a thick, dark cloud. She felt a wave of dizziness wash over her, her vision blurring, her body swaying uncontrollably, as if she were about to faint.

On the other hand, Mrs. Wang's face was filled with surprise that she couldn't hide. Her eyes sparkled, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, unable to suppress her inner joy. The title of the Rongguo Mansion was something she had dreamed of for a long time! Not only that, even Jia Zheng was full of anticipation, and this desire was not just for a day or two. If he hadn't pretended to be dull on weekdays, he would have been unable to suppress his thoughts long ago. After all, as the second son of Rongguo Duke Jia Daishan, how could they, the couple, not know the ins and outs of whether he could live safely in the main hall of the mansion?

If Lady Jia hadn't been there at this moment, Mrs. Wang would have immediately finalized the matter with Jia She without hesitation. She knew that although Jia She was a bit of a jerk, he never regretted what he said.

At this moment, Jia Mu could no longer suppress the anger in her heart. She pointed her finger at Jia She with trembling hands and shouted: "You evil creature, do you want to anger me to death? The family business that our ancestors worked so hard to build is about to be destroyed in your hands!" After saying this, Jia Mu felt her eyes go dark, her body softened, and she fainted on the spot with her eyes rolled back.

Suddenly, Lady Jia fainted from anger, which frightened the servants around her. Everyone was panicked and terrified. At this moment, the two masters were not serving Lady Jia! They were sitting steadily in the accounting office, concentrating on counting the family's property.

Time passed minute by minute, and finally, Jia's mother slowly opened her eyes and regained consciousness. However, shockingly, even while she was unconscious, the family's property had already been completely counted! Apart from the silver needed to repay the debt, the remaining money was divided between the two brothers, leaving little.

Regarding such a major event, no one, whether the masters of the mansion or the maids and servants, dared to mention a single word. Everyone seemed to have a tacit understanding and kept the matter a secret.

The days passed peacefully. Until one morning, as sunlight streamed through the vermilion gates of the Rongguo Mansion, a storm quietly stirred. It was the day of a grand court meeting, and Jia She, clad in brand new official uniform and in high spirits, appeared at the gate. In his hand, he carried a heavy bag of silver—the debt he had incurred. As luck would have it, Jia Jing also arrived at the gate at that moment. And so, the two met unexpectedly at the gate of the Rongguo Mansion.

Meanwhile, Jia Zheng, ineligible to attend the court meeting, stood quietly at the gate, silently watching Jia She's departure. Only after Jia She had faded into the distance did Jia Zheng turn around and prepare to return to his residence. He entered the gate with firm, powerful steps, each one steady and resounding.

"Master," a gentle voice called out. It was Mrs. Wang, anxiously waiting for Jia Zheng, who had been up all night, waiting. Seeing Jia Zheng safely return, her voice was filled with joy. "Now that my eldest brother has left, I will need your careful attention to Mother. We must not allow anything to happen to her!" Jia Zheng said solemnly. Raised by his mother, he naturally understood her scheming and methods.

"Don't worry, sir. I will take good care of the old lady with all my heart," Madam Wang nodded resolutely. At this moment, seeing everything about to be smoothly accomplished according to plan, she secretly vowed in her heart that she would never allow anyone to disrupt this hard-earned situation.

Mrs. Wang felt a pang of guilt at the thought of the injustices her eldest son, Jia Zhu, had endured. Every time she thought of it, she couldn't help but burst into tears. Fortunately, now that they had finally made it through, their day had finally come. The Jia family had received their title, and from now on, they could hold their heads high and Baoyu would no longer have to endure such injustice and suffering.

Meanwhile, the Zhang family rose rapidly like a dark horse, sparking jealousy among many, who eagerly sought to take over. Even more unexpectedly, the Zhang family member was appointed to the imperial court alongside the incompetent Jia She of the Jia family. Standing side by side, the two looked incredibly impressive. This scene truly drew the attention of everyone in the court.

Even the emperor, who was sitting at the head of the table, could not help but cast his eyes at the two men in surprise. No one had expected that these two usually silent men would come this time to drop a bombshell - they actually planned to pay off the huge amount of debt owed to the national treasury in one go! Such an action was truly jaw-dropping. "Jia She, what did you say?" The emperor widened his eyes and looked at Jia She, who was kneeling below, in disbelief, as if he could not believe what he heard. He subconsciously scratched his ears, thinking to himself: Is there something wrong with my ears? Jia Daishan, that old fox, has always been extremely shrewd, how could he give birth to such a stupid son like Jia She?

Not to mention Jia She's silent willingness to haul all the money from the treasury to the palace gates, his mere act of wanting to give the title to his younger brother was shocking enough. After all, the title of nobility is a symbol of honor that is passed down through generations, something many dream of but cannot obtain. It was truly unbelievable that Jia She would give it up so easily.

Considering the chaotic and chaotic events that were taking place in Rongguo Mansion, not only did the emperor grow suspicious, but even the other ministers in the court began to whisper among themselves. Everyone wondered if Jia She was taking this opportunity to seek revenge on Lady Jia because of a feud with her. After all, everyone thought that given Jia She's usual behavior, such an absurd act was not entirely impossible.

Jia She took a deep breath, tried to calm down his emotions, and then spoke again: "Your Majesty, my father left a will before he died, asking me to pay off the debts owed to the national treasury after his death. I am well aware that this matter is of great importance and I dare not neglect it in the slightest. But... I feel that I am not talented enough and cannot handle the important task of a first-class general, and I am afraid that I will let down the blessings left by my ancestors. After much thought, the only way to ensure the prosperity of our family is to give this title to my talented younger brother, Jia Zheng, the Member of the Ministry of Works!" At this point, Jia She could no longer suppress his inner grief, his voice choked, and tears burst out like a flood. While wiping the tears from his face with his sleeves, he said intermittently: "I have failed to live up to my father's instructions, and I am ashamed to face my ancestors. Please, Your Majesty, punish me!" After that, Jia She completely ignored the fact that he was in a solemn and dignified court meeting, and burst into tears. His grief was beyond words.

The emperor, who had always been so high and mighty, now had a hint of moisture in his deep eyes. He stared at Jia She in front of him, his eyes revealing a hint of complex emotions, as if he saw the figure of the young man who was once full of vigor and arrogance.

Back then, Jia She was so majestic and awe-inspiring, relying on his family's power to act in a pretentious manner. However, times have changed, and now, standing before the emperor, Jia She looks so dejected and haggard, even his expression a little hazy.

When the emperor heard Jia She describe his current predicament, a wave of pity welled up in his heart. The once-arrogant eldest son of the Jia family was now forced to live in the Rongguo Mansion, while his wife and children were relegated to the humble courtyard next to the stables. Furthermore, Jia She wept, "I already have two adorable grandchildren, but I have yet to see them! They are even more reluctant to live with me..."

From Jia She's words, it's clear that as a father, he was helpless in the face of his children's reluctance to live with him. As for giving up his title, it seemed to be a move he was forced to make.

The emperor remained silent throughout Jia She's statement, neither agreeing nor rejecting it. A profound silence descended upon the court, everyone holding their breath, awaiting the emperor's final decision. Though the current emperor ascended the throne after reaching his thirties, he had inherited the throne while the late emperor was still alive. Yet, during this time, the new emperor endured numerous harassments from the court's veteran officials. If anyone in the world shared Jia She's situation and shared his feelings, it would be none other than the current emperor himself.

Jia She said with a look of sorrow, "So I have no choice but to clean up the mess for my son!" His expression was that of an old father, full of worry and caring for his son, which moved everyone. Even the current emperor couldn't help but feel a little pity when he saw this scene.

But it was different for the other ministers in the court. They were all gnashing their teeth in hatred and secretly cursing Jia She and the emperor, accusing them of being extremely shameless.

The strategy these two men employed wasn't particularly brilliant. Of all the strategies they could have chosen, they chose the "victory of the defeated" tactic. At this moment, if anyone dared to speak out against it, they would undoubtedly be courting death, jumping into a fire pit with their eyes open!

In response to the memorial submitted by Jia She and others, the current emperor neither explicitly expressed his agreement nor directly rejected it. He simply put the memorial on hold and did not give any specific approval.

The Minister of Revenue, beaming, handed Jia She a thin slip of paper, muttering, "This is the debt your family owes you. Please keep it safe!" His fawning manner made it seem as if he wasn't collecting a debt, but rather respectfully presenting Jia She with a priceless gift. And so, the Minister of Revenue personally escorted Jia She out the door, as if sending off the God of Wealth.

Meanwhile, Jia She had scurried into the East Courtyard and remained hidden there like a coward. Even after being reprimanded by Zhang Ying, he refused to leave the courtyard. On weekdays, when he had nothing better to do, he would leisurely wander the gardens, fanning himself with a broken hand.

The Shi family, however, boasts a distinguished background. They are descendants of Shi Gong, the Minister of the Court of Baoling, and comprise eighteen branches. Ten of these branches reside in the capital, while eight remain in their hometown. Because of this, the Shi family is renowned in Jinling, earning a reputation known as "The Afang Palace, three hundred miles long, cannot accommodate even one Shi from Jinling." One can only imagine the staggering power and wealth of the Shi family!