Red Mansion Royal Cat

Chapter 518 Jia Huan's Value

By February, the north began to show its vitality under the nourishment of spring rain.

The Jia family's ancestral home is in the south of the Yangtze River. When the Ning and Rong mansions were built, many of the pavilions and terraces had more or less a south-eastern style.

In the continuous drizzle, Jia Cong lay in front of the window with his chin supported by his hand, staring blankly.

Master She was taking care of the baby, Master Zheng, second brother Jia Lian and Baoyu went to the palace to attend a grand court meeting, and even Tanchun went to the Compulsory Education Department. For a moment, the house seemed a little deserted.

"Third brother..."

Xichun was an energetic little girl. In this rainy atmosphere, she not only did not sleep in, but ran to play with Jia Cong early in the morning.

The little girl imitated Jia Cong, supporting her chin with her little hands, watching the raindrops knocking down the peach blossoms, and sniffing with her little nose, as if trying to smell the fragrance of the flowers that was covered by the smell of the earth.

"Why doesn't Third Brother go to court?"

My heartbreaking sister~
"Because I am no longer an official, I don't have to go to the palace to argue with others."

Jia Cong raised his hand and began to rub Xichun's head, ruffling her neatly combed hair, which made the little girl gnashing her teeth and clapping her hands in revenge. Only then did he stop and burst into laughter.

The two maids, Jixiang and Ruyi, brought breakfast into the room, set it up, and then went to help Xichun comb her hair again.

After the brother and sister finished their breakfast at the table, news came from the front yard that Wang Ziteng and his daughter Wang Xiluan were coming to visit the old lady.

"What a strange thing! Lord Wang actually came to our house at this time!"

Jia Cong brought Xichun to Rong Xi Tang, and as soon as he entered the door, he saw the old lady chatting and laughing with Wang Ziteng.

If Jia Cong had not known the old lady's dislike for Wang Ziteng, he would have truly believed that Rong Xi Tang was full of joy at this moment.

"Marquis Wang is not going to court today? I heard that the Marquis's mansion has been very busy these past two days. Marquis Wang is not going to court, but he still has the energy to come to my house to hang out. It seems that the affairs in the mansion have been dealt with?"

Jia Cong greeted the old lady and then bowed to Wang Ziteng.

Glancing to the side, I saw a girl who looked quite similar to my second sister-in-law Wang Xifeng, sitting on the right side accompanied by Xiangyun.

Wang Xiluan was the only daughter of Ningyuan Marquis Wang Ziteng.

Her personality is also very similar to Wang Xifeng, smart, straightforward, and aggressive...

When the relationship between the Jia and Wang families was still relatively harmonious, Wang Xiluan often came to Rongguo Mansion to play. The biggest impression this girl left on Jia Cong was that she was smart and decisive, and was very good at reading people's expressions.

Unlike her short-lived mother, Wang Xiluan inherited all the true knowledge of the Wang family, and her words and deeds were impeccable.

Even though the old lady disliked Wang Ziteng, she couldn't hate the girl Wang Xiluan.

Jia Cong sat opposite Wang Ziteng and grinned, "I have to say that Lord Wang is very magnanimous. He is your wife's nephew. The whole capital city is saying that you sold your daughter for fame, but you didn't care at all. In the end, it was my brother Huan who worried about you. As a son-in-law, he has done this. Tsk tsk, there are not many people like my brother in the whole dynasty!"

Wang Ziteng now feels a toothache whenever he sees Jia Cong. This kid's words are so irritating and he always tries to pick on people's weaknesses.

It's not that he didn't care, he just didn't expect the Dong family to get involved and target the Wang family.

When did the rumors about him in the capital stop? As long as he ignored them, these rumors could not shake his position in the court.

But what he didn't expect was that Jia Zheng's youngest son, the inconspicuous illegitimate son, actually had such a scheme, and played the eldest son of the Dong family around, and gave his father Jia Zheng the opportunity to improve his reputation...

This child can be trained well!

"It was indeed my negligence. Fortunately, your second uncle and Huan Ge'er stepped in to save the Wang family's reputation. So I brought Luan'er here today, first to visit the old lady, and second to express my gratitude."

Wang Ziteng bowed to the old lady and said, "Old lady, I have an unwelcome request..."

"That's what you say."

The old lady glanced at Wang Xiluan who was whispering to Xiangyun, waved her hand and said, "After all, our two families are connected by bones, so just say whatever you want to say."

Wang Ziteng said solemnly, "I want to take Huan Ge'er to the Wubei Academy and teach him well for a while. After the martial arts examination in August, I will let Huan Ge'er enroll in the Wubei Academy."

Ok?
After hearing what Wang Ziteng said, the old lady's first reaction was to look at Jia Cong who was sitting next to her.

Jia Cong was very surprised. He asked, "Lord Wang, do you want to give the Wang family quota to Huan Ge'er?"

Wang Ziteng nodded solemnly: "That's right, my son-in-law can't just hang around at home all the time. He's already over fourteen, it's time for him to fight for his future."

The Royal Military Academy has only recruited students twice so far. One was to select outstanding middle and lower-level officers and lieutenants directly from the army, and the other was to select the top 20 in the military examination from the year before last.

Unlike the Imperial College, the Military Academy rarely admitted the children of officials. Except for the top noble families who were given one quota each, the emperor almost never used the Military Academy's admission quotas to reward people.

Even Wang Ziteng, the executive vice president, only has one quota that is granted to the Ningyuan Marquis Mansion by imperial favor.

For example, in the Ningguo Jia family, one quota for Ningguo Mansion was given to Jia Rong, while the only quota for Rongguo Mansion was taken away by Master Jing and given to a member of the Cao generation in the family who had great talent for military command.

The military students who graduated from the Wubei Academy, like the Jinshi who were named in the Golden Palace, were all called disciples of the emperor, which shows how precious their place was.

The prince's resounding response left the old lady somewhat unbelievable.

When will Wang Ziteng use the Wang family's resources to subsidize the Jia family? Back then, this old guy almost emptied the Rongguo Mansion...

"Madam, I received a letter from Prince Jing saying that the preparations for the war against Japan are almost complete. I will cross the sea to Japan after the summer harvest. There are some things I need to prepare for early."

Xiangyun and Wang Xiluan did not understand the deeper meaning of this sentence, but the old lady and Jia Cong knew it.

Wang Ziteng was preparing for the future, and he was determined to die if he went to Japan.

Seeing the pleading look in Wang Ziteng's eyes, for a moment, the old lady no longer felt disgusted with him.

"It's my brother Huan who took advantage of your family. How can I disapprove of it?"

The old lady ordered Yuanyang, "Go and call Huan'er over. His father-in-law is here. Ask him to come over and kowtow!"

Yuanyang came out in response, Jia Cong smacked his lips and winked at the old lady.

Seeing Jia Cong nodding at the three maids beside him, the old lady understood what he meant.

"Yun girl, take Luan girl and Xi girl to see your second sister-in-law..."

……

After sending the three maids away, Jia Cong finally relaxed and said, "Master Wang, can we be more optimistic? The imperial physician also said last time that as long as you don't do anything stupid and take good care of yourself, you will have no problem living for another ten years."

Qi and blood deficiency is a terminal illness that is incurable for ordinary people.

But for Wang Ziteng, the Marquis of Ningyuan County, if the qi and blood are deficient, just replenish it. If it doesn't work in one year, then replenish it for another year. If you take good care of your health and don't toss around, it's really not a big problem to live another eight, nine, or ten years.

Even the old lady couldn't help but advise, "What's the situation in your family? Wang Ren is useless, and your grandchild is still in your niece's belly. The Wang family depends on you alone... If you go, your family members will do something to wipe out the whole family."

It’s not that the old lady cares about Wang Ziteng’s life or death, what she cares about is the interests of Wang Xifeng and Jia Huan.

Before Wang Ren's child was born to inherit the Wang family business, and before Jia Huan inherited Wang Ziteng's network of contacts, the old lady would never allow Wang Ziteng to die, and would never allow anyone to snatch the interests of the Jia family.

Wang Ziteng smiled bitterly and replied, "I understand what you said, but I think you should understand the difference between dying on the battlefield in Japan and dying at home."

Of course the old lady understood that if she died on the battlefield, the emperor would take good care of the Wang family just for the sake of his reputation.

If he died at home, even if the emperor did not settle accounts with Wang Ziteng for what he had done, the Wang family would naturally decline.

Wang Ziteng is such a ruthless man that he is determined to sacrifice his life to fight for a glimmer of hope for the Wang family to rise again.

Hey~
Having said that, the old lady stopped trying to persuade him.

Jia Cong opened his mouth, and finally sighed, spreading his hands and said: "To be honest, if this choice were put on me, I could not do it, nor would I want to do it. The future of descendants relying on the legacy of their ancestors will not last long. The living Lord Wang is more valuable than the dead Lord Wang."

This was Jia Cong's last piece of advice. It didn't matter whether Wang Ziteng would listen to it or not.

After all, it is the Wang family's own business. Jia Cong has done his best to put aside his past dirty deeds and persuade them to this extent.

The atmosphere in the main hall was not very good. Wang Ziteng's decadence even affected the old lady's mood.

Fortunately, Jia Huan arrived quickly. He came into the house in a tight suit and knelt down to kowtow to the old lady.

"Grandson greets grandma~"

The old lady raised her hand and said gently, "Your father-in-law is here and has brought you a bright future. Why don't you thank him quickly?"

What is the status of students of the Royal Military Academy? Jia Huan, a military hero destined to become a military general, naturally understands the value of this status.

He knelt down in front of his father-in-law without hesitation and kowtowed three times respectfully.

Wang Ziteng's attitude towards Jia Huan was even more cordial than when they came to exchange the marriage certificate before. This guy was more scheming than Jia Cong and was cruel enough.

To be honest, if it were five years ago, Jia Huan would definitely not be the candidate for Wang Ziteng's son-in-law. Such a scheming character is too difficult to control.

But at this moment, he is the best candidate for son-in-law. Being scheming means that you are not easily tricked by others, and being ruthless means that you are not soft-hearted...

Thinking of the woman's kindness, Wang Ziteng turned his gaze to Jia Cong opposite him.

This boy is under the rule of the current emperor. If he encounters a suspicious emperor, it is estimated that not even a bone will be left.

Good people don't live long in this world. People like Wen Zhenggong live too tiring a life.

The common people are almost worshipping Jia Cong as a god, calling him a son of a god, a benevolent gentleman... What's so good about a gentleman? Aren't so-called gentlemen just fools? Being a hypocrite is the long-term solution.

Jia Cong couldn't guess what Wang Ziteng meant by the look in his eyes, but he felt that it was not something good.

"Lord Wang, what does that look mean?"

Wang Ziteng helped Jia Huan up and smiled at Jia Cong: "It's nothing special, I'm just curious why Jia Yumao didn't go to court today?"

Jia Cong raised his eyebrows. This old guy is asking questions even though he already knows the answer!
If he had not been stripped of his official title, how could he miss the excitement in the court today?

"Didn't Lord Wang go either? Besides, I am just a commoner now. How can a commoner have the qualifications to attend court?"

"Heh~ common people? Lord Royal Cat is really modest. With the golden order on your waist, even if you go to Fengtian Palace with a sledgehammer to hit people for fun, few people will dare to stop you."

Wang Ziteng glanced at Jia Cong, then bowed to the old lady and said, "Thank you very much for your help today. It's only four months before the summer harvest, and I still want to complete the six ceremonies for Luan and Huan as soon as possible..."

"So urgent?"

The old lady frowned. Jia Huan's marriage was beyond her expectations. Now there were three marriages being prepared in the mansion, each one more urgent than the last.

First, Baoyu and Xiangyun got married, then Tanchun got married, and then Jia Cong married Daiyu...

Now that Jia Huan is included, the old lady feels that there have been too many happy events in the eleventh year of Yuanyou.

But it is a happy event after all, so it doesn’t matter if there are more, it’s just a bit too tiring.

She thought about it for a while, looked at the confused Jia Huan, nodded and said, "Then I'll do as you say. When the second brother comes back, you can discuss it with him."

……

Wang Ziteng did not stay long in Rongguo Mansion, but Wang Xiluan was kept by the old lady.

Given the current environment in Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion, Wang Xiluan didn't want to stay at home any longer.

This time, Dong got into big trouble again. If it wasn't for the fact that he wanted his daughter to get married smoothly, Wang Ziteng even wanted Dong to "die of illness".

The low atmosphere in the Marquis' Mansion made Wang Xiluan feel particularly depressed. When the old lady suggested that they stay for a few days and her father nodded in agreement, Wang Xiluan almost jumped for joy.

"You have such a hard time, girl. Second Aunt...ah..."

No matter how wrong you are, the child will suffer in the end.

Wang Xifeng raised her hand and touched her cousin's pretty face, then ordered the servants to clean up the guest house near her.

After Jia Huan sent the prince out of the gate of Rongguo Mansion and watched him leave, he stood at the gate in a daze for a long time.

"Why? Are you reluctant to let your father-in-law leave?"

"Why are you teasing me? To be honest, I still feel like I'm dreaming about this marriage."

What is his own identity and what is Wang Xiluan's identity? There are too many calculations involved in this marriage, which always makes him feel uncomfortable.

Jia Cong stepped forward and patted Jia Huan on the shoulder. As a cousin who grew up with Jia Huan, he knew Jia Huan's character very well.

"If you have anything to say, it's best to say it as soon as possible. Cousin Luan is much smarter than you. Since she has agreed to this marriage, it proves that she doesn't care about legitimate sons or illegitimate sons."

Besides, who isn’t a bastard?
The so-called difference between legitimate and illegitimate children is not worth mentioning in the face of ability.

Jia Cong curled his lips and whispered, "To be honest, you schemed against Dong Jinhui and those idiots the other day. It was ruthless, decisive, and very satisfying. Lord Wang probably decided to send you to the Military Academy because of this. This means that he values ​​your potential."

Hearing this, Jia Huan raised his head in surprise and asked, "Really?"

"Of course it's true. You don't think that the admission quota for the Military Academy is like the cabbages in the field, do you?"

Jia Cong shrugged, then walked towards the gate with his hands behind his back, saying as he walked: "Who is Lord Wang? If you don't have the ability, he won't even look at you..."

Monthly ticket recommendation ticket

　One of my chapters was blocked yesterday, so today I wrote another chapter based on the plot from the day before yesterday. Since it was blocked, I can’t release it, so I’ll find some time to make it into a special chapter.

　　I’ll stop here tonight and continue tomorrow. Good night!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)