Prequel to the Red Chamber: I Am the Second Wife

The censor impeached both the Jia family and the Zhen family, but to be precise, the Jia family suffered more bullets, and only a few censors pointed out that there was something about the Zhen family involved.In fact, being impeached is also common. As the saying goes, there is no one who does not get stabbed in the rivers and lakes;The officialdom is much more complicated than the happy grievances in the arena, but this time it is not Jia Zheng who is impeached, but the entire Jia family, Rongguo Mansion and Ningguo Mansion, and no one can escape.

Jia Amnesty and Jia Zhen couldn't sit still for a while, so they hurriedly consulted Jia Zheng about countermeasures.Seeing that his younger brother was silent, Jia Amnesty also stopped talking.He is the most empty-hearted, and he is considered a big boss, but he has no merits, and he only relies on the reputation of his ancestors to become a first-class general, in name only.Fortunately, he usually likes to make friends, and he can still have some face in officialdom.But if the emperor really pursued it, Jia Amnesty knew how reliable friends were made through silver gifts and wine.Don't really erase your hereditary official position.Thinking of this, Jia Amnesty became more and more anxious, and started to fire at Jia Zhen: Look, you are all busy, and you insist on making some money-bearing incense for the family school and the ancestral hall.Look, it's all right now!Jia Zhen didn't expect Jia She to fire fire without thinking when he came up, knocking him out first.Didn't you make a lot of money when you thought to yourself when you bought the land?It's up to me if this happens.

Jia Zhen is not a fuel-efficient lamp, and she is not inferior to Jia Amnesty in playing tricks: "Uncle said so, but my nephew dare not refute. Although I am the patriarch, I have to look after the two uncles for many things. Buying a field is something everyone agreed to do. Why is it all on me now. Besides, I don’t care about the house, and the person who bought the field was selected by everyone. How could it be other than such a thing? Let’s check first Let's talk clearly."

Jia Amnesty was very dissatisfied with Jia Zheng's vigorous and vigorous rectification of housework a few days ago. Although the Rongguo Mansion looked like a whole, the big house and the second house were independent and each had its own team.In order to compete for the fat job of buying land, the people on Jia She's side often whispered in Jia She's ears.Why is the second wife relying on the old lady's attention, and taking advantage of the housekeeper's convenience to give all the errands to her own people on the eighth, and the younger one didn't get a good job, so she couldn't do it just thinking about honoring the old man.Jia Amnesty is greedy by nature, as long as he has money, what else does he care about, and now when something goes wrong, he will blame others. "This is what your second wife did, what does it have to do with me!" Jia Amnesty suddenly went into a rage and blamed Jia Zheng for everything.

Jia Zhen stopped talking and just watched the two cousins ​​fight the lawsuit.Jia Zheng had expected this to happen a long time ago, and he said calmly, "It's all my fault. Baoyu's mother butler is right, but she didn't intervene in the matter of setting up the fields. Would you like me to call you?" Come to Lai Da and Lin Zhixiao to ask clearly. See who has placed someone to buy the land. There are still people who do errands in the account room to receive money. I know you are the elder brother, but you are under the second house. I have long been upset. I’m getting impatient, but I’ll tell you clearly, don’t think that anyone cares about this house. Baoyu’s mother worries about every day and gets splashed with dirty water. Strict, I'll tell the old lady right now, we'll move out immediately and don't care about this family anymore." As Jia Zheng said, his complexion turned pale and he wanted to talk to Jia Mu.

Jia Zhen hurriedly stopped Jia Zheng and gave Jia Amnesty a wink: "Second Uncle, don't be angry, the Eldest Master is in a hurry, he speaks indiscriminately, and goes to the doctor in a hurry. What are we going to do now, let's discuss this method first. It’s about getting through it together.”

Jia She saw that his younger brother was really angry, so he kept quiet. Of course he wanted to control the rights of Rongguo Mansion, but rights also brought obligations. Jia She is a person who wants to enjoy rights but does not want to fulfill obligations.Seeing that Jia Zheng was going to put down the pick, it was not worthwhile after thinking about it, so he kept silent.Jia Zhen was busy persuading him, and then Jia Zheng put it down for the time being, and ordered all the housekeepers to be called.After a while, Lai Da Lai Sheng and Lin Zhixiao all came, and the stewards on the second floor, who couldn't stand inside the room and stood outside.

Jia Zheng asked Lai Da to announce the investigation. Jia Amnesty listened to his face and gradually lost his expression. Those who were greedy were all his subordinates. He immediately stood by Jia Zheng's side and made a heartbroken look: "Second Uncle is right. Just read the steward's post and you will know that our family was too indulgent in the past. According to Lai Da and Lai Sheng, They are just slaves of our family, but look, the slaves are all servants. What kind of family is our family? It looks prominent on the outside, but in fact it is just a poor official relying on the false name of our ancestors. What gold and silver? Can you bear such a toss up? From now on, start saving and lay off all the extra people."

Jia Zheng was waiting for Jia Zhen's words. Now that the patriarch had spoken, he immediately gave An Xie's disgraced stewards a hard look: "This group of ungrateful and treacherous things, think about it, how much you don't like it?" Those who are gracious all their lives, usually domineering, look at me and I don’t know. They just want to be lenient and ignore them! Who knows that you are getting more and more involved one by one. And you are making such a big incident! You are going to make a fuss! Is it okay to let it go when my whole family is convicted and assigned?"

Hearing Jia Zheng's words, those stewards knelt down on the ground, shouted their heads loudly, and begged for forgiveness in unison. Some said: "It's all the servants who have lost their eyes and failed the grace of the master." Put the blame on Jia She: "It is the master who wants the slaves to be filial, but the slaves can only have a lot of money, so they can only think of this way." Others only cry about being poor, and bring out their grandparents to say how pitiful they are , but to find some money to spend.

Hearing the servants talking about him, Jia She was instantly annoyed, and wanted to drag those people out and beat them to death. There was chaos, crying and cursing, and Rongxi Hall turned into a busy street.Jia Zheng shouted with a straight face, and the people below did not dare to be presumptuous.Jia Zheng didn't look at Jia Amnesty but said to his nephew, "I don't want to interfere with the affairs over there. You can take it back and deal with it. As for the impeachment of us, I think since we were caught, we should admit our mistakes, Your Majesty." With the light of the holy candle, the matter is at the feet of the emperor, and there is nothing to hide. It is an attitude that we can correct our mistakes."

Jia Zhen pondered for a while and realized that Jia Zheng's drunkard's intention was not to drink, and the second uncle just wanted to rectify the Rongguo Mansion and had nothing to do with her family.So he said bluntly: "It's the second uncle, our family's good reputation has been ruined by them. I asked reliable people to go door to door and beg with these suffering masters, and just give them back the missing money. If they If you don't want to sell the land, return the title deed to them. There are so many fields in the world, and they can't be bought there." Jia Zheng nodded to his nephew and said, "You are the patriarch, so you should be careful in everything. It's on you. After going through this turmoil, you have to trust others." Jia Zhen nodded frequently and led the people from Ning Mansion away.

Here Jia Zhenghe glanced at Jia She, but refused to give up: "I'm afraid I can't hide this matter, so go and plead guilty to the old lady first." Hearing that he was going to see Jia's mother, Jia She felt uncomfortable. Holding on, he could only go to Jia Mu's side step by step.

Seeing her two sons coming in, Jia's mother was also very angry, and scolded Jia Amnesty and Jia Zheng: "Since something happened, it can only be done by whoever did it. There is a saying that knowing the mistakes can make things better. I will send it to the emperor tomorrow. It is I who did not educate my son well and take care of the house. I have some money here and you give it to those who have been wronged."

Jia Zheng and Jia Amnesty knelt down and kowtowed to Jia's mother: "The unfilial sons make the mother worry. It's all the son's fault, regardless of the mother's feelings." I don't care. Who knows that you still got into trouble, and it's all because I didn't accumulate virtue and do good deeds."

"The old lady is implicated by our ineffective son. Since the old lady said that she can correct her mistakes, I think our family can't be better than before, and we should be frugal. The servants in the family have been thriving recently. Those who are not important will be dismissed, and they will not take any money. Also, the seller who suffered a loss this time asked someone to make up for the money, and apologized to them. The censors are all rumors. What can I say. When my father was around, he taught us to serve the king with sincerity. We don’t hide anything. We should just accept what’s wrong.” After hearing Jia Zheng’s words, Jia’s mother was silent for a while before she nodded: “ Forget it, just do as you said, it’s okay for me to suffer a little when I’m getting old, I just feel sorry for Baoyu’s children, really pitiful.”

Listening to Jia Zheng's words, Jia Amnesty turned a few times in his stomach, thinking that he was just sending some servants out, anyway, he didn't have to worry about no one to serve him, and new and better ones would come when the old ones were gone.Many of the concubines in my room were getting older, so they just took the opportunity to send them out.Therefore, Jia Amnesty did not object to following Jia Zheng's agreement to rectify housework.

At night, Zili watched Jia come in easily, and knew that he had won a big victory.Then he smiled and said, "Master looks good, he doesn't look like he was impeached at all."

Jia Zheng touched his face and found that he couldn't hide his smile. He sat down and said relaxedly: "There is nothing to be proud of. Things at home are in such a mess. I didn't expect that the servants in the house would be so messed up." The clique is waiting to empty us out. If we don’t clean it up, we don’t know how corrupt it will be. By the way, girl Yuan is at home, why don’t you see anyone.” When his daughter came back, Jia Zheng wanted to see Yuan Chun.

A girl had gone to call Yuan Chun long ago, but Zili said with a heavy heart: "I want to wait for Lian's daughter-in-law to come in and I will be relieved of my responsibility as a housekeeper. I don't know what to say or not to say." Jia Zhengyi smiled. Said: "Just say, Lian's daughter-in-law is young and a new wife who just came in, can she take care of it. When I went to the old lady today, the old lady still felt wronged by the children. I don't feel good in my heart, other things Let’s just say it’s Zhu’er and Yuan Yatou, they are more pitiful than Baoyu, especially Zhu’er has followed us everywhere since childhood. The family is not that poor, and the old lady’s supply can’t be bad.”

"Everything is as usual at the old lady's side. In fact, nothing has changed. It is still the same as it was before. It's just that the redundant people have been cut. I want to move Baoyu out. You see that Baoyu and the second girl are growing up now. When I grow up, men and women are different. It's not good for Baoyu to mix in it all the time, and the old lady often brings Xiangyun and Daiyu to live here, so we should avoid suspicion. Besides, Mrs. Lin is the most polite person How can she be wronged at her grandfather's house?" Zili wanted to take the opportunity to get Baoyu out, this child was smart but was going to grow crooked.

Jia Zheng didn't care much about where Baoyu was: "What you said is true, but you should also take care of the old lady's mood. What does the old lady think if you have to move Baoyu out of the house just now? I think it's better first Let's talk about Baoyu after dealing with the matter in front of us."

When Zili thought about it, she also felt that she was a little anxious. Mother Jia has been very cooperative recently. She likes to have a lively scene, and hopes that the family can maintain the rules of Rongguo Mansion in its heyday.It is already rare to make a compromise and ask Zili to cut out the redundant staff. If Baoyu is to be taken away, the old lady will definitely not do it. "That's right, I'm too anxious." Before he could say a word, Yuan Chun walked in lightly with a girl.Jia Zheng looked at his daughter and took out something from the sleeve with a smile on his face: "Yuan girl, look, what is it?"

Yuan Chun smiled brightly and said, "It's a white jade ring!" He went to Jia Zheng and took the things from his father, and started to play with them happily. Zili took a glance and saw that what Yuan Chun was holding was a nine rings made of white jade, hey With a loud voice: "I am in front of some rare things, and you are still fooling my daughter with children's things."

"This is not an ordinary chain. It's much more complicated than the usual ones. It's made of white jade. It's delicate and cute. It's also made by a famous craftsman. This craftsman has an exquisite mind, but he has a weird temper. It took me a lot of effort to get it. Yes, do you like it?" Jia Zheng looked at Yuan Chun happily playing with the new toy with a smile on his face, and suddenly felt emotional: "I feel in a daze that when I was still in Qingzhou, she just arrived at my waist and pestered me all day long to see it. I'll try the case."

Yuan Chun put Bai Yulianhuan in his arms, sat next to Jia Zheng and pulled his father's arm coquettishly: "No matter how old I am, I am my daughter. Besides, my father is not old at all. He shaved off his beard and stood with the elder brother to return the brotherhood." It seems." Yuan Chun made an exaggerated expression, which made Jia Zheng dumbfounded, and he nodded his daughter's nose and pretended to be angry and scolded: "Are you making fun of me? How dare you tease me!"

Zili looked at Yuan Chuncai's small movements calmly, and suddenly revealed his daughter's truth: "Master just take back the things that Yuan girl gave just now. You are really, my daughter doesn't know what she likes, I think Yuan girl, I beg you to make trouble with Yu Lianhuan not for her own sake, for whom you want to go!" Before Zili finished speaking, Yuan Chun blushed and bumped her head into Zili's arms, acting like a spoiled child. Putting her arms around Zili's neck: "Mom can bully people! Dad, you just watch her bully me?"

"I'm used to being bullied by your mother, what are you!" Jia Zheng immediately helped his daughter, making faces at Zili.

The emperor sent the imperial censor's impeachment papers to Dali Temple, and told them to find out that the hall officials of Dali Temple were worried with the papers.What does the emperor mean by this? Could it be that he wants to go up to the court to interrogate the case himself, and arrest all the members of the Jia family and the Zhen family for interrogation?Can the Jia family and the Zhen family be provoked?When he was in trouble, he suddenly saw someone come in and replied: "Several members of the Jia family have come to surrender, saying that the matter of selling the land is their own desire to take advantage of the opportunity to make money, and it has nothing to do with their master."