In Dream Of The Red Chamber, Jia She Acquires A Plant-Based Superpower. - Chapter 15

Wang Xifeng wore a shy smile, her voice extremely gentle. “I discovered it before the New Year. The nurse said the pregnancy was not yet stable, so it was best not to speak of it publicly. I did not mean to hide it from you on purpose; it is just that you were so busy with affairs at the Ministry of Revenue, often returning in the middle of the night, that I did not dare to distract you.”

Wang Xifeng’s meaning was clear: she stood on Jia Lian’s side and would not help Lady Wang persuade him to go to Yangzhou.

Jia She was quite happy. Having never even dated, not only did he become a father by convenience, but now he was to be a grandfather by convenience as well. It was all quite good.

Mother Jia was completely disappointed and planned to send the manor’s steward to Yangzhou to visit Jia Min. Suddenly, Jia She spoke up: “I will go to Yangzhou.”

Once the words were spoken, everyone in the room looked at Jia She in disbelief. Jia She and Jia Min had a poor relationship; they had often argued when they were young. Jia Min had disapproved of Jia She’s lack of interest in studies and his idle lifestyle, and Jia She had disapproved of Jia Min’s attempts to control him. Mother Jia knew Jia She disliked Jia Min, so even if he had not been mad, she would never have considered sending him to Yangzhou. Her first reaction was to wonder if Jia She had lost his mind again.

Lady Wang, on the other hand, wondered if Jia She knew something and if there was profit to be made in Yangzhou. Jia Zheng and Jia Lian felt a wave of relief; they did not care why Jia She was going, as long as they were not the ones who had to go.

Jia She stood up and instructed Lin Zhixiao: “Go back and prepare; we depart for Yangzhou together.”

Lady Wang felt even more strongly that Jia She had ulterior motives for going to Yangzhou. She hurriedly signaled Jia Zheng, “Elder Brother is going to Yangzhou alone with no one to look after him. Why not accompany him?”

Jia She looked at Jia Zheng with a mocking smile. He knew what Lady Wang was thinking, but unfortunately, Jia Zheng would never cooperate with her. Jia Zheng, hearing Lady Wang’s words, suddenly became furious. He had just claimed he was in poor health and could not go to Yangzhou; for Lady Wang to say this was a direct slap in the face.

“Shut your mouth, you ignorant woman! What nonsense are you spouting? My poor health would only be a burden to Elder Brother. Do you think we are going to Yangzhou for a holiday?”

Wang Xifeng’s intended words were ruthlessly suppressed by Jia Zheng. No matter how thick-skinned she was, she could no longer bring herself to urge Jia Zheng to accompany Jia She. It was not that Lady Wang’s schemes were weak, but that her teammate, Jia Zheng, was simply too foolish.

Mother Jia began to suspect Jia She’s intentions for going to Yangzhou as well. If Lin Ruhai were not still alive, she would have suspected that Jia She intended to seize the Lin family’s estate. Jia She knew that everyone was speculating about his motives for going to Yangzhou, but he simply wanted to see Sister Lin.

Lin Zhixiao spent half a month preparing, only managing to finish the arrangements for their departure then. Jia She asked Yuanyuan if she wanted to accompany him to Yangzhou. Yuanyuan let out a meow, leaped into Jia She’s arms, and began licking his chin. Jia She smiled tenderly and gently stroked the cat’s head. “Then we shall take you to Yangzhou. Perhaps when Sister Lin sees how adorable you are, she will feel a little better.”

Jia She was not a fan of the original novel and did not understand the characters well, but he felt sorry for Lin Daiyu, who had to leave her home at such a young age to live under another’s roof. Beijing was full of powerful officials, and even if he stayed in the East Courtyard, there would always be various annoying matters to deal with. It would be better to go to Yangzhou for some peace and quiet, appreciating the landscape and experiencing the local customs along the way.

Jia She treated the Yangzhou trip as a vacation; before departing, he had even planned the route, deciding which scenic spots and historical sites to visit. Jia She had two friends he could barely converse with: one was Situ Ruo, who had already left the capital, and the other was Liu Hongyun. He informed Liu Hongyun that he was going to Yangzhou, and Liu Hongyun wrote back saying he would see him off at the pier.

Jia She wanted to tell Liu Hongyun to mind his own business and not bother with a farewell; such grand ceremonies always left him feeling as if there were no return trip. On the day Jia She left the capital, Liu Hongyun had just finished his morning session and was about to leave the palace when he was stopped by the Chief Eunuch, Wang Fu.

“Lord Liu, please stay a moment. The Emperor intends to inspect the conditions of the people outside the palace today and specifically instructed me to inform you.”

Liu Hongyun’s expression shifted. Thinking of his appointment with Jia She, he asked quietly: “Might I ask, Eunuch, in which direction is the Emperor heading? To tell you the truth, a close friend of mine is leaving the capital, and we have an appointment to meet at the pier this afternoon.”

The Emperor’s routes were kept secret to prevent assassination, but Liu Hongyun felt the protection of the Imperial Guards was redundant, as the Emperor possessed profound, hidden martial arts skills. Wang Fu, knowing that Liu Hongyun enjoyed the Emperor’s favor, whispered: “I dare not guess the Emperor’s intent. However, the Duke of Qi came to the palace this morning to discuss past events. Recalling the year the Emperor was forced to leave the capital, only the Duke of Qi went to see him off.”

Liu Hongyun understood; the Emperor would likely be going to the pier to clear his head. That was a relief; he would be able to find time to see Jia She. On his way to the Imperial Study, Liu Hongyun whispered to Wang Fu: “The Duke of Qi is nearly eighty. To suddenly enter the palace to reminisce with the Emperor—could it be that something happened in his family again?”

The Duke of Qi, Chen Yi, was nearly eighty. The Chen family had been quite rowdy in recent years; the younger generation were all failures, and their reputation outside was much like Jia She’s. However, Jia She was intentionally hiding his talents, while the Chen clan’s disciples were genuinely useless.

Wang Fu lowered his voice: “I heard that Young Master Chen forcibly abducted a woman, and the woman, being strong-willed, crashed into a wall and died in the street. That woman must have had a fiancé, and it happens to be the son of Censor Wang.”

Censor Wang was not from the Wang family; he was a scholar who had passed the imperial examination from a humble background. He was inconspicuous among the many Censors, but Liu Hongyun knew he was personally cultivated by the Emperor and was a trusted confidant.

Liu Hongyun sweated for the Duke of Qi. For a daughter-in-law-to-be to be driven to death, Censor Wang would be absolutely furious. It was no wonder the Emperor wanted to go out and clear his mind; on one hand was the veteran minister who relied on his age to make the Retired Emperor soften his heart, and on the other was a loyal official he trusted. He had to handle both sides, ensuring the Retired Emperor was not offended and that a loyal subject was not disheartened, while simultaneously warning the court not to let other veteran ministers follow suit.

When Liu Hongyun met Situ Xuan, Situ Xuan had already changed his clothes; his expression looked very cold, and anyone could tell his mood was poor. Situ Xuan liked to leave the palace to clear his head when he was in a bad mood, a habit his confidants all knew. Liu Hongyun changed his attire as well and followed Situ Xuan through several streets, carrying the various small trinkets Situ Xuan had bought.

Situ Xuan suddenly turned and asked Liu Hongyun: “Do you have an appointment today? You have looked at the time several times already.”

Liu Hongyun hurriedly apologized: “Your Majesty, I hope you will forgive me. General Jia is leaving the capital for Yangzhou today, and we had an appointment to meet this afternoon.” Initially, Liu Hongyun had not intended to say anything, but seeing Situ Xuan seemed so irritated, he figured he would be strolling until sunset. He did not want to break his word to Jia She and dared not lie to Situ Xuan, so he could only speak the truth.

Situ Xuan frowned slightly. “Jia She is going to Yangzhou? Why did I not know of this?”

Hu Bing, standing nearby, whispered: “Master, General Jia submitted a memorial to leave the capital, and the Cabinet passed it; the result must still be sitting on your desk.”

Jia She held a sinecure and did not even have to attend court. As for the trip to Yangzhou to visit a critically ill sister, the Cabinet had no reason to reject it. Situ Xuan was not an unreasonable man; it was a whim to go out, so he had instructed Wang Fu to block Liu Hongyun, not knowing he already had an appointment with Jia She.

Situ Xuan spun his fan. “Let’s go. I, too, shall take a look at this Jia She to see what tricks he used to make you and Situ Ruo lose your heads over him.”

Liu Hongyun was filled with embarrassment, his voice laden with shame. “Master, I am an old man; my friendship with General Jia is normal. Please do not listen to those rumors.”

Situ Xuan raised an eyebrow, and Wang Fu beside him wore a strange expression. Jia She was capable; for a man as cautious as Liu Hongyun to say such things in front of the Emperor—he was not afraid of Imperial wrath. This was clearly choosing to risk the Emperor’s displeasure just to protect Jia She!

The more Liu Hongyun defended Jia She, the more Situ Xuan wanted to see him. His cat was still with Jia She; since Jia She was going to Yangzhou, who would take care of it? Situ Xuan followed Liu Hongyun to the pier, and seeing Liu Hongyun’s pace slowing down, he laughed. “Go ahead; I know you will be uncomfortable if I am around. I will go to the tea house nearby for some tea.”

Wang Fu followed Situ Xuan into the nearby tea house and was led to the second floor by the waiter. Situ Xuan sat by the window, not far from where a passenger ship was docked. “It is actually not the Xue family’s ship. The other families are far too petty; they would not even lend a ship to Jia She.”

Wang Fu stepped forward to pour tea for Situ Xuan, and seeing his mood was decent, he gossiped: “Master, did General Jia go to Yangzhou truly just to visit his sister? This servant has heard that General Jia and Lin Ruhai’s wife do not have a good relationship.”

Situ Xuan leaned against his chair and smiled to himself, looking down. “Whether it is true or false is not important.”

He had long held the leverage against the Jia family in his hands. If Jia She truly committed treason, even if the Retired Emperor were displeased, he could openly raid the Jia household. He was just a grasshopper that could not jump out of his palm; it was not worth too much attention.

Situ Xuan spotted Liu Hongyun and, after smelling the tea, looked back. Having grown accustomed to the tea in the palace, the coarse tea of the market also had a unique flavor.

When Jia She saw Liu Hongyun, Liu Hongyun apologized: “I was delayed by something unexpected; I am sorry for being late.”

Jia She told Liu Hongyun not to be so formal and said: “You are not late; I am in no hurry to reach Yangzhou.”

Liu Hongyun had his servants bring out farewell wine and poured a cup for Jia She personally. “Brother Jia, I wish you a safe journey. I will finish this cup.”

Lin Zhixiao knew Jia She’s health was poor and looked at Liu Hongyun, hesitating to speak. Jia She stopped Lin Zhixiao with a look, took the wine Liu Hongyun offered, and drank it in one gulp.

“While I am away, if anything major happens to the Jia family, please send word to Lin Ruhai in Yangzhou.”

At the tea house, Situ Xuan was curious whether Jia She had arrived yet and glanced over. It was this one glance that left Situ Xuan stunned for a long time. His right hand clutched the boiling-hot teacup; the surrounding scenery seemed to blur, leaving only Jia She in his vision. He could clearly hear his own frantic heartbeat.

Wang Fu was panicked, daring to step forward and snatch the teacup from Situ Xuan’s hand. Seeing that Situ Xuan’s palm was scorched red, he was nearly in tears. Situ Xuan ignored Wang Fu, still holding his breath and watching Jia She intently.

This is Jia She? Jia She looks like this? In his memories, Jia She had become lackluster; how could a person grow backwards? When Jia She smiled at Liu Hongyun, Situ Xuan felt his soul cleansed and uncontrollably covered his heart.

No wonder both Situ Ruo and Liu Hongyun were so captivated by Jia She; anyone facing such a face would find it difficult not to be bewitched.

Jia She bid farewell to Liu Hongyun and boarded the boat with Lin Zhixiao. Liu Hongyun stood on the shore, watching the ship sail away until it disappeared from view before turning to leave.

Situ Xuan looked down at his palm, scorched red by the teacup, and asked with absolute sincerity: “Is it reasonable for Jia She to look like this?”