In [Dream Of The Red Chamber], Jia She Acquires A Plant-Based Superpower. - Chapter 5

When Liu Hongyun arrived at the imperial palace, Situ Xuan had just finished his martial arts training. Seeing Liu Hongyun drenched in sweat, he asked curiously, “Did you run all the way to the palace? What happened?”

Liu Hongyun diligently took the tray from a eunuch and brought the towel and other items before Situ Xuan.

“Your Majesty, before dawn today, General Jia came to repay the arrears owed to the Ministry of Revenue.”

Situ Xuan paused mid-wipe. He had considered reclaiming those debts, but the Retired Emperor had forbidden it, and the matter had been shelved. He had never revealed his intentions to anyone.

“Which General Jia? Jia She?”

Liu Hongyun lamented that the Emperor’s memory was truly selective. An existence like Jia She should not be so easily forgotten. Having seen Jia She once today, he felt he would never forget that divine face for the rest of his life.

“Yes, General Jia has fully repaid the debts owed by the Jia Mansion to the Ministry of Revenue. After valuing the remaining antiques and paintings, your servant believes the amount far exceeds the actual debt.”

Situ Xuan tossed the towel aside. “Has Jia She gone mad? To actually repay the Ministry of Revenue—that is something I never dared to imagine.”

Liu Hongyun wore an inquisitive expression. “Your Majesty, General Jia has been mad for some time now.”

Situ Xuan was stunned. “Since when, and how did he go mad?” Previously, when censors impeached Jia She, he had only listened for a moment before losing interest, and he never bothered to inquire about what had happened afterward. He was just a wastrel that he would clear out sooner or later; he was not worth the effort. Situ Xuan perfectly embodied the fact that even an Emperor loves gossip.

Before coming to the palace, Liu Hongyun had thoroughly investigated the recent events at the Jia Mansion and described Jia She’s difficulties to Situ Xuan with great empathy.

“General Jia is truly in a difficult spot. It is one thing that he could not make the decisions regarding his son’s marriage, but his daughter-in-law is the niece of Lady Wang. The first time he fainted in rage, it was because of this daughter-in-law.”

“General Jia was truly disappointed in Mother Jia. He publicly exposed Lady Wang for embezzling public funds and stealing sacrificial lands.”

“Your servant gathered the details clearly: General Jia was so angry he coughed up blood upon learning that imperial gifts had been sold off by his own servants.”

Seeing Situ Xuan was interested, Liu Hongyun told him everything he had found, without adding a single fabrication. Liu Hongyun admitted his heart was biased; after seeing Jia She this morning, he found it difficult to stand with Lady Wang and Mother Jia. He felt they were both muddled fools who failed to understand the political landscape.

Thinking of the current political situation, Liu Hongyun’s eyes suddenly brightened, and he could not help but suspect: Was Jia She returning the money because he was angry at Lady Wang, or had he long known that His Majesty intended to deal with the four major families and was paying the debt to protect himself?

Situ Xuan listened to the gossip and shook his head with a light chuckle.

“When my second brother was still around, Jia She was more arrogant and overbearing in the palace than anyone. After my brother passed, knowing I did not favor him, he remained quite well-behaved and never tried to get on my bad side.”

“I thought he was beyond saving, but now it seems he is not as useless as the rumors suggest.”

Situ Xuan was not a petty man; he had long ago let go of the humiliation Jia She had caused him in his youth. They were all young and impulsive back then; Jia She had been cold to him, but had he not also schemed against Jia She? Since Jia She had taken the initiative to repay the Ministry of Revenue, if he remained this sensible when it came time to settle accounts with the four major families, he did not mind leaving him a way out.

Liu Hongyun became increasingly convinced of his hypothesis. Jia She must have seen the future political landscape clearly, hence his early repayment. The rumors calling him a useless wastrel were nothing but a joke.

Liu Hongyun took Situ Xuan’s rewards to the Jia Mansion, while the entire imperial court was in an uproar over Jia She’s repayment. When Liu Hongyun arrived at the mansion, he found it in complete disarray. Terrified maids and old nannies were running around like headless flies. Even as he walked into the manor with the rewards, not a single servant came to greet him. Liu Hongyun shook his head secretly; it was rumored that the Wang woman had exceptional household management skills, but it seemed those skills were far inferior to her talent for embezzling public funds.

He waited for some time before Lin Zhixiao finally appeared. Following behind him, Liu Hongyun overheard that Mother Jia had fainted upon hearing the news of the repayment, only to claim later—somewhat alertly—that it was merely a cold. If that news reached the Emperor, it would be proof of her dissatisfaction with the imperial court. Lady Wang was also furious and wanted to send someone to the Ministry to reclaim the silver. Liu Hongyun almost laughed out loud at the absurdity; once money entered the Ministry’s coffers, Lady Wang actually had the gall to try and take it back—that was a crime punishable by the execution of nine generations.

Fortunately, Jia Zheng remained rational and kept her from acting recklessly. The couple was still arguing in their courtyard; anyone watching would have thought the money Jia She returned to the Ministry had been stolen from their own private coffers. Liu Hongyun glanced at Lin Zhixiao, who was leading the way, with deep meaning. These remarks were likely meant for him to hear, and very likely at Jia She’s direction.

The East Courtyard where Jia She resided was a world apart from the chaotic rest of the mansion. Lin Zhixiao led Liu Hongyun to Jia She’s study and took him straight in.

Seeing Liu Hongyun, Jia She set aside the fan in his hand. “The manor is a bit chaotic; I hope Minister Liu will overlook the mess.”

Liu Hongyun smiled politely. “Not at all, every household has its own troubles; I understand.”

Jia She inquired about the purpose of his visit. When Liu Hongyun explained that he was there to deliver the Emperor’s rewards, Jia She’s expression turned solemn.

“It is a reward from His Majesty; I should have opened the main gate to receive it. It is my lack of manners. Please, speak a good word for me before His Majesty; I hold no disrespect in my heart.”

Usually, with a standard imperial reward, a eunuch would arrive in advance to deliver the message. Since Jia She had not received any prior word, he could not be accused of disrespecting imperial orders. Jia She invited Liu Hongyun to sit for tea, and Liu Hongyun said with a smile, “The matter of the Ministry of Revenue’s arrears is of great importance. His Majesty specifically requested that this reward be delivered quietly, so no advance notice was given. General Jia, your repayment has truly won His Majesty’s heart.”

Jia She smiled without replying. After chatting for a while, he had Lin Zhixiao receive the rewards and then performed a formal kowtow in the direction of the imperial palace.

After a few probes from Liu Hongyun, he confirmed that Jia She had deliberately repaid the arrears, and he could not help but mutter to himself: Jia She is truly adept at hiding his brilliance. For over a decade, anyone who mentioned him in court did so with a sigh of despair.

Liu Hongyun admired Jia She; if he were in his shoes, he might not have had the courage to repay the debt. While he had pleased the Emperor, he had offended all the court officials, especially the other three great families, who now likely viewed him as a thorn in their side.

Liu Hongyun saw Jia She toying with a fan and hesitated, looking like he had more to say. Jia She smiled, “Minister, feel free to speak your mind. We can consider ourselves friends; what is there that cannot be said?”

Liu Hongyun pointed to the fan in Jia She’s hand. “If I am not mistaken, I have seen this fan before.”

Jia She looked down, recalling the original owner’s memories. “It was either 1,000 or 1,500 taels; I cannot quite recall. What is wrong with this fan?” Although he had no particular hobby for collecting fans, who could dislike beautiful things? The fans Jia She collected were not only valuable but featured exquisite fan faces. He could now focus on two things at once, often practicing his cultivation while admiring these beautiful fans.

Liu Hongyun smiled awkwardly. “If I am not mistaken, this fan is a copy of a painting by a virtuous prince during his drunken revelry.” Later, he heard that a “big spendthrift” had spent over a thousand taels on this fake painting. He had mocked the person at the time for being uneducated and unable to tell real from fake—never imagining that the big spendthrift was Jia She.

Liu Hongyun’s emotions were complex. Looking at Jia She’s clear, intelligent eyes, he felt that the person who cheated Jia She deserved to go to hell. What kind of scoundrel would have the heart to swindle Jia She?

Jia She did not look disappointed or displeased that the fan was fake; instead, he carefully took it back. “When I bought this fan, it was not just because it was an antique, but because I enjoyed the painting style and the atmosphere. If I did not like it, even if it were a treasure worth ten thousand gold pieces, it would be worthless to me. If I like it, even if it were a blank piece of paper, it would be worth a thousand gold to me.”

To him, any item in this world was a precious antique. In his eyes, this fan was an authentic work by a prince, and its value was far greater than a real painting. Liu Hongyun saw that Jia She was not speaking insincerely; he truly loved the fan, even knowing it was fake.

Liu Hongyun’s perception of Jia She changed, and he said sincerely, “General, your state of mind is remarkable; I am the one who is vulgar.”

Jia She smiled. “What is wrong with being a bit vulgar? We are just living our lives.” He rather enjoyed chatting with Liu Hongyun because he was not pedantic and was open to new perspectives. During the conversation, Liu Hongyun realized Jia She did not enjoy reading, as he did not know many famous quotes. Liu Hongyun, who usually dealt with military generals, spoke to him in the same manner, finding Jia She honest and endearing. Jia She lacked the arrogance of a civil official and the rudeness of a military man. He did not fawn over him for being a Minister, nor did he look down on him for his humble origins.

Jia She kept him for lunch. Seeing Jia She use his own chopsticks rather than having a maid serve him like other households, Liu Hongyun enjoyed a refreshing meal where he could eat whatever he wanted without the rule of “no more than three bites per dish.” He watched as Jia She enjoyed a cold-tossed pork shred dish, finishing more than half the plate.

After the meal, Liu Hongyun was surprised by Jia She’s appetite; for someone so slight, he had eaten three bowls of white rice—a true descendant of a military general.

Sitting in his carriage on the way home, Liu Hongyun suddenly recalled that Jia She had practiced martial arts in his youth; rumors said he had given up halfway because he could not handle the hardship. Thinking of Jia She’s amazing appetite and youthful face, Liu Hongyun grew suspicious. Did Jia She truly give up martial arts?

The original Duke of Rong was incredibly shrewd; how could the son he pampered be a useless fool? Had the Duke seen that the previous Crown Prince could not ascend the throne, and deliberately had Jia She play the fool? If Jia She had not been known as a wastrel, the new Emperor, upon securing his position, would have been the first to eliminate Jia She as a loyalist to the Crown Prince. Thinking of the Crown Prince’s followers, the only one currently living well was Jia She.

Drawing this conclusion, Liu Hongyun gasped. The Duke of Rong was truly the Duke of Rong; his foresight was matchless!

Jia She had no idea that a single meal had led Liu Hongyun to imagine so much. In the evening, Jia Lian arrived to see him, his face full of anxiety. Jia She had Lin Zhixiao bring him in. He wanted to see what this “cheap son” had to say to him.