In Dream Of The Red Chamber, Jia She Acquires A Plant-Based Superpower. - Chapter 6

After Jia Lian entered the room and saw Jia She drinking tea, he hurriedly offered a bow. “Father, have you truly repaid the arrears owed to the Ministry of Revenue?”

Jia She saw that although Jia Lian was anxious, he still performed the proper courtesies upon meeting him. He pointed to a chair, signaling Jia Lian to sit and talk. Jia Lian hesitated for a moment before sitting. In the past, his father had always looked at him with disdain; had the matter of the debt repayment not been so significant, he would not have come to see Jia She at all.

Jia She signaled for Lin Zhixiao to serve Jia Lian a cup of tea. “You have always been by Lady Wang’s side; do not tell me you truly do not understand her methods. If I did not give that money to the Ministry of Revenue, she would have eventually tucked it into her own pockets.”

Jia Lian grew anxious. “Father, I know you do not like my second aunt, but you cannot ignore the future of the Jia Mansion. Every noble house owes money to the Ministry of Revenue, and we previously coordinated in secret, agreeing that none of us would repay our debts. These arrears are not money we truly owe; they were clearly expenses for hosting the Retired Emperor.”

Jia She glanced at Jia Lian, slammed his teacup onto the table, and asked coldly, “You coordinated in secret? How is it that I received no such letter? Who was communicating with whom?”

“Do you still remember that I am the master of this manor? If I did not agree to this, yet Jia Zheng went out and promised it, let Jia Zheng go explain himself to the other families. Why come to me?”

“You never consult me when there are matters to discuss, but you only think of me when disaster strikes. It is such a familiar and disgusting pattern.”

When Jia She slammed the teacup down, Jia Lian trembled three times over. In the past, under such circumstances, that teacup would have been thrown at him. At this moment, Jia Lian realized deeply that since his father had gone mad, his temperament had truly changed.

Jia Lian seemed to lose all his energy, slumping dejectedly in his chair. “Father, the noble houses will not let you off. Do you have any plans for the future?”

After truly interacting with Jia Lian, Jia She felt that his son was not as incompetent as the original owner’s memories suggested. At the very least, he had not been unreasonable regarding the repayment of the debt.

Jia She pointed to the items on the table that had not yet been cleared away, shifting the subject. “These are all rewards from His Majesty, personally delivered by Minister Liu of the Ministry of Revenue.”

“Lian’er, let me ask you sincerely: what plans do you have for your future?”

Jia Lian was stunned. It took him a long while before he replied with resentment, “Your son dares not have any plans.” He was already married, and it was only now that Jia She cared about him. Did he not think it was too late? Late-arriving fatherly love is something not even a dog would want.

Jia She heard the resentment in Jia Lian’s tone and chuckled. “You are resenting me. You think I did not raise you well and let you grow into a fool.”

Jia Lian did not respond, which was clearly an admission. Although Jia Zheng and Lady Wang had their own selfish motives, he agreed with some of their claims. If it weren’t for the fact that Jia She only cared about his own pleasure and ignored his well-being, how could he, the legitimate heir of a Duke’s mansion, have become a mere manager of the outer gates? Whenever he wanted a little pocket money, he had to grovel and flatter Lady Wang.

Jia She smiled again, his voice icy as he asked, “Do you know how your eldest brother died?”

Jia Lian remained silent. He had heard it was due to servant negligence: his elder brother had fallen into the lake and was not discovered for a long time, ultimately losing his life.

Jia She recalled the original owner’s memories and sighed softly. “The day Hu’er passed away, the weather was beautiful. The flowers in the garden were in full bloom. He had over a dozen maids and four older nannies serving him, yet he still lost his footing and fell into the water. Afterward, I had several servants beaten to death. I heard with my own ears that they had stood by the lake, afraid to move, watching until Hu’er stopped moving.”

“Your mother was about to give birth, and the news of Hu’er’s death reached her ears. As expected, she suffered a difficult labor.”

“Your mother’s wet nurse knelt and begged the Old Matriarch to let the doctor give your mother medicine. The Old Matriarch ignored her and even had her beaten to death, claiming she had been negligent and startled your mother, leading to the difficult labor.”

“Your mother was giving birth to you in the room while the nurse was being executed right outside.”

“When I returned to the manor, your mother had already breathed her last.”

“She left behind a blood-stained letter, telling me to have you raised by the Old Matriarch, and she instructed me never to interfere in your life again, to act as if I did not have a son like you. Only then would you not follow in Hu’er’s footsteps.”

“Lian’er, you think your life is difficult. Do you think it was not difficult for your father?”

At this moment, Jia Lian was already bathed in tears. In truth, he remembered; when he was young, Jia She would often sneak past the servants to see him. Once, Jia She scolded him for indulging in play; after crying, he decided to study hard, but that very night he caught a cold and nearly died. From that day on, he never saw Jia She sneaking in to see him again.

Jia Lian suddenly stood up and knelt before Jia She, his eyes red. “Father, I know your hardships, and I know you resent me for marrying Wang Xifeng. But if I did not marry her, my life would have been truly unbearable.”

“If you had told me these things earlier, knowing who the murderer of my mother was, even if it meant being killed, I would never have married her.”

Jia She’s expression remained perfectly calm. If the original owner had seen this, he would likely have been very happy. It was a pity that he was not the original owner. Those memories were like scenes from a movie; they were not his personal experiences, and he could not feel the same deep emotion.

Jia She shifted his gaze away from Jia Lian. “I told you these things not because I want you to do anything. I have simply come to see things clearly; I do not care about anything anymore.”

“What does the future of the Jia Mansion have to do with me? Why should I care if the Jia Mansion is targeted by the other noble houses? They are nothing but a group of ruthless murderers; I hope they all die.”

“When you were born, Wang Xifeng was not yet born. These old scores cannot be counted against her in any way. The reason I was dissatisfied with you marrying her was that I had heard she was overbearing and domineering; I was worried you would be bullied by her.”

“Treat today as if you never came here. I will go find Minister Liu and ask him to arrange a position for you in the Ministry of Revenue.”

He had repaid the debt, which counted as doing the Emperor a favor. If he went to find Liu Hongyun to help Jia Lian through the back door, the Emperor would likely turn a blind eye. Jia Lian was not a fool who knew nothing; the Ministry of Revenue was the hardest of the six ministries to enter, and even a low-ranked official there held real power.

Jia Lian collected his complicated emotions, stood up, and bowed to Jia She. “Your son understands Father’s intentions. I will work hard in the Ministry of Revenue from now on. I will no longer interfere in the trivial matters of this manor.” He decided to learn from Jia She; if he could not take revenge, he would watch from the sidelines.

After Jia Lian left, Jia She rubbed his temples, which were aching. “Children are nothing but debts.” Although he did not want Jia Lian as his son, seeing Jia Lian’s red-rimmed eyes, he could not help but soften. Jia Lian had not committed any great wrongs; his leaning toward Lady Wang and marrying Wang Xifeng was simply an attempt to live more easily.

The next day, Jia She had Lin Zhixiao submit a visiting card to Liu Hongyun. When the steward brought the card into the study, Liu Hongyun was hosting the Prince of Virtue, who had come to probe the Emperor’s intentions.

“Minister Liu, I also owe the Ministry of Revenue over a hundred thousand taels; should I repay it as well?”

Situ Ruo was the younger brother of the current Emperor, and because he disliked political affairs, he only enjoyed eating, drinking, and merrymaking. After the Emperor ascended the throne, he titled him the Prince of Virtue, hoping he would live up to the name. Situ Ruo knew very well that even though they were brothers born of the same mother, if he truly became the virtuous prince praised by all the civil and military officials, he would not be long for this world.

Liu Hongyun dared not hint at anything to Situ Ruo and could only look troubled, ignoring the topic. The steward delivering the calling card was perfect timing for Liu Hongyun. Seeing that it was Jia She’s card, he sighed, “I had a very pleasant conversation with General Jia and thought I would have no chance to meet him again, yet he has sent over a card.”

When Situ Ruo saw that Liu Hongyun wore a satisfied smile, he grew curious about Jia She. His own persona as a wastrel was mere child’s play compared to Jia She’s. Why did Liu Hongyun, who usually disliked fools, look so favorably upon Jia She and even personally replied to his card?

The next day at noon, Jia She arrived at Liu Hongyun’s residence. As soon as he stepped off his carriage, he saw the elegantly dressed Situ Ruo standing to the side. Jia She looked at Liu Hongyun, hoping for an introduction. His memories of the original owner were becoming increasingly blurry, and he suffered from a mild case of face-blindness. He truly could not recognize someone he had only seen once in his memories.

Seeing this, Liu Hongyun was shocked, thinking that Jia She was truly arrogant—he didn’t even recognize the Prince of Virtue.

When Situ Ruo saw Jia She, he was stunned for a long while, filled with confusion. This was no useless wastrel; this was a fox spirit escaped from a painting. The way he hooked his eyes just now had nearly taken his soul away.

Liu Hongyun smiled to save Jia She the embarrassment. “The Prince of Virtue learned that I had an appointment with General Jia today and wished to see you as well.”

Jia She’s eyes lit up, and he smiled at Situ Ruo. “So it is the Prince of Virtue. Please forgive my poor eyesight; I did not recognize you just now.”

Liu Hongyun silently inhaled. Keeping such remarks to oneself would be better; there was really no need to say them out loud—Jia She’s personality was far too direct. Liu Hongyun glanced at Situ Ruo, worried he would be offended and embarrass Jia She. Instead, Situ Ruo was not angry at all and smiled warmly at Jia She. “How is that poor eyesight? I am not anyone famous; it is only natural not to recognize me.”

Hearing this, Liu Hongyun breathed a sigh of relief. He had forgotten that the Situ family members all had a small quirk: they loved a pretty face. With Jia She’s face—besides the Emperor, who had such high standards and thought he had “withered”—anyone else would call him an immortal descended to earth. As long as Jia She did not insult Situ Ruo to his face, he would never embarrass him; he would stake his entire official career on that.

Situ Ruo was incredibly enthusiastic, so much so that he treated the Liu residence as his own, asking whether Jia She found the tea to his liking and questioning him about his food preferences. Faced with Situ Ruo’s enthusiasm, Jia She pursed his lips in discomfort; he had a bit of social anxiety, and the Prince’s warmth was a bit overwhelming. Situ Ruo also realized Jia She was avoiding him and asked sincerely, “General Jia, I felt like we were old friends at first sight, and I have spoken too much. Please do not take offense.”

Jia She did not dare take offense. “Your Highness, please forgive me. I am not offended, it is just that I have not been out much, and having been ill recently, I do not enjoy bustling crowds as much.”

Situ Ruo had also heard of Jia She’s “madness.” He was now incredibly angry. Those people in the Jia Mansion were truly death-deserving! To have angered Jia She to the point of illness—they truly had gall! Usually, it was others who had to watch Situ Ruo’s expression to speak, but now it was the other way around. As long as Jia She showed the slightest discomfort, he immediately changed the subject, never letting Jia She feel awkward.

Slowly, Jia She felt that Situ Ruo was quite easy to talk to, lacking any princely airs, and he felt his body and mind relax. The ease on Jia She’s face was so obvious that Situ Ruo and Liu Hongyun exchanged a glance, both thinking the same thing: Jia She is truly too trusting and too easily deceived.

Liu Hongyun, having eaten at Jia She’s home, knew his eating habits and asked Situ Ruo beforehand. “Your Highness, Brother Jia prefers to help himself; I wonder if you…?”

Situ Ruo waved his hand dismissively. “I also dislike those rules, especially eating with the Emperor in the palace, where you cannot even take three bites of the same dish—it gives me a stomachache.”

Liu Hongyun just laughed, watching Situ Ruo talk nonsense. Royal etiquette was etched into Situ Ruo’s bones; he clearly saw Jia She was casual and preferred to avoid cumbersome formalities, so he was saying this deliberately. During the meal, seeing that Liu Hongyun and Situ Ruo used serving chopsticks, Jia She felt even more relaxed.