Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 770 Who is adopted by Ningguo Mansion
Rongqing Hall,
Following the old lady's instructions,
Outer room,

Jia Jing, dressed in a Taoist robe, walked slowly into the inner hall like a sage. The luxurious decoration made Jia Jing a little uncomfortable for a while. He looked at the people in the room and thought that the women were not to be mentioned, and the men, including the entire Jia family, were doing nothing.

"Immeasurable Heavenly Venerable, I am sorry to bother you."

When a Taoist call was sounded, everyone in the room stood up, and all the women shouted,
"Respect the Master, be well,"

"Haha, I am a person from outside the world, so there is no such thing as peace or insecurity."

Jia Jing straightened his robe, walked over to Lady Jia and bowed.
"Old lady, I'm sorry for that."

With just this sound, Jia's mother could no longer hold back her tears.

"It's good that you're here, it's good that you're here. The Ningguo Mansion issue can still be saved."

Grandmother Jia has worked hard for the two mansions for many years, trying to maintain them. The sadness she feels inside is not something she can tell to outsiders. How could she bear such a thoughtful word?

Jia Jing lifted his Taoist robe and sat down next to Lady Jia with a heavy expression on his face.

"I have also heard about the incident. Tomorrow, I will go to the palace to plead for Zhen'er. It is his good fortune that he was saved. The old lady does not need to panic. I also heard what the old lady said just now from outside."

This time it was Jia's mother's turn to be flustered. She wanted to explain, but was stopped by Jia Jing.
"You don't need to explain, old lady. Even if Jia Zhen and his son survive, their titles will certainly be lost, so it is right to choose someone else. My original intention was to let Ningguo Mansion's Jia Qiang inherit the title, but before I came here, I heard that he sued the master's family, spread rumors, and was still in the prison of Shuntian Mansion. He was useless to the Jia family and the Duke's Mansion, so I gave him up. The old lady still decided on the candidate, but he must be adopted from the Ningguo Mansion line."

This was also a last resort. The Ningguo Mansion had cut off the direct lineage, and if they wanted to pass on the title, they could only rely on the Rongguo Mansion and make some arrangements for Xichun, which would be worthy of their ancestors. As for who would inherit, Jia Jing shook his head in his heart. It didn't matter what would happen in his life, but the title needed to be decided first.

Even with this final statement, the Second Wife frowned and even looked embarrassed. After all, the child was to be adopted, and she only had Baoyu, the phoenix egg, left. How could she bear to give him up? Even Lady Jia was no longer as anxious as before. Was the idea of ​​adoption over?

"Is there room for negotiation? Must the adoption be necessary?"

Either way,

When it came to Jia Baoyu, not only the Second Madam was confused, even the Old Madam seemed a little bewildered. Before Jia Jing could speak, Jia She spoke first:

"Mother, how could you be so confused? If you don't inherit the title, how can you inherit the title? Even if you go to the clan house, you need the genealogy documents. If that doesn't work, we still have illegitimate children in Rongguo Mansion. Jia Zhong and Jia Huan are also from the main family. Even if there are more descendants, I won't fight for it. Jia Lan is still the legitimate bloodline."

I don't know what Jia She meant, but he actually mentioned everyone except Jia Baoyu, and mentioned their names one by one, even Jia Zhong and Jia Huan. Although these two were heirs of the master's family, they were born out of wedlock and almost no one mentioned them. I didn't expect that today, the eldest master would openly mention them. It was really a surprise.

Grandmother Jia was stunned, but she did not deny it. If Jia Baoyu was adopted by Ningguo Mansion, he would be cut off from Rongguo Mansion. This was not acceptable. The family tree could not be changed. But giving the title to those illegitimate children who had succeeded to success was even more unacceptable. She was speechless for a moment.
Coincidentally, Mrs. Xing also spoke up;
"Master Jing is right. Adopting a child is a big deal and we can't rush it. But right now, we have to plan ahead and choose the person first. This will also give the Jia family an explanation. The previous things happened because we didn't explain clearly, which caused some troubles. Old lady, please say something."

Mrs. Xing did not say who was good and who was not. She first brought out all the relatives of the Jia family. This was a clear decision, so that the second wife would be cautious. She had already made up her mind that the title would most likely fall into the hands of the second wife, but there were some things that needed to be fought for. Li Wan, by the way, wasn't Jia Lan also a candidate? With a turn of her eyes, she thought of Li Wan's attitude towards the second wife a few days ago. It was obvious that she was resentful.

Grandmother Jia first glanced at Madam Xing, then turned to look at the Second Madam, and asked:
"Second brother, what do you think?"

However, the Second Wife was in a state of confusion and had not yet made up her mind. Jia Zheng raised his head and said with red eyes:
"Brother Jing's words make sense. There are only so many children in Rongguo Mansion. Choosing one to be adopted by Ningguo Mansion can also be regarded as continuing the incense of Ningguo Mansion."

finished,

The Second Wife's face changed, thinking that now she only had Jia Baoyu as her son and she couldn't let him go no matter what. But she was also reluctant to give up the title of Ningguo Mansion. As a result, the Buddhist beads in her hand were almost crushed to pieces.

Seeing that the second wife was silent, Jia Mu knew that she was reluctant to give up the title, but now that things had reached a critical moment, she had to make a decision. She looked around the room and saw that everyone was there, except for Zhu's wife.
"Someone, go and call the daughter-in-law of the Zhu family. Ningguo Mansion is a major event for the two Jia families. If we want to discuss something, everyone must be present. We can't leave it to the end without everyone present. That would be selfish."

"Yes, old lady,"

Outside the hall, a maid responded and ran out.

Seeing the tense atmosphere,

Wang Xifeng immediately stood up and called the maid to serve tea to her master.

"Respectfully, Master and Madam, I have something to say, may I speak?"

At this moment, Wang Xifeng's face was tense and she felt a little guilty. The success or failure of the things they had discussed before now depended on this time.

The old lady and Jia Jing served tea and water, and their eyes fell on Wang Xifeng, the housekeeper.
"You can tell me, of course you can. You are the housekeeper of Rongguo Mansion. You will be needed to take care of the affairs of the two mansions in the future. Tell me now."

Grandmother Jia let out a long sigh. No matter how difficult it was,
Only Madam You, who was sitting at the bottom, looked evasive, thinking of what Wang Xifeng had told her that night. Could it be that this was about to happen?
"Master Jing, Madam, I didn't want to tell you, but I didn't expect that the Ningguo Mansion's incident happened so suddenly, so I couldn't hide it even if I wanted to. When Madam You came to the mansion, she was pregnant. At that time, I was afraid of complications, so my eldest sister-in-law and I kept it a secret. Now that Master Jing has come back, it would be unfilial to keep it a secret."

Wang Xifeng stood up and walked to Madam You's side. She deliberately winked at her to reassure her that she had already arranged the rest.

Others who were still hesitant were deflated when they heard this. As long as there were still people in the direct line of the Ningguo Mansion, the title would not be theirs. Jia Jing and Jia's mother were also a little surprised. This was a great happy event. Jia's mother asked anxiously;

"It's from Brother Zhen's family, but it's real."

Hearing the inquiry,

Glancing at Feng Yatou's expression again, Madam You gritted her teeth secretly and nodded.

"Madam, yes, she is pregnant, but it's been less than a month, and I don't know if it's a boy or a girl."

The reply was clever, it was true, but I didn't know if it was a man or a woman.

"Look at you. You kept such a big thing a secret. It doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl." Suddenly he stopped talking.
You can't comfort her like that. If she is a man, she can inherit the title. If she is not a man, she will have no chance of living in Ningguo Mansion. Everyone present understands this.

"Old Madam, we still have to choose one person. If it's a boy, he will inherit the title. If it's a girl, we'll keep her. We have Xichun as a maid in the Ningguo Mansion. Old Madam, Jia Jing has never asked anyone for help in his life. I beg you to allow me to marry Xichun into the Luoyun Marquis Mansion as a concubine!"

For a moment, his eyes were filled with tears. He took out Xichun's birth date and marriage certificate from his arms and handed them to Grandmother Jia, as if to entrust her with the care of her orphan. He was extremely sad.

Xichun, the maid sitting below, seemed to know the truth too. She was in tears and no longer as cheerful as before. Daiyu and Baochai tried to comfort her. They looked at each other and thought that it was fine for Xichun to enter the mansion and become a concubine, after all, she was on their side. Only Yingchun and Tanchun were worried about what they would do in the future.
"Why is it so? Once I have settled down, I will go to the palace to find the old concubine and ask for mercy."

Grandmother Jia could no longer bear it. Looking at Jia Jing's head full of white hair, she didn't know how much suffering he had endured over the years. Just looking at the scene just now, he was still thinking about Xichun's marriage. She knew that this idea of ​​becoming a monk and practicing Taoism was a lie. What could she do about the world being like this?

For a moment, tears flowed down my face.

Everyone hurried to persuade him again.

It took a while for the tears to stop.

"Old Madam, you must not go to the palace to ask for an audience with the old Concubine Dowager. She is the last resort for our Ning and Rong families. I have been hiding for long enough now. I can drive away the remnants and save the Ningguo Mansion. This is also a favor from the Emperor. I have made my decision."

Turning his head to look at Madam You who was sitting below, he said again;
"Since You is pregnant, she still needs the old lady's care. After she gives birth to a son, the boy will inherit the title, and the girl will be raised. In addition, another person will be chosen to be adopted by the Ningguo Mansion, just in case. Bring the documents for the title, seal, family property contract, and family tree here, and let the old lady keep them. Once the person is chosen and the family tree is drawn, it will be considered complete."

After that, he took out the above items from the package he brought back, including the four treasures of the study, as well as a stack of silver notes, which was the Ningguo Mansion's annual tribute of about 50,000 taels. He took out three silver notes and several land deeds, stood up and walked downstairs.

Looking at the haggard Youshi, who has lost even her status as a royal concubine, I'm afraid her future life will be difficult for a woman like her.

"These thirty thousand taels of silver notes were saved by you to offer to Xuanzhen Temple. Now that you are the wife of Ningguo Mansion, you should be in charge of them. But when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. I have the final say. These belong to you. No matter what happens in the future, these are your private property."

Without waiting for Mrs. You to refuse, she placed all these on the table in front of Mrs. You. Thirty thousand taels of silver notes, a farm, and five shops, at least a hundred thousand taels of property. Wang Xifeng was so surprised that she took the land deeds and silver notes on the table, wrapped them up with a handkerchief, and stuffed them into Mrs. You's arms without waiting for Mrs. You to say anything.
"Take it. It will be a support for you in the future."

Madam You burst into tears. Only Madam Xing and the Second Madam felt bad. Then they looked at the pile of deeds in front of the old lady's desk. These were all the Jia family's property.

"Jia Jing, these are all the property of the Ningguo Mansion. I won't take them. The property of the Ningguo Mansion still belongs to the Ningguo Mansion. When someone is chosen, I will give them to him for safekeeping. I am not an unreasonable person."

At this moment, Jia's mother really didn't care about these things. As an ancestor, the most important thing now was not these things.
But as soon as these words were spoken, the wives of the first and second wives looked a little anxious. The second wife was still thinking that Baoyu might not be unsuitable, so she couldn't help but speak.
"Old lady, this matter is clear. The person who inherits the title must not be a useless person. Otherwise, after inheriting the title, his nature will be hard to change, and the Jia family will suffer. Let's not talk about others. Jia Huan has a perverse personality and is lawless. He certainly cannot inherit the title. The same is true for Jia Zong. He is as timid as a mouse and keeps talking nonsense. He is also not suitable."

As soon as the Second Wife opened her mouth, she excluded Jia Huan and Jia Zong. Although it was true that these two were annoying in the Duke's Mansion, their reputation was gone after the mistress of the house said so. Tanchun, in particular, blushed and wanted to refute, but when she thought of her biological mother Aunt Zhao's face, which looked like Jia Huan's humble servant, she felt aggrieved. She wanted to say something to help, but she couldn't open her mouth.
Mrs. Xing raised her eyelids and immediately got Jia Zong out. After all, no matter how you choose, they will all be your second wife's people.

"Oh, you can't say that. Although illegitimate children are not valued, they are also the blood of the two masters. Even if they have these characteristics, they are also the blood of the Jia family. Why do others look down on them when they come to the second wife? In the end, there are only Jia Baoyu and Jia Lan left, both of whom are the direct descendants of your second house. We can only watch."

The more unpleasant the words were, the more furious Mrs. Wang, the second wife, became. She refused to give in at all.
"Then what the eldest lady meant was that what I said just now was wrong. No matter who it was or what it was, everyone in the mansion was watching. Even if I said that Jia Zong was a genius, people had to believe it. I couldn't just speak without conscience."

"Okay, don't say anything. This is so shameless. I'll have to speak for myself about the Ningguo Mansion. Since Madam You is pregnant, then wait. If it's a boy, he will inherit the title. If it's a girl, she will be raised as the eldest daughter of the Ningguo Mansion. As for choosing another one, I'm impartial. The illegitimate sons of the first and second wives are unworthy of training and have no merit to inherit the title. Let's just forget about it."

Grandmother Jia's eyes narrowed, and she looked at everyone with an expression she had never seen before.

"Right now, there are only Jia Baoyu and Jia Lan to choose from. Jia Baoyu is currently in the palace taking the imperial examination, which means Jia Lan is at home. If we really want to choose someone, we can decide on the spot and directly add him to the family tree. No matter what happens in the future, we will be a member of the Ningguo Mansion. We have thought it through."

Grandmother Jia cut the Gordian knot by deciding between the two and choosing one to be adopted. Firstly, it would stop the others from having any thoughts, and secondly, it would also put Jia Jing at ease as they had to discuss some things in secret.

This statement almost destroyed the second wife's wish to please others, but she was reluctant to give it up.
Wang Xifeng stood up and spoke.
"Madam, Madam, Jia Lan is not at home either. The teacher in the school said that Jia Lan studied hard and had a unique understanding of poetry, books and classics, so he would definitely pass the provincial examination. So now my sister-in-law has used her face to ask for a signature for the special examination, and now he is also taking the examination in the palace, just like Baoyu. It is also a good story for uncle and nephew to take the examination together."

This was said for Master Jing to hear. Master Jing must have heard about the affairs of Rongguo Mansion. It is clear who is right and who is wrong. It does not ruin the second wife's business. After all, the two of them are from the second wife. There is no benefit at all for the first wife to take the lead and make efforts.

Grandmother Jia and the Second Madam were stunned for a moment, Madam Xing was smiling, and the others looked at each other with thoughtful expressions. It seemed that the honest sister-in-law was not simple. But then, they all complained about the Second Madam. The troubles inside and outside were not all because of the Enke matter. At the critical moment, perhaps it was a good thing to give the title to Lang'er.

"Feng girl, don't hide it, tell me what you mean. The men of the two families in the Duke's Mansion are here, so just say whatever you want and let's make it happen on the spot."

Grandmother Jia was somewhat tempted, but she was reluctant to give up Baoyu. It was not necessarily that she was reluctant to give up her great-grandson, but the title was too important, and she was unwilling to not give it to Baoyu. However, the adoption was absolutely not an option.

"Since the old lady asked, I can't be vague. The second wife is now at this age, and she is still my aunt. Only Uncle Bao is happy and happy. It is wrong to adopt her. After all, Brother Zhu passed away early, leaving behind an orphan and a widow. It is not easy. Jia Lan is still young and doesn't know the inside story. Sister-in-law has a strong personality, so there is no need to say more. If it can really work out, then Brother Dinglan and Sister-in-law will go together. No matter what happens in the future, Ningguo Mansion will have more people."

Some words can be said, while others can be vaguely said. That is how it is. With just a few words from Wang Xifeng, not only did others become interested, but even Jia She and Jia Jing had their own ideas in mind. Only the Second Wife was worried about gains and losses and didn't know what to say. When she thought about Jia Zhu leaving early and Baoyu leaving, her eyes instantly turned red.

"Mother, I think this is feasible. It may not sound nice, but Feng girl is right. It's hard for Zhu's daughter-in-law. Second brother, what do you think?"

Jia She rarely agreed. Jia Zheng was in a dilemma. After thinking about it, he thought it was the only way. It would be better for Jia Lan to go than for Baoyu to go. Madam would be able to bear it.
"That's all. Let the past be the past."

Jia Zheng's face was filled with shame. He knew about the imperial examination and had told the Second Wife not to go too far. He did not expect that so many jokes would be made both inside and outside. Today, he had to give Jia Zhu an explanation.

At this time, Jia's mother turned her head to look at the second wife behind her, and saw that her elegant face had lost its composure. She was in a dilemma. In this case, it was Jia Lan.
"Jia Jing, what do you think of Jia Lan?"

Hearing Lady Jia's question, Jia Jing, who had always been silent, took in everyone's gaze and understood what the old lady meant. It would be good for everyone if this family got rid of them. The internal affairs would be resolved, and he would also be able to give an account to his ancestors of the Ningguo Mansion.

"Now that we have come to this, I have agreed. The Ningguo Mansion's bloodline cannot be cut off. Jia Lan and Li from the Zhu family will go together. Old Madam, do you want to wait for the people to arrive before making a decision, or?"

"No need to wait. When someone comes, I will offer you tea directly. It will be considered as a courtesy. Now take out the family tree and directly include her and her mother in it. This matter is settled."

With a determined look on her face, Grandmother Jia spread out the family tree on the table, and then began to pour water and grind ink!

(End of this chapter)