Before they could say anything, a young officer came riding in from the street.
He didn’t even stop in the crowded area, just shouted, “Urgent military news! Anyone who blocks me will be executed!”
Hearing his words, the crowd scattered, making way for the officer to pass through on horseback.
Li Xuan pondered for a moment, mumbling, “Coming from the north, passing through Ningrong Street, heading straight for the imperial city. The north… ”
“Jizhou? Something's happening in the north!”
Didn’t the northern barbarians only invade in autumn and winter? Could it be that they’re moving this spring?
Jia Hu lost interest in the situation.
He snorted, turned, and left.
Jia Rong hurriedly ran back to the Ning residence to report the news to Jia Zhen.
As for the servants scattered on the ground…
They were all good-for-nothings. So many people couldn’t even beat a single young man.
He would get up and return to the residence himself!
That afternoon, Lady Jia learned about the incident between Jia Hu and Jia Zhen.
The family was trying to keep a low profile and avoid the Emperor’s attention. How could Jia Zhen dare do such a shameless thing?
She understood that the entire city was filled with Imperial Guards, undercover agents, and secret agents.
The Emperor and the Saint surely knew about this incident.
But the matter had not yet escalated.
If it became a big scandal, it would be one thing to be ridiculed by others. But if they were impeached and reprimanded for the family’s lack of virtue, and the Emperor seized the opportunity to bring up past grievances, then the trouble would be serious!
She immediately instructed, “Go, send someone to call Jia Hu here.”
“He disrespects Jia Zhen, the head of the family. I want to see if he’ll disrespect me, the old lady!”
Of course, the servants wouldn’t just summon Jia Hu.
They also invited Jia Zhen and Jia Rong.
Knowing the situation, Jia Baoyu sent someone to invite Li Xuan as well.
Lady Jia merely glanced at him with a smile and then waved her hand, signaling Li Xuan, Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu, and the three sisters to hide behind the screen.
As for the rule of not seeing outsiders…
In her eyes, even though Li Xuan was growing quickly, he was still young. Besides, he was a close relative, so it was fine!
Behind the screen.
Looking at Daiyu and the three sisters, each with her own unique charm, Li Xuan bowed. “Lin miss, second miss, third miss, fourth miss.”
He stopped there.
Jia Baoyu, with a hopeful expression, waited: “…”
“What about me? What about me? Why didn’t you greet me?”
He decided to act a little childish.
But then he saw Li Xuan’s handsome appearance, which perfectly matched his aesthetic…
Fine, if you won’t greet me, I’ll greet you!
Jia Baoyu stepped forward and smiled, “Xuan brother, I’m Baoyu. I have to thank you for giving the sisters jade. Now we all have this jade.”
“Xuan brother, do you have any jade left?”
That jade is a rare treasure, how can everyone have it.
Li Xuan almost blurted out the famous line.
He paused and said with a smile, “Of course I have jade. A gentleman wears jade to demonstrate his virtues.”
“Baoyu, since you have jade, it shows you’re virtuous. Have you read any books?”
At the sound of that question, Jia Baoyu instantly changed his expression.
He said angrily, “I thought you were a good person, regardless of whether you went to take the exam to become a scholar or inherit a military position, it was all justified. But it turns out you’re also a traitorous official.”
“I just can’t stand those Confucian scholars and their pursuit of careers!”
“That’s a fallacy,” Li Xuan shook his head, “Reading is about learning principles. Whether you learn from the Sages or from others, it’s all about improving yourself and enriching your mind.”
“If someone speaks to you and you don’t understand a word, let alone its deeper meaning, what’s the difference between you and a beast that can’t communicate with people?”
Oh no, the urge to lecture others and be a mentor to his roommates is back again.
Why did he think of making the Phoenix Egg study?
Good thing he’s not the kind who listens to advice.
Even if he did, he would revert to his old ways in a couple of days.
After thinking for a while, Jia Baoyu said, “Let’s talk about it later. Let’s watch the play first!”
It turned out that while they were talking, Lin Zhixiao had invited Jia Hu over.
He announced outside the door, “Old lady, Hu brother is here.”
Jia Rong was startled at first, his face showing signs of fear.
Then he thought that he was in Lady Jia’s Rongqing Hall, with the old lady and his father present. What was he afraid of?
Jia Zhen’s face flushed with anger.
He picked up his teacup and was about to smash it against the door, killing that disrespectful dog.
Then he remembered that he was in the old lady’s room.
He suppressed his anger and put the teacup down.
Lady Jia closed her eyes and said calmly, “Let him in.”
Lin Zhixiao outside the door turned back to Jia Hu.
Jia Hu, a young man of twenty, was tall and strong. He wore a simple blue robe, but it gave him the air of a great man.
It was precisely this aura that made him polite as he said, “Hu brother, the old lady summons you. Please come in.”
Jia Hu nodded, neither humble nor arrogant. He patted the dust off his clothes and strode towards the room.
He passed by the pine-crane screen and saw Lady Jia sitting on the kang, with kind eyes, white hair at the temples, but a hint of displeasure in her expression.
Jia Zhen and Jia Rong, sitting below, both looked angry.
Jia Hu didn’t do anything drastic.
He simply bowed deeply to Lady Jia, “Jia Hu greets the old lady!”
“You can rise,” Lady Jia said indifferently. “I see you are quite courteous and well-behaved. How did things come to this point with Zhen brother?”
“The root of this matter lies with Ningguo.”
“Hu never imagined that the head of the Ningguo mansion would actually engage in such lowly and immoral actions.”
Before Jia Hu could finish his sentence, Jia Zhen couldn’t take it anymore.
What does he mean “lies with Ningguo”?
What does he mean “lowly”?
What does he mean “immoral”?
He interrupted loudly, “How dare you!”
“In front of the old lady, how can you, a young brat, speak so recklessly!”
“Old lady, I say we shouldn’t interrogate this black-hearted wretch anymore. Just throw him in the county jail!”
Jia Hu glanced at him contemptuously.
He sneered, “You’re getting agitated, you’re getting agitated. I haven’t finished yet, and you’re already panicking.”
Slamming his hand on the table, Jia Zhen said with a black face, “You evil spawn, you’re looking for death!”
“Enough!” Lady Jia shouted, frowning. “Do you two listen to me or not?”
Jia Zhen lowered his head, “I do…”
Jia Hu hesitated for a moment and bowed as well.
“Since you listen to me, then don’t interrupt.
Otherwise, I won’t care about this shameless matter anymore. If you need to be stripped of your title, be stripped of your title. If you need to be jailed, be jailed. Even if you’re punished according to the family rules and beaten to death, don’t come looking for me, old lady!”
After angrily saying those words, Lady Jia finally turned to Jia Hu.
“Rong’er and Lai, the second steward, both approached you politely. Why do you always cause a commotion every time?”