Chapter 17: A Nighttime Conversation at the Jia Residence

The gates of the capital city of the Shun Dynasty opened once again, and the delegation that had negotiated peace with Prince Qian returned within the city. Many nobles and officials eagerly awaited their arrival, dispatching a sizable escort of several dozen men to welcome the delegation back. However, eunuchs sent by Emperor Yongning inside the palace tried to block their entry.

Amid the ensuing commotion, Jia Lian took the opportunity to slip away with Steward Lai. Upon inquiry, he learned that his master had sent him. Jia Lian hurried back to the Jia residence, only to find that his master was not in the study but in the old lady’s chamber.

He then proceeded directly to the matriarch’s courtyard. Upon entering, he saw that everyone from both the East and West Wings who ought to be there had gathered. The old lady, the madam, the eldest master, the master himself and his wife, as well as Jia Zhen and Jia Rong from the East Wing—all were inside waiting for him.

Also present behind the glass screen were Miss Lin, Miss Bao, Miss Qin, and others, all awaiting to overhear the news he had gathered from Prince Qian’s military camp.

“Greetings to the old lady, madam, and masters!” Jia Lian stepped forward and knelt, kowtowing in respect. The matriarch hurriedly told him to rise and asked, “Brother Lian, did you meet Prince Qian?”

“Yes, I did!” Jia Lian nodded.

“Does he have three heads and six arms?” Shi Xiangyun, sitting beside the matriarch, laughed and said, “Just now we were worried Brother Lian would be devoured by the bandit prince—he has three heads and six arms and can swallow a dozen men at once!”

Miss Shi Xiangyun, young and straightforward, spoke with an innocent charm, her lively expression drawing laughter from everyone, significantly easing the previously tense atmosphere.

She had often visited the Jia household since childhood and was neither reserved nor shy around the men of the Jia family, thus she remained outside the screen.

The matriarch also smiled and asked, “What does Prince Qian look like? What did he say?”

Everyone laughed, except Jia Lian, who could not find humor in it.

He had just emerged from the camp, where a grim and solemn atmosphere pervaded. Two hundred thousand troops were ready for battle, dozens of cannons lined the camp’s perimeter, their muzzles aimed directly at the capital.

Yet inside the Jia mansion, the young ladies and sisters chatted and laughed, treating it as a joke.

This was not to blame them. Before going to the camp, Jia Lian himself had believed the court could withstand the bandits, at worst suffering some financial losses to avert disaster.

“Brother Lian, did I say something wrong?” Shi Xiangyun, frank but not foolish, saw Jia Lian’s expression and realized her jest was ill-timed.

“It’s not your fault, Sister Yun,” Jia Lian recalled, “when I entered the command tent, I saw Prince Qian sitting alone in the chief seat. He was over eight feet tall, like a crouching tiger and a coiled dragon, exuding immense momentum!”

The room fell silent.

Behind the screen, Lin Daiyu, Li Wan, Bao Chai, Bao Qin, and others exchanged glances. Tan Chun said, “From Brother Lian’s words, it seems Prince Qian has the appearance of a sovereign.”

Lin Daiyu felt confused and looked toward Jia Baoyu through the screen.

To say Prince Qian had the aspect of a ruler meant he would soon enter the capital, holding life and death over the Jia family. What future awaited her and Baoyu?

Xue Baochai remained silent, pondering what Prince Qian might look like.

At over eight feet tall and a seasoned warrior, was he like the legendary generals Qin Qiong or Yuchi Gong—broad-shouldered, sturdy, bearded, and terrifying in martial bearing?

Li Wan, too, said nothing, bowing her head in thought, her mind a tangle of worries useless to the present situation.

Xue Baoqin muttered a few words, calling him “a bandit king, not a ruler,” clearly harboring resentment toward Prince Qian.

Outside the screen, Jia Lian relayed the negotiation results to the matriarch and others.

“Nothing was settled?” Jia Zheng stroked his beard and said, “I imagine the Northern Commandery Prince and his followers are returning to the emperor’s presence to await his decision. We need not speculate.”

Seeing Jia Zheng undecided, Jia Lian urged, “Master, it’s time to make a decision! Prince Qian will attack the city day after tomorrow. There’s barely a day to consider—perhaps not even that. Only tonight remains. Tomorrow morning, Master must decide whether to attend court or stay home!”

Jia Zheng was stunned.

To stay home meant surrendering to Prince Qian; to attend court meant sharing fate with the dynasty and the emperor.

It felt like a knife pressed against his throat.

He looked around at everyone inside.

The old lady wore a worried expression; his wife was silent; his eldest brother sipped tea; the young ladies were bewildered; even the maids and elderly servants bowed their heads.

“It’s not yet that dire,” Jia Zhen finally spoke. “If we can make him withdraw his troops with some silver, so much the better. If a fight breaks out, we won’t be able to control the outcome anyway.”

The matriarch sighed. “Enough, leave it at that. You men handle affairs outside; there’s little I can do. No one in the entire court has a solution... You will come with me to the temple for incense offerings later.” She addressed Wang Furen.

“Yuanyang, go help the old lady change clothes!” Wang Furen said hurriedly.

As everyone began to disperse, Jia Lian suddenly remembered something. “Madam, do we have anyone in the household who knows a man named Leng Zixing?”

Wang Furen did not recognize the name and asked, “Why do you inquire?”

Through gritted teeth, Jia Lian said, “That damned scoundrel has been recklessly spreading the names of the young ladies and madams in the mansion outside, and the bandit prince has heard it!”

“Ah!”

The entire room of young ladies and madams gasped, even Li Wan could not stay seated, asking repeatedly, “Who’s been spreading rumors?”

Whether married or unmarried, a woman’s name was not to be spoken lightly. Now someone had not only spoken but the news reached the ears of the bandit prince beyond the city?

Did that mean Prince Qian was coveting the young ladies of the mansion?

The matriarch glared at Wang Furen in anger. “Go investigate quickly! Find out whose household this man belongs to. The old rules are completely disregarded!”

At that moment, an elderly maid emerged and said, “Madam, this Leng Zixing appears to be the son-in-law of the Zhou Rui household. He is an antiques dealer.”

Upon hearing this, Wang Furen, who was from the Zhou Rui household, could no longer hide the matter. She entered and knelt, kowtowing.

Expressions in the room varied. Wang Furen had already risen, bowing her head in silence.

The matriarch’s face darkened, yet she could not lose her temper in front of everyone. She simply told Wang Furen, “Go clarify the matter thoroughly and report back. You need not accompany me to the temple.”

Then, accompanied by Lady Xing, Li Wan, Wang Xifeng, Shi Xiangyun, Lin Daiyu, and Tan Chun, the matriarch changed clothes and led a grand procession to the Longcui Nunnery in the Grand View Garden.

Jia Lian was summoned alone by Jia Zheng to the study for detailed questioning.

Fearing Prince Qian’s power, Jia Lian withheld much, saying only, “Master, Prince Qian heard from Leng Zixing that the young ladies in the mansion are all beautiful, so he specially sent me to inquire.”

That was all he dared reveal.

Jia Zheng was taken aback. After a moment, he said slowly, “If the young ladies were sent into Prince Qian’s camp...”

“Master, we would wait until Prince Qian enters the imperial palace before sending them there!”

“Who did Prince Qian mention?”

“Miss Lin, Miss Bao, and Brother Rong’s wife.”

Prince Qian had asked many questions. To Jia Lian, these three seemed to matter most; the others were mere accompaniment.

“Why only these three? What about your own sisters? Or your eldest sister inside the palace? Did he mention them?” Jia Zheng asked again.

Though these three were outstanding in both talent and beauty, Jia Zheng always felt a sense of guilt toward his niece Lin Daiyu and did not want to force her. Xue Baochai was an outsider, so that matter was not his to decide. Rong’s wife, Qin Keqing, was already married, so sending her to the palace would be improper.

Jia Lian smiled wryly. “Master, haven’t you thought? If Prince Qian takes the capital, the emperor’s consorts inside the palace would be at his mercy.”

Only then did Jia Zheng realize. Frowning, he said, “If the emperor surrenders, Empress Yuan must leave the palace with him... Sigh, I understand now. We shall discuss this later.”

Jia Lian had no choice but to take his leave.

Yet to him, his master seemed somewhat indecisive.