Chapter 777

Rongguo Prefecture, Rongqing Hall.

Although Jia Cong was somewhat surprised to hear Wang Xifeng say she wanted to discuss matters in the hall.

But he knew Wang Xifeng was shrewd and capable, a top-tier leader of the inner household, whose handling of affairs was thorough and thoughtful, and she would not easily lose her composure.

Since she was willing to speak of the matter face-to-face, she must have her reasons, which meant the matter the Xue family entrusted her with had nothing to hide from others, making it all the more reassuring.

Lady Jia was puzzled upon hearing this; Jia Cong was an official in the Love Shenjing, so how could he reach far enough to help with the Xue family's business in Jin Ling?

But she did not pay much mind to it, listening to Wang Xifeng speak, just taking it as amusement to dispel boredom.

Yuanyang had just brewed the Laojunmei tea, poured a cup into a white porcelain pastel-covered bowl, and brought it before Lady Jia.

Lady Jia took it and sipped twice, smiling, "Today's Laojunmei is brewed fragrant and pure. Brother Cong has just arrived, so there is no need to have the maid brew another cup.

Yuanyang, take a bowl of this freshly brewed Laojunmei and bring it to Brother Cong, let him taste it too."

Yuanyang hurriedly agreed, took a new covered bowl, brewed a cup, and brought it before Jia Cong. Jia Cong smiled, "Thank you, Sister Yuanyang."

Ping'er, standing behind Jia Cong, her bright eyes shifting, saw Yuanyang blush slightly on her pretty face after hearing Jia Cong's thanks.

She could not help but find it strange; Yuanyang was usually straightforward and generous, so why did she blush just because the Cong Sanye said a word?

Ping'er was, after all, a young woman herself; her thoughts shifted only slightly before she immediately realized something, her pretty lips pursing as she suppressed the emerging smile.

Thinking of how the Mistress had once mentioned this matter, she had thought it was just the Old Lady's scheming.

She had not expected Yuanyang to have developed feelings herself; the Cong Sanye was truly capable of attracting attention, and Yuanyang was a fiery one—she wondered how it would end...

Compared to Lady Jia's calm and composed demeanor, Lady Wang felt a sudden jolt in her heart upon hearing that the Xue family's Jin Ling business wanted to ask Jia Cong for help.

Of the four great families of Jin Ling—Jia, Wang, Shi, and Xue—the Xue family had lost their official status two generations ago, while the other three families still held prominent official titles and ranks.

But the Xue family were imperial merchants for generations and were famous wealthy merchants in Jiangnan; in terms of gold, silver, and wealth alone, they were second to none among the other three families.

The proverb circulating in Jin Ling, "In a good year, the snow is heavy; pearls are like dirt, gold like iron," although somewhat exaggerated, was certainly not without basis.

When Lady Wang had originally taken a fancy to Xue Baochai and was determined to facilitate the "Gold and Jade Connection," it was not only because she and Xue Yima were blood relatives.

Nor was it only because Baochai's appearance was outstanding and she was Lady Wang's own niece, but also because of the astonishing wealth accumulated by the Xue family over generations.

Originally, among great noble families, a daughter married off was like water poured out.

Even if Baochai were outstanding, once she became someone's wife, apart from getting some dowry, she could not touch a fraction of the family's wealth.

But it just so happened that the Xue family's situation was different; the only legitimate son of the Xue family's main branch to inherit the business, Xue Pan, was a useless, dissolute character.

Not only did he have no strengths and achieve nothing, but he was also a troublemaker who invited disaster; the so-called inheritance of the family business was nothing but a joke.

Furthermore, because Xue Pan was involved in a homicide case in Jin Ling, Lady Wang personally participated in planning his exoneration.

In the end, Jia Yucun used the excuse that Xue Pan had died of a sudden illness to help him escape legal punishment, which also turned Xue Pan into a "black household" (unregistered person) from then on.

Anyone with a bit of foresight knew that such brutal methods by Jia Yucun would leave endless future troubles for the Xue family.

Yet, Lady Wang found such behavior by Jia Yucun to be exactly what she wanted, though her underlying intentions were perhaps too sinister.

Because Xue Pan had become a "dead person" in Jin Ling, the Xue family moved their entire household to the Love Shenjing to avoid the spotlight.

Now that Xue Yima was in her prime and was the matriarch managing the Xue family's business, the hidden future troubles of Xue Pan's unregistered status would not erupt for a while.

But after Xue Yima passed away, or due to other reasons, when it became necessary for a son to inherit and manage the family business.

The disaster of the "black household" buried by Jia Yucun would then become an insurmountable catastrophe for the inheritance of the Xue family's ancestral business.

In the official documents and records, Xue Pan, as a person already dead, could not inherit a single tael of the Xue family's property.

At that time, Xue Baochai would become the only bloodline of the Xue family's main branch, although according to common practice, women could not inherit the ancestral business.

However, Xue Pan was dissolute, incompetent, and of unclear status, unable to manage the family business, and could only rely on his intelligent and capable sister, Baochai.

As long as the "Gold and Jade Connection" could be achieved, relying on the power of the Rongguo Jia family, the connections of the Wang family's Wang Ziteng, and using Xue Pan, the living dead, as a front.

For the second branch of the Rongguo Prefecture to occupy the Xue family's ancestral wealth would be a matter of course; Xue Pan, that big fool, could just be fed and kept.

Since her son Baoyu had the nobility of the Rongguo Prefecture's hereditary rank and had also obtained the Xue family's ancestral wealth, he would enjoy a lifetime of wealth and honor that no one could compare to.

Lady Wang hid this intention very deeply, and even before Lady Jia, Jia Zheng, and others, she never revealed a fraction of it.

Originally, in her heart, the "Gold and Jade Connection" was no different from "Gold and Jade Filling the Hall," a match made in heaven, and the most appropriate marriage for her son Baoyu.

It was just that a perfectly good marriage had to have complications arise.

That day in the heavy rain, she personally saw Jia Cong and Baochai embracing, actually engaging in illicit behavior in broad daylight.

Their personal maids actually turned away to avoid them, letting the two of them commit such a scandalous act.

No matter how much Lady Wang favored the Xue family marriage, since her niece had already been toyed with by Jia Cong, she was determined not to have her; otherwise, wouldn't it disgrace her own Baoyu?

Originally, Lady Wang wanted to blow this matter up to ruin Jia Cong's reputation in the officialdom.

She did not expect her own Master to see the clues and, hoping to rely on this kid to earn face for the Jia family, he actually issued a strict order not to let word of this matter leak out.

Although Lady Wang dared not disobey her Master, she hated Jia Cong even more, hating him for being so base and lecherous, ruining her son Baoyu's marriage.

Now, hearing Wang Xifeng discuss the matter, that the Xue family's Jin Ling business actually wanted to ask Jia Cong for help—wasn't her own sister inviting a wolf into the house?

Lady Wang felt uneasy and restless, as if the Xue family's business and wealth were her own, fearing that Jia Cong would take advantage of them.

Wang Xifeng smiled, "A few days ago, Aunt came to chat with me, saying that the Xue family's business has been sluggish these past few years, and their whole family has settled in the Love Shenjing.

The shops and properties in Jin Ling are somewhat out of reach, and they haven't been able to take care of them properly; she has been having a headache over this matter.

Although Sister Baochai is smart and capable, she is, after all, a young lady and it is not appropriate for her to show her face; Brother Pan hasn't settled down yet, and he lacks the experience to take care of the family business.

Aunt and Sister Baochai have thought about it for a long time; rather than watching the family business decline day by day, it would be better to think of another proper way.

Even if they earn a little less silver, as long as they can keep the family business from declining, they would be satisfied.

Because Aunt has many old connections in Jin Ling, in their correspondence, she heard that Miss Qu's Xinchun Firm's business is booming and is currently very prosperous.

Aunt herself thought that if one wants to do big business, one must need top-notch storefronts, and the Xue family has many top-notch storefronts in Jin Ling.

She thought about renting a few shops to the Xinchun Firm at full price; the Eldest Young Lady wouldn't have to worry about the storefronts, and the Xue family would also have the Xinchun Firm as a backer."