Chapter 83: Eyes that don't recognize pearls (Please collect, please follow!)

Jia She, to one side, saw this scene, his heart full of anger.

This evil obstacle was unwilling to write for him back then even if he died. If it weren't for that, wouldn't these decent things today be his?

Now it was given to the second branch for nothing, this rebellious, short-lived beast!

However, that year, because he was involved in witchcraft, he was summoned by the Imperial Clan Court and locked up for several days, almost losing his title, and he still had lingering fears to this day.

Afterward, he spent a lot of money to invite the Taoist priest in charge of the Profound Heaven Palace to the East Road Courtyard to set up an altar to pray for blessings, and that Taoist priest even gave him a divination.

He reminded him that there was a sign of conflict in the mansion and advised him to be gentle in everything to avoid inviting disaster and causing unpredictable calamities.

Jia She measured in his own heart, besides this beast Jia Cong, who else in this mansion had a hard fate and was prone to conflict?

Thinking about the things that happened before and after, he was also a bit afraid in his heart, only feeling that the Taoist priest was very capable, actually calculating the truth.

He originally wanted to wait until he had eased up from this wave before taking it out on Jia Cong. Even if he hid in the West Mansion, so what? He was still his father.

Jia Cong couldn't help but size up Jia Zhen. In the past few years, he had been confined to the East Road Courtyard and really hadn't seen much of this master of the Ning Prefecture, known for being licentious and shameless.

But that Director of the Waterways Bureau, Qiu Qingyuan, loved Jia Cong's calligraphy extremely, and insisted on keeping him to discuss calligraphy.

"I heard from the Second Master that in these two years, Brother Cong has been studying very well at Qingshan Academy. Last month, he just participated in the Prefectural Examination, and he is about to enter the school. He is truly a young man of talent, haha."

Jia Zheng took Baoyu and Jia Cong to greet the guests at each table in the hall. He had to accompany the guests at the banquet, so he let Jia Cong and Baoyu return to the West Mansion first.

Jia Zhen, to one side, laughed: "I heard before that Brother Cong wrote a good hand of calligraphy, but today I finally saw the truth."

Jia Cong thought of the scene he saw at Chunhua Tower that night and thought that the fatal kick from that Brave Cavalry Battalion Captain must have been heavy. If he wasn't bedridden after that, it would be a ghost.

……

After eating the banquet, some princes, officials, noble ladies, and relatives and friends all bid farewell one after another.

……

Baoyu was surrounded by a group of parasites and salary ghosts and had long been unable to endure it. Seeing Jia Zheng let him go, he ran away like a wisp of smoke.

Jia Zhen's words seemed a bit deliberately loud, making the guests in the hall look over here.

Finally, only some of the closest old relatives of the noble families were left, and they were invited by Jia Mu to the Rongqing Hall to chat about family matters.

As the clan leader, he had to have some face outside. Those with rotten tongues outside often compiled that the descendants of the Jia family were mediocre and useless. He was always unconvinced when he heard it, although he himself was also licentious and extravagant.

Jia Zhen's face revealed a trace of embarrassment and shame, but he restrained his expression in the blink of an eye and said somewhat uncomfortably: "Brother Rong has been feeling unwell these past few days and has been bedridden."

Today, the Ningguo Prefecture entertained official guests, and the Rongguo Prefecture entertained female official guests.

This was also the reason why Jia Cong had been studying quietly on Mount Luocang for several years and Jia She had not caused trouble for him.

Hearing the Taoist priest's prophecy, he gave up, lest he be cursed to death by that kid.

"Brother Zhen, it's rare to see you. Why don't I see Brother Rong out today?"

Now that he had such a clan brother as Jia Cong, he naturally had to show him off to wash away the shame.

Rongqing Hall.

Jia Zheng smiled proudly and waved at Baoyu, letting him return to the West Mansion alone.

Besides the hostesses of the Rongguo family like Lady Wang and Wang Xifeng in the hall.

The wife of Prince Ziteng, Lady Zhang, the wife of the Marquis of Lady Bao Ling, Lady Chen, the wife of the Marquis of Zhongjing, Lady Li, and several hostesses from the various branches of the Jia family in the Divine Capital were all present.

The hall was full of pearls and emeralds, and the fragrant wind was intoxicating.

A couch was placed at the head, with pillows, backrests, and footstools all complete.

Jia Mu had been entertaining guests for half a day today and was a bit tired. Fortunately, those around her were all close relatives, so it wouldn't be too restrained.

She leaned on the couch, and in front of the couch was a low stool. Sitting on the low stool was an eleven or twelve-year-old girl, with a slender figure, beautiful appearance, and a head of black hair as bright as lacquer.

A house full of people chatted with each other. At this time, Baoyu entered. Seeing the girl on the low stool, he called out "Sister Yun," and was hugged into Jia Mu's arms, who asked him about entertaining guests at the East Prefecture.

At the banquet, the wife of the Marquis of Lady Bao Ling, Lady Chen, jokingly asked Baoyu what rare birthday gift he had prepared for the old lady's birthday.

The noble ladies at the table all knew that the old lady loved Baoyu the most, so they all chimed in with kind words, making the atmosphere in the hall happy and festive, and Jia Mu was so happy that she couldn't close her mouth.

She let Yuanyang bring up the birthday gifts sent by Baoyu and the sisters in the garden for the ladies to see.

After a while, she saw Yuanyang bringing out several maids, each holding a birthday gift.

Among them, Daiyu sent a small green jade incense burner for longevity and good fortune.

Yingchun made a forehead band with a blue indigo base and cloud wings, inlaid with agate beads and turquoise beads, both elegant and luxurious.

Seeing Tan Chun sent a neck warmer made of black sable fur, which was very eye-catching under the light.

Baoyu sent a palm-high white mutton-fat jade Guanyin, with a moist and lustrous jade light, which was very extraordinary. In fact, it was prepared by Lady Wang for him; he just took it out to please Jia Mu.

Jia Lan, Jia Huan, and Xichun were still young and couldn't send birthday gifts yet.

And the last gift was a plain white ebony scroll, which looked very simple and low-key compared to the exquisite and luxurious gifts in front.

Jia Mu asked curiously: "What is this, and who sent it?"

Yuanyang replied: "This is a Buddhist scripture written by Cong Sanye Cong himself to celebrate the old lady's birthday."

"Because he had to go to the East Prefecture to entertain guests with the Second Master, he didn't have time to come in person and just had Qingwen send it over."

It wasn't that Jia Cong didn't have the time to send it to Rongqing Hall himself; the reason was actually something even Yuanyang knew in her heart.

Before Cong Sanye Cong went out to study, the old lady had exempted him from filial etiquette. From that time on, Cong Sanye Cong couldn't enter Rongqing Hall again.

He had spent very little time in the mansion these few years, so the old lady had never had a reason to change her words, and it had been like that all along.

Cong Sanye Cong was also a tough person and always wanted some face, so he naturally wouldn't break into Rongqing Hall to send a birthday gift, lest he seek trouble for himself.

Having Qingwen send it over could be considered fulfilling the etiquette.

Jia Mu didn't speak when she heard it was a birthday gift from Jia Cong.

Instead, the wife of Prince Ziteng, Lady Zhang, who was sitting in the seat, suddenly asked: "Are you talking about Cong Ge'er, the second son of the Great Master?"

Yuanyang replied: "It is indeed Cong Sanye Cong."

Zhang smiled disdainfully and said: "In my opinion, most of the old lady's grandsons and granddaughters are filial. Just look at these birthday gifts sent, they are all exquisite and thoughtful."

"Only this Cong Ge'er is a bit rude. He sent a piece of paper as a birthday gift. This is really a bit disrespectful to the old lady."

Jia Mu glanced at the plain white scroll and frowned. She was both strange that Jia Cong sent such a weird gift and felt that Zhang was a bit meddlesome. Why did she have to say some things in public?

Lady Wang looked at Zhang with some surprise. She had talked to her sister-in-law about Jia Cong a few days ago.

It was nothing more than saying his background was ordinary, the Master valued him too much, and that kid was good at reading, which caused Baoyu to be punished by the Master, and she also revealed some fear in her words.

She didn't expect this Zhang to take those words to heart.

Lady Wang knew that her sister-in-law's eyes were shallow. Now that her brother had become the Commander of the Capital Battalion, her sister-in-law's scale was lost, and her behavior was a bit ostentatious.

Lady Wang was wary of Jia Cong in her heart, but it hadn't reached the point where she needed her sister-in-law to stand up for her.

She was actually funny, getting hot-headed all by herself.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 84 =====