Chapter 110: Berating Lady Wang as a 'Foolish Woman

First he cut off Lady Wang's words; Jia Mu then continued, speaking in a hoarse voice to Jia Jing:

"Jia Jing, what exactly do you want to do? Just say it straight! Baoyu and the others are just children's mischief; there's no need for you to make a big fuss."

"Although Jia Mu didn't really want to provoke Jia Jing, she had to speak up for Jia Baoyu's sake."

"Facing Jia Mu's questioning, Jia Jing showed no change in expression, and said lightly:"

"\"What do I want to do? That sounds like it's my fault! \""

"\"I'm busy with military affairs outside, and you've turned the house into chaos, yet you have the nerve to ask what I want to do? \""

"\"It's fine if Baoyu doesn't go to the clan school to study! He spends all day idling in the inner quarters, lacking any manly demeanor and spouting nonsense—I'm too lazy to bother. \""

"\"I've turned a blind eye to your indulgence of the servants, but now you've actually stirred up this damned affair of a son angering his father to the point of vomiting blood. \""

"\"Lin Mei is the only daughter of her maternal uncle, living here in the mansion; her uncle is a high-ranking official of the state, and just days ago the emperor mentioned to me his great merits, yet you allow Baoyu to bully her to the point of vomiting blood. \""

"\"This is defying heaven! And you still dare to ask what I want to do? \""

"\"I just want to see if this household still has any propriety! Let's see whose blade is harder—mine or some people's tongues! \""

"Jia Jing said this, and not wanting to argue further with these inner-quarters women, he directly gave a cold order:"

"\"Come, drag Jia Baoyu away and give him twenty heavy blows with the plank! Teach him a lesson he'll remember! \""

"With a sudden shout from Jia Jing, everyone in the hall shuddered, feeling as if an unknown authority enveloped their whole bodies."

"It was as if a great mountain pressed down on them, leaving their hearts somewhat uneasy!"

"Wang Xifeng stood to the side, eyes downcast, not daring to join the confrontation between Jia Jing and Jia Mu and Lady Wang, yet inside she had already burst into laughter."

"Excellent! Third Brother truly is mighty—just returned to the mansion, he's already establishing authority by targeting Baoyu!"

"This is the lifeblood of the matriarch and the lady; this time he's struck the vital point of the second branch."

"No wonder he's a general forged on the battlefield—his actions are swift and decisive, without restraint."

"For a moment the atmosphere grew subtle and solemn; the Jia mansion's masters, unaccustomed to such a scene, all felt ill at ease."

"Then the household guards stepped forward to seize Jia Baoyu, who shrank into Jia Mu's embrace and began feigning madness again:"

"\"Ancestor, I'm scared, I'm scared, let them go…… go……\""

"Seeing this, Lady Wang's anger flared, her face grim—how could Jia Jing dare to beat Baoyu with the plank?"

"She could no longer keep her usual kind expression; her face turned dark as she shouted sternly:"

"\"I'd like to see who dares to act recklessly! \""

"Saying this, she then shouted angrily at Jia Jing:"

"\"Even if you are a marquis, what authority do you have to dispose of Baoyu? Baoyu is the legitimate son of the second branch, you are a concubine's son of the first branch—go manage your own first-branch affairs; what right do you have to interfere in my second branch's household matters? \""

"\"If you dare to act outrageously today, trying to bully my Baoyu the way you bullied Dong Fu's Jia Zhen, I will go file a complaint with the emperor and never let this rest! \""

"Lady Wang's words, both tone and expression fierce, left no doubt about their sincerity."

"Everyone knows Jia Baoyu is Lady Wang's lifeblood; if Jia Jing dares to openly reprimand him today, Lady Wang surely will not let it go."

"Yui Shi, standing aside with her head down, being from a humble family, dared not meddle in such idle matters!"

"But when Lady Wang mentioned Jia Zhen, she couldn't help lifting her somewhat mature face, a hint of bewilderment appearing in her eyes!"

"How could she feel that her own man was being looked down upon!"

"Jia Mu, meanwhile, tightly embraced Jia Baoyu, silent, letting out long and short sighs."

"A sense of helplessness welled up in her heart; she could only secretly hope that Lady Wang would frighten this grandson into laying down his weapons."

"This Jia Jing really is heaven's arrangement to deal with her illegitimate offspring; after a long period of peace, he's returned to the mansion shouting for beatings and killings against her beloved Baoyu!"

"Her own Baoyu is frail—how could he withstand twenty military strokes? He might be beaten to death!"

"One could say that Jia Mu now gets a headache just seeing Jia Jing, as if she'd contracted a strange ailment called 'fear of the grandson'."

"Yet her wish ultimately came to nothing!"

"\"Shut up, you foolish woman! \" Jia Jing's deep shout echoed throughout the hall!"

"Lady Wang, who had been chattering nonstop, upon Jia Jing's shout seemed to have her throat clenched, her pale face showing a mix of shock and anger."

What??

She couldn't have misheard, could she?

"Foolish woman??"

However, seeing Yu Shi, Xue Yima, Mrs. Xing, and others around her casting the same astonished glances, Lady Wang opened her mouth but spoke no word.

As the mistress of Rong Guo Mansion,

"a daughter of the Wang family, younger sister of Wang Ziteng, mother of Jia Baoyu—actually being called a foolish woman?!"

"For decades no one had dared to shout at her like this!"

Lady Wang felt her blood surge, her vision darkening.

Feng Jie beside her trembled slightly, the words 'foolish woman' repeatedly turning in her mind.

In her beautiful phoenix eyes lay an inscrutable expression; she secretly wondered when she could, in Rong Qing Tang, display such might and rebuke the mistress of the house!

"Especially if she could scold Mrs. Xing, that mother-in-law who constantly gives her trouble—even if it meant a few short years of life, she'd be willing; that taste must be most satisfying!"

Feng Jie's bright eyes sparkled, full of spirit, as she gazed at Jia Jing in the arena.

All that could be heard was him continuing his deep shout:

"Baoyu is also a fine young man of our Jia family! If it weren't for you, this foolish woman, habitually doting and indulging him, how could he have become today's spoiled brat?"

"Every time the second elder tries to discipline him, you block and resist, threatening life and death—where in the world is there a principle that a father cannot correct his son?"

"Now the second elder has been angered to the point of vomiting blood and fainting—such an unfilial act, yet you turn a blind eye, persisting in your indulgence."

"It seems this fine young man was ruined by your meddling, foolish woman!"

Lady Wang, having been scolded, was momentarily stunned!

"A fine young man ruined by my meddling??"

Isn't this my poem?

Lady Wang's surging qi and blood again began to flow downward; she only felt her face turn deathly pale, losing all face!

Jia Mu then lifted her hand to rub her forehead, shielding her old face—this is scolding the mulberry while pointing at the locust, right?

Every time Zheng'er strikes Baoyu, it seems as if I am always the first one to stop him!

Today, being scolded to her face by this grandson, she couldn't readily retort, because what Jia Jing said was reasonable!

Usually she knows this is wrong and unreasonable, but she is the matriarch of the Jia Mansion; everyone must obey her wishes, and no one has the standing to argue with her face to face!

Now Jia Jing directly scolds her by pointing at mulberry while cursing locust, yet she cannot refute, because this grandson has the standing to reason with her.

By this point, she dare not casually interject, for fear of also being scolded by this grandson until she loses face!

"Let Baoyu's mother step forward first to scold Jing'er a few times to vent his anger; I'll then intercede later, striving to turn today's major issue into a minor one!"

Jia Mu's thoughts at this moment changed again!