Chapter 277: With Jing Ge'er Here, No One Dares Defame My Rong Guo Mansion!

Inside Rong Qing Tang,

Just as Daiyu, Xiao Jiaoer and Xichun were speaking, Jia Mu, Jia Zheng and others had already escorted Xia Shouzhong and his party out of Jia Mu's courtyard.

Of course, the tearful and wailing Jia Zhen and the father‑son pair Jia Rong were also sent away!

When Jia Mu returned,

Lady Wang had already been helped to her feet by Yuan Chun and Tan Chun, and You had been comforted by Feng Jie, stopping her tears.

After the people of Jia Mansion took their seats again,

Jia Mu's aged face was full of worry and fatigue; after a moment's thought, she asked Jia Zheng in a hoarse voice:

"Zheng Er! Now that such a disaster has occurred, what do you think we should do?"

"Dong Fu is allied with us; we cannot ignore it. If we appeal to Prince Bei Jing and some of our old relatives for intercession, might the palace grant leniency and spare Jia Zhen and Jia Rong?"

Since marrying into the Jia family, Jia Mu had never faced such a tricky situation, and she was momentarily at a loss.

Appealing for mercy must also be done cautiously; each favor used is one less for the future, and one must consider whom to ask and whether it will be effective!

Jia Zheng, seated on a chair in the hall, lifted his tea cup and took a sip, his face sorrowful, he let out a long sigh and said:

"Mother! I cannot explain this matter clearly either!"

"If it were merely a crime of embezzlement, in honor of our ancestors the Emperor might grant a reprieve, at least sparing Jia Rong."

"But now the matter has escalated; over a dozen imperial officials have died, and His Majesty has ordered the Three Ministries and the Imperial City Office to convene a thorough investigation."

"All civil and military officials of the court are watching, and the rebellion in Jingying could flare up to an unknown extent."

"If the situation becomes irretrievably chaotic, not only Jia Zhen and Jia Rong may escape the death penalty, even Baoyu's uncle may not be saved!"

Jia Zheng knew well that for minor offenses, the Jia family could smooth things over through connections, possibly turning a big issue into a small one.

Just as Xue Pan escaped a capital case by leveraging the reputation of the four great families!

But Jia Zhen's case erupted before the entire court, with censors and officials watching closely,

and the Son of Heaven has already issued an edict for a strict probe, making it as impossible for the Jia family to hide anyone as climbing to the heavens!

Nearby, Lady Wang, Aunt Xue and others, upon hearing this, instantly changed to a pallid hue,

they had not expected the matter to be so grave and could not help worrying about the situation of their elder brother Wang Ziteng.

Aunt Xue's fair, plump face lost its usual smile, and she lamented:

"How... could it have suddenly reached this point?"

"I heard Sister-in-law say that my brother has made considerable progress in reforming Jingying, and that there are rumors the court intends to promote him to Minister of War, right?"

Lately, Wang Ziteng's wife Zhu has often told Aunt Xue and Lady Wang that the Minister of War post is vacant and that Wang Ziteng is likely to ascend.

Although she boasted a bit within the inner household, Aunt Xue and Lady Wang both thought Wang Ziteng's promotion was certain.

Aunt Xue even planned that, after his promotion, Wang Ziteng could find a chance to support her own incompetent son, but she never expected such tragic news to erupt in an instant!

Lady Wang beside her also wore a sorrowful expression; the incident happened so abruptly that she was caught completely off guard and, in a moment of panic, misspoke.

Having already blundered twice before, she now dared not speak casually!

Jia Zheng, hearing Aunt Xue's words, sighed again and said:

"Baoyu's uncle also... has ill fortune."

"In today's court session, Minister Fang, Minister Xiong, and Senior Official Kong of the Ministry of War had indeed submitted a remonstrance recommending him for Grand Marshal of the Ministry of War, and His Majesty was quite inclined."

"Who could have known that at this critical moment, the Imperial City Office reported a upheaval in Jingying, causing an uproar throughout the court, and His Majesty was thunderously enraged."

"Had the Jingying incident not occurred, perhaps Baoyu's uncle would already be Grand Marshal of the Ministry of War now!"

Jia Zheng's brows furrowed as he spoke, because he thought of Minister Fang, Minister Xiong and others' failed recommendation, which even turned into a joke, fearing they might now harbor resentment toward Wang Ziteng and Jia Zhen.

In that light, the matter was undoubtedly even harder to handle!

Aunt Xue and Lady Wang, upon hearing Jia Zheng's words, couldn't help feeling a few more grudges toward Jia Zhen.

Had Jia Zhen not taken bribes and forced Jingying officers to rebel, they would now have an elder brother who is Minister of War.

These two opposite fates, day and night, truly make them feel a sickening anxiety just by thinking about it!

Meanwhile, Jia Mu was not particularly concerned about Wang Ziteng's situation.

Although the four great families—Jia, Shi, Wang, and Xue—are closely allied, the Wang family is still a step removed compared to Ning Guo Fu,

and now that her own household can barely protect itself, she has no capacity to worry about the Wang family's well‑being!

Jia Mu, with a grim expression, asked Jia Zheng in a hoarse voice:

"So, does this mean Jia Zhen's prospects are grim?"

Jia Zheng nodded and said:

"At minimum, it would be a sentence of confiscation of family property, loss of office, and exile; in a severe case, even a death decree!"

Although the noble class has the Eight Deliberations system for illegal acts, in practice the judgments weigh the Emperor's will, the nature of the crime, and the court's prevailing sentiment.

Among them, the Emperor's will is the ultimate basis for the verdict.

The Emperor's preferences, his overall attitude toward Jia Zhen, and whether anyone petitions on his behalf will directly affect the severity of the sentence.

Generally, the crime's nature is judged by whether it falls under the "Ten Great Evils".

Although Jia Zhen's offense does not belong to the Ten Great Evils, it caused the Jingying uprising, threatened Shenjing City, and shook imperial authority, making its nature extremely heinous!

The court's prevailing sentiment reflects the civil and military officials' attitudes toward the matter.

Not to mention, this incident has already claimed the lives of over a dozen imperial officials, drawing the entire court's attention, making it impossible for anyone to shield or indulge the perpetrators!

Thus, Jia Zheng arrived at this pessimistic assessment, believing that even the lightest punishment would be confiscation of family property, loss of office, and exile.

Nearby, You, who had just stopped crying, trembled at Jia Zheng's words, her heart burning within, and tears again welled up in her eyes.

Jia Mu, hearing Jia Zheng's grave words, let out a slight sigh, her worried expression deepening further, and asked with a hint of astonishment and doubt:

"Jia Zhen's case shouldn't involve my Rong Guo Mansion, should it?"

Rong Ning's two mansions are closely linked, and Jia Zhen is the head of the Jia family; Jia Mu must be cautious that this matter could affect Rong Guo Mansion's safety!

At the same time, the inner meaning of Jia Mu's words was that she had the idea of abandoning Jia Zhen!

Jia Zheng heard this, his expression eased a bit, and he said firmly:

「This, the old lady can rest assured! 」

「With Jing Ge'er here, even if someone with ulterior motives tries to slander our Rong Guo Mansion, they will certainly not succeed! 」

Jia Zhen, this matter certainly has nothing to do with the Rong Guo Mansion, but many things cannot be cleared up just by saying they're unrelated.

At the sensitive moment when Jia Zhen incurs guilt, it is inevitable that Jia Mansion's political rivals in the court and those with ulterior motives will seize the opportunity to slander, hoping to drag the Rong Guo Mansion down.