Chapter 433: From Today On, There Will Be No Wang Family!

Jia Mu opened her mouth, as if to say something, but it turned into a long sigh of melancholy.

Lady Wang had just been helped to sit up again by Yuan Chun; she trembled all over from Jia Zheng's scolding, her face pale, lips tightly pressed, bitter tears streaming uncontrollably, and she said nothing.

Yet the Prayer Beads hidden in her sleeve were nearly crushed, and she felt an overwhelming sense of embarrassment, resentment, and shame.

Where on earth had she committed such a grave fault to be repeatedly humiliated here in front of everyone!

Zhu Shi sat to the side, her complexion shifting constantly, cheeks flushed, and whether Lady Wang was being beaten or not, she actually didn't care much.

But when Jia Zheng said that her own brother Jia Jing was not even as good as Jia Baoyu, she felt ten thousandfold resentment.

Comparing the chubby, dark‑skinned Jia Baoyu to her brother, how could his face be so large?

Yet, seeing Jia Zheng's cold stare, she couldn't bring herself to retort, only bowed her head slightly, her grim expression showing her miserable mood.

Baichai listened to Jia Zheng's words, saw the sobbing Lady Wang, frowned slightly, and a hint of displeasure flashed in her watery almond eyes.

Whose husband, whose heart aches!

If it weren't for the uncle's words, she had never imagined how hard her brother Jia Jing was out there, bearing such great risk, as if walking on thin ice!

Yet the aunt constantly caused him trouble at home; a woman meddling in external affairs, mixing inner and outer matters, truly lacks proper feminine conduct!

Daiyu's clear eyes flashed, and she thought to herself that although her second uncle was not skilled in practical affairs and was generally straightforward, he was certainly not a fool!

No wonder her father held him in high regard; Third Brother treated him with even more respect than the matriarch, so there must be a reason!

In Tan Chun's spirited bright eyes, a complex gaze lingered; this commotion, though her mother could no longer interfere in her marriage affairs, …

Yet the rift between mother and daughter grew wider, and she didn't know what to do in the future!

Yuan Chun's graceful face showed some emotion; having served as a lady‑official in the palace and witnessed the grim secrets and struggles of the inner court, she naturally knew her father's words were correct.

Court intrigues are not the petty tricks women play on each other; they are real bloodless killings that can doom an entire clan, leaving no room for any misstep!

Her own mother is indeed sometimes… foolish!

Sigh! A scolding is better than actually provoking disaster later, which would break the marital bond beyond repair!

Moreover… her mother just said she would arrange a marriage for her too; judging by the way she looks for a husband for Third Sister, perhaps she too escaped by a twist of fate… a narrow escape!

But… does her own marriage have to be like Third Sister's, left entirely to Jia Jing's decision in the future?

Thinking of this, her complexion flushed with shame.

Yingchun, Xichun, Xiang Yun, and Xing Xiuyan watched the whole scene from start to finish, each with a different expression, but deep down their impression of Lady Wang turned somewhat negative.

The Second Mistress always causes such trouble, unsettling the whole household, and her character seems somewhat flawed.

Just as the hall fell silent, a maid suddenly reported from outside the door:

"Third Miss, matriarch, the Duke has returned!"

At those words, everyone felt a jolt; after a night of worry, he finally came back!

Jia Mu hurriedly said:

"Yuan Yang, go quickly to Dong Fu and see if Jia Jing has any injuries. Tell him to find some free time to come over; say that all the sisters in the residence are worried about him!"

Yuan Yang promptly replied, then left Rong Qing Tang, trotting all the way to Dong Fu.

In no time,

A maid ahead reported, the Duke has arrived!

As the maids and older women's greetings and bows rose and fell, they grew nearer.

A figure in a red cloak and silver armor, sword at his side, stepped in—Jia Jing—striding forward; lantern light poured from the hall, bathing him, casting a warm glow on his armor plates.

The moment his face lit up in the lantern light, the entire Rong Qing Tang fell silent for an instant.

The hem of his cloak was damp with night dew, his boots bore faint marks, and under the candlelight they faintly exuded a damp scent.

A few strands of his hair were ruffled by the night wind; his brows and eyes showed no fatigue, only a calm that comes after dust settles, like a deep well whose surface ripples have already stilled.

His hand resting on the sword hilt turned slightly pale at the knuckles, as if accustomed to gripping it with such force.

Behind him lay an impenetrable night, ahead a blaze of bright light; he stood between the two, his figure a striking blend of shadow and illumination.

At that moment, a sudden gust surged in from behind, lifting a corner of his cloak; the armor plates clinked softly, the delicate sound echoing sharply in the quiet hall.

This scene left the hall's onlookers slightly dazed, a moment of profound stillness.

In Daiyu's lacquered bright eyes, flecks of light shimmered, a hidden brilliance, and somehow a poem instantly rose in her mind: "The armor still bears cold frost, the red robe meets the endless night. Returning beneath the lamp's shadow, each step feels like a journey to Chang'an."

Perhaps it is precisely because the young man outside steadied his sword against the wind that the hall inside remains bright with lanterns!

After a brief stunned silence, the people in the hall rose, and Jia Zheng, having composed himself, was the first to greet:

"Jia Jing, are you alright?"

Shi Xiangyun's cute, romantic, apple‑shaped face showed concern as she hurried forward and blurted out:

"Third Brother, I've been worrying about you all night!"

Xichun also stepped forward and said:

"Third Brother, are you okay?"

The others, though watching him closely with worried expressions, did not display their concern overtly before the crowd.

Jia Jing nodded repeatedly, indicating he was fine, then gave Baichai and Daiyu a focused look before saying nothing more.

When everyone sat down again, Jia Mu saw Jia Jing looking disheveled and guessed he hadn't eaten; she told Yuan Yang to instruct the Hou Chu to prepare some food, then asked:

"Jia Jing, why are you so busy this late? Where did you come from?"

Jia Jing lifted his tea cup, took a sip, glanced around the hall, and said in a deep voice:

"The Imperial City Office and the Five Cities Military Office are still rounding up people; tonight we must cleanse Shenjing City as thoroughly as possible. The affairs are numerous, and I have to make every decision!"

He paused briefly, then added:

"I just came from the Zhao Yu of the Imperial City Office."

"Zhao Yu?" Jia Mu's face turned pale with alarm; it was a place that made people shudder at the very mention!

Jia Jing said:

"Hmm, we've been arresting too many people lately; the cells over there are starting to overflow!"

As soon as those words were spoken, it was as if a pause button had been pressed on the atmosphere that had just become noisy in the hall.

This… even Zhao Yu can't hold them? How many people have actually been arrested?

"Now that we've caught so many officials, is that not a bit improper… I mean, won't it affect the normal operation of the court?"

Jia Mu felt a cold shiver in her heart, wanting to ask whether endless aftereffects would follow, but she swallowed it in the end!

Jia Jing's expression turned solemn, and in a deep voice said:

"Our Da Han Empire has cultivated officials for a hundred years; we lack no kind of person in the world, except we never lack those who want to become officials!"

Not only are they not lacking, perhaps the clever ones, seeing so many vacancies, have already been covertly networking!

Never underestimate the ambition of those in the officialdom!

With that in mind, Jia Jing warned:

"Lately, those seeking offices at the mansion are probably not few! Second Lord, you should keep the doors closed and decline visitors; whether former students, old officials, or relatives and colleagues, see no one."

"Grandmother as well, do not entertain any household members from any family; wait until this turmoil passes before dealing with them."

With those words, the previously tranquil atmosphere suddenly seemed rather eerie!

Everyone's gazes simultaneously turned toward Zhu Shi, who sat at the foot of the hall, head lowered, pretending to be invisible.

Jia Mu saw Jia Jing's eyes also land on Zhu Shi, felt a tightening in her chest, forced a smile and hurried to explain:

"I've been refusing visitors lately; the wives from several families of the founding lineage have come, but I've feigned illness and not seen them!"

"This is Wang Family's aunt, brought in at Baoyu's mother's request; she says she wants to further the kinship, discussing the marriage of your third younger sister… Baoyu's mother wishes to agree, but I will not allow it!"

"Just now your Second Uncle, because of this matter, even struck Baoyu's mother, saying the court is no longer clean, and she shouldn't meddle in Third Miss's marriage; the affairs of the mansion, including the marriage matters of your sisters, should all be decided by you!"

"I can only endure Baoyu's mother's suffering; my old bones truly cannot bear the criticism from the third grandson."

Lady Wang's complexion at this moment was as pale as paper, like thorns on her back, like a fishbone in her throat, as if sitting on a bed of needles!

And Zhu Shi, faced with Jia Jing's sword‑sharp gaze, felt her heart race with dread.

"She truly didn't understand; she only came to discuss a marriage, yet it turned into a marital feud and a duke's angry stare, just like breaking through a haunted gate!"

In this Jia Family, she really couldn't stay even for a moment!

Zhu Shi, thinking this, quickly rose and, with a forced smile, said:

"I originally wanted to further the kinship, not to cause so much trouble; this is actually my fault! Since it won't work, never mind, Grandmother, Duke Jing, I'll go back to the Wang Family first!"

"Return to the Wang Family? From today onward, the Wang Family no longer exists!"

Jia Jing's indifferent voice rang out, and the entire hall was instantly shocked!