Chapter 160: Master Jia Forces a Marriage, the Second Miss's Kindness

The front hall, the guest reception hall.

When Luo Zijun followed the servant inside, Jia She was sternly and harshly reprimanding his son, Jia Lian.

Jia Zheng was on the side, offering words of consolation.

Seeing Luo Zijun enter, Jia Zheng's eyes lit up, and he stood up in a hurry.

Jia She, however, remained seated in his chair, waved his sleeve at Jia Lian, and said, "Get out!"

As if granted amnesty, Jia Lian hurriedly rose from the ground, nodded toward Luo Zijun, and then left in a rush, looking dejected and ashamed.

Luo Zijun bowed and said, "Junior Luo Zijun pays his respects to the two masters."

Jia Zheng hurriedly smiled and said, "Zijun, no need for formalities. Come, come, come, sit down and let's talk."

He then said to the servant waiting nearby, "Go quickly and brew some tea for Young Master Luo."

Jia She also wore a face full of smiles and said, "Young Master Luo is truly a busy man of status. I have invited you several times, but all were rejected by Bai Bai."

Luo Zijun hurriedly said respectfully, "It may be that I was at home studying for the examinations, and the Third Miss did not inform me, so she helped me decline. Had I known of the Great Master's invitation, I would have come long ago."

Once these words were spoken, Jia She hurriedly smiled and said, "Zijun, sit down and talk. Preparing for the examinations is an important matter. With your talent, you will surely place high in next year's imperial examination."

Luo Zijun expressed his thanks and sat on the chair below, his face full of respect.

Jia She and Jia Zheng could not help but look him up and down once more, then exchanged a glance, both secretly marveling and nodding in satisfaction.

Jia Zheng smiled and said, "Zijun has a dignified appearance and unparalleled talent; placing high in next year's imperial examination will naturally be a matter of course. It is just that we truly did not expect those few storybooks to have come from your hand; it is simply incredible. I have read those books myself; they are written truly brilliantly and are breathtaking. Even the Noble Consort in the palace has praised them endlessly."

Luo Zijun lowered his head and spoke a few words of humility.

A sharp glint flashed in Jia She's eyes as he smiled and said, "By the way, Zijun, I wonder where Daoist Ziyang is currently staying? We would like to invite the old gentleman to the mansion for a chat, but unfortunately, we do not know his whereabouts. My mother often mentions him as well."

Luo Zijun bowed and said, "Ever since we parted at Jinshan Temple last time, I have not seen Daoist Ziyang again."

Jia She smiled and said, "Zijun, there is no need to hide it from me. That Daoist Ziyang has a deep relationship with you; how could you not know where he went? Are you afraid that I will pester Daoist Ziyang and ask him for something?"

Luo Zijun said, "Daoist Ziyang is like a wild crane in the clouds, accustomed to freedom. Yesterday he was in Lin'an, perhaps tomorrow he will go to the north of the river, and the day after to Yujing; I truly do not know his current whereabouts. If the Great Master does not believe me, you may go and ask the Third Miss. During this period, I have been at home studying for the examinations and have not even been to the Academy; I truly have not seen Daoist Ziyang again."

Jia She's brows furrowed slightly.

Jia Zheng, who was on the side, hurriedly smiled and said, "Since that is the case, we shall meet again when there is an opportunity. Zijun, the reason we asked you here this time, besides having some idle chat and getting closer, is that there is another matter we wish to discuss with you."

As he spoke, he glanced at his elder brother.

Jia She understood and also hurriedly smiled, saying, "Zijun, I have also heard about what happened at the Bowang Marquis Mansion last time. That daughter of the Bowang Marquis was indeed a bit excessive. You did not fear the powerful and were brave enough to reprimand her; Tanchun told us about it, and I admire you greatly."

Luo Zijun said, "The events of that day were thanks to Miss Tanchun."

Jia She smiled and said, "That child Tanchun, although she did the right thing, was indeed too impulsive. How could she just blurt out such a thing when there wasn't even a shadow of a plan? However, since it has been said, it doesn't matter. Zijun, you also know that my Jia Family cares about face, and furthermore, my daughter's reputation is more important than life itself. Since Tanchun has already said it in front of so many people—that you are the son-in-law I, Jia She, have taken a fancy to—I have been thinking, can we just go with the flow and make it happen? That way, no one will have anything to say, and both my Jia Family's reputation and my daughter's reputation will be preserved."

He had long ago asked Tanchun to sound out the Bai Mansion about this matter, but the result was not satisfactory.

He felt it might be because the Bai Mansion also had their eyes on this young man, so that Bai Third Miss had rejected the proposal without consulting him.

Having just heard that the young man had been studying for the examinations and that the Bai Third Miss had not even told him about his repeated invitations, he became even more convinced of his own thoughts.

Their Jia Family were relatives of the Emperor, and his, Jia She's, daughter was a daughter of a Duke's mansion.

This young man was a mere scholar of humble origins; for him to marry his daughter into the family would be a blessing the other party had cultivated for eight lifetimes, and he should be flattered and overwhelmed, so how could he refuse?

Jia Zheng also smiled and said, "Zijun, you have also met Yingchun. That girl grew up by her grandmother's side, has a peaceful temperament, and is gentle and kind. She has just reached the age for marriage, so we asked for her own opinion, and she is also very satisfied with you. Her grandmother has read the poems and essays you wrote and also praised them endlessly; she is very much in favor of this marriage."

Upon hearing this, Luo Zijun stood up and bowed: "For the two masters' great kindness, I am flattered and deeply grateful. However, I already have a sweetheart. She and I are childhood sweethearts, and we pledged our lives to each other long ago; I truly cannot accept another woman."

Once these words were spoken, the room suddenly went quiet.

Jia She smiled and said, "Zijun, I heard that your sweetheart is the daughter of the former Vice Minister, Lord Liu. That Lord Liu spoke the wrong words back then, was dismissed from office, had his home confiscated, and was thrown into prison. Although our King has granted a general amnesty and he has been released, to be honest, who knows when their whole family might be thrown back in? Also, I heard that after the family's property was confiscated, that Miss Liu entered a Brothel..."

"Elder brother..."

Jia Zheng's brows furrowed, and he hurriedly stopped him.

Jia She said with a face full of smiles, "Zijun, you have a boundless future ahead. If you want to take her as your wife, how will your colleagues and neighbors look at you then?"

Luo Zijun glanced at him and said, "Miss Liu entered the Brothel only to sell her talents to earn money; she is pure and innocent, and her conscience is clear."

Jia She smiled and said, "Even if that is true, it cannot withstand the gossip. Zijun, you are a smart man; you should know what to do. With your talent, there will certainly be no problem with the imperial examinations, but if you have no one to support you, even if you do well on the exams, I fear it will be difficult to enter officialdom. For the sake of a woman who once fell into the dust..."

"Great Master."

Luo Zijun suddenly interrupted his words, looked at him, and said, "Actually, I would be very happy if the Great Master is willing to marry Miss Yingchun to me. It is just that I truly already have a sweetheart, and the position of wife cannot be changed. Otherwise, the gossip will say that I climbed up the social ladder and forgot my wife of humble beginnings, which would not be good for my future reputation. Therefore, if the Great Master truly wants Miss Yingchun to marry me, then let her be a concubine, how about that?"

Once these words were spoken, the expressions of both Jia She and Jia Zheng changed.

The smile on Jia She's face vanished instantly, and he said, "Zijun, do you know what you are saying?"

Luo Zijun met his gaze and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Master Jia, do you know what you were just saying? I have already told you that Miss Liu is pure and innocent and is my sweetheart, yet you still repeatedly insulted her. Is this the attitude and etiquette for discussing matters with a junior?"

"You..."

Jia She's expression darkened, and he stood up from his chair.

Jia Zheng, who was on the side, hurriedly advised, "Elder brother, Zijun is right. We are here today to discuss matters; let's not talk about other things. Why don't you go outside to greet the guests first, and I will talk to Zijun."

Jia She snorted coldly, said nothing more, flicked his sleeve, and walked out of the door with quick strides.

The room was quiet for a moment.

Jia Zheng gave a bitter smile, looked at the young man before him, and said, "Zijun, it is understandable for a young man to be hot-tempered. But he is, after all, your elder. Although those words were indeed not very pleasant to hear, they were for the sake of Yingchun's marriage; you need not be so angry and contradict him directly."

Luo Zijun bowed and said, "Second Master, I have already made my words very clear. I already have a legal wife, and the position of the legal wife can never be changed. Even if it were a relative of the Emperor, even if it were a County Princess or a Princess, I would still say the same thing."

Once these words were spoken, Jia Zheng's heart suddenly sank; was this matter ruined?

He truly did not expect that this young man's attitude would be so firm and so tough, not even giving any face to them, his elders.

"Zijun, this matter..." Jia Zheng frowned, wanting to persuade him a few more times, but he did not know how to start.

Just as he was agonizing over how to resolve this matter, a girl's weak voice suddenly sounded from the doorway: "Second Uncle, Yingchun does not want to get married yet."

As she spoke, a girl wearing a pink dress walked in from the doorway with her head lowered and said softly, "Yingchun still wants to stay at home and spend a few more years with my younger sisters. Even... even if I never get married in the future, Yingchun will be happy."

Jia Zheng looked at her with a frown and said, "Yingchun, it is definitely not okay to not get married. Your father's intention is to marry you off this year; only after you are married can it be Tanchun and the others' turn. Girls will have to get married sooner or later; you can come back to the mansion to visit, it's not like you're marrying far away and it will be hard to see each other again."

Jia Yingchun lowered her head, bit her lip, and said in a low voice, "But... but Yingchun does not want to... does not want to marry Young Master Luo..."

Jia Zheng asked in confusion, "Why? I heard from Tanchun that you were quite pleased with Young Master Luo."

Jia Yingchun kept her head lowered tightly and said, "Young Master Luo already has someone in his heart, and I... I don't like him either. I only admire Young Master Luo's talent; I do not wish to marry him."

Jia Zheng frowned and said nothing more.

Jia Yingchun said in a low voice, "I hope Second Uncle will speak with Father and not... not make things difficult for Young Master Luo anymore. In the future, Yingchun... will find someone she likes."

After she finished speaking, she immediately turned and walked out the door.

When she reached the corridor outside, she hurriedly raised her hand to wipe away the tears about to fall from her eyes, then left quickly with red-rimmed eyes.

!

Seeing this, Jia Zheng could only sigh and say, "Zijun, let's not mention this matter today. You go sit in the back for a while; I still need to go speak with my elder brother."

Luo Zijun cupped his hands and took his leave.

After exiting the door, Xiaohuan and Zhiyuan, who had been waiting outside, hurriedly followed behind him.

When they reached the corner of the long corridor, Xiaohuan hurriedly whispered, "Young Master, this servant just saw Miss Yingchun crying when she came out."

They had been standing outside and had heard the entire conversation in the room just now.

Luo Zijun did not speak.

That Miss Yingchun was kind-hearted and could not bear to make things difficult even for the maids and nannies in the house; she must have gone in to say those words because she saw Jia Da Laoye making things difficult for him.

She was indeed a good young lady.

It was a pity that he could not compromise either, even the mention of making her a concubine earlier was just to deliberately spite that Jia Da Laoye.

A Duke's Young Lady and sister to an Imperial Concubine could not possibly be a concubine.

Xiaohuan whispered, "Young Master, who is that childhood sweetheart you mentioned earlier, the girl you made a lifelong commitment with?"

Luo Zijun looked at her and said, "You guess?"

Xiaohuan smiled and said, "This servant doesn't need to guess to know; Madam often tells this servant about the embarrassing things that happened when Young Master was bullied as a child."

Luo Zijun hurriedly said, "Shh, don't let Zhiyuan hear."

Zhiyuan immediately laughed from the side, "This servant has already heard it all."

Luo Zijun: "..."

"That must not be known to others. Do you hear me?"

Zhiyuan laughed, "Young Master, rest assured, this servant and Xiaohuan are very tight-lipped. We wouldn't talk about such shameful things. If it got out, it wouldn't just be Young Master who would be embarrassed; we would be too. How could our own Young Master have been bullied by girls from childhood to adulthood? The other maids would laugh themselves to death."

The corner of Luo Zijun's mouth twitched, and he ignored her.

The three of them soon returned to the garden in the back.

However, there was no one left in that pavilion, only a Young Maid remained guarding it.

When Luo Zijun walked over, the Young Maid hurriedly said, "My Young Master said to ask Young Master Luo to wait here for a moment. Noble Consort from the palace sent gifts and sent someone to the manor to pass on a message, so everyone has gone to Old Ancestor's place and will be here shortly."

Luo Zijun nodded and thought to himself: I didn't expect that Noble Consort would still remember this sister's birthday.

After the Young Maid left, Luo Zijun sat down in the pavilion and pondered the matter.

At the same time.

After Jia Yingchun left Jia Mu's place and was about to return to her room, a maid came over and called her away, saying, "Miss, the master is looking for you."

Jia Yingchun felt uneasy and went to the front.

Before long, the sound of Jia She's harsh reprimands and insults came from the front room.

Jia Yingchun lowered her head, tears welling in her eyes, trembling.

But she suddenly remembered that the young man had once encouraged her to be strong, to dare to say no to things she did not want, and to be brave in refusing.

Thus, with tears in her eyes, she gathered her courage and said, "Father, your daughter simply does not wish to marry him; please do not make things difficult for him anymore."

"Slap!"

Who would have thought that as soon as these words were spoken, Jia She suddenly became like a furious lion, his eyes wide with rage, and he struck her across the face, shouting angrily, "Insolent! Marriage is a major event decided by me, your father; where does it fall to you, this stinking girl, to speak? Whoever I tell you to marry, you must marry! Even if I sell you, it is only right and proper! You've gone against the heavens, and you still dare to talk back! Kneel down and admit your mistake!"

Jia Yingchun cried as she knelt down and said tremblingly, "Father, even if you beat your daughter to death today, your daughter still says the same thing: your daughter simply does not wish to marry him."

"Against the heavens! Against the heavens!"

Jia She was suddenly consumed by rage, rushed forward, and struck her several more times with "slap, slap" sounds, immediately causing her to bleed from the corner of her mouth and faint to the ground.

"I'll beat you to death today, you unfilial daughter!"

The Young Maid outside saw this, panicked, and ran toward the back courtyard to seek help from Jia Mu.

At the same time.

Baoyu was leading a group of people, surrounded by maids and nannies, walking toward the back garden.

"Good sisters, walk faster, don't let Brother Luo wait too long."

He walked in a hurry, leading the way.

(End of chapter)