Ch. 102 - The Steward Lai Hopes his Son to have a Bright Future and Jia Yucun has Two Sides and Three Knives
The Famous Detective of the Red MansionThis chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
This chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
However, the Lai family has been slaves to the Jia family for generations and was the most trusted servant in the family. Especially in the Lai Da generation, they have been in the position of the Main Steward for more than ten years.
Today, although Lai Da was still a slave in name, he could be regarded as a half-master in the Rongguo Mansion. Even the sons of Jia Lian and Baoyu would need to call him "Uncle Lai" when they see him.
Not only that, but Lai Da has also set up a Mansion outside. In the daytime, he worked as a housekeeper at the Rongguo Mansion. In the evening, he went back to his own house and acted like a Master when he closed the door!
Lai Shangrong, his only son, was freed from slavery when he was a child. He was raised like a Phoenix by a maid, wife, and nanny. He also taught him to read and write and to be an official. He was not inferior to the Jia family in every aspect.
But this afternoon, Lai Da hurried back to his Mansion. As soon as his front foot crossed the threshold, his only son, Lai Shangrong flashed down.
"Father!"
Hearing Lai Shangrong's urgent urge, "Did Jia Yucun agree?"
"Shh!"
Lai Da hurriedly made a sign of silence and then pulled his son into the hall. Only then did he scold him harshly. "How dare you shout all over the world about this deadly business? Are you tired of living?"
Lai Shangrong also knew that he had just been rash. He quickly bowed his head and acknowledged his mistake, and then looked at Lai Da eagerly.
"Enough! Don't fool around in front of me!"
Lai Da took a seat in the middle of the chair and said in a deep voice, "Jia Yucun first pushed and resisted, but then I grasped his shortcomings and he immediately softened. He has promised to recommend your article."
"Really?!"
Upon hearing this, Lai Shangrong jumped more than three feet high with joy, clapped his hands, and said with a smile, "So, isn't I going to be the master of successful candidates in the Imperial Examinations soon, ha... Haha..."
"Don't be too happy."
Lai Da shook his head again and said, "After all, Jia Yucun is only a ”fellow examiner” and can't have one word as heavy as nine tripods. Your article must at least be passable in general so that he can recommend it in front of people."
"Why is it so difficult?"
When Lai Shangrong showed off his folding fan, he said, "Didn't I buy the ”exam preparation book” long ago? At that time, as long as I find a way to take it in and piece it together, it won’t be a problem."
"That's the problem."
Lai Da frowned, "According to Jia Yucun, it is Sun Shaozong, who is known as the 'Divine Judgement,” who is the Inspector of the Imperial Examination this time. This Sun has never tolerated wrongdoings and once rejected the offer of the Second Madam Lian. I’m afraid that he will be merciless and ruin your matters!"
"What should we do then?"
When Lai Shangrong heard this, he was flustered again. He snapped the folding fan and walked back and forth like a hot pot ant. Suddenly, he remembered something and said, "Isn't Jia Yucun his immediate superior? Let him come forward and control the Sun..."
"Do you think I never thought of this?"
Lai Da said helplessly, "I heard that Jia Yucun said that he quarreled with Sun a few days ago. Don't mention him now, if you mention him, Sun will be even more unwilling to help!"
"So there's nothing we can do!"
Lai Shangrong was completely deflated. He simply found a chair and collapsed. He cried out without a mouth, "Forget it, forget it. What kind of bullshit is it? Anyway, I don't want to be a successful candidate for the Imperial Examination. I don’t care about it anyway, you don’t have to bother so much too, father!"
"What's your hurry? Let me think about it later!"
Lai Da frowned and pondered for a while, then suddenly got up and went out.
Lai Shangrong hurried to catch up with him, hoping to ask, "Father? Father! Are you going..."
As Lai Da walked out, he said, "I'll go to Second Madam Lian first to find out more from her. She's the most respectable person. Since the surname Sun hasn’t given her face, she won't give up. In the past few months, she may have found Sun Shaozong's shortcomings!"
—Dividing Line—
Meanwhile, the Central Judicial Office Yamen, Jia Yucun’s courtyard.
"My brother knows me. I've been an official for many years, and I've never dared to bend the law for personal gain!"
Jia Yucun looked righteous and awe-inspiring, "Not to mention a lowly slave, even the First and Second Masters of the Rongguo Mansion, I refuse to do the matters of fraud!"
Sun Shaozong could only respond to his words with the word "snort" in his heart. In the past half a year, Sun Shaozong alone had heard more than a dozen examples of him, the Prefectural Magistrate Jia, bending the law for personal gain. How does he have the face to boast?
Crack!
As he was thinking about it, Jia Yucun suddenly hit the tea table, his gums clenched, his beard trembled, and said, "Who knows that after I politely refused, Lai Da made impertinent remarks, and he also threatened me, saying such nonsense as “If the Rongguo Mansion can help you recover your position, they can trample on you too!”
"If these words came from the two Masters, it would be fine, but he is just a lowly slave. How dare he be so rude, and treat the country's talent acquisition plan like a joke? This is intolerable. Who can't bear it!"
"Good brother!"
Speaking of this, Jia Yucun stood up and bowed to Sun Shaozong to the end, "I have rejected that dog servant mercilessly here. I think he will find you if he is unwilling. At that time, please hold on to him. Don't let down the faith of the Emperor and the expectations of scholars!"
Being threatened by the rich servant and taking revenge furiously.
This reason was still valid. If someone else had said it, Sun Shaozong would have believed it.
But on Jia Yucun…
Sun Shaozong didn't think that this old fox would fight with such a bully slave as Lai Da because he was impulsive for a while!
He’s afraid that the deeper reason was that the ten-year reign of Emperor Guangde was approaching, and this subject couldn’t produce any mistakes, so Jia Yucun refused.
Wait!
Sun Shaozong suddenly had a flash in his mind. With the cunning of Jia Yucun, who can guarantee that he really refused Lai Da?
Maybe he agreed to Lai Da first and then came to him to talk and act. He wanted to instigate himself to fight with Lai Da so that he could reap the benefits!
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this was Jia Yucun's consistent style of conduct. Sun Shaozong couldn’t help secretly saying a few words of "how insidious" in his heart. He almost became a gunman again!
However, since he has seen the flaw, he might as well put his trick to good use.
"What a bloody bastard!"
Sun Shaozong immediately put on a look of indignation and said with hatred, "When my Sun family was down, I was bullied by these dog slaves. I can't imagine that until today, they still dare to be so rude!"
As he spoke, he patted his chest and solemnly promised, "Don't worry, elder brother. I haven't agreed to the former, let alone an old slave! If any slave dares to make a noise in front of me, I'll spit him out in one gulp, so that I can help you take revenge!"
"Good brother!"
Hearing this, Jia Yucun looked at Sun Shaozong with emotion.
"Brother!"
Sun Shaozong also looked at him affectionately. His four eyes mingled, and he was full of the word "sincerity!"