The Good Grandson of the Red Chamber

Chapter 69: The Deaths of the Duke of Ning and the Duke of Rong

Jia Daishan asked, "Although my Jia family did not openly participate in Yizhong and the Crown Prince's rebellion this time, we were still implicated."

"On Iron Net Mountain, you met the Emperor alone. Why didn't he arrest you on the spot?"

Jia Daihua hesitated for a moment before saying, "Is it because of the past friendship between the emperor and his subjects, and because of my bloody battles and valiant fight against the enemy?"

Jia Daishan sneered, "The imperial family is the most ruthless of all. Even fathers and sons, brothers, have no affection for each other. Where does the affection between ruler and subject come from?"

"Firstly, because you did not participate in the rebellion; secondly, because my Jia family is deeply rooted in the army, making the Emperor afraid to act rashly for fear of causing unrest."

"However, now that two of my Jia family members are officials serving in the Crown Prince's palace, and have been implicated in the treason case, how can we easily extricate ourselves?"

"The Emperor demands an explanation from my Jia family, and that explanation is our Jia family's military power!"

"Although my Jia family has not been granted the title of king, the fact that two members of our family are dukes is no less than that of a king. In the military, my Jia family is also the de facto leader among the four kings and eight dukes."

"We have a firm grip on the border troops outside the Great Wall. Under such circumstances, how could the Emperor not become suspicious of us?"

"What he wants is for my Jia family to voluntarily relinquish military power, so that my Jia family will no longer be a threat!"

Jia Daihua had a fiery temper, but he was not stupid.

He listened to Jia Daishan's words completely and agreed with them wholeheartedly.

But he really didn't want to die; he hadn't lived enough.

He asked, "Do we have to die? Is it the Emperor who wants us to die?"

Jia Daishan sighed, "The Emperor doesn't want us to die, but if we don't, my Jia family will have to pay an even greater price."

"And once we are dead, my Jia family will be completely free of threats, and we will be able to save face for the Emperor."

"In this way, although the Jia family will lose military power, they will be able to preserve their family and ensure the continuation of their lineage."

Jia Daihua understood these words. If their deaths could not ensure the continuation of the Jia family, then the emperor would surely be known as a cruel and ungrateful man.

From now on, no one among the nobles will trust the Emperor anymore.

Thinking of this, Jia Daihua chuckled and said, "It's rare for a person to reach seventy years old. We two old brothers are also approaching seventy."

"Even if I die now, it won't be considered a short life. I've enjoyed plenty of wealth and luxury in this life, so it won't be a wasted one."

Two days later, both the Ningguo Mansion and the Rongguo Mansion, the two main residences of the Jia family, underwent tremendous changes.

In Ningguo Mansion, the eldest son, Jia Jing, went to Xuanzhen Temple outside the city to become a monk.

On the Rongguo Mansion side, the eldest son, Jia She, was sent to live in the East Courtyard, and the second branch of the family was put in charge of the household.

Another day passed, and both Duke Ningguo and Duke Rongguo passed away one after the other.

Before their deaths, both men submitted their last memorials to the emperor.

When Emperor Yonglong learned of the two men's deaths and saw their last testimonies, he was completely stunned.

He was planning to give the Jia family a good dressing down and take back their military power, since the Jia family held too much power in the army.

However, now that he is old, he is already thinking about his posthumous reputation.

Both of these old dukes had made outstanding military achievements in their youth.

Even if he forced them to their deaths, Emperor Yonglong would still leave behind a reputation for being cruel and ungrateful.

Therefore, he never intended to take their lives. As long as they relinquished their military power, imprisoned themselves at home, enjoyed family life, and lived out their remaining years, it would be a true testament to the bond between ruler and subject.

Who would have thought that these two would be so fierce?

They were willing to sacrifice their lives to give themselves an explanation!

What moved Emperor Yonglong even more was that these two old brothers, even in death, did not try to implicate him.

Throughout the day, Emperor Yonglong was in a daze, sighing repeatedly.

After dinner, Emperor Yonglong couldn't help but sigh, "How could it have come to this? How could it have come to this?"

These past few days, Emperor Yonglong has been extremely busy due to the treason case involving Prince Yizhong and the Crown Prince.

It's been two days since I had dinner with them.

I finally had some free time to have dinner with them today, but the kids felt very depressed.

Hearing Emperor Yonglong's感慨 (gǎnkǎi, deep feelings), Xia Chengzong asked, "Grandfather, why are you so sentimental? What happened?"

Emperor Yonglong sighed, "You were all present on the day of the hunt at Tiewang Mountain. My grandfather asked Duke Ningguo, Jia Daihua, to give me an explanation."

"Who would have thought these two old generals would be so resolute? They reorganized the Beijing garrison, relinquished their military power, and then one after the other committed suicide by poison."

"Why did it have to come to this? Why did it have to come to this? My imperial grandfather only wanted to uphold the bond between ruler and subject, how could he have intended to force them to their deaths?"

Upon hearing Emperor Yonglong's words, Xia Chengzong's face showed a thoughtful expression.

He then learned that the Duke of Ningguo and the Duke of Rongguo had actually committed suicide by poisoning themselves.

These two old dukes are really getting themselves involved.

My grandfather felt guilty towards them.

Later, the Rongguo Mansion sent Jia Yuanchun to the palace, presumably at the behest of the Emperor, to make her an imperial concubine, attempting to protect the Jia family through such means.

Unfortunately, because of the Crown Prince, his father was very hostile to the Jia family.

After the Emperor passed away, the Jia family was eventually raided and their property confiscated, leading to the family's complete downfall.

It's not that the two Dukes of Rong and Ning couldn't plan this far; at most, they could only plan up to the Emperor. How could they possibly plan for the situation of the successor?

Their scheme had succeeded, but unfortunately, the younger generation of the Jia family was not capable enough, and they also lacked luck.

As for Emperor Yonglong's lament, he was probably just seeking some comfort.

The rebellion of Prince Yizhong was within Emperor Yonglong's expectations, but the Crown Prince's involvement was unexpected.

The crown prince's involvement in the rebellion was a significant blow to him.

At this moment, Emperor Yonglong resembled a frail old man.

Xia Chengzong said, "Grandfather, don't the two old dukes also yearn for a bond of loyalty between ruler and subject?"

"They did not want to put the Emperor in a difficult position, so they chose this path and entrusted the Jia family to the Emperor."

"If only the Emperor would treat the Jia family well, the two old Dukes could rest in peace. They would have gotten what they asked for!"

Emperor Yonglong said, "Yes, the only thing they can't let go of is the Jia family. With Grandfather here, he will naturally protect the Jia family."

A few days later, the Rong and Ning families inherited their titles one after another.

Jia She of the Rongguo Mansion inherited the title of First-Class General, and his second son, Jia Zheng, was appointed to the Ministry of Works as a fifth-rank Assistant Director through hereditary privilege.

Jia Zhen of Ningguo Mansion inherited the title of Third-Rank General.

Emperor Yonglong promised to take care of the Jia family, but the heirs of the Rong and Ning mansions both inherited their titles with a lower rank.

It is clear that Emperor Yonglong only left them with wealth and status, and did not want the Jia family to be as respected as before.

……

This treason case had far-reaching implications, implicating many officials.

Some of the six ministries were even experiencing a shortage of officials to manage their affairs.

This led to turmoil in the court and unrest among officials.

Therefore, from Emperor Yonglong to high-ranking officials, everyone wanted to close the case as soon as possible and did not want the turmoil to continue.

Finally, the focus shifted to how to deal with the crown prince.