Chapter 254 Marriage
In the twilight, the servant of the Zhen family slowly walked back carrying Zhen Yingjia’s sedan chair.

The sedan chair stopped at the gate of the mansion.

The butler who had been waiting at the door immediately opened the curtain of the sedan chair.

Zhen Yingjia came out of the sedan chair, and the butler came up to him and whispered, “Master, Prince Beijing has returned to the capital. He sent the butler to give gifts and pay his respects.”

Zhen Yingjia smiled bitterly and walked into the mansion holding the housekeeper’s hand.

Zhen Yingjia was a very filial person. The first thing he did when he returned home every day was to pay his respects to Old Madam Zhen.

Like Lady Jia’s Rongqing Hall, Old Lady Zhen’s room is always filled with laughter.

When Zhen Yingjia arrived at Old Madam Zhen’s courtyard, he saw many maids and old women standing on the corridors inside and outside the porch, and he knew that Madam Zhen and others were there.

After the maid informed them, Zhen Yingjia walked in. Sure enough, Madam Zhen, the third and fourth daughters of the Zhen family, Zhen Baoyu and others were all chatting and laughing in Old Lady Zhen’s room.

Zhen Yingjia greeted Old Lady Zhen, chatted with everyone, and then glanced at Madam Zhen.

Madam Zhen understood and asked everyone to leave.

Old Lady Zhen put down her tea bowl and asked, “How is the errand at the government office?”

Zhen Yingjia: “My son, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, is only in charge of the ancestral temple priests, so he has a very leisurely job.”

After hearing this, Mrs. Zhen sighed.

Zhen Yingjia smiled: “I have been so tired over the years. My son can take a rest and enjoy the company of his mother.”

Old Madam Zhen nodded and said, “Just tell me what you want to say.”

Zhen Yingjia paused and said, “Our family must keep a distance from Prince Beijing’s Mansion.”

Old Mrs. Zhen was puzzled.

“The son lied to his mother.”

“What’s the matter?”

Zhen Yingjia was slightly stunned, and replied: “Mother, you should remember that my son left Beijing in a hurry the day after he was ordered to come to Beijing two years ago.”

“Isn’t it because of an important matter at the government office?”

“The son has been warned.”

Old Mrs. Zhen was startled: “Who?” Suddenly she remembered something and her face became serious.

Zhen Yingjia was silent.

Old Lady Zhen sighed softly, “I knew that you resigned not only because of the deficit.”

Zhen Yingjia: “There are some things that I am not in a position to tell you, but our family must keep a distance from Prince Beijing’s Mansion. You are well aware of the situation of the old concubine, and the emperor can’t protect himself. Once our family is involved in certain things.” At this point, he shook his head.

“How about Baoyu from the Jia family?” Old Lady Zhen suddenly asked.

Zhen Yingjia was stunned for a moment: “Mother meant, Third Girl.”

Old Lady Zhen: “In fact, I have been thinking about this before I came to Beijing. If we leave Jiangnan, the network of relationships that our family has built up over the years will be gone. After coming to Beijing, we can only rely on the old concubine and relatives. Among the old relatives in Beijing, only the Jia family is suitable for marriage.

Now the Jia family has the Virtuous Consort in the palace, and there is a possibility that she will give birth to a prince. The eldest master of the Ningguo Mansion works in the Censorate, and the child of the eldest wife of the Rongguo Mansion works in the Ministry of Personnel. Behind the Jia family are the Shi family, the Wang family, and the Li family, each of which holds great power.

Hearing this, Zhen Yingjia hesitated: “Will the Jia family agree?”

Old Madam Zhen replied calmly: “The old concubine is still here.”

Zhen Yingjia nodded and asked, “I heard Shui Rong will come over the day after tomorrow, is that right?”

Old Madam Zhen raised her hand and said, “We can’t control his affairs, but we must be polite. We can’t let people say that the Zhen family has no rules.” After a pause, she said, “We should also consider the second girl.”

Zhen Yingjia sighed.

Old Madam Zhen was silent for a moment, then said, “You can first try to find out what Jia Zheng thinks about the marriage. If there is no problem, I will talk to the old lady of the Jia family.”

Zhen Yingjia glanced at the sky outside the window and said, “It is better to do it today than to wait for a day. I will go to Rongguo Mansion now and visit Jia She.”

Under the light, Madam Wang was sitting cross-legged on the couch, counting her rosary beads and silently reciting Buddhist scriptures. Suddenly, the voice of the maid Jin Chuan’er came from outside: “The master is here.”

Mrs. Wang raised her head in surprise.

The door curtain was lifted, and Jia Zheng walked in slowly with an official’s steps.

Mrs. Wang stood up quickly and asked, “Why is the master here?”

Jia Zheng paused: “Why? I can’t come?”

Mrs. Wang realized that she had spoken rashly and was about to change the subject when Jia Zheng sat down on the couch on the east side.

Jin Chuan’er walked in with tea.

Mrs. Wang personally served the tea to Jia Zheng.

Jia Zheng took a sip, put it down, and looked at Mrs. Wang: “I heard that Baoyu has been wandering around outside these days?”

Mrs. Wang quickly replied, “There is a reason. First, Wang Li returned to the capital and invited Baoyu and Pan’er to come.”

Jia Zheng interrupted her and said, “Just now the master of the Zhen family came and asked about Baoyu.”

Mrs. Wang is a police officer.

Jia Zheng took a sip of tea and told Mrs. Wang that the Zhen family was interested in forming an alliance with the Jia family.

Madam Wang was surprised: “The third young lady of the Zhen family?”

Jia Zheng nodded and continued, “The two families are old relatives and know each other well. It’s getting late today, I will tell the old lady about this tomorrow.”

Mrs. Wang was anxious: “No!”

Jia Zheng was startled at first, then he put down his tea bowl and asked, “Why? The Xue family?”

A trace of disdain flashed across Mrs. Wang’s eyes, “Baoyu is still young now, let’s decide when he grows up.”

Just as Jia Zheng was about to say something, Mrs. Wang continued, “In two years, when the little prince has grown up, Baoyu’s status will also rise. By then, not only will he be able to marry a daughter of a noble family, but he will even be able to marry a princess from a royal family!”

Jia Zheng wanted to speak again, but Mrs. Wang said quickly, “If Baoyu can find a good marriage, it will also help the master and the empress and the little prince in the palace.”

Hearing what she said, Jia Zheng hesitated and said, “I’m afraid this is not a good idea. After all, the two families are old relatives, and the master of the Zhen family came in person.”

Mrs. Wang handed the tea bowl on the couch to Jia Zheng, “Master, you should know what the Zhen family is thinking. They just want to find a backer because they see our family rising. Since the master of the Zhen family is coming to visit us personally, we naturally can’t refuse.”

Jia Zheng was puzzled.

Mrs. Wang: “For a marriage alliance, you don’t have to choose Baoyu!”

Jia Zheng: “No, no. Huan’er is so uncouth, how can she be worthy of me?”

A barely perceptible smile flashed across Mrs. Wang’s face, with a hint of complacency, but it disappeared in a flash and quickly disappeared.

Mrs. Wang: “Master, you are joking. Huan’er is still young.”

Jia She: “Isn’t it Huan’er?”

Mrs. Wang nodded and replied, “What the Zhen family wants is a marriage between the two families. We can marry the third girl to Baoyu of the Zhen family!”

Jia Zheng hesitated again: “The third girl’s identity.”

Mrs. Wang: “Since the third girl was born, I have been raising her. She grew up beside the old lady, so she just lacks a name.” At this point, she wiped her eyes and said, “In my heart, this child is the same as the queen and Baoyu. I have always wanted to ask the master to register the third girl under my name, but I am afraid that the master will misunderstand.”

Suddenly, there was a “thump” sound from outside, followed by Jin Chuan’er’s cry of surprise: “Oh no! Aunt Zhao fainted!”

Jia Zheng stood up suddenly and walked out quickly.

Mrs. Wang hesitated for a moment and followed him out.

Jia Zheng: “Hurry! Help her back and ask the doctor to take her pulse!” He then said to Mrs. Wang, “Let me think about this matter first.” After that, he left in a hurry.

Looking at Jia Zheng’s departing back, Mrs. Wang’s fingers rubbed the rosary beads one by one vigorously.

(End of this chapter)