"Sister-in-law, the court has issued a decree stripping her of her Confucian Lady title! I told Jia Huan over and over that a man should have backbone, but he refused to listen and beat me instead. Now he's finally brought disaster on himself and dragged the whole household into disgrace!"
Jia Baoyu put on a sorrowful expression, then shoved Xiren and Sheyue beside him and urged them in a low voice:
"Sister Lin and Sister Bao won't give me so much as a kind look. Hurry and tell them-the Imperial Family is furious, and that scoundrel is finished this time!"
"Yes." Xiren hurried off to do his bidding. Second Master Bao was so excited that his voice trembled.
Li Wan came hurrying over.
"They're stripping her of her titled lady's rank?"
"Yes!" Jia Baoyu struggled desperately to keep himself from laughing aloud.
Li Wan's expression grew grave.
Although she had little friendship with Concubine Zhao, she could not help feeling sympathy.
Since ancient times, women had regarded an Imperial Mandate as their crowning glory. To have the court mercilessly strip it away was a lifelong humiliation!
Had it happened to her, she might have despaired enough to contemplate suicide, her dignity trampled into the dust.
Suddenly.
Li Wan started.
How could she still be worrying about Concubine Zhao? Brother Huan was the one she should be concerned about!
"He really abandoned the case and left?" she asked.
Jia Baoyu replied decisively:
"Of course! The journey there and back takes five days, so he spent only a day and a half investigating the killer? If it were that easy, would it ever have fallen to him? If pies were dropping from the sky, wouldn't the other Hundred-Household Commanders pick them up? What a self-important fool. Sister-in-law, if you ask me, it