CHAPTER 730: CHAPTER 294: THE SWINDLER AGAIN (PART 10)_2

As long as the school was not openly treated as a place for nonsensical antics, and those ragtag students ceased to cause scandals, He Tiantian would turn a blind eye.

Moreover, through the matter of the clan school, He Tiantian had firsthand experience—truly, the Jia family was rotten to the core!

Well, with this realization, He Tiantian no longer felt much psychological burden.

Since the foundation was rotten, the collapse of the Jia family’s great edifice was only to be expected within the bounds of reason.

What He Tiantian could do was, perhaps, to preserve an ember during the Jia family’s downfall, and then slowly help this ember to revive the Jia family!

He Tiantian had already foreseen the downfall of the Jia family, while the people of Duke Rong’s Mansion and Ningguo’s Mansion had no such awareness.

With He Tiantian’s suppression, although Jia Zhen did not contribute Silver Coin to the West Mansion for the construction of the Provincial Villa, he still provided a piece of land.

After all, they were family, and Jia Zhen still harbored aspirations of currying favor.

Silver Coin could not be given because it was needed for the construction of a retreat for his dear father.

Because they had the excuse of "Jia Jing," even Madam Jia could not openly object.

But as for a piece of land, it could still be "shared" to some extent.

Mrs. Wang borrowed silver from the Xue family, Wang Xifeng released a large sum of cash, and even Madam Jia, with a heavy heart, took out some from her own private funds.

The Yangzhou Lin Family, with Lin Ruhai still ill, had already submitted his resignation to the Saint.

Although the Saint was reluctant to lose such a dedicated minister as Lin Ruhai, he also could not justify overworking a man in poor health, so he granted Lin Ruhai’s resignation and specially permitted him to return to the capital to recuperate.

At the Lin Family’s end, as soon as they had settled their affairs at home and his health stabilized, Lin Ruhai planned to bring his daughter to the capital.

Upon learning that Lin Ruhai was coming to the capital, Madam Jia wrote him a letter filled with concern for her son-in-law and longing for her granddaughter.

Between the lines, she also casually mentioned the joyous news of Jia Yuanchun becoming a Consort, and conveyed that the Jia family was dedicating the efforts of the entire clan to build the Provincial Villa.

Madam Jia did not blatantly say "borrow money," but Lin Ruhai understood the hints and sent a silver note worth a hundred thousand taels with his reply!

A hundred thousand taels of Silver Coin was certainly no small sum.

But compared to the Lin Family’s valuables worth two to three million taels, it really was not much.

Madam Jia did not say much, only noting that the Lin Family was generous.

Mrs. Wang, privy to the inside story, secretly complained in her heart, thinking the Lin Family was indeed stingy, just like that sharp-tongued girl from the Lin Family.

However, no matter what, with all the efforts, the Jia family somehow managed to gather six hundred thousand taels of Silver Coin.

Although this was a far cry from the estimated one million taels, there were ways to cope without money.

The courtyard was built smaller, and the decorations and furnishings were simplified.

Moreover, Wang Xifeng knew that the subordinates would be covetous, but this time was different from the past.

The money for building the Provincial Villa was nearly the last of the Jia family’s resources, and it could not be squandered.

Thus, Wang Xifeng and Jia Lian supervised with extraordinary strictness.

The clansmen or servants tasked with the work already resented Wang Xifeng as a domineering Mother Worm.

Now, after laboring hard, they could not skim much off the top, they found Second Lady Lian all the more miserly.

Consequently, Jia Lian also ended up with a bad reputation.

Duke Rong’s Mansion appeared prosperous, buzzing with noise and excitement, but in the shadows, conflicts were abundant, and undercurrents surged; just one opportunity might trigger unfortunate consequences.

Of course, these are matters for later.

For the time being, despite some setbacks, the Jia family still managed to construct a downscaled version of the Grand View Garden.

At the same time, the hermitage that He Tiantian requested was also being constructed with great enthusiasm.

Compared to the tightfistedness of Duke Rong’s Mansion Provincial Villa, Jia Zhen was much more generous.

Golden Phoebe Wood, Taihu Stone, exquisite decorations, well-known flowers and plants...

As long as they were good and expensive, Jia Zhen procured them all for his dear father.

He turned a so-called "Side Courtyard" into a dwelling more luxurious than the Prince Mansion.

He Tiantian saw this and did not intervene; after all, the silver of Ningguo’s Mansion would be squandered by Jia Zhen even if she did not spend it.

This time, He Tiantian deliberately allowed Jia Zhen to create such a dazzling Side Courtyard, which drained Ningguo’s Mansion’s resources. With no money left, perhaps Jia Zhen would cause less trouble.

Some things served as a means of transferring assets in disguise.

Those antique paintings and calligraphy works, gold, silver, and jade Artifacts were not merely for decorating the house; they were treasures of significant value.

When the time came, they could be directly exchanged for money!

Of course, these too are matters for later.