话说贾政进内，见了枢密院各位大臣，又见了各位王爷。
Jia Zheng arrived at the Palace, and greeted the various princes and ministers of the Privy Council assembled there to meet him.
北静王道：“今日我们传你来，有遵旨问你的事。”
The Prince of Beijing announced, "We have summoned you today on His Majesty's orders for an interrogation."
众大臣便问道：“你哥哥交通外官、恃强凌弱、纵儿聚赌、强占良民妻女不遂逼死的事，你都知道么？”
and the inquisition proceeded:‘Were you aware that your elder brother had connived with a provincial official for personal gain?” That he had abused his influence and bullied a defenceless citizen?” That he had permitted his son to indulge in gambling and loose living, and that this same son forcefully took to his bed the fiancée of an innocent person and drove her to her death when she would not gratify his desires?” Were you aware of all this?”
贾政回道：“犯官自从主恩钦点学政任满后，查看赈恤，于上年冬底回家，又蒙堂派工程，后又任江西粮道，题参回都，仍在工部行走，日夜不敢怠惰。
Jia Zhen replied as best he could:‘Upon the expiry of my term of office as Education Commissioner, an appointment I owed to the gracious favour of His Majesty, I was engaged at first in supervising relief measures, and then on my return home at the end of last winter I was deputed by my superiors to inspect reconstruction work and was subsequently appointed Grain Intendant for Kiangsi Province.From this last post I returned to the capital under impeachment, and have now resumed my former position at the Board of Works.I have truly endeavoured to be diligent in the performance of all these official duties,
不能管教子侄，这就是辜负圣恩。
For this inexcusable shortcoming on my part, for my abject failure to instruct my sons and nephews in the true principles of conduct, for my base ingratitude to the throne,
只求主上重重治罪。”
I have proved unworthy of the Imperial favour and beg His Majesty for severe punishment."
北静王据说转奏。
The Prince of Beijing reported this to the Emperor,
不多时传出旨来，北静王便述道：“主上因御史参奏贾赦交通外官，恃强凌弱，据该御史指出平安州互相往来，贾赦包揽词讼，严鞫贾赦，据供平安州原姻亲来往，并未干涉官事，该御史亦不能指实。
who soon issued an edict which the prince proclaimed:We have ordered a strict investigation of Jia She, who has been impeached by the censors for conniving with local officials to oppress the weak and, in league with the prefect of Pingan, subverting the law.
Jia She admits that he and the prefect were connected by marriage hut denies intervening in a lawsuit, and the censors have no evidence of this.
惟有倚势强索石呆子古扇一款是实的，然系玩物，究非强索良民之物可比。
It is true that he took advantage of his power to extort antique fans from the Stone Idiot; but fans are mere trifles and this offence is less serious than robbery with violence.
虽石呆子自尽，亦系疯傻所致，与逼勒致死者有间。
Though the Stone Idiot conntnitted suicide, it was because he was deranged, not because he was hounded to death.
今从宽将贾赦发往台站效力赎罪。
We see fit to show leniency to Jia She, and hereby sentence him to penal service at a military post on the Mongolian border, where he shall redeem himself by diligent service.
所参贾珍强占良民妻女为妾不从逼死一款。
As for the charge that Jia Zhen abducted another man's wife and she killed herself rather than be his concubine,
提取都察院原委，看得尤二姐实系张华指腹为婚未娶之妻，因伊贫苫自愿退婚，尤二姐之母愿结贾珍之弟为妻，并非强占。
upon consulting the original records at the Censorate, We find that the lady in question, a certain Miss You Er-jie, was betrothed to a certain Zhang Hua when both were still in their mothers' wombs.
The marriage was never solemnized, indeed Zhang himself wished to annul it on the grounds of his own poverty.
The lady's mother was also quite willing for her daughter to be taken as a concubine, not by Jia Zhen himself but by his younger cousin.
So clearly this was not a case of forceful appropriation.
再尤三姐自刎掩埋、并未报官一款，查尤三姐原系贾珍妻妹，本意为伊择配，因被逼索定礼，众人扬言秽乱，以致羞忿自尽，并非贾珍逼勒致死。
Then the case of Miss You San-jie: the charge here is that following her suicide she was buried secretly and the facts of her death were concealed from the authorities.
On further investigation it has been found that this Miss You San-jie was the younger sister of Jia Zhen's wife, and that it was his original intention to arrange a marriage for her.
The widespread and malicious rumours circulating about her character, her own subsequent feelings of shame and remorse and the insistence of her fiancé that she should return his betrothal gifts were the cause of her suicide, not any direct maltreatment or coercion on the part of Jia Zhen.
但身系世袭职员，罔知法纪，私埋人命，本应重治，念伊究属功臣后裔，不忍加罪，亦从宽革去世职，派往海疆效力赎罪。
However, Jia Zhen deserves harsh punishment because, although he inherited a title, he flouted the law by a clandestine burial; but in view of his descent from a meritorious minister we will forbear from inflicting punishment and in our clemency will revoke his hereditary title and send him to serve at the coast to expiate his crime.
贾蓉年幼无干，省释。
Jia Rong, who is too young to have been involved in these affairs, is acquitted.
贾政实在外任多年，居官尚属勤慎，免治伊治家不正之罪。”
Jia Zheng has for many years held provincial posts in which he has served conscientiously and prudently, and he is absolved from the consequences of his failure to govern his household correctly.”
贾政听了，感激涕零，叩首不及，又叩求王爷代奏下忱。
Jia Zheng responded to the Edict with tears of gratitude, and hastily kowtowed, first in the direction of the Imperial throne, then towards the prince, whom he begged to convey to the Emperor a humble plea of devotion.
北静王道：“你该叩谢天恩，更有何奏？”
"You should kowtow your thanks for the Imperial favour," replied the prince. "What other petition have you?”
贾政道：“犯官仰蒙圣恩，不加大罪，又蒙将家产给还，实在扪心惶懊。
‘My gratitude to His Majesty, for so graciously absolving me of blame, and for restoring my portion of the family property, knows no bounds,' said Jia Zheng. ‘I feel a great sense of inner remorse.
愿将祖宗遗受重禄，积馀置产，一并交官。”
Please allow me to donate to the Imperial purse all my hereditary emoluments and accumulated property.”
北静王道：“主上仁慈待下，明慎用刑，赏罚无差，如今既蒙莫大深恩，给还财产，你又何必多此一奏？”
‘His Majesty is indeed humane and compassionate towards His subjects,' replied the prince. ‘He is wise and discriminating in his judgements, and never errs, whether it be in recompensing virtue or in punishing vice.
In having your property thus restored, you have been blessed with his exceptional favour.
There is really no call for any further gesture on your part.”
众官也说不必。
The other ministers also dissuaded him.
贾政便谢了恩，叩谢了王爷出来，恐贾母不放心，急忙赶回。
So Jia Zheng kowtowed again, first towards the Emperor and then to the prince, and left the Palace, hurrying home to hear the news to Grandmother Jia, knowing the anxious suspense in which she would be awaiting his return.