The Red Mansion: From a Small Pawn to a Leader

Inside the central army tent, Niu Ben was looking down at the account book.

The generals stood on both sides of the table with their heads down and their hands hanging. Many of them were wrapped in white silk, which was stained with blood.

The door curtain was lifted, and the second master of the Niu family stumbled in, his face covered with bruises, obviously injured.

Walking to the case, the second master of the Niu family started to curse: "Damn it, these damn bastards, how dare they surrender and rebel again and fight with me! I'll have their bodies thrown into a mass grave and let wild dogs eat them. After I deal with the rebels of Prince Nan'an, I'm going to kill all their families according to the list!"

Hearing how vicious he spoke, the generals looked at each other in bewilderment.

With a "bang", Niu Ben slapped the table with his palm, shaking the inkstone and pen holder on the table high!

The second master of the Niu family and all the generals were frightened.

Niu Ben suddenly raised his head, and his two cold eyes slowly swept across everyone's faces.

The Second Master of the Niu Family and all the generals were startled.

Niu Ben: "A bunch of rubbish, outnumbered, with a large number of breech-loading muskets, they lost nearly 8,000 men, while the enemy only had more than 10,000 men!"

The second master of the Niu family and all the generals lowered their heads.

At this time, Wang Ren hurried in and said to Niu Ben: "The spy from the Southern Pacification Office reported to me that there are rumors outside. It is said that you want to poison the little emperor and usurp the throne."

"Who said that? Has he been caught?" Niu Ben's face turned pale.

"Who should be arrested?"

Wang Ren's expression became serious: "Now not only are the common people in a panic, but even the North and South Pacification Offices, the Infantry Office, and Shuntian Prefecture are full of rumors. If this continues, people's hearts will be unstable!"

Niu Ben's face also became serious.

The second master of the Niu family snorted and shouted, "What are you afraid of! Now we have the knife in our hands, whoever dares to jump out and cause trouble will be killed directly."

Niu Ben shouted, "Shut up!"

The second master of the Niu family quickly shut up.

Niu Ben was about to speak when the officer on duty strode in with an urgent letter with chicken feathers stuck on it: "A letter of request for help from the Northwest Frontier Army to the palace!"

Niu Ben took the urgent letter, tore open the seal and read it. After reading a few lines, his two long eyebrows slowly gathered together.

Wang Ren asked tentatively: "What's wrong?"

Niu Ben stood up, walked back and forth a few steps, and then said: "The Prince of Nan'an has led the main force of the rebels to the battlefield. The Northwest Frontier Army can't hold out for much longer!"

The second master of the Niu family was startled: "You came so quickly?!"

Niu Ben was silent for a moment, then said to the second master of the Niu family and Wang Ren, "We must rush to the battlefield before the rebels of Prince Nan'an defeat the Northwest Frontier Army. We need to change the plan."

Wang Ren nodded.

The second master of the Niu family: "Brother, please give your orders."

Niu Ben: "I will take the little emperor and the imperial seal with me. You two will be in charge of the affairs of the capital. We will discuss other matters after I return to the capital."

Wang Ren and the second master of the Niu family nodded at the same time.

Niu Ben then said to the generals, "You all go back and prepare. We will move out in half an hour."

All the generals responded in unison: "Yes."

Niu Ben clenched his hands so hard that they made a loud clacking sound. Then he took a deep breath and said, "Let's go to the Cining Palace." After that, he strode out.

Wang Ren and the second master of the Niu family looked at each other and followed him out.

"You bunch of traitors! Traitors!"

"Slap me!"

At a command from the second master of the Niu family, the two rebels who were holding the eunuch in charge of the seal, one on each side, swung their left palm and the other swung their right palm and slapped the eunuch in the face!
The eunuch in charge of the seal was still able to hold on at first, but then he saw stars all over his eyes, and then it was pitch black, and he finally fell down.

Outside the main hall of the Cining Palace were eunuchs and palace maids kneeling, some with their eyes closed, some sobbing quietly.

The second master of the Niu family sneered: "Help him up!"

Two rebels pulled up the eunuch who held the seal, one on each side. The eunuch's head drooped limply on his chest and he was dragged to kneel there.

"Wake him up!" shouted the second master of the Niu family.

After a while, another rebel came with a bucket of water and poured it on the eunuch in charge of the seal.

The eunuch in charge of the seal trembled all over and woke up, but his face was swollen and he could only see the scene in front of him vaguely.

The second master of the Niu family: "Tell me, where is the jade seal hidden?"

The eunuch in charge of the seal opened his mouth and a gurgling sound came from his throat.

"You useless bastards! Who told you to do such a heavy hand?" The second master of the Niu family glared at the two rebels fiercely, then approached them and said, "As long as you tell me the whereabouts of the jade seal, you will still be the ancestor of these 100,000 palace maids and eunuchs."

As he was speaking, the eunuch in charge of the seal took a deep breath and spit at the second master of the Niu family: "Pooh!"

The blood was spat onto the face of the second master of the Niu family, and some even fell directly into his mouth.

The second master of the Niu family was stunned!
The eunuch in charge of the seal laughed loudly, shaking heaven and earth.

The second master of the Niu family spat out several mouthfuls of saliva in succession, his eyes suddenly became cold, and he suddenly drew out the sword from his waist and stabbed it into the chest of the eunuch in charge of the seal.

The eunuch in charge of the seal suddenly stopped laughing, and he said, "Fuck your ancestors." His head drooped limply on his chest, and he fell silent.

The second master of the Niu family: "Drag him away and feed him to the dogs!"

The two rebels dragged away the body of the eunuch who held the seal.

Wang Ren walked in carrying a yellow silk bag. He was startled at first, then shook his head slightly.

The second master of the Niu family came over and asked, "How is it?" As he spoke, his eyes were fixed on the bundle that Wang Ren was carrying with his one arm.

Wang Ren: “Found it.”

The second master of the Niu family was overjoyed. He snatched the bundle and untied it, revealing a golden seal box. The golden dragon on it sparkled in the sunlight!
The second master of the Niu family was trembling all over. He said "OK" three times in a row, and his voice was trembling.

After a while, the second master of the Niu family calmed down and asked Wang Ren, "How did you find it?"

Wang Ren pointed to the young eunuch at the stone steps of the palace gate and said with a smile: "Thanks to this young eunuch."

The young eunuch immediately came over with his head bowed, and knelt down in front of the Second Master of the Niu Family. "Your servant kowtows to the Second Master and the Prince. May you live a thousand years!"

The second master of the Niu family was startled at first, then a trace of pride flashed across his face, and he said with a smile: "Good servant! From now on, you are the ancestor of the 100,000 palace maids and eunuchs in the palace."

The young eunuch kowtowed repeatedly and said in a trembling voice: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!"

The second master of the Niu family burst into laughter.

At this time, Niu Ben came out holding the unconscious little emperor.

Wang Ren and the second master of the Niu family went to greet them together.

Niu Family Second Master: "What happened to the little emperor?"

Niu Ben: "I knocked him unconscious because he was crying and making a fuss. By the way, did you get the imperial seal?"

The second master of the Niu family: "I got it." He pointed at the young eunuch and said, "Thanks to him."

The young eunuch crawled over using his hands and feet, and said, "Your servant kowtows to the emperor!" and kowtowed three times heavily.

The second master of the Niu family smiled and said, "How is it, is he a good servant?"

Niu Ben frowned: "What's your name?"

The young eunuch: "In reply to the emperor, my name is Little Fatty."

Niu Ben looked at him and said, "You're not fat, are you?"

The little fat man: "In reply to the emperor, they are making fun of me."

Niu Ben nodded: "The Empress Dowager has fainted, go and call the imperial physician."

The little fat man: "Yes." He kowtowed again, then got up, bowed and walked out.

Niu Ben nodded with satisfaction, and then said to Wang Ren and the second master of the Niu family: "During the time when I am away, you must be cautious and careful. It is better to kill someone by mistake than to let him go."

Wang Ren and the second master of the Niu family answered in unison, "Yes."

Niu Ben: "Also, you are not allowed to enter the harem." Having said that, he glanced at Wang Ren and said, "If you dare to mess around, I will castrate you!" After that, he strode out holding the little emperor.

Lee's Back Garden

Nanny Wang hurried into the pavilion holding a letter.

Lin Daiyu is fishing.

Walking behind Lin Daiyu, Nanny Wang said softly, "Princess, the guards just delivered an urgent letter."

At this moment, the silk line on the fishing rod suddenly stretched straight.

Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "The fish has taken the bait!" Then she raised the fishing rod and pulled up a fat golden carp.

Lin Daiyu handed the fishing rod and the fish to Zijuan, then took the letter and tore it open to read.

After reading the letter, Lin Daiyu smiled. She had to say that Niu Ben was very smart. Taking the little emperor with him to the war could not only prevent the capital from taking the opportunity to cause trouble, but also use the little emperor to put pressure on the rebels of Prince Nan'an.

The Dashun Kingdom has been established for more than a hundred years, and the emperor still has some prestige in the hearts of ordinary people. Those generals can ignore the little emperor, but ordinary soldiers cannot!
Lin Daiyu took out a letter from her sleeve and handed it to Nanny Wang: "Give it to Zhang Cheng." (End of this chapter)