The Red Mansion: From a Small Pawn to a Leader

At this time in the Cining Palace, the spirit banners and curtains were a vast expanse of white and blue.

The door to the main hall was wide open, and the cries of many people could be heard.

Wang Ren and the second master of the Niu family looked at each other and walked in.

In the middle of the hall was placed a gold-painted nanmu coffin. On the east side knelt the prime minister, Jia She, and two grand secretaries, Shi and Meng, who were under house arrest in the palace. On the west side, led by Jia Yuanchun and the empress dowager, knelt the concubines.

Wang Ren looked at the second master of the Niu family, meaning: Do you want to kneel or not?

The second master of the Niu family rolled his eyes and said, "Kneel! Not only kneel, but also let all the civil and military officials come to pay tribute and keep vigil." Having said this, he thought for a moment, "Zhenbei Palace and other noble families are not allowed to come."

Wang Ren nodded, followed the second master of the Niu family to the coffin, knelt down and kowtowed respectfully.

Everyone hated them both and no one wanted to pay attention to them.

The second master of the Niu family opened his mouth, not knowing what to say, so he just said to Wang Ren, "I'll arrange it." After that, he hurried out.

Wang Ren looked at Jia She and others, then turned his gaze to the concubines.

Looking at Jia Yuanchun kneeling there in mourning clothes, Wang Ren's eyes flashed with heat and he swallowed hard.

Jia She, who had been paying attention to Wang Ren, had a cold light flashing in his eyes. He then whispered a few words in the ear of the Prime Minister, stood up, walked to Wang Ren, said "I have something to tell you", and walked out.

Wang Ren was stunned for a moment, glanced at Jia Yuanchun again, and then strode out.

Only when he reached the outside of the Cining Palace did Jia She stop and turn to look at Wang Ren who had followed him.

Wang Ren looked at Jia She for a while, then said with a half-smile, "Just tell me what you want to say. For the sake of our long-standing friendship, I will try my best to make it convenient for you."

This little bastard is completely arrogant! I'm going to kill you today!
Jia She sneered in his heart and asked calmly, "How did your uncle die?"

An unnatural look flashed across Wang Ren's face. He took a deep breath and said, "What do you mean by 'how did he die'? He's dead, why are you talking so much nonsense!"

Jia She's heart skipped a beat. It was indeed this little beast who did it!
Wang Ren: "If you have something to say, please speak up. If not, I'm leaving."

Jia She: "Your uncle died so suddenly, there is something I haven't had time to tell you."

Wang Ren looked at him: "What's the matter?"

Jia She: "Your uncle has an outer house in Huazhi Lane."

"Flower Lane?"

Wang Ren raised his eyebrows, "You are talking about that child, right?"

Jia She pretended to be surprised: "You know?"

Wang Ren sneered: "Not only do I know it, I've also been there."

Jia She: "Have you seen the child?"

Wang Ren looked at him and smiled, saying, "I've seen it, it's plump and white, and quite likable." Then he suddenly changed the subject, "I had someone put that bastard in a bag and threw it to death!"

Jia She shuddered, as if he couldn't believe it: "What did you say?"

Wang Ren: "That bastard is dead!"

Jia She's face suddenly changed, and he said in a trembling voice: "Even a tiger won't eat its own cubs. You, you actually killed your own son!"

Wang Ren was a little excited. "How have I let him down? I have worked like a slave for him for so many years. Even if I have no credit, I have worked hard, right? What about him? He didn't say a word and gave birth to a bastard without telling me, wanting to replace me." At this point, he was suddenly stunned. "What did you say? Whose son?"

Jia She raised his voice: "Your son!"

Wang Ren was stunned.

Jia She: "You haven't forgotten all the evil you committed in the past, have you? One of the little actors got pregnant with your child. It was your sister who begged me on her knees for several hours before I agreed to send the little actor out of the city. Later, the little actor died of dystocia during childbirth.
Your uncle also knows about this. He was worried that it was not safe outside the city, so he brought the child into the city. If you don’t believe it, you can go to Shuiyue Temple, where the other little actors are. "As he said this, he started to cough.

Wang Ren's expression changed: "You, you lied to me"

Jia She: "You can ask your sister, or go directly to Shuiyue Temple."

Wang Ren's face turned pale, and he said in a trembling voice: "Okay, then since you all know, why did you hide it from me?"

Jia She: "How can a decent man have a son who is not married? His biological mother is an actress! If this gets out, no prince or noble in the capital will be willing to marry their daughter to you. Your uncle is thinking for you!"

Wang Ren trembled all over and almost fell down.

The captain of the Southern Pacification Division who was standing outside the palace gate quickly supported him.

Jia She suddenly remembered: "How did you know this?"

Wang Ren was silent for a moment and then told him what happened.

Jia She pointed at him, looking very disappointed and said, "You've been fooled! Since he found out about Huazhi Lane, he must know that Shuiyue Temple still exists. Your uncle would never take a child outside."

Wang Ren was stunned: "Why?!"

Jia She: "Why else? For the fifty thousand soldiers in your uncle's hands!"

Wang Ren's brain buzzed, and he realized that he was being played a fool. He calmed himself down and looked at Jia She, "What should I do now?" Jia She sighed, "I don't know either. The Empress Dowager has passed away, and the Emperor is in Niu Ben's hands. Maybe God really wants to destroy Dashun." As he said that, he turned and walked into the Cining Palace.

Wang Ren stood there in a daze.

The captain of the Southern Pacification Division spoke up: "Sir, you still have a son."

Wang Ren suddenly reacted: "Yes, yes, yes. I have another son."

The captain of the Southern Pacification Division said again: "Sir, if what Lord Jia said is true, the Niu brothers will not let you go."

Wang Ren's face turned ugly again, and a cold light flashed in his eyes: "Where is that little bastard now?"

The captain of the Southern Pacification Division said: "The government office outside the imperial city."

Wang Ren: “Let’s go.” He waved his hand and led a group of Southern Pacification Division soldiers out of the imperial city.

At this time, the fat man led two little eunuchs out of the palace gate, looked at Wang Ren's receding back, and then whispered a few words in the ear of one of the little eunuchs.

The young eunuch nodded and ran towards Xihua Gate like a flash.

The fat man smiled and said, "Plans can never keep up with changes! But it's much simpler this way." As he spoke, he took out a gold medal from his arms, which turned out to be the emperor's gold medal for mobilizing troops.

The little fat man stroked the golden medal for mobilizing troops and said with a smile, "The second master of the Niu family can't even tell the real golden medal for mobilizing troops from the fake, and he still wants to be a prince. It's almost like he's dreaming!" After saying that, he laughed.

Another young eunuch laughed and said, "Brother Niu is so self-righteous that he dares to challenge our ancestor! Haven't you heard that the devil is one foot taller than the Tao?"

The little fat man laughed and scolded, "Flatterer! It's the princess, no, it's the queen who's planning the whole thing!"

The young eunuch laughed along and said, "What our ancestors said is true. Our queen is in charge of the planning while our ancestors are sleeping on straw and tasting gall."

The little fat man smiled and nodded at him: "Let's go and close the palace gate." After saying that, he looked back and then walked towards the palace gate.

After a while, Jia She walked out of the Cining Palace and stared at the fat man's receding back in a daze.

The fighting in front of the Ministry of Rites had gradually died down, and Wang Ren was left with only himself and a few of his close associates who were fighting desperately.

The second master of the Niu family was also slightly injured. He was protected by several personal soldiers and sat on the stone steps in front of the ceremonial department. He was obviously bloodthirsty and shouted with gritted teeth: "Kill! Kill!"

Soon, only Wang Ren was left, and he was taken before the second master of the Niu family.

The second master of the Niu family grinned: "I have been on guard against you!"

Wang Ren opened his mouth and spat at the Second Master of the Niu Family: "Pooh!"

The blood only fell at the feet of the second master of the Niu family.

The second master of the Niu family smiled and said, "Waste, worse than that old eunuch."

The guards all laughed.

Wang Ren stared at him fiercely.

The second master of the Niu family stood up and said, "You are right, I am just making fun of you!"

Wang Ren: "You beast."

The second master of the Niu family raised his eyebrows and said, "Beast? Who of us is the beast? I didn't throw my son to death!"

Everyone started laughing again.

With a "wow" sound, a mouthful of blood spurted out of Wang Ren's mouth.

The second master of the Niu family was slightly startled, then smiled and said, "Let me tell you one more thing, the precious son in your family is not yours? It's that Xia San's! You are a cuckold."

Wang Ren's face suddenly turned as white as paper, his eyes widened, then turned from white to red, blood slowly flowed from his nostrils, and then blood flowed from the corners of his mouth, and then his head drooped softly.

The second master of the Niu family was startled: "What's wrong?"

A personal soldier put his hand on the side of Wang Ren's nose, was startled for a moment, and reported to the Second Master of the Niu Family: "Second Master, Wang Ren is dead."

The second master of the Niu family: "Are you so angry? You are so stingy!"

Suddenly, the ground shook slightly. Before the Second Master of the Niu family and his bodyguards could recover from the shock, hundreds of soldiers from the South Camp holding spears lined up neatly from both sides of the Ministry of Rites and formed a semicircle in front of them!
The second master of the Niu family's face suddenly changed: "How dare you! Do you want to rebel?!" As he said that, he winked at the soldiers beside him.

The soldier understood and took out three fireworks from the brown paper tube at his waist and lit the fuse by shaking the fire stick.

Three fireworks soared into the sky and exploded three times in a row!

"kill!"

The soldiers from the South Camp formed into a battle formation and advanced forward in neat steps.

The guards and personal soldiers escorted the second master of the Niu family as they rushed towards the gate of the Ministry of Rites.

"Open the door! Open the door quickly!"

Unfortunately, the gate of the Ministry of Rites was blocked from the inside by Jia Yucun's men when they were fighting with Wang Ren.
Inside the gate, Jia Yucun looked through the crack of the door and saw the second master of the Niu family being held high by a spear. He swallowed hard. He knew that the person outside the gate was definitely not a soldier from the South Camp! Whose man was this? (End of this chapter)