The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 103 There are bandits
The musket looks quite small, but it is ingeniously designed.

The device for loading lead pellets and gunpowder was designed as a small cylindrical wheel, which could hold six bullets. It was somewhat similar to the Five Thunder God Machine, but the Five Thunder God Machine rotated the barrel, while this one rotated the wheel.

Moreover, the Five Thunder Divine Machine is loaded in the front, but this gun... is in the back.

If a gun could be equipped with several of these wheels, wow~
Jiao Da brought out the Five Thunder Divine Machine, a treasured artifact in the manor, and asked, "Madam, did you make the changes because of this?"

"……right!"

Shen Ning has the Five Thunder Divine Machine in her memory. However, Jia Jing once said that this thing requires two people to use together: one person supports it and rotates the barrel, while the other aims and fires.

On the battlefield, if morale is even slightly disrupted, the army is doomed.

Therefore, it has always been placed at the back.

"This kind of change..."

Having spent many years on the battlefield, Jiao Da knew the benefits of such a change: "It can indeed be presented to the Ministry of War and to the Emperor."

The old man was getting excited. "Shen Judao, hurry up and make it!"

Even if the materials for its barrel and wheels need to be better, even if the cost of making it is higher, as long as a hundred are made and placed on the same battlefield, they will all be formidable weapons.

"Madam, if only you had thought of it sooner."

Jiao Da was slightly saddened.

If the old master had been able to design such a musket when he was still in charge of the Beijing garrison, he could have made one very quickly.

But now...

The Jia family has already left the military.

"...It's not too late to think of it now."

Jia Rong sensed that his grandmother was also very sad, so he quickly comforted her, "Grandmother, once Shen Judao's wooden spear is made, our family will immediately send it to the Ministry of War and present it to the Emperor."

"to make!"

Shen Ning took the Five Thunder Divine Machine, twisted the barrel hard, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

This invention was created by General Qi Jiguang, a famous Ming Dynasty general who fought against Japanese pirates, to defend against the Mongol army on the northern front. It comes in various sizes, including three-eyed, five-eyed, and seven-eyed.

For ease of carrying, most of them are five-eyed.

Firearms had already developed to this extent at that time, and later...

"Hurry up and do it," she said to Shen Ju, suppressing the myriad thoughts in her mind. "Remember to make several wheels, all the same size and dimensions, so they can be replaced at any time."

If Jiao Da could understand the convenience of this gun, how could those master gun makers not understand it when they see parts that can be easily disassembled and replaced?
"Yes!"

Shen Judao had been trained by Jiao Da and had naturally handled the Five Thunder Divine Machine. Now, the twelve musket diagrams drawn by his wife were simple and clear. She had practically disassembled every part in front of him. If he still couldn't make them, he wouldn't deserve to eat the rice and steamed buns in the manor, as well as the fragrant braised pork.

When he was still on the estate, he never imagined that he would live such a good life.

The boy was about to leave with the blueprints when Jiao Da grabbed him and said, "Bring the stuff in here and do it."

"……Yes!"

Seeing the old man's solemn expression, Shen Judao was startled and quickly agreed, going out to fetch the necessary tools and wood.

"Madam, this matter is of utmost importance..."

“I know,” Shen Ning nodded. “From now on, even I have to listen to you.”

After bowing respectfully, the old man hurried off to see Shen Judao get his tools.

"Grandma~"

"I remember missionaries also had guns, but their guns were quite small, weren't they?"

"……Yes!"

Rong-ge'er was somewhat dejected.

As a descendant of a noble family, he was naturally curious and watched the missionaries. Perhaps they were afraid of being bullied, so they openly showed off their small muskets.

That thing is easy to carry around and not bulky at all.

"Their firearms are more advanced than ours. If they attack one day, what do you think we should do?"

Jia Rong: "..." His face gradually turned pale.

Shen Ning sighed and looked at her grandson, "Do you think it's impossible?"

"……Probably."

Jia Rong clenched his fist. "I've heard my grandfather say that they attacked us at the end of the Ming Dynasty."

However, they were sent back again.

They also stole their Hongyi cannons.

"..."

Shen Ning patted her grandson's shoulder, "When you have time, you should get to know the missionaries over there. Then you'll realize that the world outside is... very, very big."

Why do we have to fight to the death in our own country?
Go outside and fight for it!

The mountains outside are beautiful, and the land is fertile.

……

At night, in the Kunning Palace, the emperor sighed deeply.

The Li family's nearly ten million taels of silver were not brought back, but had already been spent.

I really can't bear to think about it; just thinking about it makes me want to cry.

But the soldiers on the border were already suffering, and he couldn't mistreat them. The people in the disaster area couldn't survive and were selling their children; he had money, and he couldn't just stand by and watch.

Hey~
The emperor sighed again.

The Empress had no choice but to take a piece of auspicious cake and stuff it into his mouth.

"Don't think I don't know that Prince Jin didn't get any good results when he went to the palace today."

"I've lost so much money all at once, I can't cry, I can't even sigh?"

The emperor, valuing the food, took a bite of the auspicious cake, found it delicious, and smiled, "Besides, you can't be so heartless to me just because you received a little reward from Father!"

"...Am I heartless to you?" The Empress laughed in anger. "If you think I'm heartless, then give me back the Ruyi Cake."

"I got it through my own abilities, why should I give it back to you?"

The emperor smiled; he loved a sweet treat.

Having suffered so much as a child, he relied on the occasional dessert to find meaning in life.

As he grew older and became more independent, he wanted to reward himself even more. For a while, he even wanted to put sugar in his tea. As a result, unsurprisingly, he got sick.

Now the Empress looks at him and can't get a single dessert in a month.

How can I return what I finally got to eat openly and honestly?

"Yes, yes, yes, you rely on your own abilities!"

The Empress's face hardened. "But there won't be any next month."

what?
Is it really necessary to be so cruel?
The emperor's face fell. "Then I'll continue to sigh for you."

"I've heard that if you sigh too much, you'll lose all your luck."

uh~
The emperor, about to sigh, quickly stopped himself. "Who told you that?"

"Can not remember."

The empress shrugged and tried to play dumb with him.

"You really don't remember?"

The emperor grabbed her hand. "It seems you won't confess unless you're severely tortured. Come on, I want to see just how stubborn you are."

The couple laughed and joked as they headed towards their bedroom.

At this moment, in the Shou Kang Palace, the retired emperor was also looking at the moon through the window.

The emperor generously gave them ten million taels of silver. Although the father and son had discussed it and used the money wisely, ...

The retired emperor sighed softly.

The emperor was filial and quite capable in governing the country, showing a calm and composed demeanor reminiscent of his youth.

But the Prince of Jin...

Thinking of how his son left in a huff, the Emperor Emeritus couldn't help but sigh again.

Regardless of whether he was right or wrong back then, now that the situation is settled, why can't the Prince of Jin be a good elder brother?
When brothers are of one mind, their strength can break even metal!

Look at the Jia family now. In another generation, they will be beyond the fifth degree of kinship. However, despite the promises made by the imperial family, Madam Shen did not seek benefits for the Ningguo Mansion and her own children and grandchildren. Instead, she wanted to bring Yuan Chun from the Rongguo Mansion home.

The retired emperor sighed again.

In this respect, royal families are far less affectionate than ordinary families.

He's worried because he has fewer sons.

Having more sons brings more worries.

"Your Majesty, it's getting late, you should rest."

The personal eunuch, Su Wennian, glanced at the hourglass and couldn't help but step forward to offer some advice.

"Hmm~"

The retired emperor still paid great attention to his health. As we followed his hand toward the bedroom, he seemed to remember something, "From now on, there's no need to keep an eye on the empress anymore."

What is most precious in the palace is true affection. It is rare to find someone who can stay by the emperor's side. "You should cooperate as much as possible with the affairs of the palace."

"……Yes!"

Su Wennian glanced at the Emperor Emeritus and quickly agreed.

"Is there anything going on with the Prince of Jin?"

"The Prince of Jin sent people to the Jia family..."

Su Wennian relayed the reports from his subordinates to the Emperor Emeritus.

Upon hearing that the Prince of Jin had simply thrown Jia Jing's daughter's tiny hands and footprints onto the dung heap, and that Jia Jing, who was carrying dung to fertilize the land, had seen them on the fourth day, the Emperor Emeritus's breathing became heavier.

Over the years, has his favoritism given Prince Jin some undesirable misconception?
"As he gets older, he's lost the composure he had when he was younger."

The retired emperor lay down, closed his eyes, and said, "Send someone to check on the Zhen family."

"Yes!"

Su Wennian waited a while longer, thinking that the Emperor Emeritus would not give any more instructions, and was about to leave when the Emperor Emeritus spoke again, "Has anything happened on the Emperor's side recently?"

"..."

Su Wennian hesitated for a moment, not quite knowing how to begin, when the Emperor Emeritus turned his head and said, "Speak!"

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty is investigating the palace servants who were dismissed before... before the former Crown Prince closed his palace."

"...Why is he investigating that?"

The emperor thought that he might have nephews or nieces living among the common people.

what?
The retired emperor sat up abruptly. "Is there any definite news?"

Although he had driven the crown prince to the brink of death back then, he never thought he would really take his life. He just wanted to keep him and raise him.

But the crown prince was cruel. After dismissing the palace servants, he took his grandchildren and the whole family with him and died together.

Overwhelmed with grief and anger, his body gave way, and he hastily passed the throne to the emperor who had been neglected and had not received any official duties.

At that time, he felt that no one was reliable.

His other sons also bear responsibility for how things ended up like that with the crown prince.

"There's already a little bit."

Su Wennian said, "Ever since I learned that His Majesty was investigating this matter, this servant has been paying close attention."

"Tell me, where is this point?"

"The Crown Prince was on official business outside the palace. There were maids from his subordinates who were being treated with respect. It is said that two of them might be pregnant, but the Crown Prince did not bring them into the palace. They were kept outside. After the Crown Prince's accident, the people in the villa were all gone. Some people said that a child was abandoned in the orphanage."

The Emperor Emeritus: "..."

A look of sorrow flashed across the old man's face. "The Emperor is searching, and you're just standing by and watching? Can't you join in the search?"

"We have searched."

Su Wennian knelt down and said, "Just like the Emperor, we have already identified Qin Ye, the Construction Manager. Back then, he brought a girl back from the orphanage."

"And the other one? Is it also a girl?"

"Yes!"

Su Wennian said, "The other one was taken away by a servant. It is said that he went to Jiangnan. The Emperor is investigating, and our people are also investigating."

"Okay! Okay, okay~"

The retired emperor lay down again. "Don't touch Qin Ye yet. Let's see what the emperor does."

It is acknowledged that the Crown Prince keeping a mistress is a bad reputation.

They won't acknowledge it... the child is pitiful.

Even if you accept it, the child is still just as pitiful.

Too many people were involved in fueling the flames of what happened back then.

Although she is a girl and doesn't seem threatening, some narrow-minded people might still harm her.

In an instant, the Emperor Emeritus's mind was filled with many thoughts.

It's too difficult to have the best of both worlds.

Let's leave this problem to the emperor!
"Yes!"

As Su Wennian withdrew, he couldn't help but wipe the sweat from his brow.

Those around him could clearly sense that the Emperor Emeritus was regretting his actions, and that his regret was growing stronger.

I just hope the Emperor won't do anything that crosses his bottom line!

The palace doors closed gently.

In Kunning Palace, the Emperor finally told the Empress about his problem.

This throne was taken from his elder brother, the crown prince.

The elder brother may have been a bit impatient, but the emperor felt that his policies on governing the country were correct.

His later ability to study peacefully and live his own quiet life with the Empress behind closed doors was also due to the special care he received from his elder brother, the Crown Prince.

The emperor cherished this kindness.

"Qin Ye, the physician of the Construction Department?"

The Empress frowned deeply. "The Construction Department is in charge of construction in all parts of the palace, as well as the construction of the Emperor Emeritus's mausoleum. The daily repairs in various places are also managed by the Construction Department." She looked at the Emperor. "As you know, after I took over the palace affairs, I specifically checked the accounts."

"Is this person dishonest?"

"That's not true."

The Empress shook her head. "Qin Ye is a very disciplined official. Although the position of a physician is not high, it has real power. He takes what he is entitled to, and he doesn't take a penny of what he isn't entitled to. That's why he has been able to stay in the Ministry of Works for so many years."

"You mean, he has connections with all sorts of people?"

"His relationship with the former crown prince should be better."

The Empress sighed, "Since he still cares about his former master, then we'll take care of him secretly!"

"...Won't they bring him into the palace?"

“If we really bring him into the palace, I’m afraid it will harm the child and also damage the former crown prince’s reputation.”

emperor:"……"

He wanted to sigh, but he remembered what the Queen had said: that sighing too much would drive away good luck.

"As long as Qin Ye treats her well, and we take good care of her, we can find her a good family to marry into when she's old enough. Isn't that better than anything else?"

"……Listen to you."

The emperor embraced his empress and said, "You should also keep an eye out for talented young men from various families for her sake."

I'll see if I can find an opportunity to let slip a hint to my father tomorrow.

The child belongs to their family, and they, as the grandfather and uncle, cannot ignore him.

"We don't want those frivolous families, nor those materialistic families."

The death of Baofeng's sister made the emperor extremely cautious.

"...This is not easy to find."

The queen was speechless.

The children that are often mentioned by the ladies of the house are all those who have been pampered and spoiled since childhood.

The main side had arranged for maids to serve in their rooms well in advance.

Although Qin Ye had hidden wealth and benefits, his official position was low, and the child was adopted by him...

"It's alright, the child is still young." The emperor knew what she was worried about. "There are plenty of good men in the capital. If all else fails, I'll find a way to promote Qin Ye's official position when she's a little older."

Anyway, Qin Ye is getting old, so we can just give him a position for retirement.

The couple discussed and agreed on the matter, and then went to sleep peacefully.

The night was cool and still. Jia Lian, far away in Cangzhou, finally relaxed and drank several cups of wine before returning to his room and sleeping soundly on his back.

Li Haifeng noticed that the Lin family members didn't drink, the镖局 (escort agency) members didn't drink, and apart from Jia Lian, only half of the Jia family members took a small sip.

In other words, even if he wanted to make a move here, it wouldn't be possible.

"Little chess piece~"

Chang Lei rushed in from outside; he had been called for a long time.

"You're here, shopkeeper. What can I do for you?"

That's what he asked, but he didn't bend over.

"Congratulations, people from your hometown have come to visit."

Chang Lei's eyes were also filled with excitement.

Seventh Master was determined to take revenge, but he couldn't find a solution no matter how much he thought about it.

Finally, another team came from the waterway to meet them.

"Really?"

Li Haifeng was overjoyed, "Thank you very much, shopkeeper."

I told you, the Li family has had a long-standing relationship with those people. If something happens to the Li family, they can't just shrink back and do nothing.

"Where are they now?"

"We're almost at Tianjin."

Chang Lei laughed and said, "Perfect timing, we're going through there too, so we can go to Beijing together."

“Great, I’ll go feed the horses and mules again right away.”

Li Haifeng excitedly ran out to find the messenger.

At that moment, he had no idea that Daiyu, who had woken up on the second floor to get up in the middle of the night, saw the moonlight shining in and couldn't help but walk towards the window.

She was just small, not even as tall as the windowsill.

But the moon was so bright that even without any candles in the room, it was perfectly clear.

Daiyu suspected that the moon in the north was bigger than the moon in the south.

Northerners are generally taller and can eat more than southerners.

To avoid waking the wet nurse, the little girl carefully moved a small stool and stood on it.

Not far away, at the corner of the wall, Li Haifeng was also meeting with the messenger.

"Their horses are excellent; once we've finished our business, they're perfect for riding away."

If we act quickly enough and pull off a big heist outside Tianjin, it would be good to boost the morale of our brothers.

"Okay, now that we're here, we'll do whatever you say."

They have a boat in Tongzhou.

The Jia family's horses could also be transported back to China and sold for a high price.

"Thanks a lot. After we're done, I'll find a safe place to give the brothers a welcome-back dinner."

Li Haifeng made his promise.

Although the Li family's property was confiscated, which family like theirs doesn't have two hidden treasure troves to help their descendants rise again?

"Seventh Master, you're too kind."

They were already speaking very softly, but the wind was blowing this way, and little Daiyu, with her sharp ears, happened to overhear a few words.

The one speaking was a caravan worker. He was supposed to be called Little Chess Piece, but now he's called Seventh Master.

As Daiyu wondered if she had misheard, she heard the wet nurse on the bed turn over.

oops~
The wet nurse liked to touch her when she turned over.

Little Daiyu carefully got off the stool and then quietly climbed back onto the bed.

Sure enough, the wet nurse touched it, patted it a few times, and it fell asleep again.

Before closing her eyes, Daiyu was still thinking about telling her mother about the little chess piece the next day. As she thought about it, she drifted off to sleep.

Their night passed peacefully once again.

However, Jia Zhen, who had arrived at Tongzhou Wharf, was still awake.

"uncle!"

Xing'er was very afraid that something bad would happen. "According to those old police officers, there are definitely two real Japanese among the group of people who argued with us today."

The Li family was in league with the Japanese pirates.

As luck would have it, the burly man with the bulging eyes took a liking to their old man's horse as everyone passed by.

"Did you find out where they were going?"

"They said they would pick up the goods in Tianjin and then take them south by waterway."

"I just feel like something's not right."

When Jia Zhen was young, he often went to the Beijing garrison with his grandfather.

Those soldiers and officers, those who have killed people and those who haven't, give you a different feeling.

But the burly man with the bulging eyes... and even many others in that group, looked at them with terrifyingly cold eyes; they had definitely killed people.

It's even possible that more than one person was killed.

"Alright, Xing'er, you stay here and wait a few days. If you run into your aunt and the others, be sure to urge them to hurry back to the capital."

"Sir, what about you?"

"I'm going to Tianjin to take a look."

At this time, Jia Zhen was unaware that his mother had already sent Jia She to Tianjin; "they are more likely to travel by land."

If those people were targeting his aunt and Lian Er, he could immediately lead his troops to suppress them.

"Sir, please...please be careful."

Those people don't seem like good people.

"Alright, we're not here, so behave yourself."

Jia Zhen left those words behind and waved to the ten guards who were waiting, "Mount up and head to Tianjin."

Fortunately, he recruited another group of people to train with Jiao Da; otherwise, with so many people under his command, he would have had to worry about the safety of his family.

When they headed to Tianjin, Jia She also discreetly checked into an inn next to the post station.

Lin Zhixiao had already inquired and found out that his son and sister had not yet arrived.

It looks like he'll have to go along the official road again tomorrow to greet them.

With my younger sister and her two children, if we travel by land, we must take a carriage, and if we take a carriage, we must take the official road.

Now I just hope my sister-in-law is overthinking it.

But Jia She still couldn't sleep soundly that night.

Early in the morning, they urged everyone to go forward to greet them.

Jia Min finally heard her daughter's doubts from last night.

Seventh Master, Little Chess Piece?

Although she didn't connect it to Li Haifeng, she still felt very uneasy.

Even before Jia Lian got up, Jia Min summoned Wang'er and the people from the escort agency, saying they had to leave immediately.

The unconscious nephew was carried to the luggage car in the back.

When they missed their lodging and there were no inns available, my nephew slept there, spreading out his blankets.

Jia Min was very efficient; by the time Chang Lei received the message, she was already on the bus.

This?
He hurried to call his own people.

Seventh Master hadn't slept well for days, but he was in a relaxed mood yesterday and finally managed to sleep better.

Chang Lei told everyone to move the goods first, and then, as if he were a patient, he lifted him onto the mule cart at the back.

This time, however, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't catch up with the others.

Helpless, he didn't even dare to rest at noon. He hurriedly fed the mules and horses and continued on his way.

"Aunt, didn't we say we'd rest in Cangzhou for a couple of days?"

When Jia Lian woke up, he found that he had already left Cangzhou. He was a little dazed. "I was just saying that I would take my younger cousins ​​out for a visit."

"Let's not talk about Cangzhou for now. Let me ask you, are you very familiar with the caravan behind us?"

"There's one thing: they're going to the capital, and they know you're returning to visit your family, so of course they're going to be very obsequious."

"From now on, stay away from them."

Jia Min said, "They... I'm afraid they're not as simple as they seem." As she spoke, she told her daughter what she had overheard in the middle of the night about 'Little Chess Piece' and 'Seventh Master'. "Don't think that just because someone is giving you something for free, it's a good thing. They might be setting a trap for you, and they want your life."

She was returning to the capital to visit her family, but her husband also said that the Emperor was waiting for Lian'er to come to the capital.

"After returning to the capital, you will still need to present your credentials to the Emperor."

Jia Min tapped her nephew. "How important is this? Do you think everything will be fine just because we're about to enter the capital? Look at how much you drank last night..." Still not satisfied, she tapped him again. "From now on, unless you're at home, you can't drink this much at any time."

"……understood."

Luckily, his younger cousins ​​were sitting in the carriage behind with their nanny; otherwise, he would have been so embarrassed!
"Is alcohol really that good? A little wine is pleasant, but too much is harmful to your health, don't you know that?"

My older brother loves to drink.

Especially after my sister-in-law passed away.

Jia Min was afraid that her nephew would follow in his elder brother's footsteps. "If you do this again, don't blame me for being ruthless as your aunt. I'll have your father and your uncle punish you."

"No, no, no."

Jia Lian was startled. "My nephew is very honest."

A long chapter of 6,000 words, please vote!