The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 125: Submission
Jia Zhen and Jia Zheng went to summon the clan elders to discuss revising the clan genealogy. You Shi accompanied Shen Ning as they slowly walked back to the East Mansion.

"What? Are you afraid your uncle can't win against those clan elders?"

Seeing that Madam You looked slightly conflicted, Shen Ning couldn't help but ask her.

“No, not at all.” Madam You shook her head. “Whether they are from the capital or from our hometown, they all depend on the two families for their livelihood. Since the eldest uncle and the two uncles have made their decision, they can’t object to it even if they want to.”

She was in charge of clan affairs and was well aware of some of the clan's shortcomings.

Relying on the two mansions, whether they had a family fortune or not, most of the men in the Jia family did not engage in production. They left the household affairs to their mothers or wives, and they only needed to enjoy the benefits that came from their mothers or wives vying for power.

Except for her mother-in-law, who never forced a concubine on her husband, almost all the mothers-in-law in the clan had done this.

Just as Aunt Wang said, even an old farmer who harvested two extra bushels of grain would want to buy a concubine, let alone those gentlemen and young masters.

A clan rule states that a man can only take a concubine if he is childless by the age of thirty…

"Mother, did you set this clan rule because you think the eldest master has taken too many concubines?"

Their master had three concubines and two maids, but his wife didn't like seeing them, so he never dared to come near her.

"..."

Shen Ning turned around and looked at Madam You very seriously. "You think it's not enough?"

"no!"

Madam You hurriedly shook her head, "I wish I didn't have them." But that's how the world is. "Now that there's this clan rule, the master can no longer take concubines. I'm overjoyed, but many people might think this clan rule is too strict. They can't have concubines at home, what if they end up with an extramarital affair..."

"If Zhen'er were to become a concubine, and you found out, given this family rule, would you choose to turn a blind eye or make a scene?"

"...Go ahead and make a scene!"

In the past, Ms. You felt that even if she knew, she would choose to turn a blind eye.

But now she'll definitely make a scene.

"This is the end."

Shen Ning sighed, "With these clan rules in place, the initiative is now in the hands of the Jia family's daughters-in-law."

That's exactly what she wanted.

As long as the men of the Jia family are not afraid of clan rules, not afraid of being beaten, and not afraid of losing face, then so be it!

"Do you believe that without this clan rule, it won't be long before Lian'er has several more concubines?"

Madam You: "..."

She thought for a moment, then fell silent.

From the old lady to the first wife, the second wife, and even the master of the house, all of them might try to give Lian's second brother a concubine.

"He and Feng'er were childhood sweethearts who grew up together."

In Dream of the Red Chamber, Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng were not without feelings for each other.

They had a very good relationship at first.

But later, Jia Lian wished he could kill the person he had once loved.

"But people's hearts are fickle, especially their feelings; they are never static."

Shen Ning sighed inwardly, "I didn't expect to completely curb the fickle nature of some men in the clan by setting up this clan rule, but rather I hope to stop the practice of taking concubines in the clan."

There are too many instances of mothers-in-law trying to control their daughters-in-law by forcing people into their sons' rooms and causing trouble for them.

In Dream of the Red Chamber, she disliked Xiren the most.

She pretends to be a virtuous and kind person, but what is she really like?

With this clan rule in place, even if she wanted to climb into someone's bed... she wouldn't get away with it.

“Without outsiders, newlyweds have at least three years to cultivate their relationship, giving the bride this buffer period so she won’t be so tired from the start.”

As for the future, that depends on fate.

Ultimately, marriage requires personal effort to maintain.

That's all she can do to help.

If you can stand up for yourself, you can use the clan rules to control your husband. If you can't stand up for yourself... then you can only rely on the feelings you had when you were together as husband and wife before, so that your husband will have some conscience towards you.

Shen Ning sighed, "Zhen'er is impetuous. In the future... besides me, you still have the clan rules to rely on. I hope you can keep him in check."

……

Yansui, Min family.

When Jia Wen woke up from her drowsy sleep, she looked at the furnishings in the room as if she were in a dream.

In fact, she really thought she was dreaming.

She could faintly hear crying.

Jia Wen once suspected that she was dead.

However, the person tidying up her room looked exactly like her Mei-jie.

"Mom, are you awake?"

Min Mei turned around and saw that her mother's eyes were open. She was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Thank goodness! You scared me to death!"

"Don't be afraid, Mother is here."

Jia Wen asked weakly, "This room..."

"The Nie family has fallen out of favor and has been banished to our former abandoned courtyard. That person..."

Minmei also felt that her father was wrong.

He had just hit her, so why would he kindly give her such good medicine from Jishetang?
She actually asked Doctor Fan to treat her mother; there must be something she doesn't know about this.

"That man was asked to leave by General Tang, and when he came back, he changed our courtyard."

At this point, Minmei couldn't help but suspect that it was related to her maternal grandparents' family.

But after her maternal grandfather passed away, her two maternal uncles had no contact with her mother at all.

The letters that my mother initially sent to the capital were never answered by the old lady of the Rongguo Mansion and her two aunts.

However, there was news from my maternal aunt in Ningguo Mansion, but since my mother was confined to the inner quarters, all correspondence has ceased.

“Mother, I also heard that my maternal aunt from the Ningguo Mansion was granted the title of First-Rank Imperial Lady by the Emperor because of some things,” Min Mei’s eyes gleamed slightly. “Do you think it’s because my maternal grandparents’ family is gaining power again that Father has changed his attitude towards us?”

This?
Probably.

Jia Wen's drowsy mind cleared up considerably. "Who in the family went to find Bai Ge'er? How long were they gone? Have you found out?"

She once held some hope for Min Tae, but now she has none at all.

It's just a pity for her two children.

"I've inquired about it."

Min Mei said, "The day you vomited blood, Bai Ge'er begged that man to get you a doctor, but the man ignored him. So Bai Ge'er secretly packed his things and went to the capital overnight. The servant was afraid of taking responsibility, so he only reported it to Nie Shi the next night. Nie Shi told that man that they all thought he was hiding somewhere and threatening the family, so they only sent people to search casually. They searched for three days and couldn't find him, so they took it seriously."

But by then it was too late to take it seriously.

“They found out on the fifth day that Brother Bai was heading to the capital. Mother, don’t worry. It’s said that Brother Bai went with the Weiyuan Escort Agency. They have a caravan and are rushing to Cangzhou. Brother Bai won’t be in danger with them. Cangzhou isn’t far from the capital. He should be in the Rongguo Mansion by now.”

That's good.

Jia Wen breathed a sigh of relief, "The Jia family has access to military channels."

I hope my two older brothers will remember our past friendship.

But Jia Wen dared not hold any hope.

The eldest brother had a bad temper and didn't have much affection for his own younger brothers and sisters, let alone for his half-sister.

Second brother... always listens only to his stepmother.

The stepmother only showed them face-saving affection.

Bai Ge'er saw her write a letter to the eldest sister-in-law of the East Mansion, hoping that he was going to the East Mansion!
But Jia Zhen, the eldest nephew of the Eastern Mansion…

Jia Wen closed her eyes. Back when she was at home, she probably didn't exchange more than three hundred words with that nephew.

After all, we can only get together once a year during festivals.

When he was little, she made him a kite. Later, every year on his birthday, she made him handkerchiefs, sachets, and other gifts.

As a concubine's daughter, she had little freedom. Unless invited by her eldest sister-in-law in the East Mansion, her stepmother would never allow her and her sisters to go out and meet people. But her eldest sister-in-law lived in the inner quarters; if Bai-ge'er went to knock on the door, would the doorman let him in?

The seventh-rank official in front of the prime minister's door.

Both the Ning and Rong mansions were dukedoms. Things were better when my father was alive, but after my father and uncle passed away, both mansions gradually declined. In order not to be looked down upon, the gatekeepers would keep their eyes on the top of their heads.

Her son...

"If Brother Bai enters the Duke's mansion, he will surely receive a letter within seven days at most."

If there is still no news after seven days...

Jia Wen dared not imagine what would happen to her son.

"Go and ask your father to come here. I have something to say to him."

For her son's sake, she had no choice but to ask her sister-in-law in the East Mansion for help in finding him.

It would be best if our son were in the manor, but if he is not... we must find him as soon as possible.

The capital city is so big; if we only rely on people from this area to search, who knows how long it will take.

So, not long after, Min Tae arrived.

Seeing that Jia Wen's spirits were gradually recovering, he breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"It'll be fine if you wake up."

He sat down on the edge of the bed, looking genuinely concerned, "Seeing how seriously ill you were, my heart ached..."

Min Tai looked distressed and unable to continue speaking; his eyes even began to well up with tears.

"Master, write a letter to the eldest sister-in-law of the Ningguo Mansion! If anything happens to Bai-ge'er when he goes to the capital, she can help us find him as soon as possible."

This?
Bai Ge'er is just a little kid. Although Cangzhou is close to the capital, he has no money. If he goes to the mansion there penniless, it's another matter whether they will even see him.

I did write a letter; they'll definitely ask about Brother Bai's family situation...

"Wait a minute!"

Although I was worried about my son's safety, his safety was more important.

Even though Min Tai felt that the Jia family wouldn't care about Jia Wen, he was still a little afraid because he had done something wrong.

Even if the Jia family falls into ruin, they can still deal with him.

Moreover, the Jia family has risen again.

"I heard that the eldest sister-in-law in the East Mansion has given birth to another child."

what?
Jia Wen was a little stunned.

"Because of the lack of information, we didn't even have a gift. It's a bit awkward to suddenly ask someone to help us find our child."

Min Tai said, "How about this? I'll send someone else to deliver some gifts to the two prefectures to restore relations first. If the vanguard doesn't find Brother Bai, then we'll ask the two prefectures for help."

Once we find our son, we'll bring him back first.

However, the relationship between the Min family and the Jia family cannot be severed.

"...Do you know whether your sister-in-law gave birth to a boy or a girl?"

"girl!"

"Then my cousin..."

"He is still at the Taoist temple."

Min Tai said, "As for my sister-in-law, I heard that when she went home to prepare for childbirth, she took the initiative to repay the national treasury's debts and donated a lot of money. The emperor probably remembered our past relationship and granted her the title of First Rank Lady."

Who would have thought the Emperor would do such a thing?

Everyone thought the Ningguo Mansion was doomed.

Not only did Jia Jing not inherit the title, he was also forced to leave his home and stay at a Taoist temple outside the city.

Although Jia Zhen inherited the title, he was demoted three ranks.

But Jia Wen, ignoring the Rongguo Mansion, actually wrote a letter to that unlucky couple.

He was afraid of being implicated, and he was also provoked by his brothers, so he banned her.

The woman later wrote several more letters, but he didn't even read them and just burned them.

Min Tai was filled with regret. "You don't need to worry about your sister-in-law anymore, but as for the Rongguo Mansion..."

He hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "I heard that my brother-in-law's son, Jia Lian, has been promoted to the position of Director of the Arsenal. We should send a gift from home. What do you think he would like?"

Assistant Director of the Arsenal?
Jia Wen finally understood why she had moved back to the main courtyard.

"We haven't been in touch for so many years. Come to think of it... he should be getting married by now."

Jia Wen felt both sad and happy.

The sad thing is that this person really won't do anything without a reason.

What makes her happy is that her family has risen again, and her children...

"Yes! He is already married."

Min Tai said, "I heard that she is marrying a daughter of the Wang family, the one who is in charge of the Beijing Garrison, Prince Teng."

Blame him!

Although his father-in-law had passed away, the Jia family still had many relatives and friends by marriage.

Lord Wang is the military governor of the capital garrison; that position originally belonged to my uncle from the Ningguo Mansion.

If he hadn't been so eager to avoid suspicion and had instead tried to get closer to them during their difficult time, he might have been able to use some of the Jia family's connections in the army.

Min Tai, who only realized this at this moment, was filled with remorse. "Also, my second brother-in-law's eldest son, Jia Zhu, is also married. He married the daughter of Li, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy."

Although the two brothers-in-law were not very good, the wives their two nephews married were excellent.

One is a scholar, the other a warrior...

If he hadn't been with Jia Wen, he would have been kicking himself.

"They both got married last year, so we need to prepare some gifts."

The second sister-in-law, who was in charge of the household, was a meticulous person. When her father-in-law was alive, she would always give a larger or larger gift when visiting both sides.

Two years after his father-in-law passed away, he wanted to get promoted and considered taking this route. He also exchanged gifts with them. Although he didn't get the official position, the gifts he received in return were always 10-20% more.

hiss~
Thinking about it this way, Min Tai regretted it even more.

No matter how many gifts he gives, he won't lose out!

How did my brother manage to instigate me to cut off all contact?
Yes, yes, I remember now. There were many people in their household, including the old lady's birthday, her brothers' and sisters-in-law's birthdays, and many nephews and nieces...

Aside from receiving return gifts during holidays, he always loses money.

Can……

Min Tae still regrets it!

If I had known Jia Lian would have such good fortune, he would have sent gifts to his wife's family, and the army would have definitely given him a subsidy.

Now that it's been a few years since we stopped, I don't know if they still accept it.

The clerk of the Imperial Arsenal is not someone who can accept just any gift.

So many people are trying to get close to him with their treasures, but they can't find the right way.

Hey~
He had connections, but now...

"Wen Niang, take your medicine carefully and get better soon. I'll go back to the capital with you to visit your family!"

No matter what, Jia Wen is still Jia Lian's aunt.

When he was with her, he could always talk to Jia Lian.

As long as you can speak, everything else is easy.

“Mei-jie is still young…” Jia Wen seized the opportunity to make a request, “I do not agree to her becoming someone’s concubine.”

“...Alright, I’ll talk to my brother about it and see if we can get Fu’er instead.”

Since they're all daughters of the Min family, it doesn't matter if they're replaced.

At this point, Min Tai didn't dare to confront Jia Wen anymore. "I was wrong," he admitted. "Once we get to the capital, we'll find Mei-jie a good family to marry into. With her two uncles and cousins ​​there, it will definitely be better than here."