The head of the Red Mansion

In the Ningguo Mansion, Jia Zhen was strolling around the room with his little sister in his arms.

"Mom'll be back soon, so you can't cry at this time!"

Jia Zhen chatted with the little guy, saying, "If you cry now, my whole day will have been for nothing."

In my mother's eyes, he didn't deserve any credit at all.

"Ow~"

Jia Yue uttered a single word to him, as if she understood.

Jia Zhen laughed, "Does this 'Aww' mean you understand? You can't pretend to be stupid with me now. I'll take your understanding as an example. Even if you understand, it won't work. You have to listen to your brother, understand?"

"Oh~~"

Clearly, Jia Yue enjoys listening to people talk. Her large, bright eyes, with their distinct black and white, are clear and sparkling, making people feel happy just by looking at them.

Jia Zhen tapped her little nose and smiled, "You have to say 'hmm,' hmm hmm, understand?"

“When she wants to say ‘hmm,’ it’s either because she needs to pee or poop.”

Madam You, holding a fan, absentmindedly followed their lead, asking, "Sir, are you sure you want her to 'humph' now?"

"Haha, she wants to say 'um' now, so I'll leave it to you."

"Ahh~~"

Jia Yue waved her hands and kicked her legs wildly, as if to say, "Don't stop, keep going!"

Jia Zhen understood, and sure enough, he picked her up and shook her around the flower hall again. "Hmph, you sure know how to order people around. Just wait, once you can crawl, I'll definitely send you to school."

He must not let this little girl miss out on the hardships he endured as a child.

"You'd better watch out if you don't read it well!"

Jia Zhen grinned at his little sister, only to receive a toothless smile in return. "Don't think that just because you smiled at me, I won't hurt you. Father isn't home, so I'll do it for him."

"Ha, then you'd better watch out, sir, your mother might chase you down with a feather duster."

It would be hilarious if he caught up with all the beatings his mother had spared when he was a child because she couldn't bear to.

"Hey, hey, where are you from?"

Jia Zhen was very unhappy with You Shi's gloating, saying, "Why do you want to see me suffer?"

His mother was really strict with him.

On several occasions, Jia Zhen felt that his mother was planning how to beat him.

The time she most wanted to hit him was at school, but she was unwell at the time and fainted from anger first.

But things are different now. My mother's health is improving, and if she really angers me, she'll definitely give him the beating I've been meaning to give him.

"Did I?"

Madam You denied it, and teased Jia Yue, who was blowing bubbles at her, "Look how well-behaved our little sister is. Your brother is a big bad guy, he always wants to hit you. Why don't you tell your mother? Your sister-in-law will help you, okay?"

oops~
Jia Zhen was startled and hurriedly said, "I was wrong, please forgive me, Madam. Yue'er, quickly help your brother beg your sister-in-law for forgiveness."

As he spoke, he hugged his younger sister and leaned closer, saying, "Come on, let's put this on, and then we'll consider this matter over."

"Humph~"

Lady You picked up Jia Yue, glanced at her with a smile, and said, "Give me one of the two jade pendants that the Emperor Emeritus bestowed upon you."

"Give!"

What if they don't give it to me?

Of the jewelry bestowed by the Emperor Emeritus, one gold and one jade were given to his mother, and a set of imperial gold jewelry was given to Lady You. He only had a pair of jade pendants left.

Jia Zhen thought this could be his, but he never expected it!

"The jade pendants are a pair; I was originally planning to give you one tonight."

"Really?"

"Heaven and earth, conscience!"

"Ahhhh~~~"

Jia Yue joined her brother and sister-in-law's conversation, and Jia Zhen and You Shi couldn't help but laugh.

Just then, a maid came in to report, "Master, Madam, the old lady of the West Mansion, the second master, the second madam, Master Zhu, and the two maternal uncles of the Wang family have arrived."

Ok?
Jia Zhen frowned. "Take Yue'er back first. I'll talk to you again tonight."

"...Then I'll have someone send over a few more ice basins."

Madam You knew that there were some things she couldn't know openly, so she left those words behind and quickly carried Jia Yue away along the corridor.

As Grandmother Jia alighted from her sedan chair, Jia Zhen came over to help her. "Grandmother, it's hot. If you need anything, just let me know."

“…Zhen’er, you are the head of the Jia family. Don’t say things like that again.”

What are your instructions?
Her silly son actually took it seriously.

If her foolish son hadn't been taken advantage of, and Jia Zhen had been treated this way, Grandmother Jia would have been very happy. But clearly, both of her sons were somewhat foolish.

She'er is fine; he doesn't go out or socialize, so nothing will happen to him. But Zheng'er...

The old woman's teeth itched. "Where's your mother?"

"Mother has gone out and will be back soon. Second Uncle, Second Aunt, and your two maternal uncles, please come and sit in the flower hall!"

Out of respect for the old lady, Jia Zhen finally greeted the group.

Although they looked disheveled, it was far from enough to appease him.

However, upon entering the cool flower hall from the sweltering outside, Wang Zisheng couldn't help but exclaim happily, "Ah, so comfortable!"

The crowd paused in their tracks.

Jia Zheng glanced at his second brother-in-law and lowered his head.

Wang Ziteng gritted his teeth in anger. They were here to apologize, not to enjoy themselves. "What are you all standing there for?" he shouted at Wang Jin. "Tie him up."

Although Madam Shen hasn't arrived yet, Jia Zhen is here!

“Nephew, your Uncle Wang Er was reckless in dealing with the Lu family.”

Wang Ziteng felt that Shen was hiding and not showing up just to leave them hanging.

Before his second brother was injured, he thought it was normal, but now he only felt anxious. "I rushed over as soon as I heard the news. Please, for the sake of our two families' friendship, don't bother with this scoundrel."

"The friendship between the two families?"

Jia Zhen laughed, "I can't make that decision."

Outsiders say his mother is a shrew, but his father is happy to accept it. Outsiders also say he's as timid as a mouse; if his mother tells him to go east, he won't dare go west.

He wanted to say, "That's right."

What is courage?
Is that something you should use at home with your own mother?
"Let's wait and see what my mother says when she gets back."

He chuckled and said, "If you two can't wait, you can come another day."

As for whether his mother would let them in when they came back another day, that was not something he needed to worry about.

"..."

"..."

The flower hall fell silent again. The Wang brothers hadn't expected Jia Zhen to say such a thing, and they couldn't help but look at Grandmother Jia.

It seems to be asking whether someone like Jia Zhen is fit to be the head of the Jia family and the person in charge of the Ningguo Mansion.
However, the old lady seemed to have heard something nice, and even looked at Jia Zhen with a loving expression.

ho~
Wang Ziteng found out that this was aimed at his second brother.

They're just going to leave them hanging, they're going to give them a hard time.

But what can you do when you're under someone else's roof?
Wang Ziteng could only laugh awkwardly, "Not at all, I'm currently unemployed at home. I have nothing else but plenty of time."

Jia Zhen was not someone to be trifled with, and the old lady was even more so. His brother-in-law and his wife were best left unmentioned. He could only turn to Jia Zhu, "Zhu'er, when you returned from the Imperial Academy, did you hear that Ningxia might be engulfed in war again?"

"...I heard the teacher say something."

Jia Zhu was still slowly binding thorny branches around his father's neck.

After all, his second uncle was already tied up, so it would be a bit embarrassing if his father wasn't tied up as well. "The Tatars have gone too far in bullying us. It's time for our Great Zhao to retaliate."

Fortunately, the retired emperor was not confused this time, and the emperor also remained calm.

"Yes, that's right."

Wang Ziteng smiled and looked at Jia Zhen again, "Nephew, I remember that General Jiang Yu of Ningxia was once under your grandfather's command?"

"..." Jia Zhen glanced at him. "Yes, our family still has a lot of connections with Ningxia. The Lan family of the Second Guard in Ningxia is the husband's family of my eldest aunt in the West Mansion."

"Ah~"

The old lady next to him sighed, "That's right, that child was also destined for misfortune."

Because Jia Lan was the first girl of the Jia family's "Wen" generation, she was initially quite cared for.

After her marriage, she gave birth to two sons and a daughter. She even said at home that the child was quite fortunate.

Unexpectedly, she died not long after the Duke passed away.

"War has broken out in Ningxia."

Jia Zhen suspected that his mother wanted to bring his cousin Lanzhi back, and asked, "Grandma, do you think we should send a message over there?"

This?
Grandmother Jia frowned slightly. "Let's have someone inquire about his temperament first!"

If the Min family isn't good, then the Lan family is probably the same.

Otherwise, how could Jia Lan have died so young?

"What if the child takes the father's side..."

Before Grandmother Jia could say anything more, a maidservant called out from outside, "Madam has returned to the mansion."

Jia Zhen was overjoyed and quickly stood up, saying, "Grandma, please sit for a moment."

As he hurried out to greet her, the carriage had already arrived at the entrance of the flower hall. "Mother, are you hot? From now on, let your son handle these kinds of matters."

"It's not hot."

As Jia Zhen helped her down, Shen Ning immediately spotted Wang Ziteng and Wang Zisheng. "Auntie, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Please wait a little longer, I'll be right back after I wash up."

Then she said to Jia Zhen, "Lian'er has probably returned to the manor. Find someone to call him over."

what?
"Yes!"

For some reason, Jia Zhen's heart trembled slightly.

His mother's expressionless face makes her seem even angrier than she was at the Pear Fragrance Courtyard.
hiss~
He hurriedly waved to the servant, signaling to quickly fetch someone, before chasing after them to the side hall. "Mother, is it Cousin Lan's place..."

"Go and gather some more medicine and brown sugar," Shen Ning instructed while washing her face. "Also, bring one of the century-old ginseng roots that the Lu family offered as an apology." Then, she remembered something else. "Oh, right, Qingzhu, go and get another thousand taels of silver notes, and some of those snacks too."

"Yes!"

Qingzhu has gone, but Jia Zhen can't go. "Mother, is there something wrong with my cousin?"

"Children's words are innocent, but the wind blows them away."

Shen Ning rolled her eyes at her son, "Why so many questions? Hurry up and get everything ready."

“…Eh eh~”

He's so old, yet his mother still says he's just a child who talks nonsense.

Jia Zhen realized he had said the wrong thing and hurriedly ran off to prepare things.

With Qingping's help, Shen Ning finished washing and getting ready before heading to the flower hall.

At this time, Jia Zheng and Lady Wang were having a particularly difficult time.

Time and again, they were powerless to resist this sister-in-law.

Simply...

Jia Zheng shifted uncomfortably, and several thorns from the brambles pierced through his thin clothes and pricked his body.

Seeing his expression, Wang Zisheng couldn't help but move as well, and the result was naturally the same.

His expression involuntarily twisted slightly.

"What's wrong, Master Wang? What's this? Are you upset that I'm late?"

When Shen Ning sat down in the main seat, she said decisively, "That's perfect. I don't want to see you two here. Someone, show them out!"

Before he could finish speaking, several footsteps sounded outside. Wang Ziteng knew something was wrong and quickly said, "Sister-in-law, sister-in-law, look, I really hit him."

He stopped his second brother from shouting with a fierce look, his tone surprisingly sincere, "He's just a scoundrel. If there's anything wrong, just tell me, and I'll punish him until you're satisfied."

"..."

Shen Ning didn't speak immediately, staring at him expressionlessly until even Grandmother Jia beside her held her breath. Then she said, "Punishment? Master Wang must be joking. Before long, you'll still be the military governor of the capital garrison, and your nephew-in-law will be the chief physician of the armory. Your Wang family will rise again soon. What is our Jia family? We can come and go as we please, bully us as we please."

what?
Wang Ziteng knew things were more serious than he had imagined. He swallowed hard and said with a forced smile, "Sister-in-law, you're joking. Lian'er is a member of the Jia family. Besides, my leg... it won't get better anytime soon."

If this woman disagrees, Jia Lian probably won't say a word for him.

"You beast."

Even his beloved younger brother was nothing compared to his official position. Wang Ziteng roared at his second brother, "Why do you keep doing such brainless things? Hurry up and kowtow to Sister-in-law Shen to apologize."

He gestured for Wang Jin to quickly press down his second brother and kowtow, saying, "Sister-in-law, we've been close relatives for a long time. Feng'er still calls you Aunt. For your sake, please speak up if you want to punish me or anything else. Just don't say anything out of line."

"...I'm so sorry! Please forgive me, sister-in-law."

Although Wang Zisheng usually acts very recklessly, he still knows his older brother's subtle expressions that forbid disobedience.

If you confront them directly at this point, you'll really get beaten up.

However, after kowtowing once, he eagerly waited to be called to a rousing ceremony, but Shen only watched him coldly.

This?
Wang Zisheng was stunned.

Although he wasn't an official, and although this Lady Shen was a first-rank imperial consort, they were relatives!
This apology...

"Master Wang, it seems your brother doesn't know who he should really apologize to!"

What?
Wang Zisheng was going crazy. He knelt on the ground, his neck stiff, and said, "Please give me some guidance, sister-in-law."

"You've recognized your son's concubine's family as your in-laws, but what about your sister and niece?"

Shen Ning's voice was cold, "Where do you place our old lady, and where do you place your brother-in-law? Tell me yourself, was that piece of chicken-blood stone a gift or an insult?"

As she spoke, she slammed the teacup on the table down, splashing porcelain and tea everywhere.

"Master Wang, do you think my advice is correct?"

Wang Ziteng: "..."

He glanced at the old lady Jia, whose anger had flared up again, then at his brother-in-law Jia Zheng, who looked grief-stricken, and his nephew Jia Zhu, who looked surprised. He could only nod. “Yes! Second brother…” He tried hard not to grind his teeth. “Quickly, apologize to the old lady again, and apologize to my brother-in-law and sister.”

He remembered the name Shen.

"...Grandma, I'm a scoundrel. I did something wrong. Please forgive me."

Wang Zisheng was furious, but what could he do?

"Brother-in-law..."

As he turned toward Jia Zheng, he kowtowed twice, saying, "Please forgive me, brother-in-law and sister."

Because of the repeated movements, many thorns from the brambles pricked his delicate back. Wang Zisheng was both angry and in pain, and almost cried. "Is it okay now?"

"Second brother, get up quickly!"

Finally, Madam Wang couldn't hold back any longer. She stepped forward to help him up and escorted him back to his seat. Then, she bowed deeply and said, "Grandma, sister-in-law, I was wrong too! I was only thinking about how happy my nephew, who was to inherit the lineage of three families, had gotten a good concubine. I was wrong. I am willing to go to the ancestral hall with my husband. I will also be a vegetarian for three more years and pray to the Bodhisattva to bless our whole family with peace, safety, and prosperity."

Jia Mu: "..."

She dared not act on her own and looked at Shen Ning.

"Second sister-in-law, are you referring to Guanyin Bodhisattva, who saves people from suffering?"

"……Yes!"

Wang was somewhat alarmed; her sister-in-law's tone was not quite right!

She pleaded with her son with her eyes.

Jia Zhu swallowed hard.

He used to be unafraid of his aunt. Even after being punished and confined to the ancestral hall for so many days, he still felt that his aunt was someone he could trust and rely on.

But at this moment, my aunt's eyes seemed to hold a murderous glint.

It felt like if he dared to step forward, that merciless, murderous blade would be aimed at him.

hiss~
Jia Zhu secretly took another breath, but didn't dare to move.

"So you're saying you think the Jia family is suffering and in trouble?"

Shen Ning looked at Wang Shi, wishing she could slap her a few times. "Wang Shi, how can you sleep at midnight?" (End of this chapter)