The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 138 Thinking for Myself

Can you fall asleep in the middle of the night?
Looking at her sister-in-law's cold expression, Wang felt her heart pounding. "Sister-in-law, just say what you want to say. Why be so sarcastic?"

She did some things, but she also repented before the Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva didn't do anything to her, so why did the Shen family say such things about her?
"Am I carrying a gun and a stick?"

Shen Ning was amused by her words, "Jia Zheng, do you even remember how your own sister Jia Lan died?"

Jia Zheng: "..."

His legs trembled when his sister-in-law called his name.

Previously, his second brother-in-law kowtowed to each of them to apologize, and he didn't know what to do. Now, he's talking about Jia Lan, who has been dead for a long time.

hiss~
"She...she didn't die of illness, did she?"

Her father had only been dead for a short time when she died of illness!

"Ho~"

Shen Ning barely managed to stop herself from smashing the cup next to her in his face. "Then do you still remember the letter you gave her?"

letter?
Jia Zheng was somewhat bewildered. He didn't have much interaction with that younger sister, but...

He couldn't help but glance at Wang Shi, "I remember a little."

Could the letter be wrong?
Jia Zheng tried hard to recall, "When my father passed away, it was a difficult time for the family. She wrote back asking us to take care of her nephews and nieces. I thought they were on the border, so they should go to the battlefield to fight for the family and for themselves..."

He couldn't continue, because his mother's gaze had changed.

Jia Zheng felt a pang of panic. "Mother, have I done something wrong?"

Jia Mu: "..."

What kind of thing did she give birth to?
With the Duke and his elder brother-in-law gone, and Jing'er in such a state, it was precisely the time when everyone was vying for the Jia family's share in the army, yet her son wanted to send his own sister's family to the battlefield.

The old lady was shrewd and experienced. Looking at her son, then at her daughter-in-law, and at Wang Ziteng whose expression had changed slightly, what else did she not know?
Her lips trembled as she looked at Shen Ning, "What else has this wretched child done?"

"...Then you'll have to ask your eldest uncle and second sister-in-law."

Shen Ning looked at Wang Ziteng and Madam Wang, "You two must have done a lot of favors for my Jia family's son-in-law and grandson, right?"

When someone goes up, someone else inevitably comes down.

The three members of the Lan family, father and sons.

Even if the war was intense, at least one person should have been left behind, but what was the result?

"What are you saying, sister-in-law?"

Wang Ziteng glanced at Jia Zhen and Jia Lian who had entered, knowing the consequences of admitting it.

But he thought about the Lan family's situation: the father and son were all dead, and the daughter had also been burned to death in a fire. Even if outsiders had some guesses, they could only guess and could not produce any evidence.

"Did someone in Ningxia put maggots in my brother-in-law's mouth in front of my sister-in-law?"

Wang Ziteng seemed quite disappointed in him as well. “My brother-in-law’s personality…” he sighed. “He has never been in the military, and those soldiers might not listen to him.”

At first, he did want to use Jia Zheng to gather more people, but this brother-in-law was neither Jia She nor Jia Jing, so he couldn't be too obvious. So far, he has only gathered people who like to speculate and don't actually have much ability.

But in places like the border, real ability often prevails, so having those people is practically the same as not having them at all.

I only regret that I was young and didn't understand these things, wasting a lot of money and energy in vain.

"But the one who pinned all the blame for the Lan family's deaths on my brother-in-law in front of my sister-in-law..."

Wang Ziteng said meaningfully, "Sister-in-law should think about why that person didn't file a complaint earlier or later, but only now."

At this point, he glanced at Jia Lian and said, "Now that Lian'er has entered the Armory, many people want to find a way to get to know him. As for what happened back then... although so much time has passed, the two children of the Lan family are, after all, the grandchildren of the Jia family, and they will have to shirk some responsibility."

My sister-in-law is unaware of the dangers of officialdom; some things are best taken with a grain of salt.

This?
Subconsciously, Grandmother Jia also tried to find an excuse to miss her son, and couldn't help but look at Shen Ning again.

"Both nephews...both are dead?"

Only Jia Zheng, belatedly realizing the situation, seemed incredulous and said, "Isn't there a rule in the army that we must stay..."

bang~
Clang~~~~
Shen Ning could no longer hold back.

She grabbed the tea that the maid had just served and threw it at Jia Zheng.

Jia Zheng was terrified. Ignoring the pain and the broken porcelain on the ground, his legs went weak, and he knelt down on the spot, crying out, "Sister-in-law~~~"

"Stay? How can you stay? Didn't you write a letter to the garrison commander of the Second Guard?"

Shen Ning sneered, "How amazing is your Jia Zheng? Selfless and altruistic. Your sister just died, and you made your brother-in-law and two nephews take turns leading the vanguard squad. Your brother-in-law killed three Tatars that day, but he was too weak and had his head chopped off. Your two nephews were lucky and survived for three years."

At this point, she grabbed the half-finished cup of tea that Grandmother Jia had drunk from and threw it hard at Jia Zheng, saying, "Why don't you investigate what the relationship is between the guards of the Second Guard and the Wang family? What's wrong with your brain? Is it full of shit?"

"Wait, wait, what does this have to do with my Wang family?"

How could Wang Ziteng admit it, how dare he admit it?

"Sister-in-law, you need to have evidence to support your claims."

That letter had long been destroyed.

Everyone involved back then is gone.

Not long after the fire at the Lan family's residence, Hu, the garrison commander of Ningxia's Second Guard, suffered a stroke and died on his concubine's belly.

Hu Shoubei's wife, Xue, sold all her concubines and maids and returned to her hometown of Nanyang with her children.

Wang Ziteng was not afraid of being investigated. "Yes, I know Commander Hu. Even his wife, Xue, is from my second sister's in-laws. But this roundabout marriage relationship is normal in officialdom. I was in the army, and he was in the army. When he was alive, our two families exchanged a few letters. Isn't that normal?"

Did I speak with Master Wang?

"However, since my sister-in-law mentioned the Wang family, I must explain."

"Oh? You mean this matter has absolutely nothing to do with your Wang family?"

"no!"

Wang Ziteng shook his head without hesitation.

"Good good!"

Shen Ning nodded. "Jia Zhen, Jia Zhu, Jia Lian, did you three hear that?"

Jia Zhen: "..."

Jia Zhu: "..."

Jia Lian: "..."

The three brothers exchanged a glance, then bowed in unison, saying, "We heard you."

Jia Zhu vaguely knew why his aunt was so angry.

His father was muddle-headed, and his mother... intentionally or unintentionally, pulled his father into stealing connections within the Jia family army.

There's definitely no way to win over my uncle, so...

Jia Zhu couldn't help but look at his grandmother, and sure enough, her hands on the table were trembling.

he……

Jia Zhu stood there, unable to resist closing her eyes.

Of all those present, Jia Lian was the most confused.

He went home happily after court.

Before they even entered the courtyard, Feng'er kept urging him to leave quickly.

He was still confused when people from the East Mansion arrived.

Before he could even ask Feng'er what was going on, she told him to come over obediently and listen to his aunt.

He would definitely listen to his aunt, but...

Jia Lian's eyes swept over the Wang brothers and his second uncle and aunt, and his heart sank.

"I'm glad you heard it."

Shen Ning looked at Jia Zheng kneeling on the ground, "Jia Zheng, I ask you, over the years, have you written any letters to various military forces? Have you placed any people in their camps?"

Jia Zheng: "..."

He didn't know how to say it, because he had actually done it.

His brother-in-law was in the army, and he had written letters of recommendation for some people he liked but couldn't easily place in the Beijing garrison, as well as some former colleagues who had fallen out of favor.

But once the Jia family leaves the army, those connections will expire and become worthless if they're not used!

That's what he was thinking, but Jia Zheng didn't dare say it aloud.

He was afraid that if he told her, his sister-in-law would go crazy and kill him with a chair.

Jia Zheng looked to his mother for help, hoping she would speak up for him.

But Grandmother Jia simply couldn't bear to look at him; just looking at him made her feel dizzy and her chest tight. "Wang, you..." She wanted to kill her, or at least divorce her if she couldn't, but her eldest granddaughter Yuan Chun was about to get married, and her eldest grandson was going to take the civil service exam next year.

"You...you..." The old woman's hands trembled, "Get into the ancestral hall right now!"

"Mother~~~"

Jia Zheng cried, and his mother looked unwell. "Don't frighten our son, you..."

"You get out too!"

The old woman gritted her teeth, "You get out too!"

At this moment, she only regretted that she was too healthy and could not faint. "Niece-in-law, there is no need to ask. This wicked child must have done it. Zhen'er, you are the clan leader. From now on, he is not your uncle. He is... he is... the unfilial son of the Jia family."

It's hateful that she's a mother.

It's hateful that there are so many people here, yet she still wants to spare this wretched child's life and leave him a little dignity.

Suddenly, Grandmother Jia burst into tears, "How could you face your father? How could you face your sister? You've made this old woman ashamed to face them even in death!"

"Mother~, Mother~~~"

Jia Zheng burst into tears, but still wanted to come over and comfort her chest.

Unexpectedly, as he crawled over on his knees, Grandmother Jia kicked him away, saying, "Get out! Get into the ancestral hall and tell your father that you forced his son-in-law to his death and his two grandsons to their deaths."

The old lady could hardly remember what her son-in-law looked like, and she had never even seen her two grandsons, but that didn't stop her from feeling heartbroken.

When she was young, she was most afraid that the Duke would go out to fight.

People will really die, many, many people will die.

So, while he was away fighting, she spoiled the children even more. Who would have thought…

"Come here, see the guests off!"

At this moment, Grandmother Jia truly hated the Wang family. "I won't trouble you two uncles to watch the joke about my Jia family's internal affairs."

The Wang family is despicable, but what can they do when their own son is so useless?

"What? My words don't carry any weight?"

The old lady glared at them, and Jia Zhen, Jia Zhu, and Jia Lian quickly gestured to the Wang Ziteng brothers to invite them in.

"Master Wang, Master Wang, please!"

As Jia Zhen spoke, he gave a look to the guards at the door. Seeing that they were about to force him, Wang Ziteng quickly cupped his hands and said, "I'm sorry, there are some things I can explain." But even his own nephew was giving him the look of "get lost," so he could only say, "Never mind, the old lady and my sister-in-law are in a bad mood today. I'll come another day!"

With a wave of his hand, Wang Jin and Wang Zisheng rushed forward and pushed his wheelchair away.

Upon reaching the entrance of the flower hall, four guards from the Wang family, who had just been kept in watch, quickly stepped forward and carried the child away the moment the guards from the Jia family made way.

In the flower hall, the old lady was limp, tears streaming down her face. "Niece-in-law, punish this wretched child however you wish!"

If we don't control this now, what will become of us in the future?

"And the Wang family..."

Why didn't they die?
The old lady looked at her daughter-in-law, who was kneeling on the ground with her head bowed and eyes downcast. "Are you so jealous of the Jia family's success? You want to take everything from your Wang family? How can you face Zhu'er? How can you face Baoyu?"

Lan'er calls you sister-in-law too, how could you be so heartless? You killed her child, aren't you afraid...aren't you afraid she'll come looking for you?"

She almost said, "Aren't you afraid of retribution?"

But when she thought about how Wang's children were all her grandchildren, she suppressed the thought of retribution.

"..."

Wang knelt there, head bowed, face pale, without uttering a sound.

She hadn't expected things to get this serious.

It was just a few letters.

Everything was discussed between her brother and Jia Zheng, and she just chimed in from the sidelines.

The only letter with a name written on it was the one addressed to Jia Lan.

The Wang family believed that a woman's virtue lay in her lack of talent. She could read, but she wasn't very good at writing; only her own name was written beautifully.

But even though she considered her calligraphy to be the best, it was still considered ugly in the eyes of her husband, Jia Zheng.

So later, she didn't even have the chance to write her name anymore.

Now her mother-in-law is blaming everything on her...

Wang was unable to refute this.

The one who encouraged it was her brother, and the one who was encouraged was her husband. She just felt that their relationship was going well, and that it didn't cause any loss to their family...

If the Jia family can give a position to a guard, why can't they help someone her brother knows?
It's not like it's going to be placed in a particularly important position.
Jia Lan...

Wang felt a tightness in her chest, and her vision gradually went black. She suddenly collapsed to the ground.

"Mother~"

Before she was completely plunged into darkness, she heard her son's voice.

"Please, Manager Chen!"

Jia Zhen hurriedly instructed Xing'er, "He probably has a bit of heatstroke. Zhu'er, give him some water."

He didn't want to bother with the woman's mother right now, because she looked really unwell. "Mother, please sit down and rest. I'll take care of the rest."

"..."

Shen Ning glanced at him but ignored him. "Jia Lian, what are your thoughts on today's incident?"

Jia Lian: "..."

He paused as he was gently comforting the old lady and wiping away her tears, then quickly said, "I will personally investigate my aunt's matter. There should still be a cousin in the Lan family. I will find someone to bring her to the capital."

"Yep."

Grandmother Jia said repeatedly, "If she gets married, bring her whole family to the capital to take care of her. If she doesn't get married, find her a husband in the capital. I, this old woman, will provide the dowry."

"Waaah~" Jia Zheng cried, "My son is coming out."

"The Lan family... was burned to the ground."

what?
Both Grandmother Jia and Jia Zheng were stunned.

"It was Lan Zhi who set the fire when she was fleeing Ningxia Erwei."

Shen Ning said, "Aunt, the reason I went out was to see Lan Zhi. She is currently with General Xia and is the deputy captain in charge of the women's army there."

"..."

"..."

Grandmother Jia and Jia Zheng were all stunned.

“I tried to persuade her to come back, but she refused and insisted on fighting the Tatars.”

Shen Ning sighed, "Lian'er, our family... owes her."

"I understand, nephew. I will do my best to help Ningxia."

Jia Lian nodded solemnly and said, "Especially the women's army."

The women's army of Ningxia has always been famous in Dazhao.

Built for the founding princess, he learned about Ningxia Guard when he learned about that area. "I will ask General Xia to take care of it for me."

As a physician in the Armory, he could seek some benefits for his relatives.

“Let me ask you one more question,” Shen Ning looked at him, “Are you willing to hand over all of the Rongguo Mansion’s connections in the military to your wife’s family?”

Jia Lian: "..."

He gently shook his head. "Our things are ours."

What if Feng'er begs you?

"She won't!"

Seeing that the old lady was also looking over with sharp eyes, Jia Lian hurriedly said, "Her parents passed away a long time ago, and she spent more time in our family when she was a child." Second Aunt had always intended to match the two of them up. "She should have heard about what happened today. I had just returned home and hadn't even said a word when the maid called me over. At that time, Feng'er specifically told me, 'Listen to everything your aunt says.'"

The expression on Grandmother Jia's face softened slightly.

At least this granddaughter-in-law hasn't gone astray.

otherwise……

She can't just divorce her daughter-in-law so easily. This granddaughter-in-law who hasn't even given birth to a child should just go back to the Wang family!

“When I returned from Jiangnan, Feng’er told me about her uncle’s case of the startled horse.”

Jia Lian dared not relax, because his aunt was still staring at him with piercing eyes.

If this goes wrong, he and Feng'er might never see each other again.

Jia Lian keenly sensed this from his grandmother and aunt's attitude toward the Wang family. "She said, 'Luckily I wasn't home. Brother Zhu was busy running around and exhausted, but in the end, her uncle and aunt were not satisfied.'"

He also said..."

He glanced at the old lady.

Grandmother Jia, now losing patience, asked directly, "What else is there to say?"

“Feng’er also said,” Jia Lian hesitated for a moment, “that while my uncles are relatives, they are not as close as I am.”

Jia Mu: "..."

Shen Ning: "..."

Although they felt relieved about Wang Xifeng, the child still made them want to touch him.

Jia Lian continued, "She can't bear to see me suffer, so why would she conspire with outsiders to cheat me?"

slap~
Jia Zhen couldn't stand it anymore and came over to give him a slap, saying, "Look how pleased you are with yourself, acting as if Zhu'er and I don't have wives."

Their wives are also very nice.

It's because Uncle Zheng's wife was a bad match.

"You've already seen what's going on with the Wang family," Jia Zhen said bluntly. "I'm just asking you, do you want to help Master Wang return to the Beijing Garrison?"

"..."

Jia Lian knew he couldn't escape this problem. "The situation in the Beijing garrison is complicated. There are countless eyes watching. I've only just joined the Armory Department. I'd have to be crazy to get involved."

"..."

Shen Ning was not satisfied with this answer. "You are his nephew-in-law in the Armory. Many times, without you saying anything, just because of this relationship, in the eyes of many people, you are naturally expected to stand on his side."

If this happens, how do you plan to handle it?

How to deal with it?

Jia Lian frowned.

This is indeed a problem.

However, it's not easy for him to solve.

He can't just go around telling everyone that he dislikes the Wang family, can he?
That would also hurt Feng'er's feelings.

"Please teach me, madam and aunt."

Jia Lian bowed deeply, "Please teach me as well, elder brother."

Jia Zhen was incapable of teaching him; his first priority was to see his mother.

Even Grandmother Jia was one of them.

"...Think for yourself!"

Shen Ning didn't indulge her, her expression serious. "What's the point of having a head? If you can't figure it out, go to the ancestral hall and think about it in front of your ancestors. Once you've figured it out, come back to me and answer. If you can't answer it, then keep thinking."

She paused for a moment, then said, "Lian'er, now that you've entered the court, you have to make your own decisions on many things. So, you need to figure out where you're 'standing'."

If you're a fence-sitter, you won't win the Emperor's favor, so you should come back!
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