The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 154 The First Fierce Woman of the Great Zhao
The Princess Dowager of Nan'an was waiting for something to happen to the Jia family, but unfortunately, nothing happened the first time she waited, and nothing happened the second time either.

Just when she thought she had made a mistake, at the palace banquet, she suddenly saw Consort Zhen speaking so warmly to Old Madam Shi and Madam Shen, and she immediately understood.

It must have been this woman who made the move.

Otherwise, given Prince Jin's dog-like temper...

Princess Nan'an sighed softly to herself.

She never looked down on anyone.

Especially those who fought their way up from the palace.

But can Consort Zhen really swallow this insult?

Even if she can tolerate it, can her son tolerate it?

While smiling and chatting with others, the Princess Consort of Nan'an was secretly calculating what the Princess Consort Zhen would do.

When they helped the Cheng family, the Prince of Nan'an's Mansion followed the path of Consort Zhen.

It turned out to be the right decision. Even though the Emperor Emeritus regretted his actions regarding Princess Baofeng, he never held a grudge against anyone.

The shrewdness of Consort Zhen is evident from this.

So, what will she do this time?

The Princess Dowager of Nan'an was very much looking forward to it.

As a powerful non-royal princely family, the Nan'an Prince's Mansion could only survive if the court remained unstable, otherwise the emperor could free up his hands to suppress it from all sides.

When that time comes, either relinquish military power, or your descendants will have to behave themselves from then on.

Either...

The latter is something I dare not think about for the time being.

Although the Great Zhao Dynasty faced various internal and external troubles, they were all within a controllable range.

To act now would make one a traitor and a rebel, and would not end well.

But the former...

The idea of ​​surrendering military power to ensure peace was merely the thought of these ministers. Who could know what the retired emperor and the emperor were really thinking?
Throughout history, many powerful families have faced retribution later in life.

While talking to someone, the Princess Consort of Nan'an took a sip of tea and only stopped looking in that direction after seeing the Princess Consort of Jin pass by.

The palace banquet is about to begin.

If Consort Zhen doesn't act this time, then her enthusiasm towards the Jia family is most likely to dispel public suspicion about the Prince of Jin's mansion after the Jia family's misfortune.

If we take action...

Having been a favored concubine in the harem for so many years, and having a favored son, how could she not have a few assassins by her side?
So how do we move it?
Or has it already been started?
The Princess Consort of Nan'an was speculating, and so was Shen Ning.

"I have long heard of Madam Shen's name."

Princess Jin was displeased to see Shen Ning, saying, "She not only disciplines her husband well, but also her son."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it wasn't quiet either.

Several of the ladies nearby couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this.

Even now, their husbands still laugh about how Jia Jing's Taoist robe was stripped off by Madam Shen.

Behind her back, everyone said that Lady Shen could be called the most shrewish woman in the Great Zhao Dynasty.

"Your Highness is too kind."

Shen Ning was still confused.

"where?"

Princess Jin resented the Jia family for two reasons: first, for confining her husband to his quarters; and second, for ruining both her and the prince's wealth.

It's hard to say whether the Li family colluded with the Japanese pirates, but the Lu family... they were really unlucky to run into them.

"Madam Shen may not know what everyone is saying about you behind your back, right?"

"Drink tea!"

Consort Zhen glanced at her daughter-in-law and smiled at Shen Ning, saying, "Don't pay attention to the gossip outside."

At their level, gossip is nothing.

She believed that the Shen family wouldn't care about those things.

However, her daughter-in-law, Princess Jin, was too concerned with appearances.

Compared to the Empress, she was far inferior.

Consort Zhen was also furious. She could already wipe her son's bottom, but now she had to do it for this stupid woman.

"Mother, how can this be mere gossip?"

Princess Jin was unaware of Consort Zhen's plan.

All she knew was that Prince Jin was unhappy because of the Jia family's affairs, and he couldn't stand anyone at home. This morning, they had a disagreement and he even smashed a Song Dynasty Ru kiln cup that she loved dearly.

That tea set was part of her dowry, and she had always used it with great care, but unexpectedly it broke.

"Who in the entire Great Zhao doesn't know that Lady Shen is the number one shrew in the Great Zhao?"

"..."

"..."

The entire room fell silent.

Jia Min, who was talking to her friend, suddenly turned around upon hearing this.

Grandmother Jia forced a smile, about to speak, when Shen Ning laughed instead. "The number one shrew of the Great Zhao?" she asked, as if seeking confirmation. "Me?" Truly, you don't know until you hear it…

"Madam Shen doesn't know?"

"The Yun Clan~"

Consort Zhen wanted to stop her daughter-in-law, but Shen Ning had already stood up. "Consort Zhen, please let the Princess finish speaking. Otherwise, she will definitely be unhappy today!"

Compared to the smiling tiger Consort Zhen, she preferred to deal with this Princess Consort of Jin.

"They say I'm the most shrewish woman in the Great Zhao Dynasty? Come on, tell me, who said that?"

"Does anyone need to say it? Everyone in the entire Great Zhao knows that Jia Jing was stripped of his Taoist robe by you, and now he's so poor he's picking manure at the Tai Xuan Temple?"

Princess Yun of Jin sneered, "And Jia Zhen, I heard that someone offered him money for free, but because of your strict upbringing, he didn't dare to accept it."

"Oh, so it's still about the Lu family?"

When Shen Ning suddenly realized what was happening, she was filled with rage. She grabbed the tea that Grandmother Jia hadn't had time to drink and splashed it all over Princess Jin's face.

"Ah~~~~"

Princess Jin was going crazy. A tea leaf was stuck to her eyelid, and her clothes, which she had just changed, were already soaked again. "Shen, how dare you!"

"No one is as bold as the princess."

Shen Ning wasn't afraid to raise her voice, "Who is the assassin Xie Zhenghu? If you don't know, go to the government office to investigate, or ask Prince Jin. Ask him if he supports the former dynasty's forces, supports the Qing dynasty in the north, and is seeking revenge and abusing the descendants of meritorious officials?"

Boom~
Like a thunderclap, it instantly roused the Princess of Jin from her rage, making her act recklessly.

This startled all the women in the hall, who dared not utter a sound.

"Clang~"

Consort Zhen reacted even faster, smashing the cup beside her to the ground. "Yun, what kind of place is this? How dare you be so insolent?"

While she was talking about her daughter-in-law, she was also referring to Shen Ning. "Madam Shen..." The smile on her face finally disappeared. "Please don't be angry, and don't make any connections. When Lu Kun, the God of Wealth from the West, came to the capital, he asked someone to act as a go-between to prevent others from causing him trouble. Yun Shi was fooled by him and invested a lot of money as a shareholder in the bank. Who knew that in the end she would lose everything? That's why she took her anger out on you."

“…Princess Consort of Jin!” Shen Ning greeted her as if it were a normal greeting. “Is that so?”

Princess Jin: "..."

She was breathing heavily.

If the Emperor Emeritus hadn't been so muddle-headed, she would almost have been the Empress presiding over the palace banquet. How dare this Lady Shen bully her like this?

Since marrying Prince Jin, Princess Jin has only suffered mistreatment from her mother-in-law in the palace and Prince Jin in the Prince's residence. In other places, she is the one who inflicts mistreatment on others.

now……

"That's not how it works. Does Madam Shen intend to lump my prince together with the remnants of the previous dynasty and the Qing dynasty in the north?"

She tried to intimidate Shen Ning with her eyes, but she failed.

Princess Jin gritted her teeth; she was fully awake.

Lady Shen was no ordinary noblewoman.

When the Crown Prince was still alive, Jia Jing had more influence with the Emperor than her husband.

She was being reckless.

They thought that Jia Jing and his wife dared not stay in the capital and hid in a Taoist temple, thus breaking their backbone.

did not expect……

Princess Jin felt a pang of regret. "You've wronged my lord..."

She gritted her teeth again, "Mother!" She immediately knelt down before Consort Zhen, "Please, Mother, do justice for my prince."

Consort Zhen: "..." If she hadn't spent decades in the palace, she would have long since cultivated the ability to remain calm even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of her. She wouldn't have just smashed the cup, but hit this stupid woman.

It's infuriating! She was trying to save face for her and her son, but this foolish woman still tried to help Shen frame her son.

She slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, making sure no outsiders could tell, "Madam Shen, you are a sensible person."

At this moment, Consort Zhen understood that she had to make Lady Shen admit her mistake first and stand on her daughter-in-law's side. "She should know that some things should be said and some things shouldn't be said. How could Prince Jin possibly have any connection with the remnants of the previous dynasty or the Qing Dynasty in the north?"

"You've gone too far by subduing the Princess Consort of Jin and making such reckless statements."

"Pass?"

Shen Ning sneered, "Xie Zhenghu assassinated my son on the day I gave birth. His target wasn't just him; it was clearly the lives of my entire family. In the Princess's eyes, are the lives of my family something that can be bought with money? My son, Jia Zhen, took money and gave it to the Emperor, asking him to help him arrest the person. Was that wrong?"
This has become evidence that I'm a shrew. The Emperor Emeritus and the Emperor must surely hope that there are more shrews like me in this world.

She looked down at Consort Zhen and the kneeling Princess Jin, saying, "They say marrying an unvirtuous wife will bring misfortune to three generations..."

It's probably impossible to persuade the Prince of Jin to back down, but what about the Princess of Jin?

Shen Ning knew that neither the Emperor Emeritus nor Consort Zhen wanted their son, Prince Jin, to be associated with the remnants of the previous dynasty or the Qing Dynasty in the north. So she decided to stick to Princess Jin's reputation: "Consort Zhen, you weren't so good at judging back then!"

Consort Zhen: "..."

Princess Jin: "..."

Both of them were so angry that their expressions changed.

Consort Zhen was familiar with palace intrigue; everyone there was all talk and no action, and who would dare to be so rude and call her a "stupid woman"?
People generally don't fight with fools.

Because fools never live long enough to be able to fight her.

Princess Jin was doing quite well before!

now……

"you you……"

Princess Jin turned around, pointing a trembling finger at her, as if she wanted to vomit blood.

Given her status, even if her mother-in-law upsets her normally, her words are always veiled and barbed, never like this...

Princess Jin's vision blurred, and she was about to faint when Shen Ning spoke again, "Do you want to faint? Then go ahead and faint! Everyone here has experience."

"..."

"..."

There was silence.

Believe it or not, everyone actually has experience with fainting.

Even if they haven't fainted themselves, they've seen their mothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, concubines, and even daughters-in-law faint.

"Ha~"

Princess Cheng, who had just had a fight with Princess Jin, couldn't hold back and burst into laughter.

However, Consort Zhen's glare swept over her too quickly, and she quickly held back.

Princess Jin, however, dared not faint again.

I can't get dizzy anymore.

Although my vision was blurring in waves, I really couldn't afford to faint.

Her body trembled, "Shen family, you..."

“Yun family, shut up!”

Consort Zhen could hardly bear to look at her. "Someone, help the Princess down to change her clothes."

The palace servants rushed forward quickly.

They were so scared they almost shrank back.

Now, they quickly, half-helping and half-dragging, the Princess Consort of Jin downstairs.

"Madam Shen, I will definitely give you an explanation for what happened today!"

Consort Zhen was furious.

Her original plan was to use laughter to build rapport.

Then, during the palace banquet, two dishes were sent to Madam Shen.

Both dishes are poisonous.

The person who poisoned her wasn't someone she arranged, but someone she specifically chose.

Having spent so many years in the palace, she not only had many of her own people, but also many enemies.

She went to great lengths to give her enemy a chance to face death and to guide him to poison her food.

but now……

If that foolish woman Yun does this, and she does it again, the Emperor Emeritus will definitely become suspicious.

Consort Zhen had no choice but to abandon the plan. "I'm sorry, elder sister."

She sincerely apologized to Grandmother Jia.

After all, Shen Ning is her niece-in-law, and the Ning and Rong families have always been one.

"Ah~"

Grandmother Jia sighed, stood up, bowed, and said, "Niece-in-law, let's sit over there!"

She originally wanted to comfort the Empress Dowager, saying that sons are usually beyond their mothers' control, let alone daughters-in-law.

But... I dare not!

When my niece-in-law gets angry, she really is...

Grandmother Jia felt that if it weren't for the inappropriate occasion, and if the Dowager Consort and the Princess Consort weren't of such high status, Shen Shi would have slapped her.

The title of the most shrewish woman in the Great Zhao Dynasty... from this day forward, she's probably set on being her niece-in-law.

Grandmother Jia felt a pang of sympathy.

“There’s no need for an explanation,” Shen Ning said, looking directly into Consort Zhen’s eyes. “I will personally apologize to Her Majesty the Empress.”

The Princess Consort was a first-rank noblewoman, as was she, so she had not committed any serious offense of disrespect.

But since the princess had her tea spilled on her, out of respect for the royal family, she had to apologize.

The retired emperor might blame her afterward, but he couldn't very well throw her in jail.

At most, it will be downgraded.

As for offending the Prince of Jin's residence...

We had already offended them.

Judging from the Princess Consort's attitude now, it goes without saying that Prince Jin will not spare the Ningguo Mansion if given the chance.

Since they won't forgive us no matter what, then... it might be safer for them to openly offend them.

Shen Ning bowed and greeted the Empress. Just as Grandmother Jia turned around, the Empress hurriedly arrived.

Princess Chungshun was feeling unwell, so she had someone summon the imperial physician.

Because of the good relationship between the two sides, the Empress personally accompanied them.

Unexpectedly, after only a short time away, a commotion broke out here.

"Your Majesty's arrival is just in time," Shen Ning bowed respectfully. "In a moment of impulsiveness, I splashed tea all over Princess Jin's face. Please forgive me, Your Majesty..."

"This has nothing to do with Madam Shen!"

Consort Zhen spoke up, "It was Lady Yun who was rude first."

Queen: "..."

She quickly helped Shen Ning up, saying, "Sister, please get up!"

Although she didn't know the specific reason, since Consort Zhen had said so, she certainly couldn't let Shen Ning feel wronged.

The Empress affectionately called her "elder sister," saying, "Your Highness is a bit spoiled, please bear with her!"

Ahhh, I really want to know how it happened.

Why wasn't she here just now?

However, if she were there, Sister Shen probably wouldn't be so inclined to throw tea at people.

The Empress was both excited and curious inside, but she remained calm on the surface. "Tell me what's wrong, and I'll come and talk to her."

The retired emperor will not help Princess Jin.

On his birthday, Princess Jin, as his daughter-in-law, not only failed to help make things convenient, but also got into an argument with someone. This alone made her unreasonable to the Emperor Emeritus.

"That's not necessary."

Shen Ning seemed a little embarrassed as she said, "Ever since I died once, I've decided that I will never wrong myself again. I won't provoke anyone, and nobody can provoke me."

The most shrewish woman in the Great Zhao Dynasty!

hiss~
Shen Ning's feelings were complicated. "As for the Princess Consort of Jin... the Dowager Consort said she would give me an explanation."