The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 155 Rescue
Consort Zhen knew that the Empress and Lady Shen had a secret affair, but she never expected that they would be so intimate.

At this moment, she regretted her plan even more.

This was a two-birds-with-one-stone plan she had been thinking about for a long time.

Let Lady Shen die in her place, and then pin the blame for someone trying to poison her on the Empress.

Even if it is eventually found that the palace maid was loyal to her former master, the empress was in charge of the palace banquet, and she also bears inescapable responsibility.

Whether the Empress intended to use that palace maid to harm her, the Dowager Consort, is hard to say.

Similarly, if the Empress could target her stepmother, what about the Emperor Emeritus?

As the saying goes, husband and wife are one.

Whether the emperor and empress had any ulterior motives is not important; what is important is that a seed of doubt was planted in the heart of the retired emperor.

But now...

Consort Zhen sighed softly to herself.

Although the Jia family may have declined, their connections in the military are very real.

With the Jia family involved, the emperor's influence in the army will be even greater!

That stupid woman, Yun...

Consort Zhen was truly furious.

Marrying an unvirtuous wife is indeed a disaster for three generations!
Consort Zhen let out another soft breath.

She turned her head away, refusing to look at the Empress and the Jia family.

She had just turned her head when she saw the Princess Consort of Nan'an.

This woman, in a way, is her cousin.

hateful!

There are no fathers and sons under imperial power, nor are there sisters under imperial power.

She once wanted to use the Princess Dowager of Nan'an to seize control of the Nan'an Prince's Mansion and increase her own and her son's power.

But these so-called sisters were just using her to protect her Nan'an Prince's Mansion.

Originally, it was thought that everyone would use each other and be each other's support, but who could have imagined that it was precisely because the son had too many people under his control that the retired emperor became suspicious and passed the throne to the emperor who did not get involved in the court, had no one under his control, and honestly acted as his son.

It's all about timing, luck, and fate!

This missed opportunity means worlds apart.

now……

When the Dowager Consort Zhen looked over, she returned a particularly warm smile.

Until the very end, who can say for sure that they will lose?

The palace banquet finally began, and hot dishes, cold dishes, fruit platters, and other dishes were brought out by the palace servants.

Shen Ning sat at a table with Grandmother Jia, and together with everyone else, led by the Empress, they first offered their best wishes to the Emperor Emeritus for a long life before beginning their meal, which was not exactly peaceful.

Consort Zhen did not touch the two dishes that she had always loved.

Without the Shen family, although it could be given to someone else, the effect would certainly be greatly reduced.

Consort Zhen knew very well that in the Emperor Emeritus's heart, the Jia family belonged to him.

That's why Jia Zhen's assassination deeply affected him, leading him to reminisce with the emperor about the past and bestow upon Shen the title of a first-rank imperial consort.

Only after Lady Shen died did the Emperor Emeritus become furious and even more suspicious.

If it were someone else...

It might even have the opposite effect.

Moreover, Consort Zhen was unwilling to simply abandon this plan.

If it doesn't work this time, maybe it will work next time.

We cannot use this against the Shen family; perhaps we can use it in the future among the emperor's concubines.

The emperor and empress having such a good relationship is not a good omen.

During the palace banquet, everyone was all smiles and toasting each other. The highlight of the trip was when the retired emperor, accompanied by the emperor, came to receive blessings.

Anyone could see that the old man, with his back straight, was in good spirits and looked like he still had a long life ahead of him.

Some of the more astute among them suddenly understood why the retired emperor held such a grand birthday banquet when the border war was at its most intense.

The old man was still worried about his son, the emperor!

He was demonstrating to the world that he, the retired emperor, was still in excellent health and that he was still the true master of the Great Zhao.

"cough~"

Just as the Emperor Emeritus finished his cordial greetings to the ladies and was about to leave, a rather unusual cough was heard in the hall.

Immediately following, the coughing continued, and Princess Zhongshun panicked. "Yan'er, the imperial physician! Quickly, quickly summon the imperial physician!"

Shen Ning turned her head and saw that the eldest daughter of Prince Zhongshun was flushed and had coughed so hard that the whites of her eyes rolled back. If it weren't for the Princess Zhongshun holding her tightly, she would probably have collapsed to the ground.

"Quick, he's choking."

The old princess, disregarding everything else, hurriedly massaged the child's back, hoping to dislodge the food that had choked the child. But no matter how she massaged, the child's condition worsened.

The retired emperor and the emperor couldn't leave for the time being.

Fortunately, to prevent any accidents from happening at the palace banquet, there were more than ten people from the Imperial Hospital on duty there. Soon everyone dispersed, but no matter what they did, the little princess was getting worse and worse.

"Ah, my Yan'er, please save my Yan'er! Waaah~~~"

Princess Zhongshun was in a panic. "Yan'er, don't leave your mother, Yan'er," she suddenly thought of something, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, save my Yan'er! Save my Yan'er!"

The first King Chungsun was the nephew of the retired emperor.

He was the posthumous child of his second elder brother.

If his second elder brother were alive, he might not have been able to inherit the throne.

The retired emperor showed great favor to his nephew and also gave him the name 'Zhongshun' (忠顺).

However, the nephew died of illness shortly after having a grand-nephew.

He started doting on his grand-nephew again, but for some reason, the grand-nephew, who had been married for twenty years, only had one daughter, Yan'er.

If something goes wrong...

The Emperor Emeritus was also very anxious, "Imperial Physician Wu, Imperial Physician Tang, please treat him quickly!"

"No matter the method, as long as Yan'er is saved, I will reward her handsomely!"

The Emperor quickly added a sentence as well.

Although King Chungshun was arrogant, he was one of the few members of the royal family who were willing to side with him.

Otherwise, with everyone eyeing Jiangnan, he wouldn't have sent Prince Zhongshun there.

Send Prince Zhongshun. His father is not good at speaking, and even if his brothers wanted to speak, they would not dare to face their nephew directly.

When he gets into trouble, he can really cause a scene at your house, eating your food, drinking your drinks, and then smashing your things.

You can't argue with him, because if you do, he'll start crying for his grandfather and father.

If he cries, his father will definitely side with him.

If something were to happen to his only daughter at the palace banquet...

The emperor was extremely anxious.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, your subjects..."

The imperial physicians were helpless.

The young princess's face gradually turned purple, and she was about to die. Shen Ning couldn't help but step forward and said, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I have a method that may be worth trying."

"Try it! Try it quickly! I will forgive you for your crime!"

"Your Highness, quickly give me the princess."

Princess Chungshun, holding her daughter, was already limp and collapsed to the ground. Upon hearing this, her face turned pale, and her hands trembled as she handed her daughter over to her.

Shen Ning had no time to waste and immediately performed the Heimlich maneuver.

The little princess's body was now as limp as a noodle. Shen Ning clenched one fist and clasped the other, forcefully thrusting upwards into her abdomen, again and again, until finally a fleshy ball was ejected. The little girl's face, which had been purplish-blue from being suffocated, finally recovered.

"Wow~~~~"

She burst into tears immediately.

Princess Chungsun crawled over, hugged her daughter, and burst into tears, "You scared your mother to death! You scared your mother to death! Waaaaah~"

She almost lost her precious daughter just now.

Seeing her granddaughter saved, the old princess, who had been holding on, collapsed to the ground.

"Imperial Physician, quickly examine Wang Sao."

The Empress finally breathed a sigh of relief and helped Shen Ning, whose hair was now somewhat disheveled. "Sister Shen, thank you so much this time." In just a short while, she herself had been so frightened that her legs went weak.

"It should."

We can't just stand by and watch our child lose their life.

Although Shen Ning had never performed the Heimlich maneuver on anyone, she had seen it quite a few times due to the numerous modern advertisements.

"Very well, very well! Guards, bestow upon the Shen family of Ningguo Mansion a pair of gold and jade gourds, a pair of gold and jade peaches, a jade pendant, and one hundred taels of gold!"

The retired emperor was relieved.

If his second brother's lineage were to end at his birthday banquet, he would have no face to face his father and second brother in the future.

Shen Ning hurriedly knelt down to thank the Emperor for his grace.

Not far away, Consort Zhen was anxious for the Emperor Emeritus. When the Emperor Emeritus was anxious, she was anxious too. When the Emperor Emeritus calmed down, she calmed down as well.

The Emperor Emeritus was delighted to reward Shen, and her gaze towards Shen Ning was filled with tenderness, affection, and admiration.

In fact, at this moment, Consort Zhen was extremely angry.

Shen has once again rendered meritorious service.

And this happened in front of the retired emperor and so many people.

From now on, the Prince Zhongshun's Mansion will be the Jia family's backer.

Her son...

Consort Zhen maintained her expression and slowly exhaled.

After a long while, Shen Ning, carrying a large pile of rewards, returned home with Grandmother Jia and the others. The old lady still seemed to be dreaming, feeling that it was unreal.

"You took a bit of a risk today."

It would be great if they could be saved, but what if they couldn't?
King Chungshun was not the kind of person who would reason with others.

In his grief, he might take his anger out on everyone who treated his daughter.

"Yes, I won't do it again."

Shen Ning was also very scared!
In Dream of the Red Chamber, a mere steward of the Prince Zhongshun's mansion caused chaos and turmoil in the Jia family simply by saying a few words to them.

Jia Mu: "..."

You agreed so readily? Are you just trying to brush me off?
"You!"

The old lady sighed, "That method..." She thought for a moment, "...it's alright to just teach it to the people in the Imperial Hospital."

The medical skills of both Imperial Physicians Wu and Tang are widely recognized.

They were all doctors who treated patients for the imperial harem and various princely residences.

Now, however, I owe a favor to the Shen family!

Considering all this, the act of saving lives, though risky, was still worthwhile.

"With the credit for saving the young princess, things will be much easier with Consort Zhen and the Prince of Jin's residence."

The old lady patted her chest. "However, I'm getting old, so please take it easy when you do things in the future!"

Otherwise, she felt she would end up like the old princess of the Prince Zhongshun's mansion, limp and unable to get up.

"Auntie, didn't the Princess Consort of Jin cause me trouble first?"

Shen Ning is completely innocent.

But I don't regret it!

"If I hadn't made a scene..., I don't know what kind of trouble Consort Zhen would have set for us."

If she doesn't make a scene, she'll just admit she's the number one shrew in the Great Zhao Dynasty.

This is tantamount to being humiliated by the Princess Consort of Jin in public.

Given the choice between being slapped in the face yourself and someone else being slapped in the face, isn't it the most normal thing for Shen Ning to choose to slap someone else in the face?

"I don't know why, but I feel uneasy whenever I see her smile at me."

"Ah~"

Grandma Jia felt the same way, "Fortunately, Consort Zhen is in the palace, so we only see her a few times a year."

Now that the Duke is gone, and the Jia family is someone we can't afford to offend, we should stay away from them.

"But what about Prince Jin's side..."

The old lady frowned deeply. "He was also spoiled growing up, and now he probably hates us even more."

Although they hated their niece-in-law even more, the Ning and Rong mansions were one family.

"We need to be more careful when Zhen'er and the others go out in the future."

The Prince of Jin has risen to his current position not because of any particularly clever methods.

It's just that the retired emperor dotes on him, and even the emperor can't do anything about it.

The old lady could only remind you, "And you yourself, it's fine at home, but when you're out, you must bring more guards."

"Okay! I'll listen to my aunt."

Shen Ning was very obedient this time.

Her feelings towards the old lady were complicated.

In Dream of the Red Chamber, the Jia family's downfall was largely due to the inaction of the matriarch.

However, we cannot conclude that she is entirely bad because of this.

People are multifaceted.

In the end, even Grandmother Jia couldn't control the Jia family anymore.

"..."

The old lady then believed her a little and patted her hand, saying, "You must have been quite frightened today, right? Go home and have some calming soup."

So honest, he must be scared.

Otherwise, it would definitely still be baring its teeth and claws.

"Okay!"

Shen Ning did not object.

When saving lives, time is of the essence, and all I think about is saving lives; I don't really feel anything else.

But looking back now...

Shen Ning shifted her gaze, "Auntie, what kind of explanation do you think Consort Zhen wants to give me?"

Princess Jin did not come out again during the entire palace banquet.

"...Hard to guess!"

Grandmother Jia sighed again, "However, whatever they give us, we'll accept it!" She was afraid that Shen Ning would cause trouble again, "Forcing Prince Jin to divorce Princess Jin would not benefit our family at all."

Shen Ning: "..."

What did Princess Consort Xiujin give her?

What kind of explanation is this?
Besides, it's not so easy to divorce a royal daughter-in-law, is it?
She observed mourning for the late empress.

According to the Great Zhao Code, those who have observed mourning for their parents-in-law are exempt from the list of those who should not be exempted from the list.

"No way?" she exclaimed incredulously. "Consort Zhen doesn't seem like such a stupid person!"

Jia Mu: "..."

She wanted to say that Consort Zhen was not stupid, but when you say in public, "Marrying an unvirtuous wife will bring disaster to three generations," aren't you referring to the Princess Consort of Jin?
Now that they've returned to the Prince of Jin's residence, it's no wonder the Prince of Jin is so quick to forgive the Princess Consort.

“With Consort Zhen in the palace, even if she wanted to manage the affairs of Prince Jin’s residence, she was sometimes powerless to do so.”

That's what she said, but at that moment, in Ningfu Palace, Consort Zhen was still giving her son a serious talk.

"...The Yun family needs to be taught a lesson, but it must not be too much."

Consort Zhen was in a terrible predicament, but she had no choice but to appease her extremely irritable son. "She is your first wife. You cannot completely dismiss her just because of a few words from Madam Shen."

Prince Jin: “…”

He didn't completely reject her, but now the whole capital probably knows that he married a fool.

Those guys must be laughing their heads off behind my back.

"Mother should have stopped her then."

If it could have been stopped earlier, why would he have lost so much face?
"My son has no idea what you're worried about?"

He always fails him when he needs him most.

It was the same then, and it is the same now.

At this moment, Prince Jin not only hated Princess Jin, but also his beloved mother. "If you find something is wrong, what's wrong with teaching her a lesson?"