The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 156 Buddhist Hall
The carriages rolled in all directions.

The title of the most shrewish woman in the Great Zhao Dynasty truly lived up to at this moment.

Although the Princess Consort of Jin did go too far, Madam Shen of Ningguo Mansion was even worse.

In terms of skill, they certainly are.

It was truly remarkable that he stood up despite the imperial physicians' refusal and the potential anger of Prince Zhongshun and the royal family.

The ladies of each household have their own scales of justice.

Regardless of other aspects of Shen's character, he is certainly a good person at heart.

Associating with someone like that means you don't have to worry about her stabbing you in the back.

That's quite rare.

Unfortunately, the current head of the Ningguo Mansion holds a sinecure; otherwise, it would have been possible for the master to get to know him and build a relationship with him.

After all, being able to stand up for her niece's fiancé from another branch of the family is enough for everyone to be friends with her.

Anyway, regarding Princess Baofeng's matter, the men might think that Princess Baofeng went too far, killing the head of the family, but the women were all very aggrieved.

Since Princess Baofeng's death, people have been very cautious about finding a husband for their daughters, fearing that they might end up with a wicked mother-in-law, or even worse, a cousin who would try to climb into the son-in-law's bed.

"Your Majesty, there is something else I have inquired about today."

The Empress's eyes shone brightly. "I heard that the Jia family has an additional clan rule: a man can only take a concubine if he has no son by the age of thirty."

Ok?
The emperor blinked, not quite understanding.

Although the couple has a princess, she is only just learning to walk.

The men of the Jia family...

The emperor thought about it and realized that there were indeed no women of marriageable age.

"What? Is the Empress considering arranging a good marriage for her niece?"

"I don't have any nieces on my mother's side."

It's not worth mentioning to the Emperor about her family's affairs.

The Empress rolled her eyes at the Emperor.

They are husband and wife. On the day she married him, her mother said that after marriage, the most important thing is to live your own life well. Her family can help her if they can, but the premise of helping is that it must not affect the relationship between the young couple.

She did that.

When they were the "invisible princes," they kept their doors closed and lived their own quiet lives.

Later, when good fortune came their way, the prince became emperor and bestowed upon her father the title of Duke Cheng'en. Her mother then said that since their foundation was shallow, they had already benefited greatly from this honor and should be strictly restrained in the future.

"But you, doesn't the Crown Prince have a daughter?"

The Empress said, "If I can find out that the Jia family has added this clan rule, others will surely find out as well. If we don't hurry, it will be terrible if the eligible girls are snatched away."

Sometimes even royal princesses struggle to find a husband.

Not to mention the illegitimate daughter of the crown prince who ruined things.

"...That's right!"

The emperor seemed to remember something and stopped sitting with the empress. "I'm going to find my father right now!"

To the Emperor, the Jia family belonged to him.

He gets too close to his people; if someone talks about him behind his back, neither he nor the Jia family will benefit.

"It's too late tonight, let's do it tomorrow!"

The Empress stopped her, saying, "Father has also had a long day. It might be more effective to talk about it tomorrow."

This?
Looking at the sky outside, the emperor, showing some filial piety, sat back down and laughed, "Alright, since we can't go to Father's place, let's guess how Consort Zhen plans to explain things to Madam Shen!"

"Pfft! I think you're even more excited than Sister Shen."

"Hahaha!" the emperor laughed. "Aren't you looking forward to it? Who was it that caught me and started telling me about the Prince of Jin's wife getting tea splashed in her face?"

"I just wanted to share some good news with you."

The Empress laughed, "Oh dear, I still regret not being here."

When she was still the little princess, she was even scolded to tears by the wife of the Prince of Jin.

The Empress's heart can be very generous at times, but at other times, it can be extremely petty.

She didn't intend to interfere, "However, it's true that the entire Princess Jin's sister-in-law shrank back during the palace banquet and didn't dare to stick her head out."

She was so happy.

After becoming empress, she was of higher status than the Prince of Jin's sister-in-law, but that was only on the surface. In many ways, she was still the one who suffered losses.

Now, Madam Shen has essentially avenged her.

"Whether you stick your head out or not makes no difference."

The emperor's smile faded slightly. "Once she returns to the Prince of Jin's residence, my brother, the Prince of Jin, will certainly not let her off the hook."

While it might seem petty of him to laugh at his own brother and sister-in-law like this, being an emperor isn't the same as being a saint.

After enduring so much humiliation together for so many years, can't they at least have a good laugh in private?
At this moment, it wasn't just the two of them who were secretly laughing at the Prince of Jin's mansion.

Prince Cheng's Mansion, Prince Lu's Mansion, Prince Zheng's Mansion, and so on, the princes rarely stayed at their principal wives' residences, listening to Princess Jin's jokes.

At the same time, Prince Jin's eyes seemed to spit fire as he stared at Princess Jin, wishing he could hit her. "Where's your brain? Your mother has stopped you time and time again, why do you keep making stupid mistakes?"

Princess Jin: "..."

Her face was pale, and tears were glistening in her eyes. "Can you blame me?" she choked out. "Wasn't I just trying to avenge you? How was I supposed to know that the Shen family would be so bold as to associate you with those rebels?"

Prince Jin: “…”

Even more angry.

Because of his mother's repeated admonitions, he didn't actually lay a hand on the princess, but he did smash a gift vase from the previous dynasty.

Bang~
Broken porcelain shards were scattered all over the room.

"Foolish woman, you already said she's the most shrewish woman in the Great Zhao Dynasty, and you still want to use words to intimidate her? Isn't that just being stupid?"

She's clearly asking for a beating!

If it weren't for the fact that my status was higher than that of Madam Shen, Madam Shen would probably have slapped me across the face.

"Get out! Get back to the backyard."

Seeing that the princess was about to leave quickly, Prince Jin thought of something and said, "Stop!" He stared at her and said, "Take out three decent items from your own dowry."

"Do...what?"

"What did you say you were doing?"

The Prince of Jin, his eyes bloodshot, roared, "Of course we should go and apologize!"

This was at the request of his mother.

Shen saved the young maid of Prince Zhongshun's mansion in front of the Emperor, which was considered a great achievement.

If they don't offer a decent apology, they'll be the ones who suffer when things come to a head someday.

……

The next day, as dawn broke, Shen Ning, who had just finished breakfast, heard that the chief secretary of the Prince of Jin's residence had arrived.

Moreover, they brought gifts.

"Mother, this is the gift list that the master asked us to bring in."

Madam You showed the gift list to her mother-in-law, "Do you think we should accept them or not?"

"Of course I accepted it."

Shen Ning immediately noticed the paintings by Xu Wei and Tang Bohu. "They're being kind, so we'll accept it."

They already slapped us in the face yesterday; if they slap us again today… then they're being incredibly rude.

"Tell your uncle to be polite to that chief clerk. When he leaves, see him to the gate so that people can see him off."

"Yes!"

Lady You smiled and went to deliver the message.

Before long, all the apologies from the Prince of Jin's residence were carried to Shen Ning's courtyard by Xing'er and his men.

"Madam, look, this is an ivory self-propelled boat that was presented as tribute from India."

The ivory boat, about a meter long, is exquisitely carved.

That's not the main thing; the main thing is the ivory base, which is made entirely of gold.

Under the sunlight, the golden light reflected off the ivory boat, making it appear as if it were sailing on a golden coast, captivating all who saw it.

hiss~
It's very valuable!

The Prince of Jin's mansion has really suffered a huge loss.

At this moment, Shen Ning was unaware that the golden ivory ship was not part of the princess's dowry, but rather an apology that the Prince of Jin had to provide on her behalf.

The princess only sent two paintings, and she made it clear that the others were not presentable because the good ones had been given to the children. The Prince of Jin had no choice but to offer something better in her place.

"Okay, put it away!"

The items are nice, but they're not easy to display.

Shen Ningwei said with regret, "Let's find someone else to take a look at the painting, just in case it's a fake."

The calligraphy and paintings of famous people are the most frequently imitated.

Princess Jin is narrow-minded; if the painting is fake, she will be at a disadvantage.

"Yes!"

Xing'er hurriedly picked up the painting and left.

Shen Ning picked up her daughter and was about to begin her daily walk when a maid rushed in, "Madam, someone from the palace has come and says that the Emperor has bestowed a reward."

Their lady receives a reward every time she enters the palace; it's truly wonderful.

"Hmm~"

Shen Ning held her daughter and didn't seem to care much.

The emperor was a poor emperor, so what could he possibly bestow as a reward?
New books made by the imperial court, official kiln porcelain, or snacks?
The first two are fine, but she has already experienced the latter.

Moreover, Shen Ning now has a phobia of the palace.

That's where Consort Zhen lives. What if she guesses what the Emperor is going to reward her with today and slips something in there...?

Fortunately, the emperor was much more generous this time, bestowing upon the emperor a complete set of official kiln porcelain, along with new books and snacks.

Shen Ning felt that his life was probably better now than before.

She had just seen them off when Consort Zhen sent another reward.

Next came the gifts of thanks from the Prince Zhongshun's residence. Although the Prince Zhongshun was not at home and the three masters were not feeling well, the chief steward and two nannies from the Prince Zhongshun's residence were exceptionally kind. After presenting the gifts with profuse thanks, they said that they would definitely come to express their gratitude in person when their old princess, princess and the county princess were feeling better!

The family of three was terrified yesterday. Although a royal physician saw them at the time, they were unable to recover completely.

Shen Ning chatted with them for a while, and when she politely saw them off, it was already late.

"Mother!"

Jia Zhen returned to the mansion yesterday and also drank a bowl of calming soup.

He mainly didn't expect that his mother would actually throw tea all over his face.

"The festival is coming soon, do you think it would be good to send some gifts to the Taoist temple?"

He didn't even dare to suggest bringing his father back.

But in the past, his father would always come home for holidays and festivals.

"Hmm, then I'll send it over!"

Shen Ning didn't take it seriously. "Bring a few more people, and tell him that if he's coming back, he should come back together, or... whatever he says, he shouldn't come back alone."

"……Yes!"

Jia Zhen immediately thought of Prince Jin, "My son is going by carriage! He won't be back until nightfall. He'll stay at the Taoist temple for the night."

Shen Ning waved her hand, watching him pack cotton clothes, quilts, rice, flour, and other things, filling a car, and then leaving with about ten people. Only then did she turn back, holding her daughter.

Since we can't take a walk today, let's take our daughter to find her sisters and have lunch together!
……

At Tai Xuan Temple, Jia Jing had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of his family.

But there was no one in the first queue, and still no one in the second queue.

Tai Xuan Temple is a temple of asceticism, with few worshippers. If he wanted to hear news from the capital, he had to wait a long time.

Half the day had passed, and still no one had come to his house. He could only sigh inwardly.

How long will Shen keep fighting with him because of her daughter?
It's been so long, and they haven't asked or inquired about it at all.

Jia Jing took a nap, and in the afternoon he was about to go to the fields to help harvest some grain when he saw a familiar carriage and a familiar face.

"Father!"

Jia Zhen's heart skipped a beat.

His father always had a blank expression when he was angry with him.

he……

He didn't know what he had done again. "The day after tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival on the fifteenth of August. Why don't you come home with your son?"

"Home what home?"

Jia Jing's face hardened. "That's your home. My home is in the Taoist temple."

Although he is still an unofficial staff member, he will stay here to put some people at ease!
Although Jia Jing missed home, he also knew that he was at the Taoist temple and home was probably a better place for him.

In fact, he didn't ask for much; he just wanted to know that everyone in his family was safe and sound.

"Yes Yes!"

Jia Zhen did not dare to refute, "It is your son who misses you."

"..."

Jia Jing glanced at him but didn't speak. Instead, he walked towards the pavilion not far away. "How is Lian'er's official career going?"

"pretty good!"

Jia Zhen glanced at his father and said, "Isn't there war on the frontier? He's been quite busy lately."

"Tell me about it!"

After glancing at the scattered guards, Jia Jing casually asked his son to speak.

But to his surprise, this time, his son said a lot.

He even mentioned two cousins ​​he had almost forgotten about.

It would have been better if I hadn't listened, because once I did...

Jia Jing kicked his son in the leg, "What are you good for when we're not home?"

Although I knew Zhengdi was stupid, I never imagined he would be this stupid.

The Wang family—they've gone too far!
"This……"

Jia Zhen, who had been kicked to his knees, felt wronged and cried out, "My son is in the wrong!"

He never expected his second uncle to be so stupid.

But as the clan chief, he does have a supervisory responsibility.

only……

With his parents away, he once thought that from now on, the Ningguo Mansion would have to listen to the Rongguo Mansion.

After all, besides the old lady, there were also two uncles over there.

Listening to them is always the right thing to do.

Jia Zhen was unaware that in a world where he had no mother, the Ningguo Mansion was merely an appendage of the Rongguo Mansion.

When Rongguo Mansion built a garden, he not only allocated a large portion of his family's Huifang Garden, but also contributed over 100,000 taels of silver.

"You are indeed wrong!"

Jia Jing angrily puffed out his beard, "So you're just going to punish Jia Zheng by making him stay in the ancestral hall and that's it?"

His ancestors would probably be uneasy day and night if they saw him.

"No no no!"

Jia Zhen quickly shook his head, "Isn't it that my younger sister Yuan Chun is getting married?"

Speaking of Yuan Chun, he couldn't help but recount the tension of that day when the graves were moved.

His mother made him do it, and the Emperor Emeritus even rewarded him. His father couldn't possibly beat him for this, could he?
Sure enough, after he finished speaking, Jia Jing just frowned and didn't kick him again.

"No matter what, we must wait until my younger sister is safely married and returns home after three days before dealing with Uncle Zheng according to the clan rules."

"What are you going to do with it?"

Jia Jing stared intently at him.

"For the sake of the old lady, should I give her thirty lashes?"

"anything else?"

Jia Jing's voice was stern.

besides?

Jia Zhen thought and thought, "Please... Father, enlighten me!"

"You only punish your second uncle, Zheng Er? Does that mean Wang Shi isn't a member of the Jia family?"

This?
Jia Zhen finally understood something. "Second Aunt is a woman, so it's not easy to beat her. How about... we set up a small Buddhist shrine in Pear Fragrance Courtyard, and let her spend more time there from now on?"