The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 161 Unexpected Disaster
Amidst the bustling crowd, Qin Ye, with his two children, was heading towards the shop where the twelve zodiac animal lanterns were hung.

As you walk further in, the lanterns become more and more beautiful.

"Sister, sister, I want that big tiger too."

Qin Zhong, who was being carried on the shoulders of his servant, was already holding a pumpkin lantern in his hand, but he also took a liking to the big tiger that the shopkeeper had just hung up, which looked particularly cute and had a smiling face.

Qin Keqing hurriedly stepped forward.

The twelve-year-old girl, dressed in a pink dress, looked on with surprise and curiosity when she saw the tiger. The soft light reflected on her fair face, making her look even more lively and playful.

"Hey? Grandma, look! This tiger is so much fun!"

Jia Rong, who had just come downstairs, also took a liking to it at first sight. "I'll take it home for my aunt; she'll definitely love it."

Shen Ning: "..."

She likes it too.

That grandson was spoiled for nothing.

He always refers to his aunt as his "little aunt," so what's wrong with his own grandmother?
and also……

People say that when you look at a beautiful woman under the lamp, the more you look, the more enchanting she becomes; three parts are mesmerized by her graceful figure, and seven parts are disturbed by her distraction!

Qin Keqing under the sea of ​​lights is no less beautiful than that laughing tiger!

How come he can't see anything at all?
Or is it that they just haven't figured it out yet?
Shen Ning felt it was the latter.

He's only twelve years old.

He was busy reading and practicing martial arts every day, and also had to learn some things from Jiao Da that weren't in the books.

With the little time they had left, they were even busier trying to win Jia Yue over from her and Jia Zhen...

Shen Ning suddenly realized that she was raising her grandson quite well.

He's worlds apart from Jia Rong in *Dream of the Red Chamber*.

When Jia Baoyu was around ten years old, he had an affair with Xiren. Rongge'er was twelve years old. Before she came, his mother's old nanny, Tang, kept a close watch on him. Tang's two sons were also very dutiful servants.

Thinking about it this way, Shen Ning couldn't help but suspect that the Tang brothers in the Dream of the Red Chamber might not be around anymore, and even Granny Tang might not be by his side anymore, which is why Jia Rong turned out the way he did.

"Please calm down, everyone."

The shopkeeper smiled and cupped his hands in greeting to the surging crowd. "This tiger is only given away, not sold. Either you spend ten taels of silver in the shop, or you can answer three riddles accurately in a row."

Ah?

Those who were planning to take a peek were all excited.

Everyone's eyes were drawn to the lanterns with riddles hanging on them.

"That's right, these are the riddles."

The shopkeeper said, "Originally, those who answered the riddle correctly could take the corresponding lantern, but if you want the tiger... you have to give up the lantern on it and answer three questions correctly in a row. If you get any one wrong, you can't regret it."

A good business should have both rewards and penalties.

Only then can you make big money.

"I come!"

Immediately, a scholar raised his hand, "I want the tiger."

"please!"

The shopkeeper smiled as he answered.

"This is a line of poetry: 'Peeking out to welcome spring'."

The scholar pointed to the large red lantern, "Stick your head out! Spring is the season when all flowers bloom. I've got it! 'A branch of red apricot blossoms over the wall.'"

"it is good!"

Anyone who understands, please cheer loudly.

"Exactly!"

The shopkeeper congratulated him with a smile.

"The second one..., 'I will not live as a commoner in this life' is a line of poetry."

The scholar sought out lines of poetry, such as, “I will never be an ordinary person in this life; this is Li Bai’s ‘How can we be mere commoners?’”

"Okay~~~~"

The crowd cheered loudly.

"Haha, young master, you are truly talented!"

Winning a lantern from such a talented person is a very elegant thing to talk about.

"The third……"

The scholar was still searching when finally his eyes lit up. "'All green,' that's it."

He couldn't think of anything else, such as benzoin, calmly observing the seasons, or the host refusing to receive guests.

The scholar pointed to the lanterns that were "entirely green" and said, "The phrase 'entirely green' means the whole thing, and 'green' means the surface of the object is green. This is the 'ten thousand green silk ribbons hanging down.' It is from He Zhizhang's poem 'Ode to the Willow.'"

"Hahaha, that's right, that's right!"

The shopkeeper loudly congratulated him, "Young master, you are truly talented! Congratulations on acquiring a tiger lantern!"

The waiter quickly brought him the tiger lantern.

Of course, the three riddles he answered were quickly overshadowed by the other questions.

"Haha~, thank you so much!"

The scholar was overjoyed to have the tiger lantern in his hands and quickly handed it to the little brother beside him, saying, "Wishing you a prosperous business, shopkeeper."

You can't just take advantage of one company.

He pulled his younger brother and headed off to another place.

"Shopkeeper, I'd like a tiger lantern too."

Qin Zhong watched with envy as the other person carried away a tiger lantern, saying, "My sister asked me to guess."

"Haha, please!"

The shopkeeper smiled and glanced at Qin Keqing and Qin Ye.

"The first 'host refuses to receive guests'."

In the crowd, Shen Ning couldn't help but smile as she listened to Qin Keqing's melodious voice.

This voice sounds quite gentle; Jia Rong from Dream of the Red Chamber isn't a good match for it, but her adopted son Rong-ge'er should be.

"It should be the poem 'Ascending Youzhou' by the great Tang Dynasty poet Chen Zi'ang: 'No one came after me.'"

"Hahaha, that's right, that's right!"

He made a profit if he sold just one of the six tigers.

The shopkeeper nodded with a smile.

"The second 'benzoin'."

Qin Keqing searched for a possible answer, "It should be the poem 'Spring Dawn' by the Tang Dynasty poet Meng Haoran, which is exactly what 'I sleep soundly in spring and am unaware of the dawn' means."

"Miss is truly talented!"

"..."

Qin Keqing didn't speak, but gave a light curtsy to the shopkeeper and said, "The third 'disappeared without a trace' refers to something that has vanished without a trace, and should be from the poem 'River Snow' by the Tang Dynasty poet Liu Zongyuan—'Birds have vanished from a thousand mountains'!"

"it is good!"

"Okay~~~~"

Qin Ye began by saying "Okay," and the crowd quickly responded.

This girl is much younger than the scholar from before.

It's truly remarkable that someone can utter three riddles in a row.

"It is truly a case of 'all birds have vanished from the mountains!'"

The shopkeeper also shouted, "Someone, bring the tiger!"

"Wow, I have a tiger!"

Qin Zhong kicked his legs wildly with joy.

He was so happy.

"Wait a minute, don't burn it. Daddy will take this for you."

"Daddy, please get me the pumpkin."

Qin Zhong doesn't want the pumpkin anymore; he wants the big tiger.

Qin Ye smiled and agreed to everything.

"Shopkeeper, I want a tiger too."

Seeing that his grandmother's eyes were glued shut with tiger lanterns, Jia Rong quickly stepped forward, "I'll answer three questions." "Hahaha, please!"

The shopkeeper smiled and asked him to answer the question.

Just then, a cry of alarm rang out from afar, "My baby! Has anyone seen my baby?"

Just as the old woman's panicked cries reached us, a lantern burst into flames with a 'whoosh'.

But the old woman and the people around her were all anxiously searching for someone, pulling on one child after another who was holding a lantern, making the lanterns unstable. When the second lantern caught fire, Shen Ning's heart skipped a beat, and she pulled her grandson, who was still answering questions, "Go back."

Before the words were even finished, a commotion arose from the other end of the street.

Seeing that the crowds on both sides were moving in this direction, the accompanying guards did not dare to delay and were about to escort the group back to the restaurant when the sound of fierce fighting came from the teahouse next door.

"Someone, help!"

In a disheveled state, with the help of a guard, Prince Jin jumped from the second floor of the teahouse, at which point several men in black also attacked.

The crowd panicked and scattered.

Shen Ning also wanted to get away from the guards as quickly as possible, but unexpectedly, Prince Jin rushed towards them. "Madam Shen, help me! It's Prince Jin!"

Shen Ning: "..."

no solution anymore.

We have no choice but to save them!
"Quick! Quick...Quick, save them!"

Shen Ning seemed frightened and said "hurry" several times before the guards rushed to rescue the person.

They brought out a total of eight guards; two were upstairs to survey the surroundings, while the other six were scattered around them.

When the lady said to save people, of course there was no time to delay. Even the guards upstairs jumped down and joined the battle.

But then several more men in black jumped down from the teahouse. Although their target was Prince Jin, it seemed that anyone who got in their way or was in the way would be stabbed if it was convenient.

The crowds on both sides were too dense, so those in the middle couldn't get out for the time being.

The path to the restaurant was blocked again by the guards and men in black who were fighting. Just as Jia Rong was about to protect Shen Ning and Madam You and retreat towards the shop adorned with lanterns, a rocket shot through the air with a whooshing sound.
The rocket struck the largest lantern in the store, and with a bang, it burst into flames.

The crowd was even more terrified and fled in both directions, crying and screaming.

Shen Ning was bumped into several times and unknowingly separated from Madam You and Jia Rong.

The two guards standing in front of them tried to bring the Prince of Jin back, but he was in danger again.

In a situation where one person is safe and the other is in danger, they instinctively try to save the person in danger.

After all, if something happens to the Prince of Jin, they will not benefit, and neither will the Jia family.

Everyone could only risk their lives to save them.

Amidst the clash of swords, everyone was fighting desperately.

Unable to protect their master, the guards could only do their best to block the men in black from attacking either side, since their master was on both sides.

Shen Ning didn't dare to back away too much from the crowd, firstly because she couldn't get back in, and secondly because she was afraid of a stampede.

Qin Ye and his two children were also there. The tiger lantern that Qin Zhong was carrying had long been extinguished and was left not far in front of him.

Seeing that the black-clad man's broadsword was about to strike Huo Qi, who was blocking the way, Shen Ning kicked the lantern and went towards the black-clad man.

bang~
The lantern didn't exert much force, but it was enough to buy Huo Qi half a breath of time.

The fight in the teahouse was clearly coming to an end, and the men in black had won, as another one of them jumped down.

The guards protecting the Prince of Jin had no choice but to rush out and fight.

If even one of the Jia family's guards is killed or injured, their side will be in danger.

Even though the whistles of the Five Cities Garrison could be heard from the distant streets, getting reinforcements here was not an easy task.

Shen Ning was extremely distressed.

Huo Qi's shoulder was injured, and blood splattered with every movement.

Moreover, his protective manner towards her was quite obvious; the man in black was already glancing in her direction.

If Huo Qi falls, someone might just stab her right away.

Seeing the two dead bystanders in the field, Shen Ning could only retreat as close to the wall as possible.

but……

What did she touch?
A bundle of bamboo poles?
Needless to say, this is for hanging lanterns.

Shen Ning's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly tore open the ropes binding her. "The Prince of Jin is here. He will reward you with ten taels of silver for each man in black you beat."

She grabbed a bamboo pole that caught her eye and, without a word, struck the man in black. *Thud!*
The bamboo poles are very long and very resilient.

Shen Ning's daily exercise did have some effect, as the pole hit him right on the head.

Huo Qi seized the opportunity and chopped off half of his arm with a single stroke.

"Ahhh~~~~"

The man in black screamed, but he quickly regained his composure. Just as Shen Ning was about to cast her second pole, he kicked Huo Qi back and swung his knife, cutting off a section of the bamboo pole.

"Quick! Injure one and get a hundred taels of silver, kill one and get a five hundred taels of silver."

As Shen Ning spoke, she pushed over the scattered bamboo poles, leaving them lying across the street.

"Yes, yes, yes, the Prince of Jin will reward you!"

Jia Rong was frantic and shouted, "A reward of one hundred taels of silver will be given for injuring a man in black, and a reward of five hundred taels of silver will be given for killing him."

"Beat him up."

Finally, one of the burly men couldn't hold back any longer and made a move.

Doing one thing can save you years of hard work.

As the burly man swept the bamboo pole at the man in black, Jia Rong shouted, "Reward him with ten taels! Reward him with twenty... If the Prince of Jin doesn't reward him, my Jia family will!"

His grandmother is over there.

Moreover, his grandmother had already called out like that, so why didn't the Prince of Jin say anything?

Just because he is a prince, does that mean they have to risk their lives to help him for free?
Jia Rong was furious.

"I have a reward for you, strike!"

The King of Jin, his face deathly pale, finally managed to utter the cry.

"Hurry up……"

The bamboo poles scattered on the ground were quickly picked up by everyone. The man in black was too easy to identify. Although some of the bamboo poles hit the guards, most of them hit the man in black.

Shh~~~~~~
Sharp whistles rang out from both ends of the long street, as officers from the Five Cities Garrison and the Shuntian Prefecture, maintaining order, were making their way to this side.

Meanwhile, firefighting teams are also on their way.

Seeing that things were hopeless, one of the men in black suddenly shouted, "The wind is blowing hard, let's get out of here!"

As he spoke, he spun around and jumped to the second floor of the teahouse. He was also clearly angry that Shen Ning had disrupted their rhythm. There happened to be half a knife lying on the ground, and without hesitation, he targeted Shen Ning and kicked it out.

Call ~
Seeing that something was wrong, Qin Keqing, who was squeezed on this side, quickly pulled the brave lady aside.

Bang~
The broken knife slammed against the wall, startling Shen Ning into a cold sweat.

She hurriedly retreated, but the man in black who had been wounded by Huo Qi, seeing that he couldn't escape, simply went all out and hurled his long knife directly at her.

With the two sides too close together and the people too crowded, Shen Ning could only hope that the bamboo pole in her hand could knock it down.

But when the 'smack' came down hard, it unfortunately missed and only hit the hilt of the knife.

Seeing the knife about to plunge from her chest into her abdomen or leg, Shen Ning broke out in a cold sweat.

No sooner said than done, the young girl Qin Keqing, who had somehow picked up a broken bamboo pole, struck down with it.

slap~
Bang~
The flying longsword was knocked down and landed on Shen Ning's instep.

Although the knife tip drew a little blood from my leg, things were different now.

Much of its strength was released.

Shen Ning's heart skipped a beat.

It hurts!

But it doesn't seem to hurt that much.

He survived no matter what.

She and Qin Keqing hurriedly retreated.

Both of them were afraid that the men in black would come again.

"Where to escape?"

As Shen Ning and Qin Keqing retreated to the wall, men from the Five Cities Garrison finally rushed over from the rooftop.

The sounds of fighting echoed from rooftops everywhere, gradually fading into the distance.

When Qin Ye reached his daughter's side, his face was pale. "Where have you been? You scared your father to death!"