The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 162 is already suspicious
When Qin Ye found his daughter, his heart, which had been pounding in his chest, hadn't even had time to return to its normal state when Jia Rong's shout startled him.

"Grandma~~~~"

The boy was so frightened that his voice cracked. His grandmother's legs were covered in blood, and there was blood on the ground as well. "Grandma, don't move!"

He ripped open his clothes with a "whoosh," saying, "I'll tie you up, then we'll go find a doctor." He spoke comforting words, but in reality, Jia Rong's hands were trembling.

"It's okay, it's just a minor injury."

The bleeding was a bit fast, but it was still much better than Shen Ning had originally expected. "Thank you so much today, young lady, you saved me twice."

Jia Rong glanced at Qin Keqing and then noticed that she was the one who had won the tiger lantern.

Shen Ning felt faint at the sight of blood because her body went weak after seeing it. "Brother Rong, please thank me properly."

"Don't dare!"

Qin Ye certainly knew the Jia family, and he knew even more that this was the most shrewish woman in the Great Zhao Dynasty. She had just splashed tea all over the face of the Princess of Jin during the Emperor Emeritus's birthday celebration, and today she had saved the Prince of Jin.

Having witnessed the bloodshed within the royal family, he feared there was more to today's events than met the eye, and only wanted to grab his daughter and leave immediately. "Farewell, farewell!"

His daughter's identity is unusual; he's become terrifying now.

"Sir, please wait a moment!"

Delayed by the Prince of Jin, Lady You, who had finally arrived, was not about to let him leave so easily. "You also beat the man in black, so naturally you should be rewarded."

On the street, everyone clung tightly to their bamboo poles, afraid someone would snatch them away. "Your daughter, save my mother-in-law..."

"No, no, no, if this lady hadn't made the first move, the man in black would have won, and we would definitely have suffered as well."

Qin Keqing dared not accept this life-saving grace.

Anyone can see how ruthless the man in black is.

When they jumped down, they killed two people on the spot and injured seven or eight others.

Her father was old and her younger brother was still young, which made Qin Keqing very worried.

Their family couldn't even squeeze into the crowd. If the man in black won... perhaps the man in black wouldn't even need to kill them; the whole family, old and weak, would be pushed out.

We collected the bamboo poles just in case.

But unexpectedly, he ended up saving someone's life.

"It was the lady who saved herself."

The little girl's eyes were clear and earnest, which made Shen Ning feel even more fond of her. "Without your help, even if I could have saved myself, I would definitely be seriously injured by now." She said to Qin Ye, "Sir, would you mind telling me your address so I can thank you properly after I recover?"

Qin Ye: "..."

Is there no way for his family to escape this situation?
At this point, Qin Ye suspected that deliberately concealing the truth might actually lead the Jia family to investigate him.

He quickly bowed, "No, no, I am Qin Ye, and I live in Pear Blossom Lane, Yashi Street. This is my daughter, Keqing. Keqing, please greet Madam Shen of Ningguo Mansion."

Madam Shen of Ningguo Mansion?

A hint of surprise flashed in Qin Keqing's eyes. "Keqing greets Madam Shen."

She had recently heard many legends about the Jia family.

"Thank you so much for saving my grandmother, young lady. Please accept Jia Rong's bow!"

Once he was sure that his grandmother's legs were bound and that she was no longer bleeding as before, Rong-ge'er quickly bowed deeply.

Qin Keqing quickly stepped aside, and before she could say anything, Prince Jin arrived. "So Madam Shen is injured?" The blood on the ground and on Jia Rong's hands made him very regretful, but he remained expressionless. "Quickly, quickly call a doctor!"

After calling out to people, his voice was still very loud, "Madam Shen, I am truly grateful for what happened today."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the Prince of Jin bowed as if he were very grateful.

At this moment, the soldiers guarding him also dared not let their guard down and squeezed over at the same time.

Qin Ye didn't dare to delay and quickly pulled his daughter back a little.

"Your Majesty, you're welcome."

Shen Ning's voice was indifferent, "Today, it's not just my Jia family that's helping the Prince."

"Yes Yes Yes!"

The Prince of Jin stood up and glanced at the half-bamboo pole in Qin Keqing's hand. His lips twitched slightly, but he still quickly bowed to all those who were holding the bamboo pole tightly. "Thank you all for your help," he said, bowing deeply. "I am deeply grateful. Please wait a moment, I have already informed my family, and silver will be delivered soon."

Ahhhh?
Is there really money?

"Your Highness is too kind!"

"Haha, Your Highness is too kind."

"Your Highness, the one who was beaten to death by the sticks was someone we brothers attacked together."

"Yes, yes, yes!" The atmosphere immediately became lively.

Seeing the crowd crowding towards Prince Jin, the Jia family guards, all of whom were injured, hurriedly protected their master and retreated to the side.

"Xing'er, go and look after the Qin family."

"Yes!"

Xing'er was terrified.

He also had a wound on his arm, from being hit by the hilt of a knife thrown by a man in black while protecting Rong-ge'er. "You guys take good care of Madam, Grandma, and the boy. I'll treat you guys to drinks later."

Now he can treat the Qin family like royalty.

But then my wife had an accident...

The old man will probably have to fight him to the death.

When he rushed to find Qin Ye, the Five Cities Garrison and Shuntian Prefecture, having received the news, had already mobilized the entire city, determined to find those men in black.

If the dignified Prince of Jin were to be assassinated today, they would lose all their dignity.

Meanwhile, upon receiving the news, the emperor smashed a teacup in anger, shouting, "Investigate! Investigate thoroughly!"

Who is the prime suspect in the assassination attempt on the Prince of Jin?
He was the one most suspected by the world and the retired emperor.

The other brothers don't care about right or wrong.
Either they're happily waiting for things to develop, or they're trying to frame him for something else...

The emperor was furious.

If his father knew about this, he would surely feel sorry for Prince Jin's son.

The old man might even think that his precious son was in a very dangerous situation.

and……

How could the Jia family members have happened to be there when the Prince of Jin was assassinated?
He wasn't even scratched, but Madam Shen was in danger and injured?

hiss~
The emperor, who had been wandering around aimlessly, suddenly stopped. "Go, find out how Madam Shen was injured. Did the men in black specifically target her?"

If the guess comes true, it would be killing several birds with one stone!

The emperor couldn't help but break out in a sweat.

Has a capable person joined the Prince of Jin's side?
"Yes!"

The guards exchanged glances and quickly disappeared.

But the emperor couldn't just wait around. He straightened his robes and hurried toward the Shou Kang Palace.

Upon receiving the news, Consort Zhen collapsed in tears before the Emperor Emeritus.

Although the beauty had aged, the Emperor Emeritus was deeply moved when her tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Father, the Empress Dowager~"

The emperor lifted his robes and knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty, I have ordered the Shuntian Prefecture and the Ministry of Justice to jointly handle this matter and will certainly give Prince Jin an explanation!"

"……it is good!"

The retired emperor gave his son a deep look. "I am waiting for you to give your brother an explanation."

“Father, my brother Prince Jin was able to escape this time thanks to the Jia family of Ningguo Mansion. I heard that Madam Shen was even injured because of it.”

Ok?
The Emperor Emeritus's previously gloomy expression softened considerably. "Get up! Did the Shen family of Ningguo also go to see the lanterns?"

"Yes!"

The Emperor rose and said, "I heard that when Prince Jin jumped down from the teahouse, he happened to see Madam Shen, eight guards from the Jia family, and two servants. All of them were injured in the rescue."

"Summon Imperial Physician to take a look."

"When my son heard about this, he immediately sent someone to bring the medicine over."

"...Sit down!"

The Emperor Emeritus nodded and gestured for his son to sit down. "Prince Jin should be here soon. Let's hear what he has to say."

If a son is wronged, he will definitely go to the palace to cry to his father.

The retired emperor thought he would arrive soon, but to his surprise, he didn't come, and he didn't come either.

After a long while, Dai Quan and Eunuch Liu, who had been sent out again, came in. But they looked at each other and refused to be the first to speak.

"Liu Song, you speak."

Left with no other option, the emperor had to call out names.

"……Yes!"

Eunuch Liu stole a glance at Consort Zhen, who had just washed up, and said, "Prince Jin doesn't have time to go to the palace right now. He... he's distributing silver to the people who helped fight the men in black."

what?
Consort Zhen paused for a moment, "It is only right." She said to the Emperor Emeritus, "Everyone who helped should be rewarded, especially the Jia family."

"Exactly!"

The Emperor Emeritus nodded, "The merchants who were implicated by him should also be compensated."

"Yes!"

Eunuch Liu continued, "Prince Jin is dealing with this matter, but..." He hesitated for a moment, "At that time, the Jia family's guards were no match for the men in black. Madam Shen had no choice but to push over a bundle of bamboo poles used for hanging lanterns and said on behalf of Prince Jin that anyone who hit a man in black would be rewarded with ten taels of silver, one hundred taels for injuring him, and five hundred taels for killing him."

There were many people helping at the scene. Although they only killed one man in black, each of them said they hit him at least thirty times, and some even said they hit him more than sixty times.

The Prince of Jin's residence didn't initially send that much silver, which caused the delay.

……

At Ningguo Mansion, after Shen Ning was carried home, she drank a calming soup and other medicine and fell into a deep sleep, but Jia Zhen's eyes were still red.

There aren't that many coincidences in this world.
Where his mother was, Prince Jin happened to be there as well?

When the Prince of Jin was at the height of his power, no one dared to assassinate him. Now things are not so good, and he has been assassinated instead.
Who's so bored?
Is it easy to train an obedient assassin?

Is it worth wasting money on the Prince of Jin?
His father once said that the court is full of deceit and intrigue, and many things cannot be judged by appearances alone; one must look at who ultimately benefits the most.

On the surface, Prince Jin appears to be the victim, but now it seems his family is the real victim. As for Prince Jin…

The thought of the enthusiastic way the Chief Secretary of the Prince of Jin tried to win him over made Jia Zhen feel disgusted.

"When your grandmother said there would be a reward for beating someone, are you sure the Prince of Jin didn't cooperate?"

"no!"

Rong-ge shook his head. “Father, something’s not right.” His eyes were filled with fear and resentment. “It wasn’t until his son shouted that the Prince of Jin didn’t reward him, but the Jia family did, that he pretended to recover from his shock and agreed.”

In that situation, he didn't care about being frightened and was trying to find a way to help, but what was the Prince of Jin doing?
"And his guards..."

Because they clashed at the same spot, Rongge'er saw it clearly: "At the beginning, if that guard had fought alongside Huo Qi and the others, we could have overwhelmed the men in black in terms of numbers and strength. But when the guard saw our men go up, he only guarded Prince Jin."

He was furious.

If it weren't for my grandmother's idea, the Prince of Jin's actions would have harmed countless people.

"What about the guards?"

"died."

Rong-ge'er said fiercely, "When he saw another man in black coming down, our guards couldn't hold him off anymore, so he went up."

Their guards would help each other whenever possible, but if that guard had attacked from the start, they could have concentrated their forces and killed one of the enemy's men first.

But he didn't.

Although his duty was to protect Prince Jin, in that situation, the Jia family shielded Prince Jin and him from disaster, so he should also show his sincerity.

Since there's no one to help him, he shouldn't expect anyone else to rescue him.

"...Are all of Prince Jin's guards...dead?"

Jia Zhen thought for a moment, then asked again.

"It's said there's another seriously injured person upstairs."

Rong-ge'er said, "Father, you also think this is wrong, right?"

Jia Zhen: "..."

He lay sprawled on the soft couch, gritting his teeth in hatred!

"Just keep this in mind."

He's a king.

Whether it's Prince Jin orchestrating this whole thing to target their family or whatever, there's nothing they can do about it now.

"No need to say it out loud, but from now on... even when you go to school, you must bring two guards with you."

"……Yes!"

Rong-ge'er dared not let himself die.

Grandmother is old, aunt is still young, and his father is like this...

What will happen to this family if something happens to him?
When he returned to his own courtyard, Granny Tang rushed to greet him, her eyes full of worry, "Rong-ge'er, I've prepared hot water, go soak in it and sweat it out!"

Rong-ge'er's sleeves were still stained with his wife's blood.

When Granny Tang found out, she was so frightened that her whole body went limp.

If something happens to the mistress, the master will definitely take his anger out on the young master, and then the young master will be finished.

"You must have been frightened today. Have some calming soup with you later."

"……it is good!"

In front of Granny Tang, Rong-ge'er was very obedient, "Granny, I'm actually fine."

He was shouting there that the Prince of Jin was not rewarding him, but the Jia family was. His mother was worried that he would be targeted by the men in black, so she stood in front of him to block him.

"Don't worry, get some rest. After taking a bath, I'll read for a while."

Reading can enlighten one's mind, so he must read more.

That night, the capital was far from peaceful.

Not to mention the soldiers on the surface, even the retired emperor and the emperor's secret guards were mobilized.

Prince Jin spent a large sum of money and said a lot of words of thanks. When he entered the palace to complain to the Emperor Emeritus, he was stopped by Consort Zhen.

"It's getting late," Consort Zhen sighed inwardly. "The Emperor Emeritus is old and has already gone to bed. Come again tomorrow!"

what?
The Prince of Jin looked at his mother, utterly incredulous.

He was assassinated!
If it weren't for good luck, he would have almost died, his father...

But before he could express his dissatisfaction, Consort Zhen glared at him sternly. "Go home and get a good night's rest. You can come to the palace again tomorrow." As she spoke, she gestured for a palace servant to bring over the prepared sachet. "It contains a peace talisman personally drawn by Master Wuchen. Take good care of it when you get back."

Prince Jin: “…”

He grasped the purse and slowly bent down. "Yes!"

Although I'm so annoyed, but...

He stuffed the purse into a hidden pocket in his sleeve and was about to stride out of the palace when he was stopped by Eunuch Liu, who said that the emperor was worried about him and had been waiting for him in the imperial study for a long time.

The Prince of Jin had no choice but to go over and put on a show of brotherly affection for him.

By the time they returned to the Prince of Jin's residence, it was nearly four in the morning.

There were many women in the mansion, all expressing their concern for him. After driving away a bunch of people, when he took out his mother's so-called peace charm, sure enough, there was a small note inside.

"Suspicion has been raised!"

The mother's left-handed handwriting was particularly messy: "Find a way to get a fever, and call the imperial physician tomorrow."

The King of Jin's heart skipped a beat.

Where did he slip up?
It shouldn’t be!
Although he didn't get the job done, ... no matter what, the old man wouldn't suspect him!

First of all, no one knew that Shen would not be at home for the festival and would come out to see the lanterns.

Secondly, no one knew that the Jia family had booked that restaurant.

He arrived at the teahouse before the Jia family.

The Prince of Jin tried hard to recall the events of the day.

Of the four guards, three were dead and one was seriously injured; this is a fact.

Although he didn't listen to his mother and let himself get hurt, but...

The Prince of Jin looked at the small note and was so angry that he didn't want to say anything.

He was as happy as his mother's plan was yesterday, and now he's just as angry.

Not only was she angry that her mother didn't explain things clearly, but she was also angry that those bastards had worked so hard for so long and still let Shen escape.

He grabbed the small piece of paper, crumpled it up frantically, and finally put it on the candle, watching it burn to ashes.

I'm already suspicious... I'm already suspicious...

These two words kept echoing in my mind.

The King of Jin regretted it.

Or he should listen to his mother and let himself get injured.

If he were injured, surely his father would no longer suspect him?

Even the Jia family members had to be distracted to protect him.

They got distracted...

The Prince of Jin was furious, resentful, and helpless.

But time cannot be turned back.

The assassination attempt on the Shen family could not be made public.

he……

The Prince of Jin paced back and forth in the room, finally taking off his outer robe and opening his inner garment.

The capital city is located in the north, and it's already quite cold in August.

The Prince of Jin's nose gradually became stuffy, and his head began to ache.

……

Shen Ning, who had slept well all night, still looked listless when she woke up in the morning.

I bled quite a bit yesterday.

The force of the knife had left a cut more than ten centimeters long on her leg. The man in black had used tremendous force, determined to take her with him even if it meant his own death.

Although Rong-ge'er bandaged it up promptly, Shen Ning felt a deep ache in her body, and there was no way to stitch it up there...

"Mother!"

Jia Zhen and You Shi arrived early in the morning, but Jia Zhen had to be carried there. "Are you feeling better today?"

"It's nothing, just a superficial injury!"

Shen Ning glanced at her eldest son and was speechless.

The last time he was assassinated, she was in labor and nearly died.

This time he was beaten, and she...

Shen Ning suspected that Jia Zhen couldn't be in trouble; if something happened to him, something would happen to her.

"Are you feeling better today?"

"Much better, the swelling has gone down a bit."

Jia Zhen asked, "Where's Rong-ge'er? He didn't come today?"

"Here I am, he came before I even woke up."

Shen Ning leaned against the soft pillows and said, "I asked Qingzhu if she had a fever, and then I left."

Rong-ge'er has done very well.

"Xing'er is back, isn't he? That Qin family..."

"Lord Qin is a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Works, a construction supervisor." Madam You hurriedly said when the maids looked over, "The little girl who saved my mother is an adopted daughter he brought home from a charity. He and his wife are over fifty and still don't have children, so they adopted her."

"That child is very good!"

Jia Zhen, receiving a signal from his mother, quickly said, "Mother, what do you think of Rong-ge'er?"