The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 169 Miscalculation
Lixiangyuan, small Buddhist hall.

Lady Wang, already fast asleep, had no idea how secretly Aunt Zhou, who had once been so subservient to her, was secretly laughing to herself.

Not to mention her husband Jia Zheng, who wished she were dead, even her own son Jia Zhu went from feeling sorry for her to feeling annoyed just hearing about her.

Aunt Zhou was gradually using her 'legitimate' demands to alienate herself from everyone in Pear Fragrance Courtyard.

"It's hard on you."

Feeling his toes being wiped, Jia Zheng felt very comfortable.

When it comes to persuading servants, Aunt Zhou is far more meticulous and thoughtful.

"Fortunately, all of that is in the past now, and you no longer need to go to the small Buddhist shrine."

"Master~"

Aunt Zhou sighed, "Although the master said that, he is the madam's own son. He may just be angry for a moment and be fine in a few days."

She massaged Jia Zheng's increasingly stiff back from lying down for too long. "I am a concubine, it is my duty to serve you and your wife."

Isn't it just because she had three children?
ho~
A strange smile flickered in Aunt Zhou's eyes, but it vanished as soon as it appeared in her eyes and at the corners of her mouth. "You're suffering more than Madam is now," she said while massaging him. "Master feels sorry for you, but after a while, when you're feeling better, I'm afraid he'll feel sorry for Madam again."

She sighed as she said this, "Now our second branch of the family all depends on the eldest son."

Want to go?

It also depends on whether she agrees or not.

"If we really take the master's words seriously, and when he feels sorry for the madam, I, as her concubine, am disrespectful to her, he will probably resent you in his heart again."

Jia Zhu is that kind of person.

She's very easily swayed.

In some ways, he is actually quite similar to the old man.

However, he is smarter and more human than the master.

Aunt Zhou said, "What does it matter if I suffer a little grievance now? As long as you are well, everything is fine."

Jia Zheng: "..."

It would be a lie to say that I am not impressed.

"You're a good one. Wait, when I get better, I'll treat you well."

A true husband will inevitably have an unvirtuous wife and an unfilial son.

But at least he didn't make a mistake in choosing a concubine.

Jia Zheng was slightly relieved. "Ah, yes," he said, feeling a mix of soreness, pain, and pleasure in his lower back. "That's it. Press it a few more times."

Aunt Zhou pressed harder, "Master, tomorrow is the day our eldest daughter returns home after three days. Marquis Cheng should at least come to pay his respects to you. You should prepare your gift for her, shouldn't you?"

This?
Jia Zheng did remember.

He felt under his pillow. "This is the key to the inner room of my study. There are three large boxes inside." Those were all his private belongings.

He kept all the good jade pieces, from those given to him by the Emperor Emeritus when he was a child, to those given to him by his grandparents, maternal grandparents, father, mother, and relatives. “In the second box, there are more than ten small boxes. Go and find a good pair of jade pieces.”

The son-in-law is a marquis, and the daughter is a marquis's wife.

As his father, he has to give him something good.

"Shall I get it?"

Aunt Zhou's voice was full of surprise and disbelief.

"nature!"

Jia Zheng laughed, "If it wasn't you, then it could be me, your master?"

Aunt Zhou had no children and could only rely on him for the rest of her life.

Jia Zheng felt he could place even more trust in her. "Go!" He turned to look at Aunt Zhou. "Once you find it, bring it to me to see."

“…Hey!”

Aunt Zhou's eyes glistened with what looked like tears of emotion. She quickly bowed and hurried to the study to search for the treasure.

……

Upon hearing the glorious deeds of her uncle, Prince Teng, at the Marquis of Xinping's residence, Yuan Chun sighed softly.

"The Prince of Nan'an has no great generals under his command."

Cheng Luo has several people in both the Prince of Nan'an and the Prince of Nan'an's residence. "Now that Lord Wang has become famous in one battle, he will probably extend an olive branch to him."

"...Let them stretch out, it's none of our business."

My uncle is a heartless man.

To achieve the goal, the means justify the means.

The Jia family helped him so much, yet he still wants to take advantage of them.

If the Prince of Nan'an isn't afraid, then let him go for it!

"..."

Cheng Luo grasped her hand. "The relationship between the Prince of Nan'an's Mansion and the Shi family is quite close."

Although he does not attend court and his title of Marquis of Xinping is now merely nominal, it does not mean that he is indifferent to politics.

"Especially this time, Lord Shi Ding made great contributions on the frontier. My uncle admires him very much and I'm afraid he will be granted a title."

what?
Yuan Chun was stunned.

The titles and ranks currently held by the Great Zhao Dynasty were all bestowed upon them by the founding emperor.

These days, it's so difficult to be granted a title, yet my uncle suddenly became a marquis...

"Your Majesty is truly generous."

It seems the Emperor is about to launch another military campaign.

That's fine too.

As the eldest granddaughter of the Rongguo Mansion, she also knew how much regret her grandfather had before his death.

"My uncle, the Emperor, has a great ambition!"

Cheng Luo still likes his only uncle who takes care of him very much. "He wants to conquer all the places that the founding emperor, the retired emperor, and his previous uncle wanted to conquer, so that their regrets will no longer be regrets."

Therefore, Wang Ziteng will definitely be reinstated.

She might even be directly pushed to the Prince of Nan'an by her uncle, the Emperor, to diminish the Prince's military power. "Yuan Chun, regarding your uncle..."

"Just treat us like strangers!"

Yuan Chun looked back at him, "No need for intimacy!"

She was afraid that if Cheng Luo showed even the slightest sign of affection, her uncle would seize the opportunity and never let her go.

"……it is good!"

Cheng Luo was relieved.

He feared that one day his uncle would take advantage of her uncle, and then Yuan Chun would become estranged from him.

In fact, the emperor was indeed eyeing Prince Teng at that time.

He will not let him return to the Beijing garrison.

Even though Prince Teng is now considered a lone minister.

However, the court is unstable, and this person can betray the Jia family. Who can guarantee that one day, at a crucial moment, he will also turn his back on us?

But he is also a person with some ability.

The emperor looked at the map, but ultimately fixed his gaze on the south.

He had some things that his nephew, Cheng Luo, had given him.

The previous Prince of Nan'an was quite capable, and this current one is...

“Your Majesty!” Eunuch Liu looked troubled. “Prince Jin has entered the palace and is currently with the Emperor Emeritus.”

"Hmm, is it so strange that he entered the palace?"

The emperor did not turn around; he was still looking at his map.

"He asked the retired emperor to let him go to Jiangnan."

what?
The emperor frowned.

Will Father Emperor agree?

No way!
On matters of national importance, he would consult with the old man no matter what he was doing.

Jiangnan... Prince Zhongshun is doing well there.

The emperor's heart skipped a beat at the thought of Prince Chungshun's return. "Quickly, summon Prince Chungshun."

With the war raging on all sides, the Jiangnan region must not be allowed to descend into chaos.

In the Shou Kang Palace, the retired emperor looked at his son, who was crying with snot and tears streaming down his face, and felt very annoyed.

"Father, please have pity on your son!"

The Prince of Jin tugged at his father's dragon robe, something he used to do often when he was a child.

The old man always softens his heart.

But at this point...

The Prince of Jin felt differently. "My son was clearly assassinated, but there are rumors circulating that he orchestrated the whole thing. My son is innocent..."

The Emperor Emeritus: "..."

Although there is no concrete evidence, he also tends to believe that his son orchestrated the whole thing.

"Father, you don't believe your son anymore, do you?"

Rumors are like knives.

If I pretend not to know, just as my mother said, my father might think I'm guilty.

From then on, his father would hate him even more.

He had to be bold enough to come over and deny it.

Just in time, didn't Dong Xiaoquan come up with a strategy to deal with the Japanese pirates?

Take this job into your hands.

Japan could become his escape route in the future.

He must seize this opportunity.

Otherwise, things are fine when the old man is around, but once he's gone...

All that's left for him is reckoning.

"My son swears that the man in black has nothing to do with him!"

Those were my mother's people.

"Father, if I have uttered a single falsehood, may I be struck by heaven..."

"okay!"

The Emperor Emeritus sighed inwardly, "I trust you, but Zhongshun is doing a good job in Jiangnan, so don't even think about it."

"Father..."

Prince Jin's tears fell. "You believe your son, but does the Emperor believe him? Does the world believe him? You are still here, yet your son has been wronged like this. My heart is filled with bitterness. I wish I could leave the capital now and show my true feelings."

The Emperor Emeritus: "..."

“Father, I don’t necessarily have to go to Jiangnan.”

He wiped away his tears. "Didn't Dong Xiaoquan offer a strategy to control the Japanese pirates? I'll go and give it to you, to my Great Zhao, to implement that strategy, okay?"

what?
The retired emperor's heart skipped a beat.

With the war in the north intensifying, the small countries in the south are about to make their move.

Further north, the Russians are waiting for them to weaken each other. To implement a policy to control the Japanese pirates at this time would be unwise.

"Want to go to war?"

The retired emperor's face immediately turned cold. "Japan is too far away, separated by mountains and seas. If you want to fight, go to Guangnan Prefecture!"

If you're really that capable, go to Guangnan and see what the Prince of Nan'an is up to.
He knew that bastard sometimes kept enemies around to enhance his own prestige.

But at a time when the war in the north is so intense, he has already crossed his bottom line by recklessly letting the south cause trouble.

"Guards, draft an imperial edict appointing the Prince of Jin as the Envoy of the Southern Inspection Tour. He shall immediately proceed to Guangnan Prefecture to assist the Prince of Nan'an in guarding the southern border."