The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 171 Returning Home (Second Update)
On the morning of August 26th, Jia Zhen, Jia Zhu, and their brothers went to the Marquis of Xinping's residence to welcome Yuan Chun back to her parents' home.

Even though the Cheng family hated Cheng Luo to the core, they could only greet him with a smile for the sake of the clan's highest title.

But when Cheng Luo told them that Wang Ziteng had been appointed General Zhennan last night and would be going to Yuanjiang Prefecture soon, the brothers were eager to return home.

The Prince of Jin was appointed as the envoy to inspect the south and was to be expelled from the capital.

Both Jia Zhen and Shen Ning breathed a sigh of relief at this.

During his time in Beijing, the two men always felt as if a venomous snake was lurking behind them, waiting for its chance to strike.

And Wang Ziteng...

Although Jia Zhen also felt it was better for him to leave, he couldn't cause any major trouble while he was in the capital.

Southern Xinjiang is not peaceful, and Wang Ziteng may very well rise to prominence there, just like Shi Ding.

By then, given Aunt Zheng's tendency to cause trouble, who knows what will happen?

"He didn't write home."

Jia Zhu felt a mix of emotions. "That's...good!" At least her mother could have some peace of mind.

"It's right that you think that way, brother."

Emerging from the treacherous palace, Yuan Chun feared nothing more than those who betrayed her.

If someone can betray you once, they can betray you a second time.

After all, it's better to do what you know well than what you don't.

Moreover, if you treat him the way you betray him the first time, the second time... he will absolutely not give you any chance of survival.

"Think about my aunt's family. My cousin Lanzhi was lucky to survive."

Her cousin was only twenty days younger than her.

Yuan Chun put herself in Lan Zhi's shoes and felt that if she were Lan Zhi, she wouldn't be able to survive.

She couldn't help but remind her often soft-hearted brother, "Now that the Jia family and the Wang family have turned against each other, if you continue to get close to them, you will unknowingly become a knife for the Wang family to use against the Jia family."

Yuan Chun looked at her brother and said, "If you don't want to become the knife that stabs your own people, you'll only end up hurting yourself."

In officialdom, being soft-hearted is a major taboo.

"Brother, stop thinking of him as your uncle. From now on, just treat him as an acquaintance!"

"……Um!"

What could Jia Zhu say?

He could only nod.

Cousin Lanzhi survived because she set fire to her own house and surrendered to General Xia, who then protected her.

Their family...

Thinking of the elderly and young at home, Jia Zhu dared not gamble even a little bit.

"Do not worry!"

He suppressed his myriad thoughts and asked, "By the way, I haven't asked you yet, did the Cheng family matriarch and the Cheng family make things difficult for you?"

Although the younger sister seems very capable and Lord Cheng is a good person, the Cheng family is not a virtuous place.

Even the princess was tortured to death in this family, and Cheng Luo had to cry and beg for help from them.

So when Jia Zhu asked this question, his eyes were sharp as he carefully examined his sister, afraid that if there was anything wrong with her, he would immediately call his older brothers outside to help him swing the benches.

Do I look like someone who can be bullied?

Seeing her brother's expression, Yuan Chun couldn't help but chuckle. "Don't worry, the Emperor's attitude is clear. The Cheng family is too busy praising me and Cheng Luo to dare to make things difficult for us. Even the old lady in the Buddhist hall, we don't need to say anything, the clan can keep her in check."

"That's good!"

Jia Zhu smiled, "Did you and Cheng Luo go to the palace yesterday to express your gratitude?"

"Ok!"

Yuan Chun disliked going to the palace.

She and Cheng Luo first went to pay their respects to the Emperor Emeritus and received some rewards. The Emperor was very busy, so she didn't get to see him, but she sat with the Empress for a while. "In about seven days, my title of First-Rank Marquis's Wife will be issued."

"Brother, come over for a drink then!"

While the brother and sister were talking, the drinking outside had ended, and the group carried a large pile of gifts for the bride's return visit straight to the Rongguo Mansion.

At this moment, Shen Ning already knew from Xing'er that Wang Ziteng had been appointed General Zhennan.

She was looking to see where Yuanjiang Prefecture was.

"grandmother!"

Rong-ge'er noticed that his grandmother was engrossed in looking at the map, so he couldn't help but call out to her.

"doing what?"

"Wondering that Prince Teng is going to Yuanjiang Prefecture is bad for our family?"

“Our home is far from Yuanjiang, so what’s the advantage or disadvantage?”

Shen Ning sighed, "I was just thinking, it would be great if Wang Ziteng were even more capable."

"...Are you worried that war will break out in the southern border regions as well?"

Rong-ge'er was relieved. "No, those small countries only dare to cause minor trouble. With the Prince of Nan'an watching over things, there won't be any problems at all."

Shen Ning: "..."

She glanced at the silly boy, her brows furrowing. "Fortunately, the Emperor didn't think like you."

In Dream of the Red Chamber, the Prince of Nan'an was defeated.

Even Shi Xiangyun's father-in-law, General Wei, died in battle there.

Although it was only mentioned briefly through Xue Pan's words, it shows how fierce the battle was at that time.

Da Zhao was undoubtedly defeated.

Otherwise, there wouldn't have been the matter of Tan Chun's marriage alliance.

“Rong-ge’er, when you look down on others, you’re not far from your downfall.”

Shen Ning said solemnly, "As you think, there are probably more than half of the people in the court who are in the same position."

The emperor in Dream of the Red Chamber probably thought the same way.

here……

It must be because the Prince of Jin went there that he was worried, so he brought Prince Teng along as well.

Wang Ziteng has flaws in his character, but he is capable.

With him there, even if the Prince of Jin and the Prince of Nan'an wanted to work together, it wouldn't be so easy.

Having figured this out, Shen Ning didn't know whether to feel relieved or relieved.

"But why don't you think about why they would cause trouble when the war is so intense in our north?"

Shen Ning desperately wanted to tell the emperor, "We can't conquer the north right now, so let's take over the south! They have people and supplies..."

"We have more grain and more people."

Rong-ge'er said, "Grandmother, even if we win against those small countries in the south for a while, they still won't be able to defeat us."

Grandmother has absolutely no need to worry about that side.

"You only think about how they can't defeat them, so why don't you think about bringing them under the control of the Great Zhao?"

"The south is full of miasma, and it's not easy to fight there..."

Shen Ning: "..." She knew that what Rong-ge'er said was true.

But they have three harvests a year there!

The Ming Dynasty once conquered Jiaozhi, but ultimately had to give it up.

The main reason was that the officials sent there were completely clueless about the local area and could only rely on local officials to govern. In addition, there were occasional rebellions there, so the value of controlling Jiaozhi at such a high cost had to be considered.

Shen Ning sighed.

For the Ming Dynasty, which faced significant threats from the north, the Indochina Peninsula was only a secondary strategic focus; its main efforts should be directed towards the Mongol side in the north.

The Great Zhao is also following the path of the Great Ming.

Their main focus is still on the north.

"The grain here can be harvested three times a year."

Putting aside other resources, this alone is quite sufficient.

If Wang Ziteng could not only intimidate her but also fight his way in, she would be willing to call him a hero.

“Grandmother, our family can no longer be involved in military affairs.”

It's a crop that can be harvested three times a year.

In fact, my great-grandfather's handwritten notes also revealed his ambitions for that place.

The same was true of the former Prince of Nan'an.

However, they were all forced to give up due to some unforeseen circumstances.

The retired emperor is still alive, Your Majesty…

Rong-ge'er hopes that the Emperor will not become like the retired Emperor in the future.

When he grows up, perhaps we can think of a way to address the regrets of his great-grandfather and the envy of his grandmother.

"Alright, I was just saying that to you."

Shen Ning sighed, "Let's go to the West Mansion. Your aunt and the others will be back soon."

While they were preparing for Yuan Chun's three-day homecoming, Prince Teng spent half a day in the palace looking at maps with the emperor.

Why did the Crown Prince eventually become unable to tolerate his father?

That's because the Zhao dynasty once held Jiaozhi (Vietnam) in its hands.

However, the Prince of Nan'an died suddenly from an illness.

The Emperor wants to further reduce the military power of the Prince of Nan'an.

They encountered problems on their own, which ultimately forced them to withdraw from that area.

"My dear Wang!"

The emperor pointed to the place that had been lost before, "Do you know this place?"

"...Your subject understands."

Wang Ziteng's heart was in turmoil.

The Emperor had just told him about the north, about Shi Ding, and that he was generous in bestowing titles upon him.

The era of Da Zhao bestowing titles upon the people has arrived once again.

This is the dream of them, the martial artists.

“This place has been my home since the Tang Dynasty. The tomb of the great poet Wang Bo was built here.”

"Not bad!"

The emperor nodded solemnly, “Although the war in the north is intense at this time, my Great Zhao is not made of clay.”

Which emperor wouldn't want to leave a mark on history?
He's young, and he's capable.

"In many places here, I've heard that grain is harvested three times a year."

If they really fight back, they can immediately stabilize grain prices.

The soldiers in the north will also have no worries about food supplies.

"Your subject—will strive!"

Wang Ziteng solemnly cupped his hands in greeting.

He wants to achieve great things.

He also wanted to earn a dukedom or marquisate for the royal family.

"I believe you!"

The emperor patted him on the shoulder.

He believed in his ambition.

He was willing to fulfill his ambitions.

"In fact, the Emperor Emeritus also had great regrets about these places!"

He was subtly telling Prince Teng, "Just do it. I will not make the same mistake again."

"The current Prince of Nan'an is rather weak."

The emperor sighed.

The Prince of Nan'an these days is barely a dog guarding the house.

"Although the Prince of Jin will also go there, he has never even been on the battlefield."

The emperor had many worries.

I'm afraid they're 'too capable,' but I'm also afraid they're 'too incompetent.'

Especially the latter.

According to reports from his people and his nephew Cheng Luo's people, those goods in the south are just waiting for them to fight with the north for a few more months before taking a bite out of them.

However, the Prince of Nan'an still insisted on maintaining the status quo.

He spends more time with his concubines than he does in the military.

Even if they go to the military camp, they're probably still thinking about how to get more pay without actually working.

The Prince of Jin's smooth sailing over the years is mainly due to his father, the Emperor, but the old man cannot accompany him to Guangnan Prefecture.

What if someone scares you and you run away in panic...

The emperor thought he would vomit blood.

The Prince of Jin's status is too high; if he flees, the morale of the army and the people there will collapse.

Therefore, Wang Ziteng's situation is of paramount importance.

"If there are any unusual developments in Guangnan Prefecture, you must report them immediately."

"Yes!"

Wang Ziteng bowed deeply.

The emperor and his minister talked for a long time. When they left the palace, Prince Teng felt his blood boiling and freezing at the same time.

The emperor was on guard against the Prince of Jin and the Prince of Nan'an.

The emperor feared that if they lost the battle, the entire south would be out of control.

he……

He's going to have to take on a major responsibility!