The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 192 Kill
Shen Ning breathed a sigh of relief upon arriving safely at the plum garden.

"Big Cousin's wife!"

When Shi Ding's wife, Madam Zhong, saw her, she hurriedly went to greet her. In front of her, Shi Nai's wife was also helping to greet guests and was talking with the Princess of Nan'an and the old lady.

"It's been a long time since I've seen you. You seem even younger than before."

"Really?" Shen Ning smiled. "Maybe it's because having a daughter makes everything alright!"

She eats and drinks well, has money and free time, and doesn't have to deal with a partner.

With a filial son and an adorable daughter, how could I be happier than many of the ladies and grandmothers present?

Getting younger is normal.

However, these things cannot be said in public.

After all, many of the wives and grandmothers present were still arguing with their concubines, worrying about where their husbands would sleep that night, as well as their careers.

If she weren't afraid of the Prince of Jin causing her trouble, Shen Ning would have moved to the hot spring villa outside the city long ago.

Unfortunately, she hasn't moved yet; this is her first time leaving the capital since entering this world.

"Haha, then you must bring Yue'er next time."

Zhong knew that she had done everything for Xiao Yue'er.

She admired her courage, because she herself didn't dare!
"When I left, she cried her heart out. She couldn't walk yet. If she could walk, she would have come and hugged my leg long ago. I wouldn't have been able to leave her behind then."

Daughters are just adorable.

Shen Ning is willing to show off his daughter and enjoys showing her off.

"Haha, what are you saying?"

Mrs. Zhong also had a daughter, and upon hearing this, she truly sympathized with him.

She couldn't help but feel regretful that it was snowing today, otherwise her eldest cousin-in-law might have brought Xiaoyue'er along.

"We're family, so I'll say whatever comes to mind."

Shen Ning patted her hand, "There are quite a few guests today, so I don't need you to take care of them. You go and do your work, I'm going inside to look at the plum blossoms."

"Eh~"

Zhong was indeed quite busy, but upon hearing this, she didn't insist anymore and said, "Then I'll talk to my eldest cousin-in-law when I'm not busy."

"go Go!"

Shen Ning waved her hand, watching as the carriage, which was smilingly welcoming her, quickly headed towards the Princess of Nan'an.

Grandmother Jia was there, and as a junior, she had to go and pay her respects.

However, the Princess Dowager of Nan'an's main target today is Wang Xifeng.

Prince Teng was appointed as the General Who Pacifies the South, and was not under the control of his son, the Prince of Nan'an. Moreover, she received a letter from the other side saying that whatever Prince Teng wanted, the Armory would provide it.

However, in Guangnan Prefecture, the army was under the control of the Prince of Nan'an, and all aspects required repeated applications. Even so, the Armory Administration treated him with extreme frugality.

This is too much.

Didn't they say the Jia family and the Wang family had a falling out?

Jia Lian's actions...

Although the Princess Consort of Nan'an suspected that the Emperor was behind it all, she couldn't reason with him, so she could only point the finger at Wang Xifeng and Jia Lian.

At this time, the Princess Dowager of Nan'an was particularly kind to Wang Xifeng.

He also had a smile on his face when he saw Shen Ning.

"Madam Shen's complexion is getting better and better."

He had a smile on his face, but a fierce determination in his heart.

The Princess Dowager of Nan'an knew that this woman could manage most of the Jia family's household.

"I vaguely heard the other day that your family caught a thief?"

The common people below didn't know, but these well-informed nobles all knew that the Prince of Jin's mansion and the Shuntian Prefecture were extremely busy because of that thief.

The Princess Consort of Nan'an asked this question with a smile, intending to tell the spies of the Prince of Jin's mansion, "Look, your enemy is right here."

"What thief?"

Before Shen Ning could even speak, Grandmother Jia sighed as everyone looked over, saying, "He's just a poor man who can't even afford to eat, trying to steal some food from the main kitchen." As she spoke, she glanced at her niece-in-law and chided her, "To be honest, it's all because my niece-in-law is too kind-hearted. People know she's distributing steamed buns at the Steamed Bun Nunnery."

The old lady had no choice.

She was afraid that if she spoke too late, her niece-in-law would start arguing with the Princess Dowager of Nan'an.

Rather than waiting anxiously and being forced to side with her own team later, she might as well state her position from the beginning.

Anyway, some of the things the Princess Consort of Nan'an said in the carriage just now made her very unhappy.

Feng Yatou is her granddaughter-in-law.

When the Prince of Nan'an's mansion sent gifts, she, as the matriarch, was outshone by her own granddaughter-in-law.

The old lady hadn't cared at first, but the Dowager Consort brought it up again in the carriage.

Is he afraid she'll hide his granddaughter-in-law's things?

"Haha, that's it!"

Princess Nan'an maintained her smile, but when she realized no one was helping her, she could only laugh it off and say, "I must have misheard you."

As members of the military faction, everyone who was supposed to be here today has arrived.

Grandmother Jia is the great-aunt of the Shi family, and Shi Nai and Shi Ding both have to call her aunt.

Jia Lian was also the Director of the Military Treasury, which meant he held a lot of military officers by the throat. Who would dare to contradict Grandmother Jia and go to help the Princess of Nan'an at this time?

This is bad. What if we anger the Shen family? If they slap us, how can we face them?

Princess Jin used to be such a lively person?
But what about now?
Ever since he was humiliated at the Emperor Emeritus's birthday celebration, he has been hiding in his residence, trying to avoid the shame.

"The Empress Dowager has indeed misunderstood."

Shen Ning smiled and swept her gaze across everyone's faces. "In the future, it's best to find out more about these kinds of things. For example, a few days ago, I heard that the Prince of Nan'an was inactive, and a small village under Guangnan Prefecture was massacred."

As she spoke, the smile on her face disappeared. "Back then, the old Prince of Nan'an was determined to guard the southern border and protect the people of our Great Zhao. Now... if the old prince knew, he would probably be utterly disappointed."

Guangnan Prefecture was considered the rear area under the old Prince of Nan'an, but after the old prince passed away, it became the front line under the current Prince of Nan'an.

In Dream of the Red Chamber, the defeat of the Prince of Nan'an is mentioned briefly, and Tan Chun takes the place of the princess of the Prince of Nan'an's mansion to marry a foreign ruler.

But how many lives does this "defeat" represent?

They clearly lack ability, but they cling to power desperately, harming themselves and others in the process.

In Shen Ning's opinion, the Emperor's hand was still too soft.

If it were her, she would directly punish the Prince of Nan'an for the massacre of the village.

"...It's a pity that my old prince passed away too soon."

The massacre of the village was reported to the capital by officials below through Wang Ziteng's connections.

Her son is still defending himself, saying it's all baseless.

Princess Nan'an did not want to argue with Shen Ning here.

The more you talk, the more people will hear you.

There are many people in this world who have conjunctivitis.

Who wouldn't want to take her son's place?
The Dowager Princess of Nan'an didn't speak about her son, but only about the deceased old prince, saying, "Just like the Duke of Rong, if he hadn't passed away so early, I don't know how happy he would have been to hear that Jia Lian had become the Director of the Military Treasury."

She changed the subject to Jia Lian.

"Big sister, do you think what I said is right?"

Jia Mu: "..."

What could she do?

The old lady wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. "Today is a joyous occasion for my nephew, so let's not talk about those upsetting things."

If we keep talking, their firecrackers will cause trouble again.

"Min'er, haven't you been craving the red plums here for a while now?"

She instructed her daughter, "Go, take your sister-in-law for a walk."

"Eh~"

Jia Min laughed, "Sister-in-law, let's look over there together!"

Viewing plum blossoms under the snow has a unique charm.

She was Shi Ding's cousin, and naturally she didn't want her cousin's happy occasion to be disrupted.

"Okay!"

Shen Ning smiled and agreed: "Then, Your Highness, Aunt, and everyone, we'll take our leave now."

"Go, go!" Grandmother Jia waved her hand repeatedly.

Jia Min and Shen Ning walked along the covered walkway in the snow.

"Sister-in-law, the Prince of Nan'an has not yet acknowledged the massacre of the village."

As Jia Min walked, she said, "It's only quiet in the north now. The New Year is coming soon, and the Emperor Emeritus probably still wants peace and quiet. There are some things we can talk about at home."

"If she doesn't say anything to me, why should I say anything to her?"

Shen Ning also knew that even if they fought, it would be a matter for the Emperor Emeritus after the New Year.

"I just can't stand her smilingly stabbing people in the back."

"..."

Jia Min smiled.

After all these years, her sister-in-law is still the same.

"Don't worry, the Princess Consort of Nan'an must be feeling utterly miserable and regretful right now."

Who will dare to mess with her sister-in-law from now on!
"She will certainly not dare to speak sarcastically in front of you again."

Even with her mother, she needed to be more restrained.

After all, her mother was backed by her sister-in-law.

"You know she's intersex, and you're not going to help her?"

Shen Ning scolded her.

"Oh dear, you've wronged me."

Jia Min laughed, "I've barely opened my mouth when you've already started talking non-stop, making the Princess of Nan'an wish she could turn back time. Maybe you could slow down a bit next time."

Shen Ning: "..."

I couldn't argue with her, so I could only laugh and tap her lightly.

Wen Peilan, who was following along, felt that she had learned a lot today.

She felt that the massacre of the villages under Guangnan Prefecture was true.

When she was a child, she followed her father on a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) mission to Guangnan, which was a prosperous place at that time.

But when I went back two years ago, the population had decreased significantly.

The current Prince of Nan'an is truly incompetent.

Not only can they not endure hardship, but they also seek pleasure.

If the soldiers below follow suit, how will they fight?

Wen Peilan sighed softly to herself.

A gust of wind blew by, and the cool fragrance of plum blossoms wafted into the air, drawing people in to look towards the source of the scent.

There's an old plum tree around the corner.

The plum blossoms on the branches, some still in bud and others in full bloom, are covered with glistening snowflakes, their red and white petals creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

Shen Ning and Jia Min couldn't help but stop and watch.

“I grew up here when I was a child. This old plum tree is here.”

When Jia Min was a child, she traveled around with her mother and had a deep impression of this old plum tree. "At that time, I was about two years older than Daiyu. When I came here as a guest, I climbed this tree with a cousin from the Shi family."

"If I had known you had climbed this tree, I should have brought Daiyu here today so she could climb it for us to see."

what?
Jia Min's initial melancholy vanished instantly upon hearing Shen Ning's words.

"Let's wait and see. When Yue'er is a little older, we can let her crawl for us."

"Okay!"

Shen Ning doesn't object as long as her daughter is willing to climb.

The two chatted and laughed, and then they met Lady Pengcheng. They each picked a red plum blossom and tucked it into their hair, following the example of her daughter.

The covered walkway weaves through the plum grove. Several little girls are laughing and joking in the distance. Pengchengbo's daughter is quickly attracted and runs over there.

Outside the plum garden, several men in black were huddled in a makeshift straw hut, feasting over a copper pot.

"Boss, the Jia family's guards have arrived in large numbers. Should we really make our move today?"

"The Prince of Jin is waiting."

The eldest brother had no choice.

“Prince Jin is waiting for good news.” The man in black, who was both refined in appearance and ate with great manners, said, “Given the current situation, we may not be able to give you good news.”

Not to mention the guards of the Jia family, there were quite a few guards from various families along the way.

There are quite a few heads of households.

Putting everything else aside, is Shi Ding a simple person?
Why didn't they dare to make a move on the way to the Plum Garden?

Isn't it because they're afraid Shi Ding will make things difficult for them?

But if we go back... the other side will definitely need to provide assistance once they receive the message.

"Boss, if you really can't refuse, then call all the rest of the brothers."

This?
The older man in black sighed softly.

It wasn't that he didn't want to call all his brothers over.

But...

"Eleven's team went on a secret mission a few days ago."

He said, "There's also the nineteenth one; his squad was also transferred away by Prince Jin yesterday."

what?
The six people eating all put down their chopsticks at the same time.

"Boss, they have so many guards, and there are only seven of us..."

"Shh~"

The eldest brother waved his hand, "It's not just the seven of us." He said, "Where did Shi Ding's Marquis Zhongjing come from? I've received a rumor that things won't be peaceful at Plum Garden today."

At this time, dinner was also served at the plum garden.

Jia Zhen and the others were drinking and boasting in the front yard, while Shen Ning and the other women were eating, chatting, and listening to opera in the seven interconnected rooms.

On the stage, a performance of "Havoc in Heaven" is underway.

Because it was cold outside, the doors and windows were closed inside the house, and several charcoal braziers were placed there.

Shen Ning drank a bowl of mutton soup to warm herself up, ate half a bowl of rice with goose breast, and was about to put down her chopsticks when a stick came whistling down from the stage and smashed towards Shi Ding's wife, Zhong.

bang~
Concerned about Shen Ning's safety, Wen Peilan disregarded everything else and, with a few leaps, kicked the stick back.

Just as she was about to move again, a burly man playing the giant spirit swung his long sword down with a whoosh, splitting the stick in two.

In an instant, screams erupted from inside the house.

Shen Ning was startled and tried to find her cloak. She grabbed the musket, and then heard a loud 'bang'. Blood gushed from the giant spirit's head. It was Shi Ding who had arrived with the musket. "Take him down!"

As he spoke, he took the guard's musket and fired another shot at the man who had just thrown the stick.

bang~
The power of the three-eyed musket is still quite terrifying at close range.

Two people were killed and injured on the spot.

"sorry."

Shi Dingchao, startled by the crowd, bowed and said, "I apologize for the fright. These two have come looking for me."

"Master~"

Zhong's face was completely bloodless. "You..."

"It's all right now."

Shi Ding said, "Both of these two are assassins wanted by the government."

He was also very embarrassed to be a little late.

"Sorry sorry!"

He bowed repeatedly to the ladies present, saying, "Today's events are all your fault, caused by me, Shi."

Although no one was hurt, the children were definitely frightened.

They are the wives of various families...

The older generation is alright, but the younger generation... many of them are not.

"Master Ichimoku from Baima Temple will be here soon, and he will make a peace charm for everyone on the spot."

Shi Ding was extremely sincere, "Please don't be offended!"