The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 194 Crying
Inside the carriage, Grandmother Jia and the others were extremely anxious.

Especially after hearing that Jia She got out of the carriage and led his men over.

Since they dared to make a move at this time, they must have considered the manpower available to them.

"Mother, I'm afraid it's not just my sister-in-law who's in danger; my cousin Jing and Zhen'er are probably also in danger."

Realizing this, Jia Min no longer cared about listening to the news from the rear team.

"quick!"

She shouted loudly outside, "Get moving, get back to the city immediately!"

They also need to allocate a small number of people to look after their safety while they are here.

But returning to the city is a different story.

There were soldiers at the city gate.

"Yeah!"

Grandmother Jia also realized what was happening, "Quickly, return to the city and report to the authorities!"

"Wang'er, stay and explain the situation to the master."

Wang Xifeng said to her maid, "We're going to find reinforcements."

Rescue efforts are needed in three different locations. Not only can they not help here, they might even cause more trouble.

Their carriage started moving quickly, and Xing Shi, who was behind, also wanted to follow, but her husband was outside...

Hesitating for a moment, the carriage in front had already sped away.

she……

"Quickly, don't just stand there, go and help."

Xing opened a crack in the carriage window and said to the two servants guarding the carriage, "Make sure you protect the master well."

The two servants were taken aback, but since their mistress had said so, they should go and help.

Together with Wang'er, the two of them each picked up a few stones and ran away.

"Madam, then I..."

The driver hesitated, "Shall we go back to the city?"

The cars in front have all driven off!

"...Wait a minute, wait for the master!"

Ms. Xing was extremely flustered.

But she still knew who in the Jia family she could rely on.

No matter how unreliable Jia She is, with him around, she is the lady of the house.

She has no children, and although Yingchun is a good girl, she hasn't grown up yet!

What's more, there's also the eldest sister-in-law from the East Mansion.

Her horse was startled, and the carriage...

Xing dared not think of anything worse, and could only clasp her hands together and pray to the gods and Buddhas.

The Jia family can't do without their eldest sister-in-law!

Without her eldest sister-in-law watching over her constantly, the old lady might soon revert to her old ways and start favoring the second wife again.

At that point, the old man will definitely give up and do whatever he wants again.

Regardless of what happened to Xing Shi in the carriage, Jia She's spirits were greatly boosted by the newfound support. Lacking weapons, they could simply use burning firewood.

They picked up the pieces that hadn't been drizzled with oil and were still half-burnt, and slammed them onto the man in black.

"Smash it! If you kill one, I'll reward you with eight hundred taels of silver."

Jia She himself was doing it.

He didn't even notice the two blisters on his hands.

His father and uncle relinquished their military power to reassure the retired emperor and to protect their descendants.

But now?
These bastards, how dare they do this in broad daylight!
He was worried about his sister-in-law who had been taken away by the frightened horse, worried about his cousin at Taixuan Temple, and worried about Zhen'er who was rushing there.

Things can't be that coincidental.

"Aaaaah, you bastard!"

After the guards finally managed to wound one of the men, Jia She frantically threw things at him.

The servants of Rongguo Mansion followed suit and rushed forward as quickly as possible.

Bang bang bang~~~~
Click~
"Ah~~~~"

The injured man in black was quickly beaten so badly that his legs and arms were broken by Jia She's servants.

"Hit him again!"

Jia She, his eyes blazing with fury, pointed at another man in black.

The man in black, who was being watched, shuddered, but soon stones and fire sticks were all thrown at him.

"The wind is tight, pull!"

The opportunity has been created, and the work on Lao San's side is almost done.

He disregarded his captured and wounded companions and charged into the woods where their horses were hidden.

With the leader gone, the other four naturally wouldn't linger in the fight either.

huh~
The guard Fan Daming was filled with hatred. He swung his broadsword at the slightly injured and less agile man in black.

Pfft~~
A head rolled away, spurting out a large amount of blood. The body slammed to the ground with a thud, still trembling from time to time.

Fan Daming rode up, leaned forward, grabbed his broadsword, and followed his teammates toward the path, saying, "Master, this place is yours."

"Go, go, go now!"

Although Jia She also wanted to go, he knew he couldn't be as fast as them. "We'll wait for you here."

It's okay, nothing will happen.

Jia She swallowed hard and said to the two servants, "You two, ride up and catch up with Zhen'er right now, and tell him to be careful, something has happened here."

The two servants quickly mounted their horses and chased after Jia Zhen.

"As long as he is safe and sound, I will reward him handsomely when he returns."

Fearing they might not do their best, Jia She shouted for a generous reward.

Even so, he was still uneasy.

Those with fighting ability and agility all fled, but he...

"Master, something terrible has happened! This man has taken poison."

The man in black, whose arms and legs had been broken, bit open the poison hidden in his teeth. He was writhing in pain, his face contorted in agony.

Meanwhile, facing the three men in black who were getting closer and closer, Shen Ning knew she couldn't hold out any longer. She seemed to resign herself to her fate and sat down. In fact, she used the soft cushion to block the men's view and lit her flintlock pistol with a tinderbox.

The recoil of a musket is still quite strong.

After obtaining it, she fired several shots while Jia Zhen was setting off fireworks.

just now……

“Madam Shen, if you want a quick death, tell your men to put down the whip.”

The woman holding the whip seemed to be quite skilled.

"otherwise……"

Before she could finish speaking, Shen Ning, having calculated the distance and direction, suddenly raised her hand and fired a shot at the other party with a 'bang'.

The distance between the two sides was no more than four meters. The musket was aimed at the opponent's chest, and its power directly knocked the opponent over.

With a 'thud,' he fell backward and slid a meter away, and at that moment, Wen Peilan's whip also moved.

Bang bang~~
Snap snap snap~~~~
The whip was sometimes long and sometimes short. The first few lashes were aimed at the hands of the two men holding knives, knocking their knives away. Then the whip would lash out again, flinging the knives far away.

Ignoring the numbness and pain in her right arm from the shock, Shen Ning quickly loaded gunpowder again.

The two men in black were startled by the sudden turn of events and caught off guard. By the time they reacted and tried to seize the whip, the musket was aimed again, and bang!
"Ahhh~~~~"

The man in black, shot in the abdomen, had a contorted face.

The way he looked at Shen Ning was as if he wanted to devour her flesh and drink her blood.

They have her information.

Wen Peilan, who wields a whip, is a bodyguard from the Weiwu Escort Agency. Although he is quite skilled, any one of them could take Shen's life if they were to entangle her for a while.

But damn it, how could a noblewoman from the inner quarters of the household like Madam Shen know how to use a gun?
in case……

Whoosh~
Wen Peilan, who had forced another man in black back with a kick, swung her whip around his neck and pulled hard.

Because she had a responsibility to protect him, Wen Peilan dared not relax her vigilance in the slightest.

She knew that her wife had obtained a musket from a missionary.

She had seen people use this thing in the south.

But those are for men.

now……

Although their side seemed to be fine, an abdominal injury was still a far cry from death. What if the other side risked their lives to bite off a piece of their flesh?
Wen Peilan saw him off without hesitation.

The moment the whip was lashed out, the man in black's neck was dislocated, and he died instantly.

This this?

The last remaining man in black never expected this turn of events.

They clearly had an absolute advantage, so how could this be?
In a flash, he swiftly activated the hidden arrow in his sleeve.

Unfortunately, after firing several arrows, only one remains.

huh~
The timing of this arrow was perfect; it struck just as Wen Peilan's old strength was exhausted and her new strength had not yet arisen, making it impossible for her to use her whip to rescue Shen Ning. *Clang!*
Shen Ning lifted up the soft chair.

Because Jia Zhen was stabbed, a lesson was learned, and a sheet of iron was placed in the middle of the soft cushion.

As expected, the arrow did not penetrate.

But it also startled her so much that her heart was pounding.

huh~
shhhhh~~~
Wen Peilan was also terrified at that moment, and lashed the man with the whip.

Although Shen Ning was panicked, she didn't know if there were any more men in black behind her, so she hurriedly loaded ammunition and set up the fuse.

"Just you wait, now that we've settled this score, I won't let you off the hook."

The sound of horses' hooves could already be heard in the distance.

Judging from the voice, the man in black suspected it was a guard from the Jia family. His broadsword had been thrown away by the woman surnamed Wen, so there was no point in him staying here now.

He narrowly avoided several lashes, then leaped and disappeared into the forest.

"Madam~"

Wen Peilan didn't chase after her, but hurriedly turned around to check on her.

"I'm fine!"

Shen Ning's complexion was actually quite bad, but she still tried her best to stand up while holding onto the soft cushions, "Let's see Jinshan who's rushing to catch the carriage."

"...I'll take you there."

Wen Peilan paused for a moment, her voice unusually soft.

Since entering the Jia family, everything she has seen has been quite different from what she had imagined.

The Ningguo Mansion has few masters, but a large number of maids, old women, and servants.

She used to think this family was extremely extravagant, but now... she feels that for most ordinary people, being a servant in the Jia family is actually an extremely good job.

The Jia family provided clothing for all four seasons, food, lodging, and a monthly allowance.

That's not all; they also teach literature and martial arts. Those with talent in martial arts can serve as guards in the prefecture and have a better future.

Even if you can't take the path of the prefectural guard, as long as you are willing to learn and are good at using an abacus, it is said that you can also become a manager or shop assistant in the Jia family's shops outside.

Just like the little maids in the inner courtyard.

I spend at least half an hour practicing calligraphy every day. If I want to learn embroidery, I have the talent and can endure hardship, so I go straight to the sewing room.

Even Aunt Li's cooking style is something that anyone who's interested can learn.

It is said that if someone is willing to write down a recipe, the lady will give them ten taels of silver.

It can be said that the Jia family treated their servants extremely well.

They were not yet completely out of danger. The lady's legs were trembling as she walked, but she was still concerned about the servant who had fallen into the ditch.

Wen Peilan felt that it was worth it to risk her life for such a person.

Jinshan, lying in the ditch, had an arrow in his shoulder, one leg bent abnormally, many abrasions on his face, and was unconscious. He looked extremely injured.

"Madam! Madam..."

"Xu~"

Fan Daming and his two companions rode up to them on horseback, asking, "Madam, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, but Jinshan is seriously injured."

Shen Ning said, "We have to carry him."

"I come!"

The three men who dismounted quickly found the carriage that Wen Peilan had kicked off. Before they carried Jinshan up the hill, Wen Peilan had already found a quilt and another soft chair in the broken carriage that had rolled down the hillside.

A few people tidied up and made him more comfortable.

"Madam, Master She and a few servants are still waiting for us over there."

Fan Daming said, "Can you ride a horse with Miss Wen? If not, I'll go back and catch the carriage right away."

"can!"

There's nothing you can't do.

When the original owner of this body was young, he learned to ride horses from Jia Jing.

Shen Ning had ridden the bicycle to tourist attractions a few times during her modern-day life.

What's more, Wen Peilan was there to guide her this time.

Shen Ning was eager to return home, but she was worried about her eldest son.

And Jia Jing too!

She didn't know whether he was genuinely feverish or if something had already happened to him.

Horses come fast and go fast.

The snowflakes in the sky grew larger.

Shen Ning's cloak was wrapped tightly around her, but even so, the wind felt like steel needles scraping her cheeks.

She lowered her head involuntarily.

"My wife, hold me tight."

Wen Peilan straightened her back even more, trying her best to shield her from the wind and rain, "We'll be there soon."

……

The capital city, Shuntian Prefecture.

As Dong Xiaoquan sipped his hot tea and reviewed the case files, he noticed that the weather was getting colder and colder, and the number of patrol personnel from all sides was actually increasing.

We really have to increase it.

When it's cold, people like to warm themselves by the fire.

But water and fire have always been merciless.

If we don't keep an eye on things, a large area in the south of the city could be burned down.

He had just written "approved" on the file requesting an increased budget when hurried footsteps rushed in.

"My lord, something terrible has happened! Madam Shen of the Ningguo Mansion has been attacked, and her fate is unknown."

what?
Dong Xiaoquan stood up abruptly, shouting, "When and where? Someone, sound the gong!"

The sounding of the gong is an emergency assembly signal.

In an instant, all the yamen runners of Shuntian Prefecture were busy.

At this time, a team from the Five Cities Garrison, which was the first to receive the news, had already headed to the scene of the incident.

However, Grandmother Jia and Jia Min were worried about not having enough manpower, so they did not return to the mansion. Relying on their status, they waited at the West Gate for the Five City Garrison to send more men to rescue people.

Soon, another thirty people braved the wind and snow to leave the city.

By the time Chief Constable Lu of Shuntian Prefecture came out, half an hour had already passed.

The driver explained the approximate location, and then wiped away his sweat.

"Grandma, shall we go back to the manor now?"

"...go to the palace."

After a moment of silence, Grandmother Jia finally uttered those three words.

Although there is no evidence to prove that it was the Prince of Jin who did it, those in power often do not need evidence.

She could choose not to mention the Prince of Jin; she could go and weep and plead her case.

She wanted the Emperor Emeritus to investigate personally.

The Jia family has done right by the Emperor Emeritus.

If the retired emperor doesn't investigate, the current emperor must.

"Mother!"

Jia Min's eyes betrayed her sorrow. "Are you looking for the Emperor?"

"Find the Emperor Emeritus!"

The Jia family were long-serving officials.

The Jia family is utterly loyal.

The retired emperor entrusted even the crown prince's remaining bloodline outside to the Jia family, indicating a certain degree of reliance on them.

The old lady didn't believe he could just ignore it all.

"I have to go cry to him."

The Prince of Jin has gone too far in bullying people.

"I need to find Consort Zhen and ask her what the Jia family has done to wrong her."

She didn't need evidence; she just needed the Emperor Emeritus to see that the Jia family suspected Prince Jin.

"Your sister-in-law..."

Tears streamed down Grandmother Jia's face. "And your eldest brother and Zhen'er, they really can't be harmed!"

If something happens to them, how will she explain it to her ancestors?

She would never be able to face the Duke again.

"Quickly! To the palace!"

Grandmother Jia sniffed, not daring to cry too hard at this moment.

Tears should flow where they should flow.

"Feng'er, send two more people to deliver the message, one to Lian'er and one to Zhu'er."