The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 199 Sorrow (First Update)
At the Tai Xuan Temple, in a separate courtyard, Jia Zhen came up crying, but his father was already gone, and his mother…

"Mommy~~~~, I don't have a father anymore, waaaaaah~~~waaaah~~~~~"

Jia Zhen crawled and sobbed towards his mother, who was gathering the broken bricks. "You can't abandon us too! Waaah~~~, don't scare your son~~~"

"Don't cry!"

Shen Ning, who had driven everyone out, was trembling violently as she cleaned up the place brick by brick, tile by tile.

She fired five shots today, and her entire right arm and shoulder were numb and painful from the recoil of the musket.

Now we're picking up bricks and tiles...

The pain was indescribable.

Everything from joints to muscles is screaming in pain.

But if she doesn't do it, who will?
What if we let someone else do it and they run into the authorities there?
There were also corpses.

Although there was a vague sense of unease here, Shen Ning always held onto a sliver of hope.

There were some things Jia Jing had never told the original owner of this body, but through various memories, she knew that there was someone protecting him all along.

However, that person was not on the Jia family's list.

But back then, when Prince Teng's horse was startled, it was almost that person who made the move.

Shen Ning didn't know whether Jia Jing had the ability to save him or shove a corpse into the house, given that he demanded to die there.

She had to clean it up herself, and if anything was amiss, she would try her best to cover it up.

Being a night soil collector at the Tai Xuan Temple, constantly under surveillance, was not what Jia Jing desired.

The only reason he stayed here obediently was because of the Jia family.

If he could fake his death and escape... it might be better for him.

"Your father doesn't like people crying."

"Woo~"

Jia Zhen quickly wiped away his tears.

His father really didn't like people crying. When he hit him, the more he cried, the harder he hit him.

"He only has us..."

Shen Ning was so tired that she barely had the strength to speak.

"If you feel sorry for me and your dad, then clean up together."

"Mother~"

Jia Zhen shed tears again, "It's enough that my son is here, you should rest."

Father must be dead; he can smell the burning flesh.

Woohoo~
How painful it must have been for my father to die!
Jia Zhen, who had been burned by sparks while warming himself by the fire, knew how painful it was to be burned.

Although he had a shoulder injury, he was protected in the carriage after the incident.

He has strength.

Jia Zhenqiang helped his mother sit down on the steps and then picked up the broken bricks and tiles himself.

Chief Constable Lu and Lord Zhu Si came over and took a look around. Smelling the odor and seeing Shen Ning's distraught appearance, they both sighed slightly.

Jia Jing was so capable back then, serving the Crown Prince and excelling in both literature and martial arts. Who would have thought... he would follow the same path as the Crown Prince.

The two of them silently stepped back, trying their best to show respect!

They interrogated everyone at the monastery and investigated all the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Forty men in black appeared out of nowhere, killing two people immediately and searching for Jia Jing, but Jia Jing had vanished without a trace.

But they surrounded the Taoist temple, as if they knew for certain that Jia Jing was inside...

Chief Constable Lu and Lord Zhu both suppressed their suspicions.

I also subconsciously avoid touching it.

After all, those in the capital who didn't trust Jia Jing were the ones mentioned above.

Both of them had their own guesses about why he finally showed up.

The Taoist temple is only so big, and someone has already died for him; he can't expect everyone to die for him.

Survival is a human instinct. The people in the Taoist temple... seeing their teachers being killed one by one, must have been on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Even if he doesn't come forward voluntarily, someone will risk their life to expose him.

By showing himself, he can preserve his last shred of dignity.

"I need to report back on the situation here immediately."

Zhu Si said, "Lord Lu, I'll leave this to you for now. Is there anything you'd like me to deliver to Lord Dong?"

"Hmm, ready."

Chief Constable Lu raised his hand, and the clerk who had been taking notes hurriedly stepped forward.

"Please, Lord Zhu, give this to our master."

Although most of the murderers have been brought to justice, they still need to keep track of the real mastermind behind the scenes.

After all, colluding with Japanese pirates is a serious crime.

What's more, the person they killed was Jia Jing, whom the Crown Prince valued most when he was alive.

If the Crown Prince is well, he and Jia Jing will surely be able to get along like elders, with the relationship between ruler and subject being harmonious.

Hey~
Chief Constable Lu sighed softly as he watched the large group of Jia family members finally arrive.

From the direction of the villa, a deafening cry filled the air.

"Grandma, Grandma~~~, Waaah~, my grandfather..."

Rong-ge'er dotes on his grandmother the most.

His grandmother, covered in dust, her hands trembling as she picked up bricks and wood, broke his heart...

"Don't cry, sweetie!"

Shen Ning hugged Rong-ge'er, who was crawling over crying, and looked at Jia Zhu and Jia Lian, who were also crying and wanted to come and help, and stopped them, saying, "Let our family handle things here with your uncle. You...you go back to the capital, go back to the capital to buy a better coffin, and there are funeral arrangements...to be made."

As she watched the place draw ever closer, her heart pounded with anxiety.

"There's no need for a big celebration; your uncle... doesn't like it!"

It absolutely cannot be Jia Jing!

There are many graves on this mountain, could we steal one?

She had Jiao Da secretly send someone to tell her about the Prince of Jin sending people to steal letters from her home.

Jia Jing is so smart, he would have made some preparations, right?
Most definitely.

If he hadn't done it, how could he have deserved the Crown Prince's high regard over the years?
With the crown prince gone, the retired emperor, for the sake of his throne and the safety of his other sons, did not even allow him to inherit the title, which shows that they all recognized his abilities.

Since you have the ability, it shouldn't be difficult to fake your death and escape, right?

Anyway, if Shen Ning were here, she would definitely fake her death to escape.

The world is vast, even going out to sea is better than shoveling manure here.

Shen Ning was quite sad.

Whether it's Jia Jing from "Dream of the Red Chamber" or Jia Jing here, they are both pitiful people.

Born into a noble family, he abandoned martial arts for literature and passed the imperial examination on his own, but ended up wasting his life in this Taoist temple.

So many useless people in the Jia family, each one bullying men and women, taking on lawsuits, having affairs with concubines, and competing to squander money... yet they live well, living a comfortable and prosperous life.

Jia Jing didn't care about anything. At that time, he was probably extremely disheartened by the ways of the world and human relationships.

"Go ahead and bring up more firewood. Since your uncle wants to make a big splash, then make it clean and simple... a big splash."

If it's not cooked properly, then cook it again.

This world... is not worth it for Jia Jing.

Burn it thoroughly, so that if anything happens, it can't be detected.

……

In the Shou Kang Palace in the capital, someone was weeping softly.

The retired emperor still hasn't woken up, and even if he does, it's probably too late...

Prince Cheng and his companions became much more cautious in front of the emperor.

When they learned that this matter was caused by the Prince of Jin, everyone involuntarily distanced themselves from him.

With their father around, even if they make a fuss, at most their father will reprimand them, confine them to their quarters, or fine them.

After all, since the death of his elder brother, the Crown Prince, the old man was strict with them on the surface but lenient on the inside, as long as it didn't involve the throne.

But now...

If the retired emperor cannot recover, then his brothers will take over.

They were now subjects, no longer sons or brothers.

They, as the elder brothers, had never given the emperor any benefits.

No, no, no, Prince Cheng was still thinking about the things he had done to bully him. When they were children, one could say they were immature and could move on, but after he became emperor…

The princes would have been fine if they hadn't taken stock of the situation, but once they did, they all wished they could transform into filial sons and hurry up and make the retired emperor recover.

The old man can't leave in such a hurry.

They all act according to the old man's wishes.

For the past six months or so...

In the past six months, the emperor has unknowingly become more powerful than them, and they haven't even had a chance to cooperate or give him enough face.

The old man should at least hold on for another two years, so that they can set a good example for the emperor in court and put his mind at ease.

He was relieved, and that made them safe.

To make things look good in historical records, he would not easily kill his brother.

but now……

Everyone wore a look of fear on their face.

Even the Prince of Jin was one of them.

He never expected that when he messed with the Jia family, the Dong family would sue him like that.

How to do?
The Prince of Jin's mind was racing as he tried to come up with a solution.

Could he strike first and chop that guy surnamed Dong to pieces?

He wronged him and even harmed his father in this way; he deserves to be torn to pieces.

Yes, that's it.

The Prince of Jin's eyes searched for his father's favorite sword, and when he found it hanging in front of the tent, he couldn't help but want to walk over.

Just then, Eunuch Liu rushed in, "Your Majesty!"

He gasped for breath, “Someone colluded with the Japanese pirates and stormed into Taixuan Temple. Jia Jing is dead.”

what?
The palace fell silent instantly.

Many people can understand why Jia Jing was killed.

After all, his relationship with the Crown Prince was extraordinary.

He's a capable man; if we don't keep him in check, what if he seeks revenge on the Crown Prince later...?

Back then, they each added fuel to the fire regarding the Crown Prince's affair.

With Jia Jing dead, they felt more at ease, but what about colluding with the Japanese pirates...?
Is this something humans do?
Although the great Zhao's powerful enemy is in the north, the Japanese pirates... we can't let them grow too powerful!

The previous dynasty is a clear example.

How much tax revenue did Jiangnan lose because of the Japanese pirates?

Although many of the later Japanese pirates were created by certain individuals themselves, they were still threatening the very foundation of the nation.

Therefore, the previous dynasty grew weaker and weaker, and was invaded by foreign enemies.

How many years has their Great Zhao Kingdom been established?

When they were young, their teachers were all great scholars. They knew all the principles that needed to be understood.
When Prince Cheng first looked at Prince Jin, the Emperor was also looking at Prince Jin.

Prince Jin: “…”

His face looked extremely pale.

Why should everyone look at him?

He wanted Jia Jing dead, and he even said that if they didn't have enough manpower, they could find outside help, but...

Could it be my uncle?

"emperor!"

He said in a particularly loud voice, "Where is this place? This is the Emperor Emeritus's Shou Kang Palace. What is Jia Jing? He's dead, so be it. That guy surnamed Dong has angered Father Emperor so much, we sons can't just let this go, can we?"

As he spoke, he took a few steps forward, intending to seize the sword.

"What are you doing? Take him down!"

At the emperor's shout, Dai Quan was the first to step forward and lead his men to subdue the Prince of Jin.

"Prince Jin, is this a place where you distort the truth and act so recklessly?"

The emperor watched as the eunuchs pressed him to the ground, but did not order him to be dragged away immediately.

Instead, he asked Liu An, "Was Jia Jing killed by Japanese pirates?"

"……no!"

Liu An hurriedly shook his head, "The black-clad men who colluded with the Japanese pirates surrounded Tai Xuan Temple. Jia Jing hid first, and they killed people in Tai Xuan Temple to force him to show himself. He had no choice but to show himself, but he said that he was a star in the sky and that even if he died, he would die gloriously. So those people tied him up, threw him into the Jia family's villa over there, poured oil on him, and set him on fire."

"..."

"..."

The place was a little quiet.

The princes were all somewhat sensitive to fire.

The crown prince set a fire back then.

Now Jia Jing is following the same path...

"Evil son..."

The retired emperor woke up and happened to hear it.

He felt an indescribable pain and regret for the 'fire'. Upon hearing this, he was so angry that he sat up abruptly, pointing at the Prince of Jin who was being held down on the ground, panting heavily.

He wanted to swear, but...

His son's face was pressed to the ground like that by the eunuch...

The retired emperor made a gurgling sound in his throat and collapsed again.

"Father! Father, Father..."

Shou Kang Palace suddenly descended into chaos again.

The imperial physicians, who had been relegated to a side hall, were urgently summoned back.

At the same time, Jia She also arrived home.

He was disheveled, covered in blood from the murder, and had been seen by countless people along the way.

However, he didn't cry in front of outsiders, but once he entered Ningrong Street and saw the "Imperial Decree Ningguo Mansion" and the two large stone lions in front of the gate, he couldn't hold back anymore and cried loudly.

My older brother is gone.

From then on, no one could hold up the sky for him anymore.

Those who followed him to inquire about the situation, hearing how heartbroken he was, couldn't help but guess that, apart from those who were still at home, the entire eldest branch of the Jia family was gone.

When Grandmother Jia, who was reclining on the couch waiting for news, heard her son crying like that, her heart pounded and she immediately felt unwell.

Fortunately, Wang Xifeng was afraid that bad news would come and the old lady would not be able to bear it. Although she could not invite the imperial physician, she invited Manager Chen of Huichuntang.

Manager Chen quickly gave the old lady acupuncture and brought over the herbal medicine that had been brewed earlier, which she then drank.

"Mother, it was Brother Jing who went."

Jia Min wept, "My sister-in-law wants Yue'er to go over there."

Yue'er has never met her older brother since she was born.

But Jia Min knew the extent to which the couple had wanted a second child.

Even if the eldest brother later worried that his sister-in-law was too old and that childbirth would be dangerous, and disliked Xiao Yue'er, he would still be happy when she gave birth safely.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so willing to hand over his private savings so readily.

His sister-in-law said to take off her clothes, so he let her.

Isn't it just that I want to do what she wants?
Want to coax her?
But after the child was born, he never saw him.

He carries manure to Taixuan Temple every day...

“Mother, you are not well. Let’s go tomorrow. I… I will take Madam You and Yue’er with me.”

"How could he be gone? He was so young!"

Grandmother Jia's tears streamed down her face.

Although he wasn't her son, she treated him like her own son.

He was also more promising and sensible than her two sons, if it weren't for...

Grandmother Jia cried uncontrollably and stuffed a string of Buddhist prayer beads that she always carried with her into her daughter's hand, saying, "Yue'er is still young, you take this and let her wear it."

Children are prone to illness, and in this cold weather, if something were to happen..., Mrs. Shen would probably have to go with them.

"Tell your sister-in-law that I'm going to see her tomorrow. She has to be well."

Her body really can't take it.

If anything happens to her again, this family is finished.

"You should try to persuade her, at least think of Yue'er and Rong-ge'er."

It's the last day of 2024. Thank you to all the readers who have been with me all this time! Thank you!! Two updates today, the second one will be in the evening.