The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 206 Iron Threshold Temple (A 6,000-word chapter as a reward for the 10,000-coin donation from reader Fufu i who eats cherries)
When there's plenty left behind, one forgets to hold back; when there's no way forward, one thinks of turning back.

Every character in the couplets at Tiekan Temple is so forceful, as if they are speaking to their descendants, and also to themselves.

Shen Ning paused in front of the temple gate for a moment, then finally went inside.

People in this era valued returning to their roots. The Jia family members who died in the capital would have their bodies laid to rest here until a geomancer determined the best location, at which point they would be transported thousands of miles back to their ancestral home for burial.

That's actually not so bad...

Children born in Beijing can only participate in the funeral procession and... tracing their roots when their elders' coffins are taken back for burial.

Upon entering this era, Shen Ning suddenly discovered that the ancient practice of observing three years of mourning was not just about filial piety, but also a kind of faith.

We have faith in our ancestors and in this land.

They'll say it's thanks to their ancestors, and they'll say it's in their own eyes!
Shen Ning sighed softly to herself.

The fast pace of modern life leaves no time for reflection; in just a few decades, we have covered the ground that Western countries took one or two hundred years to traverse.

Everyone was forced to run forward, but how much blood and tears were shed along the way?
Shen Ning placed folded gold ingots into the brazier one by one. Xiao Yue'er, held by Rong Ge'er, also took the gold ingots from his hand and put them into the brazier, making babbling noises.

She found it interesting and fun, but to outsiders...

"Grandmother, Father, my aunt, and I are here. You're not feeling well, so please go and rest!"

Rong-ge'er felt very sorry for his grandmother, fearing that her emotional state would affect her health again.

"Ahhh~~"

In the firelight, Xiao Yue'er also learned from her eldest nephew and spoke to her mother.

Shen Ning reached out and touched her little face.

The little guy was even happier, waving his little hands around nonstop.

For several days in a row, her mother didn't hold her.

Finally, her mother touched her with her hand, and she couldn't help but want her mother to hug her.

Shen Ning naturally couldn't hug him.

Her throat was still sore, and she felt weak and listless.

This illness seems to have given me several more gray hairs. The health I painstakingly built up over the past six months has been largely destroyed in just a few days.

"Yue'er is still young, just burn a few, don't let her get burned by the sparks."

Shen Ning stood up and said to Madam You, who had finished tidying everything up, "And you all, be careful with fire."

"Don't worry, Mother!"

Madam You nodded hurriedly, "Your room is the first one on the left in the inner courtyard."

She had just finished tidying up the houses for the elders with her maids.

After all, I don't come to this place often.

Although someone cleans every day, the bedding and other items brought from home still need to be re-laid up.

As soon as Shen Ning entered the room, hot water and hot towels were all prepared.

Even the medicine being brewed on the carriage will be ready soon.

She washed her face and hands, drank the medicine she had just brewed, and then lay down obediently.

Illness comes like a landslide, but recovery is like pulling silk from a cocoon—this is no joke.

While she was fast asleep, Jia Jing finally made his way around to the back of the temple.

Unfortunately, the back gate was already under the watchful eyes of the guards, and he even saw that old man Jiao Da patrolling around.

Jia Jing sighed softly.

Home—he can never go back here… If he can’t get in today, he’ll never have the chance again.

Should we tell Jiao Da?

Shen could deduce from that house that he wasn't dead, and that Jiao Da had personally dug the tunnel there... Didn't he have any doubts at all?
Jia Jing was hesitating whether to try to call Jiao Da and ask him to do him a favor so he could see his wife and daughters when Jiao Da came out through the back door.

The old man had practically watched Jia Jing grow up, so hearing that he was gone was incredibly painful for him.

However, after hearing where he died and how his wife cleaned up the mess herself, brick by brick, she had a pretty good idea of ​​what had happened.

hum~
Is he getting senile?
If a wife gets sick, it's most likely due to being both sick and frightened.

After all, she was spoiled since childhood.

She fired a gun, killed people, five people in total. Normally, she would have been vomiting for days, let alone that day when she had to cover for the master and collect the bodies of people she didn't even know.

Jiao Da observed everything along the way.

There were quite a few onlookers, but how many of them actually managed to chase the crowd out of the capital and end up at the Iron Threshold Temple?

"Everyone, stay alert! There are so many people around today, we can't afford to make any mistakes."

Jiao Da spoke loudly, as if he hadn't seen Jia Jing, "I'll relieve you two tonight, then you can get some rest."

"..."

Jia Jing quickly shrank back.

The fewer people who know he's still alive, the better.

He didn't want to see his son, but he wanted to see his daughter.

He couldn't keep those tiny handprints and footprints from when the moon was full.

That day, when he faked his death, all he heard was his daughter crying. The little girl probably wanted her mother to hold her, but her mother was busy, and she looked so pitiful...

It's fine when I don't think about it, but once I do, my heart gets hooked.

Jia Jing huddled behind the tree, waiting silently.

Time seems to have been stretched out infinitely today.

Jia Jing waited anxiously for nightfall, and Jiao Da waited anxiously for his turn.

Finally, when the night was deep and quiet, the old man came out wearing a large, thick cloak.

Jiao Da strolled over, pretending to urinate under a tree. "If you don't want to see me, that's fine," he said in a low voice. "Old man, I'm leaving."

"See!"

Jia Jing quickly replied.

slap~
A bundle was thrown over.

"Hurry up and change your clothes, servant."

"Thank you!"

Jia Jing quickly took off his clothes and changed, then went through the back door along the corner of the wall.

"Wait, Madam is burning paper money for Master."

Jiao Da lowered his voice and said, "He said it was his last night with the master."

"..."

Jia Jing understood, bowed deeply, and carefully avoided the guards as he went inside.

In fact, Shen Ning was also wondering if Jia Jing would find an opportunity to come and take a look.

Today is the only chance, otherwise...

Shen Ning put the paper money into the brazier one by one.

There are only fourteen days left until the Chinese New Year. The weather is particularly cold, but it's a little warmer around the brazier.

"Mrs!"

Jiao Da, who had left the back door to the patrol personnel, strode over and said, "This old servant is outside."

The old man didn't want to come, but Jia Jing was hiding, and it wouldn't be good if he suddenly appeared in the mourning hall and frightened the lady.

"Huh? Oh~"

Shen Ning was surprised that the old man was still awake so late.

The old man didn't ask her about Jia Jing's death, and of course she wouldn't take the initiative to tell him.

Some things are better left unsaid.

"It's cold, would you like to come in and sit down?"

"it's me!"

Jia Jing entered through the side door in a soft voice, "Let Jiao Da keep watch outside!"

Shen Ning: "..."

She put more paper money into the brazier and asked, "Do you need some money?"

She brought it.

She brought not only ten silver notes of varying denominations, but also ten gold leaves.

Shen Ning took out a bulging purse from a hidden pocket in her cloak and threw it at him, saying, "Don't come back again."

Jia Jing caught it, and naturally stuffed the purse, still warm from his wife's body, into his arms. "I know," he said softly. "I just... wanted to come back to see you, to see Yue'er."

Is it mainly about Jia Yue?

Shen Ning looked at Jia Jing, who was much thinner and darker than the last time she saw him, and paused slightly. "Where... do you want to go in the future?"

"I want to... go to Japan to have a look."

If Lanzhi and the others hadn't arrived in time that day, his wife and son would have been gone.

Even knowing that his wife and children were safe, Jia Jing was still filled with lingering fear upon hearing the news.

"Kill a few people to avenge you and Zhen'er."

They're all gone, only Rong-ge'er and Xiao-yue'er are left. How will they grow up?

We can't do anything to the Prince of Jin for the time being, but that doesn't mean he can't go to Japan.

"..."

Shen Ning lowered her head and burned the paper money again.

Japan!
She dreamed of getting rid of that place. "Do you believe me?"

"nature!"

Jia Jing was puzzled; why would she ask such a question?

"...I had a dream in which my whole family died at the hands of the Japanese."

Outside the door, Jiao Da, who seemed to be emboldening her, paced back and forth as if he heard her say, "First it was Lin's brother-in-law's family, then it was our family. They have inside help up there."

Both Jia Jing and Jiao Da suspected that she was referring to the Prince of Jin.

In fact, Jia Min did encounter danger when she returned to Beijing.

The Li family colluded with Japanese pirates. If it weren't for Shen Ning sending people to help them one after another, the entire family of three would have perished, and Lin Ruhai would have lost his wife and children... He might have really gone with them.

Jia Jing lowered his eyes and slowly clenched his fist.

"They are a knife in that person's hand, but the knife is too sharp, and sometimes it can hurt its master."

Shen Ning could only make up a story for Jia Jing.

Write a story that is extremely tragic.

“Since the Tang Dynasty, Japan has referred to itself as a vassal state. They have learned everything from us. However, when the Jurchens invaded the previous dynasty, they also began to covet this place.”

Shen Ning said, "In my dream, after Zhen'er and I died, Madam You died of an illness. I was worried about Yue'er, so my spirit stayed by her side and watched Rong-ge'er struggle to raise her. At that time, many families in the capital were like us and were slowly dealt with."

Later, as Yue'er grew older, the Prince of Nan'an suffered a defeat in the south, and the Tatars in the north were also making moves. Therefore, the Dowager Princess of Nan'an took Yue'er to marry into a foreign land in place of their child.

"..."

"..."

Jia Jing could hardly believe it and suddenly looked up.

Shen Ning closed her eyes briefly, then continued, "That year... there was a great famine, and people ate each other."

Jiao Da, who was pacing outside, stopped. The veins on his hand holding the waist knife bulged, and his eyes, which were like copper bells, flashed with a fierce light.

What does it mean when people eat each other during a great famine?
Others may not know, but he does.

Those years were filled with natural disasters and man-made calamities. When the Jurchens invaded, in order to kill the Han people, there was first the Yangzhou Massacre, and then the Jiading Massacre...

When Emperor Taizu raised his army, his two brothers followed him closely.

Because of half a piece of steamed bun, he joined the army at the age of twelve.

Shen Ning continued, "Both the south and the north are in chaos. Even the Russians want to get involved, and the Japanese, through that person's connections, want a piece of the pie..."

This was the fact that happened later.

"The Japanese have been in Jiangnan for over a hundred years, so they understand us better. They have successfully turned some people against us in Dazhao and occupied a larger territory."

Shen Ning continued to add paper to the brazier, saying, "Da Zhao is in complete chaos, and Yue'er, who is representing Da Zhao in a marriage alliance, is finding life increasingly difficult."

When the nest is destroyed, how can the eggs remain intact?

"After she fell ill, there was no medical help or medicine available. I was heartbroken and woke up."

Shen Ning looked at Jia Jing, "This dream was too terrifying, so I wanted to make a change, but even though I did, those Japanese pirates still came." She paused here, "Since you've decided to go there, then avenge me, Zhen'er, and Min's mother and child who escaped death. If you have the ability, do more."

"……it is good!"

Jia Jing slowly nodded.

“You haven’t even seen Yue’er since she was born,” Shen Ning said, her eyes stinging with tears from the smoke. “Wait, I’ll bring her over so you can take a good look at her and remember her.”

Jia Jing: "..."

His little Yue'er!

Jia Jing's heart suddenly burned with excitement.

He shrank into the shadows, waiting for his precious daughter.

Not long after, Jia Yue, who was fast asleep, was carried out by Shen Ning.

She didn't let the wet nurse come with her, only saying that she would come and keep her company for half an hour before sending her back.

The little child, bundled up thickly, seemed to sense something as they walked along, blinked their eyes, and actually woke up.

"Ahh~~"

The little girl's voice carried a unique vitality in the quiet night.

"woke up?"

The little girl was chubby from being raised by her mother, and she had a small dimple when she smiled.

Shen Ning tapped her little nose, "That's it, smile more, and don't cry."

She carried the child and walked towards Jia Jing, saying, "Let me hug you!"

"Eh~"

When Jia Jing picked up his precious little darling, whom he and his father had longed for for many years but never received, his eyes welled up with tears.

His daughter was born to his wife at great personal risk.

"Yue'er~, I'm your father!"

He gently pressed his cheek against the little girl's and whispered, "Be good, grow up well."

No one can bully his daughter.

In the lady's dream, she didn't know where he had gone.

Or perhaps they're not even in Beijing at all, otherwise...

"Ahhhh~~~"

Jia Yue stretched out her little hand and grabbed her father's beard.

Her older brother, Jia Zhen, often held her and played with her, but his beard was difficult to pull.

Jia Yue had pulled Jiao Da's beard before, and he had pulled Jia She's beard before. Now, pulling Jia Jing's beard was incredibly easy.

"Hey, you've got quick hands!"

Jia Jing didn't snatch it or dodge it; he just smiled and let his daughter pull his hair. "Does she usually pull your hair?"

"nature!"

Besides the main gate guarded by Jiao Da, Shen Ning closed all the other doors to the mourning hall. "She still likes to grab things from people's ears, so now we have to be extra careful when we hold her."

If you're not careful, she might pull you so hard it hurts.

"...Yue'er is like you."

Shen Ning: "..."

She didn't think it looked like anything.

Grandma said she was a very well-behaved child.

But what about Jia Yue?
Occasionally, when I visited Ningcui Pavilion to watch my sisters read, they would always put away all their fragile items, writing implements, and the like.

Even so, she tore up many of her sisters' assignments.

Shen Ning originally intended to collect those items.

As a result, this little devil caused so much trouble.

Before sending the children over, Shen Ning now makes sure to collect their homework from her.

"While I'm away, please be more considerate of her."

While holding his daughter and rocking her, Jia Jing whispered, "Give her everything that your father and mother wanted to love but didn't get to."

Compared to her brother Jia Zhen, this child is so pitiful.

"……Um!"

When someone asks her to dote on her daughter, how could she refuse?

Shen Ning nodded, "If you cause too much trouble in Japan and can't make it there anymore, you can go to Russia for a visit. I heard that it's a very, very big country, and it borders many other countries. Go and explore it, and if you're satisfied, have someone write back to tell us. It'll be as if... I've been there with you."

"it is good!"

Jia Jing nodded.

Surprisingly, he actually knows a few words of the Rakshasa language.

"If you don't have enough money, come back."

Poor families travel richly.

Shen Ning explained, "I was able to kill five men in black this time thanks to the missionaries' muskets. Their muskets are shorter than our firearms. Try to get a couple of them. If you encounter someone you can't beat, just shoot them dead."

"..."

Jia Jing glanced at her and nodded with a smile.

"Ah~~~"

Jia Yue used both of her little hands to grab his beard.

"Okay, okay, I'll listen to you and your mother."

Jia Jing leaned his chin closer to his daughter.

"Do you know how I packed the medicine so quickly that day? I wrapped each one in oil paper. When I needed it, I just tore open a small oil paper packet and filled it in."

Shen Ning was still worried and continued to instruct him, "Those missionaries, traveling thousands of miles to preach in our Great Zhao, I always felt something was off. If you encounter them, be careful."

Missionaries who manage to emerge from this situation are superior to ordinary people in both thought and strength.

Shen Ning feared that Jia Jing would eventually develop a mutual respect with someone else.

Instead of catching them, they ended up getting completely ripped off.

"Yes, one should always be wary of others!"

Jia Jing was honest and obedient.

After the incident with the Crown Prince, he dared not open his heart to anyone.

Jia Jing felt that his heart was too small; after accommodating his ancestors, the crown prince, Lady Shen, and his family, he could no longer accommodate anyone else.

Having one true friend in life is enough.

"rest assured!"

Jia Jing said in a low voice, "Rong-ge'er's wife..."

"I forgot to tell you, she is the daughter that man abandoned outside back then. The Emperor Emeritus and the Emperor both know this."

Know?

Jia Jing was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Then... you should treat her well."

"That child is very smart and kind. She really saved my life."

Shen Ning's hoarse voice softened a bit, "So don't worry, as long as I'm here, no one in the Jia family will dare to bully her."

That's good!
Taking the opportunity, Jia Jing kissed his daughter's little hand. "While I'm away, please take care of things at home!"

There's Jia Zheng in the West Mansion who's always causing trouble. Although he's now out farming, he and Wang Shi might not be able to have a peaceful time together.

And the old lady was quite old.

She was a proper Duchess, and as long as she was alive, the Emperor Emeritus and the Emperor would keep an eye on their descendants' affairs.

"I know what's going on with the Jia family without you having to tell me."

Shen Ning said, "Just take good care of yourself while you're out there."

Jia Jing is not young anymore.

His death came much earlier than the old lady's.

"If you are sick, see a doctor; never take medicine haphazardly."

At this point, she seemed to remember something else. "There are quite a few pills at home. Don't rush off later. I'll have Jiao Da get you a portion of each."

Many of the medicinal herbs in our home were bestowed upon us by the Emperor.

Anything that could be presented as tribute to the palace was far superior to anything sold outside.

Besides, many of them were specially made by imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital who were afraid that their families would waste such precious materials.

"Hmm~"

Jia Jing snatched one of his daughter's small hands from his beard and let her play with his fingers. "No need for money or anything. Zhen'er gave me her private savings, and She Di, Zhu'er, Lian'er, and Min Mei also gave me some. Just pack an extra portion of that good medicine for me."

The lady's voice isn't good; after speaking for so long, it seems to be getting hoarseer and hoarse.

Jia Jing simply said, "Especially for wound medicine, we must prepare plenty."

Medicine bought from outside is definitely not as effective as medicine made at home.

“Wang Ziteng went south, and I heard he’s doing very well.”

Actually, it's not good, but the emperor will probably cover for him.

After all, the south needs someone who can rival the Prince of Nan'an.

"You should also be wary of the Wang family."

Prince Teng is ambitious and ruthless; if he gains power in the future, he may very well target the Jia family again.

“If necessary, regardless of what the Prince of Nan’an is like in the dream, it is also possible to use him to restrain Prince Teng.”

At this point, Jia Jing's beard was suddenly yanked by Jia Yue, causing him pain. He quickly changed his words, saying, "If you can't get over that hurdle in your dream, then borrow the help of Lian'er and a few others, and sell out Wang Ziteng a few more, to help him bring down the Nan'an Prince's Mansion."

Bringing the Prince of Nan'an down would be more in the court's interest.

As things stand, as long as the retired emperor doesn't cause any trouble, the emperor... is doing alright!
Perhaps the Crown Prince ultimately considered the issue of the throne, which is why he used such a tragic method to make the Emperor Emeritus suspicious of each of his sons, forcing him to choose the one he felt most comfortable with.

Jia Jing sighed inwardly, "With the fall of the Prince of Nan'an, Prince Teng will likely be transferred back to the capital. With Zhu'er and Lian'er around, he probably won't be foolish enough to target our Eastern Mansion again."

As long as Rong-ge'er is outstanding and stays safe and sound, no one can do anything to their East Mansion.

"We can't count on Zhen'er, but we can't delay Rong'er, so let Jiao Da train him properly."

Why did he dislike Jiao Da? Because when he was a child, his grandfather and father often threw him at him.

They clearly wanted him to study literature, but Jiao Da was stubborn and would stand in a horse stance for a long time, not allowing him to slack off even a little.

“Even a steamed bun should be cooked thoroughly before eating. We can’t let him be the only one in our family, just like we spoiled Zhen’er back then.”

Zhen'er had no choice but to be indulged.

He can't live up to expectations anymore.

This was a decision made by the Jia family to put the imperial family at ease.

Jia Jing was also helpless, "He doesn't have Zhen'er's conditions. If I die, his father won't be able to stand up, and if he can't stand up either, this family... will be bullied by others."

Even though the lady was alive, no one dared to make any moves, but since she fell ill, she has had many more gray hairs.

Everyone says that Madam's health has improved a lot since giving birth to Yue'er, but no matter how well she has improved, she is getting older.

You need to take good care of yourself.

Jia Jing hugged his daughter, who was babbling and playing with her beard, tighter. "If you are well, then we can be well too."

"Hmm~"

"You don't need to worry about Zheng Erdi anymore. If anything happens, just have Zhen'er handle it according to the clan rules..."

Jia Jing felt that time was running out and his heart was filled with more and more reluctance. "We have spoiled Zhen'er. If he causes trouble, don't hesitate to punish him. In short, we can't let him end up like Zheng Erdi, becoming a burden to Rong Ge'er in the end."

Jia Zheng and Wang Shi have now become a burden to Zhu'er and Bao Yu.

He wouldn't allow his son to become a burden again.

"If you really can't bear to part with him, then break both of his legs and keep him in the inner quarters under the care of Madam You."

He couldn't stand it if he were like Jia Zheng, making a fool of himself in public.

"And our Yue'er..."

Jia Jing rubbed his daughter's little hand that was scratching her beard, "In the future, find her someone similar to Brother-in-law Lin. It doesn't matter if he doesn't have his learning or family background, as long as he's simple-minded like him."

Finally, the extra chapter was successfully added!
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(End of this chapter)