The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 207 Feeling at ease
Words cannot express all that is said, but we must go on.

Staying behind... could mean the whole family dies.

Jia Jing pressed his face against his daughter's, listening to her childish babbling, and finally walked towards Shen Ning.

"Sorry……"

When he handed his daughter over, he straightened up without paying any attention to the pain of his beard being pulled.

No matter how much his beard hurt, it couldn't compare to the pain in his heart at that moment.

The last time he left home, his wife was with him. They lived in the suburbs of Beijing and could come back for holidays. But this time... he no longer has the right to come back.

He died.

He failed his father and uncle's expectations, failing to shoulder the family's responsibilities; he let down Madam Shen, causing her to suffer the harsh realities of life, yet he couldn't be by her side until her death; he let down the Crown Prince, and most importantly, he let himself down...

He began his studies at the age of three, started practicing martial arts at the age of five, and passed the imperial examination before he was twenty.

The Emperor treated him like a nephew, and the Crown Prince treated him like a brother. Although he was a scholar, he could enter and leave the capital's military camp at will, and with a single command, ten thousand horses would gallop...

He helped the crown prince reform corrupt practices, and they wanted to enrich the country and strengthen its people.

but……

Jia Jing slowly retreated.

By the flickering candlelight, he wanted to take one last look at his wife, who had been with him through thick and thin for most of her life.

Jia Jing's eyes stung and burned, but he didn't want to cry.

Tears blurred his vision, preventing him from seeing his wife and daughter one last time.

But my heels had already felt the threshold.

Before Shen Ning could speak, Jia Jing suddenly turned around and strode away.

Jiao Da glanced at his wife holding the child in the room, and without saying a word, hurriedly followed.

The guards weren't that incompetent; he had to keep up with the master, otherwise he wouldn't be able to get out.

"Second son!"

When Jiao Da caught up with Jia Jing, the patrol guard who was originally coming turned around and left without looking back. "I have a house in Makou Lane. I'll be home the day after tomorrow. Take what I need to you there."

"……it is good!"

Jia Jing responded in a low voice.

He knew that Jiao Da was telling him to pick up the medicine the day after tomorrow.

Jiao Da listened to the entire conversation between him and Shen.

"You're getting on in years, please take good care of yourself. Leave the less important matters to the younger ones."

"Don't worry, this old man can still eat two big bowls of rice."

Jiao Dake doesn't think he's old.

How many people does he manage now?

The servants from both households take turns being trained by him.

There were also a few young masters...

"Once you're outside, don't think about anything else, just eat more. You'll have the energy to do what you need to do."

He wants to be able to kill whoever you want to kill.

Actually, if he weren't so old that he couldn't travel by ship, he would have already stormed into Japan.

At this moment, Jiao Da was actually envious of Jia Jing. He said, "Second son, when you get over there, the world is vast, and you, third son, will be all there."

Do whatever you want!

On your own turf, you have to be careful about this and that, but when you're in Japan, you can do whatever you want.

"Once you've done enough, go have some fun."

Listen to your wife, let's go and visit places like Russia.

Jiao Da believed that the clever old man would understand, "If you don't have any money, come back. I've saved some, I'll give it all to you."

Jia Jing: "..."

The old man quickly dispelled much of the sadness in his heart.

"How many do you have?"

Jia Jing couldn't help but be curious.

The old man had a very bad habit, just like his father, which was that he loved to drink.

His father received gifts from the emperor, as well as from colleagues and subordinates. If he saw something good, he also had the money to buy it.

But Jiao Da is different!
That pot or half a pot of wine every night was worth real money.

When he first received his monthly salary, he drank fine wine.

When I was broke at the end of the month, I would often do it for ten coins for half a catty.

When he ran out of money, he would go and mooch off his father's wine.

He mooched off everyone in the mansion.

oops~
From childhood to adulthood, Jia Jing had suffered a lot of anger from his father and his father because of his wine.

"Hmm~"

Jiao Da had no idea what the old man was thinking, but the old man raised his head and said, "Let's say it's about three hundred taels. Here's one hundred and fifty taels for you."

Three hundred taels?
real or fake?

Jia Jing was extremely skeptical.

Although Shen improved Jiao Da's treatment after returning to the mansion, it couldn't be improved by this much.

Jia Jing didn't believe that the old man, in his old age, could change his ways, stop drinking, and start saving money.
"What's that look in your eyes?"

Seeing his expression, Jiao Da couldn't help but rub his beard and said, "Just tell me whether you want it or not!"

"want!"

It's rare for an old man to give him money, how could I refuse?
However, Jia Jing still suspected that he was bragging, so he said, "A poor family should be rich on the road. Otherwise, you can just give it all to me."

Jiao Da: "..."

He wanted to punch him.

"Oh, you really have three hundred taels?"

When Jia Jing saw the old man's expression, he knew he wasn't exaggerating.

Oops~
How come he didn't know when the sun rises in the west?
"Or else?"

The old man snorted, "You're haggling with an old man like me over money? Do you think I'm obligated to give it to you? Two hundred taels, take it or leave it."

It wasn't that he wanted to save; he simply had nowhere else to spend the money.

The shopkeeper, Mr. Chen, who was examining the patient's pulse, insisted that drinking was allowed, but not too much.

For this reason, he specially found a wife, who stipulated that he drink one ounce of wine every night, and on holidays or special occasions, he could drink two ounces.

He doesn't need to buy the wine anymore; he'll drink whatever the old man drinks.

The old man's wine is all good wine.

Having drunk alcohol for so many years, the old man knows the difference between good and bad wine.

He had no choice but to compromise in order to get good wine every day.

And so the silver was saved.

However, the main reason why so many were stored was that the young masters all gave gifts when they went there to formally become disciples.

He ate, drank, slept, and kept all his clothes and shoes in the mansion. He didn't need many things, so he asked someone to help him sell some of them, which is how he saved up 320 taels.

"Yes, who said no?"

Jia Jing smiled, a rare occurrence for him. "Please exchange them all for loose silver."

The old man's face is ruddy; it's clear he's well taken care of at home.

It is a gift given by the elders and cannot be turned away!

His parents and grandfather were all gone, and the aunt next door couldn't know his situation. So, apart from his wife, only Jiao Da could give him what he needed.

The two walked further and further away. In the mourning hall, Shen Ning carefully tucked away the mustache from her daughter's little hand.

This must not be shown to anyone else.

However, it's something we can keep for our daughter.

If one day the little girl insists on asking her about her father, she can secretly tell her that before her father passed away, he had secretly come back to visit her, and this beard is proof of that.

Shen Ning returned the child to the wet nurse within the stipulated time.

The wet nurse carefully coaxed the baby back to sleep.

The master is gone, and the mistress is heartbroken; anything she does is understandable.

Qingzhu, who lives next door, and Wen Peilan, who is protecting Shen Ning, couldn't help but sigh as they listened to her footsteps heading towards the mourning hall again.

Fortunately, today is the last day.

Jia Zhen and You Shi were also thinking about the last day, but they didn't sleep well at all.

"Grandpa, you can sleep now, I'll go keep my mother company!"

Jia Zhen was injured after all. The arrow wound on his shoulder was only changed that evening.

Madam You decided to get up and go keep her mother-in-law company, and also burn some more paper money for her father-in-law.

"……never mind!"

Jia Zhen held You Shi back, saying, "Your parents have a good relationship. If you go, there are some things she won't be able to say."

He could never forget the way his mother, with trembling hands and a pale face, meticulously cleaned up his father brick by brick.

"If she wants to spend time alone with me, then let her spend time alone with me!"

I've been sick these past few days and missed a lot, which I imagine my mother must regret.

Jia Zhen tried his best to understand her, saying, "From now on... we will be good to her."

"Ok!"

Lady You nodded and moved closer to Jia Zhen.

Not long after Shen Ning returned to the mourning hall to burn paper money, Jiao Da came back again.

The old man didn't go into the mourning hall; he just paced back and forth outside the door from time to time to encourage her.

……

Shou Kang Palace in the capital city.

The Emperor Emeritus, who was lying on his back unable to move, was so angry that he wanted to grind his teeth as he listened to the two eunuchs snoring loudly.

Who used to dare snore here?

Even when they're eating, they can't eat anything that has a strong smell.

But now...

The retired emperor felt a little uncomfortable in his stomach and wanted to fart, but as soon as he exerted himself, a warm puddle came out.

There were just as many eunuchs serving at night as during the day, but even Dai Quan would doze off in front of the brazier.

Meanwhile, the eunuch who was supposed to be watching over him by the bedside was also dozing off.

The retired emperor was both angry and resentful, but when he tried to scold him, he couldn't even speak in a normal tone.

He can only make sounds like 'woo,' 'aw,' and 'uh.'

Ever since he heard his own voice, he didn't want to speak anymore.

But before, the eunuchs and maids around him were very perceptive; they could tell what he wanted with just a glance. Now…

The eunuch in front of the bed was nodding his head, sleeping soundly.

he……

"Uh~~~"

The retired emperor, left with no other choice, finally spoke up.

But the sound was quickly drowned out by snoring.

The young eunuch beside him leaned closer to the bedpost, clearly sleeping even more soundly.

Ahhhhh~~~~
The retired emperor was furious.

He wanted to kill people, to kill everyone.

"Ugh... Ugh... Oh..."

Dai Quan heard something in a daze, but although he opened his eyes while keeping his head down, he did not get up immediately.

The retired emperor is now so incontinent that he can't even control his bodily functions. No matter how meticulously they serve him, it's all for naught.

oh~~~
There's no going back!
Everything in this palace has changed.

Although the Emperor still comes every day, in the past he would bend over and bow carefully to accompany the Retired Emperor. Now... he stands upright, seemingly offering a few friendly greetings and asking about the Retired Emperor's eating and drinking situation, and that's about it.

Each time lasts at most fifteen minutes.

Even though the emperor would still come to report on the situation in the court, Dai Quan clearly felt that the emperor was just going through the motions.

The retired emperor could no longer say this was unacceptable or that was unacceptable.

No longer can we say, "Well, he has already decided on the manpower; Your Majesty, you just need to draft an edict."

Although the princes also came, none of them stayed for more than a quarter of an hour. They just came to take a look, go through the motions, show their filial piety, ask the imperial physicians, ask them questions, tuck the Emperor Emeritus in, and then leave.

Dai Quan closed his eyes again.

It's warm in the palace, so the Emperor Emeritus won't get cold.

The emperor's clothes and bedding were changed constantly every day, which made him susceptible to catching a cold.

Sometimes when Dai Quan went back, he felt like he smelled terrible.

He has done his best, but to this day, not a single master has said that he has worked hard.

Dai Quan felt quite disheartened, especially after the emperor came to inquire about the retired emperor's meal yesterday. He answered respectfully, but the retired emperor gave him an angry look.

The emperor's gaze towards him immediately changed.

Although the emperor ultimately said nothing, Dai Quan remained on edge.

He was a man of the retired emperor.

The retired emperor favored Consort Zhen, so he paid more attention to her.

The retired emperor favored Prince Jin, so he flattered him more.

It wasn't that he didn't want to make things convenient for the emperor.

In the two years immediately following the Emperor Emeritus's abdication, many people in the palace tried to make things convenient for him, but where did they all end up?
Almost all of them died.

The retired emperor hated people who were two-faced the most.

If the emperor himself can't even protect himself, how can he protect anyone else?
now……

Dai Quan doesn't know what he'll look like when he's old, but he doesn't want to move right now.

All of this today was brought about by the retired emperor himself.

If he hadn't been so suspicious of the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince had inherited the throne properly, those of them who served him would at least have been able to live in peace, right?
But now?

Dai Quan managed to fall into a deeper sleep.

The area outside Shou Kang Palace was quiet.

At this point, the only people who truly wished for the Emperor Emeritus's well-being were probably Consort Zhen and the people of Prince Jin's residence.

The Prince of Jin was in the Imperial Clan Court. He had been going against the emperor for years, and now that they had finally found a way to catch him red-handed, how could he let it go?

In particular, the retired emperor actually collapsed in front of him.

Whether or not we can find Mr. Liu to overturn the Crown Prince's case is no longer important.

Prince Jin understood that the emperor might not want to overturn the crown prince's case.

He just needs to use filial piety to subdue him.

After all, with the crown prince gone, the emperor would benefit the most.

The wind was howling outside, and Prince Jin pulled his robes tighter and huddled in the corner.

He didn't know when these days would end.

At that moment, he felt nothing but regret, utter regret.

You think you can just kill someone like that? Why did you agree to let someone commit suicide by self-immolation?
If Jia Jing hadn't committed suicide by fire, which made his father think of the Crown Prince, how could he have collapsed like that?

slap~
The Prince of Jin slapped himself.

If there were a way to undo regrets, he would give anything for it.

But there's everything in this world except a cure for regret.

Now, he can only beg his mother to save him.

As long as the mother can go before the emperor, she can always plead for a lenient sentence.

But even now...

Prince Jin couldn't help but suspect that his mother had been controlled by the emperor and was now unable to get close to his father.

The Prince of Jin shrank his neck, covered his face, and felt both regret and hatred.

He was once the one closest to the throne!

Who is Jia Jing? Why should he be buried with him?
He was filled with hatred here, but the emperor, who was sleeping in the empress's palace, had been sleeping particularly comfortably these past few days.

Yesterday, the Imperial Household Department delivered all the items needed for the New Year to him and the Empress.

They finally became like real emperors and empresses.

The clock struck outside, and the Empress turned over. "Your Majesty, it's time for the morning court session."

Although it was still dark outside, the morning court session could not be delayed.

"Okay, I'll get up myself, you stay asleep."

The emperor yawned, pressed down on the empress, and got up himself. "Liu An is here to serve us. After court, we'll go to Shou Kang Palace together."

Given the old man's condition, they still need to take care of him.

"I have ordered Zhen Yingjia to come to the capital."

He said to the Empress, "You should also tell Consort Zhen about this."