The head of the Red Mansion

At Ningguo Mansion, Jia Zhen was completely bewildered by the dazzling array of gifts bestowed upon him.

His father died, and the royal family had already bestowed upon him an official position and posthumous honors, giving him all the respect and dignity he deserved. Now, this is happening again. Something feels off.
“Mother, look…”

"Collect what should be collected, and use what should be used."

Although I don't know why, the Empress has bestowed it upon me, so I might as well accept it; I can't very well return it to her.

Shen Ning examined the bright red fox pelts, which were of a very vibrant color. "Put them away properly!"

She had a guess in her heart, but that guess could only be understood intuitively and could not be expressed in words.

There are plenty of shrewd people in the capital who know what's going on, and this reward... in many people's minds, is probably something their family deserves.

"We'll keep 60% of the bird's nest and other things for ourselves, and the rest..."

Shen Ning thought for a moment, "Send one copy to the old lady of the West Mansion, the first wife, and the two aunts."

"Yes!"

Ms. You readily agreed.

Shen Ning stopped looking at jewelry. The weather was nice today, and she wanted to take a walk in the garden and soak up the sun.

I was sick, and my health looks much worse now.

She didn't want to die; she wanted to watch Jia Yue grow up, and she had to keep an eye on Jia Zhen until he was old and could no longer cause trouble.

Even if I can't take care of him until he's old, I have to take care of him until Rong-ge grows up and can turn the tables and control his father.

"Let's go, Yue'er is probably getting impatient."

Shen Ning placed her hand on Qingzhu's arm, which was being supported, and slowly looked down into the sunlight.

Over there, Jia Yue, dressed as a ball, held a sprig of winter plum blossom and tried to put it in her mouth, but her little arms were too short and she couldn't get it to her mouth no matter what she did, so she was making a lot of noises.

The little baby was so adorable that Shen Ning's eyes filled with smiles. "Who gave her that flower?"

"It was done by Miss Lin."

Qingzhu laughed, "During their break, when they saw the girl, everyone teased her."

It's a pity that the girls are so young; they fall for it every time.

"is it?"

Seeing her daughter screaming and yelling in frustration, Shen Ning felt a pang of regret that she couldn't take a picture to remember the moment. "Come on, let's go play too."

What are children for?
Of course it's for playing with.

As Madam You was putting things away in the storeroom, she heard Jia Yue crying and wondered whether she should sigh.

But she didn't sigh out loud; Jia Zhen did. "Now I know what kind of life I had when I was a child."

My little sister needs to grow up quickly!

Otherwise, I'd be bullied every day.

"...Kids, play around a bit, they'll be more resilient."

What could Yu Shi possibly say?

All she could say was, "We used to worry about my sister's health, but look, she's grown up now, and she only coughed a few times last time."

No one's child is as worry-free as their aunt's.

Putting aside everything else, just look at the neighboring West Mansion; Baoyu gets sick several times a year.

"...That's true!"

Jia Zhen seemed to be thinking, "My grandfather told me that I was not fond of getting sick when I was a child."

"..."

Madam You glanced at him, then pulled him towards the door, saying, "Stop thinking about all that and hurry up and go coax her!"

When it comes to soothing children, it's best to leave it to the old man.

So, having successfully made her daughter cry, Shen Ning handed her over to her eldest son and went for a stroll.

……

In Kunning Palace, the Empress saw the Emperor about to smash something.

"What's wrong with you?"

Who could possibly anger the Emperor like this nowadays?

The Empress's expression couldn't help but become more serious.

"Don't even mention it, I was so angry with Dong Xiaoquan today that I had no temper left."

Everything cost money, and the Emperor couldn't bear to part with it. He could only say angrily, "You have no idea what kind of person he is..." The Emperor shook his head, "I was almost compared to the retired emperor by him."

He absolutely despises his father.

Although his father reigned for a long time, he did the work himself for the first ten years or so, but later his elder brother, the crown prince, basically did it for him.

Then he took over.

Even so, the old man still held them back.

If it weren't for the humiliation of losing the Hetao region, the Crown Prince wouldn't have dared to argue with the old man back then.

Hey~
"What is he going to do?"

The Empress was curious.

Anyway, she trusted Lord Dong Xiaoquan quite a bit.

As for the Emperor saying bad things about the Retired Emperor, she would just let it go in one ear and out the other.

Often, a son can criticize his father for this or that, but if the daughter-in-law agrees... in the end, the daughter-in-law is the one who is disliked by both sides.

"He is going to interrogate the Prince of Jin now."

The emperor feared that Dong Xiaoquan would reveal everything, which would eventually force his brothers to unite, leading to instability in the court and even a possible mutiny.

The personnel situation in the Beijing garrison is too complicated.

So far, he has only supported two junior officers there.

“My brother, the Prince of Jin, still has a few people in the capital garrison.”

"Are you... worried that something might happen?"

"How can I not worry!"

The emperor had a headache.

He had a weak foundation. Although the Empress's family had been granted the title of Duke Cheng'en, it was only a nominal position, and he hadn't gained anything from it.

Even a cornered dog will jump over a wall.

"..."

The Empress sighed inwardly and could only offer suggestions. "Since the time of Emperor Taizu, the head of the Ningguo Mansion has been in charge of the Beijing Garrison. Although Jia Jing has not been granted an official position, I have heard that he can also manage the affairs of the Beijing Garrison on behalf of his father."

"Yes!"

The emperor sighed, "What a pity, he's dead!"

With his father alive, he cannot use him, nor is it appropriate to use him.

However, the emperor considered using him.

The Ningguo Mansion had already pledged allegiance to him, but they were held back by the Emperor.

The emperor had considered that if the old man became senile and he became particularly dangerous, he would issue an urgent order to Jia Jing, ordering him to take over the capital garrison and suppress the various princes.

Unfortunately, he died before his father fell ill.

“Jia Zhen has never been in charge of military affairs. I want to use him anyway, and he can’t control the situation in the Beijing garrison.”

“He can’t control them, but the Jia family still has connections in the Beijing garrison.”

The current military governor of the capital, Chai Xuyao, is a man of the retired emperor, but at the same time, he was also promoted by Jia Daihua of the Ningguo Prefecture.

The Empress said, "The Jia family's niece, Lan Zhi, is said to be highly skilled in martial arts."

Ok?
The emperor paused in his circling steps. The thirteen guards of Ningxia had not yet left the capital.

They live in the capital, but they don't belong to either side.

"Indeed, indeed, how could I have forgotten them?"

The emperor beamed with joy, "Wait, I'll come back to thank you after I've taken care of this."

He left in a hurry again, leaving the empress behind, who couldn't help but shake her head and chuckle.

She asked the old nanny beside her, "Is there anyone suspicious, or any letters coming in or out of Consort Zhen's household?"

"no!"

The old woman shook her head. "The door to the Buddhist hall is closed. The food is being delivered by our people."

Keep an eye on them!

The Empress sighed inwardly.

Over the years, she had suffered countless open and covert losses at the hands of Consort Zhen, retreating time and time again, but she knew how formidable that woman was.

In fact, the main reason why Prince Jin gradually lost his mind was that, in those years, when he was praised, it was because he listened to Consort Zhen.

Now that he is further away from the throne, Prince Jin harbors resentment towards Consort Zhen and no longer listens to her, which makes him seem much more foolish.

But the situation is different now. Prince Jin's future is almost set. If Consort Zhen were to risk everything for her son... the capital might really be in chaos for a while.

“You should know that she has been operating in the palace for decades.”

Although the people in her palace had been replaced by the Emperor Emeritus in a fit of rage last time, she later managed to coax him back!

The person who left didn't return, but that doesn't mean she can't win over others.

"Send more people to keep an eye on it."

"Yes!"

The nanny hurried off to give instructions.

But what they didn't know was that the first person Consort Zhen contacted was Dai Quan.

He served the retired emperor and knew his situation best.

Prince Jin was imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court on charges of filial impiety.

As long as the retired emperor says he misses Prince Jin, Prince Jin will come out.

The retired emperor suffered a stroke and could not speak, so Dai Quan could act as his mouth substitute.

For this, Consort Zhen made many promises.

but……

Dai Quan looked at the little note handed to him by the eunuch, his fingers twirling it incessantly until it was rolled into a small ball, which he then tossed into the brazier before finally letting out a sigh of relief.

The items are great, but you need to be alive to get them.

Especially the Prince of Jin, who is mean-spirited, ungrateful, irritable and easily angered. Why would he risk his life to save such a person?

Besides, the retired emperor isn't someone anyone can just hire as a mouth double for.

The old man's eyes and gestures could kill.

The emperor remained silent, but he was well aware of the situation.

He didn't even help the retired emperor punish them that day; they...

All Dai Quan wants now is to live a peaceful life.

After confirming that the retired emperor was very dissatisfied with them, his servants, Dai Quan and the others decided to serve him well.

Let him maintain the status quo.

They provided food, drink, and massages, hoping to prolong his life. The emperor, mindful of their hard work, would likely not punish them.

"We don't need to accept any more gifts from the Dowager Consort."

Having spent so many years in the palace, they've all accumulated some wealth, so they won't have to worry about their retirement.

"Godfather!" The little eunuch, reluctant to part with the benefits he was about to receive, glanced at the Emperor Emeritus and tried to plead, saying, "Really, not even a little bit..."

"Just listen to what we say."

Seeing that the Emperor Emeritus had opened his eyes, Dai Quan quickly stepped forward and asked, "Your Majesty, would you like some tea?"

The Emperor Emeritus: "..."

Lately, his bottom has been wet for a while every night.

It's either urine or feces.

He couldn't bear to despise himself, so he could only take his anger out on these unworthy servants.

"Go, pour me a cup of tea."

So the Emperor Emeritus, who was not thirsty, drank half a cup of tea.

However, he is clearly a pain in the neck.

Taking advantage of the fact that it wasn't nighttime, he pushed hard in his stomach and successfully urinated.

Dai Quan didn't care, waved his hand, and signaled everyone to get to work quickly.

But they had just changed the Emperor Emeritus's clothes once in the past half hour, and now they're doing it again...

The eunuch in charge of cleaning grabbed at something he didn't have and pinched it hard.

"Ouch~~"

The Emperor Emeritus doubled over in pain.

The eunuchs who were serving them didn't care; they continued doing what they were used to doing.

He straightened his legs, changed his pants, and did so with swift, effortless movements.

Dai Quan saw it, but pretended not to.

This is just the beginning. If the retired emperor doesn't change his attitude and make changes, the future looks bleak...

The corners of his mouth slowly turned up. "The Emperor Emeritus is old, so please be gentle and do not touch him."

……

Makou Lane, Jiao's Mansion.

Jia Jing had been waiting in his courtyard for a while.

When Jiao Da came in carrying two bundles, he had already swept the floor clean.

"If the Second Master of the West Mansion were as diligent as you, he would live a very good life."

The old man smiled and placed the bundle on the stone table. "When are you planning to leave?"

"Tomorrow night!"

Jia Jing washed his hands and came over. "I also need to get some dry rations!"

We can't rely on the government for everything.

If I do too much, what if someone in my family is watching...

"When I arrived, my cousin Lanzhi had already been summoned to the palace."

Jiao Dadao: "The eunuch who delivered the imperial decree said that more than half of the thirteen guards from Ningxia who went to the capital to receive rewards would be sent to the capital camp."

what?
Jia Jing frowned. "You inquired about this?"

"No, it was the eunuch who delivered the decree who said it."

initiative?

Jia Jing seemed thoughtful. "What else is there to say?"

"...I wasn't there, so I don't know the specifics, I just heard them shout that."

Jiao's eyes widened. "Want to ask?" (End of Chapter)