The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 217 Beggar
Shen Ning never expected that the final question would point to the missing Mr. Liu.

"...Only Mr. Liu can copy everyone's calligraphy. Through Prince Jin, he probably knows all the princes very well."

After visiting Lady You, Jia Zhen rushed over to report to his mother, "The Emperor has ordered Lord Dong to find Mr. Liu and Prince Jin no matter what."

Even now, he still finds it incredible. "Mother, do you think this Mr. Liu might be someone sent by the previous dynasty or the north to cause trouble?"

This?
Regardless of whether he was or not, Shen Ning respected him as a hero.

The Qing Dynasty, which had retreated to the Black Mountains and White Waters, was engaged in a fierce battle with the Russians and probably didn't have time to cause trouble in the Zhao Kingdom.

As for the previous dynasty...

It's not impossible, but if they really were to do it, the plan could have been much more perfect, and the commotion much bigger.

"Don't think about it."

Shen Ning said, "Whatever the Emperor and Lord Dong say goes!"

Today they're targeting military officers, who will it be tomorrow?
Shen Ning was afraid that the Emperor had also gotten involved, since he was considered the biggest beneficiary.

Today, the Imperial Guards and the Dragon Guards, whether they were from the Emperor Emeritus or the various princes, all jumped out.

Once he dealt with them, the Imperial Guards and the Dragon Guards would basically be his men.

"There's no need to tell the old lady of the West Mansion about Mr. Liu's matter."

They figured all of this out from the thief.

"But you did a great job!"

Jia Zhen's ability to rush to the palace to inform the emperor immediately was seen as a sign of loyalty by the emperor.

From now on, no matter how turbulent the political situation becomes, it will have nothing to do with the Jia family.

"That's what a son should do."

Jia Zhen hadn't heard his mother praise him for a long time, so he couldn't help but raise his head and say, "The Emperor and Lord Dong also praised me. I'll go to the ancestral hall to offer incense to our ancestors and father in a little while."

His father died, and he was now the head of the family; he had to step up.

Having personally experienced family upheavals and faced life-or-death situations several times, Jia Zhen gradually came to understand the truth that it is better to rely on oneself than on others.

When his parents were not at home and his inherited title was low, he unconsciously wanted to rely on the Western Mansion.

Although Uncle Zheng was only a minor official of the fifth rank in the Ministry of Works, he was the only one in the entire Jia family to hold a real position.

Therefore, he held it in high regard, and the clan also held it in high regard.

Who would have thought that Uncle Zheng would be that kind of person?
Sometimes, when Jia Zhen recalls the past, he can hardly believe what the outcome would be for this large family relying on Uncle Zheng.

Fortunately, his mother came back.

"Mother! Once this busy period is over, what do you think the Emperor will reward our family with?"

Shen Ning frowned slightly. "...You want to enter the imperial court?"

"No no no!"

He's doing fine at home.

Rong-ge'er is very good at studying and martial arts!
Jia Zhen didn't want to delay his son's life.

Although it's possible for uncles, brothers, or other members of powerful families to serve in the court at the same time, none of them could ever reach a high position.

This is also why his father, who was a lowly assistant, did not become an official when his grandfather was alive.

“My son is used to being undisciplined and is definitely not suitable for the court.”

His parents are both formidable people. Just look at how he acts in front of them. Someone like him would probably be played to death in the imperial court without even knowing how he died.

"I was thinking that after this incident, another group of people would probably fall in the court. If the emperor were to reward me, I would like to give him a farm or something."

Their family's income comes mostly from their official land holdings.

But with official lands, if the hereditary title still exists, it's fine, but if it's gone, it has to be returned.

Although many families have long used various means to seize official land, Jia Zhen, who experienced the death of his grandfather and the departure of his parents, felt that when you have the ability to seize official land, it is not a crime. However, when you are powerless, the sins of the past may become knives that kill you and your family.

Jia Zhen, who once drifted with the tide, even thought that since things were already like this and he couldn't escape it anyway, he might as well give up and enjoy himself first. But now...

He's having another baby.

His mother is getting old, his younger sister is still young, and his son will be in mourning next year and will not be able to get married. If he has another child, the child will be even younger. As the pillar of the family, he has to think more about the livelihood of his children and grandchildren in the future.

"Accept whatever the Emperor bestows upon you; don't overthink things."

For the Emperor, a simple successor to the Ningguo Mansion would be more to his liking.

Shen Ning was also helpless.

In Dream of the Red Chamber, Jia Zhen is a man of some talent, but his actions are too outrageous.

now……

Shen Ning sighed inwardly, "Since some people are going to be unlucky, and since you want to acquire a estate, then just wait. After some people have their property confiscated, the government will eventually release the land and such."

In this era, one person can potentially implicate an entire clan.

Tomorrow, Beijing may face even greater wind and rain than today.

In fact, tonight is indeed a sleepless night.

Countless officials with guilty consciences are worried that they will be implicated by the masters they once served.

With the retired emperor gone, no one can stop the new emperor from doing whatever he wants.

Those who have consistently supported the Emperor in the general direction, whoever falls tomorrow, will be promoted.

Late at night, the emperor dragged his heavy steps to Kunning Palace.

He has a headache.

When he had a headache, the Empress would massage it for him, which always relieved his pain a lot.

"Your Majesty... are you having a headache about how to deal with Prince Jing and the others?"

Those small groups of imperial guards who rebelled drew their swords because of them.

"Yes!"

The emperor was unsure whether to sigh or feel relieved.

Dong Xiaoquan sent over a lot more things. If we really wanted to argue about it, all the brothers who had entered the Imperial Clan Court would be finished.

And in the imperial court...

He once desperately wanted to suppress them all.

But when that day actually came, the emperor hesitated again.

The person who orchestrated this incident, Mr. Liu, has not been found. Whether he did it himself with the help of Prince Jin, or whether he was behind it... there are other things to be sure.

He was the emperor, but in this matter, he seemed to be passively becoming a tool in someone else's hands.

"My father suffered a second stroke amidst their commotion. Just the fact that he was unfilial is enough to give them a hard time."

Moreover, there are others.

Although the late Emperor Taizu's dying wish was that he could not directly take their lives, there were many things that could be done in this situation.

Historical records also show that some people died in confinement.

"I really want to punish them, but the person hiding behind it all..."

"I understand."

While massaging his head, the Empress said, "You're mainly worried about the people behind you. But whether you're worried or not, I think this is a rare opportunity. You should deal with Prince Jing and the others as necessary."

This is not only to give an explanation to the retired emperor, but also to the people of the land, and most importantly, to give an explanation to yourself.

"..."

The emperor sighed.

"Didn't we already agree to hold the Enke competition next year?"

The Empress continued, "Those in the court who rely on so-and-so to hold positions without doing any work, who have no ability whatsoever and only know how to stir up trouble everywhere, and those who call themselves gentlemen, who always speak in a condescending manner, spouting the words of sages and talking about propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame, like that Imperial Censor Zheng..."

Baofeng's sister is dead, why can't the couple do anything about it?

The Empress deeply resented that person.

As the head of the harem, she couldn't interfere in the affairs of the court, but the man surnamed Zheng was meddling in the royal family's internal affairs, using his status as the retired emperor to pressure them...

“I don’t care about other people, but that Imperial Censor Zheng is no good. If you can’t find any fault with him, you should find a reason to send him home to eat his own food and take care of his own family.”

"……Hahaha!"

The emperor was amused by her and said, "I'll listen to you." He had sworn an oath after Sister Baofeng passed away.

Moreover, the man surnamed Zheng is nothing but a hypocrite.

"You don't know yet, do you? There's been a lot of gossip going around lately, saying that a certain official got promoted, made a fortune, and had his wife die. That's him."

what?
The Empress is deep within the palace; how could she possibly be so well-informed about what's happening outside?
She couldn't help but sit down, her eyes shining, and asked, "Tell me quickly, what happened?"

"Hmm, this is probably related to the Jia family."

The emperor laughed, “When Jia She rushed to Yansui to rescue his sister, didn’t he beat all the men in the Min family over the age of twelve? Not long after Imperial Censor Zheng impeached him and Jia Lian, rumors began to circulate in teahouses and taverns that he had lost two wives and left behind large dowries.”

And this thing?

Upon hearing this, the Empress's eyes widened in anger.

As a woman herself, she empathizes even more with other women.

In officialdom, many despicable men leave their wives in their hometowns to take care of their parents and families, while they themselves take one concubine after another in the capital.

This was utterly disgusting to the Empress.

"Don't be angry, don't be angry. I've already investigated. I'll take this opportunity to get rid of him."

"You said it yourself, so it can't be taken back."

"Definitely! Definitely!"

The Emperor comforted the Empress.

"Alright, I'm all done here. Why don't you take a rest so you'll be in good spirits tomorrow and go and yell at those bastards?"

"Haha, I want it!"

With the Empress around, he felt at ease.

The emperor followed the empress into the inner chamber with a smile.

Let's talk about tomorrow!
……

Early in the morning, although there were more officers and soldiers on patrol, it didn't look much different from usual.

The people who peeked through the crack in the door each had their own work to do, and eventually walked out of the gate.

Once there's one, there's bound to be a second.

As a result, the capital city gradually became lively again.

But no one noticed that a beggar, beaten to the point of near death, had appeared outside the Confucius Temple in the south of the city.

The Prince of Jin was thrown out.

Eight of his fingers were chopped off, his voice was poisoned and he went blind in one eye.

Although my right eye is not damaged, my vision is still blurry.

The Prince of Jin wanted to ask for help, but who would listen to him?
The pedestrians hurried by, and no one stopped for him.

He lay there in a daze, yet still wanted to know what was happening in the palace.

Although his father had fallen, he still had his mother.

If Mother Consort could listen to his affairs more, she would surely discover that it was Mr. Liu who was behind this.

His mother had once told him that he must keep a close eye on Liu Yuan.

It's his fault, he didn't listen!

The King of Jin regretted it, but it was too late to undo the damage.

He's in pain all over his body right now.

But clearly, he won't die.

Just as Liu Yuan said, he used to be in good health.

The Prince of Jin crawled on the ground, trying to get some sun.

He can't write or speak anymore, but he still has teeth, so he can bite the pen. When he gets a little better, he can borrow a pen and ink from anyone who writes letters. As long as he writes, he'll be fine.

From a distance, Liu Yuan saw his expression and couldn't help but twitch his lips.

"Sir, your portrait is posted at the city gate. All men passing by are subject to close inspection."

"Well, let's investigate then!"

Liu Yuan had no intention of leaving now.

He also wanted to hear the Emperor Emeritus die, and that Prince Jing and his ilk would suffer the consequences.

Am I the same as I used to be?

He shaved his beard, added a few moles to his face, and wore a short-sleeved outfit.

Not only that, but the lips were also treated with a mildly toxic drug, and now they look much thicker than before.

"It is quite different, but the constables who stand at the city gate to check people are all very experienced constables from Shuntian Prefecture."

The old man spoke in a low voice, “Moreover, I just received news that Shuntian Prefecture is going to investigate people by household.”

Although they could forge some family identities, Lord Dong of Shuntian Prefecture was no pushover.

Since he knew that Mr. Liu was good at copying and making seals, he would definitely take precautions in this regard.

"Okay, I see."

Mr. Liu waved his hand, seemingly heading towards Ningrong Street as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.

He also has a hiding place in the back street of Ningguo Mansion.

Given the prestige of the Ning and Rong mansions, and their current deep trust in the Emperor, even if Dong Xiaoquan's men wanted to investigate, it wouldn't be that strict.

Besides, his current job is emptying chamber pots.

Haha, how many people actually know how to check for night soil?

As soon as they entered the back street, Liu Yuan's waist seemed to involuntarily hunch.

The sun was shining brightly today, and Shen Ning went up to Tianxiang Tower again.

The situation in the imperial court is unclear. Although I know it's useless to worry about it, I know something is going on today, so I definitely have to come and take a look.

At this moment, in the Shou Kang Palace, the retired emperor, who had suffered a second stroke, awoke.

When he ate again, he could no longer open and close his mouth as easily as he had a few days before.

He was angered by his sons.

They've all been played, and they still have the nerve to come here to complain and make a scene?
He was a hero all his life, how could he have given birth to such a thing?

His whole family has been tricked, and they still don't know who tricked them.
What a shame!
The retired emperor couldn't swallow this insult and originally wanted to call for the emperor, but since all his brothers were there, he didn't come.

They finally arrived, only to be scolded by the sons in front of him.

Who are they insulting?

They were clearly still cursing him.

The retired emperor originally wanted his sons to support him, but to his surprise, they all became submissive in front of the emperor.

He was so angry and furious that he suffered his second stroke.

But now...

The retired emperor regretted it; he shouldn't have been angry!

The emperor did that to make him angry again; he fell for the trap!
The retired emperor had no words to say, and winked at Dai Quan several times, hoping that his long-time companion who had been through thick and thin with him for so many years could speak up for him, but what was the result?

This person is pretending not to know anything.

The Emperor Emeritus's mouth was pried open, and a mouthful of thin porridge was fed into it.

He has to swallow; otherwise, he'll choke and suffer the consequences.

The retired emperor ate obediently.

But before he was even full from the porridge, a bowl of dark, murky medicinal liquid was brought over.

"Your Majesty, please drink your medicine."

The Emperor Emeritus: "..."

He had been taking medication, so why did he still suffer a second stroke?

He didn't want to drink it, but a spoonful of medicine had already been brought to his lips.

And then his mouth was pried open again.