The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 230 ancestor worship
The news of the deaths of a beggar and two constables in the southern part of the city eventually spread far and wide.

Regardless of how alarmed Mr. Liu was, even after Shen Ning had someone inquire about the general situation, she sat there motionless for a long time.

Is the Prince of Jin dead?

Did he not die from freezing or starvation, but from having his throat slit?

And those two constables...

Does this mean that Lord Dong was about to find out the truth, but was interrupted by someone who was one step ahead?
Shen Ning sighed softly, "Qingzhu, please ask Jiao Da to come here."

Old people are shrewd and experienced. The old man must know many secrets that outsiders don't. When she sought to break the deadlock and had Jia Zhen assassinated, he orchestrated it so perfectly... He must have known about the undercover agents of certain forces.

Shen Ning didn't plan to get involved with the remnants of the previous dynasty, but the north or the Japanese pirates...

If she could, she would like to move around.

Jiao Da arrived very quickly, "Madam~"

"sit!"

After the maid served tea, Shen Ning waved her hand, signaling everyone to leave, before saying, "You know about what happened in Nancheng, right?"

"Yes!"

Jiao Da's expression was very solemn. "I never expected that the Prince of Jin would die such a tragic death."

I'm quite happy to have avenged my great enemy, but who killed the Prince of Jin?
This time, he was quite certain it wasn't their master.

The master left on the second day after the mutiny, once he was sure there was nothing wrong at home.

"However, judging from the two dead constables, Lord Dong knew that it belonged to the Prince of Jin. Now... I'm afraid he'll have to suffer some consequences."

Even if the Prince of Jin is not the best, he is still a prince.

The Emperor might feel uneasy about what he did.

Jiao Da was very worried about Lord Dong.

"We won't discuss Lord Dong's matter beforehand."

The Emperor was too preoccupied with finding fault with Lord Dong to care; he probably wanted Lord Dong to solve the case more than anyone else.

Shen Ning said, "Jiao Da, I just want to ask, besides Mr. Liu, who else do you think was behind that mutiny?"

This?
Jiao Da paused for a moment and asked in return, "Madam, who do you think is behind this?"

"The Japanese infiltration shouldn't be that deep, but since they've already attacked our family, they must have been used by someone else."

Shen Ning could only analyze: "Those who have the power to help Mr. Liu wipe out all the princes are either the Crown Prince's old subordinates, or forces from the previous dynasty or the north that have intervened."

She looked at Jiao Da, "The Crown Prince's former subordinates... do you think our family is still considered a part of it?"

"..."

Jiao Da slowly shook his head.

Among the Crown Prince's former subordinates, the most powerful is the Master.

Therefore, the master was sidelined by the retired emperor.

Even though the retired emperor regretted his decision regarding the crown prince, he dared not use the master again to prevent any unforeseen circumstances.

The wife had already used various means to lead the Jia family to the Emperor's side.

Therefore, in the minds of those people, the Jia family was completely untrustworthy.

The master knew this too, and after confirming that the Jia family was safe, he quickly left.

"Before he left, the master said that the Qing emperor in the north was quite capable and had appointed many Han officials."

Jiao Dadao: "Those people have no other abilities, but they know our side very well."

Those Han officials deserve the greatest credit for their initial success in conquering the territory.

"They might not be very capable of dealing with the Rakshasa, but they should be very good at exploiting various contradictions and relationships with us."

At this point, the old man sighed, "The Jia family is already considered the emperor's subjects. Almost everyone there recognizes my old face. After the mutiny, I went out for a walk and found that all the spies I knew had been moved."

Therefore, he had no idea who was behind Mr. Liu's involvement.

"let it go."

Since Jiao Da couldn't find anyone, Shen Ning was helpless.

"Now that those people know you, what will you do in the future..."

“I’m too old for those people to lay a hand on me.”

Jiao Da suspected that she was going to say something about taking more people with you when you go out in the future.

He had lived a carefree life, but he never imagined that at the end, he would be so timid and hesitant for the sake of his life.

"Is Madam's concern about this matter mainly out of fear that something else might happen to the Emperor?"

"Ok!"

Shen Ning nodded, "His Majesty has just recovered the Hetao region and has been very kind to our Jia family. Naturally, I hope that he will live a long and peaceful life."

"The Emperor was able to remain on the throne despite being besieged by the Retired Emperor and so many princes, so he must be quite capable."

Jiao Da thought she was worrying unnecessarily. "Besides, he has three sons. If the Prince of Jin gets into trouble, and the Convict Manor gets into trouble, the Emperor will be alert."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "When the master left, he said that our family should not get too involved in royal affairs."

The lessons learned from the past are right there.

The old master and the Duke of the Western Mansion had such a good relationship with the Emperor Emeritus!

The Crown Prince is wise, and the Master has a good relationship with the Crown Prince, so the Jia family could have lived a stable life.

But the result?

"...Did he say that?"

Shen Ning sighed inwardly, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Master said... that he would tell you about Rong-ge'er when he grows up and enters the imperial court."

Their master looks down on the old man.

The old man couldn't enter the court, only the wife was involved, so it wasn't a big deal.

However, once Rong-ge'er grows up, a new struggle for imperial power will begin.

Shen Ning vaguely understood his unfinished words. After seeing Jiao Da off, she couldn't help but go up to Tianxiang Tower again.

At this moment, the wind and snow intensified, and pedestrians hurried by.

On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, the last grand court assembly ended. Less than an hour after the emperor put down his pen, rumors about strategies to subdue the Japanese pirates began to circulate in the capital.

At the same time, Shen Ning's novel "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" (part 1: Iron-Blooded Loyalty, part 2: Eastern Heretic and Western Poison), attributed to Jin Daxia, was quietly put on the shelves of You's Bookstore.

It didn't even splash a drop of water.

Readers, upon seeing that it is a novel, naturally overlook it.

However, as the bookstore owner, Mr. You received two copies as a gift from the shopkeeper.

Jia Zhen had learned to be clever from his younger sister Jia Yue since she was a toddler, attending classes at school. Whenever he saw his wife reading a book, he would quickly take it from her and read it to her.

However, as he read on, he couldn't help but become deeply engrossed in it himself.

"Jin Yong was a very talented writer!"

Jia Zhen became more and more engrossed in the book. The couple barely managed to eat a few bites of food, stayed up late into the night, and continued reading the next day.

"Wait, this isn't finished!"

The couple was stunned.

Guo Jing and Huang Rong had become the people they longed for.

Ignoring the late hour and the fact that the bookstore was already closed, they specially summoned the manager over.

"You haven't even delivered all the books yet, are there any more?"

Jia Zhen is too obsessed.

I even dreamt about the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms last night.

He was eager to know what would happen next.

But how could the shopkeeper know?
He also stayed up all night to watch it, and his dark circles were even bigger than Jia Zhen's.

"Sir, it's not that I don't want to deliver, it's just that I don't have any left."

The shopkeeper was pleased that the old man was also urging for the books. "These books were sent by my wife. She said she would release the first two volumes first, and then give us the last volume depending on the market."

"I...I'll go ask my mother?"

Although it's very late, this novel... anyone who has read it absolutely must read it to the end.

"Now?"

Madam You quickly stopped her, saying, "Mother must have already fallen asleep by now." She was more attentive to her feelings, "Besides, we have to hold the ancestral worship ceremony tomorrow. Mother is still recovering, and if we go now, it might disturb her sleep."

Ancestor worship is quite tiring in itself.

This year, there's an extra memorial tablet for the father-in-law.

No matter how good a book is, it's not as important as my mother-in-law's health and mood.

Jia Zhen: "..." He pitifully spun around a few times, and he and the shopkeeper sighed to each other, helpless.

I only slept that night...

Jia Zhen's dreams were filled with the world of The Legend of the Condor Heroes.

On New Year's Eve, early in the morning, Eunuch Liu from the palace personally came to offer his condolences on behalf of the Emperor, bestowing gold, silver, imperial wine, and other gifts. After receiving a large red envelope, he moved on to the next household.

This was the first time since the Emperor ascended the throne that he had taken control of power and money. Although he was rewarding the nobles and veteran officials according to the rules set by the retired Emperor in recent years, he was still very busy.

However, the Jia family enjoyed even greater splendor during their ancestral worship ceremonies due to the emperor's bestowal.

This year's chief officiant is Jia Zhen.

Because of his high status, Jia Zheng was also brought back early on.

However, he used to stand at the forefront, the second most dazzling figure after Jia Jing.

Even during the years when Jia Jing was not in a good position, although he could not obtain the position of chief priest, he was still the most indispensable person in the Jia family.

Now, he still stands in front, but his clothes are no longer the same.

Standing there, Jia Zheng finally understood the Jia Jing of the past.

Everyone can see him, yet everyone wants to avoid him.

He put on a smiling face, but others just gave him perfunctory responses.

This year, Jia Zhen offered a libation, Jia She, along with Rong Ge and Jia Lian, offered silk, Jia Zhu and Bao Yu held incense, and Jia Yun, Jia Chang, and Jia Ling spread out prayer mats and guarded the incense burner.

After the first sacrificial ceremony was completed, everyone withdrew for the second ancestral worship ceremony. However, this time the ceremony was moved to the main hall, and the chief officiant was changed to Grandmother Jia.

In the center of the main hall hang portraits of the two ancestors of the Ning and Rong dynasties, both adorned with python robes and jade belts. Jia Jing's portrait is placed next to Jia Daihua's.

Whole pigs and sheep were brought up, and Grandmother Jia and Shen Ning served dishes, rice, soup, and wine.

Then came the bowing...

Shen Ning was dizzy from kowtowing so much.

When the afternoon ended, Li Wan had to help her up.

The main reason Li Wan didn't expect that the old lady would send someone to pick up her father-in-law, but leave her mother-in-law behind.

She had no one to help her.

Just then, Madam You became pregnant, and since she wasn't needed by the old lady, she readily took on the responsibility of looking after her aunt.

After being sick, Shen Ning was indeed much weaker, and after the whole process, all she wanted to do was go back and lie down.

However, as the mistress of the Ningguo Mansion, even her neighbor, Grandmother Jia, who was a generation older than her, was receiving relatives, making it even more difficult for her to leave.

Fortunately, everyone was understanding of her because of Jia Jing, and of course, because of her own reputation. Even the old aunts and other women in the clan treated her with kindness.

When time was passing exceptionally difficult for her, she didn't notice the occasional glances from her eldest son.

Jia Zhu assumed that Brother Zhen was worried about his aunt's health, and quietly told several important elders and peers. For once, everyone refrained from playing drinking games and toasts while drinking, and the New Year's Eve dinner ended early.

Jia Zheng hadn't had so much meat in a long time. Although he ate very restrainedly, he still filled his stomach to the brim.

However, while others had their fill and were picked up and dropped off by their own carriages, he…

"Mother~"

Most of the others had already left, so Jia Zheng had no choice but to leave as well.

As he kowtowed to Grandmother Jia to bid her farewell, tears welled up in his red-rimmed eyes. "I cannot serve you by your side. Here, I wish you boundless happiness and longevity!"

None of the Wang family members were able to come.

She ate bland, watery meals at home.

Jia Zheng, however, got to eat meat.

The meat is so delicious!
He had no idea why he hadn't liked the food before.

"Your son is unfilial, your son... takes his leave!"

"Go...go!"

Seeing her second son, who had lost a lot of weight, Grandmother Jia felt sad. "Zhu'er, Baoyu, take Huan-ge'er with you and see him off."

"Yes!"

Jia Zhu had been waiting for a long time.

Since his mother couldn't come, he and Baoyu were determined to go and see her.

Inside the carriage, Jia Zhu touched his father's coat to make sure it was still thick and warm before he felt a little relieved.

Looking at his three sons, who were dressed in rich clothes, Jia Zheng felt complicated and sat there without saying a word.

If he didn't speak, Baoyu and Jia Huan certainly didn't dare to speak either.

"Father, these days, you..."

"Very good!"

Jia Zheng's voice was somewhat choked.

Even his son couldn't save him.

"Your couplet..."

"Not all of them were sold out."

Jia Zheng sighed inwardly, "I gave away all the unsold items to the people on the estate."

Jia Zhu: "..."

Baoyu: "..."

The two of them were older and understood what their father meant.

But Jia Huan didn't know that.

He cautiously peeked at his father.

If his aunt hadn't given him instructions for several days, he wouldn't have dared to approach his father, who was practically a stranger to him.

"It's good that it's given away."

Jia Zhu sighed inwardly.

With my parents not doing any work, I'm afraid life will only get harder and harder.

"When spring comes, the fields at home..."

"Yes, the elders have made it clear that they will teach us."

Jia Zheng knew that his son had a heavy workload of studying.

His clansmen looked down on him, firstly because he himself was incompetent, and secondly because his son had not yet become an official.

"Pearl, don't worry about us. Focus on your studies."

The more officials in the court are dismissed, the more opportunities there are for candidates to take the imperial examinations.

Jia Zheng had high hopes for his eldest son. "Your father-in-law has told you about the affairs of the court, hasn't he?"

"Yes!"

Jia Zhu nodded, "My father-in-law said I have a good chance."

That's good.

Jia Zheng relaxed a little. "If your mother cries when you see her later... don't worry too much."

"...My son knows."

My father looks better than before.

Jia Zhu felt relieved. "Father, please take care of yourselves, Mother. Only then can your sons...sons can rest assured."

"..."

Jia Zheng patted his eldest son's shoulder silently.

"Father, do you remember some of the Imperial Academy examination papers that I showed you before?"

After thinking for a moment, Jia Zhu said again, "Do you think you could silently go to the various guild halls... and give them a push?"

Although doing so is a disgrace to scholars.

However, when it comes to life, face is nothing.

Jia Zhu felt that his parents had to survive first.

Otherwise, relying solely on his father writing letters to others wouldn't be enough to make a living.

In particular, the two of them also owe money.

"You can also copy books from bookstores."

Baoyu looked at his father, then at his elder brother, and said, "Cousin Min said he wanted to practice calligraphy, so he took a job copying books at a bookstore. He copied the books, practiced calligraphy, and earned money at the same time."

His eyes were full of sincerity. "Rong-ge'er is also copying books to practice calligraphy."

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