The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 245 is presented (a 6,000-word chapter as a reward for the 10,000-coin donation from reader Cherry Tomato Ripe).
Once the emperor and empress truly hold power, everything in the palace will be under the scrutiny of all parties.

For example, the Empress dreamt one night that Lady Shen of Ningguo Mansion was suffering from hunger and cold in the freezing snow. Feeling distressed, she specially requested the Emperor to allow the coffin of Lady Shen to be carried back to her hometown by waterway when spring arrived. So, as soon as it was dawn and the palace gates opened, a team of Imperial Guards with four-wheeled carriages came to pick her up.

These words...

Hmph, it sounds so fake!
It must be because Jia Wen's identity has been exposed that the Emperor and Empress are about to sever ties between the Ning and Rong mansions.

The reason for saying this is that the Empress treated Madam Shen very well. The three members of the Ningguo Mansion were only away from home for a few days, and the Empress sent things to the Ningguo Mansion twice.

Treat other people's daughters, daughters-in-law, and future granddaughters-in-law as if they were your own descendants.

Could such an empress allow the Ningguo Mansion to be implicated by the Rongguo Mansion?

Therefore, the censor who had been itching to impeach Jia Lian today quietly suppressed his thoughts.

It won't be easy to separate the Ning and Rong mansions.

Especially during the Rongguo Mansion's time of crisis, they really had to abandon it...

Then the Ningguo Mansion's prestige within the Jia family would inevitably drop by half.

Would Madam Shen do that?

The normal course of action would be to deny it to the death, since news of Jia Wen's death had already been sent back several years ago.

The concubine that Woch brought with him... was very likely a person whom the Jurchens had specially chosen to retaliate against for the Jia family's ancestors' invasion of Shenyang.

Second...

Whether Jia Wen is real or fake, if she dies, everything will fall into place.

Everyone waited to see Shen Ning's reaction upon her return, unaware of how surprised she was when she saw the Imperial Guards who had come to pick her up at the manor.

At this point, she also suspected it was because of Jia Wen's matter.

"Mother~"

Jia Zhen and Jia Rong were also particularly worried.

The carriage sent by the Empress was to pick up Shen Ning, not them.

As Jia Jing's sons and grandsons, even though the emperor had granted them permission to escort the coffin south when spring was in full bloom, they could not simply leave their father's (grandfather's) coffin behind.

"It's alright. It's still cold and snowing. You can go back a few days later."

When soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will dam it.

When the moment came, Shen Ning maintained a very good mindset.

She also wanted to meet Woh, who had kidnapped Jiawen.

This human trafficker wants to use Jia Wen to destroy the Jia family, but he needs to see if she agrees.

"Please, sir, let's go!"

Wen Peilan, who served her from all directions and protected her, was naturally included as well.

The master and his six servants traveled back to the capital by carriage overnight.

Although it was cold and the roads were slippery, it was clear that these Imperial Guards were eager to bring her back.

Shen Ning simply lay down in the warm, spring-like carriage and had a comfortable sleep.

After all, she might have a major battle to fight when she returns to Beijing.

The carriage swayed back and forth in the snow, while Voch at the meeting place celebrated by pouring himself a glass of wine.

Sure enough, his plan worked.

Although the emperor has not yet summoned them, just as everyone has discussed, Da Zhao is also afraid that they will all surrender to the Rakshasa Kingdom and then attack Da Zhao together.

In this struggle, the one suffering the most right now is probably Da Zhao.

"Wenniang, what do you think you, as the eldest sister-in-law, will do?"

Jia Wen: "..."

I haven't seen my sister-in-law for many years, she doesn't know.

But when she saw her sister-in-law disregarding her brother's wishes and insisting on keeping Xiao Yue'er to care for her, her heart softened even more.

In fact, she could also deal with a hard-hearted person in the same way.

Jia Wen was afraid of her sister-in-law, who was crying and holding her.

“Your sister-in-law is quite formidable now,” Woch said with a smile, looking at the silent woman. “Old Madam Shi doted on her second son so much, yet she managed to drive Jia Zheng out of the Jia family step by step, and still managed to make the whole family remember her well.”

As expected of Jia Jing's woman.

If only we could abduct her to the Qing Dynasty...

The two brothers who had fought Jia Jing openly and secretly several times would definitely like it very much.

“Wenniang, you should learn from your sister-in-law.”

"..."

Jia Wen lowered her eyes and sighed softly, "She probably doesn't even remember what I look like."

"You two...aren't very familiar with each other?"

This is different from what he found.

The three illegitimate daughters of the Rongguo Mansion were all very close to the Ningguo Mansion.

"...It's just about saving face."

Jia Wen sighed again, “She is the matriarch of the clan. Even if Brother Jing hadn’t inherited the title, with Jia Zhen around, she would still be the matriarch of the clan in name and in fact. What’s more, my eldest sister, my third sister and I have married far away to the frontier. Our stepmother doesn’t want to talk to us, and neither do my second brother and sister-in-law, who are in charge of the household. If we don’t keep in touch with our cousins ​​who are still willing to treat us with courtesy, our husbands’ families will be even less likely to look at us.”

This?
Voch frowned.

What Wenniang said makes sense.

No matter how bad the Ningguo Mansion is, it is still the Duke's Mansion.

The Duke's mansion might not be able to deal with others, but dealing with a few minor officials on the frontier was a piece of cake.

"So, Jia She is indeed an honest and kind man."

Jia Wen: "..."

She didn't know if he was honest or not, but Jia Wen was grateful that her eldest brother rushed to her rescue when her third sister was in the most difficult time.

Although her third sister, Wenniang, did not come out to see her on her second visit to the Jia family, she could understand, being a concubine's daughter.

The fact that the third sister returned home after a divorce was already a great blessing, as her stepmother was willing to tolerate her.

She also has two children. With the Duke's mansion protecting her, the difference between her and those without is completely different.

Therefore, wanting the third sister to see her a second time at the Jia family was putting her in a difficult position.

"But his honesty is useless, it seems his son is not so honest."

These days, it's said that he hasn't even gone home, and has been staying at the Ministry of War, busy all day long coordinating military supplies.

Those are the things that the Qing Dynasty urgently needs right now.

However, according to several people planted by the Qing Dynasty within the Dazhao Kingdom, he sent a large amount to Prince Teng in the south.

This is something Voch cannot tolerate.

What kind of war could there be in the south of Da Zhao?
Those few clowns, if left alone, won't cause any major trouble.

It was the Rakshasa Kingdom that was truly coming on strong.

"Speaking of which, your family members seem to enjoy putting on a show of compliance while secretly going against your wishes!"

Just like Wenniang, she seems honest on the surface, but no one knows what she's thinking inside.

The Han women they abducted from the south back then not only caused the deaths of several generals, but also one of his cousins. As a result, nowadays, people have to strip a woman clean before they dare to sleep with her.

"Alright, I can't stand looking at your pathetic state, get out of here!"

Rather than letting Jia Wen upset him, he should focus on figuring out how to deal with Madam Shen.

What was the emperor of the Great Zhao originally?
If she hadn't voluntarily returned the treasury silver and donated more...

Woh deeply resented that the Rakshasa Kingdom had come at the worst possible time.

Even a year earlier, with the internal power struggles in Da Zhao and the old emperor clinging to power, if things were handled well, Da Zhao could still be their backyard.

At worst, they could support a prince, seize military power to fight the Russians, and stand on equal footing with the emperor.

How hateful it is now.

The Emperor of Dazhao held great power and was in his prime, a time when he was full of ambition.

The Mandate of Heaven does not lie with their Qing Dynasty!
This pot of wine, which was supposed to be used for celebration, suddenly turned into cold, bitter wine.

……

In Ningguo Mansion, Jia Yue was crying loudly.

Qin Keqing held her and shook her from east to west, but it didn't work. Jia Wen took over and shook her from west to east, and then from east to west, but the little one just cried and kept peering into her mother's room. Clearly, she missed her mother terribly.

How to do?
The best person to coax her is Madam You. The little girl likes her sister-in-law, but since her sister-in-law is not at home, the little girl wants to hug Madam You whenever she sees her, and clings to her very tightly, which almost strained Madam You's back today. Jia Wen and Qin Keqing dare not let her see Madam You anymore.

"Great-aunt, why don't we take my little aunt to the West Mansion to find our aunts?"

My aunt also likes her sisters.

It's a pity that Aunt Mei went to the Mantou Nunnery, otherwise it would be fine if she were still here.

For her, her great-aunt was not nearly as close as her cousins, whom she saw every day.

"Alright then, let's head over now."

Jia Wen was also disappointed that her daughter wasn't home. Fearing that Xiao Yue'er would cry herself hoarse, she wrapped her up even tighter and headed to the West Mansion.

At this time, Grandmother Jia already knew that the Empress had sent someone to fetch Shen Ning.

The old lady was indeed worried that the Emperor and Empress had abandoned the Rongguo Mansion because of Jia Wen and brought Shen Ning back, just to divide the two mansions.

"What's the sound outside?"

She thought she heard a child crying.

"...Grandma, it was Third Aunt and Miss Qin who brought Fourth Miss over. Fourth Miss is crying and making a fuss."

what?
Grandmother Jia, who had been lounging on the couch, suddenly sat up. "Quick, bring the child over. It's so cold. Have Yingchun and Tanchun come over too."

She knew she couldn't soothe the child.

But I could see Yingchun and Tanchun every day when I went to school.

"Yes!"

Yuanyang and Hu Po quickly got up; one went to pick up the person, and the other went to the backyard to find them.

Soon, Grandmother Jia's courtyard became lively.

Jia Yue, who was crying very hard, pouted her aggrieved little mouth when she saw Yingchun reaching out her hand to her.

"Oh, there's Second Sister here! We can't keep shedding tears like this!"

Holding the pitiful little sister, Yingchun felt heartbroken.

"Look what your third sister brought you!"

When Tan Chun heard her little sister crying, she got up and grabbed the little rabbit she had just cut out. "Little rabbit, don't cry, don't cry."

Jia Yue, sobbing, took the paper rabbit from her sister, grabbed it by its little ears, and yanked hard. Well, the little rabbit lost an ear on the spot.

However, the little girl stopped crying immediately.

She looked curiously at the paper rabbit that was missing an ear, and then stretched out her little claws.

"Oh dear, I knew it..."

Tan Chun tapped her little nose, "Shi Shu, go and bring over all the little things you cut out."

"Yes, yes, as long as we can appease them, that's fine."

Grandmother Jia touched her little hand and, making sure it was warm, breathed a sigh of relief. "If you miss your mother, go cry to her tomorrow."

"Grandmother, Auntie isn't..."

"Her Majesty the Empress sent someone to pick them up early this morning."

Grandmother Jia patted the now cheerful Jia Yue and said, "She dreamt that she was suffering and pleaded with the Emperor to let her return to the south by water when spring arrives and flowers bloom."

what?
Everyone in the room was pleasantly surprised.

"Oh dear, we've been crying for nothing for days."

When Sister Feng arrived, she smiled at her sister-in-law, whose face still had some tear stains. "You have to remember this. Tell her about it when you tease us in the future."

Is this something a sister-in-law should say?

Yingchun remained silent.

“It’s alright, Yue’er will cry,” Tan Chun said with a smile. “As soon as she starts to cry, Second Sister-in-law will have no choice but to surrender.”

"Look, you've kicked a hornet's nest, haven't you?"

Grandmother Jia was amused by them, "It's one thing for you to cause trouble here all the time, but you and your sisters even want to..." "Oh, Grandmother~"

Wang Xifeng stomped her foot, which made Grandmother Jia laugh even harder.

Looking at these children, the old lady felt much more confident.

Mrs. Shen loves children, and looking at these children alone, she will not easily make a division.

Therefore, her return might actually provide the Jia family with another path.

That night, Jia Yue stayed in Yingchun's room, while Tanchun, Daiyu, and Xiangyun all squeezed in.

The four older sisters, along with their youngest sister, first played hide-and-seek on the kang (a heated brick bed) using two quilts. Later, fearing they would get cold, Grandmother Jia added another quilt.

Fortunately, the kang (heated brick bed) was big enough that even with three quilts laid out, it wasn't too cramped.

Grandmother Jia's backyard was filled with their laughter.

The following day, Shen Ning's carriage finally arrived at the palace just as the emperor finished his court session.

The Empress had been waiting for a long time.

Of course, there was Jia Lian even earlier.

Standing by the passageway, Jia Lian, dressed in official robes, stood tall and looked incredibly handsome.

Seeing her get out of the car, he hurried over to help her, saying, "Auntie, you're finally back."

His voice trembled slightly, as if he were feeling rather guilty.

Huh?
Guilty?

What wrong thing did you do?

Shen Ning glanced at him without showing any emotion.

Jia Lian's heart skipped a beat.

We had agreed to seal that wooden gun away.

Or he could spend a few years at the Bureau of Instrument Manufacturing, get to know the master craftsmen there, and then gradually inspire them.

But now, he just handed it over to the emperor.

I haven't told Brother Zhen and Aunt Zhen yet.

"Tell me, what bad thing did you do?"

Shen Ning glanced at the palace servant leading the way without showing any emotion.

Fortunately, when they saw Jia Lian, they were very perceptive and gave them space to talk, then hurried forward a short distance.

“The Russians are attacking,” Jia Lian said in a low voice. “The Russians’ muskets are quite powerful. Nephew…nephew acted impulsively and told the Emperor about the wooden gun you had made.”

Shen Ning: "..."

She thought it was because of Jia Wen.

So it was a gun?

hiss~
sure!
Isn't the Jia family just afraid that the emperor will suspect them?

But no matter how much doubt there is, as long as the Jia family is not in the army, as long as they can drive the Russians out, take back the Outer Northeast, and then defeat the Tatars again, making them completely subjugate... it seems like none of these things matter.

"Auntie~"

Jia Lian heard his aunt taking deep breaths, and his voice began to tremble, "You..."

"Shut up!"

These past few days, she's been looking through the fragments of "Han Yu Tong ~ Di Wei" that Rong Ge'er got, and the more she looks at them, the more distressed she becomes.

The Manchu Qing dynasty ruined the country.

Therefore, during the late Qing Dynasty, Empress Dowager Cixi said, "Use the resources of China to win the favor of foreign powers." She also said, "Qing is not China, so the queue cannot be removed. If the queue is removed, China will not perish, but the Qing Dynasty will perish."

In her book "Two Years in the Forbidden City," Qing Dynasty writer Der Ling mentioned that her father told her that they were not Chinese, but they were the masters of the Chinese.

Therefore, they were incompetent in foreign affairs, ceding territory and paying indemnities.

However, they could spend more than a decade on civil war, fighting the Taiping Rebellion.

That battle resulted in the deaths of hundreds of millions of people, both directly and indirectly.

Shen Ning's knowledge of modern history is not good, because every time she reads it, she gets so angry that she goes crazy.

After I started working, an older woman told me that her daughter didn't want to study history anymore. She said that modern history was infuriating. She said, "You have to study hard. This is the account book."

At the time, she felt it made a lot of sense, and she looked it up more when she got home, but in the end, she couldn't help but give up in anger.

However, although it was abandoned, some progress was still made. According to the book "Population and Modern China: Since 1850", the Taiping Rebellion caused a population loss of at least 100 million people in China, and directly caused more than 70 million deaths.

According to the household register recorded by the Ministry of Revenue, China's population decreased by 40% during this period, with an absolute loss of 1.6 million people.

Although the figures differ, both indicate that the Taiping Rebellion caused extremely severe population loss and casualties.

Therefore, Dr. Sun Yat-sen said, "Expel the Manchus and restore China!"
now……

"That gun was originally meant to be given away by my aunt."

Shen Ning straightened her back and gave Jia Lian a smile, "Now that you've gone ahead, your aunt has to thank you."

Jia Lian: "..."

His initial unease and anxiety vanished at that moment.

"Tell me quickly, have they started manufacturing the guns yet?"

Shen Ning asked him questions while quickening her pace.

"not yet!"

Jia Lian hurriedly shook his head, "I only told the Emperor that you are very interested in guns and once made an extremely powerful wooden gun. But if the concept of that wooden gun were applied to our modern firearms, it would definitely overwhelm the Russians."

slap~
Shen Ning raised her hand and slapped him. "The Empress summoned me back because of that gun?"

"right!"

"Then why don't you hurry home and find Jiao Da?"

Shen Ning kicked him without regard for her image. "Tell him to hurry up and bring all my guns over, and also take Shen Judao with him. He made it, and he knows how to explain it to those old masters."

"Yes!"

Jia Lian ran away in a flash.

Shen Ning followed the palace servants and strode towards Kunning Palace.

The palace servants didn't say anything when they saw that Jia Lian was missing.

When Shen Ning arrived at Kunning Palace, the emperor, who had received the news, put down the secret files he hadn't finished reading and arrived just then.

The emperor did not see the actual object that Jia Lian had mentioned.

But he trusted Madam Shen.

All along, the Ningguo Mansion had only brought him luck and fortune.

He himself couldn't find a reason, but it was easy for him to trouble the Empress.

Furthermore, the Empress also preferred that Shen Ning could take the more convenient waterway.

Traveling by water is so much faster, and it saves so much of the discomfort of a bumpy ride.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

"Madam Shen, please rise!"

The emperor's voice was very gentle, "You've come to pay your respects to the empress, haven't you? Look, you've arrived." Seeing the empress coming out to greet him, his face was full of smiles.

"Your Majesty~"

The Empress, who came to greet her, glared at the Emperor. Just as Shen Ning was about to kowtow to her again, she quickly pulled her back, saying, "We're sisters, don't be so polite. I'm getting annoyed."

So Shen Ning could only pretend to be helpless and perform a curtsy, but in fact she was happy that she didn't have to kneel.

It's really uncomfortable for old people with weak arms and legs to kneel down.

"Come on, let's go inside and talk."

The Empress was in a good mood and asked as they walked, "You must have been in a hurry. Would you like to rest?"

"I wasn't tired at all on the carriage."

Shen Ning knew what the Empress meant; she was asking if she needed to use the restroom.

Fortunately, she had considered this in advance, and after arriving in the capital, she found an inn to wash up and change her clothes.

"That would be great."

The Emperor and Empress took their seats, and the Empress offered her another seat. Palace servants served tea, and the Empress asked directly, "Does my sister know why I called you back?"

"……Um!"

Shen Ning glanced around, and the Empress, understanding, waved for everyone to leave.

"I just saw Lian'er, and he already told me."

"Where is he now?"

The emperor liked decisive people.

He has limited time and really can't ramble on.

"Didn't His Majesty want to see that gun?" Shen Ning smiled. "I told him to go back and get it."

"Good good!"

The feeling of being surrounded by enemies is not pleasant.

The Russians, the Jurchens, the Tatars, and even several small countries to the south all wanted to rush in and take a bite out of the Great Zhao.

The main reason for this is that the Jurchens once stormed in.

In recent years, they have actively sought marriage alliances with various Tatar tribes, hoping to invade again.

"Madam Shen, how likely do you think that gunshot was the cause?"

"That gun has the inspiration of the Five Thunder Divine Machine."

Shen Ning said, "The Five Thunder Divine Machine rotates the barrel, while my gun rotates the wheel that holds the gunpowder."

Then she asked directly, "Do you have a pen?"

clap~
The emperor clapped his hands, and Liu An quickly entered, bringing her paper and pen in no time.

Shen Ning didn't hesitate at all and drew it out on the spot. "The Five Thunder Divine Machine is too cumbersome. One person has to support it and rotate the barrel while another person aims and fires. But this gun is different. The wheels are filled with gunpowder, so you can fire six shots in a row just by rotating them."

Moreover, it was loaded with gunpowder from the rear…

She drew six holes on the wheel. “Your Majesty, please look. Loading gunpowder is still a very troublesome matter for us.”

After it's installed, you need to use a chisel to tamp it down.

"Last year, when I was in danger, I was able to kill several men in black with the missionary's musket mainly because I had pre-packaged the gunpowder and lead pellets. When needed, I could simply take out one portion. The holes on the musket's wheel are where the gunpowder is loaded."

On the battlefield, since bulk loading is too slow, perhaps we could wrap the gunpowder and lead pellets in cardboard, which would allow for rapid reloading.

The Empress didn't quite understand at first, but after seeing what she quickly drew and listening to her organized explanation, she immediately understood.

If she was like this, how could the emperor, who had personally handled and studied guns, not know?
"Madam Shen is truly talented!"

He's definitely someone who brings him good fortune.

The emperor was very excited, "You should have presented these earlier."

"...I wanted to present it as soon as I finished making it."

Shen Ning paused for a moment, then smiled bitterly and said, "It's just that Prince Jin was so persistent at the time that I was a little afraid he would say that the Jia family was researching this thing and had ulterior motives."

Anyway, the Prince of Jin is dead.

It's understandable that the Jia family, having left the military, would be afraid of being bitten again.

"Therefore, I showed this gun to Jia Lian. He is the Director of the Armory and can properly guide the master gun makers in the future."

The emperor nodded.

He understood the Jia family's caution.

Jia Lian was loyal to the emperor and loved his country. When the Russians attacked, he didn't bother to guide the gun-making master but reported it directly to him, which won Jia Lian's favor.

"So, Madam Shen must also know about Jia Wen's matter?"

"Yes!"

Shen Ning nodded, and then, lifting her robes, she knelt down, "Your Majesty, I beg you to do justice for the Jia family. That Wohe forcibly abducted a Jia family daughter as his wife and then threatened the Jia family... "

"I cannot punish him now!"

The emperor knew what she was going to say, but he could only refuse, "The Great Zhao must first help them drive away the Russians."