The head of the Red Mansion

For now, the emperor can only apologize to the Jia family.
He didn't dare let Shen Ning say everything, and said directly, "Da Zhao needs to help them drive away the Rakshasa people first."

"I understand!"

Shen Ning wasn't disappointed. "Wohe brought Jia Wen here to try and facilitate cooperation with Da Zhao. He wanted to threaten the Jia family and hoped they would use their influence in the military to help them. They are more afraid of the Russians than we are."

So here they come.

They wanted to get more help from Da Zhao.

Whether this help is unconditional or conditional depends on the negotiation between our two companies.

At this point, Shen Ning kowtowed, “Your Majesty, the Jurchens and the various Tatar tribes formed marriage alliances in order to leverage their power. Now, this Wohe can also be considered to have formed a marriage alliance with the Jia family.”

what?
The emperor's heart skipped a beat. "Stand up and speak."

"Non-my family, its heart must be different!"

Shen Ning didn't believe that the children who grew up there could identify with the Jia family. She stood up and said, "Whether it's the various Tatar tribes or the Jurchens, they have all tasted the benefits of invading the Central Plains. It's completely impossible to make them forget."

Their first instinct when they are powerful is to invade.

They seized territory, looted property, and even kidnapped women and children to serve as slaves.

A nation that only causes destruction and never achieves anything must be firmly suppressed.

"Now that the Rakshasa Kingdom has come to attack, they want our help. That means we are in control, and they have to listen to whatever we say."

"..."

"..."

The emperor and empress exchanged a glance, their voices unusually gentle, "Sit down and talk."

"Yes, yes, sister, please sit down and talk. There's tea here, would you like to have some tea first?"

"Thank you, ma'am!"

Shen Ning took the tea, sat down, and said, "Whether it's the Jurchens or the Tatars, they all believe in the strong. In other words, whoever has the biggest fist, they will listen to. Now, our Great Zhao has the biggest fist, so naturally they should listen to us."

"That makes sense, but we must also guard against their reversal. If we send all our troops to fight the Russians, the various Tatar tribes are very likely to send troops to fight us as well. Therefore, we cannot reduce the number of troops stationed in various places."

"That depends on how the Jurchens negotiate with the various Tatar tribes."

Shen Ning said, "Of course, we can also send people to contact the Rakshasa people. Whether or not we want to talk to them, contact... to some extent, is a form of deterrence!"

emperor:"……"

He is trying to make contact with the Russians.

This was a decision they came up with after discussing it for several days.

Mr. Liu even suggested that the Great Zhao could first cooperate with the Russians to attack from both sides, dividing the territory of the Tatars and the Jurchens, and then each rely on their own abilities.

He didn't believe that the Russians, having traveled a long way across the frigid lands, could still fight them after consuming half their population and gunpowder.

Mr. Liu had really piqued the emperor's interest.

He wished he could be transferred to the Ministry of War immediately.

Let him be his mouthpiece, to fight for him in the court.

Unfortunately, it won't work!

Dong Xiaoquan said that Mr. Liu wanted to become a famous minister, and he had to help him.

Only those who passed the imperial examination could enter the Hanlin Academy, and only those who were members of the Hanlin Academy could enter the Grand Secretariat.

He had to protect a renowned minister for the Great Zhao.

But unexpectedly, Madam Shen also...

Thinking of Jia Jing, whom his elder brother, the Crown Prince, had once deeply trusted, and how, having exhausted all other options, he had followed the same path as his elder brother, the Emperor suddenly felt a pang of heartache.

"Someone in the court has already taken action to make contact with the Rakshasa Kingdom."

The emperor's voice was sincere, "As for that Wokh... what does Madam Shen intend to do?"

He looked down on Voch.

The Jurchens were ruled by eight kings, and the Russian Empire had even reached the Black River. They needed the help of the Great Zhao, but only sent a minor prince...

hum~
This is because they are certain that Da Zhao must help them.

The emperor felt as if he had swallowed a fly's dropping.

So while he was actively preparing in all aspects, he was also keeping Voch waiting.

I wanted to keep them waiting, so I repeatedly asked them to talk later.

But now, the emperor feels that it might be better to leave Voch to Madam Shen.

"I have a somewhat immature idea for now."

"It's nothing, just speak, I will pardon you."

“Recognize Jia Wen, first go to the meeting hall as her family member, give Wohe a good beating, vent your anger for her, and then speak.”

emperor:"……"

Queen: "..."

"When he brought Jia Wen to the capital, he might have wanted to deal with the Jia family, but he might also have wanted to use the Jia family's power. In that case, the Jia family should openly acknowledge her and tell him that their daughter would not be a concubine, and that if the Jurchens wanted the Great Zhao to help them, they should first hand over a throne to him."

Ok?
The emperor and empress blinked almost simultaneously.

"Your Majesty, Wohe must have some ambition to be able to take on the task of seeking help from Da Zhao among so many princes and nobles."

Shen Ning said, "Beat him up, then force his clan to give him a throne. Then, for him, the Great Zhao will be his backer. With this backer, wouldn't he want to seize more power?"

*Smack! Smack smack!*
The emperor clapped first, and the empress followed suit by clapping for Shen Ning.

"Sister is so talented!"

The Empress was overjoyed. "These past few days, the Emperor and I have been thinking about how to use Jia Wen."

I tried many methods, but none of them were perfect.

Sister Shen's simple and direct method, however, is both satisfying and reasonable.

“Very well, since Madam Shen has already made up her mind, then go ahead and do it. I will cooperate with you.”

The emperor made the final decision with a single blow.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

Shen Ning wasn't particularly happy. "By doing this, it's as if the Jia family has pushed Jia Wen to the position of princess, and her three children..."

“Her three children can naturally take over the throne of Voch when needed.”

The emperor assumed she was worried about the three children and decided to provide them with guarantees. "This time, while we're fighting for the throne for Voh, we can also fight for the children's positions as princes or nobles."

"Your Majesty, that's not what I meant."

Shen Ning smiled bitterly, "The Jurchens invaded the Central Plains, the Yangzhou Massacre, the Jiading Massacre... In their hearts, Han people were not even cattle or horses. Those three children were born and raised there, and they must have been ridiculed because of their Han blood."

They themselves may even feel that their lineage lowers their status.

There are things we can help them fight for, things we can make them depend on us for, things we can use to fight for power and profit on their behalf. But equally, we must also limit them where necessary, and never give them complete trust.

"...I understand what you mean, Madam."

Understanding the implied meaning in the song, the emperor nodded and said, "They are who they are. Even if one day they are strong and powerful again and invade Dazhao, I will never blame the Jia family."

He won't give those people a chance.

Just as they wanted to conquer the Central Plains, he also constantly wanted to expand the territory and make up for the regrets of the founding emperor and countless veteran ministers.

The Yangzhou Massacre, the Jiading Massacre...

The founding emperor didn't forget, and neither did he.

"In that case... I'll take my leave and go beat someone."

"Hahaha, go ahead, go ahead!"

When Jia Lian arrived with a pile of things, he could hear the emperor's laughter from afar.

So, after a short while, the goods were handed over, and Shen Judao, who had made the wooden gun, stayed behind. However, Shen Ning dragged him out of the palace and demanded that he bring all the guards in his household, and in short, all the capable fighters in the clan must be brought to the meeting hall.

This this?

Jia Lian was terrified, and even his voice stammered, "Aunt, what, what are you going to do?"

“Bring your second aunt home, and while you’re at it, give that Woch who kidnapped your second aunt a good beating.”

What?
Jia Lian's legs went weak on the spot, and he almost knelt down before her.

"Look at you, so pathetic!"

Shen Ning was exasperated. "Isn't Jia Wen your second aunt?"

"Yes!"

"She was bullied, and you, as her nephew, just want to stand by and watch? Or... disown her and force her to die?"

"No, nephew, no!" Jia Lian was so frightened that he broke out in a sweat.

His eagerness to present his aunt's musket was partly motivated by a desire for the Emperor to value the Jia family more and protect his second aunt's life in the future.

"If you're too scared to do it, then just do it!"

Shen Ning has no ill feelings towards Jia Lian.

In the Dream of the Red Chamber, he was the only man in the Jia family who was capable and had a decent conscience.

"Don't worry, I've already spoken to the Emperor about this."

what?
Jia Lian's eyes suddenly lit up, "Nephew, I'll take care of it right away."

He, his father, and his elder brother Zhu went to the palace several times to discuss matters with the emperor and many officials, but they had no clue how to proceed. In the blink of an eye, his aunt actually succeeded.

Jia Lian dared not delay. He left Wang'er and a few others behind after leaving the palace to protect Shen Ning's safety, while he mounted his horse and rode home.

The carriage from Ningguo Mansion to pick up Shen Ning was already waiting.

Qi Youding, a guard of the prefecture, was ordered by Jiao Da to personally drive the chariot.

"Madam, shall we return to the manor?"

If we return to the manor, the Second Master should accompany us!

Why did he leave Wang'er and the others behind, but then rush off in such a hurry?

"No!" Shen Ning shook her head. "Let's go to the meeting hall."

"..."

Qi Youding was taken aback.

However, he quickly started the carriage and headed towards the meeting hall.

Knowing she was coming back, everyone who was waiting to see what would happen was astonished after receiving letters from their respective servants.

Madam Shen went straight to the Huitong Hall without even going home or discussing it with Old Madam Shi.

"Come on, what's the name of the teahouse across from the meeting hall again? Let's sit there for a while."

The Princess Consort of Nan'an was so curious that she took the Princess Consort to see a play.

Inside the meeting hall, Voch was also anxiously waiting for news from outside.

"Lord Baylor!"

The guard rushed in, saying, "The teahouse and restaurant across the street have suddenly received a lot of people booking private rooms."

"what happened?"

"Said to be……"

The guard glanced at Jia Wen, who was bringing tea, and said, "They said that after Madam Shen from Ningguo Mansion went to the palace to thank the Empress, she came this way."

what?
Jia Wen's hand trembled, and she almost spilled the tea.

"Haha~"

Woch glanced at her, a forced smile on his face. "Isn't this a good thing? Go, change your clothes, dress nicely. I can't let you embarrass me."

"……Yes!"

Jia Wen dared not refuse and hurriedly went to change her clothes.

She was very flustered and scared!
Although I told Woch that day that the relationship between her and her sister and sister-in-law was just a matter of face, the fact that her sister-in-law was giving them that face was itself a kind of favor.

Jia Wen has always felt grateful.

Honestly, she would rather face her stepmother's threats than her sister-in-law who had once been kind to her.

Her misery, her humiliation...

Jia Wen felt ashamed to face her.

As a daughter of the Jia family, she was kidnapped by her enemies. She did not resist fiercely, did not die, and even gave birth to three children for them.

She is a disgrace to the Jia family.

It is a disgrace to the Great Zhao.

Jia Wen's hands were shaking uncontrollably.

I've been trying to fasten a Chinese knot button for a long time, but I still can't get it right.

Once the buttons were finally fastened, her heart started pounding wildly again.

Dong Dong~~
Thump thump thump~~~~
Jia Wen pressed her hands together, forced herself to remain calm, and sat down at the dressing table, putting on her most exquisite set of jewelry.

Her hand touched one of the hairpins before she seemed to make up her mind to insert it.

It's so hard to live.

If you really can't take it anymore, then be decisive!

To die in Dazhao is a blessing.

Jia Wen looked pale in the mirror. Afraid that Woch would be angry, she quickly applied some rouge to her lips and cheeks.

This makes it look much better immediately.

When Woch strode over and saw her like this, he was very pleased.

"Let's go, the Jia family's carriage has arrived."

So fast?
Jia Wen's heart skipped a beat, but she still got up and followed.

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the meeting hall, but Shen Ning did not get out; she was waiting for Jia Wen.

Of course, she had no intention of going into the meeting hall.

Her carriage didn't travel very fast along the way, and judging by the time, Jia Lian and his men would be arriving soon.

"Madam Shen, the person you wanted to see has arrived. Won't you come out to see him?"

Before Woch even left the venue, his voice was already ringing out.

Shen Ning lifted the car curtain, and the first person she saw was Jia Wen.

Even if she weren't the original owner, after so many years apart, at this moment...

"Wenniang? Second sister?"

Searching for the original body's memories, Jia Wen's appearance is the most outstanding among the four sisters.

Unlike Jia Min, who possesses an intellectual beauty due to her extensive reading and refined temperament, Jia Wen's eyes are as clear as autumn water. With each glance, she seems to captivate the soul, exuding a charm tinged with a touch of the bewitching.

The original owner of this body used to have a lot of headaches because of her eyes.

A young lady from a respectable family with such eyes is not favored by her mother-in-law.

Especially in large, secluded mansions, women spend far less time with their mothers-in-law than with their husbands.

Therefore, the original owner specifically taught her to act a little naive in front of outsiders.

Of course, reading is also essential.

The beauty of books will appeal to the public more.

Finally, when Jia Wen got married, everything was perfect.

The eyes are still the same eyes, but they seem to be filled with sadness and despair.

Shen Ning tried her best to ignore the sharp and fierce look she showed when she first came out.

When she called out "Wenniang, Second Sister," Jia Wen felt only sadness and despair.

Shen Ning was deeply shaken. She suddenly lifted the carriage curtain, and Wen Peilan caught her just as she was about to jump.

Jia Wen's lips were trembling; she really wanted to call her "sister-in-law."

But she couldn't bring herself to call out.

She returned home twice, but apart from her third sister seeing her once, no one else dared to see her.

She couldn't get into that house.

But sister-in-law...

How could you call her that, sister-in-law?
That's tantamount to admitting it!

Jia Wen's heart was always conflicted. On one hand, she hated her family for not acknowledging her, and on the other hand, she was afraid that her family would accept her.

"Quick, Wenniang, your sister-in-law is calling you."

Woch tugged at her.

"Big...Sister-in-law!"

Jia Wen's tears fell in a downpour.

She didn't want to live anymore; she could die. (End of Chapter)