The head of the Red Mansion

Woch put down the knife after Shen Ning told him about his three nephews.

He and Jia Wen had three children together. He thought that the Jia family had already accepted the children, and for the sake of the children and Jia Wen, they would have no choice but to accept him despite their reluctance.

But to his surprise, the man was just trying to trick him into putting down his knife.

At that moment, Woch felt immense hatred.

"Lie to you?"

Shen Ning straightened up, looking down at him. "You dare to challenge me?" She sneered at him. "If it weren't for your status as an envoy, I would have made sure you died a horrible death right now."

"...Hehe, but I do have them!"

"Cut off three more of his fingers."

Qi Youding responded quickly, picking up the hilt of the knife and stabbing wildly, causing Wohe to scream in agony once again.

"Second sister, do you see that?" Shen Ning looked back at Jia Wen, whose face was pale. "If you want, he's nothing but a lump of mud."

Jia Wen: "..."

Her eyes met Voch's, then she quickly looked away.

If we're talking about who hates Woch the most in this world, Jia Wen would be second to none.

but……

Voch still had the air of an envoy.

They really want to treat him like a piece of mud and beat him...

The Jia family has no idea how many people will impeach them.

She's already ruined her family, how could she possibly do more...?

"Wen Niang, think of the child, please save me!"

Woch was scared.

The Jia family are all lunatics; they really dare to kill him.

Just as Shen said, even if he were to die, as long as the Great Zhao Dynasty was willing, those uncles and elder brothers who were kings would still eagerly send people to make contact.

They might even be hoping for his death.

With his death, they can make more demands on Da Zhao.

"...Sister-in-law, it's all my fault!"

Jia Wen knelt on the ground, her voice trembling.

Her sister-in-law is helping her, risking her life to help her.

Her family members were the same, but she deserted.

But precisely because her family treated her so well, she couldn't bear to harm them.

"..."

Shen Ning looked at Jia Wen, who dared not look up, and it would be a lie to say she wasn't disappointed. However, thinking of everything Jia Wen had gone through, she quickly felt relieved. "It's not your fault, don't make excuses."

She went over to help them up herself, saying, "The children are innocent. If you want to protect them, I understand."

Since we can't kill Woch, let's make good use of him.

"Xiaodong, take good care of your second aunt."

Leaving Jia Wen behind, Shen Ning turned to Wohe, whose eyes gleamed with a glimmer of hope, and said, "My Jia family's daughter will not be a concubine, and I will not acknowledge any so-called secondary consort."

"can!"

Wait, wait until he gets away with it today, then we'll settle the score slowly.

Woch, who was pinned to the ground, readily agreed.

"The Jia family can help you see the Emperor."

Shen Ning looked down at him and said, “On the matter of dealing with the Russians, the Great Zhao and you share the same attitude. After all… back then, Huang Taiji wrote two letters to Chongzhen and the Prince of Dai during the Battle of Datong and Xuanfu. One letter acknowledged that he originally belonged to the Ming Dynasty and addressed Chongzhen as the Great Ruler of the World; the other letter defended the reasons for the rebellion, claiming that he was a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty stationed on the Liaodong border.”

She crouched down, looking into Woch's eyes. "You...know about these things, right?"

Woch: "..."

He wanted to say he didn't know.

but……

When they came to ask for help, everyone was prepared for the Great Zhao Emperor to make exorbitant demands.

When the Great Zhao Emperor rebuilt the country, he proclaimed to the world that he had inherited the Han dynasty's rule, and that the former Ming dynasty was also a Han dynasty's rule. All the land that the former Ming dynasty had once possessed was also the land of the Great Zhao.

"What are you now...?"

When Shen Ning saw his eyes flicker, she asked another question.

"If you've thought it through, answer; if you haven't..."

Shen Ning's hand was really sore. When she got up, she blew on it and said, "You were just a scapegoat pushed out by the nobles to test Da Zhao. If you die, the emperor of Da Zhao won't even lift an eyelid. It's the nobles who... are more realistic."

"..."

"..."

The scene was very quiet.

The scholars, who had been ordered to come and keep watch, fearing that the Jia family might actually kill someone, held their breath and waited for Woch's answer.

"..."

Woch was panting heavily.

He's not stupid!
Now they finally understood why Lady Shen, who had already left the capital, had been summoned back.

What empress dreamed of her?
It was clearly the Emperor of Dazhao who wanted to use her to force him to hand over the last trump card that his uncles and brothers had given him.

It was agreed that if the Great Zhao wanted to use the Russian Empire's military campaign to force them to reclaim their vassal status, then upon returning, his title would remain unchanged, and the trip would be in vain.

Conversely, if you obtain reinforcements from the Great Zhao with minimal cost, you will return with the title of Heshuo Prince; if you obtain them with moderate cost, you will receive the title of Duoluo Prince.

Woch didn't want to end up with a broken leg, smashed hand, and his face rubbed against the ground, only to return to being a mere minor prince.

But it shouldn't be like this...

Judging from Shen's appearance, he suspected that she wouldn't care about Jia Wen and the three children, but would instead want to kill him.

When Shen Ning looked at him again, her eyes were icy cold, as if he were already dead.

he……

Woch swallowed hard. “I brought the Book of the Eight Princes. We, the subjects of the Great Qing, acknowledge His Majesty the Great Zhao Emperor as the supreme ruler of the world.”

Shen Ning waved her hand, signaling Qi Youding and the others to loosen their grip a little, "Why wasn't the Book of the Eight Princes presented from the beginning?"

"When I have an audience with the Emperor, I will personally kowtow to him!"

Woch really wanted to grind his teeth.

He lost his throne.

But he would absolutely not forgive the Jia family and the Shen family.

When I finally meet with the Emperor, I will definitely file a serious complaint.

Even if Shen was acting on the emperor's orders, she would still be punished by the Great Zhao court for her book of eight princes.

"Hmm! That's a great idea."

Shen Ning seemed oblivious to the ruthlessness in his eyes. "However, with just the Book of the Eight Princes... it might be difficult for the Great Zhao to send troops."

what?
A Hanlin official who was about to speak was pulled aside by his colleague next to him.

The other person silently shook their head at him, indicating that they should listen carefully.

"You have been intermarrying with various Tatar tribes since then, and now that you are in danger, will they come to your aid?"

"..."

The angry Voch was rendered speechless by this question.

"What are they trying to do by not offering help?" Shen Ning asked sharply. "Do they want the two sides to fight it out so that a third party can reap the benefits?"

"How?"

Woch broke out in a cold sweat.

If this question is not answered well, the reinforcements from the Great Zhao may be lost.

"It's not that they don't want to do something, but that the Rakshasa Kingdom is also threatening them."

He could only say, "Last year, the Russians reached the Tanglu Ridge and Lake Baikal area, and even made contact with the Dzungars. The various Tatar tribes are still fighting against them."

If the Russians hadn't fought so fiercely, the war between the Tatars and the Great Zhao wouldn't have ended so hastily.

Similarly, they were even less likely to allow the Russians to reach the Black River.

"I see!"

I had only heard that the Russians had sent troops, which was why the Tatar tribes had made peace with the Great Zhao. I never expected the Russians to fight so fiercely.

"Who is the emperor of the Rakshasa Kingdom at this time?"

Shen Ning calculated the founding time of the Great Zhao Dynasty and the timeline of the Qing Dynasty in official history, and felt that the Tsar at this time should be Peter the Great.

“His name is Peter,” Voch said. “I think it’s something like Peter the First. You know, founding emperors are usually very powerful.”

Just like the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the founding emperor of the Zhao Dynasty, and their founding emperors, they were all extremely powerful figures.

Upon learning that the other emperor was named Peter I, they felt utterly unlucky.

"..."

Shen Ning looked at him, unsure of what to say.

However, she was too lazy to explain the true meaning of 'one lifetime' to him.

But Peter the Great was truly an outstanding emperor. During his reign, he implemented reforms domestically and expanded his territory abroad, transforming a backward country into an empire.

Shen Ning let out a soft breath. "Is that so?" She tried to ignore Emperor Peter and got back to the point. "So you're afraid, but when you want the Great Zhao to help you, you still try to outsmart us?"

"……No!"

Woch dared not recognize him.

The battle lines in the Rakshasa Kingdom are stretched out, so they still have time for now.

That's why I thought I should save as much as I could and earn as much as I could.

"No?"

Shen Ning sneered, "What is a prince to you? He doesn't even have the right to participate in politics, does he?"

Woch: "..."

His face flushed bright red instantly.

"Your status is not worthy of meeting the Emperor of the Great Zhao Dynasty."

Shen Ning seemed to have lost her last bit of patience. "For the sake of my second sister, I'll give you a way out. Either ask your uncles and brothers for a throne, or... get out of here and have one of your uncles or brothers who are kings come here."

As she turned around, she seemed to remember something, "Oh right, the people coming must bring my Jia family's nephews and nieces, otherwise..."

She gave him a cold smile. "I'm taking my daughter with me. If you want her back, you and your uncles and brothers won't see her again in this lifetime unless you show the utmost sincerity."

Never see each other again in this lifetime; perhaps Jia Wen is the better one.

Seeing the expectant look in Jia Wen's eyes, Shen Ning softened her voice, "Let's go home with your sister-in-law."

"Hmm~"

Jia Wen burst into tears.

She can finally go home.

Even if it meant becoming a Buddhist nun, she would be willing to leave Woch behind.

"Xiaodong and Xiaonan, help your second aunt up, let's go home."

"Slow down! Slow down!!"

With the restraints off his body gone, Wohe gasped for breath, "Wenniang, you can't do this to me."

"Give him a slap!"

Shen Ning didn't turn around, but her order finally gave Jia Lian an opportunity. He slapped Wohe hard across the face, saying, "If you dare to fart again, I'll knock out all your teeth."

Woch: "..."

He watched helplessly as the woman, who had once been as obedient as a puppy, boarded the carriage without looking back.

But do you want to shout again?

I really don't have the guts.

The emperor of Dazhao kept him out of the public eye and refused to see him. Was it because he had already seen through their intentions and felt that his status was unworthy?

At this moment, his pride as a man, the pride of a prince of the Qing Dynasty, felt as if he were being crushed on the ground, kicked and stomped on.

The mental anguish and shame are ten or a hundred times worse than the physical pain of losing a leg or finger.

On the street, He Yuanzheng, who had been secretly watching for a while, finally urged the coachman to hurry up and come over.

However, there were too many people on the road, making it difficult for the carriage to move. He quickly jumped down and shouted from afar, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm a step late. Please forgive me, Madam Shen!"

He Yuanzheng was wearing the official robes of a fourth-rank official, and the onlookers finally felt a sense of awe and all made way for him.

"So it was Dean He."

Shen Ning didn't expect it to be him, but her hand was already in excruciating pain. "You've come at the right time, please put some medicine on me!"

The handkerchief binding their hands was already soaked with blood.

Shen Ning was afraid she would get tetanus.

"It's not easy to get treatment on the street, let's go to the teahouse across the street!"

When Professor He offered his insightful advice, the director of the association hesitated several times before speaking.

It's really Woch and his men who were more seriously injured!
But he was just a minor seventh-rank official; even a fourth-rank chief magistrate had to bow and speak to Madam Shen…

Even if he had the guts of a bear and the gall of a leopard, he wouldn't dare to intercept someone from Madam Shen!

So the Princess Consort of Nan'an and others upstairs saw a group of Jia family members rushing over here.

On the west street, the Five Cities Military Command, arriving late, seemed to only then notice the large crowd gathered there.

The scholars exchanged glances and quickly left, while the two bodyguards who had been assigned to the task also hurriedly returned to report.

"Did they really bring the Book of the Eight Kings?"

After hearing everything, the emperor excitedly spun around several times.

"Bring it!"

Anqi, who had secretly rummaged through the things at the meeting hall, said: "The Book of the Eight Princes is pressed in the last brocade pouch. On top of it, there is another brocade pouch containing a letter written by Prince Zheng, Akdun."

"What does the letter say?"

"The letter was written in both Manchu and Chinese languages."

An Qi said, "He said that as long as our Great Zhao is willing to send troops to help attack the Rakshasa Kingdom and help them reclaim the land that the Rakshasa seized, we will sign a treaty with our Great Zhao, with the present-day Shenyang as the border, and never invade each other again."

what?
The emperor stopped in his tracks.

So, they really did have a few backup plans!

That bastard! Luckily, Madam Shen dug him out.

"Liu An!"

"The slave is here!"

"Once their bones have been set, issue an order in your name that no one is allowed to treat them again."

what?
The Emperor is truly angry.

Liu An hurriedly replied, "Yes!"

"Madam Shen's hand is injured."

The emperor thought for a moment and said, "Give me more nourishing foods, and you can deliver them yourself."

"Yes!"

Liu An hurriedly went to prepare things, but the emperor was still angry.

He was worried about the Rakshasa Kingdom for them, and these bastards still dared to play tricks on him?
Do you really think he's a vegetarian?
"Someone, summon Liu Zhi!"

Now, he needs Mr. Liu.

……

Rongguo Mansion!
Grandmother Jia had a splitting headache.

She eagerly awaited news from the meeting hall.

But the people they sent out never returned, and neither did the second time they went.

The third wave of people were all sent out, but after so long, not only have they not returned, but they haven't even sent a single word home.

“Lin Zhixiao is incompetent. In my opinion, he doesn’t want his position as head steward anymore.”

She couldn't bear to take her anger out on her children and grandchildren, but she could certainly deal with Lin Zhixiao.

"Go tell Lin Zhixiao's family that if they don't come back, their whole family will..."

"Mother!"

Jia Min quickly stopped her from continuing.

Just as she was about to try to persuade him again, a maidservant called out urgently from outside, "Old Madam, the head steward is back."

Outside, Lin Zhixiao was hurrying this way.

Grandmother Jia sat up straight immediately.

Jia Min, Jia Wen, Xing Shi, and Wang Xifeng all looked toward the curtain.

"old lady!"

Just as Lin Zhixiao was about to call them out one by one, Grandmother Jia waved her hand and said, "Tell me quickly, how is it now?"

"The eldest wife of the East Mansion has returned home with her second aunt." (End of Chapter)