The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 252 The Two Kings
"Madam, there are a few more old men."

Wen Peilan spotted the old man who had blended into the Jia family's group at a glance. "In case he doesn't know his own strength... do you think we should tell the old man?"

"..."

Shen Ning didn't answer immediately. Instead, she looked at the people who had been beaten and said, "Wohe's leg is broken, and his hand is broken too. Tell me, how does he still have the energy to cause trouble?"

This?
Wen Peilan's gaze also shifted to the group of people who were giving gifts.

He's probably just an ordinary person!
"They must have quite a few undercover agents in the capital."

Shen Ning leaned back and closed her eyes slightly. "Woch is just a pawn that's thrown out in front of us, ready to be discarded at any time."

Now that Woh is demanding the throne from his people, they probably wish he were dead.

"Find someone who can run fast and throw a message into his house, saying that someone wants to use the Jia family to kill him."

What?
Wen Peilan didn't quite understand, but that didn't matter; she could just listen. "I know where to find people." As she spoke, she glanced at Xiaodong and Xiaonan. "I'll leave Madam here to you for now. If anything goes wrong, call for the master immediately."

"Uh-huh!"

The two maids immediately went on high alert.

As the carriage pulled over to the side of the road, Shen Ning looked at Wen Peilan and said, "Be careful too, don't let them recognize you."

"Don't worry, madam, I have experience with this."

If someone who roams the martial arts world didn't have this much skill, she would have died eight hundred times over.

Wen Peilan got out of the car with a smile and quickly disappeared into a side alley.

Inside the meeting hall, Woh was lying in bed, wondering who might come from his tribe if someone were to visit.

He was also thinking about who could relinquish their position as banner chief and withdraw from the political arena for the sake of the greater good.

Wang Tiebao, who was from the same lineage, would definitely not agree. He was in his prime, and the Zhenglan Banner had not made direct contact with the Russians. With its strong and well-equipped army, he would never withdraw, and no one could make him withdraw.

In addition, he told his brother Tiebao that as long as he advocated for him within the clan, he would follow his lead without question from now on.

With the brothers working together and backed by the Great Zhao, they are sure to achieve great things.

Whether he believes these words or not, since they are brothers, even if they don't share the same mother, he would likely give his full support for the sake of his father and the reinforcements from the Great Zhao.

that……

Woh thought of the Three Banners, which had been almost decimated by the Russians.

The Bordered White Banner suffered the most severe losses, and now it probably has less than a thousand men left who can fight.

Out of consideration for the reinforcements from the Great Zhao, it's likely that uncle will prioritize the overall situation. Even if he's unwilling to do so... everyone will pressure him to hand over what he's owed.

Yes, it is like that.

Emperor Dazhao bestowed the title of Princess Rongguo upon Wenniang, wasn't that just to elevate her status, put her above the Fujin (wife of the emperor), and also put her above all the other aunts, sisters-in-law, and other female relatives?

People will give him face because of his reinforcements.

Once he has recovered from his injuries, he will take Wenniang back...

Hmph, what Princess Rongguo?
The Central Plains dynasties stopped engaging in marriage alliances only after the previous dynasty. There were many such alliances before, but how many of them lived long lives?
What did those emperors say after they died?
As long as the Rakshasa Kingdom withdraws its troops and allows for a few more years of recuperation, the tribe will be strong and well-equipped again, and then...

Woch was daydreaming when something suddenly shattered the window, and a cold wind blew in.

"Who?"

Woch was afraid of dying.

He immediately picked up the knife at hand.

However, there was clearly no one there.

"Your Highness~"

The staff at the guild hall received a lot of tips from him and treated him like royalty these days. Even though no doctor on the street was willing to come and treat Woch and the others, he took the large sum of money they gave him and secretly hired a money-grubbing doctor.

Upon hearing the commotion inside, he immediately called out and ran in.

"Look what's on the ground?"

A crumpled piece of paper wouldn't have that much power.

Woch gestured for his assistant to pick it up.

"Oh dear, sir, something terrible has happened."

The shopkeeper opened the paper wrapping the stone, and his face turned pale with shock. He quickly took it out to show him.

"Run! Jia Zhen is back, and he's coming to avenge Madam Shen. There are a few people with ulterior motives in his group, and they want to take your life."

what?
Startled, Voch sat up abruptly and cried out, "Is there a hiding place in the meeting hall?"

"Huh? No...no!"

The waiter was so anxious that sweat beaded on his forehead.

If he takes good care of this man, he'll never have to worry for the rest of his life.

In just a few days, he earned more money than he could earn in several lifetimes.

"Let's go to the stables!"

Woch had seen that there was a large amount of hay piled up in the stables.

He can hide there.

"Hey, I'll carry you there."

As he carried him toward the back gate stables, a commotion was already coming from the front yard.

It was Jia Zhen and his men who arrived.

At this moment, Wen Peilan had already returned to Shen Ning's carriage. "Wohe really got off easy this time."

Is it cheap?
not necessarily!

Hearing the shouts and screams coming from inside, Shen Ning's lips twitched. "His followers are all highly skilled in martial arts. Even if they can't hit Wohe, crippling those people is a good thing."

If we want the Great Zhao to send troops, at least two more princes from that side will be needed.

So Shen Ning wasn't in a hurry at all about hitting someone.

If we kill them all at once, it would only benefit those people.

"Let's go back."

The death of one or two followers is not enough to punish Jia Zhen.

Moreover, this time there were indeed ordinary people involved.

As Shen Ning's carriage and the yamen runners from Shuntian Prefecture who had come to her rescue passed each other, more than a hundred miles away, Prince Zheng Tiebao and Prince Li Suojin were leading their personal guards, rushing towards the capital at full speed.

They received Woch's letter.

This is completely different from what they originally thought.

How many battles have the two families fought in the past?
If it weren't for the Russian Empire's invasion, given their close ties with the various Tatar tribes and their mutual assistance, they might have been able to take advantage of the weakness of the Central Plains dynasty to invade again.

Unfortunately, the Rakshasa Kingdom attacked.

Neither of them could spare any troops to help the other.

The only thing we can ask for is Da Zhao.

They thought that since they had already bowed their heads, the Emperor of Dazhao, remembering the land he had always cared about, would also lend a helping hand. But they did not expect that he would not give them any face at all because of Wohe's identity and the Jia family's interference.

They even went so far as to bestow the title of princess upon a concubine's daughter from the Jia family.

hiss~
They would never have come if they didn't need their help or if they had no other choice.

"Your Highness, our gyrfalcon!"

The guard who was speaking gave a whistle, and the gyrfalcon that was flying north let out a sharp, high-pitched cry that cut through the air.

"Xu~~"

The group reined in their horses.

Just like its voice, the gyrfalcon swooped down and landed on the guard's outstretched shoulder.

"Your Highness, a message has arrived!"

The guard hurriedly took the letter tied to its paw out of the bamboo tube.

Because Suo Jin was of a higher generation, Tie Bao politely yielded to him and let him see first.

"...The Jia family is indeed not easy to deal with."

Sojin handed the letter to Tiebao again, saying, "It seems we have to help Wohe remarry his wife."

Everyone wants to save face.

The Emperor of Dazhao allowed the Jia family to run rampant, only because they now had no choice but to beg him.

"Let him remarry if he wants!" Tie Bao wasn't too concerned when he saw the spy say that the gift-giving team sent by Wohe yesterday was driven out of Ningrong Street by the Jia family.

Woch is his brother, and since his brother has such a powerful ally, of course he has to give him face.

Isn't it just silver?

It's not like I took it from his hand.

The budget for this trip to marry Princess Rongguo is 300,000 taels of silver.

Once they establish a connection with the Jia family, they will have a budget of one million taels for gifts.

In short, this time, his and Uncle Suo Jin's task was to spend money.

"Anything is acceptable as long as we can get troops."

What's a little silver?

Once the Rakshasa retreat, and once they and the Great Zhao have played the illusion of peace for a few years, when they attack again, they will surely be able to earn back tenfold or even a hundredfold.

Tie Bao rolled up the letter and threw it to the guard, saying, "Let it go back and report!"

"Yes!"

The guard quickly stuffed the letter back into the bamboo tube. After making a few low, obscure sounds to the gyrfalcon, it let out a 'screech,' spread its wings, and flew high into the sky. It circled briefly in the sky before gradually turning into a black dot in the direction it had originally traveled.

"Drive~"

Tie Bao patted the horse, and the team set off again.

At noon, just as the emperor had finished lunch and was about to take a nap, he received news that the two princes had arrived.

Liu An hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"Just say what's on your mind, why are you beating around the bush?"

The emperor was in a good mood when two powerful princes arrived.

"Your Majesty~"

Liu An glanced at his expression and said with a forced smile, "This morning, Jia Zhen returned to the capital and, upon seeing that Madam Shen was injured, flew into a rage and led his men to the Huitong Hall."

what?
The emperor frowned, but quickly relaxed.

If Woch were dead, someone would have reported it long ago.

As long as I'm not dead, nothing else matters.

"Let him go. It's just a son's filial piety. What's wrong with that?"

If it weren't for Madam Shen's reminder, he would have been holding his nose and seeing Woch by now.

hum~
What a bunch of bastards! They need his help, yet they dare to look down on him and only send a lowly prince.

"Hehe, that's what I think too."

Liu An genuinely laughed. "That's probably what Shuntian Prefecture and the Five Cities Garrison thought too. They waited for him to fight for a while before going over, but..."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "That Woch was a clever man. He probably sensed something was wrong and bribed a waiter at the meeting hall. The waiter secretly hid the haystacks in the stables. But it's said that two of his guards were beaten to death by old men who weren't from the Jia family."

Ok?
The emperor laughed. "Someone has infiltrated the Jia family's ranks?"

"Yes!"

Liu An nodded, "But Jia Zhen said that the two guards were just unlucky and died from falling out of the window while trying to avoid being hit by sticks. After the people from Shuntian Prefecture investigated, they agreed with Jia Zhen's statement."

emperor:"……"

He felt pretty good.

However, regarding Lord Dong...

What did Dong Xiaoquan say?

He was quite worried about Jia Zhen.

When it comes to cases, Dong Xiaoquan doesn't give face to anyone.

“Wohe has been found, and he agrees with Jia Zhen’s statement, so the Shuntian Prefecture did not file a case.”

"……Hahaha……"

The emperor laughed heartily, "Why did you only report such a good thing now?"

If only he had been happy sooner!

"Your Majesty, aren't you always busy?"

Liu An smiled and said, "This servant was originally planning to tell you this tonight."

"...Say something like this sooner rather than later."

The emperor didn't need his thoughtfulness and said, "Otherwise, I'll be too happy and won't be able to sleep, which wouldn't be good."

"Hey~"

Liu An nodded hurriedly, "This servant will remember."

"Hmm~"

The emperor took a sip of tea with a smile. "Send a physician from the Imperial Hospital to examine Jia Zhen. Just in case he accidentally sprained his arm while hitting someone."

So, not long after, He Yuanzheng, who had seized the imperial decree, arrived at the Jia family.

Fortunately, he was the head of the hospital, and he was the one who had seen Madam Shen's hands; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to get it.

To his surprise, as soon as he arrived at Ningrong Street, he saw the Jia family, young and old, along with the guards, beating someone.

Good guy!
You can tell where they come from by looking at the armor they're wearing.

"I, He, have been ordered by the Emperor to treat the injuries of the Jia family. Anyone with injuries, come to me!"

He Yuanzheng lifted the carriage curtain and shouted loudly at the two sides fighting.

"retreat!"

Tie Bao gave He Yuanzheng a deep look, and when he said "retreat," he had already turned his horse around and left.

They learned from Woch's lesson. Of course, when they tried to invite someone to deliver gifts, no one was willing to take the job. This time, they brought their battle-hardened guards. Although the Jia family's guards were powerful, they could only use clubs and sticks, not swords. If they hadn't held back, countless members of the Jia family would have been beaten to a pulp.

After putting on a show of respect, Tie Bao led his men back to the meeting hall.

"How many people in the Imperial Medical Academy have the surname He?"

They can't do anything to the Jia family, so can't they take their anger out on a mere imperial physician?

My brother is so badly injured, and there's no imperial physician to treat him. We tried to find a doctor on the street, but when we heard about the Huitong Hall, no one was willing to come.

That Mr. He actually dared to claim that he was ordered by the Emperor to treat the Jia family's injuries.
Tie Bao was furious, so he asked the curator for details.

"what?"

The curator's face turned ashen. "There are several people in the Imperial Medical Academy with the surnames Liu, Zhang, and Bai, but there is only one with the surname He, namely Director He."

What?
Tie Bao's gaze darkened, and he exchanged a glance with Prince Li, Suo Jin, both of them looking extremely grim.

The resistance against them was all too obvious in the Zhao court and among the people.

Is it really possible to get reinforcements?
"Aren't they afraid we'll defect to the Russian Kingdom?"

After chasing away the bystanders, Tie Bao paced anxiously around the house.

"...What's the rush!"

Suo Jin, being older, thought it over and said, "Didn't the spies already send word that the Great Zhao was preparing to deal with the Rakshasa Kingdom? Now, it seems they're still looking for trouble."

They shouldn't have entrusted such a big task to Woch alone.

Then why did Madam Shen of Ningguo Mansion say in front of so many people that he was not worthy?

Hey~
"The letter of credence has been presented. If we do not meet tomorrow, we will certainly meet the day after tomorrow."

They'll only start to worry if they don't see him by the day after tomorrow.

"Let's go, let's hurry while it's still early."

They need to hurry.

Make your stance clear first.

They would give him the throne, and they were also willing to marry Princess Rong back to him in a grand and glorious manner.

Princess Rongguo had three children: two boys who were both Beile (princes) and one daughter who was a Heshuo Gege (princess).

Give the Da Zhao and Jia families plenty of face.

They no longer care about saving face...

Then we can only pretend to side with the Rakshasa Kingdom.

"Come here, prepare the horses."