The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 270 Fight out

In the Rongguo Mansion, Wang Xifeng finally had some free time and was about to take a short rest to refresh herself when Ping'er rushed in with a strange expression, "Second Madam, the invitation has been sent to the Huitong Hall, and the princess's two children are coming."

what?
Wang Xifeng sat up abruptly, "The princess's two children?"

"Yes!"

Ping'er handed over the invitation, saying, "They said they're here to pay their respects to my maternal grandmother and uncle."

"Then what are you going to do with it?"

How could Wang Xifeng dare to accept it?
"Quick, give this to the old lady or the old man!"

She has to do whatever her elders tell her to do!

How can such an important matter be decided by oneself?

"It was given to you by the master." Ping'er could only say, "The master had already instructed the gatekeeper that if anything happened at the Huitong Hall, it should be handed over to you first."

Wang Xifeng: "..."

It's good to have my father-in-law's trust.

But...

Did the person and the post arrive at the same time?

"The letter arrived first; it said it would be here in a bit."

"Alright then, let's go find the old lady first."

Wang Xifeng quickly got up.

In Grandmother Jia's courtyard, the old lady looked at the visiting card for a while and said, "Let him come, he'll come eventually."

Where is the princess?

"Didn't your eldest aunt from the East Mansion have them send the child over last time?"

It's just a formality, a meeting only.

What else is there?

"Just follow the proper etiquette."

She's not even my biological maternal grandmother.

"By the way, did they send a visiting card to the Eastern Prefecture?"

"Give it."

Wang Xifeng had already asked Ping'er about this on the way.

"That's fine."

As the old lady put down the invitation, she suddenly remembered something, "I gave an invitation to the East Mansion, but did I give invitations to your third and fourth aunts?"

Although Jia Wen and Min'er were staying at the house, they were guests and did not actually return home.

If the Huitong Hall had even bothered to inquire, they should have sent a visiting card.

"no!"

Wang Xifeng shook her head.

Grandmother Jia's expression grew even more indifferent. "They've arrived. Have Lin Zhixiao's wife bring them over."

As for Jia Wen, forget about her; she's divorced and returning home, so she can barely be considered a guest.

But her daughter is different!

As expected, these people are completely ignorant of etiquette. They've been in the capital for so long, yet they still haven't learned anything.

At the same time, Shen Ning also received a visiting card, which was personally delivered by Jia Zhen. "Mother, look..."

"Just treat them like any other relatives."

Shen Ning's gaze lingered on He Zhuo's name for a moment before turning away, "This child was never something she wanted to have in the first place."

To prevent accidents, to prevent heartbreak, to prevent being taken advantage of, it's best to keep things simple.

"If the girls in the West Mansion are asked to go back to receive guests, just say what I said: studies are important."

"Yes!"

Jia Zhen understood his mother's attitude and knew how to handle the situation.

After a while, Naman and Hezhuo arrived as promised.

As the princess's own children and grandchildren visiting their maternal grandparents' home for the first time, it is only natural that the gates of both the Rongguo Mansion and the Ningguo Duke's residence should be wide open, and the head of the household should personally stand at the gate to wait for them.

But no!
Nothing at all.

The convoy was stopped at the gate.

The doorman heard the knocking and knew it was the two of them. He said to wait a moment, and after a while, he opened the side door and Lin Zhixiao and his wife came out to greet them.

“Young Master, Miss, I am Lin Zhixiao, the head steward of Rongguo Mansion. Our master and mistress knew that you two had come, so they specially instructed me to invite you in.”

Na Man glanced at him, then at the gate, but said nothing. She cupped her hands in greeting and stepped inside.

He had already been granted the title of Beile, his father was a prince, and his mother was a princess of Rongguo. Logically speaking, he should have been able to enter the Rongguo Mansion through the main gate.

Just as Angbang Ama had said, the Jia family was going to give them a hard time.

Na Man took a deep breath, suppressing her temper, and asked obediently, "What is my uncle doing right now?"

Both Ama and Angbang Ama said that when they arrived here, they followed local customs and addressed people in the same way as the Han Chinese.

They had been taught these things by someone on their way here.

"The master is dealing with an important matter."

Jia She is playing with his woodblock print.

He didn't plan to go see Na Man right away.

The princess had already told her sister-in-law that she only wanted He Zhuo.

Since that's the case, let He Zhuo, this niece, go see the old lady first.

Then Man asked Lin Zhixiao to entertain them in the outer study for a while before continuing the conversation.

"Please come this way with me."

Lin Zhixiao wanted to lead him to the outer study.

"And what about He Zhuo?"

"Miss Biao needs to go see the old lady and the madam first."

Na Man: "..."

He wanted to say, "Then my sister and I will go see our maternal grandmother together."

But then again, fearing it might be their local custom, "Alright!"

He followed Lin Zhixiao, while He Zhuo's sedan chair was carried directly into the second gate.

He Zhuo felt the sedan chair stop, but the nanny following behind didn't say anything, so she didn't move either.

This is her maternal grandparents' home.

The place her mother longed to return to.

When she was little, her mother told her about many of her maternal grandparents' pastries, and she even secretly made them for her a few times.

But it always seems to fail.

Even if she thought it tasted good, her mother would often start crying while eating it.

The night before her father dragged her to Dazhao, her mother told her that if she never heard from her again, she shouldn't think about her anymore. She was going home, and even if she died, she was going home.

All she needs to do is be happy for her, live a good life, and try to please her brother Naman.

If one day Ama decides to marry her off to some tribe in Mongolia, she should ask her brother Naman to at least bring some dowry with her.

No matter what the circumstances, she is content as long as she takes good care of herself and lives well.

But my mother didn't die.

She lived a good life and even became a princess of Rongguo.

When He Zhuo first found out, he was overjoyed.

Her mother is alive.

They're still doing quite well.

However, He Zhuo dared not show his joy.

Because everyone in the household was unhappy.

Even though Ama was made a king.

The older brothers and sisters in the mansion looked at her with eyes that seemed to want to devour her, giving He Zhuo nightmares for several days.

When they told her that her mother had become her father's wife, the nanny who served her stepmother also led people to smash up her and her mother's room.

That day, He Zhuo thought he was going to be beaten, or thrown into a dark room where he would be deprived of food and water.

Fortunately, I wasn't beaten; I was just sent to a small, dark room specifically for punishing people.

She and her mother would take turns going into that place almost every month.

Her mother was punished by her stepmother or a favored concubine.

she……

These are either the legal mother or the older sisters.

He Zhuo touched his face.

She knew that they were only like that because she was good-looking.

The sedan chair was still moving forward, and He Zhuo peeked out through the small curtain.

This is another courtyard, with a hanging flower gate in front.

No wonder her mother said that her father's mansion was pitifully small.

Judging from the time since she entered the gate, it seems like she's walked about an inch. The brief pause just now must have been when they changed the sedan chair bearers.

On the way here, her nanny had already told her that her maternal grandparents' family was extremely prominent. Although it was only a Duke's mansion, it was almost the same as a Prince's mansion.

The sedan chair stopped in front of the hanging flower gate. The kind woman who came with Steward Lin to greet her and her brother lifted the curtain of the sedan chair for her, saying, "Miss, please slow down, let me help you."

He Zhuo alighted from the sedan chair, took her hand, and entered through the hanging flower gate. On both sides were covered corridors, and in the middle was a passageway. In the center was a large marble screen on a rosewood frame. Beyond the screen was a small three-room hall, and behind the hall was the main courtyard.

The main building has five main rooms at the front, and side rooms with covered corridors on both sides, all with carved beams and painted rafters.

On the platform sat several maids dressed in red and green. As soon as they saw them arrive, they hurriedly came forward with smiles and said, "The old lady and madam were just talking about it. What a coincidence that you've come."

So three or four people rushed to lift the curtain, while listening to someone announce, "Miss Biao has arrived."

Grandmother Jia sat steadily.

Jia Wen is now a princess; she should actually stand up and greet her.

But she just didn't want to get up.

"He Zhuo pays respects to his maternal grandmother!"

He Zhuo immediately bowed down.

"Quickly help the young lady up."

When she saw He Zhuo, Grandmother Jia was taken aback.

This child inherited the good looks of the Jia family.

Especially her eyes.

Like the eyes of Er'er, Jia Wen, Yuan Chun, and Bao Yu, they all resembled those of the Duke.

"Come here, come to your grandmother's side."

The old lady's heart softened a little because of those eyes.

He Zhuo stepped forward timidly.

Her mother was an illegitimate daughter.

Just like she did in front of her stepmother.

"Grandma~"

"Good~"

The old lady gave her a kind smile and taught her to recognize people: "This is your eldest aunt, this is your third aunt, this is your youngest aunt, this is your second sister-in-law Lian, and this is your eldest sister-in-law Zhu."

He Zhuo bowed to each of them in turn.

She had heard her mother talk about her third and fourth aunts.

Especially the third aunt, who was a concubine's daughter.

I heard that my third aunt returned home after her divorce, and it was her eldest uncle here who personally brought her back.

It's a pity that He Zhuo's maternal family was so powerful, yet her mother was a princess.

Princesses were always sent to marry foreign rulers for political reasons.

Just like her half-sisters and cousins, whenever someone mentioned their status and bestowed titles like "Doro Gege" or "Gushan Gege," it meant they were going to be sent for a political marriage.

Her father was able to rise to the rank of king because her mother is now a princess.

Otherwise, given the power and influence of my maternal grandparents' family...

"When I see He Zhuo, it's like seeing my second sister from when I was a child."

Jia Min touched the little girl's delicate face. "Did you just arrive in the capital today?"

"Yes!"

He Zhuo glanced at his third aunt and quickly answered his youngest aunt.

"Has a letter been sent to the palace?"

"I handed it over. My mother said I should go see her tomorrow."

She misses her mother so much!

But looking at her elders, who used to be so powerful and capable but never even glanced at her, now all of them are kind and loving, He Zhuo knows that many things are no longer her mother's decision.

Everything depends on the emperor of the Great Zhao.

"Did the nanny who served you on the way here tell you about your mother's condition?"

"said."

He Zhuo nodded. "They said that my mother was granted the title of Princess Rongguo, which is in line with the title of my maternal grandfather, Duke Rongguo."

Ama was beaten so badly!

My brother even cried in secret.

Although He Zhuo also shed tears, in reality, he was crying along with his brother.

"They also said that my mother... almost died."

He Zhuo's eyes turned red.

"...Sweetie, you'll see him tomorrow."

Jia Wen, who was standing nearby, handed her a handkerchief. "Your mother is fine, she's doing well."

"Thank you, Auntie!"

He Zhuo has a sweet tongue.

Jia Wen smiled outwardly, but inwardly sighed softly, "Have you seen your father? Did he or your uncle send you here first?"

"Hmm~"

He Zhuo nodded, "My father said this is my maternal grandparents' home, and my mother often mentions it to us as well."

Although I only mentioned it to her, her brother also came.

Let's skip the guy in front.

But her brother was always her and her mother's source of support.

He Zhuo wanted to build good relations with this side for his brother.

“My brother and I had wanted to come for a long time. As soon as our father mentioned it, we decided to come.”

He Zhuo Chao also looked over and smiled at Grandmother Jia, saying, "When we left home, we brought many gifts with us, and it took some time to sort them out."

Although her mother was a princess, her roots were clearly in her maternal grandparents' family.

Otherwise, her father and elders wouldn't have prepared so many gifts for her to please them.

Judging from the elders' complicated attitude towards gifts, He Zhuo inexplicably felt that it would be better to send those gifts over here as soon as possible.

otherwise……

She always felt that they should take back what they had.

She didn't want them to take it back.

She wanted to curry favor with her maternal grandparents' family. If the relatives of her maternal grandparents' family could treat her mother even better because of the gifts, that would be even better.

At this moment, He Zhuo had no idea that Suo Jin and Tie Bao had been tricked by her maternal grandparents' family and had not yet recovered.

If those gifts hadn't all come from the clan, and if they hadn't been transported to the capital with countless people watching, they would have worried that some treacherous staff at the meeting hall would have kept a large portion to make up for the shortfall.

Unfortunately not.

So both of them felt a tightness in their chests today.

Suo Jin was old and cherished his life, so he specially asked his guards to spend a lot of money to invite a doctor.

There's no other way but to lie down now.

The Zhao state has sent out troops.

A few days ago, they wanted to see the emperor and go back, but the emperor refused to see them, citing being busy. He even had a eunuch named Xiao Sanzi say that the capital was prosperous and that they had come all this way, so they should enjoy themselves.

Bah~
They were clearly detained.

Suo Jin regretted it deeply. If he had known that Da Zhao had such a revolving musket that could fire six shots in quick succession, he would never have come.

When he came before, he only thought that by helping Woch marry Jiawen and facilitating cooperation between the two parties, he would have more say when he returned.

At that time, he thought they were equal to the Great Zhao.

But now...

Suo Jin listened to the doctor's long explanation, which basically boiled down to his heart being stagnant, eating too much oily food, and needing to soothe his liver and regulate his qi, maintain a cheerful mood, and eat more light and easily digestible foods.

hum~
Sure enough, he was angry.

How hateful!
The idea of the Jia family swindling them when they sent the betrothal gifts that day was most likely the work of that Shen woman from the Ningguo Mansion.

You bastard, you're a tough nut to crack!

They have absolutely no shame.

It's infuriating that people like this still rush to give gifts.

He was so angry.

Suo Jin clutched his chest, repeatedly inhaling and exhaling.

Try your best to calm yourself down and not get angry, lest you make a fool of yourself in front of the Shen and Jia families.

"quack!"

He angrily rebuked the doctor he had finally managed to summon, "I suffered a serious chest injury, do you even know how to diagnose it?"

Suo Jin dared not admit that he was angry.

If this gets back to Mrs. Shen's ears, she'll probably be so happy she'll eat an extra bowl of rice.

He didn't want her to be healthy.

I only wish that she would be sickly from now on and wouldn't live for more than a few months.