The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 271 Contentment
In the Rongguo Mansion, Jia She leisurely made his way to the outer study.

Na Man had already drunk two cups of tea and a plate of snacks.

I must say, the pastries from my maternal grandparents' family are not only beautiful to look at, but they also taste amazing.

Is it because his eldest uncle is never coming over that he's trying to intimidate him?
He was told to be patient.

They were told to endure it as long as he wasn't hit.

The main purpose of her visit today is to get to know He Zhuo. As long as she can get the women of her maternal grandparents' family to get to know her and then be affectionate towards her in the inner quarters, her goal will be achieved.

Na Man slowly finished eating, and Lin Zhixiao, who accompanied him, had also learned almost everything about what was happening at the Wohe residence.

Wohe's primary wife was the granddaughter of the old Khan of the Chahar tribe. Now that the old Khan was old, his four sons were vying fiercely for the throne. In addition, the Chahar tribe had long been declining. They provided sufficient compensation for the divorce, which prevented the other party from causing any trouble.

Lin Zhixiao asked many questions, starting from the Beile Mansion of Wohe, then moving on to the Zheng Prince's Mansion, and then expanding to the other seven princes, even their reactions after the Russians invaded Heihe...

Na Man seemed to be able to answer any question, revealing everything he knew.

But Lin Zhixiao's originally smiling eyes slowly began to subtly scrutinize him.

He couldn't believe that his siblings hadn't received any explanation from their back home along the way.

Seven-year-old children may seem young, but just by looking at Master Bao and Young Master Lin, you can tell they know a lot.

"Steward Lin, it's getting late. We agreed on the way here that we would go to the Ningguo Mansion to pay our respects to my aunt and cousin there."

Na Man sensed this, and his accompanying guards also gave him a signal, so he immediately decided to strike first.

"Does Uncle have any time today? If not, may I visit another day?"

"Well, I happen to have some time now."

Just as Jia She entered, he overheard, "You're that Man?"

"You... are my maternal uncle?"

Na Man hurriedly stood up and, as Lin Zhixiao also called him "Master," quickly bowed and said, "Nephew Na Man greets Uncle."

"..."

Jia She did not immediately urge him to rise. Instead, he sat down in the main seat and said, "Do you know that your father beat your mother?"

"...I've heard some of it!"

Who taught you Mandarin?

"This is something we have to learn from a young age."

Na Man quickly looked up and glanced at his uncle, who was described by outsiders as incompetent and somewhat of a scoundrel.

"...Sit down!"

Jia She didn't see any trace of the Jia family in the child, and his mood soured slightly. "Did your father beat your stepmother?"

Na Man: "..."

Before he could even sit down, his heart skipped a beat. "No!"

He stopped sitting and just stood with his hands hanging down.

"So when your father hit your mother, what did you do?"

"...I...I don't know what to do."

Na Man said with some grievance, "My father has many sons. I have seven older brothers. I can only study hard and practice martial arts so that my mother and sister can be better off."

"...So, that's all you did?"

Jia She picked up the teacup beside him and asked, "Knowing that your mother was beaten, did you send her anything?"

He couldn't interfere with international affairs.

I don't have that ability.

But he is the older brother.

He wanted to know if his sister's son, whom she had given birth to, had done anything for her while she was being beaten.

He did it; it was an attitude.

If he doesn't do it, he has a different attitude.

"...I was only allowed to see my mother and sister once in a very long time."

Na Man could only say, "It was always when my father was happy, or when I was praised by the teacher. At other times, my brothers and I lived in the outer courtyard with Master Wu or Master Wen. We usually found out that my mother had been beaten much later, when her injuries were almost healed."

He was also upset when his mother was beaten.

but……

"Does my uncle know that I'm often beaten too?"

Jia She: "..."

“My father never hit my stepmother. When my two older brothers, who were born to my stepmother, made mistakes, Mr. Wen and Mr. Wu didn’t hit them, they hit me.”

There was vulnerability in his voice, "Because my mother was a Han woman, and because I knew that my mother and sister had been beaten, and I had secretly sent them things, my brothers often bullied me."

His own brother, who was born of the same mother, was bullying him inside.

“Uncle, back then, they didn’t know how powerful Da Zhao was, or how powerful the Jia family was, but things are different now.”

He stood there, looking at the uncle who had once traveled thousands of miles for his third aunt, "My father, no, my father, has been beaten by you all, but he still patiently tells us that he was the one who did something wrong first, and that as long as I win over my maternal grandparents' family, my mother will forgive him."

From a young age, he wished he had a very powerful maternal grandparent family.

He hoped that Da Zhao would stop fighting with them, and that his mother could bring him and his sister to visit relatives.

"Uncle, I know I haven't done well enough, but I've tried my best."

If a father beats a mother, or a mother beats a father, how much can a son who is only seven years old do?

Na Man didn't understand why his uncle was criticizing him.

He couldn't understand why his father, who had always valued him, would suddenly change his attitude towards him and his sister.

"If you blame me for not protecting my mother, I..."

"You are fine!"

Jia She's expression had already softened. "It's the uncles' fault."

Before blaming a child, one should first blame oneself.

Jia She sighed. "Come here and tell your uncle how they beat you."

He'll definitely try to sabotage things if he gets the chance.

He wanted to write a letter to Shi Ding and a letter to Lan Zhi.

Once we get there, we'll have a chance to beat those people up.

"...They don't dare to fight now."

When Na Man went to her uncle's side, her voice softened considerably, and her eyes shone with a special light. "Uncle, because Da Zhao is so powerful, because you are all so powerful, I have now been recommended to be a Beile."

Jia She: "..."

"Uncle, as long as you guys keep being good to us, they'll keep treating us well."

"...Do you want us to always be powerful?"

"hope!"

He nodded firmly.

He has many brothers, many cousins, and many paternal cousins.

But there are only a few thrones.

It wasn't easy for him to get ahead.

Just like his fifth brother, who cursed him in private, with a mother like that, no matter how hard they tried, their status was naturally inferior.

He would never receive the title of Beizi while he was alive.

Even if someone has made great contributions in battle, they will only receive a brief period of posthumous honors.

Therefore, Fifth Brother never enters the inner courtyard, and even during festivals, he pretends not to see his mother.

As Naman grew older, he came to understand his fifth brother more and more.

But understanding is one thing; sometimes he still misses his mother.

“Uncle, with my father’s abilities, he will never be able to be made a king in his lifetime.”

Na Man said, "When his title is passed down to his elder brother, it will definitely be downgraded by one rank. But now, he is a king, and I am a prince."

"...Are you satisfied with your current status?"

Jia She couldn't help but ask him.

"Aren't you satisfied?"

That man asked him a question in return.

"can……"

Jia She didn't know how to talk to this seven-year-old child.

But this little thing, in front of the entourage...

Jia She glanced calmly at the Jin guard who had suppressed his complicated expression, and said, “‘No sin is greater than desire, no calamity greater than discontent; no fault greater than greed. Therefore, contentment is true contentment!’” He continued, “These are the words your great-grandfather often said to your uncle.”

He stood up. "You haven't met your maternal grandmother yet, have you? Come on, your uncle will take you to see her."

This nephew is good at grasping the key points.

He's smarter than his son.

If they continued talking, Jia She feared he might fall in love with him.

He simply got up and left him with his mother.

"Uncle~"

Na Man was surprised to see his maternal grandmother so soon. He said with some joy, "You are even better than I thought."

Jia She: "..." What to do?

He pulled the child along a little faster.

After a while, the Rongguo Mansion received many gifts that the two children had sent to their maternal relatives, and Jia She personally led them from Ningrong Street to the Ningguo Mansion.

When Jia Zhen heard that it was Uncle She who had personally led the way, he almost spat out his tea.

At the same time, Shen Ning also met Yuanyang, who was sent by Grandmother Jia.

She recounted the entire performance of He Zhuo and Na Man.

"……sorry to bother you."

After listening, Shen Ning couldn't help but feel moved.

From Lanzhi to Minmei, Min Jianbai, Daiyu, and Lin Chang'an, they were all extremely intelligent children.

It's understandable that Jia Wen's two children are smarter than average.

"Tell the old lady that I know everything."

Shen Ning gave Qingzhu a knowing look, "They're coming, so I won't keep you any longer. Tell the old lady that I'll go over and talk to her when I have time tomorrow."

"Yes!"

The mandarin ducks completed their task and respectfully withdrew.

She had just received the tip and stepped out the back door when Lady You led He Zhuo over from the front yard.

The little girl was pretty, and her clothes were different from theirs, so Madam You couldn't help but take a few more glances at her.

"Sister-in-law, is Aunt's hand feeling better?"

"Well, much better."

Lady You walked very slowly. "Hezhuo, you'll see your mother tomorrow. If your mother stays in Dazhao, you..."

"I want to be with my mother!"

He Zhuo replied without hesitation, "Sister-in-law, I've been with my mother since I was little."

She had never been separated from her mother for so long.

"……good!"

Lady You saw timidity and fear in the child's eyes and sighed inwardly, "The Emperor has bestowed a princess's mansion upon the princess in Shenyang, and he probably intends for her to live there."

"Shenyang?"

He Zhuo's eyes brightened slightly. "I know where that is."

That place was once called Shengjing.

Once, her father beat her mother, saying that he would definitely lead people to recapture Shengjing City.

"I think you know that too."

Madam You smiled. "You heard it from your father, didn't you?"

"Yes!"

He Zhuo glanced at the nanny who was following him and nodded.

"Is your father's injury any better?"

"...My dad...said he's much better now."

She didn't see that her father had just been injured.

But looking at it now, it must be very, very heavy.

"Did a doctor apply medicine to him?"

Didn't a doctor apply medicine to him?

He Zhuo was slightly surprised, but quickly looked away when the old woman glanced at him. "Yes."

My father smelled of medicine.

Her mother didn't have a doctor to apply medicine back then.

They raise them little by little.

When her older brother got a little older and was able to bring medicine to their room, her mother taught her how to brew it and apply it.

She knows it all, and those guards couldn't possibly not.

He Zhuo sighed softly to himself.

"Is your father... good to you?"

"it is good!"

It's better if it's not good.

We definitely have to say yes.

Whether people believe it or not is not her concern.

Anyway, He Zhuo answered exceptionally quickly.

Madam You paused, "Look how confused I am! You and your brother are twins, every family would love you."

The two children look different.

Fortunately, He Zhuo resembled his aunt.

"By the way, have you ever been to school?"

"Read it!"

He Zhuo nodded, "My mother taught me."

"And what about your brother?"

“My brother is in the outer courtyard, where they have dedicated instructors for both literature and martial arts.”

The two chatted as they walked, until they reached Shen Ning's main courtyard.

"He Zhuo greets his aunt!"

"Get up!"

Shen Ning glanced at the nanny and maidservants following her, then waved her hand at Qingzhu, "Take them away."

"You two, please!"

Qingzhu quickly stepped forward.

The nanny and the maid exchanged a glance, neither of them expecting to be kicked out.

It wasn't like this when we were at the Rongguo Mansion.

No wonder……

Remembering their masters' words, they bowed respectfully and carefully withdrew.

"Come and sit!"

Shen Ning waved to the little girl, "Did your maternal grandmother and the others say that you look a lot like your mother?"

"Hmm~"

He Zhuo smiled sweetly, "My maternal grandmother said I look like a member of the Jia family."

This aunt is really something else.

Just now at Rongguo Mansion, my maternal grandmother's room was full of people. Although the nannies and maids were pushed out after only standing in front of the door for a short while, my maternal grandmother did not openly ask them to leave.

"You really like your brother Naman?"

"Ok!"

The little girl nodded.

Although she had a vague feeling that her maternal grandparents' family didn't seem to like her brother very much, her brother treated her very well.

"My brother is very good to me, and he's also good to my mother!"

Shen Ning noticed a slight pause in her words, "Although your mother has been made a princess, she often has no choice in what she does. With some effort, she might be able to keep you by her side, but your brother... I'm afraid that won't work."

It's best to be upfront about the unpleasant aspects.

Shen Ning didn't intend to cultivate a relationship properly, nor did she want Jia Wen to be clingy. She said directly, "However, if your brother can directly pass the exam to come to Da Zhao, that's a different story."

"Get into Dazhao?"

He Zhuo blinked. "You mean he's taking the imperial examinations to become a Juren or Jinshi?"

"Ok!"

Shen Ning nodded. "Do you think your brother can pass the exam? Will he even pass?"

"You can take the test!"

The little girl nodded solemnly, "My brother is very smart. Professor Wen from the Foreign Languages ​​Department often praises him."

"Being able to take the exam and passing the exam are not the same thing!"

Shen Ning smiled and asked, "I'm asking you, do you think your brother will come here to take the imperial examinations for the Jinshi or Juren degrees?"

"He He……"

He Zhuo hesitated, "Aunt, when my brother arrives, may I ask him quietly for you?"

My brother is a prince now.

"can!"

Just then, Jia Zhen arrived with Na Man.

"Nephew Naman greets his maternal aunt."

This is the eldest aunt whom Ama and the others are very afraid of.

He became much more respectful.