The head of the Red Mansion

The chubby-faced little boy wore a red fox fur hat adorned with pearls, looking both festive and wealthy.

With just one glance, Shen Ning knew that he had been specially dressed up; otherwise, with their money-tailed rats, they would be the target of old people throwing dog poop at them on the street.

Throwing rotten eggs and vegetable leaves at someone is completely impossible in this day and age.

Roasted rotten eggs can actually smell delicious!

Even rotten vegetable leaves are eaten by chickens and pigs.

How could I bear to just throw it away?

"Aunt, thank you so much for saving my mother's life!"

Upon noticing his aunt scrutinizing him, and remembering his uncle next door's resentment that he hadn't done anything for his mother, Na Man, who had just finished bowing, cleverly knelt down and kowtowed again.

"Auntie, thank you so much for saving my mother's life!"

Seeing his brother like this, He Zhuo quickly knelt down and kowtowed.

"Get up quickly!"

Shen Ning gave Jia Zhen a wink, signaling him to pull Na Man up, while pulling He Zhuo up beside her. "Don't say your mother is my sister. Even if it were anyone else, if they encountered this, your aunt would do her best to save her."

"But without my aunt, I would be a motherless child."

He Zhuo knew how miserable it was to be motherless.

Tears streamed down her face. "Auntie, Hezhuo will remember your kindness for the rest of her life."

"A lifetime!"

Shen Ning was amused by the little girl. "A lifetime is a very, very long time. Are you sure?"

"I'm sure, I will take care of you for the rest of my life."

The girl has such a sweet tongue, how can Shen Ning be blamed for preferring girls?
"Alright, alright, then Auntie will wait."

"Auntie, and me too."

Na Man discovered that her aunt, whom even her father and the others feared, was immediately charmed by her younger sister and beamed with joy, so she quickly joined in.

In fact, he was indeed somewhat grateful.

If his mother had died that day, who knows what would have become of him and his sister.

"I will also show my respect to you!"

"Zhen'er, your cousins ​​are trying to take your job."

"I'm trying my best to make them unable to compete with me."

Jia Zhen joined in with a joke.

Shen Ning smiled and rolled her eyes at him, then waved to Man, "He Zhuo just told me that her brother is really amazing, and he's often praised by the teacher. Is that true?"

Na Man glanced at his sister, grinned so wide his eyes disappeared, and puffed out his chest, "...Among the brothers, I am the one who is often praised by the teacher."

"Really?" Shen Ning feigned surprise. "You speak Chinese so well, have you studied Chinese literature?"

"Learned it."

Na Man nodded vigorously.

He had a teacher instructing him all the way by boat.

"So, what have you learned so far?"

“Learn the Book of Rites and the Way of the Great Learning.”

"Do you... all study these things?"

Shen Ning asked him, seemingly out of curiosity.

“Learn!”

Na Man said, "We royal children have to learn this from a young age."

"You have to learn everything?"

Shen Ning smiled, "So you're going to take the exams to become officials in the Great Zhao Dynasty?"

what?
Na Man was stunned for a moment.

He Zhuo hurriedly looked at his brother and tugged at him.

"Aunt, I need to say a few words to my brother."

"go Go!"

He Zhuo hurriedly pulled his brother to the side.

"Brother, my aunt told me before that Mother might only be able to keep me for the time being, so you..."

She repeated everything Shen Ning had said to Man, and then asked expectantly, "Brother, will you be able to get into Da Zhao?"

Na Man: "..."

They learned things from the Han people, but becoming an official in the Han people's court was something they had never even considered.

Although the Russians attacked, the elders had no choice but to ask the Great Zhao for help. However, it was not easy for their ancestors to establish the country. If they really became officials of the Han people, would the Great Qing still exist?
He seemed somewhat listless.

Although my sister spoke very softly, does my aunt ask questions casually?
Ama said that when he went to his aunt's house, he had to go back and learn everything she said, did, and even the look in her eyes.

"Aunt, do you think our Qing Dynasty is about to collapse?"

That made me very sad.

The Russians are attacking, and they are all worried that the Qing Dynasty is doomed.

But now that the Great Zhao has sent troops to rescue them, why are they still acting like the Russians?

"Come and sit!"

Since you've hit the nail on the head, let's have a proper talk!
Shen Ning also believed that the child's visit was not simply a visit to his maternal family.

"Naman, you've learned a lot. Do you know what kind of official your ancestors were in the previous dynasty?"

Na Man: "..."

He knows.

but……

Was it easy for Emperor Taizu to unify the Jurchen people after starting his rebellion with only thirteen suits of armor?

It took several generations of effort to build the country, and he...

"If you don't know, go back and ask your father, your uncle, or your great-uncle."

Shen Ning wasn't afraid of the child relaying the message; what she was really afraid of was that the child wouldn't relay it at all. "The Russians have reached the Black River. How much territory do you think your Qing Dynasty still has?"

Na Man: "..."

He knew that he and his brothers had seen the map.

It's very, very small now.

In particular, the Great Zhao had been fighting against them all along.

"I heard you've been granted the title of Beile. Do you have troops? A residence? Territory?"

Na Man: "..."

No, nothing.

The elders said he was still young.

Some people even said that he could inherit his father's title in the future.

"Actually, there's nothing there, right?"

Shen Ning sighed, "Even if your father is made a king, he will have almost nothing."

She looked at him and said, "The Rakshasa are attacking. If the Great Zhao doesn't send troops, if the Great Zhao holds onto past grievances, do you know what the outcome will be on your side?"

Na Man: "..."

He Zhuo: "..."

The two vaguely knew what their aunt wanted to say.

"The whole race will be destroyed!"

Shen Ning's face turned cold. "Because they didn't want their clan to be wiped out, your father brought your mother to Da Zhao to test the waters. After confirming that we hadn't killed him because of your mother and you, and instead made demands, Suo Jin and your uncle Tie Bao came over immediately."

Do you understand all of this... Naman?

"..."

Na Man didn't speak, but slowly nodded.

He knew it was serious, but he hadn't imagined it would be this serious.

“Go back and tell your father and uncle that some things are already a bit too late if you wait until things have settled down.”

Shen Ning said, "Instead of waiting for the reckoning, it's better to take the initiative. The Emperor of Da Zhao is benevolent and will surely make proper arrangements. By then, you will also be citizens of Da Zhao. Whether you take the imperial examinations to become a scholar, a provincial graduate, or a metropolitan graduate, or pursue a military career, it will certainly be better than you struggling to survive in that tiny place."

"...Then I will definitely tell my aunt what she said."

He was heartbroken, but what his aunt had said, the teacher had also subtly mentioned to him on the way here. "Then let me ask you, if you had the chance, would you want to take the exam for an official position in Da Zhao and come to Da Zhao to be with your mother and sister?"

"……think!"

Na Man glanced at his younger sister and said, "Grandmother said that the Emperor built a princess's mansion for my mother in Shenyang, so I can go to Shenyang to accompany her."

"good!"

Shen Ning sighed softly to herself.

If it's this difficult to change the fixed mindset of a seven-year-old child, let alone Suo Jin and Tie Bao.

It seems the Rakshasa are even more powerful.

The Ningguo family also received gifts, but they came full of expectations and left with a heart full of sorrow.

Suo Jin and the other two had been waiting for a long time.

The two children, along with their attendants, nannies, and maids, all entered the flower hall where they were to discuss their matters.

"He Zhuo, did you have fun today?"

Woch values ​​his daughter the most.

"happy!"

He Zhuo glanced at her brother and said, "Father, Grandfather's house is so big, it takes up an entire street. I heard that the back street area is the same. Looking at it this way, it's many, many times bigger than our house."

Suo Jin: "..."

Tie Bao: "..."

Woch: "..."

All three of them felt a little uneasy.

Once upon a time, this capital city belonged to them. Even if they were driven back, the various princely mansions in Shengjing were not too bad off.

But they were driven out of Shengjing by the Zhao dynasty.

Nowadays, not to mention the Prince's mansion of Voch, even their royal palace is just a makeshift place to live.

They wanted to undertake large-scale construction and hire Han Chinese craftsmen to build something better, but as they retreated further and further, they killed many more to prevent accidents, making skilled craftsmen... hard to find.

It's fine for some of them to build an ordinary house, but they're way from building a much bigger and taller royal palace.

Prince Yu's side had done something similar before, but the main hall of the Prince's mansion had just been built, and everyone went to join in the fun and have a drink when the hall collapsed.

Their current palace is only slightly better than the houses of ordinary people.

“Hmm, He Zhuo,” Woch forced a smile, “who did you meet today? Were they nice to you?”

"At the Rongguo Mansion, I met my maternal grandmother, my eldest uncle and aunt, my second sister-in-law Lian, and my second uncle's wife, Zhu Da..."

He Zhuo counted them off one by one on his fingers.

Although all three were quite anxious about their meeting with Madam Shen of the Ningguo Mansion, they tried their best to hold back and listen to her finish speaking.

Finally, the little girl mentioned the Ningguo Mansion.

"I had just arrived over there and said a few words to my aunt when my brother and cousin Zhen arrived together."

He Zhuo asked, "Brother, isn't Cousin Zhen even better than our uncle here?"

"...My eldest uncle isn't bad either."

When the three of them, including Suo Jin, looked over, he said, "When we arrived, he was busy with something. After he finished, he came to see me and personally led me to see my maternal grandmother. In the end, he even led us to the Ningguo Mansion."

For some reason, he had a very good impression of his maternal uncle.

Although he made him sit there for a long time, after meeting him, Na Man felt that his uncle liked him.

Of all his maternal grandparents' family members, the only one who seems to like him so far is his maternal uncle.

Na Man, who tries to avoid being beaten by his stepmother and brothers and takes care of his mother and sister, has his own set of standards for judging people.

"Fourth Grandfather, Eldest Uncle, Father~"

Na Man said, "My aunt from the Ningguo Mansion asked me to tell you something!"

He wasn't beaten, he wasn't given the cold shoulder, and his aunt even gave him tasks...

These things alone are better than what Ama and the others initially thought.

Na Man had a good memory, but she would still occasionally ask her younger sister, "Is that right?"

After listening for a while, Suo Jin felt a splitting headache, Tie Bao's face turned ashen, and Wo He's sickly appearance worsened.

They thought they had already given up a great deal.

But unexpectedly, that woman from the Shen family...

Tie Bao, panting heavily, slammed his hand on the table. "Poisonous woman!"

If her words were to reach the emperor's ears, the consequences would be...

"Ah~~"

Suo Jin was in unbearable pain and cried out, "Quickly, call a doctor!"

After a while, he not only had a headache, but also felt even more tightness in his chest.

The servants all busied themselves, and Na Man, holding his sister's hand, had the guards carry their father to the bedroom.

"Father, should I not have relayed these words?"

Woch: "..."

What can he say now?

The son was crying, and the daughter looked frightened.

They are going to see Jia Wen tomorrow.

Woch could only suppress his anger and said as gently as possible, "It's not your fault, it's your aunt... who's too cruel."

Too cruel?
Na Man glanced at his younger sister but didn't say anything.

He Zhuo lowered his head, looking obedient and honest, and didn't say a word.

"You'll see your mother tomorrow."

Woch looked at his two children. "She might ask you about your trip to your maternal grandparents' house today."

Jia Wen is also ruthless.

Otherwise, how could she be so heartless as to whip him after he begged her so much?
He showed no regard for marital affection, nor did he care about his three children.

"If they ask, He Zhuo, do you know what to say?"

"Amma!"

Na Man moved half a step closer to her younger sister, making her hide a little, "Our maternal grandparents' family may have already sent a message to the palace by now."

It's impossible for him to make up a story. Although his mother was weak, that was in the past.

Na Man doesn't understand. His father has been beaten so badly, how can he not understand that things are different now?
"My sister and I haven't seen our mother in a long time."

He looked at his father, who was much weaker, and said helplessly, "There are only the two of us here, but there are so many people in the Jia family."

He wanted to tell his father to stop pressuring his mother.

If pushed too far, what if he abandons his sister altogether?

Or maybe the younger sister should just abandon them altogether?

My younger sister looks delicate, but that's because she's a girl.

If his sister were a boy, she would definitely be just like him, often praised by the men.

“Father, can’t we just tell the truth, just like we would in front of you?”

Woch: "..."

Lying down, he looked at his serious-looking son, then at his daughter who always kept her head down. He opened his mouth several times, but couldn't say anything else. In the end, he could only say, "Naman, tell your father, do you think it would be good to be an examiner in Dazhao?"

“Father, didn’t you always say that Dazhao is particularly prosperous, particularly large, and has everything?”

Na Man did not answer directly, but asked, "If my son has the opportunity to take the imperial examination for an official position in the Great Zhao, will you stop him?"

Woch: "..."

He was stumped by the question.

“Father, when my aunt talked about the extinction of the clan, her whole demeanor was quite different.”

Na Man continued, "Also, along the way from Tongzhou Wharf to Beijing, many people spat at our son from afar."

If this happened on their side, that person would be whipped at least ten times, then chained to the front lines to be used as a target by the Russians, consuming their gunpowder.

But Da Zhao...

“Father, the Han people hate us. Ever since the Russians reached the Black River, there have been rebellions everywhere.”

As far as he knew, quite a few people had already died.

"I heard that all the princely residences have secretly smuggled out quite a few things, including my stepmother's." (End of Chapter)