The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 281 Smashing the door
My son has arrived.

Wang, who was being held down by the old woman, was in tears.

Both she and Jia Zheng felt a renewed hope for survival.

Between the East and West Mansions, their daughter Zhu'er is the most promising among her peers.

Would the old lady really let him observe mourning at this time and miss the best time to take the exam? As long as the old lady is unwilling, there will always be a way with Madam Shen.

All I said was that I was supporting my brother-in-law.

She could take it back. She could say that she was jealous and hated her for driving her and Jia Zheng out of the house. She could even carry a bundle of thorns and walk all the way to apologize.

In any case, Wang Shi just didn't want to die.

After taking the medicine, her lower abdomen was really painful.

She wasn't fully recovered from her last illness.

Wang felt that if she didn't quickly get a doctor to treat her symptoms, she might die in less than three days.

She struggled hard, but fortunately the old woman was sensible and let go when she heard that the old lady and Zhu'er had arrived.

"Pearl, pearl, my pearl~~~~"

When Wang called out to her son in a hurry, Jia Zheng also rushed over.

Familiar footsteps soon sounded, but they sounded rather weak.

Both of them suspected that their son had suffered a great deal in order to plead for their lives.

only……

"Father, Mother~"

Seeing that his parents had suffered greatly, Jia Zhu felt both heartache and helplessness. As he knelt on the ground, his emotions surged, and he coughed again.

The old women who were watching over them were all shocked to see such an old man.

"Pearl, Pearl~"

As Jia Zheng's hands trembled and he felt breathless looking at his son's hair, Wang Shi stumbled off the kang (a heated brick bed), her whole body shaking as she stroked her son's hair. "Zhu'er, my Zhu'er," she cried, tears streaming down her face, "Why is your hair all white? Ahh~ ahhh~~~~, my Zhu'er, how did you become like this?"

The pain and regret overwhelmed Wang.

She finally realized how painful it must have been for her son, given his respect and filial piety towards Shen, to say those things about her.

Several times when he brought Baoyu and Huan'er over, he spoke highly of Madam Shen, saying that Madam Shen never showed favoritism when she received anything good, and that her brothers and sisters had everything that others had.

But the more they said that, the more Wang hated them.

Her sons, in the days she was away, treated their great enemy, Madam Shen, as if she were their own mother.

She and Jia Zheng inquired in detail about their lives and studies, trying to find some flaws, but... they couldn't find any.

It seems that without her and Jia Zheng, everyone else is doing better.

Even Baoyu smiled much more.

Since entering and leaving the ancestral hall, Wang Shi hadn't seen a smile on Bao Yu's face for a very, very long time.

Driven to desperation by her and Jia Zheng, the child ran to the East Mansion to learn martial arts with Jiao Da.

Wang always thought that he couldn't bear this suffering.

Moreover, Baoyu's health had always been very weak.

Perhaps after a few minor illnesses, the old lady would force him to come home.

But to everyone's surprise, the child persevered.

Since he began learning martial arts at the Eastern Palace, he has never even been sick once.

now……

"My pearl, my pearl, Mother was wrong, Mother was wrong, Heaven should punish me, why punish you?"

Wang hugged her son and wept bitterly.

"Mother~"

Jia Zhu's tears also fell.

He always knew that his mother wanted to give him the best.

But there are some things you really can't reach out for.

Heaven may have already punished his mother long ago.

The punishment wasn't directed at the mother herself, but at the 'him' she cherished most.

"Please, Mother, have some compassion for your son. From now on... please change everything!"

"Let's change all of these sentences," Wang said, striking a chord with her. She burst into tears on the spot.

"Foolish woman, how dare you cry?"

When Grandmother Jia entered, she glanced at her second son with heartache, and then looked at Wang Shi with such hatred that she wanted to skin her alive. "Shut up, you old woman! Don't you know the ground is cold? Are you trying to kill my Pearl?"

Wang's heart skipped a beat. Forgetting all about crying, she quickly helped Jia Zhu up.

However, she was not very strong at the moment, so Granny Lai next to her helped her out.

"Heat the kang (heated brick bed), Zhu'er, lie down first."

Grandmother Jia, feeling sorry for her children and grandchildren, instructed the old woman, "Break up the medicine we brought again."

"Mother~~~"

Jia Zheng, his hopes rising, hurriedly took a step forward, his expression sorrowful.

"You should thank your sister-in-law. She loves Zhu'er and doesn't want him to die of exhaustion."

Grandmother Jia sighed, "But while the death penalty can be avoided, the punishment will not be spared."

"Yes Yes!"

Jia Zheng looked at Shen Ning as she slowly entered, and hurriedly knelt down in shame, "Thank you, sister-in-law, I was wrong."

Shen Ning: "..."

She stood at the door for a moment, glanced at Jia Zheng, and without saying a word or going into the inner room, went straight to the chair that Qingzhu had prepared for her.

Two idiots, nothing worth her saying.

Whether or not someone admits their mistake is no longer important.

The brazier and hand warmer were quickly set up by the maids and servants around him, and Jia Zheng inside also got up amidst Jia Mu's sigh.

No one dared to help him up, and he himself didn't dare to get up either; it was the old lady who gave him a hand.

"If you don't want to die, go outside and properly apologize to your sister-in-law!"

The old lady glanced at Wang, who was still touching Jia Zhu's hair, her eyes flashing with anger, and said, "Don't pretend to be kind here. Zhu'er is all because of you."

She ruined it all, she ruined it all...

Wang seemed unable to bear it, and her body swayed.

People who believe in Buddhism always believe in karma and retribution.

Before, at home, she could go to the small Buddhist shrine to repent to the Bodhisattva, and the compassionate Bodhisattva would always forgive her.

But here...

Jia Zhu squeezed her mother's hand worriedly.

Wang quickly rallied her spirits and gave her son a forced smile, saying, "I'll be right back."

She hated Shen Ning, but with Zhu'er like this... she had to bow her head.

"Sister-in-law, I was wrong, hit me or scold me!"

Despite the discomfort in her stomach, Wang strode out and knelt before Shen Ning, saying, "I was angry with Jia Zheng, that's why I spoke without thinking."

If she had known this would happen, she would never have said those things.

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

Jia Zheng, who was a step too late, eventually came out to admit his mistake.

"I dare not accept the courtesy from the Second Master and Second Madam. I am only here because of the Old Madam and Zhu'er."

Holding the hand warmer, Shen Ning said in a calm voice, "In this lifetime, there's no question of forgiveness between us."

Many people may think that Jia Zheng is far better than Jia She and Jia Zhen.

He was chaste and had few concubines, and even wanted to try his best to control his descendants. But what was the reality?
Because of the old lady, Jia Zheng is the true head of the Rongguo Mansion.

Therefore, he was called "Master" in the mansion, and Jia She was called "Great Master".

As for Jia Zhen...

He was morally deficient, first having an affair with Qin Keqing, and then having an affair with You Erjie and You Sanjie during the period of national and family mourning. In addition, he was involved in gambling. However, in a wealthy and powerful family, this was far from enough to warrant the confiscation of his property and exile.

The Jia family's crime mainly stemmed from the issue of which side the head of the family had chosen.

Jia Zheng was dull-witted and stupid, easily manipulated without realizing it. He accomplished nothing in the court, and when he was sent to serve as an official in a remote area, he not only caused trouble in the region, but he was also fooled by his servants, who asked him to take money from his own home...

To say that he disciplined Baoyu was only true when he remembered to, and most of the time he didn't care. He spent all his time keeping a bunch of sycophantic scholars and officials to gain a so-called gentlemanly reputation.

When Daiyu was teasing Baoyu at home, she said coquettishly, "I'll tell my uncle." That was her recognition of her uncle. She felt that her uncle was very good and would make decisions for her in any matter.

But in fact?
Wang made things difficult for her time and time again, and this so-called uncle never said a word in her defense.

Jia Zheng misled everyone with his image as a virtuous gentleman.

Anyway, all the bad things had nothing to do with him; he didn't know about them, and he wasn't there.

He listens to his mother, he listens to his wife, he listens to his empress...

Shen Ning deeply resented people like that.

An openly evil person can make those around them wary, but someone like Jia Zheng... if things go wrong, you could really be dragged down and killed by him.

Even when you are implicated and die because of him, he still acts innocent and as if he doesn't know anything about it.

But does he really know nothing?

He secretly occupied Rongxi Hall, but pretended to live in a side room, clearly knowing that his position was illegitimate.

"There are gods watching over you. You've taken the medicine and escaped with your life. From now on, think about your children before you say or do anything!"

Shen Ning had already seen the retribution that Wang would receive, and she felt not much joy, but rather an inexplicable sense of depression.

This couple doesn't know how to be fathers or mothers; they only care about themselves.

I just hope that after this, I can be a decent human being!
Shen Ning stood up and said to Grandmother Jia, "Auntie, I won't get involved in this. Shou'er, stay here and take the compensation they owe us later and give it to the poor families in the village."

"Yes!"

Shou'er nodded vigorously.

Although I don't know what kind of compensation it is, since the lady has said so, I suppose no one would dare not to give it.

"Okay, take care."

Grandmother Jia was quite pleased that Shen Ning was able to come along.

Besides, with She'er here, it's better for everyone to stay away.

"Zhen'er," the old lady instructed Jia Zhen, "take good care of your mother as she goes back."

"Yes!"

Jia Zhen quickly agreed and came over to help his mother.

Shen Ning nodded to Jia She, who dared not speak, as she walked out, and soon got back into the carriage, slowly making her way back.

"Mother, you..."

Jia Zhen sat in the carriage, feeling flustered.

He wanted to say, "What are you doing here? Just let them die," but when he thought of Jia Zhu's hair, he could only swallow the words back down.

"It's been five days, do you think the rumors can stop now?"

Shen Ning, clutching the hand warmer, said with exasperation, "Do you believe that once the news of their deaths gets out, your mother will never be able to clear her name, even if she jumps into the Yellow River?"

Jia Zhen: "..."

"I told you to use your brain more in everything you do, why don't you ever think about it?"

Shen Ning had a headache. "Did you see Zhu'er's hair? Do you believe that if Jia Zheng and his wife really died like this, putting aside what would happen to them, just considering the old lady's situation, even if I didn't lose half my life, she would still hate our family?"

"...My son was wrong!"

But he didn't dare tell his mother about it at the time!

Jia Zhen felt very wronged.

He didn't sleep at all last night.

"However, it was Uncle She who facilitated Jia Zheng's death."

He just stood by and offered some encouragement.

"Mother, those rumors..."

"When soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will dam it."

Shen Ning snorted coldly, "With your father's outstanding achievements as a precedent, how many men in this world can catch my eye?"

Jia Zhen: "..."

He was quite happy for his deceased father.

"If anyone actually believes it and brings it up in front of you, just slap them across the face."

Shen Ning found a comfortable position and leaned back. "Just hitting people isn't enough. We need to go to their house and then report them to the Shuntian Prefecture for verbal abuse. If they really have a powerful background, we can file a complaint with the Emperor."

If we don't teach those petty people who only care about women's private affairs a lesson, they won't know how high the sky is or how thick the earth is.

Shen Ning thought of something and added, "Oh right, take a few more guards with you when you get home and smash up the Wang family's gate. If Wang Zisheng and Wang Ren dare to stop them, give them a good beating."

"Eh~"

Jia Zhen answered loudly.

He liked his mother's displaced anger.

Because Yuan Chun and the others couldn't divorce Wang Shi, but since the Wang family had raised a woman like Wang Shi, she deserved to be beaten back by them.

"Also, have someone keep an eye on the south and see what Wang Ziteng has been up to lately."

"Yes!"

Shen Ning was still wary of Wang Ziteng.

Although Prince Teng in Dream of the Red Chamber never appears directly, among the four great families, he is the one who can speak in the imperial court.

The emperor promoted him all the way up, from in charge of the capital garrison to commander of nine provinces. It seemed like a sign of trust, but in reality, it was a way to get him out of the capital garrison.

The Beijing Garrison was of paramount importance in ensuring the safety of the capital.

"If Jia Lian comes back, tell him to keep an eye on the situation in the south as well."

Hopefully, Prince Teng won't do anything reckless when the Prince of Nan'an hands over military power.

"If anything happens, send a message home immediately."

“Yes, yes,” Jia Zhen nodded. “We talked about this before he left the capital last time. We agreed that if anything happened in the capital or in the military, he would send us a message through military channels.”

"It's good that you know what you're doing."

Shen Ning felt a little relieved. "Go home and gather the clan elders. Talk to them about Wang Shi's matter. If they have any further punishments for Wang Shi and Jia Zheng, let them go and tell the old lady themselves."

"My son saved it."

Five days have passed, and by now, those who are well-informed have probably already heard what Wang said.

In fact, the speed at which rumors spread today is much faster than it was two days ago.

Especially the Huitong Hall area.

Originally, Jia Zheng, the second master of the Rongguo Mansion who was exiled, was one of the breakthroughs they wanted to find.

The idea of ​​Wang raising her brother-in-law was not something they took seriously, because in their community, it was perfectly normal for someone else to inherit the man's woman after his death.

But the guards who were watching the Jia family returned and said that early this morning, Jia Zhen and Jia She went straight to Jia Zheng's place, who was in exile, and their hearts began to stir.

He finally remembered that this was the Central Plains, where a woman's reputation was as important as her life.

The Shen family...

Suo Jin really couldn't bear to think about that woman; the thought made him grit his teeth uncontrollably.

Finally, they've found a way to kill her, haven't they?
He spared no expense to help spread rumors that she was supporting her brother-in-law.

However, the wish was beautiful, and the rumor was spreading well, but as soon as someone offered money, the same old Jin man from the same museum still offered money...

Some people secretly accepted money to help spread the rumors more, but others publicly announced that the Huitong Hall had paid them to help spread the rumors.