The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 283 Mr. Liu

In the Imperial Study, the emperor, having finished his court session, did not immediately review the memorials.

His feelings at that moment were extremely complicated.

On one hand, he was furious that Prince Teng had launched a war against Annam in order to quickly take over the army from the Prince of Nan'an. On the other hand, he was pleased that this fellow had conquered cities and territories, capturing three enemy cities in just a few days.

Three cities!
The emperor was delighted with the three cities, but was Prince Teng trying to replace the Prince of Nan'an and become a powerful minister in the region?

It took him a lot of effort to subdue the Prince of Nan'an.

“Your Majesty,” Mr. Liu hurried over from a side room, “good news,” he said in a steady voice, “Jia Zhen has gone to smash the Wang family’s gate.”

what?
The emperor's eyes lit up. "And why this time?"

Compared to the Nan'an Prince's Mansion, which has been passed down for generations and is now too powerful to be controlled, Prince Teng...

The emperor was telling himself that as long as he worked hard to expand the territory of the Great Zhao, he might as well be a powerful minister!

but now……

If the Wang family and the Jia family start fighting, then the Wang family will only lose.

He then subtly suggested that his merits outweigh his faults... but he didn't have the qualifications to become a powerful minister.

The emperor was not afraid of his ministers being individually capable; he wanted them all to be competent.

But he feared that his ministers might be related to each other.

Especially the Jia family from before.

The Capital Garrison was created by the old Duke of Ningguo. As a founding general, the soldiers and officers of the Capital Garrison were his own men.

His son, Jia Daihua, perfectly inherited the Beijing Garrison.

The retired emperor trusted him, and Jia Daihua did not betray that trust.

When Jia Jing came along, he abandoned his martial arts career and turned to literature in order to avoid suspicion.

But he also had a good relationship with his elder brother, the Crown Prince.

If the Crown Prince were to inherit the throne, the Emperor would not see any problem even if the Beijing Garrison remained in Jia Jing's hands.

Jia Jing was a capable minister, and the Jia family was also loyal.

But the Crown Prince is no longer here.

The Emperor suspected the Jia family again.

Jia Daihua and Jia Daishan died in the same year.

When Jia Jing went to the Taoist temple, none of the Jia family members of his generation had both properly raised him back then, out of a desire to avoid suspicion.

He wouldn't normally be afraid of the Jia family.

The retired emperor remembered them as veteran ministers, and the emperor also wished that the descendants of the founding veteran ministers could continue to serve the Great Zhao Dynasty for generations to come.

However, the Jia family transferred their military connections to Wang Ziteng.

At one time, the emperor particularly hated the Jia family.

They treated him and his father like fools.

What are the differences between the Wang and Jia families in this intermarriage between two generations?
In particular, they sent Yuan Chun to the palace.

That's because they wanted to be the next Zhen family.

Not only do they want to be the next Zhen family, but they also have ambiguous relationships with Consort Zhen and Prince Jin, trying to be opportunists.

Fortunately, everything changed because of Madam Shen.

From the moment she began praying for her daughter and repaying the national treasury's debts, every action the Jia family took was altruistic.

The emperor was extremely eager to know the reason behind this event.

"cough~"

Mr. Liu was at a loss for words.

"Is your throat sore, sir?"

The emperor was very concerned about Liu Buyi's health.

They were afraid he would fall ill and they wouldn't be able to do things for him.

"Someone, summon the imperial physician."

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I am fine."

Mr. Liu could only try to stop her, saying, "The Jia family's matter is difficult to discuss, mainly because the Wang family girl is a rude person..."

"Tell me more specifically."

The emperor's eyes lit up with gossip, and he even took a pastry with him as he sat down.

hum~
Mr. Liu snorted, indicating his speechlessness, and then simply gave up, "Isn't Jia Zheng, whom you personally dismissed and sent home, married to a woman from the Wang family?"

"Yes, yes, I remember."

He had originally thought Jia Zheng was a decent gentleman, but he really didn't know he was so stupid. "He has a nickname, 'Second Fool,' but wasn't he expelled from the Rongguo Mansion?"

"He was expelled from the Rongguo Mansion, but he is still a member of the Jia family."

Mr. Liu despised such a person. "He quarreled with his wife, Wang, who was dissatisfied with their current situation. She fabricated stories that Madam Shen of Ningguo Mansion had an affair with Jia She of Rongguo Mansion and was keeping her brother-in-law's younger brother."

What?
The emperor was stunned. "When did this happen?"

“Five days ago,” Mr. Liu said, “I only found out yesterday. By the time I found out, it had already spread.”

"How is Madam Shen now?"

How important is a woman's reputation?
Wang deserves to die.

The emperor wished he could immediately send someone to arrest Wang and silence her.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, Madam Shen's heart has never been in the inner quarters, and she will not be hurt by this foolish woman."

Really?

The emperor was not at ease.

Madam Shen suffered from a series of serious illnesses, and Dr. He had said that if she did not take good care of herself, it would affect her lifespan.

"Does Madam Shen know about this now?"

"Already know."

"how?"

The emperor asked a question urgently.

"The matriarch of the Rongguo Mansion wants to execute Wang, the woman who harmed the whole family, and even her son Jia Zheng..."

There's a lot going on here.

But Mr. Liu happened to be paying attention, and immediately told the emperor everything he knew. “That’s how it is. Madam Shen has returned to the capital,” he said. “When I heard about it yesterday, I was thinking of a way to break the deadlock. I originally planned to frame the Jurchens at the Huitongguan and say that they spent money to spread this rumor widely, making it seem like the Jurchens were framing Madam Shen.”

"Yes, yes, that's how it should be."

The emperor was immediately tempted.

Wanting to do it immediately, "Liu An..."

“Your Majesty, please don’t be impatient,” Mr. Liu said, both amused and exasperated. “I wanted to do this, but before I could, Suo Jin had already done it.”

what?
The emperor's eyes were bright and piercing.

Liu An, who was about to get it done immediately, couldn't help but laugh.

"Their resentment towards Madam Shen is something we don't need to push them to do anything."

Mr. Liu laughed and said, "So, when I learned that Suo Jin was going to spend money to spread rumors, I went to see Princess Rongguo."

What do you mean?
The emperor didn't quite understand.

"The people of our Great Zhao are ultimately a minority who serve the Jurchens."

Mr. Liu's smile was very warm. "Sure enough, as soon as they took the silver, someone immediately shouted that the Jin people had given them silver to spread Madam Shen's erotic rumors."

This is……

Seeing Mr. Liu's smile, the Emperor finally understood and asked expectantly, "The Jia family will definitely come to the Huitong Hall if they know about this. So, what did you have Princess Rongguo do?"

"Suo Jin and his ilk have been suppressed and restrained by Madam Shen several times, and they can no longer maintain the so-called air of princes of the Qing Dynasty."

Mr. Liu said, "I have asked Princess Rongguo to persuade Wohe to serve as an official in our Great Zhao Dynasty, just as their ancestors served as officials in the Ming Dynasty."

Will they... agree?

This is also what the emperor wanted.

He still had various Tatar tribes to conquer, so it was not appropriate for him to wreak havoc there.

"It's unrealistic to expect them to agree immediately." Mr. Liu smiled meaningfully. "However, if Mrs. Shen lends her support again, things will be different."

……

Leaving aside the various disputes that arose in the capital because of this matter, Wang Shi and Jia Zheng both went to the outhouse several times after taking the medicine.

Both the husband and wife were very pale.

However, when the old woman handed her the medicine bowl again, Wang felt that her medicine was lighter in color than Jia Zheng's, as if it had been diluted with water.

She was furious.

But at this moment, she didn't dare to shout it out.

Wang looked at her son Jia Zhu, who was sleeping on the kang (a heated brick bed), several times.

Her hair, which was much whiter than both hers and Jia Zheng's, was truly glaring.

"Mother, I only have ten taels of silver left." Having taken the medicine and regained his life, Jia Zheng was extremely reluctant to part with his silver. "You..."

Search~

Jia She snatched the silver from him and, before the old lady could speak, coldly ordered a search.

Several servants silently stepped forward and touched the quilt, clothes, and even Jia Zheng's body.

Just as Grandmother Jia was about to get angry, a servant found a few more small silver coins in Jia Zheng's shoes and socks.

Jia Zheng: "..."

Jia Mu: "..."

Everyone: "..."

Jia Zheng's face flushed red with shame.

Grandmother Jia opened her mouth, sighed, and could only say, "Give it all to Shou'er, and that ox too, Shou'er, you can take it with you!"

"Yes!"

Shou'er didn't hesitate at all; he accepted Jia She's money and then took the ox.

Seeing that he was about to leave, Madam Wang finally panicked and cried out, "Grandma, are you still going to force us to die?"

"Who said that?"

Jia She sneered, "Haven't you all been heading down a path to your own destruction all along?"

He showed no mercy. "Jia Zheng, last year in your village, a man earned some money, and his wife used that money to buy clothes for her own parents but not for her in-laws. As a result, she was taken to the ancestral hall and given ten lashes. You know that, right?"

Jia Zheng: "..."

His face, which had been flushed with embarrassment, suddenly turned pale again.

"Your wife is so disgusting to your family, what are you doing?"

Jia She said, "You didn't do anything, so I've already spoken to your village chief and asked to borrow their ancestral hall."

What do you need someone's ancestral hall for?

The old lady was finally able to chime in, "Our family..."

"Mother!"

Jia She interrupted, saying, "I'm afraid his foolish behavior will anger our ancestors. Especially my grandfather and father. If they knew that their children and grandchildren were betraying us time and time again, they would probably be so angry that they would have a heart-to-heart talk with us in the middle of the night."

Jia Mu: "..."

She shut up.

Although she had always loved the Duke very much, that was only when he wasn't angry.

The old lady didn't want to be yelled at by the Duke, who was already a ghost, at her advanced age.

Humans and ghosts are on different paths.

She's old and has too much yin energy; it's best to avoid her if possible.

"Jia Zheng, let's go!"

If Jia Zhen hadn't already left with his sister-in-law, Jia She wouldn't have wanted to stay here and watch Jia Zheng.

He gets angry every time he sees him.

"Granny Lai, invite Wang Shi along too, let's go and witness the execution together."

Jia She had already noticed that his brother's medicine was stronger, while Wang's medicine... had been diluted with water.

He didn't care whether the old lady had given the order or not.

To be fair, although Jia Zheng was foolish and wicked, he was timid and wanted to maintain a facade. Without Wang Shi, even if he had some bad intentions, he wouldn't dare to say them out loud.

At this moment, everyone in the village was alarmed.

Both coercion and bribery were used.

In short, the rumor about the sister-in-law having an affair with her brother-in-law will be forgotten if anyone in the village says another word about it...

The guards killed chickens from several households.

They're all people who love to gossip.

Other families had silver peanuts and golden melon seeds, but they had nothing. If it weren't for their desperate pleas and the village chief's intervention, almost all of their livestock would have been slaughtered.

Right now, after they and their families watched Jia Zheng being beaten with ten strokes of the cane, while other families could enjoy the pig-slaughtering feast that the Jia family provided for free and drink delicious chicken soup, they couldn't get anything at all.

This loss...

It was enough to break every member of the family's heart.

The noise even made Jia Zhu, who had drunk the calming soup and was fast asleep, turn over.

……

At Ningguo Mansion, Shen Ning had just arrived home when a maid announced that Jia Min had arrived.

"Sister-in-law~"

With her mother and brother still not back, Jia Min could only focus on this side, asking, "Are you coming back alone?"

"They'll be back soon."

Shen Ning gestured for her to sit down, "You sit down first, I'll go wash up."

She still has to go to the meeting hall in a little while.

Extorting money from them is pointless.

The so-called Qing Dynasty was already fish on a chopping board.

If she extorts too much, the emperor might even think she's trying to steal his girlfriend.

"Qingzhu, tell Fourth Aunt what happened."

"Yes!"

Qingzhu nodded hurriedly.

When Shen Ning finished everything and came out again, Qing Zhu had already finished speaking.

"I need to go to the Huitong Hall."

"Sister-in-law, I'll go with you."

Jia Min looked terrible; she hadn't expected Wang to be so stupid and vicious.

Although I've never really liked this second sister-in-law, thinking she's petty and calculating, I never imagined she would repeatedly cross the line of basic human decency.

If the elder sister-in-law's reputation is ruined, what good can she, as a fellow daughter-in-law of the Jia family, possibly do?

She has sons, daughters, and a daughter-in-law.

Jia Min was so angry with Wang that her chest hurt.

Now she knew why her nephew Jia Zhu's hair had turned white overnight.

To have parents like that... it's a tragedy.

"What's the rush? I need you, of course."

Shen Ning asked, "Does Brother-in-law Lin have any contact with the Censorate?"

"Yes, I have!"

Jia Min nodded hurriedly, "You want me to ask them to help impeach Suo Jin and his ilk?"

"Yes!"

Shen Ning nodded, "Let's see if we can find the most resolute person and have him remonstrate with his life and kill all the Jurchens."

what?
Jia Min's heart started pounding faster.

"Only when they realize that their lives are truly in danger will they set aside their pride and think about how to save their lives."

Suo Jin and his ilk are used to being high and mighty.

Although they suffered a series of setbacks after entering Beijing, it was far from enough for them to surrender voluntarily.

Let them compete for official positions in the Great Zhao Dynasty first, and then find a way to send more troops to the area.

At that time, killing a few troublemakers would be enough to resolve a local war, and Shen Ning felt that the emperor would like that.

The Rakshasa people are now of paramount importance.

If we can recover Outer Northeast China and then take back the entire Mongolia, then her role in the Dream of the Red Chamber will not have been in vain.

At this point in my life, I have no regrets.

"Min'er, that land originally belonged to us."

Shen Ning's voice was extremely solemn: "Once we recover the Jurchens, the Tatars will have no way to escape."

They are being attacked by the Russians as well.

"To acquire these places at the lowest possible cost... is better than anything else."

"...Okay, I'll go find someone."

Jia Min nodded, "Sister-in-law, you should take more people with you, just in case those people do something irrational."

It would be bad if her sister-in-law got hurt.

"Do not worry!"

Shen Ning laughed, "Since I dare to go, I'm sure they won't dare to touch me."

I recommend a friend's new ancient romance novel, "On a Sunny Day," which features a quirky and virtuous young woman who is reborn before her mother's tragic death and takes revenge with her own sword.