The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 288 Map
How could they have both ingested rat poison?

It shouldn’t be!

Yesterday, the two of them were full of will to live and were even willing to kneel down and apologize to her. Today, they died together. Shen Ning simply couldn't believe it.

When she asked Jia Zhen to report the matter to the authorities, distancing herself from the situation, she genuinely suspected that someone had seized upon the Jia family's vulnerability to kill them both, with the aim of smearing her reputation.

Shen Ning was furious!

"Did they manage to keep it a secret from Pear Blossom Courtyard?"

Like Granny Lai, she was worried that if Jia Zhu found out about his parents' situation, he wouldn't be able to bear it and would die.

"It was kept secret. Second Madam immediately blocked the news as soon as she found out."

Qingzhu said, "Don't worry too much. Jiao Da and Grandpa have both gone there. I think we'll get news back soon."

It's so late, and their wife isn't feeling well; she can't go to places like that.

"Where are Baoyu and the others? Did they go?"

“They went, accompanied by Third Aunt and Fourth Aunt.”

That's good.

Shen Ning rubbed her temples. "Alright, let me know if you have any news."

"Mrs……"

Qingzhu hesitated for a moment, "Actually, this matter may not be as complicated as you think."

Ok?
Shen Ning looked at her, "What do you mean?"

"There's only so much medicine they brought. The old lady feels sorry for the second master. Granny Lai is definitely biased towards the second master between the second master and the second mistress. The second master must hate the second mistress for harming him. What do you think the second mistress can do if she can't get any medicine?"

Shen Ning: "..."

This was an angle she hadn't considered.

"Did you notice something yesterday?"

Shen Ning couldn't help but ask Qingzhu.

"...When we left, their medicine had just been brewed."

Qingzhu shook her head. "However, when I was little, something similar happened in the neighboring village. The woman there had no way to survive, so she decided to go all out and used rat poison to kill her parents-in-law, husband, and brother-in-law's family."

Shen Ning: "..."

Well, rather than committing suicide himself, it might be better to take his entire family with him; that's not a bad option.

Compared to Lady Wang, Jia Zheng was even more important to her.

If it's true that Wang Shi felt she couldn't go on living and wanted to take Jia Zheng with her, then she would have to admire her somewhat.

At this moment, Dong Xiaoquan, who had received the report from Ningguo Mansion, was also worried that someone might use the lives of Jia Zheng and his wife to frame Madam Shen. He decisively took Chief Constable Lu and a female coroner and followed Jia She and the others to the scene.

The situation on the scene was actually quite obvious.

The rat poison did not kill Jia Zheng immediately.

At first, when he had stomach pain, he thought it was just normal detoxification after taking the medicine. He didn't expect that after going to the toilet twice, the pain that was churning his internal organs would become more and more severe.

In the end, he was in so much pain that he rolled around on the kang (a heated brick bed), begging Wang, who was on the kang, to find someone to save him. Wang agreed, closed the door and the window, and poured him a cup of water with ginger, sugar, and rat poison added.

"There was a lot of noise inside the house, but we were too far away to hear it clearly."

The village chief, his face pale, said, "It was Gouwa and a few other children who noticed something was wrong. They went over there to play and saw Master Zheng's body leaning out of the window, hanging there halfway."

After yesterday's scare by the guards, ordinary people have become fearful of gossip about the wealthy and dare not approach to listen.

If it weren't for those children, they wouldn't have dared to come over.

"Since someone has died, I dare not delay and will go to the capital immediately to report to the Duke's mansion."

"You did a very good job."

The situation on the scene was almost immediately clear.

Wang had chewed up the quilt, but lay on the kang (heated brick bed) without moving much.

As for why she died?

Judging from the old lady of the Jia family's appearance, Dong Xiaoquan was already somewhat suspicious.

He heard about the rumors yesterday and had someone investigate.

I heard that Jia Zhu's hair turned white overnight.

Then yesterday, Madam Shen and Old Madam Shi came over together, and in the end, Jia Zheng's silver and ox were given to poor families in the village.

Clearly, the initial punishment that Jia Zhen and Jia She, who arrived first, gave to Jia Zheng and his wife was not the ten strokes of the cane, the silver, or the ox.

Since no murders occurred at the time, he felt that the Jia family's handling of the situation was already quite good.

I just didn't expect this...

“Sir, there is still rat poison powder under Wang’s fingernails.”

The female coroner investigated very thoroughly: "Before she died, she washed her body, which clearly showed that she was prepared to die."

Before she could finish speaking, and before Dong Xiaoquan could say anything, Grandmother Jia suddenly went black and collapsed.

Because of her, the Jia family immediately fell into chaos.

Jia Zhen, however, gave Shou'er a wink, saying, "Go back immediately and inform Madam."

His mother originally wanted to come, but he persuaded her not to come.

"Also... inform the Second Madam of the West Mansion and ask her to have Huan'er come over as well, if possible."

"Yes!"

Shou'er returned to the capital under the cover of night. By this time, Shen Ning in the house was getting sleepy from waiting.

Upon hearing Qingzhu's account that Jia Zheng had hanged himself from the window in an attempt to save his life, she sighed, "Well, at least no innocent people were implicated."

In the Dream of the Red Chamber, the seemingly most amicable couple now die from a love-hate relationship...

Shen Ning closed her eyes. "From now on, you don't need to report their affairs to me anymore."

Her little daughter was sleeping beside her.

Shen Ning turned over, smelling the fragrance of her daughter, and felt a rare sense of peace and tranquility, and then fell into a deep sleep.

But Grandmother Jia couldn't sleep.

Wang was not someone who didn't value her life.

But she chose this path...

"old lady……"

Granny Lai followed her with a troubled expression, saying, "The amount of medicine brought yesterday was incorrect. The Second Master probably didn't give it to the Second Madam."

really!

Grandmother Jia's tears fell silently.

Her foolish son, if you cut off someone's path to survival, and they have nowhere else to retreat, they will surely cut off your path to survival in return!
How did my son, who was so bright in his youth, turn out like this?
The sound of Baoyu and his children crying came from outside. Grandmother Jia got up unsteadily, "Where is She'er?"

His younger brother was killed by the women of the Wang family. If he had any sense of decency, he should have gone to the Wang family.

"The master has gone to find monks and Taoist priests."

Granny Lai said, "I can see that the master is also very sad. Old Madam, please speak more slowly."

If the old lady were to be scolded, he wouldn't be able to do anything to her, but those around her might be able to.

"It's all because of this wretched child~"

Grandmother Jia cried bitterly, "If only he had been a little nicer to his brother..."

"Mother~"

Jia Min lifted the curtain and came in.

They are currently renting a house from their neighbor.

Although the neighbors have all moved to relatives' houses, this house is not soundproof.

My elder brother has been working so hard all this time; how heartbroken he would be if he heard what our mother said!

“I know about what happened to my second brother. You are sad, and so are we. But sadness is sadness, and you can’t take it out on my eldest brother and us just because you’re sad about my second brother.”

Jia Mu: "..."

When did she take her anger out on her daughter?

But judging from the daughter's expression, you could tell she was protecting her older brother.

Yes, when our daughter was in danger, it was our eldest son who rushed to her rescue, and our second son...

"Your second brother died so pitifully."

The old woman had almost run out of tears. "If he were home, where would I be..."

“If he were home, we might all be dead.”

Jia Min ruthlessly interrupted her mother, "You've seen what kind of mess your second sister-in-law has become. She can't even live peacefully here. Do you think we'd all be in trouble if she were at home and things didn't go the way she wanted?"

Jia Mu: "..."

She opened her mouth several times, but couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.

"I know you want to talk about Second Brother again."

Jia Min really had no choice.

My mother has always been biased.

When her second brother was alive, she was biased towards him; now that he's dead... all the bad things he did are probably gone.

If we let her continue down this path, not to mention what will happen to my elder brother and Zhu'er, even my mother herself will face a miserable old age.

"But isn't it all because of Second Brother's indulgence that Second Sister-in-law has ended up like this?"

If you say that the second sister-in-law was ruthless to the second brother, it would be more accurate to say that the second brother was even more ruthless to the second sister-in-law.

“Over the years, my second sister-in-law has been plotting for their second branch of the family. In addition, you are biased. My second brother knew all this, but he pretended not to know. He kept pretending and ended up deceiving himself. He almost became a fool.”

Although her second brother and sister-in-law had died so tragically, and she shouldn't be saying this in such a place, Jia Min simply couldn't bear to watch any longer. "He's not giving his sister-in-law the medicine; is he trying to force her to die?"

During the time the old lady was unconscious, Jia Min learned everything from Granny Lai and Yuanyang. "Who wouldn't want to die with him in his place?"

The eldest sister-in-law of the East Mansion spared their lives for the sake of her mother and Zhu'er, but he himself refused to spare them. Who can be blamed for that?

"Mother, for the sake of Zhu'er and Baoyu, please don't quarrel with my elder brother anymore."

Jia Min had a headache; if her mother kept making a scene like this, she wouldn't even want to stay at home anymore.

Now that the Zhen family has fallen, the princes who dared to defy the Emperor have all met their demise.

The two letters that came from the master in Jiangnan were written in a light and cheerful tone.

"Let my second brother leave in peace!" Grandmother Jia cried out.

The following day, at the meeting place.

Upon hearing that Jia Zheng and his wife had committed suicide with rat poison, Suo Jin, feeling extremely unlucky, reluctantly spent 500,000 taels of silver to buy two royal estates and send them to the Ningguo Mansion when Prince Zhongshun came again to give an explanation to Madam Shen.

Of course, that alone is definitely not enough.

The messenger eagle was conscripted by Da Zhao. In between, it only sent them one letter, which said that the family members in Fuyu and the various princely mansions were packing their things to move to Da Zhao. The emperor had allocated a piece of land in Baoding Prefecture for them to build an estate, and also built eight earldoms in the suburbs of the capital.

The six princes who tried to rebel, along with their families, were all thrown into prison.

Today, Fuyu City has long been taken over by the army of the Great Zhao.

Suo Jin was no longer a prince of the Qing Dynasty, but the Earl of Shunyi of the Zhao Dynasty.

What a load of bull! The title of "Lord of Shunyi" is a load of rubbish!

As he cursed viciously in his heart, the messenger eagle brought back another message: the army of the Great Zhao had fought a battle with the Russians at the Black River. The Russians left behind more than three hundred corpses and withdrew from the Black River overnight.

This news made the emperor straighten his back immediately.

The imperial court was filled with joy.

Just as the emperor was happily reporting the good news to the retired emperor, saying that he had conquered the territory that Emperor Taizu had wanted to conquer but failed to do so, some conservative ministers unanimously felt that they should proceed cautiously and steadily. Further north of Heihe, the land was all bitterly cold, and there was no point in continuing to fight in such places.

That would be a good opportunity to deal with the Russians who have invaded Mongolia.

The Mongol tribes were forced to submit to the Great Zhao and pay tribute.

Some people even excitedly talked about how many horses, cattle, and sheep they should have in a year.

"Mr. Liu, what do you think we should do now? Should we drive the Russians all the way from Heihe back, or should we do as everyone says and take care of the Mongols first?"

Liu Zhi: "..."

He didn't speak immediately, but looked at the map.

"Your Majesty, our Great Zhao was able to win so easily thanks to Madam Shen of the Ningguo Mansion. Otherwise... please ask the Empress about her?"

In fact, when the emperor asked these questions, Liu Zhi knew that the emperor was more inclined to believe what everyone else was saying.

But he, who was determined to make a name for himself, did not want the emperor to stop there.

If the Rakshasa can come, why can't they go?

He passed the question to Madam Shen, whose attention was not on the inner quarters but on the world.

"You are absolutely right!"

The emperor was also hesitant about this matter. Upon hearing this, he immediately looked at Liu An and said, "Go to the empress and ask her to invite Lady Shen to the palace."

"……Yes!"

Liu An glanced at Mr. Liu and left in a hurry.

After a while, the carriage that was supposed to pick up Shen Ning arrived at Ningguo Mansion.

This time, it was Granny Wu who came to pick me up.

"Does your sister know that we won in Heihe?"

After exchanging a few pleasantries with the Empress, she got straight to the point.

"Of course I've heard about such a joyous occasion."

Shen Ning smiled and said, "Does Your Majesty want me to congratulate you?"

Although the Jia family had withdrawn from the military, such a significant matter was known to many in the court, so she couldn't pretend not to know.

"Haha, go ahead and tell me, I'm having a good time listening to you."

The Empress was amused by her, "Sister, you don't know, but His Majesty has recently taken to hearing me say congratulations."

She was both troubled and happy.

Just keep fighting forward...

They were also afraid of unforeseen events if the battle lines were stretched too thin.

Of course, most importantly, all the ministers in the court are now eyeing the various Tatar tribes.

They were afraid that if they couldn't arrive in time to help, the Russians would take over.

"This is indeed something to be very happy about!"

Shen Ning smiled, "Maybe next year, His Majesty will be able to perform the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai."

"..."

So optimistic?

The Empress's eyes sparkled. "I will certainly relay your words to the Emperor."

The Fengshan ceremony represents receiving the mandate of heaven, and that one's achievements in both civil and military affairs will benefit the world, meaning that one's name will be remembered for generations to come and praised for ten thousand years!

"Turn~"

Shen Ning nodded vigorously.

She wanted the emperor to be well more than anyone else.

"We can also have the princes offer sacrifices at the Ming Mausoleum. The lands that our Han people lost are gradually being returned."

Queen: "..."

Her heart was throbbing and warm.

I also think it's feasible.

"Sister, you can have Jia Zhen write a memorial."

This is a good way to take in Ming loyalists.

"Him? No way!"

Shen Ning shook her head, "Your Majesty doesn't know, but my Zhen'er was actually spoiled by us when she was little."

In fact, Jia Zhen is capable, but he shouldn't be too capable.

Especially now.

The emperor felt reassured about the Jia family because they were indeed honest.

But what about the future?

If the head of the Jia family were to have another affair with a soldier...

Even if the current emperor does nothing, it's hard to say what the next emperor will do.

"If he stays at home and I don't worry about him causing trouble, he can live a few more years."

Queen: "..."

That's a really harsh criticism.

Among the sons of noble families that have been passed down for generations, Jia Zhen was, in her opinion, already very good.

However, compared to Jia Jing and this Sister Shen, she is indeed...

"Sister, you can't use your own standards to judge everyone else."

Hearing a slight sound from the inner chamber, the Empress's eyes flickered, and she smiled, "If you were a man, as some people have been saying lately, you could have become a marshal."

"...If I were in the army like my niece Lanzhi, I would definitely ask the Emperor for it!"

Shen Ning also heard the voices inside. She thought about it for a moment and then became a little suspicious. "You know what, I was so happy for days after hearing people praising me like that outside."

"Hahaha~~~"

The Empress laughed, "I can't just be beautiful for a few days; I have to be beautiful for at least a few months."

"Yes, once my injury heals, I can use this to pour myself an extra glass of wine whenever I'm happy."

Shen Ning winked at the Empress, "If the Emperor has any more good wine, Your Majesty, please give me a few more jars."

"sure."

It's just wine. I'll have her take a few jars home with her when we get home.

The Empress agreed, "However, if you, as commander, conquer Heihe, do you think we should continue the fight?"

No more fighting?

Shen Ning frowned slightly. "Of course! Why not fight a battle that is obviously certain to be won?"

"But the Mongol Tatars could call for help at any time."

"Are the Mongol Tatars now part of our Great Zhao?"

Shen Ning countered with a question, then added, "Does Your Majesty have a map?"

"There are some."

She does indeed have a smaller map here.

The Empress waved to her head maid, and soon the map that the Emperor had been looking at with her recently was brought out.

Although it's called a small map, it actually covers the entire table.

Shen Ning and the Empress walked over. "Is this a map left over from the Ming Dynasty?"

"Yes!"

The Empress nodded, "It was during the reign of Emperor Yongle."

"Yes, look, the Heihe River is here."

Shen Ning moved her hand forward, "This is the Tuomu River Guard, the Wudi River Guard, the Nurgan Commandery, and the Nanghar Guard. The Nanghar Guard, in particular, controls the entire Sakhalin Island."

This is actually the Kuye Island of later generations.

Such a wonderful place, and in the end it all became someone else's.

If she hadn't had the chance, so be it; but now that she has, how could she let it go?
"This coastal area used to belong to us. Why should we leave it and not take it back? Besides, although the Qing Dynasty is gone, how much recognition do the people who left this land have for our Great Zhao? The Russians enslave them, and they don't want to resist?"
If we help them drive away all the Rakshasa people, at least they will have some gratitude towards our Great Zhao.

If we stop fighting in Heihe now... what will the people think of us?

And this side too…”

Shen Ning's hand then moved to Hulun Lake, Chita and other places, "These are also garrison posts, so naturally they should belong to us."

"But if Mongolia suddenly requests help, we can't spare any troops in time..."

"Then let them wait!"

Shen Ning said, "They haven't asked for help for so long, isn't it because they think we'll definitely come to their aid?"

"But what if they side with the Rakshasa..."

“No, we won’t.” Shen Ning shook her head. “The Rakshasa people can’t beat us. Anyone with a brain wouldn’t surrender. If they do surrender, we’ll fight them all together.”

I've tried my best, 5000 words, now I'm asking for more monthly votes.
Don't look at the map. If you do, you'll know how much land Russia took from our country.