The head of the Red Mansion

Another major case that has shaken the capital has arrived.

The ladies and grandmothers in the inner quarters of each household were stunned for a moment, and then erupted in chaos.

Not to mention the clay figures, straw figures, and paper figures, there were several boxes of talismans confiscated from Granny Ma's house, and many of them were still being worn by her and her children.

This is not the most crucial point. The most crucial point is that one type of talisman contains a drug that weakens people and causes them to fall into hallucinations. Wearing it for a long time can lead to death or drive people insane.

The first wife of Vice Minister Yu of the Ministry of Revenue went mad while visiting someone else's home. She was diagnosed with hysteria, confined to the backyard, and died there.

This is chilling to think about!

Yu Shilang's first wife was the daughter of his tutor. With the money he earned from her dowry and embroidery, Yu Shilang went to the capital to take the imperial examination and rose through the ranks.

She stayed at home to take care of his parents, while he took a concubine and had a child in the capital. Finally, his parents brought her to the capital, but she went mad in less than a year.

It is said that Vice Minister Yu sought medical treatment everywhere for his wife. He was able to become a vice minister because he sought medicine and even went to the retired emperor. The retired emperor was moved by his devotion and promoted him when the position of vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue became vacant.

Many ladies and grandmothers had seen his wife's madness back then. Yu Shilang's mother said that because her daughter-in-law was not at peace, she took pity on her daughter-in-law and specially asked Granny Ma for a talisman.

The old lady was crying so earnestly back then, ugh~
The censors acted swiftly upon hearing the news, and the next day in court, Vice Minister Yu was impeached beyond recognition. His official hat and robes were stripped off on the spot, and he was thrown into the Ministry of Justice prison.

While the ladies and grandmothers of each household listened to the gossip outside and conducted urgent self-examinations, some who had done bad things through Granny Ma also began to feel uneasy day and night.

However, they didn't live in fear for more than a few days before the yamen runners from Shuntian Prefecture came to their door.

While the wealthy and powerful families in the capital were filled with anxiety, the Ning and Rong mansions remained quiet and peaceful.

After Grandmother Jia recovered from her illness, she became more obedient.

But the Ningguo Prefecture began making preparations for a long journey.

The Emperor and Empress actually wanted to say, "Madam Shen, you are getting old and your health is not good. Why don't you stay at home?"

But the words were on the tip of my tongue, and I couldn't help but hold them back.

Jia Jing is Madam Shen's Achilles' heel!
If Granny Ma hadn't mentioned Jia Jing, she probably wouldn't have been arrested on the spot by Madam Shen in her anger.

The Rongguo Mansion was not as strictly managed as the Ningguo Mansion, and the emperor easily obtained information about that day.

When they discovered that she was at home, she was still being manipulated by her aunt from the next room. Even when the aunt cried and made a fuss unreasonably, she had to coax her. Both he and the Empress felt like laughing.

Sigh, it's so hard to be a person!
"Mother!"

Jia Zhen had already rented a boat. "The day after tomorrow, March 16th, is auspicious for all things. Let's leave then."

"to make!"

In the third month of spring, one should go down to Yangzhou.

Shen Ning nodded, "In a little while, you can personally go and invite your third aunt's family over."

"My son just came from over there."

Jia Zhen smiled, "I've already spoken to the old lady and the others. The old lady and Third Aunt both asked what to do with Yue'er. If we don't take her, we'll send her to their place."

"bring!"

How many days did the little girl feel wronged when I didn't bring it last time?

Shen Ning replied without hesitation, "Your wife is at home, so you need to settle her in properly too."

"Ms. You's pregnancy is stable."

They can return quickly by water.

Jia Zhen said, "We've also invited two midwives, and the family doctor is on standby at all times, so she'll be fine."

Shen Ning waved her hand, "While I'm at home, I should spend more time with them."

She had already tidied up her things quite a bit.

If we couldn't make it the first time, we can't afford to fail the second time either.

Shen Ning is currently investigating her daughter's belongings.

Although it gets warmer as we go south, the weather is still chilly this time of year. Since the child is young, we'd rather have things we don't need than not have them when we need them.

Time flew by as they prepared, and March 16th arrived as scheduled.

When the family went to the Iron Threshold Temple to reactivate the spirit, Shen Ning's heart had already wandered to the boat.

She was finally able to leave the capital.

When boarding the ship at Dongbianmen Wharf, there were many boats of all kinds traveling north and south on the Tonghui River.

Jia Yue's eyes couldn't take it all in; she found everything new and interesting.

Shen Ning let her have her way, because she was also curious.

The mother and daughter, both wearing thick woolen cloaks and special masks, smiled slightly as they looked at the increasingly distant capital city from the deck.

"Mother, after we arrive in Tongzhou from Tonghui River, we'll probably stay there for one night. Do you think we should stay at an inn or a post station?"

"Let's go to the inn!"

As far as Shen Ning knew, the inns near the capital were all very well-maintained.

The post stations in Tongzhou, in particular, were practically the only way for officials from the south to travel to the capital by water. As far as Shen Ning knew, there were seven or eight such stations.

"The inn is very close to the dock."

Jia Zhen reached out and took his sister, who was yelping at him. "It's rare for my sister to come out. How about I take her to the city for a stroll?"

"Just her?"

Shen Ning was speechless. "Or do you mean your mother goes out often?"

"Uh~"

Jia Zhen was stumped by the question, but fortunately she reacted quickly, "Of course you're with us. Sister, weren't you worried that you thought she was too young and didn't want to take care of her?"

"Look how resilient she is."

Her daughter seemed to have inexhaustible energy; she could barely carry her anymore. "Do you believe she would cry all night if we abandoned her?"

It's really possible.

Jia Zhen couldn't help but laugh.

Traveling by water, without getting seasick, is a thousand times better than traveling by land.

Although it was still quite cold in the capital at this time, the shore was already green, and boats of all sizes were coming and going in an orderly manner.

Shen Ning was very disappointed that she couldn't draw.

Otherwise, I would definitely create a picture of Tonghui being bustling with activity.

She was immersed in the joy of leaving the capital, unaware that at this moment, another urgent report from the north was being delivered to An Yi by Hai Dongqing.

He hurriedly opened it, and soon ran towards the Imperial Study with a joyful expression.

"Your Majesty, the Russian delegation is about to arrive in the capital by sea. Minister Shi asks, should we still fight?"

what?
The emperor received the urgent report, read it for a long time, and said, "Summon Mr. Liu."

He actually wanted to say something else: "It is said that Madam Shen of Ningguo Mansion is hereby summoned."

It's infuriating, I can't say what happened next!

Mr. Liu arrived quickly. Holding the urgent report, he turned to the side hall where a huge map was displayed. "Your Majesty," he said, "they say they are negotiating, not seeking peace."

"..."

The emperor frowned. "Then fight. Fight them hard."

Fight them until they beg for peace.

"The more we defeat them before their delegation arrives in Beijing and gets them to the negotiating table, the more advantageous we will be."

Now is not the time for them to rush to find someone.

Mr. Liu was also deeply moved by the arrogant words spoken by the young man that day.

Although many things are difficult to implement, and even if they were to be implemented, both the Emperor and he might be assassinated, he was still very tempted.

Who in this world can resist the temptation of being remembered in history?

"Liu An, grind the ink!"

The emperor quickly returned to his study and replied on the spot.

"Summon the officials from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue to the palace immediately." The envoy from the Rakshasa Kingdom is coming, and they need to make some preparations.

……

Although Tongzhou in the evening cannot compare to the hustle and bustle of Beijing, Shen Ning rarely had the opportunity to go out when she was in Beijing, so she thought every part of Tongzhou was wonderful.

At this moment, having changed out of her luxurious dresses, she was only wearing casual clothes. She was accompanied by Wen Peilan and Xiaodong, and followed by Jia Zhen, who was carrying Jia Yue, as they walked along various small stalls.

Stalls selling vegetables, chickens, eggs, various trinkets, and snacks stretched from the city gate all the way into the city.

The guards only cared about preventing people from arguing and fighting; they didn't care about anything else.

Jia Yue couldn't take her eyes off the fluffy little chicks; she had never seen them before. She cried out and wanted to touch them.

"That won't do."

Although Shen Ning also liked the chicks, they were going on a long journey, and if they took them along, they would most likely die. "There's a little rocking horse over there, let's get her one!"

She pointed to the stall that was about to be packed up not far away.

The stall owner heard this and hurriedly waited for them to come over.

"We can put the young lady on the little rocking horse and rock her around; she'll definitely like it."

"There are no carvings!"

Jia Zhen looked down on the simple wooden horse, which was made of ordinary wood and had no carvings at all. However, he was even less inclined to let his sister raise chickens on it. So, he could only put his sister on the horse while complaining about it.

At this moment, Xiaodong had already wiped the back of the horse that Jia Yue was going to ride.

Jia Yue rode the pony and rocked it for a bit, and sure enough, she forgot about the chicks over there.

"Alright, this is it."

If it rains and we can't go out, having this little rocking horse around will keep my daughter quieter.

Shen Ning made the final decision, "How much?"

"Thank you for your generosity, eighty coins."

The stall owner could sense their wealth, and upon hearing this, he raised the price of the wooden horse by twenty coins.

Sure enough, no one bargained with him, and Shou'er pulled out his silver very quickly.

Further away, a unique aroma wafted over. After paying and picking up their horses, the group continued on their way and soon arrived at the stall selling fried fish and shrimp.

It smelled nice and looked clean. There were many people on the boat, so Jia Zhen simply bought it all.

The next day, they traveled from Tonghui River to the North Canal. Although they had already seen the scenery all day, each view was different, so Shen Ning simply took Jia Yue to play on the deck.

As for Rong-ge'er, he's been busy with family matters lately, and he's missed a lot of his studies. Even on the boat, he still has to write and recite.

It wasn't until the third day that Shen Ning finally settled down and started writing "The Return of the Condor Heroes," which she had put aside for a while.

Her hands are not as convenient as they used to be.

However, with so many people and noisy surroundings on the ship, and poor soundproofing, Shen Ning didn't want Jia Zhen and Rong Ge'er to know that she was the Mr. Jin that everyone in the capital wanted to meet lately.

Life was peaceful and pleasant as we traveled south.

We board the ship during the day and dock at night, and if there's time, we can even go sightseeing.

When she got tired of writing, she would look at the scenery. When she had some free time, she would take care of the children. Following Jia Zhen, Shen Ning finally got to eat many unique snacks that were not available in the mansion.

For example, seasonal specialties include mugwort cakes, toon sprouts with tofu, sweet and sour meatballs, hairy meatballs, Imperata cylindrica porridge, and tofu skin chicken...

Aunt Li ate along with everyone, and for every dish she ate, she wrote it down. Before she knew it, her recipes were getting thicker and thicker.

On April 10th, the Prince of Nan'an finally arrived in the capital.

He didn't have time to return to the Prince's residence before entering the palace.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

He no longer has to live in fear.

But the first thing he did upon returning to Beijing was to sue Wang Ziteng.

"Rise, my dear minister, you've had a long day."

The emperor personally helped him up, "My dear minister, you've returned from the south; do you know where General Wang is over there...?"

"Your Majesty, Prince Teng is a butcher."

what?
The Prince of Nan'an knelt on the ground. "Every time he conquers a city, he kills a group of wealthy households first." As he spoke, he took out a surrender document secretly delivered by the King of Annam. "The King of Annam has already sent several groups of envoys to deliver the surrender document, but his envoys always encounter accidents. Before they even leave Annam, all sorts of accidents happen. This is the surrender document that the King of Annam had no choice but to ask me to bring back."

emperor:"……"

His face darkened, and he slowly took the surrender document.

In fact, Wang Ziteng's actions in Annam had already been reported back by his undercover agents.

The reason they haven't taken any action yet is that both he and Mr. Liu felt that Wang Ziteng handled the situation appropriately.

There were several rebellions there during the previous dynasty, and the situation became even more serious during the reign of Emperor Zhao.

The current King of Annam's grandfather and father both surrendered to the Zhao state, but what was the result?
They rebel at the slightest sign of trouble in the Great Zhao, which is why the Prince of Nan'an's mansion has always held military power in the south.

Last year, when fighting in the north, Annam responded immediately.

This is intolerable!

"I am fully aware of this matter."

The emperor's voice turned cold.

After fighting with the Prince of Annan for so many years, he still managed to ask the Prince of Nan'an for help, and the Prince of Nan'an even wanted to speak up for him...

No wonder he was repeatedly bullied in the south, which led to the people of Dazhao being bullied as well.

"You call General Wang a butcher, then I ask you, when the King of Annam attacked you all these years, did he slaughter any of my Great Zhao people?"

This?
The Prince of Nan'an slid off his chair and knelt on the ground, crying, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty is guilty!"

"Alright, now that you're back, you should rest well at home!"

As the commander-in-chief, he was too soft-hearted...

The emperor had lost interest in the Prince of Nan'an. "Give my regards to the Dowager Consort. You don't need to worry about things in the south anymore."

"……Yes!"

When the Prince of Nan'an came out of the palace, his back was covered in sweat.

He thought that since Prince Teng had taken away his military power and given him troops from the emperor, and they had won several great victories in Annam, the emperor would have to be wary and tighten his grip on Prince Teng. That's why he accepted the gifts from the King of Annam.

did not expect……

Prince Nan'an hurried home.

After a while, the Dowager Princess of Nan'an listened to her son's words in the ancestral hall and couldn't help but sigh.

"Mother, did your son do something wrong?"

"Of course it's wrong."

The Princess Dowager of Nan'an was quite certain that her son was not cut out to be a military commander.

Although she had let go of it before, she still felt some regret. But now, she is truly glad that she let go early.

“Last year, the Tatars from the north invaded, and Annam was also eager to make a move. You yourself wrote to say that several border villages had been massacred.”

The Dowager Princess of Nan'an looked at her son and said, "What are you doing now? Sympathizing with them again? Are you afraid that the Emperor won't suspect that you are colluding with the Prince of An'nan?"

Prince of Nan'an: "..."

How could you be so stupid?

The King of Jin was foolish, and his son was just as stupid!
The Princess Dowager of Nan'an was exasperated. "Is this how your grandfather and father taught you? Tell me, what benefits did they give you?"

"……Mother!"

The Prince of Nan'an was stunned.

"Say!"

"They sent two beautiful concubines as gifts!"

slap~
The Princess Dowager of Nan'an slapped him hard across the face. "Kneel here!" (End of Chapter)