The head of the Red Mansion

Has Prefect Qi run away?
It's just a case being heard, is it really necessary to run away?
"Have Qi Youding investigate his usual reputation as an official."

If there's nothing wrong with his reputation, but he doesn't dare to investigate the case, or rather, he doesn't want to investigate it, then there's only one possibility: he has someone in the court, and that person is a conservative who has already backed down before the Japanese and Russian delegations even arrived.

That kind of people……

Shen Ning looked down on it a million times.

"Also, Grandpa and Rong-ge'er have returned from the fireworks shop. Tell them to come over immediately."

She had offended Qi Zixiu and no longer wanted to stay in the government office.

If all else fails, as Jia Zhen suggested, hire more bodyguards and take advantage of the good weather to hurry back to our hometown and get everything done.

"Yes!"

Xiaodong sent someone to keep an eye on things.

However, they waited until dark before Jia Zhen and Rong-ge'er returned, their faces beaming with excitement.

"Mother, look what this is?"

As his father was speaking, Rongge carefully put down the box he was holding.

"Is the firework Li's stuff ready?"

Judging from their expressions, Shen Ning seemed to have some hope for what was in the box.

"It's ready."

Rong-ge'er opened the box.

Shen Ning looked over, unsure whether she felt more disappointed or disappointed.

The box contained cardboard boxes that looked like goose eggs, which were quite different from the landmines and hand grenades she had imagined.

“Grandmother, don’t underestimate this cardboard box. Inside it is a porcelain bottle filled with gunpowder.”

what?
Shen Ning's eyes couldn't help but light up.

Have you tried it?

"Tried it."

Jia Zhen grinned from ear to ear, “It’s very powerful when it explodes. After the porcelain shards are blown apart by the gunpowder, they can radiate to a radius of one to two zhang, increasing the proportion of damage.”

Because Li the Fireworks Maker made fireworks year-round, no one paid any attention to the occasional explosion at his place.

So today, the father and son tried several different methods.

"Wrapping it in a cardboard box makes it easier to transport and also prevents the porcelain bottle from being bumped or knocked out."

"..."

Shen Ning carefully picked one up.

It's a bit heavy, and there's a lead wire underneath.

"So you lit it and then threw it out?"

"Yes!"

This time, it was Rong Ge'er who chimed in, "If you throw it accurately, you can injure far more people than with a musket."

The difference between a gun and a grenade, why would he need to explain it?

Shen Ning lovingly touched the cardboard egg in her hand. "Write a memorial to the Emperor and report this to him."

"Yes, my son has already written it."

There's a reason why I'm back so late.

Jia Zhen laughed, "And he even secretly sent someone to deliver a box to the capital."

Shen Ning nodded, "Well done. You don't need to worry about anything else. We'll set off first thing tomorrow morning."

what?
Jia Zhen was taken aback. “Mother, you and my sister have just recovered. Please rest for a few more days! Besides, Father has always been considerate of you. If he knew the journey was not safe, he certainly wouldn’t want you to accompany him anymore. So, Father, I will escort the coffin back to your hometown alone. You can have Rong’er accompany you, or you can go directly back to the capital.”

"If we spread out, there won't be any assassins?"

Shen Ning shook her head, "If we really split up, I'll have to be even more worried."

They had to worry about themselves, and also about Jia Zhen.

"Let's go together. We can always hire more bodyguards tomorrow."

She made the final decision, "By the way, since you're leaving, tonight you and Rong-ge'er will take some men to the prison and break the legs of those three Japanese pirates."

"Aren't there four?"

Breaking those people's legs was something Jia Zhen and Rong-ge'er had wanted to do for a long time.

The father and son exchanged a glance, as if they understood something. "Is it that one of them didn't make it to today?"

"Yes!"

Shen Ning nodded, "I originally wanted him to interrogate those people to see if they had any connection with the delegation that was about to enter the capital, or if there were any other assassins besides them. But, that guy surnamed Qi went to inspect the river embankment instead."

Jia Zhen understood; the man surnamed Qi was hiding from his mother.

"He doesn't need to conduct the interrogation; our son can do it himself."

"...Try to bring him along too."

Shen Ning thought for a moment and didn't object. "Actually, it's not that we can't conduct the trial at night. Those three people's legs can be broken, but their lives... you have to save them first, so we still need to call a doctor."

"Yes!"

Jia Zhen agreed, "I'll go find Qi Zixiu right away."

“Go with your father to take a look.”

Shen Ning waved her hand at Rong Ge'er, "Keep an eye on your father too, don't let that Qi guy dig a pit for him."

"...Grandson understands."

Jia Zhen: "..."

He couldn't do anything about his mother and son, so what could he do but glare at his own son?

You can't just hit other people, but when a father hits his own son, even the law can't touch him.

Rong-ge'er isn't afraid of his father at all.

He bowed to Shen Ning and hurriedly followed after her.

Qi Zixiu never expected that after running away for a whole day and finally returning, he still couldn't escape.

"Lord Jia!"

He cupped his hands in greeting, about to use his teacher as a pretext, when at that moment, a yamen runner rushed in, carrying a document that had just arrived from the capital. "Sir, this is an urgent dispatch from the capital, delivered by express courier."

what?
Qi Zixiu quickly straightened his clothes, bent down and accepted the gift with both hands.

It's better not to look at it, because once you do...

He was demoted directly from the most prosperous region in Jiangnan to a small county under Luzhou in Sichuan.

Qi Zixiu's hands trembled.

He was supposed to be promoted next year!

how come?
Qi Zixiu knew that the Jia family was greatly favored by the emperor, especially Madam Shen of the Ningguo Mansion. When the emperor was going through the most difficult time, she used the method of praying for the child's well-being to force the Ning and Rong Mansions to not only return the treasury silver but also donate more.

But that treasury silver was borrowed by the Jia family before, so isn't it only right that it be returned?
As for praying for blessings...

In order to continue the blessings of their ancestors, the women of noble families in the capital always throw out a few coins every year.
Moreover, she did it for her child.

In the capital, everyone knows that because the Crown Prince offended Jia Jing, the Emperor Emeritus's family title was passed directly to Jia Zhen, bypassing Jia Jing.

That would be a slap in the face.

Although over the years, everyone has gradually realized that the Emperor Emeritus regretted his actions regarding the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince died young, and it was too late to say anything.

The Jia family's ability to rise again was clearly due to Shen's awareness of this and her initiative to break the ice, which led to her being relegated from an awkward position to receiving a first-rank imperial title, seemingly as compensation.

Qi Zixiu was breathing heavily.

But what did he do to deserve this?

He could have gotten promoted if he had just put in a little more effort and the teacher had given him a hand!

He plopped down on his bottom.

Seeing that his expression was not right, Jia Zhen was about to take the document to look at it when Qi Youding rushed in and said, "Master, Magistrate Tan Zhongli of Xuzhou has arrived."

what?
"What happened?"

"Lord Tan has been ordered by the Emperor to send one hundred elite soldiers to protect you."

what?
Jia Zhen was overjoyed, "Quickly, where is Lord Tan?"

As he spoke, he went outside.

Rong-ge glanced at Qi Zixiu and quickly followed.

"Sir~"

Seeing the expressions on their faces, the clerk knew something was wrong. As he brought the tea to Qi Zixiu, his eyes couldn't help but glance at the newly arrived documents. "Take a look!"

Qi Zixiu sighed deeply, "I never imagined that one day I, Qi, would suffer such an undeserved calamity."

The clerk quickly grabbed the document, and after reading it rapidly, his hands began to tremble.

Because of the assassination attempt on Lady Shen, the Emperor questioned both the military and political authorities in Jiangnan!
Their adults...

It's just bad luck.

"My lord, is His Majesty's protection of the Jia family a way of sending a tough message to the Russians and Japanese who are about to arrive in the capital, that he is not afraid to fight if he wants to?"

This?
Qi Zixiu fell into deep thought.

We absolutely mustn't fight!

If fighting breaks out, Jiangnan will inevitably descend into chaos, and if Jiangnan descends into chaos, the Great Zhao's finances will be strained.

One of the reasons for the decline of the previous dynasty was the later Wokou (Japanese pirates) raids, which made it increasingly difficult to collect taxes in Jiangnan.

No, he needs to write a letter to the teacher.

He also had to write memorials to the emperor.

"Grind the ink!"

The clerk obediently ground ink for him.

Lord Qi is gambling.

As his advisor, he naturally had to gamble as well.

However, a gentleman seeks fame.

This time, it might not be a bad opportunity for the adults.

Could the adults control the Japanese pirates' assassination of the Jia family?
Being demoted so far away all of a sudden...

Qi Zixiu's expression was firm as he put pen to paper, and the clerk's hand, grinding ink, also became unhurried.

In fact, compared to the previous dynasty, the Great Zhao Dynasty treated its civil officials much worse.

Whether it was the founding emperor, the retired emperor, or the former crown prince who helped the retired emperor rule, they were all the same.

Although the current emperor has only truly taken power this year, he clearly values ​​military generals more than civil officials.

This is too much.

Especially now, all because of a woman...

At this moment, Shen Ning had already received a message from Jia Zhen.

One hundred elite soldiers!

Doesn't it seem like she's being pampered a bit too much?
Shen Ning sighed inwardly.

Actually, one could afford to hire bodyguards.

Something that could be solved with money, but the Emperor made such a fuss... how much favor will we have to do?
It feels like she'd be letting him down if she didn't give him her life.
Shen Ning patted her head, quickened her washing up, and went to bed to find her sweet and soft daughter.

Just then, Qi Zixiu finished writing his letter and was still thinking about the wording of his memorial when Jia Zhen came in again. "Lord Qi, let's examine a case together!"

Qi Zixiu: "..."

He was trying to say that he would soon no longer be the prefect of Xuzhou.

But then he thought about how the official seals wouldn't arrive until at least tomorrow, so he stood up and said, "Then please!"

He wanted to report everything that happened here to his teacher.

In prison, Shoji Kaneda's health improved somewhat.

Yesterday's ordeal was mainly due to spending too much time in the water after the injury.

Unfortunately, all his belongings were stolen. Otherwise, if he had spent some money to buy some warm food or medicine, he would have recovered much faster.

"Nami!"

Hirota Hashimoto whispered to Nami Kurosaki, who was resting with her eyes closed, "That constable looked at you a few times today. Do you think you could ask him to get us some more food tomorrow?"

Nami Kurosaki didn't say anything.

"Hashimoto-kun is right."

Shoji Kaneda's voice was low and deep. "We need to get better quickly. It would be best if he could get us some dry rations."

Escaping requires physical strength.

Moreover, if you can't finish it, you can leave it for later; dry food won't spoil quickly.

Shoji Kaneda had already decided where he would hide after escaping.

Before the assassination attempt, he had thoroughly investigated every street and alley in Xuzhou.

"Nami, only you can do this."

"...I'm afraid that won't work!"

Kurosaki Nami finally spoke, "Have you all forgotten that the Jia family is still in Xuzhou?"

"It is precisely because the Jia family is still in Xuzhou that we must escape even faster."

Hirota Hashimoto spoke faster, “The Jia family holds high-ranking official positions, and they have a blood feud with us. The prefect of Xuzhou, in order to curry favor with them, will surely have someone attack our tendons and ligaments within three days at most.”

He doesn't want to become a cripple.

"Nami, Hashimoto-kun is right."

This is also what Shoji Kaneda is most worried about.

They are now penniless and can only rely on Nami.

As long as she's willing to use her beauty...

"...Maybe we won't even be able to wait three days."

As she lay there, she heard many footsteps approaching the cell. She quickly rolled over and looked warily toward the cell door. "Oh no, they're really here. Everyone, be careful."

As she spoke, she quickly lay down again, and while channeling her inner energy, she rubbed her hands together vigorously, covering her forehead as her palms grew increasingly hot.

It wasn't until then that Shoji Kaneda and Hirota Hashimoto realized what was happening. Fortunately, they were indeed weak and listless. After exchanging a glance, they lay down on the straw, looking better than yesterday but still half-dead.

If they were to be tortured, they could very well become truly dead in an instant.

"I heard they're feeling better today; they've finished the porridge and dark-colored steamed buns we sent them?"

"……Yes!"

As the jailer opened the door, he glanced at their Lord Qi.

Only when Qi Zixiu nodded did he respond to those words.

"Alright, it's settled."

Jia Zhen called to Qi Youding, "Hurry up!"

what?
What, what are you doing?
Qi Zixiu was still a little confused when he saw Qi Youding carrying a large knife and going inside.

"Wait, aren't we supposed to conduct a trial first?"

Before he could finish speaking, Qi Youding slammed the sword, sheath and all, into Kaneda Shoji's leg.

Kaka~
A low, muffled thud, accompanied by Kaneda Shoji's horrifying screams, terrified Qi Zixiu, turning his face pale.

Qi Youding moved swiftly, smashing one of Kaneda Shoji's legs before quickly striking Hashimoto Hirotaka's leg, who had rolled to the side and was trying to escape.

"Ahhhh~~~~"

Hirota Hashimoto rolled around in agony.

Only then did Qi Zixiu realize, "Wait! Wait a minute, Lord Jia, I am the officer in charge here."

Kurosaki Nami really wanted him to be more helpful, but the Jia family clearly wouldn't listen to him at all.

As she watched Qi Youding approach rapidly, tears welled up in her eyes.

That pitiful little white rabbit look made Qi Youding decide to have another meal.

But Jiao Da once said that when you are soft-hearted towards the enemy, you are being irresponsible to yourself and your comrades.

How many people died that day?
If it weren't for the quick reaction of the people around the wife, they would have died, and they and their families would have been like duckweed on the water, drifting wherever they wanted.

Even if the old man and his ilk were to take their anger out on them, it would be impossible for them to become drifting duckweed.

The family was to be sold to all corners of the country.

Call ~
The scabbard slammed down hard.

"Ah~~~"

After letting out a cry of pain, Kuroiwa Nami slumped over and fainted.

She did not use her internal energy to resist, nor did she writhe in pain.

If your leg is broken, what good will rolling around do besides making your injury worse?
She acted decisively, using the moment she arched her body in pain to subdue herself with a sliver of internal energy. (End of Chapter)