The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 312 Eighteen Dishes
All eyes in Jiangnan were on Jinling, but no one expected that after the Shi, Wang, and Xue families were thrown into chaos by Jia Zhen, they didn't utter a single word. Apart from a few old ladies from the Wang family going to the Jia family's door to cry, nothing else happened.

Seeing that Wang Zipeng, Wang Ziqi, and others had been sentenced to have their homes confiscated and be exiled to Hami, and that there was no movement in the capital or Annam, some people with ulterior motives began to stir.

The Japanese in each prefecture were either imprisoned or expelled, but their previous connections... still held some influence in each prefecture.

In the past, if someone had strong connections and couldn't get something substantial that could completely defeat them, they had to endure it no matter how much they resented it.

But things seem different now!
Wang Zipeng's biggest problem is his collusion with the Japanese, so even if Wang Ziteng conquers cities and territories outside, he will still suffer misfortune.

The Wang family didn't dare utter a single word.

Could they perhaps follow the example of the Jia family?
In a short time, even though Yangzhou had already been thoroughly purged by the emperor and Lin Ruhai because of Li, the salt merchant, colluding with Japanese pirates, two other families had slipped through the net and were reported and brought down by those with ulterior motives.

When a whale falls, all things are born.

Although the majority of the land had already been divided up by the government and other major families, some ordinary people still managed to buy some of the scattered plots of land.

For example, when Wang Zipeng fell from grace, his small estates and shops were all put up for sale by the government through brokerage firms.

There are large estates and shops, but as long as Prince Teng is still around, the Wang family's foundation remains. Even if they are affiliated with a brokerage firm, making them incredibly coveted, few dare to reach out.

Jia Zhen, however, took advantage of some fines imposed on the ninth and tenth branches of the family, gathered his clansmen, and finally acquired a large estate, which he then registered with the government as sacrificial land.

These are things that even a house raider couldn't take away.

As the clan head, this would be considered an achievement within the Jia family and should be recorded in the family genealogy.

Having finished everything, Jia Zhen walked briskly to see Shen Ning.

“Mother, look, this small hill, this bend in the river, and the 632 acres of land around here all belong to our family again.”

"From the clan."

Shen Ning looked at the thing that resembled a map, and her mood wasn't so pleasant.

Land consolidation became increasingly severe as time went on.

If the Jia family prospers for a few more generations, they'll have so much money they'll have nowhere to spend it, and who knows how much land they'll buy.

Shen Ning now only hopes that the negotiations between the imperial court and the Russians will end, and that after they have obtained what they are entitled to, the emperor will be able to implement the policy of requiring officials and gentry to pay taxes together as soon as possible.

Although this does not solve the fundamental problem, it provides the country with another source of tax revenue. In years of disaster, the emperor can increase disaster relief efforts or even, with a wave of his hand, directly reduce or exempt taxes for several years.

Ordinary people might be able to tighten their belts and avoid having to sell their children.

"Hehe, my son knows."

Jia Zhen was unaware that his mother was plotting to get the Jia family to pay taxes; he was only pleased that the income from the sacrificial fields would be one-third of his family's.

"The clan affairs are settled, son..."

He rubbed his hands together and said ingratiatingly, "My son is thinking of getting another estate for the family. Do you think it's convenient for you to do so?"

Jia Zhen had no money, but he knew that his mother had brought a lot of banknotes just in case.

"Replace?"

Shen Ning frowned slightly. "Forget it! The sacrificial fields are protected by the clansmen here, so no one dares to mess around. But do you know how many people are watching the Wang family's estate? If you eat the meat, you have to give others some soup."

Besides, we've already achieved our goal, so let's not think about anything else.

"……Yes!"

Jia Zhen looked somewhat dejected.

With the arrival of his second child, Mr. You wanted to save more money for his children.

It's so hard to find contiguous estates these days; it's only with great difficulty that the Wang family has one.

"Some things are best done in moderation."

Seeing his expression, Shen Ning could only offer another word of advice, “The Emperor is probably watching this area too. You overturned the tables of many families in Jinling because these people were colluding with the Japanese. But after you brought them down, you went on a buying spree of their land and shops. This makes it seem like the Jia family wants to dominate Jinling. This matter… has taken a turn for the worse.”

what?
Jia Zhen had never considered this aspect.

"My son knows, so he won't buy anything."

As he obediently stepped back, Shen Ning couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

What's the point of this land?

The sky outside is so vast, and there's so much land to explore.

pity……

Shen Ning is considering returning to Beijing.

Although the Great Zhao Dynasty holds an absolute advantage in negotiations with the Rakshasa Kingdom, what if some arrogant individuals in the court look down on this so-called harsh and cold land...?

"Have your uncle find someone to calculate an auspicious day for our return to the capital. Madam You's belly is getting bigger, so we should go back as soon as possible."

"Yes!"

Xiaodong hurriedly caught up with Jia Zhen.

They've been in Nanjing for almost a month, so it's time for them to leave.

Jia Zhen was also worried about You Shi's pregnancy. He had originally planned to buy another estate, but now, of course, the sooner the better.

……

Beijing.

The emperor finally summoned the Russian delegation, but before they could exchange more than a few words, a messenger arrived with urgent news that a joint delegation from the Mongol Tumed, Uriyangkhai, and Khalkha tribes was about to arrive in the capital, seeking aid from the Great Zhao.

Russian Vice Minister Bazel Ackerman and General Iris Roberts saw the Great Zhao Emperor first furrow his brow, then smile, and then many of the ministers around him looked on with ecstatic joy, unable to help but look at their own translator.

But even without a translation, they vaguely knew something.

The reason they're so eager to bring about peace talks is because of what's happening in Mongolia, isn't it?

The emperor of the Great Zhao has been waiting for them for so long, isn't he waiting for the Mongols?

The translator had once accompanied General Iris Roberts on a day trip to the prison in Shuntian Prefecture, and was somewhat frightened. Now, in front of many ministers of the Great Zhao Dynasty, he dared not say anything, only responding with sighs and glances.

Vice Minister Bazel Ackerman's eyes dimmed.

The operation against the East failed.

It was previously said that the one in power in the Great Zhao Dynasty was not the young and vigorous emperor, but the elderly retired emperor.

Most elderly people prefer stability and are unlikely to take risks.

But now...

Bazel Ackerman felt they had chosen the wrong time.

If we had listened to him a few years earlier, things might have been completely different.

But it's too late to say anything now.

Although Mongolia is not a monolithic entity, and the various tribes often fight each other, they also help each other when facing them.

They originally thought they could subdue the descendants of the Golden Khan with guns and cannons, but they never expected that the Great Zhao was even more powerful than them in terms of firearms.

Bazel Ackerman learned from some missionaries that Dazhao had developed a new thing called a hand grenade.

The missionary went to great lengths to get one, and they secretly set it off during a fireworks display.

That power...

Bazel Ackerman sighed softly to himself.

They had never seen a revolver before, but he had easily seen this grenade. Although he suspected that the Emperor of Dazhao had deliberately let him see it, the sense of frustration still followed him like a shadow.

He could almost foresee that the negotiations to come would be even more disastrous than their defeat on the battlefield.

After a while, his translator finally told him that the Emperor of Dazhao thought May 18th was an auspicious day, and Dazhao was willing to start formal peace talks with them on that day.

May 18th!
Today is only the seventh day of the fifth lunar month.

That means it will take another eleven days.

Bazel Ackerman knew that Da Zhao was still stalling for time and wanted to gain a greater advantage on the battlefield.

When he and General Iris Roberts returned to the meeting hall dejectedly, they remained silent for a long time. But the emperor, after court, rushed happily to the inner palace to share his joy with the empress.

"Hahaha! I want to eat eighteen dishes today."

Although he has been in power for almost half a year, he has not yet eaten eighteen dishes.

The emperor was overjoyed. "Empress, you have no idea how cunning Mr. Liu is." Speaking of Mr. Liu, he remembered something and said to Liu An, "By the way, instruct the imperial kitchen to send Mr. Liu ten dishes today."

"What did he do?"

The Queen's eyes sparkled.

I look forward to good news from my husband.

"Isn't the Weaponry Bureau mass-producing hand grenades?"

The Emperor said, "He spared no expense in having several master craftsmen procure several hand grenades with iron outer shells. Although the iron shells were hammered very thin, their power was indeed greater. You don't know, but that Russian vice minister named Bazel Ackerman and their general Iris Roberts secretly tested them with some missionaries. If you ask me, when they returned, their faces were practically covered in frost."

It's a pity I didn't see it at the time.

The emperor slapped his thigh. “Fortunately, I saw it today.” As he said this, his eyebrows lit up again. “I knew yesterday that the joint delegation of the Tumed, Uriyangkhai, and Khalkha tribes was going to come to the capital, but they put on a show again today. Hahaha, you don’t know, they even bent their backs a little at that time.”

This is also a battle!

A bloodless battle, yet one that is far more effective in conquering cities and seizing territory.

The emperor was overjoyed.

When he first became emperor, all he thought about was not being deposed and holding onto the throne for his son.

He never thought he was particularly capable.

She was bullied by both sides every day, and she had to keep her anger to herself, not letting her father see even a little bit of it.

Although he had several concubines, he knew exactly what they were like.

Even Consort Wu, who had already given birth to a prince, was just someone planted by certain people around him.

Whenever the emperor was so angry that he felt he couldn't take it anymore, he could only go to the empress.

"Cai Cai, the first person I want to thank for making things possible today is you."

The emperor took the empress's hand and called her by her childhood nickname, "You've had a tough time all those years."

"I am suffering, but isn't the Emperor suffering too?"

The Empress leaned against the Emperor, saying, "I know that in those years, Your Majesty suffered ten or a hundred times more than I did."

She only had to deal with Consort Zhen and those troublesome sisters-in-law.

But no matter how difficult the sisters-in-law were, they could only enter the palace a handful of times a year.

Although Consort Zhen often made her feel bad, Consort Zhen herself was a cautious person and did not dare to make things difficult for her in public.

Therefore, relatively speaking, she had it much easier than the emperor.

"It's great that we've all made it through."

"Ok!"

The emperor embraced his wife and said, "From now on, I will only let you live a good life."

He no longer needs to worry about being deposed; he can now go down in history.

At this moment, even the emperor no longer wanted to use the word "朕" (zhen, meaning "I" or "I") in front of the empress.

"Cai Cai, just you wait. I will keep everything I said at our wedding."

They have always supported and protected each other.

He would never be like his father.

"I believe you!"

The Empress tiptoed and kissed him on the cheek. "When the eighteen dishes arrive, let's do what we used to do, you feed me, and I feed you?"

"Okay!"

The emperor's eyes lit up.

Back then, they lived a secluded life behind closed doors, and the young couple couldn't have been more carefree.

Even in his dreams, he is smiling.

Because he jumped from the cold palace to a very, very warm place.

"We haven't had such an easy time since we left home and entered this palace."

Now it's finally possible again.

He and the Empress were very happy. After receiving the reward, Mr. Liu quietly took the ten dishes out of the palace and went to the small courtyard that the Emperor had given him, where his family was also staying.

His parents, sister, nephew, and niece are all present.

Of course, besides them, there was also a blank sign.

In Mr. Liu's mind, this man was his brother-in-law.

Unfortunately, my brother-in-law was unlucky.

"Come on, let's enjoy today's delicious food together."

When he left home, he said he would earn a good name and return home so that his sister could have a grand wedding.

But in the end, the whole family suffered because of him.

Mr. Liu knelt there, weeping bitterly.

He has let down his parents, his sister, the crown prince, and his two nephews and nieces.

"sorry!"

Mr. Liu's tears fell. "If I had known my family would end up like this, I would never have come to Beijing."

If he hadn't gone to the capital and hadn't helped Prince Jin, the Crown Prince might have been able to hold on for a few more years.

With Jia Jing's help, his path was even easier than the Emperor's.

Think of how many lives could be saved!
The crown prince set everything ablaze, enraging the retired emperor, and the executioners at Caishikou never stopped.

At that time, the Prince of Jin finally gave him half a day off and had someone take him to see the pile of human heads.

"Waaah, Dad! Mom! Your son misses you so much!"

He hugged each of the memorial tablets, tears streaming down his face.

After spending several months by the emperor's side, Mr. Liu finally realized that this once invisible man, whom neither the retired emperor nor any of the princes had ever paid attention to, had risen to his current position because the crown prince had intentionally nurtured him after his brothers grew up.

That fire was a personal attack, burning away the Emperor Emeritus's trust in all his sons, ultimately leading to the choice of the Emperor, whom no one respected.

Jia Jing's second act of violence directly drove the retired emperor to madness.

Compared to them...

Mr. Liu's tears fell on the memorial tablet, and he wiped them clean with his own hands.

He didn't hold the last blank plaque, but just looked at it for a long time before saying, "I'm sorry, I will keep an eye on the Emperor, and you should keep an eye on him too, so that he won't become confused when he gets old."

If that happens...

He wouldn't mind going back to being a poisonous scholar.

……

In Jinling, May 12th is an auspicious day for weddings, praying for blessings, seeking offspring, consecrating objects, and traveling.

After paying respects to the Jia family ancestors and 'Jia Jing' at the ancestral graves once again, Shen Ning picked up her daughter, got into the carriage, and headed back along the same route they had come from.

She had already read about the Japanese and Russian missions, as well as recent events in the capital, from letters sent from various sources at home.

To say I'm not happy would be a lie.

It's good that she's not the only one struggling in this world.