The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 325 Climbing Trees
While the Jia family was searching for people everywhere, they were also conducting an internal investigation!

When our ancestors built the ancestral temple, they also considered that someone might die in the summer, so there is an ice cellar here.

This time, the amount of ice needed was too large, so Jia Zhu made arrangements in advance to prevent any accidents. He not only transferred some ice from both the East and West Mansions, but also bought a lot from ice merchants who specialize in stockpiling ice.

However, the ice from the ice merchant was all purchased that day and delivered early in the morning. It would never be delivered to the lady of the house. The stewards, maids, and servants who handled it all insisted that the ice had been used up to cool everyone down during the memorial service.

However, the ice from both prefectures was brought into the ice cellars half a day earlier overnight...

It would be very wrong to deliver the problematic ice precisely to the First Madam.

Jiao Da, who arrived at the scene, investigated Wen Peilan and Xiaodong, along with the other three, not to mention the others.

The two old women responsible for delivering ice to each household were interrogated repeatedly. Chief Constable Lu asked them questions, as did Jiao Da, Jia Zhen, and Grandmother Jia... In short, anyone with a certain status was questioned.

"...Go down!"

Jia Min asked the same question, and seeing their broken and frightened expressions, she waved them away and turned to her eldest nephew, Jia Zhu, who was in charge of all matters, "Zhu'er, do you have any suspects?"

Jia Zhu: "..."

He has!

However, he moved his mouth, but seeing Grandmother Jia looking at him anxiously, he didn't know where to begin.

The old women who deliver ice to each room are all honest and reliable.

The ice cellar, however... is unguarded.

Although there are patrol personnel coming and going, there are still gaps in time.

Taking advantage of her duty as an ice delivery woman, or even her habit, someone precisely slipped drugs into the ice that Auntie was delivering.

Therefore, Chief Constable Lu repeatedly questioned him.

Brother Zhen and Brother Rong are busy investigating clues and searching for villagers; they don't have time to look for him. He...

"Grandmother, it is my fault for failing in my duty!"

When Jia Zhu knelt down, Grandmother Jia couldn't help but feel dizzy.

She took on this job for her eldest grandson.

If the Shen family cannot be found...

"Now is not the time to blame yourself."

Jia Min sighed, "Zhu'er, go back and check if any outsiders have recently entered the ice storage of the two mansions!"

Since they've set their sights on ice and know the ice-delivery woman's temperament, the problem must lie back home.

Some people are traitors.

The Jia family has always been kind to their servants.

The eldest sister-in-law of the East Mansion...

"There shouldn't be any problems in the East Prefecture. You will be in charge of investigating our West Prefecture."

When Jia Min saw her mother, she couldn't help but think of Granny Lai.

Granny Lai served the Jia family for decades, but the Lai family was completely eradicated in both mansions.

It's understandable that her mother couldn't bear to part with the old woman who had served her for most of her life, but summoning her to the mansion at the drop of a hat...

Jia Min's heart was pounding unusually.

"Yes!"

When Jia Zhu saw her aunt glance at her grandmother, she couldn't help but think of Granny Lai.

As he hurriedly got up to go home, Jia Zhen and Rong-ge'er finally learned from the villagers that in Xiaolizhuang, more than 20 miles to the south, someone had heard a dog barking in the middle of the night and, when they got up to check, spotted a donkey cart.

Last night, someone carried a large box onto a donkey cart, and the donkey cart left on the spot.

Jin Muchuan brought all thirty of his personal guards, who had been assigned to him in the Beijing garrison.

When Jia Zhenrong went to inspect the donkey cart, he ended up arresting all the local bullies in the surrounding towns who liked to cause trouble and collect protection money.

As local bullies, they should have a good idea of ​​whether any powerful figures are passing through their territory.

……

Shen Ning, who had climbed out of the cellar, made sure that no one was around and that this was an abandoned place. She glanced at the smoke rising from the chimney in the distance, hesitated for a moment, and ultimately did not run away immediately.

She hadn't worn shoes before going to bed, only a pair of cloth socks, which were stained with a lot of blood when she stepped on that Japanese man.

You can't run very far like that.

Moreover, going into the village might not only mean she wouldn't survive, but it could also endanger the villagers.

The Japanese pirates wouldn't care about killing a few more people.

Shen Ning quickly ran into the house, which had a wall that had collapsed most of the way down and no doors or windows. Sure enough, there was a small bamboo basket in the corner, containing not only a water bag but also two oil paper packets, one deflated and one bulging.

Without bothering to check what was inside, and finding no shoes, she simply rubbed herself vigorously in the dirt, picked up the basket, and headed up the mountain.

It's not far from the village, so there are definitely no tigers or wolves here.

Let's find a place to hide first and wait it out for a while.

Shen Ning was afraid that the Japanese accomplices would return, and then there would truly be no chance left.

However, this body had been pampered for many years, and even with cloth socks, she still found it very difficult to walk.

But Shen Ning didn't dare to stop at all. Carrying the basket, she first walked up the mountain, and when she saw a path that villagers had walked on, she followed the path along the mountainside.

At this time, the two Japanese men who were keeping watch on Ningrong Street only saw people going out but not returning. Suspecting that the Jia family had focused all their efforts on the Iron Threshold Temple, they simply bought a lot of food and rented a mule cart to return.

After all these busy days, things have finally settled down, and I can finally take a day off.

The two got off the car far away and walked a long way back, avoiding people.

However, Fukuyama Shunji, who should have been here, was nowhere to be found. The two were worried about Shen Ning in the cellar, but there were a few things on the ground that looked like bloody footprints.

The two men's expressions changed, and they rushed to the cellar entrance. The strong smell of blood was overwhelming. When they peeked out, they saw that it was none other than Fukuyama Shunji.
However, the Shen family, whom they had worked so hard for so long, had disappeared without a trace.

"Find quickly!"

Both of them were able to be sent to Dazhao because they had received training.

They quickly found the spot where Shen Ning had stepped and followed her there.

Shen Ning used to take walks all year round, but those walks back then were completely different from her current escape.

Although she was trying her best to speed up, she inexplicably had a feeling that the pursuers behind her might catch up very soon.

How to do?
She couldn't run up the mountain, and she couldn't run down the mountain either. She hadn't seen anyone since, not even had a chance to beg for a message...

Shen Ning was panting heavily. Finally, she gave up on her unlikely escape. Her eyes darted around and she finally found an old tree that she could barely climb a few meters away from the roadside.

The old tree is lush and leafy; hiding inside should be fine for now.

Just do it if you think of it.

Shen Ning tiptoed carefully along the stones in the grass to the old tree, then struggled to put the basket on the branch, hugged the tree, and climbed up.

Climbing trees requires not only strength in the hands, but also in the legs.

Normally, she definitely wouldn't be able to climb, but things are different now; she's running for her life!
If she doesn't climb faster, given the clothes she's wearing, she'll most likely be captured by the Japanese if she doesn't encounter any soldiers.

Who wants to die when they can live?
Finally, Shen Ning climbed to her first destination.

She could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

She opened the water pouch, poured out a little water, and after confirming that it was drinkable, she gulped down a few mouthfuls.

At this moment, the sun was blazing, but she was sheltered from the sun under the tree and could even enjoy some sunshine and breeze. She finally had the leisure to prepare something to eat.

Inside the oil paper package were a serving of mung bean cake and four steamed buns made from a mixture of three types of dough.

These steamed buns are obviously from the Mantou Temple.

Shen Ning took a big bite.

You don't know until you chew it, and once you start chewing... the tinnitus that had just subsided started again.

Moreover, the left side of my face also hurts, and my teeth hurt too!
hiss~
Just wait and see. If she escapes this fate, she'll definitely go and cry to the Empress.

Shen Ning carefully chewed the steamed bun with her right teeth. After she had eaten most of her food and rested enough, she was about to climb to the second branch when she heard someone running towards her.

Are they Japanese?
Shen Ning quickly stood close to the tree trunk.

On the path, the pursuing Japanese had long since lost the ability to distinguish footprints.

But they were certain that the Shen family had not gone up the mountain.

There are many paths that the villagers in the mountains have walked on, and in this hot weather, with no one coming up, they can't even find someone to ask.

Otherwise, just look at Shen's clothes; you could get a straight answer from any of them.

How hateful now...

The two Japanese were worried that Shen had initially run up the mountain and left footprints to lure them up. In fact, after finding a mountain path, she followed the path back down the mountain.

So, one of them went down the mountain to search for her, while the other ran quickly along the path she might have taken, trying to find her.

Shen Ning, perched on the tree trunk, wasn't sure if the person was Japanese, but as soon as he walked away, she climbed up a bit more.

Time passed slowly, the sun grew stronger, and the person who had been running finally returned, drenched in sweat.

Through the gaps in the branches and leaves, Shen Ning saw him running while glancing around, and quickly hid deeper behind the tree.

Fortunately, the other party was mainly looking at whether the grass by the roadside had been flattened.

She is not currently on the observation list.

Shen Ning calculated that she had run about six or seven miles from the cellar. Even if they wanted to search those six or seven miles thoroughly, it wouldn't be that easy. Only then did she feel relieved and yawn.

Keep searching, keep searching, search until you're exhausted, ideally until it's completely dark and you're too tired to continue.

Leaning against the big tree, she slowly calmed down.

At this moment, Shen Ning was unaware that Jia Zhen and Rong Ge'er, following the clues, only found a slaughtered donkey and a smashed cart.

Both of them were devastated. When Jia Zhen remounted his horse, he raised his whip and rode towards the capital.

Relying solely on his family is probably not enough; he needs to plead with the Emperor.

So the emperor, who had just finished reviewing the memorials and was about to lie down for a short rest, was hurriedly woken up by Liu An.

"Your Majesty, Lord Jia has come to see you, and his expression is very strange."

The emperor was startled.

He quickly got up.

Last time, Jia Zhen discovered something was wrong in the Beijing garrison, and a major upheaval followed immediately.

Although that upheaval was to his advantage, he now controls the court and doesn't want any changes at all!

"Did something happen?"

This guy took three days off because of his elder's death anniversary, and then he discovered something was wrong somewhere.
"It seems something has happened to Madam Shen."

what?
The emperor was furious. "Where are the imperial physicians? Can't he even summon one?"

This wasn't right after the Emperor Emeritus passed away. At that time, all the imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy were summoned to Shou Kang Palace. When Lady Shen fell ill, Jia Zhen had to beg him for an imperial physician.

"Lord Jia didn't say."

Liu An was at a loss. He wanted to ask, but at that moment, Jia Zhen's tears suddenly fell.

The emperor stormed out, seething with anger.

Jia Zhen had been waiting for a long time. As soon as he saw the emperor, before the emperor could even ask him anything, he burst into tears, crying, "Your Majesty... please save my mother! She has been kidnapped by bandits!"

What?
The emperor stumbled, nearly tripping. "Are you sure?"

"Waaah, it's true."

Jia Zhen slapped himself hard and cried out, "I found out about the donkey cart that took my mother away last night. Those people are so cruel. They killed the donkey and smashed the cart. My mother, my mother, I don't know where they took her!"

……

Only when Kuroiwa Nami confirmed that Jia Zhen had entered the palace and that the people from Shuntian Prefecture and the Five Cities Garrison were all heading towards the Iron Threshold Temple did she return in a good mood, leading Nagata Keio and the other two around.

The government acted quickly; soldiers were already checking all kinds of vehicles at the intersection of the main road.

They also issued a notice asking if any suspicious vehicles were seen traveling in the middle of the night and what direction they were going.
Kuroiwa Nami listened for a while and was very glad that the carriage belonged to Granny Lai and had been driven to Granny Lai's house by Yamashita Haru early this morning.

Hmph, trying to find clues in the carriage is impossible.

Before nightfall, they bypassed the villagers and rushed to the abandoned house they had carefully selected.

When the Jurchens left the capital, they heard that a troop of stragglers passed by and killed the whole family.

Later, legends of ghosts spread around the area, and no one dared to come; it became their best hiding place.

"Huh? Where is everyone?"

Logically, even if no one else was around, Fukuyama Hideji should have been more vigilant.

But even when they were right in front of him, Fukuyama Hideji was nowhere to be seen.

Just as Nagayama Keio was about to say something more, Kuroiwa Nami rushed into the cellar.

This was specially chosen for the Shen family.

They were short-handed; including herself, there were only seven of them.

If you throw Shen into the cellar, she won't be able to climb out, and you only need one person to watch over her.

But the stench of blood lingered at the cellar entrance. What did she see in the light?
Fukuyama Hideji died sitting there with his head bowed and legs spread apart.

On the ground beneath him and on the scattered hay, there were dried, blackened bloodstains...

Did the Shen family escape?

How can it be?

Kuroiwa Nami jumped down.

On Fukuyama Hideji's forehead, you can still see a few bloody footprints.

Shen really escaped.

Looking into Fukuyama Hideji's unseeing eyes, Kuroiwa Nami kicked him.

She wanted to kick this dead guy to death again.

Why did you go down to the cellar?
Besides, how come you, a grown man, can't even beat a sickly woman and let her kill you?
bang~
Her foot grazed Fukuyama Hideji's ear and kicked the wall behind him.

There are small holes that Shen Ning dug out.

Nami Kuroiwa was furious.

That woman was completely helpless; Fukuyama Hideji could have simply ignored her.

"Look for it quickly!"

This place is only about 30 miles from the capital.

The Shen family ran away, so...

Nami Kuroiwa leaped out.

"My lords, you've finally returned."

Upon finding them, Matsuyama Osamu, covered in sweat, saw them, his body went limp, and he cried, "Shuji-kun is dead."

"When did you get back? Where is Shen Shi? Have you found her?"

“We returned around 9:00 AM. At that time, Xiu Er had not been dead for long, and Shen Shi had not been gone for long either. We followed her bloody footprints for a while, but then there were no more footprints. So Da Zhi and I split up. He searched in the village at the foot of the mountain, and I searched on the mountain.”

But there was no trace of her.

Her clothes were so conspicuous, yet she was nowhere to be found; no one had ever seen her.

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