The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 93 Lixiangyuan

The Prince of Jin received the message from Jiangnan, and the Emperor, of course, received it as well.

He had no time to rejoice at the five million taels of silver and nearly two hundred thousand taels of gold that were about to be in his hands.

The emperor was completely taken aback by the three small-scale ambushes outside Yangzhou.

Although we had considered the possibility that the Li family might abandon commerce for banditry, we never expected them to be so audacious. They not only raided four salt fields in Jiangnan, but also tried to rob other salt merchants in Yangzhou.

Unfortunately, after the great battle, when the headcount was taken, Li Laoqi, the seventh son of the Li family, had escaped.

bang~
The emperor slammed his fist on the jade table and said to the head of the secret guards who was waiting for his words: "Pass down the order to capture Li Haifeng at all costs, expand the scope of the operation, and investigate all the powerful families that have close ties with the Li family."

"If there's even the slightest clue... take them all down."

"Yes!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his main hall was empty.

However, the emperor's mind was still not at peace.

He read the secret report again.

I finally noticed the name Jia Lian.

This is the boy who, in order to avenge his brother Jia Zhen, stormed into the Li family and caused a huge scene, then forced them outside the gate and gave each of the younger generation of the Li family ten lashes.

Fortunately, he intervened, otherwise Li Haimu would probably have already fled with his family.

The emperor walked around the palace several times before finally heading to the Shou Kang Palace.

At this time, Jia Lian had already taken Jia Min and his cousins by land and water to Pingzhou.

He also heard from passing merchants that the Li family had colluded with river bandits and had all been captured.

"Aunt, Li Haifeng from the Li family has fled. Do you think we should hire a security escort agency to protect her?"

Jia Lian never expected that the Li family, who seemed like quails to him that day and whom he had dealt with, would actually dare to confront the government troops head-on.

Since they have such audacity, then... we will definitely not let them get away with it if we have the chance.

"Go find it!"

Jia Min nodded without hesitation, "It seems that Fuwei Escort Agency has a branch here, and its reputation has always been very good over the years."

Safety first.

With her son and daughter both too young, Jia Min dared not have any accidents happen to them.

"Then I'll go and fetch someone right away."

Jia Lian left in a hurry.

Little did he know that Li Haifeng, with bloodshot eyes, was leading a merchant caravan into Pingzhou.

His caravans did both legitimate business and clandestine activities.

This time, the main purpose was to give Jia Lian and Lin Ruhai a good look, so when they left Yangzhou, his men also left Yangzhou.

Little did he expect that his family, whom he was about to leave with all the necessary preparations, would be taken away by the army that had been transferred from Nanjing.

When he received the message, he wanted to go back and save people.

But then he received the devastating news of his elder brother's death.

Li Haifeng knew that her older brother didn't want him to go back.

His older brother once told him that if something happened to the family and he died, he should never go back.

The world outside is vast, and he must prioritize his own safety when the time comes.

Li Haifeng didn't go back, but he couldn't swallow his anger.

The reason why my elder brother was delayed was entirely due to Jia Lian's fault.

If he hadn't beaten his nephews and gone to the doctor, at least the children would definitely be gone.

just now……

"Have you found out where they're staying?"

"Liansheng Inn".

"Then let's go to Liansheng Inn."

"Seventh Master..."

The attendant looked troubled. "Liansheng Inn has been booked by the Jia family. It's said that the original guests were all compensated by Jia Lian and moved to other inns."

Li Haifeng: "..."

His teeth were grinding together. "Looks like they've received the message too, and they're scared now."

The attendants dared not speak.

Jia Lian may seem like a playboy, but he is actually cautious and tries to stay at post stations along the way.

Seventh Master insisted on seeking revenge, but many of his brothers had been sent back, and now they no longer had the advantage in numbers.

To get revenge, you either need to strike by surprise, or... use poison.

But whether it's the former or the latter, once they do it... they'll probably be spending their lives at sea.

"Go, find one that's close to Liansheng Inn."

Li Haifeng's eyes turned sinister. "Find another way to establish a relationship with them, and it would be best if we traveled to Beijing together."

Jia Min still wants to go back to Beijing to visit her relatives?

Stop dreaming.

He was determined to kill their entire family in the place closest to the capital.

His home is gone, and the Lin and Jia families won't have an easy time either.

Especially the Lin family...

Li Haifeng deeply resented Lin Ruhai.

Without him, the Li family would never have become enemies with the Jia family, and without that enmity, his cousin Haizhong would never have attacked the Jia family.

"But Seventh Master, Lin Duo, the steward of the Lin family, knows you."

"From now on, I am not Seventh Master, I am just a small pawn in the caravan."

Li Haifeng immediately took off his brocade robe in the carriage, saying, "Besides, I'm sick. It was you, Chang Lei, who took pity on me and took care of me, letting me stay in the last mule cart."

"……Yes!"

Chang Lei looked at their Seventh Master and finally agreed.

……

Inside the ancestral hall of Ningguo Mansion, Jia Zheng waited for his mother to rescue him.

But day after day, her mother still didn't appear.

Although their daughter and daughter-in-law, Li, had sent them knee pads through a third party, their days of kneeling were becoming increasingly difficult.

But he still held back.

The Emperor Emeritus has already bestowed the marriage upon them, so it's impossible for the Marquis of Xinping not to take action.

According to the Chinese almanac, today is an auspicious day.

Jia Zheng had been eagerly anticipating the arrival of the new Marquis of Ping since early morning.

The Wang family is also waiting.

As parents, they couldn't possibly miss their daughter's big day.

Just then, she heard footsteps outside that sounded different from usual, and her eyes lit up.

Sure enough, the ancestral hall door was pushed open, and Lin Zhixiao came in. "Master, Second Master, today is the day that Marquis Xinping is proposing marriage to our family. The old lady's idea is that you should first bathe and change your clothes to receive the guests."

"Well, let's go then!"

Jia She didn't care.

Kneeling here all the time isn't good if you get used to it.

Going out for some fresh air like this, and then coming back in, some people... I'm afraid they'll be even less able to handle it.

"Quick, don't just stand there, help me up."

Jia She was indeed unable to get up.

When Lin Zhixiao rushed over to help, Jia Zhen also lent a hand.

They went out first, and then Jia Zheng and his family of three struggled to their feet.

My knees hurt so much.

The family of three all walk with a slight bowed posture.

When she crossed the threshold, Wang was sweating profusely as she lifted her leg.

"What are you standing there for? Aren't you going to help him up?"

She cursed at the maids and old women who had just come this way.

A group of people quickly helped the family of three.

After bathing and changing clothes, and having eaten and drunk their fill, the official matchmaker invited by the Marquis of Xinping arrived at the mansion.

Shen Ning didn't get involved in this matter.

She stays at home taking care of her youngest daughter.

"Mother!"

Jia Zhen also happily gave himself a break, saying, "I feel that Uncle Zheng is about to give up."

As he spoke, he naturally took his little sister from his mother's arms, "Yueyue, do you still remember your brother? Have you missed him?"

"..."

Jia Yue happily waved her arms and kicked her little feet, as if she really remembered him.

Jia Zhen immediately smiled, "Mother, my sister still remembers me."

"Then come and hug her when you have time."

Shen Ning was naturally pleased that Jia Zhen was willing to come over and hug Jia Yue, saying, "Otherwise, she would definitely become closer to Rong-ge'er in the future."

Jia Zhen: "..."

Thinking of his son who would run here as soon as school was over, he was somewhat speechless. "Is Rong'er's homework too light? Should I ask Jiao Da to give him an extra half hour of martial arts practice?"

"...Half an hour is too much." Shen Ning thought for a moment, and finally had some conscience. "Let's do a quarter of an hour!" She looked at her eldest son. "You come with me when we come out of the ancestral hall."

what?
Jia Zhen was unwilling.

Unfortunately, I just caused trouble for my son, "My injury..."

"You don't want to suffer even more serious injuries in the future, do you?"

Shen Ning shut him down with a single sentence.

"...Okay then!"

too difficult.

My little sister doesn't seem so nice to hold anymore.

If it weren't for this little thing, he wouldn't have had to suffer for this quarter of an hour.

"Master," Xing'er rushed over, "It seems there's been a thief in the study."

what?
Shen Ning and Jia Zhen were both very surprised.

"Grandpa Jiao led his men to chase after them."

“…Go check it out!”

Shen Ning took her youngest daughter, her expression very serious.

When his father-in-law was alive, his and Jia Jing's study was always watched over by guards.

However, when it came to Jia Zhen, he held a sinecure, so the study became just for show.

Why would anyone still visit his study these days?
Shen Ning's heartbeat quickened slightly.

She suspected that the Emperor had already taken care of things with the Li family in Jiangnan.

Or perhaps Jia Lian has already caused a scene over there.

The two quickly arrived at the outer study, where Madam You was also just arriving.

The desk in the study was quite messy.

"Check if anything is missing?"

Shen Ning asked Jia Zhen to investigate.

Jia Zhen: "..."

He looked around, picked up the letter that had fallen to the ground, dusted it off, and said, "Son, there's nothing here...."

It doesn't matter if you lose anything.

"The book is just for show."

There was nothing to hide from his mother.

If you were to ask her what she might lose, it would make her worry.

"Faith... is practically nonexistent."

Shen Ning: "..."

She didn't know whether to be angry or amused.

"Alright then, it's almost noon. Let's have a proper meal. Your Uncle She will probably be calling everyone to the ancestral hall again this afternoon."

"..."

Jia Zhen couldn't help but touch his knee.

Although he can lie down and sleep at night, and can drink more water and go to the toilet more often during the day, his knees are still a little sore after these few days.

"It's strange that the old lady isn't here to plead for her this time."

"It seems the old lady was persuaded by her younger sister."

Madam You said, "My eldest sister does everything with great method and skill; both of her younger siblings praise her."

No wonder her mother-in-law likes her so much.

"Yuan Chun is indeed very good."

The girls in the Jia family are all quite nice.

Shen Ning felt that the female teacher who taught them was very capable.

“After she gets married, I plan to invite the teachers who taught Yingchun and Tanchun in the West Mansion to come to the East Mansion to teach your sister as well. You know, your sister loves listening to people read.”

Jia Zhen: "..."

Madam You: "..."

The two looked at the little one still swimming in her arms and felt a pang of sympathy for him for some reason.

Are they going to have to suffer the hardships of studying at such a young age?
Is Mother being too hasty?

But they simply couldn't bring themselves to voice their opposition.

Even when her younger sister was still in her belly, her mother had someone read to her and her sister every day.

My younger sister has been born for over a month now; perhaps she already considers her a big girl.

In an instant, Jia Zhen felt fortunate that because his grandfather and father were so capable, he didn't need to be too smart.

Otherwise, given his mother's relentless pressure to study, he doesn't know how miserable he would have been.

"The Listening Pavilion is nice."

Jia Zhen provided her with a place: "The main hall is large enough, and there are covered rooms on both sides, which is just right for her to rest."

"Well, that's what I thought too."

Shen Ning liked it very much.

"Then...daughter-in-law, please have someone pack it up as soon as possible."

"to make!"

Shen Ning nodded, "Yingchun and Tanchun are studying here, so as their sister-in-law, you should take good care of them."

Separating them from Jia Baoyu would be good for both sides.

Perhaps without his sisters to distract him, and without the blessing of that jade, if Grandmother Jia could spoil him less, he could study more and walk a different path from the characters in Dream of the Red Chamber.

"Don't worry, Mother, I will definitely take good care of them."

Madam You liked her own sister-in-law and was willing to be more patient with her sister-in-law from the next room.

After all, she has plenty of money now.

Tianxiang and a roast duck restaurant brought her a dividend of 300 taels last month.

How much money do the sisters-in-law spend on eating and drinking?
Even if they occasionally get some jewelry made, it's not a big deal.

Moreover, Yuan Chun set a good example by marrying well, so her younger sisters, even those born out of wedlock, will not have a bad future.

"I do believe you."

Shen Ning smiled, "There's a teacher at home who teaches music, chess, and things like that. We could actually go over and learn from her."

Huh?
Yu's eyes lit up immediately.

"At worst, I'll just have to pay an extra tuition fee."

"Yes!" Madam You bowed happily. "Thank you for your guidance, Mother."

She manages household affairs with great skill.

So she has plenty of time.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law on this side never considered whether the people in the West Mansion would agree or whether that gentleman would agree.

Just then, after seeing the matchmaker off, Jia She stood up and bowed to his mother, saying, "Mother, thank you for your help with everything at home. Your sons are going to the ancestral hall now."

He glanced at Jia Zheng and naturally led him away.

Jia Zheng's legs were trembling.

He finally recovered a bit!
"Mother……"

Jia Zheng's eyes welled up with tears. "My son and Wang Shi have decided to move out of Rongxi Hall. Where do you think would be a suitable place for us to move?"

The east wing where my older brother lives is actually quite large.

Jia Zheng felt that it would be great for him to move there.

"What does Second Brother think of Pear Fragrance Courtyard?"

Jia She didn't want to give away the wonderful place he had worked so hard to build.

That place belongs to his son, Jia Lian.

He spoke up before Grandmother Jia could say anything, saying, "Opening a door there would connect to the back street, making it convenient for people to come and go in the future."

Jia Mu: "..."

Jia Zheng: "..."

Wang: "..."

All three of them were thinking about Pear Blossom Courtyard.

That was where the old Duke retired; although it was near the back street, it was quiet amidst the hustle and bustle.

But with the East Wing...

Grandmother Jia was actually willing for Jia Zheng to move to the east wing.

Because of Jia She, the place underwent several major renovations, and apart from its less-than-ideal location, everything else was fine.

"Pear Blossom Courtyard is alright too."

Grandmother Jia looked at her eldest son and finally said, "Then let's pack up, pick a good day, and move there!"

"……Yes!"

Jia Zheng cried.