The Overlord of the Red Mansion

Chapter 270 Monk

"Pass the meal!"

Jia Rong ignored Jia Xichun and quickly sat down to eat with his family.

Everyone stood up and returned to their seats. The nanny had already taken the baby to feed, and the other girls who had returned from classes at Shenggong Primary School also sat down.

Slightly younger children eat with their mothers, usually boys between five or six and seven or eight years old, and girls over five years old.

The oldest girls are Qiao'er and Ling'er. Although they are not Jia Rong's biological daughters, they are also qualified to sit down and eat.

Sitting next to Jia Rong were eight-year-old Jia Tang and Jia Xing.

Jia Tang's mother is Baoqin, and Jia Xing's mother is Qin Keqing.

These two are Jia Rong’s biological daughters.

Jia Tang has a lively personality but an average appearance.

Jia Xing is well-behaved, sensible, quiet, beautiful and charming. She looks similar to her mother, but she doesn't like Qin Keqing very much. She prefers to play with Jia Yuanchun and lives in Nuanxiang Palace.

While waiting for dinner, Jia Tang and others looked around casually and soon saw Jia Xichun sitting with Youshi, Qin Keqing and others.

Jia Tang asked curiously, "Father, who is that nun?"

Jia Xichun, who was far away, blushed suddenly.

She had met Jia Tang and Jia Xing several times when she was a child, but she was only three or four years old at the time and did not remember so many things. No one had told them in advance today that someone was coming, so naturally they did not recognize Jia Xichun who had been away for four or five years.

Jia Xing had heard from someone that a nun was coming here today.

But others would not say that this is the emperor's aunt.

Jia Xing replied, "It seems to be chanting sutras."

Jia Yuanchun wanted to scold the two girls for talking nonsense, but this was not Jia Yuanchun's home, but the royal family!

According to the rules, Jia Yuanchun and others were not qualified to eat with Jia Rong, but had to stand and serve.

Instead, there are a few children who can accompany Jia Rong.

It is not against the rules for children to talk while eating, but it is against the rules for Jia Yuanchun and others to talk without Jia Rong's permission.

Jia Rong casually said, "Let's eat. What did you learn in school today?"

Jia Rong picked up his chopsticks and ate a little, and then the others started to pick up their chopsticks and eat.

Jia Tang held up the chopsticks and answered, "We learned equations and Chinese, and listened to music. In the last class, we played football. The girls in our class lost less. The boys were really annoying and noisy."

Jia Rong smiled and said, "In a few days, there will be new female classmates to accompany you. In the future, our family will have girls and young ladies from all over the country coming to help us. You must get along well with them."

Jia Tang said happily, "Yes, Father! More girls!"

Jia Rong smiled and said, "There will be a lot. There will definitely be more girls than boys in the future. It will basically be a girls' school."

Of course, the two girls would like more girls to join, as there are too many boys and too few girls in the palace now.

After the meal, everyone started chatting casually.

At this time, Jia Xing and Jia Tang went to play with Ling'er and Qiao'er.

Jia Rong was replaced by Tanchun and Yingchun.

Jia Yuanchun sat opposite and asked, "Your Majesty, how do you arrange Xichun's affairs? She wants to become a nun in Cihang Temple. Do you think it's okay?"

At this time, Jia Xichun was sitting obediently in the distance, waiting for the final judgment.

Jia Rong said casually, "I'll talk to her alone tonight. With you all here, it's hard for her to express her true thoughts. I don't know how much she has suffered in the Wei family. The Wei family used to be a frugal family. I don't know why she has become so unlucky wherever she goes."

Jia Xichun wanted to go over and talk, but was stopped by Wang Xifeng.

Although Wang Xifeng intended to help, she would not let Jia Xichun act recklessly.

Wang Xifeng advised Jia Xichun: "Don't break the rules, this is the royal family."

Jia Rong ignored the situation over there and continued to chat about trivial matters at home. You Erjie, You Sanjie and others also went over to join in the fun. Jia Rong spent a lot of time at home, but he was basically busy.

So dinner time every night becomes a lively time for everyone.

Out of 365 days in a year, Jia Rong usually comes here about 300 days.

Tanchun and Yingchun quickly went to take care of the children, and Yuanyang and Ping'er came over and sat down.

Yuanyang is still in charge of many things now, mainly training palace maids and female officials, and assisting Jia Yuanchun together with Ping'er.

Jia Yuanchun's maids were mainly responsible for helping Jia Yuanchun take care of the children, or delivering messages and taking charge of banquet affairs.

Ping'er and Yuanyang are in charge of salaries and personnel training respectively.

The specific appointments were still arranged by Jia Yuanchun, and Tanchun was responsible for supervision.

Xue Baochai and Jia Yingchun have been suspended from their jobs for not managing the relationship between their maids. Now they just eat, drink and have fun every day and get paid. Apart from taking care of the children, they have nothing else to do.

Lin Daiyu and Shi Xiangyun are responsible for educating the children and supervising their homework progress.

Li Wan, Li Wen, Li Qi and Xue Baoqin are responsible for organizing some cultural and artistic activities in the palace.

I only come to Tianxianglou to play at night. There is not much to do at other times. I do fitness, swimming, riding a merry-go-round bike, or dancing, walking and strolling in the garden. If you add the time for eating, bathing, and defecating, there is not much time left in a day.

Yuanyang said to Jia Rong, "Two cigarettes a day is not enough for the old lady. She called me over the other day and begged me for more. I couldn't refuse her after hesitating for so long. Could the emperor give her one or two more?"

Jia Rong could imagine the scene of the old lady begging Yuanyang with a playful smile, and his mood soon improved a lot.

Jia Rong smiled and said, "Then I'll give you two more, one after the meal, and you can smoke the extra one when you feel uncomfortable. But don't follow my bad example, I don't want to smell like cigarettes when I kiss you."

Yuanyang and Ping'er smiled and said, "Of course, we dare not disobey the emperor's order."

At this time, Qin Keqing's youngest son Jia Ji said, "Father, my mother smokes. I saw it last time."

Jia Rong smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if she has one cigarette in the morning. She doesn't smoke every day."

Jia Ji asked, "Isn't it bad to smoke every day?"

It's definitely not good, but Jia Rong's ministers all smoke one or even two packs of cigarettes a day. If you count the ones they smoke, they would smoke more than three packs a day.

Tobacco and alcohol are important means for Jia Rong to make money.

In the past two years, many illegal businessmen who stole business have been killed, but taxes have also been raised to an unprecedented level.

Tobacco tax is equivalent to the rich tax in this era. Only officials, wealthy businessmen and some aristocratic sons can afford it.

Jia Rong smiled and said, "Okay, but I don't like it. Everything should be done in moderation. Children should not smoke or drink. I'm afraid your mother will lead you astray."

Qin Keqing came over quickly and said, "Your Majesty has said bad things about me again."

Jia Rong said: "It's not a bad thing, it's a good thing for you in front of the children."

Qin Keqing heard it, of course, and said to her honest youngest son, "Go and have fun. Listen to your father. Don't smoke or drink with others before you get married."

"Yes, mother." Jia Ji went out to play quickly.

After the children left, Jia Rong said to Qin Keqing jokingly, "I don't know how you teach your children. Your two sons and one daughter are all so obedient. I should really give Yuanchun's children to you to take care of."

Qin Keqing also smiled and said with some emotion: "The emperor always laughs at people. I never take care of them. It's always the empress who takes care of them. Children without mothers are sensible. Children with mothers are spoiled."

Jia Rong responded with a smile, chatted for a few minutes and then went back to rest.

Jia Xichun also went out.

After some inquiries, Jia Xichun finally moved into Cihang Temple and became a bald nun who could kneel in front of Jia Rong's throne and be touched on the head.

Miaoyu, Wanyu, Youshi, Xichun, a separate wall was built outside Cihang Jingzhai, and there were four more people who were forced to become nuns because they were attached to the worldly world.

None of the four people were serious people. Once they entered Buddhism, they ate meat, drank alcohol, wore fancy clothes, put on makeup, played cards, and gambled. They did everything that monks were not allowed to do.

(End of this chapter)