The Red Mansion

Chapter 244 Yuan Shi is furious, Jiang Nian seizes the knife
Yesterday, the entire Jiang family was busy all day, both packing chests and boxes at the Jiang family home and cleaning the courtyard at the Ningguo Mansion.

On the tenth day of the fifth lunar month, the entire Jiang family got up early again and busied themselves moving.

By the time of Si (9-11 AM), the sun was already getting increasingly scorching.

On the official road in the eastern suburbs, a grand procession of carriages and horses came winding its way.

In the middle of the procession, Xue Baochai and Jing Qing rode together in a vermilion-wheeled carriage with a canopy made of cloud-patterned gauze. Through the gauze window, Xue Baochai could be vaguely seen holding a round fan and whispering something to Jing Qing. Yuan Chun rode in her jade-canopied, pearl-tasseled, eight-treasure carriage, with bells hanging from the eaves that tinkled as she moved.

Following behind were more than a dozen large carts loaded with luggage and supplies, all covered tightly with blue cloth and guarded closely by servants.

Leading the procession were Jiang Nian and He Yun. Jiang Nian was dressed in the uniform of a second-class imperial guard, while He Yun was dressed in the uniform of a third-class imperial guard. They were accompanied by ten imperial guards, all on horseback. This move involved a large amount of family wealth that needed to be transported through Chaoyang Gate, and this elaborate display would make things easier.

As they approached Chaoyang Gate, the military officer guarding the gate had already spotted the procession. Since Jiang Nian frequently entered and exited through this gate, the officer was already acquainted with Jiang Nian. Seeing Jiang Nian's impressive entourage, the officer quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and smiled, "Is Guard Jiang moving to a new residence?"

Jiang Nian returned the greeting from horseback, saying, "It is indeed a housewarming party. I hope you can do me a favor."

He handed over the documents and a small amount of money as a token of his gratitude.

The military officer glanced at the document and, seeing that the emperor's personal guards were accompanying them, dared not obstruct them. He immediately accepted the money as a token of gratitude and let them pass with a forced smile.

After passing Chaoyang Gate, the convoy continued westward.

The sun was blazing, and steam rose from the bluestone road. The cicadas chirping in the willow trees by the roadside were annoying. A group of maids from the inner quarters of the Jiang family, who were riding in a carriage, wiped their sweat with handkerchiefs from time to time.

Jiang Nian, riding on horseback under the sun, kept her back straight.

The convoy meandered to Ningrong Street in the western part of the city.

Ningrong Street is actually a wide, official alleyway, paved with bluestone slabs. There are no shops or vendors, only the Ningguo Mansion and Rongguo Mansion located to the east and west, respectively, right next to each other.

At this moment, the main gate of Ningguo Mansion was wide open, and the east and west side gates were also open.

Meng Xiong and Zhang Ruojin, along with several servants from the Jiang family, were already waiting at the foot of the steps.

Then, Mr. and Mrs. Lin Zhixiao from the Rongguo Mansion, along with a group of servants from the Rongguo Mansion, came to greet them at the gate of the Ningguo Mansion. It turned out that Grandmother Jia, thinking that the Jiang family had just moved and had limited servants, was worried that things might be chaotic and inadequate, so she specially ordered people from the Rongguo Mansion to come and help, as a sign of her closeness.

The blazing sun shone on Ningrong Street, where suddenly the sounds of carriages and horses could be heard, their hooves clattering.

Everyone looked up and saw a procession of carriages and horses turning into the east street. The procession was grand and imposing, with twelve riders at the head, including Jiang Nian and He Yun on two tall, fine horses with bright saddles and bridles. Several carriages followed behind, and then more than a dozen large carts carrying luggage.

As luck would have it, a blue silk sedan chair slowly approached from the opposite west street entrance, followed by several servants. Inside the sedan chair sat Jia She, the eldest master of the Rongguo Mansion.

It turned out that yesterday, Jia She sent Jia Lian to find Lady You and demand the family fortune of the eldest branch of the family, but Lady You refused. Today, Jia She personally went to Lady You's house to find her, but she politely refused him again. He was already seething with anger, and now, sitting in his sedan chair, he was still secretly resentful.

As the sedan chair approached the black-lacquered gate of the east wing of the Rongguo Mansion, Jia She lifted the curtain and alighted. Just then, Jiang Nian also reined in her horse and dismounted in front of the gate of the Ningguo Mansion. The two were only a few dozen paces apart, the sunlight blazing brightly, making the street shine.

Jiang Nian glanced sideways and saw that it was Jia She. She sneered inwardly, pretending not to see him and not even bothering to show proper courtesy.

Although Jia She was old, his eyesight was excellent. Even from dozens of steps away, he clearly saw the contempt on Jiang Nian's face. He was already furious today, and seeing this situation only added fuel to the fire. He cursed inwardly, "What a little beast! Relying on his power, he dares to be so arrogant! Let's see how long you can be so rampant. Sooner or later, someone will teach you a lesson!"

Suddenly seeing Lin Zhixiao, Jia She shouted, "Lin Zhixiao, come here."

Just as Lin Zhixiao was about to bow to Jiang Nian, he suddenly heard Jia She calling out. After a slight hesitation, he still ran to Jia She's side. Although Lin Zhixiao respected Jiang Nian, Jia She was, after all, the head of the Rongguo Mansion and a man of violent temper. Lin Zhixiao would not easily offend him.

Jia She looked coldly at Lin Zhixiao and asked in a pretentious tone, "What are you doing?"

Lin Zhixiao replied with a smile, "Reporting to the master, the old lady instructed that since the Jiang family has just moved, they are worried that they might be too busy, so she asked us to come and lend a hand."

After listening, Jia She sneered, "You're all so eager to please, neglecting your own affairs to help outsiders!" He then snorted, "Is the old lady confused, and you're all confused too? What is that Jiang family? Do they deserve to be served by the Rong Mansion?"

Lin Zhixiao dared not say more and only bowed his head in response.

Seeing his expression, Jia She found it boring. He looked up at the blazing sun in the sky, so bright that he could hardly open his old eyes. He frowned and cursed, "This damn weather is like a steamer, making people so irritable."

He flicked his sleeve and was about to step through the black lacquered gate of the east wing of the Rongguo Mansion.

Meanwhile, at the Ningguo Mansion, Jiang Nian was having the carriage carrying Yuan Chun, Xue Baochai, and Jing Qing enter through the side gate first.

Suddenly, a commotion arose at the east entrance of Ningrong Street, sounding like a chaotic clatter of horses' hooves and a cacophony of voices.

Jiang Nian looked up and saw dozens of guards, personal soldiers, and servants, some on horseback and some on foot, surrounding a person and surging into the east street entrance like a tide.

The man surrounded by people, with a precious sword at his waist and riding a fine, glossy blue horse, was none other than the third prince, Yuan Shi, whose brows exuded arrogance.

Nearly half of Ningrong Street, from the gate of Ningguo Mansion to the east entrance, had already been occupied by the Jiang family's carriages and horses. Upon seeing this, Yuan Shi did not stop for a moment, but instead ordered his subordinates to forcibly clear the way.

One of his subordinates shouted, "Get out of the way! This is the Third Prince of the present day. How dare you block his path?"

Before the words were even finished, subordinates were already whipping the horses, and some were even shoving the servants of the Jiang family, causing chaos among the carriages and horses. A large carriage was overturned, its trunks and boxes tumbling over, and silks and satins scattered all over the ground. Even the red-wheeled carriage carrying Xue Baochai and Jing Qing was affected, but fortunately, the carriage did not overturn, and the two people inside were safe.

Jiang Nian witnessed this scene, her brows furrowed, and a cold glint flashed in her eyes, but she suppressed it and stood with her hands behind her back, observing the situation.

Outside the east wing of the Rongguo Mansion, Jia She also witnessed this scene. Curious, he not only did not avoid it, but instead walked ten steps toward the Ningguo Mansion and stood on tiptoe to look around.

Upon seeing Yuan Shi's appearance, Jia She was first taken aback, then overjoyed, thinking to himself, "Isn't this the Third Prince Yuan Shi? What brings him here all of a sudden?" He recognized Yuan Shi, both because Yuan Shi was currently wearing princely robes and because he had seen Yuan Shi before. Looking at Jiang Nian's expression, Jia She found it even more amusing, thinking to himself, "Judging from this, could it be that the Third Prince, a member of the imperial family, has come to cause trouble for Jiang Nian today? If so, what a coincidence! I was just thinking that someone would deal with this little brat sooner or later, and now someone has arrived—and it's the Third Prince himself!"

Thinking of this, Jia She adopted a look of anticipation, as if he were watching a good show.

Yuan Shi was dressed in summer prince's attire, his brocade robe gleaming brightly in the sunlight. A sharp sword hung at his waist, and his fine blue horse neighed proudly, exuding an aura of imposing power.

He rode up to Jiang Nian, his face as white as powder, but his slanted eyes held a sinister glint as he looked down at her. Seeing that Jiang Nian was only dressed in the uniform of a second-class guard, without a single accessory befitting a prince, he couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

Jiang Nian could tell that Yuan Shi had come with ill intentions, and he would not be as unrestrained and careless as Yuan Shi.

However, Ningrong Street was already crowded with people, including the entire Jiang family, his wife Yuanchun, Xue Baochai, Jingqing, a group of servants from the Rongguo Mansion, and even Jia She was nearby watching. Given Yuan Shi's hostile intentions, Jiang Nian was unwilling to lose face under these circumstances.

Jiang Nian straightened his clothes and bowed to Yuan Shi on horseback: "This humble servant, Jiang Nian, a second-class imperial bodyguard, greets Your Excellency."

Yuan Shi raised his riding whip and shouted sternly, "Kneel down!"

Jiang Nian slowly raised her head, her gaze sharp: "I wonder why Your Excellency commands me to kneel?"

"What an arrogant brat who doesn't know his place!" Yuan Shi sneered repeatedly. "Just because I am a prince of the current dynasty, just because I am a duke, does it require a specific time for me to order a mere second-class guard like you to kneel?"

Jiang Nian remained composed and said neither servilely nor arrogantly, "Even though Your Excellency is extremely noble, according to the rites, this humble servant is indeed not required to perform the kneeling ceremony at this moment."

These words were like adding fuel to the fire. Yuan Shi's face turned ashen, his grip on the riding whip tightening. Suddenly, he chuckled sinisterly, "Good, very good! Now even a second-class guard dares to discuss etiquette with this prince! Not to mention that—" He pointed sharply at the street, "You've set up such a entourage here today, daring to obstruct even my ceremonial procession. Is this your rule? Based on this alone, let alone making you kneel, it would be justified to arrest you on the spot and interrogate you!"

Jiang Nian remained composed, pointed to the gate of Ningguo Mansion beside her, and bowed slightly to Yuan Shi: "I am deeply grateful for His Majesty's great favor in bestowing this residence upon me. Today, I am in the process of moving in and was unaware of Your Excellency's arrival. If I had been informed earlier, I would have certainly cleared the way to welcome you without the slightest negligence. Therefore, I cannot say that I have been 'disrespectful'."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shi's forehead veins bulged, and he shouted sharply, "What a glib-tongued brat!"

Before he finished speaking, he dismounted, gripping a golden whip in his hand, and took three steps at a time to approach Jiang Nian. The tip of the whip drew a cold light in the air as it lashed out at Jiang Nian.

Jiang Nian was prepared and quick-witted, raising her hand to grab the tip of the whip.

Jia She, who was nearby, saw everything clearly. He was first shocked, then secretly delighted, thinking to himself, "This Jiang Nian really doesn't know what's good for him, daring to fight with a prince! He's going to cause trouble today!" He couldn't wait for Jiang Nian to offend Yuan Shi badly today, and he couldn't wait for Yuan Shi to teach Jiang Nian a lesson.

Inside the jeweled carriage with its jade canopy and pearl tassels, Yuan Chun could see clearly through a corner of the lifted curtain. She turned pale with fright, her delicate hands tightly clutching her handkerchief. In the carriage behind with its red wheels and ornate canopy, Xue Baochai and Jing Qing could also see clearly, both of them turning pale with shock.

Yuan Shi tried to wrest the whip back, but found that Jiang Nian was gripping the tip tightly in her hand. This struggle caused his face to turn red and then pale, and he became increasingly angry and ashamed: "Rebellion! Rebellion! You...you dare to lay a hand on me, the prince?"

Seeing this, Jiang Nian suddenly released the whip, cupped his hands and said solemnly, "Your Excellency, even if you are a prince, you should not whip an official of the court without cause. Although I am a lowly official, I am still a second-class imperial guard, and I am a Yunqiwei personally appointed by His Majesty."

Upon hearing these words, Yuan Shi was so enraged that he laughed, a laugh that was three times more unpleasant than crying. He sneered, "What a fine second-class imperial bodyguard! What a fine Yunqiwei!"

Before he finished speaking, the horsewhip in his hand moved like a venomous snake, unexpectedly striking Jiang Nian again, intending to take advantage of Jiang Nian's inattention and teach her a lesson.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Nian was very agile. He slightly turned his body and caught the whip tip again. This time, his face darkened, as if covered with a layer of frost: "This humble servant really does not understand. Where exactly did I offend you, my lord, that you would personally come to cause trouble?"

Yuan Shi tried again to snatch the whip, but it seemed to have taken root in Jiang Nian's hand. He was so angry that he cursed, "You bastard! Just because you have some imperial favor, you really don't respect me, a prince of the Mingtang lineage!"

Not only did Jiang Nian hear the word "bastard" clearly, but He Yun and Meng Xiong, who were standing next to her, also heard it perfectly. Yuan Chun, sitting in her embroidered carriage, didn't hear it clearly, nor did Jia She, who was standing a little further away.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Nian's lips curled into a faint smile. She glanced at He Yun beside her out of the corner of her eye and suddenly released the whip in her hand.

He thought to himself, "With Yuan Shi's arrogant words, even if I show off a little in front of Yuan Shi today, Emperor Taishun probably won't blame me..."

Jiang Nian straightened her sleeves and said solemnly, "Your Excellency has come to cause trouble today without cause, which is already unbecoming. I hope you will stop here and not cause any more trouble."

These words were like adding fuel to the fire. Yuan Shi felt a surge of heat rush to his head, and with a "clang," he drew his precious sword from his waist. The cold light of the sword as it was drawn made his face appear even more ferocious.

Actually, he came here today only to bully Jiang Nian, to show off his power, and to vent his personal grievances. Although he was unruly and reckless, he did not intend to use a knife at Ningguo Mansion today.

Jiang Nian's forceful stance provoked him to lose his already meager rationality.

At that moment, he couldn't help but draw his sword at Jiang Nian!
The crowd was astonished, and some of the more timid people even hid.

Yuan Shi drew his precious sword, its blade gleaming in the sunlight, the tip pointing directly at Jiang Nian's heart. He sneered coldly, "You think this prince wouldn't dare kill you?"

Unexpectedly, no sooner had he finished speaking than Jiang Nian moved swiftly, swooping down like a dragon. He only felt a blur before his eyes and a numbness in his wrist before the precious sword had changed hands. When he looked again, Jiang Nian had already retreated to his original position, firmly holding the gleaming sword in his hand.

At the same time, two fourth-rank guards behind Yuan Shi rushed forward. One shouted "How dare you!" while the other drew his sword.

Upon seeing this, He Yun and Meng Xiong quickly moved closer to Jiang Nian, standing guard on either side of her, their eyes gleaming like lightning, ready to pounce.

Jiang Nian held the precious sword, but the tip of the sword was pointing downwards at the bluestone pavement, not at Yuan Shi—he would not be as foolish as Yuan Shi.

His face was calm as still water, but his voice was like the clash of metal and jade: "Your Excellency has already been disrespectful by provoking me today, and now you want to commit violence in the street? I wonder what crime I have committed? Even if I am guilty, how can Your Excellency execute me by private torture?"

Jiang Nian spoke these words with resounding force. Upon hearing them, Yuan Shi stood frozen in place, as if carved from clay or wood, his lips trembling, unable to utter a word.

The surrounding crowd fell silent, even the cicadas in the trees seemed to hold their breath.

(End of this chapter)