The Red Mansion

Chapter 245 He brought shame upon himself; he awaited the outcome.

Yuan Shi realized what was happening and was so angry that he was practically jumping up and down, shouting, "Guards!"

This command was like a thunderclap in a clear sky.

In an instant, dozens of guards, personal soldiers, and servants swarmed forward, surrounding the area like an iron barrel.

Before Yuan Shi could give any further orders, Jiang Nian shouted even louder, "Guards!"

That sound was full of energy, like a thunderclap in a clear sky.

He Yun and Meng Xiong were already like two guardian generals, standing on either side of Jiang Nian.

As soon as Jiang Nian gave the order, ten imperial guards surrounded her and stood guard behind her.

Upon seeing this, Yuan Shi once again laughed in fury: "Are you trying to rebel?"

Jiang Nian, his expression solemn, bowed deeply to the heavens and declared loudly, "Your Excellency has today provoked me without cause, first attempting to whip me in the street, then to kill me in the street, and now you intend to wage war again? If Your Excellency insists on this course of action, I have no choice but to immediately go to Changchun Garden to see His Majesty and beg for a wise judgment. If His Majesty deems me guilty, I am willing to offer my neck for execution!"

These words, each one resounding and powerful, echoed on Ningrong Street outside Ningguo Mansion.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shi felt a tremor in his heart.

How could he not be afraid?
Today, he was reprimanded by Emperor Taishun: "You unfilial son! I will not give you the throne, no matter who it is! Go back and reflect on your mistakes behind closed doors. You are not to leave without my decree."

Although he had acted foolishly, he knew that he was in the wrong in today's incident with Jiang Nian. If it really escalated to the Emperor's court, Jiang Nian might not be punished, but he himself would hardly escape severe punishment.

Moreover, Jiang Nian is currently surrounded not only by guards He Yun and Meng Xiong, but also by a group of imperial guards specially appointed by Emperor Taishun.

Thinking of this, Yuan Shi's anger seemed to turn into a cold sweat, and even his clenched fist trembled slightly involuntarily.

However, although Yuan Shi was afraid, he was unwilling to lose face. He had come to find Jiang Nian today to bully her, to show off his power, and to vent his personal grievances. Who would have thought that he would not only fail to show off his power but also fail to vent his personal grievances. Instead, he was met with a strong rebuttal from Jiang Nian, and it was as if he had tried to steal a chicken but lost the rice instead, ending up humiliated.

As Yuan Shizheng hesitated, a guard named Song Yue stepped forward and whispered in his ear, "Third Master, this matter should not be continued!"

According to the relevant regulations of Daqing, as a member of the imperial clan, Yuan Shi was entitled to have ten guards in his residence, including six second-class guards of the fourth rank and four third-class guards of the fifth rank.

Song Yue was a second-class bodyguard of the fourth rank, and the head of the personal guards in Yuan Shi's residence. In fact, he was an informant planted by Emperor Taishun.

Emperor Taishun had long been dissatisfied with Yuan Shi, his third son, and had secretly planted many spies around him; Song Yue was just one of them.

Today, Emperor Taishun issued an oral edict to Song Yue, saying that he had ordered Yuan Shi to stay at home and reflect on his mistakes, and not to leave without permission. He also secretly ordered Song Yue to keep a close watch on him.

Seeing Yuan Shi's outrageous behavior, Song Yue was secretly alarmed, fearing that Emperor Taishun would take his anger out on him. Naturally, he did not want Yuan Shi to escalate the matter further.

Yuan Shi was hesitant, but upon hearing Song Yue's words, he frowned and regained some of his composure.

After hesitating for a moment, Yuan Shi forced himself to maintain his composure and said sternly to Jiang Nian, "What a reckless fool! We'll see how things unfold!"

After saying this, he mounted the fine blue horse, and dozens of guards, personal soldiers, and servants followed him on horseback or on foot, surging towards the east end of the street.

Along the way, the carriage with red wheels and a canopy carrying Xue Baochai and Jing Qing had already given way, and the servants of the Jiang family also retreated one after another, so no further complications arose.

……

……

Yuan Shi left dejectedly, leaving nearly half of Ningrong Street outside Ningguo Mansion in a state of chaos.

Jiang Nian stood silently outside the gate of Ningguo Mansion, looking up at the sky. The sun was rising higher and higher, and the scorching sun was becoming more and more intense, making people's scalps burn.

He Yun suddenly leaned closer to Jiang Nian and whispered in his ear, "Master, should we report this matter to the Emperor or inform the Thirteenth Prince?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Nian hesitated for a moment, then shook her head and said, "No need!"

It wasn't that he wanted to swallow his anger.

Upon reflection, if he had submitted a memorial voluntarily, the notoriously critical and suspicious Emperor Taishun would likely have suspected him of deliberately opposing Yuan Shi, and might even have suspected him of harboring ambitions to seize the throne. After all, how could a "bastard" who had not yet been recognized as a member of the imperial family, and was not even listed in the imperial genealogy, possibly arouse Emperor Taishun's suspicion of ambitions to seize the throne at this juncture?

Furthermore, he knew perfectly well that Emperor Taishun had spies around Yuan Shi, and he himself did too. Even if he didn't report this incident to the emperor, those spies would surely report it to Emperor Taishun.

Rather than taking the initiative to submit a memorial and arousing Emperor Taishun's suspicion, it would be better to let Emperor Taishun find out from his spies, which would make him appear open and selfless.

This is the wise choice he should make right now.

Yuan Shi made a foolish mistake, while he was wise.

"Let's see how things unfold while we're still on our feet." Well then, let's see how things unfold. I'll just wait and see!

Jiang Nian had made up her mind, so she put aside the earlier turmoil for the time being.

He looked around and saw that nearly half of Ningrong Street outside the Ningguo Mansion was in disarray, with the Jiang family, Rongguo Mansion servants, and Jia She still gathered there. Yuan Chun sat in her jade-canopied, pearl-embroidered carriage, lifting the curtain herself, her eyes filled with sorrow as she gazed at him. From the vermilion-wheeled, ornately decorated carriage carrying Xue Baochai and Jing Qing, two worried eyes also peered out.

Seeing this, Jiang Nian remained calm and instructed He Yun and Meng Xiong, "Don't delay, it's important for us to continue the relocation."

At a command, Yuan Chun's jade-canopied, pearl-embroidered carriage entered Ningguo Mansion through the East Corner Gate first, followed by Xue Baochai and Jing Qing's vermilion-wheeled, ornate carriage, then several carriages carrying maids and servants, and finally more than a dozen large carts loaded with boxes and trunks.

In no time, carriages and horses lined up in a long queue, entering one after another.

Despite the shock and unease that had just occurred, the procession proceeded smoothly under Jiang Nian's personal supervision.

Just as the Jiang family's carriages and horses entered the Ningguo Mansion in an orderly fashion, Mr. and Mrs. Lin Zhixiao, who were standing outside the mansion, hesitated.

The head steward and his wife of the Rongguo Mansion had come today on the orders of Grandmother Jia, leading a group of servants to assist the Jiang family with their relocation as a gesture of goodwill. Unexpectedly, the Third Prince Yuan Shi caused this disturbance, leaving the head steward and his wife in a dilemma.

Lin Zhixiao's wife quietly tugged at her husband's sleeve and whispered, "Unexpectedly, Mr. Jiang has offended the current prince today. What should we do now? Should we help the Jiang family move? Or should we immediately report back to the old lady and ask for her new instructions?"

Lin Zhixiao frowned, clearly troubled.

Suddenly, a servant of Jia She hurried over and said to Lin Zhixiao, "Master Lin, the master requests your presence."

Lin Zhixiao looked up and saw Jia She standing outside the black-lacquered gate of the east wing of the Rongguo Mansion, his face gloomy. He hurriedly took his wife and rushed forward, but before they could even bow, he heard Jia She say in a deep voice, "What are you all still standing in the east wing for? That Jiang Nian has offended the Third Prince badly today. Why don't you hurry back, lest you bring trouble to our mansion!"

Lin Zhixiao said cautiously, "My lord, please understand that this was an order from the old lady, and I dare not make the decision on my own. How about I go and report back to the old lady and ask her to make the final decision?"

Jia She's face darkened, and he sneered, "What a cunning servant! Now you even ignore my words?"

Lin Zhixiao was so flustered that he repeatedly bowed and said, "I dare not, I dare not."

Jia She flicked his sleeve and snorted coldly, "Fine, I'm going to see the old lady anyway, so you may come with me." With that, he walked straight toward the gate of the Rongguo Mansion.

Mr. and Mrs. Lin had no choice but to follow closely behind, their hearts pounding with anxiety.

……

……

The scorching sun beat down so hard that the leaves on the trees in the Jia Mu courtyard of the Rongguo Mansion curled at the edges.

Rongqing Hall was cool and shady. Grandmother Jia leaned against the couch at the head of the table, with Lady Wang sitting beside her. Li Wan and her sisters Yingchun, Tanchun, and Xichun were also there.

Grandmother Jia was sighing with Lady Wang, "The eldest master and mistress have completely ruined the relationship between Yuan Chun and us. I suppose Nian-ge'er also knows what happened earlier, because he hasn't even come to see us since returning to the capital." As she spoke, she tightened her grip on the Buddhist prayer beads in her hand.

Madam Wang said, "Please don't worry, Old Madam. Yuan Chun is, after all, your own granddaughter and your daughter-in-law's own daughter. Even if there is some distance between you, it's just a temporary thing. She grew up with you since she was a child, and you personally raised her. She is a person who knows manners and righteousness, and she will not hold a grudge for long."

Grandmother Jia nodded slightly, but then sighed, "I'm not worried about Yuan Chun, but that Nian-ge'er..." She shook her head as she spoke, "That boy is born with a cold heart and is the type to hold grudges."

Madam Wang continued, “Although Nian’er is cold-hearted, he is still Yuan Chun’s husband. Since the two families are related by marriage, how can they never have contact? Today, the old lady specially instructed Lin Zhixiao and his wife to take servants to the East Mansion to help with the relocation. How could they not know this kindness? When they hold their housewarming banquet, we will send them generous gifts. After that, we will live next to each other and naturally become closer again.”

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia's brows relaxed, and she smiled, saying, "That's very true!"

Seeing that Grandmother Jia was happy, Lady Wang also laughed.

Outside the hall, cicadas chirped, while inside, the ice in the ice basin melted, making a soft, crisp sound.

Just as Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang were talking, a maidservant suddenly lifted the curtain and came in to report, "Grandmother, the master has arrived."

Grandmother Jia's graying brows furrowed slightly. Lately, she had not been fond of Jia She, but even so, Jia She was still her eldest son, the heir to the Rongguo Mansion, and the head of the household, so it was not appropriate for her to be too cold towards him.

Jia She lifted the curtain and entered, followed by Lin Zhixiao and his wife.

Jia She stepped forward to greet Grandmother Jia, but she ignored him and instead stared at Lin Zhixiao and his wife, asking, "Why have you come back? Didn't I tell you to take some people to the East Mansion to help the Jiang family with their relocation?"

Lin Zhixiao hurriedly bowed and said, "Reporting to the old lady, something terrible just happened at the East Mansion." As he spoke, his eyes involuntarily glanced at Jia She.

Seeing this, Grandmother Jia frowned again, her graying brows furrowing. She thought to herself, "Could it be that this muddle-headed master has gotten into trouble with Jiang Nian again?" Thinking this, her gaze toward Jia She became somewhat sharp.

Jia She sat down by himself, then suddenly sneered, "Old Madam, Jiang Nian has really gotten herself into big trouble today!"

As soon as these words came out, the whole hall was shocked.

Li Wan and her sisters Yingchun, Tanchun, and Xichun looked at each other in bewilderment.

After regaining her composure, Grandmother Jia asked urgently, "What makes you say that?"

Jia She then recounted in detail how Jiang Nian had contradicted the Third Prince Yuan Shi, embellishing the story with exaggerated details. He then said, "Old Madam, think about it, how noble is that Third Prince? Having suffered such a great humiliation today, how could he let it go? That little beast Jiang Nian is probably in big trouble!"

His words once again astonished everyone in the room.

Tan Chun thought to herself, "Although my brother-in-law is young, he has always been steady and reliable. How could he be so reckless?"

With a hint of doubt, Grandmother Jia turned to Lin Zhixiao and his wife and asked, "Is what you, sir, saying true?"

Lin Zhixiao and his wife dared not offend Jia She to his face, and both nodded in agreement.

Jia She suddenly said seriously, "Please dismiss everyone else, Madam."

Grandmother Jia understood and waved for the three sisters and their maids and servants to leave.

Once only a few people remained in the hall, including Grandmother Jia, Jia She, Lady Wang, and Li Wan, Jia She lowered his voice and said, "Grandmother, you are wise. Since the death of the Fourth Prince, His Majesty only has the Third Prince, the Fifth Prince, and a young son. The Third Prince is very likely to inherit the throne. Now that Jiang Nian has offended him so much, if we don't quickly sever ties with the Jiang family, I'm afraid this disaster will implicate our household, and the consequences will be unimaginable!"

Before she finished speaking, Grandmother Jia's expression changed drastically, and she tightened her grip on the Buddhist prayer beads in her hand.

After a moment's hesitation, Grandmother Jia summoned Lin Zhixiao and his wife and asked in a deep voice, "Is there anyone left in the East Mansion in our household?"

Lin Zhixiao bowed and said, "Reporting to the old lady, there are still more than twenty people left over there."

Grandmother Jia made a quick decision: "Quickly call everyone back! Our household doesn't need to..." At this point, she suddenly thought of Yuan Chun, her throat tightened, and she finally said with a heavy heart, "We don't need to help the Jiang family move!"

……

……

The scorching sun beat down, making the blue brick floor of the main courtyard of Ningguo Mansion gleam white.

Jiang Nianli stood at the gate, still personally overseeing the relocation.

He turned and looked at the doorway, where a group of people were gathered; it turned out to be a group of servants from the Rongguo Mansion.

Just then, Lin Zhixiao and his wife rushed over and whispered a few words to the group of servants from the Rongguo Mansion. Instantly, the servants scattered like birds and beasts, leaving in droves.

Jiang Nian frowned and gave Meng Xiong a few instructions.

Meng Xiong nodded, took three steps in two and stepped out of the door, calling out loudly to Lin Zhixiao: "Steward Lin, please wait!"

Lin Zhixiao looked guilty, but he had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk up to Meng Xiong.

Meng Xiong asked, "Weren't you here today on the orders of the old lady of the Rong family, bringing a group of Rong family servants to help my family move? Why did you all suddenly leave?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhixiao was in a difficult position and stammered, "This... was originally a new instruction from the old lady."

He gave a brief reply, then dared not meet Meng Xiong's gaze again. He hastily bowed and fled towards the Rong Mansion as if his life depended on it.

Meng Xiong returned to the courtyard and informed Jiang Nian.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Nian's lips curled into a playful, cold smile.

What a Rongguo Mansion! It's like the face of June weather—changing in an instant.

One minute they're all over each other, the next they're rushing to distance themselves?
They're truly hopeless!

Let's wait and see how things unfold!

(End of this chapter)