Red Mansion, Ningfu Scholarly Family

Chapter 338: The end of Ningguo Mansion?
……

The north wind is howling and snowflakes are falling in Kyoto, but it is still a scorching summer in Nanyang.

The thicker dresses that Xiangyun and Tanchun had prepared were no longer suitable for them, so they were making new clothes.

"Wow, it's so hot! I never thought I would have to wear only one layer of clothing and shoes in this cold winter. I will come here in the winter from now on!"

Xiangyun stood at the bow, holding a parasol, feeling the sea breeze, her white dress fluttering, and spoke with a contented look on her face.

Tanchun also came out with a parasol, leaned on the bow, and said with a smile: "Why are you holding an umbrella today? Didn't you say you were not afraid of getting tanned?"

"That was yesterday, not today."

Xiangyun thought of the 'black beauty' she saw yesterday and couldn't help but shudder. She was really pitch black...there wasn't a single bit of white to be found.

If she became like that, Sister Lin probably wouldn't dare to recognize her when she returned, and might even mock her: Where did this little black kid come from?

"Look, what a big fish!"

“As big as a house!”

On the sea in the distance, a huge wave rose up, and the rippling waves were visibly coming over, and the whole ship was shaking.

"It's so scary!" Tanchun patted her chest and said fearfully, "Let's go inside. We mustn't run into that big fish. It's not even big enough to fill its teeth with."

"Haha, I'm not afraid." Xiangyun laughed, "We have cannons and rockets on our ship, how can we be afraid of that beast..."

"come on in!"

Jia Rong was inside greeting two very brave aunts.

I actually encountered a big whale.

too frightening.

If that guy goes crazy, a dozen ships will not be enough, even a big ship like the "Jinling".

But there is good news. The Lianghuai Shipyard is experimenting with an iron-clad warship that looks as if it is covered in armor and is said to be impenetrable by ordinary shells.

It will be safe then.

After pulling the two into the house, Jia Rong watched the big whale gradually sink to the bottom of the sea through a monocular telescope, and then he breathed a sigh of relief.

"This is a whale, an ancient species. Let's feed the fish together when it flaps its wings. Fortunately, they are good-tempered most of the time and won't lose their temper." Jia Rong explained.

Xiangyun also looked through the telescope for a long time and said, "It seems that there is truth in legends. Where there are whales, there are Kuns. It's just that we don't see them on weekdays. It is said that Kuns are bigger than whales. Not only can they swim in the sea, but they can also fly... When the wind rises, they soar up to 90,000 miles!"

Then he looked up at the sky.

"Rong Ge'er, do you think Kun is on the moon?"

Jia Rong said: "It's on your head!"

Xiangyun hit Jia Rong and said, "You are so annoying. I am speaking seriously."

Jia Rong laughed and said, "I am serious too. I said Kun is in your mind. Isn't that right?"

Tanchun laughed and said, "It's amazing. Others have mountains and valleys in their hearts, but Yun'er has Kunpeng in her brain."

Jia Rong smiled and said, "There's nothing we can do. Maybe her heart can't hold the mountains and valleys, let alone Kunpeng. She can only put it in her head."

It's too peaceful.

After all, he is young.

Xiangyun was naturally not as filthy as Jia Rong. She straightened her chest and said seriously, "Brother Rong, you underestimate me. I have a broad mind. A small hill and a valley are nothing to me."

Jia Rong did not argue, but smiled and said, "Yes, very much so, very impressive."

Xiangyun blushed a little this time.

Jia Rong smiled and said, "Let's not talk about this anymore. We just cast the net and caught some seafood. We are in for a treat. Should we grill or steam it?"

Xiangyun said, "Let's roast it. I'm tired of steaming it."

"The crab shell is too hard to roast, right?"

"It's okay, just bake it a little longer."

I never thought that one day I would get tired of eating seafood, especially super big crabs that are bigger than the mouth of a bowl.

While everyone was grilling seafood, the second son of the Zhen family had already arrived at Taizhou Island with fifty warships from the Fujian Coast Defense Bureau, ready to take over the Jia family's property here.

The trading company on Taizhou Island is headed by Jia Yun. There are also hundreds of warships on the island. Some of them were obtained from Daxia, some were captured, and some were bought from Westerners. The ships are fully equipped with artillery, rockets, and French machines and are very sharp.

Zhen Laoer couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the warships parked at the harbor, flying the Ningguofu battle flags and ready to fight at any time!

It turns out that the Jia family already has hundreds of warships overseas?!

Is this a rebellion?
escape!
Run away quickly!
Go back and explain the situation to the prince and elder brother!
As for fighting... that is absolutely impossible. Not to mention that he is at a disadvantage in numbers, even if he has the upper hand, what if a random cannonball hits his ship?
You have to know that there is his eldest son Baoyu on the ship. Baoyu is the only child in their second branch and he cannot be left at sea in a muddle.

"Let's go, go quickly!"

Zhen Lao Er urged.

The commander of the Fujian naval vessel was so frightened that he dared not say anything else. He immediately ordered the fleet to turn around and sail back countless times faster than when they came.

Jia Yun was looking through a telescope at the bow of the ship. When he saw that it was the Fujian Navy, he didn't pay much attention.

Their warships are mainly aimed at Japanese pirates or Western warships, and will not attack Daxia's ships.

……

northwest.

Yelu Cai discussed matters with his military advisors in the tent.

"The Daxia army has now formed a siege on all sides. The situation is very bad. I think we should withdraw our troops immediately, go north from the Daling River east of Yulin, and return to the outside of the Great Wall as soon as possible." One of them said in a panic.

"Yes, Your Highness. It's freezing and snowy now, and the soldiers have no will to fight. If we drag on, the whole army will be wiped out sooner or later." Another person stepped forward and said with a trembling voice.

Yelucai looked at everyone and said calmly, "What about you? Do you mean the same thing?"

Everyone was silent.

Obviously, it also means to evacuate quickly.

Yelu Cai sighed inwardly.

He had to admit that he had previously underestimated the heroes of the world, thinking that Daxia was just a mob. In fact, there were still some great figures.

For example, Wang Ziteng who launched a surprise attack on Yulin.

But would he just give up like that?
"Come here, take out these two pieces of trash who are disrupting the morale of our army and chop them up!" Yelu Cai waved his hand lightly.

Everyone was shocked.

"Your Majesty..."

"You don't need to persuade me anymore. I have made up my mind!" Yelu Cai interrupted everyone's pleas, and immediately two guards came up and dragged away the two military advisors, who were already pale and speechless.

Yelucai then slowly stood up and said with a deep look in his eyes: "Everyone, the retreat is cut off, the only way is to move forward!"

"Either we conquer Pingyang, and behind us is the vast and flat capital of Great Xia, where you can have endless wealth and beauties at your fingertips, or... freeze to death here!"

……

Yulin.

When Wang Ziteng arrived with an army of 50,000, there were only 500 Tatars guarding Yulin City, and the city gates were wide open, with almost no defenses.

Wang Ziteng was overjoyed!
He knew his plan was successful!
He will soon become the hero of Daxia who saves the country from disaster and become famous in one battle. Not only will Emperor Anping look at him with new eyes, but the eldest prince will also regard him as one of his own.

Jia Jing no longer had the possibility to suppress him.

The title of Marquis and Prime Minister is just around the corner!
"Kill all the Tartars, regardless of gender, age or status!"

There was no need to hide at all. The army marched straight in. The Tatars who stayed behind were almost confused. Their own army was still conquering cities and territories in front, and the Great Xia was retreating step by step without any ability to fight back. How come the Great Xia army came here?
Before they could figure out what was going on, hundreds of Tatars were already overwhelmed by the tidal wave of the Great Xia army.

Daxia has always been invincible and unbeatable in this kind of favorable battles where it outnumbers the enemy.

After conquering Yulin, Wang Ziteng did not relax at all. He ordered the army to actively stockpile supplies, reinforce the city, and defend it strictly. It was the coldest time of the year, and the ice was three feet thick. Wang Ziteng even ordered the soldiers to pour water on the city gate, and the entire Yulin city gate wall became a solid and smooth ice lump.

"Everyone, now that the snow has blocked the roads and the Tartars have no supplies, this is a godsend opportunity. As long as we hold on for a month... less than half a month, all 150,000 Tartars will be frozen to death or starved to death outside the city!"

……

Pingyang.

"Hahaha……"

"Lord Wang is truly a god!"

The eldest prince's face was filled with uncontrollable excitement.

Become!

Isn't the position of crown prince secure now?
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

Everyone couldn't help but congratulate him.

"Send the victory news to Kyoto immediately!" said the eldest prince with a wave of his hand.

Read the error-free version at 69shuba! 6=9+shu_ba is the first to publish this novel.

"Also, Lord Wang's achievements deserve special mention." After saying this, the eldest prince added.

He must recruit a talented general like Wang Ziteng for his own use.

"Yes!"

The clerk quickly agreed.

"Your Highness, the Tartars are now trapped outside Yulin City, and their morale is low. Should we surround them from all sides and annihilate their 150,000-strong army in one fell swoop?"

The words of strategist Li made everyone excited. This was a great achievement that would be passed down through the ages. They couldn't let a new warrior like Wang Ziteng enjoy it all alone, right?

Don’t these old people have to eat some meat?
"Military Advisor Li is right. As the saying goes, the longer the night, the more dreams one may have. If Lord Wang can't hold on, then the fall of Yulin City will be a failure. We should prepare early!"

"That's right. Even if we don't fight a decisive battle with the Tartars, we must constantly harass them from the rear when they attack the city, so that they can't attack the city with all their strength."

Several advisers spoke one after another, and the eldest prince was quick to accept everyone's opinions.

"Don't move the garrison in Pingyang. Send 50,000 of the 100,000 Hunan troops stationed in Xi'an to support Yulin." The eldest prince said after hesitating for a while.

Everyone hurriedly said, "Your Highness is wise."

This move can not only ensure the safety of Pingyang and Xi'an, but also support Yulin. It can be said to be a mature and prudent move.

It seems that after this series of events, the eldest prince has gradually grown up and is able to stand on his own. He will definitely be a wise ruler in the future!

……

Kyoto, Nan'an Palace.

"Nephew greets uncle."

When Prince Beijing met Prince Nan'an, he performed the proper etiquette as a junior.

"Nephew, please excuse me."

Prince Nan'an was busy supporting Prince Beijing, and said with a smile: "Back then, your father and I were close friends. You were only five or six years old at that time. More than a decade has passed, and you have surpassed your father. I think your father must be at peace in his grave!"

Prince Beijing smiled modestly at first, then bowed his head and said, "As long as my father's revenge is not avenged, I will not be at peace."

"Hey!"

Prince Nan'an patted Prince Beijing on the shoulder and sighed, "My child, your obsession is too deep. It may not be a bad thing to let go of some hatred..."

Prince Beijing gritted his teeth and said, "Actually, I also want to let go, but they won't let me go!"

"Uncle, don't you think it's strange what happened to the brothers Mu Feng and Mu Yuan? It must be that person behind the scenes!"

"My dear nephew, don't talk nonsense without evidence!" Prince Nan'an said seriously.

Prince Beijing said solemnly: "It is precisely because there is no evidence that my nephew firmly believes that they did it. No one else has the ability to do this!"

"If we keep enduring, we will be defeated one by one sooner or later. The families of the Prince of Dongping and the Prince of Xining have long been in decline. If our two families do not take action, sooner or later we will... vanish into thin air!"

Prince Nan'an thought of his two sons, and how he was over fifty years old and yet he had no offspring. He thought of...

"We need to think about this matter carefully."

……

The Hall of Mental Cultivation of Daming Palace.

Emperor Anping has been very happy recently.

The commercial tax reform has greatly promoted the tax revenue in Jiangnan. This year, three million taels of silver more were deposited into the treasury than last year. In addition, the effect of the salt tax reform was also very significant, with an increase of five million taels this year. The rest of the honeycomb coal belonged to the private property of the imperial treasury. This year, its sales across the country were particularly smooth, and there was a profit of four million taels of silver... At the beginning, the retired emperor promised that one-tenth of the dividends of Ningguo Mansion would be included in this, and Emperor Anping also readily ordered people to deliver it.

The money is there.

In the northwest, the Tartars were trapped outside the city of Yulin. It was freezing cold and they had no supplies. Sooner or later they would be wiped out.

Such great achievements deserve him to be called a wise ruler.

Now that everything was ready, Emperor Anping was ready to do something. He was hesitating about what excuse to use when he suddenly received a secret letter... The Jia family was raising private soldiers in Taizhou and had ulterior motives!

In fact, he had anticipated this.

In recent years, Jia Jing has been thinking about developing in Southeast Asia and doing business with Westerners. He has made a lot of money, so it is not surprising that he has private soldiers.

Now that we have evidence, of course we won't be polite. By ransacking the Jia Mansion, we can at least seize several million, which will be enough to ensure a prosperous life.

"Come here, call Jinyiwei commander Zhao Quan!"

Soon, Zhao Quan came in hurriedly.

"I see you, Your Majesty."

"Flat body."

Emperor Anping didn't say much, and directly handed the book in his hand to Zhao Quan: "Take a look at this first."

Zhao Quan took it carefully, read it quickly, and was shocked.

Emperor Anping is going to take action against the Jia family!

"Your Majesty, immediately send the Royal Guards to Taizhou to verify the situation!"

"Not urgent."

Emperor Anping waved his hand and said, "I have already sent people to Taizhou Island. You don't need to worry about that. Now you secretly collect officials who are involved with the Jia family and investigate them!"

The first step is to clip the wings.

Zhao Quan became alert for a moment.

"The minister obeys the order!"

……

Emperor Anping's actions were so swift and decisive.

Within a few days, officials involved in the Jia family were imprisoned, dismissed from office, or demoted...The worst hit was the Shi family. There were rumors that Shi Nai had betrayed his country and surrendered to the Tartars, so the Shi family's property was confiscated and the entire family was exiled to Qiongzhou.

When Grandmother Jia heard the news, she fainted and it took her a long time to recover.

Just as he had recovered, he suddenly heard that Jia She was drunk and raping a woman outside, and was caught on the spot by the Jinyiwei.

"A sin!"

"It's all the fault of the East Palace!"

"Now I'm implicated by my family... woooo!"

"I, I want to go to Jinling to retire!"

……

(End of this chapter)