The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 1 Steady
As dawn broke, the outline of the Ningguo Duke's mansion was faintly visible in the hazy morning mist. The lanterns inside were still lit, but their glow was so dim that it seemed they would go out at any moment.

"Madam, Madam, Madam, wake up! Are you having another nightmare?"

When Shen Ning opened her eyes and saw Qingzhu, the maid who had woken her up, she seemed to still be in a daze from her dream. After a moment of confusion, she asked wearily, "What time is it?"

This body hasn't slept well for many days in a row, and has a splitting headache.

It's almost 5:45 AM.

"I'll take a nap a little longer."

Shen Ning closed her eyes. "Tell Grandma that I don't need to pay my respects here for the time being."

"Yes!"

The bed curtains were drawn, and darkness once again enveloped the bedside, but Shen Ning could no longer fall asleep.

Two days ago, when she first transmigrated here, upon hearing about the Ningguo Mansion and the Rongguo Mansion next door, she knew she was in trouble.

Sure enough, she was Jia Jing's wife who died in childbirth at an advanced age.

The key issue is that her baby, Jasmine, is already over six months along, and now she has no choice but to give birth, even if she doesn't want to.

hiss~
According to the normal timeline of Dream of the Red Chamber, she only had a few months left to live.

Although the book doesn't specify when Jia Zhen and Jia Xichun's mother died, Xichun was taken to the Rongguo Mansion at a very young age, so the original owner of the body must have been gone.

Giving birth at an advanced age carries significant risks even in modern times, let alone in ancient times.

No, I'll find a royal physician to take my pulse tomorrow, and then find a few other famous doctors to examine me.

Although both the Ning and Rong mansions met with unfortunate ends, even if she did nothing, she would still have more than a decade of good days ahead of her.

Shen Ning took a long breath, exhaling and inhaling, to soothe her body while also reaching out to comfort the baby in her womb.

The little guy is probably kicking and punching, his belly is tightening, and a bulge appears every now and then.

Shen Ning's hand unconsciously followed the small bag, and the little baby inside must have sensed it, because it gently kicked its paws at her outstretched hand.

oops~
A unique feeling flowed through my heart, warm and comforting...

Shen Ning was stunned for a moment.

So this is what blood ties are all about?

She slowly felt the baby's movements until the little one got tired and quieted down. Her hands were still wrapped around her bulging belly, as if she were holding the most precious treasure in the world.

This is her baby.

Just as I thought that, a huge wave of sadness and reluctance suddenly washed over me.

"...Don't worry, I will raise your daughter well and not let her be lonely and dejected to the point of becoming a nun."

After receiving the original owner's memories for two consecutive days, Shen Ning knew that the original owner's biggest worry was her unborn daughter. "From now on, she is my daughter. As for the rest of the Jia family... I will definitely help them if I can."

Although the Jia family's downfall appears to be due to a lack of successors and their extravagant lifestyle, it was in fact a matter of choosing sides.

However, this problem cannot be entirely blamed on the choice of the person in charge of the Jia family.

The Jia family rose to power through military achievements, and their control of the military made them an easy target of the emperor's suspicion. When the title was passed down to Jia Daihua and Jia Daishan, although they were still trusted confidants of the emperor, both of them made better plans for the next generation in order to ensure the prosperity of the family.

None of the third generation of the Jia family joined the army.

Jia Jing passed the imperial examination at a young age, while Jia She was not academically inclined. Even if the two inherited their titles, they would not follow in their fathers' and grandfathers' footsteps in military power.

Although the two brothers can no longer be as capable as they were, the prosperity of the Baoning and Rong mansions will still be no problem.

All the problems stemmed from the former crown prince, who later became Prince Yizhong, who had committed many misdeeds.

He messed things up, and all the people who had been around him ended up in trouble.

Shen Ning's family was in a similar situation, as was Jia Jing's. To prevent any further trouble, he even relinquished his title, handing it over to his son, and became a Taoist priest. Although Jia She inherited the title, he couldn't even live in the main courtyard.

Is this entirely a power-grabbing tactic employed by Grandmother Jia?
The root cause is that those in power don't want the Jia family to prosper.

Jia Zheng is a prime example. He was studious from a young age and should have followed the path of the imperial examinations like Jia Jing. However, after Jia Daishan's death, the emperor directly granted him the position of chief clerk, allowing him to become an official without taking the exam. This seemed like a great imperial favor, but in reality, it completely cut off the path of the third generation of the Jia family through the imperial examinations, as well as Jia Zheng's path to promotion.

After all, officials who get promoted through back channels have no chance of getting ahead in the literary and artistic circles of officialdom.

As it turns out, he accomplished nothing in his life. Even when he was later appointed as the provincial education commissioner, it was a lateral transfer without any promotion.

The person above is interfering with the Jia family's transformation, letting the Jia family naturally deplete its resources, and preventing them from growing any bigger.

The subsequent confiscation of property was merely a convenient measure.

If the two families had kept to themselves and enjoyed their own lives, they would likely have escaped further repercussions. However, from Grandmother Jia to Jia She, Jia Zheng, and Jia Zhen, they all still tried to struggle.

Thinking about the eventual outcome, Shen Ning sighed inwardly, "And the Shen family, as long as I live well, the fourth generation of the Shen family will always return."

Her maternal family was forced to return to their ancestral home, and for three generations, they were forbidden from holding official positions. From her father to her brothers and nephews, their careers were cut off. If she didn't live to be a hundred, she wouldn't live to see her grand-nephews and nieces in the fourth generation.

Without her as an aunt, the younger generation of the Shen family, who had returned with great difficulty, would probably not be able to continue their relationship with the Jia family.

"I will take care of everything for you."

As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Ning's throbbing headache and the dull, uncomfortable feeling in her body suddenly eased considerably.

The original owner... left?
Shen Ning touched her belly, and the baby inside seemed to sense something and moved slightly.

"Be good, let's be happy children."

If she dies, the baby will only be able to live a life where his father doesn't care for him, his brother doesn't support him, and he has to live under someone else's roof.

"I'll eat well, and you'll grow up well."

If she gets the chance, she'll give that big son a good beating.

Then give Jia Jing, who hides in the Taoist temple and thinks he's carefree, a good scolding.

She was weak and frail, so it was impossible for her to beat the eldest son to death; she could only rely on Jia Jing.

The head of the Ningguo Mansion can be mediocre or incompetent, but he cannot bring shame to the entire Ningguo Mansion, much less become a shameless incestuous beast.

A sliver of light peeked through the gold-embroidered curtains, and dawn was breaking.

Shen Ning drifted off to sleep, and this time she finally had no dreams and no unease.

The Ningguo Mansion has awakened, with people constantly entering and exiting through the back side gate, creating a bustling scene.

Only the main courtyard was quiet. The maids who did the sweeping and cleaning walked on tiptoe and worked. Under the eaves, a row of maids stood quietly, carrying copper basins, towels, soap, hot water, and so on. The hot water was changed pot after pot until the clock struck three quarters past 9 am. Only then did a little movement come from the inner room.

Shen Ning woke up feeling unusually refreshed.

The door opened, and everyone immediately straightened their backs and filed in.

Dressed in a gray-green jacket and skirt, Qingzhu walked briskly with a cheerful smile on her face. "Look at Madam's complexion, she looks much better today."

"I slept well that night."

Shen Ning let the maids serve her, "Let the master invite Manager Chen from Huichuntang to see if there's anything else I should be careful about."

She wished she could invite all the famous doctors from the Imperial Hospital and the capital, but since her family's transformation, she had never dealt with the Imperial Hospital again. For the past few years, she had been using the services of Manager Chen Yansheng from Huichuntang. However, perhaps it was because of his auspicious name, she actually became pregnant while she was ill.

"Yes!"

Qingping and Qingzhu exchanged a glance and hurriedly went out.

I've always wanted to write about Dream of the Red Chamber, and I've finally started. I would greatly appreciate any guidance or feedback!
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(End of this chapter)