The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 101 The Fool

Cangzhou is just ahead.

Throughout the journey, Jia Lian and his entourage traveled non-stop, fearing the slightest possible mishap.

"Aunt, Cangzhou is just ahead."

Jia Lian, carrying his little cousin, rode his horse to the carriage and said to Jia Min, who had just lifted the curtain, "Let's rest for a couple of days when we get to the post station!"

He felt very sorry for his aunt.

Unlike him and his younger cousins, who could get out of the car and ride a horse to relax, his aunt couldn't show her face in public and stayed in the car.

"to make!"

As she approached home, Jia Min relaxed considerably.

"Second cousin!"

Lin Daiyu poked her little head out and said, "It's my turn to ride a horse."

"Wait a little longer."

Lin Chang'an hadn't had enough fun yet.

"Wait a little longer, and we'll be in Cangzhou."

Jia Lian laughed, "You're a man, you have to give way to your sister."

Lin Changan: “…”

He wanted to say that he was still young, and that he was far from being a man.

But his sister and mother were both watching him.

"Alright, let's change then!"

"Hehe~, when we get to Cangzhou, I'll give you all the good food."

Lin Daiyu smiled and made a promise to her younger brother.

What do you mean by "arrived in Cangzhou"?

Lin Chang'an retorted with dissatisfaction as his second cousin carried him to the car, saying, "When we get to the capital, if there's good food, my sister has to let me have it too."

"nature!"

Lin Daiyu readily agreed to ride a horse.

Jia Min smiled as her son entered, pointing a finger at his little head, "You certainly know how to pick your timing."

"Mother~"

Lin Chang'an snuggled into his mother's arms and acted like a spoiled child.

Lin Daiyu, who was lifted onto the horse by Jia Lian, only felt joy in her eyes.

From Yangzhou to the capital, she ate many things she had never eaten before and saw many different landscapes. Although she was on the road every day and sometimes couldn't reach post stations or inns at night and had to rest in her own carriage, every experience was new and exciting for her.

In Yangzhou, she sometimes had trouble sleeping at night, but now that she rides horses with her second brother Lian every day, she has not only learned to ride horses, but also sleeps very well at night.

"Huh? That caravan is still following us."

When Lin Daiyu saw the old shopkeeper who had spoken with her cousin last time, he came out of the carriage and greeted them with a smile and a cupped-hand salute.

"They were originally a merchant caravan heading to the capital."

As Jia Lian returned the greetings with a smile, he said to his younger cousin, "There are many of us, so it's safer for you to stay with us."

When traveling, it's always better to be kind to others than to be hostile to them.

Although they were escorted by ten bodyguards from the Fuwei Escort Agency, these merchant caravans traveling between the north and south also had their own ways of surviving.

"So what do they sell?"

What's the best thing about Yangzhou?

Jia Lian smiled and asked in return.

"Porcelain, silk, cotton cloth, fans, tortoiseshell, and so on?"

"Correct!"

"Can……"

Lin Daiyu frowned slightly, "But I didn't see them moving anything when it rained a few days ago."

Aside from porcelain and tortoiseshell, which are not afraid of rain, other materials like silk and cotton are quite dangerous.

"Haha, that's because by the time you saw it, they had already moved most of it."

That day, the rain was torrential, and the other party had no choice but to come to him for help. In the end, he sent people from the escort agency to lend a hand, and in the process, he made some extra money.

"Oh I see!"

Little Daiyu smiled and said, "Cousin, I saw you carrying a pair of tortoiseshell bracelets the other day. Were they from their company?"

"...Shh!"

Jia Lian glanced at his aunt's carriage, making sure it was far enough away that she couldn't hear him, before saying, "I bought that; I'm going to give it to your second sister-in-law when I get home."

"Would you like to give it as a surprise?"

Daiyu's eyes lit up.

"Of course, so you absolutely mustn't let it slip."

That was a token of their gratitude and a special gift of filial piety.

Jia Lian knew that the other party was following them not only to seek protection along the way, but also to curry favor with their family in the capital.

So he gave him that opportunity.

Otherwise, what can you do with only twenty taels of silver a month?
Jia Lian cherishes every opportunity to earn extra money.

"definitely."

Little Daiyu liked her second cousin who could teach her to ride a horse. "Mother said you were going to send salt to the old lady and the others, so I was thinking of how to remind you to buy some other things as well."

Jia Lian: "..."

He was convinced.

"Second cousin, my brother and I brought a lot of little toys from Jiangnan. Do you want some of them to give to your older cousins ​​and younger cousins?"

"...Are you willing to do that?"

"I'm willing to give it up!"

Daiyu nodded, "Chang'an and I have discussed it, and we'll each give you three."

They didn't count their older cousins.

"Oh, I really have to thank you properly."

Jia Lian pinched her little nose, about to say something more, when the sound of horses' hooves came from behind. A small team of about ten people, all on horseback, came galloping from behind.

The镖局's (bodyguard agency's) bodyguards rode their horses silently to Jia Lian's perimeter, preparing for defense.

"Whoa~, Second Master?"

Zhou Bo, a guard from Ningguo Mansion, had just overtaken them when he turned around and his eyes met Jia Lian's. He quickly stopped and exclaimed, "Oh dear, my good second master, I've finally found you!"

They set off from the capital and traveled all the way to Jining, where they finally received news of Jia Lian from the post station.

Knowing that they had hired bodyguards from the Fuwei Escort Agency again, and that they had taken a shortcut instead of going through Liaocheng, they hurried back on horseback.

Unfortunately, when we arrived in Linqing, it rained heavily for several days, which delayed us for several more days. Fortunately, we finally found it before entering Cangzhou.

"Are you Zhou Bo, the guard of the Eastern Prefecture?"

Jia Lian was also quite surprised.

"Second Master, this is Zhou Bo."

Huo Qi, who had been assigned by Jia Zhen to accompany Jia Lian, was overjoyed. "Why are you here?" he asked.

"Your wife is worried about you."

The brothers were overjoyed to see each other again.

Seeing Jia Min lift the carriage curtain, Zhou Bo and the others quickly jumped off their horses and greeted her, saying, "Grandma, our mistress was worried about any accidents along the way, so she specially arranged for the brothers to come and welcome us."

"Thank you for your hard work."

Jia Min nodded in acknowledgment, "When we return to the capital, I will have my eldest and second brothers thank you properly."

She wants to personally thank her sister-in-law.

"Lian'er, once we enter Cangzhou City, have the post station prepare two more tables of food."

"Yes!"

Jia Lian was delighted that so many people had come at once. "Let's go, before dark, into Cangzhou City, to drink and eat meat."

He didn't dare let anyone drink alcohol along the way.

But now, he feels he can have a drink.

Not far away, Li Haifeng, who was following them, was initially worried that with so many people arriving, it would be even more difficult for him to take action. But he hadn't expected Jia Lian to want to drink and eat meat. Heh heh~
"Little chess piece, come in and give me a leg massage."

The shopkeeper dismounted and got into the carriage, and Li Haifeng quickly followed.

"Seventh Master, are you planning to make your move tonight?"

"...can't you?"

Li Haifeng sat down while Chang Lei, disguised as the shopkeeper, massaged his legs.

"It's possible, but..."

Chang Lei hesitated for a moment, "No matter how much the Jia family drinks, the bodyguards will never drink when they are out on a mission. Moreover, there is a branch of the Fuwei Escort Agency in Cangzhou. Once we make a move, the Fuwei Escort Agency will immediately come after us."

He would rather confront the government officials than the security escort agency.

"Then... just bear with it a little longer."

Although Li Haifeng was itching to take immediate action to avenge her blood feud, she also knew that haste makes waste.

The people of Cangzhou are known for their martial spirit; if things go wrong, none of them might escape.

"To Tianjin."

Li Haifeng gritted her teeth. "We delivered their wine today."

"Yes!"

We need to keep sending them food and drinks; otherwise, how can we kill so many people?
Chang Lei agreed with great satisfaction.

……

At this moment, Wang Shi, who had just left Jia Mu's courtyard, disregarded everything else and hurriedly grabbed the little maid beside her, "Quickly go to the outer courtyard to find Li San'er and tell him to quickly bring the master back."

Although the old lady sent people to look for him, Li San'er was her maid, and he knew the teahouses and restaurants that the master usually liked.

The idea that Jia Lian might be impeached was something she came up with herself to fool Jia Zheng.

Secretly, Wang Shi hoped that Jia Lian would make more mistakes.

Over the years, seeing him affectionately call her "Second Aunt," she has repeatedly given in to his advances.

Wang Shi subconsciously didn't want to admit that she was afraid Jia She would go mad, so she dared not touch Jia Lian.

But now that she has such a good opportunity, she feels that digging a hole is definitely not a problem.

After all, Jia Lian did indeed rely on his family's influence; otherwise, why would anyone pay him any attention?
As a descendant of the Duke's family, he was simply abusing his power to bully others.

Mingming Jia Zheng agreed with what she said, so how come...

"Tell him that his sister-in-law from the East Mansion has arrived, and his family wants him to come back immediately." "Yes!"

The little maidservant hurriedly ran out.

Yuan Chun didn't quite understand what had happened. "Mother, what did Master go to do?"

"Master is going to find the officials at the Censorate to plead for Lian'er!"

Before her daughter, who was about to become the wife of a marquis, Wang wanted to save face for herself and her husband. "He was in Jiangnan and beat up the salt merchant family that framed our family. Your father and I heard that someone was going to impeach him, so your father rushed out to find out more."

Yuanchun: "..."

Although I don't know the full story, my mother usually tells me seven parts truth and three parts falsehood.

Many people in the palace are like that.

But this is home, not the palace.

“A small-time salt merchant dares to frame our family. If Brother Lian doesn’t know, fine. But if he does know and pretends not to know, then we should be worried.”

Wang: "..."

Yuan Chun continued, "Mother, the law is no different from human sentiment. As long as Second Brother Lian doesn't kill anyone in the Li family, the officials of the Censorate will turn a blind eye."

Scholars, farmers, industry and commerce.

A small-time salt merchant, relying on his family's wealth, dared to frame the Duke's mansion. No official, not even their enemy, would easily side with the salt merchant.

What's wrong with calling?
Not fighting would be truly foolish.

“It’s right that Brother Lian is fighting in Jiangnan. If he doesn’t fight… who knows how many villains will try to lay a hand on our family in the future.”

The officials in the Censorate were also officials, and they too worried about their own families encountering such troubles one day.

“You and your father have absolutely no need to worry.”

The things that should have been their concern, their parents didn't properly worry about, but these things they shouldn't have worried about...

Yuan Chun didn't know what to say about her parents. "It's good that we found Father."

Wang: "..."

She shook off her daughter's support, "You think we're being nosy too?"

Yuanchun: "..."

She suddenly realized where the conflict between her mother and aunt lay.

"Mother!"

Yuan Chun struggled to suppress her overwhelming helplessness and worry, "How could you think of our daughter like that? I just..."

"Alright, let's leave it at that."

Wang was also troubled; she had made a big mistake.

I just hope that the master hasn't found anyone yet to tell them that Lian'er did something wrong.

otherwise……

Wang really suspected that not only would her husband be in trouble, but she... would also be in trouble.

She no longer wanted to live in the ancestral hall.

Not only did she not want to live in the ancestral hall, Wang was also afraid that Jia Zheng would resent her when he returned.

He already resented her because of Baoyu's jade.

For so long, I've been staying at Aunt Zhao's place.

They really didn't give her any face at all.

Wang was both worried and angry. "I don't want to hear it anymore, and I don't want to mention it anymore. Let's wait until your father comes back to talk about it!"

Her daughter is about to get married and become a marquis's wife, and she, as her mother...

Wang was conflicted.

If a daughter is in the palace and becomes someone close to the emperor, whether it's her husband's official position or her own title, she will rise in rank.

But now, her daughter's title is several ranks higher than hers.

On one hand, she relied heavily on her daughter, hoping that the old lady and her sister-in-law from the East Mansion would give them some face out of respect for her daughter; on the other hand, she couldn't help but feel somewhat...

"You stay with me and wait for your father!"

She took her daughter's hand again, "While you're at it, go to the store and see if there's anything you like. I'll add it to your dowry."

Her husband cannot blame her; it was his own choice to go.

Even if one were to resent her, with Yuan Chun around, they could restrain themselves somewhat.

In the blink of an eye, Madam Wang had already decided not to let Yuan Chun leave.

"...Mother, your daughter has done enough."

Yuan Chun was exhausted. "Didn't you just give me a set of red coral jewelry last time?"

The second branch of the family separated; this branch has the eldest brother and Baoyu.

Yuan Chun also hoped that her parents' remaining years would not be any different from before. "Keep the rest safe and keep them for your grandchildren in the future."

Wang: "..."

She patted her daughter's hand, "Mother has plenty of things, you have everything."

If you say your daughter is considerate, she truly is; if you say she's not considerate, she's just doing the opposite of what she and her husband do.

The eldest sister-in-law of the East Mansion has been trying to take this daughter from her.

She must have corrupted her.

"Hasn't your mother's whole life been for you? As long as you are well, your mother is well."

She ruined Baoyu's affairs.

Wang was particularly distressed, and now she didn't know how to face her youngest son. "Tell me, what was wrong with that midwife back then? Why did she insist that Baoyu's jade was in his mouth?"

She was anxious and worried. "Now everyone says that I wanted to win Baoyu's favor. This is really a terrible injustice to me. With you and your brother in our family, how could I possibly make such a terrible move for my youngest son? Someone must be trying to frame our second branch of the family."

She didn't need to compete for favor at all; the old lady simply preferred the second branch of the family.

Although she wasn't entirely satisfied with her as a daughter-in-law, she doted on her husband and their three children.

Madam Wang wanted to pin the blame on the midwife.

I hope to get my daughter's support here.

"...It's not impossible."

Anyway, the midwife is already dead.

Dead people can't speak, but you can still push them.

After all, the elder brother and Baoyu still had to take exams and become officials.

Yuan Chun said, "The other party may not only want to frame our second branch, but also the entire Jia family."

This?
Wang's eyes slowly brightened.

……

At Grandmother Jia's courtyard, Shen Ning finally got to eat the chicken marrow and bamboo shoots she had been longing for.

The plate contains twelve Wenshan Jade Finger bamboo shoots with the core removed. The filling is not entirely chicken marrow; upon closer inspection, it appears to be chicken meat minced and mixed with chicken marrow to remove any fishy smell, then simmered in clear broth before being stuffed in.

It looks elegant and clear.

It is also very nutritious.

One bite and it's refreshing, crisp, chewy, and fragrant...

It's incredibly fragrant, perfectly showcasing the flavor of chicken marrow.

"This tastes good, Auntie, you should eat more too."

"You!"

Grandmother Jia laughed, "Or you could do what we did here, write a sign, and have people take turns making it."

The old lady was overjoyed that another first-rank imperial consort had emerged from the family.

"Let's skip it!"

Looking at Baoyu and the sisters Yingchun and Tanchun who were glancing over, Shen Ningwei said with a hint of regret, "My place isn't as lively as yours."

Four dishes and a soup is already very good.

My eldest son has a penchant for extravagance. If we don't keep an eye on him, who knows what he'll become in the future.

"I'll come over and mooch whatever I want to eat next time."

"Haha, just come on."

As long as they're not there to argue, it's fine.

I hope that next time I come to her house for a meal, everything will be peaceful and safe.

Grandmother Jia's current wish is very small: "Just tell me in advance what you want to eat, and I'll have them make it for you."

"Baoyu, are you welcome?"

"welcome!"

Baoyu nodded like a little adult.

His aunt was undoubtedly loving towards him.

He liked his aunt, saying, "Aunt, this duck is delicious too, please try some."

"Wow, it's really delicious."

"Auntie, the salted egg yolk baked shrimp is also delicious."

"Auntie, the mushroom soup is delicious too."

"Aunt..."

Baoyu started the conversation, and Yingchun and Tanchun quickly followed suit, recommending things they liked to her.

The old lady watched with a smile as Shen Ning praised this and nodded as she ate that, and without realizing it, she forgot about her second son and even ate half a bowl more rice than usual.

Encouraged by the three children's enthusiasm, Shen Ning restrained herself from eating too much.

But compared to home, she definitely ate more. When she said goodbye and went home for a nap, she didn't dare to take the sedan chair again and walked all the way back.

"grandmother!"

The forgotten Rong-ge'er, seeing her return, still had a somewhat indignant expression on her face, "I saw Grandpa Zheng Er at Wangyue Tower."

"..."

Shen Ning's expression changed. "He's treating people to dinner, begging them not to impeach your Uncle Lian?"

Jia Rong was unhappy. "I don't know if it's because they asked someone not to impeach Uncle Lian, but they're treating him like a fool."

"what happened?"

"He said he was treating, but when I got there, he had already left through the back door. Those officials heard that they could just order whatever they wanted and put it on his tab. They not only ordered the best food and drinks, but each of them also took a food box home. I was next door and I heard them eat Zheng Er's meal and even call him 'Second Fool'."

Shen Ning: "..."

Looking at her sulking grandson, she sighed, "So angry? Then find a few people, bribe the waiter, and find a way to tell him that people called him an idiot, and then..."

Jia Rong waited for her grandmother to finish speaking.

Shen Ning smiled slightly, "Then you should bring more of your clansmen and pretend that you bumped into them by accident."