The Overlord of the Red Mansion

In the warm spring of February, not long after the supreme, benevolent, loyal, filial, and wise emperor had gone into seclusion, all sorts of chaotic events broke out in the capital, disturbing the peace of a group of ministers.

Jia Yuanchun and the Crown Princess stood outside the Hundred Herbs Palace, waiting anxiously.

I don't know how much time passed, but two beautifully dressed female officials came out.

Each of the two beauties was followed by a maid, and judging from the fact that there was only one maid, their rank was not low.

"Your Majesty, the Crown Princess."

The second mistress of the Zhen family and Ling'er, who was beside her, greeted Jia Yuanchun and the Crown Princess.

Jia Yuanchun nodded slightly and asked politely, "Consort Zhen, would His Majesty be willing to summon us?"

The positions of the second mistress of the Zhen family and Ling'er in the Hundred Herbs Palace were Changzai, also known as Daying.

Both "Daying" and "Changzai" were tasked with relaying messages and serving the emperor. Strictly speaking, they were low-ranking concubines of the emperor, rather than pure palace maids.

They could also be close attendants or palace maids serving the emperor.

Zhen Changzai shook her head.

Ling'er, who was also a court attendant, said, "His Majesty said that it should be handled according to the law. Recently, His Majesty has been concentrating on research in the secret chamber and is getting annoyed by being disturbed. He has ordered that unless it is an extremely urgent matter, he should not be disturbed."

"And he said..."

Jia Yuanchun was startled. "What else did they say?"

Zhen Ernai and Ling'er had been with Jia Rong for over ten years, and had also spent a considerable amount of time with Wang Xifeng before, but in the end they returned to Baicao Palace to serve him.

Compared to Wang Xifeng and Jia Qiao'er, Zhen Ernai and Ling'er were more willing to lower their guard and knew how to serve Jia Rong and how not to upset him.

Zhen Changzai took the initiative to say, "His Majesty said that a country has its laws and a family has its rules. If anyone trespasses into Baicao Palace, no matter who it is, they should be executed in accordance with His Majesty's words."

Jia Yuanchun opened her mouth but couldn't speak. These words were clearly directed at the people in the harem, including herself.

Realizing that Jia Rong was very angry today, Jia Yuanchun naturally dared not disturb him.

"I understand. Let the cabinet handle this matter."

Jia Yuanchun sighed and decided to stop interfering in these matters; she had no right to meddle in outside affairs anyway.

After giving up, Jia Yuanchun suddenly remembered that her duty was to manage the affairs within the Holy Palace.

Of course, this does not include Jia Rong's Hundred Herbs Palace.

Managing the Holy Palace is his own responsibility. He shouldn't be meddling in all sorts of messy things outside all day long, and he's disturbing Jia Rong's peace and quiet during his seclusion because of all sorts of messy things outside.

After realizing his mistake, Jia Yuanchun felt extremely remorseful.

Why can't I calm down? I have no queenly demeanor at all.
This...he's lost his composure in front of his daughter-in-law again. Even though the Emperor doesn't care about these little things, he insists on making a big fuss about them as if it were a matter of utmost importance.

Every time I anxiously jump around, it annoys him, but I never learn my lesson and change.

Over the past two or three decades, countless things have happened, but with him by my side, there has never been any trouble or anything to be nervous about.

But no matter how many times I've tried, I just can't get rid of this bad habit.

Jia Yuanchun understood why Jia Rong was so angry.

"If you can see His Majesty, please pass on a message for me: I know I was wrong and shouldn't have bothered with such a trivial matter. With His Majesty here, I have nothing to worry about."

"That's how we've gotten by all these years." Jia Yuanchun felt he had rambled on too much, and Jia Rong would definitely get annoyed if he heard it.

As expected, she was getting old... Jia Yuanchun became even more anxious.

Jia Yuanchun looked up at Zhen Changzai and Ling'er again, then suddenly remembered something and quickly said, "That's fine then. I'll spend some time talking with Sister Feng and Qiao'er."

This has always been the case over the years; the more Jia Yuanchun tries to prevent something from happening, the more likely it is to happen, and in the end, she herself brings about it.

Ling'er smiled and comforted him in a relaxed tone, "Your Majesty, please don't worry. His Majesty's seclusion isn't a complete isolation from the outside world. He'll definitely come out once every three to five days, or at most ten days to half a month, to take a bath and relax, and to get some fresh food and water."

"When His Majesty comes out to bathe and rest, we will convey His Majesty's words."

Jia Yuanchun nodded. "Thank you for your trouble."

Zhen Changzai and Ling'er quickly squatted down and bowed, saying, "Respectfully seeing off Your Highness, respectfully seeing off the Crown Princess."

Jia Yuanchun took the Crown Princess back to Yangxin Palace by carriage.

After returning to the palace, Jia Yuanchun said to the Crown Princess, "That's it for this time. You don't need to worry about such things in the future. As long as His Majesty is here, the Crown Prince, you, and I will all be safe and sound."

The Crown Princess noticed a great deal from Jia Yuanchun's behavior today.

The amount of information is almost explosively complex.

"Yes, Mother." The Crown Princess dared not ask any further questions and wisely chose to remain silent.

Looking at the Crown Princess's behavior, Jia Yuanchun sighed and said, "I know you must think that in the Holy Palace, you have to be careful with every word and action."

"Actually, that's not the case. People here live very freely, without as many rules as you might think."

"His Majesty doesn't care about those royal rules at all. We sisters, regardless of age, eat on equal footing with His Majesty, and he indulges our mischief all the time."

"You don't need to be so restrictive, just treat it like your own home."

The Crown Princess lowered her head and said softly, "When I'm at home, I need to know more about the rules. In the palace, I'm also the Crown Princess, so I should abide by the palace rules even more."

"I know about the Empress Dowager and the other ladies, but the Crown Prince and I are being watched by many people and will be judged by the world in the future. How can I dare to be negligent for even a moment?"

After hearing this, Jia Yuanchun remained silent for a few seconds, and finally nodded slightly.

"This incident was indeed bad for you. It's my fault for being soft-hearted that day and not believing in evil spirits, and I insisted on going to Rongguo Mansion to take a look."

The Crown Princess comforted her, saying, "It is only natural for Mother to go back to her parents' home to visit, and it is a matter of filial piety. What is wrong with that?"

Jia Yuanchun could only manage a bitter smile.

After a few seconds of helplessness, Jia Yuanchun said sadly, "This time, the court officials will surely blame me for my improper dealings with the Rongguo Mansion. I will send someone to have the old lady move from the Rongguo Mansion to your place. You must remember that you are the Emperor's daughter-in-law and a member of the Holy Palace."

"In the future, try not to say that you are a descendant of the Ningguo Mansion, but you must not be associated with the Rongguo Mansion at all."

"You must remember this with the Crown Prince: you are descendants of a sage and have some connection with the Ning family. You must not interfere in the affairs of the Rong family."

"From now on, you will live in the Crown Prince's Mansion. The Rongguo Mansion can be demolished and replaced with government offices."

The Crown Princess nodded. From Jia Yuanchun's attitude and some rumors she had heard before, she vaguely sensed the opinions of the court towards the Rongguo Mansion faction.

Whether it was Jia Yuanchun, who came from the Rongguo Mansion, or anyone else, they were all trying to distance themselves from the Rongguo Mansion.

Madam Wang is old and her mind is confused.

She was quite muddle-headed and incompetent when she was young, and she hasn't been much better off now that she's old.

The Crown Princess was thinking further ahead; her worries extended beyond just someone committing suicide in front of her door.

"Mother, even if the Jia family was behind what happened at the gate, it has little to do with me and the Crown Prince. However, if I fail to handle the situation at the hospital properly, I'm afraid..."

The Crown Princess worried that Jia Yuanchun would not understand her meaning, so she explained, "I'm afraid the court will think that your son and the Crown Prince have no destiny."

Jia Yuanchun's eyes widened suddenly; she panicked!

After being slightly reminded by the Crown Princess, the clever Jia Yuanchun realized the terrible impact caused by the suicide of the civil servant and meritorious soldier.

Jia Lian's matter is no longer important; no one cares about Jia Lian's innocence.

Now it is the Crown Prince's innocence that has been tarnished!

People are superstitious to begin with, and with Jia Rong, the chosen one, setting an example for them.

Now that Jia Rong has resolved the problem and sees that everything is alright, he goes back to his secluded cultivation.

As a result, chaos ensued as soon as the Crown Princess arrived. If the wives of all the high-ranking officials, nobles, and high-ranking officials in the capital, as well as the wives of various princes and nobles, were to suffer difficult childbirths or have their sons die within days of birth... then the Crown Prince would surely be considered immoral!
This is absolutely not alarmist, nor is it a joke.

It is something that will absolutely, positively happen.

The high-ranking official and his wife, who were holding their son and grandson, watched as their young child breathed his last. How could they not hate someone?

When Jia Rong was around, everyone had babies together when it was time to have children, and when it wasn't time to have children, everyone refrained from having children!

Despite all the despicable things Jia Rong did, he was the first to die when his father died, he actually used his own son as an experiment when treating the plague, and he was the first to fire a shot when attacking the Third Master!
When something good happens, Jia Rong really brings everyone along. This includes things like electric lights, fans, cars, and houses. Everyone gets to eat fresh fruit, and the train isn't just for Jia Rong alone.

When bad things happen, Jia Rong always leads everyone to solve them together, from facing assassins together to solving the problem of not being able to have children.

It wasn't just foreigners and local people; even high-ranking officials who had followed Jia Rong for over a decade, and members of the former royal family whose throne had been usurped, all thought the same way.

Jia Rong is destiny itself!

Although it was Jia Rong's arrangement for the Crown Princess to come and deal with the fertility problem of noblewomen in the capital, if the Crown Princess doesn't handle it well, then it must be the Crown Princess's problem, not Jia Rong's.

Jia Rong sent people to fight wars and provide disaster relief, but they lost the wars and failed to cure the disasters, which aroused public anger. Could this be Jia Rong's fault?

If this matter isn't resolved properly, then it must be a problem between the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince!
The Rongguo Mansion is filthy, incompetent, and morally bankrupt; Heaven does not bless them, and everyone despises them!

Jia Yuanchun was a member of the Rongguo Mansion, as was the Crown Prince, so the problems that arose in the Rongguo Mansion this time were a warning from Heaven.

"This matter..." Jia Yuanchun tried to calm down. This time, she definitely couldn't ask Jia Rong for help again.

Jia Yuanchun tried hard to think of a solution, and quickly said calmly, "Don't be afraid. The women's academy in Kyoto is full of elderly people who have followed your father for many years. They are definitely skilled in medicine, especially in delivering babies, and they are also proficient in taking care of children."

Jia Yuanchun was still worried about something going wrong, so she immediately said, "It just so happens that most of the women in the palace who were due to give birth have done so recently. I'll send fifty medical staff who specialize in this to help out. They all come from the Kyoto Women's Hospital and are very familiar with that place."

"When so many of our sisters in the Holy Palace were pregnant, these medical staff helped deliver their babies. For the past fourteen or fifteen years, both mother and child have been safe and healthy as they have grown up."

Aside from his own self-destructive behavior, the rest of them grew up to be 100% healthy.

"With these top-notch medical professionals helping, everything will be foolproof."

Jia Yuanchun used her authority as the head of the harem.

The Crown Princess was relieved, but hesitated and said, "Your Majesty, I have long heard that the medical skills within the Holy Palace are unparalleled. Especially because of the nourishment of the dragon's energy, all the princes and princesses, and even the palace servants and meritorious noblewomen who give birth here, can give birth smoothly."

"But these are all imperial female physicians in the palace. If we rashly transfer them out, I'm afraid the Emperor will blame us."

Jia Yuanchun smiled and said, "Don't worry about that. His Majesty has always been very open-minded about such matters and won't blame us. Usually, when married palace maids and daughters of officials are about to give birth, he will send some people out to help them."

"Everyone in the world has benefited from your father's grace, so you can rest assured. There's no need to worry about anyone blaming you. I will have the Crown Prince uphold justice in Jia Lian's case, and he will be judged according to the proper procedures!"

The Crown Princess finally had no more worries. "Thank you, Mother. When Father comes out of seclusion, I will definitely pay my respects to him properly."

Jia Yuanchun comforted him, saying, "His Majesty has a way of preserving his youthful appearance. He looks younger than the Crown Prince and the others. It was fine when the children were young, but as they grow older, His Majesty is not good at speaking so easily in front of them. His Majesty is a rather easygoing and gentle person and doesn't like formalities."

“It’s not that I dislike you. He and the other princesses are the same. There’s a proper order between father and son, and father and daughter also avoid suspicion.”

The Crown Princess nodded, never blaming Jia Rong.

After the imperial court imposed a news blackout, the events in front of the Crown Prince's residence were quickly covered up.

After the Crown Princess told the Crown Prince about the matter, the Crown Prince was relieved.

"Great! Now we can rest easy!"

On February 7th of the tenth year of the Holy Dynasty, the Crown Princess led a medical team of one hundred people to the Kyoto Women's Hospital!
It was the headline news of the day, and newspapers across the country printed the report.

In an instant, the whole country praised the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.

On February 8th, the wife of a deputy editor-in-chief of the Shengjing Daily died in childbirth.

On the afternoon of February 8th, the daughter of the commander of the Beijing garrison gave birth to a stillborn baby.

In the early morning of February 9th, the old Donghai King's concubine gave birth to a baby girl with a cleft lip.

On the morning of February 9th, the Left Prime Minister's son gave birth to a son without an anus, which made the Left Prime Minister faint with anger.

……

Disasters kept occurring, and nearly half of the pregnant women developed various ailments.

These women were basically the same ones who were diagnosed with pregnancy in Jia Rong's harem and then had a lot of babies, which is why the births were so concentrated.

The disaster lasted from February to May.

The Crown Princess dared not go out... much less go to the hospital.

She didn't dare to go out in her own car, fearing that angry passersby would throw eggs, vegetable baskets, or even stones at her halfway there.

If a woman gives birth and her child dies, it must be her own fault.

But a large number of people's children have problems. The wives, daughters, nieces and daughters-in-law of the officials are almost all like this. So we have to find out a reason, right?

It wasn't just the Crown Princess who was unlucky.

Even the female medical staff in the Holy Palace, who were 100% skilled, had lost the arrogance they had when they first left. They were all haggard and just wanted to go back to the Holy Palace and hide away.

Jia Rong finally emerged from seclusion. He walked outside the Hundred Herbs Palace and looked at the woman who was being held down by the palace maids and pressed onto the carpet in front of the door.

Why commit suicide?

Jia Rong looked at the young woman whose head was bleeding from hitting the wall, forcing him to come out of seclusion.

The Crown Princess had a splitting headache, but she still managed to lift her head and look at the young man.

Although he already knew that Emperor Shengrong looked very young, he was still somewhat incredulous after seeing him in person for the first time.

"Your Majesty..." the Crown Princess cried, tears streaming down her face, "I beg Your Majesty to come out of seclusion! Save the people of the capital!"

Jia Rong looked at the woman speechlessly. "Is it to save you and the Crown Prince? If I don't come out, those people will petition to depose the Crown Prince."

"You're really useless. You can't even handle this simple matter. All you do is cultivate relationships. You don't even bother to read some books and learn some skills."

The Crown Princess lowered her head in shame, "Your subject is incompetent! I have disturbed Your Majesty's meditation; I am willing to atone with my death!"

Jia Rong said irritably, "Just live well. Send him to the Yangxin Palace for proper treatment. Once he's healed, he can go back to the Crown Prince's residence in Jinling."

"I will handle this matter; you need not concern yourself with it anymore."

Upon hearing this, the Crown Princess wept and thanked the Emperor, saying, "Long live the Holy Emperor!"

The palace maids quickly escorted the woman to Jia Yuanchun's place to recuperate. This suicide attempt and coup was the work of the Crown Princess alone, and Jia Rong didn't bother to pursue it.

Jia Rong went to court wearing casual shorts and a short-sleeved shirt. After calming people's hearts, he went to the hospital and comforted the young women who had lost their children.

Those affected are actually the earlier batch, since two or three years have passed. If the Crown Princess can hold on for another month or two, everything will be fine.

Jia Rong sometimes suspected that her aura had some kind of strengthening effect. After going to the obstetrics and gynecology department, several pregnant women who helped with delivery all gave birth to their babies safely.

Under the Emperor's gentle hands, one by one, vibrant and healthy lives came into this colorful world.

After such a stark contrast, although the crown prince was not deposed, it was practically the same as being deposed...

In feudal times, people believed this was a divine revelation, and that the crown prince was not virtuous enough to assume the throne.

Although the crown prince had not done anything wrong, the court no longer regarded him as the future emperor.

Jia Lian was also impeached by his ministers and was eventually exiled to Spain.

After the Crown Princess recovered and returned to Jinling, the noblewomen of the capital who had previously suffered stillbirths or given birth to troubled children became pregnant again.

Now, not only the nobles of the Holy Dynasty, but even European royal families from all over the world who couldn't produce an heir were sending their daughters and daughters-in-law to receive guidance. (End of Chapter)