The Red Mansion

Chapter 1 My Father is the Emperor

A cold autumn rain.

In the autumn of the 61st year of Jingning, it rained a lot in Jiangning City, especially since September. It rained for more than ten days out of twenty days. Sometimes it rained heavily, and sometimes it rained drizzled, making this autumn in Jiangning City seem damp and cold.

On September 23rd, it didn't rain in Jiangning City, but the sky was dark and cloudy. The autumn wind was howling, and the leaves were falling. Fallen leaves could be seen everywhere on the streets of the inner city, creating a bleak scene.

Outside the Governor-General's Office of Liangjiang, there was a crowd of people, shoulder to shoulder, creating a bustling scene.

Everyone was looking at a notice that had just been posted today, and the discussion was as lively as a soup.

"The emperor is actually going to abdicate and become the emperor!"

"The abdication ceremony will be held on the first day of the first lunar month next year!"

"The new emperor is not the Fourteenth Prince, but the Fourth Prince!"

"It's not surprising that it's the Fourth Prince. The signs have been there for a long time. His Majesty has been treating the Fourth Prince with great respect in recent years!"

"..."

In the crowd, there was a fourteen-year-old boy. Although he was not handsome, he was above average in appearance and had a strong body.

According to his own thoughts: "I'm not handsome, about the same as my previous life, but my physical fitness is much better than my previous life."

He was very excited at the moment.

Just a few days ago, he traveled to this world and was reborn into the body of a young man named Jiang Nian.

He merged the memories of the original owner and also retained the memories of his previous life.

He is currently living in a dynasty called Daqing.

In this world, the history before the end of the Ming Dynasty was consistent with his previous life. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, a Han Chinese general named Yuan, while guarding Liaodong, rebelled against the Ming Dynasty, conquered the Jurchen tribes, destroyed the Ming Dynasty, and established Daqing.

What he found even more bizarre was that Daqing was clearly founded by Han Chinese, yet many things were similar to the Qing Dynasty of his previous life, while also being different from the Qing Dynasty. For example, the men's hairstyle was no longer a braid...

This is also the world of the Red Chamber, into which Cao Xueqin's Dream of the Red Chamber is integrated.

The current Emperor Jingning of Daqing is similar to the Han version of Emperor Kangxi.

Before this, Daqing was staging the drama of "Nine Sons Fighting for the Throne".

Now, according to a new notice posted outside the Liangjiang Governor-General's Office, the Fourth Prince has succeeded in his bid for the throne.

In his previous life, after the death of Emperor Kangxi, the fourth prince Yinzhen ascended the throne as Emperor Yongzheng.

In this world, Emperor Jingning abdicated the throne to the Fourth Prince before he passed away.

"It seems that my father in this life is indeed similar to Yongzheng in my previous life!"

Jiang Nian pondered.

The identity he traveled through time and space to was the son of the current Fourth Prince!
However, he was born to a commoner woman when the Fourth Prince went to the south of the Yangtze River when he was young.

He is a bastard who cannot see the light of day.

The Fourth Prince has not acknowledged him as his illegitimate son for fourteen years.

He lived with his mother Jiang Xuelian in Jiangning City, far away from the northern capital, and was raised by his mother, who passed away two years ago due to illness.

……

……

Under He Zhong's personal protection, Jiang Nian returned home.

His home was only half a mile away from the Governor-General's Office of Liangjiang.

The house is not small and is home to eight people. In addition to Jiang Nian, there are He Yun and his wife, He Zhong, Qiu Fu and his wife, Qi'er, and Qin'er.

He Yun was the housekeeper, his wife was Meng, and He Zhong was the only son of He Yun and his wife.

Mr. and Mrs. Qiu Fu were servants in the house.

Qi'er and Qin'er were both maids who did menial work.

"We're here, sir." He Yun, who was sweeping fallen leaves in the yard, saw Jiang Nian and He Zhong enter the yard, and hurried forward to greet Jiang Nian respectfully.

Although He Yun was a housekeeper, he was also a warrior who was proficient in martial arts. He was tall and strong, with a straight nose and square lips.

Jiang Nian said, "Butler He, please follow me to the study. I have something to discuss with you privately."

He Yun said "yes", handed the broom to his son He Zhong, and asked He Zhong to sweep up the fallen leaves. Then he followed Jiang Nian into the study.

The study has three rooms and is where Jiang Nian reads and sleeps.

Qin'er, the maid, was setting the table in the study. Jiang Nian walked into the study and said to her, "Please step aside. I have something to discuss privately with Steward He."

"Yes, sir."

After Qin'er left, Jiang Nian led He Yun into the inner room. He stood by the window again and looked out to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

He Yun was a little surprised.

What on earth is going on that makes the master so secretive?
Jiang Nian turned and walked to He Yun, whispering, "Just now, I was shopping and passed by the Liangjiang Governor's Office. I saw a notice posted outside the office today."

He Yun listened attentively.

Jiang Nian said, "The notice contains a piece of extremely important news."

He Yun became more and more focused.

Jiang Nian said, "The current emperor is actually going to abdicate and become the emperor emeritus. The abdication ceremony is scheduled to be held on the first day of the first lunar month next year."

He Yun, who usually behaved calmly and steadily, was unusually dumbfounded upon hearing this news. He asked anxiously, "Is this really true? To which prince does the emperor want to abdicate?"

Jiang Nian stretched out four fingers and spoke in a softer voice, "Fourth Prince!"

He Yun's face lit up with joy, and he whispered "Great!" In his heart, he sighed with great excitement, "I knew it! I knew that the Fourth Master had a great chance of inheriting the throne! I just didn't expect the current emperor to abdicate!"

He Yun is the fourth prince's trusted subordinate.

More than ten years ago, the Fourth Prince secretly sent He Yun and his wife to protect and take care of Jiang Xuelian and her son. In fact, it was also a surveillance. The woman who gave birth to a son with the Fourth Prince could not have an affair with other men.

He Yun had long hoped that the fourth prince would ascend the throne and become emperor, and now, this wish had come true.

At this moment, He Yun's attitude towards Jiang Nian became more respectful.

If the Fourth Master becomes the emperor, wouldn’t Uncle Nian be the prince?
Although he is an unrecognized bastard who cannot be seen in public, the Fourth Master is going to be the emperor. Even if he still does not recognize Jiang Nian as his son, he will at least let this son come to Beijing, right?
……

……

When Jiang Nian and He Yun finished talking about the secret, it was already time for dinner.

Dinner was cooked by Qiu Fuzhi’s wife. According to the custom of the time, Qiu Fuzhi’s wife was called “Qiu Fujia” and she was the cook.

He Yun was a polite man. Although he was not Jiang Nian's servant, he regarded Jiang Nian as his master. Except on festivals, he would not eat at the same table with Jiang Nian, and he also required the servants in his house to observe etiquette.

Therefore, as usual, today Jiang Niandu ate first. After he finished eating, it was the turn of He Yun and his wife and the servants.

After finishing his dinner in the main room of the study, Jiang Nian went into the inner room, poured himself a cup of tea, and sat beside the desk, sipping tea while thinking.

I was thinking about a dream I had a few days ago when I traveled through time.

In his dream, there was a large stone archway in front of him, with eight large characters written on it, which read "Strive hard and you will have good luck."

Jiang Nian has pondered over this eight characters repeatedly.

He speculated that the meaning of these eight characters might be that as long as he works hard, good luck will be with him.

If this is true, then luck is the golden finger of this time traveler.

But what does it mean to “strive hard”?

For example, studying hard and practicing martial arts should count, right?

For example, if he went from being an unrecognized and shameful bastard to striving to become a prince of Daqing recognized by his father, should that also count, right?
Thinking of this, Jiang Nian put his thoughts aside for the moment, picked up a copy of "The Book of Changes" from the desk, and studied it carefully.

(End of this chapter)