After the rebellion was successful, I realized that this place was the Red Mansion

Chapter 6 Rongguo Mansion (Part 2)
Let’s talk about Ningguo Mansion.

The head of the Jia family is Jia Zhen now, but everyone in Ningguo Mansion doesn't call him "Master", but "Uncle Zhen".

The man called "Master" by everyone in Ningguo Mansion was Jia Zhen's father, Jia Jing. He often lived in Xuanzhen Temple outside the city to practice Taoism and only came back to worship his ancestors during the New Year.

Jia Zhen had a son named Jia Rong, who married Qin Keqing, the adopted daughter of Qin Ye, a clerk in charge of government affairs.

Although Qin Keqing was born in a humble family, she was graceful and delicate, and behaved gently and peacefully, and everyone in the Ningguo Mansion praised her.

On this day, Qin Keqing suddenly heard that the bandit king Chu Yan was leading a large army outside the city. She was uneasy and wanted to discuss it with her husband Jia Rong, but he remained silent. Instead, her father-in-law Jia Zhen comforted her with a few words and gave her some incense before leaving, telling her to light it at night so that she could fall asleep.

Qin Keqing was very respectful to this eunuch. After saying goodbye to him, she returned to her room and fell into a deep sleep.

She didn't know how much time had passed before she suddenly woke up and sat up from her bed. She thought about the nightmare she had just had, but she couldn't remember most of it.

After a while, he reached out and touched her back, only then did he feel her smooth and white back, and he was already frightened and broke out in a cold sweat.

"Orb."

Qin Keqing hurriedly called the maids and ordered them to fetch some hot water.

Just as I finished washing and dressing, a maid outside called out, "Master Zhen is here!"

Qin Keqing was shocked again. Her father-in-law came to see her early in the morning, and she was afraid that he had some other intentions.

Thinking of all that had happened before and recalling what she had dreamed, Qin Keqing became even more frightened and hurriedly stood up to greet her father-in-law.

As Jia Zhen entered her room, he carefully sniffed the sweet fragrance in his daughter-in-law's room. His eyes fell on her and he smiled and said, "Did you sleep well last night? There is no need to panic about the bandit army. The court has tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, which are enough to hold off the bandit army for several months. By then, the bandit army will run out of food and grass and disperse on its own."

Qin Keqing hesitated to speak, but finally said respectfully, "Don't worry, sir. I slept soundly last night and had no worries."

When Jia Zhen saw his daughter-in-law speaking with her head down, her voice soft and gentle, her brows filled with indescribable charm and brightness, her graceful figure hidden in her skirt, he could no longer restrain himself and reached out to hold her delicate hand.

Qin Keqing had been on guard for a long time. Seeing him reach out his hand, she took a step back in fear and looked at him in fear: "Eunuch...what do you want to do?"

The panic in my heart had already reached its peak, and I thought of the dream again.

Seeing that his plan failed, Jia Zhen couldn't help feeling unhappy. The enemy army was besieging the city and people were in panic. He wanted to take this opportunity to coax Qin Keqing to obey him, but he didn't expect that she still refused.

"That's all."

Jia Zhen comforted her, saying, "Just take a good rest. I'll take care of the household affairs. Don't worry too much, or you'll get sick."

Qin Keqing nodded in agreement.

Before leaving, Jia Zhen said, "I've recently asked Rong'er to go outside and get some information. He needs to get a good rest at night. You two should refrain from having sex."

Qin Keqing was shocked again, and when she raised her head again, her eunuch had left.

She stood there for a long time before returning to her room and lying on the bed, sobbing. Her heart was in turmoil. She was thinking about the look in her father-in-law Jia Zhen's eyes, as if he wanted to eat her, and the enemy troops outside the city. She also didn't know whether the nightmare she had last night was true or false. All these things turned into an indelible sorrow that shrouded her heart.

"Why is grandma crying?" The maids Baozhu and Ruizhu came in and saw her crying. They hurried over to help her up, but saw that there was a large wet spot on the red quilt.

"It's out of the way."

Qin Keqing wiped her tears with a handkerchief, her eyes were red. She was charming and graceful, and she became even more beautiful after crying.

Baozhu and Ruizhu consoled her for a few words before Qin Keqing said, "I had a dream last night."

"What did grandma dream about?" they asked hurriedly.

"In my dream," Qin Keqing recounted in a gentle voice, "an immortal lady told me that Prince Qian, Chu Yan, is unstoppable. The country and my family will be destroyed in five days. She told me to prepare early. If I want to save the Jia family, I should persuade them to surrender quickly. Chu Yan might be able to spare some of my family's property, and both families can be saved."

Baozhu and Ruizhu were horrified. Did the fairy know the city would fall in five days?! Master Zhen had even said the capital's walls were tall and thick, and that there was ample food in the city, enough to sustain it for months!

"What if they don't surrender? What does the fairy say?"

"The fairy said..."

After hearing this, Baozhu and the other two looked at each other and asked in unison, "Grandma, what should we do now to survive this disaster?"

Qin Keqing thought about it carefully and decided not to go to her father-in-law or her husband. Both of them were unreliable, and there was no one in the entire East Palace (Ningguo Palace) who could do anything.

If you think about it carefully, there is no one in the West Mansion (Rongguo Mansion) who can support the Jia family in times of disaster.

There is only one who can be considered decisive and resourceful. If she can be persuaded, there may be a chance to save the Jia family.

After thinking about it, Qin Keqing said to the second maid, "Come with me to the West Mansion."

Baozhu hurriedly called a few maids and servants and went to Rongguo Mansion with her grandmother. Ruizhu saw that her grandmother went straight to the home of Mr. Lian and thought she was looking for Mrs. Lian. But when she got to the house, she found no one there. After waiting for a long time, she asked someone to invite Mrs. Lian back.

"Why are you here?"

Seeing her, Wang Xifeng was very surprised and sighed repeatedly: "Nowadays, there is chaos and disorder, and everything is in turmoil. You must be careful where you move around!"

Although the two are of different generations, their ages are not much different. Qin Keqing is a few years younger than her. They have a good relationship and talk casually.

Qin Keqing quickly grabbed her hand and said, "Auntie, I have something important to tell you!"

With just a glance from Wang Xifeng, Ping'er, Ruizhu, Zhuzhu and other maids all went out.

"What's the important thing?" Wang Xifeng said, "The old lady is still waiting for me to serve her. The mansion is in a mess. Some unruly people are starting to get restless and want to steal money from my pocket. After I finish serving the old lady, I have to go and keep an eye on her!"

"Auntie," Qin Keqing sighed, "you are a hero among the women. Even those men in sashes and crowns can't surpass you. How come you don't even know what's important and what's not?"

Wang Xifeng was annoyed. She shook her hand off, drank her tea, and glanced at her: "Tell me, what is light and what is heavy? My money is light, what else is heavy?"

Jia Lian's wife, Wang Xifeng, also known as Lian's Second Madam, values ​​money more than her life, and many people in both mansions know this.

Because she is usually bold and capable, everyone jokingly calls her Feng Lazi.

"Isn't the survival of the Jia family important enough?"

Qin Keqing said.

Wang Xifeng frowned.

Qin Keqing advised, "It's fine to steal a small amount of money, but if Prince Qian enters the city and sends troops to block the front and back gates of the two mansions, no matter how powerful you are, you will be at his mercy!"

Wang Xifeng was startled, a chill running down her spine. "This city... can't be defended?!"

"I can't say for sure." After hesitating for a moment, Qin Keqing said, "I had a dream last night."

She told her some of the things in her dream.

After hearing this, Wang Xifeng pondered for a long time before saying, "Is there no other way to protect my family? If we surrender to that thief king as you say, the Ning and Rong mansions will cease to exist, and those thieves will surely tear my family to pieces!"

Qin Keqing sneered, "Auntie, you're so foolish! The entire imperial court was defeated by Prince Qian, so how could my family be affected? Now, I'm not worried about saving my family fortune, but about saving the lives of everyone in the mansion. If we're not even going to make it, what's the point of money?"

Wang Xifeng said angrily, "The bandits haven't even attacked the city yet. Who knows what's going on? If we surrender before the battle even begins, won't outsiders laugh at our family?"

Qin Keqing sighed again, not knowing how to persuade him.

The fairy lady once said: If you don’t surrender, the Jia family will no longer exist. You should escape from that sea of ​​suffering and come back as soon as possible.

"Forget it," Wang Xifeng said with a smile, "If we have to, I'll do as you say and persuade the old lady to open the gates when the bandit king enters the city, and let the enemy army in!"

Qin Keqing said quietly, "If we had bought more farmland, houses, and land near our ancestral tombs to cover the cost of offering sacrifices, we wouldn't have to worry about being left homeless after being ransacked by Prince Qian's army. Now it's too late to say anything."

The fairy said that King Qian loved to raid the homes of the rich. Every time he conquered a city, the rich families in the city would have to give up most of their wealth even if they were innocent.

Wang Xifeng laughed again, "I always say you're suspicious, even more so than I am. Was I right today?"

Qin Keqing also laughed and chatted with her for a while before saying goodbye.

Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly stopped and whispered, "Auntie, there's something else I'm not sure if I should tell you."

"Just say it, why are you being so polite to me?"

"If Heaven wants to punish the Jia family, just punish me alone."

"What are you talking about?"

Wang Xifeng laughed, and Qin Keqing also laughed. She felt much more relaxed and returned to Ningguo Mansion with her maid.

No matter what, she would never obey Jia Zhen.

in the afternoon.

The words shouted by Prince Qian Chu Yan outside the city gate spread like wildfire throughout the Ning and Rong mansions.

"The enemy army will attack the city in five days?!"

There was horror in Baozhu and Ruizhu's eyes. Was the dream grandma had last night real?
The city...can't be defended.

(End of this chapter)