Chapter 16 Gambling
Rong Ge'er has someone around him? Shen Ning was almost amused by this big boy, "How can people be the same? One is the son of the general manager, and the other is a servant without any roots. In the eyes of the servant, because of Lai Sheng, you are the future master of the mansion. Even if they listen to your father, scold you and beat you, they will be restrained. But what about Rong Ge'er? You treat him with the same methods your father used to treat him. Have you ever thought about how difficult his life is? Why are there only two left of his four servants? And they are all Tang family members, not even a single Jia family member?"
Jia Zhen: “…”
He was confused!
he……
Thinking of what Lai Sheng said about those two being stupid and sending them out as apprentices, and then finding the right ones to fill the gap for his brother later, he suddenly had nothing to say.
"Before, the Lai family had only one son, and he would stay with you. Now his family has three sons, but none of them are willing to stay. Jia Zhen, have you ever thought about why?"
Shen Ning stared at him. "Let me tell you, because the Lai family no longer has a good impression of the Jia family, because they think the Jia family will surely fall, because they have made enough money, and for the sake of their descendants, they want to break away from the Jia family little by little."
“…”
Jia Zhen's face turned pale and blue, and the corners of his mouth trembled, as if he wanted to say something in rebuttal, but judging from his mother's line of thought, it seemed... that was indeed the case.
How is that possible?
Jia Zhen didn't want to believe it.
Their family was still powerful and still inherited the title. So many people were in trouble that year, even his father-in-law went home to farm, but their family did not fall.
How dare the Lai family?
No, no, no, they dared. The Lai family asked for mercy in that year. My father studied hard but had to withdraw from the court.
They took advantage of his happiness to seize the title...
Jia Zhen's eyes gradually turned red.
"There's an old saying... Look at the father and respect the son."
Shen Ning looked at him and mercilessly delivered another fatal blow, "You think they are loyal, but isn't this loyalty bought by the Jia family? For so many years, the Jia family didn't take care of their food and drink? Didn't they give them clothes, hats, and shoes for spring, summer, autumn, and winter? Or didn't they give them a monthly allowance? How many officials from poor families were promoted to the second or third rank before they could buy a courtyard in Beijing, but the Lai family... Is their courtyard small? There is a saying, you are right, it is for the good of their descendants, their family asks for grace."
Jia Zhen: “…”
His body swayed and he could hardly stand.
"Don't blame me for saying such harsh things."
Shen Ning sighed, "I've been through the gates of hell," she pointed to the seat next to her and motioned him to sit down, "You remember the good things about the Lai family, but I'm not such a heartless person. Let's make a bet. The Lai family has been in the Jia family for many years, so it's normal for them to have accumulated some assets. You take Jiao Da with you and go to confiscate his home, not counting the house. If all the assets do not exceed 20,000 taels, you will release all the slaves in his family and give him complete freedom from now on.
on the contrary……"
Shen Ning closed his eyes. "He is an evil slave. Either hand him over to the authorities, or beat him to death or sell him. Not only that, you must use thunderous means, exercise the power of the clan leader, and take down the Lai family in the West Mansion."
What? Not only was Jia Zhen speechless, but Youshi was also shocked to the point of changing color.
"The Ning and Rong families share honor and disgrace, and the two branches of the Lai family... naturally the same is true."
Shen Ning's eyes were calm and firm. "That year, the great changes happened. Before the Jia family fell, the Lai family was already thinking about retreating. They have long been living a life of ordering servants around. If they don't leave the Jia family immediately, you don't really think they will be loyal to the end, do you?"
Jia Zhen: “…”
His hands were shaking a little.
"Why? Don't you dare to gamble?"
Shen Ning looked at his cowardly son and said, "Or do you want to let them steal your house and curse your mother for bullying your wife and children, considering the master-servant relationship that they no longer care about?"
“…”
Jia Zhen's eyes gradually turned red, and he slowly raised his buttocks, which had just been sitting down for a while, and said, "Son, bet!"
Now that the decision has been made, there is no time to delay.
"Someone come!" he shouted, "Call Jiao Da and call the palace guards."
"……yes!"
The long-servant Xing'er outside ran out quickly.
After a while, the sound of the palace guards' uniform footsteps could be heard.
Shen Ning stood up and said, "Let's go. We have nothing to do here. Let's go see Rong Ge'er."
Youshi hurriedly supported him.
Not long after the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law left the ceremonial hall, the sky in Ningguo Mansion changed.
Mrs. Wang, who was living next door and followed Jia Zheng all the way back home, clutched the handkerchief in her hand that was almost torn to pieces, and she wanted to hit someone.
But she didn't dare to hit him, because she knew that Jia Zheng was also holding a grudge and might have a big fight with her.
Yes, she didn't tell the whole story last night, and she also avoided the main issues a lot, but can she be blamed for the shame today? Although she, Shen Ning, is the eldest sister-in-law, but Brother Jing is not an official, she doesn't even have an imperial decree.
Why did she act so arrogantly in front of her cousin who was an official in the next room? Why did she act like an elder sister-in-law to her, a lady of the imperial family?
Why should we change the path that our ancestors have already designed for their descendants?
Is it a big deal if you know a few words from sages?
For the first time, Mrs. Wang hated herself for not studying more and not being able to write well.
Whenever she thought about how she used a quote from Mencius yesterday to force her, the old lady and the women in the clan to be unable to say a word, and how she used the same quote from the sage again today to force Jia Zheng to beg for mercy, she felt so angry.
At this moment, she really missed her eldest son and daughter.
They all know the words of saints.
Unlike Jia Zheng, who studies hard but is of no use at all.
If her children were here, they would definitely be able to help her suppress the pressure with other words from saints.
"Everyone get out."
As soon as he stepped into the room, Jia Zheng, who had been patient all the way, waved to the maids who wanted to pay their respects and told them to leave quickly.
The maids were startled and peeped at Mrs. Wang who came in with a sullen face. They all bowed quickly, quietly left the room, and considerately closed the door for them.
The quarrel between the master and the mistress was not something that any of them could bear to see.
But, didn’t he come back from the East Palace?
Why are you quarreling?
The maids looked at each other, all of them looking very worried.
The wife basically can't do anything to the master.
Normally, if you are angry, it won't happen to them, but once it happens... it can be fatal.
The maids were trembling with fear and just hoped that today's incident would be over quickly.
In the room, Jia Zheng had already raised his hand and swept the tea bowl on the table with a clang. "Wang, aren't you going to explain this to me?"
When he saw the new school rules and reward and punishment system that Jia Zhen and his colleagues had come up with, he was actually quite impressed.
If Wang hadn't misled him, how could he have lost face in front of his sister-in-law? "What do you want to explain?"
Mrs. Wang sat down in her usual seat. "Master was drunk last night. You heard what I said incoherently. Can you blame me?"
She didn't even blame the man for being useless, so how could he have the nerve to blame her?
"Master, instead of blaming me, you should think carefully about why the eldest sister-in-law stretched her hand so long. As for the saying that letting children practice martial arts is good for health, we should just listen to it."
She is the bond between the Jia family and the Wang family.
The beneficiaries were Jia Zheng and her children.
"The eldest sister-in-law has a great influence on Brother Jing and Jia Zhen."
Mrs. Wang ignored the man's uncertain face and said, "But they all agreed to what happened back then. Master, you should think about it. If they change their minds, what should we do? What should our Yuanchun do?"
What’s the point of being a female official?
The purpose of their families was to help Yuanchun become the emperor's close friend.
Since the crown prince could be deposed, how could their Yuanchun not be able to go one step further if she gave birth to a prince? "...Are you thinking too much?"
Jia Zheng's shame and anger were scared away by the crisis thrown by Wang Shi.
It was he and the old lady who discussed letting Yuanchun enter the palace, and everyone agreed.
The Jia family transferred the military power to the Wang family, which benefited him the most for the entire Jia family.
if……
Thinking about how Shen Ning didn't give him any face today and used the words of a sage to pressure him, Jia Zheng couldn't help but think more about it.
"Think a lot?"
Wang knew she had to hold him down, and snorted, "I think you think too little."
Why did she support her brother? Wasn't it because the two families were getting married, and the Jia family had no one they could support?
Although letting the Jia family withdraw from the army was a decision made by the ancestors for the long-term development of the family, this withdrawal was always only done for show by the people above.
If Shen Ning changed her mind and allowed the Jia family members to serve as minor officials in the army based on their own abilities, the people above would not care.
But even if the people above don’t care, her Wang family must care.
Once the Jia family members gain a foothold in the army, the Jia family's invisible power in the army will be divided away by one third, or even more.
Her brother Wang Ziteng is not the only choice.
After all, between outsiders and Jia family members, they definitely trust their own people more.
"Don't you think your sister-in-law has changed a lot?"
After Brother Jing resigned from his official position and left home, that woman became depressed for several years.
Now that she is pregnant with a baby, she has become tough. What do they think they are? Mrs. Wang's eyes flashed with a fierce look, "Reforming the school may be just her first step."
Jia Zheng: “…”
He sat down slowly and asked humbly: "What is her second step?"
"Clean up the servants in the mansion."
Madam Wang looked at him and said, "For example, we should win over Jiao Da, not disband the palace guards, and drive all the servants in the palace who are related to us to the manor."
“…”
Jia Zheng was greatly shocked.
The guards of Rong Mansion were all disbanded after the incident that year.
Ning Mansion...
Jia Zheng suddenly thought of something and asked anxiously, "What did Zhou Rui's wife say when I came back yesterday? Is there already a disturbance in the mansion?"
Not too stupid.
Mrs. Wang sighed, "Yes, it has already happened. Even Lai Sheng's family has been convicted and sent back home."
"Lai Sheng's?"
Jia Zheng stood up at once and said, "I'll go tell my mother."
His old lady likes Nanny Lai the most.
Let Lai Ma Ma go over and beg for mercy. Even if the elder sister-in-law doesn't give him face, she should at least give the old lady some face.
Jia Zheng actually knows his own shortcomings.
But he has a good mother.
Growing up, his mother has always favored him.
Besides, the Lai family was at fault between the eldest sister-in-law and Jia Zhen. The Lai family had been loyal to the Jia family for many years. How could they ignore their past friendship and the reputation of their ancestors for being lenient to their servants just because of a small mistake?
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
