The Red Mansion: From a Small Pawn to a Leader

After dealing with the official documents from the Ministry of War, Li Hu went back to the palace to check on the little emperor and confirmed that he would not die for a while before leaving the palace and going home.

Inside the carriage, Li Hu sat upright with his eyes closed, his body swaying slightly as the wheels rolled.

The sound of wind and snow outside the car came into his ears, and the faint cries of many people came through the snow and wind.

At this time, the carriage slowly stopped.

Li Hu slowly opened his bloodshot eyes.

Wang Daniu's voice rang out from outside the car window: "Marshal, the people from the Imperial Household Department have blocked the street ahead."

Li Hu: "What's the matter?"

Wang Daniu: "They said they were confiscating the house."

Li Hu: "Search the house? Whose house?"

Wang Daniu: "It was the officials of the Zhanshi Mansion who said that they were following the order of the Emperor Wushang to execute the three clans."

Before he could finish his words, another voice from his personal guards came: "General Wang, the eunuchs have cleared the way. Please let your carriage pass first."

The carriage started moving and slowly moved forward.

The crying got closer.

Li Hu opened the car window and looked out. In the wind and snow, a group of guards from the Imperial Household Department were escorting a large group of old, weak, women and children coming from the street across the street. The guards held long whips in their hands and would whip anyone who was a little slower.

Even in the crowd, Li Hu saw a child being held in arms!

Li Hu closed the window and sighed deeply. This was the cruelty of the imperial autocracy. They would exterminate three or nine clans at any time without giving people a chance to defend themselves.

In a few days, the situation in the capital will be even more tragic than this. This is just the beginning!
Kong Qingxiang was a cunning guy. Without saying a word, he just made a few simple moves and made Wang Ren rush over and grab the hot potato.

If Wang Ziteng knew this, he would probably want to strangle him to death!
Li Hu thought of Jia Jing again. He took it for granted. Did he really think that the Supreme Emperor couldn't guess it? Or did the Supreme Emperor have no choice but to accept it even if he guessed it? !
Jia Jing was obviously a little too proud! Not to mention that there was a Prince Kang studying in Liaodong, even if there was no one, the Supreme Emperor would clean up the Jia family after the situation stabilized, leaving no one alive.

He could poison the young emperor to death, and the Supreme Emperor could also poison the Jia family to death.

In addition, the Supreme Emperor has experienced all kinds of storms. A man like him will not accept his fate, nor will he give in to his subjects!

If his guess was correct, the Supreme Emperor would definitely find a way to rescue Prince Kang from Shengjing City and have him inherit the throne.

As long as Prince Kang returns to the capital alive, no one's opposition will be of any use, even if Prince An has already inherited the throne.

Jia Jing's confidence was nothing more than the military power in the hands of Wang Ziteng and the Shi brothers. But he forgot that as long as Shanhaiguan was sealed and the food and grass were cut off, the army of Zhongjing Hou Shi Ding could be restrained. Wang Ziteng's side was even simpler. Xie Jing was the confidant of Emperor Yongchang. With just a secret decree, Wang Ziteng's head could be chopped off!
As for the capital, the imperial guards currently possess absolute strength and can easily suppress any rebellion.

Besides, Wang Ziteng and the Shi brothers are not reliable at all. One is a fence-sitter, and the other is good at betting on both sides.

It’s better to believe that a sow can climb a tree than to believe them!
Thinking of this, Li Hu shook his head. Neither Jia Yuanchun nor the Jia family would have a good ending, and even Prince An might be poisoned to death.

The scope of the nine-clan and ten-clan execution is very wide, including not only immediate family members but also in-laws and cousins. Lin Daiyu has a direct blood relationship with the Jia family and is likely to be liquidated as well.

In addition, Li Hu was also worried that the Supreme Emperor would take advantage of the situation and liquidate the Li family as well!

Therefore, King Kang could not return to the capital alive.

Li Hu was not a heartless person, but he was not a promiscuous person either. He could tolerate Emperor Yongchang, Emperor Yongxing, and Emperor Tianyou. Even if one day he was forced to "wear the yellow robe", he would still treat Emperor Tianyou well.

As for King Kang, go play in the mud in the underworld!

Thinking about this, Li Hu slowly closed his eyes.

It was snowing heavily outside, but it was warm as spring inside the house.

Xue Baochai, dressed in casual clothes, was watching the maid setting the table in the small dining room next to the main living room.

At this time, the voice of the old woman came from outside: "The master is back."

Xue Baochai hurried out.

The thick cotton curtain was lifted, and Li Hu, covered in snow, strode in.

"Master is back." Xue Baochai took out a handkerchief from her pocket and brushed the snow off Li Hu's head and body. She took off his cloak and handed it to Ying'er. Then she took the warm shoes from Xiangling's hand and bent down to help Li Hu change his shoes.

Li Hu waved his hand, signaling Xiangling to change his shoes for him.

Xiangling came forward with a smile and changed Li Hu's shoes very skillfully.

Li Hu pinched her face and said with a smile: "How can there be so many happy things in a day!"

Xiangling didn't say anything and gave Li Hu a sweet smile in response.

"The master is back." Lin Daiyu walked out from the warm room and bowed slightly to Li Hu.

Li Hu stepped forward, returned the greeting, then walked to the main seat and sat down, talking to Lin Daiyu while waiting for dinner to start.

Xue Baochai looked at Lin Daiyu, then at Xiangling who was grinning foolishly, with a bitter smile on her face. She was actually very embarrassed in the Li family. Although they had made their relationship clear and enjoyed the treatment of a concubine, for some reason, she and Li Hu were not as close as Amber and Xiangling. There was always a layer between them, and even the servants of the Li family kept a certain distance from her.

The Dashun Dynasty had a clear rule that a man could take a concubine only after one year of marriage. Originally, it was said that this could be done by the end of this year, but now that the little emperor was dying, the schedule had to be postponed again.

Although Xue Baochai was not clear about what was happening in the court, she could hear the impending storm from the conversation between Li Hu and Lin Daiyu.

It seems that after Prince An succeeds to the throne, he will most likely die during the period of mourning for the young emperor. Can the Supreme Emperor, who is so old, still withstand the blow? And the Empress Dowager and the Queen Mother
If she keeps delaying, she will really become an old maid, and she will become more and more embarrassed in the Li family.

But Li Hu is a nobleman and must abide by the court's system.

Unless she voluntarily lowered her status and became Li Hu's maid, and then waited for Li Hu and Lin Daiyu to be married for a year, she would serve tea to Lin Daiyu together with Amber and Xiangling and become Li Hu's concubine.

But concubines are also divided into different levels, making her equal to Amber and Xiangling.
Thinking of this, Xue Baochai sighed silently, with a mixture of reluctance and helplessness!
"Miss." Ying'er's voice sounded softly in her ear. Xue Baochai came back to her senses and found that Li Hu was looking at her.

Xue Baochai thought Li Hu wanted her to massage his shoulders again, so she walked behind Li Hu with a smile and began to massage his shoulders gently.

Feeling the soft hands kneading his shoulders, Li Hu was silent for a moment, then said to Lin Daiyu: "I vaguely remember that our family has a four-courtyard house on the back street."

Lin Daiyu seemed to understand something. She glanced at Xue Baochai before replying, "It's just across the street from Rongguo Mansion."

Li Hu nodded and said, "Send someone to pack up tomorrow." Then he patted Xue Baochai's hand and said, "Go home tomorrow and ask your mother, aunt and Baoqin to pack up. Move over in two days and don't live in the Jia family anymore."

Xue Baochai answered very obediently: "Yes." She glanced at Lin Daiyu cautiously.

Lin Daiyu was also looking at her at this time, and their eyes met!
Xue Baochai hurriedly lowered her head and silently massaged Li Hu's shoulders.

Lin Daiyu looked at her and smiled, then turned her gaze to Li Hu.

Li Hulue thought for a moment, then patted Xue Baochai's hand, motioning her to step aside. Then he stood up and walked to Lin Daiyu, leaned over to her ear and whispered.

Lin Daiyu's expression became serious.

At this time, Amber called a few maids to come in carrying food boxes.

Amber smiled and said, "Master and Madam, the Lantern Festival is here."

Li Hu: "Let's go and eat Yuanxiao." As he said that, he tried to hold Lin Daiyu's hand, but it was ruthlessly pushed away.

Lin Daiyu glared at him, then stood up and walked towards the small dining room.

Li Hu smiled. Lin Daiyu wanted to save face now. She was fine with whatever happened in the bedroom, but she wouldn't even let him hold her hand outside the bedroom.
Thousands of miles away in Prince Kang’s Palace, Prince Kang was also eating Yuanxiao, but he was eating it alone.

King Kang was a little absent-minded and didn't even notice that the noodle soup in the spoon had spilled.

When he entered the palace today, he always felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it!
Putting the spoon back into the bowl, King Kang stood up, walked back and forth with his hands behind his back, recalling in his mind everything that had happened during this period of time.

When he reached the door, he suddenly stopped. It was too smooth, everything was too smooth! It seemed that someone was helping him behind the scenes. Also, why was the mansion so quiet?

King Kang opened the door, and a cold wind blew snowflakes towards him.

Faintly, King Kang discovered that several people not far from the moon gate of the courtyard were staring at this place closely.

King Kang's face changed immediately, his head buzzed, and he quickly held onto the door frame to avoid falling. He took a deep breath and closed the door with difficulty.

He leaned against the door, with only two words in his mind: It's over. (End of this chapter)