Everything is going well? Zhen Baochen took the jade comb, but felt confused in his heart. Will there be any comfortable days after today?
Looking at the smiling Baoyu, Zhen Baochen was also shocked.
Maybe a carefree temperament like Baoyu, who never worries about family affairs is the best and can enjoy life to the fullest. But once the environment that gave him this life is broken, the Zhen family will no longer have its former glory, and he will what to do?
Begging on the street, or becoming an actor?
No, no, Zhen Baochen didn't dare to think about Baoyu huddled on the street in the corner of Jinling City, shivering in the cold winter wind, or singing a ditty on a boat on the Qinhuai River to flatter the dignitaries.
She couldn't accept that this was going to happen, even though it might be about to happen. She had to do something.
Baoyu was able to talk for a while. Zhen Baochen asked him to prepare a feast for his birthday, and Baoyu went happily.
Only two sisters, Zhen Baochen and Zhen Baoyu, were left in the room. Zhen Baochen closed the door and Zhen Baoyu also lowered his head and said nothing. "Bao Yu, my second uncle hasn't come back yet?"
"Not yet." Zhen Baoyu raised his head, "Not so soon, maybe it will take a few days, things may not go so smoothly, and people may not be willing...
"It's not that I'm not necessarily willing, but most likely I'm absolutely unwilling." Zhen Baochen took a deep breath, "Father went to Jia Jing to ask for advice, but I don't know what the outcome will be, but I think we can't wait any longer. We have to Do something, because if we don’t do it, we may never get the chance to do it again.”
Zhen Baoyu couldn't help but clenched her arms, clasped her hands together, put them on her forehead, and took a long breath, "Sister, if you need me to do anything, just say that I know the importance."
Zhen Baochen raised his head slightly, "It's not you who do it, but we do it together, but I don't know if it can be done."
"Oh?" Zhen Baoyu raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"I contacted the Li family and asked someone from the Li family to help me contact Li Qi and meet today." Zhen Baochen said in a calm tone, as if he was saying something casual.
Zhen Baoyu was shocked, "Sister?!"
"This may be the only thing we can do." Zhen Baochen was very calm at this time. "If the Zhen family falls, what will happen to you and me? Maybe what my father said that day was right. The Jiaofang Division may be our only place to go. , or before going to the Jiaofang Division, she was spotted by some dignitary and snatched her away, that is, she became the plaything of these people. Once she gets old and loses her lust, she can only end up in a brothel or on the street."
"So, eldest sister, you want to imitate the Li family?" Zhen Baoyu also slowly calmed down, "But didn't Jia Hua give uncle any response? If you want to imitate Li Min and Li Qi, we can't take the initiative to come to you, right? Then In addition to military soldiers, there are also various guards and officials at the gate of Feng's house. No one can even get close. You and I are weak women, and with our status, how can the people at the gate let you and me in?"
At this time, there is no time to care about face issues. The dignified Zhen family seems to be unable to take the initiative to offer pillows and mats. This sounds like a funny joke, but it is so true.
"That's why I contacted Li Qi. She and Li Min are living in Feng's house now. I want to meet her and find out about the situation." Zhen Baochen's eyes were deep, "Li Min, Li Qi and you and I have some friendship, but we don't have much contact. I’m not looking for Li Min. That girl is too smart and rational and may not be willing to help us. Li Qi needs to be more emotional and compassionate.”
Unexpectedly, Zhen Baochen had even anticipated this. Zhen Baoyu knew that Zhen Baochen had made up her mind, and she nodded silently: "It's fine if the eldest sister decides. The younger sister will follow the eldest sister's arrangements."
"Bao Yu, this time the Zhen family is in great danger. No matter how hard we try, we may not be able to survive it. We must be mentally prepared."
Zhen Baochen knew that although her cousin was somewhat aware, she might not be truly prepared for this. It would be even worse if things got messed up again, so she had to make it clear to her in advance.
"Sister, has our Zhen family really reached that point?" Zhen Baoyu's heart trembled. Although she was prepared, she still didn't want to accept it from the bottom of her heart.
"Baoyu, look at
It turned out to be the so-called fourth family. "Zhen Baochen rubbed the corners of his eyes tiredly, his eyes looking a little more hesitant and confused.
"Jia Shi Wang Xue, the Wang family was directly raided. If Wang Ziteng had not taken the initiative to surrender, I am afraid that the Wang family would have been completely annihilated. The situation of the Shi family was almost reduced to criminal prisoners, waiting for amnesty to survive. The Jia family was originally the most prosperous, Jia Yuanchun Even if she is still a noble concubine, isn't it the same as falling into the dust and relying on the protection of the Feng family to live? On the contrary, it is the Xue family who occupies the last position. In fact, everyone knows that the Xue family has long been eliminated by the four major families and cannot reach that position at all. They are just a declining imperial businessman, but now they have avoided this wave of disasters and are living the most comfortable life. Who made their daughters marry into the Feng family?"
Zhen Baoyu bit her lip: "Sister, do you think our Zhen family will become like the Jia family and the Wang family?"
"Huh, it might even be more tragic." Zhen Baochen shook his head, trying to put away some innocent thoughts, "At least no one in the Jia family has drawn a clear line with them, right? Being rebellious is nothing more than following the rebel party, and Now that they don't mention rebelling against the party, they won't have much of a problem. Once the amnesty comes, it will be considered a pass. The Wang family even gained recognition from the court because of Wang Ziteng's initiative to hand over military power, and was actually included in the Fifth Army. Although the two brothers Shijia, Shinai and Shiding are still prisoners, they can be released as long as they are pardoned, but what about our Zhen family?"
"What's the crime of having a jade?" Zhen Baoyu, who was also very smart, figured it out immediately, "Perhaps our Zhen family has been too ostentatious over the years and has become the target of public criticism?"
Zhen Baochen sighed, "When the name New Four Families is attached to our family, it means that we need to bear greater pressure. However, our Zhen family just ignored this and thought that we were indulging in This is a false name, and if you forget to shoulder this name, if you don’t have enough foundation, something will happen.”
Zhen Baoyu still doesn't quite understand, "My father was the Minister of Rites in Nanjing, my uncle was the Minister of Punishments in Nanjing, and my third uncle was the magistrate of Jinhua Prefecture. Don't they have enough background?"
Zhen Baochen glanced at Zhen Baoyu, "My father, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, was rewarded after the confrontation between the North and the South. If you ask me, he is more like a hot potato. The second uncle, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites of Nanjing, is almost the same. Only the third uncle, the prefect of Jinhua, can barely be considered. But the third uncle You should not stay in the south of the Yangtze River, but should go to work in the north, and you should even take the initiative to submit to Ye Fang and the others..."
Zhen Baochen's words made Zhen Baoyu understand. This was a common method used by big families during wars. Each side would vote for one side. No matter which side won in the end, they would not be wiped out. There would always be someone who could help mediate, and the result would not be too bad.
But now the Zhen family has made this big mistake.
"You're talking about the Zhou, Hu, and Tao families. They are simply powerful businessmen. There are no scholars in the family, and there are no decent officials. Our Zhen family is different. Our father, second uncle, and third uncle were all capable You have a choice, but..." Zhen Baochen sighed again, "In addition, Baoyu and several cousins...
In the Zhen family's situation, except for the male heir Zhen Baoyu, who is a legitimate child, neither Zhen Yingyu nor Zhen Yinghui has a legitimate son, only a concubine. On the contrary, the three treasures of the Zhen family are all legitimate daughters, so this is also a big regret, and Zhen Baoyu is not a Reading material.
"Forget it, let's wait until father comes back from Jia Jing." Zhen Baochen stared at Zhen Baoyu: "Baoyu, no matter what the outcome is with father, you and I will have to shoulder this burden. I know you have always been smart. Smart, my sister has experienced a lot of things after experiencing this. Now that the Zhen family is in this state, our fate as children of the Zhen family may have been doomed, so we can only try this way. I hope I can help the Zhen family. Strive for a result that is not the worst.”
"Sister, what's the worst outcome?" Zhen Baoyu asked.
Zhen Baochen shook his head, his face was gloomy, and he did not answer. Zhen Baoyu almost bit his lips with his teeth, and his face was as white as snow.
Just when the Zhen sisters lamented the unpredictable circumstances in life, Zhen Yingjia finally met Jia Jing, who was hiding behind closed doors.
"Jia Zijing, how do you want to stay here?" Zhen Yingjia glared at each other angrily: "I came to your door three times and you didn't want to see me. If I hadn't left this time, would you still not see me?" "See you again?" How about it? So what if I don’t see you? Intentional
Righteous? "Jia Jing's face was dark yellow, but his brows were still bright, "Ying Jia, if I were you, I wouldn't come here at all...
"Then where should I go?" Zhen Yingjia's heart trembled.
"Send the list of all the family property directly to Feng Keng's house and ask him to send someone to take it over. No one will be left behind. Miss three, you haven't promised anyone yet, right? The court hasn't officially criminalized your Zhen family. You are not culprits. First, Promise Miss Zhen San to Feng Ziying as a concubine!" Jia Jing said decisively, "Can you do it? If it happens immediately, the whole Zhen family can at least be saved. If it is too late, then the Zhen family will be destroyed in both people and property. The result."
Zhen Yingjia was stunned, and after a long time she said viciously: "Jia Zijing, what nonsense are you talking about, are you scaremongering me?"
"Scaring you? Do I need to scare you? Did you come to the door yourself, or did I invite you to come?" Jia Jing sneered, "I didn't scare you. You know best in your heart, otherwise you wouldn't come. Come to me and take down your Zhen family. Maybe the Zhou family, Hu family and Tao family will be destroyed. Maybe the imperial court doesn’t want you to do what I said, because for the imperial court, such a deterrent effect will be better. ,do you understand?"
