Xia Shouzhong smiled and stretched out his hand to caress the token, whose surface was as smooth as a child's skin, secretly thinking that the token must be a treasure.

He patted his chest and assured, "Don't worry, Mr. Liu Yuan. Not only will our family personally select people for the county lord, but we will also repeatedly tell them to serve them carefully. If anyone really dares to neglect the county lord, then these palace servants will not have to live."

Shi Zhongkui smiled and nodded before sitting in the sedan.

By the time the team announcing the decree arrived at Jia's house again, the sky was already getting dark.

The servants guarding the gates of Ning and Rong Mansion saw a long line of embroidered guards and imperial guards from a distance, and they were so frightened that their legs trembled.

Fortunately, the two houses are worthy of being nobles for centuries, and there are still people who have seen a lot of the world.

After seeing clearly that the embroidered guards were followed by the imperial guards, they realized that they should be the team announcing the decree.

After being frightened, I felt overjoyed and hurriedly ran to the house to report.

When they saw Jia She, Jia Zheng, Jia Zhen and Jia Lian coming out of Jia Mu's house, they couldn't speak clearly for a long time.

Angry, Jia Zhen kicked him over.

Normally, Jia Zhen would never dare to do this in front of Jia She and Jia Zheng.

But just now in Jia Mu's Rongqing Hall, Jia Mu said that she should go to Xuanzhen Monastery to practice for three to five months. Jia Zhen's heart skipped a beat.

Just when he was about to find a reason to refuse, Jia Mu went on to say that she would inform Jia Jing about this.

Now Jia Zhen couldn't agree even if she wanted to.

When Jia Jing angrily disciplined his son, he was just like Jia Zheng. He picked up a stick and was really good at beating him to death.

And Jia Zhen, who had received the title and inherited the Ning Guofu family business, had no choice but to kneel on the ground and die if she did not want to commit the crime of disobedience.

If you admit your mistake directly, you will be beaten severely at most, but if you are disobedient, you deserve to be beaten to death.

Even if he opens an ancestral hall and drives out the Jia family, it is not impossible to be sentenced to death.

Therefore, while Jia Zhen did not dare to refute Jia Mu, she also had an ominous premonition in her heart.

Of course, Jia Zhen had never thought before that even with Shi Zhongkui's help, she would not be able to escape punishment in the end.

But he never expected that Jia Mu actually wanted to become a Taoist priest.

He hurriedly knelt on the ground and prayed, "Ancestor, my grandson has not done anything wrong. Do you really want to make your grandson a Taoist priest?"

Jia Mu sighed, to be honest, Jia Zhen is still very filial to herself.

If the grandson-in-law hadn't said that the incident in Ningguo Mansion might have affected Rongguo Mansion, he would have saved him no matter what.

But now no one knows what the emperor thinks, and it is difficult to ask Jia Zhen what mistakes she has made, nor can she tell the truth.

Therefore, it is a good idea to let Jia Zhen go to Xuanzhen first to observe.

If he can't do anything, he can be saved by accepting the ordination and becoming a monk directly in the Taoist temple.

If things take a turn for the better, just come back in three to five months.

"Brother Zhen, you must listen to me no matter what this time, otherwise when disaster strikes, you will have no chance to stay home and live happily."

Jia Zhen's pupils shrank, and she secretly wondered if it was about her and Qin Keqing. The Xiuyi Guard found out about it, and even found real evidence or witnesses?

There was something wrong in her heart, so Jia Zhen didn't dare to beg for mercy anymore.

Thinking again and again about what she had done, she realized that Jia Mu was indeed looking for a way out for herself.

But if you really become a Taoist priest in Xuanzhen Temple, with your biological father Jia Jing watching over you, it is basically impossible to be as domineering as you were in Ningguo Mansion.

So Jia Zhen's mood is as bad as it gets.

Seeing the servant who came to report, he was panting and couldn't explain it for a long time. He couldn't hold back, so he kicked him without thinking.

As for Jia She and Jia Zheng, surprisingly they did not reprimand him.

However, after Jia Zhen received the imperial edict, she would be even more angry, but she could only accept the edict helplessly.

And given Jia Zhen's unfamiliarity with officialdom, he might not have thought of the twists and turns involved.

So on the way to Jia's house, Shi Zhongkui thought about it and decided to make it as clear as possible.

The servant of the Rongguo Mansion recovered after being beaten, knelt on the ground and shouted, "Master, Master, we are the team announcing the decree."

When Jia She and the others heard this, they were worried and quickly ordered people to prepare the incense table and other items, and then ordered people to go to the inner house to tell Jia Mu and others to put on imperial robes.

When Jia Zheng ordered his men to open the middle door and walk out, they saw Xia Shouzhong hurriedly getting off the sedan chair and running to a sedan chair that could only be made by a fourth-grade official.

Not only did he lift the sedan curtain with his own hands, his waist almost bent to the sedan door.

That gesture is as respectful as you want it to be.

Jia Lian recognized at a glance that it was Shi Zhongkui's sedan, and quickly reminded him, "Master, eldest master, it is Bo Qian's sedan."

Jia Zheng, Jia She and Jia Zhen felt relieved after hearing this.

He hurriedly walked down the steps to meet him.

"I have met my father-in-law, my second uncle, my elder brother Zhen, and my second brother Lian."

Seeing Shi Zhongkui's serious expression, Jia Zheng and the others couldn't help but feel a little bit in their hearts, and asked hurriedly, "Is Bo Qian here to announce the decree, or...?"

Shi Zhongkui looked at Xia Shouzhong. The eunuch hurriedly ran back to order his sedan chair and asked for the wooden box containing the imperial edict.

Shi Zhongkui didn't hide it either, "It's a mixed bag of good and bad."

Then he said to Jia Lian, "Second Brother Lian ordered someone to follow my servant to fetch Brother Rong. There is an imperial decree related to him."

After hearing this, Jia Zhen's face turned pale, and she almost lost her balance when Jia Lian held her up.

Shi Zhongkui looked at Jia Zhen, whose face was full of pleas for help, frowned and shook his head, "Brother Zhen, it's not that I don't want to plead with Your Majesty, but this is already the best result.

Otherwise, considering what happened when your daughter-in-law Nian Rong was buried last year, as well as other things, a banishment or exile would be a minor matter. And while the Rongguo Mansion is being implicated, it is hard to say whether the Ningguo Mansion can be saved."

After hearing this, Jia She and Jia Zheng couldn't help but think of the nonsense they heard about Jia Zhen and Qin Keqing.

You must know that Qin Keqing is the wife of Jia Rong Mingming, and it is not an exaggeration to say that Jia Zhen is extremely evil.

Jia Zheng scolded him angrily, "You are an unfilial son, and you have done a good deed. And I advised you back then that it was not appropriate for Rong's daughter-in-law to use the wooden coffin of Prince Yi Zhong, a thousand years old, but what about you?"

Acting willfully and without any fear has led to today's disaster, who is to blame?"

Jia Zhen was still struggling at first, but after hearing this, her legs went weak, but she pushed Jia Lian who was supporting her again.

With a pop, he knelt down in front of Jia Zheng, hugged his legs and howled loudly.

Seeing this, Xia Shouzhong and others could only wait on the sidelines to avoid getting involved and being begged for help, but they were unable and unwilling to help.

When we meet in the future, our faces will not look good.

Jia Zhen's trick was indeed effective. Jia Zheng softened his heart and looked at Shi Zhongkui and said, "Bo Qian, I don't ask you to exonerate Zhen'er, but for the sake of relatives, please help him find a way out.

"

Jia She hurriedly echoed, "Good son-in-law, no matter how unbearable Zhen'er is, he is still your cousin and brother-in-law. We can't just watch him have no way to survive!"

Jia Lian was also frightened. This was the head of the Ningguo Mansion, and he would be punished if he was told to be punished. He had no chance to react.

In addition, I have been used to playing with Jia Zhen since childhood. No matter how many scandals Jia Zhen has done, the elders and brothers of the Jia family are not at all negligent or ill-intentioned.

Therefore, from the standpoint of the Jia family, it is really unjustifiable not to seek marriage for Jia Zhen.

Shi Zhongkui waved his hand to stop Jia Lian.

He sighed and said, "Your Majesty is merciful. The imperial edict states that Jia Zhen of the Ningguo Prefecture will assist Taichang Yuan in managing the temple, and Jia Rong will join the Farming Division to obey orders."

If he has meritorious service, if the Ningguo Mansion comes to his generation, he can inherit the Ningguo Mansion without being demoted."

Jia She, Jia Zheng and Jia Lian were overjoyed after hearing this. Without thinking, they knelt on the ground and shouted, "The emperor's kindness is great, thank you for your kindness" and other words.

Jia Zhen struggled for a moment, probably because she knew that the imperial edict had been issued and nothing could be done, so she couldn't help but burst into tears and respectfully bowed three times and kowtowed nine times to express her gratitude.

Then sadness came from my heart and I started to cry loudly again.

This cry was even heard by Mrs. Jia Mu, Xing and Wang who hurried to the front yard to receive the order.

Jia Mu's face turned pale, and she hurriedly turned to Lai Er, who ordered, "Go and find out quickly, find out what is going on that makes Zhen'er cry like this."

As the steward of Ningguo Mansion, Lai Er was certainly more anxious than Lai Da.

In his opinion, if something happened to Jia Zhen, the loss of her title would mean that the Ningguo Mansion would be almost over.

Then from now on, it will be difficult for me as a housekeeper to live a stable life, let alone making money.

Feeling uneasy, he rushed out without even thinking.

Shi Zhongkui saw Lai Er's face full of horror, and he even ran out of the middle door regardless of the rules.

Although Lai Da, who was following him, wanted to hold him, he only had time to hold Lai Er from behind after he crossed the middle gate.

As soon as his mind moved, he shouted loudly, "Be bold."

While everyone was frightened by him, they couldn't help but look at him and follow his gaze.

Jia She and Jia Zheng suddenly turned red with anger.

Then Laiji seemed to have reacted, and rolled and crawled back to the yard from the middle door.

Then he followed Lai Da and ran out of the side door.
To be continued...