The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 637 The Red Phoenix Star Strikes?

After Jia Huan spoke for a while in Grandmother Jia's room, a servant came to announce that Master Jia had returned home from his official duties and invited Third Master Jia to his study. Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "Huan-ge'er, go see your father!"

Jia Huan then got up to take his leave and went straight to Mengpo Studio. When he arrived at Mengpo Studio, he found Jia Zheng and Jia Yucun drinking tea and chatting. He couldn't help but frown. He had never liked Jia Yucun, that traitor, and had even been wary of him. But his father, Jia Zheng, liked to associate with this man.

"Hehe, Lord Jia is here! This humble official greets you!" Jia Yucun immediately stood up to greet Jia Huan warmly, though his feelings were quite complicated.

Back when I first met Jia Huan, this illegitimate son was just a little boy under ten years old, unknown to anyone. I even gave him a test and rewarded him with ten taels of silver. Who would have thought that in just seven or eight years, Jia Huan would become a famous frontier commander and a high-ranking official? This speed of promotion is simply like a dream. He is truly a force to be reckoned with!

Jia Huan smiled and returned the greeting, saying, "Lord Jia, you're too kind. Just call me Huan-ge'er as always."

Jia Yucun hurriedly replied, "How dare I! Lord Jia is now the Governor of Liaodong, how could I dare to be presumptuous!"

Jia Zheng felt a mixture of pride and satisfaction. He stroked his beard and said with a smile, "Although this rascal has now risen to a high official position, he is still a junior. Brother Yucun, there's no need to be so formal. Let's stick to seniority in private!"

Jia Yucun then sat down again, and Jia Huan bowed to Jia Zheng, who nodded and said, "Huan-ge'er, you are now a person of status. Seniority must be respected, but etiquette cannot be disregarded. Please sit down as well!"

Jia Huan sat down as instructed, secretly feeling "honored" that he had finally earned the right to a chair in the old-fashioned and rigid Zheng's room. It was no easy feat!

"Third Master, please have some tea!" Li Shi'er poured tea for Jia Huan in a flattering manner, then left the room.

Jia Zheng coughed lightly and asked, "Huan-ge'er should have met the Emperor, right? Does he have an imperial edict?"

Jia Huan nodded and said, "Your son has already met with His Majesty. There is no imperial edict yet. His Majesty is understanding and has ordered me to return to my residence to rest and attend court again tomorrow."

Jia Yucun laughed and said, "This humble official must congratulate Lord Jia and Brother Cunzhou in advance. Lord Jia's great victory at Ningyuan and the recovery of all lost territory in Liaoxi is a great achievement. Tomorrow, when you go to court to meet the Emperor, you will surely be promoted and your family will be honored!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Zheng felt a surge of warmth in his heart, but he humbly replied, "Protecting the country is the duty of a subject, how dare I claim credit? Moreover, this great victory is entirely due to the skillful command of the General and the valiant efforts of the soldiers. Huan-ge'er was merely fortunate to benefit from it. Don't overpraise him!"

"Brother Cunzhou, you are too modest. Everyone knows that my nephew deserves great credit for this great victory. Now my nephew is famous throughout the country!"

Jia Huan almost dozed off after listening to the two men's pointless pleasantries for a long time. Jia Yucun, however, was sensible and got up to take his leave after sitting for a while longer, saying, "It's getting late, so I'll take my leave now and not disturb Brother Cunzhou and Master Jia's gathering any longer."

"Oh, oh, Brother Yucun, take care!" Jia Zheng stood up and saw Jia Yucun out. Jia Huan also stood up to see him off, but it was mostly perfunctory.

Watching Jia Yucun walk away, Jia Zheng turned his head and glared at Jia Huan reproachfully, scolding, "You wretched child, you've only been governor for two years and you're already so arrogant. Jia Yucun is a secretary in the Ministry of Revenue, a position equivalent to your father's, and a relative of yours. How dare you be so disrespectful!"

Jia Huan calmly replied, "Where have I been impolite? Please enlighten me, sir!"

Jia Zheng snorted coldly. Jia Huan hadn't actually done anything rude, but his attitude was perfunctory, which was obvious to anyone with eyes.

“Alright, I really don’t like this Jia Yucun,” Jia Huan said frankly.

Jia Zheng was slightly taken aback, then frowned and asked, "Why?"

Jia Huan said solemnly, "This man is opportunistic and two-faced. He says one thing to your face and another behind your back. You should not befriend him. It would be best if you stayed away from him in the future. If you fall into his trap, it will be too late to regret it!"

"Nonsense!" Jia Zheng retorted coldly, "I have known Jia Hua for over a decade, do you think I don't know his character?"

Jia Huan shrugged and thought to himself, "That's why I say you're muddle-headed. Don't let yourself get sold out in the future and end up counting the money for the seller."

Jia Zheng clearly did not heed Jia Huan's advice. After the father and son sat down again, he asked about some things at the front and finally reminded him: "You have been away from the court for two years and do not know much about the affairs of the court. Now, Shi Dayong, the director of the Eastern Depot, is deeply trusted by the emperor. You must not offend him easily. You must be careful."

Jia Huan felt a warmth in his heart and nodded, saying, "Huan'er understands."

Jia Zheng hesitated for a moment, then finally waved his hand and said, "Go back and rest. Remember to pay respects at the ancestral hall tomorrow to comfort our ancestors."

Jia Huan agreed and left Mengpo Studio, heading straight back to the garden. After entering the south gate of the garden and passing through the winding artificial hill, he saw the lush green bamboo, which was the location of Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Jia Huan, filled with eager anticipation, rushed straight to Xiaoxiang Pavilion, only to find it empty upon entering. Only Zijuan was inside; it turned out that Lin Daiyu was still at Grandmother Jia's place and hadn't returned yet.

So, Jia Huan had no choice but to bid farewell to Zijuan and return to his Yuewei Residence. Zijuan watched Jia Huan's disappointed departure, a slight smile appearing on her lips. Every time Third Master Huan returned to the manor, his first stop was Xiaoxiang Pavilion, showing how much he truly cared for Miss Lin; it was no wonder that the woman who worried about him every day was doing so well. Meanwhile, back at Yuewei Residence, Ping'er, Mandarin, Qingwen, and Caixia were sorting through the gifts they had brought back, preparing to distribute them to the various households.

Jia Huan crept up from behind, covered Ping'er's eyes with his hands, and laughed, "Guess who I am!"

Ping'er's delicate body trembled, her heart filled with sweetness, and she said with a sweet smile, "Third Master, stop fooling around, do you think I can't recognize your voice!"

Jia Huan laughed heartily, picked up Ping'er, and spun her around in one go: "Good sister, I've missed you so much!"

Ping'er's sweet face was flushed with happiness as she whispered, "Third Master, please put me down. Everyone's watching, it's so embarrassing!"

Jia Huan laughed and said, "What's there to be shy about? We're all family now. Let them go about their business, let's go inside and talk!" After saying that, he picked up Ping'er and went into the inner room.

Mandarin, Qingwen, and Caixia exchanged glances. A moment later, a sound that made them blush came from inside, and they couldn't help but spit out a soft "Spit!"

Jia Huan brought back many gifts this time, all of which were specialties from beyond the Great Wall, such as various furs, pearls, deer antlers, monkey mushrooms, Panax notoginseng, ginseng and other precious medicinal materials. Mandarin and the other two sorted them out and then delivered them to each family.

Jia Huan and Ping'er, having been separated for so long, were filled with intense passion. After finishing their business, Ping'er helped them take a nice bath. By the time they finished washing up, it was already dark. Qingwen, Mandarin, and Caixia had also finished distributing all the gifts they had brought back.

After his bath, Jia Huan appeared even more handsome, with rosy lips and white teeth. He ate dinner in casual clothes, while Ping'er helped serve the dishes. The beautiful concubine, who had just been pampered, had a sweet, rosy face and a gentle, tender look. Her alluring eyes seemed to drip with dew and fire, like a blooming begonia, making one want to take a bite.

"Qingwen, what is Sister Lin doing right now?" Jia Huan asked while eating.

Qingwen said, "Don't ask me, it was Caixia who delivered the gift to Xiaoxiang Pavilion just now."

Caixia smiled and said, "Miss Lin has already eaten dinner and is taking a walk in the courtyard to digest her food. She accepted Third Master's gift and said that she was very grateful for it. She also said that Third Master must be tired from his journey and should rest well tonight and not run around, as he has to get up early for court tomorrow."

Qingwen chuckled and said, "Miss Lin understands this person best. If she hadn't said anything, this person would probably be completely smitten with her."

Jia Huan broke out in a cold sweat. He did indeed plan to visit Xiao Guan that night after dinner. After a moment's hesitation, he instructed, "Sister Caixia, please make another trip. Take two of the old handkerchiefs I brought back and deliver them to Sister Lin. Tell her I will visit her again tomorrow!"

Caixia asked with a puzzled smile, "If Third Master is going to give something, he should give something new. Why give this half-new, half-old handkerchief to Miss Lin? It's fine with other people, but given Miss Lin's personality, she might think you're making fun of her. What if she gets angry?"

"It's alright, she'll understand!" Jia Huan said.

Caixia had no choice but to take the two old handkerchiefs and go straight to Xiaoxiang Pavilion. Lin Daiyu was reading under the lamp and asked in surprise, "You just sent something, what are you sending now?"

Caixia smiled and said, "It's two handkerchiefs. Third Master asked me to give them to Miss Lin. He said he'll come to visit Miss Lin again tomorrow."

"Why give it to me?" Lin Daiyu was slightly taken aback, and said softly, "Who gave Huan-di this new handkerchief? It must be something of the finest quality. Let him keep it for himself. I don't need it right now."

Caixia shook her head and laughed, "It's not new, it's an old handkerchief that Third Master usually uses. I'm also puzzled!"

Lin Daiyu immediately understood, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she said with an "Oh," "Put it down, go!"

Caixia put down the handkerchief and turned to leave, secretly thinking to herself, "It seems that Master Huan really has his eye on Miss Lin. Judging from the current situation, the two of them have probably been secretly having an affair for a long time."

Inside the room, Lin Daiyu picked up the two old handkerchiefs, her face flushed and her heart fluttering. She tilted her head, lost in thought for a long time, before finally writing on the handkerchiefs: "Tears fall like pearls and jade, stolen away, all day long I am listless and idle. On my pillow and sleeves, I cannot wipe them away, letting them fall, stain after stain. The colorful threads cannot gather the tears from my face, the old traces of the Xiang River are already blurred. There are also a thousand bamboo stalks before the window, do they not recognize the fragrant stains?"

Lin Daiyu was about to continue writing when she felt a burning sensation all over her body and her face flushed. She went to the mirror, lifted the brocade cover, and looked at herself. She saw that her cheeks were bright red, truly outshining the peach blossoms.

Just then, Zijuan walked in and saw that Lin Daiyu's cheeks were flushed like brocade and her eyes were watery. She was secretly surprised and asked, "Miss, do you have a fever?"

Lin Daiyu quickly covered the mirror and said shyly, "No... Oh, I'm a little tired tonight. Bring me some hot water so I can wash my face and rest."

Zijuan glanced at the handkerchief with the ink still wet on the table, turned around and walked out of the inner room without making a sound, but secretly she was delighted. Could it be that the young lady's appearance indicates that she has fallen in love?

(End of this chapter)