Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 464: Heaven Hears the Marriage

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

Before entering the hall, Jia Cong was reminded by Yuanyang. Now he heard Lady Jia say this, as well as the expectant look of Baoling Hou Chen.

He knew that things were just as he had guessed, and that Grandmother Jia must be arranging a marriage for him and Shi Xiangyun.

Earlier, the old lady rejected Madam Xing's proposal for Xing Xiuyan, and even tricked Mrs. Xu into taking a concubine. This was to free up a position early so that her plan for a marriage between Jia and Shi could come true.

Jia Cong suddenly recalled that year when his biological mother's spirit tablet could not be placed in the ancestral temple and could only be housed in the Muni Courtyard outside the west gate.

Of all the people in the mansion, only Daiyu came alone to accompany him despite suspicion. She was full of affection and bowed before the coffin, which made him unforgettable for the rest of his life.

Every time he went to take an exam or went out on errands, Daiyu would come in person, even doing chores like putting away luggage and belongings herself.

When he was passing through Yangzhou on his way south to Nanjing, he only stayed for one day. She wrote home early to help him arrange food, taking care of every detail.

When she returned home that day, she knew that she had invited Zhang Shipeng to treat her father. Her face was full of joy and she bowed solemnly to him. Her eyes were full of affection, as if they contained thousands of words, which made his heart beat fast.

Over the years, they have lived together in the same house and the affection that has accumulated day by day is extraordinary.

Wu'er also told him that Daiyu had been ill for several days since the news of Concubine Zhen's arrangement for marriage spread in the palace. It was only after Wu'er's comfort that she felt a little better.

If the news of his engagement to Shi Xiangyun were to spread, he could not predict what the consequences would be.

Could he tell the old lady in front of everyone that the person he wanted to marry most was Daiyu?

Not to mention the current situation, this is not the time to say such things. Once the words are out of your mouth, it will be even more difficult to deal with.

Among the aristocratic families, Daiyu was a daughter of a wealthy family. She had a secret marriage with a matchmaker without the approval of her elders. She could not explain her mistake even if she jumped into the Yellow River.

He was even more unwilling to have his important affairs controlled by women in the rear house like Lady Jia, and become a tool for family alliances and co-operation.

When Lady Jia spoke just now, his mind was filled with thoughts, and he couldn't think of a good way to refuse. Suddenly, he thought of what happened when he entered the palace a few days ago...

Before Lady Jia could say Xiangyun's name, she spoke in time to stop the old lady from talking.

……

When Jia Cong said that the marriage proposal was inappropriate, everyone in the hall looked surprised.

Wang Xifeng was also a little dumbfounded after hearing this, and wondered what the hell was going on with Cong Lao San. He was always smart and it was impossible for him not to hear that the old lady wanted to marry Sister Xiangyun to him.

Although the two have been at odds for more than ten years, the old lady did not use it to bully him this time. Instead, she was genuinely kind-hearted and spoke of a genuine happy event.

Wang Xifeng also knew that Jia Cong and Shi Xiangyun got along well with each other on a daily basis, and that he would never be bored with such a pretty and romantic girl.

Moreover, she is the eldest daughter of the Shi family, and has a noble family with two marquises behind her. Could it be that the third brother Cong could not see the benefits of it and actually said inappropriate words?

Wang Xifeng originally wanted to say something to ease the situation, but as this was a major marriage with both the Jia and Shi families present, it was too sensitive and she did not dare to interfere, so she swallowed the words back.

He just glanced at Lady Jia's face with his phoenix eyes.

……

As soon as Jia Cong said that inappropriate word, Baoling Hou Chen's face turned ugly and embarrassed, Jia's mother looked even more gloomy, and Mrs. Wang's face was interesting, as if she was waiting for a good show.

Grandmother Jia said angrily, "What are you talking about? You have reached the age of marriage. It is natural for men to get married and women to get married. How can you say that this is inappropriate?

Now that you have established your own palace and become an earl, do you think you no longer care about me, your grandmother, and don't think I, an old woman, can make decisions for you?"

As soon as Lady Jia said this bluntly, the air in Rongqing Hall became cold and everyone's face changed drastically.

Mrs. Wang and Mrs. Chen, the Marquis of Baoling, were both younger generations, and they could no longer sit on the stools and stood up.

Mrs. Wang said, "Brother Cong, this is a happy event. It's hard for the old lady to think about it. You still say such things and make the old lady angry."

Mrs. Li, who was standing by, frowned slightly after hearing what Mrs. Wang said.

In such a marriage proposal, even if there are some disturbances, things must be said tactfully so that everyone can back down from the situation.

Mrs. Wang, by saying something like this at this moment, isn't she just adding fuel to the fire?

Besides, the old lady hadn't mentioned Xiangyun's name yet, but Cong'er had already said those words in time, and the matter hadn't been exposed yet, so there was really no need to make things awkward.

He quickly said, "Don't be angry, Madam. Marriage is a serious matter that needs to be handled with caution. Cong has also seen the world and understands reason. There must be some reason why he said that.

Otherwise, let him finish what he is saying. If you are still angry, it won’t be too late to teach your grandson a lesson later.”

After listening to Li's advice, Jia's grandmother just went along with it. After all, Jia Cong's status was different now, so it was ok for him to show off his grandmother's power, but too much is as bad as too little.

Moreover, this marriage cannot be left unresolved halfway, otherwise Lady Jia's reputation will be ruined by this evildoer for the rest of her life. How can she hold her head up in front of her family in the future?

He said angrily, "Okay, I'll listen to your reasoning and see if you can come up with something more to say."

Jia Cong said, "The old lady misunderstood me. Cong said that it is inappropriate to discuss marriage at this time. It is not disrespectful to the elders, but there are reasons for it."

Grandmother Jia looked impatient and said, "There is such a reason that just happened to delay your marriage. It's really strange."

Grandmother Jia was so angry that she laughed and said, "You tell me, let me hear this too!"

Jia Cong listened to the strange voice of Jia's mother, but he didn't care, and said: "That day I went to the palace to see the emperor and reported the decree, and I encountered something unexpectedly."

Jia Cong only said half of his words and then stopped talking, just glancing at the maids and servants serving in the hall.

When Lady Jia heard Jia Cong say that the reason was because of the audience with the emperor in the palace, she was shocked. She was also an experienced person, and when she saw Jia Cong's expression, she reacted.

He asked all the maids and old women serving in the hall to leave, leaving only Yuanyang to serve him.

……

Grandmother Jia was no longer angry at this moment, and asked, "You just came to the palace to see the emperor, what happened?"

Jia Cong replied, "That day, after Cong had presented his imperial decree to the emperor, the emperor had something else to say, but suddenly the emperor asked the eunuch to pass on the message, asking Cong to go to Qinghe Palace to see the emperor and old concubine Zhen."

When Lady Jia and the others heard this, their faces changed. They all knew that with Jia Cong's current position and official rank, it was normal for him to enter the palace to meet the emperor and talk to him.

But the retired emperor had long since retired to the deep palace and no longer cared about state affairs. It was somewhat unusual that he suddenly wanted to see Jia Cong, not to mention that there was also the old Concubine Zhen involved.

Everyone present knew that there was news in the palace that the old Concubine Zhen wanted to arrange a marriage between Jia Cong and the third daughter of the Zhen family, but there has been no follow-up and it is unclear whether it is true or not.

Now that the Supreme Emperor and Old Concubine Zhen suddenly summoned Jia Cong to meet him, it must be related to the arranged marriage. No wonder Jia Cong said something inappropriate just now.

Before Jia's mother could ask, Baolinghou Chen asked first, "Brother Cong, did the two nobles summon you to say anything important?"

Jia Cong said: "The Emperor and Old Concubine Zhen only said some compliments. Old Concubine Zhen also asked me what I thought of the Third Miss of the Zhen Family."

When Jia Mu and the others heard this, they thought it was indeed related to the marriage. Jia Mu asked anxiously, "What did you say?"

Jia Cong looked strange and said, "At that juncture, I naturally said that Miss Zhen San was very good, and then the old Concubine Zhen gave me a precious jade ruyi.

It was only after I returned home that I learned that the jade ruyi was a betrothal gift for women, and they were always given in pairs. But I was given only one, and the meaning behind it is hard to understand.

Because this matter is somewhat unusual, Cong has never mentioned it to anyone. If the old lady had not been angry just now, I would not have said it either.

The current situation is unclear. At this critical juncture, if my family discusses Cong's engagement, others will think that my family has ulterior motives, which will hurt the reputation of the two saints. Isn't this the crime of deceiving the emperor? "

……

In fact, Jia Cong used the matter of Concubine Zhen to persuade Lady Jia to arrange a marriage for him, which was not a good idea. However, he could not think of any other way to get out of it.

This was the only option left, but he was very vague about the fact that he would go to the palace to meet the old Concubine Zhen and be given a jade ruyi.

Naturally, Lady Jia and others would understand it as he wished, and thus reject the marriage in disguise. Although it was clever, there were still some risks in using the affairs of the palace as an excuse.

Moreover, there were many people in Rongqing Hall and it was impossible to keep secrets, so before he told the story, he asked Lady Jia to send away the maids and servants present.

This was to minimize the possibility of the matter being spread. Otherwise, if the news reached the palace and some old Concubine Zhen took advantage of the situation, Jia Cong would have ended up making things worse.

……

After hearing what Jia Cong said, Jia Mu and others' faces changed drastically. In their opinion, this was not the case as Jia Cong said.

Baoling Hou Chen smiled bitterly and said, "When old Concubine Zhen gave me a jade ruyi, it was probably for that reason. I never thought that I would be so blessed."

At this moment, Grandmother Jia had already backed out in her heart. She really didn't expect that the last time this kid entered the palace to meet the emperor, he was summoned by the old Concubine Zhen. It was obvious that he was there to see the emperor's wife.

If I were to rush to arrange a marriage between Jia Cong and Xiangyun at this time, wouldn't it be a slap in the face of the Emperor and the old Concubine Zhen? That would be a real disaster.

Grandmother Jia looked at Jia Cong with a complicated expression and said, "I don't know what kind of person you are. You always come up with so many strange things.

Since this is the case, the marriage arranged by your family will have to be put on hold for the time being."

Grandmother Jia also warned Lady Wang and Wang Xifeng, "This matter involves the palace. You should be careful about what happened in the hall today and don't let anything out to avoid trouble.

If that slave dares to talk nonsense, I will kill him if you see him!"

Jia Cong felt relieved after hearing what Grandmother Jia said, but his hidden worries were not here. He always did things after careful planning, and rarely took risks like this time.

He used the matter of the old Concubine Zhen to dissuade Lady Jia from getting engaged, which was not too difficult, but it is difficult to repair the west wall after tearing down the east wall.

No matter how powerful the strategies and plots are, sometimes they cannot withstand the power of the emperor. Even if you have a hundred clever plans, there will be times when you are at a loss.

He is not so arrogant and shallow as to think that he can be invincible just by planning.

If the retired emperor really granted Zhen Fangqing to himself in marriage out of filial piety to the old Concubine Zhen.

That would not be as easy as how he dealt with Lady Jia. He would most likely be forced into a situation... For now, he could only take it one level at a time.

……

Such a good family marriage was ruined by Jia Cong and ended up in nothing.

Moreover, it was Lady Jia who proposed the matter to Chen, Marquis of Baoling, but it ended up in such a mediocre state, which made Lady Jia feel embarrassed in front of her family.

Fortunately, thanks to the old Concubine Zhen, Lady Jia was able to extricate herself from the matter to some extent, and it seemed that her circumstances were always justifiable.

Although everyone in the hall knew that the person that Jia's grandmother was suggesting for Jia Cong was Shi Xiangyun, after all, the words had not yet been spoken, so it was not considered a loss of face, and everyone pretended to be confused.

Mrs. Wang was originally very dissatisfied with the fact that Lady Jia promised Shi Xiangyun to Jia Cong.

Although the matter was not accomplished in the end, there was a rumor that the Concubine Dowager bestowed a gift, which was tantamount to granting a marriage. This seemed to make Congge even more proud, and he felt more annoyed and resentful in his heart.

My own Baoyu was born with a jade in his mouth. His origin is much more noble and extraordinary than that of this Cong'er. He was also very proud of his birth. How could people in the world be blind?

In Mrs. Wang's opinion, such an honorable and noble thing as an arranged marriage should happen to her Baoyu, which would be in line with their status and would bring out the best in each other.

……

Not to mention that Mrs. Wang was daydreaming, although Baoling Hou Chen was very disappointed today, after all, there were reasons for it, so it was not easy to say anything.

Grandmother Jia felt a little apologetic towards her niece-in-law, and she chatted a lot with Li. Wang Xifeng also made jokes on the side, and the atmosphere gradually eased.

Yuanyang, who was serving behind Lady Jia, witnessed the whole process and felt somewhat disappointed that the marriage between Shi Xiangyun and Jia Cong did not take place.

She had met Miss Zhen San once in Rongqing Hall, but to her, she was just a stranger after all, not as close as Miss Shi Da.

……

Li saw that Jia Cong remained calm and spoke eloquently in the face of his grandmother's scolding. He resolved the matter with just a few words, which was extremely quick and efficient.

Now he just sits there as if nothing has happened. At such a young age, it is really strange to see him in such a grand and generous manner.

No wonder he could accomplish so many great things even though he was still young. In his heart, he felt sorry for his niece Xiangyun.

She felt disappointed, and smiled and said to Grandmother Jia: "My aunt is blessed, and the grandson she raised is also blessed. Cong is so amazing, and he is valued by the palace. I am afraid he will be made a marquis and a prime minister in the future."

Grandmother Jia shook her head and said, "Don't flatter him with your words. He is just a junior and has been through so much. He can't stand all this.

At his age, he has such a high rank and status, which is already a blessing from heaven. He should not ask for more. As a person in this world, his fortune is predetermined, and it is common sense that he will have a long and steady life in the future.

I have lived for so many years and have seen many things. I know clearly that there is no such a reason. How can he still get promoted every day and take all the benefits in the world? "

Li said a few more polite words and was about to take her leave. Although the marriage did not take place today, at least she did not lose face too much, so she naturally decided to quit while she was ahead.

……

Here, Grandmother Jia was just about to ask Wang Xifeng to send Li out of the house, and Jia Cong was also preparing to get up and return to the East Palace.

Suddenly, Qingwen came into Rongqing Hall in a hurry. Her pretty face was a little flushed, as if she had been in a hurry when she came. She first paid her respects to Lady Jia.

Then he said to Jia Cong, "Third Master, an eunuch from the palace has come to the East Palace and said he wants to announce the imperial edict to you. Please hurry over to receive it."

Wang Xifeng was just about to leave Rongqing Hall with Li when she stopped in surprise after hearing this.

Grandmother Jia was also surprised, but Li turned around and murmured, "Could it be that the imperial edict granting marriage really came?"

Jia's mother was also shocked when she heard this, and said, "I didn't believe this before, but it shouldn't have come to this."

Jia Cong did not dare to delay and quickly returned to the East Mansion with Qingwen.

At this moment, Li also stopped walking. Whether out of curiosity or because he was somewhat unwilling to give up, he stayed to hear the final truth of the matter.

However, Wang Xifeng must be feeling uncomfortable when she thought about the fact that the old lady had not made the marriage happen.

Then he joined in the fun and said, "I don't think it's an arranged marriage. If it was, the old concubine would have given Brother Cong a Ruyi that day and would have granted the marriage long ago, and would not have waited until now.

Didn’t Brother Cong just solve a major case in Jinling and make great contributions? Maybe this is a reward from the palace?"

After hearing what Wang Xifeng said, Jia's mother did not feel at ease, but instead felt disgusted.

Just now, he acted like a worldly-wise man, saying that at Jia Cong's age, it was a blessing from heaven to have such a prestigious title and salary, and that he could not easily be promoted to a higher position.

He had just uttered these words when the palace issued an imperial decree to reward him. This was like a slap in the face to himself.

When Grandmother Jia thought about this, she felt somewhat embarrassed, so she asked Yuanyang to go to the East Palace with her to see what the imperial edict said.

……

The palace city of Da Zhou.

Zhen Fangqing's carriage arrived outside the Meridian Gate. He sent a message to the palace and then waited quietly outside the palace gate.

She set out from the capital, traveling day and night, just wanting to reach the capital as soon as possible. As a frail woman, she was so tired that she didn't even have the energy to daydream.

Now standing at the Meridian Gate, looking at the high palace walls, the worry in my heart became more and more serious. I wonder how the old concubine is doing now.

However, the palace has always been strictly guarded, and the procedures for non-palace personnel to enter the palace are very complicated. Even though Zhen Fang had lived and been raised in the palace for many years when she was young, she still had to follow all the rules.

The gatekeepers looked at the badge that Zhen Fangqing had taken out of the palace that year, and passed it to the Imperial Stables, which was in charge of entry into the palace. The Imperial Stables transcribed and passed on the information about entry into the palace.

It took quite a while to go through the formalities at the twelve related offices in the palace, and finally the matter was reported to the Deputy Chief Eunuch Guo Lin. After getting his approval, the Imperial Stables summoned the Qinghe Palace.

Zhen Fangqing waited at the Meridian Gate for more than an hour before an old maid from the Qinghe Palace, accompanied by two young eunuchs, came to take Zhen Fangqing into the palace.

Along the way, Zhen Fangqing heard from the old nanny that the old concubine had fainted last night. Although she was revived by the imperial physician, she seemed to be fine now. This made Zhen Fangqing even more worried.

But things are not the worst yet, and the old Concubine Zhen is doing well for now.

Zhen Fangqing followed the old nanny all the way into Qinghe Palace, and then into the bedroom of the old Concubine Zhen, where she saw the palace maids feeding the old woman ginseng soup.

She couldn't help but have red eyes and said, "Fang Qing greets the ancestor."

Although Old Concubine Zhen's clothes and hair were neat, her face was gloomy and she looked very sick. She smiled and said, "Good child, I finally waited for you."

Zhen Fangqing felt sad when she heard this. She was sent to the palace by her father when she was young and was raised by the old concubine.

Compared to her grandmother who enjoyed the wealth and luxury in the rear house, Zhen Fangqing was closer to the old concubine in her heart.

Since she entered the palace, the old empress dowager was wise and worldly-wise, and she always guided Zhen Fangqing step by step, which benefited her a lot.

She later returned to Jinling and inherited the family business. She was resourceful and decisive in her dealings, all of which came from the education and nurturing she received from the old Concubine Zhen since childhood.

When she was young, she left home to travel far away and was reluctant to leave her parents, but in retrospect, she felt that her father Zhen Yingquan was far-sighted and wise in sending her to the palace.

……

Old Concubine Zhen said, "A few days ago, your second sister came to the palace to see us. She talked about the other brothers and cried for a long time."

Zhen Fangqing frowned slightly: "The old ancestor is ill, why should my second sister tell you these unlucky things."

Old Concubine Zhen said, "I am over 80 years old and a very blessed person. What can I not bear? There is no need to be shy about it. After all, he is her brother.

There is an old saying that wealth and honor cannot last for more than three generations, and that the grace of a gentleman will be cut off after five generations. Since the founding of the Zhen family, their prosperity has continued for several generations.

However, the moon waxes and wanes, flowers bloom and fade, and there is no undefeated family in the world.

Over the years, I have often received letters from home, and you, the younger generations, have come to visit me and care about me.

I know a little bit about family affairs. In fact, by the time of your father's generation, the family had already shown signs of decline.

Fortunately, there are people like your father. Although he is not as high-ranking an official as your elder brother, I was not wrong about him. He is the most outstanding figure of that generation in the Zhen family!
By your generation, there are no more talented people among the Zhen family members. Some of them indulge in the harem and do not make progress, while others are greedy and reckless. "

At this point, Old Concubine Zhen touched Zhen Fangqing's temples and said with a smile: "You are my favorite girl, but you are a girl."

Then her eyes became solemn again: "I entered the palace at the age of seventeen, and have been away from my hometown in Jinling for more than sixty years. I have never been back since then.

I know in my heart that once I die, the Zhen family will not be able to recover, but I can no longer worry about it.

Now that I am getting old, I need a descendant like you to accompany me, so that I can have someone to entrust the unexplained feelings and unfinished business of my life to... "

(End of this chapter)