Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Ningrong Street, Earl's Mansion.

The autumn breeze blows gently from the Dengxian Pavilion. Looking out from the pavilion, you can see all the beautiful scenery in Huifang Garden, including pavilions, rockery, waterside terraces, winding corridors, flowers and trees.

A round table with eight seats has been set up near the window, with seven or eight cold dishes already on it, waiting for the kitchen to cook and serve the hot dishes.

Daiyu, Tanchun, Xichun, and Xiangyun sat around Jia Cong, and they called Zhishao, Xing Xiuyun, Yinglian, Wu'er, Qingwen and others to join them.

Xiangyun was still happily fiddling with the gifts that Jia Cong brought her from Jiangnan, including a Suzhou paper fan, Huizhou clay figurines, and a foreign pronunciation box from Jinling.

During the national mourning period, people are not allowed to drink alcohol, but only tea is consumed instead. Some people lean on the railing to look at the scenery, some people talk and laugh happily, and some people smile without saying a word. Before the meal starts, the atmosphere is already harmonious and warm.

Jia Cong asked Tanchun, "My second sister is still in the West Mansion. Has anyone been sent to invite her?"

Tanchun replied, "I just asked the secretary to go and invite him. He should be here soon."

As soon as the words fell, footsteps were heard on the stairs. Not only Shishu came back, but also Yingchun's maid Xiu Ju followed behind her.

When Xiu Ju saw Jia Cong, she said, "Third Master, the Second Miss asked me to tell you that just now in Rongxi Hall in the West Mansion, Second Master Bao was punished by the master and was seriously injured. The West Mansion is in chaos."

Everyone was surprised when they heard this. Jia Cong had not been to the West Palace today, so he naturally didn't know about this. Daiyu and other sisters happened to return to the East Palace and did not encounter this incident.

When Jia Cong asked about the reason for Xiu Ju, he found out that it was the nonsense that Baoyu had made up to arrange the marriage that day that eventually led to the disaster.

Yingchun specifically asked her maid to come back and pass on a message, and Jia Cong naturally knew what she meant. Baoyu was seriously injured, so he and his sisters should go and visit him.

This incident happened suddenly, and naturally disrupted everyone's mood for feasting and playing, so they went to the West Mansion together to visit Baoyu's injuries.

Daiyu, Xiangyun and others walked in front, but Jia Cong slowed down and followed behind, with a thoughtful look in his eyes.

Tanchun was alert and noticed that Jia Cong was acting strangely, so she slowed down her pace and waited for Jia Cong to catch up with her before asking, "Third brother, what are you thinking about?"

Jia Cong said, "Third sister, don't you think it's a little strange that Baoyu was beaten?"

Tanchun was very thoughtful, and after thinking about it for a while, she said, "It is indeed a bit strange. Baoyu said these words in my room that day. We sisters were the only ones there at the time, and it is impossible for outsiders to know.

It's only been a few days, how could it have spread to the palace and caused such a big disturbance? Is this what Third Brother meant?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Third sister is really smart, she understood it immediately. You are right. Although Baoyu's words were taboo, we were the only sisters in the room at that time.

But we might not be the only ones who heard it. You remember that Baoyu spoke in a loud voice, and there were a few maids who happened to be passing by the corridor and might have heard it."

When Tanchun heard this, her eyebrows slightly raised, and she suddenly looked heroic and charming, and said, "Now that Third Brother mentioned this, I also thought of it. I am familiar with those maids and servants.

Could it be that they leaked the news and caused this disaster? But these are family children or old servants, how could they harm Baoyu?"

Jia Cong said: "My third sister is a boudoir girl, she doesn't know much about the outside world. Now the court has Jinyiwei, Tuishiyuan, Zhongchesi and other internal government offices.

These places will arrange a lot of spies in the market and the residences of noble officials. Any disobedient words or accidents will not escape the eyes and ears of these people.

The Jia family of Rong State had been a family of dukes and nobles for generations, and was very prestigious and eye-catching. Most of the hundreds of servants in the mansion were house-born sons and old slaves.

These people have lived in the capital for a long time, so it is not surprising that they were lured by outsiders and became hidden spies."

Tanchun suddenly understood and blurted out, "No wonder when Third Brother set up his own house, the old lady wanted to give you the old servants from our family, but Third Brother didn't want any of them.

The servants in the mansion were all ordered to purchase from Jiangnan. Now I think it was a wise move."

After hearing this, Jia Cong was moved. Among these sisters, Tanchun was the most capable and talented.

She was a girl who lived in the boudoir and never stepped out of the house. However, after hearing what she had said before, she immediately drew inferences and guessed the deep meaning of her buying a slave from Jiangnan. She was smart and perceptive, and quite remarkable.

When Tanchun saw Jia Cong smiling without saying anything, she knew that her guess was correct, but this topic seemed inappropriate to expand on, so she said no more.

……

Jia Cong said, "When Baoyu said those words that day, Sister Lin looked unhappy, and Third Sister and Sister Bao both tried to dissuade him.

If any of us had echoed their voices at that time, I’m afraid Baoyu wouldn’t be the only one to suffer!”

After hearing this, Tanchun felt a chill in her heart and looked worried, saying, "Third brother, the West Mansion has such a person, isn't it a very dangerous thing? In the future, if anyone says something wrong, it will bring disaster.

Fortunately, I know all those maids and servants, so I might as well tell the old lady and find a chance to get rid of them."

Jia Cong said: "We must not do this now. Baoyu has just been in trouble. How could the Jia family quickly discover that there was a spy in the mansion and send him away without stopping for a moment?

It will make those inner court lackeys more fearful of Rongguo, and I am afraid they will become even more aggressive in the future. If the news spreads to the palace, it will be even more harmful than helpful.
Even if we want to get rid of these people, we can't do it at this time. We have to let this storm pass first and wait until things cool down.

In fact, it has long been an open secret that there are spies in the houses of nobles and high-ranking officials. However, the nobles' families will discipline their family members and make sure they are aware of the taboos in their words and deeds, so nothing will happen under normal circumstances.

The inner court has dense spies, and has long been a common sight in all the major mansions. This has intimidated the nobles and high officials, making them dare not easily overstep their boundaries, and has also reassured the king. "

Jia Cong thought of Baoyu's impassioned speech that day and smiled bitterly, "It's just that noble sons like Baoyu are rare.

Although he had good intentions, the old lady and his wife doted on him too much, causing him to be content with the wealth and leisure in the inner house, unaware of the dangers outside.

He is a lazy, complaining, eccentric person, and has no taboos. It is not surprising that he would cause such a thing, but if it happens again and again, it will be fatal. "

After hearing this, Tanchun became very worried. After all, Baoyu was her brother from the same father. Daiyu could ignore Baoyu if she didn't like him, but Tanchun couldn't do that.

"Third brother now has a say in the Jia family, so why don't you talk to second brother about these principles so that he can learn from them and avoid causing trouble in the future."

Jia Cong glanced at Tanchun and smiled, "Sister, you really think highly of me. The affairs between the two mansions are not simple. This year, the old lady has paid more attention to me than before.

But it was mostly for the overall interests of the Jia family. The one she doted on the most was always Baoyu. If I used those words to teach Baoyu a lesson, it would definitely annoy the old lady and the lady, so why bother myself?

But my sister is Baoyu's biological sister, so if you have some free time, you can talk to him about these things, which may be of some use."

In front, Daiyu, Baochai, and Xiangyun had already walked to the small gate of the alley, and Jia Cong and Tanchun followed behind them.

As they walked along the way, the shadows of the beautiful trees and flowery paper along the way kept falling on them.

Tanchun's eyes wandered as she looked at Jia Cong's tall silhouette, but she thought quietly in her heart: "Baoyu has been able to read books, write calligraphy, write rhymed poems, and write couplets since he was a child. He is also a very talented person.

If he had used his talent in the right way, he would have achieved something. However, he loved to slander the saints and hated studying and taking exams. As a result, his talent was turned into a clever trick to achieve wealth and leisure.

Only someone like my third brother, who understands the mind and values ​​love and nature, has true wisdom... "

……

Shenjing, Jiaofangsi.

In the inner room of the Pipa-colored music room, the fragrance of sandalwood wafts through the air. The diamond-shaped sun windows are half-open, allowing the warm autumn sun to shine into the room.

Du Qingniang had her hair tied up in a high bun, with a translucent jade hairpin holding it up. Her hair was completely black, with no other hair accessories.

She was wearing a green Taoist robe with loose sleeves that fluttered in the wind. Her every move was rhythmic and she was graceful and radiant.

At this moment, he was sitting at the desk reading some documents. On the pink wall next to him hung a pipa with jade strings.

At this time, a beautiful maid in green entered the inner room and said, "Madam Qing, Weiyuan Earl Jia Cong sent someone to deliver a letter."

Du Qingniang took the letter, opened it and read it, then smiled and said, "He is really kind-hearted. Min'er bought five little opera girls from Gusu, and now they are all performing in the Jiaofangsi Zaju.

Now is the period of national mourning, and the Music Bureau is reducing its staff. The five little opera girls are among those being sold. They have been targeted by several waves of unscrupulous people, so they come to Jia Cong for help.

Jia Cong, thinking of them as old friends from Jiangnan, asked me to help him get these five people into his house and he would make proper arrangements.

Yunluo, go and negotiate with Zhang Sili, and tell him that I have taken a liking to those five little opera girls. Ask him to send their indentures to me, and I will only receive the money from the music school afterwards.

I recommended him to the Ministry of Rites for the position of clerk, so he must give me this honor."

The maid in green was about to go down to do her work when she suddenly thought of something and said, "When my lady mentioned Miss Zou, I remembered something. Yesterday, Xu Qiniang from Jinling sent me a secret letter, but my lady was too busy to read it.

Miss Zou was mentioned there."

Du Qingniang's eyes lit up and she said, "Bring it here for me to see."

The maid in green clothes walked to the bookshelf in the room, unlocked it with her key, and took out a secret book with a gray-white cover from one of the secret compartments.

Du Qingniang took the secret note, opened it and read it carefully, her eyes flickering slightly: "Xu Qinniang went to Min'er's grave and found daylilies placed in front of Madam Zou's tombstone, so she suspected that Zou Min'er was not dead."

Yunluo said, "Madam, what Xu Qiniang said is not without reason. Only children use daylilies to worship their biological mothers, and Madam Zou only has one daughter, Miss Zou."

Du Qingniang closed the secret book in her hand and said, "Xu Qinniang is indeed smart and capable, but she is worrying too much this time. Yu Luosha is a female assassin who roams the East China Sea, and none of her men have ever survived.

Min'er is just a weak woman, and she will definitely not be able to escape from the sharp blade of Jade Rakshasa.

I have received a letter from Qingyin Pavilion in Jinling, saying that during Min'er's stay in Jinling, she met Jia Cong in the elegant room of Qingyin Pavilion every day. I think the two of them joined forces to solve the problem, and over time they developed an affair.

It must be that Jia Cong was grateful for their old friendship, so he placed daylilies in front of Min'er's mother's spirit on her behalf, which is also reasonable.

You write back to Xu Qiniang that the Zou Miner incident has been resolved, and don't waste your energy on it. Let her focus on investigating the affairs of the Zhen and Du families in Jinling. Once she finds anything, report it in a secret letter."

Du Qingniang looked at the secret letter in her hand with a complicated look in her eyes, and sighed: "Min'er is my disciple, and also the first-class music girl of the Jiaofang Bureau. Her life experience is quite unfortunate, but now that the grudges are settled, she can be considered free.

Ask Zhang Sili to set up a memorial tablet for Min'er in the Requiem Hall of the Jiaofangsi, so that she can receive more incense and be reborn in peace from now on..."

Although Yunluo had some doubts in her heart, she let the matter go after hearing Du Qingniang say so.

……

Du Qingniang looked at the letter from Jia Cong on the table and asked, "Have you found out any information about Du Jinniang's matter?"

Yun Luo replied: "Back then, Du Jinniang was the most beautiful courtesan in Yunyan Tower in Shenjing. I have had people conduct a thorough investigation of Yunyan Tower.

It was discovered that all the old people who had lived in the building fifteen years ago, including the madam, the waiters, and the girls, were gone. It seemed that they had all gone to other places and no one could tell their whereabouts.

Although Yunyan Tower is still there, it has actually changed beyond all recognition. People in the tower today have only heard of Du Jinniang, but no one can tell where she came from, as if this person was deliberately erased.

I also paid a large sum of money to bribe an old servant in the east courtyard of the Jia family. According to him, Du Jinniang had no status in the Jia family at that time, and Madam Jia disliked her very much.

Du Jinniang gave birth to Jia Cong and died very suddenly. She could not be buried in the Jia family's ancestral tomb afterwards.

Jia She spent 100 taels of silver to have a charity cemetery in the east of the city collect the body and bury it. It is said that the old man in the charity cemetery said that she was buried on a thin piece of land outside the east of the city.

When Du Qingniang heard this, her face twitched slightly and her eyes turned slightly red.

Yunluo continued, "It was probably around seven or eight years ago. The government wanted to build a pipeline in the eastern suburbs of the city, and they had to clear and relocate the tombs along the way. Du Jinniang's tomb was also among those to be relocated.

At that time, the people of the Jia family probably had long forgotten that Du Jinniang was buried in the eastern suburbs of the city, and Du Jinniang's grave was no different from an isolated grave."

Later, I went to the area near the charity cemetery to inquire. Because so much time had passed, some people said that Du Qingniang's tomb was moved away by a woman, while others said that it was dug up and regarded as an ownerless grave.

No one can tell his exact whereabouts.

Du Qingniang looked confused and pale, muttering to herself, "Moved away by a woman?"

Yunluo continued, “Later, Jia Cong was posthumously awarded the title of Imperial Edict by the Emperor for his meritorious service to his mother, so he ordered people to search for Du Jinniang’s grave and move it to the Jia family’s ancestral land.

It is said that he searched everywhere for her but could not find her whereabouts, so he could only build a tomb for his biological mother in the Jia family's ancestral land."

After listening to Yunluo's words, Du Qingniang's eyes became confused and she thought for a long time and remained silent.

Yunluo knew her temper and stood aside in silence.

After a while, Du Qingniang suddenly asked, "After Jia Cong was forced to marry and Jia She died, has there been any movement from the Jia family?"

Yunluo felt a little puzzled. She didn't know what happened today, but the things the two of them had just talked about were all related to Jia Cong.

He said: "After Jia She's death, there has been no movement from the Jia family. Yesterday I heard that the clan house seemed to have made some moves, but the details are unclear.

Although the emperor did not investigate Jia She's crimes after his death, the Jinyiwei arrested the owner and clerk of Hongchun Pharmacy. Our people received the news that the Jinyiwei had sent people to Ping'an Prefecture to investigate.

Madam Qing, a few months ago we were ordered by Si Gong to investigate the matter of Sun Shaozu. Although we could not find Sun Shaozu's whereabouts, we unexpectedly discovered that Jia Lian had traveled to Ping'an Prefecture on the orders of Jia She.

Because this matter has not been verified, my wife has instructed me not to include it in the secret report. Now... "

Du Qingniang said quietly, "Since the emperor has ordered the Jinyiwei to investigate this matter strictly, the Shenjing will not intervene. As there is no concrete evidence, we will keep it secret and let the Jinyiwei investigate it themselves.

If they can find evidence, it is their ability and destiny, and no one can stop them!"

……

Rongguo Mansion, Baoyu Courtyard.

This time, Baoyu was beaten with a stick by Jia Zheng, and the injuries were more serious than any previous time. Jia's grandmother asked several strong women and maids to put Baoyu on a spring stool and carry him back to his room.

Seeing that he was still unconscious, he quickly sent someone to call Jia Lian and asked him to ask the imperial physician to treat him.

But no one knew where Jia Lian had gone that morning. Wang Xifeng had just sent someone to look for him, but had not received any reply.

Grandmother Jia had no choice but to ask Lin Zhixiao to invite Zhang Youshi over. Although Zhang Youshi was not as famous as the imperial physician, his medical skills were quite good and he had cured Grandmother Jia's illness.

Before Zhang Youshi came over, Baoyu woke up from his coma because of the tearing pain in his buttocks.

When Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang saw this, they were overjoyed, and they kept asking where it hurt, what he wanted to eat, what he wanted, and so on, telling him to just tell them.

Grandmother Jia also complained that Jia Zheng was too cruel and had no sense of propriety, and Mrs. Wang cried beside her.

Although Baoyu was stiff and painful all over and couldn't even move, he felt relieved when he heard the old lady and the lady's expressions of pity and love, which were evident in their words, just like in the past.

He was very happy about his grandmother and mother's continued pampering and appreciation, but then he felt aggrieved and seemed to have forgotten why he was beaten...

When Jia Cong and his sisters entered Baoyu's courtyard, they happened to meet Zhang Youshi, so Jia Cong took his sisters to the side room to wait.

When Mr. Zhang saw Baoyu's injury, Grandmother Jia asked hurriedly, "How is my Yu'er injured?"

Zhang Youshi said: "The young master of the mansion was punished with a cane, and this time the injury was quite serious. Not only was the flesh injured, but the tendons and bones were also injured, but it is not serious.

You just need to rest for two months before you can get out of bed and walk. Follow the prescription I prescribed, apply it externally and take it internally, and take good care of yourself, and you will be fine."

When Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang heard that Baoyu had to stay in bed for two months to recuperate due to his injury, they thought it was something that had never happened before and they sobbed and wiped their tears out of heartache.

Xiren, Qiu Wen and other maids all had tears in their eyes as they served attentively on the bed.

Although Baoyu's buttocks hurt badly, seeing that the people around him were in the same state, he felt a sense of self-pity and self-love in his heart, and felt that it was worth it if he died for these people.

……

When Jia Cong saw that Zhang Youshi had written a prescription, applied the medicine to Baoyu and left, he took his sisters into the inner room to visit him.

When so many sisters came in, Baoyu only saw Daiyu at first sight and said happily, "Sister Lin, you came to see me."

When Jia's mother saw how Baoyu treated Daiyu, a look of relief appeared on her old face, but there was a hint of displeasure in Mrs. Wang's eyes.

After hearing what Baoyu said, Xiangyun burst out laughing, Tanchun frowned slightly, but Baochai subconsciously glanced at Jia Cong, only to see that Jia Cong was looking at Daiyu.

When Daiyu saw Baoyu's appearance, her face turned slightly embarrassed and annoyed, but since the old lady and the lady were present, she couldn't say anything and just subconsciously took a step back.

But I felt a little awkward in my heart, thinking that a group of sisters came to see you, why did you only talk about me? If I had known that I would be embarrassed, I would not have come. Xiangyun, the quick-talking girl, would definitely laugh at me later.

When Grandmother Jia saw the sisters coming to see Baoyu, she was tired after the fuss, so she asked Yuanyang to help her walk and let the sisters talk.

When Lady Jia left, Mrs. Wang and Wang Xifeng also left. Naturally, Xiren, Sheyue, Qiu Wen and other maids served her carefully.

When Shi Xiangyun saw that all the elders had left, she giggled and took a stool to sit beside Baoyu's bed.

He blurted out, "We are a group of people who came to see you. How come you saw Sister Lin and didn't think of us first? You are so heartless."

When Daiyu, who was standing behind him, heard this, she pouted her lips slightly and felt a little annoyed in her heart, thinking that her predictions were always right. Sure enough, that damn girl Xiangyun was making fun of her by saying this.

Daiyu was feeling a little uncomfortable, when she suddenly felt Jia Cong quietly pinching her hand, and her anger suddenly disappeared.

Shi Xiangyun said, "Second brother, I haven't been here for several months. As soon as I came, you were punished. I heard about it. Don't dare to speak carelessly in the future, otherwise you will be beaten by the master for no reason. It's not worth it."

Baoyu had an embarrassed expression on his face. He knew that Xiangyun was always quick-witted and would say whatever she wanted to say. She had been like this since she was a child, so it was not surprising.

But Lin Daiyu was still there, and Xiangyun’s words made him feel a little embarrassed...

Daiyu, who was beside Jia Cong, was almost amused by Xiangyun's words, but she tried not to laugh.

The atmosphere at the scene was a little weird, but fortunately there was Xiangyun, the chatterbox, who kept chattering away, completely covering up the atmosphere.

After a cup of tea, Jia Cong took advantage of Xiangyun's moment and said with a smile, "Baoyu, you just applied the medicine and need to take a rest. I won't bother you anymore and will come to see you next time."

Baoyu didn't care about Jia Cong's departure, but when he saw Jia Cong just left, Daiyu said a few words to him to take good care of his injuries, and almost followed Jia Cong away.

When Baoyu saw this, his face was full of disappointment. He was just about to say, "Sister Lin, please sit for a while," but he saw Daiyu disappear with a nimble figure, like passing through flowers and willows. Suddenly, only her graceful and charming back was left.

After a while, Baochai also said a few words indifferently, then left with an excuse. Only Shi Xiangyun was still talking there, and Tanchun sat beside her.

Tanchun waited until Xiangyun paused for a moment before interrupting, saying, "Second brother, after today's disturbance, you should be more careful in the future and don't say such excessive words, lest there be another disturbance.

Just like if you don’t like studying for the imperial examination, that’s fine, but don’t make it seem like all scholars are parasites. For example, if you don’t like arranged marriages, it doesn’t mean that these things don’t make sense…”

Tanchun saw that Baoyu had a dull look on his face and didn't seem to be listening to her kind words.

She suddenly understood why her third brother was unwilling to say these words to Baoyu. It was impossible for the character that had been cultivated for more than ten years to be enlightened in just a few words.

Baoyu paid no attention to Tanchun's words. He was troubled in his mind, wondering why Sister Lin was so distant from him now? Even Sister Bao was like this. She really let him down.

If I had known this would happen, I would have let the master beat me to death! (End of this chapter)