Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, Lixiangyuan.

When Aunt Xue saw Xue Pan talking nonsense after drinking and even letting his sister become Jia Cong's concubine, she was so angry that she picked up the shoe pattern in the sewing basket on the table and slapped Xue Pan in the face.

Xue Pan was hit on the face and he covered his head and ran away, shouting, "Mom, I'm not kidding, I'm doing this for my sister's good, you can wait until I finish talking before hitting me."

Aunt Xue scolded, "You're talking nonsense. What you just said is for your sister's good."

Xue Pan said, "Mom, there is a reason why I said that. You and your sister are both in the inner house, and you don't know what people outside are saying."

Aunt Xue cursed, "That bastard outside can teach you to let your sister be a mistress. How can you be a brother like this?"

Xue Pan smiled apologetically: "Mom, I just said something wrong. It's all my fault. You don't know what people outside say about the Jia family."

Aunt Xue was surprised and asked, "How come you are related to the Jia family again if you are so careless with your words?"

At this time, Tongxi served the hangover soup, and Xue Pan took it and drank it in one breath, saying: "My son has met several noble sons, such as General Shenwu's son Feng Ziying, Chen Yejun, Wei Ruolan and others.

These days we often have dinner and chat together, and it's very lively. These people have some knowledge, and my son thinks that what they say makes a lot of sense.

They all said that among the sons of nobles in Shenjing today, the most outstanding were the Cong brothers. They were both talented in civil and military affairs, and had become a hereditary earl at the age of fourteen. There had been no other such people in the nearly one hundred years since the founding of the country.

This time he made great contributions in Jinling. Although the emperor did not promote him, he upgraded his mansion to a higher level. This was such a great favor. They all said that if Jia Cong made further contributions in the future, he would definitely be promoted.

Mom, look at how old he is. He will only be fifteen next year. Feng Ziying and others said that with Jia Cong's ability and the speed at which he was promoted, even if he couldn't become a duke before he was twenty, he would at least be a marquis.

They said that now was a peaceful and prosperous era, unlike the time of Emperor Taizu, when he had to destroy nations and expand territory. It was impossible to produce a duke, and the title of marquis was already the highest he could get.

If our family can get involved with a figure like Jia Cong, we will be able to act arrogantly in the capital, and maybe we can even return to Nanjing in the future.

Besides, you know that my sister has already fallen in love with him, you know that... "

When Aunt Xue heard that Jia Cong would become a marquis in the future, her heart skipped a beat. If that day really came, it would be incredible considering how old he was.

But no matter how much the son argued, there was no reason for his daughter to be the subordinate.

Aunt Xue gritted her teeth and said, "No matter how great Cong is, the girls of our Xue family are definitely not limited to this. If you continue to talk nonsense next time, I will no longer have you as my son."

Xue Pan suddenly blurted out: "Mom, you said that the Queen is the Emperor's legal wife, and the Emperor's Imperial Concubine is actually just a concubine..."

Aunt Xue was frightened when she heard Xue Pan's crazy words. She hurried to the door and looked around. She only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw no one passing by.

He turned around, grabbed the shoe pattern on the table, and slapped Xue Pan on the head again: "You are such a troublesome thing, how can you say such a thing? I want to be like Baoyu, and be visited by the clan officials!"

Xue Pan also came to his senses at once, and seemed frightened. His face twitched, and he quickly stopped talking. He then shouted, "Tongxi, give me another bowl of sobering soup."

……

He then said to Aunt Xue: "Don't be angry, Mom. I won't say anything nonsense in the future. But you should listen to my advice and don't try to get married with me.

If this fake thing turns out to be true and my sister really marries Baoyu, it will be terrible."

Aunt Xue frowned and said, "Don't be too fond of Gao Wuyuan. Cong is good, but we are not that high-ranking. Baoyu is not as good as him. He is the legitimate son of Rongguo Mansion and your aunt's bloodline.

With such appearance and personality, no one in the Jia family can compare to him except Congge'er."

Xue Pan said disdainfully: "People used to say that he was born with a jade in his mouth, which is a bit strange. Those dukes and ladies out there might really be a little bit fond of him.

But now his reputation is so bad that no one would care about him. "

Aunt Xue was shocked when she heard this: "What nonsense are you talking about? Baoyu is not like you who goes around everywhere. He is very well-behaved and never leaves the house. How could he have such a bad reputation?"

Xue Pan smiled with some gloating, "Mom, you are usually at home, you really don't know the current market trends outside.

My friends all say that for the kids from wealthy families, even if they hang out together outside and get drunk and fight, as long as no one is killed, it’s no big deal, it’s just a cost of some money.

Baoyu never stepped out of the door, but this kid started to scold the emperor for being stupid... "

Xue Pan finally swallowed back the fatal word, picked up the sobering soup brought by Tongxi, and took another big gulp.

He said, "You always say that your son is not doing well. Baoyu is much worse than your son. He is guilty of deceiving the emperor by insulting the emperor's father.

You can imagine how embarrassed and angry the emperor must have been, otherwise why would he specially send people from the clan office to beat him up?

I heard from Feng Ziying and others that nowadays the dukes and nobles in the capital all worship the retired emperor as a god, and Baoyu called them stupid..., which angered everyone.

Let’s put it this way, if Baoyu wants to get married in the future, no noble lady in the capital will be interested in him. If any family marries their daughter to him, they would be going against the emperor and the emperor emeritus.

Mom, you said Baoyu's reputation now is notorious, what else can it be? I just can't stand his Bao Tianwang behavior, he makes the whole world like him, and finally he gets into trouble because of his nonsense.

Mom, you always say that he is good, but what is so good about him? He failed to study, is idle and does nothing. He is not even as good as me. I can run the family business, but he can only play with the maids in the inner courtyard.

Although my son is a playboy, he still knows how to be loyal to the emperor and love his country. He is always acting like a sissy and is nothing…”

Aunt Xue couldn't help but frown as she heard her son's increasingly vulgar words, but she felt that there seemed to be some truth in what her son said.

Xue Pan drank three cups of sobering soup and his mind became clear. Perhaps it was because he was overacting or because of what he heard from others, but he became more and more excited.

"Mom, please don't be confused. Baoyu is unwanted now, and you are pushing your sister over to him to fill his pit?"

Originally, Aunt Xu felt that Jia Cong was not reliable, so as a second choice, Baoyu was also an excellent choice.

But now, he was completely confused by his son's punches, and his original plan became shaky.

Baochai, who was in the inner room, had actually been listening attentively to what was said outside. When she heard her brother talking about becoming a concubine, she felt so ashamed that she could only cover her ears and pretend that she didn't hear anything.

But although the other things her brother said were a bit vulgar, Baochai felt that they made a lot of sense.

In fact, compared with the brothers Cong or his own brother, Baoyu is roughly the same type of person as his brother, except that Baoyu is more refined and dissolute than his brother.

After a while, Baochai heard no more talking in the outer room, and her brother also returned to his room. Baochai went over and leaned on the couch, feeling troubled.

Suddenly, Jin Chuan's voice came from the outer room: "Sister Qingwen, how come you have time to come here?"

Qingwen and Cuili's clear voice rang out: "Today our Third Master invited the miraculous doctor Zhang Youpeng to come to the mansion to check Miss Lin's pulse. The Third Master said that Doctor Zhang's medical skills are very good.

The Third Master knows that your daughter has an old illness and has been taking Lengxiang Pills to suppress it, so please ask your daughter to go to the East Palace and ask Doctor Zhang to take her pulse to see if there is a better way to treat it. "

Aunt Xue smiled and said, "Brother Cong is really thoughtful. He invited a famous doctor to come to the house and also thought of our Baochai. You can thank him for me when you go back."

When Baochai heard this in the inner room, she was delighted and lifted the door curtain to come out.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

Grandmother Jia sat on the couch in the main seat, with Jia Zheng sitting next to her, and Lady Wang and Wang Xifeng sitting below her.

Originally, Grandmother Jia asked Yuanyang to go to the East Palace to invite Jia Cong to come over to discuss things, but when Yuanyang came back, she brought Yingchun back with her, and there was no sign of Jia Cong.

Grandmother Jia was a little unhappy and said to Yingchun, "Your brother is now at home, so he has some foundation. How come he doesn't care about such an important matter as the inheritance of the family title?

I called the man here to give me advice. What important matter did he have that he didn't come here himself but sent a girl like you here instead? "

Yingchun stood up and said, "Madam, my brother Cong has invited Zhang Youpeng, a famous doctor in the capital, to take Sister Lin's pulse today. Doctor Zhang is very skilled in medicine and cured Uncle Lin's illness in Yangzhou.

Moreover, Doctor Zhang has a method to treat Lin Daiyu's deficiency. Brother Cong takes this matter seriously, so he accompanies Doctor Zhang to see the doctor. I have asked Brother Cong about the succession of the eldest master's title after Sister Feng came to discuss it with me that day. He told me everything he knew. The old lady asked me.

Brother Cong will come over after we finish dealing with Sister Lin's affairs."

When Grandmother Jia heard that it was Daiyu who was being treated, although she couldn't complain too much, she was still a little unhappy.

Although the health of her granddaughter was what Grandmother Jia was most concerned about, it was secondary to the inheritance of the title of Rongguo Mansion in her heart.

Just asking the doctor to take Daiyu's pulse, this little thing was more important to this kid than inheriting the title of Rong State. His grandmother asked someone to pass the message to him, but he simply refused to come.

Grandmother Jia said gloomily, "He is full of energy outside, but when he comes home, he doesn't care about anything. Although he knows how to love his sisters, it's a good thing.

But young people have no sense of propriety and don’t know what is important and what is not…”

Yingchun listened in silence, but thought in her heart that the old lady had actually forgotten that the crown prince had been replaced, which had embarrassed everyone.

Now, Brother Cong is not willing to say much about the title of Xifu. If he really interferes too much, the old lady might have doubts again.

After hearing what his mother said, Jia Zheng hurried out to smooth things over, saying, "It won't take long for the doctor to feel Lin's pulse. Once that's done, Cong will come naturally."

Then he asked Yingchun, "Second girl, what did Congge say about the matter of inheriting the title in the mansion?"

Yingchun said, "Brother Cong said that the 49th day of the eldest master's death has passed. Logically, the clan government should have issued a statement regarding the succession of my father's title, but there has been no movement now, which is indeed a bit strange.

Brother Cong also said that although the inheritance of noble titles is handled by the Ministry of Clan Affairs, according to regulations, it also requires the approval of the emperor before the Ministry of Clan Affairs will handle it according to the regulations.

Perhaps it is because the palace has been busy with government affairs recently, and it is common for the eldest master's title to be inherited, so it may be postponed for a few days.

Brother Cong said that he had never had any dealings with the Grand Master of the Clan Affairs Bureau, so it would not be a good idea to ask rashly. Moreover, because of the incident at Ningguo Mansion last time, the Grand Master seemed to have a grudge against our family, so it would be bad to ask.

Under the current circumstances, there is no need to rush, we can only wait patiently for a few days and see how things turn out."

When Grandmother Jia heard this, she was unhappy. She had thought that this boy was a capable person, but looking at what he said, it was the same as if he had said nothing. This title belonged to their eldest wife, but he didn't care about it at all.

After hearing this, Mrs. Wang sneered in her heart. It was obvious that Cong didn't want to care about the matter of inheriting the title of Lord Xifu.

He had already obtained the title, and it was enough for his family to be respectable. He didn't care whether the hereditary title of the West Mansion could be inherited. It was a pity that he was a member of the Jia family, but he was so cold-hearted.

Grandmother Jia said: "He is young and has seen so many things that he doesn't know the importance of them. It has been 49 days since She'er's funeral, but there is no news about Chengjue.

Whenever something strange happens like this, there must be a reason. I can't just wait and do nothing as he said. I can't count on him and can only sacrifice my own reputation.

Zheng'er, please help me write a letter of greeting to the Empress Dowager. The words must be respectful and polite, and mention the matter of Rongguo's inheritance of the title.

When the Empress Dowager and I were young, we still had some feelings for each other. She understood the meaning of the memorial after reading it. As long as she said a few words for our Jia family, this matter might be resolved."

Wang Xifeng, who was standing by, was delighted to hear this. She was born in the Wang family of Jinling and married into the Jia family of Rongguo. Naturally, she had heard about some of the old stories of the nobles.

The current Empress Dowager Yi Zhang is of similar age to Lady Jia, and both come from prominent families. The two had been in contact with each other when they were in the boudoir, and they were formal friends. Their friendship was naturally more profound than that of other imperial concubines.

The inheritance of the title from father to son is a common sense thing. I don't know why it is stuck. Since the clan house has not said anything, it must be nothing important.

Now that the old lady has stepped in and brought up such an important figure as the Empress Dowager, this matter will surely go smoothly soon.

When Wang Xifeng thought of this, her mood instantly became bright and sunny. The second-rank imperial title that she had longed for was now within reach. How honorable that would be.

……

Ningrong Street, Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

Jia Mu and others racked their brains to plan the inheritance of the title, but Jia Cong didn't want to pay any attention to it. He knew that Jia She was hiding a crime, and he was sure that something unexpected would happen when the title was passed on to Rong State.

But this matter involved too many private matters, and it was not something he could risk intervening. Besides, Jia She himself had committed a sin, and Rongguo could not escape the blame, so he could not blame others.

What he is most concerned about at the moment is Daiyu's deficiency.

Zhang Youpeng took the pulse of Daiyu and Baochai respectively, and was then invited by Jia Cong to his study to ask for details.

Zhang Youpeng stroked his beard and said, "I just felt her pulse and observed her Qi. Miss Lin is really born with beautiful bones, but like Lord Lin, she was born with weak Qi and Qi, just as I had judged at the beginning.

Now that the cause of Miss Lin's illness has been identified, I will go back and prepare the right medicine based on her condition, using the Three Lives Resurrection Grass as a guide. It will be done in half a month.

As for Miss Xue, she had a chronic illness. The Lengxiang Pills she used were a miraculous prescription from the sea. They were effective for her condition, but seemed to be slightly inadequate.

I will take the prescription back for discussion. Perhaps I can change some of the ingredients to improve the medicinal properties by 10% or 20%, making the preparation of this medicine less complicated."

Jia Cong looked grateful and said, "Thank you for your concern, old sir. Your magic can eliminate the worries of my sisters. Jia Cong is very grateful."

Jia Cong suddenly had a strange feeling in his heart. That year, Baoyu was dissatisfied with Daiyu hiding his handwriting, so he threw the jade and made Daiyu so angry that she vomited blood and became cold-hearted.

Perhaps from that time on, the trajectory of many things and the fate of many people were invisibly changed.

Now Zhang Youpeng, relying on his superb medical skills, has diagnosed Daiyu's illness and prepared medicine for her, which can cure her congenital deficiency and avoid her fate of early death.

He can even help Baochai correct the recipe of Lengxiang Pills...

……

Jia Cong was filled with joy and was about to send Zhang Youpeng out of the study. Zhang Youpeng accidentally saw a seven-stringed zither hanging on the wall and his eyes flickered slightly.

He smiled and said, “I know that Weiyuan Bo’s mentor is Emperor Wenzong Liu Jing’an, and your mentor’s wife, Madam Cui, is a master of the ancient zither of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

I think that Earl Weiyuan must have a master who is also a connoisseur. This zither is simple in shape and is a rare antique. It is quite good and must be something Earl Weiyuan often plays with. "

Jia Cong glanced at the Yaoqin on the wall. He had been very familiar with this Yaoqin since he was a child. When he lived in the warehouse in the East Courtyard, it was hung on the wall of the room.

Later, he brought her to Qingzhiyuan in Rongguo Mansion, and then to the Earl's Mansion. He almost never left her side for all these years.

Because his wet nurse, Madam Zhao, told him that the harp was the only relic of his biological mother, Du Jinniang, and asked him to keep it well.

Although Mrs. Cui, Jia Cong's master's wife, was a master of the guqin, every time he went to Kuancang Mountain, he mainly followed Liu Jing'an to study for the imperial examination. Due to limited time, he only learned the basics from Mrs. Cui.

Mrs. Cui had told him that to maintain the guqin, one must not only play it frequently, but also cannot keep it in a box for long. It needs to be hung frequently to allow it to breathe in light, which will make the sound more harmonious.

The last time Jia Cong went to Jinling, he asked Zhishao to hide the zither box. Only after he came back this time did he take out the zither and hang it up again.

But other than that, Jia Cong didn't know much about the guqin. This guqin, which he had been familiar with since childhood, was just a relic of his deceased mother to him. He didn't care much about how much value it had.

He had been to Zhang Youpeng's residence in Huaxi Village and knew that he was not only an excellent doctor, but also proficient in painting and was a man of many talents.

Since he said that this Yaoqin is a rare antique with great value, he should not be talking nonsense and must have a purpose.

It has always been difficult for guqin to be passed down from generation to generation. Guqin that have been passed down from several generations in previous dynasties to the present day are generally priceless treasures.

But his biological mother, Du Jinniang, was just a prostitute in Yunyan Tower during her lifetime. Although she was known as the most beautiful courtesan, she could not afford such a valuable treasure.

Jia Cong felt a little strange and a little cautious.

She said, "I am sorry to make you laugh, Mr. Zhang. I am usually either busy with official duties or studying the classics with you. I have only learned the basics of your skills.

This guqin is not a commonly used item, but just a decoration in the study."

Zhang Shipeng took another look at the guqin and said, "So that's how it is." (End of this chapter)