Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Ningrong Street, Earl's Mansion.

The sun was setting in the west. Jia Cong came back from the West Mansion and saw Yinglian reading in the study. He said he wanted to write a memorial.

Yinglian helped him grind the ink and spread out the rice paper, then she sat in the corner of the study and flipped through the copy of Romance of the West Chamber that Lingguan had borrowed from her.

She wore a pine green double-breasted jacket, a white cross-collared coat, an ivory skirt embroidered with plum branches, and a bright yellow gold necklace around her neck. Although she still looked a bit childish, she was still very beautiful and charming.

Yinglian was at the age of 16. Girls at this age matured precociously. She had also begun to yearn for such stories about talented men and beautiful women. She was fascinated by the story of Zhang Sheng and Cui Yingying.

When she read the words in the book: Love has touched the heart, and sadness has touched the liver and intestines..., she felt that every word was deeply rooted in her bones, and her heart could not help but pound.

She couldn't help but look up and see Jia Cong who was writing and drawing at the desk. His beautiful, watery eyes were full of charm, and he had a faint smile on his lips and blushed for no apparent reason.

The young master seemed a little strange today. He said he wanted to write a memorial, so she specially ground a pool of thick ink and waited for him to use it.

In the past, the young master would always finish such things in one stroke, but today, on that snow-white memorial, he spent a long time without writing a single word.

Although Yinglian was a little confused, she didn't take it to heart. She knew that Jia Cong was in mourning at home and would not be an official for the time being. He did not have to report to the emperor, so it didn't seem to matter if he could not write a memorial.

It is a wonderful thing to accompany him to flip through books. Although Lingguan's Romance of the West Chamber is good, no matter how good Zhang Sheng is, he doesn't seem to be as capable as the young master...

Jia Cong naturally didn't know that Yinglian was in love for the first time. After reading the book "Romance of the West Chamber", her mind was full of erotic fantasies and she couldn't leave him.

……

In the past few days, Jia Cong asked Jiang Liu, Jiang Xiaoliu, Yu Xiuzhu and others to go out and pay close attention to the news of Xie Jing, Qi Jianhui and Qiu Liang.

Although he is now in mourning at home and has resigned from his post as the Director of the Firearms Bureau, he is well aware of the news outside.

Every day Jiang Liu and others would bring back the news from outside and report to him.

He knew that a few days ago, the Royal Guards had raided and sealed off several medicine and fur shops run by these three mansions, taking away several shopkeepers and clerks, and also taking away the shop accounts.

The next day, the Jinyiwei summoned Xie Jing, Qi Jianhui, Qiu Liang and three others separately. They entered the Jinyiwei Yamen and never came out again.

In the past few days, the doors of the mansions of Xie Jing, Qi Jianhui, Qiu Liang and others were kept closed. Except for the daily servants purchasing rice and grain, few people came in and out, and everyone inside and outside looked terrified and restrained.

Yesterday he specially made an appointment with Cai Xiaoyu to have tea. Cai Xiaoyu's father, Cai Xiang, was a cabinet minister, so he was much more informed than ordinary people.

He told Jia Cong that the Jinyiwei had obtained evidence of the crime. It was said that the three companies had been selling salt and iron since last year, and that a large amount of prohibited items and silver were involved...

This incident has caused a huge uproar in the circle of nobles in Shenjing.

The families and children of Xie Jing, Qi Jianhui, Qiu Liang and others are asking for help from their connections everywhere, trying every possible way to exonerate them.

Veteran nobles such as Prince of Beijing Shui Rong and Duke of Qi Chen Yi once entered the palace to plead with the emperor, but Emperor Jiazhao avoided them.

Now, the guilt of Xie Jing, Qi Jianhui, Qiu Liang and others in trafficking in salt and iron has been proven beyond a doubt...

Jia Cong felt that the whole thing was like boiling water that was gradually heating up, and he was waiting for it to boil over.

Therefore, he did not write this memorial this morning, waiting for the latest news.

He was prepared to write a petition to plead for Jia Lian, not because Jia Lian was his elder brother.

But as an official appointed by the court, he must behave in this way, and abide by the rules of heaven, earth, the emperor, parents, and teachers, and of loyalty, filial piety, propriety and law. This is the rule of this world and officialdom.

Moreover, he knew very well that Jia She was to blame for the whole incident and Jia Lian was just a scapegoat.

Whether it is to prevent those people in the West Mansion from being implicated, or out of personal compassion and conscience, or even for his own safety, he needs to plead for Jia Lian.

……

Jiang Liu and Jiang Xiaoliu waited until sunset and hurried back to the mansion, bringing the latest news they had learned.

Before sunset, Xie Jing, Qi Jianhui, Qiu Liang and three others were escorted to the Jinyiwei and detained in the Dali Temple.

This afternoon, officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Clan Affairs went to the residences of the three people respectively.

After hearing the two pieces of news, Jia Cong roughly understood the context of the matter.

These three people were detained by the Dali Temple because, like Jia Lian, they must have been convicted of selling salt and iron. Next, they will have to wait for the Dali Temple's verdict, and the standard of the verdict will undoubtedly be in the palace.

As for the fact that officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Clan Affairs went to the residences of the three people respectively, it must be related to their respective titles.

These three people are different from Jia Lian. They are all inherited nobles. If they commit the serious crime of salt and iron reselling, they will definitely lose their titles.

According to the ritual system of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the convicted person must first be stripped of his title, and then the severity of his crime will be considered, and his title will be removed and his property will be confiscated, or his descendants will be demoted to a lower rank and inherit the title.

After figuring out the general direction of things, his thoughts became clear instantly. He took the brush, dipped it in Yinglian's thick ink, and wrote quickly on the snow-white memorial.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Wang Xifeng's courtyard.

Ever since Zhang Youshi confirmed that she was pregnant, Wang Xifeng, who had been on the verge of despair over Jia Lian's affairs, suddenly regained her vitality and her sadness was largely eliminated.

There are many gossipy people in the Jia Mansion, and news has always been difficult to keep secret. Women and children are even more important matters in the inner house. As soon as the doctor left, the maids and old women in the yard came over in groups to congratulate him.

Wang Xifeng just responded with a smile, not showing much joy. After everyone was sent away, Ping'er brought in a cup of warm tea.

Wang Xifeng took a sip and frowned, saying, "You call this tea, but how come it's so weak as if it was diluted with water? Isn't there still a lot of the top-grade Yunwu tip that the old lady gave me last time that hasn't been used?"

Ping'er smiled and said, "Madam, you are pregnant now, how can you drink strong tea? I diluted it on purpose. For a while, you can't drink tea at all.

I have asked Aunt Lin to buy the best honey, chrysanthemums, and milk, which are good for health. "

Wang Xifeng laughed and said, "She can't even drink tea, how can she be as serious as you say? It's only been a short time now, and she hasn't even shown any signs of pregnancy."

Ping Erh said, "I often hear the maids in the mansion nagging that in a family like ours, women and children are the most important thing, and grandma has been silent for many years.

Now that Second Master has gotten into trouble again, Grandma has lost most of her support. Fortunately, there is good news, and she will have more people to rely on in this mansion in the future. It is only right that she should be more careful. "

Wang Xifeng sighed, "It's too early to say that now. We don't even know if it's a boy or a girl."

Ping Erh coaxed her, "A man would be best, but a girl is also good, as they are both grandma's bloodline and will be yours to rely on in the future."

Wang Xifeng subconsciously touched her belly and said, "Your Second Master was timely this time, and it actually worked for once."

When Ping'er heard Wang Xifeng talking dirty, her pretty face turned red.

Wang Xifeng laughed and said, "There is nothing to be ashamed of. I will give you to Brother Cong in the future. You should be more careful. The sooner this day comes, you will have a foundation for your whole life.

You are the only one who is sincere in this courtyard. Look at the days when Second Master was in trouble. I was sick and didn't care about anything. The threshold of our courtyard was almost covered with spider webs. As soon as they heard that I had good news, they all came out to show their heads. "

When Ping'er heard Wang Xifeng's first words, she felt a little excited and shy, but after hearing her second sentence, her heart became a little gloomy.

After the Jinyiwei came in to arrest people that day, Fengjie's courtyard was torn into pieces. Ping'er spent a lot of effort to put the courtyard back to its original state.

Wang Xifeng is the housekeeper on behalf of Lady Wang. She is shrewd, sharp-tongued and ruthless. All the servants in the Rongguo Mansion dare to respect her and call her the Sea Patrolling Yaksha behind her back.

But ever since the second master was imprisoned and grandma was ill and unable to take charge, the second wife asked the third girl and the eldest grandma to take over the job.

The servants in the mansion were all greedy for wealth and status, and they all thought that grandma had fallen into poverty, so they usually walked around her yard.

No wonder she said something cold like there were spider webs growing on the door threshold.

……

The two were chatting when they suddenly heard the maid outside say, "Madam, you are here, please come in and sit down."

After hearing this, Wang Xifeng quickly struggled to get out of bed and asked Ping'er to help her out.

Seeing the figure at the door, the yard, which had been quiet for more than ten days, suddenly became lively again.

Not only did Lady Jia and Lady Wang come, but they were also followed by Yingchun and Li Wan. In addition, there were Lady Jia's maid Yuanyang, Lady Wang's maid Yuchuan, Yingchun's maid Xiuju, and Li Wan's maid Suyun.

A crowd of people filled Wang Xifeng's outer room, making it look very popular. It was a far cry from the deserted room in the previous few days.

When Lady Jia saw Wang Xifeng standing up to greet the guests, she said, "You are still ill and pregnant now. You don't need to respond to these empty formalities. Just lie down on the bed."

Grandmother Jia was still happy that Wang Xifeng was pregnant. There are three kinds of unfilial behavior, and the worst is to have no descendants. Rich families have always been most particular about bloodline inheritance.
Jia Lian is her eldest grandson from the eldest house. They have been married for some years, but the eldest house has no children, which is also a concern for the old lady.

Now that the eldest grandson was convicted, it was originally an extremely depressing thing, but unexpectedly, the eldest grandson's wife had this unexpected surprise, which really made Jia's grandmother happy.

Grandmother Jia pulled Wang Xifeng to sit on the kang, Mrs. Wang sat on a chair on the side, and Li Wan and Yingchun just stood aside.

Grandmother Jia took Wang Xifeng's hand and said, "Now that you are pregnant, you must not worry too much and must put your offspring first.

Cong'er and I have already instructed Cong about Lian'er's matter. He will write a letter to the Emperor in person to plead for his brother. This kid has always been valued by the Emperor, and it will be of some use if he comes forward to plead for him.

So, don't be sad about this anymore, just take good care of your baby."

Wang Xifeng was overjoyed when she heard this and asked, "Brother Cong really wants to personally submit a petition to the palace to plead for mercy."

Grandmother Jia laughed and said, "How can I make up a story like this? It was Rong Qingtang just now, and he promised it himself. He is an official after all, so how can he deny it?"

Yingchun said at the side: "Don't worry, sister-in-law, since Brother Cong has spoken, he will definitely do it."

Grandmother Jia sighed, "Among the young men of the Cao generation in our Rongguo Mansion, except for Lan'er, there has been no successor in all these years. It's a bit deserted.

Baoyu will have to wait a few more years to get married, and Congge'er is already at the point of getting married, but something big has happened at home. He has to mourn for his father for three years, and he can't even get married. You can't count on him for three or four years."

Grandmother Jia smiled and said to Wang Xifeng, "Now I'm counting on you to add a new child to the family. Nothing good has happened recently, so you might as well try to get some good news." When Mrs. Wang heard Grandmother Jia's words about adding a new child, her heart skipped a beat. She had originally thought that if Jia Lian was convicted, the first wife's family would be completely ruined.

From then on, the first wife had no more business to inherit the title or the mansion. Everything in Rongguo Mansion belonged to Baoyu. However, he did not expect that at this moment, Wang Xifeng suddenly became pregnant.

Even if she gave birth to a son, he would not be able to inherit the title, because the title must be passed down from father to son.

But if Wang Xifeng gave birth to the eldest great-grandson of the eldest branch of the Rongguo Mansion, then this child's status would be very high, overshadowing her own grandson Jia Lan.

With the title of the eldest great-grandson, he will be able to get a large share of the family wealth in the future. Thinking of this, Mrs. Wang felt disappointed. It is true that man proposes, God disposes.

……

Wang Xifeng did not have the same calculations as Lady Wang, because it was too early for her to think about these things.

When she heard that Jia Cong was willing to petition the emperor for mercy, she was extremely happy. However, as a woman, she did not understand officialdom very well and had no idea that she could petition for mercy.

It sounds very impressive. It seems that the third brother Cong is reliable. Unlike the others who just talk a few words but are of no real use at all.

At the moment, she was thinking about this matter. After hearing what Grandmother Jia said about the birth of a son, she said casually, "I also want to borrow the old lady's blessing and give birth to a boy, but there is no way this can be guaranteed."

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "It would be best to have a boy, but if it's a girl, I'll treasure her too. Your second sister, third sister, and fourth sister were all raised by me.

If you want to give birth to a girl, I will raise her for you, and you don't have to worry about her at all. Is that okay with you?"

At this time, Ping'er brought a tea tray into the room and served tea to Lady Jia, Mrs. Wang and others. When Wang Xifeng saw Ping'er's graceful figure and Yuanyang beside Lady Jia, her heart was slightly moved.

He smiled and said: "It is my blessing that the old lady still thinks of me, but in the future, the bulk of the incense of the first house will probably still be with Brother Cong.

Although he observed mourning for three years and could not marry, as long as the mourning period was over, he could have children.

Brother Cong will be old enough to dance like an elephant next year, and with so many trusted girls in his room, maybe that branch will bloom."

Mrs. Wang, Li Wan and others felt a little surprised when they heard Wang Xifeng suddenly change the topic to Jia Cong. However, the topic was not surprising. For a wealthy family, having a concubine before having a wife was not uncommon.

Grandmother Jia nodded and said, "What you said makes sense. It would be a good thing if he could do that.

I don’t care about the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children. As long as my future children are as sensible and well-behaved as Baoyu, I will definitely spoil them.”

Wang Xifeng felt strange after hearing this. It would be terrible if the first wife raised a boy like Baoyu, but of course she would not say such a thing.

Wang Xifeng continued, "Speaking of this topic, I remember something the old lady said."

Although Wang Xifeng is a very smart person, she has been in a state of panic these days because of Jia Lian's accident.

It was not until she suddenly found out that she was pregnant that she finally calmed down. Just now she also heard that Jia Cong was willing to petition the emperor to plead for Jia Lian.

She felt more and more that she was in a disadvantageous position after Jia Lian got into trouble, and the people in her family were so cold and indifferent that no one could lend a helping hand. Only Jia Cong was the real supporter of the first wife in the future.

After her mind became clear, her cleverness and wit revived, and what she said just now made Lady Jia very amused.

At this time, Ping'er came in to serve tea, and he didn't want to delay his original plan any longer.

Because of the incident of Jia She forcing Yuanyang to marry him that day, Wang Xifeng had already seen that Yuanyang had set her sights on Cong Lao San, otherwise she would not have refused to be the eldest master's concubine and just waited there.

Like Ping'er, Yuanyang is also a top-notch maid in the Jia family. Moreover, she is the old lady's closest person. It is possible that the old lady has the same thoughts as herself.

If someone else gets there first by then, what will Ping'er do? It would be better for her to get the job done today while everyone is here, and get out of the way so that no one will remember her.

……

Grandmother Jia asked: "I have said many things, which one are you talking about?"

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "My cousin Xiuyan came to our house the other day, and the old lady said that Brother Cong will be fifteen next year, and he also needs two people in his room, and she asked me if I had any suitable candidates.

That day I mentioned Miss Zhishao and Yinglian, but the old lady felt that Yinglian was only thirteen and a little young, so she should wait until she grew up a few years before talking to her.

At that time, the eldest wife said that cousin Xiuyan was fifteen this year, and the old lady thought that this age was just right, and they could discuss this matter next year. "

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "I remember this happening. Why did you suddenly think of it today?"

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "It was a coincidence. I ran into Aunt Xing the other day and talked to her for a while. It seems that Cousin Xiuyan is not fifteen this year, but thirteen like Yinglian."

Hearing this, Jia's mother was stunned, frowned and asked Yingchun: "Xiuyan is with you, she is indeed thirteen."

Yingchun looked a little embarrassed. Although she also liked Xing Xiuyan, Madam Xing had lied about her age, which was tantamount to fooling her younger brother Cong. Yingchun did not intend to hide the secret for Madam Xing.

Said: "Xiu Yan is indeed thirteen years old this year. I think the first wife remembered it wrongly."

Grandmother Jia was well aware of the tricks of the women in the inner court, so she was well aware of Mrs. Xing's plans.

He frowned and said, "Your eldest wife is also unreliable. Yinglian has been raised in the mansion for two years. I always say that she is young, so Miss Xing is naturally not suitable."

Wang Xifeng had been patiently persuading Lady Jia just to say this.

He smiled and said, "What the old lady said makes sense. In a family like ours, the girls who marry into the family will be sensible and careful when they are older. I have someone who is the most suitable person."

Mrs. Wang, Li Wan and others standing by were very surprised when they heard this. Could it be that Wang Xifeng had met an unexpected guest today? Why did she suddenly change the topic and end up acting as a matchmaker for Jia Cong?

Yuanyang, who was standing behind Lady Jia, had a slightly changed expression when she heard what Wang Xifeng said, and her fingers unconsciously tightened the towel around her waist.

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "She is indeed pregnant. Even her thoughts are full of joy. Tell me about the brother who has attracted your attention so much that you want to marry him to your eldest wife."

Wang Xifeng smiled and pointed at Ping'er, saying, "Who else could it be except Ping'er?"

……

When she said this, everyone present was shocked. They could never have imagined that Wang Xifeng's roundabout way of speaking actually meant to send Ping'er to Jia Cong's room to be a girl.

No one in Rongguo Mansion knew that Ping'er was Wang Xifeng's maid who came with her as a dowry. She grew up with her and was Wang Xifeng's most trusted confidant.

Moreover, Ping'er was smart and capable. When Wang Xifeng was in charge of daily affairs in the mansion, she always kept her by her side and treated her as her right-hand man.

Even Li Wan joked that Ping'er was the master key to Wang Xifeng.

Whenever the servants in the mansion think of the strict and powerful Wang Xifeng, they will always think of the cute and gentle maid Ping'er beside her.

Women like Lady Wang and Li Wan, who came from prominent families, knew very well that the maids who came as dowries for young ladies were all first-class people and were the most trusted confidants of the married women.

Not to mention that Ping'er was such a capable and loyal maid, it was somewhat unreasonable for Wang Xifeng to do such a thing.

After hearing what Wang Xifeng said, Jia's mother was stunned and said, "Feng girl, what are you thinking? You are willing to give this girl away. Ping'er is your arm."

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "Look at what the old lady said. Ping'er has been with me since she was a child. She is already sixteen years old now, in the prime of her life. Can I let her be a maid for the rest of her life? It won't last long.

Finding a good place for her to go is the best way to fulfill the duty between master and servant.

In the past, Second Master and I were busy with our own affairs and didn't care much for our brothers. Now that Second Master is in trouble, it is Brother Cong who is helping him inside and outside.

As the eldest sister-in-law, I should worry about him. If this is done, Ping'er will have a place to stay, and Brother Cong will have another useful person by his side. It's a good combination, the best of both worlds."

After hearing what Wang Xifeng said, Jia's mother felt a little uncomfortable. Although she was old, she was not confused about the affairs of the inner house.

She just thought about it briefly, and there was something she didn't understand in her heart.

Now that Lian'er was imprisoned and charged, the eldest wife not only lost her title, but also her foothold. A cunning person like Feng girl would not be able to see clearly her own situation.

She could see clearly that even though her second daughter-in-law was her biological aunt, she didn't expect anything from her at all. She just wanted to win over Cong Ge'er as her backer, and even gave her most trusted maid to someone else.

This calculation was correct, but Grandmother Jia felt a little disappointed. She was the ancestor of the two mansions, and Feng girl didn't want to rely on her. She was not as good as the grandson of the East Mansion.

When Mrs. Wang saw this scene, she felt a little uncomfortable. The boy from the East Mansion really took advantage of the West Mansion and did not even let go of a decent maid.

But that's all he is, just a girl, not something worthwhile.

He had already set up separate houses, so even if he became more rare, he could still take over Baoyu's title and the West Mansion's property. As long as the master inherited the title, the East and West Mansions would be even...

……

Grandmother Jia looked at Ping'er, who was standing aside, her face flushed and a little confused, as if she was ready to run away at any time.

He asked, "Ping'er, are you willing to follow your master's plan?"

Ping'er shuddered and said without hesitation, "I will obey the instructions of grandma and the old lady."

Everyone saw that although her face was blushing, she was graceful, her words were clear, without any hesitation, and her eyes were gentle and charming. Everyone could see that she was very willing in her heart.

Ping'er was Wang Xifeng's maid who came with her as a dowry. If she said she wanted to give her away, could others say no?

Grandmother Jia asked, "Does Cong know about this?"

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "I have mentioned this to him, old lady, don't worry."

Grandmother Jia said: "This is also a good thing. Your wife and I are here today, so this matter is settled. However, you are pregnant now and need someone capable to take care of you.

When your child is born, let Ping'er go to the East Mansion to get married."

After hearing this, Yuanyang, who was beside Lady Jia, had a look of sadness on her face that she tried hard to conceal.

Everyone chatted for a while and then dispersed. When Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang walked in front, Li Wan and Yingchun came over to congratulate Ping'er.

Li Wan held Ping'er's hand and said, "Your grandmother did something to break the situation. It is good for both you and others. You are blessed in the end." (End of this chapter)