Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

Seeing Mrs. Wang crying, Grandmother Jia couldn't help but frowned and said, "Why are you crying? Although Cong has inherited the family business.

After all, he is an official appointed by the court and a well-read person. I don't believe that just because he inherited the title and gained the family business of Rongguo, he can ignore the feelings between his elders and brothers?

I'm not dead yet, this family won't be in chaos, why are you panicking! "

Grandmother Jia looked at Li Wan and Wang Xifeng who were standing quietly at the bottom, and asked, "Feng'er, he is your eldest brother. Now that the family business has come into his hands, you can also tell me what the rules should be."

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "Madam, Princess Beijing just said that leaving the family business to capable sons is the way to long-term prosperity. I think this makes a lot of sense."

When Mrs. Wang heard this, she frowned. Since Feng lost Lian'er's support, she became close to that boy and even gave him her trusted maid.

Now that the title and property of Rong State have returned to the eldest wife's house, she has become more and more supportive of that boy, and speaks for him in every word.

How could she forget who brought her into the Jia family, who arranged for her to become the eldest daughter-in-law of the Rong family, and who entrusted her with all the power of the housekeeper? He is also a heartless person.

Mrs. Wang was feeling depressed. She felt that even her own niece was unreliable and she had ended up in such a helpless situation.

On this side, Wang Xifeng said, "Although Brother Cong has inherited the family business, Madam, you don't have to worry that he will treat the second wife and Baoyu harshly.

The Rong family business is considered to be extremely wealthy in the eyes of others, but it is not the case for Brother Cong. In my opinion, he will never be stingy and treat his family harshly for the sake of this family business."

Mrs. Wang turned the Buddhist beads in her hand faster and said, "Feng girl, you are still young after all. Many things have not happened to you, so you naturally don't care about them and can speak lightly.

But once you get such a huge family business in Rongguo, after all, money can move people's hearts, and few people can remain indifferent. Some things will only give rise to all kinds of right and wrong when they are about to happen."

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, “Madam, what you said makes sense, but it may be true for other people, but it is different for Brother Cong.

How could the old lady and the lady forget that brother Cong was not an official who lived on salary, not to mention that he had his own property in the East Palace.

He also has a large shop called Xinchunhao outside, although Xinchunhao is an imperial merchant under the name of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

But outsiders don’t know that the Xinchunhao is the private property of the Cong brothers, and even the palace tacitly acknowledges this.

The Xiuniang Incense Shop of Xinchunhao in Shenjing is still doing a booming business. It has long been said that the annual interest of this shop is 50,000 taels of silver."

Both Grandmother Jia and Mrs. Wang knew about this matter. Jia Zhen and his son from the East Palace were attracted by the fact that Xiuniang's perfume shop was so profitable that they had the evil intention of taking it over.

Later, because of this incident, many evil deeds of Jia Zhen and his son were unleashed, which eventually led to the stripping of the Ningguo Mansion's title and the confiscation of its property, the death of Jia Zhen, and Jia Rong being exiled to Qiongzhou for thirty years.

Whenever Grandmother Jia and Mrs. Wang think of this, they are still frightened. They even feel that Jia Cong is unlucky and that anyone who goes against him will end up in failure...

Wang Xifeng continued, "Over the years, Miss Qu has been managing the business for Brother Cong. She is also a very capable woman.

I heard from old relatives in Jinling that Xinchunhao has opened branches all over Jiangnan and its business is very prosperous.

Jiangnan is a wealthy place, even richer than the capital. There must be a few shops that can make money like Xiuniang's perfume shop.

Although Xinchunhao was an imperial merchant affiliated with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and had to pay a lot of its annual income to the national treasury, the silver that remained in its own hands was also a huge amount.

Old lady, please calculate how much money Brother Cong can earn in a year just by relying on Xinchunhao. How could he be so fussy about the Rongguo Mansion's family business and treat his elder brother harshly because of it?"

When Wang Xifeng said this, both Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang's eyes lit up.

Xinchunhao, a Xiuniang incense shop, earns 50,000 taels of silver a year. That guy is in the wealthy area of ​​Jiangnan and has opened so many branches. Wouldn’t he earn more than 100,000 taels of silver a year?

Even though Lady Jia had lived in a wealthy family all her life, such a large sum of money was still an astonishing fortune for her.

The Rongguo Mansion's estate could only generate a maximum of 20,000 taels of silver in interest a year. Now that the title has been downgraded and the palace has reduced its estate by 500 dan, the annual income of 20,000 silver taels is not enough.

Thinking about what Wang Xifeng said, Grandmother Jia felt relieved that her grandson could earn so much money and would not care about the family property.

When Mrs. Wang heard that Jia Cong could make so much money in a year, she could no longer suppress the greed in her eyes, and then she felt burning jealousy.

But there was nothing she could do. With Jia Cong's current power and status, she simply couldn't harbor the slightest covetousness towards him.

Wang Xifeng continued, "A scholar like Brother Cong values ​​his reputation the most, and he has plenty of money, so he would never do something that is not worth it."

Grandmother Jia thought about it and felt that this was true, so she said, "It would be best if he could find some ability outside, so that he wouldn't have to worry about wasting time at home.

After I am done with the guests these days, I will have some free time and ask him to come up with a plan. This family business must be properly managed so that everyone in the family can feel at ease."

……

Rongguo Mansion, outside the west corner gate.

Jia Zheng and Jia Cong personally escorted Prince Beijing and the Princess to the carriage, and watched the carriage leave before returning home.

On the carriage, Prince Beijing and his wife sat side by side. Princess Beijing said with a smile, "Your Highness has come to congratulate us personally this time. Brother Cong must be grateful for your respect."

Shui Rong smiled faintly and said, "He was very respectful to me and led me into the Rongxi main hall, where he was among the nobles who came to congratulate him. He was as warm as the wind and spoke very appropriately."

Princess Beijing heard a hint of disappointment in her prince's voice, and asked curiously, "As a prince, Cong should be treated in the inner room of the side hall to show respect.

He is still young after all, and doesn’t understand the subtleties of social interaction.”

Shui Rong shook his head and said, "That's not entirely true, I think he did it on purpose.

Sometimes I am very surprised, he is just a teenager, but he is thoughtful, sophisticated, and flawless, just like a seasoned official who has been in the officialdom for decades. "

Princess Beijing was also from a noble family in Jinling. She was intelligent and knowledgeable. She thought for a moment before saying, "Could it be that he is concerned about the prince's status and is acting so cautiously now?

Are you worried that someone might spread the rumor that he is secretly on good terms with the prince?"

Shui Rong said calmly, "Since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has had a deep rift with the four kings, eight dukes, and other old nobles, and has never stopped suppressing and neglecting them.

Although the emperor showed some leniency in this Liaodong salt and iron case, three hereditary noble families still perished.

Among the sons of the old nobles, only Jia Cong received special favor from the emperor. He has been honored and favored continuously in recent years and has attracted much attention.

Jia Cong knew very well that all his wealth and achievements came from the emperor, so he would naturally try to understand the emperor's mind and seek benefits and avoid disasters. Otherwise, why would he be so polite and cautious when I came to congratulate him?

I just don't want to create suspicion and gossip among His Majesty."

Princess Beijing seemed a little unconvinced and said, "Your Highness, you are worrying too much. He is just a teenager, how could he have such deep thoughts?"

Shui Rong said: "He was awarded a title for his military merits when he was just a teenager, and he was awarded two titles as a concubine's son. He is not an ordinary teenager and cannot be judged by ordinary people.

Back then, he was still a young scholar in the Jia family who was not well-received, but the emperor was able to show him special favor. This sharp vision alone is admirable. "

Shui Rong asked again: "Third sister is keeping vigil for the old concubine at the imperial mausoleum. Is everything okay?"

Princess Beijing said: "I went to visit her a few days ago, and she was fine. She said that after winter, Jia Cong sent her top-quality red charcoal and black fox fur.

It’s just that the two of them needed to avoid suspicion, so they didn’t come in person.”

Shui Rong said: "Although the old concubine has passed away, the emperor has made an exception and allowed my third sister to enter the imperial mausoleum to observe mourning for the old concubine for half a year. This is a rule only for the sons and grandsons of the emperor.

This shows that the retired emperor still has feelings for the Zhen family. Although the arranged marriage between the third sister and Jia Cong did not take place, the two of them have already formed a bond, and this marriage cannot be ended.

Jia Cong is a man of great talent. Being the son-in-law of the Zhen family will be a great help to the prosperity of the Zhen family."

Princess Beijing frowned slightly after hearing this. The prince kept saying that he wanted to continue the marriage between his third sister and Jia Cong, although he said it was for the benefit of the Zhen family.

In fact, the real purpose was to win over Jia Cong. As long as the third sister really married Jia Cong, the prince and he would become brothers-in-law, and their relationship would become much closer. Jia Cong would no longer have any reservations even if they became friends.

There is just one thing that Princess Beijing's second daughter, Miss Zhen, has always been wondering why the prince has such a special regard for Jia Cong.

Is it because Jia Cong is outstanding in literary studies and has a talent for leading troops in battle?
The prince was used to making friends with famous and talented people. Although none of them was as outstanding as Jia Cong, there seemed to be a few who were similar in literary talent and military affairs.

Miss Zhen Er knew that her husband came from a royal family, had been well-read since childhood, had deep thoughts and a broad mind.

The reason why he valued Jia Cong so much must not only be because Jia Cong was outstanding in literature and military affairs, but also because of another reason that she didn't know...

Although the prince treated her harmoniously, he would not tell her, the princess, everything on his mind.

Princess Beijing suddenly thought of something and asked, "Your Highness, a few days ago I heard from the servants in the palace that Liu Changshi left the capital last month and went to Jinling, which happened to be around the time when Shiwen got into trouble.

Normally, when Liu Changshi was away from home on business, I never asked about it, but how come I never heard the prince mention him going to Jinling?"

After hearing this, Shui Rong's expression changed, and he said with a rather unhappy look: "Nowadays, the servants in the mansion are becoming more and more unruly, and they speak nonsense at will. You must discipline them when you go back.

Liu Changshi went back to Texas to visit his parents last month, and I granted him leave specially... "

……

Rongguo Mansion, Lixiangyuan.

Wang Ziteng congratulated Jia Cong and wanted to ask someone to pass a message to Mrs. Wang, so that the brother and sister could meet and talk in the side hall of the Rongguo outer courtyard.

But a message was sent back to the maid, saying that the mistress had gone to Rongqing Hall to meet guests and was not available for the time being.

Wang Ziteng then said goodbye to Jia Zheng and Jia Cong. Now the protagonist in Rong Xi Tang was Prince Beijing, and he would only be a foil if he stayed there, and he could not have any intimate conversation with Jia Cong.

After exiting the west corner gate of Rongguo Mansion, he did not return home, but went around to the back street of Rongguo Mansion and went to the outer gate of Lixiang Garden on the back street.

Since he had arrived at the Rongguo Mansion, he couldn't just walk in without entering. Naturally, he had to meet his two sisters. Since Mrs. Wang was not able to facilitate it, he naturally had to go and see Aunt Xue.

The old woman guarding the outer gate of Liyuan Courtyard recognized her uncle and asked someone to inform him while letting Wang Ziteng into the house.

As soon as Wang Ziteng reached the door of the main hall, he heard the voice of his nephew Xue Pan: "Mom, you have to be more sober. Don't let your aunt coax you. It's important, it's important..."

When he entered the house, he met Xue Pan coming out, and the two almost bumped into each other.

Wang Ziteng frowned and scolded: "Pan'er, you are not young anymore, why are you still so rash in doing things? What were you arguing with your mother just now?" Xue Pan was startled when he saw that it was Wang Ziteng. He had been afraid of this uncle since he was a child. Ever since he was involved in a murder case in Jinling, his family had to move north.

Not long after arriving in Shenjing, Wang Ziteng called her over and gave her a severe scolding. From then on, she felt even more guilty when seeing her uncle, and every time they met she avoided him like a cat or a mouse.

"It turned out that it was my uncle who came to visit. My mother is in the main room. I was just talking to her about something. Please come in quickly. I will tell the kitchen that my uncle must keep some food for you today so that your nephew can toast you a few glasses."

Xue Pan said a few polite words and then left in a flash. What about going to give orders to the kitchen? It was all nonsense. Was he going to wait here and give his uncle a chance to scold him?

He thought that the Rongguo Mansion was very lively today and there were heard to be many visitors. Maybe Feng Ziying, Wei Ruolan and others would come to congratulate Cong Ge'er on behalf of their elders.

It would be a good opportunity for me to go there and socialize, get closer to Jia Cong, and maybe even find some help for my sister.

In the main hall, Aunt Xue saw her brother coming over, and a look of joy appeared on her face. She asked, "Brother, how come you have time to come here today?"

Wang Ziteng smiled and said, "It's not that Cong brother has just inherited the title of Rong State today, I came to congratulate him and came to see my sister."

Aunt Xue was stunned when she heard this. As soon as she arrived in the capital, she heard Mrs. Wang talk about the conflict between Jia Cong and her nephew Wang Yi.

Later, she heard that her sister-in-law had instructed the scholar raised by her natal family to falsely accuse Jia Cong, who had just entered school, of not being qualified to take the imperial examinations, and the incident became a big deal.

His brother and the Jia family almost became enemies, so naturally the relationship between his brother and that Cong brother was also very strained.

How could he not disregard seniority and come to personally congratulate Brother Cong today? This is a rare thing.

However, matters between men like this had nothing to do with Aunt Xue, so she was too lazy to think about it too deeply. Now she was still busy with the lawsuit.

……

Aunt Xue asked the maid Tongxi to serve tea to Wang Ziteng. When Baochai heard that her uncle had come home, she came out to pay her respects, but then retreated to the inner room.

Wang Ziteng said to Aunt Xue, "My niece is becoming more and more outstanding. She seems to have more potential than Pan'er.

What were Pan'er and her sister talking about just now? Why were they so noisy? "

Aunt Xue naturally couldn't tell her brother that her son was against the marriage between Baochai and Baoyu. Both of them were her brother's sisters, so how could she say such a thing?

He just responded by saying, "Pan'er has grown up now. He knows that his sister has reached the age of marriage. He was just worrying about his sister's lifelong affairs with me."

When Wang Ziteng heard this, his heart was slightly moved, and he said, "Sister, in the past two years I have heard rumors in the Jia Mansion about a perfect match between a golden jade and Baoyu, and that Baoyu and Baochai are a good match. Is this true?"

Even before yesterday, Aunt Xue thought it was just nice words, but now that time has passed and the situation has changed, she can no longer understand what he said.

He flatly denied it, "Brother, don't listen to such nonsense. There are many people who have gold and jade. How can we say whether it is worthy or not?"

Wang Ziteng was a man who had been involved in officialdom for a long time, and he could not hide Aunt Xue's tricks from him. Just by hearing these two sentences from Aunt Xue, he understood that his sister did not approve of her daughter's marriage with Baoyu.

Since he was able to go to the Jia Mansion to congratulate Jia Cong, he had already found out everything about the imperial edict that day, and naturally knew that his nephew Baoyu's reputation and future were ruined.

Even though Mrs. Wang was his sister and Baoyu was his nephew, a man as ambitious as him felt that Baoyu was definitely not a suitable person to marry.

It was understandable that his sister was unwilling to accept this marriage. Wang Ziteng thought of Jia Cong's sophisticated way of dealing with him just now, and his heart was slightly moved.

He said: "My niece is so outstanding, she is also a top figure among the female relatives of the Xue Wang and the Xue Wang.

As the saying goes, a girl is afraid of marrying the wrong man, so my sister must be more careful and find a real and noble husband for my niece, so as to live up to her character and appearance."

Aunt Xue smiled bitterly and said, "Brother's words are reasonable, but the Xue family has fallen into decline now. Although we have some wealth, our official positions and titles have been lost for generations. It is not easy to marry into a noble family."

Wang Ziteng smiled and said, "Sister, why are you so confused? There is a good marriage right in front of you, but you turn a blind eye to it."

When Aunt Xue heard this, her heart skipped a beat and she vaguely understood what her brother meant.

Wang Ziteng said: "I heard that although Congge is not favored by the old lady of the Jia family, he has been the best among the children of the Jia family since he was a child, and the sisters in the family are very friendly with him.

My sister has been staying at the Jia family for two years. My niece and he are cousins, so I think they often interact with each other. I wonder how they get along?"

Aunt Xue said, "Brother Cong is indeed very kind to the sisters at home. He is also very good to Baochai. Last time, he met a famous doctor and specially invited him to diagnose Baochai's old illness. He is very thoughtful."

I understand what my brother means. Now everyone knows that Cong Ge'er is outstanding in character and appearance, and has a strong family background. He is an excellent choice for matchmaking among the sons of nobles.

But Cong is a man of two titles, which is a bit too much. Even his marriage is arranged by the palace. I am afraid that the Xue family cannot match their family background."

When Wang Ziteng saw his sister's lost expression, he knew what she was thinking. She had already set her eyes on Jia Cong, but was worried that they would not be a good match.

When Wang Ziteng figured this out, his heart was filled with excitement.

When he rose to power in the officialdom, he relied on the Jia family's connections and obtained the position of Jiedushi of the Beijing Camp. Ever since Ningguo Jia Jing became a monk, the seat of the Jia family's connections has been in Jia Zheng.

At first, he wanted to seize the position of governor of nine provinces through Jia Zheng, but his plan was aborted because his wife murdered Jia Cong.

Now that Jia Cong has inherited the title of Rong, it was all because of the emperor's high regard for him. With the honor of carrying two titles in one body, the connections and power accumulated by the Jia family over generations will definitely be transferred to him.

Jia Zheng and Baoyu, father and son, have fallen from the main line to the secondary line. Their decline is inevitable and there is no longer any value in taking advantage of the situation to make plans.

Although Wang Ziteng's relationship with the Rongguo Mansion was broken off because his wife falsely accused him of murdering Jia Cong, fortunately, the incident was not done by him, but by his wife who kept it secret, so there is still room for maneuver.

Wang Ziteng believed that there were no eternal enemies in this world. Now he knew that his sister chose Jia Cong as her son-in-law, and Jia Cong was also very fond of his niece Baochai.

Such a good thing for both parties. If the niece and Jia Cong can get together, the previously distant relationship between Wang Ziteng and Jia Cong will be greatly improved.

Since ancient times, uncles are as important as the sky. With the relationship with his niece Baochai, the old things between the Wang family and Jia Cong can be easily exposed, and it becomes natural for him to take advantage of the situation to turn things around.

"Sister, I know what you are thinking. The Xue family is a prominent family in Jinling, and my niece is the eldest daughter of the eldest son. But things in the world are not set in stone. We can take a long-term view on this matter..."

……

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

In the inner courtyard bathroom, Jia Cong's spare clothes were hung on the clothes rack by the wall, as well as a few elegant and beautiful women's dresses.

Jia Cong was soaking comfortably in the steaming hot water in the crescent-shaped willow bathtub, which was polished to a sleek luster. There was a faint smell of alcohol in the air.

Wu'er was only wearing a moon-white dress, which made her graceful and charming figure more prominent. Her long hair was tied into a simple bun without any hairpins. She looked plain, elegant and lovely.

Maybe it was the warm steam in the bathroom, Wu'er's pretty face turned an alluring red.

She carefully used the Xinchun scented soap to lather Jia Cong's hair, and gently rubbed it with her slender fingers. Her movements were so gentle and meticulous that Jia Cong felt drowsy.

That morning, some teachers and classmates from Qingshan Academy came to congratulate him, and one even brought a gift from the president of Qingshan Academy, Zhao Chongli, which was a pair of handwritten couplets in the center hall.

These former teachers and classmates seemed quite different from those who came to congratulate and socialize with Jia Cong in official circles. They did not go to the West Palace to join in the fun, but went directly to the East Palace, which was a little less popular, to congratulate.

The gifts they brought were all simple and elegant, such as calligraphy and paintings, and books. They lacked the sophistication and clichés of officialdom and were more warm and sincere.

Jia Cong cherished the time he spent studying at Qingshan Academy, and he also valued his old friends from the academy, so he specially hosted a banquet in the East Palace to entertain them. After many rounds of wine, both the host and the guests were very happy and left.

Wu Er rubbed Jia Cong's hair, washed it with clean water, and slowly wiped the water stains off his hair with a dry cloth, saying, "Third Master has been very tired these days, entertaining so many guests every day.

Good colleagues and classmates congratulate each other and have a banquet to accompany each other, which is more tiring than studying and writing all day long. "

Jia Cong narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "When you are about to inherit the title of Rongguo, this kind of social interaction is inevitable.

Fortunately, this kind of thing only happens once in a while, and most of the guests who were supposed to come had already arrived, so it calmed down afterwards. "

Ever since the imperial edict summoned him that day, the Rongguo Mansion was filled with guests the next day. I thought there were enough people, but I didn't expect that was just the beginning.

During the next three days, the house was packed with guests every day. Not only did the number of visitors not decrease, but it increased instead. Even the last time he inherited the title of Earl Weiyuan, the scale of the visitors could not be compared to that.

Almost all of the old families of the Four Kings and Eight Dukes in the capital came to the mansion to congratulate, and all of them were the eldest sons of each family.

There were also the twelve military marquises who were passed down from generation to generation when the country was founded. As long as the inheritance of the title was not broken, they also sent important sons of the same generation to congratulate Jia Cong.

Jia Cong had never met many of them before, but now they came one after another.

In addition, many students and old friends from the Ning and Rong mansions who had accumulated knowledge over the years also came to congratulate them. The house was truly packed with guests.

In just three or four days, Jia Cong's network of contacts in Shenjing increased several times, and even he himself was surprised.

Moreover, these visiting guests were not limited to congratulating him on his succession to the title. Many of them also sent Jia Cong birthday invitations from their family members, wedding invitations for his nephews and brothers, etc.

They each maintained and deepened the bond with Jia Cong, the new master of Rong State, in different ways.

Since Jia Zhen's death, the Ningguo Mansion was searched and confiscated, Jia She passed away, and Jia Zheng fell into the hands of others.

The rich network of contacts accumulated over several generations of the Ning and Rong Jia families was on the verge of dissipating like water without a channel. Now, taking advantage of Jia Cong's inheritance of the title of Rong, it was rapidly converging on him.

This is a handover and inheritance of invisible power that has a more far-reaching impact than the transfer of titles and property.

When Jia Cong thought about how Wang Ziteng, with whom he had a deep grudge, actually put aside his seniority concerns and came to congratulate him in person, he gradually realized that this trend was happening rapidly.

Perhaps the knowledgeable people among the Four Kings and Eight Dukes had already realized that Jia Cong was not only the new master of Rong State, but also possessed other unique values.

Among the new generation of disciples including the four kings and eight dukes, Jia Cong was a rare one who was selected and valued by Emperor Jiazhao.

Given Emperor Jia Zhao's stern and sharp temperament, his consistent and special treatment of Jia Cong can be said to be an extremely rare phenomenon.

Perhaps in the near future, Jia Cong can become a kind of bridge between the oppressed group of four kings and eight dukes and the supreme king who commands the world.

When Jia Cong finished his bath and felt relaxed and free of the smell of alcohol, Wu'er helped him tie up his hair and get dressed. Then she heard Qingwen coming from outside to deliver a message.

The old lady of the West Mansion knew that Jia Cong had a social engagement today, so she asked him to go to Rongqing Hall in the West Mansion tomorrow to discuss family affairs. (End of this chapter)