Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

In the blink of an eye, the twelfth lunar month is coming to an end, the snow is auspicious for a good harvest, and New Year's Eve is approaching. The fourteenth year of Jiazhao is about to end.

The festive atmosphere in the East and West Palaces became stronger and stronger, and the Jia family's old relatives and friends from all over Beijing came to visit them as usual.

However, the number of people who came to visit the mansion during the New Year holidays this year was more complete than in previous years, and the popularity was also greater than in previous years.

The Rongguo Mansion's aura of power, which had faded year by year since Jia Daishan's death, seemed to once again show its sharp outlines...

The reason for this was that the previous lord of the Jia family passed away, and the Rongguo Mansion was built by imperial decree, giving rise to a head of the family with two titles.

All the high-ranking families in the capital had long heard of Jia Cong's name and knew that this young head of the family was not a playboy like his father.

Although he is only about 50 years old, his outstanding deeds have already made him famous.

They all believed that he inherited the hereditary nobility of Rong State, and that the Jia family in Shenjing had been gradually declining and would definitely be revived.

The last time Jia Cong issued an imperial decree to confer the title of Rongguo, it had caused quite a stir among the noble families in the capital, and the Rongguo Mansion was filled with guests and was in an uproar.

But at the same time, the major families in Shenjing are also waiting and watching.

Because all the noble families know that their families rise and fall, and it is always easy for new nobles to emerge, but difficult for old nobles to get rid of them.

Although Jia Cong accepted the title by imperial decree, his second uncle Jia Zheng was still in the family, and Jia Zheng was the head of the Jia family of the previous generation, living in Rongxi Hall in Rongguozhengsu.

In the eyes of others, it is inevitable that the Rongguo Mansion will be involved in a dispute between uncle and nephew, and open and covert struggles for power and family property.

But the facts were far beyond our expectations.

Jia Cong inherited the title of Rong, but less than ten days later, Jia Zheng and his wife still lived in Rongxi Hall and refused to move out.

No one had expected that such a secret matter would lead to a joint impeachment by the four major government offices of the court, and the number of officials who followed suit was astonishing.

After the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Clan Court came to visit, Jia Zheng and his wife, the second wife of Rongguo Mansion, hurriedly moved out of Rongxi Hall and even moved out of Rongguo Mansion.
The situation took such a sudden turn that all the nobles who were watching the show were dumbfounded for a moment.

Everyone knows that although Jia Cong was an outstanding young man, he did not have such great appeal in the court.

Afterwards, news spread in the officialdom that Sun Shouzheng, the censor of Yongzhou Dao in the Censorate, was the first person to impeach Jia Zheng for illegally occupying Rong Xi Tang.

Sun Shouzheng was only a seventh-rank censor, and he didn't even have the qualifications to impeach in court.

It was such an inconspicuous impeachment memorial that had to be passed through the Tongzhengsi and Silijian before it reached the emperor.

However, it happened to attract the attention of the current emperor. The emperor did not comment on Jia Zheng's occupation of Rong Xi Tang, but praised Sun Shouzheng for his integrity, outspokenness and adherence to etiquette.

The emperor even made an exception and granted Sun Shouzheng an extra exam, promoting him to the rank 7th rank imperial censor. This act was like a stone that caused a huge uproar.

This led to the joint impeachment by four government offices, which caused a huge dispute over the correct etiquette between uncle and nephew.

All noble families, scholars and officials, in order to ensure their own wealth and prosperity, would thoroughly investigate the root causes of the ups and downs of the court.

Who can't see at this moment that the root of this turmoil is ultimately the will of the Holy Heart?

Those four high-ranking officials were merely taking the emperor's pulse from Sun Shouzheng, and using this to please the emperor and to follow his lead and cheer.

Jia Cong was able to be granted a title at a young age because of his outstanding literary and military skills. It was a coincidence that he was able to be granted two titles at the same time.

But to have the support of the current emperor means that Jane is truly in the emperor's heart and is favored by the emperor!

Thinking about how old Jia Cong is now, it makes people feel that his future is limitless. Now that he has inherited the title of Rongguo, the signs of the revival of the Jia family in Shenjing are as solid as Mount Tai.

……

It is also because of such deep-seated reasons that the noise of noble officials and their relatives and friends who come to visit during the New Year holidays is no less than the grand occasion of congratulations when Jia Cong inherited the title.

However, the people who visit before the New Year are mainly the wives of nobles and high-ranking officials, while most male guests will come to celebrate the New Year after New Year's Eve.

Therefore, these days, Jia Mu's Rongqing Hall was almost always filled with noble ladies, with fragrant air, shining hairpins, cloud-like hair and brocade skirts, and it was very lively.

Jia's grandmother privately speculated and compared, and felt that the scene of distinguished guests coming and going before the New Year today was much more lively than in previous years.

All her life, Grandmother Jia loved wealth and enjoyment, and was most proud of glory and honor. Naturally, she was very pleased with the prosperous and glorious scene in Rongqing Hall.

However, Grandmother Jia knew in her heart that the reason why this year was better than in the past was probably because of the popularity that the grandson of the East Palace had brought to the Jia family.

As the saying goes, the sun rises in the east and the rain falls in the west, and the flowers planted inside the wall smell fragrant outside the wall.

When Grandmother Jia thought of Jia Cong's glory, Baoyu's poverty, and Jia Lian's misfortune, she felt somewhat regretful.

But she was, after all, a cheerful and enjoyable person. This slight gloom and depression only lingered in her mind for a moment before being forgotten.

Soon she was immersed in the joy of being the center of attention among the noble ladies...

……

Many of the wives and daughters-in-law of noble families who visited during the New Year holidays brought their unmarried daughters with them.

Their move this time was not to treat Jia Cong as their prey as they had done in the past.

Ever since Jia Cong caused such a big fuss about the arranged marriage and the abduction of a bride last time, these noble ladies have seen clearly that Jia Cong's power is growing day by day, and the palace is keeping an eye on his marriage. They are afraid that in the future, he will not even go through the ceremony of arranged marriage.

At this point in his life, getting married is no longer something that can be accomplished easily by the help of relatives, so there is probably no need to waste his time on it.

Besides, Jia Cong is currently in mourning for his father and can only get married after three years. Any girl who has reached the age of marriage in a noble family will never be able to catch up with him.

These ladies would bring their unmarried girls to visit for another reason.

The nobles and dignitaries would win over each other and form alliances, so it was inevitable that the wives and daughters-in-law would be intimate with each other, and there was also a lot of affection between the daughters of the boudoir.

Just like when Lady Jia was still in the boudoir, she and the Empress Dowager Yi Zhang, who was also from a noble family and young, became close friends. This became a past event that Lady Jia could boast about.

Of course, this close friend of hers, no matter whether she was the mother of the country or the empress dowager, was cautious and shrewd in her dealings, and did not get involved in political affairs or worldly affairs, and did not bring any benefits to Lady Jia. This is a matter for another topic.

The reason why these noble ladies brought their young ladies to visit was that they heard that Earl Weiyuan of the Jia family doted on his sisters and was also very loved and liked among the sisters of the Jia family.

They also heard that although Weiyuan Earl's biological mother was posthumously conferred an imperial title, her original family background was not prominent and she was once deeply despised by Lady Jia Shi, so Weiyuan Earl was not very close to his grandmother.

Nowadays, the east and west mansions of the Jia family can be closely connected, mostly because of the young ladies of the Jia family, who serve as the bonding force.

Therefore, the ladies of various mansions brought their boudoirs to visit, so that they could make friends with the young ladies of the Jia family. This kind of private friendship within the house was both cordial and convenient, and not ostentatious.

In reality, he made friends with the young head of the Jia family, adding another layer of close friendship between the noble families.

Therefore, during these New Year holidays, when there were many female guests coming and going, Jia Cong seldom came out to meet them due to the etiquette of men and women avoiding each other.

Yingchun, Daiyu, Tanchun, Xichun and others had to come out frequently to entertain guests, which added a lot of strange busyness to their lives.

……

Since Rong Xi Tang was moved to the side courtyard, Mrs. Wang has been ill and bedridden for several days. She said she couldn't even get out of bed. In fact, it wasn't that serious. She was just upset and pretended to be upset to show it to the outside world.

By the end of the year, relatives from various families came to visit, and Rongqing Hall was crowded with guests. Grandmother Jia asked someone to call Mrs. Wang to meet the guests together.

Although her daughter-in-law showed a paranoid and unwise character when her son Jia Zheng moved out of Rong Xi Tang, Jia's mother looked down on her even more.

But for the sake of her beloved youngest son, so that he could continue to maintain his status in the Rongguo Mansion after losing the position of head of the family, and to save face in front of her elder relatives, Grandmother Jia had to let Lady Wang show up in Rongqing Hall.

Fortunately, although Jia Cong was the lord of Rong State, he did not marry.

Otherwise, with the head of Rongguo in power, Rongqing Hall would receive the wives of nobles, but it would never be the turn of Wang Furen, the concubine. Although Lady Xing, Jia Cong's mother, also had this title, she was lucky enough to move back to Rongguo Mansion from the East Courtyard for the first time.

But now the times have changed. She is now a widow and unemployed. She is neither liked by Lady Jia nor has her son to support her, so she naturally has to stand aside.

When Mrs. Wang learned that Lady Jia asked her to go to Rongqing Hall to meet the guests, she naturally understood the old lady's intention and was quite overjoyed. She recovered immediately and became full of energy.

From then on, she would wash and dress early every day and go to Rongqing Hall to accompany Lady Jia to entertain guests.

As soon as Mrs. Wang entered Rongqing Hall and saw the grand scene filled with noble ladies, her dark heart seemed to relax instantly, as if she had returned to the days when she was in charge of the Rong family business...

Whenever Mrs. Wang saw the young ladies who came with their elders to visit Lady Jia in the hall, there were several girls with superior family backgrounds and looks, which made her quite attracted.

Although she prefers Baochai's blood relative, wouldn't it be more honorable if her Baoyu could marry the daughter of a high-ranking official?
However, all the noble ladies who came to the house were shrewd people in the back house, and they all knew about Madam Wang’s current situation. Although they maintained courtesy on the surface, they did not take her seriously in their hearts.

No noble lady responded to Mrs. Wang's occasional mentions of Baoyu. Nowadays, everyone knows Baoyu's background. The emperor's words are golden and his reputation is terrifyingly great...

These noble ladies often mentioned Jia Cong and praised him to Grandmother Jia, saying that the old lady was blessed to have raised such an amazing grandson and that she was truly envious.

Similar scenes would happen several times almost every day when entertaining guests in Rongqing Hall, making Mrs. Wang feel extremely embarrassed and depressed.

But even so, she had to endure it, and had to smile and flatter from time to time to fulfill the duties of host and guest. Otherwise, even the position of entertaining guests in Rongqing Hall would be lost, and the second branch would be even more miserable in the Jia family.

……

On this day, Mrs. Wang sent away several noble ladies who came to visit her on behalf of Lady Jia, and left Rongqing Hall in a depressed mood.

But his mind seemed to be filled with evil sounds, and the shrill voices of the two noble ladies praising Jia Cong kept circling: a talented poet and writer, a double success in the imperial examinations, a man of both civil and military talents…

When she was passing by Rong Xi Tang from a distance with her maid Caiyun, she saw Lin Zhixiao's family hall shouting and assigning things, and maids and old women carrying a lot of furniture and antiques were frequently entering and leaving Rong Xi Tang.

There was also a young woman standing at the entrance of Rong Xi Tang, wearing a pine green embroidered collared fur coat and a navy blue skirt embroidered with magnolia branches.

The black and shiny bun was adorned with a ruby ​​and jadeite hairpin. Her beautiful and soft face, in the sunlight, looked as delicate as a willow and as graceful as an orchid, which was very eye-catching.

Mrs. Wang naturally recognized that this was Jia Cong's maid Wu'er, and her brows could not help but frown.

The delicate and pretty Wu'er did not make Mrs. Wang feel the slightest bit pleased, but rather an unspeakable disgust.

She said to Caiyun beside her, "Go and find out what they are doing. They are making such a fuss in broad daylight in Rongxi Hall. What a scene!"

Caiyun went for a while, then came back quickly and said, "Madam, I just asked Lin Zhixiao's wife, and she said that Rong Xi Tang is now vacant, and Master Cong Sanye might move in one day.

She received instructions from Miss Wu'er and is adding furniture and other daily necessities to the hall so that Third Master Cong can live comfortably and safely."

After hearing this, Mrs. Wang was almost furious. How could a lowly daughter of a kitchen servant now be the head of the Rongguo Mansion and decide the layout and furnishings of Rongxi Hall!
You have to know that Rong Xi Tang is the main hall of Rongguo Mansion, and its status is higher than Rong Qing Tang. In the past, she was qualified to do such things. When will it be the turn of a lowly servant!

Mrs. Wang thought of how Mrs. Liu in the kitchen had once had the idea of ​​sending her only daughter Wu'er to Baoyu's room to serve as a waiter, in an attempt to climb up the social ladder with Baoyu.

At that time, she couldn't stand it. This damn girl actually looked a bit like Daiyu, so she stopped her in time and sent her to Jia Cong as a maid.

This would also prevent this enchanting thing from harming his Baoyu. Who would have thought that in just a few years, this damn girl would have become a spirit.

Mrs. Wang felt remorseful and blamed herself for being too kind and having lost her mind by giving such a woman to Jia Cong as a maid.

This cheap girl should have been randomly paired off with a servant in the outer courtyard back then, and she wouldn't have been able to behave like a demon in the mansion today.

Although Mrs. Wang was indignant, she had no reason to scold Wu'er in her current situation. Otherwise, she would provoke the master behind her, and she would probably feel uncomfortable again.

That kid has always been a tough guy, and I heard that he dotes on Wu'er very much...

……

These days, all the female guests who visited Mrs. Wang in Rongqing Hall were praising the boy. Her Baoyu was once the phoenix of Rongguo Mansion, but now no one was interested in him.

The thought of a young girl beside that boy being able to bully others in the mansion made her feel ashamed and angry, but what else could she do?

Now her only support in the Jia family is her son Baoyu. Apart from him, who else can Mrs. Wang rely on?

When she thought of this, she turned and walked towards Baoyu's courtyard.

When Mrs. Wang arrived at Baoyu's courtyard, Xiren was doing needlework in the room. She saw Mrs. Wang go straight into the main room. After all, she was more experienced and could tell that the lady's face was not very good.

She thought about the recent events in the mansion and realized that the suppression of the Madam was a bit too harsh. The Madam was already feeling very uncomfortable, and now seeing this look on her face, she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

When Mrs. Wang saw that Baoyu did not come out to meet her, she frowned and asked, "Why is Baoyu nowhere to be seen? Where did he go to hang out again? Don't you usually persuade him?"

Xiren noticed the hostility in Mrs. Wang's words and couldn't help but feel alert.

He said, "Today, several noble ladies came to visit the old lady. Two of them brought their daughters to visit. The old lady asked the second daughter, Miss Lin, and the third daughter to take people to visit the garden.

Now that the guests have just left, the three girls have not returned to the East Mansion for a while, and are now sitting idle in the Third Girl's room. Master Bao went to talk to the sisters after receiving the letter."

When Mrs. Wang heard this, she felt a little dissatisfied. She didn't even know her own son. He didn't go to talk to his sisters. It was true that he went to talk to Miss Lin specifically.

Mrs. Wang knew very well what her son Baoyu felt for Daiyu.

It's a pity that girl Lin now goes in and out of the East Mansion every day, instigating the third girl to be close to and flatter that boy, and treats her own Baoyu indifferently. It's really hateful.

She was a woman who had lost her mother. If the old lady had not been particularly compassionate to her, she would not have survived to this day with her frail and sickly body. I'm afraid even her bones would have melted into dust by now...

Mrs. Wang suddenly thought of the delicate and pretty Wu'er who had just appeared at the entrance of Rongxi Hall. She looked quite similar to Daiyu, and was also so disgusting. She felt even more angry.

She said to Xiren in a deep voice: "Go and call Sheyue, Qiuwen and Bihen in. I have something to say!"

After hearing Xiren's call, Musk Moon and others entered the room with some trepidation. They all noticed that Mrs. Wang had an unfriendly look on her face, so they all lowered their heads and stood by.

Mrs. Wang said in a deep voice: "You are all the maids serving Baoyu. You are the ones who take care of Baoyu's daily sitting, lying, and walking. A lot of things have happened in the mansion recently, and you are all aware of it.

The only one I can count on right now is Baoyu. I am handing him over to you. You must serve him wholeheartedly and cannot make any mistakes. Saving him is saving me as well.

If you serve me wholeheartedly, I will naturally not treat you unfairly. Whether you leave or stay in the future, I will give you a good future.

But there is one thing, if you are careless and cannot concentrate on your work, and Baoyu gets into trouble, I will not forgive him!"

When Xiren and other maids heard what Mrs. Wang said, they felt a little cold in their hearts. Although these words were not harsh, the severity and threat in them were self-evident.

The meaning of this is nothing more than that, if any of them does not serve Baoyu wholeheartedly and causes him to make any mistakes, the lighter punishment will be to send him to the outer courtyard and pair him with a servant, while the heavier punishment will be to beat him to death.

After Mrs. Wang finished her words, she asked in a stern voice, "Recently, Baoyu has been living and studying. Is there anything wrong with the people in the courtyard?"

Xiren was the first to say, "Second Master has been very good recently and has not behaved inappropriately."

Mrs. Wang looked at Sheyue again. Sheyue shuddered slightly and said, "Master Bao is very good. Everything goes smoothly. He listens to our advice on eating and sleeping every day. There is nothing wrong."

Seeing that the two of them spoke the same language, Mrs. Wang frowned slightly and looked at Qiu Wen and Bi Hen.

Bi Hen was frightened and lowered her head, not daring to look at Madam Wang.

Qiu Wen's eyes sparkled slightly, and she looked as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Mrs. Wang rebuked in dissatisfaction: "Just say what you want to say, why are you so hesitant!"

She suddenly thought of Xiren Sheyue's reply just now, and her heart was moved. She said, "You all go out, Qiu Wen stay."

Xiren's face was downcast, and she only replied softly, "Yes". Sheyue's face changed slightly, and she felt deeply worried... (End of this chapter)