Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

It snowed for several days before the New Year, and the air became increasingly damp and cold.

Early that morning, the light shining through the glazed window panes glowed with a golden halo, heralding the arrival of sunny weather.

At the end of the Mao hour, Jia Cong got up. When he opened the bed curtain, there was a noise, and Qingwen, who was sleeping on the side couch, jumped up.

He slept soundly, but he covered his mouth with his hands and yawned twice in succession.

Qingwen got out of bed swiftly, wearing a scarlet double-breasted top, scarlet silk trousers, and a pair of red satin slippers on her beautiful, slender feet. She moved nimbly and gracefully, like a dancing flame.

The chill in the early morning made her shiver. She picked up a crimson embroidered long jacket and put it on, quickly tidied her hair, and came up to help Jia Cong wash and dress.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "You know you are a sleepyhead, and now you are not short of manpower, so it's better not to do the night duty. You might as well sleep a little longer."

Qingwen swiftly helped Jia Cong dress and tie his belt, and then pushed him in front of the dressing mirror to comb his hair. She said quickly, "Oh, Third Master, are you annoyed by me and want Wu Er and Ying Lian to hang around you?

How am I worse than them? The more the Third Master doesn't like me, the more I will hang around him. Even if I am annoying, I will show my face so that you won't forget about my existence."

……

Ever since Jia Cong was awarded the title of Rong, the connection between the two mansions has become closer than before. Many things have become different, and Qingwen also has an inexplicable sense of crisis.

She was a competitive person by nature, but after following Jia Cong for these years, her life was smooth and peaceful.

Zhishao and Wu'er are both kind-hearted and can tolerate her quick temper. Yinglian is even more gentle and naive, and anyone who meets her feels like they are walking into cotton.

Therefore, Qingwen's explosive temper was gradually smoothed out. The girl's anger was reduced by half, her thoughts became more complicated than before, and she would often think about things by herself.

Now that the Third Master has taken over the West Mansion, the sisters around him seem to be a little different.

Zhishao grew up with the Third Master and was the one he valued the most. She dared not compare with him.

Wu'er is more meticulous and cautious than her, more considerate than her, and has always been favored by the Third Master. Now that he has been sent by the Third Master to be the housekeeper of the West Mansion, the Third Master also respects her very much.

But Qingwen knew her own limitations. With her impatient temper, even if the Third Master asked her to be the housekeeper, she would definitely make a mess of it.

It seems that the most pleasing girl is Yinglian. Now the Third Master is busy preparing for the Spring Imperial Examination and spends the most time reading every day. Yinglian, who is in charge of the study, is the one who spends the longest time with the Third Master.

But Qingwen could not envy Yinglian for being in charge of the study.

Even if the Third Master spent the whole day reading in the study, Yinglian would accompany him like a fool, sitting there either writing or reading, never getting tired of it, not even going out of the door, not even complaining about the pain in her butt.

So even if Qingwen was given the task of managing the study, she would not be able to do it, as she is not a nerd like Yinglian.

Now she only takes care of Jia Cong's needlework. Except for making new clothes for Jia Cong in summer and winter, she seems to have nothing to do at other times.

Because needlework is not a special skill, although others are not as good as her, almost everyone can do it.

For example, the second young lady has a lot of housekeeping work to do now, but she will make a pair of shoes or a piece of clothing for the third master every once in a while.

During the festivals, even the Third Miss would do some needlework for the Third Master as a gift. However, since Miss Lin was a foreign relative and needed to be cautious, she didn't do much needlework for the Third Master.

All these things made Qingwen doubt her own importance, and it seemed that being good at needlework was not enough.

Could it be that I am the one that looks good, but everyone in this yard is not looking good...?

So Qingwen's naturally strong character began to play tricks on her.

She never relaxed in her daily maid's daily tasks such as night watch, washing, dressing, etc., just thinking about showing off and pleasing others in front of Jia Cong.

In order to keep watch well, she even changed her habit of staying in bed in the morning, which shows that she is ambitious...

But the Third Master didn't care about her ambition, and even used her staying in bed and oversleeping as an excuse, hoping that she wouldn't have to keep up the night watch.

It doesn't sound like a good thing at all. How can he be considerate of himself? He is simply making fun of himself...

Qingwen felt depressed when she thought about this, and combed her hair intermittently.

Jia Cong was unaware of her little thoughts. He saw in the dressing mirror that her red dress was as red as fire, which made her look even more charming and lively. Her beautiful eyes were slightly red, indicating that she had not gotten enough sleep.

He laughed and said, "The one who said you are annoying must have just gone blind. Do I dislike you? I never said that."

Qingwen has a straightforward personality and keeps nothing in mind. Her happiness and sadness are like lit firecrackers, which come and go quickly.

She was a little worried just now, but after hearing what Jia Cong said, she felt happy and helped Jia Cong to tidy up his hair very quickly.

She smiled sweetly: "Third Master, you said this very fluently. You must have coaxed every maid in this way."

……

At this time, the door of the room was pushed open, and Wu Er came in with a copper basin of hot water, and said with a smile: "What good words did the Third Master say to coax you? Let me hear them."

Qingwen wrinkled her nose slightly and said with a smile, "I only say nice things once. If I say them too much, they won't work. You can't listen to them."

As she smiled, she more carefully helped Jia Cong to fix his hair and put on a hairpin. She looked back and forth in the mirror, and only when she was satisfied did she get herself ready and wash.

After she finished washing up, she gathered the bedding on Jia Cong's bed and moved it to the porch outside the house to hang it. When the sun came out, she put it in the yard to dry in the sun to remove the moisture from the snow that had fallen for several days.

Wu Er handed over the towel that had been wrung out with hot water. Jia Cong took it and asked, "Is everything going well in the West Mansion these days?"

Wu Er replied, "Everything is going well. The reconstruction of the East Courtyard will be completed in the next few days. The Second Madam and the Old Lady have told us to let some of the maids and servants from the Second House move in before the New Year.

One is to tidy up the house and garden, and the other is to live in it first to accumulate popularity, so that the second master and the second mistress can move in after the New Year.

Logically, the Third Miss and Master Bao should both move to the East Courtyard.

But Master Bao went to ask the old lady for help, and the old lady also said that she would keep a yard in the East Courtyard for Master Bao, but let him live in the West House on a daily basis. The old lady would often ask him to come over to talk. "

Jia Cong naturally knew why Baoyu wanted to stay in the West Mansion. It was certainly not to be filial to the old lady, but just to make it easier for him to be close to his sisters.

His parents had moved to the east courtyard, so even out of filial piety, he shouldn't have brought up such matters with Lady Jia.

He was reprimanded by the clan house and beaten half to death by Jia Zheng, but it seemed that all these were not enough to wake him up. Perhaps he would never wake up in this lifetime...

……

Wu Er continued, "Yesterday at sunset, Xiren sent a maid to tell Second Madam that Xiaohong in Bao Erye's room had made a mistake and annoyed Second Madam.

The second wife kicked her out yesterday and told her that she would not be included in the monthly allowance next month."

Jia Cong was startled when he heard this and asked, "How come Xiao Hong, who seemed to be very smart, was suddenly driven out by the Second Madam? Do you know why?"

Wu Er replied, "Second Madam also said that Xiao Hong was good, and wondered why she was driven out by Second Madam, so she asked Sister Ping Er to find out the reason.

It was just that it was late yesterday, and Sister Ping'er didn't have time to ask, and I returned to the East Mansion before dark, so I don't know the reason yet."

Wu'er saw Jia Cong frowning and thinking, it seemed that the Third Master was somewhat concerned about this Xiaohong.

But Wu'er could also feel in her heart that the care that the Third Master gave her was not that kind of care...

Wu'er's face turned red for no reason when she thought of Jia Cong often touching her hand and finding excuses to get close to her.

She calmed herself down and said, "Now that Rong Xi Tang is vacant, I have asked Lin Zhixiao's family to fill it with furniture and furnishings. Everything is in place. Third Master, when you have time, go take a look and see if it suits your taste."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "It's fine as long as you like it. Why do you need me to go and see it? I won't live there on a daily basis."

Wu Er said coquettishly, "Third Master, this can only be said behind closed doors. Don't let anyone hear it, or they will think that a servant like me is so arrogant that I can make decisions about Rong Xi Tang on my own."

Jia Cong laughed and said, "You have only been in the West Palace for a few days, and you have become so cautious. Is there anyone controlling you?"

Wu Er smiled and said, "We were originally in the East Mansion, but you and the Second Miss were the ones in charge, so it's okay to make things more convenient.

Things are different in the West Mansion now. After all, there are elders like the old lady and the second master, so there must be some etiquette to be considered.

I have privately heard from Second Madam and Sister Ping'er that Second Madam was extremely reluctant to see Third Master inherit the title and family business of Rong State, and there was always an extra layer of worry here.

"Third Master is responsible for important matters every day, so it's not good for him to worry about the trivial matters of the house. Since Third Master asked me to work in the West Mansion, I will always help Third Master to pay more attention to the details, so that Third Master can avoid some talk and avoid people from finding a handle to frame you."

Jia Cong saw that she had bright and gentle eyes, picturesque eyebrows, was delicate and pretty, and had a serious expression. She was planning everything for him, and he couldn't help but feel moved.

He reached out and stroked Wu'er's hair, and said with a smile, "You are so careful and considerate now, and you are more like a housekeeper."

Wu Er's pretty face turned red, she bit her lips and said, "Third Master is talking nonsense again, what housekeeper's wife? I am just a servant, I don't have this fate, and I don't dare to hope for this blessing."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "In this world, no one is born with a certain fate, and that's how they're going to live their whole life. If it were always like this, I'd still be living a miserable life in the East Courtyard.

Back then, Zhishao and I didn’t get our monthly allowance, and it was difficult for us to recover and eat. It was all thanks to you who helped us in the kitchen. I still remember all your kindness.”

After hearing this, Wu Er thought of the past and felt a tremor in his heart. He blurted out, "Even if the Third Master is still suffering in the East Road Courtyard, Wu Er is willing to serve him!"

Jia Cong smiled and took Wu'er's hand, saying, "I'll remember what you said. Let's go see the Rong Xi Hall you decorated."

When they reached the door, Jia Cong suddenly thought, "The second master of the Xue family came to visit the old lady and gave her some gifts. The old lady asked for some courtesy in return. You can ask the second sister-in-law what to do later..."

As soon as the two of them walked out of the main room, Qingwen, who was hanging bedding in the corridor, immediately turned her gaze back.

Looking back at the two people's backs, he stamped his feet and said unconvincedly: "I told you that you must coax every girl, and it turned out to be true!"

……

The Great Zhou Palace, Qianyang Palace, East Warm Pavilion.

The underground fire wall in the pavilion exuded warm heat. Emperor Jiazhao was only wearing a round-necked, single-skirted robe. He moved nimbly and seemed very relaxed.

But the middle-aged man kneeling in front of the imperial desk came in from the cold outside the palace, still wearing a bear fur short jacket. The heat from the warm room caused him to break out in a layer of sweat.

But with the emperor in front of him, he didn't dare show the slightest discomfort.

At this time, all the palace maids and eunuchs serving in the warm room had left. Apart from Emperor Jiazhao and Guo Lin who was attending him, there was only the middle-aged man who kowtowed before the emperor.

Emperor Jia Zhao glanced at the middle-aged man with sweat on his forehead and said, "Guo Lin, give Xue Yuan a seat and let him undress."

Guo Lin quickly moved an embroidered cushion over. Xue Yuan, who was kneeling on the ground, quickly thanked Emperor Jiazhao and took off his bear-skin jacket. Only after he sat down on the embroidered cushion did he feel much more relaxed.

At this time, Jia Cong, who was asking Wu'er to prepare a return gift for Xue Yuan, would never have dreamed that a merchant from a distant border who only held an empty title in the Ministry of Internal Affairs would be qualified to enter the emperor's Winter Warmth Pavilion to make comments.

Emperor Jia Zhao said calmly: "Xue Yuan, it has been many years since I last saw you."

Xue Yuan bowed and replied: "Your Majesty, the last time I had the honor of seeing you was in the seventh year of Jiazhao."

Emperor Jia Zhao asked, "Back then, you followed my secret decree and led the secret guards of the palace to the remote border to hunt down the remnants of the King of Wu. You have made great contributions.

You took away thirty palace guards, how many are left now?"

Xue Yuan stood up from the embroidered cushion, bowed and replied: "Your Majesty, in recent years, eleven people have died in battle and two have died of illness. Their families are all supported by the income from my business."

Emperor Jiazhao sighed and said, "They are all heroes of the country. Report their names to Guo Lin later, and I will issue a secret decree to provide generous compensation to their families.

Although you send back reports every year, it is still not as clear as asking in person. I learned that you went to the capital city this year to report on your work and review accounts with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, so I specially summoned you to the palace to report.

Let me ask you, in the past four or five years, you have sent back reports that show no evidence of Wu's capture and execution. What is the reason?"

Xue Yuan was slightly awed, and replied in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, fifteen years ago, during the chaos in Shenjing, King Wu led two thousand elite rebels, broke through the nine gates, and rushed to the Luofengpo Palace.

But when the rebels entered Dezhou, they heard that the palace at Luofengpo was destroyed and people were killed. The rebels were surrounded by the imperial army, so they dispersed and fled.

These people are all elite soldiers and generals under the command of King Wu. Although they are all brave and powerful, they do not know how to hide in the world.

But they also knew that the inland areas were full of checkpoints and heavily armed, so they all fled to the coastal areas where trade was prosperous.

Therefore, in the first ten years, I took my children and family members and traveled around as merchants to conceal my whereabouts. Starting from Dezhou, I moved south along the coast to search.

Whenever they found any traces of the culprit, they would mobilize local guards and soldiers to assist in the execution based on the emperor's secret orders, and they often succeeded. Those secret guards in the palace who died in the battle also died in those years.

Four years ago, the last time I tracked down Wu Nie was in Annan. After that, Wu Nie's whereabouts suddenly became strange and difficult to find.

I think that they must have been on the run for many years and have begun to figure out more covert ways of hiding, or they may have received help from outside forces, which is why they have become so quiet.

But I did not give up searching in remote areas, but after several years I still found nothing.

At the end of spring this year, I took my children and traveled along the coast of West Sea for business. There I accidentally learned news that there were traces of the evil Wu forces in Nanjing.

I returned in a hurry and arrived in Nanjing in the autumn of this year. At that time, a major case involving the Wei army broke out in Nanjing City, and there was chaos everywhere in the city. Although I made many inquiries, I could not find any trace of Wu Nie.

According to my inference, about four or five years ago, something may have happened to the remnant of Wu's forces, prompting them to gradually hide and gather their strength from the distant frontiers, and most likely move inland.

This is also the reason why I have not achieved anything in Yunjiang in the past few years."

Emperor Jia Zhao frowned after listening to Xue Yuan's report. He ascended to the throne because of the rebellion of Prince Wu. It was an extremely strange and dangerous experience, and there were many unspeakable things in it.

In recent years, the biggest taboo in Emperor Jiazhao's heart is that the remnants of the evil forces of the past are not completely eliminated, hiding in the abyss and reviving from the ashes.

Therefore, since he ascended the throne, he has recruited many figures like Xue Yuan outside the orthodox government offices, and equipped them with secret guards and death squads to hunt down the remnants of the King of Wu in multiple directions.

From Xue Yuan's report, he noticed two main pieces of information: the force that Xue Yuan had been chasing after four or five years ago had undergone a major change, which had prompted it to withdraw its tentacles from the far borders and show signs of moving inland.

Emperor Jia Zhao said in a deep voice: "Xue Yuan, from now on you don't need to travel to the remote borders anymore, just do business in the inland states and look for the traces of the remnants.

I know that you have worked very hard over the past decade and have made great contributions. As long as this matter is resolved, I will grant you a proper official position so that you can restore the glory of the Xue family's ancestors!"

After hearing what Emperor Jiazhao said, Xue Yuan's face was excited and he said, "I will definitely do my best and live up to your expectations."

……

Emperor Jia Zhao suddenly asked, "Xue Yuan, you are also from Jinling. Have you ever heard of a famous Mr. Xi Liu in Jinling more than ten years ago?"

When Xue Yuan heard this, his expression slightly changed, and he said: "I have heard of this man's name when I was young, but I have never met him. I think he is a scholar with great learning.

But he disappeared for more than a decade, and no one knows his whereabouts anymore.”

Emperor Jia Zhao asked again, "I heard that fifteen years ago, this man suddenly set sail and disappeared. Have you heard any rumors about him while traveling in remote areas overseas these years?"

Xue Yuan replied: "Your Majesty, I have never heard of this person overseas."

Emperor Jia Zhao thought for a moment before saying with a warm face, "Retreat, go and report to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and check the accounts. After that, return to the south as soon as possible to investigate Wu Nie's whereabouts!"

Emperor Jia Zhao looked at Xue Yuan's receding back and said to Guo Lin, "Among the troops I sent out, Xue Yuan is the most capable and has made many achievements over the years.

But in the past few years, there has been no progress at all. I hope that these remnants have given up their banditry, or have all died of old age and illness. That would be the best.

If they are just lying dormant temporarily, they will be very troublesome once they come back.

"Has Xue Yuan done anything in the past few days in Shenjing?"

Guo Lin replied: "Your Majesty, after Xue Yuan arrived in Beijing, he had close contacts with Mei Jinlin of the Hanlin Academy.

The two of them were old friends from the same hometown of Jinling. Xue Yuan's daughter and Mei Jinlin's son were of similar age, and the two families were interested in discussing marriage.

Xue Yuan also visited the eldest sister-in-law of the Xue family who was staying at Rongguo Mansion, and took the opportunity to visit the Rongguo Taifu, and had a good chat with Weiyuan Bo Jia Cong. There was nothing unusual about it. "

……

Xue Yuan was walking on the wide palace road and couldn't help but look back at the tall Qianyang Palace behind him. The palace, which seemed majestic and magnificent to others, looked like a man-eating beast in his eyes.

Fifteen years ago, he accompanied his brother on official business to the Imperial Household Department. Because of his sharp intelligence, he was appreciated by the then Chief Minister of the Imperial Household Department and was recommended to the Emperor who had just ascended the throne.

Later, he naturally understood what kind of role the Minister in charge of the Imperial Household Department played.

He had originally wanted to rely on this to restore the glory of his ancestors, but now he was on the brink of life and death. Perhaps when he took on this shocking task, there was no turning back... (End of this chapter)