Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, Rongxi Hall.

Jia Cong and Wu'er heard footsteps at the courtyard gate and saw Ping'er walking towards them.

Jia Cong asked, "Sister Ping'er, why did you find me here? Is there anything wrong?"

Although Ping'er felt that what Wang Xifeng said made sense, she was still hesitant to tell Jia Cong the reason why Xiaohong was driven away.

If the Third Master and the Second Wife get into a fight over this, wouldn't it be my fault...

Seeing Ping'er's hesitation, Jia Cong said, "Sister Ping'er, feel free to speak up. Don't worry about anything."

Ping Er said, "Third Master, Xiao Hong from Second Master Bao's room was driven out by Madam yesterday. Third Master should know the reason for this.

According to what I have learned, someone in Master Bao's room lied to Madam about Xiao Hong, saying that she was running errands for Master San and Madam Er and was not loyal enough and broke the rules, so Xiao Hong was driven away."

Jia Cong frowned when he heard this.

In the past, he was not unaware that Mrs. Wang was harboring selfish grudges and was jealous that he had risen too quickly and overshadowed Baoyu. However, those were all matters of treachery within the family, so he did not take them to heart.

But that time when Jia Zheng proposed to move to the East Courtyard, Jia Cong wanted to dissuade him and keep him, but Mrs. Wang used words to control him and had evil intentions, which made him really dislike Mrs. Wang.

Now, after hearing Ping'er's words, she felt more and more disgusted with Mrs. Wang's behavior. She had no other choice but to humiliate a maid to vent her anger.

He suddenly asked Ping'er, "Did your second sister-in-law ask you to tell me this?"

Ping'er's pretty face turned slightly red, and she murmured, "Third Master...how did you know that?"

Jia Cong looked at the three characters "Rong Xi Tang" written by the late emperor on the plaque at the entrance of the hall and said, "I understand what my second sister-in-law means. Since I have taken over this family business, it is fine if I don't encounter any problems.

Since we have encountered this, we must distinguish right from wrong. There is nothing wrong with Xiaohong running errands for me, but she was kicked out because of this. If I don't tell who is right and who is wrong, how can there be justice and public opinion in this mansion?

From now on, everyone will be cautious and weigh the pros and cons, and will form factions. Who will be able to work with peace of mind? The family rules and regulations will be completely destroyed!"

Ping'er listened to Jia Cong's words, and felt a little uneasy as her tone became more severe. She wondered if the Third Master would really take this opportunity to get angry with his wife.

Xiaohong is just a maid after all. If this really gets out, the Third Master will be given something to talk about.

……

Jia Cong asked, "Sister Ping'er, the master and the mistress moved out of Rong Xi Tang, and took away all the original maids and servants. Is there no one to take care of Rong Xi Tang now?"

Ping'er replied, "Yes, the original maids and servants have all gone to the side courtyard with the mistress. In the past few days, Aunt Lin has been tidying up Rong Xi Tang according to Wu Er's instructions, and has not yet had time to assign people to go in."

Jia Cong asked again: "What job did Xiaohong do in Baoyu Courtyard?"

Ping Er replied, "She is a third-class maid in Master Bao's courtyard who tends flowers, feeds birds, and washes clothes."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Please tell my second sister-in-law that I think Xiaohong is smart and capable. Now that Rongxi Hall is vacant, I will promote her to be the second-class maid in charge of Rongxi Hall.

Give her two maids to do the rough work. I will live in the East Palace most of the time, and let her take care of and clean Rongxi Hall. It will be more convenient for me to stay there during the New Year holidays when entertaining guests."

Ping'er was slightly stunned when she heard this, but then she felt relieved and thought this was a very good idea. This way, the Third Master wouldn't have to confront the Second Wife head-on, and wouldn't be accused of making excuses for the filial piety.

It can also clear Xiaohong's injustice and have one more person to respond to the call. It is really the best of both worlds. After all, a scholar like San Ye is thoughtful and has many ideas.

Ping'er originally thought that if she told Jia Cong the reason why Xiaohong was driven out, Jia Cong would do something because of it, which would bring him gossip and trouble, but now she is completely relieved.

She said with joy: "I'll go and talk to Second Grandma right away!"

……

Rongguo Mansion, Fengjie's Courtyard.

After hearing Ping'er's report, Wang Xifeng said with a smile, "Third brother is really an official figure. He can understand things at a glance. His method is really excellent. At least I can't think of it, and I don't have the courage to do it.

The wife drove out a third-class maid, and he turned around and promoted her to be the manager maid of Rong Xi Tang. Although she was only a second-class maid, Rong Xi Tang was the main hall of Rongguo Mansion, and her status was higher than that of Rong Qing Tang.

Xiaohong, a second-class housekeeper, is more respectable than Xiren in Baoyu's room. If the lady heard about this, she would be so angry that she would not know how to react.

It is said that scholars are mean and evil, and it is true. There is nothing wrong with this way of playing a prank on people, but it can tear off a person's face!
Now that he has just taken charge of the family, there are hundreds of servants in the house, and there are countless people who are treacherous, opportunistic, and stab people in the back.

Besides, the Madam has been in charge of the household for many years, and I am just a runner holding the order. You can count how many people in the mansion have been used to doing things according to the Madam's mood for many years.

Although my wife is no longer alive, her power is still there. It will not be easy to make her submissive in a few days.

Third brother, you should catch the leader first. By using Xiao Hong's incident, you can break the Madam's power in front of everyone in the mansion. Then you won't have to worry about dealing with the rest later."

Ping'er asked with some concern, "Will Madam be so angry that she will go to the old lady and gossip about the Third Master?"

Wang Xifeng sneered: "Even if you go and tell her, it will be useless. Although the old lady is partial to Baoyu, she is not stupid.

Now my third brother is the imperially appointed head of the family. The honor and disgrace of the Rongguo Mansion all depend on him. How could the old lady offend my third brother for the sake of a maid?

If the old lady really did this, it would make Third Brother even more popular. "

Ping Er looked confused and asked, "What's the reason for this?"

Wang Xifeng laughed and said, "Have you forgotten how Lin Zhixiao's wife came to ask me for help this morning? Now that Third Brother has made Xiaohong the maid in charge of Rong Xi Tang, the couple must be completely devoted to him.

This move is the third brother's most powerful point, just like what is said in opera: using a little force to achieve a great result. He has subdued Xiaohong, which means he has captured the steward inside and outside the Rongguo Mansion. Who will this mansion listen to from now on?

If the old lady really listened to the lady and came forward to refute Xiaohong's affairs, Lin Zhixiao and his wife would definitely be united in hatred of the enemy. Which side would they stand on?
It is possible that even the old lady will be sidelined by the third son…”

Ping'er was dumbfounded by these words. The Third Master was just promoted to a second-class housekeeper, but grandma had to say so many things about him...

When Wang Xifeng said this, her eyes suddenly lit up, she slapped the table and said, "I know, he had planned this long ago, the third brother is really insidious!"

Ping'er was frightened by Wang Xifeng's sudden surprise and looked confused.

Wang Xifeng said, "Do you remember the day I asked Xiaohong to pass on a message to you?"

Ping Er said with a puzzled look on her face, "Of course I remember. Didn't they ask me to deliver the earthwork bill and the population list?"

Wang Xifeng narrowed her eyes and said, "That was the first time that the third brother saw Xiaohong, but he knew that Xiaohong was a maid in Baoyu's room, so he paid special attention to her. I definitely wouldn't be wrong.

He also told me that Xiaohong responded appropriately and spoke fluently, and was a smart and intelligent person.

He had only met Xiaohong for the first time, so why did he think so highly of her? It didn't make sense. Besides, it was he who suggested asking me to find a maid to run errands.

I think he had a plan in mind at that time, and was determined to use Xiaohong in Baoyu's room to kill the remaining influence of the wife in the mansion! This idea is too creepy! "

Ping'er's pretty face froze after hearing Wang Xifeng's wild words, and she murmured, "Grandma, why do you make Third Master sound so scary..."

……

Rongguo Mansion, Lixiangyuan.

There are more than ten houses in the courtyard. Although the space is not very large, it is clean and comfortable, and the place does not seem cramped at all.

Aunt Xue and her family have lived here for two years. Although the Xue family also has a house in Beijing and her brother Wang Ziteng is also an official in Beijing.

But Aunt Xue didn't seem to have thought about moving back to the Xue family mansion or going to live with her brother Wang Ziteng.

Xue Pan originally wanted to move back to the Xue residence and set up his own home, so that he could play more freely, look more respectable to the outside world, and avoid being controlled by elders like Jia Zheng.

Later, he couldn't persuade Aunt Xue any more, so he stayed there reluctantly. But after he settled in, he found out that the children of the Jia family were even more dissolute than he was.

It goes without saying that Baoyu is not doing his job and is always hanging around in the inner house, and that Jia Lian is hooking up with women and sleeping with them. The young men from the Ning and Rong mansions are always drinking, drinking, raising boys, and gambling.

This opened Xue Pan's eyes. He hung out with those concubines of the Jia family and was so happy that he didn't want to leave anymore and never mentioned moving away again.

Aunt Xue only thought that her son was obedient and filial, but in fact he was just becoming more and more bad.

……

On this day, in the main hall of Lixiangyuan, Xue Yuan, who had completed his performance report and account verification at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, came to visit his sister-in-law and a pair of nephews and nieces, bringing a lot of gifts.

Aunt Xue looked at the gifts on the table and asked, "Second brother, you have only been in the capital for a few days, why are you in such a hurry to return to Nanjing?

Besides, Baoqin had caught a cold and her body had not yet recovered. How could she endure the fatigue of a long journey?

In my opinion, it is only a few days away from New Year's Eve, and you won't be able to return to Jinling to celebrate the New Year. It is better for you to stay in Shenjing to celebrate the New Year before leaving. The young ones will be here, and our two families can also reunite."

Xue Yuan said, "Sister-in-law, I don't want to rush. Besides, I haven't seen Baochai and Pan'er for many years. It would be great if we could stay in Shenjing and celebrate the New Year together.

But I have a big business in Far Frontier, and I will have to pick up the goods in Jinling after the New Year, so I have to hurry back. After finishing this business, I may retire. This time I came to Shenjing, I have arranged a marriage for Baoqin and the son of the Mei Hanlin family. I may live in Shenjing in a few years. By then, there will be a long time, and the family will be reunited. "

Aunt Xue saw that he was determined to leave, so she didn't force him any further and asked the servants to carry out a few boxes of gifts.

He said, "Here are two boxes of local products. Please help me bring them back to give to my younger sister-in-law. This box is a festival gift from the old lady of the Jia family. I heard that it was specially ordered by Congge."

Xue Yuan looked at the boxes of gifts and said, "The Duke of Rong was a great man. Since his death, the two brothers have been living in poverty. Last year, the Ningguo Mansion was confiscated, and the Jia family is on the verge of decline.

But I didn't expect that there would be such an outstanding young man like Jia Cong. Although I only had a brief chat with him in Rongqing Hall yesterday, this young man has a very outstanding mind and talent, and his reputation is truly well-deserved.

It is probably because of the influence of Lords Ning and Rong that the Jia family was able to raise such a talented and wise son.

I am really envious of him. If my Xue family can also produce such a son, restoring the glory of our ancestors will surely be just around the corner."

Aunt Xue said with a smile: "Second brother is also surprised by what he has seen. I have lived in Lixiang Courtyard for two years and have seen so many strange things happen to this Cong brother that I can't even count them all. He is no longer surprised.

People like him are extremely rare, not every family can produce one. I think Ke'er and Baoqin are both excellent. Don't always think that other people's children are better than you."

Xue Yuan smiled and said, "Ke'er follows the rules, so I don't have to worry about him. But compared with a talented person like Jia Cong, he is not comparable."

……

Xue Yuan suddenly asked: "Sister-in-law, my elder brother was well-read and knowledgeable, otherwise my niece Baochai would not have been so well-educated.

"My eldest brother was very carefree and unrestrained in Jinling back then, and liked to socialize with noble men and celebrities. I wonder if he ever met a man named Mr. Xi Liu?"

Aunt Xue thought for a moment and said, "Your eldest brother had so many friends when he was alive that I can't remember all of them. But I still have some impression of Mr. Xi Liu because of his strange name."

After Xue Yuan heard this, his expression suddenly changed. He just asked casually, but he didn't expect that his elder brother actually knew Xi Liu.

Baochai's father was very knowledgeable and had aspired to take the imperial examination when he was young, but he failed repeatedly. So he gave up the idea and devoted himself to managing the family business.

There is a big age gap between Xue Yuan and his brother, which means that Xue Yuan is somewhat like a father to his brother. His brother is introverted and shrewd, and he will not tell his brother many things.

So, although his brother had a wide circle of friends in his past, and he associated with many great scholars and celebrities from Jiangnan, Xue Yuan knew very little about who they were specifically, so he asked this question.

He really didn't expect that he would get to the bottom of the matter unintentionally.

As for the fact that Mr. Xiliu had caused the present emperor to inquire about his whereabouts, Xue Yuan recalled the mysterious and unfathomable expression on Emperor Jiazhao's face at that time, and he concluded that it must not be a good thing...

……

Aunt Xue continued, "I remember that Baochai had just been born, fifteen or sixteen years ago. Your eldest brother and the second master of the Zhen family in Jinling were close friends, and the two families also had some business dealings at the time.

Therefore, the two of them would often go in and out for banquets. One time, your eldest brother came back drunk and looked very happy. He said that the second master of the Zhen family invited him to a banquet and also introduced him to a hermit from Jinling.

He said that the hermit in Jinling was named Mr. Xiliu, a rare and extraordinary person with amazing talent and learning. He was not only proficient in poetry, calligraphy and painting, but also in such miscellaneous subjects as medicine, divination and physiognomy.

Your elder brother is also a learned man. I have never seen him admire others’ knowledge so much. In addition, Xiliu’s name is really strange, so I still remember it after all these years.”

Xue Yuan asked, "Did Big Brother still have contact with Mr. Xi Liu later?"

Aunt Xue said, "I never heard your eldest brother mention this person again. It's a bit strange. Your eldest brother admired this person so much in the past, which shouldn't have been the case.

Not long after this, a big event happened in Jinling City. The Jinling Du family was suddenly charged with treason. All the male members of the family were beheaded, and the female members were either executed with white silk or sold as slaves.

The Du family back then was the real Jinling family, and was more respectable than our Xue family. It was only a few days ago that a whole family disappeared. Thinking about it now is a bit scary."

……

After Xue Yuan heard this, his expression changed slightly. He was of course aware of the Du family's affairs. If it weren't for the Du family incident, he would not have taken on this shocking task in the past ten years...

Aunt Xue seemed to be intrigued by the conversation and continued, "It was also from that time that the Second Master of the Zhen Family and your eldest brother suddenly became estranged, and even stopped communicating in the following years.

One time, I was curious and asked the reason. Your eldest brother said that the second master of the Zhen family seemed to be doing maritime business. Because it violated some taboos, his actions became secretive, which led to his estrangement from his old friends.

Second brother knows clearly that although you accepted the job of the Ministry of Internal Affairs very early on and purchased for the court from traveling merchants in distant borders and offshore, your job was a government job and was different.

At that time, the imperial court had not yet issued the maritime policy, and civilians and merchants were not allowed to go to sea to make profits. Although each family did this despite repeated bans, it was after all something that could not be made public. It was not surprising that the second master of the Zhen family would do this.

Fortunately, your eldest brother is a decent man who only manages the family business passed down by his ancestors. Although he has not made a fortune in the past ten years, the Xue family's business has been kept very stable."

……

Xue Yuan smiled slightly after hearing this. He knew that his eldest sister-in-law was secretly boasting to him that the Xue family's ancestral business was still standing thanks to the eldest wife's years of hard work.

But he didn't care at all, because his mind was not on this ancestral business at all.

Among the four great families of Jinling, Jia, Wang, Shi and Xue, the other three families have many talented sons and daughters, and now they all have high positions and are gaining power.

Originally, the Jia family had shown signs of decline, but now with the emergence of Jia Cong, a man who holds two titles, the family is showing signs of catching up.

The Xue family has lost their official titles for three generations, and can only rely on their ancestral wealth to barely cling to the bottom of the four major families. But how many years can this situation last? The decline of the family is already imminent.

When Xue Yuan was young, he believed that money and power were not enough to revive the Xue family's reputation.

His elder brother was also an enthusiastic and enterprising person when he was young, and the two brothers were equally enthusiastic about revitalizing the Xue family.

But since his elder brother inherited the Xue family's ancestral business, for some unknown reason, he began to become mature and conservative, blindly guarding the ancestral business, and his former enthusiasm was gone...

Xue Yuan could not agree with his brother's actions, so he thought of finding another way.

However, he never told the Xue family what he had done over the years. His family only thought that he was just a comprador from a remote border area of ​​the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

He never considered the gold and silver business left by the Xue family's ancestors to be important. He wanted more and more long-term than that.

Back then, the ancestor of the Xue family was only an official of Ziwei Sheren. Xue Yuan not only wants to restore the glory of his predecessors, but also strives to surpass them and make the Xue family live up to the name of one of the four major families!

……

When Aunt Xue saw that her second brother just smiled and nodded without any objection when she mentioned the achievements of the eldest wife, she felt somewhat pleased.

She knew that although Xue Yuan did not inherit his family business, he had accumulated a considerable fortune over the years by relying on the Ministry of Internal Affairs and traveling to distant borders for business. It was best that he did not dwell on this.

Aunt Xue continued, “The older generation often said that wealth and prosperity are all predetermined, and that what God should give you will not be a penny less or a penny more, just as the moon waxes and wanes, and the sun wanes and sets.

This can be seen clearly in the case of the second master of the Zhen family.

A few years later, the imperial court suddenly established the Maritime Customs Office in Nanjing, and all coastal states started maritime administrations. At that time, everyone said that the second master of the Zhen family had a sharp eye.

Because their Zhen family took an early step, they became extremely wealthy relying on maritime trade business, and within just a few years they gained the reputation of being the bandit of Zhen Bancheng.

Today, the Zhen family not only has more wealth and power than the Xue family, but I'm afraid there is no family in the entire Jinling City that is better than theirs.

How many people in Jinling City envied him at that time, saying that the second master of the Zhen family was the descendant of the God of Wealth. However, at this juncture when everything was flourishing, something unexpected happened.

Five years ago, your brother suddenly fell seriously ill. I consulted almost all the famous doctors in Jiangnan, but no one could explain the cause of his illness. I tried many methods, but none of them worked."

Aunt Xue couldn't help shedding tears when she talked about her late husband, and said, "My second brother was in a distant frontier at that time, and your elder brother kept thinking of you before his death, but it was half a year later that you came back.

When your family was handling your brother's funeral, the second master of the Zhen family was also invited to mourn and to carry the coffin during the funeral procession. He was considered a man of loyalty and loyalty.

But no one expected that not long after he went out to sea for business, he and his boat disappeared, and even his body was not found. What use is there for all the gold and silver he earned... "

Aunt Xue was still chattering away, but Xue Yuan felt upset. He heard several key pieces of information from Aunt Xue's words.

His eldest brother actually knew Mr. Xi Liu, and was introduced by Zhen Yingquan, the second master of the Zhen family. This means that the relationship between Zhen Yingquan and Mr. Xi Liu must be very close.

Five years ago seemed to be an unlucky year. My eldest brother passed away that year, and Zhen Yingquan also disappeared that year...

Xue Yuan asked, "Second sister-in-law, have you told anyone else about my elder brother's acquaintance with Mr. Xi Liu?"

Aunt Xue looked surprised and replied, "It's not a big deal. If you hadn't asked me about it today, I wouldn't have thought about it. Naturally, no one has mentioned it. Is there any problem with this?"

Xue Yuan thought for a moment and said, "This Mr. Xi Liu is not a good person. He has been missing for more than ten years, and the government is looking for his whereabouts.

From now on, sister-in-law, don’t tell anyone about this, otherwise it will cause trouble if it gets out!”

Aunt Xue was also shocked to see Xue Yuan's serious expression. She knew that her second uncle traveled all over the country and was knowledgeable. If he said that, he must have his reasons.

I immediately promised not to tell anyone about this matter. (End of this chapter)