Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Ningrong Street, Earl's Mansion.

In the early morning, the sky was dark and not yet completely bright.

Beside the north side of Doufengxuan in the inner courtyard, there is an open sloping land surrounded by water on three sides. Usually, few people pass by, and the environment is quiet and secluded.

In the dim winter morning light, human figures were moving and swaying on the slope, the silver light of the knife was flickering, and the wind was trembling.

Jia Cong loved the quietness and spaciousness of this place, where no one would disturb him. He would get up early every morning, and after the maids helped him wash and groom himself, he would go to the palace to practice qigong and swordsmanship.

He began to receive instruction from Qu Hongxiu at the age of ten and learned the Qu family's unique skills. Although Qu Hongxiu has not been around in the past few years, he still practices day and night without slacking off.

In the past, he had killed the leader of the Japanese ronin in Mount Qixia, fought an assassination attempt at the foot of Xuanmu Mountain in Gusu, and fought against the elite Jurchen cavalry in Liaodong, encountering many dangerous situations.

The sword skills he has mastered since childhood are the foundation of his life and the skill to save his life.

Ever since he made the first contribution in the great victory at Yafu Pass in Liaodong and personally killed the leader of the Right Guard of the Jurchen Guard, Fanercha, on the battlefield, everyone knew that he was not only an amazing scholar, but also had outstanding martial arts skills.

However, apart from a few personal maids, few people had ever seen him practice his swordsmanship.

Jia Mu, Jia Zheng and others knew that he had the ability to kill the enemies in battle, but as to how he got this ability, they were all clueless.

It was not until the morning when it was bright that he put away his sword and stopped moving. He felt his blood rushing and his yang energy rising, giving him a sense of transparency, lightness and mystery.

He recalled the Qi-circulating method of swordsmanship that Qu Hongxiu had taught him, and the mental visions of various realms that he had explained. It seemed that years of practice had strengthened his bones, bones and bloodline, and had brought him to the brink of breaking through the barrier.

When he packed up his things and returned to his own yard, Wu'er had already prepared hot water for bathing. Zhishao helped him undress and untie his hair, and let him take a bath to clean himself.
It is now almost the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and the busiest time of the New Year festival in the West Mansion has passed. These days, Wu'er no longer has to go to the West Mansion before dawn to help Wang Xifeng with housework.

Every morning, he would serve Jia Cong and have breakfast with him in the yard before going to the West Mansion to report for duty.

After Jia Cong finished bathing and changing clothes, Wu Er came over to help him comb his hair and said, "Third Master has guests coming today. I have arranged a banquet in Songxuan Hall in the West Palace as instructed by Third Master.

During the New Year, the Third Master entertains guests, and there are rarely any banquets. Who is the distinguished guest who came today?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Among the people who came today, except for one named Liu Bi, who is my master's eldest grandson, he passed the imperial examination four years ago and is now the county magistrate of Gaochun County. The other three are all common people."

Wu'er was surprised after hearing this. The Third Master was now an official in the court and had the noble status of two titles. The people who came to visit him these days were all high-ranking officials and nobles.

What is the origin of today's guest? Even if he is just a commoner, he is valued so much by the Third Master."

Jia Cong saw Wu Er's beautiful eyes flickering in the mirror, as if puzzled. He smiled and squeezed her hand, saying, "Although most of these people are commoners, they are indeed my friends.

At that time, Zhishao and I were living in Dongluyuan. Because Wang Shanbao's wife withheld our monthly salary, we lived a hard life. Later, I wrote a few pieces of calligraphy and took them to the bookstore on Wenhan Street for consignment.

The owner of the bookstore, Xiao Jindong, was a connoisseur of valuables. He spent a high price to buy several of my calligraphy works. I earned some money and used it to help Zhishao and I get through the difficult times.

Afterwards, Xiao Jindong introduced Liu Bi, He Jizhen, Zhou Xizhe and others to me. We became close friends, but it was not the kind of social interaction that you see in official circles."

In the following years, Jia Cong studied at Qingshan Academy. When he returned home during the school holidays, he often had tea and wine gatherings with a few people.

It was not until a few years ago that Liu Bi passed the imperial examination and was sent to serve as an official in the south of the Yangtze River. Jia Cong went north to Liaodong and south to Nanjing. He was successful in the imperial examinations and his official rank became increasingly prestigious.

Xiao Jindong and his companions were either shop owners or scholars, and their status became increasingly different from Jia Cong. Without Liu Bi as a link, they were also concerned about trying to curry favor with the rich and powerful, and thus became estranged unconsciously.

This year Liu Bi returned to his hometown to visit his relatives and also took the Ministry of Personnel examination. He and Jia Cong were old friends from that time and they were also from the same school, so their relationship was extraordinary.

Today, I have invited Xiao Jindong and three others to visit me and chat with us as old friends during the New Year.

……

Rongguo Mansion, East Courtyard.

Today, the East Courtyard has been renovated inside and outside, and its area is nearly twice as large as before. The area around Jia Zheng's Mengpozhai study was included in the East Courtyard.

The East Courtyard is now no longer deserted as it was after Jia She's death. Tables and chairs are being moved around, and people are coming in and out. It is bustling with activity.

During this New Year's Eve sacrifice, Jia Cong gave the position of chief priest to Jia Zheng.

The reason he did this was out of gratitude for Jia Zheng's care and protection since childhood, so he gave way with the courtesy of an elder.

After he was conferred the title, Jia Zheng was forced to move out of Rongxitang and even Rongguo Mansion due to the emperor's will and impeachment of the court, which caused many hidden criticisms within the Jia family.

Although the court etiquette was promoted, the negative comments brought to Jia Cong personally needed to be eliminated by himself.

Giving the position of chief priest at the New Year's Eve sacrifice to Jia Zheng is a way to achieve such a balance.

When Jia Zheng accepted the humility of filial piety and etiquette and received enough respect from Jia Cong, all the hidden jealousy and sinister tricks that had not been expressed lost their moral ground to exist and speak.

He humbly declined the position of chief priest in the annual sacrifice. This was the scene seen by people inside and outside the family. Although Jia Cong was blessed by the emperor and ascended to the position of lord of the Jia family, he behaved with dignity and was unremittingly filial. His status and reputation were in harmony and he truly deserved the title.

Grandmother Jia and Mrs. Wang and others originally had different objections to Jia Cong's inheritance of the title, but when they saw that Jia Zheng could serve as the chief priest, they each felt different levels of joy in their hearts.

Grandmother Jia felt honored by Jia Cong's courtesy; and Lady Wang had some more delusions in her heart because she was able to ascend to the position of chief priest, equivalent to the clan leader, after her husband lost his title.

However, only people with discerning eyes could clearly realize that Jia Cong's relinquishing the position of chief priest in the ancestral temple in the first year of his succession to the title was a brilliant move of retreating in order to advance.

After obtaining the title and salary bestowed by the imperial etiquette, and occupying the highest peak in the family's private morality and ethics, the transfer of power and status from the Zi character generation to the Yu character generation of the Jia family was thus perfectly implemented and beyond reproach.

And delusions like those of Mrs. Wang are extremely absurd and ridiculous. Now, during the spring festival next year, Jia Cong will once again give up the position of chief priest to Jia Zheng. Does Jia Zheng have the face to accept it?
Many things can only happen once and not again. The first time the seat of the chief priest was given up politely, it can be passed down as a beautiful story of clan etiquette.

If you give in a second time, it would be tantamount to flattery. If you are still accepted then, it would be a lack of etiquette and shamelessness.

By then, I am afraid that the impeachment attacks from the officials in the court will be ten times more fierce than this time.

Fortunately, although Jia Zheng was pedantic and old-fashioned, he had a strong sense of etiquette in his heart. After Jia Cong insisted on giving way, he accepted the position of chief priest although with trepidation, as if he had been pushed to the peak of morality.

His nephews and nephews are filial and have the spirit of ancient virtues. As an elder, is he going to ignore etiquette and linger on?

Therefore, after offering sacrifices to his ancestors on New Year's Eve, Jia Zheng proposed to move out of Rongguo Mansion and move to the East Courtyard the next day.

After being persuaded by Lady Jia and Jia Cong, Jia Zheng agreed to postpone it temporarily and wait until the third day of the new year to deal with the New Year greetings from the elder relatives and nobles.

On the fourth day of the New Year, Jia Zheng hurriedly insisted on moving out of the Rongguo Mansion and moved into the newly renovated East Courtyard.

I was afraid that one night I would be cursed again and my good reputation would be completely destroyed.

Of course, he was also worried that since he had ascended to the position of chief priest due to courtesy, he would not repay his kindness and move to the East Courtyard early, giving those talkative censors an opportunity to find fault with him and impeach and humiliate him again.

When he hurriedly moved into the East Courtyard, he breathed a sigh of relief. Then, when he saw that Jia Cong and Wang Xifeng had spent a lot of effort to renovate the new East Courtyard, the inevitable sense of loss in his heart was also greatly comforted.

However, just a few days after Mrs. Wang's final glory as the wife of the high priest, she was brought back to her original state. The regret in her heart made her fall back to the bottom again.

However, now neither Lady Jia nor Jia Zheng would take her unhappiness to heart.

……

Jia Cong was drinking and chatting happily with Liu Bi, Xiao Jindong, He Jizhen, Zhou Xizhe and others in Songxuan Hall.

He Jizhen was still worldly-wise, eloquent and talkative. He was known as He Qingzhu in the streets and was famous in the capital for his bamboo paintings. At the banquet, he also gave Jia Cong a painting of his masterpiece.

Zhou Xizhe remained meticulous and steady, and although he didn't say much during the meal, whenever he spoke he always had something witty to say, making him an excellent person to chat with.

After three rounds of drinks, Xiao Jindong said that the most successful business he had ever done in his life was buying several pieces of calligraphy from Jia Cong when Jia Cong was still an ordinary person.

He was also very wise. No matter how high the price was offered by someone who knew the value of his calligraphy, he never sold it.

Since Jia Cong passed the imperial examinations twice, his poems became famous in the south of the Yangtze River, and he was awarded a title for his military achievements in Liaodong. He held two titles and his reputation shook the world.

The three calligraphy works by Jia Cong have become the treasures of Xiao Jindong's shop. Many people come to admire them every day, bringing countless popularity to his shop.

In just a few years, Xiao Jindong's shop has become the most prosperous bookstore on Wenhan Street.

Xiao Jindong was still joking at the table, saying that Jia Cong's calligraphy works were his lucky charm and a treasure.

In order to ensure the safety of these calligraphy works, he even asked his trusted old family member Uncle Qin to stop doing other chores and focus on caring for and maintaining these calligraphy works...

Jia Cong and Liu Bi were from the same school. When Liu Bi went to the south of the Yangtze River to serve as an official, the two never met again.

The last time Jia Cong went to Nanjing on business, Nanjing was only a hundred miles away from Gaochun County where Liu Bi was an official.

However, Jia Cong had too many things to do in Jinling and was overwhelmed. When the investigation of the Wei Army case was finally solved, he received an imperial edict from Emperor Jia Zhao to return to the capital to report.

Although the old friends lived next door to each other, they never found a chance to meet.

Now that they met again after a long separation, they talked to each other even more happily. Liu Bi even said with a smile that the Liu family had already produced eight Jinshi (imperial examinations), and one more would be added at the end of this spring, which would bring the total to ninety-nine auspicious numbers.

During the dinner, everyone was talking harmoniously, drinking and chatting, and the atmosphere was excellent. It is said that old friends are the best, which makes sense.

It is said that Xiao Jindong's family has been in business for generations and has a wealthy family background. He runs a bookstore well and is a successful businessman, so he is destined not to get involved in officialdom.

It is said that He Jizhen came from a noble family. His family had a large house and fertile fields, so he had no worries about food and clothing. He had no intention of pursuing a career in politics. He was obsessed with calligraphy and painting, and wandered around the market, living the life of a celebrity.

Zhou Xizhe’s background is even more impressive. It is said that his ancestors were from a wealthy family in the south of the Yangtze River. He settled in Shenjing with his father since he was a child. He has a profound family background in art and is good at painting landscapes. He is quite famous in the Shenjing calligraphy and painting circles...

These people were all old friends of Jia Cong when he was in humble circumstances. Even today, they all had prosperous families and their own businesses, and had no entanglement with Jia Cong in any official interests.

Perhaps only such a relationship can put aside worldly entanglements and truly be a gentleman's friendship as pure as water.

……

Jia Cong and Liu Bi and others had a banquet together. Both the host and the guests had a great time and made an appointment to reunite. After he sent the guests away, he hurried back to the East Palace and went directly to Tanchun's room.

Jia Zheng's move to the East Courtyard eventually brought twists and turns among the sisters.

Because of a change in Jia Zheng's status, he had to move into the East Courtyard. As his daughter, Tanchun had to move into the East Courtyard with him, both out of filial piety and for her own personal status.

It was not until the morning when Jia Cong went to the West Mansion to entertain guests that he heard that Tanchun was going to move into the East Courtyard that day.

As soon as he entered Tanchun's courtyard, he saw several maids in the yard carrying two boxes and leaving.

In the room, the two maids, Shishu and Cuimo, were packing up Tanchun's writing brushes, inkstones, clothes and jewelry.

When Jia Cong entered the room, he saw Tanchun tiptoeing to take down a calligraphy hanging on the wall. She turned around and saw Jia Cong coming in. Her eyes were moist and she smiled and said, "Why are you here, brother San? I went to your courtyard this morning and sister Zhishao said you went to the West Mansion to entertain guests."

Jia Cong saw that she had narrow shoulders and a thin waist, and was tall. She was wearing a long jacket embroidered with rose-red magnolia branches, a white pleated skirt, and hair ornaments with auspicious clouds, kingfisher feathers and pearls. She looked bright, delicate, and charming.

The calligraphy she had just taken down was exactly the Xizhou Ci she had written that year.

……

At that time, Jia Cong was still living a hard life in the East Courtyard. Tanchun accidentally discovered that she had a cousin who was extremely talented in calligraphy.

Among all the sisters, Tanchun was the first to discover Jia Cong's extraordinaryness.

She was smart and daring, and was the first to pay attention to and help her cousin in everything. Until Jia Cong moved into the West Mansion, the cousins ​​had a very close relationship.

In addition, both of them are interested in calligraphy, which makes them more tacitly connected and intimate than other sisters.

Because of Jia Cong's excellence in calligraphy and his brilliant achievements, even Tanchun developed a special admiration for him...

The special feelings of youthful vigor and the hazy ripples of a girl's growth are just the silent waves in the heart, which will eventually return to calm as time goes by.

But no matter what, Jia Cong, her cousin, occupies a very important position in Tanchun's heart.

For Jia Cong, among all the sisters, Tanchun's intimacy and openness towards him were quite different from the other sisters.

Jia Cong saw Tanchun carefully roll up the calligraphy in her hand and put it carefully into a custom-made brocade box.

He said, "I wrote this calligraphy a long time ago. At that time, my brushwork was still quite sharp. If you like it, I will write a better one for you."

Tanchun held the brocade box in her hand and smiled, "At that time, my third brother was still living in the East Courtyard, unknown, and people in the world did not know how precious my third brother was.

I was lucky enough to have seen the brilliance of my third brother’s calligraphy before others paid tribute to me. This is the blessing of my life as a younger sister, so in my heart, this calligraphy is the best.”

……

When Jia Cong heard her sincere and tender voice, he felt a warm feeling in his heart.

Because of a note he wrote to Madam Zhao, Tanchun noticed his extraordinary talents and gave him a lot of books, paper and pens.

When he was poor, among the Jia sisters, Tanchun was the first to care about and be close to him, and he never forgot this affection.

Jia Cong said, "Third sister, although the master has moved into the East Courtyard with his wife due to etiquette and rules, it is enough to show it to the outside world.

Sister, you don’t have to rush to move there either. Maybe you are not living well in the East Mansion anymore.”

Tanchun smiled and said, "What are you talking about, Third Brother? I'm living very well in the East Palace. I've had Third Brother and my sisters to keep me company for the past six months. I'll never have such a good life again in my life.

However, the master should not be too careless about moving to the East Courtyard. When the third brother inherited the title, the master and his wife stayed in Rong Xi Tang and were impeached by so many court officials, causing an uproar in the city.

Things are still hot now, and there must be a lot of people keeping an eye on it.

I am the master's daughter. If I remain indifferent at this critical juncture and continue to live in Third Brother's East Mansion, it will definitely attract criticism from others and give the master and Third Brother something to talk about."

When Tanchun said this, she didn't know what she was thinking about, but her pretty face turned red for some reason.

He added: "Besides, the wife is still here. She is reluctant to give up the family business of the West Mansion, and has always been grateful to her third brother Chengjue.

Anyway, we should move there first. If people outside can find nothing wrong with it, the whole family will save face and have fewer unnecessary thoughts. It will also save trouble for my third brother."

……

Although Jia Cong was reluctant to let Tanchun move away, he knew that his third sister was smart and clever, even better than boys, and her considerations were reasonable.

She did this for the sake of the overall situation and for her own benefit, so I can't go against her will.

He said, "Since Third Sister is so thoughtful, let's move there first. After this storm is over, I'll find a reason to bring you back."

After hearing what Jia Cong said, Tanchun smiled charmingly and said, "It is enough for me to hear what Third Brother said. Otherwise, if I had moved back now, I would have been afraid that I would never be able to come back to this door again."

Jia Cong replied: "Even if you are willing, I am not willing."

As he spoke, he picked up a delicate camphorwood box on the ground and said with a smile, "Today I will be your servant and help you move house."

When Tanchun saw Jia Cong carrying her suitcase, her pretty face blushed, because the camphorwood box contained her underwear.

Tanchun blushed and said, "How can I do this? This box is full of girls' belongings. It's not proper for a great man like my third brother to carry it."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "There is no need to be so particular. It is just physical work anyway. Isn't it more convenient for me to mention it than the maids?"

As he said this, he picked up the camphorwood box and went out. Tanchun could not help but chuckle. She held the brocade box containing Xizhou's poems and followed him with a red face. They talked and laughed all the way.

……

The news that Tanchun had moved in had already been received in the East Courtyard, and the maids and servants were already tidying up Tanchun's room.

Although Tanchun was born out of wedlock, she was outstanding in appearance and talent since childhood, and was smart and quick-witted. She was very much loved by Grandmother Jia among her sisters.

In her daily actions, she was shrewd and experienced, and her words were clear and sharp. No one in the Jia family dared to look down on her.

Those servants secretly nicknamed Tanchun "Rose". Roses are red and fragrant, and everyone loves them, but they are prickly.

Although some people gossip secretly, saying that she was not raised by the lady, it can still be said that "a phoenix emerges from an old crow's nest."

Even Mrs. Wang valued this concubine's daughter to some extent. When Wang Xifeng was ill, she could let Li Wan take care of the household chores according to her status. However, Mrs. Wang asked Tanchun to take care of the household chores because she knew that she had the talent to manage affairs.

Knowing that the roses would be moved into the east courtyard, the maids and servants in the courtyard did not dare to be too negligent.

Besides, everyone in the two mansions knows that the Third Young Lady and the main masters of the two mansions, Master Cong, are the best of siblings.

This incident also made the servants in the family more fearful, and they cleaned up her room early.

However, today, not only Tanchun's room was being cleaned in the East Courtyard, another group of people were also busy cleaning Baoyu's residence.

……

Baoyu is Jia Zheng's legitimate son. According to his status and filial piety, he should move to the East Courtyard earlier than Tanchun.

On the fourth day of the first lunar month, Jia Zheng moved to the east courtyard and instructed his servants to help Baoyu move. Baoyu was afraid of his father like a beast, so naturally he did not dare to say a word.

But deep down he was not willing to move to the damn East Courtyard. It was not because he disliked the East Courtyard as not as prestigious as the West Courtyard. If he had such an idea, he was considered thoughtful.

The reason why he was unwilling to go to the East Courtyard was that Daiyu, Baochai and other sisters usually walked around the West Palace, and none of them would visit the East Courtyard which was independent of the West Palace.

If he moved to the East Courtyard, he would be afraid that he would become strangers to Lin Daiyu, Baochai and others from then on, which was something Baoyu could not bear at all.

Now that Jia Cong has become the master of the West Mansion, Baoyu heard that Rong Xi Tang had been reorganized and Xiaohong, a maid from his courtyard, was appointed as the management maid.

Baoyu thought that Jia Cong would definitely live in Rong Xi Tang in the future.

Baoyu would not ponder the implications of these things, such as the principles of official career, ethics, family wealth, etc. An innocent person like him naturally despises these mundane things.

All he could think of was that Jia Cong was not only good-looking, but also good at writing and composing lyrics, and was always admired by his sisters.

If he lives in the West Mansion permanently in the future, his sisters will definitely move around in the West Mansion as well, and maybe Miss Lin will move back to the West Mansion as well.

Not to mention the fairy-like maids around Jia Cong, Zhishao, Wu'er, Qingwen, Yinglian and others, who will definitely come to the West Mansion more often...

With Baoyu's personality, how could he miss such a God-given opportunity to see all the beauties? Even if he died for these people, he would be willing to do so.

……

On that day, Jia Zheng was busy moving, but Baoyu went to have lunch with his grandmother. It is estimated that he acted like a spoiled child in front of her.

Not long after, Hupo came to tell Jia Zheng what Jia's mother had said: "The old lady said that we should prepare a good house for Master Bao in the east courtyard, as he will come back to live there eventually.

It's just that it's Chinese New Year now, and the old lady likes the festivities. She wants Master Bao to be around and talk to her, and that's also a way to show filial piety on behalf of the old master. We'll talk about it after the festivities are over."

Although Jia Zheng was blunt and straightforward, he was not stupid. He knew that the old lady was reluctant to part with Baoyu and was trying every possible way to keep him by her side.

Although Jia Zheng was unhappy, filial piety came first, and since his mother had already spoken, he could not say much.

……

Today is the day that Tanchun moves to the east courtyard, but Baoyu only sent Qiu Wen over to give instructions to the maids and old women, and to tidy up Baoyu's room, putting on a show for the outside world.

As for Baoyu's things, none of them were moved in. Even the big maids such as Xiren and Sheyue did not appear in the east courtyard.

But Mrs. Wang was very willing to let Baoyu stay in the West Mansion. In Mrs. Wang's eyes, the second house was moved to the East Courtyard, which was like stepping into death and it would be difficult for them to recover.

Now, because of the old lady's favor, her Baoyu can still live in the West Mansion openly. This will leave a connection and seed for the second house in the West Mansion. Naturally, she is very satisfied with it.

Besides, her illegitimate daughter is now living safely in the East Palace. It is said that the boy in the East Palace is very accommodating and doting on the third girl.

This would be like driving a wedge between both the East and West Mansions, which would only bring benefits and no harm in the future. The ties between the Second House and Rongguo Mansion's Zhengsu would eventually be unbreakable.

When Mrs. Wang thought about this, her originally frustrated and depressed mood was somewhat relieved as she had the illusion that she was in control of the situation.

Just as Mrs. Wang was feeling a little hesitant, she suddenly heard laughter coming from the gate of the courtyard.

Jia Cong was seen carrying an exquisite camphorwood box and Tanchun was holding a brocade box. They walked into the yard, talking and laughing, followed by a group of maids and old women carrying things.

When Mrs. Wang saw this scene, she frowned and felt very unhappy. She didn't expect that this third girl was even more confused than Baoyu.

There was no way she and her master could avoid this, but she didn't have to rush into it. She could just do the same as Baoyu and pretend.

It was said that the boy valued this girl, and she was just a lady in the East Mansion, but she actually moved back to the East Courtyard without any plan in her mind.

I usually thought she was smart, but in the end she was a failure... (End of this chapter)