Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month in the fifteenth year of Jiazhao.

Jia Cong got up early in the morning and practiced martial arts and sword skills as usual. He then went back to the yard to bathe and wash himself. He just sat down in the study and prepared to study.

Yinglian's cheeks were flushed, and she looked beautiful and flawless. She was wearing a magenta printed double-breasted fur coat, a white cross-collared blouse, and a light pink long skirt. She came in holding a tray covered with a piece of vermilion satin.

Jia Cong was curious and asked, "What are you holding in your hand?"

Yinglian smiled sweetly and said, "Young Master, you forgot that today is the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. But since it is a big day, we naturally have to make something and give it to you as a festival gift."

Yinglian lifted the red silk on the tray, and inside were four or five brightly coloured and exquisite little things.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "How come you all agreed to give me the purse at once? This is enough for me to use for a long time."

Yinglian smiled and said, "Today is the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the first major festival of the year. We should have a lively and festive atmosphere in our courtyard to help the young master get some good luck.

There are girls who give sachets, but Sister Zhishao said that our status is limited, and if we imitate others and give sachets, we will not cause gossip to the young master, so giving a purse is the most appropriate and considerate. "

Jia Cong naturally understood what Yinglian meant.

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month represents reunion and harmony. Young men and women temporarily put aside the constraints of etiquette and stroll through the night streets, enjoy the light of lanterns, celebrate the New Year, secretly give each other holiday gifts, and confide in each other.

It is an old custom for a girl to give a sachet to the man she likes on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, because the sachet represents love.

The few close associates around Jia Cong, even though Zhishao left the Jia Mansion halfway, were given gifts by the Empress's imperial edict and could no longer be considered as Jia's family's servants.

But at present, she and Jia Cong have not yet had an official relationship, and her daily behavior is equivalent to that of Jia Cong's personal maid, not to mention Wu'er, Qingwen and others.

In a wealthy family, it is considered taboo for a maid to flirt with the master or his son according to the etiquette of the inner house.

If they all laughed and embroidered sachets for Jia Cong, they all concealed their lovesickness, although no one in the Earl's Mansion could blame them.

But if the news gets out, it will probably be somewhat unjustified and will give Jia Cong the stigma of being a corrupt official.

Because Zhishao had such concerns, she asked everyone to give purses instead of sachets to avoid causing unpleasant gossip about Jia Cong.

Although sachets and purses are both personal belongings of men, they are completely different things.

The sachet is filled only with herbs and spices, and is sealed like a heart, which expresses the love and longing.

A purse is a small open bag worn close to the body that can hold small items such as spices and silver coins, symbolizing reunion and companionship.

The personal maid embroidered a purse for the young master, as a daily carry-on item, and others could find no fault with it.

Yinglian tilted her head and picked up each purse on the tray, and said, "This one with the lotus and Buddha's hand embroidered on it was made by Sister Zhishao, and the one with the rose embroidered on it was made by Sister Wu'er.

The red hibiscus was embroidered by Sister Qingwen, the white hibiscus was embroidered by Lingguan, and the apricot blossom was embroidered by me.

When Jia Cong saw these exquisite purses, he felt warm in his heart and asked Yinglian with a smile: "Why are yours embroidered with apricot flowers?"

Yinglian smiled and said, "I am now in charge of the young master's study. The young master is about to take the imperial examination. I heard from my mother that apricot flowers are also called Dengke flowers, which means success in the imperial examinations.

I embroidered an apricot blossom purse, and if you carry it with you, it will surely help you pass the imperial examination, and maybe even become the top scorer in the imperial examination."

Jia Cong held the apricot blossom purse and said with a smile: "If I pass the imperial examination, it must be thanks to this purse. I will thank you very much when the time comes."

Yinglian smiled charmingly and said, "Master, I remember what you said. If you pass the imperial examination, don't forget to thank me."

The two were chatting happily when Qingwen came in and said with a smile, "Third Master, the old lady sent someone to tell us that the master and mistress of the Shi family, along with Miss Shi, have entered Rongqing Hall to pay a visit to the old lady.

The old lady asked the third master to come over and talk with her. "

……

From New Year's Eve to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the New Year festival is coming to an end, but the festive atmosphere of the New Year reaches its peak.

Every New Year, Kyoto holds a grand Lantern Festival, which starts on the eighth day of the first lunar month and lasts until the eighteenth day of the first lunar month.

Because the lanterns are hung during different periods, the eighth day when the lanterns are first hung is called "trial lanterns", the fifteenth day is called "main lanterns", and the eighteenth day of the first lunar month is called "late lanterns".

During this period, all the streets and alleys in the entire Shenjing City will be hung with various lanterns, which is the most splendid and lively scene of the year.

Among them were official lanterns set up by government offices, folk lanterns funded spontaneously by the common people in the markets, and colorful lanterns hung near the residences of noble families.

There are Buddhist lamps hung in major temples and nunneries, boat lanterns hung on various waterways, and there are many different forms of hanging lanterns...

The Lantern Festival every year is also the time when etiquette and rules are the most tolerant, and men, women, young and old can all go out to the streets to watch the lanterns and have fun.

Even women in the boudoir could temporarily break free from the constraints of etiquette and go parading in groups or enjoy the lanterns in carriages.

Of course, this only applies to ordinary families or small households.

Girls from a rich family like the Jia family in Rongguo had strict etiquette and moral code, but they did not have the freedom to walk on the streets, squeeze into the crowds, and look at the lanterns.

But this does not mean that the women of noble families will not enjoy the joy and excitement of the New Year and Lantern Festivals. They have their own ways of finding fun.

All the noble families are extremely wealthy and have spacious mansions. During the Lantern Festival at the beginning of each year, they would hang lanterns all over the mansion, which were called mansion lanterns.

The lanterns in the mansions of the rich and powerful were more exquisite and gorgeous than those in the streets.

These gorgeous palace lanterns are not only for the children of wealthy families to enjoy, but also for praying for wealth and power in the coming year, as a good omen.

Later on, the mansion lanterns of each wealthy family became an important item for noble ladies to carry during the New Year holidays.

During the Lantern Festival every year, ladies from various mansions would often visit other mansions to admire the lanterns. This was both a gathering for fun and a way to socialize and connect.

This year, Rongguo Mansion inherited a new title, and it is the honor of having two titles in one, which is somewhat a good sign for the revival of the family business.

In order to elevate the status of the eldest branch of Rongguo, Wang Xifeng obtained Jia Cong's approval in advance and put a lot of effort into the etiquette scenes of the New Year.

Just for the hanging of lanterns in the palace, ten skilled lantern makers were hired from Dezhou a few years ago. They spent the whole day weaving various exquisite lanterns in the outer courtyard.

The lights were much more exquisite and gorgeous than in previous years, and it also gave Jia Cong a good start to surpass the past.

Since the eighth day of the first lunar month, many women from wealthy families who visited the Jia family said that the lanterns in the Jia family's mansion this year were much better than those in other families.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Lixiangyuan.

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the main day of the Lantern Festival. In the morning, several elderly female relatives would come to the mansion to socialize.

Among the female family members who came to the mansion to watch the lanterns today, there was one family who was not an old relative of the Jia family. Instead, they were the female guests invited by Aunt Xue.

The guests were the mother and daughter of the Guihua Xia family, and they brought a few maids with them.

A few days ago, Mrs. Wang accompanied Aunt Xue to the Qingxu Temple to burn incense. Thanks to the introduction of the temple's abbot, the old immortal Taoist Zhang, she got to know the mistress and young lady of the Guihua Xia family who also came to burn incense.

Several noble ladies were chatting together, and surprisingly, they got along very well. They recounted their family histories in detail. It turned out that the Xue and Xia families were still somewhat connected, but they had not visited each other for many years, so the younger generations had become estranged.

Now that they are reunited in a long-distance place, the two families are even closer.

The young lady of the Xia family was named Jingui. She was sixteen years old, with a beautiful appearance, a graceful figure, and elegant and generous manners. She was a first-class person.

Not only did Aunt Xue like her, but even Mrs. Wang thought that this Miss Xia was quite good-looking and someone who could be presentable, and that she was not much worse than Baochai.

Not to mention the family's great wealth, they have only one daughter, who is also a child without a son. Anyone who marries Miss Xia will get countless wealth for free...

Aunt Xue and Mrs. Xia were both widows, and both were wives of imperial merchants, so they were both obsessed with the debts of their children.

The two of them had very similar experiences, and they had a tacit understanding when chatting. They even felt that they had met too late and wanted to become sworn brothers.

Aunt Xue and Mrs. Xia were very cordial with each other, and with Mrs. Wang's advice, the atmosphere became even warmer and more harmonious. They were all the best in the mansion, so they knew what was going on.

When Aunt Xue left Qingxu Temple, she gave Taoist Zhang a generous sum of money as incense offerings. As for whether Mrs. Xia gave the same reward, it is unknown...

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month was the time for lanterns to be lit, and that was when Aunt Xue and Mrs. Xia made their farewell appointment.

……

In the morning, two carriages stopped at the main gate of Lixiangyuan on the back street, and Aunt Xue and Mrs. Wang were waiting to greet them at the door.

Seeing the mother and daughter of the Xia family getting off the carriage with smiles on their faces, they brought a few maids with them.

Because Miss Xia came to the Jia Mansion to enjoy the palace lanterns, Baochai, who is of the same age as her, also came to entertain the guests and asked Tanchun to join them.

There are quite a few sisters in the Jia family, so we can invite a few more to join in the fun.

But Baochai took into consideration that Miss Xia was visiting with her mother and was secretly engaged to him, so it would not be appropriate to make the first meeting too grand.

Moreover, the East and West Mansions of the Jia family are no longer the same as before, and the sisters in the family cannot be invited to be guests at will.

Although Yingchun is gentle and kind, and has always been kind to others, she is a naturalized daughter of the Earl's Mansion, and her status is already good.

Ever since Jia Cong inherited the title of Rongguo, the eldest son of the concubine's family has become the legitimate daughter of the Jia family. Yingchun has also become the legitimate eldest daughter of Rongguo Mansion. Even Yuanchun, the elder sister in the palace, is inferior to her.

Given Yingchun's current status, it would be extremely inappropriate to rashly ask her to accompany ordinary female guests from other families, and it would even embarrass Jia Cong. Naturally, Baochai would never do that.

Daiyu is indeed a graceful and clever person, but she is only a relative of the Jia family after all, and has no connection with the Xue family. She also does not like socializing, so it is naturally not appropriate to call her.

Xichun is still a child and can't do anything.

Only Tanchun was smart, handsome, generous, and well-spoken. She was also Lady Wang's concubine's daughter, so she was legitimate to accompany her mother to entertain guests, so Baochai pulled her over to accompany her. ...

Baochai knew clearly that the Miss Xia who came today might very well be her future sister-in-law, so although she entertained the guest with a smile, she was observing her closely in her heart.

This young lady from the Xia family had a beautiful and charming appearance, a graceful and elegant figure, and was eloquent and flexible in her speech. She did not have the shyness or timidity of a young girl from a young family, and actually had some of Sister Feng's demeanor.

Baochai thought of her brother's dissolute behavior. Anyone who knew him well would feel that his character was not reliable.

My brother is far inferior to this pretty and lively girl from the Xia family. It would be a blessing if he could marry such a wife.

Baochai actually hoped that this marriage could be accomplished so that her brother would have some restraint.

Tanchun just came to accompany the guests. Unlike Baochai, she was not involved in the situation but stayed out of it and watched from the sidelines.

Although I think this Miss Xia is good-looking, eloquent, and literate, she is also an outstanding one among the ladies in the boudoir.

She was polite in her words, but there was a hint of arrogance in her demeanor, but it was not too obvious, and her eyes seemed a little sharper.

But Tanchun was only dragged here by Baochai to entertain the guests. She also knew that Miss Xia was going to discuss marriage with the eldest brother of the Xue family, and it was none of her business. She didn't take the slight impression she had from their first meeting too seriously.

Although Baochai and Tanchun are both smart and clever women, they are born into aristocratic families and have been influenced by etiquette and rules for a long time. When they interact with others for the first time, their words and behaviors are always restrained.

However, this girl from the Xia family, although they had just met each other, was more generous and straightforward than them, and she often dominated the conversation topics.

At this moment, Zheng said in a refreshing voice: "I have been raising my daughter alone since she was young, and I don't have any close brothers or sisters. I envy others who have lively brothers and sisters.

Before I came here, I had heard a lot about the great name of the Rongguo Jia family. People outside said that there were many outstanding sisters and brothers in the mansion, who lived in harmony and leisurely every day, which made people yearn for it.

Today I met Miss Bao and Sister Tanchun, and they are already so outstanding. I am sure their other brothers and sisters must be excellent as well. It is a pity that I don’t have the chance to meet them one by one today.

I heard that there is a mistress in the East Palace. Recently, there have been rumors among the wives of all the nobles. Her maiden name is Yingchun.

I heard that this sister Yingchun is not much older than me. She is so young, but she is in charge of the huge family business of the Jia family's East Mansion. This kind of ability is really admirable."

……

When Tanchun heard Miss Xia talking about Yingchun, her bright eyes lit up a little. She seemed to really admire her second sister and even had a hint of envy.

Tanchun smiled slightly in her heart. Her soft and gentle second sister now had such a great reputation in the rear houses of various noble families. Even Miss Xia had heard of her in a roundabout way.

This was naturally because the second sister was the head of the Earl's Mansion, which made outsiders envious, but in the final analysis, it was because the second sister had a brother like the third brother.

These days, several families want to propose marriage to my second sister, and it’s because they are attracted by my third brother’s power and future...

Miss Xia continued, “I also heard that there is a young lady in your mansion who was a former top scholar in the imperial examination. Although she is a boudoir girl, she is extremely beautiful and full of poetry and prose. She is even more knowledgeable than ordinary candidates.

It seems that all the beautiful ladies in the capital have gathered at the Jia Mansion. It is really surprising and surprising. "

Baochai smiled and said, "Sister Xia is really well-informed and knows so much about the sisters in the family. Sister Yingchun is indeed capable. She is only a few years older than us, but she is already able to manage the family business.

Sister Lin has a profound family background in learning, which is even more remarkable. She is a rare talent among the ladies."

The Xia family girl seemed to be getting more and more interested in the conversation, and continued, "Not to mention the sisters in the mansion, the brothers in the mansion are also outstanding people.

I often heard in the early years that there was a second son named Bao who was born with a jade in his mouth. He was always considered a strange person in the capital, and no one knew what kind of god-like person he was…”

Mrs. Wang was chatting with Aunt Xue and Mrs. Xia when she suddenly heard the words "Born with a Jade in the Mouth". She was suddenly shocked, because those were the proudest words in her life.

When Mrs. Wang heard Miss Xia praising Baoyu as a god-like figure, her heart felt as sweet as if she had eaten honey.

Nowadays, many people follow the imperial edict from the palace and say bad things about my Baoyu behind his back, but after all, there are still people who understand Baoyu's good points.

This girl from the Xia family is young, but she is not one to follow the crowd. After hearing what Baoyu said about its strangeness and preciousness, she actually felt that it made a lot of sense and can be considered as someone with insight.

Although Pan'er is a playboy, he is also a blessed boy. He is even luckier than my Baoyu, as he met a person like Miss Xia...

Tanchun noticed the look in Mrs. Wang's eyes and could only agree, "Brother Bao was not only born in a miraculous way, but he was also very kind to his sisters at home..."

……

Mrs. Wang smiled and said, "The Xia and Xue families are old friends from previous generations, so they are naturally close to our Jia family. You are all sisters of the same generation and so young, so there is no need to avoid suspicion.

Since you are here as a guest today, it would be good for us to just meet each other. I will call Baoyu over. He is the best at talking to brothers and sisters."

Tanchun said, "Madam left the courtyard early this morning, so she may not know that today Master Shi and Aunt Shi, along with Sister Xiangyun, went to Rongqing Hall to visit the old lady.

The old lady asked someone to call the master, the third brother, and the second brother to Rongqing Hall to meet the guests, but the second brother probably can't get away now."

Mrs. Wang smiled at Mrs. Xia and said, "That's it. During the New Year holidays, many relatives come and go. The eldest master of the Shi family has now inherited the title of Marquis of Baoling.

He is the old lady's nephew, and he will come to greet her on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Baoyu will naturally go to entertain the guest. Fortunately, there is a long time to come, and they will have the opportunity to meet each other in the future."

Mrs. Xia was used to seeing wealthy people, and her home was filled with gold and silver. However, no matter how wealthy she was, she was not an imperial merchant with a legitimate official title.

Therefore, I have always envied people whose official titles are passed down from generation to generation. When I heard that the relatives who casually visited the Jia family during the New Year holidays were all marquises, I couldn't help but feel very envious.

After hearing what Tanchun said, the Xia family girl suddenly said, "I forgot for a moment that there is a young man in your mansion who is the most proud of you. He was awarded a title when he was young, and he is both a scholar and a warrior. His reputation as a writer and poet has shaken the north and the south.

Is this the third brother that sister Tanchun mentioned? "

When Tanchun heard Miss Xia praise Jia Cong so highly, she was also very happy and said with a smile, "It is this third brother."

Mrs. Wang just thought that Miss Xia was a person of insight because of what she said about being born with a jade in her mouth, but she didn't expect her to praise Jia Cong again. She suddenly felt uncomfortable.

But then he changed his mind and comforted himself, thinking that this boy was quite famous nowadays, so even if the girl had heard of him, it was normal and nothing serious.

The Xia family girl suddenly smiled at her mother and said, "Madam, when I came here, I heard that the Jia family's palace lanterns are very exquisite and very famous in the capital city. I want you two sisters to take me to have a look."

Baochai, who was standing by, was slightly startled when she heard this, thinking that it was not yet noon, and if she went to see the lanterns in the palace now, she would not be able to see much splendor. She would have to wait until the sun was lower, then she would have more fun appreciating them.

Mrs. Wang has also seen many boudoir figures in the inner house. In her eyes, Baochai and Tanchun are both smart girls.

However, this Miss Xia was only meeting them for the first time, but she was very eloquent, always ahead of them in actions, and had her own ideas. She was a capable woman, and even had some resemblance to Feng Yatou.

If her sister really married such a daughter-in-law, she would have an extra good helper in the housekeeping and management, which would be a blessing. When Mrs. Wang thought of this, she looked at the girl from the Xia family with a higher opinion.

Mrs. Wang smiled and said, "You young girls should move around more and accompany us old people. If you have anything interesting, just go and have a look."

Aunt Xue also said, "It's still early now, so we can go for a stroll in the garden. Baochai can bring your sister back from the Xia family when she estimates the time for the banquet."

……

As soon as Aunt Xue finished speaking, Miss Xia stood up and did things very efficiently, which made Baochai feel a little strange.

The purpose of the mother and daughter's meeting was actually to see each other's family backgrounds. But why didn't she mention her brother at all, but instead talked about all the sisters and brothers of the Jia family?

He also knew the origins of the brothers Baoyu and Cong very clearly, and it sounded like he had been paying attention to them for a long time.

But although Baochai had doubts, they were just groundless and she couldn't be sure. She couldn't help but think too much about it, so she and Tanchun accompanied her out.

The three of them, each with their own maid, walked along the corridors and around the trees, admiring the lanterns hanging everywhere in the Jia Mansion Garden. However, the lanterns lit today were far less gorgeous than when they were lit at night.

Between Baochai and Tanchun, Miss Xia seems to be closer to Tanchun. She speaks to her in a very affectionate way, often talking about leisurely topics and asking about anecdotes in the Jia Mansion.

After the three of them walked for a while, Miss Xia suddenly asked, "Sister Tanchun, which part of the house has the most exquisite lanterns?"

Tanchun smiled and said, "The old lady in the family lives in Rongqing Hall. She likes lively and colorful things the most. Naturally, the lanterns in Rongqing Hall are the most exquisite."

The Xia family girl's eyes turned slightly, and she smiled and said, "I see. Since we are here to enjoy the palace lanterns, why don't we go directly to the Rongqing Hall so that we can see the best ones faster? Wouldn't that be more convenient?"

After hearing this, Tanchun naturally agreed and led the way, taking her towards Rongqing Hall.

……

Since the eighth day of the first lunar month, every evening, Tanchun often took Jia Cong and his sisters to appreciate the lanterns in the mansion. Under the lights, they composed sentences and guessed riddles. Naturally, they knew best which lanterns were the most beautiful.

Compared to Tanchun's indifference, Baochai, who was following beside her, suddenly felt uncomfortable when looking at the beautiful girl from the Xia family. She always felt that something was wrong, but she couldn't tell the reason.

The three of them walked through a corridor and onto a covered bridge that spanned the waterside pavilion. They saw several people walking out of the rockery entrance not far away.

The two people walking in front were middle-aged men, dressed in luxurious clothes and moving in a calm and cautious manner. Following behind them were two young men in their prime.

The covered bridge on the water pavilion protrudes high above the water surface and is much higher than the ground, so you can clearly see several people walking by not far away.

The girl from the Xia family just glanced at the two middle-aged men in front of her, and her eyes turned to the two young men walking behind them.

One of the young men was wearing bright and gorgeous clothes, which made him very eye-catching. He wore a purple gold crown with gold gems on his head, a golden headband with a pattern of two dragons fighting for a pearl, red and gold arrow-shaped sleeves, and small court boots with a green satin and pink base.

She has a round face and handsome features. Although she looks a little feminine, she is still a good-looking person.

The other boy was taller and his clothes were simpler and neater.

He was wearing a perfectly fitted moon-white round-necked robe with a silver bamboo pattern. The cuffs and chest of the robe were embroidered with elegant and delicate round flowers. The craftsmanship was exquisite and delicate.

The young man had his full black hair tied up in a bun, which was only pinned with a moist white jade hairpin. Although he was not as gorgeous and rich as the young man next to him with a golden crown and headband, he exuded an aura of transcendence that was heart-stirring.

Because he had his back to this side, Miss Xia could not see his face. She only felt that his shoulders were as sharp as a knife, his waist was strong and sturdy, his steps were steady, and his sleeves were lightly rolled up, like a handsome jade tree in the wind.

Just from the back, the graceful figure is far superior to that of the young man in luxurious clothes. (End of this chapter)