Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Shenjing, Qingyufang, Xia Mansion.

Although the Guihua Xia family was a wealthy family and their mansion was spacious and magnificent with many doors and gates, they did not hold any official title and did not dare to exceed the rules.

In the main hall of the inner courtyard, Mrs. Xia gently blew away the tea foam on the teacup and listened to the reply from the housekeeper.

The old woman said, "Madam, I have followed your instructions and sent all kinds of precious fresh flowers and exquisite gifts to the palaces of princes and nobles this spring. The princesses and wives of all the families have sent their regards to you.

We had already sent gifts to Eunuch Xia in the palace as per the usual practice, but we only became friends with Eunuch Xia two years ago when the young lady wanted to enter the palace to be selected.

Now that Madam is reluctant to let Young Miss go to that place, and we no longer need Eunuch Xia's authority, do we still need to spend money on the annual reward gifts?"

Mrs. Xia took a sip of the fragrant tea and asked, "Although we don't need the authority of Eunuch Xia, our family is doing royal business, so it's always a good idea to have more eyes and more channels in the palace.

Besides, we have nothing to ask Eunuch Xia for, and he dare not accept anything more. Giving this gift is a sign of respect, no matter how much it is. People who have been castrated value this the most, and they want to establish a good relationship with each other."

After hearing what Mrs. Xia said, the housekeeper looked very convinced and stopped talking.

……

Mrs. Xia asked again: "What do the nobles of each family have to say, and what are their shapes?"

The housekeeper replied, “Madam, the old Concubine Dowager Nan’an received the gift and she particularly liked the two Eighteen Scholars Camellias that Madam selected.

The old concubine said that these eighteen scholars were very rare. She had only seen them a few times in the imperial garden when she came to the palace to pay homage the year before last. This was also her first time seeing them outside. She was very grateful for the lady's kindness.
Princess Beijing was very polite when she received the gifts. She gave gifts in return, two pieces of top-quality Korean snow ginseng to her wife and two pieces of top-quality tribute satin to her young lady.

She selected most of the various precious flowers we sent and sent them to the imperial mausoleum on the outskirts of the city. The princess said that her sister was in the imperial mausoleum to mourn for Old Madam Zhen.

It is said that Miss Zhen San grew up in the palace and was the favorite of the old Concubine Zhen. Even the current emperor values ​​her very much. She likes fresh flowers the most, so Princess Beijing sent them to her."

Mrs. Xia was slightly startled and asked, "Did this Miss Zhen San marry Earl Weiyuan of the Jia family?"

The housekeeper replied, "It was this girl. The marriage was cancelled because Weiyuan Bo had to observe filial piety for three years due to the death of his father.

But outsiders say that although the marriage between the two did not take place, Earl Weiyuan took good care of Miss Zhen San and often sent gifts to the Imperial Mausoleum, seeming to care about her very much. "

Mrs. Xia smiled and said, "Although the marriage between this girl and Earl Weiyuan did not take place, she has indeed established a relationship with the Jia family. Now the young lady is discussing marriage with the Xue family, who are relatives of the Jia family. There is a relationship involved.

This kind of favor has to be done. The precious flowers we sent are delicate things and ordinary people cannot serve them.

You pick a reliable gardener and have him go to the Imperial Mausoleum Garden to take care of the flowers and plants the next day, so that Miss Zhen San will be satisfied. Once the news spreads, Earl Weiyuan of the Jia family will be more or less grateful."

……

Mrs. Xia asked again, "The gifts from Prince Zhao's mansion have been delivered. Does the princess have anything to say?"

The housekeeper replied, "I went there to deliver the gifts, but I didn't see Princess Zhao. She fell seriously ill a few years ago. Although she was treated by the imperial physicians at the Imperial Hospital, her condition was intermittent and she never recovered.

This time it was the princess' personal nanny who came out to meet her. She just said the princess' words of thanks, and that was all."

Mrs. Xia was surprised and asked, "Princess Zhao is in her twenties, which is the age when her blood and energy are strong. She has always been in good health. How come she got seriously ill for no reason and hasn't recovered for several months?"

The housekeeper replied, "I heard a rumor outside that Princess Zhao's brother is an official in Jinling. Although they are not brothers from the same father, they grew up together and have a very close relationship.

In early winter last year, a major Wei Army case was cracked in Jinling. Princess Zhao's brother was implicated in the case and was identified as a wanted criminal. He also died a violent death. It is said that the princess fell ill due to excessive grief.

The Prince of Zhao's palace was also implicated, and rumors spread that many of Prince Zhao's disciples and arrangements were implicated.

Nowadays, the Zhao Palace is basically closed to visitors. If it weren’t for the business between the palace and our Xia family, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to enter the palace to give gifts this time.”

After hearing this, Mrs. Xia thought for a moment and said, "You can prepare some high-quality nourishing herbs and send them to Prince Zhao's mansion for the princess to use. This will be a gesture of ours.

Over the years, we have been left as an orphan and a widow. Without a man to support them, the Xia family had already fallen into decline long ago.

But these years have not only not gone bankrupt, but have become even richer than before. In the final analysis, this is all because of the friendships the master had made with these old people during his lifetime.

Over the years, they have invested money in our Xia family's business. Although they have made a lot of profit, the remaining money is enough for the family to live on and save, which is a great blessing.

Therefore, these and other nobles must be courteous and considerate on a daily basis, and must not be negligent in the slightest. This is all we, mother and daughter, can rely on…”

……

The old woman continued, "I sent a gift to Prince Ning's mansion, but I didn't see Princess Ning in person. The palace maid came out to receive me, but because the prince and princess were not at home, she didn't dare to accept the gift rashly.

Today, the shopkeeper of the East City Shop sent a message that Grandpa Du, the cousin of Princess Ning, wanted to withdraw the 50,000 taels of gold he had deposited in the shop, but the contract between the two parties has not expired, so the shopkeeper asked Madam to make the decision.

Mrs. Xia looked surprised and said, "Du Jizong took a considerable amount of dividends at the end of last year. Because he is a relative of Prince Ning, we gave him an extra half. How could he be willing to take the money away?"

The housekeeper replied, "The shopkeeper of the East City shop also asked someone to find out the truth. He said that Du Jizong used the name of the Prince's Mansion to invest in our family and make money, but Prince Ning was not aware of it.

Recently, the Zhao Palace was implicated because of the incident involving the Zhao Wangfei's brother, and the Ning Wang became alert. He happened to know about Du Jizong's incident, and was afraid that he would ruin his reputation, so he asked Du Jizong to withdraw his shares. "

Mrs. Xia sneered: "He does cherish his reputation and doesn't want to leave any room for gossip, but what's the point of being so careful about his reputation?

The Prince of Zhao has made great contributions, is highly capable, and has a great reputation. Even if he is implicated in the affairs of the princess, it will be over. No matter how much the Prince of Ning improves his reputation, it will not matter.

The nobles and dukes of the capital had various ways of getting money, such as by using the methods of imperial merchants and civilian merchants, investing money to make a profit, and laundering the silver. These were all common things in the market, so he was making a fuss out of nothing.

The housekeeper said, "A few days ago, Madam asked me to prepare the dowry for the young lady. I have almost finished looking for it these past few days. All the items are the best in Shenjing.

In two days I will be able to produce a proper dowry list, and when Madam has reviewed it, we can start preparing for it."

When Mrs. Xia heard this, she thought of her precious daughter and felt a headache coming on.

She became a little absent-minded for a moment, and gave a few instructions to the housekeeper, who sent her out to do something. Then she left the main room and went to her daughter's boudoir.

……

As Mrs. Xia reached the door of her daughter's boudoir, she heard a noisy voice inside. She recognized it as the voice of Baochan, her daughter's personal maid.

But Baochan said, "Miss, I took your money and asked the servants in the outer courtyard to inquire. Weiyuan Hou himself broke off the marriage arranged by the Zhen family, and I have not heard of any other romantic entanglements.

Now he is in mourning for his father and is at home. He usually studies at home and never goes to brothels. He is a very well-behaved person.

People are saying that Weiyuan Bo Chunmo will take part in the spring imperial examination, and he was originally a Jieyuan Gong, so if he takes part this time, he will definitely become a Jinshi Gong.

Moreover, everyone said that he was extremely knowledgeable and might even become the top scorer in the imperial examination.

Girl, you said there are such people in this world. I saw him that day. He was so handsome. He was granted the title at such a young age and he even had the ability to get his name on the imperial examination.

He actually has all the good things in this world.

That day, I was really surprised when I followed the young lady to find that all the young men in the Jia family were outstanding.

Not only is Weiyuan Bo handsome, but Baoyu is also very handsome, and seems to be very gentle and cheerful, like a man who is good to women... "

I only heard Miss Xia say with some disdain: "You little bitch, how do you know what is handsome and what is good-looking.

Although Baoyu is handsome, he is effeminate and I don’t know if he is useful… Jia Cong is different. He is good at writing poetry and martial arts. He is so elegant and graceful that Baoyu can’t even catch up with him on horseback. He is only fit to be the mud under his feet!”

Baochan was confused after hearing this. How could there be such a happy and well-behaved piece of mud in this world...

Mrs. Xia at the door couldn't help but frown when she heard her daughter's arrogant words. Her daughter was outstanding in appearance and well-mannered, and she looked like a lady from a noble family in front of others.

But behind her back, she is always sarcastic and domineering. It would be fine if she was the eldest daughter in her own family, but if she became someone else's wife, I'm afraid she would cause trouble.

Mrs. Xia was about to enter the house when she heard Baochan say, "Miss, you are not attracted to that Jia Cong, are you?"

Miss Xia snorted and said rather arrogantly: "I just like him, so what? It's not his looks or his wealth that are worthy of him!"

Baochan said, "Last time, the young lady went to the Jia Mansion to meet the eldest son Xue. How could she have ended up with Jia Cong? If the lady knew, she would definitely not approve."

……

Baochan was talking when she heard a cough at the door. Mrs. Xia came into the boudoir with an uneasy look on her face and said, "Baochan, go out first. We have something to talk about."

When Baochan left the room, Mrs. Xia said with an unhappy look on her face, "I heard that when I came back from Jia's house that day and asked you about the marriage with the Xue family, you were hesitant and prevaricating.

There is still no definite news until now. It turns out that when she saw Jia Cong in the Jia Mansion, she became indecisive. How could a girl act so absurdly? What would it look like if outsiders heard it?

Is what Baochan said just now true? Are you really attracted to Jia Cong?"

Although Miss Xia was a bit aggressive, she was still a girl after all. After hearing what her mother said, her face turned red with embarrassment.

But her words were not ambiguous at all, and she was still bold and aggressive: "Mother, you can't blame me for this. You asked me to go to the Jia Mansion to see it, and it was you who promised to let me go to the Jia Mansion to see the lanterns. It was not me who caused it.

Besides, you haven't seen Jia Cong. If a woman sees his appearance, she will never choose that fool Xue!"

Mrs. Xia scolded, "You have such a rotten mouth, what indecent things are you saying? The Xue family and our Xia family are well matched, and Mr. Xue is also handsome, how come you have become such a fool.

Don't get confused. There are so many good things in this world, but there are many different kinds of people. You can't expect all the good things to be yours.

Although our Xia family is rich, that is only respectable in front of the poor. In front of the noble families, the wealth of the Xia family is not even worth looking at.

In the past few years, you have reached the age of marriage and have high standards. You are neither high nor low, and you have no good place to settle down. Now you have finally found a marriage partner in the Xue family.

Their family and my Xia family are both imperial merchants, and neither of them holds official titles, so they are a perfect match. What's more important is that the Xue family has the Jia family as a relative, which gives them an advantage that others don't have.

The eldest son Xue is also handsome, and Mrs. Xue has a kind personality. She will definitely be an easy-to-get-along-with mother-in-law in the future.

My dear daughter, such a marriage is hard to find even with a lantern. If you miss this opportunity, you will never find it again. Don’t get confused and lose your mind if you fall in love with Jia Cong.”

Miss Xia said: Mother, I'm not being unreasonable. When Xue Pan came in to toast me that day, his eyes almost fell out when he looked at me.

His filthy, perverted look must have come from frequenting brothels. It's disgusting to look at. Even if I can't get married, I'd rather not marry this perverted fool!"

Mrs. Xia frowned and said, "Even if a man from a wealthy family is a little lustful, it's not a big deal. He will restrain himself after getting married. Everyone in the world has been like this, so it's not a big deal."

Miss Xia still did not give up and said, "Mother, since you said the Xue family is so good, then the Jia family is even better.

It's not that my daughter is being unreasonable. Anyone who has seen Jia Cong's appearance can see that he is far better than Xue Pan. Why not choose a good one and choose an ugly one instead? "

Mrs. Xia said helplessly, "Girl, even if you were attracted to the young master of the Jia family, it would be fine, but you just fell in love with this one.

Not to mention that the Jia family is a family of dukes, our Xia family is not worthy of them.

But Jia Cong was even more extraordinary. He was so famous at such a young age. Not only was he granted a title, he was also an official. Even his marriage was arranged by the palace.

He has a great status and a high position. It won't be difficult for him to marry a princess or county lady in the future. Why would he fall in love with the daughter of a family like us?

Since you don't like Master Xue, let's put this matter on hold for now. I'll help you find other families you like. As for Jia Cong, that's out of the question. You're just asking for trouble with your delusional thoughts."

Mrs. Xia sighed when she saw her daughter's face turn pale. She knew her daughter best. Because the Xia family was rich and they had only one daughter, she had been spoiled since she was young and had everything she wanted.

My daughter has been stubborn and strong-willed since she was young. If there is something she wants, she will not give up until she gets it, even if she cries, makes a scene, begs and persuades.

When she was just a little girl, it was harmless for her to act like a spoiled child like this. But now that she is getting married, she is acting like this too. How disgraceful.

Besides, Jia Cong holds a high position and is out of reach for the Xia family. His daughter's wishful thinking is futile. Only harsh words can make him give up.

Mrs. Xia saw that her daughter looked unhappy and was sitting there sulking, so she did not try to comfort her. She just waited for her to think things through on her own and let the matter go.

……

Mrs. Xia walked out of the room and saw the maid Baochan standing at the door with her head huddled. She wondered if she had eavesdropped.

Thinking of her daughter's confused thoughts, Mrs. Xia said unhappily, "You should serve the young lady well and don't say those nonsense to provoke her. Let me know that you are careful!"

Baochan was startled when she heard this and agreed cautiously.

Mrs. Xia had not walked far when she heard the sound of things being smashed in her daughter's room.

Mrs. Xia's face twitched slightly, she sighed, and could only pretend not to hear.

As Mrs. Xia walked, she was thinking about how to deal with Mrs. Xue. The Xia family was invited to look for a marriage, and she had to give an explanation whether it was successful or not.

If we just keep silent about it, not only would it be impolite, but we would also offend the Xue family. If we offend the Xue family, we would also offend the Jia family. It would turn a good thing into a disaster, which would not be worth it.

Mrs. Xia thought about it over and over again, but she couldn't care less about her daughter getting angry and tearing down the house.

After all, she was the wife of an imperial merchant. She had supported the family business alone after her husband's death. She was good at dealing with interests and managing personal relationships. After just thinking for a while, she had an idea in her mind.

That day, the mother and daughter went to visit each other at the Xue family. Mrs. Jia, who accompanied them, was a kind person and seemed to like her daughter. Besides, she and Mrs. Xue were sisters, so there was no need to be taboo in their words.

It would be better to go to her house with gifts in person, tell her the twists and turns of the matter, and ask Mrs. Jia to convey the message to her sister in a tactful way, and then prepare backup gifts to pay tribute to Mrs. Xue.

In this way, the Xue family won't lose face, the Xia family can get along better, and they can also rely on the favor of Mrs. Jia, so they can get along well with each other, and it will be an additional network in the capital in the future...

……

In Miss Xia's boudoir, Baochan was cleaning up the broken vases and saucers on the floor.

She was used to doing this. As long as the young lady felt uncomfortable, she would do anything in the room that could be moved or smashed. Anyway, the Xia family was rich and didn't care about these few copper coins.

Ever since Baochan followed Miss Xia, she didn't dare to learn Miss Xia's domineering and fierceness, but she learned all of her cunning minds, and always acted well and flattered in front of her mistress.

"Don't be angry, young lady. Madam is also thinking about you. Madam's words are reasonable. It's fine if the young master of the Jia family likes her, but that person is too ostentatious and it's a bit difficult to find a partner."

"Girl, just stop thinking about this man, lest you suffer. With your character and appearance, it would be hard to find a husband even with a lantern, and you're afraid you won't be able to find one."

"Even if the girl likes the Jia family, there are many people in Shenjing who have such an opportunity. Why should he be the only one who is proud of it..."

Miss Xia smashed all the things in the room and was lying on the bed sulking. When she heard Baochan's flattering words, she was suddenly touched and her eyes sparkled charmingly. (End of this chapter)