Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Ningrong Street, Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

After listening to Ping'er's words, Jia Cong roughly guessed what the matter was, as it involved Yuanchun and happened once every three years.

He asked, "What Sister Ping'er said is related to my elder sister. Is it the selection of concubines and the appointment of concubines in the palace every three years?"

Ping Erh replied, "Third Master, you are right. It is this matter. The old lady let the eldest daughter enter the palace in the hope that she could gain the emperor's favor and add another foundation to the Jia family.

The second wife attached great importance to this matter. Since the eldest girl entered the palace, every three years, the second wife would spend money to manage various places in the palace, hoping to find a future for the eldest girl.

Every year, silver is spent from the public treasury for this purpose, but in previous years the amount was only three thousand taels, of which one thousand taels was given to the eldest girl for her own use, to purchase daily necessities or to reward others.

It has been four three-year periods since the year the eldest girl entered the palace, but she has spent a lot of favors and money in the previous few times, but to no avail.

The amount of money spent this year is a bit large. I guess it’s because the eldest daughter is getting older, and the second wife is a bit worried…”

……

After listening to Ping'er's words, Jia Cong couldn't help but frown. He had been to the palace to meet and talk with Yuanchun, and they had a tacit understanding with each other.

This eldest sister in the family is an outstanding woman with outstanding appearance, inner beauty and wisdom.

Although she and Baoyu are siblings, they are two people who are worlds apart.

Although Baoyu is a man, he has no sense of responsibility and only knows how to wander around the inner house.

Although Yuanchun was a girl, she entered the palace at a very young age and carried the burden of protecting the Jia family's wealth and prosperity, which made Jia Cong feel a lot of emotion and pity.

In the past few years, Jia Cong entered the palace and lived with Yuanchun twice. Although Yuanchun did not say it explicitly, from her words, Jia Cong could clearly feel Yuanchun's helplessness and disgust about being trapped in the palace.

She just suppressed her feelings and endured the long years in the palace in order to fulfill her family responsibilities.

In Jia Cong's view, Yuanchun is beautiful, intelligent, and of noble birth, and has all the qualities a woman needs to win the emperor's favor.

However, under normal circumstances, even if the Jia family filled the palace with mountains of gold and silver, they would probably not be able to get what they wanted.

This is because, since Emperor Jiazhao ascended the throne, he has implicitly stood in opposition to the Four Kings and Eight Dukes, and has done his utmost to suppress and weaken these old heroes who relied on the late emperor.

How could he allow Yuanchun, a legitimate daughter of Rongguo Mansion, to climb to the high position of concubine in the harem and strengthen the power of the four kings and eight dukes and other old heroes?

The best proof of this is that Yuanchun has been in the palace for nine years but is still neglected and idle, and has achieved nothing.

Even in her previous life, Yuanchun was suddenly promoted to the virtuous concubine without any warning after wasting years in the palace. There have always been different opinions about the reason.

However, not long after Yuanchun was canonized as a concubine, she suddenly died in the palace. With Yuanchun's death, the east and west mansions of the Jia family also collapsed in an instant.

Without conclusive and clear evidence, Jia Cong would not make ridiculous speculations.

But one thing is very clear: Yuanchun's favor and title as a concubine in the future only gave the Jia family a brief illusion of prosperity, but ultimately became the cause of the Jia family's downfall.

……

It’s not that Jia Cong was reluctant to part with four thousand taels of silver, but the purpose of using the money was really disgusting.

Mrs. Wang was demoted from the legitimate wife to a side branch of the second house, and she was unwilling to accept this. She wanted to make a desperate attempt and sell her own daughter in order to gain wealth and status.

Not to mention that such an approach completely went against Yuanchun's original intention.

Now that Jia Cong has inherited the hereditary title of Rongguo, he is the head of Rongguo Mansion. All external affairs of Rongguo Mansion are closely related to him.

The Rongguo Mansion took out silver from the public to help Yuanchun get promoted to a higher position in the harem. To outsiders, this must have been something that the head of the family would have approved of.

With the omnipresent capabilities of the Imperial Chariot Division, such matters could never be hidden from the emperor's eyes and ears.

Back then, when he was still a scholar, he was granted an official position by the emperor. Later, he was awarded a title after a battle. Now he is even awarded the honor of having two titles in one.

Even though Emperor Jiazhao had his own interests and plans in mind when doing this, it was a real favor to himself.

He has already enjoyed such wealth and honor, so how could he still be greedy and allocate money to bribe the concubines in the harem, intending to gain the emperor's favor for the girl of the Jia family and seduce the king...

Given Emperor Jia Zhao's suspicious nature, could it be that he couldn't see through the Jia family's tricks?

The Jia family was originally in decline and had no talented people to support the family. Emperor Jia Zhao might have disdained such despicable behavior.

But now he is famous, inheriting both the East and West Palaces, and attracting worldwide attention.

If you do this again, you will certainly go against the holy will, and you will be showing off your skills before an expert and will end up getting burned.

Therefore, regardless of public or private reasons, this money cannot leave the Rongguo Mansion's public treasury...

……

When Ping'er saw Jia Cong frowning and thinking, she guessed that he had some doubts about the matter, so she didn't disturb him and just waited quietly by the side.

Jia Cong said, "Sister Ping'er, my elder sister was selected to be a female historian in the palace because of her virtue, filial piety, talent and morality. She is not a concubine, nor a palace maid.

As usual, she is not among those selected by His Majesty to fill the harem. It is a bit futile for the Jia family to spend this much money every three years."

Ping'er said, "Third Master is right. The eldest daughter entered the palace to be a female official and was not among the candidates for the imperial selection. However, because there was a precedent of a female official being favored and made a concubine, this idea was entertained in previous years."

Jia Cong said: "My elder sister entered the palace at a young age and was away from her relatives in order to keep her family rich and prosperous. It was not easy.

Now she has wasted nine years in the palace. Whether she will continue to live like this for the rest of her life depends on whether she wants to or not. It is not for us to decide on our own.

Now that I have inherited Spyker, I have set up my own household and want to protect the family business. Naturally, it is my job as a man to work hard.

There is no reason to let a girl waste her youth, leave home and betray her parents, and exchange her life and marriage for wealth.

Tell my second sister-in-law that this matter is not appropriate. The money cannot be taken from the father for the time being. If the wife asks about it, just say it was my idea. I will explain the reason to the master. "

When Ping'er heard his words, her heart was beating fast and she felt dizzy. Her pretty face flushed and her eyes sparkled.

All he was thinking about was what had happened in the mansion over the years. The old lady and the mistress only wanted to exchange the eldest girl's youth and beauty for the Jia family's wealth and glory. Even the master didn't say much.

The man in the family is as ambitious as the third master. A man should take wealth and glory for himself, and he is not willing to let the eldest girl spend her whole life to exchange it.

I feel that my life is not at a loss if I can be with a man like this...

But Ping'er was a little worried. Wang Xifeng betrothing her to Jia Cong was her proudest thing. Although they had not entered the room yet, she already regarded Jia Cong as her lifelong lover.

Naturally, I don't want him to suffer any harm or encounter any embarrassment.

She thought for a moment and said, "Third Master, Madam is using the old practice of previous years to explain this matter. I will tell Grandma what Third Master means, saying that the New Year's Eve expenses are too high and there is no money left in the public treasury for the time being.

Maybe the Madam has given up. If she still can't let it go, it won't be too late for the Third Master to speak up.

This will also save the Third Master from having to show up too early, and the Madam from going to the Old Madam again, which would cause trouble for the whole family and create unnecessary complications, which would be bad indeed. "

……

In fact, Jia Cong was not worried that Mrs. Wang would cause trouble. Now that he was the head of the Rongguo Zhengsu family, he had the ability and foundation to maintain the family business of the East and West Mansions without relying on the help of others to maintain his wealth.

Mrs. Wang's second branch is now a side branch. It makes no sense to use the public money to compete for the wealth of her second branch. It is totally untenable in terms of clan law.

However, Ping'er was only thinking about herself, so Jia Cong naturally would not reject her good intentions.

He smiled and said, "Sister Ping'er is really thoughtful. I'll do as you wish."

After Ping'er left, Jia Cong thought for a while, wrote a short message, and put it in an envelope.

She said, "Zhi Shao, please tell my second sister to prepare a New Year gift for me. It doesn't have to be expensive, just something ordinary. I will send it to my eldest sister through the palace gate tomorrow along with the letter."

……

Rongguo Mansion, Fengjie's Courtyard.

Under the south window of the main room, there was a warm kang covered with red felt strips. Sister Feng was sitting on the kang, her back resting on a brocade backrest, and she was talking to Wu'er about miscellaneous matters in the mansion.

Ping'er came in and repeated what Jia Cong had just said. Wu'er, who was standing beside her, smiled brightly after hearing it.

Wang Xifeng's eyes lit up when she heard this, and she said, "Brother Cong is very sensible. No wonder Brother Cong has made such a big splash outside, this is what a man should look like when he is the head of a family!"

After the old man passed away, the eldest and second masters of the family inherited the family business respectively.

The old man was the most outstanding figure in the Jia family. With his own military exploits, he managed to keep his ancestors' titles from being downgraded, and thus the Rongguo Mansion became an additional Duke.

The master of Ningguo Mansion was inferior to this one, and he was only demoted to the rank of a first-class general.

But when it came to the eldest master and the second master, they were not as capable as the great master, so the old lady thought of letting the eldest sister enter the palace to give the Jia family a chance.

Although I have never seen what the old man looked like, I had often heard of his deeds before he got married. Among so many young men in the Jia family, it is the Cong brothers who are most capable and have the demeanor of the old man.

Now that he has inherited the family business, his ability is enough to keep the family rich and prosperous, so naturally his elder sister doesn't need to suffer in the palace anymore.

Speaking of the eldest sister, she is quite pitiful. Although I have never seen her, I heard that she is of first-class appearance and is extremely loved by the old lady.

The old lady brought her up with her since she was a child. She spoiled Lin Daiyu the same way she spoiled her mother in the past.

If she had not entered the palace early, she would have found a good husband like Lin Daiyu's mother, and married off with a luxurious feast and a grand wedding.

Now she has grown old in the palace. Even if she leaves the palace in the future, it will be difficult for her to get married. It is really a sin. "

Ping'er smiled and said, "Madam, you don't have to think so. When the eldest daughter really returns home in the future, with the Jia family's status and the Third Master's reputation, it will definitely be possible to find a good home for her."

Wang Xifeng said: "It's too early to say this now, although my third brother and I think the same thing, there is no need for my eldest sister to fight for the family's future and wealth.

But the wife didn't think so. Ever since the second wife moved into the east courtyard, the wife's heart knot has grown deeper.

She must be relying entirely on this daughter now, and must use all means to make the elder sister gain the emperor's favor in the palace so that the second wife can regain her status.

Therefore, it is not so easy to get away with these four thousand taels of silver. If the old lady is involved, there may be several quarrels in the family.

For now, I can only use the excuse that I don’t have enough money in my bank account…”

……

The palace city of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the Fengzao Palace, and the courtyard of the female historian's residence.

This courtyard is close to Fengzao Palace and is located in a secluded area. There is only one main house in the courtyard, which is where Yuanchun handles palace affairs. There are two side rooms next to it, which are the living quarters of Yuanchun and Baoqin.

There were several piles of official documents on the desk in the main room. Yuanchun was sitting there reading the palace documents, and occasionally taking notes with a brush.

Although it was late winter and the weather was still bitterly cold, Baoqin had lit two incense burners in the main room, using the finest red peat bestowed by the Empress, which made the entire room as warm as spring.

Yuanchun wore a red silk gown with a closed collar and a front, and wide sleeves, and a plain pleated skirt. She did not wear a female hat on her head, and her long hair was simply tied into a bun, with a phoenix hairpin inlaid with kingfisher feathers and blue thread inserted in it.

The sunlight shone in through the window lattice and reflected on her, making her skin look more like cream, her pretty face look flushed, her eyes as soft as water apricots, her lips as red as cinnabar, and her brows contained an elegant scholarly air like orchid.

She annotated several palace documents and suddenly became absent-minded. She put down her brush with a dull look, thinking of the message her mother had sent to the palace yesterday.

The message was from my uncle Wang Ziteng, who found a palace servant he knew and paid some silver to have the message passed to me.

His uncle was the governor of the Beijing camp, so these little tricks were naturally easy for him to handle.

However, Yuanchun felt depressed when she received the message from her mother.

The message simply said: This year is a year of good fortune, her family is deeply concerned about her, and they pray for her all the time, allowing her to concentrate on her work and not let the emperor down.

But no one knows a mother better than her daughter. What her mother meant by a lucky year was that this year was the three-year waiting period. Praying and making plans for her was nothing more than spending money to find connections for her, just like in previous years...

In this message, Yuanchun could hear her mother's burning expectations, which made her feel very uncomfortable.

……

Yuanchun was selected to enter the palace as a female historian because of her virtue, filial piety, talent and morality. Jia Mu and others felt that it was a very honorable and respectable thing, and even dreamed of becoming a royal relative.

They would never have imagined that their precious eldest granddaughter was living in such a lonely and cold courtyard in the palace, with only a servant who played a zither by her side.

In the eyes of the Jia family, a female historian in the palace is a very respectable person. In fact, she is just an inconspicuous female official in the palace.

In the palace, there are many women like Yuanchun, who waste their youth year after year, and finally end up leaving the palace when they are old, with no one caring about them and living a life of embarrassment.

In fact, Yuanchun's life in the palace in recent years has been much better than in previous years.

As Jia Cong performed well in the imperial examinations, made many achievements, was promoted to higher positions and given titles, and was increasingly valued by Emperor Jiazhao, Yuanchun's status in the palace also rose.

As the mistress of the six palaces, it is her duty to win over ministers for the emperor. Therefore, Yuanchun, as a female historian in Fengzao Palace, has been highly valued by the empress in the past two years.

During every festival, Yuanchun would receive many rewards from the Queen. Although they were not valuable, they made Yuanchun more and more famous in the palace and no one dared to underestimate her.

On New Year's Eve last year, the retired emperor and the empress dowager, as usual, rewarded the concubines and female officials of high rank in the palace. Yuanchun also received additional rewards from two noble ladies, which could be regarded as an extension of favor for Jia Cong's marriage.

Although Yuanchun was in the deep palace, she was cut off from all news and could not see her family.

But as her status in the palace changed, she deeply felt how outstanding her cousin was, and how he could make all the nobles in the palace look at her differently.

……

She had just entered the palace when she was 18. Although she came from a prominent family, it was difficult to turn back once she entered the palace. Her every word and action, every moment and every matter, was like walking on thin ice, and she had to control herself and walk on her own.

The hardships and confusions involved were definitely not what Lady Jia and Lady Wang imagined as the dignified and glorious life of a palace lady.

For so many years, she has always felt that she was struggling and stumbling. In the dead of night, she would often wet her pillow with tears because of her confusion and helplessness.

It was not until Jia Cong rose to prominence in the Jia family, became both a civil and military talent, and became a dazzling figure, and won the emperor's favor, that she, a girl from the Jia family who had been abandoned in the palace for a long time, found support overnight.

Although she and Jia Cong had only met twice in the palace and talked for less than an hour, Yuanchun remembered every word and action during that time.

Although this cousin is not seen often, he has brought her so many surprises and has now become a source of peace and comfort for her.

However, no matter how capable her younger brother Cong is, he is unlikely to be able to stop his mother's plan, and this matter also requires the planning and assistance of her uncle Wang Ziteng.

Because it was he who managed to convey his mother's message to the palace...

……

Just as Yuanchun was feeling a little depressed and uneasy, she suddenly heard hurried footsteps coming from outside the door.

She walked to the door of the main house and saw a maid carrying a zither and two eunuchs, carrying a box into the yard.

One of them was the eunuch Xiao Fuzi, who often served Jia Cong. When Jia Cong first entered the palace, Xiao Fuzi served him.

Baoqin smiled sweetly, her face becoming even prettier, and said, "Young lady, today the Third Master asked the eunuch Yuan on duty at Qianyang Palace to speak up for you, and he sent you a box of New Year gifts and a letter.

It’s been more than half a year since we last met in the palace. Fortunately, he still remembered his cousin, the young lady, and even asked someone to send a New Year gift in.”

Yuanchun had just been feeling depressed and upset because of her mother's plan, but when she heard Jia Cong bringing in the New Year gifts, her mood suddenly brightened.

She was in a good mood and joked with Baoqin: "Brother Cong gave me a New Year gift, how come you are happier than me."

Baoqin's pretty face flushed when Yuanchun revealed her true feelings. She suddenly remembered the year in the palace when she took off her clothes and put on a dragon robe for Jia Cong. She couldn't help but feel a little sad.

Yuanchun asked two eunuchs to carry the box into the main house, and asked Baoqin to give some small change as a reward.

Yuanchun opened the box only after Baoqin escorted the people out of the courtyard.

The New Year gifts inside were all things we need in daily life.

Top-quality rouge and powder, exquisite Suzhou embroidery silk, colorful embroidered hand towels, sandalwood folding fans, Suzhou and Hangzhou paper umbrellas, as well as Xinchun's perfume, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes and other novelties.

Yuanchun was a smart person. Jia Cong asked Yuan Jing, who was on duty at Qianyang Palace, to deliver the box of New Year gifts to the palace. He did not intend to hide it from Emperor Jiazhao. There must be a deeper meaning behind it...

But Yuanchun's mind was not on this thought, nor on the box full of dazzling gifts. Her attention was on the letter written by Jia Cong in the box.

She picked up the letter anxiously, opened the envelope, unfolded the letter, and after just one glance, she felt her heart tremble, and her eyes instantly turned red... (End of this chapter)