Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Earl's Mansion, Yingchun Courtyard.

Outside the courtyard, a clear stream meanders and a stone bridge appears. Although the reeds and polygonum flowers on the bank have turned yellow and withered after a severe winter, new green buds have sprouted in the sunny areas.

In the courtyard, there are three two-story embroidered buildings with red beams and painted buildings, white walls and black tiles, which are very unique and exquisite.

At the entrance to the central hall of the main house, there was a beaded curtain made of Qihai fragrant wood, the kang under the south window was covered with a bright red felt, and against the east wall there were cushions with chain-link brocade backrests and pillows, and a light pink satin cushion.

The afternoon sun shines into the main room, a pretty and graceful figure sways, a faint fragrance, dancing light and shadow, and laughter are heard, making the room seem full of vitality.

Yingchun and Daiyu were sitting opposite each other on the warm kang, drinking warm tea and chatting.

There was a chessboard on the marble round table in the middle of the main room. Shi Xiangyun was playing chess with Xing Xiuyan, and the chess pieces made crisp and pleasant sounds when they fell on the ground.

Among the sisters, Yingchun is the best at chess, followed by Daiyu, then Jia Cong, and Baochai only watches chess games but never plays them. Because there is Shi Xiangyun at the bottom, Jia Cong escapes the embarrassment of being a bad chess player.

An outgoing and straightforward person like Xiangyun would probably have fewer twists and turns in his mind, and would be more honest and straightforward in his chess play.

Every time she played chess with Yingchun, she lost more than she won. Even if she won a game occasionally, it was mostly because Yingchun let her win to please her.

Although Xiangyun is straightforward, she is not really stupid. After playing chess with her many times, she naturally keeps her distance from Yingchun.

Fortunately, Xing Xiuyan, who lived with her in Yingchun Courtyard, was an excellent opponent for her.

Xing Xiuyun learned to read and write with Miaoyu since she was a child, and also learned to play chess from Miaoyu. She has a very smart mind and is actually quite good at chess.

But she was born with a calm and indifferent personality, not caring at all about winning or losing. She was easy-going on the chessboard, taking a winding path and rarely making any aggressive moves.

She met Xiangyun, who was straightforward and courageous in her chess play. The combination of their strength and softness just happened to restrain each other. The two of them often won and lost half of the games, which made Xiangyun, who was defeated in front of Yingchun, very interesting.

Whenever Xiangyun had some quiet time on weekdays, she would usually play chess with Xing Xiuyan.

On the warm kang, Daiyu took a sip of warm tea and heard Shi Xiangyun's laughter. She actually won a game. Xing Xiuyun smiled and didn't care at all. The two of them packed up the chess pieces and started playing again.

Daiyu watched the two people who were enjoying themselves with great interest, and saw Yingchun sitting there in a daze, her eyes always looking towards the courtyard gate.

Asked: "Why is Second Sister so uneasy? Is it because of Third Brother's matter?"

Yingchun replied, “Just now, when the Madam and the Old Lady mentioned Sister Yuanchun, they must have mentioned the matter of the Duke withdrawing four thousand taels of silver, which has been denied by Brother Cong.

Madam attaches great importance to the future of the elder sister, so she must be unwilling to accept this. Xiu Ju just came back and said that the old lady asked Brother Cong to go to Rongqing Hall, and she must be involved in this matter. Brother Cong must be having a headache. "

Daiyu smiled and said, "Although the old lady is old, she is not really confused. Now the east and west mansions of the Jia family are supported by the third brother, not the eldest sister in the palace.

The old lady must be clear about such a simple truth. Besides, since the third brother moved to the West Mansion that year, he has encountered so many internal and external things, but have you ever seen the third brother suffer any loss?

Yingchun felt relieved after hearing Daiyu's words and said with a smile, "Sister, you are right. I was confused. He is no longer the ten-year-old boy in the East Courtyard.

Over the years, he has traveled extensively outside without any problems and has made great achievements. How could he be troubled by trivial matters at home?"

Daiyu smiled and said, "Second sister is not confused, she just cares too much about third brother and worries about everything for him. Third brother is really lucky to have a sister like you."

Yingchun was slightly stunned after hearing this, and then smiled and said, "Sister, you got it the other way around. I am really lucky to have a brother like Cong. Without him, I wouldn't be where I am today."

……

Daiyu smiled and said, "Since I entered the mansion when I was a child, I have heard several times that the family has given money to help my elder sister, but this year my third brother is against doing so.

Although my third brother has never told me about this, it is not difficult to guess the reason. Now my third brother is too prominent and attracts too much attention.

It's strange to think about it. How old is the third brother, but he actually wants to learn the method of keeping a low profile from Monk Qiongjun? Wouldn't it be ashamed for those who have wasted half their lives without achieving anything?

Second sister is really lucky to have such a brother, and it is not fake at all."

After hearing what Daiyu said, Yingchun could not help but smile. Her expression was bright and beautiful, and her eyes were full of pride.

Daiyu continued, “Although I have never met Sister Yuanchun, I have often heard my grandmother and my sisters talk about her, and they all say that she is an extremely outstanding person.

But it's a pity that she entered the palace when she was young and wasted her youth. Now she's over 20 years old, and her second aunt is still thinking about letting her... "

Yingchun said, "I spent a lot of time with my elder sister when we were young. She is indeed an outstanding person. If she had not entered the palace as a teenager, she would have been married by now."

Yingchun just sighed casually, but these words touched upon her heart...

Ever since Jia Cong was conferred the title of Rongguo by imperial decree, the story of him holding two titles resounded throughout the capital, making Yingchun, his biological sister, also known to the public.

During the Chinese New Year last year, many noble and elderly relatives came to visit and wished Jia's mother a happy new year, and expressed their intention to propose marriage to her. In fact, they all wanted to make friends with Jia Cong.

Grandmother Jia once enthusiastically discussed the engagement with Yingchun, but Yingchun always found an excuse to decline.

But among the sisters of the Jia family, except for the eldest sister Yuanchun, Yingchun is the eldest and has passed the age of marriage. Even if she refuses to get married, it can only be delayed for a year or two at most, and she will have to get married eventually.

She thought back to when she was in the West Mansion, her biological father and stepmother ignored her, as if she had never been a concubine's daughter. Although the old lady raised her by her side, she did not value her much among her sisters.

In the eyes of the servants, she was a living dead person, and the needle pierced her like a wooden man who didn't even cry out in pain.

Ever since Jia Cong moved from the East Courtyard to the West Mansion that year, he has been extremely close to and admiring his half-sister.

Although he studied in the academy all year round at that time, as long as he returned to the mansion, he would go to her room to talk and play chess with her regardless of other things.

Knowing that he liked chess, he often collected rare chess equipment and chess manuals and gave them to himself to please himself.

Yingchun's biological mother died young, and she grew up in loneliness and had never been treated like this before.

Her originally rigid and restrained heart began to soften and become aroused because of the appearance of her younger brother Jia Cong. Her body and mind seemed to be renewed. From then on, she regarded this younger brother as her only hope.

After Jia Cong was conferred the title and established a mansion, he brought her to the East Palace and made her the eldest daughter. Not only could she be the head of the East Palace, but she could also accompany her brothers and sisters every day without any worries.

Yingchun was intoxicated by such days and felt that she could never have enough of them. However, as soon as she got married, all the beautiful things would be gone from her and would never be able to stay with her again.

She will marry a stranger, live with him for the rest of her life, and face a completely unknown and terrifying future.

Her brother Cong will also leave her and will never stay by her side every day like he does now...

……

Daiyu saw Yingchun suddenly become stunned and her face turned pale, so she asked with concern, "Second sister, what's wrong with you? Why do you look a little unwell?"

Yingchun forced a smile and said, "I didn't sleep well last night, so I feel a little tired today. But I dare not make up for it during the day, so as not to be restless at night. I will feel better after a while."

As the two were talking, they heard footsteps coming from the yard. Yingchun noticed that the footsteps were not as light as those of her sisters, but had a hint of steadiness. Naturally, it was her younger brother Jia Cong.

The depressed mood that had just arisen in her seemed to be swept away in an instant. A bright smile appeared on her face. She involuntarily stood up from the warm kang to greet people...

As Jia Cong stepped into the main hall, Yingchun saw the light shining from the door and his clear and sunny face. Her heart couldn't help but relax and she felt inexplicably at peace.

She asked Xiuju to serve tea to Jia Cong and asked, "The old lady asked Brother Cong to go to Rongqing Hall. Was it to talk about the four thousand taels?"

Jia Cong replied: "Madam, you went to see the old lady specially. What else can you say except this? Before I left, I specially asked the master to go with me.

I have explained the pros and cons of this matter to Rongqing Hall, and the old lady and the master have agreed not to use money from the West Palace to handle this matter, so as to avoid suspicion and trouble from outsiders. "

Yingchun said: "Sister Lin is right. Brother Cong has already accomplished a lot and is attracting a lot of attention. It is always right to be cautious.

The Jia family has Cong brother to support them, so the family is stable enough. Why should the eldest sister, a woman, sacrifice her whole life for a little glory and wealth?

But I haven't seen my elder sister for many years. Brother Cong stopped this matter. I wonder what my elder sister thinks? "Jia Cong smiled and said, "Second sister, don't worry too much. I went to the palace twice to meet my elder sister, and I know her feelings. A few days ago, I sent a letter with New Year gifts to the palace, and I received her reply yesterday."

Jia Cong took out Yuanchun's handwritten reply from his bosom. Yingchun and Daiyu took it and read it. Yingchun sighed and said, "It's rare that elder sister and you have such a mutual understanding. Has brother Cong shown this letter to Madam?"

Jia Cong shook his head and said, "Originally, I brought this letter with me to show it to the master and mistress so that we can save ourselves some trouble.

But the lady is very obsessed with her elder sister's efforts to gain the emperor's favor and be selected, and she will never give up easily.

As long as she doesn't involve the Rongguo Mansion, I can't stop her from doing anything else...

Now that the government no longer pays for this matter, Madam will definitely not give up. I guess she will raise the money herself. After all, Madam comes from a prominent family and has some foundation.

I asked Yuanyang privately. In previous years, my wife had always been in charge of planning this matter at home. She must have had some connections.

Even if I showed her the letter from my elder sister, it would be of no use. With my wife's personality, she would definitely insist on having her own way!
Second sister, think about it, when your elder sister entered the palace, was there anyone who cared about what she was thinking? Was she willing to do so?

When the eldest sister returned home, she found out that the lady had read her reply and was still going to handle the matter, which became extremely embarrassing between mother and daughter.

My elder sister has been away from home for ten years. Why should she face such a heartbreaking situation when she comes back?

Madam has not read the letter, so the awkwardness between mother and daughter has been covered up, which is in the best interests of the elder sister."

Yingchun couldn't help but tremble slightly when she heard Jia Cong's careful considerations and prudent handling of matters, and how he had always been so attentive to his sisters at home in the past.

Said: "Brother Cong has thought it through. You and elder sister have only met a few times, but you are still thoughtful for her. It can be said that there is a connection between siblings."

Daiyu said, "Third brother, if Madam doesn't use the public treasury money and pays for this matter herself, don't you worry that she will really succeed? Wouldn't that backfire and go against my eldest sister's original intention?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "My elder sister has been in the palace for nine years. The Jia family has spent a lot of money and tricks, but nothing can be accomplished. Now that the emperor has repeatedly bestowed favors on me, this matter will become even more difficult to accomplish.

Besides, when I sent the New Year gift letter to my elder sister, I had already thought about it and prepared it. And my elder sister sent someone to send the letter out of the palace, which means she knew what I was thinking.

Let the wife do it herself, it will be in vain anyway…”

……

Rongguo Mansion, East Courtyard.

Mrs. Wang returned from the West Mansion filled with resentment. Thinking of Jia Cong's vicious words in Rongqing Hall, she cursed him in her heart. She sat alone in the room for a long time before she calmed down.

He thought that he must do whatever it takes to take care of his daughter Yuanchun's affairs. Once successful, he could get back at ease and the second branch would have a solid foundation from then on.

She thought for a moment, then went into the inner room to count her private money and calculate the expenses of this matter. She felt that four thousand taels was still a little bit stretched, and she couldn't help feeling helpless.

Mrs. Wang originally wanted to withdraw money from the public funds, not only to do as she did in previous years, but also to use the public funds for private purposes without the second house having to spend any money on its own.

There is something more important. As long as we can extract money from the public, we can use the name of Rongguo Mansion to do this matter, and many things will be more convenient to do.

Because of the power of the Rongguo Mansion, those people with whom they have connections have some concerns in their hearts and always have to leave a respectable way out. They will also be more restrained in their use of bribes, which can save a lot of money.

Mrs. Wang's original estimate of four thousand taels of silver was based on this.

In addition, with the kid from the East Mansion now being so powerful and valued by the emperor, if we use his name, things will surely go more smoothly.

Unfortunately, the evil creature raised by that whore was too cunning and sinister. He completely disregarded the family's reputation and cut off this path...

But today in Rongqing Hall, everyone has made it clear that the government will not pay for this matter, and the Jia family will not interfere in this matter with the outside world.

Although Mrs. Wang's selfish desires were hard to control, it was understandable for her to use her own money to manage the matter. However, no matter how bold she was, she would not dare to use the name of the Jia family to show off this matter.

Otherwise, if she openly disobeyed the wishes of Grandmother Jia and Jia Zheng, she would be violating the code of conduct for a woman; if she disobeyed the decision of the current head of the family, Jia Cong, she would be violating the clan law.
Once the incident happened, she would really have no place to stand in the Jia family. Even if her daughter became a noble lady in the palace, the glory and honor would not fall on her...

Although Mrs. Wang had some personal property, the Second House was now in such a state of decline that it would be difficult for her to take advantage of the West Mansion in the future. She had to leave a way out for Baoyu so as not to take all of it at once.

So she called her trusted dowry maid and asked her to go to the two dowry shops to count the treasures and goods to see which ones could be sold as soon as possible to temporarily fill the shortfall on hand.

He also asked the literate maid who came with her as a dowry to help him write a short letter, and asked her to deliver it to Guihua Xia's house on her way back, and ask Mrs. Xia to open it personally.

……

The Great Zhou Palace, Qianyang Palace, East Warm Pavilion.

Although February is already halfway through, the weather in Beijing has shown signs of warming up.

After leaving court every day, Emperor Jiazhao would still return to the warm East Warm Pavilion to handle government affairs.

The emperor had been busy with government affairs for many years, and had wasted his energy. His body was no longer as strong as it was five or six years ago. The weather had not yet truly returned to spring, and he could not stand the emptiness and coldness of the front hall.

Guo Lin walked into the Southeast Pavilion holding a gray-white secret letter and said, "Your Majesty, the day before yesterday, Yuan Jing reported that Weiyuan Earl Jia Cong asked him to deliver a letter of New Year's gift to Fengzao Palace Lady Jia Yuanchun.

Your Majesty ordered the Imperial Carriage Division to conduct an investigation because of the risk of evil and malicious acts in the selection process this year. After noon, the Imperial Carriage Division sent an urgent secret letter. I have completed the supplement. Please take a look at it."

The result of the secret letter from Emperor Jiazhao was written item by item:

"On February 17, Weiyuan Earl Jia Cong paid fifty taels of silver and entrusted it to Yuan Jing, the sixth-rank guard of Qianyang Palace, to deliver a letter and gift. It was received by Jia Yuanchun, the female historian of Fengzao Palace."

"The letter contains sixteen words, without any dark thoughts, saying: hometown remains the same, time flies by, Chen Qin sweeps the bed, brothers and sisters are one and the same."

"On February 17, Jia Yuanchun wrote back: The emperor's grace is great, and I am so young and beautiful. I will decline my mourning clothes and thank you for your seal, but I will always be filial to my parents."

"On February 18, Yuan Jing assigned Xu Yun, an eighth-rank eunuch, to escort Jia Yuanchun's reply letter out of the palace and hand it over to Jia Cong."

Seeing this, Emperor Jia Zhao smiled calmly and said, "These two siblings are eloquent and have no intention of seeking the emperor's favor. Their minds are honest and they have a good understanding of each other.

Jia Cong knew that Yuan Jing was working in Qianyang Palace, but he asked him to deliver the New Year gifts and letters into the palace. He had no intention of hiding this matter. Jia Yuanchun was also very smart and also asked Yuan Jing to deliver the letter out of the palace.

Although the Central Vehicle Division conducted a strict and secret investigation, it was difficult to accuse such a treacherous person... "

Guo Lin said: "According to the secret report of today's urgent report, Jia Wangshi, the second wife of Rongguo Mansion, wants to withdraw 4,000 taels of public silver from Rongguo Mansion to help her eldest daughter Jia Yuanchun get selected in the palace.

Jia Cong rejected this matter in Rongqing Hall, saying that since he had received many favors from the emperor, he should cherish his blessings and guard his family business. He dared not have any partial thoughts, covet the power of the inner palace, and ruin his reputation and bring disaster to his family. "

Emperor Jiazhao carefully reviewed the contents of the secret letter, and found that the description in it was more detailed and thorough than what Guo Lin said...

He said: "I originally thought that Jia Cong was quite lucky, having made many contributions and received the emperor's favor. It is normal for such a young man to be a little arrogant.

The correspondence between him and Jia Yuanchun was a way of showing my true feelings. I didn't expect that at such a young age, he could be so experienced, strategic, and understand the general situation and know how to advance and retreat. I was right about him."

After hearing what the emperor said, Guo Lin was slightly shocked. It was no coincidence that Jia Yuzhang was always valued by the emperor.

Although this man used some tricks in his actions, his every word and action was based on reason and righteousness. Even His Majesty, who was so strict and meticulous, praised him. This man was indeed remarkable.

Emperor Jia Zhao asked, "According to the secret note, among all the people in the Jia family, Jia Wangshi is quite enthusiastic about Jia Yuanchun's selection. It is common for women to use palace affairs to gain wealth and honor.

I seem to remember that Jia Wangshi was born in the Jinling Wang family, and her brother is Wang Ziteng, who is quite ambitious. Could he be related to what Jia Wangshi is planning?"

Guo Lin was moved when he heard this, and replied, "The driver has not noticed anything about this matter yet, so I will order someone to investigate."

Emperor Jia Zhao smiled coldly: "During the previous two palace selections, I was just going through the motions. They are just royal affairs. Every word and action is a state affair and is related to the government.

Last year, Jia Cong solved a major case of the Wei army in Jinling, which unexpectedly involved the children of the royal family. The world is complicated and the human heart is hard to predict.

This year's talent show is in progress, and now that the waves have formed, I just want to see whether those evil spirits will jump out... "(End of this chapter)