Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, Lixiangyuan.

When Baochai entered the main room, Mrs. Wang saw that her face was still blushing and her eyes could not hide her shyness and joy. Her heart sank and her anger rose.

That boy is the only man in the inner courtyard of the East Palace. Who else could make Bao girl look like this? Could it be that the boy is lawless and really hooked up with Bao girl?

Mrs. Wang was also an experienced person, so how could she not see Baochai's girlish behavior?
Moreover, she was wearing a strange cloak that covered her body tightly. No one knew what she was doing. Mrs. Wang even had the urge to tear off the cloak to see what was covering it...

Aunt Xue was a little surprised that her daughter's blushing face would not fade away, but she was even more surprised by the cloak her daughter was wearing.

He asked, "Bao girl, where did you get this cloak? I was planning to ask Tongxi to send one to you."

In fact, this cloak belonged to Jia Cong. It was a fair and honest issue, just a piece of clothing, but Baochai suddenly felt guilty.

She, who was always generous and intelligent, was unable to speak in a gentle voice, which made Mrs. Wang beside her even more suspicious, and her face became a little gloomy.

Jin Chuan, who was standing aside, was also a smart person. She noticed Mrs. Wang's cold gaze and slightly strange expression, and quickly guessed what she was thinking.

She had served Lady Wang for many years and knew this lady's temperament very well, and she also knew the perfect match that Lady Wang was dreaming of.

He has always wanted to marry his daughter to Baoyu, but a man like Baoyu who has no responsibility is not worthy of his daughter. Only a man like the Third Master can be a good match for his daughter.

Ever since she jumped into the well to commit suicide, Jin Chuan has been both afraid and resentful of Lady Wang, and has strange feelings towards Jia Cong, who brought her back from the brink of death.

She also admired and was grateful from the bottom of her heart for Baochai, who gave her a place to stay. The uneasy thought in her mind was to make sure that both Jia Cong and Baochai would have a good life.

Jin Chuan bit her thin lips slightly and replied casually, "The girl and the Third Master were talking in the study, I was waiting outside, and suddenly it started to rain heavily.

The Third Master was worried that the girl would be cold, so he gave her his own cloak to wear... "

Aunt Xue smiled and said, "It is said that Cong is very kind to the sisters. It is absolutely true. It is hard to believe that he is so considerate."

Aunt Xue was a shrewd person. Seeing her daughter's shy face and happy eyes, she knew it must be because of Jia Cong. She naturally knew very well what her daughter was thinking.

Although she didn't know what Jia Cong had done to offend her daughter, Aunt Xue felt helpless.

In her heart, she wanted Jia Cong to be close to her daughter, but at the same time she felt somewhat resistant. Could it be that she really wanted her daughter to become someone else's mistress in the future?

But Aunt Xue was shaken by the words of her brother Wang Ziteng and the instigation of her son Xue Pan.

But no matter what the matter was, since her sister was present, Aunt Xue naturally had to say some polite words to help her daughter make up for it and cover it up.

There is no clue about this matter yet. If people really find out something is going on, it will ruin my daughter's reputation.

……

Jin Chuan's seemingly unintentional words were like a spark in the fire, making Mrs. Wang's suspicion even more intense and giving rise to heart-wrenching fantasies.

He asked, "Didn't you go over to talk to Erya and the others? Why are you talking to Cong Ge'er instead of the sisters?"

Mrs. Wang's questioning made Baochai feel a little resistant, so she replied calmly, "Today, Third Sister was not feeling well, and the sisters all went to the East Courtyard to visit her. I just happened to miss her when I went there."

When Mrs. Wang went out today, she knew that Tanchun was not feeling well, so she asked her maid to invite a doctor into the yard to take her pulse. It was also normal for Yingchun and other sisters to go and visit her.

She became more and more gloomy and suspicious. That is to say, today in the inner courtyard of the East Palace, only Baochai and that boy were together. The two were talking in the study, while her maid was waiting outside.

When Mrs. Wang thought of this, she looked at Jin Chuan with a hint of hostility.

This Jin Chuan was not a good person to begin with. She had played tricks on Baoyu and was therefore driven out by him. Nothing good could come of such a thing following Baochai.

She seduced my Baoyu at the beginning, which shows that she is restless at heart. It is not surprising that she instigated Baochai to say some romantic words and do some things to stir up trouble.

Otherwise, when the young lady was talking to the gentleman, why would she, a personal maid, hide outside the door instead of following him to avoid suspicion...?

Although the boy was only fifteen years old in a few months, Baochai was already a grown-up girl of marriageable age. It was a strange thing for a man and a woman to be alone in the same room, and Baochai even wore the boy's clothes when she went out...

Mrs. Wang already had a deep prejudice and hatred against Jia Cong, and she was narrow-minded and dark-minded. When she saw Baochai blushing again, some unspeakable obscene images even appeared in her mind...

Fortunately, she still had some rationality in her heart and kept comforting herself that things would not come to this.

However, for the first time, the niece, who had always been bright, generous, dignified and lovely, was overshadowed in Mrs. Wang's heart, causing her unprecedented suspicion and unhappiness.

……

For some reason, during a pleasant chat in the study today, Baochai was not sure whether it was an illusion, but she felt that her relationship with Jia Cong seemed to have become closer.

When she thought of Jia Cong's unintentional provocative words, her heart began to beat softly.

Aunt Xue and Mrs. Wang's questions seemed to be all about the Cong brothers, which made Baochai feel guilty.

Seeing that her aunt was a little restless and seemed to have something to say, Baochai was afraid that she would find out something, which would not only make her lose face but would also most likely implicate the Cong brothers in the end.

He said first: "Mom, the thunder came suddenly just now, I was a little scared, and now I am still panicking. I will go back to the house and lie down to rest for a while."

Jin Chuan also followed Baochai into the inner room without looking away, without even glancing at Mrs. Wang, as if she was oblivious to the unkindness in Mrs. Wang's eyes.

Ever since she was driven out of the second room by Mrs. Wang, the life-and-death entanglement and the ten-year relationship between master and servant have long become like strangers.

If it were still the same as in the past, even if she was Baochai's maid now, Mrs. Wang knew what she was thinking and wanted to help the girl to favor the Third Master, so she would not let her go easily.

However, things have changed in the Jia family now. The Third Master is the real master of the East and West Mansions. Jin Chuan is naturally no longer afraid of Mrs. Wang's harm.

……

When Mrs. Wang saw Baochai lift the door curtain and walk gracefully into the inner room, she had to swallow the questions that were about to come out of her mouth, and she felt a little unhappy.

Although she waited for Baochai to come back, Baochai's strange expression and the cloak of Jia Cong wrapped around her body made Mrs. Wang full of doubts and fears, and she no longer had the heart to sit down.

When Aunt Xue saw her sister suddenly say goodbye to her, it was as if the casual conversation between the two sisters had never been mentioned before.

However, Aunt Xue saw Mrs. Wang's expression and knew what she was thinking, so she did not force her to stay.

After Mrs. Wang left with an unhappy look on her face, Aunt Xue looked at her sister's back and sighed in her heart.

Ever since the second branch of the Jia family lost its title, my sister's temperament has become increasingly mean. She used to be somewhat magnanimous and forbearing, but now it has gradually disappeared.

Now Baochai and Baoyu have no relationship at all, and her sister is interfering with who Baochai interacts with and talks to. If she really gets married, I'm afraid it will be difficult for her mother-in-law to get along with her.

……

Ningrong Street, Earl's Mansion.

When Jia Cong saw Baochai enter the West Mansion, he took Qingwen back to the courtyard.

The rain did not let up, and the mountains, water, and trees in the garden were all moist. The rain made the two oil-paper umbrellas crackle.

Jia Cong looked at Qingwen, who was walking beside him with an umbrella. She had shiny black hair and was wearing a rouge-red long jacket with dark floral patterns, a lotus-colored cross-collared blouse underneath, and a bright red embroidered handkerchief tied around her waist.

Her eyebrows and eyes are picturesque, she is pretty and clever, her shoulders are slender and her waist is thin and flexible. Her steps are very light and she exudes a lively vitality.

Jia Cong asked, "Qingwen, on rainy days in the past, you always stayed in the yard and refused to move. Why are you so diligent today and came out with me in the rain?"

The rain was pouring down all around, and Qingwen replied in a charming voice, "Third Master, please don't send me wrongly. I've always been very hardworking. It's raining and the world is slippery. Who wants to go out for a walk if there's nothing to do?"

She blinked again and said, "But the Third Master has something to do today, so I will naturally come out to serve him."

Jia Cong heard her strange tone and scolded her with a smile: "You just open your mouth and say whatever you want. What's wrong with me?"

Qingwen asked with a smile: "Third Master, do you think Miss Bao is pretty?"

Jia Cong casually replied: "Of course she's pretty, so what?"

Qingwen had an expression that said, "Third Master, do you like Miss Bao?"

"Nonsense, should we choose all the good-looking ones? What kind of logic is that?"

"Hehe, Third Master, you don't need to distance yourself from me. I saw it clearly from the side. If you like her, you will be in trouble."

After hearing what Qingwen said, Jia Cong was curious and stopped to ask, "Your words are strange. Why would I be in trouble if I chose her? Tell me about it."

Qingwen said, "In the past two years, the story of the golden and jade marriage has been spread in the West Palace. I heard from the old ladies that this was all a rumor made up by the mistress and concubines.

The wife wanted Miss Bao to be her daughter-in-law, but the old lady had her eyes on Miss Lin and was just waiting for her to grow up. But the wife was Mr. Bao's biological mother after all, so I'm afraid her words would be more effective than the old lady's.

If the Third Master falls in love with Miss Bao and ruins the marriage between the Second Master and her, then the old lady will be happy. It will be bad for you and Miss Lin to be so close. "

The maids in Jia Cong's courtyard naturally knew that among the sisters in the family, only Miss Lin was the cousin of the Third Master, and the Third Master treated Miss Lin differently, so they could guess the meaning.

Daiyu has an outstanding appearance and demeanor, is smart and insightful in her actions, and speaks cleverly and interestingly, which is very consistent with Qingwen's temperament.

Usually, Daiyu would walk around in Jia Cong's courtyard and get along well with maids like Qingwen. Although she was a little articulate in outsiders, she was very popular in Jia Cong's courtyard.

It was not strange that Qingwen spoke to Daiyu.

……

But her words really surprised Jia Cong. He originally thought Qingwen was a straightforward person, but he didn't expect her to be able to think through such a complicated thing.

Could it be that this is the natural attribute of girls, who are usually calm and composed, but when faced with such gossip, they can easily see through the essence of things...

Jia Cong laughed and said, "Qingwen, you can think of such a tortuous matter so clearly. It turns out you are so smart."

Qingwen frowned and said with a look of dissatisfaction: "Third Master, what you said is not a good thing. What do you mean by so smart? Did Third Master think I was stupid before?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "You'll know if you're really smart if you try it."

Qingwen was very curious and asked, "How do you want to try it, Third Master?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Didn't you say that if you are good-looking, you will be chosen?"

Qingwen blurted out, "Of course that's correct. How could the Third Master choose someone who's ugly?"

Suddenly, Qingwen felt a slight warmth on her hand, and her heart softened. She subconsciously broke free and said angrily, "Hey, Third Master, why are you touching my hand? I'm not Wu'er."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "This is the result of the test."

Qingwen looked at Jia Cong walking to the front with an umbrella, and then she came to her senses and her pretty face flushed.

She bit her rosy lips and stomped her feet in defiance, causing the splashing rain to wet the hem of her skirt.

He muttered, "I just acted smart and made him happy and surprised, but I didn't expect that when I talked too much, it was like lighting a firecracker. I was still laughed at by the Third Master. I really opened my mouth and it broke."

Qingwen saw Jia Cong walking away, and suddenly stopped and turned back to wait for her. She was slightly delighted and quickly followed him: "Third Master, wait for me..."

……

Since that day, Baochai did not come to the East Palace for the next two days.

When Qingwen saw that Jia Cong did not go to find Baochai and was still reading in the study every day, she realized that Jia Cong and Baochai had no relationship yet.

But he was laughed at by Jia Cong that day, and he felt unconvinced, so he would hang around in front of him every day when he had free time.

Finally, one day at noon, Jia Cong was taking a stroll in the yard after dinner and met Qingwen in the corridor.

Jia Cong asked curiously, "Qingwen, what are you doing with your hands spread out?"

Qingwen said hesitantly, "Third Master, I have washed too many clothes recently. Can you see if my hands have become rough?"

Jia Cong knew that Qingwen had come to her senses about what happened yesterday and was coming to him to make amends.

She held back her smile, holding her hand and looking back and forth. She saw that her ten fingers were slender, with fair and delicate skin. They were soft and boneless in her hand. Her ten nails were painted with a light layer of Impatiens juice, which looked very beautiful.

The afternoon sun was bright and dazzling. Jia Cong held back his laughter and fiddled with Qingwen's little hand, deliberately teasing her in his heart. Qingwen's face became redder and redder.

Jia Cong laughed and said, "You are talking nonsense again. How can you be so rude? The clothes in the yard are washed by Juan'er, Si'er and a few other maids. You only take needlework every day. How come I have never seen you wash clothes?"

"Of course I washed it, but the Third Master didn't see it." Although Qingwen argued stubbornly, she was reluctant to pull her hands back.

Just as she saw Lingguan and Douguan enter the courtyard, Qingwen immediately withdrew her hand.

Because Jia Cong was blocking the view, Lingguan did not see that scene.

She saw Qingwen's pretty face blushing, and when she saw her coming, she turned around and left, as if she was running away, which made Lingguan feel a little strange.

……

Jia Cong saw Douguan holding a pile of various visiting cards in his hand, and Lingguan said, "These were brought in by the maids from the outer courtyard. They are all visiting cards from the past few days to visit the Third Master.

The housekeeper has already declined all the invitations on behalf of the Third Master, but the housekeeper asked them to pass on the invitations they left to the inner courtyard so that the Third Master can see if there is anything important."

Jia Cong saw that Douguan was small and had some difficulty holding a pile of visiting cards, which must have been a lot, so he quickly took them with a smile.

He opened the seven or eight visiting cards one by one and saw that the names on them were all unfamiliar. They were all candidates from various states that he did not know, and one of them was even the top candidate in his own state.

He knew that he was the top scorer in Yongzhou and had always been famous for his talent in calligraphy and poetry, so he was quite famous outside.

Those who have the confidence to send a visiting card to the palace are not ordinary candidates. Most of them are the best in the provincial examinations in each state, or talented people with some fame in various places.

Jia Cong believed that after reading all the visiting cards, there must be more than one top scorer among them.

However, these people were all strangers to him, so it was safer not to meet them.

These people came with signed visiting cards, all of which came with a tone of asking for help and advice.

Most of them may be for the purpose of exchanging knowledge.

But there would also be many people who, proud of their talents and abilities, would come to him for examinations and use his name to improve their own reputations. There would always be many such excellent people among the scholars.

Jia Cong's mentor was the best writer in the world, with profound knowledge and achievements. I'm afraid that it would be rare to find someone who could rival him.

He was already the top scorer in Yongzhou. As long as he took the exam normally, he would be able to become a Jinshi.

There is really no need to force friendship with these strangers, or do some pedantic and hypocritical things like exchanging knowledge and comparing talents. To put it bluntly, they don't come to you sincerely for these things.

Those who are kind-hearted are just expanding their own network of contacts, while those with darker intentions cannot reveal their thoughts to others.

Even some extreme people will calculate whether there is anyone with a backbone to step on.

There has always been a saying that scholars look down on each other. In fact, the word "look down" is an understatement. Scholars are well-read and knowledgeable, but when they do bad things, they are more vicious and hateful than bandits who kill and rob.

As a master of the literati, Liu Jing'an was not only outstanding in scholarship, but also had experienced the ups and downs of his official career and had seen the wickedness of human nature. Before his retirement, he had served as the chief examiner of the imperial examinations twice and had a deep understanding of the dark side of the imperial examinations.

Jia Cong was Liu Jing'an's most respected disciple in his later years. Liu Jing'an not only taught him the classics and how to take the imperial examinations, but also shared his experience and insights in the official career with him.

He once told Jia Cong that the imperial examination was the last hurdle for scholars to succeed in their studies and the ultimate path for them to succeed, but it was also the most dangerous path.

He asked Jia Cong to learn to keep a low profile and keep a low profile before entering the imperial examination, and to avoid unnecessary participation in literary gatherings and banquets among candidates and officials, as it would not help him in the examination.

Moreover, he was the direct descendant of a duke and noble family, had passed the imperial examination twice, had outstanding talent and reputation, and had inherited two titles. His reputation was too dazzling and it could not be considered a good thing.

I don't know how many people are watching him openly or secretly, and the risks are unpredictable.

Now there is a rumor in the capital that he will definitely be in the first class. If he gets into the first class, there will be talented people in the world who will not be in the first class. If one place is taken up, there will definitely be one more frustrated person.

In every imperial examination, the favorite to win the title is praised by everyone, but in secret he is the enemy of all the candidates, and many people are hoping that something bad will happen to him.

When Liu Jing'an taught his students, he always hoped that they would have glory in the imperial examinations, with the highest honor being third place, second place, or first place. The higher the position, the better.

But for this disciple whom he valued most in his life and who was the most special to him in his heart, he did not want him to set his standards too high. As long as he could get into the second or third class and strive to become a Jinshi, it would be enough.

What the old man hopes for is not how glorious Jia Cong is, but that he lives in peace and long enough...

Even if Jia Cong was only a third-class Jinshi in the end, his foothold and starting point were far beyond the reach of even the top scholar of this session.

Liu Jing'an's teachings also coincide with Jia Cong's own character.

Besides, he had the excuse of mourning for his father's death, so wouldn't he feel more at ease and comfortable studying at home and chatting and laughing with the maids in the yard?

No matter how important the scholar was, he would not meet him, and he would not be able to fart. (End of this chapter)