Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, East Courtyard, Main Hall.

When Mrs. Wang and Mrs. Xia saw Baoyu and Miss Xia greeting each other, they both smiled.

However, Mrs. Xia's smile was meaningful, while Mrs. Wang's smile was full of doubt.

Baoyu saw that Miss Xia had bright and kind eyes, as bright as autumn water, with moist and soft eyes. She glanced at him intentionally or unintentionally, as if she was affectionate and yet heartless, which really made his heart beat fast.

He couldn't help but have a lot of wild thoughts and felt his whole body going weak...

The maids around Baoyu, such as Xiren and Bihen, are flattering and docile to him, and even let him do whatever he wants, both secretly warming his bed and playing in the water like mandarin ducks.

But this was only limited to his own room. Baoyu didn't dare to be unrestrained outside. Even if he flirted with Jin Chuan, he would cause a big trouble and be beaten half to death by Jia Zheng.

As for girls from other families, such as Lin Daiyu's alienation and Xue Baochai's indifference, in the final analysis, neither of them takes him seriously.

Even though he was attracted by Wu'er's beauty, he was just trying to get close to her and say a few nice words to her, but Wu'er avoided him as if he were infected with the swine flu.

Therefore, his path has been distorted in the past few years. In Baoyu's eyes, except for the maids in his room, most girls in the world are aloof and difficult to approach, which makes him sigh and admire in vain.

It even made him feel that these beautiful and graceful waters were gentle and should be away from the human world, high above, and not something that a man like him could easily touch or reach.

But the Miss Xia in front of him was so different from other girls from other families.

Miss Xia's charming and attractive eyes did not contain the coldness and disgust that Baoyu often encountered, but rather a kind of scrutiny and curiosity, and even a hint of strange closeness.

Baoyu felt delighted and happy in his heart, and vaguely felt that the alienation and coldness he had received from Sister Lin and Sister Bao could be compensated by this Miss Xia...

Baoyu sighed in his heart, thinking that God had mercy on him and he could not give up his romantic life, allowing him to meet such a lovely woman. Thinking of this, Baoyu's heart was filled with emotions and his face could not help but show a look of idiocy again.

Fortunately, at this moment, he noticed a burning gaze from the side, which pulled Baoyu out of his dementia.

He subconsciously turned his head and his eyes met that person's, and his heart was slightly shocked again.

He almost blurted out, "What a pretty maid! She is not much worse than Wu'er and Qingwen, who were by Jia Cong's side, and even better than the maid in his own room."

She has always been by Miss Xia's side, so she must be Miss Xia's personal maid. As the saying goes, like master, like servant. She is also equally proud and outstanding.

This little maidservant didn't dare to look people in the eye and often stole glances at him. Her big eyes were moist and full of affection. Baoyu was very happy in his heart, as this little maidservant was actually more sensible.

In just that moment, he felt that this maid was even more charming than the young lady.

He sighed in his heart, wondering who will be lucky enough to have this wonderful pair of people in the future...

Miss Xia saw Baoyu's expression changing from surprise to sighing and silly.

Just now she thought Baoyu had a good-looking appearance, but now seeing all the strange expressions on his face, she couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.

This Baoyu is actually a fool. He is completely different from the guy in the East Mansion of the Jia family. But he looks like his mother, who is easy to fool...

……

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

The sun was about to rise to the zenith, and the cold spring sunlight shone into the study through the window lattice, warm and bright, illuminating everything in the room.

Jia Cong was leaning back in the soft chair in front of his desk, holding his own excerpted notes in his hand, studying them carefully.

Zhishao sat in the sunny spot under the south window of the study, holding an embroidery frame in her hands, and using the line drawing method she had just learned from Qingwen to embroider a water lily with blooming buds.

She was wearing a snow-blue satin embroidered cross-collared long jacket. The fabric was exquisite, the cut was fine, and it was fitted to the shoulders and waist. It reflected the warm sunlight and set off her graceful and undulating figure, making her look charming and graceful.

So much so that when Jia Cong was reading, his eyes were often involuntarily attracted to Zhishao.

Yinglian was sitting on the floor in front of the bookshelf, flipping through some book. Beside her was a coarse earthenware jar filled with nuts and snacks, which she would put into her little mouth from time to time.

She is now at the stage of growth and is always complaining. Her mother, Feng, dotes on her daughter and often sends her some delicious snacks.

When the sunlight in front of the desk became more and more dazzling, Jia Cong stretched and put down the book in his hand.

In the corridor outside the study, a small red clay stove was flickering with fire, emitting a sweet, soft and sticky aroma mixed with a hint of pleasant medicinal smell.

Now that Wang Xifeng is pregnant, she shouldn't do too much work in her daily life. Therefore, the housework in Ping'er and Wu'er's hands has become more detailed and tedious than before.

Although Wu'er was busy in the West Palace during the day, whenever he had free time, he would return to the East Palace before noon every day to prepare nutritious meals for Jia Cong, and only return to the West Palace after finishing his work.

When footsteps were heard in the main hall, it was time for the daily lunch in Jia Cong's courtyard. Yinglian was the first to sit up and run to the main hall to help set the table.

……

When the maids in the courtyard were seated at a full table, Jia Cong said to Wu'er, "Now that you are the housekeeper in the West Mansion, there are many things to do. You don't have to come back before noon every day to work hard. Just let Lingguan help you."

Wu Er smiled and replied, "Although the Second Madam has reduced her duties, Ping Er and I are quite busy, but the household affairs of the West Mansion do not come up every moment.

Generally, it is concentrated in two periods, morning and sunset. Every morning, the maids and old women in charge of various places come to report on the progress of the previous day's affairs.

But if there are deviations, we need to make a decision. But if there is nothing wrong, we will either disperse or take up new tasks for the day. Before sunset, each room will report any difficult issues of the day.

As for the warehouses, purchasing, and receipts, there were dedicated people in charge of the inner and outer courtyards, assisted by Lin Zhixiao and his wife, who reported the accounts to the second grandmother's courtyard every other day.

So, on ordinary days, Ping'er and I are only busy during the morning and sunset periods, and there is not much to do at other times.

Around noon every day, I have free time. The east and west palaces are only a few steps away, so it is useless for me to stay in the second grandmother's courtyard.

It would be better for me to come back and help Third Master with his affairs, and be with my sisters, which would be more lively than me being alone in the West Mansion."

……

In fact, Wu'er came and went before and after noon every day, naturally because she couldn't let go of Jia Cong, and also because Baoyu often came to chat with her recently, and she felt a little annoyed, so she calculated the time to avoid him.

But she did not mention this matter to Jia Cong, because it was not relevant at the moment. Baoyu was always pretentious and did not dare to do anything.

Moreover, Wang Xifeng and Ping'er have already seen through Baoyu's thoughts and will naturally help her to resist and resolve them. Now that she is a member of Jia Cong's room, even Lady Jia dare not do anything.

But if this matter was told to Jia Cong, given his temper, he would definitely get angry with Baoyu. Wu'er thought that Jia Cong had just inherited the title and the spring examination was approaching, so she didn't want to cause trouble for him.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Since you are not afraid of hard work, then let it be as you wish. Just be careful and don't overwork yourself."

Wu Er smiled sweetly and replied, "Don't worry, Third Master. I know the seriousness of this matter. I hope that Third Master can get through this difficult time as soon as possible and pass the imperial examination as soon as possible."

When the topic of passing the imperial examination was brought up, the atmosphere at the dinner table became lively.

In this case, apart from Qingwen who was bought into the Jia Mansion by Nanny Lai, Zhishao is said to have been born in a family of convicted officials and was also bought by Lai Da when she was young.

The other maids were all born in the Rongguo Mansion and had lived in the Jia family for several generations. Thirty years ago, when Jia Jing ascended the imperial examination, their parents were not yet born.

None of them had ever witnessed the rare event of passing the imperial examination. Even though Lingguan and Douguan grew up in the south of the Yangtze River, they were born into poor families and had even less experience.

A bunch of girls chattered excitedly and curiously, thinking that it would not be long before the Third Master would be able to show off his wealth and glory again, and everyone felt proud of it.

……

Jia Cong suddenly asked Wu'er: "Are Mr. and Mrs. Lin Zhixiao considerate in their daily work?
In the past, the old servants of the Jia family behaved very presumptuously. When the Lai brothers were in charge of the family, they did many evil things and planted many hidden dangers for the family.

Last year, I found out that the Wu Jinxiao brothers from Hei Liao were corrupt and were expelled. We were originally from the East Prefecture, and the West Prefecture was never our territory.

Now that we are in charge of our own household, we cannot allow such things to happen again. We only care about loyalty and treachery, and since we are new here, there is no need to worry about the reputations of those old people. "Wu'er was intelligent by nature. Although Jia Cong did not say it clearly in advance, he sent his trusted maid to the West Mansion not only to help him with work, but also to help him monitor the people and things in the West Mansion.

Wu Er said: "I have been in the West Mansion for the past few months and have also secretly paid attention to it. Lin Zhixiao and his wife used to have a very good reputation in the mansion, unlike the brothers of the Lai family.

Although she had worked under the Lai brothers in the past and was inevitably implicated, the second wife knew the whole story and said that they had never taken the initiative to do evil, so they were considered to have done their duty.

Now that the Third Master is in charge, the couple have seen his methods and dare not do anything inappropriate or presumptuous.

I observe carefully every day. Wherever Zeng and Sister Ping'er go, they keep a clear record of all the accounts, without any mistakes or omissions. It can be seen from their words and actions that they are also thinking about the harvest.

There is something more important. Their daughter Xiaohong was originally driven away by the Second Wife. It was the Third Master who promoted Xiaohong to be a steward and maid in Rong Xi Tang, which made the couple very convinced of the Third Master.

The second grandmother said that although Lin Zhixiao's family was a born servant, his family was not very prosperous. The Lin family had only one son for two generations, and Lin Zhixiao had only Xiaohong as his only daughter.

Lin Zhixiao had a brother in his early years, but he died long ago. He did leave behind a son, but the son was a mute and could only be fed and kept alive.

The second grandmother said that the Lin family's cigarette supply had actually run out. Unlike the Lai family, they did not have many children and grandchildren and attached great importance to the inheritance of wealth, which was why they acted so recklessly.

Lin Zhixiao and his wife have no son to inherit, so naturally they have no intention of doing bad things. In addition, the Third Master values ​​​​being kind to Xiaohong, so they naturally work hard for the Third Master. "

After lunch, the two of them walked into the yard and continued chatting.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "This is good. At least there are two more capable people in the family. After this year, if Xiaohong is able to do her job well, I will ask my second sister-in-law to promote her to the first rank, so that the couple can feel more at ease.

Since you can trust them to do the work, let them do more trivial things in the future, so you can get out of the way and not be too tired. "

Wu'er was surprised when she heard this. Doesn't the Third Master need me in the West Mansion and wants me to come back to serve him?
Seeing Wu Er's confused look, Jia Cong said with a cute expression, "How come you are addicted to being a housekeeper? You really want to be a housekeeper in the West Mansion. There is still a long way to go, but I can't bear to give up."

Wu Er suddenly seemed to have thought of something, and her pretty face couldn't help but blush...

……

At this time, the old woman from the outer courtyard came in and said that the young master's servant had finished the work and was waiting to report to the young master.

After hearing this, Jia Cong's eyes lit up slightly, and he left the inner courtyard alone and came to a side hall in the outer courtyard of the Earl's Mansion, where he saw Jiang Liu waiting there.

"Third Master, I have bought this thing according to your instructions."

Jiang Liu took out a small package from his body and opened it carefully. Inside was a blue booklet that was dozens of pages thick.

Jia Cong asked, "When you bought this item, did you ask someone to remember your origins?"

Jiang Liu said: "Don't worry, Third Master. Third Master said that this matter must not be made public. I didn't come forward in person. I found several people in the market and it passed through several hands before it came to me.

There is some chaos outside now, and the candidates are all trying to buy this thing in a roundabout way, and no one can find it back on me.

Besides, this thing was bought on the black market, so it is even harder to find. I spent 17 taels of silver to buy it, 2 taels of which were for money. This booklet is actually worth 15 taels of silver."

Jia Cong was also a little surprised when he heard this. Fifteen taels of silver was enough for a common family in the capital to live in abundance for more than half a year.

Jiang Liu said: "When this booklet first came out, it was sold for ten taels per copy, which was an astonishingly high price. A set of the four books printed in Hanwenxuan Songmo double seals is only ten taels per set.

In the beginning, very few people bought it. Later, as more and more candidates wanted to buy it, the first buyers privately printed it and sold it for profit, and drove the price higher and higher.

I bought it on the black market for only fifteen taels, but now it's been sold for twenty taels a copy on the market."

After listening to Jiang Liu's story, Jia Cong felt a little heavy-hearted. He heard a key point from Jiang Liu's words.

When this booklet first appeared on the market, only a very small number of people bought it. Now it is in such short supply because those who just bought the booklet privately printed additional copies and resold them in order to make huge profits.

That is to say, the fact that this booklet is currently being sold for twenty taels per copy and the hype has been so eye-catching, it seems as if it was done by those later generations, while the original creator has been strangely downplayed...

Was this done intentionally, or did it happen accidentally?
……

Jia Cong opened the booklet with mixed feelings. It was filled with names, and it was roughly estimated that there were nearly a hundred people.

The names listed at the very beginning are all the candidates for this year's spring imperial examination. Some of these names are quite shocking.

Cabinet Grand Secretary Cai Xiang, Cabinet Grand Secretary Wang Shilun, Minister of Personnel Chen Mo, Minister of Works Li Dekang, Left Vice Minister of Revenue Xu Liangxiong, Right Vice Minister of Rites Huang Hongcang...

These people were all high-ranking officials in various departments of the capital, and they were also well-known in the literati circle because they were all the proud sons of the imperial examinations who had won the second place in the imperial examinations.

Some of the names even appeared in the Lingxing Pavilion of Qingshan Academy, making Jia Cong, a student of Qingshan Academy, familiar with them.

These people all have the qualifications to become the chief examiners of the spring examination in the 15th year of Jiazhao. Only people in official circles would be familiar with these people's resumes and accurately list them on the list.

In addition to these people who are qualified to be chief examiners, the other officials listed in the booklet are minor officials of the fifth, sixth, and seventh ranks in various departments. All of them are included in the list of officials participating in the Spring Examination.

Although the officials in charge of the Spring Examination are not as prominent as the chief examiner, their roles cannot be ignored. They are generally responsible for supervising the examination room, handling practical matters, and even performing important tasks such as initial screening and re-evaluation of the Spring Examination papers.

The Spring Examination is the culmination of the imperial court's talent search ceremony. Anyone who is selected as an official for the Spring Examination is no ordinary person. It is not uncommon for previous years' top scorers, number one, number two, and number three to appear among them.

Moreover, there is a brief description of each official's position, age, hobbies, etc. listed in the list.

Some of the information was equivalent to personal privacy, which made Jia Cong secretly frightened. If all this was true, the person who wrote the list must be very well-connected.

The more than one hundred people listed in the booklet are almost the most elite group of people in the Shenjing officialdom.

Some of them have already reached high positions in the government, some are the backbone of a ministry, and some are unknown now, but will most likely become leaders in the officialdom in the future.

In fact, before the Spring Examination, it was normal for candidates to spread rumors and speculate about the examiner and his subordinates, and it was not considered an abnormal behavior.

It's just that someone deliberately made this list and eventually spread it around among the candidates. Whether it was for self-praise or to seek huge profits, it was ultimately suspected of stirring up trouble.

Jia Cong took the booklet, returned from the outer courtyard to the inner courtyard, and walked alone in the garden for a long time, but still could not figure out anything.

Finally, he returned to his study and casually stuffed the blue booklet into an inconspicuous place on the bookshelf.

……

The capital city, the yamen of the Magistrates' Court, and the official residence of the court officials.

Zheng Yingquan, the chief clerk of the Court of Magistrates, was wearing the attire of a fifth-rank official, holding a blue-covered booklet in his hand, and walked hurriedly into the official residence of Zhou Junxing, the clerk of the Court.

He glanced at Zhou Junxing who was flipping through official documents and said, "Your Excellency, I have collected this list from the market, and the content is quite unusual.

It doesn't look like it was done by a commoner. Yesterday, I followed your instructions and deployed some troops to go to the market to investigate the matter secretly. So far, no news has been reported back."

Zhou Junxing was transferred to the Court of Magistrates in the tenth year of Jiazhao. He has been in this position for more than four years and remains unmoved. This shows that his talents and performance are deeply recognized by Emperor Jiazhao.

The Magistrate's Office had been an office with a bad reputation since its establishment during the Hongxuan Dynasty. The chief official of the Magistrate's Office, Zhou Junxing, was known as a cruel official both inside and outside the court.

But this high-ranking official in the secret office who made people shudder with fear was actually a man of extraordinary appearance. He was nearly forty years old, with a gaunt face, regular features, a beautiful short beard, and a dignified appearance.

There is really no sign of a treacherous minister or a cruel official.

Zhou Junxing opened the blue booklet, flipped through two pages at random, and then frowned.

He said: "You need to adjust your manpower and don't spend too much time on the market. Some of them are just small characters and have nothing to do with the overall situation.

Re-deploy capable personnel, and focus on checking officials in the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue who have access to their resume documents.

Especially for those officials who have retired, those who live in Beijing for retirement are the main ones, and those who return to other provinces for retirement are the secondary ones. First the nearby ones and then the distant ones. No one should be left out, and they must be found within seven days!" (End of this chapter)