Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, outside Lixiang Courtyard.

Baochai accidentally slipped due to the sudden change in wind and rain, and was almost caught in Jia Cong's arms in a panic.

She had longed for Jia Cong in her heart, but she had always been very strict with etiquette and even had few opportunities to be alone with Jia Cong, let alone be as intimate and ambiguous as she was now.

Although it was an emergency, my heart was so excited that I couldn't suppress it. I felt weak all over and couldn't speak for a moment.

Smelling the familiar yet strange scent on Jia Cong, she was confused for a moment, and after a while she said tremblingly: "Brother Cong, let...let me go."

Jia Cong held Baochai's waist, letting her stand a little more steadily, and then he let go of her hand.

At this time, Baochai's umbrella was nowhere to be found. Jia Cong covered her head with his umbrella and asked, "Did Baochai sprain her ankle just now?"

When Baochai saw him suddenly let go of her, she felt a sense of emptiness in her heart for no reason and said, "I didn't sprain my ankle. Thank you, Brother Cong, for what happened just now."

As soon as she said this, her face couldn't help but turn red. She didn't know whether it was because she was thanking him for helping her not fall, or because he had hugged her just now.

Jia Cong was a little worried, so he lowered his head and saw that Baochai's embroidered shoes were wet because she had fallen sideways just now, but he still stopped and tried to check her sprained ankle.

Nowadays, women have strict etiquette and morals. Compared with sisters like Yingchun and Tanchun, Baochai is a sister from another family.

I just acted in a hurry and hugged her waist. Do I have to touch her feet? She might think I have frivolous intentions...

Jia Cong said to Jin Chuan and Qing Wen, "Help Sister Bao go back and see if she has sprained her ankle. Hurry up and change into dry clothes. Be careful not to catch a cold."

Jin Chuan was just about to help Baochai back to Lixiang Courtyard when Qingwen saw two figures in front of them turning around and leaving. Their bodies were a little stiff and hurried, and one of them, who looked like a maid, kept looking back.

Qingwen was surprised and asked, "Aren't those the Second Madam and Caiyun? Why don't they go in when they reach the gate of the Pear Garden?"

Baochai saw two figures leaving from afar, and suddenly thought of something, and her face turned slightly pale.

She was very sharp-minded and could easily figure out that her aunt and the maid must have come to visit her mother.

They must have walked to the entrance of Lixiangyuan and saw the scene just now. This was exactly what happened to me and Brother Cong...

Jia Cong saw Baochai's expression and could guess what she was thinking. He said with a slightly solemn expression, "Sister Bao, don't think too much. It's nothing. Don't worry about what others will say."

Jia Cong looked at Mrs. Wang's departing figure, and he had the same guess as Baochai.

Mrs. Wang arrived at the gate of Lixiangyuan, but did not go in. Instead, she turned around and left. She must have just happened to see the scene.

Perhaps she did not see the whole picture. After all, her and Baochai's behavior was indeed too imaginative.

Wang Fuding thought that he and Baochai had an affair, which was why he refused to enter the house and left in anger.

Jia Cong was well aware of Mrs. Wang's narrow-minded and vicious nature, and he was also well aware of the origin of the talk of a perfect match in the mansion. She had always regarded Baochai as her future daughter-in-law.

Seeing the intimate and ambiguous scene just now, and considering that she had inherited the title of Rong, she already had a deep grudge against herself and must have believed that she had seduced Baochai and tried to steal her second wife's boyfriend.

No matter what Jia Cong did in his own house, he did not need to report to others. Even if he married the woman in the house, others could not interfere at all.

But Baochai is different. She is not a girl from the Jia family, and is Yunying's unmarried daughter.

If Mrs. Wang loses her sense of propriety and makes this known to the public, Baochai will be driven to a dead end...

Seeing Baochai's pale face, Jia Cong said softly, "Sister Bao, what happened just now was just an ordinary accident and it's nothing.

But ever since the second house moved to the east courtyard, Madam has developed a grudge against me. She sees it in her eyes but I don’t know what she thinks. Sister Bao can tell Aunt about it and let Aunt go to Madam to talk it out.

To avoid rumors spreading in the East Courtyard, which would have implicated Sister Bao for nothing. I would really feel bad about that.”

Jin Chuan on the side said: "Miss, the Third Master's method is effective. Our wife and the Second Wife are sisters. As long as she goes to talk to the Second Wife, the Second Wife will consider the sisterly relationship.

Even if they suspect the girl, they won’t spread bad words to avoid embarrassing the relatives.”

Baochai looked up at Jia Cong, her eyes soft and clear, unable to hide her worry. For a girl, nothing is more important than a good reputation in the boudoir.

Jia Cong comforted her, "Don't worry, Sister Bao. Even if Madam has some grievances against me, she is your aunt after all, and she will always be wary of the Xue family."

After hearing this, Baochai felt a little relieved, and Jia Cong asked Qingwen and Jinchuan to help her back to Lixiangyuan.

Thinking of the scene in the rain just now and Mrs. Wang’s unexpected appearance, Jia Cong felt somewhat helpless.

But in his estimation, as long as he let Aunt Xue reveal the matter, Mrs. Wang, for the sake of sisterly love, would most likely not create trouble and tarnish Baochai's reputation for no reason.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Lixiangyuan.

When Aunt Xue saw Qingwen and Jinchuan helping her daughter back, she was a little surprised. Her daughter had said that she was going to the East Palace to talk to her sisters, so why did she come back so soon?

Besides, my daughter looked a little strange. There was a wet spot on her shoulder, and the hem of her skirt and embroidered shoes were soaked by the rain.

When Jin Chuan met Aunt Xue, she told her how Baochai slipped in the rain and was hugged and supported by Jia Cong, and that Lady Wang happened to see it. She then repeated what Jia Cong had told her.

Aunt Xue's face also changed when she heard this. Seeing her daughter's face flushed, she knew how serious the matter was.

Her sister had always wanted to marry Baochai as her daughter-in-law. Now, seeing this scene, she must be furious, otherwise she would not have walked into the house and turned around and left.

Aunt Xue had been a housewife in the inner palace for half her life, and had heard a lot about the affairs between men and women in the mansion, many of which were just hearsay.

If a man encounters such a romantic affair, it's okay, but if a woman encounters it, she can't wash herself clean even if she jumps into the Yellow River. If an unmarried girl is involved, it will most likely be a dead end.

Aunt Xue knew very well that her sister had long been resentful of Jia Cong because the second branch of the family lost its title.

Now that she sees Jia Cong behaving ambiguous with her daughter, which has ruined what she has always wished for, she will probably be furious. In her anger, she will ruin her daughter's reputation, which will cause a big trouble.

Aunt Xue glanced at Baochai and saw that her daughter's face was rosy and her eyes were watery. She didn't know what she was thinking and couldn't help but sigh again.

Now Aunt Xue no longer cared whether her daughter had suffered any harm at the hands of Jia Cong.

She struggled to get up from the bed, asked her maid Tongxi to help her dress and dress, and then went to the East Courtyard to talk to Mrs. Wang.

The most important thing right now is to shut up my sister as soon as possible to prevent her from saying anything unpleasant, which would otherwise bring shame to the Xue family.

……

Rongguo Mansion, East Courtyard.

Mrs. Wang was furious. The ambiguous and intimate scene between Jia Cong and Baochai kept circling in her mind like a revolving lantern, and she almost exploded with anger.

She had long since chosen her niece Baochai as her daughter-in-law. Knowing that Grandmother Jia did not approve of Baoyu's marriage with the Xue family, she had done everything she could to make this happen.

In the past two years, she has put a lot of thought into fabricating the story of a perfect match in the mansion, intending to create a good reputation in the mansion and achieve her wish.

In fact, this kind of routine was what Mrs. Wang was best at. Otherwise, why was Baoyu born with a jade in his mouth? Not only was the jade engraved with words in advance, but there was even a hole for threading in the womb...

She returned to the East Courtyard, still feeling indignant. Thinking that she, Baoyu, such a good wife, was being treated lightly and toyed with like this, she hated Jia Cong even more.

But he could not think of any way to retaliate for the moment. At this moment, a maid came in with a report that the master had returned home from the court and was now in the study.

Mrs. Wang was moved when she heard this. In her opinion, Jia Cong's immoral behavior was really a big topic of gossip. Everyone in the family said how great he was, and now she wondered how she could talk about it.

His master has always valued him very much and regarded him as the backbone of the Jia family.

Even though he lost his title because of him, he had no resentment in his heart, which really made Mrs. Wang feel uncomfortable.

Tell this matter today to your master, so that he will know the true face of his most valued disciple. If he ruins that kid's reputation, how can he continue to be the head of this family with legitimacy?
Mrs. Wang had made up her mind and became increasingly angry, so she got up and went to the Mengpo Zhai study.

……

After Jia Zheng left the government office and returned home, he changed his clothes and sat in the study reading a book.

In the past, there were many guests such as Shan Pinren and Zhan Guang who often came to the study to talk and entertain us.

But ever since Jia Zheng moved out of Rongguo Mansion and moved into the East Courtyard, these retainers found excuses to leave Jia Zheng and go about making a living on their own.

I heard that Zhan Guang wanted to become Jia Cong's disciple, but he was sent away by the steward of the East Palace without even meeting Jia Cong.

Among the guests, only Cheng Rixing opened an antique shop to make a living after leaving Rongguo Mansion. He often came to the East Courtyard to chat with Jia Zheng.

Although Jia Zheng felt a little unfair after this incident, after seeing the fickleness of the world, he realized that everyone has good and evil, true and false, and gradually became more open-minded.

He had just picked up a book and was flipping through it when he saw Madam Wang and her maid enter the study. He couldn't help but feel a little surprised, as his wife seldom came here.

Seeing that Mrs. Wang looked unhappy and angry, Jia Zheng frowned and asked, "Why do you look like that? What went wrong in your house?"

Mrs. Wang said, “The master has always valued Cong the most and treated him like his own son.

Logically speaking, he is indeed capable of doing something, but now that he has achieved official rank and fame, he should be more diligent and filial, so as to live up to the kindness shown to him by the master since he was a child. I never thought that he would be so complacent that he would do something immoral in broad daylight, ruining the reputation of a girl! "

Jia Zheng was shocked when he heard this. In broad daylight, he was ruining someone's reputation. This was a serious crime.

In his eyes, Jia Cong was a man of extraordinary talent and genius, and he had always been a well-mannered and polite person. How could he do such a corrupt thing? He found it hard to believe.

He asked, "What are you talking about? Cong is a man of high character, how could such a thing happen to him?"

Mrs. Wang said indignantly, “I never thought he would be like this. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it. It’s true that you can’t judge a person by his appearance.

Today I went to Xifu for a walk, paid a visit to the old lady, and then prepared to go see my sister.

They actually saw Conggeer doing something indecent to Bao girl outside Lixiang Courtyard, and their personal maids were right beside them, but they didn't care. It was in broad daylight, it was really unbearable to watch!"

Jia Zheng was also shocked when he heard this, but he would not doubt that his wife was lying. Although there were some grudges between his wife and Cong'er, it was just a matter of the second branch not inheriting the title.

But she had been a wife of an aristocratic family for half her life, so she would not make up stories. She must have seen something to speak like that. But how could Congge say that...

……

Mrs. Wang said, "Even if Cong inherits the title of Jia family and becomes the head of the family, he cannot be so unscrupulous. Bao girl is my niece.

Now that the eldest master has passed away, and he has been raised in the second house since he was a child, the master is his legitimate elder. The master must teach him well on this matter to prevent him from becoming more outrageous in the future.

Besides, he is still in mourning, a period of deep mourning. If he does such dirty things in the inner chambers, the reputation of the Jia family will be completely ruined by him.

The master is not ashamed, my sister has no face to live, and my niece will not live anymore...

He keeps talking about how he will have to take the imperial examination, and why he should stay at home and study. But he did something so immoral. If the rumor gets out, how can he still have the face to take the imperial examination?"

Mrs. Wang became more and more excited as she spoke, and Jia Zheng felt a headache after listening to her. He blamed Jia Cong in his heart for his ridiculous behavior. After all, he was still young and did not know the seriousness of the matter.

But when he heard Mrs. Wang's last words, Jia Zheng shuddered all over and the hairs on his body stood up.

He blurted out, "Shut up! Even if Cong'er behaved inappropriately, it is a family matter. How can it be involved with state affairs like the Spring Examination?

Now that candidates from all over the country are coming to Beijing to take the imperial examinations, it is a time when public opinion is boiling. I heard that the candidates taking the examinations have heard of Cong Ge'er's fame, and many of them have come to pay him a visit in recent days, which is considered a respectable thing to do.

But Brother Cong closed the door to visitors and devoted himself to reading. His desire to learn is admirable.

Now people outside say that with his talent in the imperial examinations, he has the potential to get into the top class, or even have a chance to win the top prize. If this happens, it will be a great honor for our Jia family in the past hundred years!

Compared with such a big event, the little things between men and women in the family happen in every family, so what does it matter?

"What happened today, whether true or false, must not be spread. Otherwise, at this critical moment, it will ruin Cong's reputation and cause complications in the Spring Examination. I will not tolerate this!"

……

When Mrs. Wang heard Jia Zheng's extremely harsh tone at the end of his words, she couldn't help feeling a little cold in her heart.

She came to talk to Jia Zheng about Jia Cong today, not just to say bad things about Jia Cong behind his back, but she had other intentions.

Jia Cong defiled the daughter-in-law she had chosen for Baoyu, which made Mrs. Wang very resentful and she could not swallow this anger no matter what.

I must use this incident to ruin Jia Cong's reputation so that I can vent my hatred.

Nowadays, everyone says that their Baoyu can't even go to school, and even the imperial edict reprimands him like this. But that little beast is always making a fuss about studying, and makes my Baoyu seem mediocre in everything.

It would be best to use this incident to ruin his reputation. Even if he passes the imperial examination, he will have a dirty handle on himself. These scholars don't value their reputation the most. Let's see how he can show off in the future.

However, it was raining heavily today and there were few people walking around in the West Mansion. Apart from himself and his maid Caiyun who discovered the scandal, no one else saw it.

Once word of this gets out, Jia Cong is so smart that he will know that it was him who did it. If the old lady and the master knew about it, they would definitely not approve...

Mrs. Wang told Jia Zheng about this matter today in order to encourage Jia Zheng to teach Jia Cong a lesson about this matter.

As long as his master took action, there would be no way to keep this secret in the mansion. There were hundreds of servants in the Rongguo Mansion, and they were all gossipy. In the end, who would spread the news outside? Who could tell the truth...

Mrs. Wang didn't expect that Jia Zheng was usually pedantic, but he was very alert in this matter.

In order to protect the boy's reputation and let him pass the imperial examination, he even ignored the fact that he was having an affair in his house. His protection was really ridiculous.

Jia Zheng asked, "Which maid did you take out today?"

Mrs. Wang was stunned by his sudden question and said, "It's Caiyun."

Jia Zheng then asked someone to call Caiyun over for questioning. Mrs. Wang felt a little uneasy, not knowing what Jia Zheng meant by this.

Caiyun heard that the master asked him to go to the study, which had never happened before, and came over with full of questions.

When Jia Zheng saw Caiyun, he asked, "Were you and your wife the only ones who saw what happened at the gate of Lixiang Courtyard today?"

Caiyun was also shocked when she saw the Third Master and Miss Bao behaving intimately in the East Mansion just now. It was not a good thing for her to see the master's romantic affairs.

Seeing that Jia Zheng's words were somewhat harsh and his face was somewhat gloomy, she couldn't help feeling afraid and her legs became somewhat weak.

I couldn't help but think wildly in my mind. Everyone in the two mansions knew that the master valued the third master more than his own son. He would not cover up the scandal for the third master. Would he kill him?

She glanced at Mrs. Wang who was sitting next to her. She also had a gloomy expression on her face and it was hard to tell what she meant.

Seeing Caiyun hesitating and not saying anything, Jia Zheng frowned and shouted, "Why don't you answer my question quickly!"

Caiyun hurriedly blurted out and replied, "It was only me and my wife who saw the incident today. It was raining heavily at the time, and there was no one else walking around."

Jia Zheng heaved a sigh of relief after hearing this, and said, "As for what happened today, keep your mouth shut and don't say a word. If you cause any trouble, I will show no mercy, so you better be careful!"

Caiyun was relieved after hearing what Jia Zheng said. It turned out that the master was not trying to silence me, but wanted me to shut up. She was more than happy about that and quickly agreed, swearing and swearing.

Mrs. Wang's face became more and more ugly. She couldn't tell whether Jia Zheng's words were directed to Caiyun or to her...

……

Jia Zheng glanced at Mrs. Wang's expression, and then softened his tone and said, "Madam, there is no such thing as sexual relations between men and women in a big mansion. It is really not worth making a fuss about.

Besides, Congge'er and Baoyatou, one of them is unmarried, and the other is unmarried. Even if they have some relationship between men and women, as long as they are willing, it's none of others' business.

Things have really gotten out of hand. I think Cong is a responsible man. It's nothing more than a marriage.

However, Congge now inherits two titles and has a noble status. Last year, he was favored by the emperor and was granted marriage to the third daughter of the Zhen family. However, the marriage was withdrawn due to the death of his eldest brother.

But the third young lady of the Zhen family has received the grace of the late emperor and is now observing mourning at the imperial mausoleum on the outskirts of Shenjing. She is still in Shenjing, and it seems that this matter is not over yet.

Even if the matter got out of hand and Congge'er was willing to take Baoyatou, given the Xue family's background and their reputation in the palace, Baoyatou would never be Congge'er's legal wife and could only be his concubine.

If this really happens, you as an aunt will have no shame.

Therefore, this kind of romantic affairs is really not worth getting involved in. Big things can be turned into small things, and small things can be turned into nothing. What happens to Congge'er and Baoyatou in the future depends on their own luck. Why should we be mean people in vain? "

Jia Zheng's words were quite extraordinary, and Mrs. Wang was so depressed that she almost died. When did her master learn this trick of smoothing things over...

Jia Zheng said again: "I know what you have been thinking all along, that you want to marry Bao-ya-tou to Bao-yu. Now that this has happened, you must give up on this matter and find other marriages for Bao-yu later."

After hearing what Jia Zheng said, Mrs. Wang was so upset that she wanted to die. From what her master said, it seemed that she was sure that Bao-ya-tou belonged to that little beast.

I witnessed his romantic life and ruined his own daughter-in-law, but not only could I not do anything to him, but when I went to the master to explain it, I ended up giving him a woman!

……

Mrs. Wang took several deep breaths before she recovered a little. Thinking of her son, she couldn't help but feel a headache.

That kid from the East Palace is really a jinx. He stole the second wife's title and now he's even taken her daughter-in-law. What should I do with my Baoyu?
At this moment, Mrs. Wang suddenly remembered that she had gone to visit Lady Jia in the morning. The old lady mentioned that finding a marriage for Baoyu with a family of officials would be of real benefit to the second house. Her current intention was her granddaughter Daiyu.

Although Mrs. Wang has always disliked Lin Daiyu, she knows in her heart that since Baoyu was criticized by the clan house and reprimanded by the imperial edict in the palace, his reputation is probably not good.

Now that the second branch has lost its position as the legitimate heir, it is probably impossible to find a marriage for Baoyu among officials in the capital.

The only one who had some hope was Lin Daiyu. After all, this girl's family background was indeed remarkable, and she was raised by the old lady, so it would be much easier than marrying someone from another family...

Although Mrs. Wang felt a little uncomfortable, she still said, "Master, Baoyu will be old enough to dance with an elephant this year, and you should worry about his marriage, since Bao-ya-tou is not suitable.

We have to arrange another marriage for Baoyu. From what I heard from the old lady, she has always been interested in Miss Lin. I think the Lin family is also a respectable official family.

Although Miss Lin is frail and has a bad temper, she is a rare lady from a wealthy family. She grew up at home and is well-known.

The master and his sister-in-law Lin Ruhai have always been good friends. Why not write a letter and discuss things with the Lin family to see if they can become closer relatives?" (End of this chapter)