Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Shenjing, Qingyufang, Xia Mansion.

Early in the morning of that day, when Mrs. Xia and her daughter were having breakfast in the main hall of the inner courtyard, the housekeeper came and said that Eunuch Xia had sent someone to the house, asking the lady to come out and talk.

Mrs. Xia was shocked when she heard this. A few days ago, Mrs. Wang and she raised some money and handed it to Xia Shouzhong's confidant, who sent it to the palace to make arrangements and plan the important event of Yuanchun's painting and screen selection.

Only a few days have passed, could there have been any progress? Or could it be that ten thousand taels of silver were not enough for the expenses, so why did Xia Shouzhong send someone to deliver the message so quickly?

Mrs. Xia was suspicious, so she asked the housekeeper to take the person to the side hall, and she went over to talk to him immediately.

As soon as Mrs. Xia left the house, Miss Xia put down her bowl and chopsticks and followed her out of the main room.

In the side hall of the Xia Mansion, Mrs. Xia saw the visitor. She recognized him. He was Chen Bao, the young eunuch who was Xia Shouzhengzhong's confidant.

Mrs. Xia smiled and said, "So it's Eunuch Chen who's here. I haven't seen him for a while. Is there anything my cousin needs to tell me?"

Chen Bao said, "Because of the matter that Madam asked Grandpa Xia to handle last time, some problems have occurred and the matter is a bit difficult, so Grandpa Xia asked me to pass a message to Madam.

Because the palace is strictly guarded, I am only able to take the time today to come to your house and deliver your message while the eunuchs are out of the palace to make purchases.

Don't stay in the mansion for too long, or else people will be suspicious. You must return to the palace soon."

After hearing what Chen Bao said, Mrs. Xia sensed something was wrong and felt a little nervous.

He asked, "But what happened to Miss Jia? What happened in the palace?"

Chen Bao thought about what happened when he invited Yuan Jing to the banquet that day, and the burning pain of Xia Shouzhong's slap in the face. There were some things he dared not tell anyone outside the palace, for fear of causing trouble again.

He thought for a moment and said, "Grandpa Xia received the madam's entrustment and took the trouble to plan this matter in the palace. At the beginning, everything went smoothly.

But when they reached the key point, a major change occurred and someone said that this matter could not be carried out.

Although Grandpa Xia has a very high position in the palace and is highly respected by everyone in the palace, there are some things that require us to understand the wind direction and know when to advance and retreat, otherwise it would be bad to hinder others."

Mrs. Xia was completely confused. The young eunuch talked for a long time but was still vague and did not explain why the matter had to be abandoned halfway.

He asked, "Eunuch Chen, I don't know where the obstacle is. Even with my brother's ability, he is still stuck."

Chen Bao naturally would not explain this to Mrs. Xia. It was the eunuch serving the current emperor who brought the matter back to the original place.

If this kind of words were to be spread to people outside the palace, it would cause a lot of gossip and cause trouble.

Chen Bao said: "Everything in the palace involves risk, and it can easily be a matter of life and death. It is safest for the Madam to not know the details.

Grandpa Xia stopped this matter midway out of kinship, and did not want the Guihua Xia family to make a mistake, thus bringing disaster upon them..."

When Mrs. Xia heard this, her hair stood on end and she dared not ask any more questions.

……

Although she was just a merchant's wife, the Xia family had been royal merchants for generations and had always dealt with the Ministry of Revenue and the Imperial Household Department. Naturally, she had heard many rumors about the dangers of the palace.

After hearing Chen Bao's ambiguous words, it was clear that even an old eunuch like Xia Shouzhong was afraid of something, so how could the Xia family get involved?

Seeing that Mrs. Xia's face had changed, Chen Bao stopped talking and took out a brocade bag from his pocket, gently placed it on the table, and pushed it next to Mrs. Xia.

He said: "Last time, Grandpa Xia took great pains to take care of various parties for the matter requested by his wife, and he has already spent six thousand taels, including the wine and banquets and social favors, which were all paid for by Grandpa Xia himself.

However, there is no way to take back the money that was given as a favor. After all, the money was not spent in vain. The favor and face are still there. If the wife asks for help in the future, who knows, I can use it again.

Grandpa Xia asked me to return the remaining 4,000 taels of silver to Madam, and this matter can only be dropped at this point."

When Mrs. Xia heard this, she cursed in her heart, thinking that Xia Shouzhong was such a cruel eunuch. Not only did he not get his job done, but he also lost six thousand taels of the ten thousand taels of silver. He was really a piece of shit.

……

But even though she thought so in her heart, she naturally didn't let a word slip out of her mouth, and said kindly: "The palace is the best place in the world, there are too many true Buddhas there, so it is naturally the most difficult to get things done.

It's not that my brother didn't try his best to do this, he just had to do it, and he did it at my request, so how can I ask him to help me with the money? This is really inappropriate."

Mrs. Xia pushed the brocade bag in front of Chen Bao and said with a smile: "There is no reason to take back the money that has been given away. Just think of it as me making up for the deficit of my cousin.

If there is any extra money left, it can be regarded as a filial gift from my daughter to his cousin. My cousin entered the palace at a young age and has no children. It is truly admirable that he has achieved what he has today.

My little girl is already of marriageable age, and I hope to find a good match in the future. If my brother in the clan can do me the honor of coming to the wedding and have a drink at the wedding, it will be a great honor for our relationship as a family.”

Chen Bao was also surprised when he saw the brocade bag that Mrs. Xia pushed in front of her.

He followed Xia Shouzhong around everyday, and knew everything about his affairs. When the Xia family asked him to handle Jia Yuanchun's affairs, Xia Shouzhong had indeed arranged some connections.
But the silver he spent was only more than two thousand taels, and he returned four thousand taels to the Xia family, so he suffered a loss of more than three thousand taels in one go.

If Xia Shouzhong and Mrs. Xia were not relatives, they would have shown some mercy and I'm afraid the four thousand taels would have been taken away completely.

Although he didn't get the job done, he used other people's money to do favors and also gained a lot of connections. It was truly a profitable business.

……

Chen Bao knew in his heart that Mrs. Xia was the head of the Guihua Xia family. She had seen a lot of the world and would definitely be able to see the mystery.

Not only was she not unhappy at all, she even gave him four thousand taels. Her generosity was so extraordinary. Could it be that she had something else to ask of Grandpa Xia?
Chen Bao thought about the last time he messed up the matter with Yuan Jing and was slapped by Xia Shouzhong. He had to earn back his face no matter what, so as to avoid losing his respect and having a hard time in the palace.

Listening to what Mrs. Xia said, she vaguely mentioned her daughter's marriage. Could it be that there are some things involved that require Grandpa Xia's help?

Chen Bao thought that Xia Shouzhong loved money the most. If he could help him get a job in the Xia family, wouldn't it be a way for Grandpa Xia to make a fortune?

By then, I can expose Yuan Jing's matter, and I will definitely be valued by Grandpa Xia in the future...

Chen Bao asked tentatively, "Madam, when you mentioned your children's marriage, your daughter is the daughter of a rich family, so she must be an outstanding person. Your family is also connected with the rich and powerful Jia family of Rongguo, so could your marriage be due to this?"
It would be a great thing if the Xia family could marry into such a wealthy family. Grandpa Xia is the wife's relative, wouldn't it be glorious to hear about this?"

After hearing what Chen Bao said, Mrs. Xia smiled, but there was something meaningful in this smile, and a little bit of pride that was hard to detect...

He said, "As parents, we always hope that our children will have someone to take care of for the rest of their lives. However, the Xia family is not well-off, while the Rong family is a powerful and wealthy family. It is not possible for them to have such a convenient life. I am grateful for your good words, eunuch."

Chen Bao heard that Mrs. Xia did not explain everything, so he naturally did not dare to ask more questions. He decided to go back and tell Grandpa Xia every word, and he would make the decision himself.

……

Chen Bao thought of something else and asked, "Grandpa Xia once told me about my leaving the palace. Should I report this to Lord Jia, the Earl of Weiyuan? After all, Lady Jia is his elder sister.

This Lord Jia is now highly valued by His Majesty, so don't let this matter fail and cause you to misunderstand Lord Xia. It's always good to talk it out."

Mrs. Xia was also a cunning person. When she heard what Chen Bao said, she knew that Xia Shouzhong thought that the matter of Yuanchun was entrusted by Weiyuan Earl Jia Cong.

Mrs. Xia was a person immersed in the business world and was very cautious in doing things. Since she was helping Mrs. Wang with this matter, she had already inquired about the details of the matter in advance.

From beginning to end, this matter was planned by Mrs. Wang and her, and Jia Cong was never mentioned at all.

Mrs. Wang had some reservations about her nephew, and Mrs. Xia, who was such a smart person, would surely hear it.

Moreover, Mrs. Xia knew very well that a large part of the six thousand taels of silver raised by Mrs. Wang came from the sale of the property in the dowry shop.

The Xia family is a leader in the Shenjing business world, so there is no way such business news could be hidden from her ears.

If this matter was really planned by Jia Cong behind the scenes, Jia Cong, as the head of the two Jia mansions, would have allocated the money needed to handle Yuanchun's affairs in the palace from the public funds of the Jia mansion.

There was no need for Mrs. Wang to sell her private property to raise money. In the end, the amount was not enough and she even needed help from the Xia family.

Even if Mrs. Xia didn't have to ask Lady Wang about these things in person, she knew them all clearly in her mind. What happened to Yuanchun must have been done by Lady Wang in private and had nothing to do with Jia Cong.

However, whether Jia Cong was involved in manipulating Yuanchun's affairs was completely irrelevant to Mrs. Xia.

She was never sincere in her efforts to help Yuanchun gain a high position in the harem.

The reason why she was so enthusiastic in helping Lady Wang to handle this matter was just to deepen the ties with the second branch of the Jia family, and she had other intentions...

……

However, even if Mrs. Xia had already seen the root of the matter, there was no need for her to let Xia Shouzhong know everything.

She was a woman who had been widowed for many years, yet she was able to keep such a large imperial merchant family safe from all the storms. How could she have a simple mind?

She had seen a lot of intrigues and deceptions in the business world, so she knew very well that some things were unclear and trying to fish in troubled waters would make people more cautious.

Especially for a ruthless person like Xia Shouzhong, the Weiyuan Earl who was famous at the age of dancing elephants and fascinated his daughter is an extremely useful deterrent... She smiled and said, "You don't have to worry about this matter, brother. In my opinion, since the matter of Ms. Jia is over, you don't need to show up. Instead, you can stay out of it, which is more appropriate.

The person who has been handing over this matter to me is the second wife of Rongguo Mansion. I will just tell her the reason, and we don't need to care about the rest."

Chen Bao didn't know the whole story, so naturally he couldn't act on his own. He thought what Mrs. Xia said made sense, so he went back and told Xia Shouzhong.

Mrs. Xia said, "Please go back, father-in-law, and be sure to convey my wishes. I hope my brother will take care of the Xia family's affairs in the future."

After Mrs. Xia finished speaking, she asked her trusted maid to withdraw fifty taels of silver to treat Chen Bao to tea.

Fifty taels of silver was more than a year's salary for a eunuch. Chen Bao was very happy about the unexpected money, and he promised to convey Mrs. Xia's instructions to Grandpa Xia truthfully.

……

Not long after Chen Baogang left, Miss Xia came out from behind the screen in the side hall. When she heard someone coming from the palace, she knew it must be related to the selection of the eldest daughter of the Jia family.

Nowadays, Miss Xia is interested in everything concerning the Jia family, because she feels that these matters are always related to Jia Cong.

She was deeply obsessed, and her mind became strange and twisted. She always felt that the more she listened to the stories about the Jia family, the closer she would be to the young man with his incomparable beauty and extraordinary manners.

Once this weird thought came into my mind, it was hard to control, and I felt a rush of heat all over my body...

"Mother, this old eunuch Xia Shouzhong is really a piece of shit. Not only did he fail to complete the task that mother entrusted to him, but he also swallowed up six thousand taels of silver. He lacks great virtue. No wonder he has no descendants!"

Mrs. Xia frowned when she heard her daughter's outrageous words and said, "You are a grown-up girl, but you don't know how to be reserved when you speak. You are saying things like 'cutting off the family line and extinct the grandchildren'. That's too bad to hear. How can people feel when they hear it?"

Miss Xia didn't care about her mother's scolding and continued, "Mom, since the matter was not done, he returned the four thousand taels of silver, why don't you keep it well.

Four thousand taels is not a small sum, and silver is not something that can be blown away by the wind. Why are you giving it to that old eunuch for nothing?"

Mrs. Xia glanced at her daughter and said dotingly, "Don't think about those useless things every day. There is no male heir in our family, and sooner or later you will take this family business away.

How could mother not know that money doesn't come from the wind, but when money is needed, unless you don't have it on hand, you should be willing to spend, let alone four thousand taels, even forty thousand taels.

Although Xia Shouzhong is a relative of our family, we have been estranged for several lifetimes, and the title of relative is just an empty title.

If our family wants to keep him in the capital, doesn't it require money? Do we really have to rely on the false reputation of this clan relative?
This time he failed to accomplish his task, so he found an excuse to embezzle the six thousand taels. Didn't my mother know that he was a black-hearted man? He also took the four thousand taels just to save face for himself.

He was worried that if he really swallowed the whole thing, our family would be unhappy, and if this were to be told to others, his reputation would be ruined and no one would dare to ask him for help in the future.

No one dared to use the power in his hands. Even if he became the chief eunuch in the palace, he was a waste to people outside the palace. How could he make money in the future?

He was a greedy person by nature, and he was reluctant to part with the four thousand taels, so he had no choice but to have someone send it over.

But if mother really accepted it, our family’s relationship with him would be severed, and it would be difficult to ask him for help in the future.

But the extra benefits of giving up these four thousand taels of silver are indeed quite a lot...

Because of Jia Yuanchun's affair, Xia Shouzhong and Chen Bao must have thought that the Xia family and the Jia family had a close relationship. Mother also deliberately let slip the topic of your marriage, making Chen Bao think that the Xia family and the Jia family had intentions of getting married.

He would definitely tell Xia Shouzhong these words when he got back. Now that Jia Cong was the head of the Jia family, everyone said that he was highly regarded by the emperor. Xia Shouzhong was an old eunuch in the palace and he must be aware of this situation.

Therefore, because of this vague intention, he will be more cautious about our family. From now on, we will be the only ones throwing food to him, and he will not come to our house to plunder.

Xia Shouzhong has some reputation in the inner six palaces, and it is possible that he has gained convenience because of the four thousand taels of silver, and has helped to stir up trouble in other matters. It is also unknown. "

Miss Xia just listened to her mother's explanation and didn't notice the hidden meaning in her words...

……

Mrs. Xia continued, "Besides, the four thousand taels of silver belong to Mrs. Jia. Although my family lent it out, it must be repaid. This money is also a favor that mother has prepared for you...

Besides, Xia Shouzhong cannot handle Jia Yuanchun's affairs, which is actually a good thing for us, as we will not have to take unnecessary risks...

Although the Xia family has gold and silver, in the final analysis, for a family like us, it would be very useful for long-term planning if we really make friends with a family like the Jia family of Rongguo!"

When Mrs. Xia said this, she was quite touched. When Miss Xia heard this, her pretty face turned pink and her heart was moved.

However, when Mrs. Xia said this, she was thinking about how to deal with Lady Wang and her beloved son Jia Baoyu.

However, after listening to her mother's words, Miss Xia was thinking about the charming Jia Cong, and she fantasized about having a romantic relationship with him someday...

……

Just as the mother and daughter were thinking about their own things, a maid came in outside with news that the maid who came with the dowry of the Jia family, on the instructions of her wife, had sent some of the finest brocade and porcelain from the store, and had now entered the inner courtyard.

Mrs. Xia smiled and said, "It must be that the money has been in the palace for many days, and Mrs. Jia can't wait any longer, so she sent her confidant to inquire about the news. Jin Gui, accompany me to meet the guest."

Miss Xia said unhappily, “Mother, I hate this hypocritical Mrs. Jia the most. Her dowry maid is just a servant of her family. It’s enough to give face to her if you go and talk to her.

Why did she ask me to go with her? She is just an old servant of low status. How can she have the nerve to do that? "

Her daughter's arrogance and sharpness seemed to give Mrs. Xia a headache, and she sighed, "It's true that she is a servant of the Jia family, but she came here on behalf of Mrs. Jia.

Mother asked you to go meet someone, not to see her, but actually to see Mrs. Jia. This old woman will definitely report everything when she goes back.

The Jia family knew that the servants in the house came to give gifts, and you, a young lady from the boudoir, personally received them. As a family of poetry, literature, and music, they would only think that you, as a young lady, were generous and polite.

If this news gets back to the Jia family, it will bring you a good reputation. Mother is doing this for your sake, so don't be ungrateful."

When Miss Xia heard the words "bring back a good reputation to the Jia family", she suddenly thought that if her good reputation spread back to the Jia family, he would definitely hear about it...

When she thought of this, she felt happy and sweet in her heart, and she responded readily: "Then I will listen to what you say, mother. I will also go to see this old servant."

Mrs. Xia was a little surprised to see her daughter change so quickly, but she knew her daughter was obedient, so she didn't worry too much.

Although she knew that her daughter was obsessed with Jia Cong, she thought it was just a young girl who was infatuated with the handsome boy for a moment and could not forget him, but would forget about him after a period of time.

Mrs. Xia was a girl herself, and she believed that her speculation must be correct, but she never expected her daughter to be so obsessed and have such a paranoid and weird mind...

Mrs. Xia said, "When you meet someone later, just say hello. You don't need to say anything else. I will take care of it."

……

In the main hall of the inner courtyard of the Xia Mansion, the Xia mother and daughter saw a woman who was nearly fifty years old. There was a box of gifts beside her, which contained fine brocade, Thai blue porcelain and other items.

This old woman's surname was also Wang. She was Lady Wang's maid who came with her as a dowry. When Lady Wang married into the Jia family, she did not become a maid or something like that, but instead started her own family.

Mrs. Wang is not only smart and capable, but most importantly, she can read and write. For many years, she has been Mrs. Wang's confidante and her right-hand man.

Ever since Mrs. Wang raised a large sum of money and entrusted it to Mrs. Xia to send it to the palace, she has been arranging relationships for her daughter Yuanchun and seeking the emperor's favor in the harem.

This matter made Mrs. Wang worried day and night. She hadn't received any news from the Xia family for many days, and finally she couldn't bear it anymore.

He asked his trusted maid to bring the only high-quality silk and porcelain left in the store, and went to the Xia family under the pretext of giving them as gifts to inquire about the news.

When Mrs. Wang saw the mother and daughter of the Xia family, she hurried forward to greet them, and said that her mistress happened to have obtained some high-quality fabrics and porcelain utensils, and she gave some to Mrs. Xia for her enjoyment.

Wang Po saw that not only Mrs. Xia came out to meet her, but also Miss Xia, a daughter of a wealthy family, came out with her mother and greeted her formally.

After all, she was just Mrs. Wang's servant, so she felt honored in such a scene. Thinking of what her wife often said about the Xia family's girls being very good, she also felt that her wife really had good taste...

Mrs. Xia exchanged a few polite words with Mrs. Wang, and then said with a smile, "I was originally going to talk to your wife about something, and you just happened to be here, so you can just pass on the message to your wife for me.

Your wife and I have been debating on the gift money and planning for your eldest daughter. Message has arrived from the palace this morning.

My relative, Eunuch Xia from the Imperial Household Department, already knows about your daughter's situation. She is considered to be a person of excellent character and appearance among those selected. Eunuch Xia feels very honored to have the opportunity to recommend her.

Now everything in the palace is going smoothly. This matter seems to be going well. As long as nothing unexpected happens, your wife will be very happy. Go back and help me congratulate her in advance."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Wang was very happy. Ever since her wife moved into the East Courtyard, she had been feeling uncomfortable and uneasy. Now, she had finally gotten through it.

She hurriedly thanked Mrs. Xia and said a lot about how the Xia family was really good at it. It took less than ten days for such a big event to have such a result. It was really amazing...

When Miss Xia, who was standing by, heard what her mother said, her bright eyes flickered and she looked charming, but her heart was filled with doubts.

What's wrong with my mother? She actually lied with her eyes open... (End of this chapter)