Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

In the study, Qingwen was trying on new clothes for Jia Cong, busying around him.
When everyone saw Wu'er coming in with a red face, they felt a little strange.

Wu'er seemed startled when he saw a group of people in the study. He wanted to say something, but suddenly became hesitant.

Jia Cong was surprised and said with a smile, "Wu'er, what do you want to talk to me about?"

Wu Er glanced at Qing Wen and the others before saying, "Second Madam has something to discuss with Third Master, but she is not in a good condition to move around. Please come visit her when you are free."

Jia Cong asked, "What did my second sister-in-law want to talk to me about?"

Wu Er saw Qing Wen looking at her with her watery eyes, her face slightly flushed, her voice trembling as she said, "I didn't tell you in detail. You will know when you go there, Third Master."

Jia Cong noticed that Wu'er looked a little strange and said, "I'll go over there later."

Qingwen blinked her eyes. She had spent the most time with Wu'er in recent years and could see some clues, but she was too lazy to make blind guesses. After trying the new clothes on Jia Cong, she went back to sew and alter them.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Fengjie's Courtyard.

As soon as Jia Cong entered the gate and walked around the large painted screen wall, he saw an exquisite courtyard in front of him. In the courtyard were three rooms with porches on the reverse side.

The afternoon sun was setting in the west, and the grey eaves cast shadows on the brick floor of the courtyard. No one was walking around in the courtyard, revealing a pleasant tranquility.

Potted flowers and trees are neatly arranged against the base of the west window wall, many of which are blooming buds, growing lushly in the spring light and shadow.

Through the glazed window lattice of the west window, one can see Wang Xifeng leaning against something in the room.

Ping'er was just coming out of her room. When she saw Jia Cong coming over, she knew that Wu'er had delivered the message.

She thought of Wang Xifeng's jokes and teasing, and her pretty face couldn't help but get slightly hot. She said, "The Third Master is here, and the Second Madam is in the inner room. Please come in and sit down."

Ping'er lifted the red satin curtain at the door of the main house, waited for Jia Cong to enter the room, and then asked the maid Feng'er to serve tea to Jia Cong.

Wang Xifeng was half leaning on the Luohan bed under the west window. She looked bloated and plump. When she saw Jia Cong come in, she smiled and said, "I think Wu'er has passed on the message. Third brother, come in and sit down."

Jia Cong said, "Wu'er said that my second sister-in-law came to discuss something with me, but I don't know why."

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "I also guessed that Wu'er is shy and probably doesn't feel comfortable saying it in front of others.

It is actually a happy event. Although my third brother has been in mourning for three years and cannot get married.

But after three months, she will be fifteen years old. According to the rules of the mansion, two reliable girls should be placed in the room to serve her. This does not interfere with filial piety.

Because Baoyu is the same age as you and his birthday happens to be in April, and this matter is also about to be taken care of, the old lady brought it up many times after the New Year.

In the beginning, whether it was your second elder brother or the second master, when they were your age, the old lady was in charge of all the affairs of the inner chambers when they first came of age.

In fact, I heard the news a few months ago that the old lady wanted to arrange for someone she liked to marry into the third brother's room, and I think the third brother must have heard some rumors."

……

After hearing what Wang Xifeng said, Jia Cong nodded slightly.

Wu'er heard rumors some time ago that Grandmother Jia wanted to arrange Yuanyang to live in her own room.

Wu'er was embarrassed to bring it up at first, but it was only after being coaxed by Jia Cong twice that she finally said it out.

Yuanyang was Jia Mu's most trusted maid. Even Jia Mu's private property was managed by Yuanyang, but Jia Mu was willing to give her to herself, which was a huge investment.

The more serious Grandmother Jia was, the more Jia Cong resisted and became more cautious...

In fact, deep down, Jia Cong was not disgusted with Yuanyang, and even admired her a little.

When he first entered the West Palace, many of the snobbish servants in the family treated him with contempt and disdain.

The only difference is Yuanyang, who is Lady Jia's trusted maid. Although she holds a high position among the maids in Rongguo Mansion, she is sincere and dignified, and is always close and kind to herself.

At the beginning, Jia She coveted Jia Mu's private wealth and wanted to force Yuanyang to be his concubine. Yuanyang once resisted with death. At that time, Jia Cong could more or less see Yuanyang's feelings for him.

But in this matter, he didn't want to be influenced by Lady Jia. Besides, the maids in his room had been his confidants since childhood, and he knew clearly the difference between relatives and outsiders.

……

Wang Xifeng knew in her heart that if she intentionally told Ping'er and Wu'er about it, these maids would tell Jia Cong, and he would naturally know about Yuanyang's affair long ago.

When she saw Jia Cong's expression at the moment, she guessed what he was thinking. Although Yuanyang was born beautiful, Cong the Third Brother knew very well what was going on and would definitely not like the old lady's methods.

This is exactly what Wang Xifeng was thinking...

He smiled and said, "Third brother is different from Baoyu. You have a family business and your own ideas. You must make the decision yourself.

But it is unkind of you, a man, to personally speak on the etiquette and inner affairs of a large mansion. Moreover, you are still the head of the family, so you must not lose face.

Normally, apart from the old lady, the one who should have the final say in this matter is the eldest lady. But now the eldest lady is a widow living in the inner courtyard and usually doesn't take care of things, so it's naturally not a good idea to trouble her.

Therefore, it is natural for me, your sister-in-law, to help you with the arrangements, so as to save you from trivial troubles and distract you from the trouble. You should concentrate on studying and taking the imperial examination, which is the most important thing. "

……

In fact, the reason why Wang Xifeng wanted to take charge of this matter was naturally because of her status as Jia Cong's eldest sister-in-law.

However, it is a bit of an exaggeration to say that because Mrs. Xing is a widow living in the inner courtyard, she cannot have a say in this matter as a legitimate mother.

Ever since Jia Cong inherited the title of Rongguo, Jia Zheng and Lady Wang moved out of Rongguo Mansion. Lady Xing, who had been depressed in the East Courtyard for half her life, was unexpectedly able to move into the inner courtyard of Rongguo Mansion.

This incident was originally a happy event for Mrs. Xing. As the wife of the eldest son, she had been holding in the bad luck for more than ten years, and this time she finally got over it.

But things did not go as she wished. Although she moved into the inner courtyard of the Rongguo Mansion, Jia She had already died, and Mrs. Xing lost her roots in the Jia family.

In addition, because she abused Jia Cong since he was a child, the relationship between the legitimate mother and the illegitimate son was extremely bad.

Even though Mrs. Xing was nominally the head of the family's biological mother, she was still the most neglected person in the Rongguo Mansion.

Ever since Madam Xing moved into the inner courtyard of Rongguo Mansion, Jia Cong, as the head of the family and a son, has never once stepped into his stepmother's courtyard.

According to family rules, Jia Cong's behavior is somewhat unfilial...

However, regarding this matter, neither Lady Jia, who attached great importance to intimacy and hierarchy, nor Jia Zheng, who was pedantic and upright in character, said a single gossipy word about Jia Cong.

Even among the hundreds of servants in the Rongguo Mansion, no one criticized this matter behind its back, as if it was just the way it should be.

The reason was known to everyone in the mansion. When Jia Cong was in the East Courtyard, Jia She and Madam Xing treated him with extreme cruelty.

Jia Cong was even seriously injured and almost died several times under the whipping. Many people in the Jia family knew that Mrs. Xing had instigated Jia She many times to beat Jia Cong to death.

Now that Jia She has passed away, it is natural that Mrs. Xing will bear the blame for abusing her children.

Now that Jia Cong is the lord of Rong State, Madam Xing can still have food and clothing without worries in the inner courtyard, which is considered extremely kind by the Jia family.

No one would worry whether Jia Cong visited his stepmother often...

……

The Jia family often visited Mrs. Xing. Among the sisters, only Yingchun came. In fact, the relationship between Yingchun and Mrs. Xing had always been very cold.

She would often visit Mrs. Xing, firstly because of her status as the biological mother, and secondly because she always kept Jia Cong in her heart, and such an action was also to save face for her brother.

In addition, Daiyu often accompanied Yingchun to visit Mrs. Xing. She just didn't want Yingchun to be alone and too conspicuous. She also covered up for Jia Cong because he never visited his biological mother.

In addition to the two of them, another person who often visited Mrs. Xing was Xing Xiuyan, her niece.

Naturally, Wang Xifeng knew all about these things happening in the inner chamber.

Although Mrs. Xing had a bad relationship with Jia Cong, she had a lukewarm relationship with her and was still her legitimate mother-in-law.

She didn't want Mrs. Xing to get involved in the matter because she was worried that she would make trouble for Xing Xiuyan.

Although Wang Xifeng also likes Xing Xiuyun's tranquility and open-mindedness, she cannot resist the fact that she is Mrs. Xing's biological niece.

If Xing Xiuyan were to become the first in Jia Cong's room, I'm afraid that Madam Xing, who would be guarding the inner courtyard, would use her status as her mother-in-law and stepmother to cause trouble.

Now that Wang Xifeng has lost Jia Lian's support and is pregnant, in order to secure her position, her calculations have become more sensitive and meticulous than before...

……

Jia Cong has always known the rules of the Jia family. He knew that this would happen when he turned fifteen, so it was natural for him to make his own decision on this matter.

In today's world, a servant girl is just an object in Lady Jia's eyes.

If Lady Jia relied on her status as a grandmother to force a woman on her, it would be difficult for her to refuse outright. In this day and age, it is important to be able to accept gifts from elders.

I don't want to be led by others, and the two of them will probably have another argument.

Although Jia Cong never backed down from such a thing, it didn't mean that he liked it. With Wang Xifeng helping him plan and fend off the enemy, why not do it? He smiled and said, "I'm naturally very happy to have my second sister-in-law worrying about this matter for me. In front of the old lady, my second sister-in-law can speak more freely than I can."

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "Third brother and I have the same idea, so I want to know what he thinks about this matter first, so that I can feel better when the old lady asks about it.

Speaking of the girls who have married into your family, Sister Xiuyan is one of them. When she first came home last year, the eldest lady and the old lady already gave her a status.

But Sister Xiuyan has just passed the age of 14 and is not yet fourteen. She and Yinglian are both younger, so it would be better to raise her for a few more years.

I heard that Lingguan, whom you brought back from Jiangnan, is the same age as Yinglian.

Although Ping'er has also been given a formal status, I cannot live without her in my current condition. I have no choice but to let her marry into your family after your nephew is born.

Qingwen is a good girl and pretty, but she is the same age as my third brother and still looks childish.

For a family like us, we have to do everything properly, and we still pay attention to these things."

Jia Cong said: "Second sister-in-law is right. Sister Xiuyan is still young, and as her cousin, I should think more about her.

The maids in my room have all followed me since they were young, and each of them is a caring person.

Among them, Zhishao and Wuer are the oldest and are always considerate and thorough. Whenever the old lady asks, the second sister-in-law will say that they are the ones. "

Wang Xifeng laughed and said, "My third brother and I think the same thing. They are the most suitable.

Miss Zhishao has served the third brother since she was a child. Now she has a distinguished status. In the two mansions, except for the old lady, she is the only one who has received gifts and commendations from the Empress Dowager. She has great reputation both inside and outside the mansion.

Wu'er is also very rare. She has been devoted to her third brother since she was a child. She is also good at doing housework and has an outstanding appearance. There is nothing wrong with her.

I will talk to the old lady about this matter, so you don't have to worry about it."

……

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

On the way back, Jia Cong kept thinking about what Wang Xifeng had just said. He found that Wang Xifeng had already anticipated who he wanted to choose to enter the room first.

According to common sense, Wang Xifeng should recommend Ping'er, her most trusted concubine. Regardless of her status and age, Ping'er fits Wang Xifeng's statement.

But Wang Xifeng did not do so. She was worried that people would think she was selfish, so she took the initiative to put Ping'er aside, which was a smart move.

But is Wang Xifeng really selfless? Jia Cong is not so naive. Wang Xifeng not only leaves behind Ping'er, but also Xing Xiuyan and Yuanyang.

Jia Cong was naturally well aware of the considerations and intentions behind this, but he just didn't say it out loud.

He couldn't help but sigh in his heart that the twists and turns in this mansion and the precise planning and calculations of the women in the inner house were truly breathtaking.

Fortunately, although Wang Xifeng's weighing and operation were based on her own selfish thoughts, the outcome of the matter coincided with his thoughts.

Since they lead to the same destination through different paths, it is no big deal for Jia Cong.

Let Wang Xifeng do whatever she wants, and she will naturally feel relaxed and happy...

……

When Jia Cong returned to his yard, he saw Zhishao, Wu'er, Yinglian and Lingguan hanging out bedding to dry.

When Qingwen heard Jia Cong's footsteps, she put down her needlework and came out of the main room.

A pair of big, watery eyes stared at Jia Cong, and asked curiously, "Third Master, why did Second Madam suddenly invite you over? Is there something good going on?"

Although Qingwen has a hot temper, she is also a smart person. She grew up in the Jia Mansion and has heard a lot of gossip from the old women.

She knew that when the boy turned fifteen, something big would happen. She was curious and a little embarrassed...

Just now she saw Wu'er coming back to tell Jia Cong that the Second Madam wanted to see the Third Master for something, but why was Wu'er blushing with embarrassment?

Qingwen and Wu'er had been Jia Cong's maids for five years, so they naturally knew that Wu'er had become like this every time the Third Master touched her hand.

So Qingwen thought more...

The Third Master is not married yet, and the Second Wife is his sister-in-law. As the saying goes, the eldest sister-in-law is like a mother, so it seems that she can take care of many things for the Third Master.

……

Jia Cong saw that Qingwen's voice was crisp and clear, so crisp that it seemed to be able to squeeze out water, and her beautiful and clear eyes were so bright and moving that he seemed to be able to reflect his own shadow.

Seeing Jia Cong staring at her, Qingwen blushed slightly and said, "Why are you staring at me, Third Master? You don't even answer a single question when I ask you. Just listen."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "It's naturally a good thing that my second sister-in-law is looking for me."

Wu'er's face turned red when she heard this, and she lowered her head to pull the bedding that was hanging out to dry flatter. Zhishao, who was standing by, saw that she had a strange look on her face and couldn't help but look at her suspiciously.

Qingwen's eyes lit up and she asked curiously, "Third Master, what good news is this? Tell us so we can have some fun."

Jia Cong suppressed his laughter and said, "Second sister-in-law said Qingwen is a good girl, proud and pretty..."

Qingwen's pretty face turned red, and she seemed a little proud. She asked, "Second Madam asked Third Master to come over. It can't be to praise me, right? There must be something else. Third Master, don't keep us in suspense. Tell us quickly."

Jia Cong laughed again and said, "Second sister-in-law also said that although Qingwen is pretty, she is still young and looks childish. She should be raised for a few more years."

Qingwen subconsciously looked down at herself and said unconvincedly, "Second Madam, what are you talking about? Third Master and I are the same age, but I am smaller there. I still need to raise him for a few more years!"

When Qingwen said this, everyone in the yard couldn't help laughing, except Wu'er who knew the truth.

She had just heard what Jia Cong said, that Qingwen was young and needed to be raised for a few more years. She vaguely guessed something, and her pretty face became more and more fiery, and her whole body felt a little hot...

When Jia Cong saw Qingwen's innocent anger, he couldn't help but smile, then turned and went into the study.

Qingwen followed him unconvinced, saying, "Why did the Third Master leave halfway through his words? I knew he was deliberately teasing me...

In the yard, Zhishao finished hanging the last piece of bedding. Seeing Wu'er's expression becoming more and more strange, she smiled and said, "What's wrong with you today? You are all acting weird."

She couldn't help but be curious, so she pulled Wu'er aside and asked, "Wu'er, judging from your expression, you must know something. If there is something good, you can't be happy about it yourself. Tell me about it."

Wu Er thought about it and realized that sooner or later everyone would know about this, so she leaned over to Zhi Shao's ear and whispered the matter. After hearing this, Zhi Shao's pretty face instantly turned red...

……

Shenjing, Qingliufang.

There were two tea drinkers sitting in a private window seat on the second floor of a teahouse across the street.

A burly man was squatting at a street food stall downstairs, wolfing down a bowl of soup noodles.

These seemingly ordinary tea drinkers and rough men seemed inconspicuous in the bustling street market, and no one would pay too much attention to them.

But if you pay special attention, you will find that their eyes often glance towards a house across the street.

It was an ordinary two-courtyard house in the city of Shenjing. Ordinary well-off families often lived in such houses.

But if a high-ranking official of the second rank also lived in such a house, it would seem too shabby and simple.

In fact, according to the real situation, Huang Hongcang, as the right vice minister of the Ministry of Rites, had no other hidden sources of income and only relied on years of accumulation of official salary.

Being able to buy a two-story house in the capital is a very rare thing.

However, among all the high-ranking officials in the hall, it is rare to find someone like him who only relies on official salary to make a living, so Huang Hongcang has a good reputation for being honest in the officialdom.

At this time, a man in a green robe walked into the teahouse across the street alone, pushed the door and entered the private room by the window on the second floor, stopped the two tea drinkers from getting up in advance, and closed the door casually.

He sat down at the horizontal position of the tea table, and one of the tea drinkers handed him the booklet beside him.

He said: "Master Liu, we have checked and found that there is no back door in the second entrance of the Huang Mansion, but we still arranged a person to monitor the back alley.

There were also a few other people who were waiting near the Ministry of Rites. Huang Hongcang could not escape our eyes whether he was going in and out of the office, visiting friends or having banquets.

The booklet records the people who entered and left the Huang Mansion in the past two days, as well as the reasons for their entry and exit that we secretly verified."

Liu Yingquan looked through the booklet carefully. Ever since he received Zhou Junxing's order that day, he had arranged capable personnel to plant spies in Huang Hongcang's daily comings and goings and in his mansion.

But two days passed and nothing was discovered.

Liu Yingquan flipped through several pages of the booklet, which recorded the comings and goings of Huang Hongcang's wife and daughter's carriages, the cook's and maids' going out to buy things, and other miscellaneous matters. There was nothing unusual.

He stopped when he turned to the last few pages and asked, "A bookstore sent books twice. Which bookstore was it? What books did they send?"

A spy disguised as a tea drinker said, "It was the Xiao Family Bookstore on Wenhan Street. They sent some collections of essays and anthologies. I asked someone and they said these books should be related to the Spring Examination."

Liu Yingquan asked again: "It is also recorded that a clerk from a southern food store delivered goods to your house yesterday. Did you check what was delivered?"

The spy said, "It's a southern goods store in the north of the city. The owner is from Nanjing and specializes in selling local products from the south of the Yangtze River. The food they sent to the Huang residence was pickled alligator meat.

I sent someone to inquire about it. It is said that this pickled southern alligator meat is very effective in treating pharyngitis..." (End of this chapter)