Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, East Courtyard.

Jia Cong and his sisters were chatting in a side hall in the inner courtyard when their maid Caiyun came in quickly. When Mrs. Wang saw them, she asked what was the matter.

Caiyun glanced at Baoyu, seemed a little hesitant, and said: "The second master has accompanied the old lady to the main hall of the inner courtyard. The old lady invited the mistress and concubines to the main hall. The relatives of each family will be here soon.

The master said that the guests from the outer courtyard had not yet arrived and Master Bao should not leave without permission, so he asked him to return to the outer courtyard immediately to entertain the guests.

The master also said that all the nobles had sent their invitations, and that male guests of the same generation might arrive soon, and he was worried that Master Bao would not be able to handle them properly.

The Third Master has contacts with the young masters of various families, so please go to the outer courtyard to help and look after them."

After hearing Caiyun's words, everyone present understood some of the meaning, and Mrs. Wang looked a little embarrassed.

When Baoyu heard Jia Zheng's message, his face turned even paler. Just now, when he saw Daiyu and the other sisters coming over, he was like a bear seeing honey, he ignored the guests and came over to cling to them.

Naturally, Jia Zheng was extremely unhappy with this behavior. If there had not been guests inside and outside the house today, old man Zheng would have scolded his son in person.

The other sisters didn't care much about what they heard. Baoyu behaved like this in daily life and they were used to it.

Miss Xia, who was standing by, couldn't help but feel contempt when she heard this. She looked at Baoyu, who was dressed in bright red and looked like a steamed crab, which was really a bit eye-catching.

Although Baoyu had a handsome face, Miss Xia did not like him at all. She felt that he was effeminate and useless.

He is the same age as Jia Cong, but he is not as good as Jia Cong in everything. However, this kid's words and deeds seem to think that he is quite good...

He held a banquet for his birthday, but he couldn't even entertain a few outside guests, and he even asked Jia Cong to help deal with it. It's a waste of his handsome appearance, but his stomach is full of straw.

It's true that people are like their own birds. Mrs. Jia is a stupid dirt-eating person, and her son is naturally out of tune with her...

……

In fact, when Jia She originally lived in the East Courtyard, the area of ​​the East Courtyard was limited. Although it was divided into inner and outer halls, there was no clear distinction between the inner and outer courtyards.

This time Jia Zheng moved to the East Courtyard. In order to make him live comfortably, Jia Cong incorporated the Mengpo Zhai study in the outer courtyard of the West Palace into the East Courtyard, thus making the East Courtyard have the distinction between inner and outer courtyards.

Today is Baoyu's birthday banquet, and Baoyu is the host. Jia Cong can only be considered a guest. According to etiquette, he does not need to go to the outer courtyard to entertain guests.

But since Jia Zheng had asked, he naturally had to go out and help out. Although most of the noble sons who came last time were military men, they were all cunning and Baoyu was simply unable to deal with them.

After hearing what Caiyun had said, Jia Cong stood up and left the inner courtyard. The sisters didn't care much either, probably because they all felt that Baoyu was not really suitable to be the pillar of support...

Only Miss Xia was disappointed when she saw Jia Cong leaving. She had finally met him, but was still interrupted by the effeminate Baoyu.

Although Baoyu was upset, he didn't dare to say no even if Jia Zheng was not present.

She could only feel resentful and looked back every few steps, glancing at her sisters with longing eyes, and of course, the beautiful Miss Xia.

However, Yingchun, Tanchun and other sisters surrounded Daiyu, watching her playing with the Rubik's Cube with great interest, and no one paid any attention to Baoyu.

I don’t know if Miss Xia saw Baoyu’s flattering eyes, but Baoyu felt that she was staring at him straight and blankly, which made Baoyu feel very comforted. After all, there are respectable girls in this world.

He felt a sense of self-pity and self-satisfaction in his heart, and tried to walk in a more relaxed manner, following Jia Cong out of the side hall.

……

Jia Cong and Baoyu entered the main hall of the outer courtyard and found that the guests were basically the same people as before, with not many more. There was not even a single person of the same generation as Shixun's old relative.

There was not much time left before the banquet ended. Could it be that all these guests came on time?

Although Jia Cong felt a little strange, it was none of his business, so he didn't care too much.

Wang Ziteng had been sitting in the main hall for a long time. He had the highest official position among the guests and others could hardly talk to him. He was too lazy to socialize with everyone so as not to lower his status.

When he saw Jia Cong enter the hall, he did not act like an elder. Instead, he walked up to Jia Cong and exchanged a few words with him. He also did not forget to teach Baoyu a few words, asking Baoyu to study harder and take Jia Cong as an example in everything.

It seemed that Wang Ziteng was only trying to show his goodwill to his nephew, which made Jia Cong feel uncomfortable. He had long been on guard against this man, so even if he told him everything, it would be useless.

As the saying goes, uncle is more important than God. When Baoyu was taught a lesson by Wang Ziteng, he was naturally respectful and careful, lowering his head to accept the instruction. However, he was really disgusted with his uncle in his heart.

In this matter, he and Jia Cong had a rare tacit understanding...

But Wang Ziteng didn't get to talk to Jia Cong for a few words, and Xue Pan also came up to talk to him. It seemed that everyone was related to him in some way.

It's just that the fool Xue spoke without any structure, hammering here and hammering there, which made an official like Wang Ziteng, who thought that every word he said had deep meaning, feel disgusted.

Originally, he wanted to say some friendly words to Jia Cong and try to improve their relationship, because he vaguely heard rumors that Jia Cong had been going to the firearms workshop on the outskirts of the city recently.

It is well known in the court and the country that Jia Cong is a leader in the development of firearms in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Now that he is still in mourning, he goes to the firearms workshop so frequently. He must be busy developing new firearms.

Although Wang Ziteng held the post of Jiedushi of the Beijing Camp, it was just an empty title.

According to the regulations of the Great Zhou Dynasty, each of the five military camps should be under the command of the Jiedushi of the Beijing Camp. However, the commander of the five military camps, Shi Ding and others, were all confidants of Emperor Jiazhao, and Wang Ziteng was just a decoration.

But even so, Wang Ziteng still knew a lot about the Five Armies' Divine Machine Camp.

The new firearms that the Shenjiying is equipped with today are all the result of Jia Cong's research and development. Whenever there is a new type of firearms being manufactured, the current emperor is of great concern.

Wang Ziteng could predict that if Jia Cong could invent a new type of firearm, he would surely enjoy greater favor from the emperor. When he saw this, how could he not be jealous?

However, Xue Pan suddenly came in to make a joke, and Wang Ziteng was reluctant to say some warm words in front of several juniors. After all, he also had to save his face.

Seeing Xue Pan talking so eloquently, he couldn't help feeling annoyed and decided to turn around and tell his sister that Pan'er was becoming more and more unruly and needed to be properly disciplined!
Seeing Wang Ziteng walk away in disappointment, Jia Cong sneered in his heart and was too lazy to pay any more attention to him.

Because of Xue Pan's offense against Yinglian two years ago, Jia Cong has always disliked the big fool Xue. Although they have lived in the same mansion for many years, they have hardly had any contact.

But Xue Pan's foolish behavior today helped him get rid of a trouble.

Xue Pan smiled and said, "Last time when Brother Cong celebrated his birthday, I went to Texas with a few friends to do business. Since I am not in Shenjing, I was unable to celebrate Brother Cong's birthday. Please forgive me, Brother Cong."

Jia Cong smiled slightly and said, "Brother Xue, you are too polite."

Xue Pan looked at Jia Cong's expression and originally wanted to talk about his sister, but he felt it was difficult to start.

He smiled again and said, "Brother Cong, I am a bit rash in doing things, and my sister often criticizes me for that. Now I think it makes sense.

If there were any inappropriate things in the past, please don't take it to heart, brother Cong. When we sit down at the table later, I will definitely toast you a few glasses of wine. We have a long way to go as brothers.

I heard that the Xinchunhao you own is doing very well in Jinling. Although our Xue family moved to the capital, we did not give up the business in Jinling.

Jinling Ziyun Pavilion is the property of the Xue family. It is one of the largest businesses in Jinling, and the Xue family also has connections and relationships in Jinling that span several lifetimes.

If Brother Cong needs any help with his business in Jinling, please feel free to ask me. I will write to the manager in Jinling and will do my best to help Xinchunhao if he needs any help."

Jia Cong was very familiar with Xue Pan and smiled in his heart.

Jinling Xinchunhao has been run by Qu Hongxiu and Qin Keqing for several years. Qu Hongxiu was a man of the world back then, with extraordinary means and courage, while Qin Keqing was a first-class internal manager.

Xinchunhao's current influence in Jinling may not be as good as that of the local old merchants in terms of connections, but in terms of business prosperity, it is probably even better, and it does not seem to need the help of the Xue family. "

Jia Cong could also tell that Xue Pan was just making small talk, and he didn't know what he wanted to say, but he didn't want to hit someone who was smiling at him, and he also had to consider Baochai's face.

Said: "In that case, thank you very much, Brother Xue."

Xue Pan was happy to see that Jia Cong's expression had softened. He glanced at Baoyu who was greeting Wang's relatives, as if he suddenly remembered something.

He asked, "Brother Cong just came out of the inner courtyard. I heard that Baoyu is having his birthday today and his aunt has invited the ladies and daughters of the Guihua Xia family. Is that true?"

Jia Cong was slightly moved when he heard this. Probably no one in the world knew the origin of Xue Pan and Xia Jingui better than him. Now that Xue the fool asked him about it instead of asking anyone else, it was really mysterious.

He smiled and said, "Brother Xue is very sharp-eyed and sharp-eared. Madam did invite the mother and daughter of the Xia family to be guests. I saw it in the inner courtyard just now."

After hearing this, Xue Pan was slightly stunned and suddenly became speechless. No one knew what he was thinking.

……

At this time, the sun was gradually rising, but the guests in the main hall were still the same as before.

After a long time, Shi Heng, the eldest son of Shi Ding, Marquis Zhongjing, came into the hall to congratulate him.

Jia Cong was just exchanging pleasantries with Shi Heng when he heard the servant come and tell Baoyu, "The seven noble families, including the House of the Earl of Loyalty, the House of the Marquis of Jingyang, the House of the Duke of Liguo, and the House of the Duke of Zhiguo, have all sent gifts from their servants.

The wife of the Marquis of Chengyang and the Marquis of Zhongjing have also arrived and have entered the inner courtyard. The old lady and the mistress are welcoming the guests and talking. "

Baoyu was satisfied with what he heard, but Xue Pan, who was walking around outside, heard something and asked, "Besides the birthday gifts sent by the seven noble families, who else came to the banquet?"

The servant replied, "These seven families only sent birthday gifts, but no one came to the banquet. They all said that they had something to do at home and could not come..."

When Baoyu heard this, he just frowned and said nothing.

When Jia Cong held a birthday banquet that day, Baoyu had met the princes of these families. These people were all crude and unskilled warriors. It would be better if they didn't come, so that he wouldn't have to spend time on socializing.

Xue Pan, who was standing by, heard the servant's words, and curled his lips slightly, revealing a gloating smirk, which he seemed too lazy to conceal.

Jia Cong only thought about it for a moment, and his mind became clear as a mirror. He knew clearly why these noble and family friends who were invited to the invitation could not refuse and only sent birthday gifts to fulfill their wishes.

The heads of these aristocratic families are all sophisticated and shrewd people. They are involved in official circles, and they follow the wind and the situation, weigh the pros and cons, and protect themselves. These are their basic rules of inertia.

If Jia Zheng was still the head of Rongguo Mansion, perhaps the nobles and family friends would give him some face.

But now the second branch of the Jia family has become a concubine and has no connection with the hereditary power of the Rongguo Mansion, not to mention that Baoyu was demoted by the clan affairs office and left with a bad reputation in the palace.

When the family fell into poverty and their reputation was ruined, they were immediately forgotten and no one cared about them ever since. Although this was a bit mercenary and cruel, wasn't it always the case that people would curry favor with the powerful?
Whenever Jia Cong holds a birthday banquet, they will flock to it and no one will easily miss it.

But when Baoyu held a birthday banquet, they would not easily come to offend him. They would send gifts respectfully to his door, which was considered as basic courtesy.

Wang Ziteng, who was standing by, also heard the servant's words. His face suddenly changed color and he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. He didn't expect that his sister and brother-in-law would end up like this.

Baoyu has been treated like a treasure in the Rongguo Mansion since he was a child. Now, he is holding a banquet to celebrate his fifteenth birthday. Although he has already invited guests, all these wealthy and powerful people have declined to attend.

These wealthy families were so unscrupulous that they did such shameless things. They probably had given up on the Second Branch of Rong State and thought that they would never be able to make a comeback!
My sister and brother-in-law have also fallen into such a situation. It will be difficult for me to rely on the connections of Rongguo Mansion in the future.

Thinking of this, Wang Ziteng glanced at Jia Cong, who was the same age as Baoyu but had a dazzling demeanor and style. A trace of helplessness and gloom flashed in his eyes.

……

East courtyard, the main hall of the inner courtyard.

Today, both Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang were dressed elegantly and luxuriously. When they first entered the main hall, they were all smiling and looked very happy.

They chatted with Aunt Xue and Mrs. Xia respectively, and the atmosphere was very harmonious and joyful.

However, as the sun gradually rose higher, the wives of the noble families who were supposed to attend the banquet had not yet arrived.

This made Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang a little anxious.

After a while, Mrs. Li, the wife of Marquis Baoling, arrived with a gift. Then the maid came to report that Mrs. Xu, the wife of Marquis Chengyang, had arrived at the mansion and had already entered the inner courtyard.

After hearing the news, Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang felt a little relieved. They only felt that the other noble ladies were somewhat rude for arriving at the banquet on time.

After the two marquises' wives sat down, Grandmother Jia smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries, and the atmosphere in the inner hall became harmonious again.

Marquis Baoling Li brought her eldest son to congratulate, and Grandmother Jia was delighted. After all, they were her own family members, and they came early to show their support, unlike other noble families who seemed somewhat neglectful.

At this time, Xu, the Marquis of Chengyang, asked her maid to bring up the gifts. When Lady Jia saw that there were two boxes, it seemed quite grand and she felt happy.

Among these old relatives and families, only the Chengyang Marquisate and the Rongguo Mansion are real in-laws. After all, they are a little different from other families, and the etiquette is quite thoughtful.

Marquis Xu of Chengyang asked her maid to open a gift box, which contained gifts such as the finest brocade fabrics, a purple gold crown, a belt inlaid with precious jade, satin cloud-climbing boots, and a ruyi jade pendant. It was quite decent.

Xu smiled and said, "This is a dancing elephant gift for Bao Ge'er. I bought it myself. We are all old relatives, and these are all common things. Please don't despise them, old lady."

Grandmother Jia laughed and said, "Madam Hou, what are you talking about? This etiquette is a bit heavy. We are all in-laws and old friends. It is really a bit grand."

……

When Mrs. Wang saw that there was another box of gifts, she was very satisfied and felt that the Chengyang Marquis's Mansion was really respectful and the etiquette was indeed grand.

Xu asked someone to open another gift box, which contained neatly arranged stationery such as pens, ink, paper, and inkstone. It was obvious that they were also top-quality items.

In addition, there are folding fans, sachets, high-quality silk handkerchiefs, precious incense sticks, bracelets, and a box of five small gold rings.

When Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang looked at the box of gifts, they felt a little strange.

Compared with the first box, this box of things is much more low-key and simple, but it is also a thoughtful gesture. However, Baoyu does not use these things often.

Xu said: "This box of gifts was not bought by me, but by my third daughter and Xing'er.

Last time, my third daughter received Cong'er's calligraphy and she couldn't let it go. When Xing'er saw the calligraphy, he also said it was excellent.

This box of gifts is for Congge'er as a thank you gift for his writing. It is a favor between brothers and sisters of the same generation. I knew that Congge'er would be here today, so I brought it here without having to make an extra trip.

This box of gifts contains daily items, not expensive. Congge can keep them for himself or give them to servants and maids.

Besides, I have something to tell the old lady. Xing'er made an appointment with his friends a few days ago and went to Tongzhou for hunting. He couldn't make it back today, so he asked me to wish Bao'er a happy new year on his behalf."

When Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang heard this, they were immediately dumbfounded. They thought that the Chengyang Marquis's Mansion was very polite and they felt honored that he carried two boxes of gifts into the mansion.

Unexpectedly, one of the boxes of gifts was for Jia Cong. This sounded like Marquis Chengyang's intention to establish good relations with the Jia family. Although Grandmother Jia felt a little disappointed when she heard this, she still said a few polite words.

Mrs. Wang felt a little disgusted...

Grandmother Jia took a look at the box of gifts. Although Xu said that the gifts were bought for both her son and daughter, it was probably an excuse to cover up.

Even a fool could see the purpose of this box of gifts. It was clearly the girl's intention...

Grandmother Jia smiled bitterly with some helplessness in her heart. Ever since Cong'er was removed from the palace for marriage, these noble and old relatives have all had some concerns.

The third lady of the Chengyang Marquis's Mansion probably had a crush on Cong Ge'er, so she naturally asked her grandson to give her a calligraphy work. As a result, she accidentally hit the mark and made him a target of attention...

Look at the gifts this girl gave, they are very delicate and thoughtful.

Grandmother Jia sighed in her heart, thinking how great it would be if the third young lady of the Liu family fell in love with her Baoyu.

Moreover, the importance of the imperial family's attendance at the banquet and the marquis's son's attendance at the banquet are not the same. The East Courtyard had sent out the invitations three days ago, so why did the Marquis of Chengyang go out hunting?

Just as Lady Jia was feeling somewhat lost, Mrs. Wang forced herself to smile and suppress the unhappiness that was rising in her heart.

Yuanyang hurried into the inner hall, whispered a few words in Grandmother Jia's ear, and then left alone. Grandmother Jia's face looked a little ugly.

The maid Caiyun followed in and whispered the news from the outer courtyard to Madam Wang, who turned pale... (End of this chapter)