Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

In the early morning of Ningrong Street in the capital, the sun is rising in the east.

The streets were empty, with only a handful of early risers. As they passed the east and west mansions of the Jia family, they could see piles of firecracker debris at the doorsteps, and the air was still filled with a festive atmosphere.

As the east gradually brightened, the corner gates of the two mansions were opened early, heralding the arrival of a prosperous and joyous day.

Many slaves and servants have already started working at the Corner Gate. There are often carriages and horses transporting things in and out, and the place is bustling and well organized.

In the inner courtyard, Lin Zhixiao's wife received instructions from Sister Feng last night and assigned people to various places early in the morning to take charge of the work.

They moved and arranged the tables, chairs, and teacups and plates for the guests' banquet, and had someone in charge of the lamp oil and candles to avoid any confusion.
The fruits, vegetables and meats bought in the early morning of the outer courtyard were delivered to the kitchens of the inner and outer courtyards one after another. The maids were arranged to wash and sort them out early in the morning in preparation for cooking for the buffet.

The various matters in the outer courtyard, such as welcoming guests into the mansion, receiving gifts, purchasing and transporting, guarding the gates, and managing carriages and horses, are more complicated. Fortunately, with an old housekeeper like Lin Zhixiao in charge, they can all be handled properly.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

Early in the morning of that day, Grandmother Jia dressed and washed. She was very happy to know that Jia Cong had passed the imperial examination and that there would be a large number of visitors today.

Grandmother Jia also knew that her grandson was now very prominent, and his father's death a few years ago had ended his arranged marriage. Even though there was a three-year mourning period, many young ladies from noble families had some thoughts on him.

Therefore, I am afraid that there will be no shortage of ladies and young ladies who come with the male guests today.

Although according to Lady Jia's wishes, none of it would be accomplished, but the art of entertaining guests was still necessary.

As for today's banquet, Wang Xifeng, who is the best at speaking tactfully, will definitely be busy taking care of things.

If any female relatives came to visit the inner courtyard, Grandmother Jia could not leave herself alone, so she would invite Aunt Xue to come and sit around early.

Since Aunt Xue has been invited, it is natural to invite the second daughter-in-law to come and socialize as well.

Also, because of the good news about Jia Cong's arrival yesterday, Li Wan taught her son in class based on Jia Cong's book from the Ministry of Rites, which made Jia's mother feel a little sad and couldn't help but think of the eldest grandson of the second house who died early.

So, he asked Li Wan to bring Jia Lan over.

They sat and talked for a while. Grandmother Jia saw that although Jia Lan was young, he snuggled up to his mother, did not make any noise, and had already shown some prudent and intelligent character.

He asked, "Why didn't I see Baoyu today?"

Mrs. Wang said, “Yesterday Baoyu wanted to stay in the West Mansion to accompany the old lady, but the master asked him to go back to study, so he had to go back to the East Courtyard first.

He got up today with a headache and a weak body, as if he had caught a cold yesterday. I asked him to rest there first and come back to honor the old lady in a few days."

Grandmother Jia said, "We already had Lian'er in the first house, but she is suffering in Liaodong. Cong'er is very happy to have passed the imperial examination, but he has no close brothers to help him with things.

Needless to say, I am worried about the East Mansion. There will be a lot of male and female guests today. I am afraid that the second girl will be exhausted as she is a girl."

Aunt Xue smiled and said, "You don't have to worry too much, old lady. Your second daughter is the most capable one now. She has managed the huge East Mansion in great order. She is very capable.

Besides, your third daughter is there to help, so it can't be wrong. Bao girl also went there to help this morning.

With these smart girls, there will be no problem in handling those inner house affairs."

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "Even so, I am relieved. Although Feng is a good girl, she is also a burden. She can only display 50% of her ability.

I don’t know how busy she is…”

Mrs. Wang was feeling somewhat uncomfortable when she heard that Tanchun was in charge of entertaining guests in the East Mansion. When she heard the meaning in Lady Jia's voice, her heart was slightly moved.

Aunt Xue glanced at her sister, picked up the teacup and drank tea, pretending not to understand what Grandmother Jia meant. She sighed in her heart, "Youxun's inner house is really a mess..."

……

In the small courtyard north of Rong Xi Tang, although Feng Ji was easily sleepy due to her pregnancy, she got up at dawn that day.

After Ping'er and Feng'er helped her to dress and wash, Wu'er came over from the East Palace early to take care of things.

Jia Cong won the hearts of Lin Zhixiao and his wife by asking Xiaohong to be the maid in Rong Xi Hall, so he had already told Wu'er to let them do the daily housework as much as possible.

Because the inner and outer courtyards have the support of Lin Zhixiao and his wife who are in charge of the elderly affairs, Fengjie doesn't have to worry too much. Otherwise, she is pregnant and may not be able to cope with it.

Ever since Jia Cong inherited the title of Rongguo, he had become a rare holder of two titles among the nobles in the capital. In the eyes of the four kings and eight dukes and other old nobles, his status had become increasingly transcendent and outstanding.

Last time, when the title of Rong was inherited, almost all of the four kings and eight dukes, as well as the relatives and old friends of the Jia family, were present. They all came to offer their congratulations, and the scale of the visitors was quite impressive.

Now Jia Cong has passed the imperial examination and won the top prize, becoming an extremely rare outlier among the children of noble and wealthy families.

In the eyes of outsiders, the East and West Mansions of the Jia family, because of Jia Cong, have become both civil and military masters. They are unique among the old families of meritorious service and are becoming increasingly impossible to ignore.

Even a woman in the inner court like Wang Xifeng could not see things so clearly.

But with her many years of experience in managing household affairs, she could predict that the guests coming to congratulate her today would be even more grand and complicated than the day when Jia Cong inherited the hereditary title.

Wang Xifeng got up early that day and heard Lin Zhixiao's wife coming in to report something, so she just asked her to be careful in dealing with it.

She was only discussing with Ping'er and Wu'er the details of the guests' different family backgrounds, how to arrange the seats for the banquet, how to be the host to receive them, which side hall to go to and serve tea, etc.

For a noble family like the Rongguo Mansion, the most important thing when entertaining guests is the etiquette of welcoming and seeing off guests. No carelessness is allowed, otherwise it will ruin the reputation of the noble family and make them a laughing stock among outsiders.

Wang Xifeng prepared the birthday ceremony for Lady Jia every year, so naturally she knew all the intricacies of this matter very well.

Since she had difficulty moving around, she naturally had to explain everything to Wu'er and Ping'er, and asked Wu'er to write down the rules so that they could be used.

According to the number of guests who came to congratulate Jia Cong on the day he inherited the title of Rongguo, including the number of guests who came to congratulate him for several days in a row, the number of guests and their wives who came to congratulate him this time must be at least four or five hundred people, and no more, no less.

In the first few days, there were no less than twenty tables of banquets every day. Such complicated guest reception affairs could easily go wrong if not carefully planned in advance.

In the past, Wang Xifeng would start planning for Lady Jia's birthday a month in advance, but this time, she only knew about Jia Cong's success in the imperial examination one day in advance.

The three of them sat on the kang and discussed for a long time. It was already dawn outside, and they were afraid that it would not be long before the inner and outer courtyards would become bustling.

……

At this time, the door curtain outside was lifted, and Yuanyang came in with a smile on her face.

Wang Xifeng laughed and said, "Why did Miss Yuanyang come here so early?"

Yuanyang smiled and said, "It's nothing important, it's just that the old lady asked me to come here to tell her that the third master is very happy to have passed the imperial examination, and there have been many guests coming to the mansion to congratulate him in the past few days, so the work is very busy.

The old lady is worried that the second grandma is pregnant and can't work too hard. If she is really too busy, she can ask the second grandma to bring the eldest grandma to help. "

Wang Xifeng, Wu'er and Ping'er were all women with sharp minds. When they heard this, they immediately understood what Grandmother Jia was thinking.

Wang Xifeng felt amused. The old lady saw that the third son, Cong, was becoming more and more prosperous. She felt distressed and favored her youngest son, and was worried that the second wife would become increasingly neglected.

That's why the people from the second house were also asked to come out and do things, to save face for the younger son in front of and behind others.

The old lady may have simple ideas, and it is common for sisters-in-law to help, but if the second wife is asked to take care of it, I am afraid that my aunt's ideas are not simple. Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "The old lady does feel sorry for me, but although there are many guests this time, fortunately they will not come all day.

I have Lin Zhixiao and his wife outside, and Wu'er and Ping'er inside to help me, so I can still handle the work, but I dare not trouble the second wife, it would be inappropriate in terms of etiquette."

Yuanyang smiled and said, "Second Madam is right. It is only reasonable for Second Madam, the head of the family, to take charge of the Third Master's happy event of passing the imperial examination.

If an elder like the Second Madam were to be asked to work hard, it might even cause the Third Master to be gossiped about and accused of failing to behave like an elder.

If Second Madam is really too busy, you can send someone to call me and ask me to do the job. Wouldn't that be easier and less stressful? The old lady will definitely agree."

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "This is really nice to hear. Only a clever and insightful person like you can say it so logically. I would like to thank Miss Yuanyang in advance."

Yuanyang left with a smile. Wang Xifeng knew clearly in her mind that although Yuanyang was conveying the old lady's message, this girl was probably holding a grudge because her aunt had asked Baoyu to take her as a concubine.

Besides, Wang Xifeng was so perceptive that she would definitely see who Yuanyang was thinking about...

……

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

It was just dawn, and the girls and maids in the courtyard had all gotten up early. In the courtyard, inside and outside the corridors, and in front of the main hall doors, graceful figures were walking back and forth, pleasing to the eyes.

In the main room, Qingwen, who was on duty last night, was walking back and forth in the room, helping Jia Cong to dress and wash.

She did not get up in a hurry like she did in the past, but helped Jia Cong with her clothes scattered.

Instead, she got up before dawn, dressed herself up nicely, and then went to wake Jia Cong up.

While she was helping Jia Cong tie his hair into a bun, she saw Jia Cong looking radiant in the mirror, with a smile on her face that never faded.

Jia Cong said with a smile: "Qingwen, why are you so proud today? What good news did you get? Tell me about it so I can have fun too."

Qingwen smiled and said, "What good news could there be? Of course, Third Master has won the first place in the imperial examination. If Third Master is proud, I am proud too.

Yesterday the maids in the inner courtyard all said that in the past whenever they heard of a successful scholar, they would also say that the God of Literature had descended to the world, which was obviously all nonsense.

Every time the Imperial Examination Hall produces more than a hundred scholars, there are not so many Wenquxing stars in the sky. They are just boasting without any shame.

Like the Third Master, who always gets first place in the exams and can win the imperial examination, he is the reincarnation of the true star of literature."

Jia Cong laughed and said, "I think this is just bragging. A champion will appear every three years. It is impossible for Wenquxing to reincarnate once every three years. That would be too busy."

Qingwen was amused by Jia Cong's words and giggled, and the crisp and pleasant sound echoed in the room.

……

At this time, the front door was pushed open, and Zhishao came in with a copper basin of hot water, and said with a smile: "What good things are you talking about? Why are you so happy?

Qingwen, you have to get the Third Master dressed up, because he has to meet guests today."

Qingwen smiled and said, "Don't worry, Sister Zhishao, I promise to dress Third Master up properly and make sure that the ladies who come to congratulate him will be so dazzled by him that they will be stunned."

Jia Cong asked, "Yesterday we agreed to send a car to take you to see Master and Sister. Why aren't you leaving at this hour?"

Zhi Shao smiled and said, "Yesterday I thought the Third Master was just on the list, but who would have thought that he would be the first in the exam? Both the government offices were busy last night."

Wu'er went to the West Mansion early in the morning to take care of things, and he would have to go back to the Second Young Lady to help out later. Today, there would be a buffet at the East and West Mansions, and the inner courtyard would also have to entertain female relatives.

How could I go out for such a happy occasion? I had to stay and take care of it with my sisters, just to see how proud the Third Master was.

Yesterday afternoon, I sent a message to Muni Temple, and in a few days, my sister Xiuyan and I will go to see our master and senior sister.

It was a coincidence that the old woman who served my senior sister yesterday was asked by her to go to the city to purchase rice and grain, and she happened to hear the good news that the third master had won the first place in the imperial examination.

The person I sent to deliver the message also brought my sister to deliver the congratulatory invitation and gifts."

After saying this, Zhishao left the room and soon returned with an ebony box in her hand. The box was not brand new and the edges of the box were polished to a shine.

Zhishao took out a light blue embossed visiting card and a book of red-covered, white-backed letters from the box.

The first line of the visiting card reads: I wish Weiyuan Bocong will win the first place.

The bottom of the visiting card reads: Respectfully greeted by Miaoyu of Panxiang Temple.

The handwriting on the visiting card was elegant and beautiful, with a well-proportioned structure and a solid foundation. Jia Cong smiled and said, "Master Miaoyu is thoughtful."

Zhishao took the red-covered, white-bottomed booklet again and said with a smile, "This is the translation of the palm-leaf sutras from the Muni Temple that I copied by hand. I gave it to Third Master as a gift."

After hearing this, Jia Cong's expression straightened. He took the book with both hands and read it carefully. He saw that the book was filled with beautiful small characters. The handwriting was dignified and beautiful, with an elegant aura that was dazzling to the eyes.

Jia Cong was also an expert in calligraphy. When he saw the handwriting on the book, he couldn't help but praise it: "Master Miaoyu actually wrote such beautiful characters. I didn't know it before."

He was a man who knew handwriting and ink well. He saw that the ink on the first few pages of the book looked like it had been there for some time. The further he turned the pages, the fresher the ink became. The ink on the last few pages seemed to have been written just a few days ago.

For example, Miaoyu started writing this copy of the palm leaf scriptures a long time ago, and has been working on it sporadically, and has only recently finished copying it...

Zhi Shao smiled and said, "When I was in Gusu, I heard from the old nun in Panxiang Temple that my senior sister was also from a noble family and had been a disciple of the master since she was a child.

At the age of seven, she could write the plum blossom calligraphy in very neat small characters, and she was known as a talented girl since she was young. "

Jia Cong asked, "A seven-year-old girl can write plum blossom calligraphy in small characters. This is extremely rare even in ordinary official families.

Unless it is a family with a deep and rich family background, I wonder which family Master Miaoyu comes from?"

……

Zhi Shao shook her head and said, "I don't know about that. I only heard that Senior Sister was sickly when she was young, and she could only eliminate the disaster by converting herself into a disciple.

Now the root cause of her illness has been cured, but she has lost contact with her family, so she can only stay in the monastery and cannot leave.

A few years ago, my senior sister wanted to become a nun, but the master did not give her the precepts and only let her practice with her hair uncut.

It is said that when the senior sister had just entered the sect, people often came to visit her home, and each time they came they brought rich gifts, and it seemed that their family was extraordinary.

But after my sister turned thirteen, no one from her family came to visit her in the temple. I thought that must have been a sad thing for her, so I never asked her about it, and my master never mentioned it either."

After hearing what Zhishao said, Jia Cong remembered that last year when he sent Zhishao to Panxiang Temple, Miaoyu personally made tea for him, using extremely precious antique tea sets such as green jade bowls and rhinoceros cups.

If he had not been born into a very noble family, he would not have been able to have such a rare treasure.

In fact, Jia Cong has always been curious about Miaoyu's life experience, but after all, it is someone else's privacy, so he has no need to explore it.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "This ancient palm leaf scripture was passed down by ancient sages and carries the blessings of Buddha. Master Miaoyu's gift is both elegant and precious."

Zhi Shao smiled and said, "I think that last time Third Master gave Senior Sister a handwritten copy of the Heart Sutra, Senior Sister must have wanted to return the favor, so she copied this copy of the Palm Leaf Sutra as a gift in return." (End of this chapter)