Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, East Courtyard.

When Mrs. Xia heard the news in court, she was also shocked and thought that Jia Cong was truly a man of great talent and great fortune.

A few days ago, he not only won the first place in the imperial examination, but was also promoted by the emperor. Not long after, he actually won the first-class Jinshi degree.

Such a person who has so much glory and is the best in everything is really unheard of. It is rare in the world that he still looks like a real person. No wonder my daughter is so obsessed with him after only seeing him a few times...

Mrs. Xia secretly rejoiced in her heart that today was the day of the engagement between the two families. According to custom, men and women were not allowed to meet each other before they got married, so her daughter did not come to the Jia Mansion today.

Otherwise, if she encountered such a situation, given her daughter's obsession with Jia Cong, she would probably lose her composure and cause trouble on the spot...

Although Mrs. Xia was worried, her expression was still warm.

He smiled and said, "To pass the imperial examination is like the God of Literature descending to earth. It is a great honor. I really want to congratulate Master Jia.

It is widely rumored in the capital that the Earl of Weiyuan is a man of both civil and military talents, and a young talent. I heard it with my own ears today, and it is indeed true that his reputation is well-deserved.

I have often heard that Weiyuan Bo was raised in the second branch of the Jia family. His current glory must be due to the careful teaching of Master Jia since he was a child."

Mrs. Xia was a shrewd person. When she chatted with Mrs. Wang, she had heard some of the connections between the second house and Jia Cong. Just now, when Jia Zheng heard the good news that Jia Cong had passed the imperial examination, he was so happy from the bottom of his heart.

Everyone knew what Jia Zheng was thinking. He naturally just said nice things to please the emperor, and the fancy sedan chair was carried very neatly.

Jia Zheng was quite pleased to hear what Mrs. Xia said, and he also felt that this relative was a sensible person.

He stroked his beard and smiled, "Brother Cong has been very talented since he was young. He studies very hard. He is unmatched among the children of the Jia family. He has always been my favorite and I have always taken the most care of him since he was young.

But he was able to achieve what he has today thanks to the careful teaching of Master Jing'an. As the saying goes, a good teacher produces good students, and it is really true."

Mrs. Xia was a businesswoman, and Jin Wanliang knew her best, but he had never heard of Jing'an Gong. He guessed that he must be Jia Cong's tutor.

At this time, Jia Zheng's thoughts drifted a little, and he suddenly thought that Jia Cong's current achievements were largely due to his having a famous teacher.

If my own Baoyu could also be taught by Master Jing'an, maybe he would have a bright future...

However, even he himself did not quite believe what he said. Not to mention whether Baoyu could accomplish anything, it would be ridiculous to ask Emperor Wenzong, the sage of learning, to accept a disciple who could not even recite the Four Books.

In those days, Jia Cong won the first place in the Yongzhou Academy Examination and was accepted as a disciple by Master Jing'an. This shows how broad the vision of this old Emperor Wenzong was.

He glanced at Baoyu beside him. On his wedding day, he still had a strange expression of dissatisfaction on his face. He really didn't know what was going on. He immediately felt a little ashamed and gave up the idea of ​​Baoyu becoming his disciple.

No matter what, Rongguo produced a young man like Jia Cong, who not only made a fortune through imperial examinations and passed the imperial examinations, but also ranked first and second in the imperial examinations. Jia Jing from the Ningguo lineage was far inferior to him.

Thinking of this proud thing, her disappointment with her son Baoyu was temporarily overshadowed.

At this time, deafening firecracker sounds were heard from the direction of the east and west governments. It was probably because Jia Cong passed the imperial examination and the two governments were setting off firecrackers to celebrate.

Jia Zheng looked delighted, and Tanchun was also smiling, but only Mrs. Wang looked as if she was trying hard to suppress her displeasure.

Mrs. Xia watched coldly from the side, and saw the relationship between the second house and Jia Cong more and more clearly.

Jia Zheng smiled and said to Tanchun, "Tan-girl, today is Baoyu's big day, and his in-laws are here, so my wife and I can't move around.

Cong'er is so happy, the two families will definitely be busy. All preparations for entertaining the guests need to be planned, and there will definitely be guests coming to congratulate tomorrow.

After a Jinshi passes the imperial examination, there will be a grand ceremony in the palace. He will be very busy these two days. My wife and I will be here. You can go to the East Palace to help Congge with the mundane affairs. "

Tanchun was delighted to hear this and said, "Master, this is very thoughtful. I will go over right away and help my third brother and second sister with the work."

Mrs. Xia, who was standing by, was also surprised when she saw this scene. The rumors outside were indeed true. Mr. Jia valued Jia Cong very much and treated him as his own son. He treated his own son Baoyu in the same way.

Today is Baoyu's engagement day. He heard that Jia Cong passed the imperial examination and was so happy that he felt as if he had passed the examination himself.

He was busy with his son's engagement and could not get away for the time being, so he sent his daughter to help Jia Cong with mundane affairs. This intimacy was extraordinary.

When the third girl heard that Jia Cong had passed the imperial examination, she was so happy that she didn't seem to be treating him like a cousin from another family, but rather like her own brother.

Mrs. Xia sighed in her heart, no wonder people often say that it is difficult to know what is going on unless you get in.

To Mr. Jia and the third lady, Jia Cong is like their own son and brother. Their closeness is extraordinary.

According to this calculation, Baoyu and Jia Cong are closer...

Mrs. Xia saw through the other party's family background and felt more and more proud. Her daughter fell in love with Jia Cong, but their reputation and status were totally incompatible.

After all, I was right. Although Baoyu had no fame or career, he had a great backer with such a father and sister.

If his daughter married Baoyu, not only would the Xia family's status be elevated, but she would also have a big tree to provide shade for her when she entered the house. This marriage was truly a great blessing.

After Mrs. Xia thought about this clearly, her words became more kind and polite. She also said some good things about how Mr. Jia had a good eye for talent and how the Jia family was full of talented people.

Jia Zheng was naturally very pleased to hear this, but Mrs. Wang's face froze, because she herself felt that the talented people in the family were not as good as her own Baoyu...

……

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

Baoyu and Miss Xia exchanged engagement letters. According to common sense, since Grandmother Jia doted on Baoyu so much, she would probably go to the East Courtyard in person to watch the ceremony.

But Grandmother Jia really couldn't do it, because today was also the happy day when Jia Cong passed the imperial examination, and with two grandsons' happy events happening at the same time, Grandmother Jia was really overwhelmed.

Despite her private favor for many years, even now, Baoyu is still the one that Grandmother Jia loves the most.

But things are different now. No matter how much you love him, Jia Cong is now the heir to the title of Jia family and the head of the Jia family appointed by the emperor.

Whether in public or in private, Grandmother Jia no longer dared to show her favor for Baoyu and ignore Jia Cong as she did in previous years, otherwise the spit of the world would drown her.

If Jia Cong's success in passing the imperial examination today is not as important as the engagement gift from the sidekick Baoyu, and Grandmother Jia turns a deaf ear to it, then justice will surely teach her the difference...

Therefore, she had to stay in Rongqing Hall today and wait for the news of Jia Cong's success in the imperial examination, otherwise it would be embarrassing for both her and others.

Grandmother Jia has been a duke all her life, so how could she not see the family situation clearly? Now, it is not Baoyu who is supporting her every day, but Jia Cong...

That morning, Grandmother Jia was alone in Rongqing Hall, feeling quite bored and even restless. Normally, her granddaughters would come to chat with her, but today none of them came.

Grandmother Jia knew clearly that her granddaughters were all close to Jia Cong and must be waiting in the East Mansion for the news of Jia Cong's success in the imperial examination, so she didn't care too much about it.

Now she was just thinking that today was Baoyu's engagement day, but she couldn't go there easily, and she felt a little anxious.

Thinking about what my grandson Baoyu would look like today, he would surely be dressed in gorgeous clothes, looking very happy and handsome.

Baoyu likes pretty girls the most. He must be very happy to know that he has married the beautiful Miss Xia...

Grandmother Jia was lost in thought with a smile on her face, when suddenly there was a deafening sound of firecrackers outside, which frightened her so much that all her thoughts about Baoyu disappeared without a trace.

Yuanyang, who was standing by, comforted her, "Don't be afraid, old lady. It's the East Palace that's setting off firecrackers. It's probably the Third Master's wedding. I'll go out and take a look and I'll know for sure."

Just after Yuanyang left, the sound of firecrackers became louder and louder, as if they were going to lift the sky apart. Jia's grandmother had lived in the West Mansion for most of her life, and she could hear that even the West Mansion had started to set off firecrackers.

Yuanyang ran into the hall with a happy face and said with a smile: "Old lady, I just went out and I met the second lady's maid Xiu Ju. She said that the third master passed the imperial examination and won the first place. Old lady is very happy."

Even though Grandmother Jia's mind was full of the noble family background and she never cared about studying for the imperial examinations, she knew that a first-class Jinshi was extremely rare. Only three of them appeared in the whole country in three years. Her grandson would really be a great talent.

She laughed and said, "Great, great, this is truly a great event. My Rongguo Mansion now has a Jinshi to support the family!"

...After a while, Yingchun, Daiyu, Xiangyun, Xichun and other sisters entered the hall to report the good news to Grandmother Jia. After a while, Tanchun also came from the east courtyard.

When Grandmother Jia heard the deafening sound of firecrackers outside and the lively atmosphere, and the granddaughters gathered around her, all of them spoke happily and had big smiles on their faces, she, who always liked joy, also felt happy.

She even put aside her thoughts about Baoyu's engagement for the time being...

Grandmother Jia asked Yingchun again, "Why didn't Cong come over?"

Yingchun smiled and said, "Brother Cong was going to personally tell the old lady the good news, but he just received an imperial decree from the palace and will go to the palace tomorrow to attend the grand ceremony.

As soon as the imperial envoy from the palace left, the officials from the Ministry of Rites arrived. Because Brother Cong is a first-class Jinshi, there are special rules for the grand ceremony tomorrow, and the officials from the Ministry of Rites are teaching etiquette, so he cannot come. "

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "This is a grand palace ceremony, a matter of honor, so we must be cautious. Let him do his own thing, and we women can just talk."

As the sound of firecrackers continued outside, Wang Xifeng, who was now heavily pregnant and had not been out for a while, also let herself be carried into the hall on a sedan chair.

As soon as she entered Rongqing Hall, she congratulated Lady Jia. She was more experienced than Yingchun and other sisters, and her words were warm and clever, which made Lady Jia happy.

Grandmother Jia said again, "Feng girl, now that Cong has passed the imperial examination, I'm afraid there will be many guests coming to celebrate these days."

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "What the old lady said is very true. This time Brother Cong has passed the imperial examination, which is even more glorious than the last time he won the first place.

It has been many years since we have heard of a family with military honors. If someone could pass the imperial examination and become the second place in the first class, those military generals and families with military honors would be so envious that their eyes would bleed.

Old lady, just watch. The thresholds of the two mansions are about to be trampled by people these days. Those high-ranking old nobles are so envious of you. "

Grandmother Jia was greatly amused by Wang Xifeng. She thought that in the next few days, the Rongguo Mansion would be filled with guests and would be extremely glorious and glorious. Many old relatives and family members would come to the hall to congratulate her.

When she thought of Gao Le's glorious style, she couldn't help but feel quite pleased.

He said, "Today is a really good day. Double happiness has come. Baoyu has been engaged, and Cong has passed the imperial examination. Our family is thriving. That's all."

Wang Xifeng felt a little amused when she heard this. After all, the old lady still doted on Baoyu the most, and she seemed to be saying foolish things again.

The fact that the third son of Cong passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi is naturally an honor for the family and the momentum is rising. Baoyu just married a merchant's daughter, which is not considered a prosperous one at all. These two things can't be compared...

Grandmother Jia added: "Perhaps our family hasn't had a wedding for many years, and now that Baoyu is having a wedding, we must make it lively and exciting.

Feng girl, now you are the eldest sister-in-law of the eldest son. You are the leader of the younger generations in the family, and you have watched Baoyu grow up.

You should also put some thought into his marriage and help to make it decent so that it can bring joy to the family."

Grandmother Jia's words were warm and affectionate, and it sounded as if she was just concerned about her grandson's marriage. However, as soon as she finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hall seemed to freeze slightly, but there seemed to be nothing unusual.

Among the people present, except Shi Xiangyun who is lively and cheerful and not fussy about trivial matters, and Xichun who is young and ignorant and does not understand the ways of the people, no one else is confused.

Not to mention that Wang Xifeng, Daiyu, Tanchun and others are smart and intelligent, even if Yingchun is gentle and docile, a woman with superb chess skills will not be a confused person, otherwise how can she manage the huge East Palace properly.

They all heard that there was something else behind Lady Jia's words. Logically, the eldest branch had inherited the title and the family business, and the second branch had moved to the east courtyard. Although the two branches were not completely separated, they had already established their own households.

Baoyu's marriage was arranged by Lady Wang, so it had nothing to do with Wang Xifeng...

After hearing what Lady Jia said, Wang Xifeng became even more clear-headed. The old lady had a hidden agenda in her words. Asking her to help with the arrangements meant that she wanted to allocate money from the public treasury to arrange Baoyu's marriage in a decent manner.

Although the eldest branch of the family inherited the title and family property, the older generation was still around, so it was reasonable for the Duke of Xifu to allocate money for Baoyu's marriage.

Wang Xifeng knew that the old lady would be unhappy as soon as she mentioned the two thousand taels.

Today is the big day when the third son of Cong passed the imperial examination. If this matter causes any resentment and ruins his mood, wouldn't it bring bad luck to him? He must deal with this matter another day.

I always have to find another excuse to interrupt the conversation, so that the old lady won't get to the bottom of it...

Wang Xifeng said with a smile: "Now Baoyu has just been engaged. I wonder if the wedding date will be chosen by the old lady and the second lady?"

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "Baoyu has just passed his fifteenth birthday, so he should take some more rest. It is hot now, and in a few months it will be either dry and dry in autumn or snowy all day long, which is not the time for thawing.

Baoyu's mother and I have discussed that the best date would be the beginning of next spring, when the sun is shining and it is the right time for marriage."

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "There is still half a year left, which is still plenty of time. As Bao's sister-in-law, I will naturally do my best to help him get married. However, the old lady said that it is not right to have two happy events today.

In my opinion, it is a triple happiness. Although the other happiness is tomorrow, the days are close together, so it can also be counted as a triple happiness."

Seeing Wang Xifeng change the subject, Jia Mu was not able to react for a moment and asked, "I am really old and confused. I didn't expect that I would be happy for a moment."

Wang Xifeng laughed and said, "How could the old lady have forgotten that brothers Cong and Bao are both old enough to dance with elephants. According to the family rules, they must hold the ceremony of marrying into the family. The auspicious day chosen by the old lady is tomorrow, the twenty-fifth."

……

When Wang Xifeng said this, Daiyu, Tanchun, Xiangyun and others blushed and smiled at each other.

Only Yingchun looked calm. She opened her bright eyes and listened carefully to what Wang Xifeng and Lady Jia were saying next.

They all came from wealthy families and had been accustomed to seeing their fathers and brothers having many wives and concubines. They were already used to such family rules and did not care about them at all.

Since it was a common thing in the inner house of a wealthy family, Wang Xifeng spoke about it without hesitation, without shying away from mentioning her sisters.

Daiyu and others were already past 18, and when they heard such things, they felt a little shy subconsciously, but that was all.

As for Yingchun, she is Jia Cong's eldest sister. She now takes care of all the household affairs for Jia Cong. She cares a lot about the trivial matters of her brothers' upbringing. She has no selfish feelings in her heart, so naturally she doesn't care.

However, Yuanyang, who was standing next to Jia's mother, looked a little lost, with wandering eyes, and no one knew what she was thinking...

When Lady Jia saw that Wang Xifeng suddenly changed the subject and made it difficult for her to continue speaking, she felt a little unhappy.

But Wang Xifeng was clever with her words and changed the subject without leaving any trace. Besides, it was still early for Baoyu to get married, so there was no need to rush.

Besides, what Wang Xifeng was talking about was an important matter, so it was not appropriate for Grandmother Jia to continue to talk about it.

He laughed and said, "I am old and confused, and I can't remember this for a moment. If I say that the time was chosen by chance, it happened to be the day after Baoyu's engagement, which is a good omen for Baoyu."

After hearing this, Wang Xifeng laughed in her heart. The old lady was really getting confused, even though she valued Cong the Third Brother much more than before.

But deep down she still didn't know what was more important and still blindly favored Baoyu. On such a day, the fact that she thought of Baoyu first was a good omen.

Didn't she think that today was the day when Brother Cong passed the imperial examination and this day was just an unfortunate one? Wasn't this a better omen?
Others cannot see that her two grandsons are as different as heaven and earth. One is gold, and the other is rotten copper.

But the person the old lady cares about the most, loves and cherishes the most is still Baoyu.

If this old man has his mind set on the crooked path, there is really no point in reasoning with him. Even nine oxen cannot pull him back. And the older he gets, the more crooked he becomes.

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "The maids we have chosen are all the best in the family. I like them very much. Tomorrow our house will be very lively. Let's pick a good time and do the ceremony.

It's okay since Baoyu is about to get married.

But Cong is in mourning, so I'm afraid it will be delayed for several years, and every year is getting worse.

It is even more important to have a few more people in his room who he likes. Maybe he can have more children in the family sooner..."

After listening to what her grandmother said, Wang Xifeng thought that the people chosen by Jia Cong were indeed outstanding.

But the person chosen by my aunt for Baoyu is like the muddy water in a pottery jar. Only a ghost knows whether it is good or not... (End of this chapter)