Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

The morning sun in the east was bright and clear, casting golden-red shadows on the corridor of the main house. As time passed, the glazed window frames were gradually covered with fiery red, and the surroundings were filled with vitality.

Jia Cong stood up and lifted the bed curtain, and saw Yinglian had put on her skirt and was sitting in front of the dressing table combing her hair in front of the bronze mirror.

Yinglian heard the bed curtains fluttering, turned around and saw Jia Cong getting out of bed, and said with a smile: "Master, please sit down for a while, I will be ready soon."

Jia Cong saw that she had combed her waist-length hair into a smooth black bun. Her two small hands shuttled back and forth, and in a few moments she had tied her long black hair into a bun, which looked quite magical.

Seeing Jia Cong staring intently, Yinglian smiled and said, "Master, is combing hair so beautiful? Is it worth looking at it so carefully?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I just find it strange that a girl's hair is so complicated, and combing her hair looks harder than writing an essay, how come you can do it so easily?"

Yinglian smiled and said, "What's so strange about this? In the past, life was hard. Girls next door didn't grow their hair until they were ten years old. I started growing my hair when I was six to work, so it's easy for me to comb my hair every day."

Jia Cong thought of Yinglian who was abducted and sold as a child and had to start doing housework at a very young age, and her life was not easy. His heart softened a little when he thought of this.

Yinglian giggled and said, "Young Master likes to watch people combing their hair. I will comb my hair for you to watch every day."

Jia Cong couldn't help pinching her earlobe and said with a smile, "It's a deal."

Yinglian was helping Jia Cong comb his hair. The two were chatting and laughing when Qingwen pushed the door open and walked into the room, holding a freshly ironed Jinshi gown in her hand.

Today, the Ministry of Rites is holding a banquet to celebrate the success of the imperial examination. It is an official banquet to celebrate the success of the scholars and is also a symbol of the prosperity of the scholars' careers.

Daiyu was born into a family of top scholar, so she was more familiar with this kind of thing. She had mentioned it many times in the past two days, and Yingchun had also reminded them several times, so the girls and maids around Jia Cong did not dare to be careless.

After Qingwen helped Jia Cong put on his Jinshi robe, Zhishao came in with a copper basin of hot water, wrung out a hot towel and handed it to Jia Cong for washing his face.

Jia Cong saw that Zhishao's face was as smooth as jade, her eyes were as clear as autumn water, and she was indescribably pretty and elegant. In her bun was a gold hairpin with kingfisher feathers and ruby, which shone with a restrained pearly luster and was gorgeous and noble.

She smiled and said, "Zhishao, your hairpin is really beautiful."

Qingwen, who was standing by, said with a smile, "I have seen this hairpin several years ago. It was a treasure from the old lady's bottom of the box, so it must be beautiful."

Jia Cong knew that Qingwen had been Jia's mother's maid, so what she said was certainly correct. He also immediately thought of the origin of the hairpin...

Zhishao's pretty face turned red, and she said to Qingwen, "You are so quick to speak. I see that this hairpin is cheerful and lively, and it must be a good day for the Third Master these days, so he wore it."

Jia Cong went over to help Zhi Shao straighten the gold hairpin on her bun and said, "It looks really good when you wear it. You should wear it all the time from now on."

Seeing the two of them behaving intimately, Qingwen raised the corners of her mouth slightly, as if a little jealous. Yinglian was gentle in nature, and just laughed, not caring.

……

By the time Jia Cong had gotten dressed, Wu'er had already prepared breakfast in the main hall, and everyone sat around to eat.

Jia Cong suddenly asked, "Wu'er, you were busy in the West Mansion yesterday. What did you say about Baoyu later?"

Wu Er said, "At that time, the Third Master was entertaining guests in Songxuan Hall, so he didn't know what happened.

Xiaohong later told me that she was instructed by the Third Master to report back to the old lady.

Unexpectedly, just after she finished speaking, Master Bao suddenly had hysteria and fainted. The old lady and the second wife were both at a loss.

Fortunately, the second wife of the Shi family knew what was going on. She said that Master Bao had fainted only because he had been kneeling for too long and was not seriously injured.

But the maids were unable to lift Master Bao, so Lin Zhixiao's wife had to find a strong servant from the outer courtyard to carry Master Bao back to his own courtyard.

I heard that not long after Master Bao entered the room, the maid put a cold towel on his face, but he woke up after a few casual touches, so it shouldn't be a big deal.

The Second Wife sent a maid to check, and when the maid entered the yard, she happened to hear Caiyun talking.

She complained that Third Master didn't come earlier. If only Third Master had spoken, Second Master Bao would have been spared the punishment of kneeling and wouldn't have to suffer so much."

After hearing this, Qingwen raised her eyebrows and said in a choking voice, "This Caiyun used to be smart, but after following the Second Madam for so many years, she has become confused. Look at the nonsense she said.

The affairs of Rongqing Hall cannot be kept secret. Yesterday was the Third Master's wedding day, but Second Master Bao was talking nonsense in the hall, saying that the Third Master's passing the imperial examination and becoming a Jinshi were all vulgar things.

This is not only destroying our Third Master's reputation, but also humiliating us. And yet we are still asked to save him. This is also making us slap ourselves in the face. Outsiders will think that we are as confused as him.

If the Third Master really wants to help him, outsiders will definitely say that the Third Master is a..."

When Qingwen said this, her pretty face turned a little red and she swallowed the rest of her words.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Outsiders will definitely say that the Third Master is a fool. Is that what you mean?"

Everyone at the table burst into laughter at Jia Cong's joke. Qingwen's pretty face flushed, and she was about to cry. She said, "Third Master, I didn't scold you. You said that yourself..."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "What a good girl, not only is she eloquent, but she is also quite sensible. You are right, Third Master must not be a fool."

When Qingwen heard Jia Cong's praise, she immediately changed from worry to joy and said, "Third Master, I finally waited for you to praise me once."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "That's my fault. I will definitely praise you often in the future."

Everyone in the room burst into laughter again. Qingwen was not convinced and said, "The Third Master is just kidding again. He doesn't sound sincere..."

……

Rongguo Mansion, Baoyu Courtyard.

Baoyu was lying on the bed. Although he looked listless, his complexion was still normal.

Grandmother Jia and Mrs. Wang were sitting nearby, watching Zhang Youshi treating Baoyu's red and swollen knee.

Zhang Youshi is now known as a miracle doctor in Rongguo Mansion. Two years ago, Jia's mother was sick in bed and dying because of the imperial edict issued by Jia Cong's biological mother. Thanks to Zhang Youshi's miraculous hands, she recovered.

A few days ago, Baoyu had a severe hysterical attack and was in a state of chaos. It was thanks to Zhang Youshi's unique acupuncture skills that Baoyu's illness was cured with just one needle.

In order to avoid bothering two masters with one matter, when Baoyu had another problem this time, Grandmother Jia naturally asked Zhang Youshi to treat him.

Yesterday, after hearing what Xiaohong said, Baoyu was so angry that he fainted. Because he was heavy and had a weak constitution, the maids could not move him, so they had to call a servant from the outer courtyard to carry him back to his room.

Because he had been kneeling at the entrance of Rongqing Hall for nearly two hours, his knees were red and swollen, and his legs were curled up when he was carried away, which frightened Mrs. Wang greatly.

After Baoyu was brought back to the house, Xiren and other maids used hot and cold compresses on him. After a long time, Baoyu's legs were finally straightened.

He had been spoiled since childhood, and in the past he always suffered the consequences when things got into trouble. Unexpectedly, Jia Zheng was busy entertaining guests yesterday, so he came up with a new way to discipline his son.

Such a severe injury to the knee was the most painful Baoyu had ever felt, so he kept groaning, which made Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang very distressed.

But when Baoyu saw Zhang Youshi coming to see the doctor, he felt a little scared unconsciously, and even stopped humming, as if he became strong immediately.

According to him, anyone who can treat illnesses in the world would flatter and falsely claim to be a miracle doctor. Most of them are people seeking fame and reputation, and there is something despicable about them.

Therefore, Baoyu was unwilling to bother with such a person and just let him examine the patient and leave.

I don't want this quack doctor to do the same thing as last time, stabbing my hand with a thick iron needle, which is disrespectful...

Zhang Youshi applied ointment on Baoyu's knees, then stood up and wrote out a prescription, asking someone to get the medicine according to the prescription, one dose a day.

Grandmother Jia asked, "Master Zhang, is Baoyu's knee okay?"

Zhang Youshi smiled and said, "Brother Xiaoshi has been kneeling for a long time, and his body is heavy, so his knees have been bearing too much weight, so he has injured his shin bones, which is why the swelling is difficult to go away.

But it's not a big deal. As long as you follow my prescription for external and internal application and rest in bed for half a month, you will be back to normal.

However, there is one thing that you must be careful about. Brother Shi, you must not kneel like this again within a month. Otherwise, if you get new injuries before your old ones heal, you may suffer sequelae. This is very important. It will be fine after a while..."

When Baoyu heard this, his face turned embarrassed and he felt indignant in his heart. I said that most people in the world claim to be miracle doctors, and my opinion is indeed correct.

What kind of bullshit is this Divine Doctor Zhang saying? He said that he can't make people kneel again within a month, but it will be fine after that. Does that mean he can make people kneel again after a month? This is bullshit...

After writing the prescription, Zhang Youshi said goodbye, as if he didn't want to stay any longer.

Baoyu was disgusted by him, and so was Zhang Youshi. He had seen many patients, but it was extremely rare to see someone like Master Bao in the Rongguo Mansion.

Sometimes he acts crazy and stupid, sometimes he kneels down with a broken knee. He is very idle all day long and has so many tricks up his sleeve.

When he saw Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang surrounding the bed, Mr. Bao's mouth suddenly twitched, as if he was full of grievances, which was frightening to see.

Zhang Youshi was worried that his hysteria would suddenly relapse. He didn't bring any acupuncture needles with him today. If he couldn't wake him up, it would ruin his reputation. There was no point in keeping him here for long...

After listening to Zhang Youshi's instructions, Jia Mu and Mrs. Wang knew that Baoyu's injuries were not serious, so they put their worries at ease. They also asked Xiren and other maids to serve him well, and then left.

After a while, Yingchun, Daiyu, Tanchun, Xiangyun and other sisters came to visit.

Originally Daiyu didn't want to come, but she couldn't make an excuse of being sick every time. Everyone saw that her complexion was getting better and better, so it would be too inappropriate even if she pretended to be sick.

If word got to my grandmother, it would be embarrassing. After all, we live in two different houses, and we have to consider the etiquette of cousins.

Baoyu was lying on his bed with a sad face and full of resentment, when he suddenly saw a beautiful figure swaying, her skirt fluttering in the wind. His sisters came to visit him, and his worry turned into joy.

When she saw Daiyu among the sisters, she was overjoyed. She was trying to think of some sweet words to say, but she found that she had nowhere to start.

Tanchun and Xiangyun sat on the stools beside the bed, which was considered to be a courtesy and closeness. Xiangyun was even more chattering, and came up with many topics.

Yingchun just stood behind Xiangyun, holding a box of Liaodong wild ginseng as a gift, so that Xiren could have time to replenish Baoyu's body.

There are still quite a few wild ginsengs from Liaodong in the East Palace storehouse. The sisters are all young and full of vigor, and it is difficult for them to use such tonic foods. Only Daiyu would use some when making medicines.

As for Daiyu, she was standing even further away than Yingchun, not far from the door, and looked as if she was ready to escape at any time, which made Baoyu feel quite sad.

Baoyu saw her fanning herself gently and saying nothing. Only when Musk Moon came up to serve her tea did she smile and chat a few words. She did not seem like a visitor but rather someone who came to join in the fun.

Baoyu had so much to say from the bottom of his heart, but he had nowhere to vent. He complained to himself, thinking, "My sister is still angry with me after all..."

Xiangyun was still talking about all sorts of things when she suddenly thought of something and changed the subject, saying, "I've heard of the Enrong Banquet before, but I've never seen anyone go there. Today, Third Brother went there, which makes me really envious.

This is a banquet hosted by the Emperor. The food must be dragon liver and phoenix marrow. I don’t know what it tastes like. When Third Brother comes back, I will ask him to tell me about it so that I can learn more..."

Yingchun smiled and said, "Sister Yun, why do you have to wait for Brother Cong to come back and ask? Uncle Lin has also attended the banquet, so Sister Lin must know the truth."

Xiangyun smiled and said, "How could I have forgotten this? Sister Lin must have heard it from Uncle Lin. Tell us about it."

Daiyu and her sisters came to visit Baoyu, originally just for the sake of occasion and to be polite on the surface, but they really didn't want to talk much, for fear of offending Baoyu.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have entered the house, not only standing far away, but also not talking to the sisters.

Seeing Xiangyun laughing and talking, he smiled and said, "I haven't asked my father what happened at the Enrong Banquet.

However, my mother was good at painting. She had heard my father talk about attending the Enrong Banquet, and she painted a picture of Enrong attending the banquet in the first year of Jiazhao based on it. It has been kept in my camphor wood box.

The painting is very detailed. If Sister Yun is interested, come to my room and take a look later."

Tanchun, who was listening to what Xiangyun and Daiyu were saying, thought to herself that it was bad. Why did the two sisters only talk about this topic?

Tanchun has always been a thoughtful person and knows best that Baoyu has such a worry.

His elder brother had lived a carefree and wealthy life since childhood, and was doted on by the old lady and the wife. He had never had the perseverance to concentrate on his studies, and was forced to study by the master, which led to his strange temper of slandering scholars.

All the troubles that had happened over the years were related to this incident. Even when he was punished to kneel down and fainted today, it was because of this problem.

Sister Xiangyun is open-minded and speaks whatever comes to mind. She has no taboos and doesn't mind saying anything. But she just happened to talk about the Third Brother's Enrong Banquet...

Tanchun turned her head to look at Baoyu's expression and saw that his face was starting to turn pale and his eyes were a little red. She couldn't help but become more worried.

……

When Baoyu saw his sisters coming to visit, including Daiyu, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, he was very happy.

She felt that her suffering had attracted the attention and care of the sisters, and even Sister Lin came over, so all the suffering was worth it.

As long as it could be like this in the future, he would be willing to die for these people...

But he was only intoxicated for a moment, as Daiyu turned away from him and he became indifferent to her. At this moment, he was feeling sad and resentful as usual, and was feeling uncomfortable.

Shi Xiangyun suddenly talked about the Enrong Banquet, which only Jinshi degree holders could attend. How could Baoyu not be filled with contempt and feel heartbroken?

What made Baoyu even more sad was that no matter whether it was Sister Yun or Sister Lin, they were both so enthusiastic when talking about these career matters, which made people sad and desperate.

Xiangyun continued to laugh and said, "I have heard at home that Auntie is an extraordinary person. She was a famous talented woman before she got married. She is not only proficient in poetry and prose, but also a master of painting.

I must take a look at this picture of Enrong attending the banquet that Sister Lin mentioned."

Seeing that Baoyu's face was becoming increasingly ugly, Tanchun felt a little scared, fearing that he would start making trouble again, which would be difficult to deal with.

He said quickly, "Since sister Xiangyun is so curious, why don't you go back with sister Lin to take a look? I will accompany my second brother to talk back, and I will also go to see the rare painting later."

At this time, Yingchun also noticed that Baoyu's face looked strange, and she immediately understood what Tanchun meant. She thought about how Baoyu had made a big fuss because of Daiyu's words last time, and she couldn't let this happen again.

She hurried out to smooth things over, saying, "Brother Cong is not at home today, and there will be many guests coming to the East Palace to celebrate, and there are still many things to take care of.

Brother Bao, take good care of yourself. I will come to see you in a few days. Sister Yun, since you want to see the paintings, come back with me."

Xiangyun also felt that the atmosphere was not right at this moment. Yingchun pulled her sleeve and she stood up in a daze.

In just a moment, Yingchun and Daiyu took the confused Xiangyun out of Baoyu's room with unusually light steps.

Baoyu had been brewing a lot of grief and indignation to speak out, and he wanted to tell his sisters about his true feelings, so that they would stop before it was too late and not fall into the trap and indulge in the flattery of Jia Cong and other successful officials.

Just as he was about to start speaking, the sisters all left like a gust of wind as they had something to do.

Lin Daiyu was closest to the door and left the fastest without even saying goodbye.

Baoyu felt that he had a heart full of emotions, but it was like a punch on cotton. The world was vast and everything was empty.

Even his sister Lin has left, who can he tell these words to...

……

The Yamen of the Ministry of Rites.

This morning, at the time of Chen, the main roads leading to the Ministry of Rites were filled with elite imperial guards in distinctive armor, who closed the street entrances and guarded the roads along the way.

At 1:00 am, the emperor's procession set out from the Meridian Gate, passing through the north-south central axis of the capital, all the way to the Ministry of Rites.

The Enrong Banquet was a banquet given by the emperor to honor newly-appointed Jinshi (Jinshi) who passed the imperial examinations. In the Song Dynasty, it was also called the Qionglin Banquet because it was held in the royal garden Qionglin Garden.

The Enrong Banquet is the finale of the imperial court's spring examination ceremony. It is also a symbol of honor for students who have passed the imperial examination. It has been the honor that earnest students have longed for for thousands of years.

Although the Great Zhou Enrong Banquet was a banquet granted by the emperor, according to convention the emperor did not attend the banquet in person. Instead, royal nobles or imperial ministers hosted and attended the banquet on his behalf.

However, every time the Emperor's Banquet was held, the emperor's ceremonial guard would parade out of the palace and stop at the Ministry of Rites to show that the emperor was present in person.

The emperor's ceremonial procession set out from the Meridian Gate, led by the emperor's six-horse carriage with a yellow silk umbrella with nine dragons shining on it. Behind the carriage were dozens of Han generals, each holding a dragon banner, dragon flag, golden axe, golden melon, golden axe and other ceremonial flags.

Following closely behind the Emperor's procession was Prince Kangshun's carriage with four horses. He was the master of ceremonies appointed by the Emperor to preside over the banquet.

Following Prince Kangshun's carriage came the cabinet grand secretaries Wang Shilun and Cai Xiang, and then the four ministers of the six ministries, the academicians of the Hanlin Academy, and the heads of the departments of each ministry who were of the fourth rank and above.

Officials have always had a strict hierarchy, and there are strict regulations on the order in which all officials attend banquets, and there cannot be any encroachment.

After Prince Kangshun arrived, all other officials were not allowed to ride in carriages. Even the cabinet ministers and the six ministers had to walk slowly behind the emperor and the prince.

After the officials' queue are the 300 Jinshi candidates of this year's exam. The order of all the Jinshi candidates is strictly determined according to their ranking on the list.

The people walking at the front of the group of Jinshi were the top scorer Zhang Wenxu and the third place winner Chen Qirui, but there was no sign of the second place winner Jia Cong.

Among the three hundred new Jinshi, only Jia Cong was an outstanding exception; even the top scorer Zhang Wenxu was inferior to him.

Because at the ceremony, Jia Cong was awarded the fifth-rank Hanlin lecturer, an important official title, and was the first of the 300 successful candidates in this imperial examination.

Therefore, he was not among the three hundred Jinshi scholars, because due to the official system and etiquette of the Great Zhou Dynasty, a fifth-rank Hanlin scholar was ranked above a fourth-rank Beijing official!
The procession of officials attending the Banquet of Honor and Respect set out from the Meridian Gate, passed the north-south central axis official road, crossed Hanzheng Street, and arrived at the Ministry of Rites.

Along the way, countless passers-by gathered to watch the grand spectacle. No matter they were the onlookers or the officials attending the banquet, their eyes were all attracted by the scene and they were amazed and shocked.

In the impressive procession of officials, behind the three ministers of the six ministries, stood Jia Cong, dressed in the ceremonial robe of a Jinshi, with extraordinary grace. He stood in the same line with Hanlin scholar Ge Hongzheng, walking in front of all the fourth-rank officials.

On this day, a new and eye-catching fulcrum appeared in the entire officialdom of the Great Zhou Dynasty... (End of this chapter)