Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

Yuanyang sat on a low stool and massaged Lady Jia's legs. She wore a long vest with a green collar and a navy blue collar, a light blue long skirt, and a pine green embroidered handkerchief tied around her waist.

Her pretty face is fair and soft, her eyes are clear as water, her nose is tall and delicate, her mouth is slightly pursed, and her pink lips have an alluring luster.

Although she lowered her head to massage Lady Jia's legs, she would occasionally glance at Lady Wang from the corner of her eyes, with a slight flicker in her eyes, as if there was a hint of dissatisfaction...

Mrs. Wang had just heard Qiu Wen's little words, and she was filled with shame, anger and resentment. She felt like she was sitting on pins and needles and was shaking with anger.

She was not in a hurry to go to Baoyu's courtyard to question and teach Xiren and Sheyue a lesson. There were only two maids from the second room around her, so she could clean up at any time.

Now the entire Second House has been squeezed out to the East Courtyard, with only Baoyu still living in Rongguo Mansion, allowing the Second House to retain a bit of dignity in front of outsiders.

But Jia Cong had already said this, which meant that he had already made up his mind. As long as he could find some excuse, he would definitely drive Baoyu out of the West Mansion.

Mrs. Wang really didn't expect that Jia Cong would be so vicious and mean, and he didn't show any respect for his family. It was a shame for her master to treat him like this.

But if Mrs. Wang told Jia Zheng about this, her master, who was pedantic and always protected Jia Cong, would probably say that what he said made sense.

Not only would I be furious, but my master would also be upset after hearing what I said.

After Baoyu gets married, don't let that boy come to drive him away. His master should go first and ask Baoyu to move back to the east courtyard.

Mrs. Wang was deeply obsessed with this. Having been the mistress of the Rongguo Mansion for fifteen years, she stubbornly believed that this was the natural right.

Jia Cong is just a playboy and illegitimate son, how can he be as noble as Baoyu? The current situation is nothing but a villain succeeding and occupying the magpie's nest, which is extremely shameless.

Even though the second house was moved to the east courtyard, Mrs. Wang remained determined.

She always felt that Baoyu was still in the West Mansion, and was closely involved with the Rong family. She had many thoughts in her mind, and she tried to save face in front of outsiders by covering her ears and stealing the bell.

She couldn't accept it no matter what, even Baoyu couldn't stay in the West Mansion.

Once it comes to this, the second branch will sever all ties with the main branch of the Jia family in terms of clan law and family affection, and will completely become a side branch.

All Mrs. Wang could think of was to tell the old lady about Jia Cong's rude words as soon as possible. Now in the Jia family, only Grandmother Jia has the final say, so Jia Cong would have some reservations.

So, as soon as she heard Qiu Wen's words, she told her to keep her mouth shut and not let the matter leak out at all, and then she hurried to Rongqing Hall to complain to Lady Jia.

……

When Mrs. Wang recounted to Lady Jia what Jia Cong had said that day with indignation, Lady Jia's face turned ugly after hearing it.

Although Yuanyang continued to massage Lady Jia's legs, she did not dare to show any expression of likes or dislike on her face, but she could not help but feel contempt in her heart.

This second wife was a housekeeper in the past and a woman of insight, but now she has become more and more unreasonable.
Even though he had a big courtyard on East Road to live in, he insisted on letting his son stay at his cousin's house. He didn't think it was shabby at all and even had the nerve to brag in front of the old lady.

Besides, every word that the Third Master said made sense, there was no mistake in it.

The second wife is so overbearing. She thinks she is precious and everyone else is just a nobody.

Others must be as unreasonable as her, only then can they be considered good people. As long as they do not meet her wishes, no matter whether they are reasonable or not, they are unforgivable.

Yuanyang had always served Lady Jia personally. Lady Wang knew that she was Lady Jia's trusted maid, so she was not shy about speaking to her. However, she did not know that she had a long-standing relationship with Jia Cong...

……

Mrs. Wang saw that Lady Jia's face was unhappy, and knew that she must be angry about Jia Cong's words, so she naturally added fuel to the fire and instigated her.

He said: "Although Cong is the head of the two families, it is the duty of all family heads to protect and care for their children.

He is totally different from the one who speaks contemptuously and insults his own brothers without any respect or decency.

Baoyu is also the legitimate grandson of the old Duke, not a bastard without any background! "

Yuanyang, who was standing by, heard the sarcasm in Mrs. Wang's words, and felt even more unhappy, biting her lip slightly.

After hearing what Lady Wang said, Grandmother Jia frowned and said, "What Cong said is unpleasant to hear, but you should be more careful with your words next time.

The current situation at home is no worse than before. Only when big things are turned into small things and small things are resolved can the family prosper and live in peace.

You know that he is also a bastard, so don't keep saying baseless things. If you get that kid's ears, it will only make him more uncomfortable."

Mrs. Wang was embarrassed when her mother-in-law revealed her true feelings. She said, "My wife just said it casually. It didn't mean anything..."

Grandmother Jia said: "Things are different now. He is no longer a bastard fostered in the second house. Now he holds two titles and is the head of two houses appointed by the emperor.

Even as his grandmother, I have to give him some respect. His mind is full of fame and officialdom, and he doesn't usually care about the trivial matters at home.

Ever since the second branch moved to the east courtyard, Baoyu has been staying with me, and I have never heard him say a word.

Now he has a sullen face and says these unpleasant words. If you think about it carefully, there is a reason for it. It's also your fault for being a little reckless recently."

……

Mrs. Wang felt a little aggrieved and said, "Madam, my master and I moved to the East Courtyard. We are always in the courtyard and are careful about what we say and do. How dare we be reckless?"

Grandmother Jia said, "Just a few days ago, you really shouldn't have beaten the third girl like that. I heard that she applied plaster for ten days, but it hasn't healed yet.

Everyone in the family knows that when Cong'er was still in the East Courtyard, the third girl was already good friends with him. Now that he still lives in the East Mansion, they sisters are closer than anyone else.

You beat the third girl in a panic, which made him lose face. With his personality, how could he not stand up for the third girl?

You are his elder, and he can't do anything to you. Why do you take out your anger on my Baoyu?

Originally, I thought that he favored the third girl, and he had great respect for Zheng'er.

Now that the Second Wife has these two things, even if I die in the future, he will never treat her badly, and my Baoyu will be able to live a peaceful life.

But you just happened to beat the third girl, and hurt the first and second wives.

I heard from the maids who travel between the two mansions that since the third girl injured her hand, Congge has been visiting her every day, and he even applies medicine to the wound himself.

You, as her stepmother, never even took a look at her or said anything nice to comfort her. Comparing the two, it seems that the third girl is more devoted to him.

I have raised my daughter for nothing, how can you expect her to side with the second wife in the future?"

……

After hearing what Lady Jia said, Mrs. Wang felt a little cold in her heart. She felt that what Lady Jia said made some sense, but she was not convinced.

Originally, she tacitly agreed to Tanchun's long-term residence in the East Palace, and her plan was similar to that of Lady Jia.

But that time when she scolded Tanchun, this damn girl was willing to sacrifice her life to protect that boy, she was so angry that she didn't care about the severity of her attack...

After hearing what was said, Lady Jia scolded her daughter-in-law for a while, and then stopped while she was ahead.

He said: "Brother Cong is very thoughtful, otherwise he would not be so outstanding at such a young age.

He said these cold and harsh words to Xiren because he wanted Xiren to come back and tell him about it, stir up trouble, embarrass you, and vent his anger on the third girl.

Fortunately, Xiren had some sense and did not bring up this matter when she came back. According to what you just said, Musk Moon is actually a very insightful person. She is really a good girl.

You should not always value those false reputations. Some words can be said as long as they are kept to a minimum and no trouble is caused. Just pretend that they were never said and live your life in peace."

After hearing what Lady Jia said, Mrs. Wang couldn't help feeling depressed. Those two maids deceived their master, but when the old lady said it, they still had some sense?

She said, "Madam, according to what you said, after Baoyu gets married, won't he really have to move out of Rongguo Mansion?

I originally thought that the old lady only loved Baoyu, and after Baoyu got married, the young couple should be filial to him, which is the right way of filial piety. "

Grandmother Jia said, "Although Cong's words are unpleasant to hear, there is nothing wrong with their logic. I can't force it at that time, otherwise it will be bad if it spreads outside."

After hearing what Lady Jia said, Mrs. Wang felt a chill in her heart. She struggled so hard, but could the second house still have such an embarrassing ending?

……

Grandmother Jia continued, "Although this is the principle of family etiquette, there are always different feelings in the world. I love Baoyu the most, so naturally I want him to live a decent life in the future.

Now that Feng girl has given birth to a child, it is an excellent time. She gave birth to a girl, but also the eldest daughter of the Jia family.

Now that Lian'er is not at home, according to the old rules of our family, I will naturally help Feng raise this child.

Baoyu is going to get married at the end of the year. The girl from the Xia family is beautiful and has a body that is suitable for bearing children. After a year or so of marriage, the second wife will most likely have a child.

Since I have raised Feng girl's child, I naturally cannot favor one over the other. I will also have to educate Baoyu's son. It will be really lively then."

When Mrs. Wang heard this, her eyes suddenly brightened up. She immediately understood what Grandmother Jia meant and thought that the old lady was smart after all.

According to family etiquette, after Baoyu got married, he had a wife and female relatives around him, and there were rumors inside and outside that he had to move out of the Rongguo Mansion.

But when my Baoyu gives birth to a child in the future, it is only natural for the old lady to take him to her side to raise him.

Because the old lady was the wife of a super-ranking duke, educating the children in the family was to bring honor to the children, which was a common practice among the wealthy families in the Great Zhou.

Even though Lin girl is the granddaughter of her mother's family, she was still raised by the old lady for many years.

Baoyu's child is the legitimate grandson of the second wife, the legitimate great-grandson of the old lady, and he is not yet old enough to dance elephants, so he can be raised in Rongguo Mansion openly. This is something that can be explained in the patriarchal family etiquette.

Baoyu's son was brought up in Rongguo Mansion, and Baoyu and his wife would have to visit Xifu frequently. After all, the second branch of the Jia family could not break away from Zhengsu...

……

Mrs. Wang smiled and said, "It is really a great blessing for Baoyu to be favored by the old lady."

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, “I am an old person, and the things I care about most are the friendship between brothers, the smooth flow of the family, and the prosperity of the ancestral business.

I will love and educate the grandchildren of both houses, so that the next generation of blood can be connected in harmony, and after I am a hundred years old, Baoyu can live a peaceful life. "

Mrs. Wang smiled and said, "You are old and wise, and you think it through very carefully."

Grandmother Jia laughed again and said, "There is no need to waste your energy on other trivial matters nowadays, except that after Baoyu gets married, he should raise a son and a daughter as soon as possible.

This is the most important matter for the Second House, and you should focus more on it."

After being scolded and beaten by Lady Jia, although Mrs. Wang was still a little unsatisfied, she felt more secure and reliable.

She chatted with Lady Jia for some more gossip and then went to walk around Baoyu's room again.

After all, Mrs. Wang came to see her son, but she happened to come because Wang Xifeng was giving birth that day, and there was also the matter of Qiu Wen delivering the message, so she had already been delayed for a long time.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Baoyu Courtyard.

Qiu Wen passed on some words to Mrs. Wang, who praised and praised her. She felt that she had more support and returned to the yard contentedly.

Seeing that Musk Moon still had a cold face, Xiren and Caiyun also looked unhappy, as if they were full of worries. In short, they did not look happy to him.

She felt more and more dissatisfied in her heart, thinking about what she had just said to the mistress. The mistress seemed very angry at Xiren and Musk Moon for deceiving her master.

These two damn girls are about to be killed, yet they are still looking at me with disdain. They really don't know how to live or die.

When they are punished by the Madam and lose their momentum in the Second Master's room, it will be their turn to be proud. Who knows, the Madam may even give them to the Second Master...

Just when Qiu Wen was feeling somewhat complacent, she saw Madam Wang walking into the yard. She couldn't help but feel delighted and hurried to greet her.

Mrs. Wang seemed too busy to pay attention to her and went straight into Baoyu's room.

Just then, Baoyu was leaning on the bed, flipping through a book. He looked tired, and even the circles under his eyes were a little dark.

When Mrs. Wang saw her son's expression, her face changed and she said distressedly, "Baoyu, why do you look so unhappy?"

……

Last night Baoyu finally got the chance to spend time with Caiyun, who had been in the yard for a long time and had aroused his interest. He was extremely happy.

Caiyun had offered tea to Lady Jia and naturally knew that this was only a matter of time. Although she had some natural resistance, she was mostly half-hearted.

As soon as she entered the room, Baoyu kept pestering her and soon stripped her clothes off.

But Baoyu came with such force that after some indecent assault, he was never able to enter the port and accomplish his goal.

Although Caiyun is an innocent girl, she understands that her husband is a useless person.

The two of them argued and procrastinated for most of the night, and Caiyun was almost falling asleep from the tossing and turning, but Baoyu was still scratching his head to no avail.

Poor Caiyun, the smart and graceful girl, entangled with Baoyu in bed for most of the night, and finally almost fell asleep, but she was still unharmed...

It was not until the sky was slightly bright that Baoyu, who was at his wit's end, covered his ears and stole the bell, and fell asleep in his arms around Caiyun.

But he was filled with raging anger and had no place to vent it, so he couldn't sleep well. Caiyun, on the other hand, slept quite soundly, which made people laugh and cry.

Baoyu had been tossing and turning all night, so he was naturally tired and in a good mood.

……

When he saw Mrs. Wang asking about it, he remembered his own embarrassing and useless experience. How could he, who claimed to be innocent, have the face to talk about it?

He could only make up excuses to deal with it, but Mrs. Wang was an experienced woman and would not be fooled by him.

She asked her son a few more questions, and saw that Baoyu looked embarrassed, evasive, and never told the truth.

Mrs. Wang was confused, so after leaving Baoyu's room, she called Xiren to the side room to question her.

He asked, "Xiren, Baoyu has always looked healthy and never looked like this today. What happened?"

Xiren hesitated a little, thinking of Caiyun's words in the morning. It was just that the matter was difficult to talk about, so she hesitated whether to speak.

Mrs. Wang saw that Xiren was not as gentle and articulate as before. Not only did her speech stutter, but her face also blushed and her expression was very strange.

She knew that her son was over the age of dancing elephants, and that a woman had just entered the room. Mrs. Wang was an experienced woman and she immediately connected the dots.

He asked, "Who was on duty for Baoyu last night? You or Caiyun?"

Xiren said quickly, "It's Caiyun who's on night duty."

Mrs. Wang's face was filled with anger. She said, "Is it because Caiyun has no sense of propriety and serves Baoyu without restraint that he is in such a state?"

When Xiren heard this, her face changed drastically, knowing that this matter could no longer be concealed.

Even if she didn't say it herself, as long as the Madam turned around and asked Caiyun, she would definitely tell everything since she was the Madam's maid.

If that happens, I will be blamed for deceiving my wife. It is better for me to tell you now so that I can be more clear-headed and avoid any future troubles.

He said, "Madam, the Second Master is not feeling well. Since I am still young and don't understand these things, I was a little suspicious, but I was not sure.

Last night was the first time Caiyun and Erye slept together. When she came out in the morning and told me about Erye’s bedroom situation, I realized that something really happened to him.

I wanted to report to my wife, but she happened to come over."

Mrs. Wang was also a lady who came over. When she heard what Xiren said, she guessed about 70% of the truth at once, and her face suddenly changed!

Xiren hurried to Mrs. Wang's ear and whispered something in her ear, telling her about Baoyu's strange behavior in bed.

Mrs. Wang's face turned pale instantly, and even though she was sitting in an armchair, she still felt dizzy.

She was an experienced woman, and although she had never encountered such a thing, she naturally had the necessary experience to understand the private conversations between women in the inner house.

According to Xiren, her son was clearly impotent, which would mean the end of his family lineage...

……

Mrs. Wang thought about what happened in Wang Xifeng's courtyard just now, and she was still laughing at Fengjie for going through so much trouble and only giving birth to a girl.

He also thought that his daughter-in-law, Xia Jingui, was attractive and could bear children. After Baoyu got married, she would surely add a child to the second wife's family and make him proud in front of the first wife.

Just now, when talking to Lady Jia in Rongqing Hall, they were discussing that since Baoyu had a child, the involvement between the Second House and Rongguo Mansion would become inseparable.

Now all this has become a huge joke. Since Baoyu has this disease, how can he have any offspring?
Baoyu is about to marry Miss Xia. Once the young couple go to bed, nothing can be hidden. This marriage will become a scandal. How can the Xia family let it go?

What Mrs. Wang thought of was far more than that. If Baoyu's problem became known, not only would they, mother and son, be ashamed.

If Baoyu has no children in the future, but Huan'er does give birth to an heir, Aunt Zhao will climb over her as the mistress. What will happen then?

If the old lady knew about this, even if she doted on Baoyu, she would probably become estranged from him from then on.

That old man would be sad that his descendants could not inherit his bloodline, not to mention that he would pull the second branch to power in the future, or even get his hands on the first branch's wealth and titles...

All of Mrs. Wang's ambitions were based on Baoyu's favor in the Jia family, but if her son were to be castrated, all of this would be in vain.

When she thought of these terrible consequences, she trembled slightly and felt a chill all over her body, as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

Without much thought, she decided to keep the matter secret and not let anyone know about it.

He asked, "Besides you and Caiyun, has anyone else told this matter?"

Seeing Mrs. Wang's fierce expression, Xiren couldn't help but shudder with fear. She could think of what Mrs. Wang could think of...

He quickly said, "Don't worry, Madam. Caiyun and I know the seriousness of the matter and have never revealed a word to anyone else."

Mrs. Wang breathed a sigh of relief and said sternly, "This matter concerns Baoyu's reputation for the rest of his life. You and Caiyun must keep your mouth shut and not reveal a single word!

If the news leaks out and ruins Baoyu and the second wife's reputation, we will all be dead!"

Xiren was so frightened that her face turned pale, and she swore to Mrs. Wang that she would never reveal a single word.

The two were discussing how to find a doctor for Baoyu and cure his illness when they suddenly heard some noise outside.

Mrs. Wang's face changed, and Xiren quickly opened the door to see that the corridor outside the side room was empty and no one was walking around... (End of this chapter)