Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Ningrong Street, Earl's Mansion, early in the morning, the sun has not yet risen and the sky is slightly bright.

Dengxian Pavilion faces an open space to the south, which is spacious and quiet. Figures move around with swords shining brightly, as graceful as startled wild geese.

This is a secluded place in Huifang Garden, and it is also where Jia Cong practices swordplay every day. In the past, because he had to go to the government office in the morning, he would practice swordplay after sunset every day when he returned home.

Because today is a day off for the court, we changed the practice to early morning.

Even though he is now an orthodox civil servant, a Hanlin scholar, he has a noble literary temperament and is an outstanding talent.

However, he never slacked off in his sword skills training since childhood, just as hard as he studied.

More than half a year ago, he had practiced Qu Hongxiu's secret sword technique to the point where the sword's aura could shake anything, thus consolidating his foundation and reaching the pinnacle of mastery.

After that, he practiced every day and made progress every month. Half of the letters between him and Qu Hongxiu were about asking for advice and pondering his experience.

A hundred steps south of this open space is a slope in the garden. On the slope is a unique courtyard. Buddhist flags on the eaves flutter in the morning breeze, and wind chimes under the corridor sound like Buddhist chants.

In front of the courtyard gate, there is a graceful and slender figure, wearing a Miaochang crown on her head and a vest with paddy green satin trim. She stands tall and slender on the edge of the slope, gazing quietly down the slope.

The soft morning breeze blew by, and the light ink-white silk skirt fluttered gently. The silver silk whisk held in the hand fluttered in the wind, and the thousands of threads lingered and could not be dispersed.

At this time, another graceful figure walked into the courtyard. It was Zhi Shao. She smiled and said, "Senior Sister, you got up so early in the morning. What are you looking at so intently?"

Ever since Miaoyu and her apprentice temporarily moved into the East Palace, Jia Cong asked Zhishao to spend more time with her master and sister, and she stayed in Miaoyu's room last night.

When Miaoyu saw that it was her junior sister, a smile broke out on her cold face, as if she were a rare flower just blooming, elegant, beautiful and dazzling.

She turned back and still looked down the slope. In her bright eyes, she seemed to see Jia Cong's sturdy figure reflected. She said, "I'm watching Yu Zhang practicing swordplay."

Zhi Shao smiled and said, "The Third Master is very hardworking. He practices swordplay every day and hardly ever stops. This is a common occurrence in the mansion."

Miaoyu smiled and said, "Of course you have seen it often, but this is my first time. People say that Yuzhang is a master of both civil and military affairs, and today I have seen it with my own eyes."

She turned back and held Zhishao's hand, saying, "When Yuzhang took you away from Gusu, I was still unwilling to accept it and was worried that you would suffer.

He also told me that he would treat you like a treasure. Now that you are living a happy life, he really kept his promise. It turns out that I was worrying too much."

Zhi Shao smiled and said, "I know that Senior Sister treats me well. You don't have to worry about me. Third Master treats me well. I won't suffer any loss if I follow him."

At this time, Master Xiushan also walked out of the courtyard and saw Miaoyu and Zhishao standing side by side at the edge of the slope, looking out at the view. The two were whispering softly, and they looked very intimate.

Looking at the two disciples' backs, although they are in and out of the mortal world, they are equally beautiful and graceful.

Master Xiushan smiled slightly, sighed slightly, and without disturbing them, turned around and went back to the yard.

Since Miaoyu moved into the East Palace, she and Zhishao have been fellow students and have a close relationship, and she and Xing Xiuyun have a semi-teacher relationship, so it goes without saying that they are always together.

She and her sisters Daiyu, Baochai, Tanchun and others often visited and talked with each other, and they understood each other's words and got along well with each other.

Because she was also good at chess and had very high skills, she was a match for Yingchun. Yingchun often came to play chess with her when she had free time.

Compared to the empty and cold Muni Temple, these days were the most lively and interesting days for Miaoyu since she came to Beijing.

……

Jia Cong practiced for more than half an hour at the foot of the south slope, then stopped practicing with the sword and took a rest. Lingguan, who was serving him at the side, took a towel and wiped Jia Cong's sweat.

When the two returned to the courtyard, Jia Cong went into the bathroom to take a bath and change his clothes, then went into the main room to have breakfast with Wu'er, Qingwen and others.

Talking about recent trivial matters at the dinner table, Qingwen mentioned that there was news from the West Mansion that Master Bao and Guihua Xia's marriage had been scheduled for the tenth day of March next year.

Jia Cong has some strange expectations about Baoyu's marriage, and he doesn't know what kind of strange results this strange marriage will eventually produce.

Everyone was chatting gossiping when they saw Yingchun's maid Xiu Ju enter the main room.

The girls were getting dressed and washing up, and at three quarters past noon, the eldest lady asked the third master to go to Rongqing Hall to greet the old lady and talk to her.

This is also the daily etiquette of the two Jia family mansions. Jia Cong goes to court in the early morning every day, and only goes to the West Mansion every four or five days. He still has to do the superficial work.

He, Wu'er, Qingwen and others had breakfast and as it was still early at three quarters past noon, they went out of the yard and strolled in the garden.

At this time, Ping Erh came up from behind and said, "Third Master, yesterday when I went to Rongqing Hall to distribute the monthly allowance, I happened to meet Sister Yuanyang.

Since she and I were good friends, she told me some private things, and this matter was related to Master Bao's marriage.

The sisters were all at the dinner table just now, and I was afraid that if I told everyone, it would spread and I would let Yuanyang down."

Jia Cong asked: "What exactly is going on?"

Ping Er said, "The day before yesterday, the Second Madam came to Rongqing Hall and talked about the marriage and the dowry. She said that she needed to allocate 8,000 taels of silver from the West Palace to be used for Second Master Bao's wedding expenses."

Jia Cong's face darkened when he heard this, and he said, "The income of the Xifu Gongzhong is only a little over ten thousand taels for the whole year, and eight thousand taels are withdrawn for one item. What will the people in the mansion eat next year?"

Ping Erh said, "I talked about this with Second Madam yesterday, and she shared the same opinion as Third Master, but the old lady hasn't spoken yet, and the matter hasn't been made public.

Originally, the Second Mistress had already planned to settle the matter with about two thousand taels. The Third Master was involved in big things, and she didn't want to bother him with such a small matter.

But the Third Master went to Rongqing Hall to pay respects today, and I'm afraid the old lady will bring up this matter, so I told the Third Master about it first, so that he can deal with it when the time comes."

……

Jia Cong thought for a moment and said, "Second Madam is asking for a lot, but I don't know what the justification is. This goes against common sense and is absolutely not feasible.

There is no reason to bring honor to your relatives by starving yourself.

Although the master has been kind to me, I didn't hesitate to spend any amount of money on him.

However, since they are of different generations and share the same feelings, Baoyu and the master cannot be compared.

Baoyu has been causing trouble frequently this year, causing trouble with his words, damaging the family property, and being annoying. I am too lazy to care about all this, but I will do it for the sake of the master.

The Second Wife wants to spend the entire year's harvest of the West Palace on Baoyu's marriage. This is too presumptuous and unreasonable.

A big family with a lot of wealth cannot be well managed without rules. Now that the first and second wives have been separated, the rules and etiquette must still be observed.

Sister Ping'er, I am not very familiar with the details of the West Mansion's household affairs. In the past, when the young men of the Eight Houses in Shenjing got married, what was the red seal etiquette in the Rongguo Palace?"

Ping'er was intelligent and familiar with household affairs. When she heard what Jia Cong said, she immediately understood that the Third Master was going to follow the routine.

She thought for a moment and said, "In previous years, when the young men of the eight houses in Shenjing got married, the Duke of Xifu would give two hundred to four hundred taels of gift money depending on the closeness of their relationship.

These account books of the past years in Xifu Gong are all recorded in detail item by item, and everything can be clearly seen with a simple check.

Most of the descendants of the Eight Families in Shenjing have been from different clans and have reproduced for several generations. They are far from being as wealthy as the Ning and Rong families. A few hundred taels of silver is not a small amount of money for them.

In fact, many concubines' sons from ordinary families relied on the gifts from the Ning and Rong mansions to hold their wedding banquets.

For the wedding banquets of concubine's younger brothers, the old lady, the master, the wife and the grandmother usually don't go. It's always Master Lian or Butler Lai who show up.

Only the Ningguo Mansion is different from the other branches because it is the direct descendant of the Duke. I don’t know how Master Zhen got married because the Second Mistress didn’t get married either.

But I remember very clearly that when Mr. Rong and Miss Qin got married, Duke Xifu gave them a gift of 1,000 taels of silver, which was considered very good among the wealthy families.

In addition, the old lady, the second wife, and the second grandmother all gave jewelry, silk, and other gifts, which added up to nearly two thousand taels."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "It is ridiculous to talk about this kind of thing without thinking. Only by following the family tradition can we get the rules and make it understandable to everyone.

Sister Ping'er, you have been taking care of household chores for many years and you know more about the ways of the world than I do. What do you think was the position of Rong'er and Baoyu? "

Ping Er said, "Mr. Rong was the eldest son of Ningguo Mansion and the Prince of Ningguo, which was a very honorable position.

Master Bao is now only the younger brother of the second branch of the family. His position in the family is naturally not as high as that of Master Rong in the past."

Jia Cong said: "Baoyu is also the direct descendant of the Rong family. Our blood relationship is closer than that of Rong'er.

The two things cancel each other out. I treat him as having the same status as Rong Ge'er, so it's not unfair to him in any way.

Since there are old family rules to follow, the matter is clear at a glance. It is reasonable for Duke Xifu to give a gift of 1,000 taels.

Now I have established the East Palace, and my second sister is in charge of the household management. Regardless of the master's kindness or the affection between us sisters.

We two siblings are very stingy and don’t look very good either.”

……

Ping'er chuckled when she heard Jia Cong's humorous remarks. She looked charming and her beautiful eyes were full of sparkles. Jia Cong was moved and couldn't help holding Ping'er's little hand.

He said with a smile: "The Duke of the East Palace also gave a gift of one thousand taels, so the total gift is two thousand taels. This amount has surpassed what Rong Geer gave back then, and it is enough to give Baoyu dignity.

Second sister-in-law always complains about how tight the Xifu family is. I helped her save a thousand taels this time, so I think I'm doing my part for her. As for the other two thousand taels, the old lady and second sister-in-law will have to pay for the gifts out of their own pockets, but I have no control over that."

As soon as Ping'er heard Jia Cong's words, she understood what he meant. The Third Master said that the Second Mistress was just a cover, and the private subsidies were only given to the Old Madam.

The old lady has doted on Master Bao all her life, and now that he wants to get married, how can the old lady not spend her family fortune...

Ping Er smiled and said, "Third Master is really knowledgeable. These headache-inducing family affairs are so neat and clear in Third Master's hands. There are rules and evidences. No one can find fault with them."

Jia Cong said, "Tell my second sister-in-law what I mean and let her weigh the matter. If the old lady talks to me, I will say this."

After hearing Jia Cong's instructions, Ping'er wanted to go to Wang Xifeng to discuss the matter, but Jia Cong held her hand and she felt reluctant to leave.

The sun was shining, the air was warm, the garden was green, the grass was fragrant, Ping'er's heart was beating as Jia Cong held her hand, she felt a little excited, but more intoxicated.

She was also worried that it would be inappropriate to be seen in broad daylight, so she gently held Jia Cong's palm with her delicate hand, but her beautiful eyes looked around, fearing that she would meet someone.

The two of them walked all the way to the small gate connecting the two mansions. The gatekeeper looked at them intently, as if she was staring at something.

Ping'er blushed and said softly, "Third Master, someone saw us."

Jia Cong then let go of her hand. Ping'er smiled at him calmly, then walked through the small door in the corridor and entered the West Mansion.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

Yingchun, Daiyu and other sisters were chatting with Lady Jia, but the old lady kept looking at Jia Cong. Seeing that he was drinking tea slowly, she didn't know whether she should speak.

Yuanyang, who was standing by, saw it clearly. She had served Lady Jia for many years, so she could naturally guess what the old lady was thinking.

Although the old lady was a little less confident about the eight thousand taels after being persuaded by me last time, she still had to ask because she doted on Master Bao.

But the old lady knew that the Third Master was an eloquent man with clear ideas, and she was afraid that if she raised the topic, the Third Master would deny her to his face, and she would lose face in front of the girls.

Since Jia Cong entered the hall, he had been mentally prepared because of Ping'er's reminder. When he saw the look that Lady Jia gave him, he seemed to want to say something but hesitated.

But he waited for a long time and didn't see Lady Jia speak to him, so he was happy to have nothing to do.

The reason why Grandmother Jia didn't talk to her was probably because she was unsure. She would definitely talk about this matter to Wang Xifeng afterwards, and let Sister Feng deal with it.

After sitting for a while, Jia Cong felt a little bored, so he found an excuse to leave with the old lady.

When Yingchun and other sisters saw Jia Cong go back, they didn't want to get up and leave, so they stayed in the hall for a while longer.

Grandmother Jia was talking absentmindedly to her granddaughters when she saw Lady Wang and her maid Yuchuan enter the hall.

Grandmother Jia was a little nervous. Her daughter-in-law had mentioned the matter of eight thousand taels two days ago, and she wanted to find Wang Xifeng first to get the truth.

Unexpectedly, Fengjie sent someone to tell her yesterday that she was feeling unwell and was lying on the bed. She came into the hall to pay her respects for fear that she would bring illness with her.

This morning, the grandchildren came to pay their respects, but there was still no sign of Sister Feng.

Now that Mrs. Wang has come again, Grandmother Jia is worried that it will take a lot of time to explain to her daughter-in-law because she still hasn't found the eight thousand taels.

Unexpectedly, Mrs. Wang's tone of voice was different today. She did not mention the matter of silver at all. Instead, she talked about what happened in Baoyu's room in a roundabout way.

Yingchun, Daiyu and other sisters were all unmarried, so when Mrs. Wang talked about matters concerning the bedroom, they naturally avoided her and took the opportunity to say goodbye to Lady Jia.

When Mrs. Wang saw Yingchun and the others leave, she told them everything that had happened in Baoyu's room, inside and out.

She said, "Madam, Baoyu has to wait until March next year to get married, and it will probably take nearly two years for the main wife to get married.

Although Xiren and Caiyun moved into Baoyu's room, these two girls looked frail and it would not be easy for them to give birth. It would probably take two years to raise a baby.

Now that Ping'er has moved into Cong's room, I think it would be great if Baoyu could have another capable person in his room. As the saying goes, the more flowers you bloom, the more fruits you will get..."

……

Mrs. Wang was talking excitedly, and Lady Jia was a little surprised and didn't react for a moment.

Suddenly, the door curtain was lifted, and Wang Xifeng came in with a smile on her face. She was wearing a round-necked satin jacket with colorful flowers and a light yellow horse-faced skirt embroidered with bamboo and chrysanthemums. She looked extremely luxurious and pretty.

When Mrs. Wang saw her come in, she subconsciously stopped talking. Wang Xifeng was too shrewd, which made her somewhat afraid.

She naturally knew her niece's daughter very well. Not only was she capable, but she was also very curious.

If she could smell something and have bad thoughts, she would be able to reveal all her cards...

Grandmother Jia asked, "You said you were not feeling well yesterday. Are you feeling better today? You are a woman who has just finished her confinement. You must not be too careless, or you will develop a root cause of illness."

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, old ancestor. It's just that I was blown by the wind on the corridor yesterday morning, so I covered my head and slept for a long time. The sweat on my forehead has healed now."

Wang Xifeng heard the rumor from Rongqing Hall yesterday, so she wanted to avoid the limelight first and claimed to be ill and unable to go to pay her respects.

I thought I'd first give enough reasons and make my words clear before going over to confront the old lady.

Unexpectedly, Ping'er came over early in the morning in high spirits and told her everything Jia Cong had said. Wang Xifeng was very happy to hear it.

It is said that scholars have sharp brains, unlike the narrow-minded women in the inner chambers who only know how to count accounts behind closed doors and would not think of following the routine.

She thought she had avoided the spotlight yesterday, and if she didn't go over today, the old lady would become suspicious.

Besides, I have a clear idea about this matter, so I can talk about it when asked. There is no way to avoid it anyway, so it is better to get it over with as soon as possible so that I can have a peaceful New Year.

……

When Jia's mother saw Wang Xifeng coming and her second daughter-in-law was also present, she decided to talk about the matter of the eight thousand taels face to face.

Regardless of whether the matter succeeds or not, the two rooms can discuss and deal with it, so as to avoid hiding things and causing more entanglements and complaints, which will make people live in instability for years, which will be more troublesome.

Grandmother Jia said, "Feng girl, Baoyu's wedding is scheduled for the tenth day of March. I think you have heard about it.

This marriage is unusual. The in-laws are not only royal merchants, but also a famous wealthy family in Shenjing City, with immense wealth, needless to say.

Miss Xia is the only daughter in the family. Although her family is rich, all of it belongs to her alone. Her dowry must be very luxurious.

This is also a sign of respect for your brother Bao, but a good horse needs a good saddle. To marry a daughter-in-law like this, the Jia family's pomp and dignity cannot be reduced in the slightest.

If there is any deficiency in the betrothal gifts and marriage funds, which is not in line with the style of entry into the Xia family, others will say that the family of the Duke is ignorant of the ways of the world, which is a shameful thing.

Although Cong'er has inherited the family business now, the two branches are still one family, and Baoyu's marriage expenses must be supported by money from the public treasury.

The second wife carefully calculated the expenses and decided that she, as a mother, would have to contribute from her own pocket money, and she would also need 8,000 taels of silver from the public treasury.

Now you are the steward of the West Mansion, and Baoyu has grown up under your care. We are blood sisters, so you can’t treat this matter lightly.”

Wang Xifeng sneered in her heart, thinking, how could the old lady be so biased? What she said was not a good thing at all.

The second wife wants the woman and the family wealth, but the first wife has to pay to marry her. Who is marrying the wife? Is there such a bullshit in the world?

Although she thought so in her heart, she couldn't say it out loud.

He smiled and said, “Although what the old lady said makes sense, my grandson’s wife is also marrying into the Jia family. The importance of this matter is somewhat different for me to weigh.

When my granddaughter-in-law married into the Jia family, she was most proud of the fact that the Jia family was a prominent family, a family of dukes, a dignity that could not be purchased with mountains of gold and silver.

Just based on this noble family background, it cannot be compared with other things.

The Xia family has a fortune, and Miss Xia has a beautiful bride, so Baoyu is more than a match for her.

Not to mention that now that the two mansions have the Cong brothers, the Jia family is not only a family of dukes, but also a family of Jinshi and Hanlin.

Old lady, think about it, in the capital city today, apart from those royal families, which other family is as noble as the Jia family?

If a girl from a humble family were to fall in love with Brother Cong, I'm afraid Brother Cong would not even look at her. "

After hearing these words, Grandmother Jia felt very uncomfortable. This girl Feng, who worked as a housekeeper for Cong, had actually learned his skill of speaking sharply.

How could she speak so irritatingly, yet could not find any fault with her? She kept saying that the Jia family was of noble character and unattainable, and that Lady Jia couldn't say a word against it.

Lady Jia was fine, but after hearing these words, Mrs. Wang became so angry that her face turned pale and her body trembled slightly.

What nonsense is Feng girl talking about? Miss Xia likes Baoyu, so they are a perfect match. But if she likes Congge, she can't even look at him.

This is simply nonsense. If Congge is really so good, why did the Xia family take a fancy to my Baoyu... (End of this chapter)