Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

On the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, at the Earl's Mansion, in the small courtyard on the south slope

As dawn broke, breath outside the window turned to ice, while Miaoyu's room was warm as spring. The embroidered couch and gauze pillows were fragrant, and the brocade quilt was exquisite, with lotus flowers complementing each other, making it beautiful and charming.

Miaoyu, Zhishao, and Xing Xiuyan slept in the same bed, leaning against each other, their bodies swaying gracefully, deep in a sweet dream.

This morning, Master Xiushan and his disciples were moving back to Muni Temple, and Zhishao naturally came to serve her master, spending the night in Miaoyu's room as usual.

Xing Xiuyan and Miaoyu had spent ten years together in Suzhou and had a mentor-student relationship, so she came over to chat and say goodbye.

The three chatted until late at night, and Xing Xiuyan stayed in the room overnight. When the sky outside the window began to lighten, Miaoyu was the first to wake up.

She has been practicing Buddhist precepts and worshipping Buddha for many years, rising before dawn to recite mantras and perform daily rituals, a routine that has become ingrained over the years.

Seeing that Zhi Shao and Xiu Yan were still sleeping soundly, she smiled slightly, but the thought of leaving today filled her with a sense of emptiness.

She was originally a person of aloofness. She followed Master Xiushan to Panxiang Temple to observe the precepts and practiced Buddhism with her hair intact for more than ten years. Her heart was calm and she was proud of the world.

But ever since her master rescued her junior sister Jinghui, her heart has been in turmoil. Partings and reunions, love, hate, anger and infatuation, all came one after another...

This noble and luxurious earl's mansion should have been a secluded place in her heart, a place she should have distanced herself from and abandoned due to her devout Buddhist faith.

But when she was about to leave, she felt a deep sense of loss. She knew very well that it wasn't because of this place...

Miaoyu glanced at Zhishao, who was sleeping soundly beside her pillow. Her pretty face was flushed and she was stunningly beautiful. A feeling of warmth welled up in her heart.

The lingering, tender thoughts, like the receding tide, slowly receded, sinking deep into the heart.

Although she had gently lifted the covers and gotten up, her toes barely touched the ground, which still woke up the sleeping Zhi Shao.

Miaoyu said, "It's still early. I'm used to it. You should lie down a little longer."

Zhi Shao smiled and said softly, "Back when I was also cultivating at Panxiang Temple, I followed the same routine as my senior sister. Now I'm not so precious."

Although the two spoke in hushed tones, they still woke Xing Xiuyan from her sleep, and the room immediately became lively as candles were lit one by one.

Miaoyu was a nun who followed strict rules and regulations. She did not wear cosmetics, her hair was tied in a bun, her face was plain and simple, and she wore a monk's robe. She was tidy up in no time.

Zhi Shao and Xiu Yan were about to do their makeup in front of the mirror, putting on flowers and hairpins. Miao Yu watched from the side with great interest and even reached out to help Zhi Shao straighten the gold hairpin in her hair.

After the three of them finished getting ready, Miaoyu and Zhishao went to Master Xiushan's room, where the kitchen servants had already brought breakfast.

When it was fully light, Jia Cong and Yingchun entered the courtyard, followed by Mushe and several maids and servants, who helped Miaoyu and her disciples carry their belongings.

Although Miaoyu was aloof, she was a person with a refined taste for poetry and books. Her sisters, such as Yingchun and Daiyu, were all elegant and beautiful, and naturally they caught her eye. They got along very well.

Furthermore, since Master Xiushan and Miaoyu were Zhishao's teachers, and this was connected to Jia Cong's lineage, Daiyu, Tanchun, Xiangyun, and other sisters were all waiting at the bottom of the slope to see them off.

The sisters escorted her all the way to the inner courtyard gate before bidding farewell to Miaoyu and her disciples, where several sedan chairs were already waiting.

Once the sedan chair left the inner courtyard, passed through the inner and outer ceremonial gates, and entered the east corner gate, several large carts were already parked there.

Zhi Shao accompanied Master Xiu Shan and Miao Yu into a carriage with a green canopy, pearl tassels, and eight treasures, while Jia Cong and Xing Xiu Yan rode in a carriage with red wheels and a magnificent canopy.

Two other carriages followed, one carrying four maids and servants, and the other carrying the luggage of Miaoyu and her disciples, as well as gifts from her sisters.

Following the four carriages were several servants and attendants. The procession of carriages and horses looked at each other as they headed towards the Muni Temple on the outskirts of the city.

……

The Rongguo Mansion, the backyard of Rongqing Hall, the Grand Flower Hall.

Yesterday afternoon, Wang Xifeng arranged for servants to clean and wipe all the furnishings in the main hall, pavilion, and stage, making them look brand new inside and out.

After daybreak, Wang Xifeng had people set up tables and chairs in the large flower bed and prepare various teas, dried and fresh fruits, candied fruits and snacks.

Each table is set up with a black lacquered carved table, on which bonsai, chopsticks, incense sticks, towels, tea and other items are placed.

They also had a daybed placed in the center, furnished with brocade cushions, backrests, and pillows, so that Grandmother Jia could sit and listen to the opera.

The small opera troupe outside would enter the stage first and wait behind, with old women assigned to guard both sides of the stage to prevent the troupe members from wandering around and potentially disturbing the women's families.

When it was past mid-morning, Grandmother Jia, along with her maids and servants, Wang Xifeng, Aunt Xue, Madam Wang, Li Wan, Madam You, and other female relatives, entered the large flower bed and took their seats.

After a while, Yingchun, Daiyu, Tanchun, Shi Xiangyun, Baochai, Xichun and other sisters, along with their maids and servants, also entered the main hall.

The large flower bed was immediately bustling with activity. Apart from the three generations of women from the Jia family, the housekeepers and wives of Lin Zhixiao's family all took their seats, filling most of the tables and chairs that had been prepared.

Baoyu was most fond of and engrossed in the pleasures of opera, so naturally he was among them.

She arrived early with Xiren, Caiyun, and Caixia, and was greeted by Grandmother Jia with a smile as she was asked to sit down beside her.

When Wang Xifeng saw Baoyu sitting on Grandmother Jia's couch, despite the setback he had suffered at Rongqing Hall, he appeared relaxed and composed, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

It seems that as long as Grandmother Jia is present, all the past humiliations and oppressions will vanish, and he habitually transforms into the phoenix of Rongguo.

Although Wang Xifeng felt disgusted by what she saw, she thought that Baoyu wouldn't last long, so she didn't bother to find fault with him.

Although Baoyu enjoyed listening to operas, what pleased him most in such occasions was naturally the gathering of his sisters at home, which allowed him to get close and talk to them.

He sat next to Grandmother Jia for a while, then tried to squeeze into the sisters' table.

He had just approached the table when he saw it was full of people, the sisters talking amongst themselves, seemingly ignoring him.

There was only one empty seat to the left of Yingchun, and Xichun was sitting next to it. Baoyu was overjoyed when he saw this, and with his round waist, he moved to sit down in the empty seat.

Before he could sit down, Xichun jumped up, reached out to stop Baoyu, and said, "Second Brother, don't hang out at our table, go sit at your own table."

Baoyu was dissatisfied and said, "Fourth sister, there are clearly empty seats here, why won't you let me sit down? I want to talk to my sisters."

Xichun frowned and said, "Second brother, you really don't know the rules. The seat to the left of second sister is always for third brother. No one else is allowed to sit there."

My third brother always sat next to me; that was the rule in the East Mansion. But things changed in the West Mansion.

When Daiyu heard Xichun's childish, arrogant, and even shameless words, saying that Baoyu didn't know the rules, she couldn't help but laugh and quickly pursed her lips.

Upon hearing Xichun's words, Baoyu felt extremely frustrated and aggrieved. However, seeing Xichun's tense face, tightly guarding the empty seat, he knew he couldn't succeed no matter what.

He then saw that the group of sisters at the table were all silent and made no attempt to dissuade him, seemingly agreeing with Xichun's words. He was so angry that he almost jumped up and down.

What exactly is Jia Cong up to? He didn't come to the opera today, yet he's still hogging empty seats, preventing me and my sisters from getting close to him. He's utterly despicable!
……

When Grandmother Jia saw Baoyu get up, she had already been watching his actions. Seeing that Baoyu was being humiliated in front of Fourth Sister, she couldn't help but frown and feel a little helpless.

Sighing inwardly, Baoyu didn't care about the current situation. The family was not what it used to be. Er Yatou was the head of the East Mansion, and Cong Ge'er was still unmarried.

It is proper for Baoyu to sit to the left of his elder sister, which is in accordance with family etiquette. Why should Baoyu join in this fun?

Seeing Baoyu get the short end of the stick, Wang Xifeng was naturally pleased and simply sat on the sidelines, munching on melon seeds and watching the show.

Seeing her son being controlled by a young maid, Madam Wang was utterly humiliated. She turned pale with anger and gripped her Buddhist prayer beads tightly.

This fourth girl is an illegitimate child of the Ning family. Now that the entire Ning family has been ransacked, only this little thing with no background is left.

She doesn't even look in the mirror to see what she is, daring to be so rude to me, Baoyu!
But Lady Wang is no longer the wife of the Rongguo Mansion, and she knows that Xichun lives in the East Mansion. Everyone says that Jia Cong dotes on her.

She was still shaken by the beating she received from Jia Cong at Rongqing Hall last time, and dared not cause trouble in front of Grandmother Jia at this moment.

She now realized that the old lady was no longer the same as before, who would just muddle through. If she really caused trouble, the old lady might not be on her side...

Seeing Baoyu's embarrassment and his second daughter-in-law's unpleasant expression, Grandmother Jia felt a bit of a headache and quickly tried to smooth things over.

He said, "I remember the fifteenth was a day off for the government offices, so why didn't Zheng'er and Cong'er come to watch the opera?"

Madam Wang said, "Although Master is off today, Fu Shi, the prefect of Qinian Prefecture, came to visit early this morning. Master is entertaining guests and will come to pay his respects to the old lady later."

Yingchun also said, "Grandma, today Master Xiushan and Miss Miaoyu are moving back to Muni Temple outside the city. Brother Cong is taking Zhishao and Xiuyan to see them off."

I estimate it will take more than an hour round trip. He told me to apologize to the old lady before he left, as he wouldn't be coming back until later.

Grandmother Jia said, "Look at my memory, you said this in the hall last time, but I didn't remember it at the moment."

Master Xiushan is a highly accomplished Taoist who can predict the past and future. She is also Zhishao's teacher. Cong-ge'er is going to see her off, and he is showing her all the proper etiquette.

"But Cong-ge'er isn't here. Why aren't Wu-er, Ping-er, and Ying-lian here either?"

Daiyu said, "Grandma, when I came, I called Yinglian, Qingwen and the others. They all said they would come together when Third Brother came back."

Wang Xifeng laughed and said, "Grandma, it's the same principle with Wu'er and Ping'er. Brother Cong didn't come over, so it's not appropriate for his family to come over to watch the opera alone."

Grandmother Jia agreed and said with a smile, "Cong-ge'er does know how to teach his maids. The ones in his room all have good manners and etiquette."

Upon hearing Grandmother Jia's words, Baoyu felt a deep sorrow and pain in his heart. Not only had all the finest maids in the household been mistreated by Jia Cong, but they had also been poisoned by this parasite, their minds filled with these vulgar rules and etiquette.

To let these exceptionally talented people be stuck in a quagmire, unable to extricate themselves, is truly a waste of their potential. If it were me, I wouldn't have let things turn out this way...

……

Hearing Grandmother Jia's words, Wang Xifeng secretly chuckled to herself. It wasn't that Cong Laosan's maid knew the rules; it was clearly Grandmother Jia's Baoyu who didn't.

Baoyu once stopped Ping'er from entering Cong's brother's room, and he also harbored wicked thoughts about Wu'er.

The maids around Brother Cong were all well aware of the disgusting things he had done, and they all found them utterly repulsive.

Wu'er and Ping'er are both extremely clever maids. Now that they've entered Brother Cong's household, they're not about to let anyone take advantage of them in the slightest.

Since the Cong brothers weren't there to watch the opera, the maids naturally kept their faces hidden, lest Baoyu scrutinize them from head to toe and try to strike up a conversation with them in a dog-like manner.

When Xiren saw that Baoyu had once again provoked the people of the East Mansion, she couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

Second Master never learns his lesson. Last time, he spoke ill of Third Master outside Rongqing Hall, which was overheard by Second Miss and the others.

The second daughter loves her brother the most, so how could she not be angry with the second master when she heard him talking about the third master's crooked ways?

Not long after this incident, the second young lady was still holding a grudge, yet the second young master was eager to curry favor with her, which inevitably drew criticism from others.

Xiren realized that Grandmother Jia was only asking these questions to smooth things over for her second master, so she quickly stepped forward and pulled Baoyu away.

He said, "Second Master, let's go back to sit with the old lady; there's more room there."

Baoyu was reluctantly pulled away by Xiren, but he looked back with lingering reluctance, just as Yingchun affectionately pinched Xichun's little face.

He showed no blame for Xichun's actions, and his eyes were full of praise and affection, which made Baoyu feel even more heartbroken and want to die.

I never expected that my second sister, who is usually so gentle, would now dislike me and be so distant and cold towards me.

There were clearly empty seats next to her, but she didn't invite her to sit down. Her fourth sister was naughty and unruly, but she didn't stop her at all and just indulged her.

Seeing her aunt and Baoyu being humiliated by a mere maid, Wang Xifeng felt extremely pleased and satisfied.

She moved between the tables, acting like the matriarch of the household, chatting and joking to please everyone and creating a lively atmosphere.

Wang Xifeng brought another plate of candied fruit to Yingchun and her sister's table, and said to Xichun with a smile, "Fourth sister is becoming more and more clever and skillful now that she is following your second sister."

"It's sure to be excellent in the future. This is a new type of candied fruit that just came out of the old lady's little kitchen, called Rose Honey Peach Strips. Fourth sister, please try some."

Xichun picked up a piece and popped it into her mouth, immediately praising, "This is really delicious, thank you for the gift, Sister Feng."

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "This stuff is so fragrant and sweet, I knew it would be a favorite of young ladies. This whole plate is for you."

Baoyu returned to sit down next to Grandmother Jia, his eyes still glancing at Yingchun's table from time to time. He saw that Wang Xifeng had said something that made the sisters laugh.

But they were all so preoccupied with their own enjoyment that they completely forgot about him, causing Baoyu even more heartache...

When the small opera troupe was getting ready behind the stage, an old woman brought over the play script and asked Grandmother Jia to choose a play.

Grandmother Jia asked with a smile, "What kinds of plays are you all good at?"

The old woman laughed and said, "The 'Full Bed of Official Tablets,' 'The Dream of Nanke,' 'The Tale of the White Snake,' and 'The Eight Righteous Men' are all excellent."

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "I've heard most of them before, but only 'The Tale of the White Snake' is new to me."

Aunt Xue laughed and said, "The old lady comes from a family of noble lineage and married into a family of dukes. Others may have enjoyed such prestige for generations, but the old lady has achieved it all in half a lifetime."

Having listened to countless operas since childhood, I've naturally heard all sorts of plays, but half of them here are ones I've never heard of before.

Grandmother Jia laughed and said, "What's there to say? I've heard a lot about it. I'm just old and useless, so I'm just living a long life."

He then asked the old woman, "I've never heard of 'The Tale of the White Snake.' What story does it tell?"

……

The old woman laughed and said, "The Legend of the White Snake tells the story of Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty, who, while drunk, encountered a white snake on the road, slew it with his sword, and thus gained good fortune and became emperor."

This play is excellent; it's a new drama that the troupe excels at, with its high-pitched and lively singing and gorgeous makeup and costumes.

I often hear people say that the Rongguo Mansion had made great contributions to the establishment of the country and the restoration of the dynasty. The family has produced outstanding people and heroes in every generation. There was the Rongguo Duke in the past, and now there is the Weiyuan Earl.

"The Tale of the White Snake" tells a story of achieving great deeds and establishing a career; ordinary people are not worthy to hear it, only the old lady of the Duke's mansion is worthy to hear it."

Grandmother Jia laughed and said, "You have a clever tongue and know how to say such auspicious words. It's a good omen. Let's hear it."

This old woman loves to flatter, but it's just a way for her to make a living. Everyone laughs when they hear it, but they don't really care.

Only Baoyu felt disgusted upon hearing this. People in the world are so greedy for fame and fortune that they are truly beyond redemption. Even a stage actress is doing such foolish and despicable things.

Leaving aside everything else, they only used Jia Cong to boast.

"In the vast Jia family of Rongguo, besides Jia Cong, that greedy and opportunistic man, is there really no other good to be found? I am an innocent person, yet people turn a blind eye to this! How outrageous!"

Although Baoyu was indignant, he only dared to scheme in his mind. Since Grandmother Jia had already said she liked to listen to this play, he dared not utter a word of objection.

Even if they tried to refute it, they couldn't find a reason to. They couldn't very well say that the old woman had praised Jia Cong, and that he felt uncomfortable hearing it...

Baoyu came to the opera in a good mood, but after entering the main hall, nothing went smoothly for him.

Just as he was feeling melancholy and self-pity as usual, the gong and strings were already sounding on the stage, and a great play was about to begin.

The sheng and xiao played in unison, and the singing was clear, melodious, and graceful, captivating everyone who listened.

But when Baoyu thought of the old woman's tales, which contained rotten words about achieving great things, he had no time for leisure. He felt only the demonic sounds piercing his ears, making him suffer unbearably.

At the table with Yingchun and her sisters, Baochai, who was known for her excellent memory, said, "I heard about 'The Legend of the White Snake' when I was in Jinling."

It is said that when Emperor Gaozu of Han was in his later years, he served as the head of the Sishui Pavilion. Although he came from a humble background and held a lowly official position, he was the reincarnation of the son of the Red Emperor and had a noble bloodline.

The white snake he killed while drunk was the reincarnation of the son of the White Emperor. The Red Emperor belongs to fire, and the White Emperor belongs to metal. Fire can overcome metal in the Five Elements, which implies that the Qin Dynasty will be destroyed and the Han Dynasty will be established. His great achievements will surely be accomplished.

This exciting and entertaining performance, brimming with masculine spirit, is sure to be enjoyable for Brother Cong. Unfortunately, I have to go out on business.

Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "Sister Bao is learned in all sorts of things, she really knows all the allusions..."

……

After two acts of the play had been performed, Grandmother Jia was listening with great interest and was chatting with Aunt Xue when she suddenly thought of something.

He asked, "Third girl, the grand opera is on the fifteenth of the twelfth lunar month, and all the women in the household are here. Why don't I see your aunt and Huan?"
Huan the boy has always been unruly and prone to running around, while your aunt loves to listen to operas, but she's nowhere to be seen right now.

Tan Chun naturally knew why her aunt and younger brother hadn't come.

Because they were worried that Jia Huan might run into Caixia at the West Mansion, and if this caused trouble, it could lead to unforeseen disasters.

Therefore, she instructed her birth mother in advance to keep a close watch on her brothers and not to allow Jia Huan to step out of the East Courtyard before the New Year, so neither of them could come over.

But how could she say such a thing? She said, “Grandma, Huan’er has been taken care of by my third brother and will be studying at the Imperial Academy after the spring.”

However, Huan'er is unruly and his knowledge of books and classics is very sparse. I am worried that if he enters the Imperial Academy, he will probably embarrass his father and third brother.

Therefore, he was not allowed to leave the house before the New Year and was to study his books and lessons diligently. His aunt was also taking care of him in the east courtyard, so he did not come to pay his respects to the old lady.

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia's expression faltered slightly, showing genuine surprise.

She knew that Jia Huan, like Bao Yu, disliked studying, and that her sons were both disappointing, so she often sighed and lamented.

Now Huan has changed his ways. It must be because San Yatou loves to be close to Cong Ge'er and has been influenced by his poetry and books. She also attaches great importance to studying and pursuing an official career.

Only then did she put in the effort to urge her brothers to study, but her aunt was a boorish woman who was always gossipy and caused no trouble.

It's truly astonishing how Sanya managed to get her to stay home and supervise her son's studies...

As soon as Tan Chun said this, everyone involuntarily looked at Bao Yu, and a strange feeling arose in their hearts.

Since everyone knew that Jia Cong held two noble titles and had two hereditary positions in the Imperial Academy, both Baoyu and Jia Huan were admitted to study at the Imperial Academy.

The two brothers are in very different situations. Jia Huan is at home studying, while Bao Yu is sitting here listening to a play. This is really not a pleasant thing to say.

Upon hearing this, Li Wan unconsciously pulled Jia Lan to her side, and her gaze toward Bao Yu became colder and more distant.

Yingchun smiled and said, "It's all thanks to Third Sister's good upbringing. Brother Huan is also willing to study hard. After two years of training at the Imperial Academy, I'm afraid he will be able to get into the academy."

Baoyu was already feeling uneasy, and upon hearing Yingchun's words, his face gradually turned pale... (End of Chapter)