Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Jude Lane, Ningrong Street.

In a teahouse on the street corner, Liu Binfang occupied a table by herself on the first floor, sipping her tea leisurely.

At a nearby table sat four constables, each carrying a sword and a lock, their imposing presence somewhat intimidating.

The tea drinkers in the hall deliberately kept their distance from the two tables of people. The officials sitting together with unfriendly expressions gave people a bad feeling.

Most of the residents on Ningrong Street were relatives of the Jia family's eight branches in the capital.

Although the families varied in wealth, they were all branches of a large clan, with family traditions and rules. Compared to ordinary families, they had more constraints and rules, and there were very few people who committed crimes.

Many people speculated that it was either a member of a family who had committed a crime, or that the officials were simply passing through and stopping for a rest.

At this moment, a man entered the shop. He was none other than Xu, the head of the Zhen'an Prefecture police station, who often accompanied Liu Binfang.

He walked up to Liu Binfang and whispered, "Lord Liu, we have manpower deployed across the street and on the back street of the East Courtyard. We are keeping a close watch on anyone entering or leaving the courtyard."

The brothers also brought Chen Fushou with them. As soon as that kid showed his face, the old man would definitely recognize him. Everyone was waiting for the master's order.

"My lord, if we really go into the Jia family's residence to arrest someone, this is the Duke's mansion! Won't we cause a huge mess?"

Liu Binfang said casually, "If I mess things up, I'll take the blame. It won't affect you. Don't worry about things that don't concern you. Just do your job well."

Officer Xu looked somewhat embarrassed and said, "Look at what you're saying, sir. I, Old Xu, am not someone who is afraid of trouble. I will do whatever you say, sir."

"Sir, all our men are here. Why are we still waiting? Let's go in and get things done quickly; wouldn't that be much more efficient?"

Liu Binfang said, "When Zhao Shuli comes, we should go through the proper etiquette in officialdom. Since we've already done it, we should do it completely. We shouldn't make a fuss over the last bit."

The two waited only a short while before a man entered the teahouse. Dressed in scholar's robes and with an ordinary appearance, he was none other than Zhao Kun, a clerk from Zhen'an Prefecture.

Liu Binfang's eyes lit up, and she asked, "Was the letter delivered? How did the person reply?"

Zhao Kun whispered Jia Cong's reply in his ear, and Liu Binfang smiled.

He suddenly stood up and said, "Officer Xu, surround the entrance to the East Courtyard and send people to guard the back alley of Rongguo Mansion. I need to enter the mansion to carry out my duties!"

The tea drinkers in the teahouse saw this group of officials suddenly get up and leave the teahouse like a gust of wind, their imposing manner quite intimidating.

They were heading in the direction of the Rongguo Mansion. Many passersby were surprised by the sight and stopped to watch.

Several knowledgeable people recognized that Liu Binfang was wearing the official robes of a sixth-rank official, and the yamen runners accompanying him were all constables from Zhen'an Prefecture. This kind of setup clearly indicated that they were arresting criminals.

It wasn't until the constables and yamen runners surrounded the main gate of the East Courtyard that Liu Binfang stepped forward and knocked on the doorbell, and many people realized that the main branch of the Jia family was in trouble with the law.

Many people recalled that several years ago, the Ningguo Mansion also got into legal trouble, and within half a month, the court confiscated their property and punished them.

The nearly century-old Duke's mansion collapsed overnight, and the incomparably noble Duke Ning and his son were imprisoned in an instant, ultimately ending up with one dying and the other being convicted of a crime.

The astonishing wealth of the Ningguo Mansion was completely confiscated by the imperial court. The Ningguo branch lost its main government foundation, and many families fell into poverty and hardship.

Is the Rongguo Mansion destined to follow in Ningguo's footsteps and bring about a great disaster...?

The scene of officials and constables standing guard at the entrance of the East Road Courtyard quickly stirred up a storm on Ningrong Street, spreading like wildfire.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

Lady Wang's words were understated, exonerating Qin Yong's past misdeeds. Although Grandmother Jia was persuaded, she didn't believe them entirely, but she didn't take them too seriously either.

Of the many servants in the Rongguo Mansion, not all of them could be well-behaved; it was commonplace for them to be of varying quality.

Household servants are the private property of wealthy families. Even a piece of rotten wood can be used to prop up a table leg. They must not be left idle and wasted.

A capable housekeeper will use her servants to their strengths and never let them be idle or waste the family's food.

Having been a housekeeper for half her life, Grandmother Jia felt that her daughter-in-law shared the same idea. Even if Qin Yong was a good-for-nothing, her daughter-in-law still wanted to make use of him, and her intentions were not wrong.

Wang Xifeng said that the second branch of the family would increase its expenses by 30% next year, and Grandmother Jia dared not take this lightly.

The two families have not yet separated. With the second family incurring such expenses, the first family, concerned about their own family fortune, will certainly not remain indifferent.

Otherwise, why would Feng Yatou have racked her brains to come up with such a terrible idea as cutting monthly allowances and servants' salaries?

However, Grandmother Jia always favored the second branch of the family, and naturally she was always scheming for her second son.

Cutting the second daughter-in-law's monthly allowance and the maid's allowance can save the second wife 30% of her expenses. It's a small sacrifice for a big benefit, which is a very worthwhile thing to do.

With Baoyu and the eldest maid living comfortably, he felt at ease. Since Feng's schemes had succeeded, the eldest son's family could no longer find fault with her.

Since Cong-ge'er has taken a liking to Yu-chuan, he can just bring the girl to him himself. That will shut his grandson up, and he won't say anything more.

……

However, Grandmother Jia knew in her heart that her second daughter-in-law was a stubborn woman who cared too much about her reputation, and now she was becoming increasingly difficult to manage.

If you want to touch her monthly allowance and maidservants, you have to give her some benefits first, so that she knows the principle of giving and receiving, and it will be easier to deal with her later.

He said, "This matter isn't too difficult. I'll just call Feng over and we can discuss it face to face. Arranging a servant job would be a convenient thing."

Hearing this, Lady Wang felt a little nervous. She had thought that if she wasn't present, and Grandmother Jia discussed the matter with Wang Xifeng, it might be easier to get things done.

He and his niece had already developed a rift, and now that she had taken over the household management, she had become even more arrogant and domineering.

If someone gets aroused and doesn't respect you in front of you, things will be at a standstill.

She had already promised Qin Xian's family this, and if Feng'er changed her mind, the Qin family mother and son might have second thoughts...

But the old lady had already spoken, and she couldn't very well stop her; that would be too obvious. She could only watch as Yuanyang went out to call for someone.

……

A short while later, Yuanyang and Wang Xifeng entered the hall. Grandmother Jia relayed the request made by Lady Wang, asking Wang Xifeng to estimate the tasks to be assigned on the estate.

She added, "Feng girl, even if the servants in this mansion have some faults, they shouldn't just sit around eating for free. Your aunt's intentions are not wrong."

"By assigning tasks to the Qin family boy, your aunt will gain face in front of others, and there will be more opportunities to discuss family matters, making it easier to manage the household."

When Wang Xifeng heard Qin Yong's name, she was very unhappy. Everyone knew he was a worthless good-for-nothing, yet the Second Madam valued him so much.

Not only did they want to provide him with a maid, but they also wanted to give him a respectable job. So many young men on the estate had been working for five or six years without becoming managers.

Why should Qin Yong, such a despicable person, be appointed as the firewood manager as soon as he arrives? How can everyone be convinced of this?

The second wife still acts like she's the housekeeper, and whatever she says goes. Does she have that much face?

……

But when Grandmother Jia said, "Family matters should be discussed and agreed upon," Wang Xifeng, being as shrewd as a devil, naturally understood the meaning behind it.

Before dismissing the maids from the second wife's household, he would first give his aunt some benefits to gain leverage and make things go more smoothly.

Although Wang Xifeng was unwilling, she knew the principle of sacrificing small gains for big benefits, and there was also the matter of Jia Mu's feelings involved.

She could only say, "Grandma, since you and your wife have both brought this up, your granddaughter-in-law will do her best to handle it."

Xifu has two farms outside the city and one in Tongxian County, which are usually managed by Lin Zhixiao.

I went back to him to find out which positions were still available, and then assigned one to the Qin family boy.

Grandmother Jia was pleased to hear this, for Feng had said that Qin Yong was incompetent and, in her heart, she would not want to assign him any tasks.

She was clever enough to understand what I meant: to keep these two wives in check and bring peace to the family. But that wasn't easy...

……

When Lady Wang heard Wang Xifeng agree to the matter, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Wang Xifeng, however, was thinking of finding the most dreary job among the three estates, even if it was just a nominal position as manager, she wanted to make Qin Yong unable to continue.

If he can't handle the job, then he can't blame himself. He should just get out of there as soon as possible, so as not to have another spy for the second wife on the estate.

Just as they were lost in their own thoughts, they suddenly heard footsteps outside the hall, which sounded somewhat hurried and flustered.

When Grandmother Jia saw the curtain at the entrance of the hall being lifted, Lin Zhixiao's wife rushed in, her expression somewhat panicked.

He said, "Grandma, things have gone wrong. A lot of officials and constables have come from the East Courtyard and have surrounded the gate of the mansion."

The leader was the magistrate of Zhen'an Prefecture, who said that the government had received a complaint from a victim that Qin Yong, a servant of the second branch of the family, had committed murder, and Zhen'an Prefecture wanted to arrest him.

Qin Xian, the steward of the East Courtyard, was already in a panic. Now, government officials were blocking the entrance and were about to storm the mansion to arrest people.

"When the eldest mistress received the news in the inner courtyard, she sent someone to inform the old lady and the madam, telling them to think of a way to deal with it. If the government officials really broke into the mansion, their words would be extremely unpleasant." As soon as Lin Zhixiao's wife finished speaking, the faces of Grandmother Jia and the others changed drastically. Madam Wang's face turned deathly pale, and the teacup in her hand slipped and fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

With a face full of anger, Grandmother Jia asked, "What exactly happened? Didn't you say that Qin Yong was a good person and that you were going to give him a job? How did he get involved in a murder case?"
Our Rongguo Mansion has been established for nearly a hundred years, and we have never had the disgrace of being blocked at the gate by government officials. How can this be allowed to happen?

Madam Wang's face was grim as she said, "Old Madam, I really don't know how Qin Yong got involved in a murder case..."

Upon hearing the news, Wang Xifeng's expression changed drastically, but being young and bold, she possessed more courage than others.

He said, "Grandma, now is not the time to be angry. Women shouldn't be involved in these official matters. It's the men who should handle it."

The officials from Zhen'an Prefecture blocked the door, probably because our family is an official family, which is why they showed us leniency. If it were an ordinary family, they would have already broken down the door and arrested us.

This matter cannot be delayed. Currently, Brother Cong and the Second Master are not at home, and the Second Branch only has Baoyu as an adult male.

"First, let Baoyu deal with the officials, then send someone to the Ministry of Works to deliver a message to the Second Master, urging him to return home quickly to handle the situation. This is the proper course of action."

Madam Wang said anxiously, "Feng'er, what are you saying? How can Baoyu step forward in such a matter? What if he gets frightened?"

……

Upon hearing this, Wang Xifeng raised her eyebrows slightly and said, "Second Madam, what you said is not right. This is a servant of the Second Branch who committed a crime."

Don't say that there are no men at home in the main house now. Even if there were, it would be right for Baoyu to step forward.

Baoyu is the legitimate son of the second wife, a boy over fifteen years old. If we don't let him go out and socialize, are we supposed to let my sister-in-law and me gossip with people? How will we face others after that?

Wang Xifeng said to Grandmother Jia, "Grandmother, the government has its procedures for arresting people. They have saved us face, so it's not appropriate to leave them hanging at the door forever."

If a man goes out for a social event, it will always be easier for everyone to save face. Otherwise, people will say that the Jia family is disrespecting the government, which is a very unpleasant thing to say.

It's not worth giving the Jia family such a huge stain on their reputation for the sake of a damned servant.

Lady Wang was reluctant to let Baoyu show his face in public, and was about to say something in her defense.

Seeing that things were getting urgent and the two women from the same household were still fighting each other, Grandmother Jia was truly having a splitting headache.

He said impatiently, "Alright, dealing with the situation is the most important thing right now."

Send Lin Zhixiao to the East Courtyard to handle the social obligations, with Baoyu accompanying him. He doesn't need to say anything; just bring a few servants with him.

After all, Grandmother Jia had been a duke's wife her whole life. Although the Rongguo Mansion had been at peace for a long time, she still knew a bit about the rules of officialdom.

He continued, "Have Lin Zhixiao invite the leading official to the main hall of the outer courtyard to serve tea. We'll discuss other matters when Zheng'er gets home."

Tell Lin Zhixiao to be more vigilant and have someone guard the second gate of the east courtyard. Don't let the officials enter and search people at will. If they alarm the women of the second branch of the family, the Jia family will be finished!

Upon hearing Jia Mu's instructions, Lin Zhixiao's wife hurriedly went out to deliver the message and carry out the task.

……

After thinking it over, Grandmother Jia said, "Feng'er, Cong'er has a reputation in officialdom. He is young and lively, and he always does things in a methodical way."

You should send a servant to deliver a message to him, telling him to hurry home and help his master deal with the situation.

Wang Xifeng said, "Grandma, Brother Cong is a Hanlin official, and his reputation is of utmost importance. If we let him get involved in this, won't it cause him gossip?"

According to Wang Xifeng's thinking, Qin Yong, the servant of the second branch of the family, got into a murder case. At most, the government would kill this scoundrel, which wouldn't harm the Jia family at all.

Her aunt was blind to support Qin Yong, that scoundrel. She should reap what she sows.

Let the second wife deal with her own dirty business; why should the first wife get involved?

How could Grandmother Jia be swayed by Wang Xifeng? No one knows a son better than his mother. Her son, Jia Zheng, was rigid and inflexible.

If we tell him to go home and deal with it, he'll probably just be too angry to handle it properly, and if he doesn't, it'll be the Jia family who loses face.

But Cong-ge'er is different. This kid is the best at handling official matters. Only by letting him go home to deal with things can we be sure that nothing goes wrong.

He said, "Cong-ge'er is now the head of the family. Even if he doesn't show up to socialize, if this matter blows up, won't it damage his reputation?"

He can't avoid it; it's the right thing to do to tell him to go home.

Helpless, Wang Xifeng had no choice but to instruct Feng'er to go out and deliver a message to Jia Cong at the meeting hall.

……

At the intersection of Ningrong Street, a tall, thin man walked by, yawning incessantly. His face was somewhat pale, and he exuded a licentious and unrestrained air.

Many of the Jia family's relatives on the street recognized the man's origins: Qin Yong, the son of Qin Xian, a servant of the Rongguo Mansion and the steward of the East Courtyard.

Some time ago, Qin Yong received a windfall and had a lucky streak, winning a lot of money at the gambling table, leaving him with a full purse.

So he invited his cronies to a boat on the Liuyang River to drink and show off, and unexpectedly they met a beautiful singing girl.

Qin Yong had a bad reputation in the Jia family and had never been matched with a maid of marriageable age, which he felt deeply ashamed of and always wanted to regain his dignity in front of others.

Upon seeing this pretty singing girl, he was overcome with lust and fantasized about making her his wife.

Although the girl was poor, she came from a respectable family, and it would be a very respectable thing to bring her into the family as a wife.

Unexpectedly, this poor girl disliked him because he was a slave. Despite his repeated attempts to entice her, the little vixen stubbornly refused to comply.

He never expected that the maids in the inner courtyard would look down on him. Even this poor girl with no background would despise him like this. How could he not be furious and ashamed?

One day, he finally got his chance and tried to force himself on the poor girl, making it a fait accompli.

Unexpectedly, the girl struggled desperately and fled in a panic, accidentally falling into the water and drowning.

Qin Yong went to great lengths to frighten the old man playing the sanxian (a three-stringed plucked instrument), forcing him to flee the capital overnight.

Two months passed without any further trouble, and he finally felt relieved. Yesterday, he decided to go to Chunhualou for drinks.

He got completely drunk and spent the night with the prostitutes in the building. He didn't get up until the sun was high in the sky, and only then did he dare to go home because he was worried about his mother nagging him.

Just as he reached the intersection, he heard people talking about how the East Road Courtyard had committed a crime and was surrounded by a large group of officials who looked like they were about to arrest someone.

Having done something wrong, Qin Yong was naturally filled with guilt and was immediately jolted awake, no longer daring to walk on the road.

He turned and entered the alley, circled around to the corner of the back street of Rongguo Mansion, and saw several yamen runners patrolling, with an old man beside them, who was none other than the old ghost who played the sanxian.

Qin Yong, who usually fooled around, was cunning and quick-witted. Seeing this scene, he could easily guess what was going on.

This isn't a case of the East Road Courtyard committing a crime and having the government officials block the gates; it's clearly a case of the perpetrators getting into trouble, and these people are here to arrest them.

The old man had been on the run for two months, but he actually returned to the capital to report the matter to the authorities. This was something Qin Yong never expected, and he knew that he was in deep trouble.

He had committed a murder case. If he fell into the hands of the Guan family, even if he didn't die, his master would not let him go, and his fate would be extremely tragic.

He dared not go home again, so he turned around and fled as far as he could along the alleys near Ningrong Street.

……

Rongguo Mansion, East Courtyard.

The black gate was closed, and five or six constables, carrying swords and locks, stood on both sides of the gate. The atmosphere was oppressive and solemn, and many passersby stopped to watch, pointing and whispering.

Liu Binfang walked back and forth under the doorway with her hands behind her back, appearing neither arrogant nor impatient.

He had just knocked on the door, but the servants inside said that the master of the east courtyard was not home and they dared not let anyone in without permission. They needed to send someone to the west courtyard to deliver a message.

Having spent many years working in the government office, Liu Binfang was a meticulous person. He knew that the East Road Courtyard was a separate courtyard of the Rongguo Mansion with its own independent entrance.

Although he did not know whether there was a connecting gate between the East Courtyard and the Rongguo Mansion, he had already sent people to keep an eye on the corner gates along the street, and also arranged for people to guard the back gate of the Rongguo Mansion on the back street.

As long as Qin Yong is in the mansion, he will not be able to escape easily.

Arresting someone in the Duke's mansion was already a tricky and dangerous matter, and even though he had informed Jia Cong beforehand, he dared not break into the mansion to arrest someone.

The only thing to do is wait a little longer, make the most of the social graces, and build a good relationship with this young lord. Besides, given Jia Cong's character, he would never protect an evil servant.

He only waited a short while before seeing several people hurriedly emerge from the west gate of the Rongguo Mansion.

The man at the head of the group was a man in his forties, whose demeanor was experienced and shrewd, and whose clothing and appearance suggested he was a steward in a household.

A young nobleman walked beside him, followed closely by several young servants, making him appear quite imposing.

The young man was dressed in very luxurious clothes, wearing a purple-gold crown, a long red robe with golden lotus patterns, and a gold and jade belt around his waist. He was strong, with a fair complexion and a face like a full moon.

From a distance, this person appeared as a fiery red mass, more extravagantly dressed than any actor on stage, yet their face was filled with disgust and impatience, tinged with a hint of worry and fear… (End of Chapter)