Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

The third day of the first month of the sixteenth year of the Jiazhao reign.

A light snow fell at dawn, and the sky was overcast. In the inner courtyard, red gauze lanterns hung under the eaves of the covered walkway, still glowing with a warm and gentle light.

The gloomy sky, illuminated by the lights, exuded a strong festive atmosphere inside and outside the mansion, which was not diminished in the slightest by the unfavorable weather.

The number of visitors to the Jia family's two mansions during the holidays gradually reached its peak, becoming increasingly noisy.

That morning, however, none of the noble families, officials from the Six Ministries, or other dignitaries who came to pay their respects for the New Year saw Jia Cong.

As soon as it was dawn, Jia Cong took Yinglian to Luocang Mountain to pay New Year's respects to their teacher, Liu Jing'an.

Jia Cong was a brilliant scholar who passed the imperial examinations several times and became famous throughout the land. He was the most outstanding disciple of the scholar Liu Jing'an.

When Jia Cong first passed the imperial examination, he was selected as the top candidate in the Yongzhou provincial examination. However, someone reported that his birth mother was of low social status and that she was not qualified to take the examination.

Just when his future seemed to be ruined, Liu Jing'an stepped forward, took him into his fold, and used his reputation as a literary figure to protect him and help him clear his name of unfounded stigma.

This incident was widely praised in official circles and among scholars, so Jia Cong, out of respect for his teacher, ignored other visitors, and no one said a word about it.

……

On the morning of that day, the male guests of the East Mansion were served tea by the steward, while the female guests who came with them were led into the inner courtyard, where they were entertained and talked by Yingchun, Daiyu, Xiangyun and others.

Yingchun is Jia Cong's older sister and the head of the Earl's mansion, holding a prestigious position. Daiyu and Xiangyun are daughters of respectable officials, possessing refined manners and elegant taste.

Although Jia Cong was not in the East Mansion, his sisters handled things very well. When the male guests learned that Jia Cong had visited his master, they naturally did not say a word of gossip.

The female guests entered the inner courtyard to be served tea and stroll through the garden. After they came out, they all praised Jia Hanlin, saying that he was a man of great talent and that his sisters were all talented young ladies, which complemented each other perfectly.

Since Jia Cong was not at home, the West Mansion had entrusted Jia Zheng to receive the male guests from the outer hall. Since the guests were all noble families, most of them were familiar with Jia Zheng, so there was no problem in entertaining them.

Tan Chun then went to Rongqing Hall to accompany Grandmother Jia in entertaining the noble ladies. Since her son was managing things in the outer hall, Grandmother Jia allowed her daughter-in-law to come in and fill in the numbers, which would make things look better for her.

After entering the hall, Madam Wang saw a room full of noble ladies and dignitaries, dressed in gorgeous clothes and adorned with jewels, a truly magnificent sight of wealth and power.

She was still the only Mrs. Jia in the household, which gave rise to a false sense of reality in her heart, as if everything was just like the old days.

The Jia family of Rongguo has never experienced any changes. The second branch is still the main lineage that inherits the mansion and manages the household. The husband and wife are currently in charge of welcoming guests inside and outside the mansion.

This feeling was both real and illusory, giving her a morbid pleasure, as if she were still the mistress of the Rongguo family, with no loss of her former dignity and respectability.

When the ladies of the wealthy families flattered the old lady, it seemed that no one would speak to her; she always seemed lukewarm and awkward.

……

These noblewomen no longer mentioned Baoyu's good points, but they would always bring up Jia Cong, offering nothing but flattery and sycophancy, which was disgusting.

The noble ladies who came to visit with their elders always had sparkling eyes and rosy cheeks whenever they heard their elders talk about Jia Cong, displaying a flirtatious air.

Only at this moment would Madam Wang truly realize that things were no longer what they used to be, and that it was impossible to reverse the situation. She couldn't help but feel bitter and resentful.

The reason I had this misconception was simply because that kid wasn't in the manor today, and he even dragged my master into doing his work and getting tired...

Rongqing Hall was filled with smiles and laughter, which were seen and heard by Lady Wang. The dignified and self-satisfied Grandmother Jia, the flattering words of noble ladies, and the longing of young ladies in their boudoirs were all present.

The glory and dignity that Lady Wang longed for most were completely out of her reach, and all of this was like a scorching fire, repeatedly tormenting her heart.

This drove her to a frenzy, a mad obsession growing within her: if only this boy could stay like he is today, never appearing in the two mansions again…

……

Compared to Madam Wang, who was ignored and marginalized, Wang Xifeng presented a completely different picture.

After entering Rongqing Hall, she quickly became the focus of attention, second only to Grandmother Jia.

The noble ladies and noblewomen who came to visit all knew the Jia family's true situation. The head of the family, Jia Cong, had lost both his biological parents, leaving behind a stepmother who was nothing more than a useless figurehead.

Jia Cong entrusted the management of the West Mansion to his eldest sister-in-law, which shows that the relationship between the uncle and sister-in-law was harmonious. When Jia Cong got married and chose a wife, Wang Xifeng, as the eldest sister-in-law, would be able to speak up.

These women from prominent families were well aware of the long-term implications of this relationship, and they showered Wang Xifeng with compliments as if they were free.

Although Wang Xifeng was pleased with herself, she was not confused at all. She simply smiled and dealt with the situation, her words and actions were impeccable.

Her shrewd and capable demeanor made Madam Wang's brows twitch.

In fact, Wang Xifeng was somewhat absent-minded. Although the flattery from the noblewomen was pleasing to the ear, she had other important matters on her mind today.

During social gatherings, he often sent his maid, Feng'er, to find out if Lin Zhixiao's wife had gotten any results from her efforts...

……

Rongguo Mansion, Baoyu Courtyard.

Baoyu, dressed in casual clothes, paced back and forth in the room, looking somewhat anxious.

He asked towards the outer room, "Caiyun, has my robe been scented yet?"

Caiyun stretched out her body and said, "Second Master, it's only been fumigated for less than a quarter of an hour. It will take some more time."

Baoyu hurried to the outer room, where his bright red robe with golden lotus pattern was hanging on the incense burner, with fine red incense burning beneath it.

The aroma was soft, sweet, and intoxicating; Baoyu took a light inhale, his expression one of pure bliss.

He smiled and said, "The best scent for perfumed clothes is subtle and faint, almost imperceptible. A strong scent is inferior. A quarter of an hour is enough."

Caiyun said, "Second Master, although this Red Fragrance is of excellent quality, it is often used by young ladies. Although the scent is pleasant, it is a bit too sweet and soft."

Baoyu looked delighted, his round face beaming with a smile: "It's precisely because young ladies love to use it that it's the best."

All women in the world are blessed with exceptional beauty and talent, a gift from Heaven. It is the natural order for us men to admire and cherish them.

As Baoyu spoke, he took off his clothes and asked Caiyun to help him put them on.

When Caiyun heard Second Master spouting nonsense again, she felt a little dizzy and quickly changed the subject, saying, "Second Master, where are you going in such a hurry to put on incense and get dressed?"

Baoyu said, "On the first day of the new year, few families paid New Year's visits. On the second day, Miss Xia's family came. Later, I was tired and didn't go out for the rest of the day."

As is customary in previous years, family friends and dignitaries would visit on the third day of the Lunar New Year. Rongqing Hall has many family friends, elders, and sisters. In previous years, I would accompany the old lady to entertain the guests.

If I don't show my face this year, it would be against the etiquette of previous years, which would be too undignified and would be seen as being arrogant at first and obsequious at second.

To make people think the Jia family lacked manners would inevitably lead to gossip. Although I prefer peace and quiet now, after much consideration, I still need to go over there.

Caiyun felt somewhat uncomfortable seeing Baoyu speaking so seriously.

What the second master said sounded grand, but in reality, he just wanted to go see girls, going through all that trouble, and he didn't even find it tiring.

However, Caiyun had only been there a short time and was now practically widowed. She was already disheartened and only wanted to protect herself. She was too lazy to offend Baoyu and make trouble for herself.

So she pretended not to understand his words and just helped him get dressed.

……

Just then, Xiren entered the room and overheard their conversation. She frowned and said, "I advise Second Master to give up on this idea. Why suffer this hardship?"

Things are different now. Last year, Second Master was still a minor and not yet engaged. During the New Year, Rongqing Hall received female guests, and Second Master was still able to show up unscathed.

This can no longer be the case. Second Master is not only past the age of dancing elephants, but he has also exchanged formal letters and formalities with Miss Xia, and they will be married in three months. Everyone in the capital knows about this.

Besides the wives of various families, there must also be noble ladies in Rongqing Hall. Second Master, you must not go there. If you violate etiquette and taboos, you will leave a big reason for gossip.

Even though Third Master Cong was unmarried, and as the head of the family he could show his face, he wouldn't easily reveal himself.

Upon hearing Xiren's words, Baoyu felt as if someone had overturned the pot, and he felt nauseous.

She retorted, "Sister, you were once a clever person, so why are you now spouting such etiquette and morals? I am only engaged, we are not actually married."

Even if you get married, what good will it do if you can't face people afterward? The etiquette and rules of this world are truly inexplicable, utterly illogical, and laughable.

Besides, Jia Cong and I are the same age. How come he can do these things but I can't? There's no logic to that! It's utter nonsense!

……

Caiyun was speechless upon hearing this, because the West Mansion was the main branch of the family business, and the Second Master was a man from the second branch, which meant he was an outsider from another branch.

Within the territory of Xifu, there are certain things that Third Master Cong can do, but Second Master naturally cannot. How could Second Master not know such a simple rule?

Was Second Master truly confused, or was he pretending? Or did he, as he himself said, believe that all the rules and regulations in the world are meaningless...?

When Xiren saw Baoyu talking so eloquently and confidently, but which was actually full of distorted logic, she felt a little annoyed. She had seen this before.

She knew that direct persuasion would be useless. She knew Baoyu's temperament best; anything other than his father would only fuel the fire, making him more and more agitated. Only indirect, subtle persuasion could she make him think twice…

He said, "Since Second Master wants to go, we can't stop him. However, Second Madam will definitely be present at Rongqing Hall today."

When the Second Master went to entertain guests, the Old Madam and Madam remained silent, while the Second Madam, who managed the West Mansion's business, was extremely sharp-tongued.

She must have felt awkward seeing the Second Master enter the hall. The Second Madam was always sharp-tongued and would often speak coldly and sarcasticly in front of others.

"Wouldn't those young ladies from noble families be greatly embarrassed for the Second Master if they saw this?"

……

Hearing Xiren's words, Caiyun thought to herself that Xiren was really capable, and only she could keep the Second Master in check.

Upon hearing this, Baoyu's expression immediately changed. The last time she went to visit Fengjie's courtyard, she originally wanted to see Wu'er, but she also harbored the intention of provoking her...

As a result, Sister Feng saw through his thoughts and subjected him to a brutal and sarcastic rebuke, leaving Baoyu terrified and utterly humiliated, and still feeling lingering fear to this day.

If I kindly go to Rongqing Hall to entertain guests, and Sister Feng still acts like this, continuing to twist and misinterpret my words, what should I do?

Normally, someone as outstanding as Sister Feng would have been spared a few sarcastic remarks, but to have her reputation tarnished in front of the aristocratic sisters because of this would be worse than death...

…………

Seeing that Baoyu looked hesitant and even showed a hint of fear, Xiren knew that her words had made him back down, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

So he thought of comforting him and taking the opportunity to distract Baoyu and make him forget about the matter.

He said, "Second Master, the mansion is noisy during the New Year's celebrations. It's better to stay in your own courtyard for peace and quiet. I'll have Chunyan go and instruct the kitchen."

Prepare some delicious food and drinks for Second Master. The kitchen is well-stocked for the New Year, so it won't be ready in no time. Caiyun and I will keep Second Master company while we drink and chat."

Just as Xiren was about to ask Chunyan to run an errand, Caiyun said, "Sister can't find her right now. She went to the backyard just now, and Chunyan and Jiahui were called away."

Xiren found it strange and said, "It's the New Year, and there are so many things to do, both inside and outside the courtyard. Why are they sneaking out to play instead of staying in the courtyard to work?"

Caiyun said, "It wasn't that they ran away to play; it was Lin Zhixiao's family who sent people to summon them for questioning."

When Xiren heard this, her heart skipped a beat. Ever since Lin Zhixiao’s wife brought people to the door last time and took away all the antiques in Baoyu’s room without leaving any face at all.

From that time on, Xiren began to feel wary of Lin Zhixiao's wife.

The reason for this is that when Madam drove Xiao Hong away, Lin Zhixiao and his wife held a grudge and were not going to give Bao Erye a friendly face.

The fact that he suddenly summoned away the maid from the Second Master's room, and even went to question her, doesn't sound like a good thing.

Xi Ren knew that Lin Zhixiao and his wife were the confidants of the Second Madam and Third Master Cong. She couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive, wondering if they were about to cause trouble.

……

Baoyu was frightened by Xiren's words and dared not go to Rongqing Hall to flaunt his presence. He felt heartbroken at the thought of all the beautiful young ladies in the hall, whose lovely faces and fragrant perfumes he could not see.

Just now, I walked to the window, saw the snowflakes falling, and heard the north wind howling. I was gathering my emotions and feeling an endless sorrow. I paid no attention to the little maid's affairs.

A short while later, footsteps sounded in the courtyard. The maids Chunyan and Jia Hui came in, their expressions not very good. Xiren quickly called them over to ask what was wrong.

He asked, "Why did Aunt Lin call you over during the New Year's holiday? What important question does she want to ask?"

Chunyan said, "We didn't know at first either. They called us to Second Grandmother's courtyard and the first thing they asked was if we had lost any earrings or hairpins."

We were a bit confused, and we hadn't lost any of these things. Aunt Lin asked us repeatedly, her face looking very grim, and we were too scared to speak.

Then they asked about Master Bao's daily life, whether we were well-behaved, and whether we had said anything inappropriate or disrespectful to Master Bao.

Jia Hui and I were so scared we almost cried. They even asked us where we had been around around noon yesterday.

In short, these are all confusing topics that leave people bewildered and confused. We are still in a state of confusion.

Aunt Lin usually seems very kind, but today she was really fierce; her eyes looked like she wanted to devour us. We didn't dare to utter a single lie.

Upon hearing this, Xiren's heart sank. Although she didn't understand what losing her earrings and hairpins meant, she was still deeply troubled.

However, asking Chunyan and Jia Hui whether they were well-behaved was clearly implied as to whether they had seduced the Second Master, which was quite a harsh remark.

They were then asked where they had been yesterday afternoon. It turned out that the Second Master and that Xia family girl had been fooling around around that time.

Could it be that Second Madam had gotten wind of the situation, which is why she had Lin Zhixiao's wife investigate everywhere, even the maids in Second Master's courtyard...?

……

Xiren then asked, "Besides you, what other maids did Aunt Lin ask?"

Chunyan said, "When we went there, people were coming and going in the Second Mistress's courtyard. They were all maids and young wives from the mansion, and they were all pretty."

When I came out, I heard these people whispering that a woman in the mansion had done something dirty and ruined the family's reputation, and that the second mistress had asked Aunt Lin to investigate.

"If they find that wicked woman, they'll beat her to death with family discipline. That sounds terrifying."

Upon hearing this, Xiren's face turned pale. On the day the Second Master and that lowly maid left the side room, she was the only one who saw them.

Second Madam must not have seen it either, but somehow she heard the news and they questioned the pretty maids and wives in the mansion.

It's obvious they want to find out who seduced the Second Master. If this gets out of hand, the Master will definitely beat the Second Master to death if he hears about it.

If Second Master doesn't have a good ending, then neither will I, Caiyun, or anyone else in the household...

……

Upon hearing Chunyan's words, Caiyun's expression changed as well. In wealthy families, obscene matters within the inner quarters are the most taboo.

If a wealthy family in the city had a maid who committed a crime, she would be beaten to death according to family law. If a village gentry or rich household had a maid or servant who made a mistake, she would be thrown into a pig cage and drowned in a pond.

In short, once such a scandal is exposed, it will inevitably result in death.

Caiyun looked worried and said, "How could such a thing happen during the New Year? I wonder which woman will suffer the consequences."

Xi Ren's face turned ugly, and she said, "It has nothing to do with us anyway. Stay home and avoid trouble these next few days."

Caiyun, go and see Caixia. I haven't seen her yet today. My wife has repeatedly told me that this girl is pregnant and we can't be careless at all.

I told Chunyan to go to the kitchen and prepare food and drinks for Second Master. You should ask Caixia what she wants to eat and make her something delicious too.

……

Upon hearing this, Caiyun went out to see Caixia. Baoyu, who was in the inner room having already understood what was said, had already heard it clearly.

Seeing Caiyun leave the room, he hurriedly ran out into the inner room, anxiously saying, "Sister Xiren, what should we do? Second Sister-in-law must have found Baochan and me in the side room..."

Baoyu had only spoken half of what he was saying when Xiren covered his mouth and said, "Second Master, you're really confused. How could you say such a thing?"

Even in our own yard, we must be careful not to let others overhear us. We must never say that brat's name again; what would happen if someone overheard?

Baoyu said anxiously, "Sister Xiren, Second Sister-in-law is a formidable person. If she interrogates me all over the mansion like this and finds out my background, what will I do?"

Upon hearing Baoyu's words, Xiren frowned slightly and said, "If you had known this would happen, Second Master, you wouldn't have done it in the first place. Don't do such absurd things again."

Second Master, there's no need to be too afraid. This was done by someone outside the manor. Second Madam only investigates the maids and wives in the manor; how could she possibly find out?

However, things are too tense right now, so I advised Second Master to keep a low profile and stay in the courtyard during the holidays, and try not to go out.

Whether it's going to Rongqing Hall or talking to the sisters, these things should be avoided if possible, to avoid getting into trouble in the spotlight and arousing suspicion.

"In any grand mansion, if improper conduct between men and women occurs within its inner courtyards, and it is discovered, it will most likely result in death. Second Master, you mustn't be careless."

……

Although Baoyu was unwilling to be confined to his room, he thought about how Wang Xifeng was questioning everyone in the mansion. If something really happened and the master heard about it, would he even have his life?

Out of fear, he readily agreed, hoping to weather this storm and then reconnect with his sisters once things calmed down...

Although Xiren spoke lightly, she was far from relieved, feeling that this matter would be difficult to resolve.

Last time, Second Master stopped Ping'er from marrying Third Master Cong, which offended Second Madam and created a grudge between them.

The second master is from the second wife's family, and he still lives in the first wife's mansion, which the second wife has always resented.

Before the New Year, there were cash gifts and antiques being moved away; they were just trying to coax the Second Master away.

Now, having somehow heard rumors and stirred up such a huge commotion, I'm afraid they won't let this go easily... (End of Chapter)