Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 212: Fangyuan Yingxi Daguan Name (Part )
Chen Siyuan carefully observed Qingwen, nodded slightly, and said, "Okay, I'll be right back."

Xiren bowed again, stood up and walked out.

After she left, Qingwen said, "Master, you must be careful, or you won't fall into her trap."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "If you let her see it, aren't you afraid that she'll spread the news?"

"She?" Qingwen curled her lips in disdain and said, "She would never do anything to offend others. Turning around to sow discord, spreading rumors, and instigating others to expose me is what she would do." After a pause, she winked playfully and said, "Besides, I did return to Suzhou. It was thanks to Master that I was able to bring my sister Luan'er back with me. I was grateful for Master's kindness and volunteered to serve him. What does it have to do with others? Even if it were brought to court, this is the same excuse!"

Chen Siyuan laughed heartily, reached out and pinched her cheek affectionately, saying, "Okay, okay, I know you are smart. It's cold outside, come back quickly, I'll go back to Rongguo Mansion first."

Qingwen agreed and sent Chen Siyuan out the door before turning around and returning with a frown.

However, Chen Siyuan knew that Xiren must have come to ask for something, so he walked as if he were driving a carriage and hurried to the Rongguo Mansion. Sure enough, he had not gone far when a woman's voice called out from the alley beside him, "Master Yuan!"

Chen Siyuan stopped to look. Who else could be that pretty figure besides Xiren? He turned and walked towards Xiren.

Xiren clutched the handkerchief, her heart in turmoil.

Last year, Chen Siyuan gave him fifty taels of banknotes, and afterward he consulted a doctor and his mother's condition improved slightly. But the following year, due to a moment of greed, he ate the sweet-scented osmanthus cake that his nephew had given him, and the next day he became ill again!
Dizziness, numbness in the limbs, frightened Hua Zifang, she hurriedly fed her mother a decoction of medicine. However, after taking it for several days, the symptoms did not improve. She had no choice but to ask a doctor for treatment, but the doctor just shook his head and said that a hundred-year-old ginseng was necessary.

At this time, the price of forest ginseng was only between ten and fifteen taels per catty, and the purchase price of top-quality ten-year-old ginseng by the imperial court was usually twenty to thirty taels per catty.

It is also top-grade ginseng. If it is put on the market, it is not uncommon to be sold for a hundred taels of silver depending on its appearance.

As for those century-old ginseng, they were priceless! Old Lady Hua was in critical condition and needed a root of ginseng within three days. How could Hua Zifang possibly get one? As a last resort, she had to go look for her younger sister, Xiren.

Xiren was devastated by this. She hadn't known how to repay the fifty taels she owed Baoyu, and now she had another bottomless pit. She hesitated several times to speak to Baoyu, but she couldn't bring herself to open her mouth. Thinking it was better not to trouble two masters with the same matter, she went to look for Chen Siyuan again.

She knew that nothing in this world came for free. She could have gritted her teeth and paid back the fifty taels, but now he was asking for three or five hundred silver coins. Master Yuan didn't run a charity, so how could he give it to her so easily?

Xiren was no longer innocent, and she had let it go the other time. However, three or five hundred silver coins were not a small amount. With that money, why not use it to buy a prostitute? Why spend it on yourself?

The sound of soap boots was getting closer. Xiren dug her nails deep into her palms, facing that figure and secretly making up her mind.

"Uncle Yuan..." She bowed, but her knees seemed to go weak halfway and she fell diagonally into Chen Siyuan's arms.

"Hey?" Chen Siyuan hurriedly reached out to support her, but Xiren was too weak to do anything. She slumped to one side and then sat down on the ground like a fancy pug. She hugged Chen Siyuan's right leg with both hands, raised her face with a look of sorrow, "Please, Master Yuan, help me!"

While talking, a pair of hands were still rubbing Chen Siyuan's thighs, which made Chen Siyuan feel itchy in his heart.

He frowned and said, "Get up and answer the question. What will it look like if someone sees you like this?"

Xiren responded, rustled to her feet, and whispered about her mother's situation. Finally, she raised her eyes and said pitifully, "I've spent all the fifty taels of silver that Master Yuan gave me last time. If I can't get another old ginseng today, I'm afraid my mother will—"

Must it be a hundred-year-old ginseng? Chen Siyuan thought to himself, I'm afraid Xiren and her family must have been fooled by that doctor. This hundred-year-old ginseng has always been used to save lives, and I've never heard of it being used as a common medicine.

But what did this have to do with him? He had given Xiren money the previous time in order to establish a good relationship with her. He didn't expect her to speak for him in the future, so he could just pass on the information in secret.

But now looking at Xiren, her face is as beautiful as orchid and osmanthus, and her face is as tearful as pear blossoms in the rain, and she was groping secretly just now, which shows that she has the intention of flirting.

Chen Siyuan had originally looked down on Xiren, probably because she was as vicious as a snake. But now, on second thought, he had never considered bringing Xiren into his own room, so what did her thoughts have to do with him? Maybe getting close to her a few times and getting a hold of her would make it easier for him to act in the future.

Moreover, he even had Lady Xing and Aunt Xue under his wing, and even Youshi from Ningguo Mansion had an affair with him, so what difference would it make if there were more Xirens?

After pondering this, Chen Siyuan couldn't help but look at Xiren with a scrutinizing look. He glanced at her and said, "You are so filial, but... let me be frank. It's easy for me to lend you money, but let's not talk about whether your mother's thirst can be cured. How will you repay her in the future?"

Xiren felt shy under the intimidating gaze and quickly lowered her head. Unexpectedly, Chen Siyuan reached out and lifted her chin, staring into her eyes for a moment.

Xiren bit her lower lip and whispered, "From now on... from now on I am willing to be a slave..."

"Tsk," Chen Siyuan said, "You are a maid in Brother Bao's room, how can you be a slave?"

Xiren made up her mind, reached out and shook Chen Siyuan's hand, slowly moved it to her cheek, and said pitifully, "Since that's the case, then from now on, whatever Master Yuan says is what I will do. I, I will never regret it."

The street was bustling with people, and Xiren remained hidden in front of Chen Siyuan. Chen Siyuan knew it was best not to push him too far now; Xiren's willingness to do so was a desperate move. He immediately withdrew his hand, fished out two hundred taels of banknotes from his sleeve, and, taking Xiren's hand, pressed the note into her palm, saying, "Take these two hundred taels. Come back to me later if you don't have enough."

Xiren knew that she would not be able to coax money out of him with sweet words next time, so she hurriedly bowed and thanked him, then looked at Chen Siyuan deeply before turning and leaving.

Chen Siyuan stood at the entrance of the alley with his hands behind his back for a long time. When he saw Xiren hiding in the street, he laughed and turned back to his new house.

Qingwen had been worried, and only felt relieved when she saw Chen Siyuan return.

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That night, because You Erjie had her period, Chen Siyuan went to You Sanjie's room in the back. They hadn't seen each other for a few days, and their eyes met and they were both excited.

At that moment, Third Sister You undressed and hugged the pillow.

The two are in love, they are like a pair of love, their hearts are united, and the rain is heavy and the wind is strong.

For a moment, the beauty was happy and the talented man was delighted, so there was no need to say more.

When the wind died down and the rain stopped, the two of them lay down in each other's arms.

Chen Siyuan suddenly thought of Xing Xiuyan and said, "The virtuous concubine will be visiting soon. Unfortunately, my cousin's family is poor, and the old lady hates her and doesn't like her. Fortunately, my aunt hasn't said anything. I'm afraid my cousin will have to stay in her room alone on the day of the visit."

Third Sister You glanced up at him and said with a smile, "Brother Yuan, do you think I don't know? Qingwen and the two maids may be tight-lipped, but Luan'er can't hide anything. Second Sister and I have known about your relationship with Miss Xing for a long time."

Chen Siyuan immediately looked embarrassed and said with a smile, "I don't know where the feelings came from. I've made a fool of myself."

The third sister said angrily, "This house belongs to the Chen family. I have no status and no position now, so how can I stop my cousin?" After a pause, she half-raised herself and smiled, saying, "I have thought it through now. Let's not talk about Miss Lin. If the eldest wife is kind and tolerant in the future, I will be content to be a concubine. If the eldest wife is not easy to talk to, instead of being cautious every day and getting angry at any time, why not find a small courtyard to live in? If Brother Yuan thinks of me, we can have a happy day. If he doesn't, I will be at ease."

Third Sister You's words were half true and half false. No matter how bold and free-spirited she was, how could she be willing to become a mistress without knowing why? Chen Siyuan comforted her and felt a little relieved. He thought that his cousin Xing Xiuyan was a noncompetitive and carefree person. He thought that even if she stayed in the new house for a day, everything would be fine.

Silent all night.

The next day, Chen Siyuan returned to Rongguo Mansion at noon. As the family visit was imminent, Jia She, Jia Zheng, Jia Zhen and others from the East and West Mansions had all taken leave at home, so Chen Siyuan went to the East Cross Courtyard to look for the eldest master, Jia She, to prepare for any errands.

The tasks in various places had already been arranged, and Jia Zhen estimated that everything would be ready in fourteen days at the latest. Therefore, Jia She did not send anyone out, and Chen Siyuan went to the third-level ceremonial gate.

When passing by the wing room, I happened to run into Xing Zhen.

Xing Zhen, with a beaming smile on her face, called out from afar, "Brother Yuan!"

After Chen Siyuan came forward and greeted her, Xing Zhenshi whispered, "I heard from Zhuan'er that Brother Yuan found Xiuyan a job as a copyist. I haven't seen Brother Yuan send any manuscripts in the past two days."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Aunt, you don't know, but the palace has been busy these past two days, and I've been assigned errands, so I really haven't had time to write."

Xing Zhen said, "I see. Brother Yuan, go see the first lady first. When you come back, don't forget to visit Xiu Yan... She has mentioned Brother Yuan quite a lot these past two days."

It was just a matter of listening. Xing Xiuyan's personality meant she wouldn't express her longing for her. Chen Siyuan happened to be looking for Xing Zhen about something, so he asked, "Aunt, I wonder what plans my cousin has for the Lantern Festival?"

Xing Zhen immediately said embarrassedly, "What else can we do? The imperial concubine is returning home, and my family and the Jia family are actually related in some way... Xiuyan will naturally have to hide in her room."

These words were full of self-abasement. Even Xing Zhenshi did not regard Xing Xiuyan as the same as the other girls in the Jia family, let alone others?
Chen Siyuan knew that this matter couldn't be forced, nor was there any need to force it, so he whispered, "Wouldn't my cousin be depressed if this were the case? Aunt, you don't know, I have a three-story house near Nengren Temple, with a medium-sized side garden. If you have nothing else to do in the next few days, you and your family might as well stay with me for a while and return after Concubine Xian De comes home to visit."

A three-story house with a side garden?
Xing Zhen's eyes lit up when she heard this, and she was about to agree without hesitation. But then she thought, if she went with Xing Zhong, Xing Xiuyan would be embarrassed to have too much contact with Chen Siyuan. So, why not let Xing Xiuyan go alone?

These past few days, whenever she had time, she would talk to Madam Xing about it. Although Madam Xing didn't say it explicitly, she seemed to agree. Xing Zhen thought to herself, after all, she was going to be a concubine, so it's better to do it sooner rather than later. If this happened, how could Brother Yuan treat their family unfairly later?
So she quickly changed her words, saying, "Well... your uncle and I have some work to do, so we can't leave. I think it would be better if Xiuyan stayed for two days and came back after the fifteenth." Seeing Chen Siyuan hesitated, Xing Zhenshi quickly took the lead and said, "I'll go talk to her right away. Brother Yuan, go see the first lady first and we'll talk."

Chen Siyuan agreed, passed through the three-story ceremonial gate, and followed Miao'er to the main house in the east wing.

Without mentioning what happened to Chen Siyuan, it was said that Xing Zhen watched him enter the third-level ceremonial gate, then turned around and went back to the side room.

Chen Siyuan had just passed by here and was stopped by Xing Zhenshi, a fact that caught Xing Xiuyan's eye. She and Chen Siyuan were in love, deeply in love, and a day apart felt like a long time. Anticipating that Chen Siyuan would come looking for her soon, she lowered her head, bit her lip, and couldn't help but smile.

Only when Xing Zhen pushed the door open did Xing Xiuyan's smile fade away.

"My son, Brother Yuan just told me that he's worried you'll be bored in your room when the Imperial Concubine comes home, so he's inviting you to stay at the new house in Nengren Temple for a few days. You can come back after the visit."

This... I haven't even been to their house yet, so how can I just come over casually?

Xing Xiuyan frowned and said, "Mom, I'm afraid—"

Before she could finish her words, Xing Zhen interrupted her, saying, "I thought it was a good idea, so I agreed to it on your behalf. After all, you two are cousins, so who would dare to gossip about their wives?"

Besides, if Chen Siyuan doesn't come today, he will definitely come tomorrow. He and Xing Xiuyan seem like a perfect couple. It's obvious that he is just a louse on someone's head - who is he trying to show by being shy and secretive now?

Without waiting for Xing Xiuyan to say anything, Xing Zhen said she had something else to do and left in a hurry.

Xing Xiuyan clutched her handkerchief, frowning slightly before sighing and sitting down. Zhuan'er, the maidservant beside her, said cheerfully, "Are you going to Master Yuan's new house in a couple of days? I heard from Yunxiang that it has three courtyards and a side garden."

Xing Xiuyan remained silent and ignored Zhuan'er, her hands resting on the table as she slowly relaxed her brows, a hint of anger on her face. Zhuan'er, sensing the situation was not looking good, quickly shut up. After a while, Chen Siyuan arrived.

Zhuan'er let them go inside and hurried to the west end room, leaving only Chen Siyuan and Xing Xiuyan inside.

Chen Siyuan smiled and walked forward, leaned over to look at him, and said, "Are you angry?"

Xing Xiuyan glanced at him angrily and said, "Why didn't you discuss it with me beforehand?"

Chen Siyuan said, "I'm sure she won't agree to discuss this with you. It's better to talk to your aunt." He paused, then took Xing Xiuyan's hand and said, "They're having a lively family visit, and it has nothing to do with you. Why bother to stay stuck in your room and suffer? After all, your cousin can't escape this life, so why don't you go take a look at the house first?"

Xing Xiuyan asked, "Why can't I escape?" Chen Siyuan said sternly, "Wherever you flee, I will chase you."

Xing Xiuyan exchanged glances with him for a moment, then lost her words. She thought to herself, "My cousin is usually so considerate and thoughtful, but sometimes he can be so overbearing and intolerant of arguments."

Xing Xiuyan was a carefree person, unconcerned with outside slander and defamation. Now that Chen Siyuan had strongly invited her, and his mother had approved... I suppose his aunt had agreed, too? In that case, he could stay for a few days.

Then he shook Chen Siyuan's hand slightly, his anger faded away, and a faint smile appeared on his face again.

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Two days passed in a flash. On the 13th, Aunt Xue returned with Bao-jie. Chen Siyuan had no time to see her due to the hustle and bustle of the household. Early on the 14th, Xing Xiuyan boarded Madam Xing's carriage and quietly accompanied Chen Siyuan to the Chen family's new residence at Nengren Temple.

When they arrived at the place, Xing Xiuyan got out of the car and saw that the door was open. Two beautiful girls were already waiting for them at the door.

Chen Siyuan dismounted and came forward with a smile to introduce the three women.

When Third Sister You and Second Sister You saw that Xing Xiuyan had outstanding appearance and temperament, and indeed lived a carefree life, they immediately put their worries aside and walked forward to greet her with a smile.

Xing Xiuyan saw the sisters of the You family: one was unrivalled in the Six Dynasties, graceful and charming, like Xi Shi; the other had eyebrows like autumn moons and a face like spring peaches, charming and pleasing to the eye. She couldn't help but sigh inwardly that they were indeed of good character and appearance. If they were not so, they wouldn't have been kept away from home by their cousin in such a hurry, right?

Xing Xiuyan smiled and greeted the two sisters, then gave Chen Siyuan a stealthy glance.

Then Qingwen came forward, and the women chattered for a long while before they gathered together and headed back inside. After passing through the ceremonial gate, Xing Xiuyan saw the tall building at the back, which vaguely resembled a Suzhou-style courtyard. She was immediately delighted.

They first chatted for a while in the main hall. After two cups of tea, Third Sister You invited Xing Xiuyan to stroll through the garden. Then the girls headed to the side gardens. Once inside, they saw winding paths dotted with red plum blossoms. Streams and ponds shone like mirrors, and waterside pavilions, terraces, and terraces were scattered throughout. The view had a faint resemblance to the elegant Suzhou gardens, and they couldn't help but feel even more delighted.

I thought to myself that if I could get married with my cousin in the future, it would be fun to stroll around this garden every day when I have free time.

Xing Xiuyan was in a very good mood. She also saw that although Third Sister You was bold and casual, she always cared about her, so she called her "sister".

Third Sister You would not embarrass Chen Siyuan, so she smiled and ranked her age by Geng, and then together with Second Sister You, they began to call Xing Xiuyan "sister".

Chen Siyuan, hands behind his back, accompanied them. Seeing the three women enjoying themselves, he smiled and didn't interrupt. After strolling around for a while, they found a room in the back building for Xing Xiuyan to stay in. At noon, a welcoming banquet was held. For a while, both the host and the guests were very happy.

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Back at Rongguo Mansion, everything was ready that day, and the entire Jia family hadn't slept a sound sleep all night, just waiting for the next day when Yuanchun would come to visit his relatives.

On the fifteenth day, just after the fifth drum, those who had received imperial edicts, from Lady Jia and below, all began to dress up and put on their finery.

In every part of the garden, dragons danced in the tents, and phoenixes flew through the curtains; gold and silver shone brilliantly, and jewels competed for brilliance; lily incense burned in the tripods, and evergreen buds were inserted in the vases; all the servants and women walked on tiptoe, and it was so quiet that no one coughed.

After getting dressed, Grandmother Jia led everyone to the main gate to welcome her. But after waiting all morning, Yuanchun still didn't show up!

It was not until after the hour of Wei that a young eunuch came on horseback to report that the virtuous concubine would probably not set out until the beginning of the hour of Xu.

At this moment, not to mention that the elderly Lady Jia was trying to hold on, even Lady Wang, Aunt Xue and others could not bear it anymore, so they all returned to Rongguo Mansion first, and all the affairs in the garden were handed over to Sister Feng to take care of.

When it was time to light the lamps, a maid suddenly came running in from outside, calling out, "Here she comes!" Jia's mother and the others breathed a sigh of relief, quickly dressed, and went forward to greet her.

This time they had indeed arrived! I could hear the accompaniment of soft music as processions of honor guards came marching in, and eight eunuchs slowly approached, carrying a sedan chair with a golden top and golden embroidered phoenixes.

Grandmother Jia hurriedly led everyone to kneel and greet them.

According to the previous instructions, the carriage entered the ceremonial gate and went through the corner gate to the East Road Courtyard. Yuanchun changed her clothes in the Tiren Mude Courtyard. Only after finishing her business did she get on the carriage and enter the garden.

Yuanchun looked around along the way and saw that the garden was filled with curling incense, colorful flowers, lights everywhere, and the sound of soft music from time to time. It was hard to describe the peaceful atmosphere and the rich and elegant atmosphere.

Yuanchun, seated in her sedan chair, gazed upon the garden's opulence, frowning and sighing silently at its extravagance. After the eunuchs invited her out of the sedan chair, she took a dragon boat ride, viewing the various sights along the way. She casually revisited a few of them, then sat for a while in the villa before changing her clothes and heading out of the garden.

Yuanchun arrived at Rongqing Hall and was about to perform her family greetings, but seeing Lady Jia and the others kneeling relentlessly, tears welled up in her eyes. After a moment, she stepped forward, taking Lady Jia's arm with one hand and Lady Wang's with the other. The three of them looked at each other, tears welling up in their eyes, their hearts a thousand words in their mouths, but they didn't know where to begin.

In the hall, Mrs. Xing, Li Wan, Sister Feng, Yingchun, Tanchun and Xichun were all crying secretly.

After a long while, Yuanchun suppressed her grief and forced a smile, saying, "You sent me to a place where I couldn't see anyone that day. Today I finally get to go home and spend some time with you, but instead of chatting and laughing, I'm crying. I'll be gone soon, and I don't know when I'll be back!"

Mrs. Xing, Sister Feng and others came to comfort them, and the three generations of grandparents and grandchildren hugged each other and cried bitterly again before sitting down.

Because Aunt Xue, Baochai and Daiyu were not there, Yuanchun ordered someone to invite the three of them in to meet her.

At this moment, Jia Zheng came to pay his respects. Father and daughter met behind a curtain. Seeing that Jia Zheng only exchanged formalities with her, Yuanchun could not help shedding tears again. Only when she heard that the couplets on the pavilions and terraces in the garden were all written by Baoyu did Yuanchun nod and say, "You have indeed made progress."

After Jia Zheng left, Yuanchun summoned Baoyu to see her again. When the sister and brother met, Yuanchun saw that Baoyu had grown so tall, and thought of how she had raised and taught him in the boudoir, she burst into tears again.

After meeting Daiyu and Baochai again, Yuanchun could not help but linger on Baochai's face for a moment. Soon the banquet started, and Yuanchun ordered Baoyu to lead the way, and they went to the garden together.

Seeing the different layouts and novel embellishments, Yuanchun praised them highly, but then turned around and advised, "Don't be too extravagant in the future. This is extremely excessive."

They went straight to the main hall, where they were told to take their seats without formalities and a grand banquet was held.

Yuanchun ordered calligraphy and painting to be prepared, and personally wrote a plaque for the main hall. She also changed the names of the various scenic spots. Thus, the garden was named Daguanyuan, and she gave names to various places, such as Xiaoxiang Pavilion, Yihong Courtyard, Hengwu Garden, etc. Then she wrote a quatrain:

It takes mountains and rivers to build a building, but it takes a lot of work to build it! All the sceneries in heaven and earth are prepared, Fangyuan should be named Xi Grand View.

After writing, Yuanchun ordered the sisters to write a plaque and a poem each, just to make it more interesting. She also ordered Baoyu to write a five-character quatrain for Xiaoxiang Pavilion, Yihong Courtyard, Hengwu Garden, and Huange Villa.

The poem reflects the poet's personality. Yuanchun had intended to use it to gauge Baochai's character and, incidentally, Baoyu's talent. However, Daiyu, already engaged, had no desire to demonstrate her talents and so composed a random poem. Baochai, even more so, was already in love, so she concealed her shortcomings and quickly put together a poem.

Everyone submitted their poems, and Yuanchun couldn't help but frown after reading them. Over the past year, the old lady and her mother had visited the palace a few times. The old lady praised Daiyu, and her mother praised Baochai. Yuanchun had never met either girl and didn't know what kind of girl to choose for her younger brother Baoyu.

Last September, another letter arrived, announcing that Daiyu and Chen Siyuan had finalized their marriage agreement and would marry when they were old enough. Yuanchun, filled with regret, set her heart on testing Baochai.

I originally thought Baochai must be a talented person, but the quatrain she wrote this time seems to be not as good as that of her third sister Tanchun. What should Yuanchun think?

That would have been fine, but his younger brother Baoyu scratched his head for a long time before finally cobbling together four quatrains. The first two were quite appropriate, and the third used the word "green jade," completely forgetting that Yuanchun had changed it to "Yihong Kuailu" because she disliked "hongxiang green jade."

The fourth poem, "Apricot Curtains in Sight," is even more ordinary. Moreover, among the four quatrains, there is not a single word of praise. How can Yuanchun present this to the emperor in the future?
Yuanchun glanced around and saw Baoyu standing anxiously below. She sighed and said to Mrs. Wang, "He does have some talent, but he must be brought up well in the future. If he is not strict, he will not become a useful person." She paused, then thought of Jia Zhu and added, "Too strict may lead to unexpected events. Mother should handle it herself."

Mrs. Wang immediately agreed. It seemed as if Yuanchun had said this before she entered the palace. Because Mrs. Wang had never been educated, she thought Yuanchun was praising Baoyu's "talent," and her face was filled with joy.

Li Wan, Yingchun, Tanchun, Xichun, Daiyu, and Baochai, all educated, could not fail to discern Yuanchun's discontent? Baoyu, in particular, was trembling, his face pale.

After saying this, Yuanchun picked up her pen and pondered, revising the two quatrains "Apricot Curtains in Sight" and "Huan Ge Villa". She then ordered that Huang Ge Villa be renamed Dao Xiang Village, and then ordered the eunuchs to circulate it outside.

Jia Zheng presented his "Ode to Returning Home," and Yuanchun ordered that jade-crusted jellyfish and other delicacies be given to Baoyu and Jia Lan. Jia Huan, who had caught a cold from playing with firecrackers during the New Year holidays and had not recovered, was now recuperating in Aunt Zhao's room.

After he had finished composing the poem, the eunuch hurriedly passed on the play list. After the four acts were sung, Yuanchun, because she liked Lingguan, ordered him to perform two more acts.

Jia Chang was an uneducated man and could not make up his mind for a while, so he let Lingguan perform "Appointment" and "Scolding Each Other". Unexpectedly, this act suited Yuanchun's taste, so she rewarded Lingguan with two pieces of palace satin, two purses, and gold and silver ingots.

After the banquet, Yuanchun wandered around some places she hadn't visited yet, and later received a reward. At three o'clock in the morning, the eunuch in charge invited the emperor back to the palace. Yuanchun, Lady Jia, and Lady Wang huddled together, weeping as they said goodbye. Yuanchun forced a smile and offered some comfort, then said, "If Heaven grants me permission to return next year, I will not be so extravagant!"

Both Lady Jia and Lady Wang were choked with sobs and could only nod repeatedly, though it was unclear whether they were truly or falsely agreeing. Only after they had respectfully escorted Yuanchun's sedan chair out of the Rongguo Mansion did the visit to her parents come to an end.

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The next day was the sixteenth day of the first lunar month. Because she had only gone to bed at the end of the first hour of the lunar calendar the day before, Sister Bao slept until noon before getting up.

After all, there is a big age gap between them, so even after sleeping till this moment, Sister Bao could not hide her tiredness. It was ok for her to yawn while dressing up, but her pair of watery almond eyes were now dark circles all over.

Since Ying'er couldn't use it, Bao-jie found some rouge and powder to cover it up herself, and sent Ying'er to the kitchen to bring a food box.

After Ying'er left, Sister Bao could not help but be lost in thought for a moment. This was because the four excerpts from yesterday were all selected by Concubine Xiande: the first, "A Grand Banquet," was from A Handful of Snow; the second, "Begging for Skill," was from The Palace of Eternal Life; the third, "Immortal Fate," was from The Dream of Handan; and the fourth, "The Soul's Departure," was from The Peony Pavilion.

There is a play within the first act called "The Wolf of Zhongshan"; the second act tells the story of Yang Guifei praying for cleverness on the seventh day of the seventh month, hoping for a long-lasting love with Emperor Minghuang of Tang. Then Emperor Minghuang ordered Yang Guifei to be hanged at Mawei Slope; the third act tells the story of Lu Sheng's dream, in which he saw through the world after waking up, and then led Lu Dongbin to heaven; the fourth act tells the story of Du Liniang seeing the spring scenery in the garden and lamenting the wasted years. In her dream, she had a secret meeting with the scholar Liu Mengmei by the Peony Pavilion. After waking up, she felt extremely lost and died in the night rain.

Visiting one's parents is a great joyous occasion. It would be inappropriate to perform any one of these four plays individually, let alone combining them together and making each one look better than the other?

Sister Bao didn't know the reason, she just thought that life in the deep palace was really hard. She wondered if Yuanchun had chosen these plays out of self-pity.

Just as I was about to come back to my senses, Ying'er came back with a food box and a strange look on her face.

Sister Bao took a quick look and asked, "What's wrong?"

Ying'er bit her lip and said, "Miss, we just received a letter from the East Palace saying that Master Zhen is inviting everyone to go to the East Palace tomorrow to watch a play and light lanterns."

Sister Bao smiled and said, "That's good news... I think the house will be tidy in a couple of days, and the old lady and the others will be able to rest and relax. They'll just need to relax." After a pause, seeing that Ying'er still looked strange, she asked, "Is there anything else?"

"This..." Ying'er glanced outside and saw that Aunt Xue had not yet stood up. She lowered her voice and said, "Just now I saw Master Yuan coming back from the front... I heard, I heard that..."

"It is said that?"

Ying'er gritted her teeth and said, "—I heard that Master Yuan took Miss Xing to her new house on the fourteenth day, and only brought her back this morning."

Sister Bao blinked, feeling a bit jealous, but she said calmly, "I was wondering why. Miss Xing and him are cousins, and the family is busy with the family's visit, so it's not easy for ordinary people to come and go freely. It's inevitable that they feel a little stuffy. It's normal for Miss Xing to stay in his new house for a couple of days."

After saying this, Sister Bao began to ponder. Xing Xiuyan was merely the daughter of a poor family. While she was virtuous and beautiful, her family background wasn't good enough for Brother Yuan. No matter how you looked at it, she wasn't a good match. Even if they had an affair, so what? At most, she could become a concubine. How could she possibly usurp the position of the principal wife?

For some reason, even though she had a clear mind, Sister Bao felt suffocated and unhappy. So, without self-examination, her face darkened and her lips pursed...

(End of this chapter)