Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 66: Shocking Changes (Please Read)

But Chen Siyuan led the servants out of Huifang Garden and went to the inner hall to reply to the letter. A moment later, they arrived at the place, but found only Ping'er inside, and no sign of Fengjie'er.

Ping'er asked, "Is Master Yuan here?"

Chen Siyuan said, "It calmed down later... Where's my second sister-in-law?"

Ping'er said, "Several women from different families have come in through the back door. Madam You is not feeling well, so our grandmother has gone to the back to greet the relatives."

From this perspective, what Lady Xing said last night... might have some truth to it. So, Yu Shi might have wanted to replace Qin Shi, but she didn't like Jia Zhen's wishes, so she just hid away in anger and didn't come out?
After giving Ping'er a few more words, Chen Siyuan went to the front of the South Hall to take charge. As dusk approached, Ping'er came up from behind and said to Chen Siyuan, "Master Yuan, Grandma is not available right now, so we need to entertain the ladies. Now that there's nothing to do in the East Palace, why don't you go back and rest?"

Chen Siyuan nodded, said "OK," and drank another cup of tea before turning back. Turning from Selfish Alley to the back street of Ningguo Mansion, Chen Siyuan suddenly slowed his pace and looked behind Lixiang Courtyard. Sure enough, he saw a dog hole under the wall. It was not big, probably enough for a three or five-year-old child to pass through, and was used to pass letters in a very secretive manner.

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, "Hu Mang arrived in Beijing two days earlier. Could it be that he had come to Rongguo Mansion to check things out beforehand?" Then he thought he was overthinking it. The wall was vast, and there were leaks every few steps. Could there be any hole that couldn't be used to pass on information?

Feeling relieved, Chen Siyuan was about to quicken his pace when suddenly someone stopped him from the side of the road.

"But Brother Yuan?"

Chen Siyuan looked over intently. It was getting dark, and he could only make out the rough outline, but there was no mistaking the voice - Xue Pan.

Could it be that he really wants to ask for Xiangling?
Chen Siyuan said, "So it's the eldest brother of the Xue family. What's the matter?"

Then Xue Pan rubbed his hands and said awkwardly: "Well... it was my brother who made the mistake that day. I am sorry for this and I hope you will forgive me." He bowed and kowtowed as he spoke, looking very sincere.

This move naturally puzzled Chen Siyuan. He couldn't figure out what Xue Pan had done wrong, so he frowned and said, "Forget it. Now that things have come to this, there's no point in saying more. If you have nothing else to do, Big Brother Xue, I'll leave first."

"Wait a minute!" Xue Pan leaned over to stop him again, saying awkwardly, "Everything is my fault. If you're still not satisfied, Brother Yuan, why don't you hit me a few times?"

Chen Siyuan stopped and looked at him for a while, wondering, "What's the matter with the eldest brother of the Xue family?"

"Well... this isn't the place to talk. So, tomorrow at 3 p.m. I'll set up a banquet at Liuquan Residence to apologize to Brother Yuan. I beg Brother Yuan to do me the honor."

Without giving Chen Siyuan any chance to refuse, Xue Pan turned and walked away, saying as he walked, "It's settled. I'll be waiting for Brother Yuan at Liuquan Residence!"

Chen Siyuan figured it out. It didn't seem like it was about Xiangling, but rather the now-publicized port opening. That's right, Xue the fool had just been cheated out of seven thousand taels, embarrassed in front of Aunt Xue and Baochai. And since he was stubborn, he naturally wanted to make amends...

As I said, it is difficult to persuade a damned ghost with kind words. If he dares to die, he will dare to bury himself.

After some thought, Chen Siyuan entered the Rongguo Mansion from the back door and soon arrived at his own courtyard. Entering the main room, he saw Xiangling coming to greet him... Yes, Xiangling had already passed her period, so naturally she had to go back to her room to serve.

As soon as she took off her cloak, Hongyu pulled Yunxiang in and reported, "Master, today Nanny Lai ran into Yunxiang and coaxed her with a few words, and then this girl started to spill the beans and told everyone everything."

Yunxiang stubbornly said, "Sister Hongyu, you're wrongly accusing me! I only said that Second Madam came that day, and I didn't say anything else."

Hongyu scolded, "You've even told me how much money Second Madam gave you. What else do you have left to say?"

Yunxiang complained, "I didn't say a word to Madam Lai about Master's affairs!"

Chen Siyuan was scratching his head. He needed Yunxiang as a sounding board to carry out his plan. He had already agreed to it last time, and if Yunxiang started gossiping again, Hongyu would handle it.

Seeing the little girl's eyes filled with tears, Chen Siyuan said, "Maybe I didn't explain it clearly last time?"

Yunxiang immediately said proudly, "That's right, I didn't explain it clearly last time. Next time I won't tell anyone."

Hongyu was annoyed and said, "There's going to be a next time? Tomorrow you pack your things and go back to where you came from!"

Yunxiang burst into tears and looked at Chen Siyuan aggrievedly: "Master?"

Seeing Chen Siyuan remained calm, Yunxiang looked at Xiangling again: "Sister Xiangling!"

Xiangling couldn't bear it any longer and pleaded, "She's still young and her mind is unstable. Hongyu, please don't scare her."

Hongyu said, "That's not the way it's said. As the old saying goes, 'If a child steals a needle when young, he will steal gold when he grows up.' If you don't discipline him now, won't he become a gossip-monger in the future?"

Seeing Hongyu looking over, Chen Siyuan thought, "Then I'll fine him one hundred taels of silver. If it happens again, I'll fine him two hundred taels of silver."

Yunxiang cried even harder. After finally getting an extra hundred coins a month, what maid wouldn't be envious? That was all well and good, but she'd lost it in a moment of nagging, and she was still a third-class maid earning only five hundred coins.

Hongyu thought about it, but decided not to refute Chen Siyuan, so she said, "Then I'll give him a hundred yuan. If it happens again, I'll definitely kick him out!"

Seeing that there was no way to save the situation, Yunxiang could only bow reluctantly and was then dragged back to the west wing by Hongyu.

Chen Siyuan thought to himself that Lai Ma was a cunning old woman. She had come back to look for him last time out of jealousy, but now that she heard that Wang Xifeng had only invested a thousand taels, she must have backed out.

The masters of the Rongguo Mansion were naturally divided into different classes. Nanny Lai's current status was due to her discerning eyes and a clear mind. Lady Jia disliked Lady Xing, so even if Nanny Lai went over Lady Xing's head, Lady Xing wouldn't say anything. Sister Feng, on the other hand, was a different matter. She was extremely favored by Lady Jia and even held more respect in the eyes of the old lady than the eldest master, Jia She.

Lai Ma doesn't need to pay much, just one thousand taels. Will Feng Jieer be happy when she finds out? If she mentions it to the old lady, it will be a big gossip for Lai Ma.

Chen Siyuan secretly felt that it was a pity, thinking that the Lai family had been entrenched in the Jia family for generations, and who knows how much money they had embezzled in private. Even if he found a good excuse to embezzle the Lai family's money, the Lai family would not be able to say anything.

The day passed quickly.

The next day, Chen Siyuan planned to go find Sun Guangcheng first, and then return to give the indenture to Ma Panlong and Qianxue.

As soon as he came out of the back door, he ran into Jia Yun. Jia Yun smiled and stepped forward to greet him: "Uncle Yuan!"

Chen Siyuan said with a smile, "Brother Yun, why are you here? Didn't you say that there's nothing to do these days and you should take a good rest?"

Jia Yun said, "My nephew has done nothing to trouble me, so why should I rest? If I continue to rest, not only will I be uneasy, but mother will be displeased with the sight. She scolded me early this morning and kicked me out early."

Chen Siyuan thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "In that case, come with me to the Zhejiang Guild Hall first." "Yes."

The two men went to the front, took the horses, and rode towards the Zhejiang Guild Hall.

The Zhejiang Guild Hall was near Liangjiayuan. The two men exited the inner city gate and onto the main street. Not far away, they saw a dense crowd of onlookers gathered on the distant Zhazi Bridge. Sitting upright on horseback, Chen Siyuan saw yamen runners dragging something onto the bridge with a large net.

Jia Yun glanced at it and said, "Uncle Yuan, I'm afraid we'll have to take a detour." He paused, then added, "Every year there are always a few dead floats being pulled from under this Explosive Bridge."

As soon as he finished speaking, two yamen runners dragged a corpse up. Chen Siyuan was about to turn his horse around, but he glanced at the deadly clothes and stopped immediately.

Jia Yun turned his head to observe. Seeing Chen Siyuan's serious expression and furrowed brows, he couldn't help but greet him, "Uncle Yuan?"

"Hmm? Oh..." Chen Siyuan said, "...No hurry, let's take a look at the excitement first before leaving."

As he spoke, he dismounted and threw the reins directly to Jia Yun. After giving some instructions, Chen Siyuan strode towards the Zhazi Bridge.

He was thin but strong. He squeezed his way to the front of the crowd. He ignored the yamen runners who tried to drive him away and just stared at the dead drifter!
Perhaps from a day's soaking, the corpse was swollen, looking like a balloon ready to burst. The face was equally swollen, and even Chen Siyuan, with his sharp eyesight, couldn't make out what the man had looked like in life. He lowered his gaze and spotted a scar on the base of the right hand... It was indeed Hu Mang!

Just then, someone outside shouted, "The coroner is here! Everyone out of the way!"

Hu Mang had died in such an unclear manner? Chen Siyuan's mind exploded with confusion! He moved aside with the crowd in a daze.

How did Hu Mang die? He had been keeping an eye on Qin Zhong, and there was a martial arts practitioner from an unknown source following him. It was obvious that the powerful and influential behind the scenes had definitely done something shady!
He was killed just for following Qin Zhong... So what secrets does the Qin family involve?
It would be fine if Hu Mang died, but was he tortured before his death? Hu Mang looked rough and tough, like a man of iron, but in reality he was just a pill seller. I'm afraid he would confess everything under torture!

Doesn't that mean I've been exposed? Should I run now?

Chen Siyuan panicked for a moment, then gradually calmed down. Since the powerful man had killed someone to silence him, he probably wouldn't come looking for him openly even if he knew his background.

Looking at the state of Hu Mang's body, he had been dead for who knows how long. It's possible that someone had been targeting him for a long time. If he ran away now, he would only be walking into a trap.

Thinking about it more carefully, Hu Mang had violated the taboo of the powerful and influential because he kept a close eye on Qin Zhong. The capital was under the feet of the emperor, so the powerful and influential people couldn't just kill all of him and his group, right?

Well, it's a blessing, not a curse. If it is a curse, it's unavoidable. For now, it's safer to stay in Rongguo Mansion. I might as well hide in Rongguo Mansion for the next few days. If Sun Guangcheng dies, it won't be too late to find an opportunity to escape.

Composing himself, Chen Siyuan's face faded from fear. He turned over, shaking his head in amazement, and returned, taking the reins from Jia Yun. He said, "I don't know how long he's been soaking in the water. He looks like a nobody. I wonder if he fell into the water accidentally."

Jia Yun said casually, "That's still considered good. At least the body was left for the family to claim. I heard that Taizu ordered the cleaning of the Jinshui River a long time ago. It took more than a month to fish out the remains, and there were no fewer than a hundred intact skeletons."

Uncle Yuan, I think we should take a detour."

"Alright."

The two of them set off again, arriving at the Zhejiang Guild Hall in no time. From a distance, they could see a constant stream of people coming and going outside. A dozen steps away, a eunuch in a red robe, a three-peaked hat, and a whisk in hand strolled out of the hall, smiling.

Sun Guangcheng followed closely behind. When they reached the gate, a sedan chair was brought up. The eunuch said with a smile, "Friend Sun Mu, is this matter settled? I will go back and report to the prince right away."

Sun Guangcheng smiled apologetically and said, "Your Highness means well. I will inform the Governor-General later. He will certainly remember your kindness today."

"Hahaha..." The eunuch laughed loudly and said, "--Very good, very good. Who doesn't know that our prince is the most loyal to the country? Since Yan Futai has encountered difficulties, how can the prince sit idly by and watch? Huh? Hahaha..." After laughing, he pointed at the two burly men behind him and said, "Sun Muyou has come from afar. The prince is afraid that Sun Muyou doesn't have any useful people around him, so these two will be left to Sun Muyou to use at his will."

Then he instructed the two men, "From now on, follow Sun Muyou's instructions. If you do a good job, the prince will reward you."

The two of them crossed their arms and agreed, "Yes."

The eunuch then said to Sun Guangcheng, "Well, Sun Muyou, please stay. We will say goodbye now."

Sun Guangcheng bowed and said, "I am here to see you off, eunuch."

At this time, the sedan chair was brought in, and the eunuch flicked his whisk and went inside, then lifted the sedan chair and walked outside.

Chen Siyuan frowned, wondering if this eunuch was real or fake. Qian Feihu had previously mentioned a fake eunuch who had impersonated a palace steward and cheated Xue Dasha out of seven thousand taels of silver. Could this be a repeat of the same old trick?

At this moment, Jia Yun said, "It looks like Eunuch Qian."

Chen Siyuan turned his head and asked, "Brother Yun, do you know him?"

Jia Yun said, "Last year, Eunuch Qian came to congratulate Madam on her birthday, and my nephew took a glimpse from afar."

Chen Siyuan hurriedly asked, "I wonder which palace Eunuch Qian is from?"

"Prince Beijing's Mansion."

Prince Beijing's Mansion? That's not a show for outsiders... I'm afraid the two people who stayed behind aren't here to serve Sun Guangcheng, but to keep watch!
After the sedan went away, before Sun Guangcheng could turn around, a group of people gathered around.

This one said, "Friend Sun Mu, my master has prepared a banquet in front, please spare some time."

The other said, "My master has a personal relationship with Governor Yan. I wonder when Sun Muyou will be free, and my master will come to visit him personally."

Chen Siyuan was startled, thinking it was not a good time to go forward. He turned his horse and said helplessly, "I'm afraid Master Sun is not available today. Forget it, Brother Yun, go back first."

Jia Yun asked, "Uncle Yuan, are you going somewhere else?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "I'm going to go see Brother Ma. Brother Yun doesn't need to accompany me anymore. You can go back first."

　From now on, the chapters will be at least 4,000 words long, and will be updated twice a week on Mondays and Tuesdays.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)