Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 69 Revealing the secret
Entering his own courtyard, Chen Siyuan couldn't help but smile when he thought of Baochai's situation just now.

Chen Siyuan knew what kind of person Baochai was. Her warm exterior and cold heart were merely superficial; the fact that she could write something like, "A favorable wind will help me soar to the sky," revealed her true feelings.

Talented? Wealthy? These were just minor considerations in Sister Yu Bao's eyes. What truly moved her was someone with immense power, someone who could protect the Xue family from all odds!

To put it bluntly, Baochai is forced by her circumstances to remain wrapped in a thick cocoon. Power is the scissors that break open the cocoon; without them, there's no way she can see Baochai's true heart.

Think about the book "Dream of Red Mansions". Baochai planned every step and even framed Daiyu in the Dicui Pavilion. It seemed that her heart was full of Baoyu, but in fact she had no choice. How could Baochai choose someone like Baoyu who was as useless as a silver-plated spear?
His casual remark just now had touched the heart of Baochai, and Baochai revealed some of her true nature.

In those watery almond-shaped eyes, apart from confusion and puzzlement, the rest was only sadness.

Chen Siyuan came back again. He had suffered a great loss in marriage in his previous life. He didn't dare to hope for love in this life, but he couldn't treat himself badly when it came to women.

Thinking back to Sister Bao's charming appearance, which was "heartless but still charming", how could Chen Siyuan give up easily?

Besides, the marriage certificate was fake after all, and Jia She might not be able to win over Lady Jia. It was hard to say whether Chen Siyuan could marry the beauty in the future.

The Master said: If you aim for the highest, you will get something in the middle; if you aim for the middle, you will get something below; if you aim for the lowest, you will get nothing.

In that case, it's always a good idea to cast a wide net. Even if he can't marry Sister Lin or Sister Bao, he can still marry one of the second, third, or fourth sisters, right? If he can marry them all, that's even better... Well, wait and see, with a sharp knife hanging over his head, he dare not hope for anything.

Hongyu welcomed him into the main room, where Xiangling hurriedly brought a basin of water. Seeing the affection in Hongyu's eyes, Chen Siyuan felt a little relieved. He thought to himself, "At least I still have Xiangling. At worst, I can just take the money and leave. It wouldn't be a wasted trip!"
At night, Xiangling washed and dressed, and then naturally went to bed. Chen Siyuan's evil intentions were aroused, and he whispered to her, "Is there any other way?"

Xiangling shyly agreed and then shrank to the end of the bed...

After a few days of leisure, Master Jia She and Lady Xing looked for Chen Siyuan several times, but he always turned them down. At the end of the month, there was a grand sacrifice at Ningguo Mansion, and Chen Siyuan went to Ningguo Mansion to help out for a day.

It is said that Xing Dequan was just having a drink with a group of idlers that day when he suddenly caught sight of a pawnshop in the distance. He slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Oh no! I almost forgot something important!"

An idle man asked, "Sir, what's the important matter?"

"Hey, just talking about it makes you guys jealous!" He then said that he had a good nephew who could make 10% profit by reselling 1,000 taels of silver.

The idlers were indeed jealous after hearing this and began to flatter him.

An idle man asked, "When did you get a nephew? How come we brothers didn't know about it?"

Xing Dequan said sarcastically, "My nephew is quite pitiful. His family is considered middle-class in Yangzhou, but unfortunately, my cousin died a few years later. His cousin's husband remarried, but she turned out to be a vicious woman. My nephew was tortured in every way. Now that he can't bear it anymore, he ran away to live with my eldest sister."

An idle man frowned and said, "Yangzhou...why does it sound familiar? Master Xing, what's your nephew's name?"

"My surname is Chen and my name is Siyuan." Xing Dequan replied casually.

Unexpectedly, the idle man was shocked and stood up and asked, "Chen Siyuan?"

Xing Dequan picked up the wine cup and looked over curiously: "Why? You also know my nephew?"

"This..." the idle man bowed and said, "To be honest, sir, I went to Yangzhou a while ago. I heard that in March, a fire broke out on Yujing Street and completely destroyed the Chen family. A servant who escaped said that it was the eldest son of the Chen family who took a murder weapon and killed everyone he saw. He killed his wife, brothers and sisters, and then went to Xiaohong Bridge and cut his own throat and drowned.

The eldest son of the Chen family is named Chen Siyuan!"

"Huh?" Xing Dequan was shocked, staring with his eyes wide open, "Where did you hear that? Are you kidding me?"

The idle man said, "This is absolutely true. I am willing to guarantee it with my life. If you don't believe it, just call the eavesdroppers from Yangzhou!"

Xing Dequan was breathless upon hearing this. He wondered, if his nephew Chen Siyuan was dead, then who was the person he had seen earlier? Could it be haunted? Oh no! He had just given 1,000 taels to 'Chen Siyuan' a few days ago, and his eldest sister had also given him 2,000 taels. If that thief was a fake, he wouldn't have run away with 3,000 taels, right?

Xing Dequan couldn't sit still after this. He slammed the table and stood up, saying, "I have something to do today. I'll leave first!"

After saying this, he strode towards Rongguo Mansion.

By chance, he ran into the old servant at home, who said, "Sir, the third lady is looking for you. Please tell you to hurry home."

Xing Dequan was unwilling to do so. He just said, "I have something urgent to do right now. Please let Third Sister wait."

The old servant was surprised by Xing Dequan's shameless behavior. He stepped forward and grabbed his arm and said, "Whatever you do, you must see the third lady first. This is my beg for mercy."

"Why can't you explain this to me, old man? I have something urgent to do!"

Without giving Xing Dequan a chance to explain, the old servant dragged him back to the Xing family's house. Xing Dequan simply rushed to the backyard to see Xing Sanjie. When they met, he said, "Oh no! Sanjie, that nephew is probably a fake!"

Sister Xing was startled when she heard this and quickly asked her to tell the truth. Xing Dequan hurriedly told her what he had just heard and stood up to go find Madam Xing.

"Wait!" Third Sister Xing was not as clueless as Xing Dequan. She quickly stopped him and glanced around. Fortunately, the maids and the old women were busy outside and hadn't heard anything. Third Sister Xing frowned and ordered, "Don't tell anyone about this! Remember this, just tell your eldest sister quietly."

"what?"

Seeing Xing Dequan's confusion, Third Sister Xing was at a loss for words. "Chen Siyuan" now had three thousand taels of silver from the Xing family alone, and it was unclear how much the Jia family had invested. If they barged in openly, wouldn't they alert the enemy? What if the "nephew" escaped immediately? Wouldn't all the money be wasted?

Third Sister Xing raised her eyebrows and scolded, "Don't tell anyone about it. Have you taken note of this?"

Xing Dequan was suddenly startled by his prestige and hurriedly replied, "I've got it. I've got it."

Third Sister Xing gritted her teeth and said, "I'll come back to settle the matter of mortgaging the house and shop... Why don't you go now!"

Xing Dequan felt as if he had been pardoned. Without further delay, he went out, rented a horse, and quickly traveled all the way to Rongguo Mansion.

After arguing with Yu Si, the gatekeeper of the east wing, and patiently waiting in the back hall for a long time, a servant finally led him into the ceremonial gate, and then Wang Shanbao, the housekeeper, led him into the main room at the back.

It was just past noon, and Madam Xing was having her lunch. Seeing Xing Dequan rushing in, she frowned and said unhappily, "How can you be so flustered? You're such an adult, yet you don't seem to be composed!"

Xing Dequan cried out, "This is a matter of urgency. How can I remain calm?" He opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly caught sight of the maids and servants around him. Remembering Third Sister Xing's instructions, Xing Dequan hurriedly said, "Sister, please send the servants away. I have something important to tell you!"

"What trouble have you caused again?" Mrs. Xing scolded. Seeing that Xing Dequan was extremely anxious, she had to wave her hand and send all the maids and old women away.

When there were only two people left inside, Xing Dequan quickly stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Oh my God, big sister, I'm afraid that Brother Yuan is a fake!"

"Ah?" Mrs. Xing refused to believe it. She frowned and said, "What are you talking about?"

"Absolutely true!" Xing Dequan then told everything he had heard.

Mrs. Xing's heart trembled at these words! Fake? How could it be fake!

As expected, disaster struck! My own two thousand taels, Xing Dequan's one thousand taels, and the eldest master's five thousand taels, that added up to eight thousand taels of silver! Madam Xing suddenly stood up and was about to ask someone to go back and look for him, but then she remembered that 'Brother Yuan' was familiar with Sun Muyou, so maybe they were in cahoots!

If we only capture 'Brother Yuan', we may not be able to recover the money. We may have to capture Sun Muyou as well.

Thinking of this, Mrs. Xing hesitated again. After all, this whole disaster was caused by her. If it got out, it would be embarrassing, but if it made the master dislike her, how could she live a good life in the future?

This hesitation made Mrs. Xing feel a bit lucky again. The two hundred taels she had earned for free earlier was no lie. What if the rumor her brother had heard was wrong? If she upset Yuan Ge'er, she might never have such an easy opportunity to make money again. Mrs. Xing pondered silently for a while, then suddenly called out, "Someone come."

The door opened and the maid Miao'er came in.

Madam Xing ordered, "Listen, listen, Brother Yuan is back."

Miao'er bowed in response and turned to listen.

Xing Dequan said at this time: "Big sister, come up with a decision quickly, otherwise that thief might run away with the money!"

"Shut up!"

If you don't want to be implicated, it's best to get the money back first and then send that 'Brother Yuan' away. That way, even if that thief gets away with it, it's better than being blamed.

If I can't get it back... I can only report this to the master.

Having made up her mind, Mrs. Xing held the teacup and remained silent, letting Xing Dequan jump up and down like a monkey.

After a while, Miao'er came in and replied, "Madam, the doorman said he saw Master Yuan coming back from Ningguo Mansion a cup of tea ago."

"I understand. I'll go out and wait."

Miao'er responded, turned around and went out and closed the door.

"Big sister?" Xing Dequan looked at Mrs. Xing.

Mrs. Xing felt a little relieved and whispered, "I'll investigate this matter myself, but I wouldn't want to wrongly accuse Yuan-ge'er. You can go back now. No matter what, I'll return your one thousand taels tomorrow."

"This……"

Mrs. Xing glanced at him sideways, and Xing Dequan responded in a muffled voice, flicked his sleeves, and strode away.

As soon as he left, Mrs. Xing called the maids and the old women and gave them instructions: "Go and call a few of the servants, those who are strong enough, to wait in the courtyard to receive your orders. Then send someone else to the back to invite Brother Yuan."

Everyone was confused, but each followed his advice. The maid Miao'er went back to look for Chen Siyuan, while Wang Shanbao went ahead and called over a few burly women.

Mrs. Xing felt that she had made all the arrangements, so she ordered, "I'll have a private conversation with Brother Yuan later. You are not allowed to come in unless I let you in."

............................................................

Chen Siyuan had just returned from Ningguo Mansion that day. After warming his hands, Miao'er came to invite him. Chen Siyuan thought it was about the receipt again, so he stood up, put on his cloak, and followed Miao'er to the east across the courtyard.

Entering the black-oiled gate, the doorman Yu Si greeted them warmly, and everything seemed normal. But once they entered the third-tier ceremonial gate, the scene changed: there were seven or eight stout old women crowding in!

Chen Siyuan's heart skipped a beat, wondering if he'd been exposed. What had gone wrong? He and Liu Yan'er hadn't revealed anything, so could it be that Prince Beijing had leaked the information?
Although he was feeling uneasy, Chen Siyuan knew that there was no way to avoid or escape this time - if he ran again now, he might not even be able to leave the Rongguo Mansion if Madam Xing gave him a warning!
His mind raced as he racked his brains for a way out of the impasse, but his expression remained the same as usual. As his pace slowed down slightly, he looked calm and composed.

As Miao'er walked around the screen and entered the inner room, he looked up and saw Madam Xing sitting on the couch with a cold face. She glanced at him and said indifferently, "My brother is here? Please leave now. I want to talk to him."

Miao'er retreated in response, and Chen Siyuan stepped forward and saluted: "Aunt, is there something you want to talk to me about?"

Madam Xing suddenly slammed the table, her face frosted as she said, "How long are you going to keep trying to coax me? I just got the news that my nephew died long ago!"

The real Chen Siyuan must be dead, otherwise how would he have gotten the keepsake? He even suspected that it might have been a trap set by Sun Guangcheng, who had tricked Chen Siyuan into killing seven or eight members of his family and then committing suicide.

Chen Siyuan frowned slightly and said, "What are you talking about, aunt? Why don't I understand?"

"You don't understand? Fine!" Madam Xing gritted her teeth and repeated what Xing Dequan had said. Then she said bitterly, "Let me ask you, how many moles does my cousin have on her face? Can't you answer? What else do you have to say?"

Seeing Chen Siyuan remained silent, Madam Xing said, "I won't argue with you any longer. Return all the money quickly, and find an excuse to move out in a few days. Then we'll let this matter go." After a pause, she raised her eyebrows and said, "If not, I'll have you tied up immediately and wait for the master's decision. We'll see how much of your skin is still alive!"

Chen Siyuan's frown relaxed, and he leisurely found a chair to sit down. He poured himself some tea, took a sip, and then raised his eyes and said, "Madam, you don't want this to be known to everyone, right?"

"You--" The thief in front of her suddenly changed his expression and revealed the secret in one word, which made Mrs. Xing at a loss as to what to do for a moment.

Then Chen Siyuan said, "Let me calculate. Xing Dequan has one thousand taels, Madam has two thousand taels, Sister Feng has one thousand taels, and the Master has five thousand taels... If all of it goes down the drain, how do you think the Master will treat you afterwards? Do you think he'll get angry and want to divorce you?"

Mrs. Xing was afraid of this, so she wanted to keep the peace. But she never expected that the thief would turn the tables!

Madam Xing said, "Oh, what's there to be afraid of? If you want to leave today, wait for the master to come back and lead the men to capture those useless descendants and their assistants. There's no money that can't be recovered."

"Haha..." Chen Siyuan shook his head and chuckled softly, "Madam, you think it's simple, but it's too late."

"What do you mean?"

Chen Siyuan jokingly said, "To tell you the truth, Madam, that Sun Muyou is now being coerced by the palace. The money he extorted earlier has probably already gone into the Beijing Palace. Even if the master has taken the person away, the money is probably impossible to recover."

Mrs. Xing's mind roared, and she felt like the sky was falling!
Can't get it back? How can I explain this to Jia She? All these years, it's not that I have always followed Jia She's lead and been humble in everything. I'm afraid that for the title of general's wife, a woman from a wealthy family has already taken my place!

Chen Siyuan sighed and said, "Madam, why did you have to expose me? I have never cheated you since I came into your house. If you hadn't kept pestering me, it wouldn't have happened again."

Mrs. Xing was half angry and half horrified, her body shaking like a sieve, and she was speechless for a while.

Soon, Chen Siyuan walked over and sat down beside her. He whispered, "What if it's fake? What if it's real? You must know that when the fake becomes real, the real becomes fake... If Madam is willing to continue acting with me, I will guarantee that the money will be returned in full."

"You...are you willing to come back?" Mrs. Xing asked in a trembling voice, as if she had grabbed a life-saving straw.

"It's only a few thousand taels of silver. To be frank, madam, I'm not here for money, but fame. With fame, how much money can't I earn?"

Mrs. Xing was suddenly startled to realize that the thief had grabbed her hand and was playing with it. She tried to break free, but was unable to do so.

"You, what are you doing?"

Chen Siyuan said, "I'm planning for the long term. I'm also afraid that after I pay back the money, Madam will sell me out again. Then all my efforts will be in vain." After a pause, Chen Siyuan whispered seductively, "Madam, it's not easy for you now. When the eldest master passes away, can you rely on Jia Lian or Jia Cong? No matter how good it is, it's better to be alone."

The hands became more and more unruly. Mrs. Xing looked up blankly, and her heart trembled at the aggressive gaze.

She had been celibate for a long time, and had been having romantic dreams recently. When she felt the man's scent in her face, even though she knew it was wrong, her body still went limp.

Seeing that she was about to fall back on the couch, Madam Xing struggled with her last bit of strength and said, "No, no—"

Chen Siyuan paused and whispered, "Madam, do you think I should go find the master and plead guilty?"

How could Mrs. Xing dare to do that? She hurriedly shook her head.

Lying on the soft couch, amidst the rustling sounds, Mrs. Xing suddenly felt dazed...

(End of this chapter)