The Red Mansion

Chapter 55 Xue Baochai's Dowry
The Xue family had come to Beijing with the intention of settling there permanently, practically relocating. However, upon arriving yesterday, Aunt Xue had already decided to return to Jiangning, and had scheduled her departure for two days later.

Xue Baochai was curious about what Aunt Xue was thinking.

Aunt Xue's expression was bitter as she whispered, "You've been promised as a concubine, and our family's position as imperial merchants is gone. Your brother and I no longer have any reason to stay in the capital, nor do we have the dignity to do so."

With a long sigh, Aunt Xue continued, "Today, your uncle asked for thirty thousand silver coins. I originally thought that since our family had lost their position as imperial merchants, we would have to rely on him even more in the future. But then I thought again, your uncle was demoted to a general and will be leaving the capital for another post. He is far inferior to the governor of the Beijing camp and will not be able to take care of our family much. Besides, he is cruel. He has taken money and property from our family many times before, and today he asked for thirty thousand silver coins and he is still resentful of our family. If we continue to stay in the capital, he will definitely ask for money and property again in the future. Although our family has some property, we can't afford to suffer such a toss."

Aunt Xue sighed again, "I... I'm really scared too! Look, we've been plagued by misfortunes since we arrived in Beijing from Jiangning. First, we encountered pirates on the Grand Canal, and our entire family was nearly doomed. Fortunately, Jiang Nian saved us, but you promised him to be your concubine. Today is only our second day in Beijing, and our family's title of imperial merchant has been removed, and even your uncle has been demoted. I'm also worried that with your brother's personality, he'll easily get into trouble in this capital full of powerful people. It's better to return to Jiangning for safety. The world outside is dangerous!"

Xue Baochai lowered her head silently upon hearing this, knowing her mother's words made sense and that she was truly frightened. Her fingertips gently stroked the lotus embroidery on her sleeve, a chorus of emotions welling up in her, unsure how to respond.

Seeing her daughter's silence, Aunt Xue whispered, "Jiang Nian is truly an extraordinary and unfathomable person. When you come to live with him, you must get along with him harmoniously. You must... learn how to please him and make him like you even more. That way, even if you are a concubine, he will take better care of our Xue family in the future, and perhaps he can help restore our family's position as an imperial merchant."

Xue Baochai remained silent. The wind blew outside the window, causing the curtains to sway slightly, as if sighing for her.

Aunt Xue then said to Xue Baochai, "Before his death, your father left you a hundred thousand silver coins, saying it was for your dowry. He...he never imagined that you would become a concubine and that our family would be reduced to this state."

At this point, she couldn't help but sigh and continued, "You know, ever since your father passed away, all of our family's business agents, managers, and associates in various provinces have taken advantage of your brother's youth and inexperience, and have taken advantage of the situation to defraud him. Our family business has gradually declined. Add to that your brother's extravagant spending, and your uncle has demanded a lot of money over the years. And then there's the recent expenses we've incurred. We paid Jiang Nian 10,000 silver coins in compensation in Jiangning, and we gave several thousand silver coins as rewards and relief to our male servants for fighting against the pirates. And now, your uncle has demanded another 33,000 silver coins... We're no longer the millionaires we were when your father was alive."

Aunt Xue paused, her tone softening slightly. "Since you're not getting married, you don't need to give me a hundred thousand silver coins as a dowry. However, you're my precious daughter after all, and I can't ignore your father's dying wishes. The hundred thousand silver coins your father left for you should be given to you."

Xue Baochai was deeply moved when she heard this. Tears welled up in her eyes and she cried out in a trembling voice, "Mom..."

However, Aunt Xue continued, "However, our family is indeed not as good as it used to be, and now that we've shattered our reputation as a royal merchant, we need to be frugal with our spending. I'll give you 20,000 silver coins before I leave Beijing. After all, your brother and I are going back to Jiangning, and you're living with Jiang Nian, so it's not convenient for you to carry a lot of silver. When Jiang Nian officially takes you as his concubine, I'll give you another 30,000. Are you happy with my split?"

Xue Baochai's expression froze slightly: "..."

Well, I was a little touched for nothing.

One hundred thousand silver coins suddenly became fifty thousand, and only twenty thousand were given at first.

What can she do?
She would never ask Aunt Xue to give her all the 100,000 silver coins.

Fortunately, she could get 20,000 first. Once she officially became Jiang Nian's concubine, Aunt Xue would probably give her another 30,000. She would probably not break her promise on this matter. She also would not let Aunt Xue withhold her 50,000 silver.

To her, fifty thousand silver coins were a comfort.

She also believed that this money would make her life with Jiang Nian more decent and would also guarantee her future material needs.

So, she nodded and said, "It's up to mother to decide on this matter."

Aunt Xue continued, "Since you're a concubine, and Jiang Nian lives in a small house, we don't have many servants accompanying us on this trip to the capital, and we lost four men to the pirates. I think Ying'er should accompany you, and the rest of the servants don't need to come with you. What do you think?"

Xue Baochai nodded again, the pearls on the jade hairpin beside her temples trembled slightly, and she subconsciously stroked a necklace she was wearing.

Ying'er is good at making lace, and she especially likes laces in green and yellow.

The lace that Xue Baochai was stroking at this moment was made by Ying'er. It was light green in color, elegant and delicate with a touch of beauty. The pattern was a heart-shaped plum blossom. The workmanship was exquisite, and every stitch and thread revealed Ying'er's thoughts and ingenuity.

For Xue Baochai, whether the other servants followed her or not was irrelevant; as long as Ying'er, her personal maid, was by her side, she was content. Ying'er had served her for many years and was innocent, clever, and skillful. Aunt Xue and Xue Pan were both returning to Jiangning, and if even Ying'er left her, she would be even more lonely.

Aunt Xue stopped talking at this point. She still had a thousand things she wanted to say to Xue Baochai, but the jolting carriage she was riding in and the clamor outside were disturbing her. She planned to have a detailed talk with her daughter after returning to the Wang residence.

There was silence in the car for a moment, and the mother and daughter each had their own thoughts.

Soon, the carriage passed through Chaoyang Gate and entered the inner city of Shenjing City. Outside the carriage window, the voices of people were bustling, and the streets were bustling. The clamor of the market poured into the carriage like a tide, almost drowning the people.

Aunt Xue couldn't help but gently lift a corner of the curtain and glanced at the street scene outside. She saw rows of shops, pedestrians, various signs waving in the sun, and the sounds of carriages, hawking, and chatting and laughing intertwined together, creating a very lively scene.

She couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "After all, this is the land beneath the Emperor's feet, and the atmosphere is truly extraordinary! I had originally planned to stay in Shenjing City for a long time, to truly experience the world beneath the Emperor's feet. I never expected that, having only arrived yesterday, I'd be returning to Jiangning in two days... The world outside of Jiangning may be bustling and bustling, but it's also truly dangerous!"

As for the protagonist's behavior, I've previously mentioned that, because he's fighting for the throne under extremely unfavorable circumstances, he possesses a certain charismatic streak. Furthermore, I'd like to reveal that the protagonist shares similarities with Emperor Taishun, for example, his harshness. This is a deliberate setting by the author, as will be seen later in the story when Emperor Taishun says, "This son resembles me."

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(End of this chapter)