The filial son of the Red Mansion

Naturally, people from both governments knew about these things.

Aunt Zhao was the most indignant. On the one hand, she thought that Jia Huan was not treated as well as Baoyu in the mansion, but now he was even treated worse than a girl from another family. On the other hand, she was jealous of the nuns and Taoist nuns who were making a lot of money.

Aunt Zhao had some unknown plan in her mind. She wished that all those who looked down on her and Jia Huan would die. For a while, she even got involved with Baoyu's godmother, Ma Dao Po.

Chapter 158: Jia Zhen's coffin was pried open

No one in Rongguo Mansion knew what Aunt Zhao and Ma Dao Po said exactly.

Even less is known about Jia Rong.

He had a lot of things to do these days. First, Jia Yun and Jin Er got married, and Jia Rong went to congratulate them. Second, Zhou Yang's funeral was finally held, and Jia Rong couldn't miss it. He was very disappointed to get a level 6 treasure chest.

Now he finally understood that sealing after death could not increase the level of the treasure chest.

such a pity!

Jia Rong did not open Zhou Yang's level 6 treasure chest immediately because a major incident occurred in Ningguo Mansion - Jia Zhen's coffin was pried open.

Jia Zhen's coffin was originally kept in Tiekan Temple. However, one day when the monks from Tiekan Temple were burning incense, they found signs of prying on the coffin, so they hurriedly passed the news over.

Both the Ning and Rong mansions were shocked, and the faces of the entire family turned black as charcoal. The coffin in the ancestral temple could be pried open, and such an extremely serious event was discovered in the middle of July, the Zhongyuan Festival for ancestor worship.

Grandmother Jia was so angry that she almost broke her walking stick.

The Zhongyuan Festival in this era is extremely important, with the same importance as New Year's Eve and Qingming Festival. Unfortunately, by the time when Jia Rong lived in his previous life, many people no longer knew about the Zhongyuan Festival, and even many people did not worship their ancestors on Qingming Festival.

"How could this be?"

Everyone has this question.

The abbot of Tiekan Temple, Master Sekong, felt extremely bitter.

It turned out that the thief who stole Jia Zhen's coffin was a fortune teller from the eastern suburbs. He had seen Jia Rong suddenly become enlightened earlier and later saved the emperor, so he felt that Jia Zhen's coffin was different and that was why he let Jia Rong have good luck. So he and several other villagers took advantage of the heavy rain to stay in Tiekan Temple. At night, they sneaked into the tomb where the coffin was kept and secretly pried open Jia Zhen's coffin, even opening the coffin and taking out several gold and jade artifacts from it.

Sekong had no choice but to ask the temple to hold a three-day ritual for Master Zhen.

"What is this?" Jia Rong cursed inwardly.

He glanced at Youshi in front of him, then looked at You Erjie next to him, and felt speechless.

If you want to do a temple, then do it. Why did You Erjie really listen to You Lao Niang's crooked ideas and actually follow her? What kind of things could happen in Tiekan Temple? You Erjie didn't need to help at all. Instead, she disturbed other people's good things.

Jia Rong ignored Youshi and You Erjie who were standing in front of the coffin in the side hall, and went to meet the local county magistrate.

Jia Zhen is really unlucky. He has been dead for so long, but he still suffers another disaster.

It is true that when I came back from hunting in Tiewang Mountain, I heard rumors in Beijing that someone was eyeing Jia Zhen's coffin.

I didn't expect that someone would actually take action.

Damn, you’re looking for trouble!

He was very depressed and did not show a good face to the local county magistrate. He asked, "Have those thieves been caught?"

The county magistrate said bitterly, "One of them has been arrested. From him, we learned that the main culprit, Blind Liu, had left the capital a few days ago and took his belongings to hide in the chaotic Ping'an Prefecture. Another person exchanged his belongings for silver and also took his family to follow Blind Liu to the east. The bailiffs are chasing him now."

"Thank you for your hard work." Jia Rong said perfunctorily and sent the county magistrate away.

Yu Shi felt particularly bad, kneeling in front of Jia Zhen's coffin, with a lot of self-blame in her mind. She blamed herself for not being able to let Tiekan Temple take good care of Jia Zhen's coffin, and she blamed herself even more for having that relationship with Rong Ge'er.

Maybe it's retribution!

Yu-shi looked at Jia Zheng's brand new coffin and slowly burned paper money, and saw Jia Rong striding in. Yu-shi's heart suddenly became uneasy, thinking to herself that Rong'er would not do anything reckless in front of the master's coffin!

She glanced at You Erjie out of the corner of her eye, and she didn't know what to feel.

Although Youshi was not as good as Wang Xifeng in her words, she was clear-headed and could see what was in Old Lady You's mind. Old Lady wanted to be rich and noble, and she also wanted to ask for some wealth and nobility for her second and third sisters.

It’s just... there are so many good ideas for everyone, but why did he choose to target Ronger?

What's that?!

When Youshi saw a familiar smile on Rong'er's lips, she felt a sudden panic in her heart and her knees involuntarily tightened.

Is it possible that he really wants to be here...

Youshi was extremely regretful, thinking that she should have asked Feng Lazi to take care of it earlier. If it was Feng Lazi, she would not be trapped in distress. With Feng Lazi watching, no matter what ideas I have, they will not succeed. Even if Rong'er really has some ideas about the second sister, with Feng Lazi watching, Rong'er can't do anything.

You Erjie also saw Jia Rong's smile, and her body also felt a little soft. In her mind, she was thinking about what the old lady had said, what it meant to let Rong Ge'er take advantage of this to feel a little proud.

There was a commotion in Rongguo Mansion because of this matter. In the end, Grandmother Jia was still concerned about Daiyu's illness. When she heard that Youshi and Rong'er had gone to Tiekan Temple, she didn't care about it anymore.

She listened to the nuns chanting sutras every day, and asked Yuanyang, Boli, Amber and others to take the books to Xing, Wang and other wives to copy. One reason was to use them for the Zhongyuan Festival to worship the ancestors, and the other was to pray for Daiyu, Baoyu and other brothers and sisters in the mansion.

The Xue family didn't have this custom. Xue Baochai worked for Xue Pan and managed several shops in the capital. She made a lot of money by selling incense, paper money, coffins, etc. She also took care of the shopkeepers and servants.

It's really pitiful that such a large family business is shouldered by just one girl.

Xue Baochai herself did not feel sorry for herself, she just thought that if she could get everything ready now, she would not have to worry about things outside the palace in the future. At noon, she followed Xue Pan back to the Lixiang Courtyard, but Xue Pan disappeared in the blink of an eye, so she had no chance to say a few words.

He also heard that Rong'er had asked the Imperial Hospital to treat Daiyu a few days ago. He was worried about her, so he went to look for Daiyu.

Unexpectedly, Daiyu was just reading the fourth volume of "Romance of the West Chamber" at this time.

"[Yuanhe Ling] Her embroidered shoes were half-untied, her willow waist was bent, she was too shy to raise her head, and just leaned on the mandarin duck pillow. Her hair looked like a golden hairpin, and her bun was crooked.

[Shang Ma Jiao] I loosen the button, untie the belt, and spread the orchid and musk in the secluded room. The bad will harm people, so why don't you turn your face back?

[Sheng Hulu] Here I embrace the soft jade and warm fragrance. Ah, Ruan Zhao went to Tiantai, spring came to the world and the flowers were in full bloom. The willow waist was swaying, the flower heart was gently opened, and the dewdrops on the peony blossomed.

[Chapter 1] But when it is dipped in some hemp, the fish and water are harmonious, the tender buds are fragrant and the butterflies are attracted. Half-hearted, surprised and in love, the sandalwood mouth touches the fragrant cheeks.

The text used allusions several times and supplemented them with details about the fragrance of flowers and the water of fish, which made Daiyu blush with shame.

One cannot imagine what one has not seen.

Although Daiyu was just reading the words, she had a picture in her mind. This was because she had also seen other people with willow waists swaying gracefully and soft jade in their arms, and she had also heard the story of "Liu Ruan Tiantai". Suddenly, she heard someone outside shouting that Bao girl was coming. Daiyu threw away the image of Jia Rong that flashed through her mind, and she was so ashamed that she hurriedly hid the book.

"Is Pin'er feeling better?" Baochai's face was gentle, like a spring breeze blowing on her face, bringing a cool feeling.

Daiyu was sweating profusely, her eyes were a little panicked, and she could only nod to deal with it. "I feel much better now, thank you for your worry."

"Why is Pin'er's face so red?" Baochai reached out and felt that Daiyu's forehead was covered with sweat. She smiled and said, "Pin'er is really much better."

Lin Daiyu nodded and asked casually, "Why are you here now, sister?"

Xue Baochai said, "I have been busy in the shop recently and have not come to see you for some time, so I came here now. I heard from the maids that Baoyu found a book for you. I wonder what it is? What other book do you want to read? I will also send someone to look for it."

Lin Daiyu did not answer directly, but smiled and said, "Thank you for being so kind, sister. I am thinking about the Collected Works of Wang Wei at home, but unfortunately it is not here. Why don't you buy a new one for me?"

The Collected Works of Wang Wei was compiled by Wang Jin, the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty. It contains all the poems and articles written by his brother Wang Wei, a total of ten volumes, more than 400 articles. Wang Wei, whose courtesy name is Mojie, is called the Collected Works of Wang Wei. Because Wang Wei once served as Shangshu Youcheng, it is also called the Collection of Wang Youcheng.

"You are making things difficult for me." Xue Baochai said with a smile, "The only copies of Wang Wei's Collected Works in circulation now are those copied during the Song Dynasty. They are all hidden in each mansion and rarely appear outside. Since Pin'er wants it, I will ask the capital to get it for you."

Just saying.

Xue Baochai saw a book hidden under the pillow behind Daiyu, with half of it exposed. She looked carefully and saw the words "I am so happy to see your affectionate little lady, haggard and thin as a straw. Tonight is harmonious."

Baochai immediately understood that Daiyu blushed because of seeing these things.

Daiyu also followed Baochai's gaze and immediately blushed as she hid the book. She hugged Baochai's arms and begged, "My dear sister, please don't tell anyone else. I won't read it anymore."

This forbidden book could not have been brought by Daiyu from Yangzhou, so it must have been sent by Baoyu. Although such books were circulated in the inner house, they were read by married ladies for private entertainment. How could they be allowed to poison unmarried girls?

The girls no longer follow etiquette, ignore their parents' wishes, and don't care about the matchmaker's words. Instead, they just hope that talented men and beautiful women will get married secretly?

What's the matter? !

Seeing Daiyu's plea, Xue Baochai stopped asking questions and gently took Daiyu's hand, saying:

"Who do you think I am? I am also a naughty kid. I have been bothered by people since I was seven or eight years old.

Our family is considered a family of scholars, and my grandfather also loves to collect books. In the past, there were many people, and the brothers and sisters lived together, so they were afraid to read serious books. Some of the brothers loved poetry, and some loved lyrics, such as "The West Chamber", "Pipa" and "Hundreds of Yuan Poems".

They watched it secretly without our knowledge, and we watched it secretly without their knowledge either. Later, when the adults found out, they beat us, scolded us, and burned us, and finally they threw us away.

So it is better for us girls not to know how to read. Men who read but do not understand the meaning of reading are better off not reading, let alone you and me. Even writing poems and calligraphy are not our job, and after all, they are not men's job.

It would be good if men studied and learned knowledge, and helped the country and govern the people. But nowadays, we don't hear of such people.

You and I should only do needlework and weaving, but you can read. Since you can read, you should just pick out the serious ones to read. I am most afraid that you will read some miscellaneous books and change your character, which will make you hopeless."

Daiyu was so ashamed and embarrassed by what she heard that she secretly submitted and could only say "yes".

But the book still refused to be thrown away.

She hasn't finished a rough reading yet. After a rough reading, she has to read it carefully, and after a careful reading, she has to read it again. This is the case with articles.

Seeing her expression, Xue Baochai knew that she still could not be persuaded, and she felt helpless. However, she was unwilling to say more, fearing that Daiyu would be angry.

But in Tiekan Temple, Monk Sekong was performing a ritual in the Main Hall, and the Heavenly King Hall was also bustling with activity.

Jia Rong, Youshi, You Erjie and others were burning paper money in front of the coffin in the inner hall. When they heard the Buddhist music stop and the gongs stopped, the three of them took turns to have dinner.

Youshi and the second sister had eaten first before they saw Jia Rong leave.

Yu Shi thought for a while and knew that she couldn't discipline her second sister strictly, and she couldn't do anything about Jia Rong, so she could only be on guard. She said, "Although I'm kind enough to ask you to stay with me, it's inconvenient to be out there. You should go to bed early tonight, and when someone comes to the mansion tomorrow morning, you can go back with them."

You Erjie didn't care, and didn't think about it at all. She asked innocently, "Sister, don't you want to rest too?"

Youshi shook her head. She had to copy some more scriptures tonight to use for the third day's ritual to burn as a sacrifice to Jia Zhen. She was secretly worried: I hope Rong'er won't do anything wrong tonight.

She watched You Erjie lead the maid out of the cemetery, pass the inner hall, and enter the courtyard of the yang house at the back.

Only then did Youshi feel relieved. She called Yindie to light the lamp and prepare red, yellow, purple, green and other colored papers. She herself looked deeply at Jia Zhen's coffin, feeling deeply moved.

"What a sinner I am!"

As Youshi was thinking about it, she looked up and saw Rong'er coming in from outside. She hurriedly sat back under the lamp with a pair of blushing ears. She did not dare to look up and hurriedly copied the scriptures.

Chapter 159: Adding a Son and a Daughter to Ningguo Mansion

At that time, the sun had already set, and the forest outside Tiekan Temple was already pitch black. From a distance, one could tell which were the cypress trees, which were the poplar trees, and which were the willow trees.

The trees in the suburbs of Shenjing are mostly willows, pines and cypresses, with the occasional elm and oak. Their shapes and habits vary, just like humans.

There are the most poplar trees, with straight trunks and branches, as if they are telling people something. In the dim evening, a breeze blows quietly, and the leaves of the poplar trees turn in the wind, like a beautiful woman dancing and spinning on the treetops.

The gate of Tiekan Temple was closed, but lights from many of the Buddhist halls inside were still shining out from the windows, as if they were yearning for freedom beyond the strict rules and regulations.

Jia Rong had just finished dinner and had no evil intentions. However, when he suddenly saw Youshi copying scriptures at the large square table, his heart inexplicably moved.

There was a candle on the square table. Although there were many candles in the side hall, the candle on the table was the brightest. A young lady in her twenties was copying books at her desk. Her eyes were a little erratic, and her fair cheeks were flushed with shame under the bright candlelight.