Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 673: Meng Li Goes to Jia Mansion at Night
Rongguo Mansion,
As Lady Jia spoke, the maids outside were busy inside and outside.

Wang Xifeng had arranged for someone to prepare food long ago. They shared a table and had their meal with the three sisters. After they had eaten their fill, Wang Xifeng took out the dominoes she had prepared, laid a new table, and invited Tanchun and Yingchun to join them.
After playing around with the old lady, their laughter spread throughout Rongqing Hall.

"Oh, you see, I am not suitable for playing these. Every time, I have never won. I don't know what's wrong with these cards. No matter which one I get, I am not satisfied."

Wang Xifeng had just drawn a card and was complaining angrily to Tanchun, who was sitting opposite her. Suddenly, she looked happy and replied,
"Oh, that's right. Why is the second sister-in-law so unlucky? I guess she has touched too much silver and thinks it is too heavy. She is afraid of getting tired, so she gave the silver to the old lady."

"Yeah, I want it too,"

Xichun sat at the bottom, her face full of smiles. After this round, Jia's mother couldn't stop laughing.
"Look, look, you've grown up, and you dare to make up stories about your sister-in-law. She really has too much money, and she can't take it. Why don't you take the opportunity to win more from her?"

Grandmother Jia smiled and joined in, making fun of Wang Xifeng. Only Wang Xifeng pretended to be angry, took out some loose silver coins and threw a few to each of the three sisters, one piece each.
"Okay, since the old lady said so, sisters-in-law can't be stingy. So, one dollar each, first get a prize, and the rest depends on your ability."

Outside the house,

In front of the side door,
The concierge was sitting at the side door, commanding several servants to wait at the door in shifts. At this time, no one came to the mansion. He was mainly keeping an eye on Marquis Luo Yun. If someone came to the Duke's mansion, and his servants didn't know what was good for them and offended the noble, it would be troublesome.

It was strange that Marquis Luo Yun had not come in the past few days. The old steward had some guesses in his mind. What he thought was really possible, but he must not think too much about it. The masters had their own concerns about the affairs of the master's family.
Just thinking,

He looked outside and suddenly a carriage came from the east and stopped outside the mansion. It meant someone was coming, so he immediately stood up to greet him.

Outside the side door,
As soon as the carriage stopped, Right Imperial Censor Meng Li hurriedly got off the carriage and walked up the steps, where he saw the gatekeeper coming to greet him.
Without saying much, he handed over the visiting card and said;

"Meng Li from the Censorate, I pay my respects to Old Lady Shi,"

"Please wait a moment, my lord. I will pass the message on right away."

When the steward saw it, he did not dare to be negligent. He hurriedly took the visiting card and ran to Rongqing Hall. Everyone in the mansion knew that the second wife was in Rongqing Hall accompanying the old lady, so they should all be there.

a little,

When he arrived at the corner gate of Rongqing Hall, he saw a few old ladies guarding the gate and asked:

"The old lady and the second grandmother are in the house."

The maids chatting at the door saw that it was the old steward of the gate, who looked anxious. They knew that something was wrong, so they did not dare to delay and replied.
"So it's you. The Second Madam and the Old Lady are in the room. They just had dinner and are still resting there."

The words have not yet fallen,
The old steward walked in anxiously, leaving behind a bunch of old women with shiny eyes, lowering their heads and whispering to each other,

"Hey, what a coincidence! Usually the old steward is calm and composed, why is he so flustered today?"

"Hmph, something must have happened. The matter at the concierge is nothing more than someone coming."

"Hey, who do you think it could be?"

"Who knows? Could it be Luo Yunhou?"

"You're going to die, you dare to talk nonsense,"

Several old women were frightened into silence.

I looked around and saw no one coming over. They just gathered together and talked with their heads stretched out. That's what gossips are like.

In the back hall of Rongqing Hall,

Wang Xifeng touched the dominoes, looked at them, and found them useless, so she threw one away. Grandmother Jia looked at it and then shouted,
"What a fool."

Then Tanchun threw the cards in her hand onto the table.

"Oh, I don't know whether the second sister-in-law did it on purpose or not. This card is really strange."

"That's right. Look, I was just talking about whether the second sister-in-law would steal the cards and give them to others. Look, there it is."

Xichun, who was watching from the side, curled her lips and complained, only Yingchun covered her mouth and smiled, which made people dazzled. Now the three girls are more beautiful and relaxed, with both figure and appearance being the best.
Wang Xifeng threw the cards in her hand on the table and said with a raised eyebrow;
"Okay, I think you are all brave. I guess the monthly allowance hasn't been issued yet, so just wait."

This was obviously a joke, threatening Sanchun. Sanchun refused to obey and stood up and scratched Wang Xifeng's body, which made Jia Mu smile happily.

"Oh, look, little Feng is just being stubborn, she deserves to be punished."

There was a noise in the house.

The old steward at the gate took the visiting card and went to the gate of the inner hall. Hearing the laughter in the room, he did not dare to go in again. He stopped and looked around.

Only Ping'er, who was serving outside, saw it and came over in confusion, asking,
"Why is the old steward here?"

"It's Miss Ping'er. I'm here to tell the old lady that Lord Meng, the Right Censor-in-Chief, has sent a visiting card and wants to see the old lady for something important."

The old steward did not dare to be negligent. When he saw Miss Ping'er, he treated her as if she were the Second Mistress and hurriedly handed her the visiting card.

Ping'er was a little surprised when she heard that. She walked over quickly and took the visiting card. On it was clearly written the name of Meng Li, Right Inspector of the Censorate.

Ping'er's face changed. There was no precedent of a civil servant coming to Rongguo Mansion. Could he be here to see Master Zheng?

"Old steward, are you here to look for Master Zheng or the old lady?"

"Of course I'm looking for the old lady. Master Zheng is still in the Ministry and hasn't come back yet. He said that the house renovation is a bit urgent, so he comes back late every day."

The old steward has been guarding the gate for many years and can tell at a glance who comes and goes. The official who came today obviously has urgent business, and his official authority is cautious. He looks in a hurry and must have something important to say. It's strange for a civil servant to come here!

After all, it has been a long time since those civil servants came to visit the Duke's Mansion.

Ping Er knew that the old steward would not dare to say anything nonsense, so she turned around and went into the inner hall. Behind the screen, the Second Mistress and the others were still having fun, and the old lady was laughing so hard that she couldn't stop. She was afraid that the fun would be ruined at this time.
After pausing for a moment, he carefully moved to the side of Second Mistress and whispered in her ear;
"Grandma, someone is here to visit the old lady."

Wang Xifeng paused when she heard this. There were not many people who could come to the mansion to pay a visit at this hour.

"Who is here? May I ask?"

"Yes, grandma. It was Lord Meng Li, the Right Imperial Censor, who brought the visiting card."

Ping Erh then replied,

Hearing the dominoes in Wang Xifeng's hand fall directly onto the table,

In an instant,
Everyone in the room looked over here.
Jia's mother chuckled, put down the dominoes in her hand, and said with a smile;
"What's wrong? What can scare you? Tell me."

Wang Xifeng knew that she had lost her composure. She had thought it was that enemy of Luo Yunhou, but it turned out to be someone else. She was a little nervous. This person from the Inspectorate was one of the chief judges who interrogated Brother Zhen of Ningguo Mansion. Was he coming here tonight to threaten her, or to have a secret talk, or even for some other purpose?
"Madam, there is something going on. The old steward at the gate just came over and said that Lord Meng from the Censorate has sent a visiting card and wants to discuss important matters with you."

"Mr. Meng from the Inspectorate, could he be Meng Li who is trying a case in Shuntian Prefecture? Why is he here?"

At this time, Grandmother Jia still had some impression. She remembered the several people who interrogated Zhen Ge'er in her mind. When Lord Meng came to visit, she had some guesses in her mind. It was still a matter of Ningguo Mansion, and this was something she wanted to talk about, so she asked hurriedly.

"Yes, old lady, my granddaughter-in-law thinks so too. It's just that the visitor has come here, and I don't know who has asked him to come. Maybe we can talk."

Wang Xifeng said that she was happy, but she felt a little anxious secretly. Could something have happened? If he really came back, what would happen to her and her eldest sister-in-law, You?

"Remove all these and let Sanchun go back. Feng girl, go and invite the people in. Yuanyang, prepare the snacks." Jia's mother gave the orders in a loud voice and stood up and went to the main seat in the hall, as if she had returned to the past. The people around her were obviously shocked by Jia's mother's expression. They dared not speak and lowered their heads to busy themselves with the things in their hands.

Sanchun knew that the matter was urgent, so he said nothing more, stood up to say goodbye to the old lady, and disappeared through the back door.
Wang Xifeng did not dare to neglect it. She stood up and led Ping'er to the outer hall, called the old steward, and went to the gate of the Jia Mansion.

I felt a little uneasy walking on the road.
"Old steward, you are also an elder in the mansion. Does Lord Meng have anything else to say? For example, is there any connection with the Ningguo Mansion?"

The old steward followed behind him, knowing how shrewd the Second Mistress was, and obviously would not ask such a simple question, so he thought for a moment before replying;
"Second Madam, from what I can see, Lord Meng is obviously not here for the East Palace matter. It doesn't look like that."

"Oh, then tell me, why it doesn't look like that."

Wang Xifeng slowed down her pace and continued to ask. Ping'er, who was beside her, had a look of surprise and disbelief in her eyes.

"Second Madam, if it was really about the East Palace, you should have come long ago, instead of signing and sealing after Master Zhen's interrogation. It's a done deal and you can't go back on your word. It should be a private matter. Of course, I'm just guessing."

The old steward suddenly felt that what he said was inappropriate, and immediately changed his words.
Wang Xifeng did not say anything more. She would know whether it was something else or not. If it was something else, it would be fine. But if something really happened in Ningguo Mansion, she would need to go to the Marquis' Mansion.
"Got it, let's go and take a look."

Outside the Rongguo Mansion,
Lord Meng Li, along with a few servants, stood in front of the main gate and looked around. It was indeed the Duke's Mansion. Just the gate was so magnificent. If his daughter really moved in here, or to Ningguo Mansion, wouldn't it be even more magnificent?
After all, when I came here, I deliberately went to take a look outside the gate of Ningguo Mansion, and it was the same as the gate of Rongguo Mansion. In this way, I am grateful to Lord Lu for giving me the opportunity.

Just thinking,

The side door of the palace was opened.
A gorgeous woman walked out of the door with a number of servants. Meng Li felt that she looked familiar, as if he had seen her in a business meeting outside.

"Sir Meng, I am Wang Xifeng from Rongguo Mansion. I am here to take Sir Meng in at the old lady's request."

As soon as Wang Xifeng walked out of the door, she saw a middle-aged man in a long gown, with his hands behind his back, looking around the gate.

He walked out a few steps and said with a smile on his face.

When Meng Li heard that it was the Second Mistress of Rongguo Mansion, he suddenly realized something. In the East City of Beijing, the Second Mistress of Rongguo Mansion was well-known.

"So you are the second wife of Rongguo Mansion. I'll trouble you to lead the way."

"Mr. Meng, you are too polite. Please follow me."

Wang Xifeng had never seen this person before. After some politeness, she led the people into the mansion, walked into the courtyard, and headed towards Rongqing Hall.

On the way,

Wang Xifeng walked in front and asked tentatively,
"Master Meng, it's getting late. Why are you so anxious to come to the mansion at this time? You want to see the old lady. Is it about the Ningguo Mansion?"

Meng Li, who was walking behind, was still thinking about how to talk about his daughter's matter. When he heard the woman leading the way asking questions, he knew that she was worried about the case in Ningguo Mansion. How could such a matter be discussed in private?

"Second Madam, there is no need to test me. I am not here on official business, but to look for the old lady for personal matters."

"In this case, I am a little abrupt."

Wang Xifeng suddenly looked kind and happy, as long as it wasn't a matter concerning Ningguo Mansion.

Your feet will walk much more lightly.

There were no words all the way,
Entering the central courtyard and Rongqing Hall,

At this time, Jia's mother sat in the hall, looking at the screen from time to time. When Yuanyang saw this, she served tea and water to the old lady and comforted her.

"Don't worry, old lady. What's coming will eventually come."

"Yes, it will come eventually."

After a while,
There was a noise at the door.

I saw Feng Yatou leading a middle-aged man in. He was not tall, but he had a white face and a clean beard, and he was wearing a long gown. He didn't look like a difficult person.

"Old lady, I am Meng Li, and I have come to your house to bother you,"

As soon as Meng Li entered the house and walked around the screen, he saw an old lady with a haggard face and silver hair sitting there majestically. He knew it was Mrs. Shi from Rongguo Mansion.
From a distance, I bowed down and saluted.
"Oh, Master Meng, you are too polite. I haven't been as happy as I am today in many years. Please take a seat."

Grandmother Jia happily let Meng Li sit down, looked at the mandarin duck beside her, and gave another instruction:
"Yuanyang, quickly serve tea to Master Meng,"

"Yes, old lady."

Following Jia's mother's order, Yuanyang asked the maid to bring up all the tea and snacks that had been prepared.

After Meng Li sat down, he was not in a hurry. He smelled the fragrance in the house and looked at the magnificent house in front of him. Then he understood the background of the noble family. He spoke more carefully. As the saying goes, a lean camel is bigger than a horse. Moreover, Rongguo Mansion is now thriving.

"You're welcome, old lady. I'm not here for official business today, but for some personal matters. I came to bother you."

Meng Li was also afraid that the old lady would ask about the affairs of Ningguo Mansion. Since the Second Mistress had just asked, he could evade the question with questions from the younger generation, but the old lady had to answer, so he got straight to the point and stated the purpose of his visit first to avoid losing face.

Grandmother Jia narrowed her eyes and looked at the visitor. "Private business? What private business can bring you here so late at night?"
"A visitor is a guest. Whether it's official business or private business, it's just a conversation. Lord Meng, I know you are in the Censorate and you are a good friend of Jia Zheng. I don't know what you mean by private business?"

Hearing Lady Jia's question, Meng Li couldn't say what he wanted to say. He could only take out the letter from Lord Lu and hand it over.

"You are right, old lady. This is a letter from my teacher. Please have a look at it."

"Alright."

Jia's mother's eyes narrowed. Who could this person's teacher be?
As a result, when I looked at the signature of the letter, it turned out to be the cabinet elder Lu Wenshan. It turned out to be him. Then I looked at the content of the letter. It was nothing more than some high-sounding words. At the end, it talked about the matter of children's in-laws. It turned out to be someone who came to propose marriage to Baoyu. What a coincidence. I was thinking of asking about it at the Zhen family a few days ago.
"So that's what Lord Meng meant. Let me tell you, this is a very good thing, but Lord Meng came so suddenly that there are some things I can't say."

"Go ahead, old lady. I know it's a bit presumptuous of me to come here, but old lady, I only have this one daughter, and I have a teacher to guarantee her. As a father, how can I not be anxious about this matter?"

Meng Li didn't lie. He had been running around for his daughter's affairs these days and had asked many people for help, but he just hadn't met the right person.

Seeing this, Jia Mu saw that what Lord Meng said did not seem to be a lie, so she nodded.
"Parents are so pitiful. This, Lord Meng, I think is a good thing, but we can't just get married right away. The matchmakers in the capital now have to show the portraits of both parties to each other. Otherwise, find a time to ask the matchmaker in the Red Mansion to make portraits for each other to see."

Grandmother Jia didn't mean to shirk responsibility, it was just that since it concerned Jia Baoyu, she still needed to discuss it with the second eldest son's family and wait and see.
How could Meng Li not see the meaning behind the old lady's words? He cut the Gordian knot and spoke directly.
"What the old lady said is very true. We have to meet him. It is better to see him in person than to see his portrait. My daughter has been well-educated and has her own opinions since she was a child. Cun Zhou and I were classmates and friends in the Hanlin Academy. In this case, how about letting my daughter come to meet the old lady tomorrow, so that we can talk to each other and then discuss it?"

"this,"

Grandmother Jia was stunned. She obviously didn't expect Meng Li to be so anxious. Isn't it too hasty to meet tomorrow? But it's not good to refuse openly.
Wang Xifeng, who had been listening at the side, was more surprised. She didn't expect that Uncle Bao had grown up and the marriage proposal had come to the mansion. The daughter of Lord Meng must be Meng Yueyun. When Marquis Luo Yun was trying a case in Shuntian Prefecture, some bad things were spread because of Jia Rong's blind date. But it was Lord Feng's daughter, so it was also a good thing.

Seeing that the old lady was in a dilemma, he stood up and interjected;
"Oh, old lady, this is such a good thing. Lord Meng has said so, how can I not agree? How about this, tomorrow there happens to be a banquet at the mansion, let Sister Yueyun come here and have fun together."

Seeing Feng Yatou's words of help, Jia Mu also came back to her senses and smiled:

"Okay, you see, it's easy to forget things when you get older. Let the girl come over tomorrow and have a good talk."

"Okay, old lady, since it's settled, I'll wait for good news. It's getting late, so I'll take my leave."

Meng Li saw that he had achieved his goal and obviously did not want to cause any more trouble. He stood up, bowed, and was about to leave. Jia's mother was old and experienced, and she could see that Meng Li had some unspeakable secrets. Although she still wanted to ask about the affairs of Ningguo Mansion, she also knew her limits.
He raised his eyes to look at Feng Yatou and said;
"In that case, Feng girl, you can see Master Meng off again. I will not keep Master Meng here any longer. There is no need to rush tomorrow. Let Yueyun come over slowly so that I can take a good look at her."

"Yes, old lady,"

(End of this chapter)