Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 760 Yingchun Hears About the Marriage
Everyone in the hall was shocked at the same time.
Following the sound,

I saw Concubine Zhou fiddling with the tea bowl on the table out of boredom. There was not even a sip of tea in it. She just threw the cup and placed it on the edge of the table. With a "pop", the tea bowl fell to the ground and shattered.
Lady Zhou remained calm, smiled, stood up, and waved her hand.
"I really don't know if you are here to chat or make cakes. It's been more than half an hour, and you are talking about this and that. Are you asking about something or have other intentions? I don't have that much time to think about it. The things that the queen wants to prepare are not ready yet, and I feel uneasy. So, I will take my leave first. I will go back to Biyun Palace to make cakes. Don't bother Concubine Wu to worry about it. Let's go."

After Concubine Zhou finished speaking, she didn't even bother to show any courtesy. She just waved her hand, turned around and left, leaving everyone present in shock. Who could have thought that Concubine Zhou would be so rude in Concubine Wu's palace? It was true that seeing is believing. She was truly amazing.

Thinking about it again and looking at Concubine Wu, her face, which was originally full of smiles, now seemed a little stiff. Only the three of them were talking to each other, and the others could only serve as foils. No matter whether it was Zhaoyi or Xiurong, they didn't say a word. As soon as Concubine Zhou left, they couldn't suppress the strangeness in their hearts.

Seeing that the atmosphere was somewhat awkward, Xiao Shixuan quickly spoke up to help the Imperial Concubine out of the embarrassment.
"Don't be angry, Imperial Concubine. Imperial Concubine Zhou has always been like this. She has been arrogant more than once. Why bother about it?"

It could be said that Xiao Shixuan wanted to rely on Concubine Wu, so it was common for him to flatter the powerful and bully the weak. However, other people didn't think so, especially the calm Concubine Jing, who glanced over with a strange look. Concubine Zhou's remarks just now might not have been to help her out. If Xiao Shixuan said so, then she must be Concubine Wu's person, and she secretly took note of it in her heart.

then,

Xu Cairen, who was sitting at the bottom, was worried. Concubine Zhou had already left. If he stayed, wouldn't it be a loss of face for her? He still wanted to rely on Concubine Zhou. He gritted his teeth, stood up and bowed.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, I feel unwell and a little dizzy. I want to go back and rest for a while. Please grant me permission."

The sound of someone speaking made Xiao Shixuan standing there even more embarrassed. Concubine Wu's eyes narrowed. How dare a little talent contradict her?
Concubine Jing beside him discovered the mystery and spoke first.
"Since you are not feeling well, go back first. I don't think I can make cakes here, so why don't you go back and let the maid make them? I will go back with you."

She actually stood up and walked over, holding Concubine Xu's hand, and left the hall together. The atmosphere was frozen, and Concubine Ming had no choice. Since Concubine Jing had left, it was not a good idea for her to stay here, so she also stood up and said goodbye. In this way, half of the people in the hall suddenly left.
Although Concubine Wu was angry, she suddenly smiled. She knew a lot of things today, which was not a loss. She could tell at a glance who had good relationships with her and who had bad relationships with her. Even if there were some misunderstandings, they were mostly correct.

Looking at the people who still stayed, he gave the order;

"Someone, come and prepare the ingredients and make the cakes."

"Yes, ma'am."

Outside Chunli Palace,

Concubine Jing took Concubine Xu's hand and walked out of the palace. After leaving the courtyard, she said:
"You are so bold that you dare to openly support Concubine Zhou. Do you know that although Concubine Wu comes from a scholarly family, she is not a stable person? If you embarrass her in public like this, you will definitely be in trouble."

Although Concubine Jing is not afraid of the Imperial Concubine, it does not mean that Concubine Wu will not vent her anger on her. If a little talent ends up in the cold palace, it will be the end of her.
Xu Cairen finally reacted and knelt on the ground.

"Empress Jing, please save my sister's life. I am willing to serve you like a slave."

After Xu Cairen finished begging, he bowed his head heavily, regretting in his heart that he had been so possessed by the devil that he dared not stand up.

Concubine Jing was also a soft-hearted person. Seeing the person on the ground, she reached out and helped him up.

"Well, Concubine Zhou just helped me out, and you also helped Concubine Zhou to take care of the situation, so I will repay you for this favor. Come on, come back to Shuiyun Palace with me. If other people see this, they will also think twice."

This was considered to have saved Concubine Xu, but while she was talking, she heard a noise behind her. Concubine Ming came over with a smile on her face, hugged Concubine Jing's arm, and even rubbed it intentionally.
"Sister has taken good care of it. It is still that big. If sister had not entered the palace, it would look like this. I heard that Marquis Luo Yun likes big ones, so he would have invited you to go. Now that you are back in the palace, I will follow you."

He glanced at Concubine Xu, smiled, took Concubine Jing's hand, and left, leaving Concubine Xu to kowtow tightly, then stood up and followed. This scene was also seen by the female historian Song Shuang who had just arrived, and she hurriedly turned back to the inner hall.
The Hall of Nourishing Heart,
Dai Quan stamped the imperial edict with his seal, and then took it out of the imperial study, and explained to Xiao Yunzi outside the door.
"You can't go anywhere today. Stay here. If His Majesty needs anything, go in immediately. Even if there are people outside who want to see His Majesty, you have to pay attention. Do you understand?"

Wearing a red eunuch's uniform and a gold jade belt around his waist, Xiao Yunzi is now a eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department. He holds a Buddhist whisk in his hand and has a fair complexion, which makes him look like a great eunuch. When he hears his godfather's instructions, he nods and agrees cautiously.
"Don't worry, godfather. I know in my heart that any disturbance will not escape my eyes. When godfather comes back, everything will be back to normal."

This is the reason why Dai Quan can leave with peace of mind. The entire inner court is his people. No matter what happens, nothing can be hidden from his eyes, especially Xiao Yunzi, who was supported by him because of his calm temperament.

"That's good. I will go to Rongguo Mansion and explain everything I need to say. However, it is a little difficult to read out this imperial edict."

Dai Quan lifted his hairband, his eagle eyes also showed some lament. They were all noble and old relatives, how could he say some words?

Xiao Yunzi bent over and listened attentively. He knew his godfather's dilemma, but how could he disobey the emperor's decree?

"Godfather, how about I go and read the imperial edict on your behalf so that you won't be embarrassed?"

Dai Quan narrowed his eyes and thought carefully. If he went to Rongguo Mansion at this time, he really couldn't stand the questioning of the old lady of Rongguo Mansion. If he revealed too much, it would be bad if the emperor found out. Xiao Yunzi ran a trip for him, which was a tactful way.

"Okay, take the imperial edict and go see the old lady. Let her figure it out herself and don't say anything unnecessary."

"Yes, godfather. I understand in my heart. But I am worried. What will happen if the old lady of Rongguo Mansion enters the palace?"

Xiao Yunzi also knew that Rongguo Mansion had the support of the old Concubine Zhen. If she was involved, it would definitely bother the retired emperor. In this way, there would be twists and turns for His Majesty. After all this, during the imperial examination, who knows what the civil officials' intentions would be.
"Ahaha, don't worry. Your Majesty has considered all of this. However, Ningguo Mansion is a noble family. The Dawu Law has the Eight Discussions Law, and noble families are among the eight discussions. Generally speaking, the crimes of noble families are handed over to the Three Judicial Departments for detailed judgment to show solemnity. This matter has been tried by the Three Judicial Departments and Six Ministries, and the general case has been decided long ago. Therefore, the case file submitted by Lord Chang is a final case and does not need to be retried."

Dai Quan laughed. What his majesty meant was that since Marquis Luo Yun had tried the case at that time, the case was settled and there was no need to re-examine it. As for the verdict, it was to let the old lady of Rongguo Mansion go to the palace to make a fuss, to create some movement in Changle Palace, and then see the reactions of the nobles, especially Jia Jing of Xuanzhen Temple outside the city, who was practicing Taoism, and see how he was doing.

Dai Quan has been in charge of the Imperial City Bureau for many years. He has spies all over the capital and the nobles' houses. Any disturbance will not be hidden from the eyes of the Imperial City Bureau. Unfortunately, there are too many manors outside the city. It is not like in the city that the movements of each family can be known at any time, especially the Taoist temples and monasteries outside the city.
Involving the rules of Jianghu, it is not easy to blatantly place spies. Jia Jing of Xuanzhen Temple has been safe for many years. Unfortunately, a slight loophole also let the people of the Imperial City Bureau accidentally notice that Xuanzhen Temple's annual expenses are too much. The entire Ningguo Mansion's expenses are not as much as Xuanzhen Temple's annual expenses. These were reported when the property was confiscated.

When Dai Quan heard the news, he found it strange. Even if the people in Xuanzhen Temple were wearing gold and silver and eating fine food, it couldn't cost so much, not to mention that there were only a few people in Xuanzhen Temple. Where did so much silver, the income of more than ten years, go? This was not only strange, but also a disaster, so he sent people to investigate secretly, but unfortunately found nothing. Therefore, the quieter Jia Jing was, the harder it was for him to justify himself.

"Yes, godfather, I'm going now."

Xiao Yunzi carefully took the imperial edict, and all the things that happened here flashed through his mind. Then he led the eunuchs from the inner court out of the Yangxin Palace and headed straight out of the palace.

Rongguo Mansion,
It was almost the evening hour. After Xiaohan and his friends woke up, washed their faces, and drank some tea, they gathered in Rongqing Hall again. Jia's mother sat on the Luohan bed and talked with Aunt Xue and Lady Wang. Yingchun, Tanchun, Baochai, Daiyu, and others sat beside her to chat with her. Wang Xifeng now had a separate seat. She sat on the chair at the east end with the eldest wife, Lady Xing, and drank tea. After all, since Baoyu went to the palace to take the exam, the whole Duke's Mansion seemed to have lost its former hustle and bustle. Even if the eldest sister-in-law Li Wan came, no one noticed.

In just a moment,

Grandmother Jia turned to ask Sister Feng, saying:
"I heard from Yuanyang that you plan to demolish all the houses in the east? Which area do you want to demolish?"

The question was a little abrupt. Yesterday, Wang Xifeng suddenly went crazy for some reason. She took people to look at the houses, storehouses, gardens and other things in the southeast of Rongguo Mansion. She marked out a piece of land and began to gather servants and many idle people in the Jia family. She said bluntly that she wanted to demolish the whole place, but she didn't say what she was going to do.
Today, Wang Xifeng is the head of the Rongguo Mansion, and even the Jia family. So once she has given the order, even if the stewards feel that something is not right, they dare not stop it. So, when the Second Madam said that the house should be demolished, she gathered people and started demolishing it this morning. When the noise was loud, the old lady naturally knew about it.

"Madam, we decided to demolish them all the time. The houses around them all look a bit messy and disorderly, and the broken yards are not taken care of. It's better to demolish them and repair the yards or rebuild the houses. It's better than those broken bricks and tiles."

Fengjie smiled and said, but she couldn't help but have other thoughts in her mind. If it was demolished, it would need manpower, and if people were mobilized, money would be needed. The clan school happened to be over there. After demolishing that area and freeing up space, it would be a good idea to expand the clan school. But maybe she shouldn't do it for now.

"You are right. The house in the east courtyard of the West Mansion, as well as the storehouse and garden, have been there for many years."

Grandmother Jia sighed and asked:

"After you tear it down, what do you want to do when you start construction? Repair the house and yard, or build a garden?"

Sister Feng smiled, but before she could think of what to say, she spoke perfunctorily:
"Grandfather, what I mean is that we should plan and level the land in advance. When the time comes, we will build a garden. We just need to transplant some rocks and plants first. According to the layout of other gardens left in the past, it is easy to solve. In addition, we can build a house and a yard. We can also make a large yard on that piece of land. However, we still need to consult the first and second masters."

This leaves two options, just one will do. The old lady couldn't decide for a while whether to choose the garden or the house. Jia's mother thought about it and replied:

"Then let's level the ground first, and then I'll talk to them both."

After all, she was an experienced person, and I knew what she meant as soon as she opened her mouth.

After the two of them finished talking, Mrs. Xing, who was sitting next to Wang Xifeng, suddenly sat up and asked,
"Old lady, my daughter-in-law also has something to say,"

As soon as Mrs. Xing spoke, the whole room suddenly became quiet. What happened again? Grandmother Jia's eyes narrowed, a little unhappy.

"What are you talking about? We can talk about it later. What are you talking about now?"

I wanted to tell Madam Xing to shut up, but Madam Xing was not so easy to deal with.

"What the old lady said is not right. This is not what the daughter-in-law wants to say, but what the eldest master wants to ask. Baoyu has already gone on a blind date, and Yingchun is old now. Isn't it time to think about marriage?"

I'm talking about Yingchun's marriage. After all, Yingchun is also Jia She's daughter, and she is also Jia She's nominal mother. Should I ask about this matter?

Yingchun, who was sitting opposite, was a little stunned and looked at Madam Xing and the old lady worriedly. How come she didn't know about this and who arranged the marriage?

The people in the room seemed to be thinking about something. Only Wang Xifeng and Jia's mother frowned slightly. Sanchun's girl's marriage was not going to be arranged for the time being. Jia's mother paused and said:
"What you asked is not excessive, but I also have something to say. Yingchun is still young, so it won't be too late to wait two years. Some things still need to wait."

What the old lady meant by "wait" is whether there is a suitable candidate among the civil officials' families or the noble relatives. If there is, it might be better. If not, it might be good to find a son-in-law like the old duke, who was chosen from the list of candidates, and have a good marriage, like Lin Ruhai, who left a good story.

But Mrs. Xing refused to give in.
"The old lady is just delaying. If we wait another two years, Yingchun will be too old to marry. I don't know if she will be able to get married."

A burst of complaints also made Jia's mother understand a lot.
"According to what you said, you have chosen a family, but who should you choose? You should know that you should be cautious when marrying off a daughter. There are so many officials and noble families in the court, and have you chosen someone?"

"That, not yet."

Mrs. Xing was a little embarrassed. She was not prepared for the topic. Although Jia She mentioned it, he did not say which family the young master was from.

"Humph, since you don't have any, then don't say anything. Let's talk about it later. Even if Jia She asks you, just answer truthfully. For some things, I still say the same thing. If you can say it, say it. If you can't say it, shut up."

After gently reprimanding her, she stopped talking. Mrs. Xing's face turned pale and red. She wanted to say something but couldn't. She could only sit there and hold her breath. Seeing this, the Second Madam felt much relieved.

When Wang Xifeng saw this, she couldn't stand it and quickly opened her mouth to comfort him.

"What the old lady said is true. The eldest lady doesn't need to be anxious. As the saying goes, a daughter from one family is sought after by hundreds of families. Let's not talk about this matter that has not yet appeared. If you want to marry your daughter off, and the old lady tells others about this, maybe Marquis Luo Yun will know about it and come to your house to propose marriage. What should you do then?"

After saying that, he laughed, but this laugh was even more awkward. Xue Baochai and Lin Daiyu looked unhappy, and all frowned as they looked over. Those two pretty faces were beautiful and charming. Compared with the three sisters, except Xichun, the others were slightly inferior. Not only that, their temperament was also lacking. According to Luo Yunhou's preferences, it seemed that he liked his eldest sister-in-law, or someone like him. The three sisters were still too thin.
I was thinking about all sorts of things in my mind. How could I have gotten myself into this mess? My face turned red with shame and I dared not look at it anymore.
As the saying goes, the speaker may not mean it, but the listener may take it seriously. The Second Wife, Lady Xing, and even Lady Jia were all moved. Their relationship with the Luoyun Marquisate was just to maintain relations with outsiders, namely the daughter of the Lin family and the daughter of the Xue family. No matter how close their two families were, they were just people from other families.

None of the women in the Jia family entered the Marquis's mansion. So, it was neither close nor far. If a woman with the surname Jia married into the Marquis's mansion, perhaps things would be much better. Once this idea came out, she couldn't suppress it. Even Mrs. Xing was excited. Wouldn't this be huge wealth? If Yingchun entered the Marquis's mansion and became a concubine, she would also be famous. Therefore, she gave up the idea of ​​arranging a blind date for Yingchun. It would be easy to let Feng girl act as a matchmaker.

Since the first wife thought so, it was not certain that others would have the same idea. The second wife's eyes flashed, thinking of her brother's only daughter, a girl named Wang was no worse than any other girl. Wang Shuyi was just the right age, well-educated, and proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. When he entered the Marquis's Mansion, Baoyu's future would be guaranteed.
But the room was too quiet, Wang Xifeng laughed twice, then unconsciously stopped, looking at the people around her looking at her without saying anything, and smiled awkwardly;
"Oh, I was just kidding. Sister Lin and Sister Xue looked at me like that. I was a little scared."

After some teasing, the atmosphere in the room relaxed, the tense atmosphere was gone, and it felt much better. Lin Daiyu winked and replied,
"Second sister-in-law is really generous. She really takes care of the Marquis's Mansion and even worries about taking a concubine. If not, Second sister-in-law can just let it go."

Lin Daiyu really dared to speak. Wang Xifeng blushed and was choked and speechless for a while. At this time, a maid came from the outer room and hurried into the hall, saying:
"Madam, Madam, there is an angel in the palace."

(End of this chapter)