Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 768: Disappointing Things
Inside Rongxi Hall,

Everyone had sad faces, watching the people in the room helpless in the face of the Ningguo Mansion's family's misfortune. For a moment, the old lady felt a little sad.
Is the Jia family's wealth coming to an end? Or is it going to be destroyed in my hands?

now,

In the back hall, Tanchun, Yingchun and others listened to the argument in the main hall of Rongxi Hall through the wall. They looked at each other and could see the sadness and solemnity on each other's faces.

Here, Shi Xiangyun had never seen all this before. She stretched out her little hand, pushed aside the beaded curtain, and peeked at what was going on inside. Tanchun, who was standing next to her, had a look of melancholy in her charming eyes.

I don’t know if our ancestors can come up with a solution, or if the two masters can come up with a solution.

Daiyu frowned, and felt uncomfortable seeing Lady Jia crying. She wanted to ask something, but was stopped by Zijuan, who insisted on giving her a handkerchief.

The same expression was seen on Xue Baochai's face. She looked at Yingchun who was standing beside her. Yingchun pursed her pink lips with a blank expression. This was probably a difficult situation. The royal family must have thought it through carefully to issue an imperial decree at this time, but was it too decisive?

After crying, Jia's mother asked with red eyes:
"Eunuch Yun, the unfilial son Jia Zhen has violated the law of the country. Can you spare his life?"

"Old lady, this is a sin against heaven, it turns out that..."

Eunuch Yun was about to speak.

At this moment, a servant suddenly came in. Perhaps because of the gloomy atmosphere or the crowds of people, his voice became a little lower.

"Madam You is back, and Madam Yang from the Marquis' Mansion is with her."

However, when these words came out, everyone in Rong Xi Tang was shocked, and they shed tears and wailed again.
"Poor girl, you have to suffer with me."

After howling for a while, Grandmother Jia turned to look at Jia Zheng and said:
"Mrs. Yang, which Mrs. Yang?"

"Mother, it was Luo Yunhou's mansion, and the palace gave it to Luo Yunhou's concubine Yang."

Jia Zheng knew how powerful this woman was. She was specially selected by the old Concubine Zhen in the palace. It turned out that she was another supporter of the Jia family. Since Madam Yang was here, perhaps it could be said that she just came at a coincidence!

At this moment, not only Lady Jia, but everyone inside and outside Rong Xi Tang, including Yuanchun and others in the back hall, felt a little relieved. The atmosphere that had been extremely depressing just now relaxed at this moment, and I don't know if it was because of the momentum of the name of Luo Yunhou Mansion.

Xiao Yunzi paused, but did not mention Jia Zhen's possible punishment or other matters.

If that nobleman had pleaded for them, Jia Zhen and his son would not have been imprisoned and sentenced to death.

But according to what he understood, the Jia family itself, the Rong and Ning mansions were not on good terms with each other, and the Luo Yun Marquisate and the Ningguo Manor were also at loggerheads. How could it be possible for the Marquisate to help the Great Waste Scroll?

Everyone looked outside.

Not long after, Jia Zheng came out of Rong Xi Tang and stood under the eaves waiting.

Outside Rongxi Hall, Madam You, dressed in coarse cloth and with a haggard face, led Yin Die'er into the yard holding an umbrella.
Behind him, Yang was dressed in palace clothes, with a charming face, wearing gold and jade, and appeared dazzling in everyone's sight. Behind him followed the personal soldiers of Luo Yunhou's mansion, including a captain wearing heavy armor. There were more than ten armored soldiers, all wearing straw raincoats, standing behind him coldly with murderous aura.

The maidservant of the palace maid stood half a step behind and held an umbrella for Yang. Even though half of her body was exposed and her clothes were wet, she was unaware of it.

The power is sufficient.

Grandmother Jia and Aunt Xue looked at the lady of a mansion who was slowly approaching with her armored entourage, and felt an indescribable feeling surging in their hearts.

At this moment, the gloomy sky, the myriad rain threads, the open umbrellas, the bamboo hats, the soldiers with flashing swords, and the beautiful woman surrounded by them, are like a painting, imprinted in everyone's mind and unforgettable.

In the back hall, Shi Xiangyun was seen through the beaded screen. There was a dazed look on her chubby apple face.

Xue Baochai and Lin Daiyu held their breath and looked at each other, as if thinking, this is the concubine of Luo Yunhou Mansion who was granted the mansion by the palace. What a grand ceremony!

"Mrs. Yang,"

With the help of Yuanyang, Jia's mother walked over the threshold and came under the eaves. She looked at the visitor with full expectation, wondering if he came for this purpose.

Eunuch Yun also came out of Rongqing Hall at this moment, chuckled, and called out:
"It turned out to be Madam Yang. Madam Yang is well."

It's not that Eunuch Yun was being pretentious, but Yang Hanyu had been in the palace and had followed the old concubine for many years. Everyone in the harem knew it, so he greeted her with a smile and tried to test her at the same time. What was the meaning of the people from the Marquis' Mansion coming at this critical juncture? Or was it the old concubine who took action?

Mrs. You leaned against a pillar under the eaves with red eyes, feeling quite helpless. She looked at the sad faces in the room. The news she received on the way seemed to be true. She felt sorry for Jia Zhen's family. Thinking of the grief, she sobbed and cried out loud.
Seeing all this, Yang Hanyu, who was originally very excited and excited about leaving the house, suddenly twitched her mouth. Even if she was stupid, she could tell something was wrong. She thought about how Madam Wang, the "mother" of the Marquis's Mansion, had specifically asked her to accompany Madam You to go out and relax.

Less than half a day after leaving, after hearing the news, he sent the person back first. When he entered the mansion, he felt something was wrong. Unexpectedly, he met Eunuch Yun here. He did not dare to be arrogant and performed the palace etiquette.

"Han Yu greets Eunuch Yun. Why are you here?"

I had to ask, thinking back, maybe my mother, Mrs. Wang, had other intentions.
Xiao Yunzi did not hide it. After this incident, everyone in the capital knew about it, not to mention the Luo Yunhou Mansion.
"Madam Yang, don't worry. I'm here to convey the imperial decree to Rongguo Mansion to deal with the direct line of the Ningguo Mansion's main family. I'm also taking Madam You to the clan house to deprive her of her imperial title. I wonder what Madam Yang's purpose of coming here today is?"

Instead, Xiao Yunzi asked in return, could it be that Marquis Luo Yun knew about it? But that was impossible. When he was leaving the palace, he passed by Chongwenmen and saw that the gate of Chongwenmen was always closed. How could someone deliver a letter to the Marquis' Mansion before him, or maybe it was just a coincidence.

Yang Hanyu's eyes turned, and her mind turned. It seemed that the emperor had issued an order to sentence Ningguo Mansion. Looking at the appearance of the people in the room, it must have been a heavy punishment. Although she didn't know what Madam Wang of the Marquis' Mansion meant today, it was true that the Marquis didn't like Ningguo Mansion. She might as well stand up for her husband.
"Eunuch Yun, please do as you please. Han Yu came here just to see Miss Lin. He met Madam You on the way, so he entered the house together. Since it is the decision of His Majesty, it must be carried out. Han Yu has always heard from the Marquis that the two Dukes of the Jia family are wise and brave, but he did not know that the younger generation of the Ningguo Mansion is so shameless. If the title is lost because of this, it is the fault of him and his son! Even if they go to hell, how can they face the former Duke of Ning!"

Grandmother Jia’s eyes went dark and she felt the world spinning.

It's not that the title can be retained, how come,

Is Ningguo Mansion going to lose its title?

How was she going to meet the two Dukes of Rong?
No...

Yang Hanyu did not leave any room for negotiation and blocked Lady Jia's words in advance. If she tried to plead for mercy and her husband heard about it after returning home, her position as a lady would be over.

He looked at Madam You who was standing there crying, and felt sorry for her. It was a pity that she had met the wrong person.

"Eunuch Yun, since Madam You is back, are you still going to the clan residence? Hanyu can give you a ride."

This time it was Eunuch Yun's turn to be a little surprised. It turned out that he was indeed someone kept by the old empress dowager. He was not a simple person.

Eunuch Yun did not say much. He winked at the guards and eunuchs, and led the Jia family into the house. He invited Madam You and a few maids to go outside the mansion with umbrellas. After a while, most of the people had left.
Only Lady Jia was left in the room, crying like rain.

Rongguo Mansion, Rongxi Hall.

As the people from the palace left the main hall, the wind and rain in the courtyard became more intense, and the raindrops under the eaves fell like pearls falling from a string, making a cold sound. Even Mrs. Xing felt a little sad at this moment. She stood under the eaves, and only with the help of Wang Shanbao, she could barely hold on. Looking out the door, the last trace of Mrs. You was gone.

As for Madam Wang, she had a blank expression on her face, and looked indifferently at the rain and fog outside the locked courtyard. She had mixed feelings in her heart. Why did Yang from Marquis Luo Yun's Mansion come at such a coincidence, and what was her purpose.

Aunt Xue looked at Yang Hanyu's power and thought of her own daughter Baochai. She turned to look at Grandmother Jia, who had a worried look on her face. For some reason, the slight resentment that remained in her heart because of the matter of her own son Xue Pan completely dissipated.

Suddenly realizing that this mentality was actually gloating, Aunt Xue looked around and quickly lowered her head slightly, fearing that she would be discovered.

At this moment, Jia's grandmother's face was pale, and she closed her eyes tightly. She was extremely sad, not only because of Jia Zhen and his son, but also because of the vague worry about "stripping of the title". Although the imperial edict retained the title, who could inherit the title was the source of chaos.

Fortunately, this old lady of Rongguo, who had seen off her father-in-law, parents, and husband, would definitely not have a low threshold for the pain of losing a loved one.

Therefore, filtering out some trivial emotions and getting straight to the essence, it is more of a sadness about the loss of the title of Ningguo.

Yuanyang and Amber were supporting Lady Jia on the side. Although there was sadness on their faces, if one looked carefully, it seemed that it was mostly superficial.

The two of them obviously had little sympathy for Jia Zhen and his son who were imprisoned.

With Ping'er's support, Feng Ji's usually radiant face turned pale without a trace of blood. She looked even more haggard and weak due to her hard work. The strong spirit that used to soar between her brows was also gone.

"Old Madam, Second Madam, First Madam, it is not a good idea to stay here. Let's go back to Rongqing Hall to rest first, and then wait for Master Jing to come back. Lai Wang has already gone. Now that I think about it, he is on the way to Beijing. I just asked Ping'er to choose someone to follow Madam You. As for Madam Yang of Luoyun Marquis's Mansion, I don't know what she means."

"Hmph, what else can it mean? It's nothing but adding insult to injury. The women of the same mansion are so arrogant. The family tradition is not right."

A cold and anxious voice was heard. Everyone turned around and saw that it was Jia She who was behind them who spoke.

Seeing everyone's eyes on him, Jia She actually felt a little jealous and continued to speak.
"Didn't you see it just now? Yang had no intention of easing the tension or persuading anyone. This is just adding fuel to the fire. It's just too coincidental."

Everyone was in a state of gloom. What the elder said might make sense.

Outside the house,

The motorcade moved slowly, but at a fairly fast pace, heading straight for the clan government office. When they arrived at the government office, Eunuch Yun saw that it was getting late, so he had people waiting at the gate. As soon as the carriage stopped, an official in charge came to the front of the carriage with a red-stamped document and handed it into the carriage.

"Sign and seal here. Your status as an imperial edict is revoked. I hope you will take good care of yourself."

Looking at the document in front of her, which was just a piece of brocade, Madam You had nothing to be nostalgic about. When she came, it was a document made of the finest silk and satin, which sealed her imperial title. Now it was like the rain, falling on the ground and breaking into pieces. She stretched out her hand and pressed her fingerprint directly, then handed it over again.

"I would like to trouble you to make this trip."

"Well, it's over. Let's go back."

There was a sound of footsteps leaving.

In front of the clan residence, only the lonely motorcade of the Marquis' Mansion was left. Yang Hanyu was upset watching from the side. Why was the Ningguo Mansion so anxious? In addition, judging from the situation, Old Lady Shi had not had the opportunity to enter the palace to plead with the old concubine. In this case, it seemed that Lady Wang of the Marquis' Mansion did not understand what she meant. Could it be that she had taken a liking to this girl on behalf of her husband?

He looked at the haggard woman in front of him with suspicious eyes. It was true that with her plump body and feminine face, she was not just an ordinary woman. But she was a widow after all, so she couldn't enter the house.

"Does Madam You have any plans?"

"What's the use of Madam You? I am just a common woman now. The Ningguo Mansion deserves what they have done. I can only go back and confess my crime and find a place to live out the rest of my life."

Mrs. You let go of many things in her heart. At most, she would hold a funeral for Jia Zhen after his death to settle the gratitude between husband and wife in this life. Fortunately, she had already made preparations and left a house for her to rely on in the future.

But the more this happened, the more Yang Hanyu didn't believe it. Such a beauty would be a nuisance wherever she went. If the Jia family let her go, those mean men might find an opportunity to not only seize the title, but even the lady would want to have a taste of her. But after all, it was not the business of the Marquis' Mansion, and it would be bad to ask too many questions. So he sent the person back and then went back to pay his respects to his mother.

"That's good too. Stay away from trouble and live a quiet life."

There is no more words,

They traveled all the way like this until they arrived at the gate of Rongguo Mansion. Madam You got off the carriage at the place where the maids and servants who followed Rongguo Mansion held an umbrella, and went straight back to the inner palace. Yang Hanyu knocked on the door frame of the carriage and said;

"Return to the Marquis' Mansion,"

"Yes, ma'am!"

With the waving of whips, a group of people and horses gradually disappeared in the rainy night.

Dongyun Tower, Luoyun Marquis Mansion,
The first thing that catches your eye is the tapestry that covers the wall. The murals on the tapestry are mainly cloud patterns, auspicious dragons and auspicious phoenixes. The colors are bright and vivid.

It also seemed to be carefully decorated. The west room was set up as a study. On the black lacquered and gilded desk were placed various four treasures of the study: rice paper, Hui ink, Hu brushes, and Duan inkstones. Each item was carefully selected and very valuable. On the antique shelves by the wall were displayed various porcelains and bronzes, all of which were products of the finest official kilns in Jiangnan.

In the central hall, there was an incense burner with a large bronze tripod that was shining with golden light. However, there was no smoke coming out of the tripod, which obviously meant that the incense had not been lit.

Mrs. Wang was lying on a recliner in the attic, with Lanshu and the other two girls serving her as usual, serving her tea and water, massaging her shoulders and back, just like usual.
"Miss, why did you let Yang Hanyu go to Rongguo Mansion and go shopping with Madam You? She came from the palace, what does she know?"

Lan Shu'er pouted and complained. After lunch, she didn't know why the young lady sent a message and asked that fox to take people out to pick up Madam You from Ningguo Mansion to go shopping. They came so suddenly that Yang got the advantage. Lan Yue'er was still unhappy.

"That's right, young lady, you are really something. Can't you tell this servant to do anything?"

Lan Shu'er was not to be outdone and helped out on the side. Only Madam Wang opened her eyes, not bothering to look at the two of them.
"What do you two know? Let her go just to check on Madam You. Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai haven't come in yet, so there are some things that can't be done. You two still need to stay in the mansion to take care of things. More importantly, you have to get pregnant. You must insist on taking the medicine prescribed by Zixiang. Other things are not important. Besides, if Ningguo Mansion is really going to be as arranged by Miss Feng, there are some things that other people can't do. Only Miss Yang can go."

Although she was reluctant to be involved in the Jia family, Wang Xifeng's sincere words were not wrong. As the saying goes, if a man does not work for himself, he will be punished by heaven and earth. It was difficult for her. However, among those who could go, it was not as convenient as Yang's. After all, she was the old concubine in the palace, and had some connection with Lady Jia. She had some things to say. As long as Li Wan's belly was guaranteed to have an heir, everything would be fine. As for the women in the mansion, none of them could get pregnant, and they could not compare with a widow.
When talking about this, the two girls blushed immediately, and felt a little aggrieved for a moment. Lan Yueer took up her skirt, revealing a piece of snow-white and delicate skin, crystal clear and smooth, muttering;

"Miss, it's not that we didn't work hard. The Marquis has been busy these days and I can't even see his shadow. There is no chance even if I want to."

Lan Shuer also had a complaining look on her face.
"That's right, young lady. I don't know if it's bad feng shui. I've left seeds every time, but nothing happened. As for that widow, I'm still unsure whether she is the marquis."

The speaker is unintentional, but the listener is intentional.
Mrs. Wang suddenly had an idea. Logically speaking, this house granted by the palace should be the former prince's eastern palace. However, the former prince rebelled and many people died. Although the former prince managed to escape, would the resentment and evil spirit he left behind still be there?
How could she not care about the issue of offspring that Shu'er mentioned? She had already arranged for Wang Po to investigate it thoroughly. Apart from her own son, she had not found anyone else who was having an ambiguous relationship with her. She even took Madam You from Ningguo Mansion into her arms. If she hadn't discovered it before, how could she have such a hobby and not follow the right path.

Then he looked at the two women around him, they were beautiful, but they were stupid and served him all day long. But then again, Qin Keqing was so beautiful, but she didn't get pregnant. Men are all cheap. A wife is not as good as a concubine, a concubine is not as good as a secret lover, and a secret lover is not as good as not being able to have a wife.

"Alright, the matter has already been investigated. This lady knows whether it is Jinyu's or not. You must not talk nonsense in the future. Just keep an eye on this matter. As long as the person is fine, let Wang Xifeng make the arrangements. We have to see how the Jia family will get through this hurdle."

"Yes, ma'am."

(End of this chapter)