Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 803 The Good News Comes
Ningrong Street,
White sails were erected on both sides of the street. When you entered the street, you could see that both sides of the street were hung with white silk. People passing by were more or less in mourning. Logically, they should all have sad expressions on their faces, but many people could not see it.

In front of the Ningguo Mansion, there were many sedan chairs and carriages parked, and most of the people coming and going were dignitaries.

Lai Da from the West Mansion had been busy all morning, and now he brought some more people to the door to greet the guests.
Wang Xifeng also arranged the East Garden for reception purposes. The maids used inside and outside the garden were all brought from the West Palace. After a while of hard work,

Grandmother Jia also noticed the embarrassment of the people outside and asked:

"Feng girl, you should not back down at this time. The funeral arrangements of the two mansions are now handed over to you. You can figure it out on your own. If you need help, go to the West Mansion to get some. Anyone who dares to say anything will be sold out."

This time, Grandmother Jia was not joking. Her eyes were stern. Since the Jia family was going to have a grand celebration, they had to serve everyone inside and outside the family. They had to give people and money. They couldn't lose face and it should also show the many old relatives that the Jia family was still the same Jia family.

Mrs. Wang was sitting there and heard the old lady say this. She was worried that Sister Feng had never experienced a funeral before and might not be able to handle it well and would be laughed at.

He had quite a few men under him, and they felt a little more alive, but they were looking at Sister Feng, who was in a daze. He thought that Sister Feng always liked to take on things and show off her talents. Although she was a good manager, she had never handled weddings or funerals, and was afraid that people would not be convinced. She was looking forward to meeting these people.

It's just that one person is in charge of two governments. In the future, I won't be able to intervene.

"The old lady is right. We should lend a hand, but she is busy enough with all the affairs of the West Mansion. It would be better to select some managers and let each of them take charge of a part and deal with it first."

Seeing that Mrs. Wang did not agree, I don't know what she was thinking. Mrs. Xing sat beside her, feeling a little jealous. She wanted to intervene in everything, leaving the eldest wife alone.

"Oh, why can't it be done? One government is in charge, two governments are in charge, it's nothing more than sending more people. Those who are disobedient should be driven away. What's the point of keeping them?"

The words were harsh, and it was obvious that she was speaking in support of Wang Xifeng. Deep down, she was thinking that it would be much better to let her control her than to let the second wife control her. Therefore, as long as the second wife wanted something or wanted to stop it, she would do the opposite.
The Second Wife ignored Mrs. Xing and asked quietly:

"Can you?"

The question is about Feng girl. If you can avoid interfering, then don't interfere. Wang Xifeng came back to her senses. How can she let go of such a good opportunity?
Replied:

"Second Madam, there's nothing wrong with that. I've already taken care of all the important matters outside, so I'm just going to take care of the things inside. If there's anything I don't know, I'll just ask Madam later."

The second wife thought what he said made sense, so she didn't say anything more and kept silent.

Mrs. Xing smiled and said, seeing that the Second Wife agreed:
"If you really don't understand something, come to me. I can at least take care of it for you."

"Thank you, Madam."

Wang Xifeng bowed and knew that it was Mrs. Xing who had deliberately said something to help her. Although it might not be sincere, it always relieved some pressure.
When Grandmother Jia saw that everything was arranged, she took out the Ningguo Mansion's pair of cards and handed them to Feng Yatou;
"It's good that you have an idea in mind. Just arrange things here first. There will always be some good things. Outside, let the two of them go to receive the female relatives. You don't need to ask about the men. Just hold a banquet in Ningguo Mansion and clean up several courtyards to make it more lively. Then invite a troupe of actors and let them come today."

In a few words, Grandmother Jia arranged the important matters first, and wanted to make this a happy funeral to ward off bad luck, so that Jia Zhen and his son, and Jia Rong, who was said to have been released, could be saved.
"Oh, Rong'er is back. According to the imperial decree, he has to leave the family. It just so happens that there is a courtyard outside the Ningguo Mansion. Let Lai Sheng send someone to clean it up first. He can live there. The future income can be discussed after the funeral is over."

It seems that what Grandmother Jia said was for Jia Rong's own good, but in fact, it was to send Jia Rong out directly and sever his relationship with Ningguo Mansion. No one in the room said anything, and they knew in their hearts that if Jia Rong stayed in Ningguo Mansion, who knows how many troubles he would cause.
There is another point, which is also the thought buried in everyone's heart. Which man in the Jia family is not lustful? Madam You and the eldest sister-in-law are both women. Not only are they young, but they are also beautiful. How can there not be rumors when a man and a woman are alone for a long time?

Thinking of this, even if the old lady didn't mention it, Wang Xifeng would find a way to speak up and arrange for Jia Rong to leave, so as to avoid the worry of the Marquis's Mansion, so she nodded and said;
"The old lady made the arrangements. It just so happens that the mansion is quite grand and is considered one of the best in South City. We will select a group of servants and maids who used to serve in Ningguo Mansion and send them there. As for the mansion's property, we will see if there is any livelihood left and give it to him. It will be used for his future life and will help him to have peace of mind."

At this moment, with people coming and going, he couldn't do anything too extreme, and he had to save some face. Wang Xifeng had been coveting the East Palace's assets for a long time. Although the family property could not be touched, the private property had been divided by Master Jing to the eldest sister-in-law and Madam You, and there was not much left. Even if he gave it all to Rong Ge'er, the family property had a lot of income, and it all had to be recorded in the public account.

Since it has been deposited into the public account, I will have the opportunity to use it. I think my eldest sister-in-law and sister-in-law You don't care about the money. If it really doesn't work, I can find a reason and the three of them can discuss it and divide it. I can just leave the second wife and the eldest wife alone. I'm afraid they are also eyeing this piece. Well, I'll think about it later.

"Well, what Feng said is right. Let's find an opportunity to calculate all the private accounts and family property accounts of Ningguo Mansion. There shouldn't be much private property left. We should make up for it and give it all to Jia Rong. As for family property, we should put it on the public account of Ningguo Mansion. Let's prop up Ningguo Mansion first."

Obviously, Grandmother Jia had figured it out clearly. Those that were divided out could still be considered the property of Ningguo Mansion. What was left was the family property in the past. There was still a lot of it. The silver collected every year was in cash. These could support the reputation of Ningguo Mansion. They could not lose face. What happened in the future could be discussed later.
"Yes, old lady, my granddaughter-in-law remembers it all."

Seeing that the matter was settled, Yuanyang also brought people to serve some tea and snacks to the ladies in the house. More and more people came to the mansion to pay their respects. Although there were fewer ladies who came and left after saying a few words, there was no guarantee that there would be more ladies coming here later.

As for Wang Xifeng, she asked for pen, ink, paper and inkstone, and asked Ping'er to remember the following things. The first thing was that the population was mixed and things might be lost, so one had to remember the rules. The second thing was that if there was no one in charge and one shirked responsibilities at the last minute, one should not be appointed as a manager. The third thing was that if there were excessive expenses and those who made misappropriations and embezzled the money should have their property confiscated and sold. The fourth thing was that no one should be treated equally, and happiness and suffering should not be shared equally, so there should not be more or less. The fifth thing was that the family members were arrogant and those with face would not be subject to control, and those without face could not make progress, so these people were not wanted.

In front of everyone, Wang Xifeng asked Ping'er to remember the rules of Ningguo Mansion, which shows that she is very experienced. Grandmother Jia treats her differently. This is a great method. In the future, Rongguo Mansion will still need her to lead the way. As for Ningguo Mansion, she thinks in her heart that it would be better to have Li Wan, the daughter-in-law of the Zhu family, around.

"Madam, please write these down first. There are about 150 servants on the roster. I thought that we should send a group to Rong Ge'er, let the eldest sister-in-law and Madam You choose another group, and keep the rest of them who have good performance in Rongguo Mansion. The ones who are sneaky and cunning can be sold directly. It will save some money."

It's not that Wang Xifeng is concerned about saving money, but she is worried that the news will leak out to Madam You and her eldest sister-in-law. She will take a few opportunities to remove people and give them a good beating. Only forty or fifty people will be left. The rest will be sent out of the house. Even if the news leaks out, it will be a fait accompli by then and no one will dare to say anything.

Wang Xifeng's words made Lady Xing and the Second Madam nod their heads. They both had their own ideas about Ningguo Mansion, and they would naturally agree if they could spend less money. For only two masters, why would they need so many servants? It would be a waste to have so many people.

"Feng girl arranged it well. We should take good care of it. A servant should behave like a servant. If you don't have good manners, what's the point of keeping you here?"

I don't know who I'm hitting, but what I'm saying is a bit aggressive. Mrs. Xing's eyes twitched, wondering who she was talking about, and she also spoke;

"In that case, don't put them in the West Mansion. There aren't many that can be used. Keep some to fill the gaps. The rest should all be sold or sent to the farm to avoid being an eyesore in the mansion."

The two of them were hinting at something, and Grandmother Jia understood it clearly. She had long seen that the two had been at odds for a long time.

"Okay, just do as Feng girl says. Ningguo Mansion still needs Zhu's wife to take care of it. You should be more careful in the future."

After some suggestions, it was pointed out that Li Wan would still be in charge of the East Palace in the future. The old lady was clear about this.

"Yes. Madam, my granddaughter-in-law will arrange it."

When the words were answered,
Suddenly there was a commotion outside, which made Lady Jia a little unhappy. Wang Xifeng was very tactful and asked Ping'er to go out and take a look.
Outside the Ningguo Mansion, people were coming and going. Not only dignitaries and noble families came, but also many members of the Jia family came in groups of three or five to pay tribute to the patriarch of the Jia family. Many of them brought their elderly and children with them, which showed Jia Jing's previous prestige and favor.

After all, when Jia Jing was still in Ningguo Mansion, the clan distributed some pension money, as well as the reward money given during the annual festivals. Almost everyone had a share, and many elderly people could even get a new piece of clothing. But now, except when the master needs people to do work, they can get a little scattered money. The previous practice has disappeared unknowingly. If it weren't for Marquis Luo Yun's righteous words when he came to Rongguo Mansion, I think there would be no last bit of compassion money.
Therefore, many people came here out of gratitude for Jia Jing's kindness. With so many people, the Ningguo Mansion, which originally seemed empty, now seemed a bit crowded. However, it looked much better. Jia She and Jia Zheng, with a number of stewards and servants, one was at the gate and the other in the yard, to receive people coming and going and to chat with them.

at this time,

At the west intersection of Ningrong Street,

Suddenly, many people came running. When they reached the street corner, they saw that Ningrong Street was very quiet. The fast-running person who came to announce the good news could not help but be a little surprised. Whose family had the funeral? It couldn't be the Rongguo Mansion, right? In this case, they didn't know if there would be any money for the wedding.

But when he turned around, he saw that there were quite a few people following closely behind with nimble legs and feet. The leader was not willing to give up, so he pushed hard and rushed in.

After entering the Ningrong Street intersection, he squeezed in, not caring about the crowds, and immediately shouted in front of the Rongguo Mansion,
"Good news, good news. The son of the Rongguo Mansion ranked third on the list and was granted a ninth-rank official rank by the court. This is a great joyous event."

Rushing forward, shouting all the way,
Those who were slower in their steps saw that the people in front had already shouted, and they did not want to be outdone, so they also shouted.
"Good news, good news. The son of the Rongguo Mansion ranked third on the list and was granted a ninth-rank official rank by the court. This is a great joyous event."

Many of the clan members and officials standing on Ningrong Street looked askance at this shout. Could it be that one of the Jia family's children had participated in the special examination and passed it? Why was he granted an official position? Could it be that it was the palace's idea? After all, no one had ever heard of someone being given an official position after passing the provincial examination?

As a result, many guests who had already entered came out again, wanting to find out the reason.

In front of the Rongguo Mansion, more people gathered together, looking at those people running all the way, talking about them.
"Who is this talking about? He passed high school and was given an official position. That's really amazing."

"You don't even know this. It's obvious that the Jia family only recommended one candidate for this year's imperial examination, and that's Master Bao from Rongguo Mansion. Because of this incident, there was a commotion a few days ago, and two of the original masters are still imprisoned in the Shuntian Mansion government office."

"So that's how it is. The master is really good. He passed the exam on the first try and even ranked third on the A list."

"Who says it's not true? I don't know if it's true or not. If it's true, it's a great favor. I've never heard of it before."

Not only were the common people discussing it, but even many members of the Jia family gathered together and talked in low voices, fearing that others might not hear them.

I saw a group of people, almost at a distance from each other, crowded in front of the gate of Rongguo Mansion, panting and shouting again, but they didn't mention the name. If they didn't give the reward, they couldn't go into details.
When the gatekeepers saw this, they were delighted. Could it be that Master Bao passed the imperial examination? After all, they knew that Master Bao was the only one in the Jia family who took the imperial examination.
"May I ask you, has Master Bao passed the imperial examination?"

They only asked questions and didn't even offer any reward. The people who reported the good news looked at each other and felt something was wrong. Not only did the names not match, but you should give the reward. The leader couldn't stand it anymore and replied,
"We are here to announce the good news, but only to the host family. I wonder if the second wife of Rongguo Mansion is here."

The visitor was well-informed. The Rongguo Mansion was managed by a famous second mistress in the capital. Not only was she extremely generous, but she was also well-known in the capital. People said that the second mistress of the Rongguo Mansion was righteous, respected the elderly and loved the young, and treated her family members very well.

The concierge was so angry that his face darkened, but he couldn't say anything more. If he ruined the good news on the day of announcing the wedding, and the Second Mistress knew about it, he would definitely be punished.

"Today, the main family of Rongguo Mansion is in the East Garden of Ningguo Mansion. If you want to see them, you should go to the East Mansion."

Although the concierge didn't say anything unpleasant, the intention of chasing people away was obvious to the people who lived in the city. They looked a little unhappy and left.
Several people also rushed to arrive first, gathered into a group, and went to the East Palace.
When we arrived at the East Palace Gate, we saw the spirit-calling banners hanging on the gate tower and paper money scattered on the ground. It was obviously a funeral. What should we do? A person behind us asked anxiously:
"Brother, what should we do now? There is a funeral in your house, and we come here to announce good news. We have never seen it before."

"Yes, brother, I hope this trip is not in vain."

Another person was muttering behind him, feeling unwilling to give up. After discussing for a long time, they still couldn't come up with a solution. Not far behind them, the team from the Marquis' Mansion was approaching.

How could the leader be willing?

"Everyone, we are here to announce the good news, but we didn't know that there was a funeral going on at the mansion. Besides, we are here to announce the good news to the Rongguo Mansion, which has nothing to do with the Ningguo Mansion. We can't come here in vain, let's shout together."

"Okay, let's shout together."

Several people nodded, and then they shouted at the top of their lungs,

"Good news, good news. The son of the Rongguo Mansion ranked third on the list and was granted a ninth-rank official rank by the court. This is a great joyous event."

He shouted all the way and rushed in, squeezing out a small path through the people who were blocking the way in front of him. When Lai Da, who was in charge of the gate, saw this, he quickly called on the servants to surround him and try to catch him. In this way, the people who were blocking the way were surrounded and rushed in.

Suddenly,

There was chaos in front of the Ningguo Mansion.
Jia Zheng and Jia She, who were receiving the guests inside, all looked pale and hurriedly took people to have a look. Someone was so brave or maybe someone was careless, but they knocked down the white sail's flag.

The scene was extremely chaotic.

At this time, Ping Er stood there and saw clearly that the person who brought the good news was Bao Erye. She did not dare to stay any longer and hurriedly took people back to report.
Entering the house in the East Garden,
Ping Er hurriedly opened the door, walked into the flower hall, and winked at the Second Mistress. Unexpectedly, Wang Xifeng, who had obtained the housekeeping power of the two mansions, was in high spirits and spoke first.

"Why do you have to avoid people? Just speak out. Who is here now?"

Wang Xifeng thought that some noble relative had come and needed to be received by the people in the house. Everyone in the room looked over with curiosity in their eyes. Could it be that the lady of a noble family had come?
Ping Er was so anxious that she stamped her feet and complained that her grandmother did not know the seriousness of the matter.
"Grandma, the people who came here are a bit strange. They shouted outside the door to announce the good news. They said that the results of the special examination have been announced, and the son of Rongguo Mansion has ranked third on the list. They also said that the palace has granted him an official position. I don't know whether it is true or not. He has caused a mess at the door."

Ping'er hadn't noticed anything unusual yet, but the faces of the people in the room were different, and it was clear that they hadn't come to their senses yet.

The second wife was filled with joy. Could it be that Baoyu had passed the imperial examination and was granted an official position in the palace? How could that be possible?
Mrs. Xing was even more unconvinced. She had never heard of a provincial examination candidate being appointed as an official. Wasn't this just bluffing? The old lady was the only one who was confused and asked:

"You just mentioned something good, and the results will be announced today. Did you hear me wrong? The Enke exam just ended yesterday, so how come the results are announced today?"

(End of this chapter)