Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 804: Times have changed.
At this time, Ningguo Mansion

In the main house of the East Garden, there was complete silence.

Everyone stared at Ping'er. Ping'er was a little nervous, so she repeated what she had just said.
"Madam, I don't know either. I just heard someone at the gate shouting good news, saying that the son of Rongguo Mansion passed the imperial examination and was granted the ninth rank of officialdom. As for whether it is true or not, I don't know."

Ping Er didn't dare to say anything nonsense. She thought about it and realized that these were the words she heard. As for whether they were true or false, how could she tell?
"Oh, the son of the Rongguo Mansion passed the imperial examination, but he mentioned his name. Who is he talking about?"

Wang Xifeng was a bit more thoughtful. There were two young masters in the mansion who went to take the special examination, so Baoyu had a greater chance of passing. After all, Jia Lan was younger, so it was normal for him to fail.

"Grandma, those people didn't say who it was."

This is what Ping Er was puzzled about. Why would the good news be announced in this way?

"Oh, who else could it be? Everyone in the Jia family knows that only Master Bao from Rongguo Mansion went to take the imperial examination. Outsiders also spread the word that there were two others staying in the Shuntian Mansion government office. Everyone knows that it must be Master Baoyu who passed the examination, which would have fulfilled the old lady's wish."

Although Mrs. Xing was unwilling and her words were not pleasant to hear, Grandmother Jia did not pursue the matter this time. She showed a happy look on her face. After thinking about it, only they knew that Jia Lan was taking the imperial examination, and it would not be known to the outside world overnight.

So, if what the outsiders said was true, who else could it be but Baoyu? The Second Wife blushed slightly, and excitedly clenched the Buddhist beads in her hand tightly, muttering words like "Buddha bless you".
Seeing this, Wang Xifeng thought that there was a funeral in the front yard, so how could she announce good news like this? She quickly said:
"Ping'er, have someone bring a few baskets of copper coins and some loose change. We will definitely give you a reward."

Looking at the old lady again, her face was full of joy and she also chatted with him.
"Madam, the Ningguo Mansion is still holding a funeral, so it's not a good idea to come here to announce the good news. Do you think we should go back and prepare? After all, those who came first are the quickest ones."

Wang Xifeng also knew that there had always been people who wanted to take advantage of the good news. She just gave them some money to deal with them. There was still a team of officials coming behind them. This was the time to announce the good news.
"Yes, yes, look at what a mess this has caused. Hurry up and call Baoyu up, have him change into new clothes. Also, grab the silver and send away those people who brought the good news. It's such a mess, what a disgrace."

Grandmother Jia was also a little unhappy. How could someone be so ignorant of the rules just for a little reward money? It would be better to chase the person away.

Wang Xifeng nodded. That was right. She stood up first.
"Then the old lady can go back and prepare first. I will go to the front yard and send the people away."

Responded,
She stood up and took Ping'er out of the house and walked towards the front yard. On the way, Wang Xifeng asked again:

"Have you listened carefully? Is Baoyu admitted to high school?"

"Grandma, didn't I say that the person who announced the good news didn't give a name, but only said it was the young master of Rongguo Mansion, but didn't say who it was."

Ping'er pouted and replied with some grievance.

Wang Xifeng frowned. How could she report such good news? But she remembered that what Mrs. Xing said was right. They all knew that Baoyu went to the examination room alone. It should be correct. It was a pity for the eldest sister-in-law. Lang Ge'er was still young. Even if he didn't pass, he would have many opportunities in the future. After Baoyu passed, the second wife in the mansion would have more confidence.
Speaking of which, he was granted the ninth-rank official title by passing the provincial examination. It should be a compensation for his respect for the master. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but walk faster.

When they arrived at the front yard of Ningguo Mansion, they saw servants, under the command of several stewards, surrounding several people who were fast in running to announce the good news. They didn't know whether they were really fast or stupid, but they chased them for a long time but didn't catch anyone. Not only was the front yard in chaos, but even outside, there were people and clansmen who came to watch the fun and laugh.

As for the two masters, they were standing there helpless, which was also funny, so they spoke up.

"What are you doing? Go down there. Don't you have nothing to do?"

Her pretty face turned cold, and she shouted sternly. The servant who was still chasing the others retreated in fear when he saw that it was the Second Madam who came back, and apologized repeatedly.

"Second Madam, I am not the one causing trouble here. It is these few people who insisted on barging in to announce the good news. The mansion is holding a funeral for Master Jing, and the body is being kept here. We have previously asked the secular children to come and make some arrangements, and people from Beishan Jing'an Temple have also gone to deliver a message. Even if the master can come, it will be night time. These few people rushed in and disturbed Master Jing's rest."

His reply was quite proper, and Wang Xifeng couldn't help but take a second look at him. He looked young, but he was quite eloquent.
"You are good at talking, but don't forget that many eyes are watching the Jia family. What you are doing here will bring shame to the owner's family. Get out of here."

"Yes, grandma!"

Wang Xifeng's face darkened and she shouted, instantly frightening the servants around her so much that they shrank their necks and quickly retreated.

Only the chief butler Lai Da was left to wipe his sweat beside her. Somehow, the Second Mistress's prestige was growing.
"Don't be angry, grandma. It's all because of my poor discipline. I will teach them a lesson when I get down."

"Never mind, it's just a small matter. Call those people over and ask them what good news they have."

"Yes, grandma."

These are all minor matters. The most important thing now is the reputation of the Jia family and the matter of this imperial examination. I must get to know them clearly.

Lai Da walked towards the people who came to announce the good news, waved to them and shouted;
"Don't run away, my second grandmother is here, tell me if you have anything to say."

When the people who came to announce the good news heard that it was the Second Mistress of Rongguo Mansion, they looked at each other, stopped running around, straightened their clothes, and hurried over from a distance. When they got close, they each yawned to Wang Xifeng.
"Greetings to Second Madam."

"Get up, tell me what good news you have. We promised you a reward. Ping'er, take the silver."

"Yes, grandma."

I don't know where Ping'er came from, but she followed behind with a bag of silver coins in her arms. A few people who came to announce the good news stood at the downwind side, smelling the scent of rouge wafting from the Second Mistress's body. They couldn't help swallowing their saliva, raised their eyes, and took a look at the head of the Rongguo Mansion. They were immediately shocked by her beauty.

As the saying goes, filial piety brings beauty. Today, Wang Xifeng was wearing dark clothes, not only mourning clothes, but also a mourning hat. Her pretty face was even more charming. Her long eyebrows were slightly frowned, as if thousands of thoughts were entangled in her heart. She was ten times more beautiful than the top girl in the brothel.
Several people lost their composure for a moment, but when they looked around and saw many servants looking at them covetously, they immediately came to their senses. They came here to get money, not to die. The leader quickly lowered his head, bent his body, and replied in a low voice;
"Second Madam is truly righteous and righteous. I admire her. Madam's prestige is well known to us in East City. We came here today to announce the good news and to ask for some reward money. We have absolutely no intention of causing trouble."

"Yes, grandma, we came here in a hurry, so we went to Rongguo Mansion first, but the gatekeeper looked down on us and chased us away, so we came to Ningguo Mansion."

A short man at the back was also complaining. Everyone thought that the Jia family was wealthy and powerful, so it would be easy to ask for money. However, who knew that they couldn't even get through the two gates. The rumors were not true.

"Second Madam, please understand us. We have no intention of causing trouble. We just don't know the etiquette. Please be magnanimous and don't take it to heart."

This is another shrewd young man. He apologized first. After all, if the nobleman in front of him bears a grudge, let alone taking some reward money, he may not be able to ask for any work in this area in the future. Therefore, there is an old saying that goes, be soft when you should be soft, and it is a blessing to suffer losses.

Several people spoke kindly to him, not saying anything about others. Lai Da stood aside, not daring to breathe.

Wang Xifeng felt relieved and relieved after hearing this.
"Tell me, what good news is this?"

When asked this question, several people immediately became excited, and the leader spoke first.

"To answer grandma, a few of us have come from Luo Yunhou's mansion. The results of the imperial examination have been released. The young master of the mansion ranked third on the list and was granted a ninth-rank official title. The results were read out in public. You are all listening, right?"

"Correct!"

"That's it." The leader was excited, and was afraid that the second grandmother would not trust him, so he started to ask the people behind him. Several people nodded and agreed.

Wang Xifeng waved her hand to quiet them down.
"Okay, then, do you guys remember who got admitted to Rongguo Mansion?"

This question was to find out, is it Jia Lan or Jia Baoyu? There must be no mistake. She must be careful in the future. If Baoyu passes the imperial examination, she must seize some of the money in the Rongguo Mansion. After all, after the family was divided, Baoyu had a future and wealth, which was much better than her and Jia Lian guarding the empty Duke's Mansion.
Who knows,

This question stumped several people. After all, they had just arrived in a hurry and had encountered all these things. They kept repeating the good news and forgot the young master's name. The leader looked back at the people behind him, wanting to ask what the young master's name was, after all, he himself was illiterate. But after seeing this, several people lowered their heads.

It turned out that several people were just like him, they just ran away in anger for a long time, who remembered their names?
Just when they were extremely embarrassed, the leader suddenly had an idea and nodded with a smile.
"Grandma, I left in a hurry and I didn't remember his full name. However, there was only one young master in the Duke's Mansion who took the special examination. Everyone knows about it. If I say the noble man's name, it would seem disrespectful, so I dare not mention it."

Then, several people reacted quickly and bowed together. This made it difficult for Wang Xifeng to ask more questions. It was really Baoyu who passed the exam. The teachers in the clan school were also very capable.

Everyone knew what my aunt was planning. She stopped the clan members from taking the special examination and paved the way for Baoyu. Otherwise, I don't know how many people in the school would pass the exam. Who knows what kind of trouble would happen then.
"Forget it, accept the reward, five taels of silver per person."

"Thank you, Second Madam."

Several people were delighted. They had not expected the Second Mistress to be so generous. Five taels of silver. Ping'er was somewhat reluctant, so she just announced the good news. Five taels of silver, for six people, wouldn't that be thirty taels? She stamped her feet, took out a handful of silver from the bag, and divided it among the six people.

The six people who brought the good news, seeing the silver, thanked him profusely and walked out with joy on their faces. Before leaving, they shouted outside the door,

"Thank you, Second Madam, for the reward,"

This attracted the attention of the onlookers, the Jia family members, and the officials who were paying homage, and they all looked at him sideways, which was really impressive.

"Grandma, why are you giving so much? There are officials coming to announce the good news, so they must be giving more."

Ping'er couldn't help but complain. This bag of silver was only worth a little over a hundred taels of silver, and it was all taken from grandma's own room. It had been saved all along, and now so much of it was gone. When the official's family came, she didn't know if this bag would be enough.

"What do you know? There's a line in opera that goes, 'A thousand gold coins are enough to buy a horse bone.' Grandma, I don't have that much gold, but I still have some silver. Take your people and go to Rongguo Mansion and wait."

"It's grandma."

Wang Xifeng still had something on her mind. She didn't care about the silver for the time being. Since someone could bring the good news, there might be people who would come to complain and pass on messages about other things. Just like the eldest sister-in-law said, sometimes, villains can't accomplish anything, but are good at doing bad things. Just be careful.

As she was thinking, she walked out of the Ningguo Mansion gate and headed for the Rongguo Mansion. The rest of the people and the Jia family members actually followed her. Wherever Wang Xifeng passed, many young family members greeted her loudly.
"Greetings to Second Madam,"

"Greetings to Second Grandma,"

When there are more people, the momentum is strong. This scene shocked many people.

Wang Xifeng liked these things all her life. She was beaming with joy as she walked on the road, with a very pretentious manner. The servants following behind her did not even dare to raise their heads.
"What time is it? Why ask about the well-being of others? Just help with the work. When the time comes, if there is no room at Ningguo Mansion, go to Rongguo Mansion. There is also a banquet there. Eat and then go back."

"Thank you, Second Madam."

There was another response, which made everyone sigh, who says women are inferior to men!
inside the hospital,

After the worship, Liao Daping, Marquis of Jinxiang, took Jia She's hand and patted it.

"Lord Jia En, please accept my condolences. Arrange Jinghui's funeral properly and give her a grand funeral. This is the most important thing right now. We can discuss other matters later. In addition,"

Jinxiang Hou pointed to the door not far away and sighed.
"Marquis En is very lucky to have such a daughter to run the family. Many old relatives in the whole capital envy him. But I am not so lucky. I am old, and my family is full of mediocre people. Alas."

Upon hearing the praise from Marquis Jinxiang, Jia She's face suddenly became a little excited, and he quickly replied;

"I will keep your words in mind. The affairs of the mansion are all managed by the old lady. As a son, I am ashamed."

Jia She also felt a little guilty at this time. After he finished speaking, he looked at his second brother, who was surrounded by a circle of civil servants. In an instant, the guilt in his heart disappeared. He thought of the person who had just come in to report the good news, that Jia Baoyu had passed the imperial examination and ranked third. Where would he find a place for himself in the future?

"Marquis Jia En, don't underestimate yourself. No one can predict what will happen in the future. Okay, I won't say any more. I'll go back first."

"Sir, take care,"

After the polite words, Marquis Jinxiang still looked towards the Rongguo Mansion in the west. On the one hand, he was impressed by the old lady's power. On the other hand, he was impressed by Wang Ziteng of the Wang family in the capital. He had a long-term vision and thought three steps ahead. It seemed that the noble and old relatives should move around more often.

When Marquis Jinxiang left, Miao Dayong, Marquis Chuanning, who stayed behind, did not linger any longer. Together with Yu Lishan, Earl of Shoushan, they also came forward and sighed.
"Marquis Jia En, please accept my condolences. We, the nobles and old relatives, are all aware of this matter, but Marquis En must understand that the court is not at peace now. The convoys of tribute from the princes of various places are already on the way. Even the convoys of the West King Gong family and the South King Lang family have arrived. Therefore, the capital cannot be in chaos now."

Dongchuan Hou could say this out of consideration for his noble relatives. He wanted to give a reminder. Before, the Jia family had gone downhill. Who would have thought that although Ningguo Mansion had lost its main family because of this incident, Rongguo Mansion was thriving and showing signs of revival. Moreover, just now, who hadn't heard the words of the person who brought the good news? The civil and military officials were all occupied by Rongguo Mansion. She was worthy of being the old lady Shi.
Jia She lowered his body, clasped his fists and replied:
"Your Majesty is right. Now that the Jia family is in trouble, there are some things that we have to say and do. It is really helpless. Rongguo Mansion will always remember the help from other mansions. As the saying goes, time reveals a person's true character, and we will definitely not forget it."

Jia She did not dare to say much. The Marquis of Dongchuan said that he had helped Rongguo Mansion, but whether he had helped or not was only clear in their hearts. The Ningguo Mansion could not have fallen to such a state without their help. After all, if the Jia family became weak, the only ones who could get a share would be their old relatives and friends in the Beijing camp.

Even if Jia She didn't care about this, he knew all this. After all, his son was able to lead troops in the Beijing camp so smoothly because of their previous friendship. In the future, he might have to rely on that bastard.

Dongchuan Hou touched his belly and said some words of comfort, while Shoushan Bo behind him said nothing. After all, no one in their Bo's Mansion served in the court. He was just an idle Bo at home, and he just wanted to live a comfortable life. The power struggles in the court had nothing to do with him.

However, Shoushanbo could no longer bear the hypocritical words of Dongchuan Hou. What does it mean to be powerless? Considering the overall situation means being weak and being bullied. You advance when there is profit and retreat when there is no profit. You have lost all your face.

He just clasped his fist and spoke.

"Marquis Jia En, you don't have to be polite. We are nobles of the same blood. If you have anything to say, just tell us. Although I have no official position in the Shoushan Marquis's Mansion, I am not an ungrateful person. I don't care about the so-called face and the overall situation. As long as there is something to discuss, I will definitely help and will never refuse. It's unworthy of being a villain!"

The words were spoken uprightly and with great momentum, which moved Jia She's heart. He felt much better after his initial coldness. His face straightened and he clasped his fists in return.

"You are too polite, Lord Shoushan. Our two families are as noble as brothers. How can you bring up my affairs? I am very grateful that you came. Please forgive me for the poor hospitality."

The two men's politeness made Dongchuan Hou embarrassed for a moment. His face turned red and then pale. What he just said seemed like a joke. How could he stay any longer? He said goodbye and left, obviously feeling a little upset.

Jia She wanted to say something more, but was stopped by Shoushanbo Yu Lishan;
"Lord En, let him be. The noble is no longer the noble as before!"

(End of this chapter)