Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 811: Luo Yunhou Protects the Matchmaker
Ningguo Mansion,
In Huifang Garden,

Wang Xifeng's power frightened everyone in Ningguo Mansion so much that they all stood there with their heads bowed, not daring to speak. As for the two people kneeling in the hall, Wang Xifeng was still thinking about how to deal with them.

Since Brother Zhen can't come back, the only women left are Sister-in-law. Sister-in-law will have to find a place to stay. Sister-in-law You is still staying in the East Courtyard. In this way, all the people in the inner courtyard can't stay. So we might as well take action in advance and let them move first.

Thinking of this, Sister Feng said:
"You have to be careful in what you do. You two heard my instructions. He will fall asleep tomorrow, and I will fall asleep the day after tomorrow. We will be alone in the future. It's a waste to support you in such a big mansion. I wanted to forgive you, but I was lenient the first time. It will be difficult to control you next time. It's better to punish you now."

He immediately lowered his face and shouted:

"Laiwang, have someone take them out and give them twenty slaps! Let these two learn a lesson!"

"Yes, grandma, I will make sure they learn a lesson and know the rules of the mansion."

Lai Wang waved his hand, and a group of servants from Rongguo Mansion rushed forward and dragged the two of them out.

"Grandma, grandma, we know we are wrong, please forgive us!"

"Yes, grandma, I dare not sleep anymore."

The two cried and screamed heartbreakingly, struggling as if they were about to be executed.
Seeing that the two men dared to shout, Lai Wang went up and kicked each of them hard. Then, he took out two strips of rags from his pocket, stuffed them into their mouths, cursed at them, and dragged them out.

In the courtyard, in front of many servants, they had two stools brought in, tied the two men to them, and beat them severely.

Suddenly, screams were heard and the two of them cried heart-wrenchingly.

inside the house,

Wang Xifeng glanced around.
"I am not an unreasonable person, but after the mansion, we don't need so many people anymore, so we can only resort to this last resort. We will sell these two people and don't let them stay in the mansion."

At the same time, he threw down the Ningguo Mansion's cards, telling the manager who had made the mistake to go back to the manor.

"The man just now, go out and tell Lai Sheng to deduct his one-month salary and send him to work in the farm, and he doesn't need to come back to the mansion."

When everyone heard this and saw that Sister Feng was frowning, they knew that she was angry and did not dare to neglect her. They went to drag the people out, and the person holding the sign to deliver the order hurried over.

Not long after, the two men finished the execution, their backs covered in blood. Knowing that the Second Mistress had been ruthless this time, they had to plead for mercy and let her stay. Even though she had been dragged out and beaten with twenty sticks, she still had to come in and kowtow to express her gratitude.

"Grandma, we two have been blinded by greed and bewitched. We have served in your house for so many years and we want to stay here to have a living. We hope you will show mercy."

"Grandma, open it."

The two of them kowtowed and cried, and the pool of blood behind them was so tragic. The people in Ningguo Mansion were all mourning.

Sister Feng narrowed her eyes and thought for a while. The manor was short of so many people. These people knew so many things in the mansion, and it would be difficult to sell them off. It would be better to send them all over.
"This time, you two know you are wrong. Why did you do it earlier? If you make a mistake again tomorrow, you will be beaten forty times, and sixty times the day after tomorrow. If you are going to be beaten, just make the mistake! When you are done, you two will take some people from the mansion and go to the farm outside the city to help."

Then he told the people around him:

"Let's break up."

When the people outside the window heard this, they felt uneasy, but they did not dare to stay any longer. As long as they did not sell the house, the Jia family would be much better off than other families. After comforting themselves, they went about their duties.

At that time, the stewards of the Ning Mansion and the Rong Mansion were coming and going to collect and hand in their badges. The man who was beaten left in shame, feeling guilty. Only then did they realize how powerful Sister Feng was. No one dared to slack off at night, and from then on they worked diligently and conscientiously, and the stewards' security was no problem.

Rongguo Mansion,
In the house in the west courtyard,

Li Wan asked her maids Suyun and Biyue to quickly find a blue gown from the inner room for Lang'er to change into, and then she took care of it herself. Although he was not very old, he had the air of a scholar between his eyebrows and eyes.

"When you get there tonight, don't talk too much. Just eat and drink. Tomorrow, you will go to the Marquis's Mansion to become his disciple. The inner room has been prepared for you."

"I know, mother. I don't know how Brother Xue is doing. He was beaten pretty badly that day."

Jia Lan was still thinking about Xue Pan. If Xue Pan hadn't protected him that day, he didn't know if he could have gotten in to take the exam.

However, Li Wan frowned. Although the Xue family seemed chivalrous, they were still a family of merchants in the end. They valued their own interests the most. Although the men in the Xue family were not good, they were also loyal. However, Xue Baochai seemed weak, but she was not someone who could be easily fooled. She might not be as kind-hearted as Lin Daiyu.
"You can't ask questions about this. If you feel you owe me something, you can come back to visit me someday. Today, you should make more friends."

"I know, mother,"

Following Li Wan's instructions, Jia Lan went out of the house. Suyun accompanied him all the way to the door, where he got on the carriage and went to the marquis' mansion.

Zhang Jinyu was still muttering along the way, wondering if he had asked Baldy for too little money just now. He was so generous and didn't even fight. He was just like the two princesses, very arrogant. Just thinking about it made her teeth ache. Sometimes the court needed money, but they couldn't say they couldn't get it. Those so-called "honest officials" should all be the same, rich as hell.

Therefore, corrupt officials are not necessarily wealthy, and honest officials are not necessarily without money. Only those petty officials in Beijing have no food to eat.
"Master Hou, the Hou Mansion has arrived."

Just as he was thinking about this for a while, he returned to the gate of the Marquis' Mansion. The onlookers had just left, and the troupe was also packing up. However, many students had already arrived in front of the mansion. They were arranged into the courtyard one by one by the housekeeper. The place was bustling and lively.

"Yeah, there are a lot of people, please pay more attention when you return."

Zhang Jinyu turned over, got off the horse, and led the people inside. After entering the mansion, many students stood up and bowed;

"I have met the teacher,"

"Everyone, take a seat. Tonight, you will all taste the cooking skills of the chef of the Marquis' Mansion. I will also make a wish for you. After the provincial examination, the imperial examination will be held in March. During the autumn examination, I wish you all will pass the exam."

"Thank you, teacher."

Everyone bows again.

Zhang Jinyu waved his hand and went to the east room, leaving this place to them. After they left, many candidates were left here, talking and laughing.
At the table in the southwest corner, Xu Changwen, the first candidate on the list, and Gao Wen, the second, also arrived early. Since they were both from outside the capital, they didn't know many people, so they just sat in the corner. They looked normal, but Gao Wen's hands were shaking as he drank tea.

"Brother Xu, take a look, maybe the Marquis specially picked you and me, otherwise, how could we be in the top three? I never thought of that in my dreams."

"Don't be nervous, Brother Gao. Your literary talent is determined by fate. Whether you pass the high school entrance exam or not depends on luck."

Xu Changwen didn't feel anything, but he was quite grateful in his heart. He thought that this was the list that the Marquis had personally selected.

"In that case, Brother Xu, when there are not many people at the door, you and I will go over there together to thank the Marquis."

"Alright,"

Gao Wen was a little stunned. Brother Xu had always disliked this, but he didn't expect him to agree so quickly. He looked around and saw that many people had come. He waved and the two of them moved along the corner of the wall towards the gate. In the East Garden,
Zhang Jinyu had just led people to the yard when a servant was waiting inside.
"My Lord, you are here. Lord Feng and Lord Meng have been waiting in the living room for a long time."

Zhang Jinyu stopped and smiled bitterly. These two were like dog-skin plasters. It was really hard for parents.

"Got it, bring the tea over."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

After giving the order,
Zhang Jinyu then walked to the east room and opened the door. Sure enough, he saw the two of them sitting in the flower hall chatting. When they saw Luo Yunhou coming back, they quickly got up and

"I've met the Marquis."

"Okay, we are old friends, sit down."

Zhang Jinyu asked the two to sit down without any hesitation. He had not forgotten the matter of the Feng family, but he did not know whether Brother Feng was willing to choose a boy from a poor family. He was thinking that the son of Lord Chu was also here. Unfortunately, the incident at Ningguo Mansion had caused a stir.

Wait a minute,
The maid came in, served tea and snacks, and then left. As soon as she left, Feng Yongwen started talking.

"My Lord, I have been feeling a little worried. I wonder how you will arrange this?"

"Don't worry, Lord Feng. Everyone will be here tonight. Even if he doesn't come, I can send someone to tie him up and he will come. I just don't know what Lord Feng and Madam have said. If my daughter really marries into a poor family, she should think carefully about her future."

The three men knew exactly what Feng Yongwen wanted to ask. Zhang Jinyu's words also made Lord Feng think twice. After all, although the children of poor families had no worries, their family assets were basically penniless. If they married their daughters off, they would need to be frugal and manage the household well. To put it bluntly, hard times were ahead and they could forget about living a wealthy life.

Meng Li felt a little uncomfortable when he saw Brother Feng was so anxious. Could he wait a while and see if there were any suitable young masters from other mansions?

"Brother Feng, the Marquis is right. Everything needs to be considered carefully. There are some misunderstandings about my niece. Maybe it would be okay to find a small family after a while."

This was Meng Li's second best option. If he couldn't get into a big family, he could always get into a small family. He wouldn't have to worry about food and drink in the future. But Feng Yongwen sighed and went back. He told his wife about the top three names in this year's special examination list. He even copied a copy of the A list, just to show his wife how to choose the candidates.
There is an old saying among the people: a person's name reflects his character. The name accounts for half of a person's character. We randomly found quite a few people according to the names on the list. However, when we looked at their origins, we found that most of them were from aristocratic families, and a small number were from poor families who were able to come here by borrowing money from the academy. In this case, we could only choose the top three to be officials. The first candidate was the "first place in the case", and Xu Changwen was the first choice. This led to the previous scene.

"My Lord, Brother Meng, my wife and I have already thought about this matter. We will choose a man from a poor family. In this case, Xu Changwen, who is ranked first in the list, is the first choice. As long as he is not bad looking and his family is unmarried, it will be fine. After all, in the past, the Rongguo Mansion had a story about a rich lady who found a husband through the list, so we have hope."

Zhang Jinyu was also impressed by Feng Yongwen's determination. The man who was chosen as a son-in-law by the Rongguo Mansion was Lin Ruhai, the husband chosen by the old duke for Daiyu's mother Jia Min. In other words, he was her father-in-law and mother-in-law. It was a good story at that time.
"Okay, in that case, I'll take care of this matter. Someone, come on."

Zhang Jinyu took the responsibility and prepared to send someone to call Xu Changwen in. Just as he called for someone, he saw Ning Bian coming in.

"My Lord, the first place winner of this year's special examination, Xu Changwen, and the second place winner, Gao Wen, wish to see you."

"Haha, look, whatever you think will happen, let them in."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

Ning Bian turned around and went outside to pass the message. Zhang Jinyu also felt a little funny. It was a wonderful fate. Even Meng Li and Feng Yongwen felt it. What a coincidence.
"Thank you, my Lord. I will always remember your kindness."

"Lord Feng, what you said is wrong. I have said that I will not refuse to help anyone who can help. Now that they are both here, Lord Feng, take a good look at them and decide whoever you think is capable. I have already sent people to check their backgrounds. One is from Hedong and the other is from Hexi. They are from poor families and have only enough to eat and wear. They have no wives or concubines. Xu Changwen has an old mother at home, and Gao Wen has both parents. They are classmates and friends."

Zhang Jinyu briefly introduced the two of them. After all, when the list was called, the origins of the two had to be clearly distinguished. If their identities were not suitable, they would not even be included in the list. Feng Yongwen sat there and listened carefully. In his heart, he still preferred the title of the first place. However, after the introduction of the two by the Marquis, Feng Yongwen also felt that they were both acceptable. He just had to wait for the people to come and observe them before making a decision.

After saying this, the two people waiting outside were a little uneasy. Gao Wen rubbed his hands and asked nervously,

"Brother Xu, how come it has been so long and the Marquis hasn't summoned us yet?"

It turned out that the two of them had discussed it in the west yard, and then they crouched down, walked out from the corner, and then walked around before coming here. After all, there were still many candidates arriving outside the gate, and it would be somewhat embarrassing if they met them.

As soon as they entered the East Courtyard, they were stopped by the guards on duty at the door. After they explained the whole situation, they were allowed to wait in the courtyard.

"Brother Gao, since the two of us can enter the courtyard, we will definitely be summoned. There is no need to be anxious."

Xu Changwen consoled her with his mouth, but his hands kept tightening the hem of his shirt, obviously because he was nervous.
"Yes, yes, Brother Xu is right."

Gao Wen nodded and responded quickly. The two of them looked towards the main house in front of them at the same time. At this time, the door suddenly opened, and General Ning came out and came to the two of them and said;
"My two lords, the Marquis invites you."

"Thank you, General Ning, for the message."

The two men returned the greeting with excitement on their faces and followed quickly until Ning Bian opened the door. They took a deep breath, concentrated and held their breath, and walked in respectfully.

Just entered the house,
Passing by the screen of Jiangnan Water Village, a scent of sandalwood came, and only a faint voice was heard inside. As the two entered the room,
They saw several people in the room. When they looked up, they saw that it was Marquis Luo Yun sitting in the main seat. There were two people sitting in the seats on the east side. Although they did not know each other, they knew that those who could come in and talk with the Marquis must be officials. They clasped their fists and bowed at the same time.
"I am honored to meet you, my dear teacher. I am honored to meet you two adults."

Zhang Jinyu was smiling at this time. Since the two of them came in, Lord Meng and Lord Feng had never taken their eyes off them. Judging from their words, actions, and clothes, it was rare. Even if their clothes were patched, they were washed clean and not messy at all. Moreover, their hair buns and collars were clean as usual. They knew the rules.
"No need to be so polite, get up,"

"Thank you, Master,"

The two men bowed respectfully, then straightened up, not daring to look up. Zhang Jinyu smiled and pointed at them, as if asking Master Feng if the two men were interested.
Feng Yongwen looked at them carefully. Although they were not very handsome, they were also strong men, especially Xu Changwen. He had an upright posture and a hint of determination between his eyebrows. His thin eyebrows were slightly raised, and his hair was tied up with a simple bamboo hairpin. Although it was simple, it exuded a sense of indifference and a scholar's character. He was indeed a capable official.

As for the other, although he had a decent appearance and a sturdy figure, when the two of them stood together, they were clearly superior.

Feng Yongwen had already made up his mind at this time, and nodded in response to the Marquis' inquiring look.

Seeing that Lord Feng agreed, Zhang Jinyu stopped procrastinating and arranged to be the matchmaker. The first thing he did was to ask about the family situation. After thinking about it,

asked;

"Xu Changwen, I heard that you are from Hedong. Do you have a wife or concubine at home? Is your mother here?"

Xu Changwen was stunned. What did this mean? Gao Wen beside him didn't understand either. Seeing that Xu Changwen didn't say anything, he quickly touched him with his hand from behind. Xu Changwen then reacted and clasped his fists.
"Teacher, I am unmarried and have an old mother who takes care of the family. My family is poor and I only have a few small plots of land to live on. Fortunately, my elder sister married into a wealthy family and has been supporting me ever since. That is why I was able to study at the academy."

Xu Changwen did not hide the fact that after entering the academy, he spent very little money and the teacher taught very attentively, which led to his current situation.
He didn't know that these words obviously moved Luo Yunhou, who was also a strong-willed person.
"It really takes great perseverance for a child from a poor family to have persisted until today. Your mother is also far-sighted. Today, I would like to find a matchmaker for you. Are you willing?"

Zhang Jinyu didn't pretend to be shy and went straight to the point. Anyway, at this time, everyone should listen to their parents and mentors. As long as it was suitable, there was basically no way around it. The mentor had already accepted it, so it would be good to have a matchmaker.

Xu Changwen was a little at a loss, he hadn't formally become a disciple yet, but now he needed a matchmaker. He didn't know whose family the girl was from. But when he looked towards the two adults in the east, he saw that they were staring at him. Could it be that they were talking about him? He came from a poor family, so how could he marry a rich girl?

"Master, I am a child of a poor family, I have no money, and I have no place to settle down in the capital. How can I get married?"

Uh,
Zhang Jinyu's mouth twitched. This boy is too honest. Since he values ​​you, why does he need you to pay for it yourself? If not, you can just be a live-in son-in-law.
"Don't worry about that. Since you have accepted me as your master, I will pay for all these expenses!"

(End of this chapter)