Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 868: Things are too expensive
In Rongqing Hall,

The three girls were all beaming with joy, and even Daiyu and Baochai looked happy. Only Madam You and the eldest sister-in-law Li Wan looked at each other, as if they had endless things to say, but they said nothing more.

Even the eldest wife, Madam Xing, who used to be fond of interrupting others, was only busy eating tea and snacks today. I don't know if it was because of the old lady's instructions, but she seemed to be invisible.
"Madam, my sister has already done these things. How can a mother not be anxious? I think everything in the palace is new. Yuanchun, oh, this mouth is just not pleasant to hear. How can you call her like that? The Imperial Concubine should be very busy."

Aunt Xue spoke quickly, and this time, she actually mentioned Yuanchun's name. Then she thought it was inappropriate, and quickly clapped her hands on her mouth and changed her tone. Jia's mother also deliberately kept a straight face and smiled;

"Look, I've gotten used to calling you that. But what the concubine said is true. Everything is difficult at the beginning. You should also remember that when you are outside, you must avoid certain foods. The imperial concubine is very noble."

Although Grandmother Jia was smiling, her words were unquestionable. Her words were meant for everyone present to hear. The emperor and his subjects were different, and they must not lose their manners. Fortunately, it was the concubine who just reminded him. Jia Baoyu was very reluctant. What did his elder sister's title of imperial concubine have to do with all this? He asked dissatisfiedly,
"Why do you have to call me Imperial Concubine? Isn't Big Sister still Big Sister? Why is it so troublesome?"

Jia Baoyu's resentful voice made the people in the room lower their voices. Although Jia's mother felt sorry for Baoyu, she could not tolerate him on such a big issue. She slammed the table and
"My Baoyu, your elder sister is still the elder sister, but her status has changed. There is a difference between the emperor and his subjects, and due to etiquette, your status will also rise in the future. Don't let outsiders say that we in the Rongguo Mansion don't know etiquette."

Seeing the old lady giving such serious instructions, Jia Baoyu realized that he had gone too far. The Master had said that there was a difference between the ruler and his subjects, so he stood up and bowed.
"I'm sorry to have made you worry. I just said something wrong."

This scene made Grandmother Jia very unhappy.
"Look, old lady. Baoyu is well-educated and well-mannered. He will be rich and prosperous for the rest of his life."

Aunt Xue took every opportunity to speak nicely, and everyone in the room was smiling again.

Just at this time,
Suddenly, a group of people came running into the outer hall. Some were carrying stools, some were carrying tables, and some were carrying bowls, chopsticks, and plates. They rushed into the room.

The maid in the room naturally refused to do so. She looked at the broken tables and chairs, bowls and plates with soup dripping from them, which showed that the bowls had just been used and not washed. She then sent them in and started to curse.
"This is outrageous. You guys are full of nothing. You bring everything into the house without washing it. Where do you put the leftovers?"

This roar not only stunned the people outside, but also Grandmother Jia and the two ladies in the room. They were all a little unhappy. How could such dirty words be said on such a happy day? Looking around, they didn't see the figure of Feng girl, so they asked in confusion:
"After talking for so long, why hasn't Feng girl come back for so long?"

Everyone was stunned. It was true. Feng Yatou had said before that she would go out for a checkup. Not only would it take a long time, but there were men outside to look after her. There shouldn't be anything to worry about. It wouldn't take long to walk through the garden. They had been talking for a while, but the people hadn't arrived yet. Seeing that no one in the house knew, Grandmother Jia called Yuanyang over and told her:
"Yuanyang, go out and see if Feng girl is back."

"Yes, old lady."

Yuanyang nodded, understanding what the old lady meant. She went to the outer room to see what happened. On such a happy day, she must not lose face.
He ran towards the screen curtain and walked out. The servants outside were holding things and dared not move. Lai Wang also ran in hurriedly.
Coincidentally.

Yuanyang also came out of the warm room and saw a room full of servants carrying tables, chairs, benches, plates and bowls for eating, and even a jar for stewing meat.
"Come and manage it. Why are these things moved in?"

Lai Wang had just taken a breath when he heard the question. He looked up at the screen and saw that it was Yuanyang, the head maid in the old lady's room, who came out. How could he dare to neglect her? He was from the Marquis' Mansion, so he quickly replied.
"Miss Yuanyang, I followed Grandma's instructions and moved these things here and placed them in the inner hall. As for why, I don't know."

Lai Wang had a bitter face. It was not that he didn't know, but his grandmother didn't tell him at all. However, he also understood that his grandmother went to see Luo Yunhou. As for what she said and did, how could he, as a servant, dare to ask? After thinking for a while, he added another sentence.

"Grandma just went to inspect the compound, but ran into Luo Yunhou, who was having a buffet, so she went over. I don't know what happened."

It was these words that made Yuanyang feel strange. Since they were looking for the Marquis, there must be a deep meaning behind these words.
"Laiwang, since Second Madam ordered you to do so, move these things to the inner hall and place them exactly as they were arranged. I think there must be some deep meaning behind this."

"Yes, Miss Yuanyang."

Lai Wang was stunned for a moment, then quickly agreed. With a call, everyone followed Yuanyang into the inner hall, leaving the maid in the outer room alone. Her face looked a little ugly. It was a pity that she, a maid serving in the outer room, could not compare to Yuanyang, the half-master. With a curl of her lips, she went back to the corner gate and went to gossip with the other maids.

Everyone in the inner hall,

They were still whispering to each other, especially the maid Xichun, who ran to Tanchun on the pretext of something and asked Daiyu questions across the table. Perhaps because they had not seen each other for a long time, she missed her very much.
"Sister Lin, why haven't I seen you for a while?"

Lin Daiyu was still wearing a light blue dress. She didn't look like a lady from an aristocratic family, but rather a Taoist. She turned around with a wooden hairpin on her head, her thin eyebrows moved slightly, and she smiled.
"That's not right, Sister Xichun. I have been staying in the courtyard to recuperate and I dare not go out casually."

Lin Daiyu made an excuse. She didn't want to go out in the first place. There were a lot of things going on in the Jia Mansion these days, so it was even harder to show up. So, she used this as an excuse to shirk many things. If it wasn't for today's big wedding day, she would have moved now. After all, the grace of the royal family was rare.

Tanchun heard the two people's whispered conversation clearly. She frowned slightly. It was not like Sister Lin to say these words. Could it be because of Brother Bao's matter?

Li Wan and Madam You watched Daiyu's every move, and there was even some envy in their eyes. Not only did she have a title before she even entered the palace, but she was also the favorite of her enemy. She could never compare to Daiyu. She didn't know how she was doing these days. She tried to cover it up by eating cakes, but they both reached out their hands at the same time, and Madam You and Li Wan bumped into each other and their eyes met. They knew what was on her mind very well.
While thinking,
The door curtain rustled,

Seeing Yuanyang coming in, followed by a group of servants carrying all kinds of things, I put all these thoughts behind me out of curiosity.
Lai Wang was standing in the inner hall directing the restoration of the tables, chairs, benches, and plates and bowls used for eating. The tables and chairs were borrowed from the large courtyard and were shabby. The long table was covered in grease and the benches had some holes in them. The plates and bowls looked better, but they were also covered in leftovers.
that's it,
A table for six people was set up, but maybe the orientation was wrong, Lai Wang was anxious and yelled;
"You don't have eyes. Move the bench over here."

"Yes, come and take charge,"

The boy was so scared that his face was covered with sweat. He put the stool back in the way he remembered it and stood aside. This kind of thing would be interesting to everyone, especially Baoyu. No one paid any attention to him and he was very bored. When he saw these, he got off the chair, came over to think about it, looked around,
After looking for a long time, I couldn't figure out what was going on. There were just some plates and bowls that had just been used for meals, and tables and chairs. How could they be in such a mysterious state?
Although Grandmother Jia was well-informed, she could not see anything special, let alone other people.

"Laiwang, what's going on? Why did you move the tables, chairs, dishes and bowls in?"

At this time, Lai Wang was still fiddling with the angles of the dishes and bowls. When he heard the old lady's question, he came back to his senses and knelt on the ground.

"Madam, it was Second Madam who ordered to bring in the same tables, chairs, benches, plates and bowls. I don't know why. It's just that when Second Madam passed by the courtyard, she saw Marquis Luo Yun having a buffet in the courtyard, so she went over to talk to him. I don't know the details."

As soon as Luo Yunhou was mentioned, the people in the room suddenly became quiet. Not to mention Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai, or even the eldest sister-in-law Li Wan and Madam You, even the first and second wives were shocked. Whenever that restless person came here, there would be trouble.
Sitting on the kang, Jia's mother was speechless for a moment. That boy, there was really nothing she could do with him. However, Feng girl would not bring these things in for no reason.
Seeing the quietness in the house,

There was the sound of the door curtains fluttering again. Wang Xifeng, accompanied by Ping'er, came in in a hurry. Seeing that the things in the room were laid out and everyone was there, her face was filled with anxiety and solemnity. Her heart was like a rabbit in her chest, and she was very nervous. She knew that this was unusual. How could the people of the royal family go to such a buffet? She said anxiously:
"It's all my fault. I was delayed by something just now, so I came back a little late. Laiwang, you guys go to the outer room and stay for a while."

"Yes, grandma."

As Wang Xifeng came in, Lai Wang and the others bowed, responded, and walked towards the outer room.

When Wang Xifeng came to Lady Jia's side, Lady Jia felt something unusual. The expression of Feng girl before was not like this. Could it be that she said something that Luo Yunhou said? Thinking of this, she remembered Jia Lian in the army heading south. Could it be that? She was suddenly startled and asked;

"Feng Lazi, what's going on? Did you encounter any problems when you went out for a walk?"

Wang Xifeng was hesitant to speak at this time, not knowing how to explain. There were too many people and she couldn't explain it clearly. What should she do? She thought it was an ordinary banquet, but at the end, she found something strange.
"Something happened. It's hard to say."

He could only reply like this. Seeing this, Jia's mother guessed what was going on and shouted to the inside of the house:

"Everyone who serves, please leave. Yuanyang, please stay."

"Yes, old lady."

Seeing that Lady Jia didn't seem to be joking, the maids serving around slowly withdrew, leaving only Ping'er and Yuanyang behind. The people in the room became even more curious, what was going on?

All eyes were looking over, and Wang Xifeng couldn't chase the wife and the others out. She looked embarrassed, which made Grandmother Jia even more suspicious. She couldn't say anything.
"Come over and whisper, old woman, if you are not deaf you can hear it."

Since she couldn't say it in public, she had to come closer. Wang Xifeng had no choice but to do so and sat down next to Lady Jia.
"Old lady, my granddaughter-in-law went to the front yard and happened to see Marquis Luo Yun having a buffet. I thought it was strange, so I went to take a look. Who knows?"

There was still some trepidation on his face. How could such things happen to him?
"Who would have thought that I would actually run into the eunuch Dai, the internal minister? My heart tensed up, and I felt something was wrong. I walked over to take a look, and I actually saw the emperor and the empress in disguise, sitting there and eating noodle soup with me at the banquet. They talked for a while, and then left."

I was in a hurry and said something before I thought about it.
However, after hearing this, Jia's usually calm face was filled with horror. Her hands trembled and she knocked the tea bowl on the table above the kang to the ground, smashing it to pieces. She asked in a lost voice:
"Feng girl, you must not talk nonsense about this matter. Did you see it clearly?"

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Grandmother Jia's cloudy eyes suddenly widened with astonishment and disbelief. She leaned forward slightly, her lips slightly parted, as if she couldn't believe her ears.

Wang Xifeng smiled bitterly and nodded;
"It's true. My granddaughter-in-law felt like she was dreaming. Ping'er was also there, and the queen asked some questions."

Seeing that Feng Yatou didn't seem to be lying, she murmured,

"What should I do? Why did he come so suddenly? And I didn't even greet him properly."

Grandmother Jia was filled with anxiety and thought a lot. Did the royal family come here for Rongguo Mansion, Yuanchun's matter, or some other arrangement?
The house was quiet.

Everyone knew that something was unusual. The old lady's expression, which had never changed, actually lost its composure today. But what kind of trouble had Marquis Luo Yun caused again? This thought suddenly occurred to everyone in the room.

"Feng girl, come closer and talk, but what did you say?"

Jia's mother asked again in an anxious tone, and Wang Xifeng finally calmed down and seemed to have nothing to say, and repeated what the lady had repeated;
"Old lady, the queen said to bring a message to the old lady. Yuanchun has been with me in the palace for so many years. I will take care of her."

"God bless, this is Yuanchun's good fortune. With the Empress taking care of her, she has someone to rely on in the harem. By the way, does the Emperor have any instructions?"

In the heart of Jia's mother, she was more concerned about the emperor's attitude and the relationship between the monarch and his subjects. To be more precise, there was something strange in Wang Xifeng's eyes. The emperor didn't seem to mention the matter of Rongguo Mansion, but he didn't dare to hide it.

"Madam, the Emperor did not mention the Duke's Mansion. Instead, he said that the literary style of the world started in the south of the Yangtze River, and the poetry and prose festivals returned to the south of the Yangtze River. Could it be that Dawu's literary style can only be compared to the south of the Yangtze River? After saying this, Marquis Luo Yun and the others got up and left, and said that this matter must not be spread out."

Grandmother Jia's eyes lit up, and she looked at Feng girl, and she was more and more satisfied. This girl was lucky to have such an opportunity. It was obvious that His Majesty came here by chance, and it was possible that it was brought by Luo Yunhou. This bit of affection should be remembered first, especially the last sentence. Could it be that the literary style of Dawu can only be seen from Jiangnan?
Your Majesty is dissatisfied with the literati in Jiangnan. Unfortunately, the Jia family has fallen into decline in the court. This news is dispensable. What about the poetry meeting?
"You just mentioned a poetry gathering. Where is there a poetry gathering in the capital?"

"Old lady, I know about this. I heard that Yanchun Tower is holding a poetry gathering and a courtesan competition. I heard that the eldest princess is the one who organized it."

After all, Wang Xifeng was the housekeeper. She often led people to the Chamber of Commerce for inspection. Naturally, she would hear about any news in the capital. How could she not know about the hot topic of poetry gathering?

Grandmother Jia's face was moved, and she muttered to herself, "Princess, Xiangxue is back. When she comes back, Princess Yongcheng will also come back. These two are not easy to serve. It turns out that they are also close to Rongguo Mansion. It's just that they have been away from Beijing for so many years. If they come back now, the capital will probably be in chaos." Thinking of Yanchun Tower being His Highness's property, her face couldn't help but look a little strange.
Poetry gatherings are for writing poetry, and Baoyu secretly wants to go there. However, seeing Baoyu's handsome appearance, that place is a brothel after all, and such a poetry gathering must be attended by many powerful and wealthy people. It just so happens that Yuanchun has been crowned as a princess, so there will be many jealous people. So, it is better not to wade into that muddy water.

Looking at the tables, chairs, bowls and dishes in the hall, I thought these were where the Tian family sat, and I was a little curious.

"Feng girl, can you point out how to get a seat?"

"Old lady, take a look for a moment. The one in the northeast corner is where the queen is sitting. The one near the east is the emperor. The rest are eunuch Dai and Marquis Luo Yun. Beside the queen is a nanny and a maid."

Feng girl whispered a few times in her ear and gave a general idea. Grandmother Jia knew the general idea at a glance. The emperor was kind and righteous. He did not despise such a simple table and chair, as well as the food. It was a great favor to the Jia family.
As for Ningguo Mansion, in the final analysis, it was Jia Zhen and his son who brought it upon themselves. Even though they suffered a loss, they still retained their titles. After thinking a lot, I looked at the tables and chairs in the hall. They were invaluable.

"Come here, please take good care of this table and chairs. Put them in the back room and place them there for worship. Wash the dishes and put them back as they were. If anyone bumps into them, don't blame me for using family rules."

Outside, the old woman who came to inquire was a little surprised, but seeing that the old lady didn't seem to be joking, she nodded her head and agreed, went to the outer room to call people, and everyone carefully moved the tables, chairs, benches, plates, bowls and chopsticks out. This scene made the people in the room confused.

Mrs. Xing rolled her eyes and asked deliberately;

"Oh, what is this old lady doing? They are just rented tables and chairs. When did they become so rare that you have to offer them as a gift?"

As soon as this sentence came out, even other people were puzzled.

But Grandmother Jia kept silent. After the waiters left, she turned around and said only one sentence:
"Ask what you should ask, and don't ask what you shouldn't ask. Some things are better unknown than knowing them. Second brother's family, when you get back, move these tables and chairs back and carefully offer them as sacrifices. Do you understand the saying 'priceless'?"

As if giving a reminder, the second wife was suddenly startled.
"Exorbitantly expensive?"

(End of this chapter)