The Red Chamber begins with a bastard
Chapter 459: In front of Zuoye Gate
Chapter 459: In front of Zuoye Gate
At this moment, Jia Baoyu was undoubtedly depressed. He hated official career and economics and was self-righteous. Even though Jia Huan had achieved the title of juren, he sneered at him and even disdainfully called him a parasite. But now he was defeated by Jia Huan in the poetry that he was proud of. In this way, Jia Huan was superior to him in all aspects, whether in appearance, temperament, or poetic talent. This was a heavy blow.
At this time, Li Wan folded up the six poems and handed them to Jia Xichun, saying, "Ouxie will be in charge of supervising the transcription. These poems will be copied into another booklet as a backup, and the originals will also be kept for future reference."
Jia Xichun quickly agreed. She was just a bystander, so she had to make some contribution, otherwise it would be a waste of her time to join the poetry club.
Xue Baoqin suggested: "Maybe we can publish a collection of poems in the future."
When this was said, everyone's eyes lit up. Li Wan said with a smile, "We started a poetry club to learn from others and pass the time in our spare time. How can these boudoir writings be passed on to others?"
Jia Huan shook his head and retorted, "You are wrong, Old Farmer Daoxiang. Since ancient times, there have been people who write poems about catkins and Xie Daoyun. Li Yi'an (Li Qingzhao) is even more legendary. If the writings of the boudoir were not passed on to outsiders, how could these stories be passed down through the ages?"
Jia Tanchun laughed and said, "How dare we compare ourselves with Yi An? Master Yuewei is too kind to us."
Lin Daiyu joked, "Although we can't compare, as long as we are thick-skinned, a grain of rice can shine as brightly as the sun and the moon. It's okay to publish a collection of poems. Anyway, we can each have a copy as a souvenir."
Although Li Wan comes from a scholarly family, she was taught since childhood that a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent, so she is relatively traditional and conservative. Xue Baoqin, on the other hand, has followed her father around the country to do business since she was a child, so she is knowledgeable and obviously more open-minded, so she does not think there is anything wrong with the writings of the boudoir being passed on to others.
As for Lin Daiyu, she is a spiritual aristocrat, proud and independent. She doesn't care whether the poetry collection is published or not. But since Jia Huan supports it, she naturally supports it too.
Jia Tanchun had a generous and outgoing personality, and was as capable as any man. Just as she wrote in the invitation, "Who is the talented person in the Lotus Society? Are men the only ones allowed to attend? It is just that the elegant gathering in Dongshan is leaving the rest of the women behind." Therefore, she naturally supported the publication of a collection of poems, and was very interested in it and eager to try. This was a great thing that would leave a name for herself to posterity.
"I also agree with publishing a collection of poems. Even if it is not circulated outside, it would be interesting to take it out and read it later." Jia Baoyu agreed. If Lin Daiyu supported it, he would naturally support it too.
Seeing that everyone supported her, Li Wan smiled and said, "It's fine to publish a collection of poems, but that's a matter for the future, let's not discuss it for now. From this month on, on the second and sixteenth day of every month, you all must come to my place to start a club. If anyone wants to join the club, you can discuss it on your own, I won't interfere."
Jia Huan said apologetically, "On the ninth day of this month, I have to temporarily move to Diecui Academy to study. I'm afraid I won't be able to join the club on the sixteenth day of this month."
Li Wan nodded and said, "Of course studying is more important. The president will allow you to take leave."
Xue Baochai was surprised and said, "The New Year is coming soon, so the academy should be closed for the holidays, right?"
Jia Huan explained, "The academy will start its holiday on the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month, but the candidates who will take the imperial examination next year will not leave until the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. During this time, the dean will personally give lectures."
Xue Baochai said softly, "I see. Then Brother Huan must work hard. The stars will not let down those who are on the road. I wish Brother Huan success in the imperial examination next year."
Jia Huan smiled and said, "Sister Chengbao, good words!"
Jia Baoyu hated discussing these economic and career matters the most, but when he heard that Jia Huan was going to move to the academy on the ninth day of the first lunar month and would have a day off before the New Year, he could not help but feel secretly happy. Since the third brother Huan was not around, he could finally have fun with his sisters as before without worrying about being overshadowed.
With this in mind, Jia Baoyu even hoped that Jia Huan would pass the imperial examination as soon as possible, because if he did, he would become an official, and would have to go to court every day, which would naturally mean he would have no time to stay in the garden.
At this time, Li Wan said, "I almost forgot one thing. We should give our poetry club a name."
Jia Tanchun laughed and said, "I forgot about that. We should have a name. If it's too vulgar, it's not good. If it's too new, it's not good either. It just so happens that this is the beginning of the Begonia poem. Why not call it the Begonia Society? Although it's a bit vulgar, it's true, so it doesn't matter."
Everyone agreed, and the name of Haitang Society was decided.
Lin Daiyu looked at Jia Huan with a half-smile and said, "Master Yuewei only took second place. Did he forget someone?"
Before Jia Huan could say anything, Jia Baoyu slapped his thigh and said, "Oh no! I forgot about Sister Yun."
Jia Tanchun laughed and said, "How could I forget Yun'er? I asked Old Madam to send someone to pick her up early in the morning. I guess she should be here soon."
Just as she finished speaking, a maid named Song Ma came in and said to Jia Tanchun, "The young marquis fell down last night and was injured. Miss Shi is unable to leave for the time being. She just reported to the old lady, who sent me to tell the third young lady."
The young marquis that Song Ma mentioned was Shi Xiangyun's uncle, Baoling Marquis Shi Nai. Shi Xiangyun's parents died when she was still an infant, and she was raised by her uncle Shi Nai.
Jia Baoyu said disappointedly, "What a misfortune that he fell and got injured at this time. Is the young marquis seriously injured?"
"It seems to be quite serious. My ankle is swollen like something." Song Ma replied: "By the way, Miss Shi knew that the girls had started a poetry club. She was very anxious, but she couldn't get away."
Jia Tanchun regretted, "If I had known that the young marquis had been injured, I would not have invited her. Now that she can't come, she is worried."
Xue Baochai smiled and said, "It's okay. When Yun'er comes next time, we can ask her to make up for it. We were just having fun, so what's the big deal?"
At that moment, everyone drank some fruit wine and then went their separate ways.
On the morning of the second day, Jia Huan originally planned to visit Hengwu Garden. Since Sister Bao came to the mansion, he had not yet paid a formal visit. However, just as he was about to go out, a visiting card was delivered to him, signed by Xu Wei.
Xu Wei was the pseudonym of the seventh prince Xu Wenhou. The fat boy was a trustworthy person and indeed came to visit. Jia Huan hurried out of the west gate of the garden and went straight to Rongxi Hall in Rongguo Mansion.
Originally, Rong Xi Tang was where Jia Zheng usually received distinguished guests, and Jia Huan was not qualified to entertain guests there. However, the steward Lai Da obviously knew the identity of the seventh prince, so he did not dare to neglect him and directly brought him to Rong Xi Tang.
When Jia Huan arrived at Rong Xi Tang, he found that not only the steward Lai Da was there, but also the eldest master Jia She was there. He was respectfully talking to the fat boy Xu Wenhou with a flattering smile on his face.
It turned out that Jia Zheng had gone to court and was not at home. Although Jia She had a title, it was an empty position and he did not have to work on weekdays. He had nothing to do at home all day. When he heard that the Seventh Prince was coming to visit him, he hurried to curry favor with him.
Although the seventh prince was deposed and not valued by the emperor, he was still a prince after all, so Jia She naturally did not dare to neglect him.
The fat boy Xu Wenhou was dealing with Jia She out of boredom when he suddenly saw Jia Huan coming. He was immediately delighted and stood up to complain, "Why did Brother Jia come just now?"
Jia She was embarrassed. For a moment he didn't know whether to stand up or continue sitting. But in the end he stood up. After all, the Seventh Prince had stood up, so how could he continue sitting there?
Jia Huan smiled and said, "I live in the garden now, it's a bit far to walk here, I'm sorry to have kept Brother Xu waiting for a long time!" He bowed to Jia She and called him "Master". Jia She nodded, coughed lightly and said, "Brother Huan, please accompany the distinguished guest well, Master Xu, I will leave first."
Xu Wenhou was feeling uncomfortable and wished Jia She would disappear immediately. He waved his hand and said, "Please do as you please, Lord She."
So Jia She left Rong Xi Tang in disgrace. He had originally wanted to please Xu Wenhou, but found out that the other party was not interested in him at all. He was also a discerning person, so naturally he felt embarrassed to stay any longer.
Seeing Jia She leave, Xu Wenhou said with a strange look in his eyes: "Brother Jia, let me say something you may not like to hear. Your uncle is really an old man."
Jia Huan asked curiously, "Why do you say that, Brother Xu?"
Xu Wenhou rolled his eyes and said, "You talked to me about beauties for a long time."
Jia Huan couldn't help but burst out laughing. Jia She, this old man, is over sixty years old, but he still keeps marrying concubines. You can imagine what kind of people they are. He probably thought that Xu Wenhou was a fellow traveler, so he catered to his tastes. But this fat guy's favorite thing was food, and painting. Moreover, with his physique, he was probably unable to do it. Talking to him about beauties, isn't that just rubbing salt into the wound?
Jia Huan coughed lightly and changed the subject: "Brother Xu, didn't you bring any paintings?"
The last time they parted, the fat boy said he would bring some paintings for Jia Huan to appreciate, but this time he came with nothing in his hands, obviously he didn't bring any.
Xu Wenhou said proudly: "Of course I did, but it's not convenient here. I'll take you to a place, and then ask Brother Jia for advice when we get there."
After the fat man finished speaking, he pulled Jia Huan out without saying anything. The latter had no choice but to catch a servant who was passing by and asked him to go to the back of the mansion to inform Shi Tou and Mu Ye to accompany them, and to tell Ping'er at the same time.
Jia Huan followed Xu Wenhou out of the mansion and found a carriage parked outside. In addition to four burly palace guards, there was also a coachman driving the carriage.
Seeing this, Jia Huan couldn't help but ask, "Are you going out of the city?"
Xu Wenhou shook his head and whispered in Jia Huan's ear, "No need to leave the city, just go to Lidefang. Hehe, I'll show you my new mansion. You can move in after the New Year."
Jia Huan's heart moved. Xu Wenhou would be fifteen years old after the Chinese New Year. According to the custom of the Jin Dynasty, the prince would be made a king when he turned fifteen and move to the palace outside the palace to live independently.
There is a fundamental difference between the Jin Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty in this respect. Although the Ming Dynasty claimed to "divide the land without dividing it, and confer titles without ruling over the people", the princes still had to go to the local areas to be their fiefdoms when they came of age. However, the princes of the Jin Dynasty did not have to go to the local areas to be their fiefdoms, but lived in the capital, which was similar to the practice of the Qing Dynasty. The purpose was to prevent the princes from causing chaos in the local areas.
It is said that the little fat boy Xu Wenhou had been looking forward to moving out of the palace. Not long ago, the mansion was finally built and passed the acceptance inspection. Today, he couldn't wait to go to see the new house and brought his "good friend" Jia Huan to share his joy.
"Brother Jia, please get in the car. Let's travel together today!" Xu Wenhou dragged Jia Huan to the carriage and urged him to get in.
Jia Huan sweated secretly and reminded him, "Although Brother Xu's carriage is spacious, I'm afraid it can't accommodate the two of us."
Xu Wenhou looked down at his huge body that was like a water tank, and suddenly hesitated.
At this moment, Shitou, Muye and others arrived, and Jinbao was driving a luxurious carriage.
The chief steward Lai Da also came over at this time and said flatteringly: "This carriage will be used exclusively by the Third Master from now on."
Jia Huan nodded, didn't say anything polite, and got on the carriage directly.
Lai Da watched Jia Huan and the Seventh Prince's carriage drive away, then he put away the flattering smile on his face, shook his head regretfully, and thought to himself: "Second Master Bao is useless, and this bastard has taken over."
It is said that Lai Da is not a good man. He is the steward of Rongguo Mansion, and his younger brother Lai Er is the steward of Ningguo Mansion. The two brothers have controlled the two mansions for many years. Relying on the power in their hands, they have done many things to benefit themselves at the expense of the public. They have poached people and embezzled a lot of money. Not only did they build a mansion, they also donated (bought) a county magistrate position for their son Lai Shangrong.
Tsk tsk, being a slave to this extent, he is considered the master among slaves, and he has indeed bought many slaves to serve his family. It is truly a spectacle.
Lai Da was extremely disdainful of a waste like Jia Baoyu, but he very much hoped that Jia Baoyu would become the next head of the Jia family. This was because Jia Baoyu was ignorant of worldly affairs and easy to fool, which would naturally make it convenient for him to continue to embezzle public resources for his own benefit and poach people to make money. However, Jia Huan was too shrewd and strong. If Jia Huan became the head of the family in the future, I am afraid that the good days would be over.
So, Lai Da was the one who was most reluctant to see Jia Huan come to the top, but Jia Huan was too powerful. Even the Madam and the Second Mistress could not do anything to suppress him. He still broke through numerous blockades and won the title of Juren. Now he is valued by the old lady and the master, and has made friends with the seventh prince. If he passes the imperial examination again in the spring of next year, then Jia Baoyu, as the legitimate son, will probably be suppressed.
Let's get back to the point. Jia Huan and Xu Wenhou's carriage left Rongning Street and headed for Lidefang in the east city, but was blocked when passing Chang'an Street. Thousands of scholars braved the cold and sat quietly outside Zuoye Gate. The whole road was crowded with people.
"Damn it, these sour guys are just bored!"
Xu Wenhou lifted the curtain of the carriage and took a look. Seeing such a scene, he could not help but curse loudly, which was heard by several scholars who were sitting quietly nearby. Those scholars immediately glared at him, and some even stood up and rolled up their sleeves, intending to surround him.
The little fat boy was timid to begin with. Seeing that the other party was outnumbered, he was so scared that he quickly lowered the curtain and ordered, "Take a detour!"
Jia Huan's carriage had been following behind Xu Wenhou's carriage. He lifted the curtain slightly and looked out. He saw that the entire long street was full of people, stretching for hundreds of meters, blocking the Zuoye Gate. A row of soldiers with shawls and sharp weapons were standing outside the gate on guard, as if facing a great enemy.
Jia Huan couldn't help but be secretly shocked when he saw this. It seemed that Donglin had made a big fuss this time, probably with thousands of people. Wow, the appeal was really great.
At this time, someone in the sit-in crowd stood up and shouted: "The Minister of Revenue Shi Yuqi is a rat. He colluded with nobles to abuse his power for personal gain, issued false salt permits, and made private profits, which damaged our country's foundation. If this thief is not punished, our country will no longer be a country, and our country will be in danger!"
"If this thief is not punished, the country will no longer be a country!"
"If this thief is not punished, the country will no longer be a country!"
A group of scholars followed suit and shouted, their voices shook the sky and were quite frightening. It was estimated that the Minister of Revenue Shi Yuqi must be trembling with fear at this moment.
Jia Huan looked over and saw that the person leading the shouting was none other than Zhang Pu. Zhang Tingshu, Wu Changshi, and Wu Weiye were also present, each one of them was as enthusiastic as if they had been injected with chicken blood.
(End of this chapter)
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