Red Mansion Huacai

Chapter 384 Good Matchmaker
Daiyu stopped and turned to look at Li Weijian: "Why do you say that, Fourth Brother?"

Li Weijian said with a smile: "Sister, you also know what kind of person your uncle is. If it were a peaceful time, it would be fine if he was a foolish official, but now the court is undergoing reforms..."

Daiyu was smart and immediately asked, "Did my uncle offend the New Party?"

"Not bad at all."

It was the Jiangnan Autumn Examination last year, and Jia Zheng, as the Jiangnan Education Commissioner, had to think about the questions. At this time of reform and innovation, even the Confucian examinations had to move towards reform, but Jia Zheng took the initiative and set a very unreliable question.

When this question was asked, not only did the scholars who took the exam complain, but even the officials in the Jiangnan region were outraged. Only a few conservative literati applauded it.

As mentioned above, the New Party now controls the Ministry of Personnel, and Jiangnan is the land of taxation, so Chen Hongmou was unhappy with such an exam question. So when Jia Zheng's term of office expired this year, he only received a mediocre evaluation, and he was not told whether he would be promoted or demoted, but was just asked to return to Beijing and wait.

Daiyu frowned upon hearing this and said, "Something is not right in Rong Mansion. Second Brother Lian...is now living in seclusion, and the only person left who can be the head of the family is my uncle. But now my uncle has to wait for an official post, and I am afraid that the villains outside will come to make things difficult for him."

Li Weijian shook his head and said, "Not yet. Don't forget that Consort Xian De is still here. Even if there are occasional difficulties, those villains won't dare to go too far."

As they were talking, the young couple passed the east corner gate and headed towards Rongqing Hall.

At this time, Jia Zheng led Baoyu inside. The father and son kowtowed to Jia's mother in a proper manner, then stood up and greeted everyone. Jia's mother missed her youngest son so much that her eyes were filled with tears. She also looked at Baoyu with a more favorable attitude.

Grandmother Jia told the father and son to sit down, wiped her tears with her handkerchief and said, "Master and Baoyu are finally back. Your absence has worried us a lot."

Jia Lian, who had just recovered from his illness, said, "Second uncle's previous letter was vague. I wonder if he will be promoted when he returns to the capital this time?"

"This..." Jia Zheng was pedantic and upright, and surrounded by aides who knew how to flatter him. He was also sent off by a friendly gentry when he returned to the capital, so he mentioned this situation just now, because he had a lot of worries on the way. When he heard Jia Lian mention it, he just said: "The official document of the Ministry of Personnel did not say it clearly, it just said to return to the capital first."

Jia Lian frowned immediately.

Wang Xifeng, who was standing by, tried to smooth things over, saying, "I think your question is unnecessary. At least you are the father-in-law of the emperor. For the sake of the virtuous concubine, you shouldn't be exiled, right?"

When this was said, Tanchun echoed, "Sister Feng is right. I'm afraid father will be promoted this time, but I don't know where."

Xichun, who was standing by, also said, "Second Uncle is a cautious official. He has just resigned from a high-ranking position. I think he will be promoted to a high-ranking government office like the Ministry of Rites."

Jia Zheng couldn't refute it, so he just smiled bitterly and said, "I hope so. Who knows what will happen in the future."

At this time, everyone's eyes turned to Baoyu again, especially Mrs. Wang, whose heart was in front of her. If it were not for the etiquette, she would have wanted to hold Baoyu in her arms at this moment.

Looking closely at this moment, I saw that Baoyu had grown a little taller, but there was no other change from the past, except that the spiritual jade was missing from his chest. Although Baoyu had a happy look on his face, he could not hide his sadness, and no one knew what he was thinking about.

Tanchun looked carefully, glanced at Baoyu, and then looked behind her, and only saw the three major maids Xiren, Sheyue and Qiu Wen, and there was no trace of the charming woman at all.

Tanchun was puzzled but couldn't ask at the moment, so she could only listen to Grandmother Jia asking about Jia Zheng and Baoyu's daily life in the south of the Yangtze River.

Jia Zheng said, "My son is an official in the south of the Yangtze River. I wanted to discipline Baoyu strictly, but I really don't have the time, so I have to send Baoyu to Chongzheng Academy." As he spoke, he looked at Baoyu and snorted coldly, "I didn't expect that after two years of study, this evil boy has not made any progress at all!"

This Chongzheng Academy was the place where Geng Dingxiang, the Imperial Inspector, gave lectures during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty. Later, the great scholar Li Zhi and the dramatist Tang Xianzu both studied here. It was the leading academy in Jinling.

Baoyu was scolded so much that he bent over and shivered, and only glanced at his mother, Mrs. Wang.

By now Baoyu already knew that Grandmother Jia had long been disgusted with him because of the incident with the magical jade.

When Mrs. Wang saw Baoyu, she could not help saying, "Master, you have just come home tired from the journey, so there is no need to scold Baoyu now."

In the past, Wang Xifeng would have tried to smooth things over. But now was different. Wang Xifeng didn't like Baoyu, so she said nothing. Yushi laughed and said, "I think Second Uncle is too strict. Second Uncle has studied for decades, and Baoyu has only studied seriously for a few years? It's natural for Second Uncle to look down on him."

Tanchun, thinking of their past friendship, also agreed, "Mrs. Zhen is right. Maybe Brother Bao has already made great progress."

The return of her youngest son comforted the increasingly weak and sickly Jia's mother, and her complexion improved a little. After talking for a while and drinking a cup of tea, she ordered: "Feng'er, go prepare the dinner. We must have fun at home today. Oh, don't forget to ask someone to go to the Bo's house. If you don't know, I'm afraid Jian'er and Yu'er will complain later."

Sister Feng smiled and said, "Grandfather, I don't think we need to send anyone to invite them. I'm afraid Brother Zijian and Sister Lin will come here by themselves in a while."

As soon as she finished speaking, the head maid Yuanyang came in with a smile and replied, "Madam, the master and his wife are coming this way."

Feng Jieer immediately said proudly: "Look what I said, this is called ingenious calculation."

Grandmother Jia was so delighted that she scolded him, "You are such a rogue and a poor wretch!"

Amidst the laughter, a maid led Li Weijian and Daiyu in. The young couple first greeted Grandmother Jia, and then greeted Jia Zheng who had returned.

When Jia Zheng went to Jiangnan, he saw the weaving mills everywhere and countless looms. Even in the bright and sunny days, Jinling was covered with fog and smoke. Some people even called it the Fog City. Li Weijian served in the capital for several years, and all the enlightened gentry in Jiangnan were his supporters. Even the conservative gentry praised Li Weijian for improving water conservancy with cement.

In the past, when Jia Zheng stayed in the capital, he only knew that Li Weijian was favored by the sage and the loyal and brave king, and he did not think much of him. In the past few years as an official in Jiangnan, whenever he heard that he was close to Li Weijian, he would hear that the gentry praised him.

Thus, Jia Zheng finally realized what Li Weijian could do. I had already thought highly of him, but I had underestimated him.

Therefore, Jia Zheng did not dare to neglect him at this moment, nor did he act like an elder. He stood up, bowed and returned the greeting, saying with a smile: "Fusheng, how are you? I have often heard of Fusheng's name in Jiangnan, and the people of Kunshan have even privately built a longevity temple for Fusheng. Fusheng's name is now known throughout the world."

Li Weijian smiled and said, "Uncle, you are too kind. My humble reputation is not worth mentioning." The term "uncle" was naturally used in accordance with Li Wan's way of addressing him. In this day and age, it is important for a married woman to obey her husband, and since both sides are close to relatives, Li Weijian can only be the standard.

Jia Zheng shook his head and said, "Fu Sheng is not a name with a low reputation. From high-ranking officials to peddlers, everyone praises Fu Sheng. This shows that Fu Sheng is very popular in Jiangnan."

Li Weijian said a few humble words, but he couldn't help but feel a little proud. Jiangnan was already a place with a strong industrial and commercial atmosphere and a dense population. He solved the flood problem with cement and promoted industry with steam engines. Now the tax revenue of Jiangnan accounted for more than 20% of Dashun. Naturally, people from top to bottom remembered his kindness.

The Industrial Revolution was also a revolution, and since it was a revolution, it was natural to make more friends and fewer enemies. Once this beast was started, there was no turning back.

Grandmother Jia said, "Jian'er's ability is beyond words. Master, you may need Jian'er's help in this matter."

Li Weijian sat down with Daiyu and looked at Jia Zheng, pretending to be confused and asked, "Is your uncle in trouble?"

"This..." Jia Zheng pondered and said in embarrassment: "I don't know which government office I will be assigned to when I return to the capital this time. I'm afraid I will have to apply for a position in the Ministry of Personnel."

Li Weijian thought to himself that it would be better for a foolish official like Jia Zheng to be idle, so as not to cause trouble. It would be more trouble than gain. So he said, "According to my nephew, uncle, don't be anxious at this time. There are serious disputes in the court now. If you join the Ministry at this time, you will inevitably be involved in trouble." Jia Zheng's attention was immediately diverted, and he said, "As for the matter of Jia Hua, this person wanted to unite with my family before, I don't know how he made Lord Yan unhappy?"

Li Weijian secretly complained in his heart, thinking that Jia Zheng had such little knowledge about politics, how could he be an official?
He said, "Teacher, I don't care if it's Jia Hua or someone else who took action this time. It's just a coincidence. Uncle also knows that Chen Hongmou is the Prime Minister, and the New Party is in charge of the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War. If this continues, the court will inevitably be unbalanced. And it just so happens that Jia Hua has revealed a flaw... It's also fortunate that he has not yet formed a clan with the Rong Mansion, otherwise he might drag down the virtuous concubine."

As soon as Jia Zheng said this, before he could say anything, Mrs. Wang said, "The master has just returned and has not yet entered the court. I think it would be better for him not to get involved in such matters."

Jia Zheng also despised Jia Yucun's actions, but when the eldest master Jia She was alive, he had quite a lot of contact with this man. After talking about this matter and chatting for a while, Jia Zheng talked about the situation of the Zhen family in Jinling, and he sighed.

"...Ying Jia asked for help, and I couldn't refuse, so I had to help him. Who would have thought that within three days, the guards from the Ministry of Punishment would come to the door. Hundreds of imperial guards surrounded the weaving house tightly. Ying Jia was stripped of his official hat on the spot, and all the children in his family, young and old, were detained, and the women and children were also kept in the separate courtyard.

Alas, I went forward to beg for permission, but Wu Qian, the doctor of the Ministry of Punishment, refused to budge. It was really annoying."

Li Weijian was horrified when he heard this!

Good fellow, Jia Zheng is such a foolish official. When the Zhen family was raided, you didn't even stay away. Now you dare to come forward. Fortunately, Yuanchun is fine now, otherwise Jia Zheng would have been dismissed for such behavior.

Before he finished, Jia Zheng said to his mother, "After all, he is an old relative of our family. I cannot bear to see him in such a plight. I plan to go to Changle Palace tomorrow. The Crown Prince has a good reputation and may be able to help him turn things around."

Ah? Still need to contact the prince? Jia Zheng really doesn't know how to write the word death.

Li Weijian held back all the words in his heart, knowing that even if he said them now, the Jia family might make another mistake in the future. If that was the case, why bother to say them out loud and offend others?
Daiyu, who was standing beside him, saw what he was thinking, and Fengjie, who was watching him from the opposite side, also saw it.

Husband and wife are one, and since Li Weijian did not speak, Daiyu did not urge him, thinking that they could talk about this matter properly when they returned home. But Feng Jieer was impatient, thinking of the boxes of wealth sent by the Zhen family, and could not help saying, "Master, you don't know that a girl from the Zhen family came to our house earlier and asked to see Madam, and sent several boxes."

Unexpectedly, Jia Zheng sighed and said, "The situation of the Zhen family is really pitiful. They have fallen so suddenly... If the Zhen family makes a move, then we should put the boxes away carefully. I think the Zhen family can escape death penalty this time, but they will be forgiven in the future. Who knows, they may make a comeback with these boxes."

Sister Feng lamented in her heart, how come there is not a single capable man in the Jia family? Even a woman like her could see that something was wrong, and yet her second uncle Jia Zheng still cared about his old relationship with the Zhen family.

Seeing Li Weijian frowning, Sister Feng said, "Second Uncle is right, but...why do I think Brother Jian has a different opinion?"

Hmm? Li Weijian turned around and saw Sister Feng looking at him intently. When the two exchanged glances, Li Weijian knew that Sister Feng did not approve of this matter.

After thinking for a while, he turned to look at Jia Zheng and said, "Uncle, if I say so, the Zhen family has brought this upon themselves. The outstanding accounts are more than 1.2 million, of which only 500,000 were spent on welcoming the emperor. The remaining 700,000 were all lost by the Zhen family themselves.

When the Supreme Lord was in power, he allowed the Zhen family to use the Huguang Salt Administration to make up for the deficit, but the Zhen family did not even settle the account after receiving the benefits. The famine became worse and worse. It can be seen that they are fearless and can't escape the word "arrogance" no matter what. Now they have fallen into this trouble, and they deserve it."

After a pause, he continued, "Besides, the Ministry of Punishment is now pursuing the Zhen family's property. Those boxes were blatantly carried into the Rong Mansion. I bet that this matter will be reported to the emperor in a few days. The emperor has already been angry with the Zhen family, and the Rong Mansion hid their property... Uncle, do you think the emperor will be angry with the Rong Mansion for this?"

"this--"

Li Weijian's words were well-reasoned, and Jia Zheng was in a dilemma for a moment. After hearing this, Jia's mother, who was above him, was immediately worried. The more she thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed to be, so she said with concern: "Master, if I were to ask you, the blisters on your feet are all caused by yourself, and it is fitting that the Zhen family is in trouble because of this. There is no reason to help your relatives and put yourself in trouble. If I were to ask you, it would be better to send the box back."

Mrs. Wang was not happy. She was still thinking about using those boxes to supplement the government expenses after she took over the household again. So she said, "It's only 30,000 or 50,000 silver coins. The eldest girl is still in the palace. It won't hurt our family because of this, right?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Jia Zheng snorted coldly: "What do women know?"

At this time, Daiyu said, "Uncle, if it were you, I would support my relatives and give them some money later, but it would be a bad idea to get involved in a lawsuit."

Hearing this, Jia Zheng relaxed his brows and said, "I was wrong. It seems that the Zhen family's wealth cannot be kept." He turned to look at Jia Lian and said, "Lian'er, you should send the box back as soon as possible."

Jia Lian agreed vaguely at first, then he remembered something and said excitedly, "Then I'll go right away."

A few boxes of wealth might bring some benefits to the family if they passed them through someone's hands. Besides, the Zhen family was in trouble, so even if they lost something, they would be speechless and unable to express their feelings.

Jia Lian immediately took his leave and went outside to ask the servants to pack the suitcases. Then he drove straight to the inn where the girl from the Zhen family was staying.

There was a great gathering in Rongqing Hall, and then Grandmother Jia ordered a banquet. During the banquet, Baoyu, for some unknown reason, kept staring at Daiyu.

Daiyu had been married for a long time, and although she had not consummated her marriage due to her age, she wore her hair in a bun. Fortunately, there was a screen between the male and female seats. When Jia Zheng saw Baoyu lose his composure again, he snorted coldly and started to scold him.

Baoyu came to his senses after being scolded. He quickly glanced at Li Weijian, only to see him looking at him with a smile. Baoyu immediately lowered his head and remained silent.

Since Chia Cheng and Pao-yu had just returned, the banquet was not to be held until the end of the afternoon. Li Wei-chien and Dai-yu took their leave at the right time, and Dai-yu had only said hello to Pao-yu throughout the whole process.

The master of Rongqing Hall had a big banquet, and the maids and old women also had a banquet outside. Ping'er was considered a lowly concubine, and was a generation younger, so she only sat at the same table with Qiutong, Yaotao and others. During this time, she couldn't help but feel puzzled, so she went to find Sheyue and asked quietly: "Why didn't you see Meiren? Is she sick or what?"

Musk Moon's expression suddenly changed. She stared at Xiren and said in a sarcastic tone, "Meiren is doing well now. She was released by the master and married to Bu Guxiu years ago. She is now a young lady in Jiangnan. She is a hundred times better off than us slaves and maids."

Ping'er was also very smart. Upon hearing this, she glanced at Xiren. Xiren smiled and said, "Who knew that the two of them would be together? To be honest, this fate has come, and there is no way to stop it."

Ping'er thought to herself that she was afraid that Xiren must have had some influence in Meiren's marriage to Bu Guxiu!

Sure enough, after the banquet was over, Ping'er had some time to look for Sheyue again and asked her what had happened.

It turned out that when Baoyu went south, he only brought four maids, Xiren, Meiren, Sheyue and Qiu Wen. The rest of the maids and the newly assigned little actors were left behind in Qixianzhai.

Xiren had always been able to subdue Sheyue and Qiuwen, but she had never been able to subdue Meiren. On the way south, Meiren saw that Baoyu was feeling lost, so she couldn't help but accompany him and persuade him, and after a while, the two of them became close.

Xiren was filled with resentment! She had driven Bihen, who was playing in the water with Baoyu, out, so how could she tolerate a charming woman?
When they arrived in Jiangnan, Xiren pretended to be ordinary at first, taking care of Baoyu's daily life and being on good terms with Meiren. When Meiren let down her guard, she happened to see Baoyu and Meiren together again, so Xiren secretly went to Jia Zheng to complain.

The good deed was discovered by Jia Zheng, who was immediately furious. Not only did he beat Baoyu severely, he also wanted to sell the charming woman overnight.

At this time, Xiren came up with another vicious plan. She knew that Bu Guxiu, one of the Qingke, was always lustful and had been coveting Baoyu's pretty maid for a long time. So she informed Bu Guxiu immediately. The next day, Bu Guxiu went to Jia Zheng to ask for the maid.

Jia Zheng was so angry that he sent Meiren to Bu Guxiu. When Meiren heard about this, she wanted to commit suicide. Fortunately, Sheyue and Qiu Wen stopped her, otherwise she would have died!
After hearing this, Ping'er frowned and said, "Xiren's temper is too..."

Musk Moon said, "Sister Ping'er, Xiren didn't have a good life either. Meiren is not the type to keep silent when being bullied. Before she left, she told Master Bao the whole story. Master Bao and Xiren haven't been close to each other lately. Oh, she still wants to be a concubine, I think she is dreaming!"

(End of this chapter)