Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 195: Leaving the Mansion to Continue the Spring Festival

In the thirteenth year of Jiazhao's reign, the first month of the year was the Spring Festival.

Jia Cong got up early at daybreak. Zhishao combed his hair and Wu'er helped him dress.

Qingwen and Yinglian were sorting out the incense, candles, fruit offerings, flowers, wine cups and other offerings they had bought yesterday, and they packed two boxes.

Outside the back corner door on the right side of Qingzhizhai, Jia Cong had asked Guo Zhigui to prepare a carriage in advance. Today he would take Zhishao, Wu'er and others to Muniyuan in the west of the city to pay tribute to his deceased mother.

A few days ago, Jia Zhen sent someone to tell him that his mother Du's deified tablet had been temporarily placed in the Muni Temple.

In the past few days, everyone in the mansion has known that it is difficult for Jia Cong's biological mother's spirit tablet to be placed in the ancestral temple.

As the person most closely connected with this matter, Jia Cong naturally attracts a lot of attention.

Ever since the news in Rongqing Hall spread that day, Daiyu, Tanchun and others had vaguely sensed that something was wrong with him.

Except for getting up early in the morning to go out, he kept the door of his yard closed all the time. The whole Qingzhizhai seemed to be filled with a gloomy atmosphere.

Jia Cong did not say a word of defense about this matter, and suddenly he stopped paying his usual respects to Jia Zheng and Mrs. Wang.

This made Jia Zheng, who was always straightforward, notice that something was wrong, but he was too embarrassed to ask the reason.

In recent days, it has been rumored that Jia Cong's biological mother's spirit tablet has been decreed to be difficult to enter the ancestral temple, and it has even become a hot topic.

Jia Zhen, the head of the Jia family, turned a deaf ear to it. When Grandmother Jia heard it, her face was gloomy. Now that she was already in trouble, she naturally said nothing.

Only Jia Zheng was worried, so he asked Wang Xifeng to send someone to keep an eye on Jia Cong to prevent him from causing any trouble.

Today is the Spring Festival, and all the descendants in the mansion are preparing to go to the ancestral temple to worship their ancestors, but the people in Qingzhizhai have to go out early in the morning.

A maid in the inner courtyard had already seen the commotion and reported it to Wang Xifeng in a hurry. Then Jia Zheng got the news and hurried over with Wang Xifeng and Jia Lian.

Originally, Jia Zheng should not have stepped forward in person to deal with such a matter, and should have let Wang Xifeng and Jia Lian handle it. However, he estimated that these two people might not be able to control Jia Cong, so he came here in person.

On the day of the Spring Festival, the clan holds a grand sacrificial ceremony. Not only will the whole family gather, but even old friends and relatives will send people to deliver sacrificial gifts. If something goes wrong at this moment, it would be a great loss of face if it gets out.

When Jia Zheng saw Jia Cong leading a courtyard full of people and two boxes of sacrificial offerings towards the back corner door, his face changed and he hurried forward to stop them.

"Brother Cong, today is the day of the Spring Festival. You are the heir of the eldest son of the family. You and Zhen'er are the only ones in the Yu generation who hold official positions. We must offer wine and silk at the festival. How can you go out today?"

Jia Cong replied solemnly: "Master, since it is the day of the Spring Festival, Cong's biological mother has been newly conferred an imperial decree, and her descendants should offer incense and worship her to live up to the emperor's grace. This is filial piety and national law, and it should not be insulted.

Now the mother's deity is hanging alone in the nunnery. If a son turns a blind eye to such a remote matter, how can Cong still have the face to read the books of sages and talk about the etiquette of saints!
Wherever the mother's shrine is, that is the place for the Congchun Festival, the place for filial piety and righteousness in front of the spirit. I am going to the Muni Temple now, and I hope the master will understand and fulfill my wish. If there is any guilt, I will come back to take responsibility. "

No matter what the outcome of the plan is, if he leaves his deceased mother's tablet alone in a nunnery on the day of the spring festival while he goes to the Jia family ancestral temple to worship his ancestors, even he will despise himself.

Wang Xifeng and Jia Lian's faces changed when they heard what Jia Cong said. This kid was not an easy person to deal with and was unwilling to suffer this loss after all.

After hearing this, Jia Zheng was stunned, but could not say a word in reply, because every word Jia Cong said was in line with the national law and filial piety. It was the emperor's grace that could not be criticized at all. He could not help feeling ashamed.

The old lady had indeed gone too far by excluding a lady of noble birth from the Spring Festival. Cong'er was unwilling to give in and eventually caused trouble.

Jia Cong bowed deeply to Jia Zheng, walked out of the back corner door without looking back, got on the carriage and went to Muni Temple.

Jia Zheng sighed deeply, feeling that these matters in the inner chamber were so distressing and tormenting, which could not compare to the carefree conversations about poetry and essays with guests.

If he were to report this matter to the old lady himself, it would probably be of no use. The old lady would have no other reaction except to scold Jia Cong for being disobedient and unfilial.

Would he have any reservations about bringing the tablet of Mrs. Du back to the ancestral hall to understand his mother? This is absolutely impossible.

If this is the case, why bother doing this and adding to your troubles?

Since Jia Zheng was not going to report the matter, Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng naturally did not dare to say anything. It was too late to avoid such a matter, and who would dare to get involved? It would be a bad ending if they caused trouble. ...

The ancestral hall of the Ningrong Jia family is located in an independent courtyard in the western corner of the Ningguo Mansion. It has five large doors behind a black oil fence, and a plaque above the door lintel with four golden characters on a black background: "Jia Family Ancestral Hall", which looks very majestic.

A few days ago, Jia Zhen asked the servants to open the ancestral hall, clean it, carry the colored screens, wipe the offerings, and decorate the hall to make all kinds of preparations for the spring ancestral worship ceremony.

In the center of the main hall of the ancestral hall hangs the portraits of the two ancestors, Rong and Ning, both of whom are wearing jade pythons and have waists; on both sides there are several portraits of ancestors, and below them are the ancestors of each generation and the imperial edicts.

As the auspicious time approached in the morning, everyone in the Rongguo residence, from Lady Jia to Lady Xing, Lady Wang, Li Wan, Wang Xifeng, the three sisters-in-law, and the main concubines of each room, all dressed up and left the house, riding in carriages to the ancestral temple of the Ningguo Mansion.

Lin Daiyu was the only relative in the inner courtyard. She did not attend the family sacrifice at the Jia mansion and stayed alone in her room.

Suddenly, Xueyan came to report the news that Third Master Cong had taken the people from Qingzhizhai and left the house to go to Muni Temple to worship his mother. Second Master tried to persuade them but failed to stop them. Daiyu was very worried when she heard this.

A man pondered for a long time, made up his mind, called Zijuan and said, "Ask Nanny Wang to rent a carriage outside. I want to go to Muniyuan."

Zijuan was shocked. She certainly knew why the girl wanted to go to Muniyuan.

He hurriedly advised: "I know the girl is reluctant, but if the news leaks out and reaches the old lady's ears, it will be terrible!"

Daiyu is a precious daughter of a noble family. Like her sisters in the garden, she rarely goes out of the second gate.

Even when he went out, he would follow the old lady and his wife to the temple to burn incense and hold prayers, or listen to operas and drink tea. He never went out alone, let alone go to the Muni Temple at this critical moment.

If the news got out, not only would it go against the old lady's wishes, but Daiyu and Jia Cong were cousins, and if a single man and a single woman went to a nunnery together, it would also arouse suspicion of having an affair.

Daiyu had a calm face, but suddenly she burst into tears and said, "The whole family is celebrating the Spring Festival, but only my third brother and his mother are excluded. My third brother has treated me well, and I cannot turn a blind eye to it. I will go with him to pay tribute to his deceased parents."

Zijuan saw that her voice was calm, but her tone was extremely firm, without any hesitation. She knew that although her daughter looked delicate, she was very stubborn inside and would not change her mind.

Daiyu added, "Madame Wang is my nurse who has taken care of me since I was little. She is very kind to me and will never tell anyone. Don't worry. Go quickly and have the carriage stop outside the back corner gate next to Qingzhizhai."

……

Ningguo Mansion, the ancestral hall of the Jia family.

There were crowds of people inside and outside the ancestral hall, and the atmosphere was bustling.

Outside the ceremonial gate were kneeling the servants of the mansion, and inside in the open space of the ancestral hall were standing the descendants of the concubines in the capital.

Going further in, in the main hall of the ancestral hall, the direct descendants of the Ning and Rong families gathered.

Jia Jing presided over the sacrifice, Jia She accompanied him in the sacrifice, Jia Zhen offered wine, Jia Lian presented silk, and Baoyu held incense. Everyone had his own position and there could be no mistakes.

There were also two young men from the Cao generation who spread out the prayer mats and guarded the burning pool.

In the inner hall behind the main hall, Jia's mother, together with Youshi, Lady Xing, Lady Wang, Wang Xifeng, the Sanchun sisters and other female relatives, kowtowed and paid tribute to the portraits of their ancestors and the imperial edicts of the deceased generations.

The dishes for ancestor worship were also passed from Jia Jing outside the main hall to Jia Rong, and then passed to the female members of the inner hall in order, and finally to Jia's grandmother before being offered in front of the coffin.

The Spring Festival Ceremony has complicated and strict procedures, which are implemented meticulously and do not allow for any deviation. The noble and dignified families display their generosity to the fullest.

As the Spring Festival ceremony progressed, the servants outside the ceremonial gate began to sing announcements, and the elders from each family presented offerings and paid tribute. This is also a fixed procedure for the Spring Festival every year.

It was nothing but the polite exchanges between Wang, Shi, Xue, and other old friends and relatives. The direct descendants of the two governments present had heard it for many years and were almost numb to it.

At this time, the servant outside the ceremonial gate sang and reported: "The Ministry of Rites and Sacrifices has given an additional reward of silver to the newly-appointed fifth-rank concubine Du, the eldest son of the Rongguo Mansion, as a reward for the spring festival!"

(End of this chapter)