Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 337: The Lady's Power

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

Shi Xiangyun has been staying in Rongguo Mansion for more than half a month. Today, Chen, the Marquis of Baoling, came to take Xiangyun back to the mansion.

Chen privately asked Xiangyun's maid Cuilu, who said that Xiangyun was very close to Jia Cong. Jia Cong also asked her to choose a courtyard she liked in Huifang Garden and live there when she came.

Although Xiangyun did not want the courtyard because she only stayed in the Jia family for a short time, Jia Cong was still very good to Xiangyun, and Li felt more at ease after hearing that.

The Shi family has two marquises, but the second son, Shi Nai, is mediocre in talent and strategy. Although he inherited the Shi family's hereditary title of Marquis Baoling and also held an official position, he did not achieve anything and seemed to be lost in the crowd.

On the contrary, it was the third son of the historian family, Shi Ding, who was granted the title of Marquis of Zhongjing for his meritorious service in following the emperor ten years ago and became a trusted and trusted minister of Emperor Jiazhao.

Today, the power of the third branch of the Shi family has surpassed that of the second branch, and Li has one son each from the legitimate and illegitimate children, but both are mediocre...

Shi Nai was also aware that his family was short of talented people, so he kept his life simple and did not indulge in extravagance. He kept servants simple and even the sewing work was done by the women.

There was nothing wrong with it, and the life was peaceful for more than ten years.

However, people are ever-changing, and water has ever-changing shapes. It would not be a long-term solution to keep doing this for years. Therefore, marriage to build up momentum and make up for the shortcomings became the most convenient and feasible method.

Although the second branch of the Shi family did not raise a daughter, fortunately they raised the eldest daughter of the Shi family. Shi Xiangyun had an elegant and beautiful appearance since childhood and a bright and flawless personality, making her a good choice for marriage.

Naturally, Chen focused her thoughts on her niece. That year, Chen and Li, the wife of Marquis Zhongjing, went to celebrate Lady Jia's birthday and met Jia Cong, who won the first place in the Yongzhou case, for the first time in Rongqing Hall.

Not only does he have an unparalleled appearance, but he is also sharp and efficient in answering and handling matters. In addition, he is the grandson of the aunt of the Shi family. Therefore, he is immediately regarded as a rare treasure by the ladies of the Shi family.

It had only been a few years, and Jia Cong had become so prosperous, which made Li feel that she had not made a mistake.

The marriage alliance of a noble family is in preparation, and it is something that a noble lady like her needs to take care of to support the family.

In fact, according to her wishes, she would rather Xiangyun stay in the Jia family so that she can be closer to her cousin Weiyuanbo.

But Chen was the wife of a marquis after all, and she was aware of the overall situation, etiquette, and perspective, and knew that anything was either too much or too little.

These kinds of child-rearing matters are a long-term process and cannot be accomplished overnight. Only by doing it often and silently can the long-term success be achieved.

After one or two years, when Xiangyun reached the age of marriage, the time would be right for her to ask her third uncle to make suggestions to the emperor, which would naturally be successful.

Therefore, when Chen went to the Jia Mansion now, she probably felt like she was visiting a relative.

She was chatting with Lady Jia about family matters, and Lady Wang, Wang Xifeng and others were also sitting beside them.

……

The maid outside the hall lifted the door curtain, and a pretty and slender figure walked in.

There was still a look of reluctance on Xiangyun's face. She and her sisters had been having a great time in Huifang Garden these days, but she didn't expect her aunt to come and take her back.

Seeing Xiangyun, Chen smiled and said, "You are so happy here with Auntie that you don't want to leave. Hey, where did this material come from? It looks very bright."

At this time, everyone in the hall saw Cuilu behind Xiangyun, holding a piece of bright red satin in her hand, which was decorated with golden bamboo leaf patterns. The gold and red contrasted with each other, and it was noble and elegant, and very eye-catching.

Xiangyun smiled proudly and said, "My third brother has made great contributions again, and the palace has rewarded him with dragon robes and tribute satin. He knows that I like to wear red, so he specially picked out this material for me to make clothes.

Also, Third Brother’s dragon robe is so beautiful, he looks so energetic in it, I was thinking…”

Just as she said this, Xiangyun subconsciously raised her hands to cover her mouth. She was about to blurt out the words and wanted to try them on, but she remembered Tanchun's warning and swallowed the rest of the words obediently.

When Lady Jia, Mrs. Wang and others heard this, they were all shocked, but not because of Xiangyun's beautiful tribute satin, but because Jia Cong was awarded a dragon robe by the emperor for his meritorious service.

That was no small matter. The Jia family hadn't had the honor of bestowing robes for twenty years.

Since the death of Jia Daishan and Jia Daihua, Jia Zheng was the only one who got a fifth-rank official position in the court.

Moreover, it was an idle position that required him to sit in the official office every day. After serving as an official for more than ten years, he was promoted from the head of the Ministry of Works to a deputy minister. He was not a Jinshi, so his official career had reached its limit.

The Jia family is now too far away from being rewarded with clothing for meritorious service, and the family's decline is obvious.

Now it has reappeared!

After hearing this, Jia's mother felt happy but helpless at the same time. This kid had just been conferred a title and how come he was soon awarded a dragon robe by the emperor? This kind of favor was really rare.

It seems that all the remaining power and opportunities of the Jia family over the past seventy years have been concentrated on this Cong brother. It would be nice if he could share a little bit with my Baoyu and Lianer...

Chen smiled and said, "My aunt's grandson is really too proud. It hasn't been long since he made great achievements. This is the first time I've heard of a teenager being given clothes.

This Cong brother is not only very capable outside, but also very attentive to household affairs. He even remembered that Xiangyun likes to wear red, and specially picked out this material to give to her.

I am also a mother, raising Xiangyun and two boys at home. It is secondary that my son can achieve success outside. It is even more rare that he is so close and caring to his sisters at home. "

Grandmother Jia naturally knew her niece's thoughts very well, and said, "This grandson is too noisy. I feel a headache when I see him, but he is good to his sisters at home, which is indeed a good thing."

Mrs. Wang was almost numb to such things. Listening every day about how strange and amazing other people's children were was a helpless torment for her.

In the past, whenever an old relative came to visit, he would talk about how great Cong was, and would more or less consider his own face, and would even join in the fun by saying that Baoyu was not bad at all, that he was good-looking, and that he was a very filial person.

Ever since that kid was conferred the title, no one even says these polite words anymore, and his Baoyu is not even a foil.

……

In fact, the tone of Chen's words was not only clear to Lady Jia, but now even Lady Wang and Wang Xifeng could hear it.

However, this matter had nothing to do with Wang Xifeng, so she naturally didn't take it to heart.

In fact, Mrs. Wang was indifferent to Shi Xiangyun, because Xiangyun was almost raised by the old lady and was a direct descendant of the Shi family.

Therefore, Xiangyun was considered an outsider in Mrs. Wang's mind, and her parents died when she was young, which made her even more unlucky than the eldest daughter of the Lin family.

None of them could compare to her sister's daughter Baochai, who was the closest blood relative of their Wang family and no one was more trustworthy.

Therefore, Mrs. Wang didn't care at all about the Shi family's attempt to match Jia Cong and Xiangyun. As long as it didn't affect her Baoyu, it didn't matter to her what they did.

Several women in the hall were thinking about their own things.

Unexpectedly, Shi Xiangyun continued, "Third brother also said that he went to the palace today to receive a banquet, and the queen also showed grace and allowed third brother to meet the eldest sister at home.

Third brother also talked a lot with the eldest sister in the palace."

These words stunned Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang. They thought that Jia Cong had actually met Ke Yuanchun when he entered the palace.

Even Jia's mother only had the opportunity to see Yuanchun occasionally during the New Year holidays, and this was not an annual event. Even if she saw her, she could not say much because the rules in the palace were strict and it was really different from other places.

Otherwise, Yuanchun would not have said such taboo words as "I can't meet people in this place", and her disgust was evident in her words.

Speaking of the several daughters of the Jia family, the one that Grandmother Jia is most concerned about is her eldest granddaughter, whom she has not seen for all year.

When the Jia family sent their most outstanding granddaughter to the palace, they had great ambitions, and they pinned their hopes for the family's future prosperity and wealth on Yuanchun.

After hearing the news, both Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang became a little absent-minded.

Chen saw that her aunt was worried, so she stood up and said goodbye.

Shi Xiangyun said to Jia's mother, "Grandpa, I will go back with my aunt first. Please remember to send someone to pick me up to play."

Grandmother Jia smiled and coaxed her: "I heard from your aunt that your needlework has become better and better now. Next month, you have to make me a proud gift, otherwise I will not pick you up."

The reason why Grandmother Jia said this is because August is her birthday month.

Shi Xiangyun smiled and said, "Good ancestor, this is not easy. Tell me what you want, and I promise to make it to your satisfaction."

After hearing about Yuanchun's story, Jia's mother felt complicated and depressed, but she was amused by Xiangyun's words.

Grandmother Jia asked Wang Xifeng to see Chen and Shi Xiangyun off.

He immediately sent Yuanyang to the East Palace and asked Jia Cong to talk to Rongqing Hall. The eldest granddaughter had been in the palace for eight years, and there was not much news about her on a daily basis. Since Jia Cong had seen her, he also said a lot.

Naturally, Grandmother Jia would call him over to ask him about the details.

……

Ever since Jia Cong was granted the East Palace, Yuanyang has been guarding Jia's grandmother's side every day and has never been here. It took a lot of effort to find Jia Cong in Huifang Garden.

In the past two years, every time Jia Mu summoned Jia Cong to Rongqing Hall, she almost always asked Yuanyang to go and call people, and the two of them almost formed a tacit understanding.

Along the way, Yuanyang talked a few words about what happened in the hall just now. Jia Cong knew that if he let him go, he must want to ask about Yuanchun.

In order to continue the family's wealth, the Jia family sent Yuanchun to the palace to seek fortune. Naturally, everything about Yuanchun was the most concerned matter for Jia Mu, Wang Fu-ren and others.

In the original trajectory, Yuanchun was an important figure in the rise and fall of the Jia family.

From the moment she was canonized as the Virtuous Consort, the Jia family had the hidden danger of decline from its peak, and when she died unexpectedly, the Jia family quickly collapsed.

Moreover, it was very strange that Yuanchun was named a concubine. She had been unknown in the palace for more than ten years, but suddenly became prosperous. Then she fell soon, and there was even speculation that she died an unnatural death.

At least according to Jia Cong's personal experience, the four kings and eight dukes and other old nobles, who were once the right-hand men of the retired emperor, have always been despised and rejected by the current Emperor Jiazhao.

Under normal circumstances, Yuanchun, as the granddaughter of Duke Rong, would never be canonized as a concubine by Emperor Jiazhao. Even if she was canonized, it would not be more than ten years after she entered the palace.

If you look into it in detail, you will find it full of strangeness and conspiracy. The women of the Jia family who want to sell their daughters for fame and fortune are doomed to fail in the end.

In Rongqing Hall, when Lady Jia saw Jia Cong, she had no intention of asking him about his meritorious service and the reward he had received, and asked all the maids and old women serving in the hall to leave.

Then he asked, "I heard from Yun'er that you went to the palace today and met your elder sister?"

Jia Cong replied: "My elder sister missed her elder sisters at home very much, so I told her many interesting stories about our family, and she was very happy to hear them."

After hearing this, Jia's mother felt sad, her eyes became moist, and she sighed slightly.

Yuanchun is the eldest granddaughter of Lady Jia. She has been raised by her mother since she was a child and is more valued by her than the other three sisters. If it were not for her family, she would have been reluctant to send her to the palace.

Mrs. Wang at the side asked, "Now that your elder sister is a female historian in Fengzao Palace, do the nobles in the palace still respect her?"

When Jia Cong heard this, he frowned. He naturally recognized what Mrs. Wang meant. She did not ask whether her daughter was living well, but only whether she was valued by the nobles in the palace.

This noble lady in the palace most likely refers to the emperor, but it is not easy to say it directly. Jia Cong sneered in his heart. He didn't expect that Mrs. Wang was so ambitious.

He replied: "The Queen is kind to my elder sister. This time when Cong entered the palace for a banquet, the Queen took into account the relationship between them and specially arranged for Cong and my elder sister to meet.

As for whether other nobles value her, it is unknown. My eldest sister lives in an official residence near Fengzao Palace. It is a secluded place and usually no one is there. Only Baoqin serves her. "

Upon hearing this, both Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang looked unhappy. Living alone with only a maid serving her was too embarrassing.

In fact, they could only see Yuanchun once a year at most, and they couldn't talk much, so how could they know the details of her daily life in the palace? Yuanchun was afraid that her family would worry, so she didn't want to tell them about these things.

You have to know that even illegitimate daughters like Yingchun and Tanchun have more than one personal maid around them, not to mention a nanny who knows how to manage people.

The situation of this woman who entered the palace was even worse than that of a concubine's daughter at home, which really shattered the dream of Lady Jia and Lady Wang to cling to the royal family.

Jia Cong continued, "The current emperor is diligent in government affairs, and no emperor in history can match him. He reviews memorials until late at night and gets up at dawn every day to attend the court, and has done so for ten years without fail.

The saintly emperors of the ancient times were no more than this. Moreover, Your Majesty does not lust after women, is highly praised for his saintly virtues, advocates simplicity, and has stopped the selection of concubines for three years... "

Jia Cong openly praised the emperor as if he were a flower, but neither Lady Jia nor Mrs. Wang were fools and they could understand the meaning of his words.

He reviews memorials until late at night every day and gets up at 11 a.m. to attend the morning court. I'm afraid he doesn't even have time to visit the harem. Moreover, he has stopped the selection of concubines for three years and has almost become indifferent to women...

Sending a beautiful daughter to the palace is like flirting with a blind man.

Unexpectedly, Jia Cong continued to add: "It is also God's blessing on our holy monarch. The emperor has four sons. The eldest son, Prince Zhao, and the second son, Prince Ning, are both outstanding talents of the time. The country has a prosperous succession, which is a blessing for the world..."

After hearing what Jia Cong said, Lady Jia looked a little depressed, and Mrs. Wang's face even looked ugly.

Because the message in Jia Cong's words was very clear, the emperor was not interested in women, had many children, had no interest in the harem, and had two adult sons with outstanding talents and strategies, who were capable of taking the throne.

Then, weren't they just wishful thinking and daydreaming by sending Yuanchun to the palace for so many years?

Forget about talking about being showered with the emperor's grace and being given dragon blood. I'm just afraid that she doesn't have the energy to even look at the emperor. Otherwise, how could she have been in the palace for eight years and paid a lot of money without any progress?

At this moment, Jia Cong suddenly remembered what Yuanchun had said to him: If my brother Cong could have been born a few years earlier, perhaps my family would not have to let my sister enter the palace...

He couldn't help but feel touched. The tiredness and loneliness on Yuanchun's face at that time are still fresh in his memory.

Said: "Old Madam, this time I saw my elder sister, she has been in the palace for eight years, wasting her youth. Cong felt very sorry for her. There is a precedent in the palace for being released after ten years. My elder sister will eventually return home to fulfill her filial duty."

After hearing what Jia Cong said, Jia's mother's expression was quite moved, but Mrs. Wang's gaze towards Jia Cong became cold.

(End of this chapter)