Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 356: Desire and the Heart

In the east of Shenjing City, there is a single-entrance courtyard.

Very few careful neighbors would notice that there were often large birds with spread wings circling high in the sky above the yard.

The owner of the yard was a woman named Xu from Jiangnan. She was in her thirties, had dignified manners, and was courteous to others, which was quite different from ordinary women in the market.

This Xu also had a very beautiful daughter, with a graceful figure, skin as white as jade, and a beautiful and heroic demeanor. She liked to wear a headscarf and a Hu robe on a daily basis, which was a little different from the women in the Central Plains.

Such a beautiful woman would naturally attract attention, and two local thugs even had some bad intentions.

Once, when the girl went out, someone saw these two bad guys following her. Some kind-hearted neighbors saw this and although they did not dare to intervene, they were very worried about the girl.

However, the girl came back safely that day, and the two thugs never appeared again, as if they had evaporated from the face of the earth, and even brought a lot more peace of mind to the neighbors nearby.

This girl would go out early every once in a while and would not come back until half a day later. No one knew what she was doing.

Sometimes a very handsome young man from a wealthy family would come to visit, and every time he came he would bring a lot of gifts for the girl and Xu.

Among them, there were neighbors walking around outside. Those who were knowledgeable and experienced recognized that this rich young man was Jia Cong, the son of the famous Rongguo Jia family in Shenjing, who had just been conferred the title of Weiyuan Earl.

A young man of noble birth often goes to the homes of beautiful women. The neighbors, who have heard many erotic stories from the market, can probably guess the family's background.

The two thugs who tried to harass the girl just disappeared without any reason. This was probably a way for such high-ranking nobles to deal with trouble.

Therefore, from then on, the people around no longer looked down on the mother and daughter living in this house, and no one was short-sighted enough to have bad intentions towards them.

……

July 18th, Wuma Lane, Liufangju, in the capital.

Liufangju is the most famous tea shop in Shenjing. The pastry chef in the shop is from Suzhou and can make the most delicious Suzhou-style pastries in Shenjing.

A young couple was sitting in a private room by the window on the second floor.

The man is handsome, with a graceful figure and elegant clothes;

The woman sitting next to him was dressed simply and neatly, with a blue headscarf with dark patterns on it that covered her thick hair, leaving only a few strands of dark brown and dark gold visible in her bun.

She was wearing a moon-white Hu robe embroidered with light blue magnolia flowers and a Shu brocade. Around her waist was a deep blue sweat towel soaked in perfume, which bound her slender waist so that it seemed to be able to be held in one hand, and her beautiful curves were as graceful as the mountains.

There was also a white gauze veil hat placed next to the woman. Ever since she followed Jia Cong into the Shenjing City, because of her unusual appearance, she developed the habit of wearing a veil hat every time she went out with Jia Cong.

Ever since Jia Cong brought Ai Li and her daughter to the capital, he would always take time to visit her. If it was a holiday, he would take her out for a walk and see the sights.

One of the important reasons why Ellie followed him back to the south was that she wanted to see the various customs of the Southern Dynasties that he often talked about. This was also Jia Cong's way of fulfilling his promise.

After the two female disciples who sent Ai Li went to Jinling to set up the Feiyu Mail Station, Feiyu began to deliver letters frequently on the Jinling Xinchun.

In order to receive information in time, Jia Cong decided to meet with Ai Li on the eighth day of the lunar month.

Most of the news transmitted by Jinling Feiyu was about Xinchun's business in various states in the south of the Yangtze River, as well as a lot of news about local customs and people in various parts of the south of the Yangtze River.

This information is collected by Xinchunhao's shops in various places, sent to the Jiangnan headquarters on a regular basis, and then forwarded to Shenjing. The transmission speed of important business news will be deliberately accelerated.

Therefore, although Jia Cong was in Shenjing, thousands of miles away from Jinling, he could almost always learn about the important trade routes around Jinling within three days.

This enables him to provide timely and important guidance and suggestions to Xinchunhao for its expansion and development in Jiangnan.

At this time, Ellie was concentrating on tasting Liufangju’s most famous fruit and honey cake. Girls always have a natural preference for this kind of dessert.

However, Jia Cong was carefully reading the Feiyu message that Ai Li had just received.

That day, Qu Hongxiu and Qin Keqing heard the news that Baozhu had inquired about and decided to pass this special news back to Shenjing.

Since the two thought that this information would have a special effect on Jia Cong, they found other ways to further enrich the information that Baozhu had inquired about before letting Feiyu send it out.

Therefore, the letter in Jia Cong's hand recorded in detail that the court sent Yang Hongbin as an imperial inspector to Jinling to arrest Jinling Guard Commander Zhou Zhengyang, so this person was the mastermind behind the major case of the Water Supervision Bureau that year.

But this time, Zhou Zhengyang somehow learned the news in advance and escaped arrest. His whereabouts are currently unknown.

This reminded Jia Cong of a time not long ago when he was in Jia Zheng's study and heard Jia Zheng say that the court had sent the Dali Temple and the Five Military Commanderies to Nanjing to handle a major case.

Now, the clues just found from Zhou Suqing have been strangely cut off again. With Emperor Jia Zhao's suspicious and scheming character, he will definitely not give up.

I’m afraid this matter will cause another stir….

……

Rongguo Mansion, East Courtyard.

When Mrs. Xing saw the scene between Jia Cong and Yuanyang in the garden, she suspected that Jia Cong and Yuanyang had an affair, but she was not sure in her heart, so she temporarily gave up the idea of ​​going to Rongqing Hall to tell them.

When he returned to the East Courtyard and told Jia She about it, Jia She scolded him, "What a beast! He comes to ruin his father's good deeds again. How dare he covet the old lady's things!"

Jia She judged others by himself and thought that everyone else was as greedy and lustful as he was, and that Jia Cong must also want to get Yuanyang so as to covet the old lady's private treasure chest.

Or perhaps, now that this beast has been granted a title and has occupied the East Palace, he has become greedy and has even set his sights on the property of the West Palace.

He is really blinded by his own ideas. As the father, I am still here, so how could this beast have the chance to have such wishful thinking?

At this time, Jia She had cut off Datong's business income, and all the ways to make money depended on Yuanyang's matter, so he would not allow anyone to interfere.

But Jia Cong is no longer the same as before. He is a hereditary earl, a person highly regarded by the current emperor, and holds the post of the Great Zhou Firearms Supervisor. He is also very capable in doing things.

Although Jia She is Jia Cong's father, he now does not dare to use filial piety to suppress Jia Cong easily.

Ever since the old master of the mansion passed away, Jia She, as the heir to the title of Rongguo, knew very well that the current emperor had no good feelings towards the Jia family of Rongguo.

Once the father and son fight, and the matter gets out to the palace, I'm afraid I'll be the one who gets into trouble.

Because Heaven, Earth, the Emperor, Parents and Teachers come before each other, the Emperor can find a hundred reasons to deal with himself. Besides, Jia She's usual behavior shows that he has a dirty bottom and he can't stand being tossed around by others.

Jia She was wary of Jia Cong, let alone Madam Xing.

After all, Jia She is Jia Cong's biological father, and they are related by blood, but Mrs. Xing is only the nominal mother. Besides, she has treated Jia Cong badly in the past.

Jia Cong might not dare to do anything to Madam Xing openly, but what about behind her back?

Back then, Wang Shanbao died in an unclear manner, and it has been a confusing matter till now. Mrs. Xing gets scared whenever she thinks about it...

Therefore, Mrs. Xing would never dare to go against Jia Cong for her master.

However, the woman's mind is much more sinister than Jia She's. Besides, she could not conclude that Jia Cong and Yuanyang were having an affair just based on what she saw in the garden.

Since there was no way to use force on Jia Cong, why not use force on the little girl Yuanyang? So, Mrs. Xing told Jia She what she was thinking.

After hearing this, Jia She thought it made a lot of sense and even said that the lady was a resourceful person. Mrs. Xing was actually a little proud to be praised by her master.

Mrs. Xing was able to put so much thought into finding a concubine for her husband. She was a rare oddity in the world for a woman who followed the three obediences and four virtues.

……

Jin Wenxiang and his wife were suddenly summoned by Mrs. Xing, and they were puzzled because they usually had no dealings with Dongluyuan.

Because their sister Yuanyang became the old lady's confidant maid, Jin Wenxiang took advantage of the situation and became a comprador in Jia Mu's room. Jin Wenxiang's son became the head of the laundry in Jia Mu's room.

Even Yuanyang's parents, Jin Cai and his wife, were able to become the housekeepers of the old house in Jinling, mostly because Grandmother Jia valued Yuanyang more and more.

Other families raise sons to bring honor to the family, but the Jin family is unique. They raised a good daughter and the whole family prospered.

Jin Wenxiang and his wife entered the side hall where Mrs. Xing received guests, but saw the eldest wife sitting there, drinking tea leisurely.

They seldom came to the East Courtyard on weekdays, and now they felt somewhat uncomfortable coming in. They all knew that the eldest wife was not an easy person to get along with, and they didn't know what had come to them.

Mrs. Xing has always been good at dealing with servants and slaves. When she saw that Jin Wenxiang and his wife looked cautious and nervous when they met her, her temper became even stronger.

There was a hint of condescension in his words: "I asked you to come here to talk today because I have something good to tell you. The old master has taken a fancy to your Yuanyang and wants to take her in as his concubine.

This was a respectable matter in the mansion. As long as she got on the sedan chair and entered the room, she was no longer a servant, but half a master.

Your parents are both in Jinling, and you can’t talk for the time being. As the saying goes, the eldest brother is like a father and the eldest sister-in-law is like a mother, so I will ask you what you think first. If things are settled, you can go and tell Yuanyang.

I think she would be willing, I will go talk to the old lady then."

Jin Wenxiang was stunned when he heard this. He didn't care about his sister being someone else's concubine, but the reason he could be the comprador in the old lady's room was because his sister was the old lady's trusted maid.

If the girl leaves the old lady's room and becomes the master's concubine, will he still be able to keep his current lucrative job?

Besides, everyone in the mansion knows that the old lady only loves and respects the second master, and has always disliked the eldest master, otherwise why would she leave him alone in the east courtyard.

His sister was the old lady's trusted maid, but now she was going to marry the eldest master as a concubine. The old lady would feel comfortable about it, but wouldn't his and his wife's jobs be ruined?

Therefore, after hearing what Mrs. Xing said, Jin Wenxiang was speechless for a while. When Mrs. Xing saw that Jin Wenxiang did not flatter her, her face turned unhappy, and she felt that her brother Yuanyang did not give her face.

Although Jin Wenxiang's wife is a woman, she is very good at observing people's words and expressions. When she saw the unhappy look on Mrs. Xing's face, she must have known that it was because her husband did not agree to this matter readily.

He said quickly, "Madam, you are serious about what you said. In the past, no one could reach her. My sister is so lucky. This is a happy event. It is naturally the best."

Mrs. Xing saw that Jin Wenxiang's family was sensible, so she relaxed her face and said with a smile: "You are a man of insight. Since you are willing, go and tell your sister. I will wait for the news."

Jin Wenxiang's wife smiled and said, "Don't worry, Madam. It's a blessing for the master to like Yuanyang. Yuanyang is a smart child, so naturally she will agree.

I will go and tell my sister the good news right away, Madam, you just need to wait for my letter."

After hearing this, Mrs. Xing was naturally very satisfied and felt that the matter had been accomplished for her, but she was still a little worried.

Then he asked Jin Wenxiang's family, "You are Yuanyang's sister-in-law, and you work in the old lady's room. Have you heard any rumors recently? Are Yuanyang and Congge'er getting close now?"

When Jin Wenxiang and his wife heard this, their faces changed. They were both servants of the mansion and naturally knew the rules of the mansion.

It is not uncommon for the maids and masters in the mansion to have some dirty dealings, but they usually do it in secret and people just pretend not to see it. It is also common for the masters in the Duke's mansion to play with women.

But as long as this kind of thing becomes public knowledge, it would be a big taboo and would definitely not end well.

A few days ago, Jin Chuan, who lived in the Second Wife's room, had some provocative words with Master Bao, but there was nothing serious going on. The Second Wife immediately chased her out of the house and even forced her to jump into a well.

Master Bao was beaten half to death by the Second Master because of this incident. The incident was so serious that the servants and maids in the mansion saw how serious it was.

Even if there were maids who had these thoughts before, who would dare to step on this landmine now?

Besides, the Third Master Cong was the most eye-catching man in the mansion. He was granted a title and established a mansion at a young age, and many people's eyes were on him.

Moreover, because of the matter of Master Cong's aunt, the old lady disliked this grandson very much. She only loved Master Bao from the second house and wanted to leave all the furniture in the house to him in the future.

This sister of mine is the old lady's confidant maid, in charge of the old lady's household treasure chest. Although it is the most valuable job, it is also a life-threatening one.

If the conversation between my sister and Master Cong Sanye reached the old lady's ears, she would think of the gold and silver boxes in Rongqing Hall, which would violate the old lady's taboo.

By then, my entire family will be implicated.

Jin Wenxiang didn't wait for his woman to speak, and hurriedly said, "Madam, please don't take it seriously. There must be someone with a black heart gossiping about it.

My sister's behavior and words are usually very polite. The person in the mansion doesn't know that she would never do such a thing.

Besides, he stays with the old lady all the time, and Third Master Cong lives in the East Mansion, so there will be no problem at all."

Mrs. Xing was unwilling to believe this in the first place, but after hearing what Jin Wenxiang said, she felt it made more and more sense and felt relieved.

……

Jin Wenxiang and his wife left Dongluyuan. On the way, Jin Wenxiang blamed his woman for agreeing to this so easily, and also told her about his concerns.

Jin Wenxiang's family said: "It makes sense for the master to think so, but we have been in this mansion for more than a day or two. Over the years, any woman that the master has taken a fancy to has never escaped his clutches.

You can't let your sister jump into the river as well. Besides, the old lady is so old now, who knows how many years she can live.

When the old lady passed away, Yuanyang finally fell into the hands of the eldest master.

If you offend the master now, he will hold a grudge against you and won't know how to humiliate your sister then. It's better to accept your fate now.

What's even more terrible is that the eldest wife also linked Yuanyang to Master Cong Sanye. Everyone in the mansion knew that Master Cong Sanye and the eldest master were father and son enemies, and the old lady had a lifelong grudge against this grandson.

If Yuanyang gets involved in an unclear relationship with him, will she have a good future?

It would be better to change the family background while the old lady is still around, so that our family will still have a supporter in the future. If your sister can give birth to a boy or a girl for the first wife, it will be no worse than it is now."

Jin Wenxiang suddenly said, "Unless Third Master Cong really likes Yuanyang and wants to take her as his concubine, even if the eldest master and the old lady are unhappy, it doesn't matter. This master is a gold nugget."

Jin Wenxiang's wife glanced at her husband and said, "You are dreaming about eating farts. You are dreaming about your mother's head. The Third Master Cong was made a great master when he was a teenager. There is no other master like him in Shenjing City.

There are many people who want to be his concubine. Look at the women he keeps in his room. Every one of them is more beautiful than your sister. Your sister won't even be able to get a chance in the queue. You are just daydreaming.

But if your sister goes to the master's room, she will become a nugget of gold, which is called "not as good as the best but better than the worst". How come you don't even understand this principle?"

(End of this chapter)