Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 367 Weighing Wangjiangnan

Judefang, Earl's Mansion, Yingchunyuan.

The yard is full of luxuriant flowers and trees, full of greenery. Outside on the wind and rain corridor, two cages of yellow orioles are jumping up and down and singing.

Several maids in red and green jackets were sitting in the corridor. They were Jinchuan, Zijuan, Shishu and others, chatting.

At the entrance to the central hall of the main house in the courtyard, there is a Qihai fragrant wood beaded curtain hung, the kang in the south window is covered with a bright red felt, and the east wall is decorated with chain brocade backrests and pillows, and covered with a light pink satin cushion.

On the table on the kang was a Xiuyan jade hollow incense burner, and next to it was an open chess manual.

A lacquered tea tray with five small covered cups inside, one of which has the lid open, exuding a refreshing tea aroma.

In the hall, a graceful figure swayed, pearl hairpins shone, faint fragrance lingered, and laughter and bell sounds were heard.

Daiyu, Baochai and Tanchun were talking to someone. Yingchun was sitting on the kang, looking at them with a smile.

"Okay, you guys are really naughty. When did you move to the East Mansion and play together every day? Fortunately, the old lady took me here, otherwise you would still remember me."

A crisp, sweet voice was crisp and clear. Although it was a complaint, the tone was full of joy and cheerfulness.

This person has a pretty appearance, a slim figure, black hair like ink, and a slender and flexible waist.

She wore a red top with a cross-collar and golden bamboo leaf pattern, a white thin cotton cross-collared top, a white pleated skirt with dark patterns, and pine green shoes embroidered with trumpet creepers.

There is a golden unicorn hanging on her chest, which shows her pleasing liveliness and agility. It is Shi Xiangyun who has just arrived at the Jia Mansion today.

Yingchun smiled and said, "Since Sister Yun is here, you can stay here if you like. I'll have someone clean up the room for you. Brother Cong will be going to Jinling soon, so we'll have someone to keep us company."

Xiangyun smiled and said, "I don't want to be so troublesome. I will live in this courtyard. It is spacious and fragrant here. I can live with my second sister. It will be more lively."

Early this morning, Grandmother Jia sent a carriage to pick up Xiangyun.

In previous years, Grandmother Jia would wait until early August to invite Xiangyun to stay with her for a while and celebrate her birthday with her. However, the trend of birthday celebrations has been a little different these days, so she brought her niece-granddaughter over early.

When Xiangyun arrived at the mansion, she went to Rongqing Hall to see Lady Jia. At that time, Xu, Marquis of Chengyang, was still talking to Lady Jia in the hall, and the unmarried Miss Xu III was sitting beside her obediently.

However, Daiyu, Yingchun, Tanchun and the others sent Baoqin out of the house and used this as an excuse to go to the East Palace. They never returned to Rongqing Hall. Miss Xu had no one to talk to and felt quite bored.

When Lady Xu of Chengyang Marquis heard that the person who came was the eldest daughter of the Baoling Marquis Mansion, she was the granddaughter of Old Lady Jia.

The little girl was pretty and romantic, wearing a dazzling red dress, speaking witty words and being graceful and elegant. As soon as she entered the hall, it seemed that the whole room was filled with spring, making the pretty and shy third daughter seem a little overshadowed.

Moreover, that little mouth was very skillful, which made Mrs. Jia very happy. She kept talking about her third brother, and her words were full of intimacy.

Xu had heard how the young lady of the Jia family addressed the Earl of Weiyuan.

The little girl just chatted with Lady Jia for a few words, and then said that she was going to the East Palace to play with her sisters. Old Lady Jia just smiled and told her to go quickly. Isn't the East Palace the Earl's Palace?
When Xu, Marquis of Chengyang, saw the expression on Lady Jia's face, she suddenly understood something. This old lady was really cunning and had already set up her chariots, horses and cannons after spending a long time there.

This Shi Xiangyun is the legitimate granddaughter of the Shi family, and she is so close to the Jia family's East Mansion. Whether it is her family background, appearance, or blood relationship, how can she be compared to her by outsiders?

It turned out that Madam Jia had already had a wishful thinking: those who are close to the water will get the moon first.

Why did I bother to come here and make trouble? It's really a waste of shame...

……

Xiangyun was completely unaware of this and had no idea that she was being used as a target by her great aunt.

Although the two marquises of the Shi family are interested in the marriage between Jia Cong and Xiangyun, Xiangyun is still young and Jia Cong's current status is also unusual.

Although Zhongjing Hou Shi Ding also agreed with this matter, he felt that the time was not right yet. Therefore, only Lady Jia and the two wives of the Shi family knew the truth, but they did not reveal it.

They all understood Xiangyun's personality. If this girl knew the truth, even Shulang would feel shy and would never feel comfortable around Jia Cong again. She might even dare not go to the East Palace.

Moreover, such a major matter as marriage has not been finalized, and if rumors get out, it will be difficult to deal with if something unexpected happens.

Therefore, the few old women who knew the whole story mostly just hinted at it and never spoke out the truth. Even Mrs. Wang and Wang Xifeng didn't know what Grandmother Jia was thinking.

Xiangyun often comes and goes in the Jia Mansion. She is aloof and romantic by nature, and her background is unknown. She and Jia Cong usually talk and laugh freely. Even people as smart as Daiyu and Tanchun do not notice anything unusual.

As long as Baochai was in Rongqing Hall that day, she would have heard with her own ears the confusing conversation between the two marquises and Lady Jia, and she would have guessed the tricks of the two elders, the Jia and Shi families.

Who knows, there might be a drama of arranged marriage in the future.

But Baochai understood Jia Cong's character. When she thought of the plum branch and moon shadow sachet on his body, she felt that this brother Cong might not be the kind of person who would be manipulated by others.

Although she had deep feelings for Jia Cong, she knew that the difference in their family backgrounds was so great that it was probably just an illusion.

Perhaps Jia Cong was not granted a title, but was just a top scholar, which still made people feel a little lucky.

But now that Jia Cong has come to this point, let’s not talk about others for now. Just the old lady in the mansion, who has been a super-class lady of the country for half her life, has always attached great importance to the dignity of the wealthy family.

Even when her own aunt wanted to bring her and Baoyu together, the old lady turned a deaf ear and never said a word.

She would never allow her grandson, a lord, to have anything to do with the daughter of a merchant family...

Although Baochai did not show any signs in front of others, she was anxious and helpless deep down.

Now, every time he sees Xiangyun coming to the Jia Mansion, he feels a little uncomfortable, especially since there is also Daiyu who is close to Jia Cong.

Although Baochai is intelligent and experienced, and handles things tactfully and appropriately, this kind of thing is still beyond her control as a woman in the boudoir.

Everyone can only live their own life and take it one day at a time.

Yingchun said, "Sister Baochai, the sisters are all here, why don't you move in and stay for a few days so that everyone can have more fun together."

Baochai smiled and said, "I would like to come over and play with my sisters, but it would be a shame to leave my mother alone. Besides, it would be very convenient for both sides to travel."

After hearing this, Yingchun and the others also felt that it made sense. Aunt Xue was a widow, and Xue Pan was a son after all. He only had Baochai as his daughter to keep him company, so it was indeed not easy for him to live here alone.

Yingchun and Tanchun both have their parents alive, while Daiyu lives with her parents and her father is not around. In her daily life, Grandmother Jia helps her arrange everything and doesn't worry too much about her.

The only difference is that Baochai's mother is a widow and her brother is extremely unreliable. She has been accustomed to thinking about everything since she was a child, and making up for the shortcomings of the family by being thoughtful and appropriate.

……

At this time, Zijuan's voice came from outside the door: "Third Master, you're leaving the yamen. The girls are all in the house."

As soon as Jia Cong entered the door, Xiangyun came to greet him.

He smiled and said, "I heard that my third brother is going to Nanjing again to do the emperor's business. My uncle and aunt said that the Shi family's main home is in Nanjing, but I have never been there. Wouldn't it be nice if my third brother took me with him to have a look?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "It's no problem to take you with me, as long as your family agrees."

Xiangyun chuckled after hearing this, but didn't take it seriously. She was not yet a young girl, so there was no reason for her to travel thousands of miles alone.

Not to mention that my uncle and aunt would not agree, the old lady would never allow it either. She just told this kind of thing as a joke for fun.

Yingchun asked, "It's not even noon yet, why did Brother Cong leave the government office so early?"

Jia Cong replied, "There is nothing to do in the government office today, so I came back early. I heard from Zhishao that sister Xiangyun came to visit, so I thought she must be staying at my second sister's place."

A few days ago, there was news that the gunpowder in the Firearms Workshop in the north of the city was damp. In fact, the firearms workshop was a confidential place. If the gunpowder was damp, how could such news be spread? But the news was spread, and Jia Cong's time to go to Nanjing to do his work was naturally delayed for a few days.

It was not until the morning when he went to the Ministry of War for a routine inspection that he learned about the troop transfer thirty miles north of the city and the rumor that the gunpowder in the workshop had been damp, that the matter would probably come to an end.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Sister Yun is visiting today, and all the sisters are here. Why not set up a banquet now so that everyone can have fun for half a day? I will be going to Jinling in a few days, and I am afraid I will have to wait for a long time for this opportunity."

All the sisters said yes in unison, and Xiangyun was even more excited.

Jia Cong had two bamboo tables set up in Ningxi Pavilion, one with meat and vegetable dishes and wine, and the other with tea whisks, teacups and other tea utensils.

Beside Ningxi Pavilion is the waterway that runs through the back garden. Jia Cong and his sisters sat by the water, listening to the wind, raising their chopsticks and toasting for a cup, chatting and laughing, eating and drinking at their leisure.

The banquet was more than halfway through. Daiyu had been sick since childhood and was used to being careful with her diet. She only drank a small cup of rice wine and dared not drink any more. She put down her chopsticks after eating six-tenths of the dish.

Jia Cong asked someone to bring an embroidered cushion and asked Daiyu to sit on it leaning against the railing. He also found a fishing rod in the room and asked her to go fishing.

When Baochai saw how meticulous Jia Cong was with Daiyu, she was very envious. She thought that it was because they had been together since childhood that they had this fate, but she did not have this destiny.

She walked to the flower tree beside the pavilion, broke off a fresh flower, plucked one and put it in her temple, and tore the rest into pieces and threw them into the clear water, tempting the fish at the bottom of the water to come up and eat them.

Yingchun was making tea. When the water boiled, she asked the maid to fill the teacups and distribute them to everyone to help them sober up.

Xiangyun was more playful. Although her little face was rosy from the smell of alcohol, she still played finger-guessing games with Tanchun. However, she lost to Tanchun every time and was forced to drink several cups of wine by Tanchun with a smile.

Daiyu's fishing rod hung on the water for a long time. Although no fish was caught, she still sat there patiently.

Suddenly he asked Jia Cong, "How long will it take for Third Brother to go to Jinling this time?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "It will take at least one month, at most two months, and he will definitely come back."

Daiyu raised her delicate eyebrows slightly and pouted her lips to laugh at him: "I don't believe your words now. The last time I went to Liaodong, you said you would be back in March, but it took me half a year to come back."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Jinling is not as troublesome as Liaodong, so it won't take too long. Besides, I have to come back as soon as possible so as not to delay the imperial examination next year.

This time we will pass by Yangzhou on our way south. If you have any letters or things to bring with you, I will pass them on to your uncle."

Daiyu suddenly looked worried and said, "Father has written to me in the past six months and it seems that he is not feeling well. I am a little worried. Third brother, please come over and take a look. I hope everything is fine."

Jia Cong's heart skipped a beat when he heard this, and he consoled him, "Your uncle is in his prime, and it's probably because of his busy official duties. He just needs to take care of himself, and you don't have to worry too much."

......

Shenjing, Prince Beijing’s Palace.

Prince Beijing Shui Rong has always been known for his love of literature, so his study is decorated in an antique style, with various rare and precious books neatly stacked on the bookshelves on all four sides.

In the purple copper incense burner on the desk, high-quality ambergris incense was burning. The milky white smoke lingered, obscuring Shui Rong's handsome face, making it look solemn and mysterious.

The most popular fragrance on the market now is the exquisite smokeless incense produced by Xinchunhao of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Nowadays, many noble and wealthy families use Xinchunhao's smokeless incense as a fashion.

But Shui Rong still likes this traditional incense burning. Xinchunhao's incense burners all use fragrant flowers or spice essences, but they can't produce the rare fragrance of ambergris.

Moreover, there were rumors in the market that the Xinchunhao had an unclear relationship with the Weiyuan Earl of the Jia family, and Shui Rong did not have much good feelings towards Jia Cong.

It’s not that Jia Cong is incompetent and unworthy of the friendship of Prince Beijing, but that Jia Cong simply doesn’t give him a chance. He has invited him several times, but was rejected by the other party with various strange reasons.

This made Shui Rong somewhat depressed and aggrieved.

There was an opened letter on the desk, which had just been delivered by the servant. The content of the letter made him very unhappy.

At this time, a beautiful and graceful woman with a dignified manner and wearing a phoenix palace robe entered the study alone. It was Miss Zhen, the second wife of Prince Beijing, and she also had a letter in her hand.

He said: "Your Highness, my third brother sent me a letter from Nanjing. Several of your disciples in the government office have been rotated by the Ministry of Personnel this time. They can no longer keep their original positions, and some are even unemployed at home.

The third brother said that the prince's disciples have always been very capable and have provided a lot of support to the family business over the years.

He wondered if the prince could talk to the Ministry of Personnel to have as many of these people as possible stay in office so that they could be relied upon for assistance in the future."

Shui Rong frowned and shook his head, pointing to the letter on the desk, and said: "Marquis Chengyang also sent a letter. Several of Marquis Liu's troops served in Jinling Guard Station and were also transferred this time.

I was asked to negotiate for them, but at this moment, these matters are very hot, so I can't just reach out for help."

Princess Beijing has always been very concerned about her natal family's affairs, and her brother mentioned it carefully in the letter, so she asked unwillingly: "Then the prince's disciples can only be left idle for now?"

Shui Rong said: "When the Jinling Zhou Zhengyang incident happened, a third-rank military officer of a garrison with 5,000 men under his command was revealed to be the mastermind behind the Water Supervision Bureau's major case!
The current emperor is a man of deep plans and suspicion, and has always been wary of the rampant military power. Nanjing is the secondary capital of the Great Zhou and involves half of Jiangnan. How could he not be wary?

Two years ago, due to the outbreak of a major Water Supervision Bureau case, the officialdom of Nanjing has experienced turmoil. Now the emperor is rotating Nanjing officials on a large scale in order to disrupt the old situation, sever the connections, and remove the fuel from the fire!

If I'm not mistaken, the emperor will definitely take major action against Nanjing in the future. The incident of the usurped poem last year has already caused the emperor to feel estranged from me.

If I come forward to recommend an official who has lost power at this time, what do you think the emperor will think of me? I will have no way out in the future... "

Shui Rong sneered again, "Look at Chengyang Marquis Liu Hongzhong. Ever since the incident of the usurpation poem in the palace last year, he has not even dared to go to the door, and has to secretly send letters to speak.

The four kings and eight dukes are all first-rate veterans, but their lives are so miserable!"

Then he asked, "I heard that the third daughter of the Marquis of Chengyang is still unmarried, and the Liu family wants to marry her to the Marquis of Weiyuan of the Jia family. Didn't you say that your family wanted to arrange this marriage for your third sister? How is it going now?"

Princess Beijing looked somewhat helpless and said, "You don't know my third sister yet, how can you guess what she is thinking?

That day, my wife and I took her to visit the Jia family. It happened that Jia Cong entered the palace, so the two did not meet. After she came back, she insisted on going back to Jinling without waiting for a few days, and my wife could do nothing about it.

If she doesn't want to get married, who can force her?"

Shui Rong smiled and said, "Your third sister is quite remarkable, but it's a pity that she was born a girl. If she were a boy, she would definitely be an extraordinary person."

Shui Rong was suddenly stunned when he said this, and asked, "You said that when you went to Jia's house that day, you happened to see Jia Cong being summoned to the palace?"

Princess Beijing replied, "That's right. I heard that he was summoned suddenly without any prior notice. Is there anything wrong here?"

Prince Beijing's tone was somewhat puzzled: "From the time point of view, on the second day after Jia Cong was summoned to the palace, His Majesty issued several imperial edicts, one of which was to rotate officials from various government offices in Jinling.

Another imperial decree ordered Jia Cong to go to Nanjing to set up a branch of the Firearms Department in the Secondary Capital."

Princess Beijing said: "Your Highness, these two things don't seem to be related, it's just a coincidence."

Prince Beijing asked again: "When did your third sister return to Jinling?"

Princess Beijing replied, "On the third day after visiting the Jia Mansion."

Prince Beijing murmured to himself: "I told you that your sister is not simple..."

Prince Beijing then summoned his trusted family members and gave them detailed instructions.

Two cups of tea later, the family came to report that many days had passed since Jia Cong received the imperial edict, and he had not yet come to Nanjing because he was busy with the official business of the Firearms Bureau.

After hearing this, Prince Beijing shook his head, thinking that he was worrying too much.

(End of this chapter)