Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 383: Private Talk in the Boudoir

Jinling, Xinglongfang, the old residence of the Jia family.

A carriage drove into the alley and stopped at the west corner gate of the Jia Mansion. Two personal soldiers accompanying the carriage came forward and rang the door knocker.

When the servants who opened the door came out, they just said they were personal soldiers of Earl Weiyuan, and they were following the Earl's orders to bring people to get his things.

The servant was a little confused when he heard this, and then he saw a slim girl with bright eyes, white teeth and pretty appearance getting off the carriage.

Standing next to the carriage, his big eyes moved back and forth, curiously looking at the tall and ancient gate of the old house.

The servant was a little confused about the situation and couldn't make up his mind, so he went to report to the housekeeper Jin Cai.

After hearing the message, Jin Cai hurried out. In the past few days, Jin Cai had been worried about Jia Cong's affairs.

Some time ago, Jia Cong asked his personal servant Jiang Liu to come back and tell him that he would not return home every day due to his busy official duties.

After that, Jia Cong did not return home to spend the night for many days. Jin Cai was always worried about this matter, and she hadn't seen him for these days, so she had no idea what was going on.

Jin Cai knew the two personal soldiers following the carriage. They were among the personal soldiers who escorted Jia Cong back home from the dock that day.

The personal soldier also brought a note written by Jia Cong. Jin Cai recognized that it was Jia Cong's handwriting, and there was no mistake about it.

Seeing that there was another girl with them, he asked his wife to come out and receive her.

Jin Cai's family also looked surprised. The third master had not been home for many days. Finally there was some news, but he did not come back. Instead, the girl came to visit.

Jin Caijia asked with a smile: "Young lady, you are here to help our Third Master get something, but I don't know your face. I wonder how you and our Third Master are..."

The little girl smiled brightly, looking charming and lively, and said nonchalantly:

"Brother Cong asked me to... Oh, it was the Third Master who asked me to come and help him get some luggage. I am your Third Master's maid."

Jin Caijia was stunned when she heard this. The Third Master came to Jinling alone, so when did he have a maid?

Could it be that he had just bought it in Jinling and hadn’t had time to take it home?

It's hard to say. That gentleman is excellent in everything except women, which seems a bit absurd.

The last time he arrived in Jinling, it had only been two days when he bought a very pretty maid from outside.

Jin Cai's wife still remembers clearly that the maid had a red mole between her eyebrows and looked like she had walked out of a painting. Her daughter was also pretty, but she was not as good as that maid.

Unexpectedly, when the Third Master came to Jinling again this time, he repeated the same old tricks and found such a pretty girl to be his maid. His ability to seduce women was as good as his ability as a student.

Jin Cai's wife was curious, so she followed the girl to Jia Cong's yard.

Jin Cai's wife saw that although the girl was pretty and bright, and still had some childishness, she was a very forthright and bold person. She entered the deep inner courtyard of the Jia family's house without showing any sign of stage fright.

After entering Jia Cong's room, he looked through it several times, put the books and clothes neatly in place, and asked the maid in the yard to put them neatly into the suitcase.

He also asked Jin Cai's family to call some helpers over and instruct them to load the boxes onto the carriage. Although they were young, they worked vigorously, efficiently and methodically.

Finally, he tiptoed to take the scimitar hanging on the wall of Jia Cong, held it in his arms, hummed a little tune, and left the inner courtyard.

Jin Cai and his wife watched the carriage go away, still staring at each other, full of questions.

Jin Cai's wife said, "The Third Master has only been back in Jinling for a few days, and he is leaving the mansion. I don't know where he found this maid.

I say, head of the family, this gentleman is good in every way except that he is a little too noisy. He is not young anymore, why doesn't the old lady find a husband for him? She can also try to win his heart back.

At least we should arrange for two people to live in the room with him, otherwise it would look unbecoming of him to be hanging around outside all the time.

I think he must have fallen in love with some woman outside and can't bear to come back and live here."

After hearing this, Jin Cai glared at his wife, frowned and said, "Just shut up, you are so talkative when it comes to men's affairs.

Your daughter-in-law got involved in these things and even implicated the Third Master. She is still working on the farm now."

After hearing this, Jin Cai's family spat and said, "That woman is not worthy of being brought up. She actually tried to get Yuanyang to be the mistress of the master, without even noticing that she is already half buried in the ground.

The black-hearted woman deserves to be sent to the farm to suffer by the lady. Even if Yuanyang wants to marry a man in the mansion, she should marry a good master like the Third Master. How can she be married to someone so casually?

Didn’t my daughter write in a letter saying that it was the Third Master who stepped in to keep her safe? Do you think the Third Master has fallen in love with Yuanyang…?”

Jin Cai glanced at her wife and said, "Well, you'd better stop daydreaming. The Third Master has never seen a woman. The last time he came to Jinling, he brought two personal maids with him.

And the little girl today is more beautiful than Yuanyang. Why would he use this matter to seduce Yuanyang? He is helping Yuanyang probably because he is at odds with the master.

Also, please don’t tell anyone about the Third Master’s departure. He might want to do something big, and it’s not worth it if you make him annoyed.”

Jin Caijia muttered to herself, what nonsense is the boss talking about? He said that flirting with women outside and not wanting them to come back can be called doing big things. Men's words are really deceiving.

……

Jinling, Yuminfang.

In the main house of the courtyard, Jia Cong carefully read the documents given to him by Zou Min'er.

Baozhu had the boxes brought from the Jia family brought into the main house, and put the books and clothes in the boxes back in the house one by one, in the same way as they had been in the Jia family's courtyard.

The door was gently pushed open, her skirt swayed gracefully, her hairpins swirled, and a faint fragrance floated in the air.

But then Keqing came in with some freshly washed clothes.

She put the clothes on the bed, and tidied up Baozhu's things. She looked up at Jia Cong who was working hard at his desk, a little dazed.

When they were in Ningguo Mansion, due to their respective statuses, the two rarely had the opportunity to meet normally.

Later, that incident happened again and she hid in Jinling for two years. The two were separated and never met again.

They never thought that one day they would be so close and live under the same roof.

This should have made her very happy, but the situation now was very different from two years ago.

Jia Cong, who was sitting at the desk, seemed to sense something. He looked up and saw Keqing staring at him in a daze.

Baozhu suddenly felt that the atmosphere in the room became a little strange. She stuck out her tongue, then quietly left the room and closed the door.

Keqing saw Jia Cong smile at her and stood up from the desk and walked over.

Then he asked, "Are you going to Suzhou to handle important official business?"

Jia Cong sat down beside her and said, "I have received a secret order from the emperor to investigate Zhou Zhengyang's case. I have found some clues and will go to Gusu to find an important person.

I will be back after just three or two days, hoping to gain something.”

Keqing smiled slightly, with a hint of loneliness in her words, and said: "You are a very capable person, maybe you can solve the case when you come back, and then you will have to go back to Shenjing to report.

I don’t know when you will come to Jinling next time. Sometimes I think, if you were not a member of the Jia family of Rongguo, not a noble, and no longer an official, we would still have Sister Xiu, and we could live in this house for the rest of our lives, how wonderful it would be.”

Jia Cong listened to her soft voice, which became so low and almost inaudible at the end, as if she was speaking only to herself.

Maybe he felt that such a thing, although it was what he wished for, would never come true.

Jia Cong smiled and grabbed her hand, gently kneading her smooth and slender fingers, as if expressing silent pity and consolation.

A charming blush gradually appeared on Keqing's pretty face, which was as smooth as jade, and her long eyelashes trembled slightly.

I had unknowingly leaned on his shoulder, and my whole body relaxed, like a ship that had finally returned to its harbor after a long turbulent voyage. The air was filled with the fragrant scent of intimacy.

Jia Cong said, "Keqing, there will always be a day when you don't have to stay in Jinling alone. We can be together like today, whenever we want, without worrying about what others think."

Keqing did not open her eyes, but smiled: "I am not a child, you don't have to coax me, if you had gone to Liaodong before, I might have taken it seriously.

But now you are different. The emperor has conferred upon you the hereditary title of Earl Wangtai, and you are responsible for the glory and wealth of the Jia family for generations. You are the Earl of Weiyuan in the public eye...

I always knew you were capable, but I never thought you would be this capable..."

Keqing's voice was filled with joy and pride, but also with deep sorrow.

"If you were still the same minor official of the seventh rank, I would still have wishful thinking about you, but now it is impossible.

I am just a divorced woman. If others keep thinking about the past, we may even be considered to be of different generations.

You are now an earl. Although you are rich and glorious, you can't be as casual as before. The laws of the country and the etiquette of the clan cannot be neglected.

When I married into the Ningguo Mansion, I didn’t want to ruin your future. Now that you have finally made such a great progress, I don’t want to give you something to talk about because of me.”

Jia Cong thought back to the time when he was copying Buddhist scriptures in Anding Temple. From that time on, Keqing often found excuses to accompany him in copying scriptures, and the two of them always spent time together.

It seemed like she never asked for anything from herself from beginning to end.

Jia Cong put his arms around Keqing's soft waist, held her in his arms, and said, "The laws of the country and the etiquette of the clan cannot control what kind of woman I like.

Maybe what you said makes sense, but nothing in the world remains unchanged. When I was in the East Courtyard of the Jia family, I was scolded and abused by my biological father and stepmother every day, and I almost lost my life.

At that time, I never thought that I would be where I am today.

Just because I can’t give you a result now doesn’t mean I won’t be able to in the future. In fact, if you think about it carefully, nothing is impossible in this world.”

After hearing this, Keqing still leaned on his arms and said with a smile: "You are already an earl at your age, aren't you satisfied? Do you still want to accomplish something extraordinary?"

Jia Cong laughed and said, "Life is full of entanglements and concerns. If you can't be at ease, what's the fun in it?

In the future, we will always be able to do it. No one can control us. I can do whatever I want. Whatever is supposed to happen will happen. This is the most amazing thing!"

Keqing smiled in his arms and said, "If you want to be so free, I'm afraid being a count is not enough.

Although I know you are saying nice things to coax me, I love to hear them. When you return to Shenjing, I won’t be able to hear them anymore.”

Jia Cong suddenly called out, "Keqing."

Qin Keqing still leaned in his arms and replied in a daze, "Yeah."

After being separated for a long time, she really enjoyed the feeling of relying on each other. It would be best if it could always be like this.

But later, Jia Cong said, "I'm thinking of the incense room behind the Buddhist hall in Anding Room."

Keqing's delicate body couldn't help but jump, and she raised herself up from his arms. Thinking of what happened with Jia Cong in that fragrant room, her body and mind felt slightly softened.

Before she could react, Jia Cong hugged her in his arms, and her soft and fragrant lips were covered with warmth.

The room is filled with a sweet and refreshing fragrance.

It was as if there were clear springs whimpering, drizzles murmuring, spring swallows embracing each other, shedding their winter feathers, and whispering foolish words to each other...

It is also like the undulating mountains, extending out beautiful lines. Birds fly into the forest, immersed in it, and are reluctant to leave for a long time.

(A thousand words are deleted here. The censorship at a certain point stifles talent. A moment of silence...)
……

After a long time, Keqing suddenly grabbed Jia Cong's hand and pushed him away with all her strength.

She said in a charming voice: "Brother Cong, you can't do that... Sister Xiu said... you are not old enough to dance elephants yet, and this will hurt your body and ruin your skills."

Jia Cong: “…….”

Somewhat helplessly, he said, "Keqing, Sister Xiu really cares about me!"

Keqing couldn't help laughing and said, "That's not because she cares about you the most. She even taught you the secret methods that female teachers don't pass on to male disciples. When you were practicing..."

She said this with some dissatisfaction, pouting and gently twisting Jia Cong's waist. Keqing remembered clearly that Qu Hongxiu had taught her martial arts that day. The Qigong method involved the acupuncture points here.
"Sister Xiu said that you... are still young and you shouldn't act recklessly when things get critical. She asked me to persuade you more. If things go wrong, I won't be able to see her again."

Jia Cong said, "You listen to her very well, but why don't you listen to me?"

Keqing covered her mouth and chuckled, "I like to hear you say nice things, but why would I listen to you say bad things?"

Gradually, the sounds in the room stopped. Keqing tidied herself up a bit, then pushed Jia Cong to sit on the edge of the bed. She helped him tidy up his clothes and carefully re-combed his messy hair.

When Keqing opened the door of the main house and went out with Jia Cong, she saw Qu Hongxiu coming out of the left wing.

When Qu Hongxiu saw the two of them, her bright and charming eyes flickered with a look of suspicion.

Jia Cong's robe was neat and tidy, looking normal. Keqing's dress was also neat and tidy, and there seemed to be nothing unusual, except that her hair at the temples was a little messy.

Her pretty face was blushing, her lips were rosy and pink, and she had a pair of bright eyes, like ripples of spring water, flowing and crystal. She was indescribably beautiful and charming.

Qu Hongxiu was also a woman, so she could tell that Keqing was unusual. She looked at Jia Cong with some anger, narrowed her beautiful eyes, and asked, "What did you... do just now?"

Jia Cong looked embarrassed and blurted out, "No, we didn't do anything."

Keqing was suddenly caught by Qu Hongxiu. Although she and Jia Cong did not really do anything, it was too embarrassing after all, and she was panic-stricken.

But suddenly he heard Jia Cong's strange words, and he couldn't help but burst out laughing, then quickly walked back to the right wing and closed the door.

In the courtyard, Qu Hongxiu looked at Jia Cong with a half-smile and said, "I don't care what ridiculous things you do. You will be going to Gusu in a few days, so it will probably take some time.

Come back early tonight and practice for an extra hour. You look so slack."

Jia Cong: “…….”

Qu Hongxiu seemed to be gritting his teeth when he finished speaking. As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and went into the left wing room. The door closed with a loud noise.

(End of this chapter)