From the Red Mansion, you can travel through the world of martial arts

Chapter 392 Concubine
In the pavilion overlooking the water in Hengwu Garden, Baoqin was leaning over the railing, holding an orchid in her hand and lowering it to the water surface, attracting fish to float up and lick it.

On the red-railed plank bridge, Jia Wei watched the scene quietly. His sister-in-law and her sister did have some similarities.

In the midday sun, Baoqin's arms were as crystal clear as jade, and her figure was slender and charming. The only flaw was that her pretty face, which was so beautiful that it could captivate all creatures, was shrouded in a layer of haze.

Jia Wei crossed the bridge and entered Hengwu Garden. In the main room, he saw Baochai, wearing a scallion-yellow silk skirt, sitting on the kang doing needlework, looking quiet and charming.

At this moment Baochai was distracted by her needle and thread, not knowing what she was thinking about. Ying'er saw her and quickly got up and was about to call Baochai.

Jia Wei waved his hands quickly. Ying'er saw it, covered her mouth with her hands, smiled, and walked out the door quietly.

Jia Wei sat behind Baochai and put his arms around her soft waist, and Baochai was awakened.

"What are you thinking about?" Jia Wei lowered his head into her neck, taking a deep breath of the cool fragrance on her body.

Baochai turned around to look at him and smiled brightly with red lips and white teeth.

Jia Wei kissed her directly.

While the two were being intimate, Jia Wei heard footsteps and realized that it was Baoqin entering the room... Baoqin was about to come in, but when she reached the door, she saw Jia Wei and Baochai kissing. She was stunned for a moment and retreated behind the door.

Baoqin planned to go in later. Seeing the intimacy between Baochai and Jia Wei, she was reminded of her engagement with the Mei family, and felt sad for a moment.

She was just about to go for a stroll in the garden when she suddenly heard Baochai say, "I was thinking about Qin'er," and she stopped for a moment...

Jia Wei sensed that Baoqin was hiding outside the door, and he found it interesting for a moment: "The Mei family's matter? The Mei family's son is just a mediocre person. If Baoqin married him, it would be a humiliation for her. Now that the Mei family has missed Baoqin, it is of course their loss."

Baoqin, who was outside the door, felt a little better after hearing what Jia Wei said.

Baochai sighed and said, "That being said, it is a fact that Baoqin's engagement has been cancelled. Not to mention the two families, many people in the capital know about it..."

Jia Wei also knew this truth. In fact, the Mei family was not of high status, but now that the Xue family was the one whose engagement was broken off, their reputation would certainly be affected.

There is no possibility of clearing the name, because no one cares why the Xue family was rejected, and they only watch the show based on this result...

Baoqin sighed outside the door. Of course, she knew this truth, which was why she was depressed and sad these days.

Jia Wei felt a little guilty, after all, he was the instigator of all this...

If he personally supported Xue Ke and negotiated with the Mei family, even if Mei Hanlin had ten times the courage, he would not dare to cancel the engagement and would have married Baoqin in a sedan chair long ago.

"How about I make a raft and dismiss that Hanlin Mei from his post and bring charges against him?"

Baochai didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and hurriedly advised: "Brother Wei, you absolutely can't sacrifice public affairs for personal interests. How can the affairs of the court be turned into private schemes?"

Jia Wei smiled awkwardly: "I just saw that my sister-in-law was unhappy all day long and didn't even smile, so I wanted to vent her anger."

He said this specifically for Baoqin outside the door to hear...

Baochai said, "Please wait a little longer. I will find a good marriage for her in the future. Qin'er is still young anyway, so there is no need to rush this matter."

Baochai had no good solution, as the girl’s reputation was irreparably damaged.

Now if you ask someone to act as a matchmaker, once they find out that the woman is someone whose engagement was broken off, they might think you are deliberately humiliating her and might even kick her out.

Even if Jia Wei personally stepped forward, he would not be able to find a good family for Baoqin, as the ones that were found were sycophants who fawned on the powerful and flattered the emperor.

Baochai said, "If it really doesn't work, we can only go back to the southern province... Qin'er is proud and arrogant, and ordinary people would definitely not want her."

Jia Wei suddenly heard some noise outside the door. Baoqin seemed to be leaving. He was too lazy to prepare for the incident and said directly, "Baochai, I have an idea..."

Facing Baochai's gaze, Jia Wei said directly: "I like Sister Baoqin very much, too. I can't bear to marry her to another family. It's better for her to stay in the Marquis's Mansion as a concubine..." Jia Wei's words were like a bolt from the blue, and the two women inside and outside the room were shocked for a moment!

The so-called concubines (yìng) are often sisters brought as dowry by the wife when two families marry. Most of them are concubines' daughters or daughters of the same clan.

The status of a concubine is higher than that of a concubine. For example, when the wife dies, a new wife will usually be remarried. Concubines are rarely promoted to the main wife, while a concubine can directly replace her as the main wife.

Because a concubine and a wife are from the same clan, if the wife has no children, the child born by a concubine can be considered a legitimate son, or at least have a higher status than a child born by a concubine.

The existence of concubines is mostly for the purpose of stabilizing the marriage between two families. It can prevent the concubine's children from inheriting the husband's family's ancestral line, property, or even inheritance, title, and hereditary position, thereby protecting the interests of the wife's family.

For the Xue family, this only damages their reputation, but they can actually gain more benefits.

But for Baochai personally, it also gave her a share of the weight of her status as the legal wife.

So Jia Wei didn't go directly to Aunt Xue and Xue Pan, but had to get through her first...

Xue Baoqin, who was outside the door, could no longer move her feet after hearing this. She was shocked and embarrassed, and was in a trance, not knowing what to do...

"My brother-in-law wants to take me as a concubine..."

Baoqin had extremely complicated feelings. Jia Wei was certainly the best man she had ever met in her life.

Baoqin was very satisfied with Jia Wei, and even his love for her.

However, no matter what, a concubine is still a concubine and is lower than the wife.

Even if the second branch of the Xue family declined, she was still a legitimate daughter and became someone's concubine...

Although Baoqin called Baochai and Daiyu "Sister", she was still reluctant to be inferior to them because of her young age.

But now that her marriage with the Mei family has been cancelled, it is difficult to find a good husband. She can either marry far away or marry someone mediocre...

Baochai was surprised, and many clues flashed through her mind, and they were vaguely connected...

Jia Wei hugged her soft body and said, "Baochai, you two sisters can serve me together. Are you willing?"

Baochai said without hesitation: "Of course I am willing. Qin'er is very good, but I am afraid she will not be willing to be a concubine..."

Baochai is very smart. She knows very well that if Jia Wei is determined to marry Baoqin, she cannot stop him even if she objects.

But if she was reluctant, it would make Jia Wei unhappy and ruin the impression of her in his mind.

After all, even if Baoqin entered the Marquis's mansion as a concubine, it would not have any substantial impact on her status.

So the key is still to maintain the balance between her and Daiyu.

Baochai pursed her lips and said, "Since Brother Wei has made up his mind, shall I go and talk to Mom and Xue Ke now?"

Marriage matters, parents' orders, matchmaker's words.

Therefore, it doesn’t matter whether Baoqin is willing or not, as long as Xue Ke and Aunt Xue agree, this will be accomplished.

When Jia Wei heard Baochai mention Aunt Xue, his expression changed. He hadn't seen his mother-in-law for a long time...

"Forget it, I'll go." Jia Wei took the initiative to take on this task.

Baochai nodded slowly: "Okay, then I'll go talk to Qin'er. She may be a little emotional, but I think she is willing..."

(End of this chapter)