The Overlord of the Red Mansion

Chapter 197 Mid-Autumn Festival

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the roads are lined with colorful lanterns.

The road does not belong to someone else's family, it is Jia Rong's garden road.

"Your Majesty."

Each of the wives and maids bowed to Jia Rong.

It was just five o'clock in the afternoon and the yard was still bright, unlike in winter when it gets dark so early.

But it soon got dark, and the maids not only placed lanterns on the road, but also placed beautiful lotus lanterns in the water.

Illuminating lanterns were also placed in the pavilions and some empty corridors.

As Jia Rong was walking, he saw a beautiful young woman dressed in servant's clothes coming towards him.

"Your Majesty."

When Jia Rong saw Sister Liu in the front yard kitchen, he ordered, "Today, the maids in the front yard are celebrating the festival in the front yard. Cook a few more dishes to liven it up in the evening."

Sister Liu quickly said, “Yes!”

Just as Jia Rong was about to leave, he saw the beautiful girl behind Mrs. Liu looking at him, and after their eyes met, she lowered her head.

Jia Rong asked curiously, "Who is this girl?"

Sister Liu said happily: "Your Highness, this is my daughter Wu'er, also a servant of the family. She is now following me in the kitchen to do some work."

Jia Rong said casually, "She looks a little weak. What can a girl like her do in the kitchen? You are the one who can support her. But you can support her. It is not a problem to support a daughter with your salary."

Sister Liu said hurriedly: "Your Majesty is so accurate. This girl has been sick since she was a child. Fortunately, she is in the Prince's mansion, otherwise she would have died if she went out."

Jia Rong smiled and said, "I understand what you mean. You want her to be my maid, but is she willing?"

Sister Liu said quickly: "She is willing!"

"I didn't ask you." Jia Rong said jokingly, "Go back and think about it. I'm not in a hurry, and you don't have to be in a hurry either. There are still many things to do today."

Wu Er quickly said, "Yes! I want to be the prince's maid."

Jia Rong has no shortage of maids.

"I have no shortage of maids around me, and there are many maids in the mansion who want to go to my place. Tell me why you became a maid in the past?"

Wu'er looked at Jia Rong with a very determined gaze.

"In order to save face for my mother, if I can be a maid beside the prince, it will not be in vain for my mother to raise me."

Jia Rong smiled and said, "What else?"

Wu Er continued, "Also, the maids get more money every month. With more money, our family can live more comfortably."

Jia Rong said, "You said it was either for your mother or for your family. Don't you think about yourself?"

Wu Er said shyly, "They say it's a good job to be with the prince. I see the girls in the front yard are all having a happy time. If I go there, I'll be happy too. My illness will be cured by then. And if I serve the prince, my illness will definitely be cured."

Jia Rong nodded, "You are quite honest. If you said that you are loyal to me and want to repay me, I would think it is hypocritical. But I already have enough maids around me. I will talk about it after Xiren leaves and there is a vacancy. You can go to the front yard to walk around and sit if you have nothing to do. Just don't get in the way."

Sister Liu happily pulled Wu'er to kneel down.

"Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Jia Rong left quickly. He was still very tolerant towards the person who cooked for him.

Of course, this Mrs. Liu is also good-looking. She is a beautiful widow with a pretty daughter.

Jia Rong had just spoken a few words to the widow and her daughter, and then he entered Tianxiang Tower and was greeted by a group of girls.

"Big brother! Come up quickly! It's so beautiful up there!"

Shi Xiangyun opened her arms, as if she wanted to embrace the entire palace.

Shi Xiangyun was standing on the top floor of Tianxiang Tower, and there were several other girls standing on the eaves with her.

Jia Rong went up the stairs on the side of Tianxiang Tower and reached the flat roof directly.

This is where people usually watch fireworks and dry some things there, but it is closed most of the time and children are not allowed to go there.

Jia Rong climbed to the roof and looked out over the entire capital city with Shi Xiangyun, Lin Daiyu, Xichun, Jia Tanchun and others.

Apart from the Forbidden City, there are few places higher than Jia Rong's place.

Shi Xiangyun opened her hands to blow the wind, and said intoxicatedly: "What a beautiful night and scenery! It's so beautiful!"

Xichun smiled and said, "The wind is so comfortable! Normally I'm not allowed to come up here!"

Zijuan said quickly: "This place is too high. If the girls fall down and get hurt, the princess will be very worried!"

Lin Daiyu looked at the lanterns in the palace and then at the bright lights in the distance.

"You can see the beautiful scenery all around from here. If I hadn't come here once during the fireworks this year, I would definitely not have remembered that this place existed."

Only by standing on a high place can you take in the magnificent view of the entire palace.

Tanchun smiled and said, "From a high vantage point, you can see the bright moon above and the lanterns and waterside pavilions below."

Xichun smiled and said, "You can still see people holding lanterns!"

Shi Xiangyun directly suggested: "Let's drink and enjoy the moon here from now on!"

Cuilu didn't dare to play like this, and warned: "This is not allowed. It's very troublesome to carry food up and down the stairs and set the table. The girls often play until the middle of the night. The princess will not allow you to play like this."

Jia Rong said quickly, "It's almost time to go down. If the kids see us, they will come up to join in the fun. I'll build a stargazing tower at home for moon-watching and drinking, and I'll give it to you guys to play with."

Shi Xiangyun said happily: "Thank you, big brother~"

Jia Rong smiled and thought that doing that kind of thing on the rooftop was quite nice and more exciting.

Others don't know this, they just think that Jia Rong dotes on women too much and is willing to build a tall building for a woman just for a few words.

At this time, Qingyun walked into the yard and shouted upstairs: "Girls, come down quickly, the princess wants you to come down!"

Shi Xiangyun laughed and shouted, "Sister Qingyun! Got it! We'll go down right now!"

At this time, Qingyun saw Jia Rong standing with Shi Xiangyun, and shouted to the room with a smile: "The prince is back, hurry up and prepare dinner, stop playing!"

The family was not sure whether Jia Rong would come back, so they planned to have dinner later.

But since Jia Rong is back, there is no need to delay.

Shi Xiangyun, Xichun and others also ran downstairs, with Jia Rong walking at the end.

While waiting to go downstairs, I suddenly saw Tanchun in front of me looking back.

"What's wrong?" Jia Rong also looked back and found that he had not dropped anything.

Seeing that everyone in front had gone down, Tanchun came over and asked Jia Rong, "Brother-in-law, I was wrong about what happened last time."

Jia Rong smiled and said, "It's okay. The past is the past. I have already comforted those people and they have been buried long ago. The main reason is that they had a good life in our house and couldn't stand the gap after leaving."

"You saw it just now. Most of the lights outside are not as bright as ours. This is still the capital. If you were in the suburbs, there wouldn't be many lights on during the New Year. The only lighting is the moonlight."

Jia Rong and Jia Tanchun went downstairs together and comforted her, saying, "Many people are like Qingwen and Xiren. They were sold to our family by their families. They would have died at home, but they came to our family to repay their family's kindness in raising them."

"Our family has never treated them unfairly. After they came in, they were well fed and well clothed, and the work they did was not tiring or heavy. They also saved some money over the years. Although you deducted all of it and only left two taels of severance pay, if they knew how to find a way out, four or five years of salary would not be a small amount."

"If a man does not think ahead, he will have immediate worries. Just like the Rong family, even though they are descendants of a duke, they cannot escape ruin."

"The maids that were driven out of Rong Mansion before lived a much worse life than our maids. Those who should get married will get married, and those who should go home will go home. There is nothing wrong with it."

"You see, it's already very hard for me to help Jia Baoyu alone, and there's also Xiren, a maid who I promised to help all the time. Sometimes I'm not heartless, but there's really no other way. I can't take in all the maids, whether they are maids or wives, as my aunt, right? Who would be willing to be a maid then?"

Tanchun raised her hand and covered her mouth with her fan, smiling, "I thought my brother-in-law didn't know this~"

Jia Rong smiled and said, "Of course I understand. The maids and servants in the mansion should go out when they need to. They all come here to work and earn money. But you guys are different. You are all my family and the masters here. Just continue to manage the household for me in the future. Don't be afraid of anything."

Tanchun said happily, "Okay, I feel relieved when my brother-in-law says this. Otherwise, I'm afraid I won't be able to manage things."

Jia Rong said, "What are you afraid of? I remember you knelt down and said nothing. But I was afraid that if I scolded you a few more times, you would stand up and argue with me. In the end, I can only blame Fengjie. You should apologize to Fengjie later and think that she is being scolded for you."

Tanchun blushed, "I'm not that fierce, brother-in-law, don't think of me as an unreasonable person. I'm the same as my elder sister and second sister."

Jia Rong put his arm around Tanchun's waist and said, "I'm going to Yingchun's room to rest tonight. You can find a reason to send Xichun, who is in the way, to another courtyard later."

"Okay..." Tanchun responded quietly, obviously thinking about love. Everyone quickly gathered together to worship their ancestors and the moon, and then went to Dengxian Pavilion outside Tianxiang Tower to eat. This was the hall of Huifang Garden in the past, and children usually gathered here to play.

The mansion is too small, so we have to live in one courtyard and build another one. We are currently renovating the former Rongguo Mansion on the west side for the servants to live in.

The moon cannot be seen from Tianxianglou, and since it is Mid-Autumn Festival, it would be appropriate to have dinner where we can see the moon.

Jia Rong sat at the same table with the old lady, Tanchun, Yingchun and Xichun.

Standing behind the old lady were Lady Wang and Li Wan, behind Jia Rong stood Jia Yuanchun and Wang Xifeng, and behind Xichun stood Youshi.

After all, it is a big family, and the mother-in-law must have her daughter-in-law stand by and serve her when she eats.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, not only do we eat where there is a moon, but even the tables and chairs are round. The tables are too small to accommodate too many people.

Jia Yuanchun supports this kind of rule since she is the ultimate beneficiary after all.

Xichun asked curiously, "Won't the princess sit down?"

Jia Yuanchun explained herself: "I won't sit down today. I don't have to stand many times a year. I will stand and serve you today. Later, I will set rules for Ben'er Shu'er and his wives."

The old lady smiled and said, "Yuanchun is so lucky. People say that people born on the first day of the Lunar New Year are blessed. I, an old man, can't imagine that Yuanchun could become a princess."

Mrs. Wang also smiled. Indeed, no one had ever thought of such a thing, not even the Duke.

Jia Rong smiled and said, "This year, my father-in-law and Baoyu are not here, and Jia Lan is also out for training. There is no one at home, so I presided over the sacrifice again. Next year, I will let my father-in-law and Baoyu come."

The old lady said, "It's easy to deal with Lord Rong's lineage, but who will be the one to offer sacrifices to Lord Ning's lineage in the future?"

Jia Rong said, "Let Jia Jian come."

Wang Xifeng stood there in a daze and saw that the others were looking at her.

"This..." Wang Xifeng was at a loss for a moment.

Jia Rong comforted him, saying, "It's not a bad thing for Jia Jian to keep his last name Jia. When we move to the palace in the future, there will be someone to look after us. Besides, Baoyu and Miss Wang are living here, so they can be considered as our family members."

"It's fine if the other children just take my last name."

Wang Xifeng was relieved when she heard this, "I will listen to you, Master."

The others also smiled and made jokes.

Letting Wang Xifeng's son inherit Ningguo Mansion is a good thing for most people.

Firstly, Wang Xifeng was a grandmother’s daughter, not a maid. It was impossible for the Ning Mansion to let a maid’s son inherit, as this would challenge the reputation of the entire Jia family.

Secondly, Jia Yuanchun did not want her son to continue to have the surname Jia, but to become a member of the royal family.

Qin Keqing's son could also be an option, but Jia Rong still chose Wang Xifeng's son as the heir.

The old lady is still not sure whether Wang Xifeng’s eldest son is Jia Lian’s or Jia Rong’s.

But it doesn’t matter who it belongs to, they are all Jia family members.

As everyone was drinking, admiring the moon, reciting poetry and having fun, they saw a few old women holding lanterns and leading a few girls towards them quickly.

"Your Majesty, Madam Wang and Miss Wang are here to visit."

Jia Rong sat down and said, "Please."

"Yes!"

The maids and servants quickly brought up the Wang family mother and daughter and the maids and servants.

Soon the seats were rearranged, Sanchun went to one table, and Wang Xifeng and Li Wan also sat down at the same table with Sanchun.

As an elder on Jia Rong's side, Youshi had no way to avoid it, but she was not respected by her elders, so she was extremely reluctant to attend such a large banquet.

Soon, they greeted each other and sat down.

Miss Wang sat at the same table with Lin Daiyu, Shi Xiangyun, Xue Baochai, and Jia Xichun.

Mrs. Wang Ziteng was at the same table with the old lady, and Jia Rong would not give up his seat for her or avoid her.

Logically speaking, Mrs. Wang Ziteng was not qualified to sit at the same table with Jia Rong.

Since there were only three people sitting down, the old lady said to Mrs. Wang, "You should sit down too. It's a good opportunity to discuss the arrangements for the wedding."

"Yes." Mrs. Wang sat down and talked about the marriage arrangements with Aunt Wang.

Aunt Wang looked at Madam Wang, then at Jia Rong, "We are all willing to accept these arrangements, but we are afraid of disturbing the peace of the prince's home."

Jia Rong said casually, "It doesn't matter. It's better to have some fun. Our family has always liked fun, and the girls in our family are almost spoiled. If a girl like Miss Wang who is well-educated and well-mannered comes in, the girls will learn well, so that they won't go crazy and play until the third or fourth watch every day, and sleep until the sun is high in the sky in the morning."

Lin Daiyu and others lowered their heads and accepted the scolding with a smile.

Aunt Wang felt much more relieved when she saw that Jia Rong had no objection.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Miss Wang also stood up and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Jia Rong said casually: "You're welcome. There are many members of the Wang family here. Lord Wang and I are also relatives. It's only natural for me to help."

Miss Wang was about to continue expressing her gratitude when a girl in red came in, followed by five maids.

"Your Highness! The Emperor sent word in the palace that the weather has turned cold recently, and he sent five quilts to Your Highness."

After hearing this, Aunt Wang asked nervously, "Sending quilts for Mid-Autumn Festival...what does this mean?"

Mrs. Wang and the others were also wondering what this meant.

Jia Rong laughed and said, "What's the point? Seeing you reminds me of Yuanchun. I get so nervous about everything. Xiaohong, bring it up so I can see it."

Xiaohong quickly took people upstairs.

The maids nearby also made way for them, as if something big was about to happen.

Soon, Musk Moon, Xiren, Bihen, Yinglian and Qingwen came up holding quilts.

The quilt is yellow and emits a golden glow under the light.

Only the outermost layer gives a feeling of being seamlessly fitted, with a carp-like pattern engraved on it.

Each fish is made of golden silk thread, and looks like both a fish and a dragon.

What you see will be different depending on the angle of the light.

Just by looking at it, you can tell that this quilt is not something that ordinary people can afford.

Shi Xiangyun stood up from her seat, walked over and asked curiously, "What kind of quilt is this?"

Jia Rong smiled and said, "It's no wonder you don't recognize it. This is a quilt that only the emperor, empress, and royal nobles can use. It is made of golden silk and the wool of Tibetan antelopes, and the wool is the best part under the tail."

"Even quilts used by the royal family have differences in materials, craftsmanship, weight and size."

Jia Rong took the quilt from Yinglian's arms and hugged it. He smiled and said quickly, "I am familiar with the weight of this. It is used by the emperor. Take it back to the room carefully and put it away. Don't divide this one. Put it on the two beds in Yuanchun's room. Put the rest in my room in the front yard tomorrow morning."

Jia Rong looked at Wang Xifeng and said, "Go ahead, but be careful not to get it dirty."

Wang Xifeng quickly wiped her hands on her clean clothes and said nervously, "My hands are sweating. Come over here and take over the things!"

Shi Xiangyun said: "I'll do it!"

Tanchun quickly stood up and grabbed Shi Xiangyun's hand, "Stop making trouble, you just picked up something greasy with your chopsticks."

Li Wan hurriedly stood up and said, "Let me do it."

Yuanyang also stood up and said, "I'll do it."

Ping'er did not bring the children over to disturb everyone from enjoying the moon, and at this time she also took the quilt from the maid.

Jia Yuanchun quickly took Wang Xifeng and others out to put the things away.

Lin Hongyu smiled and said, "It turned out to be the quilt used by the emperor. When I first held it, I felt that it was much thicker than ordinary quilts!"

When Aunt Wang heard this, she carefully asked, "Why did the emperor send a quilt?"

Jia Rong smiled and said, "Eat, eat. Lord Wang is very careful in his official duties, so Madam always likes to have wild thoughts. Since the time when the Grand Emperor was still alive, I have often been so busy that I have to sleep with the Emperor. I have used this quilt dozens of times. The Emperor sent a few quilts here just to reward me with something because it was cold. Don't have to have wild thoughts."

How could Aunt Wang not have all sorts of wild thoughts!

(End of this chapter)