Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 168 Both true and false
Who stole the Jade? Liu Yan'er?

Chen Siyuan was so shocked that he almost laughed out loud. I had thought Liu Yan'er would take all the money, but who knew she only took the Jade instead of anything else.

Not to mention that Chen Siyuan didn't like Baoyu as a person, just because he repeatedly blocked his marriage with Lin Daiyu, Chen Siyuan would never be nice to him.

Thinking carefully, apart from the previous relationship between him and Liu Yan'er as master and servant, Liu Yan'er would be considered a concubine of the Xue family from now on. Besides, this escape must have been the work of Jia Lian, so what did it have to do with Chen Siyuan?

Given Liu Yan'er's temperament, Jia Lian must have made preparations long ago, perhaps renting a house nearby, thinking of hiding her in a golden house. Liu Yan'er would definitely stay quiet for a while, waiting for the rumors outside to ease before escaping the capital.

If this is indeed the case, then we can find this girl by simply following Jia Lian's trail. If we want to eradicate this trouble, it won't be too late to take action after Liu Yan'er leaves the capital.

After making up his mind in an instant, Chen Siyuan raised the corner of his mouth, then frowned and said solemnly, "Sister Xue, are you joking? Liu Yan'er is just a mentally retarded woman. How could she go out in broad daylight?"

Baochai said anxiously, "I'm not joking, I really can't find any trace of Liu Yan'er!"

Baochai observed Chen Siyuan and saw that although his expression was odd, his eyes were calm, so any slight doubts in her heart were immediately dispelled. She thought that it made sense. Brother Yuan was so talented and had repeatedly won the top spot in the Imperial College. He was destined to win the first place in the imperial examination and be on the gold list one day. Why would he take such a risk for a magical jade that he had no use for?

"Is this really not a joke?" Chen Siyuan frowned. "I need to tell my second sister-in-law about this... Sister Xue, please keep quiet. Relax on the outside, but be vigilant on the inside. Liu Yan'er definitely doesn't have the ability to escape the mansion on her own. She must have been secretly assisted by someone who benefited from her. Furthermore, the Rong Mansion has strong connections with the military, even the patrol officers have influence. Even if she escaped from the Jia family, she won't be able to escape the capital for a while."

Baochai listened to his clear and logical reasoning and quickly agreed: "Brother Yuan is right. I will keep it quiet for now."

Chen Siyuan nodded, turned around and walked back. After a moment, he arrived at the large painted screen wall, knocked on the door and entered Fengjie's courtyard.

It was already dark, and only Sister Feng and Ping'er were talking in the room. When the maid Feng'er reported that Chen Siyuan had come to visit, both of them were surprised. Sister Feng quickly put on her clothes and ordered Ping'er to lead Chen Siyuan in.

After a while, Ping'er led Chen Siyuan inside.

Chen Siyuan bowed slightly and, without waiting for Sister Feng to speak, said, "Second sister-in-law is in trouble. Xue's concubine Yan'er has escaped, and before she left, she probably stole Brother Bao's spiritual jade!"

"Ah?" Feng Jieer was naturally shocked and asked hurriedly, "What's the reason for this? Brother Yuan, I hope you've made a mistake."

Chen Siyuan said, "Sister Xue told me this herself. She couldn't find Liu Yan'er anywhere in the garden. How could this be false? Second sister-in-law, please close the doors and windows immediately and send out people to search thoroughly. If we delay... I'm afraid the Spiritual Jade will be lost forever."

Feng Jieer was a man of swift action. She immediately frowned and ordered, "Ping'er, inform the gatekeepers at all places that no one is allowed to come in, but no one is allowed to leave. Even if the master takes someone out, they must investigate thoroughly."

Ping'er agreed and hurried out to give instructions.

Sister Feng bit her lower lip and thought, "This is a serious matter, and my shoulders are too narrow to bear it. I'm afraid I should tell my wife."

Chen Siyuan said, "Second sister-in-law, what you said makes sense, but... the old lady is old after all, so it's better to keep this matter secret for the time being."

Grandmother Jia was the pillar of the Jia family, but because of her imperial title, the emperor had to show some favor to the Jia family. Therefore, even if Jia She and Lady Wang were fighting for power with Grandmother Jia, they never had the intention to kill her.

They knew very well that when Lady Jia was alive, the situation in Rongguo Mansion was one way, but when Lady Jia was gone, it would probably be another.

Sister Feng thought it made sense and nodded, saying, "I thought so too." After a pause, she added, "Brother Yuan, if you have nothing to do, why don't you accompany me?"

This is because Chen Siyuan knew the whole story clearly, and Feng Jieer was afraid that she would not be able to explain it clearly.

Chen Siyuan nodded in agreement, and the two of them went straight to Lady Wang's courtyard without even taking the maid with them.

Soon they arrived at Lady Wang's courtyard. She had already returned and was sitting in her room, silently reciting scriptures. When she heard that the two of them had come together, she was immediately surprised.

Jin Chuan'er led the two of them inside. Mrs. Wang saw Feng Jie'er's serious expression and her heart skipped a beat. She asked in a choked voice, "What happened?"

Just as Feng Jieer was about to speak, Chen Siyuan hurriedly said, "Madam, please send the attendants away."

Sister Feng finally realized what was happening and said, "This is a serious matter and we can't let outsiders know about it."

Mrs. Wang nodded and sent Jin Chuan'er and Yu Chuan'er away.

Sister Feng looked back and made sure that there was no one else around, then she hurriedly told Mrs. Wang about the theft of the spiritual jade.

Chen Siyuan had been paying attention to Mrs. Wang's expression and saw that she was staggering. Fortunately, Sister Feng was quick to support her and prevented her from falling off the chair.

He thought to himself, could it be that this magical jade is real?
After Mrs. Wang calmed down for a moment and came to her senses, she shouted, "Look for it! Even if you have to dig three feet underground, you must find it. It is Baoyu's lifeblood!"

Feng Jieer quickly glanced at Chen Siyuan, who stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Madam, don't worry. Second sister-in-law has just ordered the doors to be locked. No one is allowed to enter, but no one is allowed to leave. Furthermore, we must check the door control. Liu Yan'er is just a woman. Even if she is capable, how could she have escaped without anyone noticing? I think there must be a traitor."

Mrs. Wang suddenly realized something and gave Sister Feng a push, saying, "Quick, go and find out. We must get the Jade back!"

Seeing that Mrs. Wang was at a loss, Sister Feng did not dare to delay. She responded twice and turned away.

Only Chen Siyuan and Madam Wang were left inside. Seeing Madam Wang's panic, Chen Siyuan walked over and poured her a cup of tea, handing it to her, saying, "Madam, have a cup of tea to calm your nerves."

Mrs. Wang frowned as she took it, tears welling in her eyes as she said, "What shall we do? That thing is Baoyu's lifeblood. If the old lady got wind of it... I don't know what kind of fuss it would cause."

Chen Siyuan pondered and said, "Madam, I am a little presumptuous..."

Before he could finish, Madam Wang said, "It's already this late. If Brother Yuan has any ideas, please tell us." After a pause, she continued, "Yes, Brother Yuan has the best ideas. Liu Yan'er was your maid before. Do you know where she is hiding?"

Chen Siyuan smiled bitterly and said, "I don't even know why she fled, so how can I know where she's hiding?" He paused, then said, "Now that things have come to this, we must first cover it up. Now I see that Brother Bao is fine... May I ask, Madam, is there anything mysterious about the spiritual jade?"

Mrs. Wang stammered, "He's carried it since his mother's womb. He's always had it with him... Although there's nothing magical about it, Baoyu has always been healthy and healthy while wearing it, and he's never had any serious illness."

How could Chen Siyuan believe it? Baoyu had been meticulously cared for since childhood, even Daiyu had to avoid him when she caught a cold. How could he fall seriously ill for no apparent reason? It seemed that the authenticity of the magical jade was uncertain.

Because of this, Chen Siyuan said, "For the time being, it's only right to relax on the outside and tighten on the inside. Liu Yan'er was able to escape from the mansion, so it must be because of a traitor. Even if it's not for the Spiritual Jade, this traitor cannot be tolerated."

Seeing Madam Wang nod, Chen Siyuan continued, "As for the future, Madam, I'm afraid you'll have to make preparations for both scenarios."

"Which two moves?" asked Mrs. Wang.

"If the Jade is found, everything will be easy," Chen Siyuan said, looking at Madam Wang. "If it can't be found in a short time, even if it's just to reassure the old lady, I might have to resort to some trickery."

"A fish out of sight?"

Chen Siyuan said, "The Imperial Household's Imperial Household Department is home to a group of skilled craftsmen. Madam, why don't you have someone make a replica of it? Even if the Jade of Inner Power is found someday, it wouldn't be easy for Brother Bao to wear it. It would be better to have a replica so he doesn't have to worry if he loses it."

Mrs. Wang hesitated and said, "Is this... feasible?"

Chen Siyuan whispered, "When the false becomes true, the true becomes false."

Madam Wang's heart was clearly moved. She shifted a little, frowning again as she asked, "But what will happen to this thing in the future?"

"Isn't this easy?" Chen Siyuan said with a smile, "Since it's a magical jade, it must have some mysterious aspects. This magical object may want to understand the various aspects of human life, so it flew away. When it returns one day, I think it will have experienced the mundane world and will protect Brother Bao from now on."

Mrs. Wang's expression changed several times, and it was unclear what she was thinking. After a while, Mrs. Wang sighed and said, "What Yuan-er said... is not necessarily a bad idea. However, this matter cannot be handled by outsiders. Since it was Yuan-er who suggested it, can I entrust this matter to him?"

Since Chen Siyuan wanted to sell himself well, he naturally did his best to make good things happen. He immediately bowed and agreed, "Okay, I will go to the Imperial Household Department tomorrow."

Mrs. Wang said worriedly, "I'm afraid Brother Yuan doesn't know the shape of that thing."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Madam, do you have any charcoal pencils?"

Mrs. Wang frowned and thought, "I don't have any charcoal pencils, but I do have two pine soot ink eyebrow pencils."

He immediately stood up and took the eyebrow pencil. Chen Siyuan took it and looked at it. It looked like a pencil, but the lead was soft and triangular.

Chen Siyuan asked Madam Wang for more paper, tested it briefly, and then began sketching quickly. His sketching skill came from a past life; he couldn't remember whether it was a childhood hobby or self-taught while working, but he did have some basic skills.

After a while, Chen Siyuan stopped writing and showed the paper to Mrs. Wang: "Madam, please take a look. Is there any difference between this and the Spiritual Jade?"

Mrs. Wang took one look and was immediately delighted: "I had no idea that Brother Yuan was capable of such things!" She nodded quickly and said, "Then I'm relieved. Brother Yuan, please tell me in private how much money I need to spend."

Chen Siyuan waved his hand and said, "Liu Yan'er was once my maid. It's quite unbecoming for Madam to mention money."

Madam Wang frowned and said, "What are you talking about, Brother Yuan? Even if she was your maid before, didn't she go to the Xue family within half a day after entering the mansion? The Xue family even held a banquet!"

Her worries were gone, and Mrs. Wang couldn't help but blame the Xue family. They couldn't even control their own concubines, so how could this family be considered a good match?

It would be fine if the magic jade is found, but if it is not found, the Xue family will never be able to let this matter go easily!
Just as she was thinking about it, Jin Chuan'er suddenly came to the door and reported: "Madam, the concubine is here."

Madam Wang frowned and sighed, then looked at Chen Siyuan and said, "Brother Yuan—"

Chen Siyuan was very tactful and said with a bow, "In that case, I will return home first. I will take care of this matter tomorrow morning and will report back to you when I have the news."

"Okay, Jin Chuan'er, please see Yuan off for me."

Jin Chuan'er agreed, and hurriedly took a lantern and led Chen Siyuan out. Jin Chuan'er spoke to Yu Chuan'er again, and Yu Chuan'er led Aunt Xue back inside.

Chen Siyuan and Aunt Xue happened to bump into each other. Aunt Xue was extremely anxious at the moment, so she just nodded slightly to Chen Siyuan and passed by.

Jin Chuan'er led Chen Siyuan into the garden. From a distance, Chen Siyuan caught sight of flickering lights all around him and wondered if the Jia family's maids and servants were still searching. Recalling Lady Wang's recent actions, he had a vague feeling that the magical jade...was also fake!
Thinking about it, one can probably understand Lady Wang's thoughts. After the premature death of her eldest son, Jia Zhu, Lady Wang was left with a pearl in her old age. She was worried that the second wife would lose her legitimate son, which would cause Lady Jia to lean towards the first wife. So, she simply created a magical jade.

It was also a coincidence that this time it was a boy, who was then put together with the magical jade, and naturally the old lady loved him very much.

Who knew that this move would only backfire. Because of the magical jade, Baoyu had been raised by the old lady since he was a child, and even his biological mother, Lady Wang, could not control him. As a result, she and Lady Jia gradually developed resentment.

In the end, when the fake item was lost, Mrs. Wang was afraid that Lady Jia would fall ill again due to her anxiety, so she backed down and did what she had just suggested.

Of course, all of the above was Chen Siyuan's conjecture, and the truth was unknown. However, he had no interest in the spiritual jade at the moment.

On second thought, Liu Yan'er's escape must have been facilitated by Jia Lian. I wonder what the couple will do if Sister Feng finds out about this.

Arriving at his own courtyard, Chen Siyuan said goodbye to Jin Chuan'er, who had come to see him off, and leisurely entered the courtyard. He immediately embraced Xiangling, who had come to greet him, and said, "We ran out of whale oil last time, did you buy some more?"

Xiangling blushed immediately and said, "Master was half dead the past few days. Could it be that he is trying to cause trouble again?"

Chen Siyuan said in a low voice, "This is a different time."

Third Sister You was particularly wild in bed, and Second Sister You was a charming woman, so it was understandable that he couldn't resist her. But if he couldn't handle the sisters You, how could he handle Xiangling and Hongyu?
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Without mentioning the situation in the small courtyard, it is said that Feng Jieer was furious. After closing the doors and windows, she called all the doormen from various places to her courtyard in the afternoon and interrogated them one by one.

The maids at the Yimen and Corner Gates all shook their heads, saying they hadn't seen Liu Yan'er. When Qin Xian's wife, who was guarding the garden's east corner gate, came forward, Sister Feng asked her the same question, and Qin Xian's wife also shook her head repeatedly.

Sister Feng frowned and slammed the table, saying, "Don't try to fool me. I'll definitely find the housekeeper to question her later, but if anything doesn't add up, don't even think about letting this go!" Qin Xian's wife knew Sister Feng was powerful, and her heart trembled as she pondered a bit more. She said, "Yes, at that time, Second Master Zilian left for Ningguo Mansion through the East Corner Gate, accompanied by a young servant who looked unfamiliar."

Feng Jieer was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly glanced at Ping'er to ask. Ping'er shook her head silently, indicating that Mr. Lian had not returned yet.

Feng Jieer's heart skipped a beat, but she still had to ask the question, so she immediately said, "Did you see the boy's face clearly?"

"Well, the boy had his head down and was behind Master Lian, so he didn't see it."

Sister Feng gritted her teeth, her heart already certain that this was most likely done by Jia Lian! She immediately cursed Jia Lian's ancestors for eighteen generations, and she wanted to find him and eat him alive.

If this matter were to get out, not only would Jia Lian be in trouble, but I'm afraid Feng Jie would also be implicated.

Ping'er was very considerate and said, "Second Master has to take care of household affairs every day, so it's not surprising that he brings a servant with him."

Qin Xianjia hurriedly said, "Yes, yes. Apart from that, there is nothing else to say."

Feng Jieer patiently asked them one by one, and threatened them with a stern face before sending all the maids and servants away.

As soon as they left, Fengjie'er's eyes immediately turned red. She pulled Ping'er and cried, "I get up early and go to bed late every day, offending people everywhere, for whom? But he is a useless person! If you want a girl, just ask me and give me the money. Why bother doing something so useless?"

Ping'er was also furious and said, "Madam, you know the Second Master's character. He always likes those kind of seductresses!"

Feng Jieer cried, "Now that things have come to this, what should I do? If I can't find out the truth, how am I going to get through to Madam? If Madam is dissatisfied, I'm afraid she'll investigate herself. How will I be able to cover it up then?"

Ping'er consoled her, "Don't worry, Madam. The first thing we need to do now is to get the Jade Jade back... As for the Second Master and that vixen, we'd better deal with them later."

Feng Jieer nodded while sobbing. Just then, Feng Er outside said, "The Second Master is back!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Jia Lian, smiling, opened the curtains and walked in, holding a red gold necklace inlaid with emeralds and jadeite. Having just stolen Liu Yan'er from the house, Jia Lian felt a little sorry for Sister Feng, so he gave her some money to make amends.

Well, Mr. Lian's thoughts are the same as those who have cheated on their wives. He probably feels guilty, so he is trying to make amends.

"Look at this...Huh? Who provoked you for no reason?"

Sister Feng looked at them coldly with a frown, snorted and stood up. Ping'er hurriedly took Feng'er out.

Feng Jieer glanced around and caught sight of the sword hanging on the wall. She took two steps forward and took it down. Then the sword came out of its sheath with a clang.

Jia Lian was so frightened that his face turned pale. He asked, "You, what are you doing?"

"What?" Feng Jieer gritted her teeth and whispered, "Second Master has done such a useless thing. I'm afraid he won't be able to explain it to the concubine and the mistress, and I won't be able to explain it to them either. So, why don't we be a pair of star-crossed mandarin ducks?"

Jia Lian was so frightened that his soul was about to burst out. He trembled and said, "You, what are you talking about?"

"What nonsense?" Sister Feng approached, sword in hand, frightening Jia Lian so much that he retreated step by step, and soon he was leaning against the wall. Sister Feng gritted her teeth and said, "Second Master, do you think you can do this without anyone noticing? Qin Xianjia has told you everything, and you disguised her as a servant and went through the East Corner Gate to Ningguo Mansion, and you still think you are so meticulous?"

"Ah?" Jia Lian shuddered with fear, and the golden hairpin fell to the ground with a clang. Fortunately, the bottom of the hairpin hit the ground first, so the emerald jadeite was not broken. He immediately bowed and begged for mercy, saying: "I was also bewitched for a while... It was all Liu Yan'er's fault. You, you didn't let me get close to you even though you were recuperating. I couldn't hold it in any longer--"

Feng Jieer's heart was broken, and she wished she could cut this man into pieces. She said, "You've been asking me for money every three or five days. Thirty taels today, a hundred taels tomorrow. I know you've been thinking about wild things since you came south. But I don't care how you flirt with women outside, but you can't be so unrestrained in the mansion, right?"

Jia Lian bowed repeatedly and said, "All the mistakes are my fault. Please forgive me this time."

"Forgive?" Feng Jieer sneered, "Oh, I can't say I can forgive you. Second Master, you should go and ask Madam for mercy."

"Did you tell Madam?" Jia Lian, still in the dark, asked, "What has this to do with Madam?"

"Tsk!" Sister Feng said, "You probably don't know yet, but Liu Yan'er took Brother Bao's spiritual jade with her before she left!"

"Ah?" Jia Lian was shocked.

Just then, Ping'er returned and offered solace, "Second Master, this is absolutely true. If it is indeed Second Master who took Liu Yan'er out of the mansion, please quickly retrieve the Spirit Jade... If this matter gets brought to the attention of the old lady, I'm afraid there will be no peaceful resolution!"

Jia Lian's face changed several times. He stamped his feet angrily, lifted his robe, turned around and left.

Feng Jieer lost her sword, wiped her tears and said to Ping Er, "Go, send Wang Er to follow him and see where he has hidden the person!"

Ping Er knew Sister Feng'er's temper and knew that her grandmother had murderous intentions, so she tried to persuade her: "Grandma, please..."

Unexpectedly, Feng Jieer glared at her and Ping'er could not continue speaking. She sighed and went to find Lai Wang.

After Ping'er left, Sister Feng stood there, pondering for a moment. Lai Wang could only find the ruffian Ni Er, she thought. If Jia Lian protected her, he wouldn't be able to do anything to that vixen. She had to find another helper... After some thought, Sister Feng suddenly remembered Chen Siyuan.

Liu Yan'er was originally Chen Siyuan's maid, and now Chen Siyuan has been implicated, so he must be very anxious. If I go find Chen Siyuan and talk to him, he will definitely not tolerate this matter going astray!
Having made up her mind, Feng Jieer didn't even bother to put on her makeup again. She stared at her red and swollen eyes, led Feng'er and went to look for her behind.

............................................................

But it was in the main room of Lady Wang's courtyard.

Aunt Xue sighed and apologized for a long time, then scolded Liu Yan'er bitterly. God had mercy on her, she had always looked down on Liu Yan'er, and if her beloved son had drunk too much and dragged this woman into the room, and the incident became known to everyone, how could Aunt Xue accept it?

Afterwards, Liu Yan'er acted obediently and Aunt Xue gradually let down her guard. Who could have known that such a thing would happen?
When she heard about this, she hurried to find Mrs. Wang to express her anger. She was furious and sent Baochai to give her some money, determined to find out the reason behind this.

Because of Yuanchun's appointment as a concubine, Lady Wang looked down upon the Xue family even more, and she never mentioned the golden marriage she had once supported. She had been unsure how to bring it to light, but this ready-made excuse had come to her.

Mrs. Wang's face was ashen, and she kept her eyes closed and chanting, spinning the Buddhist beads in her hand rapidly, without saying a word to Aunt Xue.

Seeing Mrs. Wang like this, Aunt Xue became anxious and couldn't help but say, "Sister, please at least say something. You can't kneel down and beg me as your younger sister, can you?"

Mrs. Wang finally opened her eyes upon hearing this and sighed, "Perhaps the Spiritual Jade has been in this situation to protect Baoyu from a calamity. There's no need to be so anxious, my sister."

"This..." Dujie had already said it, how should Aunt Xue respond?

At this moment, Yuchuan'er came in and said, "Miss Bao is here."

Aunt Xue thought that no matter what, Baochai would always be able to overhear something, so she quickly ordered, "Let her in quickly."

Yuchuan'er glanced at Mrs. Wang and saw that she had no instructions, so she turned around and led Baochai in.

Baochai came in and nodded to Aunt Xue first, and Aunt Xue then breathed a sigh of relief.

Baochai politely greeted Mrs. Wang and said, "I just had someone snoop around and got a piece of information, but I don't know if it's true."

Mrs. Wang's expression changed, and she asked hurriedly, "What letter?"

As the saying goes, a valiant man is always brave enough to face a great reward. How could the Xue family, having spent hundreds of taels of silver, return empty-handed? Just now, a housekeeper came to report that she had seen Second Master Lian leading a servant toward the East Corner Gate at dusk. The housekeeper vaguely recognized the servant; it was Liu Yan'er, who had changed her appearance.

It would have been fine if it was just a woman's words, but with the little nun from the Jade Emperor Temple as evidence, it was confirmed. Now that the Xue family was in dire straits, they were having so much trouble that they couldn't care less about that damn Jia Lian.

Sister Bao immediately reported what the two had said to Mrs. Wang.

Mrs. Wang was dumbfounded. It would have been fine if only Liu Yan'er had gone, but how could it be linked to Jia Lian?
At this moment, Aunt Xue frowned and asked, "Sister, could it be that the eldest wife was behind this?"

Madam Wang blinked and quickly shook her head, saying, "No matter how foolish the eldest wife is, she wouldn't do such a thing."

If they wanted to steal the Jade, they could have just spread the story privately. Why drag Liu Yan'er along? Mrs. Wang thought to herself that this was probably Jia Lian's own decision. Which of the Jia family men wasn't lustful?
Even Jia Zheng, who prided himself on being a gentleman, upright and pedantic, was completely captivated by Aunt Zhao. It must be that Jia Zheng, at his advanced age, was no longer able to handle Aunt Zhao. Otherwise, do you think Jia Zheng wouldn't bring a beautiful woman home?
Mrs. Wang thought carefully. Jia Lian was a womanizer. Besides, Feng Jieer was recuperating recently and would not allow Jia Lian to get close to her... Wouldn't he do something stupid under such pressure?
Although Feng Jieer was Lady Wang's niece, she was the eldest wife of the first wife and was on the side of the old lady, so Lady Wang would not miss the opportunity. But even if she wanted to suppress Jia Lian and Feng Jieer, she had to find the spiritual jade first.

Mrs. Wang then called Yuchuan'er and said, "Go to the back and see if Lian'er has returned. If she has, ask her to come see me. If she hasn't come back yet, ask Feng'er to come see me."

Yuchuaner agreed and turned around to look behind.

Mrs. Wang's expression softened slightly, and she said to Aunt Xue, "I didn't expect this matter would involve Lian'er... What do you mean?"

Aunt Xue also nodded sadly: "Yes, who would have thought that Lian'er would——"

That Liu Yan'er was no ordinary maid; she had been formally married into the Xue family's family as a concubine after a banquet. Jia Lian was truly a despicable fellow. There were plenty of beautiful maids in the mansion, so why did he have to seduce the Xue family's concubine? If this got out, it would be really disgraceful!

Mrs. Wang said, "Forget it. My sister has been worried about you for a long time. It's getting late now. Go back and get some rest."

Aunt Xue agreed, stood up and took Baochai away.

Mrs. Wang escorted the Xue family mother and daughter to the main door, then returned to her seat. After a short wait, Yuchuan'er hurried inside to report, "Madam, the Second Master and Second Mistress are not home. Only Sister Ping'er is in the room. I just asked the maid at the ceremonial gate, and she said that Second Master Lian returned and then left again in a moment. He left in such a hurry that I don't know what he was doing."

Mrs. Wang had a clue in her mind, thinking that Jia Lian might have gone to look for the magical jade. She nodded slightly, and the Buddhist beads in her hand began to turn more slowly.

............................................................

But Feng Jieer went to the back to look for Chen Siyuan. Chen Siyuan welcomed her in, and Feng Jieer said nothing more but told him what she was thinking.

Chen Siyuan, eager to eliminate future trouble, readily agreed. Lai Wang had been expected to arrive late at night to deliver the news, but just as Sister Feng was about to leave, Yunxiang, a maid, led Lai Wang's wife inside.

Feng Jieer was very surprised and asked, "Why are you here?"

Lai Wang's wife bowed, looking at Chen Siyuan hesitantly, and Feng Jieer said, "But did Lai Wang send a letter? You can tell me, there's no need to hide this from Brother Yuan."

"Yes," Lai Wang's wife agreed, and hurriedly said, "My husband followed the Second Master, but he went around and went to the back street of Ningrong. He saw the Second Master go into the fourth house in Caosui Lane, so my husband quickly found the back door nearby."

Feng Jieer immediately sneered and said, "Great, it seems that the light is dark!" She then looked at Chen Siyuan and said, "Brother Yuan?"

Chen Siyuan nodded solemnly: "Okay, I'll go with my second sister-in-law!"

Sister Feng then ordered Lai Wang's wife, "Go and call a few capable servants to bring sticks!"

Lai Wang's wife quickly agreed.

Chen Siyuan and Feng Jieer left the courtyard and when they reached the back door, there were seven or eight servants holding whistles waiting for them.

Feng Jieer said, "Today I have only one errand to do. Listen to my instructions. If you do it well, you will all be rewarded later!"

Seven or eight people shouted in response, and then followed the two of them to Caosui Lane.

Caosui Lane was right next to Xiaohuazhi Lane, and the group entered the lane in just a moment. Seeing the fourth house brightly lit, Sister Feng was about to order someone to knock on the door.

Chen Siyuan hurriedly stopped her and whispered, "Second sister-in-law, Second Brother Lian is still inside. It would be inappropriate to argue with him. Why don't we wait a while until Second Brother Lian leaves?"

(End of this chapter)