Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 262 The Aftermath Has Not Subsided
Zhan Guang looked around and, taking advantage of the absence of others, quickly recounted the strange case. Chen Siyuan was astonished upon hearing it; Jia Yucun was practically pointing his finger at Jia Zheng and cursing him, no wonder Jia Zheng was so furious!

After bidding farewell to Zhan Guang, Chen Siyuan entered through the side gate again. Just as he passed Qixianzhai, he saw Li Wan leading Suyun and Biyue hurriedly approaching from afar.

Li Wan caught sight of Chen Siyuan and quickly stepped forward to ask, "Brother Yuan, Baoyu got beaten? What happened?"

Chen Siyuan mumbled, "I just arrived. I only heard that it was someone from the Prince Zhongshun's mansion. I don't know why the master got angry."

Li Wan frowned slightly and bid farewell to Chen Siyuan. However, as soon as she entered Qixianzhai, she heard Madam Wang cry out "My child!" and then "My flesh!" from the main room. She then cried out, "You died long ago in place of Zhu'er. If Zhu'er had been kept alive, your father wouldn't have been angry, and I wouldn't have wasted my life worrying. But if something were to happen to you now, and you leave me behind, who would I rely on!"

Just then, Li Wan arrived in the courtyard. Upon hearing these words, she stopped abruptly, tears streaming down her face. She swayed for a moment, and Su Yun and Bi Yue, seeing that something was wrong, called out "Grandma" and rushed forward to support her.

Feng Jie came out to greet her and saw Li Wan looking distraught and weeping bitterly. She knew perfectly well that what Madam Wang had said had struck a nerve with Li Wan. However, Ping'er had gone to fetch the imperial physician, and Feng Jie was without anyone to help her at the moment. Just then, she spotted Chen Siyuan still at the door and quickly waved, saying, "Brother Yuan, come quickly!"

After calling out, Fengjie went up to Li Wan and whispered a few words to her. She then comforted her, saying, "Madam is also worried about Baoyu. Why should you take it to heart, sister-in-law?" After a pause, she quickly instructed the two maids, "There's nothing to do here for now. You two quickly help sister-in-law back first."

Then he said to Chen Siyuan, who was walking over, "Brother Yuan, please take my sister-in-law back for me."

Chen Siyuan bowed in agreement, and then an old woman inside said, "Second Madam, Second Master's clothes are stuck to his flesh, what should we do!"

Feng Jie could no longer care about anything else and quickly turned around.

Seeing Li Wan weeping uncontrollably, Chen Siyuan could only sigh, at a loss for words. He whispered a few words of encouragement, then had Suyun and Biyue help Li Wan walk to the back.

They traveled in silence. Chen Siyuan escorted Li Wan to Daoxiang Village before turning back. He had originally planned to find Baochai and settle things properly, but before he had gone far, he heard someone calling him from Ouxiang Pavilion.

Chen Siyuan turned his head to look and saw Daiyu standing on tiptoe, beckoning from inside. Behind her, apart from the maids and old women, the second young lady Yingchun was also there.

Chen Siyuan thought to himself that Yingchun and Daiyu were probably wondering the same thing. He then moved into the Lotus Fragrance Pavilion, exchanged greetings with each other, and before Daiyu could ask, Chen Siyuan said, "I arrived late and didn't know the reason. I only heard that someone from the Prince Zhongshun's mansion came by, and then the master got angry and no one could persuade him. He took Brother Bao and beat him severely."

Yingchun frowned and said, "I see."

Daiyu glanced at Chen Siyuan but said nothing.

Yingchun asked a couple more questions about Baoyu's condition, sighed, and then hurriedly returned to Zhuijin Tower, as it was already close to lunchtime. Daiyu was also going back to Xiaoxiang Pavilion, and Chen Siyuan happened to accompany her.

After crossing the Bee-Waist Bridge, the Second Miss headed west to Purple Lotus Isle. Chen Siyuan and Daiyu walked a short distance together, when Chen Siyuan suddenly said, "I don't believe you don't know the reason."

Chen Siyuan stopped and looked around before smiling and saying, "Your teacher has come to back you up."

Daiyu stopped and looked up, her delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly as she waited for Chen Siyuan to explain.

Chen Siyuan briefly recounted the strange case he had heard, paused, and then said, "Afterwards, the Prince Zhongshun's mansion came to Baoyu to ask about Qi Guan's whereabouts, and Jia Huan blocked the ceremonial gate to file a complaint. All of this caused your uncle to become very angry."

Daiyu curled the corners of her lips and said, "I didn't expect that I was involved in this."

It's hard to say which of these three things was dominant; it's just that they added fuel to the fire, which is why Baoyu got a good beating.

Chen Siyuan added, "Previously, Governor Jia asked me to visit tomorrow. If you have any messages to convey, please just tell me."

Daiyu pondered for a moment and said, "I'm afraid it's too complicated to explain in just a few words. I'll write a letter later and send it to Xueyan. I'll have to trouble you, Brother Yuan." As she spoke, Daiyu curtsied.

Chen Siyuan smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Since there's nothing else, then you can go back first, and I'll go back too."

Daiyu agreed, then turned and led her maid back to Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Chen Siyuan strolled along and soon returned to the thatched cottage. Hongyu, Xiangling, and Wu'er were all there, but the gossipmonger Yunxiang was nowhere to be seen... He guessed she was probably out looking for information?

Several maids were also puzzled by what had happened today. Chen Siyuan didn't want to explain clearly, so he only said a few vague words. Suddenly, an old woman outside said, "The First Madam has arrived!"

Madam Xing has arrived? Chen Siyuan hurriedly got up to greet her, and as soon as he reached the door, he saw Madam Xing leading Miao'er and Tiao'er in a hurry.

Before he even arrived, the words were already out.

"Young master, I just came from Qixianzhai. The second wife's explanation was vague. What exactly happened? How did it escalate into such a big conflict?"

Chen Siyuan remained silent for a moment, but Madam Xing immediately understood and instructed, "You all go and play, I'll have a chat with the boy."

All the maids agreed and left the main room. Chen Siyuan and Madam Xing entered the room and complained, "Fourth Brother can stand by himself now. I was just teasing him when I heard that Baoyu was almost beaten to death."

Chen Siyuan curled his lip and said, "He brought it on himself."

He roamed around as an actor, gave away his private gifts, neglected his studies, sexually assaulted his mother and maids, and forced his way into women's quarters... When all these things are counted, how is he any different from those纨绔子弟 (spoiled brats) who fly hawks and ride horses, bullying men and women?
Oh, right. Those spoiled brats only bully others outside, but Baoyu is a bully at home, only daring to act like a king at home. And that doesn't even include the fact that when the Prince's steward tricked him, Baoyu immediately revealed everything about Jiang Yuhan. To put it kindly, he's naive; to put it bluntly… he's utterly irresponsible when things come to a head, betraying his friend to escape responsibility!
Chen Siyuan spoke briefly with Madam Xing, and then noticed that Madam Xing's eyes were gleaming, and he wondered what she was planning.

Chen Siyuan frowned immediately and asked, "What are you planning to do now?"

Madam Xing then whispered, "Little...you, you have to help us, mother and daughter."

Chen Siyuan asked in surprise, "What do you mean by that?"

Madam Xing said bitterly, "The old lady is getting on in years. Who knows how many more years she can live? Once the old lady is gone, who will be in charge of this household?"

In terms of rank, the eldest son's family naturally deserves it; in terms of influence, Yuan Chun is now a virtuous consort, and Lady Wang also has the Wang family as her support. If they really start fighting, who knows who will be in charge of the Rongguo Mansion in the future?

Chen Siyuan knew that Madam Wang had long regarded the Rongguo Mansion as her own, and was just waiting for the old lady to leave so that she could use means to drive the eldest son's family out.

What means?
Ah, just look at how Jia Lian and Feng Jie only have Qiao Jie by their side, and you can tell a thing or two. With such methods, who knows if they won't use them on the other members of the main branch in the future?

Chen Siyuan already knew about the coup at Tiewang Mountain, and immediately frowned and said, "How can you possibly defeat the second wife?"

Madam Xing was speechless for a moment, then said angrily, "I knew you looked down on me... Fine, fine, for the sake of Fourth Brother, you should at least help me this once, right?"

Chen Siyuan was taken aback. Yes, Fourth Brother was the second son of the eldest son's family. With Jia Lian gone, it was naturally Fourth Brother's turn to inherit the title. If Lady Wang really had evil intentions, and Fourth Brother was this age, she might be the first one to deal with.

Chen Siyuan was no saint; he'd side with those in the right and those with relatives. After all, his fourth brother was his own flesh and blood, how could he stand by and watch him go home empty-handed?
So he said, "Of course, no matter what, I will always protect you and your daughter."

Madam Xing felt immediately relieved and smiled, saying, "That's it! In everything, it's always better to strike first than to be caught off guard. Now is a perfect opportunity to let the second branch of the family create chaos on their own."

"You mean-"

Madam Xing smiled and winked, saying, "Don't underestimate that vixen, Aunt Zhao. Although her reputation isn't good over the years, she has both a son and a daughter, which is a hundred times better than Aunt Zhou. If these two really fight, Aunt Zhao has the support of the Old Madam and Second Uncle!"

Chen Siyuan pondered to himself that because of him, the balance in the mansion had already been broken. With Grandmother Jia getting old, the people in the mansion would only become more biased towards Lady Wang in the future. If things were to escalate now…wouldn't that be a good thing?

After thinking it over for a while, Chen Siyuan said, "Don't worry about this matter. Someone will talk to your wife about it."

Chen Siyuan was thinking of Aunt Xue or Xiren, but Madam Xing misunderstood and nodded, saying, "Yes, it's time to put Bao'er to good use!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Siyuan was both amused and exasperated. Madam Xing was in high spirits for a while, but seeing that Wu'er was waiting outside with a food box, she reluctantly took her leave.

Wu'er and the others brought in the food box and served Chen Siyuan his dinner. Then Yunxiang rushed in, calling out "Grandpa, Grandpa!" all the way, to deliver the news.

In the end, Yunxiang was just a maid. Even if she was a busybody, she could only find out bits and pieces of information. How could she possibly know the whole story? Yunxiang's replies were very fragmented. They were either "Jin Chuan'er hugged Miss Yun and cried bitterly", or "Master went to the east courtyard", or "The old lady couldn't eat and smashed her teacup".

Chen Siyuan didn't care about Jin Chuan'er or Grandmother Jia; he was only concerned about why Jia Zheng was looking for Jia She at this moment.

Thinking to herself that it was getting late, and that Madam Wang would probably call Xiren to question her soon, Xiren was better than Aunt Xue for this matter of sending messages and instigating.
Having made up his mind, Chen Siyuan thought it wouldn't be wise to seek out Xiren again. Hongyu and Xiangling were too conspicuous, and Wu'er... that girl might not be able to handle this matter well. So Chen Siyuan's gaze fell on Yunxiang, and he beckoned her over, then whispered some instructions in her ear.

Yunxiang blinked, and before she could ask, Chen Siyuan said, "If you handle this matter well, I'll give you an extra string of cash next month."

Yunxiang's eyes lit up immediately, and she patted her chest, saying, "Don't worry, sir, I won't even eat, I'll go and keep watch right away!"

He immediately turned and ran away in a flurry.

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

Study outside the east courtyard.

After a brief exchange, Jia She said, "Why is my second brother so angry? That Prince Zhongshun has always had a grudge against our family. Why let him instigate us?"

Jia Zheng frowned and said, "It's also because Baoyu is really disappointing!"

Giving away personal gifts and neglecting one's studies is one thing, but it's just the usual behavior of a spoiled brat. But to wander around as a courtesan, commit adultery with one's mother and maids, and force one's way into a woman's private quarters is something else entirely!

First, her forceful entry into the woman's private quarters directly provoked Jia Yucun to come and mock her, even with implied threats. You must know that Jia Yucun is now a second-rank official, and who knows when he will return to the imperial court, or at the very least, become a minister, or even a high-ranking official to advise on military affairs.

Such a person is not someone to be easily offended.

Let's talk about those vagrant actors. Don't be fooled by the fact that no one seems to care about Jia Lian's affair with his servants, and everyone seems used to it. This is because those servants are all chosen from among the handsome and innocent young men born into the household, so they're naturally safe from contracting sexually transmitted diseases. But what kind of person is Jiang Yuhan? To put it nicely, he's a star; to put it bluntly, he's an actor!
The fact that the Chief Secretary of the Prince of Zhongshun has come knocking on his door shows that this person is the Prince's favorite. Who knows how many other people Jiang Yuhan has connections with in private? Baoyu's close relationship with him might hinder his ability to have children in the future.
Finally, regarding the matter of the woman who violated his mother's maid, Jia Zheng, out of hatred for her, naturally wouldn't covet Jin Chuan. However, nominally, Jin Chuan and the others were prepared for him. What your parents give you is yours; if they don't want it, can you forcibly take it? That's unfilial!

As for Jin Chuan'er jumping into the well, it damaged the reputation of the Rongguo Mansion, which made Jia Zheng furious!

Jia Zheng rambled on and on, saying, "...After failing to rape her, Jin Chuan drowned herself in a well. If this wretched child isn't disciplined, she might end up without a ruler or father in the future!"

Jia She asked in surprise, "Second brother, wait a moment. Who told you that Jin Chuan'er is dead?"

"Ah?" Jia Zheng was so angry that not only his servants but even his guests kept their distance, so who would tell him the truth? "Jin Chuan'er isn't dead?"

Jia She was also surprised and said, "She's not dead. It just so happened that Yuan-ge'er returned to the manor and saw Jin-chuan'er had jumped into the well. Yuan-ge'er jumped in himself and saved her."

"This..." Jia Zheng was speechless for a moment, only then realizing that he had been deceived by Jia Huan. But upon closer reflection, Jia Huan only said that Jin Chuan had jumped into the well, but never said whether Jin Chuan was dead or not.

In front of Jia She, Jia Zheng gritted his teeth and said, "Even if he didn't die, wouldn't this have tarnished our family's reputation?"

Jia She was impatient. He was preoccupied with the latex business in Tianjin and had no time to deal with the dirty affairs of the second wife's family. So he said vaguely, "Fine, it's your family's business. You can make your own decisions."

Jia Zheng paused for a moment before saying, "Brother, Yu Cun has come to visit today... I think you should move Yu'er's property back first."

Jia She had already pawned his scattered family property for money. Now, even if he could come up with the money, given his temperament, how could he possibly spit out the fat meat that was already in his mouth?
Therefore, he said, "Second brother, do you not trust me? Just leave your niece's property in the east wing. When she gets married, I will have my own plans."

Jia Zheng frowned and advised, "Yu Cun is not what he used to be, and he has also received Ru Hai's dying wish to entrust his son to him, this..."

Jia She grew increasingly impatient and sneered, "Neither Yuan-ge'er nor Yu-er said anything, so why bother with what Jia Yu-cun said? It's getting late, I think Second Brother should go back and deal with family matters first."

Jia Zheng opened his mouth to try to persuade him again, but seeing that Jia She was extremely impatient, Jia Zheng knew that he couldn't reason with him, so he could only sigh and get up to leave.

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

Before evening that day, the three sisters first went to Qixianzhai to visit, then Xiangyun came to see them, and later Baochai and Daiyu came together.

However, Xing Xiuyan was having her period that day and couldn't walk properly, so she only sent her maid, Zhuan'er, to take a look at her.

Speaking of Baochai and Daiyu alone, once inside, Daiyu became completely silent, and Baochai only spoke to Xiren. Xiren remembered what Chen Siyuan had said earlier, but she didn't voice Mingyan's thoughts.

Since Baochai and Daiyu only stayed for a short while, they said goodbye and left together.

Then, Sister Feng came to ask Baoyu what he wanted to eat, and Grandmother Jia and Aunt Xue both sent people to inquire. Around dusk, several older women who frequently visited, including Zhou Rui's wife, Wu Xindeng's wife, and Zheng Haoshi's wife, came in to pay their respects upon hearing that Baoyu had been beaten. Baoyu, having taken his medicine, drifted off to sleep. He saw Jiang Yuhan enter, recounting the matter of Zhongshun Mansion arresting him, and then Jin Chuan enter, weeping about her suicide attempt for him. Half-asleep, Baoyu paid no attention to either. (Note 1)

Xi Ren chatted with the group for a while before seeing them off at the door. Just as she was about to turn back, she suddenly heard a cat meowing. Looking closely, she saw a small figure waving at her from the side gate diagonally opposite Qi Xian Zhai. However, it was already dark, and Xi Ren couldn't make out the details.

After a moment's thought, Xiren moved closer and saw clearly that it was Yunxiang, Chen Siyuan's maid.

"Jia Hui?"

"Yunxiang!" Afraid of being seen, Yunxiang quickly retorted, "My master said that if Madam asks about it later, you can just tell her the second half of what Mingyan said."

Without waiting for Xiren to think it over, she turned around and ran away in a flash.

Xiren frowned in thought, pondering the latter part of what Mingyan had said... Wouldn't that mean implicating Jia Huan? But if Madam questioned Mingyan later, how could she possibly keep it from Master Xue?
However, since she had been given the order, Xiren had no choice but to comply.

As luck would have it, just as Xiren returned to Qixianzhai, an old woman outside said, "Xiren, Madam wants to see you."

Xiren quickly agreed, wondering if Master Yuan was some kind of prophet. Little did she know that Yunxiang had been waiting for quite some time without seeing Xiren come out. Only then did she finally lose her patience and beckon Xiren to come and talk to her.

Xiren went inside and gave Musk Moon and the others some instructions, then turned around and followed the old woman to Madam Wang's main room.

Lady Wang was sitting on a cool couch, fanning herself with a banana leaf fan, when she saw Xiren arrive. She quickly inquired about Baoyu's condition. Xiren explained in detail that Baoyu had not been able to eat, so Lady Wang hurriedly went to find rose dew and osmanthus dew.

Xiren took the document and was about to leave when Madam Wang said, "Stop. I just remembered something to ask you."

Xiren quickly turned around, and Madam Wang said with a stern face, "I vaguely heard that Baoyu was beaten today because Huan'er said something to Master. Did you hear that? If you heard it, tell me, and I won't make a fuss and let people know that you said it."

As expected, they asked!

Xiren dared not be negligent and followed Chen Siyuan's instructions, saying, "I didn't see or hear anything myself, but when I asked Mingyan, she said that Huan-ge'er stopped Master in front of the Yimen Gate and said a lot, which made Master very angry."

Upon hearing this, Madam Wang was taken aback at first, then gritted her teeth and cursed, "You lowly servant, I knew it was you stirring up trouble behind my back again!"

At this point, the husband is in charge, and even though Jia Zheng had previously killed Jia Zhu, the couple had only become estranged, and Jia Zheng never visited Lady Wang's room again. So what could Lady Wang do now that she had killed Bao Yu?

She can't touch Jia Zheng, but she has plenty of ways to deal with Aunt Zhao and her son!

Xiren's words immediately gave Madam Wang someone to vent her anger on. Madam Wang then disregarded everything else, got up, called for help, and stormed off to Aunt Zhao's courtyard.

Xi Ren was caught between a rock and a hard place. After thinking it over, she decided to wait in the main room.

Meanwhile, Madam Wang led her entourage into Aunt Zhao's courtyard. Aunt Zhao awkwardly came to greet them, but seeing Madam Wang's unfriendly expression, she quickly said, "Madam, what brings you here..."

How could Madam Wang possibly tolerate this? She stepped forward and slapped Aunt Zhao across the face, spitting out, "You lowly hussy, do you think you're a mistress just because you slept with Master? I haven't even settled the score with you from last time, and now you're instigating Master to beat Baoyu. Bah! You think that without Baoyu, it's your turn to stand up for yourself in this mansion? Keep dreaming! Slap her!"

The two old women shouted in response and stepped forward, slapping Zhao Yiniang left and right with both hands, until blood seeped from the corners of her mouth in the blink of an eye.

Aunt Zhao's crying and pleas for mercy were of no use. She hardened her heart and shouted, "Master, save me! Madam is going to beat me to death!"

Jia Huan, who was hiding in the room at that moment, saw that Madam Wang had used such force and immediately rushed out shouting, "Why are you hitting people? Stop it!"

Madam Wang was in a fit of anger, and pointed at him, saying, "This is another troublemaker! Take him, take him, beat him!"

Just then, another old woman came forward to grab Jia Huan. Jia Huan was terrified, fearing he would lose his life. In desperation, he bent down and bumped his head into the old woman's arms, letting out a cry of pain and knocking her backward. Taking advantage of the remaining space, he no longer cared about Aunt Zhao and ran away crouching low.

Just as they reached the courtyard gate, they bumped into Tan Chun leading Shi Shu and others to visit Aunt Zhao. By sheer coincidence, Jia Huan knocked Shi Shu off balance.

Tan Chun, with her sharp eyes, grabbed Jia Huan and glanced at Aunt Zhao's courtyard. She was immediately taken aback and asked, "Mother, what... what's going on?"

Madam Wang glanced coldly at Tan Chun and sneered, "Don't pretend to be a dutiful daughter. You all came from this whore's belly. Who are you trying to fool with your act of filial piety?"

The moment those words were spoken, Tan Chun felt as if she had been struck by lightning! Over the years, she had worked diligently, and even if she had a slight concern for Aunt Zhao, she would suppress it and always put her stepmother, Lady Wang, first in everything. She had originally hoped that if she could win Lady Wang's favor in the future, she could mediate and reconcile the two.

To everyone's surprise, Madam Wang actually said such a thing! Tan Chun felt a chill in her heart, knowing that Madam Wang's previous actions were just for show, and that she probably never considered herself a daughter in her heart!

At this moment, Jia Huan struggled to break free, crying out, "Third Sister, let go quickly, or Madam will beat me to death!"

The old woman who came to take Jia Huan also got up and cursed, "You filthy son of a servant, where do you think you're going!"

Tan Chun blankly let go of his hand, and Jia Huan staggered, trying to run away again. Suddenly, a loud shout came from outside: "What kind of behavior is this, making such a racket!"

When Jia Huan looked up and saw that the person was Jia Zheng, he immediately rushed over as if grasping at a straw, crawled on his knees, and hugged Jia Zheng's leg, crying and wailing, "Father, Madam is going to beat my mother and me to death! Father, save us!"

Jia Zheng frowned immediately and said, "Get up and speak." After Jia Huan released him, he moved to the front of Aunt Zhao's courtyard. Seeing that Aunt Zhao's head had been beaten into a pig's head, he frowned and asked, "Madam... what happened?"

Lady Wang was originally as fiery as Sister Feng. After being tormented by Grandmother Jia for years, she had finally started to eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist prayers. Now that she finally found an outlet for her resentment, she couldn't stop it anytime soon.

Therefore, she said to Jia Zheng, "Why do you ask when you already know the answer? If it weren't for this little hussy's mischief, how could you have broken Baoyu?"

Jia Zheng had originally intended to reprimand Jia Huan, but seeing this situation, he immediately felt rebellious. So he said, "What wrong has Huan'er done? Huan'er didn't say anything wrong about Baoyu sexually abusing his mother's maid!"

"You—" Madam Wang was so angry that she felt dizzy. Madam Wang had tacitly approved of Jin Chuan'er's private affairs with Bao Yu, but she just couldn't bring herself to say it now.

Jia Zheng added, "Even if this hadn't happened, I still want to give Baoyu a good scolding today!"

Madam Wang was trembling with anger. Seeing that things were not going well, the old woman next to her, fearing that Madam Wang would say something drastic, quickly stepped forward and said, "Madam, let's go back first. We can talk about it later."

Lady Wang felt desolate. If it weren't for saving face, she would have divorced Jia Zheng on the spot.

She stood there blankly, like a walking corpse, as the old women ushered her back to her room. Having witnessed the whole spectacle, and seeing Lady Wang so distraught, Xiren quickly returned to Qixianzhai herself.

Leaving aside Lady Wang's situation, Jia Zheng stood at the door, glanced at Tan Chun who was weeping uncontrollably, and sighed, "Tan Chun, you should go back now."

Tan Chun wiped away her tears, curtsied, and left without saying a word. She only glanced at Aunt Zhao before leading her maid away.

Aunt Zhao finally saw her savior and crawled over to hug Jia Zheng's leg, crying and pleading, "Master, you saw it all, waah... Please, Master, do justice for me!"

Jia Zheng had a headache for a while; truly, even an upright official finds it difficult to settle family disputes. He immediately ordered Aunt Zhao to get up, and after she entered the room, he turned around and looked at Jia Huan sternly, saying, "Who taught you to speak like that during the day?"

Jia Huan looked ashamed and drooped his eyes. After a long while, he said, "No, no one taught me... Son, I have never lied."

"Look at me. Who told you to leave your sentence in halfway?"

Jia Huan was so frightened that he stood frozen, unable to speak to Jia Zheng. He could only look to Aunt Zhao for help.

Ignoring the injuries on her face, Aunt Zhao hurriedly came to plead, "Master..."

"Get out!" Jia Zheng shoved Aunt Zhao aside and stepped forward to slap Jia Huan hard across the face.

Snapped--

Jia Huan, with Xuan'er pinned to the ground, covered his face and burst into tears: "Waaah—"

Jia Zheng scolded, "What a wretched child! Now you've even learned to frame your own brother. No matter what, Baoyu is still your brother. Instead of showing respect and affection, you maliciously frame him. What are you thinking?"

"master--"

Jia Zheng turned to look at Aunt Zhao and scolded, "Stupid woman, if you instigate Huan'er to do bad things again in the future, I will immediately find someone to sell you out of the mansion!"

Aunt Zhao was so frightened that she immediately fell silent.

She was born a maid, and in terms of rank, she was not as good as the young ladies who had reformed and become concubines. She could be sold off at will.

Inside, Aunt Zhao remained silent, only looking pitifully at Jia Huan; Jia Huan continued to sob. Jia Zheng felt his headache worsening, and he staggered two steps to sit on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed), sighing, "What a misfortune for our family... what a misfortune for our family!"

What use is a family fortune if the wife is unvirtuous, the sons are unfilial, and the brothers are at odds? It would be better to sever the three thousand roots of afflictions, seek out a famous mountain temple, and become a monk to end it all.

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

It was past midnight. Below Tubi Mountain Villa, behind the Provincial Villa.

Baochai was hiding at the back gate of the villa when she suddenly heard footsteps approaching. She looked up and saw a dark figure quickly descending the steps.

Baochai curled the corners of her lips and flashed out. The dark figure saw her, chuckled, and quickly approached.

A crescent moon hung on the willow branch. By the light of the moon, Sister Bao glanced around and, sure enough, it was Chen Siyuan who had arrived.

Baochai then asked, "How did you know I was waiting here?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "I knew you would be waiting for me here."

During the day, the atmosphere was bustling and noisy. Baochai had a lot to say to Chen Siyuan, and Chen Siyuan felt the same way.

The two exchanged a smile, and Baochai said, "Poor Ying'er is still guarding the edge of the manor."

Chen Siyuan said, "Let her keep watch for now, let's talk for a while."

"Ah."

After Baochai agreed, Chen Siyuan took her hand, and the two moved together to the side building behind the villa. There were eaves and corridors here, so they would not be easily seen.

Sister Bao said, "I've been thinking about this for a long time. Brother Bao is usually unruly and associates with those kinds of people. He also neglects his studies. I'm afraid Uncle is already angry. If we give Brother Bao a beating and he changes his ways, it might actually be a good thing."

Chen Siyuan scoffed and said, "You still have the mind to care about him? Who knows, it might implicate your family in the future."

Baochai was very surprised and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Chen Siyuan then fabricated a story: "Yunxiang overheard that time, and Mingyan told Xiren that the matter of Jin Chuan'er was due to Huan Laosan's false accusation, while the matter of Baoyu's relationship with Qi Guan was blamed on Wenlong."

"Huh?" Baochai was immediately annoyed and said, "What an ungrateful servant! My brother moved to the old house a long time ago and has only come here a few times recently. How could he have time to spread that matter around?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "I also thought it had nothing to do with Wenlong... Baoyu and Jiang Yuhan openly mingled together without hiding anything from anyone. The Prince Zhongshun's mansion would know the inside story as soon as they heard about it, so of course they would come knocking on our door."

Baochai pondered for a moment, then frowned and said, "This is not good... If Aunt offends my family, how can my family rely on the Rongguo Mansion for protection?"

Chen Siyuan said, "Sister, there's no need to rush. If Madam asks about it in the future, just let that wicked person reveal his whereabouts. With his evil words, Madam will naturally not believe him."

Baochai's eyes lit up immediately, and she asked, "Does Mingyan have any clues?"

Chen Siyuan nodded and said, "The secrets of the law should not be passed on to six ears. Come closer and listen."

In her eagerness, Baochai didn't think much of it. As soon as she tiptoed closer, Chen Siyuan grabbed her and sealed her cherry lips with his...

(End of this chapter)