Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 28: I can't open my eyes

Chen Siyuan returned from Sisi Lane, feeling a little relieved. Thinking of what had happened to Jia She and Mrs. Xing just now, he thought to himself that these people might be treating him as a rare treasure!
The old man Sun Guangcheng is good at manipulating people's hearts. He had already calculated that Jia She was greedy, and he probably also calculated that Lady Jia would never agree.

From this perspective, Grandmother Jia is clearly offended, but she has the support of the eldest master. With one side favoring her, the other side being right, it's hard to say whether this will lead to a stalemate. And what will happen when Daiyu returns?

Chen Siyuan suddenly realized that he could no longer wait until Daiyu returned. If Daiyu returned, Jia Lian would surely return, and by then, he, the imposter, would have already fled.

While he was thinking, he reached the back door. Suddenly, a man came up to greet him and bowed, saying, "Nephew greets Uncle Yuan."

When Chen Siyuan came to his senses, he saw that it was Jia Yun who was blocking his way.

He couldn't help but wonder, "Brother Yun? Are you here to look for Sister Zhou again?"

Jia Yun said awkwardly, "Mrs. Zhou is very busy, and I, your nephew, cannot bother you lightly. Last time I received Uncle Yuan's reward, it happened just as Mother was ill. Today, Mother is getting better, and when she heard about Uncle Yuan's generosity, she scolded me profusely and hurried me over to listen to Uncle Yuan's instructions."

As he spoke, he bowed to the ground again and said, "If it weren't for Uncle Yuan's help, mother would have been in great trouble this time. Please accept my nephew's greeting!"

Chen Siyuan stepped forward to support him, saying, "We are of the same age and have similar interests. There is no need for us to be so estranged." After Jia Yun stood up, Chen Siyuan continued, "It's just a coincidence. My uncle just sent for me and told me to work with the Yin-Yang Department tomorrow to select a tomb for Rong's daughter-in-law. If you have nothing to do tomorrow, come with me to take a look."

Jia Yun was startled for a moment, then quickly agreed, "Since Uncle Yuan is busy, I will be at your service. In that case, I will be waiting outside tomorrow morning."

After the two of them settled the matter, Jia Yun returned home on his own. Chen Siyuan stepped into the Rongguo Mansion and naturally knew why Jia Yun was in a daze just now.

Qin Keqing was Jia Rong's legal wife, so logically she should have been buried in the ancestral tomb or had her remains kept in the family temple, to be buried with Jia Rong and his wife a hundred years later.

The Jia family is not an ordinary small family. The two lords Ning and Rong set up Tiekan Temple as their family temple. Qin Keqing's body should be buried in Tiekan Temple, so why should they be in such a hurry to find a tomb?

Moreover, the tombs in various locations of the Jia family's ancestral tombs had already been reserved, so there was no need to look for them everywhere.

However, Chen Siyuan knew that the Ning and Rong mansions might have different opinions on how to deal with the matter of Qin's hairpin.

According to Jia Zhen, the funeral would naturally be grand and lavish, but such a move would inevitably be presumptuous; if it were up to Jia Zheng and Jia She, then Qin Keqing, who had no children, should be buried in a feng shui-rich burial site according to the customary ancestral tomb, to avoid future trouble.

The East and West Houses each had their own agenda, but none of it concerned Chen Siyuan. While his situation had improved slightly thanks to the marriage certificate, he was still a poor relative clinging to the emperor and seeking his fortune. He should simply follow his duties and the rules, and ignore all else.

As he was about to return to his own courtyard, he suddenly saw two people emerge from the alley. The first one was dressed in silk and satin, wearing a reddish-brown cloak made of Western wool, and accompanied by a young maidservant of about ten years old. Who else could it be but Liu Yan'er?
Liu Yan'er also caught a glimpse of Chen Siyuan, her almond-shaped eyes widened as she glared at him fiercely, then she bowed and said, "Brother Yuan."

Now that Liu Yan'er was in Xue Pan's hands, Chen Siyuan had to be cautious, so he just nodded slightly and went into the house.

He thought to himself, it's only been a few days, and Liu Yan'er is already wearing gold and silver. Must she have fooled that Xue Pan? Although he and Liu Yan'er have their own thoughts, they are of the same mind when it comes to the Jia family. For the time being, there is no need to worry about Liu Yan'er selling him out.

The problem is that Chen Siyuan is intent on dealing with Sun Guangcheng and the others. Once his true intentions are fully revealed, the two will inevitably part ways... We must find a way to eliminate this threat. As for the method, it's simply to divide and win over. With the old man's precedent, it's natural to make more friends and fewer enemies.

Entering the courtyard, he looked up and saw Hongyu with a sullen face, and the maid Yunxiang also looked angry. Seeing Chen Siyuan return, the two maids came forward to greet him. Chen Siyuan observed their expressions and asked, "What's wrong? Who provoked you?"

"uncle--"

Just as Yunxiang opened her mouth, Hongyu said, "It's just a small matter. I can take care of it later. There's no need to trouble you with everything."

Yunxiang said, "Zhao Yihua has bullied us, and he is close to Master Bao. What else can I do?"

Hongyu frowned and said angrily, "How to deal with it is my business, so I'll deal with it anyway."

Chen Siyuan stopped and asked, "What's going on?"

Hongyu looked up at Chen Siyuan, her mouth closed, and Yunxiang began to speak.

But early this morning, seeing the weather growing colder and the silk screen in the main room no longer useful, Hongyu went to the storehouse manager to find a replacement. She arranged for a four-panel sandalwood screen depicting the Four Gentlemen of plum, orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo, and agreed to have it delivered in the afternoon. But no one showed up, and neither did the screen.

Unable to wait any longer, Hongyu sent Yunxiang to investigate, but the person in charge said that the sandalwood screen had been taken away by Zhao Yihua. He simply said that Master Bao could use it and then had it moved away.

Hongyu was furious when she heard this! Second Master Bao was still living at the old lady's place and hadn't moved out yet. Qixianzhai only used six-panel screens, never four. Zhao Yihua must have been using Second Master Bao's name as a pretext to move things into his own home.

The servants in the Rongguo Mansion had always been obsessed with wealth and luxury, and they had always taken advantage of the situation, not to mention it. But now they were bullying their master. Wasn't it because they thought Chen Siyuan wasn't a proper master? Otherwise, how could they have the courage to intercept him?

After hearing what the maid Yunxiang said, Chen Siyuan burst into laughter. As the saying goes, if you don't punish the diligent, don't punish the lazy, just punish the blind! Jia She had just treated him as a rare treasure, and now it was a perfect opportunity to use him to establish his authority. He was still trying to figure out where to start, but Zhao Yihua showed up on her own.

After laughing, Chen Siyuan's face turned cold and he said, "Zhao Yihua? Does he live in the mansion?"

Hongyu quickly stopped him, saying, "Master, the manager has promised to select a good screen and send it to you tomorrow. There's no need for you to get angry over these little villains."

Chen Siyuan glanced at Hongyu and knew she was thinking that since she had just arrived, she would easily be disliked if she caused trouble. Not to mention distant relatives like himself, weren't the other branches of the Jia family, such as Jia Yun, also being bullied by the servants?
Chen Siyuan was intent on asserting his authority, and had previously had a quarrel with Xue Pan, which had been resolved, but those cunning servants were still hoping for a lucky break. Now was the perfect time to have a big fight.

Chen Siyuan said coldly, "We don't stir up trouble, but we're not afraid of it either. It's natural to be kind to others, but it depends on the person. Do I have to tolerate and give in to such an unruly servant? Yunxiang, you lead the way. I want to see where the screen is!"

Yunxiang suddenly became energetic and hurried to lead the way.

Chen Siyuan was about to leave. Seeing that she couldn't stop him, Hongyu hurriedly followed him and whispered to him, "Master, think it over carefully. Zhao Yihua is your mistress's companion."

The implication is that the wife is now in charge of the household. As the saying goes, when beating a dog, you have to look at the owner first. If he hits her like this, how can the wife put her face?
Having offended the madam, how can Chen Siyuan continue to live in the Jia family in the future?
Chen Siyuan held his head high and said, "No matter what, we can't lose the rules."

At this moment, the three of them turned into the west alley. Yunxiang excitedly pointed at a house and said, "Master, this is the house!"

(End of this chapter)