Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 318 A World of Crystal: White Snow and Red Plum Blossoms
Hearing that the guards of the Prince's Mansion were still waiting at the gate, Chen Siyuan dared not delay and hurriedly left the Grand View Garden, arriving at the front hall in no time.

At a glance, the newcomer looked extremely familiar. The guard spotted Chen Siyuan and quickly stood up, saying, "Chen Xiaolian, the Prince is waiting. Shall we go now?"

Chen Siyuan nodded in agreement and followed him out of the side gate of Rongguo Mansion. Seeing that a carriage from the Prince's residence had already been prepared, he became increasingly hesitant. So, just before getting into the carriage, he asked, "Um...I wonder what business Your Highness has with me?"

The guard tossed his head and said, "His Highness only instructed me to bring Chen Xiaolian back to the palace; he knows nothing else."

Chen Siyuan gritted his teeth, got out of the carriage again, tugged at the guard's sleeve, and casually tossed him a silver note, saying with a smile, "Brother, please give me a word of advice."

The guard's eyes darted around, and he coughed lightly, lowering his voice, "Chen Xiaolian doesn't know, but Princess Shou'an has been suffering from a cold for over a month, and she almost developed lung abscess..."

Chen Siyuan blinked, still unable to understand what Princess Shou'an's cold had to do with him. Just as the guard was about to urge them to depart, Chen Siyuan suddenly remembered how he had haphazardly concocted garlic extract and cured Jia Lan…

Yes, Prince Yanping and the current emperor are brothers, and Prince Yanping is highly trusted by the emperor. He also controls the Censorate. Prince Yanping has used garlic extract a few times and even sent some to the Eastern Palace. It's hard to say that the spies in the Censorate didn't overhear him and then present it to Prince Yanping.

Thinking it better to be prepared, Chen Siyuan told the guards to wait a moment and sent Yu Liu to quickly relay a message. Allicin is difficult to preserve, so he naturally didn't have any at the moment. However, by chance, he had prepared some houttuynia cordata extract through distillation and condensation.

Although its effects are unclear, at least it gives him a response when King Yanping inquires.

A short while later, Yu Liu indeed obtained two small porcelain bottles from the ceremonial gate, and excitedly ran outside to hand them to Chen Siyuan.

The guards urged him on, and Chen Siyuan didn't even have time to give a reward. He quickly got into the carriage and headed straight for the Yanping Prince's Mansion in the east.

Two quarters of an hour later, they arrived at the Prince's Mansion. Chen Siyuan alighted from the carriage, where Ding Daolong, the head of the Prince's Mansion's kitchen, was already there to greet him.

Upon seeing Chen Siyuan, Ding Daolong frowned and said, "Why are you so late, Scholar Chen? The Prince has been waiting anxiously. Come with me quickly!"

Ding Daolong turned and left, with Chen Siyuan quickly following beside him. After passing through one palace gate and then another mansion gate, Ding Daolong led Chen Siyuan to the Hanguang Hall. He whispered for Chen Siyuan to wait a moment, then flicked his whisk and went inside to inform the others.

Then, King Yanping said, "Bring that lazy good-for-nothing in to me!"

Chen Siyuan secretly shrank his neck, thinking that Yan Pingwang's tone was not quite right, and he would have to be more careful later.

A moment later, Ding Daolong led Chen Siyuan inside. Chen Siyuan, keeping his nose down and mouth down, respectfully stepped forward to greet him: "Student Chen Siyuan greets you—oh!"

With a snap, a scroll landed on Chen Siyuan's shoulder. Chen Siyuan looked down and saw Jin Ping Mei? It was an illustrated edition from the Chongzhen era.

Looking up, one could see that King Yanping was no longer as lazy as usual; his brows were furrowed, and he was indeed very annoyed.

Then Prince Yanping said, "Chen Shuliang! If I hadn't summoned you, would you not have come to the Prince's residence to pay your respects? Let me ask you, that garlic... what was it again?"

"Your Highness, it's allicin."

King Yanping slammed his hand on the table and said, "It's allicin! If there's such a good remedy, why did you conceal it?"

Chen Siyuan replied, "Your Highness, it is merely a folk remedy, and its effectiveness is still unknown. How could I dare to present it to Your Highness?"

"Enough with the nonsense. Shou'an has been suffering from a cold for over a month and now has lung abscess. Quickly bring over the garlic extract."

"Yes." Chen Siyuan bowed and accepted, then took two porcelain bottles and a piece of paper.

Ding Daolong took it and turned to present it to King Yanping.

Chen Siyuan then said, “Your Highness, allicin is not easy to preserve. These two bottles contain houttuynia cordata extract made by my student. I do not know its efficacy. The paper on the paper lists the method for making allicin.”

Without even glancing at it, King Yanping waved his hand and ordered, "Quickly take it to the back and make garlic extract."

Ding Daolong readily agreed, turned around and called over a young eunuch to pass the message to the back.

Having received the allicin prescription, King Yanping breathed a sigh of relief, which calmed his anger somewhat. Seeing Chen Siyuan still standing in the hall, he softened his tone and said, "Alright, sit down and answer my questions."

Chen Siyuan thanked him and carefully found a chair to sit down.

Then King Yanping said, "How come I heard that Xue the Fool is dead?"

Chen Siyuan cupped his hands in greeting and then recounted the circumstances of Xue Pan's violent death.

The King of Yanping said with amusement, "He's courting death."

That's right! Chen Siyuan tried to stop him several times but couldn't! Sometimes Chen Siyuan even wondered if Xue the Fool would have lived a few more years if he hadn't stopped him. There's really no way to say such a thing.

Before Chen Siyuan could reply, King Yanping asked, "Has there been any change in your marriage to that Xue family girl?"

"This—" Chen Siyuan knew he couldn't hide it, so he told the truth: "Although Auntie wanted Baochai to inherit both branches of the family, Baochai was worried about the succession... She told me in private that she planned to follow Daiyu's example and only inherit the Xue family lineage."

"anything else?"

Chen Siyuan looked up and saw Prince Yanping stroking his chin with a playful expression. After thinking for a moment, he replied, "Also... it seems that the master intends to betroth his second sister, Yingchun, to me."

After waiting a moment, seeing that Prince Yanping did not speak, Chen Siyuan hurriedly said, "Your Highness, please rest assured, I am determined to join the ranks of the upright officials and will never marry into the Jia family."

"Pah! You? A scholar?" Prince Yanping scoffed. "It's one thing for you to let the Lin family's daughter inherit the family line, but now you're planning to let the Xue family's daughter inherit the family line too. What scholar in the world can marry two wives who inherit the family line?"

"what?"

“Chen Shuliang, the Xue family are imperial merchants. You have no connection with the Xue family, and you have long been out of touch with the Qingliu faction.” Prince Yanping picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, “As for the Jia family’s daughter, you can marry whomever you want. As long as you don’t meddle in the Jia family’s affairs in the future, you won’t be held responsible.”

"This—" Chen Siyuan scratched his head, completely baffled as to what the prince was thinking.

"Don't understand?" King Yanping put down his teacup and said, "Fine, I'll give you a few pointers. You gained my approval for opening ports, attracting thousands of customers, and establishing money shops. Do you think that everything will be fine after you pass the imperial examination?"

Chen Siyuan was both amused and exasperated, and quickly said, "Your Highness, that's not what we said before."

“I never said you were going to be one of those purists who do nothing but seek fame and fortune.” He paused, then slowly added, “When I recommend someone, I’m looking for someone with the ability to get things done.”

Chen Siyuan sighed inwardly, knowing that his dream of becoming a scholar-official was probably over. He said with resentment, "Your Highness, I want to join the ranks of scholars because I want to get promoted quickly. As the saying goes, a higher rank can crush you. If I become a minor official in the future, even if I want to do something practical... I will be powerless to do so."

Prince Yanping said, "You're so slick! I might as well tell you the truth. Your Majesty feels that the trend of idle talk in the court is rising, and you intend to reform the official system. In the future, the good thing of being promoted just by talking will probably be over."

Chen Siyuan sighed inwardly, wondering why he was so unlucky. How come he was the only one who could get a fast track to becoming a Hanlin scholar or a censor?

Oh well, what's done is done. I still have some ability to handle things. If I do my job well, I'm sure I'll get promoted soon.

Seeing Chen Siyuan's dejected expression, King Yanping felt somewhat relieved. The two talked for a while, until the Queen sent a eunuch to invite him away, at which point King Yanping finally sent Chen Siyuan off.

Traveling back to Rongguo Mansion in the Prince's carriage in a gloomy mood, Chen Siyuan decided not to return to Qingtang Thatched Cottage and instead went straight to Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

With Granny Wang absent, only Zijuan was tending to two young maids sweeping fallen leaves in the courtyard. Hearing the commotion, she turned and saw Chen Siyuan approaching. Zijuan immediately greeted him with a smile, "Master Yuan!"

Chen Siyuan stepped forward with a bitter face and asked, "Is Lin Meimei here?"

"Yes, young lady. She just took a nap and is having tea now. Please come in, Master Yuan."

Chen Siyuan agreed and followed Zijuan along the path. They saw old women using fishing nets and sleds to dredge fallen leaves from the stream. Soon they arrived at the entrance of Xiaoxiang Pavilion. Zijuan informed him, and Chen Siyuan went around the screen and entered.

Looking up, she first glanced into the study, but couldn't see Daiyu. Turning her head to the west, she finally caught a glimpse of Daiyu sitting upright in front of the dressing table, letting Xueyan do her hair and makeup.

Chen Siyuan hesitated slightly before stepping into the bedroom. Xueyan greeted Chen Siyuan with a smile and then carefully braided Daiyu's hair. Daiyu remained still, slightly raising her eyes and saying, "I heard this morning that guards from the Prince's mansion came looking for you. Did you go to the Prince's mansion?"

"Yes," Chen Siyuan muttered to himself, rubbing his stomach. "The Prince of Yanping is really mean. He kept me until almost noon, then sent me back without even offering me lunch."

Daiyu glanced at him sideways and said with a smile, "Prince Yanping is now a favorite of the emperor. Many people want to see him but can't, yet you still have so many complaints."

“The world is big, but the belly is the biggest…” As Chen Siyuan spoke, he simply moved his chair and sat back casually, propping his arm against the back of the chair, resting his chin on his arm, and said with a frown, “Besides, the prince didn’t say anything nice to me this time.”

Hearing that Chen Siyuan was not in high spirits, Daiyu quickly looked at herself carefully in the mirror. Just then, Xueyan put a gold hairpin in her hair and said, "Miss, it's done."

Daiyu responded with a sound of agreement, then turned to Chen Siyuan and said, "You don't seem very happy. Did the Prince say something unpleasant?"

Chen Siyuan said with distress, "I have been scheming and planning, hoping that even if I don't enter the Hanlin Academy, I can still become an official who speaks out against wrongdoing. Who knew that the prince would say that this path is blocked."

Daiyu said, "If this road is blocked, there are other roads to take. Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

Chen Siyuan shook his head and sighed, "My sister doesn't understand."

Daiyu immediately pouted and said, "I don't understand. Perhaps only Sister Bao understands?"

"Hmm?" Chen Siyuan came back to his senses and, seeing Daiyu's coquettish little face, couldn't help but laugh: "Why are you so upset with Bao-mei? She's upset too."

Daiyu's teasing expression faded, and she couldn't help but miss Baochai a little, so she said, "It's a pity I can't go to the Xue family, otherwise I would definitely want to talk to Baochai. When will she be able to return?"

“We’ll have to wait until after the funeral, which is still almost twenty days.” After a pause, knowing that Daiyu only had Baochai as her close friend in the mansion, Chen Siyuan said, “Since Baochai won’t be back for a while, why don’t you talk to your cousin, third sister, and fourth sister more often?”

"Do you need to tell me?" Daiyu tilted her head and smoothed her hair. "Sister Xing comes every two days. Third Sister is busy with household affairs and has been coming less often lately. Fourth Sister comes more often."

At this moment, Zijuan and Xueyan had already brought tea and snacks. The two maids smiled at each other, and Xueyan then said playfully, "Miss, Zijuan and I will go out and play first. You and the young master can talk for a while longer."

Having said that, seeing Daiyu's pretty face instantly flush red, Xueyan giggled and pulled Zijuan away.

Daiyu got up, about to get annoyed, but then she saw that the two maids had already turned away from the screen, so she pouted and said angrily, "That Xueyan!"

Turning her head to look over, she saw that Chen Siyuan was still listless and didn't make fun of her, so she breathed a sigh of relief. Daiyu was a little worried again, so she leaned over and said with a smile, "Xiangling came by this morning and asked me how to write poetry. She asked me about the wording and how to write a poem about how the smoke is straight."

Chen Siyuan then said, "Xiangling is confined to her home, so naturally she has never been to the borderlands or seen the desert. Let's see. If things don't go well for me as an official in the future, I will simply resign and take my sister and Xiangling to the desert to see how the smoke rises straight."

Daiyu moved to the warm pavilion and sat down, smiling as she said, "You can only do what you say for now. If you really want to become an official in the future, I'm afraid you'll be thinking about scheming all the time again."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "My sister knows me best."

Only then did Chen Siyuan take a closer look and see that Daiyu was wearing a pale yellow, round-necked robe embroidered with bamboo leaves and plum blossoms, and a crab-shell blue skirt with scattered flowers. Perhaps in a very good mood, her embroidered shoes were swinging back and forth.

The clothes looked a little bulky on Daiyu, probably because she had recently gained weight and the clothes were deliberately made a size too big when they were tailored.

Seeing this beautiful scenery, Chen Siyuan felt a little relieved and had another idea. He simply got up and sat down next to Daiyu.

Daiyu scolded, "You're sitting properly, why do you have to squeeze in?"

Chen Siyuan said, "It's winter now, and the chairs are cold, so I'll just squeeze in with my sister."

"Then squeeze in."

Chen Siyuan leaned back, supporting himself with his hands, and sighed softly, feeling quite content. He recalled how, in the past, every time he met Lin Daiyu, she would inevitably launch into sarcastic remarks. Now, not only could they speak politely, but they could also sit side-by-side in the warm pavilion; it was truly astonishing.

Seeing that he was quite content, Daiyu straightened her slightly tilted body and said, "Your sister-in-law's two younger sisters have arrived. You probably haven't met them yet, have you?"

Chen Siyuan said, "I really haven't seen them before. I heard they are all beautiful young ladies?" Seeing Daiyu nod with a smile, Chen Siyuan continued, "I'm afraid that your aunt and two younger sisters won't stay long. They'll be moving out in a few days."

Daiyu asked in surprise, "How did you know? My sister-in-law said it herself yesterday. She'll only stay for three to five days, and then she'll move out."

Chen Siyuan opened his mouth to speak, but swallowed his words back and said, "There are some things that you already know, so why ask when you already know?" Daiyu pondered for a moment, then frowned and sighed, "It's all his nonsense that has ruined the reputation of the sisters in the garden. Second Sister will be seventeen next year, and she still hasn't been married."

The "he" I'm referring to is, of course, Baoyu. This fellow has caused a lot of trouble this year; first he stayed at the Grand View Garden, which inevitably tarnished the reputations of all the young ladies in the garden.

Fortunately, Chen Siyuan used his skills to move Baoyu to the Qixianzhai at the front; otherwise, this bad reputation would probably have followed the girls in the garden forever.

Chen Siyuan followed up with Daiyu, saying, "My sister-in-law's two younger sisters are just coming of age. Although they haven't said it outright, they intend to come to the capital to find husbands. It's only because the old lady spoke up that they can stay for a few more days. I'm afraid they won't be able to stay any longer."

Upon hearing this, Daiyu couldn't help but feel a little fortunate. If she hadn't been engaged to Chen Siyuan so early, she probably wouldn't have been able to find a husband right now and would have had to think of Baoyu. Thinking of this, Daiyu felt even more disheartened, and her fear of Grandmother Jia grew even stronger.

Neither of them spoke for a moment, and Daiyu stopped swinging her embroidered shoes. After a while, a noise came from outside. It was Zijuan who entered and said through the display cabinet, "Miss, the nanny has returned from the master's house. She said that the master will be able to arrive in the capital the day after tomorrow."

Daiyu responded, her face brightening with joy. Chen Siyuan then said, "Then I will go to the Tears-Shedding Pavilion to welcome you the day after tomorrow."

"Ah."

Chen Siyuan stood up and was about to take his leave when he suddenly remembered something. He frowned and said to Daiyu, "Governor Jia said last time that the Emperor intends to put him in charge of the Ministry of War. I also heard a few days ago that Lord Wang is currently making moves to try and get the position of Grand Marshal. Sister, please be careful so that you don't end up being resented by others."

"Is that so?" Daiyu frowned slightly and asked suspiciously, "Official business has nothing to do with me. Surely my aunt wouldn't hold a grudge against me?"

Chen Siyuan whispered a warning: "You know what kind of person your wife is. If she gets really angry, she won't care about anything else."

"Well, I saved that."

Having explained the matter, Chen Siyuan took his leave. Daiyu saw Chen Siyuan off, then returned to her room, frowning in thought. Xueyan asked her several times, but Daiyu shook her head and remained silent. Knowing that Xueyan couldn't hide her feelings, she found a moment to speak with Granny Wang.

This startled Granny Wang, who said, "It's better to believe it than not. Young Master is always very careful. Since he said so, I think Miss should be extra careful. When you go to Madam's place, you shouldn't eat or use things indiscriminately."

Daiyu nodded repeatedly, keeping the matter in mind.

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

Several days passed quickly, and Chen Siyuan chose a day to go to the Tears-Shedding Pavilion to welcome Jia Yucun back to the capital. Because Jia Yucun was currently extremely popular, people flocked to welcome him like a swarm of locusts crossing a river. Chen Siyuan could only exchange a few words with him briefly before riding off back to the capital.

Two days later, Chen Siyuan came to Jia Yucun's residence again. This time, Jia Yucun talked with him in the study. When Chen Siyuan entered, he cupped his hands and said with a smile, "The Emperor has urgently summoned the Governor back to the capital. I am sure he will be of great use in the future. I congratulate the Governor."

Jia Yucun laughed and said, "It's not up to you yet. My future depends entirely on His Majesty's will. Shuliang, please sit down and let's talk."

"Yes." Chen Siyuan lifted his robe and sat down, whereupon a servant served him tea and snacks.

Chen Siyuan knew that because of Daiyu, he and Jia Yucun were already inseparable, so he spoke with a touch of sincerity.

He said, "Your Excellency, please allow me to report that I recently heard that Lord Wang has been making moves around, seemingly intending to obtain the position of Grand Marshal."

“Wang Ziteng?” Jia Yucun chuckled. “Lord Wang has worked hard these past few years, it’s time he returned to the capital to recuperate.”

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "I think that the position of Grand Marshal belongs to the Governor. The more Lord Wang tries to make moves, the more likely he is to fail."

Jia Yucun smiled approvingly and said, "Several months have passed since we last met, and Shuliang has made even more progress. Tell me, why did Wang Ziteng... fail to get the offer?"

Chen Siyuan said, "Back then, most of the four princes and eight dukes secretly supported the old Prince Yizhong. There were very few ministers like the Marquis Zhongjing who served the current emperor when he was a prince. Who knew that the old Prince Yizhong would commit a crime, and the Emperor Emeritus would change his mind and pass the throne to the current emperor. I heard that it almost triggered a coup back then."

He paused for a moment and then said, "His Majesty is already still shaken. Now that Lord Wang has colluded with the Four Kings and Eight Dukes, won't that incur His Majesty's displeasure?"

"Haha, not bad, Shuliang sees things clearly, he's a hundred times better than that Wang guy." Jia Yucun said with a smile, "Wang Ziteng has worked hard for many years and has made great achievements in military affairs. I think... it would be better for him to stay outside the capital."

Chen Siyuan nodded repeatedly with a smile. After discussing this matter, Jia Yucun inquired about Daiyu's condition. Upon hearing that Daiyu's health was gradually improving, Jia Yucun immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Jia Yucun's entrustment of his daughter to Lin Ruhai was a well-known fact, bringing him immense fame but also immense pressure. If Daiyu were healthy, it would be fine, but if anything were to happen to her, Jia Yucun's reputation would be instantly ruined.

It can be said that among all the people in the world who least wanted anything to happen to Daiyu, Chen Siyuan was the first, and Jia Yucun was the second. As for Grandmother Jia, she would probably be ranked after Granny Wang, Xueyan, Zijuan, and others.

Jia Yucun became increasingly pleased. He then asked Chen Siyuan about his studies and, seeing that Chen Siyuan's answers were quite original, he became even more satisfied.

The saying goes, "First is fate, second is luck, third is feng shui, fourth is accumulating good deeds, and fifth is studying." Feng shui and fate are mysterious and profound, but accumulating good deeds is even more important than studying. What is accumulating good deeds? Jia Yucun took care of Chen Siyuan. Later, when Jia Yucun grew old, Chen Siyuan was in his prime. Grateful for Jia Yucun's kindness, Chen Siyuan then took care of Jia Yucun's descendants. This is accumulating good deeds.

Just as they were having a pleasant conversation, an old servant suddenly came to report: "Master, the Second Master Lian of Rongguo Mansion has come to visit with the First Master's invitation."

"Oh?"

Chen Siyuan's heart skipped a beat, and he stood up and bowed, saying, "Your Excellency, please allow me to hide here for the time being."

Jia Yucun frowned slightly, thinking to himself that Chen Siyuan was a sensible person and would not do such a thing without a reason, so he nodded in agreement.

Chen Siyuan got up, walked around the screen, and hid in the inner room. A moment later, a servant led Jia Lian inside. Jia Lian was used to welcoming and seeing off guests, so he said a lot of flowery flattering words before finally getting to the point.

Chen Siyuan listened attentively and vaguely heard the words "Shi Daizi" and "Fanzi," and immediately understood.

I vaguely remember that in the original text, Ping'er mentioned the case of Shi Daizi, and now it seems to fit here. I just don't know exactly how Jia Lian spoke to Jia Yucun about it.

After about the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, Jia Lian took his leave, and Chen Siyuan waited a while before coming out from inside.

After taking his seat, Chen Siyuan noticed Jia Yucun's furrowed brows and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Excellency, I wonder if Brother Lian just asked you to use your connections in the capital to acquire Shi Daizi's antique fan?"

Jia Yucun assumed Chen Siyuan had just overheard this, and said, "That's right. Jia Lian said that an imperial decree came from the palace, ordering Jia She to search for antique fans, but that stubborn old man Shi is unwilling to sell any fans no matter how much money is offered."

Chen Siyuan asked, "May I ask, Governor... if you wish to offer assistance?"

Jia Yucun stroked his beard and said, "I haven't decided yet."

Chen Siyuan, observing the expressions, realized that it wasn't that he hadn't thought it through; he was clearly considering it.

Now, Jia Yucun and Wang Ziteng are vying for the position of Grand Marshal, and the two are like oil and water. Although Jia Yucun has the upper hand, he is still no match for Wang Ziteng's deep-rooted connections. With reservations in mind, he may well have to lend a helping hand.

Chen Siyuan pondered for a moment and said, "Has Second Brother Lian promised to have the Empress say a few good words for the Governor before the Emperor after the matter is accomplished?"

Jia Yucun saw that Chen Siyuan remained silent, which was tantamount to acquiescing.

Chen Siyuan then said, "Your Excellency, I believe this matter is inappropriate."

"Oh? Shura might as well tell me about it."

Chen Siyuan said, "Second Brother Lian is the eldest son of the main branch, while the Empress is the eldest daughter of the second branch, and their birth mother is from the Wang family. In the struggle between the Governor and Lord Wang, considering their closeness and kinship, the Empress would not side with the Governor, would she?"
Furthermore, His Majesty is wise and has always disliked the interference of the empress dowager in politics. The governor is acting rashly in his desperation; if he actually does this, it might become a handle for others to use against him in the future.”

Jia Yucun immediately relaxed his brows and said, "That's right, Shuliang is right. It seems that I should decline this matter."

Having said that, he looked at Chen Siyuan with even greater admiration. He stroked his beard and said, "Do you know why Jia Lian has come to me for help?" Before Chen Siyuan could reply, Jia Yucun smiled and said, "It's because the newly appointed Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture is an old friend of mine from the Hanlin Academy, Shao Shibiao. We are old acquaintances, and if the Prefect has any requests in the future—" As he spoke, he took a name card from the bookshelf and handed it over, saying, "—Take this name card and explain your marriage to Yu'er, and Shao Shibiao will have no reason to refuse."

Chen Siyuan was overjoyed and respectfully accepted the visiting card.

After a few more words, Chen Siyuan took his leave.

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

Meanwhile, Chen Siyuan was traveling back to the Rongguo Mansion by carriage when, unexpectedly, snowflakes began to fall. Upon arriving at the Rongguo Mansion, he was greeted by a garden entirely covered in a blanket of white, a truly enchanting sight.

He had taken a shortcut and entered through the back door. In early winter, the capital was not yet so cold. Walking slowly in the snow, Chen Siyuan secretly weighed his gains and losses.

Just as he was thinking for a moment, he heard laughter behind him, and a voice called out to him, "Hey? Brother Yuan?"

Chen Siyuan stopped and saw that the person was wearing a coat with a mink head on the outside, a black and gray squirrel fur lining, and a bright red felt hat with a goose-yellow lining and gold trim, and a large mink collar.

Her every move exudes a heroic and dashing air!
Having grown accustomed to vibrant colors, Chen Siyuan's eyes lit up at the sight of such androgynous and dashing beauty. As Xiangyun approached, Chen Siyuan asked, "Why is Sister Yun dressed like this?"

Xiangyun smiled, stretched out her arms, and twirled around in place, saying, "I've wanted to dress like this for a long time. Girls' outfits are too cumbersome; this is much more refreshing." She paused, then added, "Oh, right, my sister-in-law said that after the snow, we're going to have a festival tomorrow. Brother Yuan, aren't you going to join in the fun?"

Chen Siyuan's heart skipped a beat, and he said, "Alright, then I'll go join in the fun."

Xiangyun was overjoyed and chattered all the way. The two of them passed the provincial villa and soon arrived at Daoxiang Village. From afar, they could see many figures inside, and the outer room was crowded with maids. It seemed that Jinchai and the others had arrived early in the morning.

Upon seeing the two approaching, all the maids smiled and said, "Miss Yun, you've finally arrived! Miss Lin was just thinking about you."

Xiangyun laughed and said, "She definitely didn't say anything nice about me."

Upon entering the room, Chen Siyuan glanced around and saw that not only Baoyu and Xia Jingui had arrived, but there were also two unfamiliar girls in the room. Turning his head, he saw Xing Xiuyan wearing a gray squirrel fur coat.

Chen Siyuan frowned slightly, and when he saw Xing Xiuyan blink, he understood. That fox fur coat was expensive, and she might attract attention if she wore it like that, so she simply changed into a gray squirrel fur coat.

Daiyu caught sight of Xiangyun at a glance and immediately laughed, "Look, Sun Wukong is here. She's carrying her snow-white coat too, deliberately putting on a show of being a little flirtatious."

Xiangyun laughed and said, "Look at my outfit inside."

As he spoke, he took off his jacket. Underneath, he wore a half-new light-colored, three-layered collar and cuffs, a light pinkish-brown, gold-embroidered, five-colored dragon-patterned, narrow-sleeved, silver-gray short jacket. Underneath, he wore a short, light red satin fox-fur pleated robe, with a long, five-colored sash tied tightly around his waist with a bow. He also wore deerskin boots, which made him appear even more slender and slender.

Li Wan covered her mouth and laughed, saying, "But she only likes to dress up as a boy, which makes her even more beautiful than when she dresses up as a girl."

After saying this, she introduced Li Wen and Li Qi to Chen Siyuan. Chen Siyuan glanced at them briefly and secretly praised them, thinking that they were indeed beautiful young women.

Just as they were hesitating about whether to give some gifts, Xiangyun exclaimed, "Quickly, let's discuss composing poems! I want to hear whose employer it is!"

Li Wan said, "This is my idea. Since yesterday's New Year's Day has passed, and waiting for the New Year's Day again is too far away, and coincidentally it's snowing, why don't we all form a poetry club, both to welcome them back and to compose poems? What do you all think?"

Everyone praised the idea, and then discussed that Li Wan should host the event at Luxue Nunnery. The arrangements were finalized in no time, but the group continued to chatter on and on.

Not wanting to send him away, Li Wan chatted with him for a few moments, then couldn't help but glance at Chen Siyuan. Coincidentally, Chen Siyuan also looked over at that moment.

Li Wan felt a surge of tenderness and gave him a subtle look.

Chen Siyuan immediately understood. He smiled and said nothing more. When Tan Chun couldn't stand it anymore and urged everyone to go back, he then left Daoxiang Village with the crowd.

Chen Siyuan returned to Qingtang Thatched Cottage and rested briefly. Sure enough, he heard the sound of jade chimes being struck.

Chen Siyuan waited for a while before making an excuse to wander around the garden. After wandering around for a while, he climbed over a big tree and entered the Jade Emperor Temple.

Li Wan waited alone in the alchemy room. Chen Siyuan quietly entered and was about to pull her into his arms when Li Wan turned around, frowned, and said, "You, you've come?"

Chen Siyuan asked in surprise, "Why aren't you happy?"

Li Wan said, "My aunt has been making a fuss about leaving all day. I don't know how to tell the old lady."

Chen Siyuan pulled her close, saying softly, "Let's not talk about this now. It might be difficult for us to meet again in the future. We should cherish the present."

Seeing Li Wan's puzzled expression, Chen Siyuan scratched his head and said, "It's snowing outside. If I were to climb over the wall, I would definitely leave footprints."

Li Wan became even more distressed. She did not crave sexual pleasure, but how could she alleviate the pain of longing if she could not see him for an entire winter?
Knowing what Li Wan was thinking, Chen Siyuan said, "Then I think I should participate in the poetry club a few more times?"

(End of this chapter)