Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 327 The Beautiful Shadow Behind the Buddha Shrine Conceals the Demons

Halfway through the banquet, Jia Heng picked up his wine cup and stole a glance, only to see Jia Lian smilingly staring at Zhang Jinge. Through the thin gauze screen, her figure was ethereal and indistinct. Jia Lian hesitated, raising his cup, feeling as if half his soul had been stolen away.

At this moment, Aunt Zheng left her seat, smiled, walked around the screen, and nodded to Jia Heng, giving him a meaningful look. Jia Heng immediately understood; the matter was probably settled.

Zhang Jingge has a strong and unyielding personality. He can humble himself to assess someone, and as long as Jia Lian isn't too bad, he will agree.

Jia Heng smiled and offered a toast, saying, "Brother Lian, drink to your heart's content."

Jia Lian snapped out of his reverie, smiled, raised his cup, and said, "Drink up, drink up."

He finished his drink in one gulp, but his eyes kept glancing at the beautiful figure behind the screen. Jia Heng felt the time was right and stood up, saying, "Brother, please wait a moment, I'll go change my clothes."

"Oh, brother, go ahead."

As Jia Lian spoke, he watched Jia Heng get up and leave the room. Then he saw Jia Heng subtly wave his hand, and the two maids who were preparing the exam inside retreated together. For a moment, only he and Zhang Jingge remained in the room.

Jia Lian felt a sudden surge of emotion, and could no longer contain himself. He immediately picked up a folding fan and slowly moved towards the west side of the screen.

Just as they were about to go around the screen, they suddenly heard Zhang Jinge say, "Second Master Lian, please wait."

Jia Lian stopped, cupped his hands in greeting while holding a folding fan, and said, "Miss Zhang—"

"Master Lian comes from a noble family, and I've heard that he is very polite and humble."

With such a flattering compliment, Jia Lian immediately hesitated.

Then Zhang Jingge said again, "I suppose Master Heng has already told Master Lian about my past. If Master Lian does not mind that I am an unlucky person and have a plain appearance, I am willing to become a concubine after receiving the betrothal letter."

Jia Lian immediately smiled and said, "Miss Zhang is straightforward. In that case, I will certainly present the betrothal letter and dowry together in the future."

Zhang Jingge said, "I only wish to receive a betrothal letter; as for a betrothal gift... that's unnecessary."

This is to make her a concubine. People are all like that, always wanting the best before they get it. At this moment, Jia Lian felt Zhang Jinge was perfect in every way, so he readily agreed.

He then returned to his seat and began talking to Zhang Jinge through the screen. Before long, he suddenly heard Zhang Jinge groan.

Jia Lian asked in surprise, "What's wrong, young lady?"

"I, I... I'm a little hot—"

Jia Lian said "Excuse me" and got up to walk around the screen to take a look. To his surprise, he saw Zhang Jingge's pretty face flushed red, tearing at her clothes while moaning softly.

Jia Lian was already itching to get his hands on something, and now he was even more aroused, his mouth dry and his heart filled with desire! He secretly praised Jia Heng for his skill in handling people; wasn't this practically handing Zhang Jinge over to his bed?

He immediately picked up Zhang Jinge and headed towards the western end of the valley. Soon, enchanting sounds began to rise, but I won't go into details.

Meanwhile, in the outer room, no sooner had Aunt Zheng arrived than Jia Heng slipped in.

Once inside, Aunt Zheng smiled and said, "Master, this matter is settled. I just asked, and Sister Zhang has agreed."

"Very good, very good." Jia Heng was overjoyed. He then lifted Aunt Zheng's chin and said, "You've done a good job."

Aunt Zheng smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Since you've done a good job, what about the master's reward?"

Jia Heng said, "I'll buy it for you later; it's just a set of pure gold jewelry."

Aunt Zheng asked in surprise, "Master, just how much benefit did the mistress of the Rongguo Mansion give?"

Jia Heng shook his head smugly and said, "It can't be said, it can't be said."

They gave four hundred taels earlier, and there will be more rewards later. It must be at least a thousand taels of silver in total, right?

After a pause, Jia Heng added, "We shouldn't delay. Send a servant to the Rongguo Mansion. Madam is waiting for good news from us."

Aunt Zheng smiled and agreed. She quickly found an old woman, gave her some instructions, and then sent her to the Rongguo Mansion.

The day after the snow cleared, Grandmother Jia, who had caught a chill the night before, developed a cold. Madam Xing, Madam Wang, Li Wan, and Feng Jie all went to Rongqing Hall to attend to her, but because they were afraid of disturbing the old lady's peace, none of the younger generation, except for Bao Yu, went.

It wasn't until late afternoon that Lady Wang left Rongqing Hall and headed back to her own courtyard.

Physician Wang happened to be accompanying them. As the two approached the garden gate, Madam Wang stopped and asked, "Physician Wang, is the old lady truly alright?"

Physician Wang replied, "Madam, I have prescribed two doses of medicine. I expect that after taking them and resting for half a month, you will recover."

Zhou Rui's wife leaned over and said, "The old lady is the pillar of the household; it wouldn't be good if she collapsed like this. If I may ask an inappropriate question, Physician Wang, I wonder how much the old lady still has..."

“Well,” Physician Wang pondered, “the old lady is quite old. Although she looks relatively healthy now, she is bound to decline day by day. I think she has another two or three years to live.”

Madam Wang feigned relief and breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled and said, "That's good. Come on, give me a reward."

Yu Chuan presented the purse, and Physician Wang left with profuse thanks.

After bidding farewell to Physician Wang, Madam Wang couldn't help but frown. She thought to herself, "This is actually a good thing. Yuan Chun's position in the palace is still unstable, and she hasn't given birth to a son yet. I'm locked in a fierce battle with Feng'er, and because the old lady is biased towards her, it's impossible to determine a winner for the time being."

Moreover, Jia Zheng has already gone south to serve as the provincial education commissioner, a prestigious and respectable position, and might even be promoted. At this juncture, having the old lady in charge is better than not having her at all.

Otherwise, once the old lady passes away, Jia Zheng will have to observe the mourning period for twenty-seven months. The outcome between the eldest and second branches of the family is still undecided, and they might immediately start fighting to the death.

Having understood this, Madam Wang secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhou Rui's wife said from the side, "Madam, there's no need to worry too much. The old lady just caught a cold. Doctor Wang said she'll be fine in ten days to half a month."

"Ah."

After responding, Madam Wang and her entourage arrived at the gate of her courtyard. Suddenly, an old woman from behind caught up and said, "Madam, Master Heng from the back street has sent word that the matter has been settled."

Madam Wang immediately smiled and invited Zhou Rui's wife inside. She secretly slipped a house deed into her hand and instructed Zhou Rui's wife to deliver it to Jia Heng privately.

She felt a pang of regret, thinking it was a shame that the old lady was resting now, otherwise Madam Wang would have told Grandmother Jia about it immediately.

Just then, Xia Jingui arrived again, and Madam Wang hurriedly told her the good news, and then made arrangements to confront Grandmother Jia the next day.

Unexpectedly, Xia Jingui quickly stopped her, saying, "Madam, you mustn't. The old lady is a very calculating person. If you speak so bluntly, I'm afraid it will be of little effect. I think it would be better to subtly influence her. Mention it today, say something tomorrow, and then expose the affair between Master Lian and Zhang Jinge in a few days. By then, the deed will be done, and according to the old lady's mind, she will surely go with the flow."

After thinking it over, Madam Wang realized it made sense, and thus she suppressed her thoughts.

Xia Jingui glanced at Madam Wang's expression and quickly relayed the message: "Madam, Third Sister has thrown another tantrum today. I don't know where she found the accounts, but she discovered that thirty taels didn't match up. Wu Xingdeng's wife is speechless and is currently kneeling as punishment in the Furen Yude Hall."

The accompanying nanny, Hu, also said, "Third Miss is trying to establish her authority with that Wu Xingdeng family. In this cold winter, let alone Wu Xingdeng family, who is already in poor health, even if she were healthy, kneeling for two hours would probably ruin her knees."

Snapped……

Madam Wang slammed her hand on the table, her anger growing. Ever since Tan Chun overheard her conversation with Aunt Zhao, she had become increasingly estranged from her.

Lady Wang hadn't taken Tan Chun seriously at first, thinking she was just a concubine's daughter raised under her own name, and couldn't possibly cause any trouble. Who knew she would seize upon such a trivial matter and act so ruthlessly and precisely?

Judging by the timeline, seven or eight old servants who had sided with Madam Wang have already been apprehended. If this continues unchecked, the Rongguo Mansion may soon become a tool for Tan Yatou.

Unfortunately, Madam Wang couldn't say anything, because Tan Chun always had solid evidence. Knowing that it wasn't appropriate to bring up Ying Chun or deal with Tan Chun right now, Madam Wang directed her anger at Aunt Zhao and her son.

He immediately ordered, "Go and call Aunt Zhao and her son here, and have Huan bring me the Buddhist scriptures that he was punished to copy last time."

Zhou Rui's wife agreed and hurriedly sent someone to invite him.

After a short while, Aunt Zhao and her son came in trembling fear and respectfully greeted her upon entering.

Jia Huan, looking ashamed, presented the copied Buddhist scriptures. When Yu Chuan presented them to Lady Wang, she glanced at them and immediately felt disdain. Although she wasn't very literate, she could still distinguish between good and bad handwriting. Jia Huan's handwriting was worlds apart from Chen Siyuan's, let alone Bao Yu's.

Madam Wang frowned and said, "It's crooked and messy. If you present it like this, even Buddha would be angry. Go back and copy it again."

Aunt Zhao stood to the side with her head bowed, clenching her fists inwardly, but dared not utter a single word of dissent. With Jia Zheng gone south and acquiring a new beauty, Aunt Zhao had fallen out of favor and would have no one to protect her anymore. If she offended Lady Wang, even if she were beaten to death one day, Jia Zheng probably wouldn't ask a single question.

All she can do now, besides looking for a new backer, is to endure.

Madam Wang picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said, "The old lady fell ill last night, which is really dangerous for someone her age. I was going to go to Huguo Temple outside the city to sincerely worship Buddha for a month to pray for the old lady's well-being, but unfortunately, I haven't been feeling well lately either."

Xia Jingui immediately understood and chimed in, "Since Madam is not feeling well, it is naturally not good for her to do any work. I think it would be better to let Aunt Zhao go to Huguo Temple in Madam's place."

Madam Wang nodded and said with a smile, "Aunt Zhao, what do you think?"

Aunt Zhao clutched her handkerchief tightly, her teeth clenched. A year ago, she probably would have thrown a tantrum. But things were different now. After a moment, she curtsied and said, "Since Madam has given the order, I will go."

Madam Wang said, "This matter cannot be delayed. I think you should set off first thing tomorrow morning. Zhou Rui's wife, find two capable maids to accompany you. Don't let Aunt Zhao ruin the Jia family's reputation."

"Yes," Zhou Rui's wife replied with a smile, glancing sideways at Aunt Zhao and saying sarcastically, "Aunt Zhao, shall we go back and prepare?"

Aunt Zhao, with red eyes, took her leave.

Once the man left, Xia Jingui laughed and said, "It's only because Madam is a kind-hearted person. If it were me, I would have thrown such a shameless creature to the vagrants to deal with." She paused, then added, "If Madam is still not satisfied, she can simply drug him and find two thugs to serve him. Then, once the innocence is ruined, Madam can do whatever she wants with him. Even if she beats him to death and throws him into a mass grave, no one can say anything."

As soon as she finished speaking, Granny Hu hurriedly tugged at Xia Jingui's sleeve, but Xia Jingui didn't care at all.

Madam Wang immediately frowned inwardly, vaguely sensing that Xia Jingui was no good person. Not only were her methods too despicable, but if they succeeded, how could the Jia family possibly have a good reputation? It would be a Pyrrhic victory, killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of their own – a truly disproportionate loss.

So she just smiled and shook her head. After a while, Xia Jingui took her leave. Madam Wang dismissed the others and went to the small Buddhist shrine at the east end to worship Buddha. For a time, the sound of the wooden fish was incessant, and the prayer beads in her hands spun rapidly. Madam Wang closed her eyes and chanted incantations, and the Buddha statue on the shrine became even more dignified and solemn.

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

The next day arrived in the blink of an eye. As it approached Chenshi (7-9 AM), Madam Wang came to Rongqing Hall to visit the sick again.

Madam Xing, Aunt Xue, and Sister Feng arrived later. For a while, everyone was entertaining Grandmother Jia. After a while, Sister Feng took her leave.

Madam Xing was concerned about Fourth Brother, so she said, "It's getting colder lately, and Fourth Brother has been coughing these past two days. Old Madam, I won't stay any longer."

Grandmother Jia coughed twice and said, "Fourth Brother is still young, we can't be too careful. You should go and take care of him."

After Madam Xing left, Grandmother Jia said, "This is just a minor illness. If you ask me, you don't need to come all the time. If one day I really can't take it anymore, you'll be busy."

Baoyu immediately spat out, "Pah, pah, pah! Doctor Wang said it's just a minor illness, yet the old lady says such things."

Grandmother Jia laughed and said, "Haha, look at Baoyu, he is indeed a filial and good child. Good, from now on I will never say anything discouraging again. I just hope to live a few more years so that I can see all of you little ones get married."

Madam Wang smiled and agreed, saying, "I heard that Xiren's mother is seriously ill?"

Baoyu immediately clasped his hands together and said, "Yes, Xiren has asked for leave and will be going home to serve her mother in a while. I must go and see her off. Grandmother, please take good care of yourself. I will come again this afternoon."

"go Go."

After seeing Baoyu off, Lady Wang sat down on the heated kang in the warm pavilion to chat with the old lady.

Madam Wang said, "I originally wanted to go to Huguo Temple to pray for the old lady myself, but unfortunately I am not feeling well, so I had to send Aunt Zhao in my place."

Grandmother Jia glanced at him sideways and said, "Your health is not good, so you shouldn't overwork yourself. I think Tan'er is managing the household quite well. In the future, Madam should help Baoyu find a suitable girl."

Madam Wang smiled and agreed, saying, "Tan'er is someone who doesn't tolerate any nonsense. But she's too rigid and easily broken. She uses cruel methods everywhere, and I'm afraid she won't last long."

Grandmother Jia was focused on enjoying her retirement and naturally didn't want to cause any trouble. It was only because Lady Wang was pressuring her too much that she reluctantly supported Sister Feng and Tan Chun to compete with Lady Wang.

After listening to Madam Wang's words, Grandmother Jia said, "Tan'er is young and does take things a bit too seriously. Since she's being raised in your room, you can talk to her about it later. However, you shouldn't say anything too harsh, lest Tan'er lose her spirit."

Being in charge is difficult; if you don't put on a cold face, you probably won't be able to control the servants below you.

Lady Wang gritted her teeth inwardly. What was the point of Grandmother Jia's words, which sounded nice but were just a mild and indifferent reprimand of Tan Chun? It wasn't like she hadn't said it before, and Tan Chun still did things her own way.

Rolling her eyes inwardly, Madam Wang smiled and said, "Let's do as the old lady says. I'll talk to Tan Chun about it later. Speaking of which, ever since Feng Jie and Lian'er had their falling out, the young couple has become somewhat estranged. I heard that Lian'er is now living directly in the outer study. What do you think of this, old lady?"

Feng'er had only given birth to Qiao'er after several years of marriage, and the two had grown estranged. How could they possibly have a son? Of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is to have no descendants.

Grandmother Jia said, "It's normal for the young couple to have disagreements. If things don't get better after a while, then call Lian'er over and I'll definitely give him a good talking to."

Aunt Xue, who had been silent like a quail, finally spoke up, saying, "If you ask me, it's because Feng'er is too competitive and always wants to be the best. Men like novelty, but Feng'er insists on keeping everyone else out of the house. Otherwise, Lian'er would probably have a son by now."

Madam Wang also said, "That's right. Instead of scolding Lian'er, the old lady should teach Feng'er a lesson."

Grandmother Jia also disliked Wang Xifeng's jealousy and immediately took it to heart, saying, "Let's wait a while and I'll talk to Feng-ge'er about it."

After giving a private message, Madam Wang did not linger any longer and took her leave together with Aunt Xue.

A simple thatched cottage.

On this day, Chen Siyuan was feeling bored while studying and was about to head north to Nengren Temple to find Miaoyu when a little maid named Yunxiang sneaked over and said, "Master, master, something happened in the back street yesterday."

"What is it?" Chen Siyuan asked.

Yunxiang said, "I heard that Master Heng hosted a dinner for Second Master Lian, but who knew that trouble would arise? I don't know which of Master Heng's concubines made such a scene, threatening to kill herself."

"Hmm?" Chen Siyuan frowned. He thought to himself that Jia Heng was no good. He had gotten together with Jia Lian and caused such a commotion. Could it be that Jia Lian had taken a fancy to one of Jia Heng's concubines?

That doesn't seem quite right. Jia Heng is a womanizer, but he's also incredibly cunning. He would never share his concubines with Jia Lian.

Hmm... Could it be that Jia Heng is acting as a pimp for Jia Lian? Thinking about it this way, I wonder who will be the next concubine to enter the mansion without You Erjie's interference.

Just then, a commotion came from outside. A moment later, Xiangling replied, "Master, Miss Qin has arrived."

Why is that little vixen Baoqin here again?
Chen Siyuan came to his senses and went to greet them. When he got to the left of the screen, he saw Baoqin pulling Fourth Miss Xichun in, chatting and laughing as they walked in.

Upon entering, the two young women greeted Chen Siyuan, who returned the greeting and said, "What brings you two young ladies here?"

Xichun smiled and said with narrowed eyes, "Today, Sister Qin mentioned that she wanted to go to Nengren Temple to offer incense and pray for her mother. Sister Lin was very interested when she heard this, and Second Sister, Sister Xing and I all wanted to go. So Sister Qin and I came to ask Brother Yuan for advice."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "You're not here to ask for advice, you're clearly here to order people around."

Xichun immediately came over and tugged at Chen Siyuan's arm, saying, "You should balance work and rest. Brother Yuan, you shouldn't keep your head down and study all the time. You might hurt your eyes."

(End of this chapter)