Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 330 Life Hangs in the Balance at the Ancient Temple, Thunder Strikes

Qingyu bowed in agreement and left, but soon returned and found Chen Siyuan, saying, "Master, Xiren from Master Bao's room is looking for you."

"Xiren?" Wasn't this girl supposed to be home taking care of her sick mother? Could it be that Xiren's mother is dying?
Chen Siyuan quickly followed Qingyu towards the side gate. Upon exiting the gate, they indeed saw Xiren pacing anxiously back and forth. Seeing Chen Siyuan, Xiren rushed forward and knelt on the ground, pleading, "Master Chen, please save my mother!"

"How is your mother?" Chen Siyuan asked.

Xi Ren shook her head, weeping. She had been home for a few days, but her mother's illness had worsened and was now clearly terminal. The doctor had prescribed a remedy that required old ginseng to prolong her life. Ordinary ginseng was easy to buy, but the old ginseng used to prolong life was extremely precious. Xi Ren's brother was a spendthrift, and with Xi Ren's savings alone, she probably couldn't even afford much of the ginseng rootlets.

Seeing that he was sobbing uncontrollably, Chen Siyuan finally felt compassion and said, "No matter what kind of medicine you need, just go to Henian Hall to get it. Just give me my name, and I will send someone to settle the account afterward."

Xiren kowtowed to the ground and said, "Thank you, Master Yuan."

"Go on, hurry up." Chen Siyuan waved his hand.

Xiren got up and hurriedly went to Henian Hall.

Watching Xiren leave quickly, Chen Siyuan shook his head inwardly and hurriedly turned around to arrange the travel. In no time, the carriages and horses were ready.

First, the various stewardesses and Sister Feng went out of the ceremonial gate to inspect the carriage, and then sent people to welcome Grandmother Jia and the others. After a while, Madam Xing arrived first, followed by Madam Wang and the other ladies-in-waiting, and finally Yuanyang helped Grandmother Jia onto the carriage.

Chen Siyuan had not had time to talk to Tan Chun, so taking advantage of the short time before setting off, he went into the back hall, found a pen and ink, wrote a note, and crumpled it in his hand.

When it was time to set off, Chen Siyuan had prepared a carriage but still rode a horse because he needed to look after the caravan. Fortunately, Nengren Temple was not far away, which saved them from the cold and wind along the way.

Without further ado, halfway through the journey, Chen Siyuan frequently circled near Tan Chun and Xi Chun's carriage. The maids inside saw this several times and, not really understanding, hurriedly told Tan Chun and Xi Chun about it.

Xiao Xichun then lifted the curtain and said, "Why is Brother Yuan circling around my and Third Sister's carriage? Shouldn't you be looking for Sister Bao and Sister Lin?"

Chen Siyuan said with a smile, "Caiping said that Fourth Sister has gained some weight recently. I was worried that Fourth Sister would collapse the carriage."

Xiao Xichun blinked and pouted, saying, "Brother Yuan is talking nonsense again. Even if I've gained weight, how could I possibly break down a carriage?"

Chen Siyuan laughed heartily, raised his hand and threw: "Take this!"

With a cry of pain, Xiao Xichun was hit on the forehead, and the crumpled paper rolled into the car. Chen Siyuan couldn't find anything strange, so he had no choice but to continue forward.

Xichun lowered the carriage curtain and said coquettishly, "Brother Yuan still treats me like a child, teasing me all the time."

Tan Chun had already bent down to pick up the crumpled paper, then stood up and said with a smile, "Isn't Fourth Sister the youngest?"

The carriage was cramped, with only two maids, Caiping and Shishu, accompanying her. Tanchun trusted them, so she spread out a crumpled piece of paper, on which was written: "Be careful of carriages and horses."

Xichun leaned over for a look and exclaimed in astonishment, "This is what Brother Yuan lost just now?"

Tan Chun frowned and nodded, saying, "I'm afraid I've offended some people recently, and they're about to lose their temper."

Shi Shu was immediately enraged and said, "How dare you! Do you intend to harm the young lady?"

Tan Chun sneered, "It's all thanks to the old ancestor's care, otherwise look at the East Mansion, why are there so few people?"

Xi Chun thought about it and realized that it was true. The Ningguo Mansion lineage now only has Jia Zhen, Jia Rong, and the newly acquired young master. Jia Qiang, who was previously there, has also passed away. In terms of prosperity and flourishing, how can it compare to the West Mansion?

The East Branch is the main branch, and the West Branch is the minor branch. How can the number of people in the minor branch exceed that of the main branch?
Recalling what Tan Chun had said earlier, Xi Chun couldn't help but feel a chill of fear. She feared that what her third sister had said was true: the East Mansion was in such a state because of its own self-destruction.

Caiping, who was standing to the side, was also annoyed and said, "I heard that when Master Jing of the East Mansion was still alive, the concubines in the East Mansion fought fiercely. They used things like musk, safflower, and contraceptive soup, and even faked pregnancies! Our West Mansion also had some similar tendencies. It was only after the old lady took drastic measures and killed several troublemaking maids and old women that this evil trend was extinguished."

"Unbelievable! It's only been a few years, but it's already resurfaced! Third Miss, this carriage is unsuitable; we should quickly change to another one."

Tan Chun frowned and shook her head, saying, "Since Brother Yuan knows about this, that's why he's been checking our carriages so many times. Since he hasn't said anything wrong, then there's probably nothing wrong with it."

Xichun also said, "That's right. Besides, there are only a few cars in total, so how can we just switch cars at will? With Brother Yuan here, he can always protect us. I think it's better to stay put than to make a move."

Caiping said, "Then I will go down with Sister Shishu to prevent anyone with ill intentions from doing anything."

Tan Chun nodded, and Cai Ping called out, causing the carriage to stop temporarily. She and Shi Shu got out of the carriage and walked. Ru Hua and Cui Mo, who were originally walking, came to ask questions. The maids whispered among themselves for a while, then carefully protected the carriage, making sure no thieves would dare to tamper with it.

After a short while, they arrived at Nengren Temple. To show her sincerity, Grandmother Jia alighted from her carriage at the temple gate. Then, as if surrounded by stars, she was accompanied by Sister Feng, Li Wan, and a group of young ladies as she walked into the temple.

Chen Siyuan escorted them all the way, and seeing that Grandmother Jia and the others had passed through the mountain gate, he was about to rest in his own carriage. Unexpectedly, he heard a shout from afar, and when he turned around, he saw Miaoyu's maid Qingfan carrying a food box, waving to him charmingly at the mountain gate.

Chen Siyuan turned back and said to Qing Fan, "She's here too?"

Qingfan said, "The young lady received an invitation from the abbot early this morning and came here early to wait for the esteemed guest to be helped with the spirit writing."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "That's quite a coincidence."

Qingfan bit her lower lip and hesitated, "Sir... our young lady has been missing you terribly lately. When will you come to see her?"

Chen Siyuan said, "That's a lie. If she missed me, why didn't she send someone to deliver a message?"

Qingfan stamped her foot anxiously and said, "Master, don't you know what kind of person our young lady is? Even if she's thinking about something, she won't show it on her face. She'll just sigh and bewilderment in private." Two sets of bedding were wet last night... It's not something that can be said out loud, so Qingfan could only look at Chen Siyuan pitifully.

Chen Siyuan's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "Since she misses me, I'll go see her now."

"Huh?" Qingfan's expression immediately turned strange.

She secretly thought that her young lady and this Master Yuan were quite strange. Master Yuan rarely stayed overnight. Every time, he would return to his new house after a short rest following their lovemaking. Her young lady, on the other hand, was always cold on the outside but warm on the inside. She would make sarcastic remarks without holding back her words, but when Master Yuan used his methods, she would dare to say the most shameful things.

Chen Siyuan flicked his sleeve and said in a low voice, "What are you standing there for? Lead the way!"

Qingfan immediately turned around and led the way, thinking to himself that it wouldn't matter if the girl missed a meal; it was better than not seeing Master Yuan for ten days in a row.

Chen Siyuan gave a brief explanation, then excused himself to go inside to check, and followed Qingfan around the main hall, arriving shortly at the meditation room at the back.

The carving depicts Miaoyu sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat, raising her hand in a Buddhist gesture, closing her eyes and chanting incantations, while in the other hand she is striking a wooden fish with a wooden hammer.

If one wishes to practice spirit writing, one must fast and bathe beforehand, and burn incense and pray on the day of the event.

Hearing the door behind her creak open, Miaoyu, without opening her eyes, asked, "Did you bring the vegetarian dishes?"

Before she knew it, her neck was encircled by two arms, and then a warm breath whispered in her ear, "Eating vegetarian food... how can you be more sincere on an empty stomach?"

Miaoyu opened her eyes, her heart filled with both joy and surprise. Her heart pounded wildly, and she forced herself to endure the weakness in half of her body, pleading, "You, you mustn't do anything rash. I, I still need to perform the spirit writing later."

Chen Siyuan said, "The old lady is discussing Buddhism with the abbot and won't call you until after 9 am... How about I keep you company?"

Before Miaoyu could utter a single word of objection, Chen Siyuan abruptly scooped her up and headed straight for the bedroom inside the meditation room. Qingfan, startled, quickly turned away and rushed out to stand guard at the door.

Because the doors and windows were tightly closed, only faint, alluring sounds could be heard from inside, yet they made Qingfan blush. The girl was shy for a moment, then suddenly became troubled. How could she possibly fetch water and serve him while he was so close to the meditation room?
............................................................

Rongguo Mansion. Just as Grandmother Jia and her entourage left, Jia Lian, who was unwell, changed into a bright red robe, rode out the door on horseback, and led four servants.

The servants of the Rongguo Mansion assumed that Second Master Lian was being cunning and planning to take advantage of Fengjie's trip to Nengren Temple to enjoy himself at a brothel. However, after about half an hour, a procession carrying a wedding sedan chair arrived with great fanfare. Upon closer inspection, who else could it be but Jia Lian, leading the procession on a tall horse?
At that time, whether marrying a wife or taking a concubine, it was mostly done at dusk. It was rare to see someone like Jia Lian who welcomed a woman into the mansion early in the morning.

Yu Liu and Lai Da stood with their feet up, watching closely. When they confirmed that it was indeed Jia Lian, Yu Liu gasped and said, "Steward Lai, this Second Master Lian... is planning to take a concubine?"

Lai Da was also taken aback and said, "I don't know where Second Master got the guts. Just wait and see, this is going to cause trouble."

Before long, Jia Lian arrived, and Lai Da, Yu Liu, and others came forward to offer their congratulations. Jia Lian laughed heartily, scattered congratulatory money, and ordered the side gate to be opened so that the bridal sedan chair could be carried into the mansion.

Then, the hired matchmakers helped Zhang Jinge, dressed in a peach-red wedding gown (red for a wife, not for a concubine), through the ceremonial gate and headed straight for Feng Jie's courtyard.

At this moment, all the masters of Rongguo Mansion went to Nengren Temple, leaving only a little maid named Feng'er and Qiutong, who had not yet recovered, in Fengjie's courtyard.

As the commotion drew nearer, the two came out to investigate and learned that Jia Lian had taken a concubine that day. Feng'er remained silent, as if trembling with fear; Qiu Tong, however, was not one to back down and cursed loudly in the courtyard.

Everyone who had spent years working in the Rongguo Mansion knew that this was a ceremony for a concubine to enter the household. Qiu Tong gritted her teeth in hatred. She had almost been beaten to death by the eldest master, Jia She, in her attempt to curry favor with Jia Lian. Her health hadn't even fully recovered, and now Jia Lian had taken a concubine. How was she supposed to face this?

That wasn't all. Jia Lian then gathered his cronies and threw a feast in Feng Jie's courtyard, indulging in a lavish meal until nearly noon before dispersing. Immediately afterwards, he ordered servants to board up the small gate connecting the courtyard to the backyard!

Qiu Tong was so angry that she cursed loudly, "Shameless vixen, wait until Second Madam comes back, I'll definitely teach you a lesson!"

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

Nengren Temple.

The spring breeze came twice, and it was past midnight when the maid Qingfan came to urge Miaoyu twice before she finally left the house with a flushed face.

Knowing that he would be traveling with a large group and would probably not have time to talk to his second sister, Bao sister, Lin sister, and Qin sister, Chen Siyuan leisurely turned back to the front gate.

Just as they were about to board the carriage, the servant Qingyu came over again and said, "Master, Li Gui came twice, but seeing that he had no chance to make a move, he had no choice but to go and look for Master Bao."

Chen Siyuan nodded and said, "Keep an eye on them. Not only Li Gui, but also Madam's people are under close surveillance."

Qingyu said, "Don't worry, sir. The third and fourth young ladies have both left maids to look after them. They'll be able to catch them red-handed if anything happens."

Chen Siyuan frowned and pondered for a moment, just as a young novice monk brought over fodder. Chen Siyuan stared at the novice monk for a while, and seeing that he was not acting strangely, he then got into the carriage to rest.

Around noon, an old woman came to invite him, saying that Grandmother Jia had invited him to have a vegetarian meal. Chen Siyuan was worried, so he declined, saying that it wasn't to his taste, and simply stayed in the carriage and had some snacks.

As the hour drew near and the group was about to return, there was still no sign of them. Chen Siyuan grew increasingly uneasy. He immediately lifted the curtain, got out of the carriage, and told one of the servants, "Carefully check the fodder we just used!"

The servant agreed and quickly found someone to examine it carefully. After a while, Qingyu returned and reported: "Sir, there is nothing wrong with the fodder."

Chen Siyuan stroked his chin and frowned, wondering if Li Gui had given up? Since Yu Chuan'er had sent the message, how could Li Gui dare to offend Madam Wang? Or perhaps he had been too vigilant, preventing Li Gui from making a move?
He then carefully inspected the carriage again, but still found nothing unusual, and finally suppressed his suspicions.

At three quarters past noon, Grandmother Jia and her entourage emerged from Nengren Temple, and Chen Siyuan hurriedly made arrangements for their return journey.

The sisters Tan Chun and Xi Chun, pulling Bao Qin along, chattered back and forth. When they got closer, Xi Chun said with a smile, "I didn't expect that it was Miao Yu who was doing the spirit writing this time. It's been quite a while since I've seen her since she left the mansion."

Baoqin smiled and said, "It's strange, Miaoyu looks much better than before."

On the other side, Sister Feng called out, "The wind is picking up, it's probably going to snow. Everyone, stop dawdling and head back as soon as possible."

Tan Chun looked up at Chen Siyuan and saw him shake his head. Just as Xi Chun was about to get into the carriage, Tan Chun grabbed her and said, "Fourth Sister, I'm so sleepy right now. Can you squeeze into Qin's carriage? Let me take a nap on the way back."

Xichun wasn't stupid; she knew perfectly well that Tanchun didn't want to implicate her. But because Baoqin was present, she didn't know how to speak for a moment.

Baoqin was always clever. Her eyes darted around, and when she suddenly saw Chen Siyuan give her a look, she smiled and said, "It just so happens that only Sister Xing is in my carriage. Fourth Sister, come and talk to me for a while."

Without allowing Xichun to refuse, Chen Siyuan also said, "Alright, then Fourth Sister can go with Sister Qin."

"But--"

Baoqin stepped forward and pulled Xichun's arm, leading her towards her carriage: "Hurry up, hurry up, Sister Feng is about to get angry."

Watching the two leave, Chen Siyuan whispered to Tan Chun, "I didn't notice anything unusual. Perhaps they just didn't find an opportunity to make a move."

Tan Chun nodded and said, "Everything depends on Brother Yuan."

Chen Siyuan said solemnly, "Third sister, don't worry. Even if something happens, I will definitely protect you."

Tan Chun suppressed her heart pounding, nodded, and then stepped into the carriage.

After a short while, everyone boarded the carriage, and the group set off to return to Rongguo Mansion.

Chen Siyuan became increasingly cautious, staying close to the carriage of the Third Sister, Tan Chun.

As soon as we turned the corner, a white blizzard began to blow from the sky. The ten-mile-long street was instantly covered in a blanket of snow.

Due to the wind and snow, the convoy quickened its pace, increasing the distance between the vehicles. Chen Siyuan was only slightly relieved when he saw that the journey was more than halfway complete and nothing seemed amiss. Suddenly, he heard a loud neighing from the horse beside him, which then galloped off as if it had gone mad.

The driver cried out "Ouch!" and fell off the bus, shouting, "Oh no! The horse's spooked!"

There was no time to lose, and cries of alarm rang out from inside the carriage. Even though Tan Chun was quick-witted and straightforward, she was still a young woman at heart. Suddenly faced with such a calamity, where could she possibly find a way to save herself?

He urged his horse to give chase while his mind raced. He thought to himself that everything had been normal along the way, so why had he been caught off guard now? There were no onlookers on either side of the street, so how could the horse have been startled? It was probably the coachman who was the problem. So he shouted, "Qingyu, keep an eye on the coachman!"

His blue horse neighed and galloped off, reaching the side of the carriage after running half a street. The curtains were billowing in the wind, and Chen Siyuan turned his head to see that Tan Chun inside had already turned pale.

Chen Siyuan, with one hand free, reached out to Tan Chun and called out, "Third Sister, quickly grab me!"

Anyone else would have lost their composure long ago, but Tan Chun's temperament was not like that of an ordinary girl. She had already calmed down and was thinking of a way to save herself.

Seeing Chen Siyuan reach out his hand, she immediately peeked out halfway and reached out to grab him. After a few half-hearted attempts to catch him in mid-air, Chen Siyuan suddenly turned the horse's head and finally grabbed Tan Chun's slender arm.

He then used all his strength to pull himself towards her. Fortunately, Tan Chun was young and agile, and with just this one pull, she cried out in surprise and landed in Chen Siyuan's arms after taking half a step.

"Third sister, hold on tight!" Chen Siyuan snapped out of his daze and looked ahead. Coincidentally, a carriage was blocking the road, and the coachman was so frightened that he ran away with his head in his hands.

Chen Siyuan could no longer care about anything else. He pulled on the reins while Tan Chun was lying down, and his big blue horse reared up with a thud, circled around once before coming to a stop.

Looking up again at the carriage whose horses had been startled, it was clear that there was no way to avoid it. The two horses spun around, the carriage overturned, and crashed into a shop on the street with a loud bang, instantly shattering into pieces.

Tan Chun's face turned deathly pale. Seeing how badly she had been hit, she was filled with lingering fear. If she hadn't jumped out, she would probably have been half-dead, if not dead!
The servants of the Jia family rushed up shouting, and Sister Feng yelled, "Quick, quick, save them!"

At that moment, another loud bang rang out in the sky, a thunderclap in the winter that left Chen Siyuan shaken and lingering in fear.

(End of this chapter)