Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 332 A chilling sound that pierces to the bone and tears the brocade

A simple thatched cottage.

Hongyu and Ying'er covered their mouths and laughed as they withdrew, leaving only Chen Siyuan and Baochai inside. Baochai was dressed in plain clothes and wore a silver hairpin. Although she had taken some care of herself these past few days, she still couldn't hide her haggard appearance.

Chen Siyuan moved closer and pulled Baochai to sit in his lap. He picked up a strand of her hair and said, "Have you not been eating properly? Why do you still look so haggard?" He then pinched Baochai's waist and said, "You still feel a little thinner."

"Where have you lost weight?" Baochai tried to get up, but Chen Siyuan held her tightly in his arms. After struggling a couple of times and finding that she couldn't break free, she simply sat comfortably in Chen Siyuan's lap.

Baochai pondered for a moment, then frowned and said, "I'm afraid today's incident was caused by my dear aunt and Xia Jingui. It's fortunate that you were here, otherwise Tan'er would have been in trouble this time."

Chen Siyuan asked, "Didn't my sister and aunt hear any rumors beforehand?"

Baochai frowned and shook her head, saying, "Ever since most of our family's business fell into Aunt's hands, Aunt has become less affectionate towards our family. On the contrary, Xia Jingui pays her respects to us morning and evening every day, and seems like a dutiful daughter-in-law." She paused, then added, "Aunt has set this precedent, and tomorrow the Old Madam will surely have something to say about it. However, Aunt is stubborn by nature, and unless she finds evidence of wrongdoing, I'm afraid she will not back down. In the future, the infighting in the mansion will be even more insidious and ruthless than that in the deep palace."

Chen Siyuan said, "I received word earlier that Madam is going to be ruthless towards Third Sister. Sister, guess who secretly gave you the information?"

Baochai raised her arm, frowned, and lightly bit her index finger. Suddenly realizing something, she said, "Yuchuan?"

"Exactly."

Baochai first smiled and breathed a sigh of relief, then frowned and said, "I'm afraid Yuchuan will be useless after a couple of uses. Aunt and Xia Jingui are both equally ruthless, but when it comes to devising schemes, I'm afraid that Granny Hu comes up with more. If we want peace in the mansion, I'm afraid we must get rid of Granny Hu."

"Well, I suppose the old lady isn't blind or deaf. Let's see what she has to say tomorrow."

Baochai said worriedly, "If Tan'er has been raised in her room for more than ten years and she is still like this, I... I'm afraid she will turn on us one day."

That's right. After Xue Pan left, the eldest branch of the Xue family sold off their property, and the large sum of money they had left was temporarily handed over to Chen Siyuan as Baochai's dowry in the future.

But what if something happens to Chen Siyuan?
Not only that, although everyone knows about Baochai and Chen Siyuan's affair, due to Xue Pan's mourning period, there is neither a matchmaker nor a betrothal letter as proof. If Baochai were to accidentally lose her virginity to someone, what would become of this marriage?
Extrapolating from this, it seems that not only Baochai, but also Daiyu might be in danger.

Two malicious people are not scary; what is scary is their unbridled behavior.

This Lady Wang was all talk and no action before, and now that Xia Jingui, who acts without any scruples, has come to her side, not to mention that she will bring trouble upon herself in the future, Chen Siyuan is really letting her troops take a risk.

After a moment's thought, Chen Siyuan said, "I've hired about ten maids who know martial arts. They're all strong enough that two or three ordinary men can't get close to them. When we arrive in the capital in a few days, I'll give two to my sister to keep by her side in case of emergency. Also, be extra careful with your food, clothing, and daily necessities from now on, so you don't fall into other people's crooked schemes."

Baochai breathed a sigh of relief and put her arms around Chen Siyuan's neck, saying, "So you were prepared all along. Thank goodness, otherwise I'd be having a headache for the next few days." As she spoke, she pressed her head against Chen Siyuan's chest and whispered, "Am I... being too clingy with you? I was afraid of delaying your exams... but with my brother dead, only you can put my mind at ease."

Chen Siyuan was deeply moved by her words, but then he suddenly felt something was amiss. Baochai's words and actions were usually bright and generous; when had she ever uttered such frivolous remarks? Could she have been possessed by Baoqin?
Then he reached out and lifted his chin, saying, "Why is my little sister talking like Qin Yatou?"

Baochai's face stiffened, and she puffed out her cheeks, saying, "How did you know it so easily? And why didn't you doubt Qin'er when she told you?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "I've known about Qin's wicked thoughts for a long time. Whether she says it or not, I don't care." He lightly pecked Baochai's lips and said, "I've always liked you, sister. Why should you learn from Qin?"

Baochai then covered her mouth and laughed, "If you say that, I won't learn it anymore." After a pause, she added, "But... now that Miss Zhang has entered the mansion, I'm afraid Feng'er won't have the heart to fight with Madam anymore."

Knowing Baochai's thoughts, Chen Siyuan immediately said, "I think you should rest for a while, and perhaps go to Rongqing Hall to see your second sister-in-law. There are some things you should say to her."

"Mm," Baochai nodded in agreement. After a brief moment of tender lingering, Baochai returned to her own Hengwu Garden.

After a short rest and dinner, they dressed up and went to Rongqing Hall.

Inside Rongqing Hall, Grandmother Jia had already comforted Fengjie for a long time. She was tired from offering incense today, so she instructed that Fengjie be temporarily placed in the Bisha Pavilion, while Grandmother Jia returned to her bedroom for a rest.

When Baochai arrived, she heard soft sobbing coming from the gauze-covered wardrobe, with Ping'er constantly trying to comfort her.

Seeing Baochai arrive, Fengjie wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and said, "You've come to laugh at me too?"

Baochai shook her head, went closer and took Fengjie's hand, then turned to look at Ping'er. Ping'er, who was always sensible and perceptive, nodded and went to stand guard at the door of the green gauze cabinet.

Baochai sighed, "Why are you so stubborn? When you married Lian, you were in blissful happiness for several years. It's already quite rare that he's only brought one concubine into the household." She paused, then continued, "They say that after a long time together, a couple's relationship becomes as natural as touching their own left hand with their right. Your resentment and anger now are only because Lian doesn't go your way. Ask yourself honestly, how can your feelings for each other compare to when you were newlyweds?"

These words struck a chord with Sister Feng. After her experiences with Bao Er's wife, Duo Guniang, and Qiu Tong, most of Sister Feng's feelings for Jia Lian had long since faded. Her current jealous and envious demeanor was nothing more than a reflection of her resentment.

Sister Feng said angrily, "I should have listened to that old nun that day. That way, Zhang would not have become a widow as a concubine, nor would she have seduced your second brother."

Baochai knew about this matter. It was thanks to Chen Siyuan's intervention during Qin Keqing's funeral that Fengjie was spared from taking on legal cases and disregarding human life.

So she advised, "You're wrong to think that way. Even if Zhang Jinge is gone, there's probably Li Jinge or Wang Jinge. I've heard that Zhang Jinge is strong-willed and kind-hearted. It's fortunate that it's her this time; if someone with ulterior motives were to come in tomorrow, your house would be in chaos."

Sister Feng glanced at him sideways and said, "How do you know what kind of person Zhang Jinge is?"

Baochai knew that no amount of persuasion would be of any use at this point, so she didn't answer. She simply said, "You'll see what kind of person she is when she comes to serve tea tomorrow." She paused, then added, "These days, that Miss Xia has been frequently going in and out of Madam's room. My mother has only overheard a few words, but it seems..."

"Like what?"

"It seems that Zhang Jinge's name was mentioned vaguely a few times."

Sister Feng was startled and immediately felt a chill run down her spine. She thought to herself that if it was Madam Wang's method, she must have been planning to disrupt her own household, make her fight Zhang Jinge to the death, and thus make her unable to compete with her for control of the household.

Yes, Tan'er was disobedient and caused a car accident today. Since she was vying with him for control of the household, she sent Zhang Jinge to Jia Lian's side.

These two matters seemed unrelated, but in fact they both pointed directly to her. Feng Jie immediately stopped crying, her phoenix eyes suddenly narrowed, then softened again, and she held Baochai's hand and said, "Good sister, thank you for telling me this news."

Baochai smiled and said, "We're cousins, we just had a few disagreements when we were little, how could I be estranged from you?"

Sister Feng stood up and said, "I will remember your kindness today. If you ever need anything in the future, just come and find me."

Feng Jie nodded in agreement, and Baochai said, "I can't stay any longer, so I'll head back now. Please wait, sister."

Feng Jie saw her off at Rongqing Hall before turning back into the Bisha Pavilion. Ping'er, seeing that Feng Jie was now only frowning in thought and no longer shedding tears, couldn't help but wonder what Baochai and Feng Jie had just said.

After a short while, Sister Feng came to her senses and said, "Ping'er, go and send someone to find out what kind of reputation Zhang Jinge has outside."

Ping'er assumed that Feng Jie was going to deal with Zhang Jinge, hesitated for a moment, and finally bowed and agreed.

By this time of night, Chen Siyuan, who had been on edge all day and had narrowly saved Tan Chun, was exhausted. So he, Xiangling, and Hongyu went to bed early, before 7 p.m. Just as they were making love, they suddenly heard a commotion and knocking on the door.

The three people in the warm pavilion quickly stopped, and Hongyu put on her clothes to go and see. After a while, Hongyu returned with a solemn expression and said, "Master, something bad has happened! The Third Miss has a high fever that won't go down, and she's talking nonsense. It seems she's having a nightmare. Shishu is extremely worried and has asked Physician Wang to examine her. She's also come to ask you for houttuynia cordata extract." Chen Siyuan hurriedly instructed, "There are quite a few in the box under the desk in the study. Take two bottles and give them to Shishu to take back."

"Yes," Hongyu replied, and did as Chen Siyuan instructed.

Xiangling was very worried and leaned on Chen Siyuan's shoulder, wondering, "Third Miss has always been brave. Even if she was frightened during the day, she shouldn't have such a high fever."

Chen Siyuan also found it strange, but since it was already late and he couldn't investigate, he shook his head to indicate that he didn't know. Shishu asked for the medicine and left, and there was nothing else to do. Chen Siyuan was disappointed and worried about Tan Chun's condition, so he embraced the two pretty maids and fell asleep lost in thought.

On the surface, the Rongguo Mansion appeared calm that night, but in reality, undercurrents were surging.

The next morning, Chen Siyuan hurriedly sent Hongyu to Qiushuangzhai to inquire about Tanchun's condition. After breakfast, she received news that although Tanchun's high fever had subsided, she was still fast asleep. Later, another maid came to inform her that the old lady had asked her to go to Rongqing Hall.

Chen Siyuan thought to himself that it must be because of Jia Lian taking a concubine and Tan Chun being attacked. After finishing his preparations, he hurriedly ate a bite of breakfast and went to Rongqing Hall.

After a while, Madam Wang, Madam Xing, Aunt Xue, Jia She, and even Chen Siyuan all arrived at Rongqing Hall. Jia Lian, who had just been married, came to Rongqing Hall early in the morning to kneel down and beg for forgiveness.

At dawn, after dawdling for quite some time, Grandmother Jia was finally helped out of her bedroom in the west wing by Yuanyang and Amber.

After they sat down on the soft couch, Jia She, who was at the head of the table, coughed lightly and stroked his beard, saying, "Lian'er was really unreasonable yesterday. If she wanted to take a concubine, she should have brought her into the family openly and honestly. Why did she have to do it secretly? Doesn't that mean that Feng Jie is jealous and intolerant?"

Sister Feng sneered, "What the master says is true. The second master is quite the schemer these days. If he wants to take a concubine, he should just tell me. How could I possibly say no? But he insists on doing this sneaky and underhanded thing while I'm at the incense offering ceremony!"

Madam Wang twirled her prayer beads and said, "It's because you, Feng'er, have been keeping Lian'er under your thumb all this time. After all, he's a man who inherited a title in the family. For him to do something so sneaky shows how afraid he is of you."

Madam Xing chuckled. She had originally intended to amuse Feng Jie, but when she met Chen Siyuan's gaze, her mind raced, and she immediately remembered what Chen Siyuan had said earlier. So she said, "Sister-in-law, I don't agree with that. How could my daughter-in-law be jealous? Ping'er is so beautiful, yet she was given to Lian'er. Besides, the last time she was jealous, it was because Bao Er's wife was disobedient and disrespectful to her master."

This would have been fatal for Feng'er. It's only because Feng'er showed some consideration for Lian'er that she spared her face. If it were me, I would have beaten that wretched maid to death long ago!

Madam Wang glanced at Madam Xing and said, "Right and wrong, justice resides in the hearts of the people. If Feng'er hadn't been so headstrong, would there have been such rumors in the manor?"

Grandmother Jia, leaning on her cane, said, “Since you are in charge of the household affairs, you should be able to distinguish between rumors and gossip. Feng’er has been managing the household for several years and has offended many unruly servants. It’s common for them to talk about their masters behind their backs and spread rumors. Alright, let’s call Lian’er in first. We can’t let him kneel and ruin his health.”

Everyone fell silent, and a maid went to invite him. Soon, Jia Lian, dressed only in his undergarments, came around the screen. Feng Jie'er's phoenix eyes widened in anger, and seeing Jia Lian's pretentious act, she felt even more resentful.

Jia Lian entered the house and kowtowed to the ground, pleading, "Grandmother, I really had no other choice. I was drunk and acted improperly. If I hadn't brought Zhang Jinge into the manor yesterday, I'm afraid I would have been in legal trouble!"

Grandmother Jia said with exasperation, "What a mess you've made! If you want to take a concubine, why didn't you tell the First Madam and the First Master?"

Jia Lian explained, "Firstly, the matter was rushed, and secondly... I was also afraid of the old matriarch's punishment."

Grandmother Jia said angrily, "Aren't you afraid of what I'll do to you now?"

Jia Lian, head bowed, pleaded, "The mistake has been made, and I know I cannot refute it. Please punish me however you see fit, Grandmother."

Grandmother Jia turned to look at Sister Feng and said, "Sister Feng, what do you think should be done?"

Feng Jie said, "Just listen to the old lady's decision on how to punish her; I have nothing to say. There's only one thing: I heard that Zhang Jinge was carried into the mansion in a bridal sedan chair yesterday, and she even entered through the east corner gate. May I ask, Second Master, is Zhang Jinge a virtuous concubine or a noble concubine now that she's in the mansion?"

Without a second thought, Jia Lian said, “I will take Zhang Jinge as my concubine without any betrothal gifts, but she will have a dowry to rely on, so she is naturally a noble concubine.”

Sister Feng immediately exploded, sneering, "Fine, today you're a concubine, but tomorrow you'll be the second mistress? Grandmother, you'd better stand up for me!"

Grandmother Jia quickly reassured her, "Don't panic, Sister Feng. With me here, even if Lian'er acts up again, I won't stand by and watch him favor his concubine over his wife!"

Just as Jia She was about to speak, Madam Xing interrupted him, saying, "Over the years, Feng'er has been managing everything inside and outside the mansion. Not only has she worked tirelessly, but she has also earned a bad reputation. We've all seen it all. Don't worry, if Lian'er ever harbors any improper thoughts in the future, I will definitely stand up for you!"

Grandmother Jia was also puzzled, wondering why Madam Xing was being so sensible and perceptive today. She quickly chimed in, "That's exactly right. I've seen how much you've worked yourself to the bone and gotten sick." Turning to Jia Lian with a stern face, she demanded, "Lian'er, what do you have to say?"

What could Jia Lian say? He readily agreed.

At that moment, Grandmother Jia ordered Jia Lian to copy the Classic of Filial Piety ten times at the ancestral hall as punishment, and the matter was considered closed. Feng Jie went to her own courtyard. Since Zhang Jinge was a concubine, she had to serve Feng Jie tea on the second day after her marriage.

Leaving aside Sister Feng's situation for now, before everyone dispersed, Grandmother Jia asked about Tan Chun's condition again. Upon hearing that she was indeed frightened, she gave her a long lecture before sending everyone away, leaving only Chen Siyuan to answer.

Grandmother Jia then asked, "Yuan-ge'er, have you found any clues about what happened when you visited the maid yesterday?"

Chen Siyuan shook his head and said, "I have already sent people to carry the broken carriage back. I'm going to check on it in a bit."

Grandmother Jia frowned and asked, "What did the coachman say?"

"He knows nothing when asked, so he doesn't seem to be faking it."

Grandmother Jia frowned, wondering if it was truly an accident. Regardless, she had to give Lady Wang a warning to prevent her from becoming even more reckless.

So he said, "In that case, you should investigate first. You should at least give Tan Yatou an explanation."

Chen Siyuan accepted the invitation and took his leave, then went to the front to inspect the wreckage of the carriage shaft.

After pondering for a while, Grandmother Jia gave Yuanyang a few instructions, and Yuanyang went to the room and found several indentures. Grandmother Jia carefully examined them and handed them to Yuanyang, saying, "Go and take these to Feng-ge'er."

Yuanyang was quick-witted. She carefully considered those indentures; they belonged to the stewards of the household. With these indentures in the hands of Second Mistress Wang Xifeng, it was tantamount to handing over the lives and fortunes of these stewards to her. In this way, Second Mistress's real power naturally increased significantly.

Yuanyang didn't say anything, and immediately went to Fengjie's courtyard.

Meanwhile, in Sister Feng's courtyard, Sister Feng's face was frosty as she watched Zhang Jinge squat down slightly to serve her tea.

After a while, Ping'er saw that Feng Jie'er still hadn't called her to get up, so she quickly whispered, "Grandma, Aunt Zhang is serving tea."

When Sister Feng came to her senses, she thought to herself, "This Brother Jin looks decent, and he doesn't seem like the kind of vixen who's good at seducing people. But I wonder what his true nature is."

He took the teacup, took a sip as if to show it, and said, "Sister, get up quickly. Now that you've come to my room, we're like sisters. We must work together."

Zhang Jinge stood up and said, "Since Grandma has given the order, I will definitely act dutifully from now on and will not cause any trouble."

Before Feng Jie could even nod, Qiu Tong lifted the curtain and entered the room. She glanced at Zhang Jinge and sneered, "Madam, don't be fooled by this vixen. She looks so respectable, but isn't she secretly seducing the Second Master? I wonder what kind of bewitching potion the Second Master has been given. How dare a second-married woman enter the mansion according to the rules for a concubine? I think she doesn't respect Madam at all!"

(End of this chapter)