Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 337 The Golden Key's First Steps: The Musk Calamity (Part 1)
As soon as Madam Wang finished speaking, Madam Xing glanced at her and immediately chimed in, "Sister-in-law, what you said is not quite right. As the saying goes, you can know a person's face but not their heart. No matter what, this Granny Hu is still a servant from outside the mansion, and she has only been here for a few months. How can you be so sure of Granny Hu's character?"

Madam Wang was not known for her quick wit, and after Madam Xing's sharp retort, she was immediately speechless.

Grandmother Jia, sitting upright on the soft couch, frowned in displeasure and glanced at Feng Jie, saying, "Feng Jie, what do you have to say?"

Sister Feng said, "Grandmother, let's hear what this old scoundrel has to say. I also want to know what this black-hearted servant is thinking!"

Grandmother Jia instructed, "Then let her speak!"

The old woman below responded and reached out to remove the hemp seed that was blocking her mouth. The old woman, Hu, had been beaten and her mouth was bleeding as she opened it. She mumbled, "Please, old lady, do justice for this old servant. This old servant must have been framed by someone else!"

Sister Feng said sternly, "You are just a servant outside the mansion, and you have no grudges against anyone. Why would anyone want to harm you?"

Granny Hu kowtowed and said, "This old servant doesn't know either. Yesterday, I was drinking with some people and drank a bit too much. Afterwards, I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I don't know how I ended up with the Second Master, and there was even a fire outside. Please, Madam, judge this matter. This old servant is innocent!"

Grandmother Jia, sitting on the soft couch, frowned deeply. Lady Wang then said, "Grandmother, if we follow what Granny Hu said, I'm afraid there's more to this than meets the eye."

Madam Xing chuckled and said, "Sister-in-law, what are you saying? How much of what an old cunning servant who sneaks into his master's bed can be believed?"

Sister Feng said coldly, "I see you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin! Come on, bring your witnesses!"

At a single command, two maids were immediately brought in. As soon as they entered, they knelt down in the hall with a thud.

The old woman spoke first: "Reporting to the old lady, my surname is Zhang. I am a cleaning lady in the outer courtyard. I am a gambler, and yesterday I heard that Granny Hu was gambling. So I secretly went to the side room of the outer courtyard after finishing my errand. Granny Hu gambled for a while, and after drinking a bowl of wine, she complained of a headache. The rest... the rest I don't know."

Another old woman said, "Reporting to the old lady, this old servant is in charge of the tea. Yesterday, Granny Hu complained of feeling dizzy, so I helped her out of the side room. But as soon as we came out, Granny Hu said she wanted to go back by herself. This old servant walked her a dozen steps before she sent her back. Everyone who was gambling yesterday knows about this."

Granny Hu immediately pointed at the two of them and said, "You two must have conspired together! This is utter nonsense! I was clearly unconscious yesterday, so how could I have gone to meet with Second Master Lian in secret!"

Sister Feng slammed her hand on the table and said, "Outrageous! If it were just one person framing you, that would be one thing, but could it be that these two are conspiring to frame you?"

Granny Hu retorted, "These two must be upset about losing money, so they plotted to frame me and Master Lian. Please, Madam, do justice!"

Madam Xing spat, "Bah! What a cunning servant! He's about to die and he still dares to talk back! Old Madam, I think this cunning servant needs to be beaten."

Madam Wang was anxious and quickly said, "Now that everyone has their own version of events, I think this matter needs to be investigated carefully."

At this moment, the kneeling old woman said, "Old Madam, a few days ago I saw that Granny Hu was secretly keeping a handkerchief. She treasured it unusually. When I went to check it, she wouldn't allow me to. I think there must be something strange about it. Maybe...maybe it's Master Lian's handkerchief!"

Grandmother Jia was so angry that she had a headache. She ordered, "Come here, hurry up and search!"

Yuanyang responded and quickly went downstairs to search Hu Mama's body. However, Hu Mama's clothes were all newly changed, and the clothes she wore yesterday had been changed long ago. So she searched her whole body but found nothing.

Yuanyang got up and shook her head. Grandmother Jia then ordered, "Go, search her room!"

Yuanyang nodded in agreement and led two maids to Yihong Courtyard.

After a long while, Yuanyang led the people back and presented a dirty handkerchief. Fengjie glanced at it and immediately became angry, saying, "As expected, there was something fishy going on. Old Madam, please look, this is Ping'er's handiwork!"

Granny Hu was immediately dumbfounded and exclaimed, "This, this must be a deliberate frame-up! This old servant has never hidden any handkerchiefs!"

Grandmother Jia leaned on her cane and said, "Yuanyang, tell me where we found this handkerchief!"

Yuanyang said, "Reporting to the old lady, it was found under Granny Hu's mattress."

Lady Wang immediately glared coldly at her, secretly cursing Hu Mama for her carelessness. If she wanted to seduce Jia Lian, she should have done it more discreetly. How could she have given herself away and been caught red-handed?

Grandmother Jia squinted and said angrily, "The witnesses and physical evidence are all there, what else do you have to say?"

Granny Hu cried out her grievances, wailing, "Heavenly Bodhisattva, this old servant has been unjustly wronged! I beg Heavenly Bodhisattva to clear my name!"

Madam Xing stood up and said, "The facts are undeniable, and there's no room for your sophistry. Considering you're just a servant from outside the manor... come here, drag her out and give her thirty lashes. If she doesn't die, throw this filthy old woman out of the manor!"

Madam Wang slapped the armrest and said urgently, "Old Madam, about this matter—"

Before she could finish speaking, Grandmother Jia said, "What? Even now, is Madam still going to protect her?"

Madam Wang quickly replied, "I wouldn't dare, but isn't thirty strokes of the cane a bit too harsh?"

Grandmother Jia snorted coldly and ordered, "Do as the eldest madam says, drag her away quickly! Give her a beating in this courtyard and throw her out of the mansion immediately."

"Yes!" The old women below responded in unison, ignoring Hu Mama's wailing and dragging her out of Rongqing Hall, then pressing her to the ground and beating her mercilessly with a board.

The sound of the wooden board whistling in the wind each time it struck caused Granny Hu, whose breasts were stuffed with hemp seeds, to let out a miserable groan. Rongqing Hall was quiet, but the groans drifted in. Madam Xing sipped her tea with secret satisfaction; Madam Wang chanted scriptures with her eyes closed, her prayer beads spinning rapidly in her hands; Wang Xifeng's phoenix eyes were brimming with tears, her eyes red-rimmed, and she kept sniffling.

After a long while, Grandmother Jia finally opened her eyes and said, "Madam, I know you are unwell and the steward is really too busy. But no matter what, we cannot trust such a cunning and deceitful servant. Besides, he is just a servant from outside the mansion!"

Madam Wang quickly replied, "What the old lady says is true. I had no idea that Granny Hu harbored such wicked intentions."

Grandmother Jia snorted coldly and said, "You don't know? I said it long ago: gambling leads to theft, and lust leads to murder! Tan Ya was investigating gambling and drinking parties all the time, and things had just calmed down in this garden. But now it's causing trouble in the outer courtyard. Granny Hu has been going to your room. You're in charge of the household, so I don't believe you're completely unaware!"

Madam Wang quickly stood up and said angrily, "It is my fault for not managing the household properly. Please punish me, Madam."

"Alright, you're already this old, I can't punish you any further. From now on, you'll have to figure out what kind of people to use yourself!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Xing immediately added with a smile, "Yes, sister-in-law, whether the servants are capable or not is secondary; the most important thing is that they follow the rules. If you continue to use such unruly and cunning servants, I'm afraid this family business will be ruined sooner or later!"

Although Grandmother Jia was wary of Lady Wang, she also disliked Lady Xing. So she said, "You should say less. That's enough, everyone disperse." After everyone stood up and bowed, Grandmother Jia said again, "With the end of the year approaching, I don't think we need to keep that Miss Xia any longer."

Madam Wang's heart skipped a beat. Aside from a few maids, only Xia Jingui and her servant were truly useful to her. If Xia Jingui were gone, who would she have left to rely on?
Moreover, yesterday's events have made the old lady feel disgusted. Let alone Baoyu marrying Xia Jingui, I'm afraid that even if Baoyu were to take Xia Jingui as a concubine, he wouldn't be able to get past the old lady's approval.

However, the situation was not favorable, so Madam Wang had no choice but to agree with resentment, leaving it for another day to find a way to turn things around.

The crowd dispersed. Madam Xing glanced at Chen Siyuan, then leaned closer to Jia She. With a soft hum, she passed Madam Wang, went around the screen, and left Rongqing Hall.

Zhan Yan then saw a maid carrying a blood-stained bench away, with specks of blood scattered across the right-hand veranda.

Madam Xing said smugly, "The second branch of the family has made a foolish mistake. If it happens a couple more times, the job of managing the household will go back to our eldest branch."

Jia She frowned and said, "Foolish woman, the family is already struggling to make ends meet. What use is the power to manage the household? Instead of doing this, you might as well think about how to make some money!"

"Master?" Madam Xing was somewhat incredulous.

Jia She paused slightly, then lowered his voice and said, "I just received news that Lord Wang has already returned to the capital, and I'm afraid he's about to be promoted. With the Empress in the palace and Lord Wang in the court, even I, your master, still need to rely on the influence of the second branch of the family. It's not good to fall out with them now. From now on, you should also avoid provoking the second branch!"

Madam Xing reluctantly agreed, but in her heart she cursed Jia She and his ancestors for eighteen generations, calling him a spineless old turtle. She also thought to herself that she had no time these next two days and needed to steal a moment to find Chen Siyuan. She had to find a way to get rid of Jia She first; just thinking about him made her want to vomit!
Leaving aside Madam Xing's return to the east wing with Jia She, let's talk about Madam Wang, who emerged from behind Rongqing Hall with a gloomy face. Just as she reached the gate of the Grand View Garden, a sudden gust of north wind blew by, causing Madam Wang to stagger. Fortunately, Tanxin supported her, preventing her from falling to the ground.

Tan Xin and the others helped Madam Wang back to the courtyard. Just as they sat down, Xia Jingui led Baochan over.

As soon as Xia Jingui entered the room, she had barely greeted anyone when Madam Wang slammed her hand on the table and said, "The good old nanny you brought! Not only did she make me get scolded by the old lady, but now I've lost all face!"

Xia Jingui rushed over and knelt before Madam Wang, grabbing her hand and saying, "I'm innocent! Madam, don't you think about how coincidental yesterday's events were? The fire started at just the right time, and it just so happened to spread to that side room. How could it be such a coincidence? Even if... even if Granny Hu and Brother Lian were having an affair, she's always been cautious. Unless someone was plotting against her, how could she have left any trace? If I were to say, it must be someone plotting against us!"

Madam Wang thought about it and agreed. She frowned and said, "It's too late to say anything now. The beating has been done, the person has been sent away, and the old lady has also given her instructions. You should go back for the next two days, and I will find an opportunity to let you come back after the New Year."

Xia Jingui was dumbfounded. How could she not hear that Lady Wang was just making excuses? Although Lady Wang was now in charge of the Rongguo Mansion, Grandmother Jia was an old noblewoman, and who would dare disobey her? She feared that once she left the Rongguo Mansion, she would never be able to return.

She was vicious and had a knack for tormenting people, but she was less intelligent. Now that Hu Mama, who always offered advice, was gone, Xia Jingui was at a loss.

"Mrs?"

"Alright, you're going home for the New Year anyway, let's talk about other things later."

Madam Wang was feeling very annoyed. She waved her hand and said, "Yuchuan, go and deliver the golden osmanthus for me."

Yu Chuan'er responded and stepped forward to help Xia Jingui up, saying, "Miss, let's go now."

Xia Jingui glanced pitifully at Madam Wang, and seeing that she was looking down at her mouth and indifferent to her thoughts, she stomped her foot in anger and stormed back to Yihong Courtyard.

Meanwhile, Chen Siyuan trailed slightly behind, following Feng Jie as she turned out from behind Rongqing Hall. He tried his best to persuade her along the way, but Feng Jie was a strong-willed person. It would have been better if he hadn't tried to persuade her; she would have let it go after a while. However, Chen Siyuan's persuasion only made Feng Jie more and more angry.

Upon reaching the large, painted screen wall, Sister Feng stopped and frowned, saying, "Brother Yuan, please stop talking. Do you think I don't know what kind of person your second brother is?"

Chen Siyuan hesitated for a moment, then said, "Second sister-in-law naturally understands this principle, but she shouldn't let anger cloud her judgment. Now that Madam is powerful, it would be best for Second Sister-in-law to give birth to a son as soon as possible."

Sister Feng looked around and gave Ping'er a wink. The latter quickly stepped back to keep watch. Sister Feng clasped her hands together and lowered her voice, saying, "Brother Yuan gave me a hint last time, and I searched high and low, inside and out, and checked everything we eat and use every day, but I found nothing unusual... Could it be that we're just being paranoid?"

Chen Siyuan frowned and pondered for a moment before saying, "Second sister-in-law, having children is a matter for two people. Since you are fine, could it be that Brother Lian has been affected?"

"he?"

Chen Siyuan said, "Second sister-in-law, you might as well investigate whether there are any things that only Brother Lian uses and that others don't."

“This…” Sister Feng frowned and turned her head to look at Ping’er, who was keeping watch.

Ping'er pondered for a moment, then stepped forward and said, "That's right, Grandma, have you forgotten? Second Master loves to eat Bai Su You Gao (a type of fried cake), but Grandma finds it too greasy and never touches it."

Feng Jie was taken aback and instructed, "Your second master has been staying in the outer study at the front these days. Ping'er, go and see if there are any leftover crispy fried cakes."

"Yes."

Ping'er agreed, bowed to Chen Siyuan, and then walked ahead with her head down.

Chen Siyuan stopped there, cupped his hands in farewell, and said, "In that case, I'll head back now."

"Alright, Brother Yuan, take care."

After saying goodbye to Chen Siyuan, Fengjie returned to her room with a worried expression. After a while, Ping'er returned with an oil paper package and said, "Grandma, there were only three pieces of 'Bai Su You Gao' left in the Second Master's study, and I brought them all back."

Sister Feng suddenly stood up, found a silver hairpin, and stuck it into a hole. After a while, she pulled it out, but saw nothing unusual. So she said, "Could it be that we're overthinking things?"

Ping'er said, "Grandma and Second Master had Qiao Jie before, so it's clear that she was fertile. Why did she not have any children for the next few years? Besides, if there really was a condiment in the food, it would just be something like musk or safflower, which wouldn't be considered poison. I'm afraid the silver hairpin wouldn't be able to detect whether it was poisonous."

“You’re right… Fine, then secretly take this Hundred-Fragrance Oil Cake and find a good doctor to examine it carefully and see if there’s anything unusual inside.”

"Yes."

Ping'er quickly agreed and turned to handle the matter herself.

After bidding farewell to Sister Feng, Chen Siyuan entered the Grand View Garden not far away. However, just as he reached the vicinity of the Emerald Peak, he saw Yu Chuan returning from the Yi Hong Courtyard.

Chen Siyuan glanced at her and saw that Yu Chuan'er looked nervous, clearly having something to say, but with so many people coming and going, it was really difficult to speak.

Just as Chen Siyuan was pondering a solution, he saw Yu Chuan'er approaching. Suddenly, she stumbled and bumped into Chen Siyuan, falling to the ground with a cry of "Ouch!"

Chen Siyuan, suddenly struck by a sudden inspiration, quickly bent down to help her up: "Oh dear, how did Miss Yuchuan fall?"

Yu Chuan'er said, "I stepped on a pebble..." Then she lowered her voice and quickly said, "Madam wants to send Xia Jingui back to the Xia family. I'm afraid she will leave the mansion in the next couple of days."

Xia Jingui is leaving? If she leaves, how will Chen Siyuan make his move? So he quickly whispered, "Go find Hongyu when you have time. I have instructions. Remember to be discreet and don't let Madam find out."

"Yes... thank you, Uncle Yuan, I can walk by myself."

Yu Chuan'er got up, dusted herself off, curtsied, and then left Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan hurried back to the thatched cottage, having already thought things through on the way. He then found Hongyu and whispered his thoughts to her. Hongyu was quite surprised, but immediately agreed obediently. She then turned and strolled into the garden, hoping to bump into Yuchuan.

That afternoon, as Hongyu was strolling around, Yuchuan indeed came looking for her. The two went to a secluded spot, where Hongyu whispered some instructions to Yuchuan, who nodded repeatedly in agreement.

After giving her instructions, Yu Chuan'er parted ways with Hong Yu and quietly made her way towards Yi Hong Courtyard.

They arrived at Yihong Courtyard shortly after, and as soon as they reached the main room, they heard a series of crashing and banging noises coming from inside. Looking through the glass window, they saw Xia Jingui smashing cups, plates, and dishes all over the floor, while Baochan knelt to the side, terrified and at a loss for what to do.

Yu Chuan'er bit her lower lip and stepped forward to gently knock on the door.

Xia Jingui asked sharply, her face cold: "Who?"

Yu Chuan'er said, "Miss Xia, it's me."

The master and servant exchanged a glance. Baochan quickly got up, found a broom, and swept up the mess on the floor. After Xia Jingui sat down, she went over and opened the door.

Yu Chuan entered the room, and Xia Jingui glanced at her sideways and said, "You've come... Does Madam have any instructions?"

Yu Chuan'er said, "Please dismiss everyone else, Miss. There are some things that are best left unsaid."

After thinking for a moment, Xia Jingui waved to Baochan, who quickly and quietly left the house.

Yu Chuan'er stepped forward, and Xia Jingui said, "Say what you have to say."

Yu Chuan'er said, "Miss Xia, do you know that it's easy for you to leave, but it will be difficult for you to come back in the future?"

Xia Jingui retorted angrily, "How could I not know?"

Yu Chuan'er said, "I have come up with a way to let you stay in the manor. However... after it is done, I would appreciate it if you would give me a generous reward."

Xia Jingui looked up and examined him closely before saying, "So you're after money... Don't worry, if your method works, I will reward you handsomely!"

(End of this chapter)