Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 341 The Twin Poisonous Swallows Cause Chaos in the Jade Hall

On this day, Chen Siyuan headed towards the east courtyard, carrying the poison given to him by Prince Yanping. Unexpectedly, as he approached the side gate, he saw Lady Wang escorting the Xia family mother and daughter out.

Chen Siyuan stopped in the corridor to the side, concealing his figure and observing carefully. Because he was some distance away, he could not hear clearly, but he could see that Madam Wang was forcing a smile, while Madam Xia's face was ashen, and Xia Jingui was sobbing incessantly beside her.

After a long while, Zhou Rui's wife saw the Xia family mother and daughter off at the ceremonial gate and onto the carriage. Madam Wang sighed sadly before leading her maids and servants back home.

Chen Siyuan tried to avoid it, but instead pretended to be in a hurry and bumped into Madam Wang.

"Where is Yuan-ge'er going?" Madam Wang asked casually.

Chen Siyuan cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Reporting to Madam, I was just about to go to the east wing to see my aunt."

Madam Wang frowned immediately. Her sister-in-law was just looking forward to seeing her make a fool of herself. She had come uninvited earlier and made a lot of sarcastic remarks, which made Madam Wang lose face in front of the Xia family mother and daughter.

Madam Wang was preoccupied with how to handle the matter and didn't bother with Chen Siyuan, so she dismissed him, saying, "In that case, young master, you should go quickly."

Chen Siyuan agreed and bowed to bid farewell to Madam Wang. As they passed each other, he saw Yu Chuan secretly wink at him.

Chen Siyuan knew perfectly well that Yu Chuan'er would definitely relay what had just happened afterward, so he steadily left Rongguo Mansion and soon entered the east courtyard through the black lacquered gate.

With the year-end approaching, the five military departments held banquets every day, and military officers stationed in various places also sent charcoal as a gift. Jia She was busy collecting money from all sides, so he was not at home.

Chen Siyuan entered through the three ceremonial gates and soon entered the main room, where he saw Fourth Brother riding a bamboo horse, shouting and running around on the ground.

While beaming with joy, Madam Xing did not forget to instruct Miao'er, Tiao'er, and the others to keep an eye on things so that Fourth Brother would not bump into anything.

When Madam Xing caught sight of Chen Siyuan, she immediately felt the urge to show off. She called over Fourth Brother and coaxed him with a string of auspicious words.

Since it was his first child, Chen Siyuan was overjoyed and immediately sent over a red envelope containing two thousand taels of silver.

Madam Xing secretly glanced at the red envelope she received, becoming even more smug, but remained outwardly composed. After a while, she sent the wet nurse away to take the fourth son away, then privately rolled her eyes at Chen Siyuan and said, "At least you have some conscience... but isn't two thousand taels too much?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "If there's too much, you can save it for your fourth brother. Your younger brother is not young anymore, and he'll start looking for a wife next year. It's good to find a suitable marriage."

Upon hearing this, Madam Xing immediately frowned and said, "With Dequan's reckless nature, how could a decent family's daughter be willing to marry him?"

Chen Siyuan then said, "The Xing family has already fallen on hard times. You should avoid marrying a noblewoman. Find a virtuous woman from a humble family who can keep your brother in check."

These words struck a chord with Madam Xing, who nodded repeatedly and said, "Isn't that exactly right? He came to ask for money again a few days ago, and when he saw that I gave him too little, he gathered some of the Jia family's sons and servants to loiter around the mansion, getting completely drunk before returning home. With his kind of temperament, it would be best to find someone strong to keep him in check."

After a pause, Madam Xing put Xing Dequan's marriage aside and said with a smile, "I just went to the second branch of the family and saw a lot of fun."

Chen Siyuan asked, "What do you mean?"

Madam Xing said, "My dear sister-in-law wanted to explain, so she specially found Baoyu to confront her. But Baoyu stammered and couldn't say where the incense came from for a long time. In the end, he just claimed that it was given to him by that damned Jiang Yuhan."

Chen Siyuan was taken aback and said, "There's such a thing?"

"Isn't that right?" Madam Xing said happily, "This time, the second branch of the family is in deep trouble, with no way to defend themselves."

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, because of Baoyu's betrayal, Jiang Yuhan probably already hated Baoyu to death, but only because of Baoyu's family background did he not offend him openly. He had heard that although Jiang Yuhan was an actor, he associated with many high-ranking officials and nobles, and also owned a manor outside the city. It was clear that this man was unwilling to accept his lowly status, and perhaps he had far-reaching ambitions.

How could such an ambitious person be willing to suffer in silence for no reason? But Baoyu was too ignorant, and Jiang Yuhan had plenty of ways to harm Baoyu and leave him speechless afterwards.

Maybe... there really is something wrong with that incense?

After thinking for a moment, Chen Siyuan asked, "So how was it finally agreed upon?"

Madam Xing pouted and said, "I'll leave after having a cup of tea. If I don't leave now, I'm afraid my dear sister-in-law will lose her temper and kick me out."

Chen Siyuan chuckled inwardly. This scheme, besides the strategist Hu Mama, also included the deliberate arrangement to keep Xia Jingui. The two of them together would surely cause chaos in the Rongguo Mansion. Don't be fooled by Xia Jingui's previous subservient and obedient behavior; it was all just a ploy to stay in the Rongguo Mansion and one day become Bao Er's wife.

Now that her wish has been fulfilled, she fears that she will gradually drift apart from Madam Wang in the future. No matter how well Xia Jingui hides her true nature, it will eventually be exposed, and then the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law will fight each other...tsk, that would be extremely interesting.

Whether it was premeditated or accidental, Chen Siyuan's entanglement with the Rongguo Mansion is now deep. If the Rongguo Mansion falls into ruin one day, the young ladies might be alright; Chen Siyuan could use his connections with Prince Yanping to protect them. But how could he protect Li Wan, Madam Xing, and the others?
The best course of action now is to let the Emperor vent his anger and then eliminate all the troublemakers in the Eastern and Western Palaces. Only in this way can we protect everyone.

With this thought in mind, and after listening to Madam Xing recount the embarrassing incidents of the second branch of the family for a while, Chen Siyuan quietly took out the bottle of medicine from his pocket, put it in Madam Xing's hand, and asked, "Has Jia She been drinking medicinal wine lately?"

"This is..." Madam Xing's heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly said, "It is from drinking. Three cups of wine every day, without stopping."

Chen Siyuan then said, "If you add this to the medicinal wine, Jia She will surely suffer a stroke and become paralyzed within a year."

Madam Xing hurriedly nodded in agreement, but then added with some unease, "What if someone finds out—"

Chen Siyuan reassured him, "Don't worry, this medicine will only show its effects over many years, and the powder is dissolved in the wine, so even the most skilled imperial physician cannot detect it."

Upon hearing this, Madam Xing was relieved, but then frowned and asked with dissatisfaction, "It takes a year to be effective? Is there a shorter-acting medicine?"

Chen Siyuan was slightly speechless, and said, "Jia She is still useful, so he can't die yet."

After thinking for a moment, Madam Xing smiled and said, "That's right. Your marriage with Yingchun is not yet settled. If he dies, Yingchun will have to observe the mourning period for twenty-seven months. She really can't die." She paused and then added, "Don't worry, his medicinal wine is in my room. I secretly made some today when I had some free time."

Chen Siyuan smiled and agreed, then leaned over to spend some time with Madam Xing before leaving the east courtyard and returning to the Qingtang thatched cottage.

As soon as they arrived at Qingtang Thatched Cottage, Hongyu came to greet them, smiling and saying, "Master, Miss Hongyu has arrived."

Xing Xiuyan is here?
Chen Siyuan quickly entered the room and saw Xing Xiuyan leisurely browsing through books in the study. Hearing the noise, Xing Xiuyan simply turned her head and smiled sweetly before continuing to look at the book in her hands.

Chen Siyuan leaned over and put his arm around her shoulder, teasingly saying, "You're a rare guest indeed. Cousin, what brings you here today? Are you here to fly kites again?"

Xing Xiuyan said reproachfully, "Flying a kite shouldn't be too loose or too tight. Yuan-ge'er hasn't looked for me for several days, so of course I have to come looking for you."

Chen Siyuan pulled Xing Xiuyan to sit down and laughed, "I think my cousin came here to show off to me."

What was she showing off? She was showing off that she had instigated and encouraged her second sister, Yingchun, to jump out and compete for the position of the principal wife.

Xing Xiuyan chuckled and said, "I'm just looking for a place to settle down and make a living. Why am I showing off?"

Although Xing Xiuyan was indifferent to worldly affairs, she neither wanted to be under Baochai's control in her room, nor did she want to compete with Daiyu and her group of young ladies. The Second Miss was gentle and obedient, and they were now close friends. If she became the principal wife in the future, Xing Xiuyan could live a good life as long as she did not compete or fight.

Chen Siyuan smiled without saying a word, while Xing Xiuyan bit her lower lip and said again, "So you dislike my scheming nature?"

Chen Siyuan said earnestly, "I don't know what others think, but I never dislike those little quirks and schemes. As long as they don't harm others, I find them extremely interesting."

Xing Xiuyan nestled close to Chen Siyuan and said, "I knew I couldn't hide it from you... Did Siqi tell you?" Chen Siyuan didn't answer but asked, "How did my cousin find out?"

Xing Xiuyan covered her mouth and laughed, "Every time you appear, Siqi wishes she could have her eyes glued to you. If she paid a little attention, how could she not notice?"

Chen Siyuan didn't want to bring up Siqi's matter and was about to use the lightheartedness to cover it up when Xing Xiuyan suddenly stood up, waved the book in her hand, and said, "You've already written several volumes of 'The Annals of the Four Continents,' I wonder when you'll finish it?"

Chen Siyuan said, "There are still two volumes left, which should be finished by the new year."

Xing Xiuyan smiled and said, "The scenery overseas is indeed very different from that in the Central Plains. I'll take this manuscript back and read it first, and then return it to you after the New Year."

Chen Siyuan nodded in agreement, and Xing Xiuyan indeed led her maid to take her leave. After she and her maid had left, Hongyu came over to pour tea and said, "Master, Yuchuan came by secretly just now."

"Oh? What did you mean?"

Hongyu lowered her voice and recounted what had happened in Madam Wang's courtyard that day. Just as Madam Xing had said, Baoyu had stammered and tried to cover it up, finally claiming that he couldn't remember who had given him the sleeping potion, which infuriated Madam Wang.

Since it concerned a young lady's reputation, and Baoyu couldn't explain himself clearly, it was naturally Lady Wang who was in the wrong. The Xia family's wife was aggressive, and Lady Xing was also making sarcastic remarks on her behalf. Fortunately, Aunt Xue intervened and smoothed things over, otherwise Lady Wang would have broken ties with Lady Xing.

After much persuasion, Aunt Xue managed to get Madam Xing to leave, and only then did Madam Wang discuss with Mrs. Xia how to handle the situation.

According to Madam Wang, after this incident, she should naturally issue a betrothal letter to take Xia Jingui as her concubine. But how could Madam Xia let it go? In her words, she was willing to sacrifice her own daughter's reputation in order to drag the Rongguo Mansion down with her and bring shame upon them.

Whether out of sheer desperation or simply to go with the flow, Lady Wang agreed, saying she would request an imperial decree from the palace to grant Xia Jingui a marriage decree, allowing her to marry into the Rongguo Mansion as a second wife.

After Hongyu finished speaking, Wu'er brought over a food box and said, "Isn't Madam trying to fool people? The Emperor's words are golden, and this is not a glorious matter. Even Your Majesty wouldn't ask the Emperor to speak for her, would you?"

Chen Siyuan frowned and pondered for a moment, then said, "It's possible that this matter can actually be accomplished... If the Emperor can issue this decree, then the Emperor Emeritus and the Dowager Empress can certainly do the same."

After hearing this, Hongyu pondered for a moment and said, "Madam has a good plan. If you get Miss Xia as Bao Er Ye's concubine, I'm afraid the Xia family's vast wealth will fall into your hands sooner or later. The Xia family is just a royal merchant family, so it won't stop Bao Er Ye from marrying a principal wife in the future."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "It's alright. We have to look at things in the long run. What seems like a good thing now may turn into a bad thing in the future."

The two maids nodded in unison. After the food boxes were laid out, Xiangling, who had just returned from Xiaoxiang Pavilion, arrived. Xiangling smiled and said a few words, explaining that the second young lady had started managing the household today, and had already given a piece of her mind to all the stewardesses in the morning.

The three women in Wang Shanbao's family, mother and daughter-in-law, were assigned tasks this morning and immediately began to swagger around, inspecting the place. Any mistakes or omissions would result in a deduction of their monthly allowance or, in more serious cases, a beating.

In just half a day, I heard that two lazy maids have already been caught.

After carefully inquiring about and considering his second sister Yingchun's methods, Chen Siyuan felt a surge of satisfaction. He thought to himself that it was fortunate it was still early; otherwise, in two years, his second sister, who had been hiding her true abilities, might have revealed them in reality. Now, when she managed the household, she appeared gentle and kind, but she made the unruly servants below her suffer immensely.

Unfortunately, everyone knows that Yingchun is weak-willed, and Wang Shanbao's wife is also Madam Xing's maid, so it's likely that all the blame will fall on Madam Xing now.

The current situation of Rongguo Mansion is comparable to the Three Kingdoms period. Madam Wang has the greatest power, which is naturally the Wei Kingdom; Madam Xing is content with her modest wealth, which can be considered the Wu Kingdom; and Sister Feng, with the secret support of the old lady and being the eldest daughter-in-law of the Rongguo Mansion's eldest branch, can be compared to the Shu Kingdom.

As for Yingchun, who is adept at responding to every move and using others' strength against them, she is just like Sima Yi.

That's not quite right, but I imagine that even if Madam Wang wanted to make things difficult for her, as long as Yingchun acted delicate and weak, she wouldn't be able to do anything about it for a while.

After chatting and laughing with several maids until lunchtime, and taking a short nap at midday, Ping'er came to visit. It was because the end of the year was approaching, and Feng Jie invited Chen Siyuan and Daiyu to the workshop in a couple of days to settle accounts.

Chen Siyuan readily agreed, thinking he would go for a stroll outside the city with Daiyu in a couple of days. Ping'er gave her message and then took her leave, going straight back to Fengjie's room from the thatched cottage.

Feng Jie was still furious. A ledger lay open on the kang table in front of her, her index finger gripping the abacus tightly as she stared blankly into space. Only after Ping'er came over and whispered a few words to her did she gradually come back to her senses.

Sister Feng asked, "What did Brother Yuan say?"

Ping'er said, "Master Yuan agreed and said he would go with Grandma early the day after tomorrow."

"That's good." Sister Feng took a deep breath, glanced at Ping'er, and said, "Has the rouge been bought?"

Ping'er was terrified and said, "Grandma, this matter has nothing to do with Master Bao. If the old lady finds out, she will definitely not forgive you..."

"Shut up!" Sister Feng said coldly, "She caused me to be childless, and she has such a vicious heart. Shouldn't I be allowed to get my revenge?"

"But……"

"Besides, with Lan-ge'er around, you know exactly what kind of person Brother Bao is!"

No matter how much Baoyu was favored, he was still the second son of the second wife. The title of the first wife and the family business of the second wife were not his to inherit.

Today, the Xia family mother and daughter had a fight, and afterwards, the mistress naturally went to the old lady's Rongqing Hall. Feng Jie thought the old lady would be furious, but to her surprise, the old lady only gave a few vague responses and then lightly let the matter pass.

After pondering for half a day, Sister Feng had already vaguely guessed what Grandmother Jia was thinking. As a result, she naturally acted without any scruples.

Ping'er went out to buy rouge and lipstick today, purchasing a lot of them from a cosmetics shop, all of which were adulterated with cottonseed oil. Baoyu has a habit of eating the rouge on the maids' lips; if he doesn't break this habit, he'll surely end up like Jia Lian, with no hope of having an heir!
Seeing that Feng Jie's anger was rising, Ping'er knew that she could no longer persuade her, so she bit her lower lip and nodded, saying, "Then I will send the rouge to Qixianzhai tomorrow."

Sister Feng nodded in agreement, which slightly suppressed the raging anger in her heart.

After taking a sip of warm tea, Feng Jie asked, "How is the backyard? Has Zhang gone to the ancestral temple to see your second master?"

Ping'er frowned and said, "It's strange, the day before yesterday, Aunt Zhang sent some food, but these past two days, not only has she not sent any of her maids, but she hasn't sent any either. As for Qiu Tong, she's been staying at the family temple. If it weren't for the old woman keeping an eye on her, she'd probably be having an affair with the Second Master."

Sister Feng muttered, "She looks honest, but I don't know if she's just pretending. We'll see." After a pause, she added, "There's no need to wait until tomorrow. You can send these rouges to Qixianzhai now."

Ping'er obediently agreed in a low voice, got up and went to the main room to find a small bundle, picked it up and headed to Qixianzhai.

At this time, Qixianzhai hired a few more maids. Since Xiren was taking care of her ailing mother, Sheyue was now in charge of Qixianzhai. Ping'er was always kind to people and made friends with everyone. She would always send small gifts to others during festivals. Now that she had sent some rouge, no one thought it was strange.

Ping'er was filled with unease. After delivering the items, she lingered for a moment before making an excuse that Sister Feng had other instructions, and then got up to take her leave.

After leaving Qixianzhai, a commotion could be heard from outside the courtyard wall, and the faint voice of Aunt Zhao could be heard. Ping'er was puzzled, and after thinking for a while, she remembered that Madam had sent Aunt Zhao to Huguo Temple outside the city to worship Buddha for a month. It was time for her to return.
Ping'er hurried back to Feng Jie's courtyard and told her about Aunt Zhao's return. Feng Jie rested her chin on her hand, frowned in thought, and naturally planned to start with Aunt Zhao, wanting to make things difficult for Madam Wang.

Now, let's talk about Aunt Zhao's courtyard.

After a month apart, seeing Jia Huan covered in mud like a monkey, she felt heartbroken and hugged him, weeping bitterly.

She cried out, "My poor Huan'er... Now that I'm gone, you're left without anyone to care for you. Even Tan'er doesn't look after you? You heartless wretch! Your sister is a complete ingrate; she probably wishes she'd crawled out of Madam's belly!"

Before she could finish speaking, the door creaked open, and Tan Chun entered, frowning. She said, "Auntie, be careful what you say. You know, trouble comes from the mouth. Besides, I come to see Huan-ge'er every day. Auntie, why don't you ask Huan-ge'er how he treats me?"

(End of this chapter)