Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 388 Jane is in the Emperor’s Heart

Outside Chaoyang Gate.

Chaoyang Gate is also known as Grain Gate because it was a vital passage for grain transport. During the Ming Dynasty, hundreds or even thousands of carriages passed through it every day. After a century of peace and prosperity during the Shun Dynasty, scholars and writers have been proclaiming the "Xuankang" golden age, and the number of carriages passing through Chaoyang Gate has increased even more every day.

It was past midnight when a caravan of grain transporting provisions headed towards Chaoyang Gate. In the distance, banners fluttered, and a large contingent of the Beijing garrison stood lined up beside the official road. The driver was puzzled and couldn't help but stand on the shaft of the cart to observe. He saw that behind the Beijing garrison soldiers, two gleaming silver tracks had been built at some unknown time!
Another hundred or so people walked slowly along the silver track, with the two in the lead pointing and talking about something.

Just as the coachman was wondering what was going on, he suddenly heard a shout. Looking in the direction of the sound, he saw several soldiers from the Beijing garrison aiming their muskets at him.

The driver was so startled that he tumbled off the cart shaft, landing heavily in a "sand-sand-wild goose" style. The leading clerk cursed a few times, then quickly jumped off the cart and went to confront the soldiers of the capital garrison.

The soldier was clearly very impatient and didn't bother to listen to the clerk's arguments. He simply waved his hand dismissively and said, "There is a distinguished person here. You must pass quickly!"

The clerk nodded and bowed in agreement, then turned and kicked the coachman, cursing as he urged the caravan to set off.

At this moment, beside the railway tracks, Prince Yanping, full of vigor, strolled along, pointing at the carriages in the distance. Beside him, a man in his forties walked with his hands behind his back, wearing an apricot-yellow Taoist robe. Upon closer inspection, however, the robe was made of shimmering brocade. As he walked slowly, the robe reflected the sunlight, making him appear as if he were draped in colorful clouds.

This person was none other than Emperor Yankang!
"Your Majesty, please look. With a load of three thousand catties, the carriage moves on the railway tracks as if it were flat ground, and its speed is more than twice that of an ordinary carriage. However, the slope here is gentle. If it were uphill, I'm afraid two horses would not be able to keep up. Yesterday, I consulted Chen Siyuan for advice. He gave me two suggestions: one is to add more slow horses on steep slopes, and the other is to install a winch with hinges to drive it with animal power."

Furthermore, Chen Shuliang also said that three thousand catties was a bit too little, and that his younger brother had ordered the Imperial Household Department to rebuild a large cart, so that they could try pulling it with four thousand catties this time.

Emperor Yankang nodded approvingly and said, "Not bad, it looks much more convenient. I just wonder if this railway can recoup its costs?"

Prince Yanping laughed and said, "As Your Majesty knows, Chen Shuliang never does a losing business. Your Majesty, I have ordered the Imperial Household Department to calculate that even if the railway is 30% cheaper than the official road, there is still at least a 40% profit margin. Moreover, the railway is faster, and anyone who is not a fool knows which one to choose."

He paused, then continued, “I asked Your Majesty to look into this today. I will be sending out invitations to many wealthy merchants in the capital in the future. They are willing to pay an annual interest rate of five percent, so I am sure we can raise enough money. Also, Chen Shuliang once suggested that if the railway between the capital and Tongzhou can be used, we can start building a railway from the capital to the Western Hills. Once the railway is completed, I expect the price of coal will drop by at least 30%.”

"This is beneficial to the country and the people!" Emperor Yankang stroked his beard and sighed, then pondered, "We have enough iron. In that case, let's make two at the same time."

"Huh?" King Yanping was taken aback.

Emperor Yankang frowned and said, "I just received a report today saying that Shaanxi and Gansu are short of water in the spring and summer, and a severe drought is inevitable. If possible, I may have to extract money from the Imperial Treasury."

King Yanping looked embarrassed, but had no choice but to clasp his hands in agreement.

Just then, the test carriage approached from afar, and it seemed to be moving even faster than it had on the official road. Yan Kangli couldn't help but stroke his beard in approval. He then said to Prince Yanping, "Heroes come from all walks of life. Chen Shuliang is quite capable in managing affairs. After the imperial examination, I... will certainly give him an important position!"

He paused, then hesitated before asking, "Can Chen Shuliang pass the provincial examination?"

King Yanping clicked his tongue and said, "That's hard to say. However, this boy has been studying behind closed doors lately. Last time, he wrote an article and went to ask Hanlin Mei for advice. I heard that Hanlin Mei praised him highly."

Emperor Yankang responded and asked, "What is this boy doing now?"

King Yanping said, "I have settled on a marriage with two heirs, and I just bought a house in the residence of the Assistant General. Now he keeps urging me to start the business of selling wild vegetables as soon as possible... I suppose he is short of money."

Emperor Yankang laughed and said, "There's nothing I can do about it, I'm short of money too. But merit must be rewarded—" He turned and beckoned to Dai Quan, the chief steward of the Daming Palace, who bowed and quickly approached with a whisk in hand. Emperor Yankang instructed, "The Imperial Treasury just received a batch of shimmering brocade. Pick out some and send it to Chen Siyuan."

Dai Quan was startled and obediently bowed in agreement. He then asked, "Your Majesty, Chen Xiaolian is currently residing in the Rongguo Mansion and owns two other residences. I wonder where this reward should be sent?"

Emperor Yankang said, "Now that a reward has been given, how can we allow someone to wear fine clothes in the dark? Just send it to the Rongguo Mansion."

Dai Quan smiled and agreed, then hurriedly sought out a eunuch to select the Floating Light Brocade from the inner treasury.

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

Latex workshop.

It was nearly noon when the maid Feng'er bought some mulberries out of her own pocket. Seeing that it was getting late, she hurried back to the workshop.

As soon as they entered, they saw Yuan Da Ye striding out of the side hall with his head held high. He glanced at Feng'er, nodded slightly, coughed once, and then went to listen to the steward's words.

Feng'er gave a slight curtsy, tiptoed to the side hall, and raised her hand to push the door open. She then froze, and gently knocked, saying, "Grandma, am I coming in?"

From inside came Sister Feng's languid voice: "Come in."

Feng'er pushed open the door and entered, turning into the side room where she saw her grandmother reclining on the kang (a heated brick bed). Perhaps due to the stuffiness, the cream-colored embroidered bodice that Feng'er was wearing underneath was slightly torn, vaguely revealing a section of her fair and tender breasts. A light purple gauze skirt was draped over her legs, revealing a section of her fair calves and her nail-painted feet.

Feng'er was puzzled. Why was she taking off her socks at this time?
She was suspicious, but Sister Feng remained calm, glancing at her before laughing and asking, "Where have you been running off to?"

Feng'er smiled and said, "There are some villagers selling mulberries around here, so I bought a bunch. I'll wash them clean later and invite Grandma to have a taste."

Sister Feng covered her mouth and yawned, saying lazily, "You eat by yourself, I'm just a little sleepy right now."

Feng'er then said, "That's right, Grandma, why don't you rest for a while? Have lunch and take a nap, and then continue your journey when the sun isn't so strong in the afternoon."

Sister Feng gave a vague reply, raised her hand and waved, and Feng'er obediently withdrew.

As soon as he left, Sister Feng collapsed onto the kang (a heated brick bed), recalling the wildness between the two of them just now, and a blush rose on her pretty face again.

She was strong-willed and extremely concerned about her reputation, so even when Jia Lian shamelessly begged her to change positions during their years of marriage, she refused.

But just now? She was on all fours, like a shameless dog in the countryside... letting him take liberties with her.

If Sister Feng had previously thought it was due to the effects of the medicine, she no longer thought of it—what medicine? It's clearly because people are different!

Being a young man, he was strong and never stopped moving. If Sister Feng hadn't begged for mercy, who knows how long the torment would have continued.

As she pondered, her left hand unconsciously rested on her lower abdomen. She secretly wondered if she had conceived from those two encounters. Ironically, Feng Jie was actually hoping this time it wouldn't happen, so she could have more trysts with that Yuan brother. Thinking of this, Feng Jie couldn't help but curse herself inwardly, knowing that such a thing couldn't last. As the saying goes, secrets can't stay hidden forever. If she were discovered one day, how could she face anyone?
Her thighs ache and tingled again, and Sister Feng was too exhausted to think any further, so she simply stopped thinking about it. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander, and soon fell asleep.

Around noon, Feng'er brought the food. Because of the unbearable heat, the workshop prepared noodles with soybean paste. Feng'er ate most of a bowl quickly, then took a nap for a full hour, only fully waking up when it was time to return.

Sitting in the carriage, swaying back and forth, Feng Jie felt as soft as dough. When she could no longer support herself, she simply leaned against her maid, Feng'er.

Feng'er, not understanding why, assumed that her mistress was working hard checking the accounts, so she sat up and kept fanning Feng'er. After a while, seeing that Feng'er had been woken up, Feng'er suddenly said, "Mistress looks really good today."

"Really? It must be hot." Sister Feng replied absentmindedly, tilting her head to lift the curtain and look outside. She saw Chen Siyuan riding a horse ahead, his back soaked with sweat.

How come these bison don't die of heatstroke!
While inwardly grumbling, Sister Feng felt a pang of sympathy. She wanted to invite Chen Siyuan to take a carriage to escape the summer heat, but she couldn't find a reason, so she became even more sullen.

Once inside the inner city, Sister Feng completely abandoned the idea and focused solely on how to force Ping'er to surrender.

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

Rongguo Mansion.

After taking the medicine, Grandmother Jia recovered greatly and summoned Tan Chun, Xi Chun, Bao Chai, Dai Yu, Bao Qin, Xing Xiu Yan, Xiang Yun, and others to Rong Qing Hall to play.

Hearing of the excitement, Baoyu came to Rongqing Hall to join in. Just as they were playing around, Hongyu suddenly came to report that the Prince of Beijing's mansion had sent a cartload of gifts and had drawn up a list for Baoyu to give as rewards.

Grandmother Jia forced a composed expression, but Lady Wang's brows furrowed deeply. Since the gift-giver was merely a steward from the Wang family, Yingchun asked Jia Lian, who was assisting with the funeral arrangements, to answer the questions.

Before long, Jia Lian saw off the steward of the Prince's mansion, and Bao Yu, unable to contain his curiosity, went to look ahead. The cartload of gifts included pens, ink, inkstones, various kinds of stationery, sachets, fragrant beads, fans, fan pendants, face powder, rouge, hair oil, and other items, as well as toy figures, drinking games, mercury-filled dolls that could somersault, sand lanterns, and various clay figurines performing plays.

Baoyu was delighted to see them, and kept a few of the ones he liked, distributing the rest among his sisters. The sisters all praised Baoyu, saying that he was indeed growing up and now knew how to share.

Xichun scoffed, then asked with a smile, "Why didn't Brother Bao send some to Brother Yuan as well?"

Baoyu immediately looked embarrassed and quickly tried to make amends, saying, "Of course we have some. It's just that Brother Yuan is older than us and will be taking the imperial examinations next year, so we should send him some writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones."

Having said that, he indeed instructed Xiren to pick up the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone and send them to the thatched cottage in the Qingtang.

The sisters were excitedly playing with the novel items when a servant came to report, "Grandma, Chief Eunuch Dai from the Daming Palace has arrived!"

Grandmother Jia was taken aback and asked, "Have you come to deliver an imperial edict?"

The old woman shook her head and said, "No imperial decree was mentioned, only that the Emperor had given a reward."

After a moment's thought, Grandmother Jia smiled at Lady Wang and said, "It must be because of the eldest daughter!"

Madam Wang then forgot her earlier displeasure and smiled apologetically, "But I wonder what the reason is."

Upon hearing this, Baoyu's eyes darted around, and he clasped his hands together, laughing, "Could it be that eldest sister is pregnant again?"

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang exchanged a glance, suppressing their joy, and scolded Baoyu, "Don't talk nonsense. Go to the front and see if the master has time. Invite him to Rongqing Hall and ask Prime Minister Dai what he has to say."

The old woman happily agreed and quickly withdrew.

The sisters Tan Chun and Xi Chun were also overjoyed. Although the two girls were young, they knew that the Jia family was not doing as well as it had been each year. For example, the ice they used to cool off in the summer was barely enough last year, but this year there was only half left.

On the surface, it was because Jia Jing's death had depleted the ice that the Jia family had stored up during the winter, but in reality, everyone knew that the family simply didn't have enough money.

If the eldest sister Yuan Chun is indeed pregnant, and gives birth to a son or daughter, the Jia family can at least benefit from it, and the family's finances will not be so scarce.
The remaining Baochai, Daiyu, Xing Xiuyan, and Baoqin were all indifferent. Their marriages were already arranged, and whether the Jia family rose again or declined was none of their business.

On the contrary, Xiangyun was also overjoyed, chattering on and on, echoing Baoyu's words, which filled Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang with hope.

After a short while, the head maid, Amber, came in and reported, "Madam, the master is coming to Rongqing Hall."

"Oh?"

Amber added, "The maid in front said that the master looks very happy."

Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang both breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged a glance, and wondered if the eldest daughter was indeed pregnant.
A moment later, Baochai, Daiyu, and the other young ladies slipped away to a side room, leaving only Lady Wang to keep them company. Then the master strode in, entered, and greeted Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang. Grandmother Jia couldn't help but ask, "Dai Quan sent a reward? But what is the purpose?"

After Jia She sat down, he smiled and said, "Mother, you don't know, Shu Liang has always been close to Prince Yanping. Some time ago, he offered a plan that proved to be very useful. The Emperor saw it with his own eyes and said it was good. So, in his delight, he bestowed some gifts upon him."

"Oh, I've rewarded you with six bolts of shimmering brocade, and another six bolts of Shu brocade."

When Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang's hopes were dashed, they looked at each other in bewilderment, unable to hide their disappointment.

Lady Wang couldn't help but frown inwardly, thinking that Yuan Chun had miscarried more than half a year ago, and should have recovered by now, so why was there still no sign of pregnancy? Every time she went to the palace to inquire, Yuan Chun would evade the question, and she didn't know the details.

At this moment, Grandmother Jia said, "It's all because of Yuan-ge'er."

Unaware of what the two were thinking, Jia She chuckled to himself, "My son just chatted with Dai Quan for a while, and when we talked about Shuliang, Dai Quan expressed a lot of praise. Judging from his words, Shuliang has already caught the Emperor's eye, and can be said to be... truly favored by the Emperor."

Lady Wang was displeased and couldn't help but say sourly, "Isn't Yuan-ge'er going to participate in the competition? He's not a military officer, so what use is it if he's favored by the Emperor?"

Jia She replied, “Sister-in-law, you’ve misunderstood. The Emperor has been on the throne for over a decade, and his will has become increasingly absolute. If Shuliang is indeed favored by the Emperor, even if he fails the imperial examinations, he can still enter officialdom through the inner palace. Ah, how old is Yuan’er? He might be a fifth-rank physician before he even reaches twenty!”

(I drank too much, but luckily I had over two thousand words saved up. That's all for today...)
(End of this chapter)