Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 398 A withered flower leans against the east wall
Just as Baochai was about to say something, Wang Mama came in and said, "Second Master Xue, Aunt Li, and the two young ladies have arrived together."

The three exchanged glances, none of them knowing the reason. Granny Wang, however, overheard something and immediately said, "Second Master Xue went to the small courtyard in the northeast to see Miss Qin, and Aunt Li went to Rongqing Hall. It seems they had agreed beforehand to take Lan-ge to see the river lanterns tonight."

Chen Siyuan didn't need to worry about Li Wan's widowed aunt and her two cousins ​​for the time being; his mind was on Xue Ke. He had heard Baochai mention before that Xue Ke had connections within the inner court, and the timber had been diverted to Liaodong. Judging by the timeline, could it be that Xue Ke had already transported the timber there?

Baochai, eager to find out more, kept giving Chen Siyuan meaningful glances, losing interest in joking with Daiyu. The three chatted for a while longer, and seeing that the two were not focused on the conversation, Daiyu smiled and said, "Alright, alright, Baochai, there's no need to persuade me any further. You know I'm frail, and my nanny is afraid I'll attract some unclean spirits at night, which is why she won't let me go out."

It's better to believe in ghosts and spirits than not, and once Daiyu said this, Baochai and Chen Siyuan couldn't persuade her any further. After lingering for a while, the two parted ways with Daiyu and left Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Baochai said, "As the saying goes, poetry is the voice of the heart. Judging from her poetic style, one can see that her personality is gradually taking shape. Her ideas are truly novel."

For Baochai to say that Daiyu's poems were novel was partly because they were indeed original, and partly because she was surprised by how rebellious Daiyu was.

Chen Siyuan, however, was a tolerant person. Besides, how could Daiyu be without a rebellious nature? If she were to learn the temperament of Baochai or Erjie, then she would truly be fulfilling Baoyu's earlier words: a beautiful pearl would lose its luster and become a fish eye instead.

He said, "That's perfect. She's young, so she should be carefree. If she's too mature, it won't be as beautiful."

Baochai glanced at him sideways and stopped trying to persuade him. After hesitating for a moment, she finally said, "You mean Xue Ke came back from Liaodong?"

Chen Siyuan then said, "It's probably true. Since Qin has already signed the engagement letter, I should go and see her, both out of courtesy and reason. If I get any news, I'll tell you in detail later."

"Alright."

Baochai agreed, and the two parted ways at Cuiyan Bridge. Chen Siyuan went straight to the small courtyard in the northeast.

Because Aunt Xue went south to Jinling, the backyard of the small courtyard in the northeast was locked, so Chen Siyuan could only leave the Grand View Garden through the front gate.

They arrived at their destination in no time, and the maid Xiaoluo quickly informed them and led Chen Siyuan inside.

As Chen Siyuan stepped into the hall, he saw Baoqin wiping away tears with a handkerchief, while Xue Keye had already risen to greet him.

After the three exchanged greetings, Xue Ke led Chen Siyuan to the seat of honor. Once seated, Chen Siyuan asked, "I heard you went to Liaodong. Was your trip successful?"

Xue Ke had been traveling for several months and seemed to have become much more experienced. He then cupped his hands and replied, "The trip to Liaodong went smoothly. I sought out my father's old friends and, after several inquiries, finally decided on Ciqiu. I personally oversaw the sea voyage to Tianjin before hurrying back to the capital to report."

Chen Siyuan, observing his expression, noticed the troubled look on his face and asked, "Have you encountered any difficulties?"

Xue Ke sighed, stood up and bowed respectfully. Before he could speak, Baoqin sobbed and pleaded, "Brother Yuan, you must help my family this time!"

Xue Ke's face was already flushed, and he frowned as he said, "Hu Cheng promised so readily, but when I visited him yesterday, he was evasive and wouldn't give me a straight answer. I thought it was because I hadn't been polite enough, so this morning I specially sent him three thousand taels of silver, but the gatekeeper stopped me, and now I can't even get into his house."

Chen Siyuan frowned and pondered to himself. There is a saying that it is easier to deal with the King of Hell than with his underlings, and there is also the saying that "the local official is more powerful than the county magistrate".

Hu Cheng's official rank is not low, and this time he is clearly deliberately making things difficult, perhaps for money, or to deliberately punish Xue Ke. Chen Si can use his connections with the Prince of Yanping to get this matter over with. But if the Imperial Household Department sends an imperial envoy and manages to avoid it this time, what will happen next?
Who knows, Hu Cheng might hold a grudge and retaliate against Xue Ke with even greater severity.

Moreover, favors become increasingly thin with use, and Chen Siyuan was counting on these favors to use in the future, so it was really not worth it for Xue Ke's imperial mission.

After some consideration, Chen Siyuan said, "After calculating the costs, it's possible that you've lost money this time harvesting thorny bushes?"

Xue Ke said, "There is some profit, but it's probably no more than a thousand taels."

Chen Siyuan instructed, "Prepare five thousand taels of silver immediately. I will send a visiting card to Hu Cheng's residence later to see what the truth of this matter is."

Xue Ke immediately said gratefully, "Alright, I won't say anything else, I'll go prepare now."

The imperial envoys to the inner palace were inherently unprofitable businesses; the principle of "a small loss is a gain" was something Chen Siyuan didn't need to teach Xue Ke and his sister.

After Xue Ke left, Baoqin composed herself and served him tea and massaged his shoulders, taking good care of him. Chen Siyuan comforted her for a few moments before taking his leave.

That night, Baochai made an excuse to return to the old house to accompany Cao Shi and left the mansion first. In fact, she hadn't gone far when she found an alleyway to wait for Chen Siyuan. The two of them then rode together in a carriage to Shichahai.

On the way, Chen Siyuan mentioned Xue Ke's imperial mission. After listening, Baochai thought for a moment and said, "The two characters 'Xue' are written in the same stroke. Since he has encountered difficulties, if it is not too much trouble for you, you can lend a hand."

Chen Siyuan put his arm around her shoulder and said with a smile, "I already knew that you were thinking this way, so I agreed to Xue Ke's request earlier."

Baochai pressed her head against his heart, smiling without saying a word. Baochai's heart was much more open than Aunt Xue's; although she disliked Baoqin, she never implicated the entire second branch of the Xue family.

Rather than being on guard like Aunt Xue, it would be better to let the second wife do whatever she wants. No matter what, Xue Ke will never pass the imperial examination. Even if Baoqin doesn't come to be a concubine, with the second wife's family background, where would she marry into a good family?

Unfortunately, that night, a light drizzle began to fall as they reached Shichahai. Chen Siyuan and Baochai released river lanterns together. Baochai was torn between grieving Xue Pan's violent death and worrying about her aunt Xue who had gone south. Seeing her distressed expression, Chen Siyuan lost all interest in sightseeing.
They coaxed him into the carriage, but after circling around Shichahai, they took him to the Xue family's old residence.

The next day, Chen Siyuan sent Qingyu to Hu Cheng's house early in the morning to deliver a visiting card. Before noon, a servant from the Hu family delivered a reply, inviting Chen Siyuan to a banquet at Hu Cheng's residence in two days.

Chen Siyuan immediately sent Qingyu to find Xue Ke, who then spent money indiscriminately, and in just one day he had prepared a gift of five thousand taels of silver.

On the appointed day, Chen Siyuan personally led Xue Ke to pay a visit. It happened to be a day when the government office was closed, so Hu Cheng personally greeted them at the second gate and was even more courteous upon meeting.

Just kidding, who doesn't know that Chen Siyuan was the mastermind behind the railway track incident? Not only did the Prince of Yanping appreciate it, but even the Emperor himself rewarded him.

Moreover, Chen Siyuan is young but has a great reputation for talent and is capable of extraordinary things. In officialdom, it is customary to bully the old but not the young. The inner court is a lucrative post, and Hu Cheng would not risk offending Chen Siyuan for a little money.

The three men entered the hall and, after a brief exchange, a table was set out. They began to drink and toast, and after several rounds of wine and dishes, Hu Cheng complained, "Xue Er, since you are so close to Chen Xiaolian, why didn't you tell me sooner?"
This is truly a case of the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple, huh? Hahaha—"

Xue Ke inwardly grumbled, but outwardly appeared flustered and respectful. He offered Hu Cheng a cup of wine and then let the matter drop. As the banquet was nearing its end, Chen Siyuan gave him a look, and Xue Ke immediately presented the prepared brocade box. Inside were four old ginseng roots, twelve pearls, and three thousand taels of silver.

To everyone's surprise, Hu Cheng firmly declined the offer. Chen Siyuan knew perfectly well that this man was deliberately putting on airs in order to get to know him.

He then signaled Xue Ke to take back the brocade box, and while his relationship with Hu Cheng grew increasingly intimate, he remained secretly wary. However, by the time the banquet ended, Hu Cheng had not asked Chen Siyuan for anything.

When Chen Siyuan left Hu Cheng's residence, he realized that this Hu had actually played a trick.

It's likely that he already knew about his relationship with Xue Ke, which is why he initially made things easy for him, but later made things difficult for him, all so that he could owe Hu Cheng a favor.

Although Xue Ke was young and had drunk quite a bit, he understood what was happening and said shyly, "This... Brother Yuan, I've dragged you into this."

Chen Siyuan waved his hand dismissively and said, "It's alright. In official circles, there should always be give and take."

Aside from the fact that Prince Yanping had leverage over Chen Siyuan, from an outsider's perspective, Chen Siyuan was upright and honest. If Hu Cheng's request wasn't too difficult, he would easily grant it; if it was too difficult, Hu Cheng probably wouldn't have the face to come knocking on his door.

Seeing Chen Siyuan's calm and composed demeanor, Xue Ke sighed even more inwardly: "As the saying goes, it's good to take shelter under a big tree. Of the four great families of Jinling, apart from the Wang family, the other three are becoming increasingly useless. And the Xue family's sons and daughters are all disappointing. If they want to maintain their wealth and status, they might have to rely on this cheap cousin-in-law right now."

How old is he? He's only a Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations), yet he's treated like an honored guest by a high-ranking official of the fourth rank in the Imperial Household Department. Given time, his potential will likely be limitless.

After sighing, Xue Ke thought he should talk to his younger sister Baoqin about it later, and that she should serve Chen Siyuan well after she marries into the family. He thought that if the family encountered difficulties in the future, they might have to rely on Chen Siyuan.

The next day, Xue Ke went to the Imperial Household Department to report his work, and as expected, no one gave him any trouble. He finished the task smoothly in just one morning. Perhaps on Hu Cheng's orders, a minor official from the Imperial Household Department even came after him to say that the payment would be settled within three days at the latest.

Xue Ke breathed a sigh of relief, feeling even more grateful. Knowing that Chen Siyuan had run many businesses, he assumed that Chen was not short of money. After some consideration, he sent a cartload of leather goods he had purchased in Liaodong to Chen Siyuan's new residence at Nengren Temple.

In the afternoon, when Sister You returned from her new residence in Xiangfang, she found an extra cart of leather goods at home. After finding out that it was sent by Xue Ke, she thought for a moment and then sent Dongmei to the Rongguo Mansion to report the news.

After dealing with Xue Ke's matter, Chen Siyuan stayed at home reading. That day, he asked Xiangling again, only to find that Baochai had said she would return in three days, but today she sent someone back saying that Cao Shi was ill and would have to stay a few more days before returning.

Chen Siyuan then lit Yunxiang and instructed her to tell Qingyu to go to Henian Hall and to invite Doctor Ding to go to the Xue family's old residence.

No sooner had Yunxiang left than an old woman from the back gate came looking for her, saying that Dongmei wanted to see her.

Chen Siyuan thought that he hadn't seen Sister You Er and Sister You San for some time, so he simply strolled to the back door and went with Dongmei to the new house at Nengren Temple.

Before long, they arrived at the new house. The old servant sent word inside, and Chen Siyuan saw Sister You San coming to greet him, looking listless, as he passed through the hanging flower gate.

Looking around, but unable to see Second Sister You, Chen Siyuan immediately frowned and asked, "Where did Second Sister go again?"

Sister You chuckled and said, "I just came back from the wedding shop. I heard they got a whole cartload of leather goods, and now I'm happily going to check it out."

It's good that we didn't go to Ningguo Prefecture.

Chen Siyuan reached out and tugged at You Sanjie's soft hand, asking with concern, "Sister, you look listless... Is something on your mind?"

Sister You sighed, "In another ten days or so, it will be the day when Chou...Wengge'er gives birth."

Chen Siyuan suddenly realized that "Wengge'er" was just a different way of saying it; in reality, it meant that it had been a year since Old Lady You had passed away, and Second Sister You and Third Sister You were about to end their mourning period.

As the saying goes, distance makes things more fragrant than proximity makes things more foul. When Old Lady You was alive, she made Sister You hate her to the core. But after she passed away, Sister You became grateful for her kindness in raising her.

Chen Siyuan then said, "Then let's choose a day, sister, and go together to pay our respects."

Third Sister You frowned slightly and said, "Second Sister and I will go. We don't want to delay Brother." Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "A day or two won't be a delay."

Sister You didn't press the matter further and said, "Then let's go on the 28th of this month."

As they spoke, the two entered the main room together. Sister You San personally poured tea for Chen Siyuan. After they sat down, Chen Siyuan asked about the glass workshop.

Sister You's face immediately fell with worry. She said, "I thought it was a good idea, but who knew that making glass is so difficult? A little more or less material, a little too long or too short of heat, and the glass we get will be completely different. Luckily, my brother found me a job making bottles, otherwise I'm afraid I would have lost all my money."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Do you know why transparent glass is so expensive? The workshops all have the secret recipes. I heard that the master craftsmen with skills earn at least a hundred taels of silver a year."

Sister You gritted her teeth and said, "I am not willing to give up. I will send someone to Foshan to find a master craftsman after some time. I must spend money to hire one."

Knowing that he was becoming increasingly daring and adventurous, Chen Siyuan smiled and offered a few words of encouragement.

A moment later, Sister You Er drifted in with a fragrant breeze and a smile. She gave Chen Siyuan a curtsy with her alluring gaze, flicked her handkerchief, and said with a smile, "Master, you don't know, but this cart of furs sent by the second branch of the Xue family, besides the common rat and fox furs, also includes some rare Pegasus and sea dragon furs!"

Tianma skin is the belly skin of the sand fox, and Hailong skin is the skin of the otter. These two types are not produced in large quantities in Da Shun, and the vast majority are imported from the Western Yi.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Siyuan recalled last month's official gazette and said, "I suppose it was brought from America by the British."

Sister You then sat slumped on the armrest of the chair, half of her body nestled in Chen Siyuan's arms, and pleaded in a soft voice, "Master, I don't want anything else, but could you make me a Guanyin pouch from those few sea dragon skins?"

Hats made of sea otter skin are not cheap; they used to cost forty or fifty taels of silver, and now they cost twenty taels each. A Guanyin hat requires even more material than an ordinary hat, and Sister You immediately asked for fifty taels of silver.

Sister You snorted and was about to reprimand him, but Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Your wedding shop is doing very well. It's not anything expensive. If you like it, just buy it yourself."

Sister You said coquettishly, "How can what Master gives me be the same as what I buy myself?"

After much pleading and nagging, Chen Siyuan finally agreed to You Erjie's request, only after clarifying the remaining amount of leather.

Chen Siyuan had no interest in studying that day, so he simply stayed there for dinner. Before Qingwen went to the Qingtang thatched cottage, because the You sisters had to observe mourning, Qingwen always accompanied Chen Siyuan to rest in the main room.

Now that Qingwen had gone to the Jia family, You Erjie's mind started to wander. So one day, You Erjie lingered and refused to leave. You Sanjie saw through You Erjie's thoughts, made some sarcastic remarks, and finally went back to the back building by herself.

As soon as she left, Sister You Er clung to her, and their passion ignited. They finally ejaculated at the third watch of the night, and then, exhausted, they went to sleep.

In the blink of an eye, ten days or so, Cao Shi recovered, and Baochai returned from the Xue family's old residence. Chen Siyuan then led the You sisters to pay respects to Old Lady You outside the city.

After scattering paper money and burning yellow paper, Sister You Er cried uncontrollably, while Sister You San gritted her teeth and stared coldly at the grave.

After the worship ceremony, the three of them took a car back to the Nengren Temple residence. The two sisters removed their silver hairpins, changed into plain clothes, and that was considered the end of their mourning period.

Chen Siyuan knew that You Erjie had cried and then stopped, but You Sanjie, who had been silent, had become restless. Since he had stayed with her for several days in a row, he coaxed and comforted her during the day, and at night they went to bed together and shared a bed, and thus they made love.

Yu Sanjie had been observing mourning for a year and had not tasted meat. In addition, Chen Siyuan was growing bigger and bigger, and even Siqi was finding it hard to keep up, let alone Yu Sanjie.
So at first they were able to stay together and fight to the death, but later they begged for mercy and couldn't fall, so they had to ask Sister You for help.

After several days of absurd behavior, Sister You's worries gradually subsided. She urged Chen Siyuan several times before he leisurely returned to the Rongguo Mansion.

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

Meanwhile, Chen Siyuan returned to Qingtang Thatched Cottage, and Yunxiang immediately came to inform him that Xue Ke had come twice more during the past few days while Chen Siyuan was away.

Chen Siyuan was puzzled, thinking that the imperial messenger from the inner palace had made another mistake. However, after inquiring further, he learned that Xue Ke had not come looking for him even once. Chen Siyuan became even more puzzled and pondered for a while, wondering if Xue Ke had come looking for Baoqin?

I put the matter aside for the moment and gathered my thoughts to study in my room.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Sister Feng smiled with great curiosity, stroking the newly delivered Heavenly Horse leather fabric, and said with a smile, "This is quite strange. How come Brother Ke and Li Wen have taken a liking to each other?"

Ping'er laughed and said, "I'm guessing it's probably because the two families came together last time and we met once when we entered. They say young people are attracted to each other, and Xue Ke is of marriageable age. It's rare to find someone suitable, so of course he'll keep thinking about her."

Sister Feng covered her mouth and laughed, "I never thought I'd get a matchmaker's gift in my life. Oh well, since he's asked me, I can't very well refuse. Go and find out if my sister-in-law has returned to Daoxiang Village. If she has, I'll go and talk to her about it in a bit."

Ping'er agreed, saying that she didn't need to take care of such a small matter herself. She found a maid and gave her instructions, and the maid went to the garden to inquire.

As Ping'er turned around, Feng Jie glanced at her lower abdomen again and said, "Did you see Physician Wang this morning?"

Ping'er pursed her lips and said, "I have seen him, but since I'm still in the early stages of pregnancy, Physician Wang can't be sure. He said he wants me to come back next month to have another check-up."

Sister Feng said, "Your period hasn't come for a while, so I guess it'll be here this time."

Ping'er blushed and agreed, placing her hands on her lower abdomen again. Seeing that Feng Jie was lost in thought, Ping'er didn't dare to disturb her, so she quickly sat on the other side of the kang table and started tying a knot in the knot.

Sister Feng frowned, reaching out to touch her lower abdomen, feeling increasingly aggrieved. She wondered to herself, "Could it be that I've damaged my health, which is why I can't conceive?"

Logically, this shouldn't be the case. She has been taking cordyceps continuously since last year, and has been taking herbal medicine non-stop. Doctor Wang personally examined her and said early this morning that she was fine, but Chen Siyuan has been struggling for over a month and there is still no sign of pregnancy.

For a moment, Sister Feng even doubted that she was destined not to have a son.

Just then, the clock in the hall rang, and Ping'er put down her tassel and said, "I'll go get Grandma's food box."

Sister Feng gave a nonchalant reply, then suddenly called out to Ping'er.

Ping'er stopped and saw that Feng Jie's brows were furrowed. After a moment, she whispered, "The pastries your second master made earlier were not right... Do you think it's possible that Madam found out that this matter was exposed, and since her plan failed, she's trying to get promoted again, and this time she's put something in my food?"

Ping'er was startled and instinctively said, "No way?"

But as soon as the words left her mouth, Ping'er thought about it more and more and it seemed more and more likely!
After several months of recuperation, Jia Lian finally got Zhang Jingge pregnant. Ping'er, who was on her own as a concubine and didn't have to eat with Feng Jie, was now pregnant, while Feng Jie showed no signs of pregnancy.

As the saying goes, anything unusual must be sinister, and it's hard to guarantee that Madam Wang won't resort to such despicable means.

The two, mistress and servant, thought of the same thing, and Ping'er quickly said, "Grandma, I took some snacks from the small kitchen this afternoon. Why don't you have some first?"

Sister Feng nodded. Having been together for over a decade, the two knew each other's thoughts perfectly well. The food box from the main kitchen would be retrieved and kept for Ding Daojian of Henian Hall to examine carefully tomorrow.

Ping'er returned with the food box and served Feng Jie some snacks. Soon after, a maidservant reported that Li Wan had left Rongqing Hall and was now returning to Daoxiang Village.

After drinking a cup of tea, Sister Feng guessed that Li Wan had finished dinner before getting up and heading to Daoxiang Village.

The master and servant entered the Grand View Garden and walked along the corridor. After crossing the Bee Waist Bridge, they soon arrived at Daoxiang Village.

Upon entering the courtyard, one sees Li Wan, Su Yun, and Bi Yue busy taking out books from the chests and hanging them out to dry.

Because the chests were all made of camphor wood, the whole courtyard was filled with the fragrance of camphor wood.

When Li Wan saw Feng Jie arrive, she hurriedly went to greet her. Feng Jie then teased from afar, "Those who have studied are indeed better than those who haven't. My courtyard is full of the stench of money, while your courtyard is full of the fragrance of books."

Li Wan laughed and said, "Good girl Feng, you're always teasing me as soon as you arrive." As she got closer, she asked, "Why are you here?"

Sister Feng said, "Of course I wouldn't come to the temple without a reason. Sister-in-law, why don't you quickly invite me to have a cup of matchmaker's tea?"

Li Wan was taken aback, then assumed that Sister Feng had come to arrange a marriage for a member of the Wang family, and immediately smiled and led Sister Feng inside.

Just as she reached the door, a maidservant was carrying a trunk out. While crossing the threshold, she wasn't paying attention and the trunk overturned. Not only were books scattered all over the floor, but something else rolled to Feng Jie's feet.

Sister Feng looked down and her smile immediately turned cold.

It's a pearl! A pearl the size of a pigeon's egg!

Pearls from the East have always been considered high-grade items. Even those occasionally sold in markets are only the size of a fingernail; pearls this large have never been seen circulating outside. Judging by their quality, this pearl must be from the same batch as mine.

Sister Feng squatted down slightly to pick up the pearl, but before she could stand up, Li Wan snatched it away.

Feng Jie glanced over coldly and saw Li Wan's face turn red. She stammered and tried to cover it up, saying, "This...this was given to Lan Ge by Brother Yuan. Lan Ge said he couldn't find it last time. Who knew he would forget it in the trunk?"

These words might fool a naive young girl, but how could they possibly fool Sister Feng?

While Feng Jie was still in shock, a playful smile appeared on her face. She thought to herself: I thought Li Shi was an honest and upright woman, but I didn't expect her to become an adulterer!

After pondering the matter, Sister Feng was filled with dread. Who on earth had seduced Li Wan? If it was Chen Siyuan, it would be understandable, but if it was Jia Lian…

Upon realizing this, Sister Feng's heart tightened immediately. Both her sisters-in-law looked rather unwell and uttered a few incoherent words. Li Wan quickly led Sister Feng into the house.

(End of this chapter)