Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 404 Springtime Splendor Fills the Painted Pavilion Every Year

The next day, Chen Siyuan brought four congratulatory gifts and headed to Xinglong Street.

Ever since Jia Yucun rose rapidly through the ranks, becoming the Grand Marshal and a military advisor, his home was constantly bustling with visitors. When Chen Siyuan visited, a row of carriages and horses were parked along the wall in the alley.

Unable to find a place to park, Qingyu had no choice but to order the carriage to be parked outside, and he walked over to find the place himself.

The gatekeeper of Jia Yucun's household recognized Chen Siyuan and immediately ushered him into the main hall. After a short wait, he invited Chen Siyuan through the ceremonial gate to the study to talk with Jia Yucun.

After several months apart, Jia Yucun's official prestige had only grown stronger. Chen Siyuan dared not be negligent and greeted him with utmost respect. Only then did Jia Yucun manage a forced smile: "Shuliang, there's no need for such formalities. Please sit down."

Chen Siyuan thanked him and, after taking his seat, a servant served him fragrant tea.

Jia Yucun then laughed and said, "If I hadn't received your visiting card the other day, I would have also sent someone to invite Shuliang for a chat."

Chen Siyuan quickly replied, "Grand Marshal is preoccupied with state affairs; how could I dare to disturb you?"

Jia Yucun said, “Shuliang is so young, yet he already has the abilities of Tao Zhu. Not to mention before, this year there were the two matters of the railway tracks and the vegetarian dish of houttuynia cordata. When I met with the Emperor the other day, His Majesty praised him highly—” He paused, stroked his beard, and said meaningfully, “You can now be said to be favored by the Emperor.”

Chen Siyuan smiled bitterly and said, "To be honest, Grand Marshal, I am truly apprehensive. As you know, the imperial examinations depend not only on talent but also on luck. If I fail two examinations and have no other achievements in the future, I'm afraid the Emperor's favor... will be uncertain."

Jia Yucun praised, "It is a good thing that Shuliang does not forget his roots, but he should not belittle himself. Who in the world does not know Chen Ci these days? Moreover, last month, Hanlin Mei said that your talent and writing skills have now reached the true level. When you take the exam, you only need to be steady and not try to be extraordinary. Even if you fail the special imperial examination, you will be fine in the next moment."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Then I will take the Grand Marshal's auspicious words into consideration."

Jia Yucun smiled and nodded, then added, "That Houttuynia cordata... it really tricked Prince Zhongshun."

Chen Siyuan couldn't help but laugh and said, "As the Grand Marshal knows, Prince Zhongshun is known for his tyrannical and unrestrained behavior. I was forced to sell the recipe for the herbal vegetable to Prince Zhongshun for three thousand taels of silver. However, I made it clear beforehand that I had already promised the recipe to Prince Yanping, so if the two families fight in the future, it will have nothing to do with me."

Who knew that there was a capable person in the Prince of Yanping's mansion who quickly devised a new method for producing houttuynia cordata extract.

Jia Yucun, a shrewd and experienced official career, was not about to believe Chen Siyuan's nonsense. He immediately said, "That's right, say that whenever you run into Prince Zhongshun."

Chen Siyuan was speechless for a moment, and could only awkwardly cup his hands in greeting to Jia Yucun.

He was about to talk about Daiyu, but Jia Yucun brought up the war in the southwest instead.

When the Burmese dynasty was first established, it was expanding in all directions. Several years ago, the flames of war spread to the southwest of Da Shun, and the southwestern border region suffered greatly.

My master is currently stationed in the rear, while the Prince of Nan'an is leading the troops to fight in the front. However, there are towering mountains between Shun and Myanmar, so Shun's superior artillery is useless, and the muskets are unreliable. Moreover, many of the Beijing garrison troops transferred to Yunnan are suffering from acclimatization problems. It is estimated that this war will not be over for three to five years.

As for Chen Siyuan's strategy, his senior brother praised it highly. However, since the Prince of Nan'an had already received orders for this battle, it would probably have to wait until the Prince of Nan'an suffered a defeat before it could be implemented.

Jia Yucun had heard of Chen Siyuan's plan, so he grabbed Chen Siyuan, called over a servant to spread out a map, and the two of them pointed and discussed their plans.

Jia Yucun had conducted the simulations more than once, and each time he would leave with a worried expression. The reason was simple: Yunnan was far from the Central Plains, and transferring troops and supplies there would be too costly. Furthermore, the border region was mostly mountainous, which greatly reduced the effectiveness of firearms. Left with no other choice, the Prince of Nan'an repeatedly submitted memorials requesting the transfer of Guangxi wolf soldiers to Yunnan for the campaign.

Jia Yucun then said, "General Feng Tang had been urging the Beijing garrison to be fully equipped with firearms, but now it seems that this is not a good idea. If they are fully equipped with firearms, we will suffer losses in the southwestern war. We can't let the court give those mountains to the barbarians, can we?"

Not being in a position of authority, Chen Siyuan couldn't say much. In reality, if it were Chen Siyuan, why would he care about border disputes? If a small country dared to show its teeth, he would directly send his navy to attack its heartland. After one or two such incidents, even if the Burmese were unwilling, they would have to behave themselves.

After a while, the two sat down again, and Chen Siyuan then explained the purpose of his visit. Upon hearing that Lady Wang seemed to harbor ill intentions towards Daiyu and intended to kill her, Jia Yucun was immediately dumbfounded.

After a moment, he exclaimed in astonishment, "How could the Jia family be so unwise?"

Chen Siyuan smiled bitterly: "Women in the inner quarters, how could they understand such grand principles? Now that the master has been sent to the south as an educational commissioner, the madam feels that she has the empress in the palace and the Wang family supporting her outside, and even the old lady has to give way to her. This time, we should take it as a test. If we don't firmly suppress her momentum, I'm afraid the madam will become even more willful and reckless."

Jia Yucun squinted, stroked his beard, and pondered for a long while before saying, "Forget it, what kind of good woman can the Wang family raise? Don't worry, I'll make a trip to the Jia family in the next couple of days!"

Just kidding. Everyone in the officialdom knows about Lin Ruhai's dying wish to entrust his daughter to someone. Jia Yucun has always used this as a pretext to enhance his reputation. If Daiyu had been killed by Lady Wang, how would people have viewed him?

Even though Jia Yucun didn't show his emotions at this moment, Chen Siyuan knew that Jia Yucun must be extremely angry.

Just then, a servant came to urge him on, saying that some subordinates had been waiting for half a day. Chen Siyuan understood the implied meaning and quickly got up to take his leave.

That day, after returning to the Grand View Garden and changing his clothes in his room, Yunxiang came to report that Miss Bao had come to visit.

The two were very close, so Chen Siyuan sent Xiangling to greet her, and only after he changed his clothes did he come to the hall to see Sister Bao.

Upon meeting, Baochai couldn't help but ask, "What did the Grand Marshal say?"

Chen Siyuan shook his head and said, "I understand. I'll make a trip to the Jia family before the New Year."

Baochai breathed a sigh of relief and said, "May Buddha and Bodhisattva protect us. I hope that with the Grand Marshal's intervention, Auntie will have some reservations in the future."

She paused for a moment as Chen Siyuan leaned forward and reached out to grasp her delicate hand.

Baochai blushed and muttered to herself, "They're still here, hurry up and let go."

Chen Siyuan deliberately made up a story: "When Baochai came in, she asked about Lin Daiyu, but didn't ask how I was doing. Can't I even feel a little jealous?"

Baochai was immediately at a loss for words, while Xiangling, Qingwen, and the others covered their mouths and laughed, pushing Ying'er outside.

Baochai glared at Chen Siyuan with annoyance, and then stopped struggling, letting Chen Siyuan play with her soft hands.

Her concern for Daiyu stemmed from two reasons: firstly, their affection as close friends, and secondly, her consideration for Chen Siyuan's future. If something were to happen to Daiyu, Chen Siyuan would lose a valuable asset once he entered officialdom, and Baochai would have to wait many more years to receive her official title.

After the two played around affectionately for a while, Baochai, fearing that Chen Siyuan would go too far, quickly pushed him away and stepped back, saying, "You sit still, I have something to say."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Sister, please speak freely."

Baochai gave a snort, and as a large hand slipped into her clothes and captured Yingrou, she rolled her eyes repeatedly. After a while, she said, "I received a letter from Mother this morning, saying that she will not be back until March, and will probably not arrive in the capital until mid-April."

Chen Siyuan kept working and casually said, "It's perfect to set off in March. The canal is thawed, and the weather is just right."

Sister Bao hesitated, feeling something was amiss, but ultimately said nothing.

The imperial decree stipulated that the mourning period for the Dowager Empress would end in three months, allowing aristocratic families to discuss marriage. This year also marks the year of the special imperial examination; if Chen Siyuan passed with flying colors, the Chen and Xue families would need to expedite their marriage negotiations after the results were announced. Baochai often secretly met with Chen Siyuan while managing the latex accounts, and she even consulted a Taoist priest who predicted that auspicious dates next year would all fall in June; if they missed that, they would have to wait until September. If Chen Siyuan were to enter the imperial court then, how could she possibly request leave to marry him?

Given the Xue family's circumstances, Baochai and Chen Siyuan's marriage should have been arranged long ago. They had already discussed that regardless of the outcome of the competition, the wedding should be held this year. As Baochai's mother, Aunt Xue should have set off in February to return early and discuss the marriage. However, for some reason, Aunt Xue insisted on delaying it for a month.

That would have been fine, but in this letter, Aunt Xue also mentioned that she often felt lonely in Jinling. When she prayed for Xue Pan's recovery from disaster, she would often donate to the nearby orphanage. She saw a baby with a kind face and decided to adopt him.

Baochai was precocious and a thoughtful person. She hadn't thought much of it at first, but upon receiving this letter, she immediately recalled how Aunt Xue had been living a secluded life at the beginning of the year, often nauseous. Afterwards, she stubbornly insisted on going to Jinling to live in seclusion.

All of these factors combined make the conclusion almost self-evident!
Earlier that morning, Baochai herself was startled and kept reassuring herself that she was just overthinking things. But one can't help but ponder things, and the more Baochai thought about it, the more she felt that something was amiss.

Once suspicion arose, it was difficult to suppress. However, the matter was far too outrageous, and Baochai was deeply distressed, unsure of whom to confide in. With Daiyu, Baochai only treated her as a good sister, and because Daiyu was young, she always considered her a younger sister. Chen Siyuan, on the other hand, had always been Baochai's support, and because her guard had just been lowered, Baochai almost revealed the matter.

Fortunately, at the last moment, Baochai remembered that the matter could not be confirmed and that she could not falsely accuse her mother, so she swallowed her words.

Little did she know that if those words were spoken, they would scare Chen Siyuan half to death.

The two cuddled together affectionately for a while longer before Baochai, blushing, took her leave. Nothing else happened that day, and it passed quickly.

Before they knew it, it was the 29th of the twelfth lunar month. Because it was still the mourning period for the Dowager Empress, the Jia family only did a thorough cleaning and tidying up, and did not even put up any couplets.

At the hour of Chen (7-9 AM) that day, Jia Yucun suddenly arrived.

The second daughter, Yingchun, was managing general affairs in the Furen Yude Hall when she heard that Jia Yucun had come to visit. She immediately sent someone to inform Jia Lian. The second master of the house, Jia Lian, hurriedly welcomed Jia Yucun to the south hall and then rushed to the east courtyard to report the news.

After several months of recuperation, Master Jia She's stroke has improved considerably. Now, he only has some difficulty speaking and walking.

Upon receiving the news, Jia She hurried to the South Hall to see Jia Yucun.

Upon entering the room, Jia She was immediately puzzled. Behind Jia Yucun stood a woman in her forties, dressed rather ordinarily. Jia She was momentarily confused about Jia Yucun's background.

After exchanging pleasantries, Jia Yucun inquired about Jia She's condition and then said, "With the year-end approaching, I am very busy with official duties. I only learned yesterday that my female apprentice is unwell. I heard that the imperial physicians in your household are not very effective, so I searched around and invited Physician Lu to stay at your residence to take care of her for the time being."

Jia She was taken aback, unaware of the situation, and immediately stroked his beard and laughed, "Shi Fei is really joking. My Jia family's three imperial physicians, though not the most famous doctors of our time, are certainly not mediocre. Why would we need to invite an outside female physician to take care of Yu'er..."

Before he could finish speaking, Jia Lian coughed repeatedly. Jia She looked up and saw that although Jia Yucun was smiling, his eyes were full of solemnity, and his heart tightened. He wondered to himself, could there be some reason behind this that he was unaware of?
Jia Yucun then smiled and said, "General Jia knows that Ruhai and I are very close friends. I dared not promise to ensure Daiyu's smooth life, but I did swear to protect her peace and happiness. I was in a hurry at the time, so please understand, General Jia."

“This…” Jia She turned his head and glanced at Jia Lian. Seeing that Jia Lian was sitting on pins and needles, he knew that he could not refuse. After thinking about it, he realized that he had not done anything wrong. He guessed that the trouble was caused by the second branch of the family. After thinking about it, he felt relieved and said with a smile, “Brother Shifei, you are too kind. Since it is your good intention, I will thank you on behalf of Yu’er.”

"It's easy to talk about."

With this matter settled, I thought there was nothing more to discuss, but then Jia Yucun said, "That's right. When I escorted Yu'er to the capital, I brought with me a vast fortune. This fortune should be considered Yu'er's dowry. I still have a list on hand. Yu'er will be of marriageable age in a year, and then it should be matched up."

"Huh?" Now it was Jia She's turn to feel like he was sitting on pins and needles.

Most of the Lin family's assets were misappropriated to build the Grand View Garden. If Jia Yucun were to come and settle accounts in the future, what would the Jia family say?
Jia Yucun, observing the situation, spoke only briefly and then stopped short of speaking. After drinking a cup of tea, he rose to take his leave. Jia She was flustered and exchanged pleasantries as he saw Jia Yucun to the door. By the time he returned, he was sweating profusely.

Who is Jia Yucun? He is the current Grand Marshal, granted special permission by the Emperor to participate in military affairs. Who knows, he might fill the vacancy of some Grand Secretary in two years. He is a prominent and important official of the court!
Jia She had initially thought of taking the opportunity to establish a kinship with him and make a good acquaintance, but before he could even speak, the situation took a sharp turn for the worse... If the accounts don't match up in the future, wouldn't Jia Yucun hate the Jia family to death?

Even if Jia Yucun didn't intervene, the mere fact that the Jia family had misappropriated the orphan girl's property would completely ruin their reputation. As the saying goes, "one small thing can have far-reaching consequences," and if this matter reached the palace, given the Emperor's uncompromising nature, how could he possibly give Yuan Chun a kind look?
When Yuan-chun loses power, the Jia family will also suffer.

Jia She was extremely worried and anxious, but he was at a loss for what to do. When he came to his senses, he realized that he had already entered the ceremonial gate, and Jia Lian beside him looked troubled and hesitant.

The master's expression immediately turned stern, and he scolded, "You good-for-nothing brat, speak your mind! Who are you trying to impress with this act?"

Second Master Lian was used to being scolded, so he quickly bowed and replied, "Father, this has nothing to do with us. It was the second wife who had bad intentions."

She then recounted how Lady Wang had sent Physician Hu to treat Daiyu, and how Physician Hu had prescribed potent medicine.

The master had calmed down by now. Stroke his beard and pondered. This garden was built for the Empress's visit home, and the misappropriation of Yu'er's family property was approved by the old lady. Although he had benefited somewhat, the majority of the money was embezzled from public funds. Jia Yucun's visit to demand an explanation was clearly the work of his second wife's sister-in-law. All things considered… what did it have to do with him, the master?

After thinking it over, the old man immediately felt justified and scolded, "You good-for-nothing, why didn't you say something sooner? You made me lose face in front of Shi Fei!"

Jia Lian shrank back, speechless with embarrassment. He thought to himself: You've already had a stroke, how dare I say anything out of turn? If you have another stroke, I can't bear the label of being unfilial.

With another cold snort, the master walked with his hands behind his back towards Rongqing Hall—how could he, the master, let go of such a perfect opportunity to sow discord?

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

After taking the medicine that day, Daiyu's health had improved considerably. Perhaps the houttuynia cordata extract was slow to take effect, only becoming effective today, which was why Daiyu's cough had also improved a lot.

Even so, Daiyu remained listless. Being exceptionally intelligent, how could Daiyu not know what her aunt was thinking?
Daiyu then recalled the day after her father's marriage, when the Lin family relatives treated her like a commodity, fighting over her. At that time, her second brother Lian was unable to defend himself, and it was only through the intervention of her teacher, Jia Yucun, who was an official, that a portion of the family fortune was distributed, allowing Daiyu to set off north.

When Ben Dao came to his maternal grandmother's house, life was supposed to be a little better, but who knew he was still living under someone else's roof, truly being tormented by wind and frost every single day of the year! Did they intend to drive her to her death before they would stop?

Thinking of this, Daiyu thought of her deceased parents, and her eyes reddened, and she shed tears.

Zijuan saw this and wanted to offer some advice, but she didn't know how to begin. She figured if she were in the young lady's shoes, she would be in an even more difficult position.

Just then, a commotion arose outside, and then the curtain was lifted, and Yingchun led in a woman who looked to be around forty years old.

Zijuan hurriedly went to greet her, and the second young lady smiled and asked, "Is Sister Lin feeling any better?"

Zijuan curtsied and replied, "She seems better than yesterday. She ate half a bowl of porridge this morning and is resting now." She paused, then looked at the woman: "This lady—"

Yingchun smiled and said, "This is Physician Lu. She was specially invited by Lin Daiyu's teacher to take care of Lin Daiyu for a while."

Zijuan wasn't stupid; she immediately understood the implied meaning and happily said, "That's wonderful! Doctor Lu, please have a seat. I'll go and call the young lady out."

Without waiting for Yingchun and Physician Lu to stop him, he excitedly went into the bedroom and said to Daiyu with a smile, "Miss, this is wonderful news! The Grand Marshal has invited a female physician to take care of you!"

Daiyu was feeling a pang of sadness, but hearing this made her feel much better. She thought to herself, "At least my father entrusted me to the right person on his deathbed, and my teacher still remembers me."

His mind raced, and he immediately knew it was Chen Siyuan's doing—if he hadn't told his teacher about this, how could his teacher have exposed the Jia family's shame like this?
(End of this chapter)