Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 405 Springtime Splendor Fills the Painted Pavilion Every Year (Part 2)
"Mother, then your son will take his leave first." Jia She cupped his hands, turned around, and dragged his feet away. Upon catching a glimpse of the pretty Yuanyang, the master frowned immediately, couldn't help but let out a cold snort, and then flicked his sleeves to walk around the screen and leave.

Inside, Grandmother Jia sat upright on the soft couch, her brows furrowed, feeling both annoyed and powerless.

Lady Wang had been suppressed by her for over twenty years, because Grandmother Jia had seen early on that Lady Wang was incompetent, short-sighted, ignorant of the outside world's affairs, and only single-mindedly focused on vying for power and profit.

In Grandmother Jia's heart, she preferred either someone as knowledgeable and reasonable as Li Wan, or someone as charming as Feng Jie, but Lady Wang possessed neither. Therefore, after Lady Wang married into the family, Grandmother Jia first put Daiyu's mother, Jia Min, in charge of the household, and after Feng Jie entered the family, she put Feng Jie in charge of the household as well. Lady Wang was effectively left in a precarious position, nominally having the power to manage the household, but Feng Jie handled the small matters, while Grandmother Jia had to be consulted on the important ones, and even Baoyu had to be raised in Grandmother Jia's room.

And pushing people—Grandmother Jia thought to herself, if it were her, she would probably act recklessly once she gained power.

Thinking of this, Grandmother Jia couldn't help but sigh. Now that there is Yuan Chun in the palace and Prince Teng outside, Lady Wang has used this to win over most of the servants in the Jia family. Even she, as the mother-in-law, can only discuss things with her and dare not embarrass her anymore.

But Lady Wang really went too far in Daiyu's matter. Grandmother Jia had already given her a lecture, but who knew that this matter would lead to Grand Marshal Jia Yucun coming to question her... That was a Grand Marshal who could advise on military affairs, no longer the down-on-his-luck scholar who had been stripped of his official position. How could the Jia family dare to take him lightly?

After much deliberation, Grandmother Jia realized that if she brought up the matter again now, Lady Wang would probably not care, or she might agree on the surface but not really care in her heart.

If we want her to restrain herself, we might have to find someone else to persuade her, but unfortunately Jia Zheng isn't home. After much thought, it's not good for Yuan Chun to be in the palace right now. Since Consort Wu gave birth to a prince, she's become increasingly favored, while Yuan Chun hasn't shown any signs of pregnancy. The eldest daughter is having a difficult time in the palace, so it's best not to disturb her.

But on the Wang family's side...

Grandmother Jia gradually made up her mind, and suddenly pointed to Yuanyang and asked, "Is the marriage of the Wang family's daughter settled?"

Yuanyang smiled and said, "The mourning period for the Dowager Consort is not over yet, but I heard that the Wang family's daughter and the young master of the Baoning Marquis's family have already met. A few days ago, my aunt came to visit and asked Second Madam to come and help out."

Grandmother Jia scolded, "Feng'er is several months pregnant, how can she be so busy?"

Yuanyang laughed and said, "That's right, that's what Second Madam said too."

Grandmother Jia nodded, then changed the subject, saying, "But during the New Year, Feng-ge'er should at least visit the Wang family, shouldn't she?"

Yuanyang didn't agree, her lips pursed as if she was somewhat embarrassed. Grandmother Jia was getting old and her memory wasn't very good. Seeing Yuanyang's embarrassed expression, she remembered that the three families of servants around Sister Feng had been won over by Lady Wang.

Then it dawned on her: yes, Feng'er has fallen out with Prince Teng and is pregnant, so why would she visit the Wang family during the New Year? Besides, there are some things that Feng'er shouldn't say.

Grandmother Jia understood this and said, "Go and see what Lian'er is doing. If you have time, have Lian'er come over."

Yuanyang agreed, turned around and went around the screen. Fearing that Jia Lian would bother her, she sent a maid to the front study to find Jia Lian.

After a while, Jia Lian hurriedly entered Rongqing Hall. When Grandmother Jia saw that he looked like he had been ruined by wine and women, she immediately frowned.

After patiently persuading him, Jia Lian agreed repeatedly, but his words went in one ear and out the other. Grandmother Jia sighed and then brought up the matter of asking him to pass on a message to Prince Teng.

Upon hearing that it was serious business, Jia Lian perked up and wrote down all of Grandmother Jia's words before taking his leave.

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

Before long, the new year arrived, and Chen Siyuan went to his new residence at Nengren Temple early on New Year's Eve.

After the imperial examination this year, he will start discussing and arranging his marriage with his second daughter, Yingchun, and then there will be Baochai and Lin Daiyu. After he has his own family, it will be inconvenient to visit the You sisters during the New Year, so Chen Siyuan will naturally spend more time with the two sisters.

On the other hand, Madam Wang's previous actions had greatly angered Chen Siyuan, and he really couldn't bear to argue with Madam Wang during the New Year, so he simply avoided seeing her.

The two sisters, You Erjie and You Sanjie, knew he was coming. When they saw him arrive with Qingwen, Xiangling, Wu'er, Yunxiang, and others, they were overjoyed.

The three courtyards were thoroughly cleaned and tidied. Qingwen and the others settled into the side rooms. They had a lively and fun-filled day, and a banquet was held at night, where everyone ate, drank, and stayed up all night to welcome the New Year.

As night deepened and all was quiet, several maids went to a side room to play dominoes, while Chen Siyuan sought out the You sisters for a passionate and intimate night. It could be said: In the quiet of the mansion, a joyous spring night unfolded, their hearts filled with longing and their very bones melting away.

After the wind and rain subsided, Sister You Er, having experienced several blissful moments, was exhausted and fell into a deep sleep. Sister You San, forcing herself to stay upright, leaned against Chen Siyuan's chest, and the two, despite their drowsiness, began to talk.

You Sanjie said, "Miss Bao and Miss Lin went to see it in the winter month. They both said that the new house in Faxiangfang is very nice. It seems a bit empty now, and we are just waiting for the dowry to be placed there in the future."

Chen Siyuan gently stroked her soft hand and said, "Thank you for your hard work, little sister."

Sister You shook her head, feeling bitter inside.

Knowing You Sanjie's inner turmoil, Chen Siyuan gently comforted her before turning to talk about Daiyu. Upon hearing that Madam Wang was malicious and even wanted to use Physician Hu to harm people, You Sanjie immediately became angry and said, "Speaking of which, she is Lin's aunt. She swallowed most of the family's property before, and now she wants to kill someone. How can she be so vicious?"

Chen Siyuan said, "That stupid woman in the inner quarters, who knew she would have such strange thoughts?"

You Sanjie thought of Daiyu. Although she had only met her two or three times, she remembered her vividly. Daiyu was young, slender, and spoke in a delicate, frail voice. Her eyes seemed to speak volumes. Upon closer inspection, even You Sanjie, who considered herself exceptionally beautiful, couldn't help but admit her inferiority.

Zhenzhen'er is truly a goddess-like figure!

Sister You felt pity for her and couldn't understand how such a vicious person as Madam Wang could want to harm such a lovely girl!

You Sanjie pondered, "Human hearts are unpredictable. Who knows if Madam Wang will devise another scheme if one fails?"

Chen Siyuan nodded and said, "That's right. That's why I was thinking of getting Lin Daiyu to leave the Jia family as soon as possible, but I still need your help with this matter."

Sister You said, "Brother, why be so formal? I'm not busy right now anyway."

Chen Siyuan then explained in detail: "Last year, when Zhang Tianshi came to the capital, I was fortunate enough to meet a high-ranking Taoist priest named Zhang. This man is well-versed in Taoist magic and is extremely adaptable. Sister, you might as well do this and that..."

Upon hearing this, Sister You covered her mouth and chuckled, saying, "Brother, aren't you afraid the Jia family won't believe you?"

Chen Siyuan, confident in his plan, said, "Others may not believe it, but the old lady is getting on in years and is most sensitive about life and death. Even if she has doubts, she will still help make the marriage happen." You Sanjie nodded in agreement, saying that she would make arrangements after the New Year. After exchanging some pleasantries, she suddenly added, "Brother, you're having three weddings this year. I'm afraid you won't be able to afford it."

Chen Siyuan said confidently, "It's alright. Xue Ke has stockpiled a lot of timber in Tianjin, and it will be delivered to the capital after the New Year. At that time, I will ask Prince Yanping to settle the payment as soon as possible. Not only will we have enough for the wedding, but we can also pay off the debts." He paused, then asked You Sanjie, "How is your glass workshop going?"

Sister You's good mood vanished instantly. She frowned and said, "Don't mention it. If it weren't for my brother handing over the business of making medicine bottles to the workshop, I'm afraid my glass workshop would have gone out of business. The master craftsman we invited from the south did come up with a formula, but the design is terrible and can't compete with the Su style."

After thinking for a moment, Chen Siyuan said, "Fourth Sister is a talented painter. She has also drawn some hairpin designs herself. I will ask Fourth Sister to draw some nice ones later. If you make money, you must give Fourth Sister a big red envelope."

Sister You San laughed and said, "It's more than just a red envelope. If we really make money, we'll even share some of our shares with Fourth Sister."

The two of them forced themselves to stay awake until dawn broke outside. They woke up the listless Second Sister You and had breakfast before they both took off their clothes and went to sleep.

After sleeping until the afternoon, Chen Siyuan had dinner with the women and then made up an excuse to go to Miaoyu's place.

Because they had to send Madam Xing back to her parents' home on the second day of the lunar new year, Chen Siyuan, Miaoyu, and Siqi were busy until nightfall before they hurriedly returned to the You sisters' place.

The next day, the second day of the lunar new year, Chen Siyuan, despite his aching back, arrived at the Rongguo Mansion early in the morning and went with Madam Xing to the Xing family's old residence. I won't go into details about that.

On this very day, Jia Lian escorted Lady Wang, who led Baoyu and Baochai to the Wang family early in the morning.

Upon arrival, Jia Lian went to the front to see Wang Ziteng, while Lady Wang led Baochai and Baoyu to the back to see their maternal uncle.

At this moment, all of Wang's relatives and friends gathered. One joked and another teased, which made the naturally outspoken Wang Yunping unable to sit still any longer. She made up an excuse and left.

Baochai and her cousin Wang Yunping gathered together. Wang Yunping thought she had found a good marriage, and she boasted about it in her words and made many sarcastic remarks.

Baochai listened and then forgot about it, not taking it to heart at all. Wang Yunping thought that being a concubine was beneath her dignity, but in reality, Baochai looked down on the Marquis of Baoning's household.

Because of their previous involvement in the succession struggle, the Baoning Marquis's mansion was demoted, and the current head of the household is only a third-rank general. Even if the next generation inherits the title, they will only be light cavalry captains. Moreover, the Baoning Marquis's mansion is just an empty shell, and they may even need Wang Yunping's dowry to make up for it. It's a mystery where Wang Yunping gets the audacity to mock herself.

On the contrary, Chen Siyuan, whom I chose myself, will be competing in the grand competition in March. Once he passes the imperial examination, how can he be compared to a mere light cavalry captain?

Furthermore, the eldest branch of the Wang family was in Jinling, while the second branch was in the capital. How did Uncle Wang Ziteng rise to power? Others may not know, but how could Sister Bao not know? To put it bluntly, it was the blood of Jia family's personal guards that stained his official robes.

The saying goes, "When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked." Both the Han and Tang dynasties employed cruel officials, but how many of them met a good end? Perhaps his uncle, Prince Teng, knew this, which is why he was determined to become prime minister.

As the saying goes, the will of Heaven is unpredictable; who knows when His Majesty might change his mind?
Seeing that she couldn't agree with Wang Yunping, Baochai found an excuse to wander off by herself. Wang Yunping was no longer a concern for her.

She was precocious, and once she set her mind on something, she would persevere relentlessly. For Sister Bao, there were only two and a half things to worry about: the imperial examination and her subsequent marriage. As for the remaining half, well, what was the origin of the baby girl her mother wanted to adopt?
As she pondered, she turned through the moon gate and bumped into a maid carrying tea. In an instant, the teapot overturned, spilling some tea onto her dress, startling the maid who immediately knelt down and begged for forgiveness.

Baochai frowned slightly and said, "It's alright, you didn't mean it. Just be more careful in the future. Today you only bumped into me, but if you bump into an important guest in the future, I'm afraid your family won't let you off the hook."

The maidservant thanked her profusely and hurriedly said, "Miss, your clothes are wet. Why don't you go to the study to change? I'll go and get your clothes right away."

It was freezing cold in the first month of the lunar calendar. After hesitating for a while, Baochai finally agreed. She followed the maid to the study and waited for her to bring her clothes.

Just as she was sitting idly, Ying'er hurried over and said, "Miss, your uncle and aunt are coming this way. Should we hide?"

Baochai said, "Perhaps they're just passing by?"

Before he finished speaking, Wang Ziteng led Madam Wang into the study.

Just as Ying'er was about to speak, Baochai suddenly made a gesture to stop her. The two quickly hid themselves and listened carefully to what was being said outside.

A servant brought over a teacup. Seeing that Prince Teng's face was ashen, Madam Wang felt uneasy and asked, "Brother, what is it?"

Wang Ziteng snorted coldly and said, "Let me ask you, was it you who sent the imperial physician to prescribe potent medicine for Daiyu a few days ago?"

Madam Wang blinked and immediately protested, "Heaven and earth bear witness, Yu'er is my niece. It just so happened that Physicians Wang and Bao were unavailable, so I kindly asked Physician Hu to examine her. Who knew that my good intentions would be taken for granted, and now they are turning around and accusing me!"

Wang Ziteng said coldly, "What are you thinking? You can hide it from others, but can you hide it from me? I know you don't like that sister-in-law Jia Min, but it's a grudge from the previous generation. What does it have to do with Daiyu?"

Madam Wang hesitated for a moment, then retorted, "Even if I hadn't meant it, so what? She's just an orphan, and her brother doesn't get along with her teacher..."

"Foolish woman!" Before he could finish speaking, Wang Ziteng slammed his hand on the table and stood up, pointing at Madam Wang's nose. "What business is it of yours what I have with Jia Yucun? Lin Ruhai was a close minister of the Emperor, and he died in office. The Emperor already feels guilty. If Daiyu had died at your hands, what do you think the Emperor would think of me? And what would he think of Your Majesty?"

"I—" Madam Wang felt wronged, but in the end she dared not argue any further.

Wang Ziteng paced back and forth, then sat down again, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said gently, “Most of the Lin family’s assets have been used to build the garden. I really don’t know why you’re targeting the Lin family’s orphan. If you’re really short of money, you might as well set your sights on the Xue family.”

"The Xue family?" Madam Wang was astonished.

Wang Ziteng said in a low voice, "Even if the eldest son's third sister and Bao'er sell all their businesses outside, they will still have seventy or eighty thousand taels of silver on hand."

Lady Wang thought about it and realized it made perfect sense! Daiyu only had some rare books and ancient texts left, which were worth very little money. On the contrary, Baochai was very wealthy. If she planned carefully and made Baochai a concubine like Xia Jingui, wouldn't all the money of the Xue family's main branch fall into her own hands?

Ying'er covered her mouth, not daring to make a sound, while Baochai glared with anger, her almond-shaped eyes wide. In her anger and distress, she couldn't help but recall what Chen Siyuan had said earlier: "You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your relatives."

Fortunately, she sought refuge with the Jia family when she arrived in the capital. If she had sought refuge with the Wang family, she and her mother might not even know how they died!

(End of this chapter)