Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 408 Matching Couples to Follow the Way of Heaven
Chen Siyuan devoted himself to reading, practicing martial arts, and occasionally spending time with Qingwen and Xiangling. He settled down and focused on his studies.

They didn't rest until the fifteenth of the first lunar month. Because the mourning period for the Dowager Empress had not yet passed, the Jia family did not dare to hold too many celebrations. The Rongguo Mansion held a banquet behind closed doors, and even Jia Zhen and You Shi from the East Mansion were not invited.

Not wanting to waste the time, Chen Siyuan simply claimed to have caught a cold, ate some glutinous rice balls with a few maids, and then continued reading by lamplight.

On the seventeenth day of the first month, Dongmei suddenly came to report that Zhang Gaogong had returned. Chen Siyuan was overjoyed and the next day he took a carriage to visit him outside the city.

Zhang Gaogong was indeed a high-ranking official, but he was not an inflexible person. Chen Siyuan earnestly pleaded for his consent, explained his difficulties, and respectfully presented him with a gift of five hundred taels of silver. Zhang Gaogong not only readily agreed but also muttered something and offered Chen Siyuan some advice.

Chen Siyuan was extremely grateful and did not return to the Rongguo Mansion until evening.

Having obtained two packets of medicinal powder on this trip, Chen Siyuan, despite his reputation for being a womanizer, had accumulated a lot of good deeds in his daily life, and this time it came in handy. He immediately found Yu Chuan'er, the head maidservant of Madam Wang, handed her a packet of medicinal powder, gave her some detailed instructions, and then tempted her with benefits, saying, "Once this matter is over, you'll find a way to get out of here next year, and I'll arrange a managerial job for you."

Yu Chuan'er held the medicine packet and pondered for a while before raising her eyes and saying, "Master Yuan, there's no need for this. Putting aside everything else, just because Master Yuan saved my sister that day, I have to help out in this matter."

I'm indebted to the Jia family, so it's really inconvenient for me to go outside and work as a manager. There's only one thing... this powder really won't harm anyone, will it?"

Chen Siyuan said solemnly, "Don't worry, if anything goes wrong, just betray me."

Yu Chuan'er breathed a sigh of relief, curtsied, and said, "In that case, I will make the arrangements in the next few days."

Chen Siyuan agreed and watched Yu Chuan leave in a hurry. He wondered if he should give Yu Chuan some money later, since he couldn't just ask her to do things for nothing.

After settling things over with Yuchuan, Chen Siyuan went to look for Yuanyang, but Yuanyang's sister-in-law was ill, and Yuanyang had taken leave to visit her. Chen Siyuan had no choice but to give up for the time being.

After saying goodbye to Chen Siyuan, Yu Chuan quietly tucked the medicine powder into her handkerchief and hurried back to Madam Wang's courtyard. There she saw Bao Chan, Xia Jingui's head maid, smiling and talking to Madam Wang.

"...The girl is quite healthy. I think she'll be able to lift her head in the next few days, and she might be able to roll over in another month."

Madam Wang replied with a smile, "That's good, that's good... It's just that Jin Gui has suffered. Is she recovering well?"

Baochan said, "The young lady is still young, and it's inevitable that she would lose some energy and blood after childbirth. According to the midwife, she had to stay in confinement for two months before she was born before the New Year. Madam also sent a lot of nourishing things, and she looks like she not only looks better, but she's also gained a little weight."

Lady Wang smiled and agreed. After asking a few more questions about ordinary matters, she sent Tanxin to open the money box and rewarded Baochan with two silver coins.

Baochan, observing the situation, quickly said that Xia Jingui had brought a message to Baoyu. She then bid farewell to Lady Wang and headed to Qixianzhai in the West Courtyard.

Lady Wang then instructed Yu Chuan to take some nourishing items with Bao Chan before her departure, without going into further detail.

Busy until late afternoon, Yu Chuan'er saw Bao Chan off and returned to her room just as Lady Wang woke up from her afternoon nap.

Yu Chuan'er then helped Madam Wang with her makeup. Suddenly, Madam Wang said, "Bao'er has been gone for more than ten days. Why hasn't she returned yet? She'll be giving birth in a few days. Go and send a message tomorrow to ask when Bao'er will be back."

Yu Chuan'er obediently complied.

The next day, Yu Chuan sent a servant to deliver a message to the Xue family's old residence. To her surprise, she received a reply at noon. Although Yu Chuan did not know the reason, she heard that Baochai was ill and unable to walk, and she immediately felt that something was amiss.

She returned to her room and told Madam Wang everything, which immediately made Madam Wang frown.

Even the most naive woman in the inner quarters would realize something was amiss by now. The plan had only been made that day, and just two days later, Baochai had run back to the Xue family's old residence. She had asked about it once on the fourteenth day of the first month, and now it was the second time. How could Lady Wang not know that Baochai was trying to avoid the issue?
While Lady Wang was filled with suspicion, she thought to herself that only she in the Jia family knew about this matter, and it would never have been leaked... Could it be that the Wang family leaked the news?
On one hand, she felt utterly powerless. Now that she was in the Rongguo Mansion, her word was law, but with Baochai gone back to the Xue family's old residence, even if Lady Wang had great abilities, she couldn't do anything about it.

After much deliberation, Madam Wang gritted her teeth, thinking she had to find a way to bring Baochai back.

He secretly thought that Baochai was probably wary of him, so it wouldn't be appropriate for Baoyu to invite her. After a brief consideration, he realized that only Chen Siyuan and Daiyu were close to Baochai in the Grand View Garden. He didn't need to say much about the former, as he was cunning and treacherous, and mentioning him to her face would only arouse her suspicion; but he could think about the latter more carefully.

Since it was Madam Wang, she asked, "Is Yu'er's health much better?"

Yu Chuan replied, "Miss Lin is much better now. She even took a stroll in the garden yesterday."

Lady Wang twirled her prayer beads thoughtfully, calculating that the 21st was Baochai's birthday, and the 12th of next month was Daiyu's birthday. Surely Baochai could avoid her own birthday, but surely she couldn't avoid Daiyu's too?

He then said, "If you count the days, it will be Yu'er's birthday in about twenty days. Bao'er has caught a cold, but she should be better by then. You should think about sending an invitation to the Xue family's old residence on the tenth of the second month. The sisters are all grown up now, and every time they get together, it will be one less time. We can't miss it."

Yu Chuan'er, unaware of Madam Wang's scheme, replied with a smile, "Madam is right. I ran into Fourth Miss this morning, and she was feeling down. She was complaining that there are fewer and fewer girls in the garden, and it's not as lively as it used to be."

After finishing her makeup, Yu Chuan asked again, "What kind of tea would Madam like?"

Lady Wang pondered for a moment and said, "Brew a cup of the Siamese tea that Her Majesty bestowed upon me."

Yu Chuan'er agreed, turned around to make tea, and once the boiling water was ready, she quietly took out some medicinal powder from her handkerchief and flicked a pinch into the tea when no one was watching. She quickly put it away, and only after the powder dissolved in the tea did she return with a serious expression, carrying the teacup back to her room.

The teacups were placed on the table. Yu Chuan'er stood guard to the side, keeping a close eye on everything. She secretly watched as Madam Wang skimmed the foam off the teacups with the lid and slowly took a sip. There was no sign of suspicion on her face. Only then did Yu Chuan'er breathe a sigh of relief.

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

East of Longcui Nunnery, in Qudongli.

A pair of delicate hands were raised high, pressed firmly against the rock face by a large hand. Her red lips were kissed, and Yuanyang breathed softly, her long eyelashes trembling. After a long while, their lips parted, and Yuanyang was too shy to open her eyes, her pretty face as red as if it could bleed.

After a long while, she opened her eyes and glanced at Chen Siyuan, who had a mischievous grin on his face. Yuanyang playfully shoved him and scolded, "Master Yuan, you're bullying me!"

Chen Siyuan teased, "Now that this young lady has fallen into my hands, it's only right that I bully her for the rest of my life."

Yuanyang was deeply embarrassed. She turned her head away and let out a soft moan before trying to escape, but Chen Siyuan grabbed her and whispered, "Don't rush off. I have something important to ask of you, sister."

Yuanyang stole a glance at his waist and immediately stammered, unable to utter a word.

Unexpectedly, Chen Siyuan pulled her into his arms and said seriously, "This matter is important. We must let my sister hear the reasons before we can make a decision."

He then recounted how Lady Wang had repeatedly set her sights on Daiyu and Baochai. Yuanyang knew about the first incident because she had informed the old lady. However, she was hearing about the second incident for the first time, leaving Yuanyang utterly astonished.

"Isn't your wife afraid of being forced to kneel in the Buddhist temple later for being so unscrupulous?"

Chen Siyuan sneered, "She relies on the power of the Empress and Prince Teng, and the Master is far away in Jiangnan. What can the Old Madam do to her? Now that things have come to this, Baochai has gone to the old house, but Lin Daiyu has nowhere to hide. The only solution now is to help Lin Daiyu get married as soon as possible."

Yuanyang's heart skipped a beat. She was already in her early twenties, and in an ordinary family, she would probably have two or three children. When Chen Siyuan asked her to hand over her errand, Yuanyang had some suspicions. Now that she heard him say it himself, and knowing that she would soon be marrying Miss Lin, Yuanyang was overwhelmed with shyness.

At this moment, Chen Siyuan took out another packet of medicine powder from his sleeve, stuffed it into Yuanyang's hand, and whispered his plan to her.

Yuanyang took the document and immediately frowned, saying, "Uncle Yuan... the old lady has treated me well, I can't let her suffer."

Chen Siyuan swore, "Using it will only make me sleepy, I guarantee there won't be any other problems. If I intended to harm the old lady, may I be struck by lightning on the spot!"

Yuanyang quickly raised her hand to cover Chen Siyuan's mouth and said, "Since you say so, I believe you... Don't worry, the old lady still needs me to serve her personally. It's just a matter of putting medicine in her tea. I guarantee it will be foolproof."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Then we'll have to rely on you, sister."

He then began to harass Yuanyang, taking liberties with her until she begged for mercy. Yuanyang went to drug Grandmother Jia, but Chen Siyuan leisurely returned to the thatched cottage. Upon entering, he saw Qingwen pouting and frowning.

Chen Siyuan was puzzled. Xiangling took off his silver fox fur coat and whispered, "The old woman at the back gate just said that Qingwen's cousin came to see her. She went to see him once, and came back unhappy."

More officials!

Despite the fact that Duo Guan and Duo Guniang had previously ignored Qingwen's life and death, and that Qingwen had said she would never associate with them again, Chen Siyuan knew Qingwen's character well. She was always sharp-tongued but kind-hearted, and if Duo Guan were truly in dire straits, she would not have abandoned her.

Chen Siyuan then questioned Qingwen for a while before she finally spoke, pouting. "My cousin's wife ran off with a merchant who makes a living in the border region. My cousin finally found a job in the kitchen, but he got drunk and burned the kitchen down. Now the restaurant is going to sue him, and he has nowhere else to turn but to come to me for help."

Chen Siyuan inquired in detail, and Qingwen gave a veiled account. Chen Siyuan half heard and half pondered, and thus guessed most of the matter concerning the official couple.

The official was addicted to alcohol and cared nothing for anything else; Miss Duo was promiscuous and had affairs with many servants in the mansion. After the two were driven out of Rongguo Mansion, with no way to make a living, Miss Duo started a business that involved keeping things partially hidden.

At first, things were alright. When there were unreasonable guests, Duo Guan could step in and protect them. But as the saying goes, nothing lasts forever. As time went on, Duo Guan saw that he did nothing but indulge in a life of debauchery and dissipation, and she began to despise him even more.

Just then, an old flame came to Beijing before the New Year and urged Duo-Guniang to go to the border region to make a living. Duo-Guniang simply absconded with her family's wealth and disappeared without a trace with the man. Duo-Guniang searched for two days without success, so she simply gave up and pawned the rest of her family's possessions. She lived a life of debauchery until she had no money left to live on, at which point she finally found a job.

Who knew that a fire would break out in just three days, burning down most of the restaurant's kitchen. He hid at home but was harassed by the local bullies every day. In desperation, he had no choice but to swallow his pride and beg Qingwen for help.

Chen Siyuan then asked, "Didn't we agree to ignore him? How much silver did you give him this time?"

Qingwen said politely, "We are relatives after all, so I gave her twenty taels."

Chen Siyuan sighed and poked Qingwen's forehead, saying, "You mean well, but you've gotten yourself into trouble. Just you wait and see, once the money is gone, he'll definitely come looking for you again."

Qingwen gritted her teeth and said, "Things shouldn't happen more than three times. I'll help those in urgent situations, not the poor... If he really keeps bothering me, I'll have to beg the master to help me get rid of him."

Seeing Qingwen's gritted teeth, Chen Siyuan couldn't help but dote on her even more, hugging her and stroking her all over before finally agreeing with a smile.

Nothing happened that night. The next day, after having breakfast, Chen Siyuan went to his study to read as usual.

Before dawn, a young maid named Yunxiang came running up, shouting, "Master, master, something terrible has happened! There's complete chaos up ahead! They say the old lady and madam seem to be having a nightmare and are still unconscious. The second young lady and the second mistress have invited the imperial physician to take a look, but they are all helpless!"

Chen Siyuan immediately breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that Yuchuan and Yuanyang were indeed a perfect match.

Chen Siyuan frowned and stood up, saying, "Why would I suddenly have a nightmare? Quickly help me change my clothes; I need to go check on things up ahead!"

Xiangling and Qingwen, unaware of the situation, hurriedly helped Chen Siyuan get dressed, their faces showing displeasure, and then followed Chen Siyuan quickly forward.

Chen Siyuan ignored Madam Wang's reaction and headed straight for Rongqing Hall after leaving the garden. After a short while, he passed through the hallway and entered the inner room. After going around the screen, he saw Madam Xing, Li Wan, the pregnant Feng Jie, the second young lady Yingchun, the third young lady Tanchun, the fourth young lady Xichun, and even Daiyu, Xiangyun, Xing Xiuyan, and others.

The crowd chattered and speculated, with one person concerned about what the old lady had eaten the day before, another pressing Physician Wang for an explanation, and several of the younger ones even getting teary-eyed with anxiety.

Only Daiyu and Yingchun, though their faces were tense, seemed lost in thought. When they saw Chen Siyuan, the two women exchanged glances with him and immediately understood.

Madam Xing and Sister Feng had already colluded with Chen Siyuan. Seeing that Physician Wang was stammering and unable to give a reason for a long time, Madam Xing said, "Since we don't know the reason, he must be suffering from a nightmare. We must find an expert to break the spell!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the commotion resumed. At this moment, Master Jia She entered and began to clamor that he wanted to go to Nengren Temple to find a high monk to perform a ritual.

Before she could finish speaking, Sister Feng said, "It's still unknown whether the eminent monks of Nengren Temple can break the curse. Last time, when Second Miss was bewitched, didn't they invite a high-ranking monk named Zhang? I wonder if this high-ranking monk Zhang is still around?"

Everyone immediately looked at Chen Siyuan, who pretended to ponder and said, "This... I don't know if Zhang Gaogong is still there. Perhaps I should run out of the city right now?"

Master Jia She made the final decision, saying, "That's how it's done. Yuan-ge'er, go and come back quickly."

Without another word, Chen Siyuan turned and left Rongqing Hall, heading straight out of the city in his carriage. Fortunately, it hadn't snowed in the past few days, and Chen Siyuan's round trip took about half a day. It wasn't until late afternoon that he finally invited Zhang Gaogong to the Rongguo Mansion.

As Chen Siyuan led Zhang Gaogong inside, they happened to see Jia Lian, his brows furrowed, seeing off a large, fat monk out of the mansion. A moment later, Jia Lian caught up from behind, and Chen Siyuan asked, "Second Brother, what's the situation?"

Jia Lian shook his head and said, "That monk's boasting was completely unfounded. He mumbled some superstitious rituals for a long time, but there was no improvement."

Chen Siyuan thought to himself: It would be strange if there was any improvement. How could a monk possibly crack Zhang Gaogong's unique formula?
As they spoke, the three of them passed through the passageway. Zhang Gaogong, holding a whisk, glanced at the hanging flower gate and immediately gasped in surprise, exclaiming, "Solitary Yin generates evil!"

Chen Siyuan and Jia Lian were astonished and hurriedly stepped forward to ask, but Zhang Gaogong frowned and shook his head, saying, "It is too early to make a judgment now. Let's wait until the old Taoist priest has examined the believer before we speak."

The three of them passed through the hanging flower gate and walked along the covered corridor, soon entering Rongqing Hall. At this moment, all the children had already dispersed, leaving only Madam Xing and Li Wan to look after them—Feng Jie, being pregnant, had also returned to her room.

Jia She personally came to greet them and led Zhang Gaogong inside to observe. Zhang Gaogong calculated with his fingers for a while and nodded, saying, "Indeed, it is a case of solitary yin generating evil."

He then mumbled some hand gestures and incantations, and when no one was looking, he flicked a smear of perfume powder onto Grandmother Jia's nose with his fingernail before saying, "I heard that the ladies in the mansion are also having a nightmare? Quickly take this old Taoist priest to take a look."

Jia Lian, unsuspecting, quickly led Zhang Gaogong to Lady Wang's courtyard. Zhang Gaogong followed the same method, secretly administering the antidote to Lady Wang. Afterward, he wandered around the Grand View Garden, lingering for a long time, especially at the Xiaoxiang Pavilion, before finally inviting the Jia family masters to the Furen Yude Hall for a meeting.

A short while later, Jia She, Madam Xing, Feng Jie, Jia Lian, Chen Siyuan, and Yingchun arrived. Jia She stepped forward and asked, "May I ask, Taoist Master, what is causing my mother and younger siblings' nightmares? Is there any way to break the cycle?"

Zhang Gaogong bowed slightly and fabricated a story: "This is a case of yin energy turning into evil, attracting evil spirits into the mansion. The old lady and madam are weak and could not withstand the evil spirits, which is why they fell victim to it. I performed a ritual to dispel the evil spirits, and I expect the two believers to wake up soon. However, this is only a temporary measure."

Jia Lian, ever quick-witted, immediately asked, "May I ask, Master, what is meant by 'isolated yin forming evil,' and how can it be resolved?"

"This..." Zhang Gaogong calculated for a moment and said, "The operation of heaven and earth is based on the balance of yin and yang; the peace of a home is based on a clear energy field. What outsiders call nightmares are actually the disturbance of the soul caused by the interplay of yin and yang."

The old lady is advanced in years, and the wife is overworked; both of them are experiencing a decline in their yang energy, making them susceptible to yin evil influences.

I have just investigated and asked the servants around. They said that Xiaoxiang Pavilion is the residence of Miss Lin. After a little calculation, I found out that Miss Lin has the constitution of plants and trees. In her previous life, she lived in the Heaven of Separation and Sorrow and drank the Sea of ​​Sorrow. She was born with a melancholy temperament.

Living under someone else's roof in this life, her emotions are often knotted up, causing her liver qi to stagnate and become increasingly stagnant, further amplifying her solitary yin energy. The Taiping Jing states, "Sole yin cannot exist, solitary yang cannot arise; when yin and yang are separated, resentment arises." Miss Lin's solitary yin is like ice frozen in a cold pool, not only depleting her own physical and spiritual energy, but also causing her scattered qi to shroud her house like a dark cloud, disturbing the souls of her elders, thus leading to frequent nightmares. This is an inevitable consequence of conflicting energies.

"

Zhang Gaogong paused for a moment, then said, "The key to resolving this predicament is to balance Yin and Yang."

Women are of the Yin nature, and it is natural for them to be paired with the Yang energy to achieve harmony. If Miss Lin were to find a husband in her youth, the Yang energy of a good man would harmonize her own Yin energy, just as spring would come to a cold valley, allowing her pent-up emotions to be released and her resentment to dissipate.

The husband is the star of the husband. When a good match is found, the star of the husband shines brightly. This not only strengthens the three treasures of the young lady's body, energy, and spirit, but also purifies the home and dispels evil spirits, bringing peace to the souls of the old lady and the wife and stopping nightmares.

This is not mere conjecture, but rather because when Yin and Yang are in harmony, all things prosper; when the energy field is clear, all evil spirits vanish. This is truly the fundamental principle for managing a household and ensuring its peace.

As soon as he finished speaking, Jia She's face darkened and he said, "So that's how it is... But I can't do this on my own; I must ask Mother first."

Before he could finish speaking, his head maid, Amber, rushed in and said, "Master, the old lady is awake! She's awake!"

(End of this chapter)