Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 409 The Red Phoenix's Shadow Sets the Auspicious Time

The group rushed towards Rongqing Hall. The eldest master, Jia She, dragging one leg, walked the fastest. When an old woman who had received the news went to report to the garden, Chen Siyuan lagged behind. The second young lady seemed to have noticed something and gradually stopped a few steps behind, subtly exchanging a glance with Chen Siyuan.

Knowing that the second daughter, Yingchun, was intelligent, Chen Siyuan raised an eyebrow at her. Yingchun frowned slightly, seemingly annoyed, then sighed and adopted a helpless expression. Chen Siyuan then smiled in response.

He knew what was bothering the second young lady. After all, the old lady was getting on in years, and no matter how much she cared about Daiyu, he couldn't very well use the old lady as a pretext.

Yingchun was unaware that Chen Siyuan had other thoughts in mind. Grandmother Jia was a shrewd old woman, but she was, after all, getting on in years. Even those who didn't believe in superstitions in their youth would now begin to have doubts about such things.

Furthermore, the original text shows a fluctuating attitude towards Daiyu, with Jia Mu using her as a scapegoat at banquets. Daiyu's statement, "Three hundred and sixty days a year, I am relentlessly assailed by wind and frost," was undoubtedly influenced by Jia Mu. Since Daiyu's marriage was already arranged in this life, Jia Mu immediately became cold towards her, and not long after, Daiyu moved out of the Green Gauze Pavilion.

Thus, by misappropriating the Lin family's property and acting as if they only use people when they need them and discard them when they don't, it's only right that Grandmother Jia suffers in silence.
As for Madam Wang, who practices vegetarianism and chants Buddhist prayers, Chen Siyuan couldn't be happier that Madam Wang would become suspicious!
Since he was able to administer this medicine without anyone noticing, Madam Wang will surely suspect that he might use the same method to poison her in the future. In that case, Madam Wang won't even know how she died!

As a result, Lady Wang became wary and naturally wished to send him and Daiyu far away.

In silence, the group passed through the hallway and entered Rongqing Hall. Upon entering the bedroom, they found Grandmother Jia already sitting on the bed, with her head maid Yuanyang serving her ginseng tea.

Master Jia She rushed forward and offered his concern, but then Madam Xing, Sister Feng, Li Wan, and others chimed in, causing Grandmother Jia a great deal of trouble.

Grandmother Jia said, "I don't know how I got a nightmare. I could hear what you were saying, but I just couldn't open my eyes."

Madam Xing hurriedly said, "The old lady is indeed having a nightmare. Yuan-ge went to great lengths to invite Zhang Gaogong, who came in and took a look and immediately knew it was a case of yin energy generating evil."

At this moment, Tan Chun, Xi Chun, Dai Yu, Xiang Yun, and Xing Xiu Yan, who had just received the news, entered Rong Qing Hall. Suddenly, they heard Madam Xing mention Dai Yu and say that Zhang Gao Gong's determination was due to Dai Yu. Dai Yu's face turned pale and she swayed.

Fortunately, Xing Xiuyan was there to support her so she didn't collapse. Daiyu then said, "I... I have a terrible headache right now. Please go and see my grandmother for me. I'll head back now."

Xing Xiuyan quickly said, "Sister Lin came in a hurry and didn't bring a maid. I think I should take her back."

He then helped Daiyu walk outside.

Daiyu was a sensitive person by nature. Even though she vaguely guessed that what Madam Xing said was probably Chen Siyuan's plan, she still felt bad after hearing it. Stepping out of the porch and being exposed to the wind, she couldn't help but tear up.

As the two turned through the passageway next to the east wing, Xing Xiuyan whispered to comfort her, "Sister Lin, why take it to heart? I bet those words were just made up by my cousin. How else could he possibly appease the old lady?"

Daiyu responded in a voice barely audible, then suddenly realized what was happening and looked up at Xing Xiuyan with suspicion.

Xing Xiuyan smiled and said, "Such underhanded tricks must have been my cousin's doing... I'm just guessing."

Daiyu thought about it and agreed. She covered her mouth and burst out laughing, saying, "That guy... He clearly has the right path, but he insists on using these unorthodox methods."

Xing Xiuyan helped Daiyu through the passageway and said with a smile, "He's a lazy person. The grand path is certainly the best, but it takes too much effort; the unorthodox path is the least strenuous, so he might as well use it."

Daiyu nodded slightly, then chided, "You're so cunning and opportunistic. If you don't discipline yourself properly, you'll surely become a treacherous villain in the future."

Xing Xiuyan covered her mouth and laughed, "Sister Lin, you're going too far. Although my cousin is a bit... unrestrained in private, he still has some bottom line when it comes to matters of right and wrong."

Daiyu hummed twice but remained silent. It was also because of Xing Xiuyan's witty remarks that Daiyu's grievances gradually subsided, and she began to worry about the situation in Rongqing Hall—she wondered what her maternal grandmother would say.

Now, in Rongqing Hall, Madam Xing had finished speaking, and then invited Zhang Gaogong to explain further.

After Zhang Gaogong repeated his earlier statement, Grandmother Jia's face immediately turned pale with fright. Glancing at Chen Siyuan, who remained calm behind the crowd, Grandmother Jia became suspicious again. She knew Chen Siyuan was no good person, and that people often used superstition to spread rumors and gossip. She wondered if this was Chen Siyuan's doing.

While they were pondering, Jia She coughed and said, "Mother, Zhang Gaogong is a highly accomplished master from Longhu Mountain. This matter is certainly not fake. Please make a decision as soon as possible."

Madam Xing chimed in, "Yes, as the saying goes, it's better to believe it than not. This matter is extremely serious. It's only a couple of years away anyway, so I think we should let Yu'er get married sooner rather than later."

Feng Jie was about to say something, but when she looked up, she noticed that Grandmother Jia's expression was off. Knowing Grandmother Jia's temperament well, Feng Jie knew that she was suspicious, so she swallowed back the words she was about to say and instead said, "I don't think this matter is in a hurry. Even if Lin'er wants to get married, we should wait until after Yuan's brother's imperial examination. Grandmother has just woken up, and she seems a little confused. Let's give Grandmother some time to calm down and discuss it later?"

To everyone's surprise, her words drew a cold snort from Master Jia She, who said, "What a woman's view! How can such a matter concerning the household be delayed?"

Feng Jie was secretly annoyed, but dared not contradict Jia She, so she could only glare at Jia Lian with resentment. Knowing that he couldn't avoid it, Second Master Lian coughed and said, "Madam is still not awake. I think we should ask Zhang Gaogong to go and examine her again."

As luck would have it, no sooner had Jia Lian finished speaking than Tan Xin rushed in, shouting, "She's awake! She's awake! Madam is awake!"

Grandmother Jia then said, "Alright, you all go and see Madam first, we can talk about this another day."

Jia She reluctantly agreed, but not wanting to go to his brother's wife's room, he simply moved back to the east wing. Madam Xing, Li Wan, Feng Jie, and others went to Madam Wang, exchanged a few words, and then asked Zhang Gaogong to check on them. After confirming that everything was indeed alright, Jia Lian presented the gifts. Seeing that it was getting late, they first settled Zhang Gaogong in the front guest courtyard.

After settling Zhang Gaogong in, Chen Siyuan returned to his thatched cottage on his own, which will not be discussed further for now.

After everyone had dispersed, Grandmother Jia frowned, deep in thought. Was what Zhang Gaogong had just said true or false? If it was true, then there was no question; for the sake of the Rongguo Mansion's peace, they should let Daiyu marry as soon as possible. But what if it was false?

Grandmother Jia glanced at Amber, then at the nonchalant Yuanyang, and a chill ran down her spine! If this was a lie, then Chen Siyuan was clearly coercing her—otherwise, he could have simply asked Zhang Gaogong to intercede, and held a grudge against Lady Wang for drugging him; why drag her into it? If anything went wrong, Chen Siyuan would surely stir up trouble. Just think about it—why was it only she and her mistress who fell for it this time?
This was because Madam was the mastermind behind Daiyu's death, while she herself was the one who could make the final decision to allow Daiyu to marry. Grandmother Jia knew that if she refused this time, she herself might not fall into the same trap again, and she couldn't guarantee that Madam would remain unharmed!

Understanding this, the old lady gritted her teeth in anger, but for the time being, she couldn't do anything about Chen Siyuan. She wanted to stall for time, but she knew that it would only be a matter of a few months, and after the imperial examination, she would have to agree to this matter.

She sighed inwardly, then thought of her granddaughter, Daiyu. She thought about how she had broken her promise to her son-in-law and misappropriated the Lin family's property... Afterwards, partly out of spite and partly out of negligence, she had neglected her granddaughter, and felt somewhat sorry for her deceased daughter.

After thinking for a moment, Grandmother Jia sighed and said, "Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. Since Yu'er agreed to this marriage on that day, then let her wish be fulfilled."

While Grandmother Jia was struggling to make up her mind, Lady Wang, having finally realized what was going on, was both shocked and angry.

First, she was born with a jade in her mouth, and later she and her sister, Aunt Xue, manipulated the "golden and jade marriage" by pretending to be ghosts and gods. Madam Wang was quite the expert in this field!
Just moments ago, Lady Wang harbored ill intentions towards Daiyu, and then she fell into her trap. Coincidentally, she also invited Zhang Gaogong, who said that the whole thing originated from Daiyu and that to resolve the matter, Daiyu needed to get married as soon as possible... What a coincidence!

In her shock and anger, Lady Wang felt a sense of being "hunted by geese all day, only to have one pecked at the eye by the goose." After her anger subsided, fear gripped her—this time it had only made her drowsy, but who knew what kind of poisonous creature would strike next!
She could even imagine that if she were to make a move against Daiyu again in the future, Chen Siyuan might secretly harm her!

Madam Wang gritted her teeth, plotting how to get revenge on Chen Siyuan. However, after pondering for a long time, she found herself helpless against Chen Siyuan.

As the saying goes, those who have nothing to lose are not afraid of those who have something to lose. Between Chen Siyuan and Madam Wang, it's clear that Madam Wang is the one who has something to lose. Chen Siyuan is willing to risk his life for Daiyu, but Madam Wang's family is wealthy and powerful; she's about to acquire the Rongguo Mansion, and the eldest daughter in the palace might become a concubine someday. Her brother, Wang Ziteng, might one day become a high-ranking official. Good days are waiting for her, and Baoyu hasn't even found a good match yet. How could Madam Wang possibly exchange her life for Chen Siyuan's?
Lady Wang, though not particularly quick-witted, upon careful consideration, came to the same conclusion as Grandmother Jia—this must be Chen Siyuan's way of coercing and warning her.

Unable to deal with Chen Siyuan for the time being, and intimidated by his reckless attitude of risking his life, Lady Wang gradually began to have second thoughts. Then she remembered what her brother Wang Ziteng had said. Yes, the Lin family had already built a garden, and Daiyu's marriage was already arranged. It was just a matter of young love between Baoyu and Daiyu. Why should she interfere?

Why not go with the flow and let Daiyu get married sooner? That way, out of sight, out of mind, wouldn't that be better for both of us?
Gradually making up her mind, Madam Wang finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then, she looked suspiciously at the several head maids in the room: Tanxin, Danji, Yuchuan… Yuchuan? That's right, Chen Siyuan had saved Jinchuan that day. Yuchuan and Jinchuan were always very close sisters; perhaps this was Yuchuan's act of disloyalty!
Unfortunately, the matter was carried out without anyone noticing, and Madam Wang had no evidence. Although it was not appropriate to punish Yu Chuan'er immediately, Madam Wang had already made up her mind to release Yu Chuan'er in the twelfth month of the following year.

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

Qiu Shuang Zhai.

Tan Chun, Xi Chun, Xiang Yun, and Bao Qin chattered on and on. Every time Xiang Yun mentioned "isolated yin generates evil", Bao Qin would interrupt her and talk about the establishment of a shrine after the mourning period.

After a long while, Baoqin and Xiangyun left. The little girl Xichun then said, "Third sister, why is it that every time Sister Yun mentions it, Sister Qin changes the subject? Could there be a trick involved?"

Tan Chun didn't want to talk much with her fourth sister about the family's squabbles, but then she thought that she would be thirteen years old by the new year, and her fourth sister would be ten. There were some things that were not good to expose to her face, but she should talk to her fourth sister about them behind her back.

Having made up her mind, Tan Chun pulled Xi Chun into the bedroom, sent a maid to guard the door, and then whispered something to Xi Chun.

Xi Chun blinked upon hearing this, and asked in astonishment, "Third Sister, are you saying... that this matter was orchestrated by Master Yuan?"

Tan Chun smiled and nodded, saying, "It's probably pretty close."

Xi Chun frowned slightly and said, "If that's really the case, then Brother Yuan's actions are somewhat..."

"Disgraceful?" Tan Chun sneered, "It's just that extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Fourth Sister, don't forget the drastic prescription that Physician Hu gave to Sister Lin!"

Xi Chun was already close to Chen Siyuan, and upon hearing Tan Chun's words, she immediately nodded and said, "Third Sister is right. Madam went too far before and deserves to be taught a lesson." After a pause, she asked in a low voice, "Will Brother Yuan get his wish this time?"

After thinking for a moment, Tan Chun said, "It's fine with Madam's side, but now it all depends on the old lady's opinion. If she agrees, we sisters might have to prepare a dowry for Sister Lin."

Xichun laughed mischievously and said, "Oh dear, I'm afraid I'm going to lose money this year." As she spoke, she counted on her fingers, "Second Sister, Bao Sister, Lin Sister, I can't miss any of them. I'm afraid all the little bit of savings I've worked so hard to save will be gone."

Tan Chun laughed and said, "What are you afraid of? We are still young ladies. It's enough to give a token of our affection. When Fourth Sister gets married, those three will be the ladies of the house. I'm afraid that whatever we give away now will have to be returned many times over."

Xichun chuckled and said, "Third Sister has made a brilliant plan."

Tan Chun laughed, but her laughter turned bitter. In three months she would be thirteen, and at fifteen she would be of marriageable age. After that, she would be betrothed. The situation in the mansion was getting worse year by year, and the mistress was becoming increasingly unfriendly to her. She didn't know what kind of family she would be betrothed to.

That day, nothing more was said. The next morning, Zhang Gaogong paid his respects to Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang, leaving behind talismans for warding off disasters and bringing blessings, before taking a carriage back to the Taoist temple outside the city.

Perhaps intending to wear down Chen Siyuan's temperament, Grandmother Jia claimed to be unwell and did not even see Jia She, only calling over Feng Jie to secretly plot against him.

It was the twentieth day of the first lunar month. Since Baochai was staying at the old house, the sisters discussed it for a while and then went to Qingtang Thatched Cottage to present Baochai with her congratulatory gifts and tease Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan knew that haste makes waste, and that since Grandmother Jia had acted like a child, he would just wait and see.

Daiyu already knew about Rongqing Hall, but she didn't come to Qingtang Thatched Cottage that day. Instead, she sent Xueyan with a congratulatory gift and asked Chen Siyuan to pass it on to Baochai.

The next day was Baochai's birthday. Chen Siyuan had ordered a carriage to be prepared early in the morning. He first loaded everyone's congratulatory gifts onto the carriage and then headed to the wedding shop outside the city. Qingwen, who was traveling with them, jumped off the carriage first and then took out a wedding dress from inside. She joked, "I thought that Sui and Tang wedding dresses were only two pieces, but who knew that the upper body alone has five layers? Luckily, Master gave the order early, otherwise I'm afraid we wouldn't have made it in time."

Chen Siyuan smiled without saying a word. Seeing Chen Siyuan examining the wedding clothes, Qingwen continued, "The wedding clothes given to the Second Miss are from the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the wedding clothes given to Miss Bao are from the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and Miss Lin is about to give her a baby in February. Does Master intend to give Miss Lin a wedding clothes from the Ming Dynasty?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Following the Ming system, how boring is it to send a Ming-style wedding dress? You should know that after the Sui and Tang dynasties came the Song dynasty. When that time comes, we can just send a Song-style wedding dress."

(End of this chapter)