Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 416 Jin Nuo Wants to Become Bing Xin

That night, they leaned against each other, their bodies intertwined, their love as sweet and tender as jade, lingering and passionate until past midnight, when they finally rose.

After washing up, Liu Wu'er went to the small kitchen to fetch the food box. Qingwen and Xiangling were chatting idly when they suddenly joked, "Oh, Master has passed the imperial examination with flying colors. He will surely be on the list of successful candidates in the future. From now on, we can't call him Master anymore; we have to call him Lord."

Qingwen smiled and said, "The master is addressed as 'Master' by both of his concubines."

Xiangling's eyes were full of laughter as she teased, "Which concubine calls you 'Master'? I remember Third Concubine only calling you 'Brother'. But there is one concubine who always has 'Master' on her lips."

Qingwen immediately pouted in annoyance, but then her eyes lit up, and she clasped her hands together and said, "Oh, right, so Sister also knows about Second Aunt's situation?"

Xiangling chuckled and said, "I've only met Second Aunt a few times. I'm talking about you."

Qingwen, as if her temper had flared, got up and chased after him, shouting to herself, "Fine, fine, fine, I'm going to skin you alive today!"

Xiangling was overjoyed to fall, but after dodging for a while, Qingwen caught up with her, pinching her face and scratching her until Xiangling begged for mercy before Qingwen let her go.

At this moment, Wu'er brought the food box inside. Before she could even spread it out, her maid Yunxiang came looking for her.

“Master…Master, Miss Bao and Miss Biao have both sent letters.”

Chen Siyuan was slightly taken aback, then quickly beckoned him over and snatched the letter from him. The first letter was from Baochai, brief in length, with the first line stating directly: "Be cautious in your words and actions, and guard against arrogance and impetuosity."

She then explicitly reminded Chen Siyuan not to forget to visit the Prince of Yanping's residence and Liao Shiwei's place. Finally, she added a poem: "Boundless sorrow is not for spring, my jade-like face grows thin only because of you. My talented lover does not believe in the bitterness of unrequited love, please check how much your skirt reveals at the waist."

Chen Siyuan stared at the poem, examining it repeatedly. Although he had indulged himself last night, he couldn't help but feel restless now. After a moment's thought, he realized, "That's right, Sister Bao has always had lofty ambitions. Now that she has passed the imperial examination, she is naturally overjoyed, and in her excitement, she wrote this somewhat frivolous poem of longing."

After calming himself down a bit, he looked at the beginning again. In fact, even without Baochai's prompting, Chen Siyuan was going to visit the Prince's Mansion and his mentor today.

He carefully put away Baochai's letter and unfolded Xing Xiuyan's letter to take a look. He saw that there was only one line of writing on it: "Cousin, have you become complacent?"

Though only the handwriting was visible, Chen Siyuan vaguely glimpsed Xing Xiuyan smiling and standing before him. His cousin was afraid he'd get too cocky and forget himself. How was this any different from asking Lin Daiyu to give him a stern talking-to yesterday?

Chen Siyuan smiled and carefully put away Xing Xiuyan's letter. After having breakfast, Chen Siyuan tidied himself up, left the Grand View Garden, and asked his servant Qingyu to accompany him. They then took a carriage straight to the Yanping Prince's Mansion.

When they arrived at their destination at 1:15 AM, Chen Siyuan alighted from the carriage and saw Ding Daolong, the head of the Imperial Kitchen, smiling and waiting at the side gate, holding a whisk in his hand.

Chen Siyuan dared not delay, feigning panic as he rushed forward and said, "Eunuch Ding, what is this—"

Ding Daolong laughed and said, "Yesterday, when the Prince heard that Chen Xiaolian was on the list of successful candidates in the imperial examination, he predicted that he would come to visit today. My family has known Xiaolian for a long time, and with such a joyous occasion, how can we not welcome him?"

Chen Siyuan quickly cupped his hands and said, "Eunuch Ding, you flatter me."

"Eh? It's nothing to mention. Xiaolian, and... oh, now you should be called Chen Qingyun. Qingyun, please come inside with me. His Highness has nothing to do today and is resting in the study in the garden."

The licentiate who passed the provincial examination was elegantly called "filial and incorruptible," and the jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) naturally had their own elegant titles. They were called "guests at the Dragon Gate" or "guests in the Azure Clouds." The term "Azure Clouds" was taken from the latter.

Chen Siyuan readily agreed and followed Ding Daolong through the side gate, winding their way to the back garden. The two chatted and laughed along the way. Ding Daolong mentioned the business of making houttuynia cordata, saying, "Houttuynia cordata is now widely available, with a shelf life of up to six months. Not only within the Great Shun region, but even from Guangnan and Japan, there are merchants crossing the ocean to Tianjin to buy it. According to custom, it should be settled every six months, but yesterday the Prince suddenly said that Chen Qingyun's wedding is imminent, and he's afraid the money won't be readily available, so he urged us to share the profits from the houttuynia cordata business."

"If Qingyun has some free time in the future, he might as well come again, so that we can share his success."

Chen Siyuan was overjoyed. The herbal extract he produced in partnership with the Prince's Mansion was made using distillation and preserved in latex stoppers and glass bottles, maintaining its effectiveness even after six months. Initially, it was priced at only three qian of silver per bottle, in order to suppress Prince Zhongshun.

When Prince Zhongshun's business went bankrupt, Ding Daolong originally wanted to raise the price a little, but Prince Yanping consulted the Emperor, who said: "These medicines are beneficial to the country and the people, and we must not let them become too expensive. We must make them affordable for ordinary people."

For this reason, the price of this herbal decoction of houttuynia cordata has dropped again. Now a bottle costs only two qian of silver, and if it is sold wholesale, it can be sold for one and a half qian. It is also for this reason that the Emperor privately instructed Prince Yanping to share a portion of the profits from the northward expansion of the capital with Chen Siyuan.

Since Chen Siyuan had decided to enter officialdom, he naturally didn't care much about such temporary gains and losses. As the saying goes, what is lost on one side is gained on the other. Xue Ke had not only given him 30,000 taels of silver, but now he was also getting a share of the profits from the houttuynia cordata business, which was an unexpected bonus.

Chatting and laughing, they soon entered the back garden, winding along the path until they arrived at the study beside the bamboo grove. Ding Daolong went inside to announce their arrival, then turned back and led Chen Siyuan inside with a smile.

Chen Siyuan roused himself, entered, bowed, and performed all the proper courtesies.

With a slight glance, one could see that King Yanping was lounging lazily on the Luohan bed, with a little maidservant standing beside him, feeding him pieces of cut fruit.

The Prince of Yanping waved his hand casually and said vaguely, "I thought you would have to take several more exams before you could be of use, but you were lucky enough to pass the imperial examination in the first year. Yesterday, I went to the palace to accompany the emperor, and the emperor was overjoyed when he heard about it. He only hopes that you will be of great use after you become a tutor."

Chen Siyuan hurriedly replied, "This student is willing to serve His Majesty to the death."

King Yanping raised an eyebrow, waved away the maid and Ding Daolong, and when only the two of them remained inside, King Yanping spat and said, "Bah! Others may not know, but I know your true colors, you little thief. In terms of economics, you may be somewhat capable, but as for being devoted to the cause, ha... In the future, I only ask that you do your best, keep to your duty, and not cheat or shirk your responsibilities."

Chen Siyuan chuckled and didn't argue. After a while, he replied, "Your Highness knows my true nature. I've been looked down upon since I was a child, and I'm afraid of being poor and bullied. Now that I have some family property, even if I don't hate evil, I certainly won't associate with those scheming and despicable people."

King Yanping grinned and said, "I'm afraid you're just a scheming, despicable person."

Chen Siyuan was speechless, choked by these words.

Upon seeing this, King Yanping chuckled and gestured for Chen Siyuan to sit down. After Chen Siyuan was seated, King Yanping said, “Your Majesty is determined to reform, but the key to reform lies in improving the administration. The lessons of the reforms of the Song and Ming dynasties are still fresh in our minds, and the national treasury is currently sufficient. Therefore, Your Majesty’s intentions are somewhat hesitant. I believe that this reform may have to be delayed for several more years before it can be implemented.”

Chen Siyuan pondered for a moment and replied, "Having studied the reforms of all dynasties, I have found that they were nothing more than acts of dividing up the spoils."

What is meant by sharing food?

"From then on, they collected the wealth of the gentry to support the common people."

King Yanping pondered carefully, then slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed, "That's it! That's exactly the point!"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "I am not very talented. My specialty is not dividing food, but rather cooking new dishes in separate pots."

King Yanping laughed heartily, "Cunning! But with such abilities, you're more than capable of protecting yourself. His Majesty previously warned me that he feared you, Chen Shuliang, were too young and impetuous, and that you would be eager to reform as soon as you entered the court. I scoffed at that in my heart, haha, but now, after hearing your words, I see that's exactly right!"

Chen Siyuan smiled obsequiously and discussed the state of the court with Prince Yanping. Now, the old ministers of the previous dynasty had either been dismissed or retired, the Emperor held absolute power, and the Retired Emperor lived in seclusion in the Daming Palace. Thanks to the reforms of Prince Teng and Jia Hua, the border troops and the capital garrison had been revitalized; and salt revenues had repeatedly reached new highs.

With the Mongols and the Mongol tribes outside the Great Wall subdued, and General Yue Zhongqi pacifying the Western Regions, his only concern was the troubles in the southwest.

Speaking of this matter, Prince Yanping frowned deeply and said, "The Prince of Nan'an is truly getting worse with each generation. He has been waging war for more than a year, and now, instead of defending the country's borders, he allows petty thieves to frequently raid the borders. His Majesty has long been dissatisfied and is just waiting for this fellow to suffer a major defeat before arresting him and bringing him to the capital for questioning."

Chen Siyuan was reluctant to discuss military matters, so he simply echoed the sentiments. After a couple of cups of tea, King Yanping's interest waned, and seeing Chen Siyuan sitting calmly and composedly, he knew that this fellow must have something to ask of him.

He glanced at her sideways and said, "Tell me, have you come here today to ask for something?"

Chen Siyuan hurriedly stood up and bowed, saying, "Your Highness knows me well! To be honest, I have already made my relationship with the Xue family girl public. Now I have shamelessly come to ask Your Highness to act as matchmaker and propose marriage on my behalf."

Prince Yanping scratched his head and said, "It's only because of you that I've never done this kind of matchmaking work before." After thinking for a moment, he said, "Since you've asked me, I can't very well refuse. How about this, Princess Rongchang is quite fond of matchmaking, I'll ask my elder sister to do it for me later."

Chen Siyuan was overjoyed and quickly bowed and accepted.

After bidding farewell to Prince Yanping, Chen Siyuan couldn't help but smile and think: The Xue family's eldest branch has fallen into ruin. Because Aunt Xue and Sister Bao are more concerned with appearances, Princess Rongchang has come to propose marriage. They have both substance and face. I think Aunt Xue and Sister Bao will be very satisfied.
It was nearly noon, and since it was still early before leaving the government office, Chen Siyuan wasn't in a hurry to go to his mentor's house. He simply found a restaurant nearby to fill his stomach. After the meal, he sat in a teahouse for a while, and only set off for the Liao family's house around 3 PM.

Upon arriving at their destination, the Liao family servants became even more enthusiastic. Since Liao Shiwei had not yet returned, they first led him into the study, and shortly afterward, the teacher's wife, Lady Hou Shuren, came to answer his questions.

Chen Siyuan feigned panic, quickly stood up, bowed, and said, "How could I trouble my master's mother? It is my duty to go and pay my respects."

Seeing Chen Siyuan's handsome appearance and humble demeanor, Hou Shuren couldn't help but admire him even more. She smiled and said to him, "Shuliang, don't be so polite. Now that you've become my disciple, it's only natural that you've entered into the inner circle. Why be so formal?"

After the two were seated, he continued, "When the good news came yesterday, your teacher was overjoyed. But this morning, a neighbor came to our door, trying to find out about Shuliang's situation. If you hadn't already arranged your marriage with the second daughter of the Jia family, the matchmakers would probably have worn down your doorstep by now."

Chen Siyuan couldn't help but laugh for a while before saying, "This is firstly to express my gratitude to my master, and secondly, to ask my master's wife to offer her a formal pledge on my behalf."

Hou Shuren readily agreed, "It's only right that we don't bother two people with one matter."

Hearing his teacher's wife say this, Chen Siyuan felt much more at ease. A short while later, Liao Shiwei returned home and, upon hearing that Chen Siyuan had come to visit, went straight to his study to meet him without even changing out of his official robes.

The master and disciple discussed politics for a long time. Liao Shiwei, a cynical man, hurled a torrent of abuse at the Prince of Nan'an. Chen Siyuan echoed his sentiments for a while before finally saying, "If the Prince of Nan'an is so wise and powerful, how can my master's abilities be demonstrated?"

Liao Shiwei thought about it and agreed, then laughed and said, "That's true, haha, then let him continue to be a coward."

In the midst of their pleasant conversation, Liao Shiwei invited Chen Siyuan to stay for dinner. During the meal, the topic of placing a large betrothal gift with the Jia family came up again, to which Liao Shiwei readily agreed. He also instructed Chen Siyuan to remain humble and composed, and to prepare well for the upcoming imperial examination.

They drank and chatted until dusk, and Chen Siyuan was only slightly tipsy on his way home. He indulged in carefree revelry that night, but that's another story. The next day, Chen Siyuan remembered his appointment with Aunt Xue, but he wasn't in a hurry to go to Da Gezi Alley.

With the apricot list now over and the laurel list in sight, Chen Siyuan could no longer stay at the Jia family's residence. Before moving out, he had to bring over the indentures of the maids who served him.

A quick calculation shows that Xiangling is already a free woman, Qingwen's indenture has long been lifted, and Hongyu will marry the Second Miss in the future. After all that, only Wu'er and Yunxiang remain.

Needless to say, Wu'er had already been intimate with him, so she should move away with him. But Chen Siyuan was a little unsure about the little maid, Yunxiang.

Since it was after breakfast, Chen Siyuan called Yunxiang into his study and asked her what was on his mind.

As soon as she finished speaking, Yunxiang blinked and said firmly, "Of course I will follow the... Master!"

Just kidding, if she hadn't come to Master Yuan's place, she would still be just a third-class maidservant outside Baoyu's room. Over the past few years, not to mention how much reward money she has earned, just from greeting and seeing off guests, even the old women around her would call her "Miss Yunxiang".

Knowing she was of average appearance, with a plain face, she knew she would never enter Master Yuan's room. Therefore, she decided to settle for second best.

Besides, Master Yuan has just opened a new mansion, and he is short of maids and servants. I am already familiar with Master Yuan's services. Going there would probably be more respectable than the steward's wife. Only a fool wouldn't go!

Seeing his certainty, Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Alright, remember to tell your family later. I'll go find the second young lady and get the indenture later."

"Yes!" Yunxiang replied excitedly and skipped off to tell her family the good news.

Chen Siyuan glanced up and saw Wu'er looking at him shyly. He nodded slightly and smiled. Liu Wu'er felt relieved, knowing that her master had not forgotten her.

After calculating the exact time, and waiting until halfway through Chen Shi (7-9 AM), Chen Siyuan leisurely went out and headed towards the Furen Yude Hall.

At this time, the second daughter, Yingchun, had indeed already taken care of the household affairs. There were only two or three wives outside the hall to attend to her, with Xiuju and Hongyu keeping her company. Fortunately, Hongyu had been forced by Chen Siyuan to learn to read, and she was currently fiddling with the abacus, calculating the household expenses.

A maidservant announced from outside, and Xiuju hurriedly came out with a smile. Hongyu glanced over and saw the second young lady with a slightly flushed face, awkwardly gathering her hair.

Hongyu smiled to herself, and then saw Chen Siyuan stride in.

Yingchun rose to greet him, and as their eyes met, she quickly lowered her head again. After a curtsy, she asked, "Brother Yuan, what brings you here at this hour?"

Hongyu smiled and tried to avoid it, but Chen Siyuan secretly shook his head to stop her. Then Chen Siyuan explained his purpose, saying, "Second sister, now that the apricot ranking has passed, it is not convenient for me to stay in the manor for long. However, I am used to my two servants, Wu'er and Yunxiang, and I am reluctant to part with them. That is why I have the audacity to ask you to release their indentures."

The second young lady, head bowed, said, "That's only right. I'll speak to Madam about it later, and then I'll send the indenture over."

Chen Siyuan stood up and said with a smile, "In that case, thank you very much, Second Sister."

"Brother Yuan is being disrespectful."

Seeing his second sister blushing and speaking in a serious manner, Chen Siyuan suddenly felt a joking thought and said, "That's right, I went to my teacher's house yesterday afternoon."

"what?"

Before Yingchun could say anything, Chen Siyuan had already turned and left with a smile.

Hongyu turned to look at the second young lady again and saw that Yingchun's cheeks were flushed, her hands were nervously twisting her handkerchief, and her round eyes were fixed on Chen Siyuan's back.

Chen Siyuan's words were self-evident: a small engagement had already been made, and the matchmaker was Hou Shuren. Now that the old matter had been brought up again, it was time to make a full engagement.

Hongyu and Xiuju came over happily to offer their congratulations, making the second young lady even more embarrassed. She hesitated for a long time before finally abandoning her duties and returning to Zhuijin Tower.

Chen Siyuan left the Furen Yude Hall, went to the front to collect his horse, and spurred it straight to Dagezi Alley.

Meeting Aunt Xue was like a chance encounter in the golden autumn breeze. The peach blossoms were in full bloom, their hearts were in perfect harmony, and their mutual affection was unspoken.

After the wind and rain subsided, Chen Siyuan brought up the matter of inviting Princess Rongchang to his door to propose marriage.

Aunt Xue was overjoyed, feeling that this made her look exceptionally respectable. In her excitement, she mustered her remaining courage and spent another night with Chen Siyuan before happily returning to the Xue family's old residence.

Chen Siyuan was feeling lazy for a while. Seeing that it was still early, he decided it was not a good time to go to Xinglong Street, so he simply headed to Miaoyu's place north of Nengren Temple.

Upon arriving here, both Siqi and Miaoyu wore expressions of melancholy. Chen Siyuan, considering that it wouldn't be good to keep running back and forth after marriage, said, "South of Nengren Temple, I have a three-courtyard house with a side garden, which is much better than this place. Since you want to practice Buddhism, I will have someone build a nunnery in the garden."

Siqi already knew about this matter. Although she felt that Sister You Er and Sister You San were not easy to mess with, she thought it would be more pleasant than staying here, so she readily agreed.

Miaoyu was unwilling, but she couldn't resist the fact that even her little maid Qingfan hoped for it, so after some hesitation, she finally agreed.

Chen Siyuan was overjoyed and left two hundred taels of silver for expenses. He agreed to move in May. Seeing that it was getting late, he hurriedly left amidst the two women's resentment.

Before long they arrived at Xinglong Street. Jia's gatekeeper spotted Chen Siyuan and quickly bypassed the other people waiting to see him, leading Chen Siyuan into the main hall. After sitting for a short while, a steward led Chen Siyuan into the study.

Having held a high position for a long time, Jia Yucun's magnanimity had grown increasingly imposing. After exchanging greetings, he first offered his congratulations, then asked with a smile, "Shuliang will surely be listed on the imperial edict soon, but I wonder when you plan to settle down with my female apprentice?"

Chen Siyuan said he was ashamed and quickly explained what had happened and his thoughts.

Since Jia Yucun had gained fame through Daiyu, he naturally couldn't wait for her to get married and find a suitable husband. Otherwise, given the stupidity of everyone in the Rongguo Mansion, who knew they might one day cause Daiyu's death?
If anything were to happen to Daiyu, Jia Yucun, to protect his reputation, would have no choice but to fight the Jia family to the death. Now, holding the post of Grand Marshal of the Ministry of War, how could he possibly have the time to get entangled with the Jia family?
After hearing Chen Siyuan say this, Jia Yucun hesitated only slightly before agreeing immediately.

He said, "After all, it is as if the sea has entrusted you with this. Since Shuliang has said so, I will naturally entrust Daiyu to you with peace of mind. There is only one thing: Daiyu is still a bit too young, so some things... must not be rushed."

Chen Siyuan quickly cupped his hands in agreement and said, "I understand, and I will certainly not let Lin Meimei down."

Seeing Jia Yucun nod in satisfaction, Chen Siyuan continued, "There's only one thing: I don't have many connections in the capital, so I don't know who to ask to propose marriage?"

Jia Yucun and Daiyu had a master-disciple relationship, and Jiaoxing was a concubine who had been promoted to the position of principal wife, but she did not yet have an official title, so it was naturally inappropriate for him to visit her door to propose marriage.

Jia Yucun knew that the Chen family was small, so after thinking for a moment, he said, "Shuliang, why don't you go to Shuntian Prefecture? Shao Shibiao and Ruhai have a long-standing friendship. If you ask him to act as matchmaker, he will definitely be willing."

Chen Siyuan said happily, "Thank you for your guidance, Grand Marshal. In that case, there's no time to lose. I'll head to Shuntian Prefecture right away."

Jia Yucun smiled and agreed, then got up to see him out the second gate before leisurely returning to his study.

Chen Siyuan hurried to Shuntian Prefecture, where Shao Shibiao received him in his study. Upon hearing that Chen Siyuan had asked him to act as a matchmaker, Shao Shibiao pondered for a moment and said, "I am preoccupied with many affairs and am afraid it will be inconvenient. In that case, my teacher's wife is still alive, and Shuliang left behind a betrothal letter. I will ask my teacher's wife, Madam Liang, to act on my behalf in the future."

Chen Siyuan was overjoyed. Shao Shibiao's mentor was Grand Secretary Liang from the time of the late Emperor, and his wife was a first-rank imperial consort. With him acting as matchmaker, the marriage was certainly a perfect match.

He was extremely grateful and could not refuse, so he had a meal in the back residence of Shuntian Prefecture before happily returning to Rongguo Mansion.

Returning home that evening, Qingwen said happily, "Master, you don't know, but Hongyu brought over Wu'er and Yunxiang's indentures at noon."

Chen Siyuan was delighted to see smiles on Wu'er's and Yunxiang's faces. He thought to himself that Madam Wang still had some dignity, which was why she hadn't made things difficult for him over such a trivial matter.

The next day, Chen Siyuan indeed went to Rongqing Hall to say goodbye. Grandmother Jia pretended to try to persuade him to stay a few times, and then went with him. So at the end of the day, Qingwen, Xiangling and others tidied up the thatched cottage in Qingtang, and carrying large and small bundles, they took two carriages and went to settle in with the You sisters first. They would move to their new house in Faxiangfang after the palace examination.

For the next two days, Chen Siyuan focused his mind and pondered the questions for the palace examination. Since the Song Dynasty, those who had passed the provincial examination had never been exempted from the palace examination. Although the Emperor had spoken beforehand, the essay for the palace examination still needed to be presentable; otherwise, even if he was selected as the third-ranked scholar, how could he silence the criticisms of the people?
Unexpectedly, that morning, the teacher's wife, Lady Hou, came to the door and said that she had sent an invitation to the Jia family and that the betrothal ceremony would be held the day after tomorrow.

Chen Siyuan was naturally very grateful for this matter, and immediately instructed Sister You to move the betrothal gifts out of the storeroom.

The betrothal gifts were worth five thousand, and any family with a modicum of standing would bring them back along with the dowry. But given the master's shamelessness, it's estimated that he'd be lucky to keep half of it after it passed through his hands.

Chen Siyuan knew this but didn't mind. He respectfully accompanied his teacher's wife for two cups of tea before personally seeing her out.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and sure enough, early in the morning, servants from the Liao family came to carry the betrothal gifts. Thirty-two loads of various kinds were carried there, accompanied by gongs and drums, and were sent to the Rongguo Mansion.

The Rongguo Mansion had already received the news. Seeing that the betrothal gifts had arrived, the steward hurriedly ordered the main gate to be opened wide, and the eldest master Jia She and Madam Xing came to greet them outside the ceremonial gate.

When the lady arrived, her relatives and friends happily went to Rongqing Hall to pay their respects to Grandmother Jia, which will not be discussed further.

That day, the second young lady, Yingchun, was so ashamed that she dared not see anyone. She sat alone in the Zhuijin Tower, forcing a smile and refusing to speak to Hongyu and Xiuju. Only when the two maids clamored to go to the front to see the betrothal gifts did Yingchun finally breathe a sigh of relief and a smile appeared on her face.

With the engagement settled, all that remained was the wedding ceremony. At this point, Yingchun was considered a member of the Chen family. To put it bluntly, if anything were to happen to Chen Siyuan at this time, the second young lady would have to observe mourning for him.

(End of this chapter)