Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 445 The Private Treasury Seeks to Escape Its Cage

Rongguo Mansion.

At Qinfang Pavilion, Baoyu stood leaning against the railing, lost in thought.

Several maids came chattering, but when they suddenly saw Baoyu, they fell silent. They looked at each other, their mouths agape. They greeted him politely, then hurried on their way.

A year ago, every maid in the household would have been eager to please Master Bao so they could be transferred to Qixianzhai. Everyone knew that the maids at Qixianzhai had easy jobs and received the best rewards.
But now even Xiren has been driven out of the mansion. Apart from those who are obsessed with money, who else would dare to get close to Master Bao?
Because of this, no one has spoken to the eldest mistress, Li Wan, on her behalf these days. After thinking it over, Madam Wang simply sent her head maid, Danji, to Qixianzhai.

At this moment, Danji and Sheyue stayed by Baoyu's side, unaware that Baoyu was still pondering the matter repeatedly.

Because Xiren had fallen ill and returned home, Baoyu was in a bad mood, and yesterday he got very drunk with Jiang Yuhan. During the meal, Jiang Yuhan asked Baoyu about his troubles, and Baoyu poured out his heart about Xiren.

To everyone's surprise, Jiang Yuhan did not say anything to comfort him. Instead, he asked what Xiren looked like and whether he had seen her before.
After Baoyu finished speaking, Jiang Yuhan secretly rubbed his hands together, clearly showing that he cared a lot about Xiren.

Although Baoyu was ignorant of other matters, he could see through this kind of thing at a glance.

No secrets stay hidden forever. Xiren's past actions weren't entirely flawless; subtle clues surfaced, and the maids of Qixianzhai began gossiping behind her back. Baoyu, who lived in Qixianzhai, overheard a few whispers. Initially scoffing, then doubtful, and now, influenced by Baochan's words, he was convinced that Xiren was a treacherous person.

However, Master Bao was kind-hearted and couldn't bear to see Xiren without a partner. Seeing that Jiang Yuhan was very concerned, he suddenly had a change of heart and thought, why not pair Xiren with Qi Guan?

After much deliberation, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Because Lady Wang had given a gag order, Baoyu was still unaware that Xiren was 'dead'.

Having made up his mind, Baoyu breathed a sigh of relief and suddenly became beaming with joy.

Just as he was about to turn around and give instructions to Musk Moon, he heard someone call out from the other end: "Brother Bao, why are you lingering here? The autumn wind is chilly, be careful not to catch a cold."

When Baoyu saw that it was Li Wan who had come, he quickly greeted her and then smiled and said, "There were some things I couldn't figure out before, but now I understand them and I'm about to head out. Are you going to the Furen Yude Hall to handle some general affairs, sister-in-law?"

Li Wan smiled and said, "The old lady just started to feel better today, and she immediately sent someone to summon me. I wonder what she wants to tell me."

Baoyu smiled and said, "Then I won't keep you any longer, sister-in-law. I have urgent business outside, so I'll take my leave first."

After saying this, he slightly cupped his hands, turned around, flicked his cloak, and strode away excitedly.

Not to mention Li Wan, even Su Yun and Bi Yue beside her were puzzled. Su Yun asked, "What has Master Bao remembered?"

Biyue disliked Baoyu's temperament, so she sneered, "Our Second Master Bao always does whatever he wants. Oh well, there's nothing we can do about it anyway. Madam, you'd better hurry up and go tell the old lady."

Li Wan agreed and led two maids out of the garden. They passed the large, painted screen wall and the hall, and wandered around to Grandmother Jia's main room. Inside, they saw Grandmother Jia sitting slumped on a soft couch, trying to look up.

Li Wan hurriedly stepped forward to greet her, and Grandmother Jia forced a smile and beckoned, "Zhu-ge's wife has arrived, please sit down."

Li Wan agreed and sat down, after which a maidservant served her fragrant tea.

Grandmother Jia got straight to the point: "I called you here today for two things. First, Amber's funeral is coming up soon, and the government has only given twenty taels of silver for the funeral according to the rules, which is really disheartening. I'll gather some more, and you can send someone to Amber's family later. It's just a small token of our appreciation."

Li Wan agreed.

Grandmother Jia sighed and said, "The other thing is my private treasury. It's full of old items. After Er Ya and Yu'er got married, a lot of old items were melted down, and the rest are not very useful anymore. I was thinking that I should sell them off as soon as possible while they are still worth some money. The money will be used for self-defense and also for the dowries of San Ya and Si Ya."

Li Wan, being astute as a shrewd woman, knew perfectly well that Grandmother Jia's move was a drastic measure. If the inanimate objects remained in the private treasury, who knew how many more would be stolen? It was better to exchange them for silver notes, thus eliminating the possibility of such scheming individuals.

Li Wan was already disliked by Lady Wang, and she thought that if she got involved, she might only incur Lady Wang's dislike even more, so she instinctively wanted to refuse. But when she looked up and met Lady Jia's eyes, she saw the sadness in Lady Jia's heart and the helplessness in her eyes, and she was immediately moved with compassion.

That's right. Sister Feng has just finished her postpartum confinement. Madam Xing and Madam Wang are both troublesome. At this time, who else can the old lady order around besides her?

On second thought, Lan'er had gone to Jinling, and a few days ago she received news that Lan'er was doing well and had already entered the academy. Now that Lan'er was the only one left in the Rongguo Mansion, even if she angered her mother-in-law, she figured her mother-in-law would be helpless against her.

Furthermore... selling off private funds is not something that can be done in a day. Perhaps this will allow me to meet Brother Yuan once or twice.

Thinking this through, Li Wan relented and said, "After all, these are the dowry items from the old lady. Even if they are sold, we should keep a few as keepsakes. I'll make a list these next two days. After the old lady has looked at it, she can decide which items to sell and which to keep."

Grandmother Jia shook her head and said, "Except for that jade ruyi, sell everything else."

Li Wan obediently agreed and chatted with the old lady for a while before getting up to go to the back of the private treasury to take inventory.

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Mrs. Wang’s courtyard.

Tanxin and Yuchuan were standing behind the screen, whispering amongst themselves. It turned out that Madam Wang was discussing something with Zhou Rui's wife and Baochan.

Madam Wang frowned and said, "Only a little over five thousand? That's really too little."

Zhou Rui's wife then protested, "Madam knows that those are all old items, many of them are gilded, and they don't fetch a high price to begin with. The master personally accompanied Ni Er to all the shops before finally choosing the one with the highest price."

Madam Wang frowned and sighed, "Fine, five thousand it is... I'll use some of my own money to scrape it together later, and settle things with Master first."

Zhou Rui's wife and Bao Chan nodded together, offered a few words of flattery, and then took their leave.

Unexpectedly, an old woman came from outside and whispered something to Yu Chuan and Tan Xin... Since Madam Li Wan had not concealed her trip and the whole mansion was full of Madam Wang's spies, this old woman had come to inform them.

The two maids exchanged glances. Yu Chuan knew that her time in the mansion was running out, so she kept her mouth shut and her mouth shut. Seeing this, Tan Xin had no choice but to turn around and go around the screen to say to Madam Wang, "Madam, the eldest mistress has received instructions from the old lady and has opened the private treasury and is currently taking inventory and making a list."

"Oh?" Lady Wang assumed that Grandmother Jia was being stingy with her money and wanted to point out the missing amount.

Unexpectedly, Tan Xin added, "Furthermore, there are rumors circulating in Rongqing Hall that the old lady intends to sell off all the old items in her private treasury."

Madam Wang was immediately stunned. She thought to herself, "The old lady has a brilliant move to undermine us. If all of this were converted into silver notes, where would she have any chance to embezzle?"

On second thought, this year's expenses were so high that they were even exceeding income, mainly due to the expenses for bribing officials in the palace and unexpected expenditures for Jia Zheng. Jia Zheng's mission would be completed soon and he would be returning home, so it seemed that next year he wouldn't need to steal from the old lady's private treasury.

She simply nodded and said, "I understand. Let the old lady have her way."

Tan Xin acknowledged and withdrew, and Zhou Rui's wife also took her leave. Only Bao Chan remained inside, and Madam Wang carefully instructed her, "You know Bao Yu's temperament, so it's best not to let him know about Xi Ren's matter for now."

Baochan nodded in agreement at first, then frowned and said, "Madam, it's not a good idea to keep it a secret forever. As the saying goes, you can't hide fire with paper. If Second Master hears about it from someone else, who knows what kind of trouble he'll cause later."

Lady Wang pondered, "How about... letting Baoyu stay at the Xia family for a while?"

Given Baoyu's personality, after a month, he'll probably have long forgotten about Xiren. If he hears of her death then, he likely won't make a huge fuss.

Baochan was eager to return to the Xia family and praised him repeatedly. After a short while, she took her leave, and Madam Wang went back to the Buddhist shrine to chant scriptures. However, not long after, Baochan returned in a panic, exclaiming in alarm, "It's terrible! Musk Moon and Danji couldn't stop him; Second Master Bao has ridden off to the Hua family!"

"Ah?" Madam Wang was startled and jumped up abruptly, hurriedly saying, "Quickly, quickly order someone to chase after her. That girl is a wicked child and a source of trouble. If she finds out that Xiren is gone, who knows what she will cause!"

Tan Xin hurriedly went to find the steward to give instructions. The front yard was noisy, and a dozen servants ran quickly towards the Hua family.

Meanwhile, Baoyu left Musk Moon and Danji behind, took two reluctant servants with him, mounted his horse, and headed towards Hua Zifang's house.

The Hua family lived very close to the Rongguo Mansion, and they arrived there in no time. Coincidentally, Hua Zifang's wife was talking with a neighbor in the courtyard that day when she suddenly heard a knocking sound at the door and someone asking, "Who is it?" She quickly went to open the door.

"Master Bao of the Rongguo Mansion has come to see Miss Hua!"

His wife trembled at the sound, but then she thought, her sister-in-law is nowhere to be found, the funeral has been held, and the coffin has been laid to rest. What can she do even if she comes looking for her?

So Su Rong opened the door, but as soon as she did, Bao Yu rushed in excitedly, shouting, "Where's Xi Ren? I've found her a good place."

Hua Zifang's wife was bewildered and said, "They've only just been buried and you want to move the grave? Master Bao, you... My sister-in-law is just a maid, she really doesn't deserve this."

"What do you mean by moving graves? I mean..." Baoyu's face stiffened, and he ran inside as if he had gone mad.

The two servants behind him exchanged a glance and had no choice but to hurry up and follow.

Hua Zifang's wife, feeling uneasy, mustered her courage and followed him inside. Once inside, she saw Baoyu searching frantically, but finding the place empty and Xiren nowhere to be seen, he asked in a daze, "Where's Xiren? Where did Xiren go?"

The two servants remained silent, and Hua Zifang's wife then said sullenly, "My sister-in-law's body lay in state for three days before being buried yesterday. Master Bao is a little late."

"She's been buried... How could she have died?"

Hua Zifang's wife then repeated the same old lies she knew so well, which were nothing more than the incurable disease and the unstoppable hemorrhage. Xiren was utterly despondent and hanged herself when no one was around.

After hearing this, Baoyu was stunned for a long time. Suddenly, tears streamed down his face. He kept shouting, "It was my fault that she was killed!" He then asked where Xiren was buried and ran out of the city like a madman.

Two servants, one clinging to Baoyu's leg and the other pulling on the reins, tried every means to persuade him. But Baoyu wouldn't listen. He brandished his whip and lashed it wildly. The two servants groaned and cried out in pain, but they just wouldn't let go.

Just as the stalemate was at hand, Zhou Rui's wife arrived with a group of servants. With a few words, they lifted Baoyu up and quickly headed back to the Rongguo Mansion.

Zhou Rui, being observant, saw that Baoyu was struggling and shouting incessantly, fearing that everyone would know. So, he made a tough decision and gagged Baoyu. He then ordered a servant to go back to the mansion and fetch a sedan chair. After returning to the Rongguo Mansion, Baoyu, gagged and bound hand and foot, was taken to Lady Wang's hall by the old women who took over behind the ceremonial gate.

Upon entering the house, Lady Wang saw Baoyu weeping uncontrollably and angrily exclaimed, "You're a father now! You're risking your life for a mere maid! You've completely disgraced the Rongguo Mansion!"

Baoyu cried, “I am overwhelmed with grief. I do not wish to die. I only want to pay my respects at Xiren’s grave.”

Madam Wang secretly pursed her lips and said, "You know perfectly well why Xiren died so young. I didn't mistreat the Hua family when they were sent away; I even sent someone to give them a hundred taels of silver for funeral expenses. As for the time we were master and servant, if you still remember her kindness, then every year on holidays, find a crossroads and send someone to burn a bundle of yellow paper. As for personally offering sacrifices... absolutely not!"

Baoyu just cried.

Lady Wang sighed, knowing that nothing she said would make a difference at this point, so she simply found an old woman to send Baoyu back to Qixianzhai to be well cared for.

After a few days, Baoyu's mood improved. He remembered Xiren's good qualities from the past and thought to himself that no one is perfect. He felt even more indebted to Xiren. So he turned around and found his personal servant and sent several dozen taels of silver to Hua Zifang's house.

Mr. and Mrs. Hua were overjoyed, only wishing they could send another girl to the Rongguo Mansion so they could earn some money for funeral expenses. But that's a story for later, so let's leave it at that.

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That day, Chen Siyuan spent another day loitering in Shajing Hutong, and only returned home at dusk. As soon as he entered the house, his head maid, Yunxiang, came to greet him.

This girl is young, but she acts like a housekeeper's wife, and her actions and manners are very formal, which made Chen Siyuan secretly complain for a long time.

As Yunxiang approached, she told him two things, one good and one bad. The good news was that Baoqin had recovered greatly and had even gone to the back garden to swing for a while that day; the bad news was that Lin Daiyu hadn't escaped it after all and was now suffering from a high fever, confined to her room to recuperate.

Chen Siyuan was immediately heartbroken. He didn't care about going to the central courtyard or the east courtyard. He turned around and went straight into the west courtyard through the ceremonial gate. He strode into the main room in no time.

At this moment, Xueyan was serving Daiyu medicine by the bedside when Zijuan saw Chen Siyuan enter and quickly lifted the curtain.

Chen Siyuan casually asked, "How is your sister?"

Zijuan replied, "I felt an itchy throat last night, and I kept sneezing this morning. Now I have a fever."

As they spoke, Chen Siyuan had already reached the bedside. After carefully examining her, he saw that Daiyu looked listless and unsteady, her fair face flushed red, which made Chen Siyuan feel even more sorry for her.

Chen Siyuan took the medicine bowl directly from Xueyan's hand, sat crookedly in front of the bed, and carefully blew on it to cool it before feeding Daiyu the medicine.

Daiyu frowned and said, "You've just recovered, so please don't let your illness return."

"It's alright, I probably have antibodies now."

What are antibodies?

"Well... anyway, you won't catch a cold again anytime soon. Okay, take your medicine."

Daiyu obediently ate the food spoonful by spoonful, and surprisingly, she didn't find it particularly bitter. Chen Siyuan pondered for a moment and figured that Daiyu had probably become accustomed to the bitter taste of medicine after years of taking it.
Xueyan took the empty medicine bowl, and Chen Siyuan then embraced Daiyu. Daiyu said sullenly, "I was planning to invite Yun'er to my residence for a chat on the Double Ninth Festival, but who knew I would fall ill."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "There are still a few days until the Double Ninth Festival. Sister, take good care of yourself. Who knows, you might be better by then."

Daiyu frowned and said, "When has it not lasted for ten days or half a month? I probably won't get better before the Double Ninth Festival."

On the Double Ninth Festival, people usually visit relatives and friends to climb mountains and enjoy the view. Chen Siyuan was unwilling to climb the mountain. After thinking about it for a while, he suddenly remembered that the Prince of Yanping seemed to have an estate in Xiaotangshan.

He then said, "Let's see. If my sister is still sick by then, we can go to Xiaotangshan for a couple of days, soak in the hot springs, and maybe she'll feel better. Besides, the Rongguo Mansion is in turmoil right now, and even if we send out invitations, it's not certain that the three sisters will be able to come."

Daiyu asked in surprise, "What has happened now?"

After pondering for a moment, Chen Siyuan recounted how Lady Wang had plotted against Grandmother Jia's private treasury and had driven Amber to her death. He also mentioned that Li Wan was about to be relieved of her duties as housekeeper.

Upon hearing this, Daiyu could only sigh softly, her heart filled with mixed emotions—both regret and relief.

It's lamentable that the Jia family is now in turmoil and chaos has begun. Daiyu, having read history books, knows that fortified cities are rarely breached from the outside; they are mostly destroyed by internal strife. The Jia family's current situation is one of inevitable decline, and it seems unlikely that it can be salvaged.
Fortunately, her beloved husband had planned ahead and rescued her. Otherwise, if she had remained in the situation, Daiyu might not have escaped unscathed.

Now, Aunt Wang is becoming increasingly extreme. Since she was able to scheme against Sister Bao before, who knows if she won't scheme against herself?
Thinking this, Daiyu unconsciously clung to Chen Siyuan's arm. As if sensing Daiyu's thoughts, Chen Siyuan whispered to comfort her, "Thinking too much is useless. Sister, just focus on getting better. Besides, your surname is Lin, not Jia..." As he spoke, he whispered in her ear, "You must always prioritize the Lin family lineage."

Daiyu blinked, her pretty face instantly turning red. She raised her hand and gently punched him, scolding, "You're never serious! All you ever think about are dirty things! Aren't all those concubines in the three courtyards enough?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Even if there are many, they are not my sisters."

Daiyu was both amused and exasperated. She rolled her eyes and muttered "smooth talker," but her body tensed up even more.

After a while, seeing that Daiyu was getting sleepy, Chen Siyuan was about to put her on the bed. But the slightest movement caused her to furrow her brows and gasp for breath.

Startled, Daiyu immediately perked up and hurriedly asked, "What happened?"

Chen Siyuan said awkwardly, "I just strained my back. It's nothing serious. Sister, you should rest. I'll put on some plaster later and I'll be fine."

Daiyu didn't notice anything amiss; she was feeling drowsy and soon fell asleep.

Seeing that she was asleep, Chen Siyuan got up, supporting his back, and went to the east courtyard to check on Yingchun. A little while later, Miao'er found a plaster and went to the main house in the central courtyard.

When he came out, Xiuju still chased after him and asked, "Master was fine this morning, how did he hurt his back?"

Miao'er and Xiuju had only known each other for a short time, so there were some things she couldn't say too much about and she glossed over the matter. Turning to Tiao'er, she said, "Don't ask anymore, it must be that vixen Siqi pestering you!"

Tiao'er asked in surprise, "Isn't that almost the same as the Madam of the East Courtyard?"

Miao'er pouted and said, "More than that? Madam Xue was only barely holding on; Siqi was just on par with the master."

Tiao'er was immediately filled with awe and admiration for the extraordinary woman who had single-handedly subdued her master.

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Chen Siyuan's back ailment flared up, and for several days he was either taking care of the ailing Daiyu or staying in Yingchun's room, rarely getting a break. Because of Daiyu's illness, the banquet for the Rongguo Mansion's sisters had to be postponed.

As his back pain gradually subsided, Chen Siyuan was enjoying himself in his study when a messenger from the Rongguo Mansion arrived, saying that Madam Xing would be visiting the day after tomorrow to discuss Xing Dequan's marriage with Chen Siyuan. What marriage discussion? Chen Siyuan had provided the money, and Madam Xing's second sister would handle everything. Madam Xing's words were merely a pretext.

She came to the house partly to take advantage of her stepmother's generosity and try to outdo Yingchun, and partly to test the waters and see if she could have a secret tryst with Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan smiled inwardly, thinking that Madam Xing was probably overthinking things. Not to mention that his second sister was not as easygoing as she seemed, just the presence of those concubines in the central courtyard meant that Madam Xing was destined to return empty-handed.

Having just dismissed the servant who delivered the message, a short while later, another old woman brought over a letter.

When Chen Siyuan asked her about it, the old woman only said that it was delivered by the post station and knew nothing else.

Chen Siyuan was puzzled, but after glancing at the letter, he was overjoyed! It turned out that Li Wan had written a personal letter, saying that she would have time to visit Da Gezi Alley these next few days while dealing with the old lady's private treasury.

Chen Siyuan had been thinking about Li Wan all along, and upon receiving this letter, he could no longer sit still. He made an excuse to visit a friend and stayed in Da Gezi Alley for three days in a row.

Just when everyone was eagerly anticipating it, Li Wan arrived on the afternoon of the third day!

Upon their long-awaited reunion, the two were too busy embracing to speak, indulging in passionate lovemaking. Only after the spring breeze had passed twice and the rain had subsided did they finally have time to talk.

Li Wan, in a hoarse voice, recounted Jia Lan's situation in detail. Chen Siyuan then said, "Lan-ge'er is a natural scholar. With his trip south to Jinling and the guidance of Li Jijiu, he is sure to make great progress in his studies. Perhaps he will be able to take the imperial examination in two or three years."

Li Wan smiled and said, "I hope so. I just hope he can make something of himself." She paused, then frowned and sighed, "I was going to give up that damn job of managing the household, but Madam keeps calling me every few days. It's always the same thing: there's no one left to help at home. She also says that she'll take care of things outside, and that I'll just have to manage the garden from now on."

Chen Siyuan played with Li Wan's black hair, pondering with a playful tone: "Second sister-in-law, are you out of confinement yet?"

Li Wan smiled approvingly and said, "I knew I couldn't hide it from you. A few days ago, Madam spoke with the Old Madam, and the Old Madam said that since I don't want to manage the household, it would be better to let Feng'er manage the household again."

How could Madam Wang allow Sister Feng to continue competing with her? Rather than that, it would be better to force Li Wan to continue managing the household.

Chen Siyuan then smiled and said, "Is the old lady much better now?"

Li Wan nodded first, then frowned and said, "She's almost eighty years old, and her energy and spirit are not what they used to be. Yes, you probably don't know that the old lady is ill from longing."

He then explained the reasons behind it all, as well as how Jia Zheng had been framed by local officials.

Chen Siyuan said, "Second Uncle Zheng is too upright and pedantic. It's fine if he stays in the Six Ministries, but if he's sent out, he'll definitely cause trouble." He paused, then hugged Li Wan tightly and said, "Forget it, I'm too lazy to care about the Jia family's affairs. I'm only worried about you now."

Li Wan sighed, "Given the current situation, it's enough that we keep each other in mind; anything else is just wishful thinking."

She had initially considered dragging Su Yun into this mess, but the more she thought about it these past few days, the more unwise it seemed. After all, Su Yun was her head maid, and if she were to be implicated, she would have to give her a proper resolution. But if she were to be sent to Chen Siyuan's side, what would that make her in the eyes of those with ulterior motives?
Not to mention Li Wan, even the cunning Chen Siyuan was at a loss for what to do. So the two of them sighed, and then the rain intensified and their passion returned. They lingered together passionately for a while before reluctantly parting.

(End of this chapter)