Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 84 The beginning of the provocation is really Ning (please subscribe)

(This chapter is from Baozhu's perspective and does not represent the entire picture.)
Mao Shi.

It was still pitch black outside, and Chen Siyuan had already woken up. After waiting for a moment, he heard footsteps approaching, and then the old woman said, "Master Yuan, are you awake?"

Chen Siyuan said: "I'm getting up right away."

The old woman said, "Master, would you like to have breakfast? But you have to wait another half an hour for breakfast."

Chen Siyuan said, "No, I won't eat. Let's go early. We might be back in Beijing by noon. It will be the same if we eat then."

The old woman said no more, came in, lit the lamp and then left.

Chen Siyuan quickly dressed himself, and the maid brought him some hot water. Chen Siyuan washed up quickly, then walked out the door with his head held high.

As instructed yesterday, the horses had been prepared long beforehand. Chen Siyuan took the reins and climbed onto the horse. The servant couldn't help but warn him, "It's getting dark now, sir. You'd better go slowly."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "I'm so eager to go home. I have to prepare gifts for my friends when I get back. I'll leave now."

After saying this, Chen Siyuan rode out of Tiekan Temple and rode along the official road in the dark. After walking for a while, he turned back and listened carefully, but he didn't hear any commotion inside Tiekan Temple. He thought to himself that the Jia family must have left yesterday, leaving only Sister Feng in charge, and the servants and other women had become lazy.

After a while, the sky brightened and Chen Siyuan spurred his horse to a faster pace. After an hour of galloping, he finally saw a carriage parked on the side of the road.

Xu Dabiao and Ma Panlong were standing guard beside the car, holding knives. Seeing Chen Siyuan approach, Ma Panlong hurriedly asked, "Did the Jia family find out?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "No!"

Ma Panlong immediately breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Baozhu is in the car. Why don't we talk while we walk?"

"Okay." Chen Siyuan responded, threw the reins to Xu Dabiao, and stepped onto the carriage.

When he opened the curtain and entered, he saw Baozhu looking at him tremblingly and warily.

Chen Siyuan sat down opposite him, bowed slightly and said, "We meet again."

Baozhu frowned and asked in alarm, "May I ask why Master Yuan is helping me?"

Chen Siyuan said, "It's convenient for others and for yourself. I've already told my brother outside, and I'll send you away soon."

As he spoke, he took out things from his sleeve and handed them to Baozhu one by one.

"This is the household registration, this is the travel permit, and there are five hundred taels of silver."

Baozhu felt a little relieved and secretly loosened the scissors hidden in her sleeve. With such sincerity, she thought he wouldn't take his own life.

Baozhu then whispered, "I wonder what Master Yuan wants me to do?"

Chen Siyuan said: "I'm just asking you some questions."

Baozhu nodded and said, "Master Yuan, feel free to ask."

Chen Siyuan pondered and asked, "When did you get to Qin's side?"

Baozhu said, "Ruizhu and I have only been here three years." Without waiting for Chen Siyuan to ask, Baozhu continued, "The maids around grandma change frequently. Sometimes they get sick, sometimes they break the rules, and some are married off when they reach old age. Four years ago, when the Ningguo Mansion was purchasing a maid, Ruizhu and I learned the rules together. It was a year later that we came to grandma's side."

The maids around her changed so frequently? Could it be that because they discovered the secret, they were beaten, killed, or exiled?

Chen Siyuan pondered and asked again: "What about Qin Shi, Jia Zhen, and Jia Rong——"

Baozhu shuddered suddenly, her eyes warily scanning the surroundings. Then, remembering that she had escaped Tiekan Temple, her expression softened. After a moment's pause, she said thoughtfully, "Mr. Rong doesn't visit Grandma once a year, but Master comes often."

Out of respect for the Venerable, Baozhu has already reached the limit by saying this.

Chen Siyuan asked, "Think about it, did Qin behave in any unusual way during August and September last year?"

Baozhu thought for a moment and said, "Grandma seemed very worried these days and rarely smiled. In September, she became seriously ill and nearly died."

This is not the answer Chen Siyuan wants to hear.

Seeing him frown, Baozhu continued, "As for other anomalies...it seems like Second Master Qiang hasn't been here for a long time, and only returned at the end of August."

"Jia Qiang? He and Qin--"

Baozhu bit her lower lip and nodded.

Yes, that’s why Jia Qiang was driven out of Ningguo Mansion.

Chen Siyuan continued, "Then how did Qin and Ruizhu die? I'm too lazy to ask them one by one, so please tell me all at once."

Baozhu sighed and said, "Our grandmother is also a pitiful person."

At that moment, Baozhu told the story.

However, it was Jia Zhen who strongly advocated for Qin's marriage into the Ningguo Mansion. Because Baozhu had only come to Qin's side three years earlier, she knew very little about the matter. She only knew that Jia Rong rarely visited Qin and had never stayed in her room in those three years, while Jia Zhen, on the other hand, was a frequent visitor.

Three years ago, when Jia Qiang was still living in Ningguo Mansion, he and Jia Rong often ran into Qin Shi, and over time, the two became familiar with each other. Qin Shi, mindful of Jia Qiang's orphanage, took good care of him. A year passed like this, and although the two hadn't truly experienced anything, a secret affection had grown between them.

Jia Zhen learned of this and found a pretext to have Jia Qiang expelled. From then on, Qin Shi became unhappy. Then, in August of last year, Qin Shi suddenly met Jia Qiang alone, away from the eyes and ears of others, with a maid guarding the door.

After that, Jia Qiang disappeared. A few days later, Jia Zhen suddenly became irritable and would whip his servants without hesitation if they made any mistakes. Even Jia Rong received a few lashes.

Afterwards, the women from various families came to visit, and after receiving a few of them, Qin, perhaps exhausted, fell ill. This illness nearly cost her life.

Later, she was rescued and got much better the next year. Qin seemed to be back to normal, treating people very politely and considerately, and Jia Zhen often came to see her.

By September, Jia Qiang's visits to Ningguo Mansion had become more frequent. One day, Ruizhu quietly handed a letter to Qinshi, who, upon reading it, was instantly delighted. She took off her usual hairpin and gave it to Ruizhu, who hurried out after receiving the instructions.

On the third day of the first lunar month, Qin and Jia Zhen drank wine during the day. When Jia Zhen was too drunk to handle the wine, he left. At night, Qin dressed up again and took Baozhu and Ruizhu to stroll in Huifang Garden.

After walking for a while, Qin suddenly said she wanted to change clothes, leaving Baozhu alone there and taking Ruizhu into Tianxiang Tower.

Baozhu was playing in the waterside pavilion when she suddenly caught sight of Jia Zhen hurriedly entering Tianxiang Tower. She thought it was nothing unusual and went back to playing by herself.

After a while, there was a sudden commotion in the garden. Word was that Grandmother Rong was seriously ill. Baozhu wanted to go and see her, but was stopped by the old woman.

What's even more strange is that Baozhu has never seen Ruizhu's figure.

At night, the sound of repeated knocks on the cloud board was heard, and the only news was that the eldest grandmother had died of illness. Baozhu panicked, and even the wooden figures followed her around. It was not until the small coffin that Baozhu learned that Ruizhu had died by hitting a pillar. She also discovered the concealed strangulation marks on Qin's neck.

Baozhu raised her eyes and said, "That's all I know. I don't know the rest."

"Hmm." Chen Siyuan responded, then fell silent and began to think secretly.

So, could it be that Jia Zhen married this daughter-in-law for himself? Looking back, Qin Ye, eager to connect with the powerful, wanted to marry Qin into the Ningguo Mansion. The shameless Jia Zhen took a liking to Qin and married her off to Jia Rong, while secretly treating her as his own private concubine.

It's also strange. Since Jia Zhen likes her, why doesn't he take her as his concubine?
Indeed, Qin Shih was tasked with liaising with various noble families. If she were a concubine, her status would be too low, making it difficult for her to interact. If she divorced You Shih and married Qin Shih, bearing the title of a general's wife, it would be even more difficult for her to interact with the various families. Thinking about it this way, marrying Jia Rong seemed like a perfect choice.

Considering that Jia Zhen always had the final say in Ningguo Mansion, Jia Rong had absolutely no intention of resisting, so Baozhu said that Jia Rong had never spent the night in Qin's room.

What about Qin Keqing? She had originally planned to marry into the Ningguo Mansion and become a young lady, but she ended up becoming Jia Zhen's concubine.

She was an adopted daughter, and Qin Ye raised her up, perhaps with the intention of using her - just look at the fact that Qin Zhong was still trying to have an affair with Zhineng during the mourning period, and you will know that the Qin family may not care about Qin as an adopted daughter at all.

Perhaps Qin had accepted her fate from then on, or perhaps she had accepted it because she could not resist. A few years later, as Jia Qiang grew up, things changed again.

Qin had been childless for several years, and although Jia Zhen still doted on her, there was no guarantee that she would be abandoned by Jia Zhen when she grew old and faded. If she had no children by then, Jia Rong could divorce her at any time and choose another young woman as his successor.

Qin Shi's passion was stirred again, and she might have secretly fallen in love with Jia Qiang. Jia Zhen then sensed something was amiss and hastily expelled Jia Qiang. Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain why Jia Qiang, a decent great-grandson, would move out of Ningguo Mansion.

After this, Qin Shi became depressed and gradually fell ill. Her illness was mainly due to her heart. She wanted to run away with her beloved, but also wanted to escape from the Ningguo Mansion, which was like a hell.

Just as Lady Xing had said, she was indeed responsible for communicating with the government and distributing the profits to the Construction Department. Perhaps she had found an opportunity at this moment and immediately called in Jia Qiang to discuss the matter.

Afterwards, Jia Qiang found someone to rob the property and returned to the capital after a while.

The loss of property naturally made the nobles furious, and the female relatives kept coming to the house to ask for accountability. Jia Zhen might have suspected Qin Shi, so she fell seriously ill and almost died.

Qin knew she couldn't escape, so she had to rest and recuperate. When her condition gradually improved at the beginning of this year, she would continue to greet people and treat others as usual. But was Qin actually already planning to run away with her lover?
In September of this year, probably when Chen Siyuan had just arrived at Rongguo Mansion, Jia Qiang sent a letter. Qin was overjoyed and sent Ruizhu back to return the hairpin. They then agreed to meet in Xianglou on the third day of September.

What happens next?

Perhaps Jia Qiang came, but was caught by Jia Zhen and fled in embarrassment; perhaps Jia Qiang found something was wrong and didn't come at all; or the hairpin was intercepted by someone on the way and fell into Jia Zhen's hands; or perhaps this was all a plot set up by Jia Zhen to trick Qin into going to Tianxiang Tower.

In short, after Qin's scheme failed, she simply hanged herself. How could Ruizhu, who was by her side, have survived? She might have been beaten to death by the enraged Jia Zhen!

Oh, the irony is that afterwards Jia Qiang acted as if nothing had happened, and walked in and out of Ningguo Mansion arm in arm with Jia Rong.

Poor Qin, all her true love... was given to the wrong person.

In a trance, Chen Siyuan vaguely glimpsed a woman hanging herself from a beam, and the verdict in the book flashed before his eyes: "Love is a heaven and a sea, love is an illusion, and when love meets, it will inevitably lead to lust." It is said that all unworthy people are Rong's descendants, but the real cause of the conflict was Ning.

After a long while, Chen Siyuan collected his thoughts and nodded towards Baozhu, saying, "I will keep my word. From now on, young lady, change your name and never return to the capital."

Baozhu nodded heavily.

Chen Siyuan took a deep breath, stood up, opened the curtain, jumped out of the carriage, and said to Xu Dabiao, "Thank you for your help, Fifth Brother."

Xu Dabiao, sitting on the shaft of the carriage, smiled and said, "We'll just go to Tianjin and be back in seven or eight days. Then we can attend Second Brother's wedding. Go!"

He flicked the whip in his hand, and the carriage started moving, heading south first, then east after bypassing the capital.

Chen Siyuan took the reins Ma Panlong threw over and said with a smile, "Thank you for troubling me, second brother. I'll go first. I guess the wedding still needs to be arranged."

Ma Panlong mused in silence, turning his head to gaze into the distance. He could hear the faint neighing of a horse, but there was no one in sight.

"Let's go."

Chen Siyuan said with a smile.

"Take care, brother." Ma Panlong did not hesitate any longer, climbed onto his own horse, and rode back to the capital.

Chen Siyuan stopped and waited. After a moment, he saw a figure on horseback emerging from the withered reeds by the roadside.

When the man came closer, Chen Siyuan asked, "Do you still want me to go see you?"

The man said arrogantly, "My master only wants the result. If it's not necessary, then I don't want to see you."

Chen Siyuan nodded, secretly grasped the dagger hidden in his sleeve pocket, and said softly, "Jia Qiang."

The man seemed puzzled. Chen Siyuan looked up at the man sitting upright on horseback and said, "All the clues point to Jia Qiang. Even if he didn't do it, he must have spread the news."

The man nodded, urged his horse on, and rode away. Chen Siyuan's heart tensed, and he secretly moved to the side, fearing that the man would suddenly draw his sword and attack him.

No, no! The two passed each other, and the man walked away without a care.

Chen Siyuan couldn't help but ask, "Why don't you kill me to silence me?"

The man reined in his horse, turned his head and glanced at Chen Siyuan, then suddenly sneered and said, "You? You're just a little thief. Even if I keep you here, do you dare to tell anyone about what happened today?"

"I dare not." Chen Siyuan admitted honestly.

The man laughed and said, "That's it? Hahaha, my master always keeps his word!"

After saying this, he urged his horse to go again.

Chen Siyuan asked again, "Wait a minute! May I ask how Sun Guangcheng is doing?"

The man didn't even pause, but just waved his hand from a distance: "Guess for yourself!"

Damn it! If I could guess, would I still ask? But Chen Siyuan vaguely felt that although Liu Xifu was dead, Sun Guangcheng might be able to keep his life.

Liu Xifu was originally a eunuch in the princess's mansion. For some reason, he ended up wandering outside and was related to the old Prince Yi Zhong who had ruined things... Well, it's better not to know about this. The more you know, the more dangerous it will be.

The nobleman spared my life, presumably because he wasn't afraid of my leaking the secret. Firstly, I didn't even know the nobleman's name, and secondly, I was already a traitor. If I let it get out, would the Jia family still tolerate me?

Thinking about this, Chen Siyuan smiled casually, thinking that even his identity was fake now. In the eyes of that noble man, he was not even an ant, so naturally he didn't care about his own life or death.

What are you talking about? 'Keep your word' and 'Do what you say'? It's just nonsense! Chen Siyuan didn't believe it. If he really had the nobleman's handle, would he still dare to keep him?
Haha, hahahahaha——

Chen Siyuan laughed loudly towards the sky, then jumped on his horse and staggered back to the capital.

Ants are ants, as long as they can keep their lives, who knows who will be an ant in the future! Fame, wealth and honor, without fame, where can wealth and honor come from? It’s a pity that before Jia Lian returns, he has to fly away.

　This segment was designed based on the stories about the lost hairpin and the changed clothes, and after consulting Zhang Jie's interpretation of the Dream of the Red Chamber.

　　The general idea is "his behavior is unbearable and his heart is pitiful", and Jia Qiang disappears in the later part of the text, which is a good opportunity to use this as an excuse to elaborate on the topic.

　　Alas, anyone who has read the 87 Red Mansions wouldn't have such a strong reaction to my Qin Keqing. As expected, most Red Mansions fans only watch short videos and imagine things on their own before they start to read Red Mansions fan fiction.

　　Then I watched a bunch of fake Li Kui shouting and killing me, the real Li Kui... I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

　　I don’t care whether it’s a hit or not. This is probably my last book about the Dream of the Red Chamber. I’ll continue writing history for the next one.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)