Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 88: A Turn of Events (Subscribe)

While I was thinking about it, someone suddenly knocked on the door.

"Is Master Yuan at home?"

Yunxiang dropped her broom and went to open the door, then asked curiously, "Sister Yuanyang?"

Making way, Yuanyang slipped in through the gap in the door. Seeing Chen Siyuan, he bowed from a distance and said with a smile, "It's a good thing that Master Yuan hasn't left yet, otherwise I would have missed him."

Chen Siyuan walked forward with his hands behind his back, nodded and smiled, "Why is Miss Yuanyang here?"

Yuanyang was the head maidservant beside Lady Jia, and was usually the most respectable. Even Aunt Zhao did not dare to offend her.

Yuanyang stepped forward and said with a smile, "I just found out yesterday that Qianxue is getting married. We grew up together, and we couldn't do anything for her when she left. Now that she's getting married, we have to show some appreciation."

As she spoke, she presented a small bundle, which she unfolded to reveal the various jewels inside. Yuanyang smiled and said, "This is what I, Xiren, Ping'er, Hupo, Suyun, Caixia, Yuchuan'er, Musk Moon, and Cuimo put together. It's a pity that Zijuan is not here, otherwise we could have put together another one.

Master Yuan also knows that we servants don't have much money, so he only collected some scattered jewelry. Please take it to Qianxue."

Although she smiled, she couldn't hide her loneliness.

Chen Siyuan took the bundle and said solemnly, "I will definitely bring it over. I'm sure Miss Qianxue will be very happy."

Yuanyang smiled and said, "It's good that she doesn't make trouble. Master Yuan, the old lady just woke up. I have to go back and listen to her instructions. I'll be leaving now."

Chen Siyuan agreed and walked two steps forward, and then the little maid Yunxiang walked him to the door.

Weighing the bag in his hand, Chen Siyuan sighed and said nothing.

After lunch that day, Chen Siyuan packed up his belongings and headed out of the city. The rented farmhouse had been newly decorated. Although Qian Feihu and Xu Dabiao were not there, Ma Panlong had at least invited a few of his former colleagues from the Beijing camp to come.

For a while, there was a constant stream of shouting and jeers, which was quite lively.

Ma Panlong was always in high spirits when he saw Chen Siyuan, and he was overjoyed. Chen Siyuan pulled him aside and handed him a small bundle, saying, "This is a gift from a few acquaintances in the mansion for your sister-in-law." As he spoke, he slapped a written contract into Ma Panlong's hand and said, "This is a gift from our brotherhood."

"This..." Ma Panlong took a glance and suddenly felt embarrassed: "--This won't do." The written deed was clearly the deed for the farmhouse here and the seven mu of vegetable plot!
Land prices in the capital were high, unlike in other places. Even these three farmhouses would cost over eighty taels of silver, plus the seven mu of vegetable plot, which added up to over a hundred taels.

Chen Siyuan refused to allow him to refuse and said, "Brother, you're married now. You'll have to start a business in the future. It's not good to rent a house anymore. This seven-mu vegetable plot may not look like much, but if you take good care of it, you might be able to earn ten or twenty taels of silver every year. Isn't that better than working on the edge of a knife?"

Ma Panlong couldn't argue with Chen Siyuan, so he could only clasp his fists and thank him solemnly: "I won't say anything else. From now on, whether we are in trouble or in danger, just talk to me."

The wedding ceremony, as the name suggests, had to take place at dusk. Since the two families lived not far from each other, Ma Panlong waited for an auspicious time and rode a tall horse, his brother draped in red flowers, and hired musicians to march around Anhua Temple and the Orphanage before finally arriving at Qianxue's residence.

The neighbors all came to help, making the wedding a lively occasion. After finally bringing Xixue out in a sedan chair, the group took a long detour before returning to Ma Panlong's newly decorated farmhouse.

After entering the house and paying respects to heaven and earth, the bride was led to the back room to wait. A colorful tent was erected in front of the farmhouse, and several tables were set up. Chen Siyuan accompanied Ma Panlong to toast at each table. Although Chen Siyuan could drink quite well, he looked frail. Since it was Ma Panlong, he didn't need him to stop him from drinking. He drank the whole glass on his own, and after a few tables, he was already drunk.

The noise continued until nightfall, and then the groom Ma Panlong was urged to enter the bridal chamber. Then little girls, naughty boys, and wives came to eavesdrop and make noise in the bridal chamber.

Chen Siyuan and the other officers from the Beijing Camp drank heartily, and by the time the feast was over, they were already on friendly terms. That day, before the inner city was locked, Chen Siyuan rode back to the Rongguo Mansion.

Just as he arrived at his own courtyard, Yunxiang and Hongyu came to greet him. Yunxiang, who was quick-witted, said, "Master is finally back. The mistress sent people to look for him twice, but I don't know what's the matter."

"Oh?"

Chen Siyuan wondered, could it be that Madam Xing got the medicine from Ma Dao Po?

He then complained in his heart, saying that Mrs. Xing could not keep secrets, or to put it bluntly, "a dog's stomach cannot hide two ounces of sesame oil." Whenever there was something big or small, she would always rush to him to discuss it.

Since it was Chen Siyuan, he didn't care and just said, "I drank too much today. Let's talk about it tomorrow morning."

He then went into the main room to wash his hands and face, and Hongyu brewed some strong tea to sober him up. Chen Siyuan was just nursing his hangover when he heard a knock on the door.

Yunxiang hurried to open the door and immediately shouted, "The eldest lady is here!"

Tsk, did Saoting hear that I just came back, so he came here in a hurry?
Chen Siyuan hurriedly stood up to greet her. As he stepped outside, he saw Madam Xing looking anxious. She said from a distance, "Brother, your Third Aunt is acting inappropriately. I need to discuss this matter with you."

Chen Siyuan hurriedly let them into the room. Madam Xing opened her mouth, then waved her hand: "Everyone, leave. These words must not be spread out."

Hongyu and Miao'er looked at each other, thinking that something had gone wrong with Third Sister Xing's marriage, and immediately retreated.

After the door closed, Chen Siyuan asked from behind, "What happened to Third Sister?"

Mrs. Xing said anxiously, "I'm just looking for an excuse. Third Sister is fine!" After a pause, she continued, "Master received a letter from Lian'er today, and he talked a lot. I heard... it seems there is an opportunity in it!"

"Opportunity?" Chen Siyuan was suspicious.

Mrs. Xing leaned over and placed her right hand on Chen Siyuan's arm. She whispered, "The last time Zhao'er came back, the master sent a letter to Lian'er. One of the letters asked how the Lin family affairs would be handled and when the marriage certificate and property could be brought back."

Chen Siyuan nodded. This was as it should be. The Lin family had been a noble family for generations, and although Lin Ruhai's generation lost their titles, he still managed to achieve the third place in the imperial examination. He later presided over the Yangzhou Salt Administration for several years, and his wealth, both gray and white, combined, was quite substantial.

However, although Lin Ruhai's branch is small, there is still another branch of the Lin family. I am afraid that when the Jia family learned that Lin Ruhai was seriously ill, they decided to let Jia Lian, the fourth generation heir to the title of Rongguo Mansion, escort Daiyu to the south, with the intention of promoting the marriage between Bao and Dai, and moving the Lin family's property back to Rongguo Mansion.

Following the Ming Dynasty system, the salt permit system was implemented. While each permit was officially worth only one liang and five qian of silver, local salt administration offices secretly implemented a "prepayment" system. To obtain prepayment, one had to pay an additional two liang and one qian of silver per permit.

This advance silver didn't go into the national treasury, but went directly into the imperial treasury. The salt permits, both overt and covert, could offset 15% of the annual land tax, amounting to over 4 million silver taels! It was for this reason that the Emperor Taishang was able to hunt in the north and tour the south in his later years, leading a much more comfortable life than the previous Ming emperors.

Lin Ruhai was the salt transport envoy, and his salary alone was a considerable sum, not to mention the private gifts from the salt merchants. If you were to put it bluntly, the Lin family's wealth would probably be even greater than the Xue family's at this point!

Lin Ruhai, however, was a former scholar who had been awarded the title of "Tanhua" (a third place in the imperial examination) and subsequently entered the Imperial Academy as a Hanlin editor, and later became a Lanting official. He held both the Hanlin and Censor positions, making him a true "clean official." Consequently, he was not extravagant in his daily life, which is why Daiyu was so shocked by the Jia family's wealth when she first arrived at the Rongguo Mansion.

At this moment, Mrs. Xing said, "Lian'er's reply only said that she hadn't seen the marriage certificate... She also said that although most of the Lin family's property could be brought over, Yu'er's marriage would still have to be discussed with Jia Hua in the future." "Hmm?"

What the hell, Jia Lian didn’t get the marriage certificate?

Chen Siyuan's mind raced. Sun Guangcheng had said that the marriage certificate came from Jia Lian, but now Jia Lian flatly denied it... Was he afraid that Jia She would be angry because he had lost the marriage certificate? That was a possibility.

Chen Siyuan pondered and asked, "Do you know what Jia Hua's background is?"

Mrs. Xing said, "I just heard the eldest master mention that he passed the imperial examination with Lin Ruhai in his early years, and later was sent to Ruzhou. He lost his job and went to the Lin family to tutor Daiyu for a year. It was only through our family's help that he was reinstated."

Chen Siyuan tutted and looked at Madam Xing teasingly. If Chen Siyuan was indeed a commoner who didn't know the rules of officialdom, that would be fine. But don't forget that he was a descendant of the Que Clan, and he was well versed in the ins and outs of officialdom!

The Yangzhou Salt Transport Commissioner was a high-ranking official of the third rank and the emperor's money bag, so only the emperor's confidants could hold the position. At that time, according to the rules of the imperial examinations, after the palace examination, the chief examiner and the deputy chief examiner each nominated one person as the top scorer and second place, and the emperor generally would not object.

Then the third place winner came to the imperial examination. To show his humility, the emperor simply said that he was not well versed in Confucianism and Taoism, and selected the third place winner based on his appearance.

Therefore, the third place in the imperial examination was chosen by the emperor, and once one was chosen, they would enter the imperial court and be appointed as a Hanlin editor. After three years in the imperial court, they would be sent out to become at least a prefect of the fourth rank. If they chose the censorship route, they could enter the cabinet and become a prime minister in just ten years.

All signs indicate that Lin Ruhai is a close confidant of Emperor Yankang. Wouldn't a word he says be more effective than that of the Jia family? Why would he even need the Jia family's help in getting an official position?

Mrs. Xing must have heard what she said from the eldest master Jia She. She is really clueless and is trying to flatter herself.

"What? Am I wrong?"

Mrs. Xing was just a woman from the inner house, how could she know the ins and outs of officialdom? Chen Siyuan shook his head and said, "It's okay, go on."

Madam Xing raised her eyebrows and spoke slowly, "But Lian'er said at the end that the Lin family seems to be interested in recruiting a son-in-law and a successor."

"Ah?" Chen Siyuan thought it was ridiculous when he first heard it, but after thinking about it carefully...it seemed to make sense?
Daiyu's half-brother died young, and Lin Ruhai just said that he would never marry again, as if his health was ruined. At least the main branch of the Lin family was facing extinction.

There are three kinds of unfilial behavior, and the worst is to have no descendants. Lin Ruhai only has one daughter, Daiyu, so naturally he thought of either marrying her in or taking her as his heir.

This practice of having two descendants existed before the Ming Dynasty. When the Supreme Lord of this dynasty was in power, a special decree was issued, allowing ordinary people to have one son have two descendants.

Initially, one son was the heir to both branches, but now it has gradually evolved into one son being the heir to both branches. (If you are interested, you can look up the Peking Opera master Mr. Mei)
For the sake of the Lin family's eldest branch, it is of course a good idea to marry into the family. Even if it is not possible, at least he should be able to inherit the family line to prevent the Lin family's eldest branch from becoming extinct.

It seems that Lin Ruhai did not trust the Jia family when he was dying, and he might have already thought of entrusting Daiyu to someone else - for example, to Jia Yucun.

Doesn't that sound absurd? Oh, but at this point, the distinction between close and distant comes down to nothing more than Heaven, Earth, the Emperor, parents, and teachers. This closeness only applies to those of the same clan and surname. In terms of closeness, the Jia family is merely Daiyu's maternal family, not sharing the same surname, so they're certainly not as close as Jia Yucun, the "teacher."

Moreover, Lin Ruhai had helped Jia Yucun to reinstate and recommend him, and he might have handed over his political legacy to Jia Yucun before his death. Even if he did not trust Jia Yucun's character and only considered his own reputation, Jia Yucun had to make good arrangements for Daiyu.

No wonder Mrs. Wang looked down on Daiyu later. I'm afraid the idea of ​​marrying into the family and taking over the family line became a thorn in Mrs. Wang's heart.

But what does this have to do with me?
Madam Xing looked at Chen Siyuan with a burning, slightly playful gaze. "As for the second incident, Master mentioned you briefly last time... Lian'er's letter only said that the Chen family was robbed in March, leaving everyone dead or wounded, except... Chen Siyuan, who escaped and is nowhere to be found."

Chen Siyuan was stunned at first after hearing this, and then he felt the hairs on his body stand on end, and a hot current rose from his lungs and rushed straight to the top of his head!

He grabbed Madam Xing's hand, squeezing it until it turned blue. Chen Siyuan asked sternly, "What did you say?"

"I said the only one who escaped was Chen Siyuan...hiss, it hurts~"

Chen Siyuan ignored him and asked anxiously, "Didn't Jia Lian go to Yangzhou to look for him?"

Mrs. Xing said, "You are nothing but a petty thief. Even if it is true, you are just an ordinary, small family. The master mentioned it briefly, and Lian'er is lucky to have heard about it from hearsay."

Yes, even if this body is real, in the eyes of the Jia family, it is just a distant relative from a small family who comes to beg for money. How could they really care about it?
Chen Siyuan's heart was pounding, and he suppressed his ecstasy and asked, "Has Jia Lian never looked for me?"

Madam Xing snorted softly, "He's busy arguing with the other branches of the Lin family, or pursuing women. How could he have the time to look for you?"

Chen Siyuan could no longer suppress his ecstasy. He let go of Mrs. Xing, walked up to her, held her face and kissed her passionately, then stood up and laughed silently with his head tilted back.

The hoarse laughter coming from her throat was extremely harsh, but Mrs. Xing didn't care. She just looked at her lover happily.

It really proves the saying: No matter how hard you try, you still can't find it, but when you get it, it's effortless!

Chen Siyuan went to great lengths to conceal his identity, fearing Jia Lian's return and exposure, so he plotted to flee. Unexpectedly, Jia Lian, a playboy, ignored all that he heard and did not go to Yangzhou to look for him. Having lost Daiyu's marriage certificate, he resorted to evasive tactics, deceiving his superiors and subordinates, and shifted the blame for his earlier dispute with Lin Ruhai onto Jia Yucun.

Thinking about it more carefully, how could Sun Guangcheng and others, who wanted to impersonate this person, leave such mistakes? It is possible that the Chen family case was committed by Sun Guangcheng, and the real "Chen Siyuan" was also captured by him and later killed!

In this way, the two compartments are stacked together, and it seems like... I don't have to walk by myself?

Chen Siyuan laughed so hard that tears welled up in his eyes. He wiped them away for a long moment, and then his heart gradually calmed down. Then he smiled and said to Madam Xing, "Then I don't have to leave?"

Madam Xing pouted, but couldn't hide the corners of her mouth curling up. She rolled her eyes and said, "You're lucky." Then she chuckled to herself, waved her hand, and said in a low voice, "I'm thinking of going to Miaofeng Mountain on the fifth or sixth day of the first lunar month. I have to finish that matter before Lian'er comes back."

　Jia Lian was a playboy, indulging in excessive sexual activity. When Qiaojie came down with chickenpox, she went to Duohun's ward and had sex with Duo Girl. Later, she had sex with Bao Erjia. Later, Jia Rong accused Jia Lian of having an affair with his aunt.

　　As for You Erjie, I think Jia Lian was more likely to marry her out of deception.

　　The only time he talked back was because of Shi Daizi, and he was beaten up by Jia She.

　　From Jia Zhen and Jia Zheng, we can see the family tradition of the Jia family. Jia She definitely has no good attitude towards Jia Lian. And because Jia Lian married Wang Xifeng, who is the aunt of Lady Wang, we can imagine what Jia She's attitude towards Jia Lian is.

　　If it were a minor matter, it would be fine, but losing the marriage certificate is a major matter, and Jia Lian, a young man, would not dare to take responsibility. According to my hypothesis, the matter of marrying into the family and taking over the family line has not been finalized, and Jia Lian, in order to protect himself, simply evaded the idea of ​​not having obtained the marriage certificate. This is very likely.

　　There are some more details to come, which I will mention when I write about them.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)