The Red Mansion

Chapter 118 Yuanchun Shows Off Her Power
Xi Que rushed into the main hall angrily and learned that Jiang Nian and Yuanchun were staying in the study together. He saw that the study door was closed and vaguely heard voices from inside.

She hesitated for a moment, then walked forward and knocked on the study door.

I only heard Jiang Nian say from inside: "Come in."

Xi Que pushed the door open and saw Yuanchun and Jiang Nian sitting and talking. Regardless of the occasion, she turned to Yuanchun and asked, "Grandma, are you going to kick my cousin out? What heinous crime did he commit to deserve this punishment?"

Yuanchun was displeased. It wasn't because Xi Que had come to her about Wu Gui's matter, which was perfectly normal. But she was annoyed that Xi Que had dared to barge into Jiang Nian's study and question her so rudely in front of her. This was very rude!

Yuanchun paused for a moment and gave Jiang Nian a gentle smile: "I will take my leave first. I won't disturb you anymore."

Jiang Nian nodded slightly, knowing that Yuanchun would most likely discipline Xi Que. He wouldn't intervene lightly, as it would be beneath his dignity. This matter should be handled by Yuanchun.

Yuanchun led Xi Que out of the study, and did not forget to close the door before leaving.

Yuanchun, Baoqin, and Xique arrived at the east wing. Yuanchun sat down at the head of the room, her face darkening. Without waiting for Xique to settle, she coldly said, "Kneel down!"

Xi Que was stunned for a moment. When he came to his senses, he saw Yuanchun's solemn expression and her majesty without anger. His knees softened and he knelt on the ground with a plop. Even Baoqin couldn't help but hold his breath.

Yuanchun's eyes were as cold as ice, and she asked Xi Que in a deep voice, "Are you going to plead for Wu Gui?"

Seeing Yuanchun's dignity, Xi Que realized her own rashness and showed a timid look on her face. However, she could not help but say, "Grandma, please understand. Although my cousin is addicted to alcohol and makes mistakes, he is not a bad person. Please don't listen to those..." The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed the words "gossip" and changed her words, "Those people are just spreading rumors, so just send them away."

Yuanchun sneered, "Wu Gui is a drunkard and a troublemaker, and his language is rude. It wouldn't be excessive to kick him out! Now I'm simply asking him and his wife to move out and rent a place to live, and I'll pay them a monthly stipend. Even more gracious, Master, you've allowed me to withdraw the stipend from the public treasury. This is already a very lenient treatment!"

Without waiting for Xi Que to say anything, Yuanchun narrowed her eyes slightly and her voice grew even colder: "It seems that I have been too lenient with you, and I have made you so unruly! How dare you barge into my study and rudely question me in front of me? How disrespectful!" After a brief pause, she said sternly: "Go kneel at the door, and don't get up until I tell you to! This is already a mercy. If you do it again, I will kick you out!"

Because Xi Que was specially given to Yuanchun by Lady Jia, and Yuanchun knew that Xi Que was not a bad person by nature, but was just straightforward and strong-willed, and spoke her mind, Yuanchun had been lenient with Xi Que before.

Xi Que's behavior today really angered Yuanchun.

Xi Que was astonished. She had served Yuanchun for less than a month and had always thought her gentle and virtuous. How could she have witnessed such a rage? She was so frightened and frightened that she dared not argue.

Baoqin, standing by, was not surprised. She knew that while her daughter was virtuous, filial, talented, and virtuous, she had, after all, served as the Empress Dowager's secretary, so how could she not have ruthless tactics? Previously, in the Imperial Palace or Changchun Garden, countless eunuchs and maids had succumbed to Yuanchun's authority.

Xi Que stood up tremblingly and was about to move to the door to kneel down when he heard Yuanchun call out, "Stop."

Xi Que quickly turned around and stood with his head bowed. Yuanchun said in a deep voice, "From now on, you will no longer be called 'Xi Que'. You will be called 'Qing Wen' instead."

Qingwen was stunned, thinking to herself, "Could it be that because I've angered Grandma today, she's suddenly changing my name? What does this 'Qingwen' mean?"

On any other day, with her straightforward nature, she would have demanded clarification right then and there. But now, having just run into trouble, how could she dare to ask any more questions? She could only mutter a "yes" and then turn around and kneel outside the door.

Just now, after Yuanchun told Jiang Nian about Wu Gui, Jiang Nian suggested that Xi Que be renamed "Qing Wen". Yuanchun was puzzled, but Jiang Nian would not be frank, and only perfunctorily said that he did not like the name "Xi Que" and that "Qing Wen" was more elegant.

Qingwen's thin figure knelt under the eaves at the door of the east wing. A gust of wind blew by, making her clothes flutter, making her look even more lonely and pitiful.

The maids and servants in the courtyard saw her, so they dared not approach Qingwen to talk, and even their footsteps became quieter. ...

……

In this era, the income of slaves in wealthy families consisted of monthly wages, rewards, in-kind benefits, and hidden income.

Take Xiangling as an example:
Xiangling's monthly allowance at the Jiang family was only one tael of silver, or twelve taels of silver a year.

In addition to her monthly allowance, Xiangling also received daily gifts and festival rewards from Jiang Nian. During the previous Chinese New Year, Jiang Nian had given Xiangling several gold ingots and a handful of silver ingots, worth dozens of taels of silver.

Xiangling also has material benefits. The Jiang family provides her with clothes, shoes, hairpins and jewelry, good food, good accommodation, and even carriages and servants for her travel.

Xiangling also had hidden income because she was Jiang Nian's personal maid. The servants of the Jiang family would sometimes give her gifts to please her, and even Xue Baochai gave her gifts several times.

The reason why Feng was able to come to the Jiang family was because of Xiangling.

In addition, Xiangling has the opportunity to become Jiang Nian's concubine.

If Xiangling hadn't become Jiang Nian's concubine, the Jiang family would have given her some dowry when she got married. She would have had pension money in her old age, and a pension when she died...

The Rongguo Mansion was wealthy and powerful, and was generous to its servants. As a result, many of the servants in the Rongguo Mansion lived a comfortable life, and some even had astonishing wealth...

In the original novel, even Qingwen, a maid who was not well-known in the Rongguo Mansion, left behind property such as clothes, shoes, hairpins and rings worth three or four hundred taels of silver when she died, not to mention the well-known maids such as Yuanyang, Ping'er and Xiren.

In this era, if a slave in a wealthy family was expelled, it would be an extremely severe punishment.

The slaves who were driven out could not receive any income from their masters and would also be burdened with a stigma. However, their slave status was still controlled by their masters, making it difficult for them to find other ways out.

Therefore, most of the slaves who were driven out ended up in a miserable state.

The original novel states that after Jin Chuan was driven away by Lady Wang, she jumped into a well and committed suicide.

Yuanchun's punishment of Wu Gui this time was not considered "driving him away", but the punishment was also severe.

The monthly allowance of the couple Wu Gui and Duo Girl was just over one or two taels of silver.

From then on, the couple only received a monthly stipend of one or two taels of silver from the Jiang family. They lost their rewards, in-kind benefits, and hidden income, and they had to pay for the rented house outside.

If the couple lived frugally, they could get by.

If the two of them behave well and Yuanchun shows mercy, they will have the opportunity to return to the Jiang family and work.

Otherwise, their lives would be difficult...

(End of this chapter)