The Red Mansion

Chapter 155 Baoqin as a Concubine
Seeing that Aunt Xue had already made her point clear, Jiang Nian stopped beating around the bush.

His gaze swept back and forth between Aunt Xue and Xue Jin, then he suddenly said to Aunt Xue in a serious tone, "I can guarantee your safety, help the Xue family regain its status as an imperial merchant, and even make the Xue family more glorious than in its heyday! However..." He paused, "There are two conditions that you must agree to."

Upon hearing this, Aunt Xue was overjoyed and quickly said, "Lord Jiang, please speak freely!"

Xue Jin was also pleasantly surprised. He stood up, bowed deeply, and said, "Please give your instructions, Lord Jiang."

Jiang Nian said calmly, “The first condition is that the businesses of your two households must be merged. After the merger, Madam Xue and Pan-ge’er will each own 50%, Master Jin and Ke-ge’er will each own 30%, and Baochai will each own 20%. The five of them will form the ‘Xue Family Chamber of Commerce,’ and all of them will have the right to supervise the Xue family’s businesses. Baochai will be in charge of the Xue family’s businesses, Master Jin will be the deputy, and Xie Jixing will be the assistant to Baochai.”

This means that a five-person board of directors will be formed, with Xue Baochai serving as general manager, Xue Jin as deputy general manager, and Xie Jixing as assistant to the general manager.

Jiang Nian then gave five reasons:
Firstly, the decline of the Xue family actually began when the brothers Xue Pan's father and Xue Jin divided the family business, splitting it into a large portion for Xue Pan's father and a small portion for Xue Jin. Now, combining their businesses would benefit both sides.

Secondly, although Xue Jin possessed business acumen, he was in poor health, suffering from illness, and loved to travel. His business also relied heavily on the Xue Pan family. Since the family division, Xue Jin's businesses had been declining, especially after the Xue Pan family lost their status as imperial merchants.

Thirdly, Xue Pan is not suited for business and should no longer be in charge of the Xue family business. He would be better off living a life of leisure and wealth.

Fourthly, although Xue Baochai is a woman, she is exceptionally intelligent and capable. Moreover, as Jiang Nian's maid, Jiang Nian can provide her with strong support from behind the scenes.

Fifth, Jiang Nian already knew Xie Jixing, Xue Pan's wet nurse, and knew that he was a businessman, hardworking, and loyal to the Xue family.

After stating her five reasons, Jiang Nian then said to Xue Jin, "I do appreciate Ke Ge'er, but he is still young. You should nurture him well, and when he comes of age, have him work for me. I will support him. In the future, he may be able to take charge of the Xue family business, or perhaps he may become an official."

Aunt Xue hesitated after hearing this, her mind in turmoil. She thought to herself, "You won't let Pan'er manage the Xue family business, but instead you'll put Baochai in charge? She's your concubine, are you trying to take over our Xue family business?"

She stole a glance at Xue Jin, only to find that Xue Jin was looking at her, seemingly agreeing with Jiang Nian.

Aunt Xue forced a smile and said, "Lord Jiang, this matter is of great importance. Please allow me to go back and consider it carefully before giving you an answer."

Jiang Nian nodded: "Yes."

Aunt Xue asked, "Please state your second condition, Lord Jiang."

Jiang Nian then said, "I will betroth Baoqin to me as my concubine and draw up a contract of betrothal. In two or three years, I will take her into my household."

Upon hearing this, neither Aunt Xue nor Xue Jin were particularly surprised.

The two exchanged a glance, but neither showed much surprise.

Aunt Xue thought to herself, "Since Lord Jiang asked me to give Baochai to him as a concubine last year, he has now taken a fancy to Baoqin. It is truly a case of the same tastes being passed down from generation to generation."

Actually, when Xue Jin said that to win over Jiang Nian, one must cater to her preferences, Aunt Xue already had the idea of ​​betrothing Xue Baoqin to Jiang Nian, but she was too embarrassed to bring it up with Xue Jin.

Jiang Nian brought it up herself.

It's not just a shared preference, but also a shared domineering nature.

As for Xue Jin, he had already vaguely sensed that Jiang Nian had taken a liking to his daughter.

This time, Aunt Xue didn't hesitate much.

Xue Jin hesitated, his expression shifting – Xue Baoqin was his precious daughter, pampered since childhood, how could he allow her to become a concubine, especially since Baochai was already Jiang Nian's concubine.

Seeing Xue Jin hesitate, Aunt Xue quickly said, "Let's go back and carefully consider and discuss this second condition, shall we?"

Xue Jin then came to her senses and forced a smile, saying, "That's right. Marriage is a major event, no small matter."

Jiang Nian's gaze swept over the two faces, and she nodded slightly: "Alright! However, I have an important imperial mission to attend to this time, and I am very busy with official duties. I cannot delay on this matter any longer. I need your reply by tomorrow at the latest!"

Having said that, he picked up his teacup, indicating that he was seeing the guest off.

Aunt Xue and Xue Jin tactfully took their leave.

Stepping outside, the autumn wind hits your face.

Aunt Xue asked Xue Jin, "Two conditions..."

Xue Jin said in a low voice, "Let's go back first and talk about it later."

The two then left Jiang's residence.

……

……

After Aunt Xue and Xue Jin took their leave, Jiang Nian sat alone in the study, her gaze fixed on the empty space, lost in thought in the silence.

Last year, his understanding of the imperial merchants of Daqing was limited. He thought that even if he took Xue Baochai as a concubine, the Xue family's status as imperial merchants would not be of much use to him; the most useful thing about the Xue family was their wealth. Later, after he gained a deeper understanding of the imperial merchants of Daqing, he realized that he had been too narrow-minded before.

"Imperial Merchant!"

Jiang Nian suddenly tapped the table lightly, a slight smile playing on her lips. Behind those two words lay both a vast trade route and royal protection; there was much to be done about the intricacies involved.

Helping the Xue family regain their status as imperial merchants, and granting Xue Baochai a 20% stake and control over the family business, would be extremely beneficial to him. If this succeeds, he can control such an imperial merchant family and a business network through Xue Baochai, and he has ways to amass an astonishing fortune of over a million, plus other advantages…

While Xue Baochai, a woman of great talent, was still confined to the inner quarters of the Jiang family, she was able to manage a royal merchant and a business network, making her life more exciting.

"Baoqin!"

Jiang Nian tapped the table lightly again, a slight smile playing on her lips once more.

According to the original novel, Xue Jin will probably betroth Xue Baoqin to the son of Mei Hanlin in the capital next year, and Xue Jin will probably pass away the year after next.

Jiang Nian seized this opportunity to intercept the deal.

As for whether the two conditions he proposed would have a negative impact on him, he wasn't afraid.

With good fortune on your side, what's there to be afraid of?

The autumn wind outside suddenly became fierce, making the window frames creak.

Jiang Nian, however, was completely unaware, her thoughts already soaring to the heavens.

He seemed to see Xue Baochai fiddling with an abacus in the inner courtyard of the Jiang family, and Xue Baoqin and Xue Baochai becoming twin lotus blossoms in the inner courtyard of the Jiang family; he seemed to see the Xue family's merchant ships and caravans traveling north and south, east and west, and the gleaming silver flowing into his treasury like water...

……

...It was already dark.

Aunt Xue's sedan chair and Xue Jin's carriage drove back to Aunt Xue's mansion, one after the other.

Before the sedan curtain was lifted, a commotion could be heard in front of the mansion, as if dozens of people were gathered and arguing.

When Aunt Xue lifted the sedan curtain, her heart tightened immediately, and she knew something was wrong.

A large group of Xue family collateral branches had gathered in front of the gate. There were old men with gray hair and beards carrying canes, middle-aged men standing with their hands on their hips, young men rolling up their sleeves and clenching their fists, and a number of women of all ages gesturing wildly.

In a good year, it snows heavily, and pearls are like gold and iron.

The Xue family is now divided into eight branches, with numerous collateral branches.

For more than a year, one of the difficulties that Aunt Xue has encountered is being harassed by members of the Xue family's collateral branches.

Because of Aunt Xue and Xue Pan's influence, the Xue family business declined, and they lost their status as imperial merchants. The collateral branches of the Xue family used this as a pretext to attempt to divide the assets of the eldest branch of the Xue family. Not long ago, when the collateral branches learned that Aunt Xue had given three thousand taels of gold to Xue Baochai, a "concubine," and had lost this gold, their greed intensified. Meanwhile, Aunt Xue's patron, Prince Teng, was no longer as powerful as before, and Wang Long had committed a serious offense.

If Xue Jin hadn't consistently protected Aunt Xue and Xue Pan, Aunt Xue's family business might have already been divided up.

Sure enough, today this group of collateral branches of the Xue family gathered to cause trouble.

At this moment, when the members of the Xue family's collateral branches saw Aunt Xue returning in a sedan chair, they immediately swarmed around the sedan chair, chattering and making a racket.

"What a disgrace to the matriarch of the Xue family! She has squandered our family's ancestral wealth to this state! And she has raised a son who spends his days eating, drinking, and having fun, wasting the family fortune!"

An old man wearing a dark brown robe was the first to make a move; he was Xue Jin's cousin.

"To actually betroth your daughter to a concubine is bad enough, but to give her three thousand taels of gold after she's already a concubine is just giving away the Xue family's wealth for nothing!"

A burly man with a fierce face shouted; this man was Xue Jin's cousin, Xue Biao.

Aunt Xue was so frightened by the scene that she dared not get out of the sedan chair. Fortunately, Xue Jin quickly led a group of servants to protect the sedan chair, otherwise she would have been dragged out of the sedan chair by the Xue family's collateral branches.

Aunt Xue composed herself and forced a calm demeanor, saying, "What are you all doing here? If there's anything, come over tomorrow during the day to discuss it..."

"Ming'er?" a richly dressed woman interrupted, "Ming'er, I'm afraid you'll squander the entire Xue family's ancestral fortune!"

Another of Xue Jin's cousins ​​pointed at Aunt Xue's nose and cursed, "Since you took over the family business, you've lost the imperial merchant status and squandered the family fortune. Now even the Wang family's backing has fallen. You spendthrift woman, do you still have the face to be the mistress of my Xue family? Do you still have the face to stay in my Xue family?"

Aunt Xue trembled with rage, her handkerchief clenched tightly in her hand, and she roared, "Have you all come here to bully me? I may be a woman, but I won't let you run wild like this!"

These words were like adding fuel to the fire.

Xue Biao jumped out again and shouted, "Since you and Pan-ge'er are both incompetent, you should divide the family property among the various branches of the family! This is our common ancestral legacy!"

The old man in the dark brown robe said to Xue Jin, "Even if you protect him today, you still have to give an explanation!"

Xue Jin's face turned ashen, and he suddenly roared, "Shut up, all of you!"

The sound was so loud it stunned everyone.

He looked around and said coldly, "Our Xue family has its own family rules and regulations. Do you want to be sued by the court for gathering a crowd to cause trouble?" Then he shouted to a group of servants, "Men! Write down the names of all those who led the disturbance today, and take them to the Jiangning Prefecture government office tomorrow!"

Mentioning the Jiangning Prefectural Government immediately dampened everyone's spirits, as the Jiangning Prefect, Jia Yucun, had a long-standing relationship with the Wang family.

An old man leaning on a cane was the first to soften, saying sheepishly, "Why go to such lengths... We were only thinking of the Xue family..."

Xue Jin, unwilling to get entangled with the crowd, took the opportunity to protect Aunt Xue's sedan chair and enter the house, while a group of servants blocked the Xue family's collateral branches outside the door.

……

……

Upon entering the inner courtyard, the flickering candlelight illuminated the uncertain expressions on Aunt Xue and Xue Jin's faces.

Just then, a servant came to report that the Xue family's collateral branch was still making a ruckus outside, with even the neighbors gathering in half the alley, which added to Aunt Xue's annoyance.

Aunt Xue took a sip of tea to calm her nerves and suppress her frustration, then asked Xue Jin, "What do you think of Lord Jiang's two conditions?"

Xue Jin stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before saying, "In my opinion, the first condition is acceptable."

Seeing Aunt Xue raise her eyebrows, Xue Jin continued, "What Lord Jiang said makes sense. The decline of our Xue family did indeed begin with the division of the family property. Now, it is mutually beneficial to unite. Pan-ge'er is not really suited for business, so he might as well be a wealthy idler. As for Baochai, although she is a woman, she is indeed capable. If Lord Jiang strongly supports her and Xie Jixing assists her, she should be able to manage the Xue family business well. As for me, my health has been deteriorating day by day in recent years. The doctor said that it is unknown whether I can live for another three years. I also love to travel, so I cannot stay in Jiangning and stay by my sister-in-law and Pan-ge'er's side forever."

As a member of the Xue family, Xue Jin desperately wanted the Xue family to regain its status as an imperial merchant, even surpassing its peak. If Jiang Nianzhen could help the Xue family achieve this, Xue Jin, who held a 30% stake, would see his wealth increase dramatically.

Xue Jin loves to travel and wishes she could spend her remaining years traveling all over the world.

Aunt Xue had initially hesitated about the first condition, but seeing Xue Jin's words and recalling the group of menacing relatives outside the door, she gritted her teeth and said, "In that case, we'll agree to the first condition! As for the second condition... I think we can agree to it too, but what do you think?"

Xue Jin suddenly fell silent, her fingers tapping unconsciously on the table.

Seeing this, Aunt Xue said, "That Lord Jiang is so young yet already a favorite of the Emperor, his future is limitless. Besides..." She lowered her voice, "We speculate that he is most likely the son of the Thirteenth Prince. Baochai is already his concubine, and when Baoqin goes to live with him in the future, the two sisters can look after each other. Such things are not uncommon in our Daqing."

Seeing that Xue Jin remained silent, Aunt Xue said again, "For the sake of the Xue family's ancestral heritage, for the sake of your deceased brother, and for the sake of my sister-in-law... just agree."

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.

Actually, there was another reason, which Aunt Xue couldn't say openly. Xue Baoqin wasn't her daughter anyway. Her own daughter, Xue Baochai, had already been given away as a concubine. What harm was there in giving away Xue Jin's daughter as a concubine for the sake of the Xue family, for her deceased brother, and for her widowed sister-in-law?

The popping of the candle flame startled Xue Jin from her thoughts.

He suddenly realized that since he was already bound to Jiang Nian in business, wouldn't it be even more secure to add a marriage alliance? With that in mind, he finally nodded: "Alright, I agree to this!"

The two discussed it carefully again and decided to go to the Jiang family together the next day to see Jiang Nian and give her an answer. If nothing unexpected happened, given Jiang Nian's personality, she would ask Xue Jin to draw up a marriage contract on the spot the next day.

When Xue Jin left the Xue family's main mansion, it was already dark. Sitting in the carriage, he was restless, thinking about how he would have to tell his wife and beloved daughter about the concubine proposal when he got home. It felt like a heavy stone was pressing down on him, making him feel uneasy.

"Master, we're home!"

Just then, the voices of servants could be heard outside the carriage.

"Enough, enough!" Xue Jin sighed, thinking to himself, "My wife has always been obedient to me, and as for Qin'er, she has always been sensible. I have already agreed to this matter with my sister-in-law, so how could she and her daughter resist?"

(End of this chapter)