The Red Mansion

Chapter 172 Exposing Madam Wang and Wang Xifeng

On October 23, although the snow in the capital city had stopped the previous day, the sky was still gloomy and overcast, with low-hanging leaden clouds that made it hard to breathe.

Inside the Rongguo Mansion, Grandmother Jia was having breakfast in Rongqing Hall, with Madam Xing, Madam Wang, Aunt Zhao, Aunt Zhou, Li Wan, Wang Xifeng, Lin Daiyu, Yingchun, Tanchun, Xichun, and others serving her.

Suddenly, Lin Zhixiao's wife rushed in in a panic, not even bothering with proper etiquette, and said urgently, "It's terrible! The Second Master just sent someone back to deliver a message saying that the Emperor has issued an edict to dismiss my uncle from his post and punish him. Today, the entire Wang family will be searched and their property confiscated!"

Madam Wang's face turned deathly pale instantly, and even Wang Xifeng swayed involuntarily. Fortunately, Ping'er caught her quickly and prevented her from falling.

Aunt Zhao couldn't help but smile slightly, which her daughter Tan Chun noticed, and Tan Chun glared at her.

Grandmother Jia hurriedly ordered someone to summon Jia Lian, and then let the servant who had brought the news in to ask him in detail.

The servant knelt on the ground, trembling, and said, "I don't know the specific reason either."

"Foolish thing!" Grandmother Jia scolded, then said to Jia Lian, "You ride off immediately to find the Second Master and get to the bottom of this, the sooner the better!"

Jia Lian responded and walked out of Rongqing Hall, riding a horse towards the Ministry of Works, the sound of the horse's hooves making a series of rapid thuds.

Rongqing Hall fell silent for a moment.

Madam Wang's hand, clutching the Buddhist prayer beads, trembled uncontrollably, and Wang Xifeng was at a loss for what to do.

About half an hour later, Jia Lian returned.

At this time, Lin Daiyu, Sanchun, and other young ladies were no longer in Rongqing Hall, but the wives, concubines, and grandmothers were still there.

Jia Lian, panting, said, "His Majesty listed many crimes committed by my uncle, including arrogance, tyranny, greed, jealousy, and cruelty. Moreover, two members of the Wang family are colluding with the Luo Sect. Besides Wang Long, who is also colluding with the Luo Sect to cause trouble, there is also Wang Zibin, who is a member of the Luo Sect."

After hearing this, Grandmother Jia was surprised: "How could he have committed so many crimes? Wasn't it only the younger generation of the Wang family, Wang Long, who colluded with the Luo sect? How did an older generation like Wang Zibin suddenly appear?"

After speaking, she turned to look at Madam Wang and Wang Xifeng. Madam Wang's face was ashen, and Xifeng was swaying precariously.

Madam Xing offered feigned comfort, but a glint of cunning gleamed in her eyes.

Aunt Zhao covered her mouth with a handkerchief, her shoulders trembling slightly.

……

……

The three side rooms on the east side of Rongxi Hall were where Madam Wang lived daily.

The sky was overcast, and the bare branches outside the window rustled in the north wind.

Although a heater was burning in the side room, a chill still lingered in the air.

Madam Wang sat on the large kang bed by the window, clutching a string of sandalwood prayer beads in her hand. She lowered her voice and said to Wang Xifeng, "My child, what are we going to do? I never imagined that our Wang family would fall to this state!"

Wang Xifeng forced herself to sit on a chair on the ground, but her legs felt weak. She managed to say, "Madam, don't worry..." But as soon as she spoke, her eyes welled up with tears. Her usually quick-witted and eloquent mouth now seemed to be glued shut.

Seeing that Wang Xifeng was so frightened, Madam Wang became even more anxious: "Your parents are still hiding outside the city. Shouldn't we hand them over to the authorities..." She swallowed her words halfway through, only glancing at Wang Xifeng.

Wang Xifeng trembled. Her father, Wang Ziqi, and mother, Feng Shi, had been secretly hidden outside the capital city by Lady Wang and herself for some time.

The aunt and niece fell silent for a moment, only the howling wind outside the window could be heard, like someone sobbing softly.

In the silence, Wang Xifeng couldn't help but recall the year her father, Wang Ziqi, sent her off to her wedding. He had prepared a lavish dowry for her and said with a smile, "Although our family is not as wealthy as the Jia family, my daughter must not lose her dignity wherever she goes." Now, thinking about it, it felt like a lifetime had passed. She bit her lip and felt a bitter taste on her tongue.

Although she was ruthless, she was filial to her parents and couldn't bear to see them arrested by the authorities. Moreover, since the entire Wang family had been raided, if her parents fell into the hands of the government, they would be reduced to slaves. In that case, what dignity would she, the powerful and influential second mistress of the Rongguo Mansion, have left?
Madam Wang sighed and said, "Now that things have come to this, if we don't hand over your parents, we'll both suffer if this gets out."

In fact, she couldn't bear to hand Prince Qi over to the government, after all, Prince Qi was her elder brother.

Wang Xifeng looked up and said in a low voice, "Even if we hand them over now, it's probably too late. We've been hiding my parents outside the city for some time now."

Madam Wang's face turned pale: "What should we do?"

“Aunt.” A resolute glint flashed in Wang Xifeng’s eyes as she stood up and leaned close to Madam Wang’s ear, her voice hushed. “Now that things have come to this, the only thing we can do is let my parents escape quietly, escape far away. If they can escape this calamity, it will be their good fortune. If they can’t…” Her Adam’s apple bobbed. “As long as my parents don’t betray us, this matter will not implicate us.”

Madam Wang hesitated, twisting the handkerchief in her hands into a knot. She suddenly recalled the scene of her eldest brother, Wang Ziqi, teaching her to write when she was young. His warm palm had once held her small hand, writing "Harmony in the family brings prosperity in all things" stroke by stroke. Now, this "family" was broken, the Wang family was completely finished, and among her own brothers, Wang Ziteng and Wang Zisheng were gone, leaving only her eldest brother, Wang Ziqi.

After hesitating for a long time, Madam Wang sighed deeply, the sound echoing in the room before finally settling into the words, "Then so be it!"

……

……

On this day, Lu Keduo, the military governor of the capital, was ordered to search and confiscate the property of the Wang family.

That day, Wang Xifeng, wrapped in a gray squirrel fur cloak, sat side by side with Ping'er in a carriage, escorted by Wang'er and his wife. The carriage curtains were drawn tightly, and the only sound was the crunching of the wheels over the frozen earth. They traveled to a secluded house three miles outside the city.

Upon entering the courtyard, the rose trellis was covered with creeping vines, and the withered vines were tangled like a spider web. A osmanthus tree shivered in the cold wind.

Madam Feng greeted her daughter, Wang Xifeng, in the corridor and grabbed her wrist, saying anxiously, "My child! Your father and I have just heard that your second uncle has been dismissed from his post and is being investigated. The entire Wang family is going to be searched and their property confiscated. What are we going to do?"

Wang Xifeng said with a bitter face, "Mom, let's go inside and talk." Her voice was lower than usual, and she had lost all her usual cleverness.

The mother and daughter went into the inner room.

Wang Ziqi was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed). This eldest son of the Wang family, who was over fifty years old, looked very haggard, with a white beard and sunken eyes.

There were only the three of them in the room, so Wang Xifeng told her about the idea she had discussed with Madam Wang.

Upon hearing this, Wang Ziqi hesitated and said, "I'm afraid this is not a good idea... If things come to light, wouldn't it implicate you even more?"

Madam Feng stamped her feet anxiously: "Your daughter has already said so, and your sister has agreed, what are you still hesitating for?" She grabbed Wang Ziqi's sleeve, "Do you want us both to be arrested? Do you want me to be shackled and paraded in public? Do you want me to become a slave?" As she spoke, tears streamed down her face.

The prince gazed longingly at the withered cassia tree outside the window, and sighed, "So be it! So be it! Let it be."

The sigh was heavy, as if it were a sigh that had released most of a lifetime of wealth and glory.

He then led his wife and daughter into the bedroom. Inside were three chests, seemingly ordinary from the outside, but upon opening them, they were filled with valuables: gold and silver ingots neatly arranged, pearls and agates shimmering with iridescent light, and jade bracelets as green as water. The total value was tens of thousands of taels of silver!
“These valuables…” Wang Ziqi said, stroking the box, “Your mother and I were fleeing, and it was inconvenient for us to carry them all, so I’m giving them all to you.” Before he finished speaking, Wang Xifeng’s phoenix eyes lit up. She said, “How can this be?” but in her heart, she couldn’t be happier.

She was extremely greedy and also thought it inconvenient for her parents to take so much money with them when they fled.

……

……

Wang Xifeng was not comfortable having servants send the valuables, worth tens of thousands of taels of silver, back to the Rongguo Mansion. After much deliberation, she was willing to take the risk and have Wang'er and his wife transport them in a large cart, personally bringing them back to the Rongguo Mansion.

Wang'er and his wife then used a large cart to transport the three boxes, and together with Wang Xifeng and Ping'er in their carriage, they returned to Rongguo Mansion.

During this time, Wang Xifa would occasionally lift the curtain to look at the large truck behind her. Seeing the truck creaking and groaning, her heart would race with anxiety.

Fortunately, nothing happened until they reached the back of Sister Feng's courtyard in Rongguo Mansion.

Wang'er and his wife, along with several servants, tiptoed and carried the three boxes into Fengjie's courtyard.

Unfortunately, Aunt Zhao discovered this scene.

Aunt Zhao's eyes lit up, and she stepped forward to ask Wang's daughter-in-law, "What good things are you moving?"

Wang's daughter-in-law was startled and stammered, "No...nothing good..."

Seeing this, Aunt Zhao felt even more strange.

Back in her small courtyard, Aunt Zhao ordered her maid to brew a strong cup of tea. She sat alone on the kang (a heated brick bed), her suspicions growing stronger with each passing moment. The tea had gone cold, but she hadn't touched it.

Suddenly, Aunt Zhao called the maid in again and instructed, "Go and invite Huan'er's uncle." Her voice was urgent.

Before long, Zhao Guoji arrived in a hurry. Zhao Guoji was Aunt Zhao's younger brother and a servant of the Rongguo Mansion. He was wearing an old, dark brown robe.

Aunt Zhao left Zhao Guoji alone in the room and said in a low voice, "Do you know what a strange thing I saw today?" She then recounted in detail what she had seen Wang'er and his wife carrying the boxes, adding embellishments, "I had heard that the Wang family aunt and niece had secretly hidden Feng'er's parents outside the city. Today, the entire Wang family was raided, and yet today Wang'er and his wife were sneaking around carrying boxes into Feng'er's courtyard. Those three boxes looked very heavy; they must be Feng'er's parents' private belongings, brought here for Feng'er to keep!"

Wang Ziqi and Feng Shi had been secretly hidden outside the capital city by Madam Wang and Wang Xifeng for some time. In fact, the news had already spread quietly in the Rongguo Mansion, and Aunt Zhao had heard about it.

Although Aunt Zhao was crude and ignorant, she still had some brains.

Zhao Guoji squinted, stroking his beard, and suddenly laughed, "Sister, you have a good eye! This is a golden opportunity." As he spoke, a stench of garlic wafted directly into Aunt Zhao's face. "Those aunt and niece from the Wang family have been throwing their weight around in our household all day long. If we can expose this..."

Before Zhao Guoji could finish speaking, Aunt Zhao's eyes gleamed with greed as she interrupted, "I'm going to go and expose her to the old lady! If the second wife can't become the main wife, then I'll be promoted to the main wife by the master, and even Feng'er will suffer. Wouldn't I be glorious and prominent then?"

Aunt Zhao had always coveted Madam Wang's position as the mistress of the house and disliked Wang Xifeng the most.

"Foolish!" Zhao Guoji suddenly slapped his thigh. "The old lady is extremely protective of her own. What's the point of exposing her to her? She'll definitely protect those Wang aunt and niece, and might even blame my sister for sowing discord!"

Aunt Zhao was taken aback: "Then... go and expose him to the master?"

Zhao Guoji waved his hand repeatedly: "It's no use reporting it to the master."

Aunt Zhao bit her lip and asked, "What should we do then?"

Zhao Guoji said in a low voice, "This is not difficult! I heard that the one who raided the Wang family today is the military governor of the capital garrison. Why don't I write an anonymous letter and secretly post it at the military governor's office? That way, no matter how capable the old lady and the master are, they won't be able to stop it!"

Upon hearing this, Aunt Zhao's eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands, exclaiming, "What a brilliant plan!" Then, remembering something, she frowned and said, "But... what if the investigation leads back to me..."

Zhao Guoji chuckled sinisterly, "Sister, don't worry. I deliberately wrote the letter in a crooked and messy way. Who can recognize it? Besides..." He looked meaningfully at Aunt Zhao, "Once that aunt and niece from the Wang family fall from power, you'll be the one in charge of this household. At that time, who will bother to investigate this?"

Aunt Zhao became increasingly smug, as if she could already see the tragic fate of Madam Wang and Wang Xifeng.

Zhao Guoji said, "However, I have done such a great thing for my sister this time, taking a huge risk. My sister must not treat me unfairly!"

Aunt Zhao understood, and quickly gave Zhao Guoji the dozen or so taels of her savings and a gold hairpin, saying, "You'll get your share of the rewards once this is done!"

Zhao Guoji didn't stand on ceremony and readily accepted the dozen or so taels of silver and the gold hairpin, saying, "After this is done, sister, you must help me become a steward. If I can become the head steward, that would be even better, and I can become your good helper."

Aunt Zhao nodded and said repeatedly, "Good, good."

Immediately, Aunt Zhao led Zhao Guoji into Jia Huan's room. Aunt Zhao personally ground the ink, and Zhao Guoji deliberately wrote a notice in a crooked hand. It mentioned that Lady Wang and Wang Xifeng had hidden Wang Ziqi and Feng Shi, and that Wang Xifeng had hidden the Wang family's property...

Zhao Guoji pocketed the invitation and left.

Aunt Zhao saw him to the door, and watching her younger brother's departing figure, she unconsciously straightened her back.

……

……

Now let's talk about Sister Feng's place.

After finally managing to transport the three boxes of valuables back to her room, Wang Xifeng was feeling quite pleased with herself when she suddenly heard Wang'er's wife whisper that Aunt Zhao had discovered her while she was moving the boxes.

Wang Xifeng's expression changed. She scolded Wang'er's wife and went outside to find Aunt Zhao. But then she thought, wouldn't it make her seem guilty if she went to Aunt Zhao to talk about this now? Besides, Aunt Zhao was crude and ignorant.

So, Wang Xifeng looked in the direction of Aunt Zhao's courtyard and thought angrily, "If that despicable thing dares to cause trouble, I'll teach her a lesson she won't forget!"

Back inside, Wang Xifeng ordered Ping'er to open the box, where gold ingots, silver ingots, pearls, agate, jade bracelets gleamed.

Wang Xifeng, however, was not happy; she wore a bitter expression.

Ping'er then said softly, "Grandma, please don't worry. Now that these three boxes of goods have arrived, there's nothing more secure about it."

Wang Xifeng sighed, "I have a feeling something bad is going to happen."

Ping'er fell silent; in truth, she too had a bad feeling...

(End of this chapter)