The Red Mansion

Chapter 174 Sister Feng is divorced

For officials in Daqing, the end of their duty hours during summer time is 4:00 PM, while during winter time it begins at 3:00 PM.

We are currently in winter time.

Less than a quarter of an hour after Lu Keduo led his troops away from Rongguo Mansion, Jia Zheng returned from his shift at the Ministry of Works.

At the invitation of Grandmother Jia, Jia She, Madam Xing, Madam Wang, Jia Zheng, and Jia Lian gathered at Rongqing Hall.

Grandmother Jia sat at the head of the table, her face ashen; Jia She and Madam Xing sat at the east end, one stroking his beard in silence, the other with a mocking look in his eyes; Jia Zheng sat at the west end, lost in thought; Jia Lian stood with his hands hanging down, his face pale.

Madam Wang knelt in the middle, choking back tears, and said, "Grandma and Master, please understand that this was all Feng'er's fault. It was Feng'er who wanted to hide her parents. I was also at fault for not being able to dissuade her in time. As for Feng'er hiding valuables and her parents' escape today, I knew nothing about it."

Just then, they saw Lin Zhixiao's family peeking in.

Grandmother Jia demanded, "What are you doing, sneaking around like that?"

Lin Zhixiao's wife hurriedly reported, "Grandma, Master Bao has returned."

A little over a month ago, Jia Zheng sent his son Jia Baoyu to study at the Jia family's private school. The Jia family's private school was only a mile away from the Rongguo Mansion. Lady Wang was quite clever; knowing that she was in a crisis today, she had specially sent someone to the private school to call her son Jia Baoyu back.

Just as Lin Zhixiao's wife finished speaking, Jia Baoyu lifted the curtain and entered. He was stunned to see his mother kneeling on the ground weeping.

Suddenly, Lady Wang let out a mournful cry of "My son!" and rushed forward to embrace Jia Baoyu, weeping, "I'm over forty years old now, and I've been married into this household for twenty or thirty years. You're my only lifeline! If Zhu'er were still here... I would die right now and be content..."

These words were not only a genuine expression of Lady Wang's feelings today, but also a veiled threat, deliberately spoken for the benefit of Grandmother Jia and Jia Zheng.

Madam Xing, who had witnessed everything, was secretly annoyed. She had originally intended to take this opportunity to bring down Madam Wang, thinking to herself, "What a cunning woman! She only knows how to play the son's card!"

When Grandmother Jia saw Lady Wang holding Jia Baoyu and crying her heart out, the words "Zhu'er" seemed like a knife, cutting into her heart. She sighed sadly, "Enough, get up and sit down to talk."

Lady Wang did not get up, so Grandmother Jia had Jia Baoyu help her up and sit down. Then she turned to Jia Zheng and said, "Although your wife has made a mistake, she is not the main culprit. The important thing now is Feng'er..." At this point, Grandmother Jia's throat tightened, and she sighed, "Feng'er is usually the best at making people laugh and relieve boredom. How could she have committed such a disaster this time!"

Jia Zheng's brows furrowed into a deep frown. He was never good at such things, and at this moment he was completely at a loss.

Jia She suddenly snorted coldly: "What's so difficult about that? If we don't quickly tell Lian'er to divorce such a daughter-in-law, won't she bring disaster to our household?"

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell into a deathly silence.

Grandmother Jia felt a pang of reluctance, as she had always been fond of Wang Xifeng. However, she also knew that, given the circumstances, Jia Lian's decision to divorce his wife was wise. After a long silence, she finally nodded.

Jia Lian had long harbored the idea of ​​divorcing his wife, but it had always remained a secret in his heart. When the day finally came, he couldn't bear to do it, after all, they had been husband and wife for several years, and Wang Xifeng had given birth to a daughter just over three months ago. However, he didn't say anything.

Jia Zheng did not speak either. He knew that Wang Xifeng had committed a serious crime, and since Jia She was Wang Xifeng's father-in-law, he could not interfere in this matter.

Jia Lian hesitated for a long time, then bowed deeply to Grandmother Jia: "Grandmother...you should talk to her about this matter..."

Grandmother Jia sighed deeply, "What a tragedy!"

……

……

With her sandalwood cane in hand and supported by Yuanyang, Grandmother Jia made her way through the snow to Fengjie's courtyard.

Jia Lian followed behind with his head down.

Madam Xing and Madam Wang followed. Madam Xing appeared worried, but her eyes gleamed with a hint of amusement; Madam Wang, on the other hand, was uneasy, fearing that Wang Xifeng might reveal her secrets in her haste.

Upon entering Sister Feng's courtyard and stepping inside, the furnishings remained the same, yet a sense of desolation permeated the air.

After hesitating for a long time, Grandmother Jia finally sighed to Wang Xifeng, "Feng'er, you have committed such a serious offense that our household can no longer tolerate you. The only... the only option is to have Lian'er write a letter of divorce..."

Although Wang Xifeng had already anticipated this, she was still struck dumb upon hearing it, and her whole body froze.

Ping'er, who was listening nearby, was also stunned.

Wang Xifeng was no longer listening to Grandmother Jia's comforting words. Suddenly, she rushed like a madwoman to a room on the east side—the room where her daughter, Dajie'er, slept.

When the soldiers came to search the premises earlier, Jia Lian had the wet nurse take the eldest daughter away, so the child was not disturbed.

At that moment, Wang Xifeng rushed to the cradle and saw that her eldest daughter was sleeping soundly with a rosy face. She picked her up and tears streamed down her face like broken beads.

The eldest daughter was startled awake. When she opened her eyes and saw her mother, she burst into tears as well.

Wang Xifeng pressed her face tightly against her daughter's face, and the mother's tears mingled with her daughter's tears, making it impossible to tell which was whose.

Ordinary birds come from the end of days, all knowing to admire this life's talent.

One command, two orders, three orders, wood; weeping towards Jinling, the sorrow only deepens.

The scene before them made Grandmother Jia, Jia Lian, and even Lady Wang feel sorry for them, but they all remained silent.

Suddenly, Ping'er crawled on her knees to Grandmother Jia, grabbed her leg, and cried, "Grandmother, have mercy! All the mistakes are mine! If the court wants to arrest someone, then take my place! Please, Grandmother, spare Grandmother!" Her tears fell onto Grandmother Jia's skirt, soaking it.

Hearing the commotion, Wang Xifeng put the eldest daughter back in her cradle and stumbled over to embrace Ping'er. The two wept bitterly, and Ping'er choked out, "If Madam is to leave, I will follow her even in death..."

Grandmother Jia frowned and said, "Ping'er, don't be foolish! You are Lian-ge'er's servant after all, how can you just leave like that?"

In her panic, Ping'er blurted out, "I didn't! I never slept with Master Lian, I..."

He suddenly realized halfway through his sentence that what he was saying would be detrimental to Wang Xifeng, so he quickly stopped talking, but it was too late to take it back.

Grandmother Jia was surprised and turned to Jia Lian to ask, "Ping'er hasn't consummated the marriage with you yet?"

Jia Lian's face flushed red and then turned pale. He glanced at Wang Xifeng and stammered, "This...it really wasn't..."

Grandmother Jia immediately understood, her face darkened, and her gaze pierced Wang Xifeng like a knife. She thought to herself, "What a jealous woman! She's managed to control the men to this extent!" Then she thought, "Ping'er has no status as a concubine, nor has she slept with Lian-ge'er. She can't even be considered a member of the household. Now that she insists on going with Feng-ge'er, it's not good to force her to stay."

……

……

Prince Qi and his wife, the Feng couple, were not able to escape!

The couple, accompanied by several trusted servants and a considerable amount of luggage and belongings, mostly belonging to Madam Feng, were caught in a heavy snowfall and managed to escape to Tongzhou, where Prince Ziqi intended to travel south by boat. That same day, the couple and their trusted servants were captured in Tongzhou by soldiers under Lu Keduo's command.

The next morning, Rukodo interrogated Prince Qi and his wife, along with several servants, in the prison.

When Wang Ziqi was interrogated, he was ashen-faced but a tough guy. Even under torture, he refused to confess the truth, insisting that he was the one who wanted to escape and had nothing to do with Madam Wang or Wang Xifeng. He also claimed that he had forced Wang Xifeng to accept the valuables.

When Madam Feng was led into the dark room, she saw finger-crushing instruments and other instruments, their cold light gleaming, and she immediately softened. Upon hearing Lu Keduo say that Madam Wang and Wang Xifeng had both confessed, she immediately collapsed to the ground in tears, revealing how Madam Wang had agreed to hide her and how she had agreed to her escape.

This statement contradicts Madam Wang's statement from yesterday.

Lu Keduo went to the Rongguo Mansion again and, in front of Grandmother Jia, interrogated Lady Wang and Wang Xifeng based on Feng's testimony. This time, Lady Wang could no longer deny it.

Yesterday, the retired Emperor Jingning told Lu Keduo to thoroughly investigate the matter of Lady Wang and Wang Xifeng and then report back to him.

So that afternoon, Lukodo came to the palace again and presented a plaque requesting an audience with Emperor Jingning.

Emperor Jingning was fond of the music of the Pear Garden, and after abdicating and becoming the Empress Dowager, he often went to watch operas.

Today, Emperor Jingning, accompanied by the Empress Dowager and a group of concubines, enjoyed a performance at the Changyin Pavilion on the eastern side of the inner palace.

Inside Changyin Pavilion, a scarlet carpet was laid out, and a large gilded enamel brazier was placed there, with charcoal burning brightly, making the room feel as warm as spring.

Emperor Jingning reclined on the central dragon-embroidered couch, while the Empress Dowager sat to her left in a rosewood armchair, her eyes slightly closed, seemingly asleep. A group of concubines sat in order of rank, occasionally whispering and exchanging pleasantries.

At this moment, the chief eunuch Dai Quan tiptoed to Emperor Jingning's side, leaned down and whispered, "Your Majesty, Lukodo has arrived."

"Summon!" Emperor Jingning replied with a single word, his eyes still fixed on the stage.

Soon, Lu Keduo followed Dai Quan inside, only to be greeted by a hall of splendid splendor, filled with the fragrance of fine clothes and the gleam of human hair. He dared not raise his head, overwhelmed by the mingled scents of ambergris, charcoal, and perfume, which made him dizzy. Reaching the Emperor, he hurriedly knelt on the scarlet carpet and reported the matter of the aunt and niece of the Wang family of the Rongguo Mansion. His voice was kept extremely low, lest he disturb the Emperor's enjoyment of the opera.

Emperor Jingning pondered for a moment, then waved his hand and said, "I will send someone to inform you of how to handle this matter tomorrow."

After saying this, he waved Lucodo away and returned his eyes to the stage.

After Lu Keduo withdrew, Emperor Jingning beckoned to Dai Quan, who hurriedly stepped forward. Emperor Jingning then said, "Send someone to the Rongguo Mansion to summon Lady Jia to the palace. Tell them that the Empress Dowager has summoned her."

……

……

About half an hour later, Grandmother Jia, dressed in the robes of a duke's wife, entered Changyin Pavilion.

Several eunuchs were cleaning up the debris on the stage, indicating that the performance had just ended.

Grandmother Jia had thought she would only be seeing the Empress Dowager, but when she turned around the twelve sandalwood and jade-inlaid screen, she not only saw the Empress Dowager, but also the Emperor Emeritus, Jingning. Startled, she hurriedly knelt down and performed a grand salute: "Your subject, Jia Shi, respectfully wishes the Emperor Emeritus good health and the Empress Dowager good health!"

Emperor Jingning toyed with a pair of mutton-fat jade gallbladders in his hands. The jade was warm and lustrous, and he kept turning them between his fingers without telling Grandmother Jia to get up. There was a crisp "click" as the jade gallbladders clinked together, and Emperor Jingning said indifferently, "I know about the matter of that Wang family aunt and niece in your household."

Grandmother Jia hurriedly kowtowed deeply: "Reporting to the Emperor Emeritus, it was the aunt and niece who lost their minds and did such a foolish thing. I beg... I beg the Emperor Emeritus to have mercy on the Jia family, considering their generations of loyalty..."

At this point, his voice choked with emotion.

Emperor Jingning's jade gall bladder clicked again as he slowly said, "Your daughter-in-law will not be punished this time. Firstly, out of consideration for Jia Daishan's relationship, and secondly..." He paused meaningfully, "...because Jiang Nian is a pillar of our Great Qing Dynasty, and I am specially pardoning his mother-in-law."

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia's heart skipped a beat. Although she had long known that Jiang Nian was highly regarded by Emperor Taishun, she hadn't expected her to receive such favor from the Retired Emperor! Her knees sank even lower, her forehead almost touching the scarlet carpet: "Your Majesty, on behalf of my entire family, I kowtow to express my gratitude for Your Majesty's grace!"

Emperor Jingning slammed his jade gall bladder down and said coldly, "If Wang Xifeng is not punished, what will become of the laws of the court?"

The room fell silent instantly, so quiet you could hear a pin drop, with only the crackling of silver charcoal popping in the gilded enamel brazier.

The Empress Dowager sat beside her with her eyes half-closed, seemingly asleep.

After regaining her senses, Grandmother Jia hurriedly said, "Reporting to the Emperor Emeritus, the family has already written a letter of divorce, divorcing Feng... that Wang Xifeng."

She then kowtowed heavily again: "But she has served in the Jia family for so many years. If she is imprisoned and becomes someone else's slave, my family will truly... truly lose all dignity..."

It was also because she still remembered the affection Wang Xifeng had shown her over the years and couldn't bear to see her beloved Feng-ge'er suffer such a tragic end.

Emperor Jingning sneered: "Dignity? Your Jia family has fallen so low, what dignity do you still have to speak of?"

These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over her head. Grandmother Jia trembled all over, and her body, which was lying on the ground, almost collapsed.

Emperor Jingning sighed, "So be it! For Jia Daishan's sake, since Wang Xifeng has already been divorced, she will not be punished further." Before he finished speaking, he suddenly added in a deep voice, "However, Jia Daishan's favor has been exhausted today!"

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia was struck dumb.

She knew the weight of those words—the Emperor Emeritus's protective shield had vanished.

……

……

The next day, although it was a sunny day, the chill of the melting snow was even greater than when it was falling.

Wang Xifeng's heart was also filled with coldness.

Today is the day she leaves the Rongguo Mansion.

Unlike her usual splendid and colorful attire, she was dressed simply today, wearing a light purple cotton-padded jacket over a worn gray squirrel fur cloak, with only a single jade hairpin in her hair. Her face was pale and haggard, but her phoenix eyes were still surprisingly bright, as if two will-o'-the-wisps were burning within them.

She forced back her tears, bid farewell to Grandmother Jia, Madam Xing, Madam Wang, and others, and boarded the carriage. Ping'er followed behind, turning back to look at them with reluctance, her eyes red as if she had applied rouge.

When Ping'er got into the carriage, she saw that Wang Xifeng was already in tears.

Fortunately, although Wang Xifeng was divorced, she was not imprisoned by the authorities, nor was she reduced to a slave. Moreover, she not only took Ping'er with her, but also Wang'er and his wife, several servants, and a considerable amount of valuables.

Her new home was a secluded house three miles outside the city—the very place where she had previously hidden her parents.

It's worth mentioning that this secluded residence is in the eastern suburbs, not far from the Jiang residence...

(End of this chapter)