The Red Mansion

Chapter 235 The Thirteenth Prince Admonishes the Rong Family

That evening, the rain continued to fall, shrouding the entire capital city in a thin mist, and the streets and alleys were covered with a layer of dampness.

Inside Shuaifu Hutong outside Dong'anmen, in front of the vermilion gate of the Prince Zhongyi Mansion, two stone lions stand imposingly with their eyes wide open, and above the gate hang the four large gilded characters "Prince Zhongyi Mansion" personally inscribed by the emperor.

He Yun rode in a blue-draped carriage through the rain, the horse's hooves splashing water as they trod on the wet flagstones.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and He Yun alighted from the carriage. Holding a black cloth umbrella, he straightened his clothes and walked towards the gate of the Prince's mansion. Hearing that Prince Zhongyi had returned home but was having dinner, he waited quietly in the flower hall. In less than a quarter of an hour, a eunuch came and said to He Yun, "His Highness invites Guard He to the study for a talk."

He Yun hurriedly followed the eunuch through several courtyards to a secluded spot. Outside the study, several stalks of green bamboo were washed even greener by the rain, and the iron horse under the eaves jingled, blending with the sound of the rain and adding a touch of serene coolness.

Upon entering the inner room, Prince Zhongyi was sitting upright in a grand chair, holding a cup of tea, the aroma of tea filling the air.

He Yun dared not be negligent and immediately performed a grand salute.

Prince Zhongyi raised his hand in a gesture of support: "Get up."

After He Yun got up, someone was ordered to serve tea and offer him a seat, but He Yun thanked them and politely declined.

Prince Zhongyi took a sip of tea and said slowly, "You came in this rainy weather, you must have something important to discuss?"

He Yun hesitated for a moment, then said carefully, "I apologize for bothering Your Highness today, but I have heard a strange story. It is said that Master Nian has been imprisoned by the Emperor Emeritus in Yangzhou?"

Prince Zhongyi's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he gently placed his teacup on the table with a soft "click": "Oh? How did you learn of this?"

He Yun then recounted the news that Jia Lian had brought back in detail, mentioning that "the fourth prince was assassinated" and "Master Nian is suspected of treason." After speaking, he secretly observed Prince Zhongyi's expression.

His frankness stemmed from two motives: firstly, he did not want to deceive Prince Zhongyi; secondly, given the disgraceful behavior of Wang Shanbao's wife at the Jiang family today, and the likelihood of her continuing such antics, he intended to use Prince Zhongyi's influence to curb the arrogance of the Rongguo Mansion.

As expected, Prince Zhongyi frowned upon hearing this and sneered, "What a Rongguo Mansion! How dare they spread rumors about the imperial family!"

Changing the subject, Prince Zhongyi said gently to He Yun, "Don't worry, the Emperor Emeritus did temporarily detain Nian Ge'er, but he has already been released. Nian Ge'er was not punished. On the contrary, the Emperor Emeritus said that Nian Ge'er made great contributions in Jiangnan and will be rewarded after returning to the capital. Now Nian Ge'er is accompanying the Emperor Emeritus back to the capital."

It's already quite remarkable that he was able to reveal these things; as for more secrets, he couldn't disclose them.

Upon hearing this, He Yun felt a weight lifted from his heart, and a look of joy appeared on his face. He quickly bowed again, saying, "Thank you for clearing up my doubts, Your Highness!"

……

……

Prince Zhongyi concurrently held the position of Minister of Works and had some dealings with Jia Zheng, the Director of the Construction and Maintenance Department of the Ministry of Works.

Just as He Yun took his leave, Prince Zhongyi ordered his trusted confidant to brave the rain and go to the Rongguo Mansion to summon Jia Zheng.

When Jia Zheng heard that Prince Zhongyi had summoned him urgently, he was surprised and wondered to himself, "At this hour, and with the rain falling, why would the Thirteenth Prince suddenly summon me?"

Not daring to delay, he hurriedly ordered a carriage to be prepared, quickly changed into his official robes, and rushed out with an umbrella. Along the way, he saw lanterns reflected in the puddles on the streets, shimmering with a red glow, and water splashing everywhere as the carriage wheels rolled over the puddles. Inside the carriage, Jia Zheng was still pondering Prince Zhongyi's intentions.

Upon arriving at the Prince's Mansion, Jia Zheng passed through several courtyards. Along the way, he saw palace lanterns under the eaves casting yellowish hues in the rain, and raindrops dripping from the eaves, their sounds filling his ears.

Jia Zheng was filled with trepidation. When he entered the study, he saw Prince Zhongyi sitting upright behind the rosewood desk with a somber expression. He immediately knelt down and performed the full salute: "Your humble servant Jia Zheng greets Your Highness."

To everyone's surprise, Prince Zhongyi didn't urge him to rise. Instead, he slammed his teacup down with a loud bang, sending a chill down Jia Zheng's spine. Prince Zhongyi coldly said, "Well done, Jia Cunzhou! Well done, the Rongguo Mansion, a family renowned for its poetry and propriety! How dare you allow your servants to spread rumors about the imperial family!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Zheng immediately knew that it referred to the message brought back by Jia Lian. He was struck dumb and hurriedly kowtowed, saying, "This humble official is guilty."

Prince Zhongyi sneered, "Such treasonous words as the assassination of the Fourth Prince in Yangzhou are not something your Rongguo Mansion can spread! You, Jia Cunzhou, as the head of the household, are indeed guilty!"

Jia Zheng was ashen-faced and kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "I have failed in my duty to manage my household properly and deserve to die!"

Prince Zhongyi continued, "Jiang Nian's trip to Jiangnan was not only without fault, but he also rendered great service there. He will be rewarded upon his return to the capital and is currently accompanying the Emperor Emeritus back to the capital. Once you return to your residence, you must immediately refrain from spreading rumors, or don't blame me for not letting you off lightly!"

Jia Zheng hurriedly kowtowed again: "Yes, yes, this humble official will return to the mansion immediately to tidy up the household!"

"You may leave." Prince Zhongyi waved his hand.

Jia Zheng retreated cautiously out of the study.

On the way back to Rongguo Mansion, the rain suddenly intensified, and the raindrops pounded on the carriage like drums, as if striking Jia Zheng's head.

Upon arriving at the Rongguo Mansion, Jia Zheng, without even changing his clothes, went straight to Rongqing Hall.

As Yuanyang was massaging her legs, Grandmother Jia was surprised to see her second son enter with a pale face. After hearing the whole story, she gasped and hurriedly ordered, "Quickly! Bring the eldest master, the eldest mistress, the second mistress, and Lian-ge'er here!"

In the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Jia She, Jia Zheng, Madam Xing, Madam Wang, and Jia Lian all gathered together.

Jia Zheng then relayed Prince Zhongyi's words.

Upon hearing this, Jia She and Madam Xing were both greatly annoyed. One gripped her fan tightly, while the other twisted her handkerchief in her hand.

Grandmother Jia, fiddling with her newly replaced Buddhist prayer beads, said in a deep voice, "Pass on my message: every servant in every household, without exception, will be immediately flogged and sold off if they dare to utter another word!" She then turned her gaze specifically to Madam Xing, adding, "You'd better remember this!"

Madam Xing gritted her teeth inwardly, but had no choice but to nod in agreement.

During the day, she sent Wang Shanbao's wife to the Jiang family to ask for Xing Xiuyan, but they were driven away by the Jiang family. Because it was raining today, she originally planned to personally lead more servants to make a scene tomorrow.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing Prince Zhongyi's attitude, she immediately deflated like a frostbitten eggplant.

Jia She and Madam Xing left Rongqing Hall and headed towards the east courtyard.

Although the rain had lessened by then, it was still dripping under the eaves, much like the unresolved pent-up emotions in the hearts of the two people.

Jia She walked heavily, his boots clattering on the bluestone slabs. Madam Xing, on the other hand, hunched her neck, her hair seemingly lifeless, even the tassels of her gold hairpin hanging down listlessly by her temples.

As soon as Jia She entered the study, he suddenly turned around. Before Madam Xing could even stand still, a dark figure suddenly appeared and she received a solid slap on her left cheek. The crisp sound of the slap was particularly jarring in the quiet room.

"Foolish woman!" Jia She pointed at Madam Xing, veins bulging on his forehead, and cursed, "All you ever do is cause trouble! You haven't even brought Xing Xiuyan here yet, and you've only made a fool of yourself!"

Madam Xing covered her face, not daring to utter a sound. In fact, Jia She was angry not only because he hadn't gotten Xing Xiuyan, but also because he had heard that Jiang Nianfei was not only innocent but had also made great contributions and was going to be rewarded. He had nowhere to vent his anger.

Jia She smashed another teacup, and the broken porcelain splashed onto Madam Xing's skirt. Madam Xing didn't dare to dodge.

After Jia She turned and went into the inner room, Madam Xing was left standing alone amidst the mess on the floor.

Madam Xing held her breath, ordering people to clean up the mess as she returned to her own courtyard. As soon as she entered, she instructed someone to summon Wang Shanbao's wife.

As soon as Wang Shanbao's wife shrank in and called out "Madam," she was slapped across the face by Madam Xing, which knocked the silver hairpin in her hair askew.

"Useless old hag!" Madam Xing's fingertip almost poked Wang Shanbao's nose. "I told you to go and ask for people back, but you got kicked out by the Jiang family. You've made me lose all face!"

Wang Shanbao's wife covered her face and complained, "This matter is not my fault. It's that young lady's fault for being so arrogant and not respecting Madam at all. Madam will personally go tomorrow, and I will do my best."

Hearing this, Madam Xing became even more furious and said coldly, "Just now, the old lady summoned me and said that the Emperor Emeritus said in person that Jiang Nian not only escaped punishment in Jiangnan but also made great contributions and will be rewarded upon returning to the capital! Jiang Nian is currently accompanying the Emperor Emeritus back to the capital!"

Wang Shanbao's wife was greatly alarmed. She had thought the Jiang family was about to fall, which was why she had acted so recklessly at the Jiang family today. Now that she had offended Yuan Chun so badly, and Jiang Nian was a ruthless person, what was she going to do?

Just as they were in a panic, Madam Xing suddenly flipped her hand over and said, "Give it to me!"

Wang Shanbao's wife looked up blankly, meeting Madam Xing's sinister gaze. Madam Xing said coldly, "I gave you two taels of silver today, but you didn't get the job done. You still have the nerve to accept it?"

Madam Xing was both greedy and stingy, and in her current state of extreme anger, she even wanted to get back the two taels of silver she had given as a reward.

Wang Shanbao cursed inwardly, but smiled obsequiously, saying, "The money is kept in my room."

Madam Xing said in a deep voice, "Bring it here immediately!"

……

……

Now, He Yun left the Prince Zhongyi's residence, his worries turning to joy. Sitting in the carriage, he saw the rain outside being blown by the wind, seemingly carrying a festive air.

Upon arriving at the Jiang family's residence in the eastern suburbs, He Yun went straight to the east wing. At that moment, Yuan Chun was sitting opposite Meng Shi, both of them with sorrowful expressions under a dim lamp.

Upon seeing He Yun enter, Yuan Chun tightened her handkerchief. After hearing He Yun relay Prince Zhongyi's words, Yuan Chun couldn't help but burst into tears of joy, then smiled through her tears: "That's good, that's good!"

At that moment, Yuan Chun ordered someone to send word to summon all the female members of her family, including Xue Baochai, Jing Qing, and a group of maids and servants. She also specially summoned Meng Xiong's wife, Li Yanmei.

Today, Wang Shanbao's family caused trouble at the Jiang family's residence, leading everyone in the Jiang family to believe that Jiang Nian had done something wrong in Yangzhou. Some even thought that Jiang Nian had committed a heinous crime and should have her family wiped out. This caused widespread panic, and even the Meng Xiong family heard about it. Li Yanmei was so frightened that she rushed to ask Yuan Chun for an explanation.

Yuan Chun felt it was necessary to calm everyone down, otherwise, if things got chaotic at home, she would have no face to face her grandfather when he came home.

The women were gathered in the main hall, which was brightly lit and filled with radiance. Yuan Chun sat in the center and carefully recounted Prince Zhongyi's words. Finally, she said sternly, "From now on, anyone who spreads rumors will be severely punished according to family rules!"

Upon hearing this, some people were delighted, while others felt ashamed.

After everyone had left, Yuan Chun kept Li Yanmei behind. The two went into the bedroom, where the gilded incense burner emitted fragrant aloeswood, its wisps of smoke making Yuan Chun's face appear even more haggard. Upon seeing this, Li Yanmei said, "Grandma must be exhausted; I see dark circles under your eyes."

Yuan Chun leaned against the pillow and sighed, "Indeed!" She then rubbed her temples. "Please prescribe a calming medicine for me."

Li Yanmei immediately began writing a remedy to calm the nerves. As she was writing, she suddenly heard Yuan Chun ask softly, "It's been more than four months since Meng Xiong left the capital with Master. Do you miss him?"

This question caused Li Yanmei's face to flush red, and the tip of her pen left a blot of ink on the paper, but she said frankly, "Of course I want to, but fortunately I'm already on my way back to the capital."

Yuan Chun glanced at the bright lights and said softly, "Yes, they're on their way!" She sighed inwardly, "My lord, please come back soon, I truly miss you!"

……

……

The next day, the rain stopped and the sky cleared up.

The sun climbed over the east wall, making the puddles in the Jiang family's courtyard shimmer. The peonies in the peony pond, which had recently withered, looked more vibrant after yesterday's rain, their petals adorned with dewdrops that, when illuminated by the sunlight, resembled pearls.

Lin Zhixiao's wife, the wife of the chief steward of Rongguo Mansion, arrived at Jiang's house in a carriage. She was wearing a lake-colored satin vest and a flat hairpin in her hair. As soon as she got off the carriage, she smiled. Before long, she was led by Madam Feng to the east side room to see Yuan Chun.

In the east wing, Yuan Chun saw Lin Zhixiao's wife enter and greet her with a fawning smile, but she only slightly raised her hand and said, "Sit down."

Lin Zhixiao's wife didn't dare to sit down properly, but leaned against the edge of the chair and said with a smile, "Young lady, the old lady and madam are very concerned and sent me to invite you back to the mansion today."

In fact, Grandmother Jia was still angry, secretly blaming Yuan Chun for "complaining" to Prince Zhongyi, which caused the Rongguo Mansion to be warned. But Grandmother Jia also felt that she should appease Yuan Chun, so as not to make Yuan Chun resent her family, and also to prevent Jiang Nian from being dissatisfied with the Rongguo Mansion after returning to the capital.

This incident made Grandmother Jia even more suspicious that Jiang Nian was a descendant of the emperor. Grandmother Jia had always thought that Jiang Nian was someone not to be trifled with. Now that Jiang Nian had made great contributions in Jiangnan, he would most likely be promoted and given a higher rank when he returned to the capital.

Yuan Chun hesitated for a moment, then said, "Please go back and tell them that I am not feeling well."

Lin Zhixiao's wife twitched her nostrils, rolled her eyes, and laughed again: "We're all family, how can we hold grudges overnight? The old lady said that yesterday it was the eldest master who was confused, and the second master Lian spread rumors about Master Jiang."

Yuan Chun smiled faintly: "I really am not feeling well. I was quite frightened yesterday, and I just took medicine." She then turned to Bao Qin, "Bao Qin, bring that prescription to Aunt Lin for her to see."

Baoqin responded and came out, returning shortly with a prescription.

Lin Zhixiao's wife glanced at the prescription and could only awkwardly ask, "Then... when will you have time to return home?"

Yuan Chun said, "Let's talk about it later; it's inconvenient these days."

Lin Zhixiao's wife was about to persuade her again when she saw that Yuan Chun had already closed her eyes, so she had no choice but to get up and take her leave.

As they stepped out of the Jiang family's courtyard, Lin Zhixiao's wife took out a handkerchief to wipe non-existent sweat from her forehead. Suddenly, she heard someone calling out, "Freshly picked after the rain—"

The drawn-out syllable drifted into her ears, as if mocking her for making a wasted trip.

(End of this chapter)