The Red Mansion

Chapter 242 Phoenix Broken Wings Continued, Butterfly Loves Flowers Continued

There was a secluded house on the eastern outskirts of Shenjing, not far from the Jiang family. Wang Xifeng had been living there since she was divorced from Rongguo Mansion, and half a year had passed in the blink of an eye.

That afternoon, Wang Xifeng was checking needlework with Ping'er in the room when Wang'er's wife rushed in with a smile on her face and said, "Just as you expected, Madam, Master Nian has indeed made great contributions in Jiangnan again, and His Majesty has bestowed a special reward upon him."

Wang Xifeng stopped sewing immediately, looked up and asked, "Oh? What reward is it?"

Yesterday, the retired Emperor Jingning returned to the capital, and Emperor Taishun personally went to greet him three miles outside Chaoyang Gate. This meeting place happened to be near Wang Xifeng's residence, and it was quite a grand affair. Wang Xifeng then knew that Jiang Nian had accompanied the retired Emperor back, and just now she specially sent Wang'er's wife to Jiang's house to find out the situation.

Ping'er, who was listening nearby, hurriedly asked, "Has he been promoted again?"

“I haven’t heard of any promotion,” Wang’er’s wife said mysteriously. “But this reward is even more prestigious than a promotion! His Majesty has specially assigned a troop of imperial guards to accompany Master Nian, and that’s not all…” she lowered her voice, “He has even bestowed the former Ningguo Mansion upon the Jiang family! The entire Jiang family is packing their trunks and will be moving there tomorrow!”

Wang Xifeng and Ping'er were both startled, and both doubted that they had heard correctly. After confirming, Ping'er couldn't help but sigh, "Such favor is truly extraordinary! The Ning family is the residence of a founding duke, yet His Majesty has bestowed it upon Master Nian. This shows how great His Majesty's favor is!"

Wang'er's wife chimed in, "Isn't that right? In my opinion, with Master Nian's good fortune, he might very well be granted the title of Duke in the future!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Xifeng's needlework slipped from her grasp, her heart churning with turmoil. She thought of the grandeur of the Ningguo Mansion; even when she was the head housekeeper of the Rongguo Mansion, she had envied its opulence. Now, the Ningguo Mansion belonged to Jiang Nian. Then she thought of her own family, divorced from the Rongguo Mansion and forced to live in this secluded courtyard in the eastern suburbs. The contrast between the two filled her with bitterness.

Wang'er's wife glanced at Wang Xifeng's face and sighed, "It's strange, Second Master Lian and Master Nian went to Jiangnan together. Master Nian made great contributions, but Second Master Lian did nothing but bring back a disreputable woman. Yu Mei was originally a concubine of a salt merchant in Yangzhou, and she was sold off after being confiscated. Yet Second Master Lian took a liking to her and brought her back to his mansion as his concubine."

Wang Xifeng felt a surge of anger. She had been sullen for days after learning that Jia Lian had brought Yumei back, and now that the old matter had been brought up again, it stung her even more. She sneered, "Why bring up that heartless man? I have nothing to do with him anymore."

After saying that, she suddenly stood up and instructed Wang'er's family, "Prepare the carriage, I'm going to the Jiang family."

Wang'er's wife asked, "What is Grandma going to the Jiang family for now?"

Wang Xifeng said, "Yuan Chun will be moving into the Ning Mansion tomorrow, and it will be inconvenient for her to visit in the future. It would be appropriate to go and offer my congratulations today."

It turned out that since Jiang Nian had helped Wang Xifeng resolve Gu Peng's troubles, Wang Xifeng had wanted to befriend her. In recent months, although Jiang Nian was not in the capital, Wang Xifeng had contacted Yuan Chun several times, either visiting the Jiang family or hosting banquets at her own home to invite Yuan Chun, and had also asked Yuan Chun for help during these times.

At this moment, Wang Xifeng was in a hurry to see Yuan Chun. Ostensibly, she was there to congratulate her, but secretly she also wanted to maintain contact with Yuan Chun in the future, and she also wanted to see Jiang Nian.

Ping'er was very clever, and she immediately guessed seven or eight parts of Wang Xifeng's intentions. She did not point it out, but simply said, "In that case, I will prepare a congratulatory gift."

Wang Xifeng nodded, discussed the congratulatory gift with Ping'er, and sat down in front of the dressing mirror. She tidied her hair and looked at her slightly haggard face in the mirror, sighing inwardly. She thought of how glorious she once was, and how now she had to fawn over Jiang Nian and Yuan Chun.

……

……

Wang Xifeng, accompanied by Ping'er, Wang'er's family, and others, carrying congratulatory gifts, headed straight for the Jiang family. The cart wheels creaked and groaned on the road.

At this moment, the Jiang family members were packing their belongings in preparation for moving the next day. Even Jiang Nian was personally checking the items in the study.

When Yuan Chun learned that Wang Xifeng had arrived, she waited for her under the eaves. She was wearing a rose-purple jacket with a gold phoenix hairpin in her hair.

Wang Xifeng entered the hanging flower gate and saw that the courtyard was piled with chests and trunks, with maids and servants moving among them.

Yuan Chun stepped forward with a smile, took Feng Jie's hand, and said, "What brings you here, Sister Feng?"

She no longer calls Wang Xifeng "Sister-in-law Feng".

Wang Xifeng hurriedly smiled and said, "I heard that Master Nian has made great contributions again on his trip south. His Majesty has bestowed the Ning Mansion with great favor, and he will be moving there tomorrow. I thought it would be better to come and offer my congratulations and gifts today."

He then hurriedly ordered Wang'er's family to present the gift box and handed over the gift list.

Yuan Chun took the gift list, glanced at it briefly, and led Wang Xifeng into the east side room, followed by Ping'er and Wang'er's wives.

Baoqin brought over the tea, and Wang Xifeng took a sip and exclaimed, "Excellent tea!"

Yuan Chun smiled and said, "This is pre-Qingming tea that my master brought back from Jiangning. If you like it, I'll pack some for you to take with you."

Wang Xifeng hurriedly thanked him. Her hometown was Jiangning, and she loved Jiangning tea, especially pre-Qingming tea. The tea that Jiang Nian had brought back was of the highest quality, and she was truly delighted.

Yuan Chun immediately ordered her maid to prepare tea, and then smiled at Wang Xifeng, saying, "The news of the move spread so quickly that even you know about it. We're only moving in tomorrow, and the housewarming banquet isn't even set yet, but you've already sent a gift. You're really an impatient person."

Wang Xifeng said with a wry smile, "My dear sister, you know that with my current status, if I were to run into someone from the Rong family at the housewarming banquet, it would be awkward for everyone. That's why I've come to offer my congratulations in advance."

Yuan Chun understood, gently patted Wang Xifeng's hand, and sighed, "It's kind of you to think of things so thoroughly."

Yuan Chun took Wang Xifeng's hand again and said with a smile, "Even if it's inconvenient for you to come on the housewarming banquet, I will choose another day and prepare a banquet just for you. You must do me the honor of attending and not refuse." As she spoke, she gently pressed her fingertips against Wang Xifeng's palm.

Upon hearing this, Wang Xifeng was overjoyed, her eyes crinkling with laughter. She quickly replied, "How could I refuse such a kind invitation from my dear sister? I will certainly come to bother you then."

As she spoke, her mind drifted back to her glorious days as the head housekeeper of the Rongguo Mansion. Back then, she often visited the Huifang Garden in the Ningguo Mansion, where the pavilions, terraces, and exotic flowers and plants amazed her. Now, in her current state of destitution, she found the Ningguo Mansion all the more extravagant. This thought filled her with a bittersweet feeling, and she couldn't help but feel a pang of envy for the Yuan Chun before her.

Wang Xifeng suddenly became shy, hesitating to speak. She had hoped to see Jiang Nian today, but she didn't want to tell Yuan Chun directly. After hesitating for a long time, she finally didn't speak and instead said goodbye: "You're busy here today, so I won't bother you any longer."

Yuan Chun followed up with a smile, "I have indeed been busy today. In that case, I won't keep you any longer. There will be plenty of opportunities to meet in the future."

With that, he escorted Wang Xifeng out of the east side room.

Just then, Jiang Nian emerged from the main hall. Today, he was dressed in a black outfit with a jade belt around his waist. In Wang Xifeng's eyes, he appeared even more composed and dignified than he had a few months ago.

Wang Xifeng's eyes lit up and she was overjoyed. She quickly stepped forward and curtsied, saying, "Greetings, Master Nian."

Ping'er followed suit and bowed as well.

Jiang Nian nodded slightly and said calmly, "Did you come here today for something?"

Seeing his indifferent attitude, Wang Xifeng was not annoyed at all, but rather seemed to be used to it. On the contrary, she was pleased by his plain question and said with a smile, "I heard that Master Nian has made great contributions again and was granted the Ning Mansion by the Emperor. I have prepared some small gifts to congratulate him." As she spoke, she kept glancing at Jiang Nian's face out of the corner of her eye.

Jiang Nian nodded slightly and said, "Thank you for your thoughtfulness," and then said no more.

Yuan Chun, who had witnessed everything, smiled and escorted Wang Xifeng and her maid to the outside of the hanging flower gate. Before parting, she took Wang Xifeng's hand and said, "I will definitely send you an invitation another day."

Wang Xifeng thanked them repeatedly before leaving the courtyard with Ping'er and Wang'er's children. She then took Ping'er with her and boarded the carriage. On the way back, Wang Xifeng leaned against the carriage wall, lost in thought. Seeing her absent-minded expression, Ping'er softly asked, "Is Madam tired?"

Wang Xifeng shook her head, then suddenly sighed, "Look at that Master Nian, he's even more dignified than he was a few months ago. Such a person..."

He swallowed back what he was about to say.

Ping'er smiled and didn't press the matter. In truth, she felt the same way.

……

……

As the summer heat subsided, the moonlight, soft and gentle, bathed the west wing where Xue Baochai resided.

Outside the back window, a pomegranate tree was bursting with scarlet flames, burning brightly like fire. The candlelight flickering on the gauze window made it even more enchanting. The pomegranate blossoms, having been scorched by the sun, still retained their warmth. Occasionally, a night breeze would sweep by, causing a few petals to flutter down, like drops of rouge falling silently.

The room was elegantly furnished, with cool ice mats and a silver bed.

Xue Baochai sat at her desk with her hair loosely tied up. She wore an apricot-red gauze nightgown, with twin hibiscus flowers embroidered on the front, the stitches fine and the stamens glistening with dew. On her wrist, she wore a jade bracelet that Jiang Nian had given her that day. The jade was warm and lustrous, like fresh snow, and it was said to have been specially purchased from an old brand in Yangzhou and was quite valuable.

She gently stroked the jade bracelet with her fingertips, a slight smile playing on her lips, her eyes sparkling with a faint joy.

Ying'er rested her chin on her hand, watching her mistress dressed like this, and thought to herself: "The young lady is usually very dignified, and her nightgowns are mostly in light colors such as lotus root and moon white. Since the master is staying in the west wing tonight, she changed into this bright apricot red, and she also specially wore the jade bracelet that the master gave her. It can be seen that she really likes the master!"

While Ying'er was lost in thought, she heard Xue Baochai softly call out, "Change to a bright tile lamp."

Ying'er quickly replied "Yes," and turned to fetch a ram's horn lamp with a glass cover. The lamp cover was as clear as ice, and the candlelight inside flickered, illuminating the entire room.

Under the lamp lay the Cao family's tribute Xuan paper from Zhangjing County, its color as white as snow, the ink still fresh, precisely the "Butterfly Loves Flowers" poem composed by Xue Baochai and Jiang Nian last year. The poem read:
"In the deep courtyard, the pomegranate blossoms gleam behind the curtains; the clouds and mist shroud the peaks; a sudden rainstorm startles the banana leaves into disarray."

The bamboo mat and pillowcase are cool and secretly changed, the thin silk still half-soaked with sandalwood.

The evening breeze gently caresses the inkstone, a secret vow is made at the bottom of the inkstone, and the autumn waters and brows turn.

If you ask where my idle feelings reside? My heart's longing is already branded with the peach blossom's seal.

As Xue Baochai's fingertips lightly traced the line, "If you ask what my idle feelings are tied to, it is because my heart's desire is already marked with the peach blossom token," she seemed to see the scene from last year before her eyes.

It was May, a time when pomegranate blossoms were ablaze with color. She had only recently been taken as a concubine by Jiang Nian and still carried the shyness of a new bride. That day, in the west wing, she was idly writing a poem, "Butterfly Loves Flowers," but struggled to complete the second stanza. Just then, Jiang Nian entered and wrote the second stanza for her. The completed verses not only captured the scene but also expressed the tender feelings between the two, truly every word a gem.

Recalling this, Xue Baochai couldn't help but lower her eyes and smile faintly, thinking to herself, "Time flies, and a year has already passed."

The trepidation of being a new bride has long since transformed into tender affection.

After reading "Butterfly Loves Flowers," Xue Baochai looked at the three flower-patterned stationery pieces and three poems about willow catkins that Jiang Nian had given her.

She read it carefully, and a faint smile unconsciously appeared on her lips. Suddenly, she remembered the poem "Butterfly Loves Flowers" that she had just read. It was a poem she had written with Jiang Nian last year, but now there was only one of it, which seemed a bit thin.

"Since he has given me three poems about willow catkins, wouldn't it be even better if he could also compose three poems about butterflies and flowers with me?"

Thinking this, Xue Baochai's heart stirred. She took a sheet of tribute paper from the Cao family of Jing County, picked up a top-quality wolf-hair brush from Huzhou, dipped it in ink, pondered for a moment, and wrote half a verse of "Butterfly Loves Flowers":
"The red candle in the west wing is short when the curtain is rolled up, the jade mat is cool, and the sandalwood incense is soft by the pillow."

With delicate hands, she loosened her silk sash; the mirror half-concealed the distant spring mountains.

I deliberately only wrote half a verse; let the master fill in the other half!
After finishing writing, she put down her pen and pondered, a smile playing on her lips, thinking to herself, "If he sees this, he will surely be able to continue the second half. Let's see how he finishes this half of my poem."

Just as she was pondering this, she suddenly heard the soft sound of boots outside the door, and the curtain moved slightly as Jiang Nian stepped in.

Xue Baochai hurriedly got up to greet Jiang Nian, then deliberately walked back to her desk, looked at the half-finished poem "Butterfly Loves Flowers" on it, feigned sorrow, and sighed softly.

Seeing her like this, Jiang Nian smiled and asked, "Is something on your mind?"

Xue Baochai raised her eyes, her gaze slightly shimmering, and said softly, "I just happened to come up with half of 'Butterfly Loves Flowers,' but I'm struggling to come up with the second half, and I'm quite annoyed."

Jiang Nian approached the table, bent down to examine it closely, and saw that the ink on the paper was still fresh, and the characters were delicate and beautiful, clearly the handwriting of Xue Baochai. A meaningful smile appeared on his lips, and he guessed that Xue Baochai had probably deliberately left it blank, so he smiled and said, "In that case, shall I continue it?"

Xue Baochai smiled and nodded gently.

Jiang Nian picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, hesitated for a moment, and then continued writing:

"The nightingale's song trembles softly in the middle of the night, while the pomegranate blossoms outside the window secretly reveal their tender hearts."

If you ask when our longing will be fulfilled, I'll answer: A knot of hearts has already been tied between our quilts.

Seeing his fluent and masterful writing, Xue Baochai was captivated, yet her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Her first stanza was already somewhat romantic, but Jiang Nian's continuation of the second stanza made it even more tender and lingering.

Her face flushed, she lowered her eyes and said softly, "Sir, your continuation of the poem is excellent, which makes my first stanza seem inferior."

Jiang Nian put down her pen, looked at her with a smile, and said, "Your first stanza is already very good. I was just going with the flow. Without your first stanza, how could there be my second stanza?"

Xue Baochai was delighted to hear this.

Thinking of the fact that he was staying here tonight, she felt even sweeter, but also more embarrassed, and lowered her head in silence.

Seeing her like this, Jiang Nian was also moved. She reached out and gently stroked a strand of hair by her temple, and said with a soft laugh, "It's getting late, let's rest."

Xue Baochai raised her eyes, her gaze brimming with emotion, and softly hummed in agreement.

Seeing this, Ying'er smiled and, after helping Jiang Nian and Xue Baochai wash up, tactfully withdrew.

Outside the back window, pomegranate blossoms were in full bloom, their fragrance wafting in the air, and the summer night breeze gently blew by, seemingly carrying a touch of lingering tenderness.

(End of this chapter)