The Red Mansion

Chapter 286 The You sisters also came to stay.

The next day, at dawn, a faint light shone through the window of Xue Baochai's bedroom.

Yuan Yi had already woken up, but did not get up immediately. He simply looked quietly at the person beside him. Xue Baochai was still asleep, her hair slightly loose, like a begonia in spring slumber, her breathing even and peaceful.

Before long, Xue Baochai's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and her eyes, like autumn water, slowly opened. When she opened her eyes, she saw Yuan Yi staring at her intently. She was slightly taken aback at first, then a gentle smile appeared on her lips, and she said softly, "Fourth Master is awake." Her voice was slightly languid, soft and charming.

Yuan Yi reached out and tidied her hair on her forehead: "You're sleeping so soundly, you're even cuter than when you're awake."

Xue Baochai blushed slightly, lowered her eyes, paused, and was about to get up to serve him. Yuan Yi reached out and gently pressed her shoulder: "No rush, it's alright to lie down for a while longer."

As they were talking, Ying'er, who was outside, heard the commotion inside and knew that her masters had woken up. She and her maid Xing'er quickly carried the washing utensils and quietly entered. Seeing that the embroidered curtains were still closed and the figures inside were leaning against each other, whispering softly, Ying'er wisely lowered her head and stood aside, not going forward to disturb them.

After a while, Yuan Yifang and Xue Baochai got up together.

Ying'er then stepped forward and, together with Xing'er, helped the two of them dress and wash up.

Seeing Xue Baochai's rosy complexion, Ying'er couldn't help but smile and say, "Auntie, you look quite well today."

After washing up, Xue Baochai sat down at her dressing table. Ying'er opened her makeup box, took out a comb, and began to comb her long, black, lustrous hair. The comb's teeth made no stinging sound as they passed through it.

Yuan Yi stood to one side, watching Ying'er comb Xue Baochai's hair. Xue Baochai's serene face was reflected in the mirror. He couldn't help but reach out and hold Xue Baochai's long hair. Her hair was of excellent quality, smooth as silk in his hand.

Ying'er was skilled; she first smoothed out the hair, then carefully tied it up without much embellishment, using only a simple jade hairpin to secure it.

After a quick dressing, Xue Baochai stood up and adjusted the collar and sleeves of Yuan Yi's robe with natural and considerate movements.

At this time, breakfast had been brought in by the servants in food boxes and quietly set out on the round table in the main room: rouge porridge made with green rice, a dish of pickled quail, a dish of tofu skin buns, and two kinds of seasonal side dishes.

Yuan Yi and Xue Baochai sat facing each other for breakfast, and did not "eat without speaking." Occasionally, they would exchange a few words about the taste of breakfast or ordinary matters.

The gentle morning light felt real and warm, and time seemed to slow down and stretch out at that moment.

After finishing breakfast and rinsing his mouth, Yuan Yi left.

Xue Baochai personally escorted him to the courtyard gate.

Yuan Yi departed as the morning light shone through the air.

Xue Baochai stood under the eaves of the courtyard gate, watching his tall figure disappear from sight before turning back to her room.

……

……

Yuan Yi strolled back to his residence, "Debentang".

As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he saw Yuan Chun waiting there. To his surprise, You Shi, who had only been settled in the backyard of the Duke's mansion yesterday, was also there.

Although Madam You had washed and dressed, her face was pale, her eyes were dark, and her expression was full of unconcealable haggardness and bewilderment.

The three met, exchanged brief pleasantries, and then went together into the east wing where Yuan Chun usually sat and conducted her affairs.

The interior is elegantly furnished, with bright windows and clean tables.

Yuan Yi and Yuan Chun took their seats and invited Madam You to sit as well, but Madam You refused and stood in front of them.

Yuan Chun glanced at Madam You and saw that she was silent with her head down. She knew that she had to speak first, so she said to Yuan Yi in a serious tone, "Fourth Master, there is a thorny matter that I need to tell you."

Yuan Yi asked, "What is it?"

Yuan Chun paused, gathered her thoughts, and then slowly began to speak.

It turns out that this time, the three judicial departments "severely punished" Jia She in his case. Not only was You Shi herself convicted of "not being a virtuous woman and embezzling family property," and the property of the Jia family's eldest branch was confiscated, but even You Shi's maternal family, which lived in the suburbs outside the city, was not spared.

Based on the strict judgment of the three judicial departments, the property that You Shi had transferred to the You family in succession was classified as "criminal property" and must be thoroughly investigated and confiscated. Moreover, the You family, who received such "criminal property", should also be severely punished according to the law.

When Emperor Taishun made his final decision, he considered that the total amount of property that Lady You had transferred to her maternal family was not very large, and that the property of the Jia family's eldest branch had already been confiscated. Therefore, he only ordered the recovery of the "criminal property" that had flowed from the Jia family's eldest branch to Lady You's family, and exempted her from further severe punishment.

The task of recovering the "criminal property" naturally fell to Rukodo, who was in charge of the confiscation.

Yesterday, while confiscating the property of Jia She, Jia Lian, and You Shi, Lu Keduo had already dispatched his subordinates to the You family outside the city to recover their "criminal property."

According to You's testimony during her trial at the Three Judicial Offices, this "ill-gotten property" included gold, silver, jewelry, antiques, and other items. However, after these valuables fell into the You family's hands, some were squandered, and others were sold off for cash. It was impossible to return them in their original form so quickly, making the accounts naturally difficult to clarify.

Yesterday, Rukodo personally visited the You family again.

The situation of the You family was somewhat complicated: You's birth mother died early, and her father remarried Old Lady You. Old Lady You was a second wife and had two daughters with her first husband, known as Second Sister You and Third Sister You. Second Sister You and Third Sister You came to the You family with Old Lady You. Later, You's father rose to the rank of sixth-grade official, and Old Lady You also received an imperial edict granting her the title of sixth-grade Lady of the Court. However, this good fortune was short-lived; You's father passed away, and the family's fortunes quickly declined.

Yesterday, Lu Keduo arrived at the You family to inspect the "criminal property" and took a fancy to the beautiful and charming Second Sister You, who was in her prime.

He secretly coerced and bribed Old Lady You, saying that if she would give her second sister to him as a concubine, he would turn a blind eye to the matter and forgive the You family for not being able to fully return the "criminal property." Not only that, he would also give Old Lady You a generous "dowry" in private and promise to treat Second Sister You, Old Lady You, and Third Sister You well in the future. Otherwise, he would handle the matter officially, "better to wrong than to let wrong go," and confiscate all of the You family's property to offset the "criminal property."

After Lucodo left, Old Lady You was both shocked and frightened. She hurriedly went into the city and found Lady You, who had just moved into the Duke's mansion. She told her the whole story and asked Lady You, as her "elder sister," to make a decision.

Upon hearing this, Lady You felt a mix of emotions.

She knew that Lu Keduo was extremely powerful and believed that this Lord Lu was no good person. Moreover, he was old and probably had many wives and concubines at home. If You Erjie went with him, it would be like a lamb entering a tiger's den, and her situation would be precarious. However, if she did not agree, the You family would be ruined in an instant, and her mother and two younger sisters would immediately have nowhere to stand.

After much deliberation, she still couldn't make up her mind, so last night she informed Yuan Chun about the matter and asked her for advice.

Upon learning of this, Yuan Chun believed that this matter not only concerned the You family but also the life of You Erjie, and involved Lu Keduo, making it no small matter. However, since Yuan Yi was in his concubine's room last night, she did not dare to disturb him immediately. She only comforted You Shi and asked her to come over early this morning to plead with Yuan Yi together.

At this moment, seeing that Yuan Chun had explained the whole story, Madam You hurriedly knelt down before Yuan Yi, her voice choked with sobs, and said, "Your Excellency! This sinful woman truly does not know how to handle this matter. I beg Your Excellency to help me make a decision!" After hearing the whole story, Yuan Yi lightly tapped his fingers on the table, his calm face revealing neither joy nor anger.

After a long pause, he finally spoke, saying to Madam You, "I am aware of this matter. You and Baoqin may step back and wait outside for a moment."

Lady You hurriedly bowed and left the east side room with Baoqin, who was standing to the side.

Suddenly, only Yuan Yi and his wife Yuan Chun remained in the room.

Yuan Chun looked at Yuan Yi, her eyes filled with inquiry and a hint of worry.

Yuan Yi said slowly to Yuan Chun, "Since that's the case, it's quite simple. Immediately send a reliable person with Madam You to the You family outside the city to convey my message: have Old Madam You and Madam You's two younger sisters pack their belongings and move into the back courtyard of our mansion. Find an empty house next to Madam You's residence to settle them in."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Chun was slightly taken aback, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.

Although she had advocated for You Shi to stay at the Duke's mansion for protection yesterday, she was now reluctant to bring in Old Madam You, along with Second Sister You and Third Sister You. She felt that the Duke's mansion's backyard was too cheap.

Yuan Yi observed her expression and understood her thoughts, explaining, "Lu Keduo is currently holding the positions of Military Governor of the Capital Garrison and Minister of Personnel, holding the highest position in the court and wielding immense power. He is currently enjoying the Emperor's favor. Even I, unless absolutely necessary, should not easily make enemies with such a person."

He paused, then continued, "Do as I say and bring the You family mother and daughter into the manor for accommodation. When Lukodo learns that they are in my Duke's manor, he will naturally understand that this is my way of taking care of them. If he is sensible, he will not want to pester the You family for the sake of a woman and needlessly antagonize me."

Yuan Chun asked worriedly, "Wouldn't this be detrimental to Fourth Master?"

Yuan Yi smiled slightly, his expression calm: "It's alright, such a small matter is not enough to cause any trouble. You can just go and do it with peace of mind."

He had his own plans.

Of course, there is also the possibility that even if the You family mother and daughter move into his Duke's mansion, Lukodo will not give up and will continue to pester him. If that is the case, then Lukodo is actively making an enemy of this prince and duke.

However, Yuan Yi judged that such a possibility was small. Although Lu Keduo was not particularly shrewd, he was no fool to have climbed to such a high position in the officialdom. To offend a prince and duke who was enjoying the emperor's favor and had a promising future for the sake of You Erjie, especially since Lu Keduo had already committed the crime of abusing his power for personal gain and attempting to seize a commoner's woman, was something Lu Keduo could surely weigh the pros and cons of.

Yuan Yi was willing to help the You family for several reasons. First, to save face for Yuan Chun and fulfill her wish to protect the You family. Second, he felt that Lu Keduo's actions were utterly despicable. And third...

Thirdly, according to the descriptions of You Erjie and You Sanjie in the original work, both of them were outstanding beauties, and Yuan Yi had a great appreciation for their personalities.

Seeing that Yuan Yi was determined and that his words made sense, Yuan Chun said no more and nodded in agreement, "I understand, I will make the arrangements."

Then she called You Shi and Baoqin back in.

When Madam You entered the room, she still looked uneasy.

Yuan Chun said to Madam You, “Don’t worry. Fourth Master has already given his permission to protect your family. You should go with Madam Feng and take a few reliable servants to your home outside the city to bring your mother and two younger sisters into the mansion. I will prepare a house in the backyard next to your residence for them to live in. It will be good for you and your sisters to live together and take care of each other.”

Madam You was secretly delighted. She hadn't expected Yuan Yi to be so generous, bringing the entire You family to live in the Duke's mansion and protecting them so strongly!

She hurriedly bowed deeply to Yuan Yi and Yuan Chun, saying, "Thank you, Your Excellency! Thank you, Madam! We, this sinful woman and the You family, will never forget your great kindness!"

In fact, she and Old Lady You were only stepmother and stepdaughter, and she had no blood relation to Second Sister You and Third Sister You. They were not related by blood and had different fathers and mothers, so their past relationship was not very deep.

Even so, the three women from the You family were still her nominal maternal family. At this moment, when she herself was suffering a great calamity, losing all her family property, and bearing a terrible reputation, feeling extremely lonely and desolate, the presence of her maternal family could bring her some comfort and dispel some of the bone-chilling loneliness and loss.

At that moment, Yuan Chun summoned Lady Feng and gave her some instructions. Lady You then went out with Lady Feng.

Yuan Chun watched You Shi's departing figure, sighed softly, and then looked at Yuan Yi with a look of dependence and complex emotions in her eyes.

Yuan Yi gave her a reassuring look.

I wonder what kind of scene will be added to the backyard of the Duke's mansion with the arrival of the new Old Lady You, Second Sister You, and Third Sister You.
"Well, I have so many beautiful women in my household, even Second Sister You and Third Sister You are coming!"

Yuan Yi sighed inwardly.

The couple chatted for a while longer in the east wing. Yuan Yi checked the time and said to Yuan Chun, "Mr. Lin must be waiting at Lishenzhai. I'll go there now."

Yuan Chun hurriedly said, "Since you are so diligent, I won't disturb you any longer."

She personally escorted Yuan Yi to the entrance of Lishenzhai, watched him enter, and then turned back to attend to the household affairs.

Yuan Yi entered the room and found Lin Ruhai already waiting there, flipping through a stack of teaching materials with a focused expression. The morning light shone on Lin Ruhai's lean face, making him appear refined and solemn.

Upon seeing Yuan Yi enter, Lin Ruhai hurriedly put down his teaching materials, stood up, and bowed respectfully, saying, "Fourth Master."

Yuan Yi returned half a bow, then led Lin Ruhai into the study.

Lin Ruhai said, "Fourth Master handled such complicated matters yesterday, yet he still continues his studies today. He is truly diligent, and I admire him greatly."

Yuan Yi waved his hand: "Sir, you flatter me. What happened yesterday was merely a temporary measure. A solid foundation of knowledge is the basis of one's life, and it should not be neglected even for a day unless absolutely necessary. I would like to ask you to continue to teach and enlighten me today."

Lin Ruhai nodded, and without further ado, after a moment's thought, said, "In that case, how about we continue our discussion today on the unfinished 'water conservancy' issues?"

Yuan Yi said solemnly, "I would like to hear the details."

Lin Ruhai took a stack of carefully prepared teaching materials from the desk and spread them out.

He began by citing classical texts, recalling the stories of several famous ministers of the Daqing Dynasty who managed the Yellow River and dredged the Grand Canal, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of their strategies and the key factors for their success or failure. When he got to the more detailed parts, he used river maps to illustrate the situation, clearly and systematically analyzing the hydrology, geography, engineering difficulties, labor deployment, and the consumption of money and grain.

Yuan Yi listened attentively, sometimes asking questions, sometimes pondering.

Lin Ruhai concluded: "Therefore, water management is like governing a country. It requires not only a broad vision and a clear understanding of the overall situation, but also keen observation and a thorough understanding of the local conditions. Furthermore, it requires unwavering determination and the ability to reconcile the interests of all parties. Without these qualities, it is impossible to achieve such a great undertaking that will last for generations."

Yuan Yishen agreed and nodded, saying, "What you say is truly profound. Having good laws is futile without capable people to govern them!"

(End of this chapter)