The splendor of the Red Chamber, the power that reigns supreme.

Chapter 135 The Jia Family's Open and Covert Attacks
Madam Wang stared intently at Lin Ruhai's disappearing figure: "He relied on the soldiers under my brother Wang Ziteng's command who could kill! He relied on the weight of his words in the court!"

"Without the Wang family as a marriage alliance, and without my brother's solid foundation in the army... Hmph, the Jia family would have been skinned alive and torn apart by countless eyes long ago, leaving not even a bone fragment! What talk of 'transitioning from military to civil'? It's simply... a pipe dream!"

At this time, in the Jia family mansion.

Inside the warm chamber of Grandmother Jia's main room, incense burned with a gentle fragrance. Several plates of exquisite dried fruit and a cup of leftover tea were laid out on the kang table. Grandmother Jia reclined on a pillow, looking listless. Lin Ruhai, dressed in official robes, sat respectfully to the side on an embroidered stool.

Grandmother Jia sighed deeply, squeezing out a few tears from the corners of her eyes, and patted them with her handkerchief: "Ruhai, your wife, my poor Min'er... Alas! It's only been a few years? She has already left you and Yu'er behind."

“My heart aches like it’s being cut by a dull knife. How clever and capable she was when she was a girl at home! Marrying you would have been a perfect match... Who would have thought... Alas, she didn’t live long and was so unlucky!” As she spoke, she covered her face with her handkerchief, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Lin Ruhai's eyes also reddened, and he lowered his head, choking back sobs: "Grandma, please accept my condolences. Min'er... Min'er was unfortunate and could not serve you for long; it was your incompetent son-in-law's fault. Now... now only Yu'er remains as your flesh and blood..."

His voice lowered, carrying an air of utter desolation.

Grandmother Jia put down her handkerchief, revealing her slightly swollen eyelids, but her gaze suddenly sharpened as she stared at Lin Ruhai:
“Yu’er! Yes, Yu’er is with me now, so you can rest assured. I treat her just like I treat Min’er. This child looks like her mother, but she is more aloof. She is like a piece of crystal glass, intelligent and clear-headed. It breaks my heart to see her like that.”

She paused, leaned forward slightly, lowered her voice, and spoke with an undeniable intimacy:

"Ruhai, you are my son-in-law, not an outsider. Let me speak from the bottom of my heart today, I think Yu'er and Baoyu, the two Yu'ers, are truly a match made in heaven!"

"That wretched boy Baoyu, though he doesn't like studying, has a pure and kind heart, and is very considerate. I can see clearly with my old eyes how much he cares for Yu'er. If I could keep Yu'er by my side for a long time and marry her to Baoyu, I could die in peace!"

Lin Ruhai paused slightly, then hesitated: "The old lady's kindness is appreciated by her son-in-law. However... Master Bao's status is so high, Yu'er... is probably not good enough for him. Besides, the household is now..."

Grandmother Jia sneered, cutting off the conversation. Her voice suddenly rose, carrying three parts resentment and seven parts desolation: "Marrying up? Bah! What's all this talk about being rich or poor! Do you think I'm really senile and can't see the state of this mansion? From the outside, it looks like a blazing fire, with flowers blooming and brocades everywhere, so glamorous! But inside... humph! It's been hollowed out long ago by that woman surnamed Wang!"

"She's outwardly obsequious, but secretly she holds the keys to the treasury, wishing she could split every copper coin into eight pieces and clutch them tightly in her hand! And her niece, Lian'er's wife Wang Xifeng, is even more of a shrewd one! With her incredible skills, she makes everyone around her, and money flows out like water. Whose pockets does it all go into? It all fills the bottomless pit of the Wang family!"

As Grandmother Jia spoke, she grew increasingly agitated, her withered fingers gripping the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) tightly until her knuckles turned white.
"As long as I'm alive, they won't dare go too far because of my old reputation! But if I kick the bucket one day and close my eyes... Hmph! The Ning and Rong mansions, the foundation built up by their ancestors over generations, will probably change hands overnight and become the Wang family's domain! Where will our Jia family descendants have a place to stand?"

Lin Ruhai frowned slightly, trying to comfort her, "The old lady has thought things through. However, Prince Teng is currently favored by the emperor, enjoys great imperial favor, holds a prominent official position, and wields immense power."

"The Jia, Wang, Shi, and Xue families are closely connected. With the Wang family's support in the court, they also serve as a shield for the Jia family. Political affairs are unpredictable, and having an extra layer of support is certainly a good thing. You're exaggerating, old lady. The two families are one, sharing both glory and misfortune..."

Grandmother Jia slammed her hand on the kang table, making the teacups clatter, and a cold, sarcastic smile appeared on her face:

"Nonsense! What do you mean by sharing glory and loss? Ru Hai, you're a sensible person, how can you say such things? A family relies on the blessings of its ancestors, the achievements of its children and grandchildren, and the family's rich cultural heritage! How can you expect an outsider, a nouveau riche, to support the family?"

She spat, her eyes filled with disdain: "The Wang family? The Xue family? Hmph! In the end, they are nothing but nouveau riche with shallow roots, relying entirely on scheming for personal gain! Even if they have official positions obtained through donations, the mercenary and money-grubbing nature in their bones cannot be concealed no matter how fine the silks they wear! What kind of foundation do they have to speak of?"

"The Xue family goes without saying. Despite their title of 'Imperial Merchants,' they are still merchants at heart! Even if they have mountains of gold and seas of silver, what kind of person is Xue Pan? He would have to be covered up by Wang Ziteng if he killed someone! This kind of nouveau riche has no family tradition of poetry and propriety, and only knows how to amass wealth and scheme!"

"The Wang family is like a castle in the air; who can fathom the emperor's every whim? Prince Teng is currently riding high, but the political landscape is fickle, changing faster than flipping through a book! If he loses favor before the emperor, he'll be in deep trouble..."

"Think about it, what good will those who depend on him and fawn over him do? I'm afraid the first to be dragged down and used as scapegoats will be our Jia family! When the time comes, the trees will fall and the monkeys will scatter, the walls will crumble and everyone will push them down. How many more blows can our empty shell withstand?"

"Only a family tradition of scholarship and a deep-rooted foundation can ensure a lasting legacy!" Grandmother Jia sighed, her eyes weary yet profound.
"My Jia family only needs to act cautiously and discreetly to ensure a comfortable life for generations to come. That's enough. There are no eternal imperial empires, and no eternal noble families. Relying on Prince Teng is like drinking poison to quench thirst!"

“I would rather Baoyu follow in his father Zheng’er’s footsteps. Although he is a bit pedantic and ignorant of worldly affairs, he still adheres to the classics and follows the proper path of the imperial examinations. Even if the family fortune declines, he can live as a poor scholar, guarding the ancestral graves and ancestral fields, passing down his legacy with integrity. That would be better than having his family devoured by these jackals and tigers until not even bones remain!”

"Look at Zhen-ge'er of the East Mansion, he's obsessed with pleasure and has turned the Ningguo Mansion upside down. What good can come of that? That's the root of his family's ruin!"

Her voice grew even lower: "The Wang family saw through my affections for Yu'er long ago! What are they afraid of? They're afraid that if Baoyu marries Yu'er, this old woman will use all her savings to support Yu'er!"

"They're afraid that with your help, the Wang family will have no chance to interfere! That's why they're in such a hurry to bring their niece, Xue Baochai, into the mansion to live permanently! What 'golden and jade marriage'? Who can say for sure where that golden lock came from? It was just a trick played by the Wang sisters!"

"She can't even tolerate me sending a clever maid, Qingwen, to Baoyu just to secure her position as his first-class concubine, so she can help Yu'er in the future! Do you think I don't know how she secretly thinks Qingwen is 'seductive' and 'frivolous'? She just wants to squeeze her Wang family's maids into the family!"

"They want to turn even Baoyu's room into their Wang family's territory, and completely swallow the Jia family, skin and bones, into their belly. Their wolfish ambitions are blatantly obvious! I'm not dead yet!"

"You don't know, nowadays we..." Grandmother Jia sneered again.
"Difficult? More than difficult! On the outside, the facade hasn't collapsed, but inside, everything is already empty! Who has emptied out the fields, estates, and private wealth left by our ancestors over the years?"

"Her good niece, Feng, is a heroine among the ladies-in-waiting. She's ruthless and decisive, lending money for profit, taking on lawsuits, and embezzling monthly allowances. Isn't every single one of these ways bringing money into the Wang family? Zhou Rui's wife, Lai Wang's wife, and all these maids-in-waiting—aren't they all the Wang family's eyes and ears? They're so deeply entrenched that they've long since hollowed out this mansion!"

Grandmother Jia's chest heaved, and a cold glint flashed in her eyes:
"While I'm alive, thanks to my old reputation and the legacy of my ancestors, they won't dare to tear down the roof! Wait until I breathe my last, and you'll see! This imperial-built Duke's mansion will probably be renamed 'Wang'!"

"Jia She's wife is like a block of wood, Jia Zhen only knows how to enjoy himself, and his wife comes from a humble family. Jia Rong is even more useless, and he even died in a brothel! Zheng'er is a bookworm and can't manage the inner quarters! At that time, Bao Yu, Huan'er, Lan'er, and other members of the proper Jia family bloodline will probably not even have a place to stand!"

After Grandmother Jia finished speaking, she coughed a few times, then brought up the marriage between Daiyu and Baoyu again, her voice gradually softening as she said softly:

"Ruhai! What did you just say about 'marrying up'? You're truly foolish! Think about it carefully, what kind of noble and precious status does Yu'er have? Your Lin family has been nobles for generations! You are a high-ranking official in the Imperial Academy, a former third-place scholar in the imperial examinations, and an appointed salt commissioner! A family of scholars and officials with impeccable reputations, whose ancestors received imperial honors!" "Min'er is the legitimate daughter of my Rongguo Mansion, raised with the utmost care and privilege! Yu'er carries the most noble blood of the Jia and Lin families! She is the daughter of a marquis, the legitimate daughter of a third-place scholar, and the granddaughter of a duke! In the entire capital, how many people can match her status?"

"Look at our Jia family again! The two Dukes of Ning and Rong are founding heroes, and their mansions were built by imperial decree! Yu'er and Baoyu are a perfect match, a marriage between relatives, a match made in heaven! How can you say that he is 'marrying up'? Baoyu marrying Yu'er is a blessing he has accumulated over several lifetimes!"

Lin Ruhai sat on the lower end of the huanghuali wood chair. Listening to Grandmother Jia's words, he bowed slightly, his voice gentle yet firm: "Grandmother's kindness and far-sighted plans for Yu'er are deeply appreciated. I will leave it to Grandmother's discretion. However…"

He paused, then looked up at Grandmother Jia with clear eyes. "Yu'er is all grown up now, and she has a strong personality. In the end, where she ends up is up to her own decision. A forced marriage will never be sweet."

Grandmother Jia nodded and smiled, “Don’t worry! Although I’m senile, I’m not the kind of confused elder who would mistake a stick for a needle! Why did I bring Yu’er here and keep Baoyu by my side?”

She surveyed the opulent atmosphere of the room, overflowing with gold and jade, yet a chill of approaching old age lingered within her. She sighed, "Isn't it all just a matter of time before things fall into place?"

At this point in the conversation, the smile on Grandmother Jia's face faded like the tide, leaving behind a lingering sense of frustration that she had to express:

"Who told my Jia family to be so useless!" These five words, as if squeezed out from between his teeth, carried a thousand pounds of weight.

“Jing-ge’er! He inherited the title of ‘General Wei-lie’ and was a Jinshi in the Yi-mao year. He should have been the pillar of the Jia family. He should have been the head of the family, bringing honor to the family!”

"Look at him... what is he doing hiding in the Xuanzhen Temple all day? Burning elixirs and refining mercury, seeking immortality and enlightenment! He's just dumped the entire Ningguo Mansion on that good-for-nothing scoundrel, Zhen-ge'er..."

Her chest heaved, clearly furious. "He's turned a family of military merit into a den of charlatans and a brothel! He's completely disgraced our ancestors!"

Grandmother Jia's voice suddenly choked, and tears welled up in her eyes:

"And then there's my poor Zhu'er... She entered school at fourteen and became a scholar! How intelligent and promising she is! Everyone in the mansion and the capital praises her! I'm counting on her... I'm counting on her to restore the glory of our Rongguo Mansion and to firmly hand over the banner of the Jia family, the banner of 'Wu' (martial arts), to her 'Yu' (jade) generation..."

She took a deep breath: "For his future, so that he can focus on his studies and climb the ladder of success, I specially arranged for him to marry someone—the daughter of the Imperial Academy's Chancellor Li! A truly respectable scholarly family, the epitome of nobility!"

"Lord Li Shouzhong is the mentor of scholars all over the world! His students and friends are everywhere! What am I after? Isn't it just to use this 'literary atmosphere' to pave the way for Zhu'er and to graft a literary lineage that can reach the heavens onto the 'martial' foundation of the Jia family?!"

“My daughter-in-law Li Wan, Zhu’er, is an excellent person, virtuous and gentle, and knows proper etiquette and propriety. She is truly a lady of a prominent family…” Grandmother Jia’s voice was filled with despair at the cruel twist of fate. “But Heaven does not bless my Jia family! Zhu’er… Zhu’er… so young, and… he left us! He left behind this vast family business, and left me, an old woman with white hair… gone!”

The last two words seemed to have exhausted all her strength. Grandmother Jia slumped against the cushion, the Buddhist prayer beads in her hand falling with a "thud" onto the scarlet carpet, rolling a few times before coming to rest at Lin Ruhai's feet. Lin Ruhai silently bent down, picked up the beads, and handed them back to Grandmother Jia.

The room was completely silent.

A few days later...

Inside the Ximen Mansion.

Ximen Da Guanren's sketching skills have improved. When he put down his brush and turned the drawing paper towards Jinlian, Jinlian felt that the person in the drawing had spring in his eyes and eyebrows and a graceful figure. The voluptuousness of her bodice was outlined by light and shadow, making it both concealed and revealed. She was sitting on the grape trellis swinging on a swing, which added three more points of captivating charm to her than when she looked at herself in the mirror!
A mixture of shame and joy made her hot and bothered, and her voice trembled as she said, "Father, what kind of vixen is this painting of? It has... it has completely bewitched my soul... I'm so ashamed!" Though she said she was ashamed, the way she secretly peeked at the painting through the gap in her handkerchief was surprisingly bright, with a hint of incredulous infatuation.

When it came to the poor little Xiangling, Ximen Qing even managed to portray her with a unique charm. He had Xiangling hold a book, lift her skirt, and sit under the crabapple tree next to the Taihu stone in the garden, revealing her two tender, white legs.

Xiangling was already timid, and when Ximen Qing looked at her with such focused, almost penetrating gaze, she became even more flustered, her delicate neck hanging low.

Once the painting was finished, Xiangling glanced at it and gasped softly, hurriedly covering her face with her sleeve. Her ears turned bright red. Was this really her? How could she look so languid and charming? Her little mouth trembled slightly: "My lord... the painting... it's too realistic... this servant... dares not look..." Her timid appearance was even more endearing than in the painting itself.
The official instructed the two to put the items away and return to the main hall.

Dai'an, the personal servant, hunched over and slipped in: "Master, Manager Xu has sent word that our silks are selling like hotcakes! The accountant's hands are aching from fiddling with the abacus beads!"

Ximen Da Guanren grunted, slowly sipped his piping hot ginseng tea, and with a gulp, asked, "Where is Meng Yulou's shop across the street?"

Dai'an laughed like a cat that had stolen cream, his voice even lower, revealing a hint of schadenfreude:

"Hey! Her shop is deserted, so quiet you could run a horse there! I heard her warehouse is piled high with goods! Not only has she stolen the silk business, but people who originally wanted to buy cheaper fabrics are now coming to our shop to buy silk in bulk."

"Unless she goes all out, breaks her belt, and throws money around at a loss... but how many times can that little bit of capital withstand such a gamble? She'll probably have to use up all her savings for her funeral! I heard she's already borrowing money from everyone she knows."

The official was relieved and turned his gaze to the several strangely shaped rocks in the back garden, which he had bought at great expense from Taihu Lake and which were ugly in their own unique way. Looking at those jagged, protruding, and menacingly perforated rocks, he was "sparking with inspiration".

The charcoal sticks danced in the air, applying varying shades of ink, and somehow managed to create several chaotic, jagged images of strange rocks. He looked at them from left to right, and the more he looked, the more he felt they were ancient, vigorous, and profoundly evocative.

He carefully rolled up his "masterpieces," stuffed them into a sandalwood painting tube, changed into a newly made sapphire blue silk robe with lotus scroll pattern, wore a flowing headscarf, and had a jade pendant with two fish hanging from his waist. He felt that he was refined, elegant, and dashing.

He summoned Dai'an to prepare the horse and, full of vigor, ordered, "Let's go! Follow me to the capital! Let those Hanlin scholars and elegant gentlemen of the capital open their eyes and witness the painting skills of the great official Ximen of Qinghe!"

(End of this chapter)