The Splendor of the Red Chamber

[Two chapters, 6900 words in total. Thank you for your votes!]

Because Qin Keqing had a lot of belongings, it wasn't until late afternoon (around 5 PM) that they finished packing everything.

After bidding farewell to Madam You at the Chuihua Gate, which separates the inside from the outside, a procession of six large carriages filed out of Ningguo Mansion.

Coincidentally, Jia Rong was returning from outside.

Whenever Jia Rong saw Wang Xifeng's carriage, he would always come up and exchange a few pleasantries.

But this time, Jia Rong touched his aching chest and hurriedly hid in the alley.

Only after watching the convoy return to the Rongguo Mansion did Jia Rong dare to continue walking home.

"uncle?!"

The servant guarding the side gate, upon seeing Jia Rong, practically gleamed with greed: "Thank heavens, Master is finally back! Because we couldn't find you, Master has already had several people flogged!"

As he spoke, he shouted inside, "Uncle Rong is back! Uncle Rong is back!"

Jia Rong already had something to hide, and seeing this scene made him feel even more uneasy.

He instinctively turned to leave, but several servants who were on the verge of madness rushed out and dragged him into the mansion without saying a word.

Jia Rong was so frightened that his legs went weak and his liver trembled. He hurriedly asked, "What's going on? What happened in the manor?!"

The servants had no idea why Jia Zhen was so angry.

Besides, even if they could guess some of it, they would absolutely not dare to make it public.

Therefore, they ignored his questions and escorted Jia Rong directly to Jia Zhen's courtyard.

"You beast!"

Upon seeing Jia Rong, Jia Zhen acted as if he were seeing the enemy who had killed his father and stolen his wife. Without saying a word, he kicked Jia Rong in the chest, causing Jia Rong to stagger and fall to the ground, blood seeping from his mouth and nose.

It's not that Jia Zhen has good footwork; it's mainly because Jia Lian's kick that morning left a hidden injury, and now it's aggravated by the injury.

Although Jia Rong was in excruciating chest pain, seeing his father's fury, he dared not lie on the ground pretending to be dead. He quickly got up, knelt down, and kowtowed, saying, "Master, please calm your anger! Master, please calm your anger!"

"Calm down?!"

The thought that his beautiful daughter-in-law had gone to the Rongguo Mansion filled Jia Zhen with such hatred that he gritted his teeth and his facial features became distorted.

He dismissed everyone around him, pointed at Jia Rong's nose, and demanded, "You little beast, what did you secretly say to your Aunt Lian yesterday? Tell me the truth!"

"ah?!"

Jia Rong was stunned. Could it be that Uncle Lian had already sold him out?

But that doesn't make sense. To avoid suspicion, I stayed outside all day, either seeing a doctor or treating my injuries, or frequenting brothels. I never let out a word.

Seeing his stammering, Jia Zhen became even more convinced that this little beast was the culprit, and immediately shouted again, "Tell me the truth now!"

Jia Rong was in pain and frightened, and sweat poured down like a waterfall, but he still gritted his teeth and refused to speak.

If it were only about spying on Wang Xifeng, it would be fine to say it out loud. But it also involves the matter of selling one's wife. If Father finds out about this, how will he forgive him?

What you fear most is what happens. Seeing that he remained silent, Jia Zhen pressed him further: "I'll ask you again, what did you say to your Uncle Lian this morning when you summoned Qin Shi over?!"

Jia Rong dared not reveal a word about this matter and could only try his best to give a perfunctory answer: "Master, please forgive me, but my second uncle asked me to help prepare some things for the journey, and I entrusted them to Qin Shi..."

"Pooh!"

Jia Zhen spat and sneered, "You can fool your mother with those words, but you think you can fool me?! I know better than you whether Qin Shi has ever handled these matters!"

When Jia Rong realized his lie had been exposed, he had no choice but to lower his head and continue to play dead.

"Fine, fine, I didn't expect you to have such a stubborn streak!"

Seeing this, Jia Zhen stopped asking questions and shouted, "Come here, drag this little beast away and give him a good beating!"

…………

Rongguo Mansion.

Upon returning to the Rongguo Mansion, Wang Xifeng entrusted Qin Keqing to Li Wan for accommodation and then went home to dress up and put on makeup.

She had a strong personality, and when she quarreled with Jia Lian, he would usually give in first, and the couple would make up before they even got out of bed.

This time, however, it was a little different.

Firstly, the unfounded misunderstanding is difficult to resolve, and Jia Lian is unlikely to give in easily.

Secondly, Jia Lian's display of power in front of everyone confirmed the extraordinary signs of ancestral blessings, inspiring awe and reverence throughout the household.

Sister Feng saw this and was overjoyed; she couldn't wait to share her happiness with her husband.

However, she would never agree to Qin Keqing's request. Besides, if she gave in like that, wouldn't it make her seem guilty?

So Wang Xifeng prepared to set up a way out, skip the step of "giving in" and fast forward directly to "reconciliation at the end of the bed".

If that's not enough, let Ping'er benefit too tomorrow.

I refuse to believe that even if the master and servant took turns attacking, they couldn't defeat Qin Keqing!

Just then, Laiwang's wife came over to report: "Grandma, Rong-ge'er just returned from the East Mansion and was given a good beating by Master Zhen. I heard he was beaten so badly that he vomited blood."

Here comes the step!

As Wang Xifeng inserted the five phoenixes and pearl hairpin into her hair, she hurriedly instructed, "Ping'er, quickly go and invite the Second Master home. Tell him I have good news to tell him."

Ping'er accepted the order.

After asking around, they found themselves near Jia She's secluded garden, where they bumped into Jia Lian coming out with a displeased expression.

Ping'er stepped forward and asked with concern, "Second Master, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I just got scolded a few times by the master."

Jia Lian was speechless. His father, Jia She, had just called him over to talk, and he thought he was going to be praised and asked about his future plans.

To everyone's surprise, Jia She immediately ordered him to bring Wang Xifeng back to serve him.

They said something like, "Now that you've received blessings from your ancestors, you can no longer fawn over your uncle and embarrass our eldest son's branch of the family."

Hehe~

How could he even say something like that!

As the eldest son who inherited the title, he was banished to live in a side courtyard. Wasn't it because Jia She acted absurdly and confusedly, repeatedly bringing shame to the Rongguo Mansion?

If Uncle Jia Zheng has smelly feet, then Master Jia She has rotten, poisonous feet. Not only does he stink to the wind, but he also breeds maggots and plagues.

Jia Lian felt a chill run down his spine at the mention of his cheap father, so he changed the subject and asked, "Did your grandmother send you to find me?"

Ping'er smiled and said, "Grandma said she has good news to share with you."

"Good news? What good news?"

"How would I know? You should ask Grandma when you see her."

Aside from Wang Xifeng giving in, Jia Lian couldn't think of any other good news.

But judging from her behavior, she didn't seem to be giving in.

Jia Lian hesitated for a moment, then decided to go and see what she was up to.

When I got home, the lights in the main room were already on, but not all of them were lit; only a red candle was lit in the inner room.

Jia Lian pushed open the door and went in, only to see Wang Xifeng sitting in front of her dressing table with her back to him.

Hearing the commotion behind her, Wang Xifeng gracefully rose to her feet, swayed gently in the breeze, and bowed to Jia Lian with a tender voice, calling out "Second Master."

In the dim candlelight, the five-phoenix hairpin with pearls shone brightly, making her face appear full and beautiful, her eyebrows and eyes lively and charming, her beauty bold and dazzling.

Looking down, if Qin Keqing is like the Wangwu and Taihang Mountains rising abruptly, then Wang Xifeng is like a thunderclap rising from flat ground.

The bulging bodice resembled layers of clouds and piled-up snow, making the bodice appear several inches shorter both above and below, forcing the collarbone and lower abdomen to be barely covered, thus concealing the two mounds of flesh.

Although her waist was not as slender as Qin Keqing's, her waist-to-hip ratio was more exaggerated, thick and round like a jade plate, exuding the voluptuousness of a woman.

Beneath the pleated skirt, a pair of delicate, unbound feet resembled jade bows and golden hooks, piercing the eyes and lingering in the heart.

As Sister Feng finished her greetings and gracefully rose, a gourd-like reflection was immediately cast on the west wall.

The couple had been married for several years.

Seeing this scene, Jia Lian couldn't help but be captivated by the sight and was about to embrace her and caress her when he suddenly remembered that he was still having a cold war with Feng Jie.

He quickly composed himself, feigning impatience, and said, "Didn't you say you had good news to tell me? What is it? Tell me now!"

"Why are you in such a hurry, Second Master?"

He didn't step forward, so Wang Xifeng took the initiative to approach, placing her slender hand on Jia Lian's chest, and said in a coquettish voice, "I said before that I wanted to keep Rong-ge'er calm and deal with him later, but Second Master didn't believe me. Now I'll use a little trick..."

"Grandma, Second Grandma!"

Before she could finish speaking, Laiwang's wife's anxious cry came from outside: "Second Madam, something terrible has happened!"

Suddenly shattered by the carefully crafted atmosphere, Wang Xifeng's eyebrows furrowed, her beauty turning fierce, and she snapped, "What are you yelling about?! Is your mother dead, or your father gone?!"

Laiwang's wife immediately fell silent, and after a long while, she reported from outside the door: "Second Madam, it seems that Rong-ge'er in the East Mansion is no longer of use!"

"What did you say?!"

Wang Xifeng, forgetting her anger, rushed out and demanded, "Didn't you say they only gave me a beating? How come it's no longer effective?!"

Jia Lian followed closely behind, when he heard Lai Wang's wife say anxiously, "They said he already had internal injuries before the beating, and now the internal and external poisons are acting up at the same time. I'm afraid he won't make it through the night!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian's expression changed.

Seeing this, Wang Xifeng had her suspicions and quickly sent Laiwang's wife to investigate and report back.

Then she pulled Jia Lian back to the bedroom and asked in a low voice, "What about Rong-ge'er's internal injuries..."

"I kicked him this morning."

Jia Lian frowned and said, "At the time, I didn't realize I had become so much stronger, so I couldn't control my strength..."

Why didn't you say so sooner!

Wang Xifeng panicked immediately, pacing back and forth like an ant on a hot pan while slapping her palms with the back of her hand: "This is terrible! If Brother Zhen finds out, he definitely won't let this go!"

Although the internal injuries were caused by Jia Zhen's caning, according to the customs of the time, a father would not bear any responsibility if he accidentally killed his son.

At most, it would damage his reputation, but what reputation did Jia Zhen have to speak of?

But if Jia Lian, this cousin, is involved...

Suddenly, Sister Feng stopped and looked at Jia Lian: "Besides you, who else knows about this?!"

Although her plan backfired, it successfully misled Jia Zhen into believing that she and her husband were in cahoots with Jia Rong.

Therefore, as long as no one knows that Jia Lian injured Jia Rong, Jia Zhen probably won't think about it for the time being.

Jia Lian thought for a moment and said, "Rong's wife should also know, she saw the blood that Rong vomited."

"Why her of all people?!"

Wang Xifeng became even more anxious. This afternoon, she mainly did two things: first, she took advantage of the situation to scheme against Jia Rong; second, she severely offended Qin Keqing.

He thought that even if the couple held a grudge, they couldn't do anything to him.

Little did she know that her scheming had first put her husband in the predicament of being a murderer, and then Qin Keqing became the only eyewitness!

What should we do?!

If Qin Keqing tells Jia Zhen about this, even if Jia Lian manages to get through this smoothly in the end, the momentum he just built up with the blessing of his ancestors will definitely be greatly affected.

It might even affect his future career!

No, we have to find a way to keep her calm!

But how can we stabilize it?

The simplest and most direct way, of course, is to kill him to silence him.

But Qin Keqing was, after all, the young mistress of the Ningguo Mansion. If her son died first, and then the daughter-in-law she had long coveted lost her life in the Rongguo Mansion, Jia Zhen would certainly not give up.

Therefore, killing someone to cover it up is not advisable, at least not for the time being.

Then there's only one option...

Wang Xifeng made a quick decision, then gritted her teeth and looked at Jia Lian with resentment.

"What's wrong with you now?"

Seeing that she didn't speak and was just staring straight at him, Jia Lian felt a little uncomfortable and asked her a question.

"you……"

Wang Xifeng had barely begun to speak when she couldn't help but bite her cherry lips tightly until her lower lip bled, before saying, word by word, "You must go and keep that slut in check; you can't let her reveal even a whisper!"

Jia Lian never expected things to take such a dramatic turn.

But he couldn't be happy at all. After all, Jia Rong was the only son of the Ningguo Mansion. If he were involved in this murder case, even if he could escape imprisonment, it would inevitably affect his future career and reputation.

Jia Lian then retorted irritably, "You make it sound so easy. You sent her to Sister-in-law Zhu's courtyard; how could I possibly reach her?"

Then she analyzed seriously, "Qin Shi has just escaped the tiger's den, so what reason does she have to stand up for Jia Rong? Besides, if she betrays me, how can she maintain her position in this mansion? Does she intend to go back to Ningguo Mansion and walk right into their trap?"

Of course there are reasons!

"I have my reasons, you don't need to worry about it, I'll go and call her out myself!"

Wang Xifeng spoke with absolute certainty, but in her heart it felt as if a knife had been plunged into her chest. Unfortunately, she had stabbed herself in the back, so she had no one else to blame.

As she spoke, she was about to go out to find Qin Keqing.

Jia Lian followed instinctively, but saw Wang Xifeng suddenly stop at the door.

"What's wrong now?"

Just as Jia Lian was about to ask a question, he saw Wang Xifeng turn around and pounce on him, tearing at his clothes without saying a word.

"Hey, what are you doing!"

"You are mine in life and in death, and no one can take you away! Even if that lowly servant girl were to try it, she would only deserve to drink my foot-washing water!"