The Splendor of the Red Chamber

Ping'er returned to Wutong Garden and first told Jia Lian about his arrangements for Lai Shun, then mentioned that she had bumped into Baozhu in the side hall.

Wang Xifeng sneered repeatedly upon hearing this, but she made no comment on the matter in front of Ping'er.

Although she knew that Ping'er also knew, knowing and making it clear are two different things.

Wang Xifeng changed the subject, asking, "What do you think about me going to ask Auntie to bring Xiangling over so she can keep us company?"

Ping'er naturally understood what those words meant. She couldn't help but sigh inwardly at the unpredictability of life. All the pretty maids that the Wang family had given as dowry had been dismissed by Wang Xifeng.

That was because they were afraid that others would get even a little bit of Second Master's influence.

Even she, as a semi-public roommate, was only a symbolic presence, and might not be able to share a room with the Second Master even once every six months.

As a result, the second grandmother is now taking the initiative to recruit people to share the burden.

I knew this, why should I be at the beginning?

Seeing that Ping'er hadn't responded, Wang Xifeng pushed her and scolded, "I'm asking you a question, are you mute?"

Ping'er snapped out of her daze and quickly said, "I think it's a good idea. Xiangling is a woman who appreciates beauty, and she's also gentle and obedient. She shouldn't have any wicked thoughts."

"Hmph~ I'd love for her to have some wicked thoughts later!"

Sister Feng raised her eyebrows and eyes, her face contorting with a murderous aura.

Ping'er then changed the subject: "I'm afraid Master Xue won't be able to bear it. Back then, he caused a death in Jinling because of Xiangling, and he has argued with his concubine a lot over Xiangling this past year."

"This is a bit troublesome."

Wang Xifeng pondered for a moment and said, "Let me sound out my aunt first—and that girl Baochai, hmph, she can at least be half the boss at home."

…………

at the same time.

After strolling around the streets, Baozhu returned to Zhiwei Pavilion through the side gate of Rong Mansion.

Qin Keqing was standing by the crib, lost in thought, when she saw Baozhu return. She quickly got up and asked, "How did it go? Did you see her?!"

She sent Baozhu out, naturally wanting to make contact with Jia Lian.

Qin Keqing was already eager to discuss countermeasures with Jia Lian, and now that she heard that Jia Lian had become a personal guard of the Imperial City Guard, she was overjoyed and even more impatient.

"Don't even mention it!"

Baozhu said dejectedly, "I found out that Second Master Lian was meeting with guests in the side hall, so I went to the front yard to look for him. But Ping'er suddenly appeared out of nowhere, so I had to make up an excuse that I was just passing by."

"What a coincidence!"

It wouldn't be surprising if Ping'er were encountered in the inner quarters, but Ping'er rarely leaves the inner quarters alone unless there's something urgent to attend to.

Could it be that Feng Lazi planted spies in Zhiwei Pavilion?

Thinking about this, Qin Keqing became even more agitated. She bit her lip and said resentfully, "It's one thing that he doesn't come to see me, but he hasn't even asked about the children. Is he really heartless?"

Qin Keqing could certainly guess that Jia Lian was deliberately avoiding suspicion in front of Wang Xifeng.

But being able to guess doesn't mean being able to understand.

Even if everyone was scheming against each other at the beginning, the child is innocent, isn't he? He's Jia Lian's flesh and blood, isn't he?!

Even tiger venom won't make you eat it...

uh~

Qin Keqing suddenly thought of her deceased husband Jia Rong, and then of Jia She, who was going to sue Jia Lian for disobeying his parents. She could only helplessly admit that the saying "even tigers don't eat their cubs" didn't seem to apply to the Jia family.

This made her even more depressed, and her chest ached slightly.

Qin Keqing frowned and clutched her chest. Baozhu saw this and quickly advised, "Grandma, please don't get anxious or upset. The doctor said that you should avoid getting angry right now, as it can harm your health. Otherwise, you might get blocked up again."

Qin Keqing tried to calm herself down and said resolutely, "This matter can't be dragged on like this. If they don't come in two more days, I will go to their door directly and make things clear face to face."

Upon hearing that they were going to have a sniper duel at the middle gate, Baozhu said worriedly, "What if Second Madam tries to harm you again..."

"If she's not afraid to make a big scene, I'm certainly willing to go all out!"

Qin Keqing gritted her teeth, her face resolute, as if she were about to clash with Wang Xifeng on the spot.

You bullied me when Jia Lian wasn't back, and you still bully me now that he's back? What good was it of me to have this son?!

…………

the other side.

With Jia Lian's invitation in hand, Sheng Changwu excitedly went to the home of Chen Sheng, the garrison commander of the Five Cities Garrison.

It was early morning, so Chen Sheng naturally had to work in the yamen. Fortunately, Chen Yejun, the eldest son of the Chen family, was entertaining guests at home.

Hearing that someone had come with an invitation from the Second Master Lian of the Rongguo Mansion, Chen Yejun dared not be negligent. He quickly left the guests he was entertaining and personally went to greet them at the gate.

Seeing that Sheng Changwu was dressed smartly and lavishly, clearly not a servant or a lowly servant, Chen Yejun cautiously inquired, "May I ask who you are?"

"My name is Sheng Changwu."

Sheng Changwu gave his name, and then he and Chen Yejun stared at each other.

There was no way around it; his sister's affair with another man wasn't exactly honorable, and he couldn't very well go around telling everyone, "I'm the illegitimate brother-in-law of Master Lian, could I?"

Is that all?

Chen Yejun was somewhat speechless, but there were quite a few absurd and confused young men among the noble families, so he was used to their unconventional behavior.

He immediately laughed heartily and said, "Brother Sheng is a handsome man; he must come from a distinguished family."

"Uh~"

Sheng Changwu stared at him blankly. His background as the richest man in Youyang was something to talk about in Yangzhou, but in the capital where powerful and influential people were everywhere, it was really nothing to brag about.

If the other party hadn't explicitly stated that Jia Lian was inviting his father to a banquet at Fanlou at noon, Chen Yejun would have almost suspected that the other party was a fraud.

He patiently asked again, "May I ask where Brother Sheng works?"

"I wouldn't dare say I'm doing a high position."

This time, Sheng Changwu finally spoke up: "I've secured a patrol officer position at the Five Cities Military Command, and I'll be officially taking office after the New Year."

Inspector of the Five Cities Garrison?

Isn't that just a lowly eighth-rank official?!

Chen Yejun was surprised, but he dared not underestimate the other party. After all, for a minor official to be able to get close to Jia Lian, there must be some extraordinary relationship between them.

So he cautiously asked, "Will Brother Sheng be there at noon?"

Of course.

Sheng Changwu spoke with absolute certainty. The lunch was originally intended to introduce him to the garrison commander, so how could he not attend?

"Haha~"

Chen Yejun laughed and extended his hand to invite, "If Young Master Sheng is not in a hurry to return and report, why not come into the manor for a chat? I will send someone to inform my father so that I can give Young Master Sheng a definite answer."

Sheng Changwu looked troubled. He didn't want to offend his boss's son, but his sister was still waiting for news at home.

After a moment, he politely declined, saying, "Second Master Lian has assigned me other tasks, so I'm afraid I can't bother you today."

While his superiors are important, his sister serves as a bridge between him and Master Lian, and he can clearly distinguish which is more important.

Sheng Changwu was seen off.

Chen Yejun returned to the living room and bowed to the guest, saying, "Brother Wenshao, I was rude earlier."

"It's alright."

The guest said sarcastically, "The affairs of the Rongguo Mansion are naturally more important than those of our Zhongqin Earl's Mansion—but I would like to ask Uncle Chen to give me an explanation regarding my appointment as the commander of the Five Cities Garrison."

I've gone through all the necessary procedures and given all the due gifts in the past six months, so why is it suddenly stuck?!

It turned out that this guest was none other than Yuan Wenshao, the second son of the Marquis of Zhongqin, who had volunteered to help Jia Lian when he hosted a banquet at Fanlou.

At that time, he was scolded by his brother Yuan Wenchun for currying favor with Chen Yejun, a "down-and-out". It turned out that he had been thinking about getting an official position in the Wucheng Military Command at that time.

When Chen Yejun saw that Yuan Wenshao was being impolite, his smile vanished: "Second Brother, be careful with your words. Second Master Lian can represent the Rongguo Mansion, but you may not be able to represent the Zhongqin Earl's Mansion. It is not our Chen family that is stopping this matter, but your brother Yuan Wenchun!"

Your elder brother told my father personally that no matter how impoverished the Earl of Zhongqin's mansion became, they would never allow their eldest son to perform menial tasks at the Five Cities Garrison.

Chen Yejun's cold remark immediately left Yuan Wenshao speechless.

Yuan Wenshao is 24 years old this year. Because he was not favored by his parents since childhood, he still does not hold any official position.

Forced into a corner, they then set their sights on the Five Cities Garrison.

He was already worried about his family's opposition, so he secretly used his wife's dowry to smooth things over, planning to tell his family the truth once things were settled.

who knows……

After leaving the Chen family, Yuan Wenshao returned to the Zhongqin Earl's Mansion in a daze, and the more he thought about it in his study, the more frustrated he became.

Although the two brothers had a strained relationship since childhood, and the elder sister-in-law constantly instigated their mother to mistreat his wife, Sheng, they were still brothers from the same mother. How could Yuan Wenchun ruin his future?!

No!

I have to have a serious talk with him this time!

Yuan Wenshao stood up angrily, but before he could even take a step, he slumped back down.

Because he could fully imagine what the consequences would be if this matter were exposed.

His elder brother, Yuan Wenchun, would definitely take the opportunity to ridicule him, saying that he disregarded the dignity of the Earl's Mansion and was willing to degenerate. His parents, who valued their reputation, would most likely not stand on his side.

Even if he were to reluctantly accept a position at the Five Cities Garrison, he would still feel ashamed and unable to hold his head high at home.

Yuan Wenshao was naturally unwilling to be humiliated like this.

But without an official position, I'm afraid I'll never be able to hold my head high for the rest of my life!

Just as they were caught in a dilemma, the door was suddenly pushed open.

His wife, Sheng Hualan, came in and asked with concern, "Second Master, how did the talks go?"

Yuan Wenshao merely glanced at her coldly without saying a word.

Although he was dissatisfied with his mother and sister-in-law's mistreatment of his wife, he also believed that the Sheng family was marrying up to the Earl's family. Therefore, he never treated Sheng Shi with courtesy and never defended her in front of his mother and sister-in-law.

Even when he misappropriated his wife's dowry, he was still bossy and domineering.

Seeing her husband's gloomy face, Sheng Hualan knew that things must not be going well, so she quickly said a few words of comfort, and then carefully said, "Grandmother recently came back from her hometown, and Mother wants us to have a family reunion dinner tonight."

By the way, Changwu from the eldest son's family also got a job at the Five Cities Military Command. Father helped him with that, so maybe he can be of some help to us..."

"snort!"

Yuan Wenshao interrupted impatiently, "Your cousin is nothing more than a minor official, while I'm seeking a legitimate official position. How can you confuse the two?!"

As she spoke, she flicked her sleeve and said, "All you do is run to your parents' house all day long. No wonder your mother and sister-in-law scold you—go if you want to go. I'm not a tool for you to show off at your parents' house!"

Hua Lan's eyes reddened slightly from what she was being said, but she didn't dare to utter a single word in rebuttal. She had originally wanted to take her only daughter to see her grandmother, but now she didn't even dare to mention it.

[PS: I originally wanted to post a picture, but Sheng Hualan looks pretty good in the drama, while the stills are either blurry or unattractive.]