Love of Friends in the Red Chamber

Daiyu was not surprised when she heard about Jia Cong's adventure. The current emperor has always been diligent in administration, and it is reasonable to check the situation of the palace in the middle of the night, but the emperor finally talked to Jia Cong. What Cong said seemed to have some deep meaning.Jia Cong himself felt uneasy: "The emperor specifically asked me to look up the historical materials about the eight kings' political discussions. Did he just mention it casually, or did he have other deep meanings? If it is said that the eight kings' political discussions happened in the past a hundred years ago, there have been different opinions over the years. I don't even know which eight kings, why did the emperor suddenly think of this?"

Daiyu took a sip of tea, and then said slowly: "Since the emperor ordered, you don't need to think too much, just do your best. There are some records about this in the books left by my late father. Let Zijuan Find it out. You can also go and see the elder brother of the Lin family and listen to what he means. Sometimes the government affairs are complicated and confusing. Although it is an old story, if someone mentions it, it may become a top priority immediately."

Jia Cong listened, and kept nodding, and went to Lin Mansion to visit Lin Jiarui that day, but he went out to Beijing on a business trip for river affairs. Jia Cong had no one to discuss with him, so he had to come back and bury his head in historical materials and notes, and then went to the National History Museum to read old papers. I work hard every day, even suspending my homework of calligraphy and reading history, and I am even more diligent than when I was admitted to the Jinshi.

Daiyu is very knowledgeable and helpful to him, such a boring thing, because of the red sleeves, is actually very interesting, Jia Cong enjoys it, I don't know when it will be.

However, the poems and books in Lixiangyuan are long, and Jia's house is struggling. Mrs. Wang and Baochai are looking forward to the New Year's goods from Zhuangzi in the north every day to be delivered to Beijing. I was very anxious, but my family members came to report that as soon as I entered the Layue Gate, the New Year's truck convoy from Beizhuang had arrived in Beijing. I didn't want to be intercepted by the soldiers of the Nine Gate Admirals at the North Gate, saying that the vehicles were requisitioned. But even Mrs. Che and others were locked up together, only the head of the guard was still alive. After more than ten days, seeing that the guard was loosened, he ran out when he had time, and hurried to Rongguo Mansion to deliver a letter.

When Mrs. Wang received the report, she immediately fell down in anger.He hurriedly sent someone to report to Jia Zheng, because Jia Amnesty called Jia Lian back to his side in a show of power a while ago, and no longer took care of the housework of the Rongguo Mansion, and ordered him to concentrate on his errands without being distracted. Because of this, Jia Lian and his wife felt chilled and stopped offering help, and Mrs. Wang couldn't go to them again when she had something to do.But on the Erfang side, Baoyu is useless, and Jia Zheng is not used to common affairs. After hearing about this, he was furious and ordered his family to take his name card to the Jiumen Admiral's Mansion, demanding that the car be released immediately. The goods are some must not be short.

The Nine-door Admiral's Mansion was not afraid of these Beijing officials, so they only sent a secretary to come out, playing in an official tone, saying that this official did not know about it, and entered the palace for several days. This matter was done by the people below. When the officials come back, they will be punished heavily—there is no mention of letting them go and returning the car.Jia Zheng believed it was true and stopped pursuing it. He only said that when the official came back, he would take care of himself.Mrs. Wang had no choice but to tell Jia Zheng truthfully: If the trucks don't come back, the family will not be able to celebrate the New Year.

Jia Zheng was shocked when he heard the words, and he didn't believe it at first. When Baochai was called, he returned to the account one by one, and looked through the account book again. Then he stumbled and sighed, and complained to Mrs. Wang, saying, "I don't want to deal with these common things. I entrusted you with all the affairs of the family, thinking that you would be able to handle them properly, but who would have thought that they would have to eat enough food in Yinnian? Look at this account, not only is there a deficit, but there are also debts from outside, what's the matter? Come on, is our family going to be ruined?"

Mrs. Wang was irrefutable, she just bowed her head and wept.But Baochai stepped forward and knelt down and said, "Master, don't be angry. The family will be short for one day. If it wasn't for the impoundment of the grain cart, I don't know how long I would have to cover it up. I persuaded my wife to tell the truth to the master—no." It's strange that the wife doesn't know how to housekeeper, because the current income is less than half of the ancestor's, and the expenses are ten times that of the ancestors. The whole house is used to being rich and honorable. While there is still time to be frugal, keep this family business, and don’t be a short seller on the outside, hollowing out the inside—it will be impossible to take over.”

Jia Zheng stumbled and sighed: "How can I explain to the old lady? You have made me an unfilial son!" He was so anxious, but he didn't have any ideas or ideas. After complaining for a while, he couldn't criticize severely in front of Baochai. Mrs. Wang had no choice but to flick her sleeves and go to the study outside to sulk.

It's not surprising that Baochai knew Jia Zheng's nature early on. Originally, she just wanted to uncover this layer of scars, use heavy medicine to cure chronic illnesses, and completely eradicate the shortcomings of Jia's mansion, so as to save her life from desperation.Immediately, he sent someone to invite Jia Lian, and Mrs. Wang personally ordered him to handle the matter of the impounded vehicle population. Jia Lian had no choice but to agree. After all, he had a wide network and did not alarm the Shangguan. On the second day, he wanted all the vehicle servants. When I came back, most of the goods on the car were lost, and I couldn't recover them one by one.

Jia Lian then came to see Mrs. Wang's report, but she didn't have time to talk about the vehicles and goods. She just turned away the crowd and quietly told Mrs. Wang, "Do you know, madam? This time the vehicles in our house were impounded. It was Cai’s intention, but it was someone’s envoy, who did it on purpose.” Mrs. Wang was startled, and hurriedly asked, “Who is it?”

Jia Lian lowered her voice and said, "My wife just wants to think about which lady's relatives in the Palace the Nine Gates Admiral's Mansion is." Mrs. Wang hesitated and said, "Could it be the Concubine Zhang Shu of the Chuxiu Palace? Her brother is the Nine Gates Admiral. , has never been in contact with her, but how did our family offend her?" Jia Lian said in a deep voice, "I was also surprised at first, but this time I asked the head of the escort car carefully, and found out that after they were detained, the goods on the car were taken away. He found the medicinal materials such as safflower, musk, and motherwort, so he interrogated him to death, insisting on asking who ordered these medicinal materials to be sent to Beijing, and asked if they were sent last year?"

Mrs. Wang hissed and growled: "What do they mean? Aren't those medicinal materials used to treat your daughter-in-law? Why do you ask such a strange question?" Jia Lian replied, "Yes, that's why my nephew went to the palace. After careful questioning, I realized that Concubine Zhang Shu found out that she was pregnant in the autumn of this year. Before she could be happy, she had a miscarriage for no apparent reason. Since then, Concubine Zhang Shu has become paranoid, always feeling that someone is harming her..."

Mrs. Wang's palms were sweating, she clutched the sweat towel tightly, and asked: "Does she think it's Concubine Yuan's hands and feet?" Then she cried again: "What should I do? Yuan Chun was already weak in the palace. To be wronged and resented again..." Jia Lian frowned and said: "For the current plan, one is to ask the wife to go back to the palace to see the empress, and inform the empress about this, please be careful, so as not to be inattentive On the other hand, if our family is really serious with the Jiumen Admiral's Mansion, I am afraid it will be difficult to match, and we need a strong support."

Mrs. Wang cried: "Those who used us now, like the historians of the Zhen family and the Xue family, have already lost; those who have no in-laws and relatives can't be counted on, who will help?" Jia Lian hesitated for a moment, and said decisively: " The Admiral's Mansion of Nine Gates is under Prince Beijing's sect, if we get married with Prince Jing's Mansion, Admiral Nine Gates will not look at the face of the monk or the face of the Buddha, so it will not be difficult for our family and the concubine." Mrs. Wang wiped her tears and said : "In this case, I have no choice but to be wronged to find the girl—I'm afraid the old lady won't allow it."

However, Mrs. Wang only cared about protecting herself at this time, so she had nothing to do, so she had to harden her heart, and called Tanchun behind her back, and told her the ins and outs in detail, and finally said with tears: "My son. , you know that I have always treated you as my own daughter, and I have never been divided into any concubines, but this time the mansion really has no choice. I'm afraid I won't be able to get through the hurdle, if there is something wrong with the empress in the palace, our family will really be over..."

Tanchun didn't wait for Mrs. Wang to finish speaking, and said: "Madam, don't be sad. I am willing to marry to the Beijing Palace to share my wife's worries. Since ancient times, my parents have ordered the matchmaker to say that there is no room for my daughter's family to comment. Madam asked like this Me, what am I not satisfied with? What's more, the Beijing Palace is not a dragon's pond and a tiger's den, it's just that it doesn't look very honorable."

Mrs. Wang heard that she understood so well, and said happily: "That's right, the king of Beijing Jing is young and prosperous, and has a gentle and elegant temperament. He is known as the 'virtuous king'. He has many contacts with Baoyu. In the past, there was no need to worry. What's more...Princess Beijing is weak and not good at housekeeping, so the concubine of his family has taken a fancy to you. In the past, you were going to be the head of the house. There is hope."

Tanchun bowed his head and remained silent for a long while before he smiled and said, "Madam, don't worry about the future, just how can I tell the old lady now?" Mrs. Wang sighed, "I'm the only one who will be the villain. No one will let your girl do it on her own." The reason why I came forward to talk about it is that the old lady loves her granddaughter, so she must ask you, at that time you..." Tanchun nodded: "Daughter can save it."

It was decided at the moment that Mrs. Wang was relieved, and slowly told Jia Mu about the matter when Jia Mu was happy. Although Jia Mu was unhappy, she was especially sorry for Tanchun. After all, it was related to the survival of the family, so she had to nod.So before the New Year's Eve, they hurriedly made an agreement with the Beijing Prince's Mansion, and agreed to hold a happy event after the first month.Because she is a side concubine, all the etiquette and ceremony are kept simple, Mother Jia felt distressed, and gave Tanchun some privately from her own body. Madam Wang felt ashamed, so she also took out some head jewelry from her private savings to add to Tanchun. Makeup, but Aunt Zhao seemed to have heard the great news, and talked about it every day, causing people to hate her in the house.

Besides, Mrs. Wang's thoughts were all occupied by these things, so she entrusted Baochai with all her age, and Baochai really made a drastic saving. The servants and others dismissed anyone who was lazy and bickering, and only selected the honest and willing servants to stay, and soon [-]% of the servants were dismissed, and everyone rumored that they would continue to expel people, which made people panic.Although the crowd was full of complaints, Baochai insisted on her own opinion and was frugal, regardless of the complaints of others. However, she was used to spending a lot of money everywhere. At this time, she felt shabby everywhere. Even in front of Jia's mother, people frequently visited cry.Both Jiamu and Mrs. Wang fully supported them, and they reduced all the rules, and everyone had to calm down. However, the undercurrents did not last for a day.

On New Year's Eve, from the time of offering sacrifices to ancestors, everyone was tired and lazy, everything was limited, there was no soup, no vegetables, no rice, no tea, it was almost unbecoming. The appointments are all novice, but she intends to save extravagance and frugality, but she is content with it.Jia Mu secretly sighed in her heart. Although she knew Baochai's difficulty, she was unhappy in her heart. Only when Daiyu came to pay her respects did she open her face.