Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

After Jiaojiao was tired, she fell asleep on Mrs. Wang Zisheng's body. Seeing her daughter asleep, Xifeng said, "Mother, put Jiaojiao on the bed! She is quite heavy." Mrs. Wang Zisheng looked at her granddaughter sleeping soundly in her arms, and said with loving eyes, "Wait until she falls asleep!"

After a while, Jiaojiao finally fell asleep. Mrs. Wang Zisheng carefully carried her into the room and put her on the bed, then gently covered her with a quilt, fearing to wake her up.

When Mrs. Wang Zisheng came out, Xifeng immediately went to meet her and helped her sit down. After placing a cushion on Xifeng's waist, Mrs. Wang Zisheng said to her earnestly, "Feng'er, mother knows you're capable, but don't blame me for being nosy. Although Lin Daiyu's husband has adopted her out, it would be a lie to say he doesn't miss her at all."

Xifeng was somewhat displeased after hearing this, but she still said coquettishly, "Mother, why are you saying that?" Mrs. Wang Zisheng shook her head and sighed helplessly, "Feng'er, you are still young, and your relationship with your son-in-law is naturally stronger than gold. But time changes everything, and even the most beautiful appearance will age. When your feelings are no longer as strong as they once were, all of Lin Daiyu's misfortunes will become thorns in your hearts, and your son-in-law may use them to prick you from time to time."

Xifeng held Mrs. Wang Zisheng's hand and said firmly, "Mother, I understand your concerns, but I believe in the relationship between Ruhai and me. Besides, I'm not someone who can be easily bullied. Even if there are any conflicts in the future, I won't let myself be wronged."

Mrs. Wang Zisheng looked at Xifeng, a trace of worry in her eyes. "I hope so. But things in this world are often unpredictable. You must remember to protect yourself at all times."

Xifeng nodded and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Mother. I know what I'm doing. The most important thing now is that our family is well. As for the rest, I'll leave it to time to tell."

After seeing her mother off, Xifeng returned to her room and sat quietly, pondering her mother's words. She knew her mother was concerned, but she also firmly believed that her relationship with Lin Ruhai would stand the test of time. However, her mother's concern still planted a seed in her heart.

A few days later, one evening, Lin Ruhai returned from an outing, looking a little tired. Xifeng, as usual, poured him a cup of tea and asked with concern, "What happened today? Are you exhausted?" Lin Ruhai grasped Xifeng's hand and said gently, "Nothing, just a little busy." "Feng'er, did you know? I received a letter from Daiyu today," Lin Ruhai said gravely. Xifeng's heart skipped a beat, and she thought to herself, "She's here after all." But she managed to remain calm, smiling and replying, "Oh? Really? How is she?"

Lin Ruhai's eyes revealed a complex emotion. He frowned and said slowly, "She said that the maids and servants of the Jia family were gossiping about her. They said that all her food, clothing and other expenses came from the Jia family. It made me feel very uncomfortable." Hearing this, Xifeng's face changed slightly, and she couldn't help but worry: "After all, she is our Lin family's daughter. Why not take her back?"

Lin Ruhai sighed deeply and said helplessly: "Oh! It would be great if it were so, but this is just an excuse." Xifeng had not been out for a long time and could not react for a while, so she asked hurriedly: "What's the excuse!" Lin Ruhai explained: "Some time ago, the girl from the Jia family who had been in the palace for more than ten years was named a concubine." Xifeng was stunned for a while, thinking silently in her heart that she had been named a concubine. Now she finally understood why Daiyu suddenly wrote to ask for money.

It turned out that time passed by unknowingly, and the plot developed normally to Jia Zheng's birthday.

That day, the Ning and Rong residences were decorated with lanterns and bustling with people. Suddenly, a servant hurried into the courtyard, walked to the front of the banquet table, and respectfully said to Lady Jia and Lady Wang, "Madam, Madam, Master, Xia Shouzhong, the eunuch from the palace, is at the door. He said he's here to announce the imperial decree."

Everyone in the Jia family was shocked upon hearing this, wondering: How could there be an imperial edict out of nowhere? They had long since fallen on hard times and were unaware of the court's movements. They could only hastily stop the play, remove the banquet, set up the incense table, and kneel down to welcome the emperor, opening the middle door.

Soon, Xia Shouzhong, the eunuch of the six palaces, rode in on a tall horse, followed by many eunuchs. When Xia Shouzhong arrived at the door, he didn't dismount, but went straight into the hall. Smiling broadly, he walked into the hall, stood facing south, and said, "Special decree: Summon Jia Zheng immediately to the court and have an audience with His Majesty in the Linjing Hall." With that, he rode away without even having time to drink tea.

Jia Zheng and the others, unsure of what this meant, panicked and hurried to change their clothes before entering the court. Grandmother Jia and the rest of the family were even more apprehensive, constantly dispatching people on horseback to inquire about the news. Two hours later, Lai Da and three or four other stewards suddenly appeared, breathlessly running through the ceremonial gates, announcing the good news. They then said, "By the master's orders, we have the old lady and the other ladies present at once to come to the court to express our gratitude."

At that moment, Grandmother Jia was standing in the hallway, feeling uneasy. Lady Xing, Lady Wang, Lady You, Li Wan, the Yingchun sisters, and others had also gathered there, anxiously awaiting news. Upon hearing the good news, Grandmother Jia hurriedly summoned Lai Da to inquire about the details.

Lai Da respectfully reported, "Servants like us could only wait outside the Linjing Gate, knowing nothing of the details of what was going on inside. Later, Eunuch Xia came out to congratulate us, saying that our eldest daughter had been promoted to the position of Shangshu of Fengzao Palace and given the title of Xian De Consort. The master then came out and told us the same thing. He has already hurried to the Eastern Palace, urging the old lady to lead the ladies into the palace to express their gratitude."

After hearing this, Jia Mu and the others finally felt relieved and showed joy on their faces. Then everyone dressed up carefully according to their rank.

Jia's mother, accompanied by Lady Xing, Lady Wang, and Lady You, rode in four large sedan chairs to the court. Jia She and Jia Zhen also changed into court robes and accompanied Jia Rong and Jia Qiang, who served on either side of Jia's sedan chair.

At this moment, everyone in the Ning and Rong mansions was filled with joy and excitement. Everyone's face was filled with pride, and laughter and joy rose one after another, making the place extremely lively...

Xifeng pretended not to understand and pressed on, "Husband, what does this mean? Oh, wouldn't that mean the Jia family has become part of the imperial family? That would be truly immensely wealthy! If that were the case, I'm afraid everyone in the mansion would be celebrating!"

Lin Ruhai nodded and said, "That's right. I heard from Lin Zhong that the buffet has been set up for three days." Xifeng looked at Lin Ruhai and said, "My husband, Jia Yuanchun has been in the palace for many years and has been unknown. Now she is in her twenties, and her face is fading. She is far less fresh than the concubines who have just entered the palace. She is not favored by the emperor at all, and there is no sign of promotion. However, the current emperor has been on the throne for only one year, but he has jumped several levels and made a small female official a noble concubine. I'm afraid there is something unusual here! The titles of concubines in the harem are usually one word, and the words "Xian", "De", "Hui", "Gong" are the most honorable, while the titles of two words are more like posthumous titles..." Xifeng sighed deeply and continued, "If Yuanchun is really favored, the emperor doesn't have to be so anxious, and slowly... It's just a promotion, why rush it? Besides, she has no children and has never made any merits. It is really puzzling that she was promoted to a concubine without going through the ranks. I'm afraid that Yuanchun's promotion to a concubine is not as glorious as it seems. We need to be careful to deal with it, so as not to bring disaster to the family. "Lin Ruhai nodded gently, and then said slowly: "The emperor has already issued an order the day before yesterday to allow the concubines to go home to visit their families. In addition to visiting the palace on the second and sixteenth of each month to pay respects, if anyone has a separate courtyard for visiting relatives, they can ask for permission to bring their own concubines home to visit their relatives. Now, Concubine Zhou's father is already at home and has started to build a separate courtyard for visiting relatives. Concubine Wu's father, Wu Tianyou, has also gone to the outside of the city to scout for a place." He spoke slowly, as if every word was carefully considered, making people feel the importance and seriousness of the matter.

Xifeng pretended to be excited and said, "My husband, what you mean is that the Jia family wants to renovate the villa for the imperial visit but has no money, so they asked Daiyu to come and ask for money?" Her voice was filled with a hint of surprise and confusion, but her eyes flashed with a shrewd light.

Lin Ruhai smiled slightly, nodded, and said, "That's exactly what I meant. The Jia family is officially a duke's mansion, and now that Yuanchun is favored in the palace, they naturally want to build a separate residence for her to visit her parents and show off her family's glory. However, the Jia family's financial situation is not optimistic, so they are naturally stretched and unable to afford such a huge expense. So they set their sights on our family."

Xifeng frowned, pondered for a moment, and then said, "But although our Lin family has some savings, it's not a bottomless pit. Besides, it's easy to give money away, but it's hard to get it back."

Lin Ruhai sighed and said, "I know all this. But Daiyu is still in the Jia family, and this visit is a big deal for the Jia family. If we don't help, I'm afraid it will affect Daiyu."

Xifeng gritted her teeth and said, "We can't just give them the money so easily! At least make them sign a receipt stating the repayment date and interest. Otherwise, the money will probably be wasted."

Lin Ruhai nodded and agreed, "Madam, you are right. I will report the situation to His Majesty and ensure that our interests are not harmed."

Xifeng snorted softly and said, "Those people in the Jia family are truly despicable. They don't have a single man capable of supporting the family, and they only rely on their daughters to continue the family's glory."

Lin Ruhai comforted her, "Madam, don't worry too much. I will handle this matter carefully and will not let the Lin family get into trouble." After that, he gently patted Xifeng's hand, signaling her to rest assured.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window onto Xifeng's face as she sat at the table enjoying breakfast. Baozhu hurried over, a hint of displeasure on her face, and whispered to her, "Madam, the Jia family is so rude! Their second wife actually came to pay her respects to you and the old lady."

Xifeng's brow furrowed slightly when she heard this, and a feeling of irritation welled up in her heart. She felt a sinking sensation in her stomach, which made her feel a little uneasy. After all, she had already given birth once, so she was no stranger to the signs of impending labor. She took a deep breath, her eyes moving rapidly, and then she said calmly, "Take them to the front hall."

Despite her growing discomfort, Xifeng forced herself to stand and walked toward the front hall. She clenched her fists as she walked, trying to remain calm. As she entered the hall, the Jia family's second wife immediately greeted her with a broad smile, saying, "Feng'er, it's been a long time since we last met! I've come specially to visit you today. I hope you won't mind."

Xifeng smiled slightly and responded politely, "No, I'm so happy that my aunt can come. Please take a seat." As she spoke, she gestured to Baozhu to serve tea and invited the second wife to take a seat.

During the small talk, Xifeng noticed Jia Baoyu standing quietly by, his eyes wandering, seemingly distracted. She sneered inwardly, but maintained a polite smile as she continued her conversation with the Second Wife.

However, when Xifeng's gaze fell on Jia Baoyu again, she couldn't help but frown, thinking to herself: "Why did this idiot follow me here? What use can he be here?" But she didn't show it, just coughed lightly, trying to divert attention.

After exchanging pleasantries, the two parties sat down. Mrs. Wang said to Baoyu, "Baoyu, why don't you pay your respects to Mrs. Lin?" Jia Baoyu pouted and said, "Sister Feng was such a nice person before! How come she became so dull after getting married?" After Jia Baoyu said this, the maids and nannies around Xifeng suddenly changed their expressions. But Mrs. Wang said nonchalantly, "Feng'er, Baoyu has been spoiled by the imperial concubine in the palace since he was a child. You don't know that the imperial concubine likes Baoyu's cleverness the most."

Xifeng said nonchalantly, "Your Highness is certainly very discerning." Upon hearing Xifeng's answer, Lady Wang beamed with joy, saying, "Your Majesty has shown mercy and allowed the Empress to return home to visit her family, alleviating the pain of separation." Xifeng said, "This is truly a great blessing!" Lady Wang echoed, "Yes, yes, this is a great honor for our Jia family!"

Mrs. Wang continued, "We must make careful preparations to welcome the Empress back to the palace. There can't be the slightest mistake." A hint of arrogance lingered on Mrs. Wang's face as she spoke, "Your Daiyu and the Empress are cousins, so our two families are naturally related. This villa for the Empress's visit is a good opportunity for you to make her remember you. But as for the silver, we're still short, and it's not much. Just five hundred thousand taels." Hearing this, Xifeng's mouth twitched, and a subtle hint of sarcasm flashed in her eyes, but she still smiled and said, "Aunt, are you sure you're not joking?"

Mrs. Wang frowned and said unhappily, "Why, do you think I'm wrong?" Xifeng suppressed her anger and smiled even brighter. "Aunt, five hundred thousand taels is no small sum. Although our Lin family has some wealth, we can't afford such a large expense. Besides, building the villa for the imperial visit is the Jia family's responsibility. How can we, the Lin family, pay for it?"

Madam Wang sneered, "Isn't your Lin family very wealthy? This little money is nothing to you."