Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

After Concubine Jia returned to the palace, she went to the Emperor the next day to express her gratitude and to tell him about her visit. The Emperor feigned ignorance, pretending to be delighted by her words and praising Concubine Jia profusely. In reality, the Emperor already knew everything about the visit the previous night, and was fully aware of Jia Yuanchun's remarks. Her words, "You sent me to a place where I couldn't see anyone that day, and now I'm finally home, but instead of talking and laughing, I'm crying. I'll be gone soon, and I don't know when I'll be home again," were enough to infuriate the Emperor and further his dislike for her.

Then, the emperor allocated a large amount of colorful silk, gold, silver and other valuables from the inner treasury to reward Jia Zheng, the people in the Jia family, the palace maids, etc. The quantity and variety were great.

Upon learning of the emperor's gift, the Jia family members were overjoyed and their behavior became increasingly arrogant. They began to feel self-righteous, believing they had received special favor from the emperor and could rest easy. They even began to flaunt their wealth and status, demonstrating their superiority. This self-righteous attitude gradually spread, plunging the entire family into a state of self-absorption. However, they overlooked a crucial fact: the emperor's gift did not grant them free rein.

Besides, the people in the Rong and Ning mansions were exhausted after working tirelessly for several days. It took them two or three days to put away all the furnishings and things in the garden.

Seeing everyone in the family exhausted, Grandmother Jia felt pity and ordered everyone to rest for a few days. As a result, the Jia Mansion was unusually quiet for the past few days, devoid of the bustling atmosphere of the past. Everyone took the time to rest and recuperate, hoping to regain their strength as soon as possible.

In the courtyard, Aunt Xue and Xue Baochai, after witnessing the wealth and prosperity of the virtuous Consort Jia Yuanchun, were deeply troubled. Xue Baochai, in particular, was already ambitious, having longed to enter the palace and enjoy the splendor and wealth of imperial consorthood. Seeing Jia Yuanchun's prosperity, she was filled with envy. Meanwhile, Aunt Xue sat silently pondering something, seemingly perplexed by her daughter's failure to be chosen.

Suddenly, Aunt Xue felt something was amiss. She frowned and said, "My son, the more I think about it, the more it seems wrong that you were not selected. Given the reputations of the Wang and Jia families, and our wealth, it's impossible that Xiaoxuan didn't even have his name on the list and was eliminated in the first round! There must be something wrong."

Xue Baochai's heart was moved when she heard her mother's words. She had originally buried the idea of entering the palace deep in her heart, but now her hope was rekindled. She gritted her teeth and asked softly, "Mom, are you saying that someone deliberately made me fail the selection?"

Aunt Xue nodded, a trace of worry flashing in her eyes: "I hope it's not what I think..."

To find out the truth, mother and daughter decided to send someone to secretly inquire about the situation. However, despite their best efforts, they could not get any useful clues. As time passed, Xue Baochai's mood became increasingly heavy, and she was unwilling to give up her dream.

In the end, Xue Baochai finally made up her mind, lowered her status, and secretly delivered a letter to the Lin family. She knew that Lin Ruhai was a powerful figure and loved her cousin Wang Xifeng even more. If she could get some information from her, perhaps she could solve the mystery.

Attached to the envelope was a silver note for ten thousand taels of silver, and the letter explained in detail that it was the silver that Wang Xifeng gave as a reward to her servants when they were looking for information.

Wang Xifeng naturally accepted the money presented to her with a smile. As night fell, Lin Ruhai slowly entered the Wutong Courtyard. Xifeng greeted him upon entering, saying softly, "Today, Xue Baochai sent someone to deliver a letter. Perhaps you can guess what it's about." Lin Ruhai smiled faintly, a hint of cunning on his face. "Hmph, I guess she must have seen the grand occasion of the Jia family's visit and felt jealous, and also resentful that she wasn't selected." A flicker of admiration flashed in Xifeng's eyes. She gave Lin Ruhai a thumbs-up and praised him, "Your husband is truly brilliant and hit the nail on the head." Then, she handed the letter to Lin Ruhai.

Xifeng, secretly anticipating a bitter feud between the Xue family and Lady Wang, wrote back to Xue Baochai the next day. The letter detailed how Xue Baochai had originally been considered for the title, but Lady Wang, drawn to the Xue family's wealth, used her connections in the palace, the virtuous concubine, to prevent her from being selected. Upon learning of this, Xue Baochai immediately consulted with Aunt Xue and informed Xue Pan of the situation. After some discussion, the family of three decided to move out of the Jia residence without further delay, without choosing an auspicious date.

When Aunt Xue said goodbye to Lady Jia, she tried to persuade her to stay, but seeing they were determined to leave, she couldn't force them any further. Wang Shi, who was standing by, was shocked when she heard the news. She had originally planned to bring Xue Baochai and Jia Baoyu together, but now the Xue family was suddenly moving away. What was she going to do? Her face turned grim, and she began to think.

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Wang felt a little embarrassed, but she still smiled and said, "Sister, didn't we agree to stay a few days longer? Why are you leaving so suddenly? Did the servants fail to provide good hospitality?"

Aunt Xue secretly cursed Madam Wang, thinking she was such a nagging scoundrel, even plotting against her own niece. But on the surface, she could only smile and say, "That's not the case! My sister manages the household with integrity, and the servants are incredibly attentive and meticulous. It's just that Pan'er is growing up and is almost marriageable. Plus, the late master repeatedly urged me before his death, so I'm thinking of arranging a marriage for him quickly, so that the Xue family can expand and prosper, bringing comfort to the master's spirit. Besides, our house has been resting for so long, and now it's almost ready. We're just waiting for the wedding to take place. If I were to stay at my sister's house while we were looking for a date, it would be a joke. People would say we don't even have a place to live, and how could Pan'er ever get married?" In short, Aunt Xue was determined to leave. This was the outcome she had agreed to with her son and daughter last night. No matter how much Madam Wang tried to persuade her, she was determined to move out.

Aunt Xue and Lady Jia said goodbye and headed towards the gate of the mansion. They had asked the servants to start packing their luggage yesterday when the three of them had agreed to leave, and had taken it out through the small gate in the courtyard where they lived. Now they could leave directly. Mrs. Wang saw that she couldn't stop them, and she became more and more anxious. She hurried to catch up with Aunt Xue, grabbed her hand, and advised her earnestly: "Sister, listen to me, I know you want to leave, but you must keep Baochai no matter what! I have been observing how they get along these days, and I feel that their feelings have become deeper and deeper. They have finally come to this day, how can they just leave like that? Wouldn't that let Lin Daiyu take advantage! I think it's better to let Baochai continue to stay in the Jia Mansion, so that we can take care of her. I will definitely not treat her badly. Don't worry, I will treat her like my own daughter. Besides, the Queen praised our Baochai for her dignity and steadiness on the day of the visit. I believe she likes her very much."

However, Aunt Xue did not stop and continued to walk forward quickly, as if she had not heard what Lady Wang said at all. Seeing this, Lady Wang became even more anxious. She quickly quickened her pace and caught up with Aunt Xue. She grabbed Aunt Xue's hand tightly and said anxiously, "Sister, don't leave in a hurry! Please think about my proposal carefully! If Bao-ya-tou can become Bao-yu's wife, it would be great! Our two families are already relatives, and now we are even closer. Our future will definitely be better and better. Moreover, our family's property is so big, it will all belong to Bao-yu in the future. When Bao-ya-tou marries in, she will be the mistress of the house and will be in charge of all the affairs of the family. With her ability and character, she will definitely be able to handle this responsibility. Also, haven't you always been worried about Pan-er's future? After Bao-ya-tou gets married, let the imperial concubine arrange a suitable official position for Pan-er. In this way, you three, mother and son, will have someone to rely on, and you won't have to worry about your future life. So, just promise me and keep Bao-chai, okay?"