Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

After a long journey, he finally returned home and saw Aunt Xue, whom he had not seen for a long time. Without taking a break, Xue Ke recounted to Aunt Xue everything he had seen and heard during his visit to the prison, as well as the content of his conversation with Xue Pan. In particular, he described the details of how the county magistrate abused his power for personal gain and how the case was judged and adjudicated, which he described in great detail. Finally, he comforted Aunt Xue, saying, "Don't worry, my aunt. The case has been ruled as an accidental injury. As long as we spend a little more money to make arrangements, we can guarantee that we can successfully atone for the crime, and then my brother will be safe!" After hearing Xue Ke's words, Aunt Xue's heart, which had been hanging in the air, finally settled down a little. She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, feeling relieved for the time being.

While Xue Ke was busy traveling outside, he suddenly heard shocking news from the palace—a noble concubine had passed away! This devastating news was like a bolt from the blue, instantly sending him into a state of panic. His mind subconsciously turned to Jia Yuanchun, given the close ties between the Jia family and the imperial palace, and Jia Yuanchun herself holding the position of noble concubine! Distraught, Xue Ke ignored all other matters and hurried back to the Jia residence, determined to uncover the truth and determine if the deceased was indeed Jia Yuanchun herself.

Putting aside Xue Ke's anxiety, the people in the Jia Mansion were horrified upon hearing the news! Especially Mrs. Wang, who was completely panicked upon hearing the news and hurried to sit down in Rongxi Hall. Her face was filled with worry, and she clutched a string of Buddhist beads in both hands, spinning them rapidly, as if this could ease her inner anxiety.

Madame Wang said to Lady Jia in a panic, "Madam, please give me some advice! I've tried every possible way to contact all the spies I can, but for some reason, not a single piece of news from the palace has leaked out. What should I do? What is the situation of the Empress now?"

Although Grandmother Jia was also extremely anxious at the moment, she knew that as the head of the family, she had to remain calm to reassure everyone. Therefore, Grandmother Jia tried to control her emotions and pretended to be calm and comforted them, saying, "Don't panic so much. Let's wait and see. Maybe this is just a false alarm."

At this moment, Li Wan, who was always calm, slowly stepped forward and persuaded in a soft voice: "Grandpa, Madam, in my opinion, we might as well secretly send some reliable people to wait at the palace gate. In this way, if there is any accurate news, we will be able to know the details at the first time." After hearing this, everyone nodded in praise, saying that this plan was very appropriate.

At that time, the atmosphere in the room was solemn and everyone was talking when suddenly a young servant rushed into the room with a panicked look on his face. He fell to his knees with a thud and kowtowed to report important news to Lady Jia and Lady Wang: "Your Highness, Madam, I have just received accurate information. The person who was previously rumored to have passed away was not our Empress! It was actually another Imperial Concubine."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Wang paused abruptly, her fingering of the Buddhist beads in her hand, as if time had frozen. She was startled for a moment, then let out a long, drawn-out breath. Her tense expression instantly relaxed, replaced by a look of relief. Meanwhile, Jia's mother, who was gently twisting her beads, paused for a moment, then nodded slightly, muttering, "Amitabha, may the Buddha bless me. I am truly blessed."

At this time, Aunt Xue, who was sitting on the side, finally came back to her senses from her initial shock. She patted her chest lightly, calmed down and said, "Oh my, we were really scared today! Fortunately, it was just a false alarm. But in my opinion, things in the palace have always been unpredictable and difficult to predict. We have to pay more attention to them in the future." After hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.

After all this trouble, the Jia family gradually returned to their usual orderly life. Everyone performed their duties and busily took care of their own affairs. At the same time, everyone secretly planned to wait for the right time to reward the kind-hearted person who had passed on the news in time and saved them from unforeseen disaster.

That very morning, while it was still light, word suddenly arrived from the palace that the Empress was gravely ill and that all the ladies of high rank had been summoned to pay their respects. This sudden news was like a thunderbolt, sending shock and confusion through the Jia family. For a moment, everyone in the Jia household was filled with surprise and uncertainty, their hearts trembling with anxiety. But without further delay, they hurriedly packed their belongings, preparing to depart for the palace to investigate.

After the group hurriedly entered the palace gate, after several inquiries, they finally learned that the person seriously ill was actually Concubine Zhou. After learning this truth, the Jia family finally breathed a sigh of relief, and their hearts, which had been hanging in their throats, finally settled down.

However, before they even left the palace, shocking news arrived—Concubine Zhou had suddenly passed away! For those families with titles, this meant they had to stay in the palace once again, kneeling in vigil.

Although the Jia family had their complaints, who would dare to defy such strict palace rules? So, everyone could only silently endure this helplessness and pain.

During the long and solemn kneeling before the casket, Mrs. Wang happened to catch a glimpse of Jia Yuanchun hurrying in. She leaned close to Mrs. Wang's ear and whispered a few words, then held out her hand for some silver. Although Mrs. Wang was extremely reluctant, she pulled some banknotes from her sleeve and handed them to Jia Yuanchun.

A few days later, a letter from Xue Pan arrived at the Jia Mansion. Aunt Xue couldn't wait to open the envelope and called Baochai to read it together. She saw that the handwriting on the letter was sloppy and obviously written in a hurry:

"Mother, please do not worry. I have not suffered much in this county. However, yesterday the clerk at the county government office informed me that the request we made has been approved and reported in detail. I believe our connections must have played a role."

Unexpectedly, when the matter was reported to the government office, it was refuted by the prefect. Not only that, the prefect also severely reprimanded the magistrate.

Now, the Daotai has decided to personally try the case. If I were to be taken in for questioning, I'm afraid I'd have to suffer a lot. The problem must be that I failed to successfully ask the Daotai for help.

"When mother reads this letter, please send someone to visit the Daotai official immediately and ask my brother to come as soon as possible. The silver we need must not be short of money. Remember to hurry, the sooner the better!"

After hearing this, Aunt Xue couldn't help but feel sad, and tears burst out like a flood. Her heartbroken cry echoed in the room, which was heartbreaking.

Xue Ke, who was standing by, was extremely anxious, but he still tried to calm down and comfort Aunt Xue. He said softly, "Things have come to this point. Time is running out. We can't delay any longer!"

Aunt Xue knew her nephew's words were true, so she had no choice but to order Xue Ke to go to the county government office immediately to take care of the relevant matters. At the same time, she quickly ordered the servants to quickly pack their luggage and exchange the required silver.

After everything was ready, Xue Ke didn't dare to delay and, accompanied by a servant familiar with the local situation, set off under the cover of night. They traveled non-stop, hoping to reach the county government office as soon as possible to handle this difficult matter.

Meanwhile, Aunt Xue, having calmed down a bit, staggered to Lady Wang's residence. She wept and told Lady Wang the whole story, her words filled with helplessness and pleading, begging her to persuade Jia Zheng to intercede for her son.

However, Mrs. Wang's heart was as clear as a mirror. She knew clearly that Jia Zheng was always reluctant to interfere in such matters. But looking at Aunt Xue in front of her, who was in tears and close to collapse, Mrs. Wang's heart was also full of pain. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond.

However, Mrs. Wang knew that she couldn't easily go against Aunt Xue's feelings, so she could only comfort her with soft words and persuade her, while making ambiguous and vague promises. Although she was coping like this on the surface, deep down in her heart, she had already begun to secretly think about other possible ways.

In reality, Mrs. Wang herself had been feeling quite troubled for the past few days. The reasons were, firstly, Jia Yuanchun's frequent visits demanding money, and secondly, the series of troubles Xue Pan had caused. These two things weighed heavily on Mrs. Wang's heart, leaving her gloomy and restless all day.

After careful consideration, Madam Wang finally made up her mind and decided to consult with her closest confidants before making any decisions. Mrs. Zhou Rui, who had always understood Madam Wang's thoughts, had a keen eye. After hearing Madam Wang's account of the whole story, a sly glint flashed in her ever-shifting eyes, and a brilliant plan immediately came to mind. "Madam, in my opinion, we should start with the official's trusted associates. We should carefully select rare and precious gifts and use this opportunity to gather information and determine where the problem lies. As for the Empress, we can simply ask the Xue family to fund the solution. Think about it, the Xue family only has one son and one daughter. Now that our cousin has caused such trouble, all that money will ultimately go to Miss Bao!" Madam Wang listened attentively, nodding slightly in agreement.

Having made up their minds, the two began to make intensive plans. Madam Wang lowered her voice, her expression solemn, and whispered to Zhou Ruijia, "How about this? You quietly take the master's name card and go to the county magistrate. Be sure to instruct him to make an impartial judgment according to the court's laws and not to show any partiality or favoritism. Remember, this matter must be handled flawlessly, and not a single word of it must leak out." With that, Madam Wang gently waved her hand, signaling Zhou Ruijia to act quickly.

After receiving the instructions, Zhou Ruijia carefully put away the master's business card and hurried off to do her work.

Zhou Ruijia arrived at the county magistrate's office, presenting her name card and explaining her purpose. The magistrate, already wary of the Jia family's power, was even more reluctant to ignore the card. However, having experienced the ups and downs of officialdom for many years, he understood the complexities involved. While ostensibly agreeing, he was intent on avoiding offending both sides.

After completing her mission, Zhou Ruijia hurried back to the mansion to report to Lady Wang. Upon seeing Lady Wang, Zhou Ruijia hurried forward to greet her and then reported the whole story to her in detail.

After hearing this, Mrs. Wang's heart finally settled a little. She thought to herself that once Xue Pan was sentenced, Aunt Xue would cling even more tightly to the Jia family. Then, she could seize the opportunity to ask the Xue family to provide funds for the Empress's residence in the palace, thus reaping even greater benefits for the Jia family.

Meanwhile, Grandmother Jia had recently come up with an idea: to hold a grand engagement banquet for Baoyu and Daiyu. One day, seizing the perfect opportunity, she called Jia Zheng over and said, "Now that our Baoyu has grown up, it's time for you, his parents and elders, to carefully consider how to organize this important event for him! After all, this is a crucial moment that will determine his lifelong happiness."

Upon hearing this, Jia Zheng bowed hastily and replied, "You are absolutely right, old lady! But in my opinion, this child is not yet up to the task. He spends his days idle and idle, and has made little progress in his studies. If we hastily engage him with Miss Lin, I'm afraid we will ruin her bright future. What a pity!"

After hearing this, Jia's mother couldn't help but feel a little unhappy. Her face darkened slightly and she said, "To be honest, now that you are the parents, why should an old woman like me bother with all this trouble? It's just that I think of Baoyu, a child who has been growing up with me since he was a child, so it's inevitable that I love him a little more. In my opinion, his natural appearance is quite handsome and neat, and his character is quite honest and simple. He may not necessarily be a bad boy who has no future and ruins other girls in vain! Perhaps I really am too partial to him. I wonder what you all think about this matter?"