Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

As they were talking, they heard footsteps approaching from afar. It was Prince Teng returning from duty. When he entered the house, the two men hurriedly stood up to greet him and recounted the whole story in detail.

After hearing this, Wang Ziteng couldn't help but frown. After a moment's silence, he spoke up, "In my opinion, my elder sister is going to use some tricks to scheme against others again. This is most likely her own doing."

Upon hearing this, Madam Wang Ziteng's eyes widened, and she asked in confusion, "Master, why do you say that? What good will it do to my elder sister if Xue Pan gets into trouble?"

Wang Ziteng took his seat slowly and leisurely, reaching out to pick up the teacup on the table, taking a sip before slowly explaining the reason: "Madam, you're truly confused by the situation! On the surface, the Jia and Xue families appear to be closely connected, as close as family, but in reality, there are hidden currents and each harbors its own agenda. My second sister's husband passed away young, leaving behind a vast fortune of over a million taels of silver. My second sister has only one son and one daughter, neither of whom has yet married. If Xue Pan were to meet with misfortune and be unable to recover, this vast fortune would naturally become a generous dowry for Baochai when she marries. This way, my eldest sister could use this opportunity to gradually merge the Xue family's assets into the Jia family's, further strengthening the Jia family's wealth and influence."

Upon hearing this, Madam Wang Ziteng was startled. It was as if she had suddenly realized something, and she instantly understood the profound meaning behind it. However, she could not help but frown and said worriedly, "Oh! This method is really too insidious and cunning! So how should we deal with it now? Should we rescue Xue Pan? Besides, hasn't Grandmother Jia already made up her mind to betroth Lin Daiyu to Jia Baoyu to achieve a happy marriage? If so, doesn't that mean Xue Baochai has no chance of becoming the principal wife? At most, she can only be a concubine."

Wang Ziteng slowly put down the teacup in his hand. His eyes, as deep as a lake, stared into the distance. After a moment of thoughtful silence, he finally responded, "He must be saved. First of all, our Wang family and the Xue family have always been closely related. If we do not save Xue Pan at this moment, it would be unacceptable both morally and logically. Secondly, and more importantly, we must not allow my eldest sister to continue to act recklessly and misbehave like this. Otherwise, who knows what kind of greater disaster she will cause in the future!"

After a brief pause, Wang Ziteng continued his instructions methodically, "Early tomorrow morning, immediately send a trusted person to the Xue family and tell them to find the deceased's family and do everything they can to seek their forgiveness and understanding. Also, prepare a sufficient amount of money as compensation, ensuring the family willingly signs that crucial letter of understanding. Furthermore, have a shrewd and capable person secretly spread rumors, claiming that the Zhou Rui family harbored ulterior motives and secretly withheld the money intended for appeasing the victim's family, leading to Xue Pan's continued imprisonment. If these rumors spread and garner public attention, creating strong public pressure, then that humble county magistrate will no longer dare to openly favor the Jia family. Even my eldest sister, to protect her own reputation and that of the entire family, will likely be forced to withdraw."

After hearing Wang Ziteng's words, his wife nodded in agreement and immediately began to arrange everything according to Wang Ziteng's instructions. Meanwhile, Aunt Xue and Baochai remained at the mansion, anxiously awaiting news. They had no idea that a fierce, undercurrent of conflict was already unfolding in the shadows.

Not long after things were settled, news spread like wildfire, reaching Lady Wang at alarming speed. Upon hearing the news, Lady Wang was furious, stamping her feet repeatedly and cursing indignantly, "Second Brother is truly cruel! He resorted to such treacherous tactics, attempting to throw all this dirty water on me." However, despite her rage, she knew she couldn't lose her composure at this moment and had to remain calm in the face of the dilemma.

Meanwhile, Aunt Xue and Baochai, eagerly awaiting the arrival of their informant, finally saw the arrival of Wang Ziteng's master plan. After hearing the details of Wang Ziteng's plan, the mother and daughter exchanged a mixture of emotions. On the one hand, they were horrified by the complex schemes behind the incident; on the other, they couldn't help but feel delighted when they realized this incident might be an opportunity to exonerate Xue Pan from his guilt.

Aunt Xue didn't hesitate, and hurriedly followed Wang Ziteng's instructions. She quickly gathered the household's efficient and capable servants and ordered them to disperse and search for the deceased's relatives. After all, the deceased's family were just ordinary people. How could they possibly withstand the Xue family's combined tactics—first, soft persuasion, then the lucrative offer of a large sum of money? Sure enough, it wasn't long before the deceased's family succumbed to the pressure and quickly agreed to sign the crucial letter of understanding.

Meanwhile, across the mansion, Madam Wang's heart burned with rage. She was filled with indignation and disappointment at her brother Wang Ziteng's actions. However, as the unfavorable rumors spread like wildfire, she couldn't help but feel a sense of apprehension. After all, if these rumors continued to spread, it would not only damage the Jia family's reputation but could also bring unforeseen disasters to the Empress in the palace.

Madam Wang acted decisively, urgently dispatching capable personnel to prevent the spread of the rumors. She also racked her brains for a countermeasure, trying to find a way to reverse the situation and successfully strike back. As she pondered this, news from the palace pierced the sky like a thunderbolt: His Majesty would soon dispatch a special envoy to visit the people and assess their sentiments. He also issued a strict order: if any official was found to have engaged in favoritism or corruption during this period, they would be severely punished!

The news was like a giant stone dropped into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a thousand waves. The various factions, already surging undercurrents, took notice and began to reorganize their strategies. Suddenly, the situation became increasingly complex and confusing.

Time passed quickly, and after just a few days, the case of Xue Pan was finally concluded. Thanks to the active efforts of his family to explain the situation, the case progressed smoothly. Just then, a servant came hurriedly to report to Aunt Xue: "Madam, the higher-ups have ruled that the master's case was manslaughter. However, you will need to prepare the silver required for atonement in advance."

Aunt Xue's heart finally settled down a little after hearing this. She clasped her hands together and devoutly chanted "Amitabha", thanking God for saving her son from disaster.

On this side, Mrs. Wang was racking her brains to figure out how to make a perfect match for Xue Baochai, but she didn't know that the Xue family was looking for a husband for Xue Baochai. One day, Xue Pan happened to meet Jia Zhen while wandering on the street. As they were drinking, Jia Zhen pretended to be careless and said, "The Eighth Prince's Mansion has been very lively recently. People say that the Eighth Prince and the Eighth Princess are deeply in love. It's hard to believe." Xue Pan became interested and asked hurriedly, "Why is it hard to believe?" Jia Zhen leaned closer mysteriously and said, "I heard that the Eighth Prince's Princess is the Eighth Prince's cousin, but the Zhen family is still in decline, and the Eighth Prince's Princess has no children. This palace seems harmonious, but in fact there are undercurrents." Xue Pan's eyes turned, and he thought of his own sister Xue Baochai who was still unmarried. If he could have a relationship with the Eighth Prince, it would be a great thing to rise to fame overnight.

He hurried home, beads of sweat on his forehead, and rushed straight to Aunt Xue as soon as he entered the house. Without even taking a breath, he ran straight to where Aunt Xue was and told her everything in detail with an anxious look on his face.

Upon hearing this, Aunt Xue's eyes lit up, and her heart was moved. However, this sudden news also plunged her into deep confusion, and all sorts of concerns surged into her mind like a tide. Just as she hesitated, Xue Baochai approached with light steps. She was calm and composed, her red lips parted, and she said softly, "Mother, don't worry about your daughter." Although her voice was soft, the firmness it revealed was undeniable.

Meanwhile, far away at the Jia residence, Madam Wang learned of Aunt Xue's plans through her own spies. Suddenly, she felt a surge of inexplicable anger rising to her chest. She had always been obsessed with facilitating a happy marriage between Jia Baoyu and Xue Baochai, painstakingly working to achieve it. Now, seeing the Xue family flirting with the Eighth Prince's Mansion, wouldn't this disrupt her carefully crafted plan? Absolutely not! With this in mind, Madam Wang decided to resort to covert tactics, mobilizing her connections and spreading rumors that were unfavorable to the Xue family. She believed this would successfully prevent the Xue family's marriage to the Eighth Prince's Mansion. However, she never anticipated that the Eighth Prince's interest lay not in romantic relationships but in the Xue family's vast wealth.

A few days later, the weather was beautiful and sunny. Xue Pan excitedly invited Jia Zhen to drink and have fun together. After the two of them sat down at the table, while they were toasting, Xue Pan suddenly lowered his voice and asked Jia Zhen, "Brother Zhen, I heard you mention a few days ago that the Eighth Prince was interested in taking a concubine. Is this true?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhen was secretly delighted, but he remained silent. His eyes darted around, and after checking that no one was paying attention, he leaned close to Xue Pan's ear and whispered mysteriously, "Hush...be quiet! Just think of it as just some drunken rambling from me last time. Don't take it seriously."

However, seeing Jia Zhen like this, Xue Pan became even more convinced that this rumor was true. He immediately smiled and eagerly asked, "Brother Zhen, I dare not disbelieve you! What do you think of my sister? If this matter can be brought to fruition, I will definitely prepare a generous gift to present to you as a token of my gratitude!"

Seeing this, Jia Zhen pretended to be very embarrassed, frowning and pondering for a long time, as if he was going through a fierce struggle in his heart. Finally, he slowly said: "Alas, your sister is of course very good, with outstanding appearance and extraordinary talent. It's a pity that I really can't make the decision on this matter. But..." At this point, Jia Zhen paused slightly, whetting Xue Pan's appetite.

Then, he continued slowly, "I can offer you a clear path. You see, the Eighth Prince's most trusted person is his steward, Li. If you can bribe him to speak well of your sister to the Prince, you might actually have a chance of success."

Xue Pan was so overjoyed upon hearing this that he nearly jumped out of his chair. He nodded his head in agreement and thanked Jia Zhen profusely, muttering, "Thank you, Brother Zhen, for your guidance. I'll keep it in mind! I'll definitely reward you handsomely when I succeed!"

Jia Zhen sat there with a smile on his face, chatting with Xue Pan about various topics, and time passed quietly. After a long while, Jia Zhen felt that the time was almost up, so he stood up, bowed to Xue Pan and said, "I have enjoyed talking with you today, my dear brother, but I still have some trivial matters to take care of at home, so I will take my leave first."

Xue Pan nodded absentmindedly, thinking about his own affairs, and did not speak to Jia Zhen to stay. Seeing this, Jia Zhen smiled slightly and turned to leave the restaurant.

After leaving the restaurant, Jia Zhen didn't rush back to his mansion. He waved his hand, signaling the servants to go back first, and he boarded a beautifully decorated carriage with his most trusted butler. The driver gently waved his whip, and the carriage slowly moved forward, heading towards the Eighth Prince's Palace.

At that moment, inside the Eighth Prince's mansion, the Eighth Prince was sitting in his study, discussing important matters with his housekeeper. Suddenly, a servant hurried in with a report: "Your Highness, Jia Zhen from the Ningguo Mansion is here to visit." Upon hearing this, the Eighth Prince was startled for a moment, then a barely perceptible smile crossed his lips, and he ordered: "Quickly invite him in."

Soon, Jia Zhen walked into the study with steady steps. Seeing the Eighth Prince, he did not dare to neglect him. He knelt on both knees and kowtowed respectfully, saying, "Your servant Jia Zhen greets the Eighth Prince. May His Majesty live a thousand years!" The Eighth Prince smiled amiably and said, "Rise quickly. This is not the court. There's no need for such formalities." However, Jia Zhen knew that etiquette was important, so he performed the full ceremony before carefully standing up.