Chapter 517: The Xue Family Reveals a Phoenix-like Grace

Rongguo Prefecture, Rongqing Hall.

Jia Mu received several noble ladies and young ladies early in the morning. After some idle chatter and listening to a bellyful of praise and flattery, she was truly very satisfied.

She asked Lady Wang to send off the guests on her behalf and was just about to go to the back hall to rest for a while, thinking that there might be guests coming later, so she could save her energy to entertain them.

At this time, an old woman outside the hall came in and said, "Old Lady, Lady Xue sent word that the second master of the Xue family has brought his children north by sea to the Imperial Household Department to report on their duties and audit accounts."

"Because he came to the mansion to visit Lady Xue, he didn't want to lose etiquette, so he specifically requested to see and visit the Old Lady."

Jia Mu was also somewhat surprised. Lady Xue had been borrowing residence in the Jia mansion for a long time and often accompanied Jia Mu to chat, so Jia Mu knew quite a bit about the Xue family's affairs.

Xue Baochai's father was the eldest son of the previous generation of the Xue family and inherited the family business left by Xue Baochai's great-grandfather, the Ziwei She Ren Xue Gong.

The eldest master of the Xue family held a position in the Guangchu Office of the Imperial Household Department, engaged in various purchasing matters for the royal family, and was an old-fashioned imperial merchant.

The second master of the Xue family had a single name, Yuan. Originally, he was just an unremarkable disciple of the Xue family, managing family business under his elder brother.

When the Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao ascended the throne, Xue Yuan followed his elder brother to the capital to handle affairs. For some reason, he unexpectedly gained the appreciation of the Physician of the Guangchu Office of the Imperial Household Department.

That Physician even recommended Xue Yuan to the then Superintendent of the Imperial Household Department. Later, Xue Yuan unexpectedly obtained a nominal position in the Imperial Household Department, which could be considered a special favor and encounter.

From then on, Xue Yuan accepted the assignment from the palace, specializing in traveling to the southern frontiers and overseas for the royal family to search for rare treasures.

Since Xue Yuan's strange rise to fame, old friends in Jinling all said that the Xue family was a single branch, but it bloomed with twin flowers.

Xue Yuan was different from his elder brother's deep and restrained nature. His temperament was broad and not lacking in meticulous thought, and he loved traveling the world best.

Since accepting the errand of the Imperial Household Department, he had taken his children and family to travel and do business everywhere, often spending a year in this province and half a year in that province, having walked five or six out of ten parts of the world, with extremely broad knowledge.

Although after Xue Baochai's father passed away, the ancestral family business of the Xue family was still in the hands of the eldest branch, this second master of the Xue family had his own foundation, and his status in the Xue family was pivotal.

Jia Mu naturally knew that this second master of the Xue family had some background. Since he came to visit, she naturally had to see him.

Jia Mu smiled, "I heard long ago that he travels all over the world. It is rare for him to come to the Love Shenjing. Since we are all relatives, there is no need to avoid men and women. Please ask Lady Xue to come over together."

The old woman went out to pass the message. Jia Mu also asked the women in the inner chamber, such as Li Wan and Yuanyang, to withdraw and avoid, leaving only a few experienced old women to serve.

After a while, footsteps were heard outside the hall. Only Lady Xue was seen entering with a full face of smiles, followed by a man in his early forties.

The man wore a blue silk round-collared long robe with floral patterns. He was tall and slender, with a handsome appearance, and a neatly trimmed short beard under his jaw. Although his face was slightly dark and had the air of a dusty traveler, his eyes were bright and his spirit was high.

Lady Xue smiled, "Old Lady, this is my second younger brother at home. He happens to be on official business in the Love Shenjing these few days, so he specifically came to pay his respects to the Old Lady."

Xue Yuan stepped forward to salute and smiled, "The junior has a single name, Yuan. I heard long ago that the Rongguo Old Lady is an old relative and senior with high longevity and great blessings. Being able to pay respects today is truly not a wasted trip."

Jia Mu was very satisfied with Xue Yuan's unobtrusive flattery and smiled, "I heard long ago that the second master travels all over the world and has broad knowledge. Seeing him today, he is indeed a good person."

Jia Mu asked again, "I heard from Lady Xue earlier that the second master has a pair of children, both of whom are extremely outstanding. I just heard from the message that they also came to the capital with the second master. Why didn't you bring them to visit together?"

Xue Yuan smiled, "Thank you for asking, Old Lady. The two siblings did indeed come with me, but my daughter Baoqin has been raised in the southern provinces since she was a child. These years, she has been traveling with me in warm and moist places."

"So, upon arriving in the Love Shenjing for the first time, she is somewhat unacclimated to the bitter cold here. She caught a cold yesterday and is still running a fever. Bringing her to pay respects to the Old Lady, I fear transmitting the illness."

"When I left, I asked her brother to take care of her in the villa, so they cannot come. They will definitely pay respects to the Old Lady in the future."

Jia Mu said, "I am also from the south. When I first came to the Love Shenjing, I couldn't stand the cold here either. It is common to be slightly unwell, and she will be fine after taking care of herself for a few days."

She also said, "Today, male guests are visiting. My Zheng is on duty at the office and cannot meet for a while. Cong'er is currently in mourning at home, so I will ask him to come and pay respects to his relative and senior."

Jia Mu wanted to let Baoyu come to pay respects, but after the last time Jia Cong inherited the title, the imperial decree belittled her Baoyu so badly that Jia Mu lost her usual confidence to boast, and she didn't let Baoyu come out to meet guests easily.

Xue Yuan smiled, "On the way to the capital, the junior heard rumors that the Earl of Lord Weiyuan of the Jia family is young, wise, and outstanding, highly valued by the current Emperor, and has obtained the glory of holding two titles in one body."

"Now his reputation is spreading north and south. Being able to see him today is a rare joy. It is a pity that my pair of children cannot make it. Otherwise, I would let the siblings of the same generation meet, so that they can be guided and cared for by the Earl of Lord Weiyuan in the future."

Jia Mu was also satisfied with Xue Yuan's smooth and pleasant flattery, but she still felt slightly regretful, feeling that if this were changed to her Baoyu, it would make her even happier.

But she smiled, "In terms of seniority, he is just your junior. It is not appropriate to call him Earl of Lord Weiyuan. When he comes over later, just call him Cong'er."

Jia Mu said, and asked the old woman beside her to go to the East Prefecture to invite Jia Cong to meet the guests.

Rongguo Prefecture, Baoyu's courtyard.

Seeing that Xi Ren and She Yue's statements were consistent, both reporting good news and not bad news, and Qiu Wen was hesitant to speak, Lady Wang knew there was something going on.

She was afraid that if Xi Ren and She Yue were present, Qiu Wen would have scruples when speaking.

This was why she sent Xi Ren, She Yue, and Bi Hen away, leaving only Qiu Wen in the room.

Lady Wang turned the prayer beads on her hand and asked, "If you have anything to say, just say it boldly now. Do not hide anything."

Qiu Wen said cautiously, "Lady, by reason, I shouldn't speak behind people's backs in front of you, but you trust me to serve Bao Er Ye Bao, so I cannot watch Bao Er Ye Bao be fooled and suffer."

Hearing that her Baoyu was being fooled and suffering, Lady Wang's half-closed eyes suddenly opened wide, and she asked sternly, "Who is so bold to fool my Baoyu?"

Qiu Wen said, "It is not an outsider, but someone in Bao Er Ye's courtyard. Someone is taking the monthly allowance from Bao Er Ye's courtyard, but is distracted and working for another master."

At this moment, Lady Wang had lost the title of the second branch, was not only squeezed out of Rongxi Hall, but even had to move to the East Courtyard. It was the time when her heart was extremely ashamed and sensitive, and she felt that everyone around her wanted to harm her.

Now hearing Qiu Wen say that someone dared to treat her Baoyu like this, she was immediately hooked into the haze in her heart, just like a spark on rolling oil, and the anger flared up, difficult to restrain.

She slapped the table and said angrily, "Which little slut in the courtyard is it, daring to do such a lawless thing? Say who it is quickly!"

Qiu Wen thought of Xiao Hong's sharp tongue, repeatedly arguing with her, often leaving her speechless, and she had been holding back a breath in her heart.

Seeing that a few words of hers made Lady Wang furious, she was secretly proud, thinking to herself, "Xiao Hong, you cheap hoof, let's see how long you can be proud. This time, even your parents can't protect you."

With Xi Ren and She Yue not present, Qiu Wen became even less scrupulous.

She added fuel to the fire, saying that Xiao Hong was lazy in her work all day, hooked up with Cong Sanye Cong, and helped Second Grandmother Lian run errands to curry favor.

Lady Wang heard that Xiao Hong was serving in Baoyu's room, but was distracted, running errands for Jia Cong and Wang Xifeng, and actually dared to be so unfaithful.

She felt that Jia Cong had snatched the second branch's title and pulled Wang Xifeng to snatch her management power. Now the two people she hated most were these two.

But Xiao Hong in Baoyu's room happened to go to hook up and curry favor with these two people. This was slapping her in the face.

She had just moved out of Rongxi Hall, and these slaves were already seeing the wind and steering the rudder, not putting her in their eyes!

Lady Wang suddenly thought of Lin Zhixiao's wife's good face at the entrance of Rongxi Hall just now. As a manager of the inner courtyard, she actually listened to the instructions of a hairy girl by Jia Cong's side.

She just saw that the kid had gained power, so she didn't want this old face anymore, and even curried favor with his maid. It was truly disgusting to the extreme.

The mother and daughter were both the same kind of cheap goods!

Lady Wang thought of these related troublesome things, her face turned pale with anger, and she shouted, "Call Xiao Hong here immediately!"

Qiu Wen pushed the door out of the room and saw Xi Ren and She Yue standing in the corridor. She guessed that they must have heard most of Lady Wang's words.

However, Qiu Wen didn't care. She knew that Xi Ren and She Yue were always above her, and she was worried about having no place to turn over.

Now, borrowing Lady Wang's hand to get rid of an Xiao Hong, she also let them know that she was not easy to deal with, and no one would provoke her in Baoyu's room in the future.

After a while, Qiu Wen brought Xiao Hong, whose face was pale, over.

Just now, when Qiu Wen went to the backyard to find her, she was still full of pride and schadenfreude, saying that Lady Wang wanted to see her immediately.

How could Xiao Hong not know? It must be Qiu Wen stirring up trouble in front of Lady Wang. She was afraid she was about to face a disaster.

Seeing that although Xiao Hong's face was pale, her corners of the mouth were tightly pursed, revealing a shrewdness and stubbornness rarely seen in girls of her age.

Lady Wang had always disliked this kind of woman with cleverness, because she felt that such a woman was born restless.

In those years, her sister-in-law was clever and shrewd, which made her feel ashamed when she first entered the Jia family and suffered a lot. Her daughter was also like this! Now seeing the aura on Xiao Hong, Lady Wang felt even more disgusted in her heart and said, "In those years, your parents came to beg me to let you serve in Baoyu's room."

"I looked at the old face of several generations, so I took you in. I didn't expect you to repay me like this. It's fine if you don't work carefully in Baoyu's room."

"You actually hooked up with others outside and did shameless things, ruining my Baoyu's reputation. How can I tolerate you!"

Although Xiao Hong was shrewd, she was only a teenager after all and hadn't seen any big scenes. She was frightened by Lady Wang's severity and irritability. She defended herself with a pale face, "Lady, don't listen to others' nonsense. I didn't do anything hooking up, and I wouldn't do anything shameless."

"A few days ago, Cong Sanye and Second Grandmother were handling matters in the garden. Because they didn't have maids with them, they ordered me to pass a message. There was nothing else."

Seeing that Xiao Hong didn't obediently admit her guilt and actually argued with her, Lady Wang heard words like "Cong Sanye" and "Second Grandmother," and her anger burned. She didn't get angry but laughed instead.

Gritting her teeth, she said, "Now the mansion is in such a mess, and there are no rules of superior and inferior."

"You think about what kind of thing you are, and you dare to talk in front of me. From today on, you are not allowed to be in Baoyu's courtyard. Get out immediately, and call your parents to take you away!"

Xiao Hong was already crying, "Lady, I didn't do anything wrong. Why do you want to drive me out? How can I explain myself in the future?"

Lady Wang said angrily, "What things you have done, you don't even know yourself. If it weren't for Lin Zhixiao's old face of several generations, according to my meaning, I should have sent you to the outer courtyard to be matched with a small servant."

"Get out quickly, lest you make me continue looking at your frivolous and wanton appearance! Qiu Wen, take her to pack her things, and watch her closely so she doesn't sneak away with anything that isn't hers!"

Qiu Wen didn't care about Xiao Hong's sobbing, pulled her and dragged her out, muttering, "Now you are not a person in this courtyard. If you want to cry, go to another place to howl. Don't find trouble here!"

After Lady Wang finished dealing with Xiao Hong, she saw Caiyun enter the room and said, "Lady, news came from Rongqing Hall that Lady Xue brought the second master of the Xue family to visit the Old Lady."

Hearing this, Lady Wang's heart moved slightly. She had heard that the second master of the Xue family had a foundation, specializing in searching for overseas antiques and rare treasures for the palace, and it was said that he had a big background in the Imperial Household Department.

She also heard that the second master of the Xue family had a daughter, who was said to be beautiful, like a fairy.

Last time Lady Wang mentioned Baoyu's marriage to Lady Xue, her sister's words clearly had the meaning of pushing away.

This made Lady Wang very unhappy. Her sister was mostly worried about Baoyu's current reputation.

But Lady Wang couldn't break this matter. One was to take care of the sisterly relationship, and the other was that as long as the matter was not broken, she could leave a thought for Baoyu's marriage.

But even so, in the matter of Baoyu's marriage, Lady Wang no longer went to the end of the road, and had long ago given birth to other intentions.

In the past few days, noble ladies who visited the Old Lady, those who brought young ladies to visit, Lady Wang had intentions in her heart.

Since she knew that the second master of the Xue family had such an outstanding daughter, she naturally had to pay attention, not to mention that the two families were real relatives.

Lady Wang took Caiyun and hurried out of Baoyu's courtyard. Before leaving, she told Xi Ren to send Xiao Hong away as soon as possible.

After Lady Wang left, She Yue saw that Qiu Wen was still pushing Xiao Hong, and she really couldn't stand it, so she went up and pulled Xiao Hong over.

She frowned and said to Qiu Wen, "People have been driven out, what else can you do? Everyone gathers and disperses well. Why do you have to make such a face? You should accumulate some virtue."

Qiu Wen knew that She Yue's tongue was the most powerful, and she couldn't argue with her no matter what.

Besides, She Yue had more face in front of Bao Er Ye Bao than her, so it was even worse for her to touch this stone, so she had to walk away resentfully.

Seeing Qiu Wen walk away, Xi Ren stepped forward and said to Xiao Hong, "You don't have to be sad. You are different from others. Your parents have a status in the mansion. Even if you go out, it is good to stay at home."

She Yue also advised on the side, "That's right, you just stay at home. You didn't kill or set fire, others can't do anything to you."

Xi Ren went into the room and took a set of new clothes that hadn't been worn, stuffed them to Xiao Hong, and said, "Everyone has been good for a while. Now that you are leaving, if you don't dislike these clothes, take them and wear them for fun."

"I will help you round up the words with your mother. Let She Yue help you pack up. Otherwise, if the Lady comes back in a while and sees you, it will be bad again."

In Xiao Hong's room, She Yue helped Xiao Hong pack up. Seeing Xiao Hong still shedding tears on the side, she sighed and said, "What's the use of crying? I told you long ago not to look at the wind."

"Xi Ren is right. You are already a good one, and you can stay at home steadily. If it were someone else, they would really be sent to the outer courtyard to be matched with a small servant."

Xiao Hong said with a bitter face, "Sister She Yue, I was driven out for no reason. How can I explain to my parents when I go back? They have been in the mansion for half a lifetime and have a face."

"If I go back, my father will surely beat me to death..."

She Yue said, "Beat a few times, then beat a few times. He is your biological father, can he beat you to death? It's better than you staying in the courtyard and being cleaned up!"

Seeing Xiao Hong still lowering her head and shedding tears, She Yue knew she couldn't swallow this breath, and her eyes turned, saying, "You were a shrewd person in the past, why are you confused now?"

"How could you forget what you suffered for? If you want your father not to beat you, and you want to turn over, it's actually not impossible. The things in this world are all about the person who tied the bell."

After She Yue finished speaking, seeing Xiao Hong still slightly stunned, she smiled and stretched out three fingers to her, and then produced two fingers.

Xiao Hong understood immediately.

She Yue said, "You suffered grievances because of this. Neither of those two masters is a fuel-saving lamp. There is always one who is soft-hearted..."

Rongguo Prefecture, Rongqing Hall.

Jia Cong received the message from the West Prefecture and was also somewhat surprised. He naturally knew the second master of the Xue family, not only because he raised a daughter with a loud reputation.

It was even said that this second master of the Xue family was a person who traveled the world, often traveling to the southern frontiers and overseas for many years. It sounded very unusual...

In the current world, transportation and communication are far less developed than in later generations. Only later generations would jokingly say that carriages and horses are slow and the journey is long, and one life is only enough to love one person.

Even if merchants are different from ordinary people and need to travel everywhere to do business, they will try to avoid routes that are too far away.

This is not only a matter of human energy and time, but also a matter of business cost and profit.

And this second master of the Xue family has been traveling to the southern sea frontiers all year round, and there are even legends of traveling overseas for business.

Xue Baoqin once said that she traveled to the Zhenzhen Kingdom with her father and once met a talented woman from the outside with golden hair and blue eyes...

According to the common sense of the current world, if Xue Yuan did not have strong financial resources and power, he would not be able to do such a distant frontier business.

However, Jia Cong knew that the ancestral family business of the Xue family was inherited by the eldest branch of the Xue family, which was Xue Baochai's father. As the second son, Xue Yuan, according to common sense, could not share much wealth.

Therefore, Jia Cong was still quite curious about this person...

When he entered Rongqing Hall and saw a middle-aged man with outstanding demeanor sitting on the right, he thought it must be the father of Xue Ke and Xue Baoqin.

And when the other party saw him enter, a pair of bright eyes looked at him very intently, and a strange spirit seemed to flash in his eyes.

Seeing Jia Cong, Lady Xue smiled and introduced him to Xue Yuan.

Xue Yuan specifically stood up and smiled, "I have long heard of the Earl of Lord Weiyuan of the Jia family, a phoenix among men, unparalleled. Seeing him today, his reputation is well-deserved. The Old Lady is truly blessed!"

Jia Cong smiled, "Bao Er Ye Xue is too polite. Seniors are respected. Since I am a junior, it is not appropriate to call me Earl of Lord Weiyuan. Just call me Cong'er."

Xue Yuan was a person who traveled the world, so he was naturally knowledgeable, his behavior was atmospheric, and his conversation was broad, which meant he could chat very well.

Jia Cong was quick-witted, and his knowledge could not be measured by common sense. The two of them just started chatting, and they hit it off very well.

Lady Xue had always admired her second uncle's breadth. Seeing that Jia Cong, at such a young age, could also chat about the world, and his knowledge and words were not at all inferior, she was secretly surprised.

She was worried that the two of them would chat vigorously and neglect Jia Mu, so she accompanied Jia Mu to talk about family affairs. The atmosphere of conversation in Rongqing Hall became unusually warm and harmonious.

Xue Yuan just chatted with Jia Cong at first. Hearing him ask about the southern frontiers, he picked up some strange things and talked about them.

But he didn't expect that Jia Cong, following his topic, also talked about the customs and people of various countries in the South Seas, and he knew them in great detail. Some things were even heard for the first time by himself.

Xue Yuan was surprised and asked, "At such an age, has Cong'er already traveled to various frontier countries?"

Jia Cong smiled, "Bao Er Ye is laughing at me. I grew up in the Love Shenjing and only went to Liaodong and visited the south of the Yangtze River a few times. Where would I have the fortune to go to such places?"

Xue Yuan wondered, "If you haven't been there, but you can know the various affairs of the frontier like the back of your hand, it is truly strange."

Jia Cong smiled, "Although I haven't been there, I once met a foreign missionary when I was young. I read many translated miscellaneous books and travelogues from him, so I know a little bit."

Xue Yuan smiled, "No wonder people say that a scholar doesn't go out, but knows the affairs of the world. Cong'er has passed the examination twice, and his poetry and prose are famous in the south of the Yangtze River. He is a rare great talent, and this ability to read is also amazing."

At this time, Lady Wang was entering Rongqing Hall. She was not a widowed woman like Li Wan, nor was she a delicate lady in the boudoir, so she naturally didn't need to avoid it too much, intending to speak a few words with this old relative of the Xue family.

One was the etiquette between old relatives, and the other was that she had some calculations in her mind.

But just after entering the hall, she saw Jia Cong talking to Bao Er Ye Xue, and this old relative of hers was saying: double-degree winner, famous in the south of the Yangtze River, rare great talent, and other warm words.

Lady Wang lost her appetite immediately, feeling bitter in her mouth, and couldn't help but feel depressed, why is this kid everywhere! (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 518 =====