Chapter 520: The Noble Family Hides Secret Matters

Rongguo Prefecture, Rongxi Hall.

Jia Cong and Wu'er heard the footsteps at the courtyard gate and saw Ping'er walking gracefully.

Jia Cong asked, "Why did Sister Ping'er find it here? Is there anything?"

Although Ping'er felt that Wang Xifeng's words made sense, she was still hesitant to tell Jia Cong the reason why Xiao Hong was driven away.

If Cong Sanye and Second Lady clashed because of this, wouldn't it be her fault...

Seeing Ping'er's expression hesitant and stuttering, Jia Cong said, "Sister Ping'er, just say what you have to say, no need to worry about anything."

Ping'er then said, "Cong Sanye, Xiao Hong in Bao Er Ye Bao's room was driven away by the Lady yesterday. Cong Sanye should know the reason for this matter."

"According to my inquiry, someone in Bao Er Ye Bao's room said bad things about Xiao Hong in front of the Lady, saying that she ran errands for Cong Sanye and Second Grandmother, was not loyal enough, and broke the rules, so Xiao Hong was driven away."

Jia Cong frowned when he heard this.

In the past, it was not that he didn't know that Lady Wang had selfish resentment and hated his rapid rise, which covered up Baoyu's limelight. However, those were all treacherous things hidden in the family, and he didn't take them to heart.

But that time Jia Zheng proposed to move to the East Courtyard, Jia Cong wanted to persuade him to stay, but Lady Wang used words to restrict him, with sinister intentions, which made him truly disgusted with Lady Wang.

Now hearing Ping'er's words, he felt even more disgusted with Lady Wang's behavior. She had no way to deal with him, so she casually trampled on a maid to vent.

He suddenly asked Ping'er, "Did Second Sister-in-law tell you to tell me this?"

Ping'er's beautiful face turned red, and she murmured, "Cong Sanye... how did you know."

Jia Cong looked at the "Rongxi Hall" written by the late Emperor on the plaque of the hall and said, "I understand Second Sister-in-law's meaning. Since I have taken over this family business, if I don't encounter things, that's fine."

"Since I have encountered it, I must distinguish right from wrong. Xiao Hong running errands for me is nothing wrong. She was driven away because of this. If I don't say a right or wrong, what justice and heart are there in the mansion?"

"In the future, everyone will be cautious, measure left and right, and form cliques. Who will work with peace of mind? The family rules and regulations will all be ruined!"

Hearing Jia Cong's words, the more he said, the more severe his tone became, and Ping'er felt a little uneasy. Cong Sanye wouldn't really use this matter to attack the Lady, would he?

Xiao Hong is just a maid after all. If this really makes a fuss, wouldn't Cong Sanye be caught by others?

Jia Cong asked, "Sister Ping'er, the old master and lady moved out of Rongxi Hall. The original maids and old women were all taken away. Now Rongxi Hall has no one to serve, right?"

Ping'er replied, "Yes, the original maids and old women all followed the Lady to the side courtyard. Because Lin Danniang has been organizing Rongxi Hall according to Wu'er's instructions these few days, she hasn't had time to allocate manpower to go in."

Jia Cong asked again, "What position did Xiao Hong hold in Baoyu's courtyard?"

Ping'er replied, "She was a third-class maid in Bao Er Ye Bao's courtyard who fed birds, watered flowers, and washed clothes."

Jia Cong smiled slightly and said, "You help me pass a message to Second Sister-in-law, saying that I see Xiao Hong is clever and capable. Now that Rongxi Hall is vacant, promote her to be a second-class manager maid in Rongxi Hall."

"Assign her two rough maids, and I live in the East Prefecture daily. Let her be responsible for guarding and cleaning Rongxi Hall, so that it will be convenient for me to move in when I receive guests during the New Year."

Ping'er was stunned for a moment, then felt a sense of relief in her heart, feeling that this method was excellent. This way, Cong Sanye would not have to confront the Second Lady directly, and would not be caught by others for filial piety.

And it could solve Xiao Hong's grievance and add one more person to serve. It was truly a matter of killing two birds with one stone. It is indeed a scholar like Cong Sanye who has a delicate mind and many methods.

Ping'er originally felt that telling Jia Cong the reason for Xiao Hong being driven away would make Jia Cong do things, bringing him handles and trouble. Now she was completely relieved.

She said with joy, "I will go and reply to Second Grandmother!"

Rongguo Prefecture, Fengjie Courtyard.

Wang Xifeng listened to Ping'er's report and smiled, "Third Brother is truly a person in the officialdom. He understands it at once. This method of his is indeed excellent. At least I couldn't think of it, and I didn't have this courage."

"The Lady drove out a third-class maid, and he turned around and promoted her to be a manager maid in Rongxi Hall. Although it is only a second-class one, Rongxi Hall is the main hall of the Rongguo Prefecture, and its status is one level higher than Rongqing Hall."

"If the Lady hears this, I don't know how angry she will be."

"They all say that scholars are bad, and it is really true. This method of cleaning people is simply unable to pick out any flaws, but it can tear people's faces alive! Now he has just taken charge of the family, and there are hundreds of family-born slaves in the family, among whom there are many who are selfish, treacherous, see the wind and steer the rudder, and stab in the back."

"And the Lady has been in charge of the family for many years. I am just a person running errands with an order flag. You calculate how many people in the mansion, how many years, are all used to looking at the Lady's face."

"Now the Lady is not working, but the tiger is dead and the prestige is still there. It is not easy to make the people below submissive in two or three days."

"Third Brother is catching the thief first, catching the king. Borrowing Xiao Hong's matter, in front of everyone in the mansion, he first broke the Lady's momentum, and it will be easy to clean up the ones below in the future."

Ping'er asked with a confused expression, "What is the reason for this?"

Wang Xifeng smiled, "You forgot how Lin Danniang came to beg me this morning? Now Third Brother let Xiao Hong be the manager maid of Rongxi Hall, and that couple will have to be wholeheartedly respectful and submissive to him."

"This move is Third Brother's most powerful place, just like what is said in the opera, four taels to move a thousand catties. He subdued Xiao Hong, which is holding the managers inside and outside the Rongguo Prefecture. Who will listen to this mansion in the future?"

"If Grandmother really did that, it would only make the third brother win even more hearts."

This series of words made Ping'er stupid. Cong Sanye just promoted a second-class manager maid, and it was said by Grandmother to have so many ways...

Wang Xifeng said here, suddenly her phoenix eyes lit up, slapped the table, and said, "I know, he calculated it long ago. Third is truly insidious!"

Ping'er was startled by Wang Xifeng, and her expression was blank.

Wang Xifeng said, "Do you still remember the day I asked Xiao Hong to pass a message to you?"

Ping'er said with a confused expression, "Naturally, I remember. Isn't it asking me to send the soil and stone bill and the population list?"

Wang Xifeng narrowed her eyes and said, "That was the first time Third saw Xiao Hong, but he knew Xiao Hong was a maid in Baoyu's room, so he paid special attention to her. I will never see it wrong."

"And he also told me that Xiao Hong responded appropriately and spoke nimbly, and was a clever and wise person."

"He only saw Xiao Hong for the first time, how could he value her so much? This is not reasonable, and it was he who proposed to let me find a maid to run errands."

"I think he had calculations in his heart at that time, and he was determined to use Xiao Hong in Baoyu's room to kill the Lady's remaining prestige in the mansion! This mind is too infiltrating!"

Ping'er heard Wang Xifeng's wild words, and her beautiful face was a bit stiff, murmuring, "Grandmother, why do you make Cong Sanye sound so scary..."

Rongguo Prefecture, Lixiang Courtyard.

There are more than ten rooms in the courtyard. Although the venue is not very large, it is clean and comfortable, and the place does not look awkward at all.

Lady Xue's family has lived here for two years. Although the Xue family also has a mansion in the capital, and her elder brother Wang Ziteng is an official in the capital.

But Lady Xue didn't seem to have thought about moving back to the Xue mansion, or relying on her elder brother Wang Ziteng.

Xue Pan originally wanted to move back to the Xue mansion to stand on his own, so that he could play more freely, look more decent outside, and avoid being managed by elders like Jia Zheng.

Later, he just couldn't beat Lady Xue, so he lived in it unwillingly. It was only after he lived in that he knew that the Jia family's disciples were even more dissolute than him.

Baoyu didn't do his job, mixed in the inner house, Jia Lian hooked up with women to sleep, these don't need to be said, the disciples of the Ning and Rong prefectures drank flower wine, raised boys, and gambled, which was all done.

This opened Xue Pan's eyes, and he mixed with those Jia family branch disciples, happy and not thinking about returning, and never mentioned moving away again.

Lady Xue only thought her son was obedient and filial. In fact, he was just learning to be worse and worse.

On this day, in the main room of Lixiang Courtyard, Xue Yuan, who had completed the report and audit in the Imperial Household Department, brought many gifts to visit his elder sister-in-law and a pair of nephew and niece.

Lady Xue looked at the gifts on the table and asked, "Second brother, you have only been in the Love Shenjing for a few days, why are you in such a hurry to return to Jinling?"

"Besides, Baoqin, this girl, caught a cold, and her body is not yet strong. How can she endure the fatigue of a long journey?"

"In my opinion, there are only a few days left before New Year's Eve, and you can't catch up with returning to Jinling for the New Year. It is better to stay in the Love Shenjing until after the New Year before leaving. The few little ones are all here, and our two families can have a reunion."

Xue Yuan said, "Sister-in-law, I don't want to be in such a hurry. Besides, I haven't seen Baochai and Pan'er for many years. It is naturally good to stay in the Love Shenjing for the New Year."

"However, I have a big business in the frontier. After the New Year, I have to pick up goods and plan in Jinling, so I have to rush back. After finishing this business, I might retire. This time I came to the Love Shenjing, I have already ordered a marriage for Baoqin and the son of the Mei Hanlin family. I am afraid I will live in the Love Shenjing in a few years. When the time comes, there will be a time for the family to reunite."

Seeing that he was determined to go, Lady Xue couldn't force it, and asked the servant to carry a few boxes of gifts out.

She said, "There are two boxes of local products here. You take them back and give them to your sister-in-law. This box is a festival gift sent by the Jia family Old Lady. I heard it was specifically arranged by Cong'er."

Xue Yuan looked at the boxes of gifts and said, "The first Rongguo Duke was a hero of his generation. Since he passed away, the two world brothers have been ordinary. Last year, the Ningguo Prefecture was raided, and the Jia family was near decline."

"But I didn't expect that such an outstanding disciple as Jia Cong would appear. Yesterday, I only chatted with him in Rongqing Hall for a while, but this young man's mind and knowledge are extremely unusual. It is truly well-deserved."

"I think it is the blessing of the Ning and Rong Dukes that has not declined, which allowed the Jia family to raise such a heroic phoenix-like son."

"It really makes me envious. If my Xue family could also produce such a disciple, restoring the glory of the ancestors would be just around the corner."

Lady Xue smiled, "Second brother is also rare and strange. I have lived in Lixiang Courtyard for two years and don't know how many strange things I have seen about this Cong'er. It is truly countless, and I am used to it."

"Such a person is extremely rare. How can every family produce one? If you ask me, Ke'er and Baoqin are both extremely good. Don't always feel that other people's children are strong."

Xue Yuan smiled, "Ke'er follows the rules, so I don't have to worry about it. However, compared with such talents as Jia Cong, it is difficult to speak in the same breath."

Xue Yuan suddenly asked, "Sister-in-law, my elder brother was full of knowledge and broad-minded in those years. Otherwise, my niece Baochai would not have been cultivated with full knowledge."

"My elder brother was free and easy in Jinling in those years, and liked to associate with high-ranking scholars and celebrities. I wonder if he has ever met a person named Mr. Master Xi Liu?"

Lady Xue thought for a while and said, "Your elder brother had so many friends when he was alive. By reason, I can't remember so many, but I have some impression of this Mr. Master Xi Liu because his name is strange."

Xue Yuan heard this, his face changed suddenly. He just asked casually, but he didn't expect his elder brother to really know Master Xi Liu.

In those years, Baochai's father was knowledgeable and once intended to take the imperial examination, but he failed repeatedly, so he died of his heart and settled down to manage the ancestral business.

Xue Yuan had a large age gap with his elder brother, and there was some meaning of brother as father. His elder brother was deep and

Xue Yima Xue thought for a moment and said, "Your eldest brother had so many friends while he was alive; logically, I shouldn't be able to remember so many, but I do have some impression of this Mr. Master Xi Liu because his name is strange."

Upon hearing this, Xue Yuan's expression changed abruptly. He had only asked casually and never expected his eldest brother to actually know Master Xi Liu.

Back then, Baochai's father was highly learned and had once set his heart on the imperial examinations in his youth, but after failing repeatedly, he gave up the idea and settled down to manage the family's ancestral business.

There was a significant age gap between Xue Yuan and his elder brother, and in many ways, his brother acted as both brother and father. His brother was introverted and quite calculating, and there were many things he would not tell his younger brother.

Therefore, Xue Yuan knew very little about who his brother had associated with, even though his brother had traveled widely and interacted with great scholars and celebrities of Jiangnan. That was why he had asked the question.

He truly did not expect that he would inadvertently stumble upon the truth.

And since this Mr. Master Xi Liu could make the current Emperor inquire about his whereabouts, Xue Yuan recalled Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's deep and unfathomable expression at the time and concluded that it certainly could not be a good matter...

Xue Yima Xue continued, "I remember that at the time, Baochai had just been born, which was fifteen or sixteen years ago. Your eldest brother and the second master of the Jin Ling Zhen family were close friends, and the two families also had some business dealings then."

"Because of this, the two of them often went out to drink and feast. One time, your eldest brother came back drunk and looked very pleased. He said the second master of the Zhen family had hosted a banquet and introduced him to a hermit from Jin Ling."

"He said that the Jin Ling hermit was named Mr. Master Xi Liu, a rare and extraordinary person with astonishing talent. He was not only proficient in poetry, calligraphy, and painting, but also in miscellaneous arts like mountain lore, medicine, fate, divination, and physiognomy."

"Your eldest brother was also a learned man, and I had never seen him admire anyone's knowledge so much. Plus, the name Master Xi Liu was truly strange, so I have remembered it all these years."

Xue Yuan asked, "Did Eldest Brother continue to associate with Mr. Master Xi Liu afterward?"

Xue Yima Xue said, "I never heard your eldest brother mention this person again. Come to think of it, it is a bit strange; since your eldest brother admired this person so much, it shouldn't have been like that."

"Not long after that, a major incident occurred in Jin Ling City. The Jin Ling Du family was suddenly accused of treason. All the men in the family were executed, and the women were either forced to commit suicide with white silk or sold into slavery."

"The Du family back then was the true great family of Jin Ling, even more respectable than our Xue family. In such a short time, a whole family vanished just like that. Thinking about it now is still quite frightening."

Xue Yuan's expression changed slightly upon hearing this. He naturally knew about the Du family's affair. If it hadn't been for the Du family's incident, he wouldn't have taken on this earth-shattering task over the past dozen years...

Xue Yima Xue seemed to have been stirred to talk and continued, "It was also from that time on that the second master of the Zhen family and your eldest brother suddenly grew distant, and in the following years, they even cut off contact."

"Once, I was curious and asked the reason. Your eldest brother said the second master of the Zhen family seemed to be involved in maritime trade, and because it was somewhat taboo, his actions were a bit secretive, which was why he distanced himself from old friends."

"Second brother, you know clearly that although you took the position in the Imperial Household Department early on to trade and procure for the imperial court in the distant borderlands and overseas, that was an official government task, which is different."

"At that time, the imperial court had not yet issued maritime policies, and private merchants were forbidden from going to sea for profit. Although it was repeatedly banned by various families, it was ultimately not something that could be brought into the open. It is not strange that the second master of the Zhen family would act that way."

"Fortunately, your eldest brother was a steady man who only managed the family business passed down by the ancestors well. Although he didn't make a huge fortune in these dozen years, he kept the Xue family's business very stable."

Xue Yuan smiled slightly upon hearing this. He knew his sister-in-law was secretly boasting to him that the Xue family's ancestral business remained standing thanks to the eldest branch's many years of hard work.

However, he didn't care at all, because his mind was not on this ancestral business at all.

Among the four great families of Jin Ling—Jia, Wang, Shi, and Xue—the other three had a constant stream of talented descendants and were now prosperous in official ranks and growing in power.

Originally, the Jia family had shown signs of decline, but now that Jia Cong, who held two titles, had emerged, they already had the momentum to surpass others.

The Xue family had already lost their official titles for three generations and relied only on the gold and silver wealth left by their ancestors to barely cling to the end of the four great families. But how many more years could this situation be maintained? The decline of the family was already imminent.

When Xue Yuan was young, he had determined that gold, silver, and wealth could never restore the reputation of the Xue family.

His elder brother had also been a passionate and ambitious person in his youth, and both brothers had been full of enthusiasm for revitalizing the Xue family.

But ever since his brother inherited the Xue family's ancestral business, for some reason, he began to become old-fashioned and conservative, blindly guarding the ancestral business, and the passion of the past had completely vanished...

Xue Yuan could not agree with his brother's actions, which was why he thought of finding another path.

It was just that he had never told the Xue family about what he had been doing all these years; the family only thought he was just a buyer for the Imperial Household Department in the distant borderlands.

He had never considered the gold and silver business left by the Xue ancestors to be very important. What he wanted was more than that, and it was much more far-reaching.

Back then, the Xue ancestor only held an official position like a Ziwei Secretary. He, Xue Yuan, not only wanted to restore the glory of his predecessors but also to strive to far surpass his ancestors, so that the Xue family would live up to the name of the four great families!

Seeing that his second brother only smiled and nodded without objection when she mentioned the eldest branch's achievements, Xue Yima Xue felt somewhat gratified.

She knew that although Xue Yuan had not inherited the ancestral business, he had accumulated a considerable fortune over the years by relying on the Imperial Household Department's overseas trade. Since he didn't set his mind on this, that was for the best.

Xue Yima Xue added, "The elders often say that wealth and prosperity are destined. What Heaven should give you, there won't be a penny less, and there won't be a penny more. When the moon is full, it wanes; when the sun is at its zenith, it declines."

"This can be seen very clearly in the case of the second master of the Zhen family."

"A few years after that, the imperial court suddenly established the Maritime Customs Office in Jin Ling, and maritime policies were opened in all coastal provinces. At that time, everyone said the second master of the Zhen family had a poisonous eye."

"Just because their Zhen family took a step early, they relied on maritime trade to become greatly wealthy from then on. In just a few years, they earned the nickname 'Zhen Half-City'."

"Now, the Zhen family's gold, silver, and power not only exceed the Xue family's, but I'm afraid the entire Jin Ling City cannot find anyone who surpasses them."

"At that time, how many people in Jin Ling City envied them, all saying that the second master of the Zhen family was the God of Wealth reincarnated. But it was precisely at this peak of prosperity that a change occurred."

"Five years ago, your brother suddenly fell seriously ill. I invited almost all the famous doctors in Jiangnan, but no one could explain the cause of the illness. Many methods were used, but the medicine was ineffective."

When Xue Yima Xue spoke of her late husband, she couldn't help but shed tears and said, "At that time, second brother was in the distant borderlands. Your brother kept mentioning you until he passed away, but it was half a year later when you returned."

"At that time, when the family was handling your brother's funeral, the second master of the Zhen family also came to mourn, and he even came to support the coffin during the funeral procession. He could be considered a man of deep affection and loyalty."

"But no one expected that not long after, he went to sea for business and actually disappeared along with his ship and crew. Not even a corpse was recovered. You tell me, what is the use of earning mountains of gold and silver..."

Xue Yima Xue was still rambling on about trivial matters, but Xue Yuan's heart was churning. From Xue Yima Xue's words, he heard several key pieces of information.

His eldest brother actually knew Mr. Master Xi Liu, and it was introduced by Zhen Yingquan, the second master of the Zhen family. This meant that the relationship between Zhen Yingquan and Mr. Master Xi Liu must be very close.

Five years ago seemed to be an unlucky year; his eldest brother passed away that year, and Zhen Yingquan also disappeared that year...

Xue Yuan asked, "Second sister-in-law, who else have you told about Eldest Brother knowing Mr. Master Xi Liu?"

Xue Yima Xue looked surprised and replied, "This isn't a big deal. If you hadn't asked today, I wouldn't have thought about it. Naturally, I haven't mentioned it to anyone. Does this matter have any hindrance?"

Xue Yuan thought for a moment and said, "This Mr. Master Xi Liu is not a good person. He has been missing for more than a dozen years, and the government is still searching for his whereabouts."

"In the future, sister-in-law, you must not tell anyone about this, otherwise, if it spreads, it will surely lead to disaster!"

Seeing Xue Yuan's solemn expression, Xue Yima Xue was also startled. She knew that this second brother traveled north and south every day and was well-informed. Since he said so, there must be his reasons.

She hurriedly promised that she would never mention this matter to anyone else again. (End of chapter)