Chapter 541

Rongguo Prefecture, Lixiang courtyard.

Baochai entered the main hall, and seeing the flush on her face had not yet faded and her eyes could not hide her shyness and joy, Lady Wang's heart sank, and then anger surged.

There was only one man in the East Prefecture's inner courtyard—that boy; who else could have made Bao Yatou look like this? Could it be that the boy was lawless and had really seduced Bao Yatou?

Lady Wang was also someone who had been through it all; how could she not see Baochai's maidenly state? And she was wearing a strange cloak that wrapped her body tightly, and she didn't know what kind of mystery she was playing. Lady Wang even had the urge to tear open the cloak to see what was hidden underneath……

Xue Yima Xue was also somewhat strange about the flush on her daughter's face, but she was even more curious about the cloak on her daughter.

She asked: "Bao Yatou, where did you get this cloak? I was planning to have Tongxi send you one."

In fact, this cloak was Jia Cong's; it was a perfectly legitimate question, just a piece of clothing, but Baochai suddenly felt somewhat guilty.

She, who had always been generous and intelligent, was actually unable to speak, which made Lady Wang even more suspicious, and her face became somewhat gloomy.

Jin Chuan, who was standing to the side, was also a clever person; she noticed Lady Wang's cold gaze and unusual expression and soon guessed Lady Wang's thoughts.

She had served by Lady Wang's side for many years and was very clear about this Mistress's temperament, and even more so about Lady Wang's obsession with the "Gold and Jade Affinity."

She had always wanted to marry her daughter to Baoyu, but a man like Baoyu, who had no responsibility or character, was not worthy of her young lady; only a person like the Cong Sanye was a good match for the young lady.

Ever since she jumped into the well to seek death, Jin Chuan had been both afraid and resentful of Lady Wang, and she was filled with unusual feelings for Jia Cong, who had pulled her back from the gates of hell.

She also admired and was grateful to Baochai, who had given her a place to stay; the thought that kept churning in her heart was to let Jia Cong and Baochai both have a good outcome.

Jin Chuan bit her thin lips slightly and pretended to reply casually: "The young lady and the Cong Sanye were talking in the study, and I was waiting outside when it suddenly started to rain heavily."

"The Cong Sanye was worried that the young lady would be cold, so he let the young lady wear his cloak……"

Xue Yima Xue smiled: "It is said that Cong-ge'er is extremely good to his sisters, and it is not false at all; it is hard for him to be so thoughtful."

Xue Yima Xue was a shrewd person; seeing her daughter's flushed face and happy eyes, she knew it must be because of Jia Cong. She naturally understood her daughter's thoughts very well.

Although she didn't know what Jia Cong had done to provoke her daughter, Xue Yima Xue felt somewhat helpless in her heart.

She hoped that Jia Cong would get close to her daughter, but inside she was somewhat resistant; did she really want her daughter to be a concubine in the future?

But the words of her elder brother, Wang Ziteng, and the instigation and nonsense of her son, Xue Pan, made Xue Yima Xue feel somewhat shaken.

But no matter what, with her elder sister present, Xue Yima Xue naturally had to say some polite words to help her daughter cover up.

This matter hadn't even begun; if people really saw through it, wouldn't it ruin her daughter's reputation?

……

Jin Chuan's seemingly unintentional words were like a spark sprinkled into oil, making Lady Wang's suspicious fire burn even more fiercely, and she felt heart-wrenching fantasies in her heart.

She asked: "Weren't you going to find Second Sister and the others to talk? Why weren't the sisters together, but you were talking to Cong-ge'er?"

Lady Wang's persistent questioning made Baochai somewhat resistant, and she replied indifferently: "Third Sister wasn't feeling well today, so the sisters all went to the East Road courtyard to visit her; I happened to miss them when I went over."

Lady Wang knew that Seeing Tan Chun wasn't feeling well when she went out today and had even asked a medical woman to enter the courtyard to take her pulse; it was only natural for Yingchun and the other sisters to visit.

She felt increasingly gloomy and suspicious; that is to say, in the East Prefecture's inner courtyard today, only Baochai and that boy were together, and the two were talking in the study while her maid waited outside.

Thinking of this, Lady Wang's gaze toward Jin Chuan became somewhat unkind.

This Jin Chuan was not a good thing to begin with; she had made trouble with her Baoyu and was driven out by her. How could anything good come from such a person following Baochai?

She had seduced her Baoyu in the past, which showed she was restless; it wouldn't be strange if she instigated Baochai with some romantic talk or did some bridge-building and fire-fanning things.

Otherwise, when the young lady was talking to a man, why didn't her personal maid stay by her side to avoid suspicion, but instead hid outside the door……

Although that boy would only reach fifteen in a few months, Baochai was a big girl who had reached the age of fifteen; a man and a woman were alone in a room, and Baochai even wore that boy's clothes when she came out……

Lady Wang had deep-seated prejudices and hatred toward Jia Cong, and coupled with her own narrow and dark mind, seeing Baochai's flushed face again, some unspeakable, filthy images even appeared in her mind……

Fortunately, she still had some reason in her heart and kept comforting herself that things wouldn't go that far.

It was just that her niece, who had always been bright, magnanimous, and sensible, had cast a shadow in Lady Wang's heart for the first time, producing a suspicion and unhappiness she had never felt before.

……

I don't know why, but after that pleasant chat in the study that day, Baochai couldn't be sure if it was her illusion, but she felt that the relationship between her and Jia Cong seemed to have gotten closer.

Thinking of Jia Cong's unintentional, slightly frivolous words, her heart felt soft and her heart beat fast.

Xue Yima Xue and Lady Wang's questions seemed to be inseparable from Brother Cong, which made Baochai feel somewhat uncontrollably guilty.

Seeing her aunt was somewhat restless and seemed to have something else to say, Baochai was afraid she would ask something, which would not only make her lose face but would eventually involve Brother Cong.

She preempted: "Mother, the thunder just now came suddenly, and I was somewhat frightened; my heart is still racing, so I'll go back to the room to rest."

Jin Chuan also didn't look sideways and followed Baochai into the inner room, not even looking at Lady Wang, as if she didn't see the unkindness in Lady Wang's gaze.

Ever since she was driven out of the second branch by Lady Wang, a life-and-death struggle had turned their ten-year master-servant relationship into that of strangers.

If it were still the past, even if she were Baochai's maid, if Lady Wang knew her thoughts and that she wanted to help the young lady lean toward the Cong Sanye, she wouldn't have let her off easily.

It was just that the Jia family had long changed its sky, and the Cong Sanye was the true master of the East and West Prefectures, so Jin Chuan naturally no longer feared any poison Lady Wang might use.

……

Seeing Baochai lift the door curtain and enter the inner room gracefully, Lady Wang had to swallow the questions that had reached her lips, and she felt even more unhappy.

Although she had waited for Baochai to return, Baochai's unusual expression and the cloak she wore—which belonged to Jia Cong—left Lady Wang full of questions and terrified, and she no longer had the heart to sit there.

Xue Yima Xue saw her elder sister suddenly bid her farewell, as if the chat they had mentioned earlier had never been brought up.

However, Xue Yima Xue saw her elder sister's expression and couldn't guess what she was thinking, so she didn't force her to stay.

After Lady Wang left with an unhappy expression, Xue Yima Xue looked at her elder sister's back and sighed in her heart.

Ever since the Jia family's second branch lost its title, her sister's temperament had become increasingly mean; in the past, she still had some magnanimity and forbearance, but now it was gradually disappearing.

Now that Baochai and Baoyu had no connection at all, her sister was already interfering with who Baochai associated with and talked to; if she really married over, she was afraid this mother-in-law would be difficult to get along with.

……

Ningrong Street, Count's Mansion.

Seeing Baochai enter the West Prefecture, Jia Cong took Qingwen back to his courtyard.

The rain hadn't lessened, and the mountains, water, and trees in the garden were all moist; the rain hit the two oil-paper umbrellas with a pattering sound.

Jia Cong looked at Qingwen, who was holding an umbrella and walking by his side; her hair was dark and shiny, she wore a rouge-red long coat with flower patterns, an lotus-colored cross-collar undershirt inside, and a crimson embroidered sweat-towel at her waist.

Her eyebrows were like a painting, she was pretty and clever, her shoulders were like cut jade, her waist was flexible, and her gait was very light, revealing a sense of agile vitality.

Jia Cong asked: "Qingwen, in the past, you would nest in the courtyard on rainy days and refuse to move; why are you so diligent today, following me out in the rain?"

Surrounded by rain, Qingwen replied prettily: "Cong Sanye, don't you dare slander me; I have always been diligent. The ground is slippery and wet when it rains; who would want to go out if there's nothing to do?"

She blinked her eyes and said: "But today the Cong Sanye has something to do, so I naturally have to follow to serve."

Hearing her strange tone, Jia Cong scolded with a smile: "Your clever mouth just says whatever it wants; what could I possibly have to do?"

Qingwen asked with a smile: "Cong Sanye, do you think Bao Miss is pretty?"

Jia Cong replied casually: "Of course she is pretty; so what?"

Qingwen had an "as I thought" expression and said: "Cong Sanye, have you taken a fancy to Bao Miss?"

"Nonsense, just because someone is pretty, does that mean I have to take a fancy to them? What kind of logic is that?"

"Hee hee, Cong Sanye, no need to deny it; I saw it clearly from the side. If you have taken a fancy to Bao Miss, you are going to be in trouble."

Hearing Qingwen's words, Jia Cong felt curious and stopped, asking: "That's strange; why would I be in trouble if I took a fancy to her? Tell me about it."

Qingwen said: "For the past two years, there has been talk in the West Prefecture about the 'Gold and Jade Affinity.' I heard those old women say that this was all talk stirred up by the Mistress and the Xue Yima."

"The Mistress wants Bao Miss to be her daughter-in-law with all her heart, but the one the Old Matriarch has taken a fancy to is Lin Miss, just waiting for Lin Miss to grow up. However, the Mistress is, after all, Baoyu's own mother, so I'm afraid her words carry more weight than the Old Matriarch's."

"If the Cong Sanye has taken a fancy to Bao Miss and ruined Baoyu's marriage with her, then the Old Matriarch will be satisfied, and since you and Lin Miss are so close, wouldn't that be trouble?"

The maids in Jia Cong's courtyard naturally all knew that among the sisters, only Lin Miss was the Cong Sanye's cousin, and the Cong Sanye was different toward Lin Miss, so how could they not guess the meaning?

Daiyu's appearance and demeanor were outstanding, her actions were clever and transparent, and her speech was clever and interesting, which suited Qingwen's temperament very well.

Usually, Daiyu would walk around in Jia Cong's courtyard, and she was very harmonious with maids like Qingwen; although she was sharp-tongued outside, she was very popular in Jia Cong's courtyard.

It was no surprise that Qingwen spoke up for Daiyu.

……

It was just that her words truly surprised Jia Cong; he had originally thought Qingwen was a straightforward person and hadn't expected her to think through such complicated matters.

Could it be that this was a natural attribute of girls—usually calm, but once they encountered such gossip, they could easily see through the essence……

Jia Cong smiled: "Qingwen, you can think through such complicated matters so clearly; it turns out you are so smart."

Qingwen frowned and said with dissatisfaction: "Cong Sanye, that's not a compliment; what do you mean by 'it turns out you are so smart'? Did you think I was very stupid before?"

Jia Cong smiled: "Whether you are truly smart or not, I'll know if I test it."

Qingwen was very curious and asked: "How does the Cong Sanye want to test it?"

Jia Cong smiled: "Didn't you say that if someone is pretty, I will take a fancy to them?"

Qingwen blurted out: "That's naturally correct; could the Cong Sanye take a fancy to someone ugly?"

Suddenly, Qingwen felt a slight warmth on her hand, her heart felt soft, and she subconsciously pulled it away, scolding: "Oh, Cong Sanye, why are you touching my hand? I'm not Wu'er."

Jia Cong smiled and said: "Isn't that the test?"

Qingwen watched Jia Cong walk to the front with an umbrella, and only then did she realize it; her pretty face was flushed red.

She bit her red cherry lips, stomped her foot in dissatisfaction, and the splashed rain wet the hem of her skirt.

She muttered: "I just showed off my cleverness and made him happy and surprised, but I didn't expect that as soon as I talked too much, it would be like lighting a firecracker; I was still teased by the Cong Sanye. What a broken mouth."

Qingwen saw Jia Cong walking somewhat far away and suddenly stopping to wait for her, feeling a slight joy in her heart, and hurried to catch up: "Cong Sanye, wait for me……"

……

Since that day, Baochai hadn't come to the East Prefecture for the next two days.

Seeing that Jia Cong hadn't gone to find Baochai and was still reading in the study every day, Qingwen understood that Jia Cong and Baochai had no connection yet.

It was just that she had been teased by Jia Cong that day and was dissatisfied, so she would sway in front of him every day when she had the chance.

Finally, one day at noon, Jia Cong was taking a walk in the courtyard after a meal and met Qingwen in the veranda.

Jia Cong asked curiously: "Qingwen, why are you holding your hands out?"

Qingwen said hesitantly: "Cong Sanye, I've been washing too many clothes lately; look and see if my hands have become rough."

Jia Cong knew that Qingwen had come to her senses about yesterday's matter and was looking for compensation from him.

She held back her smile and took her hands to look at them; they were slender, the skin was white and delicate, soft and boneless in his hand, and the ten nails were painted with light balsam juice, which looked very beautiful.

In the afternoon sun, which was bright and dazzling, Jia Cong played with Qingwen's little hands, deliberately teasing her in his heart; Qingwen's face became redder and redder.

Jia Cong smiled: "You're talking nonsense again; how could they become rough? The clothes in the courtyard are all washed by Juan'er, Si'er, and several old women; I've never seen you wash clothes every day."

"I have naturally washed them; the Cong Sanye just hasn't seen it." Although Qingwen argued with her mouth, she couldn't bear to pull her hands back.

Just as she saw Lingguan and Douguan enter the courtyard gate, Qingwen pulled her hands back.

Because Jia Cong's body was blocking the view, Lingguan didn't see that scene.

She saw Qingwen's flushed face and saw her turn and leave as soon as she saw her, which seemed like she was fleeing in panic, making Lingguan feel somewhat strange.

……

Jia Cong saw Douguan holding a pile of various visiting cards, and Lingguan said: "These were passed in by the old woman at the outer gate; they are all visiting cards for the Cong Sanye from these past few days."

"The steward has already declined them for the Cong Sanye, but these people left their cards, so the steward had them passed to the inner courtyard to see if there are any important ones for the Cong Sanye."

Seeing Douguan's small body holding a pile of visiting cards with some difficulty, it was clear there were quite a few, so he smiled and took them.

He opened the seven or eight visiting cards one by one and saw that the names inside were very unfamiliar; they were all scholars from various prefectures, and one of them was even a provincial top scholar.

He knew that he was the Yongzhou top scholar and had always had a reputation for his writing and talent, so his fame outside was quite significant.

Those who had the confidence to leave visiting cards at the mansion would not be ordinary scholars; most were outstanding performers in the provincial examinations of various prefectures or talents with some fame in various places.

Jia Cong believed that if he finished reading this pile of visiting cards, there would definitely be more than one top scholar among them.

However, these people were all strangers to him, and it was safer not to see them than to see them.

These people who left visiting cards all had words about asking for advice and guidance in their tone.

Most of them might be doing it for the sake of academic exchange.

But there would also be quite a few who relied on their talent, were arrogant and extraordinary, and came to test him, using his name to refresh their own reputation; such top-tier people among scholars would never be lacking at any time.

Jia Cong's teacher was a master of the world's literature, with a prosperous academic background; it was rare to find many who could rival him.

He was already the Yongzhou top scholar, and as long as he took the examination normally, a Jinshi degree would be within his reach.

There was really no need to argue about friendship with these strangers or do some sour, hypocritical things like communicating knowledge or testing talent; frankly speaking, people didn't come for these things in the first place.

The kind ones were just expanding their own connections, while the dark-minded ones had intentions that couldn't be spoken of.

Some extreme ones even calculated whether there was a backbone to step on.

There had always been talk of scholars belittling each other; the word "belittle" was actually too understated. Scholars read until they were full of knowledge, but if they did evil, they were more sinister and hateful than robbers who killed and looted.

As a master of the literati, Liu Jing'an was not only outstanding in learning but had also seen the evil of human hearts through his ups and downs in his official career; before retiring, he had served as the chief examiner for the metropolitan examination twice and knew the darkness of the examination field very well.

Jia Cong was the late-life disciple most highly esteemed by Liu Jing'an; he not only taught him the way of the classics and examinations but also pointed out his experience and insights into the official and examination fields one by one.

He had pointed out to Jia Cong that the metropolitan examination was the final hurdle for scholars and their ultimate path to leaping over the dragon gate, but it was also the most dangerous path for scholars.

He asked Jia Cong to learn to hide his light and keep a low profile before entering the metropolitan examination; there was no need to participate in literary gatherings and banquets between scholars and officials, as it was of no benefit to the examination.

Moreover, as a primary descendant of a noble family, a two-time successful candidate, with outstanding talent and dual titles, his reputation was already too dazzling, which was not a good thing.

He didn't know how many people were watching him in the light and in the dark, and the risks were unpredictable.

Now there was a rumor in the capital that he would definitely enter the first rank; if he entered the first rank, there would be talented people in the world who would not enter the first rank, and if he took up a spot, there would definitely be one more disappointed person.

In every metropolitan examination, anyone who was a hot favorite to win was infinitely glorious in the mouths of the crowd, but inside, it was no different from being the public enemy of all scholars; how many people wished you would have some trouble.

Liu Jing'an had always hoped that his disciples would be glorious in the examination field—the higher the rank, the better—whether it was the third, second, or first place.

But for this disciple he valued most in his life and who was also the most special in his heart, he didn't hope for Jia Cong to be too high-profile; as long as he could enter the second or third rank and win a Jinshi degree, that would be enough.

What the old man hoped for in his heart was not how glorious Jia Cong was, but that he would live safely and live long enough……

Even if Jia Cong was only a third-rank Jinshi in the end, his standing and starting point would be something even the top scholar of this session would be unable to catch up with.

And Liu Jing'an's teachings coincided with Jia Cong's own temperament.

Plus, he had the excuse of mourning for his father, so reading and pondering at the mansion, and laughing and relaxing with the maids in the courtyard, wasn't that more peaceful and comfortable?

No matter how big the scholar who came to visit, he would decline to see them, and they wouldn't be able to let out a single fart. (End of chapter)