Chapter 791: Coveting Leads to Life and Death

Rongguo Prefecture, Rongqing Hall.

Lady Wang brought Yu Chuan out of Lixiang Courtyard, passed through the east and west halls, and passed the South Hall.

Along the way, the sun was bright, and the birdcages hanging scattered under the eaves of the veranda made crisp bird calls from time to time.

Lady Wang had just entered the back courtyard of Rongqing Hall and was about to bypass the hall to enter, when she heard Wang Xifeng's crisp laughter, and she couldn't help but stop.

Wang Xifeng's heroic voice made Lady Wang feel disgusted. Now that the two branches had a grudge, the original niece had become an enemy.

Moreover, Wang Xifeng was too shrewd and was wholeheartedly standing for Jia Cong.

She went into the hall to talk to the Old Matron. If this plan was heard by her, it would definitely cause extra trouble.

Lady Wang felt depressed. She was once the managing wife of Rongguo Prefecture, and in the Duke's mansion, besides the Old Matron, she was the most noble woman.

The relatives and slaves in the mansion all had to look at her face, and she was so glorious and prominent at that time.

It was not like now, so suffocated and uncomfortable. Entering the mansion gate was like entering another family, and every word and action had many concerns. It was truly that heaven had no eyes.

Fortunately, she had only stood for a while when she heard Wang Xifeng saying goodbye to the Old Matron, so she slowed her pace and entered the hall.

She just saw the rough maid cleaning up the tea cups. She thought Wang Xifeng had just left, and she felt relieved in her heart.

The Old Matron was letting Yuanyang beat her back. Seeing Lady Wang enter the hall, she smiled, "Why are you free to come over today? I heard Seeing Cai Xia's morning sickness is severe."

"I have difficulty walking, so I didn't go to see her. How is she now?"

Lady Wang smiled, "Thanks to the Old Matron always remembering her. Seeing Cai Xia is pregnant and morning sickness is inevitable."

"I just went to see her. Her complexion is rosy, her blood is sufficient, and she is very well-maintained. As long as the New Year passes, she won't have morning sickness."

The Old Matron said, "Ever since Xia Gu Niang sent the twelfth lunar month etiquette, I have been thinking about Seeing Cai Xia's matter."

"Baoyu's marriage is in March next year, and Seeing Cai Xia's belly will be big by then. This matter needs some consideration."

"Last time Xia Gu Niang sent gifts, I saw her handling the scene, and she is a capable little daughter-in-law."

"It's just that no matter how capable and satisfactory the girl is, when she first enters the door, the concubine in the room is pregnant. In the big mansion, there are some taboos."

"I think after Baoyu gets married, the young couple must live in the East Road Courtyard, but before Seeing Cai Xia's child lands, she should stay in the West Mansion first, so I can take care of her."

Lady Wang was a shrewd person in the inner chambers. Although the Old Matron's words were vague, she understood the meaning immediately.

In the big mansion, the wife has just entered the door, and the woman in the room is pregnant. No matter how virtuous the woman is, there will be thorns in her heart.

If she does something excessive for self-protection or to establish prestige, it is not a fresh thing in the inner chambers of the noble mansion...

That day, Xia Gu Niang sent gifts to the Jia family. Her actions were bold and neat, her words were dense and detailed, and she looked like she had a bit of Sister Feng's bearing.

It is a good thing for Baoyu to marry a capable daughter-in-law, but the more capable the daughter-in-law, the less of a soft persimmon she is.

It is not guaranteed that she will feel disgusted and hostile to the little wife who took the lead. This can be considered human nature. Once this storm passes, everyone will be stable.

The Old Matron is still ginger-old and spicy. She must have thought of the hidden signs in it, so she decided on this method of prevention.

If it were according to common sense, Lady Wang would naturally have nothing to say, but Seeing Cai Xia would not be in common sense...

Now Seeing Cai Xia is raising her fetus in Baoyu's courtyard. Lady Wang has already set the words, letting her rest assured, and not allowing her to go out of Baoyu's courtyard at will.

She also let She Ren and Caiyun take care of her carefully, and not allow any mistakes. Therefore, although Lady Wang has concerns, she is not afraid for a while.

But after Baoyu gets married, if Seeing Cai Xia is left alone in the West Mansion, Lady Wang will lose the convenience of control.

By then, the people serving by Seeing Cai Xia's side will be changed, and if any wind leaks out...

Moreover, besides the jealousy and worry about Seeing Cai Xia, the Old Matron mentioned that Baoyu needs to move back to the East Road Courtyard after getting married, which made Lady Wang feel even more awkward in her heart.

Although she knew that the Old Matron was talking about common sense, she still felt uncomfortable like a cat scratching and a dog biting, and she always felt that it shouldn't be like this. It was unreasonable.

She said, "The Old Matron has doted on Baoyu the most in her life. Now that he is about to start a family, it is time for him to be filial to the Old Matron."

"It's just that he left your side after getting married. It's unbearable to hear. Baoyu is always filial, I'm afraid he won't be willing if he hears this."

Yuanyang, who was beating the Old Matron's back, heard Lady Wang's words and couldn't help but despise her. The second Lady usually puts on the bearing of a big wife, and pays the most attention to the word "face," but she does the most faceless things.

The West Mansion is the third master's family business. In the world, there is no reason for the cousin to have already married and still live in the cousin's house for a lifetime.

In the future, the brother-in-law will enter and exit his own inner courtyard and run into his sister-in-law every day. The most important etiquette and taboos of the big mansion are all gone.

It is said that the Bao second grandmother who hasn't entered the door is also a proper daughter of a prominent family. To let her see the brother-in-law every day, and not let her live in shame.

The second Lady has also been a managing wife. Why didn't she think of these principles?

She let her son stay in the West Mansion, which is trampling on her own daughter-in-law. Even if it is like this, wouldn't it even stain the third master's reputation?

……

Upon hearing Lady Wang's words, Jia Mu shook her head and said, "I understand what you mean, but the situation in the family is vastly different now; Jia Cong is the imperially appointed heir to the Rongguo hereditary title."

The Western Mansion is his own estate and property; after Jia Baoyu marries, he will have his own household, and with the clan laws and family etiquette as they are, continuing to live in the Western Mansion will only invite gossip.

Although I am also reluctant to part with Jia Baoyu, he is still young and has a long life ahead of him; I must help him make long-term plans.

How many pairs of eyes in the eight branches of the Jia family in the Divine Capital are watching? These people all despise the poor and envy the rich, jealous of those who have and mocking those who don't; their mouths are all knives that kill.

At the very least, during the heat of Jia Baoyu's marriage, he must absolutely not remain in the Western Mansion, otherwise, it will give others a massive handle against us.

Not only the distant relatives of the Jia family, but even those old noble families will use this as a pretext to spread a great deal of gossip."

……

Upon hearing Jia Mu's words, although Lady Wang felt a surge of resentment and hatred in her heart, she had no words to refute them.

Seeing this look on her daughter-in-law's face, Jia Mu guessed what she was thinking and could not help but sigh inwardly.

She said, "Remember one thing I say: if Jia Baoyu wants to live a good life, harmony between him and his brother Jia Cong is the most important thing."

Hearing Jia Mu's words, Lady Wang felt that the old lady had now resigned herself to fate and started speaking entirely on Jia Cong's behalf, and that Jia Baoyu actually had to live by watching his expression...

Although she could not keep her face composed, she still forced a smile and said, "Everything the old lady says is reasonable; harmony between brothers in a family and mutual support among close relatives is the way to make a family flourish."

Jia Mu smiled and said, "It is excellent that you have this insight; if you act according to this principle in the future, everything will go smoothly."

……

Lady Wang had not forgotten the reason for entering the Rongqing Hall today; she steeled herself to solidify her point and pondered appropriate words.

She said, "The old lady is wholeheartedly planning for Jia Baoyu's future, which is a blessing Jia Baoyu cultivated in his past life."

"It is just that I often think carefully: now that Jia Cong has inherited the family business, when Jia Baoyu establishes his own household in the future, he will have absolutely no family assets to rely on."

"In the future, when the Master and I are old and frail, I fear the second branch will be even more destitute than it is now, and Jia Baoyu will surely live even more arduously; how can one bear to see this?"

Hearing this, Jia Mu also felt a pang of heartache; having been a noble lady of a wealthy family all her life, she naturally understood the principles of inheritance in noble and wealthy families.

The ancestral family business is all inherited by the heir of the main branch, while the collateral branches can only be divided some external houses and thin fields, which is barely enough to support them.

It would be fine if I were to pass away in the future, but as long as my son is still alive, Jia Cong will likely consider the ties of affection, and Jia Baoyu will not suffer.

But my son is also over fifty; when he passes away in a hundred years, human favors will have been used up after one lifetime, so who will still care about my Jia Baoyu?

Jia Baoyu has been pampered since childhood and does not know how to make a living; I fear he will be in a miserable state then, even more pathetic than the distant relatives on Ningrong Street begging for food.

Although I have quite a lot of dowry and private wealth in my hands, if I take out a few thousand taels of silver to subsidize Jia Baoyu's marriage, outsiders will have nothing to say.

But I cannot just carry chests of treasure into Jia Baoyu's room; how can I hide it from the eyes and ears of this entire mansion?

Do I really think Jia Cong and Feng Yatou are blind? If they develop resentment because of this, that would be inviting disaster for the second branch.

After I pass away, given how formidable the grandson and daughter-in-law of the first branch are, these private assets will definitely not be able to cross the threshold of the Western Mansion, and outsiders won't be able to find any fault!

……

Seeing the old lady's unsightly expression and thoughtful look, Lady Wang knew she had touched the old lady's heart.

She hurriedly struck while the iron was hot and said, "Rather than worrying about Jia Baoyu in the future, it is better to help him accumulate family assets now, so that he can be prepared for a rainy day."

"I have been thinking about this matter recently, and I have actually come up with a proper solution."

Jia Mu's eyes lit up, and she said, "What good method have you thought of? Tell me and let me hear it."

Seeing that the timing was right, Lady Wang laid out her various ideas, such as using her two dowry shops to distribute goods manufactured by the Xin Chun Firm.

She said, "Old lady, for a major event like Jia Baoyu's marriage, the public treasury can only allocate two thousand taels of silver, and in the end, the old lady will still have to use her own private funds."