Chapter 159: Jia Baoyu's Enthusiasm, the Tragedy of the Twelve Beauties

Jia Mansion, back garden.

Luo Zijun, accompanied by Xiaohuan and Ziyuan, arrived at a pavilion under the guidance of a Jia Mansion maid.

On the stone table in the pavilion.

Melons, fruits, pastries, hot tea, iced juices, and all sorts of snacks were laid out in abundance.

After the Jia Mansion maid left, Xiaohuan whispered, "Young Master, this place is so big, and there are so many maids and servants. Those maids are all dressed so beautifully, too."

Ziyuan, standing to the side, smiled and said, "The maids of the Jia Mansion live better than the young ladies in many other households. They have a grand entourage; every time a master goes out, they likely need at least six or seven maids and four or five matrons to attend to them, not to mention various servants and guards."

Xiaohuan clicked her tongue and said, "It feels like they are even wealthier than our Anguo Mansion."

After saying this, she suddenly felt it was inappropriate, quickly stuck out her tongue, and said with some embarrassment, "Sister Ziyuan, our Anguo Mansion is also very impressive."

Ziyuan smiled and said, "After all, they are relatives of the imperial family, so they have to maintain some face. I heard they are currently building a very large garden to welcome that Imperial Concubine back for a family visit next year. When I first heard the Young Lady mention it, they were already building it, and it has been over two months now; I hear they haven't even finished half of it. The Young Lady said it is extremely large inside, filled with all sorts of rare treasures, and it will take at least until the end of the year to complete."

Xiaohuan widened her eyes and said, "How much money must that cost?"

Ziyuan smiled and said, "They must have the money to dare to build it like that."

Luo Zijun listened silently from the side, thinking to himself: Indeed, they have the money—through corruption, bribery, usury, and even seizing the estates of families with no heirs.

I wonder if that Lin Guniang knows that the dowry and family assets she brought with her are almost entirely squandered.

Just as he was thinking about this, a group of people suddenly crowded around a youth, entered through the round gate ahead, and walked quickly toward them.

Hua'er, the maid of Bai Qingtong, followed alongside.

The youth had a face like polished jade and bright, spirited eyes. He wore a purple-gold crown inlaid with jewels that bound his hair, a gold headband with two dragons snatching a pearl across his brow, and a bright red arrow-sleeve robe embroidered with gold butterflies in two colors. He was cinched with a multi-colored silk palace sash with long tassels, draped in a stone-blue embroidered cloak with eight roundels of Japanese silk, and wore small court boots with green satin and powder soles. He walked with hurried steps, his face full of excitement.

Upon seeing this person's appearance and attire, Luo Zijun immediately guessed who he was.

Although the story, background, characters, and plot progression here differed greatly from the book, the characters' appearances seemed not much different.

When the youth saw Luo Zijun in the pavilion, his pace quickened until he was almost running. His eyes were bright and spirited, his face full of agitation, and while still on the stone bridge outside, he couldn't help but shout, "Brother Luo! Brother Luo! I have missed you so!"

Hua'er and the maids, matrons, and attendants all trotted along behind him.

Luo Zijun hurriedly stood up.

The youth rushed into the pavilion, grabbed his hand in one go, stared at his handsome face with a pair of pitch-black eyes, looked him up and down, and couldn't help but stomp his feet in exclamation: "To think there is such a remarkable man in this world! I thought Brother Luo was a man of peerless talent and must be quite old, but I never expected you to be so young—you look to be about my age—and to possess such incomparable looks and demeanor! It is a regret that we did not meet sooner! A regret that we did not meet sooner!"

He then sighed, "Now that I have met Brother Luo, I realize that the men I have seen before are all crooked melons and cracked dates, mere mongrels and curs, unworthy of being seen in polite society."

Luo Zijun: "..."

Hua'er, thinking he was frightened by this noble's enthusiasm and exaggerated behavior, hurriedly came over to introduce him: "Young Master Luo, this is Young Master Baoyu of the Jia Mansion. Just now, my Young Lady went to the back to see the Old Ancestor of the Jia Family. When Young Master Baoyu heard that you had entered the mansion, he immediately clamored to come and see you, so my Young Lady instructed me to bring him here."

Jia Baoyu hurriedly smiled and said, "Look at me, I forgot to introduce myself. I acted like a madman the moment I grabbed Brother Luo's hand; I have offended you."

Luo Zijun calmly pulled his hand away from his grip, cupped his hands, and said, "So it is Young Master Baoyu. I have long admired you."

Jia Baoyu hurriedly grabbed his hand again and chided, "Why call me Young Master? It sounds so distant. Just call me Baoyu; you must never call me Young Master again. In front of Brother Luo, how could I be worthy of being called a Young Master? Sigh, when I think of the poems and books Brother Luo has written, and then think of what I have written before, I truly feel like dying. I am like the mud beneath your feet, and Brother Luo is like the bright moon in the sky; we cannot be compared, we cannot be compared."

Luo Zijun pulled his hand away from his grip again, cupped his hands, and said, "Then I shall call you Brother Baoyu."

Jia Baoyu then smiled and said, "That is fine. We have only just met, and I forced Brother Luo to address me as Baoyu; it was indeed a bit presumptuous. Brother Luo, you do not know, but when I learned a few days ago that you would be coming today, not only was I so excited that I could not sleep for three nights, but my sisters and cousins were also very excited. They have been discussing the books Brother Luo wrote for the past few days, especially that 'Qiannu Youhun' you just wrote. Those two short poems within it are simply divine, deeply moving, and leave one with endless aftertastes. My sisters and maids all wept buckets after reading them. Brother Luo's talent truly makes us admire you to the point of prostration."

As he spoke, he held his hand again and smiled, "Since Brother Luo has come today, you must stay in our humble mansion for a few days so that I can have a good chat with you and ask for your guidance on some questions."

He then sighed deeply, "Having seen Brother Luo's demeanor today, I fear I will truly have no interest in talking to those filthy people ever again. Just looking at them is painful; how could I possibly have a conversation with them?"

Luo Zijun's mouth twitched. He exerted some effort, pulled his hand away from his palm again, and said modestly, "Brother Baoyu's praise makes me feel very ashamed."

Jia Baoyu suddenly grabbed him again and said, "Right, Brother Luo, come, I will take you to the back courtyard to meet my sisters. I fear they are also waiting anxiously to see you right now."

As soon as these words were spoken, a maid standing outside the pavilion hurriedly spoke up: "Young Master, you cannot. The female relatives of the family live there, and Young Master Luo... it is not convenient for him to go there."

Luo Zijun looked up and saw that she had an oval face, a slender figure, and average looks. He thought to himself: Could this be Xiren?

At this moment, another maid said in a crisp voice, "It is not that strict. Young Master Luo is not some disreputable person, so what is there to fear? However, if you are afraid of the Master and Mistress blaming us, you can have the young ladies come here. In this open space, there is nothing to fear."

Luo Zijun found the voice somewhat familiar and looked over.

The maid had a slender and delicate figure, fair skin, pitch-black and lively eyes, and a peerlessly pretty appearance. Standing among the group of maids, she was as dazzling as a crane in a flock of chickens. Seeing his gaze, she gave him a sweet smile, her bright eyes and white teeth making her look beautiful and moving.

Luo Zijun thought to himself: This must be Qingwen, the most beautiful maid in the Jia Mansion.

Back at Jinshan Temple, this girl was extremely bold and had a strong sense of justice. She had actually stepped out from the crowd, unafraid of Jia Lian's status, and dared to speak up for him, which left a deep impression on him.

Of course, earlier in the Heavenly King Hall, this pretty maid had also seen his embarrassing moment and helped him up.

"Qingwen, stop talking nonsense. How can the young ladies come out to meet an outsider so casually?"

Xiren hurriedly scolded her in a low voice.

Qingwen, however, smiled and said, "The Young Master has already addressed him as a brother, so how can he still be an outsider? Besides, the young ladies have all studied at the Academy; they are not the sheltered young ladies of the past who would not step out of the inner gates and were too shy to be seen. The young ladies of our mansion are all poised and worldly; there is no need to be so pedantic."

Xiren was suddenly somewhat angry.

Jia Baoyu said, "Qingwen is right. Xiren, go tell Lin Meimei and the others that I am here talking with Brother Luo, and ask them to come over and chat as well. We are all scholars, and Brother Luo was personally invited by Father and Uncle, so he is not an outsider; no one will gossip."

Xiren said angrily, "I am not going. If you want them to go, let Qingwen go."

Qingwen, standing to the side, smiled and said, "If I must go, then I will go."

After saying this, she flashed a smile at Luo Zijun and left in a poised manner. Jia Baoyu grabbed Luo Zijun's hand again and said, "Brother Luo, let us sit and talk. I hope Brother Luo can tell me how those books were written and where the inspiration came from. Especially that 'Qiannu Youhun', a romance between a human and a ghost—when I first read it, I thought it was truly a book from the heavens."

Luo Zijun wished he could kick him away, but he had to maintain a polite smile on his face. He pulled his hand away from his grip once more, walked to the other side to sit down, and said, "I just made it up casually and wrote it on a whim. How could a human and a ghost truly fall in love?"

Jia Baoyu immediately said, "That is not necessarily true. The emotions in the stories Brother Luo writes are so sincere; there must be a source."

As he spoke, he walked around the stone table and sat down right next to him, stretching out both hands to grab his hand again.

Luo Zijun's mouth twitched. He hurriedly stretched his hand out to pick up some melon seeds to crack.

Ziyuan, standing in the corner, hurriedly turned her back, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably; she was clearly snickering.

Jia Baoyu whispered, "Has Brother Luo ever had dreams of such human-ghost romances? Or, have you truly seen a ghost?"

Luo Zijun smiled and said, "Brother Baoyu is joking. In this world, where would there be any ghosts?"

Jia Baoyu suddenly leaned close to him, his mouth almost touching his ear, and whispered, "Let me tell you, Brother Luo, I have seen a ghost."

Luo Zijun had already clenched one hand into a fist. He endured it, shifted his seat to the side, and smiled, "Oh?"

!

This pervert, he wouldn't really swing both ways, would he?

"It's true, I've seen it."

Jia Baoyu also shifted his bottom, moved closer to him, and whispered: "There have been several times, when I couldn't sleep at night and went out to admire the moon, that I saw ghosts."

Luo Zijun's heart stirred, and he asked in a low voice: "What kind of ghosts?"

Jia Baoyu said: "Black shadows, like paper, light and fluttering, they drifted away all at once."

Luo Zijun looked into his pupils and suddenly used Mind Reading.

This guy was actually not lying.

If that black shadow were a divine soul, how could he possibly see it?

Could it be that they really are ghosts?

Or perhaps, he is gifted with extraordinary talent and possesses supernatural powers?

Just as he was thinking, a servant hurried over, stopped outside the pavilion, and bowed: "May I ask if Young Master Luo is here?"

Jia Baoyu took one look and said to Luo Zijun: "It's someone from my eldest uncle's place."

He then looked at the servant and asked: "Zhang Gui, did Eldest Uncle send you to find Brother Luo?"

Zhang Gui hurriedly said respectfully: "Yes, Second Young Master, the Master has sent this servant to invite Young Master Luo over for a chat."

Luo Zijun stood up.

Jia Baoyu hurriedly smiled and said: "Let's go, Brother Luo, I'll go with you."

Zhang Gui glanced at him, then lowered his head and said: "The Second Master is also there."

As soon as these words were spoken, the smile on Jia Baoyu's face suddenly stiffened, and he hurriedly said: "Then I won't go. Brother Luo, you had better go alone. Remember to come over later; those sisters of mine are all waiting to see you."

Luo Zijun nodded politely and left the pavilion with Xiaohuan and Zhiyuan.

Just as they reached the circular gate, Qingwen, wearing a pale yellow dress and looking pretty, happened to walk over from the outside. Seeing him, she said in surprise: "Young Master Luo, where are you going? The young ladies will be here soon."

She then looked at Zhang Gui in front and immediately understood, smiling: "So it was the Eldest Master who called for you. Then you should go quickly. Remember to come over later; don't keep the young ladies waiting too long."

As she spoke, she gave a charming smile and walked past him.

Luo Zijun said: "Miss Qingwen, thank you for last time at Jinshan Temple."

Qingwen's footsteps paused. She turned her head to look at him, her dark, lively eyes blinking, and she smiled: "What is the Young Master saying? Regarding that matter, this servant truly admires the Young Master's character. I just helped say a few words for the Young Master, there is no need for thanks."

Then she suddenly gave a "puchi" laugh, glanced at him prettily, and whispered: "Actually, the Young Master did trip and fall in the Heavenly King Hall, so you really should thank me. I haven't told anyone, you know."

Luo Zijun cupped his hands and said: "Many thanks to you, Miss, for keeping my embarrassing moment a secret."

Qingwen gave another "puchi" laugh, her bright eyes and white teeth showing, and she waved her small hand at him, saying: "Young Master, go quickly, don't let the Eldest Master wait impatiently."

With that, she left with a smile.

Luo Zijun followed behind Zhang Gui, continuing to walk forward, sighing inwardly.

A maid as simple, straightforward, and innocent as Qingwen is truly not suited for life in such a mansion. I wonder if her future ending will be the same as in the book—slandered and accused, driven out by Lady Wang, left lonely and helpless, lying sick in a cold alley, calling out for "Mother" all night long before dying a miserable death.

Just as he was thinking about these things, Zhiyuan suddenly whispered from the side: "Does the Young Master have his eye on Miss Qingwen? Miss Tanchun once said that all the maids in the Jia Mansion added together are not as pretty as Qingwen, and Qingwen's needlework is excellent; she is also upright and loyal. If the Young Master likes her, you could have our Young Lady speak to Miss Tanchun, and you should be able to buy her."

Upon hearing this, Luo Zijun glanced at her and said: "Zhiyuan, do you think that this Young Master likes every pretty little maid he sees?"

Zhiyuan smiled: "That's not it, it's just that this servant could see just now that the Young Master was paying her extra attention. And she is indeed very pretty; her appearance and temperament don't look like those of a maid."

Luo Zijun smiled and said nothing more.

He was indeed paying attention to that little maid, but naturally, it was not just because the other party was pretty.

In fact, he was very attentive to everyone in this Jia Mansion.

The Twelve Beauties of Jinling, and the others—he was very curious whether their fates were already destined. And whether he, in turn, could change anything?

He always felt it was too much of a coincidence.

One of his soul fragments had come with the mission of preventing tragedies, and now, right before his eyes, so many characters destined for tragedy had suddenly appeared all at once.

He had already decided to prevent the tragedies of some people.

But there were so many tragedies; he could not prevent them all by himself.

Thinking along the way, he soon arrived at the front hall.

(End of chapter)