The First Volume of The Dream of the Red Chamber Chapter 52

  Old Mrs. Shi returned to the Shi's residence, and the two families began to perform the six rites. The Shi family was a renowned family in Dongyang, and Shi Hong had decided to follow the traditional customs. Minglan went to pay her respects and saw that on the table in Wang's room, there was a big, fat goose with its beak tied up. She curiously poked it with her finger, and the poor goose, unable to make a sound, rolled its eyes at Minglan.

  "Is it alive?" Minglan softly exclaimed "Aren't they all made of lacquer carving now?"

  "Like an orchid, she has a delicate mouth: 'The family's literary elegance is just that they're particular about it from the previous few days, and they've already caught it, treating it like they're serving their ancestors.'"

  Sheng Hong specially invited his good friend, Dali Temple Liu, to propose a marriage between their families. As Mr. Hai was about to leave the capital, he brought back Miss Hai's eight-character horoscope and handed it over to Sheng Hong. Then, Sheng Hong pretended to ask an official matchmaker to examine the horoscope, but he had already known the result beforehand. He placed the horoscope in front of his ancestors' memorial tablets for two days, and naturally, a auspicious sign was obtained.

  It's settled then, the engagement will be finalized next month on the 18th of December, a most auspicious and prosperous day.

  At the end of the year, there are many things to do. This year, Ping Ning Jun's father, Xiangyang Hou, is celebrating his 60th birthday, so he opened a grand banquet. Since Sheng Jia is considered a distant relative of the Qi family, and Zhang Bo has been friends with Qi Heng for many years, they were invited together.

  This morning, Cui Wei dressed up Minglan in a shallow silver and red silk skirt with scattered gold threads, paired with a meat-colored powder hundred-fold skirt. Her thick hair was combed into a warm and gentle curved bun, secured with a jade-inlaid ruby gold hairpin on the side of her forehead, and adorned with a small, delicate, beaded golden oriole hairpin that quivered slightly as she moved, looking extremely lively and charming.

  This whole set was newly made in the Yu Yang Xing's mansion, where I saw two other Lanzhu wearing new clothes. Mo Lan wore a light blue dress with silver embroidery and a long jacket with dark silver thread, while Lin Qing wore a moon-white skirt with a slender waist and a delicate beauty like a lotus flower. Si Rulan wore a bright red hundred-butterfly embroidered jacket with a floral pattern, which also had a rich and luxurious atmosphere.

  The king sat in the hall, and three girls guided him with a few words, "to keep the rules, listen more and speak less". Minglan knew that this was referring to Molan's sneaky glances, but unexpectedly, Molan didn't show any unusual expression.

  Endless goodness is in Jinjiang University Town

  The thick cotton curtains of the carriage swayed for about an hour before arriving at Xiangyang Hou's mansion. The main gate of the mansion was open, with a pair of golden red couplets hanging high and dense red firecrackers suspended above. Since Wang Yiren and her entourage were female guests, they entered through the side door, got off their own carriage, and changed into the soft sedan chairs provided by the Hou Mansion. After traveling for a while, they finally arrived at the second gate, where the female guests got off the sedan chairs.

  The gatekeeper, an old woman, was waiting at the entrance to greet Wang and his companions. As they entered, they suddenly felt a sense of openness and tranquility before them. The interior of the mansion was spacious and peaceful, with distant views of small bridges, flowing water, and hills and forests. A middle-aged woman led Wang and the girls along a winding path through a carved gate, strolling slowly along the covered corridor. Wang and the girls were expressionless, taking in their surroundings, where they saw intricate carvings on the corridors and buildings, which exuded an air of wealth and luxury. Even the doors, windows, and pillars were adorned with gold and colorful paintings.

  The king was secretly surprised and asked strangely, "Ping Ning County Master, your eyeballs are on top of your head." He glanced at the three girls. Mo Lan's expression was still calm, but her smile was a bit stiff. Ruan Yu was more straightforward, and her eyes showed admiration without concealment. The king looked at Ming Lan again - paused for a moment.

  Only saw Minglan as if nothing had happened, her expression was normal and natural, and she didn't seem to put the wealth and nobility in front of her eyes. Wang couldn't help but look at her with new eyes.

  Not every day is a high court case, not every case is a crime, just family ethics, miserable work personnel, depressed work pressure, big unit, every year organized travel, Minglan never fell behind.

  She has been to the Forbidden City, walked through the Wangfu, reached the Shen Garden and climbed the Temple of Heaven, so she can be said to have seen the world. Only in front of a 3D screen did she see that underground palace in "The Lord of the Rings 1". Minglan was indeed amazed several times. No wonder Western winds are prevailing globally, modern people's aesthetic for architecture is more inclined towards westernization anyway.

  The maid who was sent to guide the way was eloquent and walked along, pointing out the scenery and explaining it briefly. Wang smiled and said, "There are many wealthy and noble residences in the world, but it's rare to see a mansion with such elegant layout, truly good mountains, good water, and good omens."

  Like an orchid, she leaned into Minglan's ear and whispered a sentence: "Sixth sister, this place is much better than Eldest Brother-in-law's house." Minglan nodded. She had never been to the Zhongqin Duke's estate and didn't have the right to speak, so she just followed the rules and walked quietly.

  In ancient times, the upper class and the aristocracy intermarried but had clear boundaries. The sons of the nobility mostly relied on hereditary succession or imperial recognition to find jobs in the military or as guards, otherwise they would hang a nominal title in some department. Scholars, on the other hand, took the official examination route: from Tongsheng to Xiucai to Jinshi. Those with good grades entered the Hanlin Academy, while those with average grades worked in the Six Ministries to accumulate seniority or became high officials, and then returned home to live a leisurely life as a country gentleman.

  Of course, many sons of gentry families were not keen on becoming officials or taking imperial examinations; they just wanted to reduce some taxes for their family or add a protective umbrella. The real key was those who looked down on the low-ranking Hanlin scholars, especially the Jishi.

  Since the previous dynasty, it has been a convention that only imperial scholars can enter the Hanlin Academy and only those from the Hanlin Academy can enter the Grand Council. Therefore, imperial scholars are also called 'reserve premiers'. In other words, Zhang Bai came to possibly rise to power directly into the Grand Council.

  Minglan felt that it was unnecessary for a popular and powerful noble like Xiangyang Hou to hold a birthday celebration, but after thinking about it, she realized that it was actually done to curry favor with the Changbai and Hai families. If she had invested in her relationship with Changbai earlier, it would have been better, especially since the investment wasn't large.

  Just thinking about it, they arrived at the main hall. Since Wang and his party had come early, the other guests hadn't arrived yet. The county master's wife invited Wang to bring the girl in to pay respects to her father on his birthday. As soon as they reached the entrance, they heard bursts of conversation and laughter coming from inside.

  Minglan bowed her head and stepped inside, only to feel the floor beneath her feet suddenly soften. It turned out that the room was covered with a thick, crimson-red woolen carpet with a "吉祥福寿" (auspicious fortune and longevity) pattern. The interior of the house was very large, seemingly consisting of several rooms connected together. There were only a few pieces of furniture, but the numerous exquisite and expensive porcelain vases and antique decorations on the shelves sparkled and shone.

  Inside the house, a lively chatter filled the air as many men and women sat or stood talking, but it was Ping Ning's young mistress' gentle laughter that carried the farthest, directly reaching Ming Lan's ears.

  "Princess Wang's sister, you've arrived." The gentle and calm Ping Ning Jun Zhu walked over with a warm smile.

  Wang said that in a good way, he was down-to-earth and practical, but in a bad way, he was short-sighted. After breaking off the engagement with Qi Heng, she felt that there was nothing to be gained from the county lord's daughter, so their interactions became very natural and without much flattery or sycophancy. On the contrary, they were able to get along well.

  The king and the lord of Ping Ning county exchanged pleasantries before immediately respectfully greeting an elderly man sitting at the head, beaming with joy, saying: "I wish you a long life, old marquis! May your good fortune be as vast as the Eastern Sea and your longevity rival that of Mount Nan!"

  "Good, good, good!" Old Master Gu's white hair was combed back, revealing a clear and gaunt face. He wore a crimson longevity robe with intricate gold embroidery that accentuated his tall and robust figure, exuding an air of vitality that made him appear to be only in his sixties.

  He rushed to Wang and said with a smile: "In the past, I was under the command of the former emperor's father in Gansu Province. He held an account book every day, calculating grain and grass. I led the big-headed soldiers every day to ask him for things. It was just a fight. A few days ago, I saw your family's big living Buddha, your father's style... Alas, time is old, and in a flash, only this old thing is left."

  The corners of Wang's eyes were slightly moist as he mentioned his late father. The gentle and peaceful Ping Ning Jun shook her head, laughing, "Oh my, Wang family sister is here to celebrate your birthday, what's wrong with you?" The old marquis seemed to be very fond of this girl, repeatedly saying, "Alright, alright, I won't say it anymore. Quickly look at the seats; and those few little maids in the back, are they your daughters?"

  The three girls hastily came forward, knelt down and kowtowed three times. In unison, they said in a crisp voice: "Wishing the old marquis longevity and good fortune!"

  The old marquis received the gift, and Ping Ning County's mistress hurriedly let the maid carry a tray to present three embroidered pouches as a meeting gift. Minglan took over the pouches, slightly raised her eyes, and finally saw an opportunity to look up. She saw that behind the old marquis stood many young people, some no more than eight years old, others just over twenty. They looked similar in appearance, probably all members of the Gu family.

  The lady of Pingning pointed at them and laughed: "These are all my own brothers and nephews who came to pay their respects to Father before the guests arrived. We're all family, so there's no need to learn from those Confucian scholars about avoiding suspicion." In ancient times, even if they were not yet married, they were still considered underage, and female relatives of the same clan did not have to strictly avoid each other.

  On the other side of Old Master Hou stood many daughters-in-law and young ladies, each adorned with pearls and jade, their makeup elegant and refined. The Princess Pingning continued to introduce them: "These are all my sisters-in-law and younger siblings. These are my nieces. Everyone come meet them."

  The women came forward again, exchanging pleasantries and laughter, which embarrassed the three sisters. They were confused and bowed to many madams, then called out to their uncles and younger brothers, and a room full of people greeted them. Minglan's head spun as she stood up, and she didn't expect that her robust physique would make her footsteps unstable, putting all her weight on Minglan's body, almost causing Minglan to fall flat on her face. Fortunately, she was a good person and managed to force a smile, propping herself up with great effort.

  Minglan stuffed more silk bags into her hands, habitually weighing them to check the weight, which was uneven. She then glanced at her two sisters, Yu Lan and Mo Lan. Yu Lan was still recovering from her dizziness, while Mo Lan had her head down, looking solemn and muttering to herself. Minglan leaned in slightly to listen, and a smile played on her lips. Oh, it seemed that she was silently reciting the origins of these ladies' names. But the most pitiful one was Wang today - she had lost a lot of money.

  After a few words, the Pingning County Master led a group of women to another courtyard, where they sat down in a spacious hall with many embroidered high-backed chairs. The maids then served tea and fruit, and only then did they relax and chat while waiting for the guests to arrive one after another.

  Minglan sat quietly in a corner, sipping tea from her bowl and admiring the delicate porcelain with a subtle sigh of appreciation; beside her, Mo Lan and a girl from the Gu family chatted as if they had known each other for a long time.

  "Hasn't Qi Guofu's family arrived yet? Oh, they haven't come early?" Rulan's face was towards Minglan but her eyes glanced at the Gu family girl.

  Minglan didn't know who she was asking, and that Miss Gu seemed not to understand. Minglan sighed and casually said: "Probably like us, on winter days thinking of sleeping a bit more?"

  The girl next door heard a burst of laughter and said with a smile: "Your sister is really fun!" Mo Lan forced a smile, then pretended to be nonchalant and asked: "So, what about it? Didn't you see Old Master Hou's grandson just now?"

  Lian Jie is the young lady of Ping Ning County, and she's also a niece. However, most of the girls in this house are under ten years old, so only they, being similar in age, came over to chat.

  "My elder sister arrived last night and paid her respects this morning, now I don't know what she's busy with." Lian Jie deliberately put on a dignified air, and the three girls all burst out laughing.

  The four of them sat together and started chatting, Lin Daiyu was very talkative, chattering away for half a day about the popular opera troupe in Beijing, the latest fashion trends, and the poetry clubs... Mu Lan and her were getting along famously, but actually, Rulan and Mu Lan knew Lin Daiyu too, however, it seemed that Mu Lan was more sociable. Minglan didn't say much, just smiled and listened on the side.

  Saying that, Lian'er glanced at Minglan again and again, seemingly wanting to ask something but hesitating. Finally, she couldn't help but speak up: "I heard your sister say that you were very close with the eldest granddaughter of Yu Ge in Dengzhou?"

  Minglan glanced at Mo Lan, who shifted uncomfortably in her seat under Minglan's gaze. Minglan turned back and chose her words carefully: "We can't say we're the best of friends, but since we get along, let's chat a bit more."

  Lian Jie couldn't help but ask: "Then why didn't she agree to marry my Second Uncle?"

  Minglan was completely bewildered in the midst of clouds and fog, and asked back: "Who is your second uncle?" Lian Jie saw Minglan's confused face and hastily whispered: "It's the second son of the Ningyuan Marquis' manor! He was just standing beside Old Master Hou earlier!"

  Minglan suddenly understood and was like being hit by a mallet, she leaned back and scolded herself for being stupid. She had just kowtowed and was confused, and actually forgot about this matter.

  The first generation of Xiangyang Marquis and Ningyuan Marquis were brothers, but the second generation of Xiangyang Marquis had no children and didn't know how to get an heir from his own brother's family. Instead, he chose a successor from the old family of the Gu clan who was almost unrelated. From then on, the Xiangyang Marquis and Ningyuan Marquis broke off their relationship, and even the names of their children were not in the same generation.

  However, nowadays Xiangyang's old master has only one daughter, Ping Ning Junzhu. He tried until he was 50 or 60 years old and knew that he would not have a son after all. So he had to adopt his nephew as his successor. That's why there were so many young men from the Gu family gathered around the old master earlier, probably all of them are here for the title. Even Sister Feng's father is one of the old master's nephews.

  Just now, I met my ex-fiancé in the crowd, and he didn't even notice me!

  Minglan racked her brains to recall the scene just now, it seemed... she had bowed to a group of uncles, two of whom were toads with beady eyes, but which one was the toad and which one was the mouse? Minglan was so frustrated that she wanted to grab her own head, but still couldn't remember.

  "Our two families have never been in contact before, this is the first time my uncle has specially invited me to ask Duke Ningyuan for help in choosing a son; I am also seeing that family for the first time, their master's health is not good and did not come; only the second and third masters came"

  Lian Jie raised her head and pouted, then continued to ask Minglan, "Tell me, why is the eldest daughter of the Yu family unwilling to marry? Is it because she heard some bad rumors?" Although Lian Jie's words seemed to be out of concern for her own family, her expression betrayed her. She was clearly excited, just wanting to know the gossip.

  Minglan returned to the Yu household and compiled a good excuse, putting on an air of nonchalance as she said indifferently: "It's not that it wasn't just that in those years, Old Master Yu had a verbal agreement with the Duan family for a marriage arrangement. Later, the two families were separated by great distances and everyone forgot about it. Who would have known that at the beginning of the year, the Duan family sent a letter bringing up this matter? Old Master Yu is a man of his word, so he agreed to the marriage without hesitation."

  Lian's sister couldn't help but show a disappointed look: "Is that it?"

  "Is that so? What else?" Minglan tried to sound sincere. "Actually, I'm quite pleased with the Ningyuan Marquis's family regarding the marriage; didn't they already promise their second daughter? Has the engagement been finalized? When is it?"

  Can't hear any shocking news, Lian Jie was very disappointed and casually said: "It's settled then, at the end of the first month"

  Endless goodness is in Jinjiang University Town

  Then she changed the subject and chatted with Mo Lan about the weather, only then did Ming Lan let out a sigh of relief. She followed Wang's example, clasped her hands together under her sleeves, and silently recited: "Amitabha, fortunately, Yu's family was kind and did a good job afterwards, without revealing any signs, otherwise she would have to go to Tai Shang Lao Jun as evidence. From then on, she never acted impulsively again.