Aunt Xue also smiled and said, “It would be good to have a boy with a personality like Feng. Not only would the family not suffer any loss, but he would also be able to earn a large share of the family fortune.”

Wang Xifeng said cheerfully, “Aunt is implying that I am greedy for money!”

Everyone laughed again.

Sitting on the side, You Erjie finally understood Wang Xifeng better at this point, and admired her for her eloquence. She also thought that since someone as powerful as Second Lady Lian followed Rong Ge’er, her choice would not be wrong. As for Wang Xifeng’s worries, You Erjie had not even thought about them at all.

The second sister didn’t think so far ahead, but she felt that Rong Ge’er treated her well, had no worries about food and clothing, and the people in the East Palace were easy to get along with, so she felt that everything was fine.

Third Sister You frowned slightly, and now she had already vaguely realized that there was something behind Wang Xifeng’s long-term residence in the east. Her tangled mind suddenly cleared, and she began to worry about the future. If she really followed Rong Ge’er and lived in Ning Mansion for the rest of her life, would it be easy to get along with this powerful person in front of her?

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, “Today I have to toast the two sisters of the You family. Last night, the second sister and I hit it off right away and we talked all night. It’s a pity that we met too late. And the third sister, we didn’t have much interaction before, but we should visit each other more often since we live in the same mansion. Your eldest sister and I are close friends in the boudoir, and I feel like something is missing if I don’t see her for a day.”

You Erjie thought of the scenes of last night, her legs trembled, her bones and flesh became numb, and there was a dull pain in one place. She couldn’t help but blush, and was very grateful to Fengjie for helping to conceal it again and again, but she didn’t dare to look at Fengjie’s eyes. She raised the cup slightly and drank it with a little restraint.

Third Sister You was lively and courageous. Although she was worried, she did not show any fear at this moment. She smiled and said, “We should respect Second Madam. Sister often talks about Second Madam to us sisters.”

“She certainly didn’t say anything good about me.” Wang Xifeng laughed and said with a hint of meaning, “We are all family members at the table, so there is no need to call each other grandma or sissy. Rong’er has called me aunt since she was little, and I am a little older than you, so we can just call each other sisters from now on.”

Few people in the crowd could understand the meaning.

Lin Daiyu was one of them. She glanced left and right with gentle eyes, and after a brief look, she opened her thin lips and jokingly said, “A sister on the left, a sister on the right. How can Sister Feng be more affectionate than the young masters in the storybooks?”

There was a burst of laughter in the room, and no one understood her ridicule.

Sister Feng laughed and said, “Oh my, why do I smell a sour smell? If I were a sentimental gentleman, I would definitely be the first to conquer you.”

Everybody laughed, and Daiyu also chuckled.

Only Youshi’s eyebrows twitched, and she carefully looked at the second and third sisters. Finally, her eyes fell on the delicate face of the second sister, which was white and rosy. She couldn’t help but sighed and cursed a few bastards in her heart, but she could do nothing.

Third Sister You’s heart suddenly tensed up, and she realized that Second Madam Lian had misunderstood her when she and Rong’er came out of the room in the afternoon. But she didn’t like to refute, let alone explain. When she saw Rong’er coming up the stairs, her heart suddenly beat faster and her ears felt uncomfortable and hot.

The girls also heard the voice, turned around and saw Rong Ge’er, and the topic changed.

Perhaps Li Wan was in a good mood today, she even started to joke with him, saying with a smile: “Brother Rong is late, so you have to drink a few cups as punishment.”

The other girls also joined in the fun.

Jia Rong greeted everyone leisurely, and then asked about the health of Wang Xifeng, Xue Baochai, Lin Daiyu and Qin Keqing in turn.

Aunt Xue was the most senior person in the building, and she smiled and said, “After all, you are a close minister to the current emperor, so you are more methodical in your words and deeds than before. There are no outsiders here, and you are the host, so there is no need to be polite, just take a seat.”

“Rong’er, you’d better obey your command. Sorry for being rude.” Jia Rong chuckled and saw Lin Daiyu actually moved to the side to make room between her and Qin Keqing. He didn’t hesitate and sat down between Lin Daiyu and Qin Keqing.

Daiyu was secretly delighted and inexplicably happy in her heart. She started to make a noise, “Your wife never drinks, you should drink for her!” As she said this, she offered her wine to him.

“What’s the reason for this cup?”

“Sister Feng has lived in the east for a long time and I have more company. I also want to stay here for a while. I will need Aunt and Rong’s wife to take more care of them in the future.” Lin Daiyu’s answer made many people feel strange.

There are some gossips in the inner houses of the two mansions about the relationship between Feng Jieer and Rong Geer. It is not a bad idea for Feng Jieer to live in the East Mansion for a long time. Everyone knows that Daiyu has nothing to do with the East Mansion. She moved to the East Mansion to recuperate and because she had a conflict with Baoyu.

Why don’t you want to go back to the West now that you’ve settled down here?

Wang Xifeng said, “I should drink this cup.” She then laughed and said, “With my sister as my companion, I don’t have to walk back and forth between the two mansions every day. I’ll toast you too, so you don’t have to smell the sour wine again.”

Lin Daiyu blushed at this moment.

Chapter 210: Everyone Can’t Sleep

Wherever Wang Xifeng was, there was always a lot of fun. Even in the quietest occasions, she could always make everyone laugh.

Qin Keqing frowned slightly, feeling that what Feng Jieer said tonight was quite meaningful, and she thought about it secretly.

How could Wang Xifeng ignore Qin Shi? She persuaded everyone to toast Qin Shi with a few words. Qin Keqing couldn’t drink, so she asked Rong Da Ye to drink for her. Seeing Rong Da Ye drinking for her, everyone couldn’t help but say some words about the deep love between husband and wife and the equal status of husband and wife, which made Qin Keqing happy.

Among the people sitting at the same table was Xue Baochai, who had red lips, green eyebrows, eyes like apricots, and was as beautiful as a flower. She was slightly plump, with fair skin and bones, like a pale peony standing alone among a bunch of flowers. Her color was light, not as charming as Qin Keqing, not as beautiful as You Erjie, and not as colorful as Wang Xifeng, but her dignified and noble demeanor could not be ignored.

Xue Baochai always smiles and has a gentle temperament, but she always exudes a contradictory temperament that is sometimes close, sometimes distant, sometimes cold, and sometimes hot.

At this moment, she was smiling like everyone else, but she was more dignified and polite. Her two curved eyes blinked slightly, as if stirring up waves in her eyes, hiding something on her mind.

Wang Xifeng’s “housewarming” has nothing to do with Xue Baochai.

Baochai did not want to say anything more about this matter. One of her hidden concerns was that it was not proper for Daiyu to stay in the east for a long time. However, after the banquet was over, she did not find a chance to talk to Daiyu about this matter in private. Instead, she saw Rong’er and Qin’s affectionate appearance downstairs in Tianxiang Tower, and her heart was filled with heat.

Even though she was extremely smart, she couldn’t figure out why Daiyu would rather be close to Rong Ge’er than Baoyu, nor could she guess whether Feng Yatou and Rong Ge’er really had that relationship. She had many questions, but the biggest question was why she was not selected a few days ago!

She was not satisfied with the Imperial Household Department’s selection, and she was slightly envious of the scene in Tianxiang Tower. She was not envious of Qin Keqing, nor of Wang Xifeng, nor of Lin Daiyu, but of Jia Rong, who had a successful official career.

A faint sigh.

Li Wan and Youshi, both widows, were still holding hands and talking. For some reason, the two of them became closer and closer, and even seemed to be close friends.

This inexplicable little banquet finally ended.

Ping’er and Feicui also led the maids and old women to see the guests off. Lin Daiyu did not return to the West Mansion, and even refused to return to the large courtyard in front of the East Mansion. She took Fengjie with her and went to Conglutang.

“This little girl!”

Uncle Rong gritted his teeth secretly, and depressedly called Shang Feng’er and Ruizhu to go back to Tianxiang Tower to observe the night sky.

Many people did not sleep well that night.

Feng Er and Rui Zhu are not to be mentioned. After Li Wan returned home from drinking, she specially summoned Jia Lan, who was reading at night, to question him.

Lang Ge’er replied, “Uncle Bao was delighted to see me. We talked in a friendly manner for a while, and when Uncle Huan’s biological mother came in, I left on the pretext of something. Afterwards, I went to the master’s outer study to pay my respects. The master asked about my studies and archery. Finally, he praised the child a few words, saying that the child was like his father, and told the child to come back and read.”

When Li Wan heard this, she suddenly thought of her late husband Jia Zhu. Looking closely at Jia Lan, how could they not bear some resemblance to each other?

Grandma Zhu didn’t know what to feel. She remembered what Rong’er said in the afternoon and felt aggrieved but had no one to tell.

How could it be easy to survive in such a huge Rong Mansion? Although the old lady and the second wife were kindhearted people, the relationship in the inner house was as complicated as a spider web, and there were many conflicts of interest. Even the people close to the old lady and the second wife were black-hearted snobs. They didn’t say anything, and they didn’t dare to make things difficult openly on weekdays, but they didn’t know how many tricks they had in secret.

If Master Zhu were still alive, not only the housekeepers in the mansion, but also all the relatives, close and distant, would rush to curry favor with him.

Now, those who compliment Feng Lazi will at least come here to compliment her!

Li Wan felt bitter. She was scolded by a junior today. She felt a little uncomfortable. But Rong’er’s words made sense. She was not good at sophistry and could not refute them. She said faintly, “That’s good. Did you remember what your brother Rong said?”

Jia Lan nodded heavily, “I’ll remember it. Rong’er is a capable man now, so what he said must make sense.”

Grandma Zhu looked at the excitement in Jia Lan’s eyes and smiled gently. She said, “Lan’er, just remember this. Go to the old lady to pay your respects tomorrow morning before going to the charity school. You must also be polite to the two grandmothers. When you get back from school, don’t forget to visit Rong’er.”

Having said this, seeing Jia Lan nod, he told him to go and rest.

The room suddenly became quiet, and I could vaguely hear the sound of the wind outside.

Li Wan’s mind was full of Jia Zhu’s image, and her heart was quietly warming up unconsciously. She washed up and lay down on the bed. However, she could not suppress the heat in her heart, so she picked up the “Instructions for Women” written by Cao Dajia of the Eastern Han Dynasty on the table and read it.

Cao Dajia (gu) was named Ban, given name Zhao, and styled Huiban. She married Cao Shishu at the age of 14 and gave birth to Cao Cheng. Soon after Cao Shishu died, Ban Zhao became a young widow. Ban Zhao did not remarry, but instead abided by the rules of being a woman and devoted her energy to studying. Because of her profound knowledge and extraordinary talent, she was often summoned to the harem to be a teacher for the queen and nobles, so she was called “Dajia”. In her later years, Ban Zhao proposed the “Three Obediences and Four Virtues” and wrote “Female Instructions”, which influenced later generations for two thousand years.

Li Wan’s early experiences are very similar to those of Lady Cao. In her spare time, she only read books such as “Legislatives for Women”, “The Analects of Women”, “Inner Training”, and “Biographies of Women”. She is truly a chaste and virtuous woman.

It seemed that only these books could calm her mind and eliminate the occasional anger in her heart.

However, Li Wan was destined to have a hard time sleeping that night. When it was late at night, Grandma Zhu fell asleep with a book in her hand. She accidentally had a beautiful dream and woke up in the middle of the night, sweating all over. Then, she could not fall asleep again and tossed and turned.

She was not the only one tossing and turning in Rongguo Mansion.

In the wing room of Mrs. Wang’s compound in front, there was also a person who couldn’t fall asleep. He looked vicious, excited, depressed, and his expression kept changing.

Not far to the east of their courtyard, there is another independent courtyard called Lixiang Courtyard. Xue Baochai was not asleep in Lixiang Courtyard either. Her heat poison had not yet subsided, but it came back today. Although she had taken Lengxiang Pills, it was difficult to suppress the heat poison in her heart. The heat burned her fair skin and soft body, and a cold and fragrant heat was diffused.

Baochai, a woman with great ideals, could only feel helpless at this moment. She pondered over everything at night and could only sigh. She could not help but feel angry at her brother Xue Pan for being useless, and also upset that Jia’s Baoyu was in power but did not make progress.

After a while, the heat came over her, and Xue Baochai could only think, “The thousands of threads will never change, let them gather and separate as they please. Don’t laugh at the fact that youth has no roots. The good wind will help me soar to the sky.”

She is always so positive.

There was another person in Rongguo Mansion who was completely the opposite. Baoyu tossed and turned on the bed for a while, and couldn’t help but sigh to himself: “From now on, sister Pin’er will not be with me anymore!”

Baoyu really couldn’t understand what was so good about Rong Ge’er, “Why are they all so close to Rong Ge’er?”

Xiren is a gentle woman after all, she is conscientious and even a little foolish. When she served Lady Jia before, she only had Lady Jia in her heart and eyes. Now she serves Baoyu, and she only has Baoyu in her heart and eyes. In addition, the two of them had secretly tried sex, and she treated Baoyu differently. Seeing Baoyu depressed, she felt really depressed. She couldn’t help but comfort him: “Second Master, don’t worry, the doctor said there will be no scar.”

Baoyu didn’t want to listen. He thought it didn’t matter whether he had a scar or not. Today, when his sister Pin’er came, she ignored him and went east again without saying a few words.

He is depressed!

“Rest early!” Xiren continued to comfort him, but also advised helplessly: “You are not a brother at all if you keep sighing like this. If you don’t sleep for a long time, I don’t know how long it will take for the wound on your face to heal.”

Baoyu suppressed his bitterness and glanced at Xiren. Under the light, he saw that Xiren had a slender figure, a long face, a blue satin vest, and a white silk pleated skirt. Although her appearance was slightly inferior to Qingwen, she was still one of the best in the room. She was gentle and considerate, and she was really likable.

He felt a sudden heat in his body, and seeing that there was no one else in the inner room, he wanted to experience the same thing that Jinghuan had taught him, so he took Xiren’s hand and pulled her hand inside his clothes.

Xiren was both embarrassed and annoyed, and quickly pulled her hand away.

Baoyu was always arrogant. He failed to hold Caixia’s hand yesterday, and now even Xiren refused to obey him. He was immediately furious. He said, “You don’t want to be with me either? Are you thinking about Rong’er, or are you interested in Huan’er?”

When Xiren heard that she was being wronged, she became furious.

Baoyu hummed and said, “I know you guys all the time.” Seeing the maid outside coming in after hearing the noise, he suddenly lost interest and ignored her.

The next morning, Baoyu felt a dull headache and felt a little uncomfortable.

Jia Rong in Huifang Garden was awakened by a maid in the midst of soft fragrance. It turned out that Qiu Bailin had come again.

Chapter 211: Capture Ma Dao Po First

Uncle Rong originally thought that there would be news yesterday, but he didn’t expect Qiu Bailin to delay it for another day.

However, things were still as expected.

His request was not excessive. After all, it was to solve the problem of Qingxu Temple. Even Emperor Longtai would agree to it if he was only temporarily in charge of the Jinyi Army, not to mention King Zhongshun. Jinyi Mansion and Longjinwei were originally brother offices. Many low-ranking guards were transferred to Jinyi Mansion when they were sent out.

“The sooner the better.” Jia Rong grinned.

He had learned from his servants that Ma Dao Po had visited the West Mansion yesterday and had coaxed Lady Wang and Lady Jia into giving him a lot of silver. Aunt Zhao also had a long private conversation with Ma Dao Po. Regardless of whether the two had done something naughty or not, they had to arrest Ma Dao Po and interrogate her first.

Qiu Bailin was holding back his anger and asked, “When are we going to Qingxu Temple?”

“Qingxu Temple? No rush. Big brother, you forgot that I told the Jinyi Mansion yesterday to help arrest a man and then go to Qingxu Temple after interrogation.” Jia Rong waved his hand and hurriedly took out a piece of paper from his body, on which was recorded information about Ma Dao Po’s appearance, figure, age, as well as the location of the temple where Ma Dao Po lived and worshipped.

Qiu Bailin took it and took a look, feeling helpless.

Prince Zhongshun didn’t know why he agreed to Jia Rong’s rude request. If the Jia family wanted to arrest someone, why did they have to go to the Jinyi Palace? They could just find a reason to ask the Shuntian Prefecture or the Nine Gates Patrol Camp to arrest the person. The Jia family was very close to the officials of the Nine Gates Patrol Camp in the capital, so it was impossible for the Patrol Camp to not do this little thing.

A fool is a fool. He actually dares to ask the Jinyifu to handle such a matter. Is he afraid that the palace doesn’t know about it?

He asked, “Won’t Rong go with us?”

Uncle Rong grinned and said, “Just search her house. There are a lot of harmful things in it. Just search it directly. If you take the wrong person, I will bear the punishment.”