Baoyu is truly wronged

Baoyu originally had a good impression of Jia Yun, whose personality suited his taste.

So much so that when he heard the women around him constantly belittling Jia Yun, he became impatient, threw down his book, sat up, and said, "Third Sister, what you're saying is so boring! I think Yun'er has guts and knows when to advance and retreat. That day she dared to speak up for herself in front of Master, which is truly rare! Does everyone have to be timid and hesitant to be considered proper?"

Perhaps he felt his words were a bit harsh, so he moved closer to Tan Chun in a flattering manner. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that Tan Chun's hair was half-undone, and the pearl pendants on her earlobes swayed slightly.

Baoyu suddenly became mischievous and lowered his voice to laugh, "You're making such plans for him, even worrying about the family's reputation... Could it be that 'the boy rides a bamboo horse, playing with green plums around the bed'?"

Tan Chun's face flushed crimson instantly, even her slender white neck was stained with rouge. She grabbed the half-embroidered sachet and threw it at him: "You're asking for it! I'll tear your talking mouth apart!"

Daiyu was leaning against her pillow, smiling softly. When the sachet flew towards her, she didn't dodge, but just pretended to block it with her handkerchief: "Third girl, you're being unreasonable. He provoked you, and now you're using me as a scapegoat."

Today, she wore a moon-white vest embroidered with plum blossoms, which made her waist appear even more slender. When she smiled, her shoulders trembled slightly, like a willow swaying in the breeze.

Baochai quickly stepped in to stop them, the coral bracelet on her wrist slipping down to her elbow: "Brother Bao, you always speak so recklessly. How old is Tan'er? How can she take such jokes?"

She wore a honey-colored cotton-padded jacket and a rose-purple vest, and her plump and smooth arms naturally exuded a dignified demeanor as she moved.

Seeing this, Xichun snorted coldly: "Second brother is always causing trouble. Now he's finally met his match."

Yingchun hurriedly tugged at her sleeve, but she shook her off. Xiangyun, who had just entered carrying plum blossoms, saw everyone laughing and joking and asked what was going on. Upon hearing the commotion, she clapped her hands and laughed, "Brother Ai is asking for a beating again! Quickly go find Master Zheng and have him deal with this nonsense!"

Laughter erupted in the warm pavilion.

Daiyu laughed so hard she almost fell on Baochai's shoulder, Tanchun chased after Baoyu to pinch his mouth, Xichun watched coldly but her lips curled up slightly, and Yingchun hurriedly tried to persuade her but was pulled back by Xiangyun.

Tan Chun straightened her clothes, which had been disheveled by Bao Yu. Her face was still flushed, but the line "The boy rides a bamboo horse, playing with green plums around the bed" added a few more complicated and indescribable thoughts to her feelings for the boy under the west corridor.

The room was filled with the swaying of hairpins and the fragrance of clothes, which quickly dispelled any previous worries.

Then, the same carriage that had come here before arrived again under the west corridor.

After the carriage came to a stop, a man who appeared to be a steward, around forty years old and with a calm and composed demeanor, alighted from his carriage. He was heading towards Jia Yun's courtyard when he happened to run into Jia Zheng, who was just about to leave by carriage.

Jia Zheng immediately recognized that this man possessed an extraordinary bearing and was no ordinary servant. A thought struck him, and he quickly stepped forward, cupping his hands in greeting, "Greetings, sir. May I ask who you are...?"

Seeing that Jia Zheng was dressed in ordinary clothes but had a dignified demeanor, and was followed by his guests and attendants, the steward knew that he must be the master of the house, so he politely returned the greeting: "I dare not accept the title of sir. My surname is Li, and I serve by the side of Prince Xin. I have been sent by my master to deliver some writing materials to your esteemed Master Yun."

The words "Prince Xin" resounded like thunder in Jia Zheng's ears!

Although he had suspected it before, the moment it was confirmed still sent a huge shock through him. Prince Xin was still unmarried and resided in the Xuqin Palace within the Forbidden City. So this person must be the eunuch.

Jia Zheng suppressed his turbulent emotions and forced an unprecedentedly enthusiastic smile onto his face: "So it's Steward Li from Prince Xin! My apologies! I am Jia Zheng, a humble official in the Ministry of Works. Yun'er is a member of my Jia family, and it is truly an honor and a blessing for our entire clan to have gained the favor of His Highness Prince Xin!"

Manager Li naturally knew the details of the Rong and Ning mansions, and upon seeing that it was Jia Zheng, he became more polite: "So it's Lord Jia, I've heard so much about you. Your family has produced many talented young men, and Second Master Yun is young and promising, with excellent calligraphy and a calm and composed demeanor. My master and he had a very pleasant conversation and got along very well."

Upon hearing this, Jia Zheng seized the opportunity to probe, "Steward Li, you flatter me. Yun'er is young, and if she does anything inappropriate, I hope Your Highness and Steward Li will forgive her. I wonder... if Your Highness has any other instructions for Yun'er besides copying scriptures?"

He naturally wanted to know the extent to which Prince Xin "appreciated" Jia Yun.

Manager Li was a shrewd man; how could he not understand the deeper meaning in his words?

He merely smiled slightly, replying ambiguously yet meaningfully, "Rest assured, Lord Jia. The Prince and Second Master Yun get along very well. That day in the bookstore's private room, the two were alone and had a very pleasant conversation. The Prince was quite pleased."

It wasn't that Steward Li genuinely wanted to promote Jia Yun. It was simply because he had long served in the government and was well aware of the coldness and indifference of human relationships. As the saying goes, "The floodwaters can't reach the masts of a ship."

Leave a way out for us today, so we can meet again someday. Those petty people, gossiping and tripping us up behind our backs, don't know that the fortunes of noble people are like a dragon hidden in the abyss, destined to rise in due time.

If a single harsh word today hinders someone's future, wouldn't it become a burden on your own head if that person gains power in the future? It would be better to go with the flow now and say a few readily available kind words, which would not take much effort and would save face for both of us. Wouldn't that be convenient for both of us?

"They shared a room and had a very pleasant conversation!" These eight words struck Jia Zheng's heart like a heavy hammer.

What kind of status does Prince Xin have? How could he be "in the same room" with Jia Yun, a young man from a collateral branch of the family, and even "have a pleasant conversation"? This goes far beyond the ordinary scope of appreciating handwriting! Is this Jia Yun's greatest fortune, or... a huge problem for the Jia family? Jia Zheng recalled the ways of the Ninth Prince...

Jia Zheng was filled with anxiety, like fifteen buckets of water being drawn up, but he dared not show it on his face. He exchanged a few more polite words with Steward Li and personally escorted him to the small courtyard under the west corridor. Only then did he turn around with a heavy heart and head straight for Madam Wang's room.

Upon entering the room, he dismissed his attendants and whispered to Madam Wang about meeting Steward Li and confirming that it was Prince Xin.

Upon hearing this, Lady Wang was initially taken aback, but then, fiddling with her prayer beads, she exclaimed, "This...isn't this a tremendous stroke of good news? Prince Xin is the Emperor's only younger brother, holding a highly respected position. For Yun'er to gain his favor means her future is limitless, and our Jia family will also benefit!"

"A good thing? I'm afraid not," Jia Zheng frowned, pacing back and forth in the room, his words filled with unease. "You only know one side of the story! The current political situation... sigh! That Grand Eunuch Wei, with his immense power, is quite at odds with Prince Xin! There have long been rumors that the Grand Eunuch Wei finds Prince Xin too old and difficult to control, and intends to instigate His Majesty to expel him from the capital—he's a thorn in his side! Whether Yun'er's current involvement is a blessing or a curse remains to be seen!"

Lady Wang didn't understand any of the official intrigues or schemes, but her husband's blunt words made her turn pale. Her hand, holding the prayer beads, trembled slightly. "This... what should we do? His Majesty... surely His Majesty is wise?"

Jia Zheng slumped down, shaking his head, his face full of worry: "The will of Heaven is unpredictable! Who knows... In this situation, one wrong step and it will be utter ruin..."

As they were talking, they suddenly heard laughter coming from the courtyard outside, mixed with Baoyu's clear voice, as if he was chasing and playing with the maids. That carefree joy stood in stark contrast to the turmoil in Jia Zheng's heart at that moment.

Jia Zheng was already in a state of turmoil, and upon hearing this laughter, an inexplicable anger shot straight to his head! He abruptly stood up, rushed to the door, lifted the curtain, and went out. He saw Baoyu and several maids, including Musk Moon and Autumn Pattern, fighting over a brightly embroidered sachet in the courtyard, their temples damp with sweat and their faces flushed.

Seeing this, Jia Zheng's pent-up worries, fears, and sense of powerlessness regarding the family's future instantly transformed into a raging fury towards Baoyu. He pointed at Baoyu and shouted sharply:

"You wretched child! You...you're still fooling around here! You spend your days laughing and joking, idle and careless, neglecting all your duties! I ask you, you don't read books, you know nothing of etiquette, you just laze around in the inner chambers, what future do you have? You're narrow-minded and shallow! You'll only ever be a lecherous drunkard! Look at Yun'er, her background is a hundred times harder than yours, yet she knows how to strive for improvement, and now she can...she can...And you? Besides squandering the legacy left by your ancestors, besides making me angry, what else can you do? When I have some free time, I'll skin you alive!"

This outburst of angry words, like a sudden storm, terrified Baoyu and all the maids.

Big-faced Baoyu's face turned ashen, and he hung his head, not daring to breathe loudly, though he was puzzled.

What's gotten into Father this time?