Chapter 6: The Rongguo Mansion (Part II)

Let us return to the Ning Mansion.

The current head of the Jia family is Jia Zhen. However, the staff of the Ning Mansion do not address him as "Master"; they call him "Young Master Zhen." The person addressed as "Master" by the household is Jia Zhen’s father, Jia Jing, who resides permanently at the Xuanzhen Temple outside the city walls to practice Taoism, returning only for the New Year to perform ancestral rites.

Jia Zhen has a son named Jia Rong, who is married to Qin Keqing, the adopted daughter of the clerk Qin Ye. Although Qin Keqing comes from a humble background, she is graceful and delicate, with a gentle and serene manner that wins praise from everyone in the Ning Mansion.

One day, Qin Keqing suddenly heard that the rebel king Chu Yan had arrived outside the city with a great army. Disturbed, she sought to consult her husband, Jia Rong, but he remained sullen and silent. Instead, her father-in-law, Jia Zhen, offered her some words of comfort and, before they parted, gifted her some incense, instructing her to burn it at night to help her sleep.

Qin Keqing holds this father-in-law of hers in great awe. After taking her leave, she returned to her room and fell into a heavy, dazed sleep. She does not know how much time had passed when she suddenly jolted awake, sitting up on her bed. She tried to recall the nightmare she had just had, but most of it had already slipped from her memory. A moment later, she reached back to touch her shoulders and realized that her smooth, fair skin was drenched in cold sweat.

"Baozhu."

Qin Keqing hurriedly called for her maids and ordered them to fetch hot water. No sooner had she finished washing and dressing than a matron called out from outside: "Young Master Zhen is here!"

Qin Keqing was startled once more. Her father-in-law coming to see her so early in the morning made her fear he might have some ulterior motives. Recalling past incidents and the remnants of her dream, she grew even more panicked, but she rose quickly to welcome him.

As soon as Jia Zhen entered the room, he sniffed the sweet fragrance lingering in his daughter-in-law's chamber. His gaze fell upon her, and he smiled: "Did you sleep well last night? Do not be alarmed by the rebel army; the imperial court has tens of thousands of soldiers, enough to hold them off for months. By then, their supplies will be exhausted, and they will naturally disperse."

Qin Keqing hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back. Finally, she replied respectfully: "Please do not worry, Father. I slept soundly last night and felt no anxiety."

Seeing his daughter-in-law speak with her head bowed, her voice soft and melodic, and noticing an indescribable, vibrant charm about her brow, with her graceful figure hidden beneath her skirts, Jia Zhen could no longer restrain himself. He reached out, intending to grasp her delicate hand.

Qin Keqing had been on her guard. Seeing his hand move, she recoiled in fear and looked at him with terror in her eyes: "Father... what are you doing?"

The dread in her heart had reached its peak, and the images from her dream flooded back. Seeing that his attempt had failed, Jia Zhen could not help but feel a flicker of irritation. With the rebel army encircling the city, the atmosphere was one of widespread panic; he had hoped to take advantage of this to coerce Qin Keqing, yet she still refused him.

"Very well." Jia Zhen consoled her, "Rest well. I will handle the family affairs; do not worry too much, lest you fall ill."

Qin Keqing bowed her head in agreement. Before leaving, Jia Zhen added: "I have ordered Rong'er to go out and gather information, and he needs to rest well at night. You two should refrain from marital relations for the time being."

Qin Keqing felt another jolt of alarm, but by the time she looked up, her father-in-law had already departed. She stood dazed for a long while before returning to her bed, where she collapsed and wept silently. Her heart was in turmoil, haunted by the predatory look Jia Zhen had given her, the rebel army outside the city, and the uncertainty of whether her nightmare was a premonition. All these things coalesced into an unshakable shroud of sorrow.

"Why is Grandmother crying?" the maids Baozhu and Ruizhu asked as they entered. Seeing her weeping, they hurried over to assist her, only to find a large damp patch on the red bedding.

"It is nothing."

Qin Keqing wiped her tears with a handkerchief. Her eyes were red, and having been weeping, she looked all the more delicate and captivating. After Baozhu and Ruizhu offered their comfort, Qin Keqing finally spoke: "I had a dream last night."

"What did you dream of, Grandmother?" they asked anxiously.

"In the dream, a fairy told me," Qin Keqing said in a soft, measured tone, "that the rebel King Chu Yan is unstoppable and that the fall of the nation and the destruction of our homes will come in five days. She told me to prepare early. If we wish to preserve the Jia family, we must urge them to surrender quickly. Chu Yan might then spare some of our assets and allow the members of both mansions to keep their lives."

Baozhu and Ruizhu were terrified. The fairy knew the city would fall in five days?! But Young Master Zhen had said the capital's walls were high and thick, and the grain stores inside were plentiful enough to last for months!

"And if we do not surrender? What did the fairy say then?"

"The fairy said..."

After hearing her, Baozhu and Ruizhu exchanged looks, then asked in unison: "Grandmother, what must we do now to survive this catastrophe?"

Qin Keqing thought carefully and decided against going to her father-in-law or her husband. Neither could be relied upon; there was not a single person in the Eastern Mansion (the Ning Mansion) capable of taking charge. She then considered the Western Mansion (the Rong Mansion), but realized that in the face of such a disaster, there was no one there either who could stand up for the Jia family. There was only one person who could be considered decisive and capable. If she could be persuaded, there might yet be a chance to save the family.

Having made up her mind, Qin Keqing said to the two maids: "Accompany me to the Western Mansion."

Baozhu quickly called for several other maids and matrons, and they accompanied their mistress to the Rong Mansion. Ruizhu noticed that they were heading straight for the residence of the Second Master Lian, assuming they were looking for the Second Mistress Lian. When they arrived, however, she was not there. After waiting a long time and sending someone to fetch her, the Second Mistress Lian finally returned.

"Why have you come here?"

Wang Xifeng was very surprised to see her and sighed repeatedly: "With all this chaos and war, everything is in disarray. You must be careful when walking about!"

Although they were of different generations, there was little difference in their ages; Qin Keqing was only a few years younger. They were usually close and spoke freely with one another. Qin Keqing hurriedly took her hand and said: "Aunt, I have something urgent to tell you!"

With a signal from Wang Xifeng, Ping'er, Ruizhu, Baozhu, and the other maids all withdrew.

"What urgent matter could it be?" Wang Xifeng asked. "The Old Matriarch is waiting for me to attend to her, and the house is in such a mess. Some unruly people are becoming restless, trying to steal silver from my purse, and I have to keep an eye on them after I serve the Old Matriarch!"

"Aunt," Qin Keqing sighed, "you are a heroine among women, surpassing even those men who wear the official caps and belts. How can you not understand the urgency of this situation?"

Wang Xifeng was annoyed. She shook off her hand, sipped her tea, and glanced at her: "Tell me, then, what is light and what is heavy? Is the money in my purse light, and what could be heavier than that?"

Wang Xifeng, the wife of Jia Lian, known as the Second Mistress Lian, was known to value money more than her own life—a fact well known in both mansions. Because of her sharp tongue and capable nature, everyone jokingly called her "Phoenix the Spicy."

"The very survival of the Jia family—is that not heavy enough?" Qin Keqing asked.

Wang Xifeng’s willow-leaf brows knit together.

Qin Keqing urged her further: "A little money stolen here or there is trivial, but if the rebel King enters the city and his soldiers block the front and back gates of both mansions, no matter how great your ability, you will only be at his mercy!"

Wang Xifeng was stunned, a chill rising in her heart. "The city... is it going to fall?!"

"It is not certain." After a brief hesitation, Qin Keqing said: "I had a dream last night."

She shared parts of the dream with her. After listening for a long time, Wang Xifeng said: "Is there no other way to protect our family? If we follow what you say and surrender to that rebel king, both the Ning and Rong mansions will cease to exist. The rebels will certainly strip us to the bone!"

Qin Keqing sneered: "Aunt, how foolish you are. The entire imperial court has been crushed by the rebel king; what is our family in comparison? We are not talking about preserving assets now, but about preserving the lives of everyone in the household. If we are dead, what use is wealth?"

Wang Xifeng retorted angrily: "The rebels haven't even attacked the city yet! Who knows what will happen? If we surrender before the battle is even fought, won't outsiders laugh at us?"

Qin Keqing sighed again, not knowing how to persuade her further. The fairy had said: "If you do not surrender, the Jia family will surely be destroyed. Escape that sea of bitterness and return soon."

"Fine, fine, fine," Wang Xifeng laughed. "If it comes to the point of no return, I will do as you say. I will persuade the Old Matriarch to have someone open the gates when the rebel king enters the city and welcome them in!"

Qin Keqing said gloomily: "If only we had purchased more land and estates near the ancestral graves to cover the costs of the sacrifices, we wouldn't have to worry about having nowhere to live after the rebel army raids our home. But it is too late to say anything now."

The fairy had said that the rebel king loved to raid the houses of the wealthy; every time he broke into a city, the rich families were forced to give up half their wealth, even if they were innocent.

Wang Xifeng laughed again: "I always said you were more suspicious than I am. Am I right today?"

Qin Keqing laughed as well. After chatting for a while, she took her leave. Just as she was about to exit, she paused and said in a low voice: "Aunt, there is one more thing. I do not know if I should say it."

"Speak your mind. Why stand on ceremony with me?"

"If heaven is to punish the Jia family, let the punishment fall on me alone."

"What kind of nonsense is that? You speak without head or tail!"

Wang Xifeng laughed, and Qin Keqing joined her. Feeling a little lighter, she returned to the Ning Mansion with her maids. Regardless of anything else, she would never yield to Jia Zhen.

In the afternoon, the words shouted by the rebel king Chu Yan outside the city gates spread like the wind throughout the Ning and Rong mansions.

"The rebel army will attack in five days?!"

Baozhu and Ruizhu’s eyes were filled with horror. Was the dream their mistress had last night true?

The city... could not be held.