Chapter 2 Baochai of the Dream of the Red Chamber 8 Mwah!

Although the Zhang family may not be entirely satisfied with Xue Pan, their prospective grandson-in-law and nephew-in-law.

After all, the Xue family had a shallow foundation and started out as merchants. Apart from being a third-place scholar, Xue Pan's learning and temperament were just ordinary in the eyes of the Zhang family.

But the match was personally arranged by Emperor Kangxi, whose words were law.

In addition, Xue Pan is currently enjoying the emperor's favor and is extremely wealthy. His sister Baochai is about to marry into the imperial family, making this marriage network truly special.

Now, Zhang Ying, the patriarch of the Zhang family, has retired and returned to his hometown. Although Zhang Tingyu has won the emperor's favor, he is not yet deeply entrenched in the court.

Choosing to marry into a newly wealthy and powerful family like the Xue family, which is on the rise and has the emperor's backing, would be a worthwhile deal for consolidating the Zhang family's position and, in particular, for finding a stable and prosperous home for their niece who lost her father.

Political marriages are never just about what's in front of you.

Wang Ziteng was even more surprised that his once good-for-nothing nephew could be so successful and quietly secure such a prestigious marriage with the Zhang family.

Overjoyed, he humbled himself and personally went to great lengths to ensure the wedding was a grand and respectable affair, thus giving the Xue family face and demonstrating the Wang family's importance and support to the Zhang family.

The Xue family, from top to bottom, showed the utmost sincerity.

The betrothal gift list prepared by Baochai and Aunt Xue not only demonstrated the Xue family's immense wealth—including estates, shops, gold and silver jewelry, antiques, and jade artifacts—but also revealed their immense value.

They also carefully selected many precious ancient books, calligraphy and paintings, Duan inkstones, Huizhou ink and other elegant items, striving to match the Zhang family's style.

Throughout the process, the Xue family respected Zhang Tingyu's opinions to the greatest extent possible, and discussed everything with him.

Faced with the Xue family's humble and sincere attitude, and their genuine abundance of money, the shrewd and perceptive Zhang Tingyu naturally wouldn't deliberately make things difficult for them.

Since the marriage is already arranged, instead of putting on airs and offending people, it's better to build a good relationship.

Judging from Xue Pan's honest and straightforward manner and the way the Xue family mother and daughter handled things, this niece's husband comes from a wealthy family but is not an arrogant and domineering person. At least the niece will not suffer any grievances after marrying into his family.

Thus, with the joint efforts of both families, especially Wang Ziteng and Zhang Tingyu, this marriage arranged by the emperor progressed remarkably smoothly.

The procedures of the Three Letters and Six Rites proceeded in an orderly and methodical manner. The betrothal, asking the name, accepting auspicious gifts, presenting betrothal gifts, setting the wedding date... each step was carried out in a grand and dignified manner, in accordance with the rites and with the utmost respectability.

The powerful and influential people in the capital saw that the Xue family and the Zhang family of Tongcheng had indeed formed a marriage alliance, and their attitudes underwent subtle changes.

In the past, some people might have mocked the Xue family behind their backs as nouveau riche, but now they are all reassessing the Xue family's significance.

Now, when Aunt Xue goes out for social events, she feels unprecedented warmth and respect. No one dares to mention the word "merchant" anymore. She has truly experienced what it means to hold her head high and be proud.

Meanwhile, at the Jia family mansion, upon hearing the news, Lady Wang smashed a tea set in her room and was so angry that her chest ached for several days. She was even too lazy to see Baoyu when he came to pay his respects.

Grandmother Jia was filled with mixed emotions; the idea of ​​arranging a marriage in her heart was completely extinguished, leaving only a complex sense of regret.

Wang Xifeng regarded Xue Pan as a role model for educating her future son.

Under Baochai's strict supervision, Xue Pan, the groom-to-be, visited Zhang Tingyu's residence more frequently after finishing his official duties each day to ask for tutoring, and his attitude became increasingly respectful.

Although he wasn't exceptionally gifted, his honest and straightforward nature—his willingness to learn and listen—gradually made Zhang Tingyu realize that this nephew-in-law might not be as hopeless as he had imagined.

The entire Xue family was immersed in the busyness and joy of preparing for the wedding, until Zhang Lingshu from Tongcheng was brought into the family by Xue Pan in a grand ceremony with her dowry.

Zhang Lingshu had no objection to marrying into the Xue family. Xue Pan was ambitious and was the third-ranked scholar appointed by the emperor. Even if his scholarship was slightly exaggerated, it was certainly not bad.

It should be noted that her third uncle is still only a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination), and her second uncle was already twenty-eight years old when he passed the Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination). Xue Pan passed the examination at the young age of twenty and became a Tanhua (a third-ranking scholar), which is truly remarkable.

Furthermore, the Xue family was extremely wealthy, with pearls as common as dirt and gold as precious as iron. After the father's death, even with the care of his grandfather and several uncles, the already meager fortune of the eldest branch of the family became even more strained.

After my grandfather retired, his income decreased sharply, and he had to take care of an entire extended family, so the resources allocated to the eldest branch of the family were limited.

The second uncle was a close advisor to the emperor and took good care of the eldest branch of the family, but this was more out of moral obligation and kinship, and the economic support was limited.

After all, the Zhang family was a family of upright officials, and from the grandfather to the father and uncles, they all cherished their reputation extremely. Although the family owned farms and shops, they were not considered wealthy.

The eldest branch of the family is now entirely supported by their mother's meager dowry. They also have younger brothers who need money for education, social obligations, and other expenses.

On the day of their wedding, when Zhang Lingshu saw Baochai personally carrying a food box to deliver snacks, the gentleness and kindness in her eyes were genuine, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Before she got married, her uncle had advised her that the one who really made the decisions and managed things in the Xue family was her sister-in-law, Xue Baochai.

She had been worried that she might encounter a formidable and difficult sister-in-law, but now it seems that her worries were unfounded.

On their wedding night, the newlyweds were quite satisfied with each other. The next day, during the tea ceremony, the mother-in-law, Aunt Xue, was kind and amiable.

The gift was a gilded sandalwood box containing two sets of jewelry, deeds to two estates in the suburbs of Beijing, and a stack of silver notes.

Aunt Xue held Zhang Lingshu's hand and called her "Shu'er" affectionately.

Aunt Xue hadn't even considered setting rules. She had a whole bunch of maids and servants serving her, and she didn't like to torment her daughter-in-law, Old Madam Jia. Why should she make her daughter-in-law stand and serve her food and soup?

Aunt Xue also joked, "Our family doesn't have so many rules. We don't talk while eating or sleeping. It would be so boring."

"Our family is all flesh and blood; living a happy and harmonious life together is better than any empty talk."

On the three-day return visit day, Aunt Xue prepared two large carts full of gifts, including food, clothing, daily necessities, and fine silks and satins. The most important item was a high-quality, century-old ginseng.

This old ginseng was specially added by Baochai. The patriarch of the Zhang family, Zhang Ying, is getting old, and Xue Pan, his grandson-in-law, is showing respect by offering an old ginseng to nourish his health. No one can find fault with that.

On the Zhang family's side, since her daughter's marriage, Zhang Lingshu's mother, Madam Yao, has been restless and anxious for the past two days, fearing that her daughter has been mistreated in her husband's family.

It wasn't until she saw her daughter and son-in-law walk in hand in hand, and saw her daughter's rosy complexion, her eyes revealing the shyness and composure of a new bride, and the exquisite and elegant clothes she wore, that Yao's heart, which had been hanging in suspense for several days, finally settled down.

Looking at the smile on her daughter's face, she knew that the marriage with the Xue family and her daughter's marriage were truly a perfect match.

After Xue Pan respectfully bowed and greeted his elders with Zhang Lingshu, Zhang Tingyu took him to the study.

Zhang Lingshu leaned against her mother's chest and recounted in detail her daily life in the days since she married into the Xue family.

Madam Yao hugged her daughter and instructed her, "Life is something you have to live yourself. Your mother-in-law is kind and loving, so you must not take her kindness for granted and be filial to her."

Zhang Lingshu gave half of the private money that Aunt Xue had given him to his mother, Yao. Yao refused to accept it, but Zhang Lingshu insisted on giving it to her.

"My husband said this was a gift from my mother-in-law, and I can do with it as I please. He suggested I send it back to my mother, and he also gave you a three-courtyard house in the capital as a token of his respect."

My younger brothers will also be coming to the capital to study and prepare for the imperial examinations, so it will be more convenient to have a house to live in.

Unable to refuse Zhang Lingshu's request, Yao had no choice but to accept her daughter and son-in-law's gift.

She secretly resolved to urge her two sons to study hard when she got back. If they could pass the imperial examinations and obtain official positions, Shu'er's position in the Xue family would be more secure.

After Zhang Lingshu returned to her parents' home, Baochai handed over all the keys to the family storeroom, the account books of the estate and shops, and the property certificates to her.

After completing all the handover procedures, Baochai was free to start preparing her dowry.

Aunt Xue was extravagant and demanded perfection in everything she did; the Xue family had no shortage of money. Plus, Baochai had made a fortune from maritime trade over the years, so her dowry couldn't possibly cover the entire length of her bridal procession.

On the day of the dazzling makeup, everyone finally witnessed what it meant for pearls to be as precious as dirt and gold as valuable as iron.

The Ninth Prince, who was close to Yongshou, couldn't help but lament, "If I had known the Xue family was so wealthy, it wouldn't have been a bad idea for you to take her into your household back then!"

Yongshou rolled his eyes: "Who doesn't know you're a money god? Do you really need the Xue family's little bit of silver?"

The Tenth Prince took a sip of wine: "Ninth Brother, you could do business with that boy Yongshu. I heard that Yongshu, the wife of the Xue family, manages all the profitable businesses."

My wife, that shrew, has given the Xue family's Qinxiangzhai restaurant an unknown amount of silver.

If she wants to buy anything, and I dare say no, she'll whip me.

The Ninth Prince pondered for a moment: "I'll find Yongshu for a drink later and ask if his family is willing to cooperate with me."

If it were anyone else, the Ninth Prince would have simply seized it by force. Although Yongshu did not have a title, he was protected by Yongshou and the Shuncheng Prince's Mansion.

It's one thing if it's the Prince Shuncheng's mansion, but Yongshou is his half-brother, not much worse than the tenth prince. How could he possibly cheat his brother for a prescription?

On the morning of the second day after her wedding, Baochai got ready and went with Yongshu to the main courtyard to serve tea to her brother and sister-in-law.

Yongshou's wife, Hesheli, sat at the head of the table, looking at the perfect couple before her, and was overjoyed.

Yongshou drank his tea and instructed Yongshu, "Now that you've started a family, you're an adult. From now on, you must be responsible in everything you do." After saying that, he handed over a heavy red envelope.

Yongshu happily replied, "Thank you, brother, I understand."

Hesheli took the tea that Baochai brought over, and her eyes immediately reddened: "Good child, Yongshu grew up in my life. Although he is called my younger brother, he is like my son."

From now on, you two should support each other, live a harmonious and happy life, and then I will have no more worries.

After saying that, he gave Baochai a rather heavy box.

Baochai smiled gently and said, "Don't worry, sister-in-law, Yongshu and I will definitely make a good life for each other."

On the third day of the wedding, the day Baochai returned to her parents' home, Aunt Xue had been eagerly anticipating her daughter's return since early morning. Her heart had been constantly pounding with worry ever since her daughter's marriage.

Upon seeing Baochai, Aunt Xue burst into tears before she could even speak. She rushed forward, embraced Baochai tightly, and scrutinized her closely.

Seeing her daughter dressed in a rose-purple peony-patterned silk cheongsam, with a kingfisher feather hairpin, her complexion was rosy, and her expression was calm and composed.

She felt a little relieved, but her tears fell even more fiercely. "Good, good... I'm relieved to see that Bao'er is doing well."

Baochai felt a mix of bittersweet emotions. She held her mother's hand tightly in return, her voice choked with emotion, "Mom, I'm doing well. Thank you for your concern."

Yongshu followed Xue Pan to the front yard, where Aunt Xue held Baochai's hand and asked her incessantly about the details of their marriage.

Hearing that Yongshou loved Baochai dearly, and that his elder brother and sister-in-law were also reasonable, the young couple moved out to live separately after their marriage. Aunt Xue was so excited that she kept praying to Buddha for blessings.

The heavy weight on my heart has finally been lifted; my daughter has finally married the right person.

After returning to her parents' home, Baochai and Yongshu moved to a manor in the suburbs of Beijing to live permanently.

Yongshu's mind, which had been ridiculed for being idle and fragmented, finally found a place to be put to use and quickly borne fruit.

Under Baochai's guidance, Yongshu improved the curved plow, making it easier to use and allowing for deeper plowing.

The carefully selected corn and potatoes yielded a bumper harvest, and the cowpox discovered by chance on cattle could prevent smallpox.

With great merit comes great criticism. Baochai understood this clearly: "Master's merit is real, but as the saying goes, one tree cannot make a forest. Elder brother is the clan leader; only with his involvement can things be stable."

My brother may not be good at much else, but he's quite capable at running errands and dealing with people. We might as well let him benefit from that; it'll be easier for him to get things done in the future.

Yongshu had always trusted Baochai, and since most of these things were actually thanks to Baochai, if she was willing to give them up, why would he be reluctant to give them up?

Thus, when these items were presented to Emperor Kangxi, they were the result of Prince Yongshu's dedicated research and the strenuous support of his elder brothers Yongshou and Xue Pan.

Emperor Kangxi was troubled by the deposed crown prince and his several incompetent adult sons, and was prone to losing his temper at the slightest provocation.

He personally visited Yongshu's experimental farm, watched the improved plows carve deep furrows in the fields, and weighed the heavy ears of corn in his hands, and was greatly pleased.

After the imperial physicians repeatedly verified the effectiveness of the smallpox vaccination, he was rewarded with exceptionally generous honors.

Yongshou was promoted to Prince of the Second Rank, and Yongshu was granted the title of Beile, and was bestowed with a magnificent Beile mansion and a fine imperial estate in the suburbs of Beijing.

What surprised everyone the most was that Xue Pan was exceptionally granted the title of First-Class Earl.

The imperial edict caused a stir throughout the court. But who dared to utter a word of dissent?

That's smallpox, a plague that has claimed countless lives for thousands of years. Now that there's a way to prevent and treat it, this reward is only reasonable.

When the Xue family received the imperial edict, Aunt Xue was so overjoyed that she almost fainted on the spot, and Xue Pan was stunned, his mouth agape. If the eunuch delivering the edict hadn't reminded him, he probably would still be standing there dumbfounded.

Zhang Lingshu was so excited that her hands trembled slightly and her eyes welled up with tears.

But she was more shrewd than Xue Pan and Aunt Xue, and quickly calmed down, handing the eunuch who delivered the imperial decree a thick purse.

After seeing off the eunuch who delivered the imperial decree, she quickly helped Aunt Xue up: "Mother, my sister's family must have received the imperial decree as well. What kind of congratulatory gift should we send? Our family is really benefiting from my sister and brother-in-law's good fortune this time!"

Aunt Xue's excitement gradually subsided: "Shu'er, you're right, Pan'er. You've been granted a title, and you're at the height of your career. You must be extra careful in your actions from now on, and don't let Bao'er down."

Xue Pan held the imperial edict in his hands: "Mom, don't worry, your son will understand."

The family of three were overjoyed with excitement as they looked at the imperial edict. This was a super-rank noble title, enough to be written on the first page of the Xue family genealogy, bringing glory to their family.

From this day forward, the Xue family, once secretly ridiculed as imperial merchants, will henceforth be the Xue family of earls.

Meanwhile, at the Rongguo Mansion, when Lady Wang heard that her nephew Xue Pan had become Lord Xue, she was so angry that she spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted. Before she fainted, she had only one thought in her mind: her sister and the Xue family, who used to have to be subservient to her and depend on her for everything, had now become objects of her utmost respect.

She was filled with hatred. She shouldn't have been so soft-hearted back then, sparing that wretched girl Wang Jingxian's life. Why was Wang Jingxian loved and pampered by her parents since childhood, while she herself had to curry favor with the old lady to secure a place in the Wang family since she could remember?

She was clearly the eldest daughter, but the madam was only concerned with finding suitable husbands for Wang Jingxian. And her father, for the sake of the family's interests, actually wanted her to marry into a merchant family.

Unwilling to be a merchant's wife, she cried to the old lady and, taking advantage of the old lady's pride, stole Wang Jingxian's good marriage and married into the Duke's mansion.

He thought he would always trample Wang Jingxian under his feet, but unexpectedly she gave birth to a wonderful son and daughter. He turned his life around with the help of his children. His son became a first-rank earl, and his daughter became a prince's wife.

Lady Wang was unwilling to accept that after a lifetime of fighting and struggling, she had ultimately lost to her sister, whom she despised the most.