2.11 Wang Xifeng: Are you saying I am incompetent at managing the household?

"Second Uncle, is there something amiss?" Xue Baochai asked, puzzled.

"Is it she who told you to address her that way?" Xue Xun’s expression revealed a hint of nervousness.

"Naturally!" Xue Baoqin nodded hurriedly.

"That is good, then!" Xue Xun smiled with relief. "You are still young, so it is normal that you do not know her history. I, however, have walked this path step by step since the time the late Duke (Jia Daishan) was still with us, so I naturally understand more."

"His Excellency had many children, but only two legitimate sons—those two brothers now in the Rongguo Mansion. He had several daughters, but most were from concubines. Only one was born of the primary wife, and as such, she was cherished like a treasure from childhood and spoiled beyond measure."

"The Jia family has fallen now, to a state unimaginable compared to their former prestige. Take the 'Four Kings and Eight Dukes,' known even to a three-year-old child; even though there are four princes among them, in the past, they all followed his lead."

"Truly?" The two Xue sisters looked astonished.

"Could this be false?" Xue Xun’s expression turned nostalgic. "Setting aside his title, the late Duke was not even the oldest in age, yet all the martial families addressed him as 'Big Brother.' Among the current Four Kings and Eight Dukes, the one with the highest rank is Niu Jizong of the Zhenguo Mansion, yet he cannot even keep the Eight Dukes in line."

"Then, are we not—" Xue Baoqin’s face filled with pleasant surprise.

"Otherwise, how do you think the Xue family could have become a globally recognized merchant house on its own? It is because we have a good backer," Xue Xun said with a complex expression. "The Madam Lin you met today—I didn't even have the qualifications to see her back then; only my eldest brother ever paid her a visit."

"Ah?" Xue Baochai was stunned. "She is, after all, a woman. Is it really like that?"

"An ordinary woman, no. But the eldest daughter of the 'First House of Martial Merit,' yes." Xue Xun laughed dryly. "Not to mention our Xue family, what of the Shi and Wang families? Even royal princesses and noblewomen from princely houses addressed her as a sister."

"I don't know much else, but just consider a few names you should recognize: Empress Sun, the current Empress, has been close with Madam Lin since her days in the private residence; Princess Yongchang, who is highly praised in scholarly circles, is her intimate friend."

"Within the inner chambers of the Rongguo Mansion back then, although the Duchess was nominally the head, that was limited to their own household. Once you stepped out the door and spoke of the Jia family’s inner眷, she was the first to be mentioned, followed by that eldest daughter-in-law of the time—though, alas, heaven did not grant her a long life."

The two Xue sisters were completely dumbfounded.

"Aunt is actually so—" Xue Baoqin’s voice was hesitant.

"It is your good fortune that she is willing to look after you," Xue Xun said, his tone lightening. "If we speak truly, our Xue family is, after all, a merchant house. Many things, even with the old connections passed down by our ancestors, are not easy to negotiate."

"Take the 'Jia, Shi, Wang, and Xue' families known to all: the Jia family has two Dukes; the Shi family holds the legacy of the Baoling Marquis; the Wang family's ancestor was that 'Grand Marshal' elder—even if they only held a non-hereditary 'County Earl' title, they were still counted among the martial nobility."

"Only our Xue family, with an ancestor who was merely a 'Purple Weft Secretary' and who turned early to imperial trading to earn silver, lacked the confidence to speak. Over the generations, we could never claim true kinship with the Jia or Shi families; we only maintained 'old family ties'."

"Not to mention anything else, when the late Duke was still alive, I didn't have the fortune to pay many visits. Most were during festivals, and it was only my eldest brother who often went to the Rongguo Mansion to talk, and even then, mostly with Brother She."

"No matter how much the Jia family has fallen, they are still far above us compared to the Xue family. It is true that your aunt (Mistress Xue) and their Second Madam (Lady Wang) are sisters, but that is only true behind closed doors. Once you step outside, who acknowledges it?"

In *The Dream of the Red Chamber*, the connection between the Xue and Jia families was always limited to Lady Wang; there were no direct descriptions of ties to the Wang family, and the Shi family was barely mentioned beyond the connection between Xue Baochai and Shi Xiangyun.

"Is it really so?" Xue Baoqin was too shocked to speak.

"In those days we... ah—cough, cough, cough!" After speaking so much, Xue Xun was clearly exhausted. "I will not hide it from you. You two girls have been running around these past few days; I didn't think much of it, just hoping to forge a bond of goodwill."

"Otherwise, he is merely a man who bought his office. Even with the care of the Lin family, now that Lin Ruhai is dead, what kind of future could he have? Since Madam Lin is willing to speak, this matter cannot simply pass."

"Qing-er, remember to carry yourself well when you go to the capital. Bao-er, I recall you sold our businesses in the capital region a few days ago? Regardless, since things were already out of control, it is better sold, but ensure the handover is handled properly."

"This—" Xue Baochai was troubled. "Since Second Uncle knew it was out of control, how can there be a proper handover?"

"Naturally, you send someone eloquent to help sort it out." Xue Xun leaned on his wheelchair to adjust his posture. "Doesn't Zhang Dehui have a son? Have him accompany Qing-er to the capital, and I will compile some information for you to take along."

"Second Uncle, rest assured!" Xue Baochai agreed hastily.

"One more thing: when do they plan to depart?" Xue Xun asked calmly.

"I do not know," Xue Baoqin replied, shaking her head blankly. "Brother Rui has never mentioned it."

"Hmm?" Xue Xun’s expression changed. "What a calculation!"

"Is there something wrong?" Xue Baochai asked worriedly.

"They are waiting for us to speak!" Xue Xun gave a bitter smile. "Is everything packed on that side?"

"Since Brother Rui returned from Suzhou and reached an agreement with the Lin clan to separate the lineage, he has ordered his men to pack." With this direct reminder, Xue Baochai understood. "Everything is already loaded onto the boats, and they have moved on board."

"Huu—" Xue Xun finally let out a sigh of relief. "Qing-er, you go. You are used to living on boats anyway, so you don't need to pack anything. Just take your usual boat and go tomorrow!"

"Is that too rushed?" Xue Baoqin asked, puzzled. "I only just returned today."

"Do you expect them to come knocking to urge you?" Xue Xun’s tone turned cold.

The two Xue sisters changed their expressions at once. How could they not know the scale of the trouble Lin Rui was facing? If he were to personally come to their house to "visit," it might be fine for him to leave, but what about the Xue family?

"Second Uncle, rest assured, I will go with Sister Qing tomorrow morning!" Xue Baochai declared.

"If I had known, I wouldn't have sent Ke'er to Hangzhou." Xue Xun shook his head with a bitter smile. "Wenlong... well, Bao-er, your family must also show some gesture. Wasn't the recent killing due to a maid?"

"Second Uncle is right!" Xue Baochai realized. "Since Sister Qing is used to going between the boat and the house, and doesn't have anyone capable at her side, it would be better to take her along; it is convenient for both sides."

"If Wenlong had even a fraction of your capability, the Xue family would not be in this state," Xue Xun sighed softly. "Let it be settled this way. I believe they are already anxious on their side. If nothing goes wrong, the day after tomorrow would be a perfect choice."

"I understand!" Xue Baoqin nodded gently.

Xue Xun finally relaxed completely. "As for the Jia family, I wonder how things are there!" He suddenly turned to look north.

"Father, what do you mean?" Xue Baoqin was confused.

"Did you forget what I just said?" Xue Xun’s expression was peculiar. "When Madam Lin was still in the Duke's mansion, she was the universally acknowledged eldest daughter, and she had an inseparable bond with her good sister, Brother She’s late wife. With that being the case, who holds the power in that house?"

The two sisters froze.

Just as the relationship between a Crown Prince and an Emperor is always complex, who manages the household—the daughter or the mother? Moreover, Jia She has remarried, and the Rongguo Mansion is currently managed by Lady Wang!

Capital, Jia Mansion.

Jia Lian was sleeping soundly, but was suddenly pushed hard.

"Which one of you doesn't want to live—" he couldn't help but curse.

"Lian-er, are you mourning the dead?" A familiar female voice rang out immediately.

Jia Lian reacted instantly, suppressing his temper.

"Does Grandmother have any instructions?" Ping'er, who had been woken up in the outer room, hurried in, putting on her clothes.

"Nothing to do with you!" Wang Xifeng waved her hand impatiently. Seeing the maid leave, she turned to her husband. "I haven't asked these past few days, and if I hadn't been lying awake thinking, I would have forgotten about the renovations at the Lin mansion."

"How could that be delayed?" Jia Lian said impatiently, suppressing his mood. "What is it?"

"I was thinking about Aunt Lin," Wang Xifeng said, looking puzzled. "Logically, with relatives visiting, shouldn't they stay for a few days? A few days ago, when the Old Ancestor and my aunt were talking, there seemed to be something... why can't I figure it out?"

"It would be strange if you could figure it out." Hearing this, Jia Lian, who had been impatient, seemed to recover his energy. "Before you entered the family, and before my aunt was married, this mansion was not what it is now."

"What was it like then?" Wang Xifeng became interested.

"At the very least, there weren't so many bullshit troubles." Jia Lian was truly nostalgic. "My mother was still alive then, and her friendship with my aunt was deep—no less than that of blood sisters. The two of them managed the Duke's mansion, and everything, big or small, was in perfect order."

"Are you saying I can't manage the household?" Wang Xifeng immediately looked displeased.

"You manage? You manage nothing!" Jia Lian, as the rightful heir to the Duke's mansion, was not entirely clueless. "Do you hold the keys to the old treasury? Or the inner treasury? You're just managing a warehouse where even the mice starve to death, and you call that managing a household?"

Wang Xifeng froze. She was competitive, sharp-tongued, and short-sighted, but she was not truly stupid.

"Isn't it... not yet the time?" she murmured after a long silence.

"Fine, fine, go to sleep!" Jia Lian pulled the quilt impatiently. "Regardless, the Lin mansion is almost ready. When Aunt returns, just hand it over to her. As for what the other elders do, what can we juniors say?"

"Lian-er, you actually said something sensible for once!" Wang Xifeng’s phoenix eyes brightened.

"Let them be!" Jia Lian wore a complex expression. "Mother—"