Zhang treated Xichun like her own daughter.
Xichun, in turn, was as close to Zhang as she would have been to her own mother.
Unlike in the original story, Xichun was not cold and detached. Though she had a greater aptitude for understanding Buddhist scriptures than most, she had no intention of becoming a nun.
Zhang found Xichun a talented, capable young man in Jinling to be her husband.
He enjoyed painting too, and the two had a great deal in common.
After they married, they were very much in love.
Jia She sent Jia Cong and Jia Huan to the best academy in the area.
The two knew that, as sons of concubines, studying hard was their way out.
So both of them applied themselves diligently.
Without Lady Wang to bother him, Jia Huan caught up in his studies.
Later, the two took the imperial examinations, progressing from licentiate to jinshi.
Though they had only earned the lesser jinshi degree, thanks to Jia Hu and Jia Lian's efforts, both were assigned to good posts outside the capital. In time, they retired as high-ranking third-rank officials.
Zhang chose virtuous wives for both of them.
The women helped their husbands a great deal.
Both men were sincerely grateful to Zhang and Jia She.
Back in the capital.
The campaign in the south ended in victory for Daqing.
Though the Prince of Nan'an had been rescued, the capital's prison awaited him.
The emperor began settling old scores.
The Nan'an Prince Mansion was no more.
Dowager Consort Nan'an and the princess, once so haughty and contemptuous of others, were reduced to selling their jewelry to make ends meet.
The young princess, the legitimate daughter of the Nan'an Prince Mansion, was alive and well by their side. But what future awaited her?
No one saw them again after that.
Presumably, they had left the capital.
The soldiers returned victorious from the campaign.
Liu Xianglian had distinguished himself brilliantly in the war, capturing the enemy commander amid their vast army and earning the greatest merit.
For this achievement, Liu Xianglian was granted a title.
He was not made a marquis, but he did receive the title of earl.
Xue Baoqin became a countess, instantly rising to the highest status of anyone in her family besides Xue Baochai.
She safely gave birth to Liu Xianglian's eldest daughter, a pretty little girl who inherited all her parents' best features. They named her Liu Yao.
Liu Jiaying adored her little cousin and dressed her up like a doll.
Jia Lian was also awarded a baronial title for his service, making Wang Xifeng a titled lady, complete with a phoenix crown and ceremonial robes.
She was delighted and dragged Jia Lian out shopping.
The couple passed a haggard, prematurely aged woman.
Wang Xifeng gave her a sympathetic glance, then looked away.
The woman watched them until they disappeared from view, then withdrew her gaze wistfully.
The woman was none other than You Erjie.
Seeing how happy Jia Lian and his wife were together filled her with bitterness. She felt an urge to rush over and tear them apart.
But she didn't dare.
They were clearly people of high status. She couldn't afford to provoke them.
Xue Baoqin received a generous thank-you gift from Shi Xiangyun for Liu Xianglian's having saved Wei Ruolan's life.
On the battlefield, Liu Xianglian had shielded Wei Ruolan from a fatal blow.
Otherwise, Wei Ruolan would have died in battle, and Shi Xiangyun would have been widowed.
Shi Xiangyun didn't even have any children. If she became a widow, her life would be very difficult.
So she was deeply grateful to Liu Xianglian, and grew much closer to Xue Baoqin as well.
Perhaps it was true that surviving a great disaster brought good fortune. After Wei Ruolan returned to the capital, not only was he promoted, but Shi Xiangyun also became pregnant.
A year later, she gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl—a great omen that greatly improved Wei Ruolan and Shi Xiangyun's standing in the Wei family. Wei Ruolan's stepmother seethed with hatred, but there was nothing she could do to him anymore.
Wei Ruolan had grown too strong for her to control.
Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu married.
Before Grandmother Jia died, she took Jia Min's hand and expressed her wish to arrange a match between Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu.
Lin Ruhai had no objection to Jia Baoyu as a future son-in-law, so he agreed to the match.
Once the mourning periods for Jia Zheng, Lady Wang, and Grandmother Jia were over, the two held their wedding.
Jia Baoyu passed the jinshi examination, entered the Hanlin Academy, and later went to the Imperial Academy.
He spent his life teaching and writing poetry and prose, never taking part in the power struggles at court. He lived a relaxed, contented life, and he and Lin Daiyu were devoted to each other until their hair turned white.
Lin Daiyu's vitality had not been depleted, and she was in excellent health. She bore Jia Baoyu two sons and two daughters.
Jia Baoyu had no illegitimate children, concubines, or bedchamber maids.
Xiren and Qingwen were both his maids, and Xiren had hoped to rise in the household.
But Jia Baoyu had never been taken by Fairy Jinghuan to the Taixu Illusion Realm, nor had Fairy Keqing taught him the ways of love. Naturally, he had not matured so early, and he was far less interested in relations between men and women than he had been in the original story.
Xiren was already older than Jia Baoyu to begin with. Since he had no such thoughts, there was nothing she could do, however much she wanted it.
Watching herself grow older, Xiren could wait no longer. She bought her freedom and returned to the Hua Family, where her eldest brother arranged a marriage for her.
She married Qi Guan, Jiang Yuhan.
Without Jia Baoyu revealing any information in this life, Jiang Yuhan escaped Prince Zhongshun's pursuit.
Later, the Yi Zhong Commandery Prince's schemes were exposed. Though Prince Zhongshun, his accomplice, was spared execution by the emperor, he was placed under house arrest.
Jiang Yuhan was able to appear in public openly.
He wanted to marry and live an ordinary life.
He had a house and farmland, and was a wealthy landowner. In the eyes of many, he was quite the catch, and the matchmakers flocking to his door were countless.
Among all the girls the matchmakers introduced, Jiang Yuhan chose Hua Xiren.
Perhaps it was fate that had brought them together.
Qingwen, meanwhile, saw how deeply Jia Baoyu loved Lin Daiyu, and that she alone occupied his heart. She gave up the idea of becoming his concubine.
After Lin Daiyu joined the household, Qingwen asked her to help find a husband for her. Then she married, taking with her the generous dowry Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu had prepared, and became the proprietress of a shop.
Lin Daiyu's younger brother, educated by Lin Ruhai, eventually placed third in the palace examination. He married, had children, and enjoyed a smooth official career.
He had two sons and a daughter, breaking the Lin family's tradition of having only one heir per generation.
Lin Ruhai left this world with a smile. He could face his ancestors with pride.
Xue Baochai's life in the imperial harem was fairly peaceful and smooth. The emperor liked her understanding nature and her talent. Of course, her beauty played no small part.
Xue Baochai's first child was a son, and she was promoted to the rank of Consort.
Afterward, she gave birth to two princesses in succession.
Her rank rose steadily until she became Virtuous Consort.
Later, the emperor died, and the crown prince ascended the throne.
Xue Baochai's son became a prince.
The new emperor treated his younger brother well, since he was still young and posed no threat to the throne. He granted Xue Baochai's son a comfortable allowance and permitted him to bring his mother out of the palace and care for her.
After leaving the imperial palace where she had lived for more than twenty years, Xue Baochai felt as though she had crossed into another world.
The dream she had cherished as a young woman had come true, yet she felt utterly empty, as if she had gained everything and lost it all at once.
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