The Third Chapter: Red Chamber

The Liu family and Jia Hu stayed at the estate for half a month.

During that time, Jia Hu learned to swim.

He got much darker from the sun and was having too much fun to want to leave.

Zhang and Lady Jia Shi were both terribly worried about him, so they arranged for the servants to wash Jia Hu's face with milk every day, determined to get his fair complexion back as soon as possible.

After that carefree stretch of play, Jia Hu never had such a relaxed time again.

He had officially begun his studies and spent every day learning the Three Character Classic, the Hundred Family Surnames, and the Thousand Character Classic from his tutor. He had no spare time to play.

As a result, Jia Hu and Liu Zhong could no longer see each other often.

They next met when Jia Zhu had his third-day celebration.

Wang finally gave birth to a boy, and the ambition in her heart began to take root.

In the blink of an eye, a year passed. The situation at court had grown tense, and the conflict between the emperor and the crown prince had reached a boiling point.

Ordinary people could not know about such things.

Second Uncle Liu was only a baron, but he also held an active post in the Ministry of Rites, so he was still well informed about affairs at court.

Although Liu Zhong did not visit the Li Duke Mansion, one of his maids was related to a steward there. Through the maid and the steward, Liu Zhong could learn quite a bit about the mansion.

The discord between the crown prince and the emperor was common knowledge among the nobility. Even the servants in their households knew about it.

Liu Zhong had trained a maid named Jiqiu to be one of his informants, and often sent her to visit the Li Duke Mansion and gather information.

One day, Jiqiu brought Liu Zhong some news.

The emperor was going to hunt at Tiewang Mountain, and Second Uncle Liu was among those accompanying him.

A hunt at Tiewang Mountain?

Having read the original Red Chamber and many Red Chamber fanfictions, Liu Zhong thought of a possibility.

A storm was brewing!

Liu Zhong went to find Mother Liu and asked her to invite Jia Hu to come stay with them.

"Hu Ge'er's grandfather and father are going to Tiewang Mountain to hunt with the emperor. His mother is pregnant and in poor spirits, so she can't take good care of him. We should bring him here. That way, his mother can rest and recuperate properly."

Mother Liu sent a servant to fetch Jia Hu as soon as she heard this.

Zhang agreed readily.

She was seven or eight months pregnant, and her body felt heavy. She was in poor spirits and had no energy to look after her eldest son.

With her father-in-law and husband also leaving, there would be fewer people to care for him. It would be better to send him to the Liu family.

Zhang had Jia Hu's clothes packed and sent him to the Liu household.

His tutor went along with him, too.

Just because he was staying at a friend's house didn't mean he could stop studying.

Jia Hu was delighted to arrive at the Liu household. Although he still had lessons every day, he had time to play with his little friend, too.

He was happy staying with the Lius, but the Jia family had fallen into chaos.

Jia Daishan, the head of the Rongguo Mansion, had left standing and returned lying down.

As it turned out, the crown prince had rebelled and laid a trap at Tiewang Mountain, intending to kill the other princes and force the emperor to abdicate.

Jia Daishan had taken a blade meant for the emperor and suffered a severe injury.

The imperial physician came to the Rongguo Mansion with Jia Daishan and did everything possible to treat him.

Fortunately, although Jia Daishan was gravely wounded, the imperial physician managed to save him.

But his body was ruined.

From then on, he could only recuperate at home and could never go to battle again.

Jia Daishan had no choice but to resign from his post as Jingcheng Jiedushi and focus on recovering at home.

After dealing with the aftermath of the crown prince's rebellion, the emperor sent lavish rewards to the Rongguo Mansion.

Although Jia Daishan no longer held real power, he was given the title of Taibao, along with a great many other rewards.

Jia Daishan thanked the emperor profusely, his lowered eyelids concealing the emotions in his eyes.

Jia Hu was brought back to the Rongguo Mansion.

The Rongguo Mansion had been in such disarray that no one had thought of Jia Hu.

Now that Jia Daishan's life was out of danger, the Jia family finally relaxed and remembered that Jia Hu was still at the Liu household.

Jia She came to the Liu household in person to take Jia Hu home.

Thinking that Jia Hu had escaped his deadly fate, Liu Zhong cheerfully waved goodbye to him.

But a month later, Liu Zhong heard that Jia Hu had fallen into the water and come down with a fever.

Liu Zhong couldn't sit still. He immediately called for Jiqiu and asked her to go with him to the Rongguo Mansion to visit Jia Hu.

Mother Liu didn't want her son to go, fearing he might catch the illness.

Liu Zhong patted his chest. "Mother, I'm strong as an ox. I won't catch anything. Look, I've never been sick once in my life."

That was true. Her son really was very healthy.

He hadn't been sick once since the day he was born.

He could play in the snow outside in the middle of winter and not even sneeze after coming back in.

Mother Liu felt reassured. She prepared a gift for the sick child and sent Liu Zhong to the Rongguo Mansion with his maids and servants.

As soon as he entered Jia Hu's courtyard, Liu Zhong gave Jiqiu a meaningful look.

Jiqiu blinked to show that she understood.

Liu Zhong went into Jia Hu's room and saw the child lying on the bed, his face flushed, his eyes closed as he slept.

Jia Hu's wet nurse quietly apologized to Liu Zhong. "Please forgive us, Master Zhong. Hu Ge'er still has a fever."

Liu Zhong nodded. "I know. I'm just here to see him. Don't worry, I won't disturb his rest."

With that, Liu Zhong stepped forward and took one of Jia Hu's hands.

The palm was hot. His fever was high.

Looking at the damp cloth on Jia Hu's forehead, Liu Zhong asked, "Has he taken his medicine?"

The wet nurse replied, "He has."

Jia Huan nodded. With their hands touching, he sent a thread of spiritual energy into Jia Hu's body.

It was only a tiny amount, but it could help Jia Hu clear the virus from his body and strengthen him a little.

Liu Zhong stayed in Jia Hu's courtyard for a while. When he sensed that Jia Hu's condition was gradually improving, he left the Rongguo Mansion.

Back in the carriage, Liu Zhong asked, "Did you find anything out?"

Jiqiu replied, "It seems Hu Ge'er's fall into the water was no accident. Someone pushed him in. They didn't know he could swim, though, so they ran off after pushing him. Hu Ge'er swam back to shore by himself."

"When Madam Zhang heard that Hu Ge'er had fallen into the water, the shock brought on her labor. Fortunately, the baby was nearly nine months along, and Hu Ge'er had made his own way back to the East Courtyard. Once Madam Zhang learned he was safe, she put her worries aside and focused on giving birth. There were some complications, but in the end, she delivered the child. Madam Zhang was weakened by the birth and would be unlikely to conceive again, but fortunately, both mother and child were safe."

"Hu Ge'er fell ill that very day after staying in his wet clothes and getting chilled by the wind."

"The Jia family's main branch was in an uproar. It was only after the old master of the Jia family stepped in that things settled down."

"What happened next?" Liu Zhong asked.

He didn't believe that Jia Daishan could have intervened and still failed to find out who was behind it.

"There was nothing else," Jiqiu said.

"Nothing else happened in the Jia family besides the trouble with the main branch? Nothing unusual in the second branch, for example?"

"Oh, there was. Second Madam Jia is pregnant. Her pregnancy is unstable, so she needs to rest in her own courtyard."