The Good Concubine of the Qing Dynasty [Red Mansion]

When Lu Lan was diagnosed with signs of pregnancy, she was overjoyed.

She never expected to have such good fortune!

At twenty-four years old, and having served the master for over eight years, she had long given up hope. She thought that in a few more years, she might end up like her predecessor—being released from service or marrying an ordinary commoner or a merchant.

The reason she and Lu Liu had always had a low profile in the inner courtyard was primarily because the master rarely required their service. As a result, even Concubine Mei rarely bothered them. Who would have thought she would be so fortunate?

Once the diagnosis was confirmed, Lu Lan’s status rose significantly, and according to the Lin family’s rules, she was now considered a concubine.

Having a child, or even just being pregnant, elevated her to the status of a concubine.

However, the news hadn’t been made public yet.

Lu Liu was extremely envious. Since they lived next door, it was impossible to keep it a secret from her.

So, Lu Liu knew about Lu Lan’s pregnancy. Lu Lan now had an additional maid specifically attending to her, and her living conditions had improved dramatically compared to before.

A child brings honor to the mother.

That was the phrase that came to Lu Liu’s mind.

Her heart felt as though it were immersed in bitter water. How could Lu Lan have such good luck? If possible, who wouldn’t want to be the master’s concubine? Once out, one would have to rely on their own efforts to earn a living. A natural disaster or calamity could easily destroy one’s home, whereas stability in the Lin household was assured.

Had Doctor Zhou made a mistake while taking her pulse? Could it be that she was the one actually pregnant?

Lu Liu tried to comfort herself in this way, but seeing Doctor Zhou come several times, she knew it was unlikely to be a mistake. Ultimately, it was just hard to accept.

As for the addition of staff at their residence, they were there to take care of Lu Lan and also to serve as a reminder for her not to do anything foolish.

Lu Liu bitterly smiled. How could she dare to act recklessly? She wasn’t suicidal.

She couldn’t even manage to tell anyone else about the news.

The matter was kept tightly under wraps. Jia Min didn’t know, but Lin Ruhai did, and he was pleased. It seemed that the thin lineage of the Lin family in his generation was finally going to change.

Despite seeing the smile on her son’s face, Old Lady Lin didn’t show much outward joy.

She knew that the child in the dream world had been very weak, even weaker than her eldest granddaughter.

She only hoped that her intervention now would make a difference.

She would ensure that Lu Lan was well taken care of, hire a good doctor and midwife, and do everything possible to avoid complications during childbirth.

Only the two of them knew about this matter; the others who were in the know were restricted to their quarters. Yun Shuyao, of course, was unaware of it. She wasn’t even sure if the world’s Daiyu had a younger brother. She only knew that even if she had one, he wouldn’t survive in the end, because if there had been a younger brother, Daiyu wouldn’t have gone alone to seek refuge with her maternal grandparents.

The current situation is worlds apart from the original story.

Even if Jia Min were to pass away, with the Old Lady still around, there would be no need to travel all the way to Rongguo Mansion to seek refuge with her maternal grandmother; her biological grandmother is still alive.

From her observations, the Old Lady’s health still seemed robust. She couldn’t predict the future, but in the short term, there were no signs of physical decline or imminent death.

At the moment, Yun Shuyao was delighted by the news from the Yun family. She received a letter that her nephew was born safely, with both mother and child in good health.

She needed to send some additional items over.

It was at this time that Zhao Xinghua was struck like a bolt from the blue. She never expected to hear such news.

The wife was due to give birth next month, and she was still being kept away from seeing the master. The longer she waited, the more anxious Xinghua became.

Her youth is limited, and so much time has passed. Why hasn’t the wife forgiven her yet? Even though Granny Qian is fine now, she is still being punished.

So, she had gone to great lengths to smooth things over and find Granny Qian, hoping she could intercede on her behalf.

When she first arrived to see Granny Qian and found her drinking, Xinghua felt some disappointment, thinking the matter might not be resolved. But she never expected to hear such words from Granny Qian.

Granny Qian, with her hazy, drunken eyes, told her to give up hope. It turned out she could no longer have children; she had been given medicine before coming to the Lin Mansion.

The Old Lady’s heart is truly ruthless!

She had promised to behave well, so why was this still happening?

From the very beginning, they hadn’t given her any hope!

It seemed that a slave’s death was inevitable, and they, as masters, had the power of life and death over them.

Thinking this, Zhao Xinghua suddenly laughed out loud.

As she laughed, tears started streaming down her face. She touched her own face, realizing she was already twenty-two this year.

She thought she was still young, that she had time to wait for the wife to forgive her. She hoped that once the wife gave birth, there would be moments when the wife felt overwhelmed and that, as a maid from a dowry family, she would finally be freed.

But no matter how long she waited, it seemed that there would never be any outcome; her path had been blocked from the very start!

Thinking about how the wife, now pregnant, was joyfully anticipating the birth of the young master, and seeing those loathsome accomplices rejoicing, Zhao Xinghua laughed out loud.

She was laughing at herself, at how she had become a joke over the years!

If Granny Qian hadn’t been drunk, she probably would have taken this secret to her grave without ever revealing it to her.

She would spend the rest of her life isolated in this room, without kin or friends, living such a lonely life—why should it be like this?

Her life was ruined, while others could live so well?

On the brink of madness, Zhao Xinghua remembered her brother still at Rongguo Mansion.

She still had a brother.

She couldn’t implicate him.

But as long as no one knew she was behind it, he wouldn’t be implicated.

She had been in the main courtyard for so many years and hadn’t left empty-handed…

So, when Jia Min went into labor, some errors occurred.

Jia Min’s fetal position was correct, and the delivery started smoothly without issues, but she was giving birth slowly, and the baby was not coming out.

Her strength began to wane, and she couldn’t deliver the baby on her own, so they administered labor-inducing medicine.

Seeing this, Lady Mei recalled her own delivery; she too had taken medicine when giving birth to Yingyu.

Yun Shuyao also remembered how childbirth in ancient times was truly perilous.

After a while, the people waiting outside heard fragments of “She gave birth” and the faint sound of a baby’s cry.

Has the baby been born?

Lady Mei had just cheerfully said “Congratulations,” anxiously waiting to find out the baby’s gender, when a shout came: “Not good, she’s spotting, quick, stop the bleeding!”

The old lady anxiously tapped her walking stick: “What’s going on? How did this happen?”

Lin Ruhai frowned deeply.

Doctor Zhou focused, staring inside.

Soon, someone with a pained expression came out: “Old lady, Madam is spotting, the bleeding won’t stop.”

The old lady and Lin Ruhai spoke in unison: “Quick, save her!”

Doctor Zhou wiped the sweat from his brow; despite it being spring, it felt like summer to him.

Fortunately, he had been well-prepared.

After a great deal of effort, the bleeding finally stopped. Jia Min lay pale and unconscious on the bed.

She had suffered greatly this time.

Doctor Zhou used all his skills and, with a bit of luck, managed to pull her back from the brink of death.

However, Madam will need a year or two to fully recover, and given her condition, it will be very difficult for her to become pregnant again.

This news was known only to the old lady and Lin Ruhai.

The old lady, holding her legitimate granddaughter and listening to her soft cries, sighed heavily.

“Keep this matter confidential for now.”

Lin Ruhai agreed.

If she cannot bear more children, then she cannot.

As long as she is alive, that is what matters.

The old lady looked affectionately at her granddaughter and asked Lin Ruhai, “Have you decided on her name?”

Lin Ruhai had already thought about it. Looking at his daughter’s ink-like eyes, he said, “Let’s name her Daiyu.”

“Let’s call her Daiyu.”

Both Yun Shuyao and Lady Mei heard the name. Yun Shuyao thought, as expected!

This is indeed the heroine of ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’.

Well… no matter how outstanding her appearance might be in the future, right now she is just an ordinary little baby with nothing remarkable.

The old lady instructed the wet nurse to take Daiyu away and asked for another thorough examination.

She wasn’t doubting anyone; it was just her cautious nature.

Since all the people taking care of Jia Min in the main courtyard were Jia family members, her inherent distrust of Jia family members led her to conduct an extra check.

Dr. Zhou wiped the sweat from his forehead, examined the cloths, medicinal liquids, pills, and tools that the midwives and maids had brought out, and then noticed something wrong. Afraid that he might have made a mistake, he rechecked several times, confirmed there were no errors, and sweat poured down his forehead: “Who made this labor-inducing medicine? It’s different from the medicine I prescribed.”

These words were like a thunderclap, causing the old lady and Lin Ruhai’s faces to darken instantly. The Jia family servants around them looked at each other in shock and then fell to their knees.

Old Madam Qian was the first to react, crying out in grievance, “Old lady, you must seek justice for our lady! We don’t know which heartless person committed such an act that will bring retribution!”

Hearing Dr. Zhou’s words, she immediately suspected the Yun family.

Yun had a son and had endured for so long; in the critical moment of the lady’s labor, she couldn’t hold back and attempted to cause the lady to die with the child! This was to let her own son inherit the Lin family!

Despite their precautions, they never expected this outcome!

The more she thought about it, the more certain Old Madam Qian became.

It’s not that Mei Yiniang wasn’t a possibility, but Old Madam Qian had a sense of her capabilities. Even if she had such an idea, she didn’t have the ability to execute it.

The Yun family was different.

Old Madam Qian could not see through her.

So she pointed her finger and said, “This must be the Yun family’s doing. She didn’t want the lady to give birth to an heir and thus resorted to such vicious means!”

Yun Shuyao: “Here I am, minding my own business, and suddenly a pot falls from the sky!”

During Jia Min’s labor, everyone, including herself, was merely waiting for results and could not be of any real help.

Coincidentally, Yun Shuyao was also curious to see if there was anything different about the protagonist, Daiyu, but an unexpected event occurred.

Jia Min’s medicine had been tampered with.

And someone immediately tried to place the blame on her.

This false accusation could not be accepted.

Yun Shuyao stepped forward and said, “Old Madam Qian, you need evidence to make such accusations. You can’t just accuse someone without proof. I swear by heaven that if it were me who did this, I would face the blade and the flames. Old Madam Qian, do you dare swear by heaven that it wasn’t me, and if so, are you willing to face the blade and the flames?”

At that moment, people still had a certain reverence for deities and oaths. Upon hearing her words, the surroundings fell silent.

Even Mei Yiniang, who had initially believed the accusation was true, was now having doubts.

Of course, Old Madam Qian dared not swear an oath.

She had no evidence and was immediately at a loss for words.

Lin Ruhai frowned and looked at Yun Shuyao, saying, “Don’t make rash oaths about supernatural matters. Focus on what you can prove.”

Then he turned to Old Madam Qian and said, “Don’t make baseless accusations without evidence. I will investigate this matter thoroughly.”

His expression was cold.

It was the coldness of suppressed anger.

Old Madam regretted deeply, regretting that she had let the Jia family handle Jia Min’s labor. The Jia family was unreliable!

Lin Ruhai scanned the room, “Until the investigation is complete, no one is allowed to leave. Those in the room must not speak of this matter, and we must ensure that Madam does not learn of it.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

By the next evening, when Jia Min woke up, she had no idea what had happened. She squinted to adjust to the dim candlelight and then turned her head, searching around the room.

As soon as she moved, Old Madam Qian noticed and came over, saying with concern, “Madam, don’t speak or move. You’re still weak right now. Don’t worry; the young lady is sleeping, and you’ll see her soon.”

She waved her hand, and a young maid went to the next room.

It wasn’t long before the wet nurse arrived holding a swaddled infant.

Upon hearing it was the young lady, Jia Min paused in surprise. It’s a girl.

Her eyes showed clear disappointment, but when the tiny figure was brought before her, she was captivated by the sight of the sleeping little one.

This was her daughter.

Her flesh and blood that she had endured so much to bring into the world!

She looked so small.

Jia Min opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but no sound came out. Old Madam Qian understood and said, “Madam, don’t worry. Dr. Zhou has already examined the young lady. With some care, she will be just like any other child.”

“Really, I’m not lying. The baby is a bit thin, but with more nourishment, she will quickly become chubby and healthy.”

“Madam, if you don’t believe me, just wait. The Old Madam will be here soon, and she would never deceive you.”

“Madam, you must be hungry. Here, let me moisten your lips…”

Old Madam Qian personally tended to Jia Min.

The reason the Old Madam was not present at the moment was because she was investigating who had tampered with the medicine. She was personally leading a team to search the entire estate inside and out, but so far, they hadn’t found anything suspicious or identified who had committed the crime.

They had discovered a few other minor, unsavory issues, such as thefts from the dowry, which made Old Madam Qian’s face flush with anger.

It wasn’t as if they were in dire straits; how dare they steal from the dowry?

It seemed they were emboldened by the fact that Jia Min seldom accessed those chests, seeing them more as sentimental keepsakes, and thus had the audacity to steal!

The tampered medicine had been identified. The dregs were still present, showing that other drugs had been mixed in, creating a conflict with the original medicinal effects. Combined with Jia Min’s already difficult delivery, it had led to uncontrollable bleeding.

Now, those involved in preparing, brewing, and delivering the medicine had all been detained and were being meticulously investigated.

The tampered medicine wasn’t from the inner court; who brought it in and who placed it in the medicine bag?

Due to her lack of direct involvement and because she had already left the estate, she was one of the first to be cleared of suspicion and was assigned to stay with the madam.

While Old Madam Qian worked hard to maintain a facade of calm, Yun Shuyao was explaining the situation to the two children.

Though this incident might seem unrelated to them, appearances can be deceiving.

Even though they were still young, they were not entirely children either.

Given that a serious accusation nearly fell upon them, it was crucial for them to understand their situation better and to remain vigilant.

That vigilance could be life-saving in critical moments.

Had they faced an unreasonable master or if Old Madam Qian’s accusations had succeeded, even with Jia Min saved, Yun Shuyao could have been confined for life or sent to a monastery. Even though a monastery might not seem too bad, who would like to be wrongfully accused?

Moreover, if she were branded with such a crime, the two children would also be affected and unable to hold their heads high.

Such events as childbirth were not suitable for children to witness. Besides, their classroom was some distance away, and the news was deliberately controlled, so they truly did not know about their mother’s major incident.

Luo Yu, upon hearing this, clutched Yun Shuyao’s sleeve tightly, looking up anxiously and asking, “Auntie, you’ll be alright, won’t you?”

Chen Yu furrowed his brows tightly. Although he didn’t grasp Yun Shuyao’s sleeve, he instinctively moved a bit closer, asking, “Auntie, Grandma and Father believe in you, don’t they?”

Yun Shuyao smiled and replied, “Yes, they do. I will be fine. They trust me, and now it’s about looking at the evidence.”

To avoid suspicion, she and her people had not been near Jia Min for a long time. Even if they met, there were always others around them.

Many of those present were from the old lady and Lin Ruhai’s side.

Moreover, she had never come into contact with any food or drink. Even the congratulatory gifts she sent were only precious metals and jewels—things that couldn’t be tampered with or easily altered.

If, despite all this, evidence still pointed to her as the instigator, it would force her to leave the Lin residence, implying that the higher-ups could no longer tolerate her.

With this in mind, Yun Shuyao glanced at the two of them.

If that day ever comes, she won’t stay in the Lin residence. Although life outside might not be as comfortable or worry-free, she could live well enough.

After all, she has saved a considerable amount of private funds and possesses skills.

However, she’s pretty sure life outside won’t be as leisurely as it is here, allowing her to focus on her practice.

Going to the deep mountains and forests might avoid such troubles, but transportation and purchasing living supplies would become significant issues. She’s not a monk who wants to endure hardship for the sake of cultivation.

As for the two children, unless something happens to both the old lady and Lin Ruhai, they should be fine.

The children are unaware that their aunt is already thinking about where to live in the future if she has to leave. Hearing their aunt’s words, their worries lessened.

“Grandmother will clear Auntie’s name soon.”

Luo Yu has confidence in her grandmother.

“And Father’s people are also involved, so it should be resolved soon.”

Chen Yu has confidence in her father as well.

“When that time comes, Qian Momo must be punished. How could she just slander Auntie like that?”

“Yes, she must be punished.”

Yun Shuyao nodded. “She will be.” If she’s not punished, who knows who might be falsely accused in the future?

After a moment of quiet, Luo Yu asked, “How is Mother’s health?”

“There’s no danger now. With a year or two of proper care, she’ll be completely fine.”

The siblings sighed with relief. Although they didn’t have as deep feelings for their stepmother as for their biological mother, they still cared.

Compared to stepmothers in other families, their stepmother had treated them quite well—no beating, no scolding, no strict rules, and no intentional harassment or framing. Every time they went to pay respects, she was always cordial.

Moreover, there’s a practical consideration: if something happened to her, it wouldn’t be surprising for their father to remarry given his status and age.

At that time, it would be hard to say what kind of person would come next.

So, both from an emotional and practical standpoint, they hoped their stepmother would be safe and sound.

The siblings had confidence in the old lady and Lin Ruhai, believing that a resolution would come soon, but the situation proved to be quite the opposite.

They couldn’t find anything.

Some people were sneaky, deceitful, and fraudulent, but they couldn’t identify who brought the drug in or who tampered with it.

To avoid stubborn denials, even torture was used.

But nothing was found.

Was it done by ghosts?

This incident undoubtedly embarrassed the old lady greatly.

Embarrassment aside, the more critical issue was that someone had harmed Jia Min. If the culprit wasn’t found, who would be the next victim?

Logically, this shouldn’t be the case; she had kept a close watch on everyone in the inner courtyard.

So, she never suspected Yun Shi. Unless Yun Shi could fly or become invisible, it was impossible for her to be involved.

The only place where she lacked manpower was the main courtyard.

But those people were closely tied to Jia Min’s interests; even if they were foolish, they wouldn’t harm Jia Min, right?

Could it be someone from outside?

Her son wasn’t a Salt Inspector now and hadn’t offended many people in the dream world, but he still had enemies.

After several investigations, they found no suspicious clues.

Lin Ruhai agreed with the speculation; it was indeed possible that his political rivals were behind it.

For example, when he first took up his post here, he had blocked someone’s path, and later he also affected the interests of a certain group.

While the old lady and Lin Ruhai were dealing with the situation seriously, Zhao Xinghua, who was still diligently working in the sewing room, hid her head under the quilt and revealed an exaggerated smile.

Such a pity.

It was just heavy bleeding, and though it didn’t result in the deaths of both mother and child, it did release some of her pent-up anger.

Who would have thought it was her doing?

They suspected so many people but would never think of her, an invisible person, especially one who was being monitored.

Even if they suspected her, it would seem unreasonable given the route of the medicine.

Thinking about how the medicine got there, Zhao Xinghua’s smile grew even brighter—this was retribution!

There must be a cause and effect!

She had initially prepared it for another concubine, for Jia Min, and for the Jia family.

Now that it was used on Jia Min, it was indeed the cycle of cause and effect!

Zhao Xinghua secretly enjoyed the situation for over a month.

Watching the many servants in the main courtyard become increasingly panicked, and seeing more and more of those who had looked down on and bullied her being dismissed in disgrace, gave her a sense of satisfaction.

This is all retribution.

But she didn’t expect that after Jia Min’s confinement, she would hear such news.

Another concubine, Lu Lan, had announced the good news.

To verify the truth of the matter, she glanced from afar when the person came to pay their respects.

She saw the instinctive gesture of protecting the abdomen and the radiant expression on the person’s face, which confirmed that it was true.

Zhao Xinghua found it absurd.

Why?

Why is it that, despite being in the same position as a servant, she is trapped in this cage with no end in sight, while the other person can be fortunate enough to become pregnant?

They are both equally insignificant; why are the outcomes so different?

It’s not fair!