The Good Concubine of the Qing Dynasty [Red Mansion]

When Zhao Xinghua was captured, she knew she had no chance of survival. But before she died, she would not let go of those who had caused her such a fate.

The main culprit was Jia Mu.

Moreover, some of the things she said were not entirely wrong, just slightly exaggerated. The Jia family had always thought this way. She didn’t believe that if the madam had given birth to a legitimate son, Jia Mu would allow a son born of a concubine to take everything that belonged to the legitimate heir.

Jia Mu thought this way; she merely helped articulate Jia Mu’s thoughts.

Thinking about the expression Jia Mu might have upon learning these things, Zhao Xinghua felt as if she had eaten ice cream on a scorching summer day, feeling utterly refreshed.

Yes, she was just an ant.

But even ants struggle to survive. Now that she had been driven to the brink, why should she still care? She might as well lay everything bare in the sunlight.

And Zhao Xinghua didn’t believe Jia Mu had any other plans.

As long as she had other plans, they would definitely be discovered this time!

After all, if the madam’s legitimate son had grown up, it would be a different story. But the situation with the Lin family was that the eldest son from a concubine was already so grown up. This was very unfavorable for the legitimate son, as the family’s resources and connections might already be enjoyed by the concubine-born son before the legitimate son matured.

This was something the Jia family did not want to see.

So what she had to do was, before she died, to embed a thorn deeply into the hearts of everyone in the Lin family.

After saying this, she took the opportunity to commit suicide by banging her head against a wall that night, acting with great decisiveness. She knew the Lin family would not let her off easily, so it was better for her to take matters into her own hands and give herself a quick end. After all, her goal had already been achieved.

When people discovered the situation, they were startled.

The force she used left no room for her survival.

Jia Min was deeply affected by Zhao Xinghua’s words and fainted before she even returned.

So it turns out that Zhao Xinghua was behind the sabotage during her childbirth, and Zhao Xinghua’s actions were influenced by her mother.

Her deteriorating health was caused by her.

Daiyu’s frail condition was due to her.

The difficult labor of Lu Lan and the almost nonviable young master were also her doing.

All of this was the work of Zhao Xinghua.

And the origins of these sins were due to her mother’s intentions.

Jia Min couldn’t withstand the blow and developed a high fever, speaking deliriously.

She did indeed know some things. For instance, her mother had such drugs; her mother had given them to her when she got married, but she had disposed of them after some time and had forgotten about them until now.

The old lady and Lin Ruhai were in a state of panic.

On one hand, they had to worry about the barely audible cries of the little grandson; on the other, they had to attend to Jia Min.

Both sides were in danger.

Lin Ruhai’s eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion.

The doctor, Zhou, had told him that whether the child could survive depended on fate, and he could only do his best.

This essentially meant that the child’s fate was sealed.

The culprit, of course, was Zhao Xinghua. If they had known it would come to this, she would have been dealt with long ago. Now, she was dead, and that was the end of it.

But it wasn’t over.

Zhao Xinghua’s words might not all be true. Given her willingness to drug Jia Min, she had long harbored grievances against the Jia family and Jia Min, so not everything she said could be trusted.

However, she did say one thing correctly: the origins of those drugs were problematic.

They were secret medicines from the previous dynasty; not even an ordinary maid would have access to them, let alone in a typical official’s household.

So it was highly likely that these drugs came from the Jia family. If Zhao Xinghua’s mother-in-law provided these drugs and sent her to the Lin family, what was her intention?

Just thinking about this, Lin Ruhai’s face darkened, and he felt a deep sense of foreboding. He went to check on the children one by one to confirm their current condition before he could feel at ease.

The old lady was also deeply regretful. After chasing after the wild geese all day, she had now been pecked in the eye by one. She never expected it to be Zhao Xinghua, and she almost fell into her trap! The current outcome felt no different from a nightmare.

She had been suspicious of Zhao Xinghua from the beginning.

She had thoroughly searched Zhao Xinghua’s room, her quarters, and the places she frequented. The guards she had assigned to watch over her had come and gone, asking repeatedly, but they all reported no unusual behavior from her.

In daily life, she had indeed appeared obedient and well-behaved, with no opportunity to act against her.

Yet it was this seemingly innocent person who had done all this.

The guards were useless!

How could they allow such deeds to occur right under their noses?

And who would have thought someone would hide things by the toilet?

Moreover, buried deep underground.

The old lady was now psychologically scarred.

The Lin family had thoroughly checked everywhere, even the places with plants, to ensure nothing was hidden or missed.

The consequences were too severe.

Now, her little grandson, not to mention growing up, had little hope of even reaching the age of three in this dream-like world.

And… was Zhao Xinghua the only one involved?

What if, instead of Daiyu, Mrs. Jia had given birth to a son? Would her eldest grandson have been lost?

Thinking about this, the old lady was filled with fear. She worried about the possibility of similar incidents occurring again. She had all of Mrs. Jia’s dowries closely monitored and had the money’s steward and her family arrested, ordering a search of their residence.

Old Nanny Qian was initially defiant.

But when the packet of medicine powder was found and placed in front of her, she collapsed to the ground, trembling and unable to speak.

This packet of medicine powder suddenly made Zhao Xinghua’s accusations seem credible.

When Old Nanny Qian came to her senses, she shouted in protest, “Old Madam, this has nothing to do with me! I don’t know anything!”

She hadn’t done anything herself, but she couldn’t explain where the medicine came from.

This medicine had been sent by Old Madam Jia when Yun and Mei were pregnant, along with some letters for future use. The idea was that if Mrs. Jia gave birth to a legitimate son, the medicine could be used. However, it had never been used all these years.

She really hadn’t done anything!

But could she say that to the master and old madam?

Old Nanny Qian shook uncontrollably like a sieve. Although she was a dowry servant from the Jia family, when she came to the Lin family as part of the dowry, her indenture was already in the hands of the madam. Whether she was beaten or sold, all decisions were made by the madam.

So, the Lin family had the final say.

In such circumstances, would the madam protect them?

Old Nanny Qian cried and confessed everything she knew.

Jia Min was now in a dire situation, not just because of her illness.

A high fever that persists could be deadly, especially since she was already in a weak state.

The atmosphere in the Lin household had changed; everyone was cautious and on edge, fearing someone might come to arrest them.

The personnel in the main courtyard had all been confined, and even the servants around Daiyu had been replaced with new ones by the old madam.

They had to find people from within the household to take over and care for her.

At first, Daiyu was unfamiliar with the new people and cried continuously. The old madam then took her personally, as Daiyu still recognized her presence, which calmed her down.

Many things were not made public, but what was disclosed was enough for those unaware to sense the impending storm.

So far, the public information only reveals the surface: Concubine Chu was targeted by Zhao Xinghua, leading to difficult labor. The second young master was supposed to be a joyous occasion, but now his life is in danger.

It was not mentioned that Zhao Xinghua had also sabotaged Jia Min’s delivery, but people would inevitably make connections.

Concubine Mei learned about the news and knew she had to hide her joy in public, so she laughed behind closed doors. She found it amusing that Jia Min had been schemed against by someone under her own command. She also felt a bit relieved that Zhao Xinghua, this madwoman, had been dealt with; otherwise, who knew if she would have turned on her?

Concubine Mei still hoped to conceive another son. If she had not been caught, Zhao Xinghua would likely have targeted her next.

This incident also made Yun Shuyao uneasy. Her wood-based abilities were not healing-oriented, reinforcing her resolve to teach her children self-defense skills with herbs, especially her daughter.

In this era, women’s status is inherently weaker than that of men.

Given Luo Yu’s status, it’s highly likely that she will first go through the selection process for marriage and then return to choose her match independently. If she were to seek an exemption from the selection process, she wouldn’t have to go through it.

Regardless, she would not marry into a commoner’s family.

Yun Shuyao also does not want her to marry into a commoner’s family. What is a commoner’s family?

It means having to weave cloth and cook, spending every day busy with the most basic survival needs. In the face of natural disasters or misfortunes, their ability to withstand risks is very low.

Marrying into a family with better conditions is not without its own challenges, but it requires careful and thorough selection.

The difficulty is akin to panning for gold in the dirt.

Even if she starts off well, people’s hearts are changeable, and it’s hard to predict if things will remain stable. If things go awry, it won’t be easy for her daughter to obtain a divorce, and coexisting with other women might be a real possibility.

By then, her daughter might face a situation far from the cleanliness of the Lin household.

Apart from Zhao Xinghua and perhaps some of the circumstances behind her, the Lin family’s inner courtyard has not seen any underhand schemes over the years, largely because of the matriarch’s authority. Other places may not be so fortunate.

Take the Rongguo Mansion, for example.

How many would believe that the old Duke’s inner courtyard was free from special circumstances?

Jia Min’s generation saw all her half-sisters fall from grace; there was hardly any presence of them throughout. Although there were half-brothers, none grew up.

After the old Duke’s death, the concubines and secondary wives were sent to temples or were sold off.

Then look at Mei Yiniang’s family, which is another extreme.

Her biological mother, after ensuring her position by having several sons, loosened her management, resulting in Mei Yiniang having many siblings.

These children were likely used for family alliances, with some becoming primary wives and others concubines.

With good luck, one might live comfortably; with bad luck, even the Mei family might not care much if one dies.

So, it’s crucial to teach the daughter to survive well, no matter what circumstances arise.

Mastering more skills may seem difficult now, but it will be beneficial in the future.

Luoyu suddenly shivered, feeling an uneasy premonition. She then saw that her stepmother was filling out her new course schedule.

Luoyu: …

Is her stepmother expecting her to be able to clone herself?

Yun Shuyao smiled, confident in her: “Don’t worry. I’ve observed you, and learning these won’t be too difficult for you. Just be patient and focused.”

The daughter is naturally smart and learns quickly; it would be such a waste not to take full advantage of it.

Luoyu glanced at the seriousness on her stepmother’s face, realizing there was no room for negotiation, and felt it was unfair: “What about my brother?”

Yun Shuyao nodded: “I’ll arrange his schedule later. Don’t worry, you both will be very busy.”

Chen Yu:?

Sister, we are of the same root; why rush to compete?

After sleeping for a long time, Lu Lan woke up and saw her son’s condition. Trembling, she placed her fingers under his nose and felt a faint breath.

She looked hopefully at the nurse, who nodded and forced a smile. “Chu Yiniang, the Second Young Master is sleeping now. Nothing happened. Don’t… frighten yourself.”

Lu Lan cried and laughed, trying to get up to hold her child, hoping to wake him up, to open his eyes and show her that he was still alive.

The nurse, feeling compassion, held her and laid her back on the bed. “Yiniang, Dr. Zhou will take good care of the Second Young Master. Don’t be like this. Let the child sleep peacefully.” She hurriedly had someone take the baby to the next room; it had taken a long time for him to fall asleep.

Lu Lan sobbed uncontrollably. “He’s still so small…” So small, and already full of the smell of medicine, just…

Lu Lan couldn’t continue, feeling as if her heart had been ripped out.

It made her heart ache deeply.

Her eyes were filled with tears of hatred. “What happened to Zhao Xinghua now?”

The nurse sighed. “She’s gone.”

Lu Lan was momentarily stunned, then sneered. This was indeed good news, but even if Zhao Xinghua died a thousand times, could her poor child regain health?

The nurse didn’t say anything more; she was also sympathetic.

But sympathy was of no use.

When she first heard the news, she even doubted if Zhao Xinghua had gone mad.

This news also raised many questions when it spread.

Especially among those who were sent as dowries to the Jia family, who were particularly confused.

What was Zhao Xinghua’s motive?

Wasn’t she a Jia family member? She even had a brother in the Jia family!

Could it be that she had always harbored resentment against the Jia family, and didn’t really care about that brother as she claimed? Otherwise, how could she commit such life-threatening acts?

Dr. Zhou was overwhelmed, and primarily focused on Jia Min’s condition. As for the second young master, since Dr. Zhou had declared his inability to help, Lin Ruhai sought out renowned physicians to examine his second son.

Indeed, many doctors came in response to the news, but most could only shake their heads.

There was no confidence that the child would grow up healthily; they could only strive to prolong his life one day at a time.

As for Jia Min, after repeatedly suffering from high fevers, she finally began to recover slowly. Zhao Yin, unaware of the turmoil in the Lin household, which hadn’t leaked outside, received a letter from Lin Ruhai and came to visit.

Seeing Jia Min lying in bed, Zhao Yin was taken aback. She almost thought she had mistaken her identity. “How did this happen? She’s so terribly emaciated!”

Had it been this severe when she gave birth to Lin Daiyu and suffered from difficult labor?

“Why did her illness suddenly become so severe? What did the doctor say?”

Jia Min remained silent, her sorrowful eyes fixed on her.

Zhao Yin felt a chill, noticing a profound emptiness in Jia Min that was different from before—a sense of being deeply struck by something.

Had she contracted an incurable disease? That couldn’t be possible. Zhao Yin urged, “Min’er, don’t be like this. Cheer up, follow the doctor’s advice, and take care of your illness. Everything will be fine. How long has it been since you ate?” She noticed the untouched porridge and medicine beside her.

Jia Min still didn’t respond.

Zhao Yin, with a concerned tone, said, “Even if you disregard yourself, can’t you at least think about Daiyu?”

The mention of Daiyu seemed to trigger something, and Jia Min’s tears flowed like a river.

Zhao Yin fumbled to wipe her tears: “What happened? Tell me, I’m on your side.”

Jia Min gently shook her head, using a handkerchief to cover her face and hide her sadness.

What could she tell Sister Yin? It would only expose her family’s shame. If she spoke up, she would have no face to see anyone in the future.

No, she couldn’t face anyone now.

She couldn’t face Daiyu.

Nor could she face Lu Lan and the child.

And she definitely couldn’t face the old lady and the master.

She felt guilty.

She was a sinner of the Lin family.

Zhao Yin’s expression grew serious. “What exactly happened? Let’s talk things over.”

Jia Min shook her head. “Sister Yin, don’t ask any more.”

Zhao Yin nodded, “Alright, I won’t ask any more. But I can’t just watch you destroy yourself. Is there really something that can’t be overcome? You’re sinking into your own thoughts as if you don’t want to live anymore. Even if you don’t think about yourself, you should think about Daiyu. Look at yourself now!” She took a mirror and showed it to her, “If you continue like this, what will happen to Daiyu? She’s still so young, not even a year old. Are you going to let her call another woman ‘mother’? Do you think other women will treat Daiyu well? You know how many stepmothers are sweet on the outside but cruel at heart.”

It had to be said, that these words struck a nerve with Jia Min.

Right now, her biggest concern was Daiyu.

Her weakness was due to the poison she was subjected to, which caused her such suffering.

If she passed away, would the new wife be kind to Daiyu?

Zhao Yin persuaded Jia Min for a long time before she managed to get her to recover a bit and had someone bring more rice porridge and medicine.

Seeing Jia Min frowning and drinking the porridge in small sips while the attendants nearby were smiling, Zhao Yin sighed.

When she first received Lin Ruhai’s letter, she was somewhat indifferent, but she never expected things to be so serious.

What exactly happened in the Lin family?

She looked around—the decor hadn’t changed much, but… all the servants were now unfamiliar faces.

Zhao Yin’s heart sank.

It seemed like a major issue!

The old lady and Lin Ruhai interrogated the Jia family servants and confirmed that Jia Min was unaware of everything. Even Jia Mu hadn’t informed her about the existence of the medicine; otherwise, it wouldn’t have ended up with Nanny Qian.

This outcome relieved Lin Ruhai and the old lady; they hadn’t misjudged the situation.

However, even if Jia Min hadn’t been involved, it didn’t mean they could completely sever ties with her and the Jia family.

At this moment, Lin Ruhai couldn’t help but feel relieved that he had spent many years serving as an official away from the capital. Had he remained in the capital, he would have been too close to the situation, not knowing what the outcome might be.

Whatever the outcome, it was clear it was not what he wanted to see.

The old lady also wrote a stern letter, packing up Nanny Qian and Zhao Xinghua’s ashes, along with the medicine powder, and sending them back to Rongguo Mansion.

Perhaps Zhao Xinghua had suffered some injustice in the Jia family, leading her to harbor resentment against them and Jia Min.

But what did that have to do with the Lin family?

Now, it was their family suffering!

The old lady felt that if she didn’t vent this frustration, it would age her several years.

The reason only Nanny Qian was sent back alive this time was that she was the only one aware of the situation, while the others were unaware.

Therefore, the old lady only sent the rest to the estate, leaving them to regret their negligence and incompetence for the rest of their lives.

The old lady didn’t go to the extreme. If she had, she would have made a big fuss, which would have been humiliating for both parties.

So, the old lady sent the items to Rongguo Mansion in the form of a gift, but compared to before, this time the gift was very meager, and the escorts were quite intimidating.

Traveling thousands of miles to Rongguo Mansion, neither a festive occasion nor a special time.

When the servants reported that someone from the old lady’s family had arrived with a gift, Jia’s Mother was somewhat surprised.

What could have happened now?

“Quickly invite them in.”

Then she saw Nanny Qian, tightly bound, along with a jar of ashes.

Seeing this situation, Jia’s Mother immediately realized something was wrong. She darkened her face and asked the person, “What does this mean?”

The leading old maid, who was the old lady’s trusted confidant, calmly presented a box containing two packets of powder and a letter.

Upon seeing the powder, Jia Mother’s brows twitched.

She recognized it.

Her bad premonition grew even stronger.

She opened the letter first.

It was filled with sharp accusations, exposing her disgrace and throwing it to the ground. Jia’s Mother seemed to see the scene of the old lady from the Lin family pointing at her and cursing. Looking at the content of the letter and then at Nanny Qian, who was kneeling, bound, gagged with cloth, and in tears, Jia’s Mother staggered. She couldn’t catch her breath, her eyes closed, and her body fell backward.

The maid beside her was terrified, nearly losing her wits. She hurriedly stepped forward to support her and screamed, “Not good, the old lady has fainted!”