The Good Concubine of the Qing Dynasty [Red Mansion]

Chaos erupted in the Jia household.

When the imperial physician arrived, he diagnosed Grandmother Jia with a mild stroke. He warned that she must be more cautious in the future. It wasn’t severe now, but if she continued to experience such intense emotional upheavals, things could take a turn for the worse.

A stroke is not a minor illness.

Grandmother Jia was undoubtedly afraid of death. After she regained consciousness, she tried hard to control her emotions, but she still couldn’t suppress her anger.

Those useless fools! They couldn’t even handle the simplest of tasks—what good are they?

And then there was Zhao Xinghua, that wretched maid. The Jia family had provided for her for so long, even taking care of her younger brother. Instead of being reprimanded for being useless, she had the audacity to stab her in the back. Was this how she repaid her and the Jia family?

Fearing another stroke, Grandmother Jia composed herself for a while before calling Granny Qian to her side to ask what had happened.

By this time, Granny Qian had been untied. She knelt on the ground, kowtowing to Grandmother Jia, her face flushed as she stammered out the whole story.

It started with a concubine giving birth, followed by Zhao Xinghua’s actions and her subsequent capture, and everything that was implicated as a result.

Before her death, Zhao Xinghua had claimed she acted under Grandmother Jia’s orders. She said the medicine was given to her by Grandmother Jia, and Madam Lin had even found some of the powder on her…

Grandmother Jia was so furious that she hurriedly recited a Buddhist scripture.

She reminded herself not to get too angry.

She knew that this couldn’t go on. The Jia family could still hold onto the title of the Duke of Rongguo because she was still alive. Once she was gone, that plaque would have to come down.

And what did the Rongguo Mansion have now?

The old Duke had passed, and the influence was gradually waning.

Her eldest son was foolish and incompetent, holding only an empty title while he indulged in a life of drunkenness and dreams at home.

The second son did hold an official position, but after all these years, he was still a low-ranking official in the Ministry of Works.

In comparison, her son-in-law had advanced with every step he took. Give him a few more years, and he might very well become a regional governor or be appointed as a minister or high-ranking official in the capital.

Before her dear Zhu’er grew up, they needed such an uncle to pave the way for his future in the court.

This was the original intention of the late Duke in forming an alliance with the Lin family through marriage.

In the beginning, it was the late Duke who gave Lin Ruhai a push, and in the future, they would need Lin Ruhai to support the Jia family in return.

Mutual assistance and benefit.

But now, the situation was dire.

Although Lady Jia believed that such actions were necessary for a head matriarch to protect her own interests, she also knew these matters could never be openly exposed.

She ordered someone to drag Nanny Qian away and began to think carefully.

How could she salvage this situation?

After some thought, she realized it wasn’t entirely hopeless.

After all, the medicinal powder she had given to Nanny Qian was just a backup and had never been used.

As for the powder found with Zhao Xinghua, it certainly wasn’t from her.

She wasn’t foolish enough to give her such a thing.

It must have been one of the bold people around her who secretly provided the powder to Zhao Xinghua.

She could investigate this slowly.

For now, she needed to deny everything.

That wretched maid was trying to frame her. Who knows where she got the medicine from? She was no longer a part of the Jia family. How could someone from the Jia family harm her dear Min’er?

It’s most likely that some people found the Lin family unpleasant and wanted to sow discord between the two families. Or perhaps it was an enemy of the Lin family who did this deliberately; they couldn’t let the other side succeed.

Thinking of this explanation, Lady Jia felt somewhat relieved.

It was also because Nanny Qian was useless, admitting that the medicine came from her.

Otherwise, her argument would have been more convincing.

But even with Nanny Qian’s admission, it wouldn’t have mattered. Just look at how lively and healthy the Lin family’s son grew up to be—that was the best proof.

These things couldn’t be admitted, and honestly, there wasn’t any substantial evidence proving that she provided the medicine.

How credible could the words of a servant like Nanny Qian or a wretched maid like Zhao Xinghua be?

When she wrote the letter back then, she hadn’t been too explicit, and Nanny Qian wasn’t completely foolish either; she had already destroyed the letter.

Even if the Lin family didn’t believe her, she had to deny it.

Otherwise, if the two families ever fell out and the contents of the letter were made public, the Jia family’s reputation would be ruined. Which family would dare to marry a daughter from the Jia family then?

Now… even if there was a rift between the Lin and Jia families, to outsiders, their relationship had to appear intact.

However, to appease the Lin family and cooperate, she would have to bleed a little.

What a pity. The item left to her by the late Duke was meant to be a bargaining chip in case the Lin family grew strong and refused to extend a helping hand to the Jia family in the future. Now, it would have to be brought out early.

The world bustles for profit, and all the turmoil is for the pursuit of gain.

The current situation wasn’t too dire. Jia Min was her daughter, a member of the Jia family. The only ones left implicated were that concubine and her illegitimate son.

The Lin family already had one legitimate eldest son.

Even if this younger son didn’t survive, it wouldn’t be that significant.

Madam Jia felt deeply pained—each of the items left by the late Duke, once used, was one less in their possession.

Moreover, no matter what, her Min had married into the Lin family for so many years. She had made sacrifices, if not contributions, and even bore them Lin Daiyu.

If the two families were to completely fall out, life wouldn’t be easy for her daughter and granddaughter in the Lin family.

Considering everything, the chances of the Lin family agreeing to a façade of peace were still relatively high.

After that, she would try to minimize her presence in the Lin family’s affairs, letting the younger generation connect with Min instead. Blood is thicker than water, and Min was not a heartless person.

If the Lin family were to place blame, it would likely fall solely on her.

The younger generation was completely unaware; the Lin family probably wouldn’t stoop so low as to argue with them.

Madam Jia slowly refined her plan, and her anxious mood gradually improved.

She couldn’t help but sigh—if only the late Duke were still here. The men of this generation of the Jia family were disappointing, and her grandsons were still young. By the time her grandsons grew up…

Thinking of her eldest grandson who excelled in his studies, a slight smile returned to her face.

These old bones of hers, at her age, still couldn’t afford to relax and always had to plan for her descendants.

Madam Jia fainting and the summoning of an imperial physician, who diagnosed her with a mild stroke, was undoubtedly a shocking event in the Jia household.

The eldest master, who had drunk himself into a stupor, was pulled from his bed and given hangover soup.

The younger generation, whether at school or in the arms of wet nurses, were all summoned to pay respects and serve her.

They were stopped for a while before being allowed to enter.

Seeing Madam Jia lying weakly on the bed, Jia She and Jia Zheng were both worried. “Mother, what happened? Why did this happen so suddenly…?”

Madam Jia gave a faint smile. “Your sister wrote a letter. She fell gravely ill and nearly didn’t make it through.” As she spoke, tears flowed down her face. “I almost had to see my black-haired daughter buried before me, her white-haired mother.”

Upon hearing this, Jia She and Jia Zheng hurriedly offered their comfort.

Jia Zheng said, “Sister has already pulled through. Mother, you shouldn’t be too distressed. She would worry if she knew you were upset.”

Jia She, on the other hand, simply said, “Good fortune will protect a good person, Mother. You need not worry.”

His words were blunt and harsh, and Madam Jia shot him a disgruntled look.

She knew some people accused her of favoritism, but how could anyone not have a bias when facing two sons like these?

She certainly couldn’t manage it.

“I plan to select some things from the storeroom to send to your sister as a gesture to calm her after such a scare.”

Regarding this, neither Jia She nor Jia Zheng had any objections and agreed without hesitation.

However, Lady Xing and Lady Wang were the ones who did have opinions. Unfortunately for them, this wasn’t the time for them to speak up.

Watching the valuable items flow out of the household like water, they felt sharp stabs of pain in their hearts.

Jia Min falls ill and she gets all these precious gifts?

When they themselves were ill, the old lady didn’t show this level of concern!

Truly, those born from the old lady’s womb are the most cherished.

Madam Jia, keeping a close eye on everything, ensured this matter was handled promptly and without delay. She then devoted herself to eating vegetarian and chanting Buddhist scriptures to keep her emotions stable, determined to fully restore her health.

On the other side, after the efforts of many renowned doctors, the second young master’s last breath was barely kept going.

It was just barely holding on; there wasn’t any real improvement. Seeing the child, whose cries were so weak they were almost inaudible, struggling like this every day, Lin Ruhai felt deeply pained.

He had suffered so much.

But as a father, Lin Ruhai still held onto hope, hoping this child could hold on, make it through this ordeal, and have a bright future ahead.

Lu Lan wept every day, constantly by the child’s side, tirelessly caring for him.

The old lady couldn’t bear to see her little grandson in this state either.

She didn’t dare look too much.

Seeing him would remind her of the eventual fate of the Lin family in the dream world.

She kept an even closer watch over her eldest grandson.

She frequently gave stern warnings to those around the children, to prevent any more accidents.

The old lady felt she could no longer bear such a burden.

Jia Min’s recurring fever gradually subsided as well.

However, her health had become even weaker than before.

She spent more than half of each day lying down; when she wasn’t lying down, she was accompanying Daiyu, ignoring everything else.

She ignored both household matters and her dowry.

It was as if she was intentionally avoiding involvement.

Not all the Jia family members were completely useless; among the younger generation raised in the Lin family, there were still some who could be of use.

The old lady selected a few, set new rules for them, and sent them back to the main courtyard to serve Jia Min, but Jia Min didn’t inquire about it.

This made the old lady let out a long sigh in her heart.

She still held control over the household affairs. If Jia Min wanted to avoid involvement and focus on raising her child, the old lady wouldn’t force her, especially since her health was even more fragile than that of the old lady herself.

If she pushed too hard, Daiyu might end up motherless.

However, the necessary rules still had to be established.

She could recuperate and stay out of sight, but on the first and fifteenth of each month, the concubines still had to come to pay their respects, and Jia Min had to come to pay hers as well.

This was the rule.

It was also a reminder.

A reminder to everyone that Jia Min was still the legitimate lady of their household.

Then, she received a list of gifts and a letter from the Jia family.

She didn’t even glance at the gift list; instead, she opened the letter. Seeing Jia Mu’s denial written inside, the old lady let out a cold laugh. Did her denial mean she was innocent?

It was nothing more than a fig leaf to cover her shame!

However, the conditions mentioned for maintaining appearances did make the old lady frown slightly. She then handed the letter to her son.

After reading it, Lin Ruhai was so furious that he laughed.

Nowhere in the letter did he see even a hint of an apology from his mother-in-law.

This made Lin Ruhai seriously doubt the previous claims of his mother-in-law about how much she cared for her daughter. Where was the care now?

She was merely using her daughter and granddaughter as bargaining chips to negotiate her way out.

In reality, all the so-called love from his mother-in-law was just empty words. The ones she truly loved were herself and the Jia family.

Lin Ruhai couldn’t bear to show this letter to Jia Min.

She had only just started to recover a little.

The old lady felt the same way. “Don’t tell her about this for now.”

As for the facade of harmony that Jia Mu wanted, she didn’t raise any objections. One reason was because of Jia Min and Daiyu, and the other was because of the bargaining chip Jia Mu offered.

She hadn’t expected that the Jia family would have something like this. Before the old marquis passed away, he had mentioned it to her.

It turned out that the Jia family had obtained it.

She wasn’t sure if this would be useful for the Lin family at the moment, so she looked to her son.

Lin Ruhai was silent for a long time before nodding.

The original purpose of this marriage alliance was mutual support, but now only superficial courtesies remained. And it wasn’t just superficial—the mother-in-law didn’t even feel she was at fault. Did she think he was so magnanimous that he would simply let it go?

Soon, Jia’s second master made a serious mistake due to negligence. Normally, if the higher-ups were willing to give him a chance, he could have corrected it without losing face. However, this time, it was exposed directly. Although the second master wasn’t demoted, he was reassigned to a cold, idle position.

Here, not only was there no chance of promotion, but he might even retire from this post if things went badly.

Facing such a disastrous blow, Jia’s household was shrouded in gloom.

Jia Zheng drowned his sorrows in alcohol for a while, and then indulged in philosophical discussions with his scholars, no longer concerning himself with his official duties…

For Yun Shuyao, ever since that incident, she could keenly sense changes within the Lin residence.

Jia Min’s presence had weakened considerably, and the atmosphere within the Lin residence had become more stringent. Additionally, after the second young master struggled for more than three months and finally breathed his last, the importance of her son had risen once more.

Under these circumstances, Yun Shuyao experienced what it meant to “rise with the tide” and “a mother’s status rises with her son.”

Although her previous treatment wasn’t bad, and it couldn’t be said to be better now, the difference could be seen in the attitudes of those around her.

Even Concubine Mei seemed to have gradually accepted reality and rarely appeared in front of Yun Shuyao anymore. Now, her entire focus was on having another child. If not that, then making sure her Yingyu performed better in her studies than Luoyu—she had transferred the pressure of competition onto her daughter.

However, in this regard, the two sisters remained harmonious.

Concubine Mei’s words did not affect the relationship between the two sisters.

The clan also sent people over, so Chen Yu and Ying Yu gained new classmates to join them in their lessons.

Last time, when the Lin family sent people, Lin Ruhai took on two assistants.

One was Lin Hu, who is now their current tutor. He had achieved the degree of a provincial scholar and was recently recommended for an official position. He would take office on a future date, so the Lin residence was in need of a new tutor.

The other was Lin Hao, a scholar known for his expertise in mathematics, and someone Lin Ruhai relied on heavily. However, he was on a mission and was not present at the Lin residence.

Now, the people from the clan included three individuals.

One was Lin Zhi, a man in his fifties with a provincial scholar degree, accompanied by a concubine and a nine-year-old grandson.

He had been a tutor in the Lin clan for over ten years, with rich teaching experience. He was selected as the most suitable person according to Lin Ruhai’s requirements.

The other two came with the intention of becoming Lin Ruhai’s assistants and were of Lin Ruhai’s generation.

One was Lin Bo, in his thirties, with a scholar degree. He came with his wife, a nine-year-old daughter, and an eight-year-old son.

The other was Lin Yong, nearly in his thirties, also a scholar, accompanied by his wife, a son, and a daughter. He was also the youngest son of the current clan leader.

Lin Bo’s and Lin Yong’s children were of similar ages to Chen Yu and the others.

In the future, their classes were going to become lively.

The reason why many people are wary of the eldest sons of concubines, especially those with large age gaps, is because of this.

The legitimate children are undoubtedly more esteemed, but if the legitimate son is born too late, the older brothers may have already taken all the advantages.

In some cases, if there were no titles involved, the legitimate son might end up with an empty shell.

Both the old lady and Lin Ruhai knew that the chances of Jia Min having another child were very slim.

Moreover, Lin Ruhai was not young anymore. Many of his peers had already become grandparents. He was essentially grooming Chen Yu as the next generation’s successor.

Under these circumstances, Yun Shuyao’s status naturally rose with the tide.

Yun Shuyao: “……”

She deeply felt what it was like to have a vast estate with only one promising heir.

She really worried that Chen Yu might become spoiled.

Chen Yu:?

Aunt, are you serious?

It seems like you weren’t the one who poured cold water on me before.

Chen Yu sighed bitterly.

He was envied and envied by many, but the pressure on him was also significant.

A tiger father has no dog sons.

He needed to remain outstanding enough to stand by his father’s side without worry.

Only then could he protect his aunt and sister in the future.

About two months after the autumn exams ended, Yun Shuyao received good news.

Both of her younger brothers passed the imperial exams; her eldest younger brother ranked eleventh, and the youngest ranked fifth from the bottom.

Regardless of their rankings, passing the exam at their age was a significant celebration, and it was a double joy. No, perhaps even a triple joy, as her second sister-in-law would also be coming into the family by the end of the year.

For Yun Shuyao, there was another piece of good news: her supernatural ability had finally reached level five.

She had been stuck at this level for a long time. If it weren’t for a rare treasure she obtained, she might have spent another year or two.

The higher she went in upgrading her abilities, the more challenging it became. She was mentally prepared for this.

The next time she upgraded, it might take ten years or more.

After the upgrade, Yun Shuyao tested her abilities.

Her physical fitness improved again. Additionally, she could accelerate the growth of short-term vegetables significantly. If it were in the apocalypse, she would be highly sought after. However, this wasn’t needed here. Another improvement was that she could make plants grow stronger.

However, her efficiency in cultivating plants hadn’t changed much, only expanding the variety.

This was because most of her upgraded abilities were directed towards the spirit mirror.

Rare treasures needed fate, while her abilities were cyclic and sustainable. As long as she had enough time, the energy she provided to the spirit mirror might not be significantly less than that of those rare treasures.

Knowing about her maternal family’s good news, Lin Ruhai was very pleased: “Do they plan to participate in the spring exams next year?”

“Yun Heng plans to try in the spring, but Yun Yan is still uncertain.” This time, Yun Heng’s success was partly due to luck; his grasp of the material wasn’t as solid as his older brother’s.

Lin Ruhai nodded and gave her some books.

These were analyses of the preferences and previous writing styles of potential examiners.

This information was crucial.

If one knew in advance that an examiner preferred a steady and practical writing style, aligning their essay accordingly could significantly increase the chances of being admitted.

Otherwise, if unaware and writing in a flowery and elaborate style, the examiner might frown upon it and lower the score, turning an eighty into a sixty.

No wonder people placed so much importance on connections—look at this, could anyone get such information without connections?

Time passed, and Lin Ruhai was reassigned.

He had held a third-rank position in Guangzhou for six years before receiving a transfer order.

He remained at the third-rank level but his position changed from the southernmost part of the country to the central region.

Every reassignment meant moving and long-distance relocation.

Lin Ruhai began preparing to handle his assets in Guangzhou early, arranging for staff to purchase a residence in the new location and to scout the area.

By the time he finished traveling by water, land, and again by water routes, and settled into Anlin Prefecture, it was already the thirty-ninth year of Kangxi.

After resting for just two days, a monk and a Daoist arrived at their home.

Initially, they were at the door, and the doorman was about to inquire about their identities, but somehow they forced their way in and went straight to the backyard.

At that moment, Jia Min was accompanying a group of children to pay respects to the elderly lady.

Ignoring the attempts to stop them, the monk and Daoist went directly to the three-year-old Lin Daiyu, disregarding her alarm as they examined her and the other three children, exclaiming, “Impossible!”