The Good Concubine of the Qing Dynasty [Red Mansion]

No matter how Jing Huan looked at it, she couldn’t convince herself that she was seeing things incorrectly; the item on Lady Mei’s wrist was merely superficial.

It was not the magical item she had released!

So the question arose: Where did her magical item go?!

From Lady Mei’s appearance, it was clear she had no idea what was on her wrist; otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so possessive about it.

Who had swapped it and left her ignorant?

Could it be that the cicada had acted again?

Thinking of this, Jing Huan frowned. It seemed she could no longer act against the Lin family. If any traces were discovered, it would be problematic.

Thinking of this, Jing Huan cast a regretful glance at Lady Mei’s belly, which had only just begun to show but was now spoiled by someone.

She had spent considerable effort getting that set of Buddhist beads into Lady Mei’s hands, only for it to be wasted like this.

Fortunately, she still had other methods.

With this in mind, she reluctantly gave up on further disrupting the Lin family and set about arranging other contingency plans.

However, the turmoil within the Lin family was far from over. Soon after, when Dr. Zhou came to check Lady Mei’s pulse, he discovered an issue.

Sweat flowed continuously from his forehead, and he couldn’t wipe it off. No matter how he checked the pulse, it was different from before and instead resembled the initial pulse that had made him hesitant to confirm Lady Mei’s pregnancy.

He had never expected that despite his caution, he had still made a mistake—Lady Mei was indeed not pregnant.

Fearing further errors, Dr. Zhou observed the situation for several more days, finding that the pulse became clearer and clearer. He could only bitterly admit his own incompetence and even considered resigning in disgrace.

This was no small matter; it wasn’t just Lady Mei who was stunned by his words, but also the old lady and Lin Ruhai.

Lady Mei was only three months along, so her belly wasn’t very prominent, but how could this be a false pregnancy?!

Lady Mei, furious and unable to care about anything else, exclaimed with fiery eyes: “I haven’t had my period for months, and I vomit at the smell of fish. How could this not be pregnancy? Are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?!”

Dr. Zhou carefully chose his words, “There are blood clots in your belly, which have blocked your meridians, leading to this result. Have you been more irritable lately? That could also be related.”

Lady Mei rebutted, “No, how could I have blood clots in my body? It’s normal to be irritable when pregnant.”

She was indeed happy to be pregnant, though she had noticed her own increasing irritability and impatience. Whenever someone brought tea, even a slight delay would make her want to lose her temper.

The servants could attest to her impatience, but recently, they had found it easier to serve her, as her temper had somewhat improved.

Dr. Zhou sighed with a bitter smile, “Lady Mei, I must admit my skill was lacking; you are indeed not pregnant.”

Lady Mei refused to believe it and screamed, “You’re just a quack! Your pulse diagnosis is unreliable! Get out! Get out! Old Lady, don’t believe him! I want a new doctor! I must be pregnant! He must have been bribed by the Yun family. Old Lady, you must stand up for me!”

How could she not be pregnant? It was impossible! Lady Mei refused to consider it further.

Yingyu, hearing this, blushed with embarrassment.

Dr. Zhou felt ashamed, realizing he had let Lady Mei have false hope due to his indecision. He smiled ruefully, “This was my fault.”

Lin Ruhai watched the scene with a stern face. Soon, four renowned doctors from Anlin House were invited to check Lady Mei’s pulse.

The doctors were initially cautious but then relaxed, almost ready to congratulate her. However, since these were experienced doctors, except for one who didn’t detect any issues and said it was a sign of joy, the other three’s expressions gradually became serious. They asked more questions and ultimately admitted their own inadequacy, suggesting that a more skilled practitioner be consulted.

Dr. Zhou had correctly identified the issue: she wasn’t pregnant; she was ill.

Lady Mei felt as though the world was collapsing around her. She had only been happy for a short time, and now this was the result?!

In her anger and fear, she drove everyone out, and then she heard the sound of porcelain shattering.

Yingyu was naturally upset. Although she welcomed the prospect of having a younger brother or sister, she was now worried about her aunt’s health. “Aunt, please don’t be angry, Aunt—”

The Old Lady stopped her, saying, “Let her vent.”

The Old Lady understood how happy Lady Mei had been before, and although her reaction was excessive, she chose not to be too harsh given the circumstances.

Yingyu, worried, looked inside the room and asked Dr. Zhou, “Can it be treated? It can be treated, right?”

Dr. Zhou nodded slowly, “Miss Ying, please don’t worry. Now that we know the problem, we can treat it accordingly. However, Lady Mei must avoid being overly anxious or irritable during this time. She should try to keep a calm demeanor and avoid spicy or overly stimulating foods. Her diet should be as light as possible…”

Yingyu took note of everything carefully.

The Old Lady looked at the scene and couldn’t help but sigh in regret. It took her quite a while to collect her feelings of disappointment.

It was clear from the situation that Lady Mei hadn’t intentionally pretended to be pregnant to achieve her goals. She truly believed she was pregnant. Logically, her symptoms did suggest pregnancy, but it was simply an unexpected turn of events.

What a pity.

The Old Lady gave orders to ensure that Lady Mei was well cared for and not neglected. Even though she wasn’t carrying a child, she still had the Lin family’s eldest granddaughter under her care, which could not be overlooked.

The news soon spread, and the servants began to gossip.

When the pregnancy was initially confirmed, everyone shared in the joy and received extra monthly wages. Now that it was clear the pregnancy was a false alarm, they wondered if the Old Lady would retract their additional wages.

This was not likely to happen.

However, some couldn’t help but privately mock the situation, especially in the kitchen.

They had been through a lot due to the supposed pregnancy, having to carefully consider the needs of the supposed young master in her womb, no matter how demanding the requirements were.

Originally, they had grumbled in their hearts, preparing to endure until the child was born. Now that the child was nonexistent, they would no longer have to endure Lady Mei’s demands in the future.

One by one, the servants started to smile with joy.

When Yun Shuyao heard about the situation, her brows immediately furrowed.

She had just swapped out that bracelet not long ago. It was within her expectations that Lady Mei’s temper had improved, and she thought that was due to the swap. But now, Lady Mei was diagnosed as not being pregnant?!

From Dr. Zhou’s previous behavior, it was clear that he was a very cautious person.

He hadn’t dared to be certain before, holding off on a definite diagnosis for a long time. But now, only a few days after she swapped the bracelet, Dr. Zhou says that Lady Mei is not pregnant, whereas he had been sure of a positive sign before!

This raises a problem. Could it be that the bracelet not only affects emotions but is also closely related to Lady Mei’s current condition?

Yun Shuyao’s expression turned serious.

Had she underestimated its danger?

She had investigated and found that the bracelet Lady Mei obtained was a relatively common fertility item, like those associated with the Child-Giving Guanyin or fertility pouches. Most people buy them for psychological comfort.

But her case was not about psychological comfort.

Yun Shuyao sensed a hint of conspiracy. Was it a coincidence or intentional?

If someone did it intentionally, there were too many possible issues. Did Lady Mei offend someone, or did the Lin family?

For the former, she thought the likelihood was very low. Lady Mei had few opportunities to go out, and whenever she did, Yun Shuyao was with her. Yun Shuyao knew what she did and said, and any possible offense would have been minor verbal conflicts, not something that would warrant such extensive retaliation.

So it must be targeting the Lin family. If she hadn’t swapped the bracelet, would Lady Mei have ended up in an even worse situation?!

Yun Shuyao asked Lin Ruhai, “Master, do you think extraordinary people and events truly exist in this world?”

Lin Ruhai, who was previously a skeptic, was now half-believing. This shift in belief was due to the influence of the Master he had encountered, who had provided a destiny chart that significantly changed the Lin family’s fate. Without that intervention, there would be no two aunts, and he would likely only have Daiyu as his daughter.

This was a future Lin Ruhai did not wish to see.

Additionally, there was that monk and Daoist who had previously intruded into the Lin residence. Just like the Master, they had vanished without a trace. Despite the long-term wanted notices, not only had they not been handed over to the authorities, but no one had even seen any sign of them.

So, in response to Yun Shuyao’s question, he remained silent for a while before speaking, “Perhaps they do exist, but they simply don’t appear easily in front of the public.”

Yun Shuyao agreed with this point.

She herself could be considered an extraordinary person, and she had never made a fuss about it; no one knew what made her different.

Aside from those wandering sorcerers who intentionally flaunt their special abilities to deceive others, she had rarely heard of any truly remarkable figures who could defy the laws of nature or were invulnerable to weapons.

Yun Shuyao fell into deep thought.

Based on the celestial treasures and the artifacts she had encountered, she knew such individuals existed in the world, but why were they all so low-key?

Even Lin Ruhai, an informed third-rank official, couldn’t confirm their existence?

Yun Shuyao didn’t believe there were no personalities among them, so was there some reason that required them to remain low-key?

If it were the latter, then it would make sense.

She recalled some restrictions she had seen in dramas and novels, such as practitioners being unable to act against ordinary people due to karmic repercussions or hindrances to their cultivation, affecting their merits and so forth. Various restrictions kept practitioners separate from ordinary people, preventing them from interfering with the development and operation of secular dynasties.

Aside from accepting disciples, practitioners rarely interacted with commoners. Only those with “opportunities” occasionally encountered them, leaving behind various legends.

The more Yun Shuyao thought about it, the more she felt this possibility was high.

Lin Ruhai didn’t know why she brought up the topic. Seeing Yun Shuyao lost in thought while gazing at her teacup, he smiled slightly, choosing not to speak further. He slowly picked up his own teacup and enjoyed the leisure time.

However, he soon became busy because a new colleague had arrived.

Not only did they have differing political views, but the new colleague also supported the Crown Prince. Lin Ruhai wanted to avoid being entangled in the struggle for the throne, so he had to steer clear of the conflict.

Unfortunately, even though he had taken a step back, some people would not be satisfied and only pressed further.

The Old Lady, who usually stayed out of such matters, became anxious. No matter how powerful the Crown Prince was before, now, or in the future, he ultimately died under house arrest.

Their family could not be associated with him!

Lin Ruhai knew this without the Old Lady’s reminder. However, the new colleague’s aggressive approach and the Crown Prince’s widespread recruitment efforts had left Lin Ruhai isolated. Although there were many supporters of the Royalist and Neutral factions, one by one they were falling.

The speed at which this was happening made Lin Ruhai feel uneasy, as if their weaknesses were being exploited.

They even gathered to pressure Lin Ruhai to make a decision quickly, insisting that the Neutral faction could not be allowed to exist.

These people used threats and inducements, frequently offering to introduce him to a prestigious young woman from their faction or to help him have a legitimate son. He continually declined with the excuse of not intending to remarry. Additionally, they showed interest in some of his younger family members.

The children were all excellent, and Lin Ruhai was very proud of them. He could not simply settle their lifelong matters hastily.

He consistently used the excuse that his children needed to observe filial duties and participate in the selection process to defer any decisions.

Unfortunately, some people viewed this as evidence of his unwillingness to cooperate.

Yun Shuyao noticed this too. Nowadays, she rarely needs to go out. When she did, she would often hear praises for the Crown Prince whispered in her ear, and the message would invariably be the same: persuade Lin Ruhai to return to the “right path.”

So, she decided to reduce her outings.

When she did go out, the situations she faced were often repetitive, and her initial intention was to find suitable families and good partners for her children. However, the current situation is even worse than staying at home.

Mei Yiniang was unaware of the outside disturbances.

After learning the truth, she fell ill. The news was a severe blow to her, and she realized that her health had deteriorated and that she needed to rest in bed.

She lay in bed for nearly two months before regaining her strength.

Yun Shuyao would visit the large kitchen according to her mood, bringing some food for the children. Occasionally, when she saw this colleague in the garden, the colleague’s expression would change upon recognizing her. The colleague would then quickly choose a different path and leave, avoiding her.

Yun Shuyao had no malicious intent; if the situation was indeed as she suspected, it would be a case of unjust misfortune for her.

The children were all busy, with much to learn. Yun Shuyao would visit them during their free time under the pretext of delivering snacks. Since she couldn’t just bring snacks for her own children and ignore the others, she had the kitchen staff bring snacks for everyone.

Currently, aside from the three sisters, there were also two children from the Lin family’s clan attending classes with them, who were also Lin Ruhai’s aides.

Among the boys, there were three clan members, plus Chenyu, making a total of four.

Daiyu had also started attending school, but since there was a significant age gap, they were taught separately.

Daiyu was indeed very intelligent, quick to understand, and had a good memory.

Luoyu was also not lacking in this regard, but she was quite active as a child and couldn’t sit still. In contrast, Daiyu was different; she was not only intelligent but also able to sit still and enjoy her studies. She recited poetry fluently, making Lin Ruhai pleased with her talent and thinking that if she were a boy, she could participate in the imperial examinations.

Or rather, if all of Lin Ruhai’s children were boys, except for the eldest Yingyu, they could all take part in the imperial examinations.

Yingyu had a weaker foundation; she was in poor health as a child and had average talent, so Lin Ruhai was not too strict with her.

Seeing that Yun Shuyao had brought snacks, the nanny who was teaching the girls needlework paused and smiled, saying, “Take a break first, and we’ll continue later.”

The four older girls immediately set aside their sewing and gathered to eat the snacks.

Yun Shuyao said, “I’ve made fruit tea and honey tea.”

Every time she came and saw the delicate and lovely girls, her mood naturally brightened.

The group sat closely together, and Daiyu was no exception.

Watching her eat the crystal cakes in small bites, Yun Shuyao couldn’t help but think of the male lead.

Her younger brother, Yun Heng, was serving as an official in the capital, and they corresponded frequently. So, she occasionally received news about the Jia family through his letters.

She learned that the male lead was being cherished by the Jia family’s matriarch, who said he resembled the old duke and would surely achieve great success in the future.

She learned that Jia Zhu’s posthumous son was born but was not given much importance.

She also knew that Jia Yuan-chun in the palace was still a lady-in-waiting, with no change in her status.

…

Yun Shuyao’s eyes flickered. No matter how things were in the original story, it seemed now that it would be difficult for the two to encounter and reenact the scenes from the original.

And that was for the best.

After all, it was a tragic novel.

She preferred comedies.

Time had now reached the 42nd year of Kangxi. Lin Ruhai did not receive a reappointment this time. Due to the poor evaluations from various officials who had hindered his performance, he received a mediocre review. He was to return to the capital to report on his duties.

His official position was still undecided; upon returning to the capital, he might stay there or be assigned elsewhere.

In fact, this was the result of Lin Ruhai’s own maneuvering.

He was concerned that if he remained in Anlin Mansion any longer, he might get dragged down.

Moreover, he had not returned to the capital for many years.

Upon hearing this, the old lady immediately started packing up, preparing to move the whole family to the capital.

Her son’s difficult situation over the past two years meant that she hadn’t had it any easier.

She refused to let her two granddaughters meet anyone; there were too many people with designs on them, and it was impossible to guard against everyone, causing her great anxiety.

Keeping a period of mourning and participating in the selection were good excuses, and it was indeed true. However, the mourning period had now ended, and avoiding the selection… was also very difficult.

This trip to the capital was a good opportunity to try and leverage old connections to get an exemption from the selection. If that didn’t work… the old lady sighed again.

She was worried whether her granddaughters were not outstanding enough, but she was also worried if they were too outstanding.

It would have been better if they were legitimate daughters; there would have been more room to maneuver.

In the midst of the old lady’s melancholy and Yun Shuyao’s concerns, the family set off on their journey to the capital.

The Jia family only learned about this matter after the Lin family returned to the capital.

Grandmother Jia was originally chatting leisurely with Baoyu and the maternal relatives, enjoying a harmonious atmosphere, until she heard the wife of Shi’s nephew say, “Speaking of which, there’s another piece of good news to congratulate the old lady on. The servants noticed the convoy and found out that Mr. Lin was back in the capital today for an official report. We don’t know what position he’ll be assigned next, but if he stays in the capital, perhaps in the future, Daiyu can visit frequently and get closer to him.”

Only then did Grandmother Jia realize that the Lin family had returned to the capital. Her smile almost faltered as a flood of old grievances and new resentments surged in her heart.

He truly didn’t regard the Jia family at all. Such a major event, and he had never mentioned it to the Jia family—she only learned about it from someone else. This was truly her fine son-in-law!

She forced a smile and then took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears as she began to cry. “My poor Min’er, why did you have to leave us so early…” If only Min’er were still here, things would not have turned out this way!