LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 46 - The Heart Is Too Biased!
The mourning period lasts for twenty-seven months.
After holding a religious ceremony, Luoyu and the others returned to their usual lives.
Yun Shuyao developed a new hobby of dressing up her daughter in beautiful clothes and jewelry. Seeing her daughter in such bright attire, Yun Shuyao was thrilled.
This made Aunt Mei feel like she was bleeding inside.
She felt that the master was being too unfair and biased!
Her daughter also shared the Lin family bloodline—why wasn’t she treated the same?
Lin Ruhai felt innocent; he had prepared three sets of everything for his daughter.
For the younger daughter, he put in a bit more effort. Many of the things for Luoyu were bought by her aunt herself.
He explained this, but Aunt Mei didn’t believe it.
She knew Yun Shuyao liked to garden, had decorated her courtyard beautifully, and had even given some flowers and plants to the old lady, which made the old lady very happy. Yun Shuyao also had her own shop outside.
But she also has shops, and not just one—how could she earn so much money?
Lin Ruhai: “…”
Yingyu understood a bit, “Auntie, it’s different…”
The flowers and plants that Aunt Yun raised are very valuable.
Moreover, Aunt Yun is really generous when it comes to buying things.
Aunt Mei poked her daughter sharply, “Are you still defending her? Don’t you know I’m fighting for you?”
Yingyu: “…” But that doesn’t mean you should let Aunt Mei talk nonsense, right?
Since their chances of returning and meeting friends here again are slim, the children said their goodbyes to their friends just like before, while the adults dealt with the local properties and other matters.
Some things that were still needed and not easily replaced were first transported back to the capital.
Yun Shuyao’s shop followed Lin Ruhai’s official postings; wherever he was assigned, her shop would open there, specializing in flowers and plants.
Whenever there was an official event, such as a birthday celebration or a banquet, business at her shop would peak.
There were no local thugs, corrupt officials, or troublemakers causing disturbances, so no extra effort was needed for dealing with such issues.
While it appeared to be just one shop, only Yun Shuyao knew how much it truly earned.
Although she had not been in Anlin Mansion for long and did not cultivate many flowers and plants, the high-quality items she grew herself were enough to sustain the shop.
Handling her business was relatively simple.
Most of it was sold, and the precious items she wanted to take with her were those she had nurtured with her special abilities, so she carried them with her and did not need to worry about them being damaged on the road.
The remaining items were seeds and seedlings.
Additionally, since there was an elderly lady among their group, who could not travel too quickly, they were moving very slowly.
Lin Ruhai and his son set off first.
This meant they were divided into three groups: the first group was the chief steward, who took the lead with the initial luggage and staff to return to the capital, prepare the Lin Mansion, arrange the young masters’ and young ladies’ quarters, and gather information, among other tasks.
The second group consisted of Lin Ruhai, Chenyu, and a few advisors, who set off with a small portion of their luggage.
Then came the main contingent, including the elderly lady and the female family members, with the old scholar leading the way north.
Upon arrival in the capital, Lin Ruhai and his group settled into Lin Mansion and promptly sent a notice to the palace. He could only wait to see if the Emperor was available and when the meeting would be.
During this period, he would remain at the mansion, ready to respond to summons.
On their return journey, they did not pay much attention to whether they encountered any familiar faces. Since they had been away from the capital for a long time, it was unlikely that they would recognize the servants of familiar families unless they announced themselves.
After sending the notice to the palace, Lin Ruhai personally wrote letters to some old friends and had them delivered the following day.
For instance, to his mentors and tutors.
Unbeknownst to them, Jia Mu had just managed to handle her niece-in-law and had spoken of the many things that would likely make him scoff.
Lin Ruhai and Chenyu rested well after the long journey to recover from their fatigue, and then they began to receive replies to their notices.
It was not the right time for visits, and everyone understood that they would discuss matters further at a later date.
Generally speaking, the palace would respond within a few days.
As for the Jia family, despite Lin Ruhai’s reluctance, he had to maintain a respectful demeanor for Jia Min and Daiyu, as he was, after all, a junior.
So, on the following day, Rongguo Mansion received a notice from Lin Mansion.
Jia Mu’s expression fluctuated between gloom and cheerfulness. The notice had indeed arrived, but they would need to wait a few more days before Lin Ruhai could visit.
Jia Mu sighed, unable to hold back her frustration. If it weren’t for Daiyu, her granddaughter, she might have refused to even acknowledge this courtesy.
She recalled the letter that Zhu’er had brought back. When her second son came with the letter to ask if it was genuine, she nearly lost face completely.
She had fallen ill for a time, and her second son did not mention the matter again. Since then, he had not brought up the topic of this brother-in-law.
She knew that, given her second son’s personality, he was too embarrassed to discuss it.
Thinking back now, Jia Mu was still so enraged she clutched her chest.
All her efforts were for her descendants, for the Jia family!
Otherwise, what glory or honor had she not enjoyed in her lifetime? Why had she dirtied her hands with such matters?
With this thought, Jia Mu sighed deeply.
If her children and grandchildren were successful, would she have to engage in such tasks?
She couldn’t help but think of Zhu’er, the promising grandson. He was excellent in many ways, but his one flaw was his lack of fortune, which caused them to bury their own sons while he had no opportunity to use his talents.
Then there was the remaining hope—the second son, whom she had high expectations for. She had to admit that his talents were inadequate for significant use, so she would have to look further down the line.
But that was easier said than done.
With Zhu’er’s death and Yuan Chun now in the palace, she was under the strict supervision of Empress Dowager De.
A significant amount of family money had been spent, but they still couldn’t get close to the Emperor.
Jia Mu couldn’t help but sigh at this thought.
When Yuan Chun was with Empress Dowager De, it became difficult for her to approach the Crown Prince, as Empress Dowager De was avoiding any association with the Crown Prince.
Yuan Chun’s goal could only be the Emperor and the princes born to Empress Dowager De and her affiliated consorts. However, those princes would only ever become princes, not comparable to the Crown Prince, who would be the future ruler of the nation!
If the target was a prince, it would be better to aim for the Emperor. Unfortunately, Empress Dowager De’s scrutiny was too strict, leaving no opportunity.
Yuan Chun couldn’t even provide assistance, and the family needed to support her.
Jia Mu, even though she didn’t want to admit it, knew deep down that the family was ultimately in decline.
The Jia family, which was currently renowned as the illustrious Rongguo Mansion, had no significant influence at court. This was evident now that their son-in-law had returned to the capital.
If they had allies at court, how could they only learn about this matter upon his return?
They don’t even have anyone who can attend court.
The Jia family has three powerful in-laws: the Lin family, the Wang family, and the Li family.
The Lin family is the highest-ranking among them.
The Wang family’s Prince Teng has a high rank as well, but the Jia family now has two daughters-in-law from the Wang family.
If they relied entirely on the Wang family, their position would be elevated excessively.
Fortunately, the Wang family is unaware of the situation with the Lin family. To others, Lin Ruhai is still a good son-in-law. It’s just unfortunate that their daughter Min has passed away. Despite the connection with the Lin family, there is still a barrier, and they even advised her to find Lin Ruhai another wife to renew the marriage.
Does she not want to?
It’s just that she has been forced into this situation.
When she first mentioned it, Lin Ruhai revealed the truth to her second son. If she brings it up a second time, will the good son-in-law reveal everything publicly?
Even without evidence, she would be embarrassed to go out, and the reputation of Jia family daughters would be affected. Yuan Chun in the palace would have no hope left.
She can’t provoke the Lin family further. It’s better for Jia family if Lin Ruhai’s marriage issue remains unmentioned. Jia Mu slowly devised a plan in her mind.
As long as the Lin family doesn’t remarry, the Jia family remains the maternal family of a few children.
They dare not show disrespect.
And there’s also her Daiyu. She’s still on her way, and once she arrives in the capital, it will be the time for her grandmother to properly care for her in place of her mother.
With Daiyu acting as a mediator, in time, past grievances can be smoothed over.
While Daiyu is still young, winning her over will be even better.
Lin Ruhai still holds some status with Kangxi. On the third day after his return to the capital, he went to the palace.
When he came out, he saw Chenyu by the carriage and smiled slightly.
Chenyu felt relieved. Although outsiders might not notice, he could sense his father’s ease.
It seemed that this audience with the emperor went relatively smoothly.
Indeed, it was smooth.
Lin Ruhai nodded in acknowledgment and then entered the carriage, sitting across from his son.
Lin Ruhai sipped the tea his son had poured and sighed contentedly. Although there were no major mistakes, he had been on edge throughout the process, carefully considering every word before speaking to ensure accuracy.
The emperor had become even more imposing over the years. Despite their long separation, he still remembered Lin Ruhai’s matters in great detail.
The emperor’s memory remained as outstanding as ever.
Lin Ruhai couldn’t help but think about the emperor’s brothers.
The emperor remained vigorous and commanding. If the emperor were to live a long life, thinking about it deepened the inscrutability in Lin Ruhai’s eyes and reinforced his resolve not to wade into troubled waters.
Though today’s audience had gone smoothly, the emperor hadn’t mentioned anything about Lin Ruhai’s future arrangements.
The higher the official rank, the more specific the responsibilities.
Lin Ruhai wasn’t in a hurry.
When he and his son arrived at Rongguo Mansion, the main gate was wide open, welcoming the son-in-law’s arrival.
Upon entering, Lin Ruhai saw his second brother-in-law avoiding eye contact and the smiling, seemingly oblivious mother-in-law, who was looking at him with a kindly expression.
When Jia Mother saw Lin Ruhai and Chenyu, her eyes momentarily narrowed as if pricked by something, a reaction she couldn’t control.
She found it difficult to manage her thoughts.
The demeanor of this illegitimate son reminded her of her promising daughter, Zhu’er.
However, her Zhu’er was now deceased, while the other party was still alive and well.
But she soon considered another aspect: the other party had no official titles, hadn’t taken part in any public affairs, and had no known reputation. It seemed that his only outstanding quality was his appearance.
Jia She was the most natural in his reaction because he was unaware of anything.
“Brother-in-law, it’s been a long time. You are still as you always were,” he said enviously.
Lin Ruhai looked at Jia She, who appeared somewhat unsteady, with a swollen face, and clearly overly indulgent. Lin Ruhai’s smile became a bit more sincere.
He was one of the rare people in the Jia household who was genuine inside and out: “You should take care of your health.”
Jia She chuckled. His only interest was his pleasure, so what was the point of taking care of himself?
Jia Mother then became sentimental: “My poor Min’er, how I wish you could have seen this scene. If you were still alive and with me, how wonderful it would have been.”
She wept tears of sorrow: “Fortunately, you left behind a bloodline. Daiyu, my precious, when will you come back?”
“I’ve never seen you grow up like this. How could your cruel mother bear to abandon you? It truly pains me deeply.”
The more she spoke, the more sorrowful she became.
The surrounding maids and servants clustered around to comfort her. “Grandmother, don’t be too sad; you’ll see Miss Jia soon.”
“Grandmother, remember the doctor’s advice—not to be too agitated.”
“Grandmother, Baoyu, quickly go and ask Baoyu to come and comfort the grandmother.”
“Son-in-law, you should also try to persuade the grandmother…”
Lin Ruhai watched the commotion with a faint smile, his tone indifferent: “It seems the old lady misses Min’er so much. If Min’er were aware from the afterlife, she would surely come to see you.” If Min’er really came, would she dare to meet her?
Jia Mother’s crying suddenly stopped.
After a brief pause, Jia Mother resumed crying, but her sobs grew weaker.
Min’er would not blame her.
She had never thought of harming Min’er.
That was her own flesh and blood; how could she harm her?
It was just that Min’er was so naive, brainwashed by those Confucian texts, that she had no choice but to intervene to help her. If Min’er had listened to her earlier, who knows how old the child born to Jia family’s daughter might be by now? She wouldn’t have exposed her mistakes, been caught by the Lin family, and affected the relationship between the Jia and Lin families!