The Good Concubine of the Qing Dynasty [Red Mansion]

As soon as Lin Ruhai left the Jia family, he couldn’t help but curl his lips. This was the Rongguo Mansion.

Since the old duke’s passing, its decline had been visibly apparent. Only the younger generation remained to be seen, but today, it became clear that among the next generation of the Jia family, Jia Zhu had passed away, Jia Lian was somewhat clever but did not enjoy studying or practicing martial arts.

Jia Baoyu, who was pampered, had some talent but lacked interest in study. If things continued this way, he might end up as a playboy in the future.

As for other illegitimate children… Lin Ruhai frowned. He suspected that the Jia family had not properly educated them.

Children who are not well-educated find it very difficult to make a name for themselves.

At this moment, the old lady and her entourage were traveling at a leisurely pace.

They had set out rather late, and with their slow pace, they were not making much progress. They were traveling the official road heading north, which had been calculated to ensure they would reach their destination before dark. The destination had generally been prepared in advance, so upon arrival, the masters could directly settle in and rest.

In addition to the Lin family’s guards, there were also bodyguards specially hired by Lin Ruhai.

Since they had taken half of the guards from home, they still needed sufficient personnel for their northward journey. In theory, dividing the guards into two groups should have been enough, but Lin Ruhai had not forgotten the psychological trauma left by the previous monk and Daoist.

They decided to spend money hiring well-known bodyguards for the trip, as the Lin family was not short of funds.

With their status as officials’ families, some merchant caravans on the road saw them and, after confirming they were allowed to follow, joined their convoy, forming a long line.

Even if there were mountain bandits, seeing such a large and well-guarded convoy, they would not dare to act recklessly.

Forget the official status; just the number of people—whether they were robbing or delivering goods?

Most bandits were self-aware enough to understand this.

If bandits did become a significant threat, the higher authorities would not ignore them.

This made the convoy look very formidable.

When it came time to rest, such a large number of people generally could not be accommodated by a small inn. However, in the wild, they needed to stay behind the Lin family. Once they reached the city, they did not need to follow continuously and could find their own accommodations.

The steward usually arranges to book an entire courtyard if possible, and sometimes even a whole inn.

If there were no inns available and only post stations on the way, they would stay at the post stations.

Post stations might not have enough rooms, so if there weren’t enough, the main party would stay inside the post station to rest, while the others would use carriages to surround their luggage and make do for the night.

Although the old lady was concerned about her son’s situation in the capital and what official position he might be assigned, she had been young once herself and knew that opportunities for daughters to travel were limited. Since there was no hurry, it was a good time for her granddaughters to relax.

Especially the two older ones, whether they were selected for the court or not, would need to be betrothed or married in the next two years.

By then, they would need to manage household affairs and take care of their families, and not only would they have less time, but their mindset would also change.

To prevent any accidents, she instructed them to wear their veils when going out. With so many attendants accompanying them, local thugs or second-generation officials would be deterred by their appearance and presence.

And indeed, it turned out to be the case.

Seeing the way this group was dressed, passersby and shopkeepers greeted them with smiles. Even the young rascals with connections were not ignorant of whom they were dealing with.

From their attire and decorations, it was clear who was beyond their means.

As long as Luoyu was out, Yun Shuyao would be by her side.

She wasn’t aiming to relax or enjoy the scenery; after seeing it all, it became mundane, and there weren’t many novel sights left to admire.

Her presence was partly to ensure Luoyu and the others didn’t forget their manners or encounter unusual people; in such cases, their current entourage might not be sufficient.

Another reason was to look out for any rare treasures that could be picked up along the way.

Additionally, it was a chance to temporarily escape from the numerous relationships and obligations she had to keep track of, and to give her mind a break.

The social network in the capital was incredibly complex, with numerous nobles, officials, and people who, while seemingly insignificant, might have powerful connections behind them.

On this journey, the old lady and the elderly maid were giving lessons to the young ladies, allowing Concubine Mei to relax a bit. Yun Shuyao, on the other hand, had more social interactions to manage and had to remember even more details.

Yingyu and Luoyu had even more to manage than she did.

Although they found the details tedious, they were patient enough to handle them one by one, while Yun Shuyao was somewhat more impatient in comparison.

Yun Shuyao thought to herself:

Anyone would find it annoying to untangle a mess of yarn that a cat has played with.

Their group traveled slowly and arrived at the post station near the capital just before dark.

Upon learning that the highest-ranking person in the group was the Marquis’s wife, the post station manager hurriedly cleared out two courtyards for them. The post station was crowded that day.

The late Marquis still held a title.

However, by the time it reached Lin Ruhai’s generation, the title had become honorary.

The old lady, along with her concubines, granddaughters, and the maids and attendants who served her closely, occupied one courtyard. The other courtyard was assigned to the aides and family members.

Other guests had to make do with less desirable rooms at the post station.

The old lady preferred not to make a fuss, and two courtyards were enough. However, the commotion made it clear to everyone at the post station who had arrived.

Others were fine, but one family had a connection to the old lady. He was the uncle of the old lady’s nephew’s daughter-in-law.

He came as a junior to deliver a greeting and inquire about the old lady. If she was available, he would meet with her; if not, it would have to wait until the next day.

If he weren’t in such a hurry, the letter wouldn’t have needed to be delivered so urgently.

Upon receiving the letter and understanding the connection, the old lady immediately had someone invite him in.

This was a roundabout connection.

But in the official circles, not only is having connections common, even if there are no direct relations, it is quite usual for people to find any excuse to attach themselves to someone of influence.

This wasn’t unusual.

The person in question was also heading back to the capital, surnamed Wu. He didn’t bring his wife but did bring a concubine and the concubine’s two daughters. His wife remained at home to serve his parents and manage the household.

He didn’t bring the concubine to pay respects but only the daughters, who were in their teens.

The old lady met with him briefly, gave him two sets of meeting gifts, and that was it.

It was supposed to be time to rest, but tonight was not a peaceful one.

In the middle of the night, when everyone was deep asleep and least on guard, an unexpected guest arrived.

They first secretly released knockout gas and then sneaked inside, specifically searching through certain courtyards for something. However, they were discovered because they thought everyone was unconscious, but that wasn’t the case. A fight broke out.

“Assassins!”

“Murder! Murder!”

Accompanied by the sounds of things being smashed and broken, everyone couldn’t help but feel a shiver of fear.

Yun Shuyao woke up when the assassins entered the inn, quietly dressed, and then woke up Luoyu.

The two of them shared a room while the maidservants slept on the floor.

Luoyu was a bit dazed when she was woken up. After Auntie told her to listen carefully, she began to hear some noise. Her face showed a moment of panic, but when she saw her aunt, it turned into determination.

They quietly woke up the others and dressed.

Luoyu grabbed her whip. If intruders came in, she could at least defend herself for a while.

Yun Shuyao knew they weren’t the intruders’ main target, but who knew if things would become indiscriminately violent in the chaos?

She then heard someone shouting “Fire!”

They couldn’t stay there any longer. “Let’s go, we’ll head to the old lady’s place.”

The maidservants, suppressing their fear, went over to the old lady’s side.

They were next door, so they quickly went out and knocked on the door. “Who is it?” someone inside asked cautiously.

Yun Shuyao replied, “It’s us.”

Other maidservants were sent to pass on the message, instructing everyone to quickly dress and stay alert.

Hearing the familiar voices, the old nanny inside opened the door. At this time, the old lady was also dressing, while Daiyu had already changed clothes and was sitting on the bed in a daze. An old nanny was holding her, worried she might be frightened.

Meanwhile, the shouts of “Fire!” grew louder.

“Fire! Fire! Put out the fire quickly!”

“Run, run!”

“Help! I’m bleeding, so much blood…”

Hearing these cries, the old lady could no longer sit still. She scanned the room and saw Aunt Mei and her eldest granddaughter hurriedly coming in with cloaks. She instructed, “Quickly check if the master is awake and arrange for people to help. See how serious the fire is and put it out if possible.”

Aunt Mei’s voice was tinged with tears. “Old lady, what’s happening? Why is there such a commotion?”

The old lady didn’t know either. She shook her head and said, “I don’t know. Go see where the fire has reached.”

Yun Shuyao suggested, “We should leave and go outside.”

Since the house was made of wood, if the fire couldn’t be put out in time, they would need to leave as soon as possible.

The old lady nodded and said, “Let’s go.”

The maidservants and old nannies were already packing up their belongings.

Most of their luggage was still on the cart, and most of their people were there as well. Otherwise, packing up would not have been a quick task.

The fire sounded serious, so it was best to leave.

At this point, the guard team also arrived, which was reassuring.

Not far from the exit, they encountered assassins. The attackers were armed with daggers, dressed entirely in black, and their faces were covered with black cloth, leaving only their eyes visible.

As soon as the attackers showed themselves, they were swarmed and beaten nearly to death by the bodyguards hired by the Lin family.

Even the best fighters couldn’t stand against so many opponents. These bodyguards were also skilled.

Seeing this, the old lady instructed the guards to stay by her side while the bodyguards went to help.

There weren’t many assassins, but each was a skilled fighter, which is why they had briefly gained the upper hand earlier.

The Lin family had enough personnel to capture these villains who dared to raid the post station at night. Regardless of their motives, it was clear from their actions that they were not good people.

Capturing the assassins might even earn some merit.

With the arrival of the Lin family’s bodyguards, the situation in the post station changed instantly.

Not only were the assassins surprised, but the Fourth Prince, who was targeted by them, was also taken aback.

How did the post station end up with so many skilled fighters?

Once the bodyguards joined the fray, the assassins quickly found themselves at a disadvantage. Realizing the dire situation, they tried to flee, but it was too late.

During this chaos, Luoyu looked a bit restless, wanting to whip out her whip, but Yun Shuyao grabbed her wrist to stop her.

Given the situation, the guards and bodyguards could handle it. There was no need for an unmarried young lady to make a show of herself.

This was also the old lady’s instruction. Before their selection, the less attention they attracted, the better. This would make it easier to manage.

Luoyu understood this principle. Once her aunt’s hand grasped hers, she relaxed her grip.

These assassins were determined to die.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, they were all very resolute, either using their weapons or poison to end their own lives swiftly.

This was unexpected for the bodyguards.

Caught off guard, they were completely wiped out.

Not a single one was left alive.

The scene made the old lady frown deeply.

Deadly assassins… are not the sort of people an ordinary family can afford.

Could it be that they have unintentionally become entangled in something significant?

Who could be the target of such deadly assassins?

She looked around but didn’t see anyone.

She remembered the postmaster saying that apart from her, there wasn’t even a fourth-rank official present.

With the people captured and the fire spreading, the remaining personnel hurried to assist with putting it out.

Seeing that the situation was under control, others came forward to express their gratitude.

“Thank you, old lady, for your help.”

“Thank you, madam, for your righteousness.”

Some were also crying out, “Quick, get a doctor! My father is injured!”

“My mother has been hurt as well.”

At this moment, Dr. Zhou appeared quickly with his medical kit.

The Fourth Prince’s people were also injured. As soon as he ordered someone to fetch a doctor, one came forward.

He couldn’t help but look at the Lin family with a new perspective.

Both the bodyguards hired by the Lin family and the accompanying doctor were unexpected to him.

He had been concealing his identity on this trip, and he wouldn’t reveal himself now.

From the crowd, he looked towards the Lin family’s direction. Most of the people were women, all of whom had good appearances. They didn’t seem to be escorting anything of great value, which was a fortunate coincidence.

The Fourth Prince’s gaze shifted to the corpses on the ground, and his aura grew colder.

If not for the skilled individuals around him noticing the danger, these assassins might have used the sleeping powder and set the fire, causing untold casualties.

Now, not only had they exposed themselves, but they had also ended up with nothing to show for their efforts.

The more anxious they were, the more it indicated the importance of what they were after.

They thought it was with him, not knowing that it had already been sent back to the capital and should be in the Emperor’s hands by now.

These people deserved to die.

Soon, the local officials and soldiers arrived to clean up the aftermath.

With so many officials and their families present, the local authorities had hurried over as soon as they were informed.

This incident was extremely severe.

In the Emperor’s domain, to have such rampant criminals gathering to set fires and commit murder—where was the dignity of the Qing dynasty?

If not handled properly, he could lose his official hat.

Many people were innocently caught up in this, but fortunately, no one died. The most severely injured was a loyal servant protecting his master; others would recover after some time.

The local officials would undoubtedly harbor resentment. If they remained safely at home, the county magistrate might face trouble from these people once they had time to reflect on the situation.

However, his appearance on the scene and immediate action—directing the remaining sparks to be extinguished, attending to the injured, and offering comfort—helped reduce some of the resentment people had against him.

This included the Fourth Prince.

Seeing how the situation was managed so efficiently, he couldn’t help but nod in approval.

This disaster was indeed an unwarranted misfortune for the county magistrate.

Mr. Wu and his family were staying right next to the Lin family, and only here did he feel safe.

He was unfortunate, as assassins were attacking in the neighboring room. He was injured by flying wooden splinters, and his two daughters were startled and fell, with one even twisting her ankle.

“Now we’ll trouble the old lady.”

He changed his plans and decided to travel back to the capital slowly with the Lin family.

Otherwise, with his injuries, rushing back might lead to serious illness.

“No need for formalities. We’re relatives, and it’s only right to help each other,” Mr. Wu said.

“Fortunately, the old lady had enough people with her this time,” he added with lingering fear.

The old lady was quite modest, “It’s all thanks to my son’s concern for us old and frail women and children. He had these people hired just in case…”

As a result, many owed a favor to the Lin family this time.

Aside from this minor incident, their journey continued smoothly.

When the old lady and her entourage returned to the capital, an invitation from Rongguo Mansion was eagerly handed over, inviting many to attend.

The old lady looked at the invitation with a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

Go?

Of course, she would go.

Thinking of the situation of Daiyu in her dreams, her unspoken anger flared up suddenly…