The Good Concubine of the Qing Dynasty [Red Mansion]

The old lady had anticipated that Jia Mother would send her an invitation, and perhaps she was thinking that Jia Mother might refuse to meet her if she expressed reluctance, and would only send Daiyu and the others to the Rongguo Mansion.

This would make it easier for her to act.

But if she thought it would be that simple, she was mistaken.

According to protocol, regardless of their personal feelings, to avoid criticism of the children’s conduct, as long as Jia Min was still the daughter-in-law of the Lin family, the Jia family was considered the maternal family of the Lin family’s next generation. Therefore, appearances had to be maintained.

The old lady never intended to keep Daiyu from stepping foot in the Rongguo Mansion entirely. However, how to go and what to say upon arrival was not within Jia Mother’s control.

She not only wanted to go but to make a grand entrance.

The old lady couldn’t help but recall the dream world, where her granddaughter had entered the Jia Mansion through the west corner gate, without even meeting Jia She and Jia Zheng, and had been admonished by Mrs. Wang Er, without even having her own separate courtyard.

Each memory of this still cut her deeply.

But things were different now.

Daiyu was no longer a solitary girl.

She had the Lin family backing her.

This time, she planned to reason with Jia Mother properly.

Of course, even if she received the invitation, it wouldn’t be immediate.

If she went right away upon receiving the invitation, it would be giving face to the Shi family.

After returning, the old lady first took a good look at her son and grandson; both were doing well.

The emperor had not given any instructions regarding her son, so there was no rush. Her grandson had accompanied his father to visit several families, with several showing signs of wanting to form a marriage alliance.

All were daughters from prominent families.

Although no one had agreed outright, the signals conveyed were enough to make the old lady smile with delight.

These people had good judgment!

Lin Ruhai and Chenyu were both relieved to hear about the events on their journey.

Lin Ruhai was once again grateful for hiring the escort guards; otherwise, he worried that if an accident had occurred, it would have been too late for regrets.

When he first received the letter, he decided to give the escorts extra pay, and now, seeing his mother and others safe and sound, he decided to increase the reward even more.

They deserved it.

“It’s nothing serious, just a false alarm. Our children are all fine,” the old lady said with a smile.

Even the frailest Daiyu, who was frightened, had not fallen ill.

Upon hearing her grandmother’s praise, Yingyu lowered her head somewhat guiltily. She was genuinely scared.

She had seen dead bodies and so much blood; if not for having so many relatives around, she might have screamed. Even now, she still has nightmares. Thankfully, Dr. Zhou prescribed a calming herbal remedy, and after drinking it, she felt much better.

As for her younger sister… She took a quiet glance at her second sister. At the time, her sister had seen the dead bodies, and initially seemed stunned, but later her expression was normal. She had been scared but had clung to her sister’s sleeve, which made her feel less afraid.

And then there was Aunt Yun. At that time, she was very close to Aunt Yun, and Aunt Yun’s expression… How should she put it? It felt like Aunt Yun looked at the corpse with the same indifference as she would towards ordinary things, without any sign of emotion.

Thinking of this, she glanced over subconsciously. Aunt Yun was still the same, standing there with her gentle demeanor and a slight smile, showing no signs of anything unusual.

She was impressive, making Yingyu sometimes doubt if she was too timid.

However, these thoughts were quickly dismissed when she saw her own aunt. She realized it wasn’t that she was timid but that her second sister and Aunt Yun were exceptionally brave.

Her aunt had been so frightened that she gripped her hand tightly, leaving bruises on her wrist.

The surrounding maids and servants were also quite scared, huddling together and trembling.

As for her younger sister, she wasn’t frightened, probably because the nanny had been protecting her. She might not have even seen the corpses.

Besides worrying about her sons and grandsons, the old lady also had to ensure that the family’s assets were properly managed.

Next year, the two granddaughters will be up for selection. Regardless of whether it can be avoided, this major life event needs to be settled.

Even if her son receives orders to serve in another place, she will not accompany him but will stay in the capital to handle the matters concerning her granddaughters.

If the selection is avoided, engagements will need to be arranged next year.

If the selection cannot be avoided, then the engagement will have to be arranged next year.

There are many things to manage, and with the grandsons also involved, everything will be assessed after the selection.

However, her grandsons are indeed not in a hurry; once they achieve official recognition, their prospects for marriage will be even better.

Even if she is eager to have great-grandchildren, the old lady will not neglect the family background of the granddaughters’ future husbands.

This means that she and her granddaughters will be staying in the capital for the long term, so everything in the residence needs to be properly arranged.

Lin Ruhai will naturally stay in the main residence. The quietest Ning Shou Courtyard is for the old lady, with the courtyard next to it designated for Daiyu. Yingyu and Luoyu will have their courtyards in that order.

As before, they will remain neighbors, with the three sisters more or less aligned in a straight line.

Then there are the courtyards for Yun Shuyao, and the two concubines, Mei and Chu.

Among these three courtyards, Yun Shuyao’s is the largest and decorated more exquisitely than the other two concubines’ courtyards.

Mei Concubine has lost the enthusiasm to oppose this arrangement, as Yun Shuyao is fortunate to have a son.

Luoyu first followed her aunt to the aunt’s courtyard, which seemed to be arranged by her brother. The layout reflects the aunt’s usual preferences, and the courtyard already has a number of potted plants and seedlings, with fewer flowers in bloom.

If it were all in full bloom, the aunt would likely dislike it.

Some items from the first batch of movers have already been transported, and the items brought by the final batch were also arranged properly while they were speaking.

Looking at it now, it’s just the arrangement and layout that Yun Shuyao is accustomed to.

There are no special circumstances; she doesn’t like major changes.

Luoyu, being a meticulous person, checked everything and then nodded in satisfaction: “It seems my brother put a lot of thought into this.”

It takes considerable effort to arrange the courtyard so that it resembles the previous setup where the concubine was used to living.

Yun Shuyao smiled slightly: “If you had arrived first, it would have been arranged the same way.”

Luoyu grinned, her eyes narrowing: “Naturally.”

Yun Shuyao then visited Luoyu’s courtyard, which was also designed according to her preferences.

The courtyard was filled with plants, and there was a fish pond and bowl lotus, which she particularly liked.

Although it isn’t the season for the bowl lotus yet, one could still imagine how beautiful it would be in full bloom.

Outside, besides tending to flowers and plants, Luoyu’s main hobby is painting. Her skills in traditional Chinese painting are well-known among her friends.

In reality, she also enjoys archery, but Lin Ruhai prefers she doesn’t have this reputation, so she restrains herself in public.

Yun Shuyao inspected everything and confirmed it was in order: “Rest well. No need to see me off; I’ll go back on my own.”

After resting for two days and regaining her strength, the old lady finally replied to the invitation from Rongguo Mansion, choosing a day to visit.

On the appointed day, it was a grand affair.

Not only did she go, but also her son, grandchildren, and even the concubines.

Since her in-laws had invited them for a small welcome banquet, she decided to bring everyone along and enjoy the feast.

Not to boast, but whether it’s her son, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, or even the concubines, they are all superior to the Jia family!

Lin Ruhai had originally planned to say something, but seeing his mother act this way, he decided to keep quiet.

It was nothing significant, just a small banquet between two families.

Daiyu had no Jia family personnel with her. Since she was brought to live with the old lady, everything has been personally overseen and arranged by her.

When Jia Min passed away, she was already three years old, and she has clear memories from that time.

In front of her mother’s sickbed, she was told to listen to her grandmother and not mention her maternal grandparents. She had vaguely heard some rumors about her maternal family.

As she grew older, she also realized that it was unusual for her not to have any relatives from her maternal side around her.

It’s not that the Lin family had no Jia family members at all, but the ones they had were not involved in any significant matters and thus did not come near her.

The reason, it was said, was that someone from the Jia family had committed a serious mistake and was thus held accountable.

Occasionally, she would ask her grandmother about it, and gradually she confirmed that it was indeed the Jia family that had made the mistake. It was because her maternal grandmother had overstepped her bounds and interfered in the Lin family’s inner affairs, leading to the early death of her younger brother.

Thus, only surface-level interactions remained between the two families.

When she learned all this, Daiyu was not without sadness.

She was very perceptive, and thinking back to how her mother had looked during her final days, she had a faint premonition that perhaps her mother’s illness was partly due to this issue, otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so distressed.

Her mother’s illness was not only physical but also had emotional roots.

Now that she is about to meet her maternal grandmother, she feels a bit lost and unsure of what to do.

It was the old lady who noticed her unease and gathered her into her embrace, speaking soothingly, “Daiyu, don’t worry. You are the only bloodline of your father and mother, the cherished pearl of our Lin family.”

“You have me, your father, and your siblings by your side. You are surrounded by many relatives.”

“Your grandmother might show you affection, but you must understand that, in her heart, you and your mother will never be her top priority. What she cares most about is herself, her authority, and the rise and fall of the Jia family.”

“I hope you understand this and don’t be easily deceived by her words.”

“And the Jia family’s customs are quite different from ours. They are noble families built on military achievements, and they flaunt their wealth and status, with their servants being treated better than the younger Jia family members. This is unimaginable in our family.”

“It is this kind of environment that has fostered their attitudes.”

“Daiyu is very intelligent; your grandmother knows this. Use your eyes to observe slowly and carefully.”

The old lady had thought for a long time but chose not to mention Jia Baoyu.

If she brought up that person, it might make Daiyu more concerned, which could be detrimental.

With red-rimmed eyes, Daiyu listened to her grandmother’s words and softly replied, “Daiyu understands.” She thought for a long time in the room and then took out the almost brand-new painting she had kept.

The painting depicted her mother, painted by Aunt Yun.

If her mother were still alive, what would she say to her?

Since her mother’s death, her maternal grandmother had always seemed like a distant dream, and now she would finally meet her in person.

What would the Rongguo Mansion and her grandmother be like?

Meanwhile, the old lady gave some final instructions to Luoyu and the others.

To some extent, she regarded the Jia Mansion as a great threat, fearing that her granddaughter might encounter some trouble there.

Considering the age, Jia Baoyu was only seven years old, which made it justifiable to use the excuse of the separation of genders at seven to keep him away from her granddaughters.

Before setting off, the old lady specifically instructed the three concubines to dress well and highlight their best features.

Dress well?

This request was indeed unusual. When Mei Niang heard this through the maid’s relay, her face twisted in confusion, doubting whether she had heard correctly.

Since the old lady suggested they accompany her, Mei Niang had found it strange.

It was one thing for ordinary families to invite them, but this was the maternal family of Jia Min.

Was it appropriate for them to dress so elaborately?

Moreover, it was the residence of a duke. Mei Niang felt uneasy, so she deviated from her usual style and dressed in a more modest manner on that day.

Yingyu was a bit surprised upon seeing this. The concubine’s taste had always been consistent, favoring golden, glittering attire, and despite numerous comments from her, it had been ignored. Today’s simple outfit was a pleasant surprise.

Yun Shuyao did not dress extravagantly; her attire was as usual when going out, without anything out of place.

She knew that her role this time was merely to be a background presence, just to watch the scene unfold.

Even if she hadn’t seen it, she knew that *Dream of the Red Chamber* is a tragedy, with the female lead dying and the male lead seemingly becoming a monk. In short, the ending is not happy.

Things were different now compared to the original novel. The Lin family was almost unrecognizable, and the relationship between the two families was delicate. The old lady’s purpose in bringing them might be to display a close relationship with the Jia family, but that seemed unlikely.

The group left the Lin Mansion in palanquins, and upon arriving at the Rongguo Mansion, it was obvious they couldn’t enter through the side gate.

The main gate, which usually remains closed unless there is a significant event, was opened for this occasion.

The guests included the esteemed wife of a marquis, the head of the Lin family. Entering through the side gate would have been inappropriate.

Jia She and Jia Zheng greeted them in the main hall and then took them to the old lady.

The old lady’s gaze swept across the ornate architecture, and she saw the richly dressed Shi family, who appeared somewhat older than in her dream world.

Perhaps it was due to the additional misfortunes in reality, which were deserved.

Compared to the happiness of Old Lady Lin, Jia Mother seemed as though her heart had been pricked by something when she looked at Old Lady Lin.

One can tell how well a person is doing by looking at their face.

The wrinkles on the old lady’s face had smoothed out, making her look considerably younger, indicating that the Lin family’s recent years had been prosperous.

Old Lady Lin, taking the initiative, wore a smile, but her words seemed a bit off: “It’s been a long time since we last met. Seeing you as I imagined brings me some relief.”

Jia Mother’s smile immediately stiffened. It sounded as though it was implying that her current state was exactly what she deserved.

Jia Mother glanced at the Old lady’s face, which was directly looking at her. Jia Mother instinctively looked away and turned her attention to the small person standing beside her. As she focused, she seemed to see the young Min’er from the past, staggering forward a few steps: “So this is my poor Daiyu. Grandmother has finally met you. Among all my children, the one I loved most was your mother. Unfortunately, she was unfilial and heartlessly left you and me like this. Did she ever consider how heartbroken we would be…” Jia Mother cried sincerely. Daiyu, being a sensitive person, was reminded of her mother’s care while she was alive, and her eyes also grew red: “Grandmother…”

Old Lady Lin embraced Daiyu and chuckled, “In-laws, don’t worry. After a few more reminders, she will come to see you. At that time, you and your granddaughter can have a good heart-to-heart talk.”

Wang Xifeng, standing nearby, kept opening and closing her mouth. Although she was usually sharp-tongued, this time she felt that Old Lady Lin’s words carried deeper meaning. She didn’t dare to speak easily.