The Good Concubine of the Qing Dynasty [Red Mansion]

Jing Huan was furious but couldn’t afford to act hastily. The capital city was the place most protected by the dragon’s energy.

The restrictions she faced here were much stricter than in other places.

As for Jia Baoyu, despite the timely arrival of Second Madam Wang and Grandmother Jia, he had already been beaten by Jia Zheng before they could intervene. His backside was red and swollen, forcing him to lie in bed, groaning in pain.

As a result, he had to stay in bed to recover, which had the benefit of allowing him to skip school temporarily.

Grandmother Jia, feeling sorry for him, instructed him to rest properly.

Thus, Jia Baoyu was both pained and somewhat pleased.

The three Jia sisters couldn’t go out because of his injury, so they had to stay with him to keep him company. Being alone while recovering was too dull.

Moreover, this time they were also blamed for the incident. Second Madam Wang couldn’t manage the Lin family, but could she not manage them as well?

If they hadn’t gone out to play and tempted Baoyu, he wouldn’t have had the idea to sneak out.

What if something had happened on the way?

Grandmother Jia was on the verge of being driven to her grave by Second Madam Wang’s actions.

If they didn’t go out, how could they build a good relationship with Daiyu?

Isn’t emotional connection supposed to deepen naturally?

It really was a case of failing to achieve anything and only making matters worse!

Grandmother Jia quickly intervened and even assigned more tasks to the three Jia sisters.

If they were to go out, they couldn’t be left out of the conversation. So, Li Wan ended up with three more students.

However, seeing Baoyu’s pitiful condition, Grandmother Jia’s heart softened. Since she also valued proper care, she became agitated and asked the court physician to prescribe medicine. She then sent Wang Xifeng to the Lin family, saying that she was ill and missed Daiyu, requesting her to come and stay for a few days.

Hearing this, Old Lady Lin chuckled, “She’s ill? It seems quite serious?”

Wang Xifeng remained composed, “It is somewhat serious. She frequently dreams of calling out Daiyu’s name, so I came specially to ask Little Sister Daiyu to visit.”

Old Lady Lin chuckled again. If Daiyu didn’t go, her reputation might be affected.

She had to go, but from what she knew, the illness of the Grandmother Jia was not that severe. It was just an excuse to bring someone over. She wasn’t afraid of being cursed by such excuses and truly falling ill.

So, Grandmother Jia saw that accompanying her granddaughter were not only her grandmother, Old Lady Lin, but also a physician from the Lin family.

The annoying Old Lady Lin was still there, smiling, “This is the physician we are accustomed to using in the Lin family. His medical skills are superb. Thanks to him, Daiyu’s health has been well maintained.”

She never publicly spoke of her granddaughter’s weakness, as it could be a point of contention when proposals were discussed in the future.

If she genuinely cared for the child, it wouldn’t matter, but since this was the Jia family, it was different.

Grandmother Jia, lying in bed, nearly ground her teeth in frustration but forced a grateful smile to put on an act, “No need for that. I am aware of my own health. I’ve already had a familiar court physician examine me. It’s not appropriate to ask someone else. Otherwise, the next time we see the court physician, he might think we are dissatisfied with his skills. One issue should not trouble two masters.”

Old Lady Lin was very enthusiastic: “We’re the only ones here. As long as we don’t say anything, the physician won’t know. It’s safer to have another doctor look at you. If you keep getting worse, Daiyu will be worried too.”

“Since you said you’re seriously ill and want to see Daiyu, let the physician examine you now, and let Daiyu show her ‘filial piety.’”

Grandmother Jia wasn’t really that ill; she had exaggerated. She hadn’t expected Ola Lady Lin to bring a physician directly. Reluctantly, she had to change her tune, “…It was indeed that way a few days ago, but the court physician is very skilled, and I’ve been much better after taking his medicine these past couple of days. Since Doctor Zhou is here, please have him check my pulse.”

Doctor Zhou had previously acted as if he had heard nothing and understood nothing. Now, hearing her request, he stepped forward with a smile and took his duties seriously as a mere tool.

While the two old ladies were engaged in their battle of wits, they just needed to do their own jobs properly.

Daiyu was not naive, and her grandmother had given her some hints beforehand. Seeing the situation now, she furrowed her brow in concern.

When Doctor Zhou reported that her grandmother had no major issues, just needing some medication to stabilize her emotions, Daiyu realized that her grandmother had indeed been deceiving her.

It was all for the sake of Baoyu.

Doctor Zhou’s medical skills were indeed remarkable. He also advised Grandmother Jia to manage her emotions carefully. She had previously suffered a stroke. Due to timely treatment and its relatively mild nature, there were almost no visible aftereffects now. However, since she had experienced a stroke, she needed to be cautious.

Old Lady Lin hadn’t known about this before. Hearing this, she “worriedly” looked over and said, “You must take good care of yourself in the future.”

She could guess when Shi (Grandmother Jia) had suffered the stroke. If the occasion were more appropriate, she would have laughed three times, but even though she restrained herself, her words still carried a hint of amusement. Sensitive listeners, like Grandmother Jia, could detect the underlying tone, and her face immediately darkened.

So, not long after, Grandmother Jia used her fatigue and lack of energy as an excuse to send her guests away.

As for wanting Daiyu to stay for a few days?

Since Grandmother Jia’s health was not in serious condition, there was no need for her granddaughter to stay and show filial piety.

She had children and grandchildren of her own; there was no need for a granddaughter to come and display filial piety.

If she needed a granddaughter to show such devotion, then her own children and grandchildren would be left in the dust.

Once the guests had left, Grandmother Jia ordered a bowl of medicine to be prepared to help calm her nerves, and another batch of porcelain was smashed on the floor.

Wang Xifeng silently replaced the broken pieces and decided to act more cautiously for a while. She also advised Jia Lian to be careful, warning him that if he accidentally crossed the line, he shouldn’t blame her for not giving a heads-up.

Jia Lian: “……”

He felt a toothache.

He didn’t understand how the relationship between the two old ladies could be like this.

There must have been some incident that they were unaware of; otherwise, the Lin family wouldn’t have such an attitude.

How many times had his uncle visited the capital?

The attitude says a lot.

If the Jia family were in the right, Jia Lian believed that the old lady wouldn’t have remained silent. Now, he felt uncomfortable even asking what had happened.

He really wanted to find a chance to clear up this misunderstanding; there was no need for their relationship to be so strained.

Look at his uncle, rising steadily. Although Jia Lian was proud of them being from the Duke’s residence, he had to accept a fact: once the grandfather passed away, they no longer held direct power.

Now their connections were mostly old ties or in-laws.

The Lin family, on the other hand, was on the rise. The relationship between the Jia and Lin families should be maintained as best as possible.

Jia Lian couldn’t make sense of it, and neither could Wang Xifeng.

She married in late, but she still managed to see some old records.

Before Daiyu was born, the seasonal gifts sent by her great-aunt were always very generous. But for some unknown reason, starting from a certain year, the gifts had significantly decreased, and now they were just superficial, worth almost nothing, a far cry from the original lavishness.

And yet, the old lady never mentioned anything about this and even destroyed the old records.

If she hadn’t known how generous the previous gifts were, she probably wouldn’t have noticed anything amiss.

Jia Baoyu only learned later that Sister Lin had already left. He asked his personal maid in surprise, “Why did Sister Lin go back? I haven’t even seen her or talked to her. Didn’t the old lady say that I would be able to play with Sister Daiyu today?”

The maid didn’t know what had happened; she could only read faces and tried her best to divert Jia Baoyu’s attention, helping him temporarily forget about it.

Old Lady Lin proudly left the Jia Mansion with Daiyu. She was very pleased and, on the way back, deliberately took a detour to a well-known pastry shop to buy a bunch of the most popular pastries of the time.

She also wanted to cheer up Daiyu.

She knew that her grandmother had faked illness to deceive her, which made her feel unhappy. Old Lady Lin understood this.

She could keep Daiyu unaware of Shi’s scheming, but the old lady knew she couldn’t always be by the child’s side. Eventually, Daiyu would have to face things on her own.

If Daiyu knew nothing and really took her grandmother as a kind and loving person, without any defenses, it would be a disaster.

When Yingyu and Luoyu saw their grandmother and sister return home, and noticed the large box of pastries they brought back, they were puzzled. They had gone to visit the sick, but it looked more like they had been out for leisure.

The old lady smiled and waved her hand, “There’s nothing serious, just a false alarm. I bought some pastries. Come, see if there’s anything you’d like to try.”

Yun Shuyao also took Luoyu out for shopping and errands, sometimes inviting younger sisters like Chen Shi.

Of course, she knew that in dramas, such events often lead to plot twists, but they didn’t need any such accidents to enhance their storyline. So, while going out shopping was fine, nothing essential should be missed.

In the capital, many shops have dedicated areas for female customers. When women come, they are invited upstairs, and men are not allowed.

When they went to browse jewelry, Yun Shuyao wasn’t surprised at all to find that there were no rare treasures here.

The capital is likely the most bustling and hidden place, and unless one is exceptionally lucky, most good items would already have been bought by others, leaving no chance for bargains.

Even without finding any deals, just shopping around is fine.

They strolled through shops, then went to a tea house to order a pot of tea and some pastries, watching the performances downstairs and listening to stories and songs. This way, they could hear plenty of news about the capital.

Sometimes, they might even come across other lively events.

In the capital, there are many young rakes, but incidents of them causing serious trouble are not very common.

As always, the saying goes: there are too many hidden talents and skilled individuals.

But there are indeed people who are arrogant and overbearing. For example, one day, Yun Shuyao, Luoyu, and Chen Shi had booked a private room in a tea house. From there, they could see the elevated stage in the center of the tea house where storytellers performed, while also being able to look out through the window at the street below.

Across the street from the tea house, there was a jewelry store.

From their vantage point, they could see that a young woman was selecting jewelry at the counter. However, a richly dressed and beautiful woman emerged from a carriage at the store’s entrance. She went into the store and immediately snatched a bracelet that the young woman had been examining.

There was no doubt that this was completely unreasonable.

The woman had already put the bracelet on her wrist and was about to pay for it. She didn’t recognize the elegant woman who had come in, but seeing her luxurious attire, she didn’t dare to reprimand her. She only asked, “Why did you snatch what others like?”

In response to this question, the elegant woman slapped her across the face: “Impudent, how dare you speak to me like that!”

After being slapped, the woman, initially angry, weakened upon realizing who the elegant woman was, and fell to her knees: “Madam… I am truly blind.”

The elegant woman didn’t even glance at her. Instead, one of her servants stepped forward and gave the woman two more hard slaps. The elegant woman, seemingly deaf to the commotion, simply raised her wrist to admire the bracelet and said with a satisfied smile, “I like this bracelet.”

She then walked away gracefully, wearing the bracelet, while the shopkeeper bowed and scrapped, not daring to mention the payment.

The woman remained kneeling, her body limp and trembling.

The shopkeeper’s voice had been very quiet, but Yun Shuyao heard it.

It turned out that the elegant woman was none other than Li Sier, a well-known concubine of the famous Long Keduo.

The other people’s voices were normal, and Luoyu also clearly saw what had happened.

Chen Shi looked at the scene in shock, memorizing the elegant woman’s appearance so she could avoid her next time.

Outside, Luoyu found it inconvenient to speak, but once they were back, she said with incredulity in her voice, “I’ve heard my grandmother mention her before, but she’s even more unreasonable and unruly than described.”

With such an appearance, who would guess she’s a concubine, let alone the concubine of Long Keduo’s father-in-law?

She presented herself with the status of a madam.

“Isn’t there anyone to control her behavior?”

Yun Shuyao sighed, “The Tong Clan is the imperial family’s maternal clan.”

“The title of Tong isn’t without reason.”

It’s not that no one is dissatisfied with her arrogance, but due to her connection with Long Keduo and the Tong Clan behind him, as long as things don’t escalate, they prefer to turn a blind eye.

Just like the Jia family, which also has its share of unruliness. However, the ancestral achievements are solid, and as long as the descendants don’t cross the line, the emperor can tolerate it. Or, as Yun Shuyao understands, the imperial authorities find it most satisfying when these military families’ descendants are unspectacular, providing ample opportunities to catch them on their faults.

In the end, with a bit of leniency, they can maintain a reputation for favoring meritorious descendants.

Luoyu remained silent for a long time after hearing this.

Did the woman who was slapped by Li Si’er do anything wrong?

No.

It was simply because the power behind their families was not equal. Faced with Li Si’er’s unreasonable behavior, she could only endure silently. Not only was she slapped, but she might also harbor a grudge against her.

According to what’s heard about Li Si’er’s character, she would remember this unintentional mistake. Only timely gifts and apologies might help smooth things over.

Li Si’er values money, so she will certainly demand a hefty compensation.

After returning home, the young woman might even face blame from her husband and others.

But did she really do anything wrong?

She only asked why Li Si’er took what someone else wanted.

It was Li Si’er who took what others wanted in the first place.

Yun Shuyao understood her frustration but didn’t offer comfort, letting her think it over on her own.

This was something she needed to understand.

When Lin Ruhai served as an official in the provinces, even if his position was not the highest, it was still among the upper ranks. He rarely faced any grievances. However, back in the capital, Lin Ruhai had become just one of the many.

He had gone from the top tier to the middle tier.

The capital is the place most overflowing with princes and nobles.

And here, there is also the emperor, who stands above all. His words are as authoritative as imperial edicts in this era.

If a tyrant were in power, unafraid of bad reputation, he could simply order Lin Ruhai and the Lin family to their deaths. Without any special skills, one would have no choice but to obediently face their demise.

This era is indeed that harsh.

In the following days, Luoyu was quite dejected, and her interest in going out significantly diminished.

What if she unfortunately encountered Li Si’er?

She could only endure and suppress her frustration.

Thinking about this made her even less inclined to go out.

Yun Shuyao would take Luoyu out, and Concubine Mei would take Yingyu out as well.

The Mei family also arrived in the capital. The old lady had no objections to Concubine Mei taking her granddaughter out, but she required that they be accompanied by others to prevent any foolish behavior from Concubine Mei.

It was fine to be foolish at home, but not acceptable when outside.

If she caused any trouble, they would be prohibited from going out again.

Concubine Mei was still curious about the capital. She didn’t want to arrive only to have no impression of it, so she restrained herself and behaved cautiously. With Yingyu by her side, there were indeed no incidents.

Who wouldn’t enjoy going out?

Even Daiyu, if she received invitations from others, would cherish the opportunity to go out.

Going fishing by the lake outside the city, climbing mountains, lighting lamps and praying for her mother in temples…

Since Daiyu could not visit the Jia family, Grandmother Jia had no choice but to have her granddaughters visit the Lin family more often.

The Lin family did not forbid the girls from visiting, and for now, Grandmother Jia did not plan to take any further action.

Every time she tried to do something, she would be blocked, and if this continued, she really feared it would drive her to despair.

Thus, Sanchun became a frequent visitor to the Lin residence.

The old lady had a measure of compassion for these girls and allowed them to attend classes together, to learn more.

Sometimes, Sanchun would also bring Shi Xiangyun along.

When Shi Xiangyun first arrived, Yun Shuyao came to observe out of admiration.

Although they were all just children and didn’t reveal much, they shared a common trait—they all had remarkable appearances.

Jia Baoyu did want to come, but he was hindered by the homework assigned by Jia Zheng. Since Jia Zheng now held a non-active position and had a lot of free time, he checked the homework daily and prohibited the maidservants and servants from writing it for him. If he discovered any such attempts, he would immediately expel the person.

The amount of homework left by the master wasn’t much, and the old lady and the others considered it not a problem and did not forbid it. As a result, Jia Baoyu’s difficult days began.

Moreover, even if he completed his homework, he couldn’t sneak out because of Second Madam Wangi’s obstruction.

She believed that the Lin family and her own Baoyu were incompatible and certainly wouldn’t allow him to visit the girls from the Lin family.

She was so averse to the idea that she would have liked to set up a barrier between them to prevent Baoyu from getting close to the Lin girls.

Jia Baoyu: “…” He felt wronged.

Why could all the sisters and younger girls go to Lin’s house, while he had never been allowed to go even once?

He tried to pout and cling for a long time, but no one relented.

Jia Baoyu had no choice but to give up.

Seeing Jia Baoyu in this state, Old Lady Lin was satisfied. She considered it as helping him; learning more wasn’t harmful. If she could even reform his character, she thought the Jia family should be seriously grateful to her.

As winter set in, candidates from various places began to arrive in the capital one after another.

They came to prepare for the spring imperial examinations next year, causing a peak in the guesthouse business in the capital.

This year was particularly lively. Yun Shuyao’s second brother, Yun Yan, was also preparing for the spring examinations, and accompanying him to the capital was her cousin Yun Chang from her paternal uncle’s family. He was a newly minted scholar this year and planned to try his luck in the capital as well.

If he could succeed in the examinations, that would be best, but if not, he hoped to at least find a position.

Besides them, The Old Lady’s great-nephew, the eldest son of the Xie family, was also coming to the capital for the same purpose.

When Concubine Mei learned that Yun Shuyao’s brother and cousin were coming to the capital, she felt a moment of regret.

She remembered that her aunt had advised her to matchmake her sixth sister with Yun Shuyao’s cousin.

Her aunt’s judgment was indeed correct; Yun Shuyao’s cousin was capable. Regardless of whether he succeeded in the exams this time, he was already a scholar, and it wouldn’t be too difficult to use connections to secure a position.

If the sixth younger sister had married him, her life would have been fine.

Moreover, he was a man of loyalty. After his first wife passed away, he didn’t remarry for several years, waiting until his two sons were grown before marrying again.

Such a person would definitely support his wife’s family.

Unfortunately, there’s no remedy for regret.

Madam Gao looked at her daughter with frustration: “How would I know everything so clearly? Your legitimate brother and mother have always been paying attention to the Yun family’s situation. The worse your sixth younger sister’s life was, the better the Yun family did, and they regretted it even more. If I hadn’t told them that Concubine Yun refused, they would surely have blamed you.”

Concubine Mei, feeling guilty, shifted her gaze: “But now, the sixth younger sister is doing okay. Her husband is also a scholar and they have their own children.”

Madam Gao gave her an exasperated look. It might seem that way, but Concubine Mei’s sixth sister had lost a child due to stress and suffered considerable losses in her dowry. She had endured a lot of grievances.

Concubine Mei bowed her head in silence.

Madam Gao, knowing her daughter’s nature, rubbed her temples and changed the topic: “Has your husband mentioned when he’ll be back? Your father has a friend in business over there, and I’ve heard it’s not going very well.”

Concubine Mei replied blankly, “I don’t know.”

Madam Gao sighed, dismayed by her daughter’s lack of progress over the years: “Forget about that. Take good care of Yingyu. She will be selected for the imperial consort trials next year. With her looks and demeanor, your future will depend on her luck.” Madam Gao’s thoughts turned to her granddaughter’s future, and she felt a surge of emotions.

Recently, the Mei family had the fortune of connecting with a member of a royal prince’s entourage. If…