The Good Concubine of the Qing Dynasty [Red Mansion]

Upon hearing Grandmother’s words, Wang Xifeng had no choice but to visit her aunt, Second Madam Wang’s wife. However, Second Madam Wang’s wife, pressing her forehead, pushed the matter back to her: “You manage the household, and our family is big and wealthy. How could we not manage to put together a single gift? My head still aches. If the accounts are temporarily short, you should think of a solution.”

As she said this, Zhou Rui’s wife, sensing the situation, stepped forward to massage Second Madam Wang’s wife. “Oh dear, madam, your headache has returned! Mrs Wang, just look at her. We’ve even called for a doctor and got medicine, but it hasn’t helped. She’s been worrying over too many things. The doctor said she needs rest. So, why not handle these trivial matters yourself? Everyone knows how capable you are…”

Wang Xifeng, feeling stifled, thought: “…”

Can she make money appear out of thin air?

Furious, Wang Xifeng returned to her courtyard. Seeing her red-rimmed eyes, Ping’er felt sorry for her. “Second Madam, what should we do now…” she asked anxiously. “The rents from the estates won’t come in so quickly, and we’ve already collected from the shops.”

Wang Xifeng replied, “Why are you asking me? If I had any ideas, I wouldn’t have gone to ask them in the first place.”

Ping’er sighed, then gently advised, “Second Madam, we’ll find a way slowly, but you really shouldn’t dip into your dowry anymore.” She was worried, knowing that although the dowry items Wang Xifeng had used before were eventually reimbursed, even with some surplus, she had a bad feeling about continuing this practice. What if it became a habit and there wasn’t enough money to cover expenses later on?

Wang Xifeng hesitated for a moment. “So, what do you suggest? Should we not add the extra thirty percent?”

Could she really disobey Grandmother Jia?

Ping’er also couldn’t think of a solution. “Why don’t we ask Second Master?”

Wang Xifeng sneered, “What can he do? He even comes to me for money. Where would he find any?”

After a moment of silence, Wang Xifeng lowered her voice. “What do you think about pawning off some of the old, heavy items from the storage room?”

Ping’er was shocked. “How could that be okay?”

No respectable family would do such a thing. Only households that have completely exhausted their funds and are living off their ancestral property would resort to that. Was the Jia family really at that point?

Wang Xifeng bitterly said, “Why not? How could my dowry be enough to cover everything?” She could use her dowry once or twice, but if this kept happening, it would certainly not be enough.

“Just have someone be discreet. As long as no one finds out, it’ll be fine. Choose items that are stored deep inside, things no one would bother to check. That way, no one will know.”

The household had several storerooms, but some keys were with Grandmother Jia, some with the lady of the house, and she herself also had a set of keys. However, what was stored in her rooms were mostly old furniture and outdated decorations. Although they were made of good materials, they were out of fashion and not something anyone would use anymore.

There were also keys to rooms storing random odds and ends, like jars and vases, which weren’t worth much.

The key in question was something Wang Xifeng had only received after giving birth to her daughter. Thinking about this, she subconsciously touched her abdomen and muttered, “Why haven’t I had any news after having my daughter?”

Ping’er frowned, “Why are you so anxious, Second Mistress? It’s been less than a year since you gave birth to your daughter.”

She then stomped her foot in worry, trying to persuade her, “Second Mistress, this isn’t right. If someone finds out, it will be a disaster.”

Wang Xifeng replied, “If you’re afraid of being caught, just have someone make a similar replacement using different materials. Later, when I inspect it, I’ll claim it was damaged by bugs and report it as a loss. No one will ever know.” The more she spoke, the more confident she became in her plan.

She lowered her hand, her mind made up. “Alright, just do as I say. Find someone trustworthy, disguise them, and choose a day to go to the storeroom. Let’s get through this first.” She figured she would deal with whatever came next when the time arrived.

After returning to the capital, Lin Ruhai specifically instructed people to keep an eye on the Jia family. This time, while he had earned merit, he had also made many enemies.

Salt wasn’t just the business of salt merchants, but also of the powerful backers behind them. Every year, the bribes from these merchants amounted to astronomical figures.

The emperor had already purged a group of troublemakers, but there were still many left. While these individuals didn’t dare to openly challenge the emperor’s decisions, they held significant grievances against Lin Ruhai, whom they considered the “main culprit.”

Thus, the emperor had called him back, partly to protect him.

Now, the value of coastal salt mines would greatly decrease, but inland, the value of some good open-air salt mines remained unchanged. The biggest impact was on the coastal areas. However, this issue had far-reaching consequences, which was why the emperor, upon discovering the leak, was so furious. He had even sent soldiers to forcibly suppress the situation, fearing unrest.

Sometimes, Lin Ruhai would feel fortunate that his judgment had been correct. The emperor still wanted to clean up the chaos in the Jiangnan salt industry. In a few more years, as the emperor grew older, his mindset might change, and he might no longer want to stir things up. By then, it would be too late.

Lin Ruhai had cleverly disrupted the previous arrangements using the new salt evaporation method. He had personally inspected the salt fields, where each field was divided into sections. By opening a channel at the front and allowing seawater to flow through the segmented fields, the result was salt.

It was still considered mid-grade salt.

Everyone needs salt, and with access to the sea, mastering this method was akin to having control over a gold mine—a gold mine that could continuously generate wealth. How many coastal areas exist in the world? Besides Jiangnan, there are also the northern and southern seas. The coastline is vast, and there are always suitable places for salt production.

Some of the prominent families that previously couldn’t tap into the enormous profits from the salt trade now saw an opportunity. How could they possibly pass it up? They rushed in like a swarm. Even in Yangzhou, Lin Ruhai could see how frequently coastal county magistrates were being appointed. Combined with the emperor’s determination, things finally stabilized for him.

When Lin Ruhai first went to Jiangnan, he had utilized some of the Jia family’s influence. As long as his connection with the Jia family wasn’t severed, in the eyes of the public, he was still their son-in-law. The two families were bound by marriage, and this mutual support was the initial purpose of their union.

In that region, the combined influence of the Jia, Shi, Wang, and Xue families still carried significant weight. To outsiders, the Jia family was still an imperial family, the Shi family held a marquis title, the Wang family had previously overseen maritime trade, and the Xue family were imperial merchants. Together, they were not to be underestimated.

Some people, even if they didn’t like him, could tolerate him a bit more out of respect for the Jia family connection. That extra bit of patience could buy him more time, which might be life-saving at critical moments.

Of course, later on, when he touched so many people’s core interests, it didn’t matter if it was the Jia family or anyone else—those people would still make their move, even if the Emperor himself intervened. However, for some families that were involved, they might even direct their anger at the Jia family.

Take the Zhen family, for example. In their eyes, the Lin family was the Jia family’s son-in-law, so they assumed the Lin family would naturally side with them. Later, when Lin Ruhai didn’t show leniency to the Zhen family or the Bai family, the Zhen family held a grudge against the Lin family and became distant from the Jia family.

If the Jia family truly valued their relationship, wouldn’t they have spoken to Lin Ruhai on behalf of the Zhen family?

So many people—what harm could come from being a little lenient?

However, these matters were unknown to Grandmother Jia and the others. Not having connections in the official circles meant they weren’t well-informed, and they also didn’t realize that the Zhen family was involved in the salt trade. They always thought that Lin Ruhai was stirring things up over there, causing a lot of noise and offending many people, but they never imagined it would affect them.

Lin Ruhai, worried about what the Jia family might do or what might be done to them, had people keep an eye on things. Through this observation, it was discovered that someone had been pawning items for money.

Upon further inquiry, it turned out that the items were pawned permanently.

Lin Ruhai: “…”

The once-mighty Rongguo Mansion had fallen to such a state? How many years had it been?

He recalled his previous visit to the Rongguo Mansion and couldn’t tell that their financial situation had already become so dire.

In disbelief, when the old lady found out, she sneered, “It’s all just a shiny facade, and marrying unwise wives only worsens it.”

She was convinced that the Jia family still had wealth, but it wasn’t in the public treasury; it was in the women’s private holdings.

Mixing public and private funds was a serious taboo. The fact that the Jia family was in decline did not surprise her at all.

“If you’re going to have someone keep an eye on them, then do so. But are you worried about the Jia family, or are you planning something?”

The old lady frowned. “Are you thinking of compensating for using the Jia family’s name before? Do you think the Jia family hasn’t also been using your name? The Jia family is already rotten.”

Whether considering Daiyu’s fate in the dream world or the situation of her little grandson, the old lady felt she was already being merciful by not pushing things further.

Moreover, given the outcome they would eventually face, who could claim innocence? Were those actions not their doing?

The only ones who could truly be considered innocent were the children who didn’t understand anything and the few powerless girls. If that day ever came and she was still alive, she wouldn’t mind lending a hand. But as for the rest, the old lady had no fondness for any of them.

Lin Ruhai shook his head. “I’m worried about involving the innocent.”

In Yangzhou, he had always kept a tight guard around his household, and now that he was in the capital, he had to remain just as vigilant. The influential backers of those salt merchants, whose interests were hurt, mostly resided in the capital. While they wouldn’t dare act openly, what about behind the scenes?

The Lin family maintained strict control over who came and went, but if someone used another family to infiltrate, it would be much easier.

After considering for a moment, Lin Ruhai immediately identified the Jia family as the most likely target. The Jia household was a sieve—anything could go in and out. If anyone intended to use such a method, the Jia family was the perfect candidate, and he wanted to take precautions in advance.

“This won’t do; things must be handled separately,” the old lady nodded. “As for matters within the Jia family, we shouldn’t interfere. If we do, we’ll be accused of overstepping. In the future, if necessary, we can lend a hand when the time comes.” Then she added, “How are things going for you now in court?”

Lin Ruhai smiled slightly, “It’s manageable.”

There were people trying to trip him up or dig traps for him, as well as others who wanted to benefit from the sea salt trade and hoped he’d grant them favors. But navigating these situations wasn’t too difficult.

——

The day before Lin Ruhai’s day off, Dachun stayed up all night until dawn, finally finishing the assignments his father-in-law had given him.

His hand was so tired that he could barely hold the brush. Looking at the several worn-out brushes he had used up, he almost cried with joy.

All his hard work had paid off, and he finally completed the task.

He had nearly worn out the pages of his books from reading.

Many of the questions couldn’t be answered just by reading the books alone.

He had to ask others, and after asking, he would read through them several more times to ensure he fully understood before putting pen to paper.

Dachun felt that he had gained a lot during this time.

If he were to take the imperial examination now, his chances of passing would have significantly increased.

He placed a stack of papers into a box, glanced at the dim morning light, stood up, and walked toward the inner room.

Yingyu heard the noise and woke up. When she opened her eyes, she saw her husband crouching down, sporting two dark circles under his eyes but with a bright look as he looked at her. “I’ve finished my assignments! Let’s send them to my father-in-law right away. See if you have anything to send along too!”

Since they were meeting tomorrow, he was worried that if he didn’t submit them early, he might not be allowed to enter the Lin family’s gate the next day.

Yingyu turned her head and looked at the still dim sky outside. “…”

There was really no need to be so anxious.

“Darling, you’re tired. You should go to sleep,” she said, genuinely worried that he might be exhausting himself.