The Good Concubine of the Qing Dynasty [Red Mansion]

Lin Ruhai carried Yingyu to Bitao Courtyard, saying that she would stay there for a few days. Her wet nurse and attendants came along with her.

Because of this, Nanny Wu was extremely anxious, silently lamenting to herself.

The old lady had instructed them to be on high alert whenever Madam’s people were nearby, yet now Master had directly brought the young lady to Bitao Courtyard. If anyone from Madam’s side wanted to harm her, wouldn’t this be like sending a lamb into a tiger’s den?

Lin Ruhai was unaware of Nanny Wu’s concerns. In his view, it was just a short stay, and since Min’er was the legitimate wife and he would be keeping a close eye on things, what could possibly go wrong?

When Jia Min learned of her husband’s actions, she was both amused and exasperated.

It turned out that Concubine Mei had pushed a maid forward to compete for favor, which had angered Master.

It seemed that Concubine Mei truly didn’t know what Master disliked.

Looking at the little baby sleeping in the swaddling clothes, Jia Min smiled and agreed, “It’s only my duty.”

Lin Ruhai smiled, “Min’er is a good mother. If Yingyu can learn even a fraction of Min’er’s grace, then we won’t have to worry about her in the future.”

Raising a child is no small matter.

Lin Ruhai had originally planned to bring the child to Bitao Courtyard precisely because he had these concerns in mind.

If the daughter were to adopt Concubine Mei’s mannerisms, Lin Ruhai would be quite troubled.

Jia Min did not oppose taking care of Yingyu for a few days, but Nanny Qian, who harbored the most hostility towards the concubines, had no intention of causing trouble for the frail young lady during her stay. Given her condition, there was no need for her to lift a finger; she might fall ill and die any day now, so why dirty her hands?

Of course, if Yingyu’s death could be used to deal with other people, she wouldn’t hesitate to act, but after observing the staff around the young girl, she quickly dismissed the thought.

What could be achieved by a powerless and low-ranking concubine?

Everyone is not foolish.

When the old lady learned of this, she initially wanted to oppose it and stood up, but then sat back down after taking a few steps.

Since it was only a short stay and involved Yingyu, it wasn’t worth making a fuss about or embarrassing Jia Min. She decided to let Nanny Wu and the others take care of it carefully.

But what had happened to make her son act this way?

She asked around and soon learned the details.

All the servants around Concubine Mei were ones she had assigned, and since Concubine Mei was not one to conceal things, the old lady knew clearly what was said and done. She just hadn’t bothered to inquire before.

So, the old lady learned that Concubine Mei had angered her son by allowing a maid to climb into his bed when he visited his eldest granddaughter.

Was it done to compete for favor?

If so, as long as it didn’t cross the line, the old lady wouldn’t interfere. But if not, such a reckless maid could not be kept.

The situation now was the latter.

Given this, the old lady decided it was inappropriate to keep such a person in Meixiang Courtyard, especially with interactions involving Jia’s family.

The old lady would not keep unstable individuals around the child.

“Since this person served Concubine Mei during her pregnancy, give her some silver and send her to the estate.”

Nanny Li responded solemnly, “Yes.”

She sighed inwardly. People, indeed, must avoid taking the wrong path. She recalled that this maid had once been advised to learn proper manners…

When Concubine Mei saw the Master leave with an angry expression, she was terrified. It was the first time she had seen such obvious anger on his face. She was stunned for a while before she realized what had happened.

Just as she was about to explain, the Master gave an order, and the child was taken away. Concubine Mei couldn’t stop it at all.

In her panic, she recalled the concubine’s words about Yun Shi’s deep scheming and decided to seek her help. She wiped away her tears and headed straight to Lanxin Courtyard.

“Yun sister, you must help me explain to the Master!”

Yun Shuyao signaled Hongxiu to serve tea and offered her seat. “Sister Mei, don’t be anxious. What’s going on?”

Concubine Mei was genuinely anxious. Although she regretted that her daughter wasn’t a son, the girl was still her own flesh and blood, and the Master had never shown any disdain. He frequently visited because of the daughter, and now that the child had been taken away, how could she not be upset?

She wiped the sweat from her face. “I’m truly innocent! A bold maid tried to climb into the bed, and I knew nothing about it. The Master thought I arranged it, but he wouldn’t listen to my explanation and took Yingyu away. Do you think the Master might raise Yingyu with the Madam…?” Concubine Mei’s complaints grew more despairing.

How could she have created her own competition?

That damned maid, if she had known about this intention earlier, she would have expelled her immediately!

Yun Shuyao listened to Concubine Mei’s account and saw her distress. She believed some of it.

Some details might have been embellished, but Yun Shuyao believed that Concubine Mei did not actively push a maid to compete for favor.

Concubine Mei had no reason to make that up.

However, Yun Shuyao found it a bit amusing that Concubine Mei was now asking for help.

Did she forget how she had previously tried to “kill” her with a glare? Was she really that forgiving in Concubine Mei’s eyes?

Yun Shuyao pondered for a moment. If Lin Ruhai was indeed angry because of this, a clear explanation would be sufficient; he was still discerning.

But why did he take the child away? Was it because he didn’t want to leave the child with Concubine Mei?

As for Concubine Mei’s concern about whether the child could be brought back… Yun Shuyao thought it was unlikely.

There might be some obstacles, but as stated before, the child would not be raised in Bitao Courtyard, and Jia Min didn’t want it either.

In the Lin family’s backyard, who else could the child be given to?

If the Old Lady wanted to raise a child, Chen Yu would be the first choice.

It was impossible to give the child to herself; she already had two children.

Moreover, the child was still young. Even if they didn’t want Concubine Mei to raise her, it shouldn’t be now.

Yun Shuyao said, “Sister Mei, since the Master doesn’t know the reason, you should explain it to him. The Master is wise and will understand that this is not your fault.”

Concubine Mei was taken aback. “… Aren’t you coming with me?”

Yun Shuyao smiled. “This is a small matter. I believe Sister Mei can explain it clearly to the Master. If I get involved, the Master might think it’s a bigger issue.”

She didn’t want to show any “friendship” with Concubine Mei.

Everyone has eyes.

And wouldn’t the Old Lady and Lin Ruhai know whether Concubine Mei was involved or not?

Even if they didn’t know at first, they’d figure it out after asking.

Getting involved would be thankless and unnecessary.

Truly unnecessary.

With Concubine Mei’s temperament, could she really keep her actions hidden from those around her? Did she think she had completely won over those people?

In the courtyard, among the people, Wu Momo in Meixiang Garden was directly under the Old Lady’s watch.

Just as Wang Momo and Xie Momo in her own courtyard were also under the Old Lady’s authority.

They were merely temporarily assigned to Lanxin Courtyard to care for the child.

If she treated them as her own and didn’t keep anything from them… that would be incredibly foolish.

Even though she was open and unafraid of gossip, she still needed to be aware.

Looking at Concubine Mei’s tearful, angry face, she should… have some awareness, right?

Concubine Mei left Lanxin Courtyard, gritting her teeth. She knew she and Yun Shi were incompatible—seeing her plight without helping!

Nice words, but who knows how much she is being ridiculed in her heart?

A small matter? This is still a small matter?!

If she wouldn’t help, then so be it! She didn’t need her help!

She would go to the Master herself, explain the situation clearly, and bring the child back!

While Concubine Mei was desperately seeking external help and turned to anger after not getting the desired results, Yingyu was still sleeping soundly. With a wet nurse around, she was completely unaware of the change in her surroundings.

After being well-fed and not sleeping, she would open her big, black eyes and look towards the source of any sound, innocent and endearingly naïve.

Jia Min looked at the child and couldn’t help but smile.

Nanny Qian observed this and began to think deeply: “Madam, how about we keep this child in our courtyard?”

Having a child in the courtyard might mean the Master would visit more often.

Even if the daughter was raised with affection, it wouldn’t matter; as she grew up, her dowry could still be used to form alliances.

Jia Min was momentarily moved by the suggestion, but she quickly suppressed it.

She would have her own children and didn’t need to raise someone else’s.

Concubine Mei inquired and then went to Bi Tao Courtyard to request an audience.

Lin Ruhai met with her.

After hearing her explanation, he did not express any opinions, neither affirming nor denying her claims.

Seeing that she had nothing else to say, he offered her tea and showed her out.

He wasn’t genuinely angry with Concubine Mei, but he did intend to give her a lesson.

This was an opportunity to rein in her arrogance.

He had long figured out her nature—her thoughts were transparent, and he could see right through her. The schemes she had plotted against Min’er and Yun Shi were always forgotten by Lin Ruhai as soon as he heard them.

However, he had grown increasingly displeased with her blatant behavior, and it was time for her to face some consequences to correct her attitude.

If she continued to be unrepentant, Yingyu could no longer be under her care.

On the first day, Concubine Mei did not bring the child back, wiping her eyes and returning to Mei Xiang Courtyard with red-rimmed eyes.

On the second day, she still did not bring the child back, using a handkerchief to cover her face as she returned to Mei Xiang Courtyard.

On the third day, under the guidance of Nanny Wu, Concubine Mei brought back the maid who had been sent away and admitted her own mistakes. She was given the opportunity to offer a penalty of half a year’s salary and to copy a Buddhist scripture to pray for blessings.

The salary penalty was nothing compared to the ordeal of copying the scripture, which was a serious burden for Concubine Mei.

However, she successfully brought her daughter back to Mei Xiang Courtyard, and Concubine Mei felt it was worth the effort.

Concubine Mei’s predicament became a source of amusement for the servants in Bi Tao Courtyard.

They didn’t know the full details but laughed at how Concubine Mei acted on her own accord, only to hit a wall, anger Lin Ruhai, and suffer the consequences, which delighted them.

Since Jia She arrived at Lin’s residence, the morale in Bi Tao Courtyard had improved significantly.

Those with sharper perceptions could sense the subtle dynamics between the old lady and the madam.

But when the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law clashed, the daughter-in-law almost always came out on the losing end.

They felt frustrated, but since the Jia family wasn’t lacking in support, and with their eldest master now present, they felt they had backing. Seeing the mess in Mei Xiang Courtyard only lifted their spirits further.

Only Nanny Shi sighed privately.

The carefully executed move in Mei Xiang Courtyard had been quickly undone.

Some people, once they tasted success, forgot their manners. During a night watch, a servant from the Jia family drank too much, lost track of time, and with the second courtyard’s doors shut, went on a drunken rampage, disturbing many people.

Although the servant was quickly taken away to sober up, Jia Min felt it was embarrassing. She had their duties suspended and fined them two months’ wages.

Nanny Qian tried to persuade her not to be too upset, “Madam, it’s not a big deal. It didn’t delay any work. They’re still from the Jia family. Being too harsh might hurt everyone’s feelings.”

“Why were they drinking?” Jia Min asked. “Because they were happy.”

Jia Min felt somewhat helpless. “Nanny, it’s easy for you to say. Without rules, nothing can be orderly. If I relax my standards now and they don’t take it seriously, how should I handle future offenses?”

Moreover, Jia Min had another concern she hadn’t voiced. As the matriarch, she had to manage household affairs. If she let this slide and the old lady took action, she would truly lose face.

Nanny Qian was momentarily at a loss for words before saying, “It won’t happen again. They won’t make the same mistake.”

Jia Min shook her head. “Nanny, you can’t guarantee that. They have indeed become lax. According to the rules, they shouldn’t drink while on duty. Where did they get the alcohol? This isn’t the first time. Besides drinking, they also enjoy gossiping. I should have dealt with this earlier.”

The more Jia Min spoke, the angrier she became.

Nanny Qian now dared not say anything further.

To avoid angering the madam and doubling the punishment, this time, she relied on the old sisters’ requests to help avoid the consequences. If not only did it fail but also resulted in doubled punishment, she would lose face with her sisters.

Nanny Qian could only go back and have them endure it for now, hoping that when the madam forgot about the incident, she could then reinstate them.

Jia Min thought the matter was settled.

With her eldest brother’s group heading north back to the capital, she felt a sense of loss, not knowing when they would meet again. After the three-year term, it was uncertain if she could return to the capital, and if not, their next meeting seemed far off.

Amidst her sorrow, she relaxed her attention to household affairs. Ordinarily, this wouldn’t cause trouble since there were rules in place and the staff were not incompetent. However, she didn’t expect that while Lin’s residence remained trouble-free, her own Bi Tao Courtyard would face issues. To her shock, she was betrayed by her own dowry!

Looking at the disheveled Jade kneeling on the floor, Jia Min straightened her back and leaned against the chair for support.

The master spent a lot of time resting at her place, and Jia Min would occasionally have the kitchen prepare soups or tonics for him. Each time, she personally delivered them.

When the master drank a bit too much at a social event, she couldn’t immediately go over, so Nanny Shi sent Jade with the hangover remedy.

Although it didn’t turn out well, her purpose had already been achieved.

Would the master think it was her arrangement?

She had never had anyone else deliver soup in her courtyard.

Should she deny it, and if so, how would she explain?

Was she to outright say that her dowry had stabbed her in the back without her knowledge?

Otherwise, how could a newcomer like Jade have brought the hangover remedy in?

Jia Min was overwhelmed with anger.

Jade, kneeling on the ground, kept bowing her head to Jia Min.

She had never intended to be a concubine. Her original plan was to find a suitable person to marry when she came of age, to start her own family, and to take good care of her only brother, who was her only relative.

But she was chosen by the old lady and informed of her mission.

Could she refuse her master’s orders?

Her brother was only six years old.

Having finally arrived at her aunt’s house in Xingtai, she was assigned to the needlework room. After that, she realized where things had gone wrong.

Her aunt… did not want her to become a concubine.

She was confined to the needlework room and was always stopped whenever she tried to leave.

Furthermore, she had learned that her aunt was already seeking suitable candidates to marry her off.

Those candidates were either older or of lower status, and most already had children. If she married into such a family, she would become a stepmother from the start.

Had she come all the way to Xingtai to marry into a family worse than the servants in Jia’s residence and become a stepmother?

She was not incapable of bearing children!

Jade felt a chill upon hearing this news and had to consult Nanny Qian.

Nanny Shi had told her before leaving to ask Nanny Qian if she encountered any issues.

Nanny Qian told her not to worry and that arrangements would soon be made.

Seizing the opportunity when the master was drunk, she cleaned herself up, changed into somewhat appropriate clothing, and, despite her embarrassment, carried the hangover remedy into the room…

Unfortunately, the master was deeply intoxicated, so she could only tidy herself up and go to apologize to her aunt to solidify her position.

If her aunt did not want her, why had she not discussed it with the old lady earlier?

At this point, was there any retreat left for her?

Jade choked up and said, “Aunt, I am only following orders. Someone sent me to give you the remedy. I thought you were in the room, so I went in. I know I was wrong. I beg for your forgiveness, and I am willing to serve you in the next life as repayment for your great kindness!”