The Good Concubine of the Qing Dynasty [Red Mansion]

Wang Xifeng had a moment of doubt, thinking she might have misheard. She had mentioned that the Lin family was about to marry into nobility, but he brought up Baoyu and Daiyu?

Does their family count as nobility?

In Wang Xifeng’s understanding, a legitimate daughter should marry better than an illegitimate one. By that logic, Lin Daiyu’s future husband should either be a legitimate eldest son with a noble title, the eldest son of a powerful family, or even a member of the imperial clan.

Since their second daughter had been betrothed to the Fourth Prince as a secondary wife, if Daiyu were to attend the imperial selection in the future, and if Lin’s father’s status remained unchanged, she would be betrothed to…

But now he was talking about Baoyu and Daiyu… the gap between them was quite significant.

Wang Xifeng looked at Jia Lian with a peculiar expression. “Why would you think that?”

Jia Lian, taken aback by her gaze, asked, “What? Did I say something wrong?”

Wang Xifeng raised an eyebrow. “Do you think Baoyu is a match for Lin Daiyu?”

Jia Lian chuckled. “They’re cousins, and with her aunt gone, once Daiyu’s grandmother passes away in a few years, the Lin family will be left under the control of the concubine. It might be better for Daiyu to marry back into her maternal family, where the Jia family can protect her from being mistreated.”

Wang Xifeng thought for a moment and replied, “That could be a possibility. But I’ve noticed that Aunt Yun doesn’t seem like a domineering person. Even after receiving the emperor’s decree and being granted the title of an official lady, she hasn’t changed much. She doesn’t seem to treat Daiyu poorly either.”

Jia Lian shook his head. “You can’t judge her now. Right now, Lin’s grandmother is still around, and her father is still here. Plus, they’re in the capital, and our Rongguo Manor isn’t without influence. If she dared mistreat Daiyu now, she would’ve been taught a lesson long ago. She’s likely putting on an act for now. Once the old lady is gone, and with her father being a man, who knows how Daiyu’s dowry will be reduced.”

The concubines of the two masters, once they gain favor, tend to become arrogant. If there’s no one to hold them in check, who knows what they’ll become.

Wang Xifeng shot him a sideways glance. “That’s different. Aunt Yun comes from a respectable family. Though her father was a minor official, he still ensured she was educated in reading and writing from a young age.”

At this point, something stirred in Wang Xifeng’s mind. The upbringing of scholars was indeed different from that of their family. When she attended banquets at the Lin family, she often found herself unable to join in the conversation because she couldn’t understand what they were talking about.

Jia Lian shook his head. “I can’t argue with you. I was just thinking out loud. We’re not the ones who can make decisions about this.”

Wang Xifeng sighed. “You’re right. We really don’t have a say in this matter. It’s up to Grandmother Jia to decide.”

Although a child’s marriage is usually decided by their parents, with Grandmother Jia still around and treating Baoyu like her most cherished treasure, his marriage would definitely need her approval before anything could be finalized.

Wang Xifeng then thought of her cousin’s marriage.

She needed to ask Second Uncle and Second Aunt about it.

At this point, she stopped talking, and so did Jia Lian, as they had arrived.

Everyone had gone to Grandmother Jia’s quarters, likely waiting for them to return.

Indeed, they were all waiting. Madam Xing and Madam Wang were both present.

Jia Baoyu was the first to rush in, throwing himself into Grandmother Jia’s arms. “Grandmother, we’re back!”

The three sisters had tried their best to distract him in the carriage, hoping he’d forget about not seeing Lin Daiyu. Unfortunately, he still remembered. “Grandmother, it was so lively at Uncle’s place today. Can we invite him and the others to join in the fun here? You didn’t get to see the excitement, and it’s been a long time since you’ve seen Lin Daiyu. If they come over, you can see her too.”

Is he using a roundabout strategy now?!

Upon hearing this, Tanchun and the others couldn’t help but give him a complicated look.

He had indeed made some progress, but it was the kind of progress that made one unsure whether to laugh or cry.

Grandmother Jia smiled warmly, hugging him with affection, and said, “Baoyu, you’re right. We should invite your uncle and his family over to join in the fun.”

Seeing Baoyu’s face light up with joy, she slowly added, “But first, you need to finish your studies. If you don’t, I won’t send the invitation.”

Hearing this, Baoyu became a bit upset and started acting spoiled in her arms. Grandmother Jia, worn down by his antics, finally relented. “Alright, alright, stop pestering me, you little rascal. But you still need to study hard. Haven’t you always wanted to play with your cousin Lin? Your uncle likes talented people. If you show off your knowledge in front of him next time, he’ll agree to let you spend time with her.”

Before, such words might not have meant much, but today, since Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng had just discussed this very issue, it triggered their thoughts. They exchanged glances, both with a sense of disbelief. Could Grandmother Jia really be considering a match between Baoyu and Daiyu?

However, Wang Xifeng still wasn’t too optimistic about it.

Jia Lian thought this arrangement was quite good. If it really worked out, the bond between their family’s next generation would be even stronger. After all, their aunt had passed away several years ago, and since her death, the relationship between the two families had grown distant. Now, their ties with the Lin family had become even colder for some unknown reason. If they could bring Cousin Lin into the family, the in-law relationship would be renewed and strengthened. Besides, it would also give them some leverage against the Wang family, since he was so oppressed by them that he didn’t even dare take a concubine.

Meanwhile, Second Madam Wang was watching as Grandmother Jia used the sickly Lin girl as a means to motivate Baoyu to study. And to her frustration, Baoyu was falling for it, agreeing wholeheartedly: “Grandmother, I understand. I will study hard.”

Second Madam Wang felt her chest tighten. What kind of spell had Lin girl cast on Baoyu?

She simply couldn’t understand it.

Elsewhere, after Dachun left his father-in-law’s study, Yingyu noticed something was off about him. He seemed dazed and out of sorts, which made her worried. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

Dachun only shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

“Look at yourself before you say that!” she responded.

Dachun let out a long sigh. “It’s really nothing, just that I’ve been given more coursework… that’s all,” he said bitterly.

It turned out that the previous assignments his father-in-law had given him were ones his younger brother-in-law had already completed. When his father-in-law called him over to review the answers, Dachun had to admit he was a bit disheartened. Then his father-in-law gave him even more new coursework. It was easy to imagine that these too were assignments his younger brother-in-law had once done.

Even though his brother-in-law was a year younger, Dachun couldn’t help but feel that if it weren’t for the fact that the next autumn examinations were still a year away, his brother-in-law could likely pass the juren exam right now.

The gap was too large.

His grandmother was delighted to hear about this. “You must listen to your father-in-law. He ranked third in the imperial exams. What books are you missing? I’ll buy them for you.”

Although there were other ways for their family to pursue official positions beyond the imperial examinations, this path was the smoothest, least disputed, and most honorable. Even if he didn’t aim for the highest level of jinshi, becoming a juren would be a great accomplishment.

At this time, in the Lin family’s study, Lin Ruhai and Chenyu were also discussing Dachun.

Chenyu asked, “Father, are you upset with my brother-in-law?”

Lin Ruhai replied, “No.”

Lin Ruhai had long been aware of his son-in-law’s abilities, so there was no disappointment on his part as Dachun feared. Moreover, after this lesson, Lin Ruhai believed his son-in-law would surely remember to be more diligent in the future.

Chenyu said, “I was worried that Father would be upset with his handwriting. There’s a reason behind it.”

Lin Ruhai asked, “What reason?”

Chenyu smiled and explained, “In early spring, the Fourth Prince invited us to join him at the farm to plant crops. We used hoes to turn the soil, pulled out weeds, and planted beans. We even went into the fields. Although my brother-in-law’s posture with the hoe was still a bit stiff, it wasn’t unfamiliar—he must have practiced beforehand. We worked on the fields for several days, which took quite some time. That’s probably when he fell behind on his studies.”

Lin Ruhai smiled too and nodded, “I see. Now I understand.”

He became even more satisfied with his eldest son-in-law.

Although Lin Ruhai didn’t hold his son-in-law to the same high standards as his son, he still hoped he could pass the imperial exams. This way, as a united couple, his daughter’s life would be better.

Upon learning that his son-in-law was even more diligent than expected, Lin Ruhai was naturally pleased.

Later, Wang Xifeng made a visit to her maternal home to ask her second aunt what her plans were.

Her second aunt’s expression turned a little sour. “Did your sister come to you? Don’t bother with her. Your second uncle and I are already arranging a match for her.”

As soon as these words were spoken, Wang Xifeng immediately understood that the marriage between the Wang and Lin families was not going to happen. It seemed that the Lin family had rejected the proposal.

“Second Aunt, I understand what to do,” she said.

She didn’t press further, knowing well enough that her second aunt must be quite angry about the situation. Asking more questions would only reopen her wounds.

Wang Xifeng’s tactfulness helped to ease her second aunt’s mood slightly. “Your younger sister has been spoiled by us and doesn’t know how to behave. Don’t worry, we will discipline her properly. There won’t be a next time.”

Her tone was somewhat bitter. Any mother would feel both hurt and anger if her daughter was not considered for a good match.

*The Lin family! Just wait. Sooner or later, they’ll regret this decision!*

During the Buddha’s Birthday celebration, which was always lively, even those who rarely went out would take the opportunity to go for a walk. Luoyu didn’t really believe in Buddha, but since her grandmother was very devout, she had been exposed to it from a young age and could speak quite knowledgeably about it. When she mentioned wanting to go offer incense with her brothers on Buddha’s Birthday, the Fourth Prince readily agreed, “If you want to go, then go.”

So, on Buddha’s Birthday, Yun Shuyao, Chenyu, and Luoyu each set off on their own. They didn’t go to the prestigious Huguo Temple, but rather to a more ordinary one.

Huguo Temple has remarkable individuals, but Yun Shuyao didn’t need to worry about high monks elsewhere.

Especially since she didn’t plan to enter the temple itself.

Luoyu went to offer incense first and then came out to meet her aunt and younger brother in a gazebo nestled in a small grove, where they began to chat.

Luoyu was very happy. “Aunt, my father should be in the capital by now, right?”

“Aunt, hasn’t my brother’s marriage been settled yet? Is there anyone he has his eye on?”

“Aunt, please tell me in detail about your meeting with the emperor. I’m eager to hear.”

Yun Shuyao couldn’t help but smile wryly. “You’re firing questions at me one after the other.”

“Will your father stay in the capital for long? You’ll have to ask the emperor about that.”

“Your brother is sixteen this year, so there’s no need to rush. If it weren’t for you participating in the selection and being unable to choose, in my opinion, it would be better to get engaged first and then marry in a couple of years.”

Luoyu replied, “I know there’s no rush for marriage, but isn’t there anyone suitable? If you wait too long, all the ones around the same age will be engaged.” She looked at Chenyu. “Aren’t you anxious either?”

Chenyu remained calm. “I’m not anxious.”

…

While they were chatting, others happened to arrive.

Wang Xiluan was feeling down lately because her parents did not support her ideas. Taking advantage of the Buddha’s birthday, she decided to go out to relax. Not wanting to crowd into overly populated places, she randomly found a spot to stroll, and as she walked, she noticed a few people talking in a gazebo up ahead, with some attendants waiting at a distance.

Who could it be?

As Wang Xiluan approached, she recognized them and suddenly felt a surge of excitement—could this be a golden opportunity?

She wanted to ask him directly.