Chapter 78 Moving Miss Lin to the Main House of the Grand View Garden "The Jia family deserves to die!..."

Xue Baochai felt aggrieved. She was about to say something more, but Grandmother Jia interrupted her: "Eat. Are you all having such a good time chatting? Are you trying to starve me to death?"

Everyone quickly got up and accompanied her to the dining hall.

As for the palace maids, after returning to the palace to report to the Empress, the leader, Chi Lan, said, "Miss Lin lives in a small courtyard. The main house has only three rooms in total, one bright and two dark. The house is not big, and it is not a house facing due south. The courtyard is full of bamboo. It is scenic, but it is too damp and dark."

The Queen looked at her in surprise.

Chi Lan added, "If the bamboo is reduced by half, it might be better, Your Highness. If a woman lives in such a dark and damp place, where she can't even get any sunlight, she'll probably become weak and sickly, and it might affect her ability to have children."

"Rongguo Mansion, Rongguo Mansion." The Empress's face darkened. "Go to Rongguo Mansion again and tell Miss Lin to move to the main courtyard of that garden."

Since His Majesty wanted to investigate how Lin Ruhai died, the Rongguo Mansion couldn't escape the investigation, so he also took the opportunity to investigate it.

The villa built by Rongguo Mansion for the emperor's family to visit relatives also contained a significant amount of the Lin family's money. Although much of it was embezzled by their subordinates, it wouldn't be right to spend someone else's money and then give them the smallest courtyard, would it?

The Empress thought about it and then complained to Mu Chuan again: "Your Majesty always says that the Marquis of Zhongyong is good in this way and that way and does things thoroughly, how come you didn't even think of this?"

Chi Lan said, "After all, the Earl of Zhongyong is a man. How could he have the opportunity to go to Miss Lin's boudoir? However, I noticed that many things in Miss Lin's room are clearly not in the style of the Rongguo Mansion. They must have been given by the Earl of Zhongyong."

The Empress chuckled, "Ahem, you should go now." She also wanted to use this opportunity to smile at His Majesty.

Chi Lan then went to the Rongguo Mansion.

The Rongguo Mansion was founded by four kings and eight dukes, and its location was exceptionally good. With Chi Lan's visit, the Rongguo Mansion had just finished their lunch.

"By imperial decree, Her Majesty the Empress has ordered Miss Lin to move to the main hall of the Grand View Garden."

Madam Wang felt as if someone was choking her; she couldn't make a sound, and she couldn't even breathe.

Amidst the incredulous gazes of everyone in the Jia family, Lin Daiyu performed a half-bow and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."

Fearing that the people from Rongguo Mansion were pretending to be stupid, Chi Lan asked another question: "Did you hear me clearly?"

Grandmother Jia quickly forced a smile: "I'll have someone tidy up the room right away!"

Chi Lan accepted the red envelope and turned to leave.

Everyone in the room was looking at Lin Daiyu.

Xue Baochai was already unwell, and now she had been doused with a bucket of hot oil from head to toe. She forced herself not to jump up, and instead tried to coax her in a relatively gentle voice, "This is too much. Why don't we write a letter to decline? This place is not meant for women like you and me to live in."

Lin Daiyu chuckled: "Don't give me any advice. You haven't even become a palace maid yet. Back then, when the Imperial Concubine asked you to move into the Grand View Garden, why didn't you refuse? The Imperial Concubine gave you gifts several times a year, and you received the most generous ones, and you didn't refuse those either. So, what you received was an imperial concubine's reward that you couldn't refuse, but when it came to me, I was unworthy?"

Xue Baochai gritted her teeth, staring at Lin Daiyu's smiling face, trying hard not to feel guilty or look away: "How is this the same? This garden was built for the Imperial Concubine. You're living in the main hall. Don't you think about what this means? I'm advising you to decline for your own good."

Upon hearing these words, both Lady Wang and Grandmother Jia's expressions changed drastically.

To enter the palace and become an empress?

"Isn't this stealing Yuan Chun's favor?" Lady Wang thought angrily.

Should we send in another one? How many more years could that extend the Jia family's life? Grandmother Jia thought it was feasible.

But Lin Daiyu still laughed: "I advise you not to make wild guesses about the Emperor's intentions. Like I said, you haven't even become a palace maid yet. If you can't stand to see me doing well, then you can't stand to see me doing well. Stop talking about how the Empress is. Have you ever even seen the Empress? You've never even been inside the North Gate."

"Besides, the place I used to live in was not much different from the main hall. My father was a high-ranking official, and the main house of my family was a row of five large rooms. As for you, since you are well-versed in poetry and literature and consider yourself knowledgeable and reasonable, why don't you move out? Although Hengwu Garden is nominally a flower room and is in a corner, it is still a row of five rooms. Is this a place you can live in? Why are you silent?"

Xue Baochai's face contorted with jealousy. She had just vented some of her jealousy by saying those two sentences, but then she realized she had said the wrong thing. She put on a fake smile, but it didn't look as natural as usual, and she could barely keep it up.

"Since you have nothing to say, I'll go back and pack my things." Lin Daiyu turned and left.

The room was completely silent. Tan Chun glanced around and felt that Miss Xue was showing all her jealousy today.

Xue Baoqin huddled up like a quail, wondering when her brother would finally arrange for the letter from their hometown, while simultaneously feeling extremely pleased.

When she first arrived, the old lady doted on her like crazy, and her cousin even said, "I don't believe I'm any less than you in any way."

Thinking about it this way, Xue Baoqin's eyes were filled with admiration as she looked at Lin Daiyu's back.

Since no one dared to speak up, only Grandmother Jia could smooth things over.

She stood up and said with a smile, "It won't do if no one lives in the house. Yuanyang, arrange for someone to clean it. I'm tired, I'm going back to sleep for a while."

Tan Chun had a lot to say and a lot of thoughts to share, but she had no one to talk to.

Yingchun is too timid. If the First Madam forces her, she will say anything. Xichun is still a child, and besides, she is from the East Mansion... Why didn't they tell her to pack her things when the East Mansion was moving away?

On a whim, Tan Chun stepped forward and took Madam Wang's arm: "Madam, let me take you back."

But Madam Wang also wanted to talk to Aunt Xue, so as soon as she arrived at the courtyard, she said to Tan Chun, "Go back now. The days are getting long, take a nap at noon so you won't be tired in the afternoon."

Tan Chun responded with a "yes," and as she came out, she glanced behind her. Sure enough, Aunt Zhao was guarding the moon gate.

Tan Chun despised herself while giving Aunt Zhao a meaningful look before returning to Qiu Shuang Zhai.

Sure enough, Aunt Zhao arrived shortly afterward.

Tan Chun was still wallowing in self-loathing and didn't get a friendly look when she saw Aunt Zhao arrive. Instead, she said sarcastically, "Why did you come so quickly, Aunt? Aren't you afraid of Madam?"

Aunt Zhao chuckled twice, naturally because she felt no guilt at all that Master Bao had moved out.

“When Madam was talking to Madam Xue, even Yu Chuan’er was chased out. It’s obvious that they have something to talk about. Naturally, I had to hide. I also brought Aunt Zhou out to avoid being disliked by Madam.”

Tan Chun asked coldly, "Do you know what Madam and Aunt Xue were talking about?"

"You're not going to test me, Miss?" Aunt Zhao laughed. "Someone from the palace has come and said that Miss Lin should move to the main house in the Grand View Garden."

Tan Chun breathed a sigh of relief: "Auntie's information network is quite good."

Aunt Zhao suddenly sighed: "I can't get close to the old lady, and the madam doesn't like me either. I can only hang out with the old women and maids. I just want to ask you, is things not going well in the mansion?"

“What’s wrong with it?” Tan Chun retorted sharply. “The old lady and the madam are so close. Every meal is lively and the atmosphere is more relaxed than before.”

"Then why are you in such a hurry?" Aunt Zhao asked, then sighed, "Since you can see this, let me tell you how I figured it out."

Aunt Zhao was thinking about what to say, and Tan Chun, unusually quiet, was no longer like before, when she would be like a hedgehog whenever she was in the same room with Aunt Zhao.

"Let's start with what's been happening lately. How long has it been since your wife went out?"

Tan Chun pursed her lips and remained silent. Aunt Zhao didn't expect her to answer either, and continued, "How many meals did Madam eat in the Old Madam's room before? She used to eat dinner in the Old Madam's room, but now she eats all three meals a day there, and so does Second Mistress Lian—"

Aunt Zhao rolled her eyes, remembering how Wang Xifeng had embarrassed her last time by scolding her in front of Huan'er. She sneered, "When she's busy, she doesn't even eat. But now she eats one or two meals a day in the old lady's room. Can you guess why?"

“That doesn’t prove anything,” Tan Chun retorted weakly. “Perhaps it’s just filial piety.”

Aunt Zhao chuckled twice, offering no explanation, but continued, "The masters above care about appearances and prestige, while the servants below only care about money. Zhou Rui's family has been arrested, the Lai family has been beheaded—who can't see that? And then there are those who have been driven to the estate, those whose monthly wages have been docked. The Rongguo Mansion is about to collapse—"

"Auntie! How can you say such things!" Tan Chun was scared half to death by her words, but... it wasn't that she hadn't thought of this, but if someone as vulgar as Auntie could see it, how could the Old Madam and Madam not see it?

She chuckled twice to defuse the situation, then felt embarrassed herself and quickly changed the subject: "Sister Lin's temper has been getting worse lately, and she's always arguing with Miss Xue."

Aunt Zhao looked at Tan Chun with great confusion: "You think this is temper?"

Tan Chun certainly didn't think this was a temper tantrum. She was just startled by Aunt Zhao's words and frightened by the thoughts that had surged into her mind, so she spoke without thinking.

"Because it's none of her business, she's just watching the show, she's teasing Miss Xue." Aunt Zhao snorted twice, "You didn't see how those old women fawned over her."

Tan Chun: "I've seen it before. Not only have I seen this, I've also seen the kitchen staff deliver meals to her once... Normally, my meals are delivered by one or two servants, but she gets at least four servants."

"She's going to marry into the Marquis of Zhongyong's family." Aunt Zhao breathed a sigh of relief. "Miss Lin is a very honest person. Everyone looks down on your brother, but Miss Lin doesn't. When your brother went to ask her for advice, she told him everything she knew and even gave him two books."

Tan Chun bit her lip again; she knew this too.

When Xiangling from the Xue family moved into the Grand View Garden, she said she wanted to learn poetry, and only Sister Lin taught her properly.

Including herself, she had also offended her before, even saying she didn't remember her birthday in an attempt to prove her loyalty to her wife—

Thinking about it this way, Tan Chun felt uncomfortable all over. She felt sad, guilty, and even more aware that she wasn't good enough.

"There's not much time left," Aunt Zhao sighed. "For a woman, marriage is like a second reincarnation. Your husband has been dismissed from his post, and you can't count on the old lady, let alone the madam. You should spend more time with Miss Lin. Even if you marry someone who is a subordinate of the Marquis of Zhongyong, no one in your husband's family will dare to treat you badly in the future."

Tan Chun gritted her teeth and asked, "What about Auntie?"

"Well, your master likes me. Besides, he was once an official and has never done anything malicious. In the future, he will simply move out of the Rongguo Mansion and become an ordinary citizen. I was originally a maidservant, serving others. I can't be any more miserable than before, can I?"

After Aunt Zhao finished speaking, she looked at Tan Chun again. She saw that Tan Chun's brows were furrowed and her face was contorted, making it impossible to discern her expression.

Aunt Zhao sighed again: "Girl, I'm not trying to criticize you. I know you've studied a lot, are pure and virtuous, and have high moral character, but it's not wrong to want to live a good life. Besides, you haven't done anything wrong. We're judging by your actions, not your intentions, so don't overthink it."

Tan Chun experienced many firsts today, especially her conversation with Aunt Zhao. Although she didn't say anything, it was definitely not an easy hurdle for her to overcome.

Aunt Zhao used to make sarcastic remarks every three sentences when she spoke to Tan Chun. Although they were mother and daughter, they were always undermining each other.

Now that she finally had this opportunity, Aunt Zhao said again, "Although I come from a poor background and was born into the household as a maid, look at me, I've become a concubine and even gave birth to you and your brother. I do have some abilities, you should understand that, right?"

Tan Chun didn't speak, she just nodded.

"I argued with you earlier because of your uncle, but it was actually for your own good."

At this, Tan Chun's eyes widened immediately: "Auntie, I'm not stupid!"

Aunt Zhao chuckled twice: "I'm asking you, when Yuanyang's mother died, was she given any silver as a reward?"

"She's a maidservant. If a maidservant's mother is dead, how can she be given a reward?"

"That settles it. The forty taels of silver will confirm Xiren's identity; she is Baoyu's concubine!" Aunt Zhao's expression turned sharp. "Madam found a concubine for Baoyu without the master's knowledge. How old was Baoyu then?"

“Auntie—” Tan Chun was so intelligent that she immediately understood what she was going to do.

“I’ve made a scene so the whole family knows, how can Madam keep it a secret?” Aunt Zhao laughed triumphantly. “Madam gave her forty taels out of her own pocket, thinking she’d gotten away with it, but I’m going to make sure the whole family knows.”

“That’s right. At that time, the master was sent away to work, but it’s not like he never came back. Baoyu has only been gone for a few days, and the master has already scolded him three times. I can find an opportunity to expose this matter again. Then neither the madam nor Baoyu will get away with it.”

“Things aren’t like they used to be.” Aunt Zhao was so smug she was carried away. “The Wang family is about to fall, and the master lost his official position because of his wife. Heh heh, I’d like to see how they get through this.”

Tan Chun could only see the smugness on Aunt Zhao's face, and she angrily said, "Is this all for my sake?"

Aunt Zhao hurriedly said, "We only have so much stuff in our house. The old lady's things have definitely been given to Baoyu. Can't we leave more of the master's things for your younger brother? If your brother is successful, you will naturally benefit as well."

Tan Chun sneered twice, feeling a pang of regret: "Auntie, you'd better leave quickly, or Madam will be looking for you later."

Aunt Zhao didn't care. In truth, she could only confide in her daughter about her plans and thoughts. Besides, it was pointless to say anything now, since the plan had already been implemented.

She stood up and said, "I'm telling you this only to tell you how the conspiracies in the inner quarters come about. The old lady and the madam neither take you out to socialize nor teach you how to manage the household. This is all I know. I've managed to stay here safely and peacefully because of this. Figure it out yourself."

Since the Empress had spoken, Grandmother Jia dared not delay. Yuanyang immediately selected a maid to tidy up the house and then accompanied Lin Daiyu to see the house.

Lin Daiyu remarked with a touch of emotion, "This is only my second time here."

Yuanyang felt awkward for forcing a smile, and she dared not do it with a stern face.

She could only ask, "Where would you like to stay, young lady?" As soon as she finished speaking, Yuanyang wanted to slap herself twice.

The jade archway leads to the Grand View Pavilion. Although it can be used as a residence, it was built for sightseeing and was clearly not the place where the Empress instructed that "Miss Lin should stay in the main courtyard."

The central Gu Ensi Hall is the main hall, with five rooms connected together. It is designed to be grand and spacious, and is a place for the empress to meet people, but no one lives there.

Only the Jiayin Hall at the back was built properly according to the original building specifications.

As for the side halls and side rooms, can Miss Lin stay there?

Lin Daiyu glanced at Yuanyang, knowing she was nervous, and didn't say much: "Go to Jiayin Hall in the back."

Yuanyang accompanied her around for a while. Usually calm and intelligent, she was now a little tongue-tied. How could Miss Lin have won the favor of the Empress?

She knew that the Marquis of Zhongyong was not as bad as the old lady said. The □□ Kingdom's mansion was not even close to the palace, yet the Marquis of Zhongyong was so favored.

Lin Daiyu said, "The old woman will be stationed on the first floor of the Grand View Pavilion, while the maids will stay in the side hall."

"I will do as you command, Miss." Yuanyang took two deep breaths, regaining some composure. "I'll have someone clean the house first."

This place is regularly maintained, so you can move in directly. Yuanyang then added, "It should be ready in about three to five days."

Lin Daiyu was not nervous: "Alright, I'll tell the maids to pack my things when I get back."

Yuanyang personally escorted her back to Xiaoxiang Pavilion and then went back to report to Grandmother Jia.

Before Grandmother Jia could recover from her shock, upon seeing Yuanyang, she exclaimed, "She chose this place herself, so why is she dissatisfied?"

Upon hearing this, Yuanyang knew that the old lady must think that Miss Lin had complained to the Empress. But given the current situation, how could she possibly have a falling out with Miss Lin?

Moreover, the two best-built and most exquisite courtyards in the Grand View Garden are Yihong Courtyard and Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Miss Lin couldn't possibly bypass Master Bao.

She said she could choose for herself, but if she didn't stay at Xiaoxiang Pavilion, where else could she stay?

Yuanyang thought it over and over, and the only words that came to mind were "serves her right." But she couldn't help but comfort her. She hesitated and said, "It would be good to have Miss Lin move to the main hall. Another phoenix is ​​going to emerge from our family."

Although it wasn't quite the right approach, Grandmother Jia was indeed a bit better.

"Alright, after all, she's my most beloved Yu'er. Go to the storeroom and pick out two nice things to put in her room."

Although the Jia family was slow in doing things, this matter was ordered by the Empress, and the servants in the house were eager to curry favor with Lin Daiyu, so in just three to five days, everything that needed to be tidied up was done.

On the day Lin Daiyu moved, Mu Chuan was urgently summoned to the palace by the emperor.

As soon as he entered the Imperial Study, he noticed that His Majesty looked unwell, with a furrowed brow and an expression of utter dismay.

Mu Chuan comforted him in his own unique way: "Your Majesty, I am willing to expand Your Majesty's territory and make Your Majesty's power resound throughout the world!"

The emperor chuckled: "No, that's not it. The people I sent to Suzhou have returned with some news."

"My father-in-law... died under suspicious circumstances?" Mu Chuan asked cautiously.

The emperor nodded, then shook his head: "I... Qiao Yue, I feel something is not quite right, but upon closer inspection, it makes perfect sense."

"When Lin Ruhai was seriously ill, the people who could serve him closely were two stewards, four servants, four maids, and a secretary, making a total of eleven people. There were also some menial servants, but we will not worry about them for now."

Mu Chuan nodded.

The Emperor said, "Two stewards died. One died of excessive grief after Lin Ruhai's funeral and was buried next to Lin Ruhai's grave. The other died the following winter. It was said that he caught a cold and, being old, the medicine was ineffective, and he could not be saved."

Before Mu Chuan could speak, the emperor continued, "Both of these stewards are over fifty years old. Logically speaking, at this age, excessive grief or death from illness... cannot be said to be a problem."

Mu Chuan asked, "What about the others? Are they all dead too?"

"The advisor is also dead," the emperor added. "This advisor was taken back to the Jia family to be cared for, but he got drunk two years ago, fell into the river, and died."

"What is the Jia family keeping my father-in-law's advisor for?" Mu Chuan asked.

"The Jia family's claim is that your father-in-law associates with high-ranking officials and dignitaries. The Jia family is also a prominent family in the Jinling area, and keeping such a retainer helps them maintain good relations with the government."

Mu Chuan nodded: "That makes sense."

"Two maids have died," the emperor said. "One died in childbirth and the other died of illness. There are four servants, two of whom are now stewards in the Jia family, and the whereabouts of the other two are unknown."

"There were eleven people in total, and only four are still alive. Qiao Yue, just looking at this, I feel something is wrong."

Mu Chuan didn't say anything about the Rongguo Mansion deserving to die, but instead pressed for details: "What did these four people say in their testimonies?"

"The maid said that the second master of the Jia family, Lian, spends his days indulging in pleasure and even goes on night tours of the Qinhuai River, spending all of Lin's money."

"The servant said that they were kept by the Jia family because the Jia family sold off all of the Lin family's property. In order to shut them up, they found them easy managerial positions where they only received money and did not have to do any work."

The emperor's voice was now filled with barely suppressed anger: "Qiao Yue, I believe those two missing servants were silenced by them. Lin Ruhai must have submitted a memorial! Perhaps the Jia family has even secretly kept one or two of my replies to him!"

The emperor slammed his fist on the table: "The Rongguo Mansion deserves to die! The servants are ignorant. The only ones who had access to the incoming and outgoing memorials were the steward and the clerk, and they are both dead!"

"Jia Lian even burned everything in Lin Ruhai's study, leaving nothing behind. What else could this be but a guilty conscience! He's a good-for-nothing who indulged in debauchery on the Qinhuai River every day when Lin Ruhai was alive, but now that Lin Ruhai is dead, he's acting like the master of the Lin family!"

Even without the emperor saying "I will not spare them," Mu Chuan knew that the Rongguo Mansion was doomed.

In feudal society, the whole world belonged to the emperor. Who in their right mind would dare to tell the emperor, "You have no evidence!"

“This could also be explained as them embezzling the Lin family’s money,” Mu Chuan said. “Besides, if they had the intention, they would have dealt with the memorial as soon as they received it, why wait until the last minute?”

The emperor frowned, his face asking, "Which side are you on?"

"You call Lin Ruhai your father-in-law, so why are you speaking up for the Rongguo Mansion?"

"What I mean is, don't let them get away with this," Mu Chuan said solemnly. "Even if they didn't intercept my father-in-law's memorials, didn't murder anyone, and didn't sow discord between my father-in-law and Your Majesty, it's a fact that they coveted the Lin family's property and didn't treat Miss Lin well. They deserve to die."