Chapter 79: The marriage was arranged, and You Erjie's child was awarded to the Zhang family.

The emperor was relieved and a smile appeared on his face.

Mu Chuan then probed, "Your Majesty, it seems that only Jia Lian knows the truth now. Why not call him here and ask him?"

The emperor did not agree, but said, "Whether or not you ask him is irrelevant."

Okay, the Rongguo Mansion is really doomed.

"As you just said, it is true that they are after Lin Ruhai's property. Moreover, Lin Ruhai is a meticulous person. He would present me with snacks, fruits and local specialties during festivals. He has been seriously ill for almost a year. It is impossible that he only submitted two memorials to me."

Unlike his initial calm tone tinged with a hint of doubt, the emperor was now utterly confident.

"Your Majesty is right," Mu Chuan echoed. "Although I have never met my father-in-law, Miss Lin is considerate and courteous, which my father-in-law must be even more so. Moreover, since the Jia family is after the Lin family's fortune, the imperial court is an obstacle they cannot avoid."

Mu Chuan sighed again, "I have also been to the Rongguo Mansion. They always talk about their merit in supporting the emperor. But I think that merit in supporting the emperor is the achievement of their ancestors. They shouldn't use their ancestors' achievements as a shield. Who would constantly remind others of this? The two dukes of Ning and Rong were so powerful back then. If they knew about the despicable things they did, they would probably be turning in their graves."

These words are exactly what the emperor wants to hear. First, they praise the Jia family ancestors, then they criticize the descendants' incompetence, making the contrast even more striking. To uphold the honor of the Jia family ancestors, Your Majesty should quickly deal with them to prevent them from causing even greater trouble.

How can this not be for the good of the Jia family?

Of course, if it were in front of the retired emperor, there would be no need to go through all this trouble.

The emperor emerged from behind his desk, glanced at the large clock in the room, and thought that although lunch was a bit early, they could eat slowly.

Putting aside other things, the retired emperor, an old man, asked the young and strong Qiao Yue to have dinner with him, and neither of them felt comfortable eating.

It was already past 1-3 PM when I came out of the Imperial Study.

Mu Chuan had only taken two steps when someone called out to him.

"Lord Mu."

Mu Chuan turned around and saw Quan Furen, the emperor's trusted eunuch. He smiled and nodded, "Grand Eunuch."

"Lord Mu, this way please. I have a few words I'd like to say to you." Quan Furen gestured, leading Mu Chuan to a sheltered spot.

The two had no connection, and this Eunuch Quan didn't want to befriend him. Moreover, judging from Zhong Jun's words, this Eunuch Quan was truly loyal. Mu Chuan then put on a serious expression and asked, "What is it, Eunuch? If it might displease His Majesty, I'll pretend I didn't hear it."

Quan Furen smiled and said, "Of course not, it's a matter concerning the Rongguo Mansion." He thought for a moment, "Regardless of whether Lord Lin's memorial was intercepted by the Jia family, this matter should not be made public, and such rumors should not be spread."

Mu Chuan became truly serious this time; he hadn't expected Eunuch Quan to say something like that: "What do you mean, Eunuch Quan?"

"It would damage His Majesty's prestige. His Majesty failed to investigate and was deceived by a few treacherous people for years. Lord Mu, think about it carefully, isn't that the truth?"

Mu Chuan frowned. Did Eunuch Quan have a past connection with the Rongguo Mansion?

Before he could ask, Quan Furen added, "Please rest assured, Your Excellency, whatever the Rongguo Mansion has swallowed will certainly have to be returned, but not under this pretext. His Majesty's wisdom cannot be violated."

Mu Chuan held Quan Furen in high esteem.

He only wanted the Rongguo Mansion to die, but this eunuch Quan wanted the Rongguo Mansion to die with their eyes wide open in disbelief.

Moreover, if this is blocked, then the Rongguo Mansion will have to be dealt with by other means. But His Majesty knows what's going on, and His Majesty will definitely feel resentful. That would be equivalent to adding three degrees to the crime.

Just based on the idea that Eunuch Quan came up with, he fits the stereotype of a eunuch very well.

Mu Chuan then tentatively said, "Thank you for your advice, Eunuch. Let's go back to the Imperial Study and report to His Majesty."

Eunuch Quan smiled and said, "Please, sir."

Seeing the two return, the emperor was still somewhat surprised. Eunuch Quan stepped forward and gently reminded him, "Your Majesty, how can you bother with such petty people? The entire court is watching. And the Four Kings and Eight Dukes... they may well know about these things. The Prince of Beijing has a distinguished reputation and is known for his humility and respect for scholars."

Mu Chuan then added at the opportune moment, "I did not think things through, and I am grateful for Eunuch Quan's reminder."

Although he felt the emperor didn't care about this, thanks to Eunuch Quan's intervention, the severe punishment was changed to death, and beheading was changed to slow slicing, which was to his advantage.

However, Mu Chuan also set a trap for Eunuch Quan. In the short time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he changed his mind. Lin Ruhai was his father-in-law, which shows how powerful Eunuch Quan was.

The emperor thought for a moment, then his face showed displeasure: "I understand. You may all leave. Qiao Yue, don't be anxious. The Empress will be here in a day or two."

This time, after leaving the Imperial Study, Mu Chuan was finally able to walk. He first went to the Daming Palace to pay his respects to the Emperor Emeritus, but was told that the Emperor Emeritus was asleep.

Judging from the eunuch's slightly shifty eyes, he was clearly lying.

No wonder. The last time he went to the palace, he was just accompanying His Majesty to dinner, which made the Emperor Emeritus lose track of him twice. No wonder the Emperor Emeritus was not satisfied.

Mu Chuan then solemnly bowed towards the main hall of the Daming Palace and said righteously, "Please inform the Emperor that I am waiting to row the boat for him."

After saying this, he didn't wait for the eunuch to hesitate and come to a conclusion. He smoothly performed the salutation according to procedure, turned around, and left.

He rode back to the military camp at full speed. After a short training session, Mu Chuan had dinner with Zhong Jun and told him what had just happened.

Zhong Jun smiled rather maliciously: "Eunuch Quan is really... How dare he make decisions for His Majesty? If this continues, he'll be finished sooner or later."

Mu Chuan laughed and said, "Let him hold on a little longer. You said last time that you didn't choose the right people to manage him."

"Third Uncle, we might have to ask Grand Scholar Li to come as well, just like you, and be dissuaded by Eunuch Quan."

Mu Chuan nodded in agreement, then asked, "How's your Five Animal Frolics practice going? How many times can you do the Eight Pieces of Brocade?"

Zhong Jun's smiling face turned into a bitter expression: "Third Uncle, we're eating."

“When your father left, he told me to keep an eye on you and that when he came back, you couldn’t be weaker than him.”

Zhong Jun chuckled twice: "My dad's health... do you think he even knows he's having another child?"

Mu Chuan said, "He's out on business, so he's hard to find. I didn't tell him. But I sent someone to deliver some things to his home."

Zhong Jun shrugged: "I didn't say anything."

That morning, after serving Grandmother Jia breakfast, Wang Xifeng returned home to rest.

This is a stark contrast to her previous routine of getting up before dawn every day and working until the wee hours before going to bed, sometimes even just grabbing a few bites of food haphazardly.

Firstly, her health was indeed not as good as before. Secondly, there were not so many things to do in the Rongguo Mansion. Moreover, the servants were gradually becoming unruly. To put it bluntly, Wang Xifeng was just a gofer. She did not have the right to punish them. Even if she served the old women who had served her for a long time, she had to report to Madam Wang or Grandmother Jia first.

She used to dare to act first and report later, but now she doesn't have that drive anymore; she's afraid that Lady Wang or Grandmother Jia will reject her.

Especially recently, she has a few things to finish: for example, through Yuanyang, Grandmother Jia wants to exchange some items for silver to prepare for Lin Daiyu's dowry, but she complains that the price Lian Erye paid for them was too low, saying that the items she has are all of the finest quality.

The First Madam forced her and Second Master Lian to contribute money and goods to help the First Madam prepare a dowry for Lin Daiyu.

The second wife has recently hinted that she is short of money and has difficulty making ends meet, asking if she has any good ideas on how to get some money to prepare for Lin Daiyu's dowry.

Wang Xifeng got a headache just thinking about it.

"Bullshit!" she cursed. "I don't believe they're really that short of money! The second wife has managed the household for decades, and when I came in, there were less than 100,000 taels of silver in the accounts. Zhou Rui has been in charge of the rent all these years. How much silver has she embezzled!"

Ping'er quickly comforted her, saying, "Why are you thinking about these things again? Just pretend to be sick to avoid trouble. Who in the family doesn't pretend to be sick? Since the New Year, it's either Sister-in-law Zhu who's sick, or Lan'er who's sick. I can hardly remember what Lan'er looks like anymore. And Huan'er, ever since the last time we went to visit relatives, they said Huan'er was sick and wouldn't let him go, so he's been claiming to be sick from the first day of the new year to the fifteenth every year, and nobody's done anything to him."

Wang Xifeng leaned closer, still gritting her teeth: "The master spends eight hundred taels to buy a concubine. The fact that he can afford a concubine that costs eight hundred taels proves that this is how he spends money. That Second Sister You is the daughter of an official, and the Second Master only spent two or three hundred taels to bring her into the family. The bulk of the money was spent on buying the courtyard. How could the eldest son's family not have money?"

However, when it came to You Erjie, Wang Xifeng suddenly frowned: "Speaking of which, how many days has it been since she was taken away? Why hasn't Second Master come to beg me? Has he said anything to you?"

Wang Xifeng originally planned to let things cool down and wait for Jia Lian to come begging to her so she could control him. However, she didn't expect that by letting things cool down, coupled with You Erjie's absence, the dismissal of her maid Shan Jie, and the many household matters, including recently taking stock of the family's assets, Wang Xifeng forgot about this matter.

Ping'er shook her head, about to speak, when she heard a maid outside call out, "Second Master."

Ping'er hurriedly got up to lift the curtain, only to see Jia Lian walk in looking dejected: "Second Sister's child... has been awarded to Zhang Hua's family."

"She gave birth?" Wang Xifeng raised an eyebrow. "How come the case was awarded to Zhang Hua's family? What does Zhang Hua have to do with this? I know nothing about it!"

Jia Lian slumped into a chair, saying painfully, "That day I discussed with Brother Zhen and asked her sister to persuade her not to mention me, but who knew..."

Jia Lian told the whole story: "Zhang Hua is dead. He said he went to a gambling den with the money, and when his wealth was exposed, he was murdered. He died before the New Year. Only his old father is left in the family. He returned the ten taels of silver that he had broken off the engagement with, and gave his second daughter five taels to help her recover. The government then awarded custody of the child to the Zhang family."

"Serves him right!" Wang Xifeng cursed. "Why didn't you tell him to take your good second sister away too?"

Jia Lian became even more distressed: "After all, it's a son."

Wang Xifeng sneered: "Don't be a cuckold and still feel sorry for people. Ten months of pregnancy, do the math yourself, this child may not even be yours."

Jia Lian remained silent, and Wang Xifeng asked again, "Where is Second Sister You?"

"Send her to Huazhi Lane to lie down first." Jia Lian then looked at Wang Xifeng, "I promised to bring her back and take her as my second wife—"

Before he could finish speaking, Wang Xifeng interrupted him: "I don't know. If you're so capable, go ask the old lady yourself. With so many things going on at home, who has time to worry about these things? Besides, you want to ask Madam You for a favor? What can she possibly do? She's never handled anything before, serves her right! The Ning family has just fallen out with us again, and you—you've really lost your mind!"

Jia Lian was weak and listless. Wang Xifeng scolded him, and although her face regained some color after scolding, she felt her heart pounding and she was having trouble breathing. She quickly lay down to rest, and for a while, only heavy breathing could be heard in the room.

"Second Master, Second Madam," Ping'er said anxiously as she entered from outside. "People from the palace have come. Her Majesty the Empress has bestowed a marriage upon Miss Lin and the Earl of Zhongyong."

Wang Xifeng quickly sat up, and then felt dizzy. She didn't care whether others could smell the ginseng on her body or not. She asked Ping'er to cut two thick slices for her and put them under her tongue. After a while, she felt better.

Ping'er helped Wang Xifeng up, and Wang Xifeng glanced at Jia Lian: "I advise you, Second Master, to stop thinking about your Second Sister for now. The Empress has bestowed a marriage upon you, and the dowry list needs to be prepared. Second Master, whether you can get through this depends on you."

After saying that, Wang Xifeng ignored what he said next and hurriedly went to Grandmother Jia's room.

It was said that the Empress bestowed the marriage upon them, but when Wang Xifeng arrived, only her own family members remained in the room. Grandmother Jia's expression... she smiled, but there was something else hidden in her smile.

Wang Xifeng didn't dare to ask, and only smiled at Lin Daiyu: "Congratulations, Miss."

Lin Daiyu blushed slightly: "Thank you, Sister Feng."

Wang Xifeng was unaware of the situation and dared not speak. Madam Wang was afraid that if she spoke, she would be met with "What right do you have?" so she also remained silent.

Even Madam Xing, who was only good at making cheesy jokes, was absent, and the atmosphere became completely cold.

After a long pause, Grandmother Jia smiled, her words carrying a hidden barb: "You all hurry back and think about what to add to the dowry. Yu'er is the apple of my eye. If the dowry isn't good, I won't forgive you!"

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "Grandma, please rest assured. Lin Daiyu has been calling me Sister Feng for over ten years. I will definitely not mistreat her."

As she spoke, she gave Madam Wang a wink, and Madam Wang quickly nodded in agreement: "What Sister Feng says is right."

How could this answer satisfy Grandmother Jia? But at this moment, she was in a state of turmoil and could not care about pursuing the matter further. She simply said, "Alright, you can all go now. I want to have a heart-to-heart talk with Yu'er."

Grandmother Jia held Lin Daiyu's hand tightly and led her into the inner room. Wang Xifeng helped Lady Wang up and waved to Yuanyang. The three of them went outside together. Wang Xifeng didn't care about anything else and said directly, "We have to keep it from Baoyu. The Empress's bestowal of marriage cannot be allowed to go wrong."

Madam Wang gasped, "Anyone who dares to tell Baoyu, lest it trigger his illness again, I'll skin her alive!"

Yuanyang recalled the names of those who had received the firsthand information today and read them out one by one: "I'll go warn them that if they don't cooperate, they'll have to serve us somewhere else."

Wang Xifeng thought for a moment: "Baoyu doesn't recognize people. He can't even remember his own maids, let alone the ones in the old lady's room." She glanced at Yuanyang again, "I'll tell Ping'er when I go out, but Xiren can't know."

Yuanyang nodded in agreement and added a name: "Zijuan mustn't know either."

Madam Wang said, "There's no need to hide it from Xiren. I feel at ease with her watching over me."

Yuanyang and Wang Xifeng exchanged a glance, both seeing the same thought in each other's eyes: if Madam says this, and something goes wrong, it will be her problem.

Neither of them objected. Instead, they turned around and began to arrange for people to be dealt with. Not only the maids needed to be warned, but the young ladies also needed to be addressed one by one.

Lin Daiyu followed Grandmother Jia into the inner room. Grandmother Jia held her hand tightly, but after they sat down, Grandmother Jia did not speak.

Grandmother Jia had so much to say that she didn't know where to begin.

Although Jia Zhen next door—who will soon no longer be next door—has been urging her to take the initiative to go and find the Earl of Zhongyong, Grandmother Jia has not made a move.

Besides being unwilling and not wanting to be inferior to others, she also had a rather hidden idea.

The Rongguo Mansion went to find the Earl of Zhongyong for a private engagement. How could that be as respectable as a marriage bestowed by the palace?

She kept delaying, hoping that the Earl of Zhongyong would plead with the palace.

Getting married isn't about making enemies. Even if the empress in the palace bestows a marriage upon you, you still have to ask both sets of parents for their consent first. Of course, the Earl of Zhongyong can make his own decisions.

But Yu'er is different. She raised Yu'er herself, and the Rongguo Mansion is her maternal home. This way, she can get another chance to enter the palace.

Putting everything else aside, those wicked and wicked people, seeing this, will naturally show more respect to the Rongguo Mansion, and the Rongguo Mansion will have an easier time in the future.

But who would have thought that the palace would act differently from usual, issuing an imperial decree without even asking her a question?

Grandmother Jia was so angry she was practically fuming, and she gritted her teeth in hatred, but there was nothing she could do.

She took several deep breaths and managed to say, "I've found you a good marriage, so I can at least face your parents in the afterlife with a clear conscience."

Lin Daiyu felt that the word "give" was not quite right, but her face was still a little hot at the moment, so she just hummed softly and didn't say anything.

Grandmother Jia continued, "Going to someone else's house is not as free as staying at home. You'll have to control your temper. Although I'm reluctant to part with you... alas. A daughter should marry when she comes of age, and I can't keep you here forever."

Lin Daiyu couldn't help but recall what her third brother had said before: This is how it is when you live in someone else's house.

The corners of her mouth turned up.

She even wanted to ask her maternal grandmother what would happen to her engagement with Jia Baoyu.

Clearly, Grandmother Jia had misunderstood. She then sighed and said, “Of the four virtues of a woman, virtue refers to moral character and cultivation, speech refers to speaking appropriately, appearance requires you to be dignified and composed, and the last one, work, is managing the household, supporting your husband and raising your children, as well as needlework, and so on.”

Lin Daiyu basically let it go in one ear and out the other, her mind filled with thoughts of how her third brother could act so quickly. The female official even asked her for her birth date and time, which was quite embarrassing.

Grandmother Jia continued, “You are going to be the first wife, and your appearance will only overshadow your character. When people hear that a woman is very beautiful, they will overlook all her virtues. Besides, when choosing a wife, one should choose a virtuous one, and only when choosing a concubine should one consider her appearance. That’s why I have always said that Xue Baoqin is prettier than you, just to keep your appearance from getting out. You are the most beautiful one, and Xue Baoqin is just a shield.”

Lin Daiyu had a slightly different opinion. Ever since she told her third brother that she couldn't marry Jia Baoyu, she stopped lying to herself.

What my grandmother said was clearly meant to belittle me: Look, you're not even as good-looking as a merchant's daughter.

She couldn't write poetry as well as Xue Baochai, and she couldn't compare to Xue Baoqin in looks. But one of them had a golden and jade-like match, and the other had only met once, so Grandmother Jia wanted to ask for Jia Baoyu to marry her.

How could someone like her be worthy of Jia Baoyu?

Third Brother said she was pretty, Mother Shen said she was pretty, the girls she met last time also said she was pretty, and even the Empress and the Princess said she was pretty.

Lin Daiyu suddenly understood what her grandmother meant when she said, "The Rongguo Mansion is a middle-class family."

After all, truly upper-class families don't engage in such superficiality, and they speak with unwavering honesty.

Lin Daiyu then asked, "I remember that the first time my maternal grandmother met Baoqin, she fell in love with her so much that she even wanted to ask Bao Erye to marry her."

Grandmother Jia remained calm. She sighed and said, "This is the second lesson I want to teach you: a woman's words. I said this to give the eldest daughter of the Xue family a warning. Remember, now that you are the mistress of the house, you cannot speak too directly. Always leave something unsaid. That way, if something goes wrong in the future, it will be because the servants did not understand your meaning."

Lin Daiyu frowned slightly. She remembered that her third brother always gave clear instructions to his subordinates, including when they went out to eat. There was absolutely no way to misunderstand anything.

This includes... directly asking: "Would you like to be the wife of the Marquis of Zhongyong?"

Lin Daiyu smiled again.

Grandmother Jia was overjoyed; she had taken his advice to heart!