The cannon fodder character in the Dream of the Red Chamber's substitute marriage story tries her best to rewrite her life (8 questions)...
Jia Daishan and Shi, who were recuperating at home, also heard the rumors. At first, neither of them believed them, thinking they must be just rumors.
Everyone knows that the man San Yatou married, Mingrui, is a sickly man who is nearing the end of his life. How could he possibly grow high-yield crops?
Upon inquiry, it turned out to be that sickly man. Now, not only has his health improved, but his title has also been promoted, skipping several ranks to become the Duke of Feng'en.
In the Qing Dynasty, noble titles were divided into titles for members of the imperial family and titles for meritorious officials.
The imperial family had twelve ranks of nobility, with the Prince of the First Rank being the highest and the General of Favor, a fourth-rank official, being the lowest.
There are nine ranks of nobility for meritorious officials, with the highest being Duke, which is further divided into first, second, and third ranks. Jia Daishan was the highest-ranking Duke among the meritorious officials, second only to the princes and dukes of the imperial family.
This is why the Jia family was confident and didn't take the General Feng'en's Mansion seriously.
Mingrui has now risen to the sixth rank of Feng'en Fuguo Gong, which is a super rank among the imperial clansmen, higher than the first rank officials.
The key point is that he is still young and absolutely has a bright future.
His achievements are so great that he can live off them for a lifetime. Even if the next emperor ascends the throne, he, as the Duke of the State, will be treated with great respect.
If he cultivates high-yield grains in the future, his title will surely be promoted again. Previously, Jia Daishan was a favorite of Emperor Kangxi, and even if Mingrui was promoted to Duke of Feng'en, he would be nothing compared to him.
Now he only has the title of Duke of Rongguo, but he has also relinquished his military power. He has fallen out of favor with Emperor Kangxi, and with the relentless suppression from Nersu and his wife, the Jia family is declining even faster than in the previous generation.
In the past, whenever a family in the capital held a banquet, the Shi family would always be honored guests. Now, not only are they not honored, but they don't even receive invitations anymore.
Shi was both angry and anxious. She could only rage helplessly at home, but she had no good solutions. All she could do was urge Jia Daishan to find a good son-in-law for his eldest daughter, Jia Minxiang.
Jia Daishan had long ago set his sights on Lin Ruhai, the newly appointed third-ranked scholar in the imperial examinations. Lin Ruhai was born into a distinguished family; his ancestors had been marquises for three generations, and his father's family had inherited the title an extra generation due to the emperor's favor.
The hereditary title was no longer passed down to him, but he lived up to expectations and, through his talent and learning, became a third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination, and is now a compiler in the Hanlin Academy.
The Hanlin Academy was known as the "place of future prime ministers," and there was a saying that only those who had passed the imperial examinations could enter the Hanlin Academy, and only those who had passed the Hanlin Academy could enter the Grand Secretariat.
The next generation of the Jia family to inherit the title was his eldest son, Jia She, but he was spoiled by the old lady and was a womanizer, not a qualified person to take charge.
The second son, Jia Zheng, although he loved reading from a young age, had limited talent and was too pedantic in his theoretical knowledge. He could not adapt to the complex officialdom and could only be a maintainer of the status quo.
The Jia family rose to prominence through military achievements since the two Dukes of Ning and Rong. By his generation, they were the third generation. As imperial power changed, the emperor's wariness of these families with military achievements gradually deepened, making it imperative for them to abandon military pursuits and turn to civil service.
The fact that their family had no heir was also an important factor, while Lin Ruhai came from a noble family and was himself a third-ranked scholar.
If they could find such a fine son-in-law, the Jia family could form an alliance with civil officials who passed the imperial examinations, and the next generation might have the opportunity to enter officialdom through the examinations.
This marriage was the best choice Jia Daishan had thought about for a long time and finally made for Jia Min.
In the past, Jia Daishan would have gone straight to the palace to see Emperor Kangxi and ask him to issue an edict to arrange the marriage with the Lin family.
But now his status in front of Kangxi is far less than before, especially since his eldest daughter is now a princess in the Crown Prince's harem.
If he were to enter the palace to request this marriage, Emperor Kangxi would most likely assume that the Crown Prince wanted to win over the Lin family.
This put Jia Daishan in a difficult position. After thinking it over, he decided to discuss it with Shi and ask her to ask an intermediary to discuss the marriage between the two families with the matriarch of the Lin family.
It can only be said that Jia Daishan didn't understand Shi Shi at all. In her opinion, if Jia Xuan, a concubine's daughter, could enter the Crown Prince's palace as a princess, then her Min'er could marry into the royal family and become a prince's wife.
A mere third-ranking scholar like him is not worthy of marrying their precious daughter. Her daughter should not be married worse than that lowly girl Jia Hui.
Shi was provoked by Mingrui's conferment of the title of Duke of the State, and she was determined to find Jia Min a good husband who was perfect in every way, and that she would never let Jia Hui outshine her.
As a result, Jia Daishan poured cold water on her, saying that he had taken a liking to Lin Ruhai, the newly appointed third-ranked scholar, and asked her to sound out the Lin family's opinion on whether they were willing to form a marriage alliance with his family.
Mrs. Shi was furious. Why wouldn't the Lin family agree to a marriage alliance with them? No, she simply looked down on the Lin family.
Shi was extremely unwilling to go, but dared not disobey Jia Daishan's wishes, so she could only reluctantly agree, while secretly plotting how to outwardly comply but inwardly defy him.
After much thought, she suddenly had a brilliant idea. She asked her younger siblings for help; matters concerning her Min'er should be handled by reliable people.
She instructed Mrs. Shi: "This matter is our master's idea. I have no interest in that Lin family."
After you go, think of a way to convey our master's thoughts to them, and ideally, to make the Lin family back down and stop them from even considering marrying my Min'er.
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Shi immediately understood: "Making the Lin family back down is easy, isn't it? When I get there, I'll just praise how wealthy your Jia family is and how pampered your daughters are."
The Lin family is a scholarly family and looks down on our noble families. Besides, Lin Ruhai is the only son in the family, so Madam Lin definitely wants to marry a virtuous and capable matriarch. I guarantee I can make them back out on their own.”
When Mrs. Shi arrived at the Lin family's residence, she chatted with Madam Lin for a few minutes and realized that the Lin family had never considered a marriage alliance with a noble family like the Jia family.
The Lin family was once a prominent family. Lin Ruhai finally passed the imperial examination and entered officialdom, and the Lin family became a scholarly family.
Their family was eager to find him a girl from a respectable, scholarly family; they had no desire to be associated with a family like the Jia family, which relied on ancestral honors.
Moreover, the Jia family's reputation in the capital was already infamous. Who didn't know about the scandalous actions of the matriarch, Lady Shi? Look at the families she chose for her illegitimate daughters: one was married off to bring good luck, and another was married to a poor scholar with no social standing.
The Lin family would never dare to marry a daughter raised by such a short-sighted matriarch. Adding to this, Mrs. Shi's arrogant demeanor, with her undisguised contempt, infuriated Mrs. Lin so much that she simply served tea and sent the guests away.
When Shi learned of the Lin family's attitude, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time was extremely indignant. Her Min'er was so good, how dare that old bastard of the Lin family despise her? It was outrageous.
Jia Daishan had no idea about Shi's shady dealings. He thought that since his family had already sent someone to sound out the Lin family's intentions, if the Lin family was interested, they would most likely send a matchmaker to propose marriage.
He waited and waited, but two months passed without any movement from the Lin family. He then tried to make contact with Lin Ruhai, devising many methods, but unfortunately, his health failed him, and he had to give up in the end.
Several more months passed, and Jia Daishan could no longer sit still. He decided to go to the palace to ask Emperor Kangxi for a marriage decree.
His health was deteriorating day by day, and he didn't know how much longer he had to live. He wouldn't be able to die in peace until he had made proper arrangements for Jia Min, his only legitimate daughter.
He first presented his nameplate requesting an audience, and after Kangxi granted it, he was helped into the palace by a servant. When Kangxi saw his appearance, he was truly astonished.
You should know that Jia Daishan was a few years younger than him, so how did he become such a horrible sight in such a short time?
Even walking required assistance. Emperor Kangxi, who was generally lenient towards veteran officials, was somewhat moved by Jia Daishan's condition. He spoke to him with a gentler tone, not only reassuring him to rest and recuperate but also offering him a seat.
Jia Daishan was already panting heavily from exhaustion. He sat in a chair for a long time to recover, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. He apologized to Kangxi and explained his purpose for coming.
"This servant's health is failing. Both of my legitimate sons are married and have children, and all three of my illegitimate daughters are married. Only my legitimate daughter has not yet been married."
This servant was truly afraid that her poor health would implicate her, so after much thought, I had no choice but to swallow my pride and come to the palace to plead with the Emperor.
After pondering for a while, Emperor Kangxi couldn't think of a suitable candidate, so he simply asked, "Do you have a son-in-law in mind?"
Jia Daishan took a breath: "This servant once had the chance to meet Lord Lin Ruhai of the Hanlin Academy. He is elegant and talented. It would be a great blessing for my daughter if we could marry him."
Emperor Kangxi did not agree directly. He had to ask the other party involved about the marriage. What if Lin Shidu was already engaged? Wouldn't he be the villain who broke up the couple?
Emperor Kangxi had a very good impression of Lin Ruhai. After Lin Ruhai entered the Hanlin Academy, he was initially appointed as an editor. Later, due to his good performance, he was appreciated by his superiors and made a tutor.
Their main job was to explain classics and historical texts to the emperor, and they could even provide advisory advice and participate in court document work.
Therefore, although they were only sixth-rank officials, they had direct access to the emperor and were regarded as a stepping stone to promotion to higher-ranking civil officials.
Lin Ruhai was not only handsome, but also very knowledgeable at a young age. When he explained classics and historical texts to the emperor, he could easily recall various allusions. Emperor Kangxi was very impressed with him and was planning to give him a good appointment after further investigation.
This is one of the reasons why Emperor Kangxi hesitated and did not immediately agree when Jia Daishan came to request a marriage decree. Lin Ruhai was the future pillar of the state that Emperor Kangxi had in mind, and he naturally preferred Lin Ruhai to Jia Daishan.
The next day, Lin Ruhai came to the Southern Study again to explain the classics and historical texts to Emperor Kangxi. Emperor Kangxi casually asked him, "My dear minister, are you married?"
Lin Ruhai's heart sank. He was very well-informed. Yesterday, the Duke of Rongguo entered the palace, and today the Emperor asked him if he was married. It seemed that the Duke of Rongguo had not given up on the matter of arranging a marriage between their families.
While thinking to himself, Lin Ruhai showed no sign on his face: "Your Majesty, I have already arranged a marriage. It was my senior brother Zhang Tingyu who acted as matchmaker, and the bride is his second younger sister."
Kangxi was taken aback: "Zhang Ying's second daughter? You and Zhang Tingyu were born in the same year. He had a good relationship with you and even betrothed his younger sister to you. Zhang Ying didn't beat him up?"
Lin Ruhai was a little embarrassed: "I guess he was beaten up. The next day, Brother Tingyu came to the Hanlin Academy with a limp."
The next day, my teacher called me over and tested my homework, telling me not to slack off and to write ten articles to hand in to him at home.
Later, they told me to go home and tell my mother to ask a matchmaker to come and propose marriage.
Kangxi was amused by his words: "This is the kind of thing he would do. It's a good marriage. Zhang Ying comes from a good family, and his daughter is bound to be good. You're lucky, kid."
After leaving the South Study, Lin Ruhai's back was soaked with sweat; thankfully, he made a quick decision.
That night, after Mrs. Shi visited, he had a dream in which Jia Daishan asked Emperor Kangxi for a marriage before he died, and he married Jia Min, the eldest daughter of the Jia family.
Jia Min was beautiful and talented, and the two were very loving after marriage. Their only regret was that they had never had children after many years of marriage.
For this reason, Jia Min sought out famous doctors everywhere and drank countless bitter medicines. Eventually, she became pregnant and gave birth to Daiyu.
Jia Min's health was damaged after giving birth to a daughter, making it difficult for him to conceive again. In order to continue his lineage, he took several concubines at his mother's urging.
The couple's relationship was thus overshadowed. Even though he repeatedly assured Jia Min that he was only taking concubines for the purpose of having children, and that he rarely visited the concubines in the backyard, Jia Min was still rarely happy.
Later, when one of his concubines gave birth to a son, he took the child to the main courtyard and registered the child under Jia Min's name.
Jia Min also doted on this son, raising him like a precious jewel until he was three years old. However, a sudden cold caused her son to die, and Jia Min's health also completely collapsed.
She passed away after being bedridden for half a year. Before she died, she begged that her daughter Daiyu be sent to the Jia family in the capital so that Daiyu could fulfill her filial duties to Grandmother Jia.
Considering the dangers he had repeatedly encountered in Jiangnan, and his trust in Jia Min's maternal family, he ultimately sent his daughter Daiyu to the capital.
Back then, Grandmother Jia wrote letter after letter to Jiangnan, wanting to bring Yu'er to the capital. But when Yu'er arrived in the capital, she entered through a side gate and stayed in the Green Gauze Pavilion, while Jia Baoyu actually stayed in the outer room of the Green Gauze Pavilion.
When Daiyu arrived in the capital, he sent two boatloads of festival gifts, including 50,000 taels of silver, because he was afraid that his daughter would be mistreated in the Jia family. However, she was mistreated everywhere she went in the Jia family.
He was also blind to the truth and didn't even arrange for someone to check how his daughter was doing. In the end, he even entrusted his family property to the Jia family.
His soul lingered after his death, constantly haunting the Jia family. The Jia family took the Lin family's million-dollar fortune, but in doing so, they caused the death of Yu'er.
Later, he overheard Wang whispering to her confidante and learned that Jia Min's inability to conceive for many years was due to her sending someone to poison her.
Jin Yu's untimely death was orchestrated by his good mother-in-law, all for the sake of the Lin family's fortune.
Grandmother Jia wanted Yu'er to marry Baoyu, so that even though Baoyu could not inherit the Jia family's title, he could still live a life of wealth and honor.
Wang's words implied that his beloved wife, Jia Min, had given his blessing in death; otherwise, how could the people around her have dared to do it?
After waking up, Lin Ruhai thought a lot. Perhaps Jia Min was innocent, after all, Jia Min treated Jin Yu as her own son.
But he didn't want to have anything to do with the Jia family anymore. The officialdom was cruel enough, and with the Jia family dragging him down, no matter how hard he tried, his fate wouldn't be any better than in his dream.
In his dream, he and Jia Min might have had genuine feelings for each other, but no matter how deep those feelings were, he couldn't bring himself to ruin the Lin family line for her sake.
He would never allow his daughter to end up in the kind of situation depicted in his dream. His Yu'er should be loved by her parents, grow up in the care of her family, and marry a good man who knows and loves her.
Jia Baoyu, a weak and incompetent man, is not worthy of his Yu'er.
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