Chapter 63 Jia Zheng Dismisses His Post "Second Aunt Doesn't Miss Zhou Mama?"...
After leaving Rongguo Mansion, Mu Chuan immediately went to the palace to report back.
His Majesty asked the question yesterday, and he handled it today. This is the kind of efficiency one should have when dealing with an emperor.
"Miss Lin was in the inner quarters, mainly serving Lord Lin his medicine and meals. At that time, besides the steward, the clerk, and the servants in the study, Jia Lian from the Rongguo Mansion was also serving Lord Lin at his bedside."
This matter is impossible to investigate because these people cannot serve you all day long. No matter who it is, they can only say that they did not do anything wrong, and they cannot guarantee that others did not.
After asking around, everyone became a suspect.
The most crucial point is that there's only one outsider here, Jia Lian. If he doesn't take the blame, who will?
The emperor pondered for a moment.
Mu Chuan continued, “Your Majesty, as you know, I wish to marry Miss Lin. I have already sent people to Yangzhou to investigate. The servants of the Lin family were sold by the Rongguo Mansion, and the ancestral graves and residence of the Lin family are now also under the care of the Rongguo Mansion. The only people left in the Lin family are Miss Lin, her maid, and her nanny. Even the family of this maid and nanny has disappeared.”
"I order the eunuchs and the Embroidered Uniform Guards to investigate." The emperor's face had darkened. If this wasn't considered profiting from a childless family, then what was?
"Miss Lin also said that she was in a daze at the time, and only remembered that it seemed like two relatives of the Lin family came to pay their respects."
Mu Chuan sighed, "She received a letter from Lord Lin at the end of the year, saying that he was ill and needed to be taken back. The Rongguo Mansion arranged for her to return the following spring. Lord Lin passed away on the third day of the ninth month."
After outlining the timeline, Mu Chuan added, "Miss Lin said her father had been reduced to skin and bones, taking medicine every day just to stay alive. She said she wished she could beg her father to let go, that she didn't want him to suffer anymore. Lord Lin..."
The emperor was also a very emotional person, and hearing Mu Chuan say this made him feel uncomfortable all over.
"Lin Ruhai doesn't want to die! He's holding on—" He must be waiting for something!
The emperor suddenly stood up: "Feng Shun! Send the men out today!"
The emperor speaking to a eunuch is certainly different from giving instructions to a minister. Mu Chuan, being very perceptive, took his leave and went to the Daming Palace to pay his respects to the retired emperor.
The Emperor Emeritus laughed and said, “You’ve come at an inopportune time. I didn’t eat well the past two days. The imperial physician told me to eat vegetarian food for the next two days, mostly mushrooms stewed with cabbage. The only meat dish I had was pan-fried tofu.”
Who would care about meat or vegetables when they have the opportunity to dine with the retired emperor?
Mu Chuan said, "I have heard that a good skill lies in making cabbage well."
“That’s true.” The Emperor Emeritus couldn’t bear to let him go hungry. “You’re such a big guy. Dai Quan, tell them to roast some venison.”
Mu Chuan thanked the Emperor, who then said, "In spring, the yang energy arises, so eat more venison to nourish yourself."
After the meal, Mu Chuan took the opportunity of physical activity to demonstrate a powerful and vigorous set of boxing techniques to the Emperor Emeritus.
The retired emperor was both pleased and regretful: "I truly wish I were twenty years younger!"
At Shenshi (3-5 PM), Mu Chuan returned home, sat down in his study, and began his daily calligraphy practice.
As he wrote, he suddenly sighed: "She listens to everything I say, sigh... How can she trust me so much? I really didn't have good intentions."
His tone was full of laughter and boasting, without any regret or self-blame.
But after showing off, he was troubled. What kind of opportunity should he seek to change his status from elder and older brother to that of a eligible unmarried young man?
After thinking for a long time, the ink in the inkstone had become thick, and Mu Chuan could only come to one conclusion: adapt to the situation.
But no matter what, opportunities only come when you meet people. Mu Chuan found the invitation that the Chongwenmen Tax Bureau had sent last time. He saw that the date was the third day of the second month, so he wrote a letter and sent it to Lin Daiyu along with the invitation.
"If she wants to go, I'll pick her up that day."
After sending the invitation, Mu Chuan summoned Zhang Qiang. He had specifically arranged for Zhang Qiang to go to the Rongguo Mansion to gather information.
At first, I went frequently, but after I found out more about the places, I started going only once every ten days or half a month.
Zhang Qiang entered and bowed first, his tone filled with excitement: "General, the people of Rongguo Mansion are much tighter on their tongues now, especially when I asked Miss Lin. They actually knew how to evade my questions, only saying that Miss Lin is very nice and that she wouldn't even drink with me."
Mu Chuan chuckled, finally relieved: "Not bad, with so many examples before them, they finally know how to be proper servants."
When the invitation from the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion was delivered to the Rongguo Mansion, Lin Daiyu had just finished eating and was sitting next to Grandmother Jia, listening to her tell stories of the past.
In summary, it describes how good the Shi family was originally, how Grandmother Jia lived as a young lady at home, how good the Rongguo Mansion was, how Jia Min lived at home, and finally, it extends to Lin Daiyu, how she resembles Jia Min, and how she resembles Grandmother Jia in her youth, showing a continuous lineage across three generations.
Lin Daiyu had only attended two calligraphy classes that morning, and besides, she had to pretend to be with her third brother, otherwise she was afraid of saying something she shouldn't. So she just wanted to rest. If Yuanyang hadn't come to invite her personally, she wouldn't have come out for dinner.
Fortunately, with Wang Xifeng around, there's no shortage of comedians, so it won't matter if she says a few less words.
Lin Daiyu held a teacup in her hands, taking sips every now and then, and using the opportunity to look at others.
She was quite grateful to her third brother for giving her the freedom to remain silent in the Rongguo Mansion.
"For families that are particular about tradition, the New Year celebrations aren't truly over until the second day of the second lunar month," Grandmother Jia said with a smile, explaining the traditional calendar to everyone while occasionally glancing at Lin Daiyu out of the corner of her eye.
Although Yu'er might be a little tired that day, the coldness towards her—Grandmother Jia glared at Madam Wang fiercely, all because of the trouble she caused!
When Wang Shi first married into the family, she and Min'er were already at odds. At that time, she thought that Min'er would be getting married soon, so she didn't pay much attention to it. Little did she know that this would only embolden Wang Shi, and now she was taking revenge on Yu'er.
If it weren't for her, how could Yu'er have become estranged from her maternal grandmother who loved her the most?
Thinking about it, Grandmother Jia smiled at Madam Xing again: "At your age, you should take good care of your health. Yuanyang, go and get a red ginseng for your first wife."
After saying that, she instructed Madam Xing, "Slice it and drink it. Also, take Liuwei Dihuang Pills. Although there are no precious ingredients in this medicine, it's good for your health if you start taking it from the time of Jingzhe (Awakening of Insects). You're young, so you don't need anything too strong."
Madam Xing's flattery lasted only for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, and then she began to wonder: Did the old lady take the wrong medicine? What does the old lady want to do?
Madam Wang grew increasingly irritated. She turned to Tan Chun and asked, "I haven't heard you speak. Are you feeling unwell?" This was merely a prelude. Before Tan Chun could even reply, she continued, "In your grandmother's room, everyone there is either your elder or your sibling. Don't act superior."
Tan Chun blushed slightly, quickly pinched her thigh, and forced herself to say "yes".
With Madam Wang's words, everyone in the room except for the Xue family mother and daughter, who were unaffected, had to think twice before speaking.
"Miss Lin, a letter from the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence." The old woman from the second gate came in, first bowed to Grandmother Jia, and then respectfully handed the letter to Lin Daiyu.
The contrast between his previous and subsequent attitudes suggests that his greeting to Grandmother Jia was somewhat perfunctory.
As Lin Daiyu opened the letter and was reading it, Jia Baoyu, sitting on the other side of Grandmother Jia, couldn't resist his curiosity and leaned over to take a look as well.
Lin Daiyu pressed the letter down, glared at him, and said, "Does Master Bao know what 'do not look at what is improper' means?"
Jia Baoyu chuckled twice and was about to speak when Grandmother Jia gently patted him and said to Lin Daiyu with a smile, "He's always been like this, he has no bad intentions. You two have grown up together since childhood, why make such a fuss?"
Jia Baoyu breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "I only saw the words 'the third day of the second month,' is there any arrangement?"
If you're going out, you should at least let them know, even if you don't need to worry about whether they agree or not. Besides, what does it matter to her what happens to Jia Baoyu?
Anyway, he's clueless about worldly affairs, so he can't bother contacting the Mu family or the Lin family.
Lin Daiyu accepted the letter and said gently, "There's a charity sale on the third day of the second lunar month, organized by the Chongwenmen Tax Office. My third brother said he wants to go and see if he can find some interesting things."
Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "I know that. It's quite lively. I've accompanied your grandfather there twice before."
This sentence was spoken to the younger generation in the room, and another sentence was given to Lin Daiyu: "I will prepare some silver for you. Buy whatever you want yourself. Don't always use the money of the Marquis of Zhongyong."
Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "Thank you, Grandmother."
This conversation made Tan Chun feel annoyed. She told herself not to take Aunt Zhao to heart, but her words, such as "Madam can't possibly be sincere to you" and "You're getting old, so you should make plans early," still left some impression on Tan Chun.
Moreover, Tan Chun was the one who cared most about the Jia family. This comparison confirmed her suspicion once again: the Rongguo Mansion was indeed declining step by step.
Last time, the Earl of Zhongyong gave me a fur coat from Liao's shop. My grandmother said she knew about it and that Liao's shop was famous throughout the capital, but no one in the household owned any of their clothes. This time, she said she knew about the charity sale, but no one in the household had ever been there.
Back then, even my grandmother and the old women in the mansion thought that "Lord Zhongyong was from a peasant background and had never seen the world," but the Rongguo Mansion was indeed no match for him.
Tan Chun became increasingly silent.
As dusk fell, Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "Go back now." Then she added to Madam Xing, "Don't leave yet, I have something to tell you."
Madam Wang's expression immediately became subtle, and upon closer examination, it might even have contained a hint of schadenfreude.
She knew what the old lady wanted to say: to ask the eldest son's family to contribute money to make a dowry for the sickly child left behind by her short-lived sister-in-law.
Lady Wang slowed her pace, pulling her sisters along as they pretended to chat at the entrance of Grandmother Jia's courtyard, waiting to see what would happen.
Aunt Xue naturally cooperated.
Lin Daiyu and the others left Grandmother Jia's courtyard and headed towards the Grand View Garden.
Li Wan pulled Tan Chun aside and said with a smile, "Good girl, I have something to trouble you with."
Tan Chun perked up: "Sister-in-law, just tell me what you need to do, and I'll do whatever I can."
"Well, it's spring now, and your nephew keeps feeling unwell here and there. I have to take care of him, so there's no one to watch the small kitchen. I was thinking that since the New Year is over, if you have some free time, young lady, why don't you look after the small kitchen for me?"
Originally eager to manage the small kitchen, Tan Chun found it tasteless and uninteresting after seeing it clearly.
But after all the effort she had put in, going to find Sister Lin, her own sisters, and even privately pleading with Sister Feng. She had even stayed up several nights writing down in detail how to manage, how to correct, how to punish, and how to reward.
Tan Chun smiled gratefully at Li Wan: "Since Lan Ge'er isn't feeling well, please prepare some light and easily digestible food for him these next few days, so he doesn't get indigestion."
On her way back to Xiaoxiang Pavilion, Lin Daiyu noticed that the old women she encountered were quite different.
Seeing her approaching from afar, they waited on both sides of the road with fawning and respectful smiles, and a hint of panic as if they wanted to lie on the ground and be her cushion so she could step on them.
That's true. Even Granny Lai has been arrested. Which of them can be as strong as Granny Lai?
Lin Daiyu couldn't help but think that if Zhou Rui's wife were to continue feigning madness, she would probably be unable to utter a complete sentence before being dragged away by these old women.
Thinking of Zhou Rui's wife, Lin Daiyu suddenly had two more "heartfelt" words she wanted to say to Madam Wang, so she turned around and went to her maternal grandmother's courtyard.
Madam Xing stormed out of Grandmother Jia's room, the ginseng root in her hand a dilemma – she didn't know whether to throw it away or not, but holding it made her feel even more disgusted.
Fortunately, Wang Shanbao's wife was waiting for her outside, so as soon as she came out to the porch, Madam Xing threw the things into her arms.
"She's really like a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken—she's up to no good! It's just a broken ginseng root, a red one at that, and she wants to make our eldest son's family pay up. When she gives good things to the second son's family, why doesn't she think of the eldest son's family?"
What is red ginseng?
Red ginseng is ginseng that has been steamed. After steaming, it looks much thicker, but its medicinal properties are weaker than wild ginseng. To put it nicely, it is suitable for the elderly or people with weak constitutions who cannot take ginseng.
To put it bluntly, the ginseng is too thin, so it won't fetch a good price if sold directly. Or maybe the roots were broken during harvesting, so steaming them makes them less noticeable.
"Is this all the broken stuff? The old lady has really fallen on hard times."
Madam Xing came out in a huff and saw Madam Wang and Aunt Xue talking in the courtyard.
Their eyes met, and Madam Wang smiled faintly.
Madam Xing immediately launched into a zero-frame attack, sneering, "Has the Second Master returned yet? It's almost dark. Instead of enjoying the flowers here, you should be worried about your master. He's been back for days, constantly being summoned for questioning, spending more time at the yamen than at home. Do you really think he's going to get a promotion?"
After Madam Xing finished speaking, she left. Madam Wang was so angry that her face turned red, especially since she had been embarrassed in front of Aunt Xue. This was something she couldn't tolerate.
"No wonder she comes from a poor family! She has the nerve to say she cares about her brother-in-law!"
But that wasn't the end of it. Madam Wang took two steps forward and saw Lin Daiyu coming again.
After the two greeted each other, Madam Xing walked so fast that she didn't seem like a lady, while Lin Daiyu remained unhurried and stood in front of Madam Wang.
Madam Wang frowned, suppressing her anger, and managed to speak reasonably: "You've come to pay your respects to your maternal grandmother again?"
Lin Daiyu shook her head and said with a slight smile, "I do have a few words to say to my second aunt."
Madam Wang raised an eyebrow. What could those two possibly have to say? It was all just superficial talk.
Lin Daiyu's smile faded, and she said sadly, "I heard that Zhou Mama is going to Pingnan Town in a couple of days. Will Second Aunt go to see her off? Should I say hello to Uncle Zhongyong? And let Second Aunt say a few words to her? After all, she has served Second Aunt for many years, and the whole family works for you. Aren't you sad, Second Aunt? Aren't you heartbroken at all?"
Even though she was initially saddened to hear Zhou Rui's name, after hearing these words, Madam Wang felt nothing but anger!
Moreover, for a long time, whenever she thought of Zhou Rui's wife, Lin Daiyu's sarcastic remarks from today would come to mind.
Seeing that Madam Wang remained silent, her cheeks bulging from clenching her teeth, Lin Daiyu sighed, "If Second Aunt doesn't want to go, I'll go and see. Before Zhou Mama left, she even kowtowed to me twice."
After Lin Daiyu finished speaking, she left.
She walked with a light step and a smile on her face. Her second aunt had made a show of force from the moment she entered the mansion, followed by one trap after another.
Since we don't like each other anyway, let's just leave it at that.
Aunt Xue looked down at her hands, which were swollen from being pinched by Madam Wang. If she didn't let go, her hands would break.
"How dare she! I'm her elder!"
Aunt Xue reached out with her other hand, seemingly to pat her in comfort, but actually to hold onto Madam Wang's hand tightly, finally managing to free her own battered hand.
Was her mother like this before?
Sure enough, Madam Wang's eyes reddened with anger: "She's exactly like her mother who died young! Sharp-tongued and mean-spirited, how could she possibly accumulate any good fortune! She's destined to die a violent death sooner or later!"
Just as Madam Wang was about to speak again, she saw Yu Chuan'er rushing in from her room: "Madam, Master is back."
Just as Madam Wang was about to scold her for saying such a vague sentence, she noticed that her eyes were red and her face was full of fear. Upon further reflection, she realized that her voice seemed to be trembling.
Madam Wang frowned, still wanting to maintain the facade with Aunt Xue: "I'll head back now. It's getting late, you should go back early too."
Family members know each other best, and Aunt Xue smiled and said, "Although it's already spring, the nights are still cool, so be careful not to get sick."
The two sisters parted ways, and Madam Wang hurriedly walked back.
Upon entering the room, she saw Jia Zheng slumped weakly in a chair, looking utterly dejected, as if his bones were broken; his face was deathly pale, and his clothes were disheveled.
Disheveled?
"Master, where is your official hat? Where is the insignia on your chest?" Madam Wang's voice trembled.
Jia Zheng sighed deeply: "I've been dismissed from my post. It's the Emperor Emeritus's decree, saying that I—"
He stood up, walked slowly but firmly to Madam Wang, and slapped her with all his might.
"The root of all misfortune!"
Jia Zheng's whole body was limp and he had little strength left. After slapping the chair, he staggered back two steps and fell back into the chair.
Madam Wang's legs went weak, and she swayed twice before collapsing to the ground.
"Master, Master," she cried, covering her face.
Throughout their years of marriage, the two have never had a serious argument. Even when they grew to dislike each other, they always maintained a respectful distance.
Now—it's only because her maternal brother has lost power. But her maternal brother is still a first-rank official, a true first-rank official!
It's just a selection of officials. Once the emperor decides how to arrange things for him, the Wang family will still be one of the most powerful and influential families in the capital!
Madam Wang comforted herself, and soon her strength returned. She struggled to reach out, and Yu Chuan helped her up.
Lady Wang took a few steps and heard Jia Zheng outside instructing, "Don't let this get out. Let the old lady get a good night's sleep. I'll tell her myself tomorrow morning."
The next morning, the news spread, and the entire Rongguo Mansion was in chaos.
Lin Daiyu and her sisters waited outside Grandmother Jia's room, hearing occasional cursing and crying from inside.
Yuanyang rushed out and sent someone to fetch the imperial physician. When she returned, she saw the girls and said, "Girls, go back first. Master Bao should go back too. The old lady can't take care of you right now."
Jia Zheng's loss of his official position had nothing to do with Lin Daiyu. Although she pretended to be nervous and anxious, she actually had the leisure to observe how others would react.
The one who was most anxious was Tan Chun.
When Jia Baoyu heard Yuanyang call back, he actually breathed a sigh of relief. Lin Daiyu even wondered if she had seen wrong.
When they returned to the Grand View Garden, Lin Daiyu noticed that Jia Baoyu was indeed much more relaxed.
The Grand View Garden was not a paradise, and he truly did not know the consequences of losing his official position.
Lin Daiyu watched coldly. Two days later, the Rongguo Mansion seemed to have returned to normal, but this was precisely the most abnormal thing.
Everyone acted as if it was no big deal.
When Lin Daiyu came out to sunbathe in the garden, she even overheard the old women discussing: "Master said that this is a good opportunity to take a good rest. He has been an official for so many years, but he has never had a proper chance to study."
"I heard that the master summoned someone to ask, it seems he wants to go to... Nanwu Mountain? Is that the name?"
"Is the whole family going? The last time Qingxu Temple held a religious ceremony, it was so lively. It's been a long time since the whole family went out together."
“We are dukes, dukes among four kings and eight dukes, two dukes in one family, it’s no big deal. Master is getting old, it’s the age when he should be asking to retire. Our family doesn’t lack anything, why bother?”
Lin Daiyu thought this was a good thing, so she wouldn't have to pretend to be sad.
But speaking only of the people in the Grand View Garden, Sister-in-law Zhu only said that Lan-ge'er was unwell due to the changing seasons and was taking care of the children all day and didn't come out.
Yingchun said she got some kind of chess manual by Wei Fang and said she would study it carefully, but she hasn't been seen much since.
Tan Chun... Tan Chun's face couldn't be covered at all.
Xi Chun also said she wanted to paint, and even Xue Baochai and Shi Xiangyun fell silent.
Only Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu seemed to think that the ease on his face was because he didn't have to do his homework.
Two days later, early in the morning, Mu Chuan arrived at the Rongguo Mansion with his belongings.
"What is this again?" As soon as Lin Daiyu arrived at the front yard, she saw her third brother directing several old women to carefully carry down several boxes.
"Wait a minute," Mu Chuan instructed, first opening the largest box to show Lin Daiyu, "It's a fish tank."
Upon seeing the actual object inside, Lin Daiyu was stunned. It was a white marble fish tank: "And what are those boxes?"
Mu Chuan opened them one by one to show her: "This is the base inside."
A jade base, the same size as the bottom of the fish tank, fits perfectly inside, with regularly spaced square holes drilled into it.
"There are also lotus roots, lotus flowers, lotus leaves, and lotus pods. This protrusion at the bottom fits perfectly into the base." Mu Chuan demonstrated for her, "You can insert them however you like, and create any kind of landscape you desire."
"This box contains gold dust, which will serve as soil to cover the fish and make it look more natural. Every now and then I'll send you some water from Yuquan Mountain; it's said that water is better for raising fish than well water."
"Third Brother, where did you find this? It's far too precious." Lin Daiyu hesitated to accept it. The lotus root was made of mutton-fat jade, the lotus leaves seemed to be jadeite, the lotus pods contained pearls instead of lotus seeds, the lotus flowers were pink agate, not to mention the small box of gold dust.
Mu Chuan laughed and said, "If you were still at home, would you think this thing is precious?"
Lin Daiyu hesitated for a moment, and Mu Chuan continued, "So, after living in the Rongguo Mansion for so long, you've become petty too."
"Fine, I'll take it!" Lin Daiyu said irritably. "I quite like it."
She gained a new understanding of her third brother's slow and steady approach.
What did he give me at first? Toys, toys for little kids, but somehow it turned out like this.
Pooh!
He had ill intentions from the very beginning.
"Did Third Brother come here today just to bring me this?" Lin Daiyu's tone was somewhat unnatural, and her eyes darted around.
Mu Chuan said, "Weren't you going to see Zhou Mama off? She's leaving today."
Remembering how angry she had been to her second aunt last time, and how she hadn't spoken to her properly since, only exchanging "uh-huhs" and "ohs," Lin Daiyu laughed and said, "Let's go. Is it really appropriate to be so late? It's almost 9 a.m.
Mu Chuan explained to her, "It's not that the earlier you leave, the better. You have to estimate the distance between the post stations and you can't stay overnight in the wild. So sometimes it takes half a day to walk, and sometimes you have to get up before dawn."
Lin Daiyu then asked, "Is this considered a balance between work and rest?"
"Sure!" Mu Chuan replied with a smile. "We'll go out through Guang'an Gate, but it is indeed a bit late. Are you worried about the carriage going too fast?"
Lin Daiyu stood on the carriage shaft, and by the height of the carriage, she could see that her third brother also had a condescending air about him.
"What's so scary about that?" Lin Daiyu glanced at him. "If the smoke doesn't come out, I won't stand for it."
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