binnovel Chapter 149 The Concubine of the Lin Family in Dream of the Red Chamber
Chapter 149 The Concubine of the Lin Family in Dream of the Red Chamber
In her reply to Daiyu, Jia Min comforted her daughter, saying that if she was unhappy, she should visit the Jia family less often.
In his reply to Old Madam Lin, he first thanked her for her arrangements for Lin Daiyu, and then emphasized that it was absolutely impossible for Daiyu to marry into the Jia family, and that Daiyu should visit the Jia family as little as possible.
The letter also mentioned some aspects of Lin Congyu's situation. After all, he didn't grow up by her side, and even though he was her own grandson, their relationship still needed to be nurtured.
Old Madam Lin certainly wanted to have a legitimate heir, but transportation was inconvenient in ancient times, she was too old, and Lin Congyu was too young, so she could only alleviate her longing through the descriptions in the letter!
Liu Yuxi thought of the original story, where Lin Ruhai, Jia Min, and the child died three or four years later. He still felt he had to remind them that being loyal to the emperor didn't necessarily mean dying.
During a chat with Grandma Lin, it was mentioned that Lin Junyu was about to take the imperial examination and was of marriageable age.
Moreover, Daiyu is a young lady, Jia Min is not in the capital, and the Lin family has no suitable person to take her out to socialize. It will be difficult to manage her in the future. The master has been in Yangzhou for so many years, and we don't know when he will be transferred back to the capital.
As she mentioned it more often, Old Madam Lin would frequently bring it up in her letters to Lin Ruhai, urging him to find an opportunity to be transferred back to the capital.
No one knows how Lin Ruhai did it, but when he went to report on his work at the end of the following year, he took his family back to the Lin Mansion in the capital.
Don't be fooled by the fact that the official rank of the Salt Commissioner of Yangzhou is only seventh grade; it is a position that only the emperor's confidants are qualified to hold.
In ancient times, salt was the lifeblood of wealth. Although his official rank wasn't high, no one dared offend him. Most importantly, this official often possessed a special privilege: the power to monitor others and write secret reports. In short, Lin Ruhai was the emperor's most trusted advisor in Jiangnan.
Generally speaking, such prestigious official positions, after accumulating seniority for several years, are destined for the central government, where one will become a central minister and a close attendant of the emperor.
After this report, Lin Ruhai will stay in the capital to serve as the fourth-rank Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. Although he will still be doing a job that offends people, at least he will leave Yangzhou alive ahead of time.
Liu Yuxi believes that the time before Lin Ruhai's death in the original novel was precisely when the Emperor and the Retired Emperor were at their most intense infighting, and with other princes and nobles getting involved, Lin Ruhai was merely a victim of their power struggle.
Now that Lin Ruhai has returned to Beijing and left that position, he should no longer be affected!
After returning home, Jia Min was a little dazed after exchanging greetings with her family. She looked at her daughter, who was now snuggling up to her and was chubby, lively, and adorable, thanks to the care of Old Madam Lin and Liu Yuxi. Then she looked at her two-year-old son, who was still sickly. At that moment, she began to doubt herself. Was she just born without the ability to raise children?
When Lin Daiyu returned to the capital, she was thin and frail. At that moment, she really wanted to ask Liu Yuxi to fatten up her son.
Don't ask her how she knew it was Liu Yuxi who raised him. She was, after all, the matriarch of the Lin family. Even though she had left the Lin family, she knew the situation inside. Moreover, Old Madam Lin hadn't hidden anything from her in her letter.
However, she still had many concerns. Although Lin Daiyu was well raised, she was still just a daughter, and her future dowry would be a matter of life and death.
The boy is different. Congyu will inherit most of the family fortune in the future, making him a natural adversary of Liu Yuxi's son.
Could Liu Yuxi "aid the enemy"? If she were to ask, would Liu Yuxi agree? Even if she did agree, could she be sure she would do her best? If anything went wrong, the consequences would be unbearable for her.
Don't think she's overthinking things. She knows her son's body can't withstand the slightest neglect. She's extremely worried about entrusting him to someone else, but she can't take good care of him herself. It's really too much of a challenge.
That evening, while chatting with Lin Ruhai, Jia Min brought up the matter. After sharing her concerns with Lin Ruhai, she added, "It's not that I'm being petty, it's just that Congyu is such a worry! Master, do you think I should mention it to Aunt Liu?"
"You can tell me about it. Over the years, you've seen what kind of person Aunt Liu is. She likes children. Let's see if she can raise Congyu to be healthy. At worst, she can give Junyu and Jinyu a bigger share of the family fortune later. You should also pay attention to Junyu's marriage!"
"Alright, I'll mention it to Aunt Liu tomorrow. If that doesn't work, we can make Aunt Liu a concubine when Junyu passes the imperial examination." "You decide what to do!"
The next day, after Liu Yuxi came to pay his respects to Jia Min, yes, ever since Jia Min returned to the mansion, Liu Yuxi had to get up early every day to pay his respects to Jia Min again.
Jia Min asked Liu Yuxi to sit down and said, "We sisters have been together for almost twenty years. I wonder if you could do me a favor?"
Good heavens! The usually aloof eldest daughter of the Jia family, Jia Min, was speaking to her like this and even asking for her help. For a moment, Liu Yuxi even wondered if Jia Min had been possessed. "Madam, just give the order if you need anything. There's no need to be so polite."
Jia Min organized her thoughts: "You took good care of Daiyu after she returned to the capital. Don't say it's because the old lady dotes on Daiyu. I know a thing or two about what's going on in the family."
You've seen Congyu too. I didn't notice the difference when we were in Yangzhou, but it wasn't until yesterday when the kids got together that I realized the gap. I know it's a bit difficult for you, but I still hope you can help me raise Congyu to be stronger!
At this moment, Jia Min was truly reckless. She was probably gambling, gambling on Liu Yuxi's character and his ability to raise Congyu well. After all, if she continued to raise him herself, she suspected that she would personally send her son away.
"Madam, this matter is far too complicated, and I'm not entirely confident. If I'm not capable enough, I can't bear the consequences!" Liu Yuxi spoke frankly. She really wasn't very confident about Congyu's small body. She could raise him to adulthood, but it would be difficult for him to be healthy.
"I know, I just hope you do your best. You are a mother too. Besides Daiyu, I only have this one son. I have no other choice!"
"Alright, but the food we eat should still be reviewed by the physician!" Liu Yuxi didn't want her son to have to support his stepmother for the rest of his life after Jia Min's son died. Of course, if Congyu were to die, Jia Min would probably have to go with him.
But her two eldest sons still need to take the imperial examinations and get married. In ancient times, observing mourning for the dead was a huge time-waster. It would be better for the family to be more stable before her sons got married and established themselves.
If something happens to this jade, it could take several lives, especially since Jia Min is in poor health and the old lady is quite old. Let's be careful!