Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 408: Countless Women
Rongguo Mansion,
In the three side rooms on the east side of Rongxi Hall, Jia Zheng, who had just returned, had a very gloomy expression on his face. He drank his tea in silence, only blowing away some tea foam from time to time, as if he had a lot on his mind.

Mrs. Wang, who had been concentrating all her attention on the villa where her parents were visiting, hurried back upon hearing the news.

As soon as I entered the door, I saw Jia Zheng's appearance. He was really as miserable as the maids had said. There was even an inexplicable dejected air about him, which was really rare.

Ever since Jia Zheng was admitted to the government through the help of someone else, he has been happy to work in the government office. Presumably, everything went smoothly for him on weekdays. But he came back in such a depressed mood today.

The only thing that was different about the court today was Yue Ling's return.

Mrs. Wang unconsciously linked the reason for Jia Zheng's anger to Yue Ling.

"Master, what's wrong with you? Could it be that Yue Ling made trouble in the court?" Mrs. Wang spoke carefully.

Jia Zheng hung his head and said, "It was not Yue Ling who started the trouble, but some officials who made things difficult for Yue Ling and implicated the Jia family. The Jia family will only be in a more embarrassing situation in the future."

This really scared Mrs. Wang. If there wasn't a real situation, Jia Zheng wouldn't have made the matter sound so serious.

"Master, please don't scare me. What happened? I think the date for the eldest daughter's visit will be set soon. At this critical moment, how can the Jia family make any more mistakes?"

Jia Zheng shook his head and told Mrs. Wang what happened in the hall, "Ah, that damned censor, he made up a rumor and impeached Yue Ling."

"What does impeaching Yue Ling have to do with us?"

"He used the Jia family's affairs to impeach Yue Ling. He said Yue Ling abducted the three sisters of the Jia family, Yingchun, Tanchun and Xichun, and was promiscuous and robbed women."

Jia Zheng clapped his hands and said in annoyance, "Tell me, how could this happen? Such a beautiful girl who had never married was ruined by someone, and it happened right in the court, and in front of the emperor's ears."

Madam Wang was stunned and said blankly, "How could this be so absurd? How can they get married in the future?"

Jia Zheng drank a cup of tea and threw it on the tea table. "Who said it wasn't true? That damned censor also said that we were suspected of trying to please Yue Ling and selling our daughter for fame, which made other nobles look down on us even more."

"You don't know, their eyes are about to kill me!"

Jia Zheng patted his own face, feeling extremely aggrieved, "I don't even know where to put my old face!"

Madam Wang came over to comfort him, "Master, don't be angry. Take care of yourself. Has Yue Ling been conferred the title of Duke?"

Jia Zheng nodded and said, "Even if he is given the title of Duke Dingguo, what does it matter?"

Madam Wang pondered and said, "In this case, in the eyes of all officials, we have all become related to Yue Ling, which is not a bad thing. Even if Yue Ling has no interest in the girls, so what? People's words are scary, and the facts seem unimportant. Moreover, even if this incident did not happen, they may not be able to find a good marriage. Not to mention that they can supplement the mansion, but they can't get rid of the mansion to pay some dowry."

"Right now, the most urgent matter is the matter of the imperial residence. There are many difficulties in this matter. I haven't complained to the master yet."

Mrs. Wang lowered her head, feeling sad.

Jia Zheng softened his tone, took Mrs. Wang's hand, and said comfortingly, "All right, all right. I know how hard it is for you. Look, the labor accounts and drawings drawn up by the government office that you asked for are now out."

After handing over the things that Zhao Zhushi of the Ministry of Revenue had given him to Mrs. Wang, Jia Zheng said, "As for the vacancy in the imperial residence, I will also try my best to think of a solution."

After receiving the bill, Mrs. Wang was about to explain to Jia Zheng that Lady Jia was going to pay a sum of money, but when she heard him speak again, she immediately swallowed it.

"Master, do you think there is another way?"

Jia Zheng nodded and said, "Yes. As for Baoyu's marriage, which we discussed earlier, the girl from the Xue family is definitely not suitable."

Madam Wang raised her eyebrows slightly and asked anxiously, "Why is this?"

Jia Zheng shook his head and sighed, "Before I went to court, I had a few words with Yue Ling. Bao girl is already his concubine. How can we have the guts to rob Yue Ling's people? Haven't we suffered enough in the past? I advise you to give up this idea."

Mrs. Wang lowered her head silently, feeling lost.

According to her plan, if she could marry into the Xue family, she would be able to rely on the Xue family's financial support, which would be of great benefit to the Rongguo Mansion.

It's not just a matter of the separate residence for the mother's visit. Even if more of the family's sons choose to pursue a career in politics in the future, money will certainly be needed to manage things.

The deteriorating finances of the Rongguo Mansion really cannot support such heavy expenses.

Mrs. Wang still did not intend to say that she had deceived Jia's mother's private information, and continued to follow Jia Zheng's words and asked, "Then what should we do?"

Jia Zheng exhaled, and then spoke again: "Yue Ling did give a suggestion. The Xia family in the capital, like the Xue family, is of similar origin. They are both imperial merchants, and they are fully responsible for the flower pots in the palace and work for the Ministry of Internal Affairs."

"If I can marry into the Xia family, not only will I not have to worry about money, but even the landscaping of the imperial courtyard can be of the same quality as that in the imperial palace, and the cost will be even lower."

"When the eldest daughter comes to visit her parents, she will see that the flowers and trees here are no less beautiful than those in the imperial city's back garden. Wouldn't that make Rongguo Mansion more prestigious?"

Mrs. Wang's eyes lit up when she heard this. "That does make sense, but..."

Thinking about the harm Yue Ling had done to Rongguo Mansion in the past, Mrs. Wang couldn't help but worry, "But does Yue Ling really have such good intentions to help Rongguo Mansion?"

Jia Zheng frowned and said, "Women's views! How can you use such a vicious heart to guess Yue Ling's good intentions?"

"This... But, Baoyu is the uncle of the emperor, a relative of the emperor, and it is too embarrassing for him to marry the daughter of an imperial merchant... The background of the Xia family is not even better than that of Zhuge's daughter-in-law."

"The Xia family has thousands of acres of flower fields, and there are no male heirs in the family. If she marries here, then all the wealth will belong to the Rongguo Mansion. What else is there to worry about? Isn't it that my Jia family is taking advantage?"

Mrs. Wang couldn't help but think more about Baoyu's matter, and continued to ask carefully: "But what is the character of the girl from the Xia family? Is she willing?"

Jia Zheng nodded and said, "Before I left the government office, I sent someone to inquire about her. She was thinking of an arranged marriage, and when she heard the name of my Jia family, she was eager to act as a matchmaker. As for her, Yue Ling praised her as a person of both inner and outer beauty, and said that she was as capable as Bao."

"Yue Ling has seen countless women, and his reputation is well-known. Everyone in the capital knows him, so he will not make any mistakes. If it is an ordinary woman, he will definitely not be interested in her."

"How about it? In a few days, you can invite her to your house in the name of admiring the flowers and let her take a look in person."

Mrs. Wang still felt that this matter was inappropriate and hesitated, but she didn't know how to refuse. After all, she didn't know the man's background well, so how could she marry him to her precious child?

At that moment, the door of the outer room was pushed open by someone. No matter how many obstacles there were, they could not stop the person from getting into the room.

Aunt Zhao chirped in a thin voice, like the cry of a sparrow: "Master, Master, my son Jia Huan is willing to marry. If Baoyu despises her humble origins, we will not despise her."

Madam Wang frowned and cursed inwardly, "You are such a coquettish thing, you don't know etiquette, how can you raise a good son? Your son, who looks so coarse, wants to marry the wealthy Xia family, you are really dreaming!"

Jia Zheng stood up and stopped Aunt Zhao who was stumbling. In front of Lady Wang, he said coldly, "What has this got to do with you? Huan'er is still young, not old enough to get married."

"Okay, stop making trouble in this class. I'll deal with you later!"

Aunt Zhao curved her eyes in a seductive way, bowed to Madam Wang and took her leave.

Jia Zheng finally persuaded, "The Xia family's status as merchants is indeed not worthy of our Duke's Mansion, but now the Duke's Mansion's door lintel still depends on the eldest girl."

"If the eldest girl has established a firm foothold in the palace, we can welcome the Xia family into the family and only give them the status of a concubine." "By then, the difference between the two families will be so huge, and the Xia family will only have orphans and widows, how can they make trouble with us?"

"It is common for a boy of Baoyu's age to take a concubine before getting married, and it does not disgrace him."

It was only at this moment that Mrs. Wang showed a look of joy on her face, and she put Sanchun's matter behind her mind, "Master, what you said is very true, then I will do it first..."

……

Dingguo Gongfu,

As soon as he arrived at the door, he saw Xue Baochai being harassed by someone.

This is really provoking trouble and touching Yue Ling's reverse scale.

Yue Ling took two steps at a time and quickly stepped forward, kicking the horse's leg.

The horse felt the pain and immediately threw the man off its back.

Yue Ling didn't let him fall to the ground, but caught him in mid-air, lifted him up by the scruff of the neck, and held him in his hand.

"Where did you come from, you bastard? How dare you flirt with my women in front of my house? You really don't know how to write the word death. Come with me to the military headquarters first. I will not forgive you today!"

Although Yue Ling and Xue Pan had some interactions in the old days, the two had never met, and all matters were left to Liu Xianglian.

So when they met this time, Yue Ling did not recognize this person. He only felt that he was dressed in silk and had a valuable jade pendant around his waist, looking like a real dandy.

How could Yue Ling let such a man off easily when he approached his woman and kept pestering her?

The sudden change also frightened Xue Baochai.

The brother who was begging for mercy the previous second, fell to the ground on his horse in the blink of an eye. His whole body seemed to be stuck in Yue Ling's hand, his cheeks turned from red to purple, and he was gasping for breath.

"Sister, sister, if you stay distracted for a moment longer, I will have to go see my father. Please save me!"

Xue Baochai quickly came to her senses, walked up to Yue Ling, and pleaded, "My Lord, this is my useless brother. He must have a misunderstanding with you. Can you please let him go first..."

"Ah? He is Xue Pan?" Yue Ling was slightly surprised and said in disbelief, "This is not right, isn't it rumored that he has a big belly and is more plump than Miss Bao?"

Hearing this, Xue Baochai was struck by lightning, and she muttered to herself, "I... am I fat in the eyes of the Marquis?"

With his feet on the ground, Xue Pan knelt down, panting for a long time, coughing several times, and said intermittently: "My Lord, my Lord, you don't know. I used to be a little fat, but then I was imprisoned for more than a year, and then I was tempered in the military camp for three years, so I can still gain weight."

Yue Ling felt a little guilty for accidentally hitting Xue Pan, after all, he had never really offended him.

Helping him to stand up, Yue Ling asked with concern: "How do you feel? If you have difficulty breathing, come to the mansion to drink some water first."

Xue Pan was really a little afraid of Yue Ling. Even though he was thinner now, he shouldn't be someone who could be picked up by the scruff of the neck like a cat.

The force was so strong that breaking his neck was easy.

Xue Pan, who had been tempered in the military camp for several years, certainly knew what this meant.

Waving his hands repeatedly, Xue Pan retreated and said, "No, no, I won't bother you anymore. You must have a lot of things to do after moving into your new house. I have already sent the Xue family's gift. I hope you will take good care of my sister in the future. I will take my leave now."

Picking up the limping horse, Xue Pan left with a fake smile.

Before leaving, he did not forget to wink at Xue Baochai, as if to say, "Come on, sister. I am rooting for you."

Xue Baochai's cheeks flushed slightly. In addition to Yue Ling pointing out that she was plump, Yue Ling also said in a hurry that she was a female member of the family, which made Xue Baochai feel embarrassed.

"My Lord... I am sorry to have embarrassed you because of my incompetence."

Gently stroking her neck, Xue Baochai lowered her head silently, feeling her body temperature getting a little hot.

Yue Ling smiled awkwardly, "No, no, I was a little rude. However, seeing Xue Pan like this, he has not changed from the old playboy. By the way, didn't he say that the Xue family sent a gift? Why do we need to be so polite to each other?"

Xue Baochai was stunned and said, "Uh, is there a gift? My brother just came here to apologize, he didn't bring any gifts?"

The two looked at each other and were silent for a few seconds, as if they both understood what Xue Pan said.

At the same time, the atmosphere was inexplicably awkward at the beginning.

Xue Baochai lowered her head a little more and looked directly at the texture of the embroidered shoes on her feet, too embarrassed to speak.

Yue Ling didn't even know how to smooth things over.

Until the two of them arrived side by side under the hanging flower gate, they saw Jia Yun standing there, staring at the sunlight. When he saw the two of them coming, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and came forward happily.

"Master, are you back?"

"Well, what are you doing here?" Seeing that his forehead was covered with sweat and his clothes were soaked in several places, Yue Ling really didn't understand what he was doing. Even if he had something to do, he could just stand in the shade and wait.

Jia Yun smiled awkwardly, and after a few moments of deliberation, he tentatively said, "Madam told me to wait here for Miss Xue to come back and pass on this letter."

"Letter home?"

Xue Baochai took the letter, but saw the word "Qin" written on the signature, and she inexplicably felt a sense of crisis in her heart.

"Miss Bao, please go to your room and read the letter first. I have something to tell Yun'er."

Jia Yun nodded like a chick pecking at rice, "Yes, Master. I have something to tell you, Master."

"it is good."

Xue Baochai looked back at the two of them, bowed, and left.

"Master, this morning Madam checked the accounts of the mansion and was a little worried about the expenses of the mansion. Although there is still a lot of money saved, she is worried that it will be gone. She probably wants Master to make a decision."

The corners of Yue Ling's mouth twitched, and he said with a fake smile: "Who told you to call Sister Lin Madam?"

"Sister Lin is a shy girl. She is not married yet. How can she bear your teasing?"

Frowning, Yue Ling said unhappily: "Just stand in front of this door and wait until the sun sets before going back. Remember this lesson and don't always think of taking shortcuts. When did you learn to flatter me? You even say things that I want to hear!"

(End of this chapter)