Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 422 Winning, Still Winning

"Yes, is that a good thing?"

Lin Daiyu blinked, somewhat surprised by Yue Ling's words.

In the past, it was obvious that Yue Ling did not want her or the entire mansion to have too much contact with the Rongguo Mansion, but now it seems that he completely doesn't care about these things.

"Well, let's listen to Brother Yue and go take a look."

She turned her head to look at the sisters of the Jia family, but saw that their faces were full of gloom and they all looked like they were worried about something. Lin Daiyu said nothing more, closed the invitation, and continued to eat.

As the sky gradually darkened, after dinner, the three anxious women gathered in Shi Xiangyun's room without any prior arrangement.

The four of them sat around a low table, just like they did in the Rongguo Mansion in the old days.

A cup of tea was placed in front of each person. Tanchun said worriedly, "The mansion invited Sister Lin to go to appreciate the flowers. It was probably just an excuse for us to go back. I'm afraid that the eldest sister is going to visit her parents and can't bear to see us sisters."

Yingchun was the calmest among them. Perhaps it was because she was naturally dull that she didn't show much expression on her face. She just replied softly, "We have to go back sooner or later. Third sister, you can't plan to stay here forever, right?"

Tanchun sat up very sensitively, her eyes wide open, and said, "Second sister, I am worried that you will be treated badly when you return. Why do I want to stay in the Duke Dingguo's Mansion forever?"

"Before we came here, the mansion stopped paying us one month's salary. Moreover, we have been staying here for more than ten days, but no one has sent us a letter to greet us, let alone send us money. They just acted as if we were not here."

"In my opinion, the accounts in the mansion are probably full of gaps. What if the eldest master brings up the marriage again after the second sister returns and wants to exchange my sister for money?"

"This……"

Tanchun's words made a lot of sense, but Yingchun was not quick-witted to begin with, so she lowered her head silently, not knowing how to refute her.

Shi Xiangyun quickly stepped in between the two and said, "Sisters are all in the same boat, so don't be the first to get angry."

Xichun, who rarely spoke, suddenly said, "It's just like what Third Sister said, Duke Ding's Mansion is better, and Duke Rong's Mansion is not good, but our decision to go or stay is never ours, so even if we worry about it, it will be useless."

"We have no reason to be kept, and no excuse not to return to Rongguo Mansion."

The girls looked up, but Xichun just sipped her tea slowly.

There was silence for a long time. The sisters stopped talking and only the faint breathing of each other could be heard.

Finally, it was Tanchun who broke the silence, "We have to go back eventually. No matter what happens in your house, our surname is Jia."

Tanchun really wanted to say that she was afraid that the heads of the Jia family did not regard girls like them as anything but bargaining chips.

She was sent back by the Duke Dingguo's Mansion. When the deal failed, she will be used as a bargaining chip in future transactions with other families.

Here, she couldn't help but lament that she was not a man, and was restricted by her female body. She had to go with the flow in any situation and had no room for maneuver.

"In comparison, only Sister Bao can work outside in public. Could it be that I am also..."

On the other side, Shi Xiangyun also felt secretly regretful. She often went back and forth between the Shi family and the Jia family. She was best friends with the three sisters and saw all their difficulties.

The more aristocratic the family, the less control women have over their own lives.

Even though the eldest sister Jia Yuanchun was a noble concubine of the time, she was actually just a victim sacrificed for the family.

Shi Xiangyun saw it clearly and felt the same way, that is, she had no father or mother and no one cared about her, otherwise her situation would not be much better than that of her three sisters.

"When you get to the end of the world, there will always be a way out. I think you should stop worrying too much. Maybe there will be a happy ending."

Shi Xiangyun smiled awkwardly, feeling that after saying this, she herself could not do her best, and of course she would not be able to comfort these anxious sisters.

At the right time, there was a crisp knock on the door.

When Shi Xiangyun swiftly opened the door and drew aside the felt curtain, she found that it was Lin Daiyu who came in.

Looking at the four girls in the room, Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "Sure enough, you are all here."

Shi Xiangyun took Lin Daiyu's arm and escorted her into the house. She then called out to Zijuan and Xueyan, who were traveling with Lin Daiyu, and moved over a chair and a stool, and sat down. "Sister Lin, it's so late, why are you here? Are you looking for us?"

Lin Daiyu nodded, sat down on the edge of the bed, and said to the four girls, "Just now you heard about Rongguo Mansion inviting people to appreciate the flowers. Do you have any ideas?"

Seeing Lin Daiyu coming over, Tanchun felt a little flustered for some reason and blurted out, "No, no, no, we really don't have any thoughts about the Marquis, Sister Lin, please don't test us again..."

The remaining smile on Lin Daiyu's lips froze, and she rubbed Tanchun's face, saying helplessly: "When did I say such a thing? What I meant is that I haven't taken you out to play since you came to the mansion."

"You have been cooped up in the mansion all day long. Isn't your biggest wish to go out and have a look around? You are about to go back to attend your elder sister's visit. Why don't we take advantage of these few days to go out and have fun together?"

Tanchun's cheeks instantly turned red, and even her ears turned pink. She stroked her neck and lowered her head in embarrassment, stammering, "So, that's what happened. I... will listen to Sister Lin's arrangements."

"So are we."

The others also echoed.

Seeing that the girls were in high spirits, Lin Daiyu decided to go out with them to offset their disappointment of going home. "Well, tomorrow morning, Sister Bao has to go back to Fengzihao to take care of business. We will meet in the courtyard at noon and go out for a walk together. Then we will go to Sister Bao's place in the afternoon and let her be the host."

After chatting for a while, it was getting late, so Lin Daiyu turned back the same way she came.

She had come to comfort her sisters, and seeing that they were in a good mood, she stopped worrying.

But after seeing Lin Daiyu off, Shi Xiangyun stealthily grabbed Tanchun's arm and prevented her from returning to the main courtyard.

The three girls all looked at her in surprise. Tanchun came to her senses and asked impatiently, "What are you doing? You have an appointment with Sister Lin tomorrow morning. You should go back and rest."

Shi Xiangyun blinked, leaned closer and asked, "Third sister, why do I feel that you just tried to hide something? Sister Lin didn't mention the Marquis, but you brought him up. Do you have feelings for him, too?"

Tanchun's cheeks, which had recovered somewhat, turned red again, and she stammered, "You, what shameless words are you saying? I just admire and respect the Marquis's ability, but it can't be expressed in a single word as a love between a man and a woman."

"So, you still have admiration for me?"

Yingchun and Xichun looked over unconsciously. Seeing Tanchun's shy and helpless look, even they could see the problem.

Tanchun didn't want to get entangled with Shi Xiangyun anymore, so she pushed her hand away and said angrily, "It has nothing to do with you, why are you teasing me?"

"Why doesn't it matter? I like the Marquis too."

"what?"

The girls looked at them in surprise, but Shi Xiangyun extended her hand gracefully, "This is nothing surprising, right? Who wouldn't like the Marquis? Besides, I've known the Marquis for a long time. Seeing the handsome boy from the past become a pillar of the government today, the court would be trembling with admiration. Who wouldn't admire him?"

"If there is a woman who doesn't like the Marquis, it's only because she has never met the Marquis."

Tanchun twitched her lips, and after a while she asked, "Then how are you going to explain this to Sister Lin? Are you trying to snatch this man from Sister Lin?"

After hearing this, Shi Xiangyun became more calm, patting her chest and saying, "Why should I be honest? Sister Lin and I are not competitors. I just need to snatch you away, right?"

"what?"

Before the girls could come to their senses, Shi Xiangyun said cleverly, "However, compared to you, I have already taken the lead."

"What do you mean by first move? Your courtyard is not that close to the Marquis?" "That's nothing. What I'm saying is that the Marquis and I have had physical contact!"

"what?"

The girls became more and more surprised and couldn't help looking up and down at the younger Shi Xiangyun.

He is usually very quick-tempered like a tomboy, but you would never expect him to be so quick when it comes to being a woman.

Xichun asked weakly, "That's impossible? Were you the only one who wasn't caught that day?"

"What day?"

Tanchun locked Xichun's neck with one hand and covered Xichun's mouth with the other, and said with a smile: "It's okay, sister Yun, go on, what kind of physical intimacy did you have?"

Shi Xiangyun nodded complacently, looked around at everyone, and said mysteriously: "A long, long time ago, when I was a child, I was spanked by the Marquis!"

"..."

Lin Daiyu did not call Tanchun to go back to the main courtyard with her because she did not return to her own room, but went straight to Yue Ling's room.

In the past, he had done something that backfired by placing Tanchun in this courtyard, and now it has become an obstacle for her to see Yue Ling.

"call."

With a long sigh, Lin Daiyu took off the long dress she was wearing, walked into the room step by step, and sat next to Yue Ling.

At this moment, Yue Ling was still reviewing the files and records of the imperial examinations since the founding of Dachang. Seeing Lin Daiyu coming, he habitually moved his butt a little so that they were closer to each other.

"They don't have any suspicions, do they? I always feel that they are not just asking them to come back and invite you to see the flowers. There must be something else going on."

Lin Daiyu pouted and said, "You are suspicious? Are you saying that you are thinking about Brother Yue all the time? I just asked a few questions and you are dragging me into you."

Yue Ling couldn't help laughing, he put his arm around Lin Daiyu's shoulders and said with a smile: "To be honest, I am also quite distressed that I am so popular with girls. When will Sister Lin marry me and save me from all these troubles?"

"Bah bah bah."

Lin Daiyu spat a few times and said, "I married Brother Yue because we both loved each other, not to be a housekeeper and a shrew."

"Bah, no, I almost got fooled by you. When did I ever promise you? Besides, you haven't given my father a letter of engagement yet."

Lin Daiyu raised her little fist and tapped Yue Ling lightly on the chest.

Yue Ling raised his hand and held it, nodding slightly, "According to your majesty's intention, we should wait until my brother comes to the capital before arranging our marriage. I believe it won't be long before Sister Lin can reunite with my brother in the capital."

"Besides, where will you let your brother live when the time comes? Should we leave a few courtyards in this mansion for your brother and the concubines?"

Speaking of her father, Lin Daiyu really started to think about it seriously. "This is a method, but I don't think my father will agree."

"Logically speaking, this is considered living under someone else's roof. Daddy is a high-ranking official after all, so he should live in his own mansion. He can't live in our house, right?"

"Besides, when we were in Yangzhou, the Lin Mansion had a lot of discipline. The sisters were listless and sickly all day long. I think they probably don't want to see Daddy living here. It's really inconvenient."

Yue Ling nodded. He just wanted to fulfill his duty as a son-in-law and support the elderly. However, given Lin Ruhai's temper, he would definitely not agree to it.

"However, both of my aunts are pregnant. When the time comes, I can bring those two little ones to the mansion to play with the sisters. It will surely be very interesting."

Yue Ling blinked, "You mean, you want the two concubines to come and live with you?"

Lin Daiyu raised her eyes and asked, "Is there anything wrong with this? Do you mind if I stay with you for a few days?"

Yue Ling shook his head and thought to himself, "This is even more cruel than letting my brother live in the mansion. Doesn't it mean that I will become an empty-nest old man after entering the capital?"

……

Prince Beijing's Mansion,
Inner study,
Shui Rong picked up the documents on the table with one finger. There was a bellyband from Fengxue Pavilion on the tray, and the corners of his mouth curled up.

"This Yue Ling is also a wonderful person. How did he come up with this idea to generate revenue? Does he really compare himself to Guan Zhong, a practical man? He took full advantage of the original stigma. If it weren't for the strict selection of Duke Dingguo's Mansion, it wouldn't be considered a trend nowadays. This trend has come, and with the help of the government, it will definitely not fade away for a while. He is really going to make a lot of money."

"Ma'am, you can't go in, ma'am?"

There was a commotion outside, but it still didn't stop the people from breaking into the house.

Princess Zhen Baofang of Beijing County Prince's Mansion was dressed in luxurious clothes, with a golden hairpin on her head, shining brightly and swaying gracefully. On her beautiful face, her features were distorted, especially her pair of upturned eyebrows, which made it clear that she was not easy to mess with.

"Your Majesty, I have something to ask you."

Shui Rong raised his hand to wave away the servants, and said calmly: "Sit down, what do you want to ask?"

Zhen Baofang slammed his hands on the table and said angrily, "Your Highness, you promised me that if you took half of the Zhen family's wealth, you would avenge the Zhen family. But the instigator has returned to the capital for dozens of days. Now he is not only living a carefree life, but also selling bellybands in the capital and making a good living. Does your words still count?"

Shui Rong's face was calm, and he lifted Zhen Baofang's smooth and tender chin with his fingers, and said teasingly: "The princess is the princess, even if she is angry, she is still so touching."

"Your Majesty, I'm not joking!"

Shui Rong smiled and shook his head, raising his fingers a little higher, so that Zhen Baofang had to look up.

"Since you already know that he is so powerful, you should also know that now is not the time to do anything. Besides, who do you think he is? Is he just a stray cat or dog on the street?"

"He crushed your Zhen family, just like crushing the stray cats and dogs on the roadside!"

Shui Rong narrowed his eyes slightly, pushed Zhen Baofang hard, and pushed her into the chair.

Perhaps because his teeth hit his lower lip, blood flowed from Zhen Baofang's mouth, but the anger in his eyes did not dissipate at all.

"So, even the prince can't do anything?"

"Someone! Lock the princess back in her room. She is not allowed to go out without my permission!"

Two attendants came in and left with Zhen Baofang on either side.

Zhen Baofang struggled hard. Without an accurate answer, she would not be able to die in peace.

"Shui Rong! You are so heartless and ungrateful! You are so heartless and ruthless!"

As the door closed, a muffled groan was heard from outside, and then the woman's noise ceased.

Shui Rong took a deep breath and cursed, "You are a fool who is always more likely to cause trouble than to accomplish anything! Your own family sent evidence to Rongguo Mansion, and you wanted to get involved in Yue Ling's conspiracy and fall into his trap. Now you still have the nerve to make trouble?"

But despite the scolding, Yue Ling's performance in the court was amazing. Shui Rong had to admit that he had greatly underestimated Yue Ling's ability, and he never expected that he could turn the stigma around and gain Emperor Longyou's 100% trust.

After pacing around the room for a while, Shui Rong ordered his servants, "Prepare invitations for the family dinner tomorrow to invite the Right Prime Minister."

"Yes."

(End of this chapter)