Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 434: Detailed Division of Labor, Investigation of Jia Mansion
The luxury of the imperial residence is something that would surprise the young ladies who have seen the prosperous and majestic mansions of Duke Dingguo's Mansion in the south of the Yangtze River.

The towering pavilions are majestic, the floors rise high, the palaces are surrounded by each other, and the long and winding paths are endless. Green pines brush against the eaves, jade railings surround the walls, and there are golden animal faces and colorful dragon heads.

Only Lin Daiyu, who had been to the imperial palace, knew that the decoration here was not much worse than that of the imperial garden of the palace, and even its specifications exceeded those of the Eastern Palace she had been to.

This is even more shocking.

Lin Daiyu knew clearly that the Jia family was about to face a disaster, but she never expected that they could be so extravagant and yet still be so content with it.

"Yu'er, how is the scenery of this courtyard?"

Mrs. Wang stood side by side with Lin Daiyu, holding the railing on the bridge and looking into the distance.

There are not many lotus flowers in full bloom on the lake as it is not the season yet, but the banana trees and pomegranate trees on the shore are growing very well and have abundant energy. One can tell at a glance that a lot of effort has been spent on transplanting and landscaping them.

What a huge expense this must have cost! Every blade of grass and every tree was carefully decorated. Even when they moved into the old Qin Palace, they only swept away the fallen flowers and leaves without doing any major construction.

"Well, of course it is great. I think my elder sister will be proud of seeing such a grand scene when she returns home."

Mrs. Xing and Mrs. Wang both smiled and were very satisfied with Lin Daiyu's answer.

After seeing such a grand occasion, who could underestimate the Jia family?
However, Xue Baochai looked at the slightly solemn expressions of the three sisters and couldn't help but sigh.

They walked among the flowers and willows, stroked the stones and leaned against the spring, and after passing a series of waterside pavilions and towers, they first settled down at the Peony Pavilion.

A few maids brought cakes, candied fruits and various kinds of fragrant tea at the right time, and then everyone dispersed. Only Lin Daiyu, Xue Baochai, Mrs. Wang and Mrs. Xing sat in one place, with a few maids standing behind them. The others then dispersed.

After avoiding the crowded places, Madam Wang said slowly, "Yu'er, your aunt has an unreasonable request."

Lin Daiyu held the teacup and blew a breath of hot air, then stood up again and nodded with a smile, "Aunt, don't be restrained, please go ahead."

"Tomorrow the Imperial Concubine will come to the palace to visit her parents. We should find a female master to perform some rituals, and actors to set up the stage to perform a play to celebrate for the Imperial Concubine. However, we haven't found the right people in the palace right now."

"Before, there was a female teacher who was staying in the mansion. She was well-known in Suzhou Prefecture in the past. Because she had an old relationship with Duke Dingguo, she came to your mansion. I wonder if she can take care of this matter?"

"There are also family-run opera troupes, and the one from Duke Dingguo's mansion is the best. Duke Dingguo's reputation is well-known, and there is no one who can compare to the people in your mansion."

When Xue Baochai heard this, she couldn't help laughing in her heart.

If she hadn't been through all kinds of situations, she would probably have laughed out loud.

Most likely, Mrs. Wang was thinking that the imperial concubine's visit would be a grand occasion, and by getting people from the Duke Dingguo's Mansion to participate, it would both give the illusion that the two families were in harmony and save a considerable amount of expenses.

Perhaps in her eyes, leaving room for the Duke Dingguo's Mansion to participate in such occasions was to save the Duke Dingguo's face.

Xue Baochai just smiled and watched the excitement. Lin Daiyu nodded impartially and agreed, "It's not a big deal. They don't have anything important to do in the mansion. It's okay for them to come and help."

Madam Wang was overjoyed, and she and Madam Xing looked at each other and smiled, saying, "In that case, I will have the servants clean up the yard where they are staying, and they can rest in the mansion tonight."

Lin Daiyu nodded without commenting.

She called a few trusted maids and whispered instructions to them. Mrs. Wang couldn't help but start to think about it.

"In the past, I asked Daiyu for help, but I never saw her agree so readily. Could it be that the rumors outside are true, and Yingchun, Tanchun, Xichun and the others are really wanted by Yue Ling?"

Mrs. Wang couldn't help but nodded heavily.

If she had not inferred this, based on the attitude of Xue Baochai towards Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai in the past, who wanted to make a clear distinction between them and cut off all ties, she would never have agreed so easily.

"It seems that I have to treat them better. If I continue to use Lian'er's matter to pressure them, it will be disrespectful to Yue Ling. If they make trouble in the mansion again, it will be embarrassing."

Having said this, Mrs. Wang stood up and said goodbye to Lin Daiyu with a smile, "Yu'er, please rest first. Auntie will go and talk to them."

Seeing that Mrs. Wang was looking at the three girls with her eyes, Lin Daiyu also responded very readily, "Okay, I'm just talking to Master Miaoyu about what my aunt entrusted to me."

The two groups of people came together, and Lin Daiyu came first, and found Miaoyu and Xing Xiuyan, and whispered, "Just now, the second wife in the mansion said that you are required to handle the rituals and ceremonies on the day when the imperial concubine comes to visit her parents, and you need to stay in the mansion tonight."

Hearing this, Miaoyu's pupils shrank slightly, "Is this what the Marquis said about staying in the mansion?"

Lin Daiyu shook her head and said, "The Jia family is indeed in decline. In order to save the three sisters, we need your help to check the criminal records in the mansion. I don't know why Brother Yue emphasized that you should do this. He must have his reasons."

At this moment Miaoyu suddenly realized that she met Yue Ling when she was investigating her father's case. They happened to meet at Shen's house and were caught red-handed by Yue Ling.

Of course, the reason why he was discovered was because Yue Ling's Taoism was too advanced, not because Miaoyu didn't have the ability to conceal her whereabouts.

What's more, he was noticed because he and Xing Xiuyan were too unfamiliar with each other at the beginning. Now, the two have been working together for a long time, so there should be no obvious omissions.

Nodding calmly, Miaoyu asked again: "Do you have a comprehensive plan for this matter, young lady?"

Lin Daiyu nodded slightly, "You two are not the only ones staying in this inner curtain. Lingguan and Ruiguan from the small opera troupe are also staying with you. They are also smart girls who can help you."

"Right now, the Jia family is in trouble, and the crux of the matter is still one word: 'wealth'. As far as I know, the Jia family's treasury accounts are managed by the eldest and second masters in the outer curtains, while the old and second wives have their own small treasuries."

"The Zhen family's affairs are a friendship between our ancestors, so they should not be closely related to the second branch. The evidence of the Zhen family's crimes should be with the old lady."

"As for the various expenses of the imperial residence, the detailed expenditures should be paid by the Second Madam."

"The layout of this courtyard is very similar to that of a royal garden. I think it is very likely that craftsmen were invited to build it. What's more, officials from the Ministry of Works may have been involved. After all, the second master Jia Zheng works in the Ministry of Works. We can also check his study."

"It's not beyond these three places. If we can find key evidence, even just one piece, great things can be expected."

Miaoyu is also a smart person. After Lin Daiyu analyzed the matter with her, she knew how to start.

"As for the most difficult old lady, Yan'er and I will investigate. The Second Madam will certainly look at the opera rehearsal and hand it over to Miss Tanchun. Miss Yingchun and Miss Xichun in the outer study room may be able to sneak in and take a look under some pretext."

Lin Daiyu nodded slightly, then shook her head and reminded: "Although the old lady is old, she must be alert enough. You can't act rashly. If you alert the enemy, it will affect the lives of the sisters."

"But on the day of the visit, after you have completed your rituals, wait until no one is around in the Buddhist temple. As for the study, it would be best to let Sister Xichun approach the study under the pretext of copying a painting, and then you can find a suitable opportunity to look for the documents." "If things don't go well elsewhere, it will most likely end up in the Second Madam's room. I've seen her get to know every tree and blade of grass in the courtyard during her visit, and she must have checked the accounts in detail. Despite this, she still tries to save money wherever she can, and she puts it on us. I'm sure it's not just to show some favor, but she herself may have stolen a lot of silver while renovating the courtyard."

Miaoyu and Xing Xiuyan were both stunned. They looked at each other and exclaimed, "We are from the same family, but are they so calculating? Besides, the one who is visiting is her daughter."

Lin Daiyu, who had been taught by Xue Baochai that human hearts are treacherous, now had a deeper understanding and comforted the two, saying, "Not every mansion is like us, not caring about personal gains and losses. Even within the mansion, there will be open and covert struggles. The fact that the eldest wife lives in the east courtyard is the best proof of this."

"What they want is even more vulgar, nothing more than power and wealth, which is naturally different from what we pursue. It is understandable that you cannot understand."

In Lin Daiyu's eyes, Miaoyu is a vegetarian and a Buddhist, and she should not have much desire for worldly things.

Xing Xiuyan was even more so, like a pure little white flower. Even though she had moved into the Duke Dingguo's mansion, she didn't wear the silk and satin that the mansion had tailored for her, but instead wore her washed-bleached skirt, which made people feel very distressed.

But in the eyes of both of them, they seemed to deeply understand the reasons behind the open and secret struggles in the Jia family.

Just like in the mansion of Duke Dingguo, no one cares about food, clothing, and daily necessities. Money is taken as needed, and the women have no need for private money at all. When it comes to power, they are all below Lin Daiyu, and everyone is almost the same.

In this case, the only scarce resource is color.

The so-called opportunity to serve Yue Ling.

In this respect, the intrigues within the mansion may be no less than that in Rongguo Mansion.

The young ladies in the mansion are very good at taking advantage of every opportunity, which is comparable to Mrs. Wang's sneaky behavior.

Even last night Miaoyu climbed on Yue Ling's body, looking ready to be taken advantage of. She didn't look like a cultivator at all, but more like a happy Zen master.

The two looked at each other again, as if they knew each other's thoughts, and immediately put aside all distracting thoughts and said in unison: "Miss Lin, don't worry, we will do our best to help them."

Lin Daiyu nodded in relief and continued, "Sister Bao will stay here to assist you. If you find any clues, give them to her immediately. Even if you make any noise, no one will suspect her. Even if there is an emergency, I believe she will take good care of you."

"Yes."

the other side,
Mrs. Wang came to the three sisters, sat down beside Tanchun with a smile, and said in a warm and caring voice: "Girls, you have been staying at the Duke Dingguo's mansion for a while, but you haven't lost any weight. I guess the Duke Dingguo has taken good care of you."

Although it was a polite remark, it is also pleasant to hear in normal times.

But after experiencing so many right and wrongs, Sanchun couldn't help but think more.

There seemed to be some sarcasm in his words, wondering if they had been taken into the room by Yue Ling.

Tanchun twitched her lips. Even though she used to respect Lady Wang the most and took the older sisters who entered the palace as her role models, she no longer had such thoughts at the moment and was not in the mood to make small talk.

"Greetings to the Madam. The Dingguo Mansion is very nice. The sisters are very warm and friendly, and the Duke is even more friendly and polite."

Although the words were spoken in a thoughtful manner, the tone was cold and totally different from what Mrs. Wang remembered.

This difference made Mrs. Wang lose her mind for a moment.

It seems that every girl who has passed through Yue Ling's hands will have a huge change, and even Sanchun is no exception.

"Seeing that you all look good, I feel relieved. Since Duke Ding is so kind to you, it is also your blessing. Although you don't have as many opportunities as your elder sister, it is enough. In the future, you have to get closer to the Duke."

"I also heard about what happened to Lian'er. I shouldn't blame you. Master, as a man, you don't understand the difficulties we women face. I understand it, after all, you just went to Dingguo Mansion."

"But we are all blood relatives, so there is no need to bear grudges. Just let this matter go, okay?"

Seeing that Sanchun didn't answer, Madam Wang had no choice but to change the subject, "Tonight, you can all go back and rest. The yard has been renovated when you left. I have had the flowers and plants replanted."

Hearing this, Miss Sanchun's stern expression seemed to improve a little, and they all nodded slightly in response.

The frozen atmosphere just started to improve, but a maid brought by the Lai family came with a message: "Madam, the old ancestor sent a message, asking the girls to go over there to talk."

As soon as she finished speaking, Sanchun and even Mrs. Wang couldn't help but become worried, wondering what kind of evildoers Grandmother Jia would do at this time.

Mrs. Wang couldn't help but ask, "What did you say?"

The maid shook her head, "No."

Madam Wang frowned slightly, then looked at Sanchun, and had to force a smile and said, "The old lady had rested well at that time, and when she woke up and learned that you had returned, she was thinking of going to see you."

"You were all raised by the old lady, how could I not miss you?"

But in the eyes of Sanchun, they left in a very undignified way. It seemed that Grandmother Jia had a very broad mind, and she certainly did not call them over to reminisce about the past.

"it is good."

The three sisters helped each other up without saying much. Before they came to the mansion, they had already prepared themselves to face all this, whether it was Jia She, Jia Zheng, or Jia Mu.

What's more, since Jia She had been so rude, how much more excessive could Lady Jia go?

"Aunt, what are they doing?"

After the division of labor was completed, Lin Daiyu came to Mrs. Wang, but saw that Sanchun had already left, so she couldn't help but ask.

"Oh, it's the old lady who wants to talk to them."

Lin Daiyu narrowed her eyes slightly, feeling that something bad was going to happen to them, but for them who had not yet made up their minds to break with the Jia family, bad things might also be good things.

"I see."

Lin Daiyu nodded slightly. "It's almost night, I don't want to disturb them, so I'll go back home first. As for the matters entrusted by my aunt, I have already explained them to them. Before the visit, they will all obey my aunt's orders..."

(End of this chapter)