Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 499 Yue Ling, don't go too far!

"Yunyu, Huaizhu, your older sister has come to see you."

Lin Daiyu gracefully entered the room, picked up the rattle drum placed on the table, rubbed it in her hands, and teased the two little ones who were still crying.

Upon hearing the noise, the two sisters actually stopped crying and reached out to Lin Daiyu, as if asking for a hug.

The two aunts were very relieved, watching as Lin Daiyu picked up her older sister and held her younger sister's little hand in her other hand.

"I can only carry one at a time; I don't have my husband's arm strength."

Hearing Lin Daiyu softly call out to her husband, the two concubines exchanged a smile.

"Congratulations, young lady! Your hardships have finally come to an end, and your happy marriage is finally complete."

Aunt Zhou asked again, "Is that the Duke of Dingguo talking to the master in front of the door?"

Lin Daiyu nodded. "Yes, we should be discussing some official business."

Aunt Bai breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's good that the two of them can clear up the misunderstanding. Last night, the master got drunk and was muttering in his sleep, cursing the Duke. We're afraid that if we meet today, we'll start arguing again."

Lin Daiyu grinned and said, "Father is not an unreasonable person."

Aunt Zhou clapped her hands and said, "That's right, I knew it. A son-in-law like the Duke is hard to find even with a lantern. Master should be secretly happy. How can we ruin this marriage?"

"I've also heard that when a girl is getting married, hundreds or even thousands of butterflies fly in from outside. This is a blessing from heaven and earth, a divine blessing."

Lin Daiyu nodded shyly, unsure of what to say.

Just then, her sister struggled to get up again, so Lin Daiyu had to support her buttocks with one hand and hold her waist with the other.

"What's going on? Does she want to get out of bed and walk around?"

Aunt Bai tidied the two babies' clothes, smiled and shook her head, "A three-month-old baby can't walk, she's just learned to roll over. She must have heard the voices outside and wanted to go out to look for someone."

After all that, it turned out the two little ones weren't happy just because they saw him, and they stopped crying.

She originally thought that if she saw her, she would also see Yue Ling, who often appeared with her.

Lin Daiyu was speechless for a moment, then pinched the noses of the two little ones and said, "I can't let you out. The adults are discussing important matters."

Suddenly, as if they understood, the two little ones started crying again.

……

“According to my father-in-law, Shui Rong does seem to be a strong suspect, but I still can’t understand why he would do this. After all, Shui Rong is already a hereditary prince, and his descendants share the same wealth and status as Da Chang. Why would he covet the throne? In particular, I think Shui Rong is more like a leisurely prince in his daily life, rarely speaking out on court affairs.”

Lin Ruhai frowned, pondered for a moment, sipped his tea to moisten his throat, and then said, "I have never had any dealings with him, but there is one thing you must keep in mind."

"I would be grateful if my father-in-law would be so kind as to offer his guidance."

Lin Ruhai sighed, “You can’t judge others by your own thoughts or morals. You know when to advance and when to retreat, you don’t crave credit, and you certainly don’t crave power. In their eyes, they might not understand you at all.”

"Power fascinates them, and the supreme throne can never be said to be unattractive."

"The current turmoil in the capital is all because the three princes have left the palace to establish their own residences and are now vying for the position of crown prince. I imagine that those who have been planning to do something will not miss this opportunity to place their bets on the three princes. I think we just need to wait and see."

"Of course, you must be careful about your personal safety when you go to and from the yamen, as they may use even more ruthless means to get rid of you. You must also take care of the safety of the mansion. In fact, you are in a very dangerous situation right now, so it is an excellent choice for His Majesty to send a team of soldiers to protect you."

"However, since His Majesty has no such intention, you should be careful yourself."

Yue Ling nodded repeatedly, "I have learned a lot."

Then he added, “In that case, Father-in-law, there’s no need to look for another residence. The Prince of Qin’s mansion is indeed very large, and there are still many empty rooms. Just stay here; it will be much more convenient for you to come and go.”

Lin Ruhai was taken aback. He had been busy with the two children all morning, but he hadn't considered this matter at all.

However, he traveled north lightly, carrying very little money to begin with, and was fined a year's salary at the wedding banquet, leaving him with almost nothing.

With his reputation, there must be many people willing to lend him money, but Lin Ruhai himself didn't have the face to ask for it.

Lin Ruhai twitched his lips and realized that the best arrangement now was indeed to stay in this Dingguo Mansion.

But Lin Daiyu and Yue Ling were newlyweds and naturally inseparable. Not only did they find him a nuisance, but he also found them very annoying.

The once lovely girl has become like this, and the two of them now smell the same. How could Lin Ruhai not feel heartbroken seeing this?

After hesitating for a while, Lin Ruhai sighed and said, "It's a temporary measure. After Han Da and the others arrive in the capital, I'll go out and find a house so as not to bother you."

Yue Ling gave an awkward smile, swearing that he had no intention of showing off.

Lin Ruhai continued to sigh, "It's impossible for several of my classmates and close friends to have to pass through your gates before they can come to visit."

Yue Ling added, "It's alright. I can have the servants build a side gate on this side of the house, so it will be very convenient for my father-in-law to come and go as he pleases."

Lin Ruhai frowned slightly. "You've thought of things very carefully."

"Father-in-law, you flatter me. This is simply my duty."

No matter how many times Lin Ruhai heard the story of his elder brother becoming his father-in-law, his eyelids would twitch.

Suddenly, bursts of crying came from inside the room.

The two concubines, each carrying one child, came to the outer hall and stood in front of Lin Ruhai and Yue Ling.

Lin Ruhai asked in confusion, "Why did you bring them out? The children can't stand the wind. They'll catch a cold if you walk around like this. Why don't you take them back first and then come back to talk?"

Lin Daiyu followed behind and said, "The two of them are crying and making a fuss that they can't stop. They're crying even harder now, so we took them out for a walk."

Lin Ruhai glared and said, "Nonsense! You cried and made a scene in the room, but you stopped crying as soon as you came out?"

But when he looked over, the two children actually stopped crying and even clapped their hands at Yue Ling and giggled.

One by one, they leaned forward. The aunts, afraid of falling, had no choice but to go towards Yue Ling. In the end, they handed the two babies to Yue Ling, who held one in each arm.

Lin Ruhai's eyes widened as he saw the two little children who had been crying incessantly suddenly find something to lean on. They rested their heads on Yue Ling's shoulder, their little hands tightly gripping Yue Ling, and could only giggle foolishly.

Both children were like this. Compared to themselves, their closeness to Yue Ling was clearly on a completely different level.

Lin Ruhai was immediately reminded of unpleasant memories and angrily said, "Yue Ling, don't go too far!"

...West City, Prime Minister's Residence,

Chai Pu sat quietly at home, with his old servant fanning him, but his heart was still restless.

Now is the time when Yue Ling is indulging in playful antics, and it is also the best opportunity for him to retaliate.

He closed his eyes and meditated, reflecting on his actions over the years and making up for any shortcomings.

He remained calm and composed, but those beneath him were already on edge, seeing threats everywhere.

Before long, the Vice Minister of Justice strode into the room, took off his headscarf and hat, sat down angrily in front of him, snatched the teacup that Chai Pu had picked up, and drank it all in one gulp.

Slamming his teacup on the table, Ji Bin, the Vice Minister of Justice, roared, "You still have the mind to brew tea here? Don't you know the situation is critical? The Duke of Dingguo is looking for me!"

Chai Pu said calmly, "I know."

Seeing his attitude, Ji Bin was even more furious. "You know? You know and you still put on this act. Who are you putting on a show for? The Duke of Dingguo won't be able to find anything about you for a while, but don't think you're safe."

"Duke Dingguo traveled south and happened to investigate every single case. He's our jinx, the King of Hell! Even if I don't implicate you, sooner or later we'll find out about you!"

Chai Pu then said, "I know."

He picked up the overturned teacup, poured another bowl of tea into it, and pushed it in front of Ji Bin.

Ji Bin had no interest in responding and slammed the table down. "You know? You know Yue Ling's interrogation methods? I know them all. They're far more humiliating than anything my Ministry of Justice uses. He doesn't want people to suffer physical pain, but he'll find a few people with a penchant for short sleeves and use them to penetrate people's anuses."

"None of those Duke Rongguo's men could grit their teeth and stand firm, and neither can I! How can we court officials endure such humiliation?"

Chai Pu shook his head and said, "That was the him of the past. The him of today wouldn't force you like this without solid evidence."

Ji Bin shook his head, refusing to listen to anything further. "We can't let Yue Ling continue investigating. This person is too dangerous."

"You think of a way. If you don't, I'll figure out my own. The Ji family is relying on me; can you really depend on them?"

As he spoke, he took out a transcribed document from his bosom and tossed it onto the tea table.

Chai Pu's expression changed slightly as he picked up the case file, his expression becoming somewhat uncertain.

The document contains a detailed record of all the interrogation details in the Tuji Khan case eight years ago, as well as the coroner's autopsy findings.

It even includes the case of Lu Yuan being a spy for the Northern Barbarians, combining the two cases into one, which is full of doubts.

"You shouldn't have killed Lu Yuan. With him dead, everyone's hearts are cold!"

After saying that, Ji Bin got up to leave, but suddenly saw a figure approaching from the door. His face stiffened, and he quickly went to hide inside the house.

Before they could, the eldest prince, Liu An, entered.

Seeing a puddle of tea on the table, Chai Pu was wiping it with his sleeve, and he didn't look too well.

Liu An stepped forward and wiped him with a cotton towel, saying in a low voice, "This student has come to pay his respects to Master Chai, hoping that Master Chai can give me some guidance."

Chai Pu raised his aged eyes and sighed, "Your Highness, you shouldn't have come to see this old minister."

Liu An, however, lost his usual composure and said hastily, "Elder Chai, you may not know this, but just now, the Second Prince, together with the Prince of Nan'an and the Prince of Zhongshun, jointly petitioned to take control of the Liaodong troops and go out of the pass to resist the Jurchens. His Majesty has already granted their request."

"Liu Yi, as a prince, has actually gained the support of both the imperial family and the noble families. The situation is extremely critical. Everything is just as Elder Chai predicted. How can I not be anxious? I don't want to follow in the footsteps of Prince Kang!"

Liu An's face was ashen. After speaking, he was panting heavily and no longer cared about etiquette, staring straight at Chai Pu.

Chai Pu was also somewhat troubled, and when he met Liu An, he felt somewhat powerless.

"Your Highness, please do not panic. As the eldest son of the legitimate wife, you will naturally be the first choice if a crown prince is to be selected. You should know that since the Qin Dynasty, few crown princes of unified dynasties have led troops out of the pass. The fact that the second prince can lead troops out of the pass precisely shows that he is not the first choice in His Majesty's eyes."

Liu An smiled wryly, "Old Chai, please don't make up stories to mock me. He has troops under his command, wouldn't he try some unorthodox methods? My household only has the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled."

Chai Pu shook his head, "Your Highness is exaggerating. There are still imperial guards and the Duke of Dingguo in the city. How could he dare to act recklessly?"

Liu An shook his head again, "He has military power, so of course I can't eat or sleep peacefully. Moreover, to be honest, my father doesn't really like me. I'm overweight and don't resemble him. I'm not as strong-willed as my second brother, and I'm not skilled in martial arts. My father has never smiled at me."

"In that case, how could he hand over power to me? I haven't even entered the government hall to handle state affairs yet, while my second brother is already leading troops into battle. I've already lost the first battle."

Chai Pu said, "Since the Second Prince is going to lead troops north to Liaodong, the responsibility of procuring supplies and provisions is also very heavy and should fall on Your Highness's shoulders."

Liu An stared wide-eyed, and asked in surprise, "Could it be that Elder Chai wants me to tamper with the military pay?"

Liu An shook his head repeatedly, "No, no, if I were to tamper with the military pay, I would not only create enmity where there was no enmity, but also drive my brother to the brink of despair. I would be following in the footsteps of Prince Kang."

"Moreover, if my father were to discover that I am so jealous, I would naturally be disqualified from ascending to the throne."

Seeing that Liu An was still relatively clear-headed and not the fiery-tempered person he had encountered earlier, Chai Pu nodded slightly. "Your Highness, rest assured, military merit cannot be achieved overnight. Once the Second Prince leaves the city, I will join with all the officials to request His Majesty to establish an heir apparent as soon as possible."

"Now that His Majesty's strength is waning, important affairs of state still need to be entrusted to someone, and establishing an heir is the most appropriate thing to do. Especially since the Second Prince will be outside the city at that time, and the Third Prince will not be involved in political affairs, Your Highness is the best candidate."

"Therefore, it is not necessarily detrimental to Your Highness to let the Second Prince leave the capital early."

Liu An's eyes lit up, and his breathing gradually softened. "That's exactly right."

After bowing and paying his respects, Liu An rose and said, "I am sorry to have bothered you, Elder Chai. I will take my leave now."

Chai Pu wanted to get up and see him off, but Liu An politely declined.

Chai Pu could only stand under the eaves and watch Liu An leave.

Before he could finish, Ji Bin, who had been hiding inside the room, slowly emerged.

"No wonder you are so calm and composed. It turns out you have a complete plan in mind. If His Majesty establishes an heir and no longer cares about politics, given your relationship with the First Prince, it would not be difficult to suppress the Duke of Dingguo's investigation."

"However, in my opinion, before an heir is established, the power of the court is naturally in the hands of the Duke of Dingguo. Establishing an heir would naturally be detrimental to him, and the Duke of Dingguo would not agree to it."

Chai Pu stroked his beard and said, "You don't know the Duke of Dingguo well enough. He doesn't care about power, and he doesn't care who becomes the prince. Even if he objects, I have a backup plan to deal with it."

"only……"

Chai Pu recalled Liu An's earlier words, "The Prince of Nan'an? Is Shui Rong really betting on the Second Prince?"

(End of this chapter)