Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 510 An Awkward Father and Daughter

Lin Ruhai strode in. The father-in-law and son-in-law had become increasingly familiar with each other over the past few days. He sat down at the table opposite Yue Ling.

"Indeed, it was mentioned in the old Duke Rong's letter."

As he spoke, Lin Ruhai placed the letter on the table and sighed, "The old Duke Rong had foresight and investigated the tribes of the Northern Barbarians very thoroughly."

"As early as the previous dynasty, several tribes fell into decline during the internal strife among the barbarians and changed their surnames to Han and migrated into the interior of China. However, those who are not of our race will surely have different hearts. Now, after lying low in Han lands for many years, they have accumulated wealth and are seizing power among the barbarians, attempting to revive their tribes' former prosperity."

"Among them, the Chaerjit clan was the leader, and the Haijut and Hajigut clans all changed their surname to Chaerjit. The Chaerjit and Haijut clans were originally the lineage of the founding heroes of the barbarian tribes, and their influence among the barbarian tribes was not to be underestimated."

"But over the years, it has gradually declined and been forgotten by people."

Yue Ling picked up the letter, stroking the slightly yellowed paper. The vigorous and powerful handwriting of the old Duke Rong was very eye-catching.

Although he was credited with military merit, it seems that Jia Daishan was also quite accomplished in literature. No wonder he chose Lin Ruhai, a third-ranked scholar, as his son-in-law after the imperial examination.

With a slight frown, Yue Ling hesitated and said, "So, Grand Secretary Chai is highly suspicious?"

With a slight sigh, Yue Ling continued, "He is already at the pinnacle of his position as a minister, why would he commit such a treasonous act? Does he really think he can ascend the throne and indulge in such delusional fantasies?"

Lin Ruhai clapped his hands and pondered, guessing, "Chai Pu has been in and out of officialdom for decades. He is meticulous in his work and upright in his conduct. From the outside, it is indeed difficult to associate him with this heinous crime of treason."

"But it is often this seemingly impossible situation that leads to serious mistakes."

Historical records show that Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin, was promoted by Emperor Shizong of Zhou, Guo Rong. He rose from a low-ranking military officer to the commander of the palace guards, and by the age of thirty, he had become a military governor, wielding great power.

"Emperor Shizong of Zhou was such a remarkable man, yet he failed to see through Emperor Taizu of Song's ambition. Or perhaps, by then, Emperor Taizu's intricate network of connections within the Imperial Guards had already forced him to take another step forward."

Lin Ruhai paused abruptly, then looked up and stared at Yue Ling.

"And then came the Chenqiao Mutiny."

Letting out a breath, Lin Ruhai continued, "In my opinion, Chai Pu doesn't have the abilities of Emperor Taizu of Song, but currently, none of his relatives seem capable of taking on important responsibilities after Chai Pu retires. However, if the court declines and reverts to the old system of buying and selling goods, allowing a large local merchant to take over the tax collection, that would certainly be something they would be happy to see."

"It is not easy to sit on the throne, but it is easy to enjoy wealth and glory."

Yue Ling nodded slightly, thinking that Lin Ruhai's understanding was pretty accurate.

Otherwise, Chai Pu's large-scale land acquisition, donation of land as clan land, and construction of schools would have earned him a good reputation and a stable official career. Without the lure of huge profits, it would be impossible for someone like him to take such risks.

In particular, he should also be the backer of the Shanxi merchants. If they were to return to the tax farming system of the Yuan Dynasty, it would be extremely beneficial to them and would be their ideal country.

"It seems that Chai Pu is involved in both the death of Tuji Khan and the incident of the inside agent on the city wall back then. In particular, Chai Pu was working in the Privy Council back then, and had the opportunity to frame Lu Yuan."

Lin Ruhai shook his head and replied, "Lu Yuan is probably not clean either; he is also a tribute student from Jin."

Yue Ling nodded and continued to casually flip through the letters, only to come across some rather embarrassing content: "...Although the winds and sands at the border are fierce, they can temper one's character. However, the prosperity of Yangzhou can easily sway one's mind. You and Min'er are newly married and have been given such important responsibilities. You must not become arrogant and complacent because of this, and linger in pleasure boats and brothels, neglecting your wives!"

Yue Ling twitched her lips.

After reading these incredibly straightforward words, Jia Daishan's image seems to come to life. The words in the letter are so vivid and clear, just like when he took Lin Daiyu to see Lin Ruhai.

"Min'er mentioned in her letter that you have taken a local woman from Yangzhou as a concubine? Considering that you are new to Yangzhou and need the support of the local gentry, this is understandable. But if you become so engrossed in this new relationship that you forget your old love, I will definitely go straight to Yangzhou and ask you if you still remember the vows you made when you were married!"

No wonder Lin Ruhai used to criticize himself so often; it turns out he had suffered such hardships before.

Lin Ruhai was a third-ranked scholar in the imperial examinations, possessing both good looks and talent. Even Chief Steward Xia had said that he was a sensation in the capital when he wore a red flower and rode a fine horse. Many women were so infatuated that they would block the road to snatch him. In Jia Daishan's eyes, this was indeed very dangerous.

Yue Ling couldn't help but purse her lips and nod heavily.

"You kept telling me not to slight Lin Daiyu, but it turns out that you, Lin Ruhai, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, are the one who slighted your mother-in-law."

Lin Ruhai noticed that Yue Ling's expression was strange, and couldn't help but frown and ask, "Have you thought of something? Why aren't you saying anything?"

Yue Ling finally came to his senses, awkwardly covering the letter with his hand, and said with a smile, "It's nothing, nothing at all. It's just that this letter has given me a better understanding of what kind of person the old Duke Rong is."

Lin Ruhai looked displeased. They were clearly talking about serious matters, but Yue Ling had veered off-topic again.
Lin Ruhai took the letter and began to read it. When he reached the end of the letter and read the instructions left by Jia Daishan, he suddenly realized what was going on and his face turned red and purple.

Yue Ling chuckled awkwardly, trying to cover for Lin Ruhai: "Well, the old Duke Rong doted on his daughter, and my father-in-law was quite the charismatic figure back then, so it's understandable that he wrote this letter..."

Even without mentioning Yue Ling's identity, the fact that such words came from the mouth of a lecherous man like Yue Ling was enough to infuriate Lin Ruhai.

Lin Ruhai now deeply regretted not reading the letter completely, but instead rushing to inform Yue Ling after only seeing those crucial sentences.

He was an upright man, and had never acted so disrespectfully. It was just that his father-in-law always assumed the worst about his son-in-law.

But if he were to defend himself now, it would seem like he was trying to cover something up.

Now look what's happened, I've completely lost face.

After coughing a few times, Lin Ruhai straightened his face and stared intently at Yue Ling.

Yue Ling lowered his head and stared at the grain of the sandalwood table, trying his best to suppress his laughter.

"Let's get back to the main topic. Now that Chai Pu has shown signs of rebellion, and Prince Bei Jing, Shui Rong, is also eager to try his luck, what do you think their next move will be?"

After a long standoff between the father-in-law and son-in-law, Lin Ruhai finally spoke again, turning the topic back to the main issue.

However, Yue Ling couldn't help but chuckle. When she looked up and saw Lin Ruhai's burning gaze, she quickly picked up her teacup to cover it up.

"why are you laughing?"

Yue Ling looked up, her face innocent, and said, "No? I didn't laugh."

"Your lips are all smirking? Still not smiling?"

"I was just thinking about happy things."

Lin Ruhai took a few deep breaths, then stood up to leave.

Just as Yue Ling stood up to try and persuade her to stay, a voice called out from the corridor, "My lord, I've called Sister Xichun! She's ready, let's begin!"

Before the silvery sound had even finished, two little girls walked past the window and headed towards the study.

A fleeting glance reveals one to be bright and captivating, the other to be shy and charming.

The young girls were all quite young, even younger than Lin Daiyu. Lin Ruhai's brows twitched as he looked at them. Remembering Yue Ling's reputation, he couldn't help but turn and ask, "Is this the happy thing you were thinking of? Shameless, doing this in broad daylight in this study..."

The young girl was almost there, so Lin Ruhai didn't press the matter any further. He leaned down and said, "You and Yu'er are newlyweds, yet you're secretly engaging in such lewd acts in the outer study behind her back? If she finds out, won't she be heartbroken?"

"And how old are they?"

Lin Ruhai seemed to have finally found an outlet for his anger. He angrily flung his hand away, snorted coldly, and quickly retreated through the back door.

"You just keep doing your good deeds, I bet you'll die on a woman's belly sooner or later!"

Then, Xue Baoqin, who had just entered, saw the overturned teacup on the table, looked up at Yue Ling who looked embarrassed, and asked in confusion, "My lord, did someone else just come?"

Yue Ling smiled wryly, "Don't worry about it, let's get down to business." The girls then walked in hand in hand and followed Yue Ling to the desk.

"The structural diagram of this firearm is not simple; it requires a fine brush to outline, especially the shape, which must match the real object. Xichun, can you draw it?"

Xichun pinched the hem of her skirt and said sweetly, "I can draw. I read some Western books translated by Sister Baoqin before, which mentioned drawing. I learned a little bit on my own."

"Okay, let's get started."

Yue Ling moved a lampstand to provide light, Xue Baoqin ground ink to prepare, and Xi Chun spread out a piece of Xuelang Xuan paper about the size of herself. The three of them gathered around it.

……

"Has Xueyan been feeling unwell lately?"

Lin Daiyu sat on the edge of the bed and asked Xing Xiuyan and the others who were taking care of her in a low voice.

Xing Xiuyan shook her head and said, "Sister Xueyan has always been in good health, but she is already showing signs of pregnancy after only two months. Is it because she eats a lot? I asked the doctor, and he said there was nothing wrong with her. He said that Sister Xueyan is in good health."

"I wonder how many babies this pregnancy will produce, or how much this baby will weigh."

Everyone in the room had smiles on their faces, and for the first time, they thought that being able to eat was a special talent.

Lin Daiyu nodded with satisfaction. In any case, being able to produce offspring for Yue Ling was already the most important thing in the household.

Suddenly, a young girl tiptoed in from outside the door and whispered in Lin Daiyu's ear, "Madam, the concubines are looking for you in the hall. They seem quite anxious."

"Why didn't the concubines bring their sisters?"

Lin Daiyu was completely bewildered.

"Alright, I'll go take a look."

After nodding goodbye to Xing Xiuyan, Lin Daiyu walked through the passageway and arrived at the main hall, where she saw her two concubines standing in front of the door, both looking unwell.

"What do you ladies need me for? Why don't you send someone to run errands?"

The two aunts exchanged a glance, feeling extremely awkward. They nudged each other, but their unanimous silence was remarkable.

This left Lin Daiyu both amused and exasperated. "Do you two have some unspeakable secret? Why don't you have some tea and talk about it slowly?"

In the end, the more cheerful Aunt Zhou said helplessly, "Let's not have tea yet, miss. To be honest, we were sent by the master to ask you something."

"Then please speak frankly, ladies."

"Has the young lady been engaging in sexual relations with the young master lately?"

Lin Daiyu's face froze, a blush slowly creeping up her cheeks, and she said, "What is it you're asking about, Auntie..."

"Please speak the truth, young lady. Once you know what happens next, you won't need to ask any more questions."

Lin Daiyu said shyly, "I've been menstruating lately, so we haven't had sex."

Aunt Zhou clapped her hands and looked at Aunt Bai, saying, "No wonder, then what the master said must be right."

Aunt Bai quickly pulled Aunt Zhou aside and said, "We can't jump to conclusions so soon. Let's go and take a look together."

The two seemed to be speaking in riddles, leaving Lin Daiyu utterly helpless. "What are you two doing?"

"Girl, there's no need to say more, just come with us."

Lin Daiyu was supported by her aunts on both sides, and she left the house without her feet touching the ground.

……

"This isn't the outer study? What exactly did you bring me here for? What did Father tell you?"

Lin Daiyu was truly at a loss for words, wondering what her aunts were up to with their secretive behavior.

Aunt Bai deliberately lowered her voice and said, "Master went to find the young master in a very good mood, but he returned in a rage. He said he saw the young master with another woman in his room..."

Aunt Bai didn't want to make things too explicit, so she just left it at that.

Lin Daiyu was no longer the naive child she once was, and immediately understood, her brows furrowing slightly.

She didn't mind if young girls in the manor climbed into Yue Ling's bed, but she didn't like their sneaky behavior.

Especially since she had previously made it clear that everyone should not have any ulterior motives or try to win favor like the women in the inner quarters of wealthy and powerful families, otherwise they would definitely make a mess of the inner quarters.

When Lin Daiyu walked suspiciously to the window, she actually heard Yue Ling talking to a woman, and there were even two of them.

"Here, here you have to push all the way in! The force has to be great!"

Yue Ling's voice is very easy to recognize.

"My lord, please don't worry, I'm a little nervous, my hands are shaking."

The little girl's voice contained a hint of nervousness.

"How about I do it?"

There was actually a third person! Lin Daiyu stared in astonishment.

"No need, let's go with her, she's good at this."

"It hurts, Your Excellency, be gentle, you're pinching me too hard."

"Bear with it, Lord Marquis is right. This place is a vital spot. We can't be 'careless' and forget your previous experience!"

Lin Daiyu's body trembled slightly. She not only heard clearly, but also recognized the people inside the room.

"Xichun is usually aloof and quiet, while Baoqin is innocent and lively. Could my husband really be such a beast?!"

Without caring about anything else, Lin Daiyu rushed to the door, closed her eyes, and pushed it open forcefully. "What are you doing?!"

When she opened her eyes and looked in the direction of the sound, Lin Daiyu was standing there, stunned.

The loud sound of the door opening and the shouts startled the three people inside, who all turned to look at the door.

The scene freezes on Yue Ling using a pen to measure straight lines with one hand and placing the other hand on Xi Chun's hand to guide her in writing, while Xue Baoqin presses down on the Xuan paper and manipulates the structure of the flint and firing pin with her hands.

The lewd scenes she had imagined were nowhere to be found. Facing the innocent, even somewhat foolish, gazes of the three men, Lin Daiyu felt so ashamed that she slowly squatted down and curled up her body.

Just like her movements, her face resembled a boiled shrimp.

"Father, I'll come and settle accounts with you later!"

(End of this chapter)