The destiny of all heavens begins in the Red Chamber

Given Master Zheng's temperament, as long as he doesn't do anything that would particularly offend him, he will generally not be expelled, as long as Jia Huan continues to diligently visit as always.

What else is there to fuss about?

With Yuan Chun now a concubine, the situations of the Ning and Rong mansions have changed drastically.

The Jia family in the capital is not back to its former glory, but it is certainly not what it used to be.

To be fair, as the head of the Court of State Ceremonial, and with Jia Lian being a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Revenue, Lord Zheng Er actually provided significant assistance to Consort Yuan in the palace.

At least for now, the Rong Mansion doesn't need Yuan Chun to exert herself in the palace to help Master Zheng and Jia Lian advance further.

This situation saved Yuan Chun a lot of trouble and embarrassment.

At least, one can live a more comfortable and carefree life in the palace!

If she were to give birth to even one child, the Jia family of the capital would likely be wiped out from the current targets of attack.

Some things are just so mysterious. In the original novel of Dream of the Red Chamber, Yuan Chun's burden was so heavy that we can see some clues from her frequent loss of composure during her short visit home.

What do you mean by "a place where people can eat people in the dark"? Saying such things with eunuchs around you, do you want to die sooner or later?

It's possible that the people in the Rong family at the time either paid attention or simply couldn't hear it, because there was no change whatsoever.

Currently, as long as they don't actively get involved in dangerous matters, the Ning and Rong mansions are basically stable.

Under such circumstances, is it meaningful for Jia Huan to continue causing trouble even after losing his mind?

The resources in the manor are nothing. The resources he currently controls are already quite astonishing for an individual, so there's no need for him to compete with the old lady and Madam Wang for anything.

On the contrary, we must not let these two see any clues and try to cause trouble in any way.

He worried that if he couldn't control himself, he might do something he couldn't bear to talk about!

And so, in the study, he became a complete observer, rarely offering any opinions.

He was also unfamiliar with the art of responding to poems, so he naturally became marginalized.

Of course, given his previous amazing performance, neither the Second Master Zheng nor the scholars dared to underestimate him.

He specifically provides corresponding historical materials services, which Master Zheng also finds very good.

At least, it will give him some guidance when he encounters matters in the court, so he won't be completely clueless.

This is something that the older, mostly middle-aged and elderly scholars couldn't do. If they could really memorize the "Zizheng Tongjian" (Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government), they wouldn't still be hanging around in the Rong Mansion's main study.

At any level, becoming a secretary to a powerful official is no problem!

Jia Huan also used this opportunity to gradually keep a low profile in the mansion and become inconspicuous.

The effect was quite obvious. The old lady and Madam Wang's spies had gradually shifted away from him. There was something new and interesting to see every day in the mansion, so there was no need to keep paying attention to an insignificant illegitimate son.

The Rong Mansion remains the same Rong Mansion, with a small opera every three days and a big opera every five days, making it quite lively.

Chapter 196 Lin Ruhai Gets Ill from Anger (Please Subscribe)

It's a pity that the tree wants to be quiet but the wind doesn't stop!

That evening, Jia Huan, as usual, went to the main study in the front courtyard of the Rong Mansion.

Shortly after they sat down, the Second Master Zheng delivered some bad news: Lin Ruhai had fallen ill!

"Huan-ge, you'll come with me tomorrow morning to take a look!"

After the guests left, Master Zheng Er spoke up.

Judging from his tone, it seemed like he was having some difficult decision to make.

Jia Huan responded, sighing inwardly, guessing that something was about to happen again.

There's no need to overthink it; the old lady must have some ulterior motive. The Lin family has money and resources.

As for Lin Ruhai falling ill, Jia Huan wasn't surprised at all.

The five years he spent in Yangzhou took a heavy toll on his physical health and mental well-being.

Previously, it had recovered somewhat through recuperation, but the damage to its foundation was a fact, and it couldn't be recovered in just a few years. If it was stimulated, it would still erupt.

Indeed, Jia Huan guessed that Lin Ruhai must have been triggered by something to suddenly fall ill.

Right now, who else could possibly ignite his anger besides Lin Daiyu?

With a curfew in effect in the capital, evenings were naturally not a good time to go out and visit.

The next day, after breakfast, Jia Huan arrived at the study early.

"Third Young Master, be careful! The reason Lord Lin fell ill this time is because someone came to ask for a marriage proposal from Miss Lin!"

Before Master Zheng Er arrived, a certain scholar who had come earlier quietly approached Jia Huan and reminded him: "When you get to the Lin family, try not to mention this matter!"

"Thank you for reminding!"

Jia Huan nodded slightly to indicate that he understood; it was indeed much as he had guessed.

Lin Daiyu is now eleven and a half years old, a few months older than Cong-ge.

They're still a few years away from coming of age, so for them to come and propose marriage at this time is clearly ill-intentioned.

The main problem is that not a single word has been leaked, which is clearly against the rules.

As far as Jia Huan knew, the betrothal custom in the capital was to first have a matchmaker or a familiar female elder convey the man's intentions.

If the woman doesn't explicitly refuse, then the actual marriage process will begin.

During this period, families like the Lin's would definitely need to talk to the older female relatives and ask the Rong family to help inquire about the man's character and other information.

Given the old lady's mindset, how could she possibly agree to such a thing?

They certainly won't directly stop it; instead, they'll use other means to sabotage the marriage.

Without special care, Rongqing Hall is a complete sieve, capable of keeping no information hidden.

Needless to say, once such a thing happens, the news that Lin Daiyu is about to get engaged will definitely spread throughout the Rong Mansion in no time, and then quickly spread to Ningrong Street.

With Aunt Zhao's gossipy nature, how could she possibly miss such a gossipy drama?

It was obvious that Jia Baoyu would make a scene, but the more he made a scene, the faster the news of Lin Daiyu's impending marriage would spread.

Without even a second thought, this must be Madam Wang's doing!

She had long disliked Lin Daiyu because of Jia Min. Coupled with Jia Baoyu's infatuated and obsessive attitude, she was worried that he would forget his mother after marrying, and she was bound to cause him a lot of trouble, ruining Lin Daiyu's reputation.

As for the possibility that Lin Daiyu might be innocently implicated, Madam Wang wouldn't care at all.

Since Yuan Chun was made a concubine, Lady Wang's words and actions have shown a certain arrogance.

Jia Huan could easily guess what would happen. If any family was truly interested, this kind of thing would happen in the Rong Mansion, and it would be pretty much the same.

In fact, this did not happen, which means that the family that came to propose marriage was not sincere.

I just don't know which company it is?

Jia Huan's mind raced, and he immediately came up with a plan to trick Jia Baoyu.

As for the gentleman's overtures, he would naturally appreciate them.

Although Jia Huan has been keeping a low profile lately and is now considered a marginal figure among the retainers, none of the scholars in the study dare to underestimate him.

These gentlemen and their guests have seen Jia Huan's success outside, so how could they possibly look down on him?

In the future, if they or their descendants encounter any problems, they might have to ask Jia Huan for help.

It's frustrating to say, though. As fellow guests in the Grand Study, Jia Huan received information later than his colleagues present. It's truly unbelievable.

He was well aware that these scholars and gentlemen had already cultivated a certain network of connections within the mansion.

However, this feeling of being out of touch with information is not very pleasant.

A short while later, Master Zheng arrived, and to Jia Huan's surprise, Jia Baoyu was also by his side.

After exchanging greetings, Master Zheng Er, with a solemn expression, hurriedly led Jia Baoyu and Jia Huan out to visit the Lin family.

The news must have been sent out yesterday, because the old steward of the Lin family was waiting at the gate early in the morning.

Upon seeing Master Zheng and his party, they hurriedly stepped forward to greet them and offer their respects before leading the way to the main courtyard.

Before even entering, you can smell the rich aroma of herbs.

Jia Huan twitched his nose and instantly detected several precious medicinal herbs from the aroma.

Somewhat surprised, Lin Ruhai seemed to be quite ill this time.

And that was indeed the case. Whenever Master Zheng took the initiative to visit, Lin Ruhai would greet him at the door, unless his condition was too serious.

But at that moment, the only person waiting to greet them at the door was Lin Daiyu, whose eyes were swollen from crying.

That's why some guys are just naturally attractive to women.

"What's wrong with my little sister? Why are her eyes so red from crying?"

Even with Master Zheng Er present, Jia Baoyu couldn't help but feel worried.

A look of relief appeared on Lin Daiyu's delicate face as she shook her head and said softly, "Father is ill, so it's only natural for a daughter to take care of him. It's nothing!"

Master Zheng nodded slightly, quite satisfied with Lin Daiyu's performance.

He Sheng exchanged a few words with Lin Daiyu, then led the somewhat reluctant Jia Baoyu and Jia Huan, who had been playing a minor role, into Lin Ruhai's bedroom.