The Splendor of the Red Chamber

The 26th day of the 12th month of the 7th year of Guanglong.

After a long journey of more than ten days, the Rongguo Mansion's ship finally docked outside Yangzhou City.

The servants sent by Lin Ruhai had been waiting at the dock for a long time. Upon seeing the banner that read "Imperial Construction of Rongguo Mansion," they jumped and shouted on the pier before the plank was even set up.

This scene immediately terrified Lin Daiyu, who turned pale and thought she had arrived too late and missed seeing her father one last time.

Upon seeing this, Jia Lian immediately reprimanded them for making a fuss and then inquired about Lin Ruhai's recent condition.

The leader quickly bowed and reported, "Master has been bedridden for over a month. Sometimes he can't even speak clearly, only calling out Miss's name and weeping incessantly."

Upon hearing these words, Lin Daiyu felt as if her heart was being torn apart, and tears streamed down her face.

Jia Lian knew he couldn't persuade her at this point, so he instructed Zhao'er, Long'er, and the others to stay behind to handle the aftermath, and also told Zijuan to bring her portable dressing case.

Once the gangplank was set up, he accompanied Lin Daiyu, her maid, and the ship's doctor, traveling lightly and simply to the Salt Commissioner's residence.

Upon arriving at the Lin family's gate, they saw two servants in blue robes and small hats chatting idly while cracking melon seeds.

When they saw their own carriage return, they didn't get up, but simply moved aside to make way.

Upon seeing this, Xing'er, who was accompanying them, immediately rebuked angrily, "How dare you be so disrespectful and insolent in front of the Second Master Lian of the Rongguo Mansion?!"

Upon hearing the words "Rongguo Mansion," the two hurriedly rose to greet him.

Jia Lian waved his hand impatiently and said, "It's your young lady returning. Hurry up and report it!"

One of the gatekeepers immediately ran off to report the news, while the other, with a fawning expression, led Jia Lian and the others inside.

They thought things were chaotic enough outside the side gate, but when they reached the hanging flower gate that separated the inside from the outside, an old woman hurriedly blocked their way, saying that "Third Uncle" was coming over and asked Jia Lian and Lin Daiyu to wait there.

Having already heard that Lin Ruhai had been bedridden for over a month, Jia Lian understood everything upon hearing this.

He immediately retorted, "Are you out of your mind, old woman?! Forget about your third uncle, even your own grandfather wouldn't sever the bond between father and daughter—I'll let it slide today for my uncle's sake, but if you dare obstruct me again, I'll skin you alive!"

The old woman, frightened by the angry-looking Vajra, retreated stammering to the side of the road and dared not utter another word.

Jia Lian led Lin Daiyu without any further obstacles and soon arrived at the four-courtyard residence of their master.

Hearing Lin Ruhai coughing from inside the main room, Lin Daiyu could no longer restrain herself. She lifted her skirt and stepped past Jia Lian to enter.

"Sister, wait a moment."

Jia Lian grabbed her arm and reminded her, "A person who has been ill for a long time cannot withstand great sorrow or joy. Let the doctor go in and take a look first."

As she spoke, she instructed Zijuan to open her portable makeup box and apply a fashionable lady-like makeup to Lin Daiyu.

Although Daiyu was extremely anxious, she knew that everything Lian Erge did was reasonable, so she patiently let Zijuan and Xueyan do their work.

Before long, the accompanying physician came out and reported to Jia Lian: "Second Master Lian, I have already administered acupuncture to Lord Lin. I believe that with me by his side, the father and daughter should be able to meet without any major problems, but..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Daiyu had already stumbled into the room, lifting the hem of her skirt.

However, Lin Daiyu remembered Jia Lian's instructions. Although she was in tears when she entered the room, she forced a smile when she rushed to her father's bedside.

"Father, I'm back! Yu'er is back!"

Lin Ruhai looked as withered as a candle in the wind, but his eyes shone with surprise. He reached out his hand tremblingly, wanting to stroke his daughter's head, but he was too weak to do so.

Upon seeing this, Lin Daiyu quickly grasped her father's wrist and lowered her head in respect.

Lin Ruhai tremblingly reached down from the top of her head, managing to wipe a small amount from the corner of Lin Daiyu's left eye, and croaked, "Yu'er... has grown up... no, no... cough cough cough!"

Seeing that her father couldn't even speak a complete sentence, Lin Daiyu finally couldn't hold back and burst into tears in her father's arms.

Lin Ruhai's gaze, filled with regret, guilt, helplessness, and heartache, lingered on his daughter for a long time before turning to Jia Lian.

"Uncle."

Jia Lian quickly bowed and greeted him.

"You...you're late...the news came from Suzhou...cough cough cough..."

Lin Ruhai managed to squeeze out a few words, but then couldn't help coughing violently.

After a moment's thought, Jia Lian understood what it meant.

The Lin family's ancestral home is Suzhou, but Lin Ruhai grew up in Beijing and has never been very close to his relatives in his hometown.

This time, when he was seriously ill, he probably didn't inform Suzhou, but instead sent someone directly to Rongguo Mansion to ask Jia Lian to escort his daughter south.

However, due to Jia Lian's fainting and Jia Rong's death, more than half a month was wasted. By then, people in Suzhou had already received the news and sent people over first.

Now that Lin Ruhai is on his deathbed and bedridden, and his aunt Jia Min has been dead for many years, it is not surprising that the household has no backbone and has been manipulated by people from Suzhou to take away some of the power and benefits.

Having thought through the cause and effect, Jia Lian bowed again and said, "If Uncle trusts me, please entrust the household affairs to me for the time being. I guarantee that not a single thing of Lin Daiyu's will be missing."

Lin Ruhai was just worrying about how to make things clear when he heard this, and a look of relief immediately appeared on his face. He nodded with difficulty and said, "You... are very good..."

Seeing this, Jia Lian said to Lin Daiyu, "Sister, stay here and talk with your uncle. Just lend me Zijuan for a moment."

Lin Daiyu was a very perceptive girl. She had sensed something was wrong when the old woman blocked her way, so naturally she wouldn't stop Jia Lian from establishing his authority.

She looked up, her eyes brimming with tears, but her tone was firm: "Brother, just go ahead and do it. If there's anything I can do, just send someone to let me know, and I'll be there immediately!"

Intelligent people communicate with each other clearly.

Jia Lian nodded to her and then led Zijuan out of the main room.

Upon reaching the door, they saw Xing'er talking to several people. The man in the lead was about fifty years old and dressed like a wealthy old man; he must be the "Third Uncle."

"Second Master!"

Seeing Jia Lian come out, Xing'er hurriedly came up to report: "These people said they were from the same clan as Master Lin. I was afraid of disturbing Miss Lin and her father's meeting, so I stopped them from coming in."

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian looked directly at the person opposite and asked, "Is that the third uncle of the Lin family?"

The people opposite were already somewhat uneasy, and upon seeing Jia Lian's demeanor and appearance, they guessed that he was a member of the Rongguo Mansion's imperial family, which made them even more timid and panicked.

Upon hearing Jia Lian's question, the leader hesitated for a while before stepping forward and bowing, saying, "This old man greets Second Master Lian. I am merely a few years older than you and do not deserve your esteemed presence..."

"Uncle, you're too kind."

Jia Lian interrupted him directly, saying, "Uncle Lin entrusted me with the task of managing the household affairs. Since Third Uncle is an elder of the Lin family, why don't you come with me to witness this?"

As she spoke, she reached out and grabbed the third uncle's wrist, pulling him out.

The third uncle felt as if he had been bitten by a tiger, his wrist throbbing with pain, but he dared not cry out and could only follow Jia Lian in a disheveled state.

Jia Lian pulled him out of the fourth courtyard, first gathering the servants and asking which ones were the maids brought by his aunt. He then immediately selected several men to guard the front and back of the Lin residence, replacing all the original gatekeepers.

Then he ordered Zijuan to take several servants to Lin Ruhai's concubine's room to demand the account book.

When the concubine heard that it was the second master of Rongguo Mansion, Lian, who was in charge of the household affairs, she was immediately terrified and knelt down to beg Zijuan to show mercy.

Zijuan had been instructed by Jia Lian beforehand to declare that he would preserve the family's dignity and would not harm a concubine of her status.

The concubine, feeling as if she had been granted a pardon, hurriedly presented the account book to the concubine.

Jia Lian ordered all the stewards, both inside and outside the courtyard, to kneel on the ground in the third courtyard. He then spread out his writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and began to calculate in the account book, occasionally asking a few questions.

In less than half an hour, several oversights and instances of embezzlement had been identified.

Among them was the old woman who blocked the way.

Regardless of anything else, Jia Lian first ordered his men to strip the old woman of her clothes and beat her severely.

Xing'er personally went up to carry out the punishment, swinging the stick around and smashing it down haphazardly. After only ten or so blows, the old woman vomited blood, and even her screams became quieter.

Jia Lian didn't call a halt, but simply had Zhao'er and Long'er, who had just arrived, replace Xing'er, and then began interrogating the other stewards who had been found to have problems.

Seeing the old woman being beaten until her skin was torn and she was barely breathing, the servants of the Rongguo Mansion were still pounding her like mincemeat, and the stewards were all terrified and turned ashen-faced.

The third uncle was also covered in cold sweat, wiping it repeatedly with a handkerchief.

In just half a day, Jia Lian had beaten one person to death, sold three others, and more than a dozen others were punished. The atmosphere in the Lin family was instantly cleansed.

The third uncle fell ill as soon as he returned to his room and never dared to show his face again.