The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

However, Grandmother Jia felt that Lin Ruhai and his daughter must be invited before the flower-viewing banquet, so she hurriedly urged Wang Xifeng: "Feng'er, you must send out invitations to Mr. Lin and Yu'er as soon as possible, don't delay!"

She was calculating in her mind, fearing that Daiyu would be targeted by the royal family, and wanted to settle the marriage as soon as possible.

Wang Xifeng was quick-witted. After receiving instructions from Grandmother Jia, she returned and discussed it with Jia Lian: "I think there's something fishy going on here."

Jia Lian hadn't reacted yet: "What's the old lady thinking?"

"It's all about Lin Daiyu!" Wang Xifeng lowered her voice. "The old lady is even more anxious now that she's received the invitation to the flower viewing banquet. I think she's considering marrying Lin Daiyu to Baoyu because she's afraid the royal family will choose her!"

Wang Xifeng had long known of Grandmother Jia's intentions, but the situation was different now.

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian shook his head and scoffed, "Come on, with Baoyu's personality, Uncle Lin would never agree. What kind of person is Uncle Lin? He was a third-ranked scholar in the imperial examinations and is now the Vice Minister of Revenue. What does Baoyu have besides being the young master of a Duke's mansion? Besides, Lin Daiyu is now the goddaughter of the Princess. A daughter of one family is sought after by many families. With Lin Daiyu's status, countless people would be fighting for her!"

“So what I’m suggesting is this,” Wang Xifeng leaned closer to Jia Lian, her eyes gleaming with shrewdness, “you should go to Uncle Lin’s house yourself and subtly convey the old lady’s intentions to him. That way, Uncle Lin will have a better idea of ​​how to handle the situation and won’t embarrass the old lady.”

Jia Lian thought it was a good idea; it would both do Lin Ruhai a favor and save face for Grandmother Jia. So, he went to the Lin family in person.

After hearing Jia Lian's purpose, Lin Ruhai smiled slightly and told him not to worry: "Since the old lady has invited me, I will pay a visit three days after my day off. However, the Princess has already said that she wants to bring the princess and your sister to the estate for a few days, so it is difficult to refuse."

Lin Ruhai changed the subject, his gaze falling on Jia Lian, his tone becoming somewhat meaningful and quite direct: "Lian'er, I've been hearing people say lately that you and your wife are managing the household for your second uncle?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian was stunned and didn't know how to respond for a moment.

“Logically speaking, I, as his uncle, shouldn’t be so nosy.” Seeing his reaction, Lin Ruhai continued to enlighten him, “But since it was your father who inherited the title, how did you end up managing someone else’s household? You used to seem like a shrewd person, so why can’t you understand the crux of the matter now?”

He only touched on the point briefly, without going into detail, but his implication was that he was referring directly to the issue of succession and management between Jia She and Jia Zheng.

Jia Lian was quite shocked by Lin Ruhai's words. After leaving the Lin residence, he went back and began to think about it seriously, and then discussed it in detail with Wang Xifeng.

Three days later, Lin Ruhai arrived as promised. Grandmother Jia warmly welcomed him, and after some small talk, she steered the conversation to the main topic.

"Thinking back to those days when the Duke chose you to be Min'er's husband, so many years have passed in the blink of an eye. You have raised Yu'er so well, and as her maternal grandmother, I am delighted to see it all." Grandmother Jia recalled the past with a smile, her words full of praise for Lin Ruhai.

Lin Ruhai hurriedly replied, "When my father-in-law was alive, he took great care of me, and I will always remember that."

Seeing that the time was right, Grandmother Jia got to the point: "Now that Yu'er is of marriageable age, I've been thinking that Baoyu is a very caring person, and he and Yu'er have known each other since childhood, so they know each other very well. As the saying goes, it's even better to marry someone who is already a close relative. Why don't we betroth Yu'er to Baoyu? What do you think?"

Lin Ruhai had already prepared an explanation. He cupped his hands and said, "It is the old lady's good fortune to love Yu'er so much. I thank the old lady on behalf of Yu'er. However, a few days ago, the Princess specifically said that as Yu'er's godmother, she must personally oversee the marriage and dare not agree to it casually."

He paused, his tone becoming even more resolute, and directly refused, "Furthermore, the reversal of bloodline is a great taboo, and may be detrimental to future generations. I believe that Baoyu and Yu'er have a deep brotherly and sisterly bond, a bond that has lasted since childhood. Wouldn't it be better to maintain this brotherly and sisterly affection?"

Grandmother Jia's face stiffened instantly, and her smile froze on her face. She hadn't expected Lin Ruhai to refuse so directly, and with such a convincing reason, even bringing up the taboo of "bloodline reversion."

Seeing Lin Ruhai's resolute attitude, Grandmother Jia didn't want to escalate the situation, after all, Lin Ruhai's status was different now. She sighed and forced a smile: "Fine, Yu'er is your daughter, and as her grandmother, there's nothing I can do."

Although Grandmother Jia was unable to fulfill her wish regarding Daiyu's marriage, she quickly thought of another matter.

"However, there is one more thing. I'm going to swallow my pride today and ask my son-in-law for a favor." When Grandmother Jia mentioned Yuan Chun, her tone was tinged with helplessness and pleading. "That child is not young anymore. She was delayed in the palace for several years, and now... Young Master Lin has a wide circle of friends. I wonder if you have any suitable families to recommend?"

Grandmother Jia thought to herself, "The Zhen family has been raided. The capital is probably about to change. Those so-called noble families, the best ones won't even look at Yuan Chun, and the worst ones probably won't have a better ending than the Zhen family."

She hoped that Yuan Chun could find a reliable home so that she wouldn't repeat the same mistake.

After much thought, Lin Ruhai, who came from a family that had passed the imperial examinations and served as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, associated with upright officials and pragmatists. Perhaps he could find a suitable candidate.

Lin Ruhai had no prejudice against Yuan Chun. He felt that the fact that the girl had been delayed in entering the palace for several years was due to the Rongguo Mansion's improper handling of the situation, so he readily agreed.

Lin Ruhai thought of his former classmate, Li Junru, who is now the Grain Commissioner of Hubei. He heard that Li Junru's youngest son had passed the provincial examination and even came in first place.

The child was slightly delayed because he was observing mourning for his mother's passing and was determined to study. However, his age was still a good match for Yuan Chun's.

After sending a letter to Hubei to inquire, Lin Ruhai replied to the Jia family.

Grandmother Jia was very pleased to hear this and immediately summoned Yuan Chun.

But to everyone's surprise, Yuan Chun's expression turned sour upon hearing this.

Side Story: The Empress's Rebirth - Yingchun's Marriage and the Empress's Flower Appreciation Banquet

Upon hearing that the son of a minor official of the fourth rank, Yuan Chun felt a strong sense of dissatisfaction.

Uncle Lin knew countless high-ranking officials, yet he insisted on introducing her to the son of a low-ranking official. Besides, his sister-in-law was also involved, meaning she couldn't possibly be the one managing the household in the future. She secretly despised him, but dared not show it too obviously on her face.

Yuan Chun deliberately feigned hesitation and sighed softly, "Grandmother's concern and Uncle's kindness are deeply appreciated by your granddaughter. However... such a man, so old and still unmarried, there must be some reason, right?"

Grandmother Jia frowned slightly and explained, "Your uncle said that firstly, the woman he was engaged to passed away due to illness; secondly, his mother passed away three years ago, and he observed three years of mourning, which caused the delay."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Chun was even more displeased. She lowered her eyes and said in a low voice, "I think I am not blessed in this life. The old lady went to great lengths to send her to the palace, but it didn't end well. It seems that the other party's fate is too strong. I'm afraid I can't control it and might offend them."

Grandmother Jia was naturally displeased to see Yuan Chun's displeasure. She had gone to great lengths to ask Lin Ruhai for help, but she hadn't expected the girl to be so ungrateful, wasting all her efforts.

"Besides, Madam, I went back to my aunt's place a couple of days ago, and she was already helping with the selection, so there's no need for you to trouble yourself." Seeing that Grandmother Jia's expression was not good, Yuan Chun simply brought up Lady Wang Ziteng directly.

Grandmother Jia glared at Yuan Chun, her anger barely contained, but she knew better than to say anything more. Prince Teng was currently highly regarded by the Emperor, and since Yuan Chun had mentioned Prince Teng's wife, she couldn't press the matter further.

"Alright, since your aunt is making the move, she should be able to find a good family." Grandmother Jia waved for Yuan Chun to leave.

Just as Grandmother Jia was about to send someone to inform Lin Ruhai, Wang Xifeng arrived with Ping'er.

"What's wrong, Grandmother? You don't look well. Are you feeling unwell?" Wang Xifeng noticed Grandmother Jia's displeasure as soon as she entered the room and quickly stepped forward to ask with concern.

Grandmother Jia then recounted the story of the family Lin Ruhai had chosen for Yuan Chun, and how Yuan Chun had rejected them: "...Who knew your younger sister wouldn't like them? There was nothing I could do but send someone to tell the son-in-law that I was annoyed."

Wang Xifeng's eyes darted around, and a brilliant idea suddenly came to her.

She quickly said, "Grandma, I have an idea. Look at that young master of the Li family. He comes from a noble family and has good character. And my second sister, Yingchun... Although she is a bit young and born out of wedlock, she is still a daughter of the Duke's mansion. And strictly speaking, our master is the one who inherited the title. So, if you think about it, I'm afraid she is a good match for him."

Grandmother Jia was stunned; she had never considered marrying Yingchun to the Li family's son.

Seeing that Grandmother Jia did not object, Wang Xifeng continued, "Grandmother, you know that our master and mistress are not particularly interested in Second Sister's marriage. Rather than letting them arrange a marriage for her randomly, it would be better to take this opportunity to ask Uncle Lin for help. Even if this marriage doesn't work out, it would still be more appropriate to ask Uncle Lin for help with Second Sister's marriage. Don't you think that makes sense?"

Wang Xifeng added, "Grandma, why don't I go back and tell Second Master to go and ask Uncle in person? Whether it works out or not depends on Uncle's opinion. Second Master going there in person is a way for us to show our sincerity."

Wang Xifeng was overjoyed. This was like a windfall. It would be best if she could catch it. Even if she couldn't, she had to show off to Uncle Lin and let Lin Ruhai know that she and her husband truly loved their siblings.

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia felt it would be best if the marriage could be kept, since the Li family had a clean background and the young master Li was indeed talented. Since it couldn't be kept, and it wasn't her place to make the offer, she simply left it to Wang Xifeng to handle.

Having received instructions from Grandmother Jia, Wang Xifeng quickly returned to tell Jia Lian. Jia Lian, upon hearing this, also felt it was a good opportunity, so he took the time to personally visit the Lin family.

When Jia Lian arrived at the Lin residence, he carefully explained that his eldest sister was not very happy about the matter, and also mentioned that his second sister was of a suitable age. After hearing this, Lin Ruhai pondered for a moment.

In fact, Li Junru's inability to be promoted in previous years was related to offending some of the old ministers from the time of the retired emperor. Now that the new emperor wants to make good use of talented people, Li Junru's promotion is probably not far off.

Li Ming is not only academically gifted, but also of impeccable character.

As luck would have it, Li Ming, the second son of the Li family, was coming to participate in this year's imperial examination. He had already arrived in the capital and was staying at his maternal grandmother's house.

Lin Ruhai thought that he could ask Ming'er what she thought. Although Yingchun was almost four years younger than Li Ming, Yingchun was calm and didn't like to compete. Perhaps she was a good match for him.

Li Ming has been seeking advice on his writing at Lin Ruhai's residence these past few days. He was deeply moved to see that Lin Ruhai not only carefully guided him in his writing but also cared a great deal about his marriage.

Especially through Lin Ruhai's introduction, he first met Jia Lian. He saw that Jia Lian was good-looking and had a good demeanor, and his speech and behavior were quite proper. He thought to himself that his younger sister Yingchun must be just as good.

"My wife also said that our two masters like you, my virtuous brother, the most. If it's alright, could you please come to our house for a chat and a cup of tea, so that we can get to know each other?" Jia Lian said this, which was suggested by Wang Xifeng, so that Li Ming and Yingchun could meet each other from afar.

Wang Xifeng was certain that her second sister Yingchun would have no objections, and that the young man from the Li family would probably be happy to see Yingchun as well.

It has to be said that relationships between people truly depend on fate.

Just before the Empress's flower-viewing banquet, the marriage between the Li family and Yingchun was actually arranged. They were just waiting for Li Mingchun to pass the imperial examination before the Li family would come to propose marriage.

Jia She usually paid no attention to his daughter's marriage, but now that he heard that Yingchun was going to marry a scholar who was also a successful candidate in the imperial examinations, he was very pleased.

After all, the Rongguo Mansion is not yet at its lowest point, and he has no intention of selling his daughter.

Jia She even praised Jia Lian, saying, "You've really grown up. You know how to think of your younger sister and help her out. All my efforts in teaching you haven't been in vain!"

These words left Jia Lian speechless, thinking to himself, "This is not your doing at all; it is clearly Uncle Lin's 'guidance' and my daughter-in-law's 'shrewdness'!"

Spring is in full bloom, and the Empress's flower-viewing banquet will be held tomorrow.

The day before the flower-viewing banquet, the Empress specially summoned Princess Xiao Lin and Daiyu to her presence.

"There will be many people attending the flower viewing banquet tomorrow, so many young ladies that I'm afraid I won't be able to remember them all. You two will have to help me by carefully memorizing the names of the noble ladies and the girls they bring. If I forget, please remind me," the Empress said with a smile.

"Don't worry, Mother. Although I'm not very bright, Sister Lin is amazing." Now that the Princess has recognized Daiyu as her goddaughter, Xiao Lin directly calls Daiyu "Sister Lin."

On the actual day, the noblewomen of each family would naturally bring their daughters in to pay their respects and kowtow to the Empress.

Then, they were led by palace servants to a side hall of the Shou'an Hall to rest briefly.

Daiyu and Xiaolin stood on either side of the Empress, observing all the prominent noblewomen and eligible young ladies in the capital.

As for the princess, she is the emperor's only daughter, and no amount of pampering is too much for her. Moreover, the princess's marriage is not something that these families can even dream of.

Therefore, since Daiyu was able to stay by the Empress's side, the noblewomen who entered the palace all looked at her differently. In addition, Daiyu was outstanding in appearance and character, and many ladies with sons couldn't help but start to plan, thinking that if the royal family didn't take her seriously in a couple of years, how wonderful it would be if such a girl came to their families.

Grandmother Jia arrived with Tan Chun. Upon learning that Daiyu was Grandmother Jia's granddaughter, many noble ladies came to inquire about her.

Finally, after everyone had been seen, the Empress had a moment to herself and asked Xiao Lin and Daiyu with a smile, "Have you seen them all? Which girls left the deepest impression on you?"

The princess spoke first: "They are all wonderful; my eyes are dazzled by them all."

Daiyu smiled and agreed with the princess: "Your Highness, my cousin is here, so we already know each other."

The Empress remembered that this girl had married into the Southeast in her previous life and made great contributions to the court.

The Empress chose three girls: Yu Ran, daughter of the Yu family, the Vice Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate; Liu Ying, daughter of the Liu family, the Director of the Imperial Medical Academy; and Sun Ning, daughter of the Sun family, the Minister of Rites.

"Do you remember these three girls?" the Empress asked specifically.

Daiyu and Xiaolin both knew to some extent that the Empress intended to select a consort for the Crown Prince, so they dared not express their opinions rashly. However, when the Empress asked, the two of them frankly shared their feelings from earlier.

"Alright, go and invite these three young ladies over. You can have a chat." The Empress instructed Xuehua to lead people to invite the three young ladies over.

Once the Empress made this announcement, the ladies in the side hall understood that their daughters' chances were probably over.

After all, this time, apart from the Crown Prince, only the Second Prince was older, and he had invited three girls with him.

Xue Baochai accompanied Prince Teng's wife into the palace this time, her expression calm, composed and dignified: she knew in her heart that the position of the prince's principal wife was not something she could want, and her goal was not to become the prince's principal wife.

Side Story: The Empress's Rebirth - Choosing the Crown Princess

Today, Lady Wang Ziteng brought Baochai to the palace. Her purpose was clear: she knew perfectly well that the royal family would not choose a girl from their Wang family.

As for the other noble ladies, her daughter had already met them at various banquets.

On the contrary, Baochai is beautiful and dignified. Although it is unrealistic to expect her to become a prince's consort, if she can gain some reputation here, it is still possible for her to become a concubine of a high-ranking family.

After all, even in-laws shouldn't be judged solely on their connections and reputation.

Therefore, seeing that Daiyu was always by the Empress's side, Lady Wang Ziteng reminded Baochai: "Baochai, when the banquet starts later, if you have the chance, go and say a few words to Miss Lin. After all, you both lived in the Rongguo Mansion, and the sisterly bond between you can be put to good use now. If the Empress can give you a word or two, you will have a good reputation, which will be beneficial in the future."

Baochai understood perfectly well; she just had no opportunity to do so.