Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 6 Going Down to Yangzhou

Grandmother Jia was the eldest and most respected member of the Jia family, spanning both mansions.

First-rank Lady of Rongguo.

Therefore, no one in the entire Ning and Rong mansions, or even the entire Jia clan, dared to disobey Grandmother Jia's wishes.

In other words, if the Jia family is likened to a fortress with a strict hierarchy, then Grandmother Jia is the one sitting at the very top.

Now she is retired and lives in Rongqing Hall on the west side of Rongguo Mansion, where she spends her days enjoying the company of her grandchildren and leading a very leisurely life.

Because the old man enjoys lively gatherings and has a large number of grandchildren around him, Rongqing Hall is always more lively and vibrant than other places.

However, in the past year, the once bustling Rongqing Hall has suddenly become much quieter with laughter and joy.

The reason is simple: the old lady's most beloved youngest daughter has contracted a serious illness and her condition has not improved.

Unfortunately, the old lady was separated from her daughter by a great distance and could not even meet her. As a result, she would feel sad and shed tears whenever she thought of her daughter.

However, if Grandmother Jia was in a bad mood, everyone in the mansion had to be careful.

When Jia Lian and his companion arrived, there were already quite a few people in Rongqing Hall, but whether they were masters or servants, everyone held their breath and dared not breathe loudly.

"old lady……"

Jia Zheng and Jia Lian stepped forward together to pay their respects, and Jia Lian naturally stood aside.

The servants brought over a chair, and Jia Zheng was about to sit down when he noticed that Grandmother Jia was silent. After thinking for a moment, he did not sit down but remained standing.

He didn't sit down, and apart from Madam Xing, no one else dared to sit either, making the scene even more quiet.

Jia Zheng was quite clever. He guessed that Grandmother Jia's inexplicable anger was directed at him, so he broke the silence first and bowed, saying, "Grandmother, it is understandable that you are saddened by the passing of Min'er, but you should also take care of yourself and try to find some peace."

The sudden sound of someone speaking in the quiet scene naturally attracted everyone's attention.

Grandmother Jia was no exception.

She glanced at Jia Zheng, then said coldly, "So you're talking to me?"

Jia Zheng was so frightened that he lowered his head and dared not look directly at him.

Once she had spoken, Grandmother Jia didn't hold back: "You still know she's your sister? When she was seriously ill, I asked you to go to the south to see her, but one of you said you had things to do at court and couldn't get away, or another said you weren't feeling well."

You two are doing so well! Now that she's finally dead, you're here to advise me?

I do want to take care of my health, but I have committed too many sins in my life, so God has made your sister pay for them for me!

"Poor sister, she didn't even get to see us one last time before she passed away, and she didn't even have a single blood relative by her side..."

These words filled Jia Zheng with shame, and even Grandmother Jia herself was moved to tears.

At this point, even Madam Xing dared not remain seated any longer. She quickly stood up and, together with Madam Wang and the others, offered words of comfort.

It was only at this moment that Jia Lian understood why Grandmother Jia was so angry.

That's true. Jia Min has been ill for so long, and the Jia family has only sent a few groups of servants to visit her. None of the masters or young masters have gone.

Others were one thing, but either their status wasn't high enough, or they weren't familiar with Jia Min. In Grandmother Jia's heart, when Jia Min was seriously ill, what she probably wanted most was to see her mother and two older brothers.

However, Grandmother Jia was already seventy years old and could not withstand the hardships of traveling by carriage and boat. Therefore, she hoped that Jia Zheng or Jia She would go to visit Jia Min on her behalf.

Clearly, neither Jia Zheng nor Jia She went.

Actually, Jia Zheng's situation was somewhat understandable. After all, he was an official appointed by the imperial court, a fourth-rank official in the Ministry of Works, which was a very important position in the Ministry of Works. Under normal circumstances, he naturally could not leave the capital.

In other words, what angered Grandmother Jia even more was another person...

"The master has arrived."

Sure enough, upon hearing the announcement, Grandmother Jia's crying subsided somewhat, and the coldness on her face seemed to intensify.

"The son has met the old lady..."

As soon as Jia She entered the room, he sensed that something was wrong.

But he still sauntered forward.

Jia Zheng glanced at him, then excitedly made way for him, stepping back a bit.

It was expected that Jia She would be scolded by Grandmother Jia like he had been, but surprisingly, Grandmother Jia seemed too lazy to even scold Jia She.

After the maid wiped away her tears, the old lady sat up slightly and said, "It's good that you've all come. There's something I want to discuss with you."

"Now that your sister is gone, only your niece is left."

As you all know, the Lin family has always been short of members, and Yu'er has no brothers or sisters.

"Yu'er's father is currently in charge of the salt administration, and he must be very busy at home all day, unable to take good care of Yu'er. Therefore, I want you to help me bring Yu'er to the capital so that I can raise her myself and she can keep Yingchun and the others company in the future. What do you say?"

Jia She and Jia Zheng would naturally agree, and Madam Xing and Madam Wang quickly echoed their sentiments.

Wang Xifeng, who had finally seen Jia Lian a few days later, stood to the side of Grandmother Jia and glared at him. However, she found that Jia Lian seemed not to see her at all, and she was secretly angry.

But she dared not let her emotions get the better of her at this moment.

Seeing that the situation had eased somewhat, he immediately spoke up with a smile: "Grandma's decision is wise! Although I joined the family late, I still saw my aunt's golden face when I was a child. Tsk tsk, her appearance and temperament are exactly like Grandma's."

They say daughters resemble their mothers, so this little sister must be an angelic figure. Good heavens, I can't wait for her to appear before me so I can see her beautiful face!

Wang Xifeng has an outgoing and carefree personality. Since entering the household, she has won the favor of Grandmother Jia. That's why she dared to joke and laugh to ease the atmosphere when everyone was afraid to speak loudly.

Sure enough, although Grandmother Jia found Wang Xifeng a bit noisy, she forced a smile out of consideration for her good intentions and reached out to touch her forehead. This startled Wang Xifeng, who retreated as if Grandmother Jia's hand was a five-finger mountain, about to suppress her.

This time, Grandmother Jia couldn't help but laugh.

"You little monkey, you dare to act up and annoy me at a time like this!"

When Grandmother Jia smiled, everyone else followed suit, making the vast Rongqing Hall much brighter.

Wang Xifeng pleaded with Grandmother Jia for forgiveness, then glanced defiantly at Jia Lian as she looked up.

As long as the old lady likes me, you still want to fight with me...

Jia Lian didn't want to look at Wang Xifeng, but he happened to see her again. Helpless, he turned his gaze to the three cute girls standing on the other side of Grandmother Jia.

The legendary three beauties of the Jia family truly live up to their reputation. Although they are still quite young, they are both graceful and adorable, making them quite a rare sight.

It's a pity, they've all become his sisters now.

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a friendly gaze. It turned out that Jia Baoyu, who was standing with the three beauties, had noticed his stare and thought that they were greeting him. He quickly offered a warm greeting in return.

Jia Lian forced a glance at her, muttering to himself.

Didn't they say that Master Bao only likes girls and doesn't care about men? Why are you greeting him?

He suddenly felt a chill. He seemed to understand that Bao Er Ye wasn't simply disgusted by men, but rather a complete sucker for good looks.

People are willing to give a good look to anyone who is good-looking, regardless of gender.

Conversely, anyone who is born ugly will not receive a kind look, regardless of gender or age.

Well, perhaps we're more lenient with younger girls and have lower standards.

When Grandmother Jia saw that Jia Zheng, Lady Wang, and others completely agreed with her, her mood improved slightly. Then she asked about the choice of people to go and fetch them.

Seeing that the time was right, Jia Lian quickly stepped forward and said loudly, "Grandmother, how about I go and fetch Lin Daiyu?"

Jia Lian suddenly spoke up, even claiming he was going to Yangzhou to pick someone up, which surprised everyone.

After all, it's a journey of thousands of miles, unlike in later times when a high-speed train can take you in just a few hours.

This back-and-forth trip could take several months, making it a truly arduous task.

Grandmother Jia was also quite surprised: "You really want to go?"

Jia Lian nodded and said, "My grandson is going to Yangzhou not just to bring Lin Daiyu back."

The grandson thought that since his aunt had just passed away, it would be proper for their relatives on her side of the family to go and pay their respects.

However, the master is preoccupied with court affairs and cannot leave. Furthermore, the eldest master's health has always been poor, and as his son, I dare not let him travel thousands of miles. Therefore, after much deliberation, I, the grandson, still feel that it is most appropriate for me to go to pay respects on behalf of the old lady, the eldest master, and the master.

Furthermore, as a junior, it is only right and proper for me, your grandson, to kowtow before your aunt's spirit at this time to show filial piety. Therefore, I humbly request your permission, Ancestor.

Jia Lian's words drew sidelong glances from everyone in the hall.

Who would have thought that Master Lian could consider so much and say such reasonable and heartfelt words?

Isn't this gentleman the one who hates trouble the most and only likes to drink and watch plays?

Wang Xifeng was getting anxious. She said, "You want to go to your aunt's coffin and kowtow to her, which is your good intention, but I'm afraid there won't be enough time."

Leaving aside how many days it took for the news to travel from Yangzhou to the capital, by the time you get on the boat, it will be at least another month. By then, your aunt's coffin will definitely have been transported back to Suzhou for burial.

Wang Xifeng didn't want Jia Lian to go south.

It wasn't just because it meant a long separation. Most importantly, Yangzhou was known for its thin horses, and she feared Jia Lian would go and buy one.

Unfortunately, Jia Lian was prepared.

"I've already calculated it. My aunt passed away on the third day of the month, and my uncle sent someone by fast horse to the capital to report her death. So it's only been eight days."

If I didn't take a boat, but instead traveled south by fast horse, I think I could reach Yangzhou in seven or eight days.

My uncle was a top scholar and an important official in the court. Even if we don't care about appearances, according to etiquette, my aunt's body should be kept in state for at least twenty-one days. So, it's perfectly feasible.

Moreover, filial piety is about intention, not just action. As long as I go sincerely, even if I ultimately miss the appointed time, I'm sure my aunt in heaven won't be too angry.

Jia Lian chose to go to Yangzhou for many reasons.

The first thing he did was to make a good impression on Grandmother Jia in hopes of changing her impression of him.

After all, to get along in the Jia family, the attitude of Grandmother Jia is especially important.

Have you ever seen Wang Xifeng, a granddaughter-in-law without even an official title, act so arrogantly in both the Ning and Rong mansions just because she is favored by Grandmother Jia? She even dares to spit on the face of You Shi, the mistress of the Ningguo mansion and a third-rank official.

Not to mention, Jia Mu's darling, Second Master Bao, who is a veritable golden phoenix in this big family, someone no one dares to mess with!

Secondly.

It's obvious that many people in the Jia family had heard about what happened in the east wing, although they might not have believed it entirely.

I might as well take this opportunity to go south for a trip and avoid this situation.

Over time, people's attention will naturally decrease. Then, come back in a few months, completely transformed, and everyone will look at you with new eyes, right?

Third, Lin Daiyu, she's going to the capital, wouldn't it be reasonable not to go and pick her up?

It wasn't just Lin Daiyu; he also wanted to meet Lin Ruhai.

After inquiring about current affairs over the past few days, he had a general understanding of the situation in the imperial court.

It is now the third year of the Ningkang era of the Great Wei Dynasty. The new emperor has firmly established himself on the throne and is full of ambition, ready to reform and innovate.

But the old emperor is not dead yet...

As the saying goes, there can only be one sun in the sky, and one cannot have two rulers in a country. Whenever there is an emperor emeritus, the new emperor usually doesn't have a very smooth life.

Those who were loyal to the old emperor were more or less unwilling to listen to the new emperor, and some even used the old emperor's name to oppose the new emperor. Typical examples were the deeply rooted old ministers who had served the old emperor for more than ten years...

Clearly, the lineage of the Four Kings and Eight Dukes, represented by the Jia family, naturally belongs to the "old ministers" lineage because of its "long history".

Although the direct descendants of the Jia family no longer have any prominent figures in the court, and are unlikely to clash with the new emperor, the Jia family and similar noble families, if they do not side with the new emperor, may be seen as stumbling blocks and very annoying in his eyes.

According to the laws of history, the old emperor will inevitably die, and the new emperor will seize absolute power; this is an irreversible trend.

Therefore, Jia Lian speculated that the Jia family might have been stubborn and unwilling to sincerely submit, and might even have tripped up the emperor in the process, which is why the emperor eventually settled accounts with them.

The more Jia Lian thought about it, the more likely it seemed. After all, he knew that the eldest daughter of the Jia family, Yuan Chun, was about to be made a concubine and would soon be promoted to the rank of Imperial Noble Consort. This was clearly the emperor's way of showing goodwill and winning over the Jia family!

However, in the end, the emperor still punished the Jia family, which shows that the Jia family must have betrayed the emperor's good intentions...

With this suspicion in mind, Jia Lian felt even more compelled to plan ahead and get on the new emperor's ship in order to avoid the danger of having his family and clan wiped out!

However, getting on this ship isn't something you can just do as you please, and you have to be careful, after all, the old emperor is still around... If you don't manage to please the new emperor, you might offend the old one instead, or you'll probably die even faster.

That's why Jia Lian wanted to meet Lin Ruhai. Lin Ruhai was one of Emperor Ningkang's trusted advisors and had been specially transferred to Yangzhou to take charge of the salt administration.

Even if we can't board the ship through Lin Ruhai, we can at least learn some valuable lessons.

In short, based on these points, he should go to Yangzhou.