Survive in the world of Red Mansions

"Happy news? Is their eldest daughter a concubine?"

As soon as Lin Hai heard the chief steward's report, he immediately realized that the emperor's actions were fast enough!As soon as Lin Zhong heard Lin Hai's words, he was taken aback, and couldn't help asking: "Master, how did you know that their eldest daughter has become a concubine?"

"Hehe, I guessed it! Lin Zhong, did the person who announced the good news in Rongguo Mansion leave? Did you say anything else?"

"The person who came to report the letter has already left, and said that he will report to other people. The eldest daughter of their family was promoted to be the Shangshu of Fengzao Palace, and a virtuous concubine. There will be a banquet in the Rongguo Mansion tomorrow. Please go there with the uncle and the girl. "

"understood."

After the chief steward retired, Lin Daiyu asked: "Father, it's a happy event for this eldest cousin to be promoted, but why does this title feel a bit strange? Fengzao Palace Shangshu is the name of a female official in the inner palace, and she is also named Concubine Xiande. But Since my grandfather's family came here to announce the good news, don't we have to prepare a congratulatory gift?"

"Well, prepare a congratulatory gift for someone to send over tomorrow, just the same as usual, no special thickening is required. I have to go to the office tomorrow, so I won't go. How about you go with Rui'er?"

As soon as Lin Daiyu thought of her grandmother, the cousins ​​in the east and west, except for cousin Baoyu who stayed with the female relatives, although Daiyu herself had seen very little, what she heard from her father and younger brother was obvious. It's not a good thing, it's better for my younger brother to have less contact with these people. On a day like tomorrow, my younger brother doesn't have to go, so why waste time, he said to Lin Hai: "The cousins ​​and Rui'er in the house also said If you don't reach one place, Rui'er just don't go, the daughter can go alone, and if Mr. Zhong visits the mansion tomorrow, it's better to have the master in the mansion, Dad, do you think?"

When Lin Hai heard his daughter's words, he couldn't help but think, it seems that the difference in living environment has a huge impact on a person's state of mind. Look at how Sister Lin feels about Rongning and Ningxia, and how she feels about the males in the two prefectures. , The first thing that came to mind was that they couldn't let them spoil their younger brother. For Lin Hai and the others, this was really a huge improvement, and now they don't have to worry about the fate of crying.

"I don't want to go to that house, sister. Cousin Baoyu will definitely not go to school on such a big day tomorrow. He will definitely be by my grandmother's side then. Why don't sisters let Nanny Li go with him? If cousin has It's not easy for the little maids to talk about something that is too much, and it's easy for Nanny Li to talk about it as a nurturing mother."

Lin Daiyu shook her head after hearing this, "Ruier, don't worry, I just ignore Cousin Baoyu, and he will find it boring after a long time. Besides, if I don't want to talk to him, there will naturally be other people willing to accompany him he.

Grandma Li is not young, I have been to my grandmother's house several times, only Cousin Baoyu likes to hang out in the backyard, other things are not my business, I just need to pay more attention, there is no need to make grandma tired, this On the [-]th of May, the flower viewing feast at Xu Shangshu's house, just let Nanny Li follow. "

Hearing what Lin Daiyu said, not only Lin Hai, but also Lin Rui felt relieved. Indeed, Rongguo Mansion is not a dragon's pond or a tiger's den. They really don't need to be too nervous. The current sister Lin is taught by Mr. Now, they have really grown up. In some aspects, they may see more thoroughly than the two men, and they can better adapt to this society. They can really rest assured!

After Lin Daiyu left, Lin Rui said curiously: "Father, I remember that in the original play Yuanchun conferred the concubine, which seemed to be Jia Zheng's birthday. When the Rongguo Mansion was having a big banquet for the guests, the servants in the palace came to announce the decree, right? Why is it such a time now?" Doesn't seem right?"

"Isn't this the last time when I was talking to the emperor, I brought up the idea of ​​visiting relatives. Now the emperor is short of money, so he got such a way to make money for a while, and I definitely hope to implement it early. It is probably because of this factor, so The decree of the concubine Feng has been advanced, so the imperial decree of visiting relatives will probably come down soon. Hehe, the Jia family will start to make money everywhere!"

"If there is no Yuanchun Jin seal, Rongguo Mansion may still be able to retain a generation of wealth, just because of Yuanchun's concubine, Rongguo Mansion is now a real flower blooming brocade, and the fire is cooking oil, and it will fall faster in the future .”

"The new emperor made up his mind early on to clean up these honorable families. Except for those families who are more knowledgeable and have successors themselves, it is difficult for others to escape the cleansing of the new emperor. Which family in Rongning and Ningxia fits the above criteria? The conditions? No! So the final outcome of Rongguo Mansion is inevitable, not because of Yuanchun’s concubine, but Yuanchun’s concubine has indeed accelerated the demise of Rongguo Mansion in a certain way.”

After breakfast the next day, Lin Daiyu arranged the affairs of the mansion, and brought a group of maidservants to Rongguo Mansion, together with Miss He's concubine gift.

In front of the Rongguo Mansion, there was a lot of traffic and it was very lively. There were many old friends and relatives in the mansion. I just got the news yesterday that the eldest girl in their mansion was awarded the title of Minister of Fengzao Palace and Xiande Concubine. Although I was very surprised, but everyone Or come to congratulate me with a gift.

After Lin Daiyu entered the Rongguo Mansion, she went directly to Jia Mu's courtyard. As soon as she entered the house, she saw Jia Mu's main room full of wives and wives dressed in brocade clothes and jade rings.When Daiyu came in, she first greeted Jiamu and said hello to Jiamu, and then said to Jiamu: "Grandmother, because today my father is going to go to the government office and my younger brother is going to school, so they can't come to congratulate you personally. Grandma, please forgive me!"

"I know your father doesn't have time to come over, but no matter how old Brother Rui is, he doesn't have to worry too much about studying. Let him relax a bit and don't push him too hard."

When Jia's mother heard Lin Daiyu say that Lin Rui was going to school at home again, she said a little reproachfully, but Daiyu didn't say anything, but stood aside with a smile after saluting.Seeing Daiyu like this, Mother Jia introduced to the ladies sitting beside her without further ado, "This is the daughter of my girl Min. She used to stay in Yangzhou with my son-in-law, and she came back at the end of last year." See you today in the capital, too," and then introduced the identities of the ladies to Daiyu, "This is the Princess of Beijing County, this is the Princess of Nan'an County, the first-class Mrs. Mrs. Chen, General of the Zhen Kingdom..."

Lin Daiyu greeted all the concubines, wives and wives sitting here one by one. After receiving a lot of greetings, she retreated to Jiamu's side.

"This place belongs to us daughters-in-law and old women. It's boring for you as a little girl to sit here. Go and play with them."

Then let the little maid take Lin Daiyu to the Nuan Pavilion where the other girls were sitting. Shi *yun, Xue Baochai, Sanchun and Jia Baoyu all sat together, full of joy.

"Sister Lin, come here!"

"Sister Lin!"

After Lin Daiyu greeted those who were sitting, she sat aside and listened to their chatting and laughing.Seeing Tanchun, Xue Baochai, and even *yun, they all looked very proud.

Tanchun had a face full of glory and said with a smile: "No wonder the old lady loves the elder sister the most. If the elder sister is considered to be in her early years, it has only been a year since the elder sister was promoted from a noble person to Fengzao Palace Minister, and a virtuous one. Concubine, I'm also the lord of the first palace now. I haven't seen big sister for many years, and I don't know how big sister is doing now, and I don't know if she's doing well?"

Xue Baochai said with a look of envy: "Eldest sister is now one of the four concubines and the lord of the first palace, how can she not be doing well?"

As for Xichun next to her, because of her young age and cold temper, she speaks without covering up, and she has always disliked Xue Baochai's self-reliant dignified and prudent appearance, and a business lady who lives here is actually oppressing them in the government of the country. After listening to Xue Baochai's words, she snorted coldly, "Sister Bao has always been obedient, why is she envious of elder sister now? You only see the glory of elder sister's sudden concubine, and don't think about elder sister How many years have I been away from the Duke's Mansion, how much suffering I have endured, and how tired I have been, so what if I am now a concubine? There are queens and noble concubines, so what if the eldest sister is one of the four concubines now? Don't you still have to salute to the queen and noble concubine, and still feel comfortable outside?"

No matter how prudent and self-reliant Xue Baochai is usually, she is still only a teenage girl after all. At this moment, she was stabbed by Xichun to the point where she was no longer as exquisite as usual, and she didn't want to break her gentleness and delicacy all along, so she just blushed. .

Xue Baochai never came to Rongguo Mansion, because she was supported by the second wife who was in charge, not to mention the servants, even Sanchun was no better than her. When had she ever been wronged like this? I couldn't help but feel pity in my heart, "Why does the fourth sister say that, Sister Bao is also happy for the promotion of the eldest sister, and she is just happy for a while."

Lin Daiyu sat at the side, holding a tea bowl, and looked at the people sitting there. Cousin Yingchun had always been soft-tempered, and basically had no opinions of her own, and only echoed the opinions of others.Miss Xue's family and cousin Tanchun were all honored with the honor and envy of their eldest cousin Yuanchun.Grandmother's natal niece *yun, also seemed very happy, and kept pulling cousin Baoyu to ask how the eldest cousin was at home. There is some truth to this.

Lin Daiyu sat on the sidelines and listened to these people talking for a long time, including Xichun, no one thought that there was something wrong with the title of eldest cousin. Is it really normal to have the title of a female official and a concubine in the harem?But these Daiyu were just thinking about it, and didn't think about discussing this issue when everyone in the Rongguo Mansion was in high spirits, to defeat people's interest for no reason.

As soon as the noon banquet was over, Lin Daiyu bid farewell to Mother Jia. The old lady tried to persuade her to stay, and Lin Daiyu apologized again and again, but she insisted on going back home, saying that there were many trivial matters at home, and that her younger brother's husband came to the house for the first time today and wanted to go back to make arrangements.

Back at Lin's mansion, knowing that Mr. Zhong had arrived and settled down, Lin Daiyu went to arrange the evening banquet without mentioning it.But until Youshi, before Lin Hai returned to the mansion, Lin Daiyu was about to send someone to the yamen to inquire, and the servant who followed Lin Hai came back to report that the master would return to the mansion later tonight, so that they don't have to wait any longer.