Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 401: A clever trick to steal the coffin money and send Keqing out
The rules of the game in the Jia family are that whoever can gain favor in front of Lady Jia will have a greater say in the mansion.

The second room where Mrs. Wang lived had more children and gave birth to Jia Zhu and Jia Baoyu, respectively, so she was loved by Grandmother Jia. She firmly occupied the position in Grandmother Jia's heart, won the first battle, and squeezed Jia She to the east courtyard.

But now, Jia She broke the rules of the game and, with the power of the Anjing Marquis' Mansion, drove away Lady Jia, who made the rules. This made all Wang Fu-ren's previous calculations go to waste.

How could Mrs. Wang be willing to accept this?

When he went before Lady Jia, he was not only there to state his position, but he also wanted to ask her to take charge and restore the rules of the game.

This means that Mrs. Wang and Lady Jia have the same interests.

Seeing a hint of doubt on Lady Jia's face, Mrs. Wang said sincerely, "The old ancestor is not strong enough and has not thought it through. My method is not that difficult."

"Now, the only person who can be relied on in Rongguo Mansion is the eldest daughter. When the separate residence for visiting relatives is built, and the eldest daughter returns home, she will see that the old ancestor lives in this Buddhist temple. Will she punish them for being unfilial?"

"I don't think they dare to neglect the ancestors all the time."

"Don't worry, Grandfather. It only takes a letter for the eldest girl to let you return to Rongqing Hall. The eldest girl has been brought up by Grandfather since she was a child. The affection between you and me is even deeper than that between you and your mother. How could her heart not be with Grandfather?"

Grandmother Jia sighed, sat up slowly, shook her head and said with emotion: "Since when did an old and disgusting person like me have to rely on the younger generation for life?"

When she raised her eyes again, Lady Jia had already felt touched by Madam Wang's words. Her eyes were red all over. She held Madam Wang's hand and said, "You are right. No matter how unfilial they are, the eldest daughter is definitely a filial child and will uphold justice for me."

"Let's see if the eldest lady will hold them accountable while I live in this deep, cold and bitter place! By then, even if they bring a sedan chair to invite me, I won't be so soft-hearted and give in to their wishes!"

Mrs. Wang agreed again and again, "Yes, that's right. But right now, there's a matter involving the eldest daughter, and I hope the old ancestor can make a decision."

Grandmother Jia's eyes widened in surprise, and she asked in confusion, "Are you here to tease me? Why do you need an old woman like me to make the decision now?"

Mrs. Wang stopped smiling and said in a sad tone, "How could I tease the old ancestor? The old ancestor should also know that the emperor has been working on some new laws in recent years. Now the Jia family has fewer ways to make money. They can only rely on the rewards from the titles and the meager salaries from the court. It is already difficult to support such a large family, but now they have built this big garden. They are already unable to make ends meet."

Mrs. Wang clapped her hands and expressed her grievances in tears. She couldn't help but wipe her eyes with a handkerchief. "My ancestors don't know that I was the one who saved my face and paid for the craftsmen and stones out of my own pocket. I even put my dowry into it."

Grandmother Jia opened her mouth and said in astonishment: "Is there such a thing? Has the family's expenses reached this point now?"

After thinking for a while, Jia's mother tilted her head and called out, "Yuanyang, go get a few dowries from my room and exchange them for silver for the second wife to help with the renovation of the other courtyard for the visit."

Yuanyang knelt beside him and said in a gentle voice, "Grandfather, those are all your personal belongings, and you have never been willing to touch them. Each one is a top-quality item you collected earlier, and is worth more than gold."

When she heard that the price was higher than gold, Mrs. Wang was even happier and continued to persuade him, "Grandfather, you know how the eldest daughter is. She often sends letters home from the palace, and gives you more than me, her mother."

"Yes, that's right."

Grandmother Jia raised her head, frowned and looked at Yuanyang who was sobbing softly, knocked on the armrest and said angrily: "Why don't you go quickly? I have made up my mind. This is a big event for the eldest girl and can't be delayed!"

Yuanyang was unmoved and disobeyed Lady Jia for the first time.

Wiping away tears, she knelt for a long time and refused to get up. "Grandfather, you can't take this private property. The Jia and Shi families used to give the old ancestor a dowry to make him look good. How can you pawn it for silver? If the silver is gone, what about the appearance? Who will take care of the old ancestor?"

Mrs. Wang silently cast a look at Yuanyang, then said to Lady Jia in a friendly manner, "Grandma, no matter how good the things we have are, can they be better than those in the palace? When the eldest daughter has established herself in the palace, we can buy these things back. Why worry about not having them?"

Grandmother Jia nodded repeatedly, "That's exactly the point."

Looking at Yuanyang again, he also looked annoyed, "Girl, you are so stubborn that even eight horses can't pull you back. Amber, Liuli, go get it."

Amber looked at Yuanyang kneeling on the ground with a distressed look. Not daring to disobey Grandmother Jia, she stepped forward and bowed, "To answer the old ancestor, we don't have the key to that room."

Grandmother Jia glared at Yuanyang again, "It's fine if you don't go, but why don't you hand over the key quickly."

Yuanyang held the purse tightly, refusing to let go, tears streaming down her face, "Grandfather, please, think about it again, you can't take this private property, you can't take it!"

Madam Wang exhaled angrily and looked around at the maids, "Quick, what are you all standing there for? Search her body!"

Mrs. Wang's words were also what Grandmother Jia meant. All the girls stepped forward together and pulled the key out of Yuanyang's arms.

The mandarin duck was dragged around, and his clothes were torn in many places, looking miserable.

I don't know which maid was quick enough to pull out the hairpin on Yuanyang's head. Her long black hair was scattered, covering her tear-stained face, but she looked more like a mad woman.

Grandmother Jia sighed and said, "Why did you commit such a sin and end up like this?"

……

"Miss Lin, we are here."

The carriage slowly stopped, and after a notification was given from outside, the little girls could not wait to lift the curtain.

"Wow, this is the Prince Qin's Mansion? Is this where we will live from now on?"

There were cheers coming from outside. When Lin Daiyu got out of the sedan chair, she realized what these little girls were marveling at.

After getting off the sedan, what came into view were five towering red doors, sixteen halberds lined up in front of the doors, and a pair of blue stone lions squatting on both sides, their manes like rolling clouds and their eyes full of majesty.

It took dozens of guards to open the gate. After stepping over the threshold, one could see the paradise inside.

The Qin Palace is divided into three roads. The road in the middle of the ceremonial gate leads directly to the seven-bay main hall.

The golden nanmu hall is supported by a high platform. It has nine ridge beasts and bow-, spear- and halberd-shaped tiles on the eaves.

The square in front of the palace is paved with blue bricks and carved with pictures of mountains and rivers. When you climb the steps, you can see everything at a glance. The palace door opens, and you can recognize nine dragon pillars from a distance. The dragon eyes are inlaid with Persian rubies, and the whole body is painted with gold, which is dazzling.

The scene before them stunned the little girls.

This was originally the former residence of the King of Qin and a royal garden. The King of Qin was also the most powerful prince, so of course his mansion was the most luxurious and spacious.

Maybe it was because the King of Qin had eight hundred armored soldiers and the prince's personal army, and the palace was filled with elements of force, which made the girls feel uneasy and they dared not walk around or touch anything.

All the girls stood obediently behind Lin Daiyu and followed her to find the way.

"Miss Lin, we've been here before. This mansion is quite large and it's easy to get lost. Come with me, young lady. I'll escort you to the inner room first, and leave the outside to us."

Jia Yun bowed and made a request, with a look of excitement that was difficult to conceal.

Lin Daiyu covered her mouth and smiled, and replied, "Okay. There is no need to change the decoration outside. This is the former residence of the current emperor, and there are always people taking care of it. Just put the rooms in front of the hall with things that Brother Yue often uses. As for the reception room, study, etc., be careful not to break anything and don't hurt yourself."

Jia Yun nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, I will follow Miss Lin's orders."

Standing up again, Jia Yun could not help scratching his head, and he complained in his heart: "I am at least an old friend of the master's. I have watched Miss Lin and the master fall in love and get along well with each other. I don't know when I will change my ways and stop calling her Miss Lin. It seems so unfashionable."

"Besides, Miss Lin, the mistress of the house, is becoming more and more dignified. She can keep the situation under control even with so many little girls following her. It would be awkward for me to call her Miss Lin again."

"Housekeeper Yun? Why aren't you leaving yet?"

Lin Daiyu asked, and Jia Yun quickly came back to his senses, "I'm sorry, Miss Lin, I was distracted for a moment. Come with me."

Lin Daiyu also looked back at the girls behind her, blinked and said, "They are all catching up. If someone gets lost in such a big garden, it will take a while to find them." "Okay."

The left door of the three roads leads directly to the second door in the inner room.

It is called the second gate, but in fact it is the third gate the girls pass through to enter the mansion.

The stone arch with hanging flowers is made entirely of white marble.

After entering the gate, you will come to the Hui-shaped corridor. The murals carved on the screen wall on one side are not flowers, plants, birds or animals like ordinary people, but ancient Chinese characters are carved on each side.

There are poems, songs and essays as well as military books and scriptures, which can cultivate sentiments and cause people to think deeply.

There are several banana trees planted outside the corridor, and at this time the grass and trees are all green and lush.

Silk lanterns with paintings of flower gods of the four seasons are hung high in each corner of the corridor. As the shadows of the lanterns flicker, one can seemingly see ladies walking by with their skirts lifted.

However, at this moment, there was a group of little girls who looked like they had walked out of a painting of ladies, walking in groups in this corridor.

From the moment Shi Xiangyun entered the door, she looked around, trying her best to remember the scenery and compare it with the Rongguo Mansion in her mind.

"Sister Lin, this place is much more magnificent than Rongguo Mansion. It feels like the main hall in front is several times larger than Rongxi Hall."

Xue Baochai covered her mouth and chuckled, "This is your Majesty's old residence, it's a palace, how can Rong Xi Tang be compared to it. Apart from other things, there are 800 soldiers living in the outer curtains, and there are less than 800 people in Rongguo Mansion in total."

"The road we are taking leads to the inner curtains. I guess the other side should be the martial arts arena, which is several times larger than the Rongguo Mansion."

Jia Tanchun's eyes lit up as she entered the house. After hearing what Xue Baochai said, she nodded repeatedly and said, "Sister Bao is right. This place is much bigger than Rongguo Mansion. Even the corridor is much wider. It seems that a sedan chair can be used."

“We never dreamed that we would have the opportunity to live in a place like this.”

Lin Daiyu looked back and smiled, "How could I not dare to think about it? You can stay as long as you want in the future. There is always a yard left here for you."

Tanchun walked forward, took Lin Daiyu's arm, acted like a cat, and rubbed her face against her, "Sister Lin, you are the best."

Shi Xiangyun immediately raised her hand and said, "No, no, I want one too. I want a room closer to the martial arts arena, preferably one that I can see from the garden."

Xue Baochai covered her mouth and laughed, "What do you need that for? The Marquis doesn't have eight hundred soldiers."

Shi Xiangyun looked up and asked, "What if I get pregnant in the future?"

Xue Baochai opened her mouth, but was speechless for a moment. She really didn't know how to respond to her.

After covering her mouth, Xue Baochai changed the subject and said, "I don't have any particulars about where I live. It depends on Sister Lin's arrangements."

Qin Keqing took the lead and said loudly: "Wherever the Marquis lives, I will live there."

"Me too!"

"Me too!"

Qin Keqing set a bad example, and the other maids also started to compete with her.

Xueyan raised her hand, unwilling to admit defeat, "Me too!"

Lin Daiyu glanced sideways and raised her eyebrows and said, "You? You don't live with me?"

Xueyan smacked her lips and said, "Anyway, the girl must be living with the Marquis, isn't that the same thing?"

Lin Daiyu rolled her eyes and was so angry that she was speechless.

However, she was right. Of course she had to live with Yue Ling, as it would be more convenient for her to stay overnight.

As for other people, Lin Daiyu had other arrangements.

First of all, of course we can’t let them live in the same yard.

In the old days, when everyone was crowded together, they did a lot of stealing and cheating. Now that they have moved to a bigger house, they are still doing the same as before. Isn't it a waste of time to move?
"We lived together in the old days because the mansion was too small, so we had no choice. Now there are so many empty rooms. If we still live in one place, won't the other rooms be overgrown with weeds and no one will take care of them?"

"The most important thing about this house is that it has people living here. It has been uninhabited for a long time. If it continues to be abandoned, it will become a wasteland."

"How about this, except for Sister Yun, the rest of us will draw lots, and we'll live in the place we draw."

"Each courtyard is not far from each other, and you can't be separated from each other. How about it?"

Since Lin Daiyu had already made arrangements, the other girls had no objections and all nodded in agreement.

According to the map given by Jia Yun, Lin Daiyu marked the five courtyards in the inner curtain close to the main courtyard with numbers, and marked the main courtyard as number one, considering it a reward and fairness.

Those who participated in the drawing of lots were Qin Keqing, Xue Baochai, the three sisters of Chun and Xing Xiuyun.

In this room in the main courtyard, Lin Daiyu's original intention was of course to give Xing Xiuyun, who seemed simple and harmless, more time to spend with her and entrust her with important tasks.

Lin Daiyu held the written note in her palm, shuffled it around, and held it out to the other girls for them to choose from.

Lin Daiyu winked at Xing Xiuyan, indicating that the number one that she had been holding between her fingers was available for her to take.

However, Xing Xiuyan did not understand Lin Daiyu's intention. She thought that she, the most unfamiliar person, should be the first to choose. After all, the guest comes first.

Xing Xiuyan picked up a note at random and didn't rush to open it. She stepped aside, leaving Lin Daiyu speechless.

"I'll come, I'll come."

Qin Keqing squeezed forward, and Lin Daiyu couldn't help but hold the note between her fingers tighter.

"Hey, number six? The yard on the other side of the stream is separated from the main yard by a stone bridge? No, no, Sister Lin, I have to choose again."

A smile appeared on Lin Daiyu's face, but she forced herself to keep a straight face to prevent herself from laughing out loud.

After hearing what Qin Keqing said, he immediately clenched his hands and put them behind his back, "How can you go back on your word when everyone agrees? Whatever you draw is yours. Come on, next person."

Xue Baochai, Yingchun and Xichun drew numbers in turn, all of which were located in courtyards not far from each other in the east, west and north.

Tanchun took a deep breath and walked forward, taking away the last note between Lin Daiyu's fingers.

Before unfolding it, Tanchun couldn't help but pray secretly: "Don't be number one, don't be number one, the one in Sister Yan'er's hand is number one, I don't want to live with the Marquis!"

After calming her excited heart, Tanchun slowly unfolded the note, and then she was petrified on the spot.

"Number one?"

(End of this chapter)