Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 86 Lin Ruhai's Past
"Zijuan, why did you come into the house?"

Lin Daiyu, who was sitting at her desk practicing calligraphy, saw Zijuan laughing secretly and thought it was strange.

Zijuan said, "It was General Yue who asked me to come in."

Lin Daiyu asked curiously, "Who is outside?"

"It's Wang Ziteng, the second master of the Wang family, and he's bringing Wang Xifeng, the eldest daughter of the Wang family."

"Wang Xifeng?"

Zijuan nodded, "That's right. She has been to Rongguo Mansion many times and is very good at pleasing the old lady. Therefore, she is favored by the old lady, just like a young man in the mansion. The servants in the mansion also respect her. She is very mean to us servants."

Lin Daiyu was puzzled, "Then why are you here?"

"It was the second master of the Wang family who wanted to be a matchmaker for General Yue. I didn't recognize her at first glance, and she scolded me."

"Matchmaking?" Lin Daiyu and Xueyan repeated in unison.

Xueyan hurriedly climbed down from the couch, tugged at Zijuan's sleeve and asked, "Did General Yue agree?"

Lin Daiyu stopped writing, stood up, walked to the door, secretly opened a crack, and listened to what was said outside with concern.

From the intermittent conversation, Lin Daiyu heard that the Wang family had been driven away. She felt relieved and breathed a sigh of relief.

……

"Eunuch Xia, please sit down."

Yue Ling extended his hand to invite Xia Shouzhong, who then sat in the seat that Wang Ziteng had just occupied.

Spitting, Xia Shouzhong continued, "Wang Ziteng is such a shameless man. How dare his daughter try to climb up your ladder? The girl was raised as a boy and can't read a single word. Yet she has the nerve to act so arrogant in this room. Being a maid is unworthy of her!"

Yue Ling laughed when he heard the disparagement.

"Hahaha, Eunuch Xia, you are too polite. After all, she is a young lady from the Wang family. Having said that, Eunuch Xia knows clearly whether the young lady from the Wang family is literate or not. If we really want to get married in the future, we really have to ask you to be the matchmaker. It will not be wrong."

Hearing this, Xia Shouzhong couldn't help but laugh, "Commander Yue, you are joking. How can we be your matchmaker?"

With no outsiders in the hall, Yue Ling asked bluntly, "Your Highness gave Wu Sanguan the title and the position in the Privy Council. Is there any other purpose?"

Xia Shouzhong nodded, "Mr. Dongfang has gone to the Secretariat, and you will go to the Privy Council. His Highness will have a confidant in the two important positions, and he can be more assured. Now that the court is turbulent and there are powerful enemies outside, I still have to trouble you."

"I won't say more. His Highness will summon you to the palace and explain everything to you. Oh, yes, bring along Censor Lin's beloved daughter when you go to the palace. The Crown Princess wants to see her."

At the right moment, the door of a house on the side slowly opened.

I saw three little girls with their heads stacked together, secretly listening to the conversation.

Yue Ling couldn't help but laugh and said, "Come out, Eunuch Xia is not an outsider."

Three little girls came out one after another, all with blushes on their faces.

Seeing Lin Daiyu, Xia Shouzhong nodded and praised: "She is indeed dignified and beautiful. No wonder the Crown Princess likes her."

Looking at Lin Daiyu's appearance, which was indeed somewhat similar to Lin Ruhai, Xia Shouzhong said again: "Lin's girl, do you know that your father was a very talented writer and well-educated, and was the only candidate for the top scholar, but in the end he only got the title of third place. Why is that?"

When Lin Daiyu heard about her father's past, her lively eyes sparkled with great interest. Her father seldom told her about the past.

"Sir, tell me, why is this happening?"

Xia Shouzhong turned his head to look at Yue Ling, then turned back to Lin Daiyu and said, "That's because your father is so handsome. In this respect, no one in that year's list could be compared with your father. During the palace examination, His Majesty looked at your appearance and could only give your father the position of Tanhualang. Otherwise, no one else could have been elected."

"He is the top scholar and more handsome than the third scholar. How can he not be envied? Back then, your father wore a red flower and rode a tall horse in the city. He was so full of vigor and vitality. When the young ladies on both sides of the street saw him, they shouted until their voices were hoarse, and their handkerchiefs and purses were thrown everywhere. Some even fainted on the roadside. Families who wanted to marry your father really lined up from the palace gate to the city gate."

After hearing this, the young Lin Daiyu's cheeks turned even redder. She lowered her head in embarrassment and remained speechless.

Yue Ling laughed so hard that he slapped his thigh, "There is actually such a story, I have never heard him tell it."

Xia Shouzhong also laughed and said, "What are you talking about? His daughter is already so old, how can he regret it? Besides, the Jia family was one family with two mansions. The old generation still had some prestige, and Jia Daishan had made new military achievements at the border. They were considered the most powerful family in the capital, and even the royal family had to give way to them. That's why they were able to capture Lord Lin as a son-in-law."

"As for the current Rongning and Ningfu."

Xia Shouzhong sighed, "Forget it, let's not talk about it."

Xia Shouzhong took a sip of the tea handed to him by Yue Ling, then stood up, shook his clothes and said, "I won't stay here for long. I will go back to the palace to report. Yes, there is one more thing, I almost forgot, His Highness has found a new place for you to live. Commander Yue, please pack up and prepare to move into the new house."

"New home?"

……

After leaving Yue Ling's courtyard, Wang Xifeng was distracted and her eyes were unfocused.

Ping Er muttered, "I didn't expect that the young man would actually be a general, and a fourth-rank official, which is higher than the titles of many masters. What the second master said is true, it is really a good marriage."

Wang Xifeng came back to her senses, and tried to save face by saying, "Now that it has come to this, what's the point of saying this?"

The sedan chair stopped at the gate of the palace, and Wang Xifeng followed Wang Ziteng to the Wang family hall again.

Wang Ziteng's wife, Liu, asked with concern, "What happened?"

Wang Ziteng snorted coldly, said nothing, sat down in the recliner angrily, and took a sip of tea.

Liu looked at Wang Xifeng again, "What's going on?"

Wang Xifeng replied, "It didn't work out, so naturally people don't like me."

Liu stepped forward again to persuade Wang Ziteng, "Master, if you have no success, why do you have to suffer for the child? At worst, you can go to Rongguo Mansion. Brother Lian is also a serious person and is acquainted with Feng girl."

Wang Ziteng sighed, "The mansion is in such a mess right now, wouldn't it just cause more trouble if I went there?"

Wang Zisheng, who had never spoken, whispered, "Second brother, you are wrong. We should go to Rongguo Mansion now. Rongguo Mansion has no successor. The court will be in trouble again if it loses its backer. The two dukes are unlikely to leave the palace. The Jia family has many connections in the army. Shouldn't they find someone to support them?"

"This person is the most suitable for my second brother. With my sister in the mansion, and the old lady's favorite girl Feng, how can it not benefit our family? With this matter, my second brother can enter the army and hold an important position in one fell swoop."

Wang Ziteng pondered for a while and nodded repeatedly, "Yes, that's right."

Looking at Wang Xifeng who was bored and thinking about something, Wang Ziteng frowned and said, "Come on, follow me to Rongguo Mansion again."

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(End of this chapter)