Red Mansion and Crimson Pearl

"According to the order of the princess, I have already rented a boat to go south.

"Jia Yun, who originally worked with the Second Madam, has just received the Princess's order.

"Tomorrow morning, I will bring my parents, Sister Zijuan's parents and brothers, and the five brothers of the Liu family to escort all the ladies, grandmothers, and gentlemen, as well as Brother Lang and Sister Qiao from the palace back to their hometowns."

Xiaohong lowered her eyes and said this, then looked up at Daiyu.

Daiyu nodded slightly.

Xiao Hong then continued, "In addition, the princess will immediately send a message to Grandma Zhen in the clan, asking her to prepare a house and accommodation.

"Once the old lady has finished her business, Second Master Yun and the servants of the Princess's Mansion will come back on their own."

Everyone was surprised and happy.

If Daiyu could provide people and money, they wouldn't have to worry all the way back!

What's more, there will be people to help with the funeral!

Daiyu glanced at the expressions on everyone's faces and said calmly, "Master Miaoyu, who is temporarily staying in my home, will also go back to Gusu with you this time.

“She has a family feud, but now that it’s over, she has no more desires or requests, and I’m afraid she’ll be even harder to get along with than before.

"Just pretend she doesn't exist."

After a pause and hesitation, he finally turned around and looked directly at Baoyu, "I am only related to the Jia family, so I won't meddle in other people's affairs.

"The elders of the Shi, Wang, and Xue families all committed suicide in the Dali Temple.

"The young women and underage men were all pardoned.

“If you want to take them with you, second cousin, please find a way yourself.

"Don't wait until you are about to board the ship, when a bunch of people will kneel down and cry and beg, making it difficult for Brother Yun."

Everyone froze.

Wang Xifeng asked without thinking, "Tomorrow when we return to the south, it is Supervisor Tao who will come to announce the decree. Is it the same for other families?"

Xiaohong glanced at Daiyu and answered for her: "A few days ago, the King of the East passed away."

Wang Xifeng was shocked and her face changed drastically!

The Prince of Dongping, who always stands firmly on the side of the royal family, is the only hope for the four kings and eight dukes and even their respective in-laws to turn things around!

Once he dies, the royal family’s last bit of affection for this group of old ministers will be severed!

Finished!

It's all over...

From now on, for the next twenty or thirty years, they will have no other hope except the princess in front of them!

Wang Xifeng felt hopeless and looked unhappy.

Others, however, were confused: This is a sad matter, but what does it have to do with my family?

Xiaohong looked at the expressions of others and sneered in her heart: The Jia family is really without successors.

Yin continued, “The King of the East begged for mercy on everyone’s behalf before his death.

"Your Majesty was soft-hearted, so he ordered the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice to only question those who had committed crimes, and to return the rest to their hometowns, without implicating too many people.

“These past few days, all the prefectures have been busy preparing to return to their hometowns.

"Those three families probably expected that the princess would not sit idly by and watch Jia Shi, so they have only been packing up their things recently and have not set out.

"I guess I'll just wait until you guys leave, and then ask for your company."

"It's already this time, and they still want to take advantage!" Li Wan was the first to complain.

Madam Xing looked at her coldly, “When the old lady spoke before her death, Zhu’er’s daughter-in-law, you were there, and you are not deaf.

"The old lady has said that if Baoyu is able, he can look after the three families.

"how?

"You are allowed to take advantage of the princess, but others are not allowed to take advantage of you?!"

Li Wan bit her lip.

When the old lady was saying her last words, she was kneeling the farthest away and only heard a few words intermittently. How could she remember them so clearly?

Besides, the old lady is dead!

Now, it is clear that Princess Lin has the final say in all the matters concerning the Jia family.

Instead of trying to please her and distance themselves from those three families, everyone was holding on to the nonsense of a dead person and going against her!

Whose brain is this unclear?!

But Lin Daiyu didn't say anything, and Li Wan could only complain in her heart without daring to say a word.

As for Wang Xifeng, there are of course people from the Wang family among those three families.

She didn't know how to speak, so she could only look at Baoyu.

Because Daiyu's words were addressed to Baoyu, and after she finished speaking, no matter how others explained or made a fuss, Daiyu just looked at Baoyu steadily.

Baoyu kept looking at her, his expression unchanged, but his eyes were changing in complexity. After a long while, he spoke softly:

"The old lady left a will that if Your Majesty shows leniency to the women of the other families, and Xue... Baochai is allowed to divorce or be divorced, then I should marry her."

Daiyu raised her eyebrows and said, "Madam, do you know what the Xue family did in all these things? Do you also know how much your sister Bao has done?"

"Yes. She knows everything." Baoyu answered simply, exhaled, and even curled the corners of his mouth. He looked at Daiyu and said softly:

"The old ancestor said that Baochai is scheming and cunning. If she were in a wealthy family during a peaceful time, she would be a disaster that would disrupt the family.

"But now everyone is broke. The women in each family have enjoyed peace for a long time, and I'm afraid they can't hold on. She is the only one who can help me keep the second branch going."

Li Wan was displeased when she heard this. She could not help but say, "Lang'er is also the blood of the second house, and he is the eldest son and grandson!"

"Yes." Baoyu looked at her calmly, "I am his uncle. I have someone to help me survive, and he has the Jia family to support him."

If Baoyu can't even live a good life, Jia Lan will fall into the hands of Li - although Wang Xifeng is brave, she is separated from him by a room, and she will not be able to compare with his own mother at that time.

The Jia family no longer trusts people with the surname Li.

Everyone can understand the implication of this.

Li Wan's face turned red with anger. She was about to retort, but when she saw Daiyu's cold gaze, she trembled and swallowed back everything she wanted to say.

She had no choice but to lower her head and cry, pretending to wipe her tears and covering her face with a handkerchief.

Daiyu's previous feeling of admiration and sadness had now mostly dissipated, and she just looked at Baoyu indifferently:

“The old lady’s thoughts are quite good.

“Your Majesty has indeed ordered Prince Zhongshun to divorce his wife.

"Because Xue Pan had killed someone before, he was sentenced to exile. He and Brother Lian went to the same place so that they could take care of each other.

"As for the Xue family and Xue Ke, they will be returned to their native places in the same way as you all have been."

Baoyu bowed and thanked him: "Thank you for telling me, Princess. In this case, I may have to take Baochai with me.

"As for the others, I will tell them to charter their own boats and allow them to follow along.

"But if something happens on the road, each family will bear it themselves, and it has nothing to do with others."

In other words, Jia Yun and others have no responsibility towards anyone from the other three families.

"Okay, as long as you can control your sister Bao and don't take my money and my people and then come out to act as the Bodhisattva Guanyin who saves people from suffering, that's fine."

Daiyu said coldly, and then looked at Xiaohong, "Send a message outside to bring the coffin in. I want to see my grandmother buried and put an end to this matter."

Baoyu shut up, took a step back and said nothing more.

By the time all the work was done, the sun was already setting.

Tao Xingjian urged Daiyu and the others to go out and get in the carriage first. Then he stood at the gate of the courtyard and called Baoyu out again. His attitude was much gentler, and he said:

"I heard that Master Jia is going to marry the Xue family, which is a happy event.

"I will write to the local officials in Jinling and ask them to find a small courtyard for you to live in.

"Consider it as a wedding gift to you on behalf of Princess Yimin and our Zhaoqing."

Baoyu looked directly at Tao Xingjian's face, which was filled with a hint of joy, and bowed silently.

So, is it really worth being happy that I have completely given up my admiration for Daiyu?

To them and Daiyu, am I really a monster?

Baoyu laughed at himself deeply in his heart.

in fact……

Isn’t it…

It is because I have to go through the tribulation that these poor people come down to accompany me through the sorrow and hardship...

Especially Jiangzhu...

Baoyu looked in the direction where Daiyu and her group disappeared.

Crimson Pearl...

I can only say goodbye to you in the Land of Illusion after three disasters...

He lowered his eyes.

Never raised his head again.