Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

Mrs. Lin and Xifeng seemed modest and polite on the surface, but in fact their hearts were like the vast ocean, constantly muttering.

They had never had any contact with each other before, and today the Eighth Princess came in person to congratulate them, which was like a bolt from the blue and shocked them greatly.

Listening to what the princess just said, the Eighth Prince has actually gone to the front yard to prepare for the banquet.

When Xifeng heard the news, a common saying suddenly flashed through her mind: "When things are abnormal, there must be something wrong; when people are abnormal, there must be a knife."

No matter how eager Mrs. Lin and Xifeng were, they had no choice but to be cautious at this moment.

However, the ladies below were like dry firewood that had been ignited, their gossipy hearts burning fiercely.

They all thought in their hearts: This must be earth-shattering news, we must rush home to tell the master!

The Eighth Princess sat for a while, then took Xifeng's hand and had a very pleasant conversation with her.

As soon as the Eighth Princess stepped out of the Lin Mansion, the whole place was in an uproar.

"The Eighth Prince's Consort usually lives in seclusion and has little ties to the Lin family. Why would she suddenly visit today?" "In my opinion, she's most likely here for Miss Lin. Think about it, the Eighth Prince is the beloved daughter of the late emperor, holding a high position of power, yet he still hasn't taken a concubine. Could it be that..."

"Shut up!" Old Madam Lin shouted angrily, "Stop talking nonsense here! If this gets out, you'll be killed!"

Everyone fell silent upon hearing this, but the curiosity in their eyes grew more intense like a raging fire.

As night fell, the guests had all returned to their own residences. The Lin family finally had time to sit together and talk about trivial family matters.

Xifeng then repeated to Lin Ruhai what the Eighth Princess had said.

"Why do I feel that this Eighth Princess seems to have bad intentions?" Xifeng frowned.

"I feel the same way. I just think that the Princess Beijing is too humble and seems to be trying to win us over." said Mrs. Lin.

"Now that the Zhen family is about to be beheaded, the Eighth Prince should be doing everything in his power to save his father-in-law. How can he still have the leisure to attend the banquet?"

"Moreover," Xifeng paused for a moment and continued, "I saw that the Eighth Princess was very enthusiastic towards Jiaojiao and even gave her many valuable gifts. Could it be that she wanted to form an alliance with our family? But Jiaojiao is still young. And Daiyu was also in the hall at the time. I was very worried..."

Lin Ruhai frowned tightly. He naturally knew the stakes involved in this matter. Although the Eighth Prince was of noble status, as the saying goes, a new emperor chooses new ministers, and he had caused much trouble for the emperor when he was still a prince.

"No matter what, this matter needs to be considered carefully." Lin Ruhai said solemnly.

Because today was Mrs. Lin's birthday, Daiyu, as her granddaughter, had returned home to celebrate. At this moment, Lin Daiyu, who had been silent until then, spoke up: "Father, Grandmother, I don't want to marry the Eighth Prince."

Everyone looked at her in astonishment.

Lin Daiyu said firmly: "I just want to be with Baoyu."

Lin Ruhai and Madam Lin exchanged a glance and sighed inwardly. "Your reputation is already notorious in the capital," they thought. "The only reason you haven't been criticized is because you're a daughter of the Lin family."

Lin Ruhai paused for a moment before saying, "Whatever his intentions may be, they will eventually be exposed. It's pointless for us to speculate here. It's better to put it aside for now and deal with the situation head-on. As for the generous gifts from the palace, keep them safe and don't act rashly." Hearing this, Xifeng nodded and said, "I understand."

At the same time, in the Eighth Prince’s Mansion, the Eighth Prince’s Concubine was whispering with the Eighth Prince.

"I have made all the arrangements according to the prince's orders, and I have also expressed my love for Miss Lin in front of all the ladies." The Eighth Princess reported to the Eighth Prince in a soft voice that she had completed her mission.

"Very good, thank you for your hard work, Princess!" The Eighth Prince looked happy, nodded with satisfaction and smiled.

"Your Highness, I don't understand. You said before that the Lin family are all His Majesty's people and are difficult to win over. Why do you still have to make such a big fuss to support the Lin family today?" The Eighth Princess thought about it and asked with suspicion.

The Eighth Prince stared at her, smiled slightly, and then explained: "It is true that they are difficult for me to use. However, I am willing to give them face, but it depends on whether they have the ability to bear it!" After that, a sneer of contempt appeared at the corner of his mouth.

A hint of cunning flashed across the Eighth Prince's eyes, and he lowered his voice and said, "I want to let them know that I can not only give them glory, but also easily take it away. It all depends on how they choose." The Eighth Princess understood, smiled and nodded, indicating that she understood the prince's intention.

At this time, in the Jia Mansion, Jia Mu and Jia Zheng were sitting together, their faces filled with worry. Jia Mu frowned and said in a worried tone, "What is this Eighth Prince planning? He clearly knows that Baoyu and Daiyu are a couple, so why is he still doing this?"

Jia Zheng's face was solemn. After a moment's contemplation, he replied, "In my opinion, the Eighth Prince is probably trying to test our attitude. Since he has brought this matter up, he must have some ulterior motive. But no matter what, we cannot be swayed by his actions."

Grandmother Jia nodded and agreed, "You have a point, but this matter concerns the happiness of Baoyu and Daiyu, so we must treat it with caution. Do you have any plan to deal with it?"

Jia Zheng thought for a moment and suggested, "At the moment, the best solution would be for you, Mother, to come to the palace someday and ask the Empress's opinion. She is knowledgeable and might be able to give us some advice."

Grandmother Jia sighed and said helplessly, "Alas... this is the only way. I hope Your Majesty can come up with a good solution."

The next day, Jia Mu packed up and went to the palace early. After seeing Yuanchun, Jia Mu couldn't wait to explain what had happened to her and expressed her concerns.

After hearing this, Yuanchun pretended to think for a moment, then slowly spoke, "The Eighth Prince's behavior is indeed a bit strange. However, the Jia and Lin families have always been on good terms, and Baoyu and Daiyu are in love with each other. I don't think the Eighth Prince will force them to separate. This matter requires long-term consideration and should not be rushed."

After hearing Yuanchun's words, Jia Mu felt a little relieved and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Your Highness is indeed very thoughtful!"

Meanwhile, the Eighth Prince received word from his subordinates that the Jia family had sent Grandmother Jia to the palace to gather information. He smiled faintly and muttered to himself, "Hmph, the Jia family is truly impatient. Looks like I can move forward with my plan."

The Eighth Prince was secretly pleased with himself, knowing that every move of the Jia family was under his control. They had sent Lady Jia to the palace, clearly feeling uneasy about the situation and wanting to gauge the Emperor's attitude. This was exactly what the Eighth Prince had been waiting for; he knew that sooner or later the Jia family would side with him.

"Concubine Jia is indeed on the Jia family's side. However, I have plenty of ways to get them on my side..." The Eighth Prince's lips curled up slightly, revealing a confident smile. He was well aware of the Jia family's power and influence within the court. If he could win them over, it would be of great benefit to his bid for the throne.

The Eighth Prince began to consider how to further leverage the power of the Jia family. He decided to influence the Jia family's decision-making through Concubine Jia. At the same time, he would also seek opportunities to contact important figures in the Jia family, demonstrate his strength and sincerity, and strive to gain their support.

In addition, the Eighth Prince also planned to take advantage of the conflicts and conflicts of interest within the Jia family to sow discord and cause them to fall into internal strife. In this way, the attention of the Jia family would be distracted, making it easier for him to control and exploit them.

"As long as the Jia family is willing to join me, I will definitely not treat them unfairly," the Eighth Prince muttered to himself. He believed that with his own means and wisdom, he would be able to successfully subjugate the various noble families and make them strong supporters of his bid for the throne.