Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

Grandmother Jia watched the official media's back as they left, praying silently in her heart, hoping that this matter could be properly resolved and not bring too much harm to her granddaughter. Li Wan gently walked to Grandmother Jia's side, leaned over slightly, her eyes full of concern: "Grandma, you have to make up your mind, this matter is of great importance. It's really strange that the Eighth Prince's Mansion suddenly proposed to marry my second sister." Grandmother Jia sighed slightly, and looked ahead with deep eyes, as if she saw all the past through the years: "Alas, the world is impermanent, who would have thought that there would be such a change. Our family and the Eighth Prince's Mansion have always been just superficial friendships, and we didn't expect that it would involve the affairs of our children." Li Wan frowned and said softly: "In my opinion, the incident of the Zhen family this time is probably related to Lian Shenguang, the Eighth Prince's sudden proposal of marriage might have hidden ulterior motives. Li Wan nodded and continued, "If this marriage is being facilitated because of the Zhen family, then it must be avoided. We, the Jia family, must not be dragged into this, lest we bring disaster upon ourselves." Grandmother Jia pondered for a moment and said slowly, "Yes, the Zhen family has always acted arrogantly and domineeringly, and now they have suffered the consequences of having their property confiscated. We, the Jia family, must not repeat the same mistakes and must proceed with caution." Silence fell in the room as everyone pondered how to deal with this sudden situation... Your Second Wife actually wanted to face the challenge head-on. In my opinion, even the things the Zhen family had deposited with us shouldn't have been accepted!"

"The matter concerning the second sister has really made everyone feel extremely embarrassed. Now that we are in such a complicated and difficult situation, what is the most appropriate way to deal with it?" Li Wan frowned slightly and said slowly and solemnly.

Grandmother Jia's eyes gleamed with determination, and she said solemnly, "At the moment, we can only quickly select a suitable family of equal status and good character and finalize this marriage as soon as possible. Only in this way can we fundamentally cut off the Eighth Prince's Mansion's unrealistic and absurd ideas and prevent them from continuing to breed more unnecessary trouble and disaster."

"But, if we really do this, we will inevitably greatly offend the powerful Eighth Prince's Mansion." Li Wan's face was full of deep worry, and her already bright eyes now revealed a hint of uneasiness that was difficult to conceal, as if countless worries were surging in her heart.

"We must understand that since the Eighth Prince's Mansion has come to propose this marriage at this critical moment, it is obvious that they do not truly regard our Jia Mansion as a trustworthy family friend. They may have ulterior motives and other plans. We must never make wrong decisions because of momentary weakness or being confused by short-term interests, and then implicate the noble queen in the palace and put her into unnecessary trouble. We must keep a clear head, consider the problem from a long-term perspective, and make the choice that best suits the interests of the family and the queen." Grandmother Jia said in a serious and resolute tone, and every word seemed to contain endless meaning and considerations.

Having decided not to get involved, Lady Jia invited the two masters and the mistress to discuss the matter, which shows that she attached great importance to it and had her own considerations.

Li Wan hurriedly agreed to go and ask for help. Her quick and decisive actions showed her obedience to Lady Jia's orders and her efficiency in handling affairs.

After leaving the Jia residence, the matchmaker headed for the Eighth Prince's residence. Her back-and-forth journey made her seem like a minor player in the interplay of power. Her report to the Eighth Prince's wife hinted that the Jia residence might not be as easily manipulated as she had imagined, and that there might be many complex factors and unclear attitudes at play.

The Eighth Princess asked the official matchmaker to have a cup of tea before leaving and gave her a reward. This seemed like an ordinary act, but in fact it contained a kind of appeasement and recognition of her work, and also showed her means and scheming in dealing with such matters.

The Eighth Prince's surprised expression upon hearing this makes one wonder what he's thinking. He believed that promising the Jia family the position of concubine was a gesture of sincerity, but now the situation has unfolded beyond his expectations. What hidden secrets and entanglements lie behind this? Perhaps a more intense conflict is about to unfold quietly within this complex web of relationships...

He had originally planned to go to the emperor to ask for his approval as soon as the two families had agreed on the marriage. This move, on the one hand, fully demonstrated his great respect and importance for the Jia family, giving them enough face and making them shine in front of everyone; on the other hand, it cleverly and invisibly added a sense of inexplicable displeasure and disgust to the emperor. It was truly killing two birds with one stone!

However, what was unexpected was that Lady Jia acted perfunctorily, seemingly unwilling to readily agree to the request. Perhaps she had her own considerations and calculations, or perhaps she was trying to use this opportunity to test the waters; in short, her attitude was truly surprising. But upon closer inspection, one had to admit, as the old saying goes, "Old ginger is always the wisest!" Lady Jia, a woman of many years and experience, naturally wouldn't yield easily. Behind every move she made lay a deep stratagem and scheme.

It seems that if he wants to achieve his goal, relying solely on the previous preparations is obviously far from enough. He has to continue to add more chips and plan and advance step by step in an orderly manner.

Night fell quietly. As Jia Yuanchun lay in bed, preparing to fall asleep, she heard a faint noise outside the window. A sudden movement struck her, and she knew it was him. She quickly got out of bed, walked quickly to the window, and gently pushed it open. A flicker of surprise flashed in her eyes, and she whispered, "You're here!" Then, the man slid through the window with the agility of a ghost, landing lightly on the ground. He was dressed in a black nightgown, appearing particularly mysterious against the night sky. His face was remarkably handsome, as if he had stepped out of a painting. However, a closer look at his eyes revealed a hint of fatigue, as if he had experienced many unknown things.

The man looked at her quietly, the corner of his mouth curved slightly upward, like a mysterious arc, seemingly concealing endless depths. The cunning glint in his eyes, like the brightest stars in the night sky, flickered continuously, as if telling a secret unknown to anyone. He slowly spoke, "Don't you miss me?" His words were like an invisible blade, gently slicing through the air, carrying a hint of teasing and mockery, as if deliberately designed to tease her, causing her heart to tremble slightly.

After a while, the Eighth Prince slowly said, "I want to take your second daughter as my concubine. I originally thought there would be no obstacles with your old lady, but who would have thought she seemed reluctant. But our two families are closely connected, and we share the same fate. They may not understand the interests involved, but how could you not understand?"