Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

Mrs. Hu and Xifeng were helped into the carriage by their maids. Mrs. Hu said, "The old concubine of Prince Beijing was from the Zhen family of Jinling. Her old lady was the wet nurse of the current emperor."

Xifeng exclaimed in surprise, "So that's how it is! Then the relationship between Prince Beijing and the Zhen family must be very close, right?"

Mrs. Hu nodded. "That's right. Prince Beijing has close ties with the Zhen family, so he also knows your father and uncle. He was the one who invited us to this banquet."

Xifeng was secretly delighted. It seemed this banquet was a great opportunity for the Wang family to make friends with the powerful. She asked curiously, "What is Prince Beijing like?"

Mrs. Hu smiled and replied, "Prince Beijing is a gentle and kind man who respects the wise and the humble. He has many retainers in his house, all of whom are talented scholars and scholars."

Upon hearing this, Xifeng couldn't help but recall the events of her past life. Back then, the Four Princes and Eight Dukes suffered heavy losses, with some executed and others exiled to distant lands, facing tragic end. However, only the Prince of Beijing's mansion, due to its status as a distant relative of the royal family, was able to preserve its entire clan.

The Wang family's residence was separated from the Beijing Prince's Mansion by two streets, but both were located in the eastern part of the capital. Madame Hu and Xifeng chatted along the way, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the gate of the Beijing Prince's Mansion.

Entering the mansion, they saw the old Dowager Consort of Prince Beijing seated at the center, with Princess Beijing seated at the head of the table below her. Madam Hu and Xifeng approached the Dowager Consort and Princess Beijing to pay their respects. Their movements were graceful and elegant, displaying the demeanor of a distinguished family.

"Get up quickly!" The concubine said with a smile, "We are all family, there is no need to be so polite." As she said that, she personally helped Mrs. Hu and Xifeng up and asked them to sit on the chairs beside them.

Mrs. Hu said gratefully, "Thank you for your concern, Concubine Dowager. Xifeng and I have come to see you specially." Then she bowed to the princess to express her respect.

The princess smiled gently and said, "It's great that you can come to visit us." Then she asked some questions about the Wang family's recent situation, and Mrs. Hu answered them one by one.

In this warm atmosphere, everyone began chatting about family matters. The Queen Mother and the Princess Consort asked Xifeng about her life with concern, and Xifeng responded politely. Everyone was chatting and laughing, and the atmosphere was harmonious.

When the topic came to the former daughter of the Rongguo Mansion, everyone sighed: "The daughter of the Rongguo Mansion lived a very comfortable life!"

"Who says it's not? But... do you know? Jia Min, the daughter of the Duke of Rong, is Lin Daiyu's mother. She married Lin Ruhai, the top scholar in the imperial examination, and became the legal wife of the Lin family. Logically, she should have lived a life of glory, but she hasn't had an easy life these past few years."

"Oh? Why do you say that?" everyone asked curiously.

"You may not know this, but Jia Min has been married into the Lin family for more than ten years, but she only gave birth to a daughter, who is a sickly one. I heard that the girl is not in good health and is always taking medicine." The person who spoke lowered his voice and said mysteriously.

"Oh, what a pity! Lin Ruhai was the third place in the imperial examination. With such a family background and status, it would be great if he could have a few sons!" someone said regretfully.

"Yes, it's a pity that she had a bad fate. It is said that Jia Min was worried that if she died early, her daughter would have no one to rely on and would be bullied by her second wife, so she secretly sent the Lin family's property to her mother's family. As a result, this matter was discovered by the old servant of the Lin family, and it was told to Lin Ruhai. When Lin Ruhai checked the accounts, he found that in the past ten years, the Jia family had taken over half of the Lin family's property, even the things rewarded by the emperor. Now, the Lin family sent people to ask for the things, and they also want to return Jia Min together." The man continued to reveal the news.

"What? There is such a thing?" Everyone was shocked and expressed disbelief.

"Yeah, who would have thought? Jia Min was forced into a corner and did this. But I didn't expect that she would be discovered in the end."

"What should we do now? Will the Jia family return the property?" someone asked with concern.

"It's hard to say. After all, it involves the face of the two major families. But if the Lin family gets serious about it, the Jia family may not end up in trouble either."

"That's true. After all, the Lin family is no pushover. But then again, Jia Min is also pitiful. She took risks for her daughter, but ended up like this."

"Yes, it's not easy for women, especially in such a big family." Another person whispered, "There are more reasons why Jia Min was sent back! Not only did she smuggle valuables, she also secretly gave Lin Ruhai medicine that was not good for his offspring. This is the key." Everyone nodded in agreement when they heard this, saying that this behavior was really abominable.

Everyone was discussing the matter and felt very sad about it. Meanwhile, in the Jia Mansion, Jia's mother and others also learned the news and were discussing countermeasures.