The Good Concubine of the Qing Dynasty [Red Mansion]

Sun Yuanlu traveled with Yun Yan for their studies, heading south together. They had the same destination and shared similar goals as friends.

He knew that Yun Yan had come here to see his sister, but he didn’t realize she had such a significant background.

His sister was a concubine, but not just any concubine—she was a concubine of a third-rank official, and the mother of the only son in a prominent family.

If Lord Lin were willing to offer some guidance, Yun Yan wouldn’t need to worry about his future even if he didn’t become a successful scholar.

If Yun Yan did become a scholar, his prospects would be even better; the future of a scholar was certainly more promising than that of a mere graduate.

Moreover, Lord Lin had no close brothers, so he would likely place more importance on his son’s lineage.

Sun Yuanlu understood this well but had no intention of using it to ingratiate himself.

He had his own pride.

This was also why Yun Yan was open about coming to find his sister while traveling with Sun Yuanlu.

Lin Ruhai welcomed Yun Yan as well.

He had been away from the capital for many years due to his official duties and hadn’t returned in a long time. Although he still had classmates and acquaintances in the capital, their relationships were not as close, and some matters were not suitable to be written down. The Yun family, on the other hand, was different.

The Yun family’s daughter is the mother of his children.

Throughout the Yun family’s civil service journey, he had been supporting and guiding them from behind.

They were on the same side.

In fact, Lin Ruhai was somewhat surprised.

Currently, the Yun family consists of three men: two scholars and one jinshi. Given Yun Yan a few more years, there’s a good chance he could also become a jinshi, making it two scholars and two jinshi.

Furthermore, their grandfather was merely a xiucai.

Tracing back further, they originated from ordinary farmers.

With such origins, reaching their current status, despite his guidance, was also due to their own hard work and progress.

Moreover, the two Yun brothers were still young, and their future was uncertain but full of potential.

In a few years, Chenyu would also begin his studies, and it would be a good opportunity for mutual support in the court.

Such talented youth reminded Mei Yiniang of her own sixth younger sister.

She later learned that her good sister had once considered becoming a concubine for her husband.

However, Mei Yiniang persuaded her father to dissuade the sixth sister from that idea. In the end, she found her a scholar to marry. Although he came with two daughters but no sons, he was a good match, though the sixth sister’s married life did not turn out well.

Her father was betting that the scholar would have a promising future, but unfortunately, he had not yet become a jinshi.

Moreover, after the family’s wealth increased, he kept buying more and more maidservants.

Although the sixth sister was the main wife, her life was far from as comfortable as Mei Yiniang’s.

The only good thing, perhaps, was that the sixth sister had a son.

She even wrote a letter to boast about it.

Mei Yiniang couldn’t help but think of her own daughter. They were from a banner family.

In the future, she will participate in the selection process. Given her daughter’s character and appearance, her future prospects were promising.

Even if Mei Yiniang had no sons, having a daughter who married well would be a source of pride.

If luck was on her side and her daughter was selected to marry into the imperial or noble family, Mei Yiniang couldn’t help but be a bit dazed at the thought.

If that were to happen, it would be such a great honor! Even without a son, no one would dare to look down on her or her daughter.

Almost immediately, after Yun Yan mentioned that Jia Zhu’s health was deteriorating, they received news from the Jia family that Jia Zhu had passed away.

Despite calling many doctors, including imperial physicians, they couldn’t save the person.

The Jia family was engulfed in sorrow, with not only the main members falling ill but also the servants appearing dejected.

Among the third-generation direct male descendants of the Jia family, there were three. The most promising was Jia Zhu, while Jia Lian had never enjoyed studying or martial arts, and Jia Baoyu, being still young, showed no clear signs of a promising future.

Although Jia Baoyu was named after the jade he was said to have been born with in his mouth, many doubted the truth of this story.

The jade hung around Jia Baoyu’s neck was quite large—how could an infant possibly have it in their mouth?

Furthermore, Jia Baoyu, now five years old, showed no mysterious traits and had already displayed a strong preference for beauty at such a young age.

In a certain place, upon confirming Jia Zhu’s death, the Lame Monk and the leprotic Daoist breathed a sigh of relief.

Their predictions were accurate. They had searched other places and found that changes only occurred with the Lin family. The Lin family’s situation had turned out to be entirely different from what was predicted, while other changes were minor and did not affect the overall outcome.

With Jia Zhu’s death aligning with their predictions, the Lame Monk asked, “What should we do?”

The leprotic Daoist shook his head and sighed, “What can we do?”

They had delayed for so long that the higher-ups still did not know about the major changes in the Lin family.

They could no longer postpone; they had to report it to the Immortal Aunt. But how should they explain it?

And how could they avoid punishment?

Moreover, they still didn’t know where things had gone wrong—whether their initial divination was incorrect or if someone had altered Lady Lin’s fate.

If they didn’t take action, the situation could become even more problematic.

The Lame Monk asked, “Do you have any other solutions?”

They had investigated the mysterious Master of Cicadas, thinking it might be someone causing trouble from within their ranks. After much inquiry, they found no new information.

The Leprotic Daoist stomped his foot in frustration and said, “No, just report it honestly and emphasize the Master of Cicadas.”

Their only option was to notify the higher-ups. Fortunately, there was still time. They wondered how the Immortal Aunt would handle the situation.

—

Yun Yan spent nearly a month in Anlin Prefecture. During this time, he didn’t spend much time in the Lin residence; most of his time was spent traveling with his companions, and he was also taken by Lin Ruhai to experience life at the yamen for several days.

Every time he returned from an outing, he would share his experiences with Yun Shuyao.

He personally witnessed the conflicts between officials and civilians.

Indeed, there were mobs, but in most cases, it was the officials who were overbearing.

Ordinary people still held a sense of reverence towards officials.

He also helped supervise workers and promoted the benefits of sweet potatoes.

Sweet potatoes are not easy to store and, compared to rice and wheat, they can’t be taxed and aren’t as tasty. However, their greatest advantage can compensate for everything.

Many people, however, were accustomed to being conservative and didn’t believe in the high yield of such crops.

But Yun Yan knew that as long as local farmers grew them and others saw the yield per mu during harvest time, the issue would be resolved.

The first step is always the hardest to take.

Yun Shuyao understood.

High-yield crops like sweet potatoes and corn began to be introduced to the Ming Dynasty, but promotion was not a simple or swift process.

In some areas, the flow of information was unimaginably blocked.

Even in the 21st century, there are still primitive tribes in the mountains wearing animal skins, which is hard to imagine.

As soon as Yun Yan left, news arrived.

The old lady’s niece from her maiden family was passing through with her husband on his new appointment, and they came to visit her.

This was a source of pride for the old lady. Five years ago, when her niece was about to give birth, the old lady had sent someone in advance to prepare, otherwise, she might have died in childbirth.

This time, despite the difficulties of childbirth, thanks to her preparation, there were no major issues, and both mother and child were safe.

The Lin family and the Xie family had always been unlucky in their fates.

Had any of her nephews or nieces survived in the dream world, perhaps someone could have given hints to Daiyu, and her fate might have changed.

Now things were different, and the old lady was naturally pleased.

Moreover, it had been many years since they had seen each other. The old lady asked Yingyu and Luoyu to make the necessary preparations.

“Your cousin’s family is coming, along with your cousins and their siblings. Our home will be lively.”

Xie Ruozhen’s husband’s family name was Dong. He had recently been promoted to a fifth-rank prefect and was moving south for his new position. He had spent many years in the harsh northwest, and now he was being transferred to a place that, though not as prosperous as Jiangnan, was not far from it.

The Dong family, like the Lin family and the Xie family from which the old lady came, was a scholarly family.

While they might not be prominent scholarly families, they had maintained a tradition of several generations.

The old lady was not very fond of her son-in-law. In the dream world, her niece had already passed away, so there was no discussion about it.

However, her brother-in-law was still around, seemingly indifferent to the existence of Daiyu. He was unremarkable both as a person and an official, and it was unclear how her elder brother had ever favored him.

The Dong family was one of the few relatives of the Lin family.

Xie Ruozhen had been married to the Dong family’s second son. After many years of marriage, she had borne two daughters and one son.

The eldest daughter, born from the main wife, was already married.

The eldest son, born of a concubine, was now studying in the academy.

Currently with her were her second son, Dong Wenyu, and her third daughter, Dong Linghe, born of a concubine.

Additionally, there was the youngest daughter, Dong Lingxin, born five years ago from the main wife.

Yingyu and Luoyu prepared the courtyard according to their family’s size.

They ensured that when their relatives arrived, they would be comfortably settled in.

Although they were accompanied by members of the Lin clan for lessons, making the place lively rather than lonely, the visit from their cousins was still a novelty.

Lin Ruhai was pleased that his cousins could come, but he felt a bit helpless regarding his cousin-in-law.

In theory, as relatives, it would not be unusual for them to support each other in the official circles and share information. However, this brother-in-law was different. He was almost completely disengaged from external affairs and preferred to maintain a facade of peace, doing the bare minimum to get by.

After passing the imperial examinations and becoming an official, he lost his previous drive and now mostly relied on his aides and clerks to get through daily tasks.

As a result, he had only recently been promoted to a fifth-rank official.

Lin Ruhai hoped that this meeting might encourage him to change his ways.

The place where he would be posted could not afford for him to continue his lackluster approach.

That was not the case in the northwest.

—

Before their arrival, Luoyu had heard her grandmother repeatedly mention them, so she was somewhat surprised when she actually met them.

It wasn’t that her cousins were not pleasant—they appeared very kind, and her older and younger female cousins were gentle and lovely—but this second cousin…

Luoyu couldn’t help but frown. She took a step forward to greet him and also to subtly remind him: “Second cousin.”

When Dong Wenyu saw Yingyu, he stared without blinking, completely entranced.

Yingyu, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed, lowered her head, her beauty even more striking when she looked down. Dong Wenyu’s gaze became even more intense.

Luoyu greeted him, but he didn’t seem to notice.

Dong Wenyu’s behavior caused the old lady’s expression to darken.

She knew her granddaughter was quite exceptional in appearance, having inherited her mother’s looks and even surpassing them. But how had her niece raised her children? Was this the result of such poor upbringing?

To make matters worse, that young man didn’t seem to understand social cues and eagerly approached: “Cousin, you truly are like celestial beings. If there’s anything you like, I’ve brought some small trinkets from the northwest that you probably haven’t seen before. They might be something new and interesting for you…”

That attitude made the old lady feel as if she was seeing Jia Baoyu again. Her disdain for Jia Baoyu was deeply ingrained, and her expression immediately darkened. Xie Ruozhen also looked somewhat awkward, secretly relieved that her husband was talking with the cousin in the outer study; otherwise, if he had seen their son acting like this, he would surely be punished again when they returned home.

“Wenyu, don’t be so forward with your cousin. Quickly go to the outer courtyard and greet your uncle.” She hastily sent him away.

Dong Wenyu left, frequently looking back as he went.

The old lady: “…”

She looked at her niece with frustration, feeling as though she had failed as an aunt.

Xie Ruozhen awkwardly presented gifts to Yingyu and the others, giving several lingering glances at Yingyu’s face.

Then the old lady instructed Yingyu and the others to take the cousins to the garden to play, and began to speak: “Indulging a child is as bad as killing them. Don’t you understand this principle?”

Xie Ruozhen picked up a handkerchief to cover her face and cried out: “Aunt! You know what kind of life I’ve led over the years!”

She was injured when she gave birth to her eldest daughter and couldn’t have any more children for many years. Seeing her second son being born was a painful experience for her, and it was only after a long wait that she had Wenyu. How could she bear to be harsh with him?

She would give him everything she could!

The old lady, with a stern face, said, “Is this how you show your love for him, by spoiling him?”

Xie Ruozhen dismissively replied, “He’s still young.”

The old lady was left speechless.

Thirteen years old and still considered young?

In just two years, he would need to be betrothed.

Speaking of betrothal, Xie Ruozhen’s eyes brightened: “Aunt, has Luoyu been betrothed yet?”

Yingyu’s charming looks had captivated her son’s heart the moment they met.

If they were to betroth a daughter-in-law like that, it would be trouble in the future.

In contrast, Luoyu is very suitable. She is not only beautiful but also has an ethereal and refined appearance that is unlikely to lead her son astray. Even better, she has a twin brother, who is the only son of their cousins. Marrying her would ensure that their son’s future would be secure.