The Good Concubine of the Qing Dynasty [Red Mansion]

People are different from one another. Even identical twins, despite their closeness, are not entirely the same.

Yun Shuyao gave birth to twins, but they didn’t look exactly alike. They were fraternal twins, and genetically, Yun Shuyao considered herself to be quite capable.

She was able to go from being an orphan with nothing in the countryside to buying her own house in a major city.

From nothing to something, everything relied on her own efforts; besides hard work, she also had a bit of cleverness.

As another bearer of their shared bloodline, Lin Ruhai was certainly no fool.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have ranked third in the national exams held every three years.

Afterward, he smoothly took up an official position and steadily climbed the ranks.

In the original story, he was not long-lived, but now, barring any unexpected issues, he clearly wouldn’t meet an early demise as in “Dream of the Red Chamber.”

At this rate of advancement, it wasn’t out of the question for him to enter the cabinet before he passed away.

Both of their genes were quite good, and their two children were exceptional, but there were still differences.

For example, only Luoyu inherited her large appetite; she ate a lot and was stronger than her brother. In the past, she could overpower him, and after they started training in martial arts, this trait became even more apparent. For a while, Chenyu felt quite discouraged. As a boy, he spent more time training than his sister, yet she was still better than him—there was no explanation except for talent.

This deeply affected him.

As a result, he dedicated even more time to his studies. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses; he needed to leverage his strengths and avoid his weaknesses.

He was more patient than his sister and could manage to read the dry classics of the Four Books and Five Classics.

He invested more time here, and the praise he received was enough to make up for the setbacks he faced with his sister.

Three Lin family members were studying alongside him. They could have tried to take the exam, but they realized their rankings might not be as good as his. After considering it, they decided not to go back with him this time and instead opted for a different path.

They also wanted higher rankings, and another reason was to avoid being overshadowed.

All four of them were of similar age, but if the results differed too much, it could test their mindset.

Chenyu faced many challenges this time but still showcased his strengths, successfully achieving a small third place in the exam.

While luck played a part, skill was equally important.

Over the years, he had built a solid foundation, allowing everything to fall into place. Local officials often judged rankings carefully; many would deliberately avoid giving the top spot to prominent families to prevent accusations of favoritism or collusion.

Only when he had a clear advantage would the first place securely fall into Chenyu’s hands.

Chenyu genuinely wanted to apprentice under Mr. Xu, not just because his father had suggested it.

He had read many of Mr. Xu’s works and felt a deep admiration for him.

With Mr. Xu’s status, if he couldn’t be persuaded, even if Chenyu achieved good results, no one could force him to accept him as a disciple.

Now that the master-disciple relationship was established and everything was settled, Chenyu quickly became sleepy upon returning home.

Yun Shuyao left his courtyard to let him rest well. After all, he was tired from hurrying to catch up with his two sisters before they entered the palace for the selection.

After leaving her son’s courtyard, Yun Shuyao did not return home but went to visit the old lady.

The old lady knelt before the Buddha, recited scriptures, and burned incense to ease her worries. After calming down, she began to think about those who might have targeted the Lin family and to tally the number of Mr. Xu’s disciples in the capital. As they were fellow apprentices, it was important to maintain connections.

If her grandson had any questions, it would be convenient for him to seek advice from them.

Seeing him arrive, the old lady opened her eyes and asked, “Do you have anyone you suspect?”

She had considered many possibilities, even suspecting members of the clan.

If something happened to her grandson, they would have a reason to recommend an heir, wouldn’t they?

Yun Shuyao paused for a moment, then said, “Grandma, the flood they encountered is unusual. It’s said that such an event hasn’t happened there in many years. There hasn’t been any heavy rain, and the water level hasn’t risen. Logically, this shouldn’t occur; it’s too irrational.”

The old lady was silent for a while. “… What do you mean?”

Yun Shuyao continued, “I don’t know if you remember the monk and Taoist who broke into the Lin family, as well as the Master Zhi Liao you met before. Could it be that Chenyu has caught the attention of those evil cultivators?”

The old lady tightened her grip on the Buddhist beads.

“I will take Chenyu to the Guo Temple.”

Yun Shuyao nodded silently.

Additionally, the old lady planned to hold a small banquet.

Her grandson had not only returned safely but had also achieved good results and found a good teacher. Such joyous news should definitely not be hidden; everyone needed to know.

For example, she wanted to personally take him to the Jia family to show off, while also testing the waters.

She needed to confirm whether the incidents her grandson encountered on this trip were related to the Jia family.

If there was no connection, that would be one thing, but if there was… then the two families would be at odds.

Yun Shuyao felt the same way. Whether the old lady intended to visit the Jia family or have someone from the Jia family come over, she wanted to probe for changes as well.

After all, as the main female character, Daiyu lived in the same household, so she could quickly learn of any changes. However, since Jia Baoyu, the male lead, lived in the Jia family, getting information about him was more complicated.

The old lady didn’t ask many questions; she simply agreed and reminded Yun Shuyao to take good care of Chenyu’s health during this time since he had worked hard.

Before long, a letter was sent out from the Lin residence.

It was addressed to Lin Ruhai.

Given the significant events at home, as the head of the family, he certainly needed to be informed to stay aware of the situation.

Chenyu had returned, and while some people might not have seen him immediately, they knew the good news, such as Lin Xiao and Lin Zheng.

They were also happy for him.

It was time for them to be engaged as well, and if possible, they naturally hoped to find a match in the capital.

The better the Lin family is, the more secure their future will be.

The old lady was now strict with Chenyu; she didn’t want him going out, except to the Guo Temple. She preferred him to stay at home, so she invited some well-connected families over to celebrate.

She arranged the invitations separately.

First, she invited her son’s classmates, old friends of the Lin family, and her grandnephew Xie Zimo.

They had a meal at home, and the Yun family was included in this round.

Then, she specifically invited the Jia family over.

Since they were from the younger generation of the maternal family, the invitation was sent separately because their status was different.

The old lady wrote a heartfelt invitation letter and sent it over.

Wang Xifeng was the first to see the invitation.

Reclining on the couch with her eyes closed, she listened as Ping’er read the contents aloud, and her brows involuntarily lifted.

The invitation did not mention that Chenyu had encountered any problems on his journey south; it only stated the results: he had passed the exam and successfully became a disciple. Now that he had returned, they were inviting the entire Jia family for a celebratory meal.

Wang Xifeng remained silent for a while. Ping’er, unsure of what to say, stood behind her and kneaded her shoulders.

After a long pause, she finally spoke dryly, “The Young Master has returned.”

Wang Xifeng sighed, “Yes, he has returned.”

She felt a headache coming on. This situation couldn’t be kept a secret, but how could she tell everyone in a way that wouldn’t provoke an intense reaction?

Wang Xifeng could almost imagine how the master would react upon seeing the invitation. It wouldn’t be long before he started watching over Baoyu closely. Even if Baoyu could put on an act for a while, he couldn’t do so forever. The master would get angry, bring out the stick, and if he wasn’t stopped in time, Baoyu would end up getting beaten. The old lady and the mistress would surely be worried and upset.

If Baoyu were really injured, the household would be thrown into chaos for a while, and the mistress might lash out at everyone.

Knowing this, Wang Xifeng didn’t want to get involved at all. One hand rested on her stomach; she was pregnant, and this was her first child. She hoped for a smooth delivery.

Ping’er suggested, “Why don’t we act like we don’t know and just deliver the invitation to the mistress?”

“This can’t be done,” Wang Xifeng immediately rejected the idea.

She was happy about her pregnancy, but she didn’t want to relinquish her power.

Even if she were more tactful, the news would still upset them regardless of how she presented it; the relationship wasn’t entirely without influence, but it wasn’t significant either.

So, Wang Xifeng eventually found a moment to tell the old lady and the mistress about the invitation, without a trace of joy on her face.

Upon seeing the old lady extend her hand, a clever maid quickly handed over the invitation.

Grandmother Jia opened it. Originally holding Baoyu with a kind smile, her expression now turned emotionless.

Mrs. Wang’s hand in her sleeve gripped her handkerchief tightly; if it weren’t for the high quality of the fabric, they might have heard the sound of it tearing.

The atmosphere suddenly changed, but Mrs. Xing was oblivious. She smiled and said, “Then congratulations to the old lady! Your grandson is successful—this is a tremendous good fortune! At such a young age, he’s already achieved a little third degree. If he manages to get three firsts afterward, he’ll achieve a six-degree—he’ll be remembered in history! We must join in the celebration and share in the joy. Perhaps Baoyu should also take the exams to leave his name in history.” She thought she spoke very eloquently.

This made Wang Xifeng look over at her in disbelief.

Was her mother-in-law really that foolish or just pretending to be?

Surely, she couldn’t be intentionally provoking the old lady with those words!

But judging by her oblivious expression, it didn’t seem like she was acting.

She shouldn’t have such poor acting skills.

Grandmother Jia felt a surge of anger, glancing disdainfully at her eldest daughter-in-law. “Shut your mouth.”

What a fool! She regretted marrying her into the family countless times. Though easy to manage, her limited intelligence was woefully inadequate. No wonder the eldest son wasn’t attentive; how could a child show respect to someone so clueless?

Grandmother Jia then looked at Wang, thinking she’d had some potential when she first married in, but she too had proven to be a misjudgment.

The only one she hadn’t misjudged was Min’er, but Lin Ruhai wasn’t her choice; he had been chosen by the old duke.

Thinking of this, Grandmother Jia felt even worse.

Baoyu didn’t understand all the words, but he did catch one thing, looking joyfully at the old lady: “Are we going to visit Sister Lin’s house? That would be wonderful! I haven’t seen her in ages, and I can finally play with her!”

Baoyu’s obsession with meeting Lin Daiyu was deep; he hadn’t forgotten her after all this time and would mention her from time to time.

Seeing his pure joy, Mrs. Wang’s face turned pale.

Forget about Baoyu; once the master hears this news, who knows how he will react? He’ll surely think that it’s because Lin Daiyu has enchanted his son, making him lose focus on his studies!

At such a young age, she’s already learned the essence of being a vixen—she’s truly not a good thing!