Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

What Jia Lian is facing now is that Lin Ruhai is genuinely choosing a husband for Daiyu.

If he doesn't express something now, what is he waiting for?

Should we wait for Daiyu to fight back, or for her to take the initiative to say that she likes him? Impossible. Given Daiyu's reserve and tact, she probably wouldn't easily say the words "I like you" until her death.

So, right now is an opportunity.

Having made up his mind, Jia Lian immediately straightened his face and pretended that he had misunderstood Lin Ruhai's intentions.

"To inform my uncle, I have indeed never taken any concubines."

It's just that my nephew is focused on achieving fame and success and is unwilling to be easily entangled by personal feelings for his children.

Since my uncle has brought it up today, I humbly request that you marry Lin Daiyu to me. I am willing to dedicate my life to protecting and caring for her, and I will never let her suffer any injustice!

As Jia Lian spoke, he gently lifted the hem of his robe and solemnly knelt before Lin Ruhai's bed.

……

"Miss, Second Master Lian has come to visit Master!"

In the back corridor where Lin Ruhai was recuperating, Daiyu secretly slipped away while the maids, including Zijuan, weren't looking.

She recalled the voice the maid had given her earlier, but now that she was actually here, she hesitated and wavered.

Although she was unwilling, she knew that her father was worried and making arrangements for her marriage.

Just as Jia Lian arrived at the mansion, she rushed over impatiently, fearing that if her father noticed anything, she would be mortified.

Even if Father didn't see anything, Second Brother Lian is incredibly shrewd, and we can't let him underestimate us!

I was gone for more than half a year. In such a long time, if he really cared, he should have come to see me instead of me going to him.

Despite these thoughts in her mind, she still walked step by step toward Lin Ruhai's ward.

Otherwise, I'll hide here and watch what my second brother Lian and my father are talking about.

We can't let my father catch us again.

She was caught red-handed eavesdropping on her father's conversation with the housekeeper before, and it would be embarrassing if she were caught again.

Having made ample mental preparations, Daiyu, like a graceful fairy, easily reached the side of the warm pavilion and, through the wooden lattice gauze window, listened to the conversation inside.

She was certain that she could hear what was happening inside from this position!

But as soon as she calmed down, she didn't have time to think about anything else.

Jia Lian's familiar and touching voice immediately reached her ears.

"Since you have brought it up today, I humbly request that you marry Lin Daiyu to me. I am willing to dedicate my life to protecting and caring for Lin Daiyu and will never let her suffer any more grievances."

Daiyu's beautiful brows furrowed involuntarily, and her expression froze completely.

It really is Lian Er Gege inside. What is he saying?

Fearing she was hallucinating, Daiyu tried to calm herself down, but she couldn't.

She only came to her senses when she realized that the inside had also become silent. She suddenly raised one small hand and covered her chest.

In that instant, Daiyu herself did not know what was wrong with her. She only felt a flash of white light in the world, and her heart seemed to be under a spell, vibrating uncontrollably as if it wanted to jump out of her body!

She had prepared herself to eavesdrop for a long time, but unconsciously straightened her posture, keeping one hand leaning against the wall pillar. When she turned around, her face remained unchanged, and tears streamed down her face.

Inside the room, Lin Ruhai silently watched Jia Lian, his expression shifting from surprise to shock, and finally to anger.

After a long pause, he managed to force a cold tone: "Do you know what you're saying?"

Although Lin Ruhai felt he should be angry, he was already weak from months of illness and bedridden. Moreover, he was a gentle and refined person, so even when he was angry, he sounded calm.

"If I hadn't always considered you my own nephew, I would have ordered you to be kicked out of the manor based on what you just said."

Could it be that, Lord Marquis, seeing the Lin family's current weakness and vulnerability, you've come to humiliate us as well?"

Although Lin Ruhai's voice was weak, Jia Lian did not dare to underestimate him.

He knew that success or failure hinged on this moment, and he had to exert every ounce of effort to feel at ease.

"Uncle, you've misunderstood. I have no such intention."

My nephew has always admired his uncle's talent and learning, and respected his diligence and love for the people when he was an official. He has always regarded his uncle as a family elder.

As for my request, it is entirely sincere and without any falsehood. I hope my uncle will have mercy and give me a chance to express myself.

"Chance?

"Hmph, could it be that you're willing to divorce that Wang woman and marry your Lin sister?"

Lin Ruhai tried hard to put on a sarcastic expression, but found he couldn't, so he could only give up in frustration.

Jia Lian fell silent upon hearing this.

Lin Ruhai didn't urge him at this moment; he also wanted to see how Jia Lian would explain himself.

"Although my nephew and Wang are a family-arranged marriage, since she married into my family, she has been dutiful and served my elders year after year, day after day, and has never done anything to wrong me."

I dare not lie to my uncle. If you ask me to divorce Wang, I really cannot do it.

However, my nephew had absolutely no intention of belittling Lin Daiyu.

The younger generation can swear to their uncle that although they cannot give Lin Daiyu the position of his principal wife, on the day they marry her, they will surely have all the proper rites and gifts, a grand sedan chair carried by eight men, and many relatives and friends invited to carry her into the house.

From this day forward, I will treat you with the respect due to a principal wife, and I will never betray you in this life. If I break this vow, may I, Jia Lian, be stripped of all my official rank and titles, and my family fortune destroyed.

Lin Ruhai also fell silent.

To be honest, Jia Lian's actions were completely unexpected, leaving him momentarily at a loss for how to respond. He could only subconsciously utter the question he had just asked.

But looking at Jia Lian, who was kneeling quietly before him with a resolute expression and speaking solemnly, even Lin Ruhai felt that Jia Lian's posture was truly impeccable.

For someone of his current rank as a marquis to willingly kneel before him and make such a sincere yet unpretentious vow, one could tell from the sound of it that it came from the heart.

Stripped of his official rank and family fortune? Could it be that he truly loves Yu'er?

Also, I was right, Yu'er also admires him.

If that's the case, then this killing is truly hateful.

Lin Ruhai cursed inwardly. With his intelligence, he naturally understood that if Jia Lian and Daiyu were truly in love, it must be because Jia Lian had deliberately seduced them under the guise of his entrustment!

It's still unknown whether he has ever bullied his own daughter.

Lin Ruhai was seething with hatred and deeply regretted his decision to entrust his daughter to Jia Lian's care.

"Hmm...you get up first."

Lin Ruhai, who really didn't know what to say, tried to get Jia Lian to get up.

Given the other party's attitude, he felt embarrassed to say anything harsh.

Lin Ruhai's tactful tone made Jia Lian realize that the saying "a gentleman can be deceived by his principles" was indeed true. Naturally, he would not follow his words and instead continued, "I know that Sister Lin is frail."

After marrying her, my nephew will do his best to find a famous doctor for her, and even if it costs him his entire fortune, he will do everything he can to cure her.

Uncle, you don't need to worry that your nephew can't do it. My parents died early. If Lin Meimei marries me, there will be no parents-in-law to serve. And the old lady is Lin Meimei's maternal grandmother, so she naturally won't have any intention of bullying her.

Therefore, when Lin Daiyu came to our family, my uncle didn't have to worry at all that she would be mistreated.

With me here, no one dares to wrong her.

Jia Lian's words were so resolute that Lin Ruhai suddenly realized what was going on.

That's true. He had worried that after he was gone, Daiyu would be left without support and would be bullied by her husband's family.

If it were Jia Lian, he wouldn't have this concern.

With Jia Lian's abilities, no one except his biological parents could control him, so what he said was true. As long as Jia Lian was sincere to Yu'er, there was no need to worry about Yu'er being mistreated after marriage.

Seeing Lin Ruhai deep in thought, Jia Lian pressed on, saying, "Besides, I have another idea."

If Uncle doesn't mind, I've long planned that after Lin Meimei marries me, our first son can be adopted into the Lin family, recognized as Uncle, and thus continue the Lin family line.

This was one of Jia Lian's early schemes, perhaps one that could sway Lin Ruhai.

As a person from a later era, he was far less knowledgeable about bloodline inheritance than people of his time. He also had no patriarchal views and believed that a son could never take his mother's surname.

Therefore, when Jia Lian saw the greedy and greedy behavior of the Lin family's concubines in Yangzhou, he didn't hold back and easily made Lin Ruhai temporarily give up the idea of ​​adopting a son.

It's no wonder Jia Lian looked down on her so much; he simply knew how difficult it would be to marry Daiyu without wanting to divorce Wang Xifeng.

There were very few things he could think of that could move Lin Ruhai.

Now that we've already made our move, we must go all out.

In fact, Jia Lian had thought about it before he spoke. Since Lin Ruhai was already so ill, he might as well wait. After Lin Ruhai returned home, Daiyu would be all alone, and the difficulty of him marrying her would naturally be reduced.

However, he only thought about it for a moment before rejecting the idea.

Putting aside whether that would be taking advantage of someone in distress, he would have to find a way to stop Lin Ruhai from choosing a husband for Daiyu!

This is no longer just taking advantage of someone's misfortune; it already raises suspicions of being a petty person, something Jia Lian would disdain.

Most importantly, Jia Lian didn't want to wrong Daiyu.

When it comes to a life-changing event, having your parents' blessings versus not having them makes a world of difference.

Daiyu was already about to suffer the pain of losing a loved one, and he didn't want her to suffer any more injustice.

So, if he wanted to marry her, he should just say it openly and honestly. Even if Lin Ruhai ultimately refused, he wouldn't regret it.

"You, are you serious?" Lin Ruhai's eyes widened.

He found it somewhat unbelievable.

Would Jia Lian be willing to adopt his and Yu'er's child—the first one—into the Lin family to continue the Lin family line? Would he acknowledge him as his grandfather?

This is tantamount to the Jia family and the Lin family being reversed. Would the Jia family agree to this?

Well, given Jia Lian's current status in the Jia family, it seems quite possible that he could actually accomplish such a thing.

But why would Jia Lian agree to do this?

Is Jia Lian really so obsessed with Yu'er that he's willing to sacrifice the family's reputation for her? Lin Ruhai doesn't believe that Jia Lian was lustful and only interested in his daughter's looks.

Given Jia Lian's current status and position, what kind of beautiful woman wouldn't he have?

Even princesses, the pride of heaven, favored him before.

Therefore, Lin Ruhai could only think this way.

Unlike Jia Lian, he was well aware of the importance that people placed on bloodlines, especially in a public institution like the Rongguo Mansion, which had a history of over a hundred years!

Putting yourself in his shoes, even he wouldn't allow his son to carry on someone else's family line.

Thinking back on his understanding of Jia Lian, he felt that Jia Lian would not deliberately deceive him just to marry Yu'er.

Therefore, Lin Ruhai had to admit that for a moment, he was moved.

But Lin Ruhai was, after all, a close advisor to the emperor and had seen his share of storms; he was not so easily swayed.

He moved his hand slightly and said solemnly, "Since you have explained it so clearly, it is clear that you have a plan in mind all along."

I also believe that what you are saying now is probably from the bottom of your heart.

However, this cannot conceal the fact that you want your Lin Daiyu to be your concubine.

Although my Lin family has declined, we will never allow our legitimate daughter to marry someone else as a concubine. So give up on that idea.

As Lin Ruhai spoke, he looked closely into Jia Lian's eyes.

Jia Lian remained expressionless, as if he had expected this.

"Uncle is right. As I said before, I humbly request that you give me a chance to plead my case."

I am also grateful to my uncle for listening to what I had to say and for not kicking me out from the start. Now that I have said what I needed to say, if my uncle still cannot agree in the end, I will naturally not dare to force him.

I believe that the relationship between the Lin and Jia families is incomparable to that of other families. I also believe that even if I were to fail to marry Lin Daiyu today, the Lin and Jia families would still be the closest of relatives.

Uncle, rest assured, even if I am not destined to be with Lin Daiyu, I will still be her cousin, and Lin Daiyu will still call my father her uncle.

Therefore, from now on, I will continue to take care of and cherish Lin Daiyu as always.

Even if fate is cruel and Lin Daiyu really abandons her uncle, I will do my best to protect her from being bullied by others for the rest of her life.

Uncle, you need not worry that my actions will cause Lin Daiyu any difficulties in the Jia household in the future.

If Lin Ruhai were to pass away now, Daiyu would only have Grandmother Jia as her closest relative. Therefore, from now until her marriage, Daiyu would definitely be raised by Grandmother Jia's side as before, a fact that both Jia Lian and Lin Ruhai were well aware of.

"Although I don't consider myself a hero, I am proud and would never do anything despicable."

Therefore, Uncle, you don't need to worry that your nephew will do anything against your wishes when you're not around.

On the contrary, if my uncle really chooses a husband for Lin Daiyu, I can guarantee that I will keep an eye on her for the rest of my life and prevent her husband's family from bullying her.

If my uncle doesn't have the energy to choose a husband for Lin Daiyu right now, my nephew and the old lady of the family will do their best to select a noble family for Lin Daiyu's grand wedding in the future.

Jia Lian was trying to remain calm, but halfway through his speech, a hint of desolation appeared on his face.

Even Lin Ruhai was moved by Jia Lian's sincerity.

But having already uttered those cold words, he couldn't say anything kind now. Yet, a sudden pang of guilt swept through him—was it for Jia Lian?

This left Lin Ruhai, who had noticed it, feeling quite helpless.

Why does it sound like he's some heartless, evil person?

However, since Jia Lian had spoken so eloquently, this second-rank official couldn't afford to be outdone. Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly heard the voice of a maid outside:

"Oh, is that Miss? Ah~ Someone come quick, Miss has fainted!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian instantly sprang to his feet and rushed out of the warm pavilion in a few quick steps.

This caused Lin Ruhai, whose expression had just become tense and who was reaching out to ask a question loudly, to freeze in mid-air, his raised arm unable to fall for a long time.