Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Lin Ruhai, supported by a servant, entered Daiyu's room. Seeing the imperial physician administering acupuncture to Daiyu, he dared not disturb him and waited anxiously to the side.

After a while, seeing the imperial physician remove the needles, he hurriedly asked, "Imperial Physician Wang, how is my daughter?"

When Physician Wang turned around and saw that it was Lin Ruhai, he quickly stood up and bowed.

"Lord Lin, there's no need to worry too much. Miss is suffering from a heart meridian blockage. She must have experienced extreme emotions such as great sorrow and great joy in one day, which caused her chest tightness and led to fainting."

I have already given the young lady acupuncture; she should wake up soon.

Furthermore, I will prescribe two more recuperative formulas for you, Miss. Follow these formulas and you should be fully recovered in a few days.

As he spoke, Physician Wang unconsciously raised his sleeve and wiped the fine sweat from his forehead.

There's no way around it; anyone who's happily having lunch with their family is suddenly rushed into a carriage and sped off to this place to treat patients, and they'll be exhausted.

Fortunately, he was a frequent visitor to the Rongguo Mansion and had previously examined Daiyu at the request of Grandmother Jia. Therefore, this time, the examination was not too difficult.

It was just that the jolting in the carriage earlier almost shook his old bones apart!

Despite this, no complaints were allowed.

The two high-ranking officials here are both from powerful backgrounds, and he can't afford to offend either of them.

Lin Ruhai felt relieved, but upon noticing Physician Wang's actions, he felt a pang of guilt.

The Lin family was not of noble birth, so they could not possibly invite imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy to their residence for treatment. Previously, it was only Emperor Ningkang who had proactively sent people from the Imperial Medical Academy to the residence to examine the patients twice.

However, it is currently the Spring Festival, and most clinics are closed, making it difficult to see a doctor. In particular, the doctor that Lin Ruhai usually consulted sent someone a few days ago to inform him that he had gone back to his hometown to visit relatives.

Jia Lian then said that Physician Wang, who often treated Grandmother Jia, lived not far away, so he personally "invited" him back in just a quarter of an hour.

This made Lin Ruhai feel that Jia Lian was acting rashly, but he couldn't help but sigh that Jia Lian was indeed very devoted to Daiyu.

"Thank you for troubling Physician Wang this time. Please go and have some tea."

Lin Ruhai cupped his hands in thanks and gave the old steward a look, signaling him to present a generous gift in gratitude.

Physician Wang then went down to write a prescription, and after some refusals, he accepted the generous gifts from the Lin family and returned home quite comforted.

Inside the room, Lin Ruhai saw that Jia Lian had dismissed the imperial physician and then sat down by Daiyu's bedside, looking at the quietly lying Daiyu with doting care.

That expression, that look in his eyes, made Lin Ruhai frown.

He felt that Jia Lian was taking advantage of his physical disability and stealing his role.

After all, Jia Lian's current state and his busy work seeking medical treatment for Daiyu show that he is indeed more concerned about her than her old father!

But thinking back to when Daiyu suddenly fainted, if Jia Lian hadn't taken charge of things in the Lin family without any hesitation, the Lin family would have been in complete chaos, and things wouldn't have settled down so quickly.

He thought about it, but he couldn't say anything rude to Jia Lian, lest he appear ungrateful.

Ignoring Jia Lian, she stepped forward to examine her daughter's face closely before saying to him, "You've just returned to the capital today, and your family is probably waiting for you. I'll look after Yu'er here, so don't linger any longer."

"Um."

Jia Lian had no intention of pressing the matter further. He knew that he had just expressed his desire to marry Daiyu to Lin Ruhai, and Lin Ruhai's continued tolerance of him after his initial rejection was already a testament to his good manners.

"Then I'll come see Lin Daiyu again later."

After getting up, Jia Lian added a sentence.

Lin Ruhai was about to refuse. "You're not afraid of being too lazy to run around, but I'm worried you have ulterior motives."

But after opening his mouth, Lin Ruhai finally sighed and said, "You've come all the way back to the capital. After you get back to your residence today, you should rest well. You don't need to come over again. If anything happens, I will send someone to inform you."

Jia Lian said nothing, simply bid farewell, and prepared to leave.

"If you're so inclined, come see your Lin sister again tomorrow or the day after," Lin Ruhai added.

Jia Lian was taken aback, then felt grateful. He bowed deeply to Lin Ruhai before drifting away.

After giving Zijuan and the others a few instructions, Lin Ruhai returned to the main house.

However, his heart could no longer be as calm as it had been before Jia Lian came to the mansion.

After repeatedly reflecting on the events of the day, Lin Ruhai felt very tired and, before he knew it, drowsy, so he lay down.

Perhaps because I had something on my mind, I inevitably fell into a dream.

In my dream, I indeed passed away soon after, but for some reason, my soul remained in the world, observing everything.

He saw his daughter living a lonely and helpless life in the Jia family, filled with sorrow and grief. He also saw how Grandmother Jia wanted to arrange a marriage between relatives, but was secretly thwarted by Lady Wang in every way.

He clearly saw all of Madam Wang's schemes and her slander against her daughter, and all of this enraged him.

The deceased wife suddenly appeared and berated Madam Wang. Madam Wang, overwhelmed with shame, suddenly transformed into a vengeful ghost and uttered the evil words that she and her daughter would die young like her!

This greatly alarmed Lin Ruhai, who was about to confront her when the scene shifted, and in the blink of an eye, his daughter was already married, and her mother-in-law was none other than Wang Shi.

Because of her delicate nature, the daughter was constantly tormented by her wicked mother-in-law, Wang, and spent her days in tears, soon falling seriously ill.

Lin Ruhai was filled with anxiety and regret, but he was powerless to do anything. In the dim light, he seemed to hear his daughter's resentful words to him.

She hated him for not being able to protect her, hated him for not finding her a husband who could cherish and protect her, and hated him for making her suffer so much...

These words tore at his heart, and he woke up in pain.

He glanced up at the clock in the room and realized he had only slept for less than fifteen minutes!

I was in a daze and couldn't calm down for a long time.

He didn't quite understand why he was having such a bizarre and bizarre nightmares, but he knew he couldn't take it lightly.

People say that when a person is about to die, their soul enters the underworld and can communicate with spirits.

What if this is a sign from heaven to him? How could he let it go? Also, Jia Zheng's wife, Wang, seemed like a kind person to him in his daily life. How could she be portrayed so maliciously in his dream?

Yes, I remember that before Min'er passed away, when she mentioned the people in the family, she seemed to have some complaints about her second sister-in-law. She had never cared about such trivial family matters before.

Is it that his deceased wife and Wang Shi really had a bad relationship, or is it just his own petty mind that makes him suspect that she will mistreat Yu'er in the future?

It doesn't matter anymore.

Even if they changed their minds, let alone if they were unwilling to marry, I would never send my daughter to them again if I had such concerns in my heart.

But if that's the case, to whom should I entrust my daughter?

The famous talents in the capital are either already engaged or married. As for those who are not well-known, there must be some good ones among them, but since they are unknown, he naturally doesn't know who is good and who is bad.

He didn't have time to verify them one by one.

If he only considered the parents' family background and easily betrothed Yu'er, he could feel at ease.

What if we misjudge and ruin Yu'er's life? Wouldn't that be exactly what happened in that terrible dream?

Should we really grant Lian-ge'er's request?

Lin Ruhai sighed repeatedly when he thought of Jia Lian.

To be honest, even he himself admired Jia Lian's excellence.

The conditions that Jia Lian had mentioned earlier were quite tempting to him.

If Jia Lian truly keeps his word, entrusting Yu'er to him would be a shortcut, saving me the trouble and worry, and perhaps ensuring my daughter's peaceful and smooth life.

The only concern was that Jia Lian could not grant her the title of principal wife.

Although Jia Lian promised that everything about marrying Yu'er would be handled with the respect due to a principal wife.

But precisely because of this, without the title of a legal wife, yet enjoying the treatment of one, there is a risk of bringing criticism or even trouble upon the daughter.

Although, given Jia Lian's status, he could easily have followed the ancients and used titles such as "equal wife" or "concubine" to legitimize his status.

However, these titles were not customary in this dynasty, and in the eyes of most people, they were merely euphemisms for the title of a concubine.

Perhaps in some earlier dynasties, a "principal wife" was truly a wife, and a "concubine" was indeed a wife of equal rank. Just as some emperors before the Tang Dynasty did not necessarily appoint more than one empress.

But that was not the current dynasty.

The emperor of this dynasty only appointed one empress.

If even the emperor is treated this way, what about the common people?

Thinking of this, Lin Ruhai was relieved that Jia Lian hadn't tried to mislead him with those words.

Unable to make up his mind, Lin Ruhai summoned Lin Youquan in again.

Now, he can only consult this servant who has taken care of him since childhood about such an important matter.

Of all the things Jia Lian had said earlier, he omitted the part about his willingness to adopt the child to his Lin family.

Lin Ruhai knew that Lin Youquan, the old servant who had lived and worked in the Lin family for generations and was loyal to the family, cared about the Lin family bloodline no less than he did.

If Lin Youquan knew that even without a son, there was still a possibility of having a descendant with his bloodline inherit the Lin family, he would definitely do everything in his power to make it happen.

Lin Ruhai didn't want Lin Youquan to betray him and side with Jia Lian so easily.

He wanted to hear the old servant's more objective opinion.

"Does the Marquis wish to marry the young lady?"

Because the Lin family had few male heirs, especially after Daiyu's younger brother died at the age of three, the Lin family actually raised Daiyu as a boy.

Therefore, old servants like Lin Youquan always addressed Daiyu as "Young Master Daiyu".

Lin Youquan was somewhat surprised and delighted by what Lin Ruhai said.

Unlike Lin Ruhai, he immediately thought the matter was brilliant upon hearing it.

First of all, Jia Lian was of noble status and possessed excellent character and talent. Even if one were to become his concubine, it would not be considered a disgrace to most women.

Putting aside everything else, just consider Jia Lian's current circumstances. If word got out that he wanted to take a concubine to raise an heir, countless wealthy and powerful families in the capital would be eager to marry their illegitimate daughters to him.

Furthermore, if conditions such as being willing to undergo the traditional three letters and six rites and be carried in a grand sedan chair were added, many daughters of noble families would likely be willing to do so.

After all, Jia Lian was not only young and handsome, but also promising, and came from a noble family with a long history, and was himself a marquis.

Being able to establish a nepotistic relationship with Jia Lian would bring immeasurable benefits, both to oneself and to one's family.

Not to mention, Jia Lian promised the Lin family more than just this.

Secondly, to put it simply, without Lin Ruhai, the Lin family would ultimately only be considered a former noble family.

Nowadays, the Lin family has no one in the central government, let alone anyone else, not even a single person serving as an official in the local government.

It is conceivable that once Lin Ruhai passes away, the Lin family will completely transform into a gentry family.

Therefore, even if Lin Ruhai didn't want his daughter to suffer and wanted to find her a good marriage, it wouldn't be easy.

In that case, why bother looking far and wide? Isn't it perfect to have a well-known and trusted lord take care of the young lady for the rest of her life?

At last.

Lin Youquan also had his own selfish motives.

Since his unsuccessful attempt to find an heir that year, Lin Ruhai seemed to have lost interest in the idea.

He knew that Lin Ruhai's plan was to have someone of high prestige in the clan succeed him as clan leader after his death.

As for his own lineage...

That's the only option left.

He has no bloodline successor, which can be considered fate.

But Lin Youquan was unwilling to give up and tried to persuade Lin Ruhai. He knew that Lin Ruhai was also hesitant.

Lin Ruhai looked down on those in the clan who were blinded by greed, and he did not want the clan to be caught up in infighting because of him, as that was not in line with his true intentions.

The bloodline has been severed, and we have failed our ancestors. Although there is nothing we can do about it, finding an heir from the clan can at least be considered a satisfactory explanation.

Lin Youquan saw hope in persuading Lin Ruhai from Jia Lian's desire to marry Daiyu.

The reason Lin Ruhai didn't want to find an heir was because he was mentally exhausted and didn't want to do anything futile.

However, as long as the young lady marries Jia Lian, with a dignified marquis as her backer, she will naturally be able to take care of the Lin family in the future.

Even if the Lin family cannot turn things around, at least there is hope for them to grow stronger.

As the family grows, perhaps the next generation will have someone with a talent for education?

Given the chance to turn the Lin family's fortunes around again, Lin Ruhai would surely not refuse.

In that case, Lin Youquan would have a new master to serve, and wouldn't have to leave the Lin family with his family after Lin Ruhai's death.

Although Lin Youquan wished Lin Ruhai would agree immediately, he also knew Lin Ruhai's concerns.

Therefore, they tried various methods to persuade Lin Ruhai without offending him.

"However, my Lin family is a prestigious family with a history of over 100 years. If we were to give Yu'er to someone as a concubine and the news got out, I'm afraid we would be ridiculed." Lin Ruhai finally expressed his concerns directly.

Upon hearing this, Lin Youquan was at a loss for words.

However, he had already realized that Lin Ruhai actually favored Jia Lian and was willing to agree, but he just couldn't get over the hurdle in his heart.

Otherwise, why not try someone else?

If anyone dares to suggest that the young lady be made a concubine, Lin Ruhai will definitely turn hostile.

After thinking for a while, Lin Youquan suddenly said, "Master's concerns are not without reason, but I think the Marquis's feelings for the young lady are truly sincere."

The master hadn't seen the marquis's anxious and flustered expression after discovering that the young lady had fallen ill.

The maids said that the Marquis personally carried the young lady back to her boudoir…

Lin Ruhai frowned. This brat dared to hug his daughter before he even agreed!

But there was nothing that could be done. The hug had already been done, and even if he were beaten up again, it wouldn't make a difference.

Now that the maids have seen this, if word gets out, it might damage Yu'er's reputation.

It's unclear whether it happened suddenly and the kid didn't have time to pay attention, or whether it was intentional to force him to comply.

If it is the latter, their intentions deserve to be punished.

Lin Ruhai thought bitterly to himself, then heard Lin Youquan add, "Instead of worrying here, why don't you ask the young lady what she thinks?"

Although children's marriages are usually arranged by their parents, our family is different.

With the passing of the madam, the young lady and the master have relied on each other for so many years. The master should naturally cherish the young lady more.

If the young lady herself is unwilling, then there's no need to say more. No matter how many benefits Lord Jia offers, we cannot allow the young lady to marry into a lower social class.

"Isn't that right, sir?"

Ok?

Lin Ruhai suddenly realized that Lin Youquan's words made a lot of sense.

Since I can't make a decision myself, I'll leave it to Yu'er to decide.

She made the decision herself, so even if she makes a mistake in the future, I don't think she'll blame me too much.

The reason he was conflicted before was simply because he guessed that Yu'er might admire Jia Lian, and Jia Lian's performance was too good, which put him in a difficult position.

If I'm wrong, then even if Jia Lian talks big, I don't need to pay any attention to him.

A sense of sudden enlightenment welled up in Lin Ruhai's heart.

"Well then, I'll ask Yu'er what she thinks after she wakes up."

Lin Ruhai nodded, finally feeling much less pressure.

Lin Youquan then left with a smile.

There was a hint of a smile in his eyes.

The master is selfless and never pays attention to trivial matters.

But he, as the steward, saw things very clearly.

Whether it was in Yangzhou or in the capital this year, according to his cold observation, the young lady was very close to the Marquis.

Every time the Marquis visits the manor, the young lady becomes much more cheerful.

It is clear that even if the young lady did not have feelings for the Marquis, she at least had a great liking for him.

Given the young lady's personality, she would probably not refuse the Marquis's offer to express his feelings.

This matter has great potential.