Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Upon returning to the Lin family home, Jia Lian encountered Lin Youquan at the gate. He told him that the date for heading south had been set and that he should prepare the Fujian boat and arrange for attendants to carry the coffin as soon as possible.

Lin Youquan naturally responded with pleasure.

Lin Ruhai's wish was to return to his hometown. In addition, the Lin family did not have many relatives and friends in the capital. Therefore, Jia Lian and others had only planned to have Lin Ruhai stay in the capital for seven days after his death, and then have Daiyu escort the coffin back to his hometown, where he would be peacefully buried in the Lin family ancestral cemetery in Suzhou.

"May I ask, Your Excellency, what is this...?"

Lin Youquan's gaze had already caught sight of the imperial edict that Zhao'er was holding with both hands behind Jia Lian...?

Lin Youquan was quite knowledgeable and knew that Jia Lian was a favorite of Emperor Ningkang, so it wasn't surprising that he received the emperor's decree.

However, if it were for Jia Lian, he would have already announced that he had received the imperial decree since he had just come out of the palace. In that case, Jia Lian would only need to have someone put the imperial decree away. Why would he need someone to present it to him? Was it to show off?

The Marquis is clearly not that kind of person.

Could it be that the owner of this imperial edict is someone else?

Thinking of this, the butler couldn't help but get excited.

After all, at this time, besides Jia Lian, only their master was qualified to receive the imperial edict in the Lin family. Could it be that the emperor has finally remembered the master's merits and is going to posthumously honor him?

Those who hold the highest positions in the court may be reluctant to receive rewards during their lifetime, but after their death, if they have made great contributions to the court, the emperor will not hesitate to bestow upon them some extremely high honors.

For example, bestowing upon him the title of "Wenzheng" or granting him the honor of being enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple?

In short, whatever it is, it is a tremendous honor for the Lin family.

Jia Lian glanced back, a smile appearing in his eyes, and said with a laugh, "Uncle Quan came along, so you'll know."

After saying that, Jia Lian ignored what Lin Youquan was thinking and headed straight for the mourning hall.

Inside the mourning hall, Wang Xifeng, Daiyu, and Lin Ruhai's two concubines knelt before the coffin.

Lin Ruhai's two concubines were both given to him by Jia Min, Daiyu's mother, when she was still alive. They were both honest and law-abiding people.

Perhaps she had cried all the tears she needed to cry, or perhaps it was because Wang Xifeng was by her side, Daiyu's expression was relatively calm at this moment. She obediently knelt in front of the brazier and added paper money and other items to it.

Even the act of burning paper money is elegant and beautiful, done by a fairy, in small stacks, slowly and deliberately.

It wasn't until she caught sight of Jia Lian entering that she lost her balance.

"You're back. What did the Emperor summon you for?"

Knowing that Jia Lian had been summoned to the palace by the emperor, Wang Xifeng was concerned and waited for him at the Lin family's residence.

Jia Lian gave her a reassuring look, then smiled at Daiyu, feigning seriousness: "Lin Daiyu, step forward to receive the imperial decree."

Everyone was astonished, and Daiyu's eyes widened in surprise as she stared blankly at Jia Lian.

Only when she saw Jia Lian walk in front of her and unfold the imperial edict did she belatedly take two steps back, kneel down again, and, relying on her limited experience, bow slightly to Jia Lian and whisper, "Lin Daiyu, heed the decree..."

Although Daiyu's reaction was quite endearing, Jia Lian didn't say much at this moment. He read aloud, "Imperial Edict: Lin Hai, the former third-ranked scholar and the Director of the Imperial Library, was loyal to the country and devoted to public service. He was a model for civil officials. I am deeply saddened to hear of his passing."

It is hereby learned that Lin Hai’s daughter, Daiyu, is gentle and quiet, a lady of a distinguished family, and a model of a well-bred young lady. She is hereby granted the title of Lady of the Township and the name “Lin”.

So be it.

After Jia Lian finished reading the imperial edict, he smiled at Daiyu, who was staring blankly, and said, "Lady Lin, why don't you accept the edict?"

"This humble woman obeys the decree, thank you... Your Majesty..."

Heaven have mercy, given Daiyu's personality, it must have been incredibly difficult for her to act in this way.

She even harbored some resentment in her heart. What was so great about the "village lord"? Why did her second brother Lian have to embarrass her in public and make her look bad?

Daiyu herself felt embarrassed, but others did not think so at all.

Everyone looked at Daiyu, who was stunned as she accepted the imperial edict, not knowing what to do next. They all cast envious or delighted glances at her.

Is the young lady a village head? Although I don't know what a village head is, it sounds like an official position.

Lin Youquan, who was kneeling outside, was the happiest. If he hadn't been worried about the inappropriate location, he would have stood up and danced around to express his excitement.

Sir, do you see? Your only worry has become unnecessary.

It turns out that before his death, Lin Ruhai did not regret betrothing Daiyu to Jia Lian. Because, at that time, Jia Lian was already the best choice for him.

However, he couldn't help but worry, as everyone said that Jia Lian's wife, Wang Shi, was a formidable figure. Lin Ruhai was also concerned that Daiyu would be bullied by Wang Xifeng after marrying into the family.

Therefore, he was so pleased when he heard Jia Lian say that when he made another great contribution, he would try to get Daiyu a title of nobility.

For women, having the title of Imperial Noblewoman was like having a protective shield.

With her noble status and Jia Lian's protection, Daiyu could rest easy.

Lin Youquan, having watched Lin Ruhai grow up, knew everything about the Lin family. He had originally thought that even if Jia Lian truly kept his word and tried to secure an identity for Daiyu, it would take many years. Who would have thought that no sooner had the master died than Second Master Lian had accomplished it!

Yes, Lin Youquan believed that Jia Lian had made it happen.

Although the imperial edict stated that the emperor bestowed favor upon Daiyu because of Lin Ruhai's meritorious service.

However, Lin Ruhai's illness was serious and difficult to treat, and it had been going on for more than a day or two, but for half a year!

If the emperor truly wanted to bestow favors upon Lin Ruhai, why didn't he do it sooner? Why did he only decide to rely on Master Lian, and why did it take Master Lian to go to the palace to obtain such an imperial decree?

So the answer is quite clear: this matter was definitely meticulously planned by Second Master Lian. Of course, the fact that Master Lian has devoted himself to the court for so many years is also an indispensable prerequisite.

Lin Youquan could think of this, and so could Feng Jie, who was standing next to him with her eyes darting around.

But she didn't care too much about it, because whether it was true, as the imperial edict said, that the emperor bestowed the title upon his daughter because of Lin Ruhai's favor, or that Jia Lian used some means to help Daiyu obtain the honor, it all pointed to one thing...

As for Daiyu, the only way she could really do was to win her over and subdue her.

The former signifies that even the emperor cares for the orphaned children of his beloved ministers. With the emperor's concern, no one would dare to bully Daiyu, let alone her.

If it's the latter, it means that Jia Lian's sacred scrolls have reached a level she couldn't even imagine. Since Jia Lian has such abilities, she has no choice but to flatter and fawn over him, rather than contradict him.

A husband like this is a win-win situation if you stay together, but if you separate, she's destined to lose alone.

She's not that stupid.

So he was the first to react, getting up to help Daiyu up and saying with a smile, "Lin girl, congratulations! Tsk tsk, Lady Lin? I've only ever heard of county marquises and township marquises before. Is a Lady Lin an official title? Or what rank of imperial consort?"

It's no wonder that Wang Xifeng was short-sighted, not even understanding the meaning of "Xiangjun" (乡君). It's because, for women in the world, apart from those from the imperial family, the only status they could obtain was through their husbands or sons, which led to the title of "Lady of the Imperial Decree."

Jia Lian noticed that Daiyu and the others were not quite clear on the matter, so he smiled and said, "Xiangjun, it's a title, I suppose. As for the rank, it's fourth grade. Hmm, Lin sister... from now on, you'll be of the same rank as me."

"It's a title..."

Feng Jie finally revealed a hint of jealousy, her gaze deep and unsettling. To Feng Jie, even if Daiyu received an imperial title, it meant nothing, because Feng Jie herself was already a first-rank marquis's wife. There were women in the world more noble than her, at least their rank couldn't be higher.

Therefore, regardless of the rank of the village head, judging from her name, she was definitely not of the first rank. She was certainly below her.

But she wasn't a titled lady... Although she was only a fourth-rank official, they weren't in the same system, which made her feel that she couldn't control Daiyu anymore.

There's no way around it; Sister Feng's controlling nature is just that strong. Even the fact that Daiyu's social status is different from hers makes her feel lost...

The other maids and servants also stepped forward to congratulate Daiyu.

Faced with everyone's warm hospitality, Daiyu finally began to understand the meaning of this "noble status." In her heart, she finally became a little more serious.

She herself didn't care about empty fame. But she knew that others did.

If she married an ordinary man, the couple could simply live happily together. But she was to marry Lian Er Gege, and as his second wife… a title that didn't sound very appealing! Therefore, this external identity could perfectly compensate for her shortcomings and protect her from the attacks of malicious people!

As for Jia Lian's claim that they were of the same rank... Daiyu couldn't help but roll her eyes at Jia Lian, knowing that he was referring to her military rank.

My second brother Lian is still so glib. He's a first-rank marquis, yet he's making fun of me, a fourth-rank village lady... Village lady, Lin village lady, it sounds quite nice.

Thinking of this, Daiyu's hand, which was holding the imperial edict for the first time, involuntarily clenched tighter. A feeling of nervous excitement rose within her, making her feel somewhat ashamed. When did she become so pathetic!

Jia Lian noticed that Daiyu disliked being watched, so he advised her, "His Majesty knows that you are in mourning, and has graciously allowed you to skip the palace to express your gratitude. So, Lin sister, you should take the imperial edict back and put it away. If you keep attracting everyone's attention here, your sister Feng will snatch it away. Look at her eyes, they're full of jealousy."

"Go away, what nonsense are you talking about!"

Sister Feng spat at Jia Lian a few times in dissatisfaction, but being a generous person, she smiled and told Daiyu to go back to her room, saying that she would take care of things outside and that nothing would happen.

After seeing Daiyu off, Wang Xifeng finally found an opportunity to pull Jia Lian aside to a quiet place and ask him what had happened.

"You got Lin girl this imperial decree for her? You're really something, managing to get her even this kind of status... But seriously, you don't trust me that much, you have to give her this kind of status to keep her in check?"

Sister Feng looked at Jia Lian with a half-smile, her eyes filled with an indescribable mockery.

Her frankness convinced Jia Lian that she had truly let go of her inner turmoil. Based on his understanding of Feng Jie, he knew that if she were truly harboring ill intentions, she wouldn't reveal a single emotion until the day she finally showed her true colors.

The more she probed, the more it revealed her frankness.

"You overestimate me. That's a status that even royalty would find hard to come by. How could I possibly achieve it?"

Besides, under what pretext did I get it for Lin Daiyu?

The imperial edict clearly states that His Majesty bestowed this decree because of his uncle's loyalty to the emperor and his patriotism.

"You're such a paranoid person! If I really didn't trust you, now that I've achieved success, I would have divorced you, you troublesome woman, and married someone else long ago."

One sentence made Wang Xifeng blush.

However, the couple had been getting to know each other for quite some time, and they had come to understand each other's feelings.

Just as Jia Lian had suspected, the more he said this, the more it proved that he had no intention of divorcing her. Indeed, even the princess hadn't been able to shake her position.

Even if Lin Yatou is good, she can't possibly be more powerful than a princess, right?

This is one of the reasons why she was able to accept Daiyu.

He had already accepted Jia Lian's words in his heart. No matter how capable Jia Lian was, he could never reach the point of controlling the emperor.

After expressing her envy for Daiyu's good father, she moved on to the next point, pinched Jia Lian's arm, and said in a feigned huff, "It's too late for you to regret it now. The Empress Dowager had such a good opportunity to divorce me when she arranged the marriage for you, but you didn't seize it."

Even if you were to turn back to the Empress Dowager now and try to climb the social ladder, she probably wouldn't even bother with you.

Wang Xifeng looked quite smug. Although what happened last year was somewhat embarrassing, it was something she could be proud of for the rest of her life.

In this world, all wealth, fame, right and wrong are meaningless to women. Only a husband's love is what countless women envy.

Tell me, how many men in the world could resist the pressure from the Empress Dowager and the princess to marry and resolutely refuse to divorce their wives and marry another?

Just look at the character Chen Shimei in the play and you'll know.

Feng Jie was a stunning beauty, a fact Jia Lian had long since confirmed. Her charming smile and flirtatious banter with him at this moment exuded a unique allure.

Seeing that she still dared to pinch him, Jia Lian naturally didn't hold back and slapped her plump buttocks with a soft "smack". The soft, bouncy counterattack made Jia Lian feel a bit of a shock, as well as a bit of a tingling and pleasant sensation.

Especially when he saw Feng Jie'er's eyes suddenly become like autumn water, filled with unspeakable resentment, Jia Lian finally couldn't help but cough twice. After glancing at Ping'er and Xiang Ling, who were also blushing, he leaned close to Feng Jie'er's ear and whispered, "I know you want it. Wait for now. I'll deal with you properly when we get back to the manor."

"You're such a rascal!" Feng Jie, who was used to Jia Lian's shameless behavior, kicked Jia Lian to show her dissatisfaction.