Dream of the Red Chamber: My Daiyu Has Been Reborn

Grandmother Jia and the others were led into the main hall. Princess Anning, Li Shulan, sat in the main seat, with Daiyu standing beside her.

Grandmother Jia, leaning on her cane, was about to bow: "This old woman greets Her Highness Princess Anning."

"Please rise, Madam." Li Shulan raised her hand to help her up. "It is my fault for troubling you to make this trip in person."

Grandmother Jia sighed inwardly. The other party's words were polite, but the underlying meaning clearly indicated that they were still unhappy about what had happened yesterday.

"I have come here today to apologize to Your Highness on behalf of my good-for-nothing grandson."

"Your Majesty, you flatter me. Please sit down. It was nothing serious, and I didn't take it to heart. However, my youngest son is stubborn and can't bear to see me wronged. He secretly went to the palace to ask his uncle for an imperial decree. In truth, I should be the one apologizing to your family."

"I dare not, I dare not. This matter arose entirely from my grandson's inappropriate words. Second Young Master Gu stood up for his mother, which is simply filial piety, and he has done nothing wrong."

After they were seated, Grandmother Jia's gaze fell on Daiyu. She noticed that Daiyu had an extraordinary air about her, and her features faintly resembled those of Jia Min in her youth, only a bit more aloof.

The old lady understood what was going on. She stretched out her hand, her eyes slightly red: "This must be Yu'er, right? I'm your maternal grandmother. Come here and let me take a good look at you. You look just like her, so much like her. She's practically a carbon copy of Min'er when she was young."

Daiyu walked up to Grandmother Jia, curtsied, and said in a manner that was neither humble nor arrogant, but not particularly intimate: "Granddaughter Lin greets Grandmother."

Grandmother Jia frowned almost imperceptibly. An ordinary woman, seeing her grandmother in this state, would likely have burst into tears. But Daiyu's expression clearly showed that she had remembered everything that had happened.

"Good child, I'm so sorry you had to suffer like this." Grandmother Jia wiped away non-existent tears, took Daiyu's hand, and said, "It's all my fault for neglecting you, allowing those ignorant people to mistreat you. Your uncle has already sent them all away, so don't worry, I will never let you suffer again."

Grandmother Jia spoke with heartfelt sincerity, but Daiyu remained unmoved.

Thinking back to her past life, did Grandmother Jia love her? Most likely, she did. After all, she had contributed a vast fortune to the Rongguo Mansion, and Grandmother Jia would have felt some guilt. But compared to her beloved grandson, that guilt amounted to nothing.

"Thank you for your concern, Grandmother. Her Highness the Princess treats Yu'er very well, and she has not suffered any grievances."

Lady Wang sat properly beside Grandmother Jia, without uttering a word. From the moment she entered, her gaze was fixed on Daiyu. Having fought with Jia Min for so many years, how could she not recognize the other woman's daughter?

Thinking of the grievances her Baoyu had suffered, her gaze towards Daiyu held a hint of disgust. "She really is a vixen, always trying to seduce my Baoyu."

Grandmother Jia continued to show her affection, holding Daiyu's hand tightly and refusing to let go: "How is your father's health?"

"My father is in relatively good health, but he is often away from home due to his busy official duties."

"You've suffered so much." Grandmother Jia sighed and patted Daiyu's hand. "Now that we're in the capital, everything is taken care of by your maternal grandmother."

Grandmother Jia released Daiyu's hand, stood up, and bowed deeply to Li Shulan: "Your Highness, Yu'er is my granddaughter. Now that Min'er is gone, I, as her grandmother, should not ignore her. Please understand my compassionate heart and allow Yu'er to return home with me."

"Your Majesty, there's no need for that. Miss Lin is Min's daughter, and I treat her as my own. Wherever she wishes to live, I will respect her wishes. Let's see what she thinks."

"Yu'er," Li Shulan called Daiyu to her side, "Your maternal grandmother has come to fetch you in person. Whether you want to go back to Rongguo Mansion or stay here, you can decide for yourself. There's no need to worry about anything."

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes immediately turned to Daiyu.

With anticipation in her eyes, Grandmother Jia said, "Yu'er, come back with your maternal grandmother. All the sisters in the family want to see you. You can play together and keep each other company."

Daiyu did not respond immediately.

She didn't really want to go back to that cannibalistic garden, but she had her own things to do. Although her mother, Jia Min, wasn't in good health, she hadn't suddenly become terminally ill, and she always felt that something was amiss.

She also has her own father, Lin Ruhai, who died suddenly in her previous life. Now, given a second chance, she wants to uncover the truth and prevent her father's death.

Li Shulan treated her very well, but the guards at the Princess's residence were too tight, making it inconvenient for her to do anything. If she moved out to live alone, she was afraid that the Jia family wouldn't allow it, so it would be better to go directly to the Rongguo Mansion.

Now that things have fallen out with the Jia family, even if she moves to the Rongguo Mansion, that family will just ignore her, which suits her just fine.

As for seeking help from the eldest princess, she had considered it. But all of this was just speculation, without any evidence. As a woman, her words without evidence were hardly convincing.

After pondering for a moment, Daiyu had already made up her mind.

"Your Highness treats Yu'er as your own daughter, and Yu'er is deeply grateful. However, my maternal grandmother is getting old and has come to fetch me personally. If Yu'er does not show her filial piety at her side, it would be a violation of filial duty."

Grandmother Jia's face immediately lit up with joy. It was good that they could be taken back; she didn't want the Rongguo Mansion to become the subject of gossip again. Lady Wang's disgust deepened, and she cursed inwardly: "That pretentious little vixen, in the end she still has to go back to the Jia Mansion."

Seeing that Daiyu had decided to go back, Li Shulan did not say anything to stop her.

Daiyu is living in the princess's mansion, which makes her happy, and the prevailing opinion is also in favor of Daiyu. However, in the long run, it will inevitably damage Daiyu's reputation and give her the reputation of being unfilial.

That's just how the world is; a single word like "unfilial piety" can ruin a person. Not to mention that Daiyu is a woman, and the world is always more critical of women. It's better for her to go back; it just means she'll have to step in and protect them more. With her backing, the Jia family won't dare to go too far.

"Since Yu'er has such filial piety, although I am reluctant, I cannot bear to stop her. But..."

Li Shulan changed the subject: "I really like Yu'er. Old Madam, what do you think? Let Yu'er stay for another day so I can talk to her more. Tomorrow morning, I will personally arrange for someone to escort her to the mansion."

The joy on Grandmother Jia's face faltered slightly, but she quickly regained her composure. It was only a day anyway, and given the other party's status, there was no reason for them to go back on their word after agreeing to release the person.

"Your Highness's affection for Yu'er is evident to this old woman, and Min'er's spirit in heaven would surely be very pleased. In that case, this old woman will await you at the manor tomorrow."

After exchanging some pleasantries, Grandmother Jia, along with Lady Wang and the others, took their leave.

After the Rongguo Mansion guests had gone far away, Li Shulan looked at Daiyu with heartache and said gently, "Why must you wrong yourself like this?"

Seeing the concern in Li Shulan's eyes, Daiyu felt a warmth in her heart: "I know how kind Aunt Lan is to me. But Father is still in office, and if I stay in the Princess's residence for too long, it will inevitably give people something to say. I already feel guilty for not being able to share Father's burdens, so how can I cause him any more trouble?"

Li Shulan sighed, "You're such a sensible child. Well, since you've made up your mind, I won't stop you. I'll go to the palace and find you two people, so you won't be bullied in that household."