Dream of the Red Chamber: My Daiyu Has Been Reborn

Seeing that the atmosphere at the table had eased somewhat, Jiang Zining changed the subject with a smile, "Alright, alright. Why talk about this? We're here today to ride horses and drink, not to be government officials. This kind of case-solving isn't our job." Then he turned to Jia Rong and teased, "Rong-ge'er, I heard there's some good news coming up?"

Seeing that they were chatting so enthusiastically, Jia Rong was worried about not being able to join in. But when he heard Jiang Zining mention his marriage, he immediately perked up: "That's right, the wedding date is set for the end of next month. Invitations will be sent to your homes in the next few days. If you have time, you must come and have a drink at the wedding."

Feng Ziying laughed and said, "Of course we have to go and join in the fun on Rong-ge'er's happy occasion. But I wonder which family your fiancée comes from? She must come from a distinguished family, right?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Rong paused slightly, looking somewhat awkward, but quickly smiled and said, "She is the daughter of Qin Ye, the Director of the Construction Department."

Upon hearing who Jia Rong was going to marry, the expressions of everyone at the banquet changed. The Director of the Construction Department was merely a minor official of the fifth rank, and in a place like the capital where nobles and officials were everywhere, it was no exaggeration to say that they were a dime a dozen.

The Ningguo Mansion was, after all, a prestigious residence of a Duke, and the five large characters "Imperial Construction of Ningguo Mansion" on its lintel still shine brightly today. How could Jia Rong, as the eldest grandson of the Ningguo Mansion and the future heir to the title, marry the daughter of a minor official of the fifth rank?

Gu Jinhong remained expressionless, slowly taking a sip of his wine, and casually remarked, "The Director of the Construction Department? I recall that Qin Ye only had one son, and his daughter was adopted, wasn't she? How could your Ningguo Mansion, of such high social standing, have formed a marriage alliance with the Qin family?"

Jia Rong was a little embarrassed when asked: "To be honest, Uncle Gu, I was not very willing at first. My father originally wanted to find me a good marriage, but my grandfather personally said that the Qin family girl has an excellent destiny and is a match made in heaven with me."

Upon hearing this, Feng Ziying raised an eyebrow: "Isn't Grandfather Jing currently focused on his spiritual cultivation at the Xuanzhen Temple? How come he still has the leisure to worry about your marriage?"

"To be honest, I'm also a bit puzzled by this. Ever since my grandfather entered the Xuanzhen Temple to cultivate, he has never come down the mountain and no longer cares about the affairs of the household. Apart from sending some things over during festivals, he doesn't even write a single letter on ordinary days. Who would have thought that when he learned that I was going to arrange a marriage, he actually wrote a letter back himself, and my father naturally dared not disobey."

"When I went to the Qin family to have my daughter checked out, I was still a little skeptical. I thought, what could be so good about an adopted daughter of a mere fifth-rank official that could even alarm my grandfather?"

At this point, Jia Rong paused, swallowed hard, and said, "But who knew that as soon as that Qin family girl came out, just one glance through the curtain and all my dissatisfaction vanished. Tsk tsk, to be frank, even if you were to compare all the young ladies from prominent families in the entire capital, there probably wouldn't be many who could match my fiancée."

Chen Yejun, however, laughed dismissively, "Rong-ge'er, how outstanding can the adopted daughter of a minor official be? You're just blinded by love, aren't you?"

Feng Ziying, Wei Ruolan, and the others didn't take Jia Rong's words to heart. They had seen all kinds of women, and seeing Jia Rong praising Miss Qin to the skies, they all assumed that he felt the Qin family's social standing was too low and wanted to regain some face.

Seeing that no one believed him, Jia Rong said somewhat defiantly, "If you don't believe me, you can ask your families when you get back. Miss Qin also attended the flower-viewing banquet at Her Highness the Princess's residence today."

His words stunned everyone present, and all eyes turned to Gu Jinhong.

Jiang Zining was the first to react, asking in surprise, "Second Brother Gu, His Highness actually invited Rong-ge'er's fiancée to the banquet?"

It's no wonder they were surprised. Even many second- or third-rank noblewomen in the capital city might not receive an invitation to the Princess's flower-viewing banquet. It was truly strange that the adopted daughter of a fifth-rank official could be invited.

Gu Jinhong's face showed a perfectly timed look of surprise: "Oh? Is that so? I really didn't know. The invitations to the flower viewing banquet were all drawn up by my mother. I've never cared about these things. I suppose my mother heard something and invited people on a whim."

Hearing that even Gu Jinhong didn't know, everyone became even more curious.

Jiang Zining clicked his tongue in amazement: "It seems we were short-sighted to be able to get His Highness to make an exception and send an invitation. This Miss Qin is indeed no ordinary person, just as Rong-ge'er said."

When Jia Rong heard that they had finally stopped questioning him, his face immediately lit up with a smile: "Of course! I, Jia Rong, may be so-so about other things, but my eye for people is not bad."

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, and seeing that it was getting late, Han Qi stood up and said with a smile.

"It's getting late, let's call it a day. Let's get together again another time when we have more free time."

Everyone rose to take their leave, bowing to each other in farewell.

After everyone had dispersed, Gu Jinhong mounted his horse and, with his guards, leisurely made his way into the city. Reflecting on the casual conversation at the banquet, he had essentially confirmed some things in his mind.

According to Jia Rong, his marriage to Qin Keqing was personally arranged by Jia Jing. How could someone who had devoted himself to Taoist cultivation for many years, detached from worldly affairs and indifferent even to his own family's title, suddenly become concerned about his grandson's marriage?

To say that their birth charts are compatible is a rather weak reason.

Unless, of course, Jia Jing knew Qin Keqing's true identity. In that case, everything would make sense.

As for Jia Zhen, he should be unaware of the situation.

Coming to his senses, Gu Jinhong quickened his pace, eager to reach the Princess's residence as soon as possible. His mother should have already seen Qin Keqing at today's flower-viewing banquet. If Qin Keqing resembled Prince Yizhong or his consort, she would surely recognize her.

……

On the other side, as the sun began to set, the flower-viewing banquet finally came to an end.

In the garden, the ladies of noble birth rose one after another to take their leave. Li Shulan personally escorted the princesses to the second gate, and when she returned, she called Daiyu to her side, holding her hand tightly and refusing to let go.

"You must be exhausted today?" Li Shulan gently tidied her stray hairs, her eyes full of pity. "You're so frail. You need to eat well when you get back, don't neglect yourself."

"I understand, Aunt Lan."

Grandmother Jia, accompanied by Madam Xing, Madam Wang, and Madam You, came forward to bid farewell to Li Shulan. Li Shulan exchanged a few polite words with Grandmother Jia, then turned her gaze to Qin Keqing.

"Did Miss Qin enjoy herself today?"

Qin Keqing quickly curtsied and said respectfully, "Your Highness, I have thoroughly enjoyed myself today. This garden is like a fairyland; I have never seen such a magnificent sight before. I am deeply grateful for Your Highness's kindness."

Li Shulan nodded, said nothing more, and simply instructed the nanny beside her to escort him out properly.