Dream of the Red Chamber: My Daiyu Has Been Reborn

Thinking of this, Jia Lian smiled and said, "Is that even a question? Of course we got along well. Second Young Master Gu is very polite and didn't let Baoyu's matter affect me at all. I talked with him for quite a while." As he spoke, he walked inside. "Don't worry, I understand what you asked me to do."

Hearing his certainty, Wang Xifeng looked at him with some skepticism, helped Ping'er into the house, and didn't rush to ask any more questions.

Jia Lian seemed to suddenly remember something and slapped his forehead: "Oh right, there's one more thing. Give me fifty taels of silver."

Wang Xifeng had just settled down on the soft couch when she heard this and immediately raised an eyebrow: "What do you need so much silver for?"

Jia Lian then recounted the events of the horse race that day.

"Feng Ziying, Wei Ruolan, Jiang Zining... all of them lost, and naturally, your husband didn't win either. Losing is losing, and we can't just renege on our debt and let people laugh at our Rongguo Mansion for not being able to come up with fifty taels of silver."

When Wang Xifeng heard that it was money lost in a horse racing bet, her brows furrowed immediately. But she knew in her heart that there was nothing she could do about it; she couldn't let everyone else participate while Jia Lian just stood by and watched.

She looked at Ping'er beside her and said, "Go and get fifty taels for our Second Master Lian."

Ping'er responded and went into the inner room, and soon came out with a money bag.

Wang Xifeng took the money and weighed it in her hand, then placed it in front of Jia Lian with a pained expression: "You've lost fifty taels of silver in one go. You're always so generous when you're out there. All the money my steward has saved up over the years has been given away by Second Master in just one trip."

Seeing her distressed expression, Jia Lian was afraid she would change her mind, so he quickly put the silver away, saying, "What do you, a mere woman, know? This is just proper social etiquette."

Wang Xifeng immediately exploded, sneering, "I'm just a woman, I don't understand. I only know that our household's income has been declining year by year, but your spending outside is increasing day by day."

Jia Lian's face turned ugly from her sharp words. He wanted to argue back, but Wang Xifeng had already turned her back, leaving only the back of her head for him to see. Feeling bored, Jia Lian simply tossed his sleeves and left.

Seeing Jia Lian leave with a displeased expression, Ping'er said softly, "Madam, your constant bickering with Second Master will only damage your relationship."

Wang Xifeng snorted and then sighed, "I know all this, but look at him, he lost money outside and comes back acting like a big shot."

"Grandma, don't be angry. Second Master probably had no choice. All those noble sons are here; he can't let them laugh at him."

"Enough, enough. I just hope he truly takes what I entrusted to him to heart and stops spending his days only drinking and listening to music. Our household is clearly declining day by day, and the old lady is getting old. If we don't have a capable backer..."

In Pear Fragrance Courtyard, Xueyan approached Daiyu and spoke up for her, saying, "Miss, what the Second Madam said just now was really too much. It seemed like she was hoping you would suffer. She even talked about 'unexpected changes,' wasn't that cursing you?"

Daiyu simply smiled faintly and tapped her forehead: "You silly girl, you're even angrier than I am, the one in charge. Let her say whatever she wants, it doesn't bother me anyway, why bother with her?"

Xueyan said indignantly, "But today should be a happy day, and it is also the young lady's birthday, but she has to say such unlucky things."

"You said it yourself, I should be happy today. So let's just remember the happy things and leave the unpleasant ones behind."

Just then, Zijuan came in carrying a basin of warm water. Hearing Daiyu's words, she chimed in, "What you say is absolutely right, Miss. Today at the flower-viewing banquet, Her Highness the Princess personally celebrated our Miss's birthday. All the ladies and young women in the capital witnessed Her Highness's affection for Miss. What a great honor! Those unpleasant words are not worth taking to heart; they only add to your troubles."

……

On the other side, Gu Jinhong strode into the main hall of the princess's residence and saw his mother, Li Shulan, pacing back and forth with a look of anxiety on her face, clearly waiting for him.

Upon seeing Gu Jinhong enter, Li Shulan immediately dismissed everyone around her.

"Tell me honestly, what exactly happened to that Qin family girl?"

Gu Jinhong helped his mother sit down before speaking, "What did Mother think of that Miss Qin today?"

Li Shulan lowered her voice: "So alike, so very alike. Her eyebrows, her expression, she's practically a carbon copy of the Princess Consort of Yizhong back then. Don't beat around the bush with me, since you specifically asked me to invite her here, you must already know something."

"To be honest, Mother, I have had my suspicions for a long time, but since I had no concrete evidence, I dared not disturb you. Today, I am taking advantage of the flower viewing banquet to let you see for yourself and confirm my suspicions."

After hearing his words, Li Shulan's anxiety deepened: "If she is truly a descendant of Prince Yizhong, this is an extraordinary matter. It was the Emperor Emeritus who personally issued the decree, so his branch should have been long gone... If people find out that Prince Yizhong still has descendants in the world, and that they are secretly hidden in this capital city, what a huge uproar it will cause."

"Mother's concerns are very valid. Based on my deduction, Qin Ye must have known about it. As for the Ningguo Mansion, I'm afraid the only one who truly knows is Jia Jing, who is practicing Taoism at Xuanzhen Temple."

Gu Jinhong repeated what Jia Rong had said at the manor that day.

Li Shulan remained silent for a long time after hearing this, her expression shifting several times: "If what you say is true, then the Ningguo Mansion is dancing on the edge of a knife; one wrong move and the entire family will be destroyed. Prince Yizhong was dealt with personally by the Emperor Emeritus, who, although seriously ill, is still alive. And then there's your uncle; he only recently ascended the throne, and the old guard in the court are already restless. If another orphan of Prince Yizhong were to emerge..."

"Mother, there's no need to worry too much," Gu Jinhong reassured her. "This matter may not be a disaster for us."

Li Shulan looked up at him: "What do you mean?"

"The reason why Prince Yizhong was convicted back then was simply because the Emperor Emeritus was overly suspicious of him, not because he had actually committed any heinous crime. Now that the Emperor Emeritus is seriously ill, the possibility of the old case being overturned is not small. If Uncle can take the initiative at this time, whether it is to show goodwill or to appease him, it is better than being used by those with ulterior motives to make trouble."

"Moreover, my son suspects there's someone else pulling the strings behind this. Qin Ye is just a minor official in the Ministry of Works; it's impossible for this to happen without someone secretly making arrangements."

Li Shulan's pupils contracted sharply: "You mean, someone is orchestrating this?"

"That's right. Moreover, marrying Qin Keqing into the Ningguo Mansion is probably for the sake of the intricate network of relationships among the four princes and eight dukes. Once the time is right, and the old banner of Prince Yizhong is raised, those forces in the court who are already dissatisfied with their uncles may well take the opportunity to make trouble."

Li Shulan's expression grew increasingly grave. She rose and paced a few steps in the hall before suddenly grabbing Gu Jinhong's arm: "Tomorrow morning, you're coming to the palace with me!"