Jia She looked at Lin Ruhai’s arrangements and shook his head in disapproval. “You are confused. The servants in the Rong Mansion are all snobbish sycophants. If you send Daiyu with only this handful of people, those who know will think you trust the Old Matriarch, but those who don’t will think Daiyu is going there to beg for favors.”
“Listen to me. You must arrange at least eight senior maids for Daiyu, and her allowance for food, clothing, and daily necessities should be double the standard level within the household.”
“Neither of us is short of money. You are the Imperial Salt Commissioner; there is no need to play the pauper.”
He did not know much about Dream of the Red Chamber, but he knew that Lin Daiyu would eventually be mocked by the servants for “begging for favors.” He could not be with her every moment, and once Daiyu turned seven, he would have to keep his distance to avoid gossip. Lin Daiyu’s nature was sentimental, and if she heard the servants’ whispers, she would inevitably dwell on them.
Lin Ruhai’s expression turned peculiar at Jia She’s words. “As the Imperial Salt Commissioner, I am already a target of scrutiny. If I flaunt my wealth, Censors will surely impeach me.” He wanted Daiyu to live peacefully in the capital and did not want to drag her into his official troubles.
Jia She disagreed with his line of thinking. “Your Lin family is also a noble clan; your ancestors held hereditary titles. You have been in Yangzhou for many years, and Daiyu is your only child. Who would believe you are poor?”
“If you do not arrange for her to travel with enough grandeur, others will only think you do not care for your daughter. If her own father does not value her, how can you expect outsiders to respect her?”
“The Emperor will certainly not believe you are poor. Rather than being secretive, it is better to be open and bold. Why should you fear an impeachment from a Censor?”
Lin Ruhai, of course, had nothing to fear. He did not have many years left; what use would an impeachment be to him? The Emperor would not issue a decree to punish him anyway. In the end, Lin Ruhai followed Jia She’s advice and arranged for three large ships to escort Daiyu to the capital.
Jia She had Lin Zhixiao send word to Mother Jia, instructing him: “Be sure to make it clear that Daiyu is bringing three large boatloads of luggage with her.” He added, “Don’t wait until she arrives at the Rong Mansion to find out her courtyard hasn’t even been tidied up yet.” Such muddled behavior was exactly what Lady Wang was capable of.
The maids Lin Ruhai arranged for Lin Daiyu were all chosen by her personally. They might not have been exceptionally talented, but they were certainly loyal. After Lin Zhixiao departed, Jia She rubbed his temples in misery and sighed, “Back to the boat again. I will never travel far from home unless it is absolutely necessary.” Seasickness was truly unbearable, far worse than any illness.
During the funeral, despite Jia She’s careful care, Lin Daiyu still lost a significant amount of weight. On the day of her departure, Lin Ruhai watched her board the ship with tear-filled eyes, weighed down by the sorrowful realization that he might never see his daughter again in this lifetime.
Lin Daiyu did not know that Lin Ruhai was also poisoned. With reddened eyes, she choked out, “Father, Great Uncle will take good care of me. You must take care of yourself at home, and I will write to you.”
Lin Ruhai had already said everything he needed to say; holding back his reluctance, he urged her to board the ship. Jia She looked at the servants by Lin Daiyu’s side and nodded to himself, thinking, This is the level of grandeur that Sister Lin deserves.
When they first boarded, Jia She felt fine and was in the mood to pull Daiyu along to enjoy the scenery. Watching the landscape on both banks and basking in the warm sun and gentle river breeze, Lin Daiyu felt her heart open up. She no longer felt lost about the future, because she had her Great Uncle.
Lin Daiyu was stronger than Jia She had anticipated. After her mother passed away, she quickly adjusted her emotions and stopped weeping over her mother’s belongings. To keep her occupied, Jia She resumed her daily exercise routine and had Lin Zhixiao gather information about the various salt gangs in Yangzhou to share with her. Lin Daiyu listened attentively and memorized the names of these gangs; she suspected the murderer of her mother might be hiding among them.
Jia She understood little of politics, but he had money, so he hired a scholar to teach Lin Daiyu these matters. He agreed with the sentiment that the scope of one’s world depends on the breadth of one’s knowledge. He did not want Lin Daiyu trapped in a small back courtyard; if she was to possess a larger world, she had to learn more.
The next day, Jia She began to suffer from seasickness again. Watching Lin Zhixiao rush about, Lin Daiyu looked at the vomiting Jia She with deep concern. After he finished, Jia She saw her nearby and urged, “I am fine. The air in here is unpleasant, so go back to your room and rest.”
Lin Daiyu shook her head, tears in her eyes, unwilling to leave. “I will not go. I want to accompany Great Uncle.” Seeing her insistence, Jia She had a servant set up a small desk for her in the room. He lay down to cultivate while Lin Daiyu studied nearby.
Worried that Jia She spent every day sleeping, Lin Daiyu found Lin Zhixiao and asked, “Is it really okay for Great Uncle to sleep like this every day?” He could not keep food down and slept all day and all night. People were not animals, and it was not even winter!
Lin Zhixiao reassured her, “Please do not worry, Miss Lin. The Master was the same way when he first arrived.” Hearing this, Lin Daiyu felt a complex mix of emotions as she sat by the bed and gently fanned him. Great Uncle suffered so much from seasickness, yet he still came to Yangzhou. Mother and Father were right; Great Uncle is a man of deep feeling.
The travel plans Jia She had made for Yangzhou were abandoned due to his seasickness. Lin Daiyu drank the spiritual tea daily, and her complexion grew rosier by the day, whereas Jia She, suffering from the sickness, grew paler. Lin Daiyu rolled up her sleeves to care for him personally, and seeing him with his hair unbound, she could not help but sigh, “Great Uncle is truly beautiful, just like the celestial beings described in books.”
People in this world were both reserved and direct; they often complimented beauty openly, and some even composed poems to praise others. Knowing that Jia She disliked reading and had no patience for archaic language, she rarely wrote poems in front of him. Jia She occasionally looked into the bronze mirror; he was struck by the beauty of his own face, let alone others.
Resting his head on one hand, Jia She corrected her with a gentle smile, “I am a man; you cannot use ‘beautiful’ to describe me. You may call me handsome or refined.”
Lin Daiyu turned her head and laughed, saying deliberately, “No. Although Great Uncle is a man, you are more beautiful than any woman. I am a very honest child; I always speak the truth.”
“Great Uncle is the most beautiful person I have ever met. It is not just your face that is beautiful; even your hair is beautiful.”
Jia She laughed. If Lin Daiyu were not only six years old, he would have thought she was flirting with him. He cleared his throat and said, “Are you already appreciating beauty at such a young age?”
Lin Daiyu nodded naturally. “Of course. Everyone in the world loves beauty; otherwise, there would not be so many Emperors obsessed with it. Even the Emperor cannot escape the lure of beauty, let alone an ordinary person like me.”
Jia She listened to her twisted logic, his lips curving upward, and chatted with her aimlessly. He discovered that when Lin Daiyu was happy, her body emitted spiritual energy. Regardless of the emotion, as long as the intensity of the fluctuation was significant, the spiritual energy she released increased. Jia She was incredibly curious: why did Lin Daiyu possess so much spiritual energy within her?
Seeing that Jia She was tired, Lin Daiyu quietly went to one side to practice calligraphy. After diligently finishing a large character, she rewarded herself by looking up at Jia She, her practice suddenly filled with new vigor.
Back at the Rong Mansion, Mother Jia had received word of Jia Min’s death and that Lin Daiyu would be coming to the capital. After an initial bout of weeping, she instructed Lady Wang to tidy up a courtyard for Daiyu.
Mo Tian, a young servant sent back by Lin Zhixiao, hurriedly spoke up: “Greetings, Second Madam. Young Miss Lin is bringing three large ships of belongings to the capital. The Eldest Master specifically instructed that the courtyard should be spacious, or it will not be able to accommodate all the maids and nannies accompanying her.”
Lady Wang frowned and looked at Mother Jia with a troubled expression. “Mother, the brother-in-law arranged so many servants. Does he think we are incapable of taking good care of Daiyu?”
Mother Jia also frowned and sighed. “Lin Ruhai is acting too ostentatiously. He is already a figure of notice in Yangzhou; how could he be so muddled when it comes to Daiyu’s affairs?”
Mo Tian, Lin Zhixiao’s trusted aide, had experienced the assassination on the boat and was fiercely loyal to Jia She. He quickly recited the explanation Lin Zhixiao had taught him: “Old Matriarch, Master Lin initially only arranged for one maid to follow the young lady. It was only because the Eldest Master disagreed that Master Lin gradually organized the rest.”
“The Eldest Master also said that if there is no suitable courtyard in the Rong Mansion, he will buy a manor outside the city. It would be convenient for him to take Miss Yingchun and Young Master Cong to live there.”
“Old Matriarch, please do not be angry. Steward Lin specifically instructed me to be truthful, fearing the Eldest Master would be angry if he returned and decided to move out.”
Lady Wang had wanted to fan the flames, but the moment she heard Jia She’s name, she dared not say another word. Jia She was the heir to the Rong Mansion’s title. If he moved out, people would assume the Second Branch had forced him out. Their already tarnished reputation would be trampled into the mud.
Jia Zheng, who had initially felt this was none of his concern, hurried to persuade Mother Jia. “Mother, we have empty courtyards. Let the servants begin cleaning immediately. If Eldest Brother returns and decides to move out in anger, the Censors will certainly impeach us.”
At the mere thought of Jia She’s cold gaze, Mother Jia’s dissatisfaction vanished. She had previously used the excuse of “unfilial behavior” to suppress Jia She, but after he went mad, he stopped caring about his reputation entirely. If she tried to force his hand with threats of death, Jia She might well pull up a chair and watch her die. Though she was his mother, there was a saying: “At home, follow your husband; after he dies, follow your son.” Strictly speaking, she should be listening to Jia She.
After a bout of weeping and feeling stifled by Jia She’s message, she waved the couple away. “Just tidy up the courtyard; do not provoke your Eldest Brother. He is becoming increasingly unmanageable. If he gets into any trouble in the future, it will not involve you.”
The Rong Mansion appeared to be one family, but it had long been divided. Jia She separated all the expenses of the East Courtyard from the main household funds, and all his servants were purchased from outside; it was not a formal division, but it was essentially so.
Wang Xifeng had given birth before the New Year and now had the excuse of caring for her child to distance herself from household affairs. When Mother Jia sent someone to summon her, she used the child as an excuse and declined. Jia Lian shared some of the court rumors with her, and she finally realized how foolish she had been; she had been obsessed with petty sums while her own life was hanging in the balance. If she had truly obeyed and engaged in predatory lending, she would have been taking the blame for Lady Wang. Wang Xifeng now harbored a deep hatred for Lady Wang, who never thought to share the spoils but wanted her to be the scapegoat when the situation turned dire.
Ping’er returned with news and ran into the room. “Grandmother, you would not believe it! Miss Lin is bringing three large ships to the capital. Mo Tian says there are eight senior maids accompanying her alone; the total number of maids and nannies exceeds those serving Baoyu.”
Wang Xifeng lay on the couch, gently patting her daughter’s back, and said lazily, “The Lin family’s foundation does not fall short of the Jia family. Miss Lin is a flower raised in a wealthy household; ordinary daughters naturally cannot compare to her.”
“Baoyu is a boy, and he has so many maids and nannies serving him. It is perfectly normal for Miss Lin, as a daughter, to have even more people serving her.”
“My life is becoming more peaceful now, unlike before when I was troubled by household trifles. Master Lian has his own house outside; I shall go stay there for a few days when I am free.”
“My mother-in-law in name is quite polite to me. Even if Lady Wang dislikes me, she dares not be overtly harsh. At the end of the day, I am the future mistress of this Rong Mansion.”
Ping’er nodded in agreement, whispering, “I heard Master Lin did not arrange for such a grand display; it was our Eldest Master who insisted upon it. He even told Mo Tian to inform the Old Matriarch that if there was no suitable place for Miss Lin, the Eldest Master would move out upon his return.”
“If the Eldest Master truly moves out, Second Master and Second Madam will become infamous.”
She was not an educated woman, but she knew that if a brother who held a hereditary title was forced out of his home, the entire Second Branch would be drowned in the spit of the Censors and officials.
Wang Xifeng laughed triumphantly. Had she not been worried about waking her sleeping daughter, she would have burst into laughter. “Instruct the servants in our courtyard to be polite to Miss Lin when she arrives.”
Jia She understood the servants of the Rong Mansion, which was why he had Lin Daiyu bring so many servants; it was clear how much he cherished her. Mother Jia received news of Jia She’s return, as did Situ Xuan. He had planted people in the Lin household since the New Year to report on Jia She’s every move. Even before Jia She reached the capital, Situ Xuan knew he had been severely seasick and had spent over ten days in a stupor.
Situ Xuan could not help but grit his teeth, muttering to himself, “You cannot handle a boat yet you travel so far? You deserve to suffer.” Situ Xuan estimated the arrival time, finished his work a day early, changed his clothes, and brought Wang Fu out of the palace in secret.