The Red Mansion: From a Small Pawn to a Leader

Chapter 22 Lin Family
The imperial decree granting marriage was delivered to Yangzhou City at dusk three days later, via an express delivery of 600 miles. It was almost dark when it was delivered to the Salt Inspectorate.

Lin Ruhai and Jia Min stood in front of the incense table. After reading the contents of the imperial edict placed on the incense table, their eyes were still staring at the imperial edict. There was a lot of silence.

Jia Min spoke up: "Why did the emperor grant the marriage?"

Lin Ruhai was silent for a moment, then took out a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Jia Min: "A letter from my mother-in-law in the capital. The imperial edict granting marriage arrived just as the people from Rongguo Mansion arrived."

Jia Min seemed to understand something. She took the letter and read it. It was indeed a family letter discussing marriage.

Lin Ruhai sighed: "It seems that the emperor has made up his mind. The governor of the Beijing camp will be replaced soon."

Jia Min was slightly startled. She looked at the letter from her grandmother, then looked at the imperial edict on the incense table, and sighed.

Lin Ruhai looked at her and said, "Don't worry too much. Given the current situation of the Jia family, the emperor will definitely not touch the Jia family unless there is an actual conflict of interest or no alternative."

Jia Min nodded.

Lin Ruhai sighed in his heart, hoping that the Jia family would not be involved in the power struggle!
Jia Min suddenly remembered: "What kind of person is Li Hu? The imperial edict praised him to the sky."

Lin Ruhai seemed to remember something at this moment, and immediately bent down from beside the incense table and picked up a bundle. The bundle had four corners and was obviously filled with a box.

Lin Ruhai placed the bundle on a corner of the incense table and said, "The people from the Imperial Household Department said that this is a gift from Li Hu to Yu'er." Then he untied the bundle.

A rosewood box appeared, and Lin Ruhai took out the key from his sleeve and unlocked it.

Jia Min opened the lid of the box.

Lin Ruhai and Jia Min looked over at the same time and saw a scroll of calligraphy and painting and several brocade gift boxes.

Lin Ruhai picked up the scroll and looked at it. It was a picture of Li Hu reading a book. Li Hu, dressed in the clothes of a guerrilla general, was sitting upright on a brocade cushion, holding a book in his hands, thinking silently, as if he was savoring the three flavors of the book.

Jia Min took a closer look and said with a smile, "He looks good, with regular features, and he looks very energetic. He is holding a book in his hand, and he has the demeanor of a scholar-general."

Lin Ruhai stroked his beard and smiled, "The screen behind him reads 'You will be promoted to a marquis soon.'"

When Jia Min took a look, she found that it was indeed a painting of "Becoming a Marquis Immediately". As for the decorations, it was obviously a palace somewhere. It should have been painted temporarily by a court painter. No wonder the imperial edict and Jia's grandmother's letter were delivered one after another.

Lin Ruhai and Jia Min were both smart people and naturally understood what the emperor meant.

Jia Min opened the lid of a box, and inside the box was a jade hairpin, which was a token of love, symbolizing the marriage of husband and wife.

Lin Ruhai nodded with satisfaction.

Jia Min opened the lid of the second box. There was a love lock in this box, which meant eternal love and lifelong companionship.

The third box contained a jade bracelet, followed by a jade pendant, a jade chain, a jade ruyi, a comb, a ring and a love knot.

Jia Min was stunned. How could it be given like this?

Lin Ruhai was stunned for a moment, and said to Jia Min, "This child is simple and honest." Then he burst into laughter.

Jia Min couldn't help laughing and covered her mouth.

After laughing, Lin Ruhai continued, "There's no need to hide this from Yu'er. You can give these things to her."

Jia Min nodded.

Lin Ruhai: "By the way, the people from the Imperial Household Department also brought a message. Li Hu hopes that we can send a portrait of Yu'er to him."

Jia Min was a little unhappy: "Is he worried that our Yu'er is ugly?"

Lin Ruhai waved his hand and said, "Don't say such things. Who do you think should paint this portrait?"

Lin Ruhai was good at painting, but he didn't have the sense to paint a portrait of his daughter like a father. She had learned it when she was in the capital, but she hadn't practiced it for many years and had forgotten a lot.

Jia Min thought for a while and said, "Mr. Jia."

Lin Ruhai: "That's what I mean."

The clock in the corner rang.

Jia Min took a glance and put the portrait into the box, saying, "The cough has just gotten better, and the girl doesn't want to take medicine again. I'll go and see." After that, she held the box and walked towards the back hall.

Lin Ruhai looked at the night sky outside the door. The reason why the emperor chose Li Hu was because Li Hu had no family background and posed no threat.

Walking into Lin Daiyu's courtyard, Jia Min saw Lin Daiyu's nurse, Nanny Wang, squatting in front of a small charcoal stove, fanning herself and boiling herbal medicine. Jia Min walked over and asked, "Why are you boiling herbal medicine at this time?"

Nanny Wang stood up and said, "Madam." Then she glanced at the brightly lit study and lowered her head.

Jia Min understood: "Warm it up again and bring it in." After saying that, she walked straight to the main room.

Lin Daiyu's courtyard is not big, with three main rooms on the north and south sides, a living room in the middle, a door on the west side of the living room leading to Lin Daiyu's bedroom, and a door on the east side leading to Lin Daiyu's study.

The door of the study was ajar. Through the crack, I could see a young girl sitting on a recliner, leaning close to the light beside her, holding a book and reading it. She was Lin Ruhai and Jia Min's daughter, Lin Daiyu.

Jia Min stood there and looked for a long time before she gently pushed open the half-open door with both hands.

The door was pushed very gently, so the person inside did not notice it for a moment. Jia Min stood by the door and looked at Lin Daiyu.

The eleven-year-old Lin Daiyu had grown into a graceful young lady, with an ethereal charm about her, "like a light cloud just emerging from a mountain."

Looking at her daughter, who was still wearing a small jacket, Jia Min's eyes were full of pity and love. Then, she stood at the door and coughed lightly.

Lin Daiyu immediately looked over, her eyes full of surprise. She put down the book in her hand, stood up and went to meet Jia Min. She gently held her arm and said, "Why did you come here in person, mother? If you have anything to say, just ask your daughter to come over."

While helping Jia Min sit down on the chair in front of the desk, he called out to the outside, "Xueyan."

Jia Min took Lin Daiyu's hand, looked at her face carefully, and said with a smile, "You look better today."

Lin Daiyu blinked her eyes a few times and said, "Mother sees me every day, so naturally she thinks I haven't changed much. In fact, I've been well for a long time. That's why I said I'd eat a bowl of red bean dumplings after finishing my book."

Jia Min looked at her and smiled: "So?"

Lin Daiyu blushed: "The medicine is too bitter."

Jia Min smiled and nodded at her: "The doctor said to take another seven doses of medicine."

After hearing this, Lin Daiyu's face suddenly fell and she said "Oh".

Lin Daiyu's personal maid Xueyan came in with tea.

Lin Daiyu personally handed the tea to Jia Min.

Jia Min took a sip, put it down, and waved.

The old woman came in holding the rosewood box, placed it on the desk, and then left.

Lin Daiyu asked curiously: "What is this?"

Jia Min stared at her in a trance.

Lin Daiyu: “Mother.”

Jia Min came back to her senses and said, "Yeah." Then she opened the lid of the box, handed the scroll to Lin Daiyu, and motioned her to open it and have a look.

Lin Daiyu unfolded the scroll and was startled at first, then her face suddenly turned red.

Jia Min: "His name is Li Hu, he is from the capital, he is eighteen years old, a baron, a guerrilla general of the left patrol army of the Fifth Army Battalion of the Beijing Camp, and a trusted general of the emperor and the prince."

Lin Daiyu was so smart that she understood it immediately and was flustered. "I, I, I, him, him, him. Mother, I."

Jia Min looked at her and said, "The imperial decree granting the marriage is on the incense table in the front hall."

Feeling aggrieved, Lin Daiyu looked at Jia Min and said, "Mother."

Jia Min sighed and said, "Before I married your father, I only took a look at the portrait. But don't worry, it's still too early to get married. At least we have to wait until you turn fourteen."

Lin Daiyu lowered her head: "I don't want to leave my father and mother."

Jia Min smiled with a hint of bitterness, then hugged Lin Daiyu into her arms and said softly, "Silly girl, when you grow up, you will have to leave your parents. Your father will stay in the post of Salt Inspector for three more years at most. By then, we will stay in the capital and will not return to Suzhou."

Lin Daiyu buried her head tightly in Jia Min's arms and said "hmm".

Jia Min hugged Lin Daiyu tightly with one hand and patted her back gently with the other hand, whispering, "Please ask Mr. Jia to draw your portrait tomorrow."

(End of this chapter)