The Concubine of the Lin Family in the Red Chamber

The emperor looked at the young man at the bottom with leisure, "What kind of grace do you want?"

Lin Jue seemed to think for a moment, then said: "The student wants to ask for the title of County Lord for my sister."

The emperor laughed when he heard the words: "Others are looking forward to me being an official. Now I have given you a third-rank viscount title, which will benefit the three generations of your Lin family, but you refuse to accept it, and instead ask me for a county monarch who cannot be hereditary." ?”

Lin Jue bowed his head again and said sincerely: "The student knows that your majesty rewarded his ministers with titles because he was under the protection of his late father. My late father was loyal to your majesty, and your majesty also awarded my late father the posthumous title 'Zhongzheng', which is my affirmation of my late father." , under the late father Jiuquan, I am also grateful to His Majesty. If you are not humble, it is a title, and your late father deserves it. It's just that the student is just a person, and he has done nothing for the country and family. I am really ashamed to lead Your Majesty Gratitude. Besides, Hao’er doesn’t want to be separated from the family, and the words are not rough, the students are not boasting, or a title, and the students will earn it by themselves in the future.”

His Majesty the Emperor was very pleased to hear that Lin Jue, who was a half-year-old boy, was able to say such words.Lin Ruhai is the emperor's confidant. He has been operating in Yangzhou for more than ten years, and has always followed the emperor's lead.Although he has not been back to Beijing for so many years, the emperor still remembers how beautiful it was when Tan Hualang rode horses and paraded through the streets, and how high-spirited he was when he talked about his ambitions and ideals with himself.Looking carefully at the eloquent young man, the emperor couldn't help but lose his eyes for a moment.

After waiting for a long time, the emperor said: "It was the same with your father back then. The title of your Lin family can be passed down to your father's generation. Your father was promoted through the imperial examination. He said back then, how can a good man rely on his ancestors?" Yu Yin, it's the title, you just earn it yourself. How arrogant and self-restraining, even I am impressed by it. You, like your father, are very good." Then according to Lin Jue's intention, he will award the title The imperial decree given to Lin Jue was withdrawn, and Lin's Daiyu was given as county head instead. The salary was not much, but it was respectable.

Lin Jue received the decree to thank him, and the eunuchs in the palace went to the Lin Mansion to re-declare the decree, while Lin Jue was left by the emperor to speak.

Because of Lin Jue's words just now, the emperor recalled that when Lin Ruhai had just ascended the throne when Lin Ruhai was in the new division, he was suppressed by the Supreme Emperor, adult brothers were having fun in the middle, and a group of powerful ministers held him back, clearly sitting in the supreme position of the world , but it was very aggrieved.At that time, the monarch and his ministers sat at the same table, but in just a few words, there will be a relationship between the monarch and his ministers for the next ten years.Lin Ruhai was willing to guard Yangzhou's salt bag for him in the south of the Yangtze River. He kept it for more than ten years, and a lot of information was sent back by Lin Ruhai. He was able to secure this position, and Lin Ruhai contributed a lot.

The emperor knew how loyal Lin Ruhai was, but after sitting in this position for a long time, he was unavoidably suspicious. Therefore, when Lin Jue came to Beijing with the secret booklet in his arms, the emperor stood on the sidelines until he found Chen Yejun's door and handed the booklet over. , the emperor believed that Lin Ruhai did not betray the lord.

It was not an exaggeration for Lin Ruhai to get a posthumous title when he died in office, but the emperor kept the order and did not release it, just waiting for this seal to be sealed.Now that the booklet has been handed over, the emperor not only bestowed Lin Ruhai with a posthumous title, but also remembered what he said jokingly when he was a teenager. The emperor did not hesitate to bestow such dignity on a dead person with a title that would not be hereditary. .It was only the emperor's whim that Lin Jue was demoted to take over the rank of his father.

Now that Lin Jue is so up-to-date and not greedy for power and position, he has come into the eyes of the emperor, and the emperor will not be stingy to give Lin's daughter an honor.

"I heard that you and Xiao Twelve are very close. What do you do on weekdays?"

Lin Jue's heart skipped a beat when he heard this, and he paused for a moment before laughing and said, "I'm not afraid of His Majesty's jokes, it's nothing serious at all. The student and the Twelve Princes met once when they were in Yangzhou, and when they entered Beijing, they met again. I met him once in the suburbs on the day of the Double Ninth Festival, so I became acquainted with him, and I often went to the twelve princes for drinks a few days ago."

"You can drink at such a young age?"

"Students boast that they still have a bit of a drinker." Lin Jue was young, and although he behaved calmly and generously, but this time he entered the palace, he showed the appearance of a naive child, and his words were real Yes, say what you have, now when it comes to drinking, he is even more complacent, which makes the emperor feel that he is a good man.

The emperor asked some more questions, and Lin Jue was sometimes confused and sometimes cunning, causing the emperor to praise him frequently, and they chatted for more than an hour.It was the father-in-law who was in charge who secretly reminded the emperor that there were still a few people outside waiting for the emperor to summon him, and the emperor stopped talking, "I won't keep you for the New Year's Eve, go home and study carefully, and after two years, you will be in the autumn. , I am waiting for your title on the gold list."

Lin Jue got up and bowed hurriedly, "The students will live up to His Majesty's expectations. I bow to Your Majesty. Long live, long live, long live, and the students will leave."

The emperor nodded in satisfaction. Although he was a little clever like a child, he was very innocent in temperament, and he was very loyal to the emperor under the influence of Lin Ruhai.

The emperor smiled complacently, this boy was very well-behaved, and after Lin Jue withdrew, he called his father-in-law to announce the next person.

When Lin Jue returned home, it was already past noon, and there was no food left in the palace. Lin Jue knew that going home at this time would inevitably lead to a lot of fuss, so he led the servants outside for simple use.

When he returned home, he went directly to Daiyu's yard, but at this time Daiyu was not as happy as he thought.Lin Jue retreated from the servants who were waiting on her, and said with a smile: "Congratulations to my sister for becoming the county lord. Looking at it now, she is several times stronger than me, a man without an official or title. I will have to trouble the county lord a lot in the future." Take care of it."

Hearing Lin Jue's ridicule, Daiyu just sat silently, suddenly big tears welled up in her eyes, Lin Jue was taken aback, and hurriedly asked what was going on?

Daiyu just kept crying, and after Lin Jue coaxed her for a long time, she stopped sobbing and complained: "I'm a boudoir girl, what do you want that troublesome county lord to do, I can't drink or eat. But brother, I knew clearly There is a title of viscount, not to mention that it will be passed on to my nephew in the future, even if my elder brother enters the court one day as an official, it will be of some help to some extent, how can I give it to me. Every time I think of it, I feel sorry for my elder brother."

Lin Jue smiled when he heard the words. He certainly understood what Daiyu meant, but he also understood that although the emperor rewarded him with the title of Viscount, which sounds nice, it is actually useless.And if he has a title, unless the emperor rises up and rewards him as an official, he can only be like Jia Amnesty, doing nothing all day long, even if he is promoted through the imperial examination, he will not be able to do it.

Lin Jue didn't think there was any value in a title, and the royal family hadn't been titled a title for several years. He had no virtue and incompetence, and was suddenly made a viscount. It's a bit unreasonable.No matter how great Lin Ruhai's contribution was, it wasn't the achievement of enforcing borders and expanding land, even if the rewards were limited, a posthumous title of "Zhongzheng" was enough.If he wanted to reward him more, he would at most get the lowest title of a country boy, how could he get a third-rank viscount, it is really unreasonable.

Lin Jue had heard a little about the current situation in central Beijing. The line of the third prince is the direct line of the direct line. The mother's family of the former queen and the veterans who supported the line of the direct line all supported the third prince.As for the twelfth prince Li Yibai, because his birth mother was of a humble background and passed away when he was young, the former queen pitied him for losing his mother at a young age, so she hugged him in her palace and raised him with the third prince.Li Yibai was labeled as the third prince since he was a child.

Except for the third prince who had always kept a low profile, the one who was high-spirited now was Li Yiyun, the sixth prince Li Yiyun, the direct son of the empress Chen.

Because the former empress left early, the line of the former empress fell silent, but the successor empress Chen's mother's family is now very powerful.Uncle Chen Laoguo is a veteran. He is old and has not entered the court for a long time, but his physique is excellent, and he has great influence in the court. Even the emperor would give way to him.

However, Chen Yejun, Chen Lin's old son, has never been close to the Chen family, but instead reveals that he is only loyal to the emperor.The emperor really trusted him, he was regarded as one of the emperor's pillars buried among the sons of the aristocratic family, and everyone knew his identity tacitly.

Then there is Li Yiqing, the fourth prince of Concubine Hui's lineage. This son's greatest ability is to be able to give birth. There are as many as eleven children of concubines, including five sons and six daughters. The concubine is still pregnant now. .Having more sons means more blessings, but it can also be regarded as a strong point of competition.

Now that I am close to the Twelfth Prince, even though I am not in the same line as the Third Prince, I still have some labels on me. I can't say it's good, but I can't say it's not good at all, it's just a matter of opinion.The emperor conferred such a title on himself, presumably he had some intentions, but he refused to accept it, and the emperor was not angry. It seemed that his side was just a trifle, but he didn't know that the emperor wanted to use him to catch someone.

Lin Jue didn't want to be the rafter in his early years. It's better to let someone else do such eye-catching things as being knighted.However, it is not in line with Lin Jue's character to take advantage of the benefits, so he took this opportunity to ask for a title for Daiyu.

It's just that these things are not easy to talk to Dai Yuming, so Lin Jue could only say: "I thought it was something that made my sister so sad, but it turned out to be this matter. You love my brother, you should know that I love you The sister's heart is the same.

Although the title of such a county monarch is nothing, and the size is also a sixth rank, even if he has no real power, it will still be your husband's family to rely on to settle down in the future.This society is always harsh on women. If I were a woman, I would definitely not hope that my husband would have three wives and four concubines in the future. He would only be satisfied if he kept me alone.

Our family is really not prominent in Beijing now. To be honest, the grandfather's family can't be counted on. It's better that you have some status for your husband's family to value. "

Daiyu's face was flushed when she heard the words, "Brother said these things again, it's still too early, even if you really want to get married, it should be your brother who gets married first. If my brother has this title, I don't know how many people there are." Other girls are vying to marry into our family, and my brother will make fun of me."

Lin Jue knew that Daiyu felt that she had suffered a great loss, "I used to have my own thoughts. I was enlightened at the age of five, and now I have been studying for ten years. I was lucky enough to pass Juren in my last subject. When the filial piety period is over, I still hope to pass the imperial examination. People like us, even if they are conferred titles, and those who have nowhere to go can't think of any real difference. Why don't we just concentrate on the scientific examination and work hard, At that time, getting a title on the gold list, conferring a marquis and paying homage to a chancellor will not be better than a single title."

Daiyu wiped her tears when she heard the words, "Why didn't my brother tell me about this plan earlier, which caused me to worry for a long time. I don't know much about this outside thing, but I have heard my father talk about it before." , but it happened in a flash, and now it's completely changed. Since my brother has already made plans, I won't say more, but I still feel a little pity in my heart."

Lin Jue smiled, "What's the pity, it's just a false name outside of the body. It's such a big event today, and it will spread all over the capital in two days. Let's not wait for grandma to send someone to ask. In the evening, I handed over the post, and tomorrow you and I will go to Jia's mansion to talk together, which can be regarded as an explanation with my grandmother, and my grandmother will be happy to hear it."

Daiyu said: "My brother is still thoughtful."

Lin Jue made the arrangement and didn't mention it.

Early the next morning, Jia's mansion sent a reply, Lin Jue and Daiyu.Lin Jue pointed to his post with a smile and said, "Master Zheng asked me to discuss things. We will take the car together later, so I won't accompany you to grandma's place. You have asked me to go to see you." Yes."

Daiyu responded with a smile.

When they arrived at Jia's mansion, the brother and sister entered through the main entrance, Daiyu changed into a small sedan chair carried by the rough envoy's wife, and Lin Jue was led directly to Jia Zheng's study by a servant.

Daiyu took the initiative to hand over the post to visit Jia's mansion. Mother Jia was not unhappy any more, so she ordered the cook to prepare Daiyu's favorite food early in the morning, and she was going to keep Daiyu for dinner.

When Daiyu met Jia Mu, she paid her respects. Because the first month was not yet out, Daiyu paid her respects again, and got several gifts from the elders.

Daiyu said with a smile: "It was the first lunar month, and I was wearing a filial piety, so it's not easy to go out, but there is a good thing, I want to come and talk to the old lady. In a few days, it will be reported in Beijing. , It’s just that the old lady’s place is no better than other places, after all, it’s better for us brothers and sisters to come and talk about it in person.”

Mother Jia hurriedly asked what was the matter.

Daiyu then narrated to Mother Jia how Lin Ruhai got the reward and how she downgraded the title to Lin Jue to inherit it, but Lin Jue exchanged the title for a county monarch for herself.

Mother Jia couldn't help being surprised when she heard this. After all, it was her granddaughter who got the benefits. Although she felt that Lin Jue's move was a bit silly, she didn't say much, and only praised Lin Jue for being sensible.

Daiyu lowered her eyes and covered her lips, her grandmother's heart for her was good, but she was unwilling to give even a little bit of this loving heart to her elder brother, so people always felt a little worried.

Jia's mother praised this matter in every possible way. Although Daiyu's title was not comparable to Yuanchun, Yuanchun was only able to be promoted according to the emperor's preference. Jia's mother knew that the Jia family could not give Yuanchun any actual support, no matter the former court or the harem. .Although Daiyu's title is low, the emperor issued an imperial decree. As long as Daiyu does not participate in any conspiracy, this title cannot be easily taken away.Thinking about it this way, I really can't tell which is good or which is bad.

Mrs. Xing herself was childless, although she sighed in her heart what kind of shit luck Daiyu had had, when she lived in Jia's house before, she didn't realize how much better she was than others, so silently sealed off like this. I got a county head.However, she herself is a person with a command, so she only slandered a few words in her heart, but flattered her with a rare generosity on the face.

Mrs. Wang is the mother of the imperial concubine, and Yuan Chun's rank is much higher than that of Dai Yu, so she just muttered a few words secretly in her heart, and did not show much jealousy.

Among them, Mrs. Xue and Xue Baochai are probably the ones with the most complicated feelings.

Xue Baochai was originally a candidate for election in Beijing, so she was very good at home, and the Jinling area was originally full of luxury and money, even the young ladies, there are very few who don't understand the economics of official career.Her family is an imperial merchant, even if she goes out, she is used to being sought after.Now in the middle of the capital, the emperor's feet are not as prosperous as Jinling, but they have the atmosphere of an emperor. Xue Baochai has become more and more determined to be a green cloud in the midst of it.

She was originally going to enter the palace, but she was from a noble family like the Jia family. After Yuan Chun entered the palace, she had to start as a female official. She was said to be a female official, but in fact she was only better than the little girl who served tea and water. nothing more.Every time she heard Mrs. Wang and Aunt Xue crying, Baochai's heart would lighten a little when she entered the palace.With Mrs. Wang's hints from time to time, Baochai became more and more reluctant to enter the palace. Baoyu's tenderness and carelessness fascinated her, and Baochai's second grandmother's position also moved her heart.

So he tried his best to flatter Mrs. Jia and Mrs. Wang more and more, and even used some means to lure Baoyu to her side from time to time.

Xue Baochai had heard of Daiyu's name as early as when he came to Beijing, and the Daiyu in his servant's mouth was naturally petty, but even so, the three Yingchun sisters got along very well with Daiyu, even the outsiders Xiangyun yelled at Sister Lin one by one, not to mention Baoyu, who talked about people every day and kept them in his heart.

Therefore, even though he has not seen him, but Baochai has heard his name first, he secretly feels a comparison in his heart.When she saw the real person, the demeanor of the whole body, the demeanor of the daughter of the second-rank official's family, really made Baochai feel a little inferior, but it also made her pay more attention to this person.

She is also lost, and has an older brother, and she has one more mother than Daiyu, and now Daiyu can get what she can't get after all her efforts, how can she not hate it?

Then there is Aunt Xue.Aunt Xue is not such a scheming person, because she is married into the Xue family, and Xue's father has always treated her like jewels and treasures, and she doesn't have many hands in the private affairs of the back house.Although she raised a daughter who is as sophisticated and scheming as Baochai, she also raised Xue Pan who is as stupid and big as she is.

She originally wanted to marry Daiyu for Xue Pan, but she found that Jia's mother also wanted to make Baoyu and Daiyu a pair of children. The people in the house know very well that even Mother Jia never thought of matching Bao Dai, but she would not let Daiyu marry into Xue's family.

Now seeing that Daiyu is getting more and more prosperous, she has been made the head of the county, and knowing that although her Xue family is considered a rich man, Xue's father is white, how can I ask her to be appointed.This is a relative's house. If Daiyu is an outsider, she would have to salute Daiyu and say hello.It's embarrassing to think about it.

Then look at my daughter who has been blinded by her eyes. When it comes to beauty, Baochai is not inferior to Daiyu, the only difference is in her birth.Aunt Xue has never hated her parents for marrying herself into a merchant, but her direct sister can marry into the Hou family, otherwise her daughter will be inferior.

Aunt Xue recalled what her sister mentioned to her the day before yesterday, and pursed her lips. This life is already limited, if her daughter...

Everyone in the room had their own thoughts, but Daiyu watched them coldly and didn't say much.