At the moment when Lin Daiyu felt her entire body relax, in the Jia mansion, Jia Baoyu—who was confined to his courtyard and unable to leave—stared blankly in the direction of the Lin residence. Before he knew it, tears streamed down his face.

He felt he had lost something forever, something that could never be recovered.

This was not what he wanted.

Just then, a young servant was poking his head around outside the study, checking to confirm he was still there.

Jia Baoyu noticed but acted as if he hadn’t seen anything.

Ever since the Old Ancestor had collapsed, the Master had kept him under strict supervision.

The Master held high expectations for him. As long as he didn’t cross the line, his mother wouldn’t object. She too hoped he could participate in the imperial examinations, achieve a good ranking, and one day rise to the highest positions of power.

This was not what Jia Baoyu wanted—such mediocrity, all of them common folk.

But because he didn’t apply himself to his studies, the Master frequently punished him. As long as the Master didn’t resort to physical punishment, his mother wouldn’t come to his rescue.

Moreover, even if the Master did raise his hand, his mother had no way to protect him as the Old Ancestor used to.

Thinking of this, Jia Baoyu’s expression grew even more sorrowful, and his tears flowed more fiercely.

Today was a special day. He had already planned how to go out, but somehow the Master had specifically come to assign him coursework that had to be completed today, and had someone watch over him, forbidding him to leave.

His plan had died before it could begin.

His appearance was witnessed by all his personal maids—some whispered among themselves, while others had stiff, unpleasant expressions on their faces.

For instance, Xiren’s face looked quite displeased.

Her position by Baoyu’s side was special. In the future, she would be Baoyu’s concubine.

This had been approved by the Madam.

Although her pregnancy had angered the Madam somewhat, after she had sensibly aborted the child, the Madam hadn’t driven her away. However, after that incident, her status had indeed declined considerably compared to before. The others around her now dared to mock her and look down on her.

At this moment, Xue Baochai arrived carrying a bowl of soup. Seeing Baoyu like this, her heart felt heavy.

They were already betrothed now, and he had agreed to it. Yet now that Daiyu was marrying, here he was looking so heartbroken—for whose benefit?

If she hadn’t maintained her composure, Xue Baochai would have almost been unable to bear such humiliation and would have turned and left in anger.

Seeing her arrival, the sorrow on Jia Baoyu’s face stalled somewhat.

“You—you’ve come.”

Xue Baochai took a breath. “Baoyu, is the coursework too difficult?”

Baoyu’s face reddened: “Ah… yes, yes it is.” Under her gaze, Jia Baoyu felt somewhat guilty.

Xue Baochai offered a few words of encouragement, then left the soup and departed, leaving Jia Baoyu staring blankly at the bowl.

As Xue Baochai was leaving the courtyard, she glanced back. The maids who accidentally caught sight of her expression didn’t dare breathe loudly.

Instinct told them not to draw attention at this moment.

Upon returning, Aunt Xue held Xue Baochai and wept, crying for her unfortunate daughter—Baoyu was heartbroken over Lin Daiyu’s marriage, and her own daughter still had to go comfort him!

Sometimes she truly looked down on Baoyu’s temperament, but the die was cast, the reputation had spread. With the Xue family’s merchant background, finding a satisfactory son-in-law was not so easy.

She only cried and didn’t dare voice her dissatisfaction.

If her daughter took it to heart and also became dissatisfied, how would she live her future days?

Once they got past this hurdle, things would be better. “After a man marries, he’ll grow up. Establishing a family and career—it’s always establishing the family first. Once he understands responsibility, he’ll mature.”

Aunt Xue still had confidence in her daughter.

Managing Baoyu now was somewhat improper and unjustified, but later… things would be better.

Baoyu’s temperament left something to be desired, but he did have talent for studies. “Studies are difficult—you must supervise him more.”

If he achieved good results, her daughter’s future would be better as well.

Xue Baochai listened quietly and nodded silently.

She believed she was no worse than the Jia family girls, except that her status ultimately couldn’t compare.

Yuanchun was in the palace, Yingchun was in the Eighth Prince’s mansion, and even the Wang family daughter was in Prince Ping’s mansion.

Thinking of Cousin Xiluan in Prince Ping’s mansion, Xue Baochai became somewhat distracted.

Her cousin’s current rank was Ce Fujin. It had been agreed beforehand that once she bore children, she would be formally granted the title of Ce Fujin. Unfortunately, she hadn’t conceived for many years, so she had adopted a daughter born to a servant under her care.

However, she had truly wasted her background.

Even from the fragmentary information that came out, Xue Baochai could tell that she was not favored in Prince Ping’s mansion. In all these years since marrying in, she hadn’t given birth—this wasn’t just her own problem; Prince Ping rarely visited her chambers.

Conversely, that Fujin from the Zhen family gave birth to sons one after another. In Prince Ping’s eyes, she was the only one.

If nothing else changed, it would be very difficult for Cousin Xiluan to make a comeback.

The Zhen family was also of bondservant origin, yet could become the legitimate Fujin of an Iron-cap Prince!

Xue Baochai couldn’t help but sigh. If she had been born a few years earlier, she might not have been unable to enter the palace and take her chances.

It could be said that the Wang family’s marriage alliances this time had been somewhat unsuccessful.

Of the two Jia family daughters, at least one had succeeded.

Yingchun in the Eighth Prince’s mansion had been like an invisible person all this time. The Jia family didn’t know how she was faring there, and she wasn’t anxious either. Everyone was about to assume she had faded away in the Eighth Prince’s mansion when news came that she was pregnant.

The Eighth Fujin was someone who couldn’t tolerate others, but in matters of offspring, she didn’t dare act rashly. Didn’t the Eighth Prince now have one son and one daughter under his care?

The Eighth Prince had few heirs. Regardless of whether Yingchun’s child was male or female, it was a hope.

As for Cousin Yuanchun in the imperial palace, once entering the palace gates, it was as deep as the sea.

If she couldn’t get ahead, she would only become an imperceptible water droplet in that vast ocean.

The Emperor grew older with each passing year. Actually, everyone knew in their hearts that it would be very, very difficult for her to get ahead now.

Xue Baochai turned her head to look at the scenery outside. Things had come to this point—thinking too much was useless. Securing Baoyu’s heart was the most important thing.

Hearing that Baochai had returned, Second Madam Wang frowned. She knew Baoyu was in a bad mood at this time, which was why she had sent Baochai over to console him. Why had she returned so quickly?

She looked toward Zhou Rui’s wife: “Go see what the two young ladies are doing and have them go keep Baoyu company and talk with him.”

Whatever Tanchun and Xichun were doing, could they refuse upon hearing this?

After arriving, looking at his two younger sisters, Jia Baoyu sighed: “Why must everyone marry? Pure and innocent daughters—why must they wade into murky waters?”

His words weren’t just about Daiyu, but also Shi Xiangyun, who would soon be leaving home as well.

She had been betrothed to the Wei family.

Tanchun didn’t answer. She turned her face toward the window. When men came of age they should marry, when women came of age they should wed—what was there to ask about that?

Moreover, one’s husband’s family might not be murky waters, and one’s natal family might not be free of murky waters either.

She only resented that her marriage was controlled by her legitimate mother, and that the Master didn’t care about her marriage prospects either.

She and Daiyu were born in the same year. Now Daiyu had married—what about her? No one cared!

Otherwise, she wanted to leave the Jia family. Married women weren’t supervised as strictly. She didn’t believe that given an opportunity, she couldn’t carve out a place for herself!

Tanchun said nothing, and Xichun was even less likely to speak.

Yes, why wade into murky waters?

All crows under heaven were equally black. In the future, she would just become a nun!

—

After Daiyu left home, the old madam’s heart felt suddenly empty. Lin Ruhai paid special attention to her health during this period, deliberately saying things to stir her emotions.

For instance: “Daiyu’s journey should go smoothly. The Chen family will like her.”

For instance: “I wonder how our in-law madam is doing now?”

And also: “Daiyu is a blessed child. If she could bring joy upon entering the household, that would be even better.”

Whether it was worry or joy, the point was to keep her emotions engaged, lest she feel there was nothing she needed to worry about, that she wasn’t needed, and that breath of vitality within her dissipated—that would be disastrous.

Daiyu’s departure went very smoothly. After Chen Yu settled into his posting and properly handed over and arranged his duties, he went to Nanying to see her, making up for his regret.

He hadn’t missed either of his elder sisters’ weddings—only his younger sister’s wedding had he missed.

Although everyone in officialdom could understand this, in the eyes of some outsiders who loved to stir up trouble even when there was no wind, this represented dissatisfaction with his legitimate younger sister.

By going there, he could silence most of these voices.

After he settled in there, Tang Wanxin also packed her luggage and set out. The child was left behind.

Lin Ruhai had already engaged a tutor for young Yuan, and then the old madam concerned herself with her great-grandson, so he wouldn’t be lonely.

When her grandson’s wife had been present, the old madam knew that no mother wanted to see her biological child taken away, even by elders in the family.

She understood that reluctance. When she had given birth to her son, her mother-in-law had taken the child away. She hadn’t dared say she didn’t want that—that would be unfilial. She subsequently fell ill, and before long, her mother-in-law sent the child back.

She had had a considerate and kind mother-in-law. Now that she was an elder herself, she didn’t want to be resented.

Having such considerations was quite rare.

Yun Shuyao, seeing that her grandson had his great-grandmother taking charge, only needed to focus on her own affairs. She frequently went to stay at the estate on the outskirts of the capital for extended periods.

Occasionally she would also go to Baili County, where there was also an estate, where her parents were, and moreover there was a stone pool there whose pool water was quite extraordinary.

After using it up, she would go fetch some more.

For ordinary people, going out this frequently would naturally be quite difficult, but she had various reasons.

People outside naturally had those specifically monitoring their household, but since the Lin family itself had no objections to such matters, what could they accomplish even if they talked themselves hoarse?

The reason Yun Shuyao stayed for long periods was that she didn’t want to spend too much time traveling back and forth. She could focus on cultivation, focus on accelerating growth, bringing quality seeds to fruition sooner.

She was a “homebody.”

Only when she wanted to see her daughter would she be particularly eager to return to the capital.

In the fifty-second year of Kangxi’s reign, during one return to a temple on the outskirts of the capital to offer incense and meet with her daughter and grandchildren, Yun Shuyao heard two pieces of news from Luo Yu.

Luo Yu: “I just attended the full-month celebration for the Eighth Prince’s second daughter. Yingchun gave birth to her.”

Yun Shuyao: “This is a joyous occasion for Yingchun.”

Luo Yu nodded with a smile: “She’s very happy.”

Or rather, having given birth to a daughter seemed to make her even happier than if she had borne a son.

However… that wasn’t incomprehensible.

Her background was ultimately different from the other daughters. If she had borne a son, the Eighth Fujin truly might not have been able to tolerate her.

“There’s another piece of happy news as well.” Luo Yu’s face showed some complexity. “Cousin Yuanchun is with child. She’s already completed three months.”

And the Emperor was already fifty-nine years old this year.

“If she can safely deliver this child, I imagine a consort position would be no problem.” This was good news for her—finally the clouds had parted to reveal the moon. But for the Jia family, this might not necessarily be good news.

Given the Jia family’s current situation, remaining unremarkable among the masses might allow them to restrain themselves somewhat and cause less trouble.

Once they rose to prominence, given their reckless temperament that knew neither heaven’s height nor earth’s depth, the possibility of them becoming arrogant… was very high.