The Good Concubine of the Qing Dynasty [Red Mansion]

“Was my son swapped?”

Madam Gao’s face changed dramatically. Hearing her daughter’s seemingly hysterical words, she was utterly shocked. How could the child have been switched?

With so many people watching, and under the eyes of all the masters in the magistrate’s household, who could have had the skill or the audacity to switch the babies?

This wasn’t some remote village, and besides, Concubine Yun was the one who gave birth later. How could the babies have been switched?

She rushed over and hugged her daughter tightly. “Ruixue, don’t scare your mother like this! You’re still young, there’s no need to rush. You see, I had you first and then your brother. You will have your own children in time.”

But Concubine Mei wouldn’t listen. She struggled to get up. “Mother, you’ve been deceived. You’ve been tricked by Yun too. That’s my son, your grandson. I gave birth to a son! You must help me get my son back!”

Madam Gao couldn’t hold back her tears, hugging her daughter tightly to prevent her from getting up and causing a scene. “Ruixue, listen to me. When have I ever harmed you? Your body hasn’t recovered yet, don’t get so agitated. Do you want to do something irreversible and then regret it later?”

Madam Gao regretted pushing her daughter forward. She knew her daughter was not steady enough, but what else could she do? She only had this one daughter—who else could she push forward?

She could only regret not intervening more in her daughter’s temperament earlier.

But Concubine Mei couldn’t hear her. In her mind, everyone had been deceived, and she had to reveal the truth. She struggled forcefully. “Mother, don’t stop me! How could you stop me? You should be helping me get my son back…”

Her words were abruptly cut off.

Because Madam Gao had raised her hand and struck her hard. “Slap—”

Then she shouted at her, “Stop saying such foolish things! You know that’s impossible!”

At that moment, perhaps because their voices were too loud, they woke up the sleeping baby. The infant began to cry, “Wah—” with eyes closed, hands reaching out from the swaddling clothes, waving in the air as if seeking comfort.

The sting on her face and the baby’s cries finally brought Concubine Mei back to her senses.

She stared blankly at the crying baby, and Madam Gao quickly turned her face to get a better look. “Ruixue, look at the baby’s face. This child looks like you. Look at her mouth, look at her ears—don’t they resemble yours?”

Concubine Mei widened her eyes, and indeed, she saw her own features reflected in the baby’s face…

Concubine Mei had no choice but to accept reality. This was her child; she had given birth to a daughter.

She looked at the child with a sense of loss. All her hopes and expectations had come to nothing. How could Yun be so lucky? Why wasn’t she the one with such good fortune?

God is unfair!

With that thought, her whole body went limp, collapsing into her mother’s arms.

Madam Gao carefully laid her daughter back down. She couldn’t understand where her daughter had just found the strength. After a thorough check, she was relieved to find that her daughter’s lower body had never left the bed.

Madam Gao let out a sigh of relief.

Lying in bed, Concubine Mei couldn’t stop her tears. She reached out, and Madam Gao leaned down to hold her, embracing her tightly.

Concubine Mei, surrounded by her mother’s scent, began to cry loudly.

It was just like when she was a little girl, crying in her mother’s arms after being wronged.

Seeing her finally letting it all out, Madam Gao’s face showed a hint of relief where her daughter couldn’t see. She wasn’t afraid of her daughter crying, but of her bottling everything up inside.

It was good to cry. After crying, she would feel better. She softly comforted her, her gaze deep and thoughtful. “There, there, I know you’ve been wronged. It’s okay, don’t cry anymore. I’m here, and I’ll help you. Trust me, don’t rush. Does your face still hurt? Let’s apply some medicine. I’ll call for Doctor Zhou to come. Be good, don’t be stubborn.”

She wondered whether this whole episode would affect her daughter’s recovery.

What a reckless situation.

Concubine Mei’s sobs gradually subsided. She listened as the baby’s cries also quieted down. Blinking away her tears, she looked over and said in a hoarse voice, “Mother, please comfort her.”

Madam Gao smiled with satisfaction, and picked up the child, showing her more clearly as she gently soothed, “Don’t cry, my little darling. Did you hear what we were saying? You’re such a good girl, so well-behaved…”

Her actions were practiced, and soon the baby stopped crying and fell back to sleep.

Concubine Mei noticed that it was unusually quiet outside. “Isn’t today supposed to be the baby’s third-day celebration?” Although it was still early, why was there no sound outside?

A third-day celebration in the Perfect’s household should be lively, shouldn’t it?

Could it be that because the baby is a girl, they didn’t even want to hold a proper third-day celebration? Thinking of this, Concubine Mei’s eyebrows furrowed.

Madam Gao shook her head. “The Old Madam has spoken. She said the third-day celebration shouldn’t be a big affair, just a small gathering with family. Guests will be invited for the full-month celebration. You need to take good care of your health. By the time the child’s full-month celebration comes, you’ll be out of confinement.”

Madam Gao knew exactly what to say to spark her daughter’s determination. “Your father will come then, and The sixth son from the Fang family and the Third Son from the Yang family will likely come as well.”

When her daughter was rejected in marriage, she endured a lot of mockery from the Sixth Son of the Fang family. When the time comes for the child’s full-month banquet, it would be a good day for her daughter to finally hold her head high in front of them.

Madam Gao knew her daughter wouldn’t want to miss such an opportunity. For this, she would cooperate fully, take her medicine, and nurture her health so she could make a radiant appearance at the full-month celebration.

As for the Third Son from the Yang family… Thinking of this man who almost became her son-in-law, Madam Gao lowered her eyes.

He was also illegitimate, but because of his silver tongue and good looks, he caught the eye of the county magistrate’s daughter, and then he hurried to the Mei family to break off the engagement.

She wondered whether he would have the face to enter the Lin residence with the county magistrate now.

Hearing these two names, fire lit up in Concubine Mei’s eyes, and she gritted her teeth. “Mother, I will take good care of my health!”

On that same day of the third-day celebration, Lin Ruhai finally decided on a nickname for the baby. He decided to take more time to think of a formal name.

He named the eldest daughter “Yingyu,” the second daughter “Luoyu,” and the eldest son “Chenyu.”

When the Old Madam learned of the names, she immediately instructed the maids with the “Yu” character in their names to change “Yu” to “Cui.”

Concubine Mei wasn’t able to see the eldest daughter’s third-day celebration, and when it came time for the twins’ third-day celebration, Yun Shuyao couldn’t see it either.

To her, it was just a matter of watching the child being taken away after falling asleep. By the time they returned, the child was dressed in new clothes and had traces of crying on her face.

This signified that the third-day celebration was over.

With the third-day celebration concluded, there were other matters to attend to. Lin Ruhai and Jia Min needed to write invitations to friends and relatives, inviting them to the baby’s full-month banquet.

Some invitations could be handled by servants, while others had to be written personally.

Their relatives were few.

The closest were the Rongguo Mansion and Lin Ruhai’s maternal family.

His maternal family was also quite distant; he had only one maternal uncle, who, a few years ago, perished in a flash flood while on official duty with his family. Fortunately, there were still two surviving bloodlines: Lin Ruhai’s cousin and a cousin’s sister.

The cousin was now serving as an official in the South, while the cousin’s sister, after marrying, had followed her husband to serve in the Northwest.

Given their situations, it was unrealistic for them to attend the full-month banquet, as the journey alone would take more than a month.

However, before the birth, they had been in communication and would send gifts ahead of time to arrive before the event.

They simply couldn’t make it in person.

Although they could not come, the invitations still needed to be sent now that the date was set.

The Old Madam inquired and confirmed that her son had already sent the invitations. She then restrained the unusual expression in her eyes.

She intended not only to change the Lin family’s fate but also the Xie family’s.

Her nephew’s fate was also unfortunate. Although he was currently serving well as an official in the south, in two years, when floods struck his posting location, he led from the front and perished.

Though the bloodline was not entirely cut off, the remaining child was still young, and the widowed mother and child faced a difficult life.

Thinking of this, she turned to her son. “Your cousin has been there for almost three years now. Do you know what his plans are when his term ends? Your uncle was the only one left, and your brothers should be closer…”

Yun Shunyao glanced at the list organized by Hongxiu and couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

Aside from the jewelry and ornaments, the Old Madam also gave her two thousand taels in silver notes and a house. According to the address on the deed, the house is located near her brother’s private school and also close to the academy. This area is known for its scholarly atmosphere, and such a house is a rare find. With a two-courtyard layout, it is clearly prepared for the Yun family.

Lin Ruhai’s gift was similarly valuable but different. He did not give a house, but he did gift Yun Shunyao farmland in Wangjia Village, which had already been transferred to her name. The land deed showed that it originally belonged to the Li landlord’s family. Since Lin Ruhai’s family is wealthy and typically wouldn’t sell such land, it was unclear how he managed to acquire it.

Yun Shunyao’s ancestral home is in Wangjia Village, and although she had wanted to buy high-quality land there, no one was willing to sell it.

Yun Shunyao: “…”

Wow, this bonus is quite surprising. She felt overwhelmed by the generosity.

Although she said she was overwhelmed, she was neither breaking the law nor making mistakes, and she had “merited” these gifts. It would be inappropriate to tell them that she couldn’t accept such things—what seemed excessive to her was not excessive to them.

So how should she handle this bonus?

The farmland was straightforward; she would have her uncle help find tenants. As for the house, she hoped it would make living more convenient for the Yun family. However, her father’s temperament would not approve, so she planned to find an opportunity to have her two younger brothers look after it for her. They could stay there when she was unable to return home.

As for the two thousand taels in silver notes, keeping the money idle in a bank account would be a waste. Even a fixed deposit would be better than a savings account.

In ancient times, there were similar investments, such as acquiring real estate, with land being the most favored by investors. This led to severe land consolidation by the later periods of each dynasty, which greatly intensified social conflicts, eventually leading to a societal reshuffle…

Yun Shunyao did not want to purchase additional land; the farmland in Wangjia Village was sufficient.

She thought about it and decided to stick to her original plan.

Her ability was wood-based, and it would be a waste not to utilize it properly.

Lin Ruhai had gone to the government office.

Anyone who saw him would know what the occasion was just by looking at the invitations they had received.

People offered their congratulations: “Congratulations to the Lord on the birth of your precious son. I will certainly be there on time!”

The gifts for the baby’s full-month celebration were significantly increased based on the original gifts, saving them from the expenses of the “thirty-day” ritual.

Even those who were not on good terms with the governor would not show their displeasure during such joyous occasions.

Who doesn’t know that the Perfect’s family had been childless for so long? Now that they finally have a precious child, anyone who causes trouble would risk true enmity.

As invitations were sent out one by one, business at the Xingtai Prefecture’s luxury stores doubled as everyone prepared congratulatory gifts for the governor’s family.

Although it was said that the governor did not accept particularly valuable gifts, one could not just bring any random item as a present…

Yun Shunyao was in confinement with limited space to move around the house, but she was well-informed.

She knew about the widespread invitations and also learned about the Old Madam’s charitable activities—offering gold statues to Buddha, distributing porridge, giving old clothes to poor families, and inviting doctors to provide free medical consultations to accumulate blessings for the child.

These activities could not be kept low-key. Everyone was curious about which family was doing good deeds and the reasons behind it.

—So it turns out that the governor’s family has welcomed a precious son!

Thus, congratulations and well-wishes were constant.

The Old Madam was finally satisfied.

The Lin family had a high threshold, making it difficult for many to enter, but the Yun family was different. As a scholar’s family, they were not a big household; they had just had a stroke of luck to achieve their current status.

No matter how envious or jealous people were behind the scenes, they all expressed their congratulations openly.

After all, this was the Perfect’s only son. The influence of his birth mother’s bedside whispers was well-known. Therefore, Yun Qingliang bought all the necessary items for the household in advance, made preparations, and closed the door to guests.

The Mei family also had visitors, but compared to the Yun family, they had only a daughter, and only they knew the feelings involved.

Regret was unavoidable, but everyone still held great expectations.

Having one child meant they could have a second.

The Mei family wished that Mei Yiniang would recover her health immediately, knowing that many were already hoping to offer women to the governor.

Compared to those high officials’ illegitimate daughters and nieces, their status had no advantage.

But fortunately, since their daughter was the firstborn, the governor would likely have special feelings for his first child, whether a boy or a girl. Even if someone did manage to offer a woman, they would still be somewhat inferior.

Yun Shunyao recovered quickly. Even though she stayed here every day, she did not feel bored, as she had two little angels to keep her company. Time passed without her noticing.

Although the two children mostly slept and showed no notable differences, she could look at them for a long time.

For this reason, Yun Shunyao felt regretful. She could not draw and wished she could capture their current appearance in a painting.

However, she could not, but their father could.

Lin Ruhai, intrigued by Yun’s suggestion, took on the task enthusiastically. Without any formal training, he began to experiment on his own—using high-quality paper and ink, he pressed their little hands and feet into the ink and then onto blank paper, leaving behind their prints.

By making records periodically, they would be able to clearly see their growth in the future.

As time went by, Yun Shunyao watched as the two children’s skin became fair and tender, and their features developed, gradually resembling the delicate, soft, milk-scented babies commonly seen in year-end reports.

She couldn’t bear to let go once she held them.

Every time the Old Madam came to see the children, she had to be urged multiple times by the nursemaids before she was willing to leave.

Lin Ruhai said he would hold his grandchild, not his own child, but when Yun Shunyao tentatively asked if he wanted to hold the baby, he immediately dismissed the servants and picked up the child himself.

At first, his movements were a bit awkward. The baby frowned in discomfort, but he quickly adjusted his hold, and the baby’s expression relaxed.

Despite this, who would believe he hadn’t observed and practiced beforehand?

Yun Shunyao thought he was probably just waiting for her to give him an opportunity.

Among the two children, Luoyu was easygoing and could be held by anyone without fussing much about discomfort. In contrast, Chenyu, who was the most deeply asleep beside Yun Shunyao, and also with the wet nurses and the nanny Xie the most, was a bit more sensitive to the atmosphere.

Therefore, to maintain his standing, Lin Ruhai made sure to hold the baby every time. If he didn’t, the next time he tried, the baby might frown.

Yun Shunyao was pleased by this.

The gender of the baby wasn’t up to her. Undoubtedly, Chenyu stood out.

But even if he did, she couldn’t just change his gender to female.

Yun Shunyao was also puzzled. The Old Madam visited the two babies every day, showing extreme reluctance and affection. It wouldn’t have been surprising if she had suggested moving the babies to her Courtyard for raising.

But she preferred coming to the Lanxin Courtyard herself and never suggested moving the babies.

Yun Shunyao wondered if it was to avoid embarrassing Jia Min if she did that.

Or was there another reason?

Yun Shunyao wasn’t sure.

But since she was the one benefiting, she said nothing.

With the Old Madam, Lin Ruhai’s people, and her own presence, the two children should be well protected.

Less than half a month after giving birth to the twins, her ability had already advanced to Level 2.

The change from Level 1 to Level 2 was not drastic; it only meant she had a bit more strength. However, Yun Shunyao believed that Level 3 was not far off.

By the time she reached Level 4, her wood-based ability would no longer be trivial.

According to Yun Shunyao’s estimation, she would reach Level 4 within a year at the latest.

The first three levels were relatively easy to surpass; the difficulty lay in the levels beyond.

Nurse Li, observing the time, reminded the Old Madam that it was almost time for her to chant scriptures.

Reluctantly, the Old Madam withdrew her hand and instructed the wet nurse, “Take good care of the eldest young master.”

The wet nurse was used to the Old Madam’s ways and responded with ease.

The Old Madam returned in a sedan chair.

Back at the Pine and Cypress Courtyard, Nurse Li couldn’t help but ask, “Old Madam, should we bring the eldest young master over after the full moon?”

The Old Madam visited the eldest young master every day, and she couldn’t sleep well if she didn’t see him.

Given the Old Madam’s status, it seemed excessive to visit a concubine’s courtyard every day to see the child. While it could be justified as a concern for the baby’s health, would it continue after the full moon?

Bringing the child over directly would solve the problem once and for all. It would be beneficial for the future of the illegitimate son to be raised by the Old Madam.

Looking at the impassive Buddha statue on the altar, the Old Madam replied, “Don’t ask. I have my own considerations.”

Every night before bed, she offered incense to the ancestors, praying for their blessing to raise her grandson and change the Lin family’s fate of having no descendants.

She had considered bringing the child to her Pine and Cypress Courtyard for better care, but the Old Madam had a hidden concern—she had already passed away in her dreams.

Babies were said to have keen vision and might see things that adults could not.

What if bringing the child close caused harm to him?

The Old Madam was unwilling to take that risk.

She would rather endure daily fatigue.

Once the child was older and could go out, it would not be too late to have him come over to pay his respects.

Nurse Li fell silent.

Continuing the discussion would be overstepping.

Because the three children in the household were born on consecutive days, the Old Madam, Lin Ruhai, and Jia Min could clearly discern the differences among them.

The eldest daughter, being the firstborn, was the lightest and weakest. Fortunately, with Doctor Zhou’s care, it was evident that she was drinking more milk each day and her cries were growing stronger, instilling growing confidence that she would thrive.

The second daughter, being the older of the twins, was born with a similar weight to her brother, but she inherited Yun’s good appetite. As a result, she had already begun to pull ahead of her brother. With her chubby, round face and the way she waved her little arms like lotus roots, revealing her toothless smile, few could resist her charm—including Jia Min.

The eldest son, born last, had a comparatively different situation from his two sisters. He was in the middle and seemed to have a quieter temperament—this was only when he was in a good mood. When he was unhappy, his cries were even louder than his sisters’.

Sometimes, Lin Ruhai would tell Yun Shunyao about the situation with the twins, and Yun Shunyao would express concern. Once she knew there were no issues, she would say no more, as talking too much might make others think she had ulterior motives.

She knew she had none, but she couldn’t control what others thought.

Moreover, Yun Shunyao thought about her colleague’s temperament and wondered how displeased she might be with her now.

She also wondered how her colleague spoke about her when Lin Ruhai visited.

She was curious to know what Lin Ruhai might reveal, but considering Lin Ruhai’s charming and graceful demeanor, it seemed he was all appearance and wit. Yun Shunyao didn’t think she had the cleverness to extract anything from him and decided to give up.

Anyway, once her confinement period was over, she would be able to gauge her colleagues’ attitudes from their behavior, which would be a more reliable indicator.

The invitations were rushed to the Rongguo Mansion in the capital.

Jia Mu looked at the letter and couldn’t help but frown.

In the letter from Nurse Qian, she saw how the Old Madam of the Lin family behaved during childbirth, and Jia Mu frowned. Was this how they viewed the Jia family—like thieves to be guarded against?

Or had the Lin family become more powerful since the old duke’s passing?

Jia Mu, with a stern face, thought that the Jia family had not yet experienced a complete cooling of reception. Her eldest son was still a first-rank general!

The Lin family was only a fourth-rank family!

She only regretted that her daughter had not been happy for so long and could not seek an explanation from the Lin family.

Now that they had an illegitimate daughter and an illegitimate son, things were different. Boys, unlike girls who could grow up and be married off with a dowry. If they weren’t raised from a young age, they could become ungrateful beneficiaries of the inheritance. Thinking of this made Jia Mu’s expression darken slightly before she gradually softened.

Children are often subject to many misfortunes; it’s not wise to make a final judgment too early.

If the daughter didn’t succeed in the next two years, she would have to send someone to bear children on her behalf. Regardless of the circumstances, the next generation of the Lin family needed to carry the Jia family’s bloodline.

The urgent task now was for the daughter to get pregnant quickly. Only with her own child could the relationship between the Jia and Lin families be maintained.

Thinking about the unusual situation of both concubines being pregnant at the same time, Jia Mu could not help but ponder.

She had already consulted the astrologers about their birth dates, but there was nothing particularly notable. Perhaps the issue lay with the mysterious Master?

Unfortunately, despite searching through connections, she still couldn’t find anyone to help.

Never mind. There was no use in dwelling on it.

She made up her mind and quickly wrote a letter, instructing that it be sent out immediately and that the reply should be brought back.

After some consideration, Jia Mu decided to use this favor, hoping for a good outcome.

Then she summoned Jia She.

Since they were no longer in mourning and had no taboos, and her eldest son wasted his days in idleness, it was a good opportunity for him to make the trip.

Jia She was puzzled about why his mother had called him. Everything seemed fine, and he hadn’t done anything out of line recently.

Jia Mu wasted no time: “Your sister has been childless for so many years. Now, though she finally has an illegitimate child, you never know what people might think. You need to go and support your sister, and tell the Lin family that the Jia family is not to be underestimated.”

Jia She’s first reaction was to shake his head. The journey was long and arduous, and he could be doing something more productive with his time.

He argued: “Mother, since my sister finally has an illegitimate child, it’s a joyous occasion, and we should prepare a generous gift.”

Jia Mu was infuriated; this fool really thought it was a joyous occasion?

“Do you know this is a son of a concubine? Even the concubine will be trying to overshadow your sister!”

Jia She scoffed: “How dare she! She’s just a concubine. Mother, you’re underestimating my sister.”

Seeing Jia Mu’s angry expression, he hesitated and suggested: “Why not let Second Brother go instead? He’s younger.”

Jia Mu snorted, losing her patience: “Are you going or not? If you’re not, fine, I’ll go myself!” Saying this, she directly instructed the maids and servants to pack things up.

Send the second son? He’s not like the eldest son, who only holds a nominal position; he has just taken up his post in the Ministry of Works. How could he take a long leave? Wouldn’t that hinder his career?

Since she had said so, Jia She had no choice but to reluctantly agree. He couldn’t really let the old lady go on a long journey at her age, or he’d be blamed for it.

He lowered his head in frustration: “I understand. I’ll go, but old lady, I won’t be able to make it for the full month celebration.”

Seeing that he had agreed, Jia Mu’s mood improved a bit: “I’m not asking you to go directly to your sister’s place. First, return to Jinling to offer sacrifices to our ancestors, and check on the ancestral fields and the other relatives. You can visit your sister on the way back. I’ll tell you the details tomorrow. Now, go and have things packed. You should leave the day after tomorrow.”

Noticing his reluctance, Jia Mu didn’t want to delay and feared he might change his mind.

As for the full-month celebration, it was definitely too late. Jia Mu hadn’t intended for her son to attend it. Why should he attend the full month celebration of a son born to a concubine?

Were they even worthy?

Once her daughter had a son, there would be no need for the illegitimate child anymore. There was no point in wasting effort on it.