2.19 The Mandarins Arrive at the Door

Volume Two
2.19 The Mandarin Ducks Pay a Visit

Lin Rui had originally thought he could rest for a couple of days, but he had miscalculated.

Early the next morning, just after he had arranged for the delivery of all of Lin Ruhai’s letters — less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, precisely at ten o’clock — a servant at the door reported that there was a visitor.

Puzzled, he went to the door and found that the visitor was a somewhat familiar face.

“Brother Anping, sorry to trouble you again!” Jia Lian greeted him with repeated bows as soon as Lin Rui stepped outside.

It must be said that today, at least in terms of appearance and courtesy, he lived up to his noble lineage.

“Brother Lian, is there something you need?” Lin Rui waved him inside while casting a curious glance at the sedan chair following behind — it was carried by two men, an ordinary sedan chair, yet it accompanied the legitimate heir of the Rongguo Mansion. Something about it felt off.

Sedan chairs had their own ranks, usually measured by the number of bearers: two bearers for commoners, four bearers for ordinary officials — such as when marrying a minor official — and the so-called “eight-bearer grand sedan” was typically reserved for officials of the third rank or higher.

There were rare exceptions: sixteen bearers for Emperor Qianlong’s western campaigns, twenty-eight for the “Imperial Procession Painting,” thirty-two for the legendary Zhang Juzheng’s carriage, and the most extravagant, sixty-four bearers for Hong Xiuquan. But such examples were beyond normal discussion.

If Jia Lian had come personally, and the person with him was Wang Xifeng, the sedan chair should at least have four bearers.

Most importantly, if they were formally paying a visit, they would have sent a formal invitation card first.

But there was none.

“Please excuse me, Brother Anping, for the intrusion,” Jia Lian said with a smile, noticing Lin Rui’s suspicion. “Our matriarch heard that auntie has returned, so she sent Miss Yuanyang herself to deliver the invitation. As for me, I am merely here to stand as a formality.”

“Please come in!” Lin Rui was momentarily taken aback but quickly gestured for them to be led directly into the inner residence.

Two robust women servants stepped forward to take the sedan chair and swiftly carried it away.

“Thank you, Brother Anping!” Jia Lian said apologetically. “I know you and auntie and younger sister have had a difficult journey. I didn’t want to disturb you, but our matriarch is deeply longing. Had it not been inappropriate last night, the invitation would have come directly.”

“Not at all!” Lin Rui smiled as he led him into the main hall. These two were representatives of Grandmother Jia. “I myself am exhausted from the journey. I only intended to inform the old madam first, planning to visit her with my wife in a few days once things settle down.”

“Oh, there’s no need for such formality among family,” Jia Lian waved his hand casually. “Besides, it’s only a short walk from here to our mansion, less than a quarter of an hour on foot. Just pick a good day, send word ahead, and come on over.”

Hanlin Street, known as the “Civil Officials’ Quarter,” was indeed not far from Ningrong Street, one of the core areas for noble families, about two li away.

“That’s true,” Lin Rui smiled lightly but didn’t respond further.

“Have you made any plans for the next few days, Brother Anping?” Jia Lian spoke politely but got down to business, “I have nothing much to do and often hang out with some friends. Now that you’re here, it’s good to have another brother around.”

“Thanks, Brother Lian!” Lin Rui immediately stood and bowed respectfully, knowing this was an invitation into their circle. “Unfortunately, I can’t move about freely for now. I just arranged for letters prepared by Uncle Lin before his passing to be sent out today. I fear—”

Jia Lian’s expression suddenly changed.

“I was too hasty,” he quickly stood and bowed toward the south. “It’s a pity matters are so urgent. I didn’t even manage to attend the late uncle’s funeral. Truly my fault, my fault!”

“I did not hold a funeral for Uncle Lin, nor was he even buried here,” Lin Rui shook his head wryly and explained amid Jia Lian’s incredulous gaze. “After all, he met with an unexpected fate while in office, and the court has yet to give an explanation. After discussing with my wife, we brought him to the capital for burial.”

Jia Lian was stunned.

He was no fool; surely, he understood this reasoning.

“In that case, I won’t ask further,” he finally said seriously after a long pause. “If you need anything, just say the word. I won’t claim to have much influence in the capital, but I can still call on a few brothers to help.”

“No hurry,” Lin Rui hesitated briefly but decided to mention it, “To be honest, Brother Lian, I’ve already sent letters to old acquaintances today. We must wait for definite replies before proceeding. I’m afraid I won’t have time to visit for a while.”

Jia Lian’s expression grew serious as he rose and began pacing in the hall.

“Are you confident in your arrangements?” he asked cautiously after some time. “Our mansion may have its limits, but we have some influence in court. If necessary, we could reach out through the Wang family’s connections. You shouldn’t be stuck without options.”

“Thanks, Brother Lian, but no need for that yet,” Lin Rui shook his head. “To be honest, the letters Uncle Lin left are all for his circle of civil officials. I even donated a subordinate official, titled ‘Deputy Magistrate of Yangzhou,’ so it wouldn’t be appropriate for the mansion to intervene.”

Since Jia Lian was being so courteous, Lin Rui didn’t want to beat around the bush and risk disappointing both sides.

“Understood. I won’t say more then,” Jia Lian nodded and stood up. “Well, that’s all for today. I’m just here to stand in support. I suppose auntie has already discussed things with Miss Yuanyang. We’ll meet again when there’s time!”

Lin Rui smiled, stood, bowed, and accompanied him out the door.

He didn’t invite him to stay for a meal; after all, today’s business was merely about delivering letters, and it wasn’t mealtime.

As for Yuanyang, that was a matter concerning Jia Min in the rear residence, and he didn’t feel it appropriate to inquire further.

Though a maidservant by status, Yuanyang personally attended to Grandmother Jia. Without resorting to the usual nonsense about “even the smallest cats and dogs must be respected,” her situation was special — akin to a modern-day chief secretary, the true “inner housekeeper” of the Rongguo Mansion.

Frankly, she knew at least seventy or eighty percent of the Jia family’s affairs, a knowledge even Jia She and Jia Zheng might not match, because Grandmother Jia’s desire for power was so strong that she tightly controlled many matters, unwilling to delegate.

Especially when it came to the mansion’s internal diplomacy.

This was both a blessing and a curse for Yuanyang. The benefit was her high status — even Jia Lian had to address her politely as “Miss.” The drawback was being locked into this circle, completely bound to the Jia family, with no room for maneuver.

Born a Jia family member, she could only ever be a Jia ghost in death. There was basically no chance for her to “escape.” If she dared to act independently, she would likely not survive beyond the next day because she knew too much.

Therefore, when Lin Rui heard it was Yuanyang, he had no intention of meeting her again, precisely to avoid suspicion.

Unexpectedly, just as he prepared to return and continue tidying up, he saw Xueyan running over.

“What is it?” he asked, puzzled.

“Master, our lady requests your presence,” the maid hurriedly explained. “It’s something important.”

“Now?” Lin Rui was taken aback. “What could it be? Isn’t she talking with Yuanyang?”

“It’s with the Miss Yuanyang who just arrived,” Xueyan nodded. “It concerns the Rongguo Mansion.”

At this point, no matter how puzzled he was, he had to go.

Since there were no outsiders present, he didn’t bother with the usual formalities and went straight into the inner residence.

“Greetings, Madam!” With others present, Lin Rui was careful. “May I ask—”

“Yuanyang, you explain it,” Jia Min smiled and waved her hand.

“Your servant greets Master Rui!” Yuanyang first bowed gracefully, then spoke seriously. “Our matriarch understands that your household is busy and that Master cannot leave, so she wishes to invite Lady Gu and Miss Lin to stay for a few days, as family.”

Lin Rui immediately sensed something was amiss.

This was something Jia Min could have decided on her own, but she had called him in, which meant she intended to refuse.

“I’m afraid we must decline the old madam’s kindness,” he replied straightforwardly. “To be honest, our place is still a mess. Nothing has been properly settled, and my wife must be here to oversee things. The front of the house is easy enough—I can handle that—but the rear residence and garden are managed by my wife and Miss Lin. I can’t just take charge myself. Besides, there are so few people at home now that even the servants are borrowed from the Xue family for the time being. Recruiting more help isn’t my decision alone.”

Yuanyang was clearly stunned, not expecting such an answer.

But she was no fool. After a moment’s thought, she understood Jia Min’s meaning.

“Very well, I have spoken too much!” She rose and bowed. “The invitation has been delivered, and the matriarch is awaiting a reply. I shall return and convey Lady Gu’s decision.”

Jia Min smiled as she stood and nodded, seeing her out the door.

“What’s going on?” Lin Rui asked after Yuanyang’s sedan chair had left the rear residence.

“I’m not yet in a position to return,” Jia Min’s smile faded. “At least not until you have some clarity. Our mansion is complicated; it’s not convenient to discuss more. Just know this: your position is a matter of my face.”

“Isn’t that just flattering one and disparaging another?” Lin Rui chuckled bitterly. “You mean the second lady of the Wang family?”

At this point, if he still failed to see the discord between this beautiful woman and Madam Wang, it would be an insult to his intelligence. Moreover, there was the reference of Miss Lin’s reception upon entering the Jia household in the Dream of the Red Chamber.

When a niece visits, neither of the two uncles shows up — quite telling.

Jia Min’s expression stiffened.

“You just keep that to yourself, don’t say it out loud.” After a moment, she glared at him in silent admonition. “I hear you’ve already sent out the letters? Well, that’s good. We should hear some replies in the coming days. Let’s wait.”

“I wasn’t lying to Yuanyang just now; our house really needs tidying,” Lin Rui nodded. “Especially in terms of manpower. I can’t have the few personal guards I brought from the front doing everything. They’re good at fighting but poor at handling social affairs.”

“I’ll send people to inquire in the next few days, see how many of the old retainers are willing to come over,” Jia Min’s expression grew complicated. “After all these years, I don’t know how they are.”

“Arrange it,” Lin Rui said, stepping forward to embrace her, the words carrying a double meaning. “Don’t let it drag on too long.”

Jia Min suddenly pushed him away and hurried back to the inner chambers.