Red Chamber 11

Mother Liu was so delighted by Liu Zhong's words that she beamed, saying, "You still need to marry someone you like. You child, don't be shy; tell me, what kind of wife are you looking for?"

Liu Zhong replied, "As long as she is virtuous, I have no other requirements."

Mother Liu asked, "Not even regarding her appearance?"

Liu Zhong said, "I am not like my second younger brother, who is obsessed with marrying a beauty."

Mother Liu couldn't help but snort, "Compared to you, your brother is truly a handful. Could it be that because of beauty, he doesn't even care about the girl's family background or status? When he grows up, I will discipline him strictly and never let him set foot in those pleasure quarters."

Father Liu nodded in agreement from the side.

Both of them were truly afraid that Liu Xianglian would marry a courtesan from a brothel just for the sake of her looks.

Liu Zhong asked, "Where is my second younger brother? Why don't I see him?"

Mother Liu replied, "He went to the Rongguo Mansion and is staying the night there."

Liu Zhong let out an "oh"; it must have been Jia Lian who invited him.

Liu Zhong said, "Mother, there is no rush to look for a wife for me. Let's wait until I pass the imperial examinations and become a jinshi. By then, the range of candidates will be much broader."

Once he became a jinshi, the status of the wife he could marry would also be higher.

Father and Mother Liu realized this as well, so they decided to put off the search for Liu Zhong's wife until he had passed the examinations.

The metropolitan examination would take place in three years, by which time Liu Zhong would not yet be twenty.

Mother Liu's actions were as swift as lightning; the very next day, she sent away all the maidservants in the household who had developed ulterior motives.

Those who had families were sent back to them, and those without were directly betrothed to the manservants in the estate, waiting only for their wedding days.

Mother Liu did not treat them unfairly, giving each of them twenty taels of silver as a dowry.

Those maidservants wept and wailed, but they could not move Lady Jia Shi, and could only leave with great reluctance.

This move frightened the other maidservants in the estate.

Knowing that neither Mother Liu nor Liu Zhong would take a maid as a concubine, they gave up their fantasies and dared not approach Liu Zhong again.

Life on the Liu family side was very peaceful, while the Rongguo Mansion was bustling with activity.

The stream of visitors coming to offer congratulations was endless, and the Four Kings and Eight Dukes, as well as the Twelve Marquises, all hinted at their desire to arrange a marriage with Jia Hu.

Jia Hu, unable to stand being stared at like a monkey, simply ran to the Liu residence to seek some peace and quiet.

Liu Zhong teased him, "Aren't you afraid that your elders will take advantage of your absence to betroth you to someone you don't like?"

Jia Hu shook his head, "Grandfather won't easily settle my marriage. Grandfather's view is that the Four Kings and Eight Dukes and the Twelve Marquises are already viewed with suspicion by the Emperor, so we cannot intermarry further."

Liu Zhong said, "Your grandfather sees things clearly."

Jia Hu said worriedly, "Grandfather's health is getting worse and worse; I fear he won't last another two years."

Liu Zhong patted Jia Hu on the shoulder to comfort him, but said nothing.

Jia Daishan had already lived longer now than he did in the original story.

Being able to see his favorite and most valued eldest grandson achieve academic success was enough for Jia Daishan.

Liu Zhong and Jia Hu stayed in the capital for half a year before setting off south again to participate in the provincial examinations.

Both of them were on the list once more.

Jia Hu placed first again, becoming the jieren.

Although Liu Zhong did not achieve the top spot, he was still within the top ten.

When the news reached the capital, the Rongguo Mansion was once again filled with guests.

Jia Daishan had Jia Zheng and Jia She receive the guests; his health was poor, and he needed to rest and could not be disturbed.

Without the head of the family stepping forward, even those who had the intention of marrying their granddaughters or daughters to Jia Hu could not bring it up.

After all, Jia She, the biological father, could not make decisions for his son.

Lady Jia Shi, as the grandmother, naturally did not have much say in the matter.

At this time, the Emperor summoned Jia Daishan to the palace to keep him company.

When Jia Daishan entered the palace, he found that the Fourth Prince was still the one accompanying the Emperor.

Ever since the rebellion of the crown prince, the Emperor's physical and mental health had been declining day by day.

Jia Daishan had not been to the palace for a long time, and seeing the Emperor again, he found that he had aged significantly.

The Emperor kept the Fourth Prince by his side; was he grooming the Fourth Prince as his successor?

Jia Daishan glanced at the Fourth Prince before withdrawing his gaze, sitting opposite the Emperor as they chatted about the past.

Both of them were old now, and as they talked about bygone days, they were filled with nostalgia.

As they spoke, the Emperor brought up Jia Hu.

"I heard that your eldest grandson has passed four examinations in a row?"

Jia Daishan replied cautiously, "Yes, that is correct."

The Emperor said, "Very good. I hope he can pass the next two as well, and bring me the auspicious omen of a six-fold success."

Jia Daishan hurriedly said, "The child still has shortcomings, I fear he may not meet Your Majesty's expectations."

The Emperor laughed and said, "If I say he can meet them, then he can."

Jia Daishan said no more; since the Emperor had spoken, Jia Hu would undoubtedly place first in the metropolitan examination.

Even if Jia Hu's exam paper had flaws, the examiners would ensure he became the top scholar.

The Emperor spoke again, "Daishan, your eldest grandson is not yet betrothed, is he?"

"He is not," Jia Daishan replied.

The Emperor said, "In that case, I shall act as his matchmaker and settle a wife for him."

Jia Daishan hurriedly said, "Everything shall be as Your Majesty decides."

The Emperor smiled and pointed to the Fourth Prince standing nearby, "My fourth son's legitimate daughter is fourteen this year, just the right age for your eldest grandson. How about I betroth her to your family as a granddaughter-in-law?"

What could Jia Daishan do?

Naturally, he agreed with "great joy."

This was imperial favor.

And yet...

Jia Daishan suppressed his thoughts.

The Fourth Prince was likely to be the next emperor; if his grandson married the prince's daughter, he would become the son-in-law of the new emperor, and the Rongguo Mansion would be considered the new emperor's people.

In the future, when the imperial family sought to purge the Four Kings and Eight Dukes, the Rongguo Mansion might be able to escape unscathed.

Thinking of this, Jia Daishan's gratitude became much more sincere.

The Fourth Prince was quite satisfied with this imperial marriage arrangement.

Not to mention Jia Daishan's connections within the military, the Fourth Prince also held Jia Hu himself in high regard.

Having learned of Jia Hu's existence from the conversation between the Emperor and Jia Daishan earlier, the Fourth Prince had begun to pay attention to him.

He discovered that Jia Hu was truly outstanding—one could say he was talented in both civil and military affairs, with a good character, steady and resourceful. In the military, he was general material; in civil service, he was a reserve candidate for prime minister.

The Fourth Prince had immediately formed the idea of making Jia Hu his son-in-law and had leaked the information to his Fourth Prince Consort.

The Fourth Prince Consort had approached the matter from the perspective of the inner court, inquiring about Jia Hu's background. The results left her very satisfied, and she praised her husband's keen eye.

When news of Jia Hu placing first in the provincial examination reached the capital, the Fourth Prince Consort could no longer sit still. She wanted to finalize the marriage between her daughter and Jia Hu as soon as possible, fearing that if they were a step too late, Jia Hu would be snatched up by another family.

Nowadays, Jia Hu was the most sought-after prize in aristocratic circles; countless families wanted such a young talent with a visibly bright future as their son-in-law.

The Four Kings and Eight Dukes were deeply connected, and relying on these ties, they had a much greater chance of intermarrying with the Jia family.

The Fourth Prince Consort had therefore gone to find the Fourth Prince.