Red Mansion and Crimson Pearl

Chapter 199 I Want to Take the Imperial Examination

Daiyu took Xiaohong and Chu Kua and hurried to Rongguo Mansion.

Grandmother Jia had been unconscious for a long time. Yuanyang stayed at the foot of the bed, her eyes swollen from crying. At the head of the bed was Baoyu, who looked very sad.

As for Jia Zheng, whose leg was broken, he was carried directly into Jia's mother's room. He stayed outside, talking quietly with Jia She and sighing. Three unfamiliar men of different ages, Jia Huan and Jia Cong also stood by, silent.

Li Wan, with the young Jia Lan, Qiaojie, Shi Xiangyun and Jia Xichun, sat around the bed and cried.

Mrs. Xing and Wang Xifeng were busy discussing various matters together.

When the people outside saw Daiyu coming, they hurried inside to report it.

Daiyu did not wait for anyone to come out, and walked quickly into the room. She knelt down hastily to Jia She, Jia Zheng and others, called out "Uncle, second uncle", and without saying anything else, went straight to the inner room.

Wang Xifeng was quick on her feet and had already come out. She took Daiyu's hand and said, "Greetings, Princess," and then immediately whispered to her:

"We went to ask for the imperial physician, but Imperial Physician Wang said he was on a business trip and not in Beijing. The one who prescribed medicine for the old lady last time was not here either. The one who came said to prepare for the funeral..."

Daiyu felt her eyes go dark, her body swayed, and she clutched Wang Xifeng's hand tightly. She calmed herself for a moment, looked at herself with a sharp gaze, and asked in a low voice:

"The chief physician of the Imperial Hospital refused to come? Or did he not see anyone at all?"

"No one was seen."

Daiyu paused and called out to someone outside: "Chu Qian!"

Chu Qian, who was a eunuch and had tactfully stayed in the courtyard and did not enter the room, came in and bowed with his arms folded: "What do you want, Princess?"

"Take my cousin to the Imperial Hospital and ask the chief physician to spare some time to see my grandmother." Daiyu straightened her back and spoke in a clear voice.

Chu Qian agreed.

Daiyu then said to Jia Huan, "This is the eunuch the Empress Dowager gave me yesterday. His surname is Chu. He is more familiar with the Imperial Hospital. You should go with him and be sure to ask the old director to come in person."

Everyone was surprised and happy.

Jia Huan took one look at the gentle and silent Chu Qian and felt a chill on his back. He quickly forced a smile, followed the other person's footsteps, and almost trotted out.

Daiyu entered the inner room and greeted everyone first, then looked at Jia's mother, who was lying on the bed with silver hair, a sallow complexion and closed eyes. Her eyes turned red and she couldn't help but shed tears.

"Sister Lin..." Baoyu couldn't help but opened his mouth, but his voice was hoarse and unpleasant.

Daiyu raised her head and looked over while wiping her tears.

The young man who had always been handsome, gentle and innocent in my previous life now looked thin and tired, with dark circles around his lips, as if he had become an adult in the blink of an eye.

"Hello, Second Brother Bao." Lin Daiyu stood up and bowed slightly, as if to say a greeting. "I was surprised that I didn't see Second Brother Bao outside."

Everyone was silent.

In the first half of this year, Baoyu celebrated his sixteenth birthday. He really shouldn't stay in this inner room where only women can stay. Besides, Jia Huan, Jia Cong and others are all outside.

Baoyu also understood what Daiyu meant, and left Jia's bedside, bowed to Daiyu and said, "Yes, I was just about to leave.

“I heard a while ago that my sister was crowned a princess, but I haven’t congratulated you yet.

"When you and I were young, we played together. At that time, my brothers and sisters all advised me to study hard and pass the imperial examinations in the future to bring honor to our family.

"You were the only one who didn't say that. I thought you knew as well as I did that with such a family background, we just needed to be reasonable and didn't need to be officials.

“But now it seems that I was wrong.

"Sister has long understood that this world is just a dream. These past few decades have been a period of cultivation. The blood and tears of half a lifetime are nothing but tribulations."

Baoyu's words made everyone change color. Even Jia She, who walked to the door of the inner room to listen quietly, couldn't help but nervously grabbed his beard.

"I have studied hard for more than three years, and my teacher said that I have the talent to succeed. Next year, I will go and try it with a few brothers and nephews.

"My feet have already stepped on the ground, and I will experience the ups and downs of life. Success or failure, honor or disgrace, life or death, disaster or happiness, I am ready.

"Sister, take care of yourself. I can't take care of you."

After saying this, he bowed to the ground, lowered his head, and walked out.

Daiyu turned around and stared at his back. When she saw the door curtain falling behind him, she suddenly said softly, "Brother Yu, goodbye."

Baoyu was outside the door curtain, his body trembled, and then he closed his eyes tightly. He felt his hands in his sleeves go numb, and after bending and stretching and loosening his grip several times, he regained some consciousness.

When he opened his eyes, Jia She looked worriedly in the face: "Brother Bao, the old gods are all liars, don't be fooled by the crazy words of your master Jing and those monks and Taoists!"

Baoyu smiled and said, "Yes, that's what the master said. I'll keep it in mind."

In the inner room, Shi Xiangyun stared at Daiyu for a long while before she asked her softly, "Sister Lin, do you know that our second brother hasn't spoken to us for half a year?

"I heard from Musk Moon that he hasn't said a single word for more than ten days."

That's why my voice becomes so hoarse when I open my mouth.

Daiyu said nothing.

Shi Xiangyun sighed and lowered her head: "You and my second brother are both very good to me. I hope you can still talk and laugh, and make noise like when you were little. The ancestors will be happy, and everyone will be happy."

"Sister Yun, times have changed. Even you can't go back to the past, let alone us?" Daiyu said indifferently, looking at Yuanyang, "What's going on with grandma?"

Yuanyang wiped her tears and choked up, "The other day, the imperial decree came down, saying that we should go to the palace to see the imperial concubine. The old lady was so happy that she couldn't sleep well for two nights.

"She complained of a headache when she woke up early the day she went there. I cleared her head and it only made her feel better. I had advised her not to go, but the old lady just wouldn't go.

"When he came back that day, he lay down and said he felt uncomfortable, with a headache and stuffy nose. He immediately went to see a doctor, who said it was just a minor cold and nothing serious.

"I took the medicine and sweated, but I still didn't get better. I changed the imperial physician, but he said it was due to the exhaustion of heart blood and liver and spleen.

"I changed the prescription again, and after taking the medicine, I fell into a coma. I asked the imperial physician, but he said that the old lady was dying, and asked me to prepare for her funeral..."

As Yuanyang said this, she couldn't help crying again.

Daiyu fell silent.

It must be that during this visit to the palace, Lady Jia and Yuanchun talked about many important matters, which provoked the old lady into such a state.

"Yuanyang, stop crying." Mrs. Xing looked at Daiyu's cold and silent appearance, thought for a moment, and told Li Wan, "You have been watching all night, you go back to see Lang'er first. Feng Yatou should also go back to see Qiaojie'er.

"Girl Yun and the fourth girl should go back and take a nap first. I will call you later if there is anything else after the Imperial Hospital comes to see you.

"Since Sister Lin is here, please sit with me for a while. When the old lady wakes up, she will be happy to see your granddaughter. Once she is happy, she may get better!"

Everyone looked at each other and didn't dare to agree.

Outside, Jia She discussed the matter quietly with Jia Zheng.

Jia Zheng suddenly snorted and said, "Since we are waiting for the old lady to wake up, why don't we let her grandchildren stay by her bedside?"