Chapter 4: Grandmother Jia Becomes Ill

  Daiyu raised an eyebrow and looked calmly at Grandmother Jia, indicating that she should continue.

  "Princess, seeing you reminds me of my Mian'er. Poor Mian'er left us too early." Lady Jia took out her handkerchief and began to wipe away tears. Daiyu was the most tender-hearted and also the one who cared about Jia Mian the most. This was exactly what Lady Jia had gambled on.

  "Mother has been gone for a long time. She left very peacefully, very quietly." And then she mentioned Zhen Shiyin again, Daiyu's mouth corners rose with a bloodthirsty smile.

  Seeing Daiyu's smile, Grandmother Jia was taken aback. Every time she mentioned Jiamin, Daiyu would burst into tears and then agree to whatever she said. What's going on this time? Why is she smiling?

  "Yu'er, what's wrong with you? Don't scare your great-grandmother," said Grandmother Jia anxiously.

  "It's okay, Mother must be watching me from heaven, so I have to live happily, this won't make her worry." Recalling the love and care that Lady Wang had for Lin Daiyu in the past, Lin Daiyu said sincerely. As she spoke, she looked up at the sky again, as if she could really see Lady Wang's soul.

  "Yu'er, your grandmother is getting old, why don't you come and keep her company? It's for the sake of your mother." Old Lady Jia looked at Daiyu with a sorrowful expression. If Daiyu hadn't already understood Old Lady Jia's true nature, she would have definitely fallen for it, after all this woman was too good at acting.

  Daiyu remained silent for half a day, coldly staring at Grandmother Jia, making her feel uneasy in her heart. This gaze was so terrifying that it sent chills down to the bottom of one's heart.

  "My poor Xiang'er!" Old Lady Jia exclaimed, slapping her thigh and bursting into tears, giving the impression that she was overcome with emotion at the thought of her daughter.

  "Yes, Mother is indeed very miserable. She has been living in the Jia Mansion for seventeen years, being schemed against and finally sold to Ama. Grandmother said it right, such a mother is really too pitiful."

  Mrs. Jia heard this and stared at Daiyu with her mouth agape, unwilling to believe what she was hearing. What did she know? No, she couldn't have known anything, or else she wouldn't be treating herself like this. "Yu'er, how can you say such things about your maternal family? I love Min'er dearly, she's my only biological daughter."

  "Grandmother's love is something that no one can bear. Daiyu gazed at Lady Wang with profound meaning, your love is just a means to use all those so-called loved ones to achieve your own purposes, regardless of selling out sons and daughters, ruining the happiness of children, just for the sake of being the high-ranking matriarch of the family."

  The atmosphere in the room was a bit awkward for a moment, and no one spoke again. Wang Xifeng saw that things were not going well, so she came out and said, "Princess, Old Lady also has good intentions. The sisters in the house have been with you for so long, they miss you too, Princess, don't you want to go back and see them?"

  Lin Daiyu gave Wang Xifeng a faint glance, using sisterly affection to scheme against herself? Is there really pure sisterly love in the Jia household? Ying Chun's dullness, Tan Chun's self-abasement, Xi Chun's sharpness, and Shi Xiangyun's hostility... everything is just calculation after stripping away the mist. And what's more, was it ever truly about sisterhood? Thinking of that pampered young master Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu's gaze at Wang Xifeng took on a chill.

  "Actually, I am an only child, without any brothers or sisters. After being conferred as a princess by the Emperor, I suddenly have many brothers and sisters." Daiyu calmly looked at Wang Xifeng, her status as a servant not worthy of getting close to herself.

  Wang Xifeng's heart skipped a beat, and she thought it was extremely presumptuous for someone of Daiyu's status to try to curry favor with her. She suddenly remembered Jia Yu saying that Daiyu was cold and unfeeling, and felt somewhat embarrassed, so she retreated back behind Old Lady Jia.

  "Yu'er, don't you really want to go and take a look at your maternal grandmother's home?"

  "Lin Daiyu has her mother and a home, why does she need to go live with her maternal grandmother? What would outsiders think of her mother and the entire Qing imperial court? Doesn't the noble and illustrious princess have a place to live? Can she only go live in a servant's house?" Lin Daiyu smiled faintly, reminding Grandmother Jia of the Jia family's status and her own lofty position. By blood, Grandmother Jia was Lin Daiyu's maternal grandmother, but when Lady Jia married into the Lin family, they had already entered the banner system and cut off all ties with the Jia family. There was no reason for Grandmother Jia to make a fuss like this. Besides, what logic is there in a master living in a servant's house?

  Mrs. Jia was at a loss for words, as Daiyu's words were all correct and there was indeed no such reason; if Lin Ruhai had died, she could still coerce Daiyu into staying with her by virtue of being her paternal grandmother. Now that Lin Ruhai was still alive, she had no reason to do so. At first, Mrs. Jia only wanted to use familial affection to blackmail Daiyu, but she didn't realize that the current Daiyu had already seen through her thin and calculating so-called familial affection, so how could she be calculated by her?

  "Princess, it's already noon, should we serve lunch?" Zi Juan, being a member of the Jia household, helped Madame Wang out of the awkward situation and broke the embarrassing atmosphere.

  "Orchid, you go and arrange for the meal to be sent to Grandmother Jia's quarters. We'll talk about it when Mother returns." Daiyu stood up, "Grandmother, please go to the side hall to have your meal. I forgot that it was not my place earlier. The dishes from the Lin family are somewhat plain and can't compare with the luxurious ones from the Jia family. Please forgive me, Grandmother."

  Daiyu finished speaking and turned to leave, while Lady Jia sat behind her gritting her teeth. Lin Daiyu, don't forget your own identity. How can you be so intimate with Baoyu? How can you treat your benefactor like this?

  "Princess!" Daiyu had just reached the door when Lin Fang came forward to greet her.

  "What's wrong? Is Ama back?"

  Lin Fang glanced at Jia Mu, Dai Yu nodded and walked forward, Lin Fang then whispered, "The Emperor and the Empress Dowager have both arrived."

  Is this Empress Dowager Ci Xi? Daiyu had some expectation of meeting her, she was a legend of the Qing Dynasty, a woman she admired.

  "It seems that we haven't even entered the door, and someone has already reported it." An old voice sounded. Daiyu looked up at the sound, an image of a rich and imposing old lady, her face with a kind expression, but the sharp light in her eyes betrayed her, she was not as simple as she seemed on the surface.

  "Daiyu paid her respects to the Empress Dowager and also to Her Majesty." Daiyu made a deep curtsy, not daring to be arrogant in front of such an experienced and cunning woman.

  "You are the newly appointed princess of Xuan Ye, lift your head and let me take a look." Xiaozhuang's tone was calm, unable to detect any emotional fluctuations.

  Daiyu raised her head and gazed straight into Xiangguan's eyes, the two pairs of eyes met, and they saw a hint of familiarity and puzzlement in each other's eyes. Xiangguan smiled slightly, "Indeed, you resemble Jiaming somewhat."

  "Daiyu indeed inherited her deceased mother's appearance." Daiyu was somewhat unsure of Empress Dowager's intentions, so she could only carefully respond. Whatever the empress asked, she answered accordingly.

  "Good kid, come and have dinner with me." Xiaozhuang originally wanted to make things difficult for Daiyu, but seeing the familiar feeling in her heart made her put aside this idea for the time being.