After the rebellion was successful, I realized that this place was the Red Mansion

Chapter 127 Xingping'er

"There is one more matter to report to Your Majesty."

Seeing that the two had finished kissing, Qin Meimei, blushing and panting, nestled in the emperor's arms, and Baochai spoke at the opportune moment.

"what's up?"

Chu Yan picked up the teacup, took a sip, and then took the tea that Baoqin had just drunk, feeding it to her so that she could moisten her cherry lips.

Baochai watched the two being intimate for a while, but her voice remained unchanged. Only her face flushed with embarrassment as she said softly, "It's about the accounts. I'll have Ping'er come in and explain it to His Majesty."

"Ping'er? Is it Wang Xifeng who owes money? Let her in."

Chu Yan guessed it. Although Ping'er was a first-class maid, she shouldn't be involved in the accounts. The only explanation was that it was Feng Jie who did it.

"It's Sister Feng who owes money."

Baochai answered first, then got up and went outside, calling out, "Sister Ping'er, His Majesty summons you. Come in with me."

Ping'er, who was standing outside, felt a pang of anxiety and quickly went in, looking at Bao with questioning eyes.

"Just go in. His Majesty is easy to talk to. Tell the truth," Baochai said with a smile, lowering her voice.

Ping'er nodded and went into the east side room with her. Not daring to look directly at the emperor, she walked to the front with trepidation, knelt down and kowtowed respectfully.

After she entered, Baoqin left the emperor's embrace and sat back down on the soft couch opposite him.

Chu Yan didn't force her any further. Looking at the person kneeling on the ground, he smiled and said, "Get up, raise your head, and let me see you."

Ping'er dared not disobey. After getting up, she raised her head, still not daring to look directly at Baoqin. She saw that Baoqin's face was covered with blush.

"So you are Ping'er."

Chu Yan laughed, "I just saw one of the maids who was very beautiful. Sure enough, it was Ping'er, a prominent maid in the Jia family. I've heard of you."

Hearing this, Ping'er's nervousness subsided somewhat, and she quickly replied, "This servant is called Ping'er. I am a maidservant in Second Mistress Lian's room. Your Majesty is too kind. Ping'er does not deserve such praise."

Chu Yan nodded and asked her, "Just now, Miss Bao said that you went to the palace to explain the matter of the silver on behalf of Wang Xifeng?"

Ping'er was a little unaccustomed to hearing someone address her master by his name so directly, as it was rare for anyone in the Jia family to call someone by their name. But considering that the person in front of her was the emperor, it wasn't surprising.

It is an honor to have one's name remembered by the emperor.

Ping'er replied, "Your Majesty, the matter is as follows: Before the Jia family was raided, the Second Mistress... who Your Majesty refers to as Wang Xifeng, was in charge of distributing the Jia family's monthly allowance. Because the money was needed elsewhere, she misappropriated the monthly allowance and some other expenses. After the family was raided, this money could not be recovered."

"What did your second grandmother do with this money? How much is the total amount she owes?"

Chu Yan asked.

Ping'er couldn't help but glance at Baochai again before telling the truth: "Second Mistress used the money to lend out and collect interest, owing the Jia family about five thousand taels of silver. Now, Mistress has collected two thousand taels back, and still owes three thousand taels."

"So it's lending." Chu Yan smiled and then asked her, "What percentage of interest does she charge on the loans?"

Ping'er suddenly felt nervous. Was the emperor going to investigate and hold someone accountable?
She could only answer truthfully: "Grandma lends out money at a five percent interest rate."

Chu Yan said, "She lends out money with a five percent interest rate. If her subordinates lend it out again, they will take at least a two percent cut. This is four percent higher than the interest rate for private lending stipulated by the former Shun Dynasty, which is usury."

Ping'er immediately knelt down, not daring to argue, only hoping that Miss Bao would speak up for her.

Baochai, however, dared not speak.

This was quite different from what she had originally thought; the emperor had asked such detailed questions.

Chu Yan said calmly, "When I first raised the rebel army, one of our slogans was 'Equal land tax and debt relief.' After the rebel army captured a city, all those who lent money at high interest rates in the city had their homes confiscated, and those who profited were beheaded. If your second mistress were in Jinling, she would already be decapitated by now."

Ping'er was terrified, her bright face turned pale, and she kowtowed to the emperor to beg for forgiveness. Finally, she spoke: "Second Madam and I are both deeply sinful, and I dare not defend myself."

Baochai dared not speak at this moment, for it turned out that when the emperor confiscated property in the past, he would kill a group of people...

Baoqin opened her mouth, wanting to plead for mercy, but seeing that the Emperor had not yet finished speaking, she remained silent for the time being.

Chu Yan looked at Ping'er: "Get up. You are innocent, but you are just following your master's orders. She won't share the money she earns with you."

Ping'er kowtowed again before standing up, her face full of shame and lingering fear.

Chu Yan laughed and said, "Don't be nervous. Before I entered the city, I said that except for those who committed heinous crimes, no one else would be killed. Your greedy second wife is a bit hateful, but it's not enough for me to issue another decree to kill her."

In ancient times, usury was incredibly ruthless. There was a type of loan called "yellow-interest money," which had a seemingly legal interest rate, but the interest compounded daily. If you borrowed ten taels of silver, you would have to repay thirty-six taels a year later.

Wang Xifeng's seven-tenths interest rate was considered a common form of usury in ancient times. If someone complained to the government, the authorities would only rule the portion exceeding the interest rate invalid, and would not impose any penalties on the rest.

However, it would certainly not sound good if word got out that the second mistress of the Duke's mansion was lending money at exorbitant interest rates, so only Ping'er knew about it, and Wang Xifeng dared not spread it.

"This servant thanks Your Majesty for your mercy on behalf of Second Mistress!"

Ping'er's face showed gratitude, and she thought to herself, no wonder people say that serving a ruler is like serving a tiger. She was startled just now and her back was covered in cold sweat.

Chu Yan nodded and called out, "Call Xia Shouzhong in."

A moment later, Xia Shouzhong came in and kowtowed in greeting.

Chu Yan first asked him, "Do you have any connections outside? The Jia family needs someone to handle something. Ping'er, tell them about it."

Ping'er quickly told the truth.

Xia Shouzhong quickly figured out the emperor's meaning and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, in the past, when I went out to do business, I would send a little eunuch to deliver messages. Although the dynasty has changed now, I don't know many people in the city. But I think it would be easy to send someone to the government office and ask a group of yamen runners to get back the silver that Second Mistress Jia Lian had released. It won't alarm too many people."

This trivial matter was not worth the emperor issuing an imperial edict, but it had to be accomplished; eunuchs were born for this!

They felt uncomfortable if the emperor didn't give them any orders!
Chu Yan then instructed him: "When Miss Ping goes back, send someone to go with her and help them get the money back. The money that was lent out should be charged interest at three percent, and any excess should be returned."

"Your servant obeys the decree!" Xia Shouzhong hurriedly accepted the decree.

Chu Yan then said to Baochai, "After you get the silver back, you can give them a reward."

Without him saying it, all the collected silver was naturally confiscated and put into the treasury of the two government offices.

How could money personally overseen by the emperor be returned to Wang Xifeng?

Baochai agreed.

Ping'er kowtowed to the emperor again to express her gratitude. Last night, when the second mistress was sleeping, she said that she would wait a few days until she was lenient and then try to get the money back, but now it was all gone.

If Second Madam knew, wouldn't she be kicking herself and beating her chest in despair?

"Death penalty can be avoided, but living crime cannot be avoided."

Chu Yan chuckled and said to Ping'er, "Since your second mistress is not here, let her off for now. Since you pleaded for her earlier, you will serve me in bed tonight in her place."

These words surprised everyone in the room.

Ping'er raised her head, her clever and intelligent face, yet gentle, showing an expression of disbelief, as if she thought she had misheard.

Baoqin blushed, while Baochai glanced at Ping'er a few times, seemingly lost in thought.

Xia Shouzhong was also surprised.

In the imperial harem, which concubine wasn't overjoyed to be summoned to the emperor's bedchamber, feeling it was an immense favor? How did it become a means of punishing them under the new emperor's rule?
"You may all leave. Miss Bao, you will stay in the east wing tonight. Ping'er, come over after you have taken a bath."

Chu Yan said that Baochai quietly pulled Baoqin's hand, and the two of them got off the soft couch together, bowed, and went out.

Ping'er also went out, and after the three of them left the inner hall, she took Baochai's hand and said, "Miss Bao, I..."

Baochai smiled and said, "We should congratulate Sister Ping'er. The Emperor has shown you great favor, asking you to serve him in bed so soon after we met."

Hearing her words, Ping'er was stunned. After a long while, she said helplessly, "Miss Bao, are you sincere? I originally only went to the palace to apologize to the Emperor on behalf of Second Mistress. Who knew... when the Emperor saw me, he had the idea of ​​asking me to serve him in bed..." She even suspected that the Emperor wanted to torture her that night, that she would be "inescapably punished."
"The Emperor's favor is a matter of utmost importance; how could I dare to say anything that would spoil the mood?"

Baochai said with a smile.

If Chu Yan hadn't kissed them before, Baochai might have thought that she and Qinmei were not good enough for the emperor. Now she realized that the emperor was more lenient towards unmarried girls and did not immediately call them to serve him in bed.

For those who were already married, such as Qin Keqing, Ping'er, and Wang Xifeng, the emperor intentionally favored them, and he did so on the very first day they met.

Baoqin suddenly turned to look at Baochai: "Just now I thought my sister and I were going to serve the emperor tonight..."

Baochai blushed as well.

The two of them had just been kissed by Chu Yan for quite a while, and only they knew the feeling of it and the emperor's favor towards them.

Although Chu Yan had said earlier that he did not want them to serve him in bed tonight, it is possible that he might have taken advantage of them on a whim.

Seeing that Ping'er was still worried, Baochai asked in a low voice, "Sister Ping'er, are you still thinking about Brother Lian and not very willing to serve him in bed?"

Ping'er quickly made a shushing gesture and whispered, "When the emperor issues a decree, there's no question of whether I'm willing or not... I'm just worried that I don't understand the palace rules, nor do I know the emperor's preferences... How could I possibly know how to serve him in bed so suddenly?"

Baochai comforted her, telling her not to worry, and also told her that she could quietly ask the palace maid when she took a bath later.

Just then, a palace maid came forward and said, "Please go to the west wing to bathe and change your clothes, Miss Ping."

Ping'er stopped and exchanged glances with Baochai and Baoqin. She could only say goodbye and watch the two of them, along with their maids Ying'er and Xiaoluo, go to the east wing.

Ping'er followed the palace maid to the west wing of the rear hall. Seeing that it was very close to the rear hall, she asked, "Is this where the concubines live? Shouldn't we find another place to bathe...?"

She was, after all, just the second mistress's maid, and the second master Lian's concubine. On her first time entering the palace, she served the emperor in bed, and even bathed and changed clothes so close to the emperor.

She was truly flattered.

The palace maid said, "The east wing is where the Empress stayed when she came to Linjing Hall to share a room with the Emperor. The west wing is where the Noble Consort stayed. The east and west wing rooms are for other concubines. Now His Majesty has ordered Miss Lin to stay in the west wing room and Miss Bao and Miss Qin to stay in the east wing room. Therefore, Miss Ping was brought to the west wing room to change clothes."

The palace rules were strictly followed. Lin Daiyu stayed in the west wing for seven or eight days. Before Chu Yan changed his address, no one would live in the west wing again, which was considered her residence.

Ping'er asked her, "I'm new here. May I ask this young lady if there are any rules for serving the emperor in bed?"

Four or five palace maids cast envious glances at her. As fellow servants, they had no chance to serve the emperor, but Ping'er was summoned by the emperor as soon as she entered the palace.

The palace maid who had spoken earlier continued, "In principle, newcomers to the palace are taught etiquette by a matron, and before their first night with the emperor, they are taught the etiquette again. However, His Majesty recently decreed that those who are to serve the emperor do not need to be taught anything... Miss Ping, just go and obey His Majesty."

Ping'er blushed and sat in the chair waiting.

Soon, a eunuch brought hot water, and a palace maid brought towels, a washbasin, incense, and the clothes she would be wearing that evening.

After the eunuch filled the bucket with hot water, he left, leaving four palace maids to serve her.

Although Ping'er was a head maid in the Jia family, this was the first time she had been served like this while bathing.

The palace maids undressed her, washed and combed her hair, poured fragrant rosewater into a wooden tub, stirred it, and then asked her to soak in the tub.

Half an hour later.

After finishing her makeup and dressing, Ping'er entered the inner palace again under the watchful eyes of several palace maids.

My anxiety reached its peak.

The emperor was still in the east side room, and it seemed that he had also finished bathing, changed into a thin garment, and was leaning against the soft couch reading a book.

"Ping'er is here?"

Chu Yan looked at her. After dressing up, Ping'er's appearance was even more outstanding. Her gentle and kind appearance made it easy for people to feel good about her.

In addition to Ping'er's actions in the novel *Dream of the Red Chamber*, Chu Yan was quite looking forward to tonight.

"His Majesty."

Ping'er was about to kneel down again, but Chu Yan stopped her with his hand and said with a smile, "You finally finished your makeup, why are you kneeling? Come here."

As he spoke, he lifted her onto the soft couch.

Ping'er's body tensed up, but after a moment, she went limp and her face turned bright red.

Chu Yan held her soft little hand and asked affectionately, "I heard from Miss Yun that you've known Ping'er since you were little?"

Before inviting a woman to your bed, chatting with her for a while can help her relax.

Ping'er blushed and nodded, "I was originally a maid in the Wang family. I served Second Mistress before she got married. Second Mistress often went to the Jia Mansion, so I have known Miss Yun for many years."

She smiled and said, "Miss Yun has a good temper and doesn't act like a young lady in front of us. However... Miss Yun is closer to Xiren. Perhaps it's because Second Mistress has a lot of things to do, and I don't have as much time to play with her as before."

Chu Yan laughed and said, "Your second mistress is quite powerful in the Jia family. If you ask me, it would be better if Miss Bao didn't let her take charge, so she can have some free time... How is her health?"

He remembered that Wang Xifeng had miscarried because she was too busy and her health was ruined; it was all her own fault.

Ping'er quickly said, "Thank Your Majesty for your concern on behalf of Second Madam. Second Madam is in good health, but she is a little worried about Second Master Lian after he left, and she thinks about him several times at night."

If the emperor pressed her for details, she would tell him about how the second mistress had been living alone in her empty room!

"Really? Tell her not to think about it anymore."

Chu Yan put his arm around Ping'er's waist and began to slowly undress her.

Ping'er was so embarrassed that she hurriedly said, "Your Majesty... let's go back to bed and..."

"There's no fun in bed, so there's no rush."

Chu Yan chuckled, and while touching her, he chatted with her casually: "I heard that Second Master Lian has only summoned you to his bedchamber a few times throughout the year? Your second mistress is a tigress, she keeps a close eye on you."

Ping'er was taken aback. Did the Emperor know about this?
But the next moment, she screamed.

Because Chu Yan's hand had already touched her skin.

"Yes Yes."

Ping'er stammered, "I dare not lie to Your Majesty, I am already the concubine of Second Master Lian."

"It's alright, I don't mind."

Chu Yan smiled.

He showed special favor to unmarried girls, but he did not look down on married women. He also liked Cao Mengde's affairs.

Ping'er gradually lost her ability to speak.

After bathing and changing into her clothes, she left one by one. The emperor teased her while asking about Wang Xifeng and Jia Lian's secret affairs. Ping'er didn't know how many answers she gave; her mind was hazy. Soon after, she lay down on the soft couch and low table.

Teacups, teapots, and books were scattered all over the floor.

for a long time.

Ping'er thought it was over and was about to get up, her body weak, to help the emperor wash up, but the next moment, the emperor picked her up by the waist.

They walked towards the bed inside.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty?"

Ping'er was shocked, and her astonishment grew. A full hour passed before she finally fainted.

Before I fell asleep, it dawned on me that the difference between men in the world is greater than the difference between emperors and commoners.

In just one instance, she endured more than she had in all the years she had served as a dowry maid!
(End of this chapter)