The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

Author: Fang Yiyu

Synopsis: New book: "Jia Min Reborn, Seeking Revenge for Her Daughter," please support it!

The Jia family was almost entirely composed of villains, everyone was scheming, Daiyu sought revenge and became empress, and the Jia family was almost completely wiped out.

Following the marriage of the golden and jade, Daiyu was suddenly seen by the Eldest Princess and summoned by the Empress, prompting the Rongguo Mansion to sense something amiss.

However, the emperor's direct bestowal of a marriage, and the fact that Daiyu was given to the third prince Xiao Tingjun, greatly surprised the Rongguo Mansion.

The Rongguo Mansion has spent the Lin family's money; how should they repay it?

How will the Rongguo Mansion raise funds for Daiyu's dowry?

Will Daiyu hold a grudge against them? The entire Rongguo Mansion was in a state of panic.

As Daiyu rose from a prince's wife to a county prince's wife and then to a crown prince's wife, the Rongguo Mansion thought it would benefit from her success. However, they discovered that Xue Pan of the Xue family was executed, the imperial merchant status was revoked, Wang Ziteng of the Wang family died suddenly, and the people of the Ning and Rong mansions were also beginning to die.

A fast-paced, revenge-themed story with elements of palace intrigue and domestic power struggles.

Chapter 1 The Eldest Princess's First Meeting with Lin Daiyu

On this day, Daiyu fainted upon learning that Baoyu and Baochai were engaged.

When Grandmother Jia and the others learned of the news, they all came to visit her. The doctor also examined her and saw that Daiyu's complexion was as white as snow, without a trace of blood. She was in a daze and her breathing was weak. Grandmother Jia felt that this was not good, but she comforted Daiyu on the surface. After returning home, she called Lady Wang and Wang Xifeng to discuss the matter together.

Unexpectedly, Lin Zhixiao's wife brought in an invitation, and it was from the residence of the Princess Protector of the Nation.

This not only surprised Lady Wang and Wang Xifeng, but also made Grandmother Jia slightly flustered: the Princess Protector of the Nation, the Emperor's own sister, had played a significant role in the Emperor's smooth ascension to the throne, along with her husband. However, their household had never had any dealings with the Princess's household.

After receiving the invitation, Yuanyang brought over her reading glasses. After putting them on, Grandmother Jia read the glasses herself and her expression darkened. She then handed the invitation to Lady Wang.

Upon seeing her, Madam Wang couldn't help but blurt out, "The eldest princess has come to see the eldest daughter, and... the eldest daughter's complexion is..."

Wang Xifeng immediately understood: the Princess's invitation was for Lin Daiyu; she wanted to visit Lin Daiyu. Why? Lin Daiyu had been living in their house for so many years, why was the Princess coming now?

But no matter what they think in their hearts, it's definitely impossible for them to refuse.

“Yu’er is not feeling well right now. Quickly have Lian’er take the invitation and invite Physician Wang. The Princess said three days later, so it can only be three days later.” Grandmother Jia sighed.

Wang Xifeng hurriedly agreed and went out to do her work. Jia Lian was startled when he heard this: "Princess? This is so strange."

“That’s right, even the old lady has no clue. You just go about your work. We can’t let the Princess see Lin Daiyu like this.” Wang Xifeng frowned. It was she who suggested that Baoyu and Baochai get engaged. Now things are not going well.

When Physician Wang arrived, he first met with Grandmother Jia. Grandmother Jia asked him to cure her granddaughter. After they had talked for a while, she personally accompanied Physician Wang to Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

After the consultation, Grandmother Jia instructed Jia Lian to properly escort Physician Wang out, while she herself wanted to speak with Daiyu alone.

Grandmother Jia held Daiyu's hand with loving eyes: "Good child, don't overthink it. Your brother Bao's matter was all decided by the Empress in the palace. Yu'er, you are a wise child, don't get stuck in a rut. Life is long, you have to look forward, right?"

Daiyu slightly opened her eyes. After hearing Grandmother Jia's words, she felt increasingly bitter, yet also increasingly clear-headed: in the end, she was still surnamed Lin, not Jia.

Seeing that Daiyu remained silent, Grandmother Jia continued, "The Princess's residence has sent an invitation; they will be visiting you in three days. No matter what, you cannot lose your composure in front of the Princess, can you?"

Daiyu finally understood. The reason why Baoyu had been keeping his engagement a secret from her earlier was because the eldest princess was coming.

However, Daiyu wondered why the Princess had come. She knew, however, that the Princess's residence and the Jia family had no prior dealings.

Daiyu roused herself and said breathlessly, "Grandma, don't worry!"

"Don't worry," Jia Mu paused for a moment, a thousand thoughts flashing through her mind, before finally nodding and saying, "I knew it, Yu'er is the smartest."

In preparation for welcoming the Princess, Lady Wang, Wang Xifeng, and others were very busy. They also sent people to check on Daiyu's condition every day. Fortunately, Daiyu, who had thought things through a bit, cheered herself up.

When the eldest princess arrived at the Rongguo Mansion with a full entourage, even Grandmother Jia had to personally greet her.

Upon entering Rongqing Hall, Madam Xing, Madam Wang, Sister Feng, and others who held official titles stepped forward to pay their respects.

But the eldest princess simply nodded to them to get up, without saying much, and directly asked Grandmother Jia, "Grandma Shi, please invite the Lin family's daughter out so I can meet her."

They skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point.

Below, Madam Xing, Madam Wang, and the others were all apprehensive. As expected of the Princess Protector of the Nation, her demeanor and aura made people unconsciously lower their heads.

Wang Xifeng hurriedly invited Daiyu herself.

However, after Wang Xifeng brought Daiyu in, she clearly sensed that the way the Princess looked at Daiyu was different from how she looked at them: when the Princess looked at them, she looked at them with scrutiny and inquiry, but when she looked at Lin Daiyu, she looked at her with affection.

"Yu'er, come here, come to me." After Daiyu bowed, Zhou Mama, who was beside the princess, personally helped her up. The princess beckoned to Daiyu and was even more satisfied to see that Daiyu's posture was appropriate, elegant and proper.

The eldest princess came on behalf of the emperor.

Now that the retired emperor and his concubines are all gone, the emperor can finally free up his hands to deal with these disobedient, greedy royal relatives, old ministers and generals from the previous dynasty. These people, relying on the emperor's merits, not only lie around eating and drinking, but also skillfully manipulate affairs of state.

After confiscating the Zhen family's property, the emperor remembered Lin Ruhai, who had devoted himself to him and collected intelligence on officials in Jiangnan before dying young.

The evidence book left by Lin Ruhai played a crucial role in Jiangnan's smooth progress.

The emperor remembered that Lin Ruhai had an orphan living in the Rongguo Mansion.

So he returned to the palace and spoke to the Empress. The Empress and the Emperor had been husband and wife since their youth, supporting each other for over thirty years and weathering many storms together. She was the best at understanding the Emperor's thoughts and immediately said, "Your Majesty feels indebted to Lord Lin, so why not take care of Lord Lin's daughter?"

These words truly struck a chord with the Emperor, who immediately nodded: "The Empress's words are quite right. However, I had previously heard Ru Hai mention that she had betrothed her daughter to the second son of the Rongguo Mansion, who is also the younger brother of the Virtuous Consort. I wonder if that is true."

The Empress exclaimed, "Perhaps His Majesty has misheard? Just a few days ago, I heard Consort Wu mention that Consort Xiande's younger brother is engaged to the daughter of Consort Xiande's aunt."

The Emperor was immediately enraged: "No, I would never be wrong. I did ask Ru Hai back then. It seems that Ru Hai is also blinded by his own limited perspective. I'm afraid that now that the girl's parents are dead, the Rongguo Mansion may have changed its mind."

The Empress immediately understood: there must be some reason behind this, and it seemed that the Emperor was unwilling to talk about something. In that case, the Empress immediately came up with an idea: "In that case, why don't we trouble our eldest sister to ask her to go and check on the Rongguo Mansion?"

The Emperor nodded: "Your idea is good. The Rongguo Mansion is becoming more and more outrageous. I was thinking that since it is the family of an old minister, and considering that the Virtuous Consort's child was lost, I would not pursue the matter for now. Well then, let's ask my sister to go and see what she has to say."

The emperor certainly had something on his mind: back then, Lin Ruhai had donated two-thirds of his family fortune to the national treasury, relieving the emperor's immediate financial crisis.

The remainder was given to the Rongguo Mansion as dowry money for their daughter's future marriage.

That's how the Eldest Princess ended up visiting Daiyu at the Rongguo Mansion.

The princess pulled Daiyu aside and asked her some questions. She noticed that the girl's breathing was unsteady and she was not feeling well, but she could also sense that she was very intelligent and spoke with great tact. She couldn't help but feel sorry for her and her dislike for the Rongguo Mansion grew even stronger.

The next day, the eldest princess entered the palace and said frankly to the emperor and empress, "I think that girl is a very good person, but I'm afraid she has not lived well in the Rongguo Mansion all these years. If Your Majesty pities her, why not arrange a marriage for her with a member of the imperial clan so that she can leave the Rongguo Mansion? That would be better."

These words touched the Empress's heart. She immediately smiled at the Emperor and said, "Your Majesty, why don't I invite Miss Lin to the palace to offer some words of comfort and also to give the Rongguo Mansion a warning? After all, betrothal is not a trivial matter and needs to be investigated."

The emperor agreed with the empress's reasoning and nodded, allowing her to make the arrangements.

So the Empress sent someone to the Rongguo Mansion.

Chapter 2: The Empress Meets Daiyu, Planning for the Future

If the arrival of the Eldest Princess had already surprised everyone in the Rongguo Mansion, the arrival of the Empress's people was even more shocking.

Upon learning from Eunuch Xia that the Empress was to summon Daiyu in five days, the masters and servants of the Rongguo Mansion could no longer sit still.

Accompanying Eunuch Xia to deliver the imperial decree was Granny Gu, who was specially sent by the Empress to teach Daiyu etiquette and manners. She would stay temporarily at the Rongguo Mansion and would go to the palace with Daiyu later.

Suppressing her panic, Grandmother Jia quickly sent Wang Xifeng to invite Daiyu over, and then arranged for Granny Gu to stay at Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

The first one to get restless was Wang Xifeng. Ever since the Princess's visit, she had been very anxious. So that night, she secretly went to see Grandmother Jia: "Grandmother, how could it be such a coincidence? Brother Bao and Bao'er are engaged, and there are already rumors in the palace."

Grandmother Jia also felt that something was amiss, but she couldn't figure out what the higher-ups meant for the time being: "Don't go around saying this. Let's see what's going on first. Your sister Lin is kind-hearted. She's been in our family for so many years. She would never talk nonsense in front of the Empress."

Grandmother Jia was actually starting to regret her decision. She wished she hadn't been in such a hurry to arrange Baoyu's marriage. But firstly, word had come from the palace, and secondly, she noticed that Baoyu's health was truly poor.

Wang Xifeng quickly added, "Then, should we call Zijuan over and give her some instructions?"

Grandmother Jia shook her head: "No need to worry, that girl's parents both work in the mansion. She is a servant girl, she wouldn't dare to do anything reckless."

Wang Xifeng nodded hurriedly, thinking, "As expected, the old fox is shrewd." They held the lives and fortunes of Zijuan's family in their hands; Zijuan must know exactly what's important.

As for Daiyu, she couldn't be said to be completely unaware of the royal family's actions, after all, her father had spoken many private things with her before his death.

My father offended someone while investigating the collusion between officials in Jiangnan and powerful figures in the capital. Now that the Emperor Emeritus is gone, the Emperor has freed up his hands to clean up the officialdom. My father's hard work and merits have made the Emperor willing to treat this orphan of the Lin family better.

After all, the emperor cannot dishearten his ministers. The better he treats Daiyu, the more he tells the other ministers that if they are loyal and diligent, the emperor will surely not let them down.

But in reality, Daiyu was only half right.

The reason the Empress wanted to see her was not only because the Princess Protector had returned and praised her highly, but also because of the Third Prince, who was raised by the Empress.

The current Emperor Chengde has five sons. The eldest son born to the Empress died of smallpox at the age of ten. The Empress was so heartbroken that she had no more children.

The second prince, Xiao Tingkai, is the eldest son of Consort Wu and is currently seventeen years old. Consort Wu's father, Wu Chen, is currently the Minister of Personnel.

The Third Prince, Xiao Tingjun, lost his mother when he was less than a year old. At that time, His Majesty had not yet ascended the throne, and his mother was a concubine. As a result, the child was raised by the Princess Consort, who is now the Empress.

The third prince is sixteen years old this year. His eldest maternal uncle is the Vice Minister of War, and his second maternal uncle is a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) during the reign of the late emperor. He is currently serving as a fourth-rank military officer in the army camp of Hu Changshan, the Governor-General of Shaanxi and Gansu.

The fourth prince, Xiao Tingfeng, is the son of Consort Xu. He is sixteen years old this year, only three months younger than Xiao Tingjun. His mother comes from a lower social class, and he only has one uncle who has obtained the position of Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices through the emperor's favor, but his official duties are mediocre.

The Fifth Prince, Xiao Tingzhao, is the son of Consort Zhou. He is only fifteen years old this year. Consort Zhou's father is not a good official, but the Zhou family is a powerful family. Consort Zhou's uncle is now the Governor-General of Zhili.

The sixth prince, Xiao Tingyu, is younger, only ten years old this year. His birth mother came from an even lower background; she was originally just a palace maid, but was now granted the title of Zhaoyi because she gave birth to a prince.

The position of Crown Prince is still vacant.

Among the emperor's sons, none were born of the principal wife, so they were all considered equals.

For the Empress, no matter who becomes emperor in the future, as long as she is alive, her position as Empress Dowager and mother will be secure.

But if it wasn't the third prince, but one of the other princes who won, then there would still be an Empress Dowager.

But if the Third Prince wins, his mother will have passed away long ago, and he was raised by the Empress herself. In that case, the Empress Dowager's influence will be different.

Besides, neither Consort Wu nor Consort Xu were easy to deal with.

Therefore, a new struggle has already begun in secret.

Consort Wu has now arranged for her son to marry the granddaughter of Song Mingshi, the Minister of Revenue. The Song family girl is of average appearance, but the Song family is very well-mannered.

As a result, the Second Prince's power should not be underestimated: his maternal grandfather was the Minister of Personnel, and his wife's grandfather was the Minister of Revenue.

It is said that Consort Xu and Consort Zhou also want to follow Consort Wu's example and arrange marriages for their sons with girls from outstanding families.

But the Empress didn't think so. The Third Prince already had two powerful maternal uncles. If his wife's family became too powerful, it might make the Emperor wary.

In the struggle for the throne, it's better to be early than late. The deposed crown prince of yesteryear was once so powerful, but what became of him?

The current emperor, on the contrary, benefited greatly because he was young at the time and his brothers were fighting each other to the death.

Therefore, it's not good to show your talent too early.

So the Empress thought about choosing a girl from a less prestigious family to be the princess consort for the Third Prince, Xiao Tingjun.