The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

Chapter 235 Xi Feng's Change of Heart Leaves Qiao Jie Behind

Now, Jia Lian has been back for quite some time and has talked with his father countless times.

As a son, and now a prefect of a prefecture, Jia Lian should, no matter what, take the initiative to bring his father and mother to his post.

Jia Lian knew very well that, given Jia She's character, he would absolutely not be willing to go to a harsh and cold place like Ping'an Prefecture.

Sure enough, Jia She refused as soon as his son mentioned it. He even told his son that he had already found a house in the capital that he liked. Although it wasn't spacious, it would be enough for their small family.

Jia She even took the initiative to tell Jia Lian, "Besides, it's not easy for you to be an official outside. I, as your father, don't have much ability, but I can still help you find out what's going on in the capital."

Jia Lian didn't care about his father's words. After all these years, he knew his father's character very well.

While the father and son were talking, Wang Xifeng was also having a heart-to-heart talk with Ping'er.

Ping'er was puzzled when she heard that Wang Xifeng meant to keep Qiao Jie'er.

“You haven’t been there, so you don’t know the situation in Ping’an Prefecture. It’s really not good.” Wang Xifeng sighed. There were some things she couldn’t say to anyone else now, so she could only tell Ping’er. “Besides, your master is quite something now. He’s an official, and he’s so powerful. He’s not like he used to be when he was dealing with me. I’m not afraid to tell you now, he already has a concubine over there, but he just hasn’t brought her back yet.”

Ping'er was well aware of Jia Lian's character, but she still felt that it wasn't good for Qiao Jie'er to be separated from her parents for a long time.

"And another thing, I heard that her aunt likes her very much now?" Since Wang Xifeng returned, Yingchun had also returned to mourn. The two sisters-in-law chatted for a while, and now Yingchun seemed like a different person. She spoke clearly and acted generously. Wang Xifeng could tell that Qiaojie was very close to her aunt.

Ping'er didn't know what the Second Madam meant by asking this question, but she still told the Second Madam the truth: "We are family, so of course we are close. When the Fourth Miss was not married, she often came to teach Qiao'er. Every time the Second Aunt came back, she would also come to teach Qiao'er to read and write, and she would often make clothes and shoes for Qiao'er."

Wang Xifeng felt much relieved after hearing this, and then she spoke frankly to Ping'er: "That's why I said we can't take Qiao'er with us. You know me, I didn't study much at home, and I'm not good at poetry or anything like that, but her aunts are all very capable."

After a pause, Wang Xifeng continued, "There are many things that I haven't even sorted out myself, and I don't know how to tell you. Now that Yingchun is close to the Crown Princess, it would be good if Qiao'er could also get closer to the Crown Princess through her second aunt."

Ping'er understood what was going on: "When Second Madam left, the Crown Princess was still living here and treated Qiao'er quite well."

"That's good. Now the Crown Princess holds a high position, yet we've offended her. Others are one thing, but your Second Master accompanied her back to Yangzhou and brought the Lin family's assets to our residence. So think about it, if it were you, would you still have a good attitude towards me and your Second Master Lian?" Wang Xifeng regretted it as she brought it up, wishing she had known better.

Look at how quickly the Emperor took back the house and even the estates after the old lady passed away. This shows the attitude of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.

Moreover, Wang Xifeng also learned from Jia Lian that her uncle was likely to support the Second Prince, but Wang Xifeng always felt that the Second Prince's side was too risky.

But Wang Xifeng also understood that the Jia, Shi, Wang, and Xue families could probably only support the Second Prince. Besides the Crown Princess, there were also many old stories from the court.

Wang Xifeng thought that if she couldn't protect herself, protecting Qiao Jie'er would be good too.

“Ping’er, I will never say these things to outsiders again. Only you and I know them. I always feel uneasy, and I’m afraid that the family will be destroyed and we will die. So Qiao’er must not come with me.” The more Wang Xifeng thought about it, the more she felt that she had to keep Qiao’er.

When Ping'er heard the words "family destroyed and people dead," she was startled and quickly said, "Second Madam, don't talk nonsense. Even without the title, Second Master is still the Prefect."

“It’s precisely because he’s the prefect that we’re in trouble. Second Madam Bao from the second branch has caught me lending money at exorbitant interest rates back then, and she also knows about how your Second Master Lian stole You Erjie during the national and family mourning periods. That’s why you see, I’ve been very polite to her this time.” Wang Xifeng had no reservations with Ping’er, because Ping’er was also well aware of the money lending scandal.

Ping'er was stunned. She had no idea that even Bao Er's wife knew this.

"Then, then, is Second Madam Bao threatening Grandma?" Ping'er asked worriedly. Baochai was too cunning; she couldn't see through her.

"Not yet, but that doesn't mean it won't happen in the future. That's why I told you to make sure Qiao'er is liked by her aunts. Although her second aunt is a widow, she's still a third-rank noblewoman. Her fourth aunt is even more remarkable; that Lord Liu is a prefect at such a young age, and I've heard he's highly regarded by His Majesty. If she falls on hard times in the future, it's better for her aunts to lend a hand than for her to follow me." Wang Xifeng instructed Ping'er not to make this a secret.

Looking at the Second Mistress who seemed to have changed a lot, Ping'er didn't know what to say for a moment, so she could only nod and say, "Don't worry, Second Mistress, as long as I'm here, I will definitely take good care of Qiao'er."

"But, Master and Madam, are you willing to let Qiao Jie stay?" Ping'er became worried again. This time, Jia She had sent away many of his concubines. These were not good concubines, but just maids. It was no big deal to send them away.

Jia She dismissed them because he was thinking that there wouldn't be much money left in the future, so he would have to be more frugal. That's why Ping'er was worried.

"Don't worry, I bet the master and mistress are willing." Wang Xifeng had barely finished speaking when a maid came to invite her, saying that the mistress wanted to have a word with the second mistress.

As expected, Madam Xing spoke up when they arrived, saying that Qiao Jie was indeed very well-behaved. She and her husband were reluctant to send their granddaughter to such a harsh and cold place as Ping'an Prefecture. She also said that her husband had said he would personally teach Qiao Jie in the future.

Wang Xifeng deliberately made things difficult, and Madam Xing immediately said, "I know that you, as a mother, love your daughter, but my husband and I also love our granddaughter. Think about it, the capital is much better than Ping'an Prefecture. Who knows, in a couple of years, Lian'er will be promoted and become a government official in the capital. Then the whole family will be together, wouldn't that be wonderful?"

"Besides, you're worried we won't take good care of you, but haven't you been doing just fine these past few years? And there's Ping'er, that girl is the most thoughtful, and Qiao'er likes her too."

These words were not something Madam Xing could have thought of; they must have been taught to her by Jia She.

Wang Xifeng then agreed.

Ping'er was very curious after she found out: "How can you be so sure that Master and Madam want Miss to stay?"

Chapter 236 Entrusting Yingchun and Daiyu with the task

Wang Xifeng immediately cleared up Ping'er's doubts.

"Now you know that only your second master has an income in this family. The master and mistress don't really love Qiao'er. They just think that since their daughter is here, your second master has to obediently give her some money." Wang Xifeng was very familiar with the character of Jia She and Madam Xing.

Ping'er sighed, unsure of what to say.

"My second sister will be back tomorrow, and I'll speak to her personally." Wang Xifeng quickly packed a few things.

Now that Yingchun has returned, Madam Xing treats her much more warmly than before. In the end, it's because she feels that Yingchun is now someone of importance, while she, on the other hand, used to be a first-rank general under Jia She, but now has nothing.

After finally managing to appease Madam Xing, Wang Xifeng quickly pulled Yingchun into the room to talk.

Wang Xifeng first apologized to Yingchun: "In the past, I, as your sister-in-law, was unable to help you with your affairs. Now that I think about it, I feel very sorry for you."

Yingchun was deeply hurt by the family's attitude back then, but years have passed and she has long since come to terms with it. She shook her head and said, "Sister-in-law, there's no need for that. It's all in the past."

“I don’t expect my sister to forgive her brother and sister-in-law, but Qiao’er is innocent. Now that the family has fallen on hard times, although your brother is still an official outside, we can’t take her with us. Firstly, the conditions in Ping’an Prefecture are poor, and secondly, the master and mistress are reluctant to part with their granddaughter. So we have no choice but to keep her here. Ping’er said that her aunts treat her very well, so I’m going to swallow my pride and ask her to teach Qiao’er when she has free time. That would be a blessing for her.” Wang Xifeng was always quick-witted, and besides, she had already thought these words through.

Although Yingchun was disappointed in her brother and sister-in-law, she had grown fond of Qiaojie, a lively and clever girl, over the years. So, even without Wang Xifeng's prompting, she would have taken care of the girl herself.

"Don't worry, sister-in-law. Qiao'er is smart and lovely, and I like her very much." Yingchun didn't say much more. She would take care of Qiao'er, but she had neither the ability nor the heart to help with anything else.

A few days later, Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng left the capital again.

Daiyu was aware of all these things.

Hearing Zijuan say that Jia Lian and his wife did not bring Qiao Jie'er, Daiyu was somewhat surprised: "Last time, it was the old lady who didn't allow them to bring her. This time, I'm afraid they made the decision to let Qiao Jie'er stay."

Xueyan was surprised: "We're a family, how can we not be together?"

"Obviously, everyone has their own agenda." Daiyu said this and didn't elaborate further. The Empress hadn't been feeling well lately, and although it was only the winter month, there were many things to do in the palace at the end of the year. The Empress had basically entrusted all the affairs to Daiyu, the Crown Princess. So Daiyu had a lot of work to do every day, going back and forth between various departments of the Imperial Household Department.

By the time they finished their work it was already afternoon, and Daiyu finally had time to say to Zijuan, Xueyan and the others: "I heard from Changsheng that Lian Erge is doing a pretty good job as the prefect of Ping'an Prefecture, but he has taken a concubine in Ping'an Prefecture, and that concubine is pregnant."

What?! Zijuan and the others were stunned.

"Grandma Lian used to be so powerful, this..." Chunyu couldn't help but ask.

Seeing that Zijuan and Xueyan both seemed to be deep in thought, Daiyu asked them to speak.

“Back when I was studying with you, there was a saying: times have changed. I think that Master Lian wasn’t an official before, but now he’s a prefect. He can certainly hold his head high in front of Madam Lian.” Xueyan was quite insightful.

“That’s true. I’ve heard that Second Mistress Lian’s brother is a good-for-nothing. After all, Lord Wang Ziteng is just Second Mistress Lian’s uncle, not her father. Besides, Ping’an Prefecture is far from the emperor’s reach, and Lord Wang Ziteng would never fall out with Second Master Lian just because he’s taking a concubine,” Zijuan added.

Daiyu nodded and praised Zijuan and Xueyan for making sense.

"Zijuan, go to Huatang Chunxiu in a few days and hear what Second Sister has to say." Daiyu knew that Grandmother Jia's death was entirely due to being angered to death by her family. The servants of Rongguo Mansion were always unruly and would talk about anything, so many things could be known without deliberately inquiring.

In fact, it was Daiyu who arranged for eunuchs to be sent to Rongguo Mansion to keep an eye on things.

Having lived in the Rongguo Mansion for so many years, Daiyu knew the whole family very well. Especially now that Baochai was in charge, she was a smart woman and must know that with the old lady gone, some things would probably be lost.

Therefore, Baochai would likely arrange for people to organize and transport the items out. If it were only items from the Jia family, that would be one thing, but many of them were imperial gifts, and even excluding those given by Yuanchun, there were still quite a few.

Therefore, Daiyu took the initiative to bring up this matter to the Empress. After all, Daiyu was the old lady's granddaughter, and it was only right and proper for her to send a memorial gift.

The Empress nodded immediately upon hearing this and went directly to ask the Emperor for instructions.

"The Crown Princess is indeed very thoughtful. Those unfilial descendants of the Jia family have made enough money over the years." The Emperor has been dissatisfied with the Jia family for a long time. Now that they have been stripped of their titles and their mansions are about to be taken back, the things that should be taken back, such as the estates and jewels, will also be taken back.

That's why Li Zhong led his men to the Rongguo Mansion, leaving the eunuchs behind. Ostensibly, they were there to help, but in reality, they were there to monitor them.

Zijuan went to Huatang Chunxiu, and Yingchun relayed everything Wang Xifeng had said to her. She also told Zijuan about the current situation of the two branches of the Jia family.

Now, Jia She had already bought a courtyard house in the capital. Since there weren't many people there anyway, he kept a few maids, servants, and old women, and dismissed the rest.

The same applies to Jia Zheng's side, except that because they have more people, the courtyard they bought is also larger.

"All the servants who used to serve the old lady, such as Amber, have been sent away, and many maids and servants have also left on their own initiative." Yingchun had visited Jia She once, but she couldn't stand Madam Xing's constant complaining. She knew very well that Madam Xing just wanted her to give her money, but Yingchun knew that even now, they wouldn't be truly poor, so she only sent a few bolts of fabric and didn't usually plan to visit.

"But there is some good news to tell Your Majesty. Sister Yun is pregnant, but she hasn't settled down yet, so we haven't told anyone. She said that Your Majesty has helped us so much, so she wanted to tell Your Majesty first," Yingchun said with a smile.

"That's really good news." Zijuan was happy for Xiangyun. Although Xiangyun and the young lady often bickered when they were young, perhaps because they were both orphans, the young lady Yun sometimes understood the young lady better.

Zijuan returned to the palace and told Daiyu the good news.

"That's wonderful." Daiyu was discussing fabrics with Xueyan. "Come and take a look, what do you think of these fabrics?"

"How come there are so many beautiful fabrics?" Zijuan asked in surprise.

Chapter 237 Daiyu's Clever Ideas with Leftover Material

Zijuan didn't understand why the Crown Princess had suddenly brought out so much material, so she asked directly without thinking too much about it.

"Today, Mother summoned me to the storeroom to see what to do with the batch of satin and silk fabrics that had been piling up for years." Daiyu pointed to the fabrics. "I wish I hadn't looked. There really is a lot. No wonder Mother said we should deal with them quickly, otherwise it would be a waste if they got moldy and spoiled."

Unfortunately, these silks were all precious materials, and it would be against the rules to make them into clothes for the palace maids. Besides, most of the palace maids had to work, and wearing such silks would easily damage them, which would be a waste.

However, when it came to bestowing gifts upon the concubines in the palace, the emperor said they already had enough and there was no need for further rewards. In fact, what the emperor said was true, because the emperor's harem was much smaller than that of the previous emperor, so the brocades and silks from various regions were distributed to each palace in abundance throughout the year.

When Daiyu saw Zijuan, thinking about her return from Huatang Chunxiu, she suddenly had an idea: why not ask for an imperial decree to send these materials to Huatang Chunxiu so that they could make the fabric and sell it?

Two days ago, Xiao Tingjun returned and said that Hunan and Hubei provinces experienced sudden heavy snowfall this winter, resulting in snow disasters. Many people's houses were damaged, and many livestock froze to death. It's uncertain whether spring planting will be able to start in time.

Although the imperial court has already allocated funds for disaster relief, Huatang Chunxiu has done very well in the past two years. Why not hand over the money from this sale to the national treasury as a way of showing everyone's support for the people of Hunan and Hubei?

So when Xiao Tingjun returned from court, Daiyu told him her idea.

“I think this is a good idea. Otherwise, it would be a real waste to waste so many fine silks and brocades.” After Daiyu finished speaking, Xiao Tingjun immediately nodded.

“Yu’er’s idea is good. It’s not realistic to donate fabric directly to the disaster area. For ordinary people, money and food are more practical.” Xiao Tingjun has been busy with this matter these past few days. Now that it’s almost the twelfth lunar month, he must make sure that the local people can celebrate the New Year. “However, I’m afraid it’s too late to make clothes now. Whether it’s a dress or a pair of shoes, it will probably take a lot of time.”

"It was I who was a little confused." Daiyu rubbed her temples. She had been so busy lately that she hadn't thought things through properly.

Seeing this, Xiao Tingjun took the initiative to massage his wife's head, and said with a smile, "It's nothing, you're just too tired. But this matter doesn't matter in terms of time. As long as the income goes into the national treasury in the end, Father will definitely be happy. But do you want to ask the ladies of the nobility for their opinions? After all, they still have to help with the work."

"Well, let me tell you about it first. If you think it's good, I'll have Zijuan go out tomorrow." Seeing that Xiao Tingjun was very supportive, Daiyu already had a general plan in mind.

"Don't overwork yourself, take it slow," Xiao Tingjun continued to massage his wife.

The next day, Daiyu summoned Xueyan and said, "Come with me and take some people to the storeroom to see what kinds of fabrics are being stored and what they are suitable for making."

Soon Xueyan and the palace maids finished tidying up, and Daiyu then instructed Zijuan to go to the painting hall to embroider.

Xiangyun is currently pregnant and has not come yet, Xichun has already married and gone to Yangzhou, and Yingchun and Baoqin are both here. Upon hearing Daiyu's words, the two immediately summoned the embroiderers who came today to consult everyone's opinions.

"It's nothing. We've received preferential treatment from the imperial court, so it's only right that we do our part."

"That's right. There are few people in our family, and we don't have much to do during the holidays. It's better for us to come here to embroider, make clothes, and chat with everyone."