The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

Fortunately, Xiangyun and Baoqin were both there, and they immediately knew what was going on.

"Second sister, you shouldn't spoil them, or it will cause trouble later," Xiangyun advised directly.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Of course, Yingchun wasn't going to let Wang Shanbao's wife go back empty-handed, but the few things she prepared were all for Qiaojie'er. The only thing she gave to Madam Xing was a piece of fabric: Yingchun thought the fabric was too old-fashioned, but Madam Xing wouldn't.

Xiangyun gave birth to a daughter some time ago, and the Crown Princess even specially sent Zijuan to deliver some gifts.

The three sisters then started talking about Zijuan: "She's over twenty-five now. I think she's not planning on leaving the palace to get married?"

Chapter 253 After much deliberation, Zijuan stayed behind.

Zijuan had actually considered it for a long time.

When Daiyu received the news that she was to be named the Crown Princess, she summoned Zijuan, Xueyan, Chunyu, and Chunxian for a talk.

Being a maid in a prince's mansion and entering the palace are two completely different things.

The maids of the Prince's mansion, who had come with Daiyu as part of her dowry, could leave as long as Daiyu nodded if they were looking for a husband or wanted to go out.

However, once they entered the palace, they were all under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Household Department. According to the rules of this dynasty, palace maids could only be released from the palace when they reached the age of twenty-five.

Zijuan's situation was somewhat different. She was four years older than Xueyan, and Zijuan was already twenty-two when Daiyu became the Crown Princess. Even if she entered the palace, she could only serve Daiyu for three years, unless she was willing to stay in the palace and not get married, like Granny Yang, and serve her in the palace forever.

When Zijuan returned home to visit her parents, her mother, Madam Min, pulled her aside and spoke earnestly: "What are your plans? The Princess Consort of Yi County is about to become the Crown Princess, which is a joyous occasion, but do you also want to go to the palace? You're not young anymore, and if you delay for another two or three years..."

Madam Min still loved her daughter dearly. She had previously asked someone to arrange a marriage for her, but her daughter didn't like any of the families.

It's not the daughter's fault. Think about it, ever since she was sent by Grandmother Jia to follow Miss Lin, she could recite a few lines of poetry when she returned home in her early years. Now that she's with Daiyu, she's met a bunch of noble people from the palace, so it's normal for her to have a higher level of knowledge and vision.

Zijuan herself was in a bit of a dilemma: the princess had said that if she didn't want to go to the palace, she could just say so. If she was chosen by a particular young man but couldn't bring herself to say so, the princess could also speak up for her.

But fate is something no one can explain, and Zijuan doesn't know when her own destiny will arrive.

She couldn't rest easy if she didn't go to the palace with them.

After some consideration, Zijuan decided to go to the palace with them.

After entering the palace, Zijuan's thoughts changed again: she saw several other nannies like Granny Yang, who were not married, but were not necessarily worse off than those who were married.

Hearing about the fates of some of the former maids of the Rongguo Mansion after their marriages made her feel even colder: Xiren aside, after being kicked out, she reportedly married an actor. And Qianxue, even after marriage, wasn't doing well.

These days, many maids like them in wealthy families were meant to be concubines or secondary wives to their masters, and eventually, they would only become concubines. For example, Ping'er, and Aunt Zhao.

But if you think about it carefully, Ping'er had a very hard time making a living under Lian Er Nai Nai back then. When the two of them quarreled, it was Ping'er who got beaten up.

Not to mention Aunt Zhao, who had given birth to both a son and a daughter, yet was treated worse than an ordinary maid. Back then, even someone like Fangguan dared to argue with her in the mansion.

Therefore, becoming someone's concubine is the worst choice.

Ideally, like Xiuju, you should find someone honest and reliable, and work together to build a life together.

But in one's life, it's really hard to say what kind of people one will meet.

The family had chosen several families for her. One family was well-off, but the man himself had no opinions of his own and listened to his mother completely; Zijuan looked down on that kind of person. Another family had some ability, but their appearance was really unappealing.

There's another one, a minor official, I heard he's some kind of clerk in the Ministry of Revenue's Guangying Treasury, a ninth-rank official. But after a few words with Zijuan's brother, even Zijuan's brother realized that he was after Zijuan's status—a female official highly regarded by the Crown Princess. It would be incredibly easy for him to establish a relationship with the Crown Prince in the future.

Zijuan would never marry someone like that.

At the beginning of last year, Daiyu spoke to Zijuan alone: ​​"The Empress Dowager told me that another batch of palace maids will be released this year. Zijuan, what do you think?"

Zijuan was already over twenty-five years old.

"If I want to leave, I'll go and ask Mother." Daiyu was actually reluctant to leave. She had come to the Jia family at a young age, and Zijuan was sent by Grandmother Jia to accompany her. However, Zijuan was always considerate and attentive. Although they were called mistress and servant, they were more like sisters.

Zijuan shook her head and even knelt down: "Your Highness, I will not leave. I will serve you for the rest of my life."

At that time, the Crown Princess was pregnant and told Zijuan to get up quickly: "Speak properly, why are you kneeling?"

After Zijuan stood up, she gritted her teeth and said her true thoughts: "My family naturally wants me to get married, especially my parents. They also have their own selfish reasons. They think that since I have served you, I should be able to find a decent family. Even if things don't go well in the future, please, it will still be good."

“But I don’t think so. I think that some women who get married may not necessarily be happy; some women who never get married may not necessarily have an unsatisfactory life.”

Upon hearing this, Daiyu looked at Zijuan seriously. Clearly, Zijuan had already given it a lot of thought.

Daiyu nodded in agreement: "What you said is right. Whether or not you get married is not necessarily related to whether you are happy. But you should think it through. Although you are a bit older now, you still have choices when it comes to getting married. But if you wait two more years, it will be even more difficult."

"I know the Crown Princess is thinking of me, but I've already made up my mind. I'll stay in the palace and serve the Crown Princess and the young master well, and in the future, I'll be like Granny Yang." Zijuan had thought it through very clearly.

Seeing her so resolute, Daiyu was deeply moved and sighed. After a moment of thought, she said, "Now that you've made your decision, you can't regret it in the future."

"This servant understands." Seeing that Daiyu had agreed, Zijuan was so happy that she was about to kowtow to Daiyu again, but Daiyu stopped her.

"Alright, you can't keep kowtowing all the time. I don't have the energy right now. Go out and do your work. There's still a month before people are released from the palace. If you change your mind, you can tell me anytime within this month," Daiyu told her.

Zijuan wanted to stay, but she never made it public. However, everyone in Delin Palace knew the truth. Even many people in the palace gradually realized it.

This wasn't unusual in the palace, so nobody paid much attention.

On the contrary, not long after the Lantern Festival, Xiao Tingjun approached Daiyu and mentioned another person.

“I have a guard, Yu’er should remember him. Back in the Prince’s mansion, when you were pregnant, I left him to protect me,” Xiao Tingjun said, “His surname is Zhong.”

Daiyu did recall that when she was pregnant, she was afraid that Song Huilan and others would not follow the rules, so she usually had several guards when she went out: "If it's Guard Zhong, then wouldn't he be a sixth-rank official now?"

Xiao Tingjun nodded: "He came to me a few days ago to ask for my help, saying that he had taken a fancy to a female official by the Crown Princess's side and asked me to intercede on his behalf."

Daiyu was slightly taken aback. Before she could speak, Yueyue came in carrying a sprig of red plum blossom: "Mother, look, it's so beautiful."

So the couple changed the subject.

Chapter 254 Daiyu is delighted to have taken a liking to Xueyan

However, after his daughter interrupted him, Xiao Tingjun didn't have time to speak to his wife again until evening.

"Do you remember what we talked about this afternoon, Yu'er? It was about Guard Zhong."

Daiyu nodded: "Just tell me, who has he taken a fancy to?"

“Xueyan.” Xiao Tingjun was also quite surprised. “I even pressed him for details back then, and he said that he had taken a liking to her when he was at the Prince’s mansion, but he never dared to speak up. Now that his family is urging him, he has no choice but to come to me.”

Daiyu only remembered the appearance of this guard surnamed Zhong, and had no other impression of him, because it was very safe at the time, and she did not give Guard Zhong a chance to show his skills.

"Back then, he was a loyal protector of his master." Daiyu remembered that once, around the time when Song Huilan's maternal grandfather's Zhang family had an accident, Song Huilan was furious. The two happened to meet at the gate of the Prince's Mansion, and Song Huilan stormed up to him.

Two guards immediately shielded Daiyu behind them; one of them was the guard surnamed Zhong.

"It seems Yu'er has a good impression of him, which means he has a good chance of winning." Xiao Tingjun smiled as he introduced the guard Zhong to his wife.

"His real name is Zhong Chen. His family owns a few acres of poor land in the suburbs of Beijing. The whole family makes a living by farming. When he was a child, his family saved money to send him to school, but he really had no talent for studying. Instead, after he learned to read, he liked to read stories of chivalrous knights and thought about becoming a chivalrous knight."

"Later, when the army was recruiting soldiers in the outskirts of Beijing, he ran off at the age of fifteen. He was physically strong and skilled, so he stayed. Two years later, when the Imperial Guard was being reorganized to replenish its manpower, people were selected from the outskirts of Beijing. He was good-looking and skilled, so he was chosen."

The Imperial Guard has always been closed to outsiders. Those who can be promoted to the Imperial Guard are all new recruits from the outskirts of the capital who are physically strong, good-looking, skilled in martial arts, and knowledgeable. After all, some members of the Imperial Guard are assigned to the Palace Guard to protect the palace, while others are assigned to princely residences and other places.

Those who are selected by the Imperial Guard must have some skill.

"His parents are still alive, and he has a blind grandmother, an older brother, and a younger sister. His brother is already married and has two sons. His sister is still young, probably twelve or thirteen years old."

"His family are all honest, hardworking farmers from the countryside. Their village is called Changshun Village."

Changshun Village? Daiyu felt that the name sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place where she had heard it before.

"Over the years, he has saved up some money, but if he wants to buy a house in the capital, he can only buy a small house in the suburbs."

In order to persuade the Crown Princess, Zhong Chen practically recounted his entire family history, including his ancestors for three generations, and also explained his entire fortune.

Even if he didn't say it, this information was thoroughly investigated during the conscription process. As long as his official register was retrieved, everything would be known.

"If Yu'er has any other questions, please feel free to ask," Xiao Tingjun said after introducing Zhong Chen's information.

"Why do I see you really want Xueyan to agree?" Daiyu noticed.

"Of course, even if Xueyan leaves the palace and gets married, she can still come and visit you often." What Xiao Tingjun didn't say was that he felt Daiyu still felt a little regretful that Zijuan didn't leave the palace.

Moreover, he had heard his wife say that Xueyan had been with her since their time in Yangzhou. With so many years of affection, it was natural for him to be reluctant to part with her.

If Xueyan marries someone closer to home, there will be many advantages.

"What? Aren't you worried at all that Guard Zhong is hoping to use this relationship to get a promotion?" Daiyu asked curiously.

“Firstly, Zhong Chen isn’t that kind of person. Secondly, Yu’er, do you not trust yourself or me?” Xiao Tingjun retorted.

Daiyu smiled. Both Xiao Tingjun and she were principled people, and helping others was only possible without violating their principles.

"Then I'll ask Xueyan what she thinks first." Daiyu thought for a moment. Xueyan should have met Zhong Chen before. If Xueyan still wants to see him, it wouldn't be difficult.

So the next day, when she had nothing else to do, Daiyu kept Xueyan alone to talk.

To everyone's surprise, when Daiyu brought it up, Xueyan only thought for a moment before asking, "Does Miss think it's a good idea?"

"Although the family is rather ordinary, as long as the person is good, that's fine," Daiyu said frankly.

"That's what I think too. Besides, my family members are all gone, so as long as they're not unreasonable people, it's fine." Xueyan was quite straightforward. "I think it's acceptable."

Daiyu was surprised that Xueyan agreed so quickly and couldn't help but ask, "Don't you want to think about it more?"

“I saw him several times when I was in the Prince’s mansion, but we didn’t get to know each other well. But I could tell that he was very loyal when he was protecting his master.” Xueyan spoke quickly and directly. “Besides, since it was His Highness the Crown Prince who brought this up to you, Your Highness must have a good opinion of his character and trust his ability to do things. As for other things, he is in the Imperial Guard, so I’m afraid he wouldn’t dare to deceive Your Highness, nor would he be able to hide it from you.”

"Your Highness, you have always treated me very well. Since you came to me to bring this up, I feel that there is no problem." Xueyan's words made Daiyu laugh.

"You certainly know how to slack off, but the fact that you can say these things shows that you're not confused," Daiyu said with a sigh. "You've been with me for so many years, and to see you get married and live under my nose without being bullied makes me truly happy."

Daiyu rarely referred to herself as "this palace" when speaking to maids like Zijuan and Xueyan, given their long-standing friendship. Therefore, she hoped they would all marry well.

"However, I have some concerns," Xueyan said honestly. "If Sister Zijuan doesn't leave the palace, will she be unhappy when she sees me going out in the future?"

Daiyu was taken aback by the question. She understood Xueyan's meaning; after all, Xueyan's marriage was also arranged by the Crown Prince and his wife. Would Zijuan feel resentful if she found out?

Daiyu thought for a while and then asked Xueyan a question: "I never thought of asking you before, but now that I have this opportunity, let me ask you first. When we came to the Jia family from Yangzhou, Zijuan was assigned to serve me. Everyone said that I trusted Zijuan more than you. At that time, did you have any thoughts about that?"

Xueyan was taken aback when she heard the Crown Princess ask this question, and then laughed: "Your Highness, so many years have passed, but this servant would not dare to deceive Your Highness."

Xueyan always told Daiyu everything. Back then, she was just a child when she followed Daiyu into the Rongguo Mansion.

Chapter 255 Xueyan's Honesty Reveals Deep Affection Between Master and Servant

Upon hearing the Crown Princess's question, Xueyan was very frank: "At first, I wasn't sad, but worried."

Worried? Daiyu listened attentively as Xueyan continued.

"After all, I come from Yangzhou, while Sister Zijuan is from the Rongguo Mansion. She is more attentive and considerate than I am. If she doesn't want me anymore in the future, I will have nowhere to go." Xueyan was very anxious for a while.