The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

Yueyue nodded.

Everyone thought the matter was over, but two days later, Song Huilan actually came to the palace to plead for her daughter.

It must be said that Song Huilan was incompetent in managing the household. One of the maids who followed Qiongnan thought she had seen through the Princess's dissatisfaction with the Crown Princess, so she turned the matter upside down, saying that Qiongnan was bullied by the little princess and the young princess, and that the Crown Princess was biased towards her daughter when she arrived.

In a moment of anger, Song Huilan went directly to Fengyi Palace to protest her injustice.

Chapter 271 Punishing the Princess Consort and the Minister's Retirement

When Song Huilan arrived at Fengyi Palace, she put on a show of maternal love, kneeling down and expressing her heartache for her daughter, tears streaming down her face before she could even speak.

Seeing Song Huilan crying so miserably, the Empress couldn't help but think that if she didn't know the truth, she might really believe that Qiongnan had suffered a great injustice while studying in the palace. She might even think that Princess Ruijun loved her daughter very much.

The Empress remained calm, watching Song Huilan cry and complain for a long time before instructing Hu Mama: "This matter is not simple. Go and bring the little princess, the county princess, and the county princess over. Also, invite their tutors over."

Hu Mama immediately sprang into action, and the Empress then instructed Xuehua: "Go to Delin Palace and invite the Crown Princess, and then invite Consort Guo as well."

Song Huilan was unaware of the seriousness of the matter at this moment. She thought that even if the Empress invited these people, it would be her Qiongnan who would be wronged anyway, and the Empress couldn't just turn the tables on her.

Soon, everyone had arrived.

The Empress spoke, but her question was to Lu Wenzhi.

Although it was during a break that day, Lu Wenzhi quickly learned what had happened and took the opportunity to tell the three students the story of the friendship between Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya.

So when the Empress asked, Lu Wenzhi naturally told the truth. Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the Princess Consort of Rui County.

“You’re talking nonsense, sir! How can you side with the princess just to please the crown prince?” Song Huilan immediately retorted.

Lu Wenzhi was dumbfounded and immediately kowtowed to the Empress, saying, "Your humble servant has told the truth in every word and dared not deceive you."

The Empress nodded: "Go on, I will not listen to just one side." She then said to Song Huilan, "Princess Rui, please let Mr. Lu finish speaking first."

Lu Wenzhi quickly finished recounting the entire incident.

"Then why did no one inform me when both the Crown Princess and Consort Guo went? It's clear you're all in cahoots." Song Huilan seized on this point and began to lash out.

The Empress beckoned to Qiongnan: "Come, come to Grandmother."

The Empress asked about Qiongnan directly. The little girl instinctively looked at her mother first, but was frightened by Song Huilan's gaze and shrank into the Empress's arms.

The Queen embraced the child and gently patted her back to reassure her.

Qiongnan finally mustered her courage: "Sir, you are right. No one is bullying Qiongnan. Maha Le was broken by accident."

"Qiongnan, what nonsense are you talking about? Your mother is here, no one dares to bully you!" Song Huilan said anxiously.

The Empress glanced at Song Huilan and sighed, "Princess Rui, if you hadn't come today, this would have just been a childish squabble. But you insisted on saying that Consort Guo and the Crown Princess bullied Qiongnan together."

"As the Empress, I must naturally be fair in rewarding and punishing."

"His Majesty was already a bit angry yesterday, saying he wanted to keep Qiongnan in the palace. I thought His Majesty was being too hasty. Now it seems that the Princess Consort doesn't know how to raise her daughter."

Upon hearing this, Song Huilan realized that even the Emperor knew about it. She immediately became anxious and kowtowed, saying, "No, I was also deceived by the maid. Please forgive me, Mother..."

The Empress said calmly, "That's enough. Things have gotten out of hand today. I can see that Qiongnan is also frightened. I'll let Qiongnan stay here with me for a few days."

“Princess Rui, go back and reflect on this carefully. When you have thought it through, then you can come and fetch Qiongnan again.”

Song Huilan was stunned. She had thought that even if the Empress protected the Crown Princess, there should be limits, but now it seemed that she was really wrong.

Before the Empress could announce any further punishment, Song Huilan quickly kowtowed to express her gratitude: those two girls dared to lie to her! When she got back, she would make them pay!

Song Huilan's entry into the palace did not yield any good results. Although no one deliberately publicized it, the fact that her child was left in Fengyi Palace quickly became known throughout the Rui Prince's residence.

Enraged, Xiao Tingkai scolded Song Huilan again.

Song Huilan also felt wronged: the reason she acted impulsively this time was entirely because she was frightened by the incident at the Prince Li's Mansion.

In the Prince Li's mansion, Princess Ge Xijia is practically invisible now, and even the mansion is managed by Concubine Jin Jiazhu.

The Ge family showed no intention of supporting their daughter. In addition, Ge Xijia's grandfather, the former Imperial Tutor, passed away peacefully a few days ago. Although the Emperor sent the Crown Prince to pay his respects, the family's fortunes had already declined.

Looking at Wang Xiyun's growing belly, Song Huilan thought about how her father was just an official, and what would happen if her grandfather got old and retired.

Wang Xiyun's father was the Governor-General of Liangjiang; he was very good at being an official.

If Wang Xiyun gives birth to a son, where will she find her place in the Prince Rui's mansion? She'll probably never be able to have another child in her life.

The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became, and when people are panicked and confused, they are more likely to make mistakes. If it were before, Song Huilan would definitely have thought things through before taking action.

But Song Huilan would never have imagined that it was precisely because Qiongnan was left in Fengyi Palace that it would touch her grandfather.

Song Ming sighed deeply. His wife had passed away two years ago, and he felt his health was deteriorating.

As an old man who had served as an official his entire life, Song Mingshi had become increasingly convinced that Prince Rui had no chance of becoming the crown prince, from the time the crown prince was first appointed until now that the crown prince had a son.

If Prince Rui were to settle down and be a prince, given the Crown Prince's personality, he should be able to tolerate his brothers.

Prince Kerui is clearly not going to be at ease; he has great ambitions, but right now all the advantages are on the Crown Prince's side.

When Song Mingshi advised Prince Rui to wait, he didn't expect that instead of the Crown Prince making a mistake, the Crown Prince would have a legitimate son and Consort Wu would be deposed.

With one side gaining at the expense of the other, it seems Prince Rui has no hope left.

Prince Rui's current power is actually pitifully weak. Neither Prince Teng nor the Song family can probably stir up any big waves.

In addition, there was his own granddaughter, whom he had carefully nurtured, but who was becoming increasingly confused. It wasn't that he, as the grandfather, was heartless, but with so many people in the Song family, they couldn't all be buried with him.

After much deliberation, Song Mingshi decided to resign from his official post, hoping to leave a good impression on the emperor.

Having made up his mind, Song Mingshi did not consult with anyone and wrote a memorial overnight.

The emperor was very satisfied with the memorial: these old ministers, especially those related to the princes, were the most important for their knowledge and tact.

Song Mingshi was already in his fifties and had considerable influence in the court. If he were to retire, the Song family's power would instantly be reduced by more than half.

The satisfied emperor was very generous and, after agreeing to Song Mingshi's request to resign, directly gave Song Mingshi's eldest son, Song Huilan's father, Song Duan, the position of Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

The Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was a third-rank official, which was quite a high rank.

Upon receiving the news, Xiao Tingkai was furious.

Chapter 272 Marital Discord and Prince Rui's Disappointment

Song Mingshi's resignation came without warning, and what's worse, Xiao Tingkai received the news from his fourth brother, Xiao Tingfeng.

Having always been at odds, Xiao Tingfeng was quite pleased to see his second brother suffer a setback, so he deliberately feigned pity for his brother: "Oh dear, Lord Song really knows when to retire gracefully. Not only does he gain a good reputation by retiring now, but look, with Lord Song's move, your father-in-law was immediately promoted. He was so wise."

Xiao Tingkai was stunned, but he had to put on a brave face in front of Xiao Tingfeng, and immediately retorted: "That still can't compare to Lord Ge's funeral. His funeral was so grand. Even His Highness the Crown Prince went in person on behalf of the Emperor."

His sarcasm was that the descendants of the Ge family were no good; once the patriarch died, the Ge family was doomed.

Xiao Tingfeng has long since accepted reality. Seeing that the Crown Prince's position is secure and he has a son, he realizes he can't catch up to him at all. With Jin Jiazhu constantly analyzing the pros and cons for him, he feels that he has no hope of becoming the Crown Prince. He might as well be honest and see what happens next.

If the Crown Prince ascends the throne smoothly, I can peacefully live as a prince and enjoy my life. If something happens to the Crown Prince, then it's not too late for me to step in. Anyway, judging from my second brother's appearance, he doesn't seem capable of anything.

Now that Song Mingshi has resigned from his official post, his former students and friends may no longer be willing to support him.

Seeing Xiao Tingkai's disappointment, Xiao Tingfeng was overjoyed.

So when he heard Xiao Tingkai mocking him for the Ge family's greatly weakened power, Xiao Tingfeng wasn't angry at all. On the contrary, he was quite happy: "That's right. Alas, my princess is very sad because of my grandfather's passing."

Seeing that Xiao Tingfeng didn't seem sad at all, a thought flashed through Xiao Tingkai's mind: Could it be that the fourth prince has given up the throne?

But he didn't have time to chat with the fourth brother here; he had to rush to the Song family to find out what was going on.

Whether he went or not, the outcome would be the same. Song Mingshi had already resigned from his post, the emperor had already agreed, and the matter was already a done deal.

Song Mingshi, facing the pale-faced Prince Rui, finally spoke from the bottom of his heart: "Your Highness, now that the position of Crown Prince has been secured and he has both a son and a daughter, and I have heard that the Crown Princess is in charge of all palace affairs, the only way to win is to wait for the Crown Prince to make a mistake. I'm afraid that other methods will not work."

When Xiao Tingkai saw Song Mingshi's reaction, he finally understood: Song Mingshi felt that he had no chance of becoming the Prince of Rui, no wonder he was in such a hurry to run away.

"Your Highness, one must always look forward and not be too obsessed." Song Mingshi didn't care about Xiao Tingkai's anger. He knew very well that even if Xiao Tingkai was dissatisfied, he couldn't take action against the Song family. Otherwise, he would be cutting off his own arm. Even if it was a weak arm, it was better than nothing.

Unfortunately, Song Mingshi overestimated Xiao Tingkai.

Xiao Tingkai couldn't get angry at Song Mingshi, but it was a different story when it came to Song Huilan.

Hearing Xiao Tingkai's unfounded accusations, Song Huilan immediately sneered: "What you're saying is really interesting. My grandfather is old and his health is not as good as before. My grandmother passed away two years ago, which was a huge blow to him. They were very loving throughout their lives. It's fine if Your Highness doesn't understand. But why doesn't Your Highness show any consideration for others?"

"Consideration? Don't you know the situation of your Song family? Without your grandfather, do you think your Song family could still be so prosperous?" Xiao Tingkai felt that Song Huilan was using the excuse of marital affection to criticize him.

The couple seemed very loving. Song Huilan was too naive. If it weren't for the fact that Song Mingshi was the Minister of Revenue and Song Huilan's uncle was the Chief Steward of the Imperial Household Department, plus other relatives and friends, they would have had considerable influence. Otherwise, why would he have married her?

“Glorious? My father is now a third-rank official, and I am also a princess consort. Outsiders still think we are very prestigious. Your Highness, don’t you think so?” Song Huilan knew that Xiao Tingkai was unhappy about her grandfather’s resignation. In fact, she herself was initially unhappy as well, but when she heard Xiao Tingkai’s sarcastic remarks, she couldn’t help but start arguing.

"Glorious? Your father is a third-rank official, but he has no real power. What good is that?" Xiao Tingkai was furious.

“Real power? Your Highness, you do have real power, but it can’t compare to the Crown Prince.” Song Huilan deliberately contradicted him with every sentence. “If you ask me, Your Highness, you should hurry up and take care of your concubine. If she gives birth to a son, you might have a better chance.”

"You're being completely unreasonable. We're husband and wife, and if I lose, what good do you think you'll do?" Xiao Tingkai said fiercely.

"Now you're telling me we're husband and wife as one? All these days, I thought I was all alone. Your Highness, do you remember how many days it's been since you last came to my room? And how many times have you given away the things sent from the palace directly to your concubine? I thought I was dead long ago." All the grievances and anger Song Huilan had been holding back these past few days erupted at this moment. Her daughter had been left in Fengyi Palace, and now she was all alone, all utterly helpless.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Tingkai finally understood that Song Huilan was ultimately jealous of Xiyun's pregnancy. Xiao Tingkai immediately sneered, "Then why don't you think about why you went to the palace to cause a scene after what you did? Isn't it a source of pride for you and me that Qiongnan is favored by the Emperor? Now that you've made such a scene, it makes the Emperor and the Empress think that neither of us is well-behaved."

Song Huilan herself regretted being too impulsive at the time, but she was unwilling to say a word of reassurance. Instead, she glared angrily at Xiao Tingkai.

Xiao Tingkai didn't want to argue with her anymore. The two of them didn't know what was wrong with them. It seemed like they couldn't communicate at all and would argue all the time.

Too lazy to see Song Huilan, Xiao Tingkai went straight to the courtyard of his concubine, Wang Xiyun.

Wang Xiyun had already heard about the quarrel in the front yard. She was speechless at the Princess Consort's brainless behavior: "She's a princess consort now, yet she doesn't care about the overall situation of the Prince's mansion at all. What should we do?"

Upon seeing Xiao Tingkai, the heavily pregnant Wang Xiyun had to speak softly to comfort him: "Even without Lord Song, Your Highness can still manage with your abilities. Although we are currently in a weaker position, as the old saying goes, 'The higher you climb, the colder it gets.' If the Crown Prince and his wife make one wrong step, they will be doomed. Father is in his prime, and it might not be a good thing for the Crown Prince to be in the limelight right now. Your Highness has plenty of opportunities."

Hearing these words, Xiao Tingkai felt relieved and touched Wang Xiyun's belly with one hand: "Don't worry, the most important thing is to give birth to the baby properly."

Looking into Xiao Tingkai's eyes, Wang Xiyun felt a lot of pressure: she knew very well that the prince was hoping for a son, but she didn't know whether her baby would be a boy or a girl.

As spring turned into the new year, during a period of unseasonably cold weather, Wang Xiyun went into labor.

Chapter 273 Concubine Gives Birth to Daughter, Prince Rui Helpless

As the day of Wang Xiyun's delivery drew closer, the entire Ruijun Prince's Mansion became increasingly tense, and Xiao Tingkai was also waiting at home early.

Even Wang Ziteng's wife arrived early. Although she was not Wang Xiyun's biological mother, Wang Xiyun had been raised by her side since childhood. Now she was also the concubine of Prince Rui, so Wang Ziteng's wife naturally treated Wang Xiyun well.

Ultimately, we all prosper together and suffer together.

Wang Xiyun lay on the embroidered bed, fine beads of sweat glistening on her forehead. She gently stroked her high, swollen belly, feeling the movement of the little life inside.