The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

The Empress was ill and did not come. Yingying, Yueyue, and the other young children, as well as the imperial grandchildren who were even younger, were all absent.

Consort Xu, on the other hand, was chosen by the Emperor to accompany the Empress when she fell ill. Consort Xu was completely unaware of this, so she was overjoyed. After all, there were only a few concubines in the harem, and the fact that she was singled out showed that the Emperor was quite pleased with her recently.

Upon arriving at the hunting grounds, Zuo Jiangqiu affectionately took Daiyu's arm and said with a smile, "I want to sleep with the Crown Princess tonight."

Song Huilan rolled her eyes and thought to herself, "What a bootlicker." But thinking about the drama that was about to unfold, she didn't say anything.

On the contrary, Xiao Tingzhao looked at the Crown Prince apologetically: "There has been a small conflict recently, I hope Third Brother will not take it to heart."

The little conflict Xiao Tingzhao mentioned was known to almost everyone in the capital: at the end of last year, Princess Cheng gave birth to another son. Normally, having many children is a good thing, but Zuo Jiangqiu longed for a daughter, and this pregnancy was particularly difficult as she couldn't sleep or eat properly.

Upon hearing that she had given birth to a son, Zuo Jiangqiu was naturally very unhappy and turned around to complain to Xiao Tingzhao.

Xiao Tingzhao felt completely innocent in this matter; having a son or a daughter was not something he could decide, so the young couple became somewhat resentful.

Even the emperor found out and teased his son about it.

Kim Ga-joo chimed in, "The love between Prince Cheng and his wife is truly enviable."

Now that the Ge family has completely fallen into decline and Ge Xijia is ill, Xiao Tingfeng petitioned to bring Jin Jiazhu along. The emperor, considering that the new King of Goryeo, who is also Jin Jiazhu's brother, would come to the hunting grounds to pay his respects, agreed.

Song Huilan couldn't hold back this time and glanced at Jin Jiazhu sideways: "This world is really not good anymore, wives and concubines are not distinguished."

But no one paid any attention to what she said.

Because Zuo Jiangqiu and the Crown Princess were having a great time talking about something, Jin Jiazhu pretended not to hear and turned to go to Consort Xu's side.

Feeling completely ignored, Song Huilan was even more annoyed: Hmph, you guys are so arrogant, you'll see what happens to you later.

On the day of the official hunt, the emperor was seen wearing a black riding and archery robe embroidered with gold dragons, with a bow inlaid with seven treasures hanging at his waist. The fletchings of the twelve white-feathered arrows in the dragon-patterned quiver trembled slightly, like a sleeping silver dragon. Suddenly, nine horns blew through the clouds, banners fluttered like a tide, and five-colored canopies unfolded one after another, covering half the sky.

Then the emperor drew his bow and nocked an arrow, the arrowhead drawing sparks in the sun and severing the gold thread with a cinnabar talisman hanging a hundred paces away.

The hunt was most spectacular at its start. Three hundred large cowhide drums resounded simultaneously from all eight directions, the sound waves causing pine needles to fall like rain. Amidst the fluttering of five-colored command flags, three columns of iron cavalry formed a goose-wing formation to encircle the herd: light cavalrymen on the left wing wielded twelve-foot-long spears to drive away the deer, crossbowmen on the right wing used a series of interlocking mechanisms to block the retreat, and three hundred heavily armored soldiers in the center, armed with black iron nets, advanced step by step.

The emperor did not participate in the hunting, but several princes, including the crown prince, all joined in.

Zuo Jiangqiu, who was closely by Daiyu's side, couldn't help but sigh, "It's really different. I used to think I was pretty good, but now it seems like I'm just a child."

"Master, don't underestimate yourself. I was just saying I'd tell my great-uncle later to let me try too." Gao Xin was really eager to try. She had grown into a beautiful young woman, and her outfit today was quite eye-catching.

The dark blue hunting outfit with its sharp, clean cut was accentuated by a three-finger-wide rhinoceros-hide belt that accentuated the wearer's upright posture. The hem of the dark cloak was embroidered with a soaring blue phoenix in silver thread, which seemed almost alive as it billowed in the mountain wind.

It seems she really wants to go on stage and give it a try.

"Then you go ahead, my old bones are too tired to move." Zuo Jiangqiu had actually been entrusted by the Crown Prince to accompany the Crown Princess. Although the Crown Prince hadn't said anything, Zuo Jiangqiu had already keenly sensed that a storm was brewing.

"This isn't like your usual style, Fifth Sister-in-law." Song Huilan always kept an eye on the Crown Princess, so when she saw Zuo Jiangqiu accompanying the Crown Princess, she couldn't help but be wary.

"There's nothing I can do about it. Ever since I had my second child, I've felt like time waits for no one." Zuo Jiangqiu smiled faintly. "For women, having a second child is always very tough."

Song Huilan always felt mocked: she couldn't have any more children, yet Zuo Jiangqiu insisted on having a second child.

But thinking about the important matters to come, Song Huilan did not retaliate. Instead, she smiled and said, "Fifth sister-in-law is a great contributor. She already has two sons."

Jin Jiazhu also intended to try her luck and offered to accompany the princess. Gao Xin didn't particularly like Jin Jiazhu, but she didn't dislike her either. The two then started discussing the hunting trip.

While they were chatting, the first round of hunting had already ended. Since it was a hunt, they naturally had to compare who had more prey.

After the guards finished counting, it turned out that Prince Li, Xiao Tingfeng, had the most prey. Surprisingly, Prince Rui had the fewest prey, even less than the Sixth Prince, who had just been granted the title of Prince Fu.

"As I just said, the winner will be rewarded." The Emperor chuckled. "Then I will bestow this Seven Star Dragon Abyss Sword upon the Fourth Prince."

It is said to be an ancient divine sword, with seven gems inlaid on the hilt, arranged in an orderly manner like the Big Dipper. Ancient and complex runes are engraved on the blade, which seem to tell the legendary battles of the past.

Xiao Tingfeng was naturally very happy to receive the reward.

As expected, Gao Xin begged to go hunting as well, and the Emperor readily agreed. The entire day was ablaze with autumn colors, the ground covered in golden hues, and the howl of a lone wolf echoed from the depths of the hunting grounds.

As dusk settled, three hundred bronze rhinoceros lamps were lit one after another, illuminating almost the entire hunting grounds.

The bonfire was lit, the grill was set up, and the emperor himself led everyone to sit around the bonfire. The guards roasted the game they had hunted over the fire, and the oil dripped into the flames, making a sizzling sound and emitting an enticing aroma.

This was Daiyu's first time attending such a bonfire banquet, and she found it very novel.

The emperor was in a particularly good mood, drank several bowls of goat milk wine, and personally distributed roasted venison and other delicacies to everyone.

Xiao Tingkai watched everything silently, his heart filled with tension—whether it would work out or not, it all depended on tonight.

He watched as the emperor became half-drunk, and only after the crown prince earnestly persuaded him did he personally escort the emperor back to his private tent. It seemed that his father's drunkenness was truly a good thing for him.

After the emperor left, everyone returned to their tents one after another. In the gradually quieting hunting grounds, the guards quietly changed shifts.

When the time was right, Xiao Tingkai donned his armor and, with his trusted confidants, began his operation.

Chapter 289 The Plan Fails and Prince Rui is Arrested

As Xiao Tingkai entered the emperor's tent, he rushed straight to the emperor's couch without hesitation. The moment his sword pierced the brocade curtain, sparks suddenly flew from the bronze beast-head lampstand. He smelled the ambergris mixed with the scent of rust in the air around the couch, but the sensation from the sword tip made his pupils shrink—it wasn't the resistance of flesh and blood, but rather like being stabbed into a leather bag filled with cotton.

"Second Brother's sword is still a bit too slow."

As the Crown Prince's voice came from behind, the twelve linked lamps suddenly lit up. Xiao Tingkai staggered half a step from the blinding light, only then realizing that he had pierced nothing more than a scarecrow wrapped in a bright yellow robe. Blood-stained cotton was gushing out of the tear; upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Western Region cotton mixed with cinnabar, gleaming with an eerie dark red under the lamplight.

Sensing something was wrong, Xiao Tingkai and the two guards who had accompanied him immediately stood back to back, holding their long swords and pointing them outwards.

"Stop, Second Brother," Xiao Tingjun advised. "If you put down your sword now, Father Emperor might spare your life."

"No need!" Xiao Tingkai said fiercely. He didn't know where things went wrong. He clearly saw the Crown Prince personally escort the Emperor into the tent, and he had already bribed the guards guarding the tent.

But at this point, there was no turning back.

No, calm down, Xiao Tingkai told himself. Even if he had miscalculated here, his men had already surrounded the other camps, and the Crown Princess was among them!

"Third brother, aren't you worried about whether the Crown Princess is safe right now?" Xiao Tingkai looked at the twelve guards behind Xiao Tingjun, calculating how long he could hold out—as long as he could hold them off, his own troops could come and attack.

"Instead of worrying about the Crown Princess, Second Brother, you should worry about Second Sister-in-law." Xiao Tingjun estimated that it was about time and nodded to a guard.

Immediately, the tent flap was opened, and people escorted Princess Rui, Song Huilan, Xu Hou, whom Xiao Tingkai had planted in the Imperial Guard, Fei Da, the vanguard commander of the Mulan Hunting Grounds, and Sun Changsheng, the deputy commander of the Xiaoji Battalion, into the tent.

Behind them, the emperor slowly entered.

If the detention of his people had already shocked Xiao Tingkai, what happened next completely stunned him.

The two men who had just been back-to-back with him, ready to fight to the death, and whom he had always thought were his confidants, suddenly turned their swords around and snatched the long sword from Xiao Tingkai's hand with lightning speed. They then pushed him forward, and the powerful force instantly hit Xiao Tingkai, forcing him to kneel down. They immediately pinned his hands behind his back and restrained him.

This series of events happened so quickly that Xiao Tingkai had no time to react. His eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief, as if what was happening before his eyes was nothing but a nightmare. But the throbbing pain in his knees was a stark reminder that this was not an illusion, but a cruel and chilling reality.

Xiao Tingkai suddenly raised his head, his angry gaze meeting the eyes of the person above him.

"Hmph, you incompetent fool, you dare to rebel like others? That's utterly delusional!" The man known as the Emperor was completely sober. He sat upright on his high throne, looking down at his son. His tone was cold and sarcastic, full of mockery towards Xiao Tingkai.

"This is probably the most foolish rebellion in history."

These words pierced Xiao Tingkai's heart like a sharp sword, intensifying his already extreme shock and fueling his rage. His eyes widened, as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. The raging fire within them seemed capable of burning the entire world to ashes. His pupils contracted sharply with rage, like a ferocious beast trapped in a cage, ready to break free and pounce on its prey!

His once gentle face was now flushed red, veins bulging on his forehead like writhing earthworms. He bit his lower lip so hard it almost bled, and his cheeks bulged into hard lumps.

All he got in return was a light laugh from the emperor.

"Shut his mouth! I don't want to hear stupid people talk!" The emperor didn't even give Xiao Tingkai a chance to utter another word.

"Put him in the prison cart and let the common people on the way back to the capital see him," the emperor ordered calmly.

Song Huilan, who had remained silent since being escorted into the palace, could no longer contain her fear and panic. Her eyes widened, her face turned deathly pale, and she screamed desperately, begging the emperor to spare her life.

However, the emperor seemed to ignore her cries and didn't bother to utter a single word in response. He merely turned his head slightly and gave a wink to the guard beside him. The guard understood immediately, stepped forward, and tightly gagged Song Huilan with a strip of cloth.

The emperor waved his hand, telling everyone to go and rest, but clearly, no one could truly fall asleep.

Having taken care of everything, Xiao Tingjun went to see his wife first.

They met Prince Cheng, Xiao Tingzhao, outside the main tent. The two brothers sent a maid in to announce their arrival. After a short while, Zuo Jiangqiu came out and accompanied Xiao Tingzhao back to their tent. The Crown Prince went into Daiyu's tent.

All of this came to Jin Jiazhu's attention: the changes happened too fast, and Jin Jiazhu was completely unaware of them, but at this moment, she had already figured out some of the implications—every step that Prince Rui took was probably within the Emperor and the Crown Prince's calculations.

The fifth brother and his wife, however, didn't seem to be completely unaware. It seems they'll need to remind Xiao Tingfeng to be more aware in the future.

Similarly, the capital had been gripped by fear in recent days. No one knew who had led a large army into the capital four days after the Emperor's departure. They had not only besieged the palace but also stormed several ministers' residences. Yet, another army, also unknown, lifted the siege of the palace. The next day, in the capital, apart from a few remaining bloodstains on the ground, it was as if the fighting and shouts of the previous night had all been a dream.

The people of the capital all had their own ways of surviving. They pretended not to know anything, reduced the number of times they went out, and tried not to visit relatives and friends, let alone chat in teahouses and other places. People who had lived in the capital for a long time knew very well that at this time, survival was the most important thing.

The troops of the Five Cities Garrison and the Shuntian Prefecture were placed under martial law throughout the city, and anyone entering or leaving the capital was subject to a body search.

This situation continued until the emperor returned to the capital.

But when people saw that the prison cart contained none other than the former Prince Rui, anyone with a modicum of sense knew that a storm was brewing in the capital—and countless people would lose their heads.

Chapter 290 Hope Shattered, Liquidation Imminent

In the past six months, Baochai has undergone a tremendous change in her state of mind. When Wang Xiyun brought news that Prince Rui intended to rebel, Baochai was shocked. This was a huge matter.

However, Baochai quickly became excited again: she had originally thought that this was all there was to her life. But she was unwilling to accept it.

Back then, the Xue family went through countless hardships, living under someone else's roof, putting on countless smiling faces, bribing countless maids and servants, and flattering their aunt so much, before finally securing their position as Bao Er's wife.

Being the wife of the favored grandson of the Duke's mansion was the best position Baochai could obtain at that time.

But little did she know that just as she became Baochai's wife, her defeated rival, the temperamental Lin Daiyu, was chosen as a prince's consort. This was a resounding slap in the face to Baochai—her biggest rival in all her schemes was Lin Daiyu, and yet, she had risen to the top.

Baochai had originally thought that if she could repeat her old tricks and get along well with Lin Daiyu, she would be happy to do so, even if it meant being overly cautious and offering a few flattering words.

But Lin Daiyu didn't give her that chance: when her brother got into trouble, her mother went to Lin Daiyu for help, and then she went to Lin Daiyu herself for help, but it was no use.

Not to mention that Lin Daiyu made it clear that she wanted to distance herself from them.

Therefore, it's impossible to benefit from Lin Daiyu's status as a prince's consort; one must also worry about her future revenge.

Coincidentally, Baochai met Princess Rui—given the circumstances at the time, Prince Rui's chances of winning were much greater than those of Prince Yi.

Baochai already knew that Baoyu was a good-for-nothing, but she didn't expect that he would become even more of a good-for-nothing after getting married.

Baochai could only rely on herself. By securing the support of Prince Rui's mansion, Baochai felt there was still hope for the future.

To her utter surprise, things took an unexpected turn. Seeing Lin Daiyu become the Crown Princess, Baochai could only smile bitterly: Is this fate?

Later, when Baoyu became a monk, Grandmother Jia passed away, and the Rongguo Mansion was taken back, Baochai discovered that she no longer even had the dignity of being the young mistress of the Duke's Mansion.

Not to mention, Jia Zheng is now a commoner, and the two families have long since separated. Baochai is now just an ordinary widow.

Even though Jia Lan still had hope, he was Li Wan's son, not her own, and Baochai always knew this very well.

So, just when Baochai thought that her life could only go on like this, such good news came from the Prince Rui's mansion.

Yes, in Baochai's view, this is good news: given the current situation, if Prince Rui does not rebel, then he has absolutely no chance, but if Prince Rui does rebel, then there is still a glimmer of hope.