The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

Daiyu was aware of Xiao Tingkai's rebellion from the very beginning. In fact, if the Crown Prince knew about the Emperor's arrangements, it meant that Daiyu knew about them as well.

However, the purge had reached such a point that it was far beyond Daiyu's expectations.

Or to put it another way, it was somewhat unexpected that so many people actually got involved.

Although Daiyu didn't leave the palace these days, she knew quite a bit of news. There were even quite a few people who tried to plead with her by striking the wooden bell, but Daiyu rejected them all.

These days, the inner palace has been quite peaceful: so many things have happened since the autumn hunt, each one alone would be enough for many people to ponder for a while before they could sort out the details. Moreover, the matter of confiscating property and exterminating clans would be shocking even to those who were not directly involved.

Therefore, all the concubines in the harem were very quiet, fearing that the emperor's lingering anger might affect them. Even if the emperor was ill, apart from the empress, the other concubines would not visit him for a while before leaving quickly: at this critical juncture, they were afraid of saying the wrong thing and getting into trouble.

The other three princes were also quite dutiful. Prince Cheng, Xiao Tingzhao, was a sensible man. He understood from a young age that he did not have the ability to inherit the throne, so he never thought of vying for that position.

Xiao Tingfeng did have some ideas, but his second brother's plot to rebel this time still surprised him quite a bit.

Now that Xiao Tingkai's entire lineage has been dealt with, Xiao Tingfeng originally wanted to take the opportunity to do something, but was stopped by a single sentence from his concubine.

“I always felt that your second brother’s rebellion was known not only to the Emperor and the Crown Prince, but perhaps even to the Crown Princess and the Princess Consort of Cheng County.”

"Of course Father Emperor knows, otherwise..." Xiao Tingfeng's words trailed off as his eyes widened. "Impossible, how could Princess Consort Cheng also know?"

When Jin Jiazhu saw that Xiao Tingfeng did not believe her, she told him about how Prince Cheng had taken his princess away from the Crown Princess's tent on the night Xiao Tingkai plotted his rebellion.

"I was quite curious before, why Princess Consort of Cheng insisted on sharing a tent with the Crown Princess during the autumn hunt," Jin Jiazhu remarked.

"Isn't it because they had a fight?" Xiao Tingfeng replied subconsciously.

"Only Your Highness, being so honest, would think that way." Jin Jiazhu had no more to say about Xiao Tingfeng's insensitivity, but instead praised him, "It's just a smokescreen. In my opinion, Princess Consort Cheng knows martial arts, so she's probably protecting the Crown Princess."

Xiao Tingfeng pondered for a moment, then felt a chill run down his spine: "It seems that Father is determined to let the third son succeed to the throne."

“So, Your Highness, being a prince isn’t so bad,” Jin Jiazhu quickly said. “You’ll have a lifetime of wealth and honor. It’s just a matter of your children and grandchildren. But don’t you have an old saying that children and grandchildren have their own blessings? If we’re all struggling to make ends meet, what chance do we have of our children and grandchildren?”

Thinking of Xiao Tingkai and his family's fate, Xiao Tingfeng indeed quieted down. Even when the emperor was seriously ill, after visiting him in the palace, he returned to his residence behaving himself. He even went to his mother to give her some instructions, fearing he might get into trouble.

However, no one expected that the first thing the emperor did after recovering from his illness was to visit the Cold Palace.

Chapter 293 A Cup of Poisoned Wine and a Heart-to-Heart Talk Between Father and Son

Upon hearing that the Emperor was coming to Pear Blossom Palace, the madwoman Wu naturally wouldn't have any normal reaction, while Yuan Chun, who hadn't gone mad yet, felt a glimmer of hope: she was in the Cold Palace, unaware of any news from the outside world, and foolishly thought that the Emperor had softened his heart.

Unfortunately, she was disappointed again.

When the emperor arrived at Pear Blossom Palace, he didn't see Yuan Chun at all, but instead specifically asked to see Lady Wu.

The deranged Lady Wu, who had been huddled in a corner of the cold palace with a blank stare, slowly raised her head when she heard the eunuch announce the Emperor's arrival. A glint of light suddenly flashed in her eyes beneath her disheveled, bird-nest-like hair.

She suddenly stood up and stumbled towards the emperor. The emperor frowned and instinctively took a step back.

An old woman quickly stepped forward and restrained her, fearing that she might harm the emperor.

"How dare you! Do you know who I am? You lowly commoners, how dare you harm me!" The madwoman Wu was very strong, and it took two old women with all their might to restrain her.

"When my son becomes emperor, I'll make you all pay!" Empress Wu suddenly raised her head, staring intently at the emperor. "Look, my son has come to fetch me! You unruly commoners, once I become Empress Dowager, I'll chop off your heads! Hahahaha—"

A chilling laugh echoed through the deathly silent, desolate palace.

"How long has she been like this?" the emperor asked.

"Your Majesty, it has been more than a year," the eunuch guarding Pear Blossom Palace replied.

The emperor stared at Wu for a while, and seeing that she did not recognize him at all and was spreading rumors, he couldn't help but sigh. Then he gestured to Hu Delu to bring up the poisoned wine that had been prepared in advance.

On a bamboo tray with cloud and bat patterns, there is a turquoise wine cup with lotus scroll patterns.

The eunuchs and nannies guarding the palace felt a chill run down their spines. They already knew what it was, but they seemed unable to believe it: Wu Shi had already been banished to the Cold Palace and had gone mad; it was best to leave her to fend for herself.

But the emperor actually wanted to bestow poisoned wine?

Does the Emperor hate the Second Prince and Lady Wu that much? Although everyone had their own guesses and doubts, they had to carry out the order.

The emperor turned to leave, and the eunuch, holding the poisoned wine, trembled slightly. Although he was in charge of the Cold Palace, he was still somewhat afraid of personally killing someone.

But he couldn't disobey the emperor's order, so he gritted his teeth.

Wu, however, knew nothing of this and instead smiled, her eyes sparkling. She was quite compliant and drank the wine in one gulp.

Yuan Chun, who witnessed everything from inside the house, covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes filled with terror. Watching Wu Shi gradually collapse, she also sat down on the ground: her life was truly over.

But why wouldn't His Majesty even give her a cup of poison? She'd had enough of life in Pear Blossom Palace; she feared she wouldn't last much longer before going mad.

The news that Wu was forced to commit suicide was no secret.

But when Daiyu learned of this, she was still greatly shocked: Wu Shi was already imprisoned in the Cold Palace, living a life worse than death, and His Majesty's move seemed to be meaningless.

However, Daiyu soon learned the reason.

The emperor summoned the crown prince and his wife privately.

The two went in to pay their respects. The emperor looked at Xiao Tingjun and Daiyu for a moment, as if he had countless things to say, but in the end he only said one sentence: "A fine son and a fine wife, they must have a good beginning and a good end."

Xiao Tingjun and Daiyu were both puzzled by what he said, but they still respectfully kowtowed and agreed.

"I have ordered Wu's death to avoid making things difficult for the Crown Princess when she becomes Empress."

The Emperor spoke slowly, and Daiyu suddenly understood: the Emperor had never forgiven Wu for killing Xiao Tingjun's birth mother and the Empress's son. He had spared Wu's life before, out of consideration for his son Xiao Tingkai, but now he had no more leniency towards Xiao Tingkai.

"I am increasingly feeling unwell these days. I have been thinking a lot. After the New Year, when the court is in session, I will announce my abdication."

After the emperor finished speaking, seeing that Xiao Tingjun was about to speak, he waved his hand to stop him.

"Don't speak yet, let me finish what I have to say first." The emperor glanced at his son, then at Daiyu.

"In my early years, I never thought I would inherit the throne. But who would have thought that the deposed crown prince would dare to do such a treasonous thing?"

"I thought I must learn from this lesson and not have too many people in the harem, and not to favor any one person. But even so, something still happened, and it even happened in the Prince's residence."

"I also told myself not to be suspicious of my sons, and not to neglect any of my children."

“Even though I did that, the second son still rebelled.”

The emperor seemed genuinely puzzled, but in reality, he understood everything.

"I cannot afford to make another mistake."

At this point, the emperor became gratified again. He looked at Xiao Tingjun and said, "I'm afraid the only thing that makes me happy is that my crown prince is a qualified heir apparent, and even, he can be an excellent emperor."

This time, Xiao Tingjun could no longer remain silent. He bowed deeply to the ground, his gaze respectful and gentle: "Your subject is foolish and dull, but merely follows the example set by Your Majesty. The Book of Documents once said, 'One should cultivate virtue and be close to one's nine clans.' Your subject has been vigilant day and night, fearing only that I might fail to live up to Your Majesty's thirty years of personal guidance and upbringing. Now, having heard Your Majesty's teachings, I realize that even the light of a firefly depends entirely on the universal illumination of the sun and moon. I wish to serve Your Majesty and continue to learn the ways of governing the country and bringing peace to the people. Only when I am old and grateful for Your Majesty's grace will I dare to say that I have succeeded even a fraction of your grace."

The Crown Prince was always so proper and humble. He knew how to conduct himself and was filial, which made the Emperor even more satisfied.

"I am pleased to hear you say that, but I have already made up my mind that I will announce my abdication at the beginning of the new year."

Seeing that Xiao Tingjun was about to speak again, the emperor waved his hand.

“I did not act on a whim; I had been considering it even before the hunt.”

"Although I have been on the throne for less than twenty years, I have always been diligent and conscientious, fearing that I may not be able to protect the country well."

“I attend to state affairs every day without interruption. Sitting idly in the palace, I feel uncomfortable.”

At this point, the emperor paused for a long while before continuing.

“My late father once said something that I found very puzzling.”

"But only now do I understand its meaning."

“My ministers treat me like a horse pulling a cart. Even when I am sore and lame that I can no longer pull the cart, they still whip me, thinking that even if I fall to my death, someone else will surely replace me. They just laugh at me from the sidelines, and not one of them shows any pity or allows me to be replaced and rest.”

These words not only made Xiao Tingjun realize the hardships of being an emperor, but also Daiyu, who was standing nearby. It was truly not easy to be a wise ruler.

"I am truly exhausted."

"These words of mine should have been spoken only to the Crown Prince, but a wise ruler and a virtuous ruler are the greatest blessing for the country."

"In my opinion, the Crown Princess is virtuous and upright, and her virtue is exemplary."

"Therefore, I am telling you both these words."

However, the emperor added, "The reason I haven't dealt with the Jia family yet is to give you two a test. I await the crown prince's decision on how to handle the situation."

Chapter 294 Dealing with the Jia family is somewhat difficult.

Back at Delin Palace, Xiao Tingjun and Daiyu both fell into deep thought.

After a while, Daiyu spoke up, saying, "Father Emperor specifically said that this is a test for my husband and me. I always feel that, because the Jia family are, after all, my uncles, is Father Emperor afraid that you will be influenced by me and will not be able to handle things impartially?"

Xiao Tingjun analyzed the situation and felt that there was some truth to it: "But Yu'er, since you married me, you have rarely interacted with the Jia family, let alone after you became the Crown Princess. Those who interact with you, your cousins, are all married women. Such cases do not involve married women."

Daiyu was silent for a moment, then sighed: "No, a while ago, my cousin came to plead with me on her behalf."

Daiyu told Xiao Tingjun about Yingchun's plea: Yingchun was not pleading for Jia She, nor for Madam Xing, nor for Jia Lian and his wife, but for Qiao Jie.

"This girl is Jia Lian's daughter, but she is quite pitiful. When her father went to take up an official post, he never took her with him. Even after the Rongguo Mansion fell into decline, this girl lived with her grandparents, but most of the time she stayed at my second sister's house."

"To be honest, this case has nothing to do with this girl, but judging from how the Wang and Song families handled it, all the female relatives, regardless of age, were sent to the Xin Zhe Ku (a place for women to serve as servants in the palace) and were permanently conscripted as palace maids. So, if it is handled in the same way, this girl will naturally not be able to escape."

"I thought I shouldn't trouble you with this, so I didn't tell you."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Tingjun was somewhat unsure: "Could it be that this is what Father Emperor wants to test you and me for?"

"You mean, Father already knows about Qiao'er and is worried I'll be soft-hearted?" Daiyu thought, maybe it really is possible. Otherwise, even if the Emperor wanted the Crown Prince to handle it, there would be no need for him to tell her specifically.

To everyone's surprise, Xiao Tingjun shook his head again: "Handling it impartially is actually the simplest. Think about it, if this girl went to the Imperial Laundry Department, and you were the Crown Princess, it would be a very simple matter to transfer a palace maid from the Imperial Laundry Department. So, you didn't need to ask for anything in the first place."

Daiyu was also a little confused for a moment: In fact, when she did not agree to Yingchun's request, she had asked Zijuan to relay a similar message: the Xinzheku would be under her management, and she would discuss it with her fifth sister-in-law and ask her to help send Qiaojie to the Prince Cheng's mansion as a palace maid. Sending her out would not attract attention.

But if we were to pardon Qiao Jie'er alone, it would probably attract too much attention.

For a moment, the couple fell silent again: What exactly was the Emperor's intention in conducting this grand examination? If it were to be handled impartially, it seemed that it was not truly the Emperor's original intention.

"Regardless, I'll first summon the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review to conduct another trial. Let's see if there's anything we've overlooked." Xiao Tingjun had already made up his mind.

Daiyu nodded: "Whatever you decide, I will support you. Please don't let your emotions get the better of you, and don't worry about me." Daiyu understood the principle that a kind heart cannot govern an army.

The current Minister of Justice, Cai Xinming, and the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, Peng Yi, are both upright and intelligent men. They have already received the imperial decree that the Crown Prince will handle the Jia family case with full authority. Now that they hear that the Crown Prince is going to gather people to re-examine the entire Jia family, they are naturally very happy to cooperate.

Meanwhile, after some deliberation, Xiao Tingjun decided to visit someone.

That is Minister of Personnel, the Empress's brother, Lord Li Su—Last year, Lord Li was promoted to Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion, making him arguably the top minister among the six ministries.

It seems that Lord Li understands the Emperor's thoughts better than I do.

Upon hearing that the Crown Prince had come to visit, Li Su quickly tidied his appearance and came out. He was about to perform a grand salute when Xiao Tingjun quickly stepped forward to help him up and prevented him from kneeling.