The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

"I apologize for disturbing you, Uncle." Xiao Tingjun never visits without a reason, so he directly addressed him as "Uncle."

Li Su was a smart man. Upon hearing the Crown Prince address him as "uncle," he immediately guessed that the Crown Prince was probably in trouble.

Two days ago, my wife went to the palace to see the Empress, and the Empress gave her some instructions.

So Li Su invited the Crown Prince to sit down and respectfully asked, "Is there something you need, Your Highness?"

Seeing Li Su's directness, Xiao Tingjun also decided not to beat around the bush. After the servants served tea, they all left, leaving only the Crown Prince and Li Su in the hall.

"To be honest, Uncle, I have indeed encountered a troublesome matter." Xiao Tingjun was very frank. Since he had come to ask for help, there was no point in hiding anything. He simply told him that the Emperor wanted to test him and that the Jia family had entrusted him with all the matters.

After speaking, Xiao Tingjun took a sip of tea, asked no questions, and waited quietly for Li Su to think.

Li Su had already learned from the Empress that the Emperor was considering abdicating. Recalling the events of the late Emperor and the deposed Crown Prince, he now knew that although the Second Prince's rebellion had not caused as much of a stir as the deposed Crown Prince's case, there were still quite a few people involved.

After pondering for a while, Li Su said, "In the past, when the late emperor abdicated in favor of Your Majesty, he said something."

Xiao Tingjun listened attentively.

"The law is no different from human sentiment." At that time, Li Su was considered half an advisor to the emperor. The empress was still a princess at the time, and she would write to her brother to ask about many things.

Therefore, Li Su knew quite a bit about what the late emperor said when he abdicated.

Xiao Tingjun listened, seemingly lost in thought.

"At the same time, the late emperor also specifically instructed His Majesty the present." Seeing that the crown prince was thinking, Li Su added, "The late emperor told His Majesty that he must treat his brothers and nephews well."

Brothers and nephews? Xiao Tingjun suddenly understood: No wonder his father posthumously conferred the title of Prince Si upon the deposed crown prince and sent the eldest son of the deposed crown prince to the army as a battalion commander, and now he has been promoted to the rank of Zuo Ling.

"Father Emperor kept my second brother's two daughters in the palace for education, which shows that he is virtuous and benevolent, which is what Father Emperor hopes for." Xiao Tingjun suddenly understood, and he already had a plan in mind.

Li Su thought to himself with admiration: His Highness the Crown Prince is indeed quick to understand. It seems that my sister has a good eye for talent. Of course, it is also because my sister has taught him very well.

“If Your Highness can think this way, then all problems will be solved.” Li Su looked at the Crown Prince: This prince can be said to be very lucky. The situation that the Emperor faced back then was much more complicated than the situation now.

With the question answered, Xiao Tingjun was no longer in a hurry. Since he was already there, he decided to ask about the political situation in the early days of the emperor's reign—the retired emperor abdicating in favor of the emperor. He figured that the emperor might face some of the same situations that he might encounter in the future.

After leaving the Li family, Xiao Tingjun went straight back to the palace to find his wife: Now that there was a solution, he naturally wanted to reassure Yu'er.

Why bother? This solution requires Yu'er's cooperation.

After hearing Xiao Tingjun's arrangement, Daiyu was still somewhat worried, but she thought it was worth the risk.

"Okay, I'll have someone contact my second sister."

Chapter 295 The Jia Family is Implicated, Baochai's Unexpected Misfortune

The Jia family, especially the second branch, were all anxiously waiting and no one was in the mood to prepare for the New Year.

Baochai, in particular, couldn't understand why everyone else's family had been dealt with, but their Jia family hadn't.

During that time, she did consider whether she could find an opportunity to sneak out of the capital.

However, she had Jia Huan test her several times, but all attempts ended in failure.

After living in fear and sleeplessness for many days, one day, an imperial edict arrived, along with a group of officials and soldiers.

The emperor called out Jia Lan's name and instructed him to receive the imperial decree.

Baochai was puzzled when she heard this, but then she thought that Jia Zheng was now a commoner, while Jia Lan had the status of a scholar who had passed the imperial examination. It seemed that it would be justifiable for Jia Lan to receive the imperial decree.

However, the contents of the imperial edict completely stunned Baochai.

Jia Lan and Li Wan, mother and son, were credited for exposing the treason case.

When exactly did Li Wan and her son secretly pledge allegiance to the Crown Princess?

This is truly baffling! Logically speaking, if there were some connection or dependency between them, there should have been some clues. However, so many years have passed, and no one has ever noticed even the slightest hint of anything.

As she knelt, Baochai's brows furrowed deeper and deeper. She carefully recalled every detail of the past years, and the more she thought about it, the more alarmed she became.

What's even stranger is that the Crown Princess has never been seen bestowing any gifts upon Li Wan and her son.

Even the Crown Princess's concubines, Huatang Chunxiu, Yingchun, Xichun, and even Shi Xiangyun and Baoqin, were involved. But what about Li Wan? She always seemed to stay out of it and had no intention of currying favor with the Crown Princess.

Even though Jia Lan had achieved the highest rank in the imperial examinations last time, becoming the top scholar, such a joyous occasion should have prompted some kind of celebration from the Crown Prince and Princess. However, the Crown Prince and Princess never made any response whatsoever.

Could it be that I really underestimated the mother and son before? One seemed weak and incompetent, and was usually taciturn; the other I used to treat as a child, and even after he grew up, he was only good at studying, and I didn't see anything remarkable about him in daily life.

Who would have thought that this quiet mother and son could have such a far-reaching plan behind the scenes? It was a huge surprise to Baochai.

Not to mention Baochai, even Jia Zheng was greatly surprised when he heard this: Jia Lan, this child who was never as eye-catching as Baoyu, not only excelled in his studies, but also dared to do such a big thing.

However, Jia Zheng also felt fortunate: if it weren't for Jia Lan and his mother, the second branch of the family would probably have been completely wiped out this time. In this way, at least a lineage of the Jia family has been preserved.

However, Jia Zheng never expected that the imperial edict would say that Jia Zheng, as the father of Princess Qingjia, and Zhao Shi, as the birth mother of Princess Qingjia, were not involved because they were unaware of the matter beforehand.

Princess Qingjia, that is Tan Chun. Jia Zheng recalled how his daughter had resolutely gone to the island nation for the sake of the family. Later, when the political situation in the southeast changed drastically, his daughter was able to stand firm. Only then did Jia Zheng realize how capable his daughter was.

At that time, Jia Zheng even thought, "If only Tan Chun were a boy."

Just as Jia Zheng was unable to sort out his thoughts, Aunt Zhao, who was kneeling, kept kowtowing: "My lord, my lord, please, I don't care about my life, just give up my son Jia Huan's life."

The one who came to read the imperial edict was Zhao Bingxin, who was in charge of the Crown Prince's court.

He looked at Aunt Zhao indifferently and said coldly, "Zhao, how dare you question the imperial decree? I will tolerate you this once for the sake of the Crown Princess and Princess Qingjia. If you speak again, don't blame me for being impolite."

Aunt Zhao was startled by the eunuch's cold and stern voice. Although she dared not utter another sound, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

After the imperial edict was read aloud, Jia Lan quickly took it and kowtowed to express his gratitude for the emperor's grace. Then he hurriedly invited Zhao Bingxin to stand beside him and say a few words.

"My family members are unfamiliar with the rules and have caused the head eunuch some trouble. Please forgive them." Jia Lan immediately offered tea.

"It's my duty, there's no question of taking responsibility." Zhao Bingxin knew very well that Jia Lan was on good terms with the Sixth Prince, and now that the Sixth Prince had been granted the title of Prince Fu, His Highness the Crown Prince valued him highly. Why bother? Jia Lan was already a successful candidate in the provincial examination, and he might even pass the imperial examination next spring. He was so young yet already understood the situation; his future was certainly not to be underestimated.

Therefore, Zhao Bingxin was willing to give Jia Lan some face, so when he heard Jia Lan inquiring about the eldest branch of the Jia family, Zhao Bingxin did not hide it from him.

"Now Jia She and Jia Lian are all to be exiled, and their family property there will all be confiscated. Among the female relatives, only Jia Lian's daughter will be taken away by her aunt. His Majesty, considering that Lady Sun has no children, has decided to have Jia Lian's daughter adopted into the Sun family."

Jia Lan hadn't expected it could be resolved this way, and while he had some doubts, he immediately praised the Emperor for his benevolence.

"Brother, you must also clean up here as soon as possible, and the guilty should be taken away immediately."

No sooner had Zhao Bingxin finished speaking than a commotion broke out outside.

Jia Lan panicked and rushed out to check.

It turned out that Aunt Zhao was so angry that she jumped up and pounced on Xue Baochai, yelling, "I'll beat you to death, you jinx! It's all your fault, you ruined Huan'er... I'll beat you to death, I... you jinx..."

Baochai was feeling utterly disheartened and had no idea that Aunt Zhao would go so mad. She was caught off guard and was beaten so badly by Aunt Zhao that she was dizzy and disoriented, her hairpins and ornaments were in disarray, and her hair was disheveled.

Aunt Zhao was crying and making a scene, unable to speak clearly, and no one came to separate them for a while.

The scene was quite chaotic at one point.

Jia Lan quickly ordered the people to be pulled apart, and apologized to Zhao Bingxin profusely.

Jia Lan quickly stepped forward and said a few words to Jia Zheng. Only then did Jia Zheng regain his composure from the chaos and quickly scolded Aunt Zhao: "If you make any more trouble, I'll throw you in jail too."

Aunt Zhao was startled, thinking that it must be terrible in prison. She was a little scared, but she was still worried about her son. She started to sob, but dared not make a fuss.

The major case of Prince Rui's treason was finally concluded at the end of the year. In addition to the Wang, Song, and Jia families, it also involved the Dongping Prince's Mansion, the Xining Prince's Mansion, the Xiuguo Duke's Mansion, the Jinxiang Marquis's Mansion, and so on. All of these families were subjected to confiscation of their property and extermination of their clans.

Of the once-powerful Four Kings and Eight Dukes, only the Prince of Beijing's Mansion remains.

The Emperor's health has greatly improved, and before the New Year's Eve palace banquet, the Emperor personally praised the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.

Only afterward, when no one was around, did the Empress privately praise Daiyu, saying, "How did you come up with the idea of ​​having that girl adopted by her aunt?"

This naturally refers to Qiao Jie'er. Daiyu, facing the Empress, naturally did not hide anything and recounted the story in detail.

Chapter 296 Grandmother Pleads, Daiyu Reflects

Now, Qiao Jie'er is getting on in years, and it should be time for her to find a husband. However, Jia She and Madam Xing are single-mindedly trying to use this granddaughter to marry into a wealthy and powerful family in order to build connections.

Wang Xifeng, however, still cared deeply for her daughter. Not only did she refuse to give in herself, but she also sent a message to Wang Ziteng's wife, asking her to keep an eye on things.

As a result, Qiaojie said that other people's affairs were delayed.

Qiao'er is growing up. Her grandfather is a man who only cares about money and not people, and her grandmother is a woman who is always looking for a bargain. The house is in a complete mess. As a junior, she has no choice but to often find excuses to hide at her second aunt Yingchun's house.

Yingchun had been widowed for many years and had no children. In recent years, she would occasionally bring Qiaojie to visit, and teach her to read and write, as well as to do needlework. Although the two were aunt and niece, Yingchun treated Qiaojie as her own daughter.

Not to mention Qiao Jie'er, even Ying Chun was completely unprepared for this unexpected turn of events.

When Yingchun heard that the Jia family was besieged, and that not only the eldest son's family but also the second son's family was being watched, she was truly stunned.

"Qiao'er, you stay here with your aunt and don't go back." To Yingchun's relief, Qiao'er was here with her and not at home.

Qiao Jie nodded quickly. Something had happened in the capital, and Xiu Ju had personally come to Ying Chun's door to explain it in detail.

"Now, the Five Cities Garrison and the Shuntian Prefecture are all heavily guarding the city gates. Although the capital seems peaceful, something terrible has probably happened." Xiuju has two daughters and a son since marrying Ziju's brother. She comes to Yingchun's place every year during festivals.

Although Xiuju and her husband didn't know exactly what had happened, they sensed that the Jia family was unlikely to fare well this time.

But not long after, they heard that Prince Teng had been arrested, and then Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng were also arrested and taken back to the capital.

Even without thinking, it's clear that Jia Lian has definitely done something wrong, and it's definitely related to Wang Ziteng.

Zhao Shun, Zijuan's brother, has already done a lot for Daiyu. Now that Zijuan is a capable person by the Crown Princess's side, Zhao Shun has become very shrewd.

After analyzing Prince Teng and the major events in the capital in recent days, Zhao Shun roughly guessed that this matter might be related to Prince Rui.

Now that Prince Rui has gone hunting with the Emperor, although we don't know what happened at the hunting grounds, it's certain that Prince Rui didn't gain anything.

After all, Prince Teng could be considered Prince Rui's father-in-law.

Thinking about the Jia family again, Zhao Shun quickly told Xiu Ju to tell the Second Miss everything he had analyzed.

In this way, Yingchun would be even less likely to let Qiaojie go back. At the same time, Yingchun also inquired about the situation from Xiangyun, who immediately thought of Baoqin.

“Speaking of which, Baoqin is much more well-informed than we are now. I’ll think of something right away.” Xiangyun and her husband had long since severed ties with the Wei family, so their trip was entirely worthwhile. That’s why they couldn’t get any information from the Wei family. Baoqin is different; her father-in-law is the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and has connections with the Prince’s Mansion.

However, the Emperor soon returned to the capital, and Prince Rui was found in a prison cart. Within two days, the whole capital knew about it.

"Treason," Yingchun thought, "this time the Jia family is truly doomed."

Others were one thing, but Qiao'er was truly innocent, and Yingchun was at a loss for what to do.

Just then, Granny Liu arrived.

Granny Liu was a grateful person. Before the Rongguo Mansion completely fell into ruin, she had visited twice, both times to express her gratitude. Now, upon hearing that Wang Xifeng was in trouble, Granny Liu disregarded everything else and, with her grandson Ban'er, insisted on coming to see what had happened.

To her surprise, she couldn't get into either of the Jia families. After inquiring, she learned that the second daughter of the Jia family had married and was now a widow in the capital. After thinking about it, Granny Liu went straight to Yingchun's residence.