The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

When Granny Liu saw Qiao Jie at Yingchun's residence, tears immediately streamed down her face: "My goodness, the girl is alright, that's wonderful!"

Qiao Jie'er knew very well that just because things were alright now didn't mean they would be alright later. But she didn't tell Granny Liu.

Immediately afterward, upon hearing the Emperor's punishment of the Song and Wang families, Qiao Jie'er became even more aware that she was doomed—all the women of the Song and Wang families, regardless of age, had been sent to the Xin Zhe Ku (a place for palace maids) to serve as palace servants.

Granny Liu, however, was quick-witted. Even though Yingchun and Qiaojie hadn't said anything, she knew very well that Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng were both in trouble, and Qiaojie was likely in big trouble as well.

Granny Liu immediately said, "Second Aunt, I've heard that the Crown Princess in the palace is none other than Miss Lin from back then. In that case, why not go and ask the Crown Princess for help? Miss Qiao is so young and innocent."

Yingchun sighed. She had also considered asking the Crown Princess for help. But putting herself in the Crown Princess's shoes, she knew what kind of situation the Crown Princess was facing right now, and if she were to speak up rashly, it would put the Crown Princess in a difficult position.

These past few days, I've been tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

In the end, looking at Qiao Jie'er and listening to what Granny Liu said, Yingchun wavered.

Yingchun went to Xiuju herself, hoping to find a solution through Ziju.

"I really have no other choice. Please ask Miss Zijuan to tell the Crown Princess that Qiao'er is currently staying at my house. Let's see if the Crown Princess has any ideas."

"I know the Crown Princess is in a difficult position, but I really don't know what to do."

"If it can be done, then it will be done; if the Crown Princess cannot do it, we can understand."

Zijuan was somewhat displeased when she heard this from her sister-in-law. She didn't want to tell the Crown Princess, but after thinking about it, she thought that the Crown Princess might have other ideas, so she told the Crown Princess anyway.

Coincidentally, Xueyan, who was already married, came to the palace to visit and brought some news from the capital to the Crown Princess. Upon hearing this, she spoke her mind quite directly.

"In my opinion, Your Highness should not make a move at this time." Although Xueyan was married, she still addressed her in the same way. "In any case, at worst she will be sent to the Laundry Department. At that time, Your Highness can just think of a way to bring Qiao'er out."

Upon hearing this, Zijuan immediately nodded, "Oh dear, how could I not have thought of that? As expected, Sister Xueyan is clever. In this way, the Crown Princess won't be in a difficult position, and Qiao'er can be saved as well." She was usually more thoughtful than Xueyan, but she was indeed caught up in the situation and momentarily lost in thought. She had forgotten that there was actually such a simple solution.

This certainly seemed like a perfect solution, but Daiyu knew very well that what lay before her was a problem she hadn't encountered in many years.

She used to be able to help Yingchun, Xiangyun, and even Baoqin without hesitation, but that was when it wouldn't affect her own life. But now, the situation is completely different.

The situation was delicate, and both she and Xiao Tingjun were at the center of the storm.

Chapter 297 Qiao Jie is rescued and the Empress praises her.

The troubled Daiyu knew very well that once a choice was made, she had to bear the consequences, no matter what.

But what happened next was completely different from what Daiyu had imagined.

The emperor actually summoned both himself and Xiao Tingjun, and even assigned them the task of handling the Jia family's situation as a test.

Now the couple were both unsure what the emperor was thinking.

"Later, Changsheng had no choice but to seek help from his uncle." Daiyu truthfully told the Empress, "His uncle's words, 'Law and reason are not without human sentiment,' enlightened Changsheng."

"Chang Sheng returned and told his daughter-in-law, so she came up with this plan." Although the matter was now settled, Daiyu still had some worries. "Mother knows that I am a person who clearly distinguishes between gratitude and resentment. Although my uncle and aunt in the Jia family treated me badly, Qiao'er is innocent. Back then, she was just a little girl, and I personally took care of her." Thinking back to her days in the Rongguo Mansion, there were happy days, but happy days were few, and days of hardship and adversity were many. But all of this was indeed unrelated to Qiao'er.

The Empress secretly liked Daiyu quite a bit: if she were truly petty and calculating, it wouldn't suit the Empress's character, especially since Daiyu would one day be the Empress. Putting aside other matters, within the inner palace alone, a lack of magnanimity could easily lead to problems.

"Then what do you think about giving her up for adoption to her aunt?" the Empress asked.

"Mother probably knows that my cousin's husband died in battle in the southeast. She has been keeping vigil all these years. She has no children of her own, so she lives a hard life." What Daiyu didn't say was that it was better that Yingchun's husband was dead. "This Qiao'er, her parents left her when she was young, so she is closer to her aunt."

Upon hearing this, the Empress couldn't help but sigh. In this day and age, a woman who is widowed, especially one from a prominent family, must have a difficult life.

“My cousin works at Huatang Chunxiu. Her needlework is excellent. My aunt even bought a curtain before, which was embroidered by my cousin stitch by stitch,” Daiyu said.

The Empress remembered: "I even said that I would have your cousin embroider one for me when I had time, but I got busy and forgot about it."

"Now everyone is happy." The Empress knew very well that the Emperor's abdication was a foregone conclusion, and the Crown Prince and Crown Princess would soon be a young Emperor and Empress. The more filial they were to her, and the more tolerant they were of their other brothers and nephews, the better.

Throughout history, there have been numerous examples of brothers fighting and fathers and sons quarreling over imperial power. Even the current emperor himself ascended the throne after the retired emperor and the deposed crown prince distrusted each other and went to war.

Therefore, the Empress could understand why the Emperor entrusted the handling of the Jia family to the Crown Prince and Crown Princess. Now that the Crown Prince and his wife were in love, the Crown Princess would likely influence Xiao Tingjun's thoughts as the future Empress. Therefore, the Emperor not only had to test the Crown Prince, but also the Crown Princess.

A unified emperor and empress would be more beneficial to the court and the nation.

The Empress did not keep these words to herself and told Daiyu everything.

"You are a very meticulous and thoughtful child. You are even better at handling things than I was when I first entered the palace," the Empress said with a smile. "Back then, although I had been a princess for more than ten years, when the late emperor abdicated and I entered the palace as empress, I was suddenly overwhelmed by the rules and regulations of the palace. I almost made a mistake back then."

Recalling those years, the Empress couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion: almost twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye, and she has truly grown old; no wonder the Emperor wanted to abdicate.

The Empress had already learned what had happened and knew that Daiyu would definitely have a lot to do next, so she told Daiyu that she didn't need to accompany her.

After all, in just one month, the new emperor will ascend the throne and, together with the empress, will offer sacrifices at the Temple of Heaven to Huangtian and pray for a bountiful harvest.

However, before that, the emperor's enthronement ceremony must be held, followed by the empress's investiture ceremony.

So it wasn't just Xiao Tingjun and Daiyu; everyone from the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Household Department was extremely busy.

Yingchun and the other sisters remained completely unaware of all that had happened.

Now that Qiaojie'er is her daughter, Yingchun still finds it hard to believe.

Despite the Emperor's decree, Yingchun still decided to visit Xiuju in person. Recalling when Xiuju returned to report that the Crown Princess had not agreed to help, Yingchun did not feel disappointed at all. On the contrary, she believed that the Crown Princess must have had a reasonable reason for doing so.

After all, the Crown Princess was in the palace, and many matters were beyond her control. Yingchun was well aware of this. She was neither foolish nor stupid; she could see through the game and therefore understood the ways of the world. Back in the Rongguo Mansion, she had no choice but to compromise herself.

However, what worries Yingchun now is that she fears the Crown Princess might get into unnecessary trouble or even disaster because of this matter.

Upon hearing the purpose of Yingchun's visit, Xiuju quickly smiled and reassured her, "I also inquired about this matter with Sister Ziju, and she told me not to worry. However, because this involves matters within the palace, she specifically instructed me not to speak carelessly, but simply to wait patiently. In my opinion, the Crown Princess has always been the most intelligent, quick-witted, and resourceful person, so we really don't need to worry too much!"

Hearing Xiuju's words, Yingchun felt a little relieved.

Seeing that the matter had been resolved properly, Granny Liu decided not to stay in the capital any longer.

"I originally thought I could visit my aunt in the prison, but now that I've heard your analysis, I understand that saving Qiao'er has already put the Crown Princess in a difficult position. So I won't go looking for trouble, so as not to cause any trouble for Qiao'er and my aunt."

Granny Liu is a grateful person. Wang Xifeng only gave her twenty taels of silver back then, but now that she is in this situation, Granny Liu still goes to great lengths to help, which has already moved Yingchun.

"I should go home now. I've disturbed Second Aunt for so many days during this New Year's Eve." Granny Liu bid farewell to Yingchun early in the morning.

"Grandma, you are so righteous, I really admire you. Grandma is Qiaojie's godmother, we should keep in touch in the future." Seeing that she couldn't keep her, Yingchun simply had her maid prepare a lot of things, hired a carriage for Grandma Liu, and took Qiaojie to see the grandmother and granddaughter off at the gate.

Watching Granny Liu leave, Qiao Jie couldn't help but sigh, "In the past, there were so many guests coming and going at home, but not many of them were like Granny Liu."

However, Yingchun was still greatly shocked when she heard the news that Baochai had committed suicide in prison that very day.

Chapter 298 The plot fails and Baochai commits suicide

After being ruthlessly locked in that cold, damp, and stinking prison, Baochai's supposedly clever mind did not stop working at first. She frowned tightly, her beautiful eyes darting around, her mind frantically searching for all possible ways to escape.

She knew the current situation was extremely unfavorable to her, but her stubbornness and unwillingness to give up made her unwilling to give up easily. Every minute and every second, she racked her brains, trying to find a glimmer of hope in this seemingly hopeless predicament, and to find the key to turning her life around.

However, as time went by, Baochai gradually felt the shadow of despair slowly creeping over her. Just then, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind: Li Wan and Jia Lan! These two were unharmed at this moment, and not only that, they had even betrayed her and made a contribution.

If it weren't for them, how could my plan have failed?

Just as Baochai was deep in thought, she heard a noise next door—it turned out to be Aunt Zhao visiting her in prison.

Aunt Zhao is a fool; if we can use her, we might find a way to turn things around.

The meticulous Baochai had brought some valuables with her before entering the prison. At this moment, she took off a jade bamboo-patterned bracelet from her wrist and handed it to the jailer.

"Brother, please, do me a favor." Baochai was so generous that the jailer, seeing the quality of the jade bracelet and considering the identity of the prisoner, knew it must be very valuable. He thought for a while.

“That’s my concubine. My mother has suffered a stroke and is bedridden. I’m worried about her, so I thought I could say a few words to her. I hope you will be lenient with me, brother, for my filial piety.” Baochai was already in tears, perfectly portraying a dutiful daughter.

The jailer figured that saying a few words wouldn't hurt, so he took the jade bracelet and said, "Alright, but you're not allowed to say anything you shouldn't, or you'll regret it."

Sure enough, the jailer brought Aunt Zhao in a short while.

Aunt Zhao hated Xue Baochai so much that she wanted to rush up and hit her as soon as she saw her.

Baochai understood, of course, so she quickly said, "Auntie, please listen to me first."

Aunt Zhao was still afraid of the jailers. In fact, she didn't dare to hit anyone. But when she heard Baochai about to speak, she stopped and snorted, "What do you want to say? You can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth."

Baochai knew Aunt Zhao very well and didn't care about Aunt Zhao's insults. Instead, she took the initiative to say, "Aunt, over the years, the family has accumulated some things."

Upon hearing about the accumulated wealth, Aunt Zhao was indeed tempted: thinking back to the time when it was the Duke's mansion, there must have been many treasures in the family. Even though it had declined, there should still be quite a few things left. The second branch of the family was not like the first branch, whose property had all been confiscated this time.

Putting everything else aside, even if Madam Wang were to die, she should have left behind quite a few things. And Bao-ya, who married into the family back then, should also have left some things.

As expected, Aunt Zhao calmed down and listened to Baochai speak.

“Even so, there is no reason for a concubine to run the household. Concubine, think about it. Your sister-in-law has been silent for so many years, which proves the saying, ‘A barking dog doesn’t bite.’” Baochai was delighted to see that Concubine Zhao had calmed down. She was thinking about how to drag Li Wan and her son down with her so that they could beg the Crown Princess for help.

Aunt Zhao remained silent and continued listening to Baochai speak.

"In the end, now that you've already gotten involved with the Crown Prince and his wife, it won't be easy for you to rescue Huandi. Whether he's released or not is just a matter of the Crown Princess's word." Baochai immediately changed the subject, knowing full well that Aunt Zhao definitely wanted to get her son out.

Sure enough, Aunt Zhao seemed to have been tricked.

"I'm afraid what you're saying isn't very believable," Aunt Zhao thought to herself. Of course, it would be best if Huan'er could be rescued.

But before she arrived, Li Wan had said some things to her, so Aunt Zhao was actually wary of Baochai.

Baochai, unaware of this, thought her scheme had succeeded and pressed her advantage, saying, "Of course, Auntie, think about it. In the harem, besides the Empress, the Crown Princess is the most powerful. To put it bluntly, let alone Huan'er, we could save everyone here if the Crown Princess wanted to."

“Then I can’t possibly ask the Crown Princess for help,” Aunt Zhao asked.

“Auntie has no way, but sister-in-law has a way. Auntie, don’t forget that sister-in-law is now a meritorious person.” Baochai thought that even if she couldn’t get out of this prison herself, she would make Li Wan and Jia Lan’s lives miserable. Aunt Zhao was the kind of person who could make the household uneasy.

Aunt Zhao fell silent for a moment. Just when Baochai thought her scheme had succeeded, Aunt Zhao suddenly spat at her.

"Pah! You heartless bastard! If it weren't for you, how could Huan'er have gone to jail? Wasn't it you who used your shops as bargaining chips to get Huan'er to run around for you? Do you think I'm stupid? I knew you had ulterior motives a long time ago."

"All these years, since you became Bao Er's wife, when have you ever taken care of me? Now you're pretending to be a good person. Do you think I don't know that all your shops have been mortgaged? You packed your valuables and wanted to run away, but unfortunately you couldn't."

"It's true that I want to save Huan'er, but I will never believe you. You still think you're some great Madam Bao, but now you're just a prisoner. You think I don't know that even Madam was killed by you and your servants?"

"She deserved it. The lady had planned everything in her life, but she never expected that she would be killed by her own niece. It was truly retribution."

Aunt Zhao truly hated Madam Wang to the core.

“Every woman from your Wang family is black-hearted.”

What surprised Baochai even more was that Aunt Zhao turned to the jailer and said, "Brother jailer, this woman is trying to run away, you must take care of her."

Upon hearing this, the two jailers immediately stepped forward, looking fierce, and roared at Baochai.

Aunt Zhao looked at Xue Baochai as if she were watching a joke, then turned and left.

Watching Aunt Zhao's retreating figure and listening to the jailers' insulting words, Baochai felt that she had no hope left.

She recalled every detail of her life. Everything had been fine at the beginning, hadn't it? After entering the Rongguo Mansion, she quickly became the most popular among the sisters, firmly grasped Lady Wang's favor, and ultimately successfully married Baoyu.

Indeed, it was fate. My failure was not my fault, but rather the result of being born into a merchant family and having such an older brother.