The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

Upon receiving this good news, Lin Ruhai naturally sent someone to deliver the message to the Rongguo Mansion immediately.

Jia Lian immediately went back and happily told Wang Xifeng the good news.

Upon hearing this, Wang Xifeng immediately beamed with joy: "Oh dear, it's clear that my idea was right; I've found such a good brother-in-law for my second sister!"

Her face was full of smugness, as if everything was within her calculations.

"Yes, yes, we really have to thank my wife for her cleverness!" Jia Lian happily echoed, and then went to report the good news to Jia She.

Wang Xifeng then went to find Yingchun herself, told her the good news, and instructed her to learn how to manage all the affairs of the household.

Yuan Chun is getting married next month.

Originally, she was proud that she could marry Zhao Cunren, a fourth-rank military officer, and that she was married to someone from Zhili, which was very close to the capital. But now, seeing Yingchun, she realized that she was marrying a promising young and talented official who was still unmarried.

Moreover, now that Lord Li has been promoted to Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, he might even become Minister in the future.

"If I hadn't looked down on her, she wouldn't have gotten a chance," Yuan Chun muttered.

The maid Chunqin quickly came up and tried to persuade Baoqin, who had already asked the old lady for a favor and was going to get married. Chunqin was chosen by Grandmother Jia to serve her again.

Grandmother Jia specifically instructed Chunqin that she had discovered that this young lady who had returned from the palace was ambitious but lacked practical skills, so she could only guide her slowly.

Side Story: The Empress's Rebirth – Xiao Tingjun's Confusion and Daiyu's Ambition

A few days later, the imperial decree appointing Liu Ying, a girl from the Liu family, as the Crown Princess was issued, and at the same time, a girl from the Yu family was appointed as the Second Prince's Consort.

The Crown Prince's wedding is set for next spring, while the Second Prince's wedding is set for the autumn of the year after next.

For a time, the Empress, along with Consort Qiao and others, were all busy. Although many trivial matters were handled by the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Household Department, the Empress had to personally review everything concerning the prince's marriage to show her importance and caution.

However, amidst this joyous atmosphere, the Third Prince Xiao Tingjun appeared dejected.

Consort Qiao noticed that something was wrong with her son and asked him several times, but he only said it was troubles with his studies.

Consort Qiao knew that her son was not telling the truth, and she began to have doubts. So she summoned her daughter, Xiao Lin.

"What's wrong with your brother these days? He's always so gloomy. Has something happened to him?" Consort Qiao asked worriedly, concerned for her son.

Xiao Lin smiled mischievously and winked slyly: "I think Third Brother is getting anxious because both Eldest Brother and Second Brother are engaged!"

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Consort Qiao glared at her daughter reproachfully, then frowned and pondered, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes, "Could it be true?"

Xiao Lin chuckled and replied, "How would I know! But Third Brother definitely likes Sister Lin! He heard Sister Lin say that he saw a little rabbit at Sister Liu's house, so he specially went to the outskirts of Beijing to catch one and secretly gave it to Sister Lin!"

"However, Mother, don't worry, I have a way!" Xiao Lin, always clever and mischievous, had already started thinking about how to help her brother.

"Don't do anything reckless!" Although Consort Qiao was curious, she still reminded her daughter with concern.

Xiao Lin deliberately chose a good opportunity. On this day, Xiao Tingjun was giving his beloved dog "Feixue" a bath, while Xiao Lin and Daiyu helped out.

On the grass, Feixue has grown into a half-grown snow-white puppy, its fluffy tail flicking water droplets that shimmer in the sunlight.

Daiyu rolled up her sleeves, revealing a section of her fair wrist, and carefully splashed water onto Feixue's back. Xiao Tingjun squatted to the side, holding a wooden comb, gently combing the dog's wet fur.

"There's still some foam left to rinse off." Daiyu pointed to the spot behind Feixue's ear, her fingertip accidentally brushing against Xiao Tingjun's hand. Both of them were startled, then looked at each other and smiled.

The boy's ears turned slightly red, but he pretended to be calm and continued what he was doing: "Look how well-behaved Feixue is now, Lin sister. I remember when we first brought her home, she would make a huge fuss when she took a bath."

Xiao Lin added from the side, "Yes! It was only the size of a palm back then, now it's almost too big to carry."

Daiyu reached out and rubbed Feixue's wet head. The puppy immediately rubbed affectionately against her palm, as if it were also enjoying this warm moment.

"Third Brother, Mother said you've been restless these past few days. She asked you, but you wouldn't tell her." Xiao Lin thought this was a good opportunity, so she deliberately asked in front of Daiyu.

Daiyu looked at Xiao Tingjun with a puzzled expression.

When Daiyu looked at him with her pure gaze, Xiao Tingjun's ears turned even redder. He glared at his sister and said, "What nonsense are you talking about!"

"I'm not lying! Mother was so worried about you, she specially sent my sister to ask you!" Xiao Lin clapped her hands after seeing the dog was clean, and waved to Feixue, "Feixue, come on! Let's not play with hypocrites!"

Feixue was oblivious to the undercurrents between its masters; it was only focused on chasing the colorful ball. When it saw the princess holding the ball, it happily wagged its tail and ran off with the princess.

Only Xiao Tingjun and Daiyu remained on the grass. Daiyu didn't speak, just quietly looked at him with a hint of inquiry in her eyes.

Xiao Tingjun finally couldn't resist Daiyu's clear yet questioning gaze, and he sighed, as if admitting defeat.

"Sister Lin, what are your ambitions?" Xiao Tingjun finally asked.

Daiyu was taken aback for a moment, but in that instant, she seemed to understand the unfinished words of the young man.

“I’ve heard my father tell stories about the current emperor,” Daiyu said in a low but earnest voice. “I suppose you’ve heard them too.”

Xiao Tingjun had certainly heard of it.

The story of how the emperor answered "I wish to be a wise king" when his grandfather asked him about his ambitions is a model that the imperial family members have been influenced by since childhood.

"Although Father said that, but..." Xiao Tingjun didn't finish his sentence, but he knew that Daiyu would understand what he meant.

Later, the crown prince was deposed, and the current emperor ascended the throne.

With the Crown Prince and his second brother above him, it would be self-deception to say that Xiao Tingjun truly had no other thoughts.

Daiyu, however, seemed not to have heard the unfinished words. Instead, she answered Xiao Tingjun's question from the beginning: "That year, I traveled by boat from Yangzhou to the capital. Looking at the ever-changing scenery outside the window, I thought, if I had the chance, I should go and see it for myself."

"So, my sister's ambition is to travel the world." For some reason, Xiao Tingjun felt happy.

He could travel the world... he should be able to. He could accompany her to see the most beautiful scenery and the widest expanse of the world.

After a conversation, Xiao Tingjun regained his usual radiant spirit.

Upon seeing this, Consort Qiao asked her daughter curiously, "What did you say to your second brother?"

"I don't have that ability." Xiao Lin told her mother what happened two days ago. "I don't know what Third Brother and Sister Lin talked about afterwards."

"Alas." Upon hearing this, Consort Qiao became even more worried.

"Why is Mother sighing? Isn't everything resolved?" Xiao Lin asked, puzzled.

“Your third brother likes Miss Lin, and I also think Miss Lin is very good. But what if your father doesn’t agree? Wouldn’t that be…” Consort Qiao was worried that Miss Lin would not be able to become her daughter-in-law smoothly.

"Father will definitely agree," Xiao Lin said confidently.

"Why?" Consort Qiao didn't know where her daughter got her confidence from.

“First of all, Father and Mother both like Sister Lin. Secondly, when Mother was choosing the Crown Princess, she specifically invited Sister Lin and me, which must have been for a reason. I guess Mother felt that the sisters-in-law should get along well in the future. She even asked us what we thought of Sister Liu.” The princess was actually very perceptive.

"Moreover, as long as my aunt thinks this marriage is a good match, then Father will have no reason to object." Xiao Lin knew very well that her aunt had been kind to her father.

"If only it were as simple as you say." Consort Qiao still felt uneasy.

"Mother, you're overthinking things. I think the Empress Dowager is much more insightful than you." Xiao Lin felt that her mother was just worried and confused. Although her mother was a Noble Consort, she ultimately relied on the Emperor's favor. In terms of scheming, her mother was not as good as Consort Shu.

However, it is probably precisely because her mother was so kind and virtuous that her father liked her so much, and that her mother always treated her well.

Daiyu was naturally unaware of the conversation between Xiao Tingjun and Consort Qiao and her daughter.

Having attended banquets at both the Liu and Yu families, she felt she should reciprocate by sending invitations to all her sisters at her home.

The princess had repeatedly said she wanted to visit the Lin residence. Although she had come once before in a low-key manner, Daiyu had not invited anyone else at that time.

This time, we can invite the princess to come along and play with her sisters. I think the princess will be very happy.

Upon learning that his daughter was going to host a banquet, Lin Ruhai naturally did his best to help. He immediately instructed his servants to start preparations and also helped Daiyu come up with ideas.

Even the eldest princess, upon hearing of this, expressed her intention to come and help her out.

In June, the lotus breeze, carrying moisture, brushed against the eaves of the pavilion. Daiyu had ordered people to hang green gauze curtains at the four corners of the Hibiscus Pavilion by the water early on, so that it would allow the wind to pass through but not let the sun shine directly in.

"Sister Lin, this banquet is so cleverly arranged!" As soon as Xiao Lin entered, she saw a small bamboo frame standing by the table, with five round fans hanging on it. Each fan was painted with a different lotus flower—some were in bud, some were in full bloom, and some were withered lotus flowers listening to the rain. There were also short poems about lotus flowers written next to them.

"Are we supposed to choose fans?" Sun Ning asked curiously as she leaned closer.

Daiyu smiled and said, "That's right. Today we'll use fans as our theme. Each of us will choose one, and we'll compose a couplet based on the fan surface later."

Liu Ying picked up a silk fan painted with twin lotus blossoms and waved it gently: "Even a summer cooling item hides poetic talent. No wonder the princess always praised Lin Daiyu for her clever mind."

As everyone was chatting and laughing, they suddenly heard the sound of splashing water outside the pavilion—it turned out that the "floating lotus plate" that Daiyu had the old women make was floating over.

The wooden tray, shaped like a lotus leaf, held the chilled lotus seed soup, which flowed along the winding stream to the pavilion.

Yu Ran clapped her hands and laughed, "This is a brilliant idea! It's like the lotus pond itself is bringing us snacks."

Inside the pavilion, there were also snacks: chilled plum juice in a celadon bowl with two mint leaves floating on top; delicate and translucent glutinous rice balls filled with red bean paste in a crystal goblet; and chilled cakes cut into diamond shapes, layered and translucent with the color of osmanthus honey.

Sun Ning stared at the water and suddenly exclaimed, "Look! There's something moving under the lotus leaves!"

It turned out to be red carp that they were raising, so the girls were happy to feed the fish together.

Although Yingchun was busy embroidering in preparation for her wedding, Daiyu sent out invitations, and Wang Xifeng thought this was a good opportunity, so she quickly persuaded her to come. As a result, the three sisters of Yingchun also came.

The group ate shaved ice dumplings, composed poems while facing fans, and occasionally fed the small fish, finding it even more enjoyable than watching a play.

Before leaving, Daiyu asked Zijuan to bring out several sachets embroidered with lotus flowers, filled with dried lotus seeds and mint leaves: "Hang them in the tent, and you'll feel cool at night."

Yu Ran took the sachet, sniffed it lightly, and laughed, "At today's banquet, everything we saw, everything we tasted, and everything we held in our hands had the character 'lotus' on it. I'll be so worried when I send you invitations another day—I could never quite replicate this ingenuity!"

Xiao Lin returned to the palace and told Consort Qiao and Xiao Tingjun about the interesting things that happened that day. Xiao Tingjun was extremely envious.

Extra Chapter: The Empress's Rebirth - Lin Ruhai Uses a Scheme to Help the Rongguo Mansion

In autumn, the retired emperor passed away.

After the hundred-day mourning period ended, the emperor acted swiftly, ordering the Ministry of Revenue to recover the debts owed to the national treasury. At the same time, he ordered the crown prince to study at the Ministry of Revenue, clearly indicating his intention to clean up old malpractices and rectify official corruption.

Minister of Revenue Song was well aware of the Emperor's intentions and dared not be negligent.

He summoned his two vice ministers and said with a solemn expression, "This is a list of officials who owe money. Please take a look."

As he spoke, he handed a thick booklet to Lin Ruhai.

Lin Ruhai took a look and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly: the names of Ningguo Mansion and Rongguo Mansion were prominently listed, and the amounts owed by both were considerable.

After reading it, Lin Ruhai had already made up his mind.

He closed the booklet, cupped his hands to Lord Song, and said, “My lord, I see that most of the people here are former officials from the previous dynasty, such as the Four Kings and Eight Dukes. They have been prominent for generations, and now that the national treasury is empty, it is precisely the time when they need to set an example. As long as someone here is willing to take the lead, the work of recovering the debts will be much easier.”

Upon hearing Lin Ruhai's words, Vice Minister Xu of the Ministry of Revenue's eyes lit up: "Brother Ruhai, it seems there's some progress in the matter?"

"I do have an idea, but I don't know if it will work. Why don't I go back and give it a try first?" Lin Ruhai saw that Minister Song nodded, so he didn't say anything more. After taking his leave, he immediately returned to his residence and sent someone to invite Jia Lian.

Jia Lian arrived at the Lin residence very soon.

He now admired his uncle-in-law immensely. Compared to his own father's unreliability and his second uncle's pedantry, his uncle-in-law, who could outmaneuver the Zhen family, was far more formidable.