The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

In mid-spring, the capital city was filled with joy and celebration.

Amidst the attention of the masses, Crown Prince Xiao Tingrui married Liu Ying as his Crown Princess.

Now that the court is stable and the country is at peace, and the emperor values ​​the crown prince highly, the crown prince's wedding is a grand affair, displaying the grandeur of royalty.

With music and ceremony playing, officials paid homage, and the people of the capital flocked to watch, all praising the imperial family's boundless grace.

The second month after the Crown Prince married the Crown Princess, the Princess's residence also welcomed a great joyous occasion—the Princess's eldest daughter-in-law finally gave birth to a daughter!

The eldest princess herself had no daughters, and both of her daughters-in-law had given birth to sons in succession. Although she was happy, she always felt a little regretful.

The birth of this granddaughter has brought immense joy to the whole family, as if she were a precious gift from heaven.

The eldest princess was especially happy, so excited that she couldn't stop smiling, and immediately ordered everyone in the household to make a big fuss about it.

The third-day celebration was a lively affair, and the full-month celebration was an even grander banquet for guests.

In the middle of last year, Lin Ruhai handed over all the accounts of his family's shops and estates to Daiyu, and asked her to learn how to manage them herself.

Daiyu quickly demonstrated her remarkable talent in managing the household.

She first ordered people to move the account books from previous years to her study, where she meticulously checked them under the dim light with a red brush. Within three days, she discovered that the manager of the silk shop in the south of the city had falsely reported losses and was secretly embezzling money.

Daiyu remained calm and collected, simply circling the mistakes and attaching a newly drafted procurement plan, meticulously detailing everything, even accurately calculating the market price fluctuations from comparing three different vendors. Upon seeing this, the manager broke out in a cold sweat and dared not deceive her youth again.

The accounts on the estate were even more complicated, but she took a different approach—she ordered the estate manager to submit the list of tenants, personally selected several poor families, and waived 30% of their rent for the year, saying only, "The spring chill has damaged the seedlings; they are more important than the numbers on the books."

He then increased the profits for the fertile and productive farms, demonstrating a clear system of rewards and punishments, which the farmers all appreciated.

The most ingenious thing was that she took 20% of the profits from each shop, exchanged them for small silver ingots, and ordered Zijuan to tie them with red strings, which would be given to the capable shop assistants on festivals.

In just two months, the Lin family's properties generated 30% more profit than in the same period of previous years.

Even Lin Ruhai, while reviewing the new accounts, stroked his beard in amazement: "If my daughter were a boy, she would probably be a high-ranking official!"

Therefore, this time, when the Princess's household welcomed a granddaughter, Daiyu decided on the entire process, from preparing congratulatory gifts to sending stewards to the Princess's household to offer congratulations. She also made the decisions on what gifts to give and how to present them appropriately.

Daiyu had sent gifts to the Princess's residence many times before, but those were all on her behalf, as the Princess's goddaughter, and were private gifts to her godmother, godfather, and even sisters-in-law.

The difference between the Lin family sending gifts in the name of the family and Daiyu sending gifts herself is significant; the former represents the Lin family's prestige.

Daiyu compiled the gift list and asked her father to review it first.

Lin Ruhai examined the gifts carefully, his eyes filled with praise and pride: "Yu'er's gifts are truly thoughtful. I think the Princess and her family will like them."

“My godparents have treated me very well, so of course I should repay their kindness.” Daiyu has always been a grateful person.

Sure enough, when the Princess saw the gifts sent by the Lin family, she was the first to exclaim in admiration, even before anyone else.

Of the three gifts, the eldest princess liked the most.

The first item is a box carved from golden nanmu wood, depicting a hundred sons and a thousand grandsons. The box is divided into nine compartments, containing a red gold longevity lock engraved with "fortune, longevity, health and peace," a mutton fat jade safety buckle with colorful silk ribbons, a red gold bell bracelet of adjustable size, and so on. Each item is exceptionally exquisite.

The second item is a four-season embroidered swaddle set. The spring swaddle is made of brocade with cotton lining and embroidered with the "Apricot Blossom and Swallow" pattern. The summer swaddle is made of thin silk quilt with the "Lotus Pond Serenity" pattern. The autumn swaddle is made of soft gauze cloak with the "Golden Chrysanthemum Proud of Frost" pattern. The winter swaddle is made of sable fur and is decorated with pearl tassels.

The last item, even more interesting, is a copy of Lin Ruhai's annotated "Thousand Family Poems," with faint ink traces of six-year-old Daiyu practicing calligraphy on the pages, as well as a "Children's Play Album" handmade by Daiyu, consisting of twelve paintings. The album was deliberately left unfinished until Gaoxin turned one year old, at which point Daiyu would add one painting each month and send it to him.

Lin Ruhai also personally wrote on the gift list: "This book of poems taught my daughter the line 'The spring breeze in February is like scissors.' Now I present it to the little princess, hoping she will also know that 'even plants and trees have their own hearts.'"

When Gao Xin was born, the emperor was so pleased that he bestowed upon her the title of princess.

Daiyu prepared another letter on a floral stationery sheet, which read: "When my niece picks up a brush, would it be alright if Auntie came to teach her how to draw butterflies?"

The eldest princess held the yellowed copy of "A Thousand Poems," her fingertips gently tracing the childish ink marks on the pages, her eyes slightly reddening.

She turned to the prince consort beside her and sighed, "Look at this, this is the kind of heartfelt gift only a close relative would give. Gold and jade are nice, but they can't compare to the precious words in this book of poems—Yu'er has brought all the memories from her heart to Xin'er."

With that, the Princess carefully put away Daiyu's letter and said to her family, "Remember this: when Xin'er has her first birthday celebration, no one is allowed to compete with Yu'er for the position of her first teacher!"

The prince consort joked on the spot, "This is great news! In the future, even a rough old man like me will have a talented woman as my granddaughter."

The eldest princess received Daiyu's thoughtful gift and couldn't help but show it off in front of the emperor.

The emperor went to see his beloved daughter the next day, and before he even entered the courtyard, he could already hear the children's voices.

As soon as the emperor turned the corner of the corridor, he heard a silvery laugh coming from the waterside pavilion.

Crown Princess Liu Ying was pouring tea, Princess Xiao Lin was leaning against the railing peeling lotus seeds, and Daiyu was sketching something on a plain silk. The three figures were reflected in the blue waves, swaying gently with the ripples.

After thinking for a moment, the emperor decided not to go there and instead went to the Empress's Phoenix Palace.

The Empress was talking to Consort Qiao when the Emperor arrived, and the two of them naturally got up quickly.

"The Imperial Concubine is here too." The Emperor thought to himself, "In other emperors' palaces, the Empress and Imperial Concubine are usually fought over by each other. Why does it seem like things are different here?"

However, this thought only lasted for a moment.

"Two days ago, my eldest sister came to the palace and praised her goddaughter to the skies." The emperor saw the peaches on the table and picked up a knife to peel them himself.

The Empress was about to take it when the Emperor waved his hand, saying, "I'll do it myself; you don't need to do it."

The emperor peeled the peach for a while, growing impatient, but instead of handing it to the empress, he gave the peach and the knife to Consort Qiao.

"I was thinking that Lin Ruhai is a capable man, and his daughter is so outstanding. I always feel that it would be a pity to put her in another family."

Suddenly, the emperor said something that made Consort Qiao's hand tremble, and she almost cut her finger.

The Empress remained calm and said, "If Your Majesty says so, then the third and fourth princes are both the right age for Yu'er."

Consort Qiao looked at the Emperor with increasing nervousness.

The emperor thought to himself, "My concubine has such grown-up sons and daughters, yet she still doesn't hide her feelings at all."

Extra Chapter: The Empress's Rebirth - Qingwen Saved After the Scandal is Exposed

Consort Qiao originally thought that the emperor would issue the marriage decree soon, but the emperor said a few words that day and then fell silent. Moreover, in the following days, the emperor acted as if he had never said anything at all.

Consort Qiao was extremely anxious, but dared not ask the Emperor directly. She could only mutter to the Empress, "Your Majesty, what exactly does the Emperor mean?"

The Empress chuckled, gently patting Consort Qiao's hand, and comforted her, "Don't worry about it! The Emperor's meaning was quite clear when he said this in front of you. Otherwise, why didn't he tell Consort Shu? The Emperor said this specifically for you."

Upon hearing this, Consort Qiao realized it made perfect sense, and her joy instantly vanished.

"Don't always be in such a hurry. Yu'er hasn't come of age yet. Even if the Emperor wants to bestow a marriage upon her, it will have to be after she comes of age." Seeing that Consort Qiao was still so emotional, the Empress couldn't help but shake her head, her eyes filled with a hint of helplessness.

"I know that! Speaking of which, I must prepare a proper coming-of-age ceremony." Consort Qiao liked Daiyu more and more the more she looked at her. In her heart, Daiyu was perfect in every way, and she wished she could marry her immediately.

Daiyu naturally wouldn't know these words from the Emperor, Empress, or even Consort Qiao.

Recently, it was the birthday of her maternal uncle Jia She, and Daiyu happened to be at home. As his niece, she naturally couldn't not go, so she took a carriage to the Rongguo Mansion for the banquet.

Daiyu never expected that such a thing would happen at the Rongguo Mansion.

Halfway through the banquet, Baoyu left his seat early, and no one seemed to care.

He returned to his room and saw Xiren lying on the bed. He hurried over to check on her. Ever since he had made love to Xiren, Baoyu treated her very differently from the other maids. He spoke to her intimately and acted casually.

Xiren also thought highly of herself, believing that as the head maid and able to control Baoyu, she was destined to become a concubine. So she would occasionally feign laziness to deliberately tease Baoyu.

Baoyu drank some fruit wine at the banquet. Although it wasn't very strong, the large number of people made it lively, and he became slightly tipsy.

He lay down and talked to Xiren. Seeing how charming and lovely she was, he was instantly smitten. The two embraced and soon became deeply in love, and they made love to each other.

Little did I know that Qiuwen was no easy person to deal with.

She was always jealous of Xiren and dreamed of becoming Baoyu's concubine, so she kept a close eye on Xiren and Baoyu's interactions.

Now that such a good opportunity had come to pass, Qiuwen naturally wouldn't miss it. She deliberately led Aunt Zhao past Baoyu's room.

Aunt Zhao was already dissatisfied because the banquet was so lively, yet she had no place to sit, and she was seething with anger.

Besides, the whole family treasured this phoenix egg, so Huan'er was nothing to them.

Now that she had such a big handle on her, she immediately rushed to Grandmother Jia's side, ready to expose her in public.

The banquet was bustling with activity, and the clinking of glasses filled the air. Suddenly, Aunt Zhao rushed in, crying out, "Grandma! Grandma! Baoyu... Baoyu... Baoyu is in trouble..."

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia was startled and quickly helped her maid to go and see.

Seeing this, Wang Xifeng quickly went to Grandmother Jia's side and whispered, "Grandmother, there are so many guests here, all of them important people. Why don't you go and visit them? You know Aunt Zhao is always unreliable. Don't let her cause any misunderstandings and make us a laughingstock among our relatives."

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia realized that she couldn't afford to lose face. Suppressing her unease, she nodded to Wang Xifeng.

Wang Xifeng gave a wink to the old woman beside her, who immediately understood and dragged Aunt Zhao away without a word. Wang Xifeng herself then hurried over to Baoyu's side.

You won't believe it until you go! I was really shocked when I got there!

How old is Baoyu? How could he do such an absurd thing!

Wang Xifeng understood perfectly well that this matter must not be made public, especially not by outsiders.

She immediately ordered Ping'er to lead a group of people to personally guard outside Baoyu's courtyard, absolutely forbidding anyone else from coming in, and naturally, not allowing anyone inside to come out either.

We have to wait until the guests outside leave before we can resolve this embarrassing matter.

Although Wang Xifeng tried her best to cover it up, Aunt Zhao's commotion made Grandmother Jia very worried, and she was restless at the banquet. In the end, the guests outside who did not know the truth were unaware of the inside story, but the family members still had a vague idea of ​​what had happened.

Daiyu was not an outsider, so she naturally stayed longer. Hearing Grandmother Jia angrily scolding Xiren, the sisters had no choice but to get up and go sit with Yingchun to avoid the awkward situation.

When the matter escalated, Grandmother Jia immediately said that Xiren should be dismissed and kicked out of the mansion.

Wang Xifeng, however, felt it was inappropriate. After much deliberation, she stepped forward and advised, "Grandma, things have come to this, why not let this girl stay? If we keep this under wraps, our family can maintain our dignity. Later, when Brother Bao gets married, we can find a pretext to elevate her to the rank of concubine, which will also silence any gossip."

Grandmother Jia looked coldly at Xiren, who was kneeling and trembling on the ground, and felt that she had been blind to let such a restless girl into Baoyu's room.

Yes, if we send her away, wouldn't that just let that girl gossip everywhere and spread the Jia family's scandals to everyone?

It's better to keep her here for now and shut her up. As for the future... it's hard to say how long a person can live; after all, people eat grains and other foods, and they're bound to get sick eventually.

When Xiren heard that she could stay, she thought it was because Grandmother Jia had shown her mercy, and she immediately kowtowed repeatedly with gratitude.

"Xiren, listen to me clearly!" Wang Xifeng's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.

"Today, the old lady only let you off this time because she thought you had served Brother Bao for many years and also because she was concerned about the Jia family's reputation! Don't think you can be complacent just because you got the benefit. If you dare to do anything out of line again in the future, or if you take advantage of Brother Bao's favor and don't know the rules, then it won't be as simple as just being kicked out. Do you understand?"

Her words were a strong warning, implying that if Xiren made the same mistake again, she would suffer a terrible fate.

Xiren was terrified upon hearing this. She kowtowed repeatedly, saying yes and promising that she would behave herself in the future and would never dare to do it again.

After dealing with Xiren, Wang Xifeng took the opportunity to suggest to Grandmother Jia, "Grandmother, today's events are strange in every way. It's one thing for the servants to be bold and break the rules, but how could Aunt Zhao just happen to be passing by? I'm afraid someone is deliberately trying to sabotage Baoyu's reputation. In my opinion, apart from Xiren, all the people around Baoyu should be replaced to prevent any further mishaps."

After listening to Wang Xifeng's analysis, Grandmother Jia also felt that it made sense.

Little did Jia Zheng know that when he received the news, he originally intended to give his son a severe beating to uphold family rules. However, due to the protection of his mother, he couldn't actually lay a hand on him.

Jia Zheng then suggested, "Mother, Baoyu has too many maids. Now that such a scandal has occurred, he should be properly disciplined. From now on, he should be treated like Jia Huan and Lan'er were, with only two maids serving him. He should spend his days studying and not indulging in these things. Otherwise, he will only become more and more useless!"