The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

For example, on this day, the wife of the Marquis of Jinxiang, accompanied by her daughter-in-law, personally paid a visit.

Lady Hou, always shrewd, greeted everyone with a smile as she entered, presenting a gilded sandalwood box and saying, “Princess Consort Yi is of noble birth and has been working hard lately. This fine bird’s nest and top-quality pearls are exactly what you need to nourish your body and improve your complexion. I hope Your Highness will not refuse, but consider it a token of my goodwill.”

As she spoke, she gestured to the maid beside her to hand over the box.

Daiyu immediately recognized that the contents of the box were of considerable value, and she understood the deeper meaning behind the Lady Hou's actions.

She stood up directly and personally pushed the box back to the Lady of the Marquis, smiling gently, "Lady of the Marquis, you've gone to so much trouble. I've always been in good health, so you should keep these precious items for yourself. Besides, the Emperor, the Empress, my father, and my mother have always been very kind to me, providing me with the best of everything. I would never dare to accept anything from others."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "It is already a great honor that Madam has come to my residence today to have a chat with me. If Madam truly wishes to give a gift, she would be better off telling me more about the latest happenings in and around the capital. That would be the best way to express her good intentions."

Lady Hou listened to Daiyu's words, each one impeccable, polite and proper, yet subtly refusing the gift. She tried several times to push the box back, but Daiyu skillfully avoided her each time. In the end, Lady Hou could only awkwardly take back the gift, but she understood in her heart that this Princess Yi was truly formidable.

As time went on, the ladies who came with generous gifts and "sincere intentions" gradually understood Princess Yi's intentions. Seeing that Daiyu remained unmoved and resolutely refused to accept their sincerity, they eventually had no choice but to give up and stop making futile attempts.

Daiyu's clever handling of the wives of officials who surrendered in the capital quickly reached the emperor's ears.

The Empress was overjoyed upon learning of this.

She specifically praised Daiyu in front of the emperor: "Your Majesty, my daughter-in-law Daiyu is truly a good child. She has been insightful since childhood, and now that she is the Princess Consort, she acts with even more propriety and grace, unmoved by worldly vanities. This kind of character is truly rare and precious."

"Indeed, this child is truly composed," the emperor thought. His own brothers were fighting like antagonists, so naturally he hoped his sons would be harmonious and respectful towards each other.

Just then, the Crown Princess entered with her son, Daiyu, and Yu Ran with their daughter. The Empress smiled and said, "Oh, it seems you planned to come here today."

"Your Majesty's guess is always right." Liu Ying brought some good stuff. "Yu'er wrote about the customs and culture of Fujian, as well as what she saw along the way. I found it really interesting to read, and of course I had to share it with Father and Mother."

The Emperor took the book and casually flipped through a few pages. He was impressed by Daiyu's elegant writing and beautiful handwriting, which vividly depicted the customs and culture of Fujian. He nodded repeatedly in approval. The Empress was also watching from the side, her eyes full of admiration.

Seeing that the Emperor and Empress were full of praise for Daiyu's travelogue, Crown Princess Liu Ying had an idea and suggested with a smile, "Father, Mother, I think Yu'er's travelogue is very well written. Not only is her writing outstanding, but she is also very knowledgeable. I think the saying that a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent is wrong. Women should still have knowledge."

She continued, "If a girls' school could be established in the capital, so that girls of marriageable age could have the opportunity to read and write, learn poetry, songs, calligraphy, painting, and even arithmetic and geography, it would not only improve their knowledge and refinement, but also lay a good foundation for them to manage household affairs and even assist their husbands in managing affairs after they get married in the future."

Liu Ying's suggestion undoubtedly broke the shackles of tradition. She had just shared this idea with Yu Ran and Daiyu, and both of her younger siblings thought it was a good idea.

The Empress observed the Emperor's expression from the side. Seeing that the Emperor did not show any opposition after listening to Liu Ying's suggestion, but instead seemed to be deep in thought, she knew that the Emperor must have taken a liking to this idea.

So the Empress pressed her advantage and suggested to the Emperor, “Your Majesty, the Crown Princess is absolutely right. Only a woman with talent can manage a household well and educate her children effectively. If we are to establish a girls’ school, I think it would be better to entrust this matter to her three sisters-in-law. They are young and capable, and they get along well with each other. They will surely make the girls’ school a great success.”

Upon hearing this, the Emperor pondered for a moment, and finally nodded with a smile, saying, "What the Empress said is very much to my liking! Since the Crown Princess has such a grand ambition, and the three princesses are all talented and capable, let them work together to handle this matter well. If needed, they can draw funds from the Ministry of Revenue and the Imperial Household Department."

With the Emperor's permission, Crown Princess Liu Ying, Princess Rui Yu Ran, and Princess Yi Dai Yu immediately set a date to discuss the establishment of a girls' school in the Crown Princess's study in the East Palace.

The Empress's Rebirth - Establishing a Girls' School

Regarding the girls' school, Liu Ying spoke first: "To establish a girls' school, there are many matters involved, such as site selection and construction of the academy. Although Father Emperor mentioned that if needed, we can draw funds from the Ministry of Revenue and the Imperial Household Department, these matters are inconvenient for us. I was thinking, why not ask my second and third brothers, the Crown Prince, for help? What do you two think?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Ran immediately understood. Always quick-witted, she smiled and replied, "What the Crown Princess says is absolutely right. Why not leave these construction matters to His Highness the Crown Prince and the two Princes to devise a solution? They are both men, and it would be more convenient for them to act in the court. I'm sure they can handle the selection of the academy's location and construction properly."

Daiyu nodded in agreement: "That's excellent. The three of us sisters can then focus our energy on selecting female teachers, establishing rules for the academy, and compiling suitable teaching materials. After all, there's quite a lot to do if we were to do everything one by one."

“Since that’s the case, then it’s settled.” Crown Princess Liu Ying made the decision. “Let’s set a time, every day at 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM, to meet and discuss this, shall we?”

Yu Ran and Daiyu both felt that the time arrangement was fine.

Yu Ran even suggested with a smile, "Your Highness, there's no need to discuss this in the palace every day. If you'd like, we can go out of the palace. Sometimes we can go to Prince Rui's residence, and sometimes we can go to Prince Yi's residence. This way, we can change our environment and avoid getting tired."

Upon hearing this, Liu Ying couldn't help but tease Yu Ran: "You little rascal, you've got your eye on Yu'er's tea and snacks, but you're too shy to ask, right?"

Daiyu covered her mouth and smiled, nodding and saying, "If you two sisters don't mind, you're welcome anytime."

The three women looked at each other and smiled. Such harmony and affection between sisters-in-law was truly rare in the palace.

However, the Crown Prince and the two Princes reacted differently after receiving the "important mission" from their respective consorts.

Crown Prince Xiao Tingrui naturally gave his full support. He knew the importance his father and mother placed on girls' education and was happy to see his Crown Princess take on this important task and display her talents.

When Prince Rui, Xiao Tingkai, learned of this, he was initially somewhat resistant. He was already feeling resentful because his maternal grandfather had retired to his hometown, and he felt that his father was biased. Now, he was being dragged into doing these "trivial matters."

However, upon further reflection, the establishment of girls' schools was a great achievement personally approved by the Emperor! Once the schools were successfully established, their names would naturally be included in the register of merit.

"I can't let the Crown Prince and my third brother get a share while I get nothing!" Xiao Tingkai thought to himself.

He didn't want his father to think he was "unworthy" again. With that thought, he dispelled his resistance and instead felt that this was an excellent opportunity.

He quickly gathered his subordinates and began to actively cooperate with the Crown Prince and the Third Prince to select a site and plan the construction of the academy.

As for Prince Yi, Xiao Tingjun, he naturally supported all of Daiyu's decisions unconditionally.

The Emperor was delighted to learn that his three sons had divided the work among themselves. He couldn't help but praise the Empress, saying, "The Crown Prince is doing a good job; he understands the bigger picture and proactively takes on important responsibilities. The second and third sons are also excellent. It is a great blessing for the court that they can work together with the Crown Prince in a harmonious and respectful manner."

The news of the establishment of a girls' school spread like wildfire in the capital and soon reached the ears of the eldest princess.

The eldest princess has always been concerned about the well-being of the nation and deeply understands the importance of women's education. When she heard that the emperor had approved and that the three princesses-in-law were leading the establishment of a girls' school, she was greatly impressed.

She volunteered to join the preparation team for the Crown Princess, Yu Ran, and Daiyu, and to help with planning and strategizing.

“Since this girls’ school is for the benefit of women in our dynasty, there’s no need for others to say anything more. I will send Xin’er here to be one of the first students of this girls’ school!” The princess even took the initiative to say.

Upon hearing this, Crown Princess Liu Ying immediately rose and curtsied, saying gratefully, "Your Highness's actions are truly a blessing for us all, and for all the women of the capital! With Your Highness taking the lead, how can we worry about the success of women's education?"

With the eldest princess taking the lead, many aristocratic and official families in the capital who were originally hesitant now began to look forward to girls' schools and were considering sending their daughters to enroll.

After all, their daughter can not only learn real skills and improve her character, but also make many friends, which will be valuable connections for the future.

Just as Daiyu was busy preparing for the girls' school and discussing matters with the Crown Princess and Yu Ran every day, a letter from the First-Class General's Mansion arrived at Prince Yi's Mansion—Tanchun's birthday was approaching.

Daiyu smiled as she looked at the invitation. Since returning to the capital, she had been busy with household affairs and preparations for the girls' school, and hadn't had a chance to properly visit her sisters for some time.

So Daiyu asked the Crown Princess and Yu Ran for a day off, and took Xiao Jiayue with her in a carriage to the First-Class General's Mansion.

Little Jiayue is now lively and active, curiously looking out the window along the way, occasionally letting out giggles, bringing Daiyu a lot of joy.

Yingchun also rushed back from the Li family and reunited with Daiyu, Tanchun, and Xichun.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, the sisters chatted privately. Yingchun quietly approached Daiyu and whispered about a major event in the family—the family was choosing a husband for Tanchun.

"My second uncle originally wanted to marry a scholar for my third sister," Yingchun said in a low voice. "Although that family wasn't a top-tier family, they were still a scholarly family, and the man seemed to have good character and family values. But who knew that Sister Yuanchun would ask someone to tell her that she would choose a family of military generals for my third sister."

Daiyu raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

Yingchun continued, "Originally, Third Sister also thought that the person Second Uncle chose was good, at least he was reliable and respectable. But Aunt Zhao got the news from somewhere and ran to Third Sister and started talking nonsense, saying that the family was very poor and how hard it would be for them in the future, and that if Third Sister married well, she couldn't forget Huan'er and had to take care of Huan'er, etc."

Yingchun sighed: "Third Sister was so annoyed and upset by her that she cried. After all, she is her birth mother, and no matter how troublesome she is, she cannot be completely cut off from her."

After hearing this, Daiyu took the opportunity to chat with Tanchun alone for a while.

"Third sister," Daiyu asked gently, "what are your thoughts on your marriage?"

Tan Chun looked up at Daiyu, her eyes devoid of the shyness or coyness that most women show when discussing marriage. Her gaze was clear and firm, carrying an undeniable sharpness.

“Sister Lin,” Tan Chun said frankly, “Since Master is willing to discuss my future with me, I will definitely take control of it myself. In this world, if a woman wants to live freely and with dignity, she cannot completely depend on others. Whether she marries a civil official or a military general, in the end, she depends on herself.”

When she spoke of Aunt Zhao, a hint of helplessness flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure: "I don't take Aunt Zhao's words to heart at all. She is my birth mother, and if I am truly capable in the future, I will naturally take care of her, after all, it is blood ties."

Tan Chun's tone shifted, becoming somewhat cold: "But as for raising Huan'er, in the end, doesn't it still depend on Huan'er himself? If he is ambitious, he will naturally amount to something; if he is not, no matter how much you try to raise him, he will only be a hopeless case."

Looking at Tanchun, Daiyu couldn't help but sigh inwardly. This third sister of hers truly was a woman of great vision and ambition.

So Daiyu told Tanchun about opening a girls' school, and sure enough, she received Tanchun's high praise.

The Empress's Rebirth - Tan Chun's Engagement with Wang Xifeng and Her Pregnancy

To Tan Chun's surprise, Aunt Zhao was still persistent and went to her again to say something. This time, Aunt Zhao changed her tune, first praising the military family: "That military family has been noble for generations and is very wealthy. She also said that the child is young and handsome and will have a bright future!"

Her eyes gleamed with a longing for wealth and status, as if she could already see Tan Chun marrying into a wealthy family and herself benefiting from the wealth.

Tan Chun sneered inwardly upon hearing this. She immediately retorted, "Master has already had people inquire about him; that person is nothing but a spoiled brat who only knows how to eat, drink, and be merry, and is utterly ignorant!"

Aunt Zhao, however, didn't take it to heart and continued, "Even if he's a playboy, he can still inherit a title! When you marry into that family, you'll have an imperial decree!"

Tan Chun's face darkened completely. She sneered, "A title? By the time it's his turn, he'll probably be demoted three ranks, and it'll be hard to say whether he'll even have a title then! Auntie only sees the immediate wealth and status, but doesn't think about the long term!"

Seeing that Tan Chun was unmoved by reason, Aunt Zhao started to cry and complain: "You wretched girl, how can you be so ungrateful! Ying Chun used to be like a block of wood, look how well she married, now she has the final say in the Li family! You are better than Ying Chun in every way, you should marry even better and enjoy greater happiness!"

Tan Chun's chest heaved with anger at her words.

She retorted, "Does Aunt know that this is now the residence of a First-Class General, and Second Sister is the daughter of a First-Class General? I am nothing! I am merely a concubine's daughter in this household. It is already a great fortune that the Master and Madam have gone to such lengths to plan for me! If Aunt continues to act so recklessly, it will only ruin my reputation!"

When Wang Xifeng learned that Aunt Zhao had gone to see the Third Miss again, her eyelids twitched. Before she even went in, she heard Aunt Zhao talking more and more outrageously. When she entered the room, she saw that Tan Chun's face was very ugly, and she knew that if the commotion continued, something bad would definitely happen.

She quickly came over, gave a wink, and signaled the old women around her to pull Aunt Zhao away. Aunt Zhao was still crying and cursing, but the old women forcibly took her away.

Tan Chun watched Aunt Zhao being dragged away, feeling extremely annoyed.

She knew that Aunt Zhao's repeated disturbances were no small matter.

After pondering for a while, Tan Chun went directly to Grandmother Jia's place.

She told Grandmother Jia everything about Aunt Zhao's repeated antics and her true thoughts about the marriage.

Tan Chun spoke with heartfelt sincerity, detailing in detail how Aunt Zhao disturbed her peace, damaged her reputation, and even made irresponsible remarks about court affairs.

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia's face gradually darkened. She was already deeply dissatisfied with Aunt Zhao's unruly and troublesome nature, and now that she dared to make such a fuss over Tan Chun's marriage, even involving outsiders, it undoubtedly crossed Grandmother Jia's bottom line.

"What a wretched child!" Grandmother Jia exclaimed angrily, her cane thumping loudly on the ground. "She's becoming more and more lawless! How dare she treat my granddaughter so disrespectfully and ruin the dignity of the household!"

Grandmother Jia immediately summoned Wang Xifeng. From the tone of Grandmother Jia's voice, Wang Xifeng knew the matter was serious.

Grandmother Jia immediately ordered, "Feng'er, go and confine that troublesome Aunt Zhao to her quarters for a few months! She's not allowed to step out of the courtyard again, and she's not allowed to cause any more trouble for Tan'er! She can only be released after Tan'er's marriage is completely settled!"

Wang Xifeng was secretly delighted upon hearing this.

She had long disliked Aunt Zhao, but since Aunt Zhao was Jia Zheng's concubine, it was not appropriate for her, as a junior, to directly interfere.

Now that she had received Jia Mu's words, she had the authority to proceed with the matter legitimately.

"Don't worry, Grandmother, I'll take care of it right away!" Wang Xifeng accepted the order and immediately turned and left the room.

To prevent Jia Zheng from causing any further trouble, Wang Xifeng sent Jia Lian to speak with Jia Zheng.

When Jia Zheng heard that Aunt Zhao had made such a fool of herself in Tan Chun's marriage, he felt ashamed and ultimately acquiesced to Grandmother Jia's decision.

With Grandmother Jia's strong hand, Aunt Zhao was completely confined to her quarters, and Tan Chun's marriage was finally able to proceed smoothly.

After careful consideration, Tan Chun was finally betrothed to the scholar chosen by Jia Zheng.

Although Jia Zheng was somewhat pedantic in his daily life, he was not foolish when it came to his daughter's marriage.

He knew Tan Chun's temperament well and understood the Jia family's current situation, so he was extremely cautious about Tan Chun's marriage. Before making a final decision, he specially asked Lin Ruhai to come and help take a look at the child.

Although Lin Ruhai was generally reluctant to interfere too much in the affairs of the Jia family, he had heard Daiyu praise the third young lady, Tanchun, several times and knew that she was talented and insightful. Therefore, he took Jia Zheng's request quite seriously.

Therefore, when Lin Ruhai accompanied Jia Zheng to meet the young man named Guo Rulin, he carefully observed his speech, behavior, knowledge, and cultivation, and also secretly sent someone to inquire about his family background and character.