The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

Daiyu was very sensitive, but she didn't ask and waited for Yingchun to speak first.

"Somehow, that man got in touch with Brother Zhen of the East Mansion. He came back drunk that day and, without thinking, said everything, saying things like, 'Sister Xing is well-educated and reasonable, and the Mei family, although they don't hold high positions, are a respectable family and will be useful in the future.'" Yingchun was completely unfamiliar with the political and officialdom, so she didn't think too much about what she heard. She only knew that Xing Xiuyan's marriage was related to her father, Jia Zhen of the East Mansion, and others.

However, Daiyu immediately realized that the East Mansion had already made contact with the Second Prince, namely Prince Rui, and they had sided with him, hoping to gain merit by supporting the new emperor.

It seems that Sister Xing was a pawn in their game, used to win over the Qingliu family.

However, Daiyu didn't intend to tell these things to her sisters, since they might not necessarily be involved. Besides, some things were too early to discuss now.

Tan Chun couldn't help but snort: "These men, instead of going out to make a name for themselves, all they think about is relying on women. It's really laughable. If a man gets sick or crippled, he says his wife is a jinx; if he gets promoted or becomes rich, he says his wife is a lucky charm. If women really have such great abilities, what use are men?"

This was the first time Daiyu had heard such words, and she couldn't help but praise Tanchun: "Third sister is indeed insightful, so she certainly didn't wrong herself for their sake. Second sister, you are even more so. Now that he is wary, second sister doesn't need to be afraid of him. If you are unhappy, just come back and talk to him. We sisters should support each other in the end."

Yingchun was deeply moved by what she heard, and even Tanchun couldn't help but glance at her.

"Sister Lin is so generous." Tan Chun sighed. Perhaps her second and fourth sisters didn't know much about the family affairs, but Tan Chun understood very well that the Madam and the others had used Sister Lin's money, and then turned around and let her second brother marry Sister Bao.

But Xichun chimed in, “Sister Lin has always been pure and straightforward; her joys and sorrows are written all over her face. If a family has to hide everything and scheme against each other, what’s the point of living?”

Daiyu and Tanchun both nodded in agreement: "Fourth Sister is absolutely right."

"Alright, let's not talk about that. Let me show you a piece of calligraphy I wrote a few days ago." Tan Chun, with her open-mindedness, got up and unfolded the calligraphy she had written a few days ago.

The sisters were discussing calligraphy and paintings when word came from outside that Qiao Jie'er had arrived, which surprised Tan Chun and her sisters.

A moment later, Ping'er led Qiao'er in, followed by a maid carrying several gifts, which were obviously birthday presents for Tan Chun.

Qiao Jie bowed to Tan Chun like a little adult, saying words of blessing. Clearly, Ping'er had taught her all of this beforehand.

Looking at Qiao Jie'er, Daiyu thought of Jia Lian and his wife, this couple who schemed against each other. It is said that even tigers do not eat their cubs, but they would even abandon Qiao Jie'er for their own sake.

Yingchun and Tanchun teased Qiaojie, and Daiyu, finding the child adorable, couldn't resist joining in. With Qiaojie around, the room became much more lively.

Qiao Jie saw the characters on Tan Chun's desk. She recognized some of them and didn't recognize others. Pointing to one of the characters, "人" (person), she said, "I can write that too. And this one, 天 (sky) and 水 (water)."

Xichun remembered the little princess Gao Xin who had been here before. She was about the same age as Qiaojie, but she could already recite many poems, write many characters, and even draw.

Daiyu and her sister then realized: their second sister-in-law herself didn't know many characters and had never thought of teaching her daughters. The Wang family's daughters were illiterate.

Then Tan Chun smiled and said, "Qiao Jie, do you want to study? How about you come and study with your aunt someday?"

"Okay, okay, Auntie, don't find me annoying." Qiaojie was very happy to hear this and clapped her hands in agreement.

“I can also teach Qiaojie to draw. It’ll be more lively if we all do it together,” Xichun rarely took the initiative.

Ping'er quickly instructed Qiao'er to thank her aunts.

Looking at Qiaojie, Yingchun seemed to see her past self: no one to teach her, no one to care for her. She almost burst into tears, thinking that if she had the chance, she would come back to visit often.

Lunch was delivered from the kitchen, and Baochai surprisingly came with a smile, as if the rejection by Tanchun had never happened. She came to congratulate Tanchun on her birthday with a beaming smile: "I specially asked the kitchen to add two extra dishes. I hope Third Sister doesn't mind that I came uninvited?"

Tan Chun naturally welcomed her, but the atmosphere was not as good as before. Even Qiao Jie'er noticed the difference and became reserved, no longer speaking.

Fortunately, Baochai left after the meal, and it was Jia Mu's maid, Amber, who invited her to stay.

Baochai, unaware of what had happened, followed Amber to Grandmother Jia's main room. Upon seeing that Madam Xing and Madam Wang were already there, Baochai instinctively felt that something serious must have occurred.

Grandmother Jia spoke up: "The Ge family's daughter got married only two months later than Yu'er. I heard from Yun'er's aunt that the Ge family prepared 108 sets of dowry for the daughter. What do you all think about Yu'er?"

One hundred and eight units?

Madam Xing had long heard Jia She complain that the old lady was forcing him to use his private funds to make up for the shortfall in Daiyu's dowry, but now, judging from what Grandmother Jia was saying, he still had to give it.

Turning her head, she saw Baochai standing to the side. Madam Xing had an idea and said with a smile, "Old Madam, isn't this how dowries are? Just because it looks like a lot doesn't mean it's all good stuff. When Baochai came into the family, there were seventy-two sets of dowries. That included candlesticks, oil lamps, and the like."

Baochai's dowry was indeed perfunctory, which was all Baochai's own decision. As early as when Tanchun was in charge of the household, Baochai knew that the Jia family did not have much money, so she did not plan to bring her family's wealth with her, since the dowry would likely be used to fill the gaps in the family's finances.

So when the bride showed off her dowry, it was the subject of much discussion. Only the Xue family had the audacity to do so.

Grandmother Jia was already dissatisfied with the Xue family's actions, and upon hearing this, she became even angrier. She frowned and said, "Who do you think the Ge family is? They are tutors to two emperors, and the old master was once a minister. Now, Miss Ge's father and uncles are all officials in the court, and they hold real power. Besides, she is marrying a prince. If showing off her dowry makes people laugh, it will be the whole family that loses face!"

After hearing this, Madam Xing fell silent.

Chapter 58: The Jia Family's Schemes Over the Dowry (Part 1)

Grandmother Jia glanced at Lady Wang and Baochai, who had also remained silent. They were truly a family, their behavior was exactly the same. Did they think that keeping quiet would solve everything?

Now that things have come to this point, Grandmother Jia didn't bother with beating around the bush and went straight to Baochai: "You helped prepare and count Yu'er's dowry. Calculate how many sets there are so far?"

Baochai had already become jealous after seeing the dowry that the Rongguo Mansion had prepared for Daiyu. The agarwood inlaid with jade, the serpentine jade ruyi, the coral bonsai, the kesi screen, and other items from Grandmother Jia's private treasury were all taken out. If these were not for Daiyu, they would all belong to Baoyu in the future.

But when Grandmother Jia asked, she could only lower her head and reply, "Sixty-four tiers."

“Look, we’re still so short. The Ge family has 108 units, so we need 108 units too. Otherwise, we won’t even be able to get past the Princess!” Grandmother Jia immediately said. “You all go back and calculate what else you can come up with.”

Madam Xing had just been scolded, but now she seemed to have learned her lesson. In any case, she didn't have these things. She would go back and tell her husband that it was his niece getting married anyway.

When Jia She heard that he would have to pay money and provide goods, he immediately objected: Last time, he thought he could get some benefits in the future by relying on being the maternal uncle of the Princess Consort, but now, he didn't know where the benefits would come from, and he would have to pay another sum of money. What if this was a losing deal?

So Jia She, contrary to his usual behavior, went to pay his respects to Grandmother Jia.

No one knows a son better than his mother. When Jia She arrived, Grandmother Jia's eyelids twitched. Sure enough, after only a few words, Jia She steered the conversation to Daiyu's dowry.

"When Mother asked last time, I thought we were all family after all, and my poor niece lost her parents at such a young age, so I agreed without even frowning. Those treasures, the green jade bamboo bonsai, the silver-gilt hexagonal potted stone plum blossom bonsai, aren't they all good things? I didn't feel bad about sending them over." Jia She became angrier the more he thought about it.

"Now Mother wants us to pay as well. Doesn't Mother ever think about how I also gave 50,000 taels of silver when the Empress visited her family back then? Over the years, Rongxi Hall has also been occupied by the second son's family, and I haven't said a word. Can't we always bully honest people like this?"

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia knew that Jia She was not planning to contribute anything more. After pondering for a moment, she raised her eyelids and said, "It's no use telling me this. How about this, tonight, let's all get together as a family and have a good talk about it."

Grandmother Jia naturally still has some treasures, but she is not willing to take them all out. Otherwise, how could she live in this mansion with these unfilial children and grandchildren?

That evening, only Jia She and his wife, and Jia Zheng and his wife were summoned. In the end, although Baochai helped manage the household, it was only limited to helping manage the household.

Jia She decided to strike first, saying directly, "Things have come to this point because of what you two did. I contributed money and effort to build the villa for the Empress's visit, and Lian'er and his wife also contributed a lot. But when we ran out of money, we had to use Lin's money. Later, the Empress spread the word that Baoyu shouldn't marry Lin, but instead should marry Baoyu. Lin is lucky to marry a prince. As her uncle, I certainly didn't leave empty-handed. Every single thing I sent was worth a fortune. So, Second Brother, it's up to you to handle these matters."

Jia Zheng, completely bewildered, asked instead, "What's the situation with the dowry?"

When Lady Wang heard that Jia She was not going to contribute anything more, she immediately objected. In a few words, she explained that the mansion was preparing a dowry for Daiyu, but they didn't have enough. After she finished speaking, she quickly started crying and complaining, "When we were going to use the Lin family's money, the old lady agreed. Now, in order to prepare a dowry for my niece, I have also contributed my own dowry. The mansion only has so much stuff. We can't let our whole family go without food and drink just for her to get married."

"Not eat or drink? If you're not well prepared, the Princess might not even have the chance to eat or drink if she says a word." Jia She knew the inside story about the Princess coming to Daiyu's house to support her, but he didn't know that it was Jia Lian and his wife who pawned it. Instead, he thought that Grandmother Jia was biased towards the second branch of the family and had secretly given it to them.

"Brother, what are you saying? Do you think I'm the only one in this family? If the eldest princess is to be punished, then everyone will have to suffer." Madam Wang wasn't afraid of any of this. She stopped crying and instead became more assertive. If the eldest son's family didn't pay, did you expect the second son's family to pay? She didn't have that many good things to give.

Upon hearing Madam Wang's words, Jia She was even more opposed: "At worst, we can divide the family property. In the end, our eldest branch didn't spend a single penny of Lin's money. It was your second branch that spent the money and offended her."

Upon hearing about dividing the family property, Grandmother Jia immediately rebuked, "I'm not even dead yet, and you dare to talk about dividing the family property!"

Jia She was not afraid and said defiantly, "Mother, this is not what I wanted to do. I was forced into this situation by you, and I had no choice but to divide the family property."

Jia Zheng, who had been silent all along, stood up and walked to Grandmother Jia, where he knelt down.

His action silenced Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang, who were about to speak, and even Jia She looked at the second son in surprise.

Jia Zheng first kowtowed to his mother, then said with a serious expression, "I did not agree with Baoyu marrying another man from the beginning, since the Lin family's money had already been used. But Mother said that she would find a good marriage for my niece. Later, when I heard that my niece was betrothed to the Third Prince, I thought, Mother was right after all."

At this point, Jia Zheng paused for a moment, while Grandmother Jia seemed somewhat guilty.

"Now that the Princess has come to our door and knows that the Ge family has prepared 108 dowry sets for the girl, we naturally cannot be stingy. Otherwise, not only will the Princess be unhappy, but we will also be truly sorry for our deceased sister and brother-in-law."

Upon hearing this, Madam Wang immediately objected, saying, "But where in the manor would you get so many things?"

However, Jia Zheng completely ignored her and said directly to Grandmother Jia, "My niece's dowry is still a little short. I also have quite a few paintings, calligraphy, and antique ornaments. I'll sort them out and have them sent over. Grandmother, please put them all in my niece's..."

Before he could finish speaking, Madam Wang interrupted him. Hearing that her husband wanted to take out some things, Madam Wang was naturally unhappy and said loudly, "How can that be? Those things of yours, sir, were all left to you by the old Duke."

"Shut up!" Jia Zheng remained kneeling, not turning his head or even looking at Madam Wang, and simply shouted.

He was clearly furious, and his anger startled everyone in the room. Not only did Madam Wang dare not speak, but even Grandmother Jia was quite surprised.

Chapter 59: The Jia Family's Schemes Over the Dowry (Part 2)

Jia Zheng continued, "My son will take out all the decent things he has and send them to the old lady as part of his niece's dowry. These are things we owe our niece. Besides, if our niece loses face while marrying into the royal family, the Empress will not be able to hold her head high in the palace."

“I used to neglect my family affairs and had no idea that things were so difficult at home. Now that I know, I must set an example. Those housekeepers I hired cost me a lot of money every year, but I don’t need them anymore. I will talk to them myself.”

"Furthermore, the study also incurs considerable expenses every year. Since these people will no longer be using it, the expenses for the study will no longer be necessary." Jia Zheng was well aware that he spent a lot of money every year on writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones for his study. This was mainly because he couldn't resist buying good ones, and antique ink and Song Dynasty paper were very expensive.

After hearing her husband's string of words, Madam Wang's face darkened, and her heart bled: In the end, weren't these all things belonging to their second wife's family?

Moreover, Lady Wang knew very well that the things Jia Zheng had were worth more than her own dowry.

However, Jia She happily praised his second brother: "As expected of my second brother, he can distinguish between what is important and what is urgent. Since my brother has spoken, let's do it this way."

Grandmother Jia glared at her eldest son and sighed, "Second son, get up first."

After Jia Zheng got up, Grandmother Jia continued, "What you just said about sending away the guests and officials is indeed a serious matter. Your father was a military general back then, and he needed someone to write memorials and discuss matters of state for him. You really don't need those people now."

"As for Yu'er's dowry, taking out some of what you have will be enough. If it's not enough, I'll add some more from here."

"Boss, don't think it's none of your business. From now on, the palace will halve your expenses as well."

Grandmother Jia made the final decision. Lady Wang wanted to say something, but when she looked up and saw her husband's expression, she remained silent.

Back in the room, Madam Wang couldn't help but say, "How could you take out all those ornaments and paintings? They were left to you by the old Duke before he passed away, and they are quite valuable."

Jia Zheng stared coldly at his wife as if he didn't recognize her. After a long while, he slowly said, "If I had known that you would run to the Empress and say that Baoyu should not marry his niece, I would not have agreed to let you use the Lin family's money."

Upon hearing this, Madam Wang immediately cried out in grievance: "How can you blame me for this, sir? It was all the Empress's idea."

"Your Majesty?" Jia Zheng was now heartbroken by his wife, who was a liar and only cared about money. "Your Majesty is in the palace and knows nothing about your two nieces. The old lady is old and doesn't come to the palace often. Usually, it's you who goes in to pay your respects to Her Majesty."

"If you hadn't spoken ill of her in front of the Empress, how could she have issued such an edict?"

“I know you and Min’er didn’t get along back then, but I never expected you to treat your niece like this. I’ve always thought too highly of you.”

"It's my stuff, and I can do whatever I want with it—that's none of your business."

"Now that your niece is about to become a princess, put away your shady thoughts, or you will harm yourself and others in the future."

"If you dare to act recklessly again in the future, don't blame me for not showing any affection between husband and wife."

Every word he spoke was a scathing rebuke to Lady Wang, while Jia Zheng's eyes, as if they could see through everything, were fixed on her.

Madam Wang felt as if she were being pricked by needles, and for a moment she couldn't utter a single word.

"From now on, you'd better take care of yourself." After saying this last sentence, Jia Zheng turned and left.

Aunt Zhao, who was serving outside, heard everything clearly. In the past, she loved to see Madam Wang suffer. This time, Aunt Zhao seemed to have noticed that the master was different from usual. She put away her own thoughts and just served Jia Zheng well until he fell asleep, not daring to say a word more.

Aunt Zhao thought about it for half the night, and the next day she finally managed to steal a moment to go and find Tan Chun and tell her about it.

Tan Chun listened without saying a word, and after thinking for a while, she only told Aunt Zhao: "The master and mistress are in a bad mood now, so you'd better not go and provoke them. You should use that time to properly teach Huan'er a lesson."

Aunt Zhao nodded and quickly left; she had come secretly.