The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

In comparison, the embroidery shop bestowed by the Empress was rather unremarkable.

The news that Daiyu had received a reward spread far and wide, not only to the Rongguo Mansion but also to many people in the capital.

After hearing the news, Jia Zhen thought for a while and then called his wife, You Shi, to ask, "What have you prepared for Lin Daiyu's dowry?"

Now that the two families have separated, they are not as close as before. Hearing her husband suddenly call out "Lin Daiyu" (a character from a popular TV series), Madam You wanted to laugh to herself: she had never seen him care about the neighbor's "Lin Daiyu" in the past. Now that "Lin Daiyu" has really risen to prominence, his mind has become quite active.

However, Madam You only thought these words to herself, but said them truthfully: "A pair of Jun ware vases with sky blue glaze on the inside and rose purple glaze on the outside, a set of Yixing Chun Tea House purple clay teapots and tea sets, a pair of red gold inlaid gem buckles, and a pair of white jade mandarin duck buckles."

After listening, Jia Zhen pondered for a while: "It's too little. Although we've separated into different clans, we're still close relatives. My deceased aunt was my own aunt. As her elder brother, this is far too little. You should add a pair of white jade carvings of banana leaves and ladies, as well as the Duan inkstone with the floral pattern of Arhats in meditation. Also, I'll take out eight Qianqiu Guang ink sticks and add them in as well."

Upon hearing this, Lady You was surprised: This is really generous. When Yingchun got married, she didn't receive many real treasures. Now that Daiyu is marrying a proper prince, she has already prepared a lot, and now she wants to add these precious things.

Putting aside everything else, just those pairs of white jade carvings of ladies with banana leaves are made of Hetian white jade, with a firm, smooth, and delicate texture, and a slight staining at the bottom. The lady figures with banana leaves are carved using techniques such as round carving, openwork carving, and intaglio carving.

Lady You remembered that Jia Zhen had gone to great lengths to buy this from Jubaoge, and it cost him five thousand taels of silver at the time.

"Is Master really going to give so much?" Madam You asked another question.

Jia Zhen pondered for a moment: "Although our family has now established connections with Consort Wu, His Majesty has personally bestowed an estate upon Lin Daiyu. Perhaps there's something more to it. Giving her more might prove useful in the future."

Lady You understood. Her husband was planning to use multiple burrows, but could he really win over Lin Daiyu just by adding some makeup? Her husband was being far too simplistic.

Jia Zhen, being a man, rarely interacted with his sisters and cousins. You Shi, however, was different. Although she lived in the East Mansion, before the family was divided into separate branches, she would go there whenever something happened. Especially before the incident involving You Erjie, she had a good relationship with Wang Xifeng and would help with important matters there.

Therefore, Madam You had a certain understanding of the sisters in the family. Feng once said: "Don't underestimate Lin Daiyu. In my opinion, among the girls, she has the best insight and knowledge. It's a pity that her health is a bit poor."

However, Lady You didn't intend to say these things. Right now, Jia Zhen was treating the new vixen very well, and she, as the mistress of the house, was just going to let it go. Besides, once Jia Zhen made up his mind, nothing could change it. Why should she risk offending him? Anyway, even if those things weren't used to add to Lin Daiyu's dowry, they might end up with that vixen anyway.

But then Jia Zhen said, "I've heard that Fourth Sister and Lin Sister are very close?"

"It's alright, the sisters are all about the same." Madam You knew that Jia Zhen wanted to make a fuss about Xichun's marriage. Last time, if it weren't for the large age difference and Jia Zhen's feeling that the Mei family's official position was too low, the Xing family's daughter probably wouldn't have had a chance.

"Didn't you say that Madam Wu said last time that she wanted to introduce someone to Fourth Sister?" Madam Wu, whom Jia Zhen mentioned, was Consort Wu's sister-in-law.

"It was just a slip of the tongue at the time." Madam You didn't take it too seriously. The Wu family was the genuine family of a Noble Consort, while her own family was far removed from the Virtuous Consort, let alone Lin Daiyu.

"I don't think so. Now that Fourth Sister has won the favor of the young princess of the Princess's mansion, it's not certain that the Wu family can win over the Princess's mansion." Jia Zhen was still pondering.

"A young girl's liking might not be that important, right?" Madam You thought that Jia Zhen was overthinking things.

However, at this moment, a voice rang out: "I'm afraid that's not necessarily true. This little princess was conferred a title at birth, and the emperor himself bestowed her a name."

The woman who entered was Chen Jiarong, Jia Zhen's concubine, who had once been an illegitimate daughter of the Duke of Qi.

Madam Chen bowed first and then spoke softly: "I didn't mean for you and Madam to talk. I just happened to have something to discuss with you."

Knowing he was wrong, he still had to say that first. Lady You looked down on this person, but Jia Zhen waved his hand and said, "It's alright, we're all family. Tell me your opinion."

Jia Zhen valued this concubine, initially only because he was attracted to her youth and beauty. However, after spending some time with her, he increasingly realized that Chen Shi had some insight and was indeed worthy of being a girl raised in the Duke's mansion.

Madam Chen expressed her thoughts: "Who is the Eldest Princess? Countless people in the court want to curry favor with her but have no way to do so. Yet she has invited our Fourth Miss to be her guest twice. Although she has benefited somewhat from the Princess Consort of Yi County, it is obvious that the Little Princess likes our Fourth Miss."

That is true; even Lady You knows it.

"Besides, the Fourth Miss is the legitimate daughter of the Duke's mansion, and she is also outstanding in appearance. It will not be difficult for her to arrange a good marriage in the future." Madam Chen did not forget to flatter Jia Zhen a few words, "With you, sir, planning for the Fourth Miss, there will be no chance of anything going wrong."

Jia Zhen nodded in agreement, agreeing with what Chen had said.

"I've heard that the Left Commander of the Guards has been preparing to remarry for three years after his wife passed away." Upon hearing this, Jia Zhen was not pleased.

"Let's forget about remarrying," Jia Zhen thought, feeling it was a risky idea.

"Please let me finish speaking, my lord." Madam Chen came prepared. "Lord Zuo is not old at all, only in his thirties, yet he is already a third-rank military officer. His future is limitless."

When Jia Zhen heard that he was only in his thirties, he thought of the Imperial Guard, which was a force protecting the capital. If it really worked out, wouldn't he have gained a brother-in-law who was a military commander?

Jia Zhen was intrigued and hurriedly asked Chen if she had any connections with the Zuo family.

“What you’re saying, sir. As long as you’re willing, the friendship is yours.” Madam Chen was very pleased to see that Jia Zhen had agreed to her proposal.

Madam You sneered inwardly: Based on her understanding of Xichun, she would definitely not agree to such a marriage.

Suddenly, Madam You felt that she should inform her fourth sister, and not let Madam Chen be so smug. Besides, if her fourth sister married well in the future, she would remember her kindness, wouldn't she?

Thinking this, Madam You quickly took the opportunity of having a maid deliver something to Xichun to pass on the message.

Upon hearing this, Xichun was at a loss and couldn't help but cry.

Caiping panicked and, after thinking for a moment, decided to ask Miss Lin for help: Miss Lin will soon be the Princess Consort, she must have a way.

Chapter 63 Prince Yi's Sincerity Wins True Feelings

After hearing Caiping's words, Daiyu remained silent for a while: "Don't be afraid, you go back first, I'll go see your young lady later."

Xueyan personally escorted Caiping out, and Daiyu instructed Zijuan: "Have your brother inquire about what kind of person this Left Assistant Commander is."

“Miss, Lord Zuo is a high-ranking official, I’m afraid my brother won’t have all the details.” Zijuan agreed first, but also expressed her concerns.

Daiyu nodded: "It's alright, let's find out as much as we can."

Then she got up and walked to the desk, picked up her pen and wrote. Whether it was this Chen from the Duke of Qi's mansion or this Left Commander, Daiyu felt it was necessary to tell Xiao Tingjun. Moreover, it was unrealistic for her to stop Jia Zhen on her own, but if Xiao Tingjun would take action, that would be a different story.

After finishing writing, he handed it to Zijuan, asking her to have her brother deliver it to Zhao Bingxin.

Daiyu took Xueyan to the Lotus Fragrance Pavilion. Xichun had already cried and was sitting by the window in a daze. When she saw Daiyu, she didn't move. After a while, she said, "Sister Lin, it's okay. At worst, I'll cut my hair and become a nun."

Daiyu shook her head and said, "Silly sister, it hasn't come to that. Just because they want it doesn't mean it can work out. Don't worry, I have a plan for this, and there will be results in two or three days."

Xichun was surprised and murmured, "Even if you become the Princess Consort in the future, I'm afraid you won't be able to manage this matter well, will you?"

"Don't worry, you'll see when the time comes." Daiyu spoke with confidence, though she was actually a little worried.

Seeing Daiyu's certainty, Xichun finally felt relieved.

After receiving Daiyu's letter, Xiao Tingjun read it in one go and immediately fell into deep thought: there was actually more to the story behind the raid on the Duke of Qi's mansion.

On the contrary, Xiao Tingjun had never really thought much of the Ningguo Mansion that Daiyu mentioned. As for the matter of Daiyu's cousin, it was not a difficult matter for Xiao Tingjun.

Xiao Tingjun was actually quite happy: Mingming Yu'er was a girl, but she had always been very strong and seemed to never need his help. Now that she thought of him when she needed something, for some reason, it gave Xiao Tingjun a sense of satisfaction.

When Xiao Tingjun picked up his pen to reply to Daiyu, he couldn't help but write down these feelings directly. So when Daiyu received the letter and saw that he hadn't mentioned the important matter first, but instead wrote these words, she blushed and snorted.

As for Xichun's matter, it was indeed as Daiyu had predicted. Xiao Tingjun said in his letter that this Left Commander of the Guard Battalion was a cunning fox, but he had some dealings with Xiao Tingjun's maternal uncle. Xiao Tingjun would handle this matter and told Daiyu not to worry.

With Xiao Tingjun's words, Daiyu was finally relieved. She called Zijuan and asked her to convey the message to Xichun, but not to make it public.

In his letter, Xiao Tingjun also said that he had received imperial permission to come and pick up Daiyu the next day to visit the Prince's Mansion. He added that the Imperial Household Department had already decorated the new house, and the Empress had already seen it, but he thought it would be good for the young couple to see it as well and see if there was anything they were dissatisfied with.

Sure enough, early the next morning, a carriage was parked in front of the Rongguo Mansion. It was sent by the Empress, and Xiao Tingjun was still riding a horse.

It was already late August, and the weather wasn't so hot anymore. The two of them had already visited the Prince's Mansion before, but this time, Daiyu saw the four characters "Prince Yi Mansion" personally written by the Emperor on the gate.

The Three Pine Hall was the venue for the wedding. It was already decorated, and looking at the room full of beaded curtains and embroidered screens, Daiyu felt it was unreal.

"Isn't this a bit too extravagant?" Daiyu couldn't help but say when she saw the rosewood chair inlaid with marble and ruyi patterns, with its backrest and pillows decorated with large red embroidered dragons and clouds, and the curtains hanging with large red embroidered mandarin ducks playing in the water.

"No, this is the proper way for a prince to get married. It's all done according to the rules." Xiao Tingjun brought Daiyu here today because there were some things he felt he needed to say before the wedding.

He was nervous before he could even speak, and several times he couldn't say what he wanted to say as he wandered around Sansong Hall and Qinghui Tower behind it with Daiyu.

Daiyu, perceptive enough to notice, stopped in her tracks: "Your Highness, please speak frankly. Just as Your Highness said in your letter, honesty is the way to get along."

Xiao Tingjun stopped and looked up at Daiyu, his eyes filled with surprise, but also with a strange worry.

He glanced at the eunuchs and maids standing outside the building, took a deep breath, and spoke softly enough to be inaudible outside, but Daiyu heard it clearly.

“I want that position, and I think you already knew that, Yu’er.” Xiao Tingjun decided to be direct.

Daiyu's first reaction was to check on the people outside. Although they were sent by the Empress, and there were her own maids and Xiao Tingjun's eunuchs among them, if anyone had ulterior motives and overheard them, it would be a huge problem.

After confirming that no one could hear her, Daiyu looked intently at Xiao Tingjun.

"Although I know you know, I still feel it's my responsibility to say it myself," Xiao Tingjun said solemnly. He was ambitious; that position was his ambition.

He was also confident, believing himself to be more suitable than his second and fourth brothers.

But he knew very well that this was a path full of thorns and obstacles. He used to think he was a person, and although the Empress supported him, it was different.

But now, he feels that Daiyu is the one who will stay by his side.

At that moment, Daiyu understood Xiao Tingjun's feelings, and under his ardent gaze, Daiyu said frankly, "But you should know that I have nothing."

She wasn't saying anything specific, but Xiao Tingjun understood. She was referring to her family's influence. After all, one can't fight against many people, and having someone to help is better than having no one at all. This was one of the reasons why Consort Wu and Consort Xu were desperately choosing girls from good families for their sons.

"Just you are enough," Xiao Tingjun said, uttering only six words.

Every word is worth a thousand pieces of gold.

Daiyu stared at Xiao Tingjun for a long while without saying anything. Then she said, "No matter who it is in the Rongguo Mansion, if they commit a crime, they should be dealt with accordingly."

“That’s natural.” Xiao Tingjun had long known that the Rongguo Mansion did not treat Daiyu well.

“But those who haven’t committed any crimes won’t be implicated unnecessarily,” Xiao Tingjun added.

Daiyu nodded, then smiled softly. Seeing her smile, Xiao Tingjun also smiled.

"I used to cry a lot, and everyone says so." Daiyu thought to herself that she hadn't cried in a long time, and that her tears seemed to have really decreased. "It seems that since meeting you, I've become more cheerful."

Xiao Tingjun's eyes revealed joy. He was truly delighted: "Yu'er, that's so true. I hope that in the future, you'll always be by my side, smiling."

Daiyu also hoped for peace and happiness in the future, although she knew it would be difficult.

September has arrived, and so has the wedding date.

Chapter 64 Daiyu's Grand Wedding: The Beginning of Happiness

Starting from the beginning of September, the Rongguo Mansion was bustling with people from all walks of life, including those from the palace who came to deliver gifts.

But this also gave everyone in the Rongguo Mansion a glimpse into the grand scale of a prince's wedding to his princess. Although Yuan Chun was granted the title of Consort, in a stricter sense, she was still a concubine of the royal family. Only after witnessing this spectacle did they realize that the royal family's regard for their principal wife was truly different.

Others might not understand, but Grandmother Jia remembered that the Empress possessed power that even the most favored concubine could not have.

On the first day of the ninth lunar month, the Rongguo Mansion, following custom, prepared a row of flowers next to Grandmother Jia's main room as a seating area for the female officials and eunuchs sent by the palace on the wedding day. People from the palace were also sent to check if the preparations were in place.

In addition, the servants of Rongguo Mansion also had to undergo inspections by the palace. They had to be presentable and have elegant manners, because these people would serve the princes and princesses on their way out, and they could not afford to make any mistakes.

After such a busy period, it was finally the eighth day of the ninth month. Daiyu was woken up by Zijuan at dawn. Today was her wedding day, so naturally Zijuan wouldn't be the one to do her hair and makeup. According to custom, it was usually a well-rounded lady invited by the bride's family to do Daiyu's hair and makeup.

Grandmother Jia originally planned to invite the Governor's wife, but the Eldest Princess offered to personally comb Daiyu's hair. The Jia family was overjoyed at this. After all, only the Empress could rival the Eldest Princess's influence.

Moreover, the Princess not only came to comb Daiyu's hair, but also brought her dowry for Daiyu in advance: two shops in excellent locations. Daiyu wanted to refuse, but the Princess said directly: "I like girls like Yu'er. Those two shops are nothing. Just accept them. The revenue is your private money. Don't give it to Lao Sanhua."

The eldest princess arrived very early, and she personally combed Daiyu's hair while saying auspicious words: "First comb to the end, second comb to white hair reaching the eyebrows, third comb to a house full of children and grandchildren, fourth comb to four silver bamboo shoots standing tall and straight."