The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

When the Empress was thinking, Daiyu quietly stayed by her side without disturbing her at all.

"Yu'er, there's something I feel I must emphasize to you and the Third Prince again." The Empress became serious, staring intently into Daiyu's eyes. "Once you decide to compete, you can't be soft-hearted! In this struggle where the world is the chessboard, winning or losing is a matter of life and death, and not just one person's life, but the lives of a family or even several families."

The struggle for the throne is a matter of life or death; either don't fight at all, or if you do, you have to be ruthless.

Daiyu and Xiao Tingjun were not unaware of this principle, but considering that their second brother and sister-in-law's child was innocent, they couldn't bring themselves to be ruthless.

"However, Yu'er, you know to come to me for advice, which makes you better than many others." The Empress already had an idea. "My opinion on this matter is that you and the Third Prince should pretend that you know nothing about it for now."

That's it? Daiyu didn't say anything.

“Otherwise, wouldn’t His Majesty and the Second Prince suspect you, saying you’re spying on your brothers?” The Empress asked rhetorically, and Daiyu became alert.

Emperors are often suspicious, and once someone is suspected by the emperor, it is difficult to explain oneself even if one is in the right.

"Moreover, what the fourth prince and his wife will do is all just your guesses, isn't it?" the Empress continued to point out. "Therefore, remaining inactive is your best option."

Holding back troops also implies sitting on the sidelines and watching the tigers fight.

"Furthermore, I will suggest to His Majesty and Consort Wu that His Majesty personally send an imperial physician to guard the Prince's residence. This would make things much more convenient if anything were to happen." The Empress's words made Daiyu admire her even more: out of kindness, the Empress was actually subtly reminding Consort Wu. With an imperial physician guarding the Prince's residence, if something were to occur, the physician could arrive immediately to provide assistance.

Daiyu quickly rose and knelt to thank the Empress for her instruction.

“You and the third prince are still young, there’s no need to rush. You learn many things little by little.” The Empress herself had also learned her way to where she is today.

The Empress then brought up the war in the southeast: "Tell the third prince to pay attention to this matter. His two uncles are in the Ministry of War and Shaanxi-Gansu respectively. There's also my brother. Although my brother is a civil official, Liangjiang is still close to the southeast. If he can't figure it out, he might as well write to ask."

"Yes, thank you for your help, Mother." Daiyu could see clearly that the Empress truly supported Xiao Tingjun wholeheartedly.

Upon returning from the palace, Xiao Tingjun had not yet returned from the Ministry of Revenue. Daiyu, however, received an invitation from Yingchun. Daiyu was somewhat curious that Yingchun had actually offered to visit.

Curiosity aside, Daiyu asked Zijuan to go in person and instead invited Yingchun herself—if Yingchun was willing to speak, there must be something on her mind.

Chapter 72 The Wolf of Zhongshan Plots to Go to Battle

Yingchun came, but it turned out she was there to beg Daiyu for something.

“My wife at home, ever since she heard about the war in the southeast, has been planning to go to the front lines. I didn’t want to come at first, but I’m just so bothered, Lin Meimei.” Yingchun quickly corrected herself after addressing him, “Princess Consort, this matter will definitely put you in a difficult position, I…”

But Daiyu interrupted Yingchun, saying, "Second Sister, don't say that. This is really not difficult." Daiyu wasn't saying this just to comfort Yingchun.

Since the outbreak of the war in the southeast, both the Second Prince and the Fourth Prince have been actively planning. Now it seems that the Second Prince and the Prince of Nan'an's Mansion have formed an alliance. The Prince of Nan'an's Mansion has been managing the southeastern navy for many years and is confident that it can achieve a swift victory.

Now, Xiao Tingjun's maternal uncle is the Vice Minister of War, and Xiao Tingjun and Daiyu are well aware of these matters. Their fourth brother still wants to send people into the army, and Daiyu and Xiao Tingjun originally thought of holding back for the time being. Firstly, none of Xiao Tingjun's relatives needed him to arrange jobs, and secondly, they couldn't expect Xiao Tingjun to go out of his way to find jobs for unrelated people.

Before she could even think of a way to make amends, Yingchun arrived. Daiyu knew what Yingchun's husband was like, and she was afraid that Yingchun had no choice but to come. It was truly like a pillow being delivered to someone who had just fallen asleep.

Daiyu already had a good idea in mind.

"However, Second Sister, war is no child's play. Swords and spears have no eyes on the battlefield. What if..." Daiyu didn't finish her sentence, but Yingchun understood.

If Sun Shaozu were to go to the battlefield and be killed or wounded, that would be a real problem.

Thinking about the bitter days she had lived after her marriage, and looking into Daiyu's sincere and concerned eyes, Yingchun couldn't help but speak her true feelings: "Don't be afraid that you will say I'm mean and heartless, sister, but I really would rather he die in battle, then I could be completely free."

After saying these two sentences, Yingchun closed her eyes and two lines of tears fell.

Daiyu knew how difficult Yingchun's life had been since her marriage. When Yingchun returned to her parents' home that year, she cried and said that her husband was a lecherous gambler and drunkard who had slept with almost all the wives and maids in the house. She also said that her father had paid that man five thousand taels of silver to sell Yingchun to him.

At that time, the second aunt forbade anyone to tell the old lady, saying only that Yingchun was unlucky. As for her own eldest uncle and aunt, they acted as if Yingchun never existed.

Therefore, Daiyu knew very well that Yingchun was speaking from the heart.

Such honest words, spoken by a weak-willed person, are both heartbreaking and ironic. The Rongguo Mansion truly is a place that devours people without spitting out their bones. They can even sell off their own granddaughter by weight; compared to Yingchun, she, an outsider, really has nothing to complain about.

Daiyu reached out and took Yingchun's hand, saying, "Second Sister, please stop crying. It's not worth crying for someone like him. Now that you're here, I can assure you that sending someone to the battlefield is no difficult task. By the way, does he hold an official position now?"

Daiyu didn't know much about the specifics of the surname Sun, so just to be on the safe side, she asked this question.

“It’s a fifth-rank official position, but it’s inherited and just a nominal one,” Yingchun honestly told Daiyu. “If she had real power, I’m afraid she wouldn’t be willing to go. After all, it’s a battlefield.”

Daiyu thought for a moment and said, "Perfect, Second Sister, there's no need to rush back. Stay here for a simple meal." She then called Zijuan in, told her to go to the kitchen and say that there were guests, and also called Xueyan.

"Xueyan, go and tell Tian Dashu outside to send a message to Zhao Bingxin." Daiyu got up, went to the desk, wrote a few words, and handed them to Xueyan.

Zijuan and Xueyan went about their tasks, while Yingchun, observing the orderly arrangement at Daiyu's residence, felt a pang of envy. She thought, "Now that Baochai is also managing the Rongguo Mansion, compared to her, even the once-instructive Baochai, when it comes to household affairs, is no match for Lian Ersaozi, let alone Daiyu. This entire mansion is managed so well. When I arrived earlier, I noticed that all the servants were very well-behaved."

"Won't this put His Highness in a difficult position?" Yingchun was still a little worried. After all, it was a substantive post of the fifth rank, which was not easy to obtain. Otherwise, it wouldn't have dragged on for so long in the Rongguo Mansion without getting anything done.

Daiyu had already made up her mind: just a few days ago, Xiao Tingjun had discussed with her the war in the southeast. The second and fourth princes were both eager to fight, but she hadn't made any move, which would easily arouse the emperor's suspicion.

Now that Daiyu has agreed to Yingchun's request, it might make the emperor think that the third prince and his wife are bound by kinship, and at the same time, they can't be said to be completely without thoughts about the southeast.

"Second sister, don't worry. Everyone has a responsibility when there is war in the southeast. Besides, it's just a fifth-rank official, not a general or marshal. Nobody will care." In the end, for Sun Shaozu, a fifth-rank official with real power was already quite good, but for those in higher positions, what did a fifth-rank official mean?

Hearing Daiyu's words and seeing her confident demeanor, Yingchun finally felt relieved. Before Yingchun could even take her leave, Prince Yi sent someone back—his most trusted advisor, Zhao Bingxin.

Zhao Bingxin carried a message from Prince Yi: "His Highness said that the Princess Consort handled the matter very well. It was quite a coincidence that Prince Rui had just been at the Ministry of Revenue to inquire about the grain supply issue. His Highness had already mentioned it to Prince Rui, and Prince Rui had even generously stated that the fifth-rank position was too low. Since he was the Princess Consort's cousin-in-law, he should be given the fourth-rank cavalry captain position."

Yingchun was stunned when she heard this—she could get promoted?

“The Prince of Nan’an was also there at the time. He is now the Commander-in-Chief and has a long-standing friendship with the Rongguo Mansion. He immediately nodded in agreement. Lord Sun only needs to accompany the Prince of Nan’an on the expedition.” After Zhao Bingxin finished speaking, he withdrew.

"Second sister, are you relieved now?" Daiyu patted Yingchun's hand. She felt it was okay to explain some things to Yingchun. "Now that my cousin-in-law is willing to go, it's a good thing for both me and the prince. Father Emperor said before that many noble families' sons are idle and lazy, while someone like the Prince of Nan'an who is dedicated to the country and the people is much better. My cousin-in-law's going is a great honor for the noble families."

Yingchun wasn't stupid, and she immediately understood what Daiyu meant: the Rongguo Mansion and the Sun family were both resting on their ancestors' laurels. Now that Sun Shaozu was willing to go, no matter how the battle turned out, they had already made the right gesture.

“Sister, no matter what the reason, I should thank you sincerely. It’s just that I can’t manage the household or make decisions, so I can only offer empty words.” Yingchun knew that Daiyu was helping her entirely out of their past sisterly bond, and one should know how to be grateful. She was very grateful to Daiyu from the bottom of her heart.

The two sisters chatted for a while longer before Yingchun rose to take her leave. Zijuan had already prepared some gifts for Yingchun, at Daiyu's behest: a bolt of cloud-patterned satin, a bolt of Shu brocade, a bolt of Hangzhou silk, a bolt of Lu silk, a bolt of gauze, a bolt of spun silk, and also ginseng and deer antler. These were all valuable gifts; even money couldn't guarantee their availability. Let alone the Sun family, even the current Rongguo Mansion wouldn't easily obtain them.

Yingchun quickly offered to leave, as she had brought some things with her, but they were probably not worth the price of a single piece of Shu brocade.

Daiyu smiled and said, "Second sister, please take these. I've also given some of these things to my third and fourth sisters. The Empress and the Princess gave me quite a few things the other day. They're just sitting in the storeroom collecting dust. If I can make a few clothes for my sisters and let them be happy when they wear new clothes, then they'll have served their purpose."

Unable to refuse, Yingchun thanked them and left with her belongings.

A few days later, Daiyu received a message from the Princess's residence, saying that the young princess wanted to come and visit for two days and asked if it was convenient for Daiyu. Daiyu had nothing to do anyway, so she naturally agreed. She also asked Zijuan to invite Xichun, and after thinking about it, she added Tanchun as well.

Unexpectedly, Zijuan learned a private matter about the Rongguo Mansion during her trip, and after thinking about it for a while, she told Daiyu about it.

Chapter 73 Qiuwen is pregnant, Baochai is heartbroken

Zijuan went to the Rongguo Mansion and received a very private message: Qiuwen, who lives in Baoyu's room, is more than two months pregnant.

This was told to Zijuan by a maid in Baoyu's room. They all envied Chunyu and Chunxian. At that time, the Grand View Garden was built, and a group of maids were bought. Chunyu and Chunxian were assigned to Daiyu's Xiaoxiang Pavilion, and now they have all gone to the Prince's Mansion.

The little maid, Xiaoyun, told Zijuan everything that had happened in Baoyu's room, just like a storyteller.

A few days ago, Master Bao took Qiuwen directly to the old lady's room.

Grandmother Jia was stunned, because Baoyu knelt down as soon as he entered, and Qiuwen followed behind him, shrinking her neck and kneeling down as well.

Baoyu kowtowed three times to Grandmother Jia: "Grandmother, I have something to ask you to do for me and Qiuwen."

Grandmother Jia's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly told Baoyu to get up: "Silly child, get up and we'll talk about it later."

Baoyu, however, could not remain stubborn: "Grandmother, please listen to what your grandson has to say. You must stand up for Qiuwen." Looking at Grandmother Jia's concerned face, Baoyu made up his mind: "Grandmother, Qiuwen is pregnant, and the child is my child."

What? Grandmother Jia's eyes widened in surprise as she stared intently at Qiuwen behind Baoyu.

Baoyu quickly added, "Grandmother, please don't blame Qiuwen. It's all my fault. But I never liked Sister Bao. It was Grandmother and Grandmother who forced me to marry Sister Bao. I've already harmed Xiren, and I can't let Qiuwen suffer the same fate as Sister Xiren."

“Although I am simple-minded, I know very well that Sister Xiren’s expulsion was all Baochai’s doing.” Baoyu had lost all trust in Baochai. “Now that Qiuwen is pregnant, Baochai will definitely not tolerate her. Grandmother, I beg you, for the sake of the unborn child and for the sake of your grandson, please let Sister Qiuwen stay peacefully in my room.”

Grandmother Jia was at her wits' end. She knew that Xiren's affair was not simple, so she arranged for someone to investigate. She found out that Baochai was involved, but she also learned that Xiren had already seduced Baoyu. As for such a girl, she might as well get rid of her; she was just a servant.

But now, Baoyu had actually brought another maid and knelt before her, saying such things. This left Grandmother Jia speechless. Baoyu, when will you ever grow up?

"Baoyu, get up." After thinking for a while, Grandmother Jia made up her mind and asked Amber to invite Lady Wang and Baochai over. "Don't let anyone else know."

This matter must not be publicized, for the sake of Baoyu's reputation. Baoyu, however, did not move and remained kneeling.

Soon, Lady Wang and Baochai entered Grandmother Jia's main room one after the other.

Seeing that Baoyu was still kneeling and Qiuwen was also kneeling, Madam Wang felt sorry for him as soon as she entered the room. She hurriedly said to Grandmother Jia, "Grandmother, what mistake has Baoyu made? If you want to discipline him, don't always make him kneel. It's not warm yet, and the floor tiles are cold."

What a loving mother she is! Grandmother Jia glanced at Lady Wang without saying a word, and after Baochai came in, she said to Baoyu in a low voice, "Baoyu, repeat what you just said to your mother and your wife."

For some reason, Baoyu, who was fearless in front of Grandmother Jia, was now somewhat afraid. But thinking of Qiuwen and the child, he finally mustered his courage and told her that Qiuwen was pregnant.

Madam Wang was so frightened that she almost lost her balance, but Baochai quickly caught her and asked with concern, "Madam, don't be angry, are you alright?"

Hearing Baochai's words, Lady Wang immediately became angry. If it weren't for Baochai, things wouldn't be like this today.

So she glared at Baochai. Baochai felt a chill run down her spine and her heart turned cold under Wang Furen's hateful gaze—she was worried about her mistress, but now her mistress was probably blaming her.

“Madam, please don’t blame Qiuwen. This wasn’t Qiuwen’s doing; it was my own idea. Anyway, I’m a married man now, so having a maidservant isn’t a big deal.” Baoyu glanced at Baochai, afraid that she might deal with Qiuwen, and immediately said, “I think it’s fine to take Qiuwen into my household.”

Lady Wang's mind worked quickly. Qiuwen had a child, and since Baochai couldn't have one either, it wouldn't be a bad thing to give the child a concubine, just like Baoyu said. Which young master from a wealthy family wouldn't do that?

Thinking of this, Madam Wang spoke up: "Grandma, I think what Baoyu said is right. The children have been married for so long and there is still no news. Why not let Baoyu take this girl into his room? If this girl has a child, it might bring good luck."

Grandmother Jia knew that Lady Wang would think this way; that short-sighted woman. However, Lady Wang was right about one thing: it seems that Baoyu dislikes Baochai. Who knows when the two of them will be able to have a child? It's more important for Baoyu to have a son first.

Grandmother Jia sighed and looked at Baochai: "Baocha, what do you say?"

Baochai's heart had long since turned cold. Ever since Baoyu married her, he had never given her a kind look. But she thought that her mother could still help her, after all, she was her aunt. But today, her mother's attitude had already explained everything: now that the Xue family had fallen, her mother looked down on her, and she also hated that she couldn't give Baoyu a son.

Hearing Grandmother Jia's question, Baochai suddenly had an idea: Children, since you all want children so much, then I will make sure your hopes are dashed.

So she composed herself and lowered her head, saying, "It's all because I'm incompetent and can't make Second Master happy. Now that Sister Qiuwen has a child, of course she should be well cared for. Just as Madam said, it's only right that we assign two maids to Sister Qiuwen from now on."

When Lady Wang heard that Baochai was so sensible, she immediately smiled and said, "Baochai is so sensible. If it were..." Before she could finish her sentence, she realized that she was wrong. She always subconsciously wanted to say something to belittle that short-lived girl from the Lin family, but she was now the Princess Consort of the Prince, so she couldn't say anything reckless.

Grandmother Jia glared at Madam Wang, then looked at Baochai meaningfully: "Since Baochai says so, then let's make Qiuwen a concubine. As for the maids, I'll personally send two people to serve them."

It was clear that they didn't trust Baochai and were afraid that Baochai would do something shady.

Neither Baoyu nor Qiuwen expected things to go so smoothly, so they quickly kowtowed together.

"Sister Zijuan, you have no idea, Bao Er's grandmother's eyes have been red these past few days," Xiaoyun told Zijuan.

When Zijuan received the news, she hesitated for a while, wondering whether she should tell Daiyu. When she returned to the Prince’s mansion, she saw that the Prince had ordered a swing set to be erected for the Princess. She thought: Now the Princess’s heart is with the Prince, so it won’t matter if I tell her.

So he took a moment when no one was around and told Daiyu about it.

After hearing this, Daiyu sighed: "My cousin is still the same. What a mess. Oh well, it has nothing to do with us. Let's ignore him. The swing set has been set up. Xin'er, my third sister, and my fourth sister are all coming. I've also sent an invitation to my cousin Qiao to come and play with us."

She then asked Zijuan to accompany her to the kitchen: "I told them how to make Suzhou boat-shaped pastries, let's go see how they're doing."

Chapter 74 The Emperor Personally Visits Daiyu to Catch the Ghost (Part 1)