The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

Li Wan was one thing, as this sister-in-law was uninvolved in everything and even the housekeeper was reluctant to speak up. But Tan Chun was different. Ever since Baochai's attempt to host a banquet for Tan Chun's birthday was rejected, there had been some discord between the two.

Moreover, Tan Chun probably still remembers all the actions and words Baochai took when she joined the household management team.

Soon Li Wan and Tan Chun arrived, and sure enough, Grandmother Jia spoke, her words sounding like a slap in the face to Baochai: "Now that your mistress has taken the initiative to go to the Buddhist hall to pray for the master outside and the empress in the palace, no one is taking care of the big and small affairs at home. Baochai is still young and inexperienced, and one person can't manage it all. You two used to manage the household together, so now you can help Baochai take care of things."

Li Wan remained silent. Tan Chun, thinking of Bao Chai's methods, decided to decline first. However, before she could say more than a few words, Grandmother Jia said, "Tan Chun, if you don't agree, you're clearly making this old woman worry."

Tan Chun had no choice but to agree, but Bao Chai's face burned with embarrassment: When Bao Chai first helped manage the household without proper authorization, she said something like this: "My aunt has personally asked me three or five times to look after the eldest mistress, who is currently very busy and the other young ladies are still young. If I don't agree, I'll clearly be causing my aunt trouble..."

Grandmother Jia is simply returning Baochai's words verbatim.

"Don't think I'm being nosy, Lan'er's mother. You're always too honest, but you're the eldest mistress, so you have to keep your responsibilities to yourself. As for Tan'er, I've always trusted you. I saw and remembered how you managed the household and eliminated problems. Now, just go ahead and do your job. I'll take care of anything that happens." Grandmother Jia didn't mention Baochai at all in her words.

Baochai, however, remained calm. Since she had already been put in charge of managing the household, she would always find a way.

Moreover, with the birthday celebration of Consort Wu's sister-in-law, Lady Wu, the wife of Minister Wu of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Baochai felt this was a good opportunity for her to go out and socialize. Last time at Prince Yi's residence, Princess Rui had talked to her for quite a while, and now Lady Wu was Prince Rui's aunt. If she went there, Princess Rui would surely introduce her to the ladies.

Baochai guessed correctly. After some thought, Grandmother Jia decided to have Madam Xing take Baochai, Tanchun, and Xichun with her to Madam Wu's birthday banquet.

After all, Madam Xing was the wife of a first-class general. Baochai looked at the green-draped carriage that Madam Xing rode in and thought to herself that she would be able to ride in an even more luxurious carriage sooner or later.

When they arrived at Baochai's place, they discovered that Princess Yi hadn't come; she had only sent a birthday gift. Instead, Princess Li, Ge Xijia, had arrived.

When Princess Consort Song Huilan saw Baochai, she indeed waved to her and naturally also called out to Tanchun and Xichun.

Song Huilan introduced the Xue family to everyone. Although many people present disliked the Xue family's manners, Baochai was a married girl, the young mistress of the Rongguo Mansion, and had been introduced by the Princess Consort of Rui County, so everyone naturally praised her.

When Song Huilan introduced Tan Chun and Xi Chun to everyone, it aroused the interest of many people, especially Xi Chun—she was said to be a legitimate daughter of the Ningguo Mansion, and it was also said that the Eldest Princess liked her.

Gaining the favor of the eldest princess is no easy feat. Families with sons look at Tan Chun and Xi Chun with even greater fascination.

Ge Xijia disliked Xue Baochai, but had a good impression of Tan Chun and Xi Chun. Seeing that the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, Madam Ning, seemed to like Tan Chun very much, Ge Xijia came up with a plan.

Chapter 82 The Princess's Trip, Accompanied by Daiyu

Tan Chun and Xi Chun, who made an appearance at Madam Wu's birthday banquet, attracted the attention of some ladies. However, these ladies were all shrewd and did not rush to inquire about them. In the capital, officials' families with any sense were very careful about matters of marriage.

Tan Chun and Xi Chun are daughters of the Duke's family. They have an older sister, the Virtuous Consort, in the palace, and a cousin who is the Princess Consort. They seem to be doing very well, but sometimes being too close to the imperial family can lead to trouble. Especially in the last two years, the Zhen family, the Li family, and the Qi family, which were once very powerful, have all been wiped out.

If you rush into a marriage without thoroughly investigating the situation, you might not only fail to gain any advantage but also bring trouble upon yourself, which would be a terrible mistake.

Once the summer solstice arrives, the weather gets hot.

The eldest princess has always been resistant to cold but averse to heat, and she dislikes staying in the capital during the summer. Therefore, she instructed her household to prepare well in advance so that she could go to her Yingshui Villa to escape the summer heat.

Yingshui Villa covers an area of ​​about 100 acres and is located on the outskirts of Beijing, right next to the Zhili region. It can be reached by evening from the Princess's Mansion at a leisurely pace. This is the largest of the imperial villas, and it features a hot spring palace, Linglong Lake, Nanmu Building, and many covered corridors and pavilions. With lush flowers and trees, it is quiet and cool, making it an excellent place to escape the summer heat.

The eldest princess had already informed the emperor during the Grain in Ear season and even specially invited Daiyu to accompany her. Gao Xin liked to play with Xichun and also specifically asked her grandmother to invite Xichun to join them.

Because of the war in the southeast this year, the emperor relied heavily on the prince consort, so the eldest princess took Gao Xin, along with Daiyu and Xichun, as well as nannies, maids, and guards, to Yingshui Villa.

Upon arriving at Yingshui Manor, the manor owner and his wife, along with many other villagers, came to greet them. The Princess waved them off, telling them to make themselves at home and that they would naturally come to them if needed. Since the Princess visited almost every year, the villagers were already used to it, and after bowing, they took their leave.

Only the village headwoman and a few other women said they had already prepared dinner.

"Then let's have dinner at the Nanmu Building." The Nanmu Building, mentioned by the Princess, is the largest resting place in the manor. It is named Nanmu Building because the entire building is made of nanmu wood. It has seven bays in width and three bays in depth, with a surrounding corridor, a hipped roof, gray bricks and gray tiles, and marble floors. The entire wooden building is unpainted, and the interior furnishings blend harmoniously with the antique nanmu wood.

The main building has two floors, while the rest are single-story. Hanging on the outer eaves of the main building is a gilded plaque with a dragon and a poem, said to have been written by the late emperor. On either side hang the two lines, "Without tranquility, one cannot achieve far-reaching goals; without detachment, one cannot clarify one's ambitions." These lines are in the handwriting of the current emperor.

Just as the princess and the others were washing their faces and hands, the head of the estate and the women brought in dinner. The first dish that made Gao Xin clap her hands was: "Cold noodles, I like it the most."

In the sweltering summer, cold noodles are naturally a popular treat. The head of the farm was quick-witted and immediately smiled and said, "They say dumplings for the winter solstice and noodles for the summer solstice. These locust leaf cold noodles are made with fresh locust leaves. I'm glad the masters like them."

Daiyu smiled upon hearing this: "There was a line in my reading that said, 'Make cold noodles with locust buds.' Smelling this aroma today, it's just as I expected."

In addition, other dishes served included crispy roasted goose, lotus leaf sticky rice, steamed water bamboo shoots, winter melon and pork rib soup, and loofah with chicken, all made with fresh local ingredients.

The princess was overjoyed: "This is what you call authentic!"

Daiyu also liked it: "It seems that the lady of the manor is a great poet. A table of dishes is a table of poems."

Gao Xin asked in confusion, "Really? I can't tell. Can you tell, Master?" She now addresses Xi Chun directly as "Master."

"The Princess Consort just mentioned, 'It could also be: green locust leaves, picked and sent to the kitchen.'" Xichun was initially a little uncomfortable, but seeing the Princess's unpretentious manner, she gradually adapted. "As for lotus leaves, there are countless poems about them."

"Oh, I know, 'The lotus leaves stretch to the sky, an endless expanse of green.'" Gao Xin had already thought of that line, then pointed to the water bamboo and asked, "Is there a poem about water bamboo? I don't remember."

“Yes, the autumn wind blows and breaks the green leaves, and the jade-like roots are cut like fragrant flowers.” Xichun told Gao Xin, “This is a poem written by Liu Zihui, a Neo-Confucian scholar of the Southern Song Dynasty, specifically for water chestnuts.”

Gao Xin immediately applauded, and Daiyu pointed to the crispy roasted goose and said, "This is my favorite. I remember when I was in Suzhou, I often had the summer solstice feast. The rice dumplings were fragrant, the bamboo tubes were tender, and the crispy roasted goose was delicious."

“I know why my aunt likes it now,” Gao Xin suddenly said.

"How so?" Daiyu asked with a smile.

“Because it’s about reminiscing about Suzhou. I remember my aunt came from Suzhou.” Gao Xin was very proud, because she knew she was right.

“Xin’er understands me best.” Seeing that the Princess had already picked up her chopsticks, Daiyu said, “We can’t waste the kindness of the head maid; we should enjoy it properly.”

Having been traveling all day and feeling hungry, and with such delicious food, Gao Xin even ate two small bowls of cold noodles with locust leaves.

But no one expected that the prince consort, who was supposed to be absent, would actually arrive on the evening of the third day. Moreover, the princess and Daiyu were stunned to see the emperor in casual clothes beside the prince consort.

On the contrary, Gao Xin, who knew nothing, rushed up to her grandfather to hug him, and only after jumping into her grandfather's arms did she notice the emperor next to him.

"Your Majesty's maternal uncle?" Gao Xin had never seen the emperor without his dragon robe before, and she was quite surprised. "Your maternal uncle is wearing new clothes today." Her way of addressing him was really novel, and Daiyu and Xichun were both startled. But the emperor's reaction surprised them even more.

The emperor was not angry at all. Upon hearing the address, he laughed heartily, reached out and hugged Gao Xin, who was happy to be hugged by him.

The eldest princess and Daiyu led Xichun forward to pay their respects, but the emperor raised his hand to indicate that it was unnecessary: ​​"I was just feeling troubled, which is why I secretly came here. Eldest sister, you are being so polite, making me feel uncomfortable."

Xi Chun had already guessed from Gao Xin's words, but she was still startled when she heard this.

The eldest princess had already begun to scold her husband: "Really, how dare you bring His Majesty all this way? It's such a long journey, what if something had happened..."

"Don't worry, elder sister. Your husband has made all the arrangements. Eight imperial guards will accompany him, and he's also secretly protecting him from the military." The emperor quickly spoke up when he saw his son-in-law being scolded by his sister.

"How can I not worry? His Majesty is really something. If you want to escape the summer heat, why not do it openly? When Father Emperor was alive, we went to escape the summer heat every year." The eldest princess was scolding her younger brother who had done something wrong, just like an ordinary elder sister.

Xi Chun was even more worried for the Princess: That was the Emperor, wasn't the Princess afraid of the Emperor getting angry and scolding her?

However, to Xichun's surprise once again, the emperor, who was above all others, not only did not get angry, but also admitted his mistake in a good mood: "Elder sister, it was my oversight, but everything is fine now. At this time, there is a war in the southeast, and I cannot go out to escape the summer heat in a big way. Elder sister, please have pity on me."

The eldest princess hurriedly invited the emperor inside to rest, and then called to Daiyu and Xichun: "Yu'er, you sisters, please help out and tell the kitchen to prepare a proper dinner."

The eldest princess could tell that the emperor was not in a good mood, so she added, "His Majesty prefers light dishes. It's hot, so it's important to keep him cool."

"Princess, don't worry," Daiyu said, already having a plan.

Chapter 83 A Clever Arrangement for the Emperor's Appreciation

When the princess saw the dinner that had been delivered, her first reaction was to look at Daiyu: she had clearly said that His Majesty preferred light food, but to her surprise, what Daiyu had sent was crystal braised beef, stuffed loofah with tofu, spicy and sour stir-fried greens, and even a plate of pig's trotters.

With the weather so hot, most people would choose to eat light meals. Just as the princess was about to speak, the emperor interrupted, saying, "Oh, I haven't had pig's trotters in a long time."

The emperor's voice already revealed his liking for it. He even took a bite and immediately praised it highly, asking, "Is this made with plum juice? I've never tasted anything like it before. It's sweet and sour, icy and refreshing, and extremely appetizing."

The eldest princess breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Yu'er is the one with the best ideas."

Upon hearing that it was his daughter-in-law Daiyu who arranged it, the emperor naturally looked at Daiyu. Although he did not speak, his questioning intent was clearly revealed.

Daiyu explained, "When I saw that the head of the farm had boiled pig's trotters that had been kept in the ice cellar, I remembered when I was a child, my father would arrange for the cook to make it for my mother. It was hot and my mother had no appetite, but the stewed pig's trotters, drizzled with plum juice, became crystal clear and sweet and sour, which would whet her appetite. My mother would then eat an extra bowl of rice."

The emperor felt very touched upon hearing this. He had been a prince since birth, then a prince, and finally an emperor. He had basically never experienced the life of an ordinary family. Hearing Daiyu's words, he couldn't help but smile.

"It seems that Lin Tanhua is not only a good writer, but also a very good husband. Brother-in-law, you should learn from him." The emperor even joked with the prince consort.

"Everyone, join me for a proper meal, don't stand around." The emperor called everyone to join him, and he ate the meal with great relish. "It's been a long time since I've had such a hearty meal," he said.

Even in the palace, there were rules governing the emperor's meals. Even if he liked a particular dish, he wouldn't show it, and if he didn't show it, he couldn't eat too much. Thunder and rain, all imperial favors. In other words, if the emperor didn't want to be seen through, he had to constantly conceal his true nature, even in small matters like eating.

After the meal, to aid digestion, the eldest princess had already ordered people to carry rattan chairs to the courtyard, and erect a twelve-tiered landscape painting screen around the perimeter. Several high tables inlaid with burl wood were also brought out, and grapes and watermelons were placed on blue and white lotus-patterned plates.

However, when the Emperor spoke directly about the war in the southeast in front of Daiyu and the others, the Princess was still quite surprised: Although the Emperor was satisfied with the meal that Daiyu had arranged tonight, could it be that the Emperor was testing her?

"It's been almost half a year since the Prince of Nan'an sent troops. All I see is him asking for supplies today and money tomorrow, but I haven't heard any news of him starting a war. I always feel uneasy about this." The Emperor held a grape, but instead of eating it, he patiently peeled it.

Of those present, only the prince consort was a figure in the imperial court, so naturally the others did not speak.

After thinking for a while, the Imperial Son-in-Law Gao Zhen said quite frankly, "I understand Your Majesty's thoughts. You want to win this battle as soon as possible so that the people in the southeast coastal areas can live in peace."

At this point, the prince consort paused for a moment: "However, war is slightly different from other court affairs. Once war starts, there is no turning back. I think the Prince of Nan'an is probably waiting for the best time to start the war."

"Then tell me, what do you think about sending someone to oversee the army?" The emperor stopped peeling grapes, pondered for a moment, and then asked slowly.

After careful consideration, Gao Zhen said, "I believe that having two commanders in one army is a major taboo in military operations, and it has been so since ancient times. Moreover, if we send someone now, I'm afraid the soldiers on the front lines will feel that the court does not trust the Prince of Nan'an."

The emperor remained silent for a while before finally peeling the grapes and putting them in his mouth. After finishing, he looked at Daiyu and said, "I heard that your father once invited a scholar to be your tutor. So let me ask you, what do you think of this matter?"

These words startled Daiyu, and the Princess beside her couldn't help but think more deeply: now the court officials are all praising Prince Rui, but it's hard to say what the Emperor really thinks.

But this question is not easy to answer, because the princess felt that what her husband said was already very good, but it was clear that the emperor really had doubts about the Prince of Nan'an.

The eldest princess hesitated for a moment whether to help Daiyu, but then felt that Daiyu would have to face this kind of thing in the future, so it was better to let her try it herself.

After thinking for a while, Daiyu spoke with a nervous heart: "After listening to His Majesty and the Prince Consort's words, I remembered that when my mother was alive, she told me about my great-grandfather's battles in the Northwest. At that time, my great-grandfather was a general of the Ling Army, and Lord Li Shancai was the military supervisor in charge of the supply of military provisions and fodder in the rear. The Taizu Emperor once praised my great-grandfather and Lord Li for their excellent cooperation."

Upon hearing this, the emperor's eyes lit up immediately. However, he did not speak to Daiyu, but instead addressed the imperial son-in-law Gao Zhen: "It seems that talented people emerge in every generation. Yu'er's words have truly reminded me."

Gao Zhen had already glanced at Daiyu quickly, inwardly admiring the girl's wisdom: in such a short time, she had given an answer that satisfied the emperor. It seemed to be just about her great-grandfather, but in fact, she had already offered the best solution—it wasn't good for the emperor to send someone to supervise the army, but sending someone to be in charge of provisions and supplies was perfectly acceptable.

Speaking of which, Lord Li Shancai is the Empress's grandfather, and the Emperor immediately thought of Li Su, the Governor-General of Liangjiang and the Empress's elder brother.

"When the Princess Consort mentioned this matter, I also remembered that when the late Emperor was alive, there were many wars, and he sent many young people to study under different generals, which is why we have so many generals today." Gao Zhen had long known that the Emperor did not trust the Prince of Nan'an, and now that Daiyu had said this, Gao Zhen offered a new suggestion.

"Very good, very good. Brother-in-law's words are truly insightful and far-sighted, showing a willingness to be prepared for danger even in times of peace. I will go back and arrange for my third son to select ten promising and educated young men from the camp outside the capital and send them to the southeast to learn from the Prince of Nan'an." The Emperor was even more pleased to hear Gao Zhen's words.

The emperor beckoned to the guards serving outside and ordered them to do something: "Go and call Liu Jishan here."

After the guards left to carry out their orders, the emperor specially introduced Liu Jishan to the eldest princess: "This Liu Jishan is the third-ranked scholar in this imperial examination. I have now appointed him as my imperial scribe. He is very clever."

A short while later, a handsome young man stepped forward to pay his respects to the emperor. He wore a long, indigo robe, the collar and cuffs of which were meticulously embroidered with silver-threaded cloud patterns. A wide, azure brocade sash with auspicious cloud motifs cinched his waist; the cloud patterns on the sash were so lifelike they seemed ready to take flight at any moment. This sash not only perfectly accentuated his figure but also added to his refined and scholarly air.

As expected, those who can become the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examinations are all of exceptional appearance.

The eldest princess couldn't help but glance at Xichun, who was playing cat's cradle with Gao Xin.

The Emperor instructed Liu Jishan to draft an edict that very night, based on the results of the previous discussion, and to send it back to the capital the following day: "Instruct the Ministry of War to expedite the arrangements. Also, have Prince Yi select suitable men and arrange for them to depart immediately, without needing to report back to me."

Chapter 84 Boating on the Lake, Sweet Peaches

The eldest princess was very fond of Xichun, a girl who was usually quiet but intelligent and talented. She accompanied Gao Xin in painting and calligraphy practice, treating Gao Xin completely like her little sister.