The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

These words struck a chord with Xiao Tingjun. Of course he had considered it, but first of all, he couldn't choose relatives from his birth mother's family, otherwise he would definitely displease the Empress. After all, the Empress had raised him, and besides, he would rely on the Empress in many ways in the future.

Furthermore, he certainly couldn't be a relative of the Empress's family. Although he needed the Empress's help, Xiao Tingjun didn't want to be too controlled by anyone.

After much thought, Xiao Tingjun couldn't think of a good candidate for the time being.

Now that the Empress has said this, she must have some thoughts on her mind, so Xiao Tingjun nodded and said, "What Mother says is true. Does Mother have someone in mind?"

"What do you think of the Lin family's daughter?" The Empress directly brought up Daiyu.

The daughter of Lin Ruhai? Xiao Tingjun couldn't help but recall that a few days ago, while at the Ministry of Personnel, he overheard several officials discussing Lin Ruhai, saying that if he hadn't died, he would probably be in one of the Six Ministries now. He also remembered that his father had praised Lin Ruhai on several occasions.

But Lin Ruhai is no longer here. I heard that the girl lives in the Rongguo Mansion.

Seeing that Xiao Tingjun remained silent, the Empress continued, "Don't just look at her as an orphan living in the Rongguo Mansion. Your mother has inquired about her for you. Firstly, the Rongguo Mansion has not treated her well, so you don't need to worry about being implicated by the Rongguo Mansion in the future. Secondly, Lin Ruhai had some close friends before his death. If you can take the opportunity to make contact with them, it might be helpful."

Xiao Tingjun was indeed somewhat worried about the Rongguo Mansion. He was well aware of his father's attitude towards the Four Kings and Eight Dukes. Now that the Zhen family had been dealt with, the Four Kings and Eight Dukes probably wouldn't be able to enjoy their freedom for much longer.

Therefore, it seems unlikely that they will be implicated.

"The Empress Dowager has met this girl. What do you think of her?" Compared to family background, Xiao Tingjun also cares about the girl herself. It would be impossible for him to not care about her appearance at all. Although she doesn't necessarily have to be as beautiful as an angel, she certainly can't be too ugly.

More importantly, it's about character. If one's wife is too foolish, she won't be able to accompany him on this perilous journey.

"This girl is not only outstanding in appearance, but also in speech and manners. When she first entered the palace, she was very proper in her conduct and her speech was excellent." The Empress had personally asked Daiyu what books she had read before, and Gu Mama had said that Daiyu probably had more books in her room than many men.

"And it's not going to be decided immediately. Your Majesty's idea is to hear your thoughts first. If Jun'er also thinks it's feasible, then Your Majesty will summon this girl to the palace again, and then find an opportunity for you to meet her and have a proper conversation." The Empress was very thoughtful. "If Jun'er thinks it's good, then Your Majesty will mention it to your father."

Xiao Tingjun couldn't help but admire her; the Empress was indeed the Empress, her considerations were truly thorough. Looking at it this way, she was indeed far superior to Consort Wu and Consort Xu.

"It is entirely up to Your Majesty to decide." Xiao Tingjun bowed and solemnly thanked the Empress.

The Empress knew that Xiao Tingjun was a man of deep thoughts, young but with his own opinions, and that his words meant he was truly willing.

The mother and son communicated smoothly, and the Empress quickly arranged for Daiyu to enter the palace for the second time.

However, the Empress's actions attracted the attention of Consort Wu, Consort Xu, and even Consort Zhou.

That very night, Consort Xu whispered in the Emperor's ear with a smile, "I remember that Your Majesty the Empress has a nephew who is about the same age as Miss Lin. I wonder if Your Majesty has taken a liking to Miss Lin?"

Unexpectedly, the emperor simply said, "The empress has informed me that, considering Lin Ruhai's great merits, I have asked the empress to take care of him and select a member of the imperial clan."

After saying this, Consort Xu pondered for a moment and then took the opportunity to speak to the Emperor about the marriage of the Fourth Prince, Xiao Tingfeng: "Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince is getting on in years, and it's time to arrange a marriage for him. A few days ago, I saw Old Madam Zuo enter the palace with her little granddaughter, who is truly beautiful and intelligent. The more I look at her, the more I like her."

The Emperor had long known about Consort Xu's thoughts: Consort Xu came from a humble background and her family was not good enough. Seeing that Consort Wu had arranged for her son to marry the granddaughter of the Minister of Revenue, she was eager to find a suitable in-law family for her son as well.

However, the emperor was not very willing. In the Zhenguo General's mansion, the old general Zuo Qing was still alive. Although he had retired to his home, he still had many old subordinates in the army. Moreover, his eldest son, Zuo Shu, was now leading troops in the Northwest, and his second son, Zuo Wei, was now the commander of the Wucheng Military Command.

If the Zuo family were to become the in-laws of a prince, it wouldn't just be a power struggle between princes; even the emperor himself would have to be careful.

"I have my own plan for this matter, so don't interfere." The emperor's words displeased Consort Xu.

Consort Xu was a favored concubine, so she naturally became arrogant and spoiled. She immediately put on a show of crying and sobbing.

There's nothing wrong with crying and wailing; the emperor sometimes quite enjoys these little sentimental gestures from women. But Consort Xu happened to mention Consort Wu and the Second Prince, saying that the Second Prince was engaged to the granddaughter of the Minister of Revenue.

The emperor was not very willing at first, but the Ministry of Personnel had made contributions and the emperor wanted to reward them. In addition, Consort Wu was gentle and kind at the time, so the emperor finally agreed after weighing the pros and cons.

But at this moment, Consort Xu simply followed suit, without even considering that the second son was far more capable in his studies and work than the fourth son.

So the emperor got angry.

When the Empress brought up the matter of the third prince's marriage, the angry Emperor did not give her a pleasant look: "What? Has the Empress chosen a girl from a wealthy and powerful family for the third prince?"

The Empress was indeed the Empress. As soon as she heard the Emperor's words, "high-ranking family" and "also," she knew that Consort Xu or Consort Zhou must have said something.

So the Empress pretended to be disappointed: "It seems Your Majesty is in a bad mood. Well then, let's forget about it. Originally, I chose a humble family for Jun'er, but it seems Your Majesty doesn't like it."

The emperor became interested upon hearing this: "Tell me, who has the empress taken a liking to?"

Under the Emperor's probing gaze, the Empress was somewhat uncertain, but she still steeled herself and said, "I think Miss Lin is quite good."

Perhaps out of sheer surprise, the emperor instinctively asked, "Which Miss Lin?"

"It is Lin Ruhai's daughter, Miss Lin, who is also in the palace right now."

The emperor's eyes were fixed on the empress like an eagle eyeing its prey.

Chapter 8: Perfect Cooperation, the Emperor is at Ease

Under the Emperor's probing and scrutinizing gaze, the Empress calmly looked back.

Too many thoughts flashed through the emperor's mind, but the first thing he said was, "Empress, tell me the reasons for choosing her."

The Empress knew that the Emperor was suspicious, so she deliberately said, "When choosing a wife, one should choose a virtuous one. I think Miss Lin is outstanding in every way, from her virtue and speech to her appearance and work. It would be a pity to give such a good girl to someone else."

This was clearly not entirely true. The emperor simply said "oh" and remained silent for a while.

"Since the Empress praises it so highly, then I must see her myself." The Emperor wondered to himself, was this the Empress's idea or the Third Prince's? Although the Lin family girl was orphaned and seemed to have the Rongguo Duke's mansion behind her, the Empress should know very well that these parasitic families would be dealt with sooner or later.

"If Your Majesty wishes to see him, then I will make the arrangements." The Empress bowed and prepared to take her leave.

"I will invite the Third Prince and have Miss Lin have a meal with us." After the Empress left, the Emperor immediately ordered Hu Delu to invite the Third Prince.

After Xiao Tingjun arrived, the emperor bowed first, and then carefully examined his sons: of the five sons, the third was well-behaved; the second was good at riding and archery; the fifth was the most studious; and the fourth was quite clever.

"Your mother has chosen Miss Lin to be your prince's consort, do you know that?" The emperor asked his son, carefully observing his expression as he spoke.

Sure enough, they caught the child's fleeting moment of panic.

It seems the Empress wasn't telling the truth, and the Emperor has held a grudge against her.

"I know, it's not..." Xiao Tingjun lowered his head and spoke very softly.

"Tell me the truth, whether you know or not!" the emperor shouted.

Xiao Tingjun knelt down with a thud and kowtowed three times in one breath: "Please forgive me, Father Emperor. It was I who went to plead with Mother Empress. Please do not blame Mother Empress."

There really was a hidden story. The emperor frowned, and without telling his son to get up, he asked sternly, "What exactly happened?"

Xiao Tingjun then recounted the story in detail: "Two days ago, I went to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager, and unexpectedly, Miss Lin was talking with her. I happened to bump into her. A beautiful lady is the object of a gentleman's affections, and I think Miss Lin is the most beautiful girl I have ever seen in my life, so I went to ask the Empress Dowager for her help."

The emperor had thought a lot, but he never expected it to be a case of love at first sight. But then he thought, love at first sight is much more reassuring than deep planning.

Thinking of this, the Emperor called Xiao Tingjun to stand up: "Your second brother is going to marry the granddaughter of the Minister of Revenue, and your fourth brother, the girls I choose are also of high social standing. Don't you want to marry a girl of even higher social standing?"

Xiao Tingjun bowed and said, "A wife should be virtuous; I think this is good enough."

"Now you know to choose a virtuous wife, and you've seen the most beautiful girl in your life." The emperor's tone softened, and he joked, "How old are you in this life? Come on, I've asked your mother to make arrangements for us to have dinner together later."

Xiao Tingjun breathed a sigh of relief and quickly thanked her.

"Don't rush to thank me, I haven't agreed yet." Although the emperor said this, he had already made up his mind: back then, his brothers fought to the death, and each of them had their wives' families involved. His third brother's two uncles were already very powerful, so it would be good for him to marry a more ordinary wife.

However, when the emperor saw the Lin family girl at the Phoenix Palace, he was indeed stunned. She was a beauty that could not be compared to any other.

No wonder the third brother was captivated.

The emperor then asked Daiyu what books she had read, what she did at home, and how much she still remembered about Yangzhou.

Judging from the girl's composed demeanor and her melodious voice with its elegant diction, it was clear that she was a well-read and talented young woman.

It seems the third son got off easy.

Consort Wu, who was keeping a close eye on the movements in Fengyi Palace, soon learned that the Emperor had taken the Third Prince there and had also summoned the Lin family's daughter to dine with him.

Consort Wu was puzzled for a moment and said to her nanny, "This is strange. If the Empress wanted to send someone to His Majesty's bedchamber, why did she bring the Third Prince along?"

Consort Wu originally thought that the Empress thought that the girl from the Lin family was an orphan and so beautiful, and that the Empress herself was old and losing her beauty, so she wanted to bring the girl into the palace.

Granny Yuan, who had served Consort Wu for many years, said, "Could it be that the Empress intends to betroth Miss Lin to the Third Prince?"

“It can’t be that bad. Although that girl is the granddaughter of the Rongguo Mansion, the Rongguo Mansion is just an empty shell now. Even if the third prince has such a wife, it won’t help him much.” Consort Wu immediately retorted, “The Empress has no sons. If she doesn’t support the third prince, who else can she support?”

Granny Yuan thought the Imperial Concubine was right and thought of the Virtuous Consort of Fengzao Palace: "Your Majesty, why don't you ask the Virtuous Consort? She is Miss Lin's cousin, perhaps she can know something."

"Her? She's practically dead now. Didn't you see how His Majesty treats her? He completely ignores her. I really didn't know she was so stupid. I was originally thinking of winning her over and using the families behind her." Consort Wu leaned against the chaise longue, thinking carefully for a while.

"These past few days there have been some fresh peaches. Pick a few and send them to her. Don't ask any questions, just let her know that her cousin is well-liked by His Majesty and the Empress." Consort Wu thought it over and over. Consort Xiande's uncle could still be used for now. She had heard that her grandfather had some old subordinates in Ping'an Prefecture.

Upon hearing this, Granny Yuan quickly ordered the palace maids to do their work.

The peaches, bright red and beautiful, were packed in a wicker basket. Yuan Chun quickly thanked them, but a sadness welled up in her heart: at this time of year, she would usually receive plenty of peaches like these, but now that she was out of favor, even the Imperial Household Department no longer sent her peaches like these.

However, when Yuan Chun learned that Lin Daiyu was actually favored by the Emperor and Empress, she was even more confused. Although she couldn't understand it, she still tried to send a message home.

Upon receiving news of Yuan Chun, Lady Wang felt a mix of emotions: she was indeed a vixen who had previously bewitched Bao Yu, and now she could even win the Emperor and Empress's favor.

She didn't dare hide these words from Grandmother Jia, as she neither liked nor disliked the wealthy, and personally went to Grandmother Jia's room to tell her them.

After pondering for a moment, Grandmother Jia said, "Perhaps His Majesty and the Empress intend to appease a certain member of the imperial clan through the marriage of a young woman?"

"Is it serious?" Madam Wang was very worried. She was scared, after all, the Lin family had spent a lot of the dowry they had prepared for this girl when they built the villa for the family visit.

Moreover, when Jia Lian went to Yangzhou, the Lin family's property was also seized by them.

Grandmother Jia thought that if Yu'er married Baoyu, then she wouldn't be afraid. But now, it was hard to say. However, she had raised this girl for so many years, and she was kind-hearted, so she wouldn't cause too much trouble.

Just as they were about to speak, someone came from outside to announce that the palace would send Miss Lin back to her residence the next day.

Grandmother Jia immediately instructed Lady Wang to have her servants make proper preparations and not to be negligent.

But no one expected that less than half a month after Daiyu returned, an imperial edict would arrive.

Chapter 9 The Emperor's Bestowal of Marriage: Xi Feng's Changing Mind

While the gentlemen outside were beaming with joy as they lit incense and set off firecrackers to receive the imperial decree, inside, Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang, and even Wang Xifeng each had their own thoughts.

No one expected that Daiyu would be betrothed to the Third Prince.

With a multitude of ideas converging, Grandmother Jia had to make arrangements first.

"As my father-in-law just said, Yu'er is now the daughter-in-law of the imperial family, so she is naturally different from others. The garden was originally built for her to visit her family, and now only her sisters live there, which is fine. However, men from outside the family need not enter the garden anymore." This was the first instruction given by Grandmother Jia.

"Secondly, although it has been said that since we are not yet married, relatives can be exempt from formalities, everyone should still show some respect. After all, there is a difference between the emperor and his subjects. Besides, Yu'er has two nannies and two palace maids given to her by the Empress."

After saying this, Grandmother Jia waved her hand, dismissing them all, and leaned against the couch, closing her eyes to think.

Wang Xifeng was shrewd. After settling things at home, she quickly summoned Jia Lian, and the couple closed the door to discuss matters.

"I feel something is wrong," Wang Xifeng thought, her heart pounding with anxiety.

"What's wrong? Lin Daiyu has become a prince's consort. Everyone envies our family. We've produced one imperial consort, and now we have another prince's consort. What an honor!" After the imperial decree was issued, Jia Lian helped with the reception, and many old friends and noble families sent people to deliver generous congratulatory gifts.

Seeing this, Wang Xifeng sneered: "Then think about it, how much money has our family spent on Lin Daiyu over the years, especially that villa for the imperial visit? How much of Lin Daiyu's dowry has been pawned? The imperial decree sets the wedding date for next year, so what will we use for Lin Daiyu's dowry then?"