The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

"To even bestow the title of County Princess upon his daughter, Father Emperor is truly too..."

"Silence!" Consort Xu quickly glared at her son. Although this was her own palace, she still had to be careful with her words. She was also extremely dissatisfied, feeling that the emperor favored Consort Wu and the second son. But she could only think these thoughts to herself.

“This is the advantage of having children. You two have been married for so long.” Halfway through her sentence, Consort Xu suddenly had an idea, but she didn’t tell her son.

When Xiao Tingfeng returned to the Prince's Mansion from the palace, Chunmei and a maid brought him hot water and towels. They helped Xiao Tingfeng wash his face and said gently, "Your Highness must be tired today. I saw that there was shepherd's purse today, so I worked with the kitchen to make shepherd's purse dumplings, as well as tofu with toon sprouts, steamed sea bass, braised pork ribs with vinegar, and shrimp with peas. Would Your Highness like to eat now?"

These were all dishes that Xiao Tingfeng loved to eat, which immediately improved his mood. He nodded and asked for the dishes to be served. After a pleasant dinner, Chunmei brought out some pre-Qingming Longjing tea, and only spoke after noticing that Xiao Tingfeng looked well.

"Your Highness, I'm afraid I'm being presumptuous, but the Princess Consort has been home for three days now. You should go and fetch her back. Otherwise, not only will the servants in the Prince's mansion be living in fear, but if outsiders find out, it will also be detrimental to Your Highness." Chunmei said sincerely, clearly concerned for Xiao Tingfeng.

"Alright, alright, I already got a lecture from Mother today, and you're doing this again." Xiao Tingfeng wasn't annoyed at all; on the contrary, he felt that Ge Xijia, a princess, was less considerate than a maid.

“Your Majesty is naturally doing this for the good of the Prince and Princess,” Chunmei quickly replied.

"So, you're doing this for my own good, aren't you?" Xiao Tingfeng looked up, saw Chunmei's charming appearance, and said with a smile.

Feeling a little embarrassed by Xiao Tingfeng's gaze, Chunmei quickly lowered her head and said coquettishly, "Your Highness, please don't talk nonsense. This servant was sent by the Empress, so naturally I will listen to the Empress and Your Highness."

After saying that, he excused himself, saying he had other things to do, and left.

Xiao Tingfeng couldn't help but smile as he watched Chunmei's figure disappear. The next day, after court, Xiao Tingfeng asked for leave from the Ministry of Works and went to the Ge family in person.

Upon hearing the servant announce the arrival of Prince Li, Madam Ge, who was also Ge ​​Xijia's mother, immediately pulled her daughter aside and said earnestly, "You can't keep throwing a tantrum like a child. Now that the Prince is here, the steps have been laid out for you. If you continue to make a scene, I won't stand for it."

When Ge Xijia heard that Xiao Tingfeng had arrived, she first breathed a sigh of relief. After all, she had been worried that if Xiao Tingfeng didn't arrive soon, she would lose face. Then she felt a little smug. See? Xiao Tingfeng still had to give in.

"Mother, I know, don't worry." Ge Xijia's lips curled into a slight smile, in a good mood. However, this good mood vanished after she returned to the Prince's Mansion and heard what her maid, Xiaoling, said.

Xiaoling was not a maidservant of the Ge family, but rather someone sent by the Imperial Household Department to serve in the Prince's residence.

"Last night, Sister Chunmei gave the Prince a good talking-to, and sure enough, the Prince went to fetch the Princess back today." Xiaoling whispered to another maid, never expecting that the Princess would overhear them.

Alright, it's Chunmei again, that vixen!

Ge Xijia pondered how to propose to Consort Xu that the palace maid be returned. She had prepared a whole speech, planning to say it when she went to the palace to pay her respects to Consort Xu the next day.

But after Ge Xijia paid her respects, Consort Xu spoke first.

"Fourth son's wife, you've been married for over a year now, and there's still no sign of pregnancy. Don't blame me for being nosy as your mother. Look at your second sister-in-law, she already has a daughter." Consort Xu's string of words stunned Ge Xijia.

“At the end of last year, I gave Chunmei to the fourth prince, but I heard that you only treated her as a maid.” Consort Xu continued, “Chunmei is a calm and steady girl who knows the rules and principles best. She is also a few years older than you. I asked the Imperial Hospital and they said that Chunmei is at the right age to have children. So I thought I would let the fourth prince take Chunmei into his household as a concubine.”

What?! No, absolutely not! Ge Xijia was immediately stunned and subconsciously refused: "Mother, the prince's concubine needs to request permission."

Consort Xu had anticipated this, and immediately said, "She's no concubine at all. Chunmei's background isn't good enough for that. She's just a concubine, it's not that complicated. If she gives birth to a son in the future, and you think she's good enough, then we'll talk about it later."

“Mother, it’s not that I’m arguing with you…” Ge Xijia was about to speak when she was interrupted by Consort Xu again.

"Fourth Prince's wife, this isn't something I'm discussing with you. If you were to get pregnant early like Princess Rui, why would I, as your mother, need to worry about it? Don't you think so?" Before Consort Xu could finish speaking, an announcement came from outside that Prince Li had arrived.

Ge Xijia had hoped that Xiao Tingfeng would refuse his mother, but when she heard Xiao Tingfeng happily thank his mother, her heart sank.

“But Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law don’t have children yet either,” Ge Xijia added, still unwilling to give up.

To his surprise, he was met with a cold laugh from Consort Xu.

Chapter 101 Unjustly Envied, Daiyu's Sharp Insight

Ge Xijia never expected that mentioning Daiyu would not only earn her a cold laugh from Consort Xu, but also a heart-wrenching remark from Consort Xu.

"Do you think you can compare to Princess Yi? Why don't you think about how many times His Majesty has praised Princess Yi? Last year at the Spring Equinox, His Majesty visited the three of your residences, and Princess Yi's Spring Equinox banquet was praised by His Majesty for every dish. In the summer, Princess Yi accompanied the Eldest Princess to the mountain villa and presented His Majesty with peach wine. And this January, His Majesty visited Princess Yi's residence again. All in all, how many rewards has Princess Yi's residence received from His Majesty because of her virtue?"

Xu Shufei finished speaking in one breath, staring straight at Ge Xijia.

"And you, first you plotted against the second son's wife, but you ended up losing more than you gained. Now your uncle is in trouble, and you're throwing a tantrum and going back to your parents' home. Is this the behavior of a princess?" Consort Xu had always known that Ge Xijia, relying on her high birth, didn't think much of her, her mother, who came from a lower background.

"I'm putting my words here today. I'll give you three months. If you can do what Princess Yi did and get His Majesty to grant you a chance to manage the Prince's residence, then even if you don't get pregnant for a year and a half, or even three and a half, I will absolutely not allow anyone to stay in the Fourth Prince's room." Consort Xu's gaze was sharp. "Do you have the ability to accept this challenge?"

Ge Xijia was stunned by the imposing aura that Xu Shufei was displaying at this moment, and for a moment she couldn't utter a single word.

But all her anger and resentment accumulated in her heart, especially after Xiao Tingfeng actually took Chunmei into his room, she was heartbroken and wept in front of the mirror.

Seeing this, Granny Liang quickly came up to comfort her: "Your Highness, please don't be angry. It's not worth getting sick from anger."

No matter how much she tried to persuade him, it was to no avail. For Ge Xijia, she had only been married for less than two years, and she couldn't accept that her husband was already having another woman.

Moreover, Consort Xu's words also deeply stung Ge Xijia. From a young age, she had been praised by her parents and relatives for being clever and quick-witted, but it seemed that after marrying into the family, she was inferior to others in every way.

The combination of these two factors filled the usually arrogant Ge Xijia with both hatred and anger. She hated Xiao Tingfeng's infidelity and resented the smugness of the Princess Consorts of Rui and Yi.

Just a few days later, at a banquet, Song Huilan deliberately came to thank her: "The 'Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra' that my fourth sister-in-law copied for me is indeed the one that was enshrined in the Buddhist temple. It is really effective. Qiongnan was born with poor health, but now she is getting healthier and healthier."

This wasn't a thank you; it was blatant sarcasm. After all, it was Ge Xijia and her husband who schemed against Song Huilan in the first place; how could Song Huilan not hold a grudge?

Ge Xijia, still harboring resentment, immediately smiled faintly: "Second sister-in-law, why are you speaking so formally among family? My little niece is healthy and well; I think the Imperial Hospital deserves the most credit, don't you think?"

Then, glancing at Daiyu who had been silent all along, Ge Xijia thought, "Hmph, her greatest skill is silence is golden." Remembering Consort Xu's words, Ge Xijia immediately called out Daiyu's name: "Besides, shouldn't Second Sister-in-law be especially grateful to Third Sister-in-law? She sent clothes from a hundred families and a longevity lock."

Upon hearing this, Song Huilan quickly smiled and said, "Of course we should thank Third Sister-in-law. You know what, that child really likes Third Sister-in-law. Every time Third Sister-in-law comes, she is all smiles. The other day, she even asked Third Sister-in-law for a hug."

Seeing that Daiyu remained silent and only smiled, Ge Xijia's resentment deepened. She immediately said, "It seems that Third Sister-in-law will soon have good news. I've heard a saying that holding someone else's baby can help you get pregnant. I'm afraid Third Brother and the Empress can't wait any longer."

If it were just the first few words, Daiyu wouldn't have bothered with them. But she had to say the last one. If she didn't retaliate, Daiyu might think she was easy to bully.

So Daiyu tilted her head and became serious: "As the Empress Dowager, the mother of all the princes, she cares about each prince's residence the same. For example, when Second Sister-in-law was pregnant, Mother Dowager specially asked Father Emperor for permission to send Imperial Physician He to Second Sister-in-law's residence. That was a great help to Second Sister-in-law, wasn't it?"

Upon hearing this, Song Huilan quickly echoed, naturally feeling extremely grateful to the Empress: "That's right, Mother is the most fair person, and she has always been kind to us younger generation. She is not the kind of person who would be harsh on her daughter-in-law."

One sentence successfully infuriated Ge Xijia: Wasn't Consort Xu the one who would be harsh on her daughter-in-law? And yet, she herself was Consort Xu's daughter-in-law.

Ge Xijia hadn't realized that she had already committed a grave taboo by mentioning the Empress earlier: the Third Prince was not the Empress's son, and Daiyu's words just now clearly implied that the Empress treated all the princes equally.

"Besides, your third brother is the most caring. He said just a few days ago that he consulted the imperial physician, and that for a woman to conceive, it's best to be in her prime to avoid harming her body. So, we're not in a hurry." Daiyu deliberately stared at Ge Xijia and said, "I'm just afraid that your fourth sister-in-law is anxious, isn't she?"

"You—!" Ge Xijia was furious when she saw Daiyu's 'happy and loving couple' expression. She was about to retaliate, but Daiyu didn't give her the chance.

Daiyu had already stood up: "I saw my aunt calling me, so I went to talk to her first."

Ge Xijia looked at Daiyu's graceful figure from behind, feeling a lump in her throat that she couldn't vent, and could only stare blankly.

Song Huilan was overjoyed—although she was not satisfied with the fact that Prince Yi and his wife were now highly favored by her father, Ge Xijia and the fourth prince had framed her, which made her even more resentful. After all, if the Empress had not arranged for a royal physician to be at the mansion, she might have lost her life.

"Fourth sister-in-law, you've seen it for yourself today. Third sister-in-law is not someone to be trifled with," Song Huilan said, then got up and left.

Ge Xijia was left alone, sulking.

The Princess had just noticed the commotion between Daiyu and her sisters-in-law and was worried that Daiyu might be bullied, so she called Daiyu over. Now, naturally, she wanted to show her concern.

"Aunt, don't worry. When I lived in the Rongguo Mansion, they all said I was sharp-tongued," Daiyu joked.

The eldest princess, of course, knew about Daiyu's life in the Rongguo Mansion. She said with regret, "You're one to talk! Even your parrot can recite a line: 'Three hundred and sixty days a year, the wind and frost assail me relentlessly.' Anyway, let's not talk about such unpleasant things. I heard that the third prince had a fight with the second prince at the Ministry of War?"

Xiao Tingjun had mentioned this matter to Daiyu, and the couple had discussed it. When the Princess asked, Daiyu didn't hide anything: "Yes, Aunt knows. Currently, the Governor-General of Liangjiang, Lord Li, is in charge of the grain supplies in the Southeast. Lord Li submitted a memorial expressing his disagreement with the war plan. Second Brother supports the Prince of Nan'an's strategy, but Changsheng thinks it's too reckless. The two brothers are arguing about it at the Ministry of War."

After the eldest princess said "Oh," she looked at Daiyu and smiled, "The third prince even told you his nickname. When he was little, he was always sick, so it was the late emperor who gave him the nickname 'Changsheng' (meaning 'longevity')."

Daiyu blushed and didn't respond.

But neither she nor the eldest princess expected that news of the defeat in the southeast would arrive so quickly.

Chapter 102 Defeat in the Southeast, Prince Rui Shrinks Back

News of the crushing defeat in the first battle in the southeast arrived in the capital at night. The emperor was so angry that he nearly fainted and had to lean on the table for a while to recover.

The battle report was delivered by Wu Bingcheng, the minister on duty and the Minister of Personnel. He was the father of Consort Wu. After receiving the report, he hesitated for a long time. The first battle was a great defeat, with nearly 50,000 soldiers lost. Moreover, the Prince of Nan'an, Huo Shifei, was still missing!

Whoever delivers such news to the emperor will undoubtedly incur his wrath.

Wu Bingcheng lowered his head, trembling with fear. Hu Delu, who had served the emperor for many years, quickly stepped forward to support the emperor, also not daring to breathe loudly.

The emperor waved his hand at Hu Delu, who quickly and obediently withdrew.

"Immediately summon Zhang Zilin, Song Mingshi, Tian Jingmin, and Gao Zhen to the Imperial Study," the Emperor said, then added, "And summon the second and third princes as well. Oh, and Qiao Yuji too."

Hu Delu quickly accepted the order to fetch the people, while Wu Bingcheng, who remained there, couldn't help but start to ponder: of the people the Emperor had summoned, Zhang Zilin was the Minister of War, Song Mingshi was the Minister of Revenue, Tian Jingmin was the Minister of Works, and Gao Zhen was the Imperial Son-in-Law who had led troops in battle and was deeply trusted by His Majesty. It was not surprising that the Second Prince and the Third Prince had also been summoned, as they were all currently working in the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue.

But suddenly Qiao Yuji was called upon. Although Qiao Yuji was the Vice Minister of War, he also had another identity: the Third Prince's maternal uncle.

Wu Bingcheng is a veteran official of two dynasties, with a meticulous mind. It is no secret that His Majesty values ​​the Third Prince now, and the fact that he has specially summoned Qiao Yuji suggests that things are not so simple.

Although everyone lived not far from the palace, it still took quite a while for each of them to get to the Imperial Study.

Surprisingly, the Second Prince, Prince Rui, Xiao Tingkai, was the last to arrive—which shouldn't be the case, since Prince Rui's residence is right next to Prince Yi's residence, yet Prince Yi was the first to arrive, after all, his residence is closest to the palace.

The emperor glanced at his second son with slight dissatisfaction, and his first words were: "Take a look at the Southeast war report, all of you."

He then handed the battle report to Hu Delu, who presented it to Zhang Zilin with both hands. Upon reading it, Zhang Zilin's heart sank to the bottom—the southeast had suffered a major defeat, and he feared that his tenure as Minister of War was over.

How could it have failed? He had seen the battle plan sent by the Prince of Nan'an. Although it was a bit reckless, based on the strength of both sides' troops, warships, and supplies, even if it wasn't a great victory, it shouldn't have resulted in a great defeat.

Zhang Zilin was stunned. Hearing the emperor cough, he quickly handed the battle report to Song Mingshi, who was closest to him.

After it was circulated around, no one dared to utter a sound.

The Emperor's words surprised everyone once again, because he called on Prince Rui first: "Second Prince, you and the Third Prince were arguing in the Ministry of War. I remember that you supported the Prince of Nan'an's battle plan. Now tell me your thoughts."

Xiao Tingkai was so anxious that he broke out in a cold sweat. He had arrived last because he had already received news of the defeat. He was anxious for his advisors to come up with a plan, but they couldn't come up with a good one for the time being. He didn't dare to delay for too long, so he rushed to the study.

Now that the Emperor had singled him out first, Xiao Tingkai was at a loss for words—he had already discussed the Prince of Nan'an's plan with Zhang Zilin beforehand, believing it to be sound.

No one uttered a sound; everyone waited for Prince Rui to speak. It was so quiet that only the dripping of the water clock in the study could be heard, each tick seeming to strike Xiao Tingkai's heart.

He finally forced himself to speak: "I think it was all because the Prince of Nan'an was too reckless. Logically speaking, the two sides are vastly different in strength, and the first battle should not have ended in defeat."

Saying that is as good as not saying anything at all.

Seeing that he had no intention of continuing, the emperor didn't wait any longer and instead looked at Xiao Tingjun: "Third brother, what do you think now?"

Xiao Tingjun had also learned of the defeat in the southeast. He had been pondering this in the carriage on his way to the palace, and upon hearing the emperor's question, he quickly spoke up: "Father, although this battle appears to be a defeat, the island nation's soldiers have suffered more than two-thirds casualties. It seems they are in no condition to fight again immediately. In that case, should we allow the front lines to rest and regroup before seeking another opportunity to attack?"

The prince consort Gao Zhen glanced at the third prince and immediately said, "Since ancient times, in battle, one must strike while the iron is hot, for the second strike will be weak. Now, the morale of the army at the front is low and the commander-in-chief is missing. It will not be easy to fight again."

Although Gao Zhen did not explicitly object, his meaning was quite clear.

"Then, shouldn't the primary task be to immediately send someone to reorganize the army?" Xiao Tingjun's mind worked quickly. Although he had been well-versed in military strategy since childhood, it was ultimately just theoretical. Given the current situation, he didn't have any good ideas for the time being.

The emperor glanced again at his second son, who was bowing his head and remaining silent. In this situation, those who dared to speak were far better than those who dared not.

At this moment, Minister of Works Tian Jingmin took the initiative to speak up: "Your Majesty, I have studied this matter. The island nation has its warships anchored in the cliff bay area. If someone could kick down the island nation's warships' anchorage at this time, then the island nation's soldiers would have to come back to relieve the siege. I wonder if this could be a way to relieve the siege of Wei by attacking Zhao?"

Zhang Zilin disregarded everything else and immediately agreed: "I think Lord Tian's method is good. The siege of Wei is to save Zhao, and the reinforcements are also to save Zhao."

Qiao Yuji immediately added, "I have also studied the Yawan area. This method avoids the enemy's strength and strikes at their weakness. However, we must be quick; if we are too slow, the enemy may turn around."