The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

This was no secret, and soon everyone in the harem knew about it. Consort Wu naturally became more cautious, but she was always able to sit still and simply kept her thoughts to herself.

Consort Xu was different. She increasingly felt that the Emperor and Empress were extremely biased towards the third prince and his wife. So when the Emperor came to her palace that night, she couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty, although the Princess Consort of Yi is intelligent, she is still a young girl. Logically speaking, the affairs of the palace should be shared by the sisters in the palace to help the Empress."

The Emperor knew immediately that Consort Xu was dissatisfied with his arrangements. He didn't hide anything and said directly, "I asked the Empress to have her three daughters-in-law write a proposal on how to appease the families of the soldiers. Among them, the method of Princess Yi is not only good for the Empress and me, but also for the ministers of the Six Ministries."

Consort Xu was still unwilling to give up: "That's because His Majesty didn't ask me and my other sisters."

"Very well, I'll ask you this: if it were you, what kind of girl would you choose to marry into the island nation?" the emperor asked directly.

Consort Xu hadn't really considered this issue much, since even the Empress was currently selecting women. She hesitated for a moment and said, "Of course, we should choose a beautiful and sensible girl, and of course, the girl herself should also be willing."

"Be sensible? What kind of person is sensible?" the emperor continued to ask.

"Being sensible means, of course, following your husband's wishes after marriage. Now that you're married, you should naturally learn their customs. Besides..." Consort Xu thought, since this is a marriage alliance, being obedient is the most important thing.

Before she could finish speaking, the Emperor interrupted her: "Alright, it's obvious you don't understand. Stop trying to meddle in everything. I heard you had a fight with the Fourth Prince's wife? Just shut up. I've been very busy these days. If you have time and really want to help, go ask the Empress if there's anything you can do to help."

The Emperor has indeed been very tired lately. Looking at Consort Xu, he can't help but think of Lady Qiao, who passed away many years ago. If she were still alive, she could be his confidante.

Thinking it over, she just went to sleep haphazardly. Consort Xu was embarrassed, but seeing that the Emperor wasn't too angry, she learned her lesson and stopped talking about the Empress's affairs.

Meanwhile, the Empress spent several days organizing the registers of these girls, and initially eliminated a small number of girls who were clearly not suitable.

"Then, Mother, are you going to hold a flower-viewing banquet? Invite these young ladies to chat and meet. If we don't see them, we won't know which one is the best." Daiyu said, expressing her thoughts. The people chosen this time are not just for marriage. I'm afraid that war will break out again during the Emperor's reign, and the girls who marry into the family will play a very important role.

The Empress nodded: "I think so too. Just looking at these, it's hard to tell which one is better." She glanced at Daiyu, who looked tired, and said, "Yu'er, go back and rest first. We should also inform His Majesty about the flower viewing banquet and see what his opinion is."

Daiyu got up to take her leave, feeling somewhat uneasy: she saw Tanchun in the list of women that had been sent to her.

Has the Rongguo Mansion really reached the point where it has to sell another girl? There have been so many things going on lately that Daiyu has almost forgotten about the Rongguo Mansion.

After leaving the palace and getting into the carriage, Daiyu pondered for a while. She was not very willing to go to the Rongguo Mansion, but she could invite her third and fourth sisters to come to the mansion. So she decided to go back and send Zijuan to find out the situation first.

Unexpectedly, Tan Chun and Xi Chun sent someone to deliver a message to Daiyu first. It was Xi Chun's maid, Cai Ping, who came.

“Our young lady told the Third Young Lady that she was afraid the Princess would worry if she saw the Third Young Lady on the roster, so she sent me over.” Caiping relayed Tanchun’s instructions word for word. Tanchun was now helping Baochai and Li Wan manage the household, so she was quite familiar with all the big and small matters of the Rongguo Mansion.

"Third Miss said that the Princess Consort must not go to the Rongguo Mansion recently. It's in a mess there now. Ever since the Second Master lost his official position, there have been many rumors and gossips about the Princess Consort not helping him." Caiping was a little scared when she said this, afraid of angering Daiyu. She continued only after seeing that Daiyu's expression was normal.

"The Second Master almost divorced his wife. I have already told Sister Zijuan about these things in detail. If Your Highness wants to know, please ask Sister Zijuan to tell Your Highness. The Third Miss and the Fourth Miss both said that when they have time, the Third Miss will take the initiative to pay her respects to Your Highness. There are some things that the Third Miss needs to say to Your Highness in person." These were all instructions given by Tanchun, and Caiping repeated them verbatim.

After hearing this, Daiyu understood that Tanchun was afraid that she would be angry if she went to Rongguo Mansion, and she also knew that she would worry about her, so she specially sent Caiping.

“Alright, go back and tell Third Sister that she can talk to me anytime she wants, and I’ll always have time.” Daiyu knew that Tanchun was a girl with her own ideas, and she probably had thought a lot about it. But if she was really chosen for a marriage alliance, things would probably be more complicated than Tanchun could have imagined.

After seeing Caiping off, Zijuan returned and told Daiyu what Caiping had just said about Jia Zheng and Lady Wang.

Chapter 106 Jia Zheng angrily declares he will divorce his wife

In truth, Caiping didn't know all the details, but she still told Zijuan the general situation, and Zijuan then told Daiyu everything.

Jia Zheng lost his official post as an educational official and returned to the Rongguo Mansion. Lady Wang, who had been ordered by Grandmother Jia to chant sutras in the small Buddhist hall, saw this as her chance. It was all that short-lived Lin family's fault. Leng Zixing's antique shop had been running for so many years without any problems, but she had to interfere. Not only did she imprison Leng Zixing, but Grandmother Jia also sent Zhou Rui and his wife to the estate to do hard labor.

The Jia family's estate was located outside the pass, far away and cold. Without Zhou Rui and his wife, Lady Wang felt as if she had lost an arm.

Moreover, not only did she lose her power over the household affairs, but she was also forbidden from leaving her own small courtyard. Every day, she had to kneel and collect Buddhist beans. With her old arms and legs, kneeling for three hours a day was simply killing her. The Buddhist hall was cold and damp, and she had had enough of it.

Now that Jia Zheng has lost his official position, it's ultimately because his niece refused to help. Otherwise, it would have been too easy for the dignified Prince Yi to get a new official position for his wife's own uncle.

Thinking this way, Lady Wang felt that her husband would definitely share her hatred of the enemy, so that night she cried and complained to Jia Zheng.

"Back then, the master took out many treasures from his study to help her get married. Our family has raised her with great care for more than ten years, and she is such an ingrate. She doesn't even know how to help her own uncle." Madam Wang said, expressing her indignation on behalf of Jia Zheng.

Jia Zheng looked at Madam Wang as if he didn't recognize her: "How dare you say that? Don't you think about it? If it weren't for Prince Yi and the Princess Consort, you would have been beheaded if you were caught selling imperial gifts. Not only you, but the entire Rongguo Mansion and the ladies in the palace would have been punished. Not only do you not know how to be grateful, but you also dare to speak ill of the Princess Consort?"

Lady Wang is currently not in charge of the household and is under house arrest, so she knows nothing about what's happening in the mansion, let alone the fact that Daiyu advised Grandmother Jia and helped Jia Zheng get through this crisis.

Jia Zheng, however, was quite clear about the situation. Upon his return, he first went to pay his respects to Grandmother Jia, who then told him what had happened. At the end, she sighed, "It's Yu'er who's so clever. She immediately grasped the crux of the matter and got the Empress to speak about the Ge family to His Majesty. Otherwise, I'm afraid that this time, it wouldn't just be a matter of being dismissed from office. I heard that the Ge family member not only lost his position but also went to jail and was fined a considerable amount of money."

Jia Zheng himself knew better than anyone that he had been tricked. Hearing his mother's words, he sighed, "She is still my niece after all. Although His Majesty has reprimanded her a few times, it's still considered good."

Therefore, Jia Zheng was very grateful to Daiyu, so he was naturally very unhappy to hear what Lady Wang said.

Lady Wang, however, still didn't understand. Pretending to be sympathetic to Jia Zheng, she continued, "My lord, if the Princess Consort truly wanted to help me, she shouldn't have imprisoned Leng Zixing. Now that Her Highness doesn't have this money, she must be very upset. Perhaps you should speak to the Old Madam and suggest that I be allowed to manage the household again, as Baochai is a young woman..."

"You ignorant woman, shut up! How dare you mention the Empress? If these things you've done are used by someone with ulterior motives to implicate the Empress, I'm afraid the Empress's position as a concubine will be in jeopardy." Jia Zheng was already furious when he learned of Wang Furen's mistake from Grandmother Jia. Now, seeing that Wang Furen showed no remorse and was completely unaware of her error, he was even more enraged.

"I think the old lady's punishment of making you kneel to recite scriptures was too lenient. A person like you is not fit to be a wife or a mother. You are so ignorant of the rules and regulations. I think divorcing you is the right thing to do!" Jia Zheng said in a fit of anger.

When Lady Wang first heard the words "divorce you," she was stunned. After a moment, she reacted, feeling wronged and angry. Trembling, she pointed a finger at Jia Zheng and said, "Divorce me? You dare? Don't you think about it? What else does the Rongguo Mansion have if not my daughter and my brother?"

The phrase "relying on my daughter" was alright, but the phrase "relying on my brother" completely hit Jia Zheng's sore spot—he had never been good at studying in his life, and it was only on his father's deathbed that he was given a position in the Ministry of Works by the late emperor because of Jia Daishan's military achievements, but after so many years, he had not made any achievements as an official.

Wang Ziteng is a very good official. He was first the military governor of the capital, then the inspector of nine provinces, and now he is the provincial governor of Zhejiang. He has served under two emperors and is doing very well in both.

"Hmph! Your brother may be good at being an official, but do you think I don't know how many dirty tricks he's involved in? Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're from the Wang family. You're a Jia family woman now, and in the official records, you're still a member of the Jia Wang family." Jia Zheng sneered, "Do you think I wouldn't dare to divorce you?"

Seeing Jia Zheng's expression, Madam Wang knew she had said the wrong thing, but she didn't want to back down. She stubbornly kept quiet, her eyes fixed on Jia Zheng.

"Fine, fine, since you want to be a member of the Wang family, then I'll grant your wish." Jia Zheng said angrily, and immediately went to find paper and pen.

It was Yu Chuan, who was guarding outside, who sensed something was wrong and quickly went to ask Grandmother Jia for instructions.

Grandmother Jia heard Yu Chuan'er's unclear words, but she clearly heard the words "divorce her wife." Grandmother Jia sighed and quickly helped the maid to Jia Zheng's room.

As soon as Grandmother Jia made a move, everyone in the mansion sprang into action. Tan Chun, Bao Chai, and the others all received the news and rushed to see what was happening.

When Lady Wang saw that Jia Zheng was serious, and heard that Grandmother Jia had arrived, she disregarded her image and ran out crying. She knelt down in the courtyard and cried, "Grandmother, Grandmother, he wants to divorce me! I have worked hard in this family, even if I haven't done anything great. I gave birth to two sons and a daughter. My daughter has become an empress. Grandmother, you can't treat me like this!"

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia sighed deeply and glanced at Jia Zheng, who was following behind her. She naturally harbored deep resentment towards Lady Wang, but some things could not be done so rashly.

Jia Zheng was actually somewhat aware of the situation, so he quickly stepped forward and said, "It's my fault for disturbing the old lady."

"You all have grandchildren, what are you still making a fuss about?" Grandmother Jia slammed her cane on the ground twice, glanced at Madam Wang, and said, "Your husband spoke in anger, but you cannot slack off on the matter of kneeling to recite scriptures and picking up Buddhist beans. For the sake of the empress in the palace and for the sake of this mansion, you should know what you should do."

Lady Wang was unwilling, but dared not refute him. At this moment, she was really afraid. She had been married to Jia Zheng for so many years and knew his personality well.

Caiping told Zijuan all about these things during her trip.

“Your Highness, I think the Third Miss is right. You should not go to Rongguo Mansion. Last time, with Qiuwen, it was fortunate that Xueyan acted quickly, otherwise it might have been the young lady who got hurt.” Zijuan expressed her thoughts. “Now that mansion is in chaos, and there are some people who might want to harm Your Highness.”

Seeing Zijuan's serious expression, Daiyu knew she was worried about her and nodded, "Don't worry, who would want to go there if there's nothing wrong?"

Chunyu came in and reported, "The eldest daughter-in-law of the Wei family requests an audience with the Princess."

The eldest mistress of the Wei family? Daiyu was stunned for a moment before she remembered that it was Xiangyun.

Chapter 107 Xiangyun Seeks Help, Daiyu Offers Assistance

Xiangyun had no other choice but to ask Daiyu for help.

During the Southeast Campaign, Wei Ruolan went to the front lines and was appointed as a fifth-rank infantry officer. This position was secured only through the help of the Nan'an Prince's Mansion, which had deep connections with the Rui Prince.

When news of the defeat arrived, Xiangyun's heart sank. After learning more, Xiangyun couldn't sleep all night—Wei Ruolan hadn't died, but she was lame.

Xiangyun was sad for many days, but she made up her mind that even if Wei Ruolan's leg was lame, she would take good care of him. The Wei family was a large family after all, and there shouldn't be any problems for the two of them to make a living.

A few days ago, the eldest wife of the Wei family actually summoned Xiangyun to her side and spoke to her earnestly: "Now that we have suffered a defeat, I'm afraid the court will punish us. If the Wei family does not want the entire family to be implicated, it would be better to split up the family."

Separating the family? Wei Ruolan's mother had passed away long ago, and her father was an irresponsible person. Now, the eldest branch of the Wei family was in charge, and the eldest wife, the head of the family, could easily wash her hands of everything with just a word.

Xiangyun was furious when she heard this and couldn't help but retort, "Hmph, you've lost today, and that's what Auntie says. If we had won, I'm afraid Auntie wouldn't have said that."

When Wei Ruolan was about to go to the battlefield, the entire Wei family praised him.

After hearing this, Madam Wei gave Xiangyun a cold look: "But now, even if we are defeated, what can we do? Nephew's wife, don't blame your aunt for being ruthless. This whole family depends on your uncle's official position to maintain our dignity. If he is implicated, this family will be finished."

Xiangyun finally understood that the First Madam had made up her mind to separate the family property.

Xiangyun thought that if she went home and begged her uncle and aunt, there would surely be some way. Unfortunately, this time her uncle's son had also gone to the battlefield and died in battle, plunging the entire Shi family into grief.

Auntie held Xiangyun's hand and cried, "They say even an upright official can't settle family disputes. Yun'er, even if your uncle went, he couldn't say anything. How can we interfere in matters like dividing the family property?"

Ultimately, neither my uncle nor aunt were willing to help.

Xiangyun thought and thought but didn't know what to do, so she had no choice but to swallow her pride and try her luck with Daiyu.

Daiyu was surprised when she heard Xiangyun's story—the emperor had not given any punishment, yet these people involved had thought so much about it. It seemed that everyone had a general idea of ​​what would happen if they were punished.

Then, upon hearing Xiangyun say that the eldest wife of the Wei family had proposed dividing the family property, Daiyu felt a chill: indeed, when disaster strikes, everyone flies away. And yet, before disaster has even struck, they are already talking about flying away.

"Sister Lin, I really have no other choice." Xiangyun shed two lines of tears, thinking of Wei Ruolan, whose situation was unknown, and of their days to come. Xiangyun was overwhelmed with sorrow.

"Then let's separate the family," Daiyu said directly.

Xiangyun was stunned for a moment, not quite able to react.

"Since they all want to split up, let's just grant them their wish." Daiyu pondered. The court's appeasement policy hadn't been released yet, so she might as well just pass on a message to her mother later—to come out a little later, so she could see the true colors of these noble families, and see how many families were willing to share hardships, and how many families had abandoned orphans and widows.

Seeing that Xiangyun was still somewhat confused, Daiyu explained to her, "There are a few things you must not say to anyone, Sister Yun. His Majesty has already instructed the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue to make detailed calculations for the compensation of the families of the fallen and wounded soldiers and generals. Because many people are involved and their situations are different, the calculations have not yet been fully completed."

“Since Madam Wei is so unwilling to take responsibility, let’s grant her wish.” As soon as Daiyu said this, Xiangyun immediately understood.

It seems that the court is not punishing Wei Ruolan, but rewarding her. In this way, when the results come out in the future, it will really be a resounding slap in the face to the Wei family. Outsiders will think that the Wei family disregarded their nephew's injury and cruelly divided the family property. In the end, they will not only gain a reputation for being heartless, but they will also not be able to get a penny of the compensation.

"What official position does the eldest master of the Wei family hold now?" Daiyu couldn't remember for a moment.

"He is a Hanlin Academy Reader-in-Waiting," Xiangyun quickly replied when Daiyu asked.

Oh, a fourth-rank official position, which is not a very powerful one. The eldest wife of the Wei family really thinks highly of herself.

"But there's one thing, Sister Yun: those who should be held accountable will still be held accountable. Anyone of the third rank or above will be held accountable to varying degrees depending on the circumstances. Sister Yun, you need to understand this." Daiyu's words were a reminder to Xiangyun: Xiangyun used to be very close to the Prince of Nan'an's mansion. Not only the Prince of Nan'an's mansion, but also those officials of the third rank or above who went to the front lines this time, their fate would definitely not be good.

Xiangyun understood immediately and quickly stood up to give Daiyu a respectful bow: "I will keep Sister Lin's words in mind and will never say a word about them."

Xiangyun is also a smart person. Now, with the Wei Ruolan incident, she has come to understand many people and things. At this moment, Daiyu is not only willing to see her, but also willing to help her, which has already made her truly grateful.

"I won't keep you for dinner, sister. I've been very busy these past few days." Daiyu had a few ideas that came to mind because of Xiangyun's visit, and she needed to quickly organize them and send them to the Empress, so she spoke directly to Xiangyun.

"Sister Lin's kindness will be remembered forever." Xiangyun got up to take her leave, and Daiyu had Zijuan personally see her off.

After seeing Xiangyun off, Zijuan came in and saw that Daiyu had already written almost a whole page at her desk. She quickly beckoned to Chunyu, "Go to the kitchen and have them bring the sweet soup they're making to the young lady."

No sooner had they finished speaking than Xueyan arrived with the food. The two exchanged a glance: Now that the prince and princess are so busy they barely have time to breathe, they must be even more diligent and considerate, doing as much as they can think of.

"Zijuan, take this to Zhao Bingxin and have him deliver it to the Empress in the palace." Daiyu handed it over, and Zijuan quickly took it and turned to leave.

Xueyan hurriedly served the sweet soup: "Your Highness, please rest. You haven't had a break all day."

Daiyu waved her hand; she had no appetite at all. She had just sat down when Chunxian came in: "Miss, an old woman from the Prince of Nan'an's mansion is requesting an audience outside the second gate."

"I won't see her," Daiyu said firmly.

"This servant will go out and send her away." Xueyan is much more experienced now, while Chunxian still lacks experience, so Xueyan took the initiative to go out.