The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

Chapter 113 Conferring the Title of Princess and Internal Strife in the Rong Mansion

Tan Chun was initially surprised by Bao Chai's arrival. After Madam Jia was placed under house arrest, Grandmother Jia assigned Tan Chun, Li Wan, and Bao Chai to manage the household. Tan Chun was quite direct and blunt with Bao Chai. If Tan Chun genuinely believed something was wrong, she wouldn't agree no matter what Bao Chai said. And if Tan Chun felt something was beneficial to the household, she would do her best to do it even if Bao Chai objected.

Li Wan was also quite different this time: before, she was indifferent and followed the old rules, but this time she completely sided with Tan Chun, so the situation was often two against one, with Bao Chai in the weaker position.

However, Tan Chun quickly realized that her investiture as a princess was a great thing for the Rongguo Mansion, as Baochai, now a daughter-in-law of the Rongguo Mansion, would benefit from it.

Moreover, if she were to actually get married, Baochai would likely take over the management of the household.

Although Baochai's face did not show a smile, her voice could not hide her joy. She spoke first: "Although Third Sister's dowry will definitely be provided by the Imperial Household Department, I have also heard that the island nation uses copper coins instead of silver. So after thinking it over, it is more convenient to give Third Sister gold and jewel jewelry to keep in her dowry."

As she spoke, she had Ying'er present the dowry she had prepared: "This set includes a gold-threaded eight-treasure pearl hairpin, a five-phoenix pearl hairpin, and a red gold dragon necklace, etc. It was given to me by my mother before my marriage. I am giving it to my third sister this time, hoping that she will have a happy and smooth life after her marriage."

This set of jewelry was indeed valuable. Tan Chun stood up to thank her and had Shi Shu accept it.

Seeing that Tan Chun had accepted the gifts, Baochai smiled and said, "When Third Sister goes to the country in the future, she will be the Queen of a kingdom. Although the island nation is not as rich as the Central Plains, it still rules over a region. In the future, the manor will have to rely on Third Sister a lot."

Just as Tan Chun was about to speak, Bao Yu rushed in. He had obviously heard Bao Chai's last words, and his face was very ugly: "What are you saying? How can a weak woman like Third Sister go to a foreign land for a political marriage?"

Baochai sneered after hearing this: "What are you saying, Second Master? His Majesty has already issued an edict. What's the use of saying all this? Let alone you and me, even you, as the cousin of the Princess Consort of Yi County, can't do anything about it."

Baoyu didn't quite understand, and immediately said to Tanchun, "That's it, Third Sister, why don't you go and ask Sister Lin? Maybe it will work."

Tan Chun's face darkened, and her tone was not good: "Second brother, you should grow up a bit. First of all, you should call Sister Lin Princess Yi. The princess is a member of the imperial family, and you can no longer use the old way of addressing siblings; secondly, you asked me to beg the princess, have you ever thought about the princess's feelings? Aren't you asking the princess to stand up for me and defy the imperial decree? Where do you think you are putting the princess?"

This was the first time Baoyu had seen Tanchun with such an expression. He could hear the anger in Tanchun's tone and was stunned for a moment.

"Second brother, don't think it's right for a younger sister to speak so bluntly. You're a man, and you should be the one to marry, raise children, and protect your family. But what have you been doing all these years?" Tan Chun thought to herself that she was going to get married anyway, so she might as well play the villain and say what she had to say. As for whether Bao Yu would listen to her, that was up to fate.

"Why did the eldest sister in the palace go there? Was it really for her own wealth and status? Second brother, do you know the current situation at home? Do you really expect the family to support you for the rest of your life?"

"I know you don't want to pursue a career in government or business, but you can't be a parasite. Have you thought about what you'll do if this family falls into ruin?"

Tan Chun's aggressive gaze frightened Bao Yu, and he lowered his head to avoid her.

Seeing him like this, Tan Chun sadly closed her eyes. A loud drum doesn't need a heavy hammer, but even her own sister, who was about to travel thousands of miles to marry a foreigner, couldn't wake her brother up.

Baoyu lowered his head sadly and slunk away from Tanchun's courtyard. Baochai watched Baoyu's retreating figure and felt a sense of helplessness—Baoyu was clearly very intelligent, so why couldn't he wake up to this?

"I need to rest for a while, sister-in-law, please go ahead too." Tan Chun didn't want to waste time dealing with Bao Chai.

Baochai wanted to say something more, but then she felt that it wouldn't matter what she said, as Tanchun was not someone who could be easily persuaded like an ordinary person, so she got up to take her leave.

Stepping out of the courtyard gate, Baochai stopped and looked back at Qiushuangzhai, a place she had visited many times. The imperial decree conferring the title of Princess would likely arrive in the next couple of days. Tanchun had gone to Prince Yi's residence; she wondered what she had discussed with Princess Yi.

But one thing Baochai was certain of—she would be in charge of the Rongguo Mansion in the future. Grandmother Jia was old, and Li Wan, a widow, was no match for her in terms of methods and strategies. Without Tan Chun, Li Wan alone would not amount to anything.

Thinking of this, Baochai felt a sense of pleasure and then strode away.

Li Wan was filled with worry at this time. During her time managing the household, she supported Tan Chun and opposed Bao Chai in every way, thinking that she wanted to fight for herself. Over the years, she had never fought or grabbed anything. In the past, it was because of Wang Xifeng, who was ruthless. But after Bao Chai entered the mansion, she realized that compared to Bao Chai, even Feng Yatou was kind-hearted.

Seeing that she was a widow and her orphan, Feng Yatou knew to take care of her and didn't cause any trouble. Wang Xifeng was happy to do her a favor.

But Baochai was different. Baochai and Lady Wang were actually quite similar, except that Baochai was far more literate and educated than Lady Wang. Her kindness would never be used on those who were useless to her. And her ruthlessness was all hidden from view.

Qiuwen died after giving birth, while Aunt Zhao was able to have both a daughter and a son. This alone reveals Baochai's true nature.

However, Li Wan is currently very worried that the fact that she is a widow will easily be used by Baochai to make trouble.

"Mother, the tea has gone cold." Jia Lan looked at his mother, who had been lost in thought for a long time, and he could roughly guess what she was thinking.

Looking at her son, Li Wan was overcome with grief: the older her son grew, the more he resembled his father. As the great-grandson of the Rongguo Mansion, Lan'er had been completely neglected all these years.

“Mother, sometimes we can’t get too caught up in the small world of the inner quarters.” Jia Lan had been thinking about this for a long time and felt that she could give it a try. “I would like to study at Yuntao Academy in the suburbs of Beijing.”

Li Wan was stunned and didn't react.

"Since Third Aunt is being conferred the title of Princess, Mother may have the opportunity to meet Princess Yi. I wonder if she could put in a good word for me. The headmaster of Yuntao Academy is the Prince Consort's younger brother." Jia Lan had already inquired about this beforehand, and it was known that Yuntao Academy had produced many talented young people over the years.

Li Wan then understood what her son meant by "don't get bogged down in the small plot of land in the inner quarters."

But in fact, Li Wan still didn't fully understand. However, there were some things that Jia Lan wouldn't say outright right now, even though the other party was his mother. He himself hadn't made up his mind yet, but only had a general idea in his mind.

I'll be able to see it more clearly soon, and then it won't be too late to tell my mother.

Sure enough, the imperial decree conferring the title of Princess arrived, and Princess Yi, who hadn't visited the Rongguo Mansion in a long time, also came.

Chapter 114 Tan Chun's Marriage and Dai Yu's Serious Illness

The investiture of the princess brought joy to the entire Rongguo Mansion. Although Daiyu was prepared, seeing this inevitably reminded her of the days Tanchun would soon face. Compared to the smiling faces of the people in the mansion, she couldn't help but feel that human relationships were cold and indifferent, so she simply hid away at Xichun's place.

This gave Li Wan the opportunity to say a few words to Daiyu.

Upon hearing that Jia Lan wanted to go to Yuntao Academy, Daiyu was taken aback. Jia Lan, this great-grandson, had always had a weak presence in the family. However, she remembered how much Jia Mu had taken care of Li Wan and her son in her younger days, even providing Li Wan with separate rent for her shop and subsidies beyond her allowance. If Jia Lan was still young then, he was no longer so; he should have been seriously studying long ago.

Daiyu suddenly remembered an old story: that year when they were guessing riddles, her second uncle noticed that Jia Lan was not there and asked, "Where is Lan-ge'er?"

Li replied, "He said that the master did not call him just now, and he refused to come."

At the time, my second uncle jokingly said, "He's born with a strange and eccentric personality."

Looking back now, Jia Lan, despite being the eldest grandson of the second branch of the family, was always very cautious. Even at gatherings like this, he wouldn't come unless invited.

Compared to Baoyu, who was pampered by everyone, Jialan was more mature in both his studies and his character at a young age.

“If Lan’er wants to go, I’ll ask him when I get back. But I’ve heard that to study at Yuntao Academy, one has to pass an exam. Lan’er will have to rely on himself to pass that exam.” Daiyu hadn’t seen Jia Lan for a long time. If you count, the child should be about the same age as the Sixth Prince.

"Of course, if he can't pass the exam, it's his own fault for not being capable." Li Wan breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Daiyu's immediate agreement. Deep down, she felt a pang of guilt towards Daiyu, because in all the years since Daiyu entered the household, she had never given her any special attention in order to please the mistress. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but that she dared not. Her mother-in-law already disliked her, always saying that she was the one who had brought death to Jia Zhu; if it weren't for Jia Lan, she probably would have long since become a Buddhist nun.

However, as time passed, Daiyu, who had become a prince's wife, did not mind at all. Compared to her, Li Wan felt increasingly ashamed.

“Third Sister is scheduled to set off on the first day of next month. I heard that after the investiture ceremony today, she won’t be staying at home anymore.” Xi Chun said sadly for Tan Chun.

Daiyu nodded and said, "Yes, I came today to accompany my third sister to the palace later. Having an acquaintance there will make her feel more relaxed."

"Then, Third Sister, will you depart directly from the palace?" Li Wan also felt sorry for Tan Chun. This girl was the most capable in their Rongguo Mansion. If she were to marry a promising young man from an official family, she would surely become a powerful matriarch in the future.

“Of course, His Majesty has permitted the family members to see us off at the dock on the day of our departure.” Just as Daiyu finished speaking, Zijuan entered.

"Your Highness, the Princess will be entering the palace soon."

After hearing this, Daiyu got up and bid farewell to Li Wan and Xichun. The two of them escorted Daiyu to the courtyard gate.

Because Daiyu had made prior arrangements with the officials of the Ministry of Rites and the eunuchs from the palace who came to pick up Tanchun, Tanchun was now traveling in the same carriage as Daiyu.

"Third sister, don't be nervous. The Empress has had Swallow Tower cleaned up. When I first entered the palace, the Empress also let me stay in Swallow Tower." Daiyu held Tanchun's hand.

Tan Chun was still a little nervous. Feeling the warmth of Daiyu's fingertips, she told herself to stay calm: "Sister Lin, it's okay, I'm not afraid."

"I saw Shishu enter the palace with you. Is she willing to accompany you to marry into the palace?" Daiyu had just met Shishu.

"Yes, it shows that I'm not a complete failure as a person, and I have a loyal maid." Tan Chun had already told Shi Shu that as a princess going to marry a foreign ruler, the court would send people to serve her, and she could go home.

Shi Shu knelt down and kowtowed to Tan Chun, telling her that she was willing to stay with Tan Chun and that she was not afraid.

"The old lady made the decision, returning their parents' indentures and giving them some silver. Now they are no longer servants of the Rongguo Mansion," Tan Chun told Daiyu, without mentioning that this was a favor she had obtained for Shi Shu. Her future was uncertain, and she might very well be buried in a foreign land—a point she had hinted at to Shi Shu. But the maid still insisted on going with her, and since Tan Chun could do nothing else, she could only help Shi Shu resolve her worries.

Daiyu nodded after hearing this, and seeing that they were about to reach the palace gate, she stopped talking.

The two first went to pay their respects to the Empress, who then summoned all the concubines to avoid tiring the princess to travel between the palaces. The concubines had different thoughts, but all had prepared gifts for the occasion. Consort Wu's gift was quite valuable, while Consort Xu's and others' gifts were rather ordinary.

Yuan Chun's feelings were very complicated. She knew that Tan Chun's actions were entirely for the Rongguo Mansion. In the past few days, many concubines had been talking about this and that in front of her, either mocking the Rongguo Mansion for selling its daughters for personal gain, or envying her for having a good younger sister who could help her. Even Consort Wu gave her a few things, saying that she would rely on her more in the future.

Yuan-chun rose and asked the Empress for permission to bring Tan-chun to her palace for a chat, which the Empress readily agreed to. The other concubines also took their leave, but the Empress kept Dai-yu behind for a talk.

"Do you know that your uncle is coming to the capital?" The Empress used the term "your uncle" directly, and Daiyu knew who the Empress was referring to.

It's unclear what the Emperor was thinking this time. He agreed to Consort Wu's father's resignation, but then immediately sent the Empress's elder brother, Li Su, to the capital to serve as Minister of Personnel.

"Yesterday, Changsheng came back and told his daughter-in-law, does Mother have something for her to do?" Daiyu asked hurriedly.

The Empress shook her head: "That's exactly what I wanted to remind you. As the Empress, I must be impartial. You two shouldn't get too close to the Li family. You two are already attracting enough attention. I've heard that you're not seeing anyone, and those ladies are quite unhappy about it."

Daiyu was grateful to the Empress for thinking of them: "Mother, rest assured, Changsheng and I will try to maintain a proper balance in our relationships. As for those ladies who try to get close to us, I've always been someone who's not easy to get close to, so it's best to stay true to myself."

Seeing that Daiyu was clear-headed, the Empress said no more and instead spoke to Daiyu about the arrangements for Tanchun's marriage: "You need to put more effort into her. This girl is outstanding in appearance, temperament and talent. Alas, what a pity."

The Empress and Tan Chun had several conversations, and the Empress greatly admired the girl. For the Empress, a complete stranger, to express such regret was already quite remarkable.

Daiyu was truly saddened, but she had to restrain herself and agree. The Empress took Daiyu to see the dowry she was preparing for Tanchun, and then asked Daiyu, "When Princess Qingjia gets married, her relatives will see her off at the dock. Yu'er, do you want to go?"

Daiyu nodded; she still wanted to see Tanchun off on her final journey.

Tan Chun only stayed in the palace for a few days. Time flew by, and the day of departure arrived.

A ten-mile-long red carpet—if it weren't for a marriage alliance, it would be the most glamorous wedding procession imaginable.

Tan Chun walked with determination, but also with caution.

The Rongguo Mansion's family members could only send off their brides at the dock.

The wind was strong at the dock, and almost all the women of the Rongguo Mansion came to the tent that had been set up in advance.

Seeing Tan Chun dressed in a bright red wedding gown, Daiyu could no longer hold back her tears. She had a headache when she woke up that day, and now, after being exposed to the wind and crying like this, she felt like she was about to collapse.

After Tan Chun kowtowed to Grandmother Jia for the last time, she stood up and glanced at Daiyu. The two sisters silently conveyed a thousand words. Then Tan Chun resolutely turned around, without looking back, and walked straight onto the boat.

Daiyu lowered her eyes, her whole body trembling. Zijuan, being observant, quickly grabbed a cloak and instructed Chunyu to tell the coachman to send the princess back to the palace as soon as possible.

Although they acted quickly, with Zijuan having already sent someone to fetch the imperial physician, Daiyu still fainted upon returning to the mansion.

The imperial physician arrived quickly. Physician He came in person, and the first thing he saw when he entered was that Princess Yi's face was pale and bloodless. He immediately knew something was wrong.

He quickly came up to take her pulse. Imperial Physician He knew very well that Prince Yi was currently highly valued by His Majesty, and Princess Yi was favored by both His Majesty and the Empress. Therefore, he and the Imperial Hospital had to be careful.

"How is the princess?"

The one who rushed in was none other than Prince Yi, Xiao Tingjun.

Physician He couldn't help but think that the rumors that the prince loved the princess very much seemed to be true.

Chapter 115 Prince Yi is heartbroken and angry at his wife.

Daiyu returned to Yangzhou amidst a misty fog.

My father's official residence in Yangzhou is still the same as before. The front courtyard of the three-courtyard house is my father's study, as well as the main hall, flower hall and side rooms for receiving guests. The small flower gardens and pavilions inside are very exquisitely arranged.

Inside the hanging flower gate was the main courtyard where Jia Min and Lin Ruhai lived. There were already roses and weeping willows planted there, and her mother had someone buy some osmanthus, gardenias, jasmine, and other flowers, so there were flowers all year round.

The small courtyard to the east belonged to Daiyu. Her mother had a grape trellis built there, making it a very comfortable place for the family to cool off in the summer.

In early summer, my mother sat upright at her desk, a brush held taut in her hand. She had finished writing two pieces of calligraphy, and my father was grinding the ink for her. On the table was a Song Dynasty jade rabbit facing the moon inkstone, its back lightly carved with a jade rabbit facing the moon—simple yet elegant, charming and refined. They were using "Broken Bridge and Lingering Snow" ink, which, I heard, contained ingredients like spikenard, sandalwood, borneol, and alkanet root, giving the calligraphy a lingering fragrance.

My mother wrote two lines of poetry about summer: "Plums leave a sour taste on my teeth, banana leaves share their green with the window screen."