The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

Xia He was initially a little worried: "Your Majesty, Consort Chen will definitely be unhappy about this. Even Consort Wu only asked for one pot."

Consort Xu wanted to upset Consort Zhou, and upon hearing this, she snorted: "Doesn't she usually like to keep quiet? I want to see if she'll go and complain. I'd love for her to go and complain."

A pot of flowers is nothing; a good daughter-in-law is what matters.

Consort Xu was unaware that Consort Zhou was also furious: the Emperor had arranged marriages for the second, third, and fourth princes and then conferred upon them the title of Prince of the County not long after, but now the Emperor had not taken any further action, and she felt that the Emperor was being unfair.

Since Consort Xu has already set up a stage for me, if I were to remain silent, wouldn't I be going against her good intentions?

The Empress in Fengyi Palace was quickly informed: "Consort Chen has arrived."

The Empress had already heard about what happened at the Guangchu Department, and she was wondering how Consort Chen would react. Over the years, the Empress had gotten to know the concubines quite well, and Consort Chen was one of the more composed ones.

However, the Empress also knew a little about the Fifth Prince's recent affairs: it is said that the Fifth Prince was not very willing to marry the Zuo family girl, and he even had a fight with Consort Chen a few days ago.

This world is full of emotions; that's how it is. What is honey to one is poison to another.

When Consort Zhou entered, she saw the Empress leisurely leaning against the couch by the window, with a game of chess incomplete in front of her.

After Consort Zhou bowed, the Empress beckoned to her: "Back when we were in the Prince's residence, you were the best at chess. Come and help me see how to solve this game."

Consort Zhou's expression showed a hint of doubt, but she still obediently walked to the carved rosewood table and sat down, attentively accompanying the Empress as she watched the remaining game.

Chapter 123 Daiyu Makes Friends Without Making a Sound

Consort Zhou came to Fengyi Palace with a belly full of thoughts. She originally intended to use the camellia incident to express her grievances: His Majesty did not grant the fifth prince the title of Prince, but instead chose the daughter of the Zuo family as the princess consort. Does His Majesty value his son or not?

However, after playing chess with the Empress, Consort Zhou figured out a bit of the trick: the fifth prince was her son, but wasn't he also the Emperor's son? The Emperor, from the time he was a prince, was a man who couldn't tolerate any flaws. He had never shown any particular favoritism towards any of his sons. In the end, it was just a matter of whoever did the best job that the Emperor liked.

Moreover, no one knows a son better than his mother. Consort Zhou knew her son very well: the fifth prince had never liked studying since he was a child, and his archery and horsemanship were also very average. Among the princes, apart from the sixth prince, whose potential was still unknown, her son was the worst one.

Now, seeing the Second Prince making one mistake after another, and the Fourth Prince in complete chaos, only the Third Prince seems to be making steady progress. But thinking about it carefully, a few years ago, the Second Prince was the one who was more prominent, while the Third Prince was not at all noticeable.

Therefore, one should be content. The girl the emperor has chosen for the fifth prince comes from a good family. I've seen her a few times at palace banquets before; she's quite beautiful, but I haven't had any contact with her, so I don't know what her character is like.

Thinking about it this way, Consort Zhou changed her mind about complaining to the Empress. With a kind heart, she said, "I came today to ask Your Majesty the Empress for permission. The Zuo family girl has been betrothed to the Fifth Prince, and as her mother, I would like to meet that girl."

The Empress nodded: "It's perfectly normal for a mother to have such thoughts. You can pick a day and invite that girl in for a visit. I'll make the arrangements."

Seeing that the Empress readily agreed, Consort Zhou thought for a moment and then said, "I think that Miss Zuo might feel a little reserved coming in alone. I wonder if Your Majesty could invite Princess Yi to the palace as well, so that we can have a chat then."

Consort Zhou had considered these words carefully: Initially, Miss Lin was an orphan, and no one had high hopes for her. But who knew she was so incredibly clever? Before long, she won the favor of the Princess and the Emperor. Considering that the Princess and the Emperor were both discerning individuals, winning their favor was no easy feat. This clearly demonstrates that the Princess Consort of Yi is a clever and astute person.

There's no harm in letting the Zuo family's daughter get to know Princess Yi, after all, they'll be sisters-in-law in the future.

The Empress was quite satisfied with Consort Zhou's suggestion: "No problem, I'll tell the Third Prince's wife about it later."

In this way, the Empress resolved a dispute without making a sound. After all, the current Emperor is a person who cares about his image and prefers a peaceful atmosphere in the harem. Even if he knows there will be disputes, as long as the disputes do not reach the Emperor's attention, the Emperor will pretend that they do not exist.

Consort Xu had heard that Consort Zhou had gone to Fengyi Palace and assumed she had gone to complain, but the Empress had not contacted her. To Consort Xu's surprise, three days later, the Zuo family's daughter entered the palace.

Could it be that Consort Zhou made a trip to Fengyi Palace just to meet her future daughter-in-law? Consort Xu was quite surprised. What surprised her even more was that the person accompanying the Zuo family's daughter was none other than the Princess Consort of Yi County.

Consort Xu was immediately dissatisfied, feeling that this was the Empress's doing on purpose—now that the Third Prince was highly valued by His Majesty and held positions in the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War, the Empress probably wanted to support the Third Prince, and that's why she was paving the way for the Third Prince's wife in advance.

Consort Zhou had already invited Zuo Jiangqiu, the daughter of the Zuo family, and Princess Yi to join her. It was cold, and Consort Zhou didn't know what the young ladies liked, so she prepared backgammon and Go. She also had the palace maids prepare a small stove so they could gather around and brew tea.

Zuo Jiangqiu was a cheerful and generous girl. When she saw the small stove for brewing tea, she immediately smiled and said, "When my cousin from my uncle's family came back from the Northwest, she brewed a ginger, longan and red date tea, which is perfect for drinking in winter."

Seeing this, Consort Zhou hurriedly asked what they needed and asked a maid to fetch it. Daiyu also quickly helped peel the dried longans. Everyone sat together, creating a lively atmosphere.

"Fresh milk is best." Seeing that there was fresh milk in Consort Chen's palace, Zuo Jiangqiu took it.

Consort Chen watched as Zuo Jiangqiu moved swiftly and efficiently, occasionally chatting and laughing with Princess Yi, thinking how wonderful it would be to have such a daughter-in-law.

Once it was ready, Zuo Jiangqiu poured it out of the earthenware jar: one cup for Consort Chen, one cup for Princess Yi, one cup for herself, and one cup left over.

Consort Chen couldn't wait to take a sip, and nodded and sighed, "I don't usually like milk, I always feel that it has a kind of taste that I can't describe, but today it's completely different."

"That's because the milk distributed to the ladies by the Guangchu Department is all raw milk. It needs to be heated over a low flame to taste good and be more nutritious." Zuo Jiangqiu's uncle was stationed in the Northwest for many years, and her aunt was very knowledgeable about milk. "Milk is also excellent when added to various pastries."

"Won't it have a milky smell?" Daiyu asked curiously.

"No, it won't happen if it's handled well. Besides, I've asked some doctors, and they say drinking more milk is good for your health. We have a few kinds of milk-based pastries at home, and we can send them over for Your Highness and the Princess Consort to try sometime," Zuo Jiangqiu said generously.

"Alright, then I'll be looking forward to your delicious food. I also enjoy researching food when I have free time. The cooks in my family each have their own specialties. Next time, please come to my place and try my food." Daiyu liked this Miss Zuo, a girl different from Song Huilan and Ge Xijia. She had Tan Chun's cheerfulness and Xiang Yun's liveliness.

“That’s wonderful! I’ve long heard that Prince Yi’s mansion has lots of delicious food and fun things to do, and that Huatang Chunxiu embroidery. My mother ordered a pair of shoes a few days ago, made of dark satin with little ducks embroidered on them. When you wear them, the little ducks look like they’re floating on water, so lifelike.” Zuo Jiangqiu herself wasn’t very good at embroidery, but she envied others who could embroider. “Back then, I also tried to learn embroidery, but the needle just wouldn’t obey me.”

Just then, an announcement came from outside that the Fifth Prince had arrived. Consort Zhou gave Qingyu a wink and said to Zuo Jiangqiu and Daiyu, "You two sit here and don't need to pay him any attention. I'll go out and meet him."

After speaking, he stepped out of the screen and into the outer room, where Qingyu had already presented the Fifth Prince with a cup of ginger, longan, and red date tea.

Xiao Tingzhao didn't think much of it. He took a sip and found the temperature just right. After drinking it, he came in from outside against the cold wind. After drinking it, he felt comfortable and warm all over. He immediately greeted his mother and said with a smile, "Mother, how come you have such good tea today? I have never drunk it before."

Consort Chen laughed: "In the future, I'm afraid Mother will have to ask you for a drink whenever she wants one."

Xiao Tingzhao couldn't quite figure it out for a moment. He had come here because he had good news to share. Unable to contain his joy, he said to Consort Zhou, "My father asked me to go to the Ministry of Revenue to help out."

The Ministry of Revenue? Consort Zhou immediately became happy: The Ministry of Revenue is a good place. Now, apart from the Third Prince who is in charge of both the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War, the Second Prince has been sent to the Ministry of Rites. Although the Ministry of Rites is an important place, it is not easy to make achievements there. The Fourth Prince has been in the Ministry of Works for so long, but he has not made any progress.

Meanwhile, Zuo Jiangqiu inside also had her own thoughts: she had deliberately invited Princess Yi to accompany her today; perhaps Consort Zhou was even smarter than her grandmother thought.

"Then do your job well. Your mother has guests here today, so I won't keep you for dinner. Go back now." Consort Zhou glanced at the screen.

Xiao Tingzhao then realized that there was indeed a reason behind that bowl of tea. For a moment, Xiao Tingzhao felt a mix of emotions.

Chapter 124 A Small Gathering at the Yi Mansion: Homemade Lanterns

The Fifth Prince, Xiao Tingzhao, had mixed feelings. He had seen the Zuo family's daughter a few times, from afar, but had never spoken to her. However, he had heard his mother and the Empress praise her, saying that the girl was generous and forthright, and that she was also skilled with a red-tasseled spear.

But Xiao Tingzhao already had someone in his heart.

Three years ago, when Xiao Tingzhao's uncle, Zhou Yuchu, was promoted to the position of prefect of Tongzhou, he went to the capital to report on his work. He brought his wife and daughter with him, who were Xiao Tingzhao's aunt and cousin.

With the Emperor and Empress's permission, Consort Zhou brought her son to Qichen Palace to meet her family.

It was around that time that Xiao Tingzhao met his clever and charming cousin, Zhou Zhixu. Even his mother remarked on the deep affection between his uncle and aunt, noting that his cousin's name was Zhou Zhixu and his aunt's surname was Xu.

Because her uncle had served as an official in many places, from the magistrate of Shanyin County to the assistant prefect of Lizhou Prefecture, the whole family followed him, and my cousin had the opportunity to travel to many places. In addition, her uncle and aunt loved to travel, and her uncle often took the family out on his days off, so my cousin saw different scenery in many places and learned a lot about the customs and traditions of the countryside.

In addition, her cousin was naturally witty and had a refined manner of speaking, so Consort Zhou immediately allowed her to stay in her palace for a few days. Xiao Tingzhao also had the opportunity to hear his cousin tell many interesting stories.

From that moment on, a girl took up residence in Xiao Tingzhao's heart. When he heard that a marriage was to be arranged for him, he immediately went to find his mother.

However, the mother said softly, "Look at your brothers, which one of them married a girl from a concubine's family in the harem?"

To everyone's surprise, Xiao Tingzhao thought for a while and then said, "Isn't the one Third Brother married the cousin of the Virtuous Consort?"

Consort Zhou immediately glared at her son: "How can this be the same? Your third brother married a girl from his uncle's family. Besides, look at the relationship between the Princess Consort of Yi and the Virtuous Consort, isn't it good?"

After speaking, Consort Zhou sighed. Of course she liked her niece, but for a family to keep marrying its daughters into the royal family, it was not necessarily a good thing, even if the emperor was happy to do so.

The bride's family is the son's maternal uncle's family, so they will naturally support their son. Whether or not a girl marries into the family has little impact, but if they form a powerful in-law relationship, then it will be a big difference.

To dissuade her son from pursuing the idea, Consort Zhou specially said, "Your aunt sent a letter a few days ago. Your cousin is engaged to a scholar from Tongzhou. He is a promising young man and will be participating in the imperial examination in a few years."

Xiao Tingzhao was completely out of options now.

Now he also works at the Ministry of Revenue. On the day before the Lunar New Year, his third brother asked him with a smile, "We're having a small family gathering today, fifth brother, would you like to join us?"

Xiao Tingjun was actually acting on the Emperor's orders—the Emperor knew that the Fifth Prince seemed to be interested in the arranged marriage, and the Emperor's intention was to let the Fifth Prince meet the Zuo family's daughter, so that he might be less resistant.

If it were in the palace, it would be too formal, so the emperor spoke to the empress privately. The empress smiled and said, "A few days ago, Consort Chen invited the Zuo family's daughter and asked the third son's wife to accompany her. I heard that the two get along well. Why don't we ask the third son and his wife to help out?"

Upon hearing this, the Emperor nodded and said, "Then I'll leave it to the Empress."

Therefore, the matter naturally fell to Xiao Tingjun and his wife. Daiyu thought for a while and realized that inviting only the Zuo family's daughter would be too abrupt, so she simply invited Xichun and Xiao Tingjun's cousin Lanruo, and also invited Gao Xin.

Xiao Tingjun, on the other hand, summoned the Fifth Prince and the Sixth Prince.

Unexpectedly, the Sixth Prince Xiao Tingyu asked his third brother, "Now that I am studying with Jia Lan from the Rongguo Mansion and Li Ke from Lord Li's family, can I ask them to join me?"

Having more people involved is good, so Xiao Tingjun readily agreed.

So they waited for Xiao Tingjun to bring Xiao Tingzhao back to the Prince's Mansion, where it was bustling with activity. From afar, they could hear Xiao Tingyu's voice: "Last year's lanterns were all fired at the Imperial Kiln. Those rabbit lanterns were so dull. It's great that we can make them ourselves today."

Xiao Tingjun suddenly realized: the things Yu'er had been having prepared these past few days were actually for making lamps.

Just then, a woman's voice was heard: "To make a rabbit lantern, bamboo strips and colored paper are not enough. You need wheels. When I went to the Northwest, the children there carried rabbit lanterns during the Lantern Festival. They had four wheels on the bottom so they could be pulled around."

Since we're talking about the Northwest, we should mention Zuo Jiangqiu.

Xiao Tingzhao had obviously heard this as well, and he stopped in his tracks, unsure whether to go in or what to do next.

Seeing his dazed expression, Xiao Tingjun felt a pang of emotion: his younger brother was much simpler in thought than his second and fourth brothers.

“Then I want a rabbit lantern with wheels too.” Xiao Tingyu immediately expressed his interest.

Li Ke, who was next to him, joked, "You're not a child anymore."

"What does it matter? I see you want it too." Xiao Tingyu didn't care about any of that.

As Xiao Tingjun and the others entered, he first gestured to everyone not to stand on ceremony: "I haven't played with lanterns for many years. I remember when I was a child, my fifth brother and Father Emperor made a revolving lantern together."

Xiao Tingyu wasn't even born yet at that time, and immediately asked curiously, "Really? Fifth Brother, can we make a revolving lantern today too?"

As soon as Xiao Tingyu said that, it seemed like everyone's eyes were on him, and Xiao Tingzhao felt inexplicably nervous.

"It's been too long since I've done this, but we can give it a try." Xiao Tingzhao couldn't possibly spoil everyone's fun.

Although he said he would give it a try, Xiao Tingzhao put a lot of effort into making his revolving lantern. He drew the story of the Oath of the Peach Garden on the lampshade, placed a fake flower in the center of the lampshade, lit a candle, and put the lampshade back on. The lantern then began to rotate slowly. Under the candlelight, the fake flower cast a shadow on the paper screen outside, as if Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei were really swearing brotherhood in the Peach Garden.

Xiao Tingyu and Gao Xin both exclaimed how interesting it was, and even Li Ke, who had just teased Xiao Tingyu, was amazed: "I've seen many revolving lanterns during the Lantern Festival, but none of them are as interesting as this one."

Xiao Tingzhao smiled smugly, but then he saw the lamp made by Zuo Jiangqiu—a cricket lamp made of green cicada wing paper. It was so lifelike that it reminded Xiao Tingzhao of a night in late summer or early autumn when crickets were chirping in Zichen Garden. He had once held a candle to look at them and saw a cricket perched on a vermilion railing, the red and green contrasting sharply.

The cricket chirps by the golden well railing in autumn, a light frost chills the mat.

Then Xiao Tingzhao couldn't help but go and see who made the lamp.

At that moment, Zuo Jiangqiu was teaching Gao Xin how to make a lantern. The two of them bent the bamboo strips into an arc together. Gao Xin was laughing, and Zuo Jiangqiu was laughing too. They were all smiles.

Xiao Tingjun and Daiyu witnessed this scene, exchanged a glance, and smiled slightly.

As dusk fell, Zijuan came to ask permission to set out the meal, and Daiyu invited everyone to move to Deyue Tower. Deyue Tower overlooks a lotus pond to the west. It was cold, and a thin layer of snow had settled on the pond, creating a unique atmosphere in the candlelight.

Zuo Jiangqiu laughed and said, "We should light all the lanterns here later. They say that a sunny lake is not as good as a rainy lake, and a rainy lake is not as good as a snowy lake. With those lanterns, it will be a beautiful night scene."

"That's exactly what I was thinking." Qiao Lanruo thought Zuo Jiangqiu's suggestion was excellent.

The news that Prince Yi's residence had invited the fifth prince and the Zuo family's daughter separately had spread to all the concubines in the harem. While Consort Xu was still pondering the matter, Consort Wu made her move.