The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

If you're unhappy, you'll make others unhappy too.

Consort Zhou was also very anxious. As her son's mother, she was naturally very concerned about his wedding. Her son had been granted the title of Prince for so long, yet His Majesty had not yet provided him with a residence.

Two days ago, Consort Zhou came to the Empress for advice. The Empress agreed to let her report the matter to His Majesty. The Emperor had already made plans, but there were some things he only told the Empress and Consort Zhou.

It's also because Consort Wu has been angry and anxious lately, and she has let some information slip. For example, last night, the Emperor left her place and then went to Consort Zhou's place.

Upon hearing Consort Wu's words, Consort Zhou showed no anger whatsoever. Instead, she smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. His Majesty has made arrangements for this matter, and I think His Majesty's arrangements are very appropriate."

What do you mean?

Chapter 164 Consort gives birth to a daughter, Tan Chun delivers a letter

Consort Wu originally wanted to encourage Consort Zhou, since her son had been granted a princely title but had not been given a mansion. With the wedding approaching, how could they not have a new house?

Unexpectedly, Consort Zhou's words stunned Consort Wu: "Does this mean His Majesty has already made arrangements? What arrangements?"

Looking again at the Empress's calm expression, it was clear that the Empress knew about this matter as well. Could it be that she herself was unaware?

What frustrated Consort Wu even more was that Consort Guo, who was all smiles, said cheerfully, "Your Majesty is truly thoughtful. This saves the national treasury a lot of money."

What? Even Consort Guo knows? If it were the Empress, the mother of the nation, and Consort Zhou, the fifth prince's mother, it would be understandable that they knew, but how come even a mere Consort Guo knows, while I, the Noble Consort, don't?

Thinking about this, Consort Wu was both angry and flustered: Was His Majesty so dissatisfied with her? But out of consideration for her pride, she couldn't bring herself to ask any further.

The Empress inquired whether the Imperial Household Department and the Imperial Workshop had prepared everything for Consort Zhou's wedding, and mentioned that they would go and take a look together later. Consort Guo eagerly expressed that she also wanted to go and see for herself. Listening to their lively conversation, she felt that she had nothing to do with it. Consort Wu was still unwilling to give up and asked, "Where is Consort Shu today?"

"Since Consort Shu is ill, I will excuse her from paying her respects and let her rest well." The Empress said as she stood up, indicating that she was going to see the utensils and tableware prepared for the Fifth Prince's wedding. The other concubines were happy to follow.

"Then I won't go. Instead, I'll go see Consort Shu." Consort Wu felt a tightness in her chest. Normally, if she heard that Consort Xu was sick, she would definitely laugh at her. But now, it seemed that she herself had become a laughing stock, so this was just an excuse.

Throughout the winter until after the Lantern Festival, Consort Wu was in a depressed and anxious state, wondering what kind of concubine the Emperor would choose for his second son.

During this time, the Fifth Prince got married and actually lived in Zichen Garden. This was the courtyard where the princes lived together before they got married, each with their own small courtyard.

Consort Wu then remembered that her son, Xiao Tingkai, used to live in a small courtyard called "Jiaofeng". When the second son married Song Huilan, they initially lived there as well, but later moved out after the Prince's Mansion was renovated.

Now, only the fifth and sixth princes live in Zichen Garden. The fifth prince lives in a small courtyard called "Banyue," which is about twenty steps deep and decorated with flowers and plants. It is quite cozy, but compared with the Prince's Mansion, it is like heaven and earth.

Consort Wu was still wondering, "Does the Emperor really dislike the Fifth Prince? Consort Zhou just accepted it like that? And doesn't the young lady from the Zuo family, the Princess Consort, feel wronged?"

Consort Wu, however, had little interest in inquiring. At the end of the year, the Emperor's rewards were abundant, especially for the third son and his wife. Even the unborn child of the third son's wife received twelve white jade carvings, including a white jade gourd pendant symbolizing "eternal blessings for descendants," a white jade gourd pendant with its skin intact, and a white jade openwork pendant with magpie and bamboo patterns. Although these were all small trinkets, they were all made of white jade, with a clear and delicate texture. For example, the gourd pendant symbolizing "eternal blessings for descendants" featured double bat patterns carved in relief on both sides of the gourd's waist, auspicious and exquisitely crafted. The gourd, with its lush vines bearing many fruits and its numerous seeds, is often used to symbolize numerous descendants and good fortune.

Hmph, His Majesty is already so biased even before knowing whether it's a boy or a girl. If the third prince's wife really gives birth to a son, then His Majesty might really make the third prince the crown prince.

Consort Wu was truly frustrated, but the intelligence from the spies in the third prince's residence indicated that there were both imperial physicians and female doctors involved, leaving her with no way to proceed.

Little did she know that what happened in the palace would cause Consort Wu even more distress: Consort Guo gave birth to a baby girl on the second day of the second lunar month, the day the dragon raises its head.

When Consort Wu first heard that Consort Guo had given birth to a daughter, Consort Wu breathed a sigh of relief.

Unexpectedly, the emperor was quite pleased and named the child Ying on the same day, and also bestowed upon her the title of Princess Yongjia.

He immediately bestowed upon Guo Chongyi a pair of jade ruyi scepters, a tribute from Annam, as well as many other items such as furs, silks, pearls, and antiques.

"The princess's full moon celebration must be a grand affair," the emperor instructed the empress.

In this way, everyone knew that the Emperor was extremely fond of the newborn Princess Yongjia. Even Consort Guo herself, touching the newborn baby, felt a lingering fear—if it weren't for the Empress and Princess Yi's clever plan, her child would not have survived.

Thinking about it this way, she felt even more grateful to the Empress and Princess Yi, and took the initiative to say to the Emperor, "The child is still young, and we should not make a big fuss about it, lest it diminish her good fortune."

The emperor waved his hand and said, "She is my blessing, and I am her blessing. Don't worry, there are precedents in our dynasty for the princess's full moon celebration. It won't go too far."

The emperor's joy was known even throughout the court.

But few people understand that the princess's full moon celebration was actually a cover for the court's military expedition—the news came from Princess Qingjia, who had married into the island nation, that the island nation's king, who was also Princess Qingjia's husband, had contracted a strange illness.

"Strike while the iron is hot." The emperor, together with Xiao Tingjun and the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue, discussed the matter in detail and communicated with the generals at the front. Taking advantage of the cold weather in February and the serious illness of the island king, they decided to launch a military campaign.

Since Tan Chun got married, a lot of information has been sent back, including information on the island nation's military strength, city defenses, and coastal defenses. Xiao Tingjun and his wife compiled all of this information in detail and presented it to the emperor. The emperor then instructed the Ministry of Works to redraw and compile the information before sending it to the Southeast Navy.

The Emperor had lamented more than once that the men of the Rongguo Mansion were incompetent, but they had produced a remarkable daughter. If this girl were a man, she would certainly be comparable to his ancestor, Jia Daishan.

With the message relayed by Tan Chun, the Southeast Navy has been training with a strong sense of purpose for more than a year, and this expedition is naturally different from the last one.

Furthermore, according to the news brought by Tan Chun, the island nation's ruler is now seriously ill, and his two sons are using various means to vie for the throne, involving half of the court officials. This is an extremely unstable time.

Having previously defeated the Central Plains dynasty, the island nation believed that the Central Plains dynasty would not dare to wage war rashly.

For the imperial court, there could be no better time.

Having learned from the lesson of the previous large-scale expedition, the imperial court's strategy this time was swift and discreet. Within the court, only officials from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue knew about it; even the Second Prince Xiao Tingkai and the Fourth Prince Xiao Tingfeng were unaware. Furthermore, apart from the Empress, no one else in the inner palace knew.

So when the emperor and empress first held a grand baby shower for the little princess, and then prepared a full moon celebration, many people were truly envious.

Almost no one noticed the frequent fast horses that traversed between the imperial court and the southeast.

Not to mention Consort Wu, Song Huilan, and others, aside from some dissatisfaction with Princess Guo, they were more concerned about the Prince Yi's residence—Princess Yi was less than two months pregnant than Consort Guo, and was probably about to give birth.

Chapter 165 Pregnant Daiyu Offers Advice

The Princess Consort of Yi, whom Consort Wu and others were paying close attention to, was not quite the same as they had imagined.

Although Imperial Physician He comes to examine Daiyu three times a day, and Meng, the physician from Prince Yi's mansion, massages Daiyu every day.

Looking at Daiyu's belly, Meng smiled and said, "The princess is different from pregnant women from ordinary wealthy families; her belly isn't growing very big."

Daiyu felt a little scared when she thought of Qiuwen: "That's good, I don't want to suffer later."

As she said this, Daiyu was still standing in front of the desk. Now, because of her pregnancy, she couldn't bend down. After bending down for a while, her neck started to ache.

"If the Princess Consort wants to read, she can do so slowly after giving birth. There's no rush," Madam Meng advised.

Daiyu wanted to see a map, not a book, and she just smiled when she heard Meng's words. At this moment, Xiao Tingjun came in from outside and saw Daiyu at the table. He washed his hands in the copper basin that the maid was carrying before coming forward.

"You're only back now? Have you had lunch yet?" Daiyu asked.

"I ate a little. I was busy at the Ministry of War for most of the day, so I just had a small meal with the officials there." Xiao Tingjun noticed the map spread out on the table and knew what Daiyu was thinking. "Don't worry, Father has also given instructions to do everything possible to protect Princess Qingjia."

That being said, when a real fight breaks out, swords and spears have no eyes. Besides, it's hard to say what the situation will be like for my third sister in the royal palace of the island nation.

Daiyu nodded. At this moment, Zijuan brought in a bowl of ginseng and black chicken soup. Xiao Tingjun hadn't eaten enough at noon, and smelling the aroma, he immediately smiled and said, "I'm really hungry."

But then he looked at his wife with some concern: "Can you smell this?"

Xiao Tingjun always felt that the sand ginseng had a medicinal smell.

"Yes, it's recommended by both Physician He and Madam Meng." Daiyu nodded. Nowadays, everything she eats, wears, and uses is quite exquisite.

When Zijuan heard that the prince also wanted to drink, she quickly had a maid bring over a bowl and chopsticks. Xiao Tingjun watched as Daiyu slowly sipped a bowl of soup, her expression peaceful, before he felt relieved. He then picked up his chopsticks, ate a piece of chicken, and then began to drink the soup.

Meng and the others had already left, waiting for Xiao Tingjun to finish eating. Zijuan and the maids packed up their things and also left. Xiao Tingjun then began to explain the arrangements for the Southeast to Daiyu.

“If you count the days, the day of the little sister’s full moon celebration will be the day the army attacks the island.” Xiao Tingjun knew that Daiyu was worried about her cousin, so he tried to find a way to divert Daiyu’s attention. “Now that you are not available, don’t go to the palace. Just prepare a gift and send it in. No one will say anything.”

Daiyu had indeed visited the palace a few days ago. It was only after both Imperial Physician He and Madam Meng said there was no problem that she dared to go. Firstly, she wanted to see the newborn princess, and secondly, she wanted to see Zuo Jiangqiu, who had already become the Princess Consort of Cheng County.

"Don't worry, I know what's important. You don't need to try to comfort me. I know that when Third Sister decided to go, she was prepared for this situation. It's just that she brought back such important news for us. Every time I see the letters she sends, I always think of how we sisters used to form a poetry club and compose poems together." Daiyu thought she had hardened her heart, but now, perhaps because of her pregnancy, she was always a little sentimental.

As the two were talking, Xueyan arrived with an urgent letter. Upon seeing that it was Tanchun's letter, Daiyu hurriedly reached for it, but Xiao Tingjun snatched it away first—he feared it was bad news and would frighten Daiyu.

Unexpectedly, the news was good – within the island nation, the king's two sons, the younger one, were plotting a rebellion to seize the throne, and Tan Chun had even obtained information about his plans.

After reading it, Xiao Tingjun quickly handed it to Daiyu, exclaiming, "Your cousin is truly amazing. No wonder Father said that if she were a man, she would probably be no less than your maternal grandfather back then."

After reading it, Daiyu immediately asked with a keen sense, "So, is this going to be a case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind?"

Xiao Tingjun and Daiyu exchanged a glance, the couple sharing a knowing look: if Tan Chun's news was correct, then the day for the Southeast to launch an attack would be when the island nation's king's youngest son rebelled. In this way, they could take advantage of their internal strife and seize the island in one fell swoop.

Daiyu added, "But in this case, the timing must be perfect, and the action must be swift, so as to reduce soldier casualties."

Xiao Tingjun nodded and stood up, preparing to enter the palace immediately.

Daiyu stopped him, saying, "Wouldn't it be even better if we could coordinate from the inside and outside?"

“But it might be difficult to contact Princess Qingjia in the southeast.” Xiao Tingjun understood that it would be more convenient and timely for Tan Chun to contact the commander-in-chief in the southeast.

However, the risks involved are much greater, requiring mutual trust between the two parties, as well as the trust of the imperial court in both parties.

"If we could send someone trustworthy..." Daiyu stopped mid-sentence, because the most suitable candidate was none other than Xiao Tingjun himself.

Xiao Tingjun immediately understood, and he was in a dilemma: he had no choice but to do his best for the court, but Yu'er was heavily pregnant and he couldn't be by her side. If he counted the days, he wouldn't be able to be there when Yu'er gave birth, which would be unacceptable.

Daiyu smiled and said, "You should go, for the sake of the bigger picture."

Looking at his wife's still slender figure, now struggling with a large belly, Xiao Tingjun felt sorry for her and was even more reluctant to leave.

Seeing his expression, Daiyu was touched, but said aloud, "It's alright. Otherwise, you can ask my aunt to come and keep me company, or my cousin's wife would also be fine."

Xiao Tingjun grumbled on for a while, reluctant to part, but finally went to the palace. Daiyu, who had been able to hold back when trying to persuade him earlier, was now also somewhat reluctant to let him go.

Despite her reluctance, Daiyu knew very well that once Xiao Tingjun entered the palace, the Emperor would likely have his own ideas, even without Xiao Tingjun's suggestion.

As Daiyu had predicted, after Xiao Tingjun entered the palace, he relayed the latest information to the Emperor and shared his and Daiyu's thoughts. The Emperor immediately looked at Xiao Tingjun and said, "Then naturally, Third Brother, you should ride swiftly to the southeast..."

At this point, the emperor became even more worried. After all, there was going to be a war over there, and swords and spears could not be trusted. He feared that his son might get hurt.

Xiao Tingjun hurriedly said, "I have made preparations, but I am worried about Yu'er, who is currently pregnant."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor nodded and pondered for a moment: "How about we bring Yu'er to the palace and have your mother take care of her personally?"

But he immediately rejected the idea: "It's not advisable to move her after all. I'll send someone to invite my elder sister right away. With her in charge of your palace, you'll have nothing to worry about."

This meant that the eldest princess had to step in. The emperor thought that the eldest princess had four grandchildren, so she should be very experienced, which made him feel more at ease.

Xiao Tingjun quickly said, "As for Aunt, I will send someone to tell her to keep a low profile. I will also keep my trip to the Southeast low-key. Just say that I am worried about Yu'er and am staying at home with her."

The emperor recalled that the third prince had been injured in Zhili last year, and thought the suggestion was excellent, so he immediately nodded.

Chapter 166 War Breaks Out in the Southeast, Daiyu Suffers

Inside the palace, everyone was busy preparing for the little princess's one-month celebration, while Daiyu was having trouble sleeping because of her unborn child. Now, in the final two months, she was experiencing discomfort from her belly pressing against her skin whether sitting or lying down.

Not only that, my legs and feet were also swollen, and I had constant acid reflux.

Daiyu really couldn't wait to give birth.

Now that Xiao Tingjun is not at home, the Eldest Princess and Aunt Qiao come every day instead. The Eldest Princess even brought four midwives, which made Daiyu feel both amused and exasperated, considering that the Prince's Mansion had originally prepared four.

"What's the big deal? It's always good to have more people." The princess's two daughters-in-law had smooth deliveries. Pointing to one of the midwives, surnamed Luo, she said, "She is the most experienced. Xin'er's father invited her from out of town to the capital back then. You don't know, when Xin'er's mother was pregnant with her, her belly was frighteningly big. Not to mention, after ten months of pregnancy, there was not a single sign of labor. It scared Xin'er's father quite a bit."

This was the first time Daiyu had heard of this, and she couldn't help but widen her eyes in surprise.