The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

Chapter 16: Husband and Wife Run Away, Aunt and Nephew Turn Against Each Other

Wang Xifeng summoned Ping'er. She hadn't kept Jia Lian's departure to take up an official post a secret before, but now she could only sigh to Ping'er, "I originally planned to take you with me, but now, the old lady wants Qiao'er to stay behind."

Ping'er immediately understood: "Grandma, you're keeping Eldest Sister here to make trouble for us?"

"That's right, she wants to control Qiao'er. Your second master and I are outside, so we don't dare to disobey her." Wang Xifeng's eyebrows furrowed, she was very angry. Using her great-granddaughter as a hostage, she was indeed ruthless, as expected of Grandmother Jia.

“The eldest daughter is so young, how could the old lady bear to part with her?” Ping’er couldn’t help but sigh.

"When Lin Daiyu entered the manor, wasn't she also very young? The old lady was afraid that Uncle Lin would become estranged from the manor after remarrying, so she also brought Lin Daiyu here," Wang Xifeng sneered.

“Then this servant will definitely stay and keep Qiao’er company.” Ping’er immediately expressed her opinion. In fact, whether she wanted to or not, judging from the Second Mistress’s words, it was already a decision to let her stay.

Upon hearing this, Wang Xifeng immediately took Ping'er's hand and sighed, "It has to be you. I don't trust anyone else, I only trust you. Even though you're gone, I don't think the old lady and the madam would make things difficult for a young girl."

After thinking for a moment, he added, "If anything seems amiss, just take Qiao'er to my uncle and aunt's house; they'll have a solution."

Wang Xifeng instructed Ping'er to deliver all the household account books, tokens, and other items that she and her servant had prepared to Madam Wang's room.

Looking at the pitiful numbers in the account book and thinking about the mess of things to do for Baoyu's wedding, Madam Wang really hated Wang Xifeng and her husband at this moment. She dismissed all the maids and servants, and the way Madam Wang looked at Wang Xifeng was so intense that she wished she could shoot knives and stab her niece twice.

Then she suddenly slammed an account book onto the table with a bang, and said through gritted teeth, "Feng girl, this is the household you've managed. Tell me, what do these numbers mean?"

Wang Xifeng was prepared and didn't care at all about her aunt's murderous look. She lowered her head and said, "Reporting to Madam, this is the amount of silver currently in the mansion."

"How could I not know the amount of silver stored in the manor? I'm just asking you, how come there's so little left?" Madam Wang glared fiercely at Wang Xifeng.

“Madam, although I did the work in the past, it was still you who managed the household. Every penny spent in the household was reported to you, and it’s all recorded in the account book. The household’s annual income is only so much, but the expenses are so high. Not to mention anything else, just the ladies in the palace alone cost ten thousand taels a year. And that doesn’t even include the occasional famine incurred by those eunuchs. Many times, I had to pawn my dowry to appease them. I dare not accept your words now, Madam.” Wang Xifeng’s words were still reasonable and well-reasoned.

Seeing Wang Xifeng like this, Madam Wang thought back to how she had promoted her and let her help manage the household in the past. Now it seemed that she had raised an ungrateful child.

Ultimately, if it weren't for the fact that her poor Zhu'er was gone, and Li Wan was such a fool who couldn't be brought into the mansion, she wouldn't have gone to such lengths to bring Feng Jie into the mansion as her right-hand woman. Now, with Bao Yu and Bao Chai about to get married and a large sum of money still at hand, Feng Jie not only packs up and leaves, but also leaves her with a mess.

In Madam Wang's eyes, Wang Xifeng clearly foresaw a large expense in the mansion and was afraid that she would be forced to spend money to make up for it. She was also afraid that after Baochai entered the mansion, she would give Baochai more power and not her, so she simply ran away.

"I knew you were quick-witted, but don't think you and your husband can just walk away. Don't forget, Qiao'er is still in the mansion. She can't be separated from Jia." Unable to gain the upper hand, Madam Wang simply revealed her true colors.

To everyone's surprise, Wang Xifeng was not afraid at all. Instead, she laughed and said, "What are you saying, Madam? I am your niece and your nephew's wife. We are both Wang. Uncle and Aunt should take care of Qiao'er."

Upon hearing Wang Xifeng bring up Prince Teng, Madam Wang was speechless. Now that Jia Zheng was no longer a capable official, Yuan Chun could only rely on her uncle.

Seeing that Madam Wang remained silent for a moment, Wang Xifeng thought that since they had already broken off relations, she simply smiled and said, "It's just a pity that Sister Xue's surname is Xue, not Wang. If Madam has nothing else, I'll head back now. I'm leaving the day after tomorrow, and I still have a lot of things to pack."

After saying that, he went straight out, without caring about Madam Wang's expression.

As she walked, Wang Xifeng sneered: Baochai was about to enter the mansion. If she didn't leave then, she wouldn't be able to manage the household. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law would join forces and try to scheme against her.

While Wang Xifeng and her niece Lady Wang were at odds, Jia Lian invited Jia Zhen to dinner and gave him some inside information.

“Brother Zhen, for the sake of our past friendship, I’ll give you a heads-up.” Jia Lian told Jia Zhen about how the Rongguo Mansion had used Lin Daiyu’s family property.

Jia Zhen was startled upon hearing this. Lin Daiyu was now the future princess consort: "No way, this, this..."

Jia Lian's purpose was to plant a seed of discord in Jia Zhen's heart. At the same time, he also left a letter for his father, Jia She: He was now an official, but if Jia She really got into trouble, he, as his son, would also be in trouble. If Lin Daiyu wanted to pursue the matter in the future, the two families could simply separate.

“Brother Zhen, don’t panic. Let’s wait and see. As long as the old lady and madam can prepare a grand dowry for Lin Daiyu, perhaps she won’t pursue the matter. That would be a good thing.” Jia Lian continued, but he didn’t elaborate: because it wasn’t just money that was spent, but also a considerable amount of Lin Daiyu’s dowry.

However, Jia Lian was unsure how much was in Grandmother Jia's private treasury. To put it bluntly, he had no share in any of it; it probably all belonged to Bao Yu.

Since that's the case, why not tell Jia Zhen some information? Then, if it turns out that Grandmother Jia is reluctant to take it out, Jia Zhen will make a fuss so as not to offend the Third Prince and Lin Daiyu. Then Grandmother Jia will have no choice but to agree.

Since he can't have it, then Baoyu shouldn't expect to have it all either.

“Anyway, the old lady has things, and the madam’s dowry is also generous. They used Lin Daiyu’s things, so it’s their turn to use them.” Jia Lian said this, and Jia Zhen thought it made a lot of sense.

“That’s right. I don’t think Lin Daiyu is that petty. Since the old lady and madam have allowed Baoyu to marry into the Xue family, then they should return Lin Daiyu’s money to them.” Jia Zhen pondered how to protect himself if something went wrong.

The two brothers exchanged a glance, understanding each other without saying a word.

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Today is a farewell party for you, let's have a good drink together, brothers." Jia Zhen had an idea and was very grateful to Jia Lian for telling him about it.

When Jia Lian and Jia Zhen returned home after drinking, they were surprised to find that Wang Xifeng was not there. They turned to Ping'er and asked, "Where is your mistress? It's so late, where has she gone?"

"She went to Miss Lin's room, and brought quite a few treasures with her." Ping'er's words left Jia Lian stunned.

Go to Lin Daiyu's place?

Chapter 17 Xi Feng complains while Dai Yu receives gifts

Wang Xifeng did indeed go to Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Wang Xifeng was accompanied by her maids Feng'er and Xiao Hong, each carrying a box. Feng'er held a huanghuali wood box, while Xiao Hong held a brocade box.

This is only the second time Wang Xifeng has come since Daiyu was betrothed to the Third Prince. The first time was to congratulate Daiyu.

Now that there is an imperial decree, ordinary people will not disturb Daiyu, and Wang Xifeng, with a guilty conscience, naturally dares not go easily.

Now that she has left, after much thought, I might as well take this opportunity to go to Daiyu and have a heart-to-heart talk.

After exchanging pleasantries upon entering, Wang Xifeng instructed Feng'er and Xiao Hong to bring up the box. She first opened Xiao Hong's brocade box, which contained a total of eight treasures, including a gold hairpin with a phoenix pattern inlaid with gemstones, a gold hairpin with a flower top inlaid with gemstones, a gold hairpin with a flower top inlaid with gemstones, and a gold hairpin with four seasons' flowers inlaid with gemstones.

Then, the wooden box that Feng'er was holding was opened, inside which was a Duan inkstone with a lychee pattern, symbolizing many children and much happiness.

Wang Xifeng told the two of them to put their things down and leave first. Seeing this, Daiyu also nodded to Zijuan.

“Sister, no, I should call you Princess Consort now,” Wang Xifeng quickly corrected herself.

Daiyu shook her head and said, "Second sister-in-law, there's really no need for that. Just say what you need to say."

Wang Xifeng then sighed, "Sister, you probably know that your second brother Lian and I are going to Ping'an Prefecture tomorrow. We won't be able to see you get married then. So, we've come to add to your dowry in advance."

He paused deliberately before continuing, "Originally, it would have been fine to give it to the old lady and then give it to my sister at the same time, but there are some things I've kept in my heart for so many years that I just have to get them off my chest."

"First of all, I must apologize to my sister. Over the years, although I have been in charge of the household, it is my wife who is in charge. I have to ask my wife for permission to do anything. So sometimes, even though I know that my sister has been wronged, I am powerless to do anything about it."

"Furthermore, I do whatever I'm told to do. You know what's going on in this household all these years. Sometimes, there are things that you can't stop even if you want to."

"Now, I can only squeeze out these things from my dowry. I feel indebted to my sister, and I hope she will not find them offensive."

His words were reasonable and considerate, and he spoke very thoughtfully.

Daiyu knew that Wang Xifeng was leaving and preparing to make amends with her. The things she gave her were indeed quite valuable.

But Wang Xifeng's words were only half true. Thinking back on the events of the past years, Daiyu felt a chill in her heart.

However, at this point, Daiyu didn't intend to expose her. She wanted to see what Prince Teng was really up to when her second brother, Lian, went to Ping'an Prefecture.

So Daiyu echoed Wang Xifeng's words and sighed, "What are you saying, sister-in-law? If I can't even tell who treats me well and who doesn't, what kind of person am I?"

"Putting everything else aside, just the fact that Brother Lian accompanied me back to help with my father's funeral is enough for me to be grateful for for the rest of my life."

"Besides, my sister-in-law always protects me in the household. How could I not know that? If it weren't for my sister-in-law, I'm afraid my life would be much more difficult."

"Since you've said so today, it would seem unreasonable of me not to accept these gifts."

Daiyu readily agreed to accept it, and Wang Xifeng's worries subsided: since Daiyu was willing to accept it, it seemed that the situation was better than she had thought.

Then a slight smile appeared on Wang Xifeng's face: "Indeed, my sister is the most generous and well-mannered. It's a pity about Madam and Her Majesty..."

She deliberately avoided continuing the topic, but what she really meant was that Baoyu's marriage was decided by the Madam and the Empress, and she had no say in it.

Daiyu understood, but only smiled faintly and didn't reply.

"I've always said that Lin Daiyu is like a fairy descended from heaven, naturally blessed with good fortune. Now it's just as I said." Wang Xifeng happily congratulated Daiyu for a while, then, seeing that it was getting late, she got up to take her leave.

Daiyu personally escorted her to the door, and then asked Zijuan to see Wang Xifeng out on her behalf.

Zijuan returned shortly after. As soon as she entered, she saw Xueyan in front of Daiyu, but she didn't try to hide it. At this time, she and Xueyan were the two people Daiyu trusted the most.

“Miss, although I don’t know what the Second Mistress said, I think most of the people in this family are plotting against you, so no matter what she says, please don’t believe her.” Zijuan directly stated her thoughts.

Daiyu couldn't help but laugh: "You two seem to be on the same wavelength, both saying such things."

Upon hearing this, Zijuan understood that Xueyan had already said the same thing, and couldn't help but smile.

"Don't worry, if I still can't understand them by now, then I've lived in vain." Daiyu was very moved that the two maids were so devoted to her. "But we're still living here, so we have to keep up appearances. There are some things I know in my heart, but now is not the time to make a scene. When the time comes, I'll know what to do."

Zijuan and Xueyan both trusted Daiyu deeply, so when Daiyu said that, the two of them felt relieved.

Daiyu handed the gift that Wang Xifeng had sent to Zijuan, saying, "Keep it safe; it may come in handy in the future."

If Wang Xifeng's gift was intended to have ulterior motives, then the gift from the Third Prince brought Daiyu both joy and sorrow.

This time, unlike the previous imperial reward, the Third Prince sent his personal maid, Granny Tian, ​​instead.

Granny Tian, ​​accompanied by four young eunuchs, went to visit Grandmother Jia first.

Upon hearing that it was someone from the Third Prince's side, Grandmother Jia couldn't help but think: It seems that the rumors are true, that His Highness the Prince himself has taken a liking to Daiyu and has specially asked the Empress for help.

Therefore, it's certain that the Third Prince will protect Daiyu in the future. And how Yu'er treats the household will likely greatly influence the Third Prince's attitude towards it.

The gifts sent by the Third Prince included seasonal fruits and palace pastries, but one item in particular caught Daiyu's eye.

It was a scroll of poems. Granny Tian relayed the Third Prince's words: "This is a scroll of poems composed and exchanged by the gentlemen of Chun'en Palace after the imperial examination in the twenty-fifth year of Qingfeng."

Qingfeng was the reign title of the late emperor, and the twenty-fifth year of Qingfeng was the year that Daiyu's father, Lin Ruhai, achieved the third-highest rank in the imperial examination. Therefore, this scroll of poems in response to each other must contain some of the father's lines.

Daiyu hurriedly opened it, and read, "Passing through Qiyuan before dawn, a sliver of moon shines on the fragrant apricot blossoms." Sure enough, her father's name was at the end.

Daiyu almost burst into tears, but managed to hold them back. Many of the lines in this poem were written by her father, who had once told her about their time composing poems together in the Chun'en Palace.

This gift truly touched Daiyu's heart.

After thinking for a moment, Daiyu got up and went to the bookshelf herself, taking out some of the flower-patterned stationery she had made by hand when she was bored in the past, and gave it to Daiyu as a return gift.

Zijuan was puzzled. After Granny Tian and the others left, she asked Daiyu, "Miss, why did you only send the Third Prince these things? Isn't that too meager?"

“If he finds her disliked, then he is not a true friend.” Daiyu deliberately tested him. Ever since she was betrothed, Daiyu had pondered for a long time and still didn’t quite understand why she had been chosen as the Third Prince’s wife.

Although she had heard some of the rumors, such as the Third Prince being infatuated with a beautiful woman, Daiyu always felt that this shouldn't be the case and that there must be some reason behind it.

But in any case, a woman always hopes to find a good husband, and every flower on this stationery was hand-drawn by Daiyu herself.

When Granny Tian returned to the palace, she immediately delivered the gifts that Daiyu had given her to the Third Prince.

Chapter 18 The Princes' Different Thoughts

According to the rules of this dynasty, once a prince begins his studies, he is not allowed to stay with his birth mother. Instead, he must all live in the Zichen Garden. Even before he is granted a title and establishes his own residence, he must still live there after he marries and has children.

Within the Zichen Garden are numerous small courtyards, each assigned to a different prince. Currently, the Third Prince, Xiao Tingjun, resides in the courtyard named 'Bamboo Rhyme'. To his left is the Second Prince, Xiao Tingkai's, courtyard named 'Banana Breeze', and opposite him is the Fourth Prince, Xiao Tingfeng's, courtyard named 'Peach Blossom'.

To Granny Tian's surprise, when she went inside, she found the Second Prince Xiao Tingkai, the Fourth Prince Xiao Tingfeng, and the Fifth Prince Xiao Tingzhao all in Xiao Tingjun's room.

Moreover, it seems they were waiting for her.