The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

Wu De panicked completely and quickly said, "The last batch of daffodils was sent to the palace yesterday, so we don't have any for now. If the Princess wants to see them, she'll have to wait until the next batch blooms."

"It's alright, I'll take a look at the ones that aren't blooming either." Song Huilan started to walk away, but Wu De hurriedly blocked her way.

Seeing his panicked and disorganized manner, Song Huilan became even more certain that something was wrong: "What? You won't let me see?"

Wu De knew he couldn't hide it any longer, so he had no choice but to step aside, saying he dared not.

When Song Huilan saw the flowerpots, she became even angrier: "Tell me, I clearly had a batch of Ru ware celadon narcissus pots specially made, how come not a single one is missing? You have the nerve to send these coarse pottery pots to the palace?"

Wu De immediately knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly: "I wouldn't dare, this matter, this matter..."

"You'd better confess honestly. If I find out you embezzled, you'd better watch your head." Song Huilan was furious. It seemed that what happened with Consort Guo today was a deliberate trap. Consort Guo, humph!

However, she has no time to think about Guo Zhaoyi right now; she needs to figure out why things are like this.

Seeing that he could no longer hide it, Wu De kowtowed repeatedly and told Princess Rui the truth: "It was the prince who changed the flowerpot, saying that this ceramic pot was also very elegant, with a wide mouth and deep walls, and it would be perfectly fine to use it to grow daffodils."

Xiao Tingkai? Song Huilan had never expected this answer.

However, Song Huilan did not believe that Wu De would lie, after all, if it were a lie, it would be exposed as soon as it was exposed, and he would also offend Xiao Tingkai.

But what did Xiao Tingkai do with those flowerpots? Or was it more than just flowerpots? The more Song Huilan thought about it, the more alarmed she became. So she simply looked through the entire greenhouse in one go. She didn't know until she looked, and the more she looked, the more alarmed she became.

At first, Song Huilan was trembling with anger, but later she calmed down a lot. Suddenly she noticed one of the noble ladies tending to orchids, so she invited her over. Song Huilan remembered that this lady's husband's surname was Jiao, so she called her Madam Jiao.

This Madam Jiao was an honest woman. She didn't hide anything from Princess Rui: "Originally, if Princess hadn't asked me to come, I would have had to take the initiative to find Princess. I don't plan to do anything here."

Having discovered the problems one after another, Song Huilan was now relatively calmer and spoke with a more rational tone: "Madam Jiao, can you tell me the reason?"

Madam Jiao had already prepared what she wanted to say, so she blurted it all out: "The Princess Consort is so considerate of everyone that she set up this flower room. In the past three years, I have been able to earn some money to supplement the family income. However, last year, everyone worked very hard, but at the end of the year, each person only received fifty taels of silver, and there was even more work to do. I have two children at home, and it is really difficult to support them."

Fifty taels? Impossible, the amount doesn't add up at all.

It seems I need to carefully check the accounts.

"Since Madam Jiao is so sincere, then I, the Princess Consort, will not force her to do anything." Song Huilan knew a little about Madam Jiao's situation; indeed, her family was not well-off. Song Huilan also instructed her head maid, Dongqing, "Madam Jiao has been with us for so long, so we should give her some compensation. Send one hundred taels of silver to Madam Jiao's residence later; it is a small token of my appreciation."

Upon hearing this, Madam Jiao quickly bowed and expressed her gratitude.

As soon as Madam Jiao left, Dongqing hurriedly said to Song Huilan, "I heard that the ladies of the Huatang Chunxiu brothel receive one hundred taels of silver a year, not including the year-end bonus."

With the bonus, it would probably be 150 taels, what a huge difference.

Although Song Huilan did not manage the details of the flower room, she knew its income. Even if she gave each of these noble ladies one hundred taels, there would still be a considerable surplus.

Song Huilan felt as if her heart had fallen into an ice cellar. Instead, she instructed Dongqing, "Don't make a fuss. Let me find out the truth first."

Song Huilan also instructed Wu De not to leak the news, but Wu De, being two-faced, immediately informed Prince Rui, Xiao Tingkai.

Ultimately, the money was misappropriated by Xiao Tingkai, and the Ru kiln celadon narcissus basin and mother-of-pearl inlaid flowerpot that had been ordered were also taken by Prince Rui for other purposes.

Wu De was Xiao Tingkai's accomplice, so naturally he had to deliver messages for his new master.

Having made preparations, Xiao Tingkai already had a plan when Song Huilan came to question him with the account book.

Chapter 188 Prince Rui's Performance: The Couple's Other Plans

After Song Huilan found out everything, she immediately took the account book to find Xiao Tingkai.

"As expected of Prince Rui, my good husband, are you so short of money? You even embezzle the money from the flower room, and you even covet those flowerpots?" Song Huilan simply couldn't understand how a prince could do such things.

Xiao Tingkai was prepared, so he immediately apologized and quickly admitted his mistake, while also defending himself: "Good Lan'er, I had no choice but to do this. As you know, ever since my maternal grandfather and uncle had their accident, our connections in the Imperial Household Department have been severed. Now, with the New Year approaching and the third prince already the crown prince, I'm naturally resentful, so I have to spend some money to try and smooth things over."

Seeing how pitiful Xiao Tingkai sounded, Song Huilan momentarily forgot what to say.

Xiao Tingkai seized the opportunity and continued pitifully, "Lan'er, you know that ever since my grandfather left the position of Minister of Personnel, I've often been out of the loop on the affairs of the Six Ministries. Do you remember on the third day of the Lunar New Year, I specially invited two minor officials from the Ministry of Personnel and two from the Ministry of Revenue to dinner? It wasn't just about the meal; I also had to give them money."

When it comes to Xiao Tingkai's maternal grandfather, Song Huilan is also quite helpless: back then, after the defeat in the southeast, in order to keep the title of Prince Rui, either her grandfather, who was the Minister of Revenue, or Xiao Tingkai's maternal grandfather, who was the Minister of Personnel, had to come out and make a gesture.

"Outsiders see us as glamorous, as princes and princesses, but only you and I know how hard things actually are. Not to mention the expenses of the palace, for example, this time, for the little princess's first birthday, you and I have to give a gift, and we can't give anything too meager. Not to mention all the social obligations during the holidays, every single one of them costs money." Xiao Tingkai had prepared his speech in advance, and now he was performing it with great skill.

Song Huilan, who deeply sympathized with him, was initially somewhat persuaded by Xiao Tingkai. But then she thought again, something's not right. She knew the household's income and expenditure in general. Not to mention her own shops and estates, the silver sent by Consort Wu every year was also quite a lot.

Song Huilan frowned and stared intently at Xiao Tingkai: "But even if you embezzled the money, that's one thing, but where are all those Ru kiln celadon narcissus basins and mother-of-pearl inlaid flowerpots?"

Xiao Tingkai certainly couldn't say that he gave some to the Wang family. Instead, he talked about giving gifts to the Prince of Beijing's mansion and several royal families: "It was indeed my fault. It was almost the end of the year, and I didn't have anything good to offer. I saw that Ru kiln celadon narcissus basin, which was covered with a sky-blue glaze that was extremely smooth and even. The glaze at the bottom edge had a slight bluish tint, and the glaze at the rim and corners was a light pink. It was really beautiful. I thought that these families had seen all kinds of good things, so I used it."

“But I really didn’t expect Consort Guo to pull this stunt. She looks like she has ulterior motives. She’s definitely trying to curry favor with the Crown Prince and his wife. If she hadn’t done this, why would this have happened?” Xiao Tingkai quickly added.

Song Huilan certainly hated Consort Guo, but ultimately, the blame lay with Xiao Tingkai. However, seeing Xiao Tingkai's sincere apology, Song Huilan felt a sense of frustration with nowhere to vent her anger. She knew very well that if she lost her temper, the couple would inevitably end up arguing again.

“But in that case, the flower shop can no longer supply the palace. Not only will we lose a source of income, but we also won’t be able to win over those noble ladies.” Song Huilan sighed.

Two days ago, the Emperor punished the relevant personnel of the Imperial Household Department. Although he did not punish the flower shop, the meaning was clear: the Imperial Household Department would no longer be able to purchase anything from the flower shop in the future.

Upon hearing this and seeing his wife's expression, Xiao Tingkai knew that his apology and feigned pitifulness had worked. So he quickly said, "Don't worry about this. In the end, the flower room was built to compete with the Crown Princess. Now that Father doesn't care, we don't need to put too much effort into it. Most of those noble ladies have lost their husbands or are disabled, so they are not of much use to us. It doesn't matter if they don't come to the flower room. On the contrary, we should maintain good relations with the aristocratic families and the newly rich."

Song Huilan initially created this flower room to compete with the Crown Princess's Huatang Chunxiu. She was initially in the mood to manage it, but later she mostly handed it over to the servants. Therefore, after hearing Xiao Tingkai's words, she thought for a while and asked, "But aristocratic families, those who have dealings with each other will have dealings with each other, and those who don't can't immediately establish dealings with each other."

"I remember your aunt married into the Duke of Xiu's family?" Xiao Tingkai did have some thoughts in mind, and seeing that his wife was willing to cooperate, he immediately said.

“Yes, but the Duke of Xiu’s mansion is even worse than the Rong’s mansion. My uncle is only a first-class prince.” Song Huilan was puzzled. Her aunt’s side had nothing of value. “My cousins ​​are all useless.”

"I remember you have a cousin who's quite talented." Before Xiao Tingkai could finish speaking, he saw his wife's expression change. Before she could say anything, he quickly added, "Don't misunderstand, I meant to say, do you remember that third-place scholar from a few years ago, named Liu Jishan?"

Song Huilan thought for a moment and nodded: "I remember, Father Emperor values ​​it very much."

"This man is very good at being an official. He also made contributions in the Southeast War. I received news a few days ago that he is probably going to be transferred to an official post outside the capital, and he will be the Assistant Magistrate of Suzhou." Xiao Tingkai was deeply impressed by Liu Jishan. Not only was he a good writer, but he was also very capable as an official. In just a few years, he had become a Assistant Magistrate of the fifth rank and was deeply trusted by his father. This was not easy.

"What does my husband mean?" Song Huilan guessed, "To win over Liu Jishan?"

“Yes, your cousin is the legitimate daughter, and she's quite beautiful and talented. If you can win over Liu Jishan, she'll definitely be useful in the future.” Xiao Tingkai nodded. “This Liu Jishan comes from a very humble background. He was raised by his widowed sister-in-law, who is now in the capital. Her house was a gift from the Emperor. Why don't you find an opportunity to invite her over?”

Song Huilan thought for a moment and said, "I need to ask my aunt about this. If my cousin isn't engaged, we can consider it."

Although Song Huilan knew that her cousin had not been betrothed before, she still wanted to ask her aunt and uncle if they had any other ideas.

Seeing that his wife had forgotten about the flower room, Xiao Tingkai felt relieved and then told her about the new court nobles, including Liu Jishan and several other military officers.

But neither Xiao Tingkai nor Song Huilan could have imagined that someone would be one step ahead of them in their attempt to win over Liu Jishan.

That was the eldest princess.

However, the Princess wasn't trying to win her over; she simply felt sorry for Xichun, a girl with great talent. Now that the Ningguo Mansion was gone, if Xichun were to be raised by her brother and sister-in-law, she might have a hard time finding a good husband. After thinking for a while, the Princess went to the palace to see the Crown Princess.

Chapter 189 The Princess Shows Pity for Daiyu and Helps Her

Princess Chang always followed the rules when entering the palace. Although she was the emperor's most respected elder sister, she still presented her nameplate to request an audience. She took Gao Xin to Fengyi Palace first to meet the empress and talk for a while before preparing to go to Delin Palace.

Upon hearing that the eldest princess was going to Yu'er's place, the empress smiled and said, "The weather is warm today. I heard Yu'er say this morning that she would take Yueyue to the peach garden later. I'll have someone check it out, otherwise, eldest sister might go and find nothing."

Sure enough, a short while later, the eunuch sent by the Empress returned and said that the Crown Princess had brought the little princess to Wuling Garden. Wuling Garden is also known as Taoyuan Garden. It was named after Tao Yuanming's "Peach Blossom Spring".

"Sister, go ahead. I still have some things to take care of here. I'll come find you all later." The Empress rose to see the Princess off.

"Your Majesty, please wait. How can you see me off?" The eldest princess took Gao Xin's hand and bid farewell, while being escorted to Wuling Garden by the Empress's maid Xuehua and others.

Now is the time when peach blossoms are in full bloom, and with a gentle breeze, it's as if a pink snowflake has fallen in Wulin Garden.

Not only the Crown Princess brought the little princess, but also Consort Guo brought the little princess. They chose a large peach tree, spread out a thick, large felt blanket, and the little princess and the little county princess took their first steps on it.

The wet nurses, maids, and other servants were all very nervous, but Daiyu told them not to worry: "This felt blanket is very soft and thick, so even if you fall, it won't hurt."

Daiyu meant that since both girls were in the stage of learning to walk, there was no need to help them. They could sit or lie down as they pleased, or get up and walk, as they pleased.

Daiyu also had a reclining chair set out and a small folding wooden table brought out, where tea and snacks were placed. Drinking tea and appreciating flowers in the woods was quite charming.

When the eldest princess arrived with Gao Xin, she exclaimed, "You guys really know how to have fun, sunbathing in such a beautiful peach garden."

When Jia Yue saw Gao Xin, she clapped her hands and laughed, calling out, "Sister Tang!"

The eldest princess laughed upon hearing this: "What cousin? She's your cousin, or you could call her Sister Gao."

Daiyu explained from the side: "A few days ago, Xin'er came in with a rabbit candy. This little foodie remembered it and gave it to the older sister who gave it to her."

Rabbit candy is made by pouring boiled sugar syrup into ready-made molds, letting it cool, and then removing it. It comes in many shapes, such as rabbits, tigers, birds, and pigs.

So it was this candy, not that candy. The princess couldn't help but laugh when she heard this, and squatted down to tease Jiayue: "You really are a little foodie. I remember when she had her first birthday celebration, she picked up a jade cabbage."

“That’s right, I’ve never seen a child pick up a jade cabbage during their first birthday celebration.” Daiyu laughed as well. “Her aunt picked up a pen during her first birthday celebration.”

The princess born to Consort Guo picked up a writing brush during her first birthday celebration. The emperor was very pleased and said that she would definitely be a talented woman in the future.

"Children will grab whatever looks bright and pretty, just for good luck." Consort Guo said a few words to the children, and seeing that the Princess must have something to discuss with the Crown Princess, she led the children to play together on the felt mat nearby.

The Princess was quite satisfied with Consort Guo's tact. To be honest, the Princess had been favored by the late Emperor since birth and was now respected by the current Emperor. Apart from the Empress, the Princess did not need to give her opinion to the other concubines in the harem. On the contrary, the other concubines were happy to please this Princess with her extraordinary status.

"Yu'er, I remember your little cousin, Xichun. She should be seventeen years old this year, right?" The princess and Daiyu were very familiar with each other and knew each other's personalities well, so she didn't beat around the bush and spoke directly.

Daiyu nodded and then sighed: "As you know, the Ningguo Mansion is no longer here. My sister lives in the Rongguo Mansion, but she is not a proper girl there. And her own brother and sister-in-law are not reliable either."

Although the eldest princess didn't understand things as well as Daiyu, she was aware of the unreliability of Jia Zhen and his son. Hearing Daiyu's words, she felt a pang of sympathy: "She's a pitiful girl. I've come today to tell you something."

The eldest princess recounted Liu Jishan's situation to Daiyu: "By the way, that year when I took you to my mountain villa to escape the summer heat, Liu Jishan came once, and you met him."

Daiyu remembered that the emperor had summoned Liu Jishan to handle his affairs. That man was the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination that year, and he was elegant and talented.

"I heard Changsheng mention that during the Southeast Campaign, Father Emperor sent him to accompany Changsheng as a clerk," Daiyu recalled Xiao Tingjun mentioning it.

"Yes, your uncle praised him, saying he is well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics, poetry and prose, and is extremely talented. What's even more remarkable is that he is of upright character and does not associate with the powerful and influential." The princess's knowledge of Liu Jishan, apart from his appearance, came entirely from what her husband had told her.

"However, he comes from a poor family and was raised by his widowed sister-in-law. The place he lives in in the capital was a gift from His Majesty." The princess also told Daiyu about Liu Jishan's background and family. "I think Xichun is a very good girl and I was thinking of arranging a marriage between the two of them, but then I thought I should ask Xichun herself. As for Liu Jishan, I'll have your uncle inquire about him."

Daiyu was very happy for Xichun upon hearing this. Liu Jishan was a talented young man with a promising future. With the Princess's willingness to speak up, Xichun would have one more person to look after her in the future.

"If I were to speak directly to Xichun, I'm afraid she would overthink it and feel that because of my status, she would have no choice but to agree, whether she likes it or not." The Princess was completely considering Xichun's feelings as an elder.

"Don't worry, Aunt, I'll find out what Fourth Sister thinks as soon as possible." Daiyu thought to herself that it was not as convenient for her to be in the palace as it was in the Prince's Mansion. However, it was good to know Xichun's thoughts.

After finishing her business, the princess went over to play with the child.

The tea kitchen staff brought over a plate of candied melon, a plate of pear strips, and a plate of walnut shortbread, along with peach drink and perilla tea.

Among them, Trichosanthes kirilowii is a candied fruit made by marinating the fruit pulp in honey, while pear strips are dried pear pulp marinated in spices, adding a rich aroma to the original sweetness.

"This peach drink tastes just like the peach jam you gave me." The princess took a sip.

"I told the tea kitchen how to make peach jam, and they thought they could make peach drinks," Daiyu said with a smile.

Jia Yue saw the delicious food and ran over, but she was short-legged and couldn't run fast. When she saw Gao Xin and Princess Yongjia ahead of her, she panicked even more: "Mother, Mother."

The princess burst into laughter at the sight of the little girl. The emperor and empress had not yet arrived when the sound of laughter was heard.

"Eldest sister is still so happy." The emperor arrived and waved his hand to excuse everyone from bowing. The little princess was not afraid when she saw the emperor and called him "Grandpa" in a childish voice.