The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

So Ge Xijia took the initiative to invite Jin Jiazhu to go out for a stroll together.

Before they had gone far, they spotted the Crown Prince and Crown Princess in the distance. Although they were some distance away, they were still able to make out their appearance.

They galloped across the open grassland, as if they were the only ones in the world with each other. The sunlight shone down, gilding their figures with a golden edge.

Jin Jiazhu couldn't help but feel fortunate that she hadn't chosen the Crown Prince. Looking at how loving the Crown Prince and Crown Princess were, how could she possibly interfere between them?

At this moment, the Crown Princess turned to gaze at the distant, rolling mountains, her eyes filled with contentment. The Crown Prince, in turn, gazed at her quietly, his eyes overflowing with intense love. At this moment, no words were needed; their deep affection was already intertwined with this beautiful cycling moment.

Upon seeing this, Jin Jiazhu couldn't help but exclaim, "There's a line in your poems that says, 'I envy not the immortals, but only the mandarin ducks.' I couldn't understand it before, but after seeing your Crown Prince and Crown Princess today, I finally understand. This line of poetry is truly beautiful."

Ge Xijia felt an overwhelming sense of envy. She had also wanted to find a good man to stay with for life, but Xiao Tingfeng had fallen for someone else so quickly. She hated Chunmei, hated Consort Xu, and hated Xiao Tingfeng even more.

“That’s right. Our Crown Prince and Crown Princess are not only loving, but they are also quite capable. When you come to marry into the family, you’d better be careful not to offend the Crown Princess.” Ge Xijia said with a hint of jealousy.

Jin Jiazhu, however, was thinking: Of course I wouldn't offend the Crown Princess. She's already the Crown Princess, why would I provoke her? What I want is the position of Princess Consort of Li County.

However, she certainly wouldn't say these things to Ge Xijia.

Soon, the King of Goryeo returned to Goryeo with his prince and princess, while the Emperor, along with the Queen and others, stayed at the temporary palace for five days before setting off back to the capital.

What Daiyu didn't expect was that as soon as they returned to the capital, Zijuan came to tell her something.

"These words were handed in by Madam Wei, who told me to only say them when you are in a good mood, and to make sure you don't get angry over such rumors, as it's not good for your health," Zijuan said, seeing that Daiyu was in a good mood.

Chapter 207 Sisters United, Jiang Qiu Helps

When Daiyu heard Zijuan say the words "a strong destiny," she raised her hand to signal Zijuan not to continue.

My second sister-in-law already said that day that someone with an overly strong destiny would bring death to their parents.

So such rumors were circulating in the capital too. Could this also be arranged by my second sister-in-law? Daiyu felt a deep sadness mixed with suspicion.

Seeing that the Crown Princess's expression had changed, Zijuan quickly apologized.

Daiyu shook her head: "It's none of your business. Since Madam Wei asked you to tell me, it seems she thinks this matter should be taken seriously." Xiangyun has experienced many changes in the world and is no longer as innocent as she used to be. She is clever by nature, and the fact that she still tries to send a message here in Delin Palace means that this matter is not simple.

"Even so, Your Highness, please don't take it to heart. They just want to hurt you. Please don't let them get their way," Zijuan quickly comforted her.

"You're half right. Wanting to hurt me is only one aspect; I'm afraid there's an even bigger scheme behind it." Daiyu knew very well that as the Crown Princess, she had probably attracted a lot of attention. Her fate was too strong, and if anything happened to the Emperor, Empress, or Crown Prince in the palace, they would probably try to pin it on her.

Therefore, it is essential to find the source of the rumor.

Although her second sister-in-law said the same thing that day, it doesn't confirm that you were the one spreading the rumors. Daiyu remembered that in her second sister-in-law's household, the current concubine, Wang Xiyun, was Bao Er's cousin.

This style is so reminiscent of Bao Er's wife—back then in the Rongguo Mansion, all the maids and servants said that Miss Lin was petty and prone to annoyance, while Miss Xue was the most amiable and generous.

Just as Daiyu was pondering how to investigate, Zuo Jiangqiu came to the palace to pay his respects to the Empress. Seeing that Daiyu was also there, he winked at her. Daiyu was a little curious and thought to herself: Could it be that the fifth brother's wife has something she wants to tell me alone?

So Daiyu and Zuo Jiangqiu bid farewell to the Empress and left. Zuo Jiangqiu immediately said to Daiyu affectionately, "Crown Princess, would you like to walk with me for a while?"

Daiyu was puzzled and was still wondering if the fifth prince and his wife had quarreled. But looking at Zuo Jiangqiu's expression, it didn't seem like it.

Just as she was hesitating, Zuo Jiangqiu suddenly cried out that he felt unwell. Daiyu was even more confused. Since this place was closer to Delin Palace, she quickly helped Zuo Jiangqiu to Delin Palace and arranged for someone to fetch the imperial physician.

Xu and Gu were also completely bewildered, and at the same time, they were a little worried: if something happened to Princess Cheng in Delin Palace, it would be troublesome.

The two exchanged glances, and then Granny Xu stepped forward to ask Daiyu whether they should inform Consort Chen.

But Zuo Jiangqiu grabbed Daiyu's arm and winked at her. Daiyu saw that Zuo Jiangqiu didn't seem to be uncomfortable, but she didn't know what she was up to.

“I trust Sister Meng’s medical skills. Why don’t you let her take your pulse first?” When Daiyu mentioned Meng, Zuo Jiangqiu already knew her.

But Zuo Jiangqiu shook his head and refused, insisting on waiting for the imperial physician to arrive.

Physician He arrived quickly. Upon hearing that Princess Consort Cheng was unwell, he immediately stepped forward to take her pulse. He examined her twice before daring to offer his congratulations with a smile.

"Congratulations, Princess Consort Cheng!" After Physician He finished speaking, Granny Xu and Granny Gu finally breathed a sigh of relief and quickly led a room full of people up to offer their congratulations.

Daiyu quickly sent someone to inform the Empress and Consort Zhou of the good news.

Consort Zhou was overjoyed upon hearing this. She immediately clasped her hands together, first thanking the Bodhisattva and then her ancestors for their blessings, and then got up to go and see.

As she walked toward Delin Palace, Consort Zhou said to the nanny, "Qiu'er is still careless. Fortunately, the Crown Princess is taking good care of her."

After all, women of the royal family are most concerned about their pregnancy. If their period is late, they will ask the imperial physician to check on them. Even if the pregnancy is early and they can't feel it by touch, they will still take care of themselves according to the precautions for being pregnant.

Unexpectedly, Zuo Jiangqiu came to the palace again, which made Consort Zhou worried, so she rushed to Delin Palace to check on him.

Little did they know that as soon as they entered Delin Palace, they heard Zuo Jiangqiu say, "Sister-in-law is truly blessed. Even feeling unwell in my stomach is a good thing when I'm around her."

Consort Zhou still had some doubts, after all, the fact that the fifth prince's wife was pregnant could not possibly be attributed to Daiyu.

But then she remembered the gossip she overheard in the palace when the Empress accompanied the Emperor to the imperial tombs, saying that the Crown Princess had an exceptionally strong destiny. She immediately understood: the Fifth Prince's wife was doing this on purpose, using her pregnancy to dispel those rumors.

Consort Zhou had long understood that the fifth prince could not be the next emperor. As his mother, she knew her son best; he didn't have the ability.

Of the remaining princes, Consort Zhou naturally hoped that the third prince would ascend to the throne the most, because the third prince was the best in terms of both ability and character. Not to mention, the third prince had saved the fifth prince's life when the third and fifth princes went to Zhili last time.

So, realizing what was happening, Consort Zhou walked inside while smiling and said, "That's right, we really benefit from the Crown Princess's good fortune."

If Consort Zhou could understand, how could Daiyu not understand? No wonder Zuo Jiangqiu performed like that just now; it's just a pity that his skills were not up to par and it was really awkward.

But Daiyu was deeply moved by her intentions.

Upon receiving the news, the Empress sent someone to investigate and instructed them to make proper arrangements to escort Princess Cheng back to her residence. She also instructed the Imperial Hospital to take the matter seriously.

Before long, even the Emperor received the news and was very pleased, ordering that many rewards be sent to the Prince of Cheng's residence.

That evening, the Emperor visited Consort Zhou and inquired about the matter. Consort Zhou smiled and said, "The Crown Princess is much calmer; that child is too impulsive."

The emperor was very pleased with the crown princess and immediately rewarded her with a set of Shanlian Lake brushes.

What's even more interesting is that a few days later it was the first day of the month, the day when the imperial relatives and the women of the imperial concubines would enter the palace. Although the noble ladies usually did not pay their respects to Consort Chen when they entered the palace, this time was different. Upon hearing the good news of the Princess Consort of Cheng, as long as they had no grudge against Consort Chen, they would all go to pay their respects.

So what they saw was Consort Chen beaming with joy, and from her mouth they heard words of good fortune for the Crown Princess.

In recent days, there have been many rumors in the capital about the Crown Princess's strong destiny. Some people believe it and some don't, but at this moment, everyone understands one thing: regardless of whether the Crown Princess's destiny is strong or not, she is at least very popular.

Why do I say that? Think about it, not only is the Zhou family behind Consort Zhou a powerful clan, but her own brother is the Governor-General of Zhili. What kind of place is Zhili? It's the closest to the capital, so being able to become the Governor-General of Zhili means that one has the Emperor's deep trust.

Not to mention the Zuo family behind Princess Chengjun, her grandfather, father and uncle were all highly trusted military generals, and her father was in charge of the defense of the capital.

So, the Crown Princess is truly a blessed person.

While Zuo Jiangqiu was helping Daiyu debunk the rumors, Li Wan, Xichun, Xiangyun, and others were investigating the source of the rumors for Daiyu.

Xiangyun learned the truth by chance.

Chapter 208 An eye for an eye

Xiangyun learned the truth when she went to celebrate her aunt's birthday.

Although Auntie abandoned the family when the Wei family was about to divide the property, her son had died in the southeast at that time. And because she had lost her parents at a young age and was raised by her uncle and aunt, Xiangyun still had to go to Auntie's birthday celebration no matter what.

This trip naturally led to his encounter with his cousin's wife, Wang Xiyuan, the daughter of Wang Ziteng.

Wang Xiyuan still harbored resentment about the last time she and Baochai went to the Wei family, not only being turned away at the door but also being ridiculed by Yingchun, Xichun, and even the Princess Consort of Chengjun.

So when Wang Xiyuan saw Shi Xiangyun alone, she couldn't wait to get revenge for the arrow she had shot that day.

"Sister Yun, I advise you to stay away from certain people. Look at your good sisters, some of them have caused the death of their parents, some have caused the death of their husbands. If you continue to associate with them, I'm afraid you'll be cursed too." As soon as Wang Xiyuan spoke, Xiangyun was reminded of the rumors that the Crown Princess had a hard fate and had caused the deaths of her parents.

Xiangyun was furious at Wang Xiyuan's attitude, but she didn't directly refute her. Instead, she deliberately said indifferently, "Sister-in-law, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. Talk about being cursed or having a tough life is just nonsense."

“Sister Yun, this is not nonsense. Just like my cousin said, a person’s fate is determined by their birth. Don’t be fooled by how successful some people are now; if their fate is too strong, they will eventually lose their good fortune.” Wang Xiyuan blurted out, mentioning her cousin.

Xiangyun immediately became very concerned. Her cousin, Wang Xiyuan's cousin, wasn't that Bao Er's wife? Xiangyun had a sudden inspiration and instead smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, you are mistaken. If we're talking about having a tough life, I'm afraid I am one of them. My parents died early. Alas, my sister Bao is also a tough one. Not only did her father die early, but her brother is also gone, and now her mother has suffered a stroke."

Seeing Wang Xiyuan's smug expression freeze instantly, Xiangyun became even more certain of her guess and deliberately said, "Besides, in terms of fate, Sister Bao's fate is stronger. After marrying into her husband's family, her husband's family also suffered misfortune. Now the Rongguo Mansion's title has been taken away. So, sister-in-law, you should be careful so as not to be affected."

Wang Xiyuan never expected the conversation to turn out this way. She had intended to ridicule Xiangyun, but instead, she was mocked by Xiangyun. She was so angry that she didn't care about the consequences and said, "Why don't you appreciate my kindness and even curse my cousin? This has nothing to do with my cousin."

They really are cousins, already protecting each other. Xiangyun was too lazy to argue with her. As she got up, she still said lightly, "It wasn't my sister-in-law who reminded me first. Since my sister-in-law is so considerate of me, I'm just reminding her too, it's also for her sake."

Seeing that Wang Xiyuan was eager to retort, Xiangyun didn't give her a chance and spoke even more quickly: "Besides, I've already said that the theory of fate is vague and ethereal, but it's you, sister-in-law, who insists on emphasizing its importance. I advise you to think more before you speak, lest you bring disaster to the Shi family. Don't you know that trouble comes from the mouth?"

Xiangyun was a quick-tongued person, and when she didn't give the other person a chance to speak, most people couldn't do anything about it. Moreover, Xiangyun accurately hit Wang Xiyuan's sore spot. At the same time, Xiangyun didn't stay any longer and left gracefully after speaking.

Wang Xiyuan was so angry that she stomped her feet.

When Xiangyun went to Huatang Chunxiu again, she told Yingchun, Xichun and others about it.

Xi Chun immediately frowned in anger: "I knew it was her. I think she won't be satisfied until she sees the coffin. Sooner or later, she will destroy the entire Rongguo Mansion before she is satisfied."

Yingchun was stunned: "Why bother? The Crown Princess has never deliberately made things difficult for her. In the end, it is the household and they who have wronged the Crown Princess."

Xiangyun also sighed: "Humans are never satisfied. Years ago, she said, 'A good wind can help me soar to great heights,' which actually revealed her thoughts. Now, seeing that I am not doing as well as others, I will be dissatisfied."

Xi Chun said coldly, "Since that's the case, let's give her a taste of what rumors are like."

“Family scandals shouldn’t be aired in public. If we do, it might upset you, Fourth Sister, since you’re not married yet,” Xiangyun said worriedly to Xichun. “That’s the tricky part about rumors. If it were up to me, I’d just go and give her a piece of my mind, but we don’t have any concrete evidence.”

“I have a plan. I know the most about what’s going on in that mansion.” Xichun had already thought it through and immediately told Xiangyun and Yingchun her plan. “I won’t offend others unless they offend me. Since she’s like this, she should taste what she’s made of.”

After Xichun returned, she quickly took action. Not long after, a rumor in the Rongguo Mansion made Baochai fall ill from anger.

The rumors circulating in the Rongguo Mansion were even more direct: Bao Er's wife was a jinx. She lost her father early on, her brother died later, and now even her only mother had suffered a stroke and was paralyzed at home, not recognizing anyone, as if she were dead.

Not to mention that, ever since she married into the Rongguo Mansion, the household has been plagued by misfortune after misfortune. Qiuwen suffered a difficult childbirth, Grandmother Jia fell ill, and now, even the eldest master's title has been stripped away.

At first, the rumors only circulated among the maids and servants, but later even Lady Wang heard a few words about them. After thinking about it carefully, it seemed to be true: ever since Baochai entered the household, many misfortunes had occurred, and not only in the household, but even the ladies in the palace had begun to experience various misfortunes.

Lady Wang had never thought about fate before. Come to think of it, she was the one who insisted on Baochai marrying into the family, and their birth charts were clearly compatible. Logically speaking, it shouldn't be like this.

But the facts are right in front of me, and I have no choice but to think about them.

Ying'er came to report to Madam Wang. Madam Wang suddenly remembered something and asked Ying'er, "I have never looked closely at your young lady's gold lock. Do you remember the words on it?"

Ying'er was quite aware of the rumors circulating these past few days, and she was now in a bit of a predicament, stammering as she spoke.

Madam Wang knew immediately that something was amiss, and stared sternly at Ying'er: "Tell me the truth!"

Ying'er was so frightened that she knelt down immediately, only kowtowing, and dared not speak.

Madam Wang felt there was something fishy going on, and sternly asked Ying'er, "Tell me the truth, or I'll kick you out!"

Ying'er finally spoke, her voice trembling: "This servant dares not deceive Madam. That gold lock was not given by the monk. It was given to Miss by Madam after she failed the selection."

What? Lady Wang was completely stunned: she had always thought that only Baochai could help Baoyu with the marriage of gold and jade, but now, was even the marriage of gold and jade a lie?

Thinking about all the things that had happened over the years, Madam Wang became increasingly angry and immediately summoned Baochai, giving her a scolding.

Baochai could ignore the gossip of the maids and servants, but she dared not talk back to Lady Wang's disdain, and she fell ill from anger.