The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

Baoqin hadn't expected that Grandmother Jia would ask her aunt about her birth date and time. The implication was quite clear: the old lady was essentially telling her aunt that she looked down on her cousin.

But my aunt and cousin pretended not to understand. Not only that, ten days later, my aunt called my brother over.

My aunt brought up my brother's marriage: "I think that Xing family girl is a simple girl. You two went to the capital together, so you must have met her. What do you think?"

Xue Ke was quite surprised, after all, his cousin hadn't even settled down yet, so why was he suddenly bringing up his own marriage?

But Xue Ke was an honest man, and he immediately nodded, because the Xing family girl was indeed a very good girl.

“Since Ke’er also thinks it’s a good idea, then Auntie should swallow her pride and ask the old lady for help. If it can be done, that would be the best.” Aunt Xue was overjoyed to see Xue Ke’s cooperation. She had originally been worried that Xue Ke would think that Xing Xiuyan’s family was too poor and that her parents were like that.

"Why should we ask the old lady for help?" Xue Ke asked, somewhat puzzled.

Aunt Xue's heart skipped a beat: Asking Grandmother Jia was something Aunt Xue and her daughter had agreed upon. This way, they could test the old lady's attitude. If she refused outright, things would be difficult. If the old lady nodded, it meant that she and her daughter could still stay in the Jia family and slowly plot their schemes.

Soon, Xue Ke and Xing Xiuyan got engaged.

However, Baoqin soon realized something was wrong: the engagement shouldn't be this simple, right? The three letters and six rites, and the preceding steps should all be carried out one by one.

But my aunt didn't react at all.

Baoqin's maid, Xiaoluo, overheard some gossip from the other maids: Madam and Miss Bao both said that the Xing family was too poor, so they should hold off for now and decide based on the situation later.

Baoqin immediately understood what "depending on the situation" meant; it naturally referred to whether Sister Bao could marry Baoyu.

It turns out that the brother's marriage was just a tactic used by his aunt and cousin to win over the main branch of the Rongguo Mansion.

Perhaps, it was all planned from the moment my aunt and cousin wrote to us asking them to come to Beijing.

But what can they, as siblings, do? If they don't go to the capital, they have no way out; if they go to the capital, they still have no way out. But if they start planning carefully now, maybe there will still be a way out.

Baoqin had always been planning to leave herself and her brother an alternative path. That's why, when she had her brother help manage the Xue family shop, she diligently gathered information from all sides, hoping it might come in handy later.

Baoqin herself was also thinking things through at every step.

My cousin married Baoyu as she wished, but something happened that surprised everyone: the emperor actually betrothed Lin Daiyu to the third prince.

Things began to develop in a bizarre direction that neither Grandmother Jia nor anyone else in the Rongguo Mansion had anticipated.

"Girl, you should get some rest early, you'll be busy tomorrow," Xiao Luo reminded her, it was getting late.

Although the wedding day is the day after tomorrow, the bride's relatives and friends will come to help with the dowry tomorrow.

Baoqin didn't have many relatives or friends in the capital. After severing ties with her aunt's family, she only had her brother and sister-in-law left. Of course, her sister-in-law's family would come.

Xiangyun arrived early. Although she was not well-off, she could still afford to buy a few things.

Baoqin was quite surprised that the Crown Princess had sent Zijuan in person.

Chapter 212 Sisters Talk, Baoqin Gets Married

The Crown Princess sending Zijuan was a way of showing support for Baoqin: even if the Crown Princess didn't add any extra makeup, Baoqin would understand. And Zijuan, as the Crown Princess's most trusted lady-in-waiting, was enough to demonstrate the Crown Princess's attitude.

Moreover, Baoqin also liked the gifts from the Crown Princess: a pair of jade reclining dog ornaments, a pair of famille rose bowls with auspicious patterns of fortune, prosperity, longevity and happiness, a pair of tea dust glaze water chestnut vases, a blue and white porcelain Guanyin statue of Guanyin giving a child, a pair of Duan inkstones with a continuous melon and vine pattern, as well as various fabrics such as brocade and silk.

Not only are they paired together for good luck and auspiciousness, but they also meet Baoqin's preferences, showing that the Crown Princess prepared them with care.

Baoqin's sister-in-law quickly invited Zijuan to sit down and have some tea, but Zijuan personally congratulated Baoqin before going to have tea and take her leave.

Zijuan greatly admired Baoqin's tact and intelligence: Zijuan knew that Baoqin had taken the initiative to pledge allegiance to the Crown Princess and had later helped her twice more.

After seeing Zijuan off, Baoqin couldn't help but sigh to Xiangyun, who had come to add to her dowry: "Back then, everyone said that the Crown Princess was petty. But thinking about it carefully, I'm afraid that none of us sisters are as magnanimous as the Crown Princess."

Xiangyun nodded: "If you had said this a few years ago, I would probably have laughed at you. But after all these years of change, I finally understand that I was too naive. But, well, the Crown Princess was quite naive too."

Baoqin deeply agreed: "The Crown Princess's most naive trait is that she believes in the inherent goodness of human nature. Isn't that right?"

Xiangyun wholeheartedly agreed: "That's right. Thinking about it carefully, that's the root cause. Whether it's the old lady, Aunt Xue, or even Sister Bao, everyone's kindness to her was clearly mixed with self-interest. It's just that in the end, the Crown Princess discovered that some people were kind and some were evil."

Baoqin couldn't help but sigh: "In that case, my cousin is the exact opposite. She is the most cold-hearted and heartless person. She divides everyone into two categories. She will try her best to unite and be friendly with people who are of benefit to her, but she can be indifferent to people who are useless to her, even if she sees them every day."

"I couldn't understand it back then, but after I got married, I completely understood." Xiangyun felt this deeply. "Thinking about it carefully, why was Sister Bao so kind to me back then? Apart from being a little warmer to Third Sister, she completely ignored Second Sister and Fourth Sister."

“However, there’s still a long way to go,” Baoqin said meaningfully.

“Yes, there’s still a long way to go.” Xiangyun, being a smart person herself, understood what Baoqin meant. “But don’t think too much, Sister Qin. Tomorrow is your big day. You should be happy to be your bride.”

Baoqin smiled and Xiaoluo invited Xiangyun and Baoqin out for a meal.

When Baoqin got married, her older brother and sister-in-law still doted on her. The family already had some treasures left by her parents, plus what her brother and sister-in-law prepared, from silk fabrics to precious medicinal herbs, from the Four Treasures of the Study to jewelry. As a girl without parents, her dowry was already very generous.

Xue Ke was very worried and came to talk to his sister.

Xue Ke was well aware that his family was marrying above their station in this marriage. If it weren't for the Crown Princess's connections, his sister would probably never have had such a good opportunity.

After Baoqin nodded, the Peng family, considering that Xue Ke was Baoqin's older brother, specially invited Xue Ke to visit, so that Xue Ke could also get to know Peng Feng. After all, Baoqin's parents had passed away, and her eldest brother was like a father to her; it was essential to get Xue Ke's approval for the marriage to be more reliable.

Xue Ke's initial unease and worry lessened considerably after meeting and talking with Peng Feng. However, as his sister's wedding date approached, Xue Ke began to worry again.

After all, the Peng family's status was far higher than the Xue family's. Peng Feng's father, Peng Yi, did not become the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review because of the Princess Chun. Peng Yi himself was a scholar who rose through the ranks by passing the imperial examinations and worked his way up to his current position. He was a very capable man.

Not to mention, Peng Feng's brother also served as an official in another region, and he did not rely on family connections, but rose through the ranks from the military.

Such a family was simply unattainable for Xue Ke. Whenever he thought of this, a sense of worry would well up in his heart.

If his younger sister were to be bullied in the future, given his current abilities and status, he feared he wouldn't even be able to go to her door to seek justice for her. Thinking of this, Xue Ke felt a heavy weight of anxiety and helplessness pressing down on his heart.

Baoqin was deeply moved by her brother's sincere words, her eyes filled with tears, but she didn't let them fall. After wiping away her tears with a handkerchief, Baoqin smiled and began to speak.

“I’m already very grateful that my brother is so considerate of me. We’ve relied on each other all these years, and no matter how difficult things got, we’ve made it through. Now that my brother has a wife, I’ll be able to marry into a very good family, so my brother doesn’t need to worry.” Baoqin was very confident about the life she was about to have.

“Besides, brother has met the Peng family, especially Peng Feng. Brother should know that they are not the kind of family that bullies others by relying on their power,” Baoqin added.

"Although I have seen him, how can you be so sure? You only met that person once, didn't you?" Xue Ke was very curious about his sister's calmness.

“Brother, think about it. If they were just bullying others, they wouldn’t have needed to go through all this trouble, involving both the Princess Chun and the Crown Princess. They could have just sent a matchmaker directly to our door. I’m afraid neither of us would have dared to refuse.” Baoqin’s words enlightened Xue Ke.

Xue Ke couldn't help but chuckle: "As expected of my younger sister, I never thought of those things."

Between the two siblings, Baoqin was smarter from a young age. So when their father was alive, he preferred to take his sister out rather than Xueke. After all, a lively and intelligent daughter could accompany them on outings and even exchange poems.

"Brother is just worried and confused, don't worry." Baoqin smiled too.

When Baoqin got married, Daiyu did not attend the ceremony in person, but she heard Zuo Jiangqiu, who loved to watch the excitement, give her a vivid description.

"Sister-in-law, you have no idea. If I hadn't insisted on going, he wouldn't have allowed me to go. He said there would be too many people and I was afraid of getting crowded and falling down." Zuo Jiangqiu's animated expression made Daiyu unable to resist teasing her.

"Who is he? Who is he?" Daiyu teased with a smile.

Zuo Jiangqiu wasn't afraid of being teased, and said nonchalantly, "Who else could it be but Xiao Tingzhao?"

"Speaking of which, isn't the Goryeo princess going to marry into our family after the New Year?" Zuo Jiangqiu remembered.

They were talking when the Empress sent someone to invite Daiyu.

Chapter 213 Managing Palace Affairs: Daiyu's Management

The Empress summoned Daiyu to entrust her with the entire responsibility of the New Year's Eve palace banquet.

"Now that I'm getting old, my energy is waning. There are so many things to do at the end of the year, including palace banquets and tea parties. I also have to deal with the matter of the Prince of Li's family taking a concubine after the New Year. Although she is a concubine, she is a princess of Goryeo. Goryeo has already sent an envoy to deliver a memorial, and the Goryeo prince will personally escort her to the wedding. So we have to receive her." The Empress told Daiyu about the next few important matters one by one.

"Now that Yu'er is the Crown Princess, it's perfectly legitimate for you to handle these matters. I've seen how well you've organized the tea banquets these past two years, so I'm entrusting the entire New Year's Eve palace banquet to you." The Empress assigned Li Zhong to Daiyu, "If you have any questions, just come and ask."

Daiyu quickly agreed. She thought that she had organized the Dragon Boat Festival palace banquet before she was the Crown Princess, and she had also helped with the tea banquet in the past two years. Although the New Year's Eve palace banquet was much more grand than the Dragon Boat Festival palace banquet, there was plenty of time and her mother had given her guidance, so there shouldn't be any major problems.

However, what surprised Daiyu was what the Empress said next.

"Yu'er also knows that every year a new batch of palace maids are selected to serve in the palace. Although they can be released from the palace at the age of twenty-five according to their own wishes, far fewer leave than enter. As a result, problems such as staff redundancy have gradually emerged. I mentioned this matter to His Majesty, and His Majesty's idea is to take advantage of the many joyous events that have occurred in the palace in the past two years to release some of the palace maids and let them regain their freedom. At the same time, it is also possible to streamline and optimize the various departments in the palace, making the palace management more efficient and orderly."

Does this mean they're going to lay off people?

"My idea is that this matter will also be handled by you, Yu'er, after the New Year." The Empress's words made Daiyu immediately understand: this time it was not only the Empress who wanted to train her, but also her father, the Emperor, who wanted to test her to see if the Crown Princess could be fair and just, and at the same time win the respect of the palace maids and eunuchs.

Moreover, linking the New Year's Eve palace banquet with the staff reduction was also a way to see if she, as the Crown Princess, could handle multiple tasks at the same time.

Daiyu immediately accepted the order: "There's only one thing, I don't know the people in all the departments very well yet. I wonder if I could ask the managers of the various departments of the Imperial Household Department to help me get to know them first?"

"Of course, I have already spoken to the Imperial Household Department." The Empress nodded, and seeing that the Crown Princess seemed to be thinking, she gently advised her, "There's no need to rush this matter. Just keep it in mind and take your time."

Daiyu readily agreed. After leaving Fengyi Palace, Daiyu decided to return to Delin Palace and gather everyone there.

As expected of veteran palace maids with many years of experience, Granny Gu and Granny Xu were both delighted and worried upon hearing the two things Daiyu mentioned.

What's gratifying is that His Majesty and the Empress value the Crown Princess so highly; both of these tasks involve nurturing her.

The worry is that laying off staff in the palace involves many aspects, and there are many opportunities for personal gain. It is even possible that a new crown princess with ulterior motives could take the opportunity to suppress rivals and install and promote her own people.

That is why layoffs will be a very difficult task.

All matters concerning the emperor and the harem in this dynasty fell under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Household Department, including the Tea and Food Office, the Storage Department, the Ceremonial Department, the Construction Department, the Hound and Falconry Department, and even the imperial bodyguards. The affairs of the harem were merely a part of the Imperial Household Department's purview.

The Imperial Household Department was uniformly led by officials appointed by the imperial court. These officials were under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel and the imperial court. Therefore, this abolition naturally only involved the part within the palace.

Xu Mama immediately suggested to the Crown Princess, "Your Highness may wish to meet with the stewards of various departments first, such as the two chief stewards of the Imperial Household Department."

"Of course I want to see you, but I want to let you know first. After all, I'm in charge of this whole matter, and I'm afraid that someone might try to get in through your connections later." Daiyu believed in making everything clear and transparent. "Let me make this clear from the start: if any of you accept money from others, and it's discovered, then you'll be blamed for being ruthless, and you'll definitely be severely punished."

Granny Gu and the others had been with Daiyu for quite some time and knew that although this mistress appeared delicate and gentle, she was decisive and efficient in her work, had a remarkable ability to manage people, and was clear about rewards and punishments, with strict rules. Hearing this, everyone responded in unison.

Afterwards, Daiyu kept Xu Mama and Gu Mama behind. These two had been in the palace for a long time and had served the Empress before, so they should have an impression of the palace servants in each room, especially the head stewards of each room.

At the same time, Daiyu opened the personnel roster of the various departments of the Imperial Household Department that the Empress had given her.

"Gentlemen, please tell me your impressions of these stewards." Daiyu thought for a moment and then called Xueyan and Chunxian over.

"Take out another sheet of paper and write down everything the two nannies said, matching the names one by one." Daiyu has plenty of time; she can learn about it slowly.

Daiyu was well aware that palace maids entering the palace not only needed to pass tests in skills such as embroidery and broom handling, but also placed great emphasis on etiquette and rules. Those who did not meet the requirements would have been expelled from the palace long ago and would have no chance of entering.

Those who could enter the palace were not chosen arbitrarily like those from humble families. They had to first study the rules and etiquette in the training center for six months, with nannies assessing them every three days. After six months, those who passed were selected from among the qualified candidates, those with delicate features and suitable for serving their masters, and sent to various palaces. The rest were assigned to the Bureau of Clothing, the Treasury, the Tea and Food Room, the Flower and Tree Room, and other departments.

Moreover, after everyone was assigned to different places, there were annual examinations, especially for those in the Imperial Clothing Bureau and the Treasury. Those who were lazy or shirked their duties would be fined or even expelled from the palace.

But since this is a matter of reducing staff, we need to think it over carefully.

When Granny Gu and Granny Xu heard Daiyu say this, they perked up and told her everything they knew.

Both of them knew very well that now that they were following the Crown Princess, their future would only be better if the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess were doing well.

Therefore, the Crown Princess's affairs are their affairs, and they must do their utmost to help the Crown Princess organize the New Year's Eve palace banquet and handle the task of reducing staff.

"This eunuch Tao from the flower and tree room is a very quick learner. He knows exactly which flower to match with which vase, the seasons for various flowers and trees, and the ceramic and quality of various flowerpots and vases. He has a very good sense of everything." Granny Xu started by mentioning eunuch Tao from the flower and tree room.

Daiyu couldn't help but recall the incident when Princess Yongjia was celebrating her first birthday, and the daffodils in Consort Guo's palace didn't match the flowerpot.