The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

Although Jia Zhaoyuan now lives in the side courtyard of her own palace, Consort Wu felt that, considering that Jia Lian of the Rongguo Mansion was serving as the prefect outside, and that they had some connections in Ping'an Prefecture, as well as being related to Prince Teng by marriage, she not only allowed Jia Zhaoyuan to take her mother down to talk alone, but also specially rewarded Lady Wang with two bolts of high-quality fabric.

"Her Highness the Imperial Concubine is so magnanimous, unlike some people who are such ingrates," Lady Wang immediately exclaimed.

Yuan Chun quickly stopped her mother: "Mother, don't talk nonsense. We're not in our own palace now." She looked around, implying that there were ears everywhere.

Lady Wang, however, did not care: "What's there to be afraid of? I think the Imperial Concubine probably hates that vixen to death. Now she's so lucky, living a life of glory and causing the Imperial Concubine to be demoted."

"Mother, please stop. You don't know, His Majesty and the Empress rely heavily on the Crown Princess. The New Year's Eve banquet was all organized by the Crown Princess, and the royal family and court ladies all praised her." Yuan Chun was very envious and regretful. Why did she have to pick a fight with the Crown Princess in the first place? If it weren't for this, they were still cousins, and the Crown Princess would still have to consider some face and affection.

Now, the Rongguo Mansion is poorly informed. Since Yuan Chun was demoted to Zhaoyuan, no one is willing to pass on messages for her. After all, everyone in the harem knows that the Emperor dislikes Jia Zhaoyuan. Who would be willing to do things for her? If they anger the Emperor, they would suffer a great loss.

Therefore, Madam Wang knew nothing about this information. When she heard Yuan Chun say this, she was stunned and didn't react for a while.

"She...she's not in good health?" After a long pause, Madam Wang finally asked this question.

"How could that be? Ever since Her Majesty the Empress arranged for Imperial Physicians Liu and He to take turns treating her, and she received proper care, she's already recovered." Yuan Chun sighed. "Now, the Crown Princess's little princess is very much favored by His Majesty. At the New Year's tea banquet, His Majesty invited high-ranking and powerful officials who were highly regarded by him, and His Majesty even took the little princess with him. So, Mother, please don't offend the Crown Prince and Crown Princess again."

Upon hearing this, Lady Wang was furious: she had been jealous of Jia Min back then, a delicate young lady from the Duke's mansion, beautiful, and married to a top scholar—such a lucky life! The couple was deeply in love after their marriage, and even when Lin Ruhai went to take up his post, he took Jia Min with him.

Later, Jia Min died young, which made Lady Wang very happy. But now, Jia Min's daughter is so lucky, while her own daughter, who had become a virtuous concubine, was demoted and disliked by the emperor because of that man's daughter.

How could she not be angry?

Yuan Chun has learned her lesson and repeatedly warned her mother to keep a close eye on the family and not to act on her own initiative again.

"Also, Baoyu can't just do nothing all the time. I heard he hasn't been studying either?" Yuan Chun was still thinking about her younger brother, who was clearly so smart.

"But there is some good news to tell Your Majesty: Baoyu's aunt, Ying'er, is pregnant." Madam Wang put everything else aside and brought up this matter.

"Why is there still no sign of Baochai?" Yuan Chun didn't remember which one Ying'er was, but having a child was always a good thing.

“She’s a jinx, she shouldn’t have…” Madam Wang was interrupted by Yuan Chun before she could finish speaking.

“Mother, don’t say that. We’re all family now. We should live together in harmony.” Yuan Chun advised. Although Yuan Chun also felt that Baochai had many faults, she had already married her into the family, so she should focus on her future.

Lady Wang didn't want her daughter to worry too much, especially since she would only be in the palace for a short time, so she didn't say anything more.

However, what Lady Wang never expected was that she would run into the Crown Princess shortly after leaving Consort Wu's palace.

The Crown Princess was not alone; the person she was holding hands with was undoubtedly her daughter. Besides Zijuan and Xueyan, there were many other people following behind, including palace maids and eunuchs.

This situation is even more extreme than Jia Min's back then: After Lady Wang married Jia Zheng, she discovered that her sister-in-law Jia Min had four senior maids and many junior maids serving her. Lady Wang truly witnessed the saying that a daughter of a high-ranking family can lift eight feet with one step.

This time, Jia Min's daughter practically took sixteen steps in one leap.

Lady Wang was consumed by jealousy. Before she could even process what was happening, the nanny who had led her out scolded her: "You don't even know to kneel before the Crown Princess! How can you be so ill-mannered!"

Chapter 219 Getting so angry that he fell down, taking the opportunity to arrange things

Madam Wang was reprimanded. Jealousy and resentment made her tremble slightly, but she understood that she was now under someone else's roof and had no choice but to kneel down and swallow her anger.

She had thought that the Crown Princess would bring the young princess over, and at least say a few words to her, but the Crown Princess acted as if she didn't even see her, and directly led the young princess away slowly from the other side.

Madam Wang was stunned; she hadn't expected to be completely ignored.

Daiyu did indeed see Lady Wang from afar. She had already learned from Li Wan and Xichun that her aunt had been released from the Buddhist hall.

His maternal grandmother had always prioritized the Jia family and Baoyu. The reason she locked up his second aunt was partly because the second aunt had made a serious mistake that angered the old lady, and partly, of course, it was also to show him.

Now that time has passed, Grandmother Jia released her second maternal aunt, probably because she felt that she hadn't taken care of their household at all over the years, so there was no need to worry about her own happiness or unhappiness anymore. Of course, Daiyu knew very well that Grandmother Jia must have been dissatisfied with Bao Er's wife, which was why she released Lady Wang.

Nowadays, Daiyu wouldn't get angry over such a trivial matter. So she didn't pay much attention to it. But now that they'd run into each other in the palace, Daiyu didn't want to go looking for trouble—after all, she was still her aunt, and she couldn't bring herself to be kind to her.

But now that she is the Crown Princess, so many eyes are watching her; she can't give anyone a handle to use against her. The noblest punishment is silence, and the most restrained revenge is ignoring it.

So Daiyu chose to ignore it. Her destination didn't require taking that route anyway, so she just took Yueyue's hand and walked away.

Lady Wang, kneeling, waited for a long time, thinking that the Crown Princess would come to her to show off. She was thinking about how to deal with it, keeping her head down so as not to see the Crown Princess's smug face. Many possibilities flashed through her mind, and she scared herself for a long time. In the end, she heard the nanny say a cold word.

"Why aren't you up yet? Let's go, hurry up and get out of the palace."

The Crown Princess isn't coming? Madam Wang couldn't quite describe her feelings. She looked up and saw that the Crown Princess had already led the young princess away.

The people following behind the Crown Princess had already made it impossible for Madam Wang to see the Crown Princess's back. But for some reason, she felt a sense of being ignored or even despised, which made her feel suffocated.

Even after leaving the palace gates, Lady Wang couldn't quite come to her senses. She couldn't understand why the Crown Princess hadn't come over. The Crown Princess should have clearly seen her.

She hadn't even seen the Crown Princess, yet she was so angry that her face turned ashen, her whole body trembled, and her eyes were filled with rage and dissatisfaction, as if they were about to spit fire.

Finally, the carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the magnificent vermilion gate of the Rongguo Mansion. The curtain was suddenly lifted, and Madam Wang got out of the carriage with a look of great anxiety and anger on her face.

The anger in her heart caused Madam Wang to lose her usual composure and dignity. With a cry of "Oh dear!", Madam Wang lost her footing and fell forward!

The old women nearby were horrified when they saw this and rushed forward to help her, shouting for help. However, it was already too late.

Madam Wang fell straight to the ground with a dull thud.

"Madam—!" the old women exclaimed and rushed forward to help her up.

Perhaps it was due to her age, or perhaps the fall was too hard, but Madam Wang was in pain and sweating profusely. When the old woman helped her up, she couldn't stand up and immediately started cursing: "Fool! Bring me a rattan chair."

After a chaotic scene, it was only with great difficulty that Lady Wang was finally brought back to her room. Upon receiving the news, Xue Baochai rushed over, and Lady Xing, who had also received the news, also arrived.

Madam Xing always enjoyed seeing Madam Wang make a fool of herself, so she immediately feigned concern and said, "Oh dear, what happened to your aunt? How could you be so careless? Did something unpleasant happen at the palace today? We should hurry and call a doctor to take a look."

Hearing Madam Xing's voice made Madam Wang even angrier, but she didn't want Madam Xing to laugh at her, so she forced herself to say, "What could be unpleasant? It was just an accident."

Xue Baochai was recently hurt by the rumors and was also very dissatisfied with Lady Wang's attitude of suppressing her and supporting Ying'er in every way. So she was happy to see Lady Wang make a fool of herself. However, she was a smart woman and would not give others cause for gossip. She quickly sent someone to invite a doctor.

Madam Xing guessed that something must have happened in the palace, otherwise Madam Wang wouldn't have fallen flat on her face as soon as she returned. So she became even more sarcastic, and Madam Wang, who wasn't good with words, was so angry that she couldn't speak anymore. She wished Xue Baochai would get rid of her as soon as possible.

But Baochai pretended to be stupid and didn't say a word. After a long wait, the doctor finally arrived. When Madam Xing realized she couldn't get any information out of him, she left dejectedly.

The doctor saw that Madam Wang had sprained her ankle, but it wasn't broken. It was just a joint injury, which was why it was swollen with a big lump. He asked if there was any ice and told her to bring some to apply to relieve the pain.

Then they prescribed medicine to be ground into powder and applied to the injured area.

Originally, it was thought to be nothing serious, but Lady Wang was in unbearable pain in the middle of the night and woke up her maid, Yu Chuan'er.

It wasn't her ankle that hurt, but rather a dull ache in her chest. Seeing this, Yu Chuan didn't dare delay and quickly went to inform Bao Chai, asking her to send someone to fetch a doctor.

To their surprise, two doctors they consulted were also unsure of what was wrong. The ordeal dragged on until dawn, when fortunately a third doctor surnamed Zhao used acupuncture to relieve Madam Wang's chest pain.

Suddenly, Baochai had a flash of inspiration and called the doctor aside.

“What exactly is wrong with Madam’s chest pain?” Baochai thought. Since Madam’s chest pain was a difficult ailment, having Madam take medicine for a long time would be a good way to kill two birds with one stone: add one ingredient to make Madam less energetic, then she would no longer be able to blame her, let alone manage the household.

Even Baochai herself was startled by this idea. But thinking about how her mistress had been targeting her and protecting Ying'er lately, Baochai had truly had enough.

Seeing that Lady Wang had fallen asleep again, Baochai's eyes turned cold.

all the best.

In March, the princess of the Goryeo Dynasty arrived in the capital. Baochai was even in a good mood and went to the Fansheng Tower to watch the grand occasion of the princess's arrival in the capital.

Jin Jiazhu rode in a red-wheeled carriage with a canopy. The wheels turned slightly, and the canopy shaded her from the sun. She could see the prosperous scenery of the capital city of the dynasty. Her eyes were filled with tall buildings and painted pavilions, embroidered doors and beaded curtains, and everywhere was dazzling with gold and jade, and fragrant with silk and brocade.

As expected of the Central Plains dynasties, they were far more prosperous than Goryeo.

Being able to be a concubine of a prince here means a much better life than the people she could marry in Goryeo.

Jin Jiazhu checked into a place called "Wenxiu Pavilion" in Huitong Sizeguan. They would rest first and then go to the palace to pay their respects the next day.

Chapter 220 The Concubine's Arrival: Xi Jia's Jealousy

Although Kim Ga-joo only married into the Prince of Li's mansion as a concubine, since she came from the vassal state of Goryeo, and her brother led a group of officials to personally escort her to the capital, the Central Plains court naturally could not be negligent in its hospitality and respect for the vassal state. It was imperative to carefully prepare a grand and solemn welcoming ceremony to greet this distinguished guest from afar.

This welcoming ceremony not only needed to showcase the strength and grandeur of the Central Plains dynasty, but also to make the Goryeo delegation feel warmly welcomed. From the selection of the ceremony venue to the arrangement, every detail was carefully considered and meticulously designed; the officials participating in the ceremony also attended in their finest attire to demonstrate their respect for this important moment.

As early as before the new year, these matters were entrusted to Crown Prince Xiao Tingjun, with the assistance of Prince Rui, Xiao Tingkai.

Xiao Tingkai has now learned to lie low, so this time he did not cause any trouble for the Crown Prince, but instead took the initiative.

To be honest, in terms of doing things, Xiao Tingkai is definitely much better than the Fifth Prince Xiao Tingzhao.

The outside world was managed by Xiao Tingjun, while the inner palace was managed by the Empress and the Crown Princess Daiyu.

When that time comes, Jin Jiazhu will be married from the "Wenxiu Pavilion" of Huitong Sizeguan, so Huitong Sizeguan will be decorated inside and out.

Regarding the arrangement of the Wenxiu Pavilion, the Empress said to Daiyu, "You are all young people, so the place where she lives will be left to Yu'er."

So Daiyu took people ahead of time to make the arrangements.

Jin Jiazhu was a sensible person. After learning that her residence was arranged by the Crown Princess, she made a point of thanking the Crown Princess when she entered the palace: "I have heard that the Crown Princess is very talented. I don't need to look at anything else. Just look at the room that the Crown Princess arranged. It is festive and warm, making people feel as comfortable as if they are at home."

Her meaning was quite clear; she was making her stance clear to the Crown Princess. As a concubine of the Prince of Li's household, Jin Jiazhu's thoughts were simple: now that the position of Crown Prince was settled, she didn't expect the Prince of Li to compete for the throne. It would be better for him to be a prince in peace. As long as no major problems arose, the new emperor wouldn't mistreat his own brother when he ascended the throne, and the position of a prince was within his grasp.

Then, her life as a concubine of a prince wouldn't be difficult. Besides, after choosing Prince Li, Xiao Tingfeng, Jin Jiazhu had already inquired about him and found that this prince was not as capable as the crown prince. It would be better for him to behave himself and avoid losing his whole family if he failed to seize the throne.

Jin Jiazhu married into the Central Plains Dynasty hoping that it would continue to support her father and, in the future, her brother. If something were to happen to her, her father and brother would likely suffer as well.

Daiyu also smiled and praised Jin Jiazhu a few times, saying that she should be a sensible and reasonable concubine.

The palace banquets lasted for several days, though the format was different. The emperor also invited Kim Ga-joo's brother to bring the Goryeo officials to watch the military drills at the camp outside the capital.

After watching the martial arts demonstration, Kim Ga-joo's brother, Kim Ga-shin, further instructed his sister: "You must not displease the Emperor of the Central Plains. Of course, you are his daughter-in-law, so you shouldn't offend the Emperor, but you should still be careful."

Kim Ga-joo was well aware of her identity and told her brother not to worry.

"I think the Crown Prince is quite capable, and I suspect the Emperor is very pleased with him. So you shouldn't offend the Crown Princess. The future Emperor will be them, so let's establish a good relationship early on; it will bring many benefits in the future." Kim Ga-shin will be their next king, and he is well aware of his country's situation. Whether it's military strength or people's livelihood, they are far inferior to the Central Plains Dynasty. He is hoping that the Central Plains Dynasty can provide them with more assistance.

"Brother, don't worry. Even though we haven't had much contact, I've found that the Crown Princess is very clever. So as long as I make my stance clear, she'll definitely know what to do." Jin Jiazhu coldly observed and found that Princess Rui was far inferior to the Crown Princess, let alone Princess Ge Xijia, who was Princess Li.

"My sister is the smartest among us siblings, so I won't say much more. Tomorrow is your special day, so be happy." After talking with his sister for a while, Jin Jiaxin got up to take his leave.

Marrying a concubine is naturally not as grand as marrying the principal wife, but because Kim Ga-joo's status is quite special, a ceremony that is relatively more lively than that for a typical concubine is still held.

Even the Crown Princess personally came to Wenxiu Pavilion, bringing gifts from the Empress and herself to welcome the princess who had come from afar.

When the news reached the Prince Li's residence, Ge Xijia knew perfectly well that Jin Jiazhu's status was different, and that the court would pay more attention to her to show good relations between the two countries. But she was still resentful, especially when she heard that the Crown Princess had actually gone there in person. She even held a grudge against Daiyu: the Crown Princess really knew how to kick someone when they're down.

But she forgot that the Crown Princess was also acting under orders.

Enraged and nearly fainting with rage, Ge Xijia sat on the edge of the bed, her face ashen, her hands gripping the hem of her clothes tightly. A raging fire seemed to be burning fiercely within her. At that moment, bursts of joyful and exhilarating drumming music drifted in from outside, sounding like sharp daggers, mercilessly piercing her already wounded heart.

She buried her face in her arms and cried. She remembered how lively her wedding was. How could things have turned out like this in just a few years?

Disturbed and agitated, Ge Xijia buried herself under the covers, trying to shut herself off from all external distractions. However, the joyful and festive atmosphere lingered like a ghost, and no matter how she tried to escape or hide, she could not shake off its entanglement and torment.

On second thought, although my second sister-in-law's household also has concubines, she has a daughter. Not to mention the Crown Princess, the Crown Prince doesn't have a concubine.

Ge Xijia had no idea how she got through the next few days. Looking at Jin Jiazhu's young and beautiful face, her heart grew increasingly bitter.

So when she heard the news from the old woman, she felt a great sense of satisfaction, as if she had finally gotten revenge. She rolled her eyes and quickly tidied herself up.