After the rebellion was successful, I realized that this place was the Red Mansion

Chapter 151 Daming Palace, Xiaoxiang Pavilion

When Jia Lan arrived, Li Wan quickly stood up and led him to Chu Yan, saying, "Lan'er, quickly kowtow to His Majesty the Emperor to express your gratitude!"

Five-year-old Jia Lan respectfully kowtowed.

Chu Yan said, "You stay in the palace with your mother for a few years so that she can teach you. When you are older, you can leave the palace and go back to your home."

Upon hearing this, Li Wan was so happy that she burst into tears and hurriedly made Jia Lan kowtow a few more times.

Jia Yuanchun, Baochai, Baoqin, and the others were secretly delighted. The emperor probably intended to grant them a pardon for the male members of their households a few years later, in recognition of their service.

Chu Yan stood up and smiled at them, saying, "Let's go, accompany me to tour the Daming Palace."

Qin Keqing smiled sweetly and said, "Your Majesty should say you're taking us to visit the Daming Palace."

As she spoke, she stood up and moved her tall, graceful figure closer to him.

Chu Yan laughed heartily, "Some people aren't too keen on going."

Everyone has different expressions.

Daiyu also stood up. "Is this referring to her talent for writing poetry, or her virtue of stopping the loom?"

The veiled threat made Chu Yan burst into laughter, and Xiangyun, Baoqin, and the little girl Xuanzhu also chuckled.

However, the ladies, including Qin Keqing and Jia Yuanchun, did not dare to be so presumptuous.

Baochai smiled at Daiyu and said, "When will you ever change your mouth, Daiyu? It's only thanks to His Majesty's magnanimity that you were spared."

Daiyu shut her mouth.

Chu Yan took Qin Keqing's hand and walked out the door, saying, "I'm not going to get angry over such a small thing."

Consort Zhou finally seized a chance to speak and hurriedly said in a resentful tone, "His Majesty was angry with me last time, and I was so scared that I couldn't sleep all night!"

Chu Yan said calmly, "That's because you came to Linjing Hall without permission. It's one thing to come, but to barge in like the girls is another."

These words made Xiangyun feel embarrassed.

The alluring Consort Zhou said with a wronged expression, "His Majesty only dotes on the young ladies and doesn't care about us old ladies anymore."

Wang Junyi was startled and glanced at them discreetly. She saw that Sister Bao and Sister Yun ignored what she said, and Empress Zhang and the other ladies also remained silent, as if they had not heard anything.

Was Consort Zhou trying to incite conflict between the young ladies and the old palace servants? Was she not afraid of getting herself into trouble?

Chu Yan said, "You came to the Linjing Palace with the intention of vying for favor, while the young ladies came here to chat with me without any intention of doing so. How can they be the same?"

Consort Zhou lowered her head and said timidly, "I know I was wrong..."

Chu Yan didn't say anything more to her. Qin Keqing smiled and said, "His Majesty likes innocent and carefree people. Please rest assured, Your Highness, His Majesty is not angry."

Everyone laughed. Naïve and innocent meant she had no guile; her thoughts were written all over her face and mouth. Even when vying for favor, her methods were straightforward.

Chu Yan didn't speak, but sat on the imperial carriage. A dozen or so girls and concubines also boarded the carriages. Jia Lan and the little princesses could only walk, while the younger ones were carried by palace maids.

The two newly arrived sisters from the Wang family also boarded the palanquin.

The procession, consisting of two to three hundred eunuchs and palace maids, passed through the Imperial Garden, exited through the Lingxiao Gate, and entered the Daming Palace.

There was an alley on the left that allowed the concubines to enter and exit the rear garden, but Chu Yan did not take it. Instead, he ordered the procession to enter through the front court of the Daming Palace. Last time, when he came with Qin Keqing and Baochai, they also went through this alley. This time, he also asked them to visit the place where civil and military officials held court.

Xiangyun was visiting this place for the first time and found it novel. She looked around and saw some officials in the distance, but they all avoided her.

After they had a quick look around, Chu Yan went to Xuanzheng Hall, which was equivalent to Linjing Hall in the imperial palace. It was a combination of the front court and the rear palace. You could enter the rear garden of Daming Palace by going out the back door of Xuanzheng Hall.

The group disembarked from the palanquin and entered the Xuanzheng Hall. Xiangyun pulled her sister Baochai around the hall, asking the Empress questions. Empress Zhang replied, "This is my first time here too."

Chu Yan smiled and said, "This is where the morning court is held. When I move here, the ministers will stand here to attend court, but the grand court will still be held in the palace."

The Daming Palace is not as strictly governed by etiquette as the Imperial Palace, so he can bring them here for a visit. If he were to take the concubines of the harem to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, he would be sure that ministers would submit memorials to the emperor.

"Let's go," Chu Yan said to them.

The group followed him to the rear hall of Xuanzheng Hall, where they would later be favored and entertained.

Before leaving Xuanzheng Hall, Baochai glanced one last time at the dragon throne on the golden platform. It was there that the emperor sat to summon his ministers, which made her think of what he looked like sitting on the dragon throne...

A ripple stirred in Baochai's heart, as if a fire was burning within her.

After leaving Xuanzheng Hall and arriving at the rear garden, one can see the rippling waters of Langchi Pond at a glance. To the right is a mountain with a pagoda and pavilions on its summit. At the foot of the mountain, along the shore of Langchi Pond, various pavilions and waterside terraces dazzle the eye.

In the center of Langchi is an island, which also has buildings and palaces, and a flying bridge spans the island and the shore.

Within the rear garden, countless Taoist and Buddhist temples and pavilions are scattered everywhere, adorned with exotic flowers and rare herbs. Cranes and ducks dance together in the Langchi Pond, while willows line the banks, their branches lush and green.

"Amitabha! How big is this garden? It's much bigger than the Grand View Garden!" Li Wan exclaimed in amazement.

On her second visit to the rear garden, Baochai said with a smile, "It is indeed a royal garden. The Grand View Garden cannot compare. This Langchi alone is larger than the entire Grand View Garden."

Xiangyun laughed and said, "It's perfect for rowing. Last time, the princess and I spent half a day playing on the lake."

Qinghe also laughed and asked, "Are we taking a boat again this time?"

"I would like to sit, but it depends on His Majesty's mood."

"Is this considered big?" Consort Zhou said smugly. "The West Garden is much bigger than this place. It's a pity that His Majesty was too frugal to complete the West Garden."

Empress Zhang said, "The Western Garden is bounded by mountains and rivers, and there are no walls to block it. Although it is a large hunting ground, it may not be as elegant as the Daming Palace."

They chatted amongst themselves, and their interest in sightseeing gradually grew.

Chu Yan saw a lakeside house behind the Xuanzheng Hall and said with a smile, "One of the purposes of inviting you to the garden today is to let you choose a place to stay. As mentioned before, you can choose freely regardless of rank, but no one can occupy dozens of houses." "Ah?"

Baochai and Baoqin were both surprised to see that today was the day to choose a place to stay.

Chu Yan pointed over there and said, "Since I need to attend court every day, I'll choose this place as my residence."

Xia Shouzhong, who was serving him, hurriedly said with a smile, "Your Majesty, this place is called Yulan Hall. It was originally the residence of the late Shun Dynasty emperor. It was a building that was built to facilitate his court sessions!"

"Really? Let's go take a look."

Chu Yan strode forward, followed by the young ladies and concubines. Empress Zhang, Consort Wu, and Noble Lady Zhou, who were familiar with the place, took the initiative to introduce themselves.

Chu Yan went inside and saw that Yu Lan Hall was a courtyard house with five rooms in the main hall, a study and a bedroom on the left and right, and warm pavilions and study rooms on the east and west sides, which could also be used as sleeping places for concubines when they came to serve the emperor.

Yulan Hall is built by the lake, and a cool breeze can be blown in as soon as the windows are opened, making it a perfect place to escape the summer heat.

After looking around, Chu Yan nodded and ordered, "Rename Yulan Hall to Zichen Hall. I will stay here during the summer."

Don't ask why, the name Yulantang is unlucky.

After leaving Zichen Hall, Chu Yan smiled at Daiyu and said, "Although you can choose any of the houses in the garden, there are a few special cases where you can choose first."

Daiyu looked at him. Was the emperor taking special care of her?

“First, there’s Lin Daiyu,” Chu Yan said.

Daiyu thought to herself, "He really did mention me..."

“She is not in good health. If she lives far away when I summon her, she will be exhausted just walking here. Therefore, Sister Lin can choose a place to stay nearby first.”

After Chu Yan finished speaking, all the concubines and young ladies looked at Daiyu, and many of the eunuchs and maids serving her also looked at her again.

The Emperor said that people could choose any house regardless of their rank, but that's true favor!
Where a concubine lives is not important, and even if the house is of high standard, it is useless. What matters is that the emperor remembers her to be considered a favored concubine!

"...Thank you for your care, Your Majesty." Daiyu bowed her head and curtsied. He had shown her such favor in front of so many people, which made her grateful for his kindness, even though she still had Baoyu in her heart.

"I am also in poor health," Consort Zhou said coquettishly.

Chu Yan glanced at her: "What are you weak about? You'll be a knight for half an hour each time before you stop."

"what!"

Consort Zhou exclaimed in surprise, her face flushed with shame!

Qin Keqing covered her face with a round fan and smiled shyly. Yuan Chun was puzzled at first, but after thinking for a while, she blushed and lowered her head. Empress Zhang snorted, maintaining her dignity as an empress, refusing to blush, and pretending not to understand.

Xiangyun smiled and said, "You can ride a horse? That's perfect! I was just thinking of practicing how to ride. His Majesty said that we'll go hunting in the autumn, and we can ride horses and have fun in the West Garden then!"

Qin Keqing burst out laughing.

Xiangyun looked at her strangely. Although Daiyu did not understand the meaning, she could tell from seeing that all the concubines were shy that it was not a good thing. She had just been grateful for his kindness to her, but now she was cursing him in her heart. He was a foolish emperor, saying such lewd words in front of the girls!
Chu Yan asked the eunuch, "Where is my mount?"

Xia Shouzhong hurriedly replied, "It has already been prepared for His Majesty. Shall we bring it here now?"

"Wait a moment."

Chu Yan continued, "Princess Qinghe needs to teach her several young nieces, so she can choose a larger place to live."

Qinghe smiled shyly at him and pulled the little princesses over to express their gratitude.

On the contrary, Empress Zhang, the legal mother, did not have priority in choosing. Perhaps the emperor noticed that Princess Qinghe usually took care of them.

Chu Yan looked at Li Wan again, and she seemed to have expected it as well, her face blushing.

"The palace official, along with his son, also chose a place to live first."

Chu Yan said that Li Wan had also brought Jia Lan to express her gratitude.

"Besides, Consort Xie has served me for many years, so I'll choose a place for her to stay later." Chu Yan looked at Empress Zhang and smiled, "Later, you can choose two or three secluded places for the Dowager Consorts to stay in."

Empress Zhang and Qinghe expressed their gratitude once again.

His Majesty allowed the former Empress Dowager and Imperial Concubine Dowager to reside in the Daming Palace because he remembered their service.

After saying that, Chu Yan smiled and said, "Let's take a walk around the neighborhood first, and let Lin Meimei choose a place."

No one said anything; they simply stayed by his side and played with him.

Daming Palace has over a hundred scenic buildings, more than twenty courtyards of varying sizes, and a total of over three thousand rooms, so choosing a place to stay is not difficult.

To the left of Xuanzheng Hall, not far from Zichen Hall, there is a lotus pond. There are two courtyards, several waterside pavilions, and a few kiosks beside the pond. Although the lotus flowers have not yet bloomed, the lotus leaves have already covered the water surface, and a fresh and pleasant atmosphere permeates the air. Everyone who sees it praises it.

Daiyu, however, didn't like it much.

Chu Yan then walked up to the top of Zichen Hall. To the left was Penglai Palace, one of the main palaces in the rear garden. It was originally built by Emperor Shun Taizong to celebrate the Empress Dowager's birthday. Later, only the Emperor and Empress were able to live there.

To the right was a secluded and tranquil bamboo grove. Daiyu followed the path and saw a courtyard hidden under the bamboo grove. Upon entering, she found a two-story pavilion, a main house, and two side rooms. She was delighted and thought it would be wonderful to live here.

Empress Zhang smiled and said, "This is Tingzhu Pavilion. No one used to live here. You can sit quietly on the second floor and hear the sound of the wind rustling through the bamboo. The courtyard is very quiet."

Daiyu smiled and said, "I'll stay here then." She looked at him as she spoke.

Chu Yan nodded: "If you like it, you can stay here. If you think the name is too common, you can change it to the Xiaoxiang Pavilion that you are familiar with. There is still space in the bamboo forest that you can expand or renovate the rooms inside."

Daiyu said, "No need for so much trouble, this is fine."

So it was decided that Daiyu would live in a quiet bamboo grove, and the place would be renamed Xiaoxiang Pavilion, which is slightly different from Xiaoxiang Pavilion in the Grand View Garden.

(End of this chapter)