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

Chapter 165 A Visit to the Grand View Garden (Part 1)

Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

After getting up, Daiyu was listless, wearing a thin short jacket, her black hair disheveled, and she didn't come to the dressing mirror for a long time.

Zijuan smiled and said, "Miss, hurry up and get ready, the Emperor is coming today."

"Why bother with him? Who cares if he comes or not? He's tormented him like that, he's neither human nor ghost, it shows how heartless he is!"

Daiyu was still complaining that Emperor Chu Yan had ordered the confiscation of their property, leaving Baoyu in that smelly, thin, and slovenly state.

These past two days, she kept thinking about Baoyu's pitiful and miserable appearance outside the hanging flower gate, and occasionally she would recall his past kindness. The contrast between the two was like a lifetime ago.

Zijuan sighed, "Miss, please stop talking. The Emperor has already shown mercy. Other families were exiled thousands of miles away just a few days ago. It's a stroke of luck that Master Bao and the others can stay in the capital."

Daiyu remained silent.

Although Baoyu was a little dirty, he was alright. As long as he performed his corvée labor diligently, he would be pardoned in the future.

"Girl, I've brought your jewelry."

Xueyan brought in the box and opened it for her to see. Inside were some precious jewelry given to her by Grandmother Jia, including a gold hairpin inlaid with jewels, jade flowers, butterflies, and a pair of pearl earrings. There were also some jewelry that the emperor had casually bestowed upon her last time, but they were not very good; they were just common items and could not compare to the ones Grandmother Jia had given her.

After hesitating for a moment, Daiyu pointed to the jewelry bestowed upon her by the emperor and said, "I'll wear these today. Put them down for now. I'll wear my usual clothes to pay my respects to the old lady. I'll come back to change when the emperor arrives."

Xueyan asked curiously, "Why aren't you dressed in your finest clothes, Miss? Last time when the Imperial Concubine visited her family, you got up early in the morning to wash and change."

Daiyu smiled and said, "Last time was different from this time. The emperor will not leave the palace until the afternoon."

Zijuan was also puzzled: "How did you know, Miss?"

"I predicted it correctly!"

Daiyu said with certainty.

Zijuan and Xueyan didn't quite believe it. Seeing that she refused to wear it, they could only help her put on her ordinary clothes and go to pay her respects to the old lady.

When they arrived at Grandmother Jia's courtyard, Zijuan saw Baochai, Yingchun, Tanchun, Miss Xing, Wang Xifeng, and others, all of whom were dressed in gold and silver, some wearing gold phoenix hairpins with inlaid pearls and filigree, and others wearing five phoenix hairpins with pearls hanging from them. The old lady was wearing the robes of a first-rank noblewoman, and even Baochai, who usually did not wear much jewelry, now had a hairpin in her hair and clove beads hanging from her ears.

Only the girls remained the same as before.

Seeing Daiyu like this, Grandmother Jia asked her with a smile, "Why didn't you change your clothes, little girl?"

Everyone looked on, and Daiyu smiled and said, "The Emperor will probably not arrive until the afternoon, so there's no rush to change clothes, lest we have to come back and change again later."

Tan Chun said, "Last time when my elder sister visited her family, we went out to wait in the morning, but it was almost noon when someone came to say that she would not set off until the beginning of the evening and would not return home until nightfall. It is clear that Sister Lin is cunning; she is right."

Everyone laughed, and Grandmother Jia said with a smile, "We can't decide when we'll go out to greet the Emperor. Since you find it troublesome and don't want to change in advance, then prepare some so that you won't be in a rush when the Emperor arrives."

Zijuan laughed and said, "The young lady said she guessed correctly that the emperor would not leave the palace until the afternoon!"

"How did Lin Daiyu guess it?" everyone asked.

Just then, Shi Xiangyun arrived from the East Palace. Upon hearing this, she smiled and said, "His Majesty the Emperor has to attend the morning court and review memorials, and then go back to the rear palace for lunch and rest at noon. So, he'll be setting off in the afternoon?"

Daiyu smiled, and everyone suddenly realized what was happening.

It turns out that they had lived in the palace for a long time and knew what the emperor's daily life was like.

Grandmother Jia nodded and said, "So many young ladies in the manor have entered the palace, and you all seem to be favored and can make your own decisions. So then you can do as young ladies would. When to go out to greet them and how to greet them are all up to you. We can't make those decisions!"

Wang Xifeng, Madam Wang, and others laughed and said that it had been like this for a long time, and that the young ladies were in charge of managing the household.

Aunt Xue looked around. The group of girls were young and beautiful. After being dressed up, they were even more outstanding. They would all enter the palace and be named concubines in the future. No wonder she said it was different from last time.

Last time, she accompanied Baochai and Baoqin to welcome Yuanchun's visit home, but she was not wearing her official robes. She went out to greet them with the Jia family, but all the ladies were wearing the official robes of the imperial ladies, while she was not wearing any.

Fortunately, this time when the emperor visited, her daughter Baochai was also exceptionally outstanding among all the girls.

After sitting for only a short while, a servant came to report. Wang Xifeng stood up and said with a smile, "Grandma, I can't keep you company any longer. There are still matters to attend to in the garden and the mansion."

He then called Tan Chun to go out together.

Daiyu, Xiangyun, Baochai, and others were chatting idly at Grandmother Jia's place. Before long, a eunuch came to report: "His Majesty has issued an edict: He will leave the palace and arrive at the gate of the mansion in about half an hour. Tell the young ladies to calculate the time and go out to greet him. There is no need to wait long."

Upon hearing this, Yuanyang couldn't help but smile and say, "His Majesty is very kind to the ladies. He was worried that they might get tired, so he specially sent someone to deliver the imperial decree!"

Xiangyun, Baochai, Yingchun, and Baoqin all blushed a little. Xichun, who had not entered the palace, also felt that the emperor was different from others, at least from the one her eldest sister had visited her family last time.

Daiyu originally did not want to side with Chu Yan, but seeing that he had given such instructions, she couldn't help but feel a little touched.

It's admirable that even after becoming emperor, he still thinks of these girls.

Grandmother Jia smiled at Daiyu and said, "You guessed right, my girl. The Emperor will indeed depart in the afternoon. In that case, you should all go back and rest. Come back in the afternoon." So everyone dispersed. Xiangyun followed Daiyu to Xiaoxiang Pavilion and also pulled Baochai along.

At the third quarter of the hour, Daiyu began to dress up. After finishing her makeup, she looked at herself in the mirror and couldn't help but recall the last time she dressed up like this, and how Baoyu was stunned when he saw her.

Now, no matter how she dresses up, Baoyu is no longer there; only Chu Yan can see her.

With a soft sigh, Daiyu set off for Grandmother Jia's place.

Upon seeing her, everyone laughed and said, "We've been waiting for Miss Lin to arrive!"

When Daiyu looked around, she saw that all the ladies and young ladies from the Rongguo Mansion were there, as were the ladies and young ladies from the Ningguo Mansion. Upon seeing her, some of the ladies and young ladies stood up to greet her.

Daiyu quickly told them to sit down.

The group left the Rongguo Mansion together. Many eunuchs were already lined up outside. Outside the curtain, a group of guards in silver armor could be vaguely seen. They were the Emperor's personal guards. Since the young ladies were waiting outside, the guards stood outside the curtain.

Seeing that Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang, and the others were about to go outside to stand, Baoqin quickly said, "It's terribly hot outside. Wouldn't it be better if we waited until His Majesty arrived before going out?"

Xiangyun clapped her hands and laughed, "That's right, there's no rush to go out."

With their two "favored concubines" speaking up, the crowd felt less restrained and settled down under the gate to cool off.

Xing Xiuyan waited and waited, but she couldn't wait any longer, so she quietly called a maid to ask Miaoyu if she had arrived yet.

Just as the maid was about to leave, someone shouted, "Master Miaoyu is here!"

Everyone turned to look and saw Miaoyu, dressed in a paddy field robe and holding a whisk, walking gracefully towards them. When she got close, Miaoyu put her hands together and bowed.

Grandmother Jia nodded and smiled, "I've been so busy that I almost forgot about you."

Miaoyu said calmly, "I am a nun and should not get involved in these worldly affairs, but I have no choice but to come due to the imperial decree."

Everyone knew her personality, so they didn't say much. Xiuyan pulled her over to wait together.

After a while, a eunuch rode up on horseback, dismounted, and ran to Xiangyun and the other young ladies, kneeling down to report: "Ladies, His Majesty has left the palace and will arrive at the gate of the mansion in about a quarter of an hour!"

Baochai instructed him, "Go back and report. The young ladies are all waiting for the Emperor's arrival."

The eunuch rode away on his horse again.

After a while, a dozen or so eunuchs came running up, clapping their hands and panting.

According to the previous visit to her family, they should have gone out to wait by now, but the sun was too strong, and considering Lin Daiyu's weak health, Baochai, Xiangyun, and others discussed and decided to wait under the gate instead.

Wait a moment, and a red-clad eunuch will arrive on horseback.

"Go out and greet them quickly!"

Grandmother Jia hurriedly called them to go outside to wait for them. The young ladies stood in front, while the other ladies and mistresses stood behind. The head maids and servants all waited inside the gate.

It was quiet outside the mansion gate. Daiyu and the others were sweating a little from the sun shining on their faces.

Fortunately, not long after, the sound of ceremonial music came from ahead, and soon countless eunuchs and palace maids, carrying various ceremonial items, came in a grand procession.

Aunt Xue looked up slightly and saw a golden palanquin carried by sixteen eunuchs at the front, followed by three golden phoenix-embroidered palanquins. Those were the palanquins that Yuan Chun rode in when she visited her family last year.

"The Emperor has arrived! Kneel!" A ceremonial eunuch announced the ceremony and cracked a whip. As a result, many eunuchs, guards, and women waiting in the mansion, including Aunt Xue, Baochai, and Baoqin, all knelt down.

The imperial carriage slowly arrived at the gate of the Rongguo Mansion. The emperor on his throne lifted the curtain, glanced at them first, then looked at the plaque behind them that read "Imperial Construction of Rongguo Mansion," and said with a smile:
"Be flat!"

Everyone then stood up, bowing their heads slightly, not daring to look directly at the emperor's face.

Because Jia Zhen had been sentenced to death not long ago, and You Shi was still behind the others, she quietly raised her head to look. She saw that the emperor who had sentenced her husband to death was wearing a bright yellow satin five-clawed dragon robe. His face was handsome and his majesty was striking. Even if people had resentment in their hearts, they dared not do so for fear of being discovered by the emperor.

After he disembarked from the imperial carriage, three more imperial concubines followed closely behind.

Lady You looked closely and saw that the first one was Jia Yuanchun from the West Mansion. She was still dressed in the same brocade satin with gold embroidery as when she last visited her family, wearing a crown with seven pheasants and two phoenixes, looking incredibly noble.

Behind Jia Yuanchun, You Shi saw a concubine wearing a revealing strapless dress. She was not wearing the ceremonial clothes of the previous dynasty. Her hair was adorned with pearls and jade ornaments, which made her fair face shine and made her look charming and beautiful. She walked to the emperor's side and accompanied him with a smile.

After looking at her for a while, Madam You realized she looked somewhat familiar. Was it her daughter-in-law, Madam Qin?!

Upon closer inspection, it was indeed her!
She seemed like a completely different person. She was no longer the gentle and kind Madam Rong of Ningguo Mansion, but a highly favored imperial concubine in the palace. She was noble and charming, with a slender waist and a full, round bodice. Her alluring eyes revealed a myriad of charms, making it hard to believe that she was Madam Qin.

She should be called Consort Qin!

Lady You was shocked. She looked at the third person and saw a girl with a double bun hairstyle. She was about the same age as the girls in the mansion, but her demeanor was completely different from the girls in the mansion. She was dignified and noble, as well as gentle and beautiful. She also walked to the emperor's side and smiled as she looked at the Jia family girls who had stood up.

When Lady You heard Xiangyun say "Princess" with a smile, she realized her identity. It turned out that she was a royal princess of the former Shun Dynasty, and she had been taken into the harem by the emperor as a concubine!
For a moment, Madam You felt uneasy, unsure how she would face Madam Qin later.

No matter what, she can no longer act like a mother-in-law and must serve her well, lest she lose her position as the housekeeper!
(End of this chapter)