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

Chapter 186 A Rainy Night in Xiaoxiang, the Emperor and Lin Daiyu

Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

When Daiyu returned to her residence, she felt suffocated and couldn't shake off her anger. She played with the parrot by the window for a while, but when it refused to learn poetry, she said angrily, "The emperor rules the whole country and everyone has to obey his decrees. I'm raising you, but you refuse to listen to me!"

Zijuan happened to come in and chuckled upon hearing this: "Why is the young lady taking her anger out on a beast?"

Daiyu said sullenly, "It's better to be an animal than a human."

Zijuan glanced at her, knowing that the girl was feeling sorry for herself again, heartbroken and all alone, so she didn't try to persuade her further and went out again.

Daiyu sat there for a while, and seeing that it was getting darker, she went out through the back door of the house and went to the eaves of the back room. She saw that the two big swallows had returned and were with a nest of baby swallows under the eaves.

He thought to himself, "When it's going to rain, even the swallow parents know to come back and protect their children. But I have no parents at home. I used to live at my uncle's house, and now I'm living in the emperor's palace. I'm not as comfortable as the swallows who have built their nests."

As I thought about it, tears welled up in my eyes again, and I felt increasingly unable to let go of the pain.

After some time, Ying'er came and told her: "The old lady sees that it is going to rain, so she told the girls not to go to pay their respects today, but to stay at home."

Daiyu could only sit alone. Seeing that a storm was coming, she went out and stood in the front yard. She watched the bamboo sway in the wind, and her clothes were also blown by the wind, as if she wanted to ride the wind away.

Raindrops began to fall, but did not become rain.

Upon seeing this, the newly arrived Ouguan from Xiaoxiang Pavilion hurriedly went to call Zijuan.

Zijuan quickly pulled Daiyu back into the house, saying that it was going to rain and what was the young lady doing outside, and that she should be careful not to catch too much wind.

Amidst the murmurs of conversation, a torrential downpour began.

The pear and banana trees in the backyard were pattered by the raindrops, and the rainwater gathered on the ground, flowed into the ditch, and then flowed out of Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

The heavy rain gradually stopped after half an hour, turning into a light drizzle.

After dinner, as darkness fell, Daiyu instructed Xueyan to close the door. She lit a lamp in her study, spread out some paper, and pondered for a while before writing a poem titled "Rainy Night Bell."

"A gentle breeze grows stronger, dark clouds churn like ink, threatening to fill the azure sky..."

Just as I began to write, I suddenly heard Zijuan's surprised voice from outside the door: "Why has Your Majesty come?"

What's with the King of Thieves here?!
Daiyu also had this question, so she quickly put down her pen, got up and went to greet him. A moment later, she saw the tall figure lift the curtain and walk in. Perhaps the eunuch hadn't held the umbrella properly for him, because there were still a few raindrops on his hair.

Daiyu bowed her head slightly and said, "Your Majesty visited Xiaoxiang Pavilion on a rainy night. This servant was unable to greet you from afar. Please forgive me."

Chu Yan remained silent, first observing her. He noticed that Daiyu was slender and frail, wearing a casual undergarment, with a hint of sorrow between her delicate brows.

After sitting down, he said to her, "Why are you angry with me again, Lin sister?"

She hadn't referred to herself as a servant in a long time, and now that she was doing so, it was clear that she was harboring a lot of resentment.

Upon hearing this, Daiyu sneered, "This servant wouldn't dare. What are we? We're just playthings. What can His Majesty do with his decrees? We can only obey his orders. This has always been the case for servants in front of their masters. How dare I hold a grudge?"

Chu Yan glanced at her twice, then suddenly laughed: "In that case, I shall settle the debt I owe Miss Lin. Come here and give me a hug!"

Daiyu was taken aback and stared wide-eyed as if she were looking at the most shameless thief in the world. How could he say such a thing?

If it were Baoyu who saw that she was angry, he would definitely try his best to please her, swearing oaths and bowing his head to apologize. Only after the two of them talked things out could they make up.

But now, she has only said one sentence, and the emperor is already impatient and wants to humiliate her directly!
Daiyu looked at him more closely and saw a smile on his lips. She knew he was making fun of her, so she turned to the window and stared blankly at the drizzling rain without saying a word.

Unexpectedly, a pair of hands suddenly appeared around her waist, startling her so much that she turned around and saw him.

"Sister Lin, you must not disobey the imperial decree."

Chu Yan spoke in a serious tone, pulling her back to her chair and asking Daiyu to sit on his lap. Before she could react, he smiled and asked, "Does Sister Lin know how Jia Qiang and Lingguan are doing now?"

Daiyu struggled for a moment before stopping, and said with a cold laugh, "What do they have to do with me? Even what happens to Baoyu is none of my business. He chose to be pardoned and then turned his back on me. Am I supposed to cry myself to death over this?"

Chu Yan frowned slightly, staring intently at Daiyu sitting on his lap. After a long while, he realized that she was not lying. Even if Jia Baoyu abandoned their relationship, Daiyu would not cry her heart out, nor would she give up on herself like a resentful woman.

She dared to commit suicide with a white silk ribbon only to preserve her own purity, not to remain chaste for Jia Baoyu.

Thinking of this, Chu Yan laughed and said, "If Baoyu chooses to serve in the army, wouldn't Lin Daiyu be happy? How can you say it has nothing to do with you?"

Daiyu said, “I will be happy with his choice and appreciate his past kindness, but I don’t understand what this has to do with me. Why don’t you explain it to me?”

She sat on his lap and looked at him, which made Chu Yan chuckle. He reached out and took her small hand in his. "Your words confuse me. It's clear that Lin Daiyu's talent is extraordinary."

Daiyu turned her head away, not pulling her hand away, letting him hold it, as if she were repaying a debt.

Chu Yan said, "I didn't ask what Lingguan and Jia Qiang said. I only know that she is still serving in my room and begged me to be lenient so that Jia Qiang could have a better life. I agreed."

Daiyu remained silent.

Chu Yan laughed: "Although Lin Meimei says she doesn't care, she probably cares more than anyone else. She says it's none of her business, but actually, Lin Meimei's heart is completely tied to him."

Daiyu knew how terrifying this bandit king was. He knew everything, was the emperor, and was domineering and lustful, yet he seemed easy to talk to, which made people lower their guard.

He said, "Your Majesty came to my place tonight just to talk about Lingguan's matter?"

"Guess." Chu Yan put his arm around Lin Meimei's waist and leaned back in her chair.

Although it was to collect a debt that forced her to be carried, Lin Daiyu's slender waist, delicate figure, and exquisite beauty with her delicate eyebrows and cherry lips were still very appealing.

Daiyu looked at the rain outside the window, pursed her lips, and then said softly, "They've come to collect a debt."

Chu Yan laughed and said, "Since you've already guessed correctly, why lie? I came here for Lin Daiyu!"

Daiyu suddenly became annoyed and looked up at him: "You don't need to say these nice things to me to deceive me. As the emperor, why do you need to say such things to coax people?"

Chu Yan said, "How did I coax you? I don't believe that the clever and quick-witted Lin Daiyu couldn't see through it."

Daiyu said, "As expected, they've come to collect a debt!"

Chu Yan pinched her cheek, and Daiyu turned her head away, her face suddenly turning red. She struggled to get down and turned her back to him, saying, "There should be a limit to collecting debts. How can anyone believe you when you humiliate people like this and say you came for me?"

Chu Yan laughed and said, "See, didn't you figure it out?"

Looking at the light rain outside the window, he said, "Leng Zixing said that Lin Daiyu is a sentimental girl, and she will definitely feel sad on rainy days. In the past, Jia Baoyu would comfort her, but now that he is not here, I will reluctantly take his place."

Daiyu, furious, laughed and turned to him, saying, "Why mention Leng Zixing? You and I both know this is just a pretense. It's not surprising that you can perform magic in your dreams and know what's going on in the garden. But even His Majesty can make mistakes. I may sigh every day, but I don't cry every time it rains. Haven't you heard the saying that spring rain is as precious as oil? When spring comes, the gentle rain nourishes the earth. I'm overjoyed, why be sad?"

As she spoke, she turned her head away and said quietly, "There's no need to mention Baoyu anymore."

Chu Yan laughed and said, "You know about the garden from a dream? You're wronging me again."

Daiyu sneered: "Even the old ladies in the garden who often watch operas don't know what Ouguan sings, but you remember it the most clearly."

Chu Yan said, "Don't you know that I was born from a Buddhist pagoda struck by lightning?"

Daiyu chuckled and turned to look at him: "You were born from a lightning-struck Buddhist pagoda, so am I some fairy herb born from tears on the banks of the Western Spirit River?"

Chu Yan clapped his hands: "Incredible! That girl Pin guessed right!"

Daiyu blushed, then sneered: "You really are good at divination. Who told you my courtesy name is Pinpin? What else do you know? Tell me one thing, and I'll hear if your divination is correct."

Chu Yan smiled and asked, "Would you like to play a bet?"

Daiyu hurriedly asked, "What are we betting on?"

She agreed very quickly, as it didn't involve her personally.

(End of this chapter)