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

Chapter 220 Ice for Summer
Yangxintang.

Chu Yan embraced the fair-skinned Baochai in his arms, slightly pulled up her sleeve, and grasped a section of her snow-white, smooth arm, gently playing with and caressing it.

The little girl in her arms blushed, secretly glanced back at him, then quickly turned to look at her sisters, pretending nothing was wrong, and focused on reciting poems with them.

Chu Yan smiled, not going too far with her, just indulging in his pleasure.

Baochai doesn't yet possess the aura of a noble consort, so he plans to nurture her for a few more days.

The girls composed poems together, while Chu Yan lay sprawled on his pillow. Although Baochai was in his arms, he could not resist the drowsiness and unconsciously yawned.

Daiyu glanced out the window and smiled, "It's almost nightfall, Your Majesty, are you going to sleep?"

Chu Yan said, "Wait a little longer, so you won't have nothing to do when you get up early tomorrow. If you're tired, go back and rest."

Just as Daiyu was about to speak, Qingwen lifted the curtain and came in, reporting to Chu Yan, "Your Majesty, the Empress in the palace has sent word that the imperial physician says that Lord Chongle is seriously ill and may not make it through the night."

Everyone inside looked over.

Qinghe suddenly stood up, her face showing panic, but she quickly sat back down without asking any more questions or saying anything more.

Seeing her like this, the others didn't dare to ask any questions.

Chu Yan, still embracing Baochai's plump and soft body, asked Qingwen, "Anything else to say?"

Qingwen shook her head: "Just this one sentence. Eunuch Xia is right outside the door. If His Majesty wants to ask anything, I'll go out and ask him."

There were girls in the room, and eunuchs were absolutely not allowed to enter, even if they didn't have testicles.

"That's it."

Chu Yan pondered for a moment, then looked at Qinghe sitting in the chair opposite him and asked, "Your father is seriously ill. Do you want to go back to see him tonight?"

Qinghe hesitated for a moment and said, "It's getting late, and it will be too late to rush back to the palace. The palace gates are closed, and there's nothing I can do if I go back. It's enough that Mother is here to take care of me."

Chu Yan smiled and said, "Let's go back and take one last look. The Empress only sent the message at night, probably for this reason."

As he spoke, he got off the bed and instructed Qingwen, "Send someone to fetch Lin Hongyu."

Qingwen asked curiously, "Why are you calling her?"

Although she asked the question, she did not question it. She then lifted the curtain and summoned two palace maids, ordering them to immediately take several people to Wang Xifeng's house to bring Xiao Hong over.

Chu Yan smiled and said, "I have something for her to do. You'll find out soon enough."

Xiangling and Yuchuan are both well-behaved and don't ask many questions, but Qingwen always asks, which is just her nature.

Xiangyun, Baoqin, and the others were all sitting. After Chu Yan got off the bed, he walked back and forth in the room. The clever ones, such as Daiyu, Baoqin, and Baochai, guessed that he got off the bed to clear his head.

After a while, Chu Yan asked Qinghe to fetch paper and pen, wrote an imperial edict on the spot, handed it to Qinghe, and then went out with her.

"His Majesty!"

Xia Shouzhong and other eunuchs hurried over to await the imperial decree.

Chu Yan issued an order: "Later, you will escort Qinghe back to the palace. Take the guards who are on duty tonight and have a group of people escort her. After the palace gates are opened, only the princess and her maids are allowed to enter the palace. The rest of you will go to Wangjiang Tower to guard her and return tomorrow morning."

"Yes, I obey your order!"

"It's not over yet."

Chu Yan continued, "Send someone to deliver an edict to Zhong Han, the Vice Minister of Rites, ordering him to go to Wangjiang Tower to handle the matter first. Also, send an edict to Chu Ming, Li Changjin, and Xu Zhiyi, telling them about this matter. You don't need to say anything else; they will know what to do."

Then he said to Qinghe, "After you enter the palace, you can use my decree to open the Lingxiao Gate and go to the Daming Palace to visit your father."

Qinghe burst into tears of joy and tried to kneel down, but Chu Yan stopped her and comforted her for a while.

Since Hongyu had not yet arrived, Chu Yan returned to the hall and sat down. The girls, some standing and some sitting, were all waiting, and also chatted with Qinghe.

After a while, Lin Hongyu arrived, panting.

Chu Yan smiled and said, "Don't rush, have some tea first."

Hongyu knew something was happening from the scene inside and outside the house, and quickly smiled and said, "Your Majesty summoned me in a hurry, and I dare not delay."

Chu Yan nodded and asked her, "Can you stay up all night? I have something I need you to do."

Hongyu grew increasingly nervous. There were many people in the Emperor's room, including eunuchs, palace maids, and numerous young women around. What could possibly require her to do?
Seeing that she had answered, Chu Yan said, "Later, you will go to the palace with Princess Qinghe and tell the Empress and the Empress Dowager that if Duke Chongle is still alive, he should be sent to Wangjiang Tower so that Duke Anle can see his father off on his final journey. After you have finished everything, go to the side room of Linjing Hall to sleep and come back tomorrow."

After listening, Daiyu glanced over and saw that it was indeed the emperor. First, the instructions were very detailed, even specifying where the maid would stay and which gate the princess would use to go to the Daming Palace. Second, he was very suspicious and had many concerns. He did not use the empress, princess, eunuchs, or other officials, but instead sent another maid to keep watch.

No wonder she always saw eunuchs serving as military supervisors when she read the history of the Song Dynasty.

Hongyu didn't reply immediately, and Chu Yan smiled and said, "I should have called my maids, but they stayed up all night and it's not convenient for them to stay up again, so I called you instead." He then asked her, "Did you hear what I just said?"

Hongyu nodded hurriedly and repeated his words.

Chu Yan said, "You remember it very clearly."

Finally, he instructed them: "Those who enter the palace tonight shall not leave the palace again tonight. Go."

After receiving the imperial decree, Qinghe, Hongyu, and Xia Shouzhong left Yangxin Hall and the Grand View Garden. They were escorted by a group of guards and traveled by carriage to the palace.

After they left, Chu Yan said, "I originally planned to move to Daming Palace in a few days, but now that this has happened, I'll stay in the garden for a few more days until the funeral of Duke Chongle is over before going back."

After returning to the east side room and sitting down, Xiangyun finally couldn't help but ask, "Why did you send Xiaohong again, Emperor Brother? Are you worried that something is being kept secret in the palace?"

Upon hearing this, Baochai became even more cautious: Yun'er was so outspoken, asking the emperor such difficult questions.

Chu Yan smiled and said, "Although Qinghe and the other two are concubines, and I trust them, they still have ties to the previous dynasty. If I let them return to the palace to work, even if they are open-minded, they will still feel uneasy. It would be better if I sent someone to keep an eye on them, so that they can act more freely."

After thinking about it carefully, Xiangyun realized that it made a lot of sense.

Daiyu also understood and smiled, "Let's handle official business strictly, that way we can avoid a lot of friction." She then smiled at Tanchun and said, "Third Sister, when you were dismissing people the other day, you were just as impartial and incorruptible, even His Majesty the Emperor applauded and praised you!"

Everyone laughed, and the slight tension from before vanished in an instant.

Chu Yan glanced at Baochai, somewhat missing her voluptuous figure, but since it was already night, he decided not to bother her any further.

So he said, "Go back now. Tomorrow we will celebrate Lin Daiyu's recovery. I will order the ice cellar to be opened and ice to be fetched. I will return in the afternoon, and you can come back to collect your rewards!"

Drinking iced beverages in the summer was nothing unusual for the noble ladies present, but compared to the royal family's casual use of ice, they had never indulged in such a lavish lifestyle before.

At least Xiangyun's family wasn't very wealthy, and she was quite looking forward to tomorrow's iced drinks.

……

The next morning, Chu Yan went to the Pear Fragrance Courtyard for the morning court session. Hong Yu and Xia Shouzhong had not returned, so he heard the news of Chong Le Gong's death from the Minister of Rites. The Minister of Rites rushed to Wangjiang Tower early in the morning to personally examine the body and prepare Chong Le Gong for burial.

"Ah."

Chu Yan nodded and asked the assembled officials, "You have discussed this before, let's discuss it again. Should we give him a posthumous title, or should we posthumously confer upon him the rank of king or marquis before burial? Should we suspend court to show our condolences?" He added, "I recently conferred the title of Princess Qinghe upon her as a concubine."

There are many instances of emperors being captured, and many instances of former emperors dying in the present dynasty, but there are many precedents and no fixed procedure.

Because of the passing of Duke Chongle today, many more people have come to court, and the Lixiang Courtyard is filled with ministers.

Chu Ming said, “If it were during the Han and Jin dynasties, when Emperor Xian abdicated to Emperor Wen of Wei, Your Majesty could issue an edict to suspend court. But now Your Majesty has led us to seize the Chen family’s empire. In my opinion, there is no need to suspend court.”

He then smiled and said, "If Your Majesty favors your concubines, you may bestow more rewards upon them. Suspending court is a serious matter and should not be done."

Chu Yan then asked the others, "What do you think?"

A minister stepped forward and said, "I believe that since the Duke of Chongle and the Duke of Anle have submitted to our dynasty, in order to win the hearts of the people, we should suspend court for three days."

The officials began to speak, but Chu Ming and other former officials from the Qianwang Mansion, who knew the Emperor best, remained silent. They had long seen that His Majesty was merely testing how many people still held onto the old dynasty. His Majesty would never suspend court for a princess or concubine. If the people of the former dynasty were to petition for the suspension of court, they would likely suffer the consequences.

"Do the officials of Lantai Temple have anything to say?"

Chu Yan looked at the Grand Master of the Imperial Academy standing on his right. He still remembered Song Rui's memorial to the throne, which requested the Empress to leave the palace.

Song Rui stepped forward and reported, "I believe that it is inappropriate to suspend court proceedings or posthumously confer a title of king or marquis. We should promptly instruct the Ministry of Rites to draft a posthumous title, bury the Duke of Chongle in the Shun Dynasty imperial mausoleum, and issue an edict to compile the 'History of Shun'!"

Chu Yan nodded slightly, waited a while, and seeing that no ministers spoke, said, "The court session is suspended and the discussion is over. The Ministry of Rites will determine the posthumous title and temple name. As for the burial..."

After a moment's thought, he said, "He shall still be buried with the rites due to a duke or marquis, and the Ministry of Rites shall handle his funeral. I have heard of the custom of secondary burial in the south before. It would be better to bury Duke Chongle at Huang'en Temple first, and then send his remains to the Shun Dynasty imperial mausoleum later. This way, we can avoid a lot of trouble."

Chu Mingsheng praised, "The new dynasty has just been established, and the national treasury is not very full. I think it is very appropriate to use the custom of secondary burial to avoid the expenses of the funeral procession!"

Xu Zhiyi and others agreed, and the other ministers echoed their sentiments. Someone else reported that members of the former imperial family should be sent to guard the tomb of Duke Chongle to fulfill their filial piety.

Chu Yan granted permission and sent the members of the Shun Dynasty's imperial family to the back mountain of Huang'en Temple, forbidding them from leaving without imperial decree.

……

In the afternoon, Chu Yan returned to the garden. Before even entering the Yangxin Hall, he felt a cool breeze from the open gate, which made him feel dazed, as if he had returned to a summer day in his previous life when the air conditioner was on.

When he was Prince Qian, he was not so extravagant as to use ice to cool off. Now that he is the emperor, he has the desire to enjoy it. After all, the ice was preserved during the Shun Dynasty and would melt if not used.

"His Majesty is back!"

Qingwen called out to the house with a smile, and everyone rushed out to greet her. Not only Xiangyun, Baochai, and Daiyu, but also Grandmother Jia, Wang Xifeng, Ping'er, and others came.

Chu Yan had already given instructions to them to come here and await their reward.

He entered Yangxin Hall, where it was even cooler. He glanced around and saw that more than half of the ice in the large wooden boxes had melted. Fangguan went to the wooden boxes as soon as she entered the room and fanned the ice with a fan to let the cold air blow it away.

But Chu Yan looked at her purely because he found it amusing, and it was cooler to be near the ice.

After sitting down, Chu Yan smiled at them and said, "I haven't even returned yet, and you're already enjoying yourselves."

Baochai hesitated to respond. Over the past few days, she had been secretly observing the emperor and noticed that although he doted on the young ladies, he also punished them from time to time. His words were full of hidden meanings, which made people fearful.

Daiyu looked up at him and smiled, "His Majesty said he would give rewards today and secretly ordered the eunuchs to make arrangements, but he didn't forbid Yun'er from coming in. His Majesty knows Yun'er's personality. Once she comes in, how can we keep it a secret?"

Everyone laughed, and Xiangyun also laughed and said, "I thought this ice is rare, and it would be a waste if it melted. Why don't we let everyone come and cool off first, and then express our gratitude when His Majesty returns? We'll be happy too. Does His Majesty think this makes sense?"

Chu Yan laughed and said, "Alright, whatever makes you happy. We'll have 100 pounds of ice today, and we'll serve iced drinks later. There will also be iced water to drink during the banquet tonight."

Xiangyun clapped her hands and exclaimed, "Now we don't have to sweat all over when we drink!"

Chu Yan looked at Baochai: "Your sister Bao is most afraid of the heat."

As they were talking, Wang Xifeng noticed that Fangguan was only focused on fanning herself, so she quickly grabbed her hand and said with a smile, "His Majesty is back, why don't you hurry up and bring the ice to His Majesty so he can fan himself?"

Fangguan and Diguan then realized what was happening and quickly carried wooden boxes of ice water to the emperor's sides, and then fanned him.

Chu Yan nodded and said, "To make you laugh, this is the first time I've ever used ice to cool down."

Grandmother Jia laughed and said, "We were just a middle-class family before, and we never used ice in such a luxurious way. Neither did the Shi family. Today, thanks to His Majesty's grace, I, an old woman, can enjoy this luxury as well."

Madam Wang and Madam Xing nodded in agreement.

Shi Xiangyun hurriedly said, "My grandma hasn't come yet. I'll send someone to invite her so she can come and be happy too!"

After she sent someone to invite them, Chu Yan smiled and said, "If there are many people, a few pieces of ice won't be enough. Qingwen, have someone send some more."

Aunt Xue sat down next to her daughter, glanced at the open door, and asked, "Shouldn't we close the door to prevent the heat from getting into the house?"

Upon hearing this, Lady Wang and the others felt awkward. Grandmother Jia nodded and said, "It's better to go to the gate; the ice will melt more slowly there."

Lady Wang let it go since Aunt Xue, who was still young, didn't blush. They lived in the royal palace and were just servants, so they didn't need to worry about their reputation.

Although it was a room full of women and one man locked in the room, the elderly Grandmother Jia was also there, so it wasn't just young girls and wives.

"Xiao Hong, come here."

After cooling off for a while, Chu Yan called Hongyu, who hadn't spoken until now, over and asked her what time she went to bed last night and what time she returned this morning. He then briefly inquired about the events at the palace last night, and Hongyu nodded, saying:

"You did a great job, you were very reliable."

After glancing at Wang Xifeng, Chu Yan asked Hongyu, "I am still short of a maid in my room. Would you be willing to serve me?"

Upon hearing this, no one was too surprised. They could all see that he valued Hongyu, otherwise he wouldn't have specially appointed her as an imperial envoy to handle affairs in the palace.

Hongyu's face lit up with joy, but she suppressed her laughter and said, "Your Majesty's decree is my command, and I dare not disobey. I am also willing to give up my second mistress and serve Your Majesty from now on!" As she spoke, seeing that Chu Yan had nothing to say, she knelt down and kowtowed.

When Wang Xifeng was mentioned, no one was asked whether she had given permission, because it was the emperor's decree, and asking others would be disrespecting the imperial will.

Wang Xifeng remained silent, simply staring intently, her phoenix eyes seeming to hold a hint of annoyance.

Chu Yan deliberately ignored her and only accepted Hongyu.

Ping'er couldn't bear to watch any longer and asked with a smile, "Your Majesty is rewarding the people in the manor today. Why don't you invite Qiao Jie and Lan Ge'er over as well, so that the two little ones can have some fun too? How about that?"

Wang Xifeng's expression changed, as if she were somewhat nervous.

Chu Yan nodded: "Call them over. Today we're celebrating Lin Daiyu's recovery. As long as there's room for everyone, please come!"

Ping'er smiled and sent someone to invite them. Li Wan and Wang Xifeng exchanged a glance and stepped forward to express their gratitude.

Daiyu also stood up, bowed, and thanked her.

Baoqin smiled and said, "I heard that Sister Lin often chants Buddhist prayers, and there's a custom of fulfilling vows here. Shouldn't we go to the temple to fulfill our vows too?"

She originally mentioned the Green Bamboo Nunnery, but then brought up Miaoyu. Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia hurriedly said, "The rules for fulfilling vows in the imperial family are different from those of us ordinary families. We have to go to the Imperial Grace Temple, and if it's a grand occasion, we have to send officials from the Ministry of Rites. Since His Majesty has not sent anyone to offer incense and make a vow before, there's no need for us to fulfill our vows."

After hearing this, Chu Yan asked, "I did not send anyone to offer incense and make a wish, but did you go?"

Yuanyang hurriedly said, "The old lady asked me to go to Longcui Nunnery to offer incense the night before last."

Chu Yan said, "In that case, you go to Longcui Nunnery to fulfill your vows, and I will have Zhang fulfill her vows at Huang'en Temple another day."

"Going to Huang'en Temple too? What a coincidence," Xiangyun murmured.

Everyone could tell that she was thinking of Jia Baoyu.

Chu Yan said, "These days, I've been thinking about Huang'en Temple quite often. It seems like we have a special connection. How about we go to the temple together sometime? We're getting bored staying at home all the time. What do you think?"

Xiangyun and Tanchun were naturally willing, while Baochai and Baoqin were indifferent to whether they went or not.

Daiyu asked, "Is it just a trip?"

"It's just a trip." Chu Yan laughed. "You can say goodbye to Jia Baoyu and see him shave his head and become a monk along the way."

It would have been better if she hadn't mentioned it, because once this topic came up, Madam Wang almost burst into tears again, but since today was a joyous occasion, she could only hold back.

She couldn't go to Huang'en Temple with him, so she could only ask Yuan Chun and Tan Chun to try and persuade Bao Yu to change his mind and not become a monk!

After thinking for a moment, Daiyu agreed that if Chu Yan went to Huang'en Temple, she would go with him and see Baoyu one more time.

Xiangyun hurriedly said, "Since that's settled, then let's go to Huang'en Temple with our Emperor brother to offer incense and have some fun!"

Chu Yan looked around and, seeing that they had no objections, nodded in agreement.

Taking the young ladies of the Grand View Garden to watch Jia Baoyu shave his head and become a monk would probably be quite an interesting scene.

(End of this chapter)