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

Chapter 231 Lin Hai, a former official who had committed a crime against the dynasty, kowtows.
Back at Yangxin Hall, Chu Yan summoned Li Wan to his residence.

The fire ignited by Madam Xue can only be extinguished by a woman.

On the couch, as the two were tenderly cuddling, Li Wan asked softly, "Do you remember His Majesty once said that Lan'er would be allowed to return home to live when he turns seven?"

Chu Yan was playing with Li Wan when he heard this and laughed, "Is the Palace Attendant reluctant to part with her?"

Li Wan shook her head and said, "I was reluctant to part with him before, and I am still reluctant now, but I will obey His Majesty's decree and enter the palace to serve him... After Lan'er turns seven, let him live in Feng'er's room again. What does His Majesty think?"

Chu Yan asked curiously, "Does he live with Feng Nu?"

That's not the case.

Li Wan smiled and said, "I was thinking that Lan'er will be seven years old in two years. His Majesty will definitely bring Feng'er into the palace. At that time, she will also move into the garden. Along with Ping'er, I think it would be better to let them live in Yihong Courtyard. The place is big enough. They used to be mistress and servant, but now they are both concubines. It would be more intimate for them to live together."

Chu Yan thought about it and felt that it made a lot of sense, so he rewarded Gong Cai handsomely!

……

Day two.

After reviewing the memorials, Chu Yan was about to summon a few ministers to discuss the new laws when Xia Shouzhong walked forward with a smile, presenting a memorial with both hands.

"Your Majesty, good news! A letter has arrived from Suzhou!"

Suzhou?

Sensing that he was being coy, Chu Yan took the document, glanced at the first line in the lower right corner, and laughed: "When did this memorial arrive?"

Xia Shouzhong hurriedly smiled and said, "It just arrived. Because His Majesty personally issued the decree, Wenhua Hall sent someone to deliver it specially."

All memorials from various regions were first sent to the Wenhua Hall, where the scholars and members of the Hanlin Academy conducted a preliminary review before being sent to the Left and Right Chancellors. The Six Ministries then reviewed the memorials, issued drafts, and sent them to the Emperor's desk.

Confidential memorials were sent directly to the emperor.

This memorial was clearly not confidential, yet it was delivered to the Wenhua Hall immediately, which shows that they all remembered what the emperor cared about.

Chu Yan nodded and instructed, "Now that today's official business is finished, return to the garden!"

With that, he picked up the memorial, left Pear Fragrance Courtyard, and returned to Grand View Garden.

On the way, he also instructed them: "Go to Xiaoxiang Pavilion and ask if Miss Lin is there. If she is not there, send someone to look for her. Don't disturb her. Just know where she is."

A group of eunuchs hurriedly ran around searching, and soon someone returned to report: Miss Lin is in Nuanxiangwu.

Chu Yan walked straight to Nuanxiangwu and quickly entered. He saw a room full of girls watching Xichun paint. Xiangyun, Baoqin, and others were there, as was Daiyu. Daiyu bowed to him and looked at him with some doubt in her eyes.

But then Chu Yan walked straight towards them. Daiyu quickly hid behind Baochai and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, please stop!"

Chu Yan waved the memorial in his hand and laughed, "If Lin Daiyu can still hide after I tell her what this is, I'll be impressed."

Upon hearing this, Baochai smiled and looked at the two of them.

Baoqin also seemed to be deep in thought. As soon as His Majesty entered the room, he looked for Sister Lin. The two seemed to be acting differently than before.

Daiyu laughed and said, "Is that a memorial in your hand? Whatever it is, I won't fall for your tricks again!"

Chu Yan sat down, holding the memorial, and smiled at them, saying, "Who of you will take a look?"

"Brother Emperor, let me take a look first~" Xiangyun immediately stepped forward and stretched out her fair little hand.

Chu Yan handed the memorial to her and said with a smile, "Remember not to show it to your sister Lin. Don't let her know a single word."

Daiyu, puzzled, just kept smiling, but a sense of doubt crept into her heart. She looked at Xiangyun, who, after unfolding the memorial and reading only a few words, exclaimed in surprise, "Oh dear, it's Lin... Lin..."

Xiangyun looked at Daiyu with surprise.

All the girls crowded around, asking, "Lin what?"

Daiyu was stunned and couldn't help but look at Chu Yan, meeting his gaze.

Baoqin squeezed in as well, and upon seeing the memorial, she quickly smiled at her and said, "Sister Lin, come quickly, it's a memorial written by your father!"

Daiyu's mind went blank for a moment, she wanted to cry but couldn't, she wanted to laugh but was also sad. In a daze, she was pulled over by Baochai. Xiangyun smiled and handed her the memorial, saying, "Sister Lin, come and see the letter. If the Emperor wants to punish someone, let him punish them!"

Daiyu held the memorial in her hands and first looked at the lower right corner. She saw that it was clearly her father's handwriting, which read: "Lin Hai, a criminal from the previous dynasty, kowtows."

Her tears finally welled up and spilled over.

The sisters quickly comforted her and pulled her to sit down, carefully reading word by word the memorial her father had submitted. Xichun stopped painting, overjoyed that her sister Lin had found her father.

Chu Yan sat in a chair, drinking tea and smiling as he watched the girls having a good time.

for a long time.

After calming down, Daiyu got up and walked to him, intending to kneel down. Chu Yan pulled her up, held her small hand, and smiled, "Is this how you thank me, Sister Lin?"

Daiyu bit her lip, her eyes still glistening with tears, yet she smiled shyly and said after a long while, "I will formally express my gratitude to His Majesty another day!"

As she spoke, she couldn't help but blush, knowing what kind of gratitude this foolish emperor wanted from her.

Chu Yan released her hand and smiled, "I'm not doing this out of gratitude, it's just because I like Lin Daiyu!"

Everyone was watching, and Daiyu lowered her head and said, "Why do you say such things? Why do you refer to yourself as 'I'?"

Chu Yan understood the meaning behind her words; she was saying that he didn't mean what he said, because whenever he addressed himself as "I" (朕), it was only to amuse them.

Xiangyun quickly smiled and said, "Sister Lin's father has been found. This is great news! Send someone to tell the old lady and the madam so they can be happy too."

Daiyu wanted to send Zijuan, but Chu Yan said, "I happen to be free today, so I'll go with you." He then smiled at Daiyu and said, "It's better to deliver the good news in person. Let's go."

Daiyu smiled, pursing her lips.

So Xichun put away the painting and went to Grandmother Jia's courtyard with her sisters and the emperor.

Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang, Wang Xifeng, and others were all waiting outside the gate to greet him. Chu Yan gave the order to "dismiss the formalities" and then led the girls into the courtyard. After passing through the hall, they entered the main hall.

Qingwen, Xiangling, and the others remained silent, but Hongyu asked, "What kind of chair is this?"

Everyone looked over, and Wang Xifeng quickly smiled and said, "This is the sandalwood carved Luohan couch that the old lady usually sits on. Because His Majesty came in a hurry, we can only make do with it. I have replaced the cushion and pillow with new ones."

Chu Yan nodded, sat down, and said nothing.

Xiangling then realized what was happening.

How could Hongyu not know that this was the chair that Grandmother Jia sat in? She asked it on purpose to inquire whether His Majesty wanted to sit in it, and if not, to send someone to find a better chair.

After sitting down, Chu Yan smiled and said, "There are too many people and the place is too small. Sister Qin and Fourth Miss, please sit with me."

Baoqin and Xichun stepped forward, bowed, and then sat down. In the past, they did not need to bow in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, but in front of "outsiders," they had to behave properly. The emperor bestowed seats upon them, and they even sat on the same couch, which was an immense favor.

Daiyu sat with Grandmother Jia at the lower end of the table, while Xiangyun, Baochai, and others took their seats. Lady Wang, Wang Xifeng, and others had no seats and just stood aside, watching longingly.

Seeing that Ping'er was also there, Chu Yan ordered, "Bring a chair for Ping'er to sit on as well."

In an instant, everyone looked at Ping'er. Wang Xifeng's gaze changed, and she stared at her intently, letting out a soft hum and glancing at the emperor.

This person was clearly trying to embarrass her on purpose!

Both of them had served the emperor in bed, yet he only told Ping'er to sit down, which was truly infuriating!

Seeing Feng Nu's expression, Chu Yan smiled, said a few words in a nonchalant manner, and then let Daiyu speak.

"Madam, this is a memorial of thanks that my father presented to the Emperor. His Majesty has permitted us to come and see it as well."

Daiyu handed the memorial to her maternal grandmother.

Grandmother Jia already knew about this from the maid who brought the news, but her hands still trembled as she received the memorial. Yuanyang quickly went over and placed the memorial in front of her. Chu Yan glanced at Yuanyang again.

The head maids in the Jia family were efficient and capable, such as Ping'er, Yuanyang, and Hongyu, who also had the potential to become head maids. On the other hand, Qingwen and Xiangling, although they were not bad at being used, lacked discernment.

Like just now.

Yuanyang is also good-looking, with distinct eyebrows and eyes, beautiful and generous, able to command respect and handle affairs well.

He was willing to accept her, but then he thought that he would be returning to Daming Palace in two days and wouldn't have time to talk to her in detail.

Although it was possible to issue an imperial decree for her to serve, it was uncertain whether she would be willing. Forcing someone to come would only cause her resentment and become a source of trouble.

Secondly, he would be scolded by Lin Daiyu for being domineering.

"Good, good, good!"

After reading the contents of the memorial, Grandmother Jia sighed repeatedly and couldn't help but shed tears. Daiyu and her sisters comforted her, and Grandmother Jia then stopped crying, stood up, bowed, and thanked the emperor. She smiled and said, "My son-in-law survived such a calamity and is indeed blessed with good fortune: his daughter was made a concubine in the palace, and he himself was reinstated by His Majesty and ordered to come to the capital to serve as an official. Such good fortune should make the Lin family's ancestral graves emitting auspicious smoke!"

Everyone laughed, but Daiyu blushed and couldn't help but glance at Chu Yan again, only to meet his smiling eyes. Daiyu quickly lowered her head.

Chu Yan smiled and said, "Lin Ruhai was a third-place scholar in the previous dynasty. He had a very good reputation as an official. He was first a Grand Master of the Imperial Academy and then served as the Salt Commissioner for several years." He paused and continued, "When he comes to the capital, he will still be called a Grand Master of the Imperial Academy."

Daiyu rose, bowed, and expressed her gratitude, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts.

In his memorial to the throne, her father mentioned the matter of kneeling before the emperor in the palace, which was both an agreement to serve as an official in the Great Qian Dynasty and tacit approval of her being granted the title of concubine in the palace.

Daiyu didn't know whether her father agreed to serve as an official in the court because he saw the notice that she was favored in the palace, or whether he didn't mind serving the new dynasty. But since things had come to this, she had no choice but to accept it.

Her father became an official in the imperial court, and she became a concubine of the emperor in the palace.

Marriage is a major life event, traditionally decided by parents and matchmakers, and cannot be changed.

Xiangyun clapped her hands with delight and laughed, "Just as Mulan joined the army in place of her father in ancient times, Sister Lin is here to express her gratitude on behalf of her father!"

Everyone laughed, and Daiyu smiled and was about to speak when they suddenly heard a voice outside. The next moment, a haggard-looking young man limped in; it was Jia Baoyu.

The festive atmosphere just moments before suddenly froze.

Daiyu stopped talking, Xiangyun had nothing to say, and Baochai, Baoqin, Xichun, and the others had nothing more to say. They hadn't stood up to greet him earlier because they were now imperial concubines. Even if it were Grandmother Jia, they wouldn't greet her in a proper setting, let alone Jia Baoyu.

It was Grandmother Jia who spoke up: "You're injured, what are you doing here now? Go back and rest."

Looking at the room full of sisters, Jia Baoyu couldn't help but shed tears again, saying, "In two days, the sisters will be going to the palace... Your Majesty!" As he spoke, he knelt down and kowtowed to Chu Yan, "I am now a eunuch, please have mercy and let me also enter the palace to serve Your Majesty and the empresses!"

At this moment, Madam Wang's face was extremely pale, and she remained silent.

Grandmother Jia sighed, "What nonsense are you spouting now? You've been through so much, how can you still be as mischievous as before?" She added, "Your father and mother can't do anything with you, and I can't control you either. It's good that we can talk things out since the Emperor is here today."

Chu Yan casually asked, "What did you say?"

Tan Chun said, "Brother Bao has always wanted to enter the palace and has asked us several times. My second sister and I are all afraid of him."

Chu Yan laughed and said, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Xiangyun quickly said, "Let's not talk about this anymore. Besides, what can Second Brother do in the palace? Can he really become a eunuch?"

Jia Baoyu quickly nodded and said he could be a eunuch!

Xiangyun laughed and said, "Second brother, don't try to coax me. You barged into the room just now, which was quite unruly. You didn't kowtow to His Majesty the Emperor right away. That's not how a eunuch behaves."

Chu Yan couldn't help but laugh.

It would be one thing if someone else said these words, but it was Xiangyun who said them in a charming and straightforward tone, which was like a direct hit to Jia Baoyu's heart!
At this moment, Baochai said with a smile, "Baoyu has never kowtowed to us, which shows that he does not truly consider himself a eunuch and cannot serve the concubines in the palace. In my opinion, it would be better for Baoyu to stay at home."

Another knife!

This made Jia Baoyu's face turn purple with shame, and he dared not reply.

In the past, when he met his sisters in the inner quarters, he had never kowtowed. But now his sisters were all concubines in the palace, and he was just a eunuch. He should be mindful of the proper etiquette in front of them!

Lady Wang finally spoke up: "Alright, Baoyu, you go back first! I'll come see you later."

Suddenly, Jia Baoyu knelt down, first kowtowing to Baochai, then kowtowing to Xiangyun, Baoqin, Yingchun, Tanchun, and Xichun. After a round of kowtowing, his forehead was red and swollen.

Finally, he turned to Daiyu and said, "Sister Lin, shall I be your eunuch and serve you?"

Daiyu's beautiful face showed little emotion; she simply said, "There are no eunuchs in my room, and I don't need any to serve me."

Upon hearing this, Jia Baoyu was struck dumb. Then why did he castrate himself?!

Baochai said, "We don't need eunuchs, and there's no need to talk about entering the palace anymore." Then she smiled and said, "His Majesty came to the old lady's place today to celebrate Lin Daiyu's news of Uncle Lin."

Chu Yan smiled and said, "Actually, there's one more thing."

Everyone looked over, and he continued, "Two days later, I will move to the Daming Palace with the young ladies, and then return to the Daguan Palace at the end of the year to celebrate the New Year here. During this time, you may visit the young ladies in the palace, and I will issue an edict to summon you to the palace at the Mid-Autumn Festival so that you can enjoy the moon with the young ladies."

After glancing at Jia Baoyu, Chu Yan said, "I am not a heartless person. Your Jia family members have all entered the palace. It is not good to leave you alone here. I will grant you permission to enter the palace to admire the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival."

Before Jia Baoyu could speak, Grandmother Jia hurriedly stood up to express her gratitude, and said with a smile, "His Majesty has decreed that we may enter the palace together to admire the moon. My children, grandchildren, and daughters-in-law and I will certainly make preparations as soon as possible."

Madam Xing also smiled and said, "It is our good fortune to be able to enter the Daming Palace to admire the moon. Thank you for Your Majesty's grace!"

When the topic of moon gazing came up, Xiangyun excitedly said, "There's a huge lake inside the Daming Palace. We'll go boating there, admire the moon from the boat, and watch the moon reflected in the lake. We'll compose poems on the boat; it will be an unparalleled and magnificent sight!"

Xiangyun's words were so poetic and picturesque that even Jia Baoyu couldn't help but feel a longing for them.

Everyone was interested in boating on the lake during the Mid-Autumn Festival and chatted with each other for a while.

Grandmother Jia laughed and said, "We won't join in the poetry writing of you young people. We'll just enjoy the moon from the pavilion by the lake and watch Yun'er and the others rowing and playing on the lake."

Jia Baoyu was initially happy, but upon hearing the old lady's words, he immediately became anxious again. During the Mid-Autumn Festival boat trip, would he still be able to compose poems with his sisters on the boat?!
Is it possible that all I can do is sit in the pavilion with the old lady and watch helplessly as the emperor plays on the boat with Lin Daiyu, Baochai, and Yunmei...?

Chu Yan smiled and said, "There are still some days until the Mid-Autumn Festival. Why not look forward to Lin's father arriving in the capital? According to what he said in his memorial, he should be able to take a boat to the capital in ten days or half a month."

Daiyu's eyes lit up with joy again, and she paid no more attention to Jia Baoyu's reaction.

After sitting for a while, Chu Yan returned to the Grand View Garden, and all the girls followed him back to the garden without leaving a single one behind.

Jia Baoyu could only watch as his sisters, like stars surrounding the moon, surrounded the tall emperor, as he gradually disappeared from his sight...

As soon as the emperor left, Lady Wang instructed the servants: "Help Baoyu back to his room. Don't let him come to pay his respects for the next few days. Let him rest in bed!"

The old women quickly responded and came over to help Jia Baoyu away.

Madam Xing watched his retreating figure and muttered to herself, "Such a fine boy, how did he end up as a eunuch? Alas, it's pitiful."

Having said that, he left.

Madam Wang clutched her handkerchief tightly, her face burning with pain. After a long while, she instructed a servant woman, "Go and call Lan'er and the eldest mistress to come here!"

The old woman looked troubled and whispered to her, "Madam, the eldest mistress is now living in the garden with Lan-ge'er, and it's not easy to summon her... Madam just saw that His Majesty also gave a seat to Consort Ping." She added, "I just heard this morning that His Majesty summoned the eldest mistress to serve him in bed last night. I'm afraid we should call Consort Li Consort from now on!"

These words made Madam Wang even more embarrassed!
Li Wan was originally his daughter-in-law, but now she's going to become "Consort Li." If he sees her again, won't he have to kowtow and pay his respects?!
This damned world!
How could she have given birth to a short-lived son, and then a eunuch son who came to collect debts... She only has one grandson left!
It's good that Jia Lan is a grandson, but he's not my own son!
The old woman had already seen through her thoughts, so she smiled and said, "Madam, don't worry too much. Although Lan-ge'er wasn't born from your womb, if you think about it carefully, when the eldest mistress becomes a concubine in the palace, will Lan-ge'er still be able to follow her?"

Madam Wang's eyes lit up immediately. "You mean...?"

The old woman laughed and said, "Lan-ge'er will be coming back to live here in the future. At that time, will he be closer to his mother, who is now an imperial concubine in the palace, or to his grandmother, who will be raising him for ten or twenty years?"

Madam Wang suddenly felt a joy like seeing green mountains after the clouds had parted. She had lost one son, but gained a grandson who was like a son to her, and she would have someone to rely on from now on!

Overjoyed, Lady Wang ordered several dishes to be sent to Li Wan and Jia Lan, and also instructed someone to measure Jia Lan's body size, as she wanted to personally make some clothes for her grandson.

(End of this chapter)