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

Chapter 235 Reduced-Diet Vegetarian Diet
Inside Jia Lian's courtyard.

After a busy day, Fengjie had dinner with Ping'er and they sat on the couch chatting. Fengjie asked her with a smile, "Tomorrow the Emperor will move to the Daming Palace with the ladies. How come you still have time to stay here with me, Ping'er?"

He glanced at her sideways and said, "Why don't you hurry up and go to Yangxin Hall to ask the girls what time you're leaving and where you're moving to? I'll make preparations for you. After all, Consort Ping is someone who left my household; I can't let people laugh at me!"

Ping'er has recently gotten used to Second Madam's teasing. When she feels a pang of jealousy, she always calls her "Your Majesty".

For example, last time His Majesty gave the old lady a seat in her room, and after returning home, Sister Feng called her "Empress Ping" countless times!

So at this moment, he just held a cup of tea and drank it. After a while, he smiled and said to her, "If I really move to Daming Palace, will Grandma be willing to let me go?"

Sister Feng laughed and said, "What are you saying, Lady Ping? If I can't bear to part with you, would I force you to stay?"

Ping'er sighed, "How can you be so ungrateful, Grandma? His Majesty is determined to take you as a concubine. Now His Majesty is going back to the palace and will only summon the ladies to the palace to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival together on the fifteenth of August. Does Grandma not want to go to see the Emperor?"

Sister Feng sneered, "Fine, I won't see you then. I'm happy to be free!"

Ping'er said, "Grandma has already served the Emperor in bed. Does she still want to spend her life with Second Master in the future?"

Sister Feng was speechless.

Throughout history, no emperor's woman has ever been able to leave the harem. They either die alone in the palace or are taken as concubines by the next emperor. The marital bond between Jia Lian and her was completely severed after that night in the thatched cottage!
Ping'er advised, "I'll accompany Grandma to Yangxin Hall later. His Majesty is discussing the flood with his ministers today and won't be back until later. He also won't have time to worry about our journey back to the palace tomorrow. Grandma, you can come to the palace with me tomorrow!"

Upon hearing this, Sister Feng frowned deeply and said angrily, "Entering the palace without any explanation, what kind of..."

Just then, Feng'er came from outside: "Grandma, Yuanyang and Xiren have arrived."

Sister Feng laughed and said, "They must be here to see you. Tell them they don't need to come in. Go out and chat with them. I'll sit for a while."

Ping'er then went out, and after a while, the three of them came back in.

Sister Feng quickly stood up and said to them with a smile, "So you didn't come to find Ping'er, but to find fault with me."

Yuanyang laughed and said, "Can't I even come to visit you now that I'm here?"

"Don't try to fool me. It's fine if you come alone, but you had to bring Xiren along. Everyone knows you two are usually very close."

Fengjie, with her almond-shaped eyes brimming with spring-like charm, glanced at her sideways, invited her and Xiren to sit down, and called Ping'er to sit beside her.

Xiren sat on a chair, while Yuanyang sat on a couch.

"What is it?" Fengjie asked, looking at Xiren.

Yuanyang laughed and said, "It's kind of embarrassing to say, but don't be angry with me and Xiren. As the saying goes, 'If it's going to rain, it's going to rain; if it's going to be a mother, it's going to be a mother.' We had no choice but to come to you for help."

Sister Feng hurriedly laughed and said, "Unbelievable! Even you are saying this to me. It's clear that you really have something to ask of me. I'll have to think about it carefully and make sure I get a good deal out of you!"

All four of them laughed.

Xi Ren then rose and knelt before Feng Jie, saying, "Please, Second Mistress, have mercy and allow me to serve Consort Ping from now on!"

Fengjie didn't answer, but looked at her former dowry maid, Ping'er, who blushed and didn't dare to look at her.

Fengjie then got up and helped Xiren up, laughing, "What are you doing? Firstly, I am not the Minister in charge of the household, and secondly, I have no authority over Ping'er. She is now the Empress, and I am just a maid. It's fine if she doesn't give me orders, but how can I make decisions for her?"

He added, “If you want to serve her, just go and tell the Third Miss that she hasn’t had anyone to serve her all these years, and we’ve mistreated her. Now that she’s been granted the title of Consort, she needs someone in her room, and it just so happens that you’re willing…”

Ping'er said, "Grandma, please don't say that."

Sister Feng then stopped talking.

"Thank you so much, Second Madam!"

Xiren kowtowed to Fengjie again, and then to Ping'er. Ping'er tried to stop her, but Xiren insisted on kowtowing. She said that from now on they would be sisters in private, but they should set rules in public.

After sitting for a while, Yuanyang and Xicai left, and Ping'er went to Yangxin Hall to discuss tomorrow's matters.

After they left, Sister Feng remained silent.

Ping'er felt uneasy and after a long while, she found a way to say, "Grandma's figure and appearance are better than mine. She will definitely be above me when she is made a concubine in the future. Why should Grandma be upset?"

Sister Feng sneered: "I dare not compare myself to Consort Ping!"

Upon hearing this, Ping'er also said in a huff, "I'm going to Yangxin Hall later. If Grandma won't go, I'll go by myself!"

The implication is that if Sister Feng refuses to go to Yangxin Hall, then she will be alone when she enters the palace tomorrow, and will never stay in Sister Feng's room again.

Wang Xifeng was momentarily flustered.

At this moment, she felt more emotional than when Jia Lian was kicked out. Ping'er was made a concubine, and the young ladies followed her into the palace. Even her sister-in-law went to the palace. Needless to say, Ke Qing was also going to the palace to become a favored concubine.

She was left alone in the mansion, and no one knew what would become of her.

Seeing her silent expression, Ping'er was about to persuade her again when Feng'er came to report: "Consort Li has arrived!"

Fengjie was taken aback and subconsciously asked, "Where did this Consort Li come from?"

Ping'er smiled and said, "It's Grandma."

Sure enough, Li Wan entered the room and, upon seeing Feng Jie, said with a smile, "How can you and Ping'er still sit still? The Yangxin Hall is extremely lively. Come with me quickly."

As she was saying this, she tried to pull her away, but Sister Feng quickly said, "At least let me change my clothes first!"

So she went inside to change her clothes and then went out with Li Wanping'er.

Upon arriving at Yangxin Hall, it was indeed bustling with activity. Needless to say, the young ladies from the West Mansion were all there, including Daiyu, Xichun, and Baoqin. From the East Mansion, Qin Keqing and the two young ladies from the Wang family were present, and even Madam You brought two young concubines with her, which left everyone puzzled as to what they were doing there.

When Sister Feng entered the room, everyone laughed and said, "Sister Feng is here too, please have a seat."

Sister Feng laughed and said, "You're discussing moving to Daming Palace tomorrow? I was just about to ask Third Miss whether she's going to Daming Palace or staying in Daguan Palace to continue being the Lady Minister!"

They all laughed. In the past, they would never have joked about the title of female minister, especially since Jia Yuanchun was a minister in Fengzao Palace.

But now that His Majesty the Emperor is in the Daguan Palace, and Tan Chun is family, a few playful jokes are not considered taboo.

Tan Chun smiled and said, "I'm going to Daming Palace tomorrow too. I'll leave the affairs of Daguan Palace to Sister Feng, the eldest mistress, and the concubines for the time being."

Lady You is here now. Even if Tan Chun doesn't know or doesn't try to guess, with Qin Keqing bringing her here, she can make decisions about things in the East Mansion.

Hearing this, Madam You secretly rejoiced. Last time, she had risked her reputation to serve the emperor alongside her former daughter-in-law Qin Keqing and Jia Zhen's concubines, and in return, she received these words from Tan Chun today, which secured her a peaceful life in the future.

The group of girls and young wives chatted for about half an hour, and as night fell, the emperor still hadn't appeared.

It was also difficult for everyone to leave.

Because Chu Yan had been busy with state affairs all day, including discussing the flood and raising millions of taels of silver for disaster relief, he would definitely be exhausted when he returned. They needed to wait and pay their respects to the Emperor before leaving.

Furthermore, they cannot leave tomorrow when they move to Daming Palace.

After a while, it got completely dark. Both Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang sent people to inquire, and they were relieved to learn that the Emperor had not yet returned to the garden.

Daiyu was chatting with Baochai, Xiuyan, and the others in the west side room, while Xiangyun, Tanchun, Xuanzhu, and others were in the east side room. You Shi and the others were in the main hall, chatting with Qingwen and the others.

Musk Moon sat with Fang Guan and the others in the side room.

The five main rooms of Yangxin Hall, along with two side rooms, were filled with the sounds of women laughing and joking. Outside, ministers were discussing the flood, but this did not affect them.

After sitting for another half hour, seeing some of the maids yawning, Li Wan asked them, "Could you send a eunuch to ask His Majesty when he will be back today?"

They hadn't asked because they were worried that sending someone to inquire while the Emperor and his ministers were discussing matters would be a disturbance. Fengjie laughed, "Consort Li, please don't ask me. Ask the young ladies instead; Your Highness can make the decision!"

Li Wan blushed and laughed, "You're still trying to banter with me. Don't make me reveal your secrets."

After hearing this, Sister Feng just smiled and dared not tease her anymore.

Inside the room, Baochai, Baoqin, Yingchun, and the other girls all smiled but remained silent.

Qin Keqing also smiled and said, "In the end, it is only Miss who can make the decision. How about we ask Third Miss to make the decision?"

Baochai smiled and said, "Third Sister is a high-ranking official, so we should invite her!"

So he sent someone to the side room on the west side to invite someone over.

Tan Chun did not refuse, and said with a smile, "Let's wait until Hai Shi (9-11 PM) and if there is no news, we will send someone to inquire."

Everyone agreed, and Fengjie pulled Qin Keqing, You Shi, and Li Wan to play dominoes in the main hall. After a while, Li Wan lost too many hands, so she called Ping'er to take her place.

Hearing the noise outside, Daiyu and the others came out to watch them play cards.

Xiangyun found the room too hot, so she and Baoqin moved a table and chairs to the courtyard to cool off. The two chatted while fanning themselves with round fans.

Daiyu played cards for a while, then came out and saw the two of them. She smiled and said, "You two are so relaxed!"

Xiangyun turned to look at her and said with a smile, "Sister Lin, quickly go and bring a chair so we can lie down and admire the moon. We can't wait for Mid-Autumn Festival. Let's enjoy the moon properly today, each of us can compose a poem, and have a good competition!"

Daiyu laughed and said, "I shouldn't have come out. I didn't know that Yun'er was so inspired to write poetry tonight. She grabbed everyone she saw and challenged them to a poetry contest. I dare not accompany you."

He then made a move to leave.

"Sister Lin, don't hide, we're just missing you." Baoqin smiled and pulled her to stay, then told Xiaoluo to find a chair.

The three sat down and composed poems under the moon.

They were all extremely good at writing poetry, producing many excellent lines. Xiangling was unconsciously drawn to them and stayed by their side, listening to them compose poems.

A little while later, Tan Chun and Xiu Yan came out to listen in, while Bao Chai stood at the door, her rosy face smiling as she watched them write poetry, without joining in.

Inside and outside the house, the laughter of Qin Keqing, Wang Xifeng, Li Wan, Ping'er, and others as they played cards mingled with the sounds of Daiyu, Xiangyun, and Baoqin reciting poems and composing lyrics outside, causing Tanchun to forget the time. It was only after Sheyue told Qingwen that she remembered, and Qingwen reminded her.

Upon remembering, Tan Chun hurriedly beckoned a young eunuch and ordered him to go to Pear Fragrance Courtyard to ask the Emperor when he would return to the garden, saying that the young ladies and the Empress were all waiting.

About half an hour later, Tan Chun and Xiu Yan joined Dai Yu and the others in writing poetry. Only then did the eunuch report: "His Majesty has decreed: the young ladies and concubines need not wait any longer. They may not return until after midnight."

Tan Chun pulled Baochai to take her place, and she went into the room to tell Qin Keqing and the others about it.

Ke Qing smiled and said, "There's nothing to do tomorrow, so let's stay up with the Emperor tonight. You all go back to sleep first?"

The question was about Li Wan and several others.

They didn't leave either, saying they'd already waited so long, what difference would an hour or two make?

Upon seeing this, the young eunuch left the garden to report back to Pear Fragrance Courtyard.

Half an hour later, Chu Yan finally returned to Yangxin Hall.

With the announcement of "His Majesty has arrived," those who had been making a ruckus just moments before lined up in front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, watching the emperor return.

"No need for formalities, it's going to be lively tonight."

To be honest, Chu Yan was quite pleased to see so many people waiting at Yangxin Hall. He excused them from formalities and smiled as he went inside with them.

There were too many people and not enough chairs in the room, but fortunately Daiyu and the others didn't mind. Some people sat and some people stood.

After taking their seats, Chu Yan said, "It's kind of you to wait so late."

Tan Chun laughed and said, "Your Majesty is busy with state affairs. We are just waiting here with nothing to do, playing cards and composing poems. It's nothing."

Chu Yan asked, "Have you composed poems? Whose is the best? Write them down tomorrow, and I will read them too."

Daiyu smiled, glancing at him. Why did he seem to enjoy watching the girls compose poetry so much?

After chatting for a while, Chu Yan said, "Although the flood is not over yet, the money has been raised almost completely. We can proceed with the rest step by step." He then said to Daiyu, "I have issued an edict appointing Miss Lin's father as the Imperial Inspector of the River."

Daiyu rose and bowed to express her gratitude.

Chu Yan glanced at them, pondering what to say, when he suddenly remembered something and asked with a smile, "Where's Fangguan?"

Everyone was puzzled. Qingwen quickly went to call Fangguan over. Fortunately, they were all still awake and were trying to stay awake.

Fangguan stood in the center, being watched by everyone, and panicked for a moment. She lowered her head and admitted her mistake and accepted the punishment.

Chu Yanchao smiled and said to her, "You said the other day that you didn't like greasy food, but for the next three days you won't be able to eat it even if you want to."

He paused for a moment and then said, “I have issued an edict that, due to the floods that have caused suffering to the people, I and all the concubines in the palace shall reduce our meals and eat vegetarian food for the next three days. Officials of the third rank and above, as well as those with titles, shall also comply. The people of the capital shall not hold banquets or play music.”

Everyone was surprised, and Baochai said, "We will certainly obey His Majesty's decree!"

The others also agreed.

Daiyu, Xiangyun, and the others didn't say anything; it was just a three-day vegetarian fast.

Chu Yan smiled and said, "But there are some exceptions. Lin Daiyu, Qiao Jie, and who else? I can't think of any right now. If you don't want to reduce your meals, just say so now. As long as you have a legitimate reason, I'll make an exception for you."

Daiyu frowned for a moment, looked at Chu Yan for a while, and couldn't help but sneer, "That's true. My elder sister and I were not concubines in the palace, so we don't have to abide by the decree to reduce our meals and eat vegetarian food!"

Qiao Jie is fine, she's young and should eat well to grow.

But she was also singled out by this person. Could it be that she wasn't a concubine in the palace?

With just one sentence from him, Daiyu felt a pang of sorrow in her heart.

Chu Yan noticed something in her expression and asked her with a smile, "How is Lin Meimei's health? I was worried that you were still unwell, and since you've been reducing your diet and eating vegetarian food, it would be my fault if you got sick."

After hearing his explanation, Daiyu looked at him and then smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am well now, so it is fine for me to fast for three days. Just tell Qiao'er to eat her usual meals. There is no need for me to make an exception."

His words made Daiyu feel better.

Chu Yan laughed and said, "Alright, if you're craving food, just eat the dishes prepared by the maids in the room. This time, only the concubines will eat vegetarian food, and the others will have fewer dishes. Don't tell anyone if you sneak a bite; I'll turn a blind eye."

Everyone laughed and said they would definitely abide by the rules and wouldn't fight with the girls for food, as that would be too embarrassing.

Fengjie suddenly asked, "The old lady and the others..."

Chu Yan simply said, "Let them decide." He then added, "Because of the reduced meals, we will postpone our return to Daming Palace by five days. You've all been tired tonight, so go back and rest."

Ke Qing smiled and said, "Your Majesty is tired, but we are not."

After bowing, everyone took their leave and went home.

Fengjie turned around several times, and Ping'er whispered to her, "We will return to Daming Palace in five days, so there's no need for you to be anxious, Madam!"

Sister Feng was still somewhat worried, but she couldn't bring herself to voice her concerns:
The emperor specifically pointed out that all the concubines in the palace should reduce their meals and eat vegetarian food, but he did not specify whether she, the old lady, Ping'er and others should comply. The young ladies are proper concubines, but they may not be. For example, is Li Wan considered a concubine?
It is clear that the emperor allowed them to make their own decisions.

Even so, the emperor still pointed out Qiao Jie. Could it be that he also envisions her as a future concubine?

(End of this chapter)