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

Chapter 238 The Yihong Courtyard Takes in Maids

Chu Yan walked out of Xiaoxiang Pavilion, still savoring the lingering feelings with Lin Daiyu. Before he knew it, he had walked to Qinfang Pavilion. He only came to his senses when he heard a girl's laughter coming from in front of him. He saw Fangguan chatting with a slender girl in the pavilion.

Fangguan had her back to him, leaning on the railing, looking out at the river, her round, pert buttocks sticking out.

The girl next to her was the complete opposite, leaning against the railing, with her hair in two buns and a fan in her hand; she had a rather elegant figure.

"Fangguan, Fangguan, look! It's...the Emperor!"

When she saw Chu Yan, she hurriedly tried to push Fang Guan away. Fang Guan turned her head and smiled, pulling her hand to greet Chu Yan.

"This servant, Wu'er, greets Your Majesty."

Liu Wu'er bowed respectfully. Chu Yan could see clearly that she was indeed somewhat like Daiyu, but she did not have Daiyu's charm and appearance. She only resembled her in her sickly demeanor.

However, Lingguan, who lived in his room, bore a resemblance to Daiyu.

Even so, Wu'er was quite pretty, with smooth skin and delicate features.

"Your Majesty~"

After giving a simple bow, Fangguan came forward with a smile and took his arm. Looking at him with a smile, she said, "I saw His Majesty out for a stroll in the garden, so I also came out to find Wu'er to chat and relieve my boredom. I never expected to run into His Majesty! What a coincidence!"

Wu'er was very surprised. How could Fangguan be so bold as to pull and tug at the Emperor in front of others? Even if the Emperor wasn't angry, the girls would be!

Chu Yan nodded and asked, "How did you two meet?"

Fangguan hurriedly pointed to Wu'er and said, "Her mother used to work in the kitchen of Lixiang Courtyard. When she came to Lixiang Courtyard, she often played with us." She then smiled at Chu Yan and said, "It just so happens that I have something I want to tell His Majesty."

"what's up?"

"Fang Guan!"

Wu'er was trembling with fear. She spoke at the same time as Chu Yan. Realizing that she had offended the Emperor, she quickly bowed and apologized, her little face full of shame.

Fangguan saw what she meant and smiled, "Don't worry, His Majesty is the most easy to talk to, unlike other people." She then took Chu Yan's hand and smiled, "The other day, Wu'er saw Mushe serving His Majesty in his room, and she wanted to come too, saying she would be happy to be a lowly maid. I jokingly told her to come and learn to sing opera with me, and she agreed. But I saw that she often had to take medicine and was always sick, so I was too embarrassed to say anything."

"Oh."

Chu Yan glanced at Liu Wu'er again and saw that she had her head down and was nervously fidgeting with the hem of her clothes.

Fangguan nudged her, and Liu Wu'er replied, "This servant is willing to serve Your Majesty."

Chu Yan didn't say anything either.

Fangguan's heart began to pound, and she shyly let go of his hand. Because the Emperor often played with her on the soft couch, teasing her until she was breathless, she had forgotten the rules for a moment, and only now did she remember them.

Chu Yan asked, "Where are you working now?"

Wu'er hurriedly replied, "This servant works in Yihong Courtyard, where I usually do chores like sweeping and watering."

As she said this, her face flushed.

When Fangguan mentioned that her mother was the daughter of a cook, she felt ashamed. Her background was vastly different from that of the other girls, and now she was just a lowly maid in the Grand View Garden. She was inferior to the other girls, and even to Fangguan, who was an opera singer. Although Fangguan was still an opera singer, she was in the Emperor's residence and did not do any work. When she walked in the garden, countless people flattered her.

Chu Yan said, "How did you end up at the brothel? You don't look like the kind of person who would do sweeping or watering."

Wu'er was taken aback, and Fangguan quickly replied, "It was I who begged Xiren. Originally, the Third Miss wanted to release her, but she refused to leave, so I let her go to Yihong Courtyard."

Chu Yan raised his hand, and Fang Guan, seeing this, made a whimper. Wu'er didn't understand what she meant, but then she saw Fang Guan put her face in the emperor's hand, and her right cheek was pinched by the emperor's big hand. She quickly begged for mercy: "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong! I shouldn't have abused my power for personal gain!"

Chu Yan laughed and said, "It's impressive that you even know the phrase 'abuse of power for personal gain'."

Fangguan chuckled and said, "That's how all the villains in plays are."

"Are you also a treacherous official?"

"No, I'm a chivalrous person who stood up for my friend!" Fangguan said confidently, which made Chu Yan laugh. "What kind of chivalry is that?"

Fangguan thought for a moment and smiled, "Even if it's not about standing up for justice, it's about loyalty to a friend." Then, she pulled Wu'er aside and said, "Your Majesty, look at her; she looks so frail. She's not like Miss Lin in the garden who has ginseng and bird's nest to nourish her body. How will she survive outside? Her parents have spent a lot of money on her, and she's worried..."

"Fang Guan!"

Wu'er hurriedly said, "It's one thing for me to complain about these things to you in private, but you also told His Majesty."

Chu Yan smiled, glanced at Liu Wu'er's slender and delicate figure again, and casually said, "I didn't see how her body was."

Having said that, he walked forward.

Fangguan and Wu'er were both stunned. Wu'er didn't think of anything else and just thought she had misheard. Fangguan, however, gradually understood. Her face turned red, and she pulled Wu'er to follow behind the emperor, whispering something in her ear.

Upon hearing this, Wu'er was initially surprised and doubtful. After confirming that Fangguan was right, her face flushed red.

"Your Majesty, where are we going? Should we go back?" Fangguan asked.

"Go to the brothel."

Chu Yan didn't explain much and led the two to Yihong Courtyard. After entering, the maids and servants hurriedly came out to greet them, and Xiren, Qiuwen, and a few others also rushed out of the house.

"Girls, come in with me. The rest of you, go back."

Chu Yan gave an order, went inside and sat down. Fang Guan stood behind him, but did not repeat the previous intimate gestures, perhaps because there were too many people around.

The old women went back, but there were also about ten maids who followed them into the house. None of them were ugly, and the others were all of average appearance.

"Your Majesty..." Musk Moon, who had just finished dressing, came out of the room with shame. Xi Ren and the others couldn't help but look at her. Musk Moon was already a maid in the Emperor's room. She was only temporarily staying in Yi Hong Courtyard. In a few days, she would go to the palace with the Emperor.

Chu Yan looked at Musk Moon and then smiled, “You will have a place to stay after you enter the palace, but when you return to Daguan Palace, there will be no room for you. Where will you stay when you come back in the future? If you want to go back to Yihong Courtyard, we will reserve a room for you here.”

Upon hearing this, Musk Moon was deeply moved and smiled, saying, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I have a small room in the Yi Hong Courtyard. If a lady moves in here in the future, I will find another place to stay in the mansion."

Chu Yan nodded, gesturing for her to step aside, and then addressed the girls in front of him:
"I just met Liu Wu'er, and Fang Guan pleaded for her. I then remembered that I only have one second-class maid, She Yue, in my room, and I intend to choose a few more from among you."

Upon hearing this, they couldn't help but show joy on their faces, but Xiren was stunned, and smiled bitterly to herself: It was truly a cruel twist of fate. She had just gone to Ping'er to plead for mercy and to serve in her room, how could the Emperor have come to Yihong Courtyard to select people in person?

Chu Yan smiled and said, "Those who are not selected, I will also give you a way out. The young ladies are still short of a few maids. You can ask them for help, as well as the concubines, such as Consort Qin and Consort Li, including Ping'er, and the young ladies' personal maids, such as Zijuan, Cuilu, and Ying'er, to serve them."

This was a method that Xiren came up with.

Xiangyun and others only had one or two personal maids by their side. Not to mention a noble concubine, even an ordinary concubine should have four, so there were many vacancies.

"Why aren't you thanking His Majesty?" Xi Ren hurriedly said, leading the maids to kowtow, and Qiu Wen and the others followed suit.

Chu Yan continued, "Those who serve me in my room, come forward one by one to show yourselves. If I am satisfied, you can keep them." He then said, "Fangguan, go and close the door."

Fangguan didn't ask why, and went straight to close the door.

All the girls were filled with trepidation, unsure of what the emperor was going to do or what his intentions were.

"Let's begin."

Chu Yan picked up the teacup that Musk Moon had brought him and slowly took a sip.

It felt like being a boss interviewing his subordinates.

"What does His Majesty want us to demonstrate?" a graceful maid stepped forward and asked. "Based on that statement alone, you should be eliminated."

Chu Yan said calmly, "But if you dare to be the first to come out, I will give you another chance."

The maid was clever and quick-witted. She immediately realized what was happening and hurriedly said with a smile, "This servant thanks Your Majesty... This servant's name is Chunyan, and I was originally a servant born into the Jia family."

She explained her background in detail, then knelt down and said, "I beg Your Majesty to take me in. I used to follow Sister Qingwen's instructions and I know the rules."

Chu Yan said, "Get up, go to the side, next one."

Another person stepped forward and said, "This servant, Si'er, is also willing to serve Your Majesty."

Chu Yan laughed: "How come there's a fifth son and a fourth son too?"

Si'er said, "My original name was Yunxiang. Sister Xiren changed my name to Huixiang. Later, Jia Baoyu disliked it and started calling me Si'er."

When Chu Yan heard her call out Jia Baoyu, he smiled and asked her, "What name do you want to be called?"

Si'er glanced at Xiren and said, "I also want to call her Yunxiang."

Xiren hurriedly said, "The character 'Yun' is taboo for Miss Yun. I didn't tell you before, and you didn't seem to understand, yet you still want to be called Yunxiang?"

Si'er then realized what was happening and quickly said, "From now on, I'll call you Huixiang! I'll never call you that Xiang thing again, not even a single word!"

All the girls lowered their heads and laughed.

Chu Yan chuckled and told her to step back and move on to the next one.

After several interviews, when it was Liu Wu'er's turn, she came forward, exchanged a glance with Fang Guan, and Fang Guan nodded encouragingly at her.

Liu Wu'er blushed deeply, but still trembled as she raised her hand and slowly untied the sash of her dress, startling all the girls. Xi Ren quickly stopped her, saying, "What are you doing? His Majesty is right here."

Fangguan hurriedly shouted, "Let Wu'er take it off!"

Everyone was stunned and looked at the emperor sitting in the main seat. Seeing his smiling but silent expression, they realized that closing the door meant something like that.

Liu Wu'er undressed, revealing her slender figure to the crowd. She was left wearing only a light purple bodice and underpants, and had also taken off her shoes and socks. Standing barefoot on the ground, her small face was flushed as she stood nervously before the emperor.

Chu Yan watched for a while and saw that Liu Wu'er had slender limbs, a thin waist, a flat and slender abdomen, and a rather plump bottom below her navel. In terms of figure and appearance, she was indeed no worse than Zijuan, Ping'er and others.

He nodded and said, "I want you to serve me, but it is also to serve as my concubines. Show me your figures and appearances, and if I like you, I will choose you."

I see……

The girls looked at each other, and several of them immediately began to take off their clothes.

Chu Yan laughed and said, "There's a saying: the first person to come up with an idea is a genius, the second person to imitate is a talent, and the person who imitates after that is a fool. Wu'er is quite good-looking, which is what makes her stand out from others. That's why she showed me her figure. Most of you are not as good as her, so how can you use this method?"

These words made them feel ashamed again.

Wearing a bellyband, Wu'er looked at Fangguan again with apprehension, unsure of what to do with her hands.

Chu Yan asked her, "Fangguan told you about this method, why did you agree to it? Tell me the truth, you must not deceive me."

Wu'er stood before the emperor wearing only a bodice. Hearing that the emperor was not angry, she gradually calmed down and said with her head down, "I have always been sickly. I have not earned a penny for my family even at the age of fifteen. On the contrary, I have spent a lot of money. Recently, my family has been in difficulty, and my mother is also worried about this..."

Chu Yan said, "You only need to tell me why."

Wu'er hurriedly said, "Firstly, it's to find a way out for the future; secondly, it's to make my mother proud; and thirdly, it's for me. If I could be a maid in the emperor's palace, I would be happy, and perhaps my illness would be cured."

Chu Yan nodded and asked her if she had any more. She said no, and then told her to leave.

Another person stepped forward and began to undress, saying shyly, "This servant believes that my figure and appearance are no less than Wu'er's. Please take a look, Your Majesty..."

Chu Yan looked at her and saw that she was the complete opposite of Wu'er, with a plump figure and fair skin, somewhat resembling Baochai. He then smiled and asked, "What's your name?"

"Tan Yun".

She also shared her background.

Chu Yan remained noncommittal, telling her and Wu'er to put on their clothes before moving on to the next person.

When it was Qiuwen's turn, she also took off her clothes and boldly untied her bodice and underpants, her face flushed with embarrassment, letting the Emperor look at her figure.

Chu Yan remained indifferent, glanced at it a few times, then told her to put it on and move on to the next one.

They couldn't tell whether he liked or disliked her, so they could only speak according to their own opinions.

Finally, it was Xiren's turn. She also told her story: she was sold to the Jia family when she was young, grew up with Yuanyang and others, served Xiangyun, and was assigned to Jia Baoyu by Grandmother Jia. She was a first-class maid in the Jia family.

After she finished speaking, Qiuwen asked with a smile, "Didn't you go to serve Ping'er?"

Xi Ren looked somewhat ashamed, and Chu Yan laughed: "So the person Ping'er told me about that night was you. You and Yun'er are close, why didn't you ask her for help?"

Xiren felt even more ashamed and said, "Miss Yun often comes to joke with me and has never mentioned this matter. She just told me to rest assured. I have known Ping'er since childhood, so I asked her instead of Miss Yun."

Chu Yan nodded.

After looking them over, he said, "Wu'er, Tanyun, Chunyan, and Huixiang, the four of you will enter the palace with Sheyue and serve in my room as second-class maids. The rest of you, find your own way out."

The four people who were chosen were overjoyed and immediately knelt down to kowtow, while the others were extremely disappointed.

Of the original second-class maids in the Grand View Garden, Qingwen, Sheyue, and Tanyun were taken in, while the others, such as Qiuwen, Bihen, and Qixian, were not selected.

Some tried to curry favor with Lin Hongyu, such as Zhui'er and Jia Hui, who were friends with her and even mentioned it, but it was all in vain.

Chu Yan looked at Wu'er and said, "You're not feeling well. Go find Qingwen tomorrow and ask her to find an imperial physician to examine you."

Wu'er said, "Miss Lin once found a royal physician for me, and I'm taking medicine, so I'm not in any serious condition."

"Miss Lin helped you? That's good."

Chu Yan smiled and left Yihong Courtyard with Fangguan. Several new maids, including Sheyue, Wu'er, and Tanyun, saw him off. They wanted to carry lanterns and escort him back to Yangxin Hall as night was approaching, but Chu Yan waved them off.

All you need are eunuchs and palace maids carrying lanterns.

When Liu Wu'er and the others returned to Yihong Courtyard, the maids surrounded them to congratulate them, saying with smiles, "You are just like Musk Moon, from now on you are all people in the Emperor's household! How can we not be envious? Don't forget about us in the future."

Liu Wu'er, who was usually ignored, was now surrounded by them and couldn't help but feel happy. The discomfort caused by her illness in the past had completely disappeared, and she was only happy.

Chunyan laughed and said, "Serving the emperor in his quarters is a world of difference from before. We'll be more honored and everyone will treat us with respect. But we'll have to be even more careful. If someone finds out our shortcomings, we'll be interrogated by the palace ladies!"

Upon hearing this, the others quickly agreed.

Liu Wu'er also thought of the incident where Fang Guan's face was pinched. The Emperor did not pursue the matter, but it was wrong to do so. One should not easily use the identity of a maid in the Emperor's room to seek personal gain. The Emperor knew it was just a pinch on the face, but if the female official knew, she would probably be punished.

The news spread quickly.

The maids and servants came to offer their congratulations. Even Ping'er, Yuanyang, and others came. The mothers of Liu Wu'er, Chunyan, and others also rushed over upon hearing the news. When they heard that their daughters had become maids in the emperor's quarters, they were all overjoyed and exclaimed, "Amitabha! What a great fortune!" They held their daughters' hands and asked them with concern when they would be going to the emperor's quarters.

The brothel was bustling with activity until nightfall.

(End of this chapter)