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

Chapter 242 Mandarin Ducks
When Xiangling and the others came to wake the emperor, Wang Xifeng had already quietly woken up, but she didn't make a sound. Only after the maids outside had helped the emperor bathe and change his clothes did she get up.

Turning my head, I saw that Keqing was still fast asleep, her long, snow-white legs wrapped in the blanket, her sleeping posture languid, her black hair draped over her jade-like back, her waist and hips curvaceous.

Judging from her expression, it was clear that the emperor had given her a good time last night.

Sister Feng got out of bed and looked around for her clothes before realizing that she had taken them off in the west side room last night and hadn't brought them in.

She had no choice but to call her Yuchuan.

A moment later, Ping'er came in with her clothes and said with a smile, "Grandma is awake too?"

Sister Feng smiled and said, "Leave it here. Thank you for bringing me my clothes."

Ping'er said, "If Grandma keeps saying such polite things, I'll be too embarrassed to speak."

Since Keqing was still asleep, Fengjie didn't say much to her and got up to get dressed.

Ping'er then said, "His Majesty just left, should Grandma go out and wash herself?"

Feng Jie nodded and was about to leave when Qin Keqing slowly woke up, still lying in bed hugging the quilt, her jade-like body sprawled out. She lazily called out to her, "Auntie, you're up so early? You were up for so long last night, why don't you get some more sleep?"

Fengjie turned to look at her and laughed, "Did we wake you up? I'm not like you. I don't have a mother-in-law or grandmother to be filial to, and I'm young and don't have any children to raise. I have a lot of things to do. I don't have as much free time as you."

Qin Keqing laughed and said, "What time is it? Auntie is still complaining to me like this. Are you really not coming to the palace with us tomorrow?"

Ping'er also looked at Second Grandmother.

After a long pause, Sister Feng replied, "What if I go to the palace? What if I don't? I'm quite happy staying at home."

Keqing laughed and said, "Auntie is so silly. After all the bad times, good times are coming. This is the time for our luck to turn around."

Sister Feng sneered, "What good luck is there?"

Keqing said, "You don't read books, so you don't know that Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty had a concubine who had a daughter when she entered the palace to become his concubine. She was later granted the title of county princess."

Feng Jie looked at her with surprise. Ping'er saw that she was not speaking, so she smiled and said, "Madam, please go out and wash yourself first. We can discuss this later."

So the two of them went out, while Keqing remained resting in bed. It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky that she lazily got up.

"Your Majesty, I'm here to serve you." Hongyu brought in water, leading Chunyan and Sheyue in.

Keqing glanced at Chunyan and asked curiously, "Are you a palace maid from outside?"

Chunyan quickly smiled and said, "Your Majesty, my name is Chunyan. I was originally a maid in the Yihong Courtyard. His Majesty took a liking to me and chose me to serve in his room."

Hongyu also smiled and said, "His Majesty selected four maids from Yihong Courtyard the day before yesterday to stay in the room. Originally, they were supposed to come tomorrow, but Chunyan couldn't stay, so she came first to learn the rules."

Ke Qing smiled and stood up from the bed. Her slender and graceful body was completely naked, and there were traces of red marks on her flawless white skin. She took a step forward, but her hands and feet went weak and she frowned slightly.

I indulged in too much pleasure last night.

Hongyu rushed forward to help her up, saying, "Your Majesty, please be careful."

Keqing smiled at her and said, "I gave the maids a day off yesterday, and this morning there was no one to serve me. Who knew you would be waiting outside? It shows how hard you work. No wonder His Majesty appointed you as an imperial envoy to handle matters in the palace that day."

Hongyu laughed and said, "Your Majesty doesn't know, I'm the most easily flattered. If Your Majesty praises me like this, I'll be so proud of myself that I'll be strutting around like a whimper."

She had only been waiting outside the door because she had seen Sister Feng calling for someone.

After finishing her makeup, Keqing ate some snacks for breakfast and asked Hongyu and the others, "What are you ladies doing?"

Xiangling replied, "Miss Yun came by earlier and said she was going to Xiaoxiang Pavilion to chat with Miss Lin."

After thinking for a while, Keqing stood up and said, "I'll go sit in the eldest mistress's room for a while, and I'll come back for the banquet in the afternoon."

Hongyu then ordered Chunyan to go and serve her, and also ordered several eunuchs and palace maids to follow.

After seeing Consort Qin off, Hongyu said something to Xiangling and went out as well. She went straight to Xiaoxiang Pavilion to sit and chat with Xueyan.

Not long after, Zijuan came into the room and asked her with a smile, "Our young lady and Miss Yun are asking you if there's something you need?"

When Daiyu and Xiangyun asked her at the same time, Hongyu was surprised for a moment, but then she realized that she was no longer the same as before. She was now a maid in the emperor's room, and it would be quite conspicuous for her to sit and chat in Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Hongyu stood up and replied with a smile, "There is something I want to tell Miss Lin." She added, "It also has something to do with Miss Yun, but I don't know if I should say it."

"You come with me."

Zijuan led her by the hand to the study, where Daiyu and Xiangyun were chatting. Upon seeing her, Daiyu quickly stood up and smiled, "Is the Emperor here to deliver an imperial decree?"

Hongyu quickly said, "Please sit down, young lady. I have no decree to pass on to you."

Xiangyun laughed and said, "Sister Lin is just joking with you."

Daiyu smiled and then sat down.

Hongyu smiled, then said shyly, "There's something I'd like to ask you ladies, but I'm worried you might misunderstand, so I'm not sure how to say it."

Xiangyun asked, "What is it?"

Daiyu also looked at her.

Hongyu said, "A few days ago, I heard Bao-guniang and the Second Madam say that the Emperor was short of a few maids and wanted to select a few to serve him. However, they were unsure of the Emperor's intentions. Later, the Emperor indeed went to Yihong Courtyard and selected a few maids."

Xiangyun smiled and said, "I've heard about it."

Daiyu also laughed and said, "It seems like we're going to pick someone, but in reality, we only go because we've taken a liking to them."

Xiangyun hurriedly asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Daiyu smiled but did not answer, while Hongyu smiled and continued, "Yuchuan and I discussed it and felt that we were still missing a few people. We wanted to select one or two more from the manor for His Majesty to choose from."

Xiangyun asked curiously, "Why are you asking us why you're just picking a few servants to do?"

Daiyu laughed and said, "Could it be that you want to choose my Zijuan?" She glanced at Xiangyun, then suddenly realized what she meant and looked at her, "You want to choose someone from the old lady's room?"

Only Grandmother Jia had connections with both of them.

After thinking for a while, Daiyu said to Hongyu, "It must be the Emperor who sent you. He has taken a liking to Yuanyang."

Xiangyun also understood.

Hongyu smiled and said, "In the end, you couldn't hide it from me, Miss."

Daiyu said, "He can just issue an order to choose whomever he fancys. Why is he asking us?"

Hongyu hurriedly said, "Although His Majesty has taken a liking to Yuanyang, he has not issued a decree directly. Because Yuanyang serves by the side of the old lady, and the old lady is a relative of the young ladies, His Majesty said: 'If there is no way to satisfy both sides, or if she is not happy, then forget it and do not mention it again.' I am worried about this and dare not talk to Yuanyang. So I came to ask the young ladies first. If Miss Lin and Miss Yun feel it is not good, I will go to His Majesty and think of another way."

Xiangyun smiled and said, "It was the Emperor's words."

She looked at Sister Lin.

Hongyu was watching too.

Daiyu laughed and said, "Why did you have to take a liking to Yuanyang? Tell me the truth, did the old lady's words reach the Emperor's ears that day?"

Hongyu asked what the words were.

Seeing that she didn't know, Daiyu said, "If the emperor takes a fancy to someone, he should just issue an imperial decree. But the emperor dotes on Yun'er, so he asked you to come and ask us."

Xiangyun playfully slapped her, and Daiyu continued with a smile, "The old lady has eight head maids in her room. Originally, four were to be cut, but they were kept. If Yuanyang is not included, seven would be enough."

Seeing that she agreed, Hongyu looked at Miss Yun again.

Xiangyun asked with a smile, "You still need to ask Sister Yuanyang, right? I'll go with you."

Hongyu shook her head and said, "I dare not ask directly. I must ask someone to sound her out first. If she is unwilling, His Majesty will not force her, saying that Yuanyang is a person who would rather die than break her vow."

Upon hearing this, Daiyu blushed and thought to herself: He knew about me long ago. Even though I refused, he still forced me to stay in the palace.

Reflecting on the past, I gradually drifted off into thought, unaware that Xiangyun and Hongyu had left.

Sister Feng's Courtyard.

After telling Ping'er what had happened, Hongyu said, "I originally planned to come and find Sister Ping'er, but Miss Yun said she would go and talk to Yuanyang for me."

Ping'er looked over and saw Xiangyun smiling to the side. She smiled and said, "You don't know, Miss Yun has known Yuanyang and us since childhood. If she goes to talk to Yuanyang, and Yuanyang refuses, she can just tell her directly, and it won't spread outside. It's just a bit awkward. Miss Yun is not married yet, so it's not appropriate for her to talk to people about these things. You've come to the right place. I'll go and talk to Yuanyang later."

Xiangyun said, "Sister Ping'er only thinks of me as a young lady, but she doesn't think that I am now a concubine in the palace. It is my duty to share the Emperor's burdens. How can I not speak up?"

Ping'er laughed and said, "I know you are a virtuous woman. Well then, let's just invite Yuanyang over and ask her if she's willing."

Hongyu stood up and said with a smile, "Since you know each other, I can't keep you any longer. Let's wait until you've discussed it and decide whether you're willing to continue."

Then he went back.

She had barely left when Sister Feng came out of the room and smiled at them, saying, "I heard everything. I never imagined that the Emperor would actually choose Yuanyang. Who can we reason with about this?"

Xiangyun was a little embarrassed. Fengjie sighed, "I'm not afraid to say this in front of you, but the old lady can't even eat properly without Yuanyang. Logically, she should be reluctant to part with her, but she was chosen by the emperor and has no say in the matter."

Xiangyun said, "If she doesn't agree, just keep talking. I'll go and report back to my brother the Emperor."

Sister Feng laughed and said, "You are a concubine, and you came to her personally to ask for her permission. How could she refuse?"

Xiangyun laughed and said, "Sister Yuanyang is different from others. If she doesn't agree, she will argue even if it is the emperor's decree."

Upon hearing this, Sister Feng looked at her with surprise and doubt. After a long while, she smiled and said, "I forgot that you two grew up together. Well, I won't get involved. You two just keep chatting."

With that, he took Feng'er and went out.

Ping'er saw her off and quietly asked, "How does Grandma feel?"

Sister Feng replied indifferently, "It's not my place to worry about this."

Ping'er thought she was being teased again and complained, "Grandma just said that the old lady can't eat well without the Mandarin Duck meal, but now she's washing her hands of it all."

Sister Feng laughed and said, "You're confused too, you can't understand what I'm saying. In the past, the old lady couldn't live without Yuanyang, but now that the mansion has been ransacked, all the gold and silver jewelry that Yuanyang was in charge of has been registered, so she doesn't need to manage anything anymore... The old lady doesn't need to manage anything either."

Ping'er said, "Never mind, you're just trying to coax me."

Sister Feng frowned, feigning anger as she scolded her, "You're getting more and more unruly!"

Ping'er smiled and turned back, then leaned against the door and said to her, "Grandma, please don't blame me."

Sister Feng rolled her eyes at her and left with Feng'er.

With Ping'er and Hongyu gone, she would have to find another maid to serve her.

This time, I can't choose a pretty one. I'll just find someone with average looks, so I don't get summoned to serve the emperor again!

……

Soon after, the mandarin ducks arrived.

When she entered, she saw Xiangyun there and was overjoyed. She grabbed Xiangyun's hand and said with a smile, "What are you doing here? This is the first time I've seen you at Second Grandmother's house."

Xiangyun pulled her to sit down and said with a smile, "This is Lian Erge's house. Why would I come here for no reason? I came to Ping'er's room today because I have something to discuss with you."

"what's up?"

"His Majesty the Emperor wants you to be his concubine."

Xiangyun was always quick-witted and outspoken, but these words still startled Yuanyang, who had just sat down, so much so that she jumped up abruptly. Even Ping'er was stunned, and after a long while, she laughed and said, "You really are..."

Xiangyun laughed and said, "I thought it would be better to say such embarrassing things quickly."

Yuanyang said, "You know how to be ashamed, yet you still tell me these things."

Xiangyun hurriedly asked, "You're not going to agree?"

Upon hearing this, Yuanyang unconsciously brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her oval face slightly flushed. She looked at the two of them suspiciously and laughed, "What's wrong with you two today? Why are you both so eager to tell me this? Besides, the emperor doesn't have any maidservants who share his bed. Even the maids in his room are all palace maids. Where would there be any maidservants who share his bed?"

Even if the emperor had sex with a palace maid, he would not necessarily make her a concubine.

But the palace maids who served him in the room had already been summoned to the emperor's bedchamber, yet they hadn't even received a low-ranking concubine title. Wouldn't that make the emperor seem too heartless and ungrateful?

A maidservant who serves an ordinary man in his private quarters would surely be promoted to the rank of imperial concubine if she were in the emperor's household.

Xiangyun blushed as well.

Ping'er then said, "The maids in the Emperor's room are to serve him at night."

She explained the situation in detail.

Upon hearing this, Yuanyang looked at Xiangyun for a while and then laughed, "So it was Consort Yun who came in person to ask for the person."

Xiangyun blushed even more and took her hand, saying, "We've played together since we were little. I know that Sister Yuanyang has an unyielding spirit, which is most admirable. If you're not willing, it's not good to serve His Majesty the Emperor. As the saying goes, a forced melon is not sweet, and that's exactly the point."

Ping'er also said, "Think it over carefully, and give an answer whether you are willing or not."

After a long pause, Yuanyang sighed and said, "My mind is in turmoil, and I don't know how to answer you."

Xiangyun smiled and said, "There's no need to rush to reply. When the old lady comes to Daming Palace to admire the moon with us during the Mid-Autumn Festival, we can still meet then. We'll also come back here for the New Year this year."

Yuanyang shook her head at her and smiled, "His Majesty requested four people at the Yihong Courtyard the day before yesterday. It's only for the next two days. If we miss this opportunity, we don't need to mention it again."

After hearing this, Ping'er asked with a smile, "Are you worried about the old lady?"

Yuanyang nodded and said, "Leaving aside the old lady's kindness to me, just a few days ago, the old lady said that it didn't matter who went out, as long as I stayed."

Ping'er looked at Miss Yun.

Xiangyun said, "Sister Yuanyang is not young anymore, and she will get married in the future. She can't stay by the old lady's side forever."

Yuanyang laughed and said, "You're married now, but you're even more arrogant than me, lecturing me instead."

Xiangyun blushed, but she laughed along with them.

Ping'er smiled and said, "In that case, let's settle it for now. I'll have someone go and talk to Xiao Hong about whether or not she can go to serve the Emperor. She still has something to say."

"What did you say?" Yuanyang asked.

Ping'er refused to say, because it was the Emperor's way of showing favor to the girls.

Xiangyun stood up and said, "I'm going to Yangxin Hall anyway. I'll tell Xiaohong that there's a vegetarian feast tonight, and Ping'er sister should remember to come."

He left after saying that.

Ping'er and Yuanyang saw her off at the door. When they returned, Ping'er smiled at Yuanyang and said, "Congratulations, bride."

Yuanyang blushed and said, "You are the real empresses, what am I?"

Ping'er laughed and said, "Don't blame me for being sarcastic, but you will be even more favored than me in the future. Look at Qingwen, Xiaohong, and Yuchuan, aren't they all a hundred times more capable than before? You are also a first-class maid in the mansion, so you will definitely be no worse than them in the future."

After Xiangyun left, Yuanyang's face slowly regained its joy. Hearing Ping'er's words, she smiled and said, "We have all suffered such a great change, some have died and some have left, and now we all have our own places to go, but my heart remains the same. I will not hide anything from you. Listen to this, but don't tell the old lady: Although I feel sorry for the old lady's kindness, I am happy to be able to serve in the emperor's palace."

Like Xiangyun, even though Grandmother Jia treated them very well, Xiangyun would intercede for the Emperor when he wanted Yuanyang.

The same applies to Yuanyang; she preferred serving the emperor in his quarters to serving Grandmother Jia.

Ping'er said, "As the saying goes, people strive for higher positions and water flows downhill. It's not surprising that you have this thought. Besides, as Miss Yun said, who can stay with someone for a lifetime? Even for Second Mistress, I would advise her to go to the palace as soon as possible."

Yuanyang laughed, "Didn't your second mistress go to the palace a long time ago?"

Ping'er was immediately surprised: "How did you know?!"

Yuanyang laughed and said, "I heard it from someone. Don't worry, it won't get out."

After chatting for a while, Yuanyang said with some worry, "I'm worried that the girls won't agree, and I'll be disappointed."

Ping'er smiled and said, "Miss Lin already knows."

Yuanyang added, "The Emperor doesn't know if he still needs anyone..."

Her anxious and indecisive demeanor was hardly the bearing of the most outstanding maid in the Jia family. This prompted Ping'er to tease her.

It was night in a blink of an eye.

Neither Hongyu nor Xiangyun had sent any news. Yuanyang, thinking that the emperor would be moving to the Daming Palace the next day, made an excuse to the old lady, saying, "The young ladies are going to the palace tomorrow morning. I'll go and see what time their banquet ends. Does the old lady have anything to say to me?"

Grandmother Jia nodded and said, "Tell them that if they are in a hurry to leave tomorrow, they don't need to come to say goodbye. We can meet again at Mid-Autumn Festival."

Yuanyang agreed, called two maids, and they entered the garden carrying lanterns.

From afar, she could hear women's laughter coming from inside the main hall. When she went inside, she saw that the girls inside were either beautiful, charming, or naturally innocent, and they were drinking and playing drinking games with the tall emperor. The maids and palace servants were setting up tables in the corridor outside the hall or in the corner of the hall.

Yuanyang stepped forward and bowed to the emperor from a distance. Just as she was about to speak with the girls, she saw the emperor looking at her with a thoughtful expression, which made her heart skip a beat.

After relaying Grandmother Jia's message, Yuanyang was about to go find Hongyu when a little maid tugged at her sleeve: "Sister Yuanyang, come with me, Xiaohong is calling you."

Yuanyang arrived outside the palace and saw Hongyu drinking with the young actors. Unfortunately, the young actors couldn't drink, so only Mushe was drinking with her.

Upon seeing her, both Hongyu and Sheyue rose to greet her, with Sheyue quickly saying with a smile, "Your matter is settled!"

In an instant, Yuanyang was overjoyed and was pulled down to sit and drink with them.

After drinking for a while, Yuanyang took the wine pot to offer a toast to Qingwen and the others, who also knew about the matter.

Yu Chuan looked around and said with a smile, "Except for Wu'er who is sick, everyone in our household is here today. Tomorrow morning, we'll pack our things and go to the palace with His Majesty!"

Four first-class maids, five second-class maids, four young actresses, and a maid named Yuanyang whose monthly salary was yet to be determined.

(End of this chapter)