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

Chapter 257 Autumn Rain in Xiaoxiang (Part 1)

The next day, he attended the morning court session.

As soon as Chu Yan stepped out, he saw Daiyu walking towards him, followed by Zijuan. Upon seeing him, Zijuan smiled and stopped in her tracks.

Chu Yan walked over, and Daiyu followed. When she got there, a smile appeared on her exquisitely beautiful face as she asked him, "What were you doing at my place last night?"

She neither bowed nor said anything else upon meeting, only uttering this one sentence, which shows that she had been thinking about this matter ever since she woke up and learned of it.

Chu Yan waved his hand, and everyone around him stepped back. After confirming that they could not hear him, he chuckled softly, "Last night... I was thinking of bestowing the title of Imperial Concubine upon Lin Daiyu."

Daiyu's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment, and she said angrily, "I knew you wouldn't say anything nice after you dismissed them!"

Chu Yan smiled and took her soft hand: "I originally wanted to go to the morning court, but I didn't expect Lin Meimei to come so early. Seeing Lin Meimei's shy and angry face has put me in a good mood all day."

Daiyu opened her shy eyes and looked at him, but she wasn't really angry after all—it's just that he mentioned "I" again, and she didn't know if he was telling the truth.

The two slept in the same bed twice. Although they were not husband and wife, they were like husband and wife. Before he said those lewd words, he asked someone to leave. Although Daiyu had been separated from her parents since she was a child, she knew that this was a little fun between husband and wife.

"Let me see your eyes."

Chu Yan pulled Daiyu closer, cupped her smooth and delicate face, and looked into her dewy eyes.

Daiyu, whose face was being cupped in his hands, laughed and said, "What are you doing? There are many people watching, let go of me quickly."

Chu Yan recalled how she struggled with shame and anger when he hugged her before, a stark contrast to how she was now.

After releasing her, he asked, "Zijuan said you didn't sleep well the night before last? I looked at your eyes just now, did you sleep well last night?"

Daiyu smiled at him and said, "It's all better now. I woke up early this morning and heard from Zijuan that you came to my place last night, so I came over to check on you. Luckily, I didn't run into Sister Feng."

Chu Yan was startled.

Upon seeing this, Daiyu chuckled and said, "I was right yesterday. It was Sister Feng who rode into the palace in her carriage and did something with the tyrant by the spring pool."

The Crimson Pearl Fairy's expression was charming and alluring, and Chu Yan's heart fluttered. He couldn't help but lower his head and want to kiss her lips.

Daiyu laughed and dodged away, saying, "You should hurry up and go to court, lest you be late!"

Chu Yan took her hand and sighed, "I don't want to go to court today!"

Daiyu smiled but remained silent.

Seeing that she didn't believe him, Chu Yan simply walked into the house with her. Daiyu hurriedly said, "What kind of talk is this? You're already wearing the dragon robe and you still say you won't go to court. If the ministers find out, won't they accuse you of having a vixen in the harem who is bringing disaster to the country?"

Chu Yan laughed, and Daiyu didn't argue with him much, letting him go to court.

Watching Chu Yan enter the Xuanzheng Hall, Daiyu's eyebrows relaxed slightly, and a smile appeared on her lips.

Chu Yan said he was in a good mood after seeing her in the morning, and so was she.

……

Xuanzheng Hall.

"I was in a good mood today, but the bandit chieftain forbade it and insisted on making me angry!"

On the throne, after listening to several reports from the northeastern frontier presented by Xiang Shan, Chu Yan said angrily.

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Left Chancellor Chu Ming stepped forward at the opportune moment, cupped his hands in greeting, and slowly said, "Your Majesty, I dare to humbly request that Your Majesty not personally lead the expedition!"

The officials were immediately astonished.

Although there were already some signs that the emperor intended to personally lead an expedition against the Jurchens, the fact that the Left Chancellor said this meant that it was almost certain.

Therefore, the ministers advised the emperor against personally leading an expedition against the Jurchens, arguing that it would undermine the foundation of the nation and cause upheaval in the country.

Chu Yan said calmly, "I am not raising an army out of anger."

Chu Ming then said, “The bandit chieftain is causing unrest, and war on the border is imminent. I also believe that we should send troops immediately to either defend the border or meet the enemy head-on. I only advise Your Majesty not to personally lead the expedition!”

The ministers unanimously agreed.

Chu Yan listened quietly to their words, and only spoke after the hall had quieted down: "Since ancient times, no newly established dynasty has ever escaped the baptism of war!"

"After the Chu-Han Contention, Emperor Gaozu of Han first pacified the kings of different surnames, and then fought against the Xiongnu. He suffered the Siege of Baideng and failed to eliminate them, which allowed the Xiongnu to occupy the north until the reign of Emperor Wu."

"After the founding of the Later Han Dynasty, it took Emperor Guangwu twelve years to pacify the country."

"Emperor Taizong of Tang made the Wei River Alliance."

"The Song Dynasty, which was known as the weak Song Dynasty, also had two Northern Expeditions led by Zhao Guangyi. Unfortunately, the Song Dynasty failed to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun throughout its history, thus sowing the seeds of the Jingkang Incident."

"The Ming dynasty destroyed the Yuan dynasty only after it was established."

After listing these points, Chu Yan concluded, "Now that our Great Qian Dynasty has just been established, we have a large army and many generals. Your swords are still sharp and your skills are not yet worn out, while the longsword at my waist still smells of blood. If we do not fight now, when will we be able to create peace for our descendants?"

Right General Wei Liang stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I request to lead the troops! Why should Your Majesty trouble Your Majesty to personally lead such a mere bandit chieftain?"

Chu Yan's tone softened as he said, "It's not that I don't trust you, but the Yellow River has been flooding recently, the national treasury is empty, and the food and manpower are only enough for one battle. It would be best not to wage war for the next few years. Therefore, this war to establish the nation cannot end in a draw, nor can it be a minor victory. We must destroy their fighting force and wipe them out completely, so that they will never dare to move south again!"

The ministers were finally speechless.

But no one dared to agree, as leading an army in person was no small matter!
Right Chancellor Xu Zhiyi said, "The bandit chief may not dare to invade the border. It would be better to first gather grain and provisions from Jiangnan, prepare firearms and ammunition, and send 20,000 elite troops. Your Majesty can stay in the capital and wait for the right opportunity. If the bandit chief really makes any moves, we can then join Your Majesty in a northern expedition!"

Seeing that no one objected, Chu Yan nodded and said, "Let's do it this way."

After standing up, he remembered something else and said to Xie Defu, the Minister of Rites, "Tell your son or whoever it is to go back to Jinling and find a way to bring Consort Xie to the capital!"

Xie Defu was startled, cold sweat breaking out on his back, but he knew that the emperor was no longer listening to him, so he could only kneel down and kowtow to receive the decree.

Whether he sends his son, calls his wife, or returns to Jinling in person, he must find a way to get his daughter Xie Zhaojun to come to the capital immediately!

But the Emperor insisted that he would find a way to bring Consort Xie here by force, and that he could only persuade her!
How could the ministers not understand the implied meaning?
Their expressions were strange, and they secretly thought that although Consort Xie had never come to the capital, she was more favored than the concubines in the palace. Could she really become the empress?

But why did she stay in Jinling?
……

After the court session, Chu Yan did not attend to state affairs. Instead, he summoned the commander of his personal guards, took a group of guards, and rode into the military camp on the left side of the Daming Palace. They drilled for a day, and only returned to the palace after nightfall to review the memorials.

When they returned to Zichen Hall, Xiangyun had been waiting for him and was dozing off. She only woke up with a start when she heard him return.

Chu Yan smiled, pulled her back into the room and sat on the couch, saying, "I'm late today, making Yun'er wait for so long."

Xiangyun shook her head and smiled, "What important matter has troubled Your Majesty today?"

She remembered that her brother, the emperor, only attended to state affairs until late at night when the Yellow River was flooded.

Chu Yan said, "It's a small matter, but it will cost some money."

Fighting was a minor matter to him; it was a major matter for his soldiers and the people.

Xiangyun thought for a while and said, "We usually spend a lot of money, so perhaps we can save some money in the harem."

Chu Yan laughed and said, "You didn't spend much. If you want to save money, you should save it from other places. You can't build palaces and buildings, but you can save three or five hundred taels from your mouths."

Xiangyun laughed and said, "Emperor Brother hasn't built any palaces yet, and the West Garden project has been shut down. He even sold 30,000 pieces of ice to raise money. Throughout history, there has never been an emperor more frugal than Emperor Brother!" Chu Yan laughed and hugged Xiangyun in his arms, whispering something in her ear.

Xiangyun blushed and agreed.

So Chu Yan comfortably lay down on the couch, and Xiangyun called Cuilu in, and the two of them helped him undress.

After a long day, it's time to relax.

Before long, Chu Yan was naked, and they began to take off their clothes as well. Then a soft young girl's body pressed against him, her bouncy buttocks sitting on his lower back, and her slender hands massaging his shoulders.

It's Xiangyun.

A moment later, another girl knelt at his feet and began massaging his legs with her small fists.

This is Cui Lü.

Soon after, Chu Yan turned over and pulled the fair and smooth Xiangyun into his arms. He then had her sit down slowly with her back to him. He especially loved Xiangyun's snow-white back, her tall figure with broad shoulders and a slender waist.

I especially love the way she moves around while softly chanting.

Cuilu lay down next to him, propping her cheeks up with her hands, swinging her legs, and watching her daughter whimper.

After having sex with them, Chu Yan slept soundly.

When Xiangyun woke up, she also woke up, her snow-white arms exposed outside the red silk quilt. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, saying, "Brother Emperor, I had a dream last night."

"What is it?"

Chu Yan reached into her blanket, fiddling with it as he casually asked a question.

As Xiangyun gradually regained consciousness from his kneading, she laughed and said, "I dreamt of a mountain spirit girl. She said she was a wisp of white cloud from Mount Hua who had transformed into a female form. Recently, she has heard many stories about the mortal world, and her worldly desires have stirred. She wants to descend to the mortal realm and be reborn in my womb, to be my and my Emperor brother's daughter~"

"Hahahaha!"

Chu Yan laughed, rolled over onto Xiang Yun, and teasingly asked her, "Did you agree?"

Xiangyun nodded with a smile, "She is a female body formed from white clouds, so isn't she destined for me? I readily agreed and asked her when she would come. She said that the emperor's permission was needed to make her his daughter, and that she needed to go somewhere to be reincarnated."

Chu Yan couldn't help but mutter to himself.

I thought it was just that after having sex with Xiangyun last night, she dreamed of having a daughter, but I never expected that her dream had a beginning and an end, and was quite mysterious!

He said, "Don't agree yet, ask her about her background."

Xiangyun agreed, but her eyes showed some disappointment.

Chu Yan leaned down and kissed her, then smiled and said, "We don't need anyone else to reincarnate to have a daughter!"

He teased her, and Xiangyun blushed and laughed a few times. Soon, she stretched out her slender arms to hug his neck and began to sing softly again.

The mandarin ducks standing outside the bed blushed with embarrassment, but were also secretly surprised. Xiangling and the others had said that His Majesty usually did not favor his concubines in the morning, so this morning was an exception.

……

Several days passed in the blink of an eye.

After a night of northerly winds, the weather turned completely autumnal.

That morning, dark clouds covered the sky. Chu Yan went to court as usual. He returned home after noon and sat for a while. Then, the autumn rain began to fall in a drizzle.

Qingwen sat doing needlework, glanced at the sky, and muttered, "This rain is probably going to last all day."

Fangguan didn't go to her opera practice today either. She was wearing a brocade jacket with gold-embroidered floral patterns on one side. She sat in front of the door, propping her cheek up with her hand, and said, "It's so boring. There's nothing to do in this weather. I can only stay indoors... How many days until Mid-Autumn Festival? I hope the sky won't be so gloomy this year and there won't be a moon to admire."

Qingwen said, "There's so much work to do in this room, but you can't see it. Come and learn needlework from me!"

Fangguan quickly said, "I'm learning to sing opera, not practicing hand skills, I'm practicing mouth skills!" As she spoke, she sang a few lines of opera, which made them all laugh.

Chu Yan listened to their laughter and jokes. After a while, he saw that the rain had stopped, so he stood up and said, "You can play at home. You don't need to wait for me to come back tonight."

He went out without taking any maids or eunuchs with him, and went straight to the bamboo forest.

As the cool autumn breeze blew, the sound of rain filled the bamboo grove. He walked to Xiaoxiang Pavilion, entered the gate, and walked along the corridor through the courtyard. Suddenly, a parrot cried out: "I borrow the stars to continue Xiaoxiang!"

Inside the room came Daiyu's clear and gentle voice: "You've finally learned to recite it. I taught you hundreds of times the other day and you still couldn't get it right... Zijuan, go and give it some food."

Zijuan answered in response.

Chu Yan walked to the window and said with a smile, "Sister Lin, please give me some too!"

Everyone inside was startled.

Daiyu stood up in the study and saw the person standing outside the window. She couldn't help but laugh: "Do you expect me to feed you, just like this parrot?"

Chu Yan nodded and said, "I couldn't be happier!"

Daiyu realized that her words had a hidden meaning, and blushed with embarrassment. Just as she was about to speak, she couldn't help but cough. When she looked up again, he was gone.

Just as she was hesitating, someone hugged her waist and she fell into his broad chest. Daiyu looked up and saw that it was indeed this person.
He laughed and said, "You walk so fast?"

Chu Yan gently rubbed her back, "I was worried that something might happen to my Yu'er, so I came in quickly."

Daiyu smiled, pursing her lips.

She used to dislike him referring to himself as "朕" (Zhen, the imperial "I"), knowing that he only used it to flatter people.

Now, he's using this as an excuse to deliberately say some sweet nothings to her, making her feel incredibly ashamed.

After Chu Yan sat down, Daiyu also sat in his lap, clutching her chest and breathing lightly for a while, and said, "I've been feeling unwell again lately, and I'm sorry for giving you the elixir out of kindness."

Chu Yan said, "I might as well give you another one!"

Daiyu stopped him, saying, "Why bother? I told you this illness isn't serious and you don't need to take any medicine. You brought it up again. Are you trying to annoy me on purpose?"

Her voice was somewhat charming, and her expression was also quite alluring.

Chu Yan laughed and said, "You brought it up again, so why are you blaming me?"

Daiyu lowered her head and smiled shyly, but when she thought of her recent worries, she couldn't help but frown slightly and sigh inwardly.

Chu Yan embraced her slender waist: "Why is my Yu'er frowning again?"

Daiyu pressed her body close to his, her face flushing. Suddenly she said, "I read the letter you gave me yesterday. Father will probably not be able to return to the capital to report until after winter."

Chu Yan nodded: "It's perfect timing for our family to have New Year's Eve dinner together!"

Daiyu laughed and said, "The Emperor and Empress are the real family, we are not."

As she spoke, she realized she had spoken out of turn, covered her mouth with her slender hand, and shook her head at him, saying, "It was Yu'er's fault, I shouldn't have mentioned this, please forgive Yu'er, Emperor Brother."

Chu Yan's heart melted; who could resist Lin Daiyu's coquettish pleas for mercy?
The autumn rain outside the window has started again.

(End of this chapter)