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

Chapter 261 Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival, Daiyu Prays for Blessings
Daiyu, Baoqin, Yingchun, Xichun, and Princess Qinghe left the palace together, accompanied by over a hundred eunuchs and palace maids, and escorted by two teams of imperial guards.

About an hour later, the carriage arrived at Huang'en Temple. People on horseback had already come to disperse the monks and pilgrims, leaving only the abbot and a few others.

Daiyu and the others ignored it, so Siqi chased the abbot away as well.

The girls entered the hall to offer incense.

Daiyu, holding three incense sticks in her slender hands, knelt on a prayer mat in front of the magnificent Buddha statue, closed her eyes and silently prayed: "Amitabha, I pray that the Buddha will bless Emperor Chu Yan of the Great Qian Dynasty to achieve a swift victory in his campaign against the enemy chieftain and return safely."

Beside her, Baoqin also knelt down, holding incense and silently praying: "May Buddha bless my husband with peace. When my husband returns, I will come back to fulfill my vow."

Xi Chun silently prayed: "May this fragrant cloud fill the ten directions, offering to the Buddha's Dharma body treasures of all Buddhas: may Your Majesty be healthy and your body be at peace."

Yingchun and Qinghe also prayed for Chu Yan's safety.

After the five people finished offering incense, Qinghe pulled the two little princesses forward and said with a smile, "You should also offer incense to pray for His Majesty and ensure his safe return."

The two little princesses obediently knelt on the prayer cushions and did as instructed. After offering incense, they asked, "Where is Your Majesty going?"

Qinghe did not answer, but led them out of the palace gate and walked with Daiyu toward the Ci'en Temple next door, where nuns lived.

As soon as they entered, dozens of nuns with long hair surrounded them, crying and shouting, "Qinghe, you've finally come to see us!"

Qinghe was startled. Upon closer inspection, she realized that these people were all former concubines from the imperial palace. Seeing them, Qinghe suddenly came to her senses and realized that she was a woman from a fallen kingdom...

These days, she has been living well in the palace and the Grand View Palace, gradually forgetting the affairs of the previous dynasty. She spends her days playing and chatting with her sisters Daiyu and Xiangyun to relieve boredom, and she does not have to abide by many rules in the palace.

"you……"

Qinghe hesitated, a look of shame on her face, but she didn't want to say more.

Seeing this, Daiyu asked Zijuan to summon the abbess of Ci'en Temple, ask her some questions, and instruct her to treat the former imperial concubines with kindness.

They then kowtowed and expressed their gratitude, saying, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!"

Qinghe looked at Lin Daiyu gratefully. Daiyu pulled her inside and led her into the back mountain of Ci'en Temple. In front of a secluded courtyard, they saw Empress Zhang waiting at the gate.

Her face was serene and peaceful. Although she wore simple clothes, her graceful figure could not be concealed. Her chest was stretched out in a round and full shape, which was the time when a woman was at the peak of her beauty.

"This humble concubine, Zhang, greets Your Highnesses."

She stepped forward to kneel and pay her respects, but Qinghe rushed forward and embraced her, tears streaming down her face. The two little princesses also rushed over with tears in their eyes and hugged her legs, calling her "Mother." Qinghe quickly stopped them, reminding them that they should call her "Mother."

Baoqin smiled and said, "Your Majesty, there's no need for such formality. His Majesty has decreed that the princess come to invite Your Majesty back, just like before."

The nuns who came to watch all looked on with envy.

Having both become nuns at Ci'en Temple, they found it difficult to leave the temple afterward, with family members visiting them from time to time. However, Empress Zhang was still remembered by the new emperor, who continued to summon her to the palace.

She was simply promoted from Empress to Consort.

Empress Zhang lowered her head and said, "Let's go inside first."

The group entered the house, and the nuns who had followed them had no choice but to disperse.

After the tea was served, Empress Zhang held the teacup and sighed softly, "I have been in the temple for two months, and now the Emperor wants to summon me back to the palace... If word gets out, it will probably cause more trouble."

Qinghe hurriedly said, "His Majesty has mentioned you several times. When we were swimming in the spring pool, His Majesty also mentioned you a few times, saying that if you were here, everyone would be together."

Empress Zhang looked at them with a strange expression and asked, "You were playing in the spring pool...?"

Baoqin and the others blushed, but the little princess said happily, "Mother, we all went into the water too. It was hot then, and it was so refreshing to play in the water!"

"This is utterly absurd..."

Empress Zhang said reproachfully, "I can't even imagine what it would be like for that stamina-filled, tyrannical emperor to face a group of beautiful girls going into the water."

Yingchun blushed and quickly said, "His Majesty was just teaching us how to swim, nothing else."

She had already served the emperor and knew about matters between men and women.

Xi Chun had nothing to say, as these palace affairs had not yet reached the court.

Qinghe invited her sister-in-law to return again, but Empress Zhang still hesitated until Daiyu spoke up: "His Majesty will be leading a military expedition in a couple of days, and I'm afraid Your Majesty will need to return to the palace to manage the affairs of the inner palace. Your Majesty should come back to the palace with us."

Empress Zhang was immediately surprised. After clarifying the situation, she made up her mind and said, "So the Emperor wants to punish the bandit chieftain. In that case, I will go back to the palace with you!"

His words carried a hint of urgency.

Chu Yan is leaving, and if they miss each other, who knows when they will meet again.

Qinghe was very happy and hurriedly ordered people to start packing. Empress Zhang was both amused and exasperated: "There's no need to be in such a hurry."

Qinghe laughed and said, "Sister-in-law, come back to the palace with us to take a nap and recharge your energy."

Empress Zhang asked in bewilderment, "Why is that?"

"Don't you know, sister-in-law? Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Tonight, we'll be admiring the moon with the Emperor!"

"It's already Mid-Autumn Festival..."

Empress Zhang suddenly realized that she was in a deserted mountain temple and had no idea that the Mid-Autumn Festival was being celebrated outside.

It's time to go back.

……

Daguan Palace.

"Grandma, Second Aunt, I'm back!"

Xiangyun led a large group of maids and servants back home in a flurry, then threw herself at her grandmother and acted coquettishly, making everyone around laugh.

The matriarch of the Shi family hugged her tightly, stroked her back for a while, and then smiled and said, "We were just about to enter the palace when you came back. How were you in the palace?"

“Okay!” Xiangyun said.

Aunt Xiangyun, standing to the side, also laughed and said, "When you came home, did you ask anyone to inform the Emperor? Now that you're an Empress, you still make people worry."

Aunt Xiangyun hesitated for a moment: "Yun'er has now been conferred the title of Consort Jing, which is different from before. We should pay our respects before we have a chat."

Everyone came back to their senses.

Xiangyun quickly waved her hand and said with a smile, "There's no need to be so formal inside the house, just don't let people laugh at us outside."

The matriarch of the Shi family said, "Your third aunt is right. We should pay our respects to her before we can have a proper chat. Please sit down, and we will pay our respects to Consort Jing."

Shi Xiangyun had no choice but to sit in the main seat. Her second and third aunts then called all the Shi family members into the room to kowtow to her.

After Xiangyun finished receiving the greetings, she was about to get up to help the old lady up, but Cuilu quickly stepped forward to help her up instead.

Everyone was standing when Xiangyun said, "Please take a seat," and they sat down and began to chat about everyday things.

Xiangyun smiled and said, "Let's go to the palace together later, take a nap there, and then go boating on Langchi Lake to enjoy the moon. I'll drink with the old lady and the madam." Her second aunt smiled and said, "Your Majesty should go and keep the Emperor company. We can set up a table by the lake."

Xiangyun hurriedly said, "I have prepared boats. The three boats are linked together, with His Majesty the Emperor and his concubines' boat in front and the other two behind. Each boat can seat dozens of people, which is enough for us all to get on board!"

Her second aunt asked in surprise, "You prepared a boat?"

Xiangyun nodded happily, saying that she had personally chosen the boat for tonight's cruise and even tried to connect several planks together to make it easier to move around.

Second Aunt asked again, "Is the Virtuous Consort still in charge of the harem now?"

Just as Xiangyun was about to speak, someone came to report: "Grandma Feng has come to ask Consort Jing for instructions: Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the Jia, Wang, and Shi families have come to kowtow. Shouldn't we give them some gifts?"

Upon hearing this, Xiangyun said embarrassedly, "I completely forgot that Second Uncle is still outside. Where are Second Uncle and the others?"

Her second aunt said, "She lives in an alley outside the palace and helps with shopping. She should come and kowtow to the old lady later."

Xiangyun was in a dilemma, but her grandmother said, "Just give them some mooncakes."

Xiangyun said, "It's not that I don't care about my second uncle, but the palace doesn't have much money, and we have to spend money everywhere. There was a flood recently, and now we have to fight against the bandit chief. The concubines in the harem have discussed it in private and reduced what can be reduced. It's not good to give out any more rewards."

Her grandmother laughed and said, "Listen to this, my granddaughter has grown up and knows how hard it is to manage a household."

Everyone laughed.

The old lady of the Shi family said again, "That's only right. The Emperor's money doesn't grow on trees. We should save where we can. You can issue an edict to reward them with some mooncakes and give them some of the cotton-padded clothes and trousers that the servants in the Jia family used to wear, so that they can keep warm through the winter."

She offered the suggestion because she saw her granddaughter was in a difficult situation.

After hearing this, Xiangyun nodded and smiled, "I'll go and discuss it with Sister Feng later. The old lady and madam will pack their things at home, and I'll go to the palace when I get back!"

As she spoke, she stood up, and everyone rose to see her off. Xiangyun, however, was not used to it and quickly ran away, prompting her second aunt to call out, "Stop! You are now Consort Jing, you shouldn't be running around like this!"

Xiangyun ignored them and, with Cuilu, a group of maids and servants, and several female officials from the palace, entered the Grand View Garden through the west gate of Huifang Garden, and then went to find Grandmother Jia and Fengjie.

Now let's talk about Xiuyan.

After returning to the Grand View Palace, she went to Grandmother Jia's courtyard first. Now that she was a concubine in the palace, Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang, and others had to come out to greet her. Lady Xing was also among them, her eyes fixed on her.

Xiuyan wasn't used to it, and after sitting for a while, she got up and went back to the garden.

Sister Feng quickly smiled and said, "I want to discuss something with the young lady."

Xiuyan sat down again and said with a smile, "Sister Feng, please speak freely, I'm listening."

Fengjie told her about Jia Lian's return earlier, mentioning that he wanted to reward people and asked if she should give him some money. Although the Jia family was engaged in corvée labor, they had produced several concubines.

Xiuyan thought for a moment and smiled, “I should be rewarded with something, but I have never managed a household. It just so happens that Sister Yun has returned, and the Emperor once ordered her to manage the household. Why don’t you ask Sister Yun, Sister Feng?”

Sister Feng smiled and agreed.

Xiuyan took her leave, and Madam Xing said she would see her off, so she followed her out. On the way, she said to Xiuyan with a hint of reproach, "She asked you for permission, and you should have agreed. Why did you make excuses? If you had agreed, the old lady would have been happy, and you would have done a favor for the Jia family's young ladies. Even Miss Lin and Miss Yun would remember this favor, but you turned it down."

Xiuyan lowered her head and thought for a while before saying, "I am not in charge of the household, so I dare not make the decision. Besides, it involves money, so I must be careful. If Miss Yun asks me, then I will agree."

Madam Xing was exasperated and asked her, "You weren't favored at all in the palace?"

Xiuyan couldn't answer.

Madam Xing then said, "Your second sister has been made a concubine, and now she has someone to rely on. What will you do with your personality in the future?"

Xiuyan smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Aunt. I have been poor since I was a child and am used to a frugal life. All I need every day is a bowl of porridge and a winter coat to keep warm. A few days ago, His Majesty gave me money and silk, which I could not spend in three years. Why should I worry about the future?"

Madam Xing had nothing to say. After giving her a few random instructions, she hurriedly went back to change her clothes and pack her things to prepare to enter the palace.

Xiuyan entered the Grand View Garden intending to go home, but somehow ended up at the Hall of Mental Cultivation. She found it deserted, with only three or five old palace maids on night duty, busy preparing for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

While they were cleaning, Xiuyan went inside and sat on the soft couch where Chu Yan usually rested. The cushions had been put away, leaving it hard and uncomfortable.
Upon seeing this, the palace maid couldn't help but advise, "Miss, you'd better not sit here. This is where the Emperor usually sits. We won't say anything to outsiders, but it's still not appropriate."

Xiuyan smiled and said, "It's alright, His Majesty won't be angry with me over this."

Another old palace maid laughed and said, "The current emperor is different from the previous emperor. When we served the previous emperor, we were often punished with a beating for not following the rules. But the current emperor is generous and has relaxed many rules, so that the eunuchs in charge don't make things difficult for us."

Xiuyan wholeheartedly agreed.

After sitting for a while, she got up and left. Instead of returning to the Jade Emperor Temple, she went straight into the Green Bamboo Nunnery.

Miaoyu was meditating in the meditation hall with her eyes closed.

Xiuyan smiled and said, "I'm here."

Miaoyu turned her head abruptly, and after seeing that it was indeed her, she turned her head back indifferently and asked, "It's Mid-Autumn Festival today, why aren't you in the palace? Why have you come back?"

Xiuyan laughed and said, "I don't believe Master can't guess why I came back."

She changed her address and began calling Miaoyu "Master".

Miaoyu sneered, "You've known me for so many years, why do you still come back to persuade me to go into this fire pit?"

Xiuyan wasn't angry. She slowly said, "When I was chatting with my sisters in the palace, Sister Lin jokingly said that the Emperor is a domineering person and has repeatedly remembered you. How are you going to avoid him?"

Miaoyu was stunned, and Xiuyan advised again, "Besides, the palace is not a pit of fire."

Miaoyu asked, "Have you ever been made a concubine in the palace?"

Xiuyan blushed, shook her head and said no, then smiled and said, "Your Majesty is not heartless and ungrateful. Moreover, when I was a child, I lived with you in a temple and saw all kinds of men. In all the world, there is no one as magnanimous as Your Majesty."

Miaoyu did not believe it.

Xiuyan smiled and said, "Last month, the weather was hot, and the Emperor took us to play in the pool. We took off our clothes and went into the water wearing only our undergarments."

Miaoyu's beautiful and ethereal face flushed red as she looked at her with embarrassment and annoyance.

Xiuyan smiled and continued, "At first, I also thought that the Emperor was going to hide away with us and do some licentious things, but that didn't happen..."

She recounted the swimming competition to Miaoyu in detail, and sighed, "He is the most noble person in the world, with a broad mind and far-sighted vision. You used to think that Jia Baoyu was someone you could talk to, but in my opinion, the current emperor is truly extraordinary, with a vision that surpasses the Han and Tang dynasties and spans the past and present. He is not comparable to ordinary, petty noble children."

Miaoyu remained silent for a long time until Xiuyan said that the Emperor was going to war, at which point she finally asked.

Finally, he agreed and went to the palace to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Xiuyan smiled and said, "There's no need to pack anything. I guess when the Emperor leaves, he will allow us to return to Daguan Palace. Although I don't know if Sister Bao and the others will come back, you will be able to return to Longcui Nunnery."

Miaoyu said, "I'll be back after the Mid-Autumn Festival!"

Xiuyan could only lament that the Emperor was leaving the capital and couldn't temper Miaoyu's temperament.

Well, now that she has agreed to enter the palace, there will be plenty of time in the future.

What Xiuyan didn't know was that Miaoyu had already met with Chu Yan behind the thatched cottage...

(End of this chapter)