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

Chapter 264 Celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival, the Song Unfinished as the East Turns White

Three pleasure boats docked on the Hubei side of the river, and everyone disembarked and went ashore.

Grandmother Jia laughed and said, "It's more comfortable on the shore. We're old and can't withstand the waves. You all just keep playing."

Xiangyun, Daiyu, and the others all looked at Chu Yan.

Qin Keqing then smiled and said, "Your Majesty, let the girls sit with the old lady for a while, and we'll go on a boat and row around on the lake for a bit. That would be more fun."

Xiangyun was somewhat tempted after hearing this, but she had to accompany her grandmother and Grandmother Jia, so she couldn't go boating.

Chu Yan glanced at her and, seeing the alluring look in Ke'er's eyes, guessed what she meant. So he nodded and said, "Go and change to another boat. The boat is too big for you to row."

Sister Feng smiled meaningfully and said, "Doesn't His Majesty have strength?"

He could hold her for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea without putting her down.

Chu Yan smiled without saying a word, and Ke Qing also smiled, took her hand and said, "Auntie, come with us on the boat for a ride on the lake."

Fengjie's heart skipped a beat, but then she heard Empress Zhang say, "I'll go for a swim too. I never had this much free time in previous years, but this year I can finally have a good time."

Several little princesses happened to overhear this and surrounded her, hugging her and saying they wanted to get on the boat too, but Qinghe, who had noticed something amiss, pulled them away.

Before long, a small boat that could hold about ten people arrived. Chu Yan boarded the boat, followed by Empress Zhang. Qin Keqing pulled Wang Xifeng along, and then Wang Xifeng hurriedly pulled Ping'er up as well.

"I'll play with His Majesty too!"

Taking advantage of her sister Junyi's inattention, Wang Xuanzhu jumped aboard just as the boat was about to depart. She turned her head and grinned at her mother and sister before bending down and slipping into the cabin.

"Be careful, don't run around on the boat!" Junyi hurriedly instructed, her eyes full of concern. Xiangyun blushed, while Daiyu muttered "tyrant" under her breath before ignoring her and going up to Wanghu Tower on the shore with Grandmother Jia.

Baoqin guessed what was going on, smiled silently, and went upstairs to sit and admire the moon with the old lady and the other ladies.

Jia Baoyu stood on the shore and saw the graceful Qin Keqing standing at the bow of the boat. She was tall and elegant, with her fair wrists holding a long bamboo pole, struggling to push the boat away from the shore by the lake bottom.

Ping'er used the oars to help, and the boat swayed gently towards the lake.

Jia Baoyu remained lost in thought for a long time.

He had dreamt of Rong Ge's daughter-in-law several times, and in his dreams, he would meet her in secret. Now, however, she had entered the palace as a concubine.

After standing there for a while, watching the ship depart, the graceful and charming Qin Keqing also slipped into the cabin and disappeared from sight.

He heard Yunmei's laughter coming from upstairs. Jia Baoyu came to his senses and suddenly realized that he was all alone. Everyone had gone upstairs, leaving him downstairs alone, and no one came to call him.

But he couldn't worry about that right now. He had finally managed to see his sisters, so he couldn't wait to go upstairs.

Upon reaching the third floor, the previously bustling scene suddenly quieted down considerably.

Xiangyun stopped laughing, Daiyu remained silent, Baoqin and Baochai didn't speak, the Shi and Wang family girls didn't joke with him, and Li Wan was with Qinghe and a few princesses, ignoring him even more.

Jia Baoyu, visibly moved, stepped forward and said, "Sister Bao, Sister Lin... I've finally managed to see you both!"

Baochai smiled and said, "Please sit down quickly and sit with the old lady and the madam to enjoy the moon."

Daiyu and Baoqin were originally accompanying Grandmother Jia, but at this moment, Daiyu also stood up and said, "Brother Bao, come here and keep the old lady company."

Xiangyun was sitting next to her. When she saw her stand up, she thought to herself, "If my second brother sits over here, won't he be next to me? Although my second brother became a eunuch in a muddle, it doesn't count as a strict separation between men and women. But now that I'm married, I can no longer play with him like I did when we were little. It would be better if I left too."

Thinking of this, Xiangyun also stood up and said with a smile, "I was just thinking of having another poetry contest with Sister Lin!"

Jia Baoyu quickly said, "You're going to have a poetry contest? I happen to have a few Mid-Autumn Festival poems too."

Daiyu said, "We've already competed, and now that the Emperor isn't here, there's no point in competing again."

Baoqin then stood up and said with a smile, "I'm going to admire the moon with Sister Lin."

She was also thinking that if Jia Baoyu sat next to Grandmother Jia, accompanying the old lady on either side, wouldn't others say things like "golden boy and jade girl"?
She couldn't stay any longer.

Grandmother Jia said, “Go sit with your mother. All the girls at this table are young ladies. You’re all grown up now, so stop playing around with your sisters.”

Jia Baoyu opened his mouth, but seeing that Sister Yun, Sister Lin, and Sister Bao remained silent, he felt a burning shame on his face and had no choice but to turn around and sit with his mother.

Daiyu and Xiangyun then sat down again.

Lady Wang said, "Behave yourself and eat some mooncakes while admiring the moon." After saying that, she handed a pastry to Jia Lan and smiled kindly, urging him to eat more.

Jia Baoyu was sullen.

Meanwhile, Xiangyun, Tanchun, Baoqin, and the others were chatting and laughing with the old lady, while Yuanyang was playing drinking games. None of this concerned him.

Jia Baoyu couldn't sit still, so he got up and went downstairs. He saw that on the second floor, a group of maids were also drinking and playing drinking games. Five or six tables were set up. Fangguan was clapping and cheering. Lingguan, Ouguan, and other young actresses were also there, as were Xiangling and Xiren...

"Xi Ren!!"

Jia Baoyu hurried inside, and the room immediately became much quieter.

Siqi asked with a smile, "Why did Second Master Bao come down?"

Baozhu laughed and said, "He must have drunk too much and needs to go down and rest for a while."

Everyone laughed. They said they were resting, but actually they were going to relieve themselves. A maidservant chuckled and asked, "How do eunuchs relieve themselves?"

The maids laughed even harder, and Qingwen spat and cursed as she laughed: "You little hussy, shut your mouth! You've only had a few drinks and you're already spouting vulgarities. If you're so capable, go downstairs and say those things to the eunuchs in the palace! See if they don't teach you a lesson."

Jia Baoyu was initially ashamed and embarrassed, but upon hearing Qingwen speak up for him, he gratefully asked, "Qingwen, how have you been lately?"

Qingwen smiled and said, "What are you doing here, Second Master? We're having a drink."

Jia Baoyu quickly said, "I'll have a few drinks with you!"

Upon hearing this, Qingwen immediately frowned and sneered, "We girls are drinking together, what are you doing here?" She added, "We're not in the Grand View Garden anymore, and the Jia family has become like that. Everyone has a future, so there's no need to mention the past."

Jia Baoyu glanced at her, then at Musk Moon, Spring Swallow, and others, and finally at Xiren.

Xiren avoided his gaze and only advised, "Second Master, please go upstairs quickly."

Jia Baoyu had no choice but to go upstairs unhappily. The people upstairs didn't pay much attention to him. Xiangyun accompanied her grandmother and aunt. Lin Daiyu was probably a little tired and was reclining on a couch, looking like a beautiful woman. Xichun was sitting with her and was also a little sleepy.

After an unknown amount of time, Jia Baoyu suddenly noticed something strange about the emperor's boat on the lake outside the window. He quickly went downstairs to take a closer look and indeed saw something unusual.

"This is at……"

Jia Baoyu opened his mouth wide, as if struck by lightning.

He could tell what the Emperor, Qin Keqing, Sister Feng, Sister Ping'er, and Empress Zhang were doing on that ship.

A wave of sorrow washed over him. Jia Baoyu stood on the shore, gazing silently at the lake under the night sky.

A moment later, a small, jade-like leg suddenly emerged from the cabin. It was difficult to see clearly from a distance across the lake, but it was indeed the leg of a beautiful woman, adorned with silk stockings, though her shoes were nowhere to be seen.

Jia Baoyu was filled with grief, as if he could see Qin Keqing receiving favors from the emperor...

for a long time.

When his eyes were numb from watching, someone came out of the cabin. It was the emperor named Chu Yan. He rowed with an oar and led Ke Qing and her entourage back to the shore.

Qingwen and Yuanyang rushed down to greet him. After the boat came to a stop, Chu Yan said, "Come on up and help me change."

He then disembarked and went upstairs.

Jia Baoyu waited blankly for a while, then heard Sister Feng's voice from inside the cabin: "Where's my skirt?" "Is it this one?"

"No, this belongs to Consort Qin. Mine is made of orange-yellow fabric with gold thread."

After a while, Qingwen and the others helped the people on the boat off. Jia Baoyu saw that each of them had a rosy complexion and a spring-like smile, but they were weak in the legs. Even Sister Feng staggered when getting off the boat. Only Wang Xuanzhu was a little better, but her little face was also rosy and delicate.

Seeing this, Jia Baoyu was on the verge of tears, which shows how much anger Sister Feng had suffered at the hands of the emperor on the boat.

"What's Master Bao doing here?" Xiangling suddenly asked.

Wang Xifeng and the others turned their heads and saw Jia Baoyu standing in the shadows on the shore, staring blankly.

Empress Zhang and the others blushed and left in silence.

If any other eunuch had dared to look at her like that, he would have been sent to work on the imperial estate long ago. However, since Jia Baoyu, the eunuch, had several sisters in the palace, Empress Zhang didn't pay much attention to him.

Wang Xifeng stayed a little longer and said with a smile, "Brother Bao, why don't you go and enjoy the moon with the old lady?"

Jia Baoyu couldn't help but ask, "Sister Feng, you've been wronged!"

Sister Feng blushed: "What grievances could I possibly have? Don't say such things... I'm actually happy about it. Never mind, I won't talk to you about this anymore, I'm leaving."

He then went back to change his clothes, using the clothes that everyone had worn on the boat as blankets.

Jia Baoyu felt uneasy and was about to go upstairs when he saw Yun Meimei pulling the emperor's hand down, followed by her second sister Yingchun, Xiangling, Princess Qinghe, and his eldest sister Yuanchun!
"you!"

Jia Baoyu was even more shocked. Were they going to board the ship too? No, no way!

Yuan Chun stopped and smiled at him, saying, "Bao Yu, go upstairs and keep your mother company while we go boating with the Emperor."

Jia Baoyu hurriedly said, "Sister, that boat is...!"

Once we're on board, the boat will start rocking again once we're in the middle of the lake. That won't do!

"What happened to the boat?" Yuan Chun asked curiously.

Chu Yan suddenly laughed and said, "Your younger brother is worried about me. He's afraid that I'll harm my health by having too many women with me in one night."

Yuan Chun blushed instantly, and Xiang Yun, also blushing, asked, "Shall we still get on the boat? It's all my fault; I shouldn't have dragged the Emperor along..."

Jia Baoyu was struck dumb!
Not only did Sister Yun know what was going to happen on the ship, she also took the initiative to invite the emperor to board...

"It's alright, I'll pamper you all one more night."

As he spoke, Chu Yan pulled Xiangyun, Yuanchun, Yingchun, Princess Qinghe, and Xiangling onto the boat together.

Jia Baoyu went upstairs in a daze and saw Lin Daiyu standing by the railing looking out at the night view of the lake. He quickly went up to her and seized the opportunity to say, "Lin Daiyu, I only have one sentence to say to you, will you listen?"

Daiyu ignored him and turned to walk inside.

Half an hour later, Xiangyun and the others returned from the lake and went back to change their clothes. By the time they came upstairs, it was already past midnight.

Chu Yan said, "It's getting late. Those who are tired should go back and rest."

Xiangyun laughed and said, "I'm going to go on the boat for a drink. I haven't had any mooncakes tonight either."

No one left except for the elderly, such as Grandmother Jia, who couldn't bear it any longer and went back to rest. Jia Baoyu, who had been heartbroken all night, was also pulled away by Lady Wang.

As for the princesses, Jia Lan, Qiao Jie, and others, they were led back to bed by palace maids around midnight.

Chu Yan and the others boarded the boat again. He pulled Daiyu to sit down and asked her in a low voice, "Yu'er, are you tired?"

Daiyu smiled and said, "I don't usually sleep very well, so it's rare for us to be together tonight. After tonight, I wonder where you'll be going."

She was staring at him as she said those words.

Chu Yan lowered his head and kissed her on the cheek, but said nothing else. He ordered hot dishes to be served, and continued drinking wine and composing poetry, watching the full moon slowly set in the sky.

After an unknown amount of time, the cabin gradually quieted down.

Qin Keqing was drowsy, lying on the table; Qinghe was nestled in Empress Zhang's arms; Xichun was being held by Tanchun; Ping'er and Fengjie were yawning; and Baoqin was supporting her face with her hands, but her eyes were closed, which made Xiangyun laugh at her.

Baochai then laughed and said, "Shall we compose another poem? So we don't fall asleep."

Xiangyun sighed, "I don't have the energy to write poetry anymore."

Daiyu leaned against Chu Yan's chest, wanting to laugh at him, but her eyelids were heavy with sleep. And with her head resting on his chest, she felt even more reluctant to leave.

Baochai could only smile and say, "I'll compose one."

After she finished reading, a few cheers rang out from inside the boat.

Chu Yan smiled and said, "I'll compose one too."

Everyone on the boat immediately came to their senses, even Daiyu sat up straight, smiling as she prepared to listen to him recite poetry.

Chu Yan thought for a while and then recited: "The moon shines brightly on the clear water. In the grand banquet hall, the beaded curtains are rolled up, and the sound of the jade flute is choked with emotion."

"...The frost wind blows through the iron armor, and the silver goblet is thrown and shattered like thunder. Look at the bottom of the box, the dragon sword is covered in blood."

Daiyu's heart tightened, and she stared at him blankly.

Chu Yan stroked her exquisite face with his palm and continued reciting: "The dust of the barbarians has stained my passes and mountains. How can I allow them to trample the Han palace with their stench? Even if my red dress grows old, I will exchange it for a steed's saddle. I will never tread the endless wind and snow of Liaodong."

Xiangyun's voice choked with sobs: "The snow and wind in Liaodong...isn't it freezing cold?"

Baoqin felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this, and tears welled up in her eyes. How could she not understand the meaning behind her husband's words?
"I can't bear to part with Your Majesty..." Ke Qing said softly.

Everyone was silent.

Chu Yan continued, "Ten thousand banners will burn away the demons and monsters, and we will rebuild the nation from scratch, making it whole again."

Baoqin couldn't hold back her tears any longer and burst into tears.

Chu Yan stroked Daiyu's palm and felt a few clear tears falling.

Baochai said, "This poem, 'He Xinlang,' is missing a line."

Chu Yan laughed: "Let me think about the missing line..." He looked up at the horizon and sighed: "Besides this line, there's nothing more fitting. The last line is: The song is not yet finished, the east is white!"

They turned to look at the horizon and, sure enough, saw that it was getting light.

"The song is not yet finished, the east is white... What a beautiful line!" Xiangyun murmured.

Chu Yan laughed: "I ended with a quote from a great man, and Yun'er only praised that one sentence!"

Everyone laughed, saying that it would be better to say something else.

Baochai laughed and said, "There are precedents for quoting predecessors. For example, Li Qingzhao's 'Leaning against the door and turning her head, she smells the green plums' is also an adaptation of predecessors. There are also adaptations in fine articles like the Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng."

Chu Yan smiled, stood up and walked to the bow of the boat, instructing the rower, "Dock, return to the island in the middle of the lake!"

The people in their palanquins were all there.

Back on the island, everyone disembarked. Chu Yan walked along, pondering for a moment, and then slowly said to them, "I am about to personally lead an expedition against the Jurchens!"

Daiyu and the others already knew, but hearing it from him now still made them feel sad and lost in thought.

(End of this chapter)