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

Chapter 269 Great Victory
The fighting in the valley lasted for half a day, and by midday, when the sun shone, the corpses stretched for more than ten miles.

Chu Yan set up camp in a sheltered spot. After nightfall, General Ma Ji came to report: "Your Majesty, I led troops to pursue the fleeing rebels for more than fifty li, capturing and killing more than ten thousand rebels, and capturing nine of Shurha's children and brothers alive."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work. Bring them up."

Chu Yan gestured, and Ma Ji quickly brought the men in and ordered them to kneel down. However, these men were all unruly and difficult to discipline, and they were only forced to kneel down after being kicked hard in the knee.

The soldiers in the tent were furious. Chu Yan waved his hand to stop them and said to them, "If you want to die, I won't waste my breath on you. Take them away and bring them back to Wufang City. I will have the Ministry of Justice officials try you for the many crimes you committed against the border of China."

"Kill them if you want, why bother with interrogation?!" shouted a Jurchen who spoke Chinese.

Chu Yan said calmly, "I killed your leader on the battlefield, but after capturing you, I must judge you according to Chinese law. There's no point in saying more, take him away."

The guards escorted the man away.

Chu Yan summoned someone to question him again. After confirming the outcome of the battle, he let out a long sigh of relief. Exhaustion washed over him instantly. He then smiled at the generals who remained in the tent and said, "This battle was won brilliantly. However, fighting in Liaodong in winter is indeed arduous. You should all go back and rest. We'll make plans again tomorrow."

Zhou Kaiyue cupped his hands and said, "We are not tired. Your Majesty first rushed a hundred miles to conduct reconnaissance, and then led the army to launch a night attack on the camp. You have only slept for a few hours in three days. Your Majesty should rest earlier!"

The generals all nodded in agreement.

Chu Yan smiled, "The credit is all yours. Alright, you can go back now, I'm going to sleep soon."

After everyone left, he did not go to sleep immediately. Instead, he calculated the time and estimated that Lin Daiyu, who was thousands of miles away in the Xiaoxiang Pavilion of the Grand View Garden, had probably also fallen asleep before he took off his armor and lay down to rest.

There was a charcoal fire burning inside the tent, and he quickly closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Soon after, he opened his eyes, stepped out of the tent, and saw a graceful fairy floating in the dark night and the vast snowfield. At first, her eyes were still confused, but after their eyes met, her eyes quickly cleared, and she rushed towards Chu Yan with excitement!
"Yu'er!"

Chu Yan smiled and pulled Daiyu into his arms, but it seemed that he was exhausted even in his dream due to the tension he had been under for days. So he simply sat down and held Lin Daiyu in his arms.

Daiyu hugged him tightly and cried. After sobbing for a while, she wiped away her tears and stroked his face: "Are you still alive?"

Chu Yan was speechless, then burst into laughter.

Daiyu blushed and said, "I haven't seen you these past few days, and I've been worried about you. I was afraid something had happened to you—whether you were frostbitten or hit by a bullet from the battlefield. All the sisters in the garden are worried about you too, and you're still laughing at me!"

Chu Yan stroked her face and smiled, "Alright, I won't make fun of you, Lin sister. I've been busy these past few days, just fighting."

"Are you done fighting? Are you hurt?" Daiyu touched his body with both hands, and Chu Yan quickly said that he was fine and told her about the battle over the past few days.

After hearing this, Daiyu sighed and said, "War is so dangerous, and the emperor has to lead the troops. I hope that after this battle, the border will be pacified and there will be no more war!"

Chu Yan nodded and said, "With Liaodong pacified and the bandit chieftain Shurha beheaded, we can send someone to the Rouran during winter to intimidate the northwest. The border will be safe for the next ten years."

Daiyu felt a little relieved and then told him about her meeting with the Left Prime Minister.

Chu Yan laughed and said, "Incredible! Sister Lin is not the Empress, but the Empress Dowager who is ruling from behind the curtain."

Daiyu felt a little ashamed and said, "I was just worried about you. There's nothing else going on in the capital, and the commander of the Imperial Guards didn't send any eunuchs to report anything to me. Come back quickly after you win the battle so I can return the token to you."

In recent days, she has also felt the difference of wielding military power. Although she has not issued any orders, the eunuchs and palace maids all treat her with a mixture of awe and respect.

Chu Yan calculated the journey back: "I will stay in Hezigou to rest for two days, and then return to Wufang City to handle various affairs in Liaodong. It will take about twenty days before I can return to the capital!"

"The 20th? That's just in time for the New Year," Daiyu said with a smile.

Chu Yan stroked her face: "I will definitely rush back to celebrate the New Year with Sister Lin!"

Daiyu smiled and said, "There's no need to rush back. It's freezing cold and the journey is difficult. Even if we can't make it back in time, it will still be lively when we return for the Lantern Festival."

Chu Yan laughed and said, "I want to go back as soon as possible and sleep soundly in bed with my Yu'er's soft and fragrant body!"

The teasing words made Daiyu blush with embarrassment. After a long while, she buried her face in his arms and whispered, "You can think about this again when you come back."

It means she agreed.

Chu Yan smiled and leaned down to kiss her a few times.

Daiyu closed her eyes, intending to linger with him for a while, but when she didn't see him kiss her again, she opened her eyes to look at him. She quickly realized that Chu Yan was tired, so she advised him, "You should rest quickly. I'm relieved to know you're alright. Tomorrow I'll tell Sister Yun and the others, and then send a message to the Left Prime Minister."

He then smiled and said, "Perhaps Consort Xie also received the letter. With her magical powers, I wonder if she could calculate it?"

Chu Yan smiled and said, "She might be someone you know. Never mind, let's wait until she comes to the capital."

Daiyu guessed what had happened, and after lingering in his arms for a while, she closed her eyes to let her soul return.

When Ziju woke up the next day, she saw a smile on her face and hurriedly asked, "Did you see His Majesty last night, Miss?"

Daiyu smiled and said, "I saw him! He won a great battle and is about to set off to return!"

Zijuan was delighted to hear this and quickly told Ouguan to tell the others. Soon after, everyone in the garden knew about it.

"Amitabha! The Emperor is alright!"

Inside the Longcui Nunnery, Xiuyan smiled at Miaoyu, who was brewing tea over a brazier.

Miaoyu glanced at her, then silently boiled water to make tea, before casually asking, "Did the Emperor win the battle?"

Xiuyan sat down next to her and boiled water for her, saying with a smile, "We just went to Yangxin Hall and heard from Miss Lin that the Emperor found the Jurchen troops in Hezigou, which Consort Xie mentioned. He launched a night raid on the camp, killed Shurha, and captured many of his children and brothers. After resting for two days, they can set off back to the capital!"

After hearing this, Miaoyu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but her face remained indifferent: "The emperor has led the army in battle for ten years, and his victory is no surprise. When he returns, he should also favor you and make you a concubine."

Xiuyan blushed and pushed her away playfully, saying, "I'm trying to talk to you, and you're making fun of me again. I'll wait until His Majesty favors you first, then we'll see if you're still so stubborn!"

She covered her mouth and laughed as she spoke.

Under the glow of the brazier's embers, Miaoyu's usually aloof and ethereal face gradually flushed red, yet she still sneered, "It would be best if he came back after the New Year, otherwise I'll be forced to keep you company again. You all drink and play drinking games, but I don't eat meat. It's no fun celebrating the festival with you all."

Xiuyan smiled and said, "I think you are quite interesting. Last Mid-Autumn Festival, when His Majesty led the army away, you also got up and went up the city tower with us to see His Majesty off."

Miaoyu blushed and stammered, "I have no choice but to go. You have all gone to see me off, how can I stay alone in the palace?"

Xiuyan laughed at her once, and just as she was about to speak, she suddenly heard a sound from outside.

Only after leaving did they realize that Qingwen, Yuanyang, and others had come to offer incense and fulfill their vows.

They had come to the Buddha statue many times in recent days to offer incense and pray for the Emperor's safety. Now that they had learned of the victory at the front, they all came.

Miaoyu said angrily, "Why are they here again? In the past, people would come one after another. Now that the emperor has won, they will all come to offer incense again, and I will have to entertain them!"

After saying this, she went inside to change her clothes and went out to talk to Qingwen and the others. Xiuyan seemed to be deep in thought. Miaoyu probably really liked lively gatherings. Last time, when the Emperor summoned her to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, she was always indifferent at the banquet, but she put a lot of effort into writing poems.

After leaving Longcui Nunnery, Xiuyan went to Zilingzhou to chat with Sister Yingchun for a while.

Upon entering, she found Yingchun bent over doing needlework, her hands red from the cold. Seeing her, she put down her needlework and smiled, "What brings you here, Sister Xing?"

"I've come to talk to my second sister."

Xiuyan looked at the needlework she was doing and exclaimed in surprise, "Second sister is making a child's bib?"

Yingchun blushed and said, "My mother told me that since I have served the emperor, I might be able to get pregnant next year, so she told me to prepare some."

Xiuyan nodded and smiled, "We should prepare some children's clothes. I think your health is good for childbirth. Consort Xie even gave you a good luck charm, who knows, she might put it on the child!"

Consort Xie divined that there were unusual phenomena in Hezigou, and while people were curious about her, they couldn't help but feel a bit more awe towards her.

Lin Daiyu was the same; her ability to meet the Emperor in a dream was also quite miraculous.

After sitting with Yingchun for a while, Xiuyan went out and saw that the grass and trees in the garden were withered, except for the pines and cypresses covered with a thin layer of snow, which made them look even more verdant. She couldn't help but look at them for a while and thought that if the Emperor returned and strolled in the garden with them, it would be very lively.

"Sister Xing." Someone called her name. Xiuyan turned around and saw a tall woman in a light green cloak smiling at her. It was Consort Li, Qin Keqing.

Xiuyan went up to her, and the two chatted for a while. Qin Keqing then pulled her to Yangxin Hall, saying with a smile, "I was just about to go to His Majesty's place. It would be too embarrassing to go alone, so I was just about to ask you to come along."

Xiuyan asked curiously, "What's there to be embarrassed about?"

Qin Keqing smiled and said, "If you're so kind, why don't I see you visiting often?"

Xiuyan blushed and had no choice but to go to Yangxin Hall with her.

Upon entering, I discovered that there were quite a few young ladies inside, including Daiyu, Xiangyun, Baochai, Xichun, and Fengjie, all chatting together in the warm pavilion.

After she and Qin Keqing went in, the warm pavilion became even more lively, with eight out of ten sentences being spoken in relation to the Emperor.

Firstly, we need to calculate when the Emperor will return and what we should prepare; secondly, this year we will be celebrating the New Year at Daguan Palace, and the imperial concubines will also be coming. Princess Qinghe is fine, as her thatched cottage in Qingtang is ready and she can move in.

Empress Zhang, however, had nowhere to stay.

Xiangyun simply said, "How about I go home and live there, and the Empress can stay in the right-hand hall!"

Daiyu didn't speak, but Fengjie laughed and said, "How can I ask you to give up your place? Besides, it was the Emperor who arranged for you and your elder sister to live in the left and right side halls. You can't change it without an imperial decree."

"Then where else can we stay? At the brothel?"

Xiangyun asked again.

Fengjie was a hundred times unwilling to let Empress Zhang live in Yihong Courtyard. Li Wan secretly told her that the Emperor intended for her and Ping'er to live in Yihong Courtyard. If Empress Zhang lived there, she could forget about moving into the Grand View Garden in the future!
Yun doesn't care about these things because she has the emperor's favor and can live anywhere.

But she's different!
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, she originally wanted to stay in the palace for a few more days to make things clear, but Chu Yan went to war, so she had to return and continue to live in the Jia family.

Perhaps the mistress found out that she had asked the maids and servants to call her "Grandma Feng," because in the past few months, the First Madam has no longer dared to act like a mother-in-law, and the mistress has stopped interfering with her.

But she still had a thorn in her heart; she would not be satisfied until she had won at least one or two imperial concubine positions!

“We can’t stay at the Grand View Garden!” Sister Feng said.

“Why not? Second Brother can’t go back to live there either, that place has been vacant for a long time,” Xiangyun said.

After entering the room, Qin Keqing took off her cloak and leaned her graceful body against the emperor's soft couch. Upon hearing this, she simply smiled.

Daiyu was also smiling; she had guessed it too.

Fengjie blushed as the two men laughed at her, but she couldn't say anything directly, so she could only glare at Keqing.

Baochai smiled and said, "A concubine in Yihong Courtyard has already been chosen, so it's not appropriate to arrange for someone else."

"Consort Xie?"

Xiangyun guessed that if it were her, then they would indeed need to prepare a place for her to stay as soon as possible.

Even Consort Xiande and Empress Zhang could not be considered Noble Consorts; only Xie Zhaojun of Jinling was the only Noble Consort in the harem.

When Fengjie heard the name Consort Xie, her heart tightened immediately.

If she can't move into the Grand View Garden this winter, when Consort Xie comes from Jinling in March next year, she will definitely move into the Grand View Garden. At that time, there will be even less room in the garden, making it even more difficult for her to move into the garden!
In the past, even though the garden was nice, she wouldn't have been willing to live there.

Things are different now. Chu Yan lives in Yangxin Hall and rarely goes to the front yard. Living in the garden and living in the front yard are completely different!

Seeing this, Daiyu said, "Everywhere in the garden is occupied. There are some places in Huifang Garden where we can add houses, but it's too late. Why don't we choose a good house in the mansion for the Empress and a few concubines to live in?"

There was simply not enough room for everyone in the Grand View Garden, unless Empress Zhang went to live with Princess Qinghe, or a few more people were accommodated in the side halls.

Li Wan walked in at this moment, and upon hearing this, laughed and said, "If we're talking about good houses, isn't it just that the best house in the mansion is currently unoccupied?"

Sister Feng looked at her and said, "You mean Rongxi Hall?"

Rongxi Hall was the main house of the Duke's mansion, but Madam Wang did not live there, so it was left empty.

Li Wan said, "It's perfect for the Empress to stay in. Consort Wu can go to stay in the original house of the First Madam. The other noble ladies and the little princess will also be given their own places."

Since no one had any other good ideas, they all agreed.

Xiangyun smiled and said, "It's not good for the little princesses to live too far away. Let them come and live with me, or with the princess."

Xiuyan laughed and said, "If Her Majesty the Empress lives in Rongxi Hall, the little princesses can live with their mother. There are plenty of rooms available, why would they live with you?"

Xiangyun was surprised and slapped her head in annoyance, saying, "I can't believe I forgot that Her Majesty the Empress is the mother of the princesses!"

Everyone couldn't help laughing.

Qinghe usually takes care of the little princesses, and they live with Qinghe, which makes Xiangyun forget that Empress Zhang is their legitimate mother.

Sister Feng smiled and said, "Now that it's settled, I'll send a eunuch to the palace tomorrow to tell the eldest sister and the Empress, and ask for their opinions. If they agree, we can make arrangements as soon as possible."

Before the emperor returned, they had to prepare everything for his arrival, so that the house wouldn't be in chaos when he came back.

(End of this chapter)