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

Chapter 273 Returning Home with Daiyu

Two days passed in this way. In the morning, when Chu Yan got up, Qingwen helped him change his clothes and said with a smile, "Today is the Little New Year. We need to worship the Kitchen God and sweep the dust. After His Majesty goes to court, we will clean the house."

Chu Yan nodded and said, "Alright, tell Fangguan not to go to practice opera either, and give them leave until the Lantern Festival so they can help you with your work."

Upon hearing this, Qingwen laughed and said, "If His Majesty gives them leave, they'll become lazy again and use the excuse of performing in plays to avoid doing any work."

Chu Yan just smiled, said nothing, and went out to Pear Fragrance Courtyard.

After the morning court session, although there were still some political matters and memorials to attend to, he had no heart to deal with them and sent them to the newly formed cabinet for their review.

In the blink of an eye, we were back in the garden.

I went to Xiaoxiang Pavilion again, but Daiyu was not at home. I asked Xueyan and found out that she had gone to pay her respects and had not yet returned. Perhaps she was sitting at her aunt's house for a while, or perhaps she was chatting with her sisters.

Chu Yan sat in her study for a while before Daiyu returned home. Hearing Xueyan's words, she hurried into the study. Upon seeing him, she smiled and said, "Aren't you going to court today?"

Chu Yan beckoned her over.

Daiyu took a step back, covered her mouth with her handkerchief, and laughed, "I'm not going to your place. You're probably up to no good and will try to play a trick on me!"

Chu Yan laughed and said, "I missed Lin Daiyu, so I came back to see you. How could this be teasing?"

Daiyu blushed, then laughed and said, "I don't believe your nonsense. Now that you're here, let's sit down and talk for a while."

She tried to come over and sit down, but Chu Yan sighed again, "I wanted to talk to Sister Lin about your father today, but she refused. Never mind."

Upon hearing this, Daiyu hurriedly asked, "What happened to my father?"

Chu Yan smiled but remained silent.

Daiyu saw through his tactics, stepped forward, took his hand, and said in a sweet voice, "Good brother, why are you angry?"

How could anyone in the world resist the charming and affectionate coquetry of a stunningly beautiful woman?

Unable to contain himself, Chu Yan pulled Daiyu into his arms and kissed her. The Lin sister in his arms smiled, pursed her lips, and turned her head, saying, "Why are you kissing me without saying anything?"

Chu Yan buried his head in her neck, kissing and caressing her, his lips gently brushing against her smooth, slender swan neck.

"Ah."

Daiyu murmured softly, her expression softening instantly. Her eyes, still moist with dew, were half-open, and though she was not yet married, she already possessed a charming and alluring air.

Chu Yan put his arm around her slender waist and said, "Yu'er and I will go visit your father-in-law later."

Just as Daiyu was feeling weak and trembling, she heard these words and quickly opened her eyes. "What did you just say?"

Chu Yan laughed: "Didn't you hear me, Lin sister? I said, I'll go to your house later to visit you and meet your father."

Daiyu was both surprised and delighted. She asked him when he was going. When Chu Yan said he was going to his house for lunch, she quickly got up and said, "I'm going to get ready."

Chu Yan pulled her aside and laughed, "Your father lives on the back street, it's just a short walk away. Besides, it's just going home, why bother changing your clothes?"

Daiyu said, "Wearing only ordinary clothes? I'm afraid it would be disgraceful to the royal family. When some of the more respectable servants in the mansion go home, the ladies and mistresses will prepare a grander occasion for them, with several servants accompanying them and two sedan chairs."

Chu Yan pulled Daiyu back into his arms: "We don't need to worry about those formalities and rules. Who in the world would laugh at the emperor? Even if they do, they're just some blind scoundrels laughing in private. Why bother with them?"

Daiyu sat in his lap, and after thinking for a while, she listened to him.

After a moment of tenderness, Chu Yan stood up with her in his arms. Daiyu also stood up, went to the mirror to fix her makeup, and called out with a smile, "Zijuan, Xueyan, come in!"

Although there was no need to prepare anything, Daiyu still packed some things and asked Zijuan and Xueyan to accompany her to go home with Chu Yan.

The group left Xiaoxiang Pavilion and walked along the main road of the garden toward the back gate. Although there was some snow on the branches of the flowers, plants and trees along the way, the weather was fine with clear skies.

Daiyu was especially happy, and holding Chu Yan's hand, she was like a bright and cheerful young girl, showing no trace of her usual melancholy and sorrow in her room.

It's clear that she was genuinely happy to be home this time.

Chu Yan was happy for her too.

After leaving the back gate of the garden, there were still some ministers working in the Pear Fragrance Courtyard, and guards were on duty. Daiyu covered her face with a handkerchief and hid behind him.

"His Majesty!"

The guards bowed and saluted.

Chu Yan nodded and instructed, "I'm going to the back street with Miss Lin. A few of you can accompany us."

The guards readily agreed and dispatched seven or eight men to follow behind.

Chu Yan took Daiyu's hand and went out. The back street was sparsely populated. The Grand View Palace was located here, and many officials of the court often came here to conduct their business, so there were very few pedestrians.

The two did not ride in sedan chairs. Led by eunuchs, they arrived at the door of the house rented by the Wang family. The people inside were terrified when they learned that the emperor had arrived. They rushed out to greet him, but were chased away by the eunuchs. Only Wang Ziteng from the Wang family and Lin Ruhai, who had rushed out upon hearing the news, were asked to stay.

"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty!"

Wang Ziteng and Lin Ruhai knelt in obeisance, and Chu Yan ordered them to rise, then pulled Daiyu into the room.

Lin Ruhai entered the room, and Wang Ziteng was two steps behind. Neither of them dared to raise their heads and stood respectfully with their hands at their sides.

After sitting down, Chu Yan smiled and said, "Lin Meimei and I came to your house today just to visit and chat for a bit."

The two were extremely respectful.

Chu Yan casually asked Wang Ziteng, "Are you Feng Jie's uncle and Junyi and Xuanzhu's father? I remember you came to the military camp to discuss things back then; you were the military governor of the capital garrison."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Wang Ziteng kept his head down: "I was an official in the previous dynasty, serving as the military governor of the capital. When His Majesty led his army to besiege the city, I and my men knew we were no match for him, so we advised Duke Anle to surrender as soon as possible."

Chu Yan laughed and said, "Why didn't you say so sooner? This is also a merit."

How could Prince Teng not understand? The emperor didn't care about these small contributions; if he hadn't come here as a guest today, this matter wouldn't have been mentioned at all.

Thinking this in his heart, he said with shame on his face, "This humble subject only wanted to live. Your Majesty is brave and mighty, leading the army to defeat the Jurchens and beheading Shurha in battle, thus resolving the scourge that the old dynasty had failed to solve despite several military campaigns. If we had resisted back then, we would be buried in the yellow earth by now, and would never have seen our daughter enter the palace as a concubine and bring glory to our family."

Chu Yan smiled again, knowing what he meant by mentioning Xuanzhu and Junyi.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see him. If Wang Ziteng doesn't seize it now, seeing him again in the future will be harder than climbing to heaven.

Wang Xuanzhu and Wang Junyi were not particularly favored.

So Chu Yan said, "You once served as the military governor of the capital garrison, do you know how to train troops?"

Wang Ziteng replied, "I know a little about it."

"speak."

Chu Yan gestured, and seeing Lin Ruhai standing, said, "Minister Lin, please sit down."

After entering the room, Daiyu remained well-behaved. She didn't say a word when Chu Yan spoke, even though she was so excited to see her father right in front of her that tears welled up in her eyes, but she still held them back.

Her return home to see her father this time was due to Chu Yan's favor towards her, and it was also beyond the bounds of etiquette. In the previous dynasty, when the Imperial Concubine visited her family, the scale of the visit was already astonishing, let alone now that the Emperor was bringing her home for a visit.
At this moment, she was the emperor's concubine, and the rules of etiquette were especially important to observe. "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Lin Ruhai chose a chair in the hall and sat down. He did not get too close to Consort Lin, who was her daughter, but he did not go too far away either.

After sitting down, he raised his head slightly and looked at his daughter again. Seeing that his daughter Daiyu's eyes were red and filled with tears, he quickly comforted her with his eyes, telling her not to cry.

Daiyu wiped away her tears with her handkerchief, her agitated mood calming down considerably. She sat down next to Chu Yan and listened quietly as Wang Ziteng recounted how to train soldiers.

After a while, Chu Yan nodded and said, "It's all standard and conventional, just the content from military books, without any personal insights gained from personally leading troops."

Wang Ziteng knelt down and said, "This humble subject is ashamed. Since joining the army, all I have done has been superficial. I have never led troops into battle."

Chu Yan said, "You're good enough to be a seventh-rank military officer, but you were a third-rank military governor before. Would you still be willing to be a lowly seventh-rank official?"

Wang Ziteng was overjoyed and kowtowed again, saying, "I am a sinner, but Your Majesty has shown me great favor by appointing me as an official in the new dynasty. How could I possibly complain? Besides, my family is struggling to make ends meet. I have already been working as a private tutor in the home of a Zhou family merchant. Now that I am a seventh-rank official, how could I possibly complain?"

Chu Yan smiled and said, "Alright, I will have someone take you to the Ministry of War to report in a while. You may leave now."

Wang Ziteng kowtowed for the third time to express his gratitude, then backed out of the hall.

After he left, Lin Ruhai couldn't help but say, "There's something I'm not sure if I should say."

Chu Yan laughed and said, "There's nothing I can't say, Father-in-law, just say it."

Upon hearing the emperor address him as "father-in-law," Lin Ruhai was startled and quickly said, "Your Majesty, I am unworthy of such a title!"

Daiyu simply smiled.

Chu Yan didn't say anything either.

Lin Ruhai could only continue, "In terms of personal relationships, I am related to the Prince, and I am currently staying at his home. I should not be ungrateful. However, as an imperial censor, it is my duty to submit memorials and report on matters, and I cannot consider my personal relationship with the Prince."

Chu Yan nodded, and Lin Ruhai continued, "My brother and I are both former officials of the previous dynasty. As officials in the new dynasty, we should act discreetly. However, many of the concubines in the harem are from the Jia, Wang, Shi, and Xue families. These four families are also intermarried. They share both prosperity and adversity. If our Lin family daughters give birth to imperial sons and daughters in the future, the four families will be related to the emperor, which may cause turmoil in the court."

Daiyu heard her father's words clearly and immediately recalled the many instances in history books of how powerful relatives of the emperor caused chaos in the court.

In the harem today, apart from Consort Xie, Empress Zhang, Princess Qinghe, Consort Wu, and others are all former consorts of the previous dynasty. The rest of the concubines all come from the four families of Jia, Wang, Shi, and Xue!
The Jia family, in particular, had four concubines, which was quite astonishing.

Zijuan brought over hot tea, and Chu Yan slowly took a sip before saying, "The matter you are concerned about has also been submitted to the court by some ministers. My reply at the time was: I will control the maternal relatives and prevent them from regaining their status because of the concubines in the harem."

Lin Ruhai said, "Your Majesty's achievements are unparalleled, so the maternal relatives are not a concern. The real worry is in twenty or thirty years, when the princes will grow up and inevitably rely on the power of their mothers' brothers."

Chu Yan laughed and said, "I have ruled the world for thirty years. The sea will turn into mulberry fields. At that time, the minor issues of the maternal relatives will no longer be a concern!"

He was determined to lead China into a capitalist process with advanced productivity. At that time, society would be in turmoil and contradictions would be extremely intense, so it was not worth worrying about relatives of the emperor.

Lin Ruhai rose and bowed, then said nothing more.

Chu Yan pulled Daiyu to her feet and said, "Yu'er and I are visiting your father-in-law's house. We're just taking a stroll. Where does your father-in-law live now?"

"Your Majesty, please. Consort Lin, please as well!" Lin Ruhai said with a smile.

Daiyu smiled and said, "Father, please lead the way for His Majesty and your daughter."

Chu Yan laughed and said, "There's no need for so many formalities when we're alone. It would be a loss of father-daughter harmony. Let's go."

Lin Ruhai led the way, guiding Chu Yan and Daiyu to a small courtyard. He then called out to the house, "Come out and greet His Majesty and Consort Lin!"

Several women around thirty years old came out busily. Daiyu recognized them and called them Aunt So-and-so.

These are Lin Ruhai's concubines. He said, "After losing my virtuous wife, I have decided not to remarry. I only hope that my only daughter will have a good life in the future."

With tears in her eyes, Daiyu said, "Father, please rest assured, I am doing well in the palace. His Majesty treats me well, and the concubines and sisters in the harem are all getting along well."

Lin Ruhai believed this statement. It was rare in the world for the emperor to personally take her home to visit her family. Only the founding emperor would be so unrestrained and indifferent to such trivial matters.

Otherwise, no other emperor would have shown such favor to a concubine in the harem!
Chu Yan sat down inside and asked Daiyu to talk to her aunts. Daiyu had also called her wet nurse when she went out, and she was chatting with acquaintances at the moment.

Although Xueyan came from the Lin family, she was too young and had forgotten most of what happened in the Lin family after all these years in the Jia family.

"My father-in-law's house is a bit cramped."

Chu Yan said to Lin Ruhai, "I will have someone find a courtyard near Daguan Palace and the Imperial Palace for my father-in-law to stay in."

Lin Ruhai smiled and said, "Your Majesty, may I ask what title my daughter holds?"

Daiyu, who was chatting with her aunts, glanced over.

Chu Yan said, "She has never been officially granted the title of Consort. Due to her busy schedule, apart from Consort Xie, none of the other concubines in the palace have been officially granted the title of Consort."

Lin Ruhai smiled and said, "Since I have not yet been made a concubine, I dare not consider myself a relative of the emperor, nor dare I accept any reward from Your Majesty."

Chu Yan said, "You two living together will worry Yu'er and also affect the face of the royal family. Besides, I dote on Yu'er very much. It's only a matter of time before she is made a Noble Consort. I also intend to make her Empress. You don't need to refuse anymore."

Upon hearing that his daughter might not only become a concubine but also possibly be made empress, Lin Ruhai was shocked and turned to look at his obedient and sensible daughter.

Daiyu pretended not to hear what was being said.

After a long pause, Lin Ruhai stood up and said, "In that case, Your Majesty, I thank you for your reward!"

Chu Yan waved his hand to stop him from kneeling and shouted outside, "Bring him in."

Xia Shouzhong hurriedly entered the house, and Chu Yan instructed him: "Do you have any money at home? I know that you have made a lot of money in various places in the previous dynasty. After I entered the capital, I confiscated the property of people from all over the place, but I spared you. I was just watching you with a cold eye. Now that I see that you are serving me diligently, I will let it go and not drive you away."

Xia Shouzhong was already so frightened that he knelt down.

Chu Yan said, “I conquered the world, but the national treasury is empty. When the concubines give gifts to their families, they have to count the silver on their fingers. On the contrary, your family has assets worth hundreds of millions.”

"Your Majesty, I'm innocent!" Xia Shouzhong kowtowed.

Daiyu found it amusing.

Chu Yan said calmly, "The palace eunuchs on duty, take out half of your family's wealth to replenish the national treasury. You go and handle this matter. Anyone who harbors resentment, come and speak to me face to face!"

Lin Ruhai couldn't listen any longer and hurriedly advised, "Your Majesty, eunuchs are close advisors; if they are offended too severely..."

Chu Yan laughed and said, "Others may be afraid, but I am not. Even if a hundred or so eunuchs rebel together, I can still defeat them. If there is poison, I have medicine to cure it."

Xia Shouzhong hurriedly kowtowed and accepted the order, not daring to say another word.

Chu Yan said, "I will only confiscate your property once. As long as you are sincere, I will not pursue the matter further. However, if you are two-faced and I hear any rumors about you, then it will not be so easy to talk to you. You must remember this and pass it on to others."

Xia Shouzhong bowed again: "This servant will certainly do his best!"

"Just go."

Chu Yan waved his hand.

This raid on the palace eunuchs is simply a continuation of the raid on the capital city.

After becoming emperor, he realized why the Ming Taizu (Emperor Hongwu) liked to print money—the court was simply too poor!
(End of this chapter)