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

Chapter 87 Baochai Housekeeper
After talking about Ningguo Mansion, it’s time to talk about Rongguo Mansion.

"His Majesty."

Just as Xue Baochai was about to speak, Xia Shouzhong, who was standing against the wall, came forward and reported, "Just now, the virtuous concubine sent a message, wishing to report to Your Majesty on all matters in the palace."

"Call them."

Chu Yan gave a casual instruction and gestured to Baochai, "Go on."

Baochai then narrated the story: "Ever since His Majesty issued the decree, everyone in Rongguo Mansion has been obeying it faithfully..."

She recounted in detail the recent events, including treating Xiangyun and Yingchun as young ladies, the compradors sent out of the mansion, all the affairs of the mansion and her handling of them, and Jia Lian's return yesterday.

Chu Yan said, "I allow you a certain amount of discretion in management, but burying Jia Zhen and giving Jia Baoyu a few sets of clothes are clearly not among them."

These words made Qin Keqing and Xue Baochai stand up and apologize.

"This is Lin Daiyu's decision, it's none of your business."

Chu Yan gestured for Baochai to sit down, and then asked Qin Keqing, "Tell me what you think."

Baochai couldn't help but look at her. This was a question from the emperor. She had heard that when the emperor asked such a question, ordinary officials would be so scared that their legs would tremble, their whole body would be covered in cold sweat, and they would only kowtow and apologize.

Now, looking at Grandma Qin, she stood and said in a gentle voice: "Your Majesty, although Jia Zhen tried to be rude to me several times before, I am a daughter-in-law of the Jia family after all. Now that he is dead, the grudges we once had have disappeared.

But there are still living people watching, and I didn't enter the palace yesterday, so my identity is unclear. Considering our past friendship, how can I bear to see the old lady, the mistress, and the eldest grandmother embarrassed? Therefore, I paid fifty taels of silver and asked Jia Lian to bury him.

Now that I have entered the palace, my connection with the Jia family is over, and I will no longer care about their family."

Qin Keqing was a little embarrassed: "Once you enter the palace, you will be the king's person from now on."

Chu Yan laughed. "Humans are not plants, so who can be heartless? Even a red pearl grass would spend its entire life repaying a favor with tears, let alone a human? Please sit down."

He asked Qin Keqing to sit down.

This Xiao Rong grandmother moved slowly and unhurriedly, reaching out to gather the hem of her skirt. The two firm and soft buttocks wrapped in the skirt pressed against the chair. Her movements were charming and graceful. After she sat down, she smiled at Chu Yan and asked:
"What is the crimson pearl grass your majesty is talking about? It sounds like something out of a fairy in a play."

"Leave her alone for now. I'll catch her and punish her when I have time. Let her cry her heart out!"

Chu Yan smiled.

cry?
Xue Baochai thought of Lin Daiyu. If anyone in the garden loved to cry the most, it would be her.

Chu Yan looked at the naturally charming Qin Keqing and asked her, "Did you sever ties with the Jia family before entering the palace?"

"Your Majesty, before entering the palace, I paid my last respects to Madam Shi and Youshi, and bowed to them one last time."

"You are quite confident, thinking that once you enter the palace you will be favored by me and can stay in the palace for a long time."

"Your Majesty~"

Qin Keqing used a round fan to slightly cover her rosy lips, and said shyly yet boldly: "I think I am quite pretty. I dare not say that I am as beautiful as Sister Bao, but I am as beautiful as a spring flower and as charming as an autumn moon, and I can win the emperor's smile~"

Such blatant teasing was too much for Baochai, who was still a girl. If she had heard these words in the garden, she would have turned around and left.

But in front of the emperor, she could only listen with a blushing face, lowering her head and not daring to look at Qin Keqing's seductive look at this time.

Chu Yan drank a sip of tea to moisten his throat, and looked at Qin Keqing, who had a slender figure and a bulge in her bodice, and couldn't help laughing:

"If you want to have a foothold in the harem, looks alone are not enough."

"Your Majesty, please teach me~" Qin Keqing said respectfully, lowering her head.

Chu Yan looked at her straight.

Otherwise, why do people say that Qin Keqing is naturally charming?

Ordinary women show off their charm by throwing seductive glances and rubbing their bodies against each other. How can they know when to stop?

"Your Majesty, the virtuous concubine has arrived." Xia Shouzhong came to report.

"Tell them to come in."

Xue Baochai looked towards the palace door and saw three beauties walking in. Except for Jia Yuanchun, she recognized one of the other two. She was the Princess Qinghe whom she met when she entered the palace to be selected as a tutor a few years ago!
She looked even more beautiful and noble than she had seen a few years ago, with her hair in a high bun and an elegant demeanor. When she walked in, her eyes met hers. "I remember you! You are the daughter of the Xue family, right?"

A smile appeared on Qinghe's pretty little face.

"Princess, do you still remember me?"

Baochai stood up, and Qin Keqing also stood up to greet them, but neither of them was polite.

Chu Yan smiled and said, "Why is Qinghe here too?"

The concubine from the palace whom Baochai did not recognize said calmly, "I asked her to come."

The maid was about to bring over a chair, so Chu Yan said to Princess Qinghe, "You two come and sit on the couch."

There were two soft couches by the window, which should have been where the emperor and empress sat facing each other in the past. Chu Yan noticed that a certain concubine had a complicated look in her eyes and did not move her feet.

Qinghe and Jia Yuanchun came over and wanted to sit on a soft couch, but Chu Shan stretched out his hand and pulled Princess Qinghe to his side, hugging her slender waist.

The expressions of the people in the room were different. Qinghe's face turned red, but Qin Keqing was not surprised. Baochai just looked at her with a rosy face.

Chu Yan released his hand and said to Baochai, "Let's finish talking about Rongguo Mansion first, then let the Queen and Yuanchun talk. Don't just talk about the good things, tell us the bad things too."

Queen?

Xue Baochai was a little dazed.

She was not chosen to be the princess's tutor, and now the princess was hugged by Chu Yan around the waist in front of them. The empress who was once the mother of the country could only stand there helplessly.

Judging from the current situation, the Empress was also forced to serve the Emperor of the Daqian Dynasty...

After calming down, Baochai said, "In the past, most of the maids and servants in the mansion had better food and clothing than they do now. Now they have to eat stale rice, so it's inevitable that they have some complaints behind their backs."

After hesitating for a moment, he continued, "I suspect the last slave rebellion was related to this. I've discussed with Miss Lin and Sister Qin about sending more people to monitor to prevent further trouble."

Chu Yan asked, "Were there any signs before the slaves in the Jia Mansion rebelled?"

"Yes, the kitchen in the garden was robbed, and the maids had seen them peeking out without following the rules."

"That's why you hesitate to make a decision."

Chu Yan looked at Baochai, and Baochai listened respectfully.

"I gave you management rights, and since you saw signs of trouble, you should have taken control of the housekeeping sooner rather than later. Don't be afraid of things getting out of hand. Being overly cautious can only lead to disaster."

Chu Yan said, "Blindly compromising and demanding perfection will only embolden others. You must learn how to use both kindness and authority. For example, when it comes to housekeeping, the three of you can't manage everyone. You need to appoint some assistants, give them higher food and monthly wages, and then use them to manage the others."

After they thought for a moment, Chu Yan continued, "The maids and servants' food has been reduced, but they still have to serve the people in the palace. How can they accept this? Since they are all slaves waiting for the court to decide their fate, how can there be any distinction between high and low?"

Baochai listened respectfully. Qin Keqing smiled and said, "Everyone in the palace thought that His Majesty wanted to see the girls, so the ladies and grandmothers are still ladies and grandmothers."

Chu Yan said: "You don't know my style of doing things, so it's natural that you don't understand. However, now that I have made it clear, you should know how to deal with it."

Both of them responded.

Chu Yan told them that he would release the slaves and maids to marry the soldiers, and asked them to discuss it after they returned.

Although he wanted to see the Twelve Golden Hairpins of Jinling, he already had most of the Twelve Golden Hairpins in his hands. As for Qingwen, Ping'er, Xiren and others, he could just let them go if they wanted to.

Chu Yan finally said: "I want the two governments to be stable. Nothing is fixed. The worst that can happen is that we will return to the way things were before."

At least before he goes to the Grand View Garden, the Ning and Rong mansions won't be in chaos.

Baochai accepted the order.

After hearing these words, she felt a lot of emotions in her heart. The emperor seemed to know what she had done and pointed out that she would end up causing trouble by trying to take care of everyone. He asked her to learn to use both kindness and strictness, and no longer be a guest in the Jia family, but a concubine in the Rongguo Mansion who governed for Chu Yan.

Baochai glanced at Chu Yan secretly. He was more familiar with her than the sisters who had been with her for many years.

Leng Zixing is only Zhou Ruijia's son-in-law, how could he know her character so well?
It wasn't Leng Zixing, it was him, Emperor Chu Yan who understood what she was thinking.

(End of this chapter)