Dream of the Red Chamber: My Daiyu Has Been Reborn

Emperor Yongxi gave Prince Teng seven days to prepare.

That day, everyone in the Rongguo Mansion was busy. Before dawn, Madam Wang got up and personally oversaw the preparation of some of the snacks that Prince Teng usually liked to eat, as well as the best ginseng, deer antler and other tonics.

Jia Zheng, along with Jia Lian, Jia Baoyu, and others, gathered at the gate of the mansion. As for Jia She, he did not show up today because he had drunk too much yesterday.

Ten miles outside the city, at the long pavilion, Prince Teng, dressed in a bright red official robe with a qilin embroidered on his chest, sat majestically on his horse. Behind him was a grand procession, so impressive that passersby stopped to watch.

Jia Zheng stepped forward with a cup of wine, saying, "Brother-in-law, your journey is destined for great things; may you have a smooth trip."

Wang Ziteng accepted the drink and downed it in one gulp: "Brother-in-law, you're too kind. With my departure, there will be one less person to look after you in the capital. You must be more careful in your dealings outside, lest someone take advantage of you again."

As he spoke, his gaze swept over Jia Baoyu behind Jia Zheng, and he frowned almost imperceptibly. His nephew was notoriously good-for-nothing, and had even caused trouble at the Princess's residence last time. If it weren't for his sister's sake and the presence of Jia Zheng, he would have disciplined him long ago.

Noticing Wang Ziteng's gaze, Jia Zheng's face immediately turned red: "My brother-in-law is right."

Wang Ziteng walked to the carriage parked not far away. Looking at his sister with tears in her eyes, his heart softened, and he said gently, "Although I am not in the capital, my old subordinates are still here. If anything happens, write to me. As for Baoyu, you should not spoil him anymore. He should be made to settle down, otherwise he may suffer in the future."

Hearing Wang Ziteng's instructions, Madam Wang nodded repeatedly, choking back tears, and said, "Brother, don't worry, I've remembered everything you said."

Seeing that his sister agreed so readily, Wang Ziteng said no more, mounted his horse, and rode off. The rest of the procession quickly followed, raising a cloud of dust.

Jia Baoyu stood there watching Wang Ziteng's departing figure, and let out a long sigh of relief. His uncle had always been strict, interrogating him about his studies every time they met; now that he was gone, he felt a great sense of relief.

……

Li Qi, carrying a bundle in his arms, entered the Marquis of Duanping's residence in a mysterious manner.

Gu Dayuan saw him and was about to go up and greet him, but Li Qi waved his hand and said, "Don't come with me. I have important matters to discuss with your second young master." Then he walked towards Gu Jinhong's courtyard as if he knew the way well.

Gu Jinhong was reclining on a deck chair in the porch, reading a storybook. The green parrot on its perch, seeing Li Qi enter, immediately cried out at the top of its lungs, "A guest has arrived! A guest has arrived!"

Li Qi glared at the green parrot with annoyance: "Alright, alright, you're so sharp-eyed, I know you're clever." He plopped down on the stool next to Gu Jinhong and carefully placed the bundle in his arms on the table.

Gu Jinhong put down his storybook and glanced at the bundle: "What is this? Why are you being so mysterious?"

"Of course it's good stuff." Li Qi immediately opened the bundle, revealing two snow-white kittens inside. They were fluffy and looked like two snowballs, with two pairs of bright blue eyes timidly looking around.

"Oh!" Seeing the two little ones, Gu Jinhong immediately became interested and reached out to tease them. "Where did these come from?"

Li Qi sighed, "Don't even mention it. My mother's 'Snow Dumpling,' the lion cat that was presented as tribute by the foreign lands last year, do you remember it?"

"Of course I remember, Consort Min was treated like a precious treasure."

"That's right, she takes it even more seriously than I do. Who knew that a few days ago, the maid wasn't watching her closely enough and let that little dumpling climb over the wall and run off to mate with some stray cats. By the time they found her, it was too late; she was already heavily pregnant. My mother was furious, but she couldn't bear to scold or beat her, so she had to accept it. And now, she recently gave birth to four kittens, all of pretty good quality. I secretly brought two over for you to raise and play with."

Gu Jinhong picked up a kitten by the scruff of its neck and laughed, "You're quite generous, aren't you afraid of getting a beating when you get back? But this cat is really nice, pure white all over, without a single stray hair."

"Of course, how could tribute from a foreign land be of poor quality?"

Gu Jinhong put the kitten back and glanced at Li Qi: "So, you didn't come here today just to give away two cats, did you?"

Upon hearing his question, Li Qi's face immediately showed annoyance: "There is indeed something. I know you're quick-witted, and I'd like you to help me make a decision."

"What is it?"

Li Qi lowered his voice: "You know Consort Wu, right?"

Gu Jinhong raised an eyebrow. Consort Wu was Emperor Yongxi's favorite concubine, and her father was Wu Tianyou, the current Vice Minister of Rites.

"What's wrong with her?"

"She wanted to match her younger brother Wu Yong with Yan'er." Li Qi gritted her teeth with hatred when she talked about this.

Gu Jinhong frowned deeply: "Princess Fukang is only sixteen, right? I remember Wu Yong is already in his mid-twenties."

"That's right, how dare that woman surnamed Wu mention him? Doesn't she even know what kind of person her brother is? Relying on his sister being a concubine, he commits all sorts of evil deeds in the capital. Although he's never married, he's kept several mistresses, and they probably already have children. How dare such a filthy scoundrel covet my sister?"

"Did Uncle agree?"

Li Qi picked up his teacup in frustration and took a big gulp: "My father hasn't agreed yet. But you know Consort Wu, she's good at whispering in someone's ear. My mother is so anxious she's got blisters around her mouth, but she can't go directly to my father. What if he didn't mean it in the first place, but my mother's outburst makes him angry and things get even worse?"

Gu Jinhong remained silent, thinking that this was a matter for outsiders to interfere in.

Consort Min came from a humble background; her family, the Zhao family, was merely an ordinary scholarly household with little influence in the court. She was able to enter the palace and become a consort only because of Emperor Yongxi's favor and the birth of her son, Li Qi. However, now that Li Qi has grown up, Emperor Yongxi's favor towards Consort Min has waned considerably, while Consort Wu is currently enjoying the most favor.

Consort Min dotes on her daughter, Princess Fukang. If Consort Wu were to persuade Emperor Yongxi to marry Princess Fukang to Wu Yong, it would be as if Consort Wu had him in her grasp, and the sixth prince, Li Qi, would be subject to her control in every way.

"This matter is indeed thorny. Since Consort Wu has already taken this to heart, she will certainly not give up easily. Her father also has some influence in the court. If the Wu family joins forces with several officials to submit a memorial, making the marriage sound incredibly appealing, His Majesty might very well be tempted."

Li Qi said urgently, "That's why I came to find you! Cousin, you're quick-witted, you can think of a solution for me."

Gu Jinhong leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest. After a long while, he finally spoke: "You can't handle this matter yourself. Here's what we'll do: first, investigate Wu Yong's background and gather the evidence. A princess's marriage represents the face of the royal family. If the consort is morally flawed, it's the court that will lose face."

"Yes, I was just too worried to think straight." Li Qi slapped his thigh, suddenly realizing, "I'll send someone to investigate right away."