Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Daiyu's Recent Situation; Reunion after a Long Separation...
Daiyu's little thoughts these days were not discovered as others thought. She was in the midst of a storm and was in a state of panic all day long. Instead, she was at ease and a little bored.
After the incident of the Second Prince stopping the car, she did not think that there was anything wrong with her behavior of hurting the Second Prince. However, she felt guilty when she knew that the Supreme Emperor was furious and Princess Zhongshun had run around for her.
After Princess Zhongshun knew her thoughts, she specially called her over, but did not tell her not to worry. She just praised her behavior and said that her behavior was a role model for women all over the world.
He also said that being gentle and graceful and being submissive were all lies used by others to discipline women, and told her not to be influenced by these things. Then he told Daiyu in detail about the personalities of everyone in the palace and how to deal with them.
For example, the emperor was good at governing the country, but he was suspicious by nature. He looked down on women, so all they had to do was be polite and act stupid in front of him. If they kept complaining about how difficult things were, he would become impatient to listen. If the request was not big, he would most likely agree.
There is also the Queen Mother, who is the most easily influenced, lazy and doesn't like to meddle in other people's affairs, but loves to pry into gossip. If you want to ask her to do something, you can start from here, but you need to think out how to do it step by step for her. It would be best if everything is arranged and she only needs to give the order.
Daiyu was amazed by the contrast between the nobles' public and private behavior and the cases that Princess Zhongshun easily caught, and she developed a rare interest in things other than poetry and books.
But suddenly one day, Princess Zhongshun did not send anyone to pick her up to talk. Instead, she sent someone to tell her not to pay attention to the rumors spread by others. After Xia Jin left Xiaoxiang Pavilion, she went to Lady Jia's courtyard in person.
Not long after, Yuanyang came to tell her that Baoyu and Baochai were engaged, and Yingchun was also engaged, so the mansion was too busy and Grandmother Jia had excused the sisters from visiting her in the mornings and evenings.
Daiyu always felt that they were hiding something from her, but seeing that no one was talking about it and looked embarrassed when she asked one more question, she just let it go.
It's just that the servants in the Jia family are talkative. Except for Li Wan, the people living in the garden are all young girls and young masters, and the servants are even more outspoken. So although Princess Zhongshun ordered people to keep it secret, and the sisters in the garden tacitly didn't say anything in front of Daiyu, but Daiyu still heard some rumors vaguely after a while.
But Daiyu didn't care. What those people said had nothing to do with her. She was no longer the child who cared about other people's opinions of her.
However, there are always one or two people who are hesitant to speak at the recent poetry gatherings. Daiyu is annoyed by this, but she doesn't want Princess Zhongshun to worry. In addition, Mrs. Wang personally led people to search the Grand View Garden. Although the princess did not dare to restrict Daiyu from going out, in order to prevent the sisters in the garden from being angry with Mrs. Wang because of her, Daiyu still chose to stay in the garden.
Unfortunately, it didn't last long. Baochai, who had been chatting with her today and had recently been criticized for being in charge of the Xue family and showing up in public, moved out of the garden after getting engaged to Baoyu. Later, I heard that she was busy planning border affairs with the Crown Princess and had no time to come in and talk.
During this search, people from Yingchun, Xichun and Baoyu's courtyards were driven out. The sisters were all depressed, and Daiyu became even more bored.
Later, she heard that the people who were driven out were in a miserable situation. Daiyu knew very well that it was not easy for women to survive in this world, let alone these maids who were driven out by wealthy families. If they had no ability, it would be fine. But now that she has money and free time, and has the royal palace as her backing, Daiyu thought about taking care of it.
So she pretended not to understand Mrs. Wang's anger but not to speak out, and opened a women's bookstore with Shanmei and Jinling, and asked Mrs. Wang to bring Fangguan and others over and placed them there.
Siqi, the maidservant beside Yingchun, was sent back home and forced to marry by her family. She was unwilling to do so and could not beg Yingchun for help. She was sad, angry and desperate. When she heard about Fangguan and others, she mustered up the courage to come and ask Daiyu for help.
Although she acted a little rashly, she was straightforward, strong-willed and resolute. Daiyu admired all kinds of personalities in women. However, Yingchun didn't say anything, and Siqi was not like Fangguan and others who had no relatives. She only had a godmother who could be dismissed with silver, so she went to Yingchun to ask.
Yingchun is cowardly and knows that her words will have no effect on Lady Wang. After the search of the Grand View Garden, she is angry that Siqi has secretly communicated with others without telling her, but she is also afraid that Lady Wang will vent her anger on her, so she dare not see Siqi.
After hearing Daiyu talk about Siqi's current situation, he felt very guilty. In addition, not long after the search, Jia She betrothed her to a man who was more than ten years older than her and had a very bad reputation. He couldn't help but feel more empathy for Siqi's situation.
So when Daiyu pointed out a way for her, she naturally agreed and took out the few pieces of jewelry she had left and asked Daiyu to give them to Siqi.
After getting the agreement, Daiyu went to see Lady Jia and said that the bookstore she and the princess opened was short of staff. She heard that Siqi in Yingchun's room had been let go, and she thought she was very capable, so she wanted to ask her for the position.
Grandmother Jia naturally agreed and said that she would give Amber to her to serve her. Daiyu refused on the grounds that there were too many people in the courtyard.
After hearing this, Grandmother Jia understood that she was looking for an excuse to help those maids. She already knew what had happened a few days ago, but as the saying goes: If you are not deaf or dumb, you can't be a father-in-law, so she pretended not to know.
Now, only Daiyu and Baochai have a good future in the mansion. But even if Baochai is favored by the Crown Princess, she is just a merchant. She promised her to Baoyu only because she wanted to ensure him a life of wealth and honor.
First of all, Daiyu's relationship with the mansion is different, and her status in the future will be more honorable. Although Grandmother Jia is not very happy that she helps these dishonest maids, she doesn't say anything. She orders someone to call Mrs. Wang over and only says that in the future, Daiyu can give directly to anyone she wants in the mansion, and she cannot shirk her responsibilities.
In her life, Mrs. Wang liked women who were dignified and gentle, like Baochai and Xiren. What she disliked most were beautiful and graceful women like Daiyu and Qingwen in Baoyu's courtyard.
Baochai now disregards her family's reputation and is restless at home. She feels embarrassed when she shows up in public, which is also something she dislikes.
But the decline of the Jia family became more and more obvious. Wang Ziteng had been ill this year. Although Feng Jieer was not divorced after the usury incident, she was deprived of her housekeeper rights. No one helped Mrs. Wang make money to fill the gap, so she had to hold her nose and accept this daughter-in-law for the sake of her daughter and son. This made her even more disgusted and irritated.
Now that she had finally found an opportunity to deal with the vixen in Baoyu's room, she received this order, and she felt very uncomfortable. However, she did not dare to refute Lady Jia, nor did she dare to offend Daiyu. She was furious in the yard, but when Yuanyang led the people from Xiaoxiang Pavilion to ask for Qingwen, she had to smile and send her away.
However, Qingwen had been ill before, and was then driven out on unclear charges. Her illness became even worse. The bookshop had just started, and Daiyu was afraid that no one would take care of her if she went there, and something might happen, so she sent her to the prince's palace. Lan Ye and Qingwen were very close, and with Lan Ye taking care of her and giving her constant advice, Qingwen's health gradually improved.
The other maids all had parents and relatives, and did not come to ask for help, so Daiyu did not care. After taking care of these things, she spent the whole day reading and writing poetry in the yard, and rarely went out.
Today, Daiyu was sitting by the window reading as usual when she suddenly heard the sound of footsteps outside, mixed with the exclamations of the little maids. She looked up and saw a figure nearly nine feet tall standing against the light where the bamboo shadows were swaying.
There were no Wu Tianyue's clothes in the stronghold outside the city. In order to leave a good impression in front of Daiyu, Wu Tianyue wore a military uniform. Although it was a bit heavy, it outlined his upright body and strong muscles well. However, it also made him look like a sharp blade drawn from its sheath, exuding oppression and chilling aggression, which was incompatible with this gentle city with carved beams and painted buildings.
At this time, he walked forward, his boots hitting the ground, making a heavy sound with each step, and came closer.
Daiyu stood up and looked at him seriously, somewhat hesitant to recognize him. The man in front of her had a distinct outline, a high nose bridge, deep eyebrows and eyes. His eyes were as deep as a deep pool, as if they could penetrate people's hearts, and had a calmness that could see through life and death. His skin was no longer as fair and delicate as when he was in Beijing. It had been tempered by the cold wind in the northern border and had a dark wheat-colored, rough texture.
Wu Tianyue walked through the bamboo forest and saw Daiyu sitting in front of the window at a glance. She was wearing a scarlet jacket sprinkled with gold, like a red plum blossom in the snow, which made her skin look whiter and more translucent. However, her cheeks were a little thinner, and her hands holding the book no longer had the plumpness that she had cultivated for many years.
My heart sank. It's only been over a year since we last saw each other, how come you've lost weight?
Just as she was thinking, Daiyu looked up. Seeing that her eyes were still so clear, Wu Tianyue couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth and walked quickly forward.
Daiyu saw a smile on his face, and the cold aura around him melted away little by little like an ice-covered lake under the warm sunshine. He unconsciously became gentle and happy. His eyes stared at her almost devoutly, and her own figure was clearly reflected in his pupils.
Still as silly as before, Daiyu was amused by his expression, and the strange feeling in her heart dissipated. She was about to say something, but found that her eyes had become blurred for some reason, and tears had already flowed down unconsciously.
Wu Tianyue didn't expect Daiyu to cry for joy. He just thought that she had been wronged these days. With anger boiling in his heart, he reached out and hugged Daiyu in his arms: "Don't be afraid, I'm back."
Daiyu's face touched the cold armor, and she was startled and came back to her senses from her joy, grievance and other emotions. She was a little confused when she heard his words: "What am I afraid of?"
Wu Tianyue felt that she was embarrassed to speak up. When it came to matters concerning reputation, even if Daiyu was not one to care about such external things, she would inevitably be affected. So he considerately changed the subject: "Do you miss me?"
Daiyu didn't expect that he would say this right away. Her cheeks flushed red, and she twisted her hand through his armor to grab the flesh around his waist and said, "Be serious."
But Wu Tianyue had been exercising properly over the past year, and his flesh was hard, so Daiyu couldn't twist it.
Wu Tianyue hadn't seen her so discouraged in a long time, and he thought it was adorable. He smiled and pinched her face: "Can't you pinch it anymore?"
Daiyu had been overjoyed at his return, but now, seeing that he was still as shameless as before, she was so angry that she reached out and twisted his ear: "I haven't settled my score with you yet. What did you say to the Empress before you left? Asking me to go see the young master of a noble family?"
Wu Tianyue leaned his upper body into the window and cried out in pain from being twisted. Then he remembered what Fei Yan said today and muttered, "You still went to see it."
"What did you say?" Daiyu's eyes, usually like peach blossoms filled with dew, were now filled with anger. "You are talking nonsense, and yet you are trying to blame me?"
The people in Daiyu's courtyard were used to the two's quarrels. Wu Tianyue had been gone for almost two years. Although there were many noble women coming and going every day, they could not compare to the excitement he brought. So Zijuan and others had just laughed at the two's quarrels at first, but now that they saw the quarrel, they laughed and said, "Your Highness, you are wrongly accusing the young lady."
"Why are you saying all this to him?" Daiyu let go of Wu Tianyue and snorted coldly, "For someone like him who leaves without saying goodbye and then wrongly accuses others, there's no point in saying anything."
"When the Queen mentioned this, the young lady refused and even scolded the Crown Prince." Zijuan knew that she didn't mean what she said, so she explained with a smile, "Those flower viewing banquets were held for Princess Shanmei and others."
Wu Tianyue knew he was jealous for no reason, so he bent down and stuck his head in through the window in a flattering manner: "I'm wrong, Yu'er..."
Before he could finish, Daiyu reached out, pressed his face, pushed him out, and slammed the window shut.
"Yu'er, don't be angry." Wu Tianyue quickly turned and walked back inside. "I heard from Feiyan that the people who come and go in the palace are all elegant gentlemen. In the past, I could still barely compete with them, but now... the gap is too big. What if you think they are better?"
Seeing that he was seriously worried about her fading beauty and losing her love, Daiyu couldn't help laughing: "What's wrong with you?"
Wu Tianyue, as shamelessly as before, took her hand and placed it next to his face: "The wind in the northern border is too strong, and my face is rough. Yu'er, you have to think of a solution for me."
"You've been to the battlefield before." Daiyu laughed even more heartily. "You're so conceited all day long."
"Everyone loves beauty. It's human nature for me." Wu Tianyue didn't care. "Besides, Yu'er is so outstanding. If I don't pay more attention to her, what will I do if you dislike me in the future?"
Daiyu couldn't help laughing when she heard him speak so seriously. The strange feeling between them when they first met disappeared, and they became closer than before.
Wu Tianyue felt very comfortable when he saw Daiyu smiling like a flower. He couldn't help but stare at her and felt that he couldn't see enough.
Daiyu smiled for a moment, then felt a little shy when she saw him acting like this, so she pulled her hand back and asked, "What are you looking at?"
"I miss you so much." Wu Tianyue squatted in front of her. Because of his tall stature, he could look her in the eye even when squatting. The longing and emotion in his eyes surged out, but his tone was very aggrieved. "These days, I don't even dare to take out your jade hairpin easily."
Daiyu blushed at his gaze, but she did not shy away. She looked back earnestly, but made no reply. Instead, she said with a gentle smile, "Last night, I was flipping through a collection of Yuefu poems, and after reading one line, I could read no further."
Wu Tianyue was somewhat disappointed, but he still followed her lead and asked, "Which line of poetry is so strange that our talented lady Lin couldn't finish reading it?"
"Let it go, don't talk about it anymore, just eat more." Daiyu smiled and said, "I wonder if that person has eaten well and put on more clothes..."
This poem fully expresses the woman's longing for her separated husband. When Daiyu said this, Wu Tianyue could not help but be moved. Before she could finish speaking, he reached out and held her in his arms.
Daiyu leaned her head against his neck, feeling very shy. Just as she was enjoying the warmth and silence, she heard him say, "I've been in the military camp for a long time, and my words have become blunt. I'm not as unconventional as Yu'er. Will Yu'er dislike me?"
"..." This man really spoils the mood. Daiyu tried to hold it back, but couldn't help it, so she tilted her head and bit his earlobe.
She didn't bite hard, but Wu Tianyue's head buzzed, his mind went blank, and he froze in place, suddenly remembering the casual conversation of the soldiers in the barracks.
Daiyu had no idea what he was thinking. Seeing his breathing suddenly stop and then become uncontrollably rapid, the hand holding her tightened a little. Thinking she had bitten too hard, she quickly let go.
Feeling the cool and soft touch on his ear disappear, Wu Tianyue felt a little lost and subconsciously turned to look at Daiyu.
He didn't realize that his eyes, no longer filled with joy and happiness, had become bottomless, surging with undisguised possessiveness. Daiyu was a little frightened and was about to speak when Zijuan came in and said, "Miss, Prince, someone is coming from the palace."
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The author has something to say: Thanks to the little angels "Yaya" and "Don't Want to Go to Work" for irrigating the nutrient solution~
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