Chapter 27. Admiring her. Loving her.
Three days ago.
Yuanyang rushed in, her face tense, and whispered, "Grandma, Second Madam sent Ping'er over to speak. Please dismiss everyone else."
"Hmm?" Grandmother Jia was chatting and laughing with several old nannies when she heard this and couldn't help but frown. She knew that Yuanyang was not someone who didn't know what was important, so she immediately dismissed everyone and called Ping'er in.
Ping'er's face still showed traces of tears, which surprised Grandmother Jia even more. She hurriedly asked, "Has something happened to Feng'er?"
“Grandma.” Ping’er knelt down and kowtowed. “Second Madam went to find our Grandma and said that Aunt Xue and First Madam found a sachet on the rocks in the garden. The painting on it was very unpleasant to look at, and they dared not say it out loud for the sake of Grandma’s ears.”
Grandmother Jia was startled and her face changed color. It took her a while to regain her composure. She then asked, "How did the concubine and the first wife end up together?"
Ping'er said, "I heard from the Second Madam that the Concubine and the First Madam were strolling in the garden when they bumped into each other on the artificial hill. They had only walked a few steps when they saw this thing on the rock. The garden was full of girls, and the Concubine and the First Madam were terrified, afraid that someone would see them. Since the Second Madam was in charge of things here, they came over to secretly hand it over to her and discuss how to deal with it. Unexpectedly, the Aunt arrived in the Madam's room, preparing to pay her respects to the Old Madam. In front of outsiders, the First Madam originally planned to make excuses, but the Concubine spoke too quickly and blurted everything out."
Grandmother Jia's vision blurred. What a fool! What a fool! Doesn't he know that family scandals are best kept secret? And since it concerns the young ladies, he must be even more careful. Does their family even have an unmarried princess?
Fortunately, she is Wang Ziteng's wife, so there is still room for reconciliation.
Grandmother Jia paused for a moment, then listened to Ping'er continue: "Second Madam, of course, knew the gravity of the situation. She immediately sent someone to summon our grandmother. In front of Auntie, she cried and scolded her, saying that if anyone saw this, she would have no regard for her life or reputation! Grandmother, our grandmother was wronged. You know, our grandmother is a bit strong-willed, but she has never made a mistake in manners and propriety. How could she not defend herself? Auntie also knows our grandmother and said a few words in her defense. Besides, it wasn't just our grandmother who went to the garden. Madam was also anxious. When she heard that what was said made sense, she called our grandmother up and said that they should discuss finding out who this thing belonged to. Our grandmother thought that they should investigate quietly, so that no one would know whether they found the person or not."
Grandmother Jia listened and nodded. In terms of ability, her niece was far superior to her aunt. If it were her, this would be the most appropriate way to handle the situation.
"Who knew that Xiangling would come to invite the concubine at this time, saying that there was something going on at home. She saw the sachet on the table and recognized that it was the one that Master Xue had held. So she asked about it, and that's when things got really complicated..." Ping'er showed an expression that was hard to describe and extremely distressing.
"What is it? Speak quickly!" Grandmother Jia's heart immediately jumped. She had a bad feeling and immediately shouted sternly.
Ping'er dared not delay, nor dared to conceal anything, and recounted the events in great detail: "Aunt Xue panicked immediately, grabbing Second Madam and saying that it had nothing to do with her. She had never wanted to do this in the first place, but Second Madam said she wanted to marry Miss Bao to Second Master Bao, so she agreed to help Second Madam smear Miss Lin. Second Madam was furious, covering Aunt Xue's mouth while saying that Aunt Xue was talking nonsense. Aunt Xue was terrified and then grabbed her aunt, begging her sister-in-law to stand up for her..."
These words struck Grandmother Jia like a hammer blow, making her dizzy. She had no choice but to close her eyes to calm herself down.
Alright, let's put our minds to Daiyu. That idiot second son's wife, how could their family have married such a woman!
Seeing the old lady's expression, Ping'er dared not elaborate further: "The eldest madam and our grandmother really think things are out of line. They tried to persuade them, but to no avail. The second madam is holding onto the concubine, and the concubine is holding onto the maternal uncle's wife. The maternal uncle's wife can't escape either, and they can't reconcile them. Our grandmother had no choice but to secretly ask me to come and beg the old lady. If this continues, the whole family will probably find out, which would be too embarrassing. Please, old lady, think of a way to persuade them."
Grandmother Jia was furious and said through gritted teeth, "How can I persuade them! Aren't they embarrassed enough already! Have a few old women pull them apart and send them back to their own rooms. Then invite Auntie over, and I'll speak with her!"
Ping'er dared not say more, but hurriedly agreed and retreated.
Yuanyang was afraid of upsetting the old lady, so she quickly patted her chest and comforted her, "Grandma, luckily no one else knows. You can say a few words to your aunt, and we can keep this under wraps."
Grandmother Jia covered her forehead and fell onto the pillow. She really wanted to pry open her second daughter-in-law's brain to see just how many stupid ideas she had!
Making her widowed sister, who had been widowed for many years, hold her son's embroidered sachet—she truly didn't want her sister to live!
By placing this thing in the garden where the Jia family's daughters live, she's trying to kill them!
She even tried to frame and smear the princess whom the emperor had arranged to marry. Did she think the Jia family was having too good a life now?
If she were to succeed in her wicked scheme, not to mention the reputation of the Jia family's daughters, Daiyu's reputation would be ruined, and it would be unknown what would happen to the palace. Whether this marriage succeeds or fails, what face would the Jia family have in front of the royal family in the future?
Furthermore, has the second son's wife forgotten that she has a daughter who is a concubine in the palace? Is it a particularly honorable thing for the concubine that her sister and cousin's reputations have been ruined?
Soon, Lady Wang Ziteng was invited over. Grandmother Jia forced herself to speak with her for a while. Since it was her two sisters-in-law who had caused this trouble, Lady Wang Ziteng felt ashamed and naturally wouldn't tell outsiders about it.
Logically, it shouldn't be concluded so quickly, but Aunt Xue was forced to do this. First, she encountered Madam Xing, a variable, and then there was Madam Wang Ziteng. She was already terrified. With a quick sip, she spilled all her sister's dirty secrets.
First, place the embroidered sachet in the Grand View Garden, then make a scene and spread rumors in the chaos, saying that erotic objects were found in the garden where the betrothed Princess Duan lives...
Both vicious and foolish, Madam Wang Ziteng simply did not want to acknowledge these two as her sisters-in-law, let alone defend them.
Grandmother Jia wasn't too worried about Lady Wang Ziteng. The person who caused this trouble came from their Wang family. If things got out of hand, the Jia family would lose face, and the Wang family would inevitably be gossiped about as well.
After seeing the person off, Grandmother Jia summoned Lady Wang, dismissed the servants, and gave her a severe scolding. She then ordered Lady Wang to be taken back to her room and locked up, with one of her own maids assigned to guard her.
He spends all his time eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist scriptures, yet he harbors a bellyful of evil intentions. This shows that he hasn't chanted the Buddha's name enough!
As for Jia Baoyu, who was living with his mother at the moment, he was ordered by Grandmother Jia to be sent to Jia Zheng's study in the front. Since Daiyu was there, Baoyu could not come, so he had to be temporarily disciplined by his father.
After realizing how brainless Lady Wang was, Grandmother Jia felt that no matter how strict Jia Zheng was, it was still better than letting Lady Wang teach her son!
At first, when Grandmother Jia scolded Lady Wang and threatened to lock her up, she remained silent. After all, she had two great supports: the Imperial Concubine in the palace and Grandmother Jia's beloved grandson, her son Jia Baoyu.
Lady Wang had a very good plan. In the end, the matter did not come to fruition, and no outsiders knew about it. For the sake of the Imperial Concubine's reputation, she would have Baoyu plead for her in a couple of days, and the old lady would have to obediently release her. The matter would then be easily dismissed.
Unexpectedly, the old lady actually wanted to take Baoyu away from her!
This is the second time!
Memories flooded back. She had three children in total. Her mother-in-law had first taken away her eldest daughter, and then her youngest son. How could she, as a mother, not hate her?
Lady Wang pulled Jia Baoyu away, forbidding him from going to the front, and said that she wanted to go to the palace to see the Imperial Concubine. Jia Baoyu was at a loss. The old women were following the old lady's orders and dared not pull on the lady, for fear of startling the young master. They could only let Lady Wang hold Jia Baoyu and wail.
Aunt Zhao was sitting on tiptoe, cracking melon seeds and watching the commotion when she was spotted by Grandmother Jia, who spat at her. Aunt Zhao quickly hid inside the house.
Grandmother Jia ordered the servants to forcibly separate Lady Wang and Jia Baoyu. Lady Wang cried and made a scene, saying, "I want to see Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please do me justice!"
Grandmother Jia grabbed Jia Baoyu's hand and said coldly, "Gag her."
Several old women hurriedly covered Madam Wang's mouth, pulled her into the room, and slammed the door shut.
Jia Baoyu was startled and only then came to his senses. He could no longer see his mother through the glass window, and he cried out in a panic, "Grandmother, please...please Madam..."
Grandmother Jia sighed and stroked her grandson's head with pity: "You don't understand these things, so I won't do anything to your mother. We just need to suppress this matter for now."
Upon hearing that his mother was alright, Jia Baoyu recalled the words of the old women earlier and fell silent.
Because of Madam Wang's outburst, everyone in the Jia family knew that the Second Madam, in order to smear Miss Lin, colluded with her own sister and disregarded even the reputation and face of the women in her own family.
As Daiyu was about to be married and rarely went out, she also learned about it that day. The Jia sisters, the Xue sisters, and other young ladies were in Daiyu's room at the time when Wenxing, the maidservant of Xue Baochai, ran in to call her mistress. Only then did they learn that such a big event had happened in the Jia family that day.
Jia Tanchun's face immediately turned bright red. She wanted to speak, but she really didn't know what to say. It was a matter that a girl shouldn't speak about, and the person involved was her stepmother. She dared not say anything bad about her.
Fortunately, Daiyu was not one to take her anger out on others easily. She gave everyone a way out: "Why don't we call it a day and get together another time?"
Everyone forced a smile and helped their maids out, with Xue Baochai and Jia Tanchun being the most anxious.
Zijuan and several maids came over to clear the teacups from the table when they suddenly heard Daiyu ask, "Is the old lady in the room?"
Zijuan asked the little maid who was feeding the birds in the corridor, and she returned and said, "Miss, the old lady went to Madam's place and hasn't returned yet."
"Yes," Daiyu instructed, "Have someone keep an eye on things, and let me know when the old lady returns."
"Yes." Zijuan agreed, instructed the others, and came over to refill Daiyu's cup of water. She asked softly, "Does Miss want to speak with the Old Madam about what happened earlier?"
Daiyu sighed softly and remained silent.
Upon hearing this, Zijuan also frowned. Since this matter had caused such a stir at home, if it wasn't handled properly, who knew if it wouldn't happen again, who knew if someone else would try to frame and smear the girl?
No matter who the culprit is, they must not be tolerated!
A moment later, a young maid came back and said, "Miss, the old lady has returned with Master Bao."
Daiyu got up, straightened her clothes, and went to the main room to find Grandmother Jia.
Jia Baoyu was nestled beside his grandmother when he saw Daiyu. Remembering his mother's wicked scheme to deal with her, he felt dejected and dared not look directly at Daiyu.
Seeing this, Grandmother Jia was even more troubled. She had been thinking that Daiyu would be a good help to the second branch of the family in the future, and she had put in a lot of effort in the front for this purpose. But she never expected that there would be a burden in the back who was desperately retreating!
“Yuanyang, take Baoyu there… You don’t need to go. Just escort him to the second gate, and then find two capable servants to take Baoyu to Master’s outer study first,” said Grandmother Jia.
Jia Baoyu hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself. He slowly followed Yuanyang for a few steps, then stopped again beside Daiyu.
Daiyu took two steps to create distance between them.
Grandmother Jia sighed and was about to call out to Baoyu again when she heard Jia Baoyu speak: "Sister Lin... I apologize to you on behalf of my mother."
Grandmother Jia stared wide-eyed at Daiyu expectantly.
Daiyu shook her head and said, "It's not your fault, Second Brother, you don't need to apologize."
Jia Baoyu was speechless. Grandmother Jia's eyes fell again. She waved her hand, signaling Yuanyang to quickly take the person away.
After a long pause, Grandmother Jia finally said, "Yu'er, are you blaming your maternal grandmother?"
Daiyu shook her head again: "My maternal grandmother did not harm me."
"Alas." Grandmother Jia rubbed her forehead and frowned. "It's because Grandmother didn't manage the household properly and didn't discipline the children well that such a mess has occurred."
Daiyu said, "It has nothing to do with my maternal grandmother. Second Madam has been managing the household for many years and is not an ignorant child. There is no reason to blame you for her mistakes."
Hearing her say this, Grandmother Jia felt somewhat relieved: "I have already punished her and confined her to her quarters. Although this matter did not succeed, she still had bad intentions, and... and she has made such a fuss. It is really... outrageous!"
The more Grandmother Jia spoke, the more heartbroken she became. Her second son's wife had been foolish and stupid all these years, yet she had turned out to be so vicious. She had truly misjudged her back then! With such a wicked woman in the house, she feared there would be no peace in the household!
“Grandmother, please don’t worry. Fortunately, it was discovered in time, and no major trouble has occurred,” Daiyu said. “There is one more thing I have to say, Grandmother. I don’t want to say this, but… there is no such thing as a thousand days of guarding against thieves, only a thousand days of being a thief.”
Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia couldn't help but look at Daiyu.
Daiyu continued, "Since you have confined my second aunt to her quarters, I wonder if she has confessed her guilt? Has she admitted her mistake? If she hasn't confessed, can the confinement be lifted? If she has confessed, how can we know if it's true or not?"
There are still more than half a year before Daiyu gets married, and there will be many years after Daiyu gets married. What if Lady Wang wants to harm her again?
Grandmother Jia moved her lips. Although Daiyu was being somewhat aggressive, she was right. If they didn't make an example of her this time, there would be endless trouble in the future.
Daiyu was the emperor's chosen consort of Prince Duan. If she made even the slightest mistake, the Jia family would suffer.
Grandmother Jia's thoughts raced. She favored her second son, so she was lenient with her second daughter-in-law in many matters. But if the Jia family was in danger, what good could the second branch of the family possibly do? The old lady could tell what was important and what was urgent.
Therefore, she made a decision quickly.
"Yu'er, don't worry, your grandmother will definitely give you an explanation."
Daiyu curtsied and said, "Thank you, Grandmother."
Afterwards, Grandmother Jia revoked Lady Wang's management of the household, moved her to a secluded courtyard, forbade anyone to serve her, and forbade her to see anyone. She was forced to chant Buddhist scriptures and copy Buddhist sutras every day, and was only provided with coarse tea and simple meals.
When Jia Zheng returned home, he was furious after hearing his mother's account of what had happened during the day. His mother then ordered him to threaten Lady Wang, saying that if she had any more intentions to harm others, he would divorce her and send her back to the Wang family!
The others were unaware of Jia Zheng's half-serious, half-joking threat. All the Jia family knew was that the Second Madam's punishment had suddenly become more severe after Miss Lin had met with the Old Madam.
Many eyes were focused on Daiyu, but she remained unmoved.
If you repay evil with kindness, how will you repay kindness?
She was determined to make Lady Wang remember this lesson so that she would never again have the thought of harming Daiyu. Otherwise, as long as Lady Wang lived, Daiyu would probably live in constant fear.
Even though the whole Jia family knew about this incident, Grandmother Jia gave her a warning and ordered Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng to keep a close watch on things and not let it be spread outside. They thought everything was fine, but unexpectedly, the matter was still leaked out.
The problem originated with Lady Wang Ziteng. She was furious with her two sisters-in-law at the Jia family and had to find someone to vent her frustrations to. She didn't tell any outsiders, but only her husband that night, and the next day she told her daughter who had married into the Marquis of Baoning's household. She also complained to her sisters, brothers, and sisters-in-law on her own side...
However, everyone has relatives, and the inner quarters are really boring. Lady Wang's self-inflicted suffering was quite interesting, and it quickly spread among the inner quarters of dukes and nobles. In less than three days, the matter reached the ears of the Empress Dowager at Renshou Palace through Princess Hejia.
When the Empress Dowager sent someone to investigate the Jia family, she found out more details than Lady Wang Teng knew. She knew everything about Lady Wang's later commotion, the Jia matriarch's harsher treatment of her, and even Daiyu's involvement.
—This shows that even without Lady Wang Ziteng, the Jia family servants would have had a hard time keeping this matter from spreading outside.
Yongkang was present at the time and, upon hearing this, felt indignant on Daiyu's behalf, clamoring for the Empress Dowager to issue an edict to reprimand Lady Wang. The Empress Dowager, annoyed by her commotion, ordered her to leave.
Yongkang was still indignant, so he wrote that letter and had it sent to Chuheng.
When Chu Heng entered the palace, it was already afternoon; He Jia had already left.
Upon seeing him, the Empress Dowager said, "I have spoiled Yongkang too much. She even dared to leak secrets from the palace."
When Yongkang wrote the letter, the Empress Dowager must have known about it, yet she did not stop him, which was clearly intentional.
Chu Heng didn't expose her, but said, "Yongkang is young and just mischievous. Since Mother says she spoils her, why bother with such a small matter?"
The Empress Dowager rubbed her forehead and said, "No matter how much we spoil her, we still have to consider the rules."
“Yongkang is still young. Mother will teach him the rules slowly. Spying on matters of the Forbidden City is no small crime. Fortunately, there are no outsiders here. I know that Mother is just talking casually. I'm just afraid that one day an outsider will hear it and take it seriously…” Chu Heng smiled, “That would not be good.”
The Empress Dowager lowered her hand and smiled, "Yongkang is on your side, so naturally you're on her side too."
“Back at Longhua Temple, Yongkang had some personal dealings with Miss Lin. If it were for my sake, I’m afraid this letter wouldn’t exist today,” Chu Heng said with a smile. “You know, Yongkang has always only wanted to see me make a fool of myself.”
The Empress Dowager said, "I can't comment on your siblings' affairs, but you rushed over as soon as you received the letter, which shows how much you care about your princess."
The Empress Dowager was just that kind of person. It was true that she liked and admired Daiyu, and it was true that she wanted Chu Heng and the Princess to have a harmonious marriage. But if, in her eyes, Chu Heng had lost his sense of propriety for the Princess, then her concern would be flawed.
The Empress Dowager will be displeased.
Chu Heng was well aware of the Empress Dowager's unpredictable moods. He himself didn't care, but he couldn't let Daiyu offend the Empress Dowager. So he said, "Mother personally chose her. My brother issued an imperial decree. She will be my wife in the future. It's also for the sake of the royal family's reputation. Naturally, I have to take it to heart."
After hearing this, the Empress Dowager looked at Chu Heng's expression and slowly nodded: "That's true. The Lin family girl is already my daughter-in-law. Her aunt still dares to set her sights on her. She really doesn't respect the royal family."
"That's exactly what I was thinking. Now that the princess and her relatives all know about this, we can't pretend we don't know," Chu Heng said slowly, considering his words. "But it's not a very important matter, so I dare not ask Mother to intervene. I will go and ask my brother, the Emperor, to trouble my sister-in-law to issue an imperial edict reprimanding Wang Shi, hoping she will take this as a warning and never again harbor any intention to harm others."
The Empress Dowager thought for a moment, then waved her hand and said, "There's no need for such trouble. I'll just have the Empress give me some instructions."
Chu Heng hurriedly said, "Thank you, Mother. However, I am a junior, and I feel uneasy about troubling my sister-in-law with my affairs. I must ask my brother for help before I can feel at ease."
The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "Your brother always says you are too polite, and he is right. You don't need to worry about it. Just listen to me on this matter."
Unable to persuade the Empress Dowager, Chu Heng had no choice but to let her summon the Empress and instruct her to issue an imperial edict reprimanding Lady Wang.
The Empress was gentle and obedient, and dared not disobey the powerful Empress Dowager, so she immediately went back to draft the imperial edict.
Chu Heng thanked the Empress and respectfully saw her off. He sighed inwardly; this was not unexpected. The Empress Dowager insisted on asserting her power at all times.
The Empress Dowager was satisfied, but the Emperor was accumulating discontent.
The Empress Dowager continued, "The Jia family's upbringing is truly appalling. I plan to select two governesses to send there, firstly to teach the Lin family's maid the rules of the palace, and secondly to protect that maid."
Thirdly, she could also act as the Empress Dowager's spy...
Chu Heng clicked his tongue inwardly. This was precisely why he was so eager to enter the palace; the Empress Dowager had already hinted at this when she spoke with He Jia.
Chu Heng hesitated for a moment: "If we send her now, Mother, I'm afraid some people will say that my princess is not well-behaved. I rarely go out, so even if people talk about me, I won't hear it. But I'm afraid some dirty words will reach your ears."
The Empress Dowager immediately frowned. People were saying that Lady Wang was foolish and Miss Lin was pitiful. If they said something else, this daughter-in-law who couldn't be replaced would embarrass her.
The Empress Dowager thought to herself, "Why didn't I think of this?" She said, "You've thought of everything. It's really not appropriate right now. I'm getting old, and I'm bound to be a little careless in some things."
Chu Heng smiled and said, "Even the wisest person can make a mistake. Mother is sharp-witted and quick-witted, but because she thinks about so many things every day, it is inevitable that she will miss one or two things."
"I don't want to get involved, and I just want to enjoy my retirement, but I'm really worried about you children," the Empress Dowager sighed.
Chu Heng lowered his eyes and smiled, "It's all thanks to Mother's concern."
After chatting with the Empress Dowager for a while at Renshou Palace, Chu Heng went to Haiyan Palace to request an audience with the Emperor and ask him to convey his gratitude to the Empress.
The emperor asked in surprise, "Why are you thanking the empress for no reason?"
Chu Heng then recounted what had happened at Renshou Palace, and the emperor's face immediately darkened.
The scene was quite familiar. Chu Heng recalled what had happened when he entered the palace a few days ago and sighed inwardly. If the Empress Dowager and the Emperor really broke off relations one day, it seemed that Chu Heng would indeed have played a part in adding fuel to the fire.
Chu Heng, caught in the middle, didn't want to offend either side, so he could only try to please both.
Chu Heng sensed something was wrong. If things continued like this, he would likely offend both sides and inevitably end up in a bad situation.
But if he had to choose sides... he really didn't like either of them. However, this shouldn't be the reason for his choice. Chu Heng had to choose one that was more beneficial to him and even more beneficial to Miss Lin.
Husband and wife are one, sharing both honor and disgrace. I must discuss this with Miss Lin another day…
Chu Heng suddenly realized something: the Empress had returned to the palace to draft an imperial edict, which would soon be sent to the Jia family.
Once again, he acted arbitrarily in matters concerning Miss Lin.
I've prepared a musical score; I wonder if Miss Lin will like it as an apology?
The previous offense hadn't even passed, and Chu Heng committed it again, making his crime even more serious.
Will he and Miss Lin have a chance to get back together in this lifetime?
Will the purpose of coming to the emperor still be carried out?
Chu Heng was immediately filled with melancholy.
"Mother has always doted on the younger generation. Here's what we'll do, Fifth Brother..." the Emperor said casually, "Take the Empress's decree to the Jia family, and also bring along one of my imperial decrees. Since they dared to bully your future princess, then strip Wang of her title."
Chu Heng: "..."
He was quite pleased with the outcome, but as for Miss Lin, even if he had a thousand mouths, he probably couldn't explain the situation clearly.
Chu Heng took a deep breath. Since things had come to this point, he might as well achieve his goal in one go!
He smiled and said to the emperor, "On behalf of Miss Lin, I thank Your Majesty, but..."
"Yongkang heard from Fifth Sister that Wang keeps saying she is the mother of the Imperial Concubine. Your Majesty, shouldn't we save some face for the Imperial Concubine? Your Majesty's decree has already been issued..." Chu Heng hesitated.
The emperor had been annoyed by Jia Yuanchun's position as a Noble Consort for quite some time, but he couldn't just depose her without cause. Chu Heng kindly provided the emperor with a ready-made excuse.
"Imperial Consort?" the Emperor sneered. "I forgot, Li Zhong, issue an edict to strip Jia of her title of Imperial Consort, revoke her imperial seal and seal, and demote her to the rank of Noble Lady."
...
After hearing the emperor's edict and the empress's decree, the Jia family members who came out to receive the decrees had different expressions, and Lady Wang collapsed to the ground.
Chu Heng took the two imperial edicts from the eunuch who was delivering them, stepped forward slowly, and said gently, "Wang, receive the edicts and thank the emperor."
Lady Wang dared not cry out in despair, and instead kowtowed meekly, saying, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty."
She kept repeating to herself, "With her imperial concubine daughter here, she still has another imperial concubine daughter..."
As if knowing what she was thinking, Chu Heng straightened his sleeves and slowly said, "Oh, there's one more thing. I just heard from His Majesty that your esteemed concubine has just been stripped of her title by Guo and has been demoted to the rank of Noble Lady."
Madam Wang immediately disregarded everything, abruptly raising her head, her eyes almost bulging out of their sockets: "Wh...what? What did you say?"
Jia Yuanchun was the hope of the entire Jia family. For the declining Jia family, the status of being the imperial concubine's family was crucial to enhancing their prestige.
However, now, Prince Duan tells them that Jia Yuanchun is no longer a concubine.
This was a bolt from the blue.
Just as Jia Zheng and Jia She were helping the old lady to her feet, they heard this sentence. Upon hearing the sudden bad news, the three of them almost lost their balance. Fortunately, Jia Lian supported them from behind.
Grandmother Jia asked tremblingly, "Really? Your Highness, is Her Highness really...?"
Chu Heng said regretfully, "Madam, please don't worry too much. His Majesty was just angry for a moment. Besides, she has only been demoted to a Noble Lady. There is no other punishment. In the future, with His Majesty's great favor, she may have another chance to be promoted."
"No..." Lady Wang's remaining words were stuck in her throat. It was Grandmother Jia who realized what was happening and signaled to the servant girl to prevent Lady Wang from causing even greater trouble.
No chance...
Jia Yuanchun was able to become a Noble Consort because the Emperor Emeritus was still alive at the time. Now that the Emperor Emeritus has long since passed away, she will be forgotten by the Emperor, fall into obscurity, and never rise again.
Grandmother Jia looked dejected and was on the verge of collapse, but her mind was still very clear. She knew that the person in front of her who had brought several disastrous pieces of bad news to the Jia family might even be the one behind these misdeeds, but he was indeed the Jia family's greatest hope at the moment.
With a strained voice, Grandmother Jia said, "Thank you, Your Highness. Please come inside for tea."
"Madam, please go first," Chu Heng said politely.
Lady Wang was led away with her mouth covered. Grandmother Jia led the entire Jia family to her main room and then sent Yuanyang to summon Daiyu to see Prince Duan.
When the hem of her skirt appeared behind the screen, Chu Heng stood up to greet her.
The Jia family members sitting inside were taken aback by the sight and dared not remain seated. They hurriedly stood up, feigning confusion.
So, Daiyu turned around the screen and saw a room full of people waiting for her. She was stunned for a moment before she stepped forward to greet them.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
"Greetings, Miss Lin." Chu Heng nodded and smiled. "I am a guest, so please have a seat."
Daiyu smiled and said, "Your Highness, please have a seat."
Chu Heng then sat down.
Daiyu bowed to the elders again before sitting down in the only empty chair closest to Chu Heng.
Prince Duan's actions were a warning to everyone here. Grandmother Jia thought, "If the mistress of the house is thinking of slandering Daiyu, who knows what the others are thinking?"
Despite witnessing firsthand how much Prince Duan valued Daiyu, Grandmother Jia could not feel happy at this moment.
At first, she only thought that this high regard would be an asset to the Jia family, but she never expected it would become a knife to the Jia family.
This morning she learned that the family scandal had spread outside, and she was thinking about how to salvage the situation. She wondered if the palace would hear about it and what their reaction would be. In the afternoon, the imperial edict and the imperial decree arrived at the Jia family, and Yuan Chun was demoted to the rank of Noble Lady.
How much of this was fueled by Prince Duan?
Cold sweat broke out all over Grandmother Jia's body, but she still had to force herself to speak: "I have failed in my family's discipline and have not expected to disturb His Majesty and the Empress Dowager. I am extremely ashamed."
"The Dowager Madam is now enjoying her retirement, and the Empress Dowager has always known this, so she naturally won't blame you," Chu Heng said with a faint smile. "The Dowager Madam, please don't worry."
Jia Zheng's face burned with embarrassment. His elderly mother had long since entrusted him with all the household affairs, yet it was his wife who had caused this disgrace.
Jia Zheng really didn't want to leave his house. Who knew how many people would be whispering behind his back in the yamen tomorrow... No, perhaps such things had already happened in the next day or two!
Thinking of this, Jia Zheng felt an intense hatred for Lady Wang.
Grandmother Jia forced a smile. Her status at least brought some prestige to the Jia family, but she was already this old and had no successor. How would the Jia family support itself in the future?
Daiyu had already learned about the Jia family's misfortune from Yuanyang, but she was still somewhat shocked that the matter would alarm the palace, attract imperial edicts and decrees, and even implicate Jia Yuanchun.
"Speaking of which, Miss Lin is completely innocent in this matter. Please, Madam, comfort your granddaughter properly," Chu Heng said with a gentle smile as he looked at Grandmother Jia.
Grandmother Jia forced a smile and said awkwardly, "Of course, Lin girl has suffered a great injustice."
Chu Heng glanced at Daiyu, then said to Grandmother Jia, "Grandma, please don't think this is making a mountain out of a molehill. A young lady's reputation and life are at stake. Miss Lin is the Empress Dowager's daughter-in-law, so no amount of caution is too much."
“Yes…” Grandmother Jia replied blankly.
Having said what he needed to say, Chu Heng was unwilling to sit with the Jia family any longer. He turned to Daiyu and said, "It's getting late, and I have to return to the palace to report. Would you please trouble Miss Lin to see me off?"
Daiyu was taken aback, then nodded and said, "I wouldn't dare. This humble girl will see Your Highness off. Please."
Chu Heng smiled and said, "Thank you for your trouble." Then he turned to Grandmother Jia and said, "Grand Madam, farewell."
Grandmother Jia and the others hurriedly got up to see him off. Since Chu Heng only wanted Daiyu to see him off, they dared not follow him out the door and could only watch them leave.
After losing sight of Prince Duan, Jia She spoke up, "Old Madam..."
Grandmother Jia sat down, supported by her maid, and said wearily, "I'm tired."
With his mother speaking, Jia She could no longer continue speaking and could only sit down dejectedly.
...
Chu Heng didn't actually ask Daiyu to see him off. He just stood in the courtyard, and Zhao Qing dismissed the servants in the courtyard to make it easier for them to talk.
“Miss Lin…” Chu Heng bowed and said, “I have acted on my own initiative again. I dare not ask for your forgiveness. I only ask that you be angry with me and please don’t be angry with yourself.”
Daiyu asked with mixed feelings, "Your Highness, did you plead with the Emperor and the Empress Dowager to help you with all of this?"
Chu Heng honestly replied, "Not entirely... At least, the Emperor took it upon himself to strip Wang of her imperial title in order to compete with the Empress Dowager."
That is, the Empress rebuked Lady Wang and the Emperor for demoting Jia Yuanchun's rank, which was done by Prince Duan.
Daiyu's power was limited, and she had done her best. The two decrees issued by Prince Duan during his trip could be considered a one-time solution.
In the future, not only Lady Wang, but the entire Jia family, no matter how much they hate Daiyu, will probably only be able to grit their teeth in secret.
Anyone who dares to take action should consider whether they can bear the consequences.
This is something Daiyu could never do.
Daiyu bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."
Chu Heng hurriedly tried to help her up, but fearing it would be impolite, he avoided the gesture and quickly said, "Miss Lin, please don't be so polite. This is just my duty."
"It's my duty..." Daiyu thought, this phrase sounded rather familiar.
With today's events in mind, and recalling what Prince Duan had said that day, Daiyu had a new idea.
Perhaps he was presumptuous, or perhaps he was too reckless, but Chu Heng did indeed consider their marriage agreement from Daiyu's perspective.
Although he was completely wrong, Daiyu didn't know why he had the idea of thinking about her.
Daiyu said, "There's something I'd like to ask Your Highness, is that alright?"
Chu Heng said, "Go ahead and ask."
Daiyu asked, "That day, the Prince said he had a way to try to dissolve our engagement. Because I was unhappy about it, I want to know why the Prince... was willing to help me?"
Chu Heng was taken aback, then replied, "It's my fault for dragging you into this, Miss Lin. If it weren't for my illness, you wouldn't have been burdened with this...unwilling marriage."
Daiyu looked at him in surprise. So... this was the reason why Prince Duan had that thought and did those things?
He had thought of more than Daiyu had imagined. Just like the day he told Yongkang not to make things difficult for Daiyu, the fact that Prince Duan could have such thoughts surprised Daiyu as well.
He may not be as aloof as he seems, but at least... his desire to help Daiyu is genuine.
"I am deeply grateful for Your Highness's kind intentions," Daiyu said with a soft sigh.
Chu Heng shook his head and said in a hoarse voice, "Miss Lin, I know these words have upset you before, but if you... if you still want to..."
At that time, Miss Lin was afraid of implicating the Jia family, but now that Wang has done such a thing, perhaps her thoughts will change.
This was clearly something Chu Heng was willing to achieve, yet at this moment, his heart ached with bitterness because of this thought.
She has someone she likes. Chu Heng thought.
Daiyu shook her head and said, "No, Your Highness, I have no intention of going back on my word. I have already told you the reason, and the consequences may be something I cannot bear."
Chu Heng glanced at Grandmother Jia's main room and asked in return, "Even if they aren't good to you?"
From Daiyu's few words at Longhua Temple and Lady Wang's actions this time, Chu Heng could tell that her life in the Jia family was not just uncomfortable, but rather fraught with crisis.
“There are indeed different people in this mansion, but not everyone deserves to die.” Daiyu spoke calmly. “Your Highness, these are my mother’s family members. I have lived here for nearly ten years. People are not plants or trees; how can they be without feelings?”
The saying "to throw a stone at a rat for fear of breaking the vase" perfectly describes this situation.
Looking at Daiyu's expression, Chu Heng slowly nodded: "I understand."
Daiyu remained silent for a moment before saying, "Thank you for your help, Your Highness."
“No, you don’t need to thank me,” Chu Heng said immediately, a hint of bitterness in his eyes. “Miss Lin, you are really very kind.”
Daiyu smiled and said, "Your Highness need not feel sorry for me. In the end, you and I are the same. Under the whole sky, all land belongs to the king, and all people within the borders are subjects of the king. Thunder and rain are all the king's grace."
As the emperor's younger brother and the empress dowager's beloved son, Chu Heng was no different from Daiyu in the face of imperial power.
Everyone sees that Prince Duan is favored and thinks he can do whatever he wants, but little do they know that Chu Heng is always cautious in his words and deeds in front of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. If he makes a mistake, he will also be in trouble.
Who doesn't tremble with fear and carefully choose their words before the Emperor and Empress Dowager? Chu Heng was no exception.
Moreover, precisely because everyone knows that the Emperor and Empress Dowager favor Chu Heng, he has to be several times more careful than others in front of these two most honorable people in the world.
Chu Heng was deeply moved, but he couldn't say a word. After a long while, he finally said in a low, hoarse voice, "Thank you, Miss Lin."
Daiyu looked up at Huamei under the corridor and said softly, "I should thank Your Highness. Your understanding is so great. No matter whose daughter she is, she would think Your Highness is very good if she could become Your Highness's wife."
Chu Heng opened his mouth, wanting to say no. Of course, he wouldn't treat just anyone who became his queen this way, only Daiyu...
Only Daiyu!
Chu Heng was stunned by his own thought. He stood there, speechless for a long time.
A moment later, Chu Heng suddenly realized that he wanted to understand Miss Lin, he wanted to get closer to Miss Lin, he cared about Miss Lin, and he wanted to make Miss Lin happy...
It turned out that it was because he had feelings for her.
He admired her.
He was in love with her.
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