Red Mansion and Crimson Pearl

Chapter 196 Giving Shoes

When Daiyu arrived at the Yanjia Palace, it was just the hour of Si. Well, the time was perfect. After she finished talking and delivering the things, she went home and just in time for dinner!

The Queen Mother was watering the flowers in the yard. When she saw her coming, she was stunned: "Why did you come here without telling me? You came alone? Where is Yimin?"

"The Imperial Concubine gave me a Mid-Autumn Festival gift, but Yimin was too lazy to move, so I came here alone to express my gratitude."

Daiyu smiled and walked forward to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager, and handed over a bundle, "This is what Yimin asked me to bring to the Empress Dowager.

"On the day of the title of county princess, she sat beside the empress dowager and quietly measured the size of your jade feet. This is what she has carefully done these days."

Daiyu explained, and Cheng Qian came over and opened the bundle, revealing a pair of hand-knitted thick-soled dark blue satin cloth shoes embroidered with light pink peonies.

The Queen Mother was surprised and delighted. She took the shoe in her hand and looked at it carefully, smiling until her eyes narrowed.

"Tell me the truth, did she really make this herself? Didn't your needlework help?"

Daiyu smiled and helped the Queen Mother back to the main hall, saying, "I won't tell such a lie for her.

"Our Yimin is very good at needlework. When she was in Rong Mansion, the sisters looked forward to her pair of shoes every year on their birthdays.

"But she has a strong personality, so you have to be close to her to accept her shoes. For those with whom she has an average relationship, a handkerchief or a silk ribbon is the most you can get.

"I heard that among the uncles and aunts in the family, except for her brother, no one else has received it."

The Queen Mother laughed and said, "What about you?"

"How could I? With my bad temper, Yimin was able to live with me for so long only because her county lord's mansion was not repaired."

Daiyu smiled and helped the Queen Mother sit down, motioning Cheng Qian: "The Queen Mother, give it a try. See if the size, softness and hardness are suitable. Yimin said that if it is not suitable, she will do it again."

The Queen Mother hurriedly took off her shoes, stepped on the shoes, and sighed with comfort: "Oh! I haven't worn such comfortable shoes in years!"

Cheng Qian smiled and said, "Shoes like these cannot be used for long walks or for standing for long periods of time. They look thick, but they are actually very soft. If you walk on the gravel path along the edge of the garden, you will probably stumble. That's why I won't make them for you."

Daiyu listened with a smile on her face. Seeing that the empress dowager was reluctant to take off the shoes, she smiled and said:

"Yi Min is making another pair. I think it's for when the weather gets cooler.

"As for shoes, you only wear them when you love them. You can change them when you go out, but this is just right for wearing in the palace."

The Queen Mother immediately stopped taking off her shoes and glared at Cheng Qian: "Did you hear that? My daughter is making them for me! I will wear them!"

Several people around started laughing.

Daiyu sat aside, not moving, and only asked with a smile: "How is the Queen Mother doing recently? I heard from Aunt Meng that when His Majesty was ill, you stayed up with him for several nights."

"How could it be several nights? I just sat there for half the night. At three o'clock in the morning, Cheng Qian forced me to go to sleep for a while." The Queen Mother smiled and looked down at her new shoes, and said casually,

"If I don't stay up all night, the people in the Imperial Hospital will not take it seriously. They look serious but use the medicine carelessly. Don't I know them?!

"I stayed up half the night, and Xiao Meng watched over them all night, so they immediately became obedient. Otherwise, how do you think the emperor woke up in three days and got out of bed in five days?"

Daiyu was not moved at all, but nodded with a smile, and after a while she advised: "Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. The Queen Mother should also take care of herself. When Yimin heard this, he was so scared that his face turned pale."

The Queen Mother smiled and promised repeatedly: "I will take care of myself! I will definitely take good care of myself!"

As he was speaking, someone suddenly came in quickly from outside, bowed and knelt on one knee, but first glanced at Daiyu.

The Queen Mother raised her hand: "No problem. Go ahead."

"Yanzhi couldn't endure the torture and just died." The visitor reported with his head lowered.

The Queen Mother frowned: "No one confessed?"

“He only said he was a eunuch, but his face was unfamiliar and I didn’t recognize him.

"The person behind the scenes who made her trust him gritted his teeth and refused to say anything even if he died." The voice of the visitor was rigid and without any fluctuation.

Daiyu listened to his voice and couldn't help but turn her head to glance at the man's profile.

The man seemed to notice something, and suddenly turned his face away, and a gaze that seemed to have substance pierced over like an arrow!

Daiyu was startled and looked into the other person's eyes, stunned for a moment.

The man looked away indifferently and looked at the ground again.

"Is there anything else? Have you reported it to Concubine Lai?" the Queen Mother asked slowly.

The man still lowered his head: "I haven't reported it yet. Concubine Lai is now claiming to be ill, and Concubine Xiao insisted on visiting her, and the guards couldn't stop her at all.

"Just now, right in front of Concubine Lai's sickbed, Concubine Xiao said that her head aunt was not doing her best, and she slapped her in front of her, knocking out one of her teeth."

Daiyu raised her eyebrows.

This Concubine Xiao has great strength!

"Humph! You deserve it!" The Queen Mother waved her hand nonchalantly, "Go tell Lai that Yanzhi is dead, and let her be her concubine in peace, and wait to be buried with the Emperor."

Cheng Qian covered her eyes.

Your Majesty, could you please be a little more reserved when speaking?

The man agreed, stood up, took three steps back, and then quickly left.

Daiyu looked at his back curiously: "Madam, is this someone from the Palace Administration Department? He looks murderous."

"Yes. Although the Palace Administrator of the Palace Administrator's Office is a female official, she has quite a few useful eunuchs under her. This is one of them, his name is..."

He forgot what he was talking about and looked at Cheng Qian. Cheng Qian smiled and replied, "Call Chu Qian."

Daiyu said "oh", looked at the sky, and was about to say goodbye when she heard the sound of boots outside, followed by the high-pitched complaint of the Supreme Lord:

"Can't you just do something about it? Two concubines, both old, actually started fighting!"

The Queen Mother snorted softly and said in a sarcastic tone, "You already know everything, and it's still my turn to take care of it? They are all your beloved ones, what if I fail to take good care of them?"

Without waiting for the Queen Mother to reply, Daiyu quickly interrupted and said, "Reporting to the Queen Mother, Yimin is waiting for me to go back and tell her that the Queen Mother is safe! I'm leaving now!"

The Queen Mother nodded: "Okay. Let's go."

The Queen Mother was stunned for a moment, then she realized that Lin Daiyu was also present. She snorted, touched her temples, and muttered, "Why didn't you tell me earlier that this girl was here too!"

Daiyu also bowed to him and quickly withdrew from the chaotic battlefield of the palace fight.

But before she left Yanjia Palace, Dai Quan hurriedly caught up with her and asked her to stay with a smile:

"The Supreme Lord said that Princess Zhaoqing should go to Ganlu Palace and wait for a while."

Daiyu blinked innocently: "Me? I don't know anything and I can't do anything. What are you asking me to do?"

Dai Quan held the whisk and laughed. Seeing that there were few people around, he leaned over and lowered his voice:

"The Queen Mother and the Lord have both said that you are the most discerning, intelligent, and skillful person.

"Now in this palace, you don't know the things you don't want to know. You won't do the things you don't want to do.

"Otherwise, how come the Imperial Concubine suddenly has a prince to raise?"