Red Mansion and Crimson Pearl

Chapter 332 Two Burdens

To the Queen Mother's surprise, the Emperor had no plans for the official positions of Feng and his son.

The Queen Mother returned with great doubts and told Daiyu about it. She wondered, "How come someone who has always been the most protective of the old ministers and who loved Ziying so much along the way is now unwilling to take care of him?"

Daiyu was also stunned for a moment, but after thinking about it, she understood, smiled, and turned to ask, "Has Aunt Meng come back?"

Because she has to go to Rong Mansion to give acupuncture to Lady Jia every day, Aunt Meng now wanders around with this excuse, and no one can figure out her itinerary.

The palace maid smiled and replied, "He just came back a while ago. He brought back a lot of things today, and he must be packing them up in his room right now."

The Queen Mother's attention was diverted: "Many things? What are they?"

The palace maid laughed and replied, "They stuffed two large bundles in there, but they still refused to show them to us."

Seeing that the Queen Mother and Daiyu were curious, Cheng Qian also laughed and ordered, "Go and tell Xiao Meng to bring it out for the Queen Mother and the Princess to see!"

After a long while, even Tanchun heard the noise and came out, and only then did Aunt Meng arrive late.

Everyone saw that she had nothing in her hands and asked with a smile.

Aunt Meng snorted and complained, "I saw that the old lady of the Jia family was in good spirits, so I came out early.

"I stopped by Princess Lin's house and saw that everything was almost tidied up. Everything that needed to be stored had been put away.

"The rest are to be brought into the palace. That little girl Xiaohong was particularly rude. She directly gave me two bags and asked me to bring them into the palace for the princess!"

Then he snorted at Daiyu, "The two big bundles have been sent to you. Qingwen has received them."

Cheng Qian burst out laughing: "So I was a Li Ba for once!"

Daiyu's eyes were smiling, but her face was extremely serious. She stood up and bowed politely: "Oh! This is really hard work, aunt! I am a naive girl, let me bow to you!"

Aunt Meng took the opportunity to complain to the Queen Mother: "When we were in Jiangnan earlier, the girl named Xiaohong who was with the princess was left in the Lin family's old house to escort things to Beijing, so she didn't come with us.

"You don't know, she is very cunning, good at talking, and very sharp! Even Zijuan, with her soft personality, may not be able to control her. Qingwen must step in!"

The Queen Mother laughed so hard that she couldn't straighten her back. "I just asked you to get something back, and now you're talking bad about me behind my back? I won't fall for it!"

Everyone laughed.

Tanchun then asked Daiyu, "Now that everything is ready, are Xueyan and Xiaohong going to the palace?"

Daiyu hesitated for a moment and said, "I am afraid that if I invite them both in, Miaoyu will feel uncomfortable staying in the mansion alone."

The Queen Mother glanced at the two of them and said nothing.

Miaoyu's case of appealing for injustice has now been transferred to the Dali Temple, but the monk Zhitong has not yet opened the court for trial.

As long as this case is not solved, Miaoyu's identity and future will be in jeopardy.

Daiyu took the opportunity to mention it, perhaps to urge him?

The Queen Mother felt a little unwell.

"But the case of Miaoyu's family must be investigated from Suzhou. Mr. Guan is gone there, and Governor Wei has lost his right-hand man. I guess he must be having a headache.

"Even if Master Zhitong is a god, he can't conjure up any clues to the crime scene. We can only wait for the right opportunity to solve this case."

Daiyu went on to say, sighing, "So I dare not urge Xiaohong, and let her stay at home with Miaoyu for now."

So, it's not an urging, it's just a statement, that's all.

The Queen Mother was silent.

At the same time, I began to doubt myself: Am I being too cautious?

It's true that Sister Lin is a meticulous person, and it's also true that she often calculates people's hearts. But this child...actually, she has never made herself embarrassed.

After dinner, when everyone had left, the Queen Mother suddenly turned to Cheng Qian and asked, "Tell me, have we been in the palace for too long? That's why we tend to think everyone is not a good person?"

Cheng Qian thought of her struggles a few days ago and nodded, "Almost. I have been following the Queen Mother in the palace for decades.

"Then we entered the Yanjia Palace, which was even more like a secluded paradise. No matter who came to sit in this palace, I would think that they came to bully and use the Queen Mother.

"Otherwise, I wouldn't have been so wary of Princess Zhaoqing just because of a few words from others the other day."

The Queen Mother looked at her without saying a word.

Cheng Qian sighed and said, "She is the maidservant beside Concubine Lai. Ever since you recognized Princess Yimin and conferred the title of Princess Zhaoqing, you gave me the first advice: Princess Lin is the smartest and most capable of taking advantage of the situation in the Jia family.

“Later, you followed the Queen Mother to Jiangnan, and I was ordered to visit Concubine Lai frequently. The girl said a second sentence: Miss Lin will never let go of the Queen Mother’s hand again.

"As a result, she followed you back to the palace."

The Queen Mother looked away and sighed softly: “What do you know?

"Sister Lin's entry into the palace was forced by circumstances. And this situation was created by me personally according to the will of the Supreme Lord...

"The Northern King is doomed, and the Rong Mansion is on the decline. Sister Lin has both property and old friends, so she is living a carefree life outside the palace!

“This palace is nothing but a deep pit of fame and fortune where people are buried.

"If she had no other choice, she would never come in here on her own initiative, even in the next life or the next!"

Cheng Qian lowered her head in shame: "I sat alone that night and figured it out. I have been in the palace for many years and always prided myself on being smart, but I was deceived by such a clumsy trick and fell into a trap.

"I now know I was wrong, please punish me, Queen Mother, as a warning to me next time!"

The Queen Mother looked at her and smiled bitterly: "I am the same as you. Why don't we punish ourselves together?"

Cheng Qian quickly knelt down on both knees: "I dare not."

The Queen Mother waved her hand and asked her to get up, with a look of boredom on her face.

Back to Daiyu's room, she waited until everything outside was completely silent before she asked Qingwen to bring her the things she had packed during the day.

When he finally heard that there was a brocade box containing account books and banknotes, his eyes lit up: "Show it to me."

Qingwen smiled and jokingly said, "Miss, you are embarrassed during the day, but you have to check the account at night?"

Daiyu glared at her and said, "Go!"

I couldn't help but smile again: "Go and watch at the door!"

As he said that, he opened the box.

On the account book was a thick stack of neatly arranged silver bills, and on the top one it was clearly written: Five Thousand Taels.

A stack of five thousand taels of silver notes would mean at least one hundred thousand taels!

Qingwen's eyes almost popped out, and she nodded involuntarily, whispering, "So much money?! It really should be paid quietly at night!"

While muttering to himself, he walked briskly to the door and kept guard there with extreme vigilance.

Daiyu smiled as she watched her go out and close the door. Then she took out the banknotes and account books without a care. She also removed the secret compartment of the box and revealed the most important things underneath.

Three booklets.

A book with yellowed pages, it was the one dug out from under the rockery in Lin's mansion.

The other two were neat and clean, with blank covers.

Daiyu picked up one of the books and opened the title page. She saw four small words flying freely on it:

Notes from Yangzhou.