Red Mansion and Crimson Pearl

Chapter 113 Don’t Leave Any Unexplained Gaps

It was quiet in the hall.

Daiyu and Aunt Meng walked in quietly, knelt down in the corner of the hall and paid their respects.

Dai Quan gestured to them to stand up from a distance, and waved for them to come closer.

Two people walked past quietly and silently, and saw a tall and mighty old man with white hair and beard, and an old woman with gray hair and kind eyes, playing chess under the window.

The two men naturally did not dare to look directly at the two saints for long. They just glanced at them and then stood there quietly, looking at their noses and their hearts.

Daiyu is different from Aunt Meng. Aunt Meng doesn't know how to play chess, so she is bored and just stares blankly.

Daiyu stole a glance at the chessboard, and after just a few glances she was fascinated. She almost pointed at the chess piece and said nothing when the black piece made a move that was too obvious and led the sheep into the tiger's mouth!

Fortunately, he realized in an instant that he was in the Yanjia Hall of Taiji Palace, and immediately closed his mouth tightly after opening it.

But her unusual behavior had already been seen by the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager couldn't help but look at her and laugh: "Sister Lin also knows how to play chess?"

Lin Daiyu had already lowered her head and her face was red. When she heard the Queen Mother asking questions, she could only kneel down and answer awkwardly: "To answer the Queen Mother, I know a little bit."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor immediately threw the white chess piece in his hand into the porcelain jar and stood up: "That's great! Finally I don't have to coax her to play! Come here, play chess with her, I'll go back to read!"

When the Queen Mother heard this, she glared at the Emperor, then she took Daiyu's hand with a smile, looked her up and down, and praised her, "What a neat child!

"Your father was handsome and elegant. When the Jia family came to ask for this scholar to be their daughter's son-in-law, the emperor was very unhappy. He specially asked your mother to come to the palace to take a look at him before he reluctantly agreed.

“But in my opinion, your mother’s appearance is already very good. None of the concubines in the emperor’s palace can compare to her.

"Oh, as for your cousin, Jia Yuanchun, I can only say that she is about three times as pretty as your mother, but she is far inferior in terms of spiritual energy!"

Then he asked the retired emperor who wanted to leave but hadn't yet left, "Look at this child. Does he look more like Lin Ruhai or Jia Shi?"

The Emperor looked back casually, his face full of impatience: "My daughter is like father, she is more like Ru Hai. That's enough, you women can make a fuss, I'm leaving!"

Stride away.

Dai Quan bowed happily to the Queen Mother and quickly left with the Emperor.

When the empress dowager saw that they had all gone out, she let go of Daiyu, left the chess table under the window, stood up and paced leisurely in the hall, her smile faded a little.

Seeing Aunt Meng, he was stunned for a moment, then laughed and said, "Han Yan? How come the person the emperor sent to the Jia family to look after Sister Lin is you?"

Aunt Meng knelt down again with a hint of excitement, raised her hands high, and bowed deeply to the Queen Mother: "Your Majesty, I am so lucky to see you again!"

The Queen Mother's eyes were immediately wet, and she choked up a little. She personally pulled her up and said, "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be alive. Why are you being so polite to me? Get up now!"

Aunt Meng stood up, wiped her eyes, looked at the Queen Mother eagerly, and burst into tears again: "My Queen, your hair... I won't leave, I will stay and serve you, right?

"You are only in your early fifties... Just listen to me and I will definitely make you healthy! By next year, you won't even have a single gray hair!"

The Queen Mother smiled with tears in her eyes, sighed, turned around and told the middle-aged female official: "Ah Qian, you stay here with Sister Lin. I'm going to talk to Han Yan."

Daiyu had just heard Aunt Meng quietly tell the middle-aged female official that her name was Cheng Qian and that she was an old acquaintance of hers. She then stood quietly, watching the Queen Mother holding Aunt Meng's hand tightly and going into the back bedroom.

Cheng Qian looked at Daiyu's timid appearance, and with a smile led her to the side hall, served her hot tea and snacks, and pointed to a little palace maid to accompany her: "If you feel sleepy, just lie down on the couch, it's okay."

How could Daiyu dare to sleep? She didn't know why she came to the palace this time. After thinking it over, she carefully went to look for books with the little palace maid. The little palace maid went there and brought back two books, one of which was a chess manual and the other was "Rules for Women".

Daiyu looked at the book "Rules for Women" and couldn't help but raise her eyebrows.

The first thing she did when she entered the Jia Mansion as a child was to be forced by Li Wan to study the Four Books for Girls, namely "Instructions for Women", "Inner Training", "The Analects of Women" and "Records of Female Models".

These four books all require women to be humble, tolerant, submissive, and chaste, to follow the three obediences and four virtues, and to regard men as their heaven.

But "Female Rules" is different. This book was written by Empress Wende Zhangsun, who was praised by Emperor Taizong of Tang as a "good wife" and "good assistant". It is full of teachings for women to see their own position clearly, be self-reliant and strong, and assist their husbands!

This is not a book that teaches women to shut up and act submissive!

I wanted to read a book, and the little palace maid actually gave me this and the chess manual?

Daiyu was so surprised that she dared not say anything more and read the book respectfully. She did not see any hidden material in the book, and there was no trace of annotations even in the corners.

He finished reading both books in one breath. It was getting dark outside when Cheng Qian and Aunt Meng came in hand in hand and talking.

Daiyu stood up quickly.

"The Queen Mother is tired and has gone to bed." Cheng Qian smiled and said to Daiyu, "She told me to tell the young lady before she went to bed."

Daiyu bent her knees slightly and lowered her head to listen.

"The emperor and the queen mother have heard about the matter of the woman from the Wang family. The Ningguo Mansion has just resigned its title. If the matter of the woman from the Wang family is exposed again, I'm afraid that the court and the public will be in an uproar, and your family will be completely ruined.

"You didn't make a scene, nor did you act like a spoiled child and complain. You were willing to preserve the peace and quiet of your grandmother's remaining years. You are indeed a good child and have lived up to your father's teachings. The Grand Lord and the Queen Mother saw this and were very pleased.

"The Queen Mother has had many dreams recently and needs someone to pray for her. Your writing is brilliant and your handwriting is beautiful, which is exactly what the Queen Mother wants.

"For the next two months, you should stay at home, wash your hands, burn incense, and copy the Diamond Sutra for the Queen Mother. On the 15th day of April, the Buddha's birthday, take it to the Da Ci'en Temple for worship, and it will be counted as a merit for you."

Cheng Qian said, pointing to the box in Aunt Meng's hand, "Here are the pens, ink, paper and inkstone, all prepared for you.

"The Supreme One also said: If anyone comes to your house and makes a noise, you should take out the jade ruyi given to you by Kunning Palace and hit them on the head with it!"

Lin Daiyu was flattered and quickly knelt down to express her gratitude.

Seeing her terrified look, Cheng Qian smiled with her eyes narrowed. She pointed at Aunt Meng and asked her to help the girl up. Finally, she added:

"Of course, since we are closing the door to visitors, we will just say goodbye to them all. It would be better not to leave any loopholes for those inexplicable people."

Lin Daiyu's expression suddenly changed.