Red Mansion and Crimson Pearl

Chapter 112: The Queen Mother's Audience

Daiyu had just finished lighting a stick of incense and reciting the mantra for rebirth in Miaoyu's small Buddhist temple when the Jia family came to report a death.

Daiyu ordered someone to tell Tanchun and Jia Huan to go back to Rongguo Mansion to attend the funeral: "Just say that I was so sad after hearing the news that I fell ill."

Tanchun lowered her eyebrows and agreed. After a pause, she looked up and asked, "Can I..."

Also sick?

Daiyu shook her head: "I can't. My eldest sister-in-law is a widow, my eldest sister is in the palace, and Baoyu is useless. If you don't go up, it will be too embarrassing in the mourning shed of the second wife."

Tanchun's eyes turned cold and she turned away.

"This has nothing to do with you. But your father will lose face because of this, and this has a lot to do with you." Daiyu advised her, "Although the old lady is planning to break off the relationship with the Wang family, now is not the right time.

"If you consider the overall situation now, it will only benefit you in the future. But if you act willfully now, someone might remember you. What will you do if you are suddenly accused of being unfilial at a critical moment?"

Jia Huan was confused by what he heard, but he subconsciously asked back: "Sister Lin, if you don't go back, aren't you afraid that others will say you are unfilial?"

"Don't be afraid." Daiyu smiled and let Tanchun and the other two go.

Qingwen looked at their backs and whispered to Daiyu, "It seems that the third lady didn't tell the third master about those things!"

Daiyu nodded: "Huan'er's character is still uncertain. Knowing too much at this time will be bad for him."

"Miss, don't you really want to go back and take a look?" Qingwen's eyes lit up when she thought of the scene.

Daiyu looked at her with both anger and amusement: "Everyone in the house probably knows that it was my handiwork. If I go back to mourn now, people will say that I went to check the authenticity of the body..."

Before she finished speaking, Xiao Hong came running in: "Girl! Hurry! The Queen Mother has given an order!"

what?

Queen Mother? !

Daiyu was startled, and hurriedly stood up, checked her clothes and walked out quickly, asking, "Where are the third lady and Huan'er?"

"He's already left, and passed by the palace messenger." Xiaohong trotted after him.

Aunt Meng, who received the notice at the same time, also hurried over and went out with Daiyu.

When they arrived at the front yard, they opened the main hall and set up an incense table. They saw an old eunuch holding a whisk and smiling, who was led over respectfully by Jiang Yong.

Daiyu hurriedly knelt down and called out "Long Live the Queen Mother".

The old eunuch smiled at Daiyu and spoke softly, "The Queen Mother's order: I heard that the girl from the Lin family is now living alone outside? How can this be allowed? Don't let others bully her!

"Hurry up, call her to the palace for me to see! It's so cold, let the child dress warmly. Bring a sturdy carriage and let her come back with you, don't let that blind man bump into her!

"Appreciate this!"

Daiyu looked confused and bowed her head to express her gratitude.

The old eunuch looked at her with a gentler look in his eyes: "Okay, get up. Go pack up, dress warmly, and follow me into the palace to see the Queen Mother."

Daiyu quickly agreed, and with the help of Aunt Meng beside her, she stood up, blushing, and saluted to the old eunuch again: "Thank you, eunuch!"

"This is Eunuch Dai, the head of the palace at Daming Palace. Young lady, you can call him Dai Xiang." Aunt Meng whispered.

Daiyu was stunned. Wasn't this Dai Quan who donated the Dragon Guard to Jia Rong? She knelt down again and said, "Greetings, Prime Minister Dai!"

The old eunuch Dai Quan laughed and shook his head, saying "I dare not". He looked Aunt Meng up and down and asked uncertainly, "Were you originally in the Imperial Hospital?"

Aunt Meng was facing her boss this time, so she politely bowed and knelt on one knee: "I am Meng Hanyan, the Shangyi Bureau, formerly the Shangshan Bureau, and I am here to pay my respects to Prime Minister Dai."

"Oh, it's you! Not bad, not bad! It just happens. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to take good care of Miss Lin during this trip. You can come along! The Queen Mother hasn't seen you for years. I think she would like to talk to an old familiar person."

Dai Quan made the decision with a smile.

Aunt Meng nodded her head and agreed, then came over to help Lin Daiyu change her clothes.

Here, Jiang Yong very respectfully invited Dai Quan to sit in the main hall, served him the best hot tea and snacks, put a foot warmer under his feet himself, and stayed by his side, answering all his questions.

Dai Quan saw that he looked smart and laughed, "Ms. Lin has a good eye. She picked a good manager like you. What's your name?"

He chatted with Jiang Yong for a long and short while, and when he heard that he was from Tao Xingjian's family, he looked at him for a few more times and said with emotion: "Like master, like servant.

"Your Majesty is a man of loyalty and righteousness. Xiao Tao is also loyal and righteous. It seems that you are also a man of loyalty and righteousness after being taught by him. This is a good thing, a good thing!"

Daiyu was ready, and Aunt Meng helped her get on the carriage that Dai Quan had brought specially for her, which was a gift from the Queen Mother. Jiang Yong rode his horse to the palace gate. After watching them go in, he galloped straight to Tao's house and delivered the news that Lin Daiyu had entered the palace.

After the Supreme Lord abdicated, he took the Empress Dowager and other concubines with him and moved to the Taiji Palace, which was only half an hour's walk away from Emperor Zhaoming's Sizheng Hall.

This time, the Empress Dowager summoned Lin Daiyu to the palace, and they went to the Yanjia Hall of Taiji Palace, where the Empress Dowager currently lives.

After getting off the carriage at the palace gate, Dai Quan waved his hand and called a sedan chair, and asked Daiyu to sit in it.

Aunt Meng was flattered and whispered to Daiyu: "Even if it is a first-rank imperial decree, if there is no special favor, you should still walk in!"

Daiyu felt more and more uneasy, and asked Dai Quan carefully: "Prime Minister Dai, I am just an ordinary person. How can I be worthy of your care?"

"This is all the grace of the Empress Dowager. I dare not take credit for it." Dai Quan said happily. He also got on the horse and told her to get on the sedan quickly. "Don't keep the Empress Dowager waiting for too long."

Daiyu had no choice but to get into the sedan chair as she was told.

Taiji Palace was originally the residence of the Supreme Lord when he first ascended the throne. Later, when Daming Palace was built, he moved there. Nowadays, not many people live here, so many palaces have their doors closed, with only dead branches and snow and mud.

Daiyu peeked outside from behind the curtain of the sedan chair. Although the first month of the year had not yet ended and the colorful lanterns and decorations had not yet been removed, she could still feel a sense of decay and weakness.

It was not until I entered the Ganlu Gate that I felt a little more lively, because the Ganlu Palace was the current residence of the Supreme, and behind it were the Yanjia Palace where the Empress Dowager lived, the Chengxiang Palace and the Ziwei Palace where the concubines lived, and there were more and more palace servants coming and going. The Ganlu Palace was the current residence of the Supreme, and behind it were the Yanjia Palace where the Empress Dowager lived, and the Chengxiang Palace and the Ziwei Palace where the concubines lived.

When they arrived at the gate of Yanjia Palace, Daiyu got off the sedan chair and Dai Quan went in to pass on the message. After a moment, a middle-aged female official came out.

Aunt Meng was surprised and delighted: "Sister Qian!"

The middle-aged female official smiled and pulled her hand, shook it first, then took a closer look at Daiyu, nodded with satisfaction, and stretched out her hand:

"Miss Lin, please.

"The Emperor and the Empress Dowager are talking, no one is allowed to disturb them.

"Go in, and remember to watch the game without saying a word."