Red Mansion and Crimson Pearl

Chapter 133 I'm Not Ignorant

Emperor Zhaoming left the Lin Mansion angrily.

Daiyu saw Tao Xingjian looking back at her anxiously and stamping his feet when he was leaving, but she remained silent and only signaled Aunt Meng to take Qingwen to see him off.

Aunt Meng came back and rubbed her temples as she looked at Lin Daiyu. "Girl, even if you worry so much, no one will appreciate it. You hurt the hearts of those who love you, but you seek benefits for those who hurt you? Why do you do this?"

Daiyu did not answer, but told Zijuan: "You guys, don't let the third lady hear this."

Zijuan was puzzled and had to agree.

Seeing her like this, Aunt Meng shook her hand and said, "I don't care anymore, do whatever you want!" and went back to her room in a huff.

Emperor Zhaoming returned to the Sizheng Hall with a rage. He was upset when he saw the pile of memorials on the table. He turned around and saw Tao Xingjian, who looked nervous and was trying to say something nice to Lin Daiyu, and he got even more annoyed. He pointed to the door and said, "You get out too!"

Tao Xingjian sighed and had to leave Lu Changqing to serve him while he went outside the hall to guard the door.

He had only been standing there for a while when he saw Baoqin from Fengzao Palace coming over with a food box. She smiled and saluted him: "Greetings to the eunuch, may the eunuch live long and happy lives."

Tao Xingjian smiled and said, "What are you doing here at this time, young lady?"

"Your Majesty has been very busy with the imperial examinations recently. Our queen got some good Gastrodia elata today, so she personally cooked Gastrodia elata pigeon soup. Please rest early, Your Majesty."

Baoqin respectfully handed over the food box.

Tao Xingjian took it with a smile and said, "Okay, Concubine Jia is so kind. I will report it to His Majesty."

"There is one more thing I want to ask the eunuch." Baoqin walked closer with a smile and lowered her voice, "Your Majesty has not been there since he last presided over justice for our queen. May I ask..."

Tao Xingjian was stunned, looked around to see that there was no one around, and looked at Baoqin in surprise: "Since entering the palace, Concubine Jia has been known for never competing for favor.

"Why are you expecting His Majesty to come over now? Is there something wrong?"

Baoqin forced out an awkward smile: "No, no... then, eunuch, I will take my leave now."

Ran away in a hurry.

Tao Xingjian seemed to be thinking about something, but he still took the box in and, as usual, told him everything he had said about holding the zither.

Emperor Zhaoming's face suddenly turned dark enough to look like ink dripping out of it. He raised his hand and pushed the food box to the ground, and the soup bowl and spoon inside were smashed into a mess!

"Great, great! They are colluding with each other inside and outside to plot against me!"

Tao Xingjian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Even though Emperor Zhaoming didn't want to hear it, he stepped forward and advised helplessly, "Girl Lin is just soft-hearted. Concubine Jia is probably a little panicked because her family is no longer useful, so she came here to test whether she can really become a favorite concubine.

"These two people almost fell out in front of the Supreme Lord and the Queen Mother in Taiji Palace. How could they be colluding? Her own mother almost killed her, and she pushed her own mother to death. To put it bluntly, this is an irreconcilable feud.

"I know that Miss Lin has failed your Majesty. But what kind of child is she? Haven't we seen it clearly in the past three years? She is not that kind of person."

Emperor Zhaoming knew that what Tao Xingjian said was right, but he was still angry and shouted with a fierce face: "Call the prince! The imperial examination is over, the top three have been decided, but I forgot to test his knowledge!"

Seeing that it was almost the second watch, Tao Xingjian asked, "We have to attend the morning court tomorrow. I'm afraid it will be three o'clock by the time the crown prince comes, and you won't be able to take the exam to your heart's content. How about we wait until the morning court is over and then call the crown prince to explain in detail?"

Then he hurriedly tried to find a way for him: "You haven't had a good bath for a while. Today is a good day. The one on duty at the Imperial Hospital is the one who is the best at massage. Can I ask him to come over?"

After a long while, Emperor Zhaoming hummed and gave Tao Xingjian this face.

The next day, seeing that Emperor Zhaoming was free, Tao Xingjian asked for leave to go out of the palace. Emperor Zhaoming knew that he must be going to the Lin residence again, so he rolled his eyes, pretended not to know, and approved his leave.

Tao Xingjian left the palace and went straight to Lin's mansion.

Lin Daiyu entertained him in the main hall where she lived.

Looking at the basin of red coral in the corner, Tao Xingjian sighed and asked Lin Daiyu: "Why?"

Lin Daiyu lowered her eyes and told the truth: "I am not the kind of person who doesn't know what is good for me. Your Majesty treats me well, how could I not know?"

Tao Xingjian was stunned.

"But His Majesty treats me too well now. If the Queen Mother knows, and the Emperor knows, then the entire harem will know.

“Although I have a clear conscience, how many people in the world can resist rumors?

"Besides, even if I am thick-skinned and don't care, I can just enter the palace! But what about your Majesty's reputation?

"Your Majesty has not yet completely returned to power, the old ministers are not united, and those who were suppressed by Your Majesty in the past are bullying Your Majesty because he is young. They are ambitious and are eyeing you covetously!

"This is the most difficult and tiring time. If Your Majesty is attacked by someone with ulterior motives because of my affairs, wouldn't I be condemned to death?"

Daiyu's eyes turned red as she spoke, "Your Majesty treats me well, although it is because of my father, but the benefit really falls on me.

"I can't just enjoy myself without any conscience and not think about your majesty at all!

"Uncle, I have to ask His Majesty to ignore me and distance himself from me.

"This is the best opportunity!"

Tao Xingjian's eyes moistened as he heard this: "Good boy, good boy!"

After a pause, he gently advised: "But you can't be so embarrassed that you even ignore your own marriage!

"The results of this year's special examination were announced late, which did not give the candidates much opportunity to prepare. Therefore, those who have caught the eye of His Majesty are all talented and knowledgeable.

"Your Majesty took great pains to select these for you, they are all top-notch.

"If you marry well, both His Majesty and I will have our minds at rest. Wouldn't your worries disappear?"

Lin Daiyu smiled bitterly and asked, "Uncle, after I get married, will you really never care about me again? Or will you also start to care about my husband's family?"

Tao Xingjian thought about it, and the words "I won't care anymore" kept rolling around in his mouth, but he said it anyway, and couldn't help but smile bitterly:

"Really. How could I not care? Your husband is an official in the court. How is his performance? How is his popularity? Should I say that? Should I not say that? Should I do that?

"Your health was not good to begin with. Although you have been taking care of yourself for the past few years, I don't know if you will have children. If your parents-in-law decide to give your husband a concubine because of this, how can I just stand by and do nothing?"

Daiyu frowned, "Yes! If you are like this, what will His Majesty do?

"Do you remember what His Majesty said yesterday?

"You need to choose a good official position for my husband, and give my uncle and aunt a house so that they don't have to live with me and make me feel wronged.

"At this moment, if there is gossip, at worst, I will follow the master who lives in my house, enter the Buddhist monastery, return to my hometown in Gusu, and live a vegetarian and chant Buddhist scriptures for the rest of my life.

"But after I get married, if something comes out and is passed on to the public by someone with ulterior motives, and becomes part of unofficial history, your Majesty's reputation will be ruined for eternity!"