Red Mansion and Crimson Pearl

Chapter 420: The Birds Fly to the Forest After Eating All the Food

Of course, no one in Yanjia Palace knew anything about the lawsuit between Emperor Zhaoming and Baoyu.

Because everyone was preoccupied with their own thoughts, except for the drunk Wang Xifeng and Tanchun, no one else slept well.

The next morning, the first person to wake up was the Queen Mother.

While Zijuan was helping her with her makeup, the Queen Mother asked about what happened last night.

Without waiting for Zijuan to hesitate, Aunt Meng reported everything, even the two hungover guys in the west side hall.

The Queen Mother was surprised. She turned to Aunt Meng with a smile and asked, "How could a cautious man like Yimin get drunk? Do you have a good story? Tell me now!"

Aunt Meng said with a smile: "You are a mother, but you laugh at your own daughter like this! Let people judge if this gets out!"

After a pause, he told the Queen Mother everything, "It's nothing, I just ridiculed that little Wang severely.

"We often think that the county lady is not as eloquent as the princess, but it turns out that she usually keeps it to herself.

"What you said yesterday made me sweat all over my back!"

The Queen Mother was very interested and asked hurriedly, "What did you say?"

"It's what I deserve to be born a daughter. I have so many abilities but nowhere to display them! I always think I'm smart, but my parents and family have clearly calculated against me!

"Oh, and by the way, don't think that little Wang is so great. If she were so great, she would have been sent to the palace by her second uncle to win favor. In fact, she is just an infatuated fool and a money-grubbing slave!"

The Queen Mother opened her eyes wide and blurted out: "Enter the palace!? Bah! She is not worthy of it!"

All three of them laughed.

The atmosphere became more relaxed, and Aunt Meng added casually, "The palace gate has just been opened, and the decree has been passed out. Each government office should start sealing the gates and arresting people."

The house search began.

Zijuan's hand holding the empress dowager's long hair trembled slightly.

The Queen Mother held her breath for a moment before she sighed softly and said, "I understand."

Seeing that she was getting more depressed, Aunt Meng wanted to change the topic, but the Queen Mother interrupted her with a wave of her hand:

"Go check on Sokyeong and Yimin to see if they are awake, and see how the emperor is doing.

"One more reminder, keep your breakfast light today."

Aunt Meng opened her mouth, but knew she was not good at comforting people, so she could only agree, glanced at Zijuan, and hurried away.

Zijuan said nothing, but gently untied the half-tied peony bun and gently combed the empress dowager's long hair with a wooden comb.

It took half a minute to comb the hair.

The Queen Mother closed her eyes and rested for a long time before opening them: "Why are you still not well?"

"There have been a lot of things going on these days, and you've been too exhausted. You got up so early today.

"I'll give you a good head start. If you're still sleepy, you'd better take a nap.

"Doctors often say that eating well and getting enough sleep are better for health than any medicine."

Zijuan's hands continued to move steadily, and her words were exceptionally calm and peaceful.

The Queen Mother was infected by her emotions and was no longer obscure. She smiled slightly and said, "No need. I slept well last night."

After a pause, he took the initiative to say, "The reason why the emperor took the prince out of the capital was that he was angry.

"But I think it's also because if he were in the capital, the emperor would inevitably hinder him in dealing with these people and would have to think twice.

"This time slot is given to the emperor to do this important thing.

“Everyone knows the answer.

"As a woman, I cannot bear to hear fighting and killing, so I feel a little uncomfortable, but it won't cause any harm."

She looked at Zijuan in the mirror kindly and said softly, "Don't worry, just help me with my makeup."

Zijuan then relaxed her jaw, combed a simple bun for the empress dowager, put on a warm hat, inserted two tourmaline gourd peace hairpins, and put on bamboo jade earrings. She looked at it carefully and said with a smile:

"Okay. The emperor is not in the palace today, and you are not going far away, so why not wear something loose?"

He ordered the palace maid to bring a simplest style of rabbit fur gown, and paired it with long boots and a warm jacket, and that would be enough.

After all the cleaning, it took until dawn.

Daiyu and Hongchang woke up, dressed themselves and went to see the empress dowager. They saw that the old lady was already in high spirits, sitting upright at the dining table drinking hot drinks, and they couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Seeing them like this, the Queen Mother laughed and said, "I am more open-minded than you. You are even worried about me."

The two of them walked forward with smiles on their faces to join in the fun.

After a while, Tanchun, who was hungover, struggled to get over it, but she still had a headache and looked much more dazed.

The Queen Mother laughed at her and said, "Monkey, you have learned to steal wine. You didn't even take us with you! Are you upset? Amitabha, this is retribution!"

Everyone laughed.

Tanchun also apologized shyly: "It was cold yesterday, and I couldn't stop eating."

Aunt Meng prepared some sobering soup and stomach-warming porridge for Tanchun, but we won’t mention that.

The mother and daughter had breakfast together, and the Queen Mother then called Hongchang to play chess with her.

Daiyu and Tanchun come out.

The two of them sat under the porch, looking at the rustling sound of snow falling outside, and they could not help but look at each other in silence.

After a long while, Tanchun spoke first: "Sister Feng returned home when she woke up. The two children wanted to go back with her. I didn't stop them, but she refused to take them with her.

"Now Sister Yuanyang and Xueyan are taking care of the two children at my place. Sister Lin, thank you very much."

Daiyu hummed, and after a while, she whispered, "Just now, Supervisor Tao sent someone to tell me that when the palace gates were opened, he first had Baoyu sent to Fengzao Palace, and then the second thing he did was to send out all kinds of people to start...searching all the mansions."

Tanchun was shocked.

Daiyu looked at her and shook her head gently.

Tanchun bit her lip and looked away.

The two fell silent again.

The small snowflakes gradually grew larger, and after the hour of Chen, they turned into heavy snow.

Daiyu looked up at the heavy snow and murmured unconsciously: "It's like the birds have fled to the forest after eating all the food, leaving the earth white and clean..."

Tanchun could no longer hold back her tears.

"His Majesty said that when this is over, Baoyu will take the women in the mansion back to their ancestral home in Jinling."

Daiyu turned to look at Tanchun and smiled, "She said that she would let you go because of your bravery in saving the Queen Mother."

Tanchun shook her head sadly, "As a hero in founding a country, I cannot kill all of you. The law of the country is like a knife, I cannot extend this favor to others, so it falls on me.

"This is the grace of His Majesty, not my merit. I still have some sense."

Daiyu curved her lips and nodded, "Yes, you are a wise person."

"It's a pity that there are not many people as understanding as you in this world."

Tanchun was stunned: "Who is Sister Lin talking about?"

"Who? That's a lot.

"The King of Xining who committed many evil deeds, the King of Nan'an who stood by and watched, the dukes and generals who aided the tyrant in his evil deeds...

“For example, the Four Surnames of Jinling.

"Another example is the eldest master, the second master, and all the gentlemen in the Jia family;

“Even, the Imperial Concubine.

"With the old lady."

Daiyu looked at the flying snowflakes with a look of sarcasm on her face.