The Succession Struggle in the Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 265 Daiyu organizes a poetry gathering

Lin Daiyu and the others had probably never done anything so big before, so before Tu Chengyu could finish giving instructions, they excitedly prepared to get to work on the spot.

Tu Chengyu originally wanted to stop them from doing this, to let them understand the situation first and be prepared before they started.

But then I thought, if I let them prepare, they probably wouldn't know where to start, so it's better to just get started and learn as we go.

Anyway, with Tu Chengyu around, no matter how much trouble they cause, it won't get too far.

So Tu Chengyu didn't stop them. Instead, he stood aside and watched them huddle together, whispering and discussing.

During their discussion, Tu Chengyu noticed that Xue Baochai was the most active among them, talking the most, and the others seemed to agree the most.

Tu Chengyu thought that this might be related to her family's business and her extensive exposure to it, which gave her more ideas than others when faced with specific issues.

They discussed it for a while and finally came up with an idea.

Then Tu Chengyu saw that Lin Daiyu had made the final arrangements, dividing everyone who came today into several small teams according to the principle of masters and servants as one team.

Then each team, according to its own mission, split up and began to act.

……

The women and children of the disaster victims in the open space were originally huddled under the tattered tents to cool off or busy with their work.

But ever since Tu Chengyu brought Lin Daiyu and the others in, these people have been observing them.

They might know Tu Chengyu, but they had never met Lin Daiyu.

So I was a little curious, but mostly nervous.

Because they didn't know what these people who came over and pointed fingers at them wanted to do to them.

Therefore, when Lin Daiyu and the others parted and walked towards them, the disaster victims were all extremely nervous.

If it weren't for Tu Chengyu, someone everyone knew, some of them might have run away.

However, when Lin Daiyu and the others approached and revealed that they were girls, they quickly calmed most people down.

In addition, there is a wonderfully unique quality between women that allows them to quickly gain each other's trust.

So, not long afterward, Tu Chengyu saw Lin Daiyu and the others, and they had already become quite familiar with each other.

Not long after, Tu Chengyu saw that Lin Daiyu and the others had gathered all the women and children there together and then divided them into groups according to some criteria.

After they had assigned everyone to their places, Lin Daiyu walked up to Tu Chengyu with a radiant smile:

"Your Highness, we are all ready. What about the tasks you assigned?"

Seeing that they were doing a pretty good job, Tu Chengyu said:
"There's a lot of work waiting for us. What are you going to have them do?"

Lin Daiyu said confidently, "First, we'll do the laundry and needlework."

"Alright, I'll have someone bring the things over right away. But I should remind you first that you won't be washing your clothes in the camp; you'll have to go to the river outside."

“I know,” Lin Daiyu said. “We have already made arrangements. Your Highness only needs to arrange guards for us.”

It seems they were indeed well-prepared, so Tu Chengyu didn't hesitate any longer.

He turned and went outside to make arrangements for what he was going to do.

Tu Chengyu's bodyguards, who follow him around the refugee camp every day, are already familiar with many things.

Therefore, they were able to understand Tu Chengyu's simple explanation.

After making the arrangements, Tu Chengyu returned to the campsite. As soon as he entered, Lin Daiyu ran up to him and said:

"Your Highness, we just discussed it again. Could we give them an advance on their wages?"

It's not that they can't get their wages in advance, but Tu Chengyu was curious about what they were going to do with the wages.

So he asked, "Why did you think of getting an advance on your wages?"

Lin Daiyu said, "Many of them are sick. I plan to use my wages in advance to hire doctors for them."

Her idea is good, but it's not entirely realistic.

Tu Chengyu said, "Have you ever thought that they won't go to the doctor after they receive their wages? They are different from us. If they get sick, they will endure it and not spend money to see a doctor. So if you give them their wages in advance, they will just save them."

Lin Daiyu hadn't really considered this issue. After hearing Tu Chengyu's words, she couldn't help but ask:

"Your Highness, what should we do?"

Tu Chengyu thought for a moment and said, "If you really want to treat their illnesses, then don't use their money."

"Then where will we get the money?" Lin Daiyu asked, puzzled. "Does the Prince want us to pay for this?"

It wasn't that Lin Daiyu and the others couldn't afford to pay, but when it came to the disaster victims, it wasn't just a matter of money if the future princess had to pay out of her own pocket.

Therefore, Tu Chengyu said, "We don't need you to pay for it; we need to use other people's money."

"Your Highness is joking again," Lin Daiyu rolled her eyes at Tu Chengyu. "Why would anyone else spend money to treat them?"

Tu Chengyu said with a smile, "Generally speaking, no one would want to spend their own money to pay for someone else's medical treatment, but I have a way to get people to pay for it, and they would be very willing to do so."

"Really?" Lin Daiyu asked incredulously.

Tu Chengyu nodded and said, "Of course it's true. Would I lie to you?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu immediately said, "Your Highness, please tell me what your plan is."

Tu Chengyu thought for a moment, came up with a name for his method on the spot, and then said:

"My method is called the Charity Orphan Relief Poetry Banquet."

"A charity poetry banquet to save orphans?" Lin Daiyu asked blankly upon hearing this strange name, "Your Highness, what are you talking about?"

Tu Chengyu said with a smile: "Simply put, it means you have to hold a poetry gathering, invite all the noble ladies you know in the capital, eat, drink and have fun together, and then compose poems and play games."

Lin Daiyu became more and more confused as she listened, and couldn't help but ask, "What good is writing poetry? Besides, people might not even be invited."

Tu Chengyu said, "Don't rush, I haven't said the most important thing yet."

"Then tell me quickly!" Lin Daiyu urged.

Tu Chengyu smiled and continued, "The most important thing is that you tell those noble ladies that she wrote these poems to help sick women and children among the disaster victims. Remember, only say women and children."

Lin Daiyu nodded seriously upon hearing this.

Tu Chengyu continued: "In addition, you tell them that the poems submitted at this poetry gathering will eventually be compiled into a book, with contemporary female scholars commenting on their poems. His Majesty will personally write a preface for the collection, and the Ministry of Rites will even step in to publish this collection throughout the world."

When Tu Chengyu said this, Lin Daiyu's eyes lit up. She said incredulously, "A great female scholar wrote a commentary, His Majesty wrote a preface, and the Ministry of Rites published it. Is this really true?"

Tu Chengyu smiled, pointed to himself, and said:

"it is true."

Seeing Tu Chengyu's actions, Lin Daiyu believed him without any reason.

She couldn't help but say, "With this condition, the noble ladies of the capital will definitely flock to it. But what does this have to do with money? Aren't we just trying to get money from others?"

Tu Chengyu said, “With these, are you still worried about not having money? After you tell them the conditions I just mentioned, tell them that you are holding a poetry gathering to raise money for medicine for sick women and children among the disaster victims. Therefore, everyone who participates in the poetry gathering must at least be eligible for a medical treatment. Think about it, medical treatment only costs a few dollars. In order to participate in the poetry gathering and leave their names in the poetry collection, they will definitely pay for this small amount of money.”

Lin Daiyu finally understood, and also realized that once Tu Chengyu announced these conditions, they would probably be willing to treat not just one disaster victim, but ten.

Even married women, in addition to the noble ladies of the capital, probably wanted to participate as well.

So Lin Daiyu asked, "Your Highness, can people like Sister Feng, who is married, attend this poetry gathering you mentioned?"

Tu Chengyu replied without hesitation, "Of course we can participate. It's all about you women anyway. The more people participate, the more money we'll make."

Upon hearing that she could earn more money, this girl, who came from a wealthy family in Yangzhou and had never cared about money since childhood, almost jumped for joy.

However, despite her joy, she also had some concerns.

"Your Highness, do you think if we go and say it like this, too many people will come? Will the few of us be able to handle it?"

Indeed, such a poetry feast was far too grand for a few little girls.

Moreover, the people who come will be of very different backgrounds, making them difficult to manage.

However, these reasons shouldn't justify cancelling the poetry banquet.

Tu Chengyu thought for a moment and said, "These issues are for later, so don't worry about them for now. Your most important task right now is to come up with a set of rules. Once you have a set of rules, everything will be much easier."

Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu nodded repeatedly and immediately wanted to consult with her friends.

However, before leaving, she still said:
"Your Highness, you still need to advance the money for their medical treatment, as some of their illnesses cannot be delayed any longer. But rest assured, Your Highness, we will repay you once we have raised the funds."

At this point, Tu Chengyu no longer cared about money.

Tu Chengyu was very satisfied that he could make Lin Daiyu happy to do things and feel a great sense of accomplishment.

So Tu Chengyu said, "Don't worry, I'll send the money over in a bit."

After listening, Lin Daiyu left happily and returned to her friends, where she began to vividly recount the events of the poetry banquet.

It's probably because the poetry banquet plan was too bold and too attractive.

They couldn't help but gasp in surprise as they listened.

After the initial exclamations, they began a heated discussion.

It seems that each of them is full of passion for this project.

Watching them excitedly discussing their plans, Tu Chengyu quietly left.

Now that they had found what they wanted to do, Tu Chengyu no longer needed to accompany them; he prepared to go back and continue with his own business.

After leaving the area, Tu Chengyu divided his guards in two, leaving one half to protect Lin Daiyu and the others, while the other half followed him to continue patrolling the disaster relief camp.

After wandering around for a while, Tu Chengyu returned to his office tent.

Outside the tent, Mr. Quan was holding a stack of ledgers, constantly checking them.

Seeing Tu Chengyu return, he quickly stood up and said:

"Your Highness, the number of disaster victims is increasing. Shouldn't we proceed with the road paving and house repair plan?"

Tu Chengyu thought for a moment and said, "It can be arranged, but we need to take a look at the construction site first and calculate how to arrange manpower."

Mr. Quan nodded and said:
"Your Highness is right. When do you plan to inspect the construction site?"

Tu Chengyu said, "There's no time like the present, let's get through this today."

"Where does Your Highness intend to inspect first?" Mr. Quan asked again.

Tu Chengyu replied, "Let's go to the nearest ancient alley in Nancheng."

The two of them arranged everything in just a few words.

After they finished speaking, they didn't linger. As soon as Mr. Quan put the account books away, they set off immediately.

Since their office tent was located by the moat at the south gate, they quickly entered the south city.

Then, he walked along the main street for about two quarters of an hour until he arrived at the dilapidated ancient alley in the southern part of the city.

This place was actually quite prosperous in the past, but it was the lowest-lying area in the capital.

So during a flood, the whole area was submerged.

Many people died at that time, and most of the houses were no longer habitable.

Later, the imperial court relocated the residents of this area to other surrounding neighborhoods and markets.

This place became a wasteland in the hands of the imperial court and has been left idle until now.

Tu Chengyu wanted to renovate this place.

The first reason is that this area is entirely in the hands of the imperial court, and no one lives there, so there is no trouble in demolishing it.

The second reason is that if I wanted to use this land myself, the cost would be exorbitant, and I might even be able to negotiate with the emperor and get it for free.

The third reason is that the population of the capital is increasing, and the southern part of the outer city is also teeming with people, many of whom are wealthy. Therefore, after Tu Chengyu renovates this area, he won't have to worry about finding buyers for the houses he builds. He won't lose money, and might even make a fortune.

Of course, the main reason is that it can help find work for disaster victims and allow them to save some wages.

With these thoughts in mind, Tu Chengyu and Mr. Quan stepped into the ancient alley.

Tu Chengyu had been to this place once before when he was catching thieves, but it was nighttime then and he couldn't see very clearly.

Now it looks even more dilapidated.

Those mud walls that were soaked by floods, after so many years of exposure to the elements, hardly any of them are intact anymore.

Most of them are ruins, and they look like they could collapse at any moment.

Even if Tu Chengyu doesn't take action this time, the imperial court will still have to start reforming such places in a few years.

(End of this chapter)