Red Mansion and Crimson Pearl

Everyone in the Jia Mansion stood outside waiting stiffly for half an hour before a eunuch from the palace came running in and said, "It's too early! It's already night."

Then everyone dispersed and went back to their rooms to rest, while Sister Feng looked after the outside.

It was not until the hour of Xu that Concubine Jia came in a leisurely manner. The scene was solemn and grand.

Xiaohong heard from outside that Concubine Jia had led her people to visit the "Interior Courtyard", so she ran back to report to Daiyu: "Here they are! Here they are!"

Daiyu was feeling sleepy at this time, but when she heard the voices, she forced herself to wake up and sit up to put on her makeup.

Zijuan had no choice but to comb her hair while coaxing her: "...Who knows, the queen might come to visit us! You didn't get up just to welcome that aunt.

"Think about it again, what if Supervisor Tao comes here too?"

Daiyu yawned and said, "It's a good dream. Let's continue!"

Qingwen chuckled beside her.

Zijuan glared at her.

Qingwen laughed and said, "What's the point of glaring at me? The Lantern Festival is so important. Even I know that the emperor must go to the palace gate to celebrate with the people. Eunuch Tao is the eunuch in the palace. How can he leave?"

"Even if he could leave, given what we did in the first two years, Eunuch Tao would never go to anyone else's house, not to ours - isn't this giving our family too much face?!"

Lin Daiyu smiled and looked at her in the mirror, praising her: "Qingwen has improved!"

Qingwen glanced at Zijuan complacently, made a face at her and stuck out her tongue.

"Didn't Xiaohong just say these words this afternoon?" Xueyan scratched his head in confusion.

Qingwen was immediately ashamed and angry, and chased after her and beat her: "You little bitch! Can't I show off my power for once?!"

Lin Daiyu and Zijuan couldn't help but smile at each other in the mirror.

However, this made Lin Daiyu look much more energetic. She didn't need to put on much makeup for mourning, as long as she was clean and tidy and tied her hair.

The master and servant were gazing at the moon and chatting when Lin Zhixiao's wife, trembling with fear, led Tao Xingjian and a few others in quietly from the back door.

"Miss, is the moon in our Gusu also so round and big?" Qingwen imitated Xueyan, holding her chin with both hands and looking up at the sky.

"You're saying something silly again, which makes me laugh." Lin Daiyu said in a delicate and light voice, "There is only one moon in the world. Otherwise, how could there be the saying 'At this moment, we can see each other but cannot hear each other, I wish the moonlight could shine on you'?"

"…The girl is reciting poetry again, and I don't understand it!"

"Haha, okay. Well, the storyteller used a line as the opening poem: The crescent moon shines over the nine states, some are happy while others are sad. You must know this, right?"

"That's right. The moon in Kyushu is the same. But I don't believe that the moons seen everywhere in the world are the same. Otherwise, you can draw the moon here today and send it to the people in Gusu... No, Gusu is closer. What if you send it to the people in Java?"

"...Your idea is interesting. If we can travel far away, we can really go to Java and look up at the moon on this day to see if it is the same."

"Hehe! Girl, you promised me that when you go on a long journey, you must take me with you - not Zijuan and Xiaohong!"

"..."

"..."

Tao Xingjian stood quietly listening, then laughed, tilted his head to look at the tall man standing next to him, and whispered, "What a wild idea."

"Not really. Some people even say we live on a ball." Emperor Zhaoming, who was dressed in casual clothes, smiled and looked at the two maids crowded in front of the window with some regret. "The maids are diligent and know how to keep her from getting cold. They have locked her in."

"Should I go over?" Tao Xingjian hesitated.

If he went there, Lin Daiyu would have to go to the door to greet him in person, and Emperor Zhaoming would be able to see the child's current appearance.

But if he went over, with the child's intelligence, he might guess whether Emperor Zhaoming also came here in disguise. It would be bad if he alarmed the whole Jia family.

Emperor Zhaoming shook his head and rejected it: "No. I just wanted to go out of the palace for a walk on a whim."

He glanced at the female official behind him and said, "That child is weak. You can tell from her voice that she is short of energy. Her father is like the sea. You have also seen him. He is a sincere man.

"Take good care of the child. If she is well, you will be well, too."

"Yes." The female official in neat men's clothes bowed and answered with her hands folded.

Emperor Zhaoming looked at the little palace maid she brought with her and frowned, "Why are you here to be someone's boss? And you bring your own servants with you?

"Girl Lin has five maids. You haven't even seen them yet. How do you know that none of them are capable? I only need to pay your salary, and I can spare one more!

"This one will go back to the palace with Concubine Jia! Lao Tao, you make the arrangements. Don't make Lin feel uncomfortable."

Tao Xingjian agreed and teased the female official with a smile: "I told you earlier that it would be better not to do so. Don't say that you can't get past His Majesty. When you meet Miss Lin, you will know that you can't get past her either."

"Then the most clever one, looking at your subordinates, should just treat themselves as outsiders and be so polite that you have to resign yourself, then you will feel uncomfortable!"

The female official said calmly: "I just want to make it easier. It's best to follow one, but it doesn't matter if there is none."

"Teach her how to behave, eat, sit and lie down, and all the etiquette and rules. I will find a suitable family for her in the future, and don't let her be criticized by others." Emperor Zhaoming gave another instruction, then raised his chin and asked the female official to go over.

The female official saluted the emperor, looked at Tao Xingjian again, and walked forward leisurely.

Lin Zhixiao's wife, whose knees were shaking beside him, didn't care about her weak legs and hurriedly trotted to catch up.

"This person...can she keep her mouth shut?" Emperor Zhaoming asked, frowning and pointing at her obviously shaky and weak legs.

Tao Xingjian laughed: "Only those who are afraid can keep their mouths shut. If it were someone who is not afraid, I would be so scared that my legs would tremble!"

It is true.

Emperor Zhaoming smiled, stopped talking, and just looked over there.

Xiaohong opened the door, and Lin Zhixiao's wife went in with the female official, smiling. After only ten breaths, Lin Zhixiao's wife came out quickly again. Xiaohong looked at her strangely from behind and closed the door again.

Lin Zhixiao's wife walked up to Tao Xingjian, forced a smile, and whispered, "The lady official went in and told my sister to go to bed. It's too late to stay up. We can talk tomorrow.

"Miss Lin asked her to recognize the people, and then let Xiaohong take the female official to rest. From now on, the little maid Chunxian will serve the lady exclusively.

"Your Majesty, Eunuch Tao, why don't we go? Judging from the lady official's quick and decisive actions, I'm afraid that dozens of them will come out and we will run into them head-on."

Tao Xingjian felt that her words were incoherent and he was too lazy to give her any advice. He just smiled at the emperor and said, "What do you think, Your Majesty?"

"Then let's go. The lights in his garden are beautiful, let's go for a walk!" Emperor Zhaoming put his hands into his sleeves, took another look at the lighted window, frowned, and turned away.

Tao Xingjian smiled, said nothing, and quickly followed.

Your Majesty is worried that Miss Lin will catch a cold from the cold wind!