Red Mansion Rebirth: Ghost Phoenix

In the Yinyu Hall, Wang Xifeng and Yuan Shi took Wang Xuanhe, He Ke and Lin Daiyu to have lunch, and they were all a little absent-minded.

Of course, Wang Xifeng was very sure that Emperor Chongzhao would never do anything to Wang Zifu.

He could entrust Wang Xuanhe to Wang Zifu, firstly because he had Wang Zifu's own daughter as a hostage, and secondly, wasn't it also a way of showing goodwill to Wang Zifu and secretly paving the way for the reinstatement of his old ministers?

It was even to the point that if the Jia, Wang, Shi and Xue families had been sensible and refrained from doing such evil things that would anger God and man, he might even have spared these four families.

But after all, he hasn't seen his father for decades in two lifetimes. The emperor has a fickle temper, and he is facing a two-faced person who first deposed the prince. What if something goes wrong?

Wang Xifeng was a little distracted and used her chopsticks in the wrong direction, picking up a small rice dumpling and placing it in He Ke's bowl.

Yuan said hurriedly, "This is already the fourth one. No matter how much you like it, you are not allowed to eat it! Quickly change a clean empty bowl for the princess!"

She scolded her daughter again, "You have to be moderate when you spoil your children!"

He ordered someone to pour He Ke another cup of hawthorn juice, "You ate a lot at lunch today, it was greasy and sticky, this will help digestion."

He Ke smiled and said in a crisp voice: "Thank you, grandma, for loving me!"

Yuan touched her head lovingly: "You are just like your mother when she was young, bright and lively, sensible and considerate. But you are a little greedy..."

He Ke was amused by this comment and said to Wang Xifeng happily, "Mother, did you hear that? Grandmother said I am just like you when you were little!"

Wang Xifeng also laughed: "You are not like me! When I was a child, hmm, I climbed trees to catch birds, went to rivers to catch fish, fought with boys, and rolled into the mud!

“There was a special stick in your grandmother’s room, which was used to beat me!

"What? I'll go back and tell your father to get me one for you, too?"

He Ke's eyes lit up when he heard this: "Really?!"

Even Wang Xuanhe looked at Wang Xifeng in surprise. He couldn't help but pull Yuan Shi aside and whispered, "Sister, are you joking?"

"Really." Yuan replied Wang Xuanhe with a soothing smile, then glared at Wang Xifeng and said, "When you were a child, your grandfather raised you as a boy!

"We are princesses, ladies from noble families, precious and valuable! Don't lead me in the wrong direction!

"——I still have the stick from that year! Ask your brother to bring it over from Jiangnan tomorrow. Don't say you are a concubine, I will beat you anyway!"

Although He Ke also smiled and acted coquettishly with Yuan, his eyes were sparkling when he looked at Wang Xifeng.

Wang Xifeng understood immediately and winked at him. When Yuan turned around and told An'er to prepare tea after dinner, she whispered in He Ke's ear:

"When there's a chance, I'll take you to Xiyuan and teach you everything!"

He Ke smiled brightly: "Mother is the best!"

Seeing the mother and daughter huddled together and whispering to each other, Yuan looked back with a look of satisfaction on her face.

But in Lin Daiyu's eyes, it was all envy.

She missed her mother, too.

But her mother...would not let her daughter do whatever she wanted. Although she was gentle and polite, she would always warn her not to show her teeth when she smiled, not to speak loudly, and remind her not to look back when she walked, and not to shake her skirt when she stood...

These are all rules.

Lin Daiyu lowered her eyes and looked at the bowl of rice in front of her. She suddenly felt unable to eat anymore.

She wanted a mother who could teach her the rules but also allow her to laugh freely in secret.

"Sister Lin, have you finished your meal?" Wang Xifeng noticed Lin Daiyu's disappointment and felt distressed. She asked her in a gentle voice and smiled, "I know you are well-behaved and don't eat on time.

"We had dinner a little late today. Is it time for your nap? Are you sleepy?"

Lin Daiyu felt a little tired after being reminded by her, so she nodded and said with a smile: "It's okay, I'll wait for the princess and Miss Wang Er to take a nap together."

Seeing this, Yuan said a prayer and quickly ordered people to clean up the remaining food: "The three girls have eaten too much today. I was racking my brains to think of how to make you put down your chopsticks!"

Everyone rinsed their mouths with a smile, stood up and walked around the hall twice before sitting down to have tea.

Wang Xifeng continued, "Don't give tea to Lin Jie'er, she's just a little girl. I think she's so sleepy that she can't even open her eyes.

"Please, Aunt Meng, carry her to County Lady Zhai and let her sleep first."

Lin Daiyu was about to hold on, but suddenly she realized that there was a neatly arranged family opposite her, so she shut her mouth again, pretending that she could not hold on any longer, and fell limply into Meng Fanshuang's arms and closed her eyes.

Although Wang's family came to the palace today, they did not come to bother him. Zhai Zhaozheng breathed a sigh of relief, ate his meal and drank his tea leisurely, then leaned on the couch and read a book.

Suddenly, he saw Aunt Meng bringing Lin Daiyu over. He was moved and quickly put down his book, took the child in his hands, nodded with a smile, and asked Aunt Meng, "Please do as you please."

Then he turned back and went into the inner room, put Lin Daiyu on his bed, and patted her gently, pretending not to have noticed that she was pretending to sleep:

"Sister Lin, wake up, wake up."

Lin Daiyu "woke up" and blushed: "My Lady County Master."

"Why don't you take a nap here with me? I'll help you take off your shoes." Zhai Zhao coaxed her in a low voice.

Lin Daiyu lowered her eyes, hummed, took off her shawl and shoes.

Zhai Zhao was afraid that she would get hurt, so he simply plucked the two small pearl flowers in her hair and put them away, then he let her long hair down and whispered:

"If they want to talk about family matters, His Majesty will probably come over too, and it won't be long. You can sleep peacefully.

"After the Wang family leaves, I'll wake you up. It won't be too late."

Lin Daiyu's eyes turned red, she hummed again, nodded, lay down, and turned over.

Zhai Zhao knew at a glance that the little girl missed her mother, and he felt pity for her. His usually cold heart could not help but soften. He stretched out his hand stiffly and patted Lin Daiyu's arm:

"Sister Lin, you will be accompanying the princess in the palace from now on, so I'm afraid you won't get to see your parents very often.

"If you miss home and are embarrassed to tell me, just come find me...

"Well, if you're too embarrassed to tell me, just make me a cup of tea. Then I'll know you want to go home to visit your parents, okay?"

These extremely gentle and considerate words brought tears to Lin Daiyu's eyes. She turned over and sat up, sobbing:

"But I can't see my mother when I go home...

"Yesterday my father sent someone to Rongfu to pick up my mother and asked her to come and see me. But she refused to come.

“She only gave me a five-poison purse, saying that she had embroidered it herself.

"But I recognize her needlework. She can't embroider so finely..."

Lin Daiyu couldn't continue speaking, and she lay in Zhai Zhao's arms and sobbed, "My Lady, is it because I'm not a boy and not outstanding enough that my mother doesn't want me..."

Zhai Zhao sighed, hugged her gently, patted her on the back, and said to her: "Good girl, you are very good and outstanding. You are the smartest and most sensible six-year-old girl I have ever seen.

"Your parents' divorce is their own business and has nothing to do with you."

Lin Daiyu raised her face, tears all over her face: "Then can't they stay together for my sake?"

Zhai Zhao closed his mouth and couldn't utter a word.

She couldn't tell her child: Your parents had to separate just to save you from difficulties!