The Red Mansions

Ningguo Mansion, Grand View Garden, Xiaoxiang Pavilion——

It was early spring in February, and the weather was warmer. Daiyu was wearing a pink dress, sitting quietly behind a lacquered wood desk, holding a book of Wang Wei's poems in her hand, and reading intently.

The attacker chuckled lightly, walked closer, and as the fragrant wind hit his nostrils, he bent down, brought a cup of maple dew tea, and said softly: "Girl, I heard that the uncle will be back soon."

In the past few days, not only the Xue family in the Lixiang Courtyard were happy about being granted the title of first-class Duke's wife, but everyone in the Xiaoxiang Pavilion in the Grand View Garden was also talking about the marriage between Chai and Dai.

Chai Dai and Jia Heng have been in love for a long time, and now they can be regarded as having a successful relationship.

Daiyu chuckled lightly, raised her beautiful and bright head, and said softly with a hint of joking in her tone: "When we come back, there are so many people waiting to get married."

Not only her and Sister Bao, but also Ya Ruo and Princess Le'an. When the time comes, the four of them will get married together?

I don’t know who he wants to marry first.

Thinking of this, the girl felt a little sour in her heart. It was really hard to share such a major event like marriage with others...

The attacker said softly: "Girl, the newspaper in my previous residence said that the master is going to be transferred back to Beijing to take up a post."

With the importance of customs and maritime trade, Lin Ruhai could not stay in Jinling forever. Emperor Chongping also intended to transfer to the capital to upgrade the level and status of the General Customs and Taxation Department.

Lin Ruhai may even join the cabinet or serve as a military aircraft.

The current Han cabinet only has one cabinet member, Qi Kun. With the New Deal next year, Sichuan Governor Lu Jiang will also be transferred to the capital and become a cabinet member.

Zicuckoo smiled and said: "By then, the master and the girl will be reunited together."

Xiren said, raised his eyes to look at Daiyu, and said with a smile: "When the wedding is consummated, there will be someone watching by the side."

When that time comes, she can be regarded as a maidservant, or when the girl feels unwell, she can also fulfill her wish.

Recalling what the young man said to him back then, a smile appeared on Xiren's face.

Under Daiyu's curved eyebrows, her increasingly charming face was already blushing like a blush, and she was so beautiful that she said angrily: "You two, stop singing in harmony, and you can't let me watch in peace for a while." Book."

Zijuan and Xiren smiled softly and said nothing else.

While the two were talking, the maid Xue Yan whispered from outside: "Miss, Miss Xue is here."

Upon hearing this, Daiyu quickly put down the book in her hand, raised her beautiful head, turned to look at the girl in the ancestral honey-colored coat and skirt, and said softly: "Sister Bao, why are you here."

Baochai's face was as white and flawless as a pear blossom, gorgeous and unprovoked, and she said softly: "I have nothing to do at home, so come over and see me."

Daiyu's starry eyes were smiling, and she said: "If this Duke's wife is not raised at home, what's good about me?"

She now recalled that Qian'er was the name given to her by her second brother Bao when she was a child. Sister Bao kept mentioning it time and time again, and she kept mentioning it in front of brother Heng. She didn't know what she had in mind.

Maybe she is too worried?

Baochai chuckled lightly and said, "Zhou'er has such a mouth."

While talking, he came to sit on the embroidered pier beside Daiyu and asked in a low voice: "Zhen'er, what have you been busy with recently."

Under Daiyu's smoky eyebrows, her starry eyes twinkled, and she said: "I have nothing to do, let's read a book."

Baochai's eyebrows were beautiful, and her jade face that looked like a white pear blossom was smiling brightly on her snow-skinned skin. She said softly: "Zi'er, haven't you been thinking about him these past few days?"

Daiyu's cheeks turned red with embarrassment, and her charming eyes glanced at Baochai, and said softly: "I don't miss him. I think it's Sister Bao who misses him."

Thinking of letting him bully you?

Baochai held Daiyu's slender arms and smiled softly: "Zi'er, when he comes back, he should be preparing for the wedding. What are your uncle's plans?"

Because Daiyu didn't have a mother to take care of it, it was actually Jia Mu, the grandmother, who helped take care of it. When the time comes, the dowry and other things should be arranged by Jia Mu and Lin Ruhai.

Under Daiyu's willow-leaf slender eyebrows, her twinkling starry eyes kept twinkling. She chuckled and said, "It doesn't matter whether you have status or not. I don't want to marry her."

When Baochai heard this, her pear blossom face, which was as white as snow, seemed to be covered with a layer of shyness, and she said angrily: "Sister."

This is all making fun of her original incident.

Daiyu chuckled and said, "At that time, I can just marry him along with my sister."

In fact, I felt quite happy.

After all, she is a girl, and she still has some beautiful fantasies about her future married life.

Baochai reached out and held Daiyu's slender crotch, her snow-skinned jade face showed a strange blush, and said, "I'm afraid he misses us more and more."

If she could tie him down from now on, then there seemed to be nothing wrong with her being with Yan'er.

When Daiyu heard this, she didn't know what she thought of. Her heart jumped inexplicably, and she seemed to be a little unspeakable.

Daiyu also seemed to recall the scene of being hugged by the young man that day. She also felt blushing and quickly changed the topic and asked: "I heard from Zijuan that it's time for Brother Xue Pan to come back?"

Baochai said: "I just came back today. My brother's family has arranged a marriage. He said it's the Xia family of Huangshang, the name of Guihua Bureau. The daughter of that family is an only child. She can do business better if she is with her brother."

Daiyu said: "If you start a family earlier, you can feel more at ease, although... it may not be possible."

As he spoke, he chuckled.

Baochai's moist apricot eyes were filled with inexplicable meaning, and she said, "Who does my sister remember?"

Daiyu covered her mouth and smiled sweetly, her starry eyes sparkling, and said: "Whoever Sister Bao thinks of right now, I think of."

Who else could it be? Of course it was someone who had married his wife early tomorrow morning and still provoked her.

Baochai didn't answer the words. Under Cuiyu's dark eyebrows, her eyes were as bright as water, and she said softly: "Now that the girls in the house are all grown up, it's time to make arrangements for marriage."

Daiyu responded softly, her jade face combining elegance and charm, and said: "Madam and the old lady also want to arrange a marriage for Sister Yun, and want Sister Yun to marry Brother Bao. ?”

Baochai's pink face was slightly flushed, her eyebrows were bright, and she said softly: "Sister Yun is not very willing."

Under Daiyu's smoky eyebrows, her eyes as bright as stars flickered, and she said softly: "He didn't seem to agree with this last time. Could it be that..."

In view of Jia Heng's "criminal record", Daiyu and Jia Heng are considered an old couple after all, so they have begun to have some doubts.

In other words, the girl knew things early and focused most of her attention on this.

Baochai pursed her pink lips and said, "It's inevitable that he is so provocative. He is at the age of Huaichun."

Both of them have gone through personnel affairs, and sometimes they don't act like girls, but after all, Jia Heng's status is different, and Baochai still doesn't dare to be known as a jealous person.

Daiyu's starry eyes showed a look of thought, and said: "Then... what did he think?"

Baochai gently took Daiyu's slender hand, her cheeks were slightly red, and she asked in a low voice: "I'll ask you when he comes back again. But what does Sister Lin think about Sister Yun coming over?"

"We all grew up together and know each other well. It would be nice for Sister Yun to come here together. But she is a princess, how can she be a concubine?" Daiyu said in a trembling voice with her starry eyes shining brightly.

Thinking of Xiangyun's heartless appearance, Daiyu didn't find it difficult to accept.

Baochai said: "That's what I was thinking. Let's not talk about Dongfu. It's just you and me in the garden. It would be nice for Sister Yun to come over."

She also has Baoqin here.

Daiyu's cheeks were as red as a blush, and she whispered: "Sister Bao, this is..."

Generally speaking, there is always a sense of a few girls forming a clique and competing for favor.

In fact, nowadays "The Wives of Duke Wei" is really a bit of a competition for favor.

First, Qin Keqing pulled the Youshu twins in order to keep Jia Heng, and then Princess Xianning and Li Chanyue pulled Song Yan.

Then came Chai Dai...

This is no longer the time to fight alone.

And while Chai and Dai were talking, Hengwuyuan, the courtyard where Baoqin was—

Xiangyun suddenly blocked Baoqin who was reading at the door of the wing, and called: "Sister Baoqin."

Bao Qin's face was as red as snow. He quickly hid the little book with the album in his hand under the other books. With a nonchalant smile on his face, he asked, "Sister Yun." , are you looking for me?"

Xiangyun smiled and said, "Come and see Sister Baoqin."

In the past few days, I heard from the nuns in the mansion that the old lady wanted to marry her to her second brother.

In fact, as Baoyu grew older and reached the age of engagement, Jia Mu also became a little anxious.

Baoqin calmed down, left the desk, came to the desk, picked up a blue and white porcelain teapot, poured a cup of tea for Xiangyun, and said softly: "Sister Yun, if you have anything to do, you might as well just tell me."

Xiangyun sat down, her round face like an apple showing some unnaturalness, she raised her eyes and looked at her with eyes, and said: "Sister Baoqin, are you and Brother Heng... getting along?"

Baoqin: "..."

What's the word for this suddenness?

Well, yes, she is in love with Brother Heng, but what does this have to do with you?

The two chubby girls looked at each other with bright eyes for a moment, and there seemed to be faint sparks flying. Xiangyun's face turned red, and she glanced around and saw that the maid in the room was not here. She lowered her voice and said, "Sister Baoqin, I saw both you and Brother Heng that day."

Baoqin: "???"

Immediately, there was a "bang" in his head, no, Xiangyun saw something.

The girl searched her memory and suddenly remembered something. Could it be that in the Grand View Garden that day, Brother Heng... bullied her and let Xiangyun see it?

Doesn't this mean that she couldn't hold it back that day...

Thinking of this, Bao Qin's plump and white cheeks were as hot as fire. She felt her heart palpitating and her legs under her skirts even moved closer together.

Xiangyun lowered his voice, his face as white as snow seemed to be covered with rose-red mist, and said softly: "Sister Baoqin, you don't want Sister Bao to know about this, right?"

Baoqin: "..."

Fang Xin was startled, and immediately her face, which was as white as snow, turned red with embarrassment, and she said with embarrassment, "Sister Yun, what are you talking about?"

But there was a sense of shame that someone had discovered the secret, and in an instant, other thoughts came to mind.

Xiangyun didn't know why at this moment, some other thoughts came to him, and he said softly: "Sister Baoqin, don't you admit it? That day, Brother Heng..."

As he spoke, he whispered a few words into Baoqin's ear.

As Sister Bao's younger sister, how could she steal her own sister's man? And let Brother Heng serve you like that?

During this period of time, Xiangyun would almost always think of this matter.

When Bao Qin heard the word "lick", it felt as if his ears had been burned. His face, as white as a porcelain doll, was almost red with shame. He whispered: "Sister Yun, you... don't say it, stop it quickly." said."

He gave her everything, pulling her to that day all at once.

Xiangyun's face turned red at this moment. She snorted and whispered: "Promise me one thing, and I won't tell Sister Bao, otherwise..."

As soon as these words came out, Bao Qin was curious. After all, the matter between himself and Jia Heng had been approved by Baochai, so he was not too worried. He was just worried that Xiangyun would tell him about Jia Heng's service that day.

Baoqin was speechless for a moment and said, "Tell me what's going on first."

Xiangyun's face turned red, and she couldn't help but stretched out her hand and whispered a few words in Baoqin's ear.

When Baoqin heard this, his plump and white face turned red, and he said, "This... this is too ridiculous."

Then, he looked at the girl with plump and rosy face with gleaming eyes.

Why had she never discovered that Xiangyun had such an idea in the past? It turned out that she herself also wanted to get along with Brother Heng...

Xiangyun raised her aggrieved face, bit her pink lips with her cherry teeth, and whispered: "Grandma wants to get engaged to my second brother, and only brother Heng can save me."

Under Baoqin's curved eyebrows, her white teeth gently bit her pink lips, and said softly: "Then you are just like this... joking about the innocence of a girl's family."

Xiangyun's face was as red as a blush at this moment. She took Baoqin's arm and said coquettishly: "Sister Baoqin, just help me."

She really doesn't want to marry her second brother.

At this moment, Bao Qin's pink face looked like a porcelain doll, and she was a little shy. She said in a trembling voice: "This, this... let me try."

At such a young age, I started to miss spring and men.

Well, it seems that Xiangyun is not small anymore.

He really liked this.

At this moment, Baoqin felt a soft feeling in her arm, her plump and fair cheeks turned red with shame, and she thought in her heart.

……

……

Night has fallen, the bright moon is in the sky, the stars are sparse, and the cold spring wind is blowing the wine shop's wine shop, gently swaying.

There was a noisy and lively scene in the city of Shenjing, with an endless stream of cars and horses, and red lanterns hanging in front of brothels and restaurants swaying in the wind on both sides of the streets, the lights blurred, and the light and shadow swaying.

At the end of the streets and alleys in Dongcheng, Prince Zhou's Mansion, the back house——

Chen Xiao raised his eyes to look at the tall figure in a bamboo hat with a cold temperament, and asked: "Master, are you here this time?"

Our Lady of White Lotus looked at the girl opposite, nodded, and said, "Come here and tell you something about the life experience of Lord Wei Guo."

It would also be a good thing if Xiaoer could help persuade the Duke of Wei to stop helping others do evil.

Chen Xiao frowned slightly, a look of surprise appeared on his face as white as jade, and murmured: "Life experience?"

Isn't he the heir of the deposed prince?

The tone of the White Lotus Virgin seemed to have some complicated meanings, and there was a look of reminiscence on her face, and she said softly: "His wife Keqing was the daughter of the deposed prince and concubine Jing. Later, she became a parasite in the Yangsheng Hall, and he was the prince's sixth general. Su Ming’s son.”

Chen Xiao: "..."

Is this... a mistake?

Could it be that her aunt had lied to her? But why did her aunt lie to her?

The Holy Mother of White Lotus sighed quietly and said softly: "I didn't expect that he actually recognized the thief as his father in these years and helped him do a lot of things. Fortunately, everything was for the sake of the Han Dynasty. Now, after learning the truth, he has found his way back and has not returned. It’s too late.”

Chen Xiao frowned, his frosty jade face covered with a complex look, and said in surprise: "Master, why did you..."

The beauty thought for a while and finally swallowed the words "Don't tell me earlier" again.

Such things could not have been said earlier.

The Holy Mother of White Lotus did not notice the change in Chen Xiao's expression, and said to herself: "What happened in Shandong before was ultimately reckless, causing the loss of sixty-seven percent of the power that has been cultivated for many years."

Although the White Lotus Sect originated in Shandong, it is not without branches in other parts of the country, but Shandong is really struggling.

Chen Xiao said softly: "It was just a risky attack, but I lost a lot of vitality. Now Chen Yuan is missing."

Under the beautiful eyebrows of the Holy Mother of White Lotus, those bright and clear eyes seemed to be shining brightly through the white gauze, staring at Chen Xiao and asked: "What is his relationship with you now?"

Hearing this, Chen Xiao felt shy and said angrily, "Master."

"That's like glue and paint, honey mixed with oil." Our Lady of White Lotus looked at the shy beauty across from her and said softly.

Chen Xiao's fair and beautiful face seemed to be covered with a layer of rouge, and she said coquettishly: "Master."

Chen Xiao suppressed the complex thoughts in his heart, frowned his beautiful eyebrows, and whispered: "There is a lot of suspicion in the palace now, and it is difficult to say what will happen in the future. I think he seems to be afraid."

The Holy Mother of White Lotus nodded her head, a solemn look appeared on her jade face, and said softly: "The man in the palace has begun to be suspicious. It will not be easy for him to have a good death after he pacifies Liaodong."

Chen Xiao lowered his voice and asked: "Guan Yao or... when will the one in the palace die?"

The eyes of the Holy Mother White Lotus surged with coldness, and she said: "His body bones are now hanging with ginseng. However, in the past six months, he has made gains due to the New Deal and the National War. If there is another stimulus like the Northwest War, I am afraid that he will die."

Under Chen Xiao's sharp eyebrows, his bright, clear eyes blinked, and his mind suddenly fluctuated with thoughts.

I wonder if that person would be so angry that he would vomit several liters of blood and die if he knew the person next to him and his important officials.

Our Lady of White Lotus said: "It's getting late. I'll go back to the palace first to avoid arousing people's suspicion."

Chen Xiao pondered for a moment and said with worried eyes: "Master, you have to be careful in everything even in the palace."

The Holy Mother of White Lotus said softly "Hmm" and then left gracefully.

Chen Xiao kept looking at the disappearing figure of the White Lotus Virgin, his eyes were blank, and he let out a faint sigh.

If he is not the son of the clan, not Jia Fei Chen, then by sitting in that position, does he... have some conspiracy to usurp the Chen family's country?

But if it weren't for him, how could anyone else be in that position?

Chen Xiao's thoughts were complicated and inexplicable for a moment.

After a long quarrel, he is not the crown prince's heir, but his wife Ke Qing. So now, isn't he going to kill all the Chen family's daughters... in one fell swoop?

With this thought, Chen Xiao didn't know whether to smile bitterly or feel helpless.

……

……

Japan, Edo

After three days of inspection, Jia Heng returned from the barracks in Edo Bay and returned to the shogunate's residence in the city. In the past few days, the entire Edo City has begun to compete for the shogunate.

First, the Satsuma Domain and the Choshu Domain announced their alliance, then there was a political force headed by Tokugawa Tsunashige, and then there were the forces divided by other domains based on geography.

In short, it is roughly divided into six forces.

One is the Satsuma and other Kyushu vassals, and the other is the Tokugawa shogunate, dominated by the Kinki vassal, as well as the Shikoku vassals, the Tokai vassal and the Chugoku vassal, as well as the Ou vassal and the Kanto vassal.

In short, a regional alliance is highlighted.