The Red Mansions

Chapter 8
Tao Ranju

It was already noon, Jia Zhen ordered a table of food, holding a wine cup in her hand, called a few courtesans who sang songs, and waited for Jia Rong.

"Master, Brother Rong is here." Lai Sheng led Jia Rong to the box.

"Father." Jia Rong entered the box and called out.

"Hmm..." Jia Zhen made a long sound from her nose, waved her hand to the courtesan who was singing, and said, "Where did you go to play?"

With a smile on Jia Rong's face, she said: "I went hunting in the western suburbs with a few friends from the Feng family and the Chen family, and I just came back. I'm afraid that I will be called by you, so I dare not delay for a moment."

"You bastard!" Jia Zhen put the wine cup on the table and reprimanded: "You are not young anymore, you are used to meeting some cronies, flying eagles and lackeys, and you don't take it easy every day. There is nothing in Jia's parents' room." Looks like a great-great-grandson!"

Jia Rong shivered in fright, lowered her head, and dared not respond, she glanced sideways at Jia Zhen, and was relieved when she saw that she was just reprimanding her and no one would do anything about it.

Jia Zhen scolded, and said: "You are not young, you need to find a marriage, and my father has taken a fancy to it... The girl from Qin Ye's family, the doctor of the Ministry of Industry and Food, has a good character and appearance, and she is a good match for you. match."

Puzzled in Jia Rong's eyes, she waited for her father's next words.

"It's just that the girl from Qinye's family has already made an engagement with Jia Si'er from the wicker alley in the back street. I heard that you know Jia Heng well, so go and give him 50 taels of silver to let him withdraw this marriage quietly. Keep quiet." Jia Zhen ordered.

Jia Rong said: "This..."

"Why, it's difficult?" Jia Zhen raised her eyebrows and snorted coldly.

A smile appeared on Jia Rong's face, and he said, "Father, it's easy to handle, but Jia Heng still flatters his son, it's only 50 taels, Jia Heng probably doesn't like it, and if there is a dispute, it will be difficult for his son." .”

Jia Zhen snorted coldly, didn't he know this son's ghostly thoughts, but when he thought of the appearance and figure of the Miss Qin's family, her heart felt hot, she took out a silver ticket from her armband, and said: "This is 200 taels. If you still can't do it, watch your skin carefully!"

Jia Rong bowed, stepped forward to take it with both hands, and said with a smile: "Father, just listen to your son's good faith."

"Get lost!" Jia Zhen cursed.

On Jia Rong's side, with the bank notes in her pocket, she turned and left the box, and went to the back porch of Ningrong Street.

Not to mention that Jia Rong went to look for Jia Heng, but said that after Jia Heng returned home, after lunch, he changed into a warrior outfit, borrowed a horse from his cousin Dong Qian's house, bought some food and wine, and went to An Xie Zaiyi's family outside Huamen rushed over.

Xie Zaiyi made an appointment with him to take a bath every five days and once every three days to take a bath. During this free time, he went to Xie Zaiyi's house and learned riding and archery from him.

The so-called riding and archery is shooting arrows on a horse galloping at high speed. Even in Jia Heng's previous life, he had never been exposed to it when he was defending the southwest frontier.

After all, the previous life was in the era of hot weapons, and he didn't use bows and arrows very much. In addition, the geographical environment of the southwest frontier defense did not have the opportunity to learn these things.

If it's just riding a horse, it's okay.

As soon as he entered Xie's house, Xie Zaiyi had just eaten his lunch. When he saw Jia Heng, he was very happy and said with a smile, "I still think Brother Jia, why didn't you come in the morning?"

Jia Heng said: "I went to do some things in the morning."

As he spoke, he handed the food and wine to Xie Zaiyi's wife.

The two of them finished their food and wiped their mouths. Xie Zaiyi stood on the wall, took two bows and a pot of arrows, and said with a smile, "Brother Jia, let's practice outside the city, where the open space is."

Jia Heng agreed, and the two riders left the city. It was noon, and the autumn sun was shining softly on the earth. The two riders rode their horses through the wilderness, until they reached a wilderness deep in wormwood bushes.

"Brother Jia, you have a solid foundation in riding." Xie Zaiyi praised Jia Heng when he saw Jia Heng's dexterity and ease of movement.

If someone has no foundation, he will have to work hard if he wants to teach it from scratch, and if he has riding skills, he will teach him for a while, and in time, he will definitely enter the room.

Jia Heng said: "I have practiced casually with my friends before, and I still have to ask Brother Xie for advice."

Xie Zaiyi smiled and said: "Actually, riding and shooting is not difficult at all. The key lies in the coordination of body, eyes and hands on the saddle. I think with Brother Jia's foundation, he should be able to practice it in three months."

Afterwards, Xie Zaiyi taught Jia Heng the essentials of riding and archery. This teaching lasted for two hours, until the sun was setting and the evening glow was glowing.

Looking at the distant mountains and forests under the setting sun, Jia Heng said with emotion: "The country is really picturesque, and there are so many heroes at the moment."

Xie Zaiyi took the cowhide bag hanging on the saddle, took a sip of wine, and said with a smile: "My brother doesn't look like a martial artist, but a literati."

Jia Heng laughed and said: "The famous generals in the ancient times also have scholars. If they are an enemy of a hundred people, they don't need them. If they have a commander of one hundred thousand and they are talented generals, they must know the art of war and the strategy of war."

Xie Zaiyi laughed and said, "My brother has a lot of ambition."

Jia Heng also smiled, and said: "It's just a few random words of emotion."

He rubbed his sore wrist, put away the bow, and said with a smile, "Brother Xie, why don't you hunt some wild game in the forest?"

Xie Zaiyi smiled and said: "It will be dark in a while, the road in the mountains and forests will be rough, let's go, go back and drink."

Jia Heng smiled, but did not insist.

Erqi galloped towards Anhuamen, and was about to enter the city. It was just getting dark, and suddenly there was the sound of horseshoes in the distance. A small school boy wearing a Hanyang bamboo hat rode his horse and swung his whip, and came towards the city gate.

"It's the [-]-mile express delivery from Ji Town." Xie Zaiyi said in a deep voice, with the smile on his face easily gone.

Jia Heng said solemnly: "Could it be that something happened?"

Xie Zaiyi said bitterly: "As soon as autumn comes, the Tartars in the north will come from the pass, slightly to Hebei and other places, and the general of Ji Town has come to ask for help from the imperial court."

After Chen Han inherited the Ming Dynasty, he also set up nine borders on the border. However, unlike the previous Ming Dynasty, Liaodong was lost, and Chen Han’s border affairs had been fully transferred to defense. Fortunately, Chen Han learned from the lessons of the previous Ming Dynasty and the Song Dynasty, and set up the capital in Chang’an The city, where mountains and rivers are solid, will not be shocked overnight in Kyoto.

Returning to Xie's house, Xie Zaiyi's wife will cook the meals, while Jia and Xie are drinking and talking about other affairs.

"Brother Jia, you don't know that the Tartars in the north cross the border every year to plunder and kill. Tang Kuan, the chief soldier of Ji Town, hides in the city and sits and watches the people under the Beiping Mansion being looted. He is really a jerk." Xie Zaiyi drank wine , while cursing the chief soldier of Ji Town.

Jia Heng lifted the jug and poured a glass of wine for Xie Zaiyi, curiously asked: "Brother Xie, have you ever fought against the Jurchen?"

Xie Zaiyi said: "Why haven't we faced each other before? At the beginning, I killed seven Tartars to get promoted to this hundred households. Brother, brother, let me tell you, this Tartar is no different from us, it's just two shoulders against a head. Thanks to those chief soldiers and generals, they yelled that the Tartars are no more than ten thousand, and they are invincible."

Jia Heng groaned, secretly thought, this is almost the same as the situation he faced in the late Ming Dynasty in his previous life.

However, Chen Han set his capital in Chang'an, which was stronger than that of the previous Ming Dynasty, but it was just the land of Shaanxi... the chaos of bandits.

"I'm making a mess of you singing and I'm coming on stage, and you think that the other country is your hometown. It's absurd. In the end, you are making wedding clothes for others."

Thinking of this, Jia Heng couldn't help being startled.

Zhen Shiyin's commentary on the song "A Dream of Red Mansions" really makes people shudder.

"If bandits and bandits make trouble inside, and Tartars from outside the pass invade outside, taking advantage of Chen Han's embarrassment, drinking horses in the Yellow River and sweeping across the Central Plains, isn't this just making wedding clothes for others?"

Jia Heng sighed, now that he has come to this world of red chambers, I am afraid that there is really only one way to go, to take power as soon as possible, so as not to let the Han family and the clothes of China sink under the iron hooves of the Tartars.

"Brother Jia, don't talk about these troublesome things, drink." Xie Zaiyi raised the wine cup and signaled to Jia Heng.

Jia Heng smiled, raised the wine cup as well, and said: "National affairs have their own schemes, so let's drink wine."

"That's the reason, haha." Xie Zaiyi laughed, raised the wine cup and drank it down in one gulp, perhaps because of the smell of alcohol, his eyes were a little red, and he took a mouthful of food.

Seeing this scene, Jia Heng sighed secretly, this is also a person with a story.

After a drink, let's eat until Youshi, Jia Heng walked towards home.

(End of this chapter)