The Royal Merchant of the Red Chamber

Xue Pan naturally didn't know why Xue Zhizhang came to find Tu Zhen.Because he was so guilty and ashamed, after washing and undressing, he did not say goodbye to Tu Zhen, took advantage of the time when he was discussing important matters with the courtiers, ordered Dai Quan casually, and left the palace.

They rode all the way back to Zhongxinhou's Mansion, at that time Xue's family had just had lunch.Seeing Xue Pan coming in from the outside, Mrs. Xue got up immediately and asked, "My son is finally back. Have you ever had lunch?"

Xue Pan used to sleep until the middle of the day before getting up.Afterwards, he rushed back in a hurry, not to mention lunch, and he didn't even have time to eat breakfast.Hearing Mrs. Xue's question, I felt empty and hungry for a while.Quickly said: "I haven't eaten yet, I'm starving to death."

When Mrs. Xue heard this, she hurriedly organized the servants to serve up the food.These dishes were originally left by Mrs. Xue in the pot for Xue Zhizhang, who was right in the palace, so naturally she didn't care about them now, so she had to eat them for Xue Pan first.Then he ordered the small kitchen to make new dishes.

Xue Pan ate two bowls full of Bigeng rice with the fragrant dishes, and felt his stomach was full, so he put down the bowls and chopsticks contentedly.He hiccupped and laughed, "I'm full, thank you mother."

Mrs. Xue rubbed Xue Pan's neck intimately, and smiled disapprovingly: "What is there to be thankful for? I just feel sorry for my son. There have been more and more things recently, and I don't have time to have a good meal. I have been tossing around for a few days. People are losing weight."

This is a bit mysterious.Xue Pan subconsciously touched his plump cheeks, blinked guiltyly, and said, "Where is it thinner, I always feel like I'm a little fatter."

Looking around again, he suddenly remembered something and asked, "Why is Baochai missing?"

Mrs. Xue said with a smile: "She is embroidering the wedding dress in the house - although these things are handled by the embroiderer, but the rules passed down by the ancestors, it is better to make it yourself. The more delicate the wedding dress and other things are embroidered, the future will be The in-laws are more respected."

Hearing this, Xue Pan said disapprovingly: "Baochai is going to marry into the palace to be a concubine and empress, and not to be a concubine in an ordinary family. Do I still need to make needlework by myself? Naturally, there will be a dowry embroiderer to help. Don't Baochai is too tired."

Mrs. Xue shook her head in disapproval when she heard the words, and said, "Since you are married to someone else's family, it is natural for a woman to have outstanding four virtues. What's more, the lady makes some robes, shoes and socks, sachets, Things like purses, even if the man is no longer in sight, looking at these things makes him feel warm and considerate. Ask him to think about it all the time, and he will not have the heart to pay attention to other flowers and plants. If others see After a few words of praise for this embroidery worker, the pride in my heart is even more extraordinary. Didn’t your father do the needlework for your mother himself?

As he spoke, he laughed again: "Look at me, what are you talking about these things to you? Good men, you don't have to listen to the gossip of these inner house parents. I'm impatient thinking about you, so go fuck you!"

Xue Pan nodded, chatted a few more gossips with Mrs. Xue, and then got up to leave.

He only heard the sound of the curtain, and Tong Gui who was beside Mrs. Xue lifted up the bamboo green soft curtain hanging at the door and walked in. He first bowed to Mrs. Xue and Xue Pan, and then said: "Return to Mrs. Madam, The second wife of the Rongguo family is here."

Mrs. Xue looked at the sky outside in some surprise, and muttered suspiciously: "It's noon, and I didn't make a greeting card, and I didn't say hello in advance, why did you come here so recklessly?"

But even though he said so in his mouth, he immediately walked towards the direction of the front hall with his feet, and said in his mouth: "Quickly order, I will serve you with good tea and water, and I will go there in a while."

Now Xue Pan frowned involuntarily when he heard about the Rongguo Mansion. Except for Jia Baoyu, he didn't want to see any of the others.He didn't want to follow up to join in the fun, so he slowly walked back to his hometown of tenderness along the corridor of the outer courtyard with his hands behind his back.

When I returned to the gentle village, I only felt a moment of peace and tranquility.Except for the slightest calls of Cicada and Qiu Chan, there was no movement in the yard.Most of the maids and women are sleeping in the porch or in the house.Xue Pan didn't want to disturb the crowd, so he tiptoed into the main hall.But I saw Hongxiu, Tianxiang and several prominent girls chatting in a circle around the table.Chattering, Xue Pan vaguely heard the words "Rongguo Mansion... Baoyu... beaten...".

She couldn't help but raised her eyebrows curiously, leaned forward and asked, "What are you talking about?"

The girls were talking happily, but they were taken aback by Xue Pan's sudden interjection.Turning around and seeing Xue Pan's figure, the girls quickly stood up, Hongxiu patted her chest and laughed, "Why did you stand behind him silently and startled us?"

Xue Pan laughed twice, and teased: "If you don't do anything wrong, what are you afraid of? It is conceivable that you must be gossiping about people behind your back, and you are afraid that I will be shocked when you hear it." .Speaking of which, you are the ones who frightened yourselves, so why do you have anything to do with me?"

Tian Xiang closed up his clothes, and while sending the rest of the maids to tidy up, he said with a smile: "We are just idle and chatting for a while, why are we talking about people? Don't think about it yourself, sir. Listen to interesting things, but feel embarrassed to say, take us as a raft."

Xue Pan shook his head and laughed, "I heard everything. What did you just say... Can Baoyu be beaten?"

Hearing this, Hongxiu covered her mouth and smiled, "Master's ears are still very sharp."

When Xue Pan heard that this was indeed the case, he couldn't help but frowned worriedly.Reminiscent of the reason why Baoyu was beaten in the original book, he asked with some uncertainty: "Everyone in the Rongguo Mansion treats Baoyu like a phoenix. This is fine, why did he get beaten?"

When Hongxiu heard Xue Pan's words, he knew that he was really interested.Quickly said: "I don't know, the rumors outside are so ugly!"

Tian Xiang nodded, and said, "That's not true. I heard that the Second Master Bao of Rongguo Mansion fell in love with the eldest maid in his mother's room. The molestation failed, and the second wife drove the girl out of the garden. That girl I am so ashamed that I threw myself into a well and died."

Hongxiu said again: "I also said that the second master Bao and a little opera singer named Qi Guan'er in Prince Zhongshun's mansion were not clear. He followed the clues and found the door. He said a lot of ugly words and beat and threatened. The political master of the Rongguo Mansion became furious, and when he heard about him forcing the girl before, he beat the second master Bao in a fit of anger. "

The eldest girl, Luzhu, brought in cool water from the outside, helped Xue Pan wash his face, and helped him undress and change into his normal clothes. Then she continued: "I heard that Second Master Bao passed out from the beating. The blood under his body is dripping." Damn, it's scary. You said that the second master of Rongguo Mansion usually looks at a very generous person, but he didn't expect to strike so hard."

"That's right! People say that the poison of a tiger doesn't eat its children. I didn't expect the second master to really kill relatives righteously."

"However, the second master Bao is really bold in doing things. Let alone the second master, even if we outsiders listen to it, we don't feel like it..."

Xue Pan frowned, and listened silently to what everyone was saying. Thinking of following Mrs. Wang, he had also seen Jin Chuan'er on both sides, and sighed in displeasure.

When I first read the book, I just felt that Baoyu did not behave like a man in this passage.How can there be a reason for turning around and leaving after teasing, leaving all the turmoil on the girl's shoulders?Later, when she went to Beijing and entered Jia's mansion, she was very disdainful and indignant when she learned that Jin Chuan'er was not an honest and law-abiding girl.He even felt that Jin Chuan'er died later.But now that he really heard the news of her death, for some reason, Xiao Suo felt embarrassed.I also thought that Baoyu is only fourteen or fifteen years old now, at the time when he is innocent and in love, and because of his sloppy actions, he actually bears a life on his body...

Everyone looked at Xue Pan's furrowed brows, and their voices all became lighter for a while.Because he didn't know what Xue Pan was thinking, he only thought that he was worried about Baoyu who was beaten badly, so he was unhappy.For a while, you looked at me and I looked at you, and they all dispersed quietly.

Xue Pan sat still for a while, rubbed his face with his hands a little tiredly, and asked: "Listen to what you said, the story of Baoyu's beating has been spread up and down, and everyone in the city knows about it? "

Everyone looked at each other in blank dismay when they were asked, and then remembered how bad this matter was for a young man who hadn't discussed marriage.Immediately swallowed his saliva, and said embarrassingly: "I don't know anything. The only things I know are the gimmicks who came with the second wife. I think the second wife who came to Rongguo's mansion is closer to our mansion." , Those girls don’t have any clues in their mouths. Others, absolutely can’t.”

Xue Pan nodded, and told Tian Xiang: "Go to the front hall now, take time to tell your mother this, and let her find a chance to tell the second wife. After all, they are all relatives of my own family, although...but You can't turn your own secrets into someone else's after-dinner pastime because of the carelessness of the servants."

When Tianxiang heard the words, he bowed his body and promised.Immediately turned around and went out.

Seeing this, Hongxiu at the side immediately alerted the maid and woman in the yard not to talk nonsense.Seeing this, Xue Pan nodded slightly satisfied.

For a while, Tian Xiang, who went to the front hall, reversed.Tongxi, the eldest girl who was still following Mrs. Xue, came forward and bowed to Xue Pan and said: "I have seen you. Madam asked if there were any good wound medicines with special effects around him. Madam ordered me to bring some for you." The second wife of Rongguo Mansion took it back."

After a pause, he continued: "What the second wife means is... I heard that the uncle often has very useful things bestowed by the Holy One. For example, the healing holy medicine black jade ointment and the like."

Xue Pan understood.Judging from Jia Mu and Mrs. Wang's doting on Baoyu, it is normal to know that they have useful things in their hands and want to ask for them for Baoyu.It's just that the black jade ointment, because it has the effect of removing scars and acne, Xue Pan didn't keep it, and gave Xue Baochai all of it as a dowry.Now that all these things are registered, it is inappropriate to give them to foreign men in private.But Baoyu's injuries are not insignificant...

Xue Pan thought for a while, then told Hongxiu, "Go to Zhaocai and Jinbao and ask them. I remember that they have many good ointments for healing wounds. Although they are not as good as black jade intermittent ointment It works, but it can be cured after ten or eight days, go and get some for Tongxi to take back."

See Hongxiu nodded in response.He told Tong Xi again: "When you go back, you must explain carefully the reason why you don't give Heiyu anointing intermittently. Don't let Aunt Wang misunderstand that we are reluctant to part with good things. It is also a shame to watch Baoyu suffer. Don’t give it to him. It’s really used as a dowry registration book, so it’s not easy to use.”

When it comes to the reputation of his own daughter, Tong Xi naturally took down Xue Pan's words seriously, and repeatedly assured that there would be no problem.

For a while, Hongxiu also took the wound medicine and came back. After handing it over to Tongxi, he gave a few more instructions, and then let Tongxi go back.

Only then did Xue Pan let out a sigh of relief, thinking that the matter would be over.Unexpectedly, when Xue Zhizhang came back in the evening, he revealed that Jia Zheng was impeached by the officials because of Baoyu's beating.

Xue Pan was speechless for a moment.It was only a day's work, and the news of these officials was even more informed than the paparazzi of later generations.

Xue Zhizhang couldn't help sneering when he heard the words: "You really think those speech officials are so transparent and clever, it's not that someone used four kings and eight princes as a raft to clear up the officials."

Hearing Xue Zhizhang's words, Xue Pan touched his nose embarrassingly, and muttered softly: "Nowadays, the government officials are not clear, and the courtiers and officials all regard being in harmony with the light, being greedy and deficient as glory. After a long time, naturally It is not good for the country. It is also right for the Holy One to want to eliminate officials."

Xue Zhizhang glared at Xue Pan, worried that Mrs. Xue on the side didn't dare to say too much, but said in a deep voice: "Follow me to the study, I have something to ask you."

With that said, he got up and walked in the direction of the study.

Xue Pan pouted bitterly as he sat there, then got up and followed Xue Zhizhang.Seeing this, Madam Xue at the side grabbed Xue Pan's sleeve with some unease and asked, "My son, did you provoke someone outside to make your father angry?"

"No, it's just something about government affairs." Xue Pan casually said a few words, and comforted Mrs. Xue to calm down, and then went into the study with her head drooping.

As soon as Pu closed the door of the study, he heard Xue Zhizhang's nose was not his nose, his eyes were not his eyes, and asked: "You are telling the truth, what is the relationship between you and the Holy Majesty?"

"What's the matter?" Xue Pan's neck twitched, and he never thought of hiding his head and showing his tail.Now that Xue Zhizhang asked himself, Xue Panle said straightforwardly: "He has affection, and I have intention. We are in love with each other, and we have talked about it. Now we are going to live together."

"You——" Xue Zhizhang was choked with anger, pointed to Xue Pan's head and asked, "Have you ever thought that between you and him... others will not say anything about him, but only say that you charmed the Holy One?" , will only say that you are a treacherous villain."

Xue Pan snorted twice, and said, "I just care about what I like, why should I care what other people think? Can they cry for me, or laugh for me? After all, my life is my own, and I am happy. That's fine, why bother with what they think."

Xue Zhizhang sneered: "Don't care about others, don't you care about what your mother and I think?"

Xue Pan was taken aback, and stopped talking embarrassingly.Sitting on a chair beside him with his arms folded, he sulked.He looked up at Xue Zhizhang anxiously again, with an expectant look on his face.

Seeing this, Xue Zhizhang only felt a dull pain in his temple.He has used Xue Pan to be lawless since he was a child, and now he has developed such an oblivious and oblivious temper of the devil king, he has nothing to say.It's just a person with hundreds of spirits who is actually involved with the Holy One.Since ancient times, the Tian family has no family affection. Now that they have tasted the sweetness, it is good, and the days will be long in the future!Who knows what kind of situation?

Thinking of this, Xue Zhizhang simply lifted up his clothes and sat beside Xue Pan.While stroking Xue Pan's head, he persuaded: "He is the emperor, the 72nd concubine of the Sixth Court of Sangong, and there are too many beauties who tempt him. It's good to be fresh now, but as time goes by, I won't let you go." in the eyes."

Xue Pan glanced at Xue Zhizhang, and said sullenly: "No, he said that he would dismiss the harem."

After a pause, he gritted his teeth and said, "Even if he is reluctant, I will help him dismiss."

Seeing this, Xue Zhizhang sighed silently again.He opened the mouth and said: "There are many lovers in the world. If you like men, what kind of man is not good to pick, why do you have to be him?"

"How do I know. When I knew it was him, it was already him. Is it possible that you can choose whether you are emotional?" After Xue Pan said something like a tongue twister, he pestered Xue Zhizhang with a smile: "Father, don't worry, your son is so Smart, don't let anyone lie to me."

"You two are unequal when you are together. How can you talk about cheating or not. Even if he doesn't lie to you, what can you do if he just uses his power to overwhelm others?" Xue Zhizhang said, sighing softly. He said: "What's more, he has three princes and one princess now, but you haven't even discussed marriage. If such rumors spread, your reputation will be ruined. A girl from a good family is I won't tell you."

"Then I don't want a girl anymore." Xue Pan said casually, "I've lived with Tu Zhen all my life, and it's pretty good."

"You think it's good, but others may not think so." Xue Zhizhang saw that he couldn't make any sense, and angrily gave Xue Pan a hard blow. "In the future, he will get tired of crookedness, and he can get away with just saying that he was bewitched by you. But you will bear the filthy name of being charming all your life-I don't think you are ashamed, it's just you. When you have no children under your knees and die alone, don't you regret it?"

"I chose the road myself. I am happy when I should be happy, and I am happy when I should be happy. What regrets?"

"You—" Hearing this, Xue Zhizhang tapped Xue Pan's forehead fiercely with his fingers, and sighed, "Why are you twisting like that!"

"I'm not twisting, but confident." Xue Pan said with a smile: "Father, don't worry, I am with Tu Zhen, we are partners who can support each other and go on. It's not that he can do whatever he wants. I will try my best to let him take the position of the emperor of the ages, but at the same time, I will not be a dodder flower that clings to him to survive. The world is worried about the sadness of abandonment. The tragedy stems from the inability to bring the other party what the other party wants. As the saying goes, if the value of betrayal is not high enough, why can’t everyone choose loyalty?”

Xue Pan said, looking at Xue Zhizhang with a surprised face, he smiled softly: "As long as I can always guarantee my use value, and ensure that whatever Tu Zhen gets from me, whether it is emotional or material, is given to me by others. If not, then he will always be by my side. I will never have the idea of ​​betrayal and abandonment."

"Whether it's a subject or a lover, we can't blindly ask the other party to give and accept blindly. Such a passive person will be abandoned sooner or later. Why must others give up their vested interests in order to maintain their relationship with themselves? Is it possible that I can’t work hard to create benefits in order to maintain the relationship with the other party? Why do I have to position myself as a weak person? Everyone is a man, why bother to make myself so weak. I believe that apart from not being able to have children, I can give No one can give what Tu Zhen has. But now that Tu Zhen has children, that means to Tu Zhen, I have become unique. Then he will be dispensable for so many Do you give up the unique me?"

Xue Zhizhang was stunned, watching Xue Pan say these words calmly and clearly.Looking at his every move reveals an infinitely confident demeanor.Seeing his seemingly confused but shrewd and powerful thinking, he couldn't help but sighed softly and said, "My Pan'er has finally grown up."

Xue Pan leaned into Xue Zhizhang's arms and said coquettishly, "Father, don't worry, Pan'er will be fine."

Xue Zhizhang sighed softly, raised his hands and patted Xue Pan's back gently, and answered vaguely.Xue Zhizhang is still not optimistic about Xue Pan and Tu Zhen.Don't care about other things, he is too aware of the ruthlessness and righteousness of the Tian family, no king and no father.Everyone in the world thinks that the emperor loves power and position and has a dark heart, but no one has noticed that the current emperor is also a very scheming emperor.

But Xue Zhizhang also knows how stubborn and stubborn his son's character is.If he really disregarded Pan'er's wishes and obstructed him, I'm afraid Pan'er would agree on the surface, but secretly there might be some troubles.It's better to stabilize him for the time being, and slowly provoke and alienate him.

Xue Pan in Xue Zhizhang's arms didn't know what Xue Zhizhang was planning, and felt Xue Zhizhang's soothing movements, rubbed him warmly, and said with a smile: "Father is the best."

In Qianqing Palace, Tu Zhen, who was critiquing at the desk, sneezed several times.Looking suspiciously at the scorching sun outside, he blinked suspiciously.