The Royal Merchant of the Red Chamber

Consciously comforting Xue's father who had glimpsed the truth, Xue Pan's heart instantly became sweet and agreeable.Lai wentssiping with Xue and his wife for a long time in Ruirongtang.It was only when it was almost night that Xue and his wife drove him back to the house to sleep.Lying on the bed, I stared blankly at the upper beam with complicated patterns, and then I thought about it a lot.Such as how to arrange and plan to attack Dongying and other major court affairs, naturally there are family problems such as Baochai's marriage.After thinking about it, he couldn't help thinking of Jia Baoyu who was "tragicly unfortunate" and was hit in the hip, so he decided that no matter what, he would visit the door tomorrow to have a look, and it would not be in vain for the two of them to make a good deal.

After thinking about it, he also fell asleep in a daze.

Early the next morning, he was woken up again by Tian Xiang who came to urge him to eat.With pouty eyes, he let the maids wash and dress him, and after a simple breakfast, Xue Pan went out with a fan.

He rode around a few streets and came to the gate of Rongguo Mansion. The young man guarding the gate naturally recognized this handsome young man who shocked Shenjing.He hurriedly opened the middle door to welcome them, and then quickly entered the inner house to report back. Naturally, the family of Jia's family was also surprised and happy, and hurriedly welcomed them into the Rongqing Hall where Jia's mother was.

It was the first time for Xue Pan to enter the gate of the Jia Mansion after Jia Yuanchun visited his relatives. Mother Jia, the ruler of the Jia Mansion, naturally held Xue Pan's hand affectionately and chatted a lot of gossip, and finally apologized with a smile: "Your brother Baoyu was supposed to come out to meet him. It's just that he's injured and it's really hard to move around. Don't take it too seriously."

Xue Pan immediately replied with a smile: "Where did you say that? I came here to see Brother Bao's illness. Since I came to visit the sick, how can I let Brother Bao see me when he is sick?"

The smile on Jia's mother's face deepened, and she quickly said: "Your brother Bao is not here at the Duke's Mansion, and now, Empress Enyan, has moved to the family-friendly garden. The scenery over there is better, and the place to live is more comfortable. Wait Huizi asked Feng girl to take you there to have a look."

Xue Pan immediately evaded and said, "How can you bother Lian's second sister-in-law like this. Just ask a boy to take me there."

When Jia Mu heard this, she also felt that this was not the case, so she nodded and said, "The Grand View Garden is the garden for concubines and concubines to visit their relatives. Now that the emperor's grace is so great, he has given the family members of the mansion and Baoyu to live in it. Naturally, outsiders can't be allowed to enter at will. How about this, ask my big girl, Yuanyang, to accompany you in."

Xue Pan thought for a while and nodded in agreement.

So Jia Mu recruited the mandarin ducks who were waiting on the side, and ordered her to take Xue Pan into the garden.

Xue Pan got up to say goodbye, and went out with the mandarin ducks.

Looking at Xue Pan's back as he left, Jia's mother couldn't help sighing boredly.Subconsciously, he looked at You Shi who was sitting beside him, and shook his head regretfully.

Among the few remaining daughters in Jia's family, only Xichun was a direct descendant.Moreover, Jia Zhen of the Ning Mansion also inherited the title of Duke Ning, and she is an official of the third rank.A little worthy of family status.It's a pity that Xichun is too young.The remaining two, Yingchun and Tanchun, don't even think about it.

The two good in-laws actually slipped away right under their noses, without catching either of them.Thinking of this, Mother Jia unavoidably gave Mrs. Wang a dissatisfied look.The news that Shengshang intended to designate Lin Daiyu to King Beijing as his concubine has already spread faintly.I heard that in order to marry the girls of the Lin family, King Beijing sent all the concubines in his mansion to Zhuangzi to make trouble.They only waited until they came back from this patrol, and they officially went to the door to propose marriage.

Mother Jia originally wanted to take advantage of the fact that the matter had not yet been settled, and take advantage of Yu'er's natal family to go and test it out.But who knew that Baoyu accidentally happened again.

If you want to blame it, blame the second child's family who eats vegetarian food and recites Buddha all day long and is confused, so that the girls under his hands are shameless and shamelessly hooked up with the men.The incident was brought to light, and he jumped into the well to seek death without losing his face, and now his own Baoyu's reputation is affected.Not to mention asking to marry Daiyu, I'm afraid that the well-connected and well-known young lady will look down on her own Baoyu.

Thinking of this, Mother Jia gave Mrs. Wang a gouged look even more boringly.Seeing this, Mrs. Wang was also a little embarrassed.She leaned forward and said softly: "Although the concubine of the main gate is not comparable, but Yingchun girl is the eldest brother's concubine, and the concubine of a first-rank official is worthy of being a concubine for their family. See, old lady..."

Mother Jia gave Mrs. Wang a fierce look, and reprimanded her: "Stupid, do you think that some men talk about their aunts before their wives are married? What's more, the two families of Xue and Jia are relatives, and they are rushing to give their girls to others." As a child, I am not afraid that outsiders will see the joke."

As he said that, he sat up straighter and became more and more bored, and said: "I'm tired, you go back first. Yuanyang, help me go in and have a rest."

Amber on the side came up and said with a smile: "Why did the old lady forget that Yuanyang was sent to the garden by you just now."

Jia Mu nodded and said with a smile, "Look at my memory."

After saying that, he let Hu Po support him, got up and went to the inner room.

And Xue Pan followed Yuanyang into the garden.The eyeballs also looked curiously at the pretty girl beside him from time to time.

Xue Pan still remembers Yuanyang's name.This is a very hot-tempered little girl, because she disdained to be Jia She's aunt, she cursed and swore in front of Jia's mother that she would cut her hair and be a sister-in-law again.Mother Jia felt sorry for relying on her, so she pardoned Jia and scolded Mrs. Xing for a long time.That Jia couldn't ask for amnesty, and finally threatened Yuanyang with cruel words, whether it is a married couple who has children or ordinary people outside, sooner or later he will succeed.Yuanyang had no choice but to hang herself with a rope after Jia Mu died.The bleakness of the experience is embarrassing.

But thinking about it this way, the masters and slaves of the Rongning Second Mansion, on the day when the building is about to collapse, who will win?

Xue Pan shook his head, putting these calculations to the back of his mind for the time being.

Yuanyang doesn't know what Xue Pan is thinking, and now this big girl is leading Xue Pan to have fun in the Grand View Garden with a smile on her face.Because she knew how much Jia's mother valued Xue Pan, Yuanyang showed infinite respect in every gesture she made.She was articulate, and she introduced the scenery in the garden and built a series of yards for Xue Pan with witty words.At the end, she vaguely mentioned: "The old lady originally reserved the Xiaoxiang Hall and Hengwu Garden for Miss Lin and Miss Xue, thinking that the girls would come to live in the garden for a while when they have free time. So Baoyu was moved back to Rongqingtang to live in. It's a pity that the girls have always been busy and never came."

On the day Concubine Jia was visiting relatives, she praised Yihong Kuailu, Xiaoxiang Pavilion and Hengwu Garden the most in the Grand View Garden, and Xue Pan, who was by the side, also knew about this.Now Baoyu is living in Yihong Courtyard, while Xiaoxiang Pavilion and Hengwu Court are left to two girls, which shows the importance they care about.

In just two sentences from Yuanyang, Jia Mu's thoughts were euphemistically and clearly revealed to Xue Pan, and the cleverness in it can also be seen.

Thinking about it, Xue Pan couldn't help but look at Yuanyang again.Although there are some small freckles on her face, her fair skin and beautiful complexion make her look more lively and innocent.Coupled with the fact that her temperament is so transparent and exquisite, it's a pity that she will end up like that in the future.

Yuanyang looked at Xue Pan and always looked at herself in silence, with pity and sympathy flashing in her clear eyes from time to time.I couldn't help but feel confused.Under the apprehension, his words and actions became more respectful.This old man's temper is not very good, he is used to being self-willed, and I heard that even the Holy Majesty has no choice but to pamper him.Now he is assisting the emperor to secure his seat, and the favor is even better.If he really offends him carelessly, no matter how proud the old lady is of herself, she won't be able to speak for herself.

Yuanyang couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief after taking him to Yihong Courtyard so carefully.Then he smiled at the Xiren who came up to him and said, "Uncle Xue came to see Baoyu, and the old lady told me to bring someone over. Now the person has been brought over completely. Please treat me well, and I can go back and return."

After saying that, he bowed to Xue Pan again, and then retreated.

It's just to describe the behavior, it is inevitable that there is some haste.

Xue Pan shook his head inexplicably, took a look at the exquisiteness of Yihong Courtyard, and followed Xiren into the house.

Because of Xue Pan's outbursts of scolding a few years ago, Xiren also feels a little uneasy seeing him now.He hurriedly sent him to Baoyu's house with a flattering smile, but he didn't dare to say much, so he quickly withdrew.He didn't even dare to come in person to bring tea and water later.Quietly asked Qingwen to serve.

Qingwen was sitting outside on the porch embroidering needlework. When she heard Xiren's begging, she couldn't help wrinkling her nose and humming: "What a good thing you can't think of me. Such a thing is the first one that reminds me of me."

Just looking at Xi Ren's pitiful appearance, I can't help but feel soft-hearted.Putting the needle in his hand into Xiren's hand, he took the tea tray and went in.

At that time Baoyu was lying on the bed, her face was pale from the pain, and the sweat on her forehead was as big as a bucket.Seeing Xue Pan's voice coming in, he reluctantly smiled and said, "Brother, why did you come here? Forgive me for not being able to get up to greet you, you can sit down as you please!"

Xue Pan looked at Jia Baoyu carefully, pulled a round stool beside him and sat in front of Baoyu's bed, and asked with a smile, "Why did you get beaten like this? Have you used the wound medicine I sent you?"

Jia Baoyu nodded, and said: "It didn't hurt after using it for a while, and I felt cool and comfortable. But after a while, it became hot again, and it was very uncomfortable."

Xue Pan interjected: "Then you can use it frequently, and there is no harm in using the medicine frequently, on the contrary, it will get better sooner."

Jia Baoyu shook his head, and said intermittently: "Last night, the pain was severe, and I only used two large bottles to stay up until morning. Now there are only two bottles left, so I am reluctant. Let them save some use."

That's a month's supply, and Baoyu really spent a bit.However, considering that Baoyu was spoiled and spoiled since she was a child, and her skin is thin and tender, she is naturally not as strong as Zhaocai and Jinbao.It is not surprising that the amount is more.

Xue Pan thought about this, shook his head and reprimanded: "You just use what you have. If you don't have it, send someone to my house to ask for some—forget it, when I go back later, I will directly ask Zhaocai to send you twenty Come over here and do whatever you want. No matter how precious this thing is, someone can still give it value, when did you lose your temper like this? "

As he said, he got up and lightly lifted the feather quilt Jia Baoyu had draped over his body, only to see that from hip to shin (from buttocks to calf), it was blue or purple, whole or torn, and it was not beneficial at all.The swelling of the skin is higher than before, and there may be triglycerides.It's dark and shiny, and it's scary to look at.

Xue Pan shook his head again and again in horror, and said with great distress: "Such a heavy hand, is it because you kissed me?"

Xue Pan twitched the corners of his mouth and said with a smile, "I took the medicine now, and it's all better. Last night, the swelling was even worse. The whole buttocks, except for the pain, I don't feel anything."

Xue Pan sighed softly, patted Jia Baoyu's sweat-stained shoulder and said, "From now on, you can restrain yourself!"

When Jia Baoyu heard this, he couldn't help thinking of Jin Chuan'er who threw himself into the well and died.He said sadly, "I deserve it, even if I die."

When Xue Pan heard this, he didn't know how to persuade him.After all, it was Baoyu who did it first, and Jin Chuaner was also a frivolous person.But now that everyone is dead, what else can he say?

He had no choice but to persuade vaguely: "Since you know that these things are harmful to others and yourself, you should change them from now on!"

As he said that, he couldn't help complaining in the end, saying: "Although a slap can't be slapped. But in this world, after all, it is much more lenient to men. When something like this happens, the outside world will say that you will at most It's just a flirt, but if it falls on the daughter's family, what else can I do but die? I said earlier, if you are sincerely for their benefit, then don't do such a thing."

Jia Baoyu was silent.After a long while, I sighed in a low voice: "I heard that when it was sent out, there was not even a suit of clothes that fit. The wife gave 50 taels of silver and asked their family to go to a tailor shop outside to choose a new one. Make do with it." sent people away."

"People are dead, so what about new clothes and old clothes? It's just for the living to rest in peace." Xue Pan said disdainfully.Although this matter was provoked by Baoyu, if Mrs. Wang hadn't handled it properly later, it wouldn't be where it is today.It's still the big maid who has served her for more than ten years, just dismissed casually like this.It's really a person who eats vegetarian food and recites Buddha's name.My mind is full of gods and Buddhas in the sky, and my heart is hardened.

Jia Baoyu was already ashamed, but now that he heard Xue Pan's words, he was so embarrassed that he couldn't even utter a complete sentence.After muttering for a while, he finally muttered indistinctly: "It's all my fault."

"Hey!" Having said that, Xue Pan didn't know how to continue.In fact, Baoyu's attitude of correcting when he knows his mistakes is really good, but he can't help him correct his faults of submitting to submission-in other words, this nature of flirting with flowers and grass is really innate.Xue Pan wondered why Jia Baoyu was not Jia Amnesty's son.If it was his, it would be a good talk for father and son to have two flushes.However, he was born into a prudish son, always so frivolous and reckless, so he had to be beaten severely.

Xue Pan was fantasizing, but Baoyu sighed and said, "Yesterday, brother Lin also came to visit me, and what he said was probably similar to what you said. He also said that after telling me to get well, don't stay at home all the time." Let’s go and have a look outside. It’s also good to gain some knowledge.”

The most important thing is that Baoyu's current reputation as a dandy has spread in Shenjing.If you still act recklessly as before, there will be no way out in the future.Even if you go the old way and ask the sage to subsidize a idle job.With Baoyu's temperament, I am afraid that he may not be able to get along with his colleagues happily.Why don't you go out and walk around while you are young, and broaden your knowledge, maybe this temperament can also be changed.

Among them, Zhen Baoyu also came to see it, and when he heard this, he offered to ask Jia Baoyu to follow them back to the south of the Yangtze River.Anyway, their Zhen family has received the grace of the Holy One, and they can go to Beijing with their whole family.It's also a way to take Baoyu for a walk.Jia Baoyu only took a trip to the south of the Yangtze River now.

In any case, although everyone has opinions and contempt for Ning Rong and the Second House, their views on Jia Baoyu are still acceptable.The main reason is that Jia Baoyu is usually very sincere and romantic, and he doesn't have much scheming.Everyone can't bear to see him really muddy and unable to support the wall in the future.

Jia Baoyu was originally soft-hearted, so his actions were influenced by others.Now I look around, such as Wei Ruolan, Feng Ziying, Yi Yejun, etc., who have all left Shenjing to study.Even Liu Xianglian, who had been friends with her on weekdays, went out quietly.Others who couldn't leave, such as Lin Mozhi, also suggested one after another, and their hearts inevitably became active.Now he took the initiative to ask Xue Pan again, thinking that as long as Xue Pan has no opinions, he probably really wants to go out for a walk.

Xue Pan's heart moved, and he really thought this suggestion was good.In ancient times, most of the children of Jufan big families went abroad to study.Maybe Baoyu can find other interests after traveling outside for two years, and stop playing with cats and dogs every day!

The most important thing is that now the Holy Majesty has just sat firmly on the dragon chair.Naturally, the time has come for the emperor and the courtiers.The four kings and eight princes are the loyal lackeys of the emperor, even if they hold back now, the emperor is not at ease.What's more, the behavior of four princes and eight princes has never been low-key.

If he wanted to make room for his confidant, he would naturally have to use the old minister as a knife.Although Tu Zhen did not reveal it to Xue Pan, he did not deliberately hide it from Xue Pan.Consciously or unconsciously, Xue Pan also knew that the Holy Majesty was making plans.

The Ningrong Second House has been unable to make ends meet financially since the Concubine Yuan came to see her relatives. Although, like the others, they have repaid a little shortfall, they are essentially out of control.I'm afraid I still think that this deficit is left when I took over for the emperor, and it has nothing to do with me.

Seeing this, Xue Pan, although anxious, even urged Madam Xue to persuade him.However, the person in charge didn't take it to heart at all, so he couldn't talk too much.

The Jia family wanted to die by themselves, but Xue Pan couldn't stop them.But he is also confident that he can save the lives of everyone in the Jia family.Life will go on after the house raid.Instead of sitting and waiting to die, it is better to let Baoyu go out and earn some funeral money.

Thinking of this, Xue Pan couldn't help nodding his head and said in agreement: "This is reasonable. In my opinion, you should obey. However, the Zhen family's return to Jiangnan this time is for the whole family to go to Beijing. It may be embarrassing if you follow. It just so happens that I The manager of the shop sent people to Dali, Yunnan to find some exotic flowers and plants. If you are interested, you might as well follow them around. I believe that with their care, you will definitely not suffer."

Xue Pan's idea is that it is better to teach a person how to fish than to give him a fish.No matter what Jia Baoyu said, he was also a son of an official family, and he was also a relative of his own family.Now for the sake of reputation, it is natural not to make too much noise.But if there is such a day in the future, Jia Baoyu must stand up and set up a family, why not open a rouge shop to make money like now.On this trip, he asked the steward to give a lot of advice, so that Baoyu knew it well.In the future, when it is really useful, it will not be blinded temporarily.Nor would it make others think that the Xue family in Jinling was too dishonest to hire Baoyu, who was also a member of the family, to do chores for him.

After all, in the eyes of others, the nature of friendship and sponsorship when you were a son of a son and your livelihood after a downturn in the future are still different.

Xue Pan thought that Jia Baoyu was his good friend, so naturally he had to think about him a lot, how could he be allowed to be underestimated by others?Shallow-sighted Lilu villains have been everywhere throughout the ages.Xue Pan didn't want the two of them to have a grudge because of this incident.Of course, they will not give the people of Rongning Second House the chance to speak up.

However, the basis for doing so is based on Jia Baoyu's dislike of imperial examinations and his reluctance to study and improve.It's good to be a businessman secretly to ensure that there is no need to worry about food and clothing.

Jia Baoyu's whole life, besides playing with women in the boudoir, he liked to tinker with rouge and gouache.Hearing Xue Pan say this, he couldn't help feeling a little bit interested.His eyes lit up, and he asked in an extremely longing tone: "But the legendary place that is like spring all the year round? I heard that the flowers bloom there are extremely beautiful, and the folk customs are very different from my Dayong. It is a very magical place. place?"

"I haven't been out before. But in Yunnan, our Xue family has a lot of shops, and the management is very thoughtful. Just make sure you will be fine."

Jia Baoyu pondered for a moment, then nodded and said: "When I get better, I will discuss it with my ancestors and my wife."

Seeing this, Xue Pan couldn't help but said: "Then don't say that you went there to make flowers and grass, just say that you went to study with a group of students."

Jia Baoyu nodded and said, "I know."

After a while, Qingwen came in to change the new tea, and the two of them stopped talking tacitly.Feel free to chat about insignificant things.Such as whose family's actor is good, who's family's garden is good, whose family's [-]-year-old man married a [-]-year-old aunt, and was cuckolded for some reason, and so on.After talking miscellaneously for a while, Xue Pan saw that it was getting late, so he got up and went back.

At the same time, Prince Zhongyong, who was stationed in the southwest frontier, also received news that the emperor had a stroke and was unable to speak or act.After being silent for a while, he still ordered the clerk to draft a memorial, requesting to return to Beijing to visit...