The Royal Merchant of the Red Chamber

Time flies, geese fly from north to south, and it is another season of withered grass and falling snow.Xue Pan's small life was as peaceful as ever, and the nightclub nominated as Luxurious and Gold Fans officially opened in mid-October.Because the appetite was high before and the weather was getting colder, Drunken Gold Mipu was busy with business as soon as it opened, guests welcomed the door, and the business was not as good as usual.

Yun'er, who had been in the palace for a long time, finally found an excuse to get out.The whole day was soaked in luxury and gold fans to welcome and send off, and it was a joy to play.Unless the emperor sends a message to tell someone, Yun'er never leaves the "camp" lightly.Such a lazy and meaningless attitude made the emperor feel fresh.Every now and then, Li Deyu was sent to pick them up in person.When Yun'er was in a good mood, she happily followed in, and when she was not in a good mood, she would be more sarcastic and refused to go.The emperor's daughter is precious, no matter whether you are a prince or a nobleman, you are a person who is obedient and obedient.Even if you want to welcome or refuse, there is no real reason why you can't refuse.After coming down again and again, I feel more and more interesting.Unaware of the rare and precious silk and satin rewards, Yun'er sees these for the sake of them.Simply regard the emperor as a good benefactor, sometimes lingering, sometimes hot, more and more like a fish in water.

For her, being played by a man or playing with a man is basically the same pleasure, it all depends on what the person being played with thinks.He even used the experience of several months in the palace as a kind of talking material, and talked about it every time he got together. Fortunately, the few people present at the meeting were all old people who were familiar with each other. trouble.

The days passed by like this, and the winter solstice arrived in a blink of an eye.

In the past few days of the festival, the weather has become colder and colder. Although it hasn't snowed yet, the whistling north wind is sharper than a knife's edge.After standing outside for a while, the heavy clothes were completely pierced by the cold wind.Xue Pan simply stopped all social interactions, and the cat lived by the fire at home.From time to time, I get a hot pot and sweat profusely from eating.However, after one or two months of hard work, his body is much more plump than it was in summer.The skin becomes more delicate, moist and fair.When wearing a fox fur cloak from time to time, it looks like a whole.Seeing Xue Zhizhang and his wife shook their heads again and again, jokingly calling them "pig demons".

On this day, Xue Pan was sleeping soundly in the inner room with his hands on the big quilt.Suddenly feeling light on his body, Xue Pan subconsciously stretched out his arm to touch it, only to hear a chuckle, and opened his eyes, but it was Baochai, who was fully dressed, holding the quilt and looking at him with a half-smile.

"Brother is getting more and more tired and lazy. He eats and sleeps all day long, and eats and sleeps. Isn't there anything else to do?"

Xue Pan yawned, got up and sat on the bed, and said nonchalantly: "It's so cold, who is not at home, cat winter, I will go out to find whoever is not willing to come out."

After a pause, he asked again: "Didn't you ask me to help you find the matter of the Zhongchun Palace? How is the research going?"

Xue Baochai curled her lips and said, "Men are not good people!"

"Huh?" Xue Pan froze, staring at Xue Baochai in a daze.

Xue Baochai pouted and said, "I thought he was different, who knew he was the same as other princes and lords. There are countless concubines in the family, and there are many confidante outside. Fortunately, my brother sent me some news before, otherwise if……"

Xue Pan heard the words, and immediately asked seriously: "He doesn't have any sons and daughters, does he?"

Baochai sighed and said, "Fortunately, he still understands this point. If there is really a concubine and a concubine... I feel depressed, and I don't like to chat with my parents. I'm afraid they will worry, so I have to come to my brother."

Xue Pan stretched his waist, stepped forward and patted Baochai on the shoulder and said: "The private life of princes and nobles is quite chaotic. Moreover, most of the concubines in his mansion were given to him by the emperor. Whether he likes it or not If you like it, you have to put it in the house to make a show. My sister is talented and elegant, I believe it will be no problem to win his heart."

Baochai's face brightened, and he said, "Of course there is no problem. There is just one more thing, and I want to ask my brother for help."

Xue Pan sighed, and asked, "What's the matter?"

"I heard that this loyal and pure prince likes to eat small dishes from the Yangzhou area in the south of the Yangtze River. Most of the cooks in our house are from Jinling. I want to ask my brother to help me find a cook from the Yangzhou area." Baochai said here, all the time He looked at Xue Pan with hope.

Xue Pan curled his lips in displeasure, "You still want to learn how to cook for him?"

Baochai smiled disapprovingly and said, "To win a battle, one must be fully prepared. What does brother say?"

Xue Pan drooped his head in frustration, and said distressedly: "My sister...has never suffered at home. She is going to get married, and she even has to learn how to cook. Don't worry, sister, if he dares to treat you badly, If it's good, I won't let him have a good time."

There was a flash of light in Xue Baochai's eyes, with hints of tears.After pursing his lips for a while, he finally said, "Brother, I'm actually a little uneasy."

Xue Pan moved his body back, patted the bed beside him and said, "My dear sister, come up and talk."

Baochai nodded, and took advantage of the situation to sit beside Xue Pan.The two leaned against each other just like when they were children.Legs bent and arms folded, shoulder to shoulder, head to head.

Xue Pan said in a low voice: "I have noticed that you are not in a good mood in the past two months. Could it be pre-marital syndrome?"

Baochai had heard Xue Pan talk about this symptom a long time ago, and now she shook her head blankly and said, "I don't know, I can't explain clearly. When I didn't know Prince Zhongchun before, I really wanted to know about him, but after I knew it, I couldn't tell." I feel very wronged."

Baochai sniffed, and said with some distaste: "Daddy has only one wife, mother, and elder brother is fifteen or sixteen this year, and he doesn't have a girl in the room. Why can't he be like father and elder brother!"

Seeing Baochai's grievance, Xue Pan sighed in his heart.After all, she is still a 14-year-old little girl, no matter how stable she is on weekdays, she will be sad when something happens to her.Rubbing Baochai's neck right now, he said, "Because he is the prince and the emperor's son. Their royal family values ​​their heirs the most, so naturally there are many concubines."

Baochai bit her lower lip unwillingly, and said sullenly: "There are so many concubines before we get married, if we really get married..."

"Actually, men are very fickle. When they see a beautiful woman, they want to kiss Fangze. It's just that some people can restrain themselves, while others can't. Baochai, my brother hopes that you can become the person who makes the prince willingly restrain his nature for you. Xue Pan sighed, and slowly persuaded: "For a married woman, although the power of the family can help you quickly gain a foothold in the in-law's family. But whether you can win the favor of your husband depends on yourself. For example, the princess of Dongping County, her family background is a good match with the king of Dongping County, and her color is not bad, but she was defeated by sister Zhen. She sits in the Buddhist hall every day, but the 27-year-old glamorous woman has already withered. .”

Baochai nodded and said, "I know. Brother, can you tell me what kind of women you men like?"

Xue Pan looked back at Baochai and smiled slightly.Slowly said: "Actually, men are all the same, most of them like beautiful women. Anyway, if ugly women have no salt, I don't even look at them. But there are many kinds of beautiful women, one is understanding Yes. The old saying goes that differences do not conspire with each other. Men have a strong self-esteem in this regard. Even if they do something wrong sometimes, they don’t like women to directly point out..."

It took a lot of time to talk for two carts before persuading Baochai, who was anxious in his heart, to go back.Xue Pan sat on the beauty's couch and cupped his fists thinking about it. After thinking for a while, he suddenly ordered: "Get the carriages and horses ready on the porch, and go to the drunken gold fans to bring Miss Yun'er over for a little gathering."

Hearing this, Hongxiu asked in surprise, "What did you do to invite her here?"

"When it comes to dealing with men, who in the world is better than Yun'er?" Xue Pan said to himself: "Yun'er is so good at dealing with the emperor, so let her help Baochai deal with the emperor's son. ?”

Hongxiu and Tianxiang looked at each other, shook their heads and smiled wryly.

After a while, Yun'er, who was coquettish, well-dressed and well-dressed, entered Zhongxinhou's mansion in a carriage.Looking at the mountains and rivers all the way, I went straight into Ruanrou Township, saw Xue Pan lying on the beauty's couch, and said with a smile: "Yo, the uncle is so idle at home, and he hasn't come out for more than a month. Those who know Grandpa is afraid of the cold and doesn’t like to move, those who don’t know think that grandpa cat is confinement at home!”

As he spoke, he moved lightly with his lotus steps, and sat straight beside Xue Pan with a graceful figure.He asked with a smile: "Today I was invited here in a hurry, so it's not like I haven't seen you for a few days, and I miss you more and more, right?"

"Naturally, there is something I want to ask of you." Xue Pan stood up, smiled at Yun'er, "I just don't know that you are reluctant to teach your unique skills that are under the box?"

"Teach who?" Yun'er raised her eyebrows, teasingly said: "Could it be to teach you?"

Xue Pan shook his head, stood up and said, "Are you coming with me?"

So the two went to Wutong Garden together.At that time Xue Baochai was staying in the study and practicing calligraphy, when she heard Yinger calling Xue Pan to drink tea outside, she put down her brush suspiciously and turned around to come out.When he saw Yun'er, who was all dressed up in beautiful clothes and became more and more coquettish, he couldn't help being taken aback.

Xue Pan hurriedly said, "Baochai, come and sit down. This is my friend Yun'er, who came to visit you specially."

Although Baochai couldn't understand it, she still had a considerate smile on her face and said, "I've met Sister Yun'er."

Yun'er got up, looked carefully at it, and praised: "Miss Bao is so pretty."

Baochai smiled indifferently, and said back, "The older sister is the one who is charming and graceful, and the younger sister is far behind."

Yun'er turned her head and asked Xue Pan, "You asked me to teach her, didn't you?"

Xue Pan nodded and said with a smile, "Exactly. You must not hide your secrets."

Yun'er said with a look of surprise: "Master, are you joking?"

Xue Pan said with a straight face, "Do you think I'm joking?"

Yun'er was suddenly dumbfounded.When I looked back at Xue Baochai, I found that she was also surprised.

Let a prostitute who has countless people who are full-time seduce men teach a lady who is about to get married how to win the heart of a man-Master Xue, don't be too talented!

For a moment, the two girls were a little embarrassed.

Seeing this, Xue Pan said with a smile: "Why don't you sit down and chat for a while, and it won't be too late to talk about the topic when you get better."

The two Baochai had no choice but to sit down awkwardly.For a moment, you were fiddling with the corners of your skirt, and I was fiddling with the teacups, all with their heads down and not speaking.Xue Pan looked at it for a while, then cleared his throat and tentatively said, "How about...let me talk first?"

Before they could finish a sentence, the two immediately raised their heads and stared at Xue Pan with burning eyes.Xue Pan was startled by the look of a tiger staring at him.

After being silent for a long time, Yun'er still said with a charming smile: "How about... Grandpa goes out for a stroll, and Miss Baochai and I chat slowly?"

Seeing this, Xue Pan laughed a few times, and quickly said, "That's fine, that's fine."

With that said, he got up and left Wutong Garden.Standing at the door for a while, feeling that there was still no sound inside, rubbing his hands nervously, then turned and left.

After walking a few steps in the courtyard, the porter came up to say that someone from the palace had ordered Xue Pan to enter the palace immediately.Xue Pan's face turned dark, and his face wrinkled into a ball.Reluctantly, he went back to Wenrou Township and finished dressing, so he ordered the carriage to go straight to the palace.

After entering the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Tu Zhen looked at him with a smile that was not a smile, and said, "I haven't entered the palace for more than a month, what are you doing at home?"

Xue Pan rubbed his palms and said with a smile, "It's freezing cold, so where are you busy? It's just that the cat is sheltering from the cold at home."

"Aren't you busy?" Tu Zhen hung the vermilion pen on the cloisonné pen holder, and said casually, "Why are you sending someone to spy on Prince Zhongchun's mansion?"

Xue Pan's face turned serious when he heard the words, and he asked, "Prince Zhongchun knows?"

Tu Zhen smiled but said nothing.

Xue Pan glanced at Tu Zhen apprehensively, not knowing how to explain it.I'm afraid that someone will accidentally involve Baochai.

Seeing this, Tu Zhen shook his head and smiled and said, "He doesn't know. I have already ordered the people at the sticky pole to clean it up for you. It's just that I have a little doubt in my heart-what should you do when you investigate Prince Zhongchun's mansion?" Do you suspect him of something?"

Tu Zhen was brought to live with her adoptive mother when she was a baby, and she knew how to read words and expressions and cover up her thoughts at a young age.After experiencing that cruel career of seizing the heirloom, he has long developed a suspicious and indifferent temperament.Coupled with the evil and eccentricity of his biological mother and the hatred of his biological brother, it made him even more suspicious of the people in the palace.So I can't completely trust this loyal and pure prince who grew up together.

After ascension to the throne, due to the great prestige of the emperor, his character became more restrained and forbearing, but the more he suppressed, the stronger his desire to counterattack.It's hard for him to really trust someone, but if he really cares about someone, he can't wait to know what he's doing all the time.And because he had blood drops and sticks in his hands, Tu Zhen was more accustomed to direct and secret investigations than the emperor's open and aboveboard decree.He knew the fact that Xue Pan sent someone to spy on Prince Zhongchun's mansion this time, and after repeated visits, he didn't find any changes in Prince Zhongchun, so he was suspicious, so he ignored it and went to find Xue Pan. Pan asked right.

Xue Pan naturally knows about Tu Zhen's knot.So he generously disclosed everything he had done, without any intention of hiding anything.Except for the investigation of Prince Zhongchun this time—be careful in every possible way, let Tu Zhen know about it.It's a bit embarrassing now.After hearing Tu Zhen's question, he became more and more embarrassed.He hurriedly said, "Prince Zhongchun's loyalty to the Holy One is beyond doubt. I'm not investigating him for official business—"

"Is that a private matter?" Tu Zhen raised his eyebrows and asked, "Are you doing it for your sister Xue Baochai?"

Xue Pan nodded embarrassingly, and said: "Your Majesty, please keep it a secret from me!"

Tu Zhen hooked the corners of his mouth a little amusingly, nodded and said with a smile: "I should have known a long time ago, how could your sister Xue Pan be as respectful and polite as she showed. Sure enough..."

The suspicion was resolved, and Tu Zhen's mood improved a lot in an instant.Nodding repeatedly to comfort Xue Pan, he said that he has finished the finishing work, and Prince Zhongchun will definitely not find out.

After chatting with Xue Pan again, it was time to set the meal.

After Xue Pan had dinner with Tu Zhen as usual, Shi Shi ran out of the palace.

When I arrived at Zhongxinhou's Mansion, I learned that Ruirong Hall had just set up dinner, so I couldn't help turning around to greet my parents.At that time, Yun'er had long since returned to the world, leaving only Baochai to accompany Xue Zhizhang and his wife. Xue Pan observed carefully, and felt that after an afternoon of heart-to-heart talk, the melancholy on Baochai's brows had eased a lot.His demeanor became more forgiving.

Knowing that it was Yun'er's credit, Xue Pan smiled and nodded, thinking about how to raise Yun'er's salary.But with a smile on his face, he bowed and said: "Greetings to father and mother."

Xue's couple hurriedly woke up, and ordered the little girl who was waiting on the side to add more bowls and chopsticks.

Although Xue Pan had just eaten, he wanted to spend more time with his parents, so he didn't refuse.It's just that no extra rice is allowed, and I ate a few mouthfuls of food with me.After drinking tea again, seeing a trace of exhaustion on the faces of Xue and his wife, they bowed and retreated.

After leaving the courtyard of Ruirong Hall, Baochai bowed slightly to Xue Pan, and said gratefully, "Thank you brother for inviting Sister Yun'er to accompany you today, Baochai feels much better."

Xue Pan smiled and said, "With my younger sister's talent, I wasn't worried about it. I just asked Yun'er to come here, and I just wanted you to see Yun'er's open-mindedness. Although my daughter's family is older than the boudoir, But there is absolutely no need to tie all of yourself to a man. My brother taught you how to do business and how to communicate with other people since you were a child. You have always done a good job. My brother does not want you to lose yourself because you care too much about others after marriage s color."

Baochai nodded thoughtfully, pondered for a moment, and said with a smile: "Baochai understands, thank you brother for your painstaking efforts."

Xue Pan frowned, and accompanied Baochai all the way back to Wutong Garden.Only then did I return to the gentle hometown.

After washing, I spread the tent and go to sleep.In a daze, I only felt that after three or four drums, I suddenly heard a commotion outside.Xue Pan got up quickly, and raised his voice to ask: "What's the matter outside, the noise in the middle of the night, who is so unruly, and why don't people sleep?"

Hongxiu immediately came in holding a red candle, hung up the curtains on the left and right, and softly persuaded Xue Pan who was full of anger: "Master, calm down, sister Tianxiang has gone to look outside. It's cold in the night, sir Just put some on, don’t catch a cold.”

As he spoke, he casually picked up the heavy clothes on the side shelf and put them on for Xue Pan.

After a while, Tim Xiang, who was fully dressed, came back from the outside, his body soaked in cold.Rubbing his hands together, he said, "Grandma Xiaorong from the Ningguo Mansion is gone, and someone from the Ning Mansion is outside to report the funeral."

Xue Pan's face darkened, and he muttered: "It's just a nephew's daughter-in-law, Jia Zhen is too..."

Concerned about Qin Keqing's identity, he didn't say much after all.

He got up and got out of bed, and told Hongxiu, "Hurry up and wash and dress me, I'll go and have a look."

Tian Xiang pouted a little dissatisfied and said: "The uncle just said that she is just a nephew and daughter-in-law. Besides, it is freezing outside, and the night is much colder than the day. The uncle can't stand the cold... Then Ningguo Uncle Zhen in the mansion is only of the same generation as the uncle. Why bother to embarrass him instead of being so tired?"

"Who is targeting him, it's just because of the emperor's affection." Xue Pan muttered, but Hongxiu and Tianxiang didn't understand it very well, and they didn't dare to ask more because they were frightened.

After Xue Pan hurriedly dressed, Xue Pan got up and went to Ruirong Hall.Seeing that the lights inside were brightly lit, Xue Zhizhang and his wife had already got up.Sitting in the small flower hall and sighing, Xue Zhizhang looked silent, with some dazed expression.

Mrs. Xue didn't know why, so she sighed straightforwardly: "What a young child. He is really unlucky, why did he just disappear..."

Xue Pan went in to say hello, "Father, mother is also up?"

"After something like this happened, who can sleep with peace of mind." Mrs. Xue sighed, and said, "It's gone. When I went to Ningguo Mansion a few days ago, didn't I say that things have improved a lot? It stands to reason, sir There is nothing serious about it, this flower-like age..."

Xue Pan couldn't go into details, so he comforted Madam Xue vaguely, and said to Xue Zhizhang, who was silent at the side, "Why don't I go over and have a look?"

Xue Zhizhang pondered for a long time, nodded his head and sighed: "You can go and have a look - I think you also know something, just do what you want, don't go beyond the etiquette."

Xue Pan nodded, turned around and went out.He also ordered his chariot and horse entourage to prepare by himself, randomly ordered a plain cloak and went there.

When I arrived at the gate of Ningguo Mansion, I saw that the gate of the mansion was open, and the lanterns on both sides were shining like daytime.Xue Pan frowned indistinctly, and then stepped up the steps with his robes in hand.

Burned a stick of incense in the room where the spirit stopped, and was about to leave when he bumped into Baoyu who was rushing in.The wailing and crying looks like a dead daughter-in-law.Xue Pan shook his head, and calmed down Baoyu's crying with a few words.The two came to Youshi again.Unexpectedly, Youshi was suffering from an old disease of stomach pain, and ignored all matters, big and small, Xue Pan saw it and felt a stomachache.

Naturally, You Shi didn't know Qin Shi's real identity, so he couldn't hide his frustration this time, but it was just that the affair between Qin Shi and Jia Zhen's adultery was exposed.Whether as a woman or as a mother-in-law.Knowing that the junior I really love is such a person, I still can't accept it.Xue Pan's impression of You Shi was not bad. Thinking of this, he sighed and said, "Although my sister-in-law is lingering and sick, she is the housekeeper's wife of Ningguo Mansion. Now Rong's daughter-in-law's funeral has not been done, and the mansion is in a mess. There is not even a manager. Tell others not to say that my sister-in-law is unwell, but instead say that my sister-in-law is unreasonable in managing the house. It is a joke for no reason."

You Shi moved slightly, and glanced at Xue Pan, still feeling uneasy after all, bowed his head and said lightly: "I have thought about it, but my body is really not up to date, and I am powerless."

Xue Pan sighed, and continued to persuade: "The deceased is gone. Why should my sister-in-law care about the deceased? It is better to let her walk the last part of the journey. My sister-in-law has a clear conscience, and my elder brother respects him even more."

What Xue Pan said was true.Qin Keqing's funeral was held with great vigor, and all four kings and eight princes paid homage.Originally, it was Youshi's best chance to gain prestige, but Youshi didn't understand the key to it, so he refused to do it in a fit of anger, but in the end, he made the showy Wang Xifeng easier for nothing.In the end, it also involved the power grabbing of Tiekan Temple, which planted disasters for the future.Youshi himself became more and more ashamed around Jia Zhen.All in all, it's really not worth the candle.

Why didn't You Shi know what was tricky, but she suddenly found out about the matter between Qin Shi and Jia Zhen, and she became angry with a woman for a while, but she still couldn't bear face after all.Now after listening to Xue Pan's persuasion, I take it for granted.After thinking about it, his expression is not as haggard as before.

Seeing this, Xue Pan continued: "Sister-in-law is generous and generous, and treats her daughter-in-law as if she was her own. It has long been a good talk among the people in Shenjing. How many boudoir girls dream of meeting a mother-in-law like sister-in-law after marriage?" Now that Rong’s daughter-in-law has passed away, although my sister-in-law is not feeling well, she managed to get up and take care of it, so that the last good talk will be over. If the city is full of ups and downs, wouldn’t the sister-in-law become more shameless? As the saying goes A person has a face, a tree has a skin, although my words are ugly, my sister-in-law is thinking about it, right?"

You Shi took a deep breath, barely held back the tears that were about to fall, struggled to get up and said: "As you get older, you become more and more delicate. Instead, let my brother see a joke."

After finishing speaking, he raised his voice and ordered: "Come here, wash and undress me."

Seeing this, Xue Pan pulled Jia Baoyu back out.Immediately, a servant leading the way took them to meet Jia Zhen.

At that time, Jia Zhen was sitting in the flower hall with the whole family, young and old.Crying like a tearful person, he was talking to Jia Dairu and others: "The whole family is big and small, distant relatives and close friends, who knows that my daughter-in-law is ten times stronger than my son. Now that I have stretched my legs, it can be seen that there is no one in the long house."

Xue Pan heard it in his ears, but felt that his whole body was tired and crooked.

You Shi also put on his clothes and came over. Hearing Jia Zhen's words, he glanced at him coldly, and said calmly: "Everyone is dead, what's the use of talking about it now. Let's discuss how to deal with the funeral!" "

Jia Zhen never expected that with Youshi's stubborn temperament, she would actually come out to take care of this matter.In front of his wife, he became more and more embarrassed.With a somewhat embarrassing expression, he looked at everyone for a while and said, "How to cook, it's just giving everything to me."

Seeing this, Youshi pursed his lips angrily, took a few deep breaths, and was about to speak when he heard the news that the Qin family and Youshi's relatives had arrived.

Youshi glanced at Jia Zhen, turned around and left.