Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 241 Lin Ruhai is just fooling around!

Nanny Wang was very embarrassed. "Young lady, I am not the only one here. The carriage and boat are ready. How can I report to my superiors if I go back empty-handed?"

Lin Daiyu glanced at Xueyan beside her.

Xueyan trembled when she was stared at. "Girl, why are you looking at me? If you don't want to go back, I can go back by myself... Even if I go back, what's the use..."

Xueyan was indeed useless, so Lin Daiyu said, "Then mother, just push it to me and tell father the truth. If I want to go back, I will write to father."

Lin Daiyu stood up and paced a few steps, saying, "Mother, don't you think I look much better than when I was a child? It's much easier for me to go out now. If you go back and lock me up in the room, will you make me sick again?"

"This……"

Nanny Wang had already examined Lin Daiyu's complexion, which was much rosier than before, and her natural flaws were no longer obvious, so Nanny Wang thought it was a miracle.

"Mom is thinking about me and wants me to be okay?"

Having said this, what else could Nanny Wang say? She could only go to Yue Ling to ask again later. As long as Yue Ling gave in, no matter how tough Lin Daiyu's attitude was, it would not matter.

After all, the owner of the house doesn't want you to stay, so it's not decent for a grown girl like you to stay there.

After thinking about this, Nanny Wang sighed and said, "Well, let's talk about it later..."

……

This handwritten letter from Emperor Longyou has no other meaning.

I hope Yue Ling can get away from Cangzhou and go to Jiangsu and Zhejiang to find out the truth.

As long as Yue Ling agrees, there is no need to worry about anything else. Emperor Longyou will agree to any conditions.

There are only two things that matter: one, find out the truth, two, pay attention to your own safety.

In the land of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, even a fourth-rank official could die in prison, unclearly. Without considering his title, Yue Ling was only a third-rank official, and in the base camp controlled by the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provincial Secretariat and its interest groups, his official title was not worth mentioning.

This is not like Cangzhou, this is a den of dragons and tigers. If you are not careful, your life will be in danger.

But Emperor Longyou really has no one else who can take on this important task.

After putting down the handwritten letter, Yue Ling said, "Your Majesty treats me like a son or nephew, so I have no reason to refuse. As for the need for the court's assistance, I will not hide it. First, I want absolute control of military power. The Governor of Jiangsu and Zhejiang is currently serving as an official in the capital. When I go to Jiangsu and Zhejiang, I want at least the title of a governor. And before I go, the generals of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang checkpoints must be transferred and replaced by people I am familiar with."

"If I don't do this, once they join forces and turn against me, I won't be able to guarantee my own safety."

"Secondly, I need to conceal my whereabouts and go to investigate first. I need your Majesty to cooperate with me in putting on a show. If I go there with great fanfare, any clues left behind will surely be swept away by them."

Xia Shouzhong nodded, "Your Majesty, this is what you really mean. Suzhou is two thousand miles away from the capital, so the news about the plot must not have been reported back yet. If Your Majesty were to set off now, perhaps he could find some clues. But how should this play be performed?"

Yue Ling said: "This is not difficult. I will give some final instructions in Cangzhou. Let the Nanpi County Magistrate take over the Cangzhou prefecture, and then add a salt transport envoy in Cangzhou to take charge of the Changlu Salt Field. Today, Your Majesty will summon me back to the capital to report on my work and the gains and losses of the new policy. Then, I will be sent to Jiangsu and Zhejiang with great fanfare to supervise the matter of changing rice to mulberry."

"Do this and the matter will be settled."

Xia Shouzhong replied, "Well, I will go to the capital to explain the situation and make preparations. You can start working on Cangzhou now."

Having said that, Xia Shouzhong was about to leave.

Yue Ling stopped him again, "Don't worry, sir. You came here and sat for a while, but now you are in a hurry to leave. It seems unnatural. There are many businessmen from Jiangsu and Zhejiang active in Cangzhou now. Who knows if they are their spies."

"Take the Caoyun Guild Hall for example, they are the most enthusiastic in learning it."

When Yue Ling thought about this, he couldn't help laughing.

The Caoyun Guild Hall was originally built to provide a temporary shelter for canal workers in distress.

But isn't it a breeding ground for problems when such a large number of strong men who have no homes and rely on the canal for their livelihood gather in one place?
There have never been any problems in Cangzhou because Yue Ling had a vision and secretly set up branches in various water transport guild halls in Cangzhou.

At most, they played the role of the Cao Gang in the later period, using their own people to manage their own people. The leader among them was Zhao Hao, the young master of the Yunxing Escort Agency selected by Yue Ling.

He is a man of the underworld, and is better at this than being a soldier.

Only in this way could the canal workers in Cangzhou settle down, and even extended to the south. Every canal transport guild hall became their secret gathering place, and all became Yue Ling's wedding dress.

Even if Yue Ling is willing, he can use these people to do business in Jiangsu and Zhejiang to gather information.

This is one of the reasons why Yue Ling has confidence in entering Jiangsu and Zhejiang. He is not just rushing in. Yue Ling is not a brainless person.

Xia Shouzhong just raised his butt, then sat back down, accepted the cup of tea poured by Yue Ling, and took a sip.

"Your Excellency is right. I lost my mind for a moment. Let me take a breath and then I will go back."

"Oh, I forgot to mention it. Just a few days ago, the two old masters of the Jia family passed away one after another." "Before his death, Duke Rong Jia Daishan submitted a will to His Majesty, and His Majesty forgave his son Jia She's sins and passed on his title to him, making him a first-class general. His second son Jia Zheng was admitted to the government as a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Works. His daughter Jia Yuanchun, who had been a concubine in the palace for a long time, also became famous and was appointed as a female historian because of her 'virtuous, filial, talented and virtuous' character. Jia Lian, the eldest grandson of the first wife, was admitted to the Imperial Academy as a tribute."

"Your Majesty still has our old friendship in mind. The Jia family shouldn't have given them so many benefits."

Yue Ling also sighed after hearing this.

What the Jia family had done before could be considered a confiscation of their property, but because there were two pillars of the family, Emperor Longyou could not bear to touch them.

But now that the two pillars are gone, and they have used up their last bit of energy, the Jia family is finally "back on track" and starting to make trouble again.

With the benefit left by our ancestors, I wonder how many generations will be able to benefit from it.

"You have also given benefits to those who can do things. You have taken care of them all. Your Majesty is indeed very kind."

Although there had been some unpleasantness in the Jia family before, Yue Ling still respected the character of these two elders.

As the head of the Four Kings and Eight Dukes, the Jia family relied on the bloody battles they and their ancestors fought on the battlefield and their glorious military exploits were recorded in history, not on complaining about the fate, pursuing pleasure, and thinking themselves noble in the inner house.

It was indeed a pity that he could not see the two off for the last time, but now, Yue Ling had a heavier burden.

There was silence in the hall for a while. Lin Daiyu's room thought that the matter was over, so they all came out.

When I lifted the door curtain, I saw Xia Shouzhong still sitting there, drinking tea with a serious expression.

Xia Shouzhong had seen Lin Daiyu before, in a small courtyard in the capital. As an old official in the Prince of Qin's Palace, he was also familiar with Lin Ruhai.

Hearing the noise and seeing that it was Lin Daiyu coming, Xia Shouzhong's expression softened a little for Yue Ling's sake.

"Miss Lin is a few years older now, and she looks different than when we met in the capital. She must have looked more outstanding than when your father was young."

Lin Daiyu was still hesitating, but when she heard someone talking to her, she lowered her head and walked in, saying politely, "Thank you for your kind words, eunuch."

Nanny Wang followed behind and also bowed to the two people above, "Greetings, Lord Marquis, and Lord Eunuch."

Xia Shouzhong narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at the old maid behind Lin Daiyu, with a chilling look in his eyes, "My Lord, isn't this maid from your room?"

Yue Ling said truthfully: "No, it was sent by Lord Lin, saying he wanted to take Miss Lin back."

Xia Shouzhong was immediately furious. He slammed the table, stood up, pointed at the nanny's head and cursed, "Nonsense!"

The tea lids on the table were knocked over, which stunned everyone in the room. They all looked at Xia Shouzhong in astonishment.

"The Marquis has devoted all his energy to state affairs, so why is Lin Ruhai stirring up trouble in the inner palace? Is he not satisfied until he creates some unrest? The Marquis has shouldered so much responsibility for the 13 provinces of Dachang, and he has no idea of ​​it!"

"Why, is the Lianghuai salt business not so important anymore? Are all the official duties free? When I return to the palace, I will report him for always talking about irrelevant things!"

"When I return to the capital, I will tell your Majesty that it would be better to rectify the salt administration as soon as possible and find him something to do."

Lin Daiyu was secretly delighted. She didn't know why, but she was actually happy that her father was being talked about. This time it would be difficult for her to leave.

When he turned his head to look at Nanny Wang again, she was like a bird with its head tucked in. She didn't dare to breathe and her arms were shaking.

After listening to what Xia Shouzhong said, Yue Ling was left in a state of confusion.

"The salt administration needs to be sorted out, but not now. The situation is already chaotic enough, and it would be inappropriate for him to get involved. The salt administration involves a lot of people, and any mistake would be detrimental to him. This is not something that can be done in a short time, and we should consider it in the long run."

Xia Shouzhong snorted coldly and sat back down.

Nanny Wang immediately knelt down, her face turned pale, her lips turned purple, and the flesh on her face trembled. She hurriedly said something nice, "My master has no other intentions, and he doesn't want to cause trouble for the Marquis. He just cares about us, so he sent us to pick up the girl."

"Please calm down, eunuch. Please calm down, my lord. We definitely have no other intentions."

Nanny Wang kowtowed continuously in the hall, and Yue Ling couldn't bear to humiliate a servant, let alone Lin Daiyu's wet nurse.

"Get up. I don't mean to blame you."

After Yue Ling spoke, Lin Daiyu and Xueyan also helped Nanny Wang to stand up.

Xia Shouzhong gave Yue Ling face again, and heard him say to Nanny Wang: "We all work for the master, and we can understand that you are not easy to report. How about this, I will make a decision and let Miss Lin return to the capital to burn incense for the two deceased elders of the Jia family on behalf of Lin Ruhai. Isn't it reasonable?"

"What you said makes sense, sir." How could Nanny Wang dare to disobey? She responded quickly.

Yue Ling had originally planned to let Lin Daiyu take a boat to create the illusion that he was also going to Beijing. After that, he would take his family to Jiangsu and Zhejiang to take up his post, which would be more reasonable.

It has been more than three years since I last saw Qin Keqing and the others, and this time we are reunited in Jiangsu and Zhejiang...

(End of this chapter)