Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 243: Love with a kiss

Since the news of the visitor from the palace spread widely, the ones who were panicked were no longer the girls in the back house, but the general public in Cangzhou City.

The people who benefited the most from the changes in Cangzhou City were the former disaster victims.

Without corrupt officials, unscrupulous merchants and wealthy slaves, people will know what life should be like.

The scene of "rich people enjoying wine and meat while others freezing to death on the streets" no longer happened, and the people now had hope for their lives.

The Chongzheng Tower in the Huang family garden stands there, overlooking the entire city, warning everyone in the city of the consequences of committing crimes.

The cool breeze of Qingfeng Academy also blew throughout the city, and students coming and going were like crucian carp crossing the river.

Even so, 70% of the students in the academy are from Cangzhou and its surrounding areas. The triennial provincial examination is approaching, and the city has long been looking forward to having juren and jinshi from Cangzhou, who truly represent the rise of Cangzhou and are the glory of all Cangzhou people.

Just when everything is going well, Marquis Anjing, the creator of Cangzhou's current prosperity, may be leaving.

The term of office of a local official is only three years, and Marquis An Jing has been in Cangzhou for four years. There is no reason to let a local official continue to serve in Cangzhou.

All good things must come to an end, but no one wants such a day to come so close.

In an ordinary teahouse on Shili Street,

The storyteller was missing today, so no one was in any mood. They all lowered their heads and drank tea, feeling unhappy.

Teahouses are usually noisy places, where people gather to talk after meals, but now it is as quiet as a college.

The shopkeeper also knew the whole story. He sighed while he and the waiter consciously poured tea on each table.

Finally, someone couldn't hold back and said, "If the official is good at his job, can he stay in office? Even the previous governor Park was re-elected. If we write a petition from the people and ask His Majesty the Emperor, can we keep the Marquis here?"

These words broke the silence in the teahouse. Even the shopkeeper stopped pouring tea and looked over in the direction of the voice.

"Maybe it will work. There have been similar stories before. It is common for those with outstanding political achievements to stay in office."

The idea king was born in the teahouse, and everyone agreed, "Sign, I will sign too."

"I can't write. Can I use my fingerprints?"

"And me, I will go and block the road right now, spread the news, and ask everyone to sign. If the Marquis is really retained, your teahouse will be a scenic spot. Are you afraid that business will not be prosperous?"

Just when everyone was full of passion, someone poured a bucket of cold water on them.

A middle-aged man with a scholarly look stood up, sighed and shook his head, and spoke with a Jin accent to the people around him: "If An Jinghou is really the prefect of Cangzhou, then re-election may be possible. But when An Jinghou came, he said that he was on a tour of inspection on behalf of the emperor. Can he stay in Cangzhou for a long time?"

Someone recognized his foreign accent, slammed the table and stood up, angrily saying: "What do you know, a foreigner? You don't understand how important the Marquis is to us!"

The scholar continued calmly, "I am not making up stories to mock you. Think carefully. The Marquis is important to you, but isn't he important to Your Majesty? Marquis Anjing means the capital is safe, but isn't he important to the millions of people in the capital?"

"Moreover, with your ability, it would be a condescension for you to only govern Cangzhou. Can a small Cangzhou, a tiny place, be able to support you to achieve great things?"

"If you force the Marquis to stay in office, you will harm him. The Marquis is not a person who can be confined to Cangzhou. In your majesty's eyes, he is not a person who can govern a county or a state, but a person who can govern the country."

"People go to higher places, and water flows to lower places. Your lordship's official title still needs to be raised. You can't just enrich yourselves, right?"

After these words were spoken, the teahouse fell into complete silence.

The crowd, who were excited just now, opened their mouths but could not utter a word.

If you ask yourself, you want Marquis Anjing to stay for their own sake, which is not a good thing for a famous marquis.

Now is the time to make achievements. Do you want to continue to waste another three to five years in Cangzhou?
Gradually, the room fell silent again. Everyone had an expression of regret on their faces, and no one mentioned trying to keep Marquis An Jing.

After a while, a few gong sounds were heard in the street.

"It must be a notice posted at the government office. It must be news from the Marquis. Let's go and take a look!"

Everyone slapped their tea money on the table and rushed out of the store. The shopkeeper didn't have time to count the money, so he called the waiter and said, "The door is about to fall, let's go and take a look!"

When the people at the tea stall came out onto the street, they saw that it was already packed with people.

The government office had to dispatch officers and soldiers to maintain public order, separate the flow of people and not hinder the normal flow of people.

The official notice has been posted in front of the government office.

Just as everyone was worried, it was Marquis An Jing’s next itinerary and the arrangements for Cangzhou.

Under the public notice, an official read out the contents of the notice with a solemn expression.

"A letter to the folks in Cangzhou."

"When Cangzhou was hit by natural disasters and man-made disasters, this marquis was ordered to take charge of the situation and follow the emperor's will to rectify the chaos. Now three years have passed and the disaster has been resolved. This marquis has followed the emperor's orders and cared for the people. I think it is still acceptable."

"Your Majesty has summoned me to the capital to report on my duties. Considering the long-term stability of Cangzhou, I recommend a virtuous person, Nanpi County Magistrate Chen Youmin, to take over the important task of Cangzhou prefect. Nanpi County Magistrate is both talented and virtuous, has the people in his heart, has experienced the hardships of officialdom, and is familiar with the key to government affairs. He has an upright and honest character, a talent for managing the world, and a heart of compassion for the world. He is definitely not like Pu and Ji."

"When I came here, the world was in turmoil. Now I am leaving, the world is full of joy and happiness."

"I hope Cangzhou will have good weather and a good harvest."

"Three days later, I will board a ship at the city's east dock and head north. At that time, all matters will be handled by the new prefect. I hereby order you."

When the clerk read the entire article, he choked up, coughed lightly to hide his feelings, and turned back to the classroom.

The Marquis’s contribution to Cangzhou is not only beneficial to the people, but also to the officials.

Apart from personal connections, clerks had no way to be promoted. They could inherit the position from generation to generation, but were not allowed to take the imperial examinations. They thus became another class sandwiched between officials and the people.

In the eyes of officials, they are servants who receive meager salaries. In the eyes of the people, they are running dogs of corrupt officials and unscrupulous businessmen.

It was not until Yue Ling arrived that they were treated as human beings after they did practical things for their fellow villagers.

Who would want to be caught in the middle and be looked down upon every day? The officials left, and the people who were crowded outside fell silent for a moment.

From time to time, there were women who couldn't bear it and sobbed silently, making the atmosphere even more tragic, but no one was surprised. No matter who it was, even a man with a heart as hard as iron would have tears in his eyes.

……

The three-day period passed in the blink of an eye.

Inside and outside the government office, there was a bustling bustle.

When Chen Youmin took office, Yue Ling wrote a manual with his expectations and plans for Cangzhou's future in a clear outline and handed it to Chen Youmin.

And inform that if you have any questions, you can send someone to write to inquire.

Cangzhou has a flat terrain and is the only place for grain storage in the future capital. It is also a demonstration city for the effectiveness of the new policy. In the future, officials will inevitably come here to visit.

Yue Ling didn't want Cangzhou to slowly return to its old ways, so he told Chen Youmin everything, no matter how big or small.

He also asked the remaining manager of Xue Jiafeng's shop and the rising Cao Gang in Cangzhou to fully assist the new prefect.

Now, I can feel relieved.

In the inner house, Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai packed all their luggage and loaded two carriages, which were parked in the courtyard, waiting for Yue Ling to return before saying goodbye.

The two held hands, with a myriad of emotions in their minds. When Yue Ling returned, they looked up at the same time, with reluctance in their eyes.

Yue Ling is also most afraid of separation. If he says it too seriously, he is afraid that the feeling of reluctance will grow deeper and deeper. If he says it too lightly, he is afraid that a rift will arise in his heart and they will drift apart.

It is really difficult to grasp the right balance, especially when facing a girl as delicate as Lin Daiyu.

In front of him, Yue Ling smiled brightly and said, "It's time. Sister Lin, have you prepared everything?"

Lin Daiyu nodded silently, "Everything is ready."

Yue Ling nodded, "Sister Lin, take good care of yourself during this trip, don't hurt your body, remember to take medicine and eat on time, and don't forget to exercise."

Looking at Xue Baochai again, Yue Ling also reminded her, "I also ask Miss Xue to take care of you along the way. When we arrive in the capital, someone will pick you up. If the Xue family encounters any difficulties in the capital, you can also send a letter to let me know."

Xue Baochai also nodded.

"I will follow the Marquis's orders. I have memorized them."

Yue Ling looked at Xiang Ling behind the two women again.

Xiangling felt something in her heart. She looked up and made eye contact with Yue Ling, then walked out, bowed to Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai, and came to Yue Ling's side.

"Are you ready too?"

Xiangling nodded silently and responded with her lips pursed.

She didn't dare to look at the eyes of the other three maids. She was almost eaten alive by them these days. Compared to the two girls who didn't mind, the maids were extremely jealous of Xiangling.

Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai were escorted to their respective carriages.

Before Xueyan removed her kicks, she turned around and threw herself on Yue Ling, wiping away her tears and saying, "General Yue, I will miss you."

Yue Ling patted Xueyan's back gently, facing the gazes of many young girls, and couldn't help but smile and said, "Are you thinking about it in your heart or with your mouth? I'll make you something delicious when we meet again."

Xueyan looked up and asked, "Really?"

"real."

Xueyan nodded solemnly, "Okay, I will eat less from now on, and when I meet General Yue again, I will eat as much as I want."

Yue Ling was amused by Xueyan's innocence, "Don't make it hard on yourself, eat if you want, it's not like your family can't afford to feed you."

Xueyan shook her head, looking very serious, then got back into the car and waved to Yue Ling.

Zijuan, who followed closely behind, bowed gently to Yue Ling, her eyes full of affection.

Although she had done everything in secret and knew the sweetness of it, she did not dare to offend like Xueyan did in person.

Yue Ling knew what she was thinking, so he pulled her back, hugged her, and put her in the car.

Zijuan's heart trembled, and her clear eyes turned into mist again. Yue Ling smiled and wiped the corners of her eyes.

"Go ahead. You'll have to look after them."

Zijuan nodded softly, took one last look at Xiangling, and then moved to get into the car.

The coachman was about to whip the horse as the convoy drove out of the government gate. The curtain of Lin Daiyu's carriage was opened again. Lin Daiyu stuck her head out and waved, "Brother Yue, there is something I forgot to tell you. Come over here!"

Yue Ling walked closer in confusion and saw Lin Daiyu taking out a sachet from her sleeve at some point.

"Brother Yue, I have worn this for a long time. Vanilla is what I use on a daily basis. With it, it means I am by your side."

"There is one more little secret that I want to make clear to Brother Yue today."

Yue Ling walked closer without any precautions, to the extent that he could feel Lin Daiyu's breath right next to his ear.

The arm holding the sachet was gently pulled by Lin Daiyu. A wisp of fragrant breeze brushed across the tip of his nose, and a warm touch came on his cheek, which seemed to flow through his limbs and bones, making his muscles and bones soften.

Yue Ling stood there in a daze, while Lin Daiyu quickly got back into the carriage, with a strong waist and a monkey back, looking extremely agile, no longer her usual weak and frail appearance.

At the right moment, a whip sounded, and the carriage swayed out of the door until it disappeared from sight.

Yue Ling held his cheek, still not coming back to his senses...

(End of this chapter)