Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 264: Xiangling's Deep Role

It was already dark, with stars dotted across the night sky, but no bright moon was visible.

The courtyard is surprisingly quiet. Only when the breeze blows through the treetops will the leaves rustle, as if composing a piece of music.

Xiangling leaned on the edge of the bed, supporting her cheek with one hand, staring blankly out the window, her mind drifting further and further away.

Yue Ling went out, but did not tell her where he was going or what he was going to do.

Xiangling was not a naughty girl, nor did she throw a temper. She just kept calling her husband "young master" every day, and the servants in the yard also called her "Miss" and Yue Ling "uncle". She really got into the role.

It's never a good thing for a man to not come home at night.

After an unknown amount of time, footsteps were heard outside the door, and Xiangling, who was leaning on the bed and drowsy, woke up immediately.

Seeing Yue Ling pushing the door open, Xiang Ling felt relieved. Her bright eyes were filled with deep affection and a smile appeared on the corners of her mouth.

She seemed to understand a little bit of Miss Lin's mood, and why she was so persistent in waiting for Yue Ling to come back in the room every day.

"Husband? Why did you go out so late? My mother and the others asked me where you were going."

As Xiangling spoke, she welcomed Yue Ling into the house and helped him take off his dusty coat, just like a young couple.

After tidying up Yue Ling's clothes, she made tea at the table with her bare hands and fed Yue Ling a mouthful of warm tea.

After drinking the tea, Yue Ling took a deep breath and replied with a smile: "So what did you say?"

Xiangling stayed by his side, gently rubbing Yue Ling's thighs with both hands, and said truthfully: "Just say that your husband is out meeting with old friends, and we don't know when he will be back."

Yue Ling nodded, expressing his appreciation for Xiang Ling's intelligence.

"My husband, have you had dinner yet? I have some food left here. I'll heat it up."

Xiangling picked up the food box and was about to carry it out when Yue Ling grabbed her and held her in his arms.

Gently stroking Xiang Ling's cheek, she was no longer shy now, but just looked at Yue Ling with her bright eyes, feeling both anticipation and fear for what he was going to do next.

"You are getting more and more comfortable calling me husband now."

Xiangling shyly turned her head away and didn't respond to Yue Ling's words.

Deep down, she was willing to continue living like this with Yue Ling, but the man in front of her was Marquis An Jing, not an ordinary person.

And she was just a maid beside Yue Ling, and she just got some conveniences and played the role of husband and wife here.

After Yue Ling officially took office in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, once her identity was announced, she would have to work as a maid again.

It’s not that being a maid for Marquis Anjing was a grievance, but it was far from the closeness we have now.

There are too many women around Yue Ling, so Xiangling cherishes the present days even more.

"If the Marquis doesn't want me to call him that, I..."

Before Xiangling could finish her words, Yue Ling blocked her cherry lips with a finger, and then used his wet finger to gently wipe her rosy cheeks.

"It's fine this way."

Yue Ling naturally liked holding the boneless little girl in his arms.

When I got closer, I could still feel her uneasiness and my heartbeat quickened.

Their lips pressed together and he tasted the sweetness of the girl. Then he looked up and saw that Xiangling's eyes were already covered with mist.

"I've eaten, so I came back to feed you."

Xiangling's pretty face turned even redder.

After spending several days together, she naturally knew what Yue Ling was referring to.

Xiangling gently held Yue Ling's shoulders, suppressed the emotion in her heart, and said, "I have a small request."

Yue Ling's eyes lit up. It was rare that Xiangling, who was usually very conservative, actually used sensual means to tease him.

"tell me the story?"

Xiangling gently stroked her hot cheek to calm herself down a little, "If my husband wants to go out again tomorrow, can you take me with you if it's convenient?"

Yue Ling smiled and said, "Why are you suddenly talking about this?"

The time she had with Yue Ling was already limited, and Xiang Ling knew that she had made an impolite request, but she was still a little girl after all, so she still had some selfish thoughts.

"From the look on his face, it seems like he has been out with some girls and is eager to have everything he wants from me when he comes home."

Yue Ling looked at Xiang Ling in surprise. He didn't expect that Xiang Ling, who was always dull, could guess so accurately. Should he say that this was a girl's innate skill? Innate?
With a wry smile, Yue Ling said, "It is true that I worked with those girls, but because they teased you, it was gone. There is nothing important tomorrow, so I will take you out for a walk then."

Xiangling was secretly delighted and took the initiative to peck Yue Ling on the cheek.

This peck immediately reminded Yue Ling of Lin Daiyu who was far away in the north.

"According to the date, Miss Lin should have gone south, right? I wonder if her journey was smooth, and if there were any accidents." "I don't know how to start the conversation when we meet again..."

"And Lin Ruhai, he has always been open-minded, so he shouldn't make things too difficult for me..."

After a moment, Yue Ling came back to his senses and looked at the little girl in his arms, who was looking at her expectantly.

Yue Ling couldn't help but secretly complained: "This...without a few girls around, it's hard to arrange time. If they all come, and if they are favored over some, there will be no peace."

"Anyway, let's first ask Sister Lin about the matter clearly, and as for the rest of Keqing, Zijuan, etc., let's wait and see how the situation develops..."

He got up and carried Xiangling to the bed. The bed curtain slowly fell, and this night was another sleepless night.

She moves her wrists too weakly and too delicately,
Beads of sweat are dripping down, and the hair is green and messy.

……

Suzhou Prefectural Government Office,

At night, the hall was brightly lit.

After the Suzhou prefect Zhu Huailin passed away, the place was being managed by Sun Yicai, a doctor recommended by the Executive Secretariat, before the appointment from the Ministry of Personnel arrived.

Sun Yicai's ancestral home was in Henan. He was a tribute scholar but failed to pass the imperial examination.

The reason he has been able to hold the position of a doctor today is entirely due to his skills in accounting.

In Jiangsu and Zhejiang, he was mainly responsible for the tax accounts and cash flow, and was the top official in charge of finance.

As a tribute scholar who had obtained such great power, Sun Yicai became somewhat famous in the local area and was regarded as a role model by thousands of frustrated scholars.

But today in the hall, he sat in the middle, and next to him was a middle-aged man who was not in official uniform.

Sun Yicai took a deep breath and spoke first, "The appointment in the capital has been announced. Marquis Anjing will come to Jiangsu and Zhejiang to take up his post soon. With the relationship with Lin Ruhai, the Imperial Censor of the Lianghuai Salt Patrol, he may stop in Yangzhou, but we don't have much time left."

"After passing Yangzhou, the first stop must be Suzhou. Nowadays, bandits and pirates are not rampant. I'm afraid that Marquis Anjing came to Jiangnan for no other reason than Zhu Huailin's death."

The man at the bottom looked calm, twisting his short beard, and replied, "This matter is flawless. By the time Marquis Anjing arrived, there was no trace left, and there was no way to investigate. Even if Marquis Anjing is almost a demon, who can judge a case without leaving any evidence?"

Sun Yicai frowned, "It's not perfect. There are always clues, such as our incitement of public opinion, and the accounts of your bank."

The middle-aged man waved his hand and said, "When Marquis Anjing comes, he will no longer be able to check these things. All we need now is a rain, just like the east wind of Marquis Zhuge Wu. Once the rain comes, everything will be settled."

The middle-aged man pondered for a moment, then asked, "Has anyone in the office discussed how to receive the Marquis?"

Sun Yicai sighed, "We sent people to the capital to inquire about Marquis Anjing's preferences. The Prime Minister said, 'Please cater to his tastes.' No matter where Marquis Anjing lands, we will have to celebrate it with great fanfare."

"According to the date, Marquis An Jing arrived in Suzhou around August 8, just in time for the 'Canglang Yaji' in Suzhou."

"This is just right for us to hold a grand event at Canglang Pavilion to welcome Marquis Anjing, which can also be regarded as giving Marquis Anjing enough face."

The middle-aged man nodded, "Don't hit a smiling person. Marquis Anjing is at an age of vigor and vitality, so we must give him enough pomp and ceremony. My Xu family will also help Lord Sun to arrange it."

Sun Yicai cupped his hands and said, "Thank you very much."

The middle-aged man stood up to return the greeting, but he did not show much respect. "I dare not. We are just a wealthy family in this area. We have to rely on Lord Sun and the adults for food. To be honest, I envy Hangzhou very much. Changing rice to mulberry can bring in nearly two million taels of revenue. I hope that everything will go well in Suzhou and we can change the mulberry fields as soon as possible."

"By this time next year, the silk production will have doubled, and Lord Sun will certainly have a share."

The middle-aged man clapped his hands, and a woman walked into the room. She was only wearing a layer of pink gauze, as thin as a cicada's wing, with lotus flowers and carp hidden inside, which were barely visible.

She walked into the hall with graceful steps, bringing with her a gust of fragrance that hit people's noses directly.

Sun Yicai was startled and asked, "Master Xu, what do you mean?"

Xu Yaozu, the head of the Xu family, smiled slightly, "I have always known that Lord Sun loves the sound of the zither. This girl is called Mei Niang, and she is very good at music. Today I brought her here to show you my elegance. Lord, please do not refuse."

"Mei Niang, from now on you should stay by Lord Sun's side and serve him well. Lord Sun will not treat you unfairly."

After bowing again, the head of the Xu family took his leave.

Looking at the beauty inside, her face half covered by a veil, her eyes captivating only, it really made Sun Yicai's mouth water, and he couldn't help swallowing a few times.

Yes, in such a rich place as Suzhou, how could a tribute student from a poor family keep his original heart?

The desires of life and pleasure are a soft knife that not everyone can resist.

Since he had already fallen, Sun Yicai no longer had too many distracting thoughts in his mind. He looked at Mei Niang and asked, "Where is Jialing?"

The fragility of Suzhou women is the delicate and gentle nature unique to the Jiangnan water town. She spoke in a stammering voice with an accent that made one's bones soften. "I'm 28 years old."

The Suzhou boat prostitute, who was as famous as the Yangzhou skinny horse at the time, was the best at music. After all, Sun Yicai was not a juren, and a poor scholar, so how could he not be moved?

"Okay, come forward and play a song first..."

(End of this chapter)