Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 276 Lin Ruhai: This is too much!

Yangzhou Salt Inspectorate,
In the hall, the prominent salt merchants from Lianghuai sat on both sides, their attitudes very respectful.

Lin Ruhai sat in the middle and said in a deep voice: "Suzhou is suffering from floods now, and the price of salt has been fluctuating. This censor orders you to clarify the priority and stabilize the price of salt. This is the conscience of the business community and also helps the court relieve its worries."

Jiang Chun, the head of the Jiang family, a salt industry giant and the leader of the eight major salt merchants, responded: "Your Excellency the Censor is right. The disaster in Suzhou is urgent, and we are temporarily lacking a response. This time, the number of cargo ships going to Suzhou has increased."

Then Jiang Chun asked, "I heard that the capital is implementing a new law, and there is great turmoil. I wonder if this new law will have any new rules for our Lianghuai salt merchants?"

"The joint operation of Changlu Salt by government and businessmen has already had a significant impact on us. If there are any new regulations, it would be better if the censor could inform us earlier so that we can prepare early."

As the spokesperson of Emperor Longyou in Jiangnan, Lin Ruhai was well aware that as long as Emperor Longyou was determined to carry out reforms, the fire would inevitably spread to the salt tax.

Lin Ruhai looked calm, as peaceful as a lake without wind. "Your Majesty has not issued a decree on this matter yet. However, we have been together for decades, so we know each other well."

"The current salt tax already has some drawbacks, and private salt is rampant. The changes we will make in the future will be for the better. It will not be seen as exploiting your wealth, so don't worry."

Everyone nodded slightly, but they were not comforted.

At the right time, Han Da, the steward of the Lin family, came into the hall. He hurriedly approached Lin Ruhai, bowed and whispered, "Master, there is a letter from Marquis Anjing."

Lin Ruhai showed displeasure on his face and frowned, "He dared to send a letter. What does he want to do?"

"No, sir, please read what the letter says."

The ignorant salt merchants could not help but sit up straight when they saw the change in Lin Ruhai's expression, fearing that the discussion about the salt law might have really brought an imperial decree.

Lin Ruhai did not rush to open the letter. Instead, he looked at the signature on the letter from beginning to end and thought to himself, "It is indeed sent from Suzhou. It is time for him to arrive in Suzhou."

After opening the letter, Lin Ruhai saw the four words at the beginning of the letter, "Brother, nice to meet you." His brows furrowed even deeper.

"How dare you say that? Do you really think of me as your brother?"

There were other people in the hall. Lin Ruhai held his breath and did not lose his temper. But when he heard Yue Ling's flattering words, "The emperor's praises" and "a role model for our generation", he became angry again.

"You are showing off the Holy Grace, and you are showing it off to me. Yue Ling, you really did a good thing."

Lin Ruhai gritted his teeth and continued to flip through the pages. He saw that it was about the disaster in Suzhou Prefecture and Yue Ling wanted to borrow grain for relief.

When it came to major issues, Lin Ruhai was very clear-headed. No matter how unwilling he was for personal reasons, he still had to lend the grain because it was related to the people's livelihood and well-being, but it was hard for him to get rid of the anger.

"...Daiyu is by my side and is recovering well. I will continue to take good care of her in the future to repay my brother's kindness."

This last sentence really ignited Lin Ruhai's anger. He crumpled the letter into a ball and shouted angrily: "This is too much, this is too much!"

Han Da took a half step back and was about to serve the tea, but was nearly knocked over by Lin Ruhai.

The salt merchants in the hall were even more frightened and looked at each other, wondering what big thing had happened to Lin Ruhai.

The salt industry is the top priority in Lianghuai. Even the prime minister who is in charge of Jiangsu and Zhejiang has to give some face to the Salt Inspectorate.

In Yangzhou Prefecture, the Salt Inspectorate was even more independent than the prefect. There were even salt soldiers in the Salt Inspectorate. Who could bully Lin Ruhai?

If there is anyone who could make Lin Ruhai suffer losses and injustice, there would be no one else except Emperor Longyou.

But if it really was the current emperor, how could a steady man like Lin Ruhai be so angry?

The salt merchants broke out in cold sweat, fearing that something bad had happened to them and that the news would reach Lin Ruhai's ears.

Bao Zhidao, the head of the Bao family, one of the eight major salt merchants, stood up and asked, "Master Yushi, I wonder what has upset you? If you can use my family's services, please feel free to ask."

He was already thinking that his daughter Lin Daiyu, whom he had not seen for a long time, and Yue Ling had already been living together. After hearing the salt merchant's words, Lin Ruhai came back to his senses.

"It's nothing, it's just some family matters."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

But everyone was still very confused. They had all heard that Lin Ruhai had only one daughter and no illegitimate son. How could a girl make Lin Ruhai so angry?
Han Da handed over the tea at the right time. Lin Ruhai took it to moisten his throat, took a few deep breaths, and calmed himself down.

"Is there such a thing in the world? I want to borrow food, but I have to endure the arrogance and anger in your letter?"

Lin Ruhai was furious and said to himself, "When you return north, I will definitely stop Lin Daiyu and not let you pass. That would be unsatisfactory to both of you!"

Facing the salt merchants below, Lin Ruhai tried to force a smile and said, "I really have an unreasonable request, and I hope you can help me."

"Your Excellency's request, we dare not refuse."

Lin Ruhai nodded and said, "As you all know, Suzhou has suffered a lot from the disaster and is short of food and clothing. Now that Marquis Anjing has come to the south of the Yangtze River, he is also my...my friend, so I have to help him both for public and private reasons..."

The more polite the words were, the angrier Lin Ruhai became.

Jiang Chun said, "In that case, we will prepare some food and send it with the salt."

Lin Ruhai sighed, "Suzhou has a dense population, comparable to Yangzhou Prefecture. At least this time we have to send 300,000 dan of grain to help the emergency."

Bao Zhidao stood up again and said, "Three hundred thousand dan of grain may not be enough, at least five hundred thousand dan should be enough. My eight families will donate five hundred thousand dan of grain to help Marquis Anjing with his disaster relief, which is also a good relationship."

"People say that the Lianghuai salt merchants are rich enough to rival a country. We know we don't have that ability, but we can't let the merchants in the world underestimate us if we make a move."

"How about it? Five hundred thousand dan of grain, which is less than one million taels of silver. Can our eight families afford it?"

Everyone echoed, "It's worth it."

Lin Ruhai held his breath, smiled and bowed to everyone, saying: "Then I would like to thank you all on behalf of An Jinghou."

But in the eyes of the salt merchants, this smile was still gnashing, as if he was still dissatisfied.

Everyone was a businessman and knew how to read people's expressions. They were all considering how to make Lin Ruhai more satisfied.

Only by serving the Salt Inspector well and issuing more salt permits can everyone's life be better in the future.

At the right time, Lin Ruhai added: "These grains are all borrowed in the name of An Jinghou personally, and they will be returned on time. If he does not return them, I will ask for them on your behalf."

Everyone waved their hands and said, "No need, no need. This little grain is nothing. In previous years, we spent a lot more money on building bridges and water conservancy projects."

Someone else said, "That's right, as long as the Huai River and Huai River are stable, our business will be good. Marquis Anjing was able to create Changlu Salt. If he could give us some advice on the salt industry, it would be worth more than a million gold coins."

Lin Ruhai was stunned and asked, "Why not? It is natural to borrow and return. How can you borrow and not return?"

"Your Excellency, what are you talking about? This is our voluntary donation of food."

Lin Ruhai slammed the table and said, "Why should you volunteer to donate grain? You must come back. Although the salt industry is rich, you are not without a family to support. You just mentioned the difficulties, why are you so generous to give him 500,000 dan of grain?"

The salt merchants were deeply moved and cried, "We are very satisfied that the censor can understand our difficulties. This grain is definitely donated voluntarily, and there is no need for the Marquis of Anjing to return it."

"Just wait until Marquis Anjing comes to Yangzhou, so that we can have a chance to entertain him."

"Do you still want to entertain him?"

Lin Ruhai was even more upset, and waved his hands in annoyance, saying, "Forget it, you guys go first. Food is the most important thing, and the victims are still waiting."

"Yes."

The salt merchants left the venue one by one and saluted Lin Ruhai respectfully.

After the man left, Lin Ruhai slammed the table and stood up, angrily saying, "Why did he get all the good things? How can these lowly merchants not have to return the money just because they heard the title of Marquis of Anjing?"

Han Da looked at his master who was blinded by anger and just shook his head without saying a word.

……

As the morning mist began to dissipate, the canal wharf in the north of Suzhou city was already crowded with people and flags fluttering.

The warm sunlight shines through the gaps in the clouds and falls on the sparkling river surface, as if it were covered with a layer of Su brocade.

An official ship, escorted by many small boats, sailed slowly into the dock, braving the wind and waves. On the flag hoisted on the ship, the golden word "Yue" was written in large letters, indicating the identity of the visitor.

Thousands of people are eagerly waiting for the arrival of Yue Ling, the pillar of Dachang.

The soldiers on the deck stood taller and taller, their weapons and armors shining more brightly under the white light. As the ship approached, the atmosphere on the shore became more and more tense, and among the crowd, there were not only officials of all levels in official uniforms and respectful expressions, but also Suzhou people in cloth clothes and straw sandals with simple faces.

In front of everyone was Qian Shiyuan, the current vice-chancellor of Suzhou. He was wearing a scarlet official robe, a black gauze hat, and a divine bird embroidered on his chest, which was the official rank of the third grade.

Behind him, the officials of Suzhou Prefecture, including the prefectural chancellor, the magistrate, and the prosecutor, were all present. They all stood solemnly, holding various books and gift lists in their hands, ready to present them, showing their respect for the arrival of Marquis Anjing.

Behind the queue of officials, there were also scholars and celebrities who came to participate in the "Canglang Elegant Gathering", who were also waiting here to welcome them.

This year's elegant gathering coincided with An Jinghou's trip to the south, which added more color to the gathering.

This famous figure has been in Cangzhou for four years and has been able to govern Cangzhou in a brand new way. Today, everyone is looking forward to seeing the true appearance of Marquis Anjing.

The people at the outermost edge were also the largest group of people. Many of them had just escaped from the impact of the flood, and they were looking forward to the arrival of Marquis An Jing, so that he could bring some unresolved major cases in Suzhou to a close and give the people justice.

"Here it comes, here it comes!" the crowd shouted.

In an instant, the original whispers and noises turned into a breath-holding concentration. The official ship docked steadily at the pier, and when the steps were lowered, only a few sedan chairs came out in a row.

The man holding a weapon in one hand stepped forward and shouted to the person in front, "Marquis Anjing traveled all the way south without stopping. He got sick due to the unfamiliar climate and it is inconvenient for him to meet people in a crowded place. Who is Prefect Sun?"

Qian Shiyuan took two steps forward and bowed, saying, "I am Qian Shiyuan, the Vice Minister of State Affairs, temporarily taking charge of Suzhou. Prefect Sun fled for fear of punishment, and is still being sought. There are reasons for this, and I need to clarify it with Marquis Anjing in person."

The soldier did not ask any more questions, but just said: "In this case, please ask Lord Qian to arrange a place for Marquis Anjing to stay as soon as possible. When his condition improves, I will meet with you again."

Qian Shiyuan was a little confused, but he still moved aside and called to the person behind him, "The Marquis is not feeling well. Please find a way to send Marquis Anjing to the post station first."

Turning back, Qian Shiyuan asked again, "I wonder if the Marquis is in good health to attend today's meeting?"

"can."

After receiving a positive response, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The sedan slowly landed on the ground, and was escorted by the three thousand elite soldiers of the Beijing Camp, who followed along the official road to the city.

The people along the road all knelt on the ground and shouted out their grievances.

At the right time, the curtain of the sedan chair was lifted, revealing a side profile, waving and comforting everyone. Among them, the face was as white as jade, and the appearance was handsome. Those who were lucky enough to see it could not help but praise the appearance of An Jinghou.

"I thought Marquis Anjing was a dark-skinned general who fought on the battlefield. How could he be so handsome?"

"What? Where? I didn't see it."

"It's the sedan chair in front, the curtain of which has just been lifted."

"It's really unexpected. This year's elegant gathering is worth watching. It is said that the Marquis is both civil and military, and he may leave behind a masterpiece, which will become a legend in our Dachang."

At this moment, the girls in the sedan were extremely nervous.

Each of them is a girl who has stayed at home for a long time. How can they feel at ease in such a grand occasion?

"Miss, please lower the curtain of the sedan chair. There are too many people outside."

Ying'er looked outside secretly, and saw that the place was crowded with people, as if they were connected into one continuous wave like the tide.

If there hadn't been soldiers blocking the way, the sedan chair would have been overturned.

Xue Baochai was also very nervous, and she said, "Since we haven't gone out to meet them yet, we should at least give some indication to the people, otherwise rumors will spread that the Marquis is taking credit for himself."

"We work for the Marquis, we can't let him bear some stigma because of us, right?"

In the same sedan chair, Qin Keqing was accompanying Xue Baochai, and she would touch up her makeup from time to time.

Now, Qin Keqing is quite adept at imitating Yue Ling's makeup. Even people who have seen Yue Ling before may not be able to react for a while.

But Xue Baochai's body got hot too easily and she was sweating all the time, so her makeup got wet and she had to keep reapplying it.

"Sister Bao, you have such a strong fragrance on your body, how are you going to cover it up? You are sweating so much, I'm afraid that in a short while, the whole room will be filled with your smell."

Xue Baochai said helplessly: "This man's clothes are too thick. If he puts on armor, it will be even hotter. How can you blame me? Besides, the smell on my body is not that strong. There will definitely be some maids and dancers in the hall by then. At worst, I still have Sister Lin to accompany me. It won't be that easy to be exposed."

When Qin Keqing heard this, she thought it made sense. She nodded silently and continued to touch up Xue Baochai's makeup.

In the sedan chair at the back were Lin Daiyu, Zijuan and Xueyan.

The three of them also lifted the gap in the curtain of the sedan chair and looked out.

Zijuan said: "This number of people is probably comparable to the number when we sent you off at Cangzhou Wharf. Your prestige has not diminished at all."

Xueyan watched with her, "Really? General Yue is really amazing."

Lin Daiyu also looked into the distance and saw many victims of the disaster and countless people crying out for justice, which made her feel depressed.

She was kind-hearted and sympathetic to the poor and the weak. When she saw the hardships and sufferings of the common people in Cangzhou, she could empathize with them even more.

Just as Brother Yue took office, such a chaos broke out in Suzhou. Even Lin Daiyu would not believe that there was no story behind it.

"I wonder where Brother Yue is now. How has the investigation been going in the past month? Brother Yue asked us to attend the Canglang Yaji on his behalf. He should meet us at this event, right?"

"After all, it's such a grand gathering with celebrities from all walks of life in attendance. We probably can't hide it from everyone."

Lin Daiyu calmed down and lowered the curtain of the sedan chair, "I will be able to see Brother Yue at noon today."

……

Xuan Tomb Mountain, Panxiang Temple,
In the thatched cottage, Miaoyu, dressed in Buddhist robes, was pushing Yue Ling to the bronze mirror and bunning his hair for him.

Yue Ling said helplessly: "You have already retouched yourself, but why do you want to change mine as well?"

Miaoyu said confidently, "Of course we have to change it. We are invited monks from Panxiang Temple. If we don't dress you up as a Buddhist disciple, how can you pass the threshold?"

"Are you going to try those three questions?"

Yue Ling tilted his head, "For me, even if it's just a three-question test, it's not that difficult."

Miaoyu shook her head and said, "Let's take this convenient route. Master has an invitation. This year I went down the mountain to perform a ritual. I am also well-known in the city, so I was invited to go as well. Master happens to be ill, so I can use her invitation and you can use mine, and we can go in together."

"Just put your hair up in a bun, nothing else matters."

"Well, what you said makes sense."

Hearing Yue Ling's words, Miaoyu untied Yue Ling's hairband and started combing his hair.

With her hair entangled around her fingertips, Miaoyu felt a little dizzy.

Apart from Xing Xiuyun, Miaoyu had never touched the hair of another person, not even her master. And this second person was actually a man, and she touched it willingly. Miaoyu had never dared to think about this before.

As the hair was combed carefully, Yue Ling felt very comfortable. He thought Miaoyu's technique was very gentle, giving him the same feeling as when he had a head massage. It would be even more appropriate if she could press it a little more.

Of course, this request is a bit too much. However, at present, if a nun who practices with her hair uncut combs the hair roots of lay people, I am sure that even the Buddha would say that it is a disgrace to the family.

Yue Ling felt quite strange in his heart. He always felt that the two of them had become much closer than before during their recent interactions.

Diverting his thoughts, Yue Ling asked, "You always say that your master is ill in bed. What is wrong with him? Can you find a doctor to check it out?"

Miaoyu held the comb, her attention focused only on Yue Ling's hair, and answered casually, "It's an old problem, actually. I consulted several doctors and they all said it was thirst. I can only control my diet and rest in bed. My body is very weak."

“It turned out to be diabetes.”

Yue Ling also sighed secretly.

Diabetes mellitus, also known as thirst, is not an easy disease to treat under modern medical conditions, let alone now.

There is no equipment to measure blood sugar, and no insulin to relieve symptoms.

Diabetes mellitus will stimulate people to drink and eat more, and excessive intake of sugar will aggravate the disease, making it difficult to control.

However, as a nun in practice, her meals are light and her illness should not be too serious.

"So you got your master's invitation, did you tell her about it?"

Miaoyu said frankly, "Master never goes to such occasions, and even seldom goes down the mountain. If I had told her, she would not have let me go. So, she didn't even see the invitation, and she didn't know anything about it. After we have packed up, we will go down the mountain."

"Um, is this okay? You don't have to tell your master when you go down the mountain?"

Miaoyu said: "My master is an old-fashioned person. She will not agree to my leaving the mountain."

"So what are your master's characteristics? What does he look like?"

"appearance?"

Miaoyu didn't know why Yue Ling asked this. She bowed her head and combed Yue Ling's hair while she answered thoughtfully, "In terms of appearance, when Master adopted me in the early years, I was not old. But I don't know how old Master was, maybe around 40? But judging by his appearance, he was not bad, just a little worse than me."

The two of them became familiar with each other, and when they spoke to Yue Ling, they used the same tone as when they spoke to Xing Xiuyan.

"But now she is old and pale, and I'm afraid she doesn't want to come down the mountain. Although her skin is not delicate anymore, her facial features are still there. Even today, you can see her phoenix eyes and upturned nose. When she was young, she must have been a beauty with thin shoulders and a slender waist."

"Phoenix eyes, upturned nose?" Yue Ling stammered, "Then do you think this is your master?"

Yue Ling pointed inside the bronze mirror again.

Miaoyu was suddenly startled and slowly turned her head. Sure enough, it was her master standing behind her.

Miaoyu screamed as if she had seen a ghost, jumped away, hid beside the bed, and curled up her body.

The old nun's mouth twitched, and she asked, "Is Master like that in your eyes?"

Miaoyu smiled bitterly, "Master, I didn't mean it. I also told you that you were a great beauty when you were young."

The old nun took a deep breath and asked, "A Buddhist, why are you looking at a skin? Tell me why you want to come down the mountain?"

Miaoyu looked at Yue Ling with a bitter look on her face, "Master, are you okay?"

The old nun coughed a few times, "How can you be fine? Don't look at this young man, just tell me what you are doing down the mountain?"

Miaoyu didn't know how to start, so Yue Ling tried to smooth things over, saying, "I was the one who invited this master to come down the mountain. Today is the Canglang Gathering, a good opportunity to catch all those corrupt officials and expose the truth. As the governor of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, I cannot miss this opportunity."

"You, the Governor of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, are you the Marquis of Anjing?" asked the old nun.

Yue Ling was quite surprised that the old nun also knew what was going on outside.

"Yes, I am Marquis Anjing."

The old nun asked, "Is that old fellow Dai Quan still alive?"

Yue Ling was stunned and said, "Alive. His Majesty summoned him to the palace not long ago. When he was not in the palace, he was cleaning the imperial mausoleum."

Yue Ling's throat moved slightly, and he asked again: "Master, do you know Chief Steward Dai?"

The old nun smiled but didn't answer. "You, child, understand the ways of the world better than that evil creature. Well, you can go down the mountain now."

Finally, the old nun pointed to Miaoyu who was sitting blankly on the side and said, "If you don't come back, I will go down the mountain to break your legs and bring you back. Don't think I can't discipline you!"

"You useless thing, do you think you are his first wife? You just started combing his hair."

Miaoyu's cheeks felt like they were burning. She lowered her head and dared not say a word.

Yue Ling also turned his head away in embarrassment.

(End of this chapter)