Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 291 Flirting with Sister Lin

The spring tide brings rain late and rushes, and the unmanned boat on the wild ferry is arrogant.

Early the next morning,

The birds on the branches were chirping noisily, but Yue Ling's room was surprisingly quiet.

Yue Ling sat back in a sandalwood chair, with two beauties, Ruizhu and Zhuzhu, helping him to wash and dress.

The two little girls kept their heads down the whole time, trying to concentrate on the work in their hands to avoid making any mistakes.

But curiosity got the better of them, so they would look inside the bed curtains from time to time.

Of course there is only one reason, their girl did not come home last night!

Without even thinking about it, they knew it must be on the master's bed, and the two little girls were also very tactful and didn't say anything.

When they thought of their own girl, who was still lying in bed and unable to get up, combined with the lustful words Zijuan and Xiangling had said before, the two inexperienced little girls' cheeks became hot, their hands trembled even more, and they were a little afraid to touch Yue Ling's body.

Although I don't know what my girl went through last night, the old mattress piled under the bed seems to tell the answer.

Moreover, they could vaguely see water stains on the mattress, which made the little girls more imaginative.

Yue Ling noticed the little girls' reservedness, but he didn't know how to comfort them. Perhaps things were more outrageous than they imagined, so he didn't explain, but just closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and sat quietly.

As soon as I closed my eyes, what happened last night came to my mind.

Yue Ling couldn't help but sigh. After all, Qin Keqing was older than the other girls in the room, so even though it was her first time, she adapted very quickly.

Maybe it's talent?
Qin Keqing, with her slender limbs and flexible waist, could pose in various postures with ease and even enjoyed it.

Yue Ling didn't know what time it was, he just remembered that when the two fell asleep, they were still together, they just fell asleep because they were too tired.

To say that the two men in the room were evenly matched was not entirely true.

After all, the one sitting here at this moment was Yue Ling, so he was definitely the winner, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up.

Although the maids were a little unfamiliar with the procedure, they still managed to help Yue Ling dress in his official uniform and tie up his hair. Then they packed up their toiletries and went outside.

Yue Ling pulled open the bed curtain and sat on the edge of the bed, then he saw Qin Keqing, whose silk dress was half-undressed, with a hint of her fragrant shoulders exposed outside the quilt. She was lying on her back on the couch, breathing softly.

Her face was much more rosy than before, with a faint pink hue, just like peach blossoms blooming in spring, very beautiful, but her lips were a little dry and wrinkled, not as moist as before.

Yue Ling hooked his finger and rubbed Qin Keqing's small nose, and said with a smile: "Have a good rest today. I asked you to stop last night, but you refused to listen."

"It's not that I didn't listen. I clearly begged for mercy, but the master just kept mistreating me."

Qin Keqing narrowed her eyes and pouted her lips, saying, "I will take good care of myself today. When the master comes back at night, I will definitely make him beg for mercy."

Yue Ling smiled and said, "The goal is very ambitious, so you should take good care of it."

After drawing the bed curtain for her again, Yue Ling stepped out and met two little maids coming back, whispering to each other as if they were talking about something.

"master."

Ruizhu stopped to salute. Yue Ling glanced at her, nodded and said, "Keqing is a little tired. When she has rested, take her to dinner, bathe her and change her clothes. She will be left to your care."

"Yes."

The two little maids were about the same age as Xueyan. They still had a childish look on their faces and their baby fat had not faded.

Ruizhu and Baozhu both have good tempers. Ruizhu is relatively smart and closer to Zijuan, but she must have lived a long life of poverty in the Qin residence before, so she is still very frugal in her daily life. She never wears jewelry, and she also has the most common double bun on her head among maids.

Baozhu gets along better with Xueyan, is more lively, and a little greedy. Normally, she is either doing needlework with Ruizhu in the room, or running around with Xueyan.

Yue Ling rubbed their heads with one hand each and then strode out the door.

Before leaving the inn, Yue Ling of course had to say goodbye to Lin Daiyu and see if the situation had improved.

Just as he stepped over the threshold and came into the courtyard, he happened to see Xue Baochai pushing the door and walking out.

"I've met the Marquis."

Today, Xue Baochai was wearing a light yellow double-breasted jacket with pink peach blossom trim, a tea-white tube top underneath, and a long skirt embroidered with orchids.

Like Xue Baochai as usual, her clothes were half-new and half-old, and she looked very low-key, not at all like the dress of a daughter of the Xue family, who was so wealthy.

It would be wrong to say that Xue Baochai is not like Yang Guifei. She does not have that noble air, but is more reserved.

Xue Baochai blinked her almond eyes and said, "The Marquis took the Xu family yesterday. The Chamber of Commerce in Suzhou must be shocked. The Xue family also has a store in Suzhou. I will go out and listen to what they think about this matter."

Yue Ling nodded after thinking about it and said, "Well, it would be even better if we could get the exact information about the Xu family and who is behind it."

Xue Baochai replied, "Okay, I'll keep an eye on it."

The sedan chair was placed outside the courtyard. Xiangling and Ying'er, who were following behind Xue Baochai, secretly glanced at Yue Ling.

Xiangling turned her head away shyly. When Ying'er's eyes met Yue Ling's, she immediately turned her head away guiltily and quickened her pace to leave, just like a thief.

Yue Ling shook his head helplessly. There were too many girls in the room, and he really couldn't guess what they were thinking.

He came to the door of the east wing and knocked a few times. Soon Zijuan came to open the door.

"Master, the girl just woke up."

Zijuan led Yue Ling inside. The Xiaoxiang-colored bed curtains were drawn and Lin Daiyu was sitting on the head of the bed.

He seemed to have changed into a set of tight-fitting clothes that covered his lower abdomen, with his hands folded in front of him. Lin Daiyu looked at him with burning eyes.

"Are you feeling better?"

Yue Ling walked closer and sat on the small stool under the bed.

Lin Daiyu raised her nose and smelled several scents on Yue Ling. Most likely, he had seen many girls in the room in the morning and finally came to her.

She curled her lips and secretly criticized the vixen. Before Lin Daiyu could get angry, Yue Ling grabbed her wrist and took her pulse seriously.

Lin Daiyu was stunned and asked in confusion, "Brother Yue can also take the pulse? When did you learn it secretly? I don't even know it."

Yue Ling shook his head without saying anything, still touching with his eyes closed, as if he was identifying the pulse.

Lin Daiyu stopped talking and waited quietly for the result.

After a cup of tea, Zijuan brought the brewed tea. Yue Ling took it and drank it all in one gulp. "Well, it should be nothing serious. Just rest for a few days."

Lin Daiyu's eyes flickered slightly, revealing a look of longing, and she praised him endlessly, "Brother Yue can actually take a pulse. Is there anything in this world that Brother Yue can't do? He really is omniscient and omnipotent."

Yue Ling shook his head and said, "Of course I don't know how to take a pulse."

Lin Daiyu was stunned again, the corners of her mouth trembled, "Hmm? Then why did you..."

Yue Ling looked at Lin Daiyu, smiled and stood up and said, "Looking at Sister Lin's complexion, she doesn't look like anything is wrong. She is full of energy and energy, and she is even paying attention to the scent on my body."

Lin Daiyu blushed slightly, and Yue Ling sensed her little thoughts, which made her feel a little embarrassed.

Yue Ling continued, "I don't know how to feel a pulse, I just wanted to touch Sister Lin's wrist and get close to her, to make up for the regret that Sister Lin didn't come last night."

"It's getting late, I'll go to the government office first. Zijuan, take good care of her, and send someone to the government office to find me if there's anything."

After Yue Ling left, Lin Daiyu hadn't come back to her senses yet. She wondered in her heart, "Did Brother Yue tease me just now?"

Normally, I see Brother Yue as serious and mature, but I have never seen Brother Yue like this. Does that mean that Brother Yue treats her as more than just a sister?
After figuring this out, Lin Daiyu's face showed both shyness and joy, and she stammered, not knowing what to say.

Zijuan covered her mouth and laughed, "The girl's expression right now is a bit like a silly goose."

"What is like me, and what am I like?"

Xueyan poked her head in and looked at the two people in confusion, "General Yue just left. I thought I could have the meal General Yue cooked this morning."

Lin Daiyu came back to her senses after being interrupted by Xueyan, and slowly lay back down on the bed, lying on her side. Her two slender legs kicked quietly under the quilt, and she covered her face with her hands, feeling embarrassed again.

……

Xuan Tomb Mountain, Panxiang Temple,
Miaoyu leaned on the back of the chair, supporting her cheek with one hand, and stared at him in a daze. Sometimes she would pick a plum blossom and pull the petals one by one.

A small tea table is covered with scattered plum blossoms.

She has always been like this since she returned from the mountain. Even without asking, the old nun can guess what happened.

"Have you expressed your feelings? Then you might as well go meet him again."

The old nun dragged her sick body to Miaoyu, looked at this foolish and resentful woman, and curled her lips helplessly.

Miaoyu immediately came to her senses, bowed to him as a disciple, and said shyly, "I didn't understand what the master said."

The old nun snorted coldly and said, "You are pretending to be ignorant when you know the truth. Monks don't tell lies. You don't even remember it?"

“I haven’t left home yet.”

Miaoyu pointed at her wrapped hair and said, "I will practice Buddhism with my hair untied." The old nun twitched her face, "What's the point of just being nice in front of your master? Who can you expect to come here? You can only expect pilgrims."

Miaoyu curled her lips and said, "I am just waiting for him to bring those criminals to justice. When this matter is settled, my wish will be fulfilled, and my father and mother will be able to rest in peace."

"Your wish has been fulfilled. What about your willingness? The master will pretend to have been deceived by you. Don't be so stupid as to really think that you have deceived yourself."

"Master!"

Miaoyu yelled coquettishly, stood up and supported the old nun to walk into the room, "You should take medicine, just take care of your own body, and don't worry about my disciples."

The old nun sighed helplessly, "Forget it, everyone has their own fate."

After sending the old nun back to lie down, Miaoyu took a broom and began to sweep up the flower petals. When she was alone, she could not help but be absent-minded.

My mind was filled with Yue Ling’s heroic appearance that day.

But the gap between Yue Ling and her status was too great, and it seemed that there was nothing about her that could attract him.

Even if I want to clear my father's name and repay him with my life, if people see me as a burden, this wishful thinking will seem too despicable.

Miaoyu had no idea what Yue Ling was thinking. There was very little she could do. Apart from staring blankly, she could only wait. As for chanting the scriptures, she could no longer recite them at all.

Patting her cheek lightly, Miaoyu was frightened by her own true thoughts.

How could this nun, who usually treats people coldly, become like this? If Xing Xiuyan was still here, she would definitely think that she had met an unexpected visitor and was possessed by some dirty creature.

"I wonder how Yan'er is doing these days, and whether we'll have a chance to meet again in the future..."

Thinking this, Miaoyu put aside the broom and other things, came to the Buddhist hall, knelt on the cushion, and prayed softly for Xing Xiuyun and chanted sutras.

……

Suzhou Prefecture is still facing many problems, the first and foremost of which is the resettlement of disaster victims.

The impact of the destroyed dikes and flooded fields was not small. If Sun Yicai and his team had followed their original plan, they would have planted mulberry seedlings quickly after the fields were flooded and then purchased the first batch of raw silk at a low price, perhaps they could have filled the gap of hundreds of thousands of pieces of cloth.

But in the current situation, let alone the original work of the Weaving Bureau, even the taxes for this year's autumn harvest would be difficult to collect.

Relying on the disaster relief provided by the Cao Gang in the beginning, until Yue Ling began to take power and opened the granaries, the city was temporarily stable. In addition, the one million dan of grain that the Xu family used to annex land was also used to provide food for the people in the city to survive the winter, so it was not a difficult task.

But the city of Suzhou is currently very fragile and can no longer withstand any disturbances.

In order to maintain stability, Yue Ling did not go to the yamen early in the morning, but came to the parade ground first.

He also came to inspect yesterday. Although he did not have high expectations for the soldiers in the city, the combat effectiveness of the soldiers in Suzhou City was still far below his expectations.

The army of Suzhou Prefecture included Suzhou Guard and Zhenhai Guard. If estimated based on the apparent size, there were at least nearly 12,000 people.

But when Yue Ling arrived at the parade ground yesterday, he found that Suzhou's army did not even have half of them.

The soldiers of Suzhou Guard formed a square formation with the 3,000 guards from Beijing Camp, and they looked smaller than the soldiers of Beijing Camp.

Apart from the garrison troops, there was only the Inspection Office in the city responsible for patrolling and maintaining public security, but it only had a few hundred people.

Yue Ling has not yet visited the Taihu Lake navy, but he has heard from others that they are mostly composed of small boats and their combat effectiveness is greatly reduced.

Due to the limited combat effectiveness of officers and soldiers, the gentry and landlord groups represented by Suzhou City had their own standing armed forces. They said they were to resist the invasion of Japanese pirates, but there were good and bad people among them, and most of them were like the Xu family and the Shen family, doing some shameful things.

I'm afraid that smuggling salt secretly and smuggling it at sea are common things.

Suzhou has not experienced war in many years, and the officers and soldiers are very lazy. During the inspection yesterday, they couldn't even stand in a straight line.

Long-term stability has completely corrupted the army, which is an extremely dangerous signal.

Suzhou is close to the seaport of the Yangtze River Delta, so Japanese pirates would first arrive at Songjiang ahead when they attacked. However, it was not uncommon for them to burn, kill, loot and rob all the way to Suzhou.

Before, the Japanese pirates could live in peace in the Jiangnan area.

On the one hand, Japan's national policy has shrunk, and it no longer supports the rampant piracy and has changed its attitude. On the other hand, Yue Ling speculated that it might also be related to the interests of the coastal nobles and the Japanese pirates.

After all, when they were in Cangzhou, the Japanese pirates could reach out and reach them, but in this place closer to the Japanese pirates' base camp, no one had any contact with the Japanese, so no one would believe it even if you told them to.

For his own safety and the safety of Suzhou City, Yue Ling needs to expand the size of the army and train an elite force.

The commander of the 3,000 guards of the Beijing Camp was named Yang Lin, an old colleague of the Prince of Qin's Palace. He served as the deputy commander of the Yulin Guard. He was much older than Yue Ling. He had led the Northern Expedition to Liaodong with Emperor Longyou and had made great military achievements.

Even if the title has not been granted yet, the difference is not much.

Following Yue Ling, the thing that he had the most was probably the opportunity to make meritorious service. At this crucial moment, he naturally volunteered to come forward.

The soldiers were still training on the training ground. Yang Lin had been waiting here for a long time. When Yue Ling came over, he saluted with his fists clasped, "My Lord."

Yue Ling raised his hand to help him. There was no need to be so polite to his own people.

Yesterday, the two of them recalled many old stories in the Qin Palace. Not long ago, when Yue Ling first entered the Qin Palace, he was just an inconspicuous soldier. He was appreciated for his martial arts. At that time, he and Yang Lin were just colleagues of the same level. Now he has been conferred the title of Marquis of Anjing.

Others could not envy Yue Ling's speed of promotion. After all, Yue Ling had the merit of saving the emperor and was highly regarded by the emperor. He had also made new achievements again and again. The censors who usually only found fault with him had nothing to slander about Yue Ling.

There are just rumors that Yue Ling's private life is a bit indecent, but for such a heroic figure, gossip only adds to the public's discussion.

Looking at the parade ground in the distance, the soldiers of the Beijing Camp and the Suzhou Guard were clearly divided. Yue Ling could classify them at a glance.

The soldiers of the Beijing camp flew flags and looked heroic, while the soldiers of the Suzhou Guard were staggering and lifeless.

Seeing Yue Ling's frown, Yang Lin said truthfully, "My Lord, these people have become lazy. After a day of training yesterday, many of them didn't come today, citing vomiting and diarrhea as an excuse. Those who came are considered lucky. These spoiled people don't look like soldiers at all."

"Even if they are trained strictly, it will be difficult to maintain the army formation on the battlefield within three to five months. It would be good if they did not drop their weapons and flee when the Japanese pirates attacked. Bringing such soldiers to the battlefield will only shake the morale of the army."

There was also such a precedent in the Dachang Dynasty. The Japanese pirates burned, killed and looted in the front. The government troops arrived too late and failed to catch the Japanese pirates. In fact, they were not sure they could defeat them. So they followed behind to plunder and make a fortune from the national disaster.

It can be said that Yang Lin’s worries are not unreasonable, Yue Ling also has the same concerns.

Today, Dachang's military system has gradually changed from the original military household system to the conscription system, and it is not uncommon for a military household to have no soldiers in it.

In Suzhou City, veterans with some experience are now being recruited by local gentry and landlords through various means to work in their homes. This is not a good thing for Yue Ling.

"In that case, let these people disperse. Those who don't want to be soldiers and want to make a living don't have to stay in this barracks."

At the right moment, Wang Hong, the lieutenant general of Suzhou Guard, came to the two men breathlessly, clasped his fists and saluted, saying, "This subordinate greets the Marquis."

The man had a full beard, a waist as big as a barrel, and a bloated body. He did not look like Yang Lin's capable character at all. He looked more like a son of an aristocratic family who was just gilding himself in the military camp.

"My Lord, I have something to say, but I don't know whether I should say it or not."

Yue Ling put away his friendly expression towards Yang Lin, nodded slightly and said, "Go ahead."

Wang Hong said calmly: "Now is a peaceful and prosperous time. The brothers have neglected their training a little, but the brothers' heart to serve the country is definitely the same. I hope the Marquis will not be offended."

"Your Majesty, you may not understand the situation here as you just arrived. In Suzhou, not to mention the Japanese pirates, even mountain bandits and roving bandits have rarely been seen in recent years."

"My Lord, you have arrested those corrupt officials, so why should you just put them on trial? Why did you bring harm to us?"

Yue Ling looked at him with interest and asked with a smile: "Are you so sure that there will be no war in Suzhou? If there is a war, you will die if you go to the battlefield. You will die, and the people will suffer as well."

Yue Ling's words were harsh and threatening, but Wang Hong seemed not to hear them and continued to do what he wanted: "My Lord, let alone Suzhou, the whole of Jiangsu and Zhejiang has been stable for a long time. Now is the time when even the Japanese pirates don't need to use knives to rob. Who wants to live on the edge of a knife when they can do business?"

"Oh? How do you do business?"

Wang Hong laughed and said, "My Lord, you don't know that the Japanese pirates are no longer Japanese pirates, but are called Ronin. They only plunder at sea, and our dynasty does not have much maritime trade. They mostly rob those Western merchants."

"After the robbery, someone has to sell the stolen goods. After selling the silver, the profits are divided. Many of the noble families here made their fortunes in this way. Everyone knows this tacitly."

"There was also the interesting thing about the foreigners buying the goods, only to be robbed by the wanderers the next moment. It was really a business of getting something for nothing."

"In order to befriend us, why would they come to the shore and rob the poor people? There is not much money to be made from the poor people."

Yue Ling raised his eyebrows slightly, and his breathing became a little heavy.

Perhaps in the eyes of this world, as long as the Japanese pirates do not come ashore, everything will be peaceful, and doing business with them does not violate the "Dachang Law". But in Yue Ling's eyes, anything that has to do with the Japanese pirates is intolerable, and it is a hatred between family and country.

"Commander Yang, just do as I said. As for the missing soldiers, I will find a way to recruit them."

Yang Lin clasped his fists, glared at Wang Hong fiercely, then agreed and left.

Wang Hong also sensed that the atmosphere was not good, so he cautiously asked, "My Lord, what are you going to do?"

Yue Ling sneered and said, "Since doing business with the Japanese pirates is so profitable, you should stop being a soldier and go into business."

"Of course, when you do business with the Japanese pirates, you must not be caught by me, otherwise it would be uncomfortable to have another wound on your neck."

Wang Hong trembled and said timidly, "My Lord, just treat it as if I was farting. Please be magnanimous and don't bother with me."

"Keeping an idiot like you in the army will only delay the war. You'd better leave before I change my mind. Otherwise, I will arrest you and throw you into jail to prove your crime of colluding with the Japanese!"

(End of this chapter)