Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 41: Double Cheeks (Please read on Tuesday)

In the courtyard,
Lin Daiyu sat at the table, holding a pen in one hand and supporting her cheek with the other hand. Her eyes were slightly narrowed, and her long eyelashes trembled with her breathing. She was very sleepy.

Zijuan tiptoed into the room, put a crane cloak on Lin Daiyu, and when she was about to close the window, her voice woke Lin Daiyu up.

"What time is it?"

Zijuan withdrew her hand and replied, "It is almost midnight."

Lin Daiyu rubbed her neck, covered her mouth with her hands and yawned softly, stretched her back, and looked around the room again, "Where is Xueyan?"

"Xueyan watched the fireworks outside for a while, played for a while, and then went to rest when she was tired."

There are only two rooms in the courtyard. If it's not here, then she can lie down in Yue Ling's room. Lin Daiyu frowned slightly, looking quite unhappy. She said, "How can you go to Brother Yue's room to make trouble? Let her come back. What if Brother Yue comes back at night?"

Zijuan advised: "Young lady, tidy up and take a rest. It's so late, I don't think General Yue will come back."

Lin Daiyu shook her head and said, "No, Dad would send someone back to tell us when he couldn't come home at night, so that our family wouldn't worry. Since there was no message, Brother Yue must be back."

Seeing that she could not persuade the stubborn Lin Daiyu, Zijuan gave up and went to look for Xueyan in another room.

Just at that moment, there was a sound coming from the courtyard door, as if someone was opening it.

The little girls in the room were all frightened and stared at the door. Until they saw Yue Ling come in, they breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

Lin Daiyu stood up and went out to greet him, "Brother Yue, you are finally back."

Seeing Lin Daiyu, Yue Ling felt a little guilty. He stroked her head and said, "Well, I'm back. I was delayed for a while because of the complicated official duties. Are you sleepy? Go to your room and rest early."

Lin Daiyu shook her head. Seeing Yue Ling carrying a basket of things, she asked curiously, "Brother Yue, what is this?"

Yue Ling lifted the cotton cloth on the basket and showed it to Lin Daiyu: "Fireworks, didn't I tell you to look at them as fireworks? These are small, we can set them off in the yard."

"I was planning to release it with you tomorrow night, but since you're not asleep, let's do it now."

Lin Daiyu's smile became brighter. She nodded repeatedly and stared at Yue Ling as he started to prepare.

He took two bricks, clamped the fireworks together, and lit them with a tinder. Soon, a tree of fireworks and silver flowers grew in the courtyard, reflecting the colorful faces of Lin Daiyu.

Yue Ling stayed beside her and asked with a smile, "Does it look good?"

Lin Daiyu nodded her head lightly, "Yeah, it looks good. Thank you, Brother Yue."

The voice became increasingly soft, like the hum of a mosquito.

Even her own little willfulness was remembered by Yue Ling, and Lin Daiyu's heart softened. She seemed to have returned to Yangzhou Prefecture, accompanied by her parents, who cared for her.

After traveling thousands of miles north to Beijing, I thought I would be alone and helpless when I arrived in Beijing. But I didn't expect that Yue Ling would take good care of me, and even my symptoms were relieved a lot, and I would no longer cry easily.

Lin Daiyu looked at Yue Ling and unconsciously moved closer to him, with a shallow dimple on her lips.

The noise in the courtyard startled the little maids.

Xueyan rubbed her eyes and ran out excitedly when she saw the fireworks, "Wow, they are so beautiful."

Yue Ling pointed at the basket and said, "There are more here, go put them there."

Xueyan nodded her head hurriedly, "Okay, okay, General Yue, you're the best. I'll go right away."

As the fireworks lit up again, Lin Daiyu felt relaxed and calm. Soon, she fell asleep leaning against Yue Ling's legs.

"Sister Lin?"

Yue Ling called out softly. Seeing that Lin Daiyu was already in a deep sleep and had no response at all, Yue Ling gently picked her up and carried her back to her room.

Children are like this, they become interested quickly and sleepy just as quickly.

"Zijuan, take care of her until she goes to bed, let her sleep more, and make some nourishing soup tomorrow morning to nourish her body."

Zijuan quickly responded, "Yes."

"Xueyan, stop playing. Fetch some water and sprinkle it over the ground. Don't let the wind blow at night and create sparks."

After making all the arrangements, Yue Ling went back to his room and rested.

After Zijuan took Lin Daiyu over, she helped her undress and go to bed, while she herself lay on the bed with her pillow, unable to fall asleep for a long time.

"No wonder the girl and General Yue have such a good relationship. General Yue is really too meticulous in his work. Even in the mansion, most of the ancestors will only ask about the well-being of the family and cannot be so thoughtful in everything. At least the female family members are not as free to leave the mansion during festivals."

"Besides, because of Master Bao, the young lady cannot rest in peace. It is better for her to be here."

Coming to this conclusion made her feel very conflicted.

Grandmother Jia hoped that Lin Daiyu could return home, so when Zijuan came, she reminded her to talk to Lin Daiyu more often on weekdays and let her know the benefits of the mansion.

But after living there for more than a month, Zijuan found that apart from providing better living conditions, the mansion seemed to have no better features. Instead, it had many shortcomings.

"Perhaps, when the girl grows up a few years, things will change. When she understands the difference between men and women, who would be willing to live with a man? Besides, General Yue's status is too far behind the girl's, so this day won't be far away."

Zijuan comforted herself and slowly closed her eyes.

……

Datong Prefecture,
In the general's mansion, Prince Kang paced back and forth, looking deep in thought and hesitant.

"This transportation of weapons and armor seems to be very well planned. How did it get discovered? Who discovered it?"

Du Ke replied, "I heard from the message that it was Yue Ling, the commander of the personal guards of the Prince of Qin's palace."

Prince Kang was surprised and asked, "It's him? Yue Ling, the sixteen-year-old boy in Prince Qin's mansion?"

"That's him."

King Kang frowned, "I didn't expect that the uncertainty in the capital was caused by him. We should not judge a hero by his age, and we should not underestimate him."

Du Ke nodded and said, "We should pay attention to his actions, but Your Highness, don't worry, things have not completely deviated from our plan."

Prince Kang also understood what Du Ke said, "Since Niu Jizong was chosen to take my place instead of someone from the Prince Qin's Palace, it seems that Father still cannot give up on me. Returning to the capital is not a bad thing."

Du Ke also said: "That's right. There has never been a precedent for succession to be successful when not in the capital. This matter requires the principle of being close to the water and getting the moon first. Even Fusu, who was the most popular candidate, was forced to commit suicide by Li Si and Zhao Gao's unauthorized modification of the imperial edict."

King Kang asked again: "Then is it a good thing to let the King of Qin lead the army to the battle?"

Du Ke shook his head and denied it. "It's different. If the King of Qin leaves the capital and gives him military power, it would be like letting a tiger go back to the mountains. Now he is in the capital, with many restrictions. He is just a sick tiger licking its wounds."

"Your Highness is returning to the capital this time to seek victory in danger. You cannot make any mistakes at every step, and you must be careful in what you say and do."

King Kang nodded and said, "Yes, I know what's going on."

"Tell your personal guards to make preparations early, and wait for Niu Jizong to arrive, and then follow me back to the capital."

　Thanks to Book Friend 20210319222724780, Book Friend 20170624225049394, Moonfalling in the Star River, Book Friend 20180412002952846, Not IU Control, Wood and Shi, Beizhenfu Sitiqi for their monthly tickets, as well as Wood and Shi, June Boundary for their rewards, and my friends for their recommendation tickets. Thank you for your support.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)