Dream of the Red Chamber: Daiyu and I swapped clothes

Chapter 12 Showcases Talent
"Ah! Ahh!"

Li Chen curled up on the bed and sneezed several times, then slowly pulled the blanket tighter around him.

I've been lying in bed pretending to be sick for three days. There was nothing wrong with me at first, but for some reason, I've been sneezing more and more frequently.

If he wasn't truly infected with a cold, then he probably had a backstabber watching him, constantly cursing him.

Li Chen let out a long sigh of relief and pondered to himself.

"Lin Daiyu in the Rongguo Mansion must be very grateful to me now, right? She used to be bullied so much in the mansion, but after I made a big scene, who would dare to look down on her?"

"The food was especially superb. I had bird's nest porridge every day and fresh braised pork knuckle. I heard that the Xue family specially brought in fresh mountain delicacies from beyond the Great Wall to invite me. I missed out on all of them. She really got a great deal."

"Oh my god, I really don't want to drink rice porridge again."

From frugality to luxury is easy, from luxury to frugality.

Thinking of all those delicacies, Li Chen's mouth watered, and his stomach growled.

"No, I can't sleep. Right, take a look at my novel, *Water Margin*. You can't wait for anything; you have to rely on yourself. If I can sell the first thirty chapters of *Water Margin* to a publishing house, maybe I can live a good life in the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion with the royalties."

Li Chen got out of bed and went to his desk to search.

His stack of manuscript paper was still quite conspicuous, after all, it was written with charcoal, which was completely different from writing with a wet brush.

But Li Chen searched for a long time, even wiping under the bed, but still couldn't find it.

"No...no, Lin Daiyu threw it away for me, didn't she?"

When he returned to this body, everything was spotless and brand new. Li Chen thought that the manor had improved his treatment and that he now had maids to serve him.

He had been lying in bed for several days, and apart from the nanny bringing him food and Sister Chuntao and his mother coming to visit him, he hadn't seen anyone else.

Then we know that it must have been Lin Daiyu, who was a clean freak, who cleaned it herself.

"Besides taking the imperial examinations and cleaning the house, Lin Daiyu's golden finger is useless. She actually lost my gold mine."

Li Chen sighed and lay back down on the bed.

Looking back on the three days I spent at the mansion, I realized I had overlooked my mentor, Mr. Xing, who came to inquire about my condition every morning and evening.

Fortunately, he was a man of principle. After the previous teaching test, he never pushed open the door to enter the room again, only exchanging a few words with Li Chen outside the window, which Li Chen was able to handle.

He can't pretend to be sick for ten days. Today, the mansion even invited a doctor to treat him, so he can't avoid going to the study to attend classes every morning and evening.

When the time comes, I'm afraid the whole truth will be revealed as soon as I pick up my pen.

Li Chen held his head in his hands, racking his brains for a way to stall for time.

As long as we can stall until Lin Daiyu is brought back, everything will be resolved.

"It's too late to learn on the spot... What should I do?"

Bang bang bang,
A crisp knock sounded at the door.

"Enter."

Only the mother, Zou, came to answer the call.

The brocade tray she was carrying contained the same three items as always: a bowl of rice porridge, a plate of refreshing side dishes, and a boiled egg.

Li Chen glanced at it and felt even more nostalgic for the days at the Rongguo Mansion.

"Mother, why is it only you who came today? Where is Sister Chuntao? I didn't see Granny Liu either, and the teacher didn't come this morning either."

Li Chen sat up from the bed and watched as his mother, Madam Zou, set out all the bowls and plates before sitting down on the edge of his bed.

"Something happened at the manor. Your father summoned Mr. Xing to the main hall, and all the servants in the courtyard are waiting for orders in the back hall."

"Something happened?" Li Chen's eyes widened, and he asked curiously, "What happened?"

Madam Zou sighed softly, looking listless, and didn't want to say anything. "It's your father's job, it has nothing to do with you. Your most important task is to recover your health and then go to the study with Mr. Xing as soon as possible. Mr. Xing said that with your intelligence and vision, you could take the county examination as early as next year?"

Li Chen nodded in response, but then the topic was steered away.

This is his home. He didn't even get to enjoy the blessings before something happened. How can he feel at ease?

If it were truly a major event, how could an imperial edict not involve such matters?

Li Chen thought to himself, "Jia Yuanchun becoming the Virtuous Consort was the peak of the Rongguo Mansion's power after the death of the Duke of Rongguo, but it was only a flash in the pan, and it soon declined, eventually leaving behind a vast expanse of white and utterly desolate land."

“The Zhenyuan Marquis’s Mansion is still far behind the Rongguo Mansion, and even inferior to the Shi family, which has two marquises. Doesn’t that mean it will fall into ruin sooner?”

"That won't do. My cheat ability hasn't even started working yet. Let me develop it first, okay?"

Li Chen crawled out from under the couch, just like in his previous life. While massaging his mother Zou's shoulders and neck, he asked in a coquettish tone, "Mother, I'm not a child anymore. Of course, I have a part in the affairs of the manor. Even if I can't help, I should at least know something, right? You see, I haven't been going out to fight cocks and chase dogs like I used to. How can you still treat me like a naughty child?"

"Mother, I am also surnamed Li after all."

Zou was a doting mother, and after a short while, she gave in to Li Chen's nagging.

"Hmm, Chen'er has been much more well-behaved lately, to the point that I almost don't recognize him. Perhaps he really has grown up, and there are some things I keep from you that make you feel uneasy and anxious."

"I've told you this today, but don't mention it to your father. It has something to do with you, actually."

Li Chen put on his robe and came to the table to eat while listening to Zou Shi's story.

"Does this have anything to do with me?"

"Hmm. A while ago, you were neither good at literature nor martial arts, which angered your father so much that he rushed back from the camp and entrusted the task of purchasing cotton-padded clothes to the steward of the manor, Qiu San. But who would have thought that this old steward, who has been in the manor for thirty years, could cause trouble." Li Chen frowned slightly. Embezzlement of military supplies was no small matter. If it was before the task was completed, there was still room for maneuver, but if it was discovered, the censor could impeach his father and he would probably be imprisoned.

"How was it discovered?"

"Nobody expected your matter to be resolved so quickly. Your father only went to the Ministry of Works and saw that the winter clothes to be distributed to the military camps were completely out of style, so he temporarily put them aside. But with the twelfth lunar month approaching, how could the soldiers of the Beijing garrison not have cotton-padded clothes? They couldn't put them aside for too long..."

The more Zou Shi talked, the more worried she became. Just as she finished speaking, Li Chen finished eating.

First, he helped his mother to her feet. Li Chen had already made up his mind. "Mother, is it cheap... Is Father still in the hall?"

"Yes, they should still be discussing matters in the main hall."

"Then let's hurry, or it will be too late."

Zou stared wide-eyed in confusion at Li Chen, "You're going? What are you going to do there?"

"Go and give your father some advice."

With that, Li Chen turned and walked out.

"You're a strategist? Hey, don't rush out! Put on your cloak first. You silly child..."

……

The main hall of the Zhenyuan Marquis's residence.
The doors and windows of the hall were tightly closed. In the center, in front of a long, black lacquered table inlaid with mother-of-pearl, Marquis Zhenyuan sat upright in a grand chair with a furrowed brow.

Smoke curled from the cauldron behind him, pulsating slightly with his deep voice.

"Mr. Xing, what are your thoughts?"

At the lower end of the table sat two people, the other being Zhao Yiming, the Marquis's financial advisor, who could be considered a confidant of the Marquis of Zhenyuan.

At this moment, the tutor Xing Bingcheng was also discussing matters with the Marquis of Zhenyuan in the hall, naturally regarding this place as his residence.

In particular, he didn't want to give up on Li Chen, such a promising talent, so easily.

"Well, it is a great honor for the Marquis to invite me to this meeting. I am not very knowledgeable about the steward's affairs. But the falsified accounts alone are probably not enough to clear the Marquis's name. If we rashly report this to the authorities, the Marquis will be implicated. The most urgent task is perhaps to arrest the steward and interrogate him. If we can recover the stolen silver, there is a chance to make a big deal out of it."

Marquis Zhenyuan's face was as bronze as he sighed, "I would like to quell this matter, but with the year-end audits coming up, the Ministry of Revenue is under the jurisdiction of the Eighth Prince and is intentionally targeting us nobles. This... is probably not going to be easy."

After saying this, a look of disappointment flashed in the eyes of the Marquis of Zhenyuan.

If judged solely on academic knowledge, Xing Bingcheng, as a student receiving government stipends, is naturally the most learned among those present. However, when it comes to practical matters, one cannot expect this scholar, who has studied diligently for years, to have any profound insights.

Just as the Marquis of Zhenyuan was about to dismiss the two men and make further considerations on his own, a commotion arose from the corridor.

"Chen'er, stop fooling around. Your father is in a bad mood, why do you have to rush off to provoke him? Listen to your mother, go back and rest first."

“Mother, please don’t stop me. My cold is much better now. Look at my arms, I’m strong enough. What’s a little cold? Father, I know you’re still inside. I have a way to deal with that.”

When Marquis Zhenyuan raised his eyes, he looked at the two men from both sides. His face was ashen, and his brows furrowed even more deeply.

"My son is usually spoiled, please forgive him."

Zhao Yiming was an old hand in the household and knew the second young master's temperament well. Since returning from the countryside, he had always heard people say that the second young master had changed his ways, but now, seeing him, he was still the same as before.

Xing Bingcheng was slightly tempted and advised, "My lord, why not let the young master in to speak? The young master's thoughts are boundless, and I must admit that there are some things that even I cannot keep up with."

Marquis Zhenyuan twitched his lips, feeling that the praise at this moment was like an insult, a slap in the face. "Sir, you flatter me. He cannot bear such praise."

Marquis Zhenyuan did not want to let his son in and embarrass himself, but Xing Bingcheng repeatedly emphasized, "Young Master's knowledge and vision are no longer those of a child. Your Excellency may wish to invite Young Master to the hall."

"Fine, let's just listen to whatever nonsense he wants to spout."

Zhao Yiming was also happy to watch the excitement for a while longer, to see if the纨绔 (playboy) of the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion was truly a dragon lurking in the abyss.

After seeing that the Marquis of Zhenyuan had agreed, Xing Bingcheng personally stepped forward to remove the door bolt and let Li Chen in.

Therefore, Madam Zou could no longer stop him. After exchanging greetings with Xing Bingcheng, she whispered a reminder: "Don't spout nonsense in front of the hall. If you anger your father, he'll punish you severely."

"Don't worry, Mother, I'm really not here to cause trouble."

Li Chen entered the hall and greeted everyone. His gaze then fell upon the several account books placed on each person's desk.

"Father, may I have a look?"

Li Chen didn't wait for a reply before picking up the ledger and quickly flipping through it.

Half an incense stick later, Marquis Zhenyuan lost his patience and asked in a muffled voice, "If you have nothing to say, go back. This is not your business. Now that you are better, go with Mr. Xing to study the classics this afternoon."

Li Chen certainly couldn't imitate that, or he would be exposed.

Li Chen closed the last ledger with both hands, picked up the abacus beside him, and quickly manipulated the beads, making a clattering sound.

"The cost of winter clothing mainly comes from the fabric and cotton. The difference in warehousing, transportation, and labor costs is not significant. In the past three years, the average price of a winter garment was 2.5 taels, but this year the price is 1.8 taels. This inevitably leads to the substitution of inferior goods for superior ones."

"Moreover, winter came earlier this year, the cotton harvest is not as good as last year, and costs have increased."

"According to the records, if the cotton purchased this year were to fill the same amount of cloth, the thickness of each cotton-padded coat would be less than 60% of that in previous years."

"This isn't winter clothing, it's clearly an autumn shirt!!"

Upon hearing this, the three grown men in the hall gradually stopped breathing.

The Marquis of Zhenyuan stared with what looked like a pair of bull's eyes...

(End of this chapter)