The Red Mansion: From a Small Pawn to a Leader

The house leak happened to rain overnight, and the ship was late and hit the wind again.

What you fear will come true. The sky is already bright, but the rain is still falling.

The most feared thing about summer wheat harvest is rainy weather. This is not the later times. There are no mechanical equipment. Wheat harvesting is done manually. It takes about a month to harvest, dry and thresh wheat during the busy farming season. If the newly harvested wheat is not dried in time, it is easy to sprout and mold, and it can no longer be eaten.

The days passed quickly after returning home. Three days had passed in the blink of an eye, and Li Hu's body and mind, which were exhausted by the war, finally relaxed.

Li Hu had no habit of sleeping in, so he got up early and was practicing Tai Chi slowly under the eaves of the main house.

At this time, Amber came out with her hair loose and said softly, "Second Master, the bath water is ready."

Li Hu finished his move and turned to walk towards the green gauze cabinet.

Amber followed closely and said as she walked, "Let Xiangling help Second Master take a bath."

Li Hu turned around and asked, "What's wrong?"

Amber hesitated and replied, "I just took a shower."

Li Hu smiled: "Then wash it again."

Amber's face turned red: "Second Master, please forgive me."

Li Hu pinched her face in annoyance and said, "Please don't make me act like a sex-hungry ghost!" Then he turned around and walked into the green gauze cabinet.

Amber smiled, turned around and walked outside the warm room, lifted the curtain and called out loudly: "Xiangling, Xiangling."

Xiangling came out of the warm room with her hair loose and her shoes on, buttoning her clothes. She looked sleepy and said, "What did you call me for, sister? Is it time to eat so soon? I haven't even washed up yet."

Amber laughed angrily: "What are you eating! Go help the Second Master take a bath."

Xiangling said "Oh" and walked towards the green gauze cupboard while buttoning her clothes.

After taking a comfortable bath, Li Hu sat on a bamboo chair under the eaves of the main entrance porch, flipping through the documents that had just been delivered, and said, "I'm not going out today, so just tie it with a hairband."

Xiangling: "I see." She picked up the comb from the box and gently combed Li Hu's hair from front to back, saying: "This rain is really coming at a bad time."

Li Hu looked at the document and smiled, "The emperor is not anxious, but the eunuch is. Why are you worrying about it?"

Xiangling smiled and said, "Second Master, you are wrong. I am worried about the common people, not the emperor."

Li Hu: "Then you don't have to worry. This year, all the summer grain in the north has been bought by the court."

Xiangling was shocked: "They bought it all? That's too much! I heard from my mother that even if you have money, you may not be able to buy food nowadays."

Li Hu asked with a smile: "How come your mother knows everything?"

Xiangling smiled and replied, "On the Dragon Boat Festival the day before yesterday, the nuns from the Muni Temple came to give us offerings, prayer beads, amulets, etc. My mother heard about this from them."

Li Hu: "The nuns from the Muni Temple? When did our family have any contact with them?"

Xiangling was slightly startled: "Second Master doesn't know?"

Li Hu paused as he flipped through the document: "Know what?"

Xiangling combed her hair gently while whispering, "After the Second Master left for the war, the young lady sent Nanny Wang and my mother to various temples to worship the Bodhisattva and pray for the Second Master. In addition to offering incense and candles, they also lit large sea lamps, using seven catties of oil and one catty of lamp grass every day. Every month, people from various temples would come to collect the total amount and withdraw silver."

Li Hu's heart was bleeding. There were so many temples in the capital. How much money would it cost? Forget it. As long as Lin Daiyu was happy, the money was to be spent on his wife. Well, including the property given by Fu Kang'an, he made about 1.2 to 3 million in less than a year. The war was indeed a huge profit.

Xiangling suddenly remembered: "Oh, right, I heard from my mother that the sea lanterns lit by the concubines in the Nan'an County Prince's Mansion were only slightly smaller than the jar, and they needed 48 kilograms of lamp oil a day. What a big wish that must have been made!"

Li Hu sneered. What else could he wish for? He just wished that nothing would happen to the southern border. He had heard that the Prince of Nan'an sucked the blood of his soldiers and ate empty salaries. No wonder he lost the battle in the original novel and was captured alive by the prince. Thinking of this, Li Hu turned out another official document. His face changed at first glance and he shouted angrily, "Zhongshun Wang, you stupid dog. The Mongolian cavalry is best at archery, not frontal field combat!"

"what happened?"

Lin Daiyu came in from the moon gate of the courtyard, wearing a cloak and holding Xueyan's hand. Behind her was a housekeeper holding a green silk umbrella.

Li Hu immediately stood up with a smile: "My sister is here. Ouch~"

Xiangling's face turned pale and she said, "It's not me." There were several strands of hair floating on the comb in her hand.

Li Hu turned around and glared at her: "I said it was you!"

Lin Daiyu came over, understood at a glance, and sneered, "You are so old, but you are still so irritable. Sit down, I will comb your hair for you." As she said that, she took the comb from Xiangling.

Xiangling bowed to Lin Daiyu gratefully and stepped aside.

Lin Daiyu helped Li Hu sit down and combed his hair from front to back, asking, "What's got you so angry?"

Li Hu shook the document in his hand and said, "That fool, Prince Zhongshun, actually ordered the Mongolian cavalry to attack the infantry phalanx of the White Lotus Rebellion. The Mongolian cavalry is a light cavalry that is good at archery, not a heavy cavalry. If he fights like this, no matter how many cavalry there are, they will not be able to withstand the attack! No, I want to go to the palace and tie my hair up! Amber, bring me my official uniform!"

Lin Daiyu: "Hubo, send someone to the kitchen and ask them to bring breakfast over here."

Li Hu turned his head, but was pushed back by Lin Daiyu. She put down the comb, took out the hairband from the box, and then tied Li Hu's hair with the hairband, making a beautiful knot.

Lin Daiyu sighed softly, "Why are you confused at this time? The court sent the Mongolian cavalry south to consume them on the battlefield. Although King Zhongshun's actions may seem like revenge against you, he is indeed implementing the court's strategy. The battle is won, and the Mongolian cavalry is consumed, and everyone is happy."

"Fuck!" Li Hu threw the document in his hand to the ground.

Amber, who had been standing inside the door holding her official uniform and observing the situation, came out at this time. She had to listen to Li Hu and Lin Daiyu. She couldn't afford to offend anyone, so she could only wait.

Amber walked up to Li Hu holding the official uniform and said, "Second Master, the official uniform."

Li Hu said unhappily: "What's there to serve as an official? Just eat! Every day, none of them is worry-free." As he said that, he bent down and picked up the documents.

Amber looked at Lin Daiyu.

Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "Don't worry about him. He will be fine after a while."

Amber: "Yes." She quickly told the maid to go to the kitchen and bring the official uniform back.

Lin Daiyu: "It's windy, let's go inside and talk."

Li Hu said "hmm" and walked in with Lin Daiyu in his arms.

Here, the third prince was also looking through official documents, but his face was full of smiles.

The third prince stood up and said, "Well done, Prince Zhongshun." He walked back and forth, saying, "The Mongols are not fools. This is an opportunity."

Steward: "The Court's Strategy"

The Third Prince waved his hand and said, "Don't pay any attention to him. Once Shui Rong conquers Yangzhou and other places, the palace will be too busy to care about anything else."

The butler hesitated for a moment and said, "But these Mongolian cavalry are Li Hu's old subordinates."

The third prince didn't care at all: "So what! The saints set the legal system. The king is the king and the ministers are the ministers. The saints also said that if the king wants the minister to die, the minister must die. When I ascend to the throne of the crown prince and set the status of king and minister, I, Li Hu, will be the meat on the chopping board. Those who obey me will prosper, and those who disobey me will perish!"

Hearing this, the housekeeper blinked his eyes wildly. He was dreaming in broad daylight! (End of this chapter)