Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 145: Funeral in the Imperial City
Early the next morning,

Yue Ling was helped to dress by Qin Keqing, but she looked a little sleepy and yawned from time to time.

"Ke'er, what's wrong with you? Didn't you get enough rest last night?"

Qin Keqing, who was tying Yue Ling's belt, recalled what she had done in the tent last night, and a blush gradually appeared on her face.

But in front of Yue Ling, Qin Keqing waved her hands and said stubbornly, "It's okay, it's okay. I thought the master would be away for a year or two, but he came back in two days. I was just as excited as Ruizhu and Baozhu, and I couldn't sleep."

Out of work instinct, Yue Ling has the ability to observe details.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Qin Keqing's waving hand just now, and her fingertips were slightly wrinkled. He couldn't help but ask again, "What's going on? When you massaged my body last night, your fingers were still delicate and tender."

Seeing Yue Ling pinching her left middle finger, Qin Keqing hurriedly pulled it back, lowered her head in embarrassment, and said, "It's okay, Master. It's just that when we were getting familiar with each other just now, my hand was soaked for a little too long."

"Is it really okay?"

Qin Keqing lowered her head and stammered, "It's really okay."

While the two were still struggling, they heard a continuous sound of bells outside the window.

The little girls were extremely panicked and all gathered around Yue Ling. Even Lin Daiyu came out of her room.

"Brother Yue, what's going on outside?"

Yue Ling identified the direction and said with a gloomy face: "Something must have happened in the palace. The bell keeps ringing, so it can only be that His Majesty has passed away."

The women were shocked when they heard this.

Yue Ling rubbed their heads and comforted them, saying, "Don't panic, it has nothing to do with you. Sister Lin, ask the servants in your house to hang white silk outside the porches and doors. If you don't understand, ask the old nanny how to observe the national mourning etiquette."

"Zijuan, Ruizhu, come and help me change into plain clothes."

With Yue Ling, the family has a backbone, and they will not panic even when facing any emergency.

Everyone was busy doing things according to Yue Ling's instructions. Qin Keqing stood outside alone, looking a little confused.

Yue Ling glanced at her and said, "You didn't sleep well, so go back to your room and rest. You don't need to do anything in the mansion. When you have enough sleep, go and accompany Sister Lin."

Qin Keqing nodded awkwardly and handed over the good job of helping Yue Ling put on his clothes again to someone else.

Then, Qin Keqing reluctantly returned to her room...

……

imperial city,

The Yulin Guards under the Xuanwu Gate all wore plain clothes over their armor, and a white flag was raised on the city gate tower. It was self-evident what had happened in the palace.

All the officials fell silent, dressed in plain clothes and walked into the city gate with their heads lowered.

When we arrived at the Hall of Supreme Harmony, we saw the King of Qin in a plain robe, sitting behind a long desk under the dragon throne.

The King of Qin looked very bad, and his eyes were even bloodshot.

After all the officials were present, Dai Quan read out the news of Emperor Yuan Qing's death and the subsequent mourning regulations in the capital.

All the officials knew that Emperor Yuanqing had always been wary of the King of Qin. Only when the situation was beyond his control and all the officials thought they were overwhelmed would they hand it over to the King of Qin to clean up the mess.

It was also thanks to Emperor Yuanqing that the King of Qin fought many battles in the first half of his life. Even though he was much healthier than most people, he still suffered many hidden injuries. After the poisoned wine incident, he was much worse than before.

Even on the Liaodong battlefield, he fell into dangerous situations several times and almost lost his life.

If the King of Qin planned to keep the funeral simple, none of the officials would have any complaints.

Emperor Yuanqing's treatment of King Qin was unfair from the beginning.

But the King of Qin did not do so. Adhering to the word "filial piety", the King of Qin still planned to hold a grand funeral for Emperor Yuan Qing.

"…Ministers and officials of various ministries and agencies shall fast in their respective offices, and other idle officials shall fast outside Xuande Gate every day. Within 27 months, close relatives of the royal family shall not marry or have children; distant relatives of the royal family and princes and ministers in Beijing shall also follow this ban within one year. Neither of them shall be allowed to hold banquets…"

After Dai Quan finished reading the regulations, the King of Qin said, "The late emperor passed away, and the whole world mourns. Seven days later, I will preside over the funeral in this Hall of Supreme Harmony to express my grief and honor the late emperor's virtue. The Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Internal Affairs will prepare for all matters and strive for perfection."

All the officials bowed their heads and saluted, "Your Highness is a model of filial piety for the world and a blessing to all the people."

After the court affairs were finished, Yue Ling was led to the side hall by the eunuch.

In the room, Prince Qin sat behind the desk with a frown on his face. When he saw Yue Ling, he slowly let out a breath.

"Give me a seat."

Dai Quan at the side took out the embroidered silk slipper, wiped it a few times with his sleeve, and handed it to Yue Ling.

Yue Ling nodded and took it.

"Your Highness, please take care of yourself."

The King of Qin nodded and said, "Originally, I planned to hold a celebration banquet for you after returning to the city, and then reward you handsomely for your military achievements, but now I have to postpone it."

Yue Ling shook his head and said, "Your Highness, you worry too much. The previous emperor passed away, and everything has to give way. It's just a celebration banquet, so it's not worth mentioning. Your Highness, you have to work hard recently. Don't worry about all the complicated things."

After Emperor Yuanqing died, in addition to the funeral, the coronation ceremony had to be organized as soon as possible after the national mourning period. How could one not be overwhelmed by having to handle these two major events in succession?

The King of Qin nodded slightly and sighed.

Thinking of Emperor Yuan Qing's last words, the King of Qin wanted to take this opportunity to explain his intentions to Yue Ling, but when the words came to his lips, he swallowed them back.

Even though he had told the Crown Princess about his plan not long ago, the Crown Princess felt that it was too unfair to Yue Ling. How could he say it out loud?

The King of Qin came from a military background and knew how hard it was to gain military merit. He also knew the pressure of commanding an army of 200,000 to defend a city, especially the capital.

But even though he had made such an extraordinary contribution, he still persuaded Yue Ling to leave the capital. This would make him feel disappointed. How could he not be suspicious that he was about to do the same as "When the birds are all gone, the bows are put away; when the rabbit is dead, the dogs are cooked."

The King of Qin had originally returned three months late, and at this moment, he felt even more guilty.

Seeing that the King of Qin hesitated several times, Yue Ling could not help but wonder, "Your Highness, if there is anything difficult to do, please speak up and I will do my best."

The King of Qin still couldn't overcome his inner feelings. He waved his hands, sighed again, and said, "Forget it. There is nothing for you to do now, so go back first. Let others handle the affairs of the government first. You can rest at home for a few more days."

Yue Ling cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."

The King of Qin and Dai Quan signaled, "Send him off."

"As ordered."

After leaving the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the two walked in the corridor again, with completely different moods from the last time.

The two people who were originally strangers had become much more familiar with each other after sharing hardships for several months.

Yue Ling asked bluntly, "Chief Steward Dai, I wonder what His Highness was trying to say just now?"

Dai Quan certainly knew what the King of Qin was thinking, and he was beside Emperor Yuan Qing when he was dying, so he certainly knew what was going on. Even though he knew everything, he didn't dare to interfere and speak lightly on the Emperor's will.

"I can't really say for sure. Perhaps it's not the right occasion at the moment. I'll tell you next time you come to the palace."

Now that Emperor Yuan Qing has passed away, it is indeed not the time to consider other things.

Yue Ling nodded repeatedly, thinking it made sense.

Yue Ling has had some worries on his mind lately and he can sympathize with King Qin.

"Who is the person behind the scenes in the capital?"

Thinking that Dai Quan was the actual controller of the Jinyiwei, Yue Ling suddenly had an idea, "Yes, I can ask Dai Quan indirectly. The Jinyiwei has branches in various places, and they are in charge of the news of the world."

"Butler Dai, can I ask you something else?"

"Except for the affairs of the palace, there is nothing to worry about."

Yue Ling secretly rolled his eyes, "This old guy is indeed cautious in his actions. He even guards against himself."

Pursing his lips, Yue Ling asked carefully, "Manager Dai, have you received any news about child trafficking, or human trafficking? Where is it most concentrated across the country?"

Hearing Yue Ling asking about people's livelihood, Dai Quan was puzzled as to what he was thinking, but he still stopped to think for a moment and replied, "The most concentrated, it's hard to say, the current situation is turbulent, everywhere is uneasy, and it happens repeatedly."

"But there are two places that are too uneasy. One is Gusu in Liangzhe, and the other is Cangzhou, where we just got the news."

"Cangzhou?"

Dai Quan nodded slightly. "The local forces are so powerful and deep-rooted that even if the Jinyiwei found out, they would not dare to act rashly, for fear of alerting the enemy. These people who have no king and no father, the more turbulent the country is, the more chaos they will cause."

Yue Ling also sighed, "Indeed."

Thinking of Dai Quan's current situation, Yue Ling asked with concern: "What are your plans next, Chief Steward Dai?"

Dai Quan understood what Yue Ling meant and shook his head, saying, "I already have a way to go back. When the imperial mausoleum was being repaired, the Ministry of Works built an extra thatched cottage. I will continue to accompany the late emperor there during my remaining time."

Patting Yue Ling on the shoulder, Dai Quan said earnestly, "You are an old minister of His Highness's residence, and you are capable of doing great things. You should be more energetic and create a prosperous world with His Highness."

Yue Ling smiled and said, "Butler Dai is too petty. When I praised Butler Dai, we were not familiar with each other. Why are you praising me again? Never mind. I will go back first. Take care of yourself."

Dai Quan also smiled and stood under the eaves, watching Yue Ling's figure gradually disappear into the distance, sighing.

……

Yue Ling was on his way home. When he turned the corner of the alley, he saw a doorman waiting outside. He rushed to the main gate, dismounted and asked, "What's the matter?"

Seeing that it was the master, the doorman hurried forward and replied, "Master, the Rongguo Mansion has sent an invitation, hoping that the master and Miss Lin will go together."

Yue Ling accepted the invitation and took a quick look to find that it was sent in the name of two old masters.

Moreover, it was also written above that it was the Duke of Rong, Jia Daishan, who wanted to take a look at his granddaughter, Lin Daiyu.

It seems that Jia Daishan dotes on Jia Min and values ​​Lin Ruhai very much, so it is natural for him to be concerned about his granddaughter Lin Daiyu.

Since these two pillars of the Jia family came to invite him, Yue Ling naturally had to give them some face.

It was a national mourning and apart from discussing serious matters, no banquets were allowed. There was no reason for Yue Ling not to go.

"Okay, I'll take it first. Tell Miss Lin to go in the room. I'll go with her."

Before long, a blue-roofed carriage drove out of the room and Yue Ling got on it.

In the carriage, Zijuan and Xueyan accompanied Lin Daiyu.

Xueyan pouted and was very unhappy when she heard that she was going to Jia's house. This was because she had not left a good impression on this little girl during her previous visits to Jia's house.

Zijuan was very nervous, feeling like she was sitting on pins and needles, which made Yue Ling's mouth curl up slightly.

Only Lin Daiyu was as quiet as a virgin, with her brows slightly furrowed and her lips slightly pursed, as if she was thinking about something.

"What are you thinking about?"

Yue Ling sat opposite Lin Daiyu and reached out to the warm basin in the carriage to warm himself up.

Lin Daiyu shook her head gently. "I've heard mother mention grandpa several times, and her words were mostly full of respect. Besides, grandpa was born a military commander, I'm afraid he wouldn't like my weak appearance."

Yue Ling frowned, and felt that Lin Daiyu's worries were a bit stereotypical. Could it be that warriors can only like women with big butts and thick waists?

"I think you worry too much. As a person of the old master, how could he embarrass a junior like you?"

"Besides, Sister Lin is very pretty and has an outstanding appearance. How could anyone not like her?"

Lin Daiyu blushed slightly, feeling that Brother Yue was talking nonsense.

Lin Daiyu stroked her cheek and sighed, "It was my mother's last wish to see grandpa. I should go visit grandpa and fulfill my mother's wish."

Yue Ling rubbed her head and said, "You are so powerful in the mansion, but why are you so nervous when you go out? You are worried about everything. You are not worthy of your position as the chief steward of the Yue Mansion. Although our mansion does not have a title, it is not much worse than the Rongguo Mansion. Don't worry, I'm here."

Lin Daiyu nodded slightly and finally smiled again.

……

Jiamuyuan,
Baoyu, who was in the left wing, was now being helped by Xiren and several maids to dress himself.

The only difference was that the clothes she wore on a normal day were different from those she wore on a normal day. She was now wearing a dress embroidered with a golden crown, and she looked very radiant.

"Master, why did you ask us to dress you up like this? The whole city is in mourning, and you can't go out dressed like this."

After tying the silver belt with pearls on Jia Baoyu's neck, Xiren asked him kindly.

Jia Baoyu waved his hands and whispered, "Of course I know I can't go out, and I won't go out. I'll stay in this mansion."

Seeing Baoyu acting mysterious, Xiren couldn't help asking, "Is there someone coming to the mansion? That's why you are dressed like this?"

Baoyu had learned from the servant at the second gate that the mansion had sent an invitation to Yue's house this morning, and that his cousin Lin Daiyu, whom he had been thinking about all the time, was coming.

Thinking of that fairy-like appearance again, Baoyu couldn't help but feel moved.

"Although Yue Ling has made great achievements in the war, a beautiful girl like Lin Daiyu would definitely not like a crude warrior. He is covered in dirty blood, which will definitely bring bad luck to Lin Daiyu."

"Before this, Sister Lin must have been deceived by him. When she learned of his tyranny today, she would naturally regret leaving him and would definitely miss the peace and stability of Rongguo Mansion. This time, I will definitely seize the opportunity to free Sister Lin from this."

Looking at his appearance in the mirror again, Jia Baoyu raised the corners of his mouth confidently.

"Only someone as beautiful as me can be with Sister Lin."

　感谢书友69144、X无语孤客、I白鸦I、逸尘奏、。。。、alexguyan、可恶的小明哥、草张宏燕、狡诈大苹果、携月揽星辰、自动化好像你、无惢、悠与穹、书友09748、Kaysero018、书友56466、日久成老婆、衔蝉、无烨、想去看看幻想中的世界、君夜缔、邯郸剑神、阿莫西邻、I-I4I-I、看好大一座山、羡洛河、吹过山岗的清风的月票，感谢大佬道友请留步的打赏，感谢大家的支持！

　　
　
(End of this chapter)