Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 316 Xue Baoqin's First Lesson

In a blink of an eye, such a big change happened suddenly, making both sides open their eyes wide and be shocked.

Not only did the centurions jump up and scramble to rescue Yue Ling and subdue the murderer, but several Japanese were also disheartened. After this incident, they were afraid that their lives would be in danger.

Xue Ke was even more frightened by this sudden scene. When he thought of his sister in front of him, he immediately called out.

Only the assailant had a sinister smile on his face, staring at Yue Ling's face, but he saw that the "one of their own" who had just questioned them suddenly stood guard over Yue Ling.

If his hands had not been tied tightly, he would have really beaten his chest and sighed, wondering how could there be a woman who did not value her own life and was willing to die for someone else?
"Master Hou!"

"younger sister!"

"Marquis An Jing is the most powerful general in Dachang. If I can save his life by dying, it will be totally worth it! What, this guy!"

But the next second, the situation reversed, which surprised everyone even more.

Yue Ling's hand, which had been hidden under his robe, shook his robe and hugged Xue Baoqin around the waist. He turned his back to the arrow and not only rolled up the arrow to deflect its trajectory, but also carried his sword backwards on his body to block the poisoned arrow.

After the crisp sound of metal clashing, the arrow that collided with the sword fell straight to the ground.

Everyone was so shocked that they stopped what they were doing, and the murderer couldn't understand how Marquis An Jing could have such martial arts skills.
"how come?"

Xue Baoqin, who had originally stepped forward, kept her eyes closed and dared not open them after she stood up, as if waiting for an arrow to shoot into her body.

She didn't feel any pain until the crisp sound. After a moment, Xue Baoqin's slightly moist eyes became clear. When she realized that she was held in Yue Ling's arms and her cheek was resting on his chest, Xue Baoqin's body trembled slightly. She felt mixed emotions and didn't know what to do.

Yue Ling exhaled deeply, released Xue Baoqin, who had not yet come to her senses, and brought her to Xue Ke's side.

"Take her downstairs to calm her down first, and come back later."

Xue Ke was frightened to the point of breaking out in a cold sweat, and his clothes on his back were soaked. Upon hearing Yue Ling's call, he bowed and thanked him repeatedly, "Okay, thank you, Lord Marquis, for saving my life."

Yue Ling waved his hands and looked at Xue Baoqin's blushing cheeks. She was still in a daze, completely different from her previous cleverness. He couldn't help but laugh.

"I never thought that one day I would be protected by a little girl."

His mind was in a daze for a moment, and many centurions had already gathered around him, asking about his situation.

"Master Hou, are you okay?"

"My Lord, it was our negligence. Please punish us for our negligence."

"..."

Yue Ling patted the shoulder of a person nearby and comforted everyone, "When this person came in, I noticed that his mouth shape was a bit strange. When he spoke, his mouth was only slightly open, so I was already on guard."

Only Xue Baoqin's sudden step forward caught him off guard. Otherwise, he would have killed the man in the throat with a sword before the arrow was completely spit out of his mouth, instead of taking such a risky approach.

The next moment, Yue Ling held the sword upside down, with the sword slightly tilted to one side, and it emitted a layer of cold light under the candlelight.

Yue Ling strode forward, seemingly explaining to the captains behind him, but in fact he was also speaking to these Japanese.

"Originally I had no intention of letting them leave alive, but this man helped me and gave me a good reason, so I should thank him."

With a flash of cold light, a head fell to the ground on the spot, with an expression of disbelief on its face, and its eyes could not close completely until death.

He couldn't imagine how ridiculous his little trick was in Yue Ling's eyes.

Instantly, blood spurted out like a column and a fishy smell filled the room.

Several Japanese were so frightened that their faces turned pale and they shrank towards the corner unconsciously. Some of them even smelled fishy from their crotches.

They were able to tell the truth. They had wanted to survive in the first place, but now that they couldn't, they were of course terrified.

Yue Ling approached with a sword in hand, like a Shura from hell. His face was as cold as frost, and the white air coming out of his mouth was more like cold air. "After you go down, hate him if you want to. He is the one who doesn't want you to live."

After a few sword strikes, Yue Ling killed all the people with his own hands, and then used the silk handed by the centurion to wipe the blood off the sword bit by bit.

Looking around at everyone, Yue Ling said earnestly: "Although I did this on purpose, you were careless in the process of checking the prisoners. Considering that you have just joined the army, I will not punish you this time. You must be careful in the future."

"Not only when you are doing my work, but also when you are doing your own work, even when you are giving orders to your subordinates to do things, you must be cautious."

All the captains bowed their hands, with shame on their faces, and responded one after another.

"As ordered."

After slowly letting out a breath, Yue Ling turned to the main topic: "Since we know there is a spring in the general's mansion, we only need to cut off the spring water to achieve our goal. After the water is cut off, the enemy will collapse without a fight."

The centurions looked at each other, somewhat at a loss.

This sounds simple, but it can block the spring water from underground, which makes it sound like a fairy tale. What kind of magic is this, moving mountains and filling the sea?

Seeing everyone's surprised looks, Yue Ling smiled and shook his head, then explained carefully: "There are no mountains here, it's a pothole-filled place, this spring water can only come from underground."

"This is an island. The spring water will not flow more than three meters deep. We just need to dig through the ground and divert the water to another place."

The centurions understood half of what was said, but out of caution, they continued to ask, "Then, Lord, how can we find where this underground spring flows?"

Yue Ling pointed to the ground and said, "Look at the ground."

"Observe the General's Mansion in a circle. The place where the grass and trees grow best must be where the spring water flows. We will search overnight and cut off the spring water. Within three days, the General's Mansion will fall without a fight."

The centurions were cheered up, and everyone wanted to redeem themselves for their crimes, so they immediately took orders and went out, planning to investigate all night.

Yue Ling returned to his original seat and sat upright, secretly thinking about the future fate of Shuangyu Island.

The topography here is extremely suitable for export as a trade destination, and it happens to be on the north-south sea route, making it a supply station for sea transportation.

If they used fire attack, or even something more sinister like throwing all the corpses into the city to cause a plague, they could break into the city, but the city would no longer be usable.

Since he gained the most and suffered the least loss, Yue Ling could only think of this clever way to break into the city.

The surrounding reinforcements are no match for the Cangzhou army. After taking down the general's mansion and settling in for a day, they can return to Suzhou.

I think Sister Lin must be very worried these days.

Thinking of this, Yue Ling sat up and walked out.

There is still a little girl who has not been taken care of. After all, she has a good heart. If he does not accept this kindness, he will not be Yue Ling.

……

Not far from the house, in a newly cleaned room, there was a candle that dimly lit the room.

Xue Baoqin sat on the bed in a daze, still a little dazed for a moment.

She had never expected that war could be so cruel. Even though she had traveled extensively with her father, across oceans, and even to countries like India that many people had never heard of, and had seen strange animals, she still saw clearly the evil of human nature this time.

One second he is begging you to spare his life with a friendly face, and the next second he is about to take your life.

This huge contrast really taught a lesson to the little girl who was not even old enough to come of age.

She thought she was in complete control of the situation at the time and was feeling very proud of herself.

Usually, it was Daddy and brother who were in charge of things outside. They had seen many backstabbings and fickle things, but for Xue Baoqin, this was the first time.

Xue Ke, who was sitting quietly at the side, had been frowning since he entered the room. He raised and lowered his fists several times, and finally couldn't help but said: "How dare you? You are my only relative. If anything happens to you, how can I explain to my deceased parents?"

"Next time, can you not be so impulsive? With such high martial arts skills, how could An Jinghou not be able to see through this little trick and not have any self-defense skills?"

Xue Baoqin remained silent. She had no idea why she suddenly stood up.

She had not yet fully appreciated the beauty of this world, and she was certainly timid, but she knew that she did not stand up on impulse at that moment.

Xue Baoqin raised her head and asked, "If I don't block it, will the arrow hit the Marquis in the face?"

Xue Ke suppressed his anger and asked, "Did the arrow hit the Marquis?"

The result-oriented approach is of course not the correct way of analysis. Xue Baoqin, who is very eloquent, argued on the spot: "It was not ejaculated on me either."

"you!"

Xue Ke slammed the table and stood up, pointing at the stubborn Xue Baoqin, his fingers trembling with anger as he said, "Well, you've grown up, and I, as your brother, can no longer discipline you."

"But as your brother, I have to remind you that you are already engaged, so don't have any improper thoughts about the Marquis!"

Xue Baoqin curled her lips and thought to herself, "Then the engagement was made before I was born. Can it be counted?"

Xue Ke, who grew up with his sister, could tell what she was thinking just by looking at her evasive eyes.

"The other party didn't cancel the engagement because we lost our father. They have given the Xue family enough face. What will happen if you don't recognize it? If the news gets out, will the Xue family still have the word 'faith'?"

"What did father teach us when he was alive? The word 'imperial merchant' does not mean 'emperor', but 'merchant'! Being a businessman means having trust first." Xue Baoqin gradually fell silent, and there was less light in her eyes.

Seeing tears welling up in his sister's eyes, Xue Ke couldn't bear to continue talking. He softened his tone and said, "I know you have always admired Marquis An Jing. After meeting Marquis An Jing today, my previous impression has changed. It turns out that hearsay cannot be trusted."

Xue Baoqin rubbed her eyes, raised her head in surprise, and asked, "Brother, what did you hear? Is it different from what I heard? The Marquis became famous in the battle of Xuanwu Gate, held the capital and led an army of 200,000 to defeat the northern barbarians, and created Cangzhou, the first city south of the capital. Every rumor is true."

Xue Ke was a little speechless for a moment, and quickly changed the subject: "Marquis An Jing is indeed very capable, and is a unique young talent in the world, but he is also about to be married by His Majesty, to the beloved daughter of the Salt Inspector Lin. Rumor has it that they have lived together for several years. How can you interfere with their relationship that is stronger than gold?"

"Moreover, Miss Lin has been famous for her talent since she was young. She is not inferior to you in both talent and appearance."

Xue Baoqin raised her eyebrows and refuted in her heart: "Then why did my sister get in on it, get along with Miss Lin like a sister, and live with the Marquis?"

Thinking of this, Xue Baoqin's face instantly turned red. She was so anxious that she kicked her feet hard on the edge of the bed twice, "Brother! What are you talking about? When did I interfere with the relationship between Miss Lin and the Marquis?"

Xue Baoqin felt that it was not enough to just say this, so she jumped off the bed, stood in front of Xue Ke, and glared at him, saying, "Whether your sister is engaged or not, she is still a young girl. How could you have a brother who would tarnish her innocence like this?"

"Marquis Anjing is just handsome, talented, able to recite poetry, skilled in martial arts, able to command armies, a close minister of the emperor, a young marquis, and a great reputation. How could I fall in love with him at first sight?"

"I have seen the world."

Xue Ke felt quite helpless. His sister had listed all the good qualities of the other person so comprehensively, yet he was still being stubborn.

"Just make sure you know what's going on."

Xue Baoqin pouted and said, "Of course I knew. The Marquis must have guessed that there was something wrong with that person, but he wanted to see me make a fool of myself. At that time, I was thinking about my funeral and I even cried."

"So why should I still like the Marquis? I definitely won't like the Marquis! If I fall in love with the Marquis, I will, I will, I will..."

My sister paused halfway through her words, and her voice became increasingly weaker, losing the momentum she had at the beginning.

Xue Ke looked up and saw Xue Baoqin staring blankly outside the door with her hand hanging in the air, which then dropped down awkwardly after a moment.

At the same time, Yue Ling came in with a food box and said with a smile, "You probably haven't had a meal since you first came here. It's wartime now, and there's nothing delicious to eat. I got some food from the firemen for you two. Eat it while it's hot."

Seeing that it was Yue Ling who came in person to see him off, Xue Ke really attached great importance to them. He did not dare to neglect him and immediately stood up to greet him.

"Thank you for saving my sister. This is a great favor to my second branch of the Xue family. Don't worry, I will do my best to repay you. If you need anything in the future, please send someone to let me know."

Yue Ling nodded to Xue Ke, but did not hand the food box to Xue Ke. Instead, he placed the food box on the table naturally, as if he did not care at all about what Xue Baoqin had said before, showing his closeness and friendship to the Xue family.

But the door of this room was not closed at all, there was only a felt curtain hung for warmth, and of course it was not soundproof.

Moreover, Xue Baoqin was very emotional just now and her voice was not soft and gentle, so how could Yue Ling not hear it?

Red clouds quickly flew across Xue Baoqin's face. She wanted to explain, but she stammered, "My Lord, I..."

Yue Ling waved his hand and said, "Let's stop talking nonsense and have our meal first."

Seeing that Yue Ling seemed to be deliberately ignoring her, Xue Baoqin suddenly felt a sense of loss. If she didn't make it clear at this moment, it seemed that she would never have the chance to face Yue Ling again.

Xue Baoqin hurriedly pulled Xue Ke's sleeve, turned his back and whispered, "Brother, you haven't gone to the bathroom yet. Go to the bathroom before dinner."

Xue Ke frowned and said inwardly, "You have to say something behind your brother's back? Is there any sister who would frame her brother like you?"

Xue Ke had a thousand things to say, but looking at his sister's pleading eyes, he felt helpless.

"Okay, then tell me quickly, and don't forget what I just said!"

Xue Ke turned around and smiled awkwardly, "Forgive me for my rudeness, but I have to be careful. Lord, please allow me to leave for a while."

Yue Ling nodded, "If that's the case, then I'll leave first."

"Eh!"

Xue Baoqin called out hurriedly, causing both men to turn around.

Xue Baoqin realized that something was wrong, but it was too late. She hurriedly signaled to her brother to leave quickly.

After Xue Ke left in a huff, Xue Baoqin bowed and said timidly, "Thank you, Lord Marquis, for saving my life just now."

Yue Ling shook his head. "No need to thank me. I would like to thank you for standing up to protect me at the beginning. Since I came here, few people would protect me, let alone a woman."

Xue Baoqin didn't know whether this was a boast or a ridicule, and her cheeks became hotter and hotter.

"It's just that there's one thing I don't understand, and I hope Sister Xue can help me clear it up."

Xue Baoqin raised her head in astonishment, her eyes full of questions. What could she say to help the Marquis?
Yue Ling continued, "I don't know why my little sister would come forward to save me even though I am hated by her so much."

The head that had just been raised immediately drooped back down even lower. Xue Baoqin even felt as if her head had become bigger and heavier, and why she couldn't lift it up.

Not only could he not lift his head, but his face also became redder and redder, as if blood was about to drip out.

Even though Xue Baoqin had excellent eloquence, she was at a loss when facing Yue Ling and didn't know what to say to comfort herself.

"I, I, I..."

Xue Baoqin stammered for a long while, "I like... Oh, no, I don't hate the Marquis, it's just that my brother said something unpleasant just now, so I just said it."

"I have actually admired you for a long time. You are so famous at such a young age. Everyone would admire you."

Feeling that what she said was a bit too profound, Xue Baoqin quickly said: "Of course, of course, I don't want to be like Jie, sister..."

"Woo..."

In a panic, Xue Baoqin bit her tongue, which made her feel even more ashamed.

Yue Ling smiled and turned over the two clean teacups on the tea table, poured two cups, and gave one to her.

Xue Baoqin held the cup in her hands, blew on it gently, took a sip, and said, "Of course, I don't want to live in the Marquis's house like my sister does. I don't know why my sister can be so shameless and insert herself into the Marquis's life. She lives a very comfortable life and often writes to show off to me."

Xue Baoqin's voice became softer and softer as she spoke the following sentence, as if she was talking to herself.

It’s just that Yue Ling’s hearing was so good that he heard every word she uttered.

The little girl expressed her meaning tactfully, but Yue Ling almost spit out the tea he had drunk.

What does it mean that Xue Baochai shamelessly inserted herself into his life?
Is this girl thinking too much, or is she a little too precocious because she has been on the ship for many years and has seen a lot?

Xue Baoqin shook her head, trying to get rid of the complicated thoughts in her mind. The colorful ribbons on her double buns swayed, making her look quite adorable.

"It should be difficult to see this side of such a smart little girl."

Yue Ling couldn't help but ask himself this question.

After a moment, Xue Baoqin said, "The Marquis was asking me just now. I have something to ask you, too."

Yue Ling nodded, vaguely guessing what she wanted to ask, and replied frankly: "Ask it."

Xue Baoqin said, "Afterwards, I thought about it. At a distance of five steps, no matter how fast you are, you still need to react. In such a sudden situation, the Marquis was able to catch the arrow on the spot. He must have been prepared. So why did the Marquis come closer?"

Yue Ling smiled with relief and said, "Yes, you have thought it through clearly. I have indeed been prepared in advance. I am cooperating with you to teach you a lesson."

"You mentioned your sister just now. I trust her because she is careful and meticulous. You are not as capable as your sister, and of course it is also because you are younger. But now, you and your brother are working together, and you will inevitably have to deal with some situations."

“Never let your guard down just because you think you are in control of the situation, because that is the closest you will ever get to failure.”

"I don't think you want a stable marriage, to stay at home doing needlework and raising children, right?"

"After all, you have seen such a vast ocean, and have seen all kinds of people and things. You should not be willing to be confined to that small piece of sky."

"If you want to realize your wish, you must mature quickly and follow your sister's example. She can now completely control her own life."

Xue Baoqin originally thought that Yue Ling would say that he wanted to kill those people to silence them, but she didn't expect that what he said was so profound, and his understanding of her was so deep that he immediately hit upon the reason why she didn't want to acknowledge the engagement.

These are words that even her brother, who grew up with her, has never said to her.

Yue Ling even gave a solution, which was to prove that her abilities were no worse than those of men, just like her sister.

The softest part of Xue Baoqin's heart was touched, and her eyes turned red. She was so moved that she couldn't express it in words.

She really wanted to lie on Yue Ling's body and cry bitterly, because no one had ever been able to get into her heart so deeply.

But on second thought, a person I just met for the first time can actually see through me so thoroughly, isn't this a match made in heaven?
Xue Baoqin's heart was beating wildly, as if, as if she was really going to break her promise this time, and her admiration for him suddenly turned sour.

"My Lord, how much did you hear from my brother and I just now?"

"I probably heard it all."

"……All right."

(End of this chapter)