Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 319 Return in triumph
When the people at Changmen were discussing the matter, a team of soldiers came rushing from the city, quickly isolated the people on both sides of the road and maintained order in the area.

Changmen is the most prosperous place in Suzhou City. It is the intersection of the Grand Canal from the north and Suzhou. Five rivers converge at Changmen, which is known as "Five Dragons Converging in Changmen".

The ten-mile-long street was crowded with merchants, cargo ships were traveling back and forth on the Grand Canal, and teahouses, restaurants, and theaters were lined up. When the officers and soldiers appeared, it caused quite a stir.

Everyone was wondering what had happened when they saw two horses marching out of the city in a procession.

One of them, the sharp-eyed people saw, was the newly appointed governor of Suzhou, and the man standing next to him, fawning on him and halfway in front of him, was actually a eunuch in the palace.

There must be no one else in Suzhou City who could have these two people of high status waiting at the foot of the city gate.

Looking around at the people watching around, the two men on horseback seemed to be in high spirits, with very proud faces and smiles on their faces.

Chen Ju teased, "Su Zhuangyuan, which one makes you feel better today than when you were parading in the capital?"

Su Moyun couldn't help laughing and said, "My father-in-law really gave me a difficult problem."

Looking at the people watching the excitement on the side, it was indeed different from when he was patrolling the streets of the capital. Everyone's face was slightly excited, as if they were waiting for someone to appear.

Even if this person was not him, Su Moyun could still feel the friendship between them, which was a different feeling from the glory he enjoyed in the capital.

After thinking for a while, Su Moyun said, "That time in the capital, I only saw envy from the onlookers, but today it seems like a grand event for all the people in the city. The difference is too big. If I really talk about it, I prefer the latter now."

Chen Ju nodded slightly. At this moment, a cheer suddenly broke out from the end of the long street that was not visible in the distance. Then the sound waves began to echo under the city gate one after another.

Gradually, armored soldiers holding a large banner with the word "Yue" on it jumped out from the horizon and came into people's sight.

The army formation was neat and tidy, and at the front of the team was Yue Ling riding a maroon BMW.

Yue Ling was also a little surprised. He didn't expect that the news of his return would spread throughout the city so quickly and attract so many people to watch.

There were so many mixed congratulations around him that Yue Ling couldn't make any sense of them, so he just kept smiling and nodded slightly.

When the army had marched halfway, they saw wounded soldiers in the ranks. Even the wounded were now wearing armor and holding spears, and the sharpness in their eyes was no less than that of other people.

At this moment, the injuries on their bodies are more like medals, which allow them to stand taller and walk proudly in the queue.

Seeing this, the people cheered even louder.

At the gate, Chen Ju and Su Moyun, who had been waiting here for a long time, bowed and congratulated Yue Ling, saying, "Welcome to An Jinghou for his great victory."

Yue Ling smiled and returned the greeting, "I don't dare to take credit for it. It's only with your help that we have achieved today's situation."

Yue Ling expressed his goodwill humbly, and the two became even happier. Their names would not be missing from the book of merit.

The two men made way for Yue Ling and stood side by side, each consciously giving him half a space.

Su Moyun was the first to speak: "Marquis Anjing's family has been brought back. Fengqiao Posthouse was also damaged in this battle, so the Canglang Garden that was sealed off before was made available for Marquis Anjing to move in."

"Good work."

Chen Ju asked again: "What was the performance of Marquis An Jing this time? What is the value of the commercial goods seized on Shuangyu Island?"

Yue Ling smiled and nodded, "Eunuch Chen is still worried about taxes."

Chen Ju sighed and said, "The palace is tightening its belt now, and my family is obsessed with money and can't get out."

Yue Ling comforted him, "Don't worry, sir. The commercial goods seized on Shuangyu Island are of great value. A large number of cargo ships arrived on the island not long ago, and now they have all been intercepted by us. I asked Xue Jiafeng to estimate that the total assets on the island are at least not less than 8 million taels."

Chen Ju raised his eyebrows and thought, "Eight million taels is indeed not a small amount, it is equivalent to half of the country's taxes, but the more silver, the better."

Eight million taels could solve the urgent problem, but it didn't give people the feeling of shock.

Yue Ling seemed to see the sadness in Chen Ju's eyes, and said with a smile: "Don't worry, sir. Those dirty deeds on Shuangyu Island are closely related to those wealthy families in Jiangnan. Now we have the accounts in our hands. What do you think the accounts are worth?"

Chen Ju's eyes lit up, "It must be worth at least eight million taels."

Yue Ling smiled and nodded, "How much it is worth depends on their sincerity. Otherwise, we wouldn't mind drawing out all the details here and conducting a thorough investigation. By then, no matter how many families are involved, we will be able to make money without any effort."

Chen Ju calmed down and asked, "I wonder how many Japanese pirates the Marquis killed? In the decisive battle here, the Japanese pirate Wang Shun had 5,500 soldiers, but they were all annihilated."

Yue Ling replied: "The number of troops on the island is not that large, there are more than 5,000 people. In total, we captured more than 2,000 people and killed 3,000 people. In addition, our army only injured more than 200 people, and there were no casualties."

"Zero casualties?"

These words shocked Chen Ju and Su Moyun so much that they forgot to kick their stirrups and fell behind. They looked at each other and saw the astonishment in each other's eyes.

Chen Ju hurriedly spurred his horse to catch up, "My Lord, how should we write this memorial to the capital? If we write that there were no casualties, I'm afraid that all the ministers in the court will not believe it."

Yue Ling smiled and said, "This is the truth. If I don't report it, wouldn't it be deceiving the emperor? It's just right that you can be a witness. I can go to the army to count the names and argue whether all of them have returned."

Although there were injuries, being able to bring back the children of Cangzhou safely and soundly was a victory, and it was what Yue Ling was most proud of.

Chen Ju smiled bitterly and said, "Your Majesty, you are joking. How can I not believe your words and really go on the mission?"

Looking back at this army of fierce and ferocious soldiers, Chen Ju couldn't help but tremble in his heart.

This group of people had only been training with Marquis An Jing for a few months, and fighting on the island would be much more difficult than waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out in Suzhou.

They set up an ambush to fight the Japanese pirates and suffered 20 to 30 percent casualties, while when they attacked the Japanese pirates, only a hundred people were injured. Both were victories, but the gap was immediately apparent.

What's more, the government troops had rarely won any victory in suppressing the Japanese pirates over the years, and this victory was a great victory that was famous all over the world. When Marquis Anjing once again returned to the capital, Chen Ju didn't dare to think about how high his reputation among the people would be.

Chen Ju secretly said: "This is the most meritorious person in Dachang."

……

Canglang Garden,
When the girls moved down the mountain, they knew that the glory days were over, and they became even happier.

The only pity is that we didn’t see snow on the mountain. It would have been a more fun sight to walk in the snow and look for plum blossoms.

After asking around on the street, they found out that Yue Ling was about to return today. He had just gone to wipe out the Japanese pirates. The girls were all amazed.

Seeing that their master was so capable outside, each of them had a more radiant look on their face.

It was not until they passed by Fengqiao Inn that the gatekeeper told them that Fengqiao Inn had been damaged in many places and was no longer convenient for them to stay, so they moved to Canglang Garden not far away.

Canglang Garden is several times larger than Fengqiao Posthouse, and it was originally a place where people from the previous dynasty lived in seclusion. After years of renovation, the scenery has not been abandoned, but has become more interesting.

This made the girls very happy. After all, there were not many places to play and have fun in the small courtyard of Fengqiao Station.

Canglang Garden is such a large garden for these little girls to play in, and they can't stay idle these days.

After entering the main gate, strong women were carrying large luggage. Lin Daiyu led the other girls inside, and did not forget to remind them: "The scenery here is nice. Sister Bao and I have come to see it before. I know you are all new here, but Brother Yue will be back today. You must arrange your accommodation before you can go to the garden to play."

"Even if you go out to play, don't go alone. It's best to go in groups of three. This garden is too big. If you get lost, there's no way to find you. Especially you, Snow Goose, don't run around all over the mountains. Be careful."

Xueyan pouted and said, "I know, I know."

The girls looked around with great curiosity. The circular corridors and waterside pavilions exuded an antique charm. The carved paintings between the columns were still the scenery of the Song Dynasty, which was even more unique.

When we arrived at the hall in the backyard, it was similar to the one in Fengqiao Posthouse, except that every room seemed to be several times larger.

A small room that could accommodate one person can now easily accommodate three or five people.

In the main hall, the girls stepped over the threshold and found someone inside.

Only Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai looked familiar. They were a small opera troupe that had performed dances with them before. There were twelve people in total. The leader looked a bit like Lin Daiyu. His name was Lingguan. He led the group to greet and said, "Meet Miss Lin."

Lin Daiyu looked at them in confusion, not knowing that there was someone inside.

"Why are you still here?"

Lingguan lowered her eyebrows and answered timidly, "Xu Yaozu, the head of the Xu family, bought us to give to Anjing Hou. Later, Xu Yaozu got into trouble and all his assets were sealed, including Canglang Garden."

"Before An Jinghou took it away, we also regarded it as a part of Canglang Garden and sealed it off along with the yard. Only someone would provide food from time to time."

"The garden is usually not idle. Without people, the house will fall into disrepair quickly and weeds will grow even faster. Later, we cleaned here day after day, waiting for news from outside."

As Lingguan spoke, the sisters behind her couldn't help sobbing. Lingguan couldn't suppress the grievance in her heart, and she lifted her sleeves and sobbed.

To be honest, everything has nothing to do with these poor little girls.

Although they were worth 30,000 taels of silver, they did not have any of them. When they learned that they would be given to Marquis Anjing as gifts, they even felt a little fortunate.

They have been learning arts since childhood and have all heard of the title of Marquis Anjing. Since they will be given to Marquis Anjing, their personal comfort will be guaranteed for the time being, and Marquis Anjing's Mansion is certainly a good home. If they can really enter the mansion and spend their lives, there is nothing wrong with it.

But I didn't expect to be involved in a murder case. Whether he is dead or alive, I have to wait for the decision from outside. This feeling of being helpless and powerless, and having to wait in agony in the garden every day, is not a good feeling at all.

When they saw Lin Daiyu again, they could no longer bear the grief and burst into tears.

In Lin Daiyu's eyes, their age was similar to her own. She had a personal experience of feeling powerless about fate. When she was taken away by Yue Ling, she didn't know whether the future would be a blessing or a curse.

Amid the sobbing, Lin Daiyu felt pity again.

These girls have learned music, chess, calligraphy and painting since childhood, and they are also very good at singing the popular Kunqu opera in Jiangnan. These are all skills that can please people. If they are dispersed, they will probably be taken away by brothels somewhere, and their future fate will be even more miserable.

At this time, Lin Daiyu is no longer the Lin Daiyu who is indifferent to worldly affairs. She truly knows the dangers of the world.

Lin Daiyu looked back and saw the maids behind her looking at her with red eyes.

Lin Daiyu sighed secretly and said, "Since you are familiar with this place, please help clean it up first."

"You are all women with miserable life stories. In fact, most of us are the same. It's only after we met Brother Yue that things became different."

"It's not that I don't want to help you, but how you deal with this involves external affairs, and it is up to Brother Yue to decide. When Brother Yue returns to hold a celebration banquet, I will send someone to invite you to perform on stage. At that time, you can show your most attractive skills. If you can impress Brother Yue, he will keep you."

"I'm just giving you a hand, understand?"

The girls all stopped sobbing, and they all knelt down and said, "Thank you for your kindness, young lady. We will definitely prepare carefully."

Lin Daiyu was really soft-hearted and couldn't bear to see this. She hurriedly took a few steps forward, called the little girls behind her, and helped them up. "Whatever happens depends on you. Now go and do your work."

"Yes."

……

Hangzhou government office,

What happened in Suzhou was reported back to Hangzhou overnight. The spies planted by Zhao Deyong killed three horses before they arrived in Hangzhou the next day.

Zhao Deyong was originally waiting for the order from Emperor Longyou to support him in trading with the Japanese and earning a large amount of silver.

Not only can it demonstrate his ability to make money, but it can also make up for the tax deficit caused by the Suzhou flood.

Since Suzhou was unable to generate income, the dilemma was resolved. Not only would he not be held accountable, but his administrative level also raised the rank of Marquis Anjing to a higher level.

I believe that by that time, many civil officials in the court will stand up for him and seek credit for him.

It’s a pity that the imperial edict from His Majesty did not arrive, but instead the news of the war in Suzhou came.

This was not the only bad news. The official servant who ran back from Shuangyu Island also knelt down in the hall with the messenger. One of them cried until he was convulsing, and the other gasped deeply and could not utter a word for a while.

Zhao Deyong held two pieces of letter paper in his hands, his hands were shaking. His eyes, which had seen all the vicissitudes of life, should have been calm, but at this moment they were wide open like cow eyes.

"Wang Shun was lured to Changmen, where he was strangled by the government troops who had set up an ambush in advance, and then he committed suicide on the river?"

Zhao Deyong was extremely shocked, but there was another piece of paper. "The person who came to the mansion to discuss business was not a Japanese, but was disguised under the instruction of Marquis Anjing? Marquis Anjing crossed the sea in black clothes, attacked Shuangyu Island at night, and wiped out all the Japanese pirates. Shuangyu Island no longer exists?"

Zhao Deyong's legs went limp and he fell to the ground in a daze, fainting.

The scene was in chaos for a moment. The servants around him hurriedly helped Zhao Deyong up and took him back to the chair. Some people pinched his Ren Zhong point, and some people gave him water in his mouth, trying to save Zhao Deyong.

After a while, Zhao Deyong woke up with a few loud coughs. "It's over. It's all over. In the eyes of His Majesty, I am a traitor who collaborates with the enemy! This was set up by Marquis Anjing, and I didn't even notice it!"

"After this battle, all the noble families in Jiangnan will surrender to Marquis Anjing and beg for his forgiveness. According to Marquis Anjing's actions in Cangzhou, this wave of money is naturally not a small amount, and the empty treasury has long been filled!"

“It’s so cruel!”

Zhao Deyong hit his thigh hard, but at this moment he could no longer feel the pain, only infinite regret in his heart.

But this regret was not about what he had done before, but about not being more careful and being secretly plotted against by Marquis Anjing.

At that moment, another person came to report that someone claiming to be an envoy from Japan had sent someone to deliver a letter.

Zhao Deyong's face froze, his eyes narrowed slightly, "What Japanese envoy? I'm afraid that beast Yue Ling has someone impersonate me again to prove my guilt of colluding with Japan! Shuangyu Island has already been cleared by him, how could there be a Japanese envoy to deliver a message? Does he really think I'm a three-year-old child who can be fooled?"

At the right moment, the kneeling servant said, "Master, when I escaped from Shuangyu Island, I did take a letter. It was handed to me by Fujiwara Sasaki on Shuangyu Island."

"I originally thought that Japan was doomed and that the master should not have anything to do with them anymore, so I didn't submit it just now."

"Fujiwara Saki?"

The name Zhao Deyong is not unfamiliar. He is the first aide to Wang Shun. If Wang Shun leads his troops to war, it is very likely that he will be stationed on Shuangyu Island.

And he was still able to send the letter at this moment. Could it be that he was not caught by Marquis An Jing, but escaped instead?

Thinking of this, Zhao Deyong couldn't help but hesitate.

At this moment, there was no telling how many Jinyiwei spies were outside. Perhaps they were already waiting outside the door, waiting for an order to arrest his entire family and bring them to the imperial prison to be interrogated.

If he accepted the letter, he would definitely be charged with collaborating with the Japanese, but even if he didn't accept it, would he still have a chance to survive?
Zhao Deyong's face became increasingly gloomy, and he finally said to his servant, "Send it up, I'll see what he wrote."

When the letter reached Zhao Deyong, he unfolded it and saw the words: "The day after tomorrow morning, a Japanese official ship will be docked near the sea in Ningbo Prefecture. Prime Minister Zhao is a man of great talent and a loyal friend of our country. If Dachang has no place to stay, you can come and seek refuge with us."

"A good bird chooses a tree to rest on, and a good minister chooses a master to serve. Our Heavenly Kingdom will never forget the humiliation of the battle on Shuangyu Island. Sooner or later, we will avenge the Marquis of Anjing. Doesn't Prime Minister Zhao want to live to see this day?"

Zhao Deyong was stunned after reading it. Under the double influence of his desire for life and hatred for Yue Ling, his reason was completely controlled by his emotions.

Besides, the situation couldn't get any worse right now.

If he had really surrendered to Japan, perhaps his relatives and friends who stayed in Dachang would have been implicated, but after all, he survived.

I would rather let down the whole world.

As long as I can keep my life and avenge Yue Ling, is there anything that is not worth sacrificing?

Zhao Deyong finally made up his mind, "Reply, I will arrive on time."

(End of this chapter)