Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 330 Lin Daiyu's Cat Ears
"My Lord, I..."

Xue Baochai withdrew her hand in embarrassment, covering her blushing face, and lowered her head. She wanted to stammer and explain, but for a moment she didn't know how to start.

Could it be said that she couldn't help but do it because she was fantasizing about Yue Ling's appearance?

That's too embarrassing.

Xue Baochai had no choice but to quickly get the teapot from the tea stove and pour tea for Yue Ling to hide her embarrassment.

"My Lord, please have some tea first, and I will explain the errand slowly."

Yue Ling sat in the nanmu armchair, looked at the jade teacup in his hand, raised his eyebrows slightly, and asked tentatively: "Miss Bao, isn't this the one you used just now?"

Yue Ling turned the rim of the cup and asked towards Guang: "There is still a kiss mark here."

Xue Baochai hurriedly took the teacup back into her hands, replaced it with a new one, and refilled the tea for Yue Ling, then smiled awkwardly, "I didn't mean to do that, Lord Marquis. This time please..."

For a long time, Xue Baochai has been a mature and capable person in Yue Ling's mind. He has never seen her in such an embarrassing situation. Yue Ling secretly complained in his heart.

"Could it be that she still minds the incident of imitating the cat's meow that day?"

Yue Ling casually looked around the room and saw a document on the table beside him. He stood up and walked closer, smiling and asked, "Could it be that you and Keqing are doing your old business again?"

Xue Baochai, whose cheeks were burning, didn't know what Yue Ling was talking about. But when Yue Ling approached the letter on the table, she realized that Yue Ling had mistaken the letters between her and Xue Baoqin for the articles she wrote with Qin Keqing.

There were some private matters in the letter that Yue Ling couldn't see.

Xue Baochai has lost enough face in front of Yue Ling these days, and she can't lose any more.

"No... uh, it's... Lord, you'd better not look at it..."

Yue Ling stopped walking, not wanting to embarrass Xue Baochai any more, and nodded, saying, "It's not reliable to rely on this method all day long. If you don't have any articles to write in the future, you can try serializing some popular novels."

"After all, that kind of article is ultimately third-rate and cannot be put on the table."

Talking about business, Xue Baochai gradually relaxed her expression and replied, "Popular novels, does the Marquis have a new idea?"

Yue Ling thought about it for a while. According to the trend of the world where martial arts and literary styles go hand in hand, Jin Yong's novels will definitely be a good sell.

However, he still had to think carefully about which book to serialize and how much of the plot he could remember, so he did not agree to it immediately.

"Well, it's just an idea for your reference. If you want me to come up with a popular novel that can be serialized, you have to wait until I'm done with this busy period."

"Right now, opening the sea is a major event in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. From shipbuilding, civilians, sailors, to workshop workers who supply goods, all links require a large amount of manpower."

"This will also create more opportunities for the densely populated southeast region to enrich the people. In the old days, the reason why the Japanese pirates were so rampant on the sea was because many Dachang people who had no food to eat joined them and expanded their ranks."

"We believe in living off the land and the water. If fishermen can't catch any fish, they will easily take risks for their livelihood. Now that the sea has been opened, it can be regarded as another way of living off the water."

Yue Ling stuffed the documents he brought with him into Xue Baochai's arms and said, "These documents are about the requirements of the Maritime Customs and the employment regulations of various industries. You can publish them in the newspaper to let more people know that everything is done under the coordination of the government, so as to reassure everyone."

Xue Baochai nodded in agreement and held the document tightly in her arms.

Xue Baochai was born plump, and after growing a few years older, she has become the best among the young girls. The change in her outline can be seen from her slightest movements.

Yue Ling took a glance at the delicate figure beneath the bodice and immediately turned his head away, not trying to recall the feeling of the warm and soft beauty in his arms.

Yue Ling coughed lightly, scratched his nose, and said, "Today at the government office, I also told those wealthy families to convert half of their wealth into cash to pay the taxes that they have avoided for many years."

"They will definitely pawn some of their assets at a low price. Jiangnan is the headquarters of the Feng family. You can try to gather as much cash as possible to take advantage of this profit. This is a good opportunity."

"Don't worry about antiques, calligraphy and paintings, or jewelry. The land deeds and shops are the key."

Xue Baochai took note of it secretly and nodded, saying, "Thank you, Lord Marquis. I didn't know that you care so much about the Xue family..."

Xue Baochai was about to say politely that she had nothing to repay him with, but she immediately stopped herself.

If she didn't want to repay him, Xue Baoqin would probably do it soon.

Thinking of this, Xue Baochai put down her hands, unconsciously took a few steps closer to Yue Ling, raised her head, and looked at Yue Ling with a pair of full almond-shaped eyes, the emotions in which were about to overflow.

"My Lord, I..."

Xue Baochai exhaled softly, and the strange fragrance went straight into Yue Ling's nostrils. The two of them were too close.

Xue Baochai really wanted to be brave again. That chest seemed so strong and she really wanted to hug him again.

Outside, she is now the pillar of the Xue family. She can order anyone to do things and is very powerful. But in front of Yue Ling, Xue Baochai just wants to snuggle in his arms to feel the warmth and be a little girl who has unloaded her burden.

Just when Xue Baochai was about to fall slowly into Yue Ling's arms, Ying'er pushed the door open and walked in, immediately stopping Xue Baochai's actions.

"My Lord, Miss Lin is looking for you now that she knows you've returned. She seems to have something to say."

Xue Baochai's eyes instantly cleared up, and Yue Ling took a step back unnaturally, and said to Ying'er, "Okay, I'll go right away."

Before passing by Xue Baochai, Yue Ling couldn't help but smile and said, "It's better to write less articles like that. It feels like Miss Bao is becoming more and more like Keqing..."

Xue Baochai's face suddenly changed color. When she heard the sound of the felt curtain being opened in front of the door, she slowly squatted on the ground, covering her cheeks with her hands.

Ying'er looked at her daughter suspiciously and asked, "Girl, what's wrong with you?"

Xue Baochai stammered in response, "Nothing."

Ying'er also squatted down, "You have a stomachache, shall I take you to the toilet?"

Xue Baochai raised her head slightly and frowned.

"girl?"

"You're a bit annoying. I want to send you to Xuanmu Mountain to practice with Master Miaoyu."

Ying'er: "..."

……

In the east wing,

Lin Daiyu gently stroked the clothes made by Qingwen and said soothingly, "Relax, your clothes are finely made and beautiful in style. Brother Yue will definitely like them."

Qingwen nodded with her head down, but she was still worried.

She felt it when they met for the first time. Yue Ling only frowned when he saw her, as if he didn't like her.

Moreover, Qingwen did feel guilty, after all, she had said bad things about Yue Ling in front of Baoyu.

At that time, she was too naive and only wanted to speak for her master. She was ignorant of external affairs. Now Qingwen really regrets it.

Perhaps, Marquis Anjing already knew about her affairs, which is why he was dissatisfied with her.

Looking at the clothes placed on the brocade plate, Qingwen closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, hoping that Marquis Anjing would give her a chance to reform.

Otherwise, if she was sent out, she would be helpless and would be treated harshly.

Speaking of relatives, she did have a cousin, but this brother was known as a fool, had a bad temper, and was addicted to alcohol. It was only because of her that he was able to get a job as a cook in the Rongguo Mansion.

Her sister-in-law was Miss Duo, who was very famous among the servants in Rongguo Mansion. However, this fame was not a good one. She had some figure, but had had affairs with many men in Rongguo Mansion, even Jia Lian was no exception.

Qingwen didn't know where they were going now, and she didn't want to have anything to do with them anymore.

After spending many days together, she also felt how unrestrained and free the maids in the Anjinghou Mansion were. This was something she could never imagine in the Rongguo Mansion, which was bound by the rules of hierarchy and etiquette.

The fact that he never treated his servants harshly was a rare virtue.

Who wouldn't want to stay?
Soon, the felt curtain was lifted and a man strode in.

Qingwen bowed her head and saluted, and out of the corner of her eye she saw him walk straight up to the table, supported by Lin Daiyu.

Lin Daiyu arched her nose and sniffed the scent of Yue Ling, frowned slightly and asked, "Brother Yue, where did you go just now?"

Yue Ling knew what was going on. Lin Daiyu had a very sensitive nose. She could smell it even if she changed her clothes. He had no choice but to tell the truth, "I was just in Miss Bao's room. I asked her to do some official business."

Hearing that it was official business, Lin Daiyu did not say anything, but she could not help complaining in her heart: "No wonder I felt so nervous just now, it turned out that Sister Bao had used her power. Humph, they are really losing control of themselves."

Lin Daiyu pouted and pushed the brocade plate in front of Yue Ling and said, "Brother Yue, what do you think of this robe?"

Yue Ling touched it. It was a blue-gray robe with some fur of an unknown animal stuffed at the collar. The material was very delicate and even the pattern was auspicious cloud patterns interwoven with gold and silver threads. The craftsmanship was outstanding.

When he opened it, he saw that it was a men's style, with broad shoulders and narrow waist, which suited Yue Ling's body shape.

Seeing Yue Ling nod with satisfaction, Lin Daiyu also smiled, "Qingwen spent more than a month knitting this. Brother Yue, why don't you try it? If it doesn't fit, you can ask her to modify it. Then you can use it as your new dress during the New Year."

Yue Ling's eyes turned and looked at the little maid in the hall who seemed to have done something wrong and kept her head down. She crossed her hands in front of her and clenched them tightly, as if she was very uneasy.

There was no need to be too harsh on a little girl. Yue Ling sighed and said, "Don't be so restrained. Hold your head up."

Qingwen bit her lower lip lightly, raised her head slightly and looked at Yue Ling.

Yue Ling put the clothes on, and Lin Daiyu also stood up to help him put them on. She looked back and forth with her beautiful eyes and also liked the clothes very much.

Yue Ling stretched his sleeves and said, "It would be better if the cuffs could be loosened, and the waist could be tightened..."

Yue Ling pointed out several uncomfortable places, and Qingwen took note of them one by one, which made her feel a little more at ease. Since Yue Ling would bring them up, he would definitely use her and would not kick her out again.

Lin Daiyu suggested, "Why not measure the size? Qingwen only made it according to the size of Brother Yue's old clothes, so there must be some shortcomings."

Zijuan handed over the measuring tape that had been prepared long ago and helped Qingwen measure Yue Ling's size.

The two girls' hands wandered over Yue Ling's body, measuring everything from his shoulders to his waist, then to the width and thickness of his thighs and calves, and even the size of his feet, without leaving anything out.

At first, the two of them behaved very properly. As they measured, they just passed the liquid over Yue Ling's body.

Yue Ling didn't feel anything and just thought the two girls did it unintentionally.

In fact, the two girls who were concentrating on their work did not mean it by intention, but after they touched it and thought about it, they couldn't help but blush.

Lin Daiyu narrowed her eyes slightly and her brows became tighter and tighter.

"It seems that Qingwen is not someone we can trust. The candidate the Empress mentioned is not suitable either!"

"It's really frustrating. There's not a single girl in this room who can understand my feelings. Where are the rules of etiquette and family education?"

With a light snort, Lin Daiyu sipped her tea and stopped looking. Out of sight, out of mind.

After a while, the two girls put away their rulers and said with red faces, "We have measured everything."

Yue Lingshu let out a sigh of relief and looked at Qingwen, thinking to himself, "Qingwen's needlework skills should be put to good use and not go to waste."

"Come to think of it... Xiangling hasn't come to see me for a long time. She said before that she could help me put on some clothes to cheer me up, but I don't know if it's true now."

Yue Ling placed his hand on the fluff on the collar, and his thoughts drifted again, "It's not just clothes. This fluff can be embedded in the collar, and Qingwen can make a small headdress. The tail shouldn't be a problem... maybe give it a try later."

"Make a pair of fox tails and ears for Qin Keqing..."

His eyes inadvertently glanced at Lin Daiyu who was always staring at him, and Yue Ling suddenly thought of Lin Daiyu wearing cat ears.

"Cat ears seem to be more suitable for Lin Daiyu... I really, really want to see them..."

Just by imagining it, Yue Ling's heart started beating even faster and he felt like he was going to have a nosebleed.

Yue Ling coughed lightly, and then he collected his thoughts that were gradually going astray. He took a deep breath, straightened his face, and said, "I still have some work to do outside, so I'll leave first. You guys can just have fun in the room."

Lin Daiyu did not notice anything unusual on Yue Ling's face and wanted to go out to see Yue Ling off, but because of the cold weather, she let Yue Ling stay in the room.

Zijuan escorted Yue Ling out, and Lin Daiyu could only look out through the moon-shaped window at their backs until they turned the corner and disappeared. Then she turned back and asked Qingwen, "If I asked you to make a dress of the same style but in a color suitable for women, could you still do it?"

Qingwen was also very smart. She understood the meaning behind Lin Daiyu's words and naturally wanted to dress the same as Yue Ling.

Qingwen has to thank Lin Daiyu for securing her position in the mansion. At this moment, when Lin Daiyu has a request, Qingwen will not refuse even though women's clothes are more difficult to make than men's and are more time-consuming and labor-intensive.

"Yes, it can be done before the New Year. The girl's size is not too big."

Lin Daiyu blinked happily, "Really? Would it be too much trouble for you to alter this dress and make a new one?"

Qingwen shook her head. "I came later, so I don't have much to do on weekdays. Now there are twelve more girls coming in, so there is even less work for me. I have plenty of time to tailor clothes. If the girls like it, I can measure the size for them, too."

Lin Daiyu nodded, stood up and spread her hands and asked, "Is that so?"

Qingwen took out the ruler again and started measuring it up and down.

"It's a little itchy..."

"Sorry, I touched it accidentally."

"fine……"

Lin Daiyu's face was slightly powdered, and she thought to herself: "Well, she is also a good girl..."

……

The twenty-eighth day of the winter month,
Suzhou government silver treasury,

The busiest government office in Suzhou today is not the newly established Maritime Customs Office, but the Silver Vault.

In the coldest days of winter, the yamen runners were shirtless, going back and forth carrying wooden boxes full of silver, counting the amount and storing it in the warehouse.

Everyone was sweating profusely and didn't feel the cold.

"I have never seen so much silver. If it were all opened and placed in front of me, it would be like a mountain of gold and silver."

Su Moyun held a book of accounts and stayed beside Yue Ling, checking each box of silver together.

Yue Ling nodded silently. From his point of view, the amount of silver was a bit beyond his expectations.

Su Moyun added: "Some people have to pay taxes with gold. There is less and less silver in the world. Even the amount of silver that can be exchanged for gold is decreasing. It's really a wonder."

"If we continue to collect money like this, I'm afraid that all the money will be gone. The shops in Suzhou City will become stagnant. I'm afraid it will be difficult to revitalize them."

Yue Ling shook his head and said, "We won't collect all of it. Besides, we still need to lend out some silver to those who come to borrow money to build ships. Besides, most of the people use copper coins on a daily basis, and the silver is still used by these rich families. If it doesn't affect the people, it won't hurt the roots."

At that moment, a clerk who was carrying a wooden box suddenly slipped and fell to the ground.

The silver box weighing a hundred pounds slid over and was about to hit the man.

Yue Ling stomped on the ground suddenly and flashed in front of the clerk. Under the horrified gaze of everyone, he held up the wooden box with one hand and dragged the clerk out with the other.

There was a moment of peace, and cheers were heard all around.

The clerk also came to his senses from his shock, and immediately knelt on the ground, saying, "Thank you very much for saving my life, my Lord. Thank you very much for saving my life!"

Yue Ling helped him stand up, looked around at everyone and said, "If you are tired, go and take a rest. Be careful when doing things. Safety comes first."

The clerk beside him immediately said, "I'm not tired, I just slipped and fell accidentally. Today is the most proud day for us, how can we be tired?"

"Exactly!"

"My Lord, he is right."

Yue Ling smiled, shook his head and sighed slightly.

The clerk was afraid that Yue Ling didn't know what they meant, so he explained, "In the past, the people only thought we were bullies. When the people did something wrong, we would punish them with water and fire sticks. As for those who were rich and powerful, we didn't dare to say a word. I don't know how many people stabbed us in the back because of this."

"But who dares to control that wealthy family? They are wearing this coat, which was passed down from our ancestors. We don't have the ability to do it. The rich and powerful don't dare to control it, let alone us peasants."

"But today we received so much silver from those wealthy families, and we are very happy. The people we met on the road all looked up to us. Although we borrowed the prestige of the Marquis, we brothers are really happy today."

Su Moyun stepped forward and said, "Okay, Lord Marquis, I know what you mean, but you have to pay attention to your own safety and don't let your happiness turn into sorrow. As for you, don't be busy here. If you are tired, come down and have a drink of water. There will be soldiers to help you soon."

After calming everyone down and stopping work, Yue Ling and Su Moyun returned to the yamen and started to calculate the accounts.

After counting on the abacus for a while, Yue Ling asked, "How many taels are there now?"

Su Moyun replied: "It's a full twenty-three million taels, and it hasn't been paid in full yet."

Yue Ling was also slightly startled. When he saw that the treasury could no longer store the wooden boxes, he felt that the amount of silver exceeded his expectations, but he did not expect it to be so much more.

You have to know that this only involves some of the big names in the Shuangyu Island case, not the wealth of the entire Jiangsu and Zhejiang region.

Seeing Yue Ling's expression, Su Moyun explained: "Among them, two salt merchants contributed a lot."

"Salt merchant?"

Su Moyun nodded and said, "The two Yangzhou salt merchants paid a total of 6 million taels."

"Six million?" Yue Ling took the account and sighed, "These salt merchants are really wealthy."

Su Moyun did not comment. "Maybe they themselves don't have a clear idea of ​​how much wealth they have. They just made a rough estimate and gave a considerable amount. I'm afraid both families must have tens of millions of assets."

"No wonder His Majesty always asks for donations from these salt merchants whenever there is a national event. They really have too much wealth."

Yue Ling replied: "This is the significance of our action. If the wealth is held in their hands, it will not benefit the country or the people. We must let the silver flow among the general public like running water. Only then will it be useful."

Su Moyun listened to Yue Ling's words and said with enlightenment: "Today, I can understand some of the words of the Marquis."

Yue Ling turned around and patted him on the shoulder. "You have gone from being a scholar in the imperial examinations, studying the Four Books and Five Classics, and reading the words of the sages to being able to quickly transition to governing government. It's really not easy."

"Perhaps in your eyes, I am not a person who came from the imperial examination system, and I am not qualified to comment on the scriptures. But in my opinion, the words of the saints are to persuade people to be good, not to govern the country."

"He only tells you what is right, but never tells you what to do or how to do it. In the future, you will need to think more about it and take on the responsibility of implementing the new policy."

Su Moyun's face froze, and he took note of Yue Ling's heartfelt words. Then he clasped his hands together and said, "I'm grateful for your advice."

Yue Ling heaved a sigh of relief and said, "You mentioned before that you wanted to ask His Majesty to relax Suzhou's taxes. I think that after the silver is escorted to the capital, the matter should be almost settled."

"Unfortunately, your majesty has always been worried about the national treasury. I didn't have the chance to see what his expression would be when he suddenly saw so much silver in front of him."

Su Moyun raised his head, smiled at Yue Ling, and both shook their heads...

(End of this chapter)