Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 333 This carriage is parked outside, is it okay?
Yangzhou Prefecture, Salt Inspectorate Office.

As the end of the year approaches, the official business in the government becomes increasingly heavy.

The salt tax assessment was a heavy burden on the shoulders of the imperial salt inspectors throughout the country. Once during the inspection, it was found that the number of salt permits and salt taxes did not match, the officials would be implicated and punished from top to bottom at the very least, or dismissed from office and become a commoner at the worst.

The reason why Lin Ruhai was able to hold such an important position in the Salt Tax for more than a decade was not only due to the trust of Emperor Longyou, but also due to his outstanding abilities. So far, he has never failed in the salt tax examinations.

But for him, this is still not an easy task, just like even the best students have to treat the test questions with caution.

Lin Ruhai had been sitting quietly in the government office for many days handling official business, and now he kept his book in his hands even during meals, which inevitably made Aunt Bai and Aunt Zhou, who were serving by his side, worry about his health.

After giving Lin Ruhai a sip of water, she saw that his brows were still furrowed, unable to relax. Aunt Zhou asked with concern, "Excuse me, I wonder why the master has been frowning these days. What difficulties have you encountered?"

Lin Ruhai did not put down the book in his hand, and said calmly: "Everything is the same as before. I am still busy with the affairs of the salt factory recently."

"Passed the test?"

Aunt Zhou asked again, "This is not the first time that Master has passed the exam. There have been no mistakes in previous years, and this year has been smooth and flawless. Why are you so worried?"

Aunt Bai comforted him, "Master, you did nothing wrong. It's better to be careful in everything."

Lin Ruhai put down the book, frowned slightly and said, "To be honest, I am a little nervous. I didn't sleep peacefully yesterday. It's not a good sign. I always feel that something bad is coming, but I can't tell what it is. It's really confusing."

"However, as long as I pass the exam without any mistakes, I can spend this year in peace and stability."

The two concubines looked at each other, sighed deeply, and planned to go to the kitchen to make soup for Lin Ruhai to nourish his body.

Lin Ruhai is the pillar of this family. If something really goes wrong with him, this mansion will be completely destroyed.

At the right moment, the housekeeper Han Da came to the eaves, knocked on the door frame and asked, "Master, I have something to report."

Lin Ruhai's deep voice came from inside, "It's windy outside, come in and talk."

"Yes."

The two concubines sat up straight and called the maid over to clean the table and replace the tea tray.

Lin Ruhai also put down the book and calmly looked at the butler Han Da who came in to report the news, "Tell me, what happened in the Salt Courtyard?"

Everyone at the table was just talking about how Lin Ruhai had a premonition that something bad was going to happen, and then Han Da came in to report it.

Such a coincidence inevitably made the two concubines nervous. They folded their hands in front of them, not knowing where to put them.

Lin Ruhai's expression remained the same, calm and composed. After all, more than a decade of ups and downs in officialdom had completely honed the mind of a top scholar. Even if he encountered big problems, he would not lose his composure.

Because he can deal with various emergencies with his own abilities.

Han Da bowed respectfully. This was the Lin family's tradition. Therefore, it was impossible to tell from his expression whether it was a good thing or a bad thing, which made everyone even more worried.

Han Dacai stood up and bowed, then said slowly, "According to the news from the dock, Marquis Anjing and his young lady will be able to arrive in Yangzhou Prefecture before tonight."

The two concubines were stunned when they heard this. After a moment, they looked at each other and could see the joy in each other's eyes.

Not only can you see Lin Daiyu, whom you haven't seen for a long time, and see how she has grown into an iconic figure, but you can also see what the famous Marquis Anjing looks like.

It was not a bad thing, but a good thing. The two were really happy and breathed a sigh of relief.

Lin Ruhai's face suddenly changed. He slammed the table and stood up. He paced back and forth in the hall. His mind was in turmoil and his steps were a little disordered.

"Okay, okay, I thought something had disturbed my mind recently!"

Lin Ruhai's chest rose and fell, and he gasped for breath and said, "Rumors about the two of them are all over the city. I have lost all my face."

"Whenever I go out to a banquet, people ask me about Marquis Anjing's recent situation. How can I find out?"

"They really dare to come back together. I want to see what else they have to say!"

Aunt Bai and Aunt Zhou hurried to Lin Ruhai, supported him on both sides, and consoled him: "Master, don't worry, Master, don't worry. Isn't it a good thing for the young lady to come back to celebrate the New Year?"

"It has been nearly eight years since the girl left home this year. The master must miss her more than we do."

Lin Ruhai's mood eased a little, and he sighed deeply, "It's my fault that Yu'er left home. But Yue Ling took advantage of the situation and came in. Could it be that he...he...ah!"

Lin Ruhai raised his arm and pointed at the door, his fingertips trembling constantly. After a moment, he put it down angrily and returned to the table, his face looking even uglier.

Aunt Bai advised again: "Now that the girl's reputation is like this, there is no other way except to marry An Jinghou. Everyone knows that the girl grew up in An Jinghou's mansion and is even unwilling to return to Yangzhou. Who else dares to compete with An Jinghou's mansion for her?"

"Not to mention that the Anjing Marquis's Mansion is now at its peak, Anjing Marquis himself is loved by the girl, so this must be a good match for the girl."

"Just think that the master did a good deed out of care... Where can I find a man who can rival Marquis Anjing? At least he is better than... at least he is much better than Master Bao in Rongguo Mansion, right?"

Aunt Bai was Jia Min's maid who came with her as a dowry. She came from the Rongguo Mansion and knew the most about the affairs of the Rongguo Mansion. At this moment, bringing up Jia Baoyu really had an effect and lifted Lin Ruhai's spirits.

Lin Ruhai held his breath and said angrily, "Don't mention other people's affairs, let's talk about our own family affairs."

"How could Yue Ling treat me so badly? I treated him like an old friend. After he took Yu'er away, he first took the banknotes I gave to Yu'er for his own money, and then instigated Yu'er to make profits from me in the letter."

"I also tried every means to prevent Yu'er from returning to Yangzhou Prefecture, and even went south to Yangzhou to let Yu'er write a farewell letter in person to show off to me."

"I don't know what slander he made in front of Your Majesty, and he wanted Your Majesty to bypass me and grant the marriage to the two of us."

"He was working in Suzhou, and he still wrote to me to mock me. I had to help him. That was not enough, and Yu'er wrote to me again, asking for silver, saying that it was for a gift to the palace, to the Empress."

"Is this etiquette? What does the Queen have to do with Yu'er? She is just a girl waiting to be married, how can she enter the harem directly? She hasn't even married yet, but she has become the head of the Anjing Marquis's Mansion. It really makes me angry!"

"The Lin family's tradition has been completely ruined by her. When I go out on the street, the people who whisper and laugh secretly behind my back, aren't they all sneering at my Lin family?"

Every word made sense, leaving the two aunts speechless.

Han Da, who had been standing in the hall, couldn't help but ask, "Then, sir, how should we receive Marquis Anjing and his young lady?"

Lin Ruhai flicked his sleeves and said, "Ignore it. I want to see who dares to open the gate of this salt yard without my permission!"

"If I don't give her the cold shoulder, I'll have no idea where she is from!"

The two concubines looked at each other, and together with Han Da, they sighed secretly.

Lin Ruhai was born into a family of marquises, and the Lin family should have been ruined in his generation, but he turned the tide, won the third place in the imperial examination, and continued to carry on the Lin family.

This is such a glorious thing, and he naturally has a sense of pride in his heart.

Yue Ling also became famous at a young age, and there is no need to say much about his arrogance. When the two were close friends, they appreciated each other, but when they had a conflict of interest, they became enemies.

All of them servants are really of no help.

Before everyone cleared the room, Lin Ruhai's voice could be heard from inside, "Pass my words on!"

"Yes……"

……

canal waterway,

An official ship with a "Yue"-shaped sail hoisted was sailing steadily on the river.

Accompanying them were 3,000 Cangzhou troops, who were deployed on small boats surrounding them to provide escort.

There was only one ship in the world that could fly the flag with the word "Yue" on it. All the boatmen passing by knew that it was the ship of Marquis Anjing, so they tried to avoid it to avoid affecting its navigation.

Therefore, the journey north was smoother than originally planned.

On the deck, Lin Daiyu was wearing a light pink crane cloak, holding the railing, looking into the distance at the wilderness.

The breeze brushed across her cheeks, causing the messy hair on her temples to dance lightly, blowing some of it around the corners of her mouth. Lin Daiyu used her green jade fingers to fiddle with the messy hair and tucked it behind her ears, muttering softly, "My hair seems to have grown longer. This small bun can't hold it anymore. It would be very convenient if I could wear a hairpin."

Yue Ling stayed beside her without saying a word, just staring at Lin Daiyu.

She was looking at the scenery, and so was he.

When she could vaguely see a city wall, Lin Daiyu smiled, jumped up twice, pointed to the distance and said, "Brother Yue, look, we are almost there!"

"Ah? So soon, it's almost here?"

Yue Ling looked at the towering city walls in the distance and felt a little uneasy.

Lin Daiyu raised her eyebrows and said, "What are you talking about? Brother Yue seems to want to continue on this boat?"

Yue Ling smiled awkwardly and said, "There's nothing wrong with being on the boat."

Lin Daiyu pouted and said, "How can it be better? It's not good at all. The room is too narrow, the bed is too narrow, and it's very damp. My body is sticky."

Yue Ling blinked, "Isn't that... pretty good?"

Every time she woke up, Lin Daiyu would get up to take a bath and change clothes. She would smell delicious after taking a bath. Sitting next to her, even if she was not held in her arms, was so comfortable.

Lin Daiyu's cheeks flushed, and she spat softly, "If the bed wasn't too narrow, I wouldn't have fallen asleep in Brother Yue's arms!"

Yue Ling watched her making a fuss and smiled without saying anything.

After spending these few days together, the two became closer.

The so-called hug that was only this time has become a compulsory course for the two of them every night. They called it the narrow bed, but in fact, they both enjoyed it.

Perhaps because she felt it, she could no longer act so recklessly in the Lin Mansion. Lin Daiyu spent even more time sticking to Yue Ling, almost eating at the same table and sleeping in the same bed.

Lin Daiyu, who had not returned to her hometown for many years, was still excited when she saw the scenery of Yangzhou.

After all, I have been away from home for so long, and returning to the old place is like a duckweed finding its roots.

Moreover, she returned with Yue Ling. Lin Daiyu made up her mind to take Yue Ling to have some fun in Yangzhou Prefecture.

Compared with the colorful flowers of Suzhou, Yangzhou Prefecture with its Twenty-Four Bridges on a moonlit night is not inferior at all.

The richest salt merchants in the world were obviously the top businessmen of this era, and their status did not even change with the rise and fall of dynasties.

"Okay, we'll be docking soon. Brother Yue, shall we go back to the cabin?"

Yue Ling nodded slightly and let out a sigh.

Sure enough, everything that is supposed to come will come.

Although he felt a little indebted to Lord Lin in his heart, Yue Ling still felt that he was loyal to his promise and had really taken good care of Lin Daiyu's health.

She was able to jump around on the boat, completely different from her previous weak and frail appearance.

Moreover, on weekdays, he was respectful enough to Lin Ruhai and never made any special requests.

He never asked about the correspondence between Lin Daiyu and Lin Ruhai.

Presumably, since he treated Lin Daiyu so attentively, Lin Daiyu would also show his good side in her letters home.

Even if he did something wrong, we can't erase all his strengths, right?

What's more, Lin Daiyu also won the title of the top poet in Canglang Garden, which shocked the whole southeast and made her a well-known figure, making the Lin family proud.

Yangzhou is not far from Suzhou, and these songs must have been sung among the people.

Everything had been done so well that Lin Ruhai couldn't just hit someone who was smiling at him. He proposed to Lin Daiyu in person. Even if there were some minor obstacles, he should be able to succeed in the end.

In the old days, he and Lin Ruhai had a close relationship. After not seeing each other for a long time, Yue Ling wanted to see what changes had taken place in this old friend just out of his original intention. He had made great achievements in politics in one place, and it was estimated that he would soon move to the capital and take up a high position.

As one of the few civil servants trusted by Emperor Longyou, he would sooner or later have a place in the Zhongshu Academy.

Yue Ling saw all of this very clearly.

"The girl is back."

"Hello girl."

"Girl, change your clothes. I'll get them."

"Girl, this is freshly brewed tea. Try it. It's Longjing tea."

After spending many days together, the girls in the small opera troupe became closer to everyone and quickly integrated into this group without too many rules.

When facing Lin Daiyu, they all vied with each other to please her, and excluded all the senior maids such as Zijuan and Qingwen from the room.

Lin Daiyu took them one by one with a smile and was surrounded by people and returned to the boat. The little girls sat around her again and started chattering.

"Why does the master look so dull? He looks like Sister Xiangling."

Lin Daiyu burst out laughing and said, "I don't know why, maybe it's because we are close to Yangzhou City."

Yue Ling changed his expression and argued: "Yangzhou City is not a place full of tigers and wolves. Why do you say it as if I am afraid?"

The girls had a great time, but when they heard the news that they would soon reach the shore, they hurried back to their cabins to pack their luggage.

For them, everywhere is new and interesting. It is better to go anywhere to play than to sing in brothels all day long.

After everyone left, the room was empty and only Yue Ling and Lin Daiyu were left alone.

After getting ashore, the two of them would inevitably have less time alone. Lin Ruhai would not allow them to stay in the same place no matter what, and they both knew it.

After taking off her crane cloak, Lin Daiyu looked at Yue Ling with bright eyes and said softly, "Brother Yue, we are almost at the shore. Do you have anything else to say?"

Yue Ling was a little flustered, and for a moment he didn't know what Lin Daiyu was talking about.

In this situation, the best way is to use physical contact to ease the embarrassment, and Yue Ling is well aware of this.

He immediately took Lin Daiyu into his arms and hugged her, saying, "I don't know how to express my feelings, but as long as I can hold Sister Lin, it's enough. Can you, let me hold you for a while?"

Lin Daiyu's cheeks felt hot, and after a moment of distraction, she leaned into Yue Ling's shoulder and hummed softly.

He put his hands around Yue Ling's waist and hugged him back.

But compared to Yue Ling's strong arms, her strength was much weaker.

After a while, the two of them hadn't separated yet. Lin Daiyu stammered, "Brother Yue, I won't run away. You're holding me so tight that I can't breathe..."

Yue Ling was immersed in the fragrance of Lin Daiyu's hair. The black hair brushed across his nose, and the smell of her soft bones almost made Yue Ling addicted.

"Uh, okay."

Just as Yue Ling was about to slowly loosen his arms, the door hinge made a sound and Ruizhu pushed the door open and walked in.

"Master, is Miss Lin here? The clothes she wanted have been washed. I brought them here."

Ruizhu was holding a brocade plate. When she looked towards the bench, she saw two people hugging each other tightly, with some taken-off clothes beside them.

Ruizhu's heart trembled, and she quickly put the clothes in her hands aside, backed out of the door, and said with a wry smile: "Master, I didn't mean it, it's just that we are almost at the shore, I didn't expect that at this moment, Master would still..."

Lin Daiyu jumped out of Yue Ling's body in an instant, pulled up her clothes, and pushed Ruizhu's back and said, "Nonsense, nonsense, what are you thinking about, you little girl?"

"I'm going to find Sister Ke'er and sew your mouth shut!"

Lin Daiyu jumped up and down in embarrassment, "Why didn't you knock before you came in?"

Ruizhu smiled bitterly, her face flushed, "I really didn't expect it... I was wrong, Miss Lin, please forgive me."

After leaving the house, in the corridor, Lin Daiyu cornered Ruizhu and pointed a finger at her, saying, "Remember, Brother Yue and I are innocent, so don't gossip about me. If this gets out in the Lin family, Dad will be angry!"

Ruizhu smiled and said, "Don't worry, young lady. I don't have a good memory. I can't remember what happened just now."

And in his heart he thought, "What do you mean by pure and innocent? If this is considered white, then aren't crows white?"

Lin Daiyu nodded with satisfaction and went to another room to change clothes.

In the room, Yue Ling sniffed the lingering fragrance on his hand and sighed secretly.

"What should I say first when I see Lord Lin? With his intelligence, he will surely be able to see that things between Miss Lin and me are very different now, right?"

……

Yangzhou Suburban Wharf,

Yanyuan followed Lin Ruhai's instructions and did not go to the dock to meet the two men, but the news that An Jinghou had entered Yangzhou had already caused an uproar in Yangzhou Prefecture.

Yangzhou is a rich place and also a place where culture is born.

The heroic deeds of Marquis Anjing have long been compiled into countless storybooks, and even children can sing a few lines from them.

As for his political achievements in Suzhou, because Yangzhou is too close to Suzhou, one can learn a little about them from Suzhou's official reports, so Marquis An Jing had more followers.

Including several major salt merchants, none of them thought that Marquis An Jing would repay their previous donations. However, one year later, in the first year of the opening of the sea, he repaid the money in full, which made them respect Marquis An Jing even more.

There were even two families involved in the Shuangyu Island case, and they went to Suzhou to see the true face of Marquis An Jing. At this moment, they all came to the dock spontaneously to greet him.

The soldiers cleared a path on both sides to allow the carriages to pass smoothly.

The cheers from all around were like thunder coming out of the blue; as soon as the wheels turned, countless cheers filled the ears.

Yue Ling untied a corner of the carriage and looked around. There were so many people that he had no idea how many there were.

It can be said that Yue Ling is enjoying the star treatment thoroughly.

"Master, the salt merchants in Yangzhou want to hold a banquet to welcome you. I don't know how to answer them?"

Jia Yun rode his horse to the side of the carriage and asked Yue Ling a question.

Yue Ling responded, "Just say that I'm here to visit Lord Lin. I'll stay at the Salt Court today and we'll make a reservation for another day."

Not long after, Jia Yun returned again, "Master, the prefect of Yangzhou, Lord Cui, sent someone to welcome me. He is now in the city to maintain order. I hope you will not blame me if I fail to show courtesy."

Yue Ling said: "This is not a business trip, so there is no need to be polite. Tell me that I will visit you another day."

After thinking about it, Yue Ling asked again: "Is there no one from the Salt Courtyard?"

Jia Yun outside replied, "No."

Yue Ling frowned and muttered, "So many people know about it, there's no reason why Yan Yuan wouldn't know about it. Could it be that Master Lin is not in the mansion?"

Lin Daiyu asked from the side: "Daddy is not here?"

Yue Ling shook his head. "Unknown. We will know once we find the salt yard."

At this moment, the gate of the salt courtyard was closed.

The salt soldier on the watchtower was also surprised when he saw the people coming and going on the street.

"What day is it today? What are the villagers waiting for in front of the salt yard?"

A young salt soldier replied: "I don't know, I just heard that the master wants to close the gate of the yamen, and no one is allowed to open it without his order."

"Go, go outside and ask what's going on."

After a while, a small door was opened at the gate of the salt factory. After asking a few questions, the salt soldier came back and said excitedly: "It's Marquis Anjing, Marquis Anjing has come to Yangzhou!"

"Come to Yangzhou? Then don't you have to come to our Yanyuan first?"

"Of course, your beloved daughter is still with you."

Many salt soldiers could not help but straighten their bodies. "Brothers, be alert. Don't let Marquis Anjing look down on you and embarrass the Lord."

"Marquis An Jing is a powerful figure who disciplines his army strictly. Even though we don't have such great achievements, we can't fall behind him!"

"Yes, yes!"

After a while, the noise of cheer outside was deafening and overwhelming, and everyone knew that Marquis An Jing had arrived.

"Hurry up and report inside that Marquis An Jing has arrived and that it's time to open the door."

"okay."

When the salt soldier who delivered the message came back, he was speechless and said, "My Lord said that he will not open the door for Marquis Anjing..."

"Ah? What do you mean by not opening the door?"

At the same time, the carriage slowly stopped at the Yanyuan Yamen. The number of people on both sides was no less than that at the dock. Everyone was shouting "Marquis An Jing", but it was impossible to hear what they were saying.

Yue Ling was sitting in the car and it was not convenient for him to get out first, for fear of causing a commotion and stampede.

The best way is to drive the carriage all the way to the mansion and then get off.

But at this moment, the gate of the Salt Courtyard was closed, which really confused Yue Ling.

According to common sense, even if Lin Ruhai was not there, the Salt Institute would still be open for business.

Lin Daiyu lifted a corner of the door curtain and asked in confusion, "Daddy won't let us in?"

"No way..."

The carriage waited outside for a while, and the people watching the excitement around also noticed something was wrong. Someone asked the salt soldier guarding the gate, "Why don't you open the door for Marquis An Jing? It is an honor for the people of Yangzhou to have Marquis An Jing come to Yangzhou as a guest. You actually turned him away. Isn't that an insult to us?"

"That's right, open the door!"

The crowd gathered towards the gate of the Salt Court again. Those who couldn't squeeze through banged on the wall, causing the white walls with blue bricks and black tiles to tremble.

The salt soldiers had no choice but to report their grievances again.

It was at this time that Lin Ruhai learned about the situation outside and could no longer sit at home, so he put on casual clothes and strode out.

"What a good plan! You actually let the common people knock on the door to embarrass me and let me go. You used the same method to punish corrupt officials in Suzhou Prefecture on me. You really did a good job, Yue Ling. Your skills are getting better and better. Even I am one step behind!"

After taking a breath, Lin Ruhai stood at the gate and shouted, "Open the gate, let the carriages with women in them go straight into the second gate, and keep an eye on the people to make sure nothing happens."

The salt soldiers finally breathed a sigh of relief. They had no idea what the two giant Buddhas were fighting, and it almost brought disaster to these little ghosts.

It was certainly inappropriate to ride in the same carriage with Lin Daiyu into the second gate, so Yue Ling got off the carriage first.

Just as he got out of the car, the door opened.

As Yue Ling strode into the door, he saw Lin Ruhai standing in the middle of the bluestone road. Compared with the last time he saw him, his face looked more weathered and his hair and beard were a little grayer.

Yue Ling bowed and stepped forward, "Ling greets brother. I came here without asking, which is a bit presumptuous, please forgive me. But there are many people outside the gate now, so this carriage is parked outside, okay?"

(End of this chapter)