Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 419 Sister, You Eat Really Well

"It's true, it's worthy of being woven by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The workmanship and fabric are really fine, and it's much more comfortable to wear."

"There are more benefits than just these. After my sister puts on these, I feel embarrassed to look at her, let alone the one in your family..."

Those who dare to try new things will have followers.

Everyone tried them on eagerly and discovered the most intuitive beauty of the clothes.

Correcting the body shape and half-covering can enhance a person's charm by several levels.

With such a "magic pill" in hand, why would you worry about not being able to capture a man's heart?
"Miss Xue, you have a very insightful opinion. This dress may look a little embarrassing, but it is so beautiful when you put it on. If you wear a normal dress outside and only wear these inside, wouldn't it blind my husband's eyes?"

"Yes, Miss Xue, this is really a good thing. It works much faster than rouge, powder, or rose water. Pack them all up for me, I'm going to go back and try them tonight!"

"Give me three servings of each, and I'll take them to the mansion!"

Hearing someone speak loudly and with a slightly vigorous tone, everyone couldn't help but look over there.

"You are the wife of Minister Zhao of the Ministry of Revenue, right? These clothes are very tight-fitting. If you don't have a slim figure and a waist as thin as a willow, you'd better not wear them."

"Besides, you already have children, and your son is even married. Do you still need this thing to please your spouse?"

The person is quite old, and as the saying goes, age fades and beauty fades, so she was kindly reminded of this by others.

But he was not annoyed. He glanced at everyone and said calmly, "You are right. I am a little old and don't need these. But I can give them to loyal concubines or daughters-in-law. They will always be useful and men will not go out fooling around all day."

Everyone's eyes lit up. "Sister, what you said makes a lot of sense. We sisters really learn from your teachings. Miss Xue, please prepare another set for my house!"

"It's the same in my house!"

"And I!"

Business was booming, but Xue Baochai felt uncomfortable. It was the first time that she had such a contradictory feeling.

Xue Baochai smiled awkwardly, suppressing her shame and responding to everyone's expectant gazes, "Ladies, I have one more thing to explain in advance. When Duke Dingguo first designed this item, he claimed that this piece of clothing was a consumable item, just for novelty. The second time, there will be a discount."

"So when designing the clothing, the quality of the clothing is not very reliable. It is easy to tear and rip, and it cannot be compared with the bellybands that we usually wear..."

Hearing that it was such an insignificant matter, none of the ladies present cared.

They had no shortage of money to begin with, and there were dozens of types of clothing here, enough for them to wear a different outfit every night for a month.

"It's just a small matter. Duke Dingguo is well-known. How can he be wrong if he thinks something is good? Let alone in the court, Duke Dingguo is the most popular. Just talking about sex, who in the capital doesn't know how powerful the marquis is?"

"Yes." Another person chimed in, "At first I thought it was just ordinary clothes, and I thought it would be more special if it was woven by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. But now it seems that Duke Dingguo is more authoritative for bedroom matters, so I really have to buy it."

"This……"

Xue Baochai was speechless for a while. Things seemed to be developing in an unexpected direction.

"Sister, you are right."

Princess Liu of Prince Xiping tried on the clothes and returned with great satisfaction.

He walked straight to Xue Baochai, took her hand, and asked with a smile: "Miss Baochai, tell me the truth, which one does Duke Dingguo like? I love every one of them after trying them, and I really don't know how to choose."

Xue Baochai blushed and turned her head away, hesitating, "How would I know which one Duke Dingguo likes? Princess, you should make your own decision. At worst, you can just change it a little bit."

Liu was not satisfied with Xue Baochai's answer, and frowned, saying, "Miss Baochai, you are wrong. Everyone knows that this thing is rare, and the first night is the most crucial."

"You just spoke so clearly, why are you pretending to be ignorant now? Besides, who among us doesn't know the preferences of Duke Dingguo? How can you understand these things when you are with Duke Dingguo?"

"You are still hiding something from us at this time. I should report you to Duke Dingguo."

Xue Baochai was already blushing from the teasing, and under the watchful eyes of everyone, she really had no way to defend herself.

"Princess, I really don't know what you are talking about..."

But others ignored Xue Baochai's words and became more interested in the private life of this influential figure, Duke Dingguo.

Originally, a group of women gathered together to chat about family matters, and since they were not girls, they became more explicit once they opened their mouths.

"Miss Xue, you and the ladies can tell us the truth. How good is Duke Dingguo in sex?"

Before Xue Baochai could answer, someone started to joke, "How can the Duke of Dingguo not be powerful? I have seen him from a distance once before. He has a burly figure, and his loose official robes look like a tough suit. When we were guarding the gates of the capital, my husband said that the Marquis could fight his way in and out of the enemy's camp with a long spear, and he was unstoppable by a hundred men!"

"hiss."

The people around him took a breath.

"This is true. I thought it was a story made up in a play."

"Of course it's true. You can't even imagine what Duke Dingguo can do. He's very ferocious. But... I haven't heard of whether he's ferocious during sex."

"I have heard about this. Isn't it said that Duke Dingguo has sex with ten women every night, from three o'clock in the morning to dawn, day and night? I heard that there are many people selling Duke Dingguo's exclusive sex skills, which are sought after and regarded as a golden rule."

"Oh, Miss Xue is so lucky. She eats so well, and Duke Dingguo is so young and handsome..."

"Who says it's not..."

……

After the excitement, only Xue Baochai was left sitting there in a daze. Her hand holding the teacup was trembling slightly, and finally she had to put it back.

Behind her, Aunt Xue's maids Tongxi and Tonggui looked at each other in disbelief, not daring to say a word.

Of course they heard the obscene words just now, but they saw that the girl was so humiliated that she couldn't speak, and as a maid, they were also ashamed of it.

The words between women are so inappropriate that even ordinary maids only know about the affairs between men and women through the gossip of the nanny in the mansion and the housekeeper's wife, so they are used to it.

But Xue Baochai couldn't accept it at the moment.

It was obvious that she and Yue Ling had never done anything, but now she seemed to be branded as the Duke of Dingguo. How could she still be considered an honest person?

"Sister Bao, sister Bao, I'm here."

Qin Keqing took a few deep breaths, climbed up the wooden ladder to the second floor, covered her aching stomach and sat down opposite Xue Baochai.

Seeing that there was some tea drying on the table, he picked it up and drank it all in one gulp.

Xue Baochai came back to her senses, her beautiful eyes filled with murderous intent, and she stared at Qin Keqing, which made Qin Keqing frown.

"What's wrong, sister Bao? Is it messed up? Why are all the people gone?"

"you you……"

Xue Baochai gritted her teeth and asked angrily, "Where have you been? Did you expect someone to tease you, so you ran away on purpose and left me alone?"

"Hmm? Sister Bao, what are you talking about? Why don't I understand?"

Qin Keqing opened her eyes wide, looking very innocent.

Xue Baochai laughed out of anger and said coldly, "I was originally an innocent girl, but you and the Marquis have done everything together a long time ago. As a result, in their eyes, I am the same as you."

"This is called peace talks without any name or status. How can I walk around in public with dignity in the future?"

Xue Baochai covered her cheeks in grievance and choked up.

Until this moment, Qin Keqing finally understood, "So, those clothes have been sold?"

Xue Baochai did not answer her, but just sobbed.

Qin Keqing couldn't help but look at the two maids behind her for confirmation.

"Miss Qin, those clothes have indeed been sold out, and they are selling very well. They have been snapped up, and there are still many families who haven't grabbed any, and have reserved the next batch in advance."

Qin Keqing lamented, "I knew that Master's idea would work, but I missed a chance to show myself. I don't know if I can be credited for this achievement. Otherwise, I came here in vain and my Buddhist class was delayed." Seeing Xue Baochai again, Qin Keqing couldn't help but frown and said, "Sister Bao, why are you still crying? You have been with Master for so long, can you still marry someone else?"

"It's okay if others misunderstand me. It's only a matter of time."

Xue Baochai's eyes widened with tears, and she raised her hand and said, "You said you were hiding in the toilet when you should have been talking. Now that everyone has left, you are getting excited. Today, I'm going to tear your mouth apart!"

"You can't blame me for this. If you want to blame someone, blame the fruit that Xueyan gave me. I got an upset stomach and it's still hurting."

Seeing Xue Baochai approaching with her teeth bared, Qin Keqing hurriedly retreated around the tea table, "It's good that nothing has gone wrong, I can report to the master. As for your reputation, it's just like the bellyband you are wearing now."

Xue Baochai stopped in a daze, covered her chest in surprise, and asked, "What's wrong with my bellyband?"

As Qin Keqing spoke, she made a lifting motion and said, "Compared with the bellyband designed by the Marquis, it's not worth mentioning."

"you!"

Dingguogong Mansion, under the Chuihua Gate,
Xueyan accompanied Lin Daiyu and waited here.

The two of them stood there silently, either admiring the flowers or looking at the water. The banana leaves swayed in the wind, and it seemed as if the wind was a little cooler.

"Ah, Ah, Ah..."

Xueyan sneezed twice, rubbed her nose, and frowned, "Strange, why does it seem like someone is saying bad things about me behind my back."

Hearing this, Lin Daiyu couldn't help but cover her mouth and smile, "Who would say bad things about you? Could it be that the little maid in the kitchen who finished washing the dishes complained that you used too many dishes every day?"

Xueyan pouted and didn't argue with Lin Daiyu, but she was still quite unhappy.

"Girl, who are you waiting for here?"

Lin Daiyu turned around the shadowy screen, looked out the door, and said, "Of course I'm waiting for Sister Bao and Sister Keqing to go out. According to what Brother Yue said, they are out for the livelihood of the mansion, so I have to pay attention to how they are doing."

"Oh, that's right. Go to the kitchen and get some Mingqian tea, and give some to each of them. Remember that Sister Keqing likes the light Biluochun, and Sister Bao likes the mellow and strong black tea."

Just as he told Xueyan to leave, he saw two sedan chairs slowly swaying into the mansion.

Lin Daiyu's brows showed joy, but she found that the two people who came in seemed to have had some awkwardness. They walked several steps apart, one in front and one behind, and did not hold each other's arms like they used to, showing a good relationship.

"Hey, what's going on? Even Sister Bao's cheeks and eyes are red. Did something happen outside?"

Seeing this, Lin Daiyu couldn't help but worry.

But when the two people opposite saw Lin Daiyu waiting in the corridor, Xue Baochai first threw herself on Lin Daiyu, hugged her tightly, put her head on her shoulder, and burst into tears.

Lin Daiyu was even more dumbfounded, and could only pat her back to comfort her, "It's okay, it's okay, we're home now, and all the grievances we suffered outside are gone."

"It's not your fault if things go wrong. To be honest, I also think Brother Yue's plan is ridiculous and not as thorough as what we did earlier."

Qin Keqing crossed her arms and curled her lips, "Sister Lin, you are worrying about her for no reason. Besides, things didn't go wrong and ended successfully. The business is booming and the supply can't meet the demand. The silver we earned today plus the deposit alone is over a thousand taels. If we weave more in the future, who knows how much silver we can earn."

"Ah? It's so powerful?"

Lin Daiyu blinked, then looked at herself, and saw Xue Baochai, who seemed to have suffered a great injustice, and asked in confusion: "What is Sister Bao doing?"

Qin Keqing waved her hands and said, "She just doesn't know how to appreciate the good fortune she has, and she really thinks it's a disaster. Why does she regard her reputation so seriously and even put up a memorial archway for it?"

Xue Baochai raised her head and glared at him, saying angrily, "You still dare to talk!"

Qin Keqing pouted, "I've already said it's not my fault, what can I do? You should blame Xueyan, because she made me sick."

Lin Daiyu's eyes swept between the two of them, as if she understood something.

After all, Lin Daiyu knew what was being sold. She was too embarrassed to show such a shameful thing to others, so she couldn't help but feel some sympathy and gently patted Xue Baochai on the back.

"Eh? Sister Keqing is back, where's my rice cake?"

Seeing the two people returning, Xueyan came up happily and handed over the tea box obediently.

Lin Daiyu smiled bitterly, pushed Xueyan away with one hand, and whispered, "Run away! You've got into trouble..."

"what?"

Although Xueyan didn't know the situation, she believed Lin Daiyu's words the most, so she took a step and ran away.

Qin Keqing immediately chased after him, "Don't run, you stupid goose, what kind of filthy thing did you give me to eat!"

The two of them left while playing and quarreling. Looking at Xue Baochai who was still sobbing in her arms, Lin Daiyu sighed inwardly, "How can there be a day of peace in this room? I think it will be difficult..."

……

Hall of Supreme Harmony,
The intensity of the morning court was much more lively than that of the Duke Dingguo's Mansion.

As expected, as expected by Emperor Longyou and Yue Ling, this business caused great controversy as it became known.

After discussing routine government affairs, the civil servants seemed to be rubbing their hands, ready to fire at Yue Ling.

Before Xia Shouzhong announced the report, someone couldn't help but stand up and criticize Yue Ling's business.

The censor spoke loudly, "Your Majesty, I have something important to report!"

Emperor Longyou was already accustomed to this and had prepared himself mentally. He waved his hand and let them do what they wanted.

"Your Majesty, I have to say that the Minister of State Affairs, Lord Yue, has destroyed the moral principles and even caused the breakdown of rituals and music. He has started a business selling women's underwear and made a profit from it."

"Duke Dingguo, aren't you afraid of being laughed at by the world?"

Yue Ling did not fall asleep this time. He stepped out to retort and joined the verbal battle. "Your Excellency, the Censor is well-versed in ancient and modern times. You should know that Guanzi established women's brothels to enrich Qi, and Sima Qian praised it for 'accumulating wealth and enriching the country and strengthening the army'. I am just following the example of the ancient sages, but Your Excellency is punishing me for gossiping. Could it be that even the channels of speech in our dynasty cannot tolerate a method that can benefit the inner court?"

"How can reputation be worth two taels of silver? How much silver can it be worth? Your Excellency the Censor has heard that the treasury is empty and the nine frontiers are in a tight spot. Otherwise, you can think of a way to make money, and I will close the weaving department immediately."

"So, Mr. Censor, do you want to donate money to charity, or do you want to suggest that Your Majesty increase taxes?"

Yue Ling pressed on step by step, citing classics and refutation, and actually left the censor, who made a living by talking, speechless.

"Strong words!"

Yue Ling snorted coldly: "You only have this little trick, and you still slander me in front of His Majesty. I think you should go home and look in the mirror."

The generals in front of the hall burst into laughter and shouted, "How wonderful it is!"

Military generals always lose in verbal debates to civil officials. It is unexpected that Yue Ling, who comes from a military background, is so eloquent. It is really amazing.

Zhao Gongjin, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, raised his eyebrows slightly and thought to himself, "How useless! What use is it to talk about justice in front of a shameless man like Duke Dingguo? Even if we impeach him, we can't impeach him at all."

Today, the Ministry of Civil Service is an independent government office outside the two houses and six ministries. Although Yue Ling has not made any major moves yet, it has deeply affected the power structure of the civil servants. Therefore, the civil servants must clearly oppose the measures he proposes.

After a short while, Zhao Gongjin took over the banner and stepped out to impeach, saying, "Your Majesty, I understand the Duke Dingguo's painstaking efforts to help the country, but the Book of Rites says that a country does not seek profit for profit, but for righteousness. In the past, the Song Dynasty established the Market Exchange and implemented the Green Seed Law. It seemed that the money was plentiful, but in fact it destroyed the foundation of agriculture and alienated the people, which eventually led to the Jingkang disaster."

"Although Guanzi is a tyrant, he did not dare to seize all the great achievements of the common people. If the government officials were to compete with the merchants, the market would be in disorder and the people would lose their benefits. I am not pedantic, but I am afraid of repeating the mistakes of the weak Song Dynasty. I humbly ask Your Majesty to think twice!"

Yue Ling continued to refute, saying: "In extraordinary times, extraordinary things should be done. As the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Lord Zhao should know that the government is in a difficult situation now. If you don't come up with an unexpected move now, aren't you just sitting there waiting to die?"

Zhao Gongjin was able to hold the position of Vice Minister and had worked in the court for decades. It was impossible for him to be refuted by Yue Ling's words "extraordinary times call for extraordinary things".

Officials who graduated from professional schools were best at quarreling, and in their eyes, Yue Ling was using his own weaknesses to attack their strengths.

"Duke Dingguo is wrong. In the past, Duke Wenzheng built Yizhuang to save millions of people, and Zhang Fuzhi melted bronze Buddha statues to cast coins to save Shu. These were extraordinary times and extraordinary things, but they did not lose the teachings of the saints. Now, using public tools to seek private funds, although you can gain a penny, it actually damages the dignity of the court. This is not 'extraordinary', it is actually 'improper'!"

"Duke Dingguo has not read the Four Books and Five Classics, and has not taken the imperial examination. I happen to have a copy of the Book of Rites that I used to teach my children. I hope Duke Dingguo will accept it with a smile."

"it is good!"

The civil officials cheered and felt that they had gained the upper hand...

(End of this chapter)