Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 500 Aftermath: Aunt Xue

"Xueyan, it's time to get up. If you don't get up soon, you'll miss two meals."

At the edge of the bed, Zijuan and Qingwen stood guard beside Xueyan, patting her back gently with laughter, trying to wake her up.

With a slight frown, Xueyan sniffed, as if she had smelled the aroma of meat, and indeed slowly woke up.

Before she could even speak, her stomach growled, causing Zijuan and Qingwen to double over with laughter.

"Sister Zijuan, your method is really effective. My stomach woke up before I did."

Zijuan moved the food tray she was carrying aside, poked Xueyan's chubby cheeks, and said, "Aren't you getting up? We've brought the food into your room. We'll start serving you now. Aunt Xue, don't forget how good we are to you in the future."

"What Aunt Xue is this?" Xueyan muttered shyly as she hid under the covers.

When Qingwen started pushing, she wasn't as polite as Zijuan. She pulled Xueyan's arm to make her sit up first and hurriedly said, "Alright, alright, don't sleep. This room is only missing this bed. If you want to rest, go to the side room after you've eaten."

Xueyan rubbed her eyes, a blush creeping onto her face. She looked around, then pursed her lips, unsure of what to say.

Qingwen leaned closer and said, "What, you don't want to get up yet? Was last night too comfortable, so you want to stay on this bed and serve me for another night?"

Xueyan was anxious and covered Qingwen's mouth, looking up at the window. "No, don't talk nonsense! If the master and madam hear this, it will be a big mistake!"

Qingwen pried Xueyan's hands away and said, "Why have I never seen you so timid before? 'At worst, I'll just be punished by standing for a while,' isn't that what you always say?"

Xueyan couldn't win the argument with Qingwen, so she had to beg for mercy, "Good sister, I'll get up. Please don't tease me again."

Qingwen pouted and said, "Among the sisters, you're the only one who's already had your wedding night with the master and is still sleeping in this bed. Teasing you is the least of our worries; everyone else is already green with envy. Tell me the truth, how did it feel last night?"

Xueyan turned her head away and ignored her, shifting her bottom as she tried to get out of bed, but couldn't find her embroidered shoes at a glance. She then bent down and searched under the bed.

Suddenly, someone hugged her from behind, pressing close to her back, causing Xueyan to tense up reflexively.

Turning her head, Xueyan saw that it was Qingwen still causing trouble. She said angrily, "I've been letting you have your way, why aren't you done yet?"

Qingwen laughed and said, "It seems that's how Master held you last night. You didn't dare to move when I held you from behind, just like a little kitten."

Xueyan looked up at Zijuan for help, but Zijuan didn't play along with them and just turned her head to the side.

Xueyan pouted, "If you're so envious, then tell the madam tonight that you'll serve her in bed. Anyway, I see you doing needlework all day long, and you must have made countless undergarments according to your own measurements. You must have wanted to use them for a long time."

Qingwen blushed and released her grip, her words slurred as she retorted, "That was a task Master gave me, I had no choice..."

In her haste to stick out her tongue, Qingwen bit it, and a metallic taste filled her mouth. The pain brought tears to her eyes.

The two girls still seemed like they hadn't grown up, which made Zijuan shake her head.

First, she served Qingwen warm tea to rinse her mouth, then brought a pair of embroidered silk shoes for Xueyan to wear. She then mediated between the two, saying, "Alright, alright, you always bicker when you're free, acting like half-grown children. There are already two little girls in the manor, how can you be considered children anymore? Grow up a bit."

"Xueyan, go have your meal. Qingwen, go and chew some medicine."

The two separated, and Xueyan tried to stand up, but her legs gave way and she almost fell to the ground again. Fortunately, Zijuan was by her side and quickly helped Xueyan up. She unconsciously covered her mouth to suppress her laughter.

Xueyan walked away dejectedly, supported by Zijuan. When they reached the table, she recalled the shameful events of the previous night, which had happened right there at the table, and felt uncomfortable all over again.

After doing that kind of thing, the table can only be used for cooking, how can it still be used for eating?
Xueyan's expression was complicated, and she didn't know what to say for a moment. She stood in front of the table without touching her chopsticks.

Zijuan had already guessed what was going on, and secretly sighed that Xueyan was only a beginner, yet she was being so unrestrained with the master.

"This table is new, eat up."

Upon hearing this, Xueyan's eyes gradually brightened, and she happily picked up her chopsticks and began to wolf down her food.

Zijuan sat opposite her, poured tea and pushed it in front of her, reminding her, "Eat slowly, no one will take it from you anymore."

Xueyan's eyes were watery as she sighed, "Now I finally understand my sister's difficulties."

Zijuan frowned. "Are you talking about me?"

Xueyan nodded like a chick pecking at rice.

Zijuan's lips twitched. "What difficulties do I have?"

Xueyan tore off another piece of chicken leg, pounded her chest as she swallowed, and took a breath before saying, "Why was it that back then, sister, for many days she couldn't get up in the morning, and even when she did, her legs were so weak she couldn't straighten up?"

"Now it seems that my sister only needs to rest for a morning and she can do some chores in the afternoon. She must have a divine constitution to be able to serve the master."

Zijuan's smile froze, and she stood there stunned.

She was the first woman in the household to have marital relations with the master, and in terms of the number of times, she was no less than Qin Keqing, so she was naturally the most capable of understanding the feelings involved.

But when I really think about it, my body goes limp.

Seeing that Zijuan seemed uneasy, Xueyan waved her hand and said, "I don't have Qingwen's intentions, nor did I come here to tease you, sister. I genuinely admire you, sister."

As she spoke, Xueyan rubbed her waist and lifted a corner of her robe to reveal a section of fair and smooth skin, but there were several reddish handprints on it, which were quite conspicuous.

"Look, this is from when the master pinched me."

Zijuan's lips trembled slightly, and she said with an awkward laugh, "Then you really have suffered."

Xueyan nodded repeatedly, "So, you understand, right? Even if you talk to Qingwen, she won't understand; she can't comprehend our difficulties at all. What's even more unfortunate is that I almost missed two meals today; I feel like I could eat a whole cow right now!"

"Alright, I'll have someone bring the ox over in a bit."

Xueyan chuckled, but when she caught a glimpse of the snow-white glutinous rice cake on the table, her expression froze again.

"Sister, please take these pastries away. I don't want to eat them..."

Xueyan has never been a picky eater, and there has never been a precedent of serving food untouched after it has been placed on her table.

Zijuan looked over in surprise, picked up a piece of glutinous rice cake with two fingers, and sniffed it lightly. There was no spoiled smell, so she frowned unconsciously.

"What's wrong with this cake? Isn't it your favorite?"

Xueyan stammered, unable to give a coherent explanation, but deep down she felt she would never like this glutinous rice cake again. Before she could even speak, Yue Ling suddenly appeared in front of her, snatched the cake from her, and began to chew it.

Xueyan didn't have time to stop him before she saw Yue Ling eating heartily, just like he had done the night before.

"This cake is quite delicious, why is Xueyan being picky?"

Zijuan rose and curtsied, "Master."

Xueyan turned her head away shyly, chewing the remaining food in her mouth. The soreness in her body returned after seeing Yue Ling, and she felt extremely weak.

As if on cue, Yue Ling sat down next to Xue Yan with an air of nonchalance, his hand casually resting on her shoulder, causing Xue Yan to tremble slightly.

Seeing Xueyan so reserved and her endearing clumsiness only fueled Yue Ling's desire to flirt with her.

"I was a bit too rough last night, I showed no mercy. It was our wedding night, and we were in the heat of the moment. Tonight..."

The sound of her breath tickling Xueyan's ear made her feel even worse.

Xueyan refused to eat anymore, stood up and ran out, "No, no, I'm not coming tonight. Master, please ask Sister Zijuan to take my place. I still need to eat, waaaah..."

Zijuan stared blankly at the scene, opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Xueyan's strong reaction made Yue Ling burst into laughter. He rubbed his eyes, took a few deep breaths to calm himself down, and said, "Zijuan, take all of these to her room and let her finish them. Tell her that she doesn't need to serve you tonight and that she should get some rest. I was just teasing her."

Zijuan nodded and stood up, took the food tray, took a few steps forward, then suddenly turned back, a hint of shyness rising on her face, "Then tonight this servant..."

Yue Ling asked in surprise, "You really want to come?"

In an instant, Zijuan's cheeks flushed red as a lantern. She grabbed the food plate and fled like the wind, even faster than Xueyan...

……

Prince Beijing's Mansion
The study was dimly lit.

A person sat in the shadows, holding a cup of fragrant tea in both hands, seemingly lost in thought.

Shui Rong, on the other hand, sat upright behind his desk, sketching a landscape painting with great sentiment. His brushstrokes were vigorous, and his use of blank space was meticulous, clearly indicating that he had been practicing this art for a long time.

As soon as the wolf-hair brush was placed on the brush holder, the person in the corner spoke up: "Your Highness's painting skills have improved again, especially this landscape painting. The mountains and rivers are in your heart, and the flowing water is your emotion. You are truly carrying the fate of the country in your heart."

"Next, shall we try to draw a 'Landscape of the People and the State'?"

Shui Rong shook his head and chuckled, "It's too early to talk about these things. Why don't you tell me the purpose of your visit today? Prince of Nan'an, have you made contact with the Northern Barbarians?"

The Prince of Nan'an walked out of the corner with a smile, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. "We've already made contact. Sure enough, the reason they were able to quickly restore their power is because of the influence of Shanxi merchants."

Changing the subject, the Prince of Nan'an added, "However, let's set aside their affairs for now and return to our own. Is Prince Shui truly betting everything on the Second Prince?"

Shui Rong curled the corners of his lips, seemingly quite interested in the new topic from the Prince of Nan'an. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "What? Not suitable? Even if the military power assigned to you is completely lost, it won't fundamentally damage the situation. Why not give it a try?"

The Prince of Nan'an clapped his hands and laughed, saying, "Try it? If the Duke of Dingguo weren't in the capital, we could still try. But now, no one has the chance to try; we can only make a final decision."

“Otherwise, the Duke of Dingguo will follow the clues and investigate further, eventually finding his way up to us.” Shrugging, the Prince of Nan’an spread his hands and said, “So, it’s best if you don’t leave any traces of what you’ve done before, otherwise no matter what we do now, we will be in a very passive position and it will be difficult to reverse the situation.”

Shui Rong shook his head. "Everything is still uncertain. How do you know we can't regain the initiative? Sending you to see the Second Prince was our most proactive move. We're the ones who stirred up the waters of the capital."

The Prince of Nan'an nodded thoughtfully. "You want me to encourage the Second Prince to vie for military power, forcing people in the court to quickly choose sides and support the princes in their struggle for the crown prince position. But I still don't understand, do you really think so highly of the Second Prince?"

"Where does this come from?"

The Prince of Nan'an continued, "In my opinion, this Second Prince is a pure warrior, crude and illiterate, single-mindedly seeking to make a name for himself and believing that merit will secure his position. Can such a naive person truly win the struggle for the throne?"

Shui Rong washed her hands in a basin and leisurely wiped them clean. "What does it matter? Isn't it just what we want? It's those with ulterior motives who are uncontrollable."

The Prince of Nan'an laughed as well, "I don't think you're the kind of person who would enjoy dealing with fools. Whether it's controllable or not, winning comes first."

"This reckless man, without our assistance, will likely venture deep into enemy territory alone and be surrounded and killed."

Shui Rong nodded, then shook his head. "After all, he was taught martial arts and military strategy by Yue Ling. I advise you not to underestimate him."

The Prince of Nan'an finally couldn't keep his composure and asked suspiciously, "You're really betting on him? Do you really think he has a chance to win the throne?"

Shui Rong sighed and said, "No."

"Then you return it?"

“He is a general who can accomplish great things, but he is not suitable to be an emperor. As you just said, he is not shrewd enough, arrogant and domineering, ambitious and eager for quick success, and most importantly, he is too impatient. Impatience and lack of composure make him unsuitable to be an emperor.”

"so?"

Shui Rong laughed and said, "So I'm betting on the Third Prince."

"Third Prince Liu Yun? That unassuming prince who stays indoors all day as if he's under house arrest? What can he possibly do?"

Shui Rong said, "His residence is right on this street, so it's very convenient to come and go."

"Is that what you call competence? Have you spoken with him? Does he have any intention of vying for the crown prince position?"

Shui Rong shook his head again, "He has closed his doors to visitors, so we haven't talked yet."

"Then what's the point of you saying all this? In my opinion, he's the least likely one."

"Of course it's useful. Knowing how to be patient doesn't mean you lack ambition; it just means you're waiting for a better opportunity. Do you think he would refuse the throne if it were right in front of him?"

The Prince of Nan'an pondered, "No one could refuse, except for a madman like Yue Ling, who only loves beauty and not power."

Shui Rong nodded, took out a waist token from his bosom, and tossed it into the arms of the Prince of Nan'an.

The Prince of Nan'an picked it up and examined it from both sides. "A dragon-patterned badge? The commander of the Imperial Guards?"

Then his expression hardened, and he stared in astonishment at Shui Rong's retreating figure.

(End of this chapter)