Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 504 You care about me? Ugh...

The two assassins near the door and window reacted the fastest. After the order to retreat was given, they tried to break open the door and, dressed in black, blend into the night and slip away.

However, Yue Ling behind them had no intention of letting them go.

He hooked a short blade lying on the ground with his toes, twisted his waist, and the short blade flew forward like an arrow.

The other three assassins, led by their leader, formed a battle formation to try and stop Yue Ling.

Suddenly, a short blade stabbed through the air. The leader had no choice but to raise his sword to block and deflect the force, but he was still knocked back several steps by the powerful impact.

In the past, they rarely failed in their missions, and they had never seen someone with such unparalleled martial arts skills as Yue Ling, who was so difficult to approach and could not be injured in the slightest.

The two assassins behind him supported their leader, but when they looked up again, they saw Yue Ling's figure flash by and appear before them like a ghost.

Everyone gasped and hurriedly tried to parry, but the blow, delivered with all the strength of their arms, fell instantly, severing both men's swords and blades and embedding them deep into their flesh.

A short while later, two more bodies fell to the ground.

The leader didn't have time to look around and quickly led the way with the two people behind him.

But the moment the door was pushed open, the courtyard was filled with flames.

The officers and soldiers of the Beijing garrison had already drawn their bows and arrows, standing ready to surround the entire inn.

With the firelight illuminating the sky, the assassins had nowhere to hide.

Listed first was the very person they were tasked with assassinating: Marquis Zhongjing, Shi Ding.

Looking back at the killing god approaching from inside the inn, they realized they had fallen into a trap.

This was a trap set for them.

The leader sneered and, without hesitation, attempted to swallow the pill to commit suicide.

Before he could even bite through the wax pill in his mouth, a pair of large hands reached out from the side, grabbed his jawbone, and lifted him up from the spot.

His two subordinates beneath him were both slit in the throat with a single sword strike, the sword tip leaving droplets of blood.

Nowadays, the majority of officers and soldiers in the Beijing garrison are new recruits who were enlisted after the invasion of the Northern Barbarians. Many of them have never seen Yue Ling's heroic figure on the battlefield, but have only heard of him in storytelling.

Now that I'm facing it head-on, I realize that the storytelling wasn't exaggerated, but rather a true account of events.

Who would have thought that the Duke of Dingguo was so skilled at crushing the jaw, making it impossible for the assassin to swallow, and the wax pellet immediately fell out of his mouth.

Such cruel methods made the group of novices tremble slightly.

Shi Ding ordered, "Dismount your weapons and go into the inn to clean up the mess."

"Yes."

The officers and soldiers filed in, and upon entering, they saw the mess on the ground, realizing the fierce battle that had just taken place.

Yue Ling's methods were even more ruthless than what they had just witnessed; he single-handedly fought against many opponents and killed them all.

Shi Ding ordered his men to take the prisoner alive, then presented the military tally to Yue Ling with both hands and asked, "Is the Commander injured?"

Yue Ling sheathed his sword, let out a soft breath, shook his head and said, "It's alright. This group of people are extremely ruthless and vicious, and they even brought so many people. They must want to kill you in one blow."

"It seems that they may have already discovered the evidence you sent before."

"It's best not to leave the capital for now. You can stay on the street in front of my residence, where the defenses are more thorough than here."

Shi Ding sighed inwardly, also thinking that he had survived a calamity.

If Yue Ling hadn't arrived early and taken his place, he might already be a corpse by now.

On the battlefield, he can command tens of thousands of soldiers, but when it comes to close-quarters combat in a confined space, that is truly his disadvantage.

They were both cunning and unprepared, making it a near-death experience.

"Has the Governor noticed who is the mastermind behind this?"

Yue Ling frowned and said, "The power dynamics within the capital are complex and intertwined, making it difficult to discern who is in charge behind the scenes. However, the truth should come to light soon."

Shi Ding asked in astonishment, "Could it be that the Commander-in-Chief has already set up a trap?"

Yue Ling shook his head with a cold smile, "Someone is getting impatient."

The two stood facing each other, waiting for the soldiers to clean up the mess and temporarily detain the inn's staff. Yue Ling suddenly frowned, as if he had forgotten something.

Shi Ding noticed the change in Yue Ling's expression and asked in confusion, "Commander, have you remembered some clues again?"

Yue Ling shook his head slightly, "It's not about that. I feel like I've forgotten something."

Shi Ding frowned, then looked up at Yue Ling and said in unison, "Oh no, Shi Xiangyun is still inside."

Just then, the soldiers brought a woman to the two of them.

The two officers hesitated and tried to shirk responsibility, neither wanting to inform Yue Ling first.

After a pause, one of them spoke: "This humble servant greets the Duke of Dingguo. We found this person in the inn just now, hiding on the bed in the room where the fight took place. We don't know his identity, but he keeps saying that you, Duke of Dingguo, sent him. What do you think..."

Yue Ling smiled wryly and nodded, "That's right, I sent her. You guys go ahead and get to work."

Upon hearing this, the expressions on the faces of the two officers and soldiers were quite interesting. Not knowing the cause and effect, they seemed to be making some guesses in their hearts.

It seemed that they had misunderstood something, but Yue Ling didn't care at all. After all, there were already too many misunderstandings about him in the world, and it was impossible to explain them clearly. It would only make things worse.

Shi Ding looked her up and down and asked with concern, "Did I frighten you?"

Shi Xiangyun lowered her head, held her shoulders, and moved her joints. Shi Ding still thought that her body was numb and stiff due to fright, but when she raised her head, her face was filled with undisguised excitement.

"So that's what the Marquis looks like when he fights with someone."

With her arms gesturing in the air, Shi Xiangyun said excitedly, "Swish, swish, swish, in just a few rounds, someone lost their head. Blood splattered in the room. I was wrapped tightly in bed, and the smell of blood was so strong that I almost vomited."

"But the Marquis is really too powerful. It's just a pity that when the bed curtains were shaking, I could only catch a glimpse of him through the gap. After that, once I was outside the room, I could see even less and could only hear some wails."

Shi Ding's lips twitched. She had been worried that the girl would be too scared to sleep after what she had experienced today, but now it seemed to be the other extreme – too excited to sleep.

She's been a tomboy since childhood, a little devil with no one to discipline her. Worrying that she'll be intimidated by the scene is really unnecessary.

Shi Ding covered his face and smiled bitterly, "Governor, my elder brother passed away early, and Xiangyun has had little discipline since childhood, which is why she has developed such a crazy and eccentric personality and doesn't behave like a proper young lady."

"She may not be as charming and intelligent as the girls in the Governor's Mansion in terms of temperament, but she is certainly not bad in appearance. I hope the Governor will not find her unattractive."

Shi Xiangyun was stunned. She grabbed Shi Ding's arm, her face flushed with embarrassment, and said, "Third Uncle, what are you saying? What do you mean by telling the Marquis not to dislike me?"

Shi Ding brushed Shi Xiangyun's hand away and said, "You're a young lady, and you always do things without a clear purpose. You should have found a husband and gotten married long ago. You've been staying at the Governor's Mansion for so long, do you still want to go out? Don't be silly. Your elder brother isn't here, so your third uncle will handle this for you."

"Although being a concubine is certainly not what my elder brother and sister-in-law wanted, she is still a concubine of the governor, someone who can't even get a chance to be in line. For us, a declining Marquis of Baoling, to have the title of concubine is a blessing from heaven for my elder brother and sister-in-law!"

Yue Ling was embarrassed and speechless. He cupped his hands in greeting and said helplessly, "The people in the inn will need to be questioned one by one by General Shi. The corpses also need to be investigated and their identities verified to see if they have any trace of activity since they came in." "I will return to my residence now."

Shi Ding clasped his hands and said, "It's my duty, Commander. Please rest assured and go home to rest."

Yue Ling nodded slightly, then turned and went into the army to borrow horses.

Seeing Shi Xiangyun standing there dumbfounded, not even knowing to return to the manor with Yue Ling, Shi Ding, exasperated, slapped her on the buttocks with the scabbard. "What are you doing here? Do you want to be a coroner or a jailer? If you're not going back with the governor, who are you waiting for?"

"Huh?" Shi Xiangyun seemed to wake up from a dream. She had just said such embarrassing things. How could she have the face to pursue Yue Ling?

Shi Ding gritted his teeth and said, "How could my elder brother have given birth to such a good-for-nothing girl like you? The governor's mansion has no shortage of women. You're still hiding now. You'll have your day to cry later."

"Get out of here, don't get in my way."

Shi Xiangyun pouted, gently rubbed her bottom, hummed a few times, and then left. She squeezed into the crowd and saw Yue Ling waiting for her with his horse at a stop.

"Can you ride a horse?"

Shi Xiangyun shook her head shyly, unconsciously pinching the hem of her skirt.

Yue Ling extended his hand and said, "Then come on, I'll take you back."

She reached out her hand in a daze, and in the blink of an eye, she was sitting in front of Yue Ling. Feeling the burning heat of his chest behind her made Shi Xiangyun's heart race.

The wind whipped at her face, making it hard for Shi Xiangyun to open her eyes, but it couldn't dispel the lingering smell of blood on Yue Ling.

But Shi Xiangyun didn't find it disgusting at all; in fact, she was captivated by the feeling, just like a scene from a story about a hero and a beauty in a traditional Chinese storytelling performance, her heart pounding wildly.

"If I marry the Marquis, Sister Lin won't strangle me, will she...?"

……

The night was slightly cool.

Lin Daiyu waited under the moon-shaped window, gazing at the end of the corridor.

At this moment, she seemed even more concerned about Yue Ling's safety than before, and even at midnight, she still couldn't sleep peacefully in bed.

Feeling too lonely, Lin Daiyu sought out Zijuan and Xueyan to keep her company. Zijuan obediently waited by her side, while Xueyan, having just finished a hearty meal at the table, was now leaning back in her chair, supporting her slightly protruding belly and breathing heavily.

Zijuan shook her head helplessly, draped a long blanket over Lin Daiyu from behind, and whispered to comfort her, "Madam knows that Master never does anything unprepared. Now that he has gone out, he will surely return safely."

Lin Daiyu exhaled softly, her warm breath gradually turning the windowpane white. She quickly raised her sleeve to wipe it clean.

“I understand in my heart, but I’m still afraid that something might happen. My husband rose to prominence through this, but he also had to do such dangerous things. If possible, I hope that my husband can stay away from the court and live a peaceful life. With the silver we have in our household now, it’s enough for us to live peacefully for several lifetimes.”

Zijuan comforted her, "What Madam thinks will come true, and Master will consider it."

Xueyan hiccuped slightly and said, "Master will be fine."

Her eyes darted around, and she thought to herself, "But please, let Master get a little tired, and don't bother me again when we get back to the manor. I'm getting hungry every day, and I feel like I'm losing my energy."

"Now that I've eaten, I'll go boil some water for the master. When he returns, he'll surely be tired from his journey and will need to bathe and change."

Nodding, Xueyan stood up, supporting herself on the table, and said, "Madam, I'll go boil some water for later use."

Lin Daiyu nodded slightly, "It's good to prepare some, and also some food, something light and not too greasy."

"it is good."

Xueyan went out with great interest and then went to the other courtyard to call the cook to prepare.

The room fell silent again. Zijuan tended the tea stove to brew tea, looking at Lin Daiyu, counting the seconds as she passed, feeling extremely tormented.

A few more minutes passed, until nearly four in the morning, when Xueyan had all returned inside, and only then could hurried footsteps be heard outside the corridor.

Lin Daiyu's eyes brightened slightly, and she turned to go out to greet him. Sure enough, it was Yue Ling who had returned, and she was overjoyed.

"Husband, are you injured?"

Lin Daiyu chased after Yue Ling, wanting to examine him closely, but all she saw was that Yue Ling's robes were stained with blood and his body reeked of blood, yet there was no damage to his inner armor.

With a deep sigh, Lin Daiyu finally managed to swallow her anger.

"No, I have no new injuries. My body smells too strong, so please go back to your room and wait. Let me go take a bath and change."

Lin Daiyu nodded repeatedly, then called to those behind her, "Zijuan, go..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xueyan interrupted, "Let me do it, Madam."

"You go?"

Xueyan nodded confidently and said, "Sister Zijuan stayed by Madam's side the whole time without resting, so I'm full of energy. I even boiled the hot water myself."

Lin Daiyu thought about it and realized that made sense. "Then you should be more careful."

"It's nothing, just a shower."

Then she pushed Yue Ling toward the bathhouse, her face beaming with joy no less than Lin Daiyu's.

Yue Ling also vaguely felt that since they had made love, Xue Yan had been paying more and more attention to him, and would secretly look at him from time to time.

Although there were many others before, it seems that he has now taken up residence in her heart, and besides eating, he is all she wants.

With her body immersed in the wooden tub, Xueyan pinched her nose and scattered flower petals and soap pods beside her to wash away the fishy smell from Yue Ling's body.

They sprinkled handful after handful, afraid of not washing it clean enough.

Yue Ling found it amusing, "If you find it distasteful, why bother serving me? You might as well call Zijuan over."

Xueyan shook her head and stubbornly said, "It's not that I dislike her, but Sister Zijuan has worked hard all day, so it's only right that she rests."

If someone else had said this, Yue Ling might have believed it to some extent, but for Xue Yan to say it sounded so untrue.

Grasping Xueyan's wrist, Yue Ling pulled her to his side and asked with a smile, "Aside from the kitchen, is there anything else that can make you more diligent? Could it be that you care about me more now, which is why you're vying to do it?"

Xueyan turned her head away sharply and said, "I didn't. Master bullies me all the time, why should I care?"

"You still say no? Then why won't you look at me?"

Xueyan covered her mouth with one hand and sobbed, "How could I be afraid to look? I just... I just..."

"Just what?"

"vomit……"

Suddenly, he vomited all over the floor. Yue Ling's lips twitched, and he said helplessly, "Is it really necessary to be so disgusted..."

(End of this chapter)