Red Mansion: Seizing Jiangdong, starting with pirates

Chapter 88, Recycling Introduction

In the hall, Fang Yong dismissed his attendants and sat alone in the first seat.

Lin Ruhai stood below.

Fang Yong asked:

"Are you Lin Ruhai?"

Lin Ruhai said neither humbly nor arrogantly:
"Your humble servant Lin Hai, courtesy name Ru Hai, greets the Marquis of Huaiyin."

Fang Yong nodded and asked:

"What are you doing here?"

Lin Ruhai said:

"May I ask the Marquis of Huaiyin, since you have already submitted to the imperial court, why are you so fickle and have sent troops to attack Yangzhou?"

Fang Yong's eyes turned when he heard this, and he replied with a smile:
"Lord Lin, you may not know that I have no intention of attacking Yangzhou. However, I have a father-in-law who lives in Yangzhou. As the end of the year is approaching, I want to invite him back to Huaizhou to celebrate the new year. I am afraid that he is unwilling, so I am raising troops to attack Yangzhou, intending to reunite with him in Yangzhou."

Lin Ruhai was stunned when he heard this. He really didn't expect Fang Ze to give such a reason.

Attacking the city because you want to bring your father-in-law back to celebrate the New Year?
Which father-in-law has such a great face?

Are you joking?

Lin Ruhai shook his head and said:
"This is very contrary to what you said. Is it possible that the Marquis of Huaiyin is just joking with me?"

Fang Yong turned serious when he heard that. He was not joking.

Fang Yong said very seriously:

"These are not jokes, they are all true."

Lin Ruhai was a little surprised to see Fang Yong was so serious and it didn't seem like a joke.

Could this really be true?

If we really send troops for this reason, it would be too bizarre!

But if you think about it and look through history books, there seem to be quite a few bizarre things like this.

At the moment, Lin Ruhai was a little unsure of Fang Yong's intention, so he just went along with what Fang Yong said, while inadvertently revealing his true purpose.

"In this case, the Marquis of Huaiyin should invite him with kind words instead of engaging in hostilities. The end of the year is approaching, and seeing bloodshed is not a good omen. I hope the Marquis of Huaiyin will lay down his armor and stop fighting. I am willing to go there in person and invite this man."

Fang Yongdao:
"If that's possible, it would be great. But it's easy to stop the fighting, but I'm afraid my father-in-law is unwilling to come."

Lin Ruhai asked: "Why is this?"

Fang Yongdao:
"Lord Lin, you may not know that this marriage was not obtained by me through three matchmakers and six betrothal gifts, but by force. My father-in-law's family is a family of poetry, literature and etiquette, and I am afraid that they will find it difficult to accept this."

After hearing this, Lin Ruhai suddenly realized that he had kidnapped someone else's daughter.

I don’t know which daughter is so unlucky. Fortunately, I sent my daughter to the capital early, otherwise she would be in danger.

However, the most important thing at the moment is to use a delaying tactic to delay the bandits and buy time to repair the city wall. For the sake of the people in the city, they have to temporarily sacrifice that family.

Lin Ruhai thought about this in his mind and said:

"Don't worry, Marquis Huaiyin. This is an easy matter. I have a wide range of friends. I know all the families of poetry, literature and etiquette in Yangzhou City. I am willing to personally guarantee Marquis Huaiyin and make this happen!"

Fang Yong was very happy after hearing this and said:

"Okay, okay, that's great. But I don't know if Lord Lin's eloquence can accomplish anything. Let me ask you, if my father-in-law thinks that I raped a woman and disregarded the law, how will you respond?

Lin Ruhai said:

"This is an easy matter. I can advise him by saying that those who have accomplished great things since ancient times have not been fussy about trivial matters. Although the behavior of the Marquis of Huaiyin is a little bit indecent, his heart is sincere and he is filial and righteous, which shows that he has a good character. He may be able to find a good relationship in the future."

Fang Yongxi said:

"Very good, very good! But if my father-in-law despises me because of my humble origins and my lack of knowledge, how will you respond?"

Lin Ruhai said confidently: "This is an easy matter. I can persuade him by saying: Since ancient times, there have been many talented generals and ministers among the common people. How can we scholars look down on them just because of our humble origins?"

Fang Yong smiled and said:

"That makes sense, but if my father-in-law thinks I am immoral and shameless, how will you respond?"

Lin Ruhai remains confident:
"This is an easy matter. I can advise him by saying: In the past, there was a prodigal son named Zhou Chu who returned home. From this, we can see that human nature is not fixed and we cannot judge a person by his performance at one time. If the Marquis of Huaiyin can have both virtue and behavior in the future, this matter will be no problem.

After hearing this, Fang Yong was overjoyed and immediately stood up and walked down.

"Mr. Lin's words are as bright as pearls, and are truly the most sincere and precious words in the world. If my father-in-law could hear such good advice, he would surely agree to this matter with pleasure!"

Lin Ruhai sighed for that family in his heart, but smiled on the surface.

"In this case, can you please ask Marquis Huaiyin to stop fighting for a while, and wait for me to go back and invite your father-in-law to come out, so that we can be reunited?"

Fang Yong laughed.

"No need to trouble you. Does Lord Lin have a daughter named Daiyu? Now Yu'er and I have become a perfect match. All we need is a letter to invite Yu'er to come over, and our family will naturally be reunited."

Lin Ruhai was stunned when he heard this, and looked at Fang Yong, with a very bad premonition in his heart.

"You, what did you say!"

Fang Yong smiled calmly and stepped forward to support Lin Ruhai, fearing that he might faint from the blow.

"Could it be that my father-in-law still can't guess it?"

Fang Yong replied with a smile.

Lin Ruhai felt dazed for a moment, but fortunately Fang Yong supported him in time so he did not fall to the ground.

But even so, Lin Ruhai still couldn't believe it.

"Impossible, impossible. Yu'er was sent to the capital last year. Shi Fei and En Hou both wrote back."

Fang Yong explained:
"Mr. Jia is now serving under me. As for the letter of pardon, I asked someone to forge it. Look, this is the purse that Yu'er embroidered for me herself!"

Lin Ruhai's body trembled, and he looked at the pattern of the purse carefully. It was indeed similar to the one embroidered by Yu'er.

"you you!"

Lin Ruhai stared at Fang Yong. He couldn't believe that such a thing would happen.

"You beast, Yu'er is the one who..."

Lin Ruhai almost burst into curses.

"My father-in-law has misunderstood," Fang Yong hurriedly explained that he and Daiyu did not sleep together, and then told Lin Ruhai about what happened in Jinhai.

After hearing this, Lin Ruhai felt much better, and the look in his eyes when he looked at Fang Yong was less malicious, but he still disliked him.

"No, I absolutely do not agree to this. You raped a woman and defied the law. How can you be a good person?"

Fang Yong said: "Father-in-law, what you said is wrong. Although my behavior is a little bit indecent, my heart is sincere and I have filial piety. This shows that I have a good character. I may be able to find a good relationship in the future."

Lin Ruhai was stunned for a moment, feeling that something was wrong, and then said, "You, you come from a humble background, you are uneducated and uncultured, while Yu'er comes from a family of poetry, literature and etiquette, how can you be a match for her?"

Fang Yong said: "Since ancient times, there have been many talented generals and ministers among the common people. How can you, father-in-law, look down on them just because you are of a humble origin?"

Lin Ruhai widened his eyes. These, these were all his words!

Lin Ruhai cursed angrily:

"You, you, you are so immoral and shameless!"

Fang Yong replied:

"Why do you say that, father-in-law? Haven't you heard of the story of Zhou Chu, the prodigal son who turned over a new leaf? It shows that human nature is not fixed. Although I am a little immoral and shameless now, I will definitely have both virtue and morality in the future. Father-in-law, you can't judge a person based on his performance at one time!"

Lin Ruhai was so angry with Fang Yong that even though Fang Yong later took out many embroidery works that Daiyu had made for him and poems that Daiyu had written for him to prove that Daiyu was indeed living a good life, Lin Ruhai was still furious.

(End of this chapter)