The Red Mansion

Chapter 124 Spring Snow in the Courtyard, Peony Pond, Longing Afar
Jiang Nianming ordered the cavalry to search Zhou Sankui, then turned to look at Li Liu, his brows furrowing as he realized the man looked familiar.

After a moment's thought, he remembered that this man resembled the bandit leader who had robbed the Xue family on the Zaozhuang section of the Grand Canal last year. He had an exceptional memory and had clearly seen Li Liu's face with binoculars back then.

Just as Jiang Nian was about to interrogate Li Liu, a soldier hurriedly reported, holding a blue booklet: "Your Excellency, we found this account book in Zhou Sankui's personal clothing!"

Jiang Nian's heart skipped a beat. For a moment, she forgot about interrogating Li Liu and took the account book to look through it.

This glance was like opening the Book of Life and Death in the Underworld.

The book was filled with dense handwriting, detailing all the bribes Zhou Sankui had given to officials.

Those who accepted bribes included the ambassador of the Yexian Salt Tax Office, the inspector of the Yexian Patrol Office, the ambassador of the Laizhou Salt Area Inspection Office, the magistrate of Yexian, the prefect of Laizhou, the circuit intendant of Dengzhou-Laizhou-Qingdao Circuit, the salt transport judge of the Shandong Salt Transport Commission, the assistant salt transport official of the Shandong Salt Transport Commission, and the salt transport commissioner of the Shandong Salt Transport Commission...

Jiang Nian was increasingly shocked as she looked.

Today, he led two hundred cavalrymen in a raid on the Dragon King Temple west of Yexian City. Not only did he capture Zhou Sankui and his subordinates, but he also obtained an account book that nearly wiped out the officials of Laizhou and the Shandong Salt Transport Commissioner's Office.

"It must have been luck that played a role!"

Jiang Nian continued flipping through the account books while thinking about it.

Suddenly, his gaze sharpened as he spotted a very important figure in the ledger that made his heart skip a beat.

This person was none other than Yuan Tang!

Yuan Tang was the ninth prince of Emperor Jingning and a member of the "Eighth Prince Party". He was good at business and laid a strong economic foundation for his brother, the Eighth Prince Yuan Si, to seize the throne. He himself did not covet the throne and did not betray Yuan Si even after the Eighth Prince Yuan Si failed to seize the throne.

Now Jiang Nian has discovered that Zhou Sankui, the notorious salt smuggler of Laizhou, is having an affair with Yuan Tang!
Behind Wednesday's saga lies a hidden tiger.

Jiang Nian closed the ledger, stared intently at Zhou Sankui, and sneered, "So, Zhou Sankui, you really have connections everywhere!"

Zhou Sankui's face was ashen, and he remained silent with his head bowed.

……

……

The battle at the Dragon King Temple has ended.

In this battle, Zhou Sankui and five other managers, including Li Liu, were captured. Four other managers were killed, including Wang Heimian.

Jiang Nian dispatched Qi Jianyu and Yan Mao, the military commander of Dengzhou Town, to lead 100 cavalrymen in a surprise attack on Hutoutan.

On Hutou Beach, nearly two hundred salt workers were boiling salt under the scorching sun when they suddenly heard the thunderous sound of horses' hooves, and more than a hundred cavalrymen had already arrived.

The two generals at the forefront were Qi Jianyu, dressed in the uniform of a third-class imperial guard, and Yan Mao, the garrison commander of Dengzhou, clad in armor and carrying a crossbow.

Qi Jianyu drew his bow like a full moon, his arrow flew like a shooting star, his official robes shone in the sun, and his steed galloped through the sand and clouds.

Yan Mao held a powerful crossbow, his iron armor gleaming coldly in the sun, and the crossbow bolts pierced the air with terrifying force.

The dozens of salt-protecting bandits on the scene had never seen such a scene before. In addition, the leader of the Tiger Head Beach management had already been captured at the Dragon King Temple. When these dozens of salt-protecting bandits saw the government troops descending from the sky and starting to kill them, they were so frightened that they were scared out of their wits. Some ran away with their heads in their hands, some knelt down and begged for mercy, and some, unaware of their own mortality, tried to fight to the death, but easily lost their lives.

In just a short while, the notorious bandits who used to bully others at Hutou Beach were either lying on the ground in disarray or captured.

Yu Zhonggong was scooping water by the salt lake when he saw this scene. He couldn't help but burst into tears and looked up at the sky, exclaiming, "Heaven has eyes after all!"

The salt workers were first stunned, then they all knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly to the soldiers. Some even held Qi Jianyu's boots and cried, "General, we will repay your life-saving grace even if we are to be your slaves in our next life!"

At this moment, a sea breeze suddenly rose, swirling salt grains through the air.

The howling wind no longer seemed to mourn for the unfortunate, but rather like a dirge for this gang of salt smugglers.

……

……

Seeing that the government troops had wiped out the salt bandits at Hutou Beach and rescued nearly two hundred salt workers who had been forced to join them, Yu Zhonggong remembered that his beloved daughter, Yu Lanxuan, was still in the clutches of the bandits. He hurriedly bowed deeply to Qi Jianyu and Yan Mao, and said with tears in his eyes, "I will never forget the great kindness of you two generals. But my daughter is still trapped in Zhou Sankui's private residence. I hope you generals will have mercy on her..." Before he could finish speaking, he choked up and could not say anything more.

Qi Jianyu immediately mustered thirty elite cavalry, led by Yu Zhonggong, and headed straight for Zhou Sankui's private residence at Hutou Beach.

The gates of the mansion are tightly shut, concealing filth; high walls and deep courtyards lock away beautiful women.

The officers and soldiers shouted and broke down the door.

Before the guards could even react, they were shot dead by crossbow bolts.

Upon seeing this, the servants and women were so frightened that they collapsed to the ground, repeatedly pleading, "Sir, spare our lives!"

Qi Jianyu ordered a search, and sure enough, they found three women in the inner courtyard, including Yu Lanxuan.

Yu Lanxuan was weeping when she suddenly saw her father leading soldiers in. She was startled at first, then threw herself into her father's arms, crying with tears streaming down her face.

Yu Zhonggong stroked Yu Lanxuan's dark hair and asked in a trembling voice, "Did Zhou Sankui defile you?"

Yu Lanxuan shook her head and wept, "My daughter is fortunate to be safe. Zhou Sankui said he wanted tonight..."

At this point, he was filled with shame and indignation.

Yu Zhonggong was overjoyed and bowed deeply to Qi Jianyu, saying, "If it weren't for the general's divine intervention, my daughter's chastity would surely have been lost. I can never repay such a great kindness!"

Qi Jianyu helped Yu Zhonggong up and said gently, "Sir, there's no need for that. I'm just following orders."

Two other women were also rescued this time. One had been forcibly bought by Zhou Sankui at a low price, and the other had been abducted. Unlike Yu Lanxuan, who was also lucky, and Li Yanmei, both of them had already been defiled by Zhou Sankui.

……

……

On that day, when Jiang Nian led two hundred cavalrymen to raid the Dragon King Temple, the Dengzhou Navy also set out to blockade the Yexian coast and the Shahe Town wharf to prevent smuggled salt ships from escaping.

Zhou Sankui's smuggled salt ships were usually disguised and transported from Shahe Town Wharf to Jinan, Zhili and other places for sale.

At the Shahe Town Wharf, a private salt ship belonging to Zhou Sankui was disguised as a merchant ship, but was secretly loaded with white smuggled salt. The private salt ship had just set sail.

Suddenly, three cannon shots were heard from the water. The bandits on the ship realized that something was wrong. Some were shot and killed by the naval archers, while others jumped into the water to try to escape, but failed.

A naval officer stood at the bow of the ship and sneered, "A bunch of ignorant salt rats!"

Immediately, the naval officer ordered a thorough investigation of the Shahe Town wharf, and several more smuggled salt ships were discovered.

In this operation: a large quantity of smuggled salt was seized, more than 50 notorious bandits were captured or killed, and six smuggled salt ships were confiscated.

The naval officer tied the prisoners together and, gazing at the mountain of salt sacks, sighed, "These gleaming white things are comparable to gold and silver!"

……

……

General Fang Yuanxiang of Dengzhou Town personally led his troops, under the supervision of Chang Ye and Dai Shijiao, to surround Yexian City like an iron barrel.

The city gates were tightly shut, prohibiting entry and exit; the streets were deserted, with no pedestrians; soldiers stood in formation like an iron wall; banners covered the sun like dark clouds.

Jiang Nian led Chang Ye, Meng Xiong, and a hundred cavalrymen straight to the Laizhou Prefectural Government Office. Prefect Cheng Tianxi, who was usually pampered and arrogant, was dragged out by Meng Xiong like a dead dog.

The group then went to the magistrate's office in Yexian County. Magistrate Zhang Bingyi had some backbone; when he saw the imperial envoy arresting him, he straightened his clothes and neither resisted nor cried out.

The group then went to the salt transport office and arrested the salt transport judge. This judge was laughable; upon hearing the news, he tried to hide under the bed, but Meng Xiong overturned him and the bed, leaving him looking like a turtle with its lid upside down. The prefect became a caged bird, the county magistrate a condemned criminal, and the salt official a homeless dog.

Subsequently, all the corrupt officials, including the salt tax commissioner and the inspector of the patrol office in Yexian County, were arrested.

……

……

It was already late March.

That day, Xue Baochai entered a dilapidated little courtyard, the very one she and Jiang Nian had once lived in. This old little courtyard still belonged to Jiang Nian.

The pear tree in the inner courtyard, which had once been half-dead, is now flourishing with lush foliage after a year of careful tending. It is currently in full bloom, with hundreds and thousands of pear blossoms piled up like clouds and snow. As the spring breeze passes, petals flutter down, resembling spring snowflakes. The area beneath the pear tree is now covered in a blanket of "snow."

Snow in the spring courtyard!
"Although this pear tree is half withered, it has a unique charm. Under the sunshine after the rain, it looks even more vibrant."

"I love pear trees the most. When the pear blossoms are in full bloom, they are as white as snow, the whole tree is covered in snow, and the whole yard is covered in snow."

“Baochai, your skin is as white as snow, you are destined to be with pear blossoms… I have ordered people to take good care of this pear tree, it will surely flourish in the future.”

"That's better."

Xue Baochai recalled the scene last spring when she and Jiang Nian stood side by side gazing at this pear tree.

The pear blossoms in the courtyard reflect the spring sunshine, and a tree of jade hangs down with dew.

Last year's withered tree has sprouted again, and I still remember the time we admired it together.

She had been missing Jiang Nian, who was away from the capital, and now that she had returned to this place, seeing that the pear trees had indeed flourished again and the whole yard was covered with "snow", she couldn't help but miss them even more.

She thought to herself, "It's been over a month since the master left the capital on imperial orders. I wonder how long it will be before he returns? Before he left, he secretly told me that he would give me a special ceremony after he finished his imperial mission and returned to the capital..."

Lost in thought, he suddenly felt his face burning.

Ying'er, who was standing nearby, noticed something and leaned over to ask, "Why is the young lady blushing?"

Xue Baochai spat lightly, feigning anger, and said, "What nonsense are you spouting!"

As she spoke, she turned her back, pretending to straighten her clothes, but couldn't hide the blush on her cheeks.

Last year we looked at the half-withered pears together, this morning I face the courtyard full of snow alone.

Longing is the hardest thing to bear; I await my beloved's return, adorned with jade pendants.

Xue Baochai stood there for a long while, then finally sighed softly. She instructed Ying'er to fetch a brocade pouch, and personally picked up some fresh, fallen pear blossoms, placing them inside. She thought to herself, "When he returns, I will definitely show him the fallen blossoms of this pear tree this year, and tell him about the magnificent scene of the old house filled with snow-like blossoms this year..."

Thinking of this, his heart pounded again, and he hurriedly took Ying'er and left.

The pear blossoms on the tree were still fluttering down, as if they too were looking forward to the return of the traveler.

……

……

In the capital city, the flowering season of peonies is roughly the same as that of pear blossoms.

When the pear trees in Jiang Nian's old house were in full bloom, the peonies in the inner courtyard of Jiang's new house were also blooming, their vibrant colors resembling a tapestry of brocade.

Yuan Chun, dressed in a skirt, was gazing intently at the peony pond, lost in thought as she looked at the pond full of opulent flowers, a few strands of sorrow seemingly floating between her brows.

Peonies bloom in the wind, glistening with dew; a beautiful woman gazes at them with sorrow. Their faces reflect each other, but which one is more pitiful?
Suddenly, two beautiful figures emerged from the hanging flower gate; it was Xue Baochai and Ying'er returning from their old residence.

Seeing Yuan Chun standing by the peony pond, Xue Baochai quickly stepped forward, curtsied, and then smiled sweetly, saying, "Sister, are you admiring the peonies? What a refined taste!"

Yuan Chun nodded with a smile: "Did you go to the old house to see the pear blossoms?"

Xue Baochai nodded with a smile: "I have seen it. The whole tree and the whole courtyard are like snow."

As she spoke, Xue Baochai admired the riot of colors in the pond and smiled at Yuan Chun, saying, "Sister, standing among these peonies reminds me of a line—'Sister, you are just like these peonies, with unparalleled beauty and fragrance.'"

Yuan Chun paused abruptly in her hand, her eyes flickering slightly: "These words... were spoken by Master to my sister?"

Upon hearing this, Xue Baochai was taken aback, and then it dawned on her—Jiang Nian had also described Yuan Chun in this way. A pang of bitterness rose in her heart, but she did not show it on her face, only smiling and saying, "Master did not say that; it was just my own thought." As she spoke, she reached out and gently stroked a bright red peony.

Yuan Chun nodded, recalling how Jiang Nian had gazed at her tenderly while they made love, and softly said that she was as beautiful and elegant as a peony.

Thinking of this, Yuan Chun glanced at some fallen petals in the pond and sighed softly, "This pond of beautiful peonies is about to wither. It's a pity that Master won't be able to come back to admire them."

These words, spoken very softly, struck Xue Baochai's heart like a heavy hammer.

Xue Baochai suddenly remembered what Jiang Nian had said to her last year: "When these peonies bloom next year, let's enjoy the flowers and have tea together."

She knew then that the "we" in those words included both her and Yuan Chun.

However, things didn't go as planned. Jiang Nian is currently on business outside Beijing and it's unclear when she'll be able to return. This year, she won't be able to enjoy the beautiful peony pond at home with Yuan Chun.

Two beautiful women by the Peony Pavilion, each with their own thoughts, sleep peacefully amidst the flowers.

I wonder where the traveler is now, and whether he remembers the twin lotus blossoms at home?
The peonies in the pond swayed gently in the breeze, as if they too were sighing that this beautiful moment had been wasted.

But the morning sun shone even brighter, blurring the shadows of flowers and faces, making it impossible to tell whose eyes were glistening with tears...

……

……

The Qin family lived only a hundred steps away from the Jiang family's new residence.

In the west wing, Qin Keqing's slender fingers held a silver needle, carefully sewing a man's long robe. Her slender fingers, like scallion stalks, appeared even whiter and more lustrous than jade when reflected in the silk thread.

She had made shoes for him by hand, and she had also made purses for him by hand.

And now, she is making clothes for him by hand, and when he returns, she will give them to him personally...

Who knows the loneliness of a woman secluded in her boudoir? She entrusts her longing to needlework.

When my beloved returns, I'll see if the new clothes fit.

"I wonder when Grandpa Jiang will return..."

Qin Keqing couldn't help but sigh softly.

Just then, Ruizhu brought in a bowl of lotus seed soup. Seeing this, she smiled and said, "Miss, you've put so much effort into this. I wonder how happy Master Jiang will be when he comes back and sees it!"

Qin Keqing blushed slightly, put down her work, and scolded, "You little hussy, you're getting more and more unruly. Stop talking nonsense, I was just bored..."

Before she could finish speaking, she smiled to herself.

Ruizhu placed the soup bowl on the table and suddenly noticed the word "Peace" embroidered inside the collar of the long robe. Qin Keqing followed her gaze and hurriedly reached out to cover it, but Ruizhu saw it clearly.

The two, one shy and the other giggling, made the west wing feel warm and inviting, like a scene from springtime.

(End of this chapter)