Nightly Exploration of the Red Mansion (4)

Nightly Exploration of the Red Mansion (61)

Jia Wu was startled, raised his head to look out the window, only to see a slinky figure walked out from the flowers, fixed his eyes, not Qingwen, it turned out to be Daiyu.

Jia Wu exhaled a long breath: “Sister Lin, you scared me, why are you up so early, come in quickly, it’s cool outside.” While saying this, he assisted the musk moon on the ground to lie down on the bed.

Daiyu lifted the curtain and entered the room, picking up the verses written by Jia Wu and looking at them carefully: “Baoyu, your ability to write poetry has grown again.”

Jia Wu smiled embarrassedly: “It’s just that the last line is not quite in tune, so there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Daiyu smiled: “Poetry, pay attention to is the mood, not to words harmful meaning, more can not be in order to flat and oblique, the battle and lost the flavor. When the old Du’s ‘Baidi City clouds go out, Baidi City rains over the basin’ there are three words repeated in the two lines, but carefully chewed up, if you change the other words, there really is no such boldness. Your last two lines are also, ‘Not falling Venus to the blue sea, turned into a sunset full of clouds! This is from Li Bai’s ‘The bright moon does not sink to the blue sea, and the white clouds are full of sadness’. Li Bai’s poem is sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad. Today by you a flip, actually become so introspective, ten thousand kinds of heroism. Lone Venus, silent sadness, sunk into the sea, leaving infinite sadness. But the five children so pure girl, must have gone to be with the fairies, the last sentence a flip, Venus fell into the sea, turned into a sky full of colorful haze, her thoughts about us, are written in the sky above the clouds and haze. It’s a few points more beautiful than Li Bai’s mood!”

Jia Wu’s eyes widened : “I wrote it by mistake, I didn’t realize it could be explained so well. Sister, you’re really good, next time I write something, I’ll ask you to comment on it.”

Daiyu smiled sadly, “Next time? You still want to write a eulogy? You should write it for me, right? Alas, if you can have such a good poem to mourn me, death would not be in vain.”

Jia Wu was busy pulling Daiyu’s hand: “Don’t talk nonsense! If you die, I won’t live either.”

At that moment, I heard a lot of noisy voices outside: “Let’s go see the bride!”

“See the bride go!” Jia Wu heart so strange, who married daughter-in-law ah, married to the Grand View Garden. How did you hear nothing beforehand? Busy and Daiyu out of the house to see.

When Jia Wu saw Xiaohong running over, he stopped her and asked, “What’s going on outside? Whose bride has been carried to the garden?”

Xiaohong said with a smile, “It’s our Lian Ershi, the newly married second grandmother is the sister of Great Grandma Zhen, and she’s really beautiful, one in a hundred beautiful!”

Jia Wu was flabbergasted: “Then does Sister Feng know?”

“Of course I know, but Grandmother Lian Er personally sent someone to bring her into the garden!” Xiaohong said : “Second Master, I have to go first, Grandma Lian Er is still waiting for me to ask the florist to arrange flowers for the new Second Grandma’s house.”

Watching Xiaohong leave, Jia Wu wondered how Phoenix, that jealous woman, could take the initiative to give Jia Lian a young wife.

Eighty percent is that Jia Lian himself is looking for a second wife outside, and was tricked by Phoenix into coming to the Grand View Garden. I’m afraid there will be a lot of fights in the future.

Daiyu looked at Jia Wu and said, “Baoyu, what do you say to that Great Grandma Zhen’s sister, how come she agreed to be a minor for others?”

“This I know,” Zijuan came over and said: “Their You family has no money and no power, but a few girls are very beautiful, people say it is a natural beauty. Master Zhen fell in love with the big grandma beautiful, and the Jing master how much famine, must be married. Then Master Jing left the house in a fit of anger, no matter, before marrying Great Grandma Zhen into the family.”

Jia Wu heard a stunned, do not look at Jia Zhen other not good, this fight for marital autonomy is still quite admirable.

“By the way, that dead Rong brother-in-law family seems to be no money and no power,” Daiyu said: “Then their father and son are quite similar.”

“Yes, that Rong’s daughter-in-law is even more pitiful,” said Zijuan: “is the old Mr. Qin from the health hall to carry, even the parents do not know who. When Master Zhen sent Rong’er to school at Mr. Qin’s place, he saw the girl Keqing, who was later Rong’s daughter-in-law, and insisted on marrying her to Rong’er, and the old lady refused to listen to her advice, and then, hey!”

“Alas, do not say this,” Daiyu sighed: “that Rong brother-in-law is really a good person, but it is a pity that he died too early.”

“Yes,” Zijuan nodded and said: “They say that Rong’s daughter-in-law looks like you. By the way, I heard that the new second grandmother is called You Er Sister, and she has a sister called You San Sister. The third sister is a great beauty, and looks like Miss Lin.”

“Nonsense,” Daiyu laughed: “How can a beauty look like me?”

“It’s true this time,” argued Zijuan, “Master Lian Ershi’s follower told me, and he’s bold and has a good idea.”

“Oh? What’s the idea proper?” Debbie asked.

“Master Lian Ershi and the second sister wanted to find an in-law for the third sister, but the third sister said, ‘Now that my sister has found a good home and my mother has a place to live, it is only right that I should find my own way back. But a life-long affair, from life to death, is not a child’s play. I have to choose someone I like to go with. If you choose, even if it is richer than Shi Chong, more talented than Zi Jian, looks better than Pan An, I can’t get in my heart, but also in vain for a lifetime.'”

“And who does she have her eye on?” Debbie asked curiously.

“Third sister said: five years ago, our mother’s family birthday, mom and we went there to celebrate her birthday. His family invited a guest, there is a young man called Liu Xianglian, I have a crush on him. I was attracted to him, and now I want to marry him. In the past years, we heard that Liu Xianglian got into trouble and escaped, I don’t know whether he has come or not.” Zijuan said, while squinting at Daiyu.

Daiyu was shocked, and her face immediately turned red: “This girl has a lot of guts. But she is also right, their own happiness does not rely on their own to strive for who else? I want to have the courage to confess to Baoyu. Alas, however, it seems that he already knows it!”

Nightly Exploration of the Red Mansion (62)

The old concubine died, Kang Xi sad a few days, he is her hand brought up well. Trance feel that he is also soon to be in the human body. And think of the old consort in the world when the most loved is the old fourteen, the imperial decree made fourteen a brother back to mourning.

Yongzheng heard that the old fourteen to return to the capital, was shocked, and hastened to find Usidao, Hongli, the cause, as well as their other beloved to discuss the strategy.

Wu Sidao thought for a moment and said: ”Soldiers come to block, water comes to earth. Before everything is set up, we must not scare the snake. We first coaxed him, pretending to support the change of law, and then find a way to set a trap, let him get into it.”

The cause of rest for a few months, the injury are healed, martial arts also basically recovered, only the golden bell shroud has not been sealed. Because people are very arrogant, the last injury in the hands of the youngest sister, feel very disgraceful, has been the gas is not good. Hear here, stood up and said: “you readers are really long-winded, simply sprinkled in the halfway waiting, looking for him to compete in martial arts, on the potential to kill him, not on the end!”

Wu Sidao heatedly smiled and said, “Great Master, that 14th Brother is the senior disciple of the Great Master Munchkin, and you can’t underestimate him when you’ve just recovered from your great injury!”

When Yuyin heard this, he was furious, and his zen staff was thrown to the ground, and it was inserted three feet into the brick floor: “Shut up, you! It was for the sake of my fellow disciples that I was hit by my little sister’s sword, because I couldn’t bear to kill her. If I can’t kill Old Fourteen this time, I’ll lose my head to you!”

Yongzheng thought it was not bad, then waved his hand, and said to Yuyin: “You know I can’t break face with old fourteen now, you want to go can, first, can’t say it’s from my mansion; second, no matter win or lose, I can’t go out to help you.”

He was so angry that he jumped up and down: “I am so angry, when have I ever needed help in a fight? You guys wait here, see me carry his head!” He turned around and rushed out.

Yongzheng and Wu Sidao looked at each other and smiled: “It’s really better to invite a general than to excite a general. We also follow to see the fun!”

The official road from Baoding Prefecture to Beijing.

Dae-in was lying under the big willow tree at the edge of the road, drinking.

From afar came the sound of rapid hoofbeats, eighteen date-red horses, carrying eighteen red-robed people, like a mass of red clouds darting over.

The leader of the horse is sitting on the 14th Argo. Once received into the Beijing mourning of the Holy Office, he handed over the military affairs to Nian Juan Yao, his own with a few guards entourage into the capital overnight. In order to avoid socializing with local officials, they wear plain clothes. All the way to the wind and drink dew rush. Now finally only half a day away from Beijing, the guards are smiling.

Suddenly, a silhouette rushed to the middle of the road, fourteen A brother was surprised, pulling the horse, the carmine red BMW “HiluLu” strange scream for a while, the front hooves jumped up more than ten feet high, will be in front of the man stopped.

Fourteenth Argo fixed his eyes on a big fat monk, holding a black iron zen staff in his hand, standing aggressively in the center of the road.

Fourteenth Argo clasped his fists: “This master, please lend me a way.”

Duiyin sneered: “I’d like to say,” waving his staff in his hand: “You ask it to give way?”

The guards were furious: “Bald ass, you want to find death!”

“Crazy monk, itching for a fight, aren’t you?”

“You’re so tired of living, you dare to call your bluff with us!”

The little boy also came over to join in the fun: “Monk, your Zen staff is so thick, what kind of wood is it made of?”

Dui Yin let out a long whistle, causing the leaves to rustle: “Good, you guys come up together and try my Iron Zen Staff!”

Fourteenth Brother made a gesture, let the guards quiet down, and then surveyed the survey of Yin, both sides of the temple high bulging, a look is a practitioner. He jumped off his horse and said with a smile, “This master, do you really want to measure my skill?”

Yuyin laughed strangely and said, “You copy the guy, you can’t beat me with empty hands.”

Fourteenth Argo took the Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Hammer handed by the guards and arched his hand toward Yu Yin: “Please.”

Duiyin did not answer, raised the iron staff, a “five Ding Kai Shan”, viciously towards the 14th Argot’s head smashed down. Fourteenth Argot raised the golden hammer, a style of “Overlord lifting tripod” to meet upward. Only heard “when” a sound, two people each retreated three steps, each other are secretly admired, each other’s internal strength is good.

Yuyin roared, and pounced again, one hundred and eight style crazy devil staff method to make open, fourteenth brother made sixty-four style eight trigrams hammer, and the two of them fought together again.

Fourteenth Ahgor had once practiced martial arts with Qingwen, and in a few moments he knew that this monk was using the kung fu of the One-Armed Master’s School. And martial arts is so pure, must be the cause of the monk. He must not take it lightly.

The cause of the fight is even more alarmed, I can not imagine that a male child can also have such a powerful martial arts, may be really lost to him, the day was hurt by the four niang, because of their own crush on the little sister, can not be killed, and then lost today will have no words. In addition, he blew off the cowhide with the Prince of Yong, where to put this face?

Thinking about it, the iron staff in his hand danced faster and faster, like a black cloud covering the 14th Argosy.

Hidden in the top of the willow tree to watch the battle Yongzheng could not help but gently “eek” a sound, the monk’s martial arts really have two times, they are afraid that may not be his opponent.

The black cloud became thicker and denser, a ring of murderous aura, spreading out like waves in the water, the guards were forced to gasp for breath and involuntarily retreated five feet away.

Leaves clattered down where the iron staff pointed.

Nightly Exploration of the Red Mansion (63)

Meet the thunder and lightning attack, only to see the fourteenth brother’s style change, the hand of the hammer seems to have a thousand kilograms of weight, the slower the dance, like a lantern, in the storm swing to and fro. The heart of the ace, know that this is the most superior internal martial arts, today may not be planted in the hands of his inevitable.

Thought here, “wow” strange scream, left hand one-handed dance iron staff, right hand and transported the Xuan Yin Gong, chi chi cold wind a palm palm shoot over.

Fourteenth Arhats winced and took a step back, handing over the sledgehammer to his right hand, and with his left hand, he utilized the Three Suns Kaitai Divine Power, and returned a palm to Hei Yin. Yuyin only felt a warm breeze hit his face, and he had a feeling of laziness. He shook his head and fixed his mind, remembering that his master had said that his Xuan Yin Kung Fu was the most yin to cold, and its nemesis was the most yang to hot Three Yang Kaitai Kung Fu. It seemed that today was not going to be a good day, either the fish died or the net was broken.

In the blink of an eye, the two fought for more than a hundred rounds. A palm of cold wind, a palm of hot wind, stirred up a cyclone on the ground, swirling leaves and dust flying all over the sky.

Yongzheng, who was watching the battle from the top of the tree, sucked in a breath of cold air. He could not imagine that Old Fourteen’s martial arts had improved so much. He knew that the crazy magic staff and Xuan Yin Gong is the most consuming internal energy, and the old fourteen gossip hammer is to use the power to fight, and then fight a hundred back and, because of the exhaustion, afraid of non-loss. If you go down and have a hand, although you can win, but the old fourteen of the world’s unique lightweight, turn around and run, for fear that they can not catch up. And he sued to the emperor there will be trouble. Thinking about it, hey, no poison no man!

Yongzheng from the bag of treasures pulled out a branch of gold dart, looked carefully, indeed did not write their own name, aiming at the fourteenth brother a fling, “whoosh” of a golden light shot out.

Where the martial arts experts know how to listen to the sound of the position. He Yin heard that the concealed weapon is to hit the fourteenth brother, heart secretly happy, left hand on the iron staff and added a few points of strength, the right hand palm to make a stream of “sticky” work, the fourteenth brother’s palms dead stick. Fourteenth Argo heard the concealed weapon to hit, only to fight, but the right hand of the sledgehammer was Yin’s iron staff sealed, the left hand was just glued to his palm, the heart secretly complained of suffering.

When it is too late, then fast, the golden dart has arrived in front of the fourteenth brother. Fourteenth Argo in a hurry, a mention of the shoulders and a flip head, hat flying into mid-air, black oil braid swung round, like a whip, just hard whip in the golden dart. The golden dart turned a corner in mid-air, and flew toward Yuyin.

The reason for this is being proud, see this scene was shocked, to fight, both hands were fourteenth brother sealed again. The original rely on their own have a golden bell shroud, knife and gun invulnerable, also never practiced to avoid hidden weapons, but now the golden bell shroud was broken by the four mother has not yet recovered. Only heard a “poof” sound, the golden dart was rooted into the right shoulder of Duyin.

With a loud roar, Yuyin jumped out of the circle, pointing at Fourteenth Argo and cursing loudly, “You, you fucking concealed weapon hurt people!”

Fourteenth Argo put away the hammer: “Monk, think carefully, that dart is rushing at me, how can you say that I put it?”

Yu Yin thought about it and was so angry that he stomped his foot fiercely, “Good! You wait, I have to avenge this!”

After saying this, he looked at his wounds and left angrily, dragging his staff with him.

Fourteenth Ahgor looked toward the big willow tree on the west side of the road and thought to himself, “What kind of person could have hit this dart? This person’s martial arts is not weak ah.” The tree is empty. Yongzheng early slipped away.

Suddenly, I heard someone in the southeast call out, “Good! Really good martial arts!”

Fourteenth Argo turned back to see a white-clad warrior, twenty-seven or eighteen in appearance, with starry eyebrows, standing on a small earthen slope and applauding.

Fourteenth Argo clasped his fists at the man: “I apologize. Are you also going to the capital? Why don’t you come over for a chat?”

That person a few arrow steps from the earth slope leaped down, walked to the fourteenth brother close to a bow: “Little brother is from Suzhou, named Liu Xiang Lian, usually also like to dance sword and stick. Just now I saw you and the monk fight, really wonderful. Especially your last plait that move, seems to be from the Zixu eighteen style of the whip out, really out of this world ah!”

Fourteenth Argo smiled: “Hehe, so it sounds like elder brother is also a martial arts expert! In the future, we’ll get closer to each other.”

“Good, good,” Liu Xianglien said with a smile, “Looking at your palm technique, it seems to be the martial arts of the Munchkin Daishi school, right?”

At this time, only heard the call from the south far away: “Brother Liu, Brother Liu, wait for me!”

Everyone looked with the voice, and a fat-headed merchant rushed by, panting and patting his horse.

Liu Xianglien smiled at the crowd, “That’s my sworn brother, Xue Pan.”

Fourteenth Argo is the person who loves to make friends, but today in a hurry to go to the capital, and see Xue Pan that vulgar appearance, lazy and he dealt with. He patted Liu Xianglien’s shoulder and said: “I have urgent business in my body, I’ll go first. You must come to Beijing to find me, we talk. I am in the fourteenth brother’s residence, named,” he glanced at his little boy: “called Na Lan.”

Xue Pan looked at the departing 14th Brother and his entourage: “Brother, what kind of person is he? Such a big man?”

Liu Xianglien said contemplatively: “He ah, I don’t know anything else, I only know that in today’s world, I’m afraid no one can be his opponent.”

Nightly Exploration of the Red Mansion (64)

Xue Pan and Liu Xianglien went all the way into Beijing city talking and laughing. When they arrived at the gate of the Rongguo Mansion, they bumped into Jia Lian coming out of it. When Jia Lian saw how close the two of them were, he was very surprised and asked, “You two had a fight the other day, and we were busy asking you two to reconcile, but I didn’t realize that there was no sign of Brother Liu. Why are you two in the same place today?”

Xue Pan laughed and said: “There is such a strange thing in the world. I sold goods with my fellows, got up in the spring, and went back to the city, and had a safe journey. The day before yesterday, when we arrived at the border of Ping’an state, we met a group of robbers, who had already robbed the things. I didn’t want Liu Erdi to come from there, but he dispersed the robbers, retrieved the goods, and saved our lives. I thanked him and did not accept, so we made life and death brothers, now all the way to the capital. From now on, we are like brothers and sisters. I’m going to find him a house in the capital and a good marriage, so we can all live together.”

Jia Lian heard this and said, “I see, but it has kept us in suspense for a few days.” As he heard that he was looking for a bride, he said: “I have a good match for my second brother.” Said, they will be married to you two sister as a concubine, and now want to marry the sister-in-law section said out.

Xue Pan heard the great joy, said: “Since this is so, this marriage must be done.”

Xianglian said, “I had wished for a woman of great beauty. Now that you have the honor and friendship of Kunzhong, I don’t care much about it, I will do whatever you want.”

Jia Lian laughed and said, “Nowadays, there is no proof for what we say, and when Brother Liu sees it, he will know that my inner di’s character is unique in the ancient and modern world.”

Xianglian heard the great joy, busy said: “Both so that, such as the brother to go outside the mouth to visit the friend of the master, on how to settle down?”

Jia Lian laughed and said, “You and I have a deal, but I don’t trust Brother Liu. You’re a wanderer, so if you don’t return, you’ll be in the wrong. You must leave a gift.”

Xianglian said, “How can a man break his promise? I have always been poor, and how can there be a fixed gift in the guest?”

Xue Pan said, “I’m ready here, so I’ll prepare a point for the second brother to take.”

Jia Lian laughed and said, “There is no need for the gift of gold and silk, but it must be something owned by Brother Liu himself, no matter how expensive or cheap the thing is, but I’ll take it to get the letter.”

Xianglian said, “If you say so, I have nothing else, and I can’t take off this sword for my own defense. I still have a mandarin duck sword in my bag, which is the treasure of my family, and I dare not use it without authorization, but only collect it with me. Brother Jia, please take it. Even though I have a watery nature, I will never give up this sword.”

Xiang Lian handed Jia Lian the sword and said, “Marriage is not a child’s play. I’d like to burn incense in front of the Buddha and tell my dead parents.”

Jia Lian smiled and said, “Naturally, this is the right thing to do. We have a nunnery in our residence that is very clean, so why don’t you go there to offer incense?”

Into the bar cui nun, the little nun to lead the two of them to the Buddha image. Miaoyu is praying in front of the Buddha, saw them can not help but be stunned, also did not answer, quietly retreated to the back hall.

Liu Xianglian twisted three pillars of incense, inserted them into the incense burner, and knelt down on both knees: “Buddha is above, keep  my parents ascending to the immortal world early. Father, mother, my son Liu Xianglian is unfilial, I haven’t been able to find my two sisters yet.” Speaking here, his voice became trembling.

Hearing the words “Liu Xianglian”, Miao Yu was shocked and stumbled out from the back: “Brother, it’s you?”

Liu Xianglian was taken aback by this and stood up, taking a step back to look at the nun dressed as Miao Yu: “You?

You’re…”

Miao Yu was in tears: “Brother, I am my little sister, Miao Yu!”

Liu Xianglian was shocked and delighted, she jumped over and grabbed Miaoyu’s hand: “Little sister, how did you get here? Have you become a nun again? Where’s Big Sister?”

Myrtle had cried so hard she couldn’t speak.

Seeing that he must have a lot to talk about when his siblings met, and wanting to go back quickly to tell his second and third sisters about the betrothal, Jia Lian made a gesture toward Liu Xianglian and quietly retreated with his mandarin ducks’ swords in his hand.

Miaoyu sobbed and said: “The year after you left, mother and father died. My sister came to Beijing with our old servant, Mr. Qin. I learned martial arts from my master for a few years, and then came to Beijing with him.

For the sake of convenience, dress up as a nun with hair and practice.”

“So is Big Sister in Beijing too? Where is she?” Liu Xianglian asked anxiously.

“Sister is dead.” Miaoyu cried harder.

Liu Xianglian stood there dumbfounded as if she had been struck by lightning, and only after a long time did she say viciously, “How did she die?”

Miao Yu wiped a handful of tears, pulled Liu Xianglian into the meditation room, and whispered, “When father was seriously ill, he called my sister and I to his bed and told us a big secret. Back then, after Emperor Taizu struck down heaven and earth, he asked Liu Bowen what would happen a hundred years later.”

“Liu Bo Wen? Isn’t that the military advisor who can count?” Liu Xianglian asked.

“That’s him,” Miaoyu continued: “He wrote a poem called ‘The Song of Burnt Biscuits’, which predicted that the Ming dynasty would be taken away by the Hu people in three hundred years. There are also these lines: ‘There is a hole in the yellow ox mountain, can hide a hundred thousand and eighty thousand people, the first to arrive in peace, after the arrival of the people halfway to send’.”

“I’ve seen this ‘Burning Cake Song’ too, I just don’t understand what it means.” Liu Xianglian said.

“Emperor Taizu thought for several days, for the sake of his children and grandchildren to be able to take back the world from the Hu people again, so he sent Xu Da to find a mountain in a place where people were rare, carved a yellow ox on the mountainside, and then secretly dug a big cave. Inside the cave was not only countless gold, silver and jewelry, but also hid weapons and armaments that could equip one hundred and eighty thousand people. What’s more, the newly invented artillery of Liu Bo Wen was also hidden in it by several hundred doors.”

Nightly Exploration of the Red Mansion (65)

“Good lord, enough to create an army. To hide that much stuff, how big that cave must be!” Liu Xianglian said in surprise.

“Yes, Xu Da recruited 30,000 workers and worked for ten years to repair the cave.” Miaoyu said: “For fear of leaking the secret, the completion of the day Xu Da in the celebration of wine poison, the 30,000 workers all poisoned to death.”

Liu Xianglian’s eyes glared: “Why is he so vicious!”

“Look at you, why are you being so maudlin,” Miaoyu gave Xianglian a dissatisfied look: “For the sake of the Ming dynasty, it’s not a big deal to die a few deaths. But Taizu wasn’t sure about Xu Da, so he found an excuse to kill him too.”

“Little sister,” Xianglian shook her head and said, “I have traveled half of China in the past ten years, and originally I wanted to work hard to fight against the Qing Dynasty and restore the Ming Dynasty. However, the people said that the Ming Dynasty did not have a good emperor, and that he only knew how to raid the people, from the county magistracy to the palace, there was not a single person who was not corrupt. The people were forced to live, so they followed Li Zicheng Zhang Xianzhong to rebel. Although the current emperor is a foreigner, but the tax is light, the people live in peace and work happily, why do you want your Ming Dynasty’s dim emperor to come back again?”

Miaoyu was furious and pointed at Xianglian, saying, “You, how can you have such traitorous thoughts? How can you have such traitorous thoughts? The Tartars give the people small favors, and you forget your ancestors? How can you face the ancestors of the Ming Dynasty? How can you face your dead sister?”

Xianglian sighed: “Little sister, our Zhu family has done a lot of sins. Even in our hometown, Fengyang, there is a folk song: ‘Fengyang, Fengyang, Fengyang is a good place. Since the birth of Emperor Zhu, there have been nine years of famine in 10 years.’ The people were so desperate to live that they sold their children for food. You’ve never heard of the people remembering their suffering. Alas, let’s not talk about this, then how did the eldest sister die?”

Miaoyu took a sip of tea and tried her best to calm down: “Emperor Taizu drew the secret of the treasure cave on a piece of red silk, together with a jade key, and passed it on to Emperor Jianwen. Later on, Emperor Chengzu fought his way into Nanjing from Beijing, and only found the red silk, but neither Emperor Jianwen nor the jade key were known to have disappeared. Chengzu passed the red silk down through the generations. Before Li Gang hit Beijing, Chongzhen Emperor was determined to survive with Beijing, so he broke the red damask into two halves with a fish gut sword and put it in two secret letters, sent half of it to the King of Gui, that is, the grandfather of our Yongli Emperor, and the other to the King of Fu. The other was given to the King of Fu. Before Grandpa left for Burma, he gave it to our father.”

Xianglian sat down on the futon and listened out of breath to Miao Yu’s story.

“Before dad died, my sister and I swore to dad that we must find that half of the red damask and jade key. My master heard people say that Ningguo Gong Jia Yan got a piece of top quality red damask when he attacked Fu Wang’s residence, thin as a cicada’s wing, but exceptionally strong, pulling hard can not be pulled, and vaguely embroidered with landscapes. When my sister heard that, she asked Old Uncle Qin to take her to Beijing to find that piece of red damask.”

“She, that’s what she died for?” Xianglian asked.

“I said: sister, you do not know martial arts, too dangerous. She laughed bitterly and said: women have women’s ways, Xishi, Diaochan are not all do not know martial arts? I hugged my sister that night and cried all night. The next day, my sister and Qin old man into Beijing. By the time I came to Beijing with my master, my sister was already the young lady of the Jia family.”

“How could Big Sister do that,” Xianglian said with a sigh.

“Alas, you don’t know how bitter my sister is, selling her sex to please the people in the Jia residence. Three years ago, my sister told me that the whereabouts of the red silk had finally been found, in the hands of Jia Jing, her husband’s grandfather. She said that she had seduced Jia Jing to the point of ecstasy, and that it wouldn’t take more than a few days to get her hands on the red silk. Who knows, after a few days, the news came that Jia Mistakenly Jing had swallowed the golden elixir and died, and that her sister had also gotten sick and died.” Miao Yu said here, tears flowed down again.

Xianglian didn’t know what to say, but just accompanied Miao Yu to shed tears.

Miao Yu cried for a while, and said: “In fact, my sister is not sick to death, I secretly looked at her body at night, there is a red mark on the neck, like being strangled to death.”

“What?” Xianglian stood up, a murderous aura appearing in her eyes: “Who is the murderer?”

“Ugh, we don’t know yet, and after my sister died, her maid was pushed against a pillar and crashed to death.” Miao Yu said sadly.

“Big sister’s revenge must be avenged!” Xianglian comforted Miao Yu: “Little sister, don’t worry, leave it all to me.”

Miao Yu nodded and wiped her tears: “Originally a good family, now there are only two of us left.”

“Oh, there’s one more,” Xianglian said shyly, “I’ve just gotten engaged, so you have a sister-in-law.”

“Yes, which girl is it?” Myrtle asked.

“A relative of the Jia family, Sister You San.” Xianglian smiled and said, “I hear she’s quite pretty.”

“You are so lucky,” Miao Yu also smiled: “I saw her when she came to burn incense, she is really a big beauty, and her voice is also good. Why did she marry you?”

“Oh, it’s a long story. I saved Xue Dummy on the road, and he wanted to marry me. Later, I went to the capital with him, and ran into Jia Lian, who said he wanted to marry his sister-in-law, and was attracted to me,” Xiang Lian said triumphantly, “He said he would marry her in three months, and I’ve already given her our family heirloom Mandarin Ducks Sword as a betrothal gift!”

“You’re so confused!” Miao Yu was shocked to hear this: “Our half of the red silk is hidden in the scabbard!”

Nightly Exploration of the Red Mansion (LXVI)

Jia Wu came to visit Miaoyu in the nunnery, but he didn’t expect to overhear her and Xianglian’s conversation through the window, and was shocked to learn that Miaoyu, Xianglian, and Qin Keqing were all descendants of the Ming Dynasty. If they rebel, the power of the conservatives in the dynasty will surely rise, and the change of the law will be in doubt again.

And thought of Miao Yu so a not eat earth fire like fairy like girl, actually willing to be involved in the restoration  of the Ming Dynasty blood rain scarlet wind to go, the heart feel tedious, quietly retreated out, to Xiaoxiang Hall to go.

When I entered the Xiaoxiang Pavilion, it was quiet inside. Jia Wu looked in through the window and saw Dai Yu leaning on the bed and Baochai sitting next to her.

Bao Hairpin said: “here to go a few doctors are okay, but you ate their medicine is not effective, why not ask a smart person to take a look, cured is not good? Every year a spring and summer, and not old and not small, into what? It’s not a common practice.”

Daiyu shook her head and said: ”It doesn’t work. I know I’m so sick is not well. And not to mention the disease, only on the good days of how I am the shape of the scene, can be known.”

Baochai nodded and said: “But exactly this. Ancient people say ‘eat grain people born’, you eat all day can not add the spirit of blood, is not a good thing.”

Daiyu sighed and said: “life and death have life, wealth and fortune in heaven, is not manpower can be strong. This year than in previous years and feel heavy like.” Between words, has coughed staff two or three times.

Jia Wu looked at Dai Yu, her cheeks were as red as peach blossoms. “Afternoon flush” seems to be a symptom of tuberculosis. Remember that streptomycin is a special drug for tuberculosis, but where to find it at this time?

Just heard Baochai said: “Yesterday I read your prescription, human cinnamon think too much, although it is beneficial to the spirit, should not be too hot. According to me, the first to calm the liver and stomach to be important, liver fire a flat, can not be grams of earth, stomach qi is not sick, the diet will be able to support people. Every morning get up and take the top grade bird’s nest one or two, rock sugar five money, with silver choshi boiled out of the porridge, if you are used to eating, than the medicine is also strong, the most nourishing yin and replenish the qi.”

Daiyu sighed: “You always treat people, is certainly very good, but I’m most of a multi-centered person, only when you hide treachery in the heart. From the day before yesterday you said that reading books is not good, and persuade me to those good words, but also greatly grateful to you. In the past, I was wrong, and it is really a mistake now. You just said that you want me to eat bird’s nest porridge, although bird’s nest is easy to get, but only because I’m not good, every year this disease, there is nothing important to go. Please doctor, boiled medicine, human Cinnamon, already made a mess, this time I am also emerging new text to boil what bird’s nest porridge, those underneath the granny maids, do not think that I have too much to do. What’s more, I’m not their serious master here, originally no one to rely on the defection. I have nothing, food, clothing, a grass, a paper, are the same as their girls, that small people do not have too much suspicion.”

Bao Hairpin laughed: “the future is just more cost a dowry, now also worry not here.”

Daiyu heard, do not feel the red face, laughed: “people just take you as a serious person, the heart of the trouble to tell you listen, you counter take me to make fun of children.”

Baochai said: “Although it is a joke, but it is also true. You can rest assured that I am here for a day, I am with you for a day. You have what aggrieved trouble, just tell me, I can solve, naturally for you to solve. In fact, I am also the same as you.”

Daiyu said: “How do you compare me? You also have a mother, and brother, here and buy and sell land, you are just relatives of the feelings, to go away.”

Baochai sighed and said: “Although I have a brother, you also know. Only a mother is slightly stronger than you. When the burden of the whole family are on you alone, from the age of three, four years old, have to learn to be careful to flatter everyone, everyone praises you, the pain in the heart only know yourself.”

Daiyu looked at Baochai strangely. Baochai realized that he was out of line, cover up and said: “We two are kind of the same disease. What you said just now is also true, one more thing is better than saving one thing. I’ll go home tomorrow and mom said, I’m afraid that bird’s nest we still have at home, with you to send a few two, every day to ask the maids to boil, and cheap, and not alarmed by the public.”

Daiyu pulled Baochai’s hand and laughed: “Something is small, rare you sentimental so.”

Jia Wu couldn’t help but look at the intimacy of the two people who were surplus to requirements and laughing.

As soon as Jia Lian entered the house, he told of his encounter with Xianglian, and took out the mandarin duck sword and handed it to Third Sister.

Third sister was overjoyed, hastily collected, hung in their own embroidery room bed, gazing at the sword, laughing at the lifelong dependence.

When Phoenix heard about it, she also came over to join in the fun, and the two of them, You Er Sister and You Er Sister, were poking fun at Third Sister.

The third sister didn’t say anything either, just leaned over the bed and pursed her lips.

Phoenix smiled and said, “Third sister, show me our brother-in-law’s betrothal gift as well.”

Third sister red face took off the sword handed over. Sister phoenix look, above the dragon swallow kui guard, jewelry crystal, will target a switch, inside is two together. One above the burin a “yang” word, one above the burin a “yuanyuan” word, cold, bright bright, such as the two traces of autumn water in general.

At that moment, a little girl ran in and said to the second and third sisters, “Old Mother has asked the two young ladies to come over for a moment.”

Second Sister busily stood up and said to Sister Feng: “Sister, I’m really sorry, you sit down first, we’ll go and come.”

Sister Feng smiled: “Go on, self-sisters, what are you polite about.”

Look at the second sister and third sister out, phoenix sister to touch the sword, repeatedly play. But I do not know where to press, only to hear “when” a sound, the scabbard popped open, revealing a piece of red silk. That red damask is as thin as a cicada wing, the color is delicate, vaguely as if there is a landscape pattern. Phoenix more and more love, look around no one, the red damask into their own cuffs, and another piece of their own red handkerchief into the scabbard, and then the scabbard closed.

Just as she put the sword away, she saw Ping’er running in in a panic: “Second grandmother, go quickly, the First Mistress is looking for you!”

Nightly Exploration of the Red Mansion (67)

Mrs. Xing was sitting in the pavilion by the water, impatiently shaking her fan. Seeing that Ping’er had brought Sister Feng, she slowly picked up the account book at her feet and said in a conspiratorial manner, “Phoenix girl, why can’t I read this account of yours?”

Phoenix since the housekeeping power to Mrs. Xing, knew that sooner or later she would come to find their own trouble, and now stabbed out or good, to save their own old hanging, said with a smile: “It’s my two strokes of the word it, and difficult to see, and scribbling, ma’am, you’re laughing.”

Mrs. Xing laughed coldly: “The word, I can still recognize, but you play this account is also too flowery, right?

I ask you, that year went to Suzhou to buy twelve small theater, the account said spent 30,000 taels of silver. The other day, the Zhen family came and said that they also bought twelve small actors, also in Suzhou, and only spent 5,000 taels. How can there be such a big difference? Could it be that someone has embezzled?”

“Mrs. Mingjian,” Phoenix explained, “the troupe we bought is to be shown to the Queen, so of course we have to pick the best, and we have to teach the royal etiquette and ask the eunuchs in the palace to guide us, which is a big sum of money. Of course, you know how Master Lian Er’s character is, and you can’t avoid going out to sleep with flowers and willows, so he’s also counted in the public’s money.” She said, making a sour face.

Mrs. Xing grunted and turned the account book over a few pages: “Repairing the garden, you wrote that it cost nine hundred and ninety thousand taels of silver. The other day I went to Prince Zhuang’s house, his garden is even bigger than ours, and it only cost less than four hundred thousand dollars. What kind of trickery are you playing here?”

Sister Feng said with a smile: “Mrs., I just saw also think too expensive, then the contractor told me that there is a reason. General repair garden is according to the original terrain of the landscape, mountain or mountain, water or water. But Mr. Feng Shui said, our original pool just cut off the dragon vein. The original is the Duke’s residence, not a big problem.

Now that there is a maiden, I am afraid that it should fulfill the phase of ‘dragon trapped in shallow water’. So we have to fill up the original pool, pile up the mountain, and dig a new pool. This is a big project.”

“Hey, your mouth is quite able to say,” Mrs. Xing flipped through the books again: “Lian’er went to Suzhou to bring Miss Lin back, said the Lin family has only five thousand silver left. That Master Lin is the Imperial Inspector of Salt, a very rich job. He has worked for so many years, and has earned two to three million dollars, why did you only report five thousand?”

Sister Feng hesitated, smiled and said: “Mrs., you do not know, that Lin Aufu greedy reputation, is a clean official, originally the family wealth is not much. Aunt died when he was married, and all the good things to the aunt’s funeral, so the family did not have any money left.”

Mrs. Xing closed the account book, sneered: “This is also good to say, the Grand Master is wanting to go to Jiangnan to play a round of it, let him go by the way to Suzhou to check, then everything will be understood.” Said, also ignored phoenix sister, self-centered away.

Sister Feng angry face pale, looking at Mrs. Xing far away, a stomping feet a fluttering sleeve: “Bah! Want to rely on the mother-in-law’s share of bullying me, no way! I’m not afraid of anyone! I’m not afraid of anyone! If it doesn’t work out, let’s just break up and tear down the Rongguo Mansion!” She said, pulling Ping’er away in a huff.

Baochai from Daiyu out, far from seeing Phoenix and Ping’er hurriedly walked up the bridge, a piece of red damask from the cuffs of Phoenix fluttering down. Baochai went over, picked up the red damask, the more you look at the more love, thought he first play a few days and then return to the Phoenix sister well, then put in their own arms.

Liu Xianglian did not sleep well all night, thinking of the dead big sister on the tears; and remembered that the little sister and their own ten years ago, the same as for the anti-Qing restoration of the Ming Dynasty is simply going crazy, should let her go to the people to walk on it, listen to the people’s plight; and remembered that have not seen the face of the third sister of the You, everyone says she is beautiful, in the end, beautiful to what extent?

My little sister ordered herself to ask for that sword back at once, but how to ask for it?

Xianglian early the next morning to find Jia Wu, a meeting was surprised: “Baoyu, you two eyes convergence, is also practicing martial arts to not?” Jia Wu smiled and said: “Yes, how about a few pointers from Mr. Liu?”

The two of them walked to the small courtyard and started fighting. Xianglian nodded her head as she went through the moves, “Good, you are really a billet for practicing martial arts, you can make such a great improvement in a few months.”

After the two of them had broken up over a hundred moves, Xianglian sold a break, let Jia Wu in, and pressed on his shoulder. Jia Wu fell out in a forward lunge. Fortunately, he was quick, right hand a little ground, a front flip over, so that the fall is not too bad.

Jia Wu was full of chagrin: “Alas, my martial arts are still not good.”

Xianglian laughed out loud: “Brother Bao, you are good enough. Not my brother I brag, is a first-class master, can in my hands on a hundred rounds of not many.”

Xianglian wiped her sweat, and told Jia Wu about everything on the road, and Jia Wu laughed and said, “Great joy, great joy!

It is rare to find this specimen of a person who is truly an ancient and modern beauty, worthy of the person you are.”

Xianglian said: “In that case, he has fewer characters there, how can he only think of me. Moreover, I have never been very thick with him, and not so concerned. The road work is busy like that again and again to come to set, is not a woman’s family rushed to the men’s family is not. I was puzzled and regretted that I shouldn’t have left this sword as a promise. So later remembered you to, can ask a detailed bottom only good.”

Jia Wu said: “You are a fine person, how can you be doubtful after you have made a promise? You originally said you only wanted a beautiful girl, but now that you’ve got a beautiful girl, why are you doubting?”

Xianglian said: “How do you know it is a great color?”

Jia Wu said: “He is the two sisters-in-law brought by sister-in-law Zhen’s stepmother. I’ve been hanging out with them for a month, so how could I not know? They’re a real pair of beauties, and his last name is You.”

Xianglian heard this and said: “This is not good, it can’t be done. Except for the two stone lions in the East Mansion, I am afraid that even the cats and dogs are not clean. I won’t do this.”

Xianglian had only wanted to find an excuse to get back the mandarin ducks’ sword, but now that she had heard of the rising jealousy, she drank three bowls of wine at Jia Wu’s place, and while she was in the mood for wine, she came to find Jia Lian.

Jia Lian was in his new room, and when he heard that Xianglian had come, he was overjoyed and welcomed her. When they were having tea, Xianglian said, “I was busy with my guests, but I didn’t know that my aunt had ordered my wife to marry me in April, so I had nothing to say to her. If you go back to your aunt from your buddy, it doesn’t seem reasonable. If it’s a gold and silk order, I don’t dare to ask for it, but this sword is the legacy of my grandfather, so please give it back to me.”

When Jia Lian heard this, he felt uncomfortable and said, “The one who fixes it, fixes it. I was afraid that I would go back on my promise, and that’s why it’s a promise. Is there any marriage that can be entered or exited at will? We must be careful.”

Xianglian laughed and said, “Although I am willing to take the blame and be punished, I will never dare to follow orders.” Jia Lian still wanted to talk about it, but Xianglian got up and said, “Please take a seat outside, it’s inconvenient here.”

That you three sister in the room clearly heard. She had waited for him to come, but now she saw that he had gone back on his promise. She knew that he had gotten the news from the Jia residence, and naturally she thought that she was a lecherous and shameless person, and did not want to be her wife. If he were to go out and talk to Jia Lian about withdrawing from the marriage, I would expect that Jia Lian would not be able to do anything about it, and I would not be in the least bit interested in it. When he heard that Jia Lian wanted to go out with him, he quickly took off his sword, hid a female blade in his elbow, and came out to say, “You don’t have to go out to discuss this again, but return your betrothal gift.”

The third sister, with tears falling like rain on one side, gave Xianglian her sword with the sheath in her left hand, and with her right hand returned to her elbow only to cross her neck.

Pity: “The peach blossoms are rubbed red all over the ground, and the jade mountain tumbles down and is difficult to support”, and the spirit of the fragrance and the nature of the Christ, is so far away that I don’t know where it has gone.

Now bluffed the crowd first aid. You Lao cried and scolded Xianglian. Jia Lian grabbed Xianglian and ordered her to be bundled up and sent to the government.

Sister You Er was busy stopping her tears and advising Jia Lian, “You’re too much, people didn’t force him to die, it was his own fault.

If you send him to the government, what good will it do, and you will make a fool of yourself. Why don’t you let him go?” Jia Lian was at a loss for ideas, so he let go and ordered Xianglian to go. Xianglian refused to move and sobbed, “I didn’t know that she was such a strong and virtuous wife, honorable, honorable.” Xianglian held the corpse and cried a lot. When she bought a coffin, she saw the coffin and cried a lot before she left.

Nightly Exploration of the Red Mansion (68)

Liu Xianglian drowsy, somehow left the Jia family, from the morning he had a feeling, as if there is a pair of eyes watching him, but now he does not care about anything. Since I think of the matter, the original you three sisters so beautiful, and this kind of fierce, since the regret is not as good as. Look at the hand of the mandarin ducks sword, he felt two years ago in order to fight against the Qing Dynasty to restore the Ming Dynasty, and then put the people of the world in the blood feud, it is not good. Now has not yet begun to move, the first cut off the big sister, and dead You three sister, afraid of the little sister will also be buried in the future, think of this, tears fell like rain.

In the middle of walking, only to see Xue Pan’s boy to find his home, that Xianglian just out of focus. The boy took him to the new room, very neat. Suddenly, I heard the ring of bells clanging, You San Sister came in from the outside, holding a mandarin duck sword in one hand and a volume of pamphlets in the other, and sobbed to Liu Xianglian, saying, “I have been lovingly treating you for five years, and I don’t expect you to be really cold-hearted and cold-hearted, and I can only repay this love with my death.” He said he would leave. Xianglian do not want to give up, busy want to come up to pull to ask, that you three sister said: “from the love of the sky, to go by the love of the land, the previous life was mistakenly confused by the love of the present both shame and love and realize, and the king of the two do not interfere.” After saying this, there was a gust of wind, and she went away without a trace.

Xianglian alert, like a dream, not a dream, open your eyes and look, there are Xue’s children, not a new room, but a broken temple, sitting next to a cross-legged Taoist lice.

Xianglian then got up and asked Ji-Prime Minister: “Where is this system? Master immortal name Fa name?”

The Taoist priest laughed: “What a nobleman, don’t you recognize me?”

Xianglian snapped to mind, was on the way to the capital, just walked to Cangzhou, suddenly across the street came over a crippled Taoist priest, smilingly looked at him and said: “Shi master heavenly gate obscure, afraid of the home has a plague of blood ah.”

He usually do not believe in ghosts and gods, but I do not know why he saw the Taoist priest has a kind of affectionate feeling, so he smiled and said: “Please master guidance.” The Taoist priest said: “Guidance is guidance, whether or not you can turn misfortune into good fortune depends on your destiny. Don’t you have a family heirloom sword, bring me to see.”

He was wondering how the Taoist priest knew that he had a mandarin duck sword. He took out the sword from his traveling bag to show it to the Taoist priest because he had martial arts skills and didn’t want the Taoist priest to abduct the sword. The Taoist priest pulled out the sword, black hands on the blade of the sword for half an hour, into the scabbard, before returning to Xianglian said: “Think twice about everything, never be reckless, this sword can never be out of the sheath, remember, remember!” She said, “This sword must not be unsheathed, remember, remember!” She said and left.

Recall here, Xianglian do not feel cold as cold ice invades the bone, although he did not pull the mandarin ducks sword, but the sword is sheathed, killed the third sister, Xianglian can not help but kneel in front of the monk: “Master, I forgot your instructions, I was reckless, really damned!” She said, crying loudly.

That Taoist monk hands Xianglian help up, “Although the empty is color, color is empty, life is death, death is also like life, this inside is after all greatly different, thousands of gold can not buy regret medicine ah.”

Xianglian wiped a handful of tears and said: “Master, I have always thought that I am really cold-faced and cold-hearted, but today I realized that I would be like a knife in my heart for a woman whom I have only met once, if I can have regret pills to buy, and if I can save my third sister back, I would be willing to die!”

The Taoist priest smiled wryly, “Are you serious?”

Xianglian said, “As long as I can save Third Sister, I am willing to work as a cow or a horse, and go to the mountain of swords and go to hell.”

The Taoist priest pulled Xianglian up: “Come with me.” Xianglian had no martial arts skills, but she could not struggle at all, and she was very surprised.

Third Sister’s coffin was parked at the Iron Threshold Temple. It was evening, the temple was empty. Come to the back of the hall, the coffin of the third sister alone in front of the case, the tablets on the case is written: “Liu Xianglian’s wife, You’s third sister’s place”, or Xianglian’s own handwriting.

The Taoist monk came closer, lifted the coffin lid, the third sister face white lips red, quiet as if asleep, neck around a white towel, vaguely oozing bright red lights blood.

Xianglian stared blankly at her third sister, and as if she had been struck by a demon, large tears rolled down her face.

The Taoist priest raised his hand and reached toward the third sister between her breasts.

Xianglian was flabbergasted, and pulled back the Taoist priest: “Master, you can’t…”

The Taoist monk hehehe smiled, his hand stopped about two feet away from the third sister’s chest, turned his palm into a finger, and called out, “Hi!” A wisp of white gas was spat out from the fingertip, pointing on the third sister’s chest’s intolerance point.

Xianglian was shocked, isn’t this the legendary Immortal’s Finger, which is the topmost internal martial art.

When there was no response, the monk withdrew his hand and pointed out again, “Hey!”

Xianglian seemed to see his third sister move, and his eyes widened anxiously.

The Taoist priest closed his eyes, his bones rattled, a white gas seeped out from the pores of his body, enveloping the whole person, and he stretched out his fingers for the third time: “Hey!”

Third sister opened her eyes violently: “Ouch, it hurts me to death!”

Xianglian was overjoyed and leapt over, pulling up Third Sister’s hand: “Third Sister, Third Sister, it’s me!”

Third sister struggled to sit up: “I, I’m not dreaming, am I?”

“No, no, it’s not a dream, it’s the master who saved us!” Xianglian knelt down in front of the Taoist priest: “Master, even if I am broken to pieces, I still want to repay you!”

The Taoist priest laughed and picked up Xianglian and said, “Then how about being my disciple?”

Xianglian helped Third Sister out of the coffin, and the two of them called out together, “Master!”

The Taoist smiled and picked up the mandarin ducks sword: “You must suspect how I have such a great ability, you look at a,” said the sword from the scabbard pulled out.

Xianglian took the sword, only to see that the blade had been rolled up like a white iron blade, such a sword is just a cut, cut is not deep, much less kill. He suddenly understood, that day the Taoist priest touched the sword with his hand for half an hour, that is, with the superior internal energy to the blade of the sword on the steel are turned into white iron. Lowering his head and smelling, there is also a smell of medicine, as if it is the black sweet powder, a kind of drug that urges people to fall asleep.

Nightly Exploration of the Red Mansion (69)

The Taoist priest looked at Xianglian and smiled faintly: “You must be skeptical about how I have the ability to foretell things, right? Oh, it’s all because of that kid Jia Baoyu.”

The third sister of two lives, sad and happy, snuggled beside Xianglian, shy. Hearing this, she asked curiously, “Baoyu? What does this have to do with Baoyu?”

That Taoist a vertical sitting on the edge of the coffin, said proudly: “that fourteenth brother in front of the mengmeng Daishi Jia Baoyu blow a pass, hope he has time to take care of Baoyu. I heard it is strange, that the old fourteen crazy, easily not praise people, and encouraged the Mang Meng Da Shi to go to Beijing to see the treasure jade. I saw that Baoyu bones, really a good material for martial arts training, and wanted to recruit him as a disciple. But I didn’t know that Mr. Mung laughed and said that Baoyu was his grandson. Of course, I can’t be a generation younger than that Mangdaishi, so I was very angry. That Baoyu said: I have a good friend Liu Xianglian, character and martial arts are good, to you as a disciple how? I said: I have heard of that Leng Erlang, he is cold and proud, how can he be my disciple? Baoyu said: Liu Xianglian has an ancestral mandarin ducks sword, the sword will accidentally kill one of his closest people. If you can stop this tragedy, then he will be very grateful, and will not willingly give you as a disciple? I didn’t really believe it at the time, but if I could really save someone’s life, it would be better than building a seven-story pagoda, so I came to wait for you on the Cangzhou road. The sword blade was melted away, and on the black sweet powder, that medicine is to see blood to sleep. Haha,” he raised his voice: “Baoyu! You say you are evil or not!”

A voice came from outside the door: “Good you are a real person for the old, chewing my tongue behind my back again!” Before the words fell, Jia Wu walked in with a smile.

Xianglian jumped up and took Jia Wu’s hand, not knowing what to say. Third sister also came over and bowed down with a flourish: “Baoyu, a great favor is not to be thanked, I hope that in the future we as a couple will have the time to repay you.”

Jia Wu although the Dream of the Red Chamber book twenty-five times after the plot to forget a clean slate, but hours and mom saw a “You three sisters” play together. I watched at the time seem to understand, only remember the third sister with the mandarin ducks sword suicide scene, mom cried to death, so that day and Miao Miao real said those words. I can not think of really save the third sister back, the heart is very happy, busy holding up the third sister and said: “Third sister, Liu second brother, the sky can not be revealed, you do not have to ask me how to know. Instead, a moment of spring is worth a thousand pieces of gold, you are separated from a death, or quickly go to the honeymoon to go!”

Miaomiao real person pat Xianglian’s shoulder: “Baoyu is right, I also do not disturb you young couple.” Said a vertical out of the temple door, far away from the words: “disciple, a month later I will wait for you in Hangzhou Lingyin Temple.”

Xianglian helped Third Sister onto the horse, sat behind her, and clasped his fists at Jia Wu: “Brother, as long as I can be of use to you in the future, I’ll be glad to help you! By the way, please tell Xue Pan and the others that I have become a Taoist master and will not go back.”

Looking at the distant backs of Third Sister and Xianglian, Jia Wu’s heart burst with ecstasy. He had really saved Third Sister and changed her fate. Then, was it possible that his own Change of Law Reform could also succeed and change the fate of the whole of China?

Fourteenth Brother returned to the capital, brought a his think tank wrote the outline of the change of law. This outline and he left the capital before Jia Wu gave him a synopsis of similar, but more detailed. Because it was submitted to the Imperial Council on the day of nonwo, so it is also known as the “horse on the day of the book”, its main content: 1, constitutional monarchy: by the eight banners of the princes of the composition of one hundred people of the House of Lords, elected by the provinces of the lower house of five hundred people. The lower house elected the prime minister, the prime minister to organize the cabinet.

2, the abolition of the eight shares, the establishment of new schools, the transformation of the imperial examinations, which are divided into two disciplines of literature and science to take the first prize, the scholar.

3. Reward commerce and industry, open up the sea ban, and encourage emigration overseas.

4. Eliminate the differences between Manchus and Manchus, and within ten years mobilize all Han, Mongol, Hui and Tibetan people to join the flag, naturalize the Manchurian nationality, and implement a universal national flag for all people.

5. Wide openness of speech and freedom of speech and publication. Civilian newspapers and books that discuss the government shall not be criminalized under any pretext.

When Ma Ri’s petition was published, the whole country was shaken. China’s first newspaper, “Beijing Palace Gate inside and outside the copy” issued its first issue five days later, and for a while the Luoyang paper was so expensive that everyone had a copy.

Phoenix hand also took a “Beijing Palace inside and outside the copy”, she loved to read the “celebrity gossip” column: what “vinegar Fujin made a scene in the Lichun Yuan, dull Prince beware of kneeling on the rubboard”; what? “The university scholar is corrupt three thousand taels, the little wife eloped two miles ditch”; “Fox Demon manifestation of the six parts of the mouth, the python hurt the secret demon cliff”; laugh her back and forth. Suddenly, a piece of news came to her attention: “The hereditary general of the Rongguo House, Jia Pi, has applied to visit Suzhou and Hangzhou, and well-informed sources say that the real purpose of his visit is to buy a concubine for Prince Li in Jiangnan…”

Sister Feng could not help but be flabbergasted, that Mrs. Xing had said that Jia Pi was going to Suzhou to investigate herself and Jia Lian’s embezzlement, and originally thought that she was merely bluffing, but now she was really going. When she thought of this, her heart was shocked and angry, and she shouted, “Ping’er, you give me the boy Xing’er to find!”

Nightly Exploration of the Red Mansion (70)

Hearing Phoenix’s call, Ping’er hurried in: “Second grandmother, Xing’er went out with the second master, what’s your emergency?”

Phoenix pointed to the hand of the “inside and outside the Beijing Palace Gate copy”: “Look at this! Look at this!”

Ping’er took the newspaper and looked at it carefully: “The Grand Master is going to Jiangnan, could it be that he’s coming to ask you for money again?”

“Oops, how confusing!” Phoenix snatched back the newspaper: “The Grand Master is going to investigate the two incidents of Master Lian Erzhi’s trip to Suzhou to buy an opera singer and Miss Lin’s family fortune!”

“Aiya, what’s wrong with the Grand Master today, the Second Master doesn’t report spending accounts for what he does, how come he’s thinking about it now alone?” Ping’er asked strangely.

“Alas, you don’t know, the First Mistress took the financial power away from us, fearing that one day the wind will pass, and when the Old Lady asks, she will have to spit out the meat that has been in her mouth. She wants to find a few problems, knock us down, and then step on a foot, so that we can never turn over ah.”

“Then, tell the second master to quickly return the money to accompany him.” Ping’er was also scared.

“Hey, hey, hey, say it lightly,” Sister Feng bristled: “buy theater that pile is okay, but ten thousand silver, but the Lin family’s property has three million it, is to return, I do not return!”

“Three million silver!” Ping’er exclaimed, secretly thinking that Sister Feng was also really greedy, three million actually only surrendered five thousand taels, but also coaxed Miss Lin to think that she herself was unproductive and unemployed, and was fostering in the Jia House.

“Yes, that’s why I’ve always thought of encouraging the old lady to marry Miss Lin to Master Bao Er and forget about it. Think about it, both of them are not concerned about financial matters, so this matter might just muddle through. If Miss Lin marries an outsider, I’m afraid we’ll have to bring up the matter of the family property sooner or later. Master Lian Er has sold the Lin family three estates and two gardens, and everyone around Suzhou knows about it.”

“But, it seems that the Mistress wants Master Bao Er to marry Miss Bao.” Ping’er said.

“Hey hey, Mrs. belly of the little plan, I don’t need to guess know,” phoenix sister sneered: “said is to add to the family, in fact, is on the Xue family silver, but do not know that the Xue fools trampled almost. In addition, she also began to be uneasy about us in the past few years, that Bao girl is a master with a plan, she wants to marry Bao girl, so as to deal with us.”

Ping’er heard a cold heart, Phoenix and Mrs. Wang so good on the surface, it turns out that behind the scenes is also hooked.

As the saying goes, all things prosper in the family and all things prosper, if it goes on like this, I’m afraid that Jiafu is going to lose.

Phoenix walked around the room: “If we can hold the Grand Master back for a few months, it would be good if we send someone to Suzhou first to buy off a few handlers. How can we stall the Grand Master?”

Her eyes suddenly lit up: “Ping’er, you remember what happened to that stone dullard’s fan, don’t you? The master even beat up the second master.”

“Remember, Master is so cruel.” Ping’er said.

“Didn’t that stoner die in prison, and did he have any more relatives?” Phoenix asked.

“I’ve heard that he has a nephew,” Ping’er suddenly shivered, “You… you don’t mean…” Sister Feng sneered, “A man is not a gentleman if he is small in stature, and a man is not a man if he is not poisonous! Tell Xing’er to find that nephew of the Stone Nerd, give him some silver, and tell him to go to Shuntianfu to sue the Grand Master for colluding with Jia Yucun, robbing the people of their money, and forcing them to their deaths, so the Grand Master will naturally not be able to leave Beijing.”

“Grandma, human life lawsuit is not a game,” Ping’er said fearfully: “In case of failure, it is a matter of killing the head and copying the family.”

“Hey, spend a few money, there is nothing that can not be solved,” said Phoenix, full of concern, “that Shun Tian Fu Yin is my uncle Prince Teng’s students, the big master is afraid, certainly want to find me to go to my uncle to plead with him, so we can take back the power of the housekeeper. The big wife of her stomach that a few flowery intestines, also want to fight with me!”

Ping’er sighed, remembering that she had just seen Mrs. Xing heading over to the Xiaoxiang Pavilion in a flurry of activity, and it seemed that this mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were really going to fight to the death.

Seeing Mrs. Xing enter the courtyard, Dai Yu hurriedly greeted her: “Good day, Great Auntie, why do you have the pleasure of playing in the garden today?”

Mrs. Xing smilingly pulled Daiyu’s hand into the house: “I heard that your body is not good, send you some bird’s nest to make up for it,” said, told the little girl to put a red lacquered box on the table: “I was the best with your mother back in the day, and now I see that you look exactly the same as she does, so I’m really happy and sad. In the future, what do you want, what do you want to eat, just talk to me.”

Daiyu had never seen Mrs. Xing being so cordial to herself, her heart was a bit strange, she also smiled and said, “Thank you aunt for taking the trouble.”

Mrs. Xing looked Daiyu up and down: “Tsk, such a good appearance, who can match you? Why don’t I talk to the old lady and betroth you to Baoyu?”

Daiyu’s face flushed red when she heard this: “Auntie is making fun of me again.”

Zijuan end of the tea tray to Mrs. Xing on the tea, listened to the laugh: “First Mistress both this idea, why not and the old lady said to go?”

Mrs. Xing laughed loudly and said, “You child, what’s the hurry, must be urging your girl out of the loft, you also want to find a little son-in-law to go earlier.”

Zijuan heard, also red-faced, laughed: “The first wife really rely on the old up.” She said, and turned away.

Daiyu first scolded: “and with you this hoof what has to do with?” Later saw this, also laughed and said: “Amitabha Buddha! This, this, this! Also shame a nose to go!”

The grannies and maids in the room all laughed, and Mrs. Xing also smiled and said, “When our master comes back from his trip to Jiangnan, I’ll talk to the old madam. By the way, Miss Lin, if you want anything from the Suzhou-Hangzhou area, make a list and let Master buy it for you.”

Daiyu smiled and said, “In fact, there is nothing, it is the things that have been played with in the hours, like clay dolls, whistles, small furniture made of bamboo, small tea stoves made of clay and whatnot, if uncle happened to, bring me back some.”

“That’s no problem,” Mrs. Xing casually agreed: “I heard that your Lin family originally had a manor in Jiangnan?”

“I heard Grandma Li say that there were three manor houses by the Taihu Lake.” Daiyu replied, “When we entered the capital, Lian Erge sold those estates.”

“I hear there are a few more mansions?”

“There are two, a small one where we stayed in Yangzhou, and a big one in Suzhou called the Humble Administrator’s Garden.”

Nightly Exploration of the Red Mansion (71)

The Imperial Study Room in the Forbidden City.

Kang Xi on a small bed table looking at the “Beijing Palace Gate inside and outside the copy”. The Fourteenth Eldest Brother and the Grand Maester Gao Shiqi stood beside him.

Kangxi while reading while laughing: “this newspaper is really interesting, those nonsense princes and officials must be angry with the nose is crooked, good writing! Who is the main thing there?”

“It’s Jia Yucun,” replied the Fourteenth Aristocrat: “I thought that change and reform should also be preceded by public opinion, so I asked him to run a newspaper to create some momentum for us.”

“Well,” Kang Xi said contemplatively: “this talent has good, but I heard that the heart is not right.”

“Your Majesty,” said the Fourteenth Brother, “there is no big fish in clear water, and at extraordinary times, extraordinary people should be used.”

Kang Xi looked at Gao Shiqi: “What do you think?”

Gao Shiqi, in the Kangxi years can be considered a strange person, the three religions and nine streams, nothing, and a wide range of travel, up to the princes and ministers, down to the peddlers, all have his friends. His family was very rich, read a lot of books, looking for feng shui, measuring words, face reading, pulse, everything. Called “the four seas of jade and silk to the East China Sea, all the countries of the gold pearl tribute Zhanren”. Listened to Kang Xi asked, he hurriedly walked up half a step forward, replied: “General Wang is right, moral and talented people are too few. Wise monarchs would rather use the talent over the virtue of the villain, the risk of winning; but do not use the virtue over the talent of the mediocre, great things are difficult to achieve.”

Kangxi nodded: “This is also true.” Then turned to fourteenth ah: “However, the old fourteenth ah, your heart is too good, to learn to beware of others is. You go back and ask them to carefully write an article about the change of law in the newspaper, so that the people understand what is going on in their hearts, to prevent people from rumors.”

Fourteenth A brother side promised to retreat out. Kang Xi picked up the Western tribute to the self boat, on the strings, a let go, the boat in the kang table clattered up. Kang Xi sighed: “Shiqi ah, you see the Western craftsmen have how clever, they make guns than we make much better. A hundred years from now, the Westerners will be a great danger to China.”

Gao Shiqi said: “Long live, we Chinese people’s intelligence is by no means below the westerners. But the most intelligent people have gone to learn the eight-legged essay. Zhu Zi said: ‘witch doctor hundred craftsmen, the gentleman not to be disdained’, society looks down on skilled craftsmen, is our danger.”

Kangxi nodded his head and said, “Yes, yes, one of the important contents of this change of law is to establish a new school to teach science and technology, replacing the imperial examination system.”

Zhao Chang, the Chief of Internal Affairs, gently walked in: “Your Majesty, Emperor Hongli’s grandson and Jia Baoyu have both arrived.”

“Tell them to come in,” Kang Xi said with a smile, “I’m getting old and I like to talk to the children.”

Jia Wu and Hongli are enemies, red in the eyes, but at this time no one can not have a seizure, and honestly give Kangxi please.

Kang Xi called Zhao Chang moved three small stools, so that Jia Wu, Hongli, and Gao Shiqi sat down, slowly asked: “Hongli, what have you done these days?”

“Your Majesty,” Hongli busy stood up: “grandson in and national player Xiping learn chess road.”

“Well, the way of Go and the way of war is also similar,” Kangxi pointed to the bookshelf: “That is the Governor of Yunnan and Guizhou has just paid tribute to the Yunzi, Shiqi ah, you point Hongli a disk how?”

Gao Shiqi know Hongli narrow-minded, if you win him, for fear that he will be in the Prince of Yong to their own bad; if you lose to him as a fake, but also afraid of Kang Xi to see out. Thought for a moment and said: “I’m old, the spirit is not good, last year on the closed chess not. Jia Gongzi flow elegant, why not ask him to set up a plate with Hongli Beilei?”

Kangxi laughed: “That’s right, Baoyu ah, you two come on a plate how?”

Jia Wu’s chess strength was not weak, but not for several years, afraid of a little rusty. He thought for a moment and said: “Your Majesty, the beauty of Go lies in the 360 points, which are infinite in variety. It is a pity that the world first set up four seats in the star position, so there are many variations missing. I think it is better to take away the seats, an empty chessboard is interesting.”

Kangxi listened to the childishness and shouted. Hong Li was already arrogant, and in recent days, he felt that his chess long, full of care to take down the cloud from the bookshelf, began to fight with Jia Wu.

That Yunzi is famous all over the world, the black one is made of ebony jade, and the white one is made of shells ground into a luscious and delicate shape.

Hongli proudly grabbed the white, looking at Jia Wu. Jia Wu heart straight want to laugh, grab white think is a master, but do not know the black first move, it is cheap, especially in the Qing Dynasty and there is no sticker so say.

Jia Wu picked up a black disc and placed it on the high eye. Hongli was flabbergasted, he had never seen such an opening before, so he had to honestly put a white disc in the star position.

Jia Wu smiled and played a piece outside the eye in the opposite corner. Hongli hesitated for a while, then played a piece in the small eye to hang the corner. Jia Wu was delighted, busy one hand big fly, the Hongli son cover. This photo is the famous “big fly hundred changes”, meaning that the fixed changes are complicated, the slightest carelessness will suffer a big loss.

Jia Wu had once worked hard on this stance, memorizing the various variations, and looked at Hong Li with a smile.

Hongli in front of the emperor, embarrassed to think more, casually jumped a son to head. Jia Wu immediately dug out, the two immediately twisted and killed together. After a few steps, Hongli’s face sweat came down, he was cut off at the bottom of a few children, to kill it, not enough gas; do live it, and no eye position, watching the black ate dead.

Outside a few floating discs, has become a “chicken ribs” of the situation, escape, not at all constitute the external potential, but also seek to live; abandon it, they have already suffered a big loss in the field, the number of eyes is much worse, and then lose the disc is even more of a foregone conclusion. Thinking and thinking, continue to play is certainly a self-defeating, can only wrathfully put the chess pieces to the chess box a throw, said to Kangxi: “Your Majesty, the grandson has not played a game without a seat, not clear the opening, so there is this defeat. Please allow me to play another game with him.”

Nightly Exploration of the Red Mansion (Seventy-two)

Kang Xi is watching with great interest, so he agreed. Hongli in the star position on the black and white each two seat, a grabbed the black chess box, pick up a child to go to the corner.

Jia Wu seldom starts in the star position, always feel that the momentum is not as big as the high eyes and eyes outside the big, and the corner is not stable, the other side in the three-three point is a live game. But now there is nothing to be done, so I can only play a little spirit and Hongli around.

Hongli had just learned a few moves from Xiping yesterday, and his pieces fell quickly, and in no time at all he had seized three corners and a large edge, holding the pieces between his index and middle fingers, and gently tapping them on the table in triumph. Jia Wu took up 80% of the external position, thinking that it was still a two-point position, but suddenly remembered that in the Qing Dynasty it was not posted, it seems that the two sides are even, but Black has a first, and there is an advantage of five or six points on the board. Now that you don’t have enough ground, you can only rely on the big molds to become empty.

Hongli looked at Jia Wu set out to surround the empty stance, the heart laughs, it is often said that the golden horn silver edge grass belly, your big belly in the middle is still not a poke, a hand double flying swallows to protect their own horns, continue to expand the field.

Jia Wu made a turn and put a pawn on the edge occupied by Hongli. Hongli had the advantage on the ground and did not want to cause trouble, so he resigned himself to a pawn and tried to get through. Who knew that Jia Wu was not allowed to be reasoned with, but instead wrenched down. Hongli was furious, immediately broke off, and the two wrestled on the edge. After a few steps, Hongli had a little bit of weakness, want to let the white pieces on the edge of the small live a piece of forget it, their own black pieces pointed a little bit want to get out of the head. He didn’t realize that not only did white not try to make a living on his own, but also blocked black’s way out of the game with one hand. Now the black and white pieces on the edge have both become solitary pieces, and it’s just a fight to the death.

Two people originally each other have a deep hatred for each other, just borrow the chessboard to attack. This kill is the darkness, step by step trap, dead entangled, killing the sky.

Kangxi’s chess is not very high, usually and ministers and eunuchs and concubines play chess, who do not dare to win him, just play peace boxing, cope with cope with, and finally let him win on a few pieces. Is to see the ministers play chess, who are afraid of losing face in front of the emperor, but also are not seeking credit, but not to avoid the smooth play. Today, I saw Jia Wu and Hongli two real big kill big cut, only happy hands and feet, screaming.

After a few more steps, both sides had their own eyes broken by the other, creating two dragons up against each other.

Hiroshi took a general look and saw that his black pieces were much longer than white’s chi, so he went to tighten the chi for white with confidence and boldness. However, Jia Wu made a wrench and a tiger, and created an eye. Hongli was a bit panicked when he said, “An eye kills an eye”.

Gao Shiqi twirling his mustache smiling without saying anything, Kang Xi can be nervous, like a small child, over and over again to both sides of the number of gas.

Hiroshi tried to quiet his mind and count carefully. Although all the public chi went to white, he had more external chi and it seemed that he could just kill white with one more chi. He let out a long breath and castled a disc to give white tight air.

Hongli was proudly tightening the white pieces inside, and Jia Wu was tightening the black pieces outside. After exchanging a few moves, Kang Xi could see it: “Baoyu, you seem to be short of a qi.” Jia Wu smiled but did not answer, and continued to tighten the white pieces.

Both sides exchanged a few more moves, and suddenly Gao Shiqi slapped his thigh: “Good! Good move, abandon the disc and seek momentum!”

Hongli was flabbergasted, then took a closer look, and couldn’t stop screaming in his heart, Jia Wu borrowed to tighten the air for the black pieces, and had already built a copper wall outside, echoing the opposite side of the outer position, and the big belly had already become a shape.

Even though he has captured a dozen white discs, there is no comparison with the large empty space white has created in the center. Moreover, he has already made a backward move, so if he breaks the empty space first and lets white capture his dozen black discs, he will definitely lose. He had no choice but to continue tightening his grip. When black’s last move lifted the white disc, white made a beautiful move, and a big empty space was formed.

Hiroshi sat there dumbfounded, the chess piece in his hand raised high, just couldn’t fall.

Kangxi laughed and said: “Shiqi ah, you see these two treasure jade chess power how?”

Gao Shiqi replied respectfully: “Both of you are young talents. Hongli Beile, with his rigorous moves and fine chess calculation, is close to being a first-class chess player, but he is a bit too slow and heavy, and is too concerned about local gains and losses. If you can look at the big picture, you will be able to improve greatly. Mr. Jia, with his elegant style of play, his lightness of touch, his lack of concern for localization, and his excellent discard tactics, is a masterpiece. As long as he has more practical experience, he will become a national player of his generation, and I’m afraid I’m no match for him.”

Kangxi looked at Hongli that frustrated look, smiled and patted him on the shoulder: “do not be sad, listen to Mr. Gao said it, your chess is not weak it. By the way, that snake gall wine I drink quite good, finger joints more comfortable, ask your father to send a few bottles.”

Hongli obediently dropped the chess pieces in his hand into the box, stood up and said, “Yes, grandson will go back and send someone to send it.”

Gao Shiqi took a step forward: “Banzai, that snake gall is cold, you have to be careful with ah.”

Kang Xi sat back on the son: “Lao Si sent the snake gall wine seems to be different, drink down will be feverish, and body comfort, spirit is also good. It is every other half a day without drinking it is difficult to feel.” Said called: “Qin Liu, the old four sent wine pour two cups over.”

Qin Liu answered and came with two jasper wine glasses on a red lacquer plate.

Kangxi himself picked up a cup and said: “Shiqi ah, you also come to taste,” and turned to Jia Wu and Hongli: “I’m cheap, not for you to drink. Drinking more mischief, young people or do not learn this good.” Said a drink.

Gao Shiqi took the wine cup and smelled it, a strange smell of déjà vu. His face changed, he covered his face with his sleeve, tilted his head and lifted the glass, pouring half of the wine into his sleeve, and the other half flowed down his beard and all over his chest. Gao Shiqi was busy kneeling down: “Your majesty, forgive me for my rudeness, I’m old, I can’t even hold the wine cup steady.”

Nightly Exploration of the Red Mansion (Seventy-three)

When Gao Shiqi returned to his mansion, he dove headfirst into his dan room. The room was a place where monks practiced jin dan, like a chemistry lab, with colorful vials on the shelves. He took off his court dress, cut a piece of his wet sleeve, put it in a crystal cauldron, soaked it in soju, and burned it on a small charcoal stove, filling the room with the choking smell of liquor. Then he took a purple porcelain bottle out of the cupboard and, seeing that the soju had rolled, poured a few drops into it, and the yellowish soju immediately turned a blue-green color.

“Light Returning Grass!” He couldn’t help but scream. Returning Light Grass is an extremely rare herb that grows in the Mongolian desert, it can concentrate the dying person’s only bit of energy to say his last words, and then die immediately when the lamp runs out. Like the return of the oil lamp candle flame, so it is called back to the light of the grass.

But if ordinary people eat, it is equivalent to overdraft their energy and life. When there is a drug to maintain the spirit of the marquis glowing, the drug over on the depressed, is more powerful than a variety of aphrodisiacs of the tiger and the wolf drug. Elderly people use, is tantamount to chronic suicide.

“Hey, hey, awesome, awesome!” Gao Shiqi sneered: “Father and son fighting each other, there’s a good show to watch.”

Gosch sat on the sub for a while to recuperate, changed his clothes, rode out and went away.

Li Xiang Yuan.

Baochai idle, suddenly remembered that piece of red damask came, took out, only to see the bright red as fire, delicate, touch smooth and delicate, elastic, good not love.

As I watched, I saw Jalan running in, calling out, “What did Auntie take? Show me too.”

Baochai looked at his hands dirty, so he smiled and said: “Where to play dirty again? Quickly wash your hands.”

Said Ying’er and told her to bring over a basin of water.

Jia Lan’s mother, Li dan, also walked in and said with a smile, “Thank you, Miss Bao, for taking the trouble.” Suddenly saw the red damask on the table, could not help but be flabbergasted.

As he washed his hands, Jia Lan said, “Auntie, I heard a song on the street today that included both of our families: “Jia is not false, white jade is a horse made of gold, and a good year is full of snow…” Li Dang’s face changed dramatically when she heard this, and she came up to Jia Lan and slapped him across the face: “Nonsense, that’s “White Jade is a Horse Made of Gold”! “

Jalan took the slap and cried out in commiseration.

Aunt Xue heard the cries and rushed out: “Aiya, what’s wrong? Poor kid.”

“Oh, nothing,” Li dan said sardonically : “We should go back.” Said and led Jia Lan walked out.

Suddenly the concierge ran over to Aunt Xue and said, “Outside the door, a university scholar, Gao Shiqi, seeks an audience.”

Of course Aunt Xue has heard of Gao Shiqi, a famous scholar today. However, she has nothing to do with the Xue family, why would she come to her door? I didn’t have time to think about it, so I told her to hurry up and invite her.

As soon as Gao Shiqi entered the door, he happened to meet Li Dan who was walking out. Li Dandy was flabbergasted, lowered her head and hurriedly walked over.

Aunt Xue and Gao Shiqi met the courtesy, divided into guests and masters sat down, then asked: “Gao Daoren came to my humble abode, fluffy walls, I do not know what advice?”

Gao Shiqi looked to both sides. Aunt Xue waved her hand and the maids retreated.

Gosseyn smiled, “How have you been, Auntie?”

Aunt Xue was stunned and said, “You’re much older than me, how can you call me auntie?”

Gao Shiqi lowered his business: “I am Gao Cheng’s son.”

Aunt Xue’s face immediately rose to a bright red: “Are you Mr. Gao, Mr. Gao’s son?”

“Yes! My late father did not  serve as an official in the court, so he never mentioned me as a son. I still returned to my hometown this time to inventory my late father’s relics and found a letter which mentioned you.” Gao Shiqi said.

“So, what did the letter say?” Aunt Xue asked nervously.

“Said something about you and Shikyo’s sister.”

“Ah?” Aunt Xue’s voice trembled: “You, you know all about it?”

“Yes.” Gao Shiqi nodded: “Gao Shiqi, Gao Shi Jing, when will the family feud and national hatred be leveled?”

Aunt Xue was in tears, as if she was going to be paralyzed, and the years of love, scene after scene came to the fore.

When she was seven years old, her family hired a private school teacher named Gao Cheng. Gao Cheng was in his thirties and handsome, and she secretly fell in love with him. After she got married, her husband was away on business, and she often dreamed of him in the silence of her bedroom.

Until one day, the back garden thud, the wall fell down a man. When the man didn’t move for half a day, she bravely went over to see him and wiped the blood off his face, but it turned out to be Gao Cheng. The sound of officials yelling and knocking on the door came from outside, she hurriedly hid him in the flowers, then ordered the servants to open the door. The Xue family is so powerful that the officials and soldiers did not dare to come in and search, and left after asking a few questions.

She hid him in her embroidery room and served him unclothed, and she felt she had never been so happy. After he woke up, she poured out her ten years of love to him, and when he held her in his arms, she felt as if she were floating in the clouds.

After the wound healed, he was leaving, she hugged him and cried all night. She told him she had it in her, and he said that if it were a girl she would be called Gao Shi Jing, nicknamed Bao Hairpin; if it were a boy, he would be called Gao Shi Jing, nicknamed Bao Jian. He was going on a great errand, and when he came back he would take her and the child far away.

The baby was born, with snow-white, crystalline skin, and she wrote to him to tell him that they had a little baby, Shijing. He wrote back to bless the mother and daughter, said six months after the return to pick her up. But six months later, the news came: Gao Cheng, together with the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, Cha Fugui, used the army to smuggle opium and was beheaded in front of the army.

Aunt Xue wiped her tears: “Shiqi, what do you want from me?”

Nightly Exploration of the Red Mansion (74)

Gao Shiqi sighed: “Before father went to Yunnan, he said that he had something important to tell me when he came back, who knew that this trip would become an eternal farewell. I didn’t know about you and my sister until a month ago, when I met Lai Shun, my father’s original bookkeeper.”

“I’ve also met Lai Shun, seventeen years ago, it was he who told me about Mr. Gao’s murder,” Aunt Xue’s tears flowed down again: “At that time, he said he was going to look for Mr. Gao’s family right away, how come he found you only now?”

“Alas, that Laishun is also a bitter man. He came out from your place to look for me and ran into bandits in the area of Jinggang Mountain in Jiangxi. Lai Shun hurriedly buried the things that father had given him. The bandits couldn’t find anything, so they took him as a bandit. This was more than ten years at once, and it was only last year when the court suppressed the bandits that he escaped and dug up the things to find me.”

“Shiqi, do you want to meet your father?” Auntie Xue smiled chipperly.

“Of course I want to, but…”

“You’re coming with me.”

Gao Shiqi heart wondered, could it be that father is still alive on earth? He closely followed Aunt Xue to the inner room, Aunt Xue in the mural of what place pressed, the closet slowly turned open, now a black hole of a secret room.

Aunt Xue lit a candle and walked into the secret room. Gao Shiqi hesitated for a moment and followed suit.

The secret room was empty, with only a divine case, on top of which was a red lacquer box, and next to the box were several plates containing offerings. There was a futon in front of the case. Candlelight flickered, the shadows of the two men were reflected on the dark walls, the room was so quiet that the breathing of the two men could be heard, an eerie atmosphere.

Aunt Xue slowly opened the box and suddenly shouted sternly, “Kneel down!”

Gosch was so startled that he involuntarily knelt on the futon.

Aunt Xue handed over the box, and Gao Shiqi fixed his eyes on it, it was a human head, and the whiskered head was smiling as if it were alive.

“Father!” Gao Shiqi couldn’t help but cry out.

“Before your father died, he told Lai Shun to collect his head and soak it in his own practiced potion before giving it to me.

Seventeen years, every day I have to come to accompany him for a while, tell him about our daughter, tell him we must give him revenge.” Aunt Xue’s teeth clenched: “It was Manchurian Tartar who killed him, it was that bastard 14th Aggie who killed him, if we don’t avenge him, we won’t be a human being!”

Gao Shiqi covered the box and respectfully put it back on the god’s case: “Auntie, has father told you about our family’s family history?”

“I didn’t say it carefully,” Aunt Xue put her hand on the box with tenderness: “I only said that your family is very expensive. Could it be that it is also a royal family of the former Ming Dynasty?”

“Hey!” Gao Shiqi laughed coldly: “What is that former Ming Dynasty, our ancestor is the Da Shun Emperor who killed the Ming Dynasty!”

“Da Shun?” Aunt Xue was taken aback: “You’re talking about the roving bandit Li Zicheng?”

“It’s not the bandits, it’s the King!” Gao Shiqi straightened his back: “From a grassroots, south and north war, killed into Beijing, forced the dim emperor Chongzhen to commit suicide, is my grandfather, Li Bangwang!”

“This, didn’t I hear that Li Gang doesn’t have a son?”

“When the King of the Barge left Beijing, a courtesan surnamed Gao became pregnant. The king then sent his general Li Chao to take this courtesan to hide in Shanxi. After the child was born, the news came that the barging king had cut himself off at Jiu Gong Mountain.

In order to remember the intruder king Li Zicheng, he named that child ‘Cheng’, and in turn, in order to hide his name, he changed it to Gao.”

Aunt Xue’s heart is like overturning a bottle of five flavors, sweet and sour, bitter and spicy, can not say what the taste is. Gao Cheng is really a famous family, but he is elegant and elegant, how can he be the son of the vicious and brutal Li Zicheng?

“Auntie,” Gao Shiqi continued: “You must be wondering, my father such a decent man, how would he partner with others, using the army to smuggle opium? My father is trying to lure the army into business, so that the eight banners army corruption, so as to restore  our Da Shun dynasty!”

“Oh!” Aunt Xue recalled the scene of the soldiers chasing Gao Cheng that day, so he wanted to rebel. But Li Zicheng, she sighed: “I heard that Li Zicheng is a killer!”

“Yes,” said Gao Shiqi in agreement: “My father told me that there are two reasons for the failure of Da Shun: one is too much killing, and the other is that after entering Beijing, the whole army was rapidly corrupted. Winning the hearts and minds of the people wins the world, we must accept the lesson of the King of the barbarians.”

“You,” Aunt Xue paused for a moment: “do you want to be the emperor?”

“Alas! I’m getting old,” Gosseyn sighed: “Those who planted the trees before me will enjoy the coolness after them, I’m asking Auntie to assist my son in the future.”

“Your son?” Gao Shiqi was a famous person at the time, Aunt Xue had heard people talk about his family: “I haven’t heard that you have a son? Besides, I’m a woman, what can I do to help you?”

Gao Shiqi smiled embarrassedly: “Like father, like son. I was middle-aged to a female student as a teacher, and then met by chance, and then things are similar to you and my father’s situation, but she gave birth to a boy.”

“Is that so?” Aunt Xue listened with great interest: “Who is that woman?”

Nightly Exploration of the Red Mansion (Seventy-five)

“She is the granddaughter of Li Chuan, a general under the king,” Gao Shiqi said proudly, “We are family friends. The day she was born was the fiftieth anniversary of the king’s defeat at Jiu Gong Mountain. In honor of the king, Li Zao named her Gong Jie.”

“Li Gongjie?” Aunt Xue asked curiously, “Is that Lan’s mother?”

“Yes.” Gosch whispered.

“So Rango’er, that’s your son?”

Gosch nodded in embarrassment.

Aunt Xue’s heart flinched, no wonder Li dan’s husband Jia Zhu was only in his twenties when he died unexplained, eighty percent is to find out Gao Shiqi and Li dan’s illicit love, was silenced by them. Men and women’s private love was originally the most afraid of others know, today he took the initiative to tell me what it means?

Gao Shiqi also saw Aunt Xue’s doubts, sighed and said: “Auntie, I was injured three years ago, lost all my martial arts skills, I have not been able to come to see Lan’er and her mother. Last year, I got very sick, and I’m afraid that I won’t live long,” he sighed long and hard: “I’ve left Lan’er and her son with no one to turn to, and there’s a lot of rivalry in the Jia residence, so I’d like to ask you to look after them for my father’s sake.”

Aunt Xue nodded her head: “Let’s do it this way, say that you are the cousin-nephew of that deadbeat husband of mine, I’ll call Lan’s mother and son to dine with me, so that you can meet each other, and then I’ll ask Lan to pay you homage as a teacher, so that you’ll see them again in the future in name only.”

Gao Shiqi was so excited that he burst into tears: “Thank you auntie, thank you auntie!”

Aunt Xue smiled and said, “Well said, well said. You come and meet your Baochai sister!”

When Baochai heard that there was no more movement in the hall, she was puzzled and looked through the doorway to see that it was empty and Aunt Xue and Gao Shiqi had disappeared. “A man and a woman alone, could it be that they…” Baochai couldn’t help but blush as she thought of this, and called out to the back of the hall, “Mother… Mother…”

Hearing Baochai’s cry, Aunt Xue hurriedly came out of the secret room with Gao Shiqi, closed the secret door behind them, and walked through the back hall to the front hall.

When Gao Shiqi saw Baochai, he only felt a light in his eyes, what a beautiful girl, so he smiled and said, “Auntie, this is Baochai’s sister, isn’t it?”

Baochai secretly strange: “He and my dead father about the same age, how to call my mother aunt?” Do not know what to say.

Aunt Xue was a bit flustered and casually responded, “Yes, yes! Child, come and meet your brother Shiqi.”

Bao Hairpin gave Gao Shiqi a million blessings: “Brother Shiqi is good.”

Aunt Xue became even more embarrassed, and said sardonically, “Shiqi ah, you tell your sister about it, I’ll go ask the kitchen to make a few dishes.”

Watching Aunt Xue walk out of the house, Gao Shiqi then detailed the causes and consequences, and finally said, “We are half-brothers and half-sisters.”

Baochai only shy face red, mom usually seems so serious, how there is this kind of affair. But life can get a confidant, not in vain this life. Usually always wondered how brother Xue Pan would be so dull and stupid, the original and their own is not the same father. I was originally a descendant of Li Zicheng, although the killing is too heavy, but also a generation of heroes. In front of this brother elegant and dashing, erudite and informed, and is today’s celebrities, the court of the university, only worthy and their own is a father. Mom always reminded himself to avenge his father, always want to send himself to the palace to become a talent, the original is the hope that they have won the favor of the emperor after the assassination of fourteen a brother. Now can be better, but also to rebel, so that Lan Ge’er as the emperor.

Aunt Xue came in with a smile, “Well, I’ve asked someone to go invite Lan Ge’er and the others.”

Gao Shiqi stood up and made a deep bow to Aunt Xue: “Thank you aunt for your great kindness.” He said, coughing loudly.

Bao Hairpin busy pour a cup of tea, handed to Gao Shiqi. Gao Shiqi took just to drink, suddenly “wow” spit out a mouthful of blood. Bao Hairpin panicked, hurriedly took out his sleeve of the handkerchief, to the high Shiqi wipe away the blood on the corner of the mouth.

“Might as well, might as well, it’s a rush of fire,” said Gosseyn, with a bitter smile. His eyes fell on the handkerchief in Bao-chai’s hand, and he was suddenly staggered.

Baochai looked down at the handkerchief in her hand and said with a smile, “This is a piece of red damask I picked up in the garden, it’s so pretty, isn’t it?”

Gao Shiqi took the red damask in Baochai’s hand, and his eyes gradually released light: “It is it, it is it!

This is it! Ancestors have spirits, we are hopeful of restoring  the Daishun Dynasty!”

Looking at Bao Hairpin and Aunt Xue’s strange looks, Gao Shiqi tried to suppress his excitement: “Auntie, sister, this is Zhu Yuanzhang’s treasure map ah, not only are there countless gold and silver treasures inside, but there are also a large number of weapons and armaments.” He told Baochai and Aunt Xue the story of the treasure cave and the red silk.

“Three years ago, I heard Lan’er’s mother say that Qin Keqing and her eunuch Jia Jing were not doing anything, and the little girls told me that they had talked about some red damask, so I went to Jia Jing’s place at night to reconnoiter. After hearing a ruckus on the bed, the lamp was lit, and a flirtatious woman got dressed, put a piece of red damask into her arms, and walked out with a smile on her face. I quietly jumped down from the room and was about to follow the woman when I suddenly heard a cold laugh behind me, and turned to see that it was Jia Jing standing there with his sword crossed.”

Aunt Xue and Baochai were dumbfounded.

Gao Shiqi sipped a mouthful of tea, continued to say: “that Jia Jing martial arts is not weak, I used the Li family’s best moves before a sword to kill him, but his own chest also suffered a slap. I endure the pain, chased to the place where Qin Keqing lived, strangled her, and captured the red silk. I took the red damask out of Jiafu, walked to the Shichahai neighborhood, the pain is really can not stand, just sit down to rest, who knows all of a sudden fainted. When I woke up, a touch in my arms, the red damask is gone. I didn’t expect that today it fell into my sister’s hands, it’s really God’s will!”

Gao Shiqi looked at the red silk in his hand over and over again, “Huh? I don’t think it’s the one I saw the other day, it’s the other half…” Aunt Xue and Baochai went over to look at it, and saw that words were faintly appearing on the red silk where the blood had been stained.

Nightly Exploration of the Red Mansion (Seventy-six)

“These two words, it seems to be… it’s White Flower. What does white flower mean?” Aunt Xue asked suspiciously.

“This…” said Gosseyn, scratching his head: “Look at these doshas below, drawn as if they were a stream.”

Baochai looked carefully for a while and said with a smile, “Look, these two characters and the dao underneath are on the blood-stained area…”

“Right!” Gao Shiqi slapped his thigh and said, “Sister is really smart! This picture must have been written with invisible potion, dipped in blood to show up.” Saying this, he bit his middle finger and dipped it into the blood and smeared it on the red silk. Under the flickering candlelight, the golden-red damask seeped on the crimson blood, the fishy smell of blood permeated the eerie atmosphere, Baochai could not help but be afraid.

Slowly, in the lower half of the panel, a picture emerged. The picture was of a small stream with a yellow cow lying in it, and a large pine tree on its bank.

“Huh. Interesting… How can a yellow cow be soaked in water? One should draw buffaloes instead.” Aunt Xue said.

Gosch continued to scribble with his fingers, revealing fourteen words on the top half of the page.

“A path of green stone white flowers thin, lying in the water yellow cow news through,” Baochai read: “This seems to be a limerick, there are still two lines, what does it mean?”

The three of them pondered for a while, but no one could guess what it meant. Gao Shiqi sighed and said, “I heard that there are two pieces of this red damask, one yin and one yang, it seems to be true. We can only try to find that half of the red damask, yin and yang together, in order to solve this mystery.”

Looking at Gao Shiqi’s dejected look, Baochai smiled and said, “Brother Shiqi, then you can take it and study it carefully.”

Gao Shiqi shook his head: ”This red damask has been around for more than three hundred years, and is also a psychic treasure. Unless it is a person with destiny, you can’t put two halves of red damask together. I am not destiny enough ah, that half to the hand also lost. Sister sitting steadily at home actually can get this half of the red damask, really the fate of coincidence, perhaps can again have the fate to find that half is also not known, or you good to receive it, waiting for the chance.” Said the red damask again handed over to the treasure hairpin.

“Sister, auntie,” Gao Shiqi s face was grave: “The matter of restoring  the Da Shun Dynasty, I have endured for more than fifty years, and I have not dared to make a move. That Kang Xi is really powerful, I consciously not his opponent. Now the opportunity has finally come, Kang Xi is old and sick, and their fathers and sons to fight, the four A brother also gave Kang Xi poisoned, afraid that he is also from the death soon. Once Kang Xi is dead, if we can provoke the Fourth Brother and the Fourteenth Brother into a fight, we can reap the benefits…”

As he was talking about this, Ying’er ran in: “Lord Gao, your housekeeper, Gao Da, is looking for you.”

As soon as the words fell, Gao Da ran in in a panic: “Master, Master, it’s bad, I heard that the Emperor has removed you from your official position!”

“Ah?” Gao Shiqi ate a shock they have not officially started activities it, how can be found it, Kang Xi really so powerful? Busy asked: “Who said that? Why?”

“Listen to Zhang Zhongtang’s family said, the emperor does not know for what, all of a sudden, just a lot of big officials, your disposition is to remove all positions, to the Ministry of discussion, the decree will come down tomorrow morning.”

Gao Shiqi heart sank, striking the official okay, in case of a copy of the family, he wrote the plan to restore  if it is turned out, is not a big bad? Thought of here, hurriedly said goodbye to Aunt Xue and Baochai, followed by Gao Da back to the house.

Looked at the back of Gao Shiqi hurriedly left, Baochai can not help but worry about it, after all, is his own brother well, and character talent than Xue Pan to be a hundred times stronger, just a little bit older. Then he and his father if alive, fast should have more than seventy it, than their own mother older than thirty years old it. I’m afraid that Shiqi’s brother is also at least twenty years older than Li Dan. The other day, I heard the little girls say, the most let the girl heart, is elegant, talented, successful middle-aged man, I did not think that mother and Li Dan are living examples, I do not know if I met that kind of occasion will be how? Although he is now like Baoyu, but he is still younger than himself, many ideas are not old, as if it is also a kind of dispensable feelings, only the day he was beaten after giving him medicine, only a little feeling of pity. Moreover, he seems to be the son of fourteenth ah, fourteenth ah is his own father’s murderer ah!

Baochai sighed, went back to his room to put away that red damask, it is not early, it is better to sleep.

Bao Hairpin lay in bed, but tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She turned over her pillow and took out a dagger hidden underneath. She gently pulled out the dagger, and the blade glistened in the darkness. From the age of seven, her mother had instilled in her the idea of revenge, that her father was killed by the 14th Argo, and that she must take revenge. A small girl has no childhood, always learning how to please others. Mother first wanted to send herself to the palace, so that she could get close to the emperor, and find a chance to alienate their father and son, and provoke him to kill the fourteenth Argo. Alas! Mother also do not know for the daughter think about, the palace lonely, like prison, good people’s daughters to hide are not able to avoid it. Fortunately, the emperor stopped these two years to choose the showgirls, they have escaped this disaster. In recent days, mother guessed the treasure jade is the fourteenth brother’s illegitimate son, and want to let himself married to the treasure jade, later on the opportunity to assassinate the fourteenth brother. Mother for the love of father, how can she bear to sacrifice her daughter’s life? And today heard, father is to smuggle opium was killed, although the purpose is to restore  Dashun, the means is also too dishonorable. If he really killed the fourteenth ah, then his son also want to take revenge, Baoyu will not want to kill himself? It is really wronged when ah!

In a daze, Baochai seemed to see Baoyu walking past the window, she got up and quietly followed, and saw Baoyu walk through the moon gate and under a large pine tree. Under the tree sat a man with a sledgehammer in his hand, none other than Fourteenth Brother. Baoyu said something to him, he gave a sneer, casually swung, “click” sound, the bowl thick pine tree stopped waist was broken into two. Baoyu left, he seems to be so tired look, half lying on the sub sleep.

The opportunity came, and Baochai drew his dagger and tiptoed over to him. The moonlight shines on the fourteenth brother’s face, usually so mighty man, but now sleeps like a child, with a playful smile on the corner of his mouth. Baochai couldn’t help but freeze, the dagger in her hand was held high, just couldn’t fall down.

Fourteenth Argo’s body moved slightly, and suddenly violently reached out his arm and grabbed Baochai’s wrist. Baochai was terrified, screamed and struggled, who knew that her feet slipped, and her whole body fell into Fourteenth Argo’s arms.

“Girl, girl, wake up, have a nightmare?”

The Marco Polo Outlet, the first time I’ve seen it, I’ve seen it, and I’ve seen it, and I’ve seen it, and I’ve seen it, and I’ve seen it, and I’ve seen it, and I’ve seen it. Marvelous, Marvelous, Marvelous, Marvelous, Marvelous, Marvelous, Marvelous, Marvelous, Marvelous.

Nightly Exploration of the Red Mansion (Seventy-seven)

Kangxi within a day, under a dozen decrees, or dismissal, or devaluation, the important ministers in the court almost no untouched. Minister Ma Qi, dismissed Minister of the guards, Prince Shao Bao; Wen Yuan Pavilion University of Gao Shiqi exempted from all positions, to the Ministry of the Department; Wenhua Hall University of Wang Hepatitis dismissed, army Heilongjiang; University of Silk Hana, Fang Pod gold to return to their hometowns, non-declaration of imperial edicts are not allowed to enter the capital; the Minister of the Secretariat, Zhang Tingyu, was demoted to two levels, in order to see what happens later on; Ministry of Justice Prince of Service dismissed, sentenced to the Heavenly Prison Houjian.

Fourteenth Argot worriedly stood beside Kang Xi: “Father, these people have no major faults, this punishment is not too harsh a little bit?”

Kangxi sighed: “the old fourteen ah, these people hold the dynasty for many years, under the hands of a group of forces, students and officials, disjointed, all over the world. Don’t look at them to me only promise, in fact, which is not a light. Take that Gao Shiqi for example, not a day is not trying to expand their own power, but also let you can not pick his fault. You engage in reform, will certainly touch the interests of these people. Those old foxes, not to mention open resistance, just passive non-cooperation, enough to make you a hard time. I recently felt good health, another three to five years should not be a problem. I’ll give you a ride. I don’t immediately set up your sitting prince is this meaning, this time I sing white face, rectify officials, the depreciation of the depreciation, change the exemption; You sing red face, promote the young talent, those who were beaten by me, such as available by you to give them vindication, so that is after my death, you also have a available person under you.”

Fourteenth Argo suddenly realized: “Thank you, Father, for your painstaking efforts.”

Kangxi nodded: “You just concentrate on the change of law and the Qinghai war. Rectification of officials, especially the matter of catching corrupt officials, you are too soft-hearted, I would like to hand over to your fourth brother to do.”

The House of the King of Yong.

Yongzheng sat in the center of the flower hall, teasing the Persian cat in his arms and humming a Peking opera: “Chu Geliang was at the top of the city looking at the mountain scenery, when he heard the chaos outside the city, the flags waving and the smoke rising… It was really the soldiers sent by Sima…”

Wu Sidao quietly walked in and stood at the bottom: “Your Majesty, just now Qin Liu came to report that His Majesty had another secret talk with the 14th Argo.”

“Oh?” Yongzheng raised his eyebrows, “What did you say?”

“The Emperor said to dismiss those officials so that Fourteenth Argo can arrange for his own people.”

“Hey, hey,” Yongzheng sneered: “the old fourteen has always boasted of purity, do not form a party, what can he have his own people?”

“This time is different,” Wusidao step closer: “there are a lot of poor support for his reforms, want to get an official when, and the emperor to protect him. The emperor said, the reason why not establish fourteen a brother as the crown prince, is afraid that he became a target. Now the Emperor himself sings the white face and lets the 14th Argo sing the red face to pull in the hearts and minds of the people.”

Yongzheng’s face immediately sank: “Then what do you think we should do?”

Wusidao smiled: “The emperor is also playing the plan, think he can still live, want to wait for fourteen a brother change the law has a brow, the prestige of the time to establish him as the crown prince. But if the emperor can not live so long? His original confidants have all been defeated by himself, and Fourteenth Argo’s people have not taken hold.”

Yongzheng stroked his beard: “You mean…”

“Your Highness, a small measure is not a gentleman, and no poison is a man,” said Wu Sidao grimly, “Didn’t the Emperor ask you to reorganize the officials? You can take the opportunity to collect all the people the Emperor has defeated, and then ask Nin Jang Yao to report an urgent military situation, so that the 14th Aghor can be tricked into returning to Qinghai again, and then you can add something to his medicinal wine… Hehehe…”

Yongzheng nodded, secretly thinking that this guy’s heart is really black, actually persuaded himself to poison his father to death. Can’t leave him alive after the deed is done, he knows too many of his secrets.

Looking at Yongzheng did not say anything, Usidao thought about it, and said: “Your Majesty, know yourself and know your enemy, in order to win a hundred battles, we if we can dig a person from the 14th Aggies to come over as a spy, things will be even more winnable.”

Yongzheng shook his head: “Difficult, Old Fourteen is now popular, how can his people be willing to jump ship?”

“Your Majesty, there is an opportunity now,” said Wu Sidao triumphantly: “You know that boy Jia Yucun, right?

Now it’s the penman that Fourteenth Ahgor relies on. Two days ago a man named Shi Da sued Jia Yucun and Jia Pi in Shuntianfu, saying that they had made private names, taken money by trickery, and forced injuries.”

“Ah, there is this matter?” Yongzheng’s interest immediately came: “Which kid is so bold, dare to sue them?”

“Hey, hey, it’s funny,” said Wu Sidao with a smile: “In the Jia residence, the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law fought for economic power. Originally, the daughter-in-law’s family had a strong background, so the mother-in-law had to swallow her anger. But then the daughter-in-law was caught short by her mother-in-law and had to hand over the keys to the house. The daughter-in-law was not satisfied, and after inquiring about the matter of forcing people to die, she secretly asked someone to find the nephew of the family who had been killed, and asked him to sue his own father-in-law, that is, Jia Pi, together with Jia Yucun.”

“Ha ha! There is such a woman,” Yongzheng laughed and said: “Dare to do, really a talent.”

“That’s true, her nickname is Phoenix Spice, she’s awesome, but she’s also a great beauty!”

“How is it better than your Aunt Zhao?” Yongzheng asked snidely.

“Spring orchids and autumn chrysanthemums, spring orchids and autumn chrysanthemums,” Ushido squeaked: “each moment of the Xi also.”

Nightly Exploration of the Red Mansion (78)

It’s almost the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The moon is bright at Mid-Autumn Festival. I can’t say whether it’s bright or not, but the moon is so bright that people hardly dare to look at it. It’s no wonder that during the Kangxi period, the term “air pollution” didn’t exist yet!

Jia Wu can’t tell you what it’s like not to spend Mid-Autumn Festival with his mother for the first time.

His own mother for people rambling very much, a day price in his ear muttering: “do not drink cold water,” “clothes can not be thrown,” “how the bowl is always not clean,”, “Look at you, how can you get a wife if you are such a mess!”

Dad, of course, most know mom’s temper, that year from the United States back, sent her a key pendant “mom with”, press the first button, will send out an angry woman’s voice: “Stop it! Press the second button, the same voice said: “I told you so! Pressing the third button, the voice shouted: “Are you happy now?” (You are happy now!) The whole family laughed.

They are also quite interesting, divorced or good friends. Ugh, I can’t hear my mom’s nagging, why is it still weird to think about it!

Jia Wu walked out of the room, a cool wind blew, could not help but fight a cold war. Turn around and go back, open the closet to find a thicker clothes, rummage around, do not know how the attacker is packed, how all the summer clothes?

A red light flashed under the lamp, he grabbed it with his hand, it was the big red sweatband Jiang Yuxin gave him.

That day he was wearing this one, he was beaten, and it leaked so much of his own blood that Wu’er took it out and washed it for himself.

“Fifth child!” Thinking of Ngor, Jia Wu’s heart felt like pins and needles: “Things are different from what they used to be, and tears flowed before words were spoken”, his eyes blurred, and Ngor’s mournful song resounded in his ears again: “Little cabbages, yellow in the ground, at the age of 3 or 2 years old, without a mother…”

“Baoyu, what are you gawking at?” Daiyu walked in with a smile.

Jia Wu wiped his eyes: “No, it’s nothing, sister, please sit down.”

Daiyu sat down, hand in hand to take the big red sweatband in the hands of Jia Wu over: “Oh, you’re looking at this ah, I remember that there are a few lines on it is a very strange poem it, haha, here: Emei Golden Peak after the old temple, the big pine tree east of one zhang six.”

Daiyu put the sweatband to the lamp to look carefully: “Baoyu, this sweatband face and inside is not the same material, the face is embroidered, inside is a good strange thin damask, as if also sewed a number of layers it!”

Jia Wu came over to take a look, yes, iterated several layers of sewing, the word is on the outermost layer of red silk.

So, is there still words inside? Jia Wu looked at Dai Yu, who smiled and pulled open his drawer, took out a small silver scissors and gently removed the thread, separating the face from the inside.

Daiyu put together the red damask lining spread on the table, or only those two sentences: Emei Golden Peak old temple, the big pine tree east of a zhang six.

Daiyu held her head and thought for a moment, calling out : “Zijuan ~~”

Zijuan smiled and came in through the door, “Miss, what’s the matter?”

“You go to the kitchen and ask for a bowl of chicken blood, and if you don’t have any, other blood will do.”

“Why, you two want to make blood tofu?” Zijuan laughed and went out.

Daiyu came to Baoyu’s ear: “That day is not stained with your blood to show the words, I guess this may be written with some kind of potion, and can only be shown when it meets blood.”

Daiyu’s hair slightly swept to Jia Wu’s face, tickling her, and her heart was so hot that she didn’t know what to say.

Daiyu gently scratched Jia Wu’s nose: “Hey, what are you staring at again?”

“No, it’s nothing,” Jia Wu said in embarrassment, he suddenly remembered what he overheard Miaoyu and Liu Xianglian say in Bar Cui’an that day, and told Daiyu the source, and finally said, “They’re just looking for some kind of red damask with a treasure map on it!”

Daiyu’s eyes widened in surprise: “Is that so? No wonder that Miaoyu…”

“Miss, hello~~” Zi Cuckoo came in excitedly: “The kitchen said there’s no chicken blood today, so you can make duck blood tofu!” She said, placing a small bowl of blood in her hand on the table.

Daiyu nodded her head: “Alright, there’s nothing more for you to do here, go out and play.”

“What ah, good things don’t carry people.” Zijuan pouted and went out.

Jia Wu and Dai Yu smiled at each other. Daiyu balled up a cotton ball and handed it to Jia Wu. Jia Wu dipped the cotton ball in the duck’s blood and smeared it on the red silk. Gradually, black writing appeared on the red damask: “This Omei is not the other Omei, the water of the Nujiang River passes by and the colorful clouds fly.”

Wipe over it again and it’s half a map.

“Looks like it’s really this one,” Daiyu said excitedly, “Oh my god! How could it fall into your hands!”

“That’s right,” Jia Wu also wondered, this map is a priceless treasure, where did Jiang Yuxin get it? Why would he give it to himself? Miaoyu there is still half of the map, put together a complete job. But he is engaged in the change of law, and do not want to rebel, to this plaything what is the use of it? But Myo Yuk was trying to find the treasure map, so if she knew about it… Jia Wu’s face became grave.

Daiyu could not help but shiver: “Baoyu, this red damask is also afraid of the unknown, to drain the blood to show the word, in the future do not know how many people’s blood it!”

Jia Wu nodded, the bloody red silk swayed slightly with the light, and there seemed to be a bloody shadow laughing. He suddenly remembered that when he was small, he always loved to hold the red silk red scarf like this. “The red scarf is made of the blood of the martyrs”, the teacher always loved to say so.

Just put something so bloody around his neck? He suddenly felt so funny.

Nightly Exploration of the Red Mansion (79)

Attacker and Musk Moon came in carrying a large red lacquered box.

“Mooncakes! Mooncakes!” Assailant said with a smile, “Oh, Miss Lin is here too, come on, try one.”

Daiyu stood up and covered Jia Wu behind her, who hurriedly hid the red silk under the table. Daiyu smiled and said to her assailant, “Good, tell me to see what good mooncakes there are this year.”

Attacker and musk moon put the box on the ground, open the first layer: “since the red. Hey, how to send this kind of this year? Hard as a brick, can kill people.”

Then open the second layer, “since the white.” Musk moon is not happy: “This plaything how to eat ah?”

Open the third layer again and it’s self red again.

Muskie huffed and puffed as she opened the bottom layer, and again, it was auto-white.

Jia Wu could not help but laugh. This mooncake is also two hundred years of consistency, no change Well.

“In previous years, there were all kinds of mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival,” said Musk Moon indignantly, “but this year, when the First Mistress is in charge, she knows how to save money, and fools us with the cheapest things like this.”

“Well, well,” Jia Wu comforted musk moon said: “you take a few hang money, tell Ming Yan to the street to buy some good back.” And turn to Daiyu: “sister, you like what kind of moon cake?”

“I like Suzhou-style mooncakes,” Daiyu recalled, “the skin white,, layer by layer, inside the date paste, lotus seed paste, bean paste, walnuts, a bite of the crumbs. The first time I saw this, I was in the middle of a mooncake, and it was the first time I saw a mooncake, and it was the first time I saw a mooncake. Alas, I don’t know how Grandma Li is doing now.” Said her eyes red again.

At this time, only to see the service book came in, holding a pair of flower paper to Jia Wu. Jia Wu smiled and said: “But I forgot, just said to look at the third sister to go, can be better, you came.”

The servant said, “The girl is well, and she will not take medicine today, but she is just a little bit cold.”

When Jia Wu and Daiyu unfolded the flower note, it read.

Sister tan honored two brother text : eve of the new clearing, the moon is like a wash, because of the pity of the clear scenery is difficult to meet, how to bear to lie down, when the hourglass has been three turns, is still wandering under the threshold of the Tong, not to prevent the wind and dew deceived, to get the trouble of picking salary. Yesterday, the pro-labor instructions, but also sent a number of children to ask about, and to fresh ly and real Qing ink to see the gift, how it is the depth of love and favor!

Today, because of a few beds in silence, because I thought of the ancients in the field of fame and fortune, but also some of the mountains and water areas, far and near the invitation, the jurisdiction to climb the Regulator, and make sure that two or three comrades hovering in which, or erect the word altar, or the opening of the minstrelsy society, although a momentary occasional interest, and then become a thousand years of good talk.

Although the sister is not talented, with the Chanting habitat in the springs and stones, and adore Xue Lin’s skills. At this mid-autumn festival, the wind court and the moon salon, unfortunately not a banquet set of poets, curtain apricot and peach, or can be drunk fly Yinjian. Who said that the Lotus Society of the male talent, the only allowed eyebrows, straight to the elegant meeting of the East Mountain, so that the rest of the powder. If the table snow and come, sister will sweep flowers to wait.

I’d like to offer this.

Daiyu looked, do not feel happy to clap hands and laughed: “It is the third sister to the elegant, we will go to discuss it.”

“What good things are you guys so happy about?” Bao Hairpin smiled and walked in, followed by two small girls carrying a large box.

“Here, try my family’s mooncake.”

Musk Moon led the little girls in the house in a flurry: “Wow! There are so many delicious mooncakes, Soviet-style, Cantonese-style, almond, egg yolk, ham, lotus seed paste, and even tea leaf ones!”

Jia Wu smiled and offered her seat to Baochai: “Thank you sister for thinking of us, you’d better move back to the garden to live, the third sister is going to start a poetry club again.”

Daiyu heard Jia Wu say “we”, her heart was warm, also smiled and said: “Yes, once sister left this garden will be much cooler.”

Baochai sat down and said: “No, too much trouble. Anyway, it’s not far away. To open a poetry club ah, I tell you good news, you guess who is coming?”

“Yes, it’s Baoqin’s sister, isn’t it?” Jia Wu asked.

Daiyu stepped hard on Jia Wu under the table, but said with a smile on her lips, “Yes, it’s Baoqin’s sister that Baoyu looks forward to every day, right?”

Ja’V grinned in pain and embarrassment.

Bao Hairpin smiled and said: “Not only her, but also one of her sisters. She’s a foreign beauty with yellow hair and blue eyes, exactly like the Western beauty painted on the chime. She’s from the country of… Zhenzhen, and she speaks Chinese!”

Daiyu heard this and was greatly interested: “Really, sister, you must invite her here for us to take a look.”

“OK,” Baochai nodded: “I heard that she also knows how to make poems, so it’s a good time to join our poetry club.”

“Yes, yes,” said Daiyu, clapping her hands, “when will they come?”

“Tomorrow,” Baochai said: “the day after tomorrow is not the Mid-Autumn Festival, we asked them to come here to enjoy the moon and do poetry, okay?”

“Wonderful,” said Daiyu happily, “Baoyu, will you invite the third sister to discuss it?”

“Oh, look at you in a hurry,” Jia Wu said with a smile, “Why don’t we go to the third sister’s place together?”

The three stood up and were about to head out when a gust of wind blew and lifted a corner of the tablecloth. With a flash of red light, the tablecloth fell back down.

“How seems to be their own piece of red damask?” Baochai wondered, “Am I mistaken?”

Nightly Exploration of the Red Mansion (80)

The moon is full on the fifteenth day. Even though it’s mid-autumn today, the moon is noticeably missing a small edge.

“If the sky is full of love, the sky is old; if the moon is full of hate, the moon is always full.” Where in the world is there perfection?

In front of the Autumn Shuangzhai, under the big willow tree near the pond, two large eight hundredths of a table put together into a rectangle. Tangchun as the east, sitting in the master’s seat. On the left hand side are Yingchun, Shichun, Daiyu, Baoyu; on the right hand side are Baochai, Xiangyun, and there are two empty seats left for Baoqin and the Western girl.

Daiyu looked at Xiangyun with a smile, “Yun Yaou, I heard that you are very happy!”

Xiang Yun’s face was red, also said with a smile: “Why, you are anxious, then do not hurry to marry him!” Said a finger Jia Wu.

Daiyu also blushed: “Damn girl, see if I don’t tear your mouth!” Getting up, she wanted to catch Xiangyun.

“Miss Lin, be careful, be careful, lean to the side and rub the oil on you~~” Ying’er and the servant book carried a large basket over and placed it on the table: “The newly steamed hairy crabs are here, everyone eat quickly.”

Tangchun stood up: “not to Mount Lushan failed to meet the eye, not to eat crabs failed to meet the belly, thank Sister Bao gave us the crabs.”

Baochai smiled and said: “Sisters, polite what,” said greeted everyone: “Quickly eat it!”

The little girls set out the dishes, ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, and seasonings.

Daiyu said, “Don’t be busy, let’s wait for sister Baoqin.”

“No,” said Baochai, while giving everyone a crab, “she went to the post to pick up that foreign girl, and once she was entertained, she might be delayed for a long time!”

Jia Wu peeled open a crab and used his chopsticks to clip the oily crab yolk onto Dai Yu’s plate: “Sister, would you like to eat this?”

Dai Yu nodded and picked up the celadon vial containing the spicy paste oil and poured a few drops into Jia Wu’s plate: “Don’t you love spicy food, add some of this.”

That spicy paste oil is also a masterpiece of Jiafu, with the usual Beijing people eat fried chili paste is not the same, is to choose a good chili pepper, marinated in soy sauce and spices for a year, and then dried, with chicken oil and vegetarian oil half, the chili pepper fried half burnt, and then pounded into a paste to eat and fragrant and crisp and spicy.

Jia Wu was sweating profusely, but he couldn’t help but put some more. He thought that he should learn this method, and in the future, back in the year 2000, he would open a factory, and he would definitely make a lot of money.

The crowd was happily eating crabs when they heard Ying’er call out, “Miss Qin is here! And that foreign beauty!” Everyone looked up and saw Baoqin pulling a blonde haired girl over in a hurry.

Walking closer, Baoqin smiled and said, “Sorry we’re late, this is my sworn sister.”

The girl said in the official language with a Shandong accent, “Everyone ho ah, I called Jenny.”

Xiang Yun went to the girl and took her hand: “Wow, your eyes are so beautiful, like the sea water!

I’m Baoqin’s sister, which means your sister la.”

The girl called out, “Sister.”

Dai Yu laughed and said, “Yun Yaou, what are you crazy about, don’t scare people.”

Tangchun hurriedly opened the door for Baoqin and the two of them to be seated, Baochai handed Jenny a crab: “Hey, you tell us about the news of your real real country?”

Baoqin “Puff” a laugh out: “What real real country, people are from the English country, the name is Jennifer, that old mom ears back, listen to the real real country.”

Jia Wu had long looked familiar with Jenny, as if she was a foreign student who taught spoken English at the university. When he heard that she was from the UK, he couldn’t help but ask, “Howareyoudoing?”

Jenny was surprised and delighted to meet an English-speaking Chinese for the first time in China, and couldn’t help but look at Jia Wu twice: “Fine, thanks, and you?”

“Good, thanks, welcome to my home.”

Daiyu was taken aback and said in Jia Wu’s ear, “Baoyu, when did you know how to speak foreign languages?”

Jia Wu leaned in Daiyu’s ear and said with a smile: “Li Taibai also grass edict to retreat barbarians it, how can I not?”

Tangchun stood up, said: “everyone slowly eat. I first said the title of today’s poetry club, called ‘untitled’, rhyme, format, are not limited to writing poems to fill in the words can be.”

Baochai nodded: “That’s the right thing to do. I like to have no limits, the sky is the limit.”

Xiang Yun looked at Jenny blankly: “Are the crabs good?”

“Ho-ho-ho-ho-ho,” said Jenny, her mouth stuffed with crab meat, “and a little chili would make it even more ho-ho-ho.”

Jia Wu heard, hand over the small green porcelain bottle: “Ai, spicy paste oil.”

Jenny looked at Jia Wu’s generous speech, outstanding character, and speaks English, her heart had already had a few favorites. At this time, she thought he was saying: “I love you.”, although she was usually generous, she could not help but blush, hesitated for a while, shyly said: “I love you too.”

Jia Wu was flabbergasted, suddenly realized, thought bad, just do not know what to say below, only to see the attacker far away is waving to him forcefully.

(to be continued)