serious man in the red chamber

Chapter 158
The rain is getting heavier and heavier, and the sky and the earth are misty.

Rongguofu

Xue's Courtyard
In the heavy rain, the servant girl Yinger came in through the moon gate of the yard with Baochai in a rain cloak, and another woman covered her with a huge umbrella.

As soon as I entered the room, I saw Aunt Xue was doing needlework with the maids.

Aunt Xue looked up to see Baochai coming in, put down her needle and thread, and asked with a smile, "Why are you back?"

Baochai smiled: "Grandma Dongfu took You's family away, and she was chatting and laughing with the old lady. I thought Mom was home alone, so I came back." As he said, he took off his rain cloak and asked: "Have you taken any medicine?"

Aunt Xue said with a smile: "It's okay to catch a little wind. You should be joking over there, and you will be bored when you come back." Seeing that the rain cloak is not Xue's property, she asked, "Where did it come from?"

Baochai: "This is from the old lady. Feather yarn, the rain falls on it and it will fall off naturally. It is a gift from the Wu family of General Guangdong."

Aunt Xue said with a smile: "No wonder it is so delicate and light. It must have been imported from the West."

Baochai shook her head: "It's hard to say, maybe it was made inside." She took the tea from Yinger's hand and offered it to Aunt Xue.

Aunt Xue took a sip from the tea bowl, put it down, and said, "I don't know how your brother is doing? How's the weather outside the customs? How's the food? I don't know if there's a letter."

Hearing this, Baochai was taken aback for a moment, it was already the end of March, and brother Xue Pan had been away from Beijing for almost two months, so far no news has come, so I don't know what's going on?

After Baochai's birthday, Xue Pan received an errand from the Ministry of Households to deliver food and grass to the Zhou army in Suiyuan City, and also brought several carts of groceries. In addition to the servant in charge of the Xue family, as long as they don't meet the army, they are safe.

Now there is no Mongol army in sight outside the pass, and those Mongol herdsmen dare not provoke the Han people at all.

The imperial court issued an edict many years ago, whoever robs the Han people will be killed!If any Han people are killed, all tribes within a radius of 100 miles will be punished!If the murderer cannot be found, kill [-] people a day until the murderer is found, or all the surrounding tribes are wiped out.

The great battle last year broke the backs of the Mongols outside the pass, and no one dared to try their best!

Thinking of this, Baochai said with a smile: "Mum, don't worry, counting the days, my brother should have entered the customs. I guess he wants to surprise Mom."

Aunt Xue was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Amitabha! I don't care if it's a surprise or not, as long as it's not a shock."

Before he could say a word, he only heard the sound of hurried footsteps outside, and then came the report from the mother-in-law: "The person who accompanied the uncle to leave the customs has returned."

Baochai hurriedly got up and hid in the room.

"Come in," said Aunt Xue when Baochai took Ying'er into the room.

The door curtain was lifted, and a young servant came in, covered in muddy water, knelt down by the door without looking up, and said, "Grandma, something happened to the uncle."

Aunt Xue was startled and asked anxiously, "What happened?"

The boy hurriedly replied: "Originally on the [-]th day of March when I entered the customs, my uncle stayed in Suiyuan City for a few more days in order to collect more cars. They camped in the place for the night, and they were attacked in the middle of the night. All the guards of the household department died in battle, and most of the family members were also killed or injured.

When we led the pass defenders back to the camp, there were only corpses and burned carts left on the ground. "

Aunt Xue trembled all over: "Where are your uncles?"

Boy: "Later, I found a few people who followed the uncle. They said that the uncle was taken away. It seems that the other party is not a Mongol, but a Manchu."

Before she finished speaking, Aunt Xue rolled her eyes and passed out.

For a while there were shouts everywhere, and Xue Baochai hurried out regardless of whether there was anyone there or not.
Ning'an Hall Backyard

The torrential rain rang out outside the house, but the house was quiet.

Hu Po, Zicuckoo and Snow Goose sat down around a round table, on which there was a large plate of fresh melons and fruits, a large plate of assorted snacks, and a plate of melon seeds. The three of them were eating happily.

Zijuan picked up a piece of snack and put it into her mouth, then she looked towards Jia Hu's desk.

On the recliner in front of the desk, Jia Hu was lying there with his hands on his face, and beside him was a low table. On the low table was a game of Go played in the middle game. On the opposite side of Go was Lin Daiyu who was lying on the recliner and reading a book.

Jia Hu was pinching a white piece and looking at the chessboard, lost in thought.

After a while, Jia Hu let out a long sigh, threw the chess piece in his hand on the chessboard, and surrendered!

Lin Daiyu put down her book, looked at Jia Hu's expression, and snickered, "Playing Go is like arranging troops in battle, following the weather, taking advantage of the location, giving full play to the harmony of people, turning disadvantages into advantages, and winning method."

Jia Hu glanced at her slowly, turned over and lay down, and slowly closed his eyes, "Now that the time, place and people are in the hands of the other party, I am like meat on a felt board, and I can only be slaughtered."

Hearing this, Lin Daiyu sighed silently.

The news that the Yellow River broke its embankment and flooded Shandong has already spread to the capital. The imperial court began to dispatch troops to the south as early as the 4th. The first batch of troops to dispatch was [-] Jingying infantry, [-] of whom traveled south by sea on naval warships. Then enter the canal from the Yangtze River and land at Yangzhoufu.

Another [-] Jingying infantry will go to several Zhili prefectures and counties adjacent to Shandong to garrison to prevent anyone from taking the opportunity to incite the victims to make trouble.

The second batch of 2 infantry troops from the Beijing Battalion set off yesterday, and the remaining [-] soldiers will follow the [-] veterans of the Yongwei Battalion.

The old emperor sent someone to mobilize [-] firecrackers from the Yongwei camp, and nearly half of them were selected from Jia Hu's old camp.

The essence of the feudal dynasty is the world, and the entire country is the private property of the royal family.

Therefore, Jia Hu could only accept it.

At this moment, the mother-in-law's report came from outside the door: "Second Master, Miss Bao is here."

Jia Hu was in a bad mood and didn't talk to him.

Lin Daiyu said: "Please come in."

After a while, the door curtain was lifted, and Baochai, whose skirt was wet by the rain, came in.

Lin Daiyu stood up, seeing Baochai's distressed look, and seeing her crying eyes, which were far from what they used to be, she was slightly startled, and said to Baochai, "Sister, please sit down." He also ordered Amber to serve tea.

Seeing Jia Hu lying on the recliner with her eyes closed, Baochai had no choice but to go aside and sit down.

Baochai stared at Jia Hu intently.

"Sister drink tea!"

Lin Daiyu burst out laughing, then kicked Jia Hu, "Sister Bao came to talk to you."

Feeling flustered for a while, Baochai hurriedly lowered her head. Only then did Jia Hu wake up, leaning on the reclining chair, she stood up and said in surprise, "Hey, Miss Bao is here. Hu Po, serve good tea!"

Amber held back a smile and said, "Back to the second master, good tea has been served!" The word "good" was particularly emphatic.

Jia Hu glared at her: "Then bring me a bowl of good tea."

Suddenly, Baochai stood up, walked up to Jia Hu, and knelt down, scaring Jia Hu back several steps.

After everyone was stunned, Lin Daiyu quickly stepped forward to help her up, "Sister, what are you doing? Is there anything you can't say properly?!"

Jia Hu couldn't help frowning.

Tears welled up in Baochai's eyes: "My brother was captured by the Manchus outside the pass."

Jia Hu was surprised: "Your brother was taken away by the Manchus?"

Baochai: "The boy who followed my brother out of the pass escaped and said that my brother was attacked by the Manchus on the way back to the pass. Not only the caravan was attacked, but even several strongholds for building the city were attacked by the Manchus. I beg you Lord Hou to save my brother, and I will repay your great kindness as a cow and a horse!" After speaking, tears were streaming down my face.

Jia Hu's eyes flashed, but he didn't speak, just walked back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back.

Baochai was in a hurry: "Master Hou." Then he turned to Lin Daiyu: "My dear sister, you can help our Xue family. I, I will kneel down for you." As he said that, he was about to kneel down.

"What are you doing? What are you doing?" Lin Daiyu was startled and anxious, and supported Baochai vigorously.

Hu Po and Zijuan hurried over to help hold Baochai.

Jia Hu burst into laughter suddenly, and said while laughing: "Good! Good! Great! There is no unparalleled road! There is no unparalleled road!"

Baochai was stunned, and looked at Jia Hu with wide eyes, forgetting to cry for a while.

Lin Daiyu: "It's okay." He helped her sit down.

Jia Hu came back to his senses, looked at Baochai excitedly, and said, "Where's your brother's servant? I have something to ask him."

Baochai wiped away her tears: "People are outside the second gate."

Jia Hu changed his expression just now, and said to Amber: "Go tell the kitchen and prepare the food and drink. I want to drink tonight." After speaking, he walked out the door.

Baochai understood a little, and looked at Lin Daiyu.

Lin Daiyu smiled: "It's all right."

(End of this chapter)