serious man in the red chamber

Chapter 29 The Curtain Opens
Beijing.

Prince Zhongshun's Mansion, outside the study room.

A large pot of charcoal fire was burning fiercely.

Zhongjing Hou Shi Ding stood by the window silently, watching the snowflakes falling in the courtyard.

King Zhongshun slapped the desk, stood up, and said loudly: "The old man is really good! It seems that he is determined to protect those two evils!"

As he spoke, he walked back and forth quickly in the room, and said as he walked: "It was his secret decree back then, oh, now that I am old, I regret it, and want to make up for it. It's too late! Let alone the dead, and now I have to seal the two You bastard, listen up, Yizhong County King, Changning County Lord. Pooh! Then what are we?!"

Seeing Shi Dingwei standing there silently with his eyes closed, as if not participating, King Zhongshun stomped his feet and strode forward: "You should say something!"

Shi Ding still didn't open his eyes.

At this moment, the voice of Wangfu Changshi came from outside the door: "My lord."

King Zhongshun: "What's the matter?"

The door curtain was lifted, Chang Shi walked in, looked at Shi Ding, hesitantly said: "News from the palace"

King Zhongshun: "There are no outsiders here, so let's talk."

Chang Shi: "Yes. Lin Ruhai delivered an urgent package of [-] miles from Yangzhou, saying that someone in the imperial court colluded with the Manchus. Among them, Ma Maocheng, the former right servant of the Ministry of War, provided the Manchus with Qingshankou, Xifengkou and Shanxi Yanggao. The defense map of the surrounding fortresses and information on the strength of the defenders."

King Zhongshun: "Oh?"

Shi Ding suddenly opened his eyes and turned to King Zhongshun.

Half an hour later, more than ten fast horses rushed out of the imperial city against the wind and snow, and a group of people rushed out of the city gate and rushed towards their respective goals.

The search in Yangzhou City was still going on, Lin Ruhai was furious when Yang Yansheng escaped, not only ordered the execution of Prison Cheng and others, but also sent all members of the Cao Gang to prison.Then the Yongwei Battalion was dispatched to seal off the whole city, and all the soldiers and horses from the River Defense Battalion, the Anti-Private Battalion, and the Patrol Battalion were transferred into the city. Every household was spared, and the whole city was searched.

Teams of soldiers were running on the street. The new city where the salt merchants lived was a key search area, and anyone who obstructed the search would be killed on the spot.

These soldiers are not as strict as the military discipline of the Yongwei Camp. They not only took the opportunity to ask for benefits, but also took the opportunity to moleste the female relatives of the people's families. There were even robberies in some jewelry shops.
Dozens of soldiers and more than [-] street gangsters have been beheaded for public looting and looting, and the entire city of Yangzhou is shrouded in panic and anxiety.

The Yanzheng yamen signed and pledged outside the room.

A guard came in a hurry leading Jia Yucun.

In the distance, Butler Lin was already waiting under the corridor.

Jia Yucun quickened his pace, approached Lin Steward, cupped his hands and said, "Lin Steward."

Butler Lin: "Master is waiting for Mr. Please come in." Then he raised the cotton curtain.

As soon as he stepped through the door, Lin Ruhai was already smiling and standing in front of the bookshelf, obviously waiting for Jia Yucun.

Jia Yucun hastily stepped forward to say hello, "Students see you!"

Lin Ruhai stretched out his hand Xuxu, and said, "Sir, please get up."

Jia Yucun stood up.

Lin Ruhai said: "Mr. is a talented scholar with great ambitions. He shouldn't be lost in the secular world. It just so happened that the imperial court appointed a retired official. I have already repaired a letter of recommendation and entrusted my brother-in-law to Zhou Quanxie. Zuo, the expenses required by the Ministry of Officials have been clearly stated in the letter, so there is no need for you to worry too much, sir." He took a letter from the desk beside him and handed it to Jia Yucun.

Jia Yucun took the letter in a daze: "My lord?"

Lin Ruhai: "My nephew has sent a letter, and my daughter will not enter Beijing until after Shangyuan. There is no need to delay the important business of the husband. The boat has also been arranged, and the husband can enter Beijing at any time."

Jia Yucun was very excited: "Thank you, my lord, the students have tied the knot, and this kindness will be repaid."

Lin Ruhai: "Words are serious, words are serious. We will bathe in the grace of the emperor, and you will do more practical things for the country in the future, and you must care about the people."

Jia Yucun: "Yes. The students remember it."

Lin Ruhai looked at him: "I don't have time to see you off, so have a good trip."

Xue family.

Aunt Xue's room.

Xue Pan reeked of alcohol and had a strange smell. He knelt on the ground and did not dare to raise his head. Aunt Xue sat on the couch and did not speak.

Suddenly a bright light came in directly, and the door curtain was lifted.

Xue Pan turned his face to look.

A young girl walked in, she looked about twelve or thirteen years old, her skin was more beautiful than snow, her appearance was extremely beautiful, her fair oval face did not wear any makeup, her lips were not pimple red, her eyebrows were green but not painted, her eyes were like watery apricots, her hair She wears a shiny black hair in a bun, and the honey-colored padded jacket on her body is half-new and not old. It doesn't look luxurious, but it adds a bit of dignity and beauty.

It was Xue Pan's younger sister Xue Baochai who came, she walked slowly to Aunt Xue, and gave a little blessing, "Mother, don't be angry, the matter is over, don't be serious." Then she said to Xue Pan: "Brother should also calm down. Yes, don't hang around outside, if you get drunk and mess around again, it will make a small matter bigger."

Hearing this, Xue Pan got up, and facing Baochai, bowed to the left and bowed to the right, and said repeatedly: "My dear sister, please forgive me this time! I thought I would go to Beijing after the next year, but I just said goodbye to some friends. I didn't intend to make a fuss."

Aunt Xue sighed, "Come on, come on, let's not mention these things." Looking at Xue Pan, she took Baochai's hand and said, "I have already let the old housekeeper and the others handle the various properties. Just go to Beijing and maybe never come back.”

Baochai was upset, nodded, but did not answer.

Seeing this, Aunt Xue's eyes filled with tears, and she sighed: "My son, even if your elder brother is half of you, we two don't have to be like this."

When Xue Pan heard about it, he quickly laughed and said, "Where is Xiangling? Ask Xiangling to pour tea."

Aunt Xue was feeling uncomfortable, seeing him mentioning Xiangling, she gritted her teeth and said, "You still have the face to ask about things you don't know about!"

Xue Pan: "This, I, I know I was wrong"

One sentence reminded Aunt Xue, she thought about it, and then said: "Xiang Ling is gentle and quiet, it just so happens that your sister is short of a girl, so I will stay by your sister's side to serve her in the future, so don't try to think of her."

Xue Pan's anxious eyes were like copper bells, and he still wanted to talk, but Baochai hurriedly took the conversation away: "Mom worries about your affairs every day. Instead of saying how filial you are to your mother, you will get angry instead."

After a pause, "It's also for your own good."

Xue Pan heard that Baochai's words were reasonable and couldn't refute them, so he left in a fit of anger.

Aunt Xue trembled with anger, unable to hold on any longer, tears rolled down her eyes.

On the official road from Beijing to Shanhaiguan.

It was snowing all over the sky, and it was impossible to see the situation on the opposite side clearly from a distance of one zhang. There was silence between heaven and earth. At this time, there was the sound of horseshoes, and a fast horse came out through the fog, galloping along the official road like lightning, and headed northeast. rush away.

Suddenly, the horse staggered.

A suddenly stretched tripping rope tripped the horse.

The rider on the horse was thrown to the ground.

Immediately, a few big men jumped out from the side of the official road, pushed the man down, and took off his hat, revealing his bald forehead and money rattail.

A big man tore off his burden.

Half an hour later, the bundle was delivered to Dai Quan. He took out the box, took the sharp knife in Fanzi's hand, pried it hard, and it turned out to be a thick file.

Dai Quan's heart felt cold, and he opened it slowly, his face suddenly darkened, and he immediately understood that he was being tricked by O Bi, this was not military intelligence, but a record of the negotiation between the two sides.

I was careless, as soon as I made a move, the other party noticed that this net was much bigger than I imagined.

Then it depends on how the opponent fights back.

(End of this chapter)