King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 568 Xue Baoqin: That’s my brother-in-law!

On the second day of June, the emperor officially drove away and handed over the government affairs to the prince.

When the undercurrent in the capital was surging, after more than 20 consecutive days of traveling, Zhu Jinghong arrived at Haizhou Prefecture on the tenth day of June.

Knowing that he would not go to Shenyang, the local officials came to Haizhou to see him.

Of course, Zhu Jinghong didn't have much communication with them. He just accepted his welcome gift according to the rules and only stayed in Haizhou for one night before continuing on his way.

On June 23, Zhu Jinghong finally arrived in Jinzhou.

Zhao Chengwu, the admiral of the Liaodong Navy, led the fleet commanders and local officials from Jinzhou Prefecture, and came out fifty miles from the city to greet him.

Zhao Chengwu took office a year ago. Before that, he served as the deputy chief military officer of the Beijing Camp of the third rank, and now he is the admiral of the navy of the third rank.

Speaking of the rank of naval admiral, it was only Zhu Jinghong who persuaded the emperor to raise his rank.

"General Zhao, I'm afraid we haven't seen each other for...two years!"

Zhu Jinghong, on the other hand, took it indifferently, with his natural scornful aura. Everyone present saw what the aura of a king meant.

Outside the Xue family's mansion in the north of Jinzhou City, all the middle and lower-level officials and gentry of Jinzhou were waiting here.

The "Ye Xian" he refers to is Zhao Chengwu's son. He is currently the fourth-rank commander of Xiuyong Zhongwei. He had already left for the northwest with his troops as early as March.

Zhu Jinghong didn't know about this situation, Zhu Xianming didn't know about it, and neither did the generals involved.

After staying briefly in the pergola, Zhu Jinghong and his party went to Haizhou City, where Zhao Chengwu had prepared a reception banquet.

At present, it is normal to call Zhu Jinghong His Highness, and those who are closer can call him "Prince".

Therefore, even if the world thinks that he is lucky, they will still think that he is a martial arts star descended to earth, and they will still hold him in high esteem.

This is what Zhu Jinghong thinks in his heart. When he returns to Beijing, he often reviews various battles. Every time he thinks about it, he really feels that he is lucky.

"You... are going to lift me up to the sky!"

Zhao Chengwu responded: "If the Thirteenth Master said this, all the generals in the Ming Dynasty would be ashamed!"

As for the prince and Prince Rui, Zhao Chengwu...or in the hearts of the senior generals, they could not see the ability of these two to stabilize the world.

It can be said that the situation in the northwest is very unfavorable, and the court is now being held back.

Walking in front with his hands behind his back, Zhu Jinghong said slowly: "I heard that Ye went to the northwest first and made military exploits this time... The commander of the Beijing camp can't run away!"

Last year, the Northwest Company won consecutive battles, and many generals were promoted and received rewards. Many people in the army were extremely envious.

Not to mention advancing into Ili and wiping out Junggar, now they are forced to retreat to Hami, and have even reported to the court repeatedly recently.

Fortunately, the Ming Dynasty now has a thick health bar, and Zhu Xianming can still collect taxes, so he is not afraid of going bankrupt even if he works hard.

The current head of the Xue family in the north is named Xue Qi, and he has a daughter named Xue Baoqin.

And now, since the Shi family father and son took charge of the northwest military affairs, the war was extremely difficult.

Of course, people with a closer relationship, such as Baochai, can also be called "Zhu Shisan" or "the one with the surname Zhu", but ordinary people cannot imitate him.

In other words, this place is the trade distribution center of the northern countries.

"Now that the war situation is tense, it is not easy to achieve meritorious service. It is also his bad luck. If he had followed the Thirteenth Master to the northwest last year, I am afraid that military merit would be enough!"

After chatting with Zhao Chengwu all the way, Zhu Jinghong came to the pergola, and at this time a group of civil and military officials came to pay their respects.

To call him "Thirteenth Master", you have to be close and have sufficient status. Zhao Chengwu obviously falls into this category.

To be precise, there were very few people he didn't know among the bodyguards and senior generals in the Beijing camp.

It is said that a person has poetry and calligraphy in his belly, but the more storms a person has experienced, the more extraordinary the magnanimity he has developed.

Shizu and Jinjin were strong enough to sit on the throne, but the Supreme Emperor was a little weaker and was driven off the throne.

Of course, this is his self-effacement. The objective fact is that he fought consecutive battles and directly defeated the main army of Junggar.

As a family mainly engaged in commerce and trade, the Xue family of Jinling also stationed members here to be responsible for all trade business in the north.

If he were to experience last year's situation again, he would not be guaranteed to play better, or even win.

Because Jinzhou has a port, trade is very developed. Merchant ships from North Korea, Japan, Ryukyu and other countries almost all stop here to load and unload goods.

Zhao Chengwu said with a smile: "The Thirteenth Master is so majestic and heroic. When we meet today...it is ten times better than before. I almost dare not recognize him!"

Because of the relationship with Prince Xiang's Mansion, although the Xue family is an outsider, it has a great status in Jinzhou.

If the Ming Dynasty is left in their hands, it is very likely that it will go downhill.

This is the delusion of the authorities, but for onlookers to see things clearly, one must have a God's perspective.

"Your words are really flattering to me. Last year, I relied on luck to go to the northwest, but now I still have lingering fears when I think about it!"

Yes, General Zhao Zhu Jinghong knew him, and he was even more familiar with the other party's son.

The facts have become obvious. The middle and lower-level officers simply admire Zhu Jinghong, while the senior generals recognize his abilities from the bottom of their hearts.

However, due to the emperor's strong suppression, the generals could only remain silent from beginning to end, and they never dared to have any attitude towards the position of the crown prince.

The Ming Dynasty was too big. It controlled millions of troops internally and externally, and suppressed hundreds of local chief ministers and alliances. The good situation was hard-won, and only a strong man could succeed to the throne to stabilize the world.

The Ming Dynasty felt very uncomfortable about this, and the Rakshasa Kingdom and Kazakhstan that sent troops to intervene were also very uncomfortable.

Zhu Jinghong's words were unintentional, but when he heard Zhao Chengwu's heart, he felt that the man in front of him seemed to be very suitable to be praised.

Xue Jian stood at the front of the crowd, responsible for arranging the positions of all officials, as if he were a master.

The arrival of Zhu Jinghong is a top priority for the Xue family. Of course, Xue Qi must do his best to entertain him, and there must be no mistakes during this period.

And with the power of King Xiang, he, Xue Qi, turned white and actually made the officials and gentry present obey orders and stand wherever they were told.

In the Xuejiadong courtyard, several girls leaned against the crack in the door and observed the situation outside.

These women are the daughters of local gentry. Logically speaking, they should not come to the Xue family, but they were brought here specially by their father and ancestors. Their intentions are very obvious.

To be honest, giving your daughter to someone in power to seek wealth is something that is not allowed by the teachings of sages.

But once the benefits are sufficient, mere moral flaws will seem insignificant.

What's more, with a little beautification, the so-called flaws can be decorated into a good marriage, and the cost is only to give up a daughter. It can be said to be a sure-profit deal.

Don’t you see, the Jinling Xue family’s status has skyrocketed since they entered the royal family, and how prominent they are now in Jinling.

However, these young girls with excellent appearance, talent and knowledge had no idea what today would mean to them.

Their elders did not express their intentions to them, just to create a natural marriage. If they appear too deliberate, it will be self-defeating.

"I heard that His Highness Prince Xiang is already famous all over the world at the age of eighteen. I wonder what he will look like?"

"Thinking about such a prominent figure, he is naturally so majestic that it is difficult to look directly at him..."

"That's true. You must have an upright appearance to intimidate the enemy and dominate the battlefield..."

When it comes to curious men, girls always pay attention to appearance first, and the discussion is even more heated now.

At this moment, a young girl appeared outside the room where the girls were staying. She took away everyone's color almost instantly. The so-called beauties were dimmed in front of her. This woman is about fifteen years old. Her appearance is extremely beautiful, and her eyes are pure and elegant, making people almost unable to take their eyes away when they see her.

Even the beautiful girls present couldn't help but stare at her.

This woman is Xue Baoqin, the daughter of Xue Qi.

"Sister Qin, you are finally here!"

"That's right... we sisters are here, but your master is not here. This is so rude!"

"I invited you to come to my house to read poems a few days ago, but you..."

The girls started chirping. It was obvious that they were very familiar with Bao Qin, and this was indeed the case.

With a smile on his face, Bao Qin entered the room and responded to everyone's questions one by one.

"What did you say just now?"

Hearing Baoqin's question, one of the women said: "His Royal Highness King Xiang is coming. The sisters have heard of his reputation and don't know if they will be able to see him today!"

"His Royal Highness Prince Xiang is majestic and mighty, and his appearance is probably very scary. It would be better not to see him..."

"That's right. I heard from my brother at home that His Royal Highness Prince Xiang killed hundreds of enemies with his own hands. He must have been so murderous..."

"I said so. It's okay to come here today and just listen to the fun... but it scared us when we saw him!"

"Don't talk nonsense. If these words get out and offend His Highness, you and I will not be able to bear the consequences!"

Zhu Jinghong is the god of the Xue family. If the family can rely on such a person, everyone in the Xue family is honored. Of course, Baoqin is no exception.

So when she heard people "slandering" Zhu Jinghong, Bao Qin felt very uncomfortable. In the end, she couldn't help but say: "Don't talk nonsense, you guys. Your Highness, Prince Xiang, is so handsome. How can he be a murderous monster!"

Bao Qin had heard countless conversations with her family about her brother-in-law whom she had never met before. One of them had met Zhu Jinghong, so of course she knew that this brother-in-law was handsome.

After Baoqin finished speaking, someone asked: "Have you seen it?" "

Baoqin was also honest and answered smoothly: "I haven't seen you yet..."

As soon as these words came out, the sentence he just explained seemed unconvincing.

Then someone laughed and said, "How can you know what he looks like if you haven't seen him yet?"

I clearly told the truth, but these people thought I was talking nonsense... Bao Qin only felt aggrieved.

That's my brother-in-law. Don't I know better than you? Baoqin was shouting in his heart.

No one noticed Bao Qin's anger, so some people joked: "I'm afraid... it's a girl who is pregnant with spring, and she has admiration for her..."

Someone immediately echoed: "That's right, that's right...our sister Qin has grown up too..."

After all, she was a girl who was only fifteen years old. How could Bao Qin withstand such a joke, and immediately replied: "If you keep talking nonsense... I will ignore you!"

Bao Qin was so angry that she turned away. If Zhu Jinghong saw her cute look, he would probably come up with the child's name on the spot.

At this time, the woman who had not spoken said: "That's all... Sister Qin is angry, please stop saying a few words!"

"Exactly... Although sisters can joke, they must also know how to behave!"

With the help of these two people, several women who started joking came to Baoqin one after another, making her happy while apologizing.

The girl's anger came and went quickly, and soon Baoqin was laughing and joking again, mingling with the sisters.

After playing around, someone finally suggested: "Sister Qin, please tell me for a moment...can we meet His Royal Highness Prince Xiang?"

Obviously, the girls all wanted to meet this Ming Dynasty God of War, the most legendary figure in the world.

In this mansion, Baoqin is the master, so it's time to ask her for help at this time.

However, Baoqin can't think of a way for the time being, because the mansion will be taken over by the guards, and it is impossible to peek in the dark.

But in other words, as long as he can appear clearly, it is possible to see Zhu Jinghong.

"Do you really want to meet?" Baoqin asked after thinking deeply.

The girls had no hope at first, but they knew that Baoqin really had half a solution, so they all asked her about her solution.

Baoqin didn't show off and made his thoughts clear directly.

It turned out that her method was to pretend to be a girl in the house, or wait on him from a distance to see Zhu Jinghong's appearance.

This method is undoubtedly very bold, so the girls who were full of enthusiasm just now started to shrink back.

In order to prove to everyone that her brother-in-law was definitely not a murderer, Baoqin provoked everyone: "Everyone said they wanted to go, but now they are scared..."

"I'm just pretending to be a maid, and I'm not really asking you to serve anyone!"

When everyone was silent, someone said: "It's too troublesome to change clothes..."

In fact, it's not that changing clothes is troublesome, but that they are not used to wearing other people's clothes and don't want to pretend to be girls.

Baoqin sneered and said: "What's the trouble... I just need to subtract one or two hairpins from your hair. Do you think that to serve His Highness, my family will send some random girls?"

What she said was true. In order to serve Zhu Jinghong and Xue Qi well, she spent a lot of money, and the clothes of the carefully selected girl were directly based on the housekeeper.

After everyone was silent for a while, Shan Zida finally said: "In that case... maybe... we can go and have a look!"

As soon as the first person spoke, the second and third people followed, and finally most people agreed to this method.

But everyone raised doubts again, such as avoiding foreign men, choosing a location with a suitable distance...

As the proposer, of course Baoqin will arrange all these. Although this is difficult for her, it can be solved.

So she first ordered someone to find the housekeeper to transfer the girl from the place she chose. However, she hit a wall at this first step.

Baoqin didn't want to lose face with her sisters, so she sent her mother-in-law to "coerce" her many times, leaving the person in charge with no choice but to complain to the master.

Xue Qi was making arrangements outside. After hearing what the housekeeper said, he agreed for the first time, making the housekeeper think that the father and daughter were crazy.

Of course Xue Qi was not crazy, but because he was sober enough, he agreed to his daughter's mischief.

Just because he, like the local gentry, also wanted to curry favor with Zhu Jinghong, a big tree.

Now his relationship with Zhu Jinghong is linked to the eldest brother Xue Zhen, and Xue Qi wants to have a direct connection.

The so-called beauty and hero, a character like your own daughter, of course must be sent to where it belongs...

If girl Qin is really taken a liking to, she will be a great help to the princess in the future and will be of great benefit to our Xue family... Xue Qi thought so.

With Xue Qi's permission, Bao Qin and his party were able to go to the wing of the inner house, where they could see Zhu Jinghong's face up close.

After the girls arrived, they were extremely excited and full of expectations.

And after half an hour passed, the girls' legs became weak from standing, so they could only retreat to the room to rest.

But they didn't sit for a while when they heard the noise coming from outside, and they knew that Zhu Jinghong's guard of honor had arrived.

So all the girls got up one after another and came to wait outside the door of the wing, all staring at the door of the courtyard.

(End of this chapter)