King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 685 Responding to Heaven

After Lu Yuxin and the other man left, Daiyu came out before Zhu Jinghong entered the house.

"Do you want to kill Baoyu?" Daiyu asked directly.

Daiyu was very clear that Jia Baoyu could not be an assassin, and she was even more aware that Zhu Jinghong knew it too.

Since he knew that Jia Baoyu was not an assassin, Zhu Jinghong was still struggling over whether to kill him, so Daiyu guessed that Zhu Jinghong had the idea of ​​killing Baoyu.

After a few moments of silence, Zhu Jinghong replied: "I didn't kill him, he sought death himself!"

This is of course sophistry and cannot be hidden from Daiyu at all.

Looking at Zhu Jinghong, Daiyu said, "If Master Thirteen hadn't killed him, he wouldn't have died!"

If it were an ordinary person, he would definitely be jealous after hearing this, and might even kill Jia Baoyu, but Zhu Jinghong felt nothing at all at this moment.

Zhu Jinghong said calmly: "If you intend to assassinate me, you can kill me without mercy. If you don't kill me... I'm afraid it will be difficult to convince the public!"

At this moment, Daiyu realized that the person in front of her was the Prince of Xiang in the political sense, and not the Thirteenth Master with whom she shared a close relationship.

Daiyu is better than most people because she can distinguish this point in time.

"Our dynasty governs the world with filial piety. Your Highness is right to follow the law of the country, but can you ignore human feelings for this reason?"

Seeing that Zhu Jinghong was unmoved, Daiyu continued, "No matter what, Baoyu is the princess's aunt's cousin, and your cousin, Your Highness. If you kill him for overstepping the line, I'm afraid people all over the world will think you're cruel and mean!"

It’s no wonder that what Daiyu mentioned touched Zhu Jinghong’s heart a little.

But Zhu Jinghong felt that these alone were not enough to stop him from killing Jia Baoyu.

"Your Highness is feared by all, and countless people admire him. If he loses the support of the people because of this... I'm afraid the loss will outweigh the gain!"

"Moreover, there are many people in Beijing and in the wild who want to harm Your Highness. If they take advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble again, I am afraid it will be detrimental to Your Highness' overall situation!"

Hearing the last sentence, Zhu Jinghong smiled and asked, "What's the big picture?"

Daiyu sat on a stool under the tree, pulling at the willow branches hanging in front of her, and answered nonchalantly: "Of course it is the overall situation of your highness's courage to climb to the top!"

Zhu Jinghong smiled even more widely; he had indeed been persuaded.

Of course, this is not because Daiyu’s words are so brilliant, but because Zhu Jinghong himself is wavering.

But no matter what, Zhu Jinghong seemed to have lost a move against Daiyu, so he planned to regain some face first and satisfy his own bad taste at the same time.

After staring at Daiyu for a while, and when she looked coy, Zhu Jinghong looked at the willow tree beside him and said slowly: "Girl, if you pull up this tree, I can consider sparing that boy's life!"

Hearing this, Daiyu was shocked, because this request was indeed outrageous.

"I?"

Looking at the weeping willows as thick as bowls, Daiyu was filled with disbelief. She even thought Zhu Jinghong was crazy.

"That's right!" Zhu Jinghong said seriously.

"If you can't pull it out, that kid will die!"

"Your Highness, are you joking?" Daiyu looked serious.

At this moment she could only conclude that she had failed to persuade Zhu Jinghong, who had already made up his mind to kill Baoyu.

Zhu Jinghong replied: "Miss, asking me to let him go is as difficult as asking you to pull up a weeping willow tree!"

He was sighing just to show how difficult his life was and how much he had compromised for Daiyu.

So after he said this, Zhu Jinghong was planning to change his mind and let Jia Baoyu go, but at this time Daiyu actually stood up.

"Okay... I'll pull it out!" Daiyu said seriously.

After all, she couldn't bear to see Jia Baoyu die, so even if there was only half a chance, she would try her best to save him.

When Daiyu said this, it was Zhu Jinghong's turn to be surprised.

Even with his tremendous strength, he was powerless against the weeping willow tree that was as thick as a bowl. If Daiyu could pull it up, he could only find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

So he really wanted to see what tricks this girl could play...

Daiyu walked to the willow tree, first patted the trunk with her hand, then stood on tiptoe and pinched the branches, and finally she held a branch with her hand.

First she broke the branches, then pulled them to the side, and one branch was broken off by Daiyu.

Turning around, Daiyu said, "It is said that a tree grows from an unintentional planting. This branch I broke off, if I plant it in the soil and take good care of it, it will surely grow into a big tree in the future!"

"Your Highness asked me to pull up the willow tree. This is a willow tree..."

Reaching out her hand and handing the branch to Zhu Jinghong, Daiyu said solemnly: "Now I have pulled it up!"

Zhu Jinghong was stunned at this moment, and then he smiled.

"Good...good!" Zhu Jinghong clapped his hands.

He was greatly impressed by Daiyu's quick wit.

"I've heard Baochai praise your intelligence a long time ago, and now I finally see it. What a twisted logic and sharp tongue you have!"

After hearing what Zhu Jinghong said, Daiyu felt relieved. At least Jia Baoyu's life was saved.

In the face of Zhu Jinghong's praise, Daiyu did not feel complacent.

The reason is that Daiyu is aware of the fact that truth needs to be backed by strength, and between her and Zhu Jinghong, it is obvious that the latter is stronger.

Zhu Jinghong can choose to listen to her reasons or ignore them.

This time, this gentleman was willing to admit his own reasons, perhaps because of their friendship, but more likely it was out of considerations of his own interests... Daiyu was also very clear about this.

Daiyu couldn't tell which of the two possibilities was more important.

Listening to Zhu Jinghong's praise at this moment, Daiyu felt that compared with the unfathomable King Xiang in front of her, her little bit of cleverness was nothing.

He wants to be the emperor, how can I compare with him... Daiyu comforted herself in this way.

Perhaps only Sister Bao can see through him...she guessed so.

But if Baochai were here, she would definitely tell Daiyu very frankly that she actually couldn't see through Zhu Jinghong either.

"Someone is coming..."

"Master Thirteen, please give your orders!" Lu Yuxin popped up.

"That kid from the Jia family is reckless and has no sense of propriety. Although he has been expelled from the Jia family, blood is thicker than water. Considering that he is the princess's cousin, we can give him a lighter sentence!"

This was a more formal order. Only after hearing Zhu Jinghong say this did Daiyu finally feel relieved.

"You can escape the death penalty, but you can't escape the punishment of life... Beat him with twenty military sticks and drive him away!"

"I obey your command!" Lu Yuxin replied.

Turning around, Zhu Jinghong said in a deep voice: "Also, Hu Hong acted on his own and did not report according to the established rules... he should be fined 20 military sticks!"

Rules are rules. Zhu Jinghong did not think it was important why Hu Hong attacked Jia Baoyu. What was important was that Hu Hong broke the rules.

Since Hu Hong had done something wrong, he must be punished, so he issued the second order.

As for Hu Hong's refusal to obey... there was no such possibility. The matter was over. At this moment, Zhu Jinghong held the willow branch in his hand and asked the person in front of him: "Lin girl, you have been keeping vigil for more than half a year, and you have fulfilled your filial piety. Do you have any plans for the future?"

Although it is normal that the wake should last for three years, that is a very old rule and there are not many people who actually do so nowadays. Those who can join Daiyu in keeping vigil for more than half a year are extremely rare in the world.

"I don't know!" Daiyu replied.

She actually knew, but couldn't say it, so she could only say she didn't know.

Zhu Jinghong didn't have so many thoughts as her, and said directly: "Come with me to the capital!"

After her father's death, there was no one or anything in Suzhou that Daiyu was nostalgic for, so following Zhu Jinghong to the capital was a good option for her.

What's more, she had already fallen in love with Zhu Jinghong, so how could she not want to live with him?

"Going to the capital will only cause trouble to others!" Daiyu turned around and said.

Zhu Jinghong took a step closer and explained, "Your sister Bao has always been thinking about you. She would be so happy if you went... How can you say that you are causing trouble?"

"This……"

"Don't worry about this or that. You don't have to worry about anything else. I will make all the arrangements and will not let you suffer any injustice!"

While Zhu Jinghong was comforting Daiyu, outside the Lin family thatched cottage, Jia Baoyu and Hu Hong were being tortured at the same time.

As Zhu Jinghong expected, Hu Hong did not have any dissatisfaction. He took off his armor and shirt like a man, and looked at Jia Baoyu who was wailing beside him with pride.

Soon after the twenty beatings, Jia Baoyu was already on the verge of death.

Hu Hongqiang stood up despite the severe pain, looked at Jia Baoyu who was wailing, and said with contempt: "Boy, even if I have to take 20 more military sticks, as long as I can deal with you... I won't hesitate!"

At this time, Lu Yuxin scolded from the side: "You better stop talking. If the Thirteenth Master knew that you were so rude, I'm afraid you would not just be punished with a military stick!"

Hu Hong immediately fell silent, saluted Lu Yuxin, and stepped aside while enduring the severe pain.

Lu Yuxin summoned Lin Yao and ordered him to send someone to send Jia Baoyu away, and the matter ended there.

Lu Yuxin is also a smart man, so he has already guessed that there will be trouble again after returning to Beijing.

Zhu Jinghong could have downplayed the incident, but he insisted on beating Jia Baoyu with a military stick. It was obvious that he was happy to see the storm.

Based on this, Lu Yuxin could also guess that Zhu Jinghong had a tendency to take the initiative to attack.

Knowing this, Lu Yuxin was particularly excited, because many people, including him, were indignant that Zhu Jinghong had been "bullied".

Taking the initiative means that he will no longer be bullied, so Lu Yuxin is of course very happy.

On the other side, Zhu Jinghong chatted with Daiyu for an hour before he said goodbye and left, leaving behind a team of people to protect the Lin family.

He has made an appointment with Daiyu, who is willing to go to the capital to visit the princess and plans to set off in about a month.

In fact, because of her obscurity and lack of status, it would seem particularly strange for Daiyu to follow Zhu Jinghong.

After leaving Suzhou, Zhu Jinghong's next stop was Yingtian, where he also had to meet the heroes behind the scenes of this battle.

Requisition of food and grass, transportation of military supplies, coordination with local authorities...

Various affairs are extremely complicated. Without a strong team to rely on, it would be difficult for the Ming Navy to achieve the achievements it has today.

Therefore, Zhu Jinghong naturally had to thank these behind-the-scenes heroes and also get in touch with the civil servants.

The civil servants and literati controlled the local areas and influenced the main tax revenues of the Ming Dynasty. Their united power was formidable.

It is very important for Zhu Jinghong to "clear up misunderstandings" with these people.

Knowing that Zhu Jinghong was coming, all the government offices in Yingtian Prefecture were actively preparing, especially to clean up the rotten elements.

As a result, the ruffians in Yingtian suffered a lot. Those who were lucky were caught and thrown into jail, while those who were unlucky were killed on the street.

It only took two or three days for Yingtian Prefecture to be completely transformed. Feng Yuan witnessed the entire process.

He came to Yingtian this time actually on invitation to attend the celebration banquet.

He himself actually has nothing to do with the celebration. The key point is that he is now a juren and has a group of classmates with whom he has good relationships.

For example, He Gujin's son He Jiayan, who only had the title of a scholar, was able to attend the banquet because of his father.

And it was He Jiayan who managed to get Feng Yuan's invitation letter.

"In the next two days... Prince Xiang should arrive in Yingtian!" Feng Yuan murmured in a low voice.

But just as he sighed, he heard the faint sound of horse hooves and the continuous shouts of the crowd coming from the long street.

That’s right, Zhu Jinghong is here!
The guard of honor is mighty, the motorcade is long, and the guards are capable...

Each one of them demonstrates Zhu Jinghong's majesty, but in fact, with his current achievements, there is no need to rely on external objects to achieve his goals.

In fact, even Zhu Jinghong himself did not stay in the convoy at this moment, but went home with a small entourage.

Yang Jingting also knew her limits and also did not choose to live in the palace. Instead, she asked someone to rent a private house, where the whole family lived and ate.

Knowing that Zhu Jinghong was coming back these days, Yang Jingting ordered people to tidy up the house again, and now she was waiting under the eaves of the main house in the inner courtyard.

"Your Highness, the prince has returned home and will be here soon!"

After hearing what the eunuch reported, Yang Jingting became extremely excited and quickly ordered her servants to prepare to welcome him.

Even Yang Jingting, who was not in good health, was supported by Zhang Xiaoyue and Li Huizhen and walked down the stairs slowly.

Hearing the sounds of worship coming from outside, Yang Jingting knew that Zhu Jinghong was about to arrive, so she checked his etiquette and clothes again.

After a few breaths, Yang Jingting could see Zhu Jinghong through the door.

"Your Highness, you are finally back!" Yang Jingting hurriedly went to greet him.

As she spoke, Yang Jingting, with her bulging belly, leaned directly against Zhu Jinghong.

Yang Jingting was already eight months pregnant and her belly was already very big, so she let Zhu Jinghong reach out and touch it.

"Thank you for your hard work during this period!" Zhu Jinghong comforted.

"The prince is out fighting, the only thing I can do is to help him have children and offspring, this is my duty!"

Yang Jingting's answer was impeccable. Zhu Jinghong had heard similar words many times, so he was actually not moved at all.

"Meet the prince!"

Zhang Xiaoyue and Li Huizhen also came forward to say hello. This was a rare opportunity for them. After all, it was not easy to meet Zhu Jinghong.

These two people can be played with, so Zhu Jinghong should pay more attention to them. He only heard him ask: "You have done a great job in taking care of Ting girl, what kind of reward do you want?"

"Your Highness is right. The two of them have been very attentive these days, taking care of everything personally. They really should be rewarded!"

These two people are her own family, so Yang Jingting must seek benefits for them, so she would talk to them at this critical moment.

"How do you think we should reward you?" Zhu Jinghong looked at Yang Jingting.

What he said was actually a trap, just to test Yang Jingting.

These methods have been integrated into Zhu Jinghong's bones and he can use them with ease.

(End of this chapter)