Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 152 Xue Clan’s Purple Cloud Pavilion

Jinling, Xue family mansion.

Xue Baochai was sitting on an embroidery stool, embroidering a three-color peony and butterfly pattern.

She wore a rose-red satin top with scattered flowers, a golden acacia double flower belt, and a pink embroidered pleated skirt.

She bent her body slightly, and with her jade fingers lightly picked up a colorful thread that shuttled back and forth on the embroidered silk. Her slender waist seemed to be about to bend, her skin was crystal clear, and her pulse was fragrant.

"Ying'er, have you got the gifts that I asked the outsiders to prepare for Brother Cong of the Jia family?"

"It was delivered this morning. Madam has already looked at it and thought it was very good, so she asked the housekeeper to send it to Xinglongfang. It also brought Madam's invitation, saying that she wanted to invite Master Cong to the house for a banquet."

"Madam said that although the second master of Rong Mansion was asked for help in the last incident, Master Cong's letter to the prefect also saved Master from suffering for several days. This favor must be remembered. She also said that Master should toast Master Cong."

"This is the right thing to do. My brother usually hangs out outside and makes friends with people who only drink and eat. He should get closer to these ambitious brothers of ours so that he can get some benefits from being around them."

"Miss, when Master Cong came to visit us that day, I didn't see him, but the maids and servants in the mansion were saying that they had never seen such a handsome man before. Is he really so proud of his appearance?"

Xue Baochai blushed and said angrily, "You little girl, don't you have any shame to ask about these things?"

Seeing her mistress blushing, Ying'er smiled secretly and said, "What's the big deal? I'm just curious. When the lady invites me over, I'll go and take a look quietly."

"Brother Cong's good looks are secondary. What's remarkable is that he studies hard and has outstanding talents."

At this time, a maid came outside and told him that the housekeeper had just returned from the Jia Mansion in Xinglongfang.

Let the ladies know that the gifts have been delivered, but Master Cong is not at home. I heard from the mansion that Master Cong is busy with official business and has not returned for several days. There is no news on when he will come back.

After hearing this, Baochai stopped sewing and showed some disappointment on her face.

……

Jinling, the headquarters of the Water Conservancy Bureau.

A centurion walked quickly into the tent of a thousand households under the Water Conservancy Department.

"Your Excellency, our people have tried many methods but still cannot find out who is imprisoned in the government prison."

"According to them, it was Yang Hongbin, an official under the Ning prince, who personally led the Ning prince's personal guards to guard the prison, and no outsiders were allowed to approach."

Zou Huaiyi, a captain of the Water Conservancy Bureau, is exactly 40 years old this year. He has been in the Jinling Guard for 20 years. He was promoted from a small flag officer to a captain of the Water Conservancy Bureau based on his merits. He is an old man in the Jinling Guard.

He served as a captain of the Water Conservancy Bureau for many years and enjoyed a very high prestige in the bureau.

Although there were other military officers with higher ranks than him in the Jinling Guard, which led more than 10,000 troops, he was the chief officer of the Water Supervision Department, who was responsible for controlling the maritime trade of Jinling waterways.

In terms of actual power and authority, he is second only to the commander-in-chief Du Hengxin.

Zou Huaiyi asked the centurion, "Have you seen Jia Yucun?"

"I have seen it. According to the master's instructions, he gave him a pair of top-quality mutton-fat jade ruyi in the name of his wife's birthday. He also accepted the gifts."

"When my subordinates asked him about the prison in the government office, he hesitated for a long time before saying that Prince Ning accidentally captured an important figure from the Hidden Sect, so he strictly guarded the prison in the government office."

Zou Huaiyi looked puzzled: "Prince Ning came to Jinling to supervise the Longtan Port case, so why did he arrest the remnants of the Hidden Sect?"

The centurion said: "I guess we caught that man by chance. The Longtan Port case was clean from beginning to end. What else can the King of Ning find out?

I guess he knew he would return empty-handed and would have no way to explain to the court, and he happened to have captured a remnant of the Hidden Sect, so he took advantage of the rare treasure and kept it under strict guard so that he could report to the court."

After hearing this, Zou Huaiyi felt that it made sense. At least as long as it had nothing to do with him, but he was still worried.

He added, "It's better to be cautious. Send people to keep an eye on the government office and the prison, as well as the residence of Prince Ning of Nanjing. If you find any disturbance, report it immediately."

"Also, how is the construction site of Da Ci'en Temple going? Have those ronin revealed any flaws? Are they safe and sound? I'm a little worried about this guy Liu Hai, he's a bit of a thorn."

"Don't worry, sir. I sent someone to check a few days ago, and everything is normal. Huang Youan is smart and does things properly. It's been a month, and there hasn't been any flaws." "Send someone to check again in two days, just to be on the safe side."

The captain replied, "I understand. All of my brothers are willing to die for you, sir. We will definitely handle these small matters properly."

Zou Huaiyi's face relaxed after hearing this and he asked, "Where are Madam and Min'er now?"

"One of the brothers who were escorting them came back at noon to report that the Madam and the Young Miss had set out before dawn and would arrive in Jinling at 12:00 p.m., just in time for the birthday banquet for the Master."

Zou Huaiyi then smiled and said, "Okay, the day after tomorrow is my birthday party, you should bring your brothers there early to have fun together."

……

Ziyun Pavilion on Chengxian Street in Jinling is a time-honored brand that has been run by the Xue family of Jinling for decades, specializing in high-end clothing and accessories.

At this moment, two gorgeously decorated carriages were parked at the entrance of Ziyun Pavilion, and several guards were guarding the carriages.

Zou Miner saw a jade-patterned leather belt in Ziyun Pavilion last time and planned to buy it today to give to her father as a birthday gift for his 40th birthday.

She looked around the store before she found what she wanted. Fortunately, it hadn't been sold yet, so she was about to ask the store clerk to get the goods.

Suddenly, a clear voice beside me said, "Hey, give me that jade belt."

Zou Miner was stunned. Isn’t this the one she had her eyes on?
She looked back and couldn't help but feel her heart skip a beat. It was a teenager with extraordinary demeanor and handsome looks, but he looked a little dusty, as if he had come from far away.

The clerk smiled and said, "This young man has really good taste. This tiger-patterned jade leather belt is made of twelve pieces of top-grade Hetian white jade. It is exquisitely carved and is the best product in the store.

It is really a perfect match for a person like you."

A timid voice nearby asked, "Hey, buddy, do you still have this kind of jade belt in your store?"

"My lady, this jade belt is the only one of its kind. It just so happens that this gentleman took a fancy to it first."

Although Zou Miner's father was a powerful figure in Jinling City, she did not have the arrogance of an official's daughter. Naturally, she would not force the jade belt from this young man from another place. She could only give up, feeling somewhat regretful.

"I don't necessarily have to buy it. Since this lady likes it, I'll give it to you."

Zou Min'er was stunned when he saw the young man smiling and handing him the jade belt.

Their eyes met. The young man's eyes were clear and bright, as deep as an autumn pond, and seemed to be able to calm people's hearts.

She took the jade belt in a daze. Before she could say anything, the young man turned around and left.

On the street opposite Ziyun Pavilion, a strong young man in his twenties was squatting on the side of the road. When he saw the young man coming, he came forward to greet him.

"Master Jia, I just went around to the back and asked the tailor in the shop. Those two cars belong to Zou Huaiyi's mansion, and the woman and young lady who entered the shop are Zou Huaiyi's wife and daughter.

It means that tomorrow is Zou Huaiyi's 40th birthday, and his wife and daughter are here to pick up the custom-made birthday robes and buy some birthday gifts."

It was early in the morning when Jia Cong arrived outside the city of Jinling with 800 salt soldiers. He asked the captain Zheng Yong to set up camp in a secluded place outside the city first to prevent a large number of salt soldiers from entering the city and alerting the enemy.

He took the salt soldier sergeant named Liu Xiaoyong and more than 20 other salt soldiers with him, changed into casual clothes and entered the city, preparing to report to Prince Ning first and then discuss countermeasures.

Not long after Jia Cong entered the city, he saw two carriages parked on the side of the road guarded by soldiers from the Water Inspectorate. He became interested and went into the store to find out the truth, and asked Liu Xiaoyong to inquire nearby.

Unexpectedly, it was such a coincidence that Zou Huaiyi's wife and daughter were traveling, and they also heard that Zou Huaiyi was going to celebrate his 40th birthday.

Liu Xiaoyong saw that Master Jia was staring at the door of Ziyun Pavilion. At this time, a woman and a young lady came out of the store. The young lady was very pretty.

Looking at Master Jia beside him, his eyes were fixed, as if he was staring straight ahead.

Then he asked smartly, "Master Jia, is it because that young lady is so pretty that you are attracted to her?"

Jia Cong frowned and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? I was just thinking about how to celebrate Zou Huaiyi's birthday tomorrow."

(End of this chapter)