The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 675 Hug left and right
King Baiwa of Hami has indeed arrived, accompanied by only a few dozen people. They are very respectful and show great sincerity. However, he is quite old, probably in his early fifties, with a thick beard and a missing front tooth.

Mu Ye and Jin Bao couldn't help but mutter to themselves, "This old man with broken teeth is too old to be our Miss Lin's father, ptooey!"

Duan Yong didn't care about this. He didn't care how old and ugly King Baiwa of Hami was, as long as he wasn't an imposter. So after confirming that the visitor was indeed King Baiwa of Hami, he happily took him to meet Princess Lin Daiyu.

When the palace maids who had accompanied her to the dowry saw that King Baiwa of Hami was actually a decrepit old man, they were all shocked and felt indignant on behalf of the princess. Princess Kangle was only seventeen years old, in the prime of her life, with the beauty of a celestial maiden. How could this old man with missing front teeth be worthy of her?
Lin Daiyu exchanged a few pleasantries with Baiwa through the screen, then feigned illness and hurriedly returned to her room. Despite Jia Huan's solemn promise, Lin Daiyu was still somewhat terrified when she saw her so-called "husband" whom she was to marry, and almost suffered a relapse of her chronic illness.

"That Hami prince is old and ugly, he's disgusting to look at. Does the young lady really want to go to Hami with him to get married? Heavens, I'm going crazy! I don't know what Third Master is planning. I'm so worried!" Xueyan said with a worried expression.

Zijuan lightly slapped her, gave her a wink, and scolded in a low voice, "You little hussy, if you don't speak, no one will think you're mute!"

Xueyan then noticed that her young lady's face was pale, and she quickly covered her mouth in regret.

Lin Daiyu was already upset, and after hearing Xueyan's words, she felt even more uncomfortable, as if she had fallen into an ice cellar, her hands and feet were ice cold.

Seeing this, Xue Baochai quickly stepped forward, took Lin Daiyu's hand, and hugged her, gently comforting her, "Pin'er, don't worry. Trust Brother Huan, and we'll just follow his arrangements. There's no need to think about anything else."

Lin Daiyu sighed, "Of course I believe in Huandi's abilities, but when I saw that Hami King Baiwa just now, I couldn't help but feel afraid, and my stomach felt like it was churning. What should I do if he comes to pay his respects every day from now on?"

After a moment's thought, Xue Baochai said, "How about we switch clothes and I pretend to be you to deal with him? Anyway, we can't see each other before the wedding ceremony. We can always fool him by separating us through screens and sedan chair curtains."

Lin Daiyu felt a warm glow in her heart and said with emotion, "Good sister, let's not even talk about whether I can get past Duan Zhongshi. Even if I could, how could I let you suffer this pain in my place?"

Xue Baochai shook her head and said, "It's not that I'm suffering. I used to be able to handle all sorts of people when I was managing the family business, but getting past Eunuch Duan is really difficult."

"The marriage envoy from Jia has arrived." At this moment, a palace maid came in from outside to report.

Lin Daiyu blurted out, "Please come in quickly."

A moment later, two palace maids led Jia Huan in, who bowed and said, "Your subject Jia Huan greets Your Highness the Princess."

Before Jia Huan could kneel down, Lin Daiyu said, "Jia Huan, you may dispense with the formalities. You may all leave."

The two palace maids hesitated and exchanged a glance, but did not immediately retreat. Jia Huan raised his eyebrows and shouted, "Why aren't you backing down? How dare you disobey Her Highness the Princess's orders?"

These two palace maids were Duan Yong's people. Their task was to keep an eye on Lin Daiyu and prevent her from having any close contact with Jia Huan. However, these two palace maids were also smart. They knew that if they settled down in Hami in the future, Lin Daiyu would be the real mistress. So they went along with it, curtsied, and left the room.

After the two palace maids left the room, leaving only her own people inside, Lin Daiyu could no longer contain herself. She threw herself into Jia Huan's arms, her eyes red, and asked, "Brother Huan, are we setting off for Hami tomorrow?"

Jia Huan put his arm around Lin Daiyu's slender waist and said apologetically, "Yes, I didn't expect Baiwa to have the guts to come to Jiayuguan. I'm afraid we really have to make a trip to Hami. But don't worry, I've made all the arrangements. It's just that I'll have to drag you along on this risk."

Lin Daiyu rested her head against Jia Huan's chest, her gaze gentle yet firm, and said, "As long as Huan-di is by my side, I'm not afraid of death, so why should I fear any risks?"

Jia Huan's heart warmed, and he lowered his head to kiss her pink lips deeply. Lin Daiyu's cheeks flushed instantly, a mixture of shyness and joy on her face. Xue Baochai's cheeks also turned pink. She secretly spat and turned her gaze away, but unexpectedly, her waist tightened as she was pulled into someone's domineering embrace. She couldn't help but let out a soft cry: "Oh, Brother Huan, what are you doing... mmm!"

Before Xue Baochai could finish speaking, her mouth was sealed shut by someone, leaving her completely stunned and her mind blank.

Unlike Lin Daiyu's rebellious and bold nature, Xue Baochai is more traditional and conservative. The former dares to love and hate, while she is more obedient and self-disciplined. When she was suddenly "ambushed" by Jia Huan in public, she was so ashamed that she wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

"Sister Bao, Sister Lin, I will definitely bring you back to the pass safely." Jia Huan said solemnly, but in his heart he was a little flustered, worried that his rash actions would anger Sister Bao and make her blame him for not respecting her.

Fortunately, this time Xue Baochai did not angrily break free; instead, she buried her pretty face in Jia Huan's bodice like an ostrich, feeling ashamed.

Jia Huan was secretly delighted and boldly kissed each of the two girls on the cheek. The four maids, Zijuan, Xiangling, Ying, and Xueyan, exchanged glances, blushed, and turned away.

There's a saying, isn't there? "The bold get rich, the timid starve." Indeed, the shameless Jia is currently enjoying the best of both worlds, with two talented women from the Dream of the Red Chamber on his left and right!

However, this blissful life with two women didn't last long. Duan Yong, that three-hundred-volt light bulb, appeared and asked to see her outside. Daiyu and Chai quickly left Jia Huan's embrace, and simultaneously pulled out handkerchiefs; it turned out that someone still had a little rouge on their lips.

After quickly finishing the cleaning, Lin Daiyu said, "Please invite Duan Shishi in."

Duan Yong entered the room, glanced at Jia Huan suspiciously, and then bowed to Lin Daiyu, saying, "Please pack your things tonight, Your Highness, so that we can leave the pass early tomorrow morning."

Lin Daiyu nodded and said, "This princess understands. Does Duan Zhongshi have anything else to say?"

Duan Yong shook his head and said, "That's all, this servant will take his leave." After saying that, he bowed and retreated to the door, and then said, "Envoy Jia, I would like to discuss with you the matter of leaving the border tomorrow."

Jia Huan had no choice but to bid farewell to Lin Daiyu and leave the room with Duan Yong.

After the two left Lin Daiyu's residence, Duan Yong's face immediately darkened, and he warned, "Jia Huan, the task the Emperor entrusted to us is almost complete. At this crucial juncture, we must not make a mistake and ruin our future or even our lives. What do you think?"

Jia Huan said calmly, "I don't know what Duan Zhongshi means by this."

Duan Yong snorted coldly, "You'd better watch yourself!" and was about to leave.

Jia Huan frowned and said, "Duan Zhongshi, please wait."

Duan Yong stopped but did not turn around. Jia Huan said, "The area outside the pass is not like the interior. In order to ensure the safety of the princess, we must send more people to escort her. On the one hand, this will deter villains, and on the other hand, it will also enhance the prestige of our Great Jin."

Duan Yong coldly replied, "Our family has its own plans. Envoy Jia just needs to do his job." With that, he walked away.

Jia Huan raised his eyebrows. Duan Yong was someone he had always wanted to win over, since he would eventually have to return to the capital. But this time, for the safety of Daiyu and Baochai, he would naturally not care about so much if necessary. He would kill anyone who stood in his way!
(End of this chapter)