Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

The river is rolling, the sky is vast, and a double-sail ship is sailing against the wind and waves.

A young man and woman were at the bow of the boat, looking out into the wind, enjoying the river view and talking and laughing to each other.

The men are tall and slender, handsome and elegant, while the women are pretty and graceful, charming and attractive.

After Jia Cong and Zhi Shao left the Lin family, they did not board the official ship docked at Guazhou Ferry.

Let Jiang Liu take fifteen musketeers as guards and take the official ship to Jinling first.

He spent some time to find a boatman couple who were familiar with the waterways upstream from the ferry, and chartered their double-sail boat for a large sum of money.

Jia Cong and Zhi Shao traveled light and boarded the merchant ship to Gusu.

The couple were both from Suzhou and had been sailing on the waterways between Yangzhou and Suzhou all year round, which coincided with the itinerary of Jia Cong and Zhi Shao.

Yangzhou and Suzhou were originally accessible by the shortest direct waterway, but according to the local boatman, those waters were too close to the estuary, and in the past two years, Japanese pirates have often harassed the coastal estuary.

For the sake of safe sailing, it is necessary to take a long detour, starting from the ancient ferry of Guazhou, going upstream through Zhenjiang and Changzhou, and then going downstream to the shore in Gusu. This is the most appropriate route.

Jia Cong and Zhi Shao were not in a hurry, so naturally they had no objection.

Before Jia Cong set out, he had learned that Japanese pirates had often attacked along the river in recent years, and that the Songjiang Guard and Suzhou Guard along the way had fought against the Japanese pirates many times.

This time, Emperor Jiazhao requisitioned five new red cannons and equipped Suzhou and Songjiang Guards in order to strengthen the defense of the river and defeat the enemy.

In the Huai River and Yangtze River regions, people's livelihood was impoverished due to natural disasters, which gave rise to the problem of salt administration.

Several states in Fujian and Zhejiang were annexed by powerful people, and a large number of farmers lost their land, and farming could not provide them with enough food and clothing.

But at the same time, the Maritime Customs Offices in the three great states implemented the national maritime policy, the maritime trade industry in several coastal states flourished, the silver flow gathered, and created countless wealthy foreign merchants.

Although water has no fixed state, it will inevitably gather in low-lying areas.

In these prefectures with strong maritime administration, the Japanese pirates who have been roaming along the coast have been growing like wildfire in the past two years.

Among these so-called Japanese pirates, only a small number were down-and-out samurai from Japan, and the majority were Han people.

Most of these people are farmers in coastal areas who are struggling to make a living and have nowhere to go, or they are lazy and stubborn people in the city.

They colluded with the Japanese pirates either for survival or to plunder other people's wealth.

Since Jia Cong came to Jinling to do business, it was very necessary for him to know the relevant information about Jinling and its surrounding areas. If he traveled around on an official ship in a high-profile manner, what he could see and hear would definitely be very limited.

……

The captain of the boat was called Zheng Xiaohai, he was less than 40 years old, and the couple had been sailing in these waters for more than 20 years. They knew exactly where there were undercurrents and underwater reefs.

During the journey, Zheng Xiaohai and his wife steered the boat very smoothly, avoiding all obstacles in the river. However, for some unknown reason, the boat stopped four times along the way.

Jia Cong asked curiously, and Zheng Xiaohai's wife smiled and said, "My lord, you don't know that there are several imperial guards along the river to guard against the invasion of Japanese pirates.

They would dispatch boats to patrol various sections of the river every day, check the ships coming and going, and extort some benefits from the passengers. The young master and his wife looked like such respectable people.

You spent so much money to hire our ship, and I, the boss, don't want you to suffer any loss, so I stopped the ship several times, just in time to avoid the patrol of the military ships."

Jia Cong recalled the several times Zheng Xiaohai had come ashore. At that time, there was indeed a speedboat in the nearby waters, and the flag of the Great Zhou army was hoisted.

Looking at the river bank in the distance, one can vaguely see that every few steps along the river bank, there are tall watchtowers for guards to keep watch on the river.

Jia Cong smiled and thanked them. The boatman couple were quite kind-hearted. He hired their boat and they knew how to help him avoid trouble.

However, a civilian who has been sailing for many years is so familiar with the movements of the naval forces of the garrisons along the river.

He also used this opportunity to facilitate customers and attract business. He was a mature and thoughtful person. I couldn't help but look at Zheng Xiaohai, who had a simple and honest expression, a few more times.

……

Zheng Xiaohai drove the boat to stop several times, seemingly avoiding several patrol ships, and then the waterway became smooth.

Jia Cong was afraid that Zhishao would catch a cold from the river breeze, so the two of them went into the cabin together. At noon, Zheng Xiaohai's wife cooked a few dishes of fish and shrimp that had just been caught online, as well as some freshly cooked yellow rice.

Although not as delicious as the food at home, it is also fresh and delicious, and has its own unique flavor.

After the two men finished their meal, Zheng Xiaohai's wife came over to clean up the dishes and left the cabin with a smile. Seeing that the two men were of outstanding appearance and behaved intimately, she thought they were just a young couple and did not go in to disturb them.

Jia Cong saw that Zhishao was smiling and seemed to be in a good mood. He knew that she was about to meet her master and sisters, and she must be happy.

Zhi Shao asked, "Third Master, how long will it take you to return to the capital since you are in Jinling on an imperial mission this time?"

Jia Cong smiled: "I think two months is enough time. Do you think the time is too short and not enough to accompany your master and sister?"

Zhi Shao replied: "In fact, Shenjing and Gusu are so far away. It is rare for me to be able to come back with the Third Master and accompany Master for such a long time. But I don't know how Master's illness is going."

Jia Cong could hear regret and worry in her words.

He had gone through many twists and turns before he found Zhishao in Panxiang Temple, and he even risked his life and death before he made Zhishao, who had let go of all her past, follow him wholeheartedly again.

Now, the most important parts in Zhishao's memory, apart from Jia Cong, are Master Xiushan and Miaoyu, who have rescued and accompanied her for several years. They are the people she cares about most in the world.

Jia Cong suddenly smiled and said, "Don't think too much. Your master and sister will come to Shenjing in the future, so after meeting this time, it will be easy to meet each other from time to time in the future."

Zhi Shao looked puzzled: "Why did Master and Senior Sister come to Shenjing? They never told me before, how did Third Master know?"

Naturally, Jia Cong couldn't explain how he knew the real reason.

He smiled and said, "Master Xiushan saved you at Liuyang River on her way back from Shenjing. Since she has been there once, it is not strange for her to go to Shenjing again."

After hearing this, Zhishao was somewhat skeptical.

A bright smile appeared on his face: "If it is really as Third Master said, that would be great. Master is old, and I can always be by his side to take care of him.

The master is proficient in innate numbers. She said that I was destined to face adversity. She also said that Third Master had a precious destiny and was a person who could turn disasters around. He was like a woman who could rely on pine and cypress, and that good fortune would come to an end from now on…”

When Zhishao said this, she suddenly remembered that before they went out, Jia Cong took her and Yinglian to pay birthday greetings to the old lady, and her pretty face flushed.

She had been in the Jia Mansion for two years, so she naturally knew the rules of the men in the mansion. She wondered what it meant to be able to follow Jia Cong to pay birthday greetings to the old lady.

Jia Cong and Wu'er both told her that they were maids who had served Jia Cong since childhood. Although she could not remember clearly, as long as they could stay together, it didn't matter.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Master Xiushan is well versed in innate numbers, so her predictions must be correct. She said that I can guarantee that you will have a peaceful life after all the bad times, so her predictions are extremely accurate."

Zhi Shao couldn't help but lean on his shoulder, feeling peaceful and happy, and smiled, "I also think Master's calculations are very accurate."

The river waves outside were surging and swaying, but the cabin was peaceful and warm.

……

Gusu, Xuanmu Mountain, Panxiang Temple.

There are four or five empty courtyards separated by a wall in the inner courtyard of Panxiang Temple, which are also the temple property of Panxiang Temple. The courtyard on the easternmost side has been empty for the past two years. People nearby know that a bloody incident happened in this courtyard two years ago, so it is taboo and no one has come to rent it.

There is another reason. The climate has become increasingly abnormal in the past two years, natural disasters have occurred frequently, the crops in the fields have been barren, and the world has not been very prosperous.

Life was difficult for common people, and Suzhou was a big city in the south of the Yangtze River, where living expenses were not low. Many people who came to Suzhou to make a living returned to their hometowns, and houses were not as easy to rent as they were in the past two years.

Today, two people came to the yard.

One is a nun with long hair wearing a bun.

The other was a girl of about thirteen or fourteen, with a slim and graceful figure, an elegant and beautiful face, and she was wearing a cloth dress that was clean but a little worn from washing.

She looks no more than a young girl, but her movements and behavior are already elegant and steady.

The two men entered the yard, bringing clean water, coarse cloth, broom and other things, and began to clean the yard that had been vacant for a long time.

The young girl asked, "Sister Miaoyu, when did Sister Jinghui write to you last time? She said it would arrive."

Miaoyu was holding a broom and slowly sweeping the fallen leaves in the yard. The sleeves of her monk's robe fluttered, puffing slightly in the wind, giving her a unique sense of lightness.

He replied, "Jinghui said they will leave on the second day of August. According to the time, they will arrive in one or two days."

The girl said, "Mr. Jia wrote two good poems in Jinling that year. It's a pity that I haven't heard any new works in the past two years."

Miaoyu was still sweeping the fallen leaves and said, "In the past two years, he has either been taking the imperial examinations, making firearms, or fighting in the Liaodong army. It seems that he has no time to write poems."

The young girl smiled and said, "Sister Miaoyu remembers clearly what Master Jia has been doing these past two years. Didn't you dislike him in the beginning? But now you are cleaning a room for him so that he can live comfortably when he comes back."

If someone else had said something so abrupt, Miaoyu would probably have been annoyed.

But this girl was different. She was quiet and indifferent, and she and Miaoyu had always gotten along well. Miaoyu taught her to read and write, recite scriptures and read papers, and in her spare time she also watched her do needlework and draw patterns.

There were only two female companions of the same age as Miaoyu, one was her junior sister Jinghui, and the other was this girl, so she would not take the other party's jokes to heart.

Miaoyu has lived in a Buddhist temple since she was young, accompanied by green lamps and ancient Buddhas. She has little worldly experience and her personality is naturally eccentric and eccentric.

She thinks you are better, so even if your words and actions are a little too much, she can accept it calmly.

If she thinks you are not good, no matter how polite you are, she will still think you are rude and disgusting.

Miaoyu stopped the broom in her hand, picked up a piece of coarse cloth, wet it, and used it to wipe the dust off the door. Suddenly, her slender fingers touched a hole in the door.

Jinghui once told her that it was shot by a sleeve arrow. Jia Cong helped Jinghui block the arrow and saved her life. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel touched.

He said: "Although he is a bit annoying, he is Jinghui's good man, and Jinghui wants to be with him all her life.

Now he sent Jinghui back to see the master, it was also a good intention, I must always do some courtesy on behalf of the master, also to save Jinghui's dignity. "

The young girl smiled and said, "Mr. Jia is very good to have a person like Sister Miaoyu treat him with courtesy."

Miaoyu smiled and said, "You keep calling me Young Master Jia, which is a bit too formal. I heard you say that your aunt married the eldest son of the Rongguo Mansion as a second wife, and she is Jia Cong's biological mother.

In terms of family relationship, he is your cousin."

After hearing what Miaoyu said, the girl's face was slightly stunned, her eyes were full of thoughts, and no one knew what she was thinking about.

……

This girl was Xing Xiuyan. Jia Cong had met her two years ago when he was looking for Zhishao in Panxiang Temple.

At that time, Cui Bowang wanted to harm Jia Cong in order to avenge his brother Cui Boling.

He disguised himself as a peddler and asked the young Xing Xiuyan for information near Panxiang Temple. He also sold a silk flower worth twenty cents to Xing Xiuyan for seven cents.

It was only when Xing Xiuyan met Jia Cong and told him about this that Jia Cong became alert and escaped the assassination.

She was still childish at that time, but girls grow up early. In the past two years, she has grown into a graceful and beautiful girl, and has become even more charming and graceful.

In the previous life, the Xing family had a powerful lady named Mrs. Xing. Xing Xiuyan's father, Xing Zhong, was a lazy and incompetent man. He was over 40 years old and had achieved nothing. He had no place to live and could only make ends meet.

Their family had rented the house in Panxiang Temple for seven or eight years, so Xing Xiuyan had lived with Miaoyu since she was a child, and they had a very close relationship of half master and half disciple.

Xing Zhong was lazy and incompetent, and was often despised and complained by his wife. Since she was a child, Xing Xiuyan often saw her parents quarreling with each other over trivial matters such as a penny or two, which made her miserable.

So she would often go to Panxiang Temple to talk to Miaoyu and seek some quiet time. As they went together more and more often, Miaoyu began to like her simple and solitary nature, and even Master Xiushan valued this girl with great intelligence.

It is said that children from poor families become independent early, and they are more knowledgeable and will cherish their blessings earlier than children from rich families.

Xing Xiuyun values ​​her fate with Panxiang Temple. She is quiet, intelligent, and has no desires or demands. She learned poetry, literature, Zen scriptures, and Buddhist principles from Miaoyu.

In her spare time, she helped the nuns in the temple with some needlework. Although her family was in financial difficulty, she herself lived a simple and leisurely life.

Ever since Zhishao followed Jia Cong back to the capital, the ancient temple became empty, and Miaoyu and Xing Xiuyun became closer. Xing Xiuyun even often lived in the temple to keep Miaoyu company and avoid having to listen to her parents' daily quarrels.

Naturally, Mr. and Mrs. Xing Zhong didn't care at all. They even hoped that their daughter would live in the temple so that the family could save some money on rice and grain.

Fortunately, Xing Xiuyan had a connection with Panxiang Temple, otherwise, given the poverty and greed of Xing Zhong and his wife, they would never spend money to let their daughter study and write.

In the end, Xing Xiuyan could only grow up to be a beautiful woman with a rough belly.

……

But when she heard Miaoyu say that Jia Cong and she were cousins, she felt a little uncomfortable. In the past two years, Jia Cong's name had spread all over the world, and the rumors about his family background had naturally also spread widely among the people.

All the words spoken about my aunt were very unpleasant.

With a gloomy look, he said, "Sister Miaoyu has been in the temple for a long time, so she may not have heard much about what is said outside.

Although my aunt is Mr. Jia's biological mother, people outside say that Mr. Jia was treated harshly by her since he was young, and that there is no mother-son relationship between the two of them.

I didn't know Mr. Jia's identity before, and he certainly didn't know my origins. If he knew I was my aunt's niece, he would definitely ignore me."

In the past two years, Miaoyu has paid more attention to Jia Cong's affairs because of Zhishao. Unlike what Xing Xiuyun said, she has not heard the rumors outside, and she is very clear about those rumors.

Otherwise, how could she have described Jia Cong's actions in the past two years in such detail?

"You don't have to think too much about it. Although he is a bit annoying, he doesn't seem to be a narrow-minded person. Your aunt and you are two different people. How can you compare them? You have never offended her.

This man can write such poems and win the honor of being the first in the imperial examination. He must be a man of broad mind. I don't think he is so shallow as to vent his anger on you for no reason."

After hearing this, Xing Xiuyun felt a little better. She had met Jia Cong in Panxiang Temple that year. Although she was young at that time, she was already well versed in poetry and books. She was very envious of Jia Cong's outstanding literary talent.

It would be somewhat embarrassing if I were despised and hated by such a person because of my aunt.

Then I thought again, Sister Miaoyu kept saying that her cousin was annoying from the beginning, but she was just sad that he took Sister Jinghui away. In fact, she still cared about him and even spoke for him.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have comforted herself like this just now, but she didn't even realize it. (End of this chapter)