Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

Jia Cong was somewhat reluctant to leave Daiyu's soft and sweet couch, and said, "My sister twisted me so hard just now that I can't get up this time."

Daiyu's face turned pink, and she said dissatisfiedly: "Why is Third Brother so shameless? I didn't even try hard, but you are still so delicate.

Then I will help you rub it, and Third Brother will get up quickly. When Xueyan brings in the tea later, she will see what it looks like."

As Daiyu spoke, she stretched out her hand and gently rubbed the corner of Jia Cong's mouth. Her fingertips were cool, his skin was soft, and an intoxicating fragrance shone through his gauze sleeves.

She lowered her head slightly, her bright eyes full of waves, and her black hair stroked Jia Cong's cheek, causing a tingling sensation and bringing a smile to Jia Cong's face.

When Daiyu saw his bright smile, she felt her face getting hot.

She snorted softly on the side of her little pink face and muttered, "Sly." But her hands did not stop moving, and seemed to become more gentle.

Only when she heard footsteps in the corridor outside the door did Daiyu retract her hand. Jia Cong did not dare to make any noise and quickly stood up and sat up.

Daiyu breathed a sigh of relief. She saw Xueyan lift the door curtain and come in with hot tea. She smiled and said, "Third Master, please have some tea."

After Jia Cong drank two sips of hot tea, the blush on Daiyu's face faded slightly.

……

Jia Cong asked, "Sister, I heard from Zhishao that this gift was sent by my uncle through a friend from the same hometown. Is this person coming to Beijing to take up an official post?"

Lin Daiyu replied, "Well, this uncle and my father are from the same hometown and studied in the same department. We knew each other when we were young. His name is Luo Shoulun.

After passing the imperial examination, Luo Shishu served as the magistrate of Yunyan County in Dezhou. Later, he was transferred to the secondary capital of Nanjing and served as the head of the Ministry of Justice.

More than ten years ago, the case file library of the Ministry of Justice in the temporary capital caught fire and many important documents of the Ministry were burned. He was on duty at the time and cannot escape blame.

I heard from my father that at that time it was still the retired emperor who was furious when he heard about this matter and wanted to punish Luo Shoulun and exile him.

Later, someone in the capital interceded for him in front of the emperor, and he was spared the punishment of exile and was demoted to Wu County in Gusu as the county magistrate.

……

Jia Cong also sighed after hearing this. The head of the Ministry of Justice was a sixth-rank official, and the county magistrate was an eighth-rank official. This was four levels of demotion due to his crimes.

Moreover, the county magistrate is usually a filial and honest official or a juren, so the official career path is very narrow and it is extremely difficult to be promoted to a full-time position.

For a Jinshi who had passed the imperial examination twice to be demoted to the eighth rank of county magistrate, it was not only a great humiliation, but also a disaster for his official career.

Daiyu continued, "After this uncle took office as the governor of Wu County, his career was quite bumpy.

In every three-year civil service examination, he was always ranked in the middle or lower levels and was never promoted.

The magistrate of Wu County has changed several times, but he has been the county magistrate for more than ten years.

Because he was an official in the village, he had a lot of interactions with the Lin family. My father would come back to visit his family every year, and we would have banquets and visits at each other’s homes. I met him many times when I was a child.”

……

Jia Cong knew that Lin Ruhai was a proud scholar in the imperial examinations, a man of great talent, and a man of great learning and vision.

The scholars and officials entertained each other with family banquets, which was a sign of their close relationship.

Luo Shoulun held a low-ranking official position, but he was still valued and befriended by Lin Ruhai. It was definitely not just because they were from the same hometown and the same age.

Most likely it is because of this person's talent and character that he is no ordinary person.

The two chatted a lot of gossip and time passed quickly. When it was time for dinner, Daiyu asked Xueyan to go to the kitchen to prepare one more portion.

The two of them had dinner together, and Daiyu saw that it was getting dark outside the window.

He said, "Third brother, it's getting late. I need to rest now. Come and talk to me tomorrow after you get off work."

She sent Jia Cong to the gate of the courtyard, watched him leave alone, and then returned to her room.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Baoyu Courtyard.

As the sunset fades and night falls, lanterns are lit one by one on the corridors in the courtyard.

A few days ago, because the monthly salary was delayed, some of the maids in the courtyard were uneasy.

Musk Moon was a clear-minded person. Since she saw the root cause of the matter clearly, she didn't take it too seriously.

Xiren and Caiyun have already entered Baoyu's room, and the delay in the monthly allowance is a bit aggrieved, but otherwise it's a good thing.

Since they already have a legitimate status, this kind of thing doesn't cause much trouble for them.

Among those who were most uneasy about this matter were Qiu Wen and Bi Hen.

Among them, Bihen was the most uneasy. Mrs. Wang gave her personal maid Caiyun to Baoyu to serve in his room and did not choose her.

This made Bi Hen very disappointed. She was filled with worry and fear. She felt resentful and blamed Baoyu, and she refused to speak for herself in front of the lady.

Since last summer, she was instigated by Baoyu to take a bath with him. Not only was she deflowered by Baoyu, but he also kept doing it for several hours.

Afterwards, the two of them went to a secluded place in the courtyard to fool around several times without Xiren's knowledge.

Bihen had given up her body and had no way out, so she naturally hoped to enter Baoyu's room as soon as possible.

Even if she couldn't get the title of concubine for the time being, as long as she became a concubine, it would be a decent ending.

But unexpectedly, after Caiyun entered the room, Xiren, for some unknown reason, kept a close eye on Baoyu day and night.

Bihen spent a lot of effort trying to get close to Baoyu, but couldn't find any chance.

Not to mention that the lady came over a few days ago and scolded Musk Moon severely.

She also set a rule that from now on only Xiren and Caiyun could keep watch in Baoyu's room at night, and she and Qiu Wen could only serve outside.

This almost put an end to Bihen's idea of ​​getting involved with Baoyu.

After all, her previous affairs with Baoyu were just secret affairs, and even though Xiren and others knew about it, they had no evidence.

Even when we took a bath last year, the door was closed and no one saw what happened.

……

As the days passed, Bihen watched Xiren and Caiyun take turns to spend the night in Baoyu's room, and her heart felt like it was on fire.

I gave my body to the Second Master, but he immediately stopped taking me seriously and started having sex with other people every day, completely leaving me aside.

Bi Hen is already not young anymore. In another year he will be released from prison, and by then he will probably be paired with a boy from the outer courtyard.

She hated the dirty servants in the outer courtyard, but that was not the only thing that frightened her.

At that time, she could no longer hide the fact that she had been deflowered. Not only would her reputation be ruined, but she would also be miserable for the rest of her life.

If the Madam pursued her for seducing Baoyu, she would lose her life, and by then the Second Master would have forgotten her...

She was also a servant of the Jia family and had seen a lot of the worldly affairs of the family.

The monthly allowance for each room is not a trivial matter. I have never heard of it being stopped. Now that the Second Mistress dares to take action against the Second Master, everyone can see that something bad is going to happen.

The last time Musk Moon came back and told me that the Second Mistress said that the cash flow in the government office was not smooth and there was not enough surplus silver, so the monthly salary would be delayed.

When Bi Hen heard the words about the financial difficulties in the palace, she thought of the last time Baoyu's room was laid off.

She guessed that Wang Xifeng wanted to cut down on spending, so she spread the word in advance, and delaying the payment of the monthly allowance was also an excuse. Was she going to cut down on the second master's population again?

The last time the maids in Baoyu's room were being cut down, even the senior maids like Qixian, Tanyun and others were dismissed without mercy.

Tan Yun, being the oldest, has been married to a boy from the outer courtyard. Qi Xian is now working as a helper in the kitchen and is living a very miserable life.

Originally, when they were in the room, Erye was usually very sweet-talking, but once they were sent out, Erye forgot about the existence of these two people.

Qi Xian is having a bad time now, and the Second Master doesn't seem to be helping her at all. I'm afraid Tan Yun has become a dead fish in the Second Master's heart...

……

Last time, because I had an affair with Baoyu, he finally remembered the love we had in bed and kept me for once.

If the room were to be reduced in number again this time, Bi Hen wouldn't be able to escape again.

Since Xiren and Caiyun have already entered the Second Master's room, it is naturally impossible for them to be dismissed.

Qiu Wen often gossiped in front of the Madam and was the Madam's eyes and ears in the Second Master's room, so the Madam would most likely keep her.

Musk Moon is the most shrewd and capable, with a sharp tongue, and is useful wherever she goes. Moreover, she is good friends with Xiren, so Xiren will definitely help her.

Although Musk Moon was scolded by the lady a few days ago, it didn't sound like a big deal and probably didn't involve anything important.

Because Bi Hen lost the chance to enter Baoyu's room, she became restless and had many wild thoughts. She discovered that she was the most precarious person in Baoyu's room.

Now, whenever the sky gets dark, Bihen would feel anxious for no reason. This happened almost every day and he felt extremely miserable.

She pushed open the window of the side room and saw the flickering candlelight in Baoyu's room and figures walking back and forth from time to time. She even knew that Caiyun was on duty today.

Bihen was burning with jealousy and cursed softly, hoping that the second master would torture Caiyun to death...

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She closed the window immediately, went back to her bed and went to sleep. Out of sight, out of mind.

……

Not long after she closed the window, Qiu Wen walked across the corridor in the courtyard carrying a tea tray. The lanterns under the eaves stretched and distorted her shadow.

She walked to Baoyu's door, pushed it slightly, and found that it was locked from the inside. She cursed in her heart, "Caiyun, this slut, is so impatient to wait as soon as it gets dark..."

She made her voice as gentle as possible, and said from the doorway, "Second Master, it's getting cold at night, I'll come and add some tea for you."

Baoyu's impatient voice came from the room: "The night tea has been changed, we are going to sleep, you go down and rest too."

Qiu Wen felt depressed after hearing this. It wasn't even completely dark yet, but the Second Master wanted to sleep with Caiyun. He was really so useful and he didn't even feel tired.

Qiu Wen has been feeling uneasy lately, and in order to climb onto Baoyu's bed, she loves to whisper in front of Lady Wang.

She was diligent in telling Mrs. Wang about Xiren and Sheyue's private conversations and the delay in the monthly payment of Baoyu's room, which caused a lot of trouble.

She originally thought that she had pleased the lady, and the lady might think she was thoughtful, so she gave herself to Baoyu to sleep with in her joy.

Unfortunately, Qiu Wen's wishful thinking did not work. Seeing that she was talkative, Mrs. Wang just used her as her eyes and ears.

When she wanted to choose a woman to enter Baoyu's room, she naturally chose a close and trusted maid, and deep down she didn't take Qiu Wen seriously.

A few days ago, Mrs. Wang dropped the topic again, and only Xiren and Caiyun were left to guard Baoyu's room at night, leaving Qiu Wen with no chance to take advantage of the situation, and she panicked for a while.

She is the same age as Bi Hen, and is a few months older than Bi Hen. If she doesn't get things done quickly, she will be destined to be married off to a boy.

She didn't dare to provoke Xiren, and since Caiyun was new, she was naturally particularly unconvinced.

Every time Caiyun was on night duty, she would find some excuse to interrupt her. She would not allow herself to sleep on Baoyu's bed and would not let Caiyun feel comfortable.

After doing this a few times, Caiyun naturally knew what was going on and didn't care about Qiu Wen's disruption. She was just sitting there doing nothing anyway.

Even Baoyu noticed Qiu Wen's intention. Every time it was Caiyun's turn to be on duty, Baoyu would lock the door early to prevent her from making noise.

……

Qiu Wen left angrily with the tea tray. The candle in the room went out after she took a few steps. She couldn't help but stop and go to the window to listen.

I could vaguely see figures swaying in the room, and the sound of chaotic footsteps.

Caiyun heard: "Second Master, why are you pulling my clothes again? It's better not to make a fuss. Let's rest early."

Qiu Wen outside the window heard this and felt a little strange. Caiyun was quite arrogant. She was unwilling to be fucked by the Second Master. She was really stupid...

Baoyu laughed and said, "It's been all these days, sister, why are you still shy? The etiquette of Duke Zhou is recorded in the classics and passed down by the saints and sages. It is a matter of elegance."

Qiu Wen was confused as she heard outside the window. The Second Master had been reading books at the head of the bed recently. He had really learned a lot and even spoke very literary words in his sleep.

She heard Caiyun speak again, her voice mumbling and somewhat confused: "Do sages have to take medicine when they do this kind of thing?"

Qiu Wen became more and more confused as she listened. Just go to sleep, why does it have to do with taking medicine?

She didn't know that Caiyun and Baoyu had been sleeping together for several months, and in fact, they were the same as her, so she was still confused about many things.

Just as she was about to continue listening, she heard the sounds of clothes being torn and undressed in the room, as well as Baoyu's laughter and Caiyun's shy complaints.

"Second Master, why are you so anxious? What's yours is yours. You can't run away. Look, you've torn your bra again..."

……

Qiu Wen was also a virgin, and after hearing such erotic and lustful words, her whole body felt hot, her heels felt weak, and she could not stand up straight, so she squatted under the window.

She wanted to escape, but couldn't help her curiosity and jealousy. She squatted under the window and was reluctant to leave. Her eyes were hot, her heart was beating fast, and her legs were uncomfortably tight.

Baoyu's excited breathing could be heard in the room, making quite a lot of noise, and Caiyun also made some panting and pushing sounds.

Ever since Qiu Wen understood the ways of the world, she occasionally heard the old woman tell dirty jokes, and this scene was about 80% similar to what she had seen.

But Caiyun called out a few times perfunctorily and then fell silent. Only Baoyu's excited voice seemed quite similar to the real thing.

Qiu Wen felt a little strange. Although she had never experienced sex, she had some experience with the maids and old women who gathered in the mansion.

The scenes described by those old ladies seemed to be somewhat different from what was happening before my eyes. How come Caiyun seemed to be so free...

An unknown amount of time had passed. Qiu Wen squatted under the window, her legs feeling numb and she was even a little bored. The night wind was chilling her.

Suddenly, Caiyun's soft voice was heard, as if she was about to fall asleep, and she said, "Second Master, stop tossing and turning. You are not tired, so go to bed early."

When Qiu Wen heard this, she couldn't help but become suspicious. Could it be that this slut Caiyun was crazy? It was too weird that she was so sleepy at this moment.

Baoyu was heard mumbling something, but Qiu Wen could not hear anything as she was hiding outside the window. The room became silent as well.

After a while, snoring was heard, and it seemed that both of them fell asleep.

Qiu Wen couldn't stay any longer, so she propped up her numb legs and left in a hurry, but her heart was full of doubts, and she always felt that something was wrong...

……

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

Outside the window, the night was dark blue, with a cool breeze blowing. A row of glazed tile lanterns hung on the corridor, emitting a soft yellow light.

The candlesticks in the study were brightly lit, and Jia Cong was busy at his desk.

Yinglian sat next to Jia Cong with a book in her hand. As the night deepened, she flipped through half of the book and began to doze off.

Jia Cong was sometimes writing furiously on paper, and sometimes drawing on rice paper.

He is proficient in calligraphy and has a solid foundation in painting. Not only are his handwritings exquisite and vigorous, but each of his paintings is also lifelike.

A few days ago, he received an oral order from Emperor Jiazhao to supervise the construction of breech-loading rifles. At the same time, he drew elite troops from the Shenji Camp to conduct exercises and training for breech-loading riflemen.

Because the breech-loading rifle is completely different from the improved Rummit gun in terms of shooting mode, lethality, range and rate of fire.

The goal was to allow the soldiers of the Shenji Battalion who were familiar with the improved Rumi gun to quickly adapt to the firing method of the breech-loading rifle and quickly form lethality in the battle formation.

The previous training methods for muzzle-loading muskets are naturally no longer suitable.

Therefore, Jia Cong prepared to write a breech-loading rifle training manual for the training of the breech-loading riflemen of the Shenjiying.

He has been busy on this matter for several days. The overall framework of the manual is already in place, and the details of the chapters are also almost complete. It will be complete in another two days.

He drew a diagram of a breech-loading rifle array and finished the last stroke. Just as he put down his brush, he saw Yinglian dozing off beside him.

Smiling, he pinched her soft earlobe and said, "You are so sleepy, yet you are still trying to endure it."

Yinglian rubbed her eyes and said with a smile, "Third Master, are you done with your work?"

Jia Cong said with a smile: "That's enough for today. We'll continue tomorrow. You should go to bed soon. You won't look good tomorrow if you have dark circles under your eyes."

The two of them blew out the candle in the study and went back to their rooms to rest.

……

Jia Cong returned to the main room and saw a candle lit on the dressing table, which was reflected by the bronze mirror and seemed unusually bright.

Qingwen was sewing a soft green silk lining by candlelight, with a very focused look on her face. She didn't notice Jia Cong entering the room for a moment.

Jia Cong saw that Qingwen was wearing red pajamas, red silk pants, and a pair of red slippers.

In the glow of the melting yellow candlelight, she was rosy and delicate, her skin was whiter than snow, her nose was straight and beautiful, her eyes were rippling, and she was stunningly beautiful.

Qingwen was the most beautiful maid in the two mansions. She was the same age as Jia Cong and was already fifteen years old.

In the past two years, she has grown taller and become more and more beautiful.

It was not until Jia Cong came up to her that Qingwen noticed something. Her hand trembled slightly, and she cried out, as her soft white fingertips were pricked by the needle.

Jia Cong saw a drop of blood oozing from her fingertips, frowned and said, "Why are you so careless? Let me take a look."

Qingwen smiled, sucked her finger between her pink lips, and said with a smile: "It's common to do needlework. I'm not that delicate."

Qingwen blinked her bright eyes and looked at Jia Cong, as if she wanted to see something from his face.

He said, "Today is the fourteenth day, which is usually Wu'er's night watch day. If the Third Master sees that it's me, he will definitely feel uncomfortable."

Jia Cong laughed and said, "You are such a quick-witted person. Whenever you talk nonsense, I feel uncomfortable."

Qingwen pouted and said, "Everyone seems to know that you and Wu'er are getting along very well now, so you are naturally happier than seeing me."

Qingwen's words were not without reason. When Zhishao and Wu'er offered tea to Lady Jia in Rongqing Hall that day, it was not just a simple cup of tea.

The maid who was in charge of Lady Jia even called them into the inner room and taught them in a low voice about the maintenance of the inner chambers, which was also the rule of the mansion.

From then on, the two men entered Jia Cong's room and the number of night guards was much less than before, because Jia Cong had just turned fifteen and had a long time to live, so he needed to be more restrained in his room.

Jia Cong was somewhat disdainful of many outdated rules of the mansion, but he had no objection to this one.

Now, not only Qingwen and Yinglian have to keep watch more days than before, but even Lingguan, who used to be on night duty occasionally, has also taken on a lot of the day's work.

Yinglian and Lingguan were just over 18 years old, so they were not very sensitive to the changes in Jia Cong's room.

Qingwen was older and more knowledgeable about human affairs, so she was somewhat dissatisfied with what happened to Zhishao and Wu'er.

Hearing the competitiveness and jealousy in her words, Jia Cong smiled slightly and didn't take it to heart.

Qingwen was the same age as him, but she had just turned fifteen. Regardless of the rules of the mansion or Jia Cong's original understanding, he felt a little guilty about some things...

Qingwen helped Jia Cong take off his outer clothes and put on his pajamas. She helped him take down his bun, combed his hair carefully, and then braided it into a bedside braid with her hands.

Jia Cong looked through the bronze dressing mirror and saw Qingwen standing behind him. She was bright red, beautiful, and graceful, quite pleasing to the eye.

A pair of small hands manipulated my head, often causing a tingling sensation... (End of this chapter)