The Red Chamber: Starting from Saving Xue Baochai

Chapter 131: The Flow of Thoughts
Gao Yue was visibly stunned when he heard this.

Today he was just following his father's idea and sounding out Shen Yuan, but who knew that the young man actually planned to directly hand over the glass mirror business to Tianyuan Trading Company.

But in this situation, it does seem like the royal family is forcing Shen Yuan to take advantage of the situation. However, although my father is anxious, he has no such intention. He just wants to alleviate the financial difficulties of the Great Zhou as soon as possible.

"Huaizhong, this."

Gao Yue was about to explain, but Shen Yuan interrupted him and said, "Your Highness, I had this idea a long time ago, and today is a good opportunity to discuss it with Your Highness."

Shen Yuan didn't want Gao Yue to say too much. After all, the other party represented the royal family, Emperor Yuanzhen, and he tried his best to avoid any rift between the two sides.

In fact, if he put himself in the emperor's shoes, he could understand his thoughts. The profit of this glass mirror could generate more than one million taels of revenue in Shenjing alone. If it were promoted throughout the country, although the people might not be as rich as the people in Shenjing, it should not be difficult to make millions of taels of profit.

This is a life-saving money for the Great Zhou today.

The current profit distribution is 50-50 between Shen Yuan and Tianyuan Commercial Bank. The royal family will not say anything now due to face-saving reasons, but as time goes on, the emperor will inevitably have some thoughts, which is also human nature.

After all, Shen Yuan is a general of the current dynasty. If he becomes rich enough to rival a country in the future, who wouldn’t be afraid of him?

Rather than incurring the emperor's suspicion, it is better to make concessions voluntarily.

Fifty percent of Shenjing’s revenue is already hundreds of thousands of taels, enough for the Shen family to use.

Seeing Gao Yue's guilty look, Shen Yuan smiled and added, "Tianyuan Commercial Bank's business has already spread all over the world. I have no intention of building such a business network. The promotion of the glass mirror will be entrusted to Your Highness the Fourth Prince."

Gao Yue stopped refusing after hearing this. With a look of admiration on his face, he said, "I will do my best. Does Huaizhong have any other suggestions?"

Shen Yuan pondered for a moment, then said in a clear voice: "Take from the people and use it for the people. I hope that with this income, there will be fewer victims in the Great Zhou."

This money was obtained because of him anyway, and Shen Yuan didn't want this wealth to end up in the pockets of some powerful people.

Gao Yue naturally understood what Shen Yuan meant, and said solemnly: "Huaizhong, don't worry, this money will not go directly into the national treasury. I will keep an eye on it and will use it wisely."

After a pause, he looked at Shen Yuan, and said with some respect in his tone: "Huai Zhong is broad-minded and cares about the people. It is really admirable. Huai Zhong's actions are a great contribution to the country and the people."

Although Gao Yue could not make specific promises on behalf of Emperor Yuanzhen, it was still necessary for him to commend Shen Yuan for his achievements in order to appease the heart of this loyal minister and capable general.

As for where to make compensation in the future, it depends on the emperor's own will.

This is also what Shen Yuan wants. He has enough money, and there are still plenty of businesses to do in the future. He hopes to convert all of this into success. There is no need to become as rich as a country.

Of course, he hoped to make meritorious service on the battlefield, which would come faster and also allow him to fulfill his promise to Qiu'er as soon as possible, to ask for a decree for the girl and marry her as soon as possible.

After chatting with Gao Yue, Shen Yuan returned to the Shen Mansion.

When I arrived at the backyard, I saw a group of young girls sitting around the table. Daiyu, Xiangyun and Sanchun came over and chatted with Baochai and Qiu'er.

Several girls were talking and laughing, their voices as melodious as the chirping of an oriole, charming and soft, and the house was filled with fragrance, as if a garden of flowers was full of all kinds of beauty.

"Several sisters are here." Shen Yuan walked in with a bright smile on her face.

"Husband."

"Brother Shen!"

The girls greeted each other with smiles.

Xiangyun was even happier when she saw Shen Yuan coming over. Her round face with two sweet dimples made her say in a coquettish voice, "Brother Shen, you came just in time. We were just talking about you."

"Oh?" Shen Yuan's gentle eyes swept across the faces of the beautiful girls one by one, and asked with some curiosity: "What did you say about me?"

Daiyu took over the conversation, her eyebrows slightly raised, and she smiled with her hands covering her mouth: "I was talking about those poems that Brother Shen wrote a few days ago. Who did they write for?"

Before Shen Yuan could reply, Wen Xiangyun said, "Of course, all of Shen's poems are written for Bao-jie. 'A noble man lies in the snow-covered mountains, and a beautiful woman appears under the moonlit forest'. Isn't this exactly about Bao-jie?"

"Xue" is the same as "Xue". This poem is also quite consistent with Baochai's character as the crystal snow, a hermit in the mountains, with upright character and noble aspirations. The girls all have the same opinion on this.

When Tanchun heard this, her bright eyes moved slightly, and she said in a charming voice, "Not entirely, 'If the Zen gate is broken, the beauty will be like a jade sword and a rainbow', this poem doesn't seem to be written about Sister Bao at all."

At this time, all the girls turned their eyes to Shen Yuan. Baochai also looked at her husband with a smile. Daiyu's eyes flashed with a hint of inquiry. They all wanted to hear what the young man had to say.

Shen Yuan felt the gazes of the beautiful girls and shook his head and smiled.

He really didn't think so much at the time. He just relied on his memories of his previous life and simply copied the text.

But this reason is of course inexplicable. After a little thought, Shen Yuan looked at his wife Baochai with an extremely gentle expression and said with a smile: "'A noble man lies in the snow-covered mountains, and a beautiful woman comes under the moonlit forest' was indeed written by Sister Xue. The rest of the poems were all written casually."

Shen Yuan felt that this answer was just right. It not only highlighted his special feelings for his wife, but also did not force all the poems to be attributed to his wife.

Baochai felt her husband's sincere love, and her heart was naturally warmed.

All the girls were envious. Sister Bao was truly unique in Brother Shen's heart. Such love naturally made every girl dream of it.

After hearing what Shen Yuan said, Daiyu's beautiful eyes flashed a sly look, and she chuckled softly, "Since the remaining poems were not written for anyone, why don't you sisters each choose a favorite one and give it to Brother Shen as a gift?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Xiangyun and Sanchun looked at Shen Yuan with anticipation in their eyes, and the same was true for Qiu'er.

Shen Yuan did not comment upon hearing this. Although giving poems to young girls was an extremely ambiguous act, it was different now. These poems had been written before, and he also stated that there was no specific comparison between those poems, so he did not have the intention of teasing his sisters.

After hesitating for a moment, he exchanged a glance with Baochai beside him. Seeing that his wife was smiling gracefully and elegantly without thinking too much, he said, "These poems don't have any specific meanings. Sisters, please choose a line if you like."

After getting Shen Yuan's affirmative answer, Daiyu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. When she first made the proposal, she felt a little nervous, worried that Brother Shen would think she was meddling. Fortunately, he didn't.

Xiangyun was very excited when she heard this. After thinking for a while, she frowned and said, "Who should be the first to choose?"

Baochai smiled and suggested, "How about deciding by drawing lots? Choose in the order of the numbers you draw."

"Sister Bao's idea is great. It's both fair and interesting." Xiangyun clapped her hands in praise.

The other sisters also nodded.

So, they drew lots, and soon the result came out. Xiangyun felt terrible and said in a frustrated tone, "How come I got the last one?"

This expression made the sisters laugh. Qiu'er was happy at this moment. She drew the first one. The girl thought about it and chose the one she liked with some shyness. She said softly: "I choose 'Autumn water is the spirit, jade is the bones, lotus is like a painting, willow is like an eyebrow'."

No one was surprised, and the girls all thought that this poem was an extremely brilliant description of women.

Xiangyun smiled and said, "It just so happens that this poem begins with the word Autumn. It must be predestined for Sister Qiu'er, and it is what Sister Qiu'er deserves."

Upon hearing this, Qiu'er glanced at Shen Yuan inadvertently. She wondered if Shen Lang had thought of her when he wrote this poem?

"Third sister, it's your turn." Xiangyun looked at Tanchun and reminded her.

Tanchun made her choice without hesitation, saying, "'If the Zen gate is broken, the beauty will be like a jade sword and a rainbow', I choose this sentence."

Daiyu covered her mouth and joked, "Third sister is really manly. She is so impatient and aggressive all the time, and the only thing missing is a sword."

"Okay, Sister Lin, you're making fun of me again." Tanchun blushed a little.

It’s fine if the sisters feel this way normally, but now that Brother Shen is here, can Sister Lin also say it out loud?
Shen Yuan took over the conversation and said, "Third sister, you are as brave as any man. I will give you a good sword later. It is good for girls to practice sword skills and strengthen their bodies."

Tanchun: "."

Could it be that Brother Shen mistook her for a boy?
"But I don't know swordsmanship."

"If Third Sister wants to learn, I can teach you a thing or two. There are some physical exercises that Sister Xue and all the sisters can practice. This way, they can become healthier."

"Well, thank you, Brother Shen." Tanchun responded shyly.

Baochai listened to Shen Yuan's words, and wondered if her husband was trying to get at her. He had suggested that she exercise more than once. Could it be that he thought that she was too weak to bear it at night? Thinking of this, the beautiful woman's white and greasy cheeks became a little hot.

"It's the second sister's turn."

Everyone was staring at the gentle and silent Yingchun. Her gentle and pretty face suddenly turned red. She said timidly, "I choose 'Fallen petals are not heartless, they turn into spring mud to protect flowers.'"

Shen Yuan felt a little strange when he heard this. He felt that this poem was more in line with Daiyu's style, but it was chosen by Yingchun.

I couldn't help but glance at Daiyu, but saw a strange color flash in Lin Daiyu's eyes. Maybe she also liked this poem very much, but she was not destined to read it.

After Yingchun, it was Daiyu's turn. There were only a few lines left, so she didn't have many to choose from. The girl thought for a moment, moved her lips, and said in a delicate voice, "I'll choose 'Flowers outside Gusu city are in full bloom, and the moon fills the mountains with peach trees'."

Tanchun asked, "Sister Lin is also from Gusu, right?"

"Yeah." Daiyu nodded slightly and responded softly.

I seem to have heard Sister Yun say last time that Brother Shen is also from Suzhou. Perhaps this poem is really meant for her.
Next, it was the youngest Xichun's turn.

As expected, the little girl chose "The girl is shy and graceful, and the years are free of worries."

Shen Yuan looked at Xichun and smiled gently, hoping that this cold little girl could be truly carefree and slowly become cheerful.

Finally it was Xiangyun's turn, but it made everyone feel embarrassed.

Because at the end there are only two lines left: "Talented people emerge in every generation, and each leads the trend for hundreds of years", "A song, a bottle of wine, and a man fishing alone in the autumn river"

No matter they are all leading the way or fishing alone, it is not in line with the temperament of a girl, which makes Xiao Xiangyun very worried.

"Mmm." The little girl was about to cry, and said in a depressed mood: "This is not something a girl can choose."

Everyone was amused by Xiangyun's appearance.

"You guys are still laughing!" Xiangyun puffed up her cheeks, looked at Shen Yuan, and said in a pleading tone: "Brother Shen, can you write another sentence for me?"

Shen Yuan saw the girl pulling his sleeve with a pitiful and cute expression, and he shook his head and smiled.

After a brief thought, he said in a clear voice, "'The clouds roll and unroll freely in the sky, and my heart dances with the shadows of the clouds.' What do you think, Sister Yun?"

Shen Yuan suddenly thought of this line of poetry with a strong connotation, and the meaning was clear. He hoped that Xiangyun would be free and happy.

Xiangyun repeated it twice, and found it to be very pleasing to her heart. She praised it with a charming face: "Well, what Brother Shen wrote is of course excellent. I like it very much."

Each girl got her favorite poem, and after chatting for a while, she moved on to the topic.

Then, Daiyu looked at Shen Yuan with sparkling eyes under her smoky eyebrows and asked in a delicate voice, "Brother Shen, is there anything that needs to be revised in the manuscript?"

"No need to make any changes. Lin Daiyu's words are elegant and easy to understand. Just print them as they are."

Although Shen Yuan scattered them all over the floor yesterday, he did look at them carefully after Ying'er picked them up.

Daiyu is worthy of being the literary and artistic representative among the girls in the Red Chamber. Not only is her handwriting beautiful, but her writing style is also excellent.

Although novels and vernacular novels are centered around stories, writing style is also very important. If it is too vulgar and crude, people will dislike it, but at the same time it cannot be obscure and difficult to understand. There must be a balance in between. Daiyu did a great job in handling the matter, as if she was born to understand how to write vernacular novels.

Daiyu was naturally happy to receive such praise from Shen Yuan, and she also breathed a sigh of relief. She had indeed put a lot of thought into writing this volume of White Snake.

Shen Yuan continued, "I will not return the manuscript to Sister Lin for the time being. I will give it to Hanmo Studio for printing and then return the manuscript."

Having said that, he felt a strange feeling in his heart again, and the scene in the study yesterday appeared in his mind again.

At that time, Ying'er was in a daze and accidentally dropped the manuscript to the ground. Then, when she was enjoying herself, the water flowed backwards like a river.

Several pages of the manuscript were soaked with water, and even after drying, they were wrinkled. It would definitely not be possible to print them directly like this.

Shen Yuan needed to copy those pages again. It was already very late yesterday when he finished reading the manuscript, and he didn't have time to copy them.

Ying'er, who was beside Baochai, was listening to the conversation between Shen Yuan and Daiyu. No one knew what pictures were passing through her mind. Her little face was already flushed, and her round and beautiful legs tightened under her skirt, trembling slightly.

Fortunately, the skirt was long enough, otherwise people would have noticed something strange. There would clearly be watermarks on the underwear.

Daiyu looked at the gentle young man in front of her and smiled, "It doesn't matter if you don't return the manuscript. I have copied a copy."

Although the girl said this, she still hoped to get the manuscript back in her heart. It was her first script to be printed and it was of great significance.

(End of this chapter)