The Red Chamber: Starting from Saving Xue Baochai

Chapter 138 A White Rabbit Jade Pendant
"Sister Bao..." Qiu'er felt Baochai's sincerity, and her heart felt even more guilty and grateful, with her beautiful eyes sparkling with light.

She has known Sister Bao for many years, but now she has fallen in love with her husband...

If she were in his shoes, she would have felt resentful, but Bao-jie treated her more warmly at this time. Just based on this broad-mindedness, Bao-jie was more suitable to be Shen Lang's wife.

At this time, Baochai took a small nanmu box from the table, slowly opened it, and said, "I'm giving this to my sister. See if she likes it."

Upon hearing this, Qiu'er glanced sideways and saw a jade pendant in the wooden box. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the jade pendant was a cute little white rabbit.

"Sister Bao, this..."

"Sister Qiu'er is half a year younger than me, and her zodiac sign is also rabbit. This white rabbit jade pendant is just right for her." Baochai said with a smile.

She had seen this jade pendant in a jewelry store on Chaoyangmen Street before. She bought it because of its fine workmanship and the cute little white rabbit lying on it.

But her husband always liked to play with her gold locket, so she rarely had the chance to wear the white rabbit jade pendant.

It just so happens that Qiu'er is also a rabbit, so today I thought of giving it to this 'new sister'.

"Come, I'll put it on Qiu'er." Baochai said with a warm smile, "My husband will probably like it, too."

Shen Yuan would play with Baochai's gold lock and... Ying'er's gold-thread and white jade pendant every night, which shows that the young man had unique preferences.

In the future, when Shen Yuan plays with Qiu'er's white rabbit jade pendant, he will probably think of Baochai. Besides being excited, he will also feel a little guilty towards his wife, right?
In this way, Baochai's gift of the little white rabbit has multiple meanings.

A good friend of many years suddenly becomes the sister of the same husband. Any woman would feel jealous.

Although Baochai is not jealous, she is a normal woman and it is impossible for her to have no emotions at all. However, she will still consider her husband's perspective and try her best to maintain harmony in the harem.

"Thank you, sister." Qiu'er looked at the cute little jade rabbit on her chest and liked it very much. She secretly made up her mind that she must treat Sister Bao as her own sister in the future.

Baochai also smiled and looked at it, and said in a delicate voice, "It looks good, and it suits my sister's temperament very well."

Indeed, this lively jade rabbit is suitable for Qiu'er's lively personality. I wonder what her husband's reaction will be when he sees it?
Thinking of this, Baochai actually had a different kind of expectation, and her heart felt strange.

What can Qiu'er expect when her husband plays with her sister Qiu'er's jade rabbit?
Perhaps she hoped that her husband at that time would remember her as a virtuous wife?

Well, if the husband brings his sister in again in the future, she will give him the pendant. Who told the husband to be fickle? No matter whose... the husband plays with, he will think of her~
"..."

If Shen Yuan knew about Baochai's little mood at this moment, he would definitely think that this Duanxian's lovely wife is very cute and would definitely hug her and pamper her.

While Baochai and Qiu'er were showing their deep sisterly love, Shen Yuan was discussing firearms-related matters with several craftsmen in the Military Equipment Bureau.

"How many firearms does the Military Equipment Bureau produce every year?"

"Your Excellency, the annual production of muskets does not exceed one thousand."

"Why is it so little?" This output was beyond Shen Yuan's expectation. He asked, "Based on the current level of our Great Zhou, it shouldn't be difficult to produce fire guns, right?"

"Sir, it's not that the production is difficult, but the Five Military Commandery looks down on us."

Craftsman Wu Liu added: "In previous battles, fire guns were not as effective as bows and arrows most of the time. Nowadays, they are only used in some fortifications to defend the city."

"At the current manufacturing rate, how many can be produced in a month?"

"We estimate that we can produce 500 of them, but we don't have enough craftsmen and molds right now."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan nodded. When the need arises, these can be quickly expanded. The key right now is the improvement of the musket.

He took out a blueprint from his arms. It was a sketch of how to ignite and shoot a flintlock rifle based on some scattered memories of his previous life. It marked the core components, flint, reed and trigger.

"Take a look at this..."

Shen Yuan handed the blueprint to the craftsman and gave a brief explanation of the principle.

When Wu Liu and his companions heard this, their eyes lit up.

"How did you come up with this, sir?"

Although the principle of flint-fire is not complicated, the innovative thinking made the craftsmen sigh with admiration. The same was true of the hot air balloon. I wonder how Lord Shen in front of me came up with these wonderful ideas.

Shen Yuan did not explain too much and asked directly: "Can it be built according to this diagram?"

Wu Liu suppressed his doubts, took another close look at the blueprint, and said, "The flint and reed are easy to handle, but... the trigger still needs some research."

"Well, you guys should focus on this from now on. I will come over to check on you the next day."

"Yes, my lord."

"Sir, should we give this new type of musket a name?" Wu Liu suggested.

"Let's call it a flintlock."

……

Noon, Chengqian Palace.

Yuanchun and Concubine Wu had just finished lunch and were chatting at this moment, both of them looked reluctant to part.

Yuanchun was no longer wearing the official robes she used to wear. She had put on a light yellow long skirt. Although she was not wearing any makeup, her graceful and elegant temperament remained unchanged.

"Let's go." Concubine Wu let go of the hand she was holding, wiped the moisture from the corners of her eyes, and said in a calm tone: "Take these jewelry. I don't need so much in this deep palace."

"My lady, these..."

Yuanchun knew that these were carefully selected by the Imperial Concubine. Just as she was about to decline, she heard Imperial Concubine Wu's tone become more serious and she said, "You don't even want to listen to my last few words?"

"No, Your Majesty..." Yuanchun paused, but finally accepted it.

"Whenever she gets the chance, Yuanchun will go to the palace to see the Empress."

"Well, let's go."

"..."

In this melancholy atmosphere, Yuanchun finally left the palace where she had stayed for seven years.

After leaving the palace, Yuanchun and her maid holding the zither got on the carriage and headed towards Ningrong Street.

In the carriage, Baoqin saw the confusion on Yuanchun's face and asked softly, "Miss, shouldn't you be happy to leave the palace today?"

Yuanchun retracted her absent-minded eyes, looked at Baoqin beside her, and said in a delicate voice: "I should be happy, but for a moment, I feel a little... empty." Baoqin thought about it and didn't understand what the girl meant.

After a while, Yuanchun murmured softly: "After all, I have been in the palace for seven years. It will take some time to adapt to returning home suddenly."

After being trapped for many years, I finally got what I wanted and gained freedom. After the excitement, what was left was confusion about the unknown future.

As a maid, Baoqin could not understand this feeling of confusion.

"This time when we return home, I'm sure the old lady and the lady will arrange a marriage for the girl, right?"

Girls from wealthy families start looking for marriages after they turn thirteen. My daughter is already twenty years old, so my family must be very anxious.

When Yuanchun heard this, she frowned and her heart was shrouded in a cloud of worry. She was worried that her family was in a hurry to arrange a marriage for her, making her jump from one fire pit to another.

The master and servant chatted briefly, and before they knew it, the carriage drove into Ningrong Street and stopped in front of Rongguo Mansion.

"Miss, here we are!"

Yuanchun suppressed her melancholy, straightened her dress, and regained her gentle and dignified expression.

As soon as he got off the carriage, a group of maids and servants came forward.

"But when the girl grew up, the old lady and the mistress were both studying it, and they had sent several groups of people to ask about it."

Yuanchun nodded and said in a clear voice, "Come into the mansion."

Afterwards, a group of people entered from the west corner door and went directly to Rongqing Hall.

As soon as they reached the entrance of Rongqing Hall, a maid came in and said, "The eldest lady is here."

Then three or four people rushed to open the curtain, and Yuanchun walked into Rongqing Hall.

At this time, I saw that the hall was full of people, some familiar and some unfamiliar. I looked up and saw Lady Jia sitting on the Arhat couch and Madam Wang sitting at the lower left.

Yuanchun took a few quick steps forward and was about to pay her respects when she was pulled by Grandmother Jia to sit on the couch. She called out to her beloved daughter and burst into tears, causing everyone to cover their faces and sob. Yuanchun also shed tears of sorrow.

Wang Xifeng wiped her eyes with a handkerchief while persuading him, "After all these years of separation, it's time for you to meet again. The old lady should be happy for you, elder sister."

After hearing this, Jia's mother stopped feeling sad and said, "Feng Lazi is right. We should be happy."

Afterwards, Yuanchun met everyone here, including Lady Xing, Lady Wang, Aunt Xue, Sister Feng, Li Wan, Daiyu, Xiangyun, the three sisters, and Youshi and Qin Keqing also came.

After a period of warmth and excitement, the hall was filled with laughter and joy, and the previous sadness and melancholy seemed to have disappeared.

At this time, Yuanchun asked, "Is father at home?"

"The second master hasn't returned yet. Judging from the time, he should be leaving the government office soon."

Wang Xifeng paused and said with a smile, "My uncle and his wife will come to our house later. Brother Yuan and Bao from the East House will also come. It's just in time for my elder sister to return home. Today is really lively."

"Yuan...Sister Bao will be here later?" Yuanchun's elegant face showed a hint of brightness.

"Big sister is looking forward to Bao girl coming." Wang Xifeng's eyes flashed with doubt, and she smiled and said, "Look carefully, big sister and Bao girl are clearly similar in appearance."

Upon hearing this, everyone turned their eyes to Yuanchun. Upon closer inspection, they saw that the pair of cousins ​​did look somewhat alike, with their voluptuous figures, willow-shaped eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes.

After hearing this, Yuanchun's beautiful eyes flickered and she fell into deep thought. Could it be that Brother Yuan had been so attentive to her before because she looked similar to Sister Bao?

Mrs. Wang felt a little uncomfortable in her heart. Why did Feng Lazi compare the eldest girl with the precious girl? She remembered that Taoist priests and monks had said in early years that the eldest girl was born with the fate of a phoenix and could become a royal concubine. How could the precious girl compare to her?
Thinking of this, and thinking of what her elder sister-in-law Zhao said yesterday, she looked at Grandmother Jia and said with a smile, "Yesterday I heard from Baoyu's aunt that the third prince is planning to choose a princess this year. I think the eldest girl is suitable. I'm thinking about whether I should submit my name?"

After hearing this, Jia's mother thought for a moment and said in a clear voice, "I'll ask Baoyu's father for his opinion later."

The eldest girl is indeed not young anymore and there is no time to delay. It is indeed a good opportunity for the third prince to marry a concubine.

After hearing what Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang said, Yuanchun's heart sank and her face suddenly changed. She said in shock, "Madam, mother, I just came out of the palace. How will outsiders view me if I go to participate in the selection of the prince's consort?"

Yes, how will others see her?

She was sent to the palace at the age of thirteen and stayed there for seven years. Anyone with a discerning eye would know what the Jia family was trying to do.

But now that she has lost the chance to become an imperial concubine, she has to choose a prince's wife as soon as she leaves the palace. Not to mention whether she can be chosen, this action alone is enough to make Yuanchun gain a reputation for fawning and flattering.

Most people here could also think of this. Grandmother Jia shook her head helplessly, sighed quietly, and said no more.

But Madam Wang said, "Girl, it's not that mother is forcing you to get married, but we really don't have much time. Looking at the ladies in the whole Shenjing City, there are very few who are still unmarried at the age of 20. Those who really stay until this age are either plain-looking or have physical defects. But it's different for you. With your talent and beauty, you should marry a nobleman. Mother asked you to participate in the selection of the prince's consort for your own good."

This is really a typical "it's for your own good" statement. The reason why Yuanchun was dragged to this age is because of Mrs. Wang's remarks, isn't it?
Yuanchun's heart trembled when she heard this, and she mustered up her courage and said, "Even if my daughter is anxious to get married at this age, she doesn't have to marry someone from the royal family!"

The girl wanted to get out of that quagmire at all costs, and now she finally got the help of Shen Yuan. However, Mrs. Wang wanted to send her back, which made her feel sad.

At this moment, Yuanchun recalled Shen Yuan's words, 'The responsibility of the family's rise and fall should be shouldered by the men in the family, how can it be entrusted to a girl like her?'

Thinking of this, Yuanchun's previous mentality of shouldering the fate of the family quietly changed. After a moment of silence, she said, "Mother only knows about the wealth and honor, how could she have thought of the risks involved?"

Madam Wang was startled when she heard this and asked in a clear voice, "What are the risks?"

Although Mrs. Wang was not stupid, she was just a woman living in a secluded household after all. Naturally, she did not know as much about the royal struggles as Yuanchun, who had been in the palace for many years.

Yuanchun looked at her mother, her eyes showing no emotion, and she explained calmly, "Now that the crown prince has not been appointed, the fate of the princes is still unknown. The more this is the case, the more dangerous the disputes in the future will be. Being a princess may seem glorious, but if you are not careful, you will bring disaster to your relatives, and may even end up dying and your clan being wiped out."

When these words came out, everyone gasped. Mrs. Wang's heart skipped a beat and she asked in surprise, "How could it be so dangerous? Is this a bit alarmist?"

Yuanchun moved closer to Madam Wang and said in a very soft voice, "The Grand Emperor had so many descendants in his time, but now only Your Majesty and Prince Zhongshun are left."

Even in the inner house, such words could not be spoken casually. Yuanchun controlled her voice so that only Mrs. Wang could hear it.

Although others were confused, they also realized that what Yuanchun said was a bit sensitive, so they did not ask more questions.

When Mrs. Wang heard this, her heart was struck by thunder and she was trembling with fear.

Although she did not know the details, Emperor Yuanzhen had ascended the throne only seventeen years ago, and some rumors had reached the ears of the people.

That year, the capital was under martial law for several months, and the city was filled with blood and gore. In just half a year, tens of thousands of people were beheaded, among whom there was no telling how many were royal relatives and nobles. Quite a few princes of the current dynasty disappeared overnight.

At this moment, cold sweat had already broken out on Madam Wang's forehead. Her dream of having her eldest daughter become the prince's consort had suddenly been shattered...

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PS: Thanks to the book friend 150806195025780 for the 20000 coins reward. Remember to pay the extra chapters I owe you. I will definitely make up for it later. Thanks again to this friend. This is the largest single reward the author has ever received since he wrote the book.
(End of this chapter)