The Red Chamber: Starting from Saving Xue Baochai

Chapter 141 July th Shen Yuan Takes a Concubine

Nan'an County Prince's Mansion, study.

Wang Ziteng came here today specially to visit Prince Zheng Chong of Nan'an.

The servant poured the tea and left. Wang Ziteng stared at Zheng Chong and said, "Your Majesty also knows that His Majesty is determined to reorganize the Beijing camp. If this matter is to be accomplished, it cannot be done without your full support."

Zheng Chong smiled inwardly when he heard this. After not seeing him for many years, Wang Ziteng was still the same as before. He only knew how to flatter the emperor and even used the emperor to pressure him.

But he smiled in a muffled voice and said, "Support, of course I support. The military discipline of the Beijing Army has indeed been a little lax in recent years. It is time to rectify it. My brother is trusted by His Majesty and shoulders a great responsibility. Naturally, I will fully cooperate with him."

Wang Ziteng secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and a smile appeared on his face. He said, "Although there are occasional wars in the nine borders of the Great Zhou, the capital camp has been at peace for a long time. From Your Majesty to the court and the people, everyone is eager to strengthen the army and the country. This time, we must make a good order, so that we can live up to the grace of the emperor and the people."

Zheng Chong smiled faintly, nodded, and said: "This is the general trend. Don't worry, my brother. The Five Military Commandery will cooperate."

Wang Ziteng hesitated for a moment and said, "There is one more thing that I need your help with."

"Oh? What's the matter?"

"I hope that Your Highness can inform the military officers of the Beijing Camp in advance. I am only doing my job impartially and will not deliberately make things difficult for you. I hope that you will understand and cooperate."

The method proposed by Wang Ziteng to reorganize officers and lay off the old and weak has been approved by Emperor Yuanzhen. He is not worried that the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commandery will block the documents he sends, but he is worried that the generals with military honors will secretly unite to resist.

Zheng Chong's eyes narrowed slightly when he heard this. He sneered in his heart. He thought they were using him as a pawn. So he pretended to be embarrassed and said, "My brother should probably go to King Beijing for this matter. He has a much greater influence on the military generals than I do."

After a pause, he added: "Of course, I will also come forward, but... the number of generals I can influence is limited after all."

The Prince of Nan'an first agreed in a general way. After all, Wang Ziteng had come to visit him in person, and the emperor would probably see it. If he failed to reorganize the army in the future, he didn't want Wang Ziteng to blame him.

Wang Ziteng was silent when he heard this. He had already looked for Prince Beijing before, but the prince simply said "don't ask about other military honors" and chose to keep himself out of it. He didn't know what to say.

Seeing Wang Ziteng remained silent, Zheng Chong drank a sip of tea and said, "Brother Wang's method of organizing the army is fine, but I have something to say and I still want to remind you."

Wang Ziteng frowned and said, "Your Majesty, please continue."

Zheng Chong pretended to be worried and said, "We can reorganize them, but many of the old soldiers in the Beijing camp have made contributions to the Great Zhou. Even if we want to lay them off, we should give them some compensation and properly resettle them to avoid resentment and chaos."

Anyway, he has reminded everyone that he should have, so if anything goes wrong in the reorganization of the army in the future, he will not be blamed at all. Moreover, he is now speaking out to fight for the rights of the laid-off soldiers, and if the news spreads later, it will surely win the hearts of the soldiers.

In the past few days, Zheng Chong also read the document that Wang Ziteng sent to the Five Military Commandery. It was obviously too radical and posed great hidden dangers.

Wang Ziteng heard this and said confidently, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. We have already taken care of this matter. According to my observation, there are many generals in the Beijing camp who suck the blood of soldiers and eat empty salaries in recent years. This time, I will strictly investigate the vacancies and make the corrupt generals fill the deficit. Then I will use the proceeds to settle the old and weak who were laid off."

Zheng Chong sneered in his heart, "Since my brother has found a way to satisfy both sides, I will not say anything more."

Wang Ziteng is really wishful thinking. He has affected the interests of so many people at once and yet he wants to have a simple ending. How naive.

If a chaos really breaks out, he, the Prince of Nan'an, might have to help turn the tide, which would be a huge achievement.

In fact, Wang Ziteng was not without worries, but the whole court worked together to reorganize the army, which gave him enough confidence.

With such a magnificent trend, who dares to stop it, and who dares to have any other thoughts?
Wang Ziteng left the Prince of Nan'an's Mansion and returned to the commander's tent in the Beijing camp. He summoned the chief clerk Xu Dian and several trusted lieutenant generals.

He roughly explained what the Prince of Nan'an had said, and then asked, "Mr. Xu, do you think the Prince of Nan'an will cooperate?"

Xu Dian hesitated for a moment and replied, "Whether he cooperates or not, since the commander-in-chief has reported the method of reorganizing the army to the emperor, the arrow is on the string and must be fired. However, the commanders of the various battalions in the Beijing camp must be monitored and their every move must be paid attention to at all times to prevent any accidents from happening."

Wang Ziteng said: "I will cut the Gordian knot and not give them time to cause trouble."

Xu Dian shook his head and sighed. Wang Ziteng was dazzled by the great achievement at the moment and selectively ignored his words.

After a moment of silence, Wang Ziteng asked, "Have the people from the New Army Guard come over?"

"Lord Shen has already sent two thousand households over."

"Okay, let them be ready at any time. Once the Beijing Camp is disbanded and reorganized, they can practice the new army's methods." Wang Ziteng paused and said softly: "Find a way to bring these two people under my command."

-

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye it is already the seventh day of July.

This day is the day Shen Yuan takes a concubine.

In this era, there were no three books and six ceremonies for taking a concubine, and there was not even a need to worship in the hall. The concubine could just be carried directly into the room. This was in stark contrast to marrying a wife, and resulted in a very low status for concubines.

Although Shen Yuan didn't want to hold a grand wedding, he prepared basically everything he could, and tried his best to make Ying'er feel like a bride.

Wedding dresses and red veils are indispensable, and the bridal chamber is also carefully decorated. Baochai also prepares clothes and jewellery for Ying'er.

Although there was no grand banquet, the Shen Mansion was decorated extremely festively inside and out today. Every maid and old woman in the mansion could see that their master Shen Yuan was extremely fond of his new concubine, not to mention that this concubine was Madam Baochai's personal maid. Naturally, everyone in the mansion would show enough respect to Ying'er from now on.

Shen Yuan and Ying'er formally bowed to heaven and earth and were then sent to the bridal chamber.

Ying'er was sitting on the bed. Her oval face under the red veil showed a hint of nervousness, and she kept twisting the red handkerchief in her hand.

Wearing a bright red wedding dress and marrying her husband, she had never dreamed of such a scene before, but it came true today.

Thinking about what happened after meeting Shen Yuan, I was overwhelmed with emotions and my eyes became slightly moist.

At this moment, Ying'er felt her eyes brighten, and the red veil was suddenly lifted, revealing a handsome face smiling at her.

Ying'er paused for a moment and called softly, "Uncle."

Shen Yuan said softly, "Call me husband."

For some reason, Ying'er felt a little sour in her nose, tears glistened in her bright almond eyes, and she choked up and said, "Husband...husband."

Ying'er now has a husband from now on, and... her husband treats her so well.

Shen Yuan reached out his hand and gently wiped the corners of Ying'er's eyes, saying softly, "Okay, Ying'er, don't cry. This only happens once in a lifetime, so you should be happy."

Feeling the doting of her husband, the girl could no longer restrain her love in her heart. She put on a sweet smile and said, "Ying'er is very happy, very happy."

Shen Yuan pinched her face, which was already very pretty even with just a little makeup on, and said with a smile: "Come, drink the wedding wine with your husband." After drinking the wedding wine, Ying'er's pretty face, which exuded the breath of youth, showed a bit of charm at this moment, and she said in a mosquito-like voice: "Husband, it's... time to rest."

"Ah."

After getting Shen Yuan's response, Ying'er's cheeks suddenly turned red as hue. Without saying a word, she squatted down to serve.

Shen Yuan: “.”

He quickly pulled Ying'er up and said, "Today is a happy day, so there is no need to... indulge in verbal desires."

When Ying'er heard this, her cheeks flushed red and she stood there, at a loss for what to do.

Shen Yuan shook his head and smiled, took half a step forward, put his arms around the girl's slender waist, and fell towards the bed.

Undressing, burying head in the snow, with orioles chirping and horses clacking...

On the other side, in Baochai's room, Qiu'er was chatting with Baochai.

Qiu Er showed a bit of envy on her face, and said in a delicate voice: "Sister Bao, when can I marry Brother Shen?"

"... "

As soon as Qiu Er said this, she felt that it was a little inappropriate. After all, asking when she could marry someone else's husband in front of Sister Bao, the legal wife, was a little too...

The girl stuck out her tongue and smiled embarrassedly.

After Baochai accepted the fact that she and Qiu'er would share a husband, she no longer had so many grudges in her heart. She smiled gently and said, "It won't be long before my husband asks for a title for Qiu'er, and then my sister will be able to marry into the mansion in a grand manner."

As a woman, Baochai is not without a bit of jealousy. The reason why she is so magnanimous is, on the one hand, because of her temperament, and on the other hand, more importantly, because of Shen Yuan's doting on her, which makes her feel that she should be tolerant of her husband.

Qiu Er was touched when she heard this. She hugged Bao Chai's arm and said softly, "Sister Bao is the best sister in the world. No wonder Sister Bao is the only one in Brother Shen's heart."

This is not a compliment. Qiu'er really admires her sister. If she puts herself in her sister's shoes, it would be difficult for her to achieve the same level as Baochai.

.........

The next day, at Shen's Mansion.

Although July is already autumn, the climate is still hot, which is called the autumn tiger.

In the side room, Shen Yuan turned his head to look at Ying'er who was quietly following him. The girl's charming look was still there, and her face was even more enchanting than before.

Although Ying'er's breasts are not as plump as Baochai's, her curves and curves can be clearly seen through the thin quilt.

At this time, Shen Yuan's hand was still on that round and soft breast. He squeezed it, feeling the softness and smoothness of the white skin between his palms. Then he remembered that the girl was not wearing any clothes.

In the early autumn morning, the sky is already rising.

At this moment, Ying'er's long eyelashes trembled slightly. She moaned, opened her eyes, and slightly turned her head. She saw her husband so close to her, and her heart was filled with joy.

"Husband~" The girl smiled sweetly, revealing two pink dimples.
Shen Yuan pinched the girl's smooth cheek and said with a smile: "Kiss your husband."

Ying'er felt her husband's doting, suppressed her shyness, came closer, and pressed her soft lips against the boy's face.
Shen Yuan stroked the corner of the girl's lips with his finger and said with a smile: "Not enough."

Ying'er blinked her beautiful eyes, her cheeks became even redder, and after a moment of hesitation, she slowly turned her body to the side, and touched her husband's mouth with her pink lips. After a brief taste, she was about to separate.
Shen Yuan suddenly pulled the girl into his arms and began to greedily absorb her.
Ying'er was now lying on top of the young man, neither of them wearing a single piece of clothing.
The two hot bodies hugged each other tightly, and the girl could naturally feel the difference in her husband.

When the two of them parted their lips, Ying'er said something softly, which completely ignited the anger in Shen Yuan's belly. Then the young man turned over and
.......
Apart from the Shen family, not many people knew about Shen Yuan's taking a concubine on Qixi Festival.
But on the same day of the seventh month, another event made the city of Shenjing lively.
After nearly a month of waiting, the first volume of the Legend of the White Snake, "White Snake Origin", was finally published in Hanmozhai.
In order to create momentum, Hanmozhai spared no effort in publicity and announced the event several days in advance.

When the first batch of 3,000 stories were put on sale at Jingyue Tower, they were sold out in less than an hour and were sought after by many boys and girls in the city.

Each volume contained 100,000 words and was sold for ten taels of silver. Jingyue Tower earned another 30,000 taels of silver that day.

Renshoufang, Fu’s house.

The maid Xier excitedly entered the backyard holding a newly bought storybook.

"Girl, I got it!"

Fu Qiufang's expression did not change much when he heard this. He continued to practice the entire set of sword techniques before slowly stopping, making a sword flower, and sheathing the sword.

He raised his eyes to look at Xi'er and said in a clear voice, "Bring it here for me to see."

In fact, Fu Qiufang was not very interested in this kind of love storybook. It was only when she saw Hanmo Zhai repeatedly promoting it in recent days that she became curious and asked her maid to buy it.

Taking the storybook from Xier, Fu Qiufang glanced at the cover and saw a picture of a young couple hugging each other under an umbrella. She shook her head and smiled, as if it was no different from those plays involving young ladies and scholars.

Looking at the lower right corner again, the girl's eyes suddenly moved slightly, attracted by the signature.

"Fairy Xiaoxiang?" Fu Qiufang smiled and murmured, "She should be a woman, right? Interesting~"

When I opened it and read it again, I was stunned.

Good writing!
The choice of words and sentences is just right, and the plot description flows smoothly, making people feel comfortable when reading it.

It seems... this Fairy Xiaoxiang is really well versed in contemporary literature and art. In this era when people advocate that a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent, she can indeed be called a remarkable woman.

Fu Qiufang continued to read page by page, and became absorbed in reading...

Rongguo Mansion, Daiyu's room.

Yuanchun held a copy of "White Snake" in her hand, looked at Daiyu, and said incredulously: "Sister Lin, was this story really made up by Brother Yuan?"

Daiyu nodded and smiled, "That is indeed what Brother Shen said. Sister Yun and the others have also heard it."

Xiangyun also nodded and said, "Yes, big sister, Brother Shen has told us the story of the White Snake. There is more to it than that. Brother Shen has also told us many interesting stories."

When Yuanchun heard this, she was filled with surprise. How come brother Yuan knew everything?
He is not only a once-in-a-century martial arts champion, but also a champion in poetry, and he is also an expert in craftsmanship. Now he has made up such a magical story. Is there anything that Brother Yuan can't do?
After a long while, Yuanchun suppressed her shock. Suddenly she remembered what Xiangyun had just said. Her elegant face showed some excitement. She couldn't wait to ask, "Sister Yun, are you talking about the story of the White Snake? Brother Yuan has finished telling it?"

"Sisters, please tell me quickly..."

(End of this chapter)