The Red Chamber: Starting from Saving Xue Baochai

Chapter 142: The plump and beautiful cook

Prince Zhongshun’s Palace, back hall.

On the stage, Qi Guan'er danced with her flowing sleeves. She looked even more charming and seductive than the women in the water towns of the south of the Yangtze River.

Prince Zhongshun, with a face full of fat, was half lying on the Arhat couch below the stage. A group of beautiful concubines were massaging his shoulders and back, rubbing his legs and holding him up with a pillar. There was also a charming woman serving him huge fruits and plump grapes.

At this time, the housekeeper Qian Gui came over. Although he was used to the scene before him, he still felt his blood boiling and his throat rolling.

"Your Highness." Qian Gui hesitated, but still called out.

Prince Zhongshun spat out the half-eaten grape and asked impatiently, "What's the matter?"

Qian Gui said: "There is new movement over at Jingyue Tower."

"Speak." Prince Zhongshun showed some interest and stroked the papaya beside him.

Qian Gui resisted the urge to look at the large expanse of snow, looked at King Zhongshun, and said respectfully: "Jingyue Tower sold the first batch of 3,000 books today, each for ten taels of silver, and they were all sold out in less than an hour."

"Oh..." Prince Zhongshun couldn't help but shudder, his eyes sometimes wandering, sometimes focused, he pondered and said: "Sold 30,000 taels in one hour?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"This Jingyue Tower is really a treasure trove." Prince Zhongshun looked at his concubines vying to help him clean his saliva, and patted a few of them on the head to show his approval of them.

After a pause, he continued, "How is the matter I asked you to investigate going?"

Qian Gui looked at the scene in front of him and couldn't help but bowed to avoid showing any strangeness. He said softly: "Your Highness, although I haven't found out that Shen Yuan has done anything illegal, I have learned another thing. His brother-in-law Xue Pan... once killed someone in Jinling. The Xue family came to Shenjing to avoid disaster."

King Zhongshun asked, "Who is the victim?"

These days, it is not necessarily a big deal if the rich and powerful kill someone. If the person killed is just a commoner, the government will not pursue the matter.

Qian Gui said: "The man who was beaten to death was named Feng Yuan, the son of a local squire in Jinling. He was beaten to death by Xue Pan because he was fighting with him for a maid."

"What happened next?"

"It is said that the Xue family bribed the prefect of Yingtian who was judging the case and faked his own death to get away with it."

King Zhongshun's eyes narrowed and he asked, "Is this credible?"

"I learned this from a steward of the Xue family. This is probably true."

"Good." King Zhongshun was delighted when he heard this, and he clapped his hands and laughed, "With this handle in hand, I don't believe that Shen Yuan will not surrender. Then all the money earned by Jingyue Tower will go into my pocket. No, I will show mercy and leave him 10%."

As Prince Zhongshun spoke, he burst into laughter, the flesh on his face twitched constantly, and his eyes flashed with a cold light from time to time.

After a while, he ordered Qian Gui: "Send someone to Jinling as soon as possible to find out the details of this case and bring the victims back to the capital. I will seek justice for them."

"Yes, Your Highness." Qian Gui responded and went down to make arrangements.

……

Another day passed, and Shen Yuan returned home from work.

When she arrived at the backyard, she did not see Baochai and the others, so she asked the maid and learned that several girls from the Rong Mansion had come and were having a barbecue in Huifang Garden.

Shen Yuan had nothing important to do, so he went to Huifang Garden. As soon as he arrived at the garden, he was greeted by a fragrant aroma.

"My elder sister is here too." Shen Yuan walked closer and saw a familiar plump figure.

"Brother Yuan." Yuanchun raised her eyes upon hearing the voice and saw Shen Yuan coming over. A smile appeared on her graceful face.

"Husband."

"Brother Shen."

Baochai, Qiu'er, Daiyu, Xiangyun and the three springs also greeted them happily.

Shen Yuan smiled and nodded in response, and finally glanced at Ying'er with gentle eyes.

This girl is now Shen Yuan's concubine. Naturally, her status is different from that of a maid before. Although she does not have as good a background as these girls, she is now treated as a sister by the girls.

Ying'er felt a little uncomfortable, for she knew that the main reason these young ladies were so kind to her was because of Shen Yuan.

She still regarded herself as Baochai's maid, always serving her.

"My elder sister brought some cakes, please try them, my husband." Baochai took a piece of cake from the stone table and handed it to Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan did not take it with his hands, but lowered his head slightly and ate it directly. During the process, his lips and teeth touched Baochai's white and soft fingertips.

Baochai was stunned for a moment, she never thought that her husband would be like this in front of so many people... Her face suddenly turned red, and she couldn't help but glare at her husband with shame and anger.

Seeing this scene, the girls blushed.

After eating, Shen Yuan praised: "It tastes very good."

This made the girls imagine more, and they didn't know whether Brother Shen was talking about the cakes or Baochai's fingers...

"Anything else?" Shen Yuanzhen thought the pastry was indeed delicious and had no other thoughts at the moment.

"Ah?" Baochai came back to her senses, turned her eyes to look at the stone table, and said softly, "No...no more."

Shen Yuan joked: "So you only left me this small piece."

Upon hearing this, all the girls looked at Xiangyun with smiles in their eyes.

"It's really because the cakes made by my elder sister are so delicious." Xiangyun felt a little uncomfortable being stared at by her sisters. She smiled awkwardly and said softly, "I couldn't help but...eat a few more pieces."

"So it's you, the greedy little cat." Shen Yuan found Xiangyun's expression funny and said jokingly, "If it weren't for your sister Bao thinking of me, I'm afraid this last piece would have gone into the little greedy cat's stomach."

Xiangyun felt a little embarrassed by what Shen Yuan said. Her pretty apple-like face blushed a little. She said in a soft voice, "Brother Shen, I'm sorry. I will eat less next time."

Seeing that little Xiangyun had finally stopped being stubborn and said these submissive words, Baochai, Daiyu and the others couldn't help but burst out laughing.

At this moment, surrounded by laughter and joy, everyone's mood is becoming more relaxed.

"Everyone likes it. I will make more tomorrow." Yuanchun said, looking up at Shen Yuan. Her heart was filled with joy. She didn't expect that brother Yuan also liked these sweets.

Shen Yuan looked at the beautiful face and asked, "Did Big Sister make this herself?"

Yuanchun nodded and said, "I had nothing to do in the palace before, so I learned to cook some meals to pass the time."

Xiangyun said, "Big sister's cooking skills should be better than the imperial chefs in the palace." Daiyu looked at Xiangyun's admiring expression and smiled, "I don't know how many greedy bugs are growing in sister Yun's stomach. I'm afraid she will have to stick to big sister from now on."

Xiangyun was not angry after hearing this. She smiled and replied, "It seems that Sister Lin also ate three pieces just now. It turns out that Sister Lin has a gluttonous stomach."

"Where did the three pieces come from? There are clearly only... two pieces." Daiyu said, her pretty face feeling a little hot.

Shen Yuan smiled slightly. It was a pleasing thing to see two beautiful girls bickering with each other.

Having said that, Shen Yuan also felt that Yuanchun's craftsmanship was indeed extraordinary.

Thinking of this, an idea suddenly came to him.

He looked at Yuanchun again and said, "Big sister, have you adapted to the days you've been away from the palace?"

Yuanchun was silent for a moment, then said softly, "It's not bad. After all, there aren't as many restrictions as in the palace."

She couldn't describe how she felt now. She was indeed happy these few days since she came back, but that empty feeling in her heart was always there.

After all, she was older than the other girls in the family and knew more. She was not used to spending her days idly in her boudoir and losing her goals.

Shen Yuan thought for a moment and asked, "Big sister, have you ever thought about the future?"

Yuanchun raised her fair and plump face, her bright and clear eyes reflecting the young man opposite her. She sighed softly in her heart and was about to say something but stopped herself.

She had thought about the future, but... as a woman and it was Double Tenth, what else could she do besides waiting for her family's arrangements?
Shen Yuan said softly: "If you can't stay idle at home, I have a suggestion."

The girl heard this, her beautiful eyes flickered under her curved eyebrows, and she asked curiously: "Brother Yuan, do you have any suggestions?"

The girls around also raised their eyes to look at Shen Yuan and listened quietly.

Shen Yuan smiled and said, "I plan to add some snacks to Jingyue Tower. Big sister is such a good cook, why not use her skills?"

When Yuanchun heard this, a trace of surprise appeared on her beautiful face, and she asked in astonishment: "Is this... possible?"

Brother Yuan means... to let her be a cook? Is this a bit too much?
Shen Yuan explained: "It's not that I'm going to Jingyue Tower to provide cooking, but I want my elder sister to teach me how to cook these meals. There's no need to show up in public, and my elder sister can teach here.

Of course, I will also give profits to my elder sister based on the revenue of Jingyue Tower. In a year, it should be several thousand taels."

Shen Yuan's suggestion was only to let Yuanchun come to the Shen Mansion to be a cooking teacher in her spare time. She did not need to show up in public, and the actual cook would be hired separately.

It can not only kill free time and avoid random thoughts, but also bring in a considerable amount of income. Besides, preparing meals is also Yuanchun's hobby.

Yuanchun thought for a moment, and a hint of joy appeared on her beautiful face. She said softly, "Brother Yuan, I... will give it a try."

Shen Yuan smiled and said, "The people of Shenjing are in for a treat. The cakes made by elder sister are so delicious that even Sister Lin, who usually has a poor appetite, is greedy for them, let alone others."

Daiyu: "..."

Why did Brother Yuan only talk about her? Did he think she was greedy?
Daiyu raised her eyes to look at Shen Yuan, who was also looking at her at that moment. When she met those gentle and smiling eyes, the girl felt shy, blushed and turned her head away slightly, not daring to look at the boy.

Shen Yuan didn't mean anything else. He just used Daiyu as an example to illustrate that what Yuanchun cooked was really delicious. Not to mention the girls, even he himself felt a little greedy. It had been a long time since he had felt this way.

Some people are born with a talent for making delicious food, and perhaps Yuanchun is one of them.

In the future, Shen Yuan can provide some ideas for future meals, such as cakes and milk tea. Who knows, Yuanchun may be able to innovate some different delicacies.

At this moment, Shen Yuan couldn't help but think of Yuanchun wearing a close-fitting cook's uniform. What a graceful, plump and beautiful cook...

Thinking of this, he quickly put aside his distracting thoughts. The pornographic waste that later generations read was indeed poisonous to people's hearts.

As Baochai listened to the conversation between the two, she was thinking a little. After Lin Daiyu's storybook, her elder sister now had a new business.

At this time, Xiangyun looked at Yuanchun, then at Daiyu, and said enviously, "Sister Lin earned a large sum of money from writing storybooks the other day, and elder sister has some too. Brother Shen, when will you find some income for the other sisters? Don't be partial."

Xiangyun said this not for the money, but because she felt that Sister Bao, Sister Lin, and the elder sister all had their own careers, and she also wanted to do something meaningful.

Everything is afraid of comparison. At this moment, Tanchun's bright and beautiful eyes are also shining, and she seems eager to try.

Yingchun was dull and Xichun was cold; the two girls did not reveal much emotion at this moment, but they seemed to be envious deep in their hearts.

Shen Yuan smiled and said, "If Sister Yun is interested, you might as well work with Sister Qiu'er to help your sister Bao calculate the account books."

Xiangyun pouted her lips when she heard this, wanting to say something but stopping herself. Her excitement suddenly dropped. She hated calculating numbers the most. The little girl had a literary heart and felt dizzy when she saw numbers.

……

Beijing camp, the main tent of the Jiedushi.

Lieutenant General Han Rui looked at Wang Ziteng and said, "General, when will we reorganize the camp? Which camp should we start with?"

Since receiving the emperor's order, Wang Ziteng and a group of his confidants have been secretly collecting information from various regiments and camps. After all, they have been away from the Beijing camp for several years, so they have to investigate thoroughly.

After more than a month of exploration and preparation, we now have a full understanding of the situation of the officers and soldiers of the 12th Regiment of the Beijing Camp.

Wang Ziteng looked at the list in his hand and thought carefully.

Lieutenant General Chen Kang's eyes flashed, and he said, "General, why don't we start with the Yangwei Camp? The commander of the Yangwei Camp, Wang Xian, is not from the military merit family, so I think he will be easy to cooperate with."

Wang Ziteng shook his head and said, "Don't move the Yangwei Camp and Zhenwei Camp for now."

The former governor of Yangwei Camp, Wei Zhong, had been punished by Emperor Yuanzhen for colluding with mountain bandits. Now both Yangwei Camp and Zhenwei Camp are managed by Wang Xian, who is also a person trusted by the emperor. Wang Ziteng does not want to interfere in the affairs of these two camps at this time.

Wang Ziteng looked at the chief clerk Xu Dian and asked, "What is Mr. Xu's opinion?"

These days, Xu Dian has been compiling information about the commanders of each regiment and battalion. As for the current understanding of the situation of the Beijing Camp, Xu Dian may be more familiar with it than Wang Ziteng.

Xu Dian thought for a moment and said, "I think we can start with one of the battalions from the Fenwu Battalion and the Liwei Battalion. The governors of these two battalions are old, and the court has long discussed changing their commanders, but there is no suitable candidate for the time being, so they are allowed to stay for the time being. Now these two are not interested in military affairs, and the power is dispersed in the hands of the governors and assistant governors, so it is relatively easy to control them."

Wang Ziteng nodded and agreed with what he said, "Then let's start with these two regiments."

Xu Dian was shocked when he heard this, and felt a strong sense of uneasiness in his heart. Wang Ziteng was planning to reorganize the Fenwu Camp and the Liwei Camp at the same time.

"General, there are nearly 40,000 soldiers in the two regiments. If we reorganize them at the same time, if something unexpected happens, it may get out of control. Why don't we..."

Before Xu Dian could finish, Wang Ziteng interrupted him with a wave of his hand: "It would take too long to sort out everything one by one, and it would be more likely to cause chaos. It is better to cut the Gordian knot."

According to his idea, he would first reorganize these two camps and then directly implement the entire Beijing camp in one fell swoop.

(End of this chapter)