The Red Chamber: Starting from Saving Xue Baochai

Chapter 18: The Innocent Shi Xiangyun

The study room in the residence of Marquis Zhongjing.

It is called a study, but in fact it is a reception room. As a military general, Shi Ding rarely reads books on weekdays.

"Yesterday was Mid-Autumn Festival, so I couldn't invite you. I asked you to come over today. I hope I didn't disturb you."

"You are too polite, my Lord. I have nothing to do today."

"Sit down and talk." Shi Ding said, pointing to the teacup on the table, "Try this Longjing tea."

"My Lord, do you like tea?"

"Why? Warriors can only drink wine?" Shi Ding said with a smile, "Don't think that only you Confucian scholars know how to appreciate tea."

Shen Yuan felt that Shi Ding had something else in mind, so he put down the teacup and said in a clear voice, "My Lord, you are joking. I am also a warrior."

"Last night, a poem called Linjiangxian was sung throughout the city. In the eyes of those scholars, you are an extraordinary talent."

As expected, Shi Ding was hinting at something, but Shen Yuan didn't want to beat around the bush with him, so he said bluntly: "My Lord, you should be a straightforward person, so just say whatever you want to say."

Shi Ding stroked his teacup and said thoughtfully, "You are a natural born general. If you are devoted to martial arts, I believe that with your wisdom and courage, you will be able to be awarded a title and become a general one day. Why do you have to associate with those corrupt scholars?"

"My Lord, I'm afraid you have misunderstood." Shen Yuan said calmly, "I have never been with anyone, not now, and not in the future."

"If there is, it is to be with the imperial court and the emperor."

Shi Ding saw Shen Yuan's resolute expression and firm tone. He originally wanted to say something to win him over, but now he didn't know where to start.

The young man in front of him had great ambitions and was targeting the imperial court and the emperor. He was not someone that his local faction of military merit could conquer.

After a moment's silence, he felt relieved.

Shi Ding was not paranoid. In this case, he thought from another angle. If he couldn't conquer him, he could at least build a good relationship with him. With the young man's talent, his status in the future might not be lower than his, and he might even become a powerful ally.

Thinking of this, he stopped worrying and said, "You are right. All the people in the land are subjects of the emperor. We are all here to share the worries of the emperor and serve the court."

"Let's not talk about this for now." Shi Ding took a long wooden box from behind him and handed it to Shen Yuan, saying, "Recently, I got a good sword, but I'm used to using swords and spears, not swords, so I thought of giving it to you."

"No merit, no reward. How can Yuan accept such a generous gift?"

"You don't have to think too much. Besides, this isn't for nothing. I have something to ask of you. This sword is just a thank you gift."

"What would you like to talk about first, Lord Marquis?" Shen Yuan was a little curious.

"I heard that you will be leaving for the capital soon to prepare for the imperial examination next year."

Shen Yuan nodded.

Shi Ding showed a meaningful smile and said in a gentle voice: "My Shi family is related to the Jia family in Shenjing. The old lady of the Jia family is my aunt."

"I have a niece named Xiangyun, who is currently living in my house. Not long ago, the old lady sent me a letter from the capital, saying that she missed her niece and asked me to send Xiangyun to the capital."

"You know, I am in charge of a provincial military commission. How can I easily go to the capital without important matters? And if I let others escort me, I would be worried. After thinking about it, I just thought of you. I believe that with our Jinling's Wu Jieyuan accompanying me, I will be safe."

After hearing this, Shen Yuan understood that Shi Ding was indeed not a reckless warrior, but a man of great calculations.

Giving him a sword as a gift and inviting him to escort her niece was probably an attempt to bring him together with Shi Xiangyun.

If it is really as he thought, Shen Yuan got both the man and the sword, wouldn't that be considered a great favor from Shi Ding?

However, on the surface, Shi Ding arranged this matter just right, except that he did not consider his niece's reputation.

"I'm afraid this is inappropriate. Miss Shi is a woman after all. It would be inconvenient for her to travel thousands of miles."

"It doesn't matter. My niece will wear men's clothes all the way." Shi Ding said with a smile: "Don't I trust your character?"

"I have no other intentions, but..." Shen Yuan said in a clear voice: "We still need to consult Miss Shi's wishes."

He thought about it and felt that it didn't matter. He was going to send Baochai to the capital anyway, it was just a matter of having one more person traveling with her. It would be fine for Shi Xiangyun to be with Baochai, and she didn't have to wear men's clothes.

"You don't need to tell me about this. As her uncle, I will ask her what she thinks."

Although Shi Ding said this, he felt that there was no need to ask more questions. Thinking about what happened last night with Xiangyun, who had been praising Shen Yuan for his literary talent since she came back from Taiping Lake, and looking at her excited look, he knew without asking that she would agree.

Since you need someone to send you off anyway, why not ask someone you trust?

It will take a few days for Shen Yuan to arrive in Beijing, so let’s put this matter aside for now.

Suddenly, he remembered the assassination of Governor Jiang Zhongnian. Shi Ding was investigating the case, so Shen Yuan asked, "I wonder if the Marquis has made any progress in the investigation of the assassination of Lord Jiang yesterday?"

Shi Ding nodded and said with a serious expression, "The identity of the assassin has been found out. He is the illegitimate son of the former governor of the Provincial Administration. His father was dismissed from his post and exiled by Governor Jiang for corruption. The son was resentful and instigated by others, so he risked his life to assassinate him."

"Instigated by someone?" Shen Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly, as if he had a premonition that this matter was unusual.

"Well, there may be the shadow of the 'Fusheng Society' behind it." Shi Ding saw Shen Yuan's puzzled expression, so he explained: "The Fusheng Society is a very large interest organization, whose members are spread across the official and business circles in Jiangnan, and they often stir up trouble under the surface."

Shen Yuan was a little surprised when he heard this, but he didn't find it strange. This kind of organization has existed in every era.

It was unexpected that not only Nanjing, but the entire Jiangnan officialdom was surging with undercurrents.

This makes officials like Jiang Zhongnian even more valuable.

However, these have nothing to do with him at the moment, and he doesn't want to care about them.

Shi Ding said these to him to express his goodwill, meaning that he would not hide important matters from him to show his willingness to make friends with him as an equal.

One can only say that Shi Ding is quite far-sighted. Despite his status as a marquis, he lowered himself to treat Shen Yuan, which shows his appreciation for Shen Yuan and his expectations for the young man's future.

"Are you curious about my relationship with Jiang Zhongnian?"

Shen Yuan nodded and said, "I was indeed curious before, but now I understand that the Marquis and Lord Jiang are neither friends nor enemies."

"Neither friend nor foe? Hmm, that's a good word." Shi Ding pondered, "Or rather, both friend and foe."

"If he insists on suppressing me, then we are enemies. If he doesn't interfere with me too much, I can cooperate with him."

"He once thought about suppressing me, but then he thought better of it because... we have a common enemy."

After listening to this, Shen Yuan now completely understood the entanglement between Jiang Zhongnian, the governor of Jinling, and Shi Ding, the commander-in-chief of Jinling, and also knew the current situation of the Jinling officialdom.

Shi Ding's frankness today surprised Shen Yuan a little.

The historians among the four major families of Jia, Wang, Shi and Xue were not as corrupt as he had thought before. At least now, Shi Ding seemed quite wise, which made him have some good impression of him.

Shen Yuan was silent for a moment, then said seriously, "I have some guesses, I wonder if the Marquis wants to hear them?"

"Oh?" Shi Ding's expression became serious, and he became interested. He said, "You can tell me what you want."

"Perhaps, Lord Jiang's current attitude towards the Marquis also represents His Majesty's intentions."

"You mean?"

"Your Majesty's purpose may never have been to target the military merit itself. The reason for suppressing it is because the military merit blocked Your Majesty's path and hindered Your Majesty's dream of reviving the Great Zhou.

Now the nine frontiers are in danger, and Your Majesty is eager for loyal and capable generals. If there are loyal and capable generals among the military meritorious officials, Your Majesty will surely use them as well.

I think the Marquis is a good general for the country. Today, the Marquis has been very open with me, and I also want to give him some advice.

My Lord, you don't need to let yourself be trapped in the stagnant water of military merit. Only by jumping out of it, you will be the loyal and prudent Marquis that the Great Zhou needs, and the loyal and prudent Marquis that Your Majesty can trust. "

After hearing this, Shi Ding seemed to be shocked.

The so-called authorities are confused, but bystanders know clearly.

Since the current emperor ascended the throne, Wu Xun has always put himself in opposition to the emperor. He never reflects on his own problems, nor does he think about why the emperor suppresses Wu Xun.

Most of the military heroes are rotten, but there are still some capable ones. These people can completely break away, win the trust of your majesty, and create glory again.

Shi Ding may become such a person.

"Maybe you're right, but it's still something to consider."

"My Lord, I have said this, but it is only my own humble opinion. As for how to choose, it is entirely up to you, Lord."

Shen Yuan didn't say anything more. He was just giving some advice out of his affection for Shi Ding. He couldn't control what happened afterwards.

Moreover, some things may not be as simple as he thought. If Shi Ding really wants to cut ties with the corrupt military heroes and surrender to the emperor, it may not be easy. Shen Yuan is just reminding Shi Ding that he has another choice.

The two chatted for a while, and after Shen Yuan had lunch at Marquis Zhongjing's mansion, he said goodbye and left.

Before leaving the house, when he was walking to the Chaoshou Corridor, he happened to meet a young girl.

The two met each other, Shen Yuan stepped aside to make way, but saw the girl's eyes looking at him.

"Master Shen Shen?"

The girl was a little panicked when she suddenly saw a strange boy in the mansion. After taking a quick look, she found that it was Shen Yuan, who won the poetry competition on Taiping Lake yesterday. Her expression turned into surprise.

When Shen Yuan heard the girl's surprised question, he looked up and felt that the girl looked familiar.

After taking a closer look, I saw that the girl was wearing golden hairpins and hairpins, brocade clothes, an apple-shaped face, willow-shaped eyebrows, a bee waist, a monkey back, and a crane-like posture, looking like a young lady.

Then he knew her identity, nodded, and said, "Hello, Miss Smith."

After a pause, he asked again: "Have we met somewhere before?"

Upon hearing this, Shi Xiangyun blushed and stammered, "Last night, on the boat, Xiangyun met Master Shen."

Shen Yuan thought about it for a moment before he remembered.

Yesterday, when he saw the young man with red lips and white teeth next to Jiang Qiuer, he felt a little suspicious. Considering the previous case of Jiang Qiuer, he guessed that the young man was most likely a girl. He never thought that it was Shi Xiangyun dressed as a man.

"Oh, you are good friends with the young master of Governor Jiang's family?"

"Ah?" Xiangyun didn't react for a moment. After a while, she realized that the young master Shen Yuan was talking about was Jiang Qiuer, and she said "hmm" lightly.

I don’t know if Mr. Shen will have any misunderstandings about her.

Shen Yuan didn't think much about it. He just happened to meet him and asked, "I just met Marquis Zhongjing. He said you wanted to go to Shenjing, but he was worried about the safety of the road, so he asked me to take you with him. I wonder if Miss Shi is willing?"

"Ah?" Shi Xiangyun was stunned again, then came to her senses and asked, "Will it not delay Mr. Shen's business?"

"No, I was planning to go to Shenjing in the near future." In order to reassure the little girl, Shen Yuan added: "There are other women traveling with us. Miss Shi can stay with her, so there shouldn't be too much inconvenience."

Xiangyun heard this, her eyes flashed with curiosity, and she asked in a coquettish voice: "The woman Mr. Shen is talking about, is it the Fairy Hengwu?"

Shen Yuan nodded and did not deny it.

Seeing this, the girl became even more excited and said with a bright smile, "Xiangyun is willing."

Thinking of having the fairy Hengwu as her companion and the poet Shen Jieyuan seeing her off, the little girl could not help but start looking forward to the journey ahead.

Shen Yuan looked at the innocent girl, and he couldn't help but feel relieved. He smiled and said, "That's good. I was thinking that if Miss Shi doesn't want to, I can only return the sword given by your uncle."

"Oh, so uncle has already paid." The girl raised her apple-like face, looked at the handsome face in front of her, and smiled sweetly: "I was just thinking about what I should give to Master Shen to thank him."

Shen Yuan said jokingly: "The more gifts you give, the less blame you will get. If Miss Shi gives me one, I won't refuse it."

Shi Xiangyun: “.”

Mr. Shen was really rude to her and didn't look like a bookworm at all. It was quite interesting.

Shen Yuan looked at that young face, which seemed to be thinking from time to time, and he had the urge to reach out and pinch it.

His eyes moved slightly downward and took a look at the golden unicorn hanging on the girl's chest, and he couldn't help feeling a little strange.

Another perfect match.

Shi Ding originally planned to pair Shi Xiangyun with Jia Baoyu, right?

The next day at 4 p.m., night fell.

Tongfu Inn, in a room on the second floor.

Jia Yucun came as agreed.

He originally planned to invite Shen Yuan to go to the most famous Zui Xiang Lou in Yingtian Prefecture, but unexpectedly Shen Yuan invited him to Tongfu Inn.

But it didn't matter. His goal was to ease the relationship with Shen Yuan and use the young man to climb up to the governor's high position. As for which restaurant to go to and what food to eat, these were not important.

As soon as Jia Yucun entered the room, he smiled and said, "Shen Jieyuan is so hard to meet. I finally get to meet him today. This meal is on my table."

Shen Yuan said calmly: "This is also my home ground, how can I let the guests treat me?"

"Why do we need to be so polite? I have always felt that Shen Jieyuan and I are destined to be together." Jia Yucun sat down with a smile on his face. "As far as the matter of suppressing bandits is concerned, Shen Jieyuan can be said to be my benefactor."

After hearing this, Shen Yuan suddenly felt a chill and interrupted, "Master Jia will be promoted soon, right?"

Jia Yucun was stunned when he heard this. His promotion to the position of councilor of the provincial government had not been announced yet, and he never thought that Shen Yuan already knew about it. He only thought that the young man learned about it from the governor, and he began to pay more attention to Shen Yuan.

"Thanks to Shen Jieyuan for sending me this great achievement of suppressing the bandits, I will definitely toast you a few more glasses today."

Jia Yucun continued to greet Shen Yuan with a smile, not paying too much attention to the indifference in Shen Yuan's tone, but the young man's next words made this hypocrite's face suddenly change.

"So, this is how Lord Jia repays you!"

"While suppressing the bandits, let Guo Tai take advantage of the chaos to get rid of the nobleman?"

"On the eve of the Autumn Examination, someone put drugs in the food of the nobleman?"

(End of this chapter)