The Red Chamber: Starting from Saving Xue Baochai

Chapter 20: Journey Thousand Miles to the Capital

The time to enter the capital had been set, so Shen Yuan went to the Mansion of Marquis Zhongjing.

He originally wanted to tell Shi Ding the time and let him notify Shi Xiangyun to make preparations in advance.

But who would have thought that this Lord Shi actually called Xiangyun over to meet Shen Yuan, and the girl was wearing women's clothes, dressed like a lady from a noble family.

Although Shi Ding is a warrior, it is impossible for him not to know the difference between men and women. By acting like this, he must have made up his mind to try his best to bring the two together.

"Yun'er, come here." Shi Ding knew that they already knew each other, so he didn't introduce them any more. He smiled and said, "On the tenth day of September, you will go with Shen Yuan to Shenjing City. With the great scholar Shen you've always thought of seeing you off, you shouldn't feel bored."

"What is Second Uncle talking about?" Shi Xiangyun's pretty face turned red.

What was she thinking about? She just admired the young man's poetic talent and spoke as if she had other thoughts.

Shen Yuan was also quite embarrassed. He felt that Shi Ding was a little too aggressive. How old was Shi Xiangyun now?
But he still had a calm expression on his face and smiled, "Yuanding has done his best to protect Miss Shi all the way."

When Xiangyun heard this, her heart warmed and she inexplicably felt a sense of security.

The young man in front of him is not only talented in poetry, but also a newly crowned martial arts champion. Previously, he single-handedly killed the bandit leader and wiped out the bandit problem in one fell swoop. Looking at the whole of Jinling, who can compare with him?

Shi Ding looked at his niece's happy expression and said gently, "This time when you go, please help bring some things to your aunt. It's inconvenient for me, your nephew, to travel far, so this is just a small token of my appreciation."

Xiangyun hummed lightly and said, "Don't worry, uncle. You are very busy with official business. My great aunt knows that."

Shen Yuan looked at the warm words between the uncle and nephew in front of him, and recalled the original story of Shi Xiangyun's life in the Shi family in the Dream of the Red Chamber.

Some people say that Shi Xiangyun sometimes did needlework until very late at the Shi family, and based on this they conclude that the girl was treated harshly by her uncle and aunt, but this is not the case.

In ancient times, women were encouraged to read less and learn more needlework. Even ladies from wealthy families often did needlework by themselves. This was the case with Xiangyun and Baochai, and there was nothing strange about it.

Moreover, it is also mentioned in the original version of A Dream of Red Mansions that when Shi Xiangyun went to the Jia Mansion to play, she was wearing too many clothes. Xiangyun said: These were all told to me by my second aunt, who would want to wear these?

Although these words contain complaints, they do not contain any blame, which shows that Mr. and Mrs. Shi Ding are still very good to Xiangyun.

Shen Yuan believed this statement more. After all, Shi Xiangyun was able to develop a confident and romantic personality while living with others, which was not what she should have if she had been mistreated since childhood.

After chatting for a while, Shen Yuan was about to say goodbye and leave, but Shi Ding reminded him: "You will go north and pass through Jinling, Shandong, and Northern Zhili. Other places are fine, but don't stay too long in Shandong!"

Shen Yuan's mind was slightly moved when he heard this. He asked in a more serious tone, "I have also heard about the bandit problem in Shandong. I wonder to what extent it has spread?"

Shi Ding said solemnly, "Natural disasters have hit Shandong frequently in recent years, leaving thousands of miles of barren land. The people have a hard time, causing refugees to flee everywhere, and bandits are rampant everywhere. The government can't do much."

Shen Yuan knew clearly that if the survival problem of the refugees was not solved fundamentally, the government would never be able to completely eliminate the bandits.

"I've made note of this and will be careful."

After leaving Marquis Zhongjing's Mansion, Shen Yuan went to the Governor's Office.

Previously, Jiang Fan had mentioned to him that he wanted to go to Beijing together. Now they have tentatively planned the itinerary, so he came to ask again.

In the back hall of the governor's office, Jiang Zhongnian sat in the main seat, while Shen Yuan and Jiang Fan sat on his left and right respectively.

"The tenth day of the ninth month?" Jiang Zhongnian took a sip of the fragrant tea and put down the teacup. "The spring examination will not begin until February next year. There is still a lot of time. Why are you in such a hurry to go to Beijing?"

"If we go earlier, we can prepare earlier. Besides, the journey is long. We will arrive in Beijing in late October, so we don't have much time left."

"Since you have made up your mind, your uncle won't say much." Jiang Zhongnian looked at Jiang Fan again and said in a clear voice, "You have reached adulthood and your heart is set on the world. Your father will not force you to stay at home for the New Year. It is up to you to decide whether to go with Shen Yuan."

Jiang Fan said without hesitation: "Father, I would like to go with Brother Shen."

He had been looking forward to this trip for a long time, and his heart was already flying high. Why should he stay at home and look at his strict father's face when he could travel with his close brothers?
Jiang Zhongnian: “.”

"Why don't you just do it? Is your father so unpopular?"

Before Jiang Fan could answer, a sweet voice was heard.

"Who doesn't like father? Qiu'er is so rare."

After a moment, Jiang Qiuer walked in dressed in men's clothes.

When seeing his daughter, Jiang Zhongnian's originally serious expression suddenly turned into a warm one, as if his little daughter was still caring and considerate.

Jiang Qiuer glanced at Shen Yuan imperceptibly, puffed up her cheeks, and asked her brother in a feigned anger: "Brother, why did you make father angry again?"

Jiang Fan knew that his sister was trying to smooth things over, so he just smiled and didn't say anything.

Jiang Qiuer looked at Jiang Zhongnian again and said, "Brother has always respected father very much, but he just doesn't say it."

"I think he just doesn't want to see his father."

"My father just said that he would not let me stay at home for the New Year and let me decide for myself whether to go to Beijing with Brother Shen."

"I won't keep you here. It's good enough to have Qiu'er at home to spend the New Year with her father."

"Going to Beijing with Shen Yuan?" Jiang Qiu'er seemed to have grasped the key information. Her bright eyes flickered and she asked, "When?"

"We will set off on the tenth day of September."

"I want to go too." Jiang Qiuer said subconsciously.

Jiang Zhongnian, Jiang Fan, Shen Yuan: "."

"No." Jiang Zhongnian objected flatly: "They are going there to participate in the Spring Examination. Why are you joining in the fun? Besides, it's not convenient for you."

"I have never been out of Jinling since I was a child. Just let me go with you and take a look."

After Jiang Qiuer finished speaking, she cast an expectant look at Jiang Fan and Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan pretended not to see it. This was someone else's family matter and it was really difficult for him to bring it up.

Jiang Fan shook his head helplessly, coughed lightly, and said, "Brother Shen just said that Marquis Zhongjing's niece is also traveling with us this time, so it will be more lively with more people."

Between his father and his sister, he still stood on his sister's side, so he reminded his father that Miss Shi was also a woman, and it would not be inconvenient for Qiu'er to go, as she would have someone to keep her company.

Jiang Qiuer's beautiful eyes sparkled when she heard this, and she asked excitedly, "Xiangyun is going too?"

It was a pleasant surprise that her good friend was also going to Beijing, which made her more determined to go with him.

"Well, Brother Shen was entrusted by Marquis Zhongjing to escort Miss Shi to the capital to visit her relatives."

Jiang Qiuer was overjoyed, and immediately collected her thoughts, looked at Jiang Zhongnian with pleading eyes, and said in a soft voice: "Daddy."

Jiang Zhongnian's face was not looking good. It was fine if his son was leaving, but now his daughter was leaving too. Thinking about spending New Year's Eve alone in Jinling, he felt a little sad.

"I am worried about you from thousands of miles away."

Jiang Fan: “.”

Daughters are different from sons. Does that mean he can only let them do what they want? However, he has gotten used to it and doesn't think there is anything wrong with his father.

Jiang Qiuer looked at the wrinkles and reluctance on her father's face, as if she couldn't bear it, so she lowered her eyes and said nothing.

"Don't worry, father. I will take good care of Qiu'er. Besides, Brother Shen is here too. He will also protect Qiu'er, right, Brother Shen?"

Shen Yuan was very upset when he heard this, but he nodded in agreement. Jiang Zhongnian: "."

It seems that the warm offensive is no longer effective, and the two children are determined to go to Beijing.

After a moment of silence, he sighed and said thoughtfully: "Well, go if you want to, but be careful on the road."

The tenth day of September, the sixteenth year of Yuanzhen.

The autumn weather is clear and the sky is bright, which is a good time to travel.

Jinling Province, Yingtian Prefecture, Yangtze River ferry north of the city.

The riverside is very prosperous today, with rows of ships traveling to and from the ferry.

At the dock, a team of guards and soldiers stood out. In front of them were the two most powerful people in Jinling Province, Governor Jiang Zhongnian and Commander-in-Chief Zhongjing Hou Shi Ding.

The two of them had already sent Jiang Qiuer and Shi Xiangyun onto the ship, and were now talking to Shen Yuan and Jiang Fan about their last wishes before departure.

"Be careful when you get to Shandong. I don't have anything else to say." Shi Ding said, and pointed to the dozen or so guards beside him, and said to Shen Yuan: "Take these people with you. If you have anything to do, just tell them to do it and protect Yun'er."

After that, the dozen guards came forward, bowed to Shen Yuan, and said in unison: "We are at the command of Shen Jieyuan!"

Shen Yuan took a look at these people and saw that they were all strong and had callouses on their knuckles. They must be quite skilled. He nodded and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Jiang Zhongnian beside him also told Jiang Fan: "Take good care of Qiu'er, and have a safe journey."

"Don't worry, father. Nothing will happen. Even if something unexpected happens, I will do my best to protect her."

"How can we talk about accidents before we leave?" Jiang Zhongnian frowned and then quickly relaxed his brows, saying in a gentle voice, "You should also take care of yourself. Listen to Shen Yuan on the way. He has a calmer temperament."

Jiang Fan smiled and nodded. For some reason, he suddenly noticed that his father had more silver hair on his head.

Not far away, the Xue family's boat had been waiting at the ferry. Since Xue Pan could not show up, he boarded the boat before dawn.

The boat had two floors. Xue Pan and several servants were on the first floor, while Baochai, her mother and several maids were on the second floor.

Aunt Xue was in her room on the second floor, looking out the window towards the dock.

"Those two young men are the governor's son and Shen Jieyuan, right?"

"Ah?" Baochai was concentrating on looking at her lover. When she was suddenly asked by her mother, she was flustered for a moment and said softly, "I think so."

"I wonder which one is Shen Yuan?" Aunt Xue seemed to be talking to herself.

She had recently heard of the famous Wu Jieyuan, and when she learned that he would be traveling to Beijing together this time, she paid more attention to him.

"The young man in green." Baochai said subconsciously, and a faint smile unconsciously appeared on her jade-like face.

Aunt Xue heard her daughter's certain tone, looked at her sweet expression, and asked suspiciously, "How do you know?"

"Ah? That's right. It was previously reported in the tabloids of Hanmozhai that Shen Jieyuan often wore a blue shirt." Baochai explained.

"Oh." Aunt Xue did not doubt it when she heard it. She knew her own good daughter was always obedient and never told lies.

"Their ship is ready to sail, let's go too."

At the Yangtze River ferry in the northern suburbs of Yingtian Prefecture, three ships left the dock one after another and sailed down the river, starting their journey of a thousand miles.
The first one was the Xue family's boat. Aunt Xue and female relatives including Baochai and Ying'er lived on the second floor, while Xue Pan and a group of servants lived on the first floor.

On the second ship, Jiang Qiuer and Shi Xiangyun, who were dressed in men's clothes, and several maids were on the second floor, while Shen Yuan was on the first floor with a dozen Shi family guards.

On the third ship, Jiang Fan was leading more than a dozen Jiang family guards, who were the last to hold the line.

Shen Yuan originally planned to let Shi Xiangyun stay with the Xue family's mother and daughter. Later, Jiang Qiuer also wanted to go with them, so he pulled Shi Xiangyun to live with her.

Yangtze River ferry.

Jiang Zhongnian and Shi Ding watched the ship sail away and gradually disappear from their sight.

"You took the initiative to ask Shen Yuan to escort your niece to Beijing. Are you trying to bring the two of them together?"

"That's indeed what I meant." Shi Ding smiled and nodded without denying it.

Jiang Zhongnian said in a clear voice: "I never thought that the great Marquis Zhongjing would think of using his niece to win over a young junior."

"It's not the first day we've known each other. How could you not know what kind of person I am?" Shi Ding said frankly, "Maybe they will fall in love with each other and have a happy ending in the future. They will also thank me for being the matchmaker."

Jiang Zhongnian remained silent. This was indeed something that the Marquis Zhongjing could do. This man was never particular about details and did not like to drag things out.

Shi Ding was silent for a while, glanced at Jiang Zhongnian beside him, and said jokingly: "I have always been bold in my actions, unlike some people who clearly did something but are unwilling to admit it."

"Stop making insinuations here. What did I do? How can I deny it?"

One of them kept calling him "this commander" and the other called him "this officer". It was obvious that the two of them were arguing again.

"I only have one niece, but you have sent both your sons and daughters, and you still have the nerve to say this to me. I think you don't want to keep your old face anymore."

"Nonsense." Jiang Zhongnian got angry when he heard it, and said angrily: "They just met by chance. Am I not like you, using my own daughter as a bargaining chip?"

"As a bargaining chip? I have never made any demands on that boy, so how can I use Yun'er as a bargaining chip?" Shi Ding paused and continued, "Besides, Shen Yuan is extremely talented and has a straightforward and calm personality. If Yun'er marries him one day, won't she be happy?"

Jiang Zhongnian fell silent again after hearing this.

It has to be said that he felt that Shi Ding's evaluation of Shen Yuan was not an exaggeration.

The young man is a man of both literary and martial talents, has great ambitions, is rare in the world, and values ​​friendship. He is a good choice for a son-in-law. If Qiu'er and Shen Yuan...
No, Qiu'er is still young, and I need to stay with him for a few more years.
Jiang Zhongnian put aside his thoughts, glanced at Shi Ding who was smiling awkwardly, and said thoughtfully: "If you say so, aren't you worried that Qiu'er will snatch your nephew's husband away?"

"Why worry? If that boy becomes famous someday, and the two girls marry the same man, what would be surprising?"

"You... you are quite open-minded!"

"I just have high hopes for Shen Yuan." Shi Ding said frankly.

"I've never seen you care so much about a young man."

"You are the same." Shi Ding said with a smile: "Speaking of this, I remember that kid once used a word to describe the relationship between you and me."

"Oh? What word?" Jiang Zhongnian suddenly became interested.

"Neither enemy nor friend."

Jiang Zhongnian thought for a moment, shook his head, and said, "Not quite accurate."

"I also think it's not quite accurate." Shi Ding said, "So I changed the term to 'both friend and foe'."

"Well, that's a good word. Enemies in the past are friends today." Jiang Zhongnian looked ahead, pondering meaningfully, "Behind Jia Yucun is the shadow of the Fusheng Society."

Shi Ding was slightly stunned when he heard this. The previous assassination attempt on the governor was also instigated by Fu Sheng Society.

"It seems like it's time for you and me to take some action. At least in Jinling Province, we can't let them mess around any longer."

(End of this chapter)