The Red Mansion: From a Small Pawn to a Leader

If the dog days are not hot, the crops will not grow.

In the blink of an eye, it was the beginning of the sixth lunar month. In the sixth year of Yongchang, the capital city experienced the coolest dog days in thirty years. The court and the people were panicked. The dog days are usually the hottest and hottest period of the year, and it is also a critical stage for the growth of crops. If the dog days are not hot enough and there is insufficient sunlight, the crops will grow slowly and the fruits will not be plump, which will eventually affect the harvest.

In such cool weather, Heshen was already sweating profusely when he walked from the gate of Huitong Hall to his residence. As soon as he stepped into the yard, he shouted loudly: "It's so hot! It's so hot! Quick, change my clothes!"

Liu Quan called out loudly: "Move the ice! Quickly!"

After changing his clothes, Heshen sat down on the chair.

The servants placed boxes of ice around Heshen, even under his chair, and then fanned him.

A wisp of white steam came out of the ice box.

Liu Quan came over holding a wash basin: "Master, wipe your face."

Heshen took a towel soaked in ice water with flower petals floating in it from the basin and wiped his face.

Then, a servant placed a plate of chilled watermelon on the coffee table.

Heshen happily ate a few pieces of iced watermelon, and only then did he feel better.

Liu Quan held a folding fan and gently fanned He Shen: "How did the talk go? When are we going back to Shengjing?"

He Shen: "Go back to Shengjing!"

Liu Quan was stunned: "Something happened again?"

He Shen gritted his teeth and said, "That bastard Fu Kang'an has also sent people!"

Liu Quan: "Are you here to ask the Han people not to sell us food and weapons?"

He Shen said with disdain: "You think too highly of Fu Kang'an. He sent people here to ask the Han people to sell grain to them."

Liu Quan laughed: "The Han people themselves are short of food, how can they have extra food to sell to him!"

Hearing this, Heshen became even angrier: "That bastard Fukangan came here to cause trouble. As soon as his people arrived, the Han people immediately suspended the negotiations. I added another 10,000 dan of grain to the amount we agreed on yesterday, but it still didn't stop the Han people."

Liu Quan's eyes rolled around: "How about we strike first, kill Fu Kang'an's men, and force the Han people to stand with us?"

He Shen glared at him and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? You have listened to too much opera. If you kill Fu Kang'an's men, the Han people will immediately send us to Mobei and hand us over to Fu Kang'an for punishment! If that happens, we will not only lose our lives, but also have to compensate the Han people for their losses."

Liu Quan chuckled and said, "I just said that. Just treat it as a fart."

He Shen said angrily: "If you can't speak, just shut up!"

Liu Quan smiled and fanned himself gently.

He Shen sighed deeply. Perhaps this was retribution! His Majesty had successfully used the Han people's greed to cause a famine in the north. Now it was the Han people's turn to ask for a huge sum of money. It seemed that without 300,000 dan of grain, the Han people would not sit down and continue the talks.

At this time, a man in a red hat came in with sweat on his forehead and anxiously handed over something.

The man in the red hat said: "Master Zhongtang, an urgent message from Shengjing."

Heshen snatched the urgent letter, tore open the seal and began to read. After reading only a few lines, his face darkened.

Liu Quan and the man in the red hat looked at Heshen in surprise and suspicion.

He Shen slammed the letter shut and said, "After we set out, Yongyan volunteered to lead more than 20,000 Han army flags to support Fucha. Mingrui Fukangan left the main cavalry to contain Fucha. Mingrui personally led thousands of Mobei Eight Banners soldiers to bypass Yongyan's rear. Due to Yongyan's improper command, the Han army flags were defeated and only Yongyan escaped under the desperate protection of a group of imperial guards."

Liu Quan and the man in red hat were both shocked!
He Shen sighed and said, "This makes it even harder to talk!"

Liu Quan hesitated for a moment and said, "How about we ask General Li to help us speak up?" He Shen shook his head and said, "He won't get involved in such matters." After thinking for a while, he said to the man in the red hat, "Go to Liulichang and have a look. Find me one of Song Huizong's eagle and Zhao Mengfu's horse, no matter how much money it costs."

The man in the red hat said: "Yes!" and bowed and retreated.

He Shen then said to Liu Quan, "Let's go to Taihe Tower and book a private room. I want to host a banquet for Jia Yucun."

Liu Quan responded and retreated.

Heshen waved his hand and the servants retreated together.

He Shen smiled. Yongyan's defeat had severely damaged the Han army, and the Mongolian Eight Banners were useless. Next, it was time for the Jurchen Eight Banners to take the field. He hoped that Fu Kang'an would fight for his reputation and deal with those Eight Banners nobles. It would be best if he could kill a few of them! There would be more vacancies so that he would have a chance to sit on them. Troubled times were coming, and only with soldiers in hand could he save his life.

Thinking of this, He Shen closed his eyes, leaned back in his chair, shook his head and sang: "I am watching the mountain scenery from the city tower, and I hear the commotion outside the city."

Xiangshan Villa
In the grove, civil officials and senior officials were singing a scene from The Peony Pavilion: Awakening from a Dream.

Li Hu, wearing a short-collared gown, lay on a bamboo chair, tapping the armrests with his fingers to celebrate.

Xiangling and Xueyan sat on low stools beside him, one fanning him gently, the other massaging his legs. Both of them looked at the civil servants and the senior officials who were performing.

In the distance, several old women were holding bamboo poles to drive away the annoying cicadas.

The wind blew in from the depths of the woods, blowing up everyone's clothes and making them feel cool all over.

Xueyan smiled: "It's so cool! Second Master, shall we spend the summer here this year?"

Li Hu picked up a cherry and put it into his mouth: "You are so beautiful! Try harder."

Xueyan curled her lips and started pounding hard.

After the song was over, the civil servant came over and asked softly, "What else do you want to hear, Master?"

Li Hu waved his hand and said, "You two take a break."

Civil servant: “Yes.”

When the sisters Xue Baochai and Xue Baoqin came, Li Hu was left alone. To kill time, he asked someone to go home and fetch the civil official and the age official to sing opera for him.

In the blink of an eye, I had been in Xiangshan Villa for half a month. Just then, news came that Yangzhou was lost, and the whole government was shocked.

After such a big incident, Li Hu could no longer hide here. He was not only the commander of the Rui Shi Battalion, but also the right vice minister of the Ministry of War.

Outside the border, Fukangan was in great trouble again, sweeping across the Korchin grassland and defeating Fucha, Mingrui, Hailancha and others, who were defeated one after another, making Li Hu want to report it!
The emperor would send people to ask for strategies whenever he had time. The battlefield was changing rapidly, so what strategy was there?

Xue Baochai also brought news that Jia Yuanchun's son was sick.

Grandmother Jia and Mrs. Wang were extremely nervous and went to the palace every day to visit the patient and ask about his health.

In addition, Mrs. Wang was up to no good again. Not only did she go to the Qingxu Temple to hold a ceremony and pray for blessings, but she also wanted to hold a grand banquet at the end of the month to celebrate the first birthday of Jia Yuanchun's son.

Xiangling spoke up: "Second Master, my mother is here."

Li Hu came to his senses and saw Feng holding a letter in her hand, so he sat up.

Feng walked over and bowed slightly to Li Hu: "Second Master, this was just delivered by my family's personal soldiers." Then she handed the letter to Li Hu.

Li Hu took the letter, tore it open and read it, then stood up immediately. The group of red-haired devils from Southeast Asia had finally entered Beijing.

Li Hu grabbed the letter and said to Feng: "Tell your girls to pack up and go home." (End of this chapter)