Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 526 Lin Daiyu: Do you believe in Buddhism?

The Second Prince Liu Yi abruptly stood up, his eyes wide with rage, and chased after the messenger. He grabbed the man by the collar, lifted him up, and demanded, "What did you say? Say it again!"

"Your Highness, news has come from the capital that the barbarians have amassed troops at Yanmen Pass, and the Duke of Dingguo has personally led an army of 100,000 northwards to meet them."

Liu Yi wasn't actually deaf; it's just that this wasn't the news he wanted to hear.

"How long has the Duke of Dingguo been leading his troops?"

"Great, the army has been on its way for five days."

"Five days!"

Liu Yi released his grip, and the prominent veins on his arm slowly faded away.

Taking a few steps back, Liu Yi muttered to himself, "Five days! What exactly is my imperial brother plotting? Why send the Duke of Dingguo to lead the army at this time!"

As long as Yue Ling is in the capital, no one can stir up trouble. He is not only the pillar of stability in the capital, but also Liu Yi's pillar of stability.

In the struggle for the throne, everyone relied on their own abilities.

Now that Yue Ling has been sent away, how could Liu Yi not wonder if someone is plotting something?

The military tent was deathly silent.

Just then, the Prince of Nan'an returned from his outing, his face streaked with tears. He hadn't even taken off his armor and cried out as he entered, "Your Highness, Your Highness, you must avenge this humble general!"

"Those barbarians tore up the marriage certificate and even used the women of my household as a sacrifice for their flag! How outrageous! Your Highness, this humble general requests permission to divide our forces and advance westward, directly to the barbarian camp!"

The Prince of Nan'an was even more emotional than Liu Yi, and he burst into tears on the spot, so much so that Liu Yi was interrupted by his crying and commotion.

Taking a deep breath, Liu Yi slowly sat back down in his original position and sighed, "Your Highness, please don't be hasty. This is not a matter of one family's private affairs. Are you going to ruin our great cause because of a daughter? Don't forget why you volunteered to join the army!"

Upon hearing the devastating news, the Prince of Nan'an was reprimanded by Liu Yi, which calmed him down slightly, but even so, he was still filled with resentment.

"Your Highness, it was for your great cause that I brought about today's expedition. I even made peace with the Northern Barbarians through marriage, hoping to dispel the suspicions of the Prince of Beijing and others, and even to keep the Northern Barbarians from causing trouble while you are on your expedition."

"But who knew that the barbarians were uncivilized and untrustworthy madmen!"

Liu Yi narrowed his eyes, secretly thinking to himself, "These barbarians have been treacherous for quite some time now."

One daughter is nothing to a family like the Prince of Nan'an, and the daughters sent for marriage alliances may not even be born in his household. They may just be random women who have been given the title of Prince.

Liu Yi knew perfectly well that the reason he was giving such a vivid and expressive performance was simply to curry favor with him.

"Alright, I understand your difficulties. I will seek justice for you once I return to the capital."

The Prince of Nan'an paused in wiping away his tears, then looked up and asked, "Your Highness, have you decided to return to the capital?"

Liu Yi glanced at the defense map on the table, feeling extremely unwilling.

He had made all the necessary preparations and was about to confront the Jurchens when news came from the capital that he had to abandon the plan.

If the capital falls, what benefit would he gain from winning a battle on the frontier?
Liu Yi gripped his wine cup, frowned slightly, and said, "Even if the northern barbarians invade from the south, they are just a dying northern barbarians. Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut? What's wrong with sending someone else to fight them?"

"I think my elder brother is deliberately putting me in a difficult position!"

The Prince of Nan'an, standing to the side, tentatively asked, "Your Highness, haven't you considered that this might also be a hint from His Majesty?"

"Perhaps His Majesty trusts the First Prince far more than we think."

Liu Yi's expression froze slightly, then he shook his head and vehemently denied it, saying, "No, impossible. Father Emperor is decisive and efficient; he would never favor my elder brother."

The Prince of Nan'an sighed, "I hope I'm just overthinking it. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense that at this time, the Duke of Dingguo would have to lead the troops into battle, and that this has become a foregone conclusion."

His concerns were exactly what Liu Yi was worried about.

Taking a deep breath, Liu Yi said, "No matter what, we can't stay outside the pass any longer. Every day we stay longer will bring more trouble."

Fusu's story taught all the princes that if they had ambitions to seize power when the emperor was ill, they should not stay away from him.

Otherwise, if someone harbors ill intentions and forges an imperial edict to order someone's death, they will lose not only the greater good but also the initiative.

Especially since Liu Yi's current situation is unclear, if the eldest prince were to be even more ruthless and send a secret decree to the general guarding Shanhaiguan, effectively blocking him outside the pass, then there would be no way to reverse the situation.

Aside from uniting with the Jurchens, he had no other way to go in this extremely cold place, and even surviving the winter was a challenge.

But Liu Yi had his pride; he didn't want to be a traitor who colluded with the enemy, even if he ascended the throne, it would be a stain on his reputation for life.

Without much deliberation, Liu Yi said in a deep voice, "Reorganize the troops and withdraw back to Shanhaiguan. The vanguard light cavalry, follow me back to the capital immediately!"

The Prince of Nan'an gladly accepted the order and said, "Yes!"

……

Dingguofu,
Although the mansion was as peaceful as ever, beneath the calm lake, the outer storerooms were already piled high with all sorts of military equipment.

Needless to say, weapons were also acquired, and a considerable amount of gunpowder was obtained through workshops that had previously cooperated with the Ministry of Works, far exceeding the needs of eight hundred people.

Other war supplies, such as grain, were piled up like mountains.

Martial law was declared and preparations for war were underway both inside and outside the government building.

The young ladies have stopped going out lately and are all staying obediently in the mansion.

Although the atmosphere inside the mansion was unusual and at one point felt suffocating, everyone was sensible and refrained from making any inappropriate remarks.

Xue Baochai also brought all sorts of trivial chores to the mansion.

Because the Xue family has taken on military supplies, Xue Baochai has been extremely busy lately.

This campaign against the northern barbarians presents Xue Baochai with an excellent opportunity to expand trade routes to Shanxi and penetrate the heartland of Shanxi merchants.

Therefore, she took it very seriously and returned to her old workaholic ways, burning the midnight oil every day and scrutinizing everything.

While considering business matters, she also single-handedly handled the procurement within the manor.

At her suggestion, Lin Daiyu had the old secret passages of the Prince Qin's mansion cleaned and tidied up, which could be used to hide or lead directly outside the mansion.

Before she knew it, within three to five days, her eyebrows and eyes had become somewhat smoky black again.

"Sister, I'm coming in."

Inside the study, Xue Baochai was fiddling with the abacus in one hand and dipping her brush in ink in the other. She had no time to pay attention to the little sprite who had wandered in. Without even lifting her eyelids, she said impatiently, "I don't have time to play your nonsense today."

Xue Baoqin pouted and put her hands on her hips.

Ever since she had slept with the Marquis, her sister had been so cold to her.

Xue Baoqin wasn't annoyed at all; on the contrary, she was quite smug and skipped over to the table. "Sister, I'm talking about serious matters, not just fooling around."

Xue Baochai put the pen down on the pen holder mountain, frowned and asked, "Alright, then tell me, what is it you want?"

Seeing Xue Baochai's heavy dark circles under her eyes, Xue Baoqin felt genuinely sorry for her. She put away her teasing and said honestly, "Now that some of the food and clothing have been moved to the secret passage, we're all settled." "Even if something unexpected happens and thieves take advantage of the chaos to rush into the mansion and loot, we can live in the secret passage for a month without any problem."

Xue Baochai nodded with slight satisfaction, and added, "And medicine, and Xueyan's tonics, can't be lacking either."

"Of course, sister, don't worry. When have I ever done anything wrong?"

"Besides, sister, you also need to take care of your health. Don't collapse from exhaustion before you've even had a chance to eat. When the Marquis returns in triumph and holds a celebration banquet, you'll be so tired that you'll have to rest in your room for several days, and who knows how many places you'll be put on the waiting list."

Xue Baochai raised an eyebrow slightly, and sure enough, Xue Baoqin lost her serious demeanor after a few words.

Xue Baochai tried her best to hold back and asked again, "How is the sand barge that the Marquis allowed you to build coming along?"

Xue Baoqin nodded. "Quite a few have been built, all in the Tianjin docks. Do you need them, Sister?"

Xue Baochai unfolded the account book and said to Xue Baoqin, "It's not necessary now. If the war becomes intense, we will need to allocate more grain from Jiangnan. This is not a small amount, and the grain transported by the canal will not be enough."

"Moreover, the caravans entering Shanxi are not recruited to be as suitable as they should be, and there are still quite a few problems."

Xue Baochai sighed deeply at this.

She didn't care about the business; the Xue family was built up by her own efforts, and even if she lost the entire Xue family, it wouldn't matter.

Her only worry was whether it would affect Yue Ling's departure schedule.

Xue Baoqin put her hand on Xue Baochai's shoulder and comforted her, saying, "Sister, don't panic. The Marquis is on a forced march, and there's nothing we can do about the shortage of supplies."

"However, I think that the Marquis may not be heading straight north to launch an expedition."

Xue Baochai raised her head in surprise, staring at her and asking, "What do you mean by this?"

Xue Baoqin picked up an apple from the table, tossed it in her hand, and finally put it into another basket.

Then, she raised her head and said with a grin, "Sister is so blinded by these accounts that she has forgotten to consider things carefully. Outsiders may not know, but how could we, who live with the Marquis day and night, not know? Is the Marquis the kind of person who would put all his eggs in one basket and gamble everything?"

Xue Baochai was now exhausted and unwilling to play guessing games with Xue Baoqin.

"Why don't you just state your mind more clearly? What are you trying to show off in front of me?"

Xue Baoqin stamped her foot in exasperation and pointed at Xue Baochai, saying, "Sister, you haven't thought this through! On the surface, the Marquis's expedition is the will of the people, but recently, there have been many injustices in the capital."

"The Marquis's departure from the city is something they certainly wanted to see. Now that the Marquis, their pillar of strength, is gone, the villains are bound to show their faces. Otherwise, what do you think our manor is all this gunpowder, armor, weaponry, and even a few small cannons for?"

Xue Baochai's expression hardened. "So, it's really true that bad guys will come knocking on our door?"

Xue Baoqin laughed in exasperation and retorted, "You didn't expect that you would suggest Sister Lin renovate the secret passage?"

Xue Baochai said blankly, "I just thought it would be safer this way, I didn't think too much about it."

Xue Baoqin twitched her lips. "I really don't know if you're stupid or smart, sister. But you really are both smart and stupid, and sometimes you pretend to be smart, and sometimes you pretend to be stupid."

Xue Baochai frowned again, raised her eyes and spat, "Get out! Ying'er, come here and tell her to get out!"

Ying'er smiled awkwardly, stepped forward, and asked politely, "Second Miss, shall we go out and let you rest?"

"A little bit."

Xue Baoqin made a face, took Ying'er's arm and said, "Sister Ying'er, let's go. Let her have some peace and quiet in her room. I'll tell you about what happened between me and the Marquis. I'll take you with me next time to broaden your horizons."

Ying'er was overjoyed to confirm, "Really?"

She scribbled a few lines on the paper, preparing sand, gravel, and clods of earth. Hearing their nonsense, Xue Baochai raised an eyebrow, barely suppressing her anger, "Ying'er, come back here and tell her to get out of here!"

……

Buddhist temple

Since her master entered the palace, Miaoyu has been the only one left in the huge Buddhist temple.

Apart from the maids who come to clean every day, the courtyard is much quieter.

The sky was getting dark, and rain was pattering on the banana leaves outside the window.

The light rain was drizzling, and the Buddhist temple was quiet and deserted, which added a lot of pressure to people.

Miaoyu was aware of many of the changes that had taken place in the manor during this time, but there was nothing she could do to help.

Feeling uneasy, he could only come to the hall to chant Buddhist prayers and pray for Yue Ling's well-being.

Nowadays, she is becoming less and less like a Buddhist disciple. She only comes to chant Buddhist prayers when she needs something from the Buddha. How is she any different from a pilgrim?
Out of habit, before reciting Buddhist scriptures, Miaoyu changed into a blue robe, tied her hair into a bun, and covered it with a turban.

Keeping watch over the green lamp, she chanted incense until it burned out, then added another stick. Miaoyu was especially pleased and continued to recite scriptures and pray for blessings.

Just then, the main gate creaked open.

Miaoyu turned around and saw that it was Yuanyang holding an umbrella, escorting Lin Daiyu over.

Lin Daiyu rarely visited Buddhist temples, so her sudden visit left Miaoyu somewhat bewildered. After a moment of stunned silence, she rushed forward to greet her.

"Madam, what brings you here today?"

Lin Daiyu nodded and said, "I still can't sleep, so I might as well recite some scriptures."

The three of them came to the hall together. Miaoyu offered incense and then they all knelt on the prayer mats and began chanting Buddhist prayers.

After an incense stick has burned, it's time to rest.

Miaoyu glanced at Lin Daiyu furtively, unsure of what to say.

Their first meeting was rather awkward. Miaoyu still remembers kissing Yue Ling's cheek passionately in front of Lin Daiyu.

In the days and nights that followed, she asked herself why she had been so unreserved and oblivious to the atmosphere, stealing the limelight from Lin Daiyu.

But now that I think about it, even if she had to choose a thousand times, she probably still wouldn't be able to resist.

Looking at Lin Daiyu with her eyes closed in prayer, Miaoyu still couldn't help but marvel at her beauty.

Now, she has shed some of her girlish immaturity and gained a more charming and alluring look, making her even more radiant and beautiful than before.

Lin Daiyu slowly opened her eyes and met Miaoyu's gaze.

Miaoyu panicked and tried to make conversation by asking, "I've heard people in the manor say that Madam doesn't believe in Buddhism, but seeing you today, I think it's just hearsay."

Lin Daiyu smiled and replied, "Why must one believe in Buddhism to recite Buddhist scriptures? Does Master Miaoyu believe in Buddhism?"

Miaoyu's expression froze.

She's a lay disciple who's fallen into worldly life, and she still claims to believe in Buddhism...

(End of this chapter)