Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 535 Extra 2
The war against the Jurchens and the northern barbarians could not be considered a protracted war, especially since Yue Ling used war to sustain the war effort. After capturing an important town, he encouraged tenant farmers from Liaodong to go north to reclaim wasteland, where they could obtain land for free.

This move enabled the Jurchen tribes, who had just been wiped out, to quickly recover their vitality under the city walls.

Especially in the third year after the defeat of the Jurchens, Yue Ling was able to use the grain collected locally in Liaodong to meet more than 50% of the army's food needs.

Furthermore, a large amount of valuable mineral resources were discovered in the Liaodong region, which made up for the lack of mineral resources in the interior of China.

Seeing that the Jurchens were on the verge of defeat, Silla and Japan came to take a share of the spoils, sending troops to fight alongside Yue Ling and obeying his command, which accelerated the Jurchens' demise.

Only after the entire Greater Khingan Mountains region, extending to the banks of the Heilongjiang River, was returned to the territory of Dachang did Yue Ling carve an inscription and erect a monument before leading his army back.

One of his subordinate generals, Liu Xianglian, was left in this land as the Governor-General of Liaodong, where he implemented Yue Ling's new policies in both military and political affairs, allowing the region to recuperate and thrive.

The northern barbarians, who were all bark and no bite, were thus easily wiped out.

The fact that it could last for two years was due to the large area of ​​territory that had been traversed from Yanmen Pass into the northern desert. Finding the main force of the northern barbarians on the vast grasslands and engaging in a decisive battle was itself an extremely difficult task.

However, Yue Ling, relying on his excellent military skills, divided his troops along the water source to pursue and defeat each unit, capturing countless cattle and sheep.

The remaining members of the Northern Barbarian royal family had no choice but to flee to West Asia and Europe, completely abandoning this fertile land.

Managing the grasslands is also quite costly. Apart from the Hetao region, the climate and water resources further north are not suitable for farming, so animal husbandry remains the mainstay.

After the Han-affiliated tribes were sifted out, only a few remained. Zhao Hao, another subordinate general of Yue Ling, had been appointed General of Yili and was assisting in the governance of the vast grasslands.

With everything settled, Yue Ling returned to the capital in triumph.

Before the expedition, the newly planted saplings around the Dingguofu Martial Arts Grounds have now grown into towering trees.

Five years have flown by, and the girls who were once so young have now become outstanding and beautiful.

Lin Daiyu has grown from the age of marriageable age to nearly blossoming youth, a perfect age for bearing children...

"master!"

"Master Hou!"

"Husband!"

As soon as Yue Ling dismounted, he was surrounded by girls who sobbed and crowded around him. Even though Yue Ling had a wide arm span, he couldn't hug them all and had no way to get their hands on them.

Ultimately, it was Lin Daiyu who had to step in and quell the chaos within the inner chambers.

He shouted loudly, "Alright, all of you go to the main hall and speak to the master one by one."

The women surrounded Yue Ling as they walked through the side corridors and verandas.

Once inside the main hall, to demonstrate the magnanimity of the Empress, Lin Daiyu did not enter first, but instead waited outside while the other young ladies entered in batches to speak.

Yue Ling had been fighting battles for a long time and was in charge of everything. When he returned home, he also enjoyed being arranged by others.

Sitting high on the platform, a smile playing on his lips, the first group to enter and visit were the maids of the mansion.

The soft and sweet Xiangling was the first to enter the room. She pushed up the mirror on her nose and gave a deep bow to the person in front of her.

There was an inevitable greeting, and Yue Ling even allowed her to touch his body. Although he had injuries, they were mostly superficial and did not leave any acne, which reassured Xiang Ling a lot.

With a deep sigh, Xiangling murmured, "Master, on the day we board the ship to get married, I hope we can share a bed again tonight."

Compared to others, Xiangling was not confident in her own charm, so she had to ask for a word first.

However, in Yue Ling's eyes, he still liked the girl with glasses who was the only one in the room.

"Then what should I call you?"

The question was familiar, and Xiangling had a familiar answer. Her face flushed, and she awkwardly clutched her sleeve, murmuring, "Husband..."

"Not bad, I will certainly treat you well on that day."

Xiangling left a sweet kiss on Yue Ling's cheek and went out happily, whereupon Yuanyang and Zijuan arrived together.

Yuanyang was ashamed to face Yue Ling alone. The two of them rarely interacted, not to mention that Yuanyang had some dark history.

Now, five years have passed, and her already unremarkable appearance has been overshadowed by the other women. She is already grateful to have won Lin Daiyu's favor and been given the opportunity to become a concubine, and dares not ask for anything more.

"After all these years, I can finally give you a proper status. I've kept you waiting a long time."

As soon as Yue Ling finished speaking, tears welled up in Zijuan's eyes.

Her relationship with Yuanyang was just like any other; she could only work diligently for the household, bearing hardships without complaint.

But after all, she was the first woman to know Yue Ling's taste, so how could she not miss him at night? And when she saw the little girl Xue Yan gave birth to, how could she not fantasize about herself?

Biting her lip, Zijuan said, "Yes, Master. I'll wait as long as it takes, because I believe you won't break your promise and that you're still keeping an eye on me."

Zijuan glanced at the bewildered Yuanyang, stopped her sobbing, and went to Yue Ling's side, bowing her head obsequiously, "Master, we got fox ears and a tail from Qingwen. On our wedding night, we will certainly not let you down."

After saying that, Zijuan waved her hand towards the mandarin ducks below.

Yuanyang awkwardly pulled out a fox tail and headdress from under her skirt, put them on, and stood next to Zijuan.

Zijuan also took out dog ears, curled her fists and called out a few times in Yue Ling's ear, then kissed Yue Ling's neck with her left hand.

A wave of shame washed over them, making the two maids' faces turn as red as lanterns.

It is often this awkward, feignedly charming and alluring demeanor that is most captivating.

Yue Ling was truly aroused.

Just as they reached out to touch each other, someone outside urged them to leave, so the two women had no choice but to leave in shame.

Qingwen peeked in cautiously, her gaze sweeping over the two women with suspicion. She sensed a familiar scent about them.

"Master, you're finally back. I have something to tell you, someone has been stealing from the manor!"

Yue Ling blinked in surprise, "Did you tell Madam?"

Qingwen immediately became awkward and gave an embarrassed laugh, "This... is not easy to tell Madam, but we lost a pair of fox tails and dog ears."

Yue Ling twitched her lips and muttered to herself, "Well, I've already found it for you."

However, Qingwen didn't take it too seriously. Instead, she unbuttoned two buttons on her blouse and said, "Master, why don't you take a look at my newly designed underwear? Paired with the cat ears I have left, it will definitely look very nice..."

Before Yue Ling could even get started, the people in line behind her were already knocking on the door impatiently.

"Oh no, there's not enough time." Qingwen, just in time, quickly tightened her clothes, kissed Yue Ling on the cheek, and said, "Then see you tonight, sir. I'll be waiting for you."

Qingwen moved with the grace of a water snake as if she were leaving, and the alluring aura emanating from her truly whetted people's appetites.

Especially when paired with her culmination of lingerie designs, it adds even more elements.

However, the arrival of a pair of women forced Yue Ling to quickly composed himself. "Greetings, Lord Marquis."

Miaoyu and Xing Xiuyan entered together, both blushing deeply with embarrassment.

Unlike other girls who secretly formed alliances, these two girls also had a sense of impending danger and naturally came together.

This actually made things easier for Yue Ling, since visiting too many places in one night was really inconvenient.

The two of them also left their marks on Yue Ling's cheek, and then it was the turn of the quirky Xue Baoqin to enter.

She didn't rush into sweet talk, but first reported on official business.

"My lord, our fleet is now complete: 62 nine-masted treasure ships, 800 eight-masted horse ships, 300 seven-masted grain ships, 360 six-masted passenger ships, and 200 five-masted warships. Including all the ships built by the Feng-class over the years and those built afterward, apart from fishing boats, Da Chang probably only has a few dozen warships left in the coastal waters."

"It's unimaginable how large this fleet is, not even counting the merchant ships and passenger ships that signed up to sail with us."

"This time, the total number of naval and civilian personnel going on this expedition will probably exceed 100,000. The number of people who want to go overseas to join the expedition is also increasing. When they heard that the Marquis was recruiting soldiers, the line stretched from Zhengyang Gate to Chongwen Gate!"

As Xue Baoqin spoke, she took steps forward.

After she finished speaking, she stood in front of Yue Ling, her eyes shining brightly. She clasped her hands behind her back and stared intently at Yue Ling, making no attempt to hide the love in her heart.

Yue Ling tilted his head and smiled, "Well done, this is the fleet you like."

Xue Baoqin exclaimed, "More than that! I never imagined that such a fleet could exist on the high seas. It's practically a mobile island. Once we set sail, we can easily wipe out any of the surrounding small countries, and all foreign lands will have to bow down to you, my lord!"

"However, has the Marquis decided where to resupply at the first stop?"

Yue Ling nodded, "Ryukyu, I guess."

As a transit point for maritime trade and relatively close to the mainland, Ryukyu was an ideal first destination for those who could travel north to control Japan.

Of course, Ryukyu could not serve as Yue Ling's base of operations; an influx of 100,000 people was beyond its capacity.

Xue Baoqin was eager to return to the sea. She happily wrapped her arms around Yue Ling's neck and said, "My lord, I have also personally designed a multi-story ship for us to live on the sea. It is five stories high and can accommodate thousands of people."

"The sisters will spend their wedding night on the ship, which will make it more convenient for the Marquis to move around. Isn't that wonderful?"

Xue Baoqin smiled brightly, her peach blossom eyes sparkling. She kissed Yue Ling on the forehead and then jumped away like a deer. "Alright, it's time for the next one. See you on the boat, my lord."

Xue Baoqin walked out the door, and Qin Keqing, who was even more charming and alluring, walked in. As soon as she entered, she went straight to the point and sat directly on Yue Ling's lap.

"My lord, I've missed you so much. Did you get hurt out there? Do you still have the undergarment I gave you?"

Yue Ling chuckled awkwardly, "I used it to bandage the wounds of my warhorse back then."

"Oh, how could this be?" Qin Keqing was slightly disappointed, but she quickly cheered up and said, "Well, at least it came in handy."

As he spoke, he unbuttoned his robe and loosened the belt at his waist, saying, "Come on, sir, let's hurry."

Yue Ling stared out the window in astonishment, then pushed Qin Keqing's shoulders away and said, "What are you holding onto? They're all outside."

Qin Keqing said righteously, "Of course it's that one! I can't wait like them. It's right here, I..."

Yue Ling picked her up and threw her onto a seat beside him. "Stop messing around. How can you do this in such a short time? It can't be that fast."

Qin Keqing blinked and said, "It's okay, I'll be quick."

Yue Ling: “…”

Of course, in the end, Qin Keqing did not succeed, as several people were already standing in a row under the windowsill outside.

Qin Keqing didn't get her way, but she still managed to take advantage of Yue Ling and satisfy her urges. When she left, she made sure to mess up her clothes, skirt, and hairpins to create the illusion that she had succeeded.

In reality, apart from the hickey she left on Yue Ling's earlobe, there wasn't much else she had succeeded with.

Next to enter were four girls.

Yingchun, Tanchun, Xichun, and Yue Ling were all very familiar with them. On their far left was a woman with short hair. Among them, she had the most well-proportioned figure and the most dignified steps. Although she kept her head down, her hairpins and hair ornaments did not sway.

With a shy expression on her face, Yue Ling knew without thinking that this woman was definitely not thinking anything of him.

The four women entered and immediately knelt down in worship, displaying the most sincere attitude.

Yue Ling naturally didn't want to be treated like this, so he went down and helped them up one by one, advising, "Why are you doing this? It's as if I've mistreated you."

Tan Chun shook her head and hurriedly said, "It was the Marquis who reunited us sisters and gave us a new life. How can you say he mistreated us?"

Xi Chun, now a young woman herself, readily agreed, “That’s right. I’ve heard that those whose families were raided and whose clans were exterminated were sold into brothels. The older ones became laundry maids, and the younger ones became boat girls. They sold smiles, sang, and even their bodies, and they couldn’t escape a good beating.”

Yingchun nodded, "My sisters are right. Now that our eldest sister is returning home, there could never be a better day."

With her sisters having all spoken, Yuan Chun had no choice but to say, "This humble servant greets the Duke of Dingguo."

When Yuan Chun raised her head, Yue Ling knew why Yuan Chun was the one among the four sisters to enter the palace; in terms of appearance alone, she was indeed the most outstanding.

Especially now, with that noble air brought from the palace, it seems even more different.

Now all four sisters have come to live in his household. What is this called? Four Jia sisters vying for spring, embracing all.
"Now that you're inside, there's no need to be so formal."

"Yes."

Tan Chun took Yue Ling's hand and pressed her lips to it.

The other three sisters followed suit, shyly leaving their own marks.

Sure enough, Yue Ling was also looking forward to this group...

As spring faded away, Shi Xiangyun once again strode into the hall.

With a wasp waist and a monkey's back, a crane's posture and a mantis's shape, eyes like stars, and lips like pearls.

She was fit and had a tanned complexion, making her stand out among her fair-skinned sisters.

However, through the gaps below the neckline, it was still easy to see that her skin was originally as white and smooth as jade.

"How is Cuilu's injury?"

Shi Xiangyun's eyes darkened, and she replied, "She can move around without any problems, but there's a scar on her shoulder that's quite noticeable. I see her taking a bath every day, but she doesn't dare to look up at it."

Yue Ling suggested, "How about we tattoo a begonia flower over the wound on your shoulder, with the wound serving as the flower's stamen..."

Shi Xiangyun's eyes lit up immediately, and she clapped her hands in admiration, saying, "Yes, how come I didn't think of that! It really is the Marquis who has a way!"

Shi Xiangyun beamed with joy, her gloom vanished, and sat down next to Yue Ling, saying, "My lord, my lord, tell me more about the expedition!"

(End of this chapter)