The Red Mansion

Chapter 16: Departure for Beijing (Part 1)

the next morning.

Xue Jin brought Xue Pan back from the Jiangning Jiedushi Office.

Just one day in jail had changed Xue Pan's appearance drastically. His hair was disheveled, his clothes were dirty, and he looked like a beggar.

When Xue Pan returned home and saw Aunt Xue and Xue Baochai, he was filled with fear, grievance, and shame. He called out in a trembling voice, "Mom, sister..."

Aunt Xue called out "Pan'er" and rushed forward eagerly. Seeing her spoiled son so dirty and disheveled, her heart ached. Thinking of the great injustice suffered by her daughter Xue Baochai, tears welled up in her eyes.

Xue Baochai was also feeling sad, her eyes were filled with tears, and crystal tears slid down her fair cheeks. She hurriedly wiped her tears with an embroidered handkerchief.

Seeing Aunt Xue burst into tears, Xue Baochai suppressed her grief and said tearfully, "Don't cry, mother. It's better to calm down."

Aunt Xue nodded, staring at Xue Pan with tearful eyes, her tone filled with reproach and helplessness: "You ungrateful enemy! I repeatedly advised you not to be so aggressive and cause trouble, but you always turned a deaf ear to my words and refused to listen. This time, your sister and I tried our best to persuade you not to provoke that Jiang family boy, but you refused to listen. Now look what you have done, and you have caused such trouble!"

Xue Pan said with a look of grievance, "How could I have known that the prisoner... that Jiang guy was so capable and so close to the Jiangning Jiedushi?"

He was already afraid of Jiang Nian and didn't even dare to say "prisoner", and quickly changed his words.

He is a person who bullies the weak and fears the strong, and is afraid of the strong and oppresses the weak.

Xue Pan turned to look at Xue Baochai, his face filled with shame, and whispered, "Not only have I caused my family to pay ten thousand taels of silver in compensation, but I've also caused my sister to apologize to that Jiang man. I've caused my sister to suffer such a great injustice. I...ah!"

Aunt Xue was furious when she heard this and spat, "You idiot! How dare you bring this up? Shut up! Your sister was so upset about this yesterday, and today neither she nor I are going to mention it. And you keep bringing up this irrelevant topic!"

Xue Pan's face was burning with anger after being scolded, and he was embarrassed and speechless.

Xue Baochai sighed and said to Xue Pan, "The matter is over. We are about to go to the capital. No one should mention this matter again. I only advise you to stop making trouble outside from now on. If you go to the capital and still cause trouble like you do here, you will definitely bring about a terrible disaster. The streets of the capital are full of nobles."

Xue Pan hurriedly asked Aunt Xue, "I heard from my uncle that Mom is in a hurry to go to Beijing?"

Aunt Xue said, "It's all your fault! We were planning to go to the capital this year, but we hadn't set a date yet. But now, your sister has suffered such a great injustice, and that young man from the Jiang family has taken a fancy to your sister. Your sister should stay away from him. You should stay away from him too, lest he continue to quarrel with you."

Xue Pan thought to himself, "Mother, what you said makes sense. Besides, I've lost face so badly this time that I can't face anyone. Going to the capital will help me avoid the humiliation."

Thinking of this, Xue Pan nodded and said, "Okay, let's go to Beijing and leave Jiangning today."

Aunt Xue said, "How can we leave today? We're coming to the capital to stay permanently, which is like moving. We have a lot of luggage and belongings to pack, and we also have to arrange various gifts and favors for relatives and friends in the capital. We also have to entrust household affairs to trusted relatives and servants. But we must leave as soon as possible, without delay. Let's make preparations today and tomorrow, and leave for the capital the day after tomorrow."

Xue Pan and Xue Baochai both nodded.

Little did the family of three know that the Jiang family brother they wanted to avoid was also coming to Beijing...

……

……

The next day.

Qiu Fu and He Zhong, who went to Daruzhou on business, returned exhausted and brought back Xiangling's mother Feng.

Jiang Nian was sitting in the study, Xiang Ling was standing beside him, her hands unconsciously pinching the corners of her clothes, looking nervous and expectant.

At this time, He Yun, Qiu Fu, and He Zhong walked in with Feng Shi. Qiu Fu and He Zhong both looked exhausted, with a little dust on their clothes, the traces of a long journey.

Feng gave birth to Xiangling when she was in her thirties. She is nearly fifty years old this year, with a haggard face, a hunched body, and gray hair. This is due to her old age and the physical and mental exhaustion caused by the series of misfortunes she has suffered.

As soon as Feng walked through the threshold, her eyes involuntarily fell on Xiangling. Seeing the rouge mole the size of a grain of rice between Xiangling's eyebrows, and the remnants of her childhood appearance between her eyebrows, Feng immediately confirmed that this pretty maid was her precious daughter Zhen Yinglian who was abducted seven years ago.

Feng's heart was shocked and her eyes instantly became moist.

Xiangling could no longer remember what her mother looked like before. The Feng in front of her looked much older than she did seven years ago. However, when Xiangling looked at Feng carefully, she felt familiar and kind.

"Yinglian... is it Yinglian?"

Feng's voice trembled and tears welled up in her eyes.

When Xiangling heard the call, her heart trembled violently and tears welled up in her eyes uncontrollably. She walked forward involuntarily and came to Feng, staring at her with tearful eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

"Yinglian, my son, you have suffered so much!"

Feng was overwhelmed with grief and could not contain her excitement, crying out loud.

"mom!"

Xiangling choked up and called out this long-lost name, then threw herself into Feng's arms.

The mother and daughter hugged each other and cried, their tears intertwined, as if pouring out all the longing they had for each other for seven years.

After seven years of separation and suffering, mother and daughter are finally reunited at this moment.

Jiang Nian raised the corners of his lips slightly, revealing a smile, and felt a sense of accomplishment in his heart.

He liked this feeling, the satisfaction that came from doing good deeds.

However, he knew that his life would be filled with intrigue and bloodshed, as he had the ambition to seize the throne...

"It would have been worth it for me to stay in Jiangning a few more days just to reunite this mother and daughter. Besides, it was because of my staying that I became acquainted with Xue Baochai and received ten thousand taels of silver from the Xue family."

Jiang Nian sighed secretly.

He Yun, a burly and strong man, was also moved by the touching scene in front of him. His eyes were slightly moist, or he felt that it was shameful to cry, so he hurriedly wiped away the tears with his rough hands.

Seeing that Feng's mother and daughter were only focused on crying, Qiu Fu gently reminded Feng, "Sister Feng, stop crying. Why don't you thank my master quickly?"

Feng and Xiangling both woke up as if from a dream.

Xiangling quickly walked over to Jiang Nian, bent her knees, and knelt down, her voice choked with sobs but sincere: "Thank you, sir, for finding my mother for me. I... I kowtow to you!"

After saying that, she leaned over and slammed her forehead heavily on the ground with a thud.

Feng also quickly knelt down, supported herself on the ground with her hands, kowtowed repeatedly, and said gratefully: "Thank you very much, sir! Thank you very much, sir!"

There is one more update tonight.

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(End of this chapter)