After the rebellion was successful, I realized that this place was the Red Mansion

Chapter 19 Lin Daiyu in Xiaoxiang Pavilion

The sun rises from the east.

On this day, the streets of Shunchao Capital were more crowded than in the previous few days. It seemed that the people knew that tomorrow morning would be the day when the Qian Wang army outside the city would attack the city, so today was the only day they could go out.

In front of the rice and flour shop, people were clamoring and shouting that the price of grain was too high and they were going to report it to the government. However, the shop owners were not panicked at all. They knew that the government was very busy and had no time to deal with these matters!
"A bushel of rice costs one ounce of silver, or two strings of cash. It's up to you to buy it or not. If the siege lasts for months, even selling your children wouldn't be enough to buy this bushel of rice!"

The shopkeeper and his staff looked down upon the people who came to buy rice.

Everyone was furious, saying, "Prince Qian's army of 200,000 will besiege the city and take the capital in less than three days. Once Prince Qian takes control and the city is pacified, who will you sell your rice to?! Boss, think about this: are those soldiers in the capital capable of fighting?"

The imperial guards of the capital usually acted arrogantly in the city. The people saw it with their own eyes and knew that the imperial guards could bully them, but when they really had to go to the battlefield, they would cry for their parents and roll down the city wall if they got injured.

Seeing them all saying this, the shopkeeper hesitated and finally compromised: "One bushel of rice is one hundred yuan. Hurry up if you want to buy. I will close the shop this afternoon!"

One dou of rice and one hundred coins is still too expensive. In the past, it was only thirty or fifty cents.

But in the current situation, people who lack rice at home can only buy it.

Soon, several people took out their money, bought some and took them home to save.

The rest of the people watched for a while, some paid, some went to the next rice shop, and some continued to lobby, trying to get the shopkeeper to lower the price again.

The Jia family is the duke of the current dynasty, so naturally they don't worry about the shortage of rice and flour.

Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Zijuan, the second-class maid in Lin Daiyu's room, got up in the morning and went to ask the maids and old women about the situation outside. The servant outside the second gate went out early in the morning, and when he came back he could pass the news outside to the maids and old women.

This is also the only way for maids like Zijuan to know the news from the outside world.

After listening, Zijuan returned to Xiaoxiang Pavilion and told it to Lin Daiyu who was dressing.

"I was wondering where you were going so early this morning. Turns out you were going to inquire about the price of rice."

Daiyu smiled and said, "I asked Sister Feng the other day, and she said we have enough rice and flour in the mansion to last us two months. I'm only worried that the enemy army will raid our house after they enter the city, and then no matter how much rice we have in stock, it won't be enough."

When she said this, her smile faded and she seemed quite worried.

At this time, the maid outside the house shouted: "Master Bao is here!"

"Why is this useless thing here?"

Daiyu was putting on her makeup, her eyebrows still unfinished, and she felt uncomfortable meeting people. She wanted Zijuan to block him, but Jia Baoyu had already walked in excitedly and said to her with a smile, "Sister Lin, the peach blossoms outside are blooming. Go and call Sister Bao and the others, and let's go under the tree to have a drink and appreciate the flowers together."

Lin Daiyu stared at him for a long time before turning her head away and continuing to draw her eyebrows.

"My dear sister, why are you ignoring me again?" Jia Baoyu walked over, picked up her rouge box, and put it to his nose to sniff it. Daiyu snatched it away and said angrily, "Brother Bao, what do you want to do?"

It would be fine if he ate the maids' rouge, but she would never allow him to eat her own rouge!
Jia Baoyu smiled and said, "Sister, are you willing to pay attention to me?"

Lin Daiyu said nothing and continued to draw her eyebrows.

Jia Baoyu looked at her for a long time and saw that Sister Lin had thin and light eyebrows, with an indescribable charm between her eyebrows.

Daiyu glanced at him, took the mirror to the side, turned around and drew her eyebrows in front of the mirror, and said coldly: "Zijuan, send Master Bao out to appreciate the flowers. I don't have time to see any flowers today."

"What are you going to do, my dear sister?" Baoyu came back to his senses and asked hurriedly.

Daiyu sneered: "There will be a battle in the city tomorrow. Even if I don't do anything, I have to go to see the old lady."

Baoyu said, "I just came out from the old lady's place. She didn't sleep well last night, but there's nothing else to worry about."

"You go now."

Daiyu said.

Jia Baoyu was anxious and said, "I haven't done anything lately, but my sister is angry with me again and doesn't even joke with me anymore. Is it because she knows that the Qianwang army outside the city is coming, so she despises me?"

"Brother Bao, what did you say?" Daiyu turned her head to look at him, her misty eyes wide. "I, I didn't say anything!"

Jia Baoyu retreated again and dared not say anything further.

Daiyu said angrily, "What does the Qianwang army outside the city have to do with my disdain for you? What do you want to hear from me when you say this? Since you don't believe me, take the handkerchief back. I don't want it anymore!"

As she said this, she stood up and went to look for the old handkerchief in the box. Her eyes were already red and she was about to cry.

Jia Baoyu was so anxious that he tried to pull her away, but Daiyu pushed him away again. She lay on the bed and sobbed.

Jia Baoyu sighed, "My dear sister, it's my fault. I shouldn't compare you with the people I meet outside. You know my heart, and I know yours. I won't mention it again in the future."

"Who's that person outside?"

Lin Daiyu turned her head and asked him, tears welling in her eyes.

What Baoyu meant just now was that the Qianwang army outside the city came in and took all the girls in the Jia family into the palace. Baoyu suspected that she disliked him because the Qianwang army came into the city and she was unwilling to get close to him anymore.

"My dear sister, please don't ask." Jia Baoyu refused to speak and said with a smile, "Wipe away your tears. It's heartbreaking to see you. I'm leaving now. The master asked me to help look after things at home. Second Brother Lian went out this morning."

Only after seeing him leave did Lin Daiyu slowly stop crying and feel a little sad in her heart.

Baoyu didn't know who had alienated him, so he suspected that she was trying to climb up the social ladder and enter the palace, so he was worried that she would do the same.

But he didn't know...

Daiyu took out a piece of white silk from the pillow and looked at it in a daze.

Zijuan came in and was so frightened after seeing this scene that she quickly put down the basin and took the white cloth from her hand, "Girl, don't even think of that!!"

She served Daiyu personally, and she had no idea how she got the white silk. Could she have asked Xueyan or Chunxian to do it? They were young and might not understand that white silk was used for hanging.

Daiyu whispered, "I had a dream last night."

"What dream?"

Daiyu did not answer, but looked at her and said, "Zijuan, if the bandits enter the garden, you don't have to worry about me, just save your own life."

Zijuan was frightened and tried to persuade her for a while, then took the white silk away. She made up her mind not to let the girl touch anything, including daggers and knives.

It is better to live a miserable life than to die. Besides, she heard that King Qian never killed people indiscriminately after entering the city, but only killed corrupt officials.

After washing up, Daiyu went to pay her respects to the old lady.

As soon as she entered the house, she saw Dongfu Rong's wife sighing and saying, "Old lady, I told you a few days ago that it's best not to go to court anymore. Why did the second master go again this morning..."

Daiyu found this a little strange. In the past, Mrs. Rong respected her elders and took care of the household, and she never spoke like that.

Why did she come to the West Mansion today and talk about her second uncle's faults?

Qin Keqing is just Rong Ge's daughter-in-law and should not be dissatisfied with Jia Zheng.

But this matter seemed to be related to the life and death of the Jia family, so no one pursued it too much.

Grandmother Jia simply said, "The Jia family has enjoyed the emperor's favor for generations. As the ancients said, one should be loyal to the emperor while receiving his salary. If you betray your master before the enemy army even breaks in, wouldn't that tarnish our family's century-old reputation? Let's not talk about this again!"

Qin Keqing stood up to apologize and said no more. She sat for a while before going back.

Daiyu and her sisters sat with Grandmother Jia for a long time. The three sisters Ying, Tan and Xi, as well as Shi Xiangyun, Xue Baoqin and others, all gathered around Grandmother Jia, as if there was chaos outside and they were only safe by the old lady's side.

Near noon, Jia Zheng returned and went to Jia's mother's room and said something: "Your Majesty has issued an order to fight the enemy to the death tomorrow!"

Daiyu, Xiangyun and other girls looked at each other in silence.

Waiting for tomorrow to come.

(End of this chapter)