Dream of the Red Chamber: Starting with a Chronicle of Tragic Love

When Plum Blossom Mountain was attacked by Japanese pirates, someone single-handedly stood against the enemy and managed to save the rest of the people.

Those who blocked the road perished together with the Japanese bandit leader as they fell off a cliff.

Below the cliff, there was only the charred corpse of the Japanese bandit leader, his eyes pierced through to his brain by a sharp weapon, but the corpse of the person who blocked the way was nowhere to be found.

These three pieces of news quickly spread throughout the entire city of Jinling.

Some say that the person who blocked the road was working for the benefit of the people of the Great Yi Dynasty, and his body was taken by the Heavenly King and made into a heavenly official.

Some say that the body of the man who blocked the road was blown apart by the gunpowder of the Japanese bandit leader, and that during his fall down the cliff, he was cut into pieces by the sharp rocks on the cliff, so his whereabouts are unknown.

No one knows the truth.

All that is known is that none of the various factions, including Chongzheng Academy, the Prince of Beijing's Mansion, and the Duke of Rong's Mansion, have issued any official statements.

However, through the mouths of those fleeing refugees, the people of Jinling City still learned one thing.

In this era where officials prey on the people and people prey on each other, there are still people willing to risk their lives to protect these "worthless lives".

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Chongzheng Academy.

The veiled girl slowly opened her eyes and saw two robust old men standing before her.

"Uncle Xin, Uncle Zheng, what brings you both here?"

The two old men fell silent.

After a while.

The old man, whose body resembled a blue rhinoceros, spoke slowly, filled with shame.

"Qin girl, Uncle Xin is sorry."

"I haven't found any trace of Jiao Si."

"But judging from the Japanese pirate's corpse at the bottom of the cliff, even if Jiao Si wasn't killed by the gunpowder, he would have been crushed to death by the force of the fall from the precipice."

The veiled girl remained silent.

"Uncle Xin, did you hear what he said before he died?"

Xin Li nodded.

"Wailing cries and blood-soaked cities, all for the sake of saving the common people."

"His breadth of mind and heroic spirit surpass even those of Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han. Such exquisite lines could not possibly have been written by this young boy. Perhaps he copied them from an elder in his family."

The veiled girl countered with a question.

"If these two lines were indeed written by Jiao Si, then what should be done?"

Xin Like and Zheng Gong remained silent for a long time before speaking at the same time.

"If this was indeed done by this boy himself, then he should be regarded as the prospective leader of the Erlang Society. All members of the Erlang Society should do everything in their power to get him to participate in the Erlang Society's three trials."

"If he fails to pass, then all past events will be wiped clean; if he passes, then all the hundreds of thousands of members of the Erlang Society must regard him as the leader of the Erlang Society."

Without hesitation, the veiled girl continued.

"According to the Erlang Society's rules, what should be done if someone harms the Erlang Society's prospective leader?"

The two old men remained silent for a long time.

"Qin'er, you know that."

"The Erlang Society is composed of all the poor people in the world. These people have nothing to begin with, and they only choose to join the Erlang Society in order to gain a sliver of hope for survival."

"How can you expect such a group of people to risk their lives for some random prospective leader?"

The veiled girl did not answer.

Behind the veil, she bit her lip tightly, seemingly filled with a thousand grievances.

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In Rongguo Mansion.

Wang Xifeng stood before Grandmother Jia, looking utterly dejected, her head bowed, patiently enduring the interrogation.

Grandmother Jia slammed her long cane heavily on the ground.

"Feng girl, you embezzled public funds to make loans, creating countless bad debts, which almost caused our Jia family's money to run dry."

"Now, do you think you can get the Ning and Rong families to send troops for some nobody based on just a few words?"

Wang Xifeng gritted her teeth.

"Grandma, but this boy died trying to save me. If he hadn't risked his life, I'm afraid that even with my strength, I wouldn't have been able to escape alive."

"Now, I want to do something to repay my savior, is that not even possible?"

Grandmother Jia gave a cold laugh.

"Feng girl, let alone the fact that you are just a granddaughter-in-law, even if you were a daughter-in-law like your aunt, you wouldn't dare to manipulate the relationships within the Jia family for your own selfish desires!"

Wang Xifeng said no more and took a step back.

On the side of the main hall, Jia Lian was still making sarcastic remarks.

"Yes, Feng'er. The Rongguo Mansion is like a century-old tree, with deep roots and lush foliage. If we shake its foundation for the sake of a mere individual, how can it maintain its prosperity for generations to come?"

Wang Xifeng gave a cold laugh and said nothing more.

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Beijing Palace.

Shuiyun huddled shivering in the corner of the bed, while beside her sat Prince Bei Jing, Shui Rong, looking worried.

"Yun'er, come and drink your medicine!"

"The doctor has said that this is just a case of being frightened, and you need to take these calming medications for several courses of treatment. Only then will you be able to truly sleep peacefully and without worry!"

No matter how Shui Rong tried to persuade her, Shui Yun simply covered herself with the blanket and remained silent.

Water-soluble, one head and two big.

The Prince of Beijing's residence has a special status.

Anyone with eyes can see that the Great Yi Dynasty is now in dire straits.

In the imperial court, besides those who scheme and plot, there are only those who are blinded by greed.

If you want to live smoothly in this world, there are only two words to rely on: "cannibalism".

It is truly commendable that I was able to maintain my integrity amidst such turbulent times.

Now, how can I spare more energy to help my younger sister complete her mental cultivation?

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The Eastern Depot.

The Ninth Prince Wei Xian stood obediently beside the chair.

On the chair, a person dressed in a four-clawed python robe held a cup of fragrant tea and patiently savored it.

Before him knelt an official wearing an official hat and holding a jade tablet.

The man in the python robe slowly pushed the lid of the teacup forward.

"Lord Qian, I'm afraid I'm powerless to help with what you've said!"

"When the founding emperor established the dynasty, he established the rule: 'Even a prince is subject to the same laws as a commoner.' Now, you're holding this silver; are you trying to bribe me?"

The official holding the jade tablet hurriedly knelt down, saying he dared not.

"Your Highness, Qian Chou dares not entertain any further thoughts!"

"This time, however, Qian's nephew was also involved and was falsely accused by those troublemakers in Jinling City, who said that my nephew was colluding with Japanese pirates and providing them with intelligence, which led to the failure of the Meihuashan garrison to resist the Japanese pirates."

"Now, that mob is lurking outside my residence, just waiting for me to come out so they can grind me to dust."

"Your Highness, since I received Your Highness's favor, my career has been soaring. Now, I only have this one nephew, Qianyi. I hope Your Highness will not hesitate to lend a hand and properly train him."

Prince Chungshun drank the tea and wine in his cup in one gulp.

lol.

"Qian Chou, you are a smart man. Whether it was when you participated in the imperial examination back then, or when you took sides in the current struggle between the civil and military secret police, you have never gone down the wrong path."

"For this reason, I am willing to make an exception for you."

"Your nephew should have some reputation in Jinling City, right? What's his name again? Young Master Shui Leng?"

"As long as you can guarantee that your nephew is on the side of my Eastern Depot, I can help you resolve this crisis."

Qian Chou gritted his teeth and lowered his head.

After a long while, he went into Wei Xian's inner room and lay down on the bed.

"Your Highness, I understand what you mean."

"Although I cannot let Qian Qianyi guarantee it himself, I am willing to vouch for it with my own reputation. From beginning to end, Qian Qianyi will absolutely stand with the interests of the Eastern Depot."

Prince Chungshun nodded in acknowledgment.

Wei Xian rubbed his beardless chin and made a delicate gesture with his fingers.

Heading into the inner room.

"Why must you do this, Lord Qian?"

"I understand Lord Qian's intentions. I will send a letter to Yingtian Prefecture and do my best to clear your nephew of this fabricated charge."