The Red Mansion: From a Small Pawn to a Leader

Chapter 66 Lantern Festival

It's the fifteenth day of the first lunar month again. According to the imperial system, the sixteenth day of the first lunar month is the real beginning of the new year. On this day, at the hour of Mao, officials from all government offices in the capital would rush to the government offices to hold a grand ceremony, remove the seals on the seals and official documents that were added on the "sealing day", and resume work.

So, the Lantern Festival is the last day of the holiday!
As the saying goes, "On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, clouds cover the moon, and on the fifteenth day of the first month, snow lights up the lanterns."

On the Mid-Autumn Festival in the third year of Yongchang, it drizzled in the capital. The sky was covered with clouds and the full moon could not be seen. As expected, heavy snow fell in the capital early in the morning.

In the wind and snow, Nanny Wang called on several servants to carry a warm sedan chair over.

They stopped outside the Chuihua Gate. Nanny Wang said, "You guys go outside the second gate first to avoid the snow and wind. The young lady won't be out for a while."

The servants said, “Yes.” and then they left.

Just then, Li Hu came in from the Moon Gate wearing a cloak, and Amber followed behind him holding a large oilcloth umbrella.

Nanny Wang stepped forward and said, "The Second Master is here."

Li Hu responded with a smile and led Amber into the hanging flower gate.

As soon as I stepped into the backyard, I saw Zijuan calling a few maids to come out of the main room carrying two boxes.

Zijuan: "Second Master is here."

Li Hu looked at the two boxes and then at Zijuan: "What are these?"

Zijuan replied, "Books."

Li Hu was stunned: "Books? What for?"

Zijuan smiled and said, "Second Master, you should go ask the young lady." As she spoke, she opened the felt curtain for Li Hu.

Feeling the heat, Li Hu opened the hood of his cloak and walked in.

Qingwen was sitting by the door of the warm room embroidering.

When she saw Li Hu coming in, she quickly put down her needlework and said, "Second Master, the girl is changing her clothes inside."

Seeing that she was still wearing a thin cotton jacket, Li Hu asked, "Are you not going?"

Qingwen shook her head: "I have to draw the girl's figure, and I have to continue working on the pair of shoes I glued the other day."

Li Hu looked at her with a smile. Since arriving here, this girl has behaved very well. She is not as cunning and mean or bold and rebellious as in the original novel. The living environment has a great influence on people!

Li Hu smiled and said: "Needlework can be done at any time"

Qingwen suddenly lifted the door curtain, glanced into the warm room, and whispered, "Isn't the 18th of next month the Second Master's birthday? The young lady is waiting for those things to make clothes for the Second Master."

Li Hu: "Oh? What clothes?"

Qingwen covered her mouth and shook her head.

Seeing no sound coming from the warm room, Li Hu whispered, "Tell me, I won't tell your girls."

Qingwen still shook her head.

Li Hu: "Girl, why are you so stubborn?"

Amber on the side covered her mouth and laughed.

After hearing this, Li Hu also laughed.

"What are you talking about so happily? Let me listen too!" Lin Daiyu walked out from the warm room.

Qingwen: "Miss, I'm going to draw the model." Then she ran towards the green gauze cabinet like the wind.

Lin Daiyu looked at Li Hu: "What's wrong?"

Li Hu waved his hand and said, "Ignore her, she's a bit crazy." Then he took her hand, looked her up and down carefully, and said with a smile, "What does the poem say? Yes, 'There is a beauty in the south, peerless and independent. One look from her can make the city fall in love with her, another look can make the country fall in love with her.'"

Lin Daiyu's face flushed, she pulled her hand away, and then punched Li Hu: "What nonsense!"

After a pause, he said, "It's 'North', not 'South'."

Li Hu smiled and said, "My sister is from the south."

Lin Daiyu curled her lips and said, "So many twisted ideas!"

At this time, Zijuan came in and said to Lin Daiyu, "Miss, Nanny Wang asked the servant to prepare a carriage with a warm canopy, and put the two boxes of books in the carriage." Li Hu: "Are they for someone?"

Lin Daiyu: "No. When we were talking in the old lady's room the other day, Xiangyun heard that I had a Suzhou edition of Li Bai's Collected Works, and asked me to take it to her. Yesterday, she asked the maid to send me a letter, saying that she would also go to the old lady today, and asked me not to forget it. I also have a few boxes of books that I lent to my second and third sisters."

Li Hu nodded. On the seventh day of the first lunar month, he met Shi Xiangyun, a lively and cheerful girl who was one year younger than Lin Daiyu, while having a drink at Rongguo Mansion.

There was a joke that day. When Jia Lian went to Rongqing Hall to invite Li Hu to the east courtyard for a seat, Jia's mother realized that it was the eldest wife's house, not the Rongguo Mansion, who was hosting Li Hu and Lin Daiyu. Even the money for the opera and wine in Rongqing Hall was paid by the eldest wife's house.

Not to mention Lady Jia, even Jia Zheng looked confused.

Grandmother Jia was very shrewd, but she couldn't cause unrest in the family during the New Year, so she could only make a note of Mrs. Wang in her heart.

This is how today’s trip came about.

Today's Lantern Festival banquet is paid for by Grandmother Jia and has nothing to do with the first and second wives.

At this moment, the clock in the corner rang!
Li Hu glanced at it and said, "It's getting late, let's go over there."

Zijuan and Xueyan took down the cloaks and warm vests hanging on the clothes hangers.

Li Hu personally wrapped a cloak around Lin Daiyu and put on a hand warmer. He looked at her carefully and said with a smile, "Let's go." Then he naturally put his arm around her waist and walked out.

Heavy snow was falling as a rider on a fast horse rushed into the imperial city.

When they reached the Meridian Gate, the soldiers dismounted from their horses and ran towards the Zuoye Gate while untying the bags on their backs.

The eunuch on duty at the Meridian Gate hurried forward to greet him.

The soldier ran over with his bag held high, shouting, "Great victory at Hetao! Great victory at Hetao!"

The imperial guards all showed expressions of astonishment.

The eunuch on duty at the Meridian Gate ran over frantically and said, "Quick! Give it to me, give it to me!" He snatched the bag and turned to run towards the Zuoye Gate.

Just as the eunuch on duty at the Meridian Gate hurried into the Palace of Tranquil Longevity, Jia Lian accompanied Li Hu into the East Courtyard.

Jia Zhen, wearing a fur coat, was already standing on the stone steps outside the second gate, smiling, with white snow floating on his body.

Li Hu smiled and walked forward quickly, clasping his hands: "Uncle Zhen!"

Jia Zhen walked down the steps and said, "The master and Marquis Baoling are waiting for you. Please follow me." After that, he walked in first.

Li Hu and Jia Lian followed in.

As Jia Zhen walked, he said, "After the death of the old Marquis Baoling, the Shi brothers bet on both sides. Marquis Baoling Shi Nai guarded the lineage of the four kings and eight dukes, while Shi Ding went to work on the cold stove of the current emperor. Who would have thought that they would be right in betting."

At this point, he lowered his voice and said, "Don't think that the Baoling Marquis's Mansion is 'poor as hell' now. They are just 'pretending to be poor' to show their loyalty to the emperor. The Shi family has already been defeated, so there is no need to worry. Otherwise, how could Shi Ding be promoted to the commander of the imperial guards so easily."

Li Hu nodded.

Jia Zhen: "Also, the Shi family has long wanted to completely distance themselves from the Jia family."

Li Hu was shocked.

Jia Zhen stopped and looked at Li Hu: "Since the current emperor ascended the throne, Baoling Hou himself has never come to the Jia family again."

Li Hu: "Why are you here today?"

With a sneer, Jia Zhen said: "The emperor has used various means to win over the commanders and deputy commanders of the various camps in the Beijing camp. The Jia family no longer has much influence in the Beijing camp and will no longer be suspected by the emperor. In addition, you, the emperor's confidant, often come here. You are sure that the Jia family is really fine!"

Li Hu was stunned. He wanted to tell Jia Zhen that the "all right" he said was only temporary. In the original novel, the emperor no longer paid attention to the Jia family after Wang Ziteng handed over the post of governor of the Beijing camp. However, at Qin Keqing's funeral, Prince Beijing attended Qin Keqing's funeral in a high-profile manner, made friends with Jia Baoyu, the next generation head of Rongguo Mansion, and used practical actions to win over the Jia family, creating the appearance that the Jia family and Prince Beijing were forming a party. In addition, the Jia family was short-sighted and followed the will of the emperor, and made a big fuss about the visit of the imperial concubine, which completely stood on the opposite side of the emperor.

This Prince Beijing was obviously ambitious. He gathered people to "raise scholars" and actively tried to win over the four kings and eight dukes, most of whom were people who wanted to get involved in the imperial power.

The worst thing is that Qin Keqing is sick, and I heard that her illness is quite serious. Does the “invisible big hand” really exist?
Li Hu was suddenly excited. Prince Beijing was eyeing the huge power behind the four kings and eight dukes. Wouldn't the emperor's son be able to do the same?
Facts have proved that Li Hu's worries are not unfounded. Of course, this is all later.

Jia Zhen spoke: "General Li?"

Li Hu came back to his senses.

Jia Zhen went on to say, "The eldest master said that except for some household matters and human relationships, you don't need to respond to what Baoling Hou says. Just pretend you didn't hear it." After saying that, he accompanied Li Hu to the study.

(End of this chapter)