Indulgence in the Red Chamber

That night, Dai Duo left six guards in the courtyard for the night, and assigned people to the front and back doors.In the courtyard of the third entrance, the main house has to be cleaned up for Lin Ruhai to live in, Lin Ning lives in the east courtyard in the second courtyard, and Daiyu lives in the west courtyard opposite Lin Ning.In the front are guards left by Dai Duo, and in the back are a few women brought by Daiyu from the south to go to the night.Once settled, everyone went back to their rooms to rest.Daiyu saw that although the house was simple and things were limited, she thought that this was her own yard, and she was in charge of everything, so she felt very happy for a while, and she lay on the bed, feeling less sleepy.

"Girl, should you go to bed? I've been tired all day, and I didn't even have time to catch my breath." After finishing the last thing, Xueyan put the candle on the high table beside the bed, ready to undress and go to bed.

"Go to sleep, I'll sleep for a while. Suddenly I'm living in my own house, and I don't feel sleepy at all. It's time for you to rest after a hard day." Daiyu leaned in with a smile Damn, make room for the snow geese.

"Miss, Lin Ning said, Miss used to have trouble sleeping well, so she specifically asked me not to share a bed with Miss. It turned out that we lived in someone else's house, so there was nothing I could do. Now that we have our own home, isn't that already given to me? Have you prepared a place to sleep?" Xueyan said, pointing to an arhat bed beside Daiyu's bed.

"Oh, it's nothing. It's because he was too careful."

"Miss wakes up from sleep, and the slaves have to sleep deeply. There are always two snoring sounds. It startles Miss, but it's our fault. What he said makes sense. And—" Xueyan said, Turning around, he took the teacup and handed it to Daiyu, "This is the powder made from wild jujube kernels. He said that it would be good for sleep if he asked the young lady to drink a cup of tea every night."

"Is it useful?" Daiyu asked hesitantly.

"Well, this...the jujube seed powder can assist in the treatment of insomnia...the jujube seed constricts qi and soothes the nerves, harmonizes the stomach and invigorates the spleen, calms the liver and regulates qi...moisturizes the lungs and nourishes yin, warms the middle and removes dampness, restrains qi and stops sweating, improves the will and calms down, Bright ears and eyesight!——The more important thing is that it will not be bitter, and you can take it directly with water.” Xueyan memorized this set like a scripture, and finally said with a smile: “Amitabha, that’s what he seems to say. Come on , Miss, take advantage of the lukewarm jujube powder tea, drink it and go to sleep."

Daiyu listened to Xueyan's stuttering back, but her heart was warm.He took the teacup and drank it in one gulp.After rinsing his mouth again, he took off his coat and got into bed to lie down.

Xueyan also fell asleep on the small bed on one side, and after a while both master and servant fell asleep.

Early the next morning, when Daiyu got up to wash and wash, Lin Ning came to see her.Seeing that she was refreshed, she smiled and said, "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Very good." Daiyu said, turning around, Xueyan was combing her hair, so she had to turn around.

"I also thought, after changing the place, you have trouble choosing seats again, so you can't sleep."

"No, thanks to your jujube seed powder."

"Well, you must insist on taking it every night, and don't give up halfway." Lin Ning nodded.

"Got it. Are you born to be a housekeeper?"

"I don't bother to care about other people's affairs. You are the only girl who always makes me worry." Lin Ning said with emotion.

"It's not big or small, have you ever talked to Master like this?" Daiyu shyly turned her face away, but looked at him through the Linghua mirror.

"Hey, little master, don't be angry, it's my slave who made a mistake. Please, my servant, the chariots and horses at Sibeile's mansion are still waiting, and the little master's congratulatory gift has already been delivered yesterday. Should I go early today? Or wait for the bride?" Go through the door?"

"You poor-mouthed bastard!" Daiyu was amused by him, and suddenly looked back at him.Unexpectedly, Xueyan just tied a bunch of hair into a bun, but when Daiyu turned her head, her hair fell out again.Anxious Xueyan repeatedly blamed Lin Ning: "I came to talk early in the morning, why do I have to wait for the young lady to finish dressing before talking about these things?"

"That's all, I'd rather be simpler. What are you doing with so many tricks?" Daiyu looked at her hair in the mirror being twisted into a complicated hairstyle by snow geese, and sighed repeatedly.

"Today is Sibeile and Jin Gege's day of great joy. Miss went to congratulate instead of adults, how can it be simple? Let people watch, not to say that Miss doesn't like complexity, but it seems to be simple on purpose. So I would rather be more Good work."

"It's true. But you can avoid those complicated jewelry, just pick two simple and elegant ones to wear. Don't make trouble one day, and my neck hurts again."

"I know. I've picked out a few pieces, can you see if it's okay, miss?" Another little girl hurriedly brought over the jewelry box and showed it to Daiyu.

A long purple gold hairpin inlaid with demantoids, a pair of wishful bead flowers strung with South Sea rice beads, a goose-yellow palace-made velvet flower, a pair of glass jadeite pendants, and a pair of emerald green cat-eye inlays. The large Tibetan silver bracelet and four rings of red agate and yellow agate crimson stone.The last is a collar inlaid with five-color colored glass.

Daiyu frowned and said: "Necklaces and bracelets are free. The rings only need yellow agate stones. Those red ones are not used at all. My mother just passed away, and I am still in the hot filial piety. Even if it is Sibeile and Jin Gege's great joy, it is not appropriate to be too happy. Too plain, but not too ostentatious. Mother's filial piety is the greatest."

"Yes." The little girl agreed, took the collar and bracelets inside, and replaced them with a string of pearl necklaces and a pair of carved agarwood bracelets.

Daiyu looked at it, nodded and said, "That's all. Don't want red clothes, just wear the dark blue dress with gold dots that Mr. Ning ordered from Yunrong Silk and Satin Village a few days ago."

After hearing this, Lin Ning nodded secretly, thinking that this little girl is really good at matching these clothes at her age.Sure enough, it was due to the family tradition accumulated by generations of poets and books.

Originally, Daiyu was worried that Lin Ning would run into those princes and brothers, which would cause embarrassment.Unexpectedly, I didn't know until I arrived at Sibeile's house, that kind of worry was unnecessary.

Even if Yinzhen didn't make a special arrangement, according to the rules, the princes would not sit with foreign ministers.The princes were all sitting on the table in the main hall of the main house, accompanied by the first-class bodyguard Longkodo who was called uncle by Yin Zhen, the nephew of the Minister of Internal Affairs Tong Guowei.

Longkodo's elder sister is the imperial concubine Tong Jia who is in charge of the gold seal and gold book in the harem, and her uncle is also a celebrity in front of Kangxi, who once followed Kangxi to conquer Galdan twice.Even Tong Guowei is among the personnel planned for this year's expedition.

Therefore, it is reasonable for the princes at this table to arrange for him to serve.

And Lin Ning was led by Dai Duo to an exquisite small courtyard in Xikuayuan. The guests here were all people from the Jianghu that Yinzhen got acquainted with, including a famous monk from Shaolin Temple, Master Kong Xiang, and a young but ugly scholar. After the introduction, Lin Ning knew that this person was named Wu Sidao, and he was one of Yinzhen's aides when he went to Shanxi. However, this person was careful and had been working for Yinzhen from below. He seldom showed up in the capital. Today, he happened to be in Beijing to reply. Yinzhen, so he was arranged to have a wedding here.There are also two Jianghu warriors, introduced by Master Kong Xiang.Lin Ning knew that one of them was the son of the leader of the Cao Gang, and the other was the young head of the Nangong family, a family of ceramics in the south of the Yangtze River.

They are all secretly doing important things for Yinzhen.

Lin Ning secretly kept these people in his heart, just smiled slightly, and sat beside Master Kongxiang.A young man came up to pour tea, but Master Kongxiang said with a smile: "Dog, why don't you bring us a taste of the good tea that Si Ye has kept privately?"

"Master, haven't you tasted all the good tea from our fourth master? There are so many people and things to do today, why do you always choose this time?" The dog is smart and intelligent, and it is the future that Emperor Yongzheng will make an appointment. Li Wei, a great official in frontiers who made great contributions.

"It's not that I want to eat good tea at this moment, it's that this little brother has very raw noodles. It must be the first time. Don't you bring him a taste of that good tea? Who doesn't know that fourth master's study is full of You kid is in charge, you have those teas if you say you have them, and you don’t have them if you say you don’t have them. Are you talking to me now?” Master Kongxiang looked at Lin Ning with a smile, but went to scold the dog.

"Master, you don't know. Our fourth master's good tea is made by this young master. How could he be like you, a greedy cat who begs for tea when he sees his slaves." The dog is not the head The first time I saw Lin Ning, in fact, when Yinzhen went to the south of the Yangtze River, he also followed him.Although Lin Ning didn't pay much attention to him, he remembered Lin Ning deeply in his heart.

"Oh! I've been thinking that such a good tea is rare in the world. I don't know which master made it. It turns out that the master is here. It's really a pleasure to meet you!" Master Kong Xiang is a monk, and everything is empty. , Wei Wei couldn't let go of tea, so Gou'er laughed at him every time because he was a monk and not born, and he was still a big layman.

"Where is it? The master praised it absurdly." Lin Ning hurriedly cupped his hands in return, with a very humble attitude.

Immediately the atmosphere became lively, Wu Sidao was also a good tea, and he was also young and frivolous, so he started talking with Lin Ning, but unexpectedly found that this young man was seven or eight years younger than himself, but he had extremely deep experience. Insight, not like a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy, but a learned old man in five or sixty years old.For a while, they were envious again, and the chat between the two became more and more lively.

Daiyu and Lin Ning came to Sibeile's residence at the same time, but were taken to the new house by Yinzhen's nanny, Nurse Jing.Yinzhen specifically reminded that Miss Lin and Nalashi Jinyu are close friends in the boudoir, so Mother Jing must not treat her slowly, because she is still young and still a child, and she is not well cared for when she is with those female guests. So let Nanny Jing take her to find another quiet room, and take care of it properly.

Nanny Jing is an exquisite nanny trained in the palace. After listening to Yinzhen's orders, she thought that her father and concubine Fujin had already taken a fancy to Miss Lin, and they would marry in sooner or later to be the master of Fujin. , is different from those imperial wives outside, so how dare she neglect her?The snacks, fruit and tea are all exquisite, and a table is fully set up in the east room opposite the new house, just waiting for the bride to bring her over, and let Miss Lin go in to accompany her.

Sitting in Yinzhen and Jinyu's new house, Daiyu and Xueyan looked at the bridal chamber decorated with red silk through the bamboo curtain of Xiangfei at the door, very curious.

"Xueyan, when do you think sister Jinyu will come?"

"Miss, you can call me elder sister now, but when Gege and Fourth Master worship heaven and earth, you will call her Sifujin."

"I know that." Daiyu smiled, knocked on the melon seeds, thought for a while, and suddenly asked, "What do you say—what is sister doing now?"

"Of course it's time to dress up! A once-in-a-lifetime bride needs to dress up well. Why does it take two or three hours for the bride's make-up?"

"Ah?" Daiyu looked at Xueyan in surprise, "Could it be that you are talking nonsense? If you sit in front of the vanity mirror for three or four hours, don't you get tired?"

"Well, it is said that every bride will be exhausted on the day of her wedding!"

"Bah, bah, bah! What nonsense are you talking about, you are dead and alive, don't let the mothers hear." Daiyu hurriedly stopped.

"That's right, it's the servant girl who said the wrong thing." Xueyan hurriedly changed her mouth, and asked Daiyu again: "Miss, do you have tea? The servant girl will pour you a cup of tea?"

"Well, let's go. I'm really thirsty after knocking these melon seeds."

"Miss, look." Xueyan took out a small bag from her sleeve, which actually contained tea leaves from her home.

"Smooth ghost! I even bring a little tea with me." Daiyu snickered.

Xueyan poured the tea from the teacup into the spittoon, put her own tea in it, turned around and went out to find hot water.

Daiyu was leaning on the chair by herself, dragging her chin in a daze, when she suddenly heard Nurse Jing stop at the door repeatedly: "Oh, you two young masters, why did you two come here all this time?"

"Fourth sister-in-law hasn't come yet, let's come and see what the bridal chamber looks like?" This was the voice of the thirteenth elder brother Yinxiang, and Daiyu couldn't help laughing when she heard it.

"Yeah, even if the fourth sister-in-law came in, we still have to come in and make trouble in the bridal chamber. What are we afraid of? Thirteenth brother, let's go in and have a look." Know that he is also a prince, and younger than Yinxiang.

"Master Thirteen and Master Fourteen, there is no bride in this bridal chamber, and there is nothing to eat or drink. What can you see when you go in?" Mother Jing was afraid that the two children would mess around, so she persuaded, "Why don't you It's better to go to the front and find brothers to have a drink and chat together, wouldn't it be better?"

"What big things are the brothers talking about, and we don't understand, we are so annoying. Huh? Why are you here?" Yinxiang was waving his hands repeatedly, but seeing Xueyan coming in from outside with a teacup, he immediately asked in surprise.

"Ah, the Thirteenth Lord is auspicious." Xueyan was not stupid, and hurriedly saluted Yinxiang.

"Hey, Brother Thirteen, do you know this girl? Why do I look so unfamiliar?"

"Well, he's not a girl from the fourth brother's family, but from the south. You don't know her." Yinxiang ignored Yinti's curiosity, and only asked Xueyan, "Could it be that sister Lin is here?"

"Uh..." Xueyan didn't dare to say anything, but only looked at Jingmama.

"My two elder brothers, Miss Lin is Fourth Master's honored guest and also our close friend of Fujin's boudoir. Later, Fujin and Fourth Master will pay their respects and will sit here for a while. Fourth Master is afraid that Fujin will be bored, so he will I invited Miss Lin to come over, and I want to talk to Fujin later. What are you two doing here? Why don't you go to the front?"

"Haha!" Hearing this, Yinxiang regained his energy immediately, pushed away Madam Jing and went straight to Dongli Room, and said with a smile: "Sister Lin is here, so naturally I won't leave."

Daiyu heard the conversation in the room and knew that Yinxiang and Yinti were coming in, so she stood up from her chair.

"Sister Lin! Long time no see, how are you?" Seeing Daiyu, Yin Xiang immediately ran up to hold her hand and greeted her affectionately.

"Thirteen Lord is auspicious." Daiyu hurriedly pulled out her hand, took a step back and saluted Yinxiang.

"Brother Thirteen, this younger sister is so beautiful, whose daughter is she?" Yinzhen followed Yinxiang into the room, and when he saw Daiyu, he couldn't look away.

Daiyu saw a boy who was about the same size as Yinxiang, but he was a little more handsome than Yinxiang, and he was also a little taller. The feeling of facing the wind.It's just that he looked straight into his eyes, not very comfortable.Knowing that he is the Fourteenth Elder Brother Yinti, she wished him all blessings: "Daiyu has met the Fourteenth Elder Brother, the Fourteenth Lord is auspicious."

"Daiyu? Lin Daiyu?" Yinti looked at Daiyu with a slight smile, looked him up and down again, and sighed, "Are you from Jiangnan?"

"Fourteen, she is from Gusu." Yinxiang didn't wait for Daiyu to reply, and answered for her first.

"No wonder, Xizi's hometown is such a beautiful woman. Miss Lin is a bit better than Xizi."

After hearing this, Daiyu was speechless and had to keep silent.

"Fourteen, seeing you speak so bluntly, my sister is even embarrassed. Good sister, what are you doing sitting here alone? It's so boring." Yinxiang said, seeing the snacks and fruits on the small kang table again, and went up I went forward and pinched a few pine nuts, twisted off a thin layer of skin, and put it in my mouth.

"Brother Thirteen, I like this younger sister." Fourteen made no secret of his love for Daiyu, still looking at her and smiling.

"No, no!" Yinxiang turned around suddenly, waving his hands again and again, "You can't like her."

"Why? Are you the only one who likes it?"

"Uh, I can't like her either." Thinking of Lin Ning, Yinxiang was a little speechless.

"That's just right, since you don't like her, I'll be the one to like her in the future." Yinti felt relieved, fortunately Thirteenth Brother didn't like her, otherwise she would turn around and tell Er Niang, and Er Niang would have a reason to shirk.

"No! Neither of us 'can't' like her." Yinxiang hurried over and stood between Daiyu and Yinti, blocking Yinti's gaze from looking at Daiyu.

"Brother Thirteen, what are you doing?" Yinti was dissatisfied, and went around Yinxiang to find Daiyu, "Miss Lin, come here, let's talk."

"Don't dare. Please take the seat of the Fourteenth Master." Daiyu hurriedly took a step back, avoiding Yinti's tugging.

"Fourteen!" Yinxiang was unhappy, stepped forward and pulled Yinti away, and said with wide eyes: "I told you, you are not allowed to like her. Didn't you understand?"

"I understand. But I'm not going to obey. Why can't I like her? Even if she is Han, so what? I just like her. I have to go back and tell Er Niang to take her into the palace to play."

"How dare you!" Yinxiang was angry. This boy Shisi is good at everything, but he is too domineering.

"Why don't I dare?" Yinti was also angry, you obviously don't like it, why are you messing around?

"Hmph, even if you know Concubine Demu, Fourth Brother won't allow you to take Sister Lin into the palace."

"Oh? So, fourth brother likes her?"

"No nonsense!" Yinxiang was angry again.But in his heart he despised Yinti, boy, what do you know?

"You people are sneaky and don't know what to do all day long. Since the fourth brother doesn't like her, and you don't like her, why can't I tell my concubine that I want her to enter the palace? I like it very much. She." Yinti said, and went to see Daiyu again.

Daiyu's face turned pale at the words of the two brothers.

Could it be that I can only be like an item, allowing them to fight for it like this?These people think that they are princes and elder brothers, so they can do whatever they want without asking other people's feelings?

It's too much!

"Look, you're mad at Sister Lin! Fourteenth, you still hate me so much!" Yinxiang hurriedly turned around, took Daiyu's hand and persuaded, "Sister Lin, don't be angry. I'll tell Fourteen Brother, let the fourth brother teach the fourteenth brother a good lesson."

"Hmph, fourth brother won't teach me about this!" Yinti snorted coldly, turned around and sat on the low kang.

"Second Masters, Second Masters——" Nanny Jing knew that the two young masters would make trouble here, so she quietly sent someone to the front to say hello to Yinzhen.Sure enough, at this moment, the servant next to Yinzhen hurried over and shouted at the door: "The Thirteenth Master and the Fourteenth Master! Our fourth master is looking for you two, why did you come here?"

"We're waiting for a bridal chamber! They were drinking and guessing, but we don't know how. We don't have to listen to their nonsense. You go tell the fourth brother that we are not hungry, and we don't eat wine. Just sit here for a while gone."

"Yo! Fourteenth Master, Ning Mama who is in front of Empress Concubine De is here, and she said that Empress has something to say, please go to the front." How could the boy just leave, he hurriedly looked for a reason to call Fourteenth Elder Brother Yinti outside .

"What does Er Niang have to say at this time? Don't coax me." Although Yinti said this, he didn't dare to delay any longer.Although these princes and elder brothers are arrogant, they still understand the minimum rules.

Yinxiang blinked at Daiyu, and said in a low voice, "Let's go later today, and we'll go play after they're all gone. There's a new swing set up in the back garden of the fourth brother, which is very fun."

"Master Thirteen, let's go. Don't delay the business." Daiyu hurriedly put her back on her back.

Yinxiang nodded, and Fang pulled Yinti away.

Daiyu let out a long breath when she saw the two of them going out.Sitting alone, lost in thought.

"Miss, don't be afraid, Master Fourteen is joking, he won't take it seriously." Mother Jing doesn't know Daiyu's thoughts, although the palace is good, but there is no freedom at all, except for Baqi's daughter who has no choice but to enter the palace according to the rules, Han family officials rarely want their daughters to enter the palace.Once the gate of the palace enters the world, who doesn't want the head of the family to reunite and live in peace?Except for those who rely on nepotism to climb up, they are more than happy to trade their daughters for wealth.

"I know." Daiyu nodded, saying so on the lips, but still worried in her heart.I also regretted that I really shouldn't have come today, even if I had to leave now, it would be too late.

Daiyu's original good mood was half gone, and she sat alone in the east room, drinking tea in a dull mood.

In the evening, I only listen to the sound of joy in front of me, and the hustle and bustle of life.Nanny Jing hurriedly ordered the little girls in the room to stand upright, saying that Fujin was about to enter the door.Daiyu Fang cheered up and waited for Jinyu to enter the door.