The Bookish Scholar of the Red Mansion

As soon as she heard the news that Xue Pan was fighting with someone, Aunt Xue felt her eyes go dark. She had known that this son was not a worry-free person, but now that she was moving to the capital, she hoped that he could learn better and understand that there are people outside the family.

Who would have thought that Xue Pan would not change his temper in Jinling. Relying on the prominent family background of the Jia family, he went out to have fun every day and hung out with friends all day long.

Why can't this child be taught well? Why can't he learn? Aunt Xue felt sad in her heart, but she still said first: How are you, sir? Are you injured?

The servant also just got the news from outside. The person who reported the news didn't even tell half of the sentence, making it even harder for him to know the whole story. I had no choice but to stand in the cold wind and, based on past experience, said urgently: The uncle suffered some skin injuries.

That's good. Before Aunt Xue could nod, she heard another servant say: But uncle... uncle...

Brother, what's wrong with him? Seeing his mother getting more and more panicked, Baochai asked immediately.

Uncle, he was taken away by the officers and soldiers of Wanping County.

As soon as these words were spoken, the mother and daughter in the room were frightened. Baochai couldn't care about her mother for a moment and asked anxiously: Who did the eldest brother fight with? Did anyone get killed? Where are the servants who were with him? Did any of them come back to report?

After a flurry of questioning, the servant outside the door hesitated. Seeing that he couldn't figure out the reason, Baochai, who looked anxious, turned around and saw his panicked mother under the candlelight. Aunt Xue was still in a daze, and slowly she realized the fact that her son had been caught. Then he cried out.

My son!

Now was the time to cry. Baochai had always had a strong mind and opinions, but seeing that her mother was helpless, she was of no use. He hurriedly gave instructions: Quickly go to Yihongyuan to ask for Master Bao. Just tell him that I'm looking for him and ask him to come to Lixiangyuan.

In the middle of the night, it was not easy for a woman to go out. Although I don't know whether Xue Pan's matter is big or small, if we want to make things right, we can't avoid the Jia family's face. She made a decision and immediately sent someone to ask for Baoyu.

Under the cold weather, Baoyu got the news and rushed to Lixiangyuan without stopping. After he sat down, he listened briefly to Xue Pan's story. Baoyu was also confused and said: This...this, it's useless to talk to me about this.

Perhaps because he felt that he was losing face by his words, Baoyu shook his head and sighed: If I had known that this would happen, we should have brought him over when we held a poetry meeting today. If I were watching him, it would definitely not have happened. Such chaos.

What time has it been? What’s the use of saying this after the fact? Baochai suppressed the anxiety on her face, and had no time to pay attention to her mother, who only wiped away her tears, and said, I can't decide this matter. I need Mrs. Sister-in-law to come forward.

What kind of person is Wang Xifeng? She was the one who took care of the affairs of Chang'an Jiedushi. Baochai also heard about this matter. It's a pity that it's late at night, and Wang Xifeng should be sleeping with Brother Jia. It was not appropriate for him to go to the house of a daughter who had not left the court, so Baochai had the idea of ​​asking Baoyu to come forward.

When Baoyu heard this, he also felt that it was most appropriate for Wang Xifeng to come forward. But when he thought about it, now that Wang Xifeng was pregnant with Liujia, it would be a bit abrupt to bother her about this matter.

Baoyu... Seeing that the other party was in trouble, Baochai had no choice but to stare at him with tearful eyes.

I, I'll go find Brother Lian right now. Baoyu suddenly felt passionate and immediately decided to take over the matter. After that, he didn’t stop much. He stood up directly and rushed into the dark night.

After arriving at Jia Lian's residence in the dark, Baoyu asked someone to wake up the sleeping couple, while he waited briefly in the outer hall. Soon, Jia Lian put on a single coat and came out of the room and asked, What big thing has happened that has alerted you to my room?

Baoyu rubbed his hands and hurriedly told Xue Pan. When Jia Lian heard that it was the person from Wanping County, he knew that the matter was not serious. He immediately complained: If you want me to say, you should lock him up and kill his prestige. Don't just go out and show off all day long just because you have an uncle or cousin, and show off your prestige.

Thinking about the hope in Baochai's eyes before he went out. Baoyu couldn't bear the loss of his beauty, and said hurriedly: After all, he is a close relative by blood, and it is not good to see him in jail. The Chinese New Year is coming soon, and crying at home will ruin the atmosphere of the festival.

Wang Xifeng, who had just raised the curtain and came out, heard Baoyu's words and couldn't help but praise: Oh, our Jiabao brothers are really sensible. I don't know how happy the old lady is to know what you said.

Jia Lian also laughed, After the New Year, I will be seventeen or eighteen years old. If I don't grow up, I will let the servants in the house gossip. He looked at Wang Xifeng, who was being helped by Ping'er. The other person's body was upright. Very pregnant. He said hurriedly: Just leave this matter to me. Go back and have a good rest.

Regardless of the usual awkwardness and discomfort, Wang Xifeng is pregnant with her own flesh and blood at the moment. Some of Jia Lian's tenderness and sweetness still fell on the lady.

Seeing that her second brother agreed to this matter, Baoyu immediately became happy. When Jia Lian left the house, he immediately returned to Lixiangyuan to report the news to the frightened Xue family mother and daughter.

The latter waited until midnight before Jia Lian took Xue Pan out of the yamen with a bruised nose and swollen face. The family of three reunited in Lixiangyuan, and the mother and daughter could finally cry with confidence. Xue Pan was still cursing: It's all the fault of Liu. If he hadn't done it first, how could I have been arrested by the Yamen?

Baochai was very upset and was too lazy to pay attention to his brother's complaints. He just sent Jia Lian and Baoyu away politely.

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The next day, the government office was on holiday.

When Chen Heng got some free time, he rushed to the dock with the gift prepared by sister Lin to give it to the Xue family.

Xue Biao stayed in the capital for a month. He spent the whole day traveling around the mountains and rivers and visiting places of interest. He was really happy. While admiring the beautiful scenery of the country, he left some paintings and calligraphy everywhere. Such a relaxed life makes him reluctant to leave the capital.

When the provincial examination is over, I have to come and play again. Xue Biao stood alone on the pier. The rest of the Xue family had already boarded the boat to rest, waiting for his son to finish talking to his friends before setting off to return home.

The first snow yesterday is still falling today. The two of them stood still for a while, and snowflakes fell on their hair crowns and shoulders. When the cold wind blew, a white object fell from a branch in the distance, making a dull sound.

Chen Heng became angry when he heard this. He waved his hand to flick away the snowflakes on his shoulders and urged directly: In nine months, the provincial examination will be held. You have to give me snacks. Don't say that the provincial examination is over. Say that you passed the examination. Jing takes part in the examination.

Xue Ai has said this several times. However, Xue Biao was able to listen to his brother's advice and said hurriedly: I'm from the province. When I return to Yangzhou this time, I will definitely study quietly behind closed doors. When I wait for the exam next year, I will definitely end up with you.

Chi Xing, you won't wait another three years, will you?

Definitely not. Chen Heng shook his head hurriedly and said resolutely: This time I will try, I will definitely give it a try.

That's good. Xue Biao said happily, Then I will tell Yuan Bai the news when I get back and cheer him up.

This is the best thing. Chen Heng chuckled and said, The provincial examination is over. You might as well come to the capital as soon as possible. He estimated that by then, he should have his own house. We will live together and urge each other to study.

Xue Biao was very happy to have such a considerate friend by his side. He put his hands on his waist and said, Okay, I will bring more money to buy a house in the capital. We will sleep together. House, read books and write articles every day.

Seeing his mouth moving up and down, he decided to buy a house in the capital. Chen Heng suddenly realized that he almost forgot that the Xue family was also very wealthy now.

Okay, okay, don't say anything that will annoy people. Thinking about himself, he was working so hard for a house. Chen Heng waved his hands impatiently and scolded his friend with a smile, If you talk so easily again, be careful when I get married and move into your house with my wife and daughter. If I live here for ten or eight years, I will make your family poor.

That's a good relationship, hahaha. Xue Biao laughed, It just perfects our family relationship. Who knows, we can still be the in-laws of our children in the future.

You are so beautiful that you don’t even have a daughter-in-law, yet you still want to be my son-in-law. Chen Heng smiled secretly, but suddenly remembered something. After looking around, he asked quietly: I want to ask you something, you have to answer me carefully.

Seeing the seriousness of Chen Heng's question, Xue Biao quickly suppressed his smile and leaned into his friend's ear, What's wrong? You are so mysterious.

When you come to the capital this time, do you have a girl you like?!

Chen Heng did not want to hear gossip, he just thought about his good friend's marriage to Xing Xiuyan in his previous life, and was deeply afraid that because of his accident, the two would become separated. Coincidentally, they had met by chance at Xiangshan Temple last time, so Chen Heng took the opportunity to find out more.

Xue Biao felt baffled when he heard this. He traveled around the mountains and rivers every day and was very happy. How can I have time to pay attention to other girls?

Seeing his friend's weird face shaking his head, Chen Heng knew that this kid had given up his leisurely mind before he had the chance to wake up. He just changed his words and said: That's fine, just go back and study hard.

Yes, yes, yes, you must never forget the instructions of upholding the line. You have to stick to your buttocks when you go back. Xue Biao joked, and then revealed a bit of sadness about separation, It's fun to be happy, but it's painful to say goodbye. I don't know when we'll see you next time. ah.

Chen Heng smiled but did not answer. Both of them had a certain sense of elegance and knew that the words were just right. After saying goodbye to each other, they watched Xue Biao board the ship. The two people who were still reluctant to leave, one stood on the bow of the boat and the other waited on the dock. They didn't go back until they could no longer see each other in the heavy snow.

It is the lonely scene of the lonely shadow on the cold river and the city covered with heavy snow.

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After bidding farewell to his friends, Chen Heng returned to the Lin Mansion. As soon as he got off the carriage, he was caught by Liu Xianglian who had been waiting here for a long time.

This kid has always seen the beginning of a dragon but never the end. Chen Heng thought that the other party came to him to drink and relieve his boredom, so he asked: If you want to have fun, please wait for me to go in and report to the teacher before I go out with you.

Liu Xianglian shook her head, with a gloomy look on her face, and said, Zhi Xing, I got into trouble.

When Chen Heng heard this, he frowned. His expression darkened, and he immediately pulled Liu Xianglian to his yard. After closing the door and taking off his cloak and blouse, he looked at the uneasy Liu Xianglian and said, Tell me, what happened?

I was drinking in a restaurant last night... Liu Xianglian raised her hand and rubbed her face before slowly telling the story.

Liu Xianglian also has a fun-loving temperament. He is a solitary guest between heaven and earth. There are no elders above who need a salary, and no family members below who need care. Every month I get my salary, I spend it all immediately.

By chance, he was having fun at the Jingshi Restaurant last night and bumped into Xue Pan for no apparent reason. It was also a trick of fate. Their rooms happened to be next to each other, so logically they couldn't touch each other.

However, Xue Pan drank too much and used the imperial court's reward for the border officers as a talking point to make inappropriate complaints. After Prince Teng returned to Beijing, he has not yet received any reward. However, a general like Xin Geng, relying on his son to fight on the front line, actually got the title of Marquis of Baoning.

Xue Pan shouldn't have said much about this matter. But he felt deeply unworthy for his uncle, although it was hard to say clearly that Li Zhi's rewards and punishments were unfair. But when it comes to the Xin family's new title, he still dares to get it.

Xue Pan likes to speak loudly, and he has good wine to cheer him up, so he can't help but shout a lot. Liu Xianglian, a good friend of the Xin family, couldn't bear to hear this. The few bowls of strong liquor he had just drank were still in his intestines. On impulse, he directly lifted up his robe and came all the way from the next room.

So you two started fighting in the restaurant? Chen Heng asked.

Yes. Liu Xianglian nodded.

Did you see blood?

I don't even have to draw my sword when I beat them.

The current meaning is that there is no luck. Chen Heng looked at Liu Xianglian strangely. Normally, fights between men are just an ordinary thing. Just hit him, and as long as he didn't injure his muscles or bones, no one would go out of his way to report it to the police. What a shame.

What happened next? Chen Heng asked, guessing that there must be something hidden behind it.

They were no match for me. I beat them all the way from upstairs to downstairs. Liu Xianglian showed an expression of regret and remorse. When they got to the street, they took some of the vendors' things and used them to hit me. I saw that I was very upset. It was necessary to make trouble, and I didn’t want to continue to entangle with them, so I turned around and ran away.”

Then what?

Seeing that the man surnamed Xue couldn't catch me, he didn't know what he was thinking, so he took out his anger on the nearby vendors. He smashed a few more things and walked away. Liu Xianglian paused for a long time before saying, I'll tell you what happens next. I also heard about it when I was on my way back. I heard that an old farmer stopped them and wanted them to compensate for their losses, so he also asked Xue Pan to take his servants to beat them.

I went there late, and I only heard that the old farmer was sent to the hospital for treatment by his neighbors. At that time, people from the Military and Horse Division and Wanping County police officers came, so I didn't bother to ask any more questions. I just remembered the old farmer's name. Fang Ming, just go home and cover your head and fall asleep.

I originally thought that I would rush to that old farmer's house this morning and give them some money. Who would have thought... Liu Xianglian closed her eyes in pain and recounted the scene she saw, White flags have been hung up at their house. , White Lantern.”

Chen Heng was stunned. Then he realized why Liu Xianglian was in so much pain and exclaimed: The old man is dead?

Yeah. Liu Xianglian nodded slowly, and he also regretted his voluntary act in his heart.

Why don't I kill Boren, but Boren died because of me.

Damn it, why was I so impulsive and willful last night?

Chen Heng frowned when he heard this. After thinking for a moment, he stood up and dressed and said, Let me go to my uncle's house first.

Liu Xianglian didn't even have anyone in this world with whom she could discuss matters. As soon as he saw something happen to him, he immediately thought of himself, how could Chen Heng stay out of it. Someone was willing to make decisions for her, and Liu Xianglian suddenly had a backbone.

On the way to the outer city, Liu Xianglian couldn't help but feel annoyed in the carriage. She lost an innocent life due to drunkenness.

In fact, if this matter is really to blame, it cannot be entirely blamed on him. Chen Heng was determined to let him suffer this loss so that he could do things more steadily in the future. In the car, he was scolded with harsh words.

Liu Xianglian knew that she was at fault, so she did not argue, she just lowered her head and listened to the instructions honestly. When they arrived at the door of the old farmer's house, Chen Heng pulled him out of the car and stepped on the snow on the ground to the door of the old farmer's house.

There was already a lot of crying inside, and Chen Heng chatted a few words with the guests and neighbors outside. Then I realized that there was only an orphan girl and young grandson in the old farmer's family. His wife and son-in-law passed away due to illness. The whole family, old and young, all rely on the old man to make a living by setting up a stall.

Chen Heng asked again: Did the person who beat me show that he came to the house? The neighbors who were watching the excitement said angrily: Why are you apologizing? I heard that they were snatched away from the Yamen last night. What kind of world is this? These young men can do whatever they want according to their temperament. Now they have broken into Woe, he slapped his butt and left. At this moment, he didn’t even say a word. I think those officials must want to settle the matter.

I heard that he seems to be a boy from some Duke's mansion.

Who knows. Hey, we can't fight but we can't fight. It's hard for us common people to live a peaceful New Year. Orphans and widowed mothers, what will we do in the future?

Liu Xianglian was said to be ashamed and stood at the door of her old man's house. With a face of shame, I didn't dare to step in for a while. Chen Heng looked at him for a while and then said, If you don't go in once, I'm afraid you will have a bad conscience.

Yeah. Liu Xianglian clenched her fists and bravely entered someone else's house. The result, of course, needless to say. Not long after, even Chen Heng was hit with a stick several times, and in pain he asked someone to drive him out.

Seeing angry people all around, Chen Heng had no choice but to lead Liu Xianglian to retreat quickly.

On the carriage back, Liu Xianglian saw Chen Heng rubbing the place where he was beaten, and said guiltily: Zhi Xing, I have hurt you.

There's no need to say these things. Chen Heng waved his hand, Let's think about how to compensate them later.

Oh. Liu Xianglian lowered his head. He had tasted the hard life. Growing up, my family members passed away one after another, and I understand the sadness and pain in it. The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became, so he raised his hand and slapped it on the face.

Chen Heng ignored him and only waited for him to stop before asking him about his future plans.

I will send money to them every month from now on. If their families have any difficulties, I will definitely help them if I can.

It's also a way. Chen Heng nodded. It was not easy for Liu Xianglian to do this.

But after all, it was an innocent life. Neither of them spoke anymore. They only arrived at the place where they got off the car and parted with each other in silence.

After a few days of such tranquility, in the early morning of November, the officials who were stepping on the snow to go to court saw a woman wearing sackcloth and wearing filial piety kneeling here with her young son under the archway of Daming Gate. , kept kowtowing and shouting injustice.

Under the heavy snowfall, everyone passing by looked sideways and moved. Chen Heng got off the carriage with Lin Ruhai. He only glanced at each other briefly and recognized the old man's daughter and grandson.

Hahahaha, normal update.