The Red Mansions

Chapter 1679: King Wu: Under the command of Master Hao, one penny can defeat ten thousand soldiers

Chapter 1679: King Wu: Under the command of Master Hao, one penny can defeat a hundred thousand soldiers...

Shenjing City, Ningguo Mansion, Hengwu Garden

In the spacious and airy wing, the lights were bright, splashing on the carved glass window frames like water.

Meanwhile, Baochai's belly had already grown completely big, and her round and rosy face, because of her pregnancy, looked even more rosy and bright as a peach.

Aunt Xue was busy running around, with a big smile on her face. She said, "Precious girl, you have to be extra careful these days. You're clearly having more severe morning sickness."

Baochai uttered a soft "hmm", her plump face, as white and flawless as a pear blossom, flushed. She stroked her bulging belly with her slender hand, and immediately felt a sense of blood connection coming over her.

Aunt Xue's fair face was filled with a bright smile as she asked, "My dear, why haven't you seen Heng'er these past two days?"

Baochai stretched out her slender hands and stroked her bulging belly. Two blushes appeared on both sides of her jade-like face, which was as white as a pear blossom. She said, "The prince should be busy with something right now."

Aunt Xue's jade-like face was surprised for a moment, and she asked, "Isn't there no war outside? What's going on now? Brother Heng is still very busy."

Baochai was silent for a moment, then said, "The prince is now the regent, so he still has to be busy with the affairs of the court."

According to the history books she had read in the past, the man in her family was only one step away from the throne.

However, that last step was too dangerous and she did not expect it.

If the son in my belly can become a prince in the future, no, a duke would be enough.

At this moment, a maid named Ying'er walked into the warm room and said softly, "Miss, the King of Wei is here."

After a while, Jia Heng walked around a brocade mica screen and quickly entered the hall. His eyes flickered as he asked, "Sister Xue, how are you?"

Baochai's bright eyes, beneath her beautiful eyebrows, were filled with joy as she said, "Very well, she is taking care of the baby right now."

Aunt Xue's plump, fair face was filled with a bright smile as she said, "Brother Heng, please sit over here. Ying'er, go over and get a chair."

Ying'er responded with an "ah", then took a pearwood chair with a backrest and handed it over. Her fragrant and delicate face was full of gorgeous blush, and when she raised her eyes, her eyes were full of affection, as if water could drip out.

Jia Heng sat down at once, took the blue and white porcelain teacup from Ying'er's hand, and took a sip.

Baochai's fair and delicate face became even more plump and smooth after she became pregnant. She asked, "My Lord, have you finished your work outside?"

Jia Heng said, "Sister Xue, I've finished my work here."

Aunt Xue smiled and said, "Brother Heng, it's good for Bao to take care of her baby in the backyard."

Jia Heng said: "You should walk around regularly, which will help the baby to be born smoothly in the future."

In this day and age, if the nutrition is too rich, the baby's head may be too large, causing difficult labor.

Aunt Xue smiled and said softly, "Brother Heng, I'll have someone help Bao walk around more these few days."

Baochai looked at Aunt Xue with charming eyes under her emerald eyebrows and said, "Mom, I want to have a chat with Brother Heng."

Aunt Xue smiled and said "Hey", then, without saying anything else, she called Ying'er over and said, "Come on, let's go over there."

Ying'er stood up without saying anything else and just responded softly.

Jia Heng came close to the couch where Baochai was lying, his eyes warm, and whispered, "Sister Xue, let me hear what the child is doing."

Under Baochai's bright eyebrows, which were like emerald feathers, her moist almond eyes were filled with shyness and joy. She whispered, "My husband, the fetus is not moving yet."

Then, seeing Jia Heng lying on her belly and feeling the movement of his bulging belly, Baochai felt a surge of sweetness in her heart.

After she became pregnant, the prince loved her even more.

After a while, Jia Heng looked at the round and smooth face from under his sword-like eyebrows and said softly, "Sister Xue, take good care of your pregnancy these days. You must not be careless."

Baochai hummed and said, "Brother Heng, I will take care of it. Mother will take care of me here."

Jia Heng gently stroked Baochai's shoulder, a flourishing smile appeared on his face, and he said, "Recently, I will come to see you often."

Baochai hummed softly and nestled her delicate head with long black hair into Jia Heng's arms, her face, as white as a pear blossom, in a daze.

It is really worth it to meet a good person in this life.

……

……

Grand View Garden, Qichi Garden

Zhen Lan and Zhen Xi sat down in the side room. Beneath their emerald eyebrows, there seemed to be a hint of thought in their eyes.

"Sister Xier, the prince hasn't come for several days." Zhen Lan said loudly with a hint of loss in her beautiful and elegant eyes.

Zhen Xi hummed softly and said, "Maybe he is busy with things outside. Sister Xue and Sister Lin are both pregnant during this period."

Zhen Lan responded softly, with a look of surprise on her face, and asked, "Has my sister's stomach moved this month?"

Zhen Xi's plump, lovely face blushed as she said, "What can I do at this time? It should be my sister who should have done it first."

Zhen Lan chuckled and said jokingly, "Sister, you are talking nonsense again. How can we rank the sisters in order of priority?"

Can the order of having children be determined by the sisters? That means whoever the prince is more intimate with will have the chance to have children.

Under Zhen Xi's emerald eyebrows, her white and snowy face was rosy as clouds. She said softly, "I'm thinking about my sister and husband. I'm a little afraid of pain."

At this moment, a maid came from outside, her eyes warm, and whispered: "Princess, the prince is back."

Then Jia Heng, wearing a long Sichuan brocade gown with a round collar and a straight hem, came quickly from outside and said, "Lan'er, Xi'er."

While Zhen Lan was talking, she quickly stepped forward, raised her rosy and chubby face, and said, "Brother Heng."

Jia Heng smiled, his eyes twinkled, and jokingly said, "Come and see you two, both standing at the door like a stone waiting for your husband."

Zhen Lan, with her bright and beautiful eyebrows, said, "Brother Heng hasn't been here for a long time, so I can't help but be worried."

Jia Heng gently took Zhen Lan's slender hand and sat down on the soft couch covered with a mattress. While speaking, he kissed her soft and slightly moist lips and said, "Sister Lan, have you missed me during this period?"

Under Zhen Lan's emerald eyebrows, mist rose from her bright eyes as clear as a spring, and she said in a trembling voice: "My Lord, please come inside."

Jia Heng said "hmm", then put his arm around Zhen Lan's shoulder, and the two of them went inside while talking.

Zhen Xi sat down beside them, her snow-white face flushed red on both sides, and she followed Jia Heng and Zhen Lan silently.

Jia Heng embraced Zhen Lan's plump and delicate body, sat down on a bed covered with a mattress, caressed the girl's frosty face, and leaned close to her soft and slightly moist lips, capturing her delicious and sweet breath.

Jia Heng stretched out his hands and hugged Zhen Lan's delicate body tightly, smelling the fragrance between her hair, his heart filled with joy.

Although the novelty has long gone, there are still some thoughts about it.

At this moment, Zhen Xi was watching from the side. Her bright starry eyes, beneath her emerald green eyebrows, sparkled and seemed to be moistening the rippling water.

Jia Heng looked solemn. He reached out and took Zhen Xi's soft little hand, and whispered, "Xi'er, come here too."

Zhen Xi responded softly, and then her snow-white face turned rosy. She said "hmm" softly, and then followed Jia Heng into the hall.

Under Zhen Xi's beautiful eyebrows, her eyes were soft and shimmering. Then she leaned her beautiful head towards him, and her face, which was as white as snow, was as rosy as the clouds.

Jia Heng reached out and took the slender hands of the two Lanxi sisters. An inexplicable feeling surged in his mind, and he asked, "What have you two been doing these days?"

Zhen Lan said softly, "I didn't do anything."

Jia Heng looked at Zhen Xi, whose face was flushed and fainted, and asked, "Where is Xi'er?"

Zhen Xi pursed her slightly pink lips and said timidly, "Nothing much, just reading a book, nothing else."

Jia Heng put his arm around Zhen Xi's shoulders and said, "I haven't come to see Xi'er in this period of time."

Zhen Lan lifted a strand of hair from her ear, looked at the young man in the python robe with eyes as bright as water, and whispered, "Let me help the prince change his clothes."

Jia Heng just said "hmm" and didn't say anything else.

While Zhen Lan was speaking, she lowered her body and came closer. Her face, as white as rosy clouds, was sometimes sunken and sometimes hollow. Her beautiful eyes, as clear as water, seemed to be filled with the deep love for mountains and rivers.

Jia Heng gently put his arms around Zhen Lan and Zhen Xi's shoulders and moved onto the bed with curtains around it.

At this moment, in the courtyard outside the window, a heavy rain had begun to fall without anyone noticing. The rain was so heavy that the vision was unclear.

It was June of the first year of Qiande. Endless torrential rain could be seen beating against the banana trees, and crackling sounds could be heard, as rapid and dense as the sound of an orchestra.

……

……

Time flies, and before we know it, two months have passed, and it is July of the first year of Qiande.

Jinling City, Wu Wangfu

Today is the 60th birthday of King Chen Lin of Wu. At this moment, the mansion of the wealthy family behind the high walls is decorated with lights and is packed with guests.

The guests who arrived included the Vice Minister of Personnel Wu Hefei, the Vice Minister of Justice Ying Yuanlu, the Right Censor-in-Chief of the Nanjing Censorate Kuang Chun, the Minister of Works Yan Mao and others.

Wu Wang Chen Lin was entertaining guests in the main hall. In the afternoon, he looked at the guests seated around him and said, "Everyone, please go to the back hall to have tea and chat."

When everyone present heard this, they nodded in agreement.

Soon, people sat down in the hall in twos and threes, and for a moment, the atmosphere was extremely noisy.

The King of Wu had a calm expression, like a mysterious lake. He sat on a rosewood chair next to a black lacquered high table. He glanced at the officials present and said in a low voice, "My fellow officials, the King of Wei, as a relative of the emperor, has seized power and is being tyrannical. He has taken control of the government. It is time for us to support the Han Dynasty."

The gentry sitting below, such as the Ministry of Personnel's attendant Wu Hefei and others, mostly had thoughtful looks on their faces, which was not surprising.

The officials and gentry who were able to sit here were originally loyal and righteous men who were "anti-Jia".

"Your Highness, the Prince of Wei is in the capital, and he has the brave men of the capital camp and the elite troops of the border army to support him. We in the south have no soldiers or generals, and it is difficult for us to be his enemy." The Minister of Works Yan Mao frowned and said worriedly.

Wu Wang Chen Lin's face became stern, and he looked at the family general beside him with a surprised look, and asked, "Are Mr. Hao and Marquis Annan here?"

The general lowered his voice and replied, "We have sent someone to ask about it."

Wu Wang Chen Lin's face was as gloomy as a dark cloud. He said, "Send someone to take a look."

The general looked extremely solemn. He responded and then turned and left.

Not long after, the general returned and entered the hall, bowing and saying, "Your Majesty, the Marquis of Annan is here."

When Wu Wang Chen Lin heard this, his heart paused for a moment, and he said loudly: "Follow me to take a look."

While the King of Wu was speaking, he stood up and went to greet them. He quickly came to the eaves of the corridor, looked at Ye Zhen and others, and said, "Lord Ye, they are here."

Ye Zhen walked up quickly, put on a straight face, and bowed, saying, "This humble general greets His Majesty."

King Wu nodded, extended his hand to support him, stared at him with piercing eyes, and said, "Lord Ye, please take a seat here. All the patriots in Jiangnan are waiting for Lord Ye."

Ye Zhen nodded heavily, glanced at the officials from Jiangnan sitting there, and had a rough idea in his mind.

After this incident, the forces opposing Prince Wei in the Jiangnan officialdom will be completely wiped out.

Ye Zhen was thinking about this at the moment and sighed.

For the future of the Ye family, don't blame him for being cruel and ruthless.

Soon, Ye Zhen came to a pearwood chair with a backrest next to the hall and sat down, saying, "King Wu, the generals of the Jiangnan camp are ready to start an uprising at any time."

King Wu asked with expectation in his eyes: "Marquis Ye, have those former subordinates of King Wei been alert recently? Should we deal with these people first?"

Ye Zhen said, "Your Highness, in the whole of Jiangnan, there are not many people who can be considered as the confidants of the King of Wei. There is only one, the Admiral of the Jiangnan Navy, Wei Che. He is currently leading his troops in Chongmingsha and cannot take care of the situation in Jinling City for the time being. As for the generals of the Jiangnan camp, except for a few loyal supporters of the King of Wei, we can send people to capture them all and take over the Jiangnan camp in an instant."

The King of Wu nodded and asked, "Lord Ye, if the court dispatches Wei Che to lead troops to attack Jinling, Lord Ye, how do you think Jinling should respond?"

Ye Zhen shook his head and said loudly: "Don't worry, when I take over the Jiangnan camp, any navy troops will not be able to get close to Jinling City at all."

Upon hearing this, the King of Wu said, "It is good that Lord Ye has considered things carefully."

Ye Zhen, the Marquis of Annan, hesitated for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, I would like to ask for your permission regarding the details of the troop deployment."

King Wu nodded, then looked at the Jiangnan officials who were drinking tea around him and said, "Excuse me, everyone."

The expressions of the gentry from the south of the Yangtze River who were seated there changed slightly, but they did not say anything, after all, it was related to the next military deployment.

In the back house, in the study room——

King Wu sat down on a red lacquered wooden chair and asked, "Lord Ye, how are the military preparations going?"

Ye Zhen, the Marquis of Annan, lowered his voice and said, "Your Highness, what Grand Tutor Hao and I mean is that we will raise an army tomorrow and seize the office of the Governor-General of Liangjiang, so as to control the city of Jinling in one fell swoop."

The King of Wu nodded and said loudly: "This is a very good plan. Then we will raise a banner to support the Han Dynasty. In addition, the aspiring gentry in Jiangnan have already organized soldiers. As long as there is an uprising in Nanjing, the four directions will respond in an instant, and then we can sweep across the north and south."

Ye Zhen said: "Your Majesty is right. Now all the people of Jiangnan are eagerly waiting for this. Once a spark is ignited, we can work together to achieve a great plan and create a momentum that will spread like wildfire."

Just as the two were discussing their next move, a servant entered the study and said, "Your Majesty, the eldest son of the Hao family is here."

When the King of Wu heard this, he said, "Go and invite him over quickly."

The servant responded and left the study quickly.

After a while, Hao Jiru's son Hao Huaizheng strode into the study.

"Junior greets His Majesty the King of Wu. May you live a thousand years and a thousand thousand years." Hao Huaizheng gathered his sleeves, bowed deeply to the King of Wu, and said in a low voice.

The King of Wu quickly extended his hand to support him, saying, "Please stand up quickly, my nephew, please take a seat inside."

Hao Huaizhen thanked him and followed the King of Wu into the inner room and sat down.

King Wu said, "How is Mr. Hao?"

Hao Huaizhen said with great emotion: "Father is waiting for good news from King Wu. Father has already drafted the letter of appeal to attack Jia. He is just waiting for the big event to happen. Then he will launch an expedition to attack King Wei."

Upon hearing this, the King of Wu remained silent, clapped his hands and smiled, "Good, good, Master Hao was originally the emperor's teacher. With Master Hao in charge, one penny can defeat a hundred thousand strong soldiers."

Ye Zhen echoed, "When the proclamation is issued to the world, there will surely be countless loyal officials and righteous men responding, and then the Nine Provinces will be in turmoil."

If the Gao family had started the rebellion in Sichuan when Jiangnan also joined the rebellion, there might have been a chance of success, but now they will be defeated one by one by King Wei.