Chapter 857: The Fluttering Alliance of Love

Rongguo Prefecture, Lixiang Courtyard.

When Xue Pan caused a lawsuit in Jinling, he indulged his servants to beat Feng Yuan to death, causing a huge disturbance.

It tired the Xue family so much that they couldn't stay in Jinling and moved the whole family to Shenjing to hide from the matter. Baochai still has lingering fears to this day.

Although Xue Pan has been in Shenjing for a few years and has not caused any accidents.

But Baochai knows well that her brother's temperament is reckless and he is a person who easily causes trouble, so she always reminds and admonishes him.

Even though Duan Chunjiang has no evil traces, Baochai feels that this person is too slippery, and always wants Xue Pan to stay away from right and wrong, so as not to cause trouble again.

Frowning, she said, "Brother often walks with the children of nobility, which I often hear about.

Duan Chunjiang is just a grain merchant, how can he be involved with the children of the Duke?"

Xue Pan smiled and said, "Sister, you don't know. Duan Chunjiang is active. He doesn't know where he learned that Chen Ruichang works in the Five Military Commissions.

He also holds the position of a military officer in charge of grain storage and has many contacts in the grain business, so he begged me to introduce him, and these two became close."

Duan Chunjiang is also very clever. Now he is very enthusiastic with Second Brother Chen, and even the outer house..."

Xue Pan said this and immediately felt that it was wrong. His sister is a daughter of a great family, how can he say dirty things in front of his sister.

The three of them often eat and drink together. Xue Pan knows many details. To please Chen Ruichang, Duan Chunjiang even introduced him to a Datong woman.

Xue Pan had never seen her, but heard that she was extremely beautiful. Chen Ruichang had already raised her as an outer house, and went to sleep and mess around every three days.

He hurriedly changed his words and said, "Even Second Brother Chen wanted to buy a house outside, he helped him handle it with all his strength, and he was very diligent to Second Brother Chen.

Second Brother Chen didn't let him suffer, and introduced him to many contacts and businesses, otherwise, for the year-end dividend, your brother wouldn't be able to get so much."

……

Xue Pan was very proud when he talked about this. He had never tried this before, relying on making friends and pulling relationships, and he could easily earn a large amount of silver.

His own mother said how good Jia Cong was, and he didn't dare to compare, but his mother said Baoyu was better than him, and he was unconvinced.

If he had understood these principles earlier, he wouldn't have messed around outside before, and relying on his good popularity, he would have already made a big business.

By then, see who would talk nonsense and feel that Baoyu was better than him...

……

Baochai heard her brother talk about Duan Chunjiang, still with a hot enthusiasm, and always felt some inexplicable worry in her heart.

She said, "Brother, Duan Chunjiang is just a grain seller. Compared with families like ours, he was born with much less foundation.

But his actions are too clever. He can let the children of the Duke help him pull business. Such a person has eyes and hands that reach the sky, and his actions will inevitably lack some scale.

Brother, when you deal with him, you must have more thoughts, lest you be fooled by others, and you are still kept in the dark.

The business in Jinling has more ways of the Xinchun Firm, and there is Second Uncle helping to manage it. The family business is more abundant and stable than in the past.

You don't need brother to spend more thoughts. No matter how prosperous the Duan family's grain store business is, it is just a grain store after all, and brother can't earn big silver, just looking at the excitement.

I told Mom before the New Year, advising brother to stop the grain store business, and the family will not be short of brother's expenses, and you don't have to be tired yourself."

Xue Pan heard this, although he was unwilling in his heart, after all, the grain store business made him somewhat glorious.

However, he knew that his sister Baochai had knowledge, and what she said always made some sense.

He hurriedly said, "Mom told me about this before the New Year, and I agreed. After the grain store opens after the New Year, I will settle with Duan Chunjiang clearly.

In the future, I will stay at home safely, not letting you and Mom worry. These are all small things, sister doesn't need to pay attention, managing your own future is the most important thing."

Baochai heard this and breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "I am a girl, what future do I have?"

Xue Pan smiled and said, "Sister is pretending to be confused again. That is not only a future, but also a great future for our family.

You don't think carefully, just this business of Xinchun Firm has stabilized the ancestral business of the Xue family. These are just a word from Brother Cong.

Sister, don't miss this opportunity. I haven't seen you go to the East Prefecture often recently. You should go around more.

All men in the world are the same, and they can't stand being coaxed by women, and sister is so outstanding, things are simple..."

……

Baochai heard her brother speak presumptuously, more and more unlike words, and was too lazy to ponder his crooked thoughts.

With a red face, she said, "If brother dares to talk nonsense again, I will turn my face, and let Mom come to judge."

Xue Pan was startled. Fortunately, Xue Yima was not there, otherwise, she would have to be beaten by the sole of the shoe again.

He hurriedly apologized: "It's all because I don't have a door on my mouth. Sister, don't think crookedly. Brother Cong is a legitimate relative. It is etiquette for you to go around more.

I won't chat with sister, someone is waiting for me, so I will go out first."

Baochai frowned and said, "Brother wants to break the business with the Duan family, why are you still going out with him?"

Xue Pan smiled and said, "Even if the business is broken, friends cannot be broken. More friends mean more roads."

Baochai saw Xue Pan turn around and slip away, and she couldn't stop him, so she sighed helplessly.

She picked up the sachet in her hand and re-threaded the needle to embroider. This sachet was originally intended for Jia Cong, but she didn't dare to send it after it was done.

Because a woman sending a man a sachet means secretly promising feelings, but she just did it to comfort herself.

However, she only made a few stitches, and suddenly thought of something. Her hand trembled slightly, and she pricked her finger, seeping out a drop of blood.

Baochai put her finger into her soft lips, subconsciously sucking lightly, and a trace of paleness appeared on her pretty face.

When Xue Pan was talking about things just now, Baochai didn't pay attention, but now she suddenly remembered.

Brother wants to visit friends with Duan Chunjiang. This person is Second Brother Chen of the Duke of Qi's mansion. Baochai doesn't know who Second Brother Chen is.

But Xue Pan just said clearly that this Second Brother Chen is a military officer of the Five Military Commissions, and went to the northern military grain depot to transport grain during the year.

It happened that he encountered the Mongols robbing the military grain depot, luckily escaped with his life and returned to Shenjing, and was seriously injured.

Just now in Rongqing Hall, everyone was talking about the Mongols robbing the military grain depot.

Sister Xiangyun also asked Brother Cong if he would lead troops on an expedition this time. Baochai felt uneasy and reluctant, and secretly lost her mind.

She didn't hear the oddity in her brother's words, but now that she recalled it, her heart jumped wildly. How could things be so coincidental?

Something big happened in the north, and the people her brother walked with happened to escape from the military grain depot, and also had involvement with that Duan Chunjiang.

Although Baochai couldn't see what was wrong, she felt uneasy in her heart. The Xue family only had some silver, and now it was just an ordinary door.

Although Baochai was a boudoir girl who didn't go out, she also knew these major military and state affairs. Not having any involvement is the most stable and reliable.

Just now in Rongqing Hall, Second Sister said that because of the military grain depot incident, the imperial court was investigating leaks, and many officials and nobles were implicated.

So there were fewer visits these days, and that Second Brother Chen is the son of the Duke of Qi's mansion. Isn't that a first-class noble son...

Baochai became more and more worried. She didn't know if this Second Brother Chen who escaped back was also being investigated by the imperial court.

If it was really this situation, and her brother was still dealing with this person, she shouldn't get involved in right and wrong.

Thinking of these, Baochai became more and more confused, and could no longer sit still, so she got up and went to the East Prefecture.

She thought that Jia Cong would return to the mansion at noon, and now he should be at home. She heard that he often went to the Court of Judicial Review these two days, so he should know some details.

Although she was ashamed to ask Brother Cong and let him know that her brother caused trouble.

But since she had already noticed this, she couldn't sit idly by and had to try her best to prevent it.

Although she didn't know how to speak, she thought about going over and meeting him.

……

Earl's Mansion, Yingchun Courtyard.

After the banquet in Rongqing Hall, Jia Cong and the sisters left the West Prefecture and strolled in the East Prefecture garden to digest food, chatting about family affairs, which was very comfortable and free.

He saw Xiangyun, who usually didn't stop her little mouth, suddenly less talkative today, following behind him silly and dull, as if full of thoughts.

Wearing a long coat embroidered with red woven gold peonies, her back was straight and her waist was thin, swaying and graceful, her pink-purple skirt fluttering slightly with the wind, like begonia blooming, light and pretty.

Jia Cong teased her: "Sister Yun, you said Baoyu was making trouble before the New Year, disturbing your interest in listening to plays.

I fulfilled my promise and specially invited a small opera troupe. Have you listened to the plays enough these few days?"

Because of the changes at the banquet, Xiangyun's mind was stirred, confused, as if stepping on clouds and fog, her mind was not attached, as if falling into a dream.

Hearing Jia Cong's voice in her ear, she woke up, and a blush could not help but appear on her pretty face.

She hurriedly said: "I have listened very well these few days, all of them are good plays, and my addiction to plays is satisfied. It's a pity that Third Brother is too busy to accompany me."

Although she was in the graceful age of a young girl, and she was a person who laughed and followed her heart, this remark revealed a lingering feeling at the end, and she didn't even feel it herself.

Daiyu on the side was careful, and always felt that Xiangyun was usually refreshing, but her words and deeds today were a bit strange, but in a hurry, she didn't think about it carefully.

Jia Cong smiled and said: "It's good that Sister Yun has enough addiction to plays, but after today, the opera troupe will be cleared first.

Now that the Mongols are invading, the imperial court is facing major events, and the family is too noisy, which is not good for outsiders to see."

Xiangyun smiled and said: "Everything listens to Third Brother. I have listened enough these few days, and I will listen when I have time in the future."

The two chatted for a while, and Jia Cong went to the firearm workshop to handle affairs, and the sisters went to Yingchun Courtyard to chat and pass the time.

Xichun chattered non-stop, making Yingchun, Daiyu, and Seeing Tan Chun laugh non-stop, but Xiangyun didn't join in the fun.

Seeing Xing Xiuyan enter the hall, Xiangyun pulled her back to the room to play chess.

……

Xing Xiuyan had a casual temperament and treated people sincerely, so she naturally agreed happily.

The two lit incense and set up the formation. Xing Xiuyan's bright eyes were full of light, her pretty face was graceful, she was focused, and she played chess with degree.

Shi Xiangyun was absent-minded, careless, and played chess according to her heart. She only played to the middle game, and her chess situation was unsupported, and she was about to lose.

Xiuyan smiled and said: "Why are you absent-minded today? Is it because you drank too much at the banquet just now, and your chess path is messed up."

Shi Xiangyun usually liked winning or losing, but today she didn't care about winning or losing, and while playing chess, she blurted out: "Xiuyan, do you think Third Brother is very good?"

Xing Xiuyan smiled brilliantly, very elegant and moving, and said: "Cousin is naturally very good, there is no one better than him." ===== CHAPTER 858 =====