[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber":3,"chapter-my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-885":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","My Life as a Rising Force in the Red Chamber",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2311683,4515,"Chapter 885: The Canopy of War: Dispatches from the Boudoir","my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-885",885,"\u003Cp>Rongguo Prefecture, East Road Courtyard, Baoyu Courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main chamber was lavishly furnished, with brocade curtains and embroidered hangings of vivid beauty; the canopy bed hung with green silk curtains patterned with insects and birds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the bed stood a richly inlaid blue bronze incense burner shaped like a peony of wealth, its charcoal burning with red Xiaoxiang incense slices, filling the air with thick, sweet, cloying fragrance that made one feel drunk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The canopy on the canopy bed hung half-drawn; two figures, disheveled and entangled, rolled together, their snowy skin half-revealed, punctuated by laughter and gasps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young maid Chunyan carried a copper basin and reached the door, about to knock, when she heard strange sounds from within and immediately froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She asked: “Sister Xiren, the hot water is ready—shall I bring it in now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From inside came Xiren’s voice, slightly breathless: “Not yet—bring it later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chunyan pouted, annoyed—the copper basin was heavy, and now she’d made a pointless trip—but dared not speak out, so she carried it away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the canopy bed, Baoyu was growing eager when suddenly his cheek was struck—he cried out in pain, stopped struggling involuntarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiren gave a light push, sliding him off her, secretly relieved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She felt inexplicably weak—since the woman entered the room, Second Master had already taken Cai Xia once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rest were all hollow pretenders, empty shells of false dragons and phony phoenixes, yet he never tired of it—how long would he go on like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Baoyu cry out in pain, Xiren couldn’t help feeling pity—it had become a habit over the years, almost instinctive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She saw the bruise still dark on his left cheek, five clear finger marks, and frowned: “It’s been nearly two days—why hasn’t the bruise faded?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master’s hand was too cruel—he struck so hard, what if he injured Second Master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baoyu, seeing Xiren’s tender expression and deep concern, felt a surge of pleasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though his full assault had failed to breach the inner citadel, he’d still gained enough from her, and warmth had begun to rise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said seriously: “Sister, you know my nature—I never follow the crowd. I must hold fast to my own views.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiren quickly dressed, covering some of her exposed skin; hearing Baoyu speak this way again, she felt a sudden weariness, a heaviness in her chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said: “Second Master, we servants are bound to you for life—if you thrive and prosper, that’s our lifelong fortune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Think of us, understand our hearts, and heed my advice—it will spare you much trouble and bring you peace.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baoyu, moved by her sincerity and still flushed from their intimacy, seized her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beaming, he spoke sweetly: “Whatever you say, whether ten words or a hundred—I’ll obey every one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiren smiled: “Why so many? Just heed a few of my words—if you change even a little, your life will run smoother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First: the household situation is no longer what it was. Never again speak of scholars as ‘greedy parasites’—in public or private.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the fifteenth, you’ll enter the Imperial Academy. Don’t dare utter such words about the Academy—don’t invite more trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I know you have your own views—but you must realize: if your views displease Master and others, you must be cautious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having your own views is good—but keep them inside. Why force them out and anger Master and others? It brings you no benefit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’ve always been clever and bright—you understand me. This is the most important point. Trust me—it’s always right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baoyu, once filled with tenderness, felt half his mood drained by Xiren’s earnest words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he knew she meant well—even if her views were shallow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He replied vaguely: “I promise, Sister—I won’t care about others’ obsession with fame. I’ll keep my own purity. I’ll speak less henceforth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiren sighed in relief: “Second: your studies at the Imperial Academy are Master’s top priority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Never let your studies become entangled with filial duty—it’s too dangerous a topic; others will seize on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master’s anger stems from this—he may be strict, but he truly favors you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Think carefully: when you study at the Imperial Academy, you won’t be able to attend often at Grandmother’s side—that’s normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Third Master goes to war, away for months, unable to serve Grandmother—he’s not the only one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The household has Master, Lady, and all the young ladies—they fulfill filial duty on your behalf. That’s sufficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You and Third Master are occupied with study and office; your absence is understandable. Don’t bring it up again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those with black hearts will hear it and twist it—not that you refuse to study, but that you use filial duty as an excuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’ll accuse you of ulterior motives—mocking Third Master as a mere official who knows nothing of family filial rites. That would spark great scandal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baoyu grew increasingly irritated—he didn’t care what kind of book he read; Grandmother never cared for books.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he wasn’t by Grandmother’s side fulfilling filial duty, how would she know his worth? Now that he’d moved to the East Road Courtyard, wouldn’t he grow even more distant from her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to this, what did those ‘greedy parasites’ at the Imperial Academy matter?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even to Xiren, he couldn’t voice these thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sighed: “My views will never be understood by others. Since no one wants to hear them, I’ll stop speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I neglect filial duty because of this, let it be on my head.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiren felt uneasy, but at least Baoyu had agreed—she’d let it pass for now, and deal with it later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She continued: “I know you dislike officialdom and economic matters, and despise the stale doctrines of sages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the world loves them—you must understand this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So don’t voice them aloud—everyone’s face will be saved. Even if you dislike studying, pretend to like it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Look no further than this East Road Courtyard—it offers a perfect example.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve been watching these days: Huan Brother, guided by Third Young Lady, has grasped this truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He used to dislike studying even more than you—now he pretends to never put down his books.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The maids and old women passing by say he hides in his room, swaying his head, mumbling ‘zhi hu zhe ye’—he’s mastered the act perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Zhao is delighted—she’s surely whispered sweet nothings to Master. Now Master favors Third Master Huan more, often visiting him to watch him study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You must take warning, Second Master—learn from Huan’s cleverness. Pretend before Master—it will make father and son more harmonious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world works by drops wearing through stone—if you persist like this, the household will keep veering off course, and Master’s heart will belong only to Huan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If rumors spread that Huan, a mere bastard, is more favored than you, the legitimate heir, won’t you lose face?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baoyu endured Xiren’s nagging; he’d half-accepted her earlier points—but when he heard the last one, he could bear it no longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He snapped: “You’re wrong, Sister. I’m a pure soul—I hate the world’s pretense, its hollow show of virtue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huan was once somewhat genuine—now he’s been corrupted, pretending to study hard just to win Master’s favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sages’ words may be outdated, but they must not be trampled on like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huan’s shameless act is utterly revolting—I would never stoop to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if my actions displease Master, that’s my fate. Even if I die because of these people, I’ll do so willingly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiren saw Baoyu revert to his old ways, spouting useless words again, and felt a wave of discouragement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t expect her words to make him awaken overnight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least she’d spoken three points—he’d agreed to two. Her effort wasn’t wasted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With time, continued persuasion would bear fruit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She added: “You’ve agreed to two—that’s enough to appease for now. But one more thing needs your attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The household is full of gossip, and you’ve just moved to the East Road Courtyard. With marriage looming, you mustn’t invite scandal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fifteenth is coming—though Third Master’s campaign has reduced feasts and operas, we’ll still visit relatives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, Auntie Xia of the Osmanthus family and the new Lady will come to pay respects to Grandmother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When guests gather, you must watch more and speak less—be extra cautious in speech. Don’t invite any mishaps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mongols are growing bolder; rumors say the Nine Gates will close in a few days to block refugees, lest unrest spread in the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third Master is now fighting the Mongols—everyone is watching. Don’t dare discuss this matter before others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many things, if unspoken, bring no right or wrong. Remember this well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baoyu, listening to Xiren’s endless chatter, felt the warmth and lust from their intimacy vanish completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grew deeply annoyed, gave her vague replies, then crawled under the covers pretending to sleep, to escape her nagging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>East of the Divine Capital, twenty li southward: Wawu Town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the moonlight, the small town reeked of heavy blood; indiscriminate slaughter filled every alley and street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dying resistance, pitiful pleas—all useless, crushed instantly beneath iron hooves and curved blades, without distinction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The killers and the victims were like two species—will and emotion unequal; pity and sympathy worthless; destruction and trampling natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On a high ground north of the town, hundreds of iron-clad guards surrounded a young general like stars circling the moon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The general was in his twenties, clad in armor, wearing a steel helm, broad-shouldered, heavy-faced, radiating fierce strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was Manhai, second son of Andahan. He’d received secret orders from Andahan to lead twenty thousand elite Mongol cavalry along hidden forest paths west of Yunzhi Mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the way, he’d encountered several Zhou Army units moving north; to conceal his route, he detoured, arriving at Wawu Town half a day past the three-day deadline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gazed coldly down at the town’s bloody massacre, his eyes showing no mercy—as if it were ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said: “Seal every exit tightly—leave no living thing. Not a single soul must escape.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Father Khan’s secret orders specifically warned: secret reports from the Divine Capital indicate the town’s farmers traded grain with the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If even one person escapes, within one night our movements will be exposed—Father Khan’s surprise raid strategy will fail completely!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The deputy commander said: “Prince, rest assured—the town is surrounded in two layers. Scouts patrol three li beyond. Not even a bird can fly out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Manhai took the map from his guard and, under the bright moonlight, studied it carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took another pouch from his bosom and carefully verified the secret orders inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said: “Within twelve li of this location, there are two more Da Zhou villages; according to secret reports from Shenjing, their populations are slightly smaller than Wawu Village.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though these two villages are somewhat distant, they maintain close ties with Wawu Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once daylight comes, any movement of people will make it easy for word to leak out.\u003C\u002Fp>",1807,"2026-06-20T12:19:58.587Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","4769a0eb99496548c8a0bd9e0373970d5cf8020c1d6bc7aff06386b8b2476592","my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-886","my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-884",920,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-cover.jpg"]