Chapter 917: The young master is lewd and sentimental

Love Shenjing, Wenhui Square, Mei Mansion.

Mei Mei Yunsong heard his father's words, heartbroken and impassioned, and couldn't help but shrink back.

Because since he was a child, his studies or behavior were slightly slack and not clean, not in line with the family style of the Hanlin family, and his father would teach him in such a righteous way.

Every time his father spoke like this, Mei Mei Yunsong felt guilty subconsciously, but thinking of Miss Xue's unparalleled beauty, heavenly appearance, and rarity in his life, it was really hard to give up.

But he heard his father say, "The Mei family is a Hanlin family, how can they do the act of breaking the contract? But the family etiquette is upright, but it is not greater than the national law, and it is not greater than the righteousness of the country!"

"The marriage between our family and the Xue family could be considered passable, but who would have thought that the Xue family children would be so unfilial, actually doing things like leaking military secrets and betraying the country!"

"The Mei family is a Hanlin family, and has been taught by the etiquette and righteousness of the sages for generations, inheriting the way of loyalty, filial piety, and fraternal love. How can we marry into a family that has lost its virtue and rebelled? Isn't it destroying our own family style?"

"Even if the reputation is slightly damaged, it does not live up to the loyalty and filial piety. The style of the Hanlin family, you have read poetry and books, but you don't understand the right way, only indulging in beauty, which is too disappointing for your father!"

……

Mei Mei Yunsong passed the provincial examination before the age of twenty and was a person with considerable talent. Although his father was righteous, his words were quite reluctant, just holding on to the style of the Hanlin family.

It was just that he had been taught by his father since he was young, and it had become a habit over time. He also felt that his father's words were reasonable. The Xue family children became traitorous prisoners, and now they were making a lot of noise in the city.

He was about to marry a Xue family girl, which was quite embarrassing in the eyes of outsiders, and would likely be a laughingstock. It was just that the Xue family girl was unparalleled in beauty, and his heart felt hot when he thought of it.

Such a stunning beauty, letting Mei Mei Yunsong give up like this, he was truly heartbroken. He cursed this damn Xue family child for ruining a good marriage, and he deserved to die!

But he heard his father continue, "Jia Cong is not what he used to be. Not only is he a Hanlin, but he also has a fourth-grade Vice Minister rank. He is in the Emperor's heart and is still your superior."

"This kind of family status and foundation is rare in Love Shenjing. The Mei family is also a Hanlin family, and the two families are quite a good match. It just happened to encounter the Xue family's rebellion against the national law, which is despised by the world."

"This is the time for the Mei family to rein in the horse at the edge of the cliff and set things right. This kind of act of protecting the family style can be seen by heaven and earth and cannot be missed. Otherwise, it will be a loss to the style of the Mei family's poetry and books."

I heard that Jia Cong has an elder sister who has passed the age of fifteen, with a gentle temperament and a handsome appearance. She is the eldest daughter of the Count's mansion and is more worthy of being the wife of the Mei family than Miss Xue.

In the main room of the second branch's quarters, beneath a south-facing glass window, sat an elm-wood carved satin recliner. Xue Yuan was leaning on the recliner, holding a book and flipping through it.

Some time ago, Xue Yuan's old illness had flared up, and his health had been poor. After a long period of treatment with medicinal soups, he had finally recovered. His expression and complexion were much better, and he was enjoying a moment of leisure.

Beside the recliner stood a sandalwood tea table inlaid with shells, on which sat a small red-clay stove heating a kettle of water, along with colorful glazed white-porcelain tea sets and a pottery jar of Cloud Mist tea leaves.

Xue Sister Baoqin sat quietly beside the tea table, washing the tea and scalding the cups. Her expression was gentle and quiet; her skin was like snow and jade, her brows and eyes were like a painting, and her sudden beauty made the whole room shine.

She wore a light blue embroidered plum-blossom cross-collar long jacket, covered by a snow-fox fur vest, and tied with an ivory-white palace-embroidered long skirt. A gold lock with eight-treasure tassels hung on her chest. In the interplay of sunlight, she was bright and stunning.

When the water in the red-clay kettle boiled, she reached out to lift the kettle and pour the water. The boiling water poured into the tea bowl, causing the high-quality Cloud Mist tips to tumble up and down, and the refreshing fragrance of tea diffused and overflowed.

She handed one cup to her father. Xue Yuan took a light sip and smiled, "Excellent." Sister Baoqin smiled happily and picked up the other cup to drink herself; the father and daughter enjoyed themselves.

At this moment, a stewardess entered from outside the door and said, "Master, a fast horse has arrived outside the second gate. They say they were sent by the Eldest Lady in Love Shenjing to deliver an urgent letter to you."

Xue Yuan's expression shifted. He put down the tea bowl in his hand and hurriedly took the letter to examine it. After just a quick glance, his brows tightened, and his expression became exceptionally solemn.

Sister Baoqin saw that Xue Yuan's complexion was ugly and asked, "Father, what does the Eldest Aunt's letter say? Has something happened in Love Shenjing? Why is your complexion so ugly?"

Xue Yuan frowned and said, "Something major has happened in Love Shenjing. The Da Zhou northern military supply depot has been invaded by the remnants of the Mongols. Now, Khan Khan Anda has led a large army to invade the south and has even captured the Qiu Xuanfu Garrison."

The imperial court investigated the cause and discovered that someone had leaked the secrets of the military depot, leading to this disaster. Pan'er was bewitched by others and was actually implicated in the major case; he has now been imprisoned."

"Your Eldest Aunt cannot handle this matter, so she wrote to me for help, asking me to go to Love Shenjing immediately to intercede for Pan'er. This matter is truly very thorny; the Xue family has encountered a catastrophe this time."

"Xue Baochai's letter is detailed. Pan'er's nature is reckless and absurd, but this time it was not intentional; he was bewitched and it was an unintentional mistake. However, the implications are truly not small."

"Your Eldest Uncle only has Pan'er as his bloodline. Your Eldest Aunt sent a letter thousands of miles away for help; how can I, as his brother, ignore it? This matter must not be delayed. We must set off as soon as possible."

Sister Baoqin's pretty face lost its color, and she said, "Since the cousin's mistake was unintentional, it is natural that Father cannot sit idly by. But the two places are thousands of miles apart; why would Eldest Aunt seek help from afar?"

"The Earl of Lord Weiyuan of the Jia family holds a high official rank and is said to be highly valued by the Emperor. If Eldest Aunt asked him to come forward to mediate, wouldn't it be much faster and more convenient than Father traveling thousands of miles?"

Xue Yuan smiled bitterly, "Your Eldest Aunt and Xue Baochai naturally understand this principle, but the situation is inconvenient. Brother Cong happens not to be in Love Shenjing, and he is beyond reach."

As Xue Yuan spoke, he handed the letter to his daughter. Sister Baoqin took it and carefully browsed through it, muttering to herself, "So he became a Assistant Regional Commander of the Divine Machine Camp and has already led troops to war..."

……

Xue Yuan said, "According to common sense, for the trial of such a major case, the procedures of the Three Judicial Offices are complex. It will always take a year or half a year to finally conclude the case."

"But at present, the war between Da Zhou and the Mongol remnants is raging. The imperial court wants to cut off the threat of spies stealing secrets. In order to warn others, they will likely investigate and handle this case quickly, and it is common sense to punish it severely."

"I fear Pan'er's situation will be extremely dangerous. In such a situation, saving a person is like fighting a fire; we cannot delay for even a moment. I will settle the business matters in these two days and set off for the capital the day after tomorrow."

"Fortunately, the ancestral business at home has been reorganized. After eliminating abuses and reforming, everything is smooth and proper. With the mutual assistance of the Xin Chun Firm, and letting your brother manage it carefully, it is enough to handle daily affairs."

"You and the son of the Mei Hanlin have already set an engagement. You are approaching the age of fifteen. In any case, Father will have to send you off to be married at the end of the year. Just consider it going to the capital a year early to get familiar with the ways of the world."

Sister Baoqin was silent after hearing this. She had traveled north and south with her father, living her whole life under his wings. Thinking of marrying thousands of miles away in the future, she could not help but feel anxious.

She had only met that Mei family son twice. He looked like a man of talent, but he failed the spring examinations last year and was now at home studying hard, wanting to fight for the imperial examinations again.

Master Mei had just turned twenty and had already passed the provincial examination early. Among the sons of officials, he could be considered a top-tier figure. Sister Baoqin had no feelings of like or dislike for him; it was all the orders of parents and the words of matchmakers.

Father suddenly mentioned the matter of sending her to be married, which made her feel shy and hesitant. For some reason, she felt an inexplicable resistance to this trip to Love Shenjing. Whether good or bad, what was meant to come would come.

This trip to Love Shenjing had an uncertain return date. She did not know when she would be able to return to Jin Ling. She truly did not know how to conduct herself, feeling a stinging fear, wishing she had a place to hide.

Just as her heart tightened, full of anxiety, a crack opened in the darkness. She thought of her cousin Xue Baochai accompanying her on the carriage outside the Pear Fragrance Court to chat.

A trace of warmth rose in her heart, and she remembered the moment the carriage curtain was lifted, the handsome youth like jade, his eyes like deep pools, as if they could shine into the bottom of her heart, like a fleeting illusion.

Even after a long time, it was still engraved in her heart. At this moment, it suddenly surged up, and her heart felt ashamed and trembling. She subconsciously closed her bright eyes, her brows slightly furrowed, wanting to drive away the demonic obstacle, but it was difficult to calm down.

……

Xue Yuan said, "Xue Baochai mentioned in the letter that the Chief Manager of the Xin Chun Firm, Qu Qu Hongxiu, was Brother Cong's martial arts teacher. She must be concerned about Brother Cong's recent situation."

"Xue Baochai wrote two extra pages of letters for us to pass on to Chief Manager Qu. What is described above is Brother Cong's daily life. Xue Baochai is sophisticated and truly meticulous in her work."

As Xue Yuan spoke, he pulled out two sheets of letter paper and said, "Sister Baoqin, go find Mother Jiang. She often travels to the Xin Chun Firm. Let her pass these two pages of letters to Chief Manager Qu."

Sister Baoqin was as if in a dream, awakened by her father's words. A blush appeared on her pretty face. She took the two sheets of letter paper and hurriedly turned to leave, fearing that her father would see through her.

When she walked to the corridor outside the door, bathed in the warm spring sun, she could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. While walking, she curiously held the letter paper and looked at it carefully.

She had been shocked by her father's words just now, and when reading the letter, she only read the general gist of the matter, so she had no intention of reading further. She happened not to have looked carefully at the pages Xue Baochai attached at the end.

Now knowing it was about Jia Cong, she naturally could not help but be curious. She walked to a place slightly further from the main room, found a place to sit on the corridor, and picked up the letter paper in her hand to read.

On the paper was Xue Baochai's handwriting, neat, beautiful, and elegant. The spring breeze blew her hair at her temples, making it dance in confusion, as if ripples were disturbing the lake of her heart.

Xue Baochai's letter was mostly about daily life, and the lines were overflowing with delicacy and softness. Sister Baoqin read it and became gradually absorbed, as if all kinds of scenes were appearing before her eyes, as if she could see them clearly...

To Chief Manager Qu Hongxiu:

Due to a change in the family, I wrote to invite my uncle to the capital to mediate. The ancestral business in Jin Ling has been successful thanks to the Chief Manager's help. The family business is prosperous, and I am endlessly grateful, keeping it in my heart and never daring to forget.

I happen to know that you and Jia Yuzhang have a deep bond of teaching, and his achievements are largely due to your instruction. Separated by thousands of miles, you must be concerned and missing him. I am taking the liberty of describing a few family matters for your perusal.