The Chronicles of the Rain-Covered Palace - Chapter 849: The Beloved Daughter Seeks Her Husband

page views:1 Publication date:2023-05-23

"Of the three parts of the moonlit night under heaven, two parts are in Suzhou, a place of scoundrels."
Suzhou, as a geographical name and recorded in ancient books such as the Book of Documents, is one of the nine provinces of ancient China.
Suzhou has been known as a place of pleasure since ancient times. The great Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu wrote the famous poem, "Wandering the world in despair, carrying wine, a slender waist held lightly in my palm. A ten-year dream of Suzhou, winning only a reputation for heartless dalliance." Now, as the year draws to a close, Suzhou is even more bustling with activity.
Since the ascension of Emperor Taizu of Ming, he has worked diligently to govern the country, allowing the people to recuperate and thrive. As a historically renowned city in the south, Suzhou has experienced economic prosperity and a peaceful and prosperous world.
Outside the north of Suzhou, an official ship was sailing downstream. Judging from its size and imposing presence, it was clear that a high-ranking official from the imperial court was heading south. However, strangely, although it was an official ship, there were no soldiers guarding it. Instead, a group of young women were singing and dancing on the deck.
"A renowned city on the left bank of the Huai River, a beautiful spot by the Bamboo West River, I briefly dismounted at the start of my journey. Passing through ten miles of spring breeze, all I saw was green shepherd's purse and wheat. Since the Hu horses spied on the river, the abandoned ponds and tall trees still seem to abhor talk of war. As dusk falls, a clear horn blows coldly, all within the empty city. Du Fu, with his keen eye for beauty, would surely be astonished if he were to return now. Though his words on cardamom are exquisite, and his dreams of brothels delightful, they cannot express the depth of his feelings. The Twenty-Four Bridges still stand, the water ripples silently under the cold moon. I think of the red peonies by the bridge, for whom do they bloom year after year?"
The sound of the zither came from a cabin on the adjacent deck of the official ship. The women on the deck sang along with the zither, softly singing "Suzhou Slow" composed by Bai Shi Daoren of the Southern Song Dynasty. From a distance, the dozen or so women all had graceful figures and light dance steps, performing "Suzhou Slow" to the fullest. Their colorful ribbons fluttered, and their waists were slender. They were not ordinary women.
The lead dancer, in particular, captivated the audience with her graceful movements, which were so enchanting that the landscape seemed to pale in comparison.
When the music subsided, thunderous cheers erupted from the other boats on either side of the official ship. At this moment, a scholar nearing fifty years old emerged from the cabin, stood before the ship's railing, and bowed respectfully without uttering a word. Meanwhile, the young women retreated back into their cabins to rest.
The boat drifted with the current, and in the blink of an eye, the gates of Suzhou came into view. Looking around, a group of officials were lined up waiting; it was obvious that they were waiting for the high-ranking officials from the imperial court who were on the official boat.
At this moment, a young gentleman emerged from the cabin. He was dressed in a yellow and white long robe and stood behind the scholar with his hands bound. He did not say anything but silently watched the Suzhou officials waiting outside the city gate.
As soon as the boat docked, Suzhou Prefect Jiang Lin went to greet them. Why did the other officials follow behind, fearing they would fall behind? Prefect Jiang strode forward, grabbed the scholar's sleeve, and said excitedly, "Ever since I heard that you had resigned from your post and gone south, I have been looking forward to it day and night! I have finally been able to welcome you."
The scholar lightly raised his sleeve, and Prefect Jiang, sensing the opportunity, released his hand. The scholar then beckoned to the young man behind him and turned to Prefect Jiang, saying, "This is my son, Zhang Qi. He has been raised by my aunt in Shaoxing since childhood. He recently came to the capital to visit me, and he is able to accompany me as I resign and return to my hometown. I hope you will take good care of him in the future, Brother Jiang."
The young man known as Zhang Qi stepped forward, bowed deeply to Prefect Jiang, and said humbly, "This nephew from Jinling greets Uncle Jiang."
Prefect Jiang placed his right hand on Zhang Qi's left shoulder and patted it gently twice, saying, "Ah, my nephew, you've grown so old. We can't deny that we're getting old! In a few years, I should also retire and return to my hometown."
Having said that, he turned around and introduced the officials behind him to the scholar one by one. It turned out that this scholar was Zhang Mo, one of the most outstanding Confucian scholars in the Ming Dynasty, who had recently resigned from his post as an assistant minister in the Ministry of Personnel and decided to retire to his hometown. The prefect of Suzhou and Zhang Mo were fellow graduates of the imperial examinations and had served together in the same court for many years, maintaining a good relationship. Therefore, although Zhang Mo had already resigned, Jiang Lin still greeted him with such grandeur.
Of course, the other officials weren't thinking about these things; they were more concerned with their future careers. Not to mention that Prefect Jiang was their superior, Zhang Mo's reputation alone meant that a single word from him could significantly impact their future prospects. Though his official position was gone, his reputation remained. The Emperor, after much pleading, finally granted his resignation, even bestowing upon him a hundred taels of gold to rebuild his old residence in Nanjing and return home in glory.
The group of people entered Suzhou in a grand procession. Since Zhang Mo planned to stay in Suzhou for a month or two before heading south, Prefect Jiang arranged for Zhang Mo and his party to stay at the Jiqing Garden in Suzhou.
Because the Zhang family carried with them a hundred taels of gold bestowed by the Emperor, the Suzhou Prefect dispatched ten soldiers as guards to protect Jiqing Garden in order to ensure their safety.
Zhang Mo was already used to being received by local officials and protected by soldiers wherever he went, so he accepted the arrangements made by Prefect Jiang. Zhang Qi, on the other hand, was a little uncomfortable. It was fine in Beijing, but now that his father had resigned from his post, he was still enjoying such treatment. More importantly, he had lived with his aunt in Shaoxing since he was a child and was used to being free, so he was not used to such a scene of being surrounded by people.
Zhang Mo sat down in the hall, but not seeing Zhang Qi, he called over the butler Zhang Gan: "Zhang Gan, have you seen the young master?"
"Reporting to your master, I didn't see him. Miss Wang is also looking for him."
Zhang Gan was nearly fifty years old. He had been Zhang Mo's page since childhood, and after Zhang Mo became an official, he remained by his side, always loyal to the Zhang family. Everyone in the Zhang family respected him greatly; no one treated him like a servant. However, for some reason, Zhang Gan always felt a sense of awe in front of Zhang Mo, perhaps because Zhang Mo was a man of great learning but rarely smiled.
As for Miss Wang, she is the girl who leads the dance on the boat. She is only nineteen years old this year and is the daughter of Qin Shifu's sister, Zhang Mo's brother-in-law. It can be said that she is not very related to Zhang Mo. However, since Zhang Mo has been living in his brother-in-law Qin's house, he got to know Wang Yushan.
Wang Yushan's father is Wang Daguanren, and her mother is Qin Keyin, who is also Qin Shifu's younger sister. The Zhang family is a scholarly family, and the Wang family is also a wealthy merchant family. However, at some point, Wang Yushan, who was frail and sickly since childhood, suddenly developed martial arts skills, although in the eyes of experts, her fancy moves were quite ordinary.
Mr. Wang was already over sixty years old. When his third concubine gave birth to Wang Yushan, he was already forty-three years old. Wang Yushan was simply his precious darling!
Although Wang Yushan was already nineteen years old, he had not yet married off his daughter. One reason was that none of the suitors who came to propose marriage were to his liking, and the other, more importantly, was that he really couldn't bear to see his daughter get married.
His precious woman was not only beautiful, but also cheerful, lively, and playful, bringing joy to his life. As a businessman, Mr. Wang was naturally generous and open-minded. Having such a woman was truly a perfect match for him!
"Uncle Zhang, Uncle Zhang, where is Brother Jinling?"
Just then, Wang Yushan appeared out of the back garden like a butterfly.
Jinling is Zhang Qi's courtesy name. Just by hearing Wang Yushan address him as such, you can tell that either she is naive or she truly regards Zhang Qi as her brother.
Although Zhang Mo disliked the money-grubbing nature of wealthy businessmen, he simply couldn't bring himself to be serious about Miss Wang. Wang Yushan was sunny and cheerful, and he had a good impression of her.
Therefore, even if she did something slightly out of line, he felt he could still accept it.
"I was just asking Zhang Gan where he went in Jinling. Hey, weren't you with him when you came back?"
"Yes, they came back together, and they were together just half an hour ago, but in the blink of an eye, they disappeared!"
Wang Yushan pouted her cute little lips, "Hmph, Brother Jinling must have gone shopping alone. I asked him to take me to find Chu Da... oh, take me shopping, but he insisted I was a little trouble and wouldn't let me come. He clearly promised to help me... Uncle Zhang, I'm going to find Brother Jinling now..."
"Miss Wang, where are you going to look for it?"
Before Zhang Gan could finish speaking, and after the sound of "Ah" came, Wang Yushan had already walked out the door.
Wang Yushan, a young lady from a wealthy family, rarely left her home. Unexpectedly, she possessed remarkable lightness skills. Although Zhang Gan did not know martial arts, his eyesight was sharp, and he immediately recognized that she had been instructed by a famous master.
"Ah, this Miss Wang comes from a merchant family after all, she's different from us!"
Zhang Gan wasn't sure if he was speaking to Zhang Mo or muttering to himself.
What is Jinling's attitude towards her?
Zhang Mo also came to his senses and turned his gaze to Zhang Gan.
"Reporting to Master, Young Master and Miss Wang have known each other since childhood, they are childhood sweethearts, but if I may add something, it seems that Miss Wang has someone else in her heart..."
"Oh, let the young people worry about their own affairs!"
Zhang Mo stood up and walked into the inner room. "Prefect Jiang will be hosting a banquet for us tonight, and some wealthy local gentlemen will also be attending. Go and make the preparations!"
"Yes, sir."
Just as Zhang Gan was about to leave, Zhang Mo called him back.
"Wait a minute, when Jinling returns later, let him go too. As for Miss Wang, let her do as she pleases!"
"Yes, sir. I will also send someone to look for the young master."
Wang Yushan went out, but for a moment she didn't know where to look for Zhang Qi. This time she secretly left home and went to Suzhou to find Chu Jiangnan, which can be described as having mustered up a lot of courage!
However, as a young woman traveling alone, she faced many inconveniences. Fortunately, she soon encountered Zhang Qi and his party, and Wang Yushan traveled with them. Zhang Gan, on the other hand, secretly went to the Prince's mansion to report the news.
Wang Yushan, being a girl, stopped at a jewelry stall when she saw some pretty pieces. She picked up one with her left hand and another with her right, comparing them and unsure of which to choose.
Just as she was hesitating whether to buy both, a young man who looked like a gentleman walked over, deliberately brushed against Wang Yushan's shoulder, and even tried to touch her face with his oily words.
"lecher!"
Wang Yushan slapped him across the face, thinking that slapping this spoiled brat would be a piece of cake, but who knew that the man had some skill and actually dodged the slap.
Wang Yushan was frail and prone to illness since childhood. Due to her special constitution, she was later defiled by Sheng Shui Ruo's evil magic. By a twist of fate, she was saved by Chu Jiangnan, and her heart was set on him. Later, she lost her virginity to Chu Jiangnan, and now she has even gone so far as to leave home to find her husband.
Because of her frail health, Chu Jiangnan felt especially sorry for her. After their intimate relationship, he would frequently channel pure Yang energy into her to help her relax her muscles and improve her blood circulation, thus strengthening and improving her constitution. Seeing that Chu Jiangnan's female confidantes all possessed formidable martial arts skills, she also became interested and began practicing martial arts and swordsmanship with her sisters. Although Wang Yushan was unlikely to achieve great success in martial arts due to her age, improving her health and changing her image as a mentally challenged woman was certainly achievable.
"Wow, this girl's pretty hot! I, Young Master Nan Ba Hu, love girls like you the most."
The young master who called himself the Southern Tyrant Tiger really did have the aura of a tyrant tiger. Just after dodging Wang Yushan's slap, he actually opened his arms to hug Wang Yushan.
"In broad daylight, under the clear sky, how dare you harass a woman in the street? Do you have any respect for the law?"
Seeing that she hadn't managed to slap Nan Bahu, Wang Yushan became embarrassed and angry, and struck him in the chest with her hands.

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The Chronicles of the Rain-Covered Palace - Chapter 849: The Beloved Daughter Seeks Her Husband

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