The Second Master of the Red Chamber

A brocade screen, a lotus-patterned bed.

Daiyu raised her long, graceful neck and then gently leaned against Baochai.

Seeing that Baochai also had a fair complexion and rosy cheeks, and was very beautiful, he couldn't help but lean over and gently kiss her lower lip.

The desire to appreciate beauty is universal.

Moreover, there's that scoundrel Jia Lian, who's always instigating things.

Under such circumstances, even fairies would find it difficult to escape the mundane.

However, since both women were of normal orientation, Daiyu released Baochai and looked at her, her breath sweet as orchids: "Good sister, I'm so sleepy, I want to sleep for a while..."

Baochai nodded, and with a little force, placed her hands on Daiyu's slender waist and back, and laid Daiyu down beside her, then pulled the quilt over her.

Only then did she have time to look at the villain who had been lost in thought.

Seeing the lingering pleasure on that scoundrel's face, Baochai couldn't help but think:
Although some of the husband's actions in bed were somewhat abusive.

But as his woman, it's worth sacrificing a little face to make him happy.

However, excessive indulgence is harmful to health. In her spare time, she should advise her husband to stop going on like this.

Having thought this through, Baochai slowly sat up, glanced around, and found her golden yellow bodice to put on.

I wanted to find a handkerchief to wipe it clean, but I couldn't find one.

It turned out that an impatient husband had already scattered their clothes all over the bed.

Many of them even floated to the ground.

He had no choice but to take the clean undergarment he had taken off and intend to tidy up Jia Lian's mess.

Jia Lian stopped him, saying, "We haven't provided you with any new clothes here. What will you wear if you get them dirty?"

As he spoke, Jia Lian called out to the outside of the tent, "Who's still outside?"

"Yes, Your Highness. What are your orders?"

"Bring in some hot water towels."

I thought the maids would need some time to prepare, but before I could finish speaking, Zijuan and Ying'er came in.

Looking at the half-full basin of water in Zijuan's hands, Jia Lian asked in surprise, "Is it hot water? Where did it come from?"

His large study had never been staffed; it was actually reserved for Baochai.

Since Baochai is going to exercise power here, the relevant personnel should be assigned to her so that she can get started as quickly and effectively as possible.

Without people, there is naturally no service.

Jia Lian was curious about how Zijuan and the other woman had found hot water so quickly.

Zijuan replied, "Miss Hu brought it over in advance with a kettle. She's waiting outside now, but she's worried that you two ladies might be shy, so she hasn't come in yet."

Jia Lian understood.

Hu Yuanyao is currently living in the side courtyard in front of Aqin and others.

The side courtyard was fully equipped, and in the past, whenever he came over, Hu Yuanyao would serve him.

He just hadn't expected them to be so forward-thinking, actually guessing that he would need these things today.

As he sat down on the edge of the bed for the maids to attend to him, he asked, "Where is Qingwen?"

He brought Qingwen along so that he could easily order her around.

After all, Qingwen could represent him to a large extent, making it more convenient for him to do whatever he asked her to do.

Ying'er interjected, "Her? She ran away a long time ago. She said that since the two of us were here to watch over things, she didn't need to leave, so she left."

Seeing that Ying'er seemed to be tattling and sowing discord, Baochai quickly glanced at her.

Zijuan and Ying'er were indeed somewhat dissatisfied with Qingwen.

She had come in before and peeked from behind the screen when her mistress was having sex in the room.

She wouldn't listen to my advice.

Later, he got too lazy to wait and went straight back to the garden.

Although dissatisfied, Zijuan was not like Ying'er.

She knew that Qingwen was also Jia Lian's darling, and that speaking ill of her at this time might not necessarily hurt Qingwen, but might even make Jia Lian misunderstand that they were ostracizing Qingwen.

Jia Lian simply smiled upon hearing this.

Knowing Qingwen's temperament well, he probably understood why she ran away.

That girl loves to stick to him; if she could, she'd want to be with him every single hour of the day.

There must be a reason why she left early.

Hmm, she probably left because she felt neglected after seeing how well I treated Daiyu and Baochai.

I bet he was cursing under his breath when he left.

Despite not caring in his heart, Jia Lian outwardly said to the resentful Ying'er, "Fine, I called her over, and she dared to go back without asking permission."

"Such arrogance and spoiled behavior, I'll definitely teach her a lesson later."

When Ying'er heard Jia Lian say he was going to punish Qingwen, she realized that it was wrong of her to complain like this.

She wrung out a handkerchief and was about to wipe Jia Lian's face when she hesitated and said, "Actually, she didn't leave for long. She just didn't know when Second Master would stop here, so she thought one more person wouldn't make a difference and left first."

Upon hearing this, Zijuan, who was kneeling, glanced at Ying'er in surprise.

It's a shame she used to be at odds with her masters because they were rivals; now that I think about it, it was completely unnecessary.

If Second Master were truly angry with Qingwen, he wouldn't have spoken so seriously about punishing her.

You can't even see that? You're an idiot.

But being silly is also cute.

Now that her daughter and Bao are as close as sisters, it's highly likely that she and Ying'er will often work together.

It's not necessarily a bad thing if the other party is a bit dim-witted.

Baochai took the hot handkerchief from Ying'er and gently washed Jia Lian's face while saying softly, "Qingwen was given to my husband by the old lady and was also the first concubine in my husband's room. Now she can be said to have fully grown up."

It's somewhat inappropriate to treat her like a maid.

Her husband should give her a proper title.

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian said indifferently, "Let's forget about it."

Where in her is there any demeanor or awareness of being a concubine?

If we were to actually make her a concubine, who knows how many jokes we would make.

"Let it be like this. As a maid, she can do whatever she wants, and no one will criticize her."

Baochai was stunned for a moment, and she understood even more how much Jia Lian doted on this maid whom he had raised himself.

This was a deliberate act to allow Qingwen to enjoy the treatment of a concubine while being treated as a maid.

She wouldn't have to do the work of a maid, nor would she be bound by the constraints of being a concubine.

This is a typical example of siding with whichever side is more advantageous.

Baochai stopped trying to persuade her, thinking that it would be better not to treat Qingwen as a maid.

She handed the handkerchief back to Ying'er, and then saw that Zijuan had cleaned Jia Lian. She wrung out the handkerchief again and was about to go around to clean Daiyu.

Baochai said, "Lin Daiyu is asleep, give me the handkerchief."

Taking the hot handkerchief from Zijuan, Baochai turned around and went to Daiyu's side, uncovering the quilt covering Daiyu.

Startled, Daiyu opened her peach blossom eyes and murmured, "Sister Bao, what are you doing?"

Baochai coaxed, "Let me wipe your body, you can go back to sleep."

"Oh~"

Daiyu had no suspicions.

She was surrounded by people she trusted most, so she had no sense of caution.

Seeing that Daiyu had closed her eyes again, Baochai lowered her head to look at Daiyu's body.

Upon discovering numerous finger marks, Baochai turned to Jia Lian and said, "Lin Daiyu is delicate and frail, with tender skin. Don't you know how to cherish her? Why are you using so much force?"

Jia Lian felt a little cold at this moment, so he pulled a quilt over himself.

Hearing this, he glanced at her and replied somewhat awkwardly, "Well, you can't blame me for that. You know, when the two of you are together, my fighting power doubles."

"Tch, what nonsense are you talking about? The girls are still here..."

Embarrassed, Baochai dared not argue with Jia Lian anymore. She lowered her head and carefully cleaned Daiyu, intending to cover up all traces left by Jia Lian.

However, Jia Lian's words had already achieved their intended effect.

Zijuan and Ying'er, who were standing to the side, blushed with embarrassment. They wondered how two women together could have such an effect.

They exchanged a glance, and the two maids, seemingly lost in thought, both lowered their heads.

After Baochai finished serving Daiyu, Jia Lian forcibly wiped Baochai clean.

After all that fuss, he himself felt a bit hungry.

So he asked the maid, "What time is it now?"

"Reporting to Second Master, it is already late afternoon, and it will be dark soon."

Jia Lian nodded and said to Zijuan and Xueyan, "Your grandmother and I are going to take a nap."

"Go to the back kitchen later and have them bring the food for me, Lin Daiyu, and Baochai directly here."

"Yes."

After Zijuan and Ying'er had all left, Baochai advised, "Isn't this too lazy?"

If others find out, they'll inevitably laugh at us.

Let's tidy up and get up..."

Even now, Baochai still cannot get used to Jia Lian's practice of indulging in lewdness anytime, anywhere.

I couldn't refuse.

Despite having already been forced to compromise, she always tries to do things that are self-deceptive.

In this respect, she is no match for Daiyu. Although Daiyu is more difficult to deal with than Baochai, once she is won over, she becomes much more relaxed.

Look, she's sleeping soundly right now.

Jia Lian naturally rejected Baochai's suggestion.

"What's so funny?"
I went through so much trouble to marry you two, if I didn't cherish you, what would I gain?
Those who make jokes are all filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred.

I envy and am jealous of your beauty, and how you are loved by your husbands.

She lamented that she couldn't find a husband who would love his wife as much as she did.

Baochai was amused by Jia Lian's shamelessness and had no reply.

"So, regardless of whether others laugh or not, as long as we love each other and live our lives well, that's better than anything else."

Moreover, as long as your husband is alive, they won't dare to laugh in front of you.

What are you afraid of?
And aren't you sleepy right now?

It seems I haven't served you well enough. Perhaps...

Seeing Jia Lian roll over and pin her down again, Baochai cried out in alarm, "No...don't wake Lin Daiyu up..."

Baochai was so frightened that she couldn't even come up with a reason.

Fortunately, apart from kissing her a few times, Jia Lian didn't seem to have any intention of mounting his horse.

Before she could even catch her breath, she heard Jia Lian say lecherously, "Good sister, you're too beautiful. What are you going to do if you've stirred up your husband's desire again?"

Baochai tilted her head: "Husband, you must exercise restraint..."

Jia Lian, who was being advised again, just pursed his lips speechlessly.

How would you feel if a stunningly beautiful woman constantly advised you to exercise restraint?
In any case, Jia Lian couldn't control himself at all.

He leaned close to Baochai's ear and whispered, "If you're worried about waking Lin Daiyu, why don't we do it like that night of the full moon..."

Before Jia Lian could finish speaking, Baochai shuddered, involuntarily recalling the events of the full moon night.

It turned out that ever since she had made a mistake and agreed to teach Jia Lian the flute, Jia Lian had been thinking about it ever since.

In the days following the wedding, Jia Lian still hadn't found an opportunity to get Baochai to fulfill her promise.

So, on the night of the full moon on the fifteenth, following the same pattern as before, he lured Baochai to the Convex Jade Mountain Villa again.

The mountain was quiet and deserted that night, and the cold moon was silent.

Finally, under the full moon, Jia Lian managed to coax the beauty into submitting.

February nights are still a bit chilly, which is why Baochai, who is usually very careful to keep warm, has caught a cold, which is unusual for her.

"No, no..."

Baochai only needed to recall that night once more to blush with shame; how could she possibly fall for it again?

If Daiyu wakes up and sees this, will she, as the older sister, still have any face left?
Fearing that Jia Lian would pester her, Baochai quickly wrapped her arms around Jia Lian's neck and coaxed him in a sweet voice, "My dear husband, after all this time, you're not sleepy, but I am."

"Let's take a nap before the maids bring our food."

Noticing Baochai's nervousness and unease, Jia Lian felt quite sorry for her.

I don't quite understand. Both Daiyu and Baochai were willing to serve him together, so why were they so hesitant about this matter?

Last time, he gave Daiyu a hint, and she almost beat him to death.

It seems that it will be a long and arduous journey to make Daiyu and Baochai like Xiaohong and Qing'er.

However, at least now it's not difficult to get them to share a bed.

Thinking about it this way, I felt happy again.

He didn't force Baochai any further, but instead pushed her behind him and let her hug him. Then he lifted Daiyu's quilt, held Daiyu's small body in his arms, and then fell into a sweet sleep amidst the warmth and fragrance.

……

With a single word from the master, the maidservant would run herself ragged.

Zijuan and Ying'er dared not stop for even a moment in order to obey Jia Lian's orders.

Worried about not having enough manpower, they also transferred a few people from Xiaoxiang Pavilion and Hengwu Garden.

Only in this way could they barely manage to arrange the masters' meals in the dining room properly before mealtime.

Well, the study has many partitions, so choosing one to use as a temporary dining room wouldn't be difficult.

To allow their masters to rest a little longer, they made all the necessary preparations before providing the wake-up service.

Then the master's requirements were updated.

"Get a low table over here, we'll eat in bed."

Left with no other choice, they followed Hu Yuanyao's instructions, moved a low table over, placed it on the huge rocking bed, and then brought over all sorts of dishes one by one.

Even Daiyu found it hard to accept such a lazy and extravagant lifestyle when Jia Lian handed them the bowls and chopsticks.

"This isn't a good idea, what if we get the bed dirty?"

Jia Lian's round cradle is over ten feet in diameter, and it could easily accommodate more than a dozen people rolling around on it.

Moreover, the arrangement of flowers was lavish and the air was filled with subtle fragrance, making it extremely extravagant.

Moreover, it was suspended by eighteen sturdy silk ribbons, so although the weight of the bed itself prevented it from wobbling much.

But it's still easy to knock over dishes when eating up there.

"Just be careful."

If it gets dirty, just have the maids take it away and wash it.

If all else fails, you can just replace it.

You've all heard your Sister Feng complain that all sorts of silks and fabrics are piled up in the attic and can't be stored anymore.

Rather than letting them sit idle and be devoured by insects, why not use them for our purposes while they're still useful? That way, their existence on earth won't be in vain, will it?

"That's utter nonsense."

Although she didn't quite agree with Jia Lian's words, Daiyu still took the bowl and chopsticks and glanced at the dishes on the table.

After exercising and taking a nap, she was hungry.

Moreover, the place was already surrounded by maids.

Although they were already wearing basic clothing, being surrounded on the bed by five or six maids was still somewhat embarrassing.

It would be best to eat as soon as possible and send the maids away.

Seeing that Daiyu had given in, Baochai didn't say much more.

Moreover, to be fair, in such an environment, sitting around the bed with Jia Lian and Daiyu for a meal, there was an inexplicable feeling of wealth and warmth.

It's a pity it's not easy to move, otherwise the juices from the dishes would easily spill out and stain the sheets.

Although Jia Lian said he didn't care, such expensive and luxurious bedding should still be cherished.

After a simple meal, and with the maids clearing away the leftovers, both Daiyu and Baochai had to get up and dress.

Seeing that Jia Lian was still trying to keep them from getting up, Daiyu spat out, "You lecherous scoundrel, you put up a bed like this behind your study just for this, didn't you?"

You deliberately made such a big fuss; what are you really up to? Do you think no one knows?

Following Daiyu's words, Zijuan and the others, who were preparing to dress Daiyu and Chaiyu, couldn't help but look at the luxurious and spacious rocking bed. As they pondered, their faces naturally turned red.

Jia Lian, however, denied it without batting an eye: "What nonsense are you talking about? I was just thinking that after a long day of paperwork, it would be convenient for me to come in and rest for a while."

There's a bed in the back of Master's Mengpo Studio, so why are you singled out me?
As for the bed being a bit big, you know I'm a restless sleeper and like to toss and turn. Making it bigger means I can move around as much as I want without worrying about rolling off the bed.

"Pah, you think you can fool anyone with your dirty thoughts?"

In the past, when Daiyu spat at Jia Lian, there were still many things she was too embarrassed to say.

But now that she's entered the family, and has been tricked by Jia Lian into doing so many outrageous things that she never dared to imagine before, Jia Lian has naturally lost his authority in her eyes.

The more he spat at Jia Lian, the more natural it became.

"Let me tell you, if you dare to bring in those... indecent women to cause trouble, see if Bao-jie and I will still talk to you."

Daiyu originally wanted to say something inappropriate, but she found it difficult to speak maliciously to anyone other than Jia Lian, so she changed her words before she could finish them.

This can be seen as a warning to Jia Lian.

She knew that many of the beauties in Tianxiang Tower were Jia Lian's women.

I could have just ignored it before.

Now that Jia Lian has asked her and Baochai to work here, if Jia Lian brings women to them to act recklessly, she will really get angry.

Jia Lian had been coaxing Daiyu for so many years, he knew when she was being coquettish and when she was being serious.

Noticing the murderous look in Daiyu's eyes, Jia Lian quickly pulled her close and coaxed her, "You're really overthinking it."

Think about it, if I really had such absurd thoughts, I would be too busy keeping them from you and your sister Bao, so why would I let you and Bao Ya come here to help me?
Isn't this like lifting a rock only to drop it on your own foot?
I don't think I'm that stupid in your eyes, right?

If you don't believe me, you can go down and ask. This bed is really newly made, and all the decorations are new.

Before you, no woman has ever lain on this!
Fine, if you really don't like it, I'll have it torn down later..."

Jia Lian's explanation is somewhat convincing.

Indeed, if Jia Lian really wanted to engage in some kind of debauchery here, he would have kept it a secret from them, so why would he have invited them over?
Seeing Jia Lian's reluctance when he mentioned tearing it down, Daiyu didn't say anything more.

Honestly, Jia Lian's bed is quite nice; it's big and soft, and it's very comfortable to sleep on.

Seeing that Daiyu was no longer making trouble, Baochai laughed and said, "Why take apart a perfectly good bed?"

"My husband's character is something that Lin Daiyu and I can certainly trust."

As Baochai spoke, she gave Jia Lian a meaningful look.

Having always been insightful about human nature, and now that she's married, Baochai understands men's thoughts even better.

She knew that even Jia Lian's words could not be completely trusted.

This was merely to save face for Jia Lian.

After this incident, Jia Lian felt embarrassed to pester the two women any longer, so he let them get dressed and go to the west room to discuss the setup of the president's office.

Jia Lian himself sat down in his study to continue studying how to quickly take over control of the Beijing Garrison. (End of Chapter)