The Second Master of the Red Chamber

Princess Zhaoyang stopped here and turned to speak with Jia Lian.

"How is Erlang doing lately? Are the generals of the Beijing Garrison still listening to him?"

"It's alright, we haven't found anyone causing trouble yet."

Hearing Jia Lian's easy answer, Princess Zhaoyang looked at him with a hint of envy.

"It's easier to command an army if someone like Erlang has meritorious service."

Unlike me, who is a woman and has no achievements to speak of.

Although the commanders of the Imperial Guards were polite to me outwardly because of their status, I could tell that they were fundamentally disrespectful to me.

What should I do? I'm so troubled.

Princess Zhaoyang spoke to Jia Lian in an almost coquettish tone.

Jia Lian then smiled, fully understanding her predicament.

Indeed, the capital garrison already had a complete system, and the military governors were established at the beginning of the dynasty, with complete laws and regulations to follow.

However, the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guards was a special position established by Emperor Ningkang, without any auxiliary government office. Everything depended on Princess Zhaoyang herself, which was naturally very difficult.

After thinking for a moment, Jia Lian said, "Qing Ran's desire to completely control the Imperial Guards is not something that can be achieved overnight."

However, Qingran was previously the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard, so she must have had many confidants among them.

Since Feng Sheng has committed suicide, Qing Ran can easily support a trustworthy person to take over, thus making it easy for her to control the military camp.

Then Qingran took command of the Imperial Guard, using the Guard Battalion as her base.

Over time, even without Qingran's deliberate efforts to win them over, the mid- to high-ranking officers of the other battalions would voluntarily pledge their allegiance.

Princess Zhaoyang's statement that she had no achievements was a form of humility.

Whether it was quelling the rebellion at Tiewang Mountain last year, assisting Emperor Ningkang in clearing the imperial city, or even suppressing the rebellion of the Third Prince with her last month, these were all commendable achievements.

It's just that I can't compare to him.

Otherwise, even if Emperor Ningkang were seriously ill, he would not have just found someone to take over the Imperial Guards.

However, Princess Zhaoyang's status as a woman was a natural disadvantage. Before she demonstrated sufficient ability, the senior generals of the Imperial Guards would naturally not be truly convinced.

However, Jia Lian was not particularly worried about Princess Zhaoyang.

As long as Princess Zhaoyang doesn't lose Emperor Ningkang's trust and stays in this position long enough.

Even if those imperial guard generals were only after their own career advancement, they would gradually gravitate towards her.

At worst, they would resort to violence to make an example of someone.

Get rid of a bunch of disobedient people, and the vacant positions will be filled by people who want to climb up.

Princess Zhaoyang laughed and said, "As expected, Erlang is more experienced. Actually, I thought so too."

"What do you think about me making Yuan Yao's father the commander of the Imperial Guard?"

Jia Lian shook his head: "Too much is as bad as too little. Hu Jin is still relatively inexperienced; two years ago, he was only a deputy captain."

Promoting you to a leadership position all at once would damage your prestige.

You can do this: first, choose someone who is qualified and whom you find agreeable, and then promote them.

Alternatively, if you do not wish to concurrently serve as deputy commander, you can promote Hu Jin to deputy commander.

This way, you won't seem like you're breaking the rules, and you'll also show people the benefits of being loyal to you.

Princess Zhaoyang smiled and said, "Alright, let's do as Erlang taught us."

Moreover, based on Erlang's words, I suddenly thought of a good candidate.

"Who?"

"Su Keguang, what do you think of him?"

Jia Lian's eyes flickered as he looked at Princess Zhaoyang.

Princess Zhaoyang smiled and looked back at him.

Jia Lian then smiled.

Fortunately, he and Princess Zhaoyang trusted each other; otherwise, he wouldn't have rashly given Princess Zhaoyang advice just now.

It's easy to misunderstand that he wasn't satisfied with having the Beijing Garrison and wanted to interfere in the affairs of the Imperial Guards.

Princess Zhaoyang's suggestion to appoint Su Keguang as the commander of the Imperial Guard is quite interesting.

You should know that Su Keguang is his man.

I've been following him since the Shenji Battalion.

Whether on the Tiewangshan or Liaodong battlefield, Su Keguang performed well.

They can be considered his direct subordinates.

Su Keguang is currently the commander of the firearms battalion.

The firearms battalion was small in scale, and its commander was only a third-rank official.

If he were to become the commander of the Imperial Guard, a rank of third grade, it would be reasonable for him to be promoted to a higher position.

However, this meant that the seven battalions of the Imperial Guard, especially the firearms battalion, were originally his own men.

If Su Keguang were to take command of the Imperial Guard again, wouldn't he be overstepping his bounds in the Imperial Guard?

Princess Zhaoyang seemed unaware of this; seeing that Jia Lian remained silent, she even smiled and said:
"I have investigated this person. He is a veteran with extensive experience in commanding troops."

Moreover, he has followed Erlang for so many years and has made numerous meritorious contributions.

Let him command the Imperial Guard; surely no one would object.

When Jia Lian saw Princess Zhaoyang's playful appearance, he knew that she wasn't unaware of the situation, but rather that she didn't care.

So he reached out and pinched her cheek, saying affectionately, "This is your own business. If you think it's feasible, then it is."

Although the two had a good relationship, Jia Lian still couldn't say much about this matter.

Su Keguang's promotion to the position of guard battalion commander was clearly beneficial to him.

Conversely, this weakened Princess Zhaoyang's absolute authority within the Imperial Guard.

Without dwelling on the matter, Jia Lian took the opportunity to bring up another reason why he had come to see Princess Zhaoyang.

He shared his idea of ​​improving the combat effectiveness of the Beijing garrison and equipping the northern and southern camps with firearms with Princess Zhaoyang.

"Let the Ministry of Works establish a Firearms Department to be responsible for firearms production..."

Princess Zhaoyang considered for a moment and said, "After Erlang's improvements, the firearms have become more powerful and practical, as all the officials in the court have witnessed. I believe it will not be too difficult for the court to expand production."

However, this involves Erlang's hard work, and if the Ministry of Works gets involved, it's hard to guarantee that the relevant secrets won't be leaked.

If it were to fall into the hands of a foreign tribe, it would likely be a loss and a threat.

Princess Zhaoyang's worries are consistent with her status.

The improvement of firearms was a contribution made to the court by Jia Lian and countless craftsmen over several years. Previously, it was only controlled by the Shenji Battalion and the Firearms Battalion and was considered a top secret.

If the Ministry of Works, with its complex personnel, were to get involved, there would certainly be a risk of leaks.

Jia Lian, however, did not care much about this.

In terms of comprehensive national strength and productivity, no country in the world today can compare with the Great Wei.

At this point, it's impossible to refrain from using it for fear of technology leaks.

Quickly cultivate your martial virtue.

The most important thing is to subdue the surrounding enemies as soon as possible, then join the Age of Exploration and seize huge profits at sea.

Jia Lian then laughed and said, "As long as we continue to use firearms, these technologies cannot be kept secret forever."

What we need to do is continuously improve my skills and tactics so that even if others try to learn them by stealing, they can only learn the basics and will never catch up with us.

However, your concerns are valid, and the necessary confidentiality should still be maintained.

When the time comes, we'll find a reliable official to oversee this matter, and strictly supervise all the artisans who come into contact with the craft.

Seeing that Jia Lian had thought it through, Princess Zhaoyang stopped questioning him and nodded, saying, "In that case, I will discuss it with Grand Secretary Zhao and Prince Shui later and come up with a specific plan."

Erlang can also be there then, and we can all discuss it together.

"it is good."

Having finished discussing official business, Princess Zhaoyang's mind began to wander. Looking at Jia Lian, she suddenly asked, "Isn't it Erlang's birthday in a few days?"

Jia Lian nodded.

Princess Zhaoyang laughed and said, "We really are destined to meet, our birthdays are only two days apart."

Jia Lian laughed. Is this the difference between loving and not loving?

They even managed to force a connection between this and fate.

Jia Lian embraced Princess Zhaoyang and lowered his head to kiss her.

Princess Zhaoyang repeatedly turned her head away, trying to dissuade her: "Don't be silly, there are many people today, be careful someone sees us..."

Seeing that her resistance seemed genuine, Jia Lian didn't force her, but simply held her quietly.

Princess Zhaoyang looked up at Jia Lian and said, "There are too many people in my residence today, and it's not appropriate for Erlang to stay here with me forever..."

Erlang, wait for me outside for a while.

I made an excuse that I needed to visit my grandmother in the palace, and sent everyone away. Then we met inside the palace. We arranged to meet at my grandmother's place, where it was quiet..."

The sentence preceding Princess Zhaoyang serves as an explanation.

The following sentence is a suggestion.

Leaving aside other places in the palace, the Empress Dowager's Weiyang Palace was definitely Princess Zhaoyang's haven.

There, she would feel absolutely safe.

To everyone's surprise, Jia Lian's expression changed upon hearing this, and he said somewhat angrily, "Weiyang Palace? I'm not going."

Princess Zhaoyang broke away from Jia Lian and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"what happened?"

Jia Lian smiled awkwardly and recounted how he had kindly gone to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager the day before, only to be turned away at the door.

He further exaggerated, claiming how bad the Empress Dowager's attitude was at the time.

Princess Zhaoyang couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle: "Why is Erlang so stingy? It's just that my grandmother didn't see you."

but……"

Princess Zhaoyang also wondered, "If Erlang wasn't lying, then it's a bit strange."

I remember that my grandmother was angry with you, but she's long since forgotten about it.

After that, I talked to her about you a few times, and she stopped targeting you and even said a lot of good things about you.

How could she react like this after you went to pay your respects so kindly...?

Princess Zhaoyang fell into thought.

Jia Lian didn't care whether the Empress Dowager was going through menopause or not.

In short, he, who rarely suffered setbacks with women, had a rather bad impression of the Empress Dowager.

He had saved her back then, and instead of being grateful, she turned around and acted like an empress dowager, even trying to force him to divorce her.

Later, every time I saw myself, my eyes weren't eyes, and my nose wasn't a nose.

It was as if I owed her something.

Seeing that Princess Zhaoyang was still frowning and deep in thought, Jia Lian interrupted her, saying, "If it's inconvenient today, then forget it."

On the ninth day, I'd like to invite you to go for a spring outing outside the city. Will you go?

Princess Zhaoyang snapped out of her reverie and smiled, "The ninth day? Alright..."

I just don't know if Erlang invited me alone, or...

Jia Lian could hear the teasing in Princess Zhaoyang's words. Having experience in coaxing Daiyu, he immediately abandoned the idea of ​​bringing Daiyu and the others along, and laughed:

"Of course, I'll invite Qingran alone. Then we can have some alone time."

However, Qingran, remember to prepare a gift that I like when the time comes.

You can take Baochai and Daiyu out to play anytime.

He doesn't necessarily have to send all these women to the same place at once; he's not stupid.

Baochai and Daiyu had a childhood sweetheart relationship as their foundation.

Forcing all his women together would only backfire and cause chaos.

As expected, Princess Zhaoyang's face lit up with a smile when she heard that Jia Lian had only invited her.

However, she then feigned a coquettish tone and turned her back to say, "Hmph, how dare you ask me to prepare a gift for you?"

You didn't prepare a gift for me today.

Jia Lian was taken aback: "Didn't I give you the gift as soon as I entered the house? What, didn't your doorman announce it?"

"A congratulatory gift is not considered a present."

Jia Lian smiled and thought to himself that it was fortunate he had been careful.

He took out a phoenix hairpin from his sleeve, stepped forward, and gently placed it in Princess Zhaoyang's hair, asking with a smile, "Then, can this be considered a gift?"

Princess Zhaoyang was deliberately looking for trouble, just waiting to see how Jia Lian would handle her difficult behavior.

Little did they expect that Jia Lian had made preparations all along.

Upon hearing this, she reached out and touched the top of her head, guessing from the feel that it was a gold hairpin.

So she was both delighted and coquettish: "I know Erlang is rich. Last time it was a golden knife, and this time it's a golden hairpin."

It's always the same gold items; there's nothing new about it.

Feeling a bit annoyed by the malicious nitpicking, Jia Lian said, "I'm just that kind of shallow person."

Just tell me if you want it or not.

If they don't want it, I'll just pluck it and give it to someone else.

Jia Lian pretended to pull out the hairpin, but Princess Zhaoyang quickly protected him and said ingratiatingly, "Yes, yes, I want it."

Hehe, I'm a superficial person too, I just like gold.

Gold is wonderful; it's both beautiful and practical.

If my princess's mansion ever falls into ruin, I can sell these gold artifacts that Erlang gave me to make a living.

"Hmm, not bad. Erlang, send more gold in the future, the more the better."

"Giggle..."

Jia Lian and Princess Zhaoyang were joking when they suddenly heard the giggling of women coming from ahead.

The two looked up and saw that about twenty steps ahead, behind a huge hibiscus bonsai, several heads were sticking out and watching them with a smirk.

Further away, through the windows of the main hall, one can also vaguely see graceful figures.

Princess Zhaoyang immediately recognized them as her sisters, sisters-in-law, and other relatives from her clan.

It was obvious that she had been out for too long, and these people had found her inside the palace.

I don't know how long they were spying, or what they saw.

Suppressing her embarrassment, Princess Zhaoyang regained her composure and deliberately scolded, "What are you all doing there so furtively?"

Upon realizing they had been discovered, some people quietly went into hiding.

However, there was one generous person who came out directly and smiled at Princess Zhaoyang, saying, "Zhaoyang, didn't you say you were going outside to entertain the guests?"

Why are you hiding here talking to someone? And who is he?

Princess Zhaoyang knew these women's gossip well; the more she revealed her weakness, the more they would seize the opportunity to exploit it.

So he replied without any politeness: "Stop pretending, you don't even know him?"
He was the most handsome man in the world, the dream lover of countless women.

Don't think I don't know, you were all spying on him just now.

As soon as Princess Zhaoyang said this, the women who came out blushed.

Because Princess Zhaoyang was right, they did indeed recognize Jia Lian, and they had indeed been secretly watching him before.

However, since they dare to come out directly, they are basically all married women who have been through it all.

Therefore, with only a slight blush, she openly looked at Jia Lian.

Well, it might be a bit of an exaggeration to call him the most handsome man in the world. After all, there are two other famous actors in the Pear Garden who are even more handsome than Jia Lian.

However, when it comes to heroic spirit, none of the Peking Opera disciples could even come close to Jia Lian.

No wonder even a proud girl like Zhaoyang is head over heels in love with him.

Thinking that Jia Lian was a famous general, the most sought-after figure in the country, and rarely seen in ordinary times.

Now that I've seen it, I naturally want to take the opportunity to feast my eyes.

Jia Lian showed no fear of their predatory gazes, merely offering a slight bow: "I am Jia Lian, greetings to all of you esteemed guests."

"General Jia, there's no need for such formalities."

"General, you're too kind."

Several young women from the imperial clan repeatedly bowed in return.

As they got up, they all gave Jia Lian flirtatious glances.

It's not that they're so flirtatious; at other times, they're all quite upright, to say the least.

However, this was their domain, and Jia Lian was the only man present.

They felt that they were the big bad wolves and Jia Lian was the little lamb.

They thought they had the upper hand, but little did they know that for Jia Lian, this was nothing.

Although the women of these royal families were generally of high quality, the truly exceptional ones were still a rare sight.

Thinking that with them present, he wouldn't have much of a chance to speak with Princess Zhaoyang, so he turned to Princess Zhaoyang and said, "Your Highness, I have remembered what you just said."

If Your Highness has no further instructions, I will take my leave.

Princess Zhaoyang nodded and said, "Please take care, Lord Rong. Ziwei, please see Lord Rong off for me."

...(End of chapter)