The Second Master of the Red Chamber

"Meet Madam."

Inside the east courtyard, in the martial arts training ground, Jia Lian's personal guards and attendants gather year-round.

When they saw Sister You San coming over, they quickly bowed and greeted her.

You Sanjie didn't recognize any of Jia Lian's personal guards either. She nodded casually and asked, "Who's in charge here?"

Upon hearing this, everyone thought that since Sister You had come to the martial arts arena, she must not be looking for the steward.

So he said, "Our Captain Zhao is here."

"Zhao Sheng? Call him over."

"Yes……"

Zhao Sheng strode over and knelt down to greet her, saying, "This servant Zhao Sheng greets Madam."

His formal greeting made Sister You a little embarrassed.

After all, we used to see each other often, and I've never seen him like this before.

"Captain Zhao, there's no need for such formalities. Please get up."

I've come to see you because I have important business to discuss.

"Please speak, Madam."

Zhao Sheng stood up, stood at his sides with his hands at his sides, and did not look directly at him.

He was born into the Jia family.

His bodyguards, who were born in the same year as him, always considered themselves Jia Lian's servants and took pride in it.

Although they usually did not need to kneel in front of Jia Lian, today was, after all, the first time they had met You Sanjie, the mistress of the house, since she entered the house.

Performing proper etiquette is both a matter of propriety and a matter of rules.

There's no need to do this every time in the future.

"Prepare sixteen fast horses for me; I need them."

You Sanjie herself had a mount, a medium-sized warhorse.

She begged Jia Lian for it by pleading with him.

According to her, as the captain of the female soldiers under Jia Lian, how could she not have her own warhorse?

She has treasured it ever since she got it.

They were kept in the stables of Ningguo Mansion.

Anyway, the Ningguo Mansion doesn't keep many horses in its stables these days, so it's perfect for letting her beloved steed enjoy a spacious stable.

Hearing that Sister You Sanjie wanted horses, Zhao Sheng wasn't surprised, but simply asked, "Do you want them today?"

Sister You was taken aback and asked, "Did the Prince tell you everything?"

"yes.

This morning, when the Prince left, he instructed me to arrange for someone to escort the Madam and her female soldiers to the Qinglian Horse Ranch, and to provide them with seventeen suits of armor.

Qinglian Horse Ranch was the imperial horse ranch that Jia Lian initially built.

Because many wild blue lotuses grew in the streams within the horse farm, Princess Zhaoyang liked them very much and felt that they were very fitting for her and Jia Lian's names, so she bestowed upon them the name "Blue Lotus".

Hearing that Jia Lian had already given instructions to his men, You Sanjie was very happy.

Clearly, Jia Lian had no intention of fooling her.

Hearing that there was also armor, her eyes lit up: "Is the armor ready?"

"Well... I didn't know Madam was coming today, so I haven't made any preparations yet."

However, all the armor is in the armory; you can take it anytime, Madam, if you wish.

Without hesitation, Sister You said, "Take me directly to the armory."

Seeing Zhao Sheng hesitate slightly, Sister You said seriously, "Our female soldiers have different physiques than you, so we need smaller armor to fit properly."

"You're letting me choose for myself, otherwise what if I'm not satisfied with what you deliver?"

Hearing what Sister You said, Zhao Sheng also felt that it made sense.

Since Jia Lian has already made them wear armor, he has clearly acknowledged You Sanjie and the women under her command as soldiers.

Sending the lady into the armory is not unusual.

So he led Sister You to a house with a large copper lock hanging on it, located north of the training ground.

Sister You glanced at him and walked in without any ceremony after Zhao Sheng opened the door.

The room wasn't well lit, making it feel somewhat dark and gloomy.

However, the layout was very orderly, with all kinds of weapons and armor displayed on the walls and the two giant wooden frames in the middle.

Sister You looked around with excitement, like a child entering a children's playground.

After a while, realizing that no one was around, he turned around and saw Zhao Sheng still standing at the door.

After thinking about it, Sister You realized that Zhao Sheng was afraid to be in the same room with her.

He couldn't help but think highly of Zhao Sheng, feeling that there was a reason why Jia Lian could entrust him with such an important task, given that he was just a servant born into the household.

But she was different from her older sister, You Erjie; she was determined to make a name for herself by Jia Lian's side.

Naturally, she didn't want Jia Lian's personal guards to treat her like a delicate woman.

So he called out, "What are you standing there for? If you don't introduce them to me, how am I supposed to know which ones to choose?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Sheng turned around and waved to the two people in the training ground, asking them to accompany him into the house.

Sister You didn't mind, and soon she found the location of the standard armor herself.

Looking at the gleaming silver armor, Sister You couldn't resist touching it.

Jia Lian's personal guards, all dressed in uniform silver saddles and silver armor, were cool and eye-catching, perfectly matching her aesthetic sense. She had long wanted to get a set for herself.

Because there were witnesses present, Zhao Sheng didn't try to avoid suspicion and stepped forward to explain:

"These standard armors were all made by the prince to expand his personal guard. There are thirty-four sets left in total."

The lady may choose any seventeen sets.

When Jia Lian was a marquis, he was entitled to recruit one hundred personal guards according to regulations.

However, to avoid suspicion, lords usually prefer to hire more guards rather than fill their personal guards to the maximum extent.

This is an unspoken rule.

Jia Lian did not disobey; he only recruited sixty personal guards, which were already at full strength.

After the Iron Net Mountain incident last year, Jia Lian was promoted to Duke and was allowed to recruit 200 personal guards. Jia Lian also planned to recruit 120 more.

Because of the short timeframe and the delays caused by the Liaodong war, the 120 personal guards have not yet been recruited to this day.

However, one hundred and twenty suits of armor had already been completed.

These extra thirty-odd pieces are the rest.

After looking around for a while, Sister You San found there wasn't much to choose from.

These armors come in two sizes: one slightly larger and one slightly smaller.

They each account for almost half.

The larger size is obviously designed for more robust people, so it's definitely not suitable for female soldiers.

Let alone the large ones, even the smaller ones are mostly unsuitable.

Sister You couldn't help but think of Aqi and Aqin beside Jia Lian. Their armor not only fit them well, but also looked softer in texture.

It must have been specially made for them by Jia Lian.

There's no time now, but we'll have to get the prince to make them custom-made armor later.

After casually selecting a suit of armor, Sister You San was not in a hurry to leave the armory. Instead, she began to examine the various firearms beside her.

"Hey, why is this musket so short? It looks really good."

You Sanjie spotted a short, bronze-colored gun about the length of a forearm and picked it up to examine it closely.

Zhao Sheng explained, "This was a gift specially made by the craftsmen to the prince after the musket technology was greatly improved."

There aren't many of them.

The other princes gave them to His Majesty and the princes; this one was originally meant for personal use.

Later, the prince found it too weak and left it here.

"How little power is it?"

Zhao Sheng laughed and said, "It's relative to say that it's not powerful. Madam shouldn't underestimate it either; it can easily kill someone within a few dozen steps."

Upon hearing this, Sister You became even more interested.

She's played with bows and crossbows and swords, but she's never played with firearms before.

Therefore, once you hold it in your hand, you are reluctant to let go.

Zhao Sheng and the others saw through her thoughts.

Zhao Sheng remained silent, but the other guards behind him laughed and said, "If Madam likes it, she can take it to the shooting range in front to try it out."

"May I?"

"Of course, given the prince's affection for his wife, if she likes this gun, it seems perfectly fine for the prince to give it to you."

Despite the fact that Jia Lian seems to have many women, the number of those he has actually married can be counted on one hand.

It can be said that all the women with official titles in Jia Lian's household now hold prominent positions and are worthy of being flattered and fawned over.

Zhao Sheng turned around and glared at the person who spoke, then said helplessly, "Madam can test the gun, but this gun was once carried by the Prince."

If Madam wishes to take it, she must obtain the Prince's permission.

You Sanjie immediately replied, "That's easy. As long as I ask, your prince will agree to any of these small matters."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Sheng and his two guards felt as if they had stumbled upon some secret of Jia Lian that they shouldn't have known, and they wanted to laugh but dared not.

So the two guards helped Sister You San with the ammunition and gunpowder, and escorted her to the shooting range to test the gun. When the bangs rang out, Sister You San was so happy she almost jumped for joy.

She was, after all, just a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl.

After having a good time, she instructed Zhao Sheng to deliver the armor to her in the West Garden before 11 PM and to prepare the horses.

There's no need for escorts; they can ride horses and can find horse farms.

However, Zhao Sheng obviously couldn't follow this rule. If anything went wrong on the way, he would be guilty of a crime he couldn't escape even if he died a hundred times over.

At noon, when Jia Lian returned to the mansion and heard Zhao Sheng's report on the matter, he understood perfectly well that You Sanjie was too excited and afraid that he would break his promise and abandon her, so she wanted to make preparations in advance.

"Send the armor and horses to her so they don't have to go to the horse farm. They can just wait at Ningguo Mansion. I'll call her when I leave."

Jia Lian asked You Sanjie to wait at the Imperial Horse Ranch, and then secretly picked her up, clearly not wanting to cause too much of a commotion.

She especially didn't want him to be bothered by other women.

However, this time is different from taking Baochai with him. This trip will take an unknown amount of time, and in the end, it will definitely not be able to be kept secret.

Since Sister You is so enthusiastic, let's just take her along to avoid her feeling anxious.

Anyway, today he was just going to Tianjin to arrange for the troops under his command to board the ship.

The official oath-taking ceremony of the imperial court is not until two days later, so bringing them along will not affect anything.

……

In Hengwu Garden, Baochai was about to go to the office to handle some business when she heard a maid come to report.

"The Prince is at Longcui Nunnery. Please come over for tea, Princess Xue."

Baochai knew that Jia Lian had been busy with important matters related to the expedition lately. Even when he took the two You sisters into the family, he only managed to come back last night and went out again this morning.

They are clearly very busy.

The fact that he actually has time to invite her for tea now probably means he's really about to set off.

This is a reunion before parting.

So he dared not delay and quickly took Ying'er and headed towards Longcui Nunnery.

When they reached Qinfang Gate, they ran into Sister You Er, who shared the same goal.

When they arrived at the foot of Longcui Mountain, Daiyu also came with Zijuan.

The three of them understood perfectly well, and with melancholy expressions, they walked silently toward the Longcui Nunnery.

Attendants were already waiting at the nunnery, and upon seeing them arrive, they led them inside.

The girls walked a few steps further in and, sure enough, saw two familiar figures under the familiar rose trellis.

The man had a handsome face and a dashing demeanor.

Although the woman was dressed in black, her natural beauty was still undeniable.

The two sat facing each other, chatting and sipping tea, like a pair of celestial beings.

Their arrival shattered the tranquil atmosphere.

Upon seeing them, the beautiful Buddhist figure seemed to hesitate for a moment, but still stood up and greeted them:
"You are here."

Neither Baochai nor Daiyu cared about Miaoyu's stiff greeting.

They were all familiar with Miaoyu's character and would never be polite or pretentious.

Even in the past, people might not have been willing to get up and greet them.

This is already considered very generous.

Because You Erjie didn't understand Miaoyu, she only thought that Miaoyu's beauty was too outstanding, and that she could rival the famous courtesan Gu Qingyi.

When Jia Lian saw the three women, he greeted them with a smile: "You've all come, please have a seat."

"Smartie, serve tea."

The stone table has only four sides, and besides Jia Lian and Miao Yu, there are only two stone stools left.

You Erjie naturally dared not compete with Baochai and Daiyu, as she felt she was falling behind.

Jia Lian saw this and beckoned to her, saying, "Come and sit next to me."

Upon hearing this, Sister You blushed slightly, glanced at Baochai, and then at Daiyu, seemingly hesitant.

Baochai noticed her shyness and said softly, "There are no outsiders here. Your husband wants you to come over, so please go."

As she spoke, Baochai led You Erjie to Jia Lian's side, then exchanged glances with Miaoyu before sitting down with Daiyu.

However, Baochai's words, "There are no outsiders," made Miaoyu, who thought she had hidden herself well, suddenly feel uneasy.

After carefully observing the expressions of Daiyu and Baochai, I couldn't discern anything, so I could only reluctantly sit back down, my left and right brains battling each other.

Jia Lian sat in the due north position, with the gentle and beautiful You Erjie to his right, and three stunning beauties in front of him.

For a moment, Jia Lian felt as if he were in a fairyland.

Even the newly blooming flowers on the flower stand paled in comparison to the four beautiful faces.

Jia Lian sat there upright, as if trying to imprint their images completely in his mind.

It wasn't until Zhineng'er and another maidservant from Miaoyu brought over fresh tea and hot water that the women's embarrassment subsided.

Jia Lian personally poured tea for the four beauties, and after they took a sip, he said, "I'll be leaving in a little while."

He won't be back for at least six months.

Upon hearing this, the four women's embarrassment vanished completely, and their faces immediately showed reluctance and sadness.

The most extreme example is Daiyu, whose beautiful eyes instantly filled with moisture.

Although Jia Lian felt sorry for her, he couldn't say or do anything more at this time.

If possible, he would like to keep Daiyu and Baochai by his side.

But they are too delicate.

Especially Daiyu.

If he were to bump or fall, he would be filled with regret.

So he continued, "I called you here today not only to see you one last time before we part, but also because I have a few words to tell you."

Baochai adapted the fastest and quickly said, "Husband, please speak."

Jia Lian took one of her hands, placed it in the palm of his other hand, and looked at them, saying:

"Take good care of yourselves while I'm away."

Especially Chai'er.

You are the most rational and reliable person, so when I'm not around, you should think more about the family.

Take good care of your family.

I will leave you most of my personal guards and bodyguards, the leaders of whom you have met.

I've already given them instructions; they will follow your arrangements.

Even though Jia Lian had mentioned this before, Baochai was still very moved when she heard him say it again.

She immediately replied, "Don't worry, my husband, I will do as you say and take good care of the family and my sisters."

Jia Lian nodded and added, "If you encounter a problem that you can't solve yourself, remember to send someone to ask the princess for help."

The waist token I gave you, along with the tokens the princess gave you, allow you to see the princess directly.

"Yes, yes, I understand."

Jia Lian then ignored Baochai, reached out and wiped away the tears that Daiyu was already crying uncontrollably, and said with a smile, "Alright, you little crybaby. It's not like we're parting forever, why are you crying?"

"Who's crying..."

Daiyu wiped away her tears while stubbornly maintaining her composure.

Jia Lian chuckled and took one of her hands, placing it on Baochai's hand.

Daiyu gave a token twitch, then let it go.

Jia Lian continued to look at Miaoyu: "See? I told you they would all accept you, but you didn't believe me before."

Upon hearing this, Miaoyu almost couldn't resist getting up and running away.

Jia Lian, however, did the same thing, taking one of her hands and placing it on top of Daiyu and Baochai.

I pressed down with both hands to make sure the three little hands were tamed and wouldn't run away before I let go.

Then Jia Lian turned his head and looked at You Erjie with a smile.

Sister You blushed slightly, but she was also sensible and consciously stretched out one hand and placed it on the back of Miaoyu's hand.

Upon seeing this, Jia Lian laughed with great satisfaction.

He clasped his right hand together, pressed down the small hands, and said, "You are the ones I'm most worried about after leaving the capital."

So you all need to learn to take good care of yourselves.

When you have free time, sisters should get together more often and play games like playing with jade pendants.

Don't wallow in self-pity; it'll only make you miserable. I'll be worried about you when I get back.

Jia Lian's mushy words and intimate actions made the four women blush uncontrollably.

As the saying goes, a young girl's blush speaks louder than any words.

Just as Jia Lian was about to say something more romantic, A Qin walked in.

"Your Highness, everything is ready outside. It's time to depart."

"okay, I get it."

After Jia Lian dismissed Aqin, he turned around and noticed that all four small faces, including Baochai's, had tears welling up in their eyes.

Knowing that if we delayed any longer, we would truly be in tears.

So he patted Sister You's hand, let go of them, and turned to leave. (End of Chapter)