The Second Master of the Red Chamber

Princess Zhaoyang returned to her residence dejectedly.

She ultimately failed to humiliate the Crown Prince.

Although she could have.

At this time, her longing for Jia Lian reached an unbearable level.

All the way there, she kept thinking about what Jia Lian would do if he were there.

"Princess, Lady Hu has returned and is waiting for you in your bedchamber."

He dismounted and returned to his palace, where a close attendant came forward to inform him.

Princess Zhaoyang nodded and walked past her into the hall.

"Princess, be careful!!"

Princess Zhaoyang frowned slightly and subconsciously turned around.

A gleaming short dagger suddenly stabbed towards her.

In that critical moment, all she managed to see was the madness in the maid's eyes.

……

Thousands of miles away.

The Royal Palace of Korea.

Finally wearing the corset armor she had longed for, Sister You strode towards the Queen's bedchamber amidst the awe and envy of the palace maids.

After passing through the heavy gates, he came to several female soldiers who were protecting Jia Lian and asked, "Where is the Prince?"

"Still inside."

Sister You nodded, her gaze passing over the curtain to look into the hall.

On the large bed, Queen Jin, wearing only a close-fitting undergarment, raised her head and crawled towards the edge of the bed.

At the foot of the bed, two kneeling maids who had been waiting for a long time quickly raised their necks and opened their mouths to greet him.

Queen Jin pursed her lips and gently spat out the filth from her mouth.

As soon as he looked up, a maidservant bowed and brought him tea to rinse his mouth.

Queen Jin spit it out, then turned back, crawled back towards Jia Lian, kissed him on the cheek, and laughed:

"Well, I think I won."

Queen Jin's voice was full of smugness.

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian stroked her increasingly pert buttocks as she lay on her side, his gaze involuntarily drifting towards the Korean maids who walked away blankly.

As expected, in these small dynasties with incomplete etiquette and laws, the hierarchy between superiors and inferiors became even more violent and blatant.

People like Queen Jin didn't treat these ordinary maids as human beings at all.

At first, Jia Lian would frown when he saw it, but he got used to it after seeing it many times.

He didn't offer any comment. Jia Lian himself knew that in some noble families of the Great Wei, things were probably even more outrageous.

"Of course, the Queen wins."

I have witnessed firsthand the Queen's methods during this period of time.

I'm afraid he won't forget it even after returning to the Great Wei.

Queen Jin was initially pleased, after all, she felt quite accomplished that she had managed to make the arrogant and conceited Jia Lian surrender with just one move.

She immediately raised her head and looked at Jia Lian: "Is the Prince of Pingliao leaving?"

"Yes. Your brother has already delivered all the silver and goods."

If I don't leave now, I'll seem ungrateful.

Queen Jin immediately hugged Jia Lian's neck tightly and said coquettishly, "No, I won't let you leave."

You don't need to worry about him; he has to listen to me anyway.

Jia Lian chuckled, lifted the golden queen's arm, and sat up.

For nearly half a month, he has been living almost entirely in the Korean royal palace.

Throughout the entire palace, he could take whatever he wanted from queens, princesses, and even noblewomen.

It could be said that he lived a life of luxury and indulgence, even though he wasn't an emperor.

If he were less ambitious, and if he didn't have so many ties to the Great Wei, he might have even considered staying there permanently.

After being thrown onto the bed by Jia Lian, Queen Jin got up and glared angrily at Jia Lian's back.

However, she quickly turned her anger into joy, stepped forward and hugged Jia Lian's strong waist, nuzzling against his back.

"What will I do if you leave?"

Jia Lian raised his hand and grasped the delicate hand on his shoulder, laughing, "Oh, so the Queen wishes to return to Great Wei with me?"

Upon hearing this, Queen Jin looked embarrassed, but fortunately Jia Lian couldn't see it.

What a joke.

In North Korea, she is now second only to zero people and above millions.

It can be said that she is the most powerful woman in all of North Korea right now.

She must have taken the wrong medicine to want to go back to Wei with Jia Lian.

After all, she wasn't really in love with Jia Lian.

The reason she was so obedient to Jia Lian and tried every means to please him was simply to gain his protection.

Over the course of several months, their spies and officials in the Great Wei were ordered to continuously send back news about Jia Lian.

Therefore, the entire North Korean leadership is now basically aware of Jia Lian's situation.

It can be said that even in the capital, Jia Lian was a figure who had reached the pinnacle of power.

There are several points that she and her brother have analyzed in detail.

Rumors circulated that the Emperor of Great Wei was often ill, and that the Crown Prince was uneducated and lacked authority.

Jia Lian was not only a brilliant military strategist, but also a man of great power and influence.

He also recognized the Empress as his mother.

This whole process seemed perfect to the Kim siblings, who had ruined the other sons of the old Joseon king and then placed his youngest son under their control, thereby seizing power in the Joseon Dynasty.

The Kim siblings felt that North Korea could no longer avoid the influence of the superior nation.

Therefore, choosing the right backer is very important.

Even if Jia Lian does not plot to usurp the throne in the future, he will still hold a pivotal position in the capital.

The investment is feasible.

This is how they, brother and sister, truly acted, raising the money and provisions Jia Lian needed, entirely according to his demands.

The reason why he would not hesitate to use the women of the entire palace to entertain him for a moment.

"Hehe, if I were to return to the Great Wei with the Prince of Pingliao, would the Prince of Pingliao make me his Princess Consort?"
After all, I am the Queen of Joseon.

You can't make people feel too wronged.

Jia Lian laughed and said, "I'm afraid it's not possible for you to become a princess consort. But I can try my best to get you a concubine."

Queen Jin was taken aback.

Although she didn't really want to go with Jia Lian.

But in her opinion, given her looks and status, she was willing to give up her honor and follow Jia Lian, so it wouldn't be too much for Jia Lian to give her a princess, right?
Unexpectedly, not only did the princess not attend.

Judging from his words, even a concubine would have to pull some strings to get it to her?
It's infuriating.

So he reached out and punched Jia Lian on the back: "You heartless bastard."

Jia Lian laughed heartily. Just then, You Sanjie came from outside the curtain to report that Sister Aqin and her sister had finished packing and it was time to return to the palace. Jia Lian then got up from the bed.

He summoned a maid to help him change his clothes.

"I will remember the Queen's kind offer."

If the Queen has the opportunity in the future, she is welcome to visit the Great Wei. I will certainly prepare a warm welcome for her.

As for coming back with me, forget it.

"I wouldn't dare abduct you, the dignified Queen of Joseon. Otherwise, wouldn't the tens of millions of people in Joseon come after me to my death?"

Having been intimate with the Korean queen for half a month, Jia Lian did have some understanding of her.

This woman is not a love-struck little girl.

On the contrary, she is a rose with thorns; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her a femme fatale.

Playing around is fine, but Jia Lian wouldn't dare bring her home.

At this moment, Queen Jin did not notice Jia Lian's joke. She asked in surprise, "Leaving so soon?"

Jia Lian nodded: "Go back to the palace to pack. We'll leave the capital early tomorrow morning." Queen Jin was somewhat displeased.

Although they were only lovers for a short time, Jia Lian didn't even tell her his schedule.

After thinking for a moment, she asked again, "You really aren't taking my little niece with you?"

"Let's talk about it after she learns Mandarin properly."

Jia Lian replied casually.

The Jin siblings went to great lengths to win him over.

Jin Shijia's eldest daughters are all married, leaving only this youngest, who is only ten years old.

I heard that she cherishes him like a treasure, and she's willing to send him over.

With a sigh, Queen Jin stood up and took the initiative to tie the final sash for Jia Lian. She then embraced him from behind and said softly:

"If I have the chance, I will go to the Great Wei to take a look."

It is also hoped that King Pyongyang will be able to return to Korea for a visit someday.

All the previous affection and happiness were actually a result of flattery and scheming.

Only now, when it was truly time to part, did Queen Jin feel a pang of reluctance.

Jia Lian nodded as well, then left without making any promises, taking his men and departing from the palace that bore his mark.

……

That evening, Kim Se-gyi led the Korean court officials in a grand farewell ceremony for Jia Lian and his generals.

The next day, Jia Lian led a large army and a generous gift of silver and local specialties from the Joseon Dynasty, setting sail from Nampo Port.

He did not return directly to the Great Wei, but instead traveled south along the coastline, first arriving in Incheon.

After several months of construction and development, the small village has been transformed into a huge port.

Standing on the boat, you can see countless people working on the shore from a great distance.

Shi Ding, who was in charge of guarding Incheon, boarded the Zhenyuan with a young North Korean general.

"Your humble servant Yi Sun-sin pays respects to His Highness, the Prince of Pyeongryo!"

This was the second time Yi Sun-sin had met Jia Lian.

His brother had told him that the commander of the upper kingdom, His Highness the Prince of Pingliao, had asked him about the matter and specifically requested to see him.

His heart was filled with excitement and trepidation.

So he quickly relinquished his military duties and rushed to the capital to pay homage to the king.

He never imagined that the Prince of Pingliao, who was famous throughout the world and had swiftly divided and annihilated the ferocious Japanese pirates, would be so young and handsome!
To his surprise, the other party was very kind to him.

Not only did he recruit him as a retainer, but he was also appointed "General Who Pacifies the Japanese Pirates" and put in Incheon to recruit and train soldiers for him.

He also promised that when the Great Wei sends troops to annihilate Fusang in the future, he would be the vanguard.

He was just an officer commanding a few hundred men before, but now he has risen to the rank of general, a title bestowed by the emperor himself.

It should be noted that in the entire Korean peninsula, only a handful of people could be granted official titles by the superior nation.

His rise to prominence can be described as meteoric.

Yi Sun-sin had always longed for the superior country and admired Jia Lian.

Having received such favor, he wished he could die for Jia Lian.

Jia Lian seemed very happy to see Yi Sun-sin.

He personally helped him up, patted him on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Lord Shi has already told me everything about your performance during this period."

not bad.

Do a good job.

"In the future, when we annihilate the Japanese pirates, I will be promoted to a high-ranking official position; it will be just around the corner."

"Thank you, Your Highness, King Pingliao. Your humble servant will serve the country and Your Highness with utmost loyalty, even unto death."

Yi Sun-sin was deeply moved and knelt down again to kowtow to Jia Lian.

Jia Lian helped him up and said, "Alright, you can go now. I have something to discuss with Marquis Shi alone."

"Yes."

Seeing Yi Sun-sin respectfully withdraw, Shi Ding asked curiously, "He's just an ordinary Korean general, why does the prince value him so much?"

Jia Lian laughed and said, "It cannot be said, it cannot be said."

It's not that it can't be said, but rather that there's nothing to say.

He had only heard the name Li Yaochen and thought of this famous person, so he asked casually.

I didn't expect it to actually exist.

However, upon seeing this celebrity, who was still just a junior, Jia Lian was immediately impressed by his talent.

Well, how should I put it? It's like raising a cat.

It just so happens that he will be waging war against Japan sooner or later.

The annihilation of Fusang was a massive undertaking.

If everything were to be gathered from the local area, it would inevitably be too costly.

North Korea, with its large population and cheap labor, is a perfect place to utilize its resources.

So he made him another spokesperson and trained a vanguard army composed entirely of Koreans.

Incidentally, it can also help him monitor the Kim family.

As for whether he actually had the ability, it's likely that someone who was later praised so highly by the Koreans must have had some ability.

Seeing that Jia Lian was unwilling to talk about it, Shi Ding did not press him further.

It's a small matter anyway, just think of it as getting another dog.

The generals followed Jia Lian to the top deck, where they held their last open-air meeting in Korea, gazing at the vibrant Incheon Port in the distance.

After all the matters were quickly settled, looking at his colleagues who were about to return home, Shi Ding said with emotion, "Have a safe journey, everyone."

When you think of me in your spare time, don't forget to arrange for someone to send me some more of the fine wine from my hometown.

This Korean liquor is very strong; I don't like it at all.

Upon hearing this, everyone laughed and joked, reminding them that he had been the one to volunteer for the job in the first place.

Although it was meant as a joke, all the generals understood.

Being stationed in North Korea is an important matter that will likely take many years to accomplish.

If the imperial court can quickly free up its resources to manage Korea, it might not be long before it can extricate itself from this predicament.

If the court is delayed by something later, there is a high possibility that he will never be able to return home!
However, there was no other way. Shi Ding held the title of Marquis and had commanded troops for many years. He was experienced and the most suitable person to be in charge.

Jia Lian also comforted and encouraged him, saying, "When the mission is accomplished, it will be time for Uncle Shi to be granted the title of Duke."

Upon hearing this, the generals' playful intentions turned into envy.

Given Jia Lian's current status, there's a high probability he'll keep his word when he says something like that.

Shi Ding also shook off his dejection, clasped his hands in a salute and said, "Your Highness, rest assured, this humble general will certainly not fail in his mission!"

Jia Lian nodded and ordered him to go and do his own thing.

A moment later, Jia Yu came up and said that all 10,000 Japanese prisoners had been tied up and boarded the ship, and they could set sail.

The Japanese ultimately couldn't bear to spend a large sum of money to ransom the prisoners.

Therefore, these prisoners had no choice but to be transported back to the Great Wei.

Whether it was selling them at low prices to Western slave traders or further publicizing the victory of the war.

As his generals suggested, taking them to the southeast coast to be slaughtered would be effective in deterring the Japanese pirates.

Seeing that most of Jia Lian's generals had dispersed, You Sanjie came over and asked curiously.

"I just saw that those Japanese soldiers who were tied up with hemp ropes and rushed onto the ship one after another were all able-bodied and able to move freely."

This isn't right.

Didn't you capture any wounded Japanese soldiers on the battlefield?
Where did those wounded prisoners go?

Uh……

Sister You asked a question that left Jia Yu and the others speechless, unsure whether to answer.

Jia Lian said, "Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask."

"Fine, I won't say if I don't want to."

Sister You stuck out her tongue, but didn't press the matter; she'd only asked casually anyway. (End of Chapter)