The Second Master of the Red Chamber

The sound of horses' hooves broke through the long street, alerting the guards in front of the princess's residence.

"Who goes there? Halt!"

The leader led his men forward, about to stop them, when he saw the figure on the warhorse.

His expression changed slightly, and he quickly ordered his men to step back before kneeling down and clasping his hands in a fist salute.

Seeing this, the other guards did the same.

Jia Lian dismounted and strode towards the Princess's residence, soon arriving at the familiar sleeping quarters.

Seeing that there were more than twice as many sword attendants as before, Jia Lian's heart sank, and he hurriedly stepped forward.

Almost all the sword-wielding servants in the princess's residence knew Jia Lian, so they naturally wouldn't act as they would when trying to stop the fourth prince.

He simply remained true to his duty, his gaze following Jia Lian's advance.

The leader's sword attendant, who had heard the commotion, came out and went to greet them.

"How is the princess?"

The personal swordsman did not answer Jia Lian's question, but respectfully said, "The princess is in her bedchamber. Please come in, Your Highness."

Jia Lian nodded and followed her into the hall, where he soon saw Princess Zhaoyang sitting on a couch, leisurely reading a book.

On the table in front of her were various kinds of fresh fruit.

Jia Lian couldn't help but frown.

"Brother Wang is here."

Princess Zhaoyang smiled when she saw Jia Lian.

She jumped off the couch without putting on shoes, letting her snow-white stockings step onto the deep red carpet.

Jia Lian's brows relaxed, and he opened his arms.

Princess Zhaoyang then floated lightly into his arms.

However, she immediately looked up and carefully examined Jia Lian's face.

"Why does Erlang seem to have gotten more plump after his trip?"

Jia Lian smiled, removed her hand from his cheek, and led her to sit down on the couch.

Then, gazing intently at her beautiful face, he asked, "Didn't you say you were assassinated? You look perfectly fine to me."

Princess Zhaoyang flashed her signature smile: "What's wrong? Why are you unhappy that I'm perfectly fine?"

"Of course I'm happy."

Jia Lian unconsciously patted Princess Zhaoyang's hand and sighed, "You don't know, I was terrified when I heard the news."

"Hehe, I am honored to have frightened the King of Pingliao, who commands thousands of troops and remains calm even when Mount Tai collapses before him."

Jia Lian gave her a doting look: "Tell me, what happened?"

Upon hearing this, Princess Zhaoyang's smile slowly faded.

She buried her head in Jia Lian's chest, her lips moving slightly but making no sound, as if she hadn't figured out how to explain to Jia Lian.

After a long while, she slowly said, "I think Ling'er might not be suitable for that position."

After saying this, she waited for a long time without any reaction from Jia Lian, then looked up at him.

Then Jia Lian asked, "What makes you say that?"

Princess Zhaoyang lowered her head and murmured, "He was too impulsive and naive."
They always like to ask whether something is right or wrong, and to gossip about right and wrong.

Undeniably, this is a very good quality.

However, it is not suitable to use it on emperors.

As an emperor, one is always surrounded by all sorts of people.

These people approached him with different motives and interests. If he had to distinguish right from wrong in everything, he would never be able to do so in his entire life, let alone govern a country and rule the world.

For the past two weeks, Princess Zhaoyang has also been reflecting on the rift between her and the Fourth Prince.

Ultimately, she realized that while she herself was indeed impulsive and domineering, the root of the problem lay with the Fourth Prince.

He was no longer a child. He was the crown prince, on whom his father, the emperor, and all of them placed their hopes; he was the future ruler of the world!

Faced with a threat that could befall all of them, he didn't think about eliminating it completely, but rather about finding evidence.

How absurd!

He is putting the safety of all of them above his shallow sense of right and wrong.

"Tell me, what exactly happened that made you express such feelings?"

Jia Lian decisively did not respond to Princess Zhaoyang's words.

Princess Zhaoyang had been feeling incredibly stifled lately, so she didn't hesitate any longer. She hugged Jia Lian and recounted all the grievances she had suffered during this time.

Jia Lian listened quietly to her story before finally saying, "So, the news that you were seriously injured in the assassination attempt was also something you deliberately leaked?"

"Yes.

I originally wanted to scare that brat and see if he would dare to disobey me again.

Later, I found that pretending to be sick was actually quite good; it gave me a chance to rest, and I left all the work to him.

Let him dare to talk back to me.

Princess Zhaoyang said in an almost coquettish tone.

Hearing how cute she sounded, Jia Lian couldn't help but rub her head and laugh, "You might not have scared him, but you certainly gave me a fright."

You know, I just landed yesterday and I have a ton of things to do.

As soon as I heard about this, I rushed back with my men before I even had a chance to sit down properly.

Princess Zhaoyang had naturally noticed Jia Lian's travel-worn appearance long ago.

Even if you can't see him, just by calculating the time, you know that Jia Lian must have been rushing back day and night.

She was already deeply moved, and upon hearing this, she looked up and kissed Jia Lian, then smiled and said, "I know you've worked hard, Brother Wang."

"I've already had the maids prepare hot water. Erlang, take a good bath later; I'll treat you well."

Jia Lian felt relieved. Seeing how playful and adorable Princess Zhaoyang was, he rolled over and pinned her down, ready to teach this deceitful little girl a lesson.

Suddenly, a close attendant entered, head bowed, and reported, "Princess, Your Highness, the Crown Prince requests an audience."

Princess Zhaoyang was scolding Jia Lian when she heard this. She flicked her hair, poked her head out from under Jia Lian, and ordered, "What is he doing here again? Just tell him I don't want to see him."

Just as the maid was about to leave, Jia Lian rolled over and got up from under Princess Zhaoyang, saying, "Alright, hiding from him like this isn't a solution."

I'll go out and take a look.

Upon hearing this, Princess Zhaoyang quickly sat up and said, "None of these things are Ling'er's fault. You mustn't be mean to him."

Jia Lian was speechless. Just a moment ago, he had looked at the other person with obvious disappointment and even wanted to beat him to death.

Are you already starting to worry about him?
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

You've worked so hard these past few days. From now on, leave everything to me.

Princess Zhaoyang felt incredibly comforted upon hearing Jia Lian's confident yet doting words.

Isn't this the situation she's been thinking about a lot lately?

So he gave a soft "hmm" and had someone escort Jia Lian out.

……

Outside the palace, the fourth prince waited anxiously.

Beside him, Wei Yan also came over, seemingly very afraid, and said, "Fourth brother, if the king makes trouble for me later, you must protect me."

"I offended him back then, but I didn't need to offend my younger sister at all."

The fourth prince gave him a disdainful look.

Although he has yet to find any evidence to prove that he was the one who murdered his sister.

However, his elder sister was so certain that he couldn't help but have doubts.

But he has already made his "bold and ambitious" statement. If we were to punish him without warning now, wouldn't that be going back on our word and getting slapped in the face?
How will he face his elder sister and those around him in the future?
Furthermore, although he disliked playing power games, he instinctively knew...

Most people, including his elder sister, did not really believe in him.

If he is proven wrong again this time, he will have no authority in front of these people in the future.

"Brother Wang!"

Upon seeing Jia Lian, the Fourth Prince immediately went to greet him warmly.

However, before he could even try to get closer to Jia Lian, Wei Yan, who was like a persistent leech, had already overtaken him and took the initiative to greet him.

"Your younger brother Wei Yan greets Your Highness. Congratulations, Your Highness! You have suddenly gained power and become our elder brother."

It's a pity that I was imprisoned at the time and was unable to congratulate you in time, Brother Wang. I hope you will forgive me.

The fourth prince frowned.

He was already worried that Jia Lian would have a negative opinion of him after listening to his elder sister.

Why did Wei Yan have to chime in at this time?
Moreover, these words, though seemingly respectful and ingratiating, just sound a bit off.
He was already starting to regret letting that quack come along.

He had already locked him up in the Imperial Clan Court.

When news of Jia Lian's return to the capital reached him, he went to the Imperial Clan Court and acted as if he were about to die, insisting on seeing him one last time.

After meeting, he said that Jia Lian's misunderstanding of him was even deeper than that of Princess Zhaoyang.

If Jia Lian returns and also believes that he was the one who did those things, Jia Lian will definitely kill him.

He begged him to save his life.

There was nothing the Fourth Prince could do but take him back to the Crown Prince's residence.

He had just said that he wanted to personally explain to Jia Lian that he had repented and wanted to win Jia Lian's forgiveness, which is why the Fourth Prince allowed him to come along.

If even the Fourth Prince could sense something was amiss, how could Jia Lian not hear the provocation in Wei Yan's words?

Does he think that because of the Crown Prince's power, he wouldn't dare to touch him?
"Men, seize him!"

Jia Lian showed no mercy and immediately ordered his swordsmen to arrest the man.

Those sword attendants were all trained by Princess Zhaoyang.

The princess was assassinated, and it was determined that Wei Yan was the mastermind behind it.

Unfortunately, the Crown Prince insisted on protecting him, and the Princess couldn't do anything about it, which had long infuriated everyone in the Princess's residence.

Now that Jia Lian has returned with the glory of a great victory, their princess has a powerful backer, and they are all waiting to finally get their revenge.

Upon hearing this, he did not hesitate and ignored the Fourth Prince, stepping forward to seize the person.

Wei Yan's expression changed, and he shouted, "Jia Lian, how dare you! The Crown Prince hasn't given the order, what right do you have to arrest me?"

After saying that, he didn't struggle, but said to the fourth prince, "Fourth brother, see, I didn't lie to you, did I?"

Neither of them takes you seriously at all.

Now, right in front of you, he ordered me to be arrested without even asking any questions.

Who knows what would have happened if you weren't here!

The fourth prince's expression was also somewhat unpleasant. He said to Jia Lian, "Brother, don't act rashly."

We are investigating the assassination attempt on my elder sister and the person who poisoned your residence.

He is, after all, the Emperor's son, and our brother. You cannot act rashly based solely on guesswork without evidence.”

"Oh, is it so."

Jia Lian walked to a sword attendant, gently stroked the sword she carried, and asked without turning his head:

"If I heard correctly, these things all happened more than half a month ago."

"In such a long time, I wonder if Your Highness has found anything?"

The fourth prince looked embarrassed: "Well, the murderer is cunning, so we haven't found one yet."

However, the Dali Temple has already made progress, and I believe they will soon uncover the truth.

"Zheng~~"

But Jia Lian suddenly drew the sword from the swordsman's side; the gleaming blade vibrated and emitted a ferocious sound.

The fourth prince's expression changed drastically, and he subconsciously took a step back.

His guards rushed forward.

"Go back."

Jia Lian shouted in a deep voice. The guards who had instinctively stepped forward immediately stopped, but still protected the Fourth Prince behind them.

Jia Lian slowly walked towards Wei Yan, whose arms were bound by sword servants, and said slowly as he walked: "Since you haven't been able to find out the truth after so long, it means there's something wrong with your methods."

I have a better method here that can uncover the mastermind behind all this. I wonder if Your Highness would be willing to see it?

Jia Lian had always given the Fourth Prince the impression of being gentle and polite.

Only at this moment did he reveal the coldness of a battle-hardened general.

In particular, when the Fourth Prince entered the Princess's residence, he saw the grim-looking cavalrymen outside the residence who had just returned from the battlefield.

He had no doubt that Jia Lian wanted to kill someone at that moment.

Although he knew perfectly well that Jia Lian would not kill him, he still couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine and regretted going against his elder sister.

"Brother, don't be impulsive. He is, after all, our brother, Father's son. You can't kill him..."

"Why not?"

Jia Lian had already walked up to Wei Yan and gently pointed his sword at him.

“A ruthless and cruel man like him, who killed his brother and murdered his ruler, should have died long ago.”

The emperor's reluctance to bear the blame for killing his son was an act of mercy.

As his son, it is my duty to share his burdens.

The fourth prince remained silent, not daring to speak.

At that moment, he actually felt that Jia Lian's words made a lot of sense.

They felt that even if he killed Wei Yan, their father probably wouldn't blame him too much.

If the Fourth Prince was in such a state, one can only imagine what Wei Yan, who was being pointed at by a sword, was going through.

He could feel Jia Lian's murderous intent more clearly.

He finally knew more clearly that his judgment was correct; a person like Jia Lian was indeed not a fool like the Fourth Prince who could be easily fooled.

Even unlike Princess Zhaoyang, who was indecisive,
He is someone who can make a decisive move after weighing the options.

Although his life was threatened, the first thing that flashed through Wei Yan's mind at that moment was not anger or fear.

Instead, he felt regret. He regretted not having tried harder to win over Jia Lian when they first met.

Alternatively, if you find that you cannot subdue him, just kill him.

It was because of this person that I suffered such a tragic defeat.

So much so that his humiliating and painstaking revenge now seems so powerless and laughable to him.

Once he returns to Beijing, she will have no room to struggle anymore.

But aren't you trying to maintain your image as a loyal subject?
I'm determined to destroy your image as a loyal subject and let the world see your true colors!

Thinking of this, Wei Yan turned to the Fourth Prince and pleaded, "Fourth Brother, Crown Prince! Look at him, he hasn't taken your words seriously at all."

If he can kill me in front of you today, he can kill you in front of someone else tomorrow.

He even plotted to murder his father and seize the throne!
You and Father were both deceived by his appearance. Jia Lian is a wolf in sheep's clothing... Ah...!

A stream of hot blood spurted out from Wei Yan's shoulder.

Not only did it interrupt his raucous barking, but it also nearly lashed out at the Fourth Prince.

Fortunately, a guard shielded him.

Even so, the fourth prince was frightened.

He stared blankly at the arm that had fallen to the ground at the root.

That was Wei Yan's right arm, which had just been growing properly on his shoulder.

Everyone was horrified by this sudden and bloody scene.

Even the two sword servants who were holding Wei Yan backed away, leaving Wei Yan clutching his shoulder, his face contorted in agony as he wailed on the ground.

Jia Lian, who committed such a cruel act, acted as if nothing had happened.

He didn't even glance at the cripple on the ground.

He turned around and handed the bloodstained sword back to the swordsman.

"I'm sorry, I accidentally got it dirty. You can take it and wipe it yourself."

The swordsman took it blankly.

Hearing Jia Lian's words, she nodded. Then, a near-fanatical look appeared in her eyes as she gazed at Jia Lian. (End of Chapter)