The Second Master of the Red Chamber

After starting a new game, Princess Zhaoyang dismissed all the palace maids and chatted with Jia Lian while playing chess.

Suddenly, he asked where Jia Lian lived.

Jia Lian replied that it was in the small courtyard on the east side, within the same large courtyard as the Empress's courtyard.

Because there were too many princes, ministers, and nobles attending the funeral, and only so many places to rest in front of the imperial mausoleum.

Therefore, no one dared to make a show of it.

Apart from the Empress Dowager and the Empress having slightly larger quarters, everyone else had to make do.

The male members were all housed on the east side, while the female members were housed on the west side.

In order to be able to take care of the Empress and the Empress Dowager at close range, Jia Lian chose a small courtyard next to the Empress.

He's already considered lucky; he even has a relatively independent courtyard.

Others didn't care about such things; most of them could only get one room.

The master sleeps on the bed, while the servant sleeps on the floor.

Experienced members of the royal family and ministers often didn't bring many attendants, to avoid causing themselves any trouble.

Duke Zhaoyang looked up at Jia Lian's small courtyard and said, "It seems we're not far apart."

I live here.

Hehe, anyway, Grandmother's place is spacious.

Jia Lian also looked up and saw where Princess Zhaoyang was pointing.

It is the east wing of this main courtyard.

Indeed, even the east wing was much better than the west wing, where one had to squeeze in with the wives and children of noblewomen.

After Jia Lian nodded, he continued to place his pieces, clearly not understanding her meaning.

Princess Zhaoyang simply sat up slightly, leaned closer, and whispered in Jia Lian's ear, "I haven't had much of a chance to have a proper talk with Erlang along the way."

After I settle in tonight, could Erlang come over to see me...? It's nearby anyway.

Jia Lian was taken aback, then said, "This... isn't that a bit inappropriate? This is where the Empress Dowager stays."

As soon as Jia Lian heard Princess Zhaoyang change her address back to "Erlang," he realized her feelings.

Indeed, during the days of the funeral procession, with many people and eyes around, and the journey tiring, they all exercised great restraint.

Now that they've finally settled down, it's perfectly normal for Princess Zhaoyang to want to be intimate with him.

"What happened to the Empress Dowager's residence? Brother, have you forgotten? We were in the Qin Pavilion of Weiyang Palace earlier..."

Princess Zhaoyang looked as if she wanted to say something but hesitated, and even deliberately licked her lower lip.

To be honest, that little expression of hers was quite alluring, and it immediately made Jia Lian's heart flutter.

Princess Zhaoyang was not only the apple of the emperor's eye, but also had a great sense of humor!

Which man wouldn't want to have a woman like that pinned beneath him?

I figured everyone would be tired tonight and probably busy resting.

If I come to visit the set late at night, I shouldn't be easily spotted.

So he glanced back at the moon gate next to the side room, and in an instant, Jia Lian had even planned out his route.

He then silently nodded to Princess Zhaoyang.

Princess Zhaoyang smiled immediately: "Then I'll wait for my brother to come tonight. My brother mustn't lie to me."

"Don't worry. I wouldn't lie to you, no matter who else I'm lying to."

"Hehe, Brother Wang is so kind."

Princess Zhaoyang sat back down, agreed on the time and how to leave the door open, finished the game of chess, and then the two parted ways.

After checking the precautions at the main hall where the coffin was laid in state and kneeling for half an hour to pay respects, Jia Lian prepared to return to his small courtyard to rest and prepare for his date that evening.

Just as I reached the entrance of the courtyard, I bumped into two people.

"The son of a disgraced official, the unworthy younger brother of the clan, pays his respects to his elder brother, the king."

"This humble servant greets Your Highness."

A man and a woman; the man was around twenty years old, thin, and looked sickly.

The woman was beautiful and had a graceful figure.

The white mourning clothes covering her body not only failed to conceal her dashing figure, but also added to her charm.

Jia Lian couldn't help but take another look at her face before stepping over her and walking into the courtyard, asking, "So it's the Crown Prince and his wife."

"You're here so late, did you wait for me specifically for this?"

"I knew I couldn't hide it from Brother Wang."

Brother Wang is extremely busy and burdened with heavy responsibilities, which is incomparable to those of us who are idle and carefree.

I had no choice but to do this in order to see my brother, and I hope he will forgive me for the inconvenience.

Jia Lian did not reply and walked straight into the hall.

These two were the eldest son and eldest daughter-in-law of King Chungshun.

Because of the case involving Prince Yun, Prince Zhongshun was placed under house arrest in his palace by order of Emperor Ningkang.

When the retired emperor passed away, he, like Prince Yun, saw an opportunity and wanted to escape house arrest under the pretext of filial piety.

However, perhaps knowing that he ate and slept well in the palace every day, unlike the miserable Prince Yun, his attempt to play the victim did not win the sympathy of the Fourth Prince.

Later, Emperor Ningkang, remembering their past relationship, allowed him to send one of his sons to the palace to offer condolences.

He originally sent his second son, because his second son was healthier and more favored by him.

However, for some unknown reason, on the day of the funeral, the Prince Zhongshun's mansion was suddenly replaced.

Instead, it was this sickly young master who stepped forward.

Jia Lian was not very concerned about the situation at the Prince Zhongshun's residence.

Even today, the King Chungsun at his peak could not pose much of a threat to him.

Moreover, it's already in a semi-crippled state.

King Chungsun should pray that he doesn't cause him any trouble.

Although Jia Lian was indifferent, Prince Wei Yu, the heir apparent of the Prince of Zhongshun, dared not express any dissatisfaction.

He gave his wife a look, signaling her to help him step over the threshold and catch up with Jia Lian, saying:
“I know that my father made a big mistake back then, which angered my uncle and brother.”

My father has already realized his mistake.

My father sent me to attend my grandfather's funeral to apologize to my elder brother and ask for his forgiveness.

Indeed, my father has also heard that my elder brother defeated the Japanese invaders in Korea, greatly enhancing the prestige of our Celestial Empire.

He was extremely excited, but also extremely regretful.

He told me that if he had known earlier that his brother Wang was so capable, he would have been blind to have gotten involved with that good-for-nothing Wei Yan, which only led to his own downfall.

My father said that as long as my brother can give him a chance to reform himself.

He was willing to devote all his efforts to assisting his elder brother, just as he had assisted his uncle, remaining utterly loyal and never betraying him.

Jia Lian had already sat down in the hall. Upon hearing this, he said, "First, Uncle Wang did make a mistake, but he did not wrong me, so he does not need to apologize to me."

Secondly, even if Uncle Wang wanted to show his loyalty, he should have done so to my father, the Emperor, or the Crown Prince, not to me.

"By saying that, he's putting me in a position of disloyalty."

"This……"

Wei Yu thought to himself, "Now everyone knows that the Fourth Prince is going to abdicate, and even Emperor Ningkang has agreed."

Is there any point in pretending like this?

Otherwise, it would have scared my old man like that.
Just because that brat Wei Yu had some trivial grudge against you, you rushed to replace him and even asked us to come and apologize and plead on his behalf?
However, I should be grateful for this.

If it weren't for this, how could I have my own chance to rise to prominence?

"In conclusion, my father is truly repentant, and I beg you, my brother, to give our Prince Zhongshun's Mansion another chance."

"As long as Your Highness is willing to give us a chance, the entire Zhongshun Prince's Mansion is willing to follow Your Highness's lead without question."

Wei Yu emphasized.

Seeing that this young man didn't seem to be good at speaking and couldn't say anything fancy, Jia Lian lost interest in continuing the conversation.

"If you have nothing else to do, you may go back."

I'm sorry, I can't help with what you've said.

The decree issued by the Emperor was imposed by the Prince, and I am powerless to change it.

However, you don't need to worry too much. Given the brotherly bond between my uncle and my father, perhaps one day my father's anger will subside, and he'll remember my uncle's kindness. At that time, the ban will naturally be lifted.”

Jia Lian was clearly just giving a perfunctory answer.

Emperor Ningkang did indeed have a good relationship with Prince Zhongshun.

The crime committed by Prince Zhongshun was no less serious than that committed by Feng Sheng, the commander of the Imperial Guard, and his merits were not necessarily greater than those of Feng Sheng.

However, while Feng Sheng was sentenced to death, Prince Zhongshun was only placed under house arrest, which was confined to his own residence.

It can be said that apart from losing power, they were not harmed in the slightest.

Under normal circumstances, the Prince Zhongshun's Mansion could indeed wait until Emperor Ningkang's anger subsided before pleading for mercy and then making a comeback.

However, the current problem is that Emperor Ningkang is seriously ill.

Not only did they delegate power, but they also rarely saw anyone.

Even if they wanted to plead for mercy, they would not have the opportunity to see the honored one.

This left King Chungsun with no choice but to be fearful.

Emperor Ningkang is still alive, and out of consideration for their brotherly bond, he has not taken any action against him.

But if it's the successor, then it's hard to say.

In particular, the only two people currently qualified to succeed him, the Fourth Prince and Jia Lian, did not have a good relationship with him in the past.

He also chose the wrong side at the most crucial moment.

Actually, the Fourth Prince is alright. Although I also dislike him, the boy is honest and shouldn't do anything to the Prince Zhongshun's mansion.

But if Jia Lian were to ascend the throne, that would be disastrous.

Prince Zhongshun had long seen that Jia Lian was no better than him.

Back when he was by Emperor Ningkang's side, he and Jia Lian were outwardly friendly but inwardly at odds, and they were constantly vying for power.

In other words, they didn't completely break off relations.

Fortunately, things didn't fall apart, so there's still a chance to salvage the relationship.

This is why he sent his crown prince and crown princess out.

Wei Yu could also tell that Jia Lian had no interest in continuing the conversation, and knew that further entanglement would only make him more annoying and would not yield any good results.

So, is it really the only option to do as the old man instructed?
Looking back at his silent wife beside him, Wei Yu hardened his heart.

Those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles!
That brat always boasts that he's about to die and that the position of heir apparent will be his sooner or later.
Then I'll tell him that even if I only live for one more day, he can forget about taking this position from me.

As long as I can get the support of the person in front of me, not to mention that brat, even the old man wouldn't dare to cripple me!
Having made up his mind, he changed his tune and said with a smile, "I have long heard that you, Brother Wang, are skilled in both literature and martial arts."

Not only was he capable of leading troops on the battlefield and winning every battle, but he also had extremely high attainments in poetry.

It just so happens that my wife comes from a prominent family in Hedong and has loved poetry since she was a child.

If Brother Wang doesn't mind, would you be so kind as to teach her a thing or two?
In that case, I would be extremely grateful.

When the boy said this, not only Jia Lian was surprised.

Even the sisters, Aqi and her sister, standing beside Jia Lian, glanced at him sideways.

Their gazes made Wei Yu wish he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

A face that was originally pale appeared much rosier.

"A prominent family from Hedong?"

Upon hearing Jia Lian's question, Wei Yu assumed that Jia Lian was interested and quickly replied, "The Wang family of Hedong, Caiwei's great-grandfather, once served as a cabinet minister during the reign of Emperor Taizu."

By the way, Caiwei is her name.

Seeing how eager this young man was to promote his wife, even Jia Lian was speechless.

After glancing at his wife, Jia Lian had to admit that these opportunists were adept at exploiting people's weaknesses.

In terms of appearance, this woman was definitely among the best of the royal family's wives.

Even Jia Lian noticed her on the street.

I've also heard of her.

The main issue is that a beautiful woman is paired with a sickly man; this kind of situation, where a beautiful flower is stuck in cow dung, easily becomes a widely discussed topic.

Therefore, Jia Lian also knew that although the heir of Prince Zhongshun was born of the legitimate wife, he had always been disliked by Prince Zhongshun because he was weak and sickly since childhood.

When he reached marriageable age, no family of equal social standing was willing to marry their daughter to him.

With such a sickly appearance, he probably can't even have a son. What's the point of marrying his daughter off to him? Is he hoping she'll become a widow?
However, King Chungsun did not completely abandon him.

It is said that he was once again seriously ill and on the verge of death. In order to bring him good luck, the Prince Zhongshun's Mansion disregarded social status and specially selected a beautiful wife for him.

The purpose was to allow him to leave behind some kind of seed.

However, it is clear that this wish has not yet been fulfilled.

"The art of poetry relies heavily on comprehension; it cannot be mastered through the guidance of others."

If your sister-in-law is interested, she can study it further on her own; I don't have much to offer in terms of guidance.

There were only five people in the hall at that time.

The other four were not surprised that Jia Lian would say such a thing.

The Crown Princess Chungsun, who had been keeping her head down and silent, quietly raised her head.

She glanced at Jia Lian and suddenly said, "I have read all of your poems, Brother Wang."

However, there are still many aspects that I haven't grasped.

"It's a rare opportunity to meet you today, Brother Wang. I'd very much like to ask you for your guidance in person, and I hope you won't find me too dull."

Although it was his own decision, Wei Yu still felt extremely uncomfortable seeing his beloved wife getting close to another man right in front of him.

However, he didn't dare to show it, and instead quickly smiled and said, "In that case, Brother Wang, you and Caiwei can talk first, I won't disturb you any longer."

As he spoke, the man actually hunched over and swayed as he headed towards the courtyard gate.

The Aqi sisters exchanged a glance and then retreated to the foyer.

After everyone else was in the hall, Crown Princess Chungsun's face flushed with happiness, thinking that things had naturally progressed.

But she stood with her head down for a long time without seeing Jia Lian make any move. When she raised her head, she found that Jia Lian was already looking at the memorials.

The blush on her face faded a little, leaving her somewhat apprehensive and hesitant.

Jia Lian looked up at the opportune moment and said, "I don't think you came here voluntarily to ask me for advice on poetry, and I don't have time to teach you right now."

If you feel uncomfortable explaining this to others, you can stand here for fifteen minutes, and then you can go back on your own.

After saying that, Jia Lian ignored her and focused on looking at the agenda and schedule arranged by the Ministry of Rites.

Princess Consort of Prince Zhongshun was embarrassed by Jia Lian's words. After waiting a while and confirming that Jia Lian really had no other intentions, she showed extreme embarrassment on her face.

She gave a slight bow, then ran off without looking back, her lotus-like steps carrying her.

Upon arriving outside the courtyard, they saw Wei Yu waiting, leaning against a flower bed.

Why did you come out?

Faced with Wei Yu's questioning, the Crown Princess looked furious: "Are you even a man? How can you send your wife to another man's side!"

Unfortunately, your plans are flawed; my brother Wang doesn't even consider me worthy of his attention.

Wei Yu was stunned: "Impossible..."

Seeing his wife merely sneer, Wei Yu murmured, "That shouldn't be the case. My father said it himself; he's a lecherous man."

With your looks, there's no way he wouldn't be interested in you.

But did you say something wrong that upset him?

"Pah! I didn't even have a chance to say a word before he kicked me out. I'm so ashamed."

"You men should handle your own affairs. Don't bother me anymore."

After saying that, the Crown Princess ignored her and headed towards the western area, leaving Wei Yu standing there in a state of suspicion.

He had left his wife inside, and when he came out, he felt very annoyed and resentful.

But now, he feels even worse.

After some thought, he wanted to probe Jia Lian's thoughts again, but was stopped by the guards at the door: "Your Highness needs to rest, please return, Young Master."

After waiting at the door for a while and confirming that Jia Lian would not see him, he had no choice but to leave dejectedly.

But he did not give up in his heart.

He was absolutely certain that this was his only chance, and also the only chance for the Prince Zhongshun's mansion. (End of Chapter)