The Second Master of the Red Chamber

"Crack~"

The crisp sound of a slap was unusually abrupt in the darkness.

Jia Lian instinctively covered his face; he was a little dazed as it was the first time in his life he had been slapped.

However, he managed to react when the beautiful woman's jade-like arm struck him again with fierce force.

Grabbing his wrist, Jia Lian hissed, "What are you doing?"

"You beast, let me go!"

Hearing the Empress Dowager's insults and feeling her struggles, Jia Lian was utterly speechless.

Are all women this fickle?

She was clearly so proactive just now, even using seductive voices.

Jia Lian can still clearly remember her passion and cooperation.

She was definitely conscious in that state.

They've only just finished one round, and they're already turning their backs on us?
Grabbing the Empress Dowager's other arm as she swung it over, Jia Lian pressed it down onto the pillow above her head, then leaned down and questioned her:
"You woman, how can you turn the tables on me like this?"
Just now, I don't know who it was, but they kept calling me "good prince" and saying they were feeling unwell and urging me to hurry up.

Oh, now that you're enjoying it, you're denying it, huh?

As the moon began to set in the west, more moonlight streamed into the room through the window.

The beauty's silhouette appeared even clearer in the darkness.

Although I had just enjoyed its gentleness inside and out, this was the first time I had seen such a stunning face from such a close and high vantage point.

Even though he was still angry about being beaten, Jia Lian couldn't help but forget it.

In particular, I could still feel her still-hot breath on my face, and I could feel her chest rising and falling against my chest.

All of this indicates that what he was witnessing was not a wild fantasy, but a real event.

He actually pinned the beautiful, noble, and aloof Empress Dowager down beneath him!
"Bah! You scoundrel, you forcibly defiled me while I was asleep, and now you dare to slander me. You are utterly shameless."

"I'm going to tell Zhaoyang about this, and tell the Emperor, so you'll die a horrible death..."

Are you asleep?
Upon careful consideration, Jia Lian realized that when the woman first said she was feeling unwell and urged him to hurry up, her voice did indeed sound somewhat delirious.

But what does this prove?
Later, he became 100% certain that the woman was conscious.

After all, it was so intense that even a dead pig would have woken up by now.

Moreover, even if she was really asleep before.

But the fact that they could still react in their sleep is enough to illustrate the point.

So Jia Lian raised his arm to wipe the saliva off his face and sneered, "Fine, go ahead and sue me."

"On the road to the underworld, to have such a great beauty as the Empress Dowager by my side, I can say I die without regrets."

"You...! Shameless!"

The Empress Dowager seemed furious.

Her hands were held captive by Jia Lian, rendering her unable to move.

But with her legs still around Jia Lian's waist, she pulled her right leg back and kicked hard at Jia Lian's waist.

Jia Lian naturally sensed the danger as well.

Therefore, he quickly withdrew one hand and pressed down on the Empress Dowager's jade foot, which had kicked him to the waist and abdomen, to prevent her from launching a series of attacks.

The Empress Dowager's original intention was to get rid of Jia Lian, but unintentionally, she once again displayed to him the length of her jade-like legs and the smoothness of her skin.
Especially her jade-like feet pressed tightly against Jia Lian's body.

Even though he couldn't see her in full, Jia Lian could clearly feel her slenderness through the touch of her waist, abdomen, and palms.

Therefore, Jia Lian, who was not yet satisfied, naturally became interested again.

The Empress Dowager was suppressed by Jia Lian.

All the changes in Jia Lian naturally did not escape her perception.

Almost instantly, all the strength in the Empress Dowager's body was drained away.

Because one leg was under control, the other leg, which was intended for rescue, drooped limply.

Even the jade arm that had already escaped its confinement forgot that it still had a place to be used.

Her sudden silence was, to Jia Lian, nothing less than a silent invitation.

Since this woman was being stubborn, he figured he might as well conquer her completely with his body.

"Grandma..."

The sudden sound from behind made Jia Lian, who was just about to pull himself together, tremble.

He turned around with difficulty, and sure enough, there was a beautiful figure standing less than three steps from the bedside behind him.

Before Jia Lian could react, the soft, delicate body beneath him suddenly unleashed tremendous power.

Almost instantly, she pulled him away and then, with lightning speed, hid under the blanket that had already been thrown aside.

"Qingran, you..."

Sitting naked on the bed, although he was certain that Princess Zhaoyang couldn't see clearly, Jia Lian still felt as if he were running naked in a bustling city, and his whole body felt uneasy.

He wanted to find something to cover himself with, but the Empress Dowager had taken his blanket.

His clothes should all be under the bed, so it's not advisable to move them right now.

Princess Zhaoyang, upon hearing Jia Lian's voice, exclaimed in shock, "Your...Brother, what are you doing here??"

Jia Lian: "..."

Jia Lian felt that he had been set up.

If it weren't for the mutual trust between him and Princess Zhaoyang, he would have suspected that she was trying to frame him.

"Um... I wanted to come see you, so, so..."

Even the usually eloquent Jia Lian was momentarily at a loss for words.

Fortunately, Princess Zhaoyang didn't give him a chance to make up an excuse. She immediately rushed over and pulled Jia Lian off the bed, anxiously saying:

"Oh dear, you didn't even tell me you were coming."

I'm having my grandmother sleep with me tonight.

"What have you done to my imperial grandmother?"

Jia Lian subconsciously glanced back.

It was quiet under the covers; you couldn't see anything or hear anything.

"It's nothing. Since you weren't here, I chatted with the Emperor and the Empress Dowager."

"Oh, that's good. You scared me to death."

As Princess Zhaoyang spoke, she seemed to finally realize that Jia Lian was radiant.

After pulling him off the bed, I pinched his arm.

Jia Lian was still completely bewildered and didn't know how to react, so he could only smile foolishly at Princess Zhaoyang.

Unfortunately, Princess Zhaoyang couldn't see it either.

She casually picked up a piece of clothing from the ground, stuffed it into Jia Lian's hand, then climbed onto the bed and nudged the Empress Dowager: "Grandmother, are you alright?"

"I...I'm fine."

Make him leave now!

Upon hearing this deep, muffled voice, Princess Zhaoyang showed a relieved expression.

He turned to Jia Lian and said, "Brother Wang, you should go back quickly, it won't be good if someone sees us."

I'll come see you again tomorrow.

"Uh... okay."

Although he was still completely baffled, Jia Lian could tell that things didn't seem too bad.

Knowing that staying would not end well, Jia Lian picked up his clothes from the ground with all his might and wrapped them around himself before slipping away the way he had come.

"Your Highness~"

As soon as they stepped out the back door, two personal maids emerged from the shadows.

Seeing that Jia Lian's clothes were disheveled, he quickly stepped forward to help him tidy them up.

Jia Lian nodded to them, glanced back at the east wing under the moonlight, and then said in a low voice, "Let's go."

……

Jia Lian and the other two left.

But the story doesn't end there in the east wing.

Princess Zhaoyang followed the instructions and lit the candlesticks on the cabinet.

When she returned, the Empress Dowager had already dressed herself in the undergarments that Jia Lian had stripped off, and sat silently in the middle of the bed.

Princess Zhaoyang opened her mouth as if to say something, but the Empress Dowager scolded, "Kneel down."

Princess Zhaoyang blinked, and without saying a word, she quickly knelt down.

"Tell me, why did you do this?"

The Empress Dowager asked calmly.

Princess Zhaoyang looked up and replied with feigned innocence, "Grandmother, I'm sorry, I didn't know my brother would come to see me tonight."

I went to get up in the middle of the night, and I never expected him to arrive so soon.

Fortunately, he didn't do anything to the Empress Dowager, otherwise I would never have let him off the hook.

Nothing was done...

A hint of embarrassment appeared in the Empress Dowager's eyes, but she quickly suppressed it.

She didn't believe such a coincidence could happen.

Moreover, not a single maidservant has entered the room until now.

If Princess Zhaoyang hadn't covered for him, unless he possessed unfathomable abilities, he would never have been able to climb into her bed and do whatever he wanted to her.

"Stop grinning at me and tell me the truth."

Seemingly feeling that these words had little effect, the Empress Dowager suddenly looked sorrowful: "I believe that I have raised you all these years without ever being negligent, and I have done right by you and your mother."

I never imagined you would be so rebellious, colluding with outsiders to tarnish my reputation.

I ask you, what kind of spell did he cast on you that made you do this?

"Would you rather sacrifice yourself to win his favor even for a moment?"

Princess Zhaoyang originally wanted to make excuses.

But seeing the Empress Dowager's eyes redden and glistening with tears as she spoke, he immediately panicked.

"Grandmother, you've misunderstood. It's not what you think, I..."

Seeing that Princess Zhaoyang was speechless, the Empress Dowager said disappointedly, "You may leave. From now on, I will pretend that nothing happened..."

Princess Zhaoyang jumped up and pounced on the bed to cover the Empress Dowager's mouth.

"Grandmother, I know I was wrong. You can hit me or scold me, but please don't abandon Zhaoyang. You are the most respected and most important person in Zhaoyang's life. Zhaoyang can't live without you, sob sob..."

Hearing the sobs of the girl in her arms, the Empress Dowager sighed, pulled her hand down, and questioned, "Then you should tell me honestly why you did this."

Princess Zhaoyang wiped away her tears, glanced at the Empress Dowager, and said weakly, "I...I just saw how hard you've worked all these years, and I thought you also liked my brother, so..."

"Nonsense!"

Princess Zhaoyang was interrupted by the Empress Dowager before she could finish speaking.

"Who likes him! I am the Empress Dowager, how could I... how could I like such a young boy?"

You think everyone has such poor taste like you!

"Yes, yes, Grandmother is right."

Seeing the Empress Dowager's outwardly fierce but inwardly weak performance, Princess Zhaoyang verbally agreed but inwardly grumbled.

Keep pretending.

I don't know who it is, but when they dream at night, they often call out things like "Duke of Rongguo" or "King of Pingliao".

I wonder who it was that was humming so happily inside just now.

If I hadn't sent the maids and night patrolmen away, the commotion would have attracted a crowd long ago.

So, if she was only guessing before,

But after tonight, she'll have confirmed it.

After all, she didn't drug her.

Logically speaking, even if she was asleep, she should have known as soon as Jia Lian made a move.

If they weren't willing, they would have already lost their temper.

Moreover, she came in to check out the situation out of concern, only to find that she had worried unnecessarily.

The two of them were having a nice chat. If she had come in any later, they might have already gotten together again.

Seemingly sensing Princess Zhaoyang's perfunctory attitude, the Empress Dowager's face flushed slightly.

But knowing that arguing about this would be a losing proposition, she changed the subject: "So, you conspired with him to deceive me?"

Princess Zhaoyang felt much more at ease when she saw that the Empress Dowager's mood had calmed down, and she naturally spoke more.

Actually, they didn't partner with Brother Wang.

He was actually tricked into coming here by me, just like my grandmother.

The Empress Dowager was taken aback.

She originally thought that Jia Lian coveted her and therefore tricked Princess Zhaoyang into doing this.

Unexpectedly, this whole affair was orchestrated by Princess Zhaoyang.

Thinking about it carefully, it does seem quite possible.

Tonight, she couldn't refuse Princess Zhaoyang's request, so after washing up, she stayed with her in the east wing.

Exhausted from the journey and having knelt all night, he fell asleep after chatting with Princess Zhaoyang for a while.

Therefore, it is unknown when she went out.

She vaguely realized that someone was making inappropriate advances towards her, but she thought she was dreaming.

Having never experienced true love between a man and a woman in her entire life, and only being able to experience it in her dreams, she naturally didn't want to miss out on that beautiful dream.

That's why she cherished it so much, and acted even more proactively than the male protagonist she had imagined.

But gradually she realized something was wrong.

How could the feeling in a dream be so real and intense?
By the time she realized it wasn't a dream, she was already overwhelmed by desire and unable to control herself.

However, after the pleasure, one is inevitably surrounded by extreme shame, anger, and remorse.

That's why he slapped Jia Lian, intending to shift all the blame onto Jia Lian.

He originally thought that since Jia Lian dared to do such a thing, beating him would be too lenient.

Looking back now, I'm afraid Jia Lian was also a victim.

The culprit was none other than the little girl in front of him, whom he had always doted on and treated like his own daughter.

Thinking of this, she raised her hand, intending to slap her.

But seeing that she was clearly scared, yet dared not dodge, I softened again.

"absurd!"

The Empress Dowager pushed Princess Zhaoyang away, unsure how to face her, and simply said, "You should reflect on your actions. I'm going back to rest."

Seeing the Empress Dowager's expression of wanting to hit her but being reluctant, Princess Zhaoyang chuckled.

Naturally, they wouldn't let her go.

He pounced on her on the bed, just like when she was a child, and said, "No, no, I want Grandmother to sleep next to me. I have so much to tell Grandmother."

The Empress Dowager's strength was naturally no match for Princess Zhaoyang, who had practiced archery and horsemanship for many years, and she was suppressed by her and unable to move.

For some reason, this reminded her of the feeling of being suppressed by Jia Lian before.

I felt both ashamed and guilty.

In addition, she was also very curious about what was going on in this girl's head.

How could someone do something so absurd?

So when resistance proved futile, they gave up.

……

"Master is back. Hmm, what happened to Master's face? It looks like someone hit him?"

When Jia Lian fled back to his room in a disheveled state, the marks on his face naturally aroused the suspicion and worry of his maid.

"Are you kidding me? Who would dare hit me?"

Rubbing his face, Jia Lian sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), still reminiscing about the events of the evening.

Based on various details along the way, he had almost figured it out.

Princess Zhaoyang is definitely involved in tonight's events.

It's even quite possible that she orchestrated it all herself.

So there's no need to worry about her.

The Empress Dowager's words.

After all, she was a woman, and a young woman who was often lonely and empty.

It's likely that unless she was extremely angry, she wouldn't have chosen to expose herself.

So as long as no one else knows, tonight's events will not only be harmless to him, but can also become a memorable and pleasant story.
"You're still being stubborn. Look for yourself, there are still fingerprints."

Qingwen took out her portable makeup mirror and held it in front of Jia Lian.

Jia Lian took it and looked at his face.

Although it's not very obvious, you can actually see a palm print of a moderate size if you look closely.

He cursed inwardly, thinking, "That damned Empress Dowager is really ruthless."

I was so stunned by the beating that I forgot to fight back.

Now I think about why I should have been allowed to.

She asked for it herself, and I satisfied her, yet she still had the nerve to make advances.

They should have slapped him back hard then and there.

Oh well, let's just consider this slap as payment.

After all, the Empress Dowager's beauty was undeniable.

Back when they first met at the Crown Prince's villa, Jia Lian actually harbored a desire to possess this stunningly beautiful woman who was so aloof that she could overshadow Miaoyu.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have kept the face mask he had left behind.

However, after learning her identity, he dared not act rashly.

I never expected that my long-cherished wish would come true tonight.

The only pity was that it was too dark in the room at the time, so I didn't get to appreciate that face that was always wrapped in noble palace attire.

Coming to his senses, he saw that Qingwen was still muttering to herself and trying to find medicine to apply to his wound.

"No need to bother, you won't see it tomorrow morning."

Having said that, Jia Lian picked up Qingwen and Xiangling, one in each hand, and carried them to the bedside, throwing them onto the bed.

Looking at the two pretty girls, their cheeks flushed, their expressions shy and tender.

Jia Lian suddenly remembered that Aqi and her sister had fed on mosquitoes for so long in the dark courtyard to cover for him.

So he pounced on Qingwen and said to Xiangling, "It's a bit chilly tonight."

The conditions here are also very basic.

Go and call Aqi and Aqin over. Let them sleep next to us tonight; it'll be cozy and warm.

"Oh, yes, Your Highness."

As always, Xiangling was very obedient. Upon hearing this, she got up and went out to call for help.

Qingwen was pinned down by Jia Lian and unable to move, but her keen nose had already detected the scent of another woman on Jia Lian.

So he said with dissatisfaction, "Well, I knew it! So that's why you were going out so mysteriously so late at night. Turns out you were picking flowers again."

No wonder he got beaten up.

I don't know which woman is so bold as to dare hit me.

Qingwen was genuinely curious, after all, as Jia Lian had said, who would dare to hit him now?
However, knowing that Jia Lian would definitely not tell, she didn't press him. Instead, when Jia Lian bent down and made advances towards her, she coquettishly protested, half-heartedly:

"You're such a lecher."

She had just gone out to steal a bite, and now she had someone else and Xiangling with her, and she still wasn't satisfied, so she wanted to call Aqin and the others over.

"Aren't you afraid of overindulging in lust?"

Qingwen dared to speak to Jia Lian in this way because of Jia Lian's magnanimity.

After all, when Xue Lin first entered the family, this guy himself said that he had been indulging in too much sex and could not satisfy her.

As expected, Jia Lian was not angry when he heard this. Instead, he looked up at her exquisitely sculpted face and said thoughtfully, "You are right."

So, tomorrow you go to the kitchen and get some nourishing soup for Grandpa to have a good restorative meal.

You wouldn't want your grandfather to pass away at such a young age, leaving you with nothing to eat, would you?

"Pah, I'm truly shameless!"

Jia Lian chuckled.

If you don't indulge yourself when you're young, are you going to make up for it when you're old?
As the saying goes: Don't let your youth slip away in vain, lest you grow old in vain and regret it later.

A fine young man is in his prime. (End of Chapter)