The Second Master of the Red Chamber

In the following days, Jia Lian indeed did not come to the Empress Dowager's palace again.

He was busy every day managing the imperial mausoleum.

With everything in place, the day was approaching to send the coffin to the underground imperial mausoleum for burial.

That noon, Sister Feng came over to help Jia Lian tidy up his house.

Resting his head on Ping'er's long-lost, soft thighs, enjoying her massage of his temples, while listening to Feng Jie patiently instructing the two maids on various precautions, he felt a rare sense of peace.

"Alright, take all these things downstairs and have them washed before bringing them back in."

Hearing the footsteps of the two maids leaving, Jia Lian opened his eyes.

Then you see Sister Feng, with her pert buttocks sticking out, helping him fold the quilt and make the bed.

Jia Lian turned slightly and asked with a smile, "Grandma Feng is a rare guest. If I remember correctly, this is only your second time visiting the Imperial Mausoleum since we arrived so long ago."

Sister Feng glanced back, her hands and feet still moving, and hummed, "I'd like to come here every day. After all, there are plenty of wives and concubines in this imperial mausoleum. Who knows, there might be one that the prince takes a fancy to."

If I weren't afraid of being laughed at, I would gladly come and stay with the prince every day.

Seeing that Jia Lian had gotten nowhere, Ping'er smiled and said, "Your Highness, please don't misunderstand the Princess Consort. She really misses you."

However, the rules for imperial mausoleums are strict, and she cannot come casually, lest she attract criticism.

Even today, she had to go and pay her respects to the Empress, and only dared to come here after receiving the Empress's permission.

"Is that so? It seems we really misunderstood her."

Jia Lian nodded secretly.

This is very much in line with Sister Feng's style of doing things.

She is typically easygoing but extremely disciplined when it comes to major rules.

She had only come to help him tidy up his quarters on the day he arrived at the imperial mausoleum, and hadn't come back even once since.

Jia Lian was quite different in this respect.

His adherence to rules is always based solely on the magnitude of the impact.

He disregarded any rules he deemed unnecessary, even if they were set by the Heavenly King himself.

After tidying up the bed, Feng Jie noticed that Jia Lian was chatting with Ping'er. Although he kept mentioning her, she felt a little jealous.

So he had no intention of getting involved in any other trivial matters, and walked over to the low kang (heated brick bed) to ask Jia Lian, "We've been at the imperial mausoleum for five or six days now, when exactly will the coffin be carried out for burial?"

"What's wrong, Grandma Feng? Are you bored and can't stand it anymore?"

"Tch, who finds it boring?"

I found this trip quite educational; even if it lasted another month, I could endure it.

"Oh, you're that good?"

"That is."

Seeing her mistress and mistress bickering, Ping'er smiled and interjected, "Second Master, you don't know, but the Princess Consort has been having a very fulfilling time these days."

Besides frequently visiting the Empress to show filial piety, his main task was to receive noble ladies from various families, both inside and outside the court.

"They... so many of them are trying to curry favor with the princess..."

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian immediately understood that perhaps this woman was not bored at all.

The current imperial mausoleum houses nearly 90% of the noblewomen from the entire empire.

Although the rules for imperial mausoleums are strict, and one must kneel and weep at the spirit tablet every day, there are always times for rest.

When women have free time, they like to gather in small groups to chat.

Among these women, Sister Feng undoubtedly stands out like a crane among chickens.

It's not about her appearance, but her status.

By now, it's safe to say that few people are unaware that he is very likely to succeed to the throne.

As his principal wife, Sister Feng was very likely to become the future empress.

When you can't curry favor with the current empress, currying favor with the future empress is undoubtedly a wise choice.

After all, Sister Feng is much easier to deal with than the current Empress in every respect.

With so many people openly and secretly trying to curry favor with her, it was naturally a very pleasant thing for Sister Feng, who was concerned about her image and vain.

It's probably even more enjoyable than being intimate with your own man.

Although Sister Feng was unhappy that Ping'er exposed her secrets, she didn't care much.

She was initially somewhat confused about Jia Lian's current situation, after all, as his wife, her man had always been the same in her eyes.

But after the funeral procession, especially after arriving at the imperial mausoleum, she gradually realized through the words of others that perhaps her husband was really only one step away from that position.

Even her close friends, who considered themselves clever, analyzed the situation and told her the answer.

If His Majesty or the Crown Prince had even the slightest intention not to pass the throne to her man, then after the Crown Prince caused those rumors, they should have taken steps to suppress Jia Lian.

Now, not only is there no sign of such a thing, but Jia Lian has even been allowed to bypass the Crown Prince and handle the Emperor Emeritus's funeral in full.

This is undoubtedly paving the way for Jia Lian's rise to power.

So everyone was congratulating her in advance, wishing her to become empress in the future, to hold the phoenix seal, and to rule the world with dignity.

For Sister Feng, the idea of ​​being an empress was not very important.

After all, being a princess was already her dream.

The title of Empress was still too abstract and unattainable for her.

But there's one thing she cares about.

She now has a son, who is the heir apparent of the royal family.

If Jia Lian were to become emperor one day, wouldn't her son be the rightful crown prince?

This is what she cares about most.

In order to prevent the humiliation that happened in the palace back then from happening again, and to establish her image as the future empress.

These days, she managed to restrain herself and didn't come to Jia Lian's side.

Instead, he went to the Empress's presence every day to fulfill his filial duties on behalf of Jia Lian.

She knew this was the only way she could help Jia Lian.

Sister Feng was not the kind of person who did good deeds anonymously. She immediately took credit in front of Jia Lian, saying how she had helped him take care of the Empress these days, and how the Empress had praised her, etc.

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian said, "In that case, I must reward my wife properly."

Since I still have some time right now, why don't I..."

Seeing Jia Lian sit up from Ping'er's lap, he looked at her with ill intent.

Sister Feng immediately stood up and stepped back, scolding, "Don't you know any taboos?"

"This is during the Emperor's funeral, and we're at the imperial mausoleum. How dare you act recklessly?"

"What's there to be afraid of? Anyway, we're in our own house, and no outsiders know."

Sister Feng blushed for a long time, but finally managed to restrain herself: "You may not care about your reputation, but I do."

We're in the eye of the storm right now; countless eyes are watching us.

So many people know I've come here; if I stay too long, it's bound to attract criticism.

If you really want it, just wait until tonight and get your hands on those two little hussies, Qingwen.

I'm not going to play along with your nonsense.

As she spoke, seemingly worried that Jia Lian might force himself on her, she gave a few instructions and then left with Ping'er.

Seeing how strictly Sister Feng adhered to the rules, Jia Lian couldn't help but reflect on his own behavior.

So, he, who had been tempted to sneak into the Empress Dowager's villa again at night, finally gave up the idea.

It's not surprising that he felt nostalgic.

These past few days, I've seen the beautiful and aloof Empress Dowager dressed in white mourning clothes every day in front of the coffin.

It's hard not to feel a little itchy inside.

If we didn't have anything to eat before, then it wouldn't matter.

Now that he has tasted the bitterness, it won't be so easy to ask him to endure it.

As for the two maids, Qingwen and Xiangling, they were beautiful, but after all, they had been in my bowl for many years, and sometimes, eating them always lacked a bit of passion.

……

Just as Jia Lian was taking Feng Jie'er as a warning and abandoning his evil thoughts...

In the Empress Dowager's villa, Princess Zhaoyang and the Empress Dowager gathered together to play chess again.

After the game of chess was over, as the two were somewhat bored and tidying up the chessboard, the Empress Dowager suddenly asked, "Have you and Prince Pingliao had a falling out?"

Princess Zhaoyang was taken aback and asked in confusion, "Why do you say that, Grandmother?"

The Empress Dowager said somewhat embarrassedly, "He doesn't seem to have come to see you these past few nights..."

Princess Zhaoyang blinked, realizing something.

She glanced back and saw no servants in the room, so she leaned over and whispered, "Is Grandmother afraid that someone will steal your food and leave you behind?"

"You brat, you have no sense of propriety when you talk nonsense. I was just asking..."

Seeing the Empress Dowager blush uncontrollably, just like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Princess Zhaoyang found it quite amusing.

So she lost interest in playing chess and instead moved closer to the Empress Dowager, continuing to whisper:
"Grandmother, please don't doubt people so easily. I just saw that my brother has been very busy these past few days, and I was afraid that he would overwork himself, so I didn't call him over."

Princess Zhaoyang was not lying.

She hadn't made any more appointments with Jia Lian these past few days. Besides feeling that doing such a thing at the imperial mausoleum was extremely unfilial, she also felt sorry for Jia Lian and didn't want him to be busy all day and then have to go back and forth at night.

Of course, perhaps even more so.

How can I call him myself every time?

Doesn't he miss himself at all?

So she also wanted to see when Jia Lian would finally give in and come looking for her.

In doing so, she neglected the needs of her own grandmother.

That's true. My grandmother has been suppressing her desires for twenty years. Now that she's finally getting some pleasure, she's naturally even more excited for the next time than I am.

So, is it that you couldn't help but remind yourself?

Thinking of this, she simply sat down next to the Empress Dowager and said with a smile, "But if Grandmother misses him, of course I can help call him over."

The Empress Dowager dared not look directly into Princess Zhaoyang's eyes, and only said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Who misses him..."

"Alright, alright, it's me who misses Brother Wang, okay?"

Princess Zhaoyang smiled and said, "But in that case, I'll have to trouble my grandmother tonight to stay in the east wing with them."

The Empress Dowager did not reply, so it was unclear whether she had agreed or not.

……

Plans really can't keep up with changes.

That night, with the help of Aqi and her sisters, Jia Lian climbed over the courtyard wall again. Looking at the familiar side room in front of him, he couldn't help but sigh.

The door was unlatched, the room was dark, everything felt so familiar and welcoming.

He walked easily to the bedside and looked at the sleeping beauty lying on the bed so close to him. After a careful examination, Jia Lian confirmed that it was Princess Zhaoyang.

Although it was only natural, since the other party had asked him to come.

But I still feel a little regretful.

Many days have passed, and Jia Lian believes that both women are also feeling empty.

Therefore, if it were the Empress Dowager, Jia Lian was confident that he could change the situation of those two nights and coax Princess Zhaoyang, who was lingering on the periphery, into bed with him.

On his way here, he had already come up with several plans that could be tried.

She withdrew her observing gaze, stood up, and was about to remove her clothes.

Suddenly his gaze froze.

Following his gaze, he clearly saw a graceful figure vaguely emerging from the large quilt on the dark inside of the bed.

The Empress Dowager, or just a maid?
Jia Lian did not investigate further, nor did he ask any questions.

He was even faster at undressing, and soon jumped onto the bed, grabbing both exceptionally tall and beautiful women beneath him without a second thought.

Time passed by, moment by moment, amidst breathtaking moments.

I don't know how much time has passed.

Even after Jia Lian had been thoroughly drunk from his campaigns, he still found it hard to believe.

His carefully crafted wish was achieved so easily?
Holding the two women in his arms, he was too embarrassed to speak for a moment.

If he felt this way, then the two women of noble birth would naturally feel even more embarrassed.

The one who felt most embarrassed was naturally the Empress Dowager.

She wasn't aware of the problem at first.

The reason she gave Princess Zhaoyang such a subtle hint at noon was not only because she had indeed become addicted to the taste.

More importantly.

The coffin will soon be buried in the underground imperial mausoleum.

Once the burial is complete, it signifies the time to return to Beijing.

That would mean there would never be another such good opportunity.

So even though she knew the girl would notice her thoughts, she couldn't help but speak up.

But that's about it.

She was concerned about her reputation and couldn't possibly discuss the details with Princess Zhaoyang.

So when she returned in the middle of the night, Princess Zhaoyang hinted that everything was ready and asked her to come to the east wing to rest with her. She pretended not to understand and followed her.

Then she realized a problem.

Since it was her who came to accompany Princess Zhaoyang, naturally, just like countless times before, the grandmother and granddaughter slept together.

This put her in a difficult position.

The night she arrived at the imperial mausoleum, it was Xiao Nizi who plotted against her, so she got up and left halfway through, deliberately letting Jia Lian sleep with the wrong person.

The second night, she was caught sneaking over. The little girl encouraged Jia Lian to bully her, and she didn't come in herself.

But tonight, this situation has never occurred before.

As the time drew to a close and Jia Lian was likely to arrive soon, the Empress Dowager grew increasingly anxious.

I really can't bring myself to tell the girl to leave for now.

After all, the house is hers, and the man is hers too.

Asking them to leave now would be like discarding a donkey after it has served its purpose; how could we possibly do that?

I can't bring myself to leave.

I couldn't help but feel anxious and uncertain.

One moment he was annoyed that the little girl had suddenly become so insensible, and the next he couldn't help but wonder if he had misunderstood her.

Is it really just that Xiao Nizi asked me to come over tonight to keep her company? Jia Lian isn't coming?

Princess Zhaoyang naturally realized the same problem.

However, her mindset is quite different.

Although she had considered leaving first and waiting for the Empress Dowager to finish eating and drinking before coming in.

But then I wonder, what gives me the right?

Even if she is the Empress Dowager, she can't always be the one to suffer losses.

I've already let her have her way twice, so shouldn't she be the one to let me have her way a third time?

This is one of them.

Secondly, she was different from the Empress Dowager.

She has a wider range of knowledge.

She not only witnessed Jia Lian favoring several of her maids, but also served Jia Lian alongside Liu Rushi, a famous courtesan in the capital.

So deep down, he felt that it wasn't a big deal for the two of them to accompany Jia Lian.

The previous temporary relocation was merely to appease the Empress Dowager's feelings.

third.

As one of the women who most enjoyed studying Jia Lian, she knew his preferences all too well.

Therefore, she knew very well that Jia Lian probably also longed for her and her imperial grandmother to serve him together.

I imagine he'll be very excited when he gets here and sees me sleeping with my grandmother.

Just thinking about it made her feel a little excited.

fourth.

That's also the point she cares about most.

The reason she initially conceived the idea of ​​offering her own imperial grandmother to Jia Lian was...

Aside from genuinely wanting to experience the joys of being a woman with his grandmother.

There's also a little evil within him.

She wanted to see what kind of reaction and scene would unfold when her beautiful and talented, cold and aloof grandmother was pinned down by her own man.

It would be very charming.

It is for these reasons.

After washing up, he and the Empress Dowager lay side by side in bed as usual, both aware of the potential awkward situation.

But since the Empress Dowager remained silent, she pretended not to know.

She even fell asleep while waiting because Jia Lian arrived a little late tonight.

The Empress Dowager was left alone in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

The Empress Dowager noticed Jia Lian the moment he entered the room.

However, when Princess Zhaoyang was awake before, she did not take any measures or make any decisions.

Now that the main person has arrived, she naturally can no longer act rashly.

Therefore, they could only pretend to be quails, the whole process silent and passive, drifting with the current. (End of Chapter)