The Second Master of the Red Chamber

"Is that so? Do you still remember the resort I gave you back then? It's located in the west of the city."

"Your Majesty's generous gift is something I will always remember."

The Empress's smile widened: "That's right. That villa was given to me by your father back then. It's a very nice vacation spot."

Now that your grandfather's funeral is over, you should get some rest.

After you return to the capital, take your wife, Baochai, Daiyu, and the others to take a good vacation.

Jia Lian was somewhat surprised. He glanced at Feng Jie, who was standing beside the Empress with a shy expression, and then smiled:

"I understand Your Majesty's intentions, but I have just returned to the capital and there are still many matters to attend to at the government office. I'm afraid I won't be able to find the time..."

Before Jia Lian could finish speaking, the Empress interrupted him, saying, "What do you mean you can't find the time? Is the work in the government office more important than your health?"
You have just returned from fighting for the country, and then spent a month busy with the grand funeral of your imperial grandfather.

Others may not care about you, but I am your mother, how could I not care?

You must listen to me on this matter. Nothing is more important than your health.

Besides, what about the Beijing Garrison? You've been away from Beijing for more than half a year, and you're doing just fine. Why would you be missing ten or fifteen days?
Listen to me, take a good rest and adjust your mindset; it will do you good.

With so many ministers, Zhao Yang, and the Crown Prince involved, nothing bad is likely to go wrong in the imperial court.

Seeing that the Empress spoke with such conviction and genuinely cared for him, Jia Lian could no longer object.

Thinking that after Daiyu and Baochai entered the family, I really didn't have time to spend with them properly. Otherwise, I would take this opportunity to make up for it.
So he respectfully accepted the order: "Since Mother says so, I will obey."

"Hehehe, that's more like it."

The Empress smiled again, took Feng Jie'er's hand, and instructed her: "You must keep a close eye on him from now on, make sure he has a good vacation, and don't allow him to be outwardly compliant but inwardly disobedient or to secretly work or anything like that."

Sister Feng quickly replied with a smile, "Please rest assured, Mother, I will definitely keep a close eye on him for you."

If he pretends to comply but disobeys, I will immediately send someone to complain to you so you can deal with him.

"Hahaha, yes, yes."

The Empress smiled, noticing that Jia Lian, a man, was standing there rather uninteresting, as he was surrounded by concubines. So she said, "Alright, I'll tell you about this matter."

"If you have something to do, go ahead and do it. Your wife is here with me, so you don't need to worry about me."

Jia Lian bowed deeply and said, "Yes."

After speaking, he glanced at the concubines of Emperor Ningkang.

Although some of them are good-looking, none of them are very young.

It seems that among Emperor Ningkang's harem, the youngest and most beautiful woman right now is none other than Yuan Chun.

Unfortunately, the Empress had Yuan Chun serve Emperor Ningkang in the palace and she did not accompany him this time.

After resting and recuperating, the team set off.

Just before mounting his horse, Jia Lian saw from afar that Jia Baoyu, dressed in a brocade hat and sable fur, was fawning over a girl on one side of the Jia family's residence in the shantytown.

The girl had her head bowed and looked meek, seemingly both refusing and welcoming. Upon closer inspection, who else could she be but Xia Jingui?
"Master Bao, the old lady is calling you. It's time to set off and return to the capital soon."

Musk Moon walked over, looking warily at the woman in front of her who appeared docile but was actually a vixen she could tell at a glance.

"Oh, okay..."

Upon hearing this, Jia Baoyu looked at Xia Jingui with lingering reluctance and finally couldn't help but ask, "May I ask your name, Miss? When will we meet again?"

Xia Jingui remained silent. Her maidservant, however, chuckled, "Our young lady's given name is 'Jingui,' and she is our master's only daughter..."

"Baochan, you mustn't speak nonsense."

Xia Jingui scolded her maid, seemingly reprimanding her for misrepresenting her maid's name.

However, Jia Baoyu bowed to her with a face full of gratitude, and then smiled at Xia Jingui and said, "What a good name. Indeed, you are a 'precious' person, just as your name suggests."

He had barely finished speaking when he saw Jia Lian riding a tall white horse past him.

His guards on both sides were all dressed in bright clothes and armor, looking very imposing.

Faced with Jia Lian's scrutinizing gaze, he subconsciously lowered his head, not daring to meet his eyes.

Xia Jingui also saw the imposing Jia Lian, and the blush on her face disappeared, replaced by a very resentful look.

If given the chance, who wouldn't want to be a high-ranking imperial concubine?

Not to mention Jia Lian's character, talent, and appearance, which are so attractive.

Even though her father offered her to them, they didn't want her, and there was nothing she could do.

So, under the pretext of delivering drinks to various residences, I secretly came to check on this second young master of the Jia family.

Upon seeing it, he was quite satisfied, so he pretended to be shy and stayed there, letting the other party pester him.

Her gaze was resentful, but Jia Lian paid no attention to her at all; his eyes were entirely on Jia Baoyu.

He almost burst out laughing when he heard Jia Baoyu flattering him with words like "precious."

Alright, alright. Since you think it's good, then I, as your elder brother, must do my best to fulfill your wish.

Let's just consider it compensation for breaking my promise and secretly accepting my little cousin (Qing'er).

But did Jia Baoyu truly love Xia Jingui?

But they might not necessarily like it that much.

He couldn't help but want to get close to any pretty girl he saw, and talk to her. Once he achieved that, he felt incredibly satisfied.

If only he had known sooner that this was a trap set for him by his unscrupulous cousin.

If he had known earlier that his future would be so "miserable," he would never have said those words today.

Unfortunately, there's no going back.

When he was deceived by Xia Jingui's feigned docility, his bleak future was already foreseeable.

……

Upon returning to the capital, Jia Lian comforted the officials of the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial, and then went to the palace to visit Emperor Ningkang.

At that time, both the Fourth Prince and Princess Zhaoyang were present.

Upon seeing him, the Fourth Prince raised his eyebrows and made a face, his gaze carrying a hint of provocation.

Jia Lian ignored him and stepped forward to pay his respects to Emperor Ningkang, whose complexion looked better than it had been half a month ago.

"Get up."

Emperor Ningkang sat up a little with the help of Princess Zhaoyang.

"I've heard from Zhaoyang and Prince Xiao that you did a great job with the Emperor Emeritus's funeral. Thank you for your hard work."

Upon hearing Emperor Ningkang address the Fourth Prince as Prince Xiao instead of the Crown Prince, Jia Lian, who was tucking the quilt into Emperor Ningkang's bed, paused slightly.

He didn't say anything, but tucked the blankets in on both sides and squatted down by the bed as if it were nothing, saying, "This is what I should do, it's nothing hard."

On the contrary, Father Emperor looks much better than before, so he must be recovering soon.

Emperor Ningkang shook his head, looking at Jia Lian squatting in front of him. He subconsciously raised his hand, wanting to pat Jia Lian's head.

He stopped when he noticed Jia Lian moving closer.

"I heard that when the Crown Prince was at the imperial mausoleum, he discussed with you in front of all the ministers about passing the crown prince position to you, but you refused?"

Jia Lian glanced back at the Fourth Prince, who immediately gave a sinister laugh.

"It is not that I refuse, but the position of Crown Prince is not something that can be relinquished."

It was bestowed upon my fourth brother by the Emperor; no one is allowed to covet it.

The fourth prince interjected, "What you said isn't exactly wrong, but it's definitely not right either."

If I were to go against Father's wishes and forcibly place the position in your hands, you could say that.

But last time, Father Emperor said in person that we would discuss and decide who would be the crown prince.

So I'm coming to you to discuss this. This is an official order, and you're trying to find excuses for it?"

Seeing that Jia Lian was speechless after being questioned, the Fourth Prince showed a very gratified smile.

It was like defeating an enemy you'd always wanted to defeat.

Looking at the two brothers, Emperor Ningkang was momentarily reminded of his brothers from back then.

The retired emperor had nearly thirty sons in his lifetime, but less than ten are still alive today.

This also includes several inside the high walls.

Then she thought of her eldest and third sons and knew in her heart that she could not hesitate any longer.

“He’s right. You are both my sons, and either of you is qualified to be my crown prince.”

Since your fourth brother feels he is not up to the task of being crown prince and is willing to step down, I have decided to appoint you as crown prince instead. What do you think?

Jia Lian stepped back and knelt down, saying urgently, "I beg Father Emperor to reconsider. Succession is the foundation of the nation."

"If the order of succession is disrupted, the consequences could be disastrous." Emperor Ningkang's face darkened.

After a moment, he asked, "Is the lineage orderly? Are you trying to emphasize that although you are called my son, you are not actually of my blood?"
Or is it that in your heart, you never truly see yourself as my son, nor do you see me as your father?

"Please calm your anger, Father. Your son had no such intention."

Your son, your son only…

"Enough. My mind is made up, you need not say more."

How could Emperor Ningkang not know Jia Lian's concerns?
After all, he had tested and provoked Jia Lian more than once or twice in the past year or two.

It's normal for Jia Lian to be wary of him.

If Jia Lian were as thick-skinned as the Fourth Prince, he wouldn't have made such a decision.

Emperor Ningkang, no longer wanting to play along with Jia Lian, directly instructed Dai Quan: "Let Zhao Dongsheng and the others in, and then announce the imperial decree."

Following Emperor Ningkang's instructions, the five cabinet ministers and Prince Bei Jing soon entered from outside the hall.

At this moment, Dai Quan had already taken out an imperial edict from a hidden compartment at the head of the dragon bed.

After everyone knelt down, Dai Quanfang loudly proclaimed:
"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:"
I believe that the Crown Prince is of paramount importance to the foundation of the nation.

The emperor's eldest son, Lian, was exceptionally talented, possessed outstanding abilities, and was skilled in both literature and martial arts. He was also filial, fraternal, humble, and respectful.

Therefore, we hereby announce to Heaven and Earth, the ancestral temple, and the altars of the land and grain:
He is hereby granted the imperial seal and is established as the Crown Prince.

Its duties:

Diligent study cultivates virtue; filial piety and brotherly love bring peace to the nation.
Reverence for Heaven and ancestors; benevolence towards people and love for all things.
They took the responsibility of the nation as their own and the hearts of the people as their own.

The proclamation was made known both domestically and internationally.

The third day of the ninth month of the eighth year of the Ningkang era.

Dai Quan's voice was sharp and high-pitched, and could be clearly heard by everyone in the quiet Yangxin Hall.

This naturally includes Jia Lian.

He lowered his head, concealing the turmoil within him.

This is the ultimate dream of countless men throughout thousands of years of history.

Is it finally going to come true for him?
The excitement and joy in my heart are beyond words.

He couldn't express it either; he kept his head down, seemingly unaware that Dai Quan had already finished reading the imperial edict.

It wasn't until his arm was elbowed twice by the Fourth Prince beside him, and until Dai Quan's prompting voice rang out: "Your Highness, accept the imperial decree and express your gratitude."

As if waking from a dream, Jia Lian hurriedly raised both hands above his head to receive the imperial edict, which felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

Then, holding it up, he bowed to Emperor Ningkang on the dragon bed and said, "Your subject receives the decree and thanks you for your grace. Long live the Emperor!"

"Get up."

A long-absent smile appeared on Emperor Ningkang's face.

Seeing Zhao Dongsheng and the others about to step forward to pay their respects to Jia Lian, he slowly said, "Minister Zhao, I entrust the enthronement ceremony of the new crown prince to you."

"Alright, you may all leave. The Crown Prince and I have some things to discuss."

Zhao Dongsheng and the others were also very excited. They never expected that Emperor Ningkang would actually abandon his own son and make Jia Lian the new emperor.

This is undoubtedly a good thing for the imperial court and for the people.

This means that after Emperor Ningkang, imperial power could be transferred smoothly without causing inevitable internal strife.

To be honest, not many people thought Jia Lian would rebel.

However, Jia Lian's age and achievements made him a formidable threat to any successor besides himself.

Given Jia Lian's immense influence in the army and even the empire.

Whether he is eliminated or he seizes power through treason, it is foreseeable that it will be a major earthquake that will cause enormous damage to the empire.

Now that he has Emperor Ningkang's approval, Jia Lian is the rightful heir to the throne.

No one else could threaten Jia Lian's position.

In this way, this dynasty may become the one with the most stable power transition.

As for Zhao Dongsheng himself, he understood that Emperor Ningkang's order for him to prepare for the Crown Prince's investiture ceremony was an opportunity for him to align himself with the new emperor.

One emperor and one courtier.

Although their relationship was not bad before, he was, after all, Emperor Ningkang's chief minister.

Whether Jia Lian will still use him in the future depends on his own abilities.

So he gladly accepted the order and went to prepare for the follow-up matters.

After the cabinet ministers left, Emperor Ningkang said to Princess Zhaoyang and the Fourth Prince, "You may also leave."

"Yes."

Once only the two of them remained in the hall, Jia Lian, holding the imperial edict, knelt before the bed again, his eyes glistening with tears, his voice trembling with emotion:
"Father's kindness to his son is something I could never repay, even if I died ten thousand times."

Perhaps because no one else was watching, Emperor Ningkang finally raised his hand and touched Jia Lian's meticulously styled hair bun by Qingwen.

Seeing Jia Lian so moved, he smiled and said, "Alright, this is what you deserve."

Although we are not biological father and son, over the years, although we are nominally ruler and subject, in my heart I have long regarded you as my own child.

Otherwise, I would not have allowed you to be adopted into the Empress's family.

And I have seen your loyalty to me.

From this day forward, I hope you will also regard me as your father in your heart.

Jia Lian nodded repeatedly: "In my heart, Father Emperor is not only a wise ruler, but also the elder I respect most, and my only father!"

Emperor Ningkang was slightly taken aback, but then he understood what Jia Lian meant.

For him, passing the throne to someone who wasn't his biological son presented an unavoidable problem.

That is, after his death, what choice will the successor make between him and his biological father?

In other circumstances, it would be fine; it would just mean having another "retired emperor."

Jia Lian's situation is the most critical.

He was the grandson of the retired emperor, and it was possible that he would posthumously acknowledge his biological father after the emperor's death.

Then he'll be in trouble.

To those unaware of the truth, the legitimate lineage appears to be from the retired emperor to his father, and then to Jia Lian.

Emperor Ningkang, on the other hand, seemed like an outcast hanging alone beside the family genealogy.

Jia Lian's final statement was undoubtedly telling him that he was the only father he recognized and acknowledged.

In fact, Emperor Ningkang himself was not too worried about this.

Although Jia Lian once appeared in his field of vision under the guise of "filial piety".

However, he still knew what kind of person Jia She was.

After years of judging Jia Lian, he could basically understand without any further analysis that Jia Lian's filial piety towards Jia She was merely to conform to worldly norms and for better survival.

Therefore, he is not worried about being squeezed out of his position by Jia She in the future.

In fact, even if Jia Lian brings up his biological father in the future and tries to put him on the same level, he will not feel threatened except for feeling a little disgusted.

The retired emperor was someone who wouldn't even bother to glance at during his lifetime, yet he was mentioned in historical records only because he had a good son.

Without wasting words on this point, he slowly said, "I have already ordered Dai Quan to clean up Taiyuan."

From now on, I will move to Taiyuan to recuperate.

I entrust you with all matters of state and military affairs.

Take good care of yourself.

Jia Lian hurriedly said, "How can this be?"

"Father, please rest and recuperate in the palace. This will not only make it easier for your children and others to visit you, but also allow the imperial physicians to better care for your health."

Jia Lian also knew that Taiyuan was one of the most prestigious royal residences.

It is located within the imperial city.

It is said that the Emperor Emeritus built it for his birth mother at a huge cost.

It has been idle for many years now, and is only used to store some royal treasures.

It's unclear why Emperor Ningkang suddenly wanted to move there. (End of Chapter)