The Second Master of the Red Chamber

Emperor Ningkang waved his hand and said, "You don't need to say anything more."

The reason I decided to move to Taiyuan Garden is that the environment there is indeed more suitable for quiet recuperation.

Secondly, it also relieves you of any worries.

Since I have decided to entrust the ancestral land and its people to you, I am confident that you can shoulder this heavy responsibility.

I am not like your imperial grandfather…

Emperor Ningkang stopped speaking when he realized he had said something inappropriate, ending his remarks with a soft, cold snort.

Jia Lian naturally understood Emperor Ningkang's meaning.

To put it bluntly, Emperor Ningkang was simply making way for him.

Daming Palace, located between the outer court and the inner palace, was the absolute center of the imperial palace.

If Emperor Ningkang were to recuperate here, and were to disagree with his ministers in handling state affairs in the future, the other ministers would inevitably consider using Emperor Ningkang to suppress him.

If the ministers came to pay their respects, would Emperor Ningkang see them or not?
Even though Emperor Ningkang trusted Jia Lian greatly and wouldn't interfere with his decrees, it was still annoying if it happened a few times.

Therefore, Emperor Ningkang took the initiative to move outside the palace to recuperate, both to avoid trouble and to clearly inform his ministers.

If you have something to say, go to the Crown Prince; don't bother me.

Although the reasoning is very simple, from Emperor Ningkang's perspective, how could Jia Lian not be grateful for his decision?

So he advised, "Although I have been entrusted with important military and national affairs by the Emperor."

However, I have never managed state affairs before, and I am afraid that I will not do a good job and will fail my father's trust.

"I beg Your Majesty to stay in the palace. If I encounter any difficulties in the future, I can consult Your Majesty."

Jia Lian's words were not unfounded.

He was confident, but not arrogant.

Emperor Ningkang reigned for eight years and was always very diligent in his duties.

He consistently focused on reform and innovation to strengthen the nation, making him an accomplished and ambitious emperor.

If Emperor Ningkang had been there to guide him at the beginning of his takeover of power, he would have definitely avoided some detours.

But then again.

If Emperor Ningkang still had the energy to guide him and manage state affairs, he probably wouldn't have delegated power so thoroughly.

As expected, Emperor Ningkang shook his head and said, "I believe in your abilities. Learn more and ask more questions, and you will definitely not be stumped."

If you have any doubts, you can come to Taiyuan to find me.

I just want to tell you that I completely trust you and cherish our father-son relationship very much.

I do not want the feud between me and the Emperor Emeritus to be repeated between us.

Do you understand?

Jia Lian's heart skipped a beat. Looking into Emperor Ningkang's cloudy yet profound eyes, he couldn't help but nod.

Seeing his bewildered expression, Emperor Ningkang couldn't help but touch Jia Lian's hair again and said with a smile, "Alright, you don't need to feel too much pressure. Just do your best."

"Oh, by the way, I heard from Zhaoyang that the Empress urged you to rest and recuperate at the Western Hills Villa after returning to the capital?"

Jia Lian replied, "That is because Mother does not yet know that Father will issue an edict to appoint me as Crown Prince."

Now that Father has entrusted me with this important task, I will certainly do my best.

"Let's discuss the leave later; I'm sure Mother will understand."

Emperor Ningkang sighed and said, "Since it is your mother's wish, then you should follow it."

That's perfect. You've really worked hard these past two years, so you definitely deserve a good rest.

Presumably, it will take some time for Zhao Dongsheng and his team to prepare for your investiture ceremony.

You should take advantage of this time to get some rest.

Jia Lian hesitated deliberately for a moment, but finally nodded.

Then Jia Lian inquired about Emperor Ningkang's health, summoned Dai Quan, gave him some instructions, and then left the Yangxin Hall.

Princess Zhaoyang and her siblings, along with Prince Bei Jing, were still waiting outside.

Upon meeting, Prince Bei Jing knelt down and bowed, saying, "Your subject Shui Rong greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."

The Fourth Prince, who was about to rush up to Jia Lian to get closer to him, stopped in his tracks upon seeing this, and hesitated.

But then Princess Zhaoyang knelt down on the corridor with a smile and paid her respects.

He chuckled, took a step back, and bowed, saying, "Your subject greets the Crown Prince."

Jia Lian quickly helped the fourth prince and his siblings up, then looked at Prince Bei Jing, momentarily dazed.

I still remember the first time I met Prince Bei Jing, he bowed deeply to him.

Times have changed, and the situation has completely reversed without anyone noticing.

"Prince Bei Jing, please rise quickly."

Jia Lian helped Prince Bei Jing up with one hand.

Prince Bei Jing still had that refined and handsome appearance. He smiled and said, "It is truly a joyous and celebratory event that the Crown Prince has ascended to the throne."

"I have already ordered my servants to return to my residence to prepare fragrant tea as a congratulatory gift. I humbly request Your Highness's presence."

Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince immediately objected: "Your Highness, I was just about to suggest inviting my elder brother, but you beat me to it."

And on such a joyous day, why bother with tea?

How about you all come to my house for a drink?

Prince Bei Jing was only considering that the Emperor Emeritus's great mourning had just passed, and it was not appropriate to openly invite Jia Lian to drink, so he used the excuse of having tea.

Hearing that the Fourth Prince was completely unconcerned, he naturally wouldn't point it out, and replied with a smile, "That's fine then, I'll take my leave of you."

Princess Zhaoyang smiled and said, "You may go ahead. I still need to visit the Empress Dowager, so I'll take my leave first."

After she finished speaking, she glanced at Jia Lian and left.

The fourth prince did not try to stop him.

They communicate their feelings among men, and having another woman in their way would be a hindrance.

So he moved closer to Jia Lian and teased him, "How about that? I tried to persuade you before, but you wouldn't listen."

Now that your father has decreed that you be the crown prince, you have no choice, do you?

Jia Lian smiled and bowed to the Fourth Prince in greeting.

Many things are best left unsaid; it's enough that we both understand each other.

The fourth prince, however, became happy.

He knew it; even he had almost fallen for that position, so how could Jia Lian possibly refuse?

Hmph, before you made it seem like he forced him.

Just as he was about to make another joke, a head eunuch from the Empress's palace came looking for him.

Upon seeing this, Jia Lian took the initiative to say, "Let's talk about the gathering later. I'll go see the Empress Dowager first."

Although the Fourth Prince and Prince Bei Jing were somewhat disappointed, they didn't say much. They simply agreed on a time to meet again and then went their separate ways.

……

In Kunning Palace, the Empress lay on her desk, unfolding the imperial edict from Emperor Ningkang appointing Jia Lian as Crown Prince, and reading it word by word.

His expression and actions betrayed his excitement.

Jia Lian stood upright to the side, his expression neither sad nor happy.

After a long while, the Empress finally composed herself.

She put away the imperial edict, turned back to look at Jia Lian with fervent eyes, as if gazing upon a precious jewel.

Jia Lian felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze and called out, "Mother?"

"Hehehe, good, good, good."

I knew it; my son was destined for greatness.

Sure enough, just as expected.

The Queen spoke with an unprecedentedly excited expression.

Jia Lian hurriedly replied, "This is all thanks to Mother Empress. If it weren't for Mother Empress, how could I be where I am today?"

"What does this have to do with me? It's all because you and your father have a good relationship. Your father sees that you are capable of taking on important responsibilities, so he naturally relies on you."

Jia Lian smiled.

Without the Empress's connection, his position as Crown Prince would not have been legitimate.

Therefore, this was not entirely to please the Empress, but rather it was his true nature.

"Even though you have become the crown prince, you must not be arrogant or complacent."

"From now on, you must learn more from your father, be more diligent, and be a good crown prince, so as not to betray the trust your father has placed in you."

"Your son understands, and thanks Your Majesty for your guidance."

The Empress returned the imperial edict to Jia Lian and pulled him to sit down, intending to have a proper talk with him.

Objectively speaking, her relationship with Jia Lian as mother and son was more like a transaction.

She needs someone she can rely on to ensure her dignity in the second half of her life.

And Jia Lian can also gain a higher status by using her identity.

What kind of person is worthy of reliance, especially for a dignified empress like herself?

Undoubtedly, that was the future emperor.

When did she first propose to adopt Jia Lian as her heir?
It was at the beginning of last year, just after the Iron Net Mountain incident had ended.

When Emperor Ningkang's two most favored sons were either killed or abandoned by him, perhaps she astutely foresaw this day and thus made bold investments.

Now that her prediction has come true, she naturally wants to strengthen her mother-son relationship with Jia Lian.

In contrast to the Empress, Jia Lian naturally wanted to maintain a good mother-son relationship with her to ensure the legitimacy of his ascension to the throne.

Thus, the two people, one older and one younger, who were more than twenty years apart in age and had no blood relation, sat on either side of the kang table, holding hands and chatting like a real mother and son.

"The Virtuous Consort has arrived."

With the eunuch announcing the arrival, the beautiful and radiant Yuan Chun, dressed in a palace gown, entered.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to the Empress."

Yuan Chun bowed to the Empress, and after rising, her gaze naturally fell on Jia Lian, who was standing to the side.

Jia Lian stepped forward and called out, "Sister."

Upon hearing this, the Empress laughed and said, "Why are you still calling her 'elder sister'?"

Jia Lian said without changing his expression, "I have been in the Jia family for so many years, and I have always called the Imperial Concubine 'elder sister'."

Once you're my elder sister, you'll be my elder sister for life.

Just as my mother is to me, once she is my mother, she is my mother for life.

The Empress initially felt it was inappropriate for Jia Lian to continue calling Yuan Chun "elder sister," since Yuan Chun also called her that.

Wouldn't this create chaos?

However, upon hearing Jia Lian's words, she immediately forgot about this minor issue.

For her, Jia Lian's ability to be filial, fraternal, and loyal was the best thing that could happen.

So he invited Yuan Chun to sit down.

Yuan Chun thanked him but did not sit down. She asked with a smile, "I heard that His Majesty has issued an edict to establish the Prince of Pingliao as the Crown Prince. Is that true?"

"How could this be fake? The imperial edict is right here; you might as well take a look."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Chun looked at the long box being held by a servant beside her and smiled, "Then thank you very much, Your Majesty. It just so happens that I have never seen such an imperial edict before."

Seeing Yuan Chun approach, the two eunuchs who were temporarily holding the imperial edict quickly and carefully opened the box so that Yuan Chun could take it out and look at it.

The empress showed no displeasure whatsoever throughout the process.

Although Yuan Chun was exceptionally talented and beautiful, perhaps because she did not receive Emperor Ningkang's favor after being made a concubine, she naturally could not harbor the same resentment towards the Empress Dowager as Consort Li did.

On the contrary, she felt sorry for Yuan Chun.

Of course, she didn't have sympathy for every woman in the harem.

She particularly disliked Consort Wu, who often disagreed with her.

Fortunately, that person has been completely rendered useless and is now in the Cold Palace, where she can do whatever she wants with him.

However, out of consideration for her own reputation, she did not do anything excessive to him.

……

After leaving the palace, Jia Lian went to the Prince's Mansion in the Imperial City.

He dismissed the servants and produced the imperial edict.

He hadn't even had a chance to properly read the imperial edict since he received it.

He started reading from the beginning, and when he saw the words "the eldest son of the emperor, Lian," Jia Lian's eyes narrowed.

It is not Wei Lian, the Prince of Pingliao, nor is it positioned according to a ranking.

In the imperial edict announcing the investiture to the world, Emperor Ningkang referred to him as the legitimate son of the emperor, which was a complete and formal recognition that his status was that of the legitimate prince, above that of the other princes!

He sighed.

Although he had been diligently currying favor with powerful figures and being extremely cautious over the years, he was still somewhat dazed to have gained such recognition from Emperor Ningkang.

After admiring and marveling for a while, Jia Lian began to imagine the future and the career he wanted to pursue, feeling extremely proud and self-satisfied.

Moreover, I no longer have to worry about not being able to give the woman I like a formal title.

According to regulations, the Crown Prince could appoint far more concubines than princes or dukes.

Besides the queen and concubines, the princes only had four or eight beauties.

The crown prince is already distinct from the king.

The crown prince is the heir apparent, and the heir apparent is also a ruler.

In addition to the usual Crown Princess and Consorts, there are also more than twenty other officially conferred titles, such as Zhaoyi, Meiren, and Xuanshi.

In this way, he no longer had to worry about not being able to settle his woman and secretly feel indebted.

"Sir, they're here."

Qingwen walked in from the doorway and spoke to Jia Lian, who was sitting behind the desk.

As she spoke, she glanced around, but not seeing Xiangling, her gaze immediately locked onto the desk. Her sharp eyes seemed to penetrate the desk's surface and enclosure to see what was inside.

"Let them in."

Jia Lian smiled slightly. After Qingwen turned around, he put down the imperial edict in his hand, reached out and touched Xiangling's little head under the table, and said with a smile, "Alright, get up."

Xiangling smacked her lips, carefully tidied up the beginning and the end, and then crawled out from under the table.

As the light dimmed at the entrance, Jia Lian and Xiang Ling looked up and saw a dozen or so beautiful Korean women in close-fitting armor, with graceful figures, walk in and stand in a row in front of the hall.

"Greetings, Your Highness."

Ten beautiful women knelt down and kowtowed.

"Get up."

Looking at the ten beauties before him, Jia Lian nodded secretly.

These ten beauties were all rated 90 points or higher in his eyes, or close to 90 points, but they had particularly outstanding advantages in terms of figure, complexion, etc., making them pleasing to the eye.

Seeing them stand up and look at each other, somewhat at a loss, Jia Lian calmly ordered, "Remove your armor."

The beauties were slightly taken aback.

Qingwen, standing to the side, couldn't help but purse her lips, but after all, she was Jia Lian's most trusted and beloved daughter who had served him the longest.

She roughly knew what her second master wanted to do.

The Second Prince has become the Crown Prince, he's the Crown Prince!

Second Master must be very happy right now, so he wants to use these exotic beauties to vent his emotions.

Thinking about it, he immediately scolded the beauties who didn't respond immediately: "What are you all standing there for? Didn't you hear the prince's orders?"

The beauties' faces instantly flushed red, like a hundred flowers shyly blooming.

Without hesitation, they all raised their hands and slowly slammed their light armor, which was only suitable for regular training, onto the ground.

"continue."

The beauties were even more ashamed, but dared not disobey, and could only continue to undress.

In their respective hometowns, they were all rare beauties, possessing the poise and elegance befitting stunning young women.

Most people consider keeping one personal item for themselves.

Some of them wore Korean clothing, while others had been replaced with the bellybands that girls from the Central Plains used to wear.

Of course, there are also some who are free-spirited and want to dedicate themselves as soon as possible.

He was very decisive and quick to remove all his clothes and stood proudly in the middle of the field.

Their movements were not synchronized, and were even somewhat chaotic.

But it is precisely this messiness that makes the entrance hall, which is now vibrant and fragrant because of the beautiful woman, appear even more lively and natural, like a spring day when hundreds of flowers are vying for beauty.

Jia Lian stood up and walked to a girl with a graceful figure who boldly showed him her entire body.

After looking her over, Jia Lian bent down, picked her up by the waist, and turned to walk into the inner room.

The remaining nine beauties looked at each other, wondering what Jia Lian meant.

Does this mean they've been eliminated again?
If I had known, I should have been bolder...

Before they could finish their anxiety and regret, Qingwen urged, "What are you all standing there for? Go inside and serve the prince! You're all so stupid!"

After saying this, Qingwen pushed the beauties in front of her, urging them to come inside.

Among the beauties, those who fully understood Chinese suddenly realized what was happening and quickly composed themselves, following Jia Lian into the house.

Other beauties followed suit.

Once only the two elderly people remained in the hall, Qingwen stared at Xiangling's face, especially the corners of her mouth, and asked suspiciously, "Where did you go just now?"

Xiangling felt embarrassed by her gaze, but she couldn't very well not answer.

"I...I've always been here, Sister Qingwen, you know..."

Seeing Xiangling gesture towards the desk, Qingwen, having made up her mind, had no more interest in asking questions and muttered under her breath, "Second Master is really going too far. He clearly has the two of us by his side, yet he still invites these vixens in to fool around. Humph."

Xiangling remained silent about this.

No one echoed her, and Qingwen had no intention of dwelling on the matter. Her gaze quickly fell on the gilded paper box on the table.

"what……"

Having already guessed what it was, Qingwen looked around, smiled slyly, stepped forward, opened the box, and took out the imperial edict to examine it.

"Xiangling, come and take a look. I don't quite recognize the words on this."

"It's best not to move around too much..."

"What are you afraid of? Have you seen the imperial edict? This is the Second Master's decree of investiture. Aren't you curious?"

In the end, Xiangling couldn't resist Qingwen's encouragement and became her translator, despite being illiterate. (End of Chapter)