The Second Master of the Red Chamber

Yuanyang was tall and slender, standing out among the maids.

Now, kneeling on the floor, her slender and well-proportioned figure was even more prominent.

She is truly a stunning beauty.

As Jia Lian was looking himself over, he noticed sharp gazes on both sides. He immediately told Yuanyang to get up and then looked to the right.

Sure enough, Daiyu's brows were furrowed.

When she saw him turn around, she quietly reached out and pinched his waist.

Jia Lian chuckled, grabbed Daiyu's mischievous little hand, placed it on his lap, and rubbed it with both hands together.

Daiyu was a little embarrassed, and to avoid being noticed by others, she quickly sat up straight.

Having dealt with Daiyu, Jia Lian then took one of Feng Jie's hands from the left, holding it in his own, before speaking to Grandmother Jia:

"Since it is such a kind gift from you, madam, I will not stand on ceremony. Thank you, madam."

As one of the first girls he flirted with, Yuanyang had been waiting for far too long.

Therefore, Jia Lian did not pretend to be polite at this time.

"Hehehe, it is a great blessing for the Crown Prince to accept Yuanyang."

"Yuanyang, why aren't you going upstairs to pour wine for the Crown Prince and the Princesses?"

Grandmother Jia smiled broadly.

Her choice to present the mandarin ducks to Jia Lian in public at this time was not entirely out of flattery.

In her eyes, Qingwen was a gift she gave to Jia Lian, and the extent to which she was favored was obvious to all.

Not to mention, Daiyu was her own granddaughter.

There's also Tan Chun, who is a direct descendant of the Jia family.

With these people around, she didn't actually need to use the same method to bind her relationship with Jia Lian anymore.

Even sending a maid to Jia Lian at this time could offend Sister Feng.

Sister Feng is the future empress, the mother of the nation who directly manages these noble ladies.

Therefore, if she hadn't made it clear from the beginning that she wanted to leave Yuanyang to Jia Lian, she wouldn't have wanted to give Yuanyang to anyone at all.

After all, she really relied on Yuanyang.

But there was no other way. Compared to making Sister Feng a little unhappy, she was even less likely to let Jia Lian become dissatisfied with her or the Jia family because of this trivial matter.

Now that Jia Lian is the Crown Prince, she knows that if she doesn't offer herself up now, he might get angry, and by then it will be too late.

Yuanyang hesitated when she heard Grandmother Jia's instructions.

She was a girl with self-respect and no ambition to climb the social ladder.

But she knew that Grandmother Jia had asked her to go up and pour the wine now for her own good.

If she goes up now and pours wine for the three princesses in front of Jia Lian and everyone else, the three princesses will most likely not make things difficult for her.

If they accept the wine she pours for them tonight, it means they accept her, and they won't feel comfortable making things difficult for her in the future.

After much deliberation, she finally took her long, slender steps and sat down on the high seat.

Pick up the wine pot and fill Sister Feng's wine cup first.

Sister Feng laughed and said, "Look at you, how could I really let you do this kind of thing yourself?"

You've served the old lady all these years, and your hard work and dedication are evident to everyone in the family.

"Let the little girls do it."

Yuanyang gave Fengjie a grateful smile.

Whether Sister Feng was sincere or not, her saying this at this time undoubtedly gave her dignity and respect.

After pouring wine for Sister Feng, Yuanyang glanced at the smiling Jia Lian.

Without making a sound, she moved her feet past him and Daiyu, and first poured wine for Baochai on the far right.

Baochai quickly pushed the cup forward a little.

"Princess Xue, please."

Thank you.

Then there's Daiyu.

Daiyu nodded politely in return.

Jia Lian was the last to be introduced.

Jia Lian could also see at this moment that Yuanyang harbored resentment towards him.

He picked up the wine poured by Yuanyang, took a sip, and then smiled and said, "I've been too busy these past two years and have neglected my family."

"I'll make it up to you properly later."

As Jia Lian spoke, he glanced at Feng Jie and Baochai and Daiyu from the left and right.

Daiyu and the others immediately softened their expressions.

As women, they are not afraid of being alone in their secluded chambers, but they are afraid that their lovers will not understand their waiting.

Jia Lian's words were a way of repaying their previous long wait and promising the future, which naturally moved them and made them feel that everything was worthwhile.

"The only maids who serve me personally right now are Qingwen and Xiangling. You are the third."

You know both of them well, so I'm sure you'll get along very well.

After saying this to Yuanyang, Jia Lian waved to Qingwen who was standing next to him.

Qingwen was initially annoyed by the addition of a competitor of the same level.

Upon hearing Jia Lian's call, she immediately put on a big smile and ran over quickly.

Yuanyang was indeed somewhat resentful, and even deliberately rebellious.

She wasn't afraid even if Jia Lian was displeased or angry because of this.

Unexpectedly, Jia Lian not only didn't, but instead calmly "explained" to her.

That's right, she wasn't a stupid maid. She could tell that Jia Lian's words were directed at her.

She was just a maidservant, and her resentment stemmed from her fear that Jia Lian would look down on her after he became a powerful figure, especially since Jia Lian hadn't visited her in a long time.

Now that Jia Lian is willing to humble himself and explain things to her, what else can she not let go of?
The thought that she could now rightfully stay by Jia Lian's side made her heart flutter, and she couldn't even hear what Qingwen was saying to her.

After instructing Qingwen on how to settle Yuanyang, Jia Lian turned his attention back to the main hall.

Finally, he turned his gaze back to Grandmother Jia and said with a smile, "I am so grateful for your kindness, Grandmother, for giving me such a good person."

In return for that kindness, I happen to have some good news to discuss with the old lady and her wife.

Grandmother Jia hurriedly said, "Your Highness, please speak."

“There is a family in the southern city called the Xia family.”

The Xia family, like Bao Yatou's family, were also imperial merchants.

What they are most famous for is that their family has planted hundreds of acres of osmanthus trees, and they have undertaken almost all the osmanthus flower production in and outside the palace, hence the name "Osmanthus Xia Family".

The Xia family has only one daughter, who is also very beautiful and is sixteen years old this year.

I was thinking that Baoyu would be sixteen next year, which would be the age for him to get married.

If the old lady and the lady of the house are interested, it would be a good match.

When Grandmother Jia and the others heard this, they were all taken aback, not expecting Jia Lian to suddenly act as a matchmaker for Jia Baoyu.

They had also heard of the Xia family. Although he was just a minor official in the Ministry of Revenue, he was quite capable.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to monopolize the osmanthus business in Beijing.

The osmanthus business itself may not be a remarkable business, but being able to make it a central business requires skill.

This can be understood simply by looking at how the Xue family's share in the palace was gradually eroded by others.

Perhaps this is why Xia Jingui could throw tantrums and act arrogantly towards Xue Pan, yet neither Aunt Xue nor even Baochai could do anything about her.

Now let's look at Jia Baoyu.

With Yuan-chun as his elder sister, and Jia Zheng also receiving a promotion, his circumstances were quite favorable.

However, with Jia Lian, a multi-volt light bulb that grew up in the same environment, shining in his light, he seemed so insignificant.

For those with good portals, a simple comparison will inevitably lead to a change of heart.

Among those of lower social standing, there are many who wish to form in-law relationships.

Even disregarding Jia Baoyu himself, just considering the relationship between the Jia family and Jia Lian, it's still a fair assessment.

For the past two years, Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang have been keeping an eye on Jia Baoyu, but they haven't found anyone they're particularly satisfied with yet.

Now that Jia Lian has taken the initiative to speak, they naturally need to consider it carefully.

Lady Wang looked most serious. She looked at Grandmother Jia, turned her head and explained in a low voice, "Grandmother, you should have met that Miss Xia. She's the young lady who brought us snacks outside the city this morning."

"is her."

Grandmother Jia nodded, indicating that she had some recollection of it.

He's not bad-looking and is good at helping out at home, so he's clearly a good person.

Most importantly, Jia Lian himself acted as matchmaker!
"What do you think, sir?"

Grandmother Jia looked at Jia Zheng, who was sitting opposite her.

Jia Zheng stroked his beard and smiled, "I also know that Master Xia. He even chatted with me for a few words outside the city today."

He speaks eloquently and is a knowledgeable person.

I imagine his daughter must be quite lovely too.

Jia Zheng is an honest man, so it's easy to win his favor.

Not to mention Xia Qizhi's deliberate attempt to curry favor.

Most importantly, Jia Lian was the matchmaker.

For Jia Zheng, Jia Lian's words were now practically an imperial edict.

Therefore, he wholeheartedly approved of the marriage.

Watching his elders discuss his marriage, Jia Baoyu, sitting next to Jia Zheng, looked indifferent, as if what they were saying had nothing to do with him.

His thoughts were still lingering on the disappointment of seeing Yuanyang return to Jia Lian.

Although he guessed that Jia Lian was referring to the Xia family girl he had met outside the city that morning.

But he had lost the enthusiasm he had in the morning.

At the time, it was his instinct to fawn over the other person.

However, he never considered discussing marriage with her.

From beginning to end, there was only one person he wanted to spend his life with.

His gaze fell upon the slender figure on the high seat, who was now tilting her head and whispering in Baochai's ear.

"Since the Crown Prince is acting as matchmaker, we naturally have no objections. Baoyu, why don't you thank the Crown Prince?"

After a brief discussion, Grandmother Jia and the others all felt that there was no problem with the marriage.

Seeing that Jia Baoyu wasn't very interested, Jia Lian waved his hand to indicate that he didn't need to be so polite, and then emphasized to Grandmother Jia and the others:
"I'm just acting as a go-between. Whether this matter succeeds or not is up to you, sir and madam, to decide."

Don't worry about my feelings.

If after you've made contact you feel that the two companies aren't a good match, then so be it.

After all, marriage is a major life event and should not be taken lightly.

The more Jia Lian said this, the more Jia Mu and the others thought this marriage was a good match.

Grandmother Jia was somewhat better, but she felt that the Xia family's social standing was a bit lacking, and the Xia family's daughters' looks did not meet her standards.

After all, she was a seasoned beauty enthusiast who had seen a series of exceptionally beautiful girls such as Daiyu and Baoqin.

But Lady Wang was different.

She doesn't care much about appearance, only about family background.

Considering that her grandson Jia Lan would inherit the family business in the future, she was even more eager to leave a share of the family fortune for Jia Baoyu.

Grandmother Jia has already prepared quite a lot of things for herself.

Upon hearing that the Xia family only had one daughter, she felt that there was no more suitable in-laws than this.

After all, if they get along well, the Xia family's million-dollar fortune could very well belong to their precious child in the future!
So he quickly gave Jia Zheng a wink and urged him, "Since you say you know that Master Xia, why don't you choose a day to go to the Xia family and discuss it with him in person?"

Jia Zheng stroked his beard and smiled, "That's fine too."

Seeing that the matter had settled, Sister Feng laughed and said, "Alright, alright, congratulations, old lady, you're going to have another granddaughter-in-law."

I'm afraid that once Baoyu's wife enters the family, she'll be so pleased with you that you'll forget all about us.

Grandmother Jia smiled awkwardly: "Your Highness is too kind. In my heart, no one can compare to you in terms of filial piety."

"hehe."

Sister Feng smiled, but also sensed a hint of embarrassment.

Ultimately, our identities are different now.

Even if she tried to please Grandmother Jia as before, the other party didn't dare to respond.

Although it was somewhat uncomfortable, I have to say that it felt quite nice to be respected.

All these changes were brought about by her own man.

Thinking about it, he couldn't help but turn his head to look at Jia Lian.

Unfortunately, this guy was currently putting food on Daiyu's plate, acting like a "simp," which made her a little annoyed.

However, she didn't have time to be jealous, because she overheard Jia Lian talking to Baochai and Daiyu about going on vacation to the Western Hills.

"You're already the crown prince, do you still need to go on vacation?"

Sister Feng asked in surprise.

She thought that now that Jia Lian had become the crown prince, he would be busy again, and her vacation plans would probably be ruined once more.

Jia Lian turned around and laughed, "What? Who said the Crown Prince can't take a vacation? Father and Mother feel sorry for me and want me to rest for a few days, is that not allowed?"

"Look at you, I was just expressing my concern... I was afraid that if you changed your plans, you wouldn't dare to tell Lin Daiyu and the others about it when you came back."

Since we're going anyway, when do we set off?
My mother told me so much about the Western Hill Villa, and I'm so envious! I really look forward to going there.

"Since you're in such a hurry, let's set off early the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow won't work; I have to go to the yamen tomorrow."

"Hehehe, it's settled then. I'll have the girls pack their things in a bit."

Baochai and Daiyu, standing to the side, were also completely captivated.

It should be noted that Jia Lian had been away on a military expedition for more than half a year. He had finally returned, but after only two days, he went to the imperial mausoleum to attend the funeral, which took another month.

The longing and loneliness in their hearts can be imagined.

Jia Lian had previously said he would make it up to them, and they thought he was just saying it casually. They never expected that he would be fulfilling his promise so soon.

When we go on vacation to the Royal Villa, we have to bring them along!
Baochai hesitated for a moment, then said, "Why don't you go? I won't go."

I recently had some people get involved in a few more business deals, and it's a crucial time, so I'm afraid it's not good for me to leave..."

Upon hearing this, Daiyu hurriedly said, "Oh, Sister Bao, why don't you just leave the business to Yun'er?"

You forgot what he said before: he put us in charge of the trading company to give us something to do. If you don't even participate in this kind of work because of the trading company, he might get angry and remove you from the management of the trading company altogether.

Baochai hesitated, unsure how to answer.

Jia Lian then said, "Sister Lin is right. If you put the cart before the horse and don't even have time to spend with me, then I will leave the business to others from now on."

Sister Feng also said, "Just listen to him. That's one of the royal family's most luxurious resorts. I don't know how much effort it took to build it. It's a rare opportunity to broaden your horizons. How can you not go?"

Baochai had nothing more to say and nodded silently.

Others inside the hall also heard Jia Lian and the others' conversation, but no one dared to interrupt.

Those whose status was inappropriate, or who knew they were not close enough to Jia Lian, could only admire him from afar and dared not hope to go with him.

But those who had the opportunity were determined to get Jia Lian to take them along, no matter what it took. (End of Chapter)