The Second Master of the Red Chamber

"Don't just eat vegetables, drink some soup too."

Princess Zhaoyang took an empty bowl and filled it with chicken soup.

Jia Lian hadn't thought much of it at first, but subconsciously took the soup. Then he heard Princess Zhaoyang say with a smile, "I put a lot of nourishing ingredients in this soup."

Erlang now has a large harem of wives and concubines; he should be well nourished.

Jia Lian was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Thank you for your trouble."

After saying that, he picked up the bowl, took the spoon, and started drinking the soup.

Princess Zhaoyang chuckled: "Second Prince, do you know what I like most about you is your open-minded and honest personality?"

"Really? Then do you know what I like about you?"

"What?"

Princess Zhaoyang looked up and asked.

Jia Lian did not answer, focusing on his meal.

Princess Zhaoyang pursed her lips, but didn't seem too bothered by it, and then diligently served food to Jia Lian.

She put a lot of effort into preparing this meal. To achieve the best presentation, she used countless fresh vegetables from yesterday to today.

Now that her lover is being so accommodating, she is naturally delighted.

Seeing Jia Lian devour almost all five side dishes in a flash, Princess Zhaoyang was delighted, but also feigned a coquettish complaint: "Second Master, you didn't even leave some for me! I haven't even had a bite yet..."

Jia Lian glanced at her, as if to say, "You're blaming me for not eating?"
He wiped his hands, said nothing, stepped back from the stool, walked to Princess Zhaoyang, bent down and scooped her up from the stool.

"It's okay, it's my turn to feed you."

Princess Zhaoyang blushed and said, "You scoundrel, all you do is bully people. It's not even dark yet..."

Looking at the pretty country girl in his arms, Jia Lian laughed and said, "You didn't question my abilities, but you deliberately made me chicken soup?"

Now that I've accepted your praise, I have to prove myself, otherwise wouldn't you look down on me?

After Jia Lian finished speaking, he carried Princess Zhaoyang towards the main house.

He had just briefly looked around the other rooms except the kitchen and knew where the bedroom that Princess Zhaoyang had specially arranged was.

After a passionate kiss temporarily eased the pain of longing, Princess Zhaoyang stopped Jia Lian from taking any further action, saying, "Second Brother, don't be in such a hurry. Shall we wash up first?"

Jia Lian, a man who valued cleanliness, asked curiously, "You still have servants here?"

Since arriving here, Jia Lian has not seen anyone else besides Princess Zhaoyang, which tells him that she wants to spend some time with him in a rustic, rural setting.

Jia Lian was happy to agree and cooperate.

However, since there was no one to serve them, and the atmosphere had already reached this point, going to fetch water to wash up would inevitably spoil the mood.

He didn't even give Princess Zhaoyang a chance to clear the dishes.

Faced with Jia Lian's questioning, Princess Zhaoyang smiled mysteriously, put her hand on Jia Lian's shoulder and sat up, calling out loudly towards the door, "Xiao Bai, bring in some hot water!"

noob?

Jia Lian looked slightly puzzled.

He didn't remember any of the palace maids who served Princess Zhaoyang with this name.

Before long, a woman dressed in coarse cloth, but as a common maid, entered carrying a copper basin with her head down.

She has a tall and well-proportioned figure, and even a simple cloth shirt cannot hide her beauty.

Jia Lian glanced at Princess Zhaoyang, who seemed to be looking smug, with surprise in his eyes.

Good heavens, a secret passage.

He was deeply shocked when he learned that his own grandmother had been sold out.

Now, things have gotten really out of hand; they've actually disguised the dignified Empress Dowager as a peasant maid.

I don't know how she convinced the other party to cooperate with her.

Thinking about it, he turned back and looked curiously at the Empress Dowager.

It must be said that the Empress Dowager, with her beauty and figure, did indeed appear exceptionally elegant and refined in such coarse cloth clothing.

The contrast is much greater than that of Princess Zhaoyang.

Princess Zhaoyang laughed and said, "Why is Erlang staring at my little Bai?"
Hehe, do you regret it now that you see how beautiful my little white dog has grown up?

If Erlang had married me back then, Xiaobai might already be yours, hehehe..."

Princess Zhaoyang laughed heartily.

Her appearance made Xiaobai look up at her, her face slightly flushed, but she still carried the copper basin forward, put it on the ground, wrung out her handkerchief, and went forward:

"I'll...serve, serve the lady..."

Xiao Bai was nervous and her words were slurred, clearly indicating that she was not very skilled in her duties as a maid.

Princess Zhaoyang scolded, "You clueless girl, don't you see the Second Master is here? Give it to me."

She took the handkerchief, leaned on Jia Lian's shoulder, and gently wiped his face.

Turning around, he saw that Xiaobai was still standing there in a daze, and ordered, "What are you standing there for? Take off Second Master's boots and serve Second Master to wash his feet."

Xiao Bai was stunned for a moment, and a look of dissatisfaction and confusion appeared on her face at a visible speed.

However, she didn't get angry in the end. She replied softly, "Yes," and then squatted down to try to take off Jia Lian's shoes.

Jia Lian subconsciously pulled his leg back slightly, then promptly placed his foot in the Empress Dowager's hands, turning back to ask Princess Zhaoyang with a questioning look:

How did you manage to train her to be so obedient?

Princess Zhaoyang gave her a smug look: That's none of your business.

When the Empress Dowager spent a long time removing his pair of deerskin boots, and when his bare feet were lifted into the water by her soft, jade-like hands and gently caressed by her slender, jade-like fingers, Jia Lian felt as if he had been elevated to a higher level.

He stared intently at the maidservant washing his feet, forgetting all about flirting with the beauty beside him.

He didn't turn around until someone pinched his waist.

"If Erlang keeps staring at Xiaobai like that, she'll get angry! Tomorrow we'll sell her to Master Li next door."

Jia Lian quickly coaxed, "Alright, don't be angry. That Master Li is practically half-buried in the earth, aren't you just wasting his life?"

Princess Zhaoyang wanted to say something more, but when she noticed that Xiaobai, who was squatting down, was shooting her a slightly sharp gaze, she ultimately didn't dare to continue her presumptuous behavior.

However, Jia Lian remained unaffected.

While enjoying the Empress Dowager's foot massage, he smiled at Princess Zhaoyang and said, "How about this, you give me Xiaobai, and I'll take you as my second wife, take you back to the city to live a life of luxury, and enjoy happiness from now on, okay?"

Princess Zhaoyang rolled her eyes at Jia Lian, then said to the ground, "Did you hear that? From now on, my good days as your wife will depend on you, Xiaobai. You must serve Second Master well so that we, master and servant, can enjoy wealth and honor."

Xiao Bai vowed in her heart that once this matter was over, she would definitely teach this little brat a lesson; she was becoming increasingly unruly!

He casually lifted Jia Lian's feet out of the water without wiping them, and picked up the copper basin to leave.

Seeing this, Princess Zhaoyang knew that her grandmother was about to get angry, so she decided to quickly offer her a sweet treat.

She draped the handkerchief in her hand over Xiaobai's arm and weakly instructed, "When everything is tidied up outside, remember to come in and help me and Second Master settle down for the night!"

Xiao Bai paused, glanced at the smiling Jia Lian, and nodded with a flushed face: "Understood, Madam..."

……

Night falls.

The candlelight flickered for some time before finally going out.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the bright moonlight relentlessly invaded half of the house.

A woman inside the gauze curtains was startled by the moonlight. She got out of bed, put on a simple robe, and went to the window to admire the moon.

Perhaps she forgot to put the quilt back on when she got up, and the cool autumn night breeze slipped into the warm bed through the passage, waking up Master Jia.

After opening his eyes, Jia Lian immediately looked down at the beauty in his arms.

Then, in the dappled moonlight, he saw a beautiful woman, as if she were a painting, and couldn't help but raise his hand to gently caress her face.

He immediately realized that someone was missing from the bed. He looked around and quickly spotted the lonely figure by the window.

After a moment's hesitation, he kissed the beauty's pink lips in his arms, then turned over and walked naked toward the window.

Although his steps were light, they still attracted the attention of those admiring the moon.

He glanced back and smiled, "Your Majesty is awake."

Jia Lian nodded, hugged her from behind as the night wind chilled her body, and asked in her ear, "Why aren't you asleep?"

"I can't sleep. Look, brother, the moon is so big and round tonight, doesn't it look like a bright red lantern?"

Jia Lian looked in the direction she pointed out, and sure enough, the moon was exceptionally bright tonight, clearly indicating that it was mid-moon again.

“Silly girl, what looks like a bright red lantern? This is ‘A jade mirror hangs in the autumn sky, and the full moon shines on the Milky Way.’”

Princess Zhaoyang felt a little embarrassed upon hearing this and said shyly, "Your Majesty knows that he doesn't have much literary talent, yet you're still finding fault with him."

As she spoke, Princess Zhaoyang glanced back and smiled, "Why don't you wake up your grandmother? She's talented and eloquent; in this situation, she'll surely be able to compose poems with your brother!"

Jia Lian chuckled softly, kissed Princess Zhaoyang's jade-like neck, and remained noncommittal.

Princess Zhaoyang felt a tingling sensation from his kisses and leaned softly against Jia Lian, whispering, "Brother, have you rested well during your vacation? The imperial court's preparations for the Crown Prince's investiture ceremony are almost complete."

Now that Father has moved to the Taiyuan Garden to recuperate, he no longer concerns himself with state affairs. Under these circumstances, once my elder brother officially assumes the regency, he will certainly be very busy, and I fear he will never again have such a leisurely time.

Jia Lian nodded: "It's definitely going to be busy."

In this life, we should do as much as we can within our capabilities, so as not to have lived in vain.

"My royal sister wouldn't want me to be just an incompetent crown prince who only knows how to indulge in romance and pleasure, would she?" Princess Zhaoyang glanced back at Jia Lian's handsome appearance, feeling gratified.

Previously, she was certain that Jia Lian had enough ambition. But now he had completely eliminated the threat from the Third Prince and others, and had fully gained the Emperor's approval, thus inheriting the throne. No one could shake his position anymore.

With so many female confidantes around him, she was genuinely worried that Jia Lian would lose his fighting spirit.

Turning back, she continued, "After the Emperor assumes the regency, the current Prime Minister will definitely need to be dismissed."

As for Zhao Dongsheng, things are fine. He is the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, so as long as his elder brother is willing to use him, he will not suffer any losses and naturally will not have any complaints.

It's the place where the Water King is..."

Shui Rong used to hold a temporary post in the Imperial Household Department and occasionally took on imperial missions, such as imperial inspection tours.

Like Jia Lian, he was also someone highly valued by Emperor Ningkang.

However, he was a year or two younger than Jia Lian, and his abilities were not as outstanding as Jia Lian's, so apart from the Imperial Household Department, he did not have much real power.

His appointment as Prime Minister was due to his status as the first prince outside the royal family, which allowed him to represent all the nobles and relatives.

If Jia Lian were to remove him from his position as prime minister after assuming regency, it would be tantamount to kicking him out of the central government.

Therefore, it's highly likely that he opposes Jia Lian. However, if Jia Lian wants to smoothly take over the imperial power completely from Emperor Ningkang, he will naturally need to gain the approval of various factions within the empire.

Therefore, it would be difficult to deal with Prince Bei Jing casually.

Jia Lian said, "I have already made arrangements regarding Shui Rong's whereabouts, so don't worry."

Seeing that Jia Lian was confident, Princess Zhaoyang was relieved and then smiled and said, "What about me? Your Majesty, don't forget that I am also the Prime Minister appointed by Father."

"My elder brother is dismissing me; what compensation do you plan to give me?"

Jia Lian patted Princess Zhaoyang's head and laughed, "Even I am yours, what more compensation do you want?"

"I don't care. I want it."

Princess Zhaoyang squirmed in Jia Lian's arms before realizing that Jia Lian was naked.

She quickly broke free from Jia Lian's embrace, ran to the side, picked up Jia Lian's outer robe, and tied it on him.

Feeling the warmth on his body, Jia Lian touched the cheek of the person in front of him and said softly, "Father has been preparing to abolish the cumbersome Green Standard Army for many years."

I do not intend to go against my father's wishes, but I feel that the vast territory of the empire cannot rely entirely on the border troops and military governors.

Therefore, I am preparing to train a new army.

"If my royal sister doesn't mind the hard work, would you mind helping me train the new army?"

Princess Zhaoyang was taken aback. She immediately understood Jia Lian's meaning.

In fact, she often felt that many of her father's policies were correct, but that he was too hasty.

For example, the pro-independence camp has hundreds of thousands of members nationwide. Completely eliminating them would definitely be inappropriate.

If the matter is carried out under the guise of training a new army, and some positions are even drawn from and retained, the impact of this incident can obviously be minimized.

Moreover, based on her understanding of Jia Lian, the new army he wanted to build would certainly no longer be mainly composed of fast horses and long spears.

He will definitely use firearms as his primary standard weapon!

My elder brother's two famous battles for establishing himself were both won by using firearms as his winning weapon.

After a brief moment of thought, Princess Zhaoyang asked, "If I help my brother train a new army, what will happen to the Imperial Guards? I am the Grand Commander of the Imperial Guards."

As she spoke, she glanced at Jia Lian almost imperceptibly.

Compared to the still-unknown new army, the 100,000 Imperial Guards are definitely stronger and more important.

Although she trusted her lover very much.

But she also knew that her lover was incredibly cunning. His actions might have been a way of subtly trying to get her to move.

After all, the Imperial Guards were too special, directly threatening the palace and imperial power. Even though she had never been an emperor, she knew that no emperor would be willing to let this powerful weapon be controlled by someone else.

Jia Lian said, "You can manage it too. I feel very reassured having the Imperial Guards in your hands."

Princess Zhaoyang looked at Jia Lian and said jokingly, "Your Majesty really trusts me so much, letting me train the new army and also put me in charge of the Imperial Guards."

"Isn't Your Majesty worried that one day my prestige in the army will surpass yours?"

Jia Lian smiled and pulled the person in front of him into his arms, saying, "What are you worried about?"
I owe my success today to my sister's great help.

Even if my sister's prestige surpasses mine, I would still support her if she wanted to become empress someday.

"At that time, I hope my royal sister will reserve the position of 'Empress' for me."

Nestled against Jia Lian's broad chest, Princess Zhaoyang pouted.

She was just saying it.

Jia Lian's prestige in the army was established by the great victories in two national wars. Unless she can achieve the same in the future, she will definitely not be able to surpass it even in thirty years by relying solely on military command.

If she wants to seize power, the only way is through a coup.

But while coups are easy, maintaining power is much more difficult.

So she said quietly, "Forget it, what's the point of being an empress? Wu Zetian killed so many people to secure her position, and in the end, she was still forced to abdicate."

I'd better just stick to being one of your generals... mainly because you're too cunning, I don't think I can possibly outmaneuver you!

Princess Zhaoyang could never compete with Jia Lian.

But she didn't want to give up the power she held.

Because power was her best ally in getting close to Jia Lian, and also an important bargaining chip that made Jia Lian always value her.

However, as the saying goes, serving a ruler is like serving a tiger, and she was afraid that Jia Lian would doubt her loyalty, so she made her stance clear in advance.

After hearing Princess Zhaoyang's words, how could Jia Lian not know what she was thinking?

He wasn’t exaggerating; Princess Zhaoyang had helped him a great deal to get where he is today!
Of course, it's impossible for her to become an empress.

The stability of the nation and the lives of 200 million people is not a trivial matter.

At most, I can compensate her in other ways.

As for the Imperial Guards, even if he took them from Princess Zhaoyang, he would still need someone else to take charge of them on his behalf.

At least for now, no one is more suitable or more loyal to him than Princess Zhaoyang.

To put it another way, even now, the Imperial Guards are not entirely under Princess Zhaoyang's control.

She couldn't do it, and probably wouldn't even attempt to. This is evident from the fact that she took the initiative to promote Su Keguang to the position of acting commander of the Imperial Guard.

This girl knows when to advance and when to retreat.

After a brief discussion of several important topics, Jia Lian, seeing the beautiful moonlight outside the window, suddenly smiled and said, "Does my imperial sister know what I thought of when I saw this moonlight?"

"What has Your Majesty thought of?"

"I thought of what happened at the imperial mausoleum before."

That night, you opened the window naked and leaned over the windowsill, ready to catch the person eavesdropping.

The bright moonlight shone on your jade-like back, making it shine brilliantly.

Do you know what I wanted to do at that moment?

Princess Zhaoyang was taken aback, vaguely remembering that there was such a thing.

Then my face turned red.

Although she didn't know what it looked like when the moonlight shone on her back, she knew that Jia Lian was definitely not thinking anything good under those circumstances.

"What...what do you want to do..."

Jia Lian didn't beat around the bush and whispered in her ear, "I want to jump off the bed and love you fiercely from behind."

It's a pity you didn't give me a chance back then.

Tonight is a rare and auspicious time; perhaps my younger sister will grant my wish.

Princess Zhaoyang spat, glanced past Jia Lian at the sleeping beauty in the bed curtains behind her, then covered her mouth and giggled: "Erlang, what you say sounds nice, but do you still have the energy to do bad things?"

As she spoke, the girl boldly reached out to test the waters.

Jia Lian was not offended. He patted Princess Zhaoyang's head and said with a smile, "That depends on how my imperial sister handles it."

Princess Zhaoyang, who was well aware of Jia Lian's habits, naturally understood what Jia Lian meant.

She was in a great mood tonight, so she naturally didn't refuse. After cursing him as a scoundrel, she leaned against the window and squatted down.

The Empress Dowager was awakened by a buzzing sound.

At first, she thought it was a rat in the countryside gnawing on the bed leg because it was hungry. But when she couldn't find it with her hands on the bed, she realized what was going on. She opened her eyes and searched for a long time before finally seeing the tall figure by the window.

There was no sign of the little girl, but the voice was definitely coming from that direction.

Having already witnessed it once, the Empress Dowager naturally had no trouble guessing where her little girl was now.

He cursed inwardly, but still couldn't help but peek through his wide eyes.

With the gauze curtain blocking her view, she quietly peeked out.

Little did she know that her blatant actions made her very easy to be discovered.

Sure enough, the figure by the window, leaning against it with one hand while admiring the moon, turned around as if sensing something, and immediately met her gaze. Startled, she quickly shrank back.

Jia Lian was enjoying Princess Zhaoyang's increasingly skillful service when he turned around and noticed the Empress Dowager's prying eyes. He was taken aback for a moment, then laughed.

If you add the Empress Dowager's beautiful back, it would certainly be even more dazzling under the moonlight than Zhao Yang's alone. (End of Chapter)