The Second Master of the Red Chamber

In Emperor Ningkang's bedroom, the other princes and princesses had already gone back, leaving only Princess Zhaoyang and the Fourth Prince.

After serving Emperor Ning Kang the medicine, the two of them stood aside sullenly.

Emperor Ning Kang first glanced at the Fourth Prince, who was unusually silent, and then asked Princess Zhaoyang, "My son, are you dissatisfied with your father?"

Princess Zhaoyang shook her head and said, "Father, everything you think about is for the country and the people. I understand you."

Hearing this, Emperor Ning Kang felt slightly comforted.

He looked at the Fourth Prince and couldn't help frowning: "Just say whatever you want to say. No one is stopping you. You're like a gourd with its mouth sawed off!"

The Fourth Prince had no intention of arguing with Emperor Ning Kang at this time. His expression was unusually lonely.

He looked at his own sister, then at Emperor Ning Kang, and shook his head.

Emperor Ning Kang got angry when he saw him like this, "If you have nothing to say, go back."

Although the Fourth Prince felt disappointed at this time, he couldn't help but complain about his father's prejudice against him.

Why do you always call your sister "Royal Son" in such an unkind way, but treat him with all your eyes and nose?

So he hummed, "So will the imperial sister leave?"

He had a lot of questions he wanted to ask his sister.

"You go away first."

Being scolded again by Emperor Ning Kang, the Fourth Prince couldn't help but lift his legs.

Finally, after taking two steps, he couldn't help it anymore and turned back to ask the two of them, "Did the Third Brother really kill the First Brother?"

The Fourth Prince is not stupid.

He was present throughout the entire process and heard all of Tian Liang's accusations.

Like many people, he believed what Tian Liang said and did not believe what the third prince said.

But this incident still had a huge impact on him.

Even though the Crown Prince and the Third Prince had fought each other in the past, it was only a secret friction. On the surface, they were still friendly and respectful to each other, with only some verbal disputes at most.

He found it hard to accept that one of his two brothers had suddenly died, and it was very likely that he was killed by the other one.

This kind of story from history books and plays suddenly played out before him, giving him a very unreal feeling, so he had not spoken before.

He is thinking about life.

But he obviously couldn't figure it out, so he asked after all.

But it was obvious that neither of the two people in front of him would give him a clear answer.

Emperor Ning Kang looked at his son deeply and slammed the table: "Get lost."

After the fourth prince left, only the father and daughter were left in the palace.

Emperor Ning Kang finally stopped pretending and revealed the fatigue on his face.

He sighed and said, "Don't blame me. I am very sad that your eldest brother died, and I want to seek justice for him.

However, as the emperor of Wei, I cannot do this.

This vast country will eventually need someone to guard it."

Princess Zhaoyang was a little surprised when she heard Emperor Ning Kang's words which seemed to be an explanation.

She thought about it and decided to be bolder.

She looked up at Emperor Ning Kang, "Even though father knew that he killed my eldest brother with his own hands?"

Emperor Ning Kang was silent.

Princess Zhaoyang continued, "Father! You don't only have my third brother as your son!"

Emperor Ning Kang narrowed his eyes and looked at Princess Zhaoyang with rare coldness.

"Zhaoyang, you are overstepping your authority."

Princess Zhaoyang was not afraid: "It is not that I am presumptuous. Since father has said so much, I might as well speak out my heart."

"If it were in the past, when my eldest brother was still alive, Zhaoyang would never dare to have any improper thoughts!
Ling'er is not an ambitious person. Even if I don't tell you, my father knows that Ling'er has never thought of competing with his brothers for that position. It was the case in the past, it is the case now, and it will be the case in the future!
In the past, I would respect his choice.

But after experiencing tonight, Zhaoyang felt that it was necessary for his son to fight for him!
Because in my eyes, my Third Brother is not worthy of being our elder brother, let alone the ruler of Wei."

Princess Zhaoyang knew that these words might anger Emperor Ning Kang, but she still chose to say it.

Although before Jia Lian told her, she had hardly thought about helping the Fourth Prince fight for the position of Crown Prince.

But after confirming that it was really the Third Prince who killed the Crown Prince, she suddenly became determined.

She also could not tolerate a person who harmed his brothers and sisters becoming the future ruler of the empire.

If you want to fight, then fight openly.

It would be fair to raise the issue directly with Emperor Ning Kang. After all, the one who decides who will be the crown prince is Emperor Ning Kang himself.

To Princess Zhaoyang's surprise, Emperor Ning Kang did not get angry, but said coldly, "So, this is why you spoke up for Tian Liang tonight?"

Princess Zhaoyang had long anticipated that Emperor Ning Kang was suspicious of her, so she naturally did not show any fear at this time.

"If your Majesty thinks so, you are looking down on me and underestimating the word 'family affection'.

Could it be that in my father's heart, that position is really far more important than blood relatives and sibling affection?"

Emperor Ning Kang's heart trembled slightly.

She was clearly his daughter, but when she mentioned the word "family" in front of him, it sounded so strange and even harsh to his ears!
He remembered that once upon a time, he also wanted to say the same thing to his father.

The difference is that he never had the chance to say it, or he didn't dare to ask.

Until today, he had the qualifications to question his father, but he no longer had the confidence to do so.

Because on the road to the throne, he, like his father and former brothers, trampled underfoot everything he once cared about.

His father was like this, his brothers were like this, and even his eldest son and third son were like this. This made him subconsciously assume the worst of his children.

However, are all his children really like this?

"As the daughter of the Emperor, I cannot remain indifferent when I know that my Third Brother may be the murderer of my First Brother. Just like last night, when there was chaos everywhere, I could not remain indifferent to the safety of my younger brothers and sisters.

Father, as our father, you are the person we respect and rely on the most.

The sons and ministers all hope that they can get protection from their father when they are wronged and treated unfairly.

Father, do you think this is wrong?"

Emperor Ning Kang was speechless. If the Third Prince had said this in front of him, he would have just looked at him coldly.

However, he was willing to believe what his second daughter said, and he knew that he had previously shielded the third prince and that the words he had just said had hurt her.

But his pride as an emperor prevented him from saying sorry.

After a moment of silence, Emperor Ning Kang said, "Tell me how you found out about this."

Faced with his daughter's sincere and frank expression of her feelings, Emperor Ning Kang finally put aside his imperial dignity and spoke straight to the point.

This is also the reason why he kept Princess Zhaoyang.

"Jia Lian had someone tell me."

"Jia Lian?"

Emperor Ning Kang seemed a little surprised, but he remained silent as if he didn't know what he was thinking about.

Princess Zhaoyang glanced at Emperor Ning Kang.

She also thought about not telling Jia Lian about it and letting him hide behind the scenes.

But after thinking about it, she felt that it was unnecessary. She had just shown an "open and aboveboard" attitude in front of Emperor Ning Kang. If Emperor Ning Kang eventually found out that she had lied, it would not be good for the overall situation.

Moreover, she also wanted to take the opportunity to test Emperor Ning Kang's attitude towards Jia Lian.

"And how did he know that?"

"Tian Liang took the initiative to find Jia Lian. He wanted to seek justice for his brother, but his words were not influential.

According to him, he originally wanted to ask Feng Sheng, but Feng Sheng was concerned about his third brother's status and was unwilling to stand up for him. "

Emperor Ning Kang laughed and said, "Feng Sheng is unwilling to take the lead, so why is Jia Lian willing to do so?
Is he really so eager to help others that he would not hesitate to offend your third brother?

That’s not like him.”

Emperor Ning Kang had known Jia Lian for a long time. He knew that Jia Lian appeared to be honest, and that he had beaten Prince Duan half to death in a rage for the sake of his father's face.

But this guy is actually very shrewd. He plans everything carefully before taking action and rarely suffers any loss at the hands of others.

When Princess Zhaoyang saw Emperor Ning Kang mentioned Jia Lian, he smiled as usual and she felt truly relieved.

“He naturally doesn’t want to offend his third brother.

However, Tian Liang told him that his brother had no grudge against the third brother and there was no reason for the third brother to kill him.

They suspected that this incident was related to the death of their eldest brother.

Only then did Jia Lian dare not neglect it.

He originally wanted to report this directly to you, Father, but he knew that you, Father, did not want to see him right now, so he had no choice but to find me and let me decide how to deal with this matter."

“Father should be able to guess what happens next.

I learned that my eldest brother might have been murdered by my third brother, so I was naturally shocked. I went to check my eldest brother's body overnight and found that there was indeed something wrong. Then I agreed to help Tian Liang file a complaint in front of the emperor. "

Emperor Ning Kang nodded after hearing this, everything made sense.

What was rare was that Princess Zhaoyang did not hide anything in front of him. She told him everything she had to say, and she did not even shy away from the fact that she and Jia Lian were secretly having an affair.

Thinking of this, Emperor Ning Kang felt a headache again.

He really didn't have the energy to focus on such trivial matters right now, so he ignored it and said, "Who told him that I don't want to see him?
As a minister, he himself does not come to see me, so do I have to take the initiative to invite him?"

Emperor Ning Kang said this and immediately ordered someone to call Jia Lian over.

……

"Your Highness, I am Jia Lian. I pay my respects to the Emperor and wish him long live his majesty."

"Get up."

The meeting between the emperor and his ministers was extremely ordinary, and it seemed that there was no difference from the past.

But when Jia Lian raised his head and looked at Emperor Ning Kang, both of them could tell from the faces of the people they met that things were different after all. "Jia Lian, you are still my nephew. How should I address you?"

Emperor Ning Kang asked slowly.

Jia Lian also put away his usual attitude of making jokes in front of Emperor Ning Kang. After a moment of silence, he said, "Whether Jia Lian or the Emperor's nephew, they are both your Majesty's subjects."

Emperor Ning Kang raised his eyebrows. This was what he liked most about Jia Lian.

Not only is he young and energetic, but he also has a sophisticated temperament.

Although he is only in his twenties, he seems to have the wisdom of a fifty-year-old.

"Since you knew that the Third Prince had killed Tian Qu, why didn't you come and report it to me directly, but instead told Princess Zhaoyang first?"

"Your Majesty has been overworked and in poor health, so I cannot bear to disturb you.

Besides, the matter involves the Third Prince, and after much thought, I still think it is better to be cautious, so I went to consult with Her Royal Highness the Princess."

Emperor Ning Kang curled his lips and said, "Well, can't you find any fault with this kid?"

"Jia Lian, how long have you been an official in the court?"

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

"Your Majesty, it has been four years."

"What's your official rank?"

"Your Majesty, I am a third-rank official."

"In four years, you have risen from a playboy to a third-rank official, in charge of several government offices. Jia Lian, I want to ask you, how do I treat you?"

Jia Lian pretended to be filled with emotion, knelt down again, and said loudly: "Your Majesty treats me like your own son."

Emperor Ning Kang almost coughed.

Good boy, you really know how to climb up the pole.

However, it is not an exaggeration to say that they are close to their children!

"Okay! Since you said so, I will give you two choices now.

First, I will recognize your ancestry and give you the title of a prince. All other benefits will be given to you as a reward for your hard work in the king's affairs over the years."

Emperor Ning Kang said this, observing Jia Lian's expression carefully.

It turned out that he was as calm as ever and did not get carried away by this enormous wealth.

"Second, I will give you nothing. I will not even acknowledge your status as the descendant of the Supreme Emperor. From now on, you, Jia Lian, will still be Jia Lian, and you will not have any connection with the royal family.

Of course, I will reward you for your achievements as usual."

"These two options are up to you."

After Emperor Ning Kang finished speaking, he lowered his head to read the report, as if he didn't care about Jia Lian's choice at all.

Jia Lian was naturally a little nervous at this time.

He understood that the two choices given to him by Emperor Ning Kang were definitely not given casually, and he must have thought deeply about them.

What choice he makes will obviously affect his future and even his destiny!
After carefully considering Emperor Ning Kang's words and tone, Jia Lian did not hesitate for too long and immediately said, "Your Majesty, I choose the second one."

"Oh?"

Emperor Ning Kang raised his head, with some surprise in his eyes.

"You've made the decision so quickly without giving it any more thought."

"I have already thought about it. I will choose the second one."

Jia Lian's eyes were firm.

But in my heart I was already complaining about Emperor Ning Kang, asking him why he was pretending to be so high and mighty.

Isn't this what you want me to choose?

The leader gives you two options, and they seem to be very different. It is very likely that he wants you to choose the second one.

Because he wants to show off and test whether you can tell good from bad!

Sure enough, seeing Jia Lian was so determined, Emperor Ning Kang was really curious and couldn't help asking, "Tell me, why did you choose the second one?"

It's nothing, because old Biden wanted me to choose the second one.

"First, because I am still too young, I do not think I can bear the weight of the title of king."

“Secondly, I still don’t believe that I am really the bloodline of the Grand Emperor. I think there must be some misunderstanding.

I have already made up my mind that once this matter is over, I will go back and ask my grandmother about what happened in the past and find out my true life story.

Your Majesty knows me well. I have always been cautious and thin-skinned. If it is finally found out that the old man, the Grand Emperor, made a mistake, and I have already received the status of a royal family member and the title of a prince, how embarrassing and shameful it would be then?"

Emperor Ning Kang snorted, "Ignorant words."

If the emperor really wants to honor a person, then it is true as well as false. Otherwise, wouldn't it be a joke?

"The third point...

I wonder if Your Majesty still remembers what I told Your Majesty. This world is very big. There are countless countries outside the territory of our Great Wei.

I always remember the agreement with Your Majesty to be a sharp sword to expand territory and conquer the barbarians in all directions for Your Majesty.

If you become a prince of the royal family, you will be honored, but it will be inconvenient for you to lead troops to fight the enemy and fight on the battlefield in the future."

Emperor Ning Kang frowned slightly. He almost forgot how Jia Lian had tricked him into expanding the port and navy.

If you think about it carefully, the reason why he was so anxious to take power from the retired emperor was that he wanted to eliminate the ills left over from the retired emperor's period as soon as possible, and then free up his energy to raise the national strength and military power of Wei to a certain level and become a capable monarch?
Of course, he had thought about what Jia Lian said about eliminating the disobedience in all directions and even launching expeditions overseas, but he also understood that it would be difficult to achieve this in his lifetime.

However, he had experienced so many things and setbacks recently that he almost forgot these ambitions.

It’s hard for Jia Lian, he still remembers it.

"Humph, you're talking as if you, Jia Lian, are the only one in the entire court who can get things done, and I can't accomplish anything without you."

"Uh...I spoke out of turn. Please don't blame me, Your Majesty."

Looking at Jia Lian who looked somewhat embarrassed, Emperor Ning Kang couldn't help but think in his heart.

How nice it would be if this was his son instead of his nephew!

In this way, all the previous troubles would be gone immediately. No, not just troubles, he could actually relax.

Because he really felt a little tired...

After a long silence, Emperor Ning Kang asked, "How long will your mourning period last?"

Although he did not understand what Emperor Ningkang meant, Jia Lian immediately replied: "Your Majesty, there is less than a year left."

"Over the years, you have done a lot for me and have hardly had a rest.

When you return to the capital, you will hand over the two errands of the Firearms Battalion and the Military Department, go back to mourn for your father, and take the opportunity to have a good rest. "

Emperor Ning Kang's words stunned Jia Lian.

What's going on, brother? I have made the choice according to your arrangement, and you still want to reduce my military power?

If I had known this earlier, I would have chosen the first one. At least I would have the title of a prince and could settle Baochai down.

Jia Lian felt unhappy, and it showed on his face.

Emperor Ning Kang became angry when he saw it.

"Don't be ungrateful! I don't know how much trouble I will be in after returning to the capital.

As the grandson of the emperor publicly acknowledged by the Supreme Emperor, you have the military power in your hands. Even if you are loyal to me, there will be people who are deliberately trying to drag you down!

Do you really want to help those people deal with me?"

"Ahem, that's impossible... Your Majesty, if you have something to say, just say it nicely. I will understand if you explain it clearly.

Just now I thought Your Majesty was going to cross the river and burn the bridge, and let me stay where I want to be."

Seeing that Emperor Ningkang was about to get angry again, Jia Lian did not dare to say anything more and quickly said, "Your Majesty only asked me to hand over the Firearms Battalion and the Military Department, what about the Tianjin Guard?"

"If you have time, continue with the things over there. If there are any problems, try to solve them yourself. There is no need to bother me."

The port and the navy are future projects. Ning Kangdi is not in the mood to take care of this now.

"Well, if you have nothing else to do, you can leave first. Keep your subordinates under control and set off for Beijing tomorrow morning."

Emperor Ning Kang had been meeting with Jia Lian alone for quite a long time, as he had other things to deal with.

After waiting for a while and not hearing Jia Lian's response, he looked up and found that Jia Lian was still looking at him tentatively.

"Do you have anything else?"

"Well, I heard that several armies have come down from the mountain, all of which were summoned by the order of the former emperor... I wonder if Your Majesty can use me for anything?"

"You? What can you do? Rely on the two or three thousand musketeers in your hands to help me repel these tens of thousands of troops?"

Emperor Ning Kang was careless.

Jia Lian thought, if you return the artillery troops to me, it might be possible to give it a try.

But this is just a joke. As long as Emperor Ning Kang is not crazy, he will never send troops to wipe out these foreign troops who have not rebelled.

"I dare not say anything else, but I heard that General Wang was ordered to lead tens of thousands of border troops to the capital...

Your Majesty has forgotten that Wang Ziteng is my wife's uncle. If Your Majesty needs a contact person, you might consider me."

In fact, it was not only Wang Ziteng, but also the Chang'an Jiedushi Yunguang Jia Lian was quite familiar with him. But Jia Lian would be stupid to bring this up, as it was suspected of making friends with foreign officials.

Jia Lian's words moved Emperor Ning Kang's heart.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I won't bring any soldiers with me. I will just bring a few followers."

Emperor Ning Kang glared at Jia Lian, thinking that Jia Lian was deliberately mocking him and saying that he was narrow-minded.

After all, this was a serious matter, so Emperor Ning Kang did not argue with Jia Lian. He thought for a moment and said, "Since you are sure of this, I will leave this matter to you. Humph, if you mess it up, I will take your head."

"I will not let your majesty down."

……

After walking out of the bedroom with the two imperial edicts from Emperor Ning Kang, Jia Lian looked back.

Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I hope you won't lie to me. I just like you, but I really want to have a good story with you as a subject.

...(End of chapter)