The Second Master of the Red Chamber

Although Yuanyang wanted to stay closer to Jia Lian for a while longer, she knew that Qingwen and the others would be back soon.

Therefore, she suppressed her reluctance, escaped from Jia Lian's embrace, and whispered, "Second Master, please wait for Qingwen and the others here. I'll go first."

"What are you going to do?"

"The old lady wants to see my brother. I'll go get him."

"Why does the old lady want to see your brother so late at night?"

Jia Lian, who had originally just asked casually, suddenly became suspicious.

"I don't know. The old lady didn't say, but she looked very anxious."

Yuanyang was actually also curious, because she rarely saw Lady Jia like this. She guessed that it was related to Jia Lian, because Lady Jia suddenly wanted to see her brother after meeting Jia Lian.

"Very anxious..."

Jia Lian seemed to be thinking about something. He asked Yuanyang a few questions about Jia's grandmother's situation after he came out, but he didn't get any useful information.

Seeing this, the mandarin duck raised its leg and was about to leave.

"It's not peaceful outside right now, take the two maids with you before going out."

Jia Lian's sudden instructions made Yuanyang feel warm in her heart.

Her brother and sister-in-law originally lived in the servants' quarters behind Rongguo Mansion. Later, in order to build the Grand View Garden, all these quarters were demolished, so Yuanyang's brother and his family also moved to the back street.

Although it was not far away, it was finally out of the house.

She had just wanted to take a shortcut and go to her brother and sister-in-law's house through the back door of the Grand View Garden. When she came out of the back door, she ran into Jia Lian and Qingwen's affair.

Nodding, the mandarin duck walked away with its long legs.

Yuanyang is actually very prudent in doing things, especially when it comes to matters concerning Lady Jia.

Since Grandmother Jia was so anxious to see her brother, Yuanyang knew that there must be something important. If someone else asked her, she would not answer honestly.

As for Jia Lian, she was willing to tell him everything in detail, and she was very willing to do what she could to help Jia Lian.

As for whether this would cause trouble for Lady Jia, she didn't think too much about it. Also, at this point, it was still unclear who was more loyal to Lady Jia or Jia Lian.

After Yuanyang left, Jia Lian was still wondering what Grandmother Jia wanted to do when he saw Qingwen and Xiangling coming over.

Xiangling was still as weak and innocent as ever, while Qingwen, with her hands behind her back, tilted her head and looked in the direction where Yuanyang left, with a sly look in her eyes.

"I didn't expect that even Sister Yuanyang has become Second Master's woman. It seems that in our mansion, anyone with a straight face and a straight head can hardly escape Second Master's control, right?"

Qingwen said this half jokingly and half sarcastically.

Jia Lian would naturally not be as polite to Qingwen and Xiangling, maids who had been taken advantage of by him a long time ago, as he was to Yuanyang.

He glared at her, then waved at her.

"what?"

"Go to the East Cross Courtyard and find Aqin or Aqi and tell them..."

Jia Lian lowered his head and whispered some instructions in Qingwen's ear. Although Qingwen was a little unhappy, she still obediently did the errand.

Looking at the silly girl left there, Jia Lian smiled slightly, bent down and picked her up, just like he had picked up Qingwen before, and then strode towards home.

……

The familiar night road, the familiar courtyard wall, and behind the familiar screen wall is the familiar courtyard.

The yard was crowded with people, each busy with their own things, but when Jia Lian stepped in, they all stopped and greeted him.

The voices of the maids and wives alerted the people in the east wing.

Wang Xifeng walked out holding Qiao'er in one hand and stood in front of the steps.

The phoenix's face is rosy and her beautiful eyes are deep and focused.

She stood straight, looking the man in front of her up and down.

Although she had already heard from the servants that Jia Lian was safe and sound and was moving very quickly in the mansion, she still couldn't help but confirm it herself.

She would be heartbroken if her husband, who was wise, brave, handsome and extraordinary, and who was said by others to be the one she had accumulated eight lifetimes of blessings to get, was even slightly bumped or bruised.

"Daddy, hold me~"

Jia Lian walked forward slowly, took his daughter from Sister Feng'er's hands, and looked down.

My daughter, who is almost three years old, has gradually grown out of her cradle and become delicate and graceful, with a bit of the appearance of a royal daughter.

Jia Lian couldn't help but smile from the bottom of his heart.

Although he raised Qingwen and Xiangling almost as half-daughters, they were different from his biological daughters after all.

Holding Qiao'er in his arms, he felt a kind of joy that came from a blood connection, which was the love that an old cow feels for its calf.

He stretched out his finger to tease her and found that the little girl was no longer just giggling like before, but was rather disgusted with his dirty, unwashed hands. Jia Lian gave up and looked up at Sister Feng unhappily, "Why, you don't recognize her after not seeing her for a few days? You keep on saying this, you...?"

Although Jia Lian did not finish speaking his words, Sister Feng, who was familiar with Jia Lian, easily interpreted Jia Lian's cryptic meaning.

It was the brother-sister version of a curse word she used to love to use.

"Where do you see your father?"

Giving Jia Lian a cold look, Sister Feng, who had been suppressed in her speech, said with a smile, "It is a rare occasion that the Marquis returns home today, and I was thinking of throwing a welcoming banquet for him. But I was afraid that the Marquis would be tired from the journey, so I did not dare to make the decision on my own.

Now the dishes and snacks in the kitchen are all ready. May I ask if you would like to set up a simple family dinner and invite the old lady, the second wife, and the brothers and sisters to come over for a drink?"

Taking care of household chores, hosting banquets and planning ahead are all Feng Jieer's specialties.

Therefore, Jia Lian was not at all surprised by Feng Jieer's thorough preparations. Instead, he was satisfied with Feng Jieer's increasingly humble behavior, and thought that this woman must have been trained well.

"Forget about tonight, let's do it tomorrow. Tell the old lady and Ying girl that I will set up a light feast at home tomorrow at noon and invite them to come over for a chat."

"Yes, I will obey your order."

It is said that a short separation is better than a new marriage, and Feng Jieer naturally does not want outsiders to disturb the beautiful scenery tonight.

She bowed to Jia Lian in a very formal manner, then took Jia Lian to the main house, coaxing him to take Qiao'er.

"I want daddy to hold me!"

"Qiao'er, be good. Daddy is very tired after just coming home. Let him take a rest..."

"No no no, I just want daddy to hold me."

"Well~! Be good, go play with Xiaohong and the others first. Daddy hasn't eaten yet. Wait until Daddy finishes his meal before playing with you."

Feng Jieer had a stern face, and few people in the mansion were not afraid, let alone Qiao'er, a three-year-old girl.

Although she was extremely reluctant, she still got down from Jia Lian obediently and was led away by the maid and wet nurse.

The reason why Feng Jieer sent her daughter away was naturally that she had something to discuss with Jia Lian. Therefore, after helping Jia Lian to change his clothes simply, she took advantage of the time when Ping'er and others were setting up dinner in the outer room and sat on the couch with Jia Lian to exchange secrets.

It's no wonder that Wang Xifeng lost her temper. Not to mention Jia Lian's mysterious instructions before he left Beijing, the turmoil in the capital and Jia Lian's sudden identity as the "grandson of the emperor" made it impossible for her to ignore it.

She had too many doubts, waiting for Jia Lian to answer them for her.

If it were Wang Xifeng a few years ago, Jia Lian would definitely not reveal too many things to her, so as to prevent her from doing anything bad.

However, after two years of observation, Jia Lian felt that under his guidance, although Feng Jieer was not yet a qualified queen, she was still qualified to be a king who maintained the status quo.

At least she kept her mouth shut and knew how to keep a secret.

Therefore, Jia Lian did not hide the truth and told Feng Jieer about the incident at Tiewang Mountain in a brief way so that she could roughly know what the situation was.

Feng Jieer was stunned when she heard this. It took her a long while to come back to her senses. She asked with concern, "So, you are really the grandson of the emperor, Master, and really the illegitimate son of the retired emperor?"

Jia Lian nodded.

Feng Jie'er's expression suddenly became interesting, and her eyes moved so quickly that even Jia Lian couldn't guess what was going on in her mind.

So he slapped Feng Jieer on the forehead and scolded her, "What evil scheme are you thinking of to harm people again?"

Sister Feng covered her head and glared at Jia Lian in dissatisfaction. She felt unhappy that the heartless man was addicted to beating her, and would hit her every now and then.

Do you really think she is that bitch Ping'er?

After staring at her hand, as if wondering if she had hit Jia Lian too hard, Sister Feng turned her eyes and snuggled up to him again, putting her face close to Jia Lian and whispered, "So, you are going to be a prince?"

This woman's mindset is indeed that of an ordinary person.

Unbearable.

"Why, do you want to be a princess so much?"

"Haha, it doesn't matter whether I want it or not. Anyway, we women follow our husbands wherever they go. If you become a prince, then I will naturally be happy to be your princess and manage your beauties and concubines for you."

When Feng Jieer said this, she suddenly thought of Princess Zhaoyang.

There was no way. Princess Zhaoyang had such a huge influence on her that she couldn't forget that woman even in her dreams.

She was thinking, if Jia Lian was the emperor's grandson, then wouldn't he and Princess Zhaoyang be cousins?
She already knew that the Queen Mother had promised Princess Zhaoyang to General Fenwu's mansion. Now that this relationship had been exposed, didn't it mean that the influence of that woman on her would be infinitely reduced in the future?

This is obviously another good thing for her.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

She was secretly happy, but Feng Jieer knew that she couldn't take the initiative to offend this bad luck. After all, whether it was the princess or Jia Lian, she couldn't afford to offend them.

Jia Lian certainly knew the appeal of the word "Princess" to women in the world...

Perhaps it would be better for those women who are indifferent to fame and fortune and act on emotion, but for someone as pragmatic as Feng Jieer, it would be too sweet.

So Jia Lian said with some mockery: "Princess, you'd better forget about it. The fact that His Majesty didn't kill me this time is a blessing for me."

Feng Jieer was stunned: "Why? Didn't you say that the emperor almost failed in his attempt to force the emperor to abdicate, and you led the troops to help him in time, so why did he want to kill you?"

"It's hard to explain the relationship to you right now. You just need to know that His Majesty does not intend to publicly acknowledge my background. From now on, I am still the second master of the Jia family, Rongguo Mansion."

Feng Jieer blinked her eyes. Although she was not well-educated, she had watched many operas and was smart, so she vaguely understood some of the principles behind this.

Seeing that Jia Lian had no intention of telling her in detail, she gave up asking and said with a smile, "Your identity as the emperor's grandson has already spread throughout the city, but you still want to continue to be the second master of the Jia family...

Haha, don't you worry about what the Jia family members will think of you when you walk among the eight houses in the two mansions in the future? "

Feng Jieer really adheres to the concept of marrying a chicken and following the chicken. Not long ago, she regarded herself as the eldest grandson's daughter-in-law of the Jia family, and kept referring to "our family" and "our mansion". Now that she knows that Jia Lian is not a descendant of the Jia family, she immediately refers to her as "those Jia family members".

Jia Lian also laughed and turned Feng Jieer's face: "Why, are you still afraid of being driven out by the old lady and the others?"

"If you're not afraid, why should I be afraid? Anyway, I've always been thick-skinned. When the Queen Mother issued an order to force me to return to my parents' home, I refused to leave your house.

Anyway, I will follow you for the rest of my life, wherever you go, I will go."

Although he knew that Feng Jieer was just mocking herself, Jia Lian was still very moved when he heard her say that.

There are many and few things a man seeks in his life.

So much that it can hold the whole world, so little that I just crave a bit of sincerity.

How many men dream of having a woman who follows them wholeheartedly.

As for Jia Lian, he already has one, and maybe more than one.

What a blessing.

Although Feng Jieer did not understand people's hearts as well as Jia Lian, she had been teased by Jia Lian so many times. Seeing Jia Lian's serious face, she guessed that Jia Lian was probably teased back by her.

Feeling proud of her, he took advantage of the situation and said with a smile: "The old lady was anxious to call you over just now, she must be talking about your identity, right?
It seems that she already knew about it?

Yes, she knows that you are not her biological grandson, but she still loves you so much, she will definitely not be willing to kick you out.

I'm just curious, you are an outsider, but you hold the title of the Jia family. Isn't this the legendary cuckoo occupying the magpie's nest? Don't you feel embarrassed?
I remember that you, Master Lian, are not a shameless person."

This is a typical example of Feng Jieer asking the question that she cares about most in a joking way.

Originally, she thought that Jia Lian was a legitimate grandson of the emperor, and it would not be difficult for him to be conferred the title of king.

In that case, the Jia family's title would naturally be useless.

But Jia Lian told her that the emperor was not prepared to acknowledge his status as the emperor's grandson, which would make things difficult.

She didn't want to lose her status as a first-rank imperial official.

Jia Lian, however, seemed not to understand what Feng Jieer meant. He turned over and pressed Feng Jieer under him, and said with a smile: "Why, are you afraid of the Second Master and the Second Mistress and want me to return the title to their Second House and then kick us out?"

With her hands clamped by Jia Lian, Sister Feng cooperated with him by showing a frightened look and whispered, "Yes, a little. You told me at the beginning that you would drive the Second Madam and the others out of the house and let me be the master of this family.

Now let’s see how you fulfill your promise…”

Jia Lian's expression was slightly stunned. Although he could not remember whether he had said such words, but considering what Feng Jieer said, if he was really not of the Jia family's bloodline, not only did he replace someone else's hereditary title, but he also had to drive that person's legitimate descendants out of the house. It seemed a bit too much.

He began to really think about how to get along with the second wife in the future.

But there were still some doubts that he had not figured out, so he naturally could not come up with a definite idea for the time being.

So he was too lazy to think about it for the time being. Instead, he raised his hand and tore off his wife's thin clothes, saying nonchalantly, "Forget it if it can't be realized. Anyway, we have plenty of money now. Even if we are kicked out, we can easily build a mansion and live on our own."

It was now mid-April and the weather was gradually getting hotter. His wife, who had a slim and graceful figure, had been lying on him for a long time. Jia Lian had long wanted to vent the murderous karma he had accumulated on Tiewang Mountain.

Feng Jieer was immediately startled. Her face flushed. She quickly covered her chest with her freed hands and said coquettishly, "What are you doing? It's almost time to eat... After eating and taking a bath, we can..."

Sometimes even Jia Lian was curious. They were clearly an old couple, so why was this woman still so shy?
Not even as good as some little girls.

If he could find some clues, Jia Lian would have suspected that Wang Xifeng was an ancient version of the White Lotus, who was so good at pretending.

"The meal can wait, but you and I can't wait even a moment."

As soon as Jia Lian finished speaking, he started moving his hands and feet, not caring at all whether the clothes on Feng Ji were valuable or not. He quickly stripped Feng Ji half-exposed and went to make love with her in Wushan.

From the beginning to the end, Feng Jieer was half-hearted.

How could she not want to?
I believe that any woman in this world would be happy to cooperate or even happy in this situation.

After all, Feng Jieer still remembers that when she was chatting privately with some not-so-serious ladies, they said that men were all cats that steal fish and had no energy to take care of the flowers at home.

They also made fun of her, saying that her man was so handsome, famous, and powerful, and there were countless women in the world who were willing to spend a night with her man.

Let me ask, how many days does it take for Marquis Zhenyuan to take care of her, and how much energy can he provide each time?

Do you feel drained of your energy by the little fairies outside every time you come back from a long trip?

Whenever this happened, she could only smile, or laugh and curse back, without discussing it further.

But she always kept it in her heart.

Although she herself was not keen on this kind of thing, she knew that whether her husband was willing to spend his energy on her was a manifestation of whether he loved her or not.

Fortunately, Jia Lian never let her down on this point.

When she thought of Jia Lian talking about money, she immediately remembered that there were ten boxes of gold hidden in this room.

Those were all given to her by Jia Lian. Each box weighed about three thousand taels of silver, which together amounted to five hundred thousand taels of silver!

Just using this gold, I'm afraid the house built would be no less impressive than the Mansion of Duke Rong.

Of course, the construction of Rongguo Mansion certainly did not cost so much money. After all, it was the emperor who granted the land and the government ordered its construction.

Moreover, if they move out, the house they build can only be called a marquis's mansion at most, and can no longer be called a duke's mansion...

This was the case when Jia Lian took away his title.

Thinking of this, Feng Jieer felt that her life was almost perfect.

Being a first-rank official and having endless wealth at hand, isn't this the life she has always dreamed of?

All these were brought to her by Jia Lian, so she depended on this man and was willing to make him happy.

This is the fundamental reason why she is willing to humble herself in front of Jia Lian.

People's hearts have always been about achieving each other; they are not so easy to tame.

...(End of chapter)