The Second Master of the Red Chamber

Shi Ding was very drunk. When he was helping Jia Lian out of the door, he kept talking to him.

"Brother Lian, I owe you a huge favor. You saved my family's lives..."

"Uncle has said this many times, be careful with the steps."

Shi Ding stepped on empty air and stumbled, but he didn't care. He still held Jia Lian's arm and said in a hoarse voice: "Yes, I have said it before... Anyway, thank you very much this time. Your Majesty transferred me to the Beijing Camp, and I am the deputy commander..."

Jia Lian's expression changed slightly when he heard this, and he said, "This should only be temporary. Uncle is a hero who suppressed the rebellion. Maybe His Majesty will transfer Uncle back to the Imperial Guard after some time."

Not to mention that the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard is already more honorable than the deputy commander of the Beijing Camp, the deputy commander of the Cavalry Camp is one level higher than the ordinary deputy commander of the Imperial Guard.

Therefore, Shi Ding was considered to be demoted.

But it was not entirely a demotion. As Shi Ding had said before, Emperor Ning Kang promoted him one level higher in order to commend his "heroic rescue" and he is now a first-class marquis.

"What a bullshit meritorious official! I know exactly what I am. The old emperor treated me with great kindness, but I betrayed him at the most critical moment. I really deserve to die. This shame of selling out my master for fame and fortune will never be washed away by me in my lifetime..."

Perhaps Shi Ding really spoke the truth after drinking, as he cursed, his eyes became moist.

Wang Ziteng, who was standing next to him, also sighed when he saw him like this.

If what Shi Ding said is true, what is the difference between him and Shi Ding?

He was also an old minister of the retired emperor's dynasty, and was also ordered to go to the capital to serve the emperor. In the end, he was easily surrendered by Emperor Ning Kang with a position of cabinet minister.

Jia Lian felt a little admiration for Shi Ding's true feelings.

Having the courage to face one's own ugly side is a kind of greatness.

Under the circumstances at that time, if Shi Ding did not listen to his advice and was determined to die for the emperor, what would be the point other than sacrificing the lives of his entire family?

If it is a foreign war, perhaps it can be said that it is for the nation-state, for the greater good, and that the death is worthy.

But this was clearly a meaningless civil war. The generals and soldiers fought to the death, leaving 10,000 corpses on the Iron Net Mountain. But what happened in the end? In the end, the two saints were unharmed, but the emperor was imprisoned.

Didn’t Qian Yi and Sun Jia have any regrets before they died?

No, maybe they also want to live, but they are not as lucky as Shi Ding, and God did not give them the chance to live.

Jia Lian comforted him, saying, "Uncle, don't worry about it. It's not your fault. You made the right choice not for yourself but for the lives of your family.

And in the end, the emperor was alive and well, and nothing unexpected happened to him because of his uncle.

Seriously speaking, what my uncle did was not a betrayal, at most it was betrayal. My uncle was just trying to keep his family alive, so he did nothing wrong."

Shi Ding wiped his tears, looked up at Jia Lian, and said with a smile: "Not bad, Brother Lian is still educated. This is indeed not selling out for fame, but selling out for survival, for life..."

Shi Ding smiled and said suddenly: "Brother Lian is so handsome, he is indeed the most handsome man in the capital. It's a pity that my uncle's daughter is only seven years old, otherwise I would definitely marry her to you. I really want to be your father-in-law..."

Jia Lian glanced at the guy sideways, waved to Shi Ding's personal guards beside him, and threw him away.

Wang Ziteng, who was not drunk, smiled, but he couldn't help but think about it in his heart. After realizing that he didn't have a daughter of the right age to marry Jia Lian, he gave up the idea of ​​arranging a marriage.

After seeing Wang Ziteng and Shi Ding off, Jia Lian glanced at the sky and asked his attendants, "What time is it?"

"Replying to Second Master, it is already the second watch."

Nodding, Jia Lian walked back to the courtyard. Just as he passed the ceremonial gate, he saw Sister Feng leading a large group of people, carrying various boxes.

"The two uncles are gone?"

Sister Feng came forward, with her slender waist swinging and her face as bright as spring.

Jia Lian hummed, raised his hand to stroke a strand of hair on her forehead, and stared at his wife's bright face with slightly drunken eyes.

Sister Feng knew that Jia Lian was a shameless man, not to mention that he had drunk wine. She was afraid that Jia Lian would do something intimate to her in public, which would damage her dignity. Therefore, she blocked Jia Lian's hand in advance, glared at him and smiled:

"I have prepared all the rewards and the list. Would you like to sit down and give out the rewards yourself, Duke?"

"No, I trust you to do the job."

Just a few simple words made Sister Feng very happy.

Jia Lian was honored with the title of Duke. Although he could not hold a grand celebration due to mourning for the country and his family, he still gave some reward money to let his family members share in the joy and have a good time.

Therefore, she discussed with Jia Lian and decided to reward the whole family with half a year's salary, and they would pay for the reward themselves, and it would not be put into the official account of Rongguo Mansion.

Feng Jieer did not object to what Jia Lian said.

Although she loves money, she is not stingy. She is happy as long as she can spend money on style and prestige.

Moreover, she is now the wife of a duke. Although she has never thought of competing with Lady Jia, she still has to show the necessary attitude and style.

Besides, since it is an official account, there is no need to negotiate with Mrs. Wang on how to reward or how much to reward.

She was happy to suppress this aunt whom she once respected but later found out that she was mostly being taken advantage of by her.

"Then you should go home first. After you drink, take a good bath and have a good rest. Do you want me to leave Ping'er to take care of you?"

"No, you can use her here."

Jia Lian glanced at Ping'er beside him and started to walk away. After taking two steps, he stopped and said, "Why not call the servants from the East Palace as well?"

Seeing Sister Feng's surprise, Jia Lian said, "When there is something going on, the servants over there are often used, and I have never seen them disobey orders.

Now that we have gained some benefits, there is no reason to leave them behind. If we do so, how can they not feel resentful? "

The Rong and Ning mansions are as close as a family. Whenever there is an important event, the servants on both sides can order each other around.

But generally speaking, rewarding servants is the responsibility of each mansion.

It all started with Jia Lian, and then both families began to benefit from the blessing.

This was also because Jia Lian became the acting clan leader, and the East Palace temporarily lacked a person in charge, so Jia Lian took over some of the decision-making power in the East Palace.

Another more important reason was that he didn't want to embarrass his woman.

Just like this time, usually both sides are equally obedient. Seeing that everyone in Rongguo Mansion has gained huge benefits, how can the people in Ningguo Mansion not be jealous.

If Youshi pretended not to see it at this time, people would resent her. If she followed suit and gave out a reward, she would be wasting a lot of money.

The key point is that there are always happy events in Rongguo Mansion?

Being a housekeeper is not an easy job, let alone one with a weak foundation like Youshi?

Jia Lian admired Youshi's contentment and understanding, so he usually thought about her and tried his best not to make things difficult for her.

Therefore, like today, Jia Lian thought it would be better to reward them all at once.

Feng Jieer also knew that the servants in the East Palace all listened to Jia Lian and understood what Jia Lian meant, so she asked, "How do you calculate it? If both sides are the same, the servants here will not only feel unbalanced, but also meet those rotten-hearted people who don't understand your kindness and think that you are deliberately showing favor so that you can interfere in the affairs of the other side."

Sister Feng smiled deliberately.

Jia Lian frowned. If he had wanted to win over the hearts of the two governments and use them for his own benefit in the past, it was no longer necessary at this point.

With his current status and position, he doesn't need to use any tricks, and no one in the two governments dares to disobey him.

"They don't have to be the same. Just keep it for three months."

Absolute fairness is unfair. After all, Jia Lian is from the Rongguo Mansion, so there should naturally be some differences.

Feng Jieer nodded and continued, "It's not that I don't want to part with these hundreds of taels of silver. It's just that after all, that place is not under our jurisdiction. If we also pay it monthly, don't we have to ask Sister You for the list of servants?

Aren’t you afraid that your sister-in-law will be suspicious?

In my opinion, there is no need to be so troublesome.

After we have given out all the rewards here, I will bring out a few extra baskets of money. Within half an hour, let those in the East Palace who want to get the rewards come over, and then scatter them in this courtyard. How much they can grab depends entirely on their own ability. Isn't this both 'fair' and lively?"

When Jia Lian heard this, he glanced at Sister Feng with a sidelong glance.

She is worthy of being the Jia family's personal housekeeper. Having worked her way up in the government office, she has developed a set of mature and feasible theories about housekeeping.

A simple change, but there are many explanations behind it.

First of all, such an informal form can avoid damaging the reputation of the East Mansion, that is, Yu Shi’s face.

Secondly, it all depends on one's ability to grab more or less, so naturally there is no complaint. Those housekeepers and housekeepers who can't bear to give up their dignity, or those who are wealthy, will not seriously grab, which gives more opportunities to those who really need it.

In the end, hundreds of servants scrambled for the reward money together, which was indeed lively and festive, and the original intention of giving out the reward was achieved.

"Just do as you say."

After saying a word of praise, Jia Lian left without looking back.

……

If Lady Jia was happy, Rongqing Hall would usually be brightly lit.

After dinner, they drank tea, admired flowers, played cards, etc. It was often midnight. Not to mention that the uninvited guest, Madam Shihou, came to the dinner tonight.

After seeing off Mrs. Zhen and Mrs. Shihou, seeing that Grandmother Jia was finally feeling a little tired, the granddaughters said goodbye and came out of Rongqing Hall in a mighty procession, ready to return to the garden.

Who would have thought that just as they reached Rong Xi Tang, they saw Jia Lian walking out from there towards the South Corridor Road.

All the sisters were stunned, and then they all came over to greet them.

Jia Lian saw that Yingchun and the others were also smiling. He glanced at Baochai and Daiyu quietly, but did not find anything unusual. He felt relieved, so he waved his hand to the front door and said, "Let's go in and have a cup of tea before going back."

Yingchun and the others naturally agreed, so eight or nine sisters plus their maids, a large group of people, followed Jia Lian's steps and entered the courtyard, chattering.

Among them, Tanchun and others were afraid that Baochai and Daiyu would feel embarrassed, so they almost surrounded them and carried them in.

Because he had drunk a lot of wine and smelled of alcohol, Jia Lian went into the inner room to change his clothes. When he came out, Yingchun and others were already sitting in the side room.

Jia Lian took a quick look and saw that there were nine girls, big and small, in the garden.

Among them, Baochai and Daiyu sat on the edge of the kang, while the other seven girls, including Sanchun, Xiuyan, Xiangyun, Baoqin, Zhen Yuhuan, formed an irregular fan shape from the tea table to the corner of the wall, blocking the way to the door of Baochai and Daiyu.

From the reluctance still on Daiyu's face, it was obvious that she was not willing to sit on the kang, at least not willing to sit with Baochai.

After pressing his hand to signal them not to get up, Jia Lian walked to the other side of the table and sat down, asking, "Why are there only a few of you? Where is Baoyu? Isn't he the one who likes playing with you the most?"

It was Xichun who spoke first: "Brother Bao is not in good spirits. The old lady asked Sister Xiren to send him back to Yihong Courtyard."

Xichun's childish voice made the girls' expressions change even more.

Many of them thought that Jia Baoyu was in a bad mood today because of Baochai. Lin Daiyu, Baochai and Baoerge (Baoyu) didn't get any of them, so they must be very sad.

They did not know that the real reason why Jia Baoyu wanted to return to the Yihong Courtyard was that, except for Baochai and Daiyu, when the seven girls gathered together, seven out of ten topics they discussed revolved around Jia Lian, which made Jia Baoyu, who had been sitting next to them for a long time, feel very discouraged and bored, so he left early.

The girls who were the instigators themselves didn't know about it, and Jia Lian naturally didn't know either.

But he didn't care too much. Instead, he looked at Xiangyun and asked everyone, "What's wrong with her?"

In the past, this girl was the one who talked the most and took the initiative to talk to him, but now she looked depressed.

Tanchun also glanced at Xiangyun. Seeing Xiangyun looking up blankly, she smiled and said, "It's probably because her third aunt just invited her to live with her at home. The old lady asked her what she thought, and she was confused and refused without thinking clearly. She regrets not being able to enjoy the good life."

"Nonsense, I didn't..."

Seeing that Tanchun was slandering her, Xiangyun immediately stood up and wanted to tear Tanchun's mouth.

Mrs. Shi Ding wants to take Xiangyun home to live?

Jia Lian thought about it. Although he had some favor to Shi Ding and wanted to recruit him for his own use, because the two Shi brothers did not get along, it was Shi Nai's family that interacted with the Jia family, and Shi Ding rarely interacted with the Jia family, which led to him not being familiar with Shi Ding at all.

At this time, he also wanted to find out from Xiangyun what kind of people her third uncle and aunt were.

Many times, the adults in the eyes of children are the most real.

Then, looking at the two laughing maids, Jia Lian asked, "Oh, since your third aunt sincerely wants to take you back to live with her, why are you unwilling to refuse her?"

Xiangyun was not expecting Jia Lian to ask this question. She withdrew her hand from playing with Tanchun and frowned, saying, "I don't want to go..."

"Is it because they treat you badly, or is it because their family is bad?"

"Neither... I have lived with my second uncle since I was a child, and I rarely go to their house..."

Xiangyun explained, then became a little dissatisfied, staring at Jia Lian: "Why do you ask so many questions? Besides, why must their family be bad? Isn't it okay because I like this place and I like Sister Yingchun and they don't want to leave?"

Jia Lian smiled and continued, "If that's the case, then why are you still not happy?"

"How can I be unhappy..."

Xiangyun blushed as she said something that was not what she meant and faced Jia Lian's eyes that seemed to see through her thoughts.

She is the only daughter of the eldest son in the family. Her parents died when she was very young, so she was raised by her second uncle and second aunt.

Second Aunt often said bad things about Third Uncle and Third Aunt in front of her. Although she didn't believe it completely, she had only seen Third Uncle and Third Aunt a few times since she was a child, and had never felt the care from them.

So even though she was not sure whether they were as bad as Second Aunt said, it was definitely true that they did not care about their eldest niece.

Originally, this was nothing, she had gotten used to it over the years.

She didn't expect that Third Aunt would suddenly visit the Jia family tonight, and what she didn't expect was that her attitude towards her changed drastically.

The caring look on her face during the meal made her doubt that the third aunt she had in mind was someone else.

So she was not unhappy tonight, but she was confused and distressed because she couldn't figure out the reason.

As for following the other person to her house, that is nonsense.

As long as she still wants to go back to her second uncle's house, she will never follow her third aunt.

Moreover, although she is young, she knows very well who is truly kind to her since she was a child.

Among so many close relatives and elders, the only one who truly cared for her and loved her was Grandmother Jia.

Otherwise, she wouldn't like to come to the Jia Mansion so much!

"Just now at the banquet, her third aunt said that Yun's third uncle was promoted to the first-class marquis, and she kept praising you.

What does this have to do with you?"

Just when Xiangyun didn't know how to explain, Baochai suddenly spoke.

The person she was questioning was Jia Lian.

Jia Lian sat back a little, but he didn't try to hide it: "It is somewhat related."

The court struggles were too bloody and cruel, Jia Lian didn't want to say too much about these beautiful flowers.

But Baochai seemed to have a natural keen sense of these things. She almost immediately thought of something and said to Xiangyun, "You told me before that your third uncle didn't have a good relationship with your second uncle and second aunt, so you didn't see them once a year.

This time your Third Aunt suddenly cares about you so much and wants to take you home to live, probably because of him."

Baochai gestured to Jia Lian.

Among the people present, perhaps only Baochai knew Xiangyun's thoughts and confusion best.

Because Xiangyun is a talkative person, she might not mention family matters to others out of self-respect, but she has almost no reservations when it comes to Baochai.

"Because of Brother Lian?"

Xiangyun was surprised, and others became curious as well.

Seeing that everyone was looking at her, Baochai had no choice but to continue explaining, "Her third uncle came to visit the Jia family at night, probably to see Second Brother Lian.

Given the status of Lord Shi San, even if Brother Lian Er was conferred the title of Duke, he was still a junior after all, and he probably didn't need to be so humble.

Since he did so, there must be a good reason. Either he had something extremely important to discuss with Second Brother Lian, or he had to come in person today to congratulate Second Brother Lian out of respect for him.

Combined with what her third aunt said during the dinner, it is not difficult to guess that it must be Second Brother Lian who helped Third Marquis Shi a lot, and Third Marquis Shi was grateful for Second Brother Lian's kindness.

As for why Mrs. Shi Hou changed her attitude towards Yun Yatou, I think it was probably because she seldom visited her on weekdays, and Lord Shi Sanhou and Mrs. Shi Hou were worried that the old lady would not like them. They also knew that the old lady loved Yun Yatou since she was a child, so they deliberately showed their love for Yun Yatou to appease the old lady. "

Baochai was actually being reserved.

The Xue family had many businesses in the capital, and had many shopkeepers and employees, so they knew a lot about the news in the capital.

She only knew that three of the four marquises of the Imperial Guard Cavalry Battalion were dead and one survived.

Considering the behavior of Shi Ding and his wife today, it is not difficult to guess that the reason why Shi Ding escaped was probably because of Jia Lian's help!

However, it was inconvenient to explain these reasons to Yingchun and others, so he made up a set of logically consistent explanations.

After that, she also said to Xiangyun: "Your Third Uncle and Third Aunt have ignored you for so many years, which shows that they don't really love you. If she asks to take you to live in her house again in the future, don't be embarrassed to agree, or your Second Aunt will dislike you in the future."

Because Baochai said this, Xiangyun knew that Baochai was really doing this for her own good, so she went over and hugged Baochai's arm, saying with a smile: "Okay, I know. Don't worry, I'm not that easy to coax..."

Seeing how close their relationship was, especially Xiangyun's almost dependent demeanor, everyone laughed.

Only Daiyu gave him a cold look, feeling very uncomfortable.

Thinking back, this silly girl was also so clingy to her, but now it is certain that she has fallen in love with someone else.

I hate this person. He wants to snatch everything from her... (End of this chapter)