The Second Master of the Red Chamber

In the following days, the soldiers of the expeditionary army to Liaodong all received rewards from the imperial court.

However, the court has never expressed any opinion regarding Jia Lian, the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary army to Liaodong, who single-handedly created a great victory in Liaodong and restored the Liaodong territory during the reign of Emperor Taizu.

As a result, some discussions and rumors inevitably circulated among the people.

Jia Lian himself didn't care about this and planned to spend the New Year at home, and then marry Daiyu and Baochai next year.

If Emperor Ningkang still did not assign him any other tasks, he would continue to work on shipbuilding in Tianjin.

Therefore, he has been quite content these past few days.

That day, he went to Ningguo Mansion, visited Jia Heng and Jia Wu, and then entered the West Garden, arriving at the residence of the You sisters.

Just outside the covered walkway, a graceful figure was seen practicing swordsmanship in the clean courtyard.

You Sanjie herself possessed a beauty that surpassed even the most beautiful peach blossoms. At this time, in the dead of winter, while everyone else was bundled up in thick cotton-padded coats, she was dressed in short, close-fitting clothes, darting and dancing around in the courtyard, which was truly an extraordinary beauty.

Sister You had been practicing her swordplay for a while, and was now finishing and wiping her sweat.

Upon seeing Jia Lian, she immediately slung her sword over her shoulder and stepped forward: "Oh, the busy man has time to visit us sisters today?"

You Sanjie was indeed a rose with thorns. Even though she had realized her status as a concubine, she never fawned over Jia Lian.

They dare to speak out directly about any grievances or dissatisfaction they may have.

Jia Lian was used to her temperament and asked her directly, "Where is your sister?"

"She's probably still in her mother's room, keeping her company while she does needlework."

You know her, she's always so quiet and reserved. Even when I ask her to come out and practice swordsmanship with me, she's unwilling.

Upon hearing that You Erjie was in You Laoniang's room, Jia Lian gave up the idea of ​​going to find her.

It wasn't that Jia Lian didn't want to see Old Lady You, but rather that she was always too enthusiastic whenever she saw him.

How enthusiastic were they?
To put it simply, she was several times more enthusiastic than Aunt Xue.

Unfortunately, she wasn't as well-maintained as Aunt Xue, which always made him feel uncomfortable.

Therefore, he didn't greet her much after that. Instead, he would try to please her by sending her anything nice he had.

Seeing that Jia Lian had only asked the mother and her two daughters a few questions and was about to leave, You Sanjie quickly grabbed Jia Lian.

He pulled her to a slightly secluded spot, looked up and asked, "I heard you went out to mourn after the New Year?"

"Yes, after the Lantern Festival, I will officially be out of mourning."

Sister You's eyes lit up, and she immediately became a little shy, lowering her head to ask, "Then... when do you plan to marry me and my sister?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian smiled as he looked at the beautiful woman in front of him, whose skin was fair and rosy from exercising, and said with a laugh, "What, so eager to marry me?"

"No."

As if realizing that her statement was too weak, she immediately added confidently, "My sister and I have been waiting for you for two years. You've turned sixteen this year, and my sister is almost eighteen. We're practically old maids now."

If you don't marry us soon, how long are you going to make us wait?
"Are you going to follow in Chen Shimei's footsteps and become an irresponsible, heartless man?"

As she spoke, Sister You looked at Jia Lian with pitiful eyes.

Jia Lian reached out and wiped the sweat from her face, laughing, "Alright, it's not like I'm really not going to take responsibility."

Besides, even if I were Chen Shimei, you are not Qin Xianglian.

"Read fewer of these kinds of storybooks in the future."

You Sanjie's aggrieved appearance was naturally seven-tenths an act.

It's true that Jia Lian is a first-rate person, but You Xiaosan is not a despicable person either.

On the contrary, she was very beautiful from a young age, and especially in the last two years, as she has grown up, she has become even more beautiful.

She wasn't afraid of Jia Lian abandoning her.

To put it bluntly, if Jia Lian didn't want the sisters, it would be a loss for him as well.

With this confidence, she naturally wouldn't pester Jia Lian relentlessly.

She believes in mutual consent.

Your character and appearance have won my heart and soul; your wealth and status have enabled me to escape the poverty of my humble origins and live a life of privilege.

I will naturally use my beauty and loyalty to make you feel happy.

Because of this clear understanding, she was not truly angry even when Jia Lian bluntly said that he was making fun of her as a "fangirl".

She brushed Jia Lian's groping hand away and continued to press, "Give me a straight answer, when exactly are you planning to marry us?"

Being forced to give an answer can instinctively make one feel uncomfortable.

However, when Jia Lian thought about it over the past two years, he realized that You Sanjie's performance had indeed been quite good.

So he patiently explained, "I'm afraid it won't work after the new year starts."

Although one must fulfill filial piety at home, there is still filial piety to the nation.

And as you know, even if I were to marry, I would marry Miss Lin and Miss Xue first.

Although they knew their social status was inferior to Daiyu and Baochai, no woman would be happy to receive such a reply.

Fortunately, Jia Lian added, "Therefore, it's definitely impossible to arrange for spring."

If you're really in a hurry, you can come in during the summer.

However, my original plan was to schedule it for August.

Sister You was taken aback, then asked somewhat shyly, "Why is August the best month...?"

Jia Lian smiled and patted You Sanjie's head.

At this point, it becomes clear that although Sister You San was born with a beautiful and delicate appearance, she did not appear short.

But in reality, she was more than a head shorter than him, a world apart from the tall and slender Miaoyu and Princess Zhaoyang.

"Silly girl, your birthday is in August."

The day you gave yourself to me on the eve of your coming-of-age ceremony was the most important day between us.

Therefore, I decided to welcome you into our family in August, both to commemorate the occasion and to make your birthday even more meaningful and wonderful from now on.

You Sanjie had heard Jia Lian's sweet words before, but they were always awkward and domineering.

When had she ever heard Jia Lian be so gentle and considerate of her?

For a moment, her gaze towards Jia Lian became unfocused.

After thinking for a moment, she nodded shyly and said, "Then... let's do as you say, and set the date for August..."

What is there that Sister You Sanjie wouldn't want to wait for?
Jia Lian deliberately chose August as the date, rather than just picking any auspicious day to bring the two sisters into the house.

This shows how much they are valued.

Even if she were stupid, she wouldn't object to this.

Seeing that he had appeased You Sanjie, Jia Lian smiled and said, "I have nothing to do today, so I plan to go to Tianxiang Tower for a while."

are you going? "

Originally, Jia Lian had invited her to come along, which should have made You Sanjie very happy.

After all, as a concubine, her presence by Jia Lian's side was undoubtedly very important.

But upon hearing that she was going to Tianxiang Tower, she hesitated, and after thinking for a moment, said, "You go by yourself, I still need to practice my sword..."

Seeing that Jia Lian seemed somewhat surprised that she had been rejected, she quickly explained:
"The princess told me that if you ever bully me, or if I can't stay here any longer, I should go to the princess's residence and become her sword attendant."

"Hmph, I'm the princess's chosen one now, so don't even think about bullying me again."

This was obviously an excuse from Sister You.

Actually, it was because she had been with Jia Lian at Tianxiang Tower that time, and got drunk. In front of so many beauties and young actresses, she played a beautiful tune on the xiao (a type of vertical bamboo flute) for Jia Lian, which made her feel very embarrassed afterward.

She no longer felt like going to Tianxiang Tower. Jia Lian, of course, was unaware of You Sanjie's feelings. After all, in his eyes, everyone in Tianxiang Tower was his woman, so who could laugh at whom?
Seeing that You Sanjie looked like she had powerful backers, Jia Lian shook his head and smiled.

The princess's swordswoman? Is that so impressive?
The princess just gave him a few toys a few days ago.

Without forcing Sister You San, he walked out of the West Garden and called Aqi, who was waiting outside, to come to Tianxiang Tower.

Unexpectedly, Qin Keqing was also in Tianxiang Tower, leading a large group of beauties to have clothes made.

His perfectly good lounge was turned into a fashion show.

"Sister Wan, do you think I look good in this outfit?"

"And me, what about my clothes?"

Inside the main hall of the main building, there was a lot of noise.

More than twenty beauties and maids gathered in front of the table.

There were also piles of colorful clothes everywhere, some of which were probably worn or not.

Several young maids stripped down to almost naked and, under the arrangement of Qin Keqing and her maids, tried on clothes one by one.

Many of the girls were startled when they saw someone come in.

However, seeing that it was Jia Lian who came, they felt relieved. Only a few shy ones instinctively hid behind the crowd.

"You've come at the right time, help them try this on."

When Qin Keqing saw Jia Lian coming, she didn't shy away at all; on the contrary, she was very happy.

He turned around and took a yellow robe from the shelf behind him, about to drape it over Jia Lian's shoulders.

This display almost startled Jia Lian, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be just a yellow robe, without any dragons or phoenixes carved on it.

The style also looks somewhat retro, resembling the battle robes of generals from the pre-Qin period.

Jia Lian did not refuse, letting the beauties swarm around him and hurriedly strip off his outer garment, then put this obviously newly made robe on him.

Qin Keqing bent down to tie Jia Lian's black belt and smoothed out the folds in his clothes.

Then he raised his head and laughed, "Indeed, only a handsome man like Second Uncle can truly see the effect of this style of men."

It would look rather inappropriate for the maids to wear it.

Seeing the beauties surrounding him, admiring and commenting on him, Jia Lian said helplessly to Qin Keqing, "What are you doing now?"

"Second Uncle, can't you tell? He's teaching the maids... no, he's mainly teaching your beauties how to make clothes."

They did this for my second uncle's sake.

If they learned to make their own beautiful clothes, wouldn't they be able to wear different outfits to show off to their second uncle anytime?

Qin Keqing's words made the group of beauties, who had been laughing and joking, feel a little embarrassed.

A love of beauty is a girl's nature.

Qin Keqing suddenly brought a lot of new styles of clothes today, saying she wanted to find some women with good figures to help her try them on.

They were certainly not willing to help.

This even attracted most of the beauties in the entire Tianxiang Pavilion to come and watch.

In the end, Qin Keqing simply moved all the unfinished and even extra fabrics from her room over and started exchanging tips on making beautiful clothes.

Unlike in later generations, women in this era were more or less skilled in needlework.

Therefore, when discussing how to tailor clothes to make them look good, they have a lot in common to talk about.

That's why many girls braved the cold to help try on clothes.

Jia Lian didn't object to Qin Keqing holding such a fashion convention; he was just speechless.

As for Qin Keqing, she didn't have any particular hobbies, but she was a bit fickle.

After a while, you'll find that she's changed her hobbies.

Knowing that Jia Lian enjoyed watching beautiful women dance, she, despite having no prior experience, humbly asked Shen Pan'er to teach her how to dance.

Dancing is one thing, but she has a great figure and a captivating appearance, so even a casual sway is pleasing to the eye.

Last Mid-Autumn Festival, when the Imperial Concubine visited her family, she was amazed to see Gu Qingyi's skillful performance under the moonlight.

She actually wanted Gu Qingyi to teach her to play the xiao (vertical bamboo flute).

Unfortunately, it seems that heaven did not bestow upon her much more musical talent, resulting in her learning being quite mediocre.

Ultimately, she gave up halfway, feeling it would be simpler to play the xiao for Jia Lian without using any musical instruments.

Who would have thought that when he returned from Liaodong and saw Qin Keqing again, he would find that she had changed her hobbies again.

I started learning to make clothes.

She somehow found many strange and unusual clothing styles and replicated and modified them.

He did a lot of everything, and as soon as he met Jia Lian, he made him try many things.

Among them were even quite a few clothes that would expose the skin of the wealthy official Jia, and if word got out, they would surely be shocking and indecent.

However, considering that there were more women's styles of clothing that were equally indecent, and that Qin Keqing was willing to wear them all for him to see, Jia Lian agreed.

I never expected that she would not only do it in her own room, but also come here to him.

Doesn't he know this is his place for seeking pleasure? With Qin Keqing doing this, how can he have normal fun?
In front of outsiders, he couldn't do anything to Qin Keqing, so he could only silently walk to the cool couch and sit down.

Qin Keqing and Jia Lian naturally didn't stand on ceremony. They didn't mind when Jia Lian walked to the side and continued to urge the beauties to try on and comment on various clothes.

Of course, it would be fine if Jia Lian hadn't come; everyone would have listened to her.

But since Jia Lian has arrived, even if he does nothing, he will still draw most of everyone's attention.

Jia Lian looked at Shuangshuang, who were standing hand in hand on the side, looking like they wanted to go up and try on the clothes but were too shy, and waved to them with a smile.

Upon seeing this, Da Shuang and Xiao Shuang quickly went to Jia Lian.

Jia Lian looked at the shy twin sisters in front of him, who seemed to have grown taller, and smiled, saying, "I'm a little tired. You two come up here and give me a massage."

After saying that, Jia Lian turned around and lay down on the cool couch that had been laid flat by a reclining chair.

Upon seeing this, the two girls immediately knelt down and helped Jia Lian remove his boots and socks, and then helped him lift his legs up.

Then the two of them took off their shoes and came up, kneeling on either side of Jia Lian to massage him.

Seeing this, some of the beauties who had been watching closely were somewhat envious of the two newlyweds.

After all, opportunities to serve Jia Lian are few and far between, and she never expected that two young maids who hadn't even grown up yet would steal them away.

However, Jia Lian was lying on the couch and had no time to look at them anymore, which made the beauties and maids in the hall feel much more at ease.

They simply stopped paying attention to Jia Lian and went on with their own business.

"This servant kowtows to thank Second Master. Thank you for arranging a doctor for me and for allowing me to recuperate upstairs."

I will never forget your kindness in saving me, Second Master. From now on, my life belongs to you.

"Whatever Master asks me to do, I will do."

A delicate yet solemn voice rang out.

Jia Lian, who was resting his head on his arms and enjoying the service of the twin sisters with his eyes closed, opened his eyes slightly upon hearing this and glanced at the two little maids kneeling in front of him out of the corner of his eye.

Ignoring it, I closed my eyes and continued to enjoy the feeling of two soft little hands massaging my shoulders and back.

Putting aside the fact that these twins may have been taught some servant skills before they were sent over by the Zhou family.

Just by spending the last six months at Tianxianglou, one must have already learned a great deal.

So it feels quite comfortable to massage like this. (End of Chapter)