The Second Master of the Red Chamber

Yu did not consider too much at the beginning.

In her opinion, since Jia Lian had summoned Jia Qiang here, there shouldn't be any explicit content.

I imagine they just go inside to listen to music and watch a play.

Sure enough, as soon as I approached the screen, I heard Fangguan's clear, melodious laughter:

"No, no, Second Master, guess again."

"Oh dear, we agreed that Second Master couldn't touch it with his hands, so you can't go back on your word. Hehe, Second Master probably can't guess right, so let's try the next one."

Hearing the little girl's cheerful laughter, Madam You knew that Jia Lian must be having a great time, so she went straight inside.

Then she froze, her steps halting.

On the clean carpet, a row of about ten little girls were kneeling, each wearing only a bib on their upper body.

From her angle, one could see a flesh-colored screen made entirely of her beautiful back.

Jia Lian sat half-naked on the edge of the soft couch, his eyes covered by Fang Guan's hands as she lay on his back.

Watching a young maidservant rise from between Jia Lian's legs with a hint of regret, while another young maidservant, under Jiang Yun's direction, eagerly knelt and stepped forward to take over the work, Madam You couldn't help but feel her heart skip a beat.

Even though she had played some games with Jia Lian, such a sensual and vivid scene still made her blush.

He quickly stepped back and hid behind the screen.

Yindie was surprised when her grandmother suddenly stepped back and almost bumped into Madam You. Seeing Madam You's flushed face, she realized something and took the opportunity to crane her neck to peek inside before shrinking back as usual.

Jiang Yun and Fang Guan both saw Madam You and her servants, but neither of them panicked.

Jiang Yun gave Fang Guan a look, then headed toward Madam You and her servants.

Although Jia Lian was blindfolded, he still noticed the brief silence around him and tilted his head slightly to ask, "What's wrong?"

Fangguan chuckled and whispered in Jia Lian's ear, "It's Madam You who's here. She probably has something to discuss with Second Master."

Lady You was among the most sensible of all Jia Lian's women, and she would never bother him under normal circumstances.

So Jia Lian moved Fang Guan's hand away, glanced at her, and his gaze settled on Jiang Yun, who was standing by the screen talking quietly with someone.

Just a moment later, Jiang Yun returned and said to Jia Lian with some seriousness, "Madam said that an imperial envoy and many eunuchs have arrived outside. It seems that the Second Master's reward has been bestowed. Madam requests that the Second Master go out to receive them as soon as possible."

Jia Lian nodded and stood up.

Seeing this, the line of young actors on the ground knew to stop the game, so they all got up and worked together to help Jia Lian change his clothes.

With the combined efforts of more than ten pairs of small hands, Jia Lian's attire was quickly completed, and he transformed from a dissolute playboy into the imposing figure he once was.

After glancing at Lingguan, who had completely integrated into the group, Jia Lian turned and left.

At this moment, Lady You was already standing at the door, and her mindset seemed to have been completely adjusted. When she saw Jia Lian come out, she even nodded to him.

After all, Lady You was one of the first women to be with him, and she even bore him children.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed at being caught in his foolish act, Jia Lian explained, "The maids were so enthusiastic, so I played some games with them..."

If Jia Lian hadn't said anything, it would have been fine, but the mere mention of You Shi made her blush, and she gave him a disapproving glare.

"As long as Uncle is happy."

After a brief joke, Lady You moved on and said, "The people from the palace have arrived, and they're probably already at your place."

Second Uncle, you'd better hurry over there.

Jia Lian nodded, walked out of the room, and was about to call Aqi to leave when he suddenly saw Jia Qiang and said in an unfriendly tone, "What are you still doing here?"

At this moment, Jia Qiang ran over quickly, slid to his knees from a distance, and said very solemnly:
"I hope my second uncle can see this clearly. I really have no relationship with that Lingguan at all."

Just now, my nephew misunderstood something, which is why he dared to be so audacious as to try to take Miss Lingguan as his concubine.

Miss Lingguan is exceptionally intelligent and has a voice like heavenly music. Only a great hero like my second uncle is worthy of her. How could a lowly nephew like me possibly be worthy of her?

I hope my second uncle won't take my previous slip of the tongue to heart.

Jia Qiang originally wanted to wait for an opportunity when no one was around to explain things to Jia Lian alone.

But right now, in front of Madam You, he couldn't possibly say that he had willingly chosen to be a cuckold.

Jia Lian looked at him with amusement: "Oh, didn't you just say you didn't know Lingguan?"

"This, this..."

Before Jia Qiang could explain, Jia Lian waved his hand to interrupt him: "Alright, I have things to do now and don't have time to talk to you."

Let's talk about this later.

After saying that, Jia Lian led Aqi into the Grand View Garden.

Lady You was somewhat surprised to hear the conversation between Jia Lian and Jia Qiang.

Isn't Lingguan that young actress?

Although she sensed there was some juicy gossip to be had, she had no interest in investigating such trivial matters at the moment. She simply spoke in a low voice to Jia Qiang, who was still kneeling:

"What are you standing there for? Get out of here right now."

This is not a place for you to linger.

After saying that, he ignored Jia Qiang and followed Jia Lian with the silver plate.

Jia Qiang stood up somewhat annoyed, secretly glanced at the various beauties who had appeared from all directions after hearing the commotion, and then hurriedly left the area.

As Mr. You said, this is paradise on earth, but it is not a place for a mortal like him to stay for long.

……

As soon as Jia Qiang reached the second gate, he discovered that the atmosphere inside the Ningguo Mansion was very lively.

Everyone ran outside, as if some great joy had occurred.

He followed the crowd to the West Corner Gate, where servants moved about, and was taken aback by the commotion inside and outside the gate.

It wasn't just the servants of the Ning and Rong mansions; countless ordinary people who had come to watch the spectacle had also gathered in the streets and alleys of Ning and Rong.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe it as a scene where the streets were deserted.

Following everyone's gaze, it became clear that the focus was on the main entrance of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion.

Just look at those imperial guards with their golden swords and armor, exuding an extraordinary aura, and then look at the large group of eunuchs standing neatly inside them, holding objects in their hands.

In an instant, Jia Qiang understood why Madam You had rushed to find Jia Lian.

At this moment, Jia Qiang could no longer describe his feelings as mere envy.

The scene before him had already surpassed the limits of his envy.

Using his limited knowledge, he felt that this was probably what it meant to have reached the pinnacle of wealth and fame.

So he didn't rush home, but instead settled down in the crowd, becoming a bystander.

At the main gate of the Rongguo Mansion, Jia Zheng arrived early to greet the imperial envoy.

Seeing the growing number of ordinary people on the streets, Jia Zheng wanted to invite the eunuchs into the mansion for tea, but Dai Quan refused.

"Elder Zheng, there's no need to be so polite. We are here to serve His Majesty, so it's no trouble for us to stand a little longer."

Jia Zheng naturally didn't dare to force him, and he kept muttering to himself.

He wasn't dealing with these damned eunuchs for the first time; he knew best how difficult they were to deal with.

When someone flatters you, it's as if they're doing a favor for a saint, so it doesn't matter if they stand there a little longer.

If you want to trip me up, then we are here on the Emperor's orders. Do you dare make us stand there and wait?
However, Jia Zheng was not stupid. Looking at the imposing array of imperial guards and eunuchs before him, led by Dai Quan, the chief steward of the Daming Palace, he knew that it was probably the Emperor's intention.

Did the emperor want the people of the capital to see his favor towards Jia Lian?
So Jia Zheng ordered Jia Yun to go inside and arrange incense, candles, and an altar, while he chatted with Dai Quan.

Dai Quan glanced at the plaque in front of him that read "Rongguo Mansion," then looked at the plaque on the other side that read "Imperial Decree Rongguo Mansion," and said with a smile, "Although I've heard people talk about it before, this is the first time I've seen it with my own eyes."

What a wonderful idea! One prefecture with two gates, and two gates combined into one prefecture.

It truly was a remarkable sight.

Jia Zheng, deeply influenced by traditional Confucian ethics, thought Dai Quan was mocking him and said, "I'm making a fool of myself in front of the eunuch."

It is only because the Duke of Rongguo grew up in my family since childhood. Although he is not of the bloodline of my Jia family, he has given my Jia family a second life.

Now that Rong Gong has achieved great fame and gained considerable influence, our Jia family, a small and humble place, should not be the place where Rong Gong is confined.

However, the elderly mother was very reluctant to see Rong Gong leave, and dared not make him suffer too much. Therefore, she discussed with her children and grandchildren the possibility of setting aside a separate section within the mansion for Rong Gong and his wife to live in.

This was a more respectable way of putting it, which Jia Zheng came up with.

In the past, when his colleagues in the court asked him about it, he always gave the same explanation.

Otherwise, the situation of this prefecture having two gates would be quite strange.

With this explanation, those who know the inside story can probably understand it.

Dai Quan was just chatting idly, but after hearing Jia Zheng's explanation, he smiled meaningfully at him and said, "The matriarch of the Jia family is a very righteous person, and the Jia family is a blessed family."

No one understood Emperor Ningkang better than Dai Quan.

Although it seems that Emperor Ningkang is suppressing Jia Lian now, even sending Jia Lian to Liaodong this time is a last resort.

But only Dai Quan knew how bright Jia Lian's future would be if he could successfully pass Emperor Ningkang's test.

So, the Jia family is really lucky.

As long as Jia Lian doesn't fall from power, the Jia family can enjoy wealth and prosperity for at least several more decades.

After chatting for a while, Jia Zheng gradually became anxious.

Although Dai Quan and the others seemed to be able to wait, it wasn't good to keep the angel standing at the door indefinitely.

So he kept giving winks to the steward and Jia Yun who were standing by, signaling someone to go and see what Jia Lian was up to and why he hadn't come out to greet them. Jia Yun and the steward also knew that the matter was of great importance, so they ran back into the mansion again, just in time to run into Madam You and her servants.

Lady You and her servants entered the Grand View Garden from Tianxiang Tower and then came out directly from the main gate to check the situation.

This is why she went to inform Jia Lian herself.

At present, everyone in the two mansions is curious about how the court, or rather the emperor, will reward Jia Lian.

What are you going to do?

"Go find Second Master. Second Madam just said she sent someone to find him, but the angels outside have been waiting for ages and Second Master still hasn't come out."

Madam You quickly said, "Don't worry, Second Uncle has gone back to change his clothes. He should be out soon."

Although they received confirmation from Madam You, Jia Yun and the others were still uneasy and sent several groups of old women in to investigate.

Another quarter of an hour passed, and Jia Lian finally appeared leisurely in the front yard.

"Second Master, you've finally come out. Steward Dai and the Second Master have been waiting at the door for ages."

Jia Lian frowned: "Didn't I tell you to invite them to the hall to receive them?"

"The Second Master invited him from the beginning, but Steward Dai insisted on waiting for the Second Master to come out before he would enter."

Jia Lian was puzzled upon hearing this.

When did these eunuchs become so fond of suffering, waiting outside in this freezing weather?

This question likely became clear to Jia Lian when he stepped onto the doorstep and saw the situation outside.

He straightened his sleeves and stepped forward, saying, "Upon hearing of the angel's arrival, I dared not delay and hastily bathed and burned incense, so that the angel may have been waiting for me."

Dai Quan showed no airs in front of Jia Lian, and laughed, "What are you saying, Rong Gong?"

You are the Emperor, and you have rendered tremendous service to the court.

"Let alone standing and waiting for a while, even leading Rong Gong's horse and removing his stirrups is what we servants should do."

Jia Lian didn't care about Dai Quan's flattering words and waved his hand, saying, "Please, angel."

Dai Quan chuckled, gestured to his left and right, and without further ado, walked into the gate of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion.

Only after all the eunuchs had entered the mansion, leaving only a few dozen imperial guards in front of the gate, did the crowd of onlookers gradually disperse.

However, the grand scene in front of the Rongguo Duke's mansion today will surely spread widely in a short time.

……

Inside the Rongguo Duke's Mansion, in front of the main hall.

Seeing that the Jia family had finished preparations, Dai Quan cleared his throat, took the imperial edict from the "golden tray" carried by his attendant, walked up the steps, and loudly proclaimed:

"Duke Rongguo, Jia Lian, receives the imperial decree."

As he spoke, everyone in front of him, including Jia Lian, Grandmother Jia, Jia Zheng, and all the able-bodied men and women of the two mansions, knelt down in unison.

"Your subject Jia Lian receives the imperial decree."

Imperial Edict:
Duke Rongguo, Jia Lian, was loyal to the king. In the summer of the seventh year of Ningkang, he led an expedition to Liaodong and won a great victory over the Jurchens, thus demonstrating the military might of the Celestial Empire.

In the autumn of the same year, they forced the Jurchens to sign the "Nine-Three Alliance," thus recovering hundreds of miles of territory in Jianzhou.

His profound strategies and great achievements are exemplary and worthy of being a model for the world and a teacher for all ages.

He was specially promoted to the second-class Duke of Rongguo.

He was also bestowed with ten thousand taels of gold, twenty imperial horses, twenty bolts of fine palace satin, one hundred pieces of fine fur, ten pieces of fine jade, ten pieces of fine gold, ten pieces of fine porcelain, ten pieces of fine calligraphy and painting, and a set of fine writing implements.

He was bestowed with a golden sword and a manor by the emperor.

To demonstrate their achievements.

Admire this. "

Jia Lian felt somewhat disappointed when he heard the words "Second-Class Duke of Rongguo".

In his mind, he had not only achieved a few thousand casualties but also beheaded tens of thousands, greatly boosting the morale of his army and the nation, but also brought back to the court valuables worth tens of millions of taels of silver.

With such merit, it would not be an exaggeration for Emperor Ningkang to elevate his rank to the highest level, directly bestowing upon him the title of First-Class Duke.

I didn't expect him to be so stingy.

But then he froze, wondering what all these things were.

While Jia Lian was only somewhat stunned, Jia Zheng and the others were completely dumbfounded.

It was one thing for Jia Lian to be promoted to the rank of Second-Class Duke of Rongguo, but it was expected that he would be promoted.

But is the claim of "ten thousand taels of gold" really true?
Isn't this metric term something that only appears in plays?

How could it appear so openly on an imperial edict?
For a moment, Jia Zheng even wondered if Dai Quan's eyesight had deteriorated and he had misread the words.

What does it mean to have ten thousand taels of gold?
If converted to silver, that would be over ten thousand taels of silver!
What does tens of thousands of taels of silver mean?
Take the most prestigious princely rank in the world besides the emperor, for example.

The annual salary of a prince's mansion is about ten thousand taels.

His Majesty the Emperor casually opened his mouth and bestowed away the equivalent of more than ten years' worth of provisions for a prince's mansion?

And it was only bestowed as a reward upon one of his subjects?
Since the establishment of the dynasty, I have never heard of such an outrageous reward.

So much so that no one could hear what else the emperor bestowed upon them afterward; they could only vaguely hear countless instances of "superior quality."

"Duke Rongguo, receive the imperial decree."

Dai Quan was very satisfied with the Jia family's reaction and said with a smile.

Jia Lian hurriedly accepted the imperial edict with both hands and said in a deep voice, "Your subject Jia Lian thanks Your Majesty for your boundless imperial grace. I will dedicate my life to repaying Your Majesty's divine favor."

After Dai Quan gave the imperial edict to Jia Lian, he flattered Grandmother Jia, who was being helped up by Jia Zheng, saying, "Grandmother, you have raised a fine son and grandson for His Majesty and the court."

Even though Grandmother Jia was used to a life of luxury, she loved to hear others praise her for her ability to educate her children and grandchildren, so she was too embarrassed to take credit for it at this moment.

He could only sigh and say, "It is all thanks to the Emperor's earnest teachings and his own hard work that he has achieved what he has today."

"Hehehe..."

After exchanging a few words of laughter, Dai Quan took his leave, citing his need to return to the palace to report back.

Jia Lian hurriedly handed the imperial edict to Jia Yun for safekeeping, and then personally saw Dai Quan off at the door.

Actually, one person saying goodbye and the other saying they would see him off were both just pretense.

With so many rewards, it would take quite a while just to hand them over.

The two of them simply wanted to find a place to talk alone.

So the two went to the entrance hall, and Jia Lian immediately stuffed the two "tea money" that Jia Zheng and Jia Yun had prepared in advance into Dai Quan's hands.

Dai Quan subtly squeezed the thickness of the envelope, his smile widening.

It's probably inevitable that eunuchs would love money.

After all, without that thing, what else can one do besides being greedy for money?

Being greedy for power is fine, but it can easily cost you your life.

Dai Quan also climbed his way up from a lowly eunuch to this position step by step.

Although with his current status he doesn't need to care too much about these yellow and white colors, it's a habit he's developed over the years that's hard to break.

This is one of the reasons why he enjoys dealing with straightforward people like Jia Lian.

"Is Duke Rong satisfied with His Majesty's bestowal of titles and rewards?"

"Your Majesty's kindness is truly overwhelming for Jia Lian."

In such a situation, Jia Lian could not possibly make any mistakes in his questioning and answering.

Dai Quan smiled.

He didn't believe Jia Lian was faking it; in fact, he was quite shocked when he heard the list of rewards set by Emperor Ningkang.

But it seems that this was exactly the effect Emperor Ningkang wanted.

Therefore, although Emperor Ningkang did not give the order in person, how could Dai Quan, who was perceptive of the emperor's mind, not know how to handle this matter?
Not only did he get out of his sedan chair and walk as soon as he arrived at Ningrong Street, but he also deliberately lingered for so long at the entrance of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion. Wasn't he just trying to show all the people in the capital that Emperor Ningkang would not mistreat his nephew and meritorious officials?

Surely, after today, this extremely significant list of rewards will cause a great stir throughout the court and the country.

"Lord Rong, there is no need to be alarmed. I believe you understand the position you hold in His Majesty's heart, even without me saying it."

I won't say more.

Just considering Rong Gong's great victory in Liaodong, I wonder how many people, either out of jealousy or for some other reason, wanted to find fault with him.

Take, for example, the fact that Rong Gong privately rewarded soldiers with more than three million coins and goods. Countless villains submitted memorials to impeach him.

However, all these petitions were intercepted by His Majesty.

"His Majesty's kindness and care for Duke Rong should be remembered by Duke Rong."

Jia Lian deliberately put on a serious expression and hurriedly said, "Thank you for the reminder, Steward Dai. I will never forget His Majesty's kindness."

In fact, Jia Lian had already reported this matter to Emperor Ningkang in a secret letter.

Since everything was clearly stated in order to win, even if Emperor Ningkang felt a little sorry for him, he certainly wouldn't say much.

How can a great general lead his troops into battle if he doesn't even have the power to motivate his soldiers with spoils of war?

However, his encouragement went a bit too far, reaching the point of lavishly rewarding the troops.

This is why Jia Lian hurriedly handed over his military power as soon as he returned to the capital; otherwise, some people might have accused him of trying to win over the army and plot a rebellion.

...(End of chapter)