The Second Master of the Red Chamber

Congratulations! Both brides are so beautiful.

Emperor Ningkang awoke, and everyone's tense nerves relaxed.

Princess Zhaoyang and Jia Lian also found an opportunity to go aside and talk.

"Why didn't you tell me beforehand that you, His Majesty, and the Empress were coming?"

"I received the news suddenly. It was only after my father and mother left the palace that they sent someone to inform us."

"us?"

"what happened?"

"It's nothing. I thought it was Qingran who came along after seeing His Majesty and the Empress leave the palace."

While talking to Princess Zhaoyang, Jia Lian couldn't help but glance at the fourth prince, who was standing there dumbfounded, and the third prince, who was kneeling obediently in front of the sickbed.

Emperor Ningkang brought the Empress out of the palace, making a special trip to bring him honor and glory, which genuinely moved Jia Lian.

The only thing he didn't understand was why the Third Prince had also come, even though he could understand Emperor Ningkang bringing Princess Zhaoyang and the Fourth Prince.

Emperor Ningkang was well aware of his relationship with the Third Prince.

"Both brides wore such beautiful wedding dresses; I've never worn such beautiful clothes before."

Seeing that there were no unrelated eyes or ears around, Jia Lian gently took Princess Zhaoyang's hand and comforted her, "If Qingran wants to wear it, I will make you a better and more beautiful one in the future."

"Erlang is good at coaxing people..."

Receiving Jia Lian's promise somewhat eased the bitterness in Princess Zhaoyang's heart.

She quietly withdrew her hand, deliberately standing a step away from Jia Lian, and then whispered, "Today he almost openly targeted Erlang, I'm afraid he has some scheme in mind. I hope Erlang will be careful and not fall into a trap."

"I know, so do you."

"Ah."

Ultimately, the time and place were not right. After a brief exchange, the two went their separate ways.

……

When Emperor Ningkang returned to the palace, it was already past midnight.

After waking up, he did not summon anyone; only the Empress stayed by his side.

Even the imperial decree for the departure of the emperor was conveyed by the empress.

Jia Lian escorted the emperor all the way to the palace gate before turning back to his residence.

The guests had all left under the arrangement of Jia Zheng and others.

Jia Lian did not linger outside. He put on his new groom's clothes again, wore a big red flower, and headed towards the new house in the Grand View Garden.

In the main hall, the maids and servants, having received the news, perked up and became cheerful and lively once again.

"The groom's official is here!"

After several hours of interruptions, all the originally planned procedures were naturally simplified.

When Jia Lian stepped into the red-curtained gatehouse and saw the two beautiful and dignified figures sitting side by side in the joyous bridal chamber, a genuine smile appeared in his eyes.

"My ladies, your husband is here."

Upon hearing Jia Lian's slightly flirtatious voice, the two beautiful figures sitting on the edge of the bed trembled simultaneously.

Even through the bright red veils, Jia Lian could almost see the captivating blush on their bright and clever faces.

Qin Keqing and a group of servants entered, accompanied by several young girls dressed in new clothes and shoes.

They jumped and danced around Jia Lian and the two brides, singing simple and catchy songs filled with auspicious blessings for the newlyweds.

The servants were responsible for cleaning up the dates, peanuts, longans, and other things that had been scattered on the new bed for who knows how long.

Qin Keqing then handed a carrying pole to Jia Lian and said with a smile, "Uncle, what are you still standing there for? Why don't you help the aunts lift their veils?"

Jia Lian smiled and stepped forward to lift the veil, but suddenly hesitated.

Jia Lian handed the pole back to Qin Keqing and said with a smile, "Compared to this thing, I still prefer to do it myself."

Without giving anyone time to react, he reached out with both hands, grabbed one corner of each veil, and lifted them up simultaneously.

In a short while, two bright, beautiful, and stunningly lovely faces appeared before everyone.

Wow, the bride is so beautiful.

The girls, who had stopped jumping and were being held by their mothers, couldn't help but exclaim in praise.

Jia Lian stared blankly at the two ladies, Daiyu and Baochai, sitting side by side, adorned with golden crowns and phoenix robes, resembling two celestial concubines.

There is probably no more beautiful scene in the world than what is right before our eyes.

The girl's innocent praise and the man's gaze undoubtedly caused the already blushing bride to lower her head.

"Hehehe, the bride is shy. Let's go quickly and not disturb the newlyweds entering their bridal chamber."

According to the custom, there should be some fun in the bridal chamber, but since it's already so late, if we keep making noise, we won't even have time to go into the bridal chamber.

So, at Qin Keqing's and the old women's urging, the idlers in the room quickly dispersed, leaving only the four maids who accompanied each of the two brides to serve them in the room.

Zijuan and Ying'er exchanged a glance, then went to the table and picked up the tray that had been set out earlier. They smiled and said in unison, "Please, newlyweds, drink the nuptial wine together."

Upon hearing this, Baochai and Daiyu immediately tried to get up.

Little did they know how long they had been sitting there, each wearing a phoenix crown and a wedding robe, their bodies already aching and weak.

Fortunately, their maids came forward to help them stand up.

Jia Lian picked up a wine cup from the tray behind him and placed it in the hands of the two men.

Finding that there was only one cup left, he picked it up and then bent his arm high.

Seeing this, Baochai and Daiyu, though embarrassed, stepped forward together and slipped their small hands, which were holding wine cups, through Jia Lian's arm.

Jia Lian smiled slightly, squatted down a little, brought the wine cup to his lips, and raised his eyebrows to signal the two to follow.

Baochai and Daiyu exchanged a glance, ultimately wanting to quickly skip this shameful part, as they both stood on tiptoe, imitating Jia Lian as they brought the wine cup to their lips.

Jia Lian smiled brightly, gazing at their beautiful, blushing faces as he tilted his head back and began to drink.

The two women, too shy to meet his gaze, turned their heads away and finished their drinks.

"The ceremony is complete. May the bride and groom be forever united in heart and grow old together."

Zijuan and the others laughed, took the wine cups back from Jia Lian and the other two, and retreated.

At the opportune moment, Jia Lian grabbed the small hands of Baochai and Daiyu and placed them in his palm, making it impossible for them to escape his gaze. He then laughed and said, "Bao'er, Lin's sister, I have finally married you both. It feels like a dream."

Jia Lian's words caused the eight maids to chuckle, and made Baochai and Daiyu dare not respond.

Jia Lian continued to scrutinize the two of them, finally noticing that Daiyu shrank back somewhat uncomfortably. He then asked, "Have you been wearing these clothes the whole time without ever taking them off?"

Seeing that Jia Lian asked the question seriously, the two women were somewhat puzzled.

Even though you weren't here, you can take this off.

Baochai shook her head.

Daiyu pouted and said, "The mothers won't let us take them off."

He sounded very aggrieved.

It's not entirely her fault. Daiyu was born very delicate, like a beautiful lamp that could be blown away by a gust of wind.

This wedding dress, including the phoenix crown alone, weighed 168 taels, which is equivalent to 10 catties (compared to the current weight, it should be lighter).

Wearing this thing all day would make any normal person feel sore, let alone her.

Moreover, the clothes themselves are not light.

If it weren't for the fact that this was the wedding dress Jia Lian had prepared for her, and that it was the most important moment of her life, she would have disobeyed the nannies' orders long ago.

Even so, it was fortunate that Zijuan and others took turns to support her phoenix crown and massage her shoulders and neck; otherwise, she would have given up long ago.

Seeing Daiyu's pitiful yet adorable appearance, Jia Lian smiled and gently touched her delicate face, saying, "My dear Lin sister, you've had a hard time."

He nodded to Baochai and then instructed the maids, "What are you all standing there for? Can't you see that your young lady is about to collapse under the weight? Help her take off her clothes."

"Yes."

Upon hearing this, the maids all stepped forward.

With four maids and eight small hands working together, they quickly and methodically removed the heavy jewelry and clothing from the two women's bodies.

Baochai's four maids are Ying'er, Wenxing, and the sisters Jinchuan and Yuchuan.

The Xue family was indeed adept at catering to his wishes, and they used the gold and jade bracelets that they had forced on Baochai as part of her dowry.

On Daiyu's side were Zijuan, Xueyan, Liu Wu'er, and Chunxian. Jia Lian hadn't originally intended to give Liu Wu'er to Daiyu right now, but later he discovered that although there were many maids in Daiyu's courtyard, only Zijuan and Xueyan were truly favored by Daiyu.

Chunxian was a gift from Lady Wang to Daiyu in her early years. Her appearance wasn't bad, but as for her personality...

It can only be said that Madam Wang simply preferred obedient and docile maids.

Daiyu only had Zijuan and Xueyan in mind, but Jia Lian insisted that she choose four as her dowry, saying that Fengjie had also chosen four back then.

Seeing that Daiyu was having some difficulty making a decision, Jia Lian thought that Liu Wu'er was worth cultivating in terms of both appearance and personality, so he took the initiative to recommend her.

Although Daiyu suspected Jia Lian's motives, she had no better choice and saw that Liu Wu'er did indeed have some of her own gentle temperament, so she did not object.

After the maids finished undressing their young mistresses, some wanted to come up and help Jia Lian remove his robes as well.

But Jia Lian refused: "This is your daughters' work, you don't need to worry about it."

Zijuan and the others were slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then stuck out their tongues and naturally did not insist.

After they had put away Daiyu's and Jia Lian's wedding dresses, Jia Lian hesitated for a moment and then said, "Alright, you can all wait outside the inner room."

"No one is allowed in without our orders."

As someone deeply poisoned by the corrupt lifestyle of the aristocracy, Jia Lian felt that keeping the maids in the room created a more idyllic and extravagant atmosphere.

However, they ultimately considered that both Baochai and Daiyu were thin-skinned people.

The fact that they married him on the same day and even consummated their marriage in the same bridal chamber was already pushing the limits of their shame.

Jia Lian knew that although they seemed very obedient now, when it came to actually using force, it would take some effort to make them cooperate.

If these light bulbs are left in the house to watch over things, I'm afraid I won't be able to get anything done tonight.

"Yes……"

The maids naturally obeyed.

Although it was a pity that we couldn't see any blush-inducing or heart-pounding moments, they were, after all, inexperienced young girls, so while feeling regretful, they were also secretly relieved.

Seeing the maids dismissed by Jia Lian, both Baochai and Daiyu felt a little relieved.

Just as Jia Lian had predicted, although Baochai and Daiyu knew they would be marrying Jia Lian on the same day, neither of them had expected him to be so "stingy" as to not even bother to decorate their respective bridal chambers, leaving the two of them to spend the night together.

When the servants first led them over, the two of them were quite shy and hesitant for a while.

She only refrained from making a move out of consideration for Jia Lian and because she didn't want to appear immature in front of each other.

Even though nothing was said, the atmosphere between them was awkward as they sat in the room.

All that could be heard was the chatter of the maids and servants; none of them dared to speak a word to each other.

The unsettling atmosphere was broken only when news of the emperor's misfortune shocked them.

Later, Baochai thought that Jia Lian's arrangement was probably because he didn't want to see the two of them competing and vying for attention.

Moreover, Jia Lian had always advocated that the two of them "get along harmoniously".

Taking this opportunity, he took the initiative to talk to Daiyu.

Daiyu actually understood Jia Lian's intentions.

Although she was somewhat annoyed, seeing Baochai taking the initiative to "show goodwill," she felt embarrassed to turn her away.

She just thought to herself that she would settle accounts with Jia Lian when he returned.

At this moment, Jia Lian's initiative to let the maids leave undoubtedly made the two maids feel much better, as they felt that Jia Lian did not intend to humiliate them by making such an arrangement.

Seeing that the two maids had already removed their burdens and were only wearing close-fitting undergarments, their previous elegance and nobility gone, replaced by a pure and charming demeanor.

Jia Lian opened his arms and laughed, "My dear sisters, you're all relaxed now, but I'm still wearing all this. Aren't you going to help me?"

Perhaps because the maids had all left, Daiyu suddenly regained the ease she had when facing Jia Lian.

She raised her hand to rub her sore neck, turned around and sat on the bed, and said angrily, "The maids wanted to help you undress just now, but you didn't want to. Now you're ordering us around."

You made such heavy clothes for me and Sister Bao, and we had to wear them all day. Now our backs and necks ache, and we have no strength left to serve you.

You can take it off yourself.

Although Baochai subconsciously rubbed her neck, she found it amusing to see Daiyu, who had lost all her previous composure, sitting on the bed rubbing her neck and massaging her shoulders.

So she shook her head, stepped forward, removed the red flower from Jia Lian's clothes, and helped him undress.

Daiyu appeared casual on the bed, but in reality, she was constantly observing Baochai's movements.

Seeing that she was clearly tired, she still pretended to be gentle as she helped Jia Lian undress. She pouted, but eventually stood up and came over to lend a helping hand.

She wasn't trying to curry favor with Jia Lian; she just felt she shouldn't be outshone by Baochai.

After the two women hung his wedding robes on the rack next to him, Jia Lian took their hands and walked back to the bedside to sit down.

He sat in the middle, with the two men sitting on either side.

Looking left and right, he became increasingly pleased with himself.

Because the weather was still cold, although there were quite a few layers of clothing underneath, they didn't provide the same level of protection as the outer garments.

Several form-fitting undergarments clung to their bodies, yet could not conceal the beauty of their exquisite figures.

Looking from the point where their collars meet, one can still see their snow-white skin and a faint hint of spring.

Jia Lian couldn't help but want to laugh.

Fortunately, both of them were exhausted from wearing the phoenix coronet and wedding gown, so when they heard they could take them off, they didn't hesitate and even seemed happy.

Otherwise, it might not be easy to get them to obediently take off their outer clothes in front of me.

It seems that spending so much money on those two wedding dresses was very prescient and worthwhile.

Baochai and Daiyu naturally noticed Jia Lian's prying eyes. They awkwardly tightened their clothes and realized the problem with their attire.

But there was no way to change it; once the wedding dress was taken off, it was difficult to put it back on easily.

Even if they could wear them, they wouldn't want to wear them anymore.

There were no other outer garments in the room.

Leaving here is even more impossible.

No matter how daring they are, they would never do something like running out of the bridal chamber on their wedding night.

Daiyu couldn't stand Jia Lian's gaze any longer: "What are you looking at, you lecherous scoundrel..."

Jia Lian smiled and pinched Daiyu's face, saying, "I think you haven't figured out the situation yet. You still think it's like before, that you can scold me whenever you want."

Now that we've paid our respects to heaven and earth and drunk the nuptial wine, you are now mine.

"Looking at my own wife is perfectly natural, how does that make me a lecher?"

Daiyu was speechless and extremely embarrassed.

It feels somewhat like a dream.

Has she really married this beloved yet hated second brother and become his woman?

Baochai glanced at Daiyu, smiled, and asked softly, "By the way, there was a commotion outside earlier. It seemed like something had happened to the Emperor. How is it now?"

"His Majesty is now out of danger."

Jia Lian didn't want to say more, so he turned around, lifted Baochai's chin, and laughed, "Little Baochai, it's not right for you to care about another man on our wedding night."

Baochai's brows furrowed slightly. Even if she had a few more tricks up her sleeve, she would never have imagined that Jia Lian would say such a thing.

"Pfft~"

Clearly, Daiyu couldn't help but laugh when she saw Baochai being teased.

Realizing she had lost her composure, Daiyu quickly composed herself, but couldn't help laughing, "You should let Yun'er see that even the all-powerful Sister Bao in her eyes can be completely stumped!"

Baochai shook her head, gently rested her head on Jia Lian's shoulder, and said softly, "What am I, who is all-powerful? The one who is truly all-powerful is Second Brother, our husband."

My intelligence is far inferior to my husband's, so naturally there will be times when he stumps me with his questions.

Jia Lian was very pleased to hear this, and his right hand naturally went from under Baochai's ribs to around the beauty's waist, embracing her body.

Daiyu's brows were furrowed. At this moment, Baochai gave her an indescribable, yet somewhat unpleasant, feeling.

But Jia Lian had to turn around and tease her at this moment: "Little Yu'er, your Baochai sister has changed her way of addressing you, shouldn't you change your way of addressing her too?"
"Quickly, call out 'Good husband' so I can hear it."

What Xiaoyu'er, what a good husband! Daiyu felt a chill.

"No, if you like it, let her call it."

Daiyu tried to move away, but Jia Lian pulled her into his arms, and like Baochai, she nestled into his embrace. (End of Chapter)