The Second Master of the Red Chamber

When Jia Lian and his new wife came to visit, the Zhang family showed him more than twice the usual level of hospitality.

"Good, good, good, each one more handsome than the last. It's a disservice for you to follow this brat."

Grandpa Zhang couldn't stop smiling.

He, who always looked down on his juniors, actually stood up and offered a helping hand when Baochai and Daiyu bowed to him.

But he himself didn't seem used to being so polite, and his movements were a little unnatural.

Beside them, the Zhang family members looked at the two women before them with great satisfaction, whose character, appearance, speech, and demeanor were all outstanding.

I really think Jia Lian is very lucky. He found two girls like these.

The Zhang brothers, Zhang Su and Zhang Tao, looked on with envy and jealousy.

Especially Zhang Tao, that guy is still single.

His dissatisfaction with Jia Lian had a long history.

But as time went on, he himself discovered that this dissatisfaction was slowly disappearing.

It's said that beauties love heroes, but men love them even more.

Those with a youthful spirit are especially prone to idolizing heroes.

At first, Jia Lian went to war against the Tatars with the army and gained some merit, but Zhang Tao didn't think it was anything special.

He just used his elders' influence to get a job in the military, and then everyone praised him.

He can do it too.

Later, Jia Lian was ordered to go beyond the Great Wall to escort the princess. He uncovered the conspiracy between the Oirat prince and the Tatars, and even amidst a massive army blockade, he safely brought the princess back to Han territory from the desert.

By then, he had already begun to accept it.

It was only because he secretly loved and admired the princess that he was unwilling to admit it.

At the beginning of last year, the Empress Dowager publicly sought a husband for Princess Zhaoyang. He secretly sent his birth date and portrait to her without telling his family.

Unfortunately, he wasn't selected.

Last year, the Jurchens ravaged Liaodong, and their envoys for peace talks all went to the capital, but Jia Lian went against the tide and requested permission to lead an expedition.

In just six months, they drove all the Jurchens out of Liaodong and recovered Jianzhou in one fell swoop.

Such a great achievement, not to mention him, even his grandfather, who fought in the north and south, rose from humble beginnings, and was ennobled as an earl purely through military merit, was overjoyed and full of praise.

After a brief period of confusion, Zhang Tao was completely convinced.

After all, his childhood dream was to follow in his grandfather's footsteps, fight on the battlefield, and make contributions to the country.

Therefore, he no longer acts superior to Jia Lian, nor does he constantly criticize Jia Lian only to be humiliated in return.

However, due to the pride of youth, he was too embarrassed to change his previous attitude and take the initiative to chat and get closer.

After Baochai and Daiyu paid their respects, Zhang Su's wife, Madam Qian, and Jia Lian's real cousin, Zhang Yan, stepped forward and helped them to the side to talk.

"How old are you this year? You're very handsome."

"Sister-in-law, you are all so beautiful, even more beautiful than Sister-in-law Feng."

Seeing their closeness, Jia Lian said to his second aunt, "Aunt, we've been to the palace today and are quite tired. Since it's almost noon, we've come to your house for a meal. Please don't look down on us."

"I don't mind, I don't mind..."

Zhang Song's wife couldn't stop smiling. She had already arranged for the kitchen to prepare the meal and was just about to speak when Jia Lian took the initiative to speak.

It goes without saying how much the whole family valued this grandson (nephew), but Jia Lian did not take advantage of this favor. Every time he came over, he treated his aunt with great respect, which made her very happy and satisfied.

However, it was clear that Jia Lian had something to say to the old man, so after laughing, he called the women and Zhang Su to go out together.

Once only the grandfather and grandson were left in the room, Grandpa Zhang laughed and said, "What's this? You've just married a new daughter-in-law, and you're already showing her off to this old man?"

Jia Lian nodded with a smile: "I was just thinking of having my grandfather take a look at it for me."

"Tch. They only bring her after she's already married into the family. That shows no sincerity."

"Well... if I hadn't married her, my mother-in-law wouldn't have let me take her away."

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Grandpa Zhang laughed heartily; this laugh would at least give him ten more days to live.

"Speak up, you're being so mysterious, what's the matter?"

After laughing, the old man asked seriously.

Jia Lian then moved a small stool to sit down next to him and said in a low voice, "I'm afraid His Majesty's health is really failing."

Upon hearing this, the old man's eyes, which were originally somewhat cloudy, suddenly shone with a sharp light that was not appropriate for his age.

"What do you want to do?"

Jia Lian paused for a moment, then said, "If the Third Prince ascends to the throne, I will surely die."

The old man also fell silent. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but then felt it was pointless and didn't say anything.

After thinking for a moment, he asked in a low voice, "So, do you mean to help the Fourth Prince, or do you want to...?"

The old man's gaze was deep and scrutinizing.

Although Jia She was only the illegitimate son of the retired emperor, and although the current legitimate line is that of Emperor Ningkang.

However, the retired emperor was still alive.

Therefore, strictly speaking, Jia Lian did have a slight chance of reaching that position.

After all, even if all the other grandsons of the retired emperor were tied together, they wouldn't be enough for Jia Lian to beat alone.

Jia Lian naturally understood what the old man meant, but he still shook his head decisively: "Grandson has no such unrealistic ideas, and grandson will not risk the lives of relatives and allies for that unrealistic ambition."

What my grandson wants is to put the Fourth Prince on the throne.

Hearing that Jia Lian had no intention of speaking, the old man felt a slight regret, but was also extremely satisfied.

After all, the fact that he could remain calm and think things through at such a critical juncture only further demonstrates that his grandson is capable of achieving great things.

"How confident are you? After all, the Third Prince is the eldest..."

Although the change of imperial power is always accompanied by various conspiracies and accidents, at least on the surface everyone supports establishing the eldest son as heir.

Neither the third nor the fourth prince was the legitimate son, but the third prince was much older than the fourth prince.

Moreover, even considering the birth mothers, the third prince's mother was a Noble Consort, while the fourth prince's mother was only a Consort, and she had already passed away.

Therefore, according to the orthodox method of succession, the third prince should ascend the throne.

Seeing the hesitation in his grandfather's eyes, Jia Lian couldn't help but wonder.

If the Third Prince had been calmer and more patient on Iron Net Mountain last year, and hadn't given him any opportunity, perhaps none of this would have happened.

Perhaps, you've already become the other side's right-hand man.

Of course, this cannot be blamed on Jia Lian. No matter what, he himself has flaws in his character and is unaware of them.

It is not a blessing for the people of the world if such a person comes to power.

He was first accused of murdering his own brother, and even during his confinement, he did not restrain himself and dared to smear his own sister to vent his anger.

After a year, Emperor Ningkang should have made up his mind.

To reiterate, unless Emperor Ningkang truly disregards the fate of his remaining children, he will make the right choice.

"More than 80%!"

When Jia Lian first spoke to Wang Ziteng, he said there was a 70% chance.

Now, Jia Lian is more than 80% certain.

"how do I say this?"

The old man was surprised and couldn't understand why Jia Lian was so confident.

On the surface, the Third Prince seems to have the upper hand.

After all, the Fourth Prince's appearance was so awful; he didn't look like an emperor at all. "Nothing more than the Emperor's will."

Jia Lian pointed to the sky without offering any further explanation.

But they were all ancient foxes, and the old man immediately understood.

"So what do you plan to do? After all, His Majesty's health is like this, and the Fourth Prince's foundation is weak..."

"That's why I've come to see my grandfather today."

"Your grandson is certain that His Majesty will ultimately choose the fourth prince, but the current situation is unusual, and we must guard against the third prince resorting to desperate measures."

The old man couldn't help but tense up, after all, this was a major event that would jeopardize the future of the entire clan.

Jia Lian didn't force the old man to agree, giving him time to think, and simply said to himself:

"Fortunately, although Prince Yun had a certain foundation in the court and among scholars, he never touched military power."

Even if they secretly plot something, it will certainly not amount to anything.

Therefore, we are not afraid that he will launch a large-scale coup like His Majesty did.

Therefore, what I want my grandfather to do is to build up the Fourth Prince's influence among the nobles outside of the founding line, so that this group will accept him, or at least not oppose him.

Given his grandfather's prestige among these people, the grandson thought it wouldn't be difficult.

As for the founding ministers, their grandsons can handle that.

As a high-ranking nobleman who was granted a title after the founding of the country, the old man enjoyed extremely high prestige among the new forces.

He may not be as prominent as Jia Daishan in the founding line, but he is at least comparable to a leading figure like Niu Jizong of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

With his help, it will be easier to connect with new forces.

As for the stronger founding lineage, Jia Lian didn't even need to make a move.

He and Prince Bei Jing are the face of these people; as long as they do what they do, these people will naturally flock to them.

After thinking for a while, the old man nodded and said, "That's not difficult."

However, even with you and me included, it can only affect the lineage of meritorious officials.

Ultimately, governing the country depends on civil officials.

Can you guarantee they will all support the Fourth Prince?

Jia Lian smiled and said, "I plan to take my new wife to visit Grand Secretary Wang later. After all, he is the maternal uncle of my two wives, and we should show him the proper respect."

"Wang Ziteng?"

The old man rolled his eyes at Jia Lian, annoyed. Did he really need to be so cautious?

They're all our elders; it's just a visit, why would we need to use our daughter-in-law's connections to cover it up?

However, for those who aspire to great things, no amount of caution is excessive, and he naturally wouldn't criticize them.

"Wang Ziteng, I'm afraid the portion isn't enough."

Although Wang Ziteng was a scholar who passed the imperial examinations through the proper channels, he switched to a military post midway through his career and thus lacked influence among civil officials.

"And what about the Chief Secretary as well?"

Who is the current Prime Minister?

"..."

"Zhao Dongsheng, former cabinet minister and concurrently Minister of Revenue."

The old man knew this person, but had just forgotten him. He said, "If we include him, it would be barely enough."

But are you sure he doesn't favor the Third Prince more?

The old man used the word "reluctantly" because he knew Zhao Dongsheng's background.

Indeed, many people were dissatisfied with Zhao Dongsheng's promotion to Grand Secretary.

They believe that he rose to power mainly by flattering Emperor Ningkang and that he only gained power because of Emperor Ningkang's support.

Therefore, this prime minister's influence will definitely be greatly reduced.

"He and his grandson have always had a good relationship, and his grandson is confident that he can persuade him."

"Friendship is just friendship. In matters of great importance, friendship is sometimes worthless."

"Grandson knows."

Seeing that Jia Lian seemed to have a well-thought-out plan, the old man didn't say anything more.

Suddenly, he sat up, flicked his sleeve, and said domineeringly, "Alright, anyway, this old man is already half-buried in the ground, so there's nothing to be afraid of."

I'll make a bet with you, kid.

"It's been a long time since I've visited those old buddies; it'll be good for me to stretch my legs."

"Grandpa, you've worked so hard! Long live Grandpa!"

……

Compared to the retired gentleman, there's no need for Wang Ziteng to explain too much here.

Like the Zhang family, as the maternal uncle of both Feng Jie and Baochai, he had no reason not to support Jia Lian.

So he readily agreed that he would do his best.

After declining the Wang family's offer to stay for dinner, they returned to the carriage. Both Daiyu and the two maids were exhausted.

Daiyu, in particular, felt that nothing in the world was more tiring than dealing with the enthusiasm of her elders.

She even considered telling Jia Lian directly that he shouldn't call on her for such arduous tasks again.

Looking at Daiyu leaning on Baochai's shoulder, looking listless, Jia Lian laughed and said, "You're already so listless? Today is your birthday, and the old lady said she's going to celebrate it for you."

Seeing Daiyu's face immediately fall, Jia Lian laughed and said, "Alright, there's still quite a while before it gets dark."

I've asked the family to postpone your birthday banquet. After you've seen your sister Feng, you should all go back and rest.

When the time comes, I will send someone to call you.

Thank you both for your hard work today.

Hearing Jia Lian say this, not only Daiyu, but even Baochai breathed a sigh of relief.

Even an iron man couldn't withstand such continuous spinning.

However, from the fact that Jia Lian had visited these two places and had kept them away for quite some time on both occasions, Baochai guessed that Jia Lian must have important matters to discuss with his uncle and others.

Therefore, she was physically tired but mentally exhausted, and felt very happy and that it was meaningful to be able to provide some help to Jia Lian's career.

So she gently patted the soft-spoken Daiyu and asked, "Have you finished your business, my husband? If you need to visit other residences, you can make the arrangements yourself. At worst, my sister Lin and I can wait for you in the carriage."

Upon hearing this, Daiyu looked up at Baochai, then glanced at Jia Lian.

Without saying anything, he hugged Baochai's arm again and rested his head on it, pretending to doze off.

Jia Lian wasn't surprised that Baochai had noticed something amiss; he simply smiled and said, "No need for that today, I need to rest too."

After all, it's not just you who feel tired; your husband isn't made of iron either.

"You two, you didn't care about me at all from beginning to end, you have no conscience!"

The two maids almost couldn't help but laugh when they heard this, but they quickly stood up straight when Jia Lian looked over.

Without even opening her eyes, Daiyu said, "Who deserves to care about you? You clearly came back so late yesterday, why didn't you go to sleep instead of dragging people along..."

And she even dragged her into a fight with Baochai; she deserved it.

Suddenly realizing the presence of two maids, Daiyu opened her eyes, glanced at them, and immediately stopped talking, her face turning red.

Baochai was a little embarrassed, but she still politely said, "My husband has worked hard today too."

"Well, that's right."

...(End of chapter)