The Second Master of the Red Chamber

Under the golden lights, a lively banquet was underway.

After toasting Grandmother Jia and the others, Jia Lian would habitually sit at the table with his sisters and chat, something that everyone in the household was used to.

"Brother Lian Er~"

As soon as Jia Lian sat down, two timid yet clear and melodious voices rang out.

Jia Lian turned his head and saw two little girls.

A girl wearing a plain yellow silk skirt, with delicate features, and about the same age as Tan Chun.

She was slender and petite, and looked about the same age as Xichun.

Without exception, they were all very beautiful.

Seeing Jia Lian looking them over, Xiangyun leaned out and laughed, "Second brother, don't you recognize them? They're all your cousins."

Jia Lian rolled his eyes at her, ignoring her, and said to the two maids, "Sister Xiluan, and Fourth Sister, you're here too. You're getting cuter and cuter."

Jia Xiluan and Jia Sijie are both fourth-generation cousins ​​from the other six branches of the Jia family.

Although Jia Lian was not often seen, he had been seen at Grandmother Jia's place many times during holidays and festivals.

Not to mention how adorable they are, they are exceptionally memorable.

Take Xiluan's mother, for example; she and he had some unspeakable secrets back then.

Jia Lian's words made the two young maids blush and lower their heads, and then the reprimanding voice of Grandmother Jia came from above:
"Lian'er, your two younger sisters are shy, you mustn't bully them."

"Tan'er, I'm entrusting them to you. You must take good care of them for me."

Tan Chun stood up and said with a smile, "Yes, Grandma, don't worry."

"Let them come into the park and play with you for a couple of days, but you are not allowed to bully them."

"Yes……"

Grandmother Jia is a serious person who is obsessed with appearances.

With many children in the eight branches of the family, there were naturally many granddaughters and great-granddaughters as well.

Grandmother Jia usually couldn't take care of everyone, unless she was exceptionally beautiful.

These two cousins, who were only a little over ten years old, were clearly favored by Grandmother Jia because of their good looks, which is why they were often kept around to be taken care of.

The two young maids were already delighted that Jia Lian still remembered them, and when they heard Grandmother Jia ask them to stay again, it was clear that their decision to go to the garden to play was finalized and even their mother couldn't stop them, which made them even happier.

After bowing slightly to Jia Lian, he sat back down next to Tan Chun with a grin.

Tan Chun comforted the two women, and noticing that Jia Lian was still looking this way, she couldn't help but smile and say:

"Second brother, today is Sister Lin's birthday, why don't you offer her a separate toast?"

Jia Lian then withdrew his gaze, glanced at Daiyu who was scrutinizing him, and said with a nonchalant smile, "Why didn't I offer them a toast? When I offered them a toast last night, you were probably hiding somewhere."

"Oh dear, second brother, you're being silly again..."

Tan Chun and the others blushed instantly, clearly knowing what kind of wine Jia Lian was referring to.

On their wedding night, they drank the nuptial wine.

They had been instructed by the supervising matrons long ago not to go to the main hall last night.

Therefore, even if the emperor hadn't been involved last night, only the maids and servants could make a ruckus in the bridal chamber; they were not allowed to do so.

It's easy to imagine how taboo and intriguing the wedding night was for them.

"How is this improper? Do you expect that when you get married, the groom will offer you wine on your wedding night and you won't accept it?"

"Ugh, I'm not talking to you anymore..."

A group of young girls who were not yet married all lowered their heads shyly and became bashful.

The maids and wives couldn't stop chuckling to themselves.

Only Jia Lian dared to joke about the girls in the family like that. Even Feng Jie wouldn't dare to joke about them casually before, as she would easily be criticized by Grandmother Jia and others.

However, it is clear that even if Jia Lian had said something wrong, no one would dare to criticize him now, let alone that he had gone too far.

Tan Chun wasn't as shy as the others because she knew that the only groom she would have on her wedding night would be Jia Lian.

Therefore, he rolled his eyes at Jia Lian, took the initiative to pick up a cup of wine, and went to toast Daiyu.

"Sister Lin, I'd like to offer you a toast. Please don't just accept my toast from my second brother and not from me."

Daiyu frowned slightly, opening her mouth as if she wanted to retort, but she didn't want to say anything inappropriate in public like Jia Lian, so she just glared at her, took the wine, took a sip, and then put it on the table.

Jia Lian looked at them with a smile, his gaze passing over the three springs and the others, and suddenly he caught sight of a maid standing behind them.

When the maid met Jia Lian's gaze, she instinctively looked away, not daring to meet his eyes.

Jia Lian's every move was under everyone's watchful eye. Seeing this, Tan Chun turned around and glanced at the maid, then suddenly stepped forward, grabbed the maid's arm, pulled her closer, and laughed:
"Second brother doesn't know, but Sister Siqi is getting married next month."

This time, they came to our house specifically to deliver wedding invitations..."

Siqi glanced timidly at Jia Lian's expression, pulled away from Tan Chun's hand, and stammered, "Third Miss, please don't tease me. How could I be worthy to bring such a trivial matter to the ladies of the house..."

Because Tan Chun had pulled her in front of Jia Lian, Jia Lian casually said, "Really? Then congratulations!"

Siqi, who was already nervous in front of Jia Lian, suddenly knelt down and said upon hearing Jia Lian's calm tone:
"This servant thanks Second Master for his mercy and kindness."

Originally, my mother was unwilling for me to marry my cousin because she disliked his family for being poor.

However, thanks to the grace of Second Master Yun, my cousin was able to work under Second Master Yun, and my mother only agreed after she found out.

"My cousin and I have no way to repay your kindness, Second Master. We are only willing to serve you for the rest of our lives to even begin to repay your kindness."

Siqi's statement expressed both gratitude for Jia Lian's forgiveness and renewed remorse for what happened that night.

She can still recall the trembling and fear she felt when her affair with her cousin Pan Youan was discovered that night.

She wasn't stupid; she knew that Jia Lian only let them go in the end because of Yingchun's sake.

She was Yingchun's personal maid, and she was having an affair with a servant in the outer courtyard. If this were to come to light, even the slightest disturbance would damage Yingchun's reputation.

Master Lian cherished his younger sister, so he only threatened them and then gently put her down.

She also knew that since Jia Lian had ordered her to move out that very night, he definitely didn't want to see her by Yingchun's side anymore.

This time, I came to the mansion only to see Yingchun one last time before I got married, and to tell her that I was getting married, so as to fulfill the bond between mistress and servant.

She was pulled over by Xiangyun, Tanchun, and others who happened to bump into her.

Fearing that this would further offend Jia Lian, he quickly knelt down and spoke.

She was clever enough not to mention what happened that night, but she also subtly conveyed to those around her Jia Lian's high regard for Pan You'an.

She was just going with the flow.

She hurriedly moved out that night, which, although said to be Jia Lian's order, still raised suspicions.

Later, when news broke that she and Pan Youan were going to get married, the matter finally had a reasonable explanation.

It turns out that Pan You'an had a stroke of good luck and gained the favor of Master Lian. Not only was he appointed to work by Master Yun's side, but Master Lian also gave him the head maid of the mansion as his wife.

Although Siqi was Yingchun's head maid, she had some standing among the servants in the mansion.

He wasn't really a big shot, so other people just looked into it briefly and didn't care anymore, unaware of the intricacies of the matter.

Seeing Yingchun's unusual attitude, the onlookers assumed it was because Siqi was shy and excited about getting married, and was also very grateful to Jia Lian for his kindness.

Jia Lian frowned slightly, but naturally he wouldn't expose Siqi's mistake. He simply said, "There's no need for repayment. Just stay home and take good care of your husband and children, and that will be enough to repay me."

Yingchun helped Siqi up from the ground, feeling a little reluctant to part with the person who had taken care of her for so many years. So she said to Jia Lian, "Brother, after Siqi gets married, can she return to Zilingzhou? I can't bear to part with her."

Upon hearing this, the others also tried to persuade her to stay. As a head maidservant of the young ladies, Siqi had grown up playing with them and naturally developed some affection for them.

When a maid reaches a certain age, her master will usually grant her a favor.

Some were betrothed to servants or young men, while others married out of the family.

Leaving aside those who marry out of the household, those who are betrothed to servants or young men usually continue to work in the household.

Her status changed from a maid to a young wife, and later she became a matriarch.

Those who had a good relationship with their master would be recalled to his side and become his confidants, helping him to take care of important matters.

Like the relationship between Granny Lai and Grandmother Jia.

Siqi naturally wanted to return to the mansion to continue working, since with Yingchun's rising status, she, as the second mistress, would have a very respectable position.

However, she dared not reveal this thought, fearing that Jia Lian would think she was greedy and, in a fit of rage, withdraw his favor.

Faced with Yingchun's plea, Jia Lian took her small hand, patted it, and said, "Alright, all good things must come to an end. Everyone has their own way of doing things. Why force someone to stay by your side?"

After saying this, Jia Lian ignored Yingchun's aggrieved little face and turned to Siqi, saying:
"Pan Youan is quite capable; he has been very diligent in handling matters outside for the past month or two."

Since you are willing to marry him, your future is secure.

There's no need to mention returning to the garden anymore. There are many rules in the garden, and taking care of the young lady requires meticulous attention. You two are newlyweds, and it wouldn't be good to separate you.

If you really want to work for the household, after you get married, go to the grain store with Pan Youan and let Jia Yun arrange a suitable job for you.

As for yourself, if you remember to come and see your young lady every ten days or so, that will be enough to fulfill the bond between you and your mistress.

Siqi couldn't hide her disappointment, but she still obediently nodded and said, "Yes..."

Yingchun was about to say something more, but Tanchun and the others had already sensed something was wrong from Jia Lian's attitude.

Baochai happened to be sitting next to Yingchun. Seeing this, she tugged at Yingchun's sleeve, signaling her to stop talking.

Yingchun, who was usually indecisive, did not understand why Baochai wouldn't let her speak. She just sighed, pulled Siqi along, and reluctantly sat back down to reminisce about their relationship as mistress and servant.

……

The birthday banquet at Grandmother Jia's place lasted for an hour before gradually dispersing.

Because Grandmother Jia deliberately kept Xiluan and Fourth Sister, the number of young ladies in the family increased even further.

Seeing that they were clearly still not satisfied and wanted to go to Xiaoxiang Pavilion for more fun, Jia Lian did not go with them, but instead went to his own study.

"master."

Jia Lian had just sat down and read the briefing sent back from Tianjin for a while when two figures walked in through the screen at the door.

The person in front was naturally Hu Yuanyao, and the one behind was actually the beauty sent by the King of Joseon, who named herself Jang-geum.

Upon seeing her, Jia Lian remembered that he hadn't paid much attention to the group of beauties he brought back from Liaodong after handing them over to Aqi and Aqin, and he didn't know how well they had been trained.

After glancing at it, Jia Lian nodded and continued reading the newspaper.

Hu Yuanyao then gestured to Lady Jangjin to serve a bowl of the soup they had personally prepared. She then personally presented it to Jia Lian and said softly with a smile, "My lord, you have worked hard. Please try the Jade Dew Quail Soup that I have prepared for you."

Ever since Aqi, Aqin, and Hu Yuanyao moved into the side courtyard in front of the main study, they had asked Jia Lian for permission to set up their own small kitchen.

Jia Lian readily agreed.

In addition to the unified main kitchen, Rongguo Mansion originally allowed each room and courtyard with the necessary conditions to set up their own small kitchen, so that they could easily prepare their favorite dishes.

As for Hu Yuanyao addressing Jia Lian as her master, this actually changed with the times.

For example, Qingwen, Ping'er and others like to call him "Second Master" or "Master".

The Aqi sisters and Hu Yuanyao, among others, were given additional titles such as "General," "Sir," and "Lord."

Now that Jia Lian has been granted the title of Duke, it is naturally not appropriate for him to be a Marquis.

However, the title "Lord Gong" didn't sound quite right, so Hu Yuanyao changed it to "Master" or "Master".

This actually has one advantage.

She acted as an intermediary between Jia Lian and Princess Zhaoyang, referring to them as "masters" to avoid directly revealing their identities.

In this way, even if someone accidentally overhears what you're saying, they might not know who you're talking about.

Jia Lian nodded, put down the briefing, and while accepting food from Hu Yuanyao, he sized up the Korean beauty standing next to him.

Well, her looks are probably around 85 out of 100, comparable to Xiren and Yuanyang.

However, perhaps because they knew she came from a foreign country, even though her appearance was not much different from that of people from the Central Plains, she still looked more exotic and alluring.

Hu Yuanyao keenly noticed Jia Lian's interest and couldn't help but pout, "Does Master dislike her and want her to serve him?"

Jia Lian slapped her bottom, and Hu Yuanyao immediately stopped being coquettish and happily continued to feed Jia Lian soup.

Why did you bring her with you?

"Hehe, this was borrowed from Sister Aqin."

Master doesn't know, but Sister Aqin is quite skilled at training people.

In just two months, the five beauties you handed over to her have all been trained to be very obedient.

Ah Qin's younger sister also said she had a surprise for you.

"Oh, what surprise?"

"Everyone said it was a surprise, how would they know?"

However, I noticed that those Jurchen beauties couldn't speak Han language clearly, except for this Korean beauty.

So I took it upon myself to ask her to serve me temporarily. I hope my master won't be angry?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian realized that Hu Yuanyao had been in the mansion for almost two years, always living alone in the outer courtyard. Apart from relaying messages between her and the princess, she usually helped him organize the bookshelves and desk in the study.

She never complained about the hardship or fatigue.

So he took her hand and said, "I didn't even think of that until you mentioned it. How about I get you two maids to serve you?"

Hu Yuanyao's expression brightened slightly upon hearing this, but after thinking about it, she shook her head and said, "Let's forget about it."

I was just a maidservant serving the princess, and I'm used to serving others. If I were suddenly being served by someone else, I'm afraid I wouldn't be used to it.

Moreover, people are also afraid that if they have someone to boss them around, they will slack off.

Hu Yuanyao is clear about her position and role.

All she wanted was to remain unnoticed in the mansion and simply act as a liaison between Jia Lian and the princess.

If she were given two maids in a swaggering manner, it would be hard for others not to notice her.

Moreover, there were some things between the princess and Jia Lian that were not convenient for others to know.

Anyway, Jia Lian's guards, attendants, and servants all knew her, so she could just give orders to them if she needed to do something.

As for borrowing Jang Geum, it was because she was a foreigner with no roots here, and he thought it would be nice to have someone to talk to.

Jia Lian seemed to understand her considerations, and after looking at Jang Geum again, he nodded and said, "In that case, she can stay with you from now on."

Hu Yuanyao smiled and sat down in Jia Lian's lap: "In that case, thank you very much for your generous gift, Master."

Jia Lian smiled, put his arm around her, and continued reading the briefing with the other hand.

Seeing this, Hu Yuanyao could no longer seduce Jia Lian, so she could only instruct Changjin, who was standing to the side and didn't know what to do, "What are you standing there for? Don't you know that the master is tired from his work? Come over and give the master a shoulder massage."

"Yes." (End of Chapter)