Dream of the Red Chamber: After being exiled, I went on a killing spree in Liaodong.

Jia Yi's eyelids twitched.

Here it comes! Just as expected!

They led me to a secluded spot, then screamed "Indecent assault!" Immediately, guards rushed out and chained me—

The standard procedure, not a word more or less!

"I don't know your young lady," he sneered. "What are you talking about! Get lost!"

He turned to leave.

Baoqin panicked and rushed forward to grab his sleeve.

Jia Yi instinctively struggled and raised his hand, but it landed squarely on the wrong spot.

"what!"

Baoqin trembled, her face instantly turning bright red as she glared at him, both ashamed and angry.

Good heavens! They talk a good game, but they're quick on the uptake!

I thought you, Jia Yi, were different from those philanderers, but what happened?

As the old saying goes, "People who are not family will not enter the same door!"

Jia Yi was also stunned, cursing inwardly.

This girl... looks gentle and kind, but she's full of mischief!

She appears pitiful on the surface, but in reality, she is scheming and plotting every step of the way, perfectly illustrating the saying "you can't judge a book by its cover"!

"My lord!" Baoqin gritted her teeth and lowered her voice, "My young lady is your cousin! Jia Yuanchun!"

Jia Yi was taken aback.

Oh--

So it was that elder sister who had been hidden deep within the palace walls for so long?

He narrowed his eyes, his mind filled with doubt.

What would she do if she saw me?

Could it be... that he also wants to escape this cannibalistic Forbidden City?

If that's the case, then it's worth discussing.

After all, in the entire Jia family, you could count the number of people who could be considered "having a brain" on one hand.

And she happened to be one of them.

I just wanted to lend a hand and do something convenient.

After many twists and turns, they finally found Yuan Chun, who was already waiting in the secluded corner of the palace.

"Yi-ge'er..." she looked at him, her voice as soft as if it had drifted from the past, "I didn't expect you to have grown so much."

Jia Yuanchun's eyes trembled, and an indescribable emotion surged within them—a longing for the lively atmosphere of the Rongguo Mansion, a homesickness that could not be contained within the deep palace.

Time is like a knife, cutting people beyond recognition.

The simple-minded fool who used to trip over the threshold is now the renowned Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery, wielding military power and commanding even imperial edicts.

"Big sister," Jia Yi took a few steps closer, his tone sincere, "if you really want to leave the palace, I'll risk offending people to find you a way."

Seeing that her eyes were red, he assumed she was homesick and his heart softened.

"Huh?" Yuan Chun was taken aback, then shook her head and chuckled, "Yi-ge'er, I didn't say I wanted to leave the palace."

Although the palace walls were dark, to her they were no longer a cage, but a ladder.

Now that she has a powerful younger brother backing her up, which palace servant doesn't fawn over her and treat her with utmost respect? Even the head eunuch has to bow and address her as "Miss Yuan Chun."

"I want to ask you," she lowered her voice, a burning glint in her eyes, "to help me get in touch with Xia Shouzhong."

"I want to serve His Majesty."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment after those words were spoken.

Over the years, she had seen enough—how many palace maids, unremarkable in appearance, rose to prominence the next day, receiving official titles and their families becoming instantly wealthy, simply because they were favored at night.

She was unwilling to be trapped and die in this cold palace-like existence.

As she grows older, what good will it do to be the legitimate daughter of the Rongguo Mansion once she is released from the palace? Which noble family would be willing to marry an outdated woman?

Jia Yi was stunned, then his brows furrowed into a knot.

Good heavens! Everyone says Jia Yuanchun is one of the few sensible people in the Jia family, so how could she make such a foolish move!

He almost thought he had misheard.

"Big sister, if you want to leave the palace, I'll risk my reputation to find a way."

"But you want to climb up the social ladder and compete for favor in bed?" He sneered. "I can't help you with that."

Before he finished speaking, he turned and left, his robe billowing in the wind, leaving no room for retreat.

"Hey? Why is the Marquis doing this!" Baoqin stamped her foot, muttering under her breath, "If she becomes a concubine, the whole household will benefit. Isn't this a win-win situation?"

She glanced sideways at the departing figure, cursing inwardly: "This person must have lost his mind from fighting; he's turning down any benefits that's offered to him!"

"It's alright." Yuan Chun remained expressionless, her fingertips lightly tracing the embroidery on her sleeve, a slight smile playing on her lips. "I'll write a letter home and ask my grandmother to persuade him."

She was very certain.

As long as the pros and cons are laid out clearly, how could Grandmother and Mother not see that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?

Jia Yi? He's just a brute with a title but no real power. A little coaxing and intimidation and he'll submit.

Fooling idiots, isn't that easy?

—The souls who died by his blade nodded in unison: You're absolutely right!

The thought of soon wearing a phoenix coronet and embroidered robes, walking on lotus blossoms, ignited a fire in Yuan Chun's eyes; the future seemed to be in her grasp.

Meanwhile, outside the palace gates.

As soon as Jia Yi stepped out of the high vermilion threshold, the undercurrents of the deal between the retired emperor and Emperor Yuankang came to an end.

He didn't know what thrilling power struggle was taking place inside, he only knew—

An official, holding the imperial edict, happily headed south to take up his post, as if he had found a gold ingot.

Meanwhile, Prince Chungshun, who was recuperating at home, was urgently summoned to the palace and given a severe beating.

The retired emperor personally wielded the whip, specifically targeting the back, striking until the skin was torn and bleeding, yet avoiding touching any old wounds—his ruthlessness was perfectly timed.

"Jia Yi...you just wait!" King Zhongshun lay on the ground, gritting his teeth, mentally cursing Jia Yi's ancestors for eighteen generations.

The first thing he did upon returning home was not to apply medicine, but to order someone to quickly invite a wandering sorcerer to the mansion—to change his fate!

After suffering several calamities, he finally realized that his birth chart was cursed, and his nemesis was that little bastard surnamed Jia!

We must break this deadlock, or we'll be played to death sooner or later!

On the other side, Jia Yi had just stepped into the gate of Rongguo Mansion.

Grandmother Jia was already waiting at the door with a group of relatives, her face full of eager smiles and her eyes shining as if she had seen a mountain of gold.

Across the street, the long-abandoned prince's mansion now has four gilded characters hanging high above its gate: "Loyal and Brave Marquis's Mansion," so bright in the sunlight that it's hard to open one's eyes.

"Yi-ge'er!" Grandmother Jia grabbed his hand, her voice trembling, "Then the Prince's Mansion... has it granted you the title of Prince?"

Her eyes shone brightly, as if she could hear the resounding drums and gongs of the Rongguo Mansion, which would once again rise to the pinnacle of wealth and power.

Jia Zheng stood to the side, saying nothing, but secretly he was also holding his breath. Although he knew it was impossible, he couldn't help but fantasize—what if?

"For your meritorious service in suppressing bandits, this is a residence bestowed by the Emperor Emeritus," Jia Yi said calmly, glancing at the excited and distorted faces. "It's not a title of kingship, but a bestowed residence."

"Oh..." Everyone deflated in unison, like lanterns that had been punctured.

Only Grandmother Jia's eyes flashed, and she quickly calmed down, her mind racing as she made her calculations—

When a military general gains favor and achieves great merit without overstepping his bounds, the emperor is most at ease.

This title... I'm afraid it can't be suppressed.

Furthermore, the fact that Jia Yi was directly rewarded with a princely mansion makes the meaning crystal clear.

Just keep charging forward, even if it costs you your life. As for titles? The royal family will never be stingy with them.

How could Jia She not understand the implied meaning?

The more I look at Jia Yi, the more pleasing he seems.

This kid is a bit slow-witted, but he's got guts! The achievements he's made are real and undeniable; no one can take them away!

"Yi-ge'er, you must be exhausted. Go back to the courtyard and rest."