Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

In the east courtyard, both the servants and lackeys on duty and those not on duty rushed about, forgetting to eat.

After paying her respects to Madam Xing, Madam Yang wanted to speak with her brother. Upon seeing this scene, she quickly stopped a servant and asked him the reason.

"My aunt doesn't know, but the news from the manor says that Second Master Lian is going to select ten people from the South Garden to escort him in the future."

Auntie thought to herself, "Second Master is now a high-ranking official in the Military Command, and he's a newly appointed official. The Military Command is so large, it needs countless people. If we follow Second Master, we might even be able to work in the government office in the future. That would be an incredible opportunity! How could we servants not rush to give it a try?"

The servant finished speaking quickly, not wanting to waste a moment, and casually gave a bow before running off.

Seeing this, Yang's mood naturally worsened.

She could understand the thoughts of these servants. In the mansion, among the servants around the Second Master, those who were responsible for escorting the Second Master, Jia Zheng, to court every day and who could help Jia Zheng carry his official sedan chair were arrogant and obviously superior to others.

They were envious when they saw it, and now that Jia Lian has taken up a post, they naturally all want to take advantage of this opportunity!

Suddenly feeling powerless, they realized that Jia Lian's status as the eldest son of the legitimate wife was already suffocating them, and now he was being forced to marry a high-ranking official. If things continued this way, even if Jia She disliked Jia Lian, she and her son, Cong'er, would have no chance at all.

Now, what should she do, and what can she still do...?

……

Pear Fragrance Courtyard, northeast corner of Rongguo Mansion.

Since the passing of the old Duke, the once quiet and deserted courtyard has now flourished again.

Because the Xue family moved in.

The Xue family was a powerful clan in Jinling. Although most of the servants who had accompanied them to the capital were settled in the Xue family's old residence, only a dozen or so were brought to serve at the Jia mansion. However, the Xue family's refined lifestyle did not diminish, which made this small, exquisite two-courtyard house radiate with extraordinary vitality.

At this time, the Xue family had naturally heard the news of Jia Lian's official appointment, but because Jia Lian was a junior and his father was bedridden, they could not go to congratulate him in person.

However, some discussion is inevitable.

In the main house in the backyard, in the outer hall of Aunt Xue's bedroom, Xue Pan and her daughter were talking when Xue Pan suddenly strode in, shouting, "Mom~...My sister's here too! Um, have you heard? Lian, the second brother in their household, got promoted, and a high one at that! I heard he's now the commander of some military garrison, in charge of fighting and brawling on the border. Heh, he won't be afraid of fighting anymore. If they piss me off, I'll have Lian take some men and deal with them..."

Aunt Xue was already furious, and when she saw Xue Pan and heard him say those words, she was immediately enraged.

"You have the nerve to say that? He's only four or five years older than you, and he's already a respectable fourth-rank official. And you? What can you do all day besides drinking and watching plays? We tell you to learn about governance and economics from the managers, and you complain endlessly!"

You envy others now, but you don't know that their official positions were earned through hardship and training in the harsh border regions.

And you have the nerve to mention fighting? You'd dare to kill someone for the sake of an actress...

Aunt Xue became increasingly angry as she spoke, to the point that her complexion turned sour, prompting Baochai to quickly soothe her.

Xue Pan had come in happily to deliver good news, but he was immediately berated upon meeting him. He protested, "That matter is all in the past, why do you keep bringing it up? Do you want me to pay for that scoundrel's life?"

If you complain that I'm not as capable as my second brother Lian and can't bring you honor, then I'm willing to go to the battlefield and fight for fame and fortune. I'm just afraid you won't feel at ease.

Sigh, why bother comparing ourselves to them? Don't we realize how our family can possibly compete with theirs? What's the big deal? Second Brother Lian is going to inherit a title in the future. Given their family's current situation, he'll at least be a second or third-rank general...

With that, what do we have to compare with them?

You're still blaming me? Who am I supposed to blame? Do you think I wasn't born as good-looking as others?

Seeing that Xue Pan was going on and on, Baochai said, "Just shut up. Can't you see how upset Mother is? You're still making her angry."

In fact, the Xue family wasn't as particular as the Jia family. Baochai and Xue Pan usually called her "Mom" at home, and only when outsiders were present would they call her "Madam" or "Mother." This made the relationship between mother and son, or mother and daughter, seem closer.

"Let him speak."

Aunt Xue got even angrier and scolded, "I find it strange. You used to be quite arrogant and domineering outside, but when you meet someone you can't beat, you always say it's because your family background is inferior."

"You yourself are unwilling to improve yourself, yet you complain that your family background is inferior? Our ancestors held the highest rank in government; in terms of social standing, we're not far behind theirs."

Upon hearing this, Xue Pan laughed instead. "Those are all old almanacs from many years ago. Mom, don't be unconvinced. You have to admit you can't compare to us. Seriously, how many families in the world can compare to them and maintain such wealth for a hundred years?"

"It's not shameful to be inferior to them."

Aunt Xue was so angry she almost laughed. If you said he was smart, he never had his own opinions; if you said he wasn't smart, he saw these issues very clearly, leaving her speechless.

"You only have this much twisted logic. I'm too lazy to talk to you anymore, you won't listen anyway."

"No matter how bad our family is, at least we've left you a title in the Ministry of Revenue. I only hope you'll put in a little effort and not lose that too. Otherwise, even in the afterlife, I'll have no face to face your Xue family ancestors."

Upon hearing this, Xue Pan was about to argue back, but was glared at by Baochai. After thinking for a moment, he felt it was pointless and said listlessly, "Sigh, if there's nothing else, I'll head out now."

After Xue Pan left, Aunt Xue pulled Baochai aside and sighed, "With your brother like this, I don't expect him to bring glory to our ancestors. I only hope that he can support this family business in the future and not be taken away by others. That would be a great blessing."

Baochai was actually somewhat dissatisfied with her brother, but since he was her brother after all, she couldn't speak ill of him. So she only comforted him, saying, "Mother, don't say such things. Brother is still young and may not understand things. Perhaps he will realize it when he grows up."

"Mom, haven't you heard? My second cousin Lian was similar to my brother when he was young. It's just that he's changed in recent years. Now, Mom, do you see anything wrong with him?"

what……

It must be said that Baochai is indeed good at comforting people; with just one sentence, she turned Aunt Xue's worries into joy and made her look forward to the future.

"You're right, your aunt is the type who doesn't lie. She said that years ago, so it must be true."

Thinking back, when we last saw him at his old residence in Jinling, he didn't hold any official position or title. Now, less than two years later, who knew there would be such a dramatic change?

Aunt Xue found it increasingly strange. When she first met Jia Lian, she felt that he was not comparable to ordinary scions of prominent families.

Who knew she was still mistaken? In such a short time, Jia Lian would have such an opportunity and good fortune.

He was promoted so quickly, he's practically on par with the older generation!

"Feng girl, you are a lucky person."

Aunt Xue suddenly sighed.

Upon hearing this, Baochai couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.

For a woman in this world, the greatest fortune is to marry a perfect husband.

Cousin Xifeng seems to be incredibly lucky, but what about her?

The emperor bestowed favors upon the imperial family, not only by selecting concubines, but also by choosing renowned women from prominent families to serve as talented women and advisors for the princesses and noblewomen of the royal family.

My mother sent her Gengchen (birth year) to the ancestral hall last autumn; if it didn't pass, then naturally we won't say anything.

Even if she passed that, from then on, she would probably just become a lady-in-waiting to those royal ladies, her fate completely in the hands of others.

So what right do they have to talk about happiness?

Please remember the original domain name of this book: _wap.