Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

When Madam Xu saw her daughter blushing and acting coy, she couldn't help but smile.

Jia Lian smiled too.

He took the girl's slender hand, examined her carefully, and said to Madam Xu, "Since it was an agreement from back then, and you have traveled thousands of miles to the capital to find me, I shall fulfill my promise."

How about this? The palace is about to hold a selection of ladies, and I will select a group of outstanding women from among them to fill the harem.

"Your An family should also submit your names for consideration. Then, it will be perfectly legitimate for Cai'er to enter the palace."

"A talent show?"

Ms. Xu was taken aback for a moment, then understood.

As Jia Lian was the new emperor, it was perfectly normal for the court to select candidates for him.

If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble.

"I don't know exactly when it will start?"

"The Ministry of Rites has already sent documents to various prefectures and counties, and it will take at least two months to get the final result."

"What, are you in a hurry to go back and breastfeed your baby?"

Xu blushed when Jia Lian asked her a question and glared at him.

She thought to herself that her son had stopped breastfeeding a long time ago, but someone else was the last person she ever breastfed...

Jia Lian wasn't as quick-witted as Xu Shi. While talking to Xu Shi, he naturally pulled An Cai'er into his arms.

An Cai'er was very obedient and sat on his lap, hunching her neck and occasionally glancing up at Jia Lian's face.

"Since you've finally made it to the capital, take your time to enjoy the city. You can go back after Cai'er enters the palace."

"Yes……"

Ms. Xu responded with a sound, but then didn't know what else to say.

She originally thought that once she saw Jia Lian, her daughter would stay in the palace.

Judging from the current situation, it seems that the daughter is to participate in the talent show, which means she needs to leave the palace first.

But seeing her daughter sitting in Jia Lian's lap with a blush on her face, held tightly in his arms, showing no sign of letting go.

She didn't know whether to leave or stay.

As if possessed, she blurted out, "How about Your Majesty favors Cai'er today?"

Hearing her mother's words, An Cai'er was stunned for a moment, then blushed and buried her head in Jia Lian's arms.

Upon seeing this, Jia Lian laughed and said, "That's a good idea."

After saying that, he stood up and looked around.

Although he had never been to this side hall before, since Cao Zhong had settled the An family mother and daughter here, there must be a place for them to rest.

Xu noticed Jia Lian's actions and prepared to leave.

Jia Lian stopped her, saying, "Cai'er is still young and probably has never served anyone before."

"For such an important matter, it's probably up to you, as her mother, to teach her more."

Mrs. Xu looked embarrassed, but nodded honestly.

After all, it's not the first time they've preached, so it's nothing.

Jia Lian kept Xu Shi not out of personal desire, but because he suddenly remembered that since An Cai'er was going to participate in the selection, it would be best for her to remain a virgin.

Otherwise, wouldn't it be too much trouble if a physical examination were required halfway through?

Since An Cai'er can't be touched, then whoever makes the suggestion will naturally have to suffer the consequences.

After a long while, Jia Lian emerged leisurely from the back hall.

Behind him, Mrs. Xu, her skin sweating, held her daughter's hand and followed with her head bowed.

When they arrived at the hall, only Cao Zhong was there guarding it.

Where is Zhou Zhaohai?

"Fearing he might disturb His Majesty's enjoyment, this servant sent him back first."

As Cao Zhong spoke, he glanced discreetly at the An family mother and daughter behind him, thinking to himself that he had finally accomplished something that pleased the Emperor.

"Send two clever men to escort them back. Also, have Zhou Zhaohai delegate the city's defenses to someone else. For the next two months, their sole responsibility is to protect them..."

Before Jia Lian could finish giving his instructions, Madam Xu hurriedly said, "Don't trouble Lord Zhou. He has already helped us a lot."

Moreover, we have brought servants with us on this trip to the capital, so there is no need to send anyone to protect us.

The An family was a prominent clan, and An Zhiyuan had once served as the Salt Commissioner, so the An family was quite prestigious in the area.

When Madam Xu brought her daughter to the capital, she also brought several old women and servants with her; otherwise, they wouldn't have dared to travel such a long distance.

Seeing that Madam Xu dared to interrupt Jia Lian, Cao Zhong quickly gave her a wink.

He thought to himself, "He really is from the countryside; he doesn't know any manners at all."

If the Emperor gets angry, you'll be the ones who suffer.

Jia Lian thought about it. After all, the capital city was under the emperor's nose, and the An family mother and daughter were staying in a large inn, so there shouldn't be any major safety issues.

So he said nothing more.

Jia Lian remained calm as he watched the An family mother and daughter leave, led away by two eunuchs.

Indeed, he could place An Cai'er in the harem right now.

However, this would inevitably attract the attention of Daiyu and others.

When that time comes, it will inevitably bring up some of his past romantic affairs.

Although for an emperor like him, this was nothing.

But as I said before, he never wanted to use his status to force the woman he liked to comply.

He prefers to use reasonable methods to avoid conflict with them.

If it's unavoidable, just coax them.

In this way, even if 100% of the problems cannot be solved, 90% of the troubles can be reduced.

However, if one uses the emperor's status to force compliance repeatedly, it will inevitably lead to disloyalty and alienation.

Therefore, Jia Lian preferred to go to more trouble to let An Cai'er enter the palace directly through the imperial concubine selection process.

Speaking of the imperial concubine selection, Jia Lian couldn't help but recall what happened after his meeting with Princess Zhaoyang that day.

When he returned after seeing Princess Zhaoyang off, he found that only Sister Feng and Baochai remained.

"Where's Lin?"

"She has already returned to Chang Le Palace."

Jia Lian, who had just sat down, was taken aback and subconsciously asked, "What have I done to offend her again?"

Jia Lian knew that Daiyu was never one to be ignorant of social etiquette and hierarchy.

If she acts rudely in a blatant manner, it's most likely on purpose for him to see.

Seeing Jia Lian's sensitivity, Feng Jie and Baochai exchanged a glance and both laughed.

Sister Feng said, "You still want to ask?"

Someone, having just won over all the sisters in their family, is already eagerly organizing a talent show for themselves.

If it were me, I'd be angry too.

Jia Lian said helplessly, "You've really wronged me."

The Empress Dowager initiated the talent selection process.

I initially refused, but the Empress Dowager was adamant, so I had no choice.

Really.

"I can barely take care of you all right now, how can I have the extra energy to choose any kind of show?"

Sister Feng just smiled when she heard this.

Seeing this, the loyal and courageous Ping'er quickly spoke up for Jia Lian: "Your Majesty, please don't disbelieve us. What our master said is true."

I was also present when my master went to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager.

Our grandfather was not lying.

Ping'er was peaceful by nature and didn't like to lie, so her words were quite convincing.

Even Sister Feng was surprised to hear this, wondering if she had indeed misunderstood Jia Lian.

However, she didn't dwell on this point; instead, she mocked Ping'er:

"He's only been away from me for less than half a day, and he keeps calling me 'our grandpa, our grandpa.' He's just like me, a heartless bastard."

Upon hearing this, Ping'er protested somewhat aggrievedly, "It has always been our master..."

Baochai then smiled and said, "Your Majesty doesn't need to explain to us."

Talent shows are a good thing.

Your Majesty is now the ruler of the world, and should naturally bestow blessings upon all under heaven.

I just discovered that this huge harem is almost entirely made up of sisters we knew from the past.

"It would be good if some other sisters entered the palace."

Baochai was well-versed in politics and knew that the women in the harem, besides ensuring the continuation of the royal lineage, were also involved in maintaining the balance of power among various factions in the court.

So although her words were veiled, that's the gist of it.

The current imperial harem is so large, the Jia family lineage is too powerful, so powerful that it's out of balance.

This is not conducive to Jia Lian's rule over the country.

After hearing Baochai's words, Jia Lian finally realized why the Empress Dowager was so insistent on selecting a concubine for him.

So that's where the problem lies.

So he waved to Baochai.

Baochai stepped forward, unaware of what was happening, and saw Jia Lian raise his hand and give her a light slap on her taut buttocks.

Faced with the surprised gazes of Sister Feng and the others, Baochai couldn't help but look at Jia Lian with a hint of grievance.

Jia Lian said, "Although what you said was very pertinent, even very considerate."

But I am still very dissatisfied.

"Little Chai'er, don't you think that for someone of your status, speaking like this makes you seem heartless and ungrateful?"

Baochai was puzzled, and Fengjie sat down to question her on her behalf: "Oh, then Your Majesty, tell me, how can she be considered heartless and ungrateful for speaking up for you so considerately?"

You should explain the reasons behind this to the other women clearly.

"Your Majesty" and "Emperor" are both formal titles that can be used to address the emperor.

The emperor was considered closer to the women, and this was the common way the women addressed each other.

His Majesty's name is more formal and official, and the ministers generally use this term.

Jia Lian took Baochai's hand and raised his other hand to rub the spot where she had been hit, but she dodged it and he didn't mind.

He just looked at her and laughed, "As my woman, you still call me 'husband' in private... um."

In short, even Lin Daiyu knew to get angry and jealous when I took a concubine, but you, on the contrary, cheered for me?

Do you even have me in your heart?

When Baochai heard Jia Lian mention their private nicknames, she instinctively covered her mouth in embarrassment.

After being pulled away by Jia Lian, he listened to what Jia Lian said next and began to think about it seriously.

"Pfft..."

It was obvious that Sister Feng laughed out loud.

"Tch, I thought you could come up with some kind of logic."

According to you, someone like Lin Daiyu, who occasionally gives you the cold shoulder, is actually a sign of loving... caring about you?

"Alright, since you think Lin Daiyu is so good, then Bao'er and I will try to be like her from now on."

Sister Feng mocked.

At first, Baochai almost thought that Jia Lian really wanted her to be like Daiyu, with a more girlish temperament.

But upon closer reflection, something doesn't seem right.

Admittedly, Jia Lian doted on Daiyu, but in all fairness, he treated her no less than Daiyu did.

In other words, he also likes himself.

If I were to learn from Daiyu, I would pout when I'm angry and turn my head away when I'm unhappy.

I'm afraid he might not like it even more.

Daiyu is clever and charming, and she always shows her true feelings, never caring about worldly gains or losses.

Putting aside the fact that he himself might not be able to learn it, just consider someone like Daiyu; Jia Lian might find her cute and unique.

If every woman in his harem were jealous, he would be exhausted trying to appease them.

The most critical point.

Now that Daiyu has won his heart, everything is wonderful.

But as the saying goes, the most ruthless family is the imperial family.

What if he gets tired of it one day?

To put it another way...

Beauty fades and ages.

As an emperor, he always had new women entering his harem.

When they grow old and their beauty fades, their youthful looks will be gone.

If Daiyu continues in this manner, he may not be able to maintain the same attitude.

If that were the case, Daiyu's fate would inevitably be tragic.

Jia Lian had no idea that a casual joke he made could cause Baochai to overthink so much.

If he had known, he could only sigh, "Truly worthy of being called Lady Hengwu."

So rational.

Such a mindset prioritizes self-interest over emotions.

Lin Xiaoxiang, on the other hand, is the opposite.

Emotion comes first, self-interest second.

Indeed, only when Daiyu and Baochai are united can they achieve perfection.

He was fortunate enough to achieve this, and could truly and meticulously experience their harmony in diversity.

"Your Majesty~?"

Coming to his senses, Jia Lian looked at the cautious Cao Zhong in front of him and bent down to give him a few instructions.

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhong happily replied, "This servant obeys the decree and will certainly handle it properly for Your Majesty."

"Don't make a fuss, or everyone will know."

"Dele".

After waving Cao Zhong away, Jia Lian turned and walked towards the Daming Palace.

Not far away, he saw Hu Yuanyao walking quickly towards him.

"Your Majesty, the Grand Secretaries and Ministers have all arrived at the Southern Study."

"So fast?"

Jia Lian glanced at the sky, said "Let's go," and then returned to the Southern Study to continue discussing strategies and policies for the extermination of the Japanese pirates with his ministers.

He was completely unaware of what he had forgotten.

……

Early the next morning.

In a quiet alley behind Jiajia Street, an ordinary little courtyard welcomed an unexpected visitor.

Although Zhou Zhaohai's official rank was not particularly high, he was only a fourth-rank military officer.

But he was, after all, a general of the Imperial Guard, and to ordinary members of the Jia family, he was definitely a rare and distinguished guest.

"Your presence today truly honors my humble abode..."

In the simple foyer, Jia invited Zhou Zhaohai to sit down and then leaned forward as he spoke.

Zhou Zhaohai glanced at the surroundings and frowned in surprise.

Upon hearing this, he shook his head and laughed, "Soon this place will no longer be my humble abode. Today you are indeed honored, but it is not because of me."

Seeing Jia's bewildered expression, Zhou Zhaohai stopped beating around the bush and asked with a smile, "I wonder if your younger sister is at home?"

"Uh, I... I don't know, sir..."

"Hehe, may I invite him out to meet me?"

Although Jia had some doubts, he dared not disobey.

Thinking that if this fellow had wicked intentions, he would go to the Rongguo Mansion to ask the old lady for help.

My mother said that the old lady really likes her younger sister, so she'll definitely not ignore her.

Having made up his mind, he walked to the door and called out, "happy Luan, come and greet our distinguished guest."

There are only a few rooms in the courtyard, where a family of three lives.

When Zhou Zhaohai arrived, Jia's mother and sister naturally knew, and they hid inside the window to watch what was happening.

After hearing the sound, her mother finally brought her daughter over.

"Reporting back to you, sir, this is my sister..."

As Jia was introducing the situation, he turned around and found that Zhou Zhaohai had already stood up, his expression changing from nonchalant to almost humble.

This change left Jia speechless, unable to finish his sentence.

Zhou Zhaohai realized that his reaction was making the people in front of him feel strange, so he coughed and read aloud in a serious tone:

"Jia, listen to the imperial decree..."

Jia shuddered and, in a daze, knelt down on the ground.

"His Majesty has decreed that you send your sister to participate in this year's palace selection, and there must be no mistake."

Jia and the other two were all stunned.

After a moment of stunned silence, Jia's mother, Zou, became unusually agitated.

So many years have passed, I thought he would have long since turned his back on me...

Jia was completely stunned. After raising his head, he asked blankly, "May I ask, Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this?"

He also knew about Jia Lian's recent return to the Jia family mansion and the lavish rewards he had received.

The three daughters from the two mansions, along with other daughters from relatives, were all made concubines by the Jia family.

If he also took a fancy to his own sister, why didn't he summon her to be granted a title that day, but instead sent someone today to have his sister participate in the palace's selection of concubines?

Zhou Zhaohai was merely following orders and dared not speculate on Jia Lian's intentions.

"You just need to follow the imperial decree and carry it out. How could you or I possibly fathom His Majesty's intentions?"

But... it must be a good thing, right?

Zhou Zhaohai glanced at the clever and demure Jia Xiluan, then raised an eyebrow at her.

"Uh...yes..."

Although my head was spinning, as long as nothing was wrong, I knew this must be a great thing!

Once he was certain that Jia had fully understood his meaning, Zhou Zhaohai did not linger and immediately took his leave.

Jia tried to persuade her to stay but failed, so he hurriedly asked his mother to prepare tea and money.

Zhou Zhaohai didn't wait for him and went straight out of the courtyard.

Firstly, he had other things to do, and secondly, he could tell that this family was truly not wealthy.

After leaving the Jia family residence, he had his attendant produce a simple map he had drawn after asking for directions. He made three turns before knocking on the door again. (End of Chapter)