Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Without letting Feng Jie come along, Jia Lian had just stepped out of the second gate when Zhao'er and the others had already prepared the carriage, and Jia Lian sat down in the east wing.

Zhao Sheng and the others were already waiting at the door, so Jia Lian asked him in a low voice, "What's going on here?"

Zhao Sheng shook his head. Seeing that Zhang Yong and Zhao'er had already dismissed the other irrelevant people, he replied, "This servant obeyed the Second Master's orders and has been guarding this place. In the past two days, apart from the Second Madam bringing the Second Miss over, not even a single other person has come to visit."

However, I've heard that Master knows about Consort Yang's affair, which is why he's so eager to see Second Master. Apparently, it was Third Master Cong who spoke to Master about it.

Jia Lian understood immediately, and then led Zhao'er and Aqi into the inner courtyard.

Upon arriving at Jia She's room, which reeked of decay, they found him surprisingly awake, with Madam Xing and the others feeding him medicine.

"Your son greets the master."

Jia Lian seemed unaware that Jia She, though he didn't say it, was most annoyed by people adding the word "big" when addressing him.

Sure enough, as soon as Jia She heard his voice, his face, which was already so thin that it was neither human nor ghost, became even more distorted.

He wanted to overturn the medicine bowl in Madam Xing's hand to show his dissatisfaction, but he was too weak to raise his hand, making him look as ridiculous as Jia Baoyu acting spoiled in Grandmother Jia's arms.

"You...you wretched...you beast..."

If you don't listen carefully, you won't be able to hear clearly that Jia She is cursing. Those who do hear it don't dare to argue, and can only lower their heads like quails.

Jia Lian seemed not to have heard, but stood in the middle of the room, respectfully bowing his head and asking, "I wonder why you summoned me, sir, for any purpose?"

"You dare...you dare kill...Cong'er's aunt, you beast..."

Jia She glared at Jia Lian, and it took him a long time to make sure everyone could understand what he was saying.

Jia Lian then said, "Reporting to you, sir, Yang coveted the family property and plotted against us. Her crimes are obvious and cannot be tolerated by Heaven. She deserved to die, but I spared her life out of respect for you. Who knew that she would still die of illness later?"

"Isn't that right, Cong'er?"

Jia Lian glanced to the side and looked at Jia Cong, who was standing timidly in the corner with tears in his eyes.

There was a clear five-finger mark on his small face, but no one knew who had made it.

When Jia Cong met Jia Lian's icy gaze, he, already distraught, felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. He was so frightened that he couldn't utter a word and instinctively dared to hide next to Madam Xing.

Unfortunately, Madam Xing loathed him so much that she was unwilling to accept him and pushed him away.

Jia Cong was nowhere to be found. He wanted to find his wet nurse, but he didn't know where she had gone. He could only stand there and silently shed tears.

"I'm asking you, is it or isn't it!" Jia Lian raised his voice abruptly, his tone icy and intimidating. Not only Jia Cong, but everyone else trembled.

Jia Cong then sat on the ground and began to cry. Completely disoriented, he stammered, "Yes...yes...Brother Lian is right..."

Upon seeing this, Jia She was filled with uncontrollable rage.

Although his body was completely broken, perhaps because he had just taken the "One Qi Dao Pill" fed to him by Madam Xing, he was still quite sharp and immediately saw that Jia Lian was showing off his power and establishing his authority.

He felt a serious threat and mumbled something unintelligible. Then he saw her break free from Madam Xing and roll firmly onto the ground.

Jia Lian chuckled inwardly; he knew it all too well—the old man was about to get up and beat him.

However, he might not be aware of his physical condition, so as soon as he got out of bed, he could only roll onto the floor.

A hint of contempt flashed in Jia Lian's eyes. He stood still, letting Jia She look at him pitifully from the ground, like a dead dog.

Then, Jia Lian seemed to realize what was happening and rushed forward to help him up.

Jia Lian was already in front of him when Jia She realized that he couldn't even tug at the corner of Jia Lian's clothes. No one knew the resentment he felt at that moment.

Suddenly, Jia She's eyes widened, and he stared blankly at the door through Jia Lian's shoulder.

There, Aqi and Aqin stood guard to ensure Jia Lian's safety.

Especially Ah Qin, although she was dressed in a similar outfit to her sister, her graceful figure and delicate temperament were still undeniable.

Moreover, her clean and handsome face is already slightly different from that of women from the Central Plains. Combined with the unique grassland ornaments on her head and body, she truly exudes a charm that is different from that of women from the Central Plains.

Jia She's violent expression vanished instantly.

No one could have imagined what Jia She was thinking at this moment, and they all found his sudden silence strange.

However, Jia Lian noticed it immediately. He glanced at the old man and understood immediately. The coldness hidden in his eyes suddenly burst forth.

But she quickly covered it up and, together with Madam Xing, forcibly helped Jia She back to his bed.

When Jia She turned back, he couldn't find any trace of the beauty anywhere...

He thought for a long time, then gave Jia Lian a forced smile. Although it was creepy, Jia Lian could tell that he was smiling.

"Everyone else... leave. I have something to say, alone, to Lian'er..."

Having finally heard Jia She say those words, the others weren't surprised. They all knew Jia She was dying, and it was perfectly normal for him to want to say a few words to Jia Lian before he passed away.

In the past, they might have worried that Jia She would go mad and beat Lian Er Ye, but they had seen what happened just now, so that was absolutely impossible.

Jia Lian also laughed, seemingly pleased that Jia She had suddenly become more friendly towards him. He said, "Didn't you hear what Master said? All of you, go out and wait in the courtyard for Master's summons."

Seeing that Madam Xing was subconsciously ignoring her, Jia Lian bowed to her and said, "Please grant my request, Madam."

Madam Xing stood up somewhat awkwardly, and seeing that Aqi was still standing in the room and wouldn't leave, she glared at her angrily.

I, the lady, have already backed away. Who do you think you are, daring to disobey my orders?

Jia Lian turned to her and said, "You should go out too, and just stand guard outside the door."

Aqi glanced at the half-dead Jia She, said nothing, and followed Madam Xing out. Then she and her sister guarded the door.

After everyone else had left, Jia She seemed to be in better spirits, nodding repeatedly to Jia Lian and gesturing for him to come closer.

Jia Lian knelt respectfully before the footstool and asked gently, "Master, please speak your mind. It's just the two of us here."

Jia She had long forgotten his desire to uphold justice for his concubine and young son, and he was surprisingly satisfied with Jia Lian's attitude.

He thought to himself that this son, apart from being a bit useless, unable to understand his feelings, and always making him angry, was actually quite filial.

She wanted someone filial, so she stared blankly at Jia Lian and asked in a trembling, stuttering voice, "Those two maids, are they yours?"

If he hadn't already grasped the meaning, Jia Lian might not have understood what he meant. At this moment, he nodded and said, "She is my son's newly acquired maid."

Jia She became happy. He knew that since he didn't know anyone in the room and they were brought by Jia Lian, they must be Jia Lian's people.

That makes things much easier.

So he said that he was ill and needed two capable people to take care of him. He thought that Aqi and Aqin were good enough, and told Jia Lian to go away and leave the two maids behind... It took Jia Lian a long time to understand what he meant.

"Anything else, sir? Please tell me all your requests so I can handle them all at once."

Jia Lian smiled and glanced at the doors and windows. Jia She's room was already deep and secluded, and to keep out the wind, it was very well covered up.

Jia She was even more pleased to see that Jia Lian showed no objection whatsoever. To reward Jia Lian, he even said he could bestow Mei upon him...

Jia Lian waited for half a day, and seeing that the old dog really couldn't utter any more last words, he laughed and said, "Master, are you uncomfortable leaning like this? Come, let me help you lie down..."

So, as expected, she very considerately helped Jia She lie down.

"Huh, what's this?"

Seeing Jia Lian staring into the bed, Jia She also turned his head to look, and then everything went black before his eyes. After a few muffled sounds, he fell silent.

After a long while, Jia Lian threw down the cushion in his hand, sat on the footstool, and cursed his bad luck in his heart.

If I had known, I should have finished off that old bastard sooner, so I wouldn't have been disgusted by this whole ordeal.

After a while, he stood up, looked at Jia She's peaceful face, stretched out his fist, and punched him hard in the chest. Only after confirming that Jia She was indeed dead did he feel relieved.

Jia Lian thought that even if he could bring himself to kill Jia She, he might hesitate, but the result was beyond his expectations.

Having witnessed bloody and cruel scenes firsthand, he felt no psychological pressure whatsoever when he killed such a wicked and utterly useless old man.

Originally, Jia Lian could have been more patient. The imperial physician had said that if the old man stayed in another month, he would surely pass away.

Furthermore, he could pretend to agree to Jia She's demands first, and then find a foolproof opportunity to deal with him later.

However, Jia Lian suddenly realized that with Jia She's life being as fragile as an ant's, every moment and every place presents a foolproof opportunity.

After gathering her emotions, she suddenly burst into tears...