Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

In order to save time, Jia Lian set off for the capital before dawn the next day.

After returning to the Rongguo Mansion and making some quick preparations, they headed straight for the Imperial Clan Court.

The so-called succession ceremony was merely a formality led by officials of various levels in the Imperial Clan Court; there were no elaborate ceremonies or rituals involved.

However, I need to go to Daming Palace in the middle to express my gratitude to my boss, thanking him for the meal...

"Have you finished taking care of your father's funeral arrangements?"

In the Southern Study, Emperor Ningkang raised his head and looked at Jia Lian, who stood below with his hands at his sides.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. My father's funeral arrangements were all completed yesterday."

"That's good. Now that everything is settled, go back to your post as soon as possible and keep a close watch on the western city for me!"

Don't think that just because you've inherited your father's title, you can live a life of luxury and ease. If you dare to follow your father's example and neglect your duties, hmph...

You should know why I bestowed the name "Zhenyuan" upon him.

Let me tell you, although the Tatars in the north are temporarily intimidated by the might of our Great Wei army and dare not act rashly, news has come from the west that the various tribes of the Western Seas are also becoming restless, seemingly secretly engaging in frequent exchanges with the Oirats and other northern tribes…”

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian immediately showed righteous indignation and hurriedly said, "How dare this tiny country in the west disrespect our Celestial Empire? I beg Your Majesty to send troops to annihilate them, and I am willing to be the vanguard."

"Reckless! Matters of state and military affairs are not to be taken lightly. This matter will be decided by the court. The reason I am telling you this is only because I am afraid that your spirit will be corrupted and worn away by high office and riches, and you will become like those dissolute and unworthy sons of noble families."

Go back and continue to command the military headquarters, and keep those small fry in check! In your spare time, read more military books and learn the ways of defending against enemies and managing troops.

As long as you acquire knowledge and skills, you will have no shortage of opportunities to make a name for yourself in the future.

Although Emperor Ningkang's tone was harsh, there was still a hint of appreciation in his gaze toward Jia Lian.

In his eyes, military officers and generals should have such a fighting spirit and willingness to fight, which strengthened his determination to cultivate and promote Jia Lian.

Although he knew that the current problems of the court lay mainly in domestic affairs, and he was focusing his main energy on reforms, this did not mean that he would completely prioritize civil affairs over military matters.

However, there are priorities, and with the current strength of the Great Wei, we are not afraid of the prying eyes of petty villains.

However, the dynasty had been stable for a century, and most of the military generals were wealthy and honored, relying on their seniority and showing off their age, while those who were capable of fighting and full of passion were rare.

If this continues, when there are no more generals available, this dynasty will surely repeat the mistakes of the previous dynasty.

Therefore, once the ills left by the retired emperor in his later years have been rectified, and the country is characterized by clean governance, harmonious society, peaceful lives for the people, and prosperity for the court, then it will be time to begin eliminating border troubles...

A flame flickered in Emperor Ningkang's eyes.

As an emperor in his prime, he naturally had the ambition to govern diligently, enrich the country, and expand its territory.

Although he is only in the first step, and his first step is difficult due to the constraints of the retired emperor and others, he knows that if this continues, he will eventually seize power and become the sole ruler of the world.

But that's not enough. He also wants to become a wise and benevolent ruler who governs the world and expands the territory. At the very least, he must be stronger than his father!

Therefore, he needs some young and capable ministers to assist him, rather than those old fogies in the court who only know how to rely on their seniority and talk about the words of sages and ancestral rules all day long...

His Highness Jia Lian dared not look directly into Emperor Ningkang's eyes, and naturally could not fathom Emperor Ningkang's thoughts.

However, this did not prevent him from maintaining his public persona in front of Emperor Ningkang.

He knew what kind of emperor Ningkang was, so he knew what kind of ministers he needed.

Even though this was his own scheme, Jia Lian still felt some gratitude when he heard Emperor Ningkang openly express his high hopes for him.

Although he jokingly referred to Emperor Ningkang as his boss in his heart, this boss was different from the bosses of later generations.

As an emperor who possessed the wealth of the entire realm and whose word was law, the grand promises he made were generally not worth the emperor's time to deceive. Because there were very few people in the world worth the emperor's effort to fool.

Therefore, when Jia Lian kowtowed to express his gratitude for the emperor's grace and praised his virtue, he couldn't help but feel a bit more sincerity.

"Alright, don't forget what I said, now you may leave."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I shall take my leave."

……

After completing all the procedures, it was nearly noon when we returned to Rongguo Mansion.

Wang Xifeng, who had already returned home, was eagerly awaiting Jia Lian's return. Upon hearing that Jia Lian was coming back, she hurriedly ordered lunch to be prepared and led Ping'er, Xiangling, and others to wait at home.

As soon as Jia Lian arrived home, he came out to greet him and bowed first, saying, "Your Excellency, it is a great joy! You have worked hard. I have already ordered someone to prepare a small feast. I wonder if Your Excellency would be so kind as to accept it?"

As she spoke, she looked up at Jia Lian and saw that he had indeed changed into a black robe embroidered with gold patterns, exuding nobility and handsomeness. She could no longer suppress the smile in her eyes.

Jia Lian watched as Wang Xifeng convincingly adopted the mannerisms of a servant, and finally understood why Grandmother Jia liked her.

This girl, Feng, can be annoying when she wants to be, but she can also be lovable when she wants to be!

So a smile appeared on his face, and without saying a word, he simply stretched out an arm as he walked forward.

Wang Xifeng was slightly taken aback, but reacted quickly. She gave Jia Lian a slight glare, then bent down and lifted Jia Lian's arm, saying "Please" as she helped him into the house.

The maids and servants nearby couldn't stop laughing when they saw this.

The Second Master and Second Mistress are really something else! Isn't this just like an old eunuch in the palace helping a noble concubine?

"Pfft, alright, stop acting up. You'll only make a fool of yourself in front of the girls."

After entering the room, Wang Xifeng saw that Jia Lian was still putting on airs, and she couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Jia Lian then flicked his sleeves, withdrew his arm, and laughed, "I'm just giving you this opportunity because I see that Second Mistress has a talent for being a servant, so I can let you have some fun."

Wang Xifeng wrinkled her nose slightly and gave a soft hum.

Nobody cares about this talent; I'm just kidding.

Since she was sitting opposite Jia Lian, after the maids finished serving tea and kowtowing, she asked Jia Lian about today's schedule.

Jia Lian also briefly explained it to her.

Wang Xifeng laughed and said, "You're getting more and more successful these days. First it was general's armor, then official robes, and now it's noble robes. If this continues, we're afraid our little house won't even be able to hold all your clothes."

Wang Xifeng's words were simply a sigh; Jia Lian had just too many uniforms!

The key point is that every single one of them is so stylish and good-looking.

"Since there's no room, you can set aside a separate room just for your clothes. Not just mine, but once you're officially appointed as a noblewoman, you can have two decent sets of formal attire made."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xifeng's expression brightened. "You've already handed it over?"

"It's been submitted. It should take a few days to half a month for the government to respond."

Even though Wang Xifeng forced herself to remain calm, she couldn't help but rub her hands together with joy.

This is a dream I've had for so many years, and it's about to become a reality. The excitement is something you can't understand unless you've experienced it yourself.

"Don't get too excited yet. Just tell me, how are you going to thank me?"

Jia Lian knew that Wang Xifeng was practically obsessed with becoming a Lady of the Imperial Decree, so when would he have a chance to make his request? He took Wang Xifeng's restless hand, pulled her to stand in front of him, and asked with a smile.

"When a man achieves success, isn't it only natural that he should reward his wife and children? How do you want me to thank you...?"

Wang Xifeng was unusually shy, but her thoughts were still clear; she didn't want to casually sign an unequal treaty.

Seeing that the atmosphere between the master and mistress had changed, Ping'er glanced at Xiangling in the room and beckoned her to go out together.