Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

"Hmph, this brat dares to refuse me to my face. Does he really think I can't do anything to him?"

The more the Empress Dowager thought about it, the angrier she became.

She wasn't forcing Jia Lian to make any great sacrifices. Her Zhaoyang was clearly excellent in terms of status, appearance, and temperament. What aspect of her was disgraceful to him?

Although she wanted to achieve this peacefully and did not want to use her status to coerce her subjects, it did not mean that she would allow Jia Lian to disregard her authority.

"I heard that Lady Jia, the consort of the Second-Class General of Zhenyuan, also entered the palace today?"

The Empress Dowager summoned her close attendant and asked him. Upon receiving an affirmative answer, she gave a cold laugh, clearly indicating that she already had a plan.

Princess Zhaoyang was somewhat uneasy, but the Empress Dowager said, "Don't worry, I won't do anything to her. Aren't you curious about what kind of woman she is that he would protect so much, even more so than you?"

Princess Zhaoyang didn't say anything more, though she was also curious.

However, her mindset was somewhat different from the Empress Dowager's. She knew that as long as the Empress Dowager remained determined to find her a husband, she would never have peace of mind.

Actually, it wasn't that she was determined to marry Jia Lian, but compared to the other men she had considered, Jia Lian was the one who pleased her the most.

He is both handsome and strong.

Moreover, she always felt that there was something different about Jia Lian. For example, the way he looked at her, the most favored princess of the royal family who preferred military uniforms to dresses, was not like that of other men.

She wasn't overly respectful, nor did she fawn over anyone; she acted as if she were just an ordinary princess.

At the same time, Jia Lian was the first young man she felt she couldn't understand, and he seemed to be able to look down on her from a higher position. Although she didn't know where Jia Lian got his confidence from, she just had that feeling.

It's amazing.

In short, Jia Lian was attractive to her. If only he weren't already married, she would definitely find a way to get him, even more ruthless than her grandmother!

……

There were many rules in the palace. It took Jia Mu and the others quite a while to get to the Fengzao Palace and talk with Yuan Chun about family matters and kinship.

Because the palace granted a special favor, allowing the wives and children of the imperial concubines to visit the palace on the 26th of each month, this time, Grandmother Jia and the others did not weep as they had when Yuan Chun was first made a concubine and they came to pay their respects.

It seemed much more peaceful and joyful.

When paying her respects, Yuan Chun personally helped all the elders up one by one. When it was Wang Xifeng's turn, she couldn't help but glance at her a few more times.

Grandmother Jia laughed and said, "You don't even remember her? This is Feng'er."

The last time Wang Xifeng went to the palace to express her gratitude, she was still a commoner and not qualified to go to the palace to express her gratitude.

Later, when they went to the palace to visit Yuan Chun, only Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang entered the palace.

Therefore, this was the first time Wang Xifeng entered the palace and met Yuan Chun.

Yuan Chun shook her head: "Of course I remember her. She was very naughty when she was a little girl. I never expected that in the blink of an eye, she would not only grow into a young woman, but also become so beautiful."

"Brother Lian, you are truly blessed."

Yuan Chun's words not only made Grandmother Jia and the others laugh, but also made Wang Xifeng feel quite embarrassed.

When she was a child, Wang Xifeng often visited the Jia family mansion. Since her cousin Yuan Chun was not much older than her, the two were naturally familiar with each other.

After a brief greeting, the five noble ladies of the Jia family and Yuan Chun took their seats according to their status as guests and hosts, and chatted about family matters.

Since it was just casual conversation, it was inevitable that the reason for Yuan Chun's promotion would come up.

Although Yuan Chun was in the palace, she often worried about her family and hoped for harmony within the family.

She was intentionally trying to maintain the relationship between the two branches of the family, so she smiled and said, "Speaking of which, we should thank Brother Lian for this."

"Oh, what does that have to do with him?"

Grandmother Jia and the others were surprised, and even Wang Xifeng, who had become well-behaved here, quietly raised her head.

谷最

Yuan Chun initially felt there was no need to hide it from her family, but after glancing at the eunuchs around the palace, she realized that there were probably some of the Empress Dowager's people among them. After thinking for a moment, she said tactfully, "Brother Lian is a blessed man. In short, I have benefited from his kindness this time. Here, I would like to ask Feng to convey my gratitude to him when I return."

Seeing this, Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang looked at each other in bewilderment.

None of them were fools. Judging from Yuan Chun's expression just now, they knew that she had her reasons for not explaining clearly, so none of them dared to ask further.

The shock in my heart lingered for a long time.

It's really bizarre. Even in such a momentous event as Yuan Chun's promotion to Imperial Concubine, Jia Lian could be involved?

Wang Xifeng was naturally shocked. How could that heartless woman be so powerful?

She used to hear about it from other places, and it still felt a bit unrealistic and confusing to her. After all, she and Jia Lian were too familiar with each other, so familiar that she knew every inch of his skin like the back of her hand!

Only when she saw that even the noble and extraordinary Imperial Concubine was saying this did Wang Xifeng belatedly realize the truth.

Is he really that heartless? Looks like I need to think of a way to win him over...

Before she could think of any specific steps, Wang Xifeng, being a quick-witted person, immediately smiled and replied to Yuan Chun, "Your Majesty is too kind. It is my honor to be able to help you. There is no need for thanks."

To be honest, he's a domineering person at home, but he respects Your Majesty the most.

Take the current project of building a garden for Your Majesty's visit home, for example. He personally handles everything, even putting aside his own affairs at the government office. Every day, he goes home early to supervise the construction in the garden, fearing that the stewards and craftsmen might not do their jobs well.

I didn't quite understand why he was so devoted at first, but after seeing the Empress's golden face today and knowing that she is such a kind, approachable, and admirable person, I understand now.

He just wants to finish building the garden as soon as possible so he can invite Your Highness home to visit.

Wang Xifeng's words made Yuan Chun laugh as well.

After glancing at Grandmother Jia and the others, and seeing that Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang both nodded indifferently, Wang Xifeng knew that she wasn't exaggerating or making things up entirely, and couldn't help but feel a little moved.

But she still said, "The matter of visiting relatives is a blessing from the Emperor Emeritus and the Empress Dowager. We are grateful for this divine favor."

However, the family should not be too extravagant or waste too much money and resources on this.

To this, Grandmother Jia and the others could only agree.

Just as they were chatting idly, a palace attendant came to report: "The Empress Dowager has summoned Lady Jia, the Second-Class General of Zhenyuan, to come to Weiyang Palace for an audience immediately."

Upon hearing this news, not only Grandmother Jia and the others, but even Yuan Chun was surprised and hurriedly asked, "Did the Empress Dowager summon her alone?"

The eunuch nodded, saying that it was an oral decree personally delivered by the chief eunuch of Weiyang Palace, and that the person was still waiting outside the palace gate.

Grandmother Jia and the others stood up, unsure of what to do.

The Empress Dowager generally did not meet with her family members, but matters such as paying respects and expressing gratitude were handled by the Empress alone.

That's why they didn't go to Weiyang Palace before.

Who would have thought that even though they didn't go, the Empress Dowager would personally summon them, and specifically summon only Wang Xifeng?

Wang Xifeng looked even more uneasy. Today, she only wanted to go to the palace to watch the excitement and show off her noble status. She only wanted to watch the show and eat melons. She never expected that the Empress Dowager, the most powerful person in the world, would actually call her name!

They still singled her out, which made her feel guilty.

Yuan Chun said, "Go ahead. The Empress Dowager is an easygoing person. Just be humble and cautious, and there won't be any problems."

Thus, Wang Xifeng had no choice but to compose herself and follow the eunuchs out.

Along the way, Wang Xifeng kept guessing what the Empress Dowager wanted to ask her, and paid no attention to the palace's architecture, layout, or routes.

Just then, a eunuch approached her and whispered, "General Jia asked me to convey a message to you, Madam. Please do not worry and do not contradict the Empress Dowager. General Jia will take care of everything."

Wang Xifeng was startled and was about to ask a few more questions when the eunuch quietly broke away from the group and left.

After a while, they finally arrived at a different palace, a place even more magnificent and imposing than Yuan Chun's bedroom.

……