Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

In the days that followed, the Jia family gradually returned to peace.

As for Jia Lian himself, he only needed to manage the affairs of the military headquarters and his own garden every day, and occasionally help out at the Ningguo Mansion.

In his spare time, he would either practice martial arts in the newly built training ground or stay at home with his wives, concubines, and maids, living a fulfilling and contented life.

On this day, a piece of news from the court finally caused his brow, which had been relaxed for many days, to furrow again.

In Changchun Palace, the Empress Dowager looked at Emperor Ningkang, who was meditating with her, and noticed a trace of worry between his brows. She asked leisurely, "Is Your Majesty troubled by something lately?"

Emperor Ningkang snapped out of his reverie and shook his head, saying, "It's just some mundane business in the court, nothing to worry about."

The Dowager Empress narrowed her eyes, her prayer beads ceasing their rotation. "Is it because of the court's discussions regarding a marriage alliance with the Oirat royal court?"

Seeing that his birth mother, the Dowager Consort, already knew, Emperor Ningkang no longer concealed it and nodded in response, "The Dowager Consort is right; it is indeed because of this matter."

"What's so difficult about this that's bothering you?"

The Empress Dowager said quite naturally, "Although I don't understand matters of state, I have heard a little about them recently."

The barbarian tribes on the border are still plotting against us, and our western frontier is unstable.

Therefore, the imperial court decided to form an alliance with the Oirat royal court and to confer upon the Oirat king the title of Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. This would not only resolve the conflict but also ensure stability in our western frontier for at least several decades…”

Emperor Ningkang valued filial piety, so he often took advantage of his free time to spend with the Dowager Consort.

However, he was also deeply influenced by imperial ideology and usually did not take the initiative to discuss state affairs with the Empress Dowager.

Seeing that the Empress Dowager was so knowledgeable about court politics, he couldn't help but feel a little suspicious. However, as her son, he naturally wouldn't interrupt her at this moment.

So when the Dowager Princess finished speaking, he replied quite casually, "What the Dowager Princess says is true."

Seeing that he was not very interested in talking, the Dowager Consort understood after a moment's thought, and sighed, "These are things that you and the ministers should indeed be concerned about."

However, although you are the emperor, you are also my son. Tell me, which mother in the world could bear to see her son looking worried all day long?

"Fine, since you're unwilling to tell me, I won't pry any further, lest you think I'm intentionally interfering in your affairs."

Upon hearing the Empress Dowager's words, Emperor Ningkang dared not remain seated any longer and hurriedly flattered her, saying, "What are you saying, Empress Dowager? I had no such intention."

I just don't want to disturb your peace with such troublesome matters.

In truth, it's just a family matter. The Oirat envoy's attitude was very sincere when he came to the capital to establish an alliance with our dynasty. Originally, the court had already finalized the treaty, but the Oirat suddenly proposed to marry a princess of our superior nation as a sign of their intention to maintain an everlasting alliance.

As Emperor Ningkang spoke, he also revealed his predicament: "As the Dowager Consort probably knows, among my children of suitable age and unmarried, only Zhaoyang is still around."

They intended to choose someone else from the royal family, but the Oirat prince insisted on marrying Zhaoyang.

This is precisely where my dilemma lies.

"What's so difficult about that?"

Upon hearing Emperor Ningkang's words, Consort Li felt a surge of anger for no apparent reason.

"Could it be that she's unwilling? As a royal princess, she has enjoyed boundless privilege since childhood. Now that she's grown up, she should naturally share the burdens of her emperor and father, and shoulder her responsibilities and mission!"

Emperor Ningkang frowned and said, "But what about the Empress Dowager...?"

Everyone knows that the Empress Dowager had no children of her own and always treated Princess Zhaoyang as her own daughter.

If Zhaoyang is married off to a foreign land, how will the Empress Dowager explain it?

"Marriage alliances are a major national affair, concerning the safety of the country and its people. Back then, your eldest princess was a prime example. Going back further, which of your sisters who were married off to foreign lands did not consider it an honor to marry far away to serve the country and share the burdens of the emperor and father?"

They all succeeded, so why did Zhaoyang fail? Could it be that Zhaoyang is not a princess of our Great Wei?

The Empress Dowager is a woman of great wisdom and understanding; she will surely grasp this principle, so you need not worry too much.

Emperor Ningkang listened in silence. The Empress Dowager's words, to a large extent, were in accordance with law and propriety.

However, he also had ample reason to be cautious.

The Empress Dowager holds a prestigious position and is not his biological mother. If he were to rashly send Zhaoyang to marry the Empress Dowager, people might spread rumors that he was intentionally bullying her, which is not what he wants to see.

The Empress Dowager continued, "Moreover, I have also met the third prince of the Oirat."

He was born heroic and imposing, with an extraordinary appearance. The last time he came to pay his respects to me, Zhaoyang was also there.

You probably know a thing or two about Zhaoyang's personality. She is active and dislikes stillness. She has loved riding horses and shooting arrows since she was a child. She is quite a good match for that Oirat prince.

I observed that the two of them got along very well.

Putting aside the issue of a political marriage, such a blessed union—how could you, as the emperor, not grant it your wish?

Emperor Ningkang was stunned. "Is this true?"

"Am I to favor you?"

Emperor Ningkang understood somewhat. No wonder the Oirat prince had repeatedly said in the palace that he had fallen in love with Zhaoyang at first sight, that she was stunningly beautiful, and that he would marry no one but her in this life.

He had been wondering how the Oirat prince, who had only been in the capital for a little over a month, could have had the opportunity to meet Zhaoyang.

It turned out to be in the mother's palace.

"If that's the case, then this matter is much easier to handle," Emperor Ningkang muttered to himself.

Consort Li was pleased. "That's right. There's another point. I've heard that the third prince of the Oirat Mongols is the most favored prince in the Oirat court. After Zhaoyang marries him, with our support, the third prince will surely become the next Khan."

As a result, Zhaoyang's status naturally rose, and she also became the Khan's wife, a position even higher than that of a princess.

In this way, it wasn't an insult to her at all.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Ningkang showed no expression on his face, simply nodding and saying, "Your subject understands and will consider this matter carefully."

Khan?

This is merely a temporary measure. In the future, we will surely wipe out these Northwest wolves!

……

The following day, at Daming Palace.

The fourth prince rushed anxiously through the Southern Study, knelt down to pay his respects, and, unconcerned about receiving no response from Emperor Ningkang, looked up and asked, "Father, I heard the court is sending my elder sister to marry a foreign ruler? And to that godforsaken place in the northwest desert?"

"Father?"

Under the repeated questioning of the Fourth Prince, Emperor Ningkang, who was at the head of the table, finally raised his head and said with great displeasure: "This is a matter of state affairs. How can you have the right to question or speak on it?"

If you care about this matter, learn from your eldest and third brothers, master your studies, observe current affairs closely, and be able to speak with insight. If you do so, and if you have any words of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, I might as well listen.

Otherwise, get out of my sight.

The fourth prince froze upon hearing this. In other words, his father's words meant that a good-for-nothing like him had no right to discuss state affairs!

But he refused to comply.

"But that's my elder sister! Father, can you really bear to see her marry into such a remote place, and never see her again for the rest of her life?"

Father, have you forgotten my elder sister Changning? She was also married off to a foreign land for political reasons. She cared for me deeply since I was a child, but after she married into the north, I never saw her again until the news of her death came.

"Father! Aren't you worried that my elder sister, like Princess Changning, will leave and never return? Don't you love her anymore?"

As the fourth prince spoke, tears began to fall from his eyes.

His words also made Emperor Ningkang's expression tighten.

Ultimately, no emperor was truly willing to marry his daughter off to a remote foreign land.

Emperor Ningkang also knew that it was probably not a good ending.

Therefore, the fourth prince's words touched a soft spot and a sense of reluctance in his heart.

But, what can you do when he's the emperor?

"You bastard!" Emperor Ningkang cursed.

"You still remember your elder sister? As a woman, she knows how to share the burdens of the country, the emperor, and the father. You, as my son, only know how to play and have fun every day. What makes you worthy of being the head of my Great Wei?"

The prince?

"How dare you come here to question me now? If you have the ability, lead your troops and wipe out the Tatars and Oirats for me. As long as you can ensure the stability of my Great Wei dynasty, I will not only spare your elder sister from a marriage alliance, but I might even let you sit in my place!"

The fourth prince was already used to being scolded by his father.

But this time, when he heard his father attribute the tragic fate of his elder sister and the others to the incompetence of the princes, the fourth prince's face suddenly turned red.

"Fine, I'll go!"

"Your Majesty, I will lead troops right now to annihilate those damned Tatars and Oirats. As long as you remember your promise, from this day forward, you will never again allow my elder sister to be sent on a political marriage!"

The Fourth Prince's words left the servants and eunuchs in the hall looking at each other in bewilderment.

This Fourth Prince really dared to agree.

What did he take the Tatars and Oirats for? They were the two most powerful Mongol tribes in the entire steppe and Gobi Desert.

The threat from the Mongols has existed since the reign of Emperor Taizu. For a hundred years, the court has maintained a policy of appeasement and division, and no one has ever dared to say that they could be completely wiped out.

The Fourth Prince, on the contrary, immediately agreed to lead troops to destroy them, and his only request was that his elder sister not be allowed to go on a marriage alliance!

If even eunuchs were treated this way, one can only imagine how Emperor Ningkang himself must have felt.

Enraged, his beard bristled. He slammed his fist on the table, stood up, and roared, "Ignorant bastard!"

"Guards, drag him out!"

"Father!~~"

……

"Father can't hear me from this far away, put me down now!!"

The dutiful guards of the Southern Study dragged the Fourth Prince quite a distance before reluctantly releasing his arms amidst the Fourth Prince's disgruntled scolding.

Although they immediately bowed and apologized, they still couldn't escape being kicked by the Fourth Prince.

Nevertheless, they still used their bodies to block the fourth prince's attempt to turn back.

His Majesty is clearly angry. If the Fourth Prince is allowed to break through again, he will be punished as well as the Fourth Prince.

In the midst of the struggle, the Fourth Prince's wife stepped forward and advised, "Your Highness, let it go."

If you truly anger His Majesty, you will be punished again.

Not only will it be useless, but you'll also suffer unnecessary pain. What's the point?

"Why bother? This time, Father Emperor is clearly in the wrong!"

Ok?

Upon hearing this, the guards and eunuchs dared not meet the Fourth Prince's gaze.

The only one who would dare to tell the emperor to his face that he was in the wrong is probably the Fourth Prince.

The fourth prince didn't care whether these people dared to listen or not, and shouted loudly: "If it were any other time, if Father Emperor were this angry, he would have made me kneel as punishment. But today he just kicked me out. What else could it be but that he is in the wrong?"

"The imperial court can't defeat them, so they send my elder sister to marry into a foreign power, so they can stay at home and live a peaceful life."

The fourth prince looked resentful.

His wife looked bitter, neither daring to respond nor not to offer advice. So she forced a smile and said, "If Your Highness does not want the princess to go for a marriage alliance, why not ask the Empress Dowager for help?"

Given how well the Empress Dowager treats the princess, she certainly won't stand idly by in this matter.

"Empress Dowager..."

The fourth prince shrank his neck when he thought of the Empress Dowager.

He dared not go to see the Empress Dowager. He didn't know why, but he wasn't even afraid of his father, the Emperor, but he was always very obedient in front of the Empress Dowager, not daring to say a word more than necessary, for fear of saying the wrong word and incurring the Empress Dowager's displeasure.

He envied his elder sister, who could act coquettishly in front of the Empress Dowager...

Both were imperial grandmothers and great-aunts, so why did the Empress Dowager favor his elder sister so much and not him at all? This sometimes puzzled him.

He subconsciously ruled out the option of pleading with the Empress Dowager. With something this serious already happened, the Empress Dowager must have known long ago; there was no need for him to plead for her.

So, with a fierce expression, he turned around and stepped down the white stone steps.

"Where is Your Highness heading?"

"I'm going to find someone to settle the score!"

Because the fourth prince walked quickly, the old eunuch and others hurriedly followed and asked him who he was going to settle accounts with.

"Of course it's Jia Lian! If he hadn't refused to marry my sister, she would have married him long ago, and there would have been no need for a marriage alliance!"

I'm going to find him right now. I'm going to ask him exactly what's wrong with my sister that makes her unworthy of him, and I'm going to beat him up to vent my anger...

Seeing the fourth prince speaking so confidently, the old man and others looked at each other with strange expressions.

Your Highness's words sound reasonable.

Moreover, the Fourth Prince's anger needs an outlet... It seems that General Jia will have to suffer the injustice.

Just as the eunuchs and others were leading the horses and preparing to escort the fourth prince out of the palace, they suddenly saw Princess Zhaoyang's sedan chair slowly approaching.

"Royal sister!" The fourth prince hurriedly went to greet her.

The luxurious sedan curtain was lifted, and indeed, it was Princess Zhaoyang.

She glanced at the Fourth Prince's men, frowned, and asked, "Where are you going?"

"I……"

The fourth prince stammered, trying to come up with a suitable excuse.

To his surprise, Princess Zhaoyang had no patience for his fabrication. Her delicate brows furrowed, and she said, "I'm going to see my father now. You stay here and wait, and you're not allowed to go anywhere!"

"But, my elder sister, I..."

Before the Fourth Prince could say anything more, Princess Zhaoyang had already lowered the curtain and headed towards the South Study.

"Your Highness, shall we still go to find Jia Lian?"

"Where are you going? Didn't you hear my elder sister tell me to wait here?"

My elder sister is about to be married off to some godforsaken, desolate place. At this time, I mustn't upset her; I should just go along with her.

The fourth prince thought to himself.

Besides, it's not convenient to just go to the Jia family to find Jia Lian like this. It's better to invite him out alone tomorrow, cover his head, and give him a good beating. That would be much more satisfying.