Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Is it worth it...?

A strange emotion swept through Jia Lian's heart.

This seemed to be the best outcome. In this way, the Empress Dowager, the Fourth Prince, and others would have little reason to hold a grudge against him.

He himself wouldn't feel so guilty.

As for regrets, of course there are. Presumably, any talented young man from the Great Wei would feel regret and dissatisfaction upon seeing such an outstanding princess marry into a foreign tribe.

However, he was simply the only one who wasn't qualified to express it.

He looked up and saw Princess Zhaoyang staring intently at him.

She wore a brand-new palace dress, her waist was graceful, and her figure was slender and heroic.

Above her fair and slender neck, her face was as bright as the moon, her eyes as bright as stars, and with her unique temperament, even Jia Lian couldn't help but be momentarily mesmerized.

Jia Lian then turned his head away.

Princess Zhaoyang laughed and said, "There's one more thing I forgot to tell the general."

Because of what happened last time, the general was dismissed from his post, and Zhao Yang felt very guilty.

Therefore, when I met with my father yesterday, I asked him to appoint the general as my envoy to escort me to my wedding.

"I imagine that once the general returns from this mission, he will at least be reinstated."

A wedding envoy?

Jia Lian looked slightly taken aback.

Isn't this a task for the Ministry of Rites or the Court of State Ceremonial? Given his age and seniority, why would he be a wedding envoy? A wedding envoy is a specially appointed imperial commissioner. It should at least be a position held by an official of the third rank or higher.

Would Emperor Ningkang agree? However, considering his second-rank title, he was indeed qualified to receive the imperial envoy's decree.

But what's the point...?

Everyone knows that he had refused the Empress Dowager's offer of marriage. So, it's ironic that he, the "heartless man," was chosen to be the envoy for the wedding.

"What, General, you're unwilling? Do you dislike Zhaoyang so much that you find it difficult even to escort me for the last time?"

Princess Zhaoyang asked with a generous smile.

Jia Lian cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness misunderstands. If His Majesty truly appoints me as the envoy to escort the bride, I will do my utmost to protect Your Highness's safety and uphold Your Highness's dignity."

Since everyone says that this alliance with the Oirat is so important, the emperor must value the marriage alliance highly. It is highly unlikely that he would send someone with no experience to be the envoy and deal with foreign vassals just because of Princess Zhaoyang's words.

Princess Zhaoyang smiled. From Jia Lian's words, she could tell that he didn't believe the emperor would assign him this task.

She recalled the scene when she met Emperor Ningkang yesterday.

"Are you really sure you're willing to go to the Oirat for a marriage alliance?" Emperor Ningkang's voice was loud but emotionless.

"Reporting to Father Emperor, since this is my mission, I am willing to undertake it."

However, I have only one request.

"speak."

"..."

Princess Zhaoyang knew that since her father had already promised her, he would not go back on his word.

As she walked forward, her gaze naturally took in the surrounding scenery. This was her younger brother's palace, and if nothing unexpected happened on this trip, she might never have the chance to see it again.

"General Jia, do you know that the Oirat prince is quite interesting? He can actually speak Chinese, although it sounds very awkward to him." Princess Zhaoyang seemed unwilling to remain silent and casually started a conversation.

"Oh, really? So Your Highness has already met the Oirat prince."

"Yes. It's strange, really. My grandmother, the Dowager Consort, used to be a vegetarian and a Buddhist, and when I went to pay my respects, she never had time to see me."

But a month ago, she suddenly became very concerned about me and often called me over to talk.

On one occasion, she happened to run into the Oirat prince who was on his way to pay his respects to her.

"Hehe, General Jia, you have no idea, just like that day in the garden of Weiyang Palace, he just happened to run into me."

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian naturally recalled his encounter with Princess Zhaoyang at Weiyang Palace that day.

It was from that moment that he truly realized that Princess Zhaoyang was not an ordinary royal woman.

Of course, he knew that it was not a chance encounter, but a "blind date" arranged by the Empress Dowager.

At this moment, Zhao Yang's words seemed to be telling him something.

Could it be that the Dowager Empress was also involved in this marriage alliance...?

Jia Lian wasn't entirely clear on the intricate relationships and conflicts within the royal family, but he could guess some of them. If it was truly arranged by the Dowager Consort, it was probably just another scheme for personal gain. And Zhao Yang, caught in the middle, could only be a sacrifice.

Thinking of this, Jia Lian couldn't help but feel some pity for the eighteen-year-old girl.

However, judging from her words, she seemed to have a good impression of the Oirat prince. Jia Lian shook his head with a wry smile, realizing he was really worrying about things that weren't his business.

It was a mutual consent matter; why should he pity them? So he simply nodded, indicating that he understood, and said nothing more.

……

In the front yard, the drinking games continued.

The fourth prince was in a bad mood, so he specially invited someone he liked to come over and have drinks with him.

As for Jia Lian, he hadn't originally intended to invite him; it was only at the request of his elder sister.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Zhang Su once again spoke up for Jia Lian, hoping to persuade the Fourth Prince to understand Jia Lian's situation.

Slightly tipsy, the Fourth Prince suddenly asked Zhang Su, "How is Jia Lian's alcohol tolerance?"

"Well, I've never seen him drink heavily, but I imagine he's just average."

"good!"

The fourth prince slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "You don't need to say anything more. He's one of the few people I find agreeable, and I originally wanted to be friends with him."

But I can't get over my sister's matter; I won't be at peace with myself. How about this, when he returns later, we'll leave it at that..."

The fourth prince, reeking of alcohol, whispered his solution to the problem in Zhang Su's ear.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Su looked troubled, but seeing the Fourth Prince's resolute attitude, he could only say, "In that case, we will do as Your Highness says. However, regardless of the outcome, please forgive me, Your Highness."

……

Jia Lian accompanied Princess Zhaoyang, walking around most of the palace before turning back.

"Alright, thank you, General, for accompanying Zhaoyang for so long."

"General, you may return now; Zhaoyang will not go in."

Princess Zhaoyang was inexplicably polite to Jia Lian, but Jia Lian did not feel any pleasure in being respected.

On the contrary, although there was nothing unpleasant about their conversation along the way, Jia Lian always felt an inexplicable sense of gloom.

He bowed respectfully and was about to turn away.

"By the way, my younger brother has been a bit willful since he was a child. If he has offended the general in any way, Zhaoyang will apologize to the general in advance."

"Your Highness is too kind. What I said before was true. The Fourth Prince is sincere and honest. Moreover, the reason he made things difficult for me this time was to speak up for Your Highness. I admire the Fourth Prince's character and naturally will not take it to heart."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yang bowed respectfully to Jia Lian before leaving with her maid.

Jia Lian saw her get into the car before turning back into the compound.

"Where is my elder sister?"

Upon arriving at the main corridor, the Fourth Prince, seeing that Jia Lian was alone, asked in a very unfriendly manner.

"Her Highness the Eldest Princess has already returned in her imperial carriage. Before leaving, she asked me to bid farewell to the Fourth Prince."

Upon hearing this, the fourth prince felt a lump in his throat again.

He and his elder sister had a close relationship since childhood, and there were few formalities between them. Even if his elder sister left directly, he wouldn't say anything.

But why should Jia Lian take her leave on her behalf? That would make it seem like Jia Lian is closer to the Empress than he is!

Jia Lian could understand the Fourth Prince's bad attitude.

The fourth prince must have been extremely reluctant for his elder sister to be sent on a political marriage, but he had no say in such a major matter, so he felt frustrated.

Ironically, he was the "culprit" who caused his elder sister to be sent to a political marriage... Well, if he had married his elder sister, she wouldn't have had to go through with the political marriage.

Although the logic is a bit flawed, who can blame him when he's the only one the Fourth Prince can find to vent his frustrations?

"Jia Lian, you have betrayed my elder sister's heart and now she has no choice but to marry into a foreign land. I originally thought I would give you a good beating to vent my anger."

But my elder sister wouldn't allow it, and at this moment, I didn't want to disobey her.

Considering you helped me before, I still owe you a favor, so I won't make things difficult for you.

I'll give you two choices.

First, you must leave my palace now. From now on, we will be even and never see each other again.

Second, if you're a man, accept my challenge!

Jia Lian raised an eyebrow. To be honest, although the Fourth Prince's words were very impolite, he didn't feel too offended.

Perhaps it was because the image of the Fourth Prince, Er Lengzi, was so deeply ingrained in his mind that he always felt that the Fourth Prince was like Zhang Tao, still a child.

Glancing at the setup already laid out beside him, Jia Lian had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on, so he didn't waste any words: "I choose the second option."

"it is good."

The Fourth Prince clapped his hands, then immediately turned around and walked to the long table inside to sit down. He pointed to a series of wine jugs in front of him and said, "Here are twenty jugs of wine. You and I will play rock-paper-scissors, one jug at a time, until all twenty jugs are drunk."

To be fair, I will select three of my clansmen who are the least able to drink to act as substitutes. Similarly, you may choose any three people from the crowd to act as substitutes.

After speaking, the Fourth Prince waved his hand, and three burly young men who had been prepared came over and stood beside him.

The fourth prince introduced them one by one, and emphasized again that the three of them were the least likely to drink alcohol.

But anyone with a modicum of intelligence would know that the truth is definitely the opposite.

Otherwise, even if it were such a white jade rouge pot, who would dare to call it a pot?

Jia Lian glanced around. The members of the imperial clan were out of the question; they clearly wouldn't help him. The other noble sons weren't familiar with him either, so they certainly wouldn't oppose the Fourth Prince for his sake.

That left were Feng Ziying and Zhang Su, the brothers who had come with him.

However, Zhang Su basically doesn't drink alcohol, and the Fourth Prince must have known this. So, the Fourth Prince had already planned it all out; he just wanted to get him to drink.

So Jia Lian walked over and sat down opposite the Fourth Prince, extending one hand: "Your Highness, please."

The fourth prince was taken aback: "Aren't you going to find someone to drink for you?"

"Since it is Your Highness who has set this challenge, I will do my utmost and dare not take any shortcuts."

Zhang Su's request was useless, and his relationship with Feng Ziying wasn't particularly close. Besides, the matter of Princess Zhaoyang could be considered as him "stealing her away." Although Feng Ziying didn't say anything, he was too embarrassed to ask for help at this point.

As for Zhang Tao, that kid has always disliked him.

Besides, the Fourth Prince set up this scheme solely to get him drunk and vent his anger; winning or losing... might not be important. So let him vent his anger; why force his partner into it?

The fourth prince then became suspicious: "Do you even know how to drink?"

"Not very good at it."

How could Jia Lian not know how to drink? He's been drinking and watching plays since he was a child, so he has a basic tolerance for alcohol.

Not to mention, that year the borderlands were bitterly cold, and people braved the biting winds for miles to kill and shed blood. In such circumstances, how could one dispel the chill and fear in their hearts without alcohol?

Having grown accustomed to strong liquor for warmth, I found the warm rice wine, traditionally reserved for the nobility, tasteless upon returning to the capital.

It's nothing serious; he just doesn't like drinking.

"However, Your Highness, rest assured, since it is Your Highness's challenge, I will do my best and will never disgrace the men of my Great Wei."

"Alright, that's a real man! If you beat me this time, not only will this matter be wiped clean, but from now on, I'll consider you my brother!"

"Hehe, please."

……

The Fourth Prince was indeed cunning; the three men he chose were all skilled drinkers among the纨绔子弟 (sons of wealthy and powerful families).

Each person could easily handle two or three jugs of this fine wine.

The fourth prince, perhaps having already drunk quite a bit, barely managed to finish most of the pot before he was already swaying unsteadily. In order to ensure he could continue playing rock-paper-scissors, he had no choice but to abandon his dignity and have his subordinates drink on his behalf.

As for Jia Lian, since no one was there to help him, he could only drink alone as promised if he lost.

"Brother Lian..."

"Fourth Prince, let's stop. If we drink any more, something bad might happen."

Seeing that Jia Lian, despite his superior skills, still had to drink the fifth pot, Zhang Su couldn't sit still any longer and stepped forward to persuade him.

The fourth prince, his face flushed, lowered his head and watched as Jia Lian calmly picked up the wine pot, then, as always, tilted his head back, aimed at the spout without blinking, and poured the wine down his throat.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of respect. Even though Jia Lian had concealed his drinking capacity, his ability to remain so composed was admirable.

Because he knew that the wine he had prepared was not the bland yellow wine that women drink, but a stronger wine that men drink.

Even at his peak, he could only manage three bottles at most before collapsing from exhaustion.

Who would have thought that Jia Lian, who looks so elegant, could drink so enthusiastically!

Seeing that Jia Lian took much longer than before to finish drinking, and then turned the pot upside down to show it was empty, he couldn't help but shout, "Again!"

……

The Fourth Prince originally planned to share the twenty jugs of fine wine among eight people, drinking until they were completely drunk.

However, due to Jia Lian's arrogance, it became five people.

Therefore, when only one pot remained, even the four princes' three helpers could not hold on any longer.

"Please." Jia Lian supported himself on the long table with one arm and gestured with the other.

Ultimately, by virtue of his superior intellect compared to the Fourth Prince, he controlled the odds of winning the rock-paper-scissors game and secured victory before the limit was reached.

In this final round, the Fourth Prince lost again.

"Fourth brother, let me do it."

The only one of the three henchmen who was still standing firm stepped forward, trying to show off.

At the same time, he cast a respectful glance at Jia Lian.

This kid, he's drunk seven or eight jugs, and he's still not drunk. No wonder Her Highness the Princess took a liking to him; he's truly extraordinary...

"No need, I can do it myself!"

The Fourth Prince originally intended to teach Jia Lian a lesson, but instead, his own men were defeated one by one. Overwhelmed with righteous indignation, the Fourth Prince picked up the wine jug and gulped it down.

"Your Highness..."

The concern of the eunuchs around him could not dampen the Fourth Prince's heroic spirit at this moment.

"Hahaha……"

The fourth prince let out a long howl, smashing the expensive wine jug on the ground with a loud thud, splashing water everywhere. Clearly, he hadn't finished it…

"Alright, alright, alright, I admit defeat. From now on, you are, you are my elder brother, uh..."

The fourth prince pointed at Jia Lian, uttered a few broken words in a madman-like manner, and then, without hesitation, collapsed onto the table.

The servants panicked and rushed forward to serve him. Seeing that the fourth prince was already drunk and unconscious, they helped and escorted him to rest.

Thus, on the scene, only Jia Lian remained as the main character, along with his defeated opponent who lay sprawled on the ground, unattended.

Feng Ziying, Zhang Su, and others walked over and, seeing Jia Lian's still resolute gaze, all gave him a thumbs up.

Jia Lian slowly turned his head, glanced at them, and said, "Let's go, let's go back too."

As he spoke, Jia Lian stood up, holding onto the table, but tripped over the stool and fell backward.

Seeing this, Zhang Su rushed forward to help. Zhang Tao, no longer throwing a tantrum, also went to the other side to help.

The others then realized, "That makes sense. If we did all that and nothing happened, we'd be a freak."

Fearing for Jia Lian's safety, Zhang Su quickly greeted the others and, together with Zhang Tao, helped Jia Lian outside.

Back in the carriage, he suddenly heard Jia Lian ask him, "Cousin, is this carriage expensive?"

"Um?"

Before Zhang Su could react, he saw Jia Lian's body trembling, and with a splashing sound, a strong smell of alcohol filled the carriage...

Just as Feng Ziying was about to set off, she suddenly saw Zhang Tao walking over.

"How is Brother Lian?"

Zhang Tao shrugged: "Anyway, my brother's carriage is no longer usable, so please, Brother Feng, don't hesitate to take me in."

Feng Ziying smiled knowingly, nodded, and invited Zhang Tao inside.