Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

"Who are you? Get out of my way!"

For Han Chinese, discrimination and hostility towards non-Han people are innate.

Moreover, the officials in the border town dared not offend the military governor's brother-in-law, but they would not take a barbarian man seriously. When they saw Jia Lian dare to interfere, they immediately scolded him to leave.

Jia Lian ignored these minor officials and removed the Hu robe covering his head, revealing his pure and handsome Han Chinese appearance.

His expression was focused, and the extraordinary majesty of someone who had long held a high position and looked down upon all living beings from above radiated outwards, causing everyone around him to pause and stare. They could vaguely sense that the man before them was not as ordinary as his attire suggested.

Even the Xue siblings looked surprised.

When Jia Lian appeared, they recognized him as the young Hu man who had sold the jade pendant at the tavern earlier. They never expected that after Jia Lian removed his Hu robe, he would appear as such a handsome and resolute Han Chinese!

He walked up to them as if no one else was there, and stretched out his arm. The Xue siblings, seeing this, instinctively stepped aside and handed their father over to this stranger they had only met twice.

Jia Lian helped the Second Master of the Xue family up, frowning at his frail and sickly body, and said gently, "Uncle, please go and rest. Leave this to me."

A seriously ill person who is also angry is very likely to die.

"you……"

The second master of the Xue family stared wide-eyed, but still couldn't recognize who Jia Lian was.

The others around him widened their eyes when they heard Jia Lian address the second master of the Xue family as "Uncle" and explicitly say that he would help the Xue family deal with their current troubles.

Could this person be a member of the Xue family? But judging from the reactions of the Xue family members, it clearly doesn't seem like it.

Judging from the sword at his waist, could he be a wandering knight-errant who, upon seeing injustice, intervenes to uphold justice?

If that's the case, then that would be extremely unwise! The other party is an official, and one of them is even from the military governor's office.

In this vast Anxi Prefecture, the military governor is like a god; anyone who dares to oppose the military governor will die without a burial place!

"Where did this arrogant barbarian come from? What are you all standing there for? Seize this thief!"

The gaunt young man, who claimed to be the brother-in-law of the military governor, was already furious. When he saw Jia Lian brazenly causing trouble, he jumped up and shouted for the people around him to take action. He then naturally labeled Jia Lian a thief.

The second master of the Xue family thought for a long time but still couldn't remember who Jia Lian was. Judging from Jia Lian's appearance, he knew that Jia Lian had good intentions towards him. Fearing that Jia Lian would suffer a loss, he was about to persuade him to leave.

Before he could speak, Jia Lian released him and immediately drew his sword, placing it directly against the gaunt young man's neck!

Because Jia Lian's movements were so fluid and quick, almost instantaneous, no one present, including the gaunt young man himself, had time to react.

"Shut up if you want to live."

Jia Lian's voice was cold and indifferent, chilling to the bone.

"You, you, you..." The gaunt young man's face was as pale as frost. The cold breath coming from his neck terrified him, and his body involuntarily wanted to retreat and run away.

But then came the sensation of warm liquid flowing down his neck, though it wasn't very painful. It made him realize, as if he had all six senses, that it was caused by a sharp sword cutting his neck.

He had no doubt that if he dared to make any move, he would be beheaded the next moment!

The will to survive made him desperately control his body, fighting against his instincts. The next moment, his legs went weak, and his body collapsed uncontrollably. A warm current from his internal organs gushed out of his body, soaking his clothes and flowing towards the ground...

"How dare you! Let go of your uncle!"

At that moment, no one noticed the emaciated youth's wretched state. Everyone around was shocked; the officials retreated one by one, while the soldiers guarding the city gate immediately surrounded him.

Jia Lian's sword was still pointed at the gaunt young man's neck, completely ignoring his bloodied and miserable state. He didn't even look down at him, but his gaze swept over the city gate officer, who was now relatively calm, and said, "Summon your garrison commander. I have some orders to give."

Upon hearing Jia Lian refer to himself as "this general," the official's expression turned even more astonished.

The adjutant, who was already plotting how to rescue the emaciated youth from Jia Lian's sword, was shocked upon hearing this.

Jia Lian's demeanor and indifferent tone made him subconsciously feel the urge to obey orders.

He found it incredible.

In that instant, two completely different thoughts arose in him.

One option is to reprimand Jia Lian, rescue his brother-in-law, and use this opportunity to strengthen ties with the military governor's office, thereby gaining power. The other option is to follow one's heart and carefully inquire about Jia Lian's identity...

Just as he was weighing the gains and losses, he suddenly caught a glimpse of the precious sword in Jia Lian's hand!

It was a precious sword, its entire body gleaming with golden light. Not only did the blade gleam with a cold light, but the inscriptions on the blade were also protective. Upon closer inspection, they even resembled engraved dragon patterns.

The adjutant was greatly shocked.

Although the dynasty did not prohibit the use of weapons, nor did it forbid civilians from carrying normal weapons such as swords, who would dare to engrave a dragon pattern on their sword?

This sword was not only engraved with dragon patterns, but also gleamed with a golden light. Even though he had never seen the Emperor's personal imperial sword, he knew that this type of sword was not something ordinary people could use!

If the other party were truly a non-Han Chinese, it could be said that he was showing contempt for the Central Plains royal authority, but this person clearly spoke with the accent of a native of the capital.

"May I ask... who are you?"

Jia Lian followed his adjutant's gaze and glanced down at the sword in his hand. He didn't answer him, but said only, "If you don't call your garrison commander soon, this man will bleed to death. Don't blame me for not warning you then."

The adjutant quickly glanced at his uncle, who lay there like a dead dog under Jia Lian's sword. The cold, sharp sword was casually placed against his neck, as if killing his uncle would be a trivial matter.

The adjutant immediately realized that this situation was beyond his control, so he decided to appease Jia Lian first and then invite the garrison commander over.

Therefore, he bowed to Jia Lian and then sent someone to invite the garrison commander.

The gaunt young man sitting on the ground and his entourage had originally been waiting for his adjutant and others to rescue him. However, the adjutant, who commanded dozens of soldiers, seemed to be afraid of Jia Lian as well, and instead obeyed Jia Lian's orders. They immediately became anxious.

The gaunt man dared not speak, fearing that Jia Lian might accidentally kill him, but his confidants were beyond his control.

"What a reckless brat! Do you even know who my young master is?"

He is our military governor's brother-in-law!

"How dare you harm our young master... You, you, you! If you want to live, you'd better release our young master now, then kowtow and beg for mercy. Perhaps then you'll have a chance to survive."

Unless one is a vicious and ruthless person, or a general who is used to fighting on the battlefield, no one would readily draw their sword to kill.

Therefore, Jia Lian's actions just now shocked everyone.

Now that they had regained their senses and reason, they all shouted curses and tried to persuade Jia Lian, but no one dared to approach. They were afraid of Jia Lian's sword, but even more afraid that Jia Lian might accidentally kill the emaciated young man.

Those officials who, like the adjutant, had not noticed the preciousness of Jia Lian's sword, stood at a distance and began to speak in a way that could intimidate Jia Lian.

Jia Lian glanced at these low-ranking officials. Although he knew they feared the power of the regional governors, they dared not dissuade or stop this纨绔 (a spoiled brat) from running rampant in their territory.

Clearly, this kind of atmosphere is not an isolated case in this remote and inaccessible region.

Moreover, this situation will persist for a long time and cannot be reversed in a short period of time by one person alone.

But Jia Lian was a man with lofty ambitions, and along the way, he had intentionally taken note of the governance and people's livelihoods in the border regions.

If one day he has the ability to change this situation, he will naturally take action.

Although he is far from being able to do so right now, at least he can set things right within a limited scope and deter the world.

The second master of the Xue family also recovered from his shock. He helped his two children forward and advised, "This... General, please reconsider. This man is, after all, from the military governor's office. If you kill him, it might bring trouble to you..."

Although the Xue family had some insight, they weren't in officialdom, so they only realized that Jia Lian's status might be extraordinary. Judging from Jia Lian's previous address of him as "Uncle," he must be a descendant of a long-standing family friend.

He guessed that Jia Lian must be a young general who happened to witness him being bullied and thus offered his help.

However, even though Jia Lian comes from a distinguished family, this is, after all, Anxi Prefecture. If he offends the military governor's office, Jia Lian might very well lose his life.

Therefore, he advised Jia Lian not to act impulsively. At worst, he would sacrifice his wealth to save his family and simply pay for more goods.

Looking back, using the power of the family might be able to get some justice; there's no need to fight to the death with the other party.

The Xue siblings, who were also somewhat frightened by Jia Lian's actions, looked at him anxiously.

Jia Lian gave them an indifferent look, then flicked his sleeve and turned to look at the people around him who only dared to be verbally aggressive.

"Let alone just being the brother-in-law of the Anxi military governor, even if the Anxi military governor himself dared to oppress the people of the dynasty and forcibly marry women, this general would execute him without hesitation!"

He's gone mad; everyone around him thinks Jia Lian must be crazy.

But since Jia Lian dared to say such things, he certainly wouldn't let his brother-in-law off the hook. So, even though they outnumbered him and were afraid to act rashly, they could only hope that the garrison commander would arrive in person and subdue this villain, Jia Lian.

"The brother-in-law of the Anxi Military Governor? As far as I know, Lady Cui, the wife of Marquis Yangwu Bai Qi, is the only daughter of the Cui family of Hedong. I had no idea she had another brother?"

Princess Zhaoyang was here with Jia Lian.

Originally, she planned to watch the show and see if Jia Lian had fallen for the girl in the story, so she was waiting specifically to help the family out of their predicament.

Later, when she saw these officials condoning the dissolute sons of wealthy families to trample on the law, she also became angry.

Upon seeing Princess Zhaoyang approach, the gaunt man's eyes would have gleamed with excitement in the past, but now, under the threat of death, he dared not entertain any other thoughts. Fearing to anger Jia Lian and the others, he hurriedly said, "My sister is the newlywed third wife of the military governor..."

"Oh, so he's just the brother of a lowly concubine. I'm relieved..."

Princess Zhaoyang smiled knowingly.

Many others then realized that the gaunt man was not the governor's legitimate brother-in-law at all, but merely a concubine's brother.

Even so, the fact that Jia Lian and the others dared to treat him this way shows they were quite bold.

"How dare you, you unruly woman, address the military governor by his given name!"

A servant seemed to have noticed the relationship between Princess Zhaoyang and Jia Lian. He pretended to scold her, but secretly carried a dagger, intending to use this opportunity to subdue Princess Zhaoyang and rescue his young master.

Before he could exert his strength, another woman stepped out from the crowd, a flash of cold light in her hand, and the servant fell to the ground.

Those around were horrified!

Unexpectedly, Jia Lian and his gang actually dared to kill someone in public!

The surrounding officers and soldiers couldn't stand still any longer and began to give their adjutant meaningful glances. However, although the adjutant's brows were furrowed, he still managed to stop them with his eyes.

This woman seems to be...

If he hadn't misheard, the other party was referring to himself as "this Empress"?

Although such a title does not exist in border regions, as a court official, how could he not know that it is an exclusive title for nobles in the palace!

But how could this be? How could a noblewoman from the palace be here?!

The middle-aged man who had previously advised the gaunt man not to cause trouble for the governor's office was just as suspicious as the adjutant.

He stared intently at Princess Zhaoyang, who was dressed in the clothes of a Hu person, and his expression changed drastically in an instant.

After hesitating for a moment, he took two steps forward, and then, under the watchful eyes of everyone, he knelt down on both knees with a thud:

"Your servant Bai Sheng pays respects to Miss Biao, and to the Princess!"

'

The onlookers were once again utterly shocked.

"Isn't that the advisor who accompanies my uncle? Why is he kneeling down and calling that Hu woman...Princess?"

"Yes, he's from the military governor's office. He's usually very arrogant, even ignoring the garrison commander. What's going on?"

Princess Zhaoyang frowned as she glanced at the middle-aged man kneeling before her, then casually asked, "You're from the Yangwu Marquis's residence. Do you recognize me?"

"Your Highness, this servant is indeed from the Yangwu Marquis's residence. He was one of the servants that the Marquis brought from the capital after he became the Anxi Military Governor."

Back in the capital, I had the honor of seeing the princess's golden mask, so I recognize her..."

The middle-aged man's voice was very humble and nervous. As he spoke, his head kept hitting the ground, and he didn't dare to lift it up at all.

Princess Zhaoyang paused for a moment, then laughed self-deprecatingly, "It's quite something that you can still recognize me even dressed like this."

"The princess is of noble birth, and she often visited our residence when she was young. I was fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of her from afar, and I will never forget it, even in death..."

The few words exchanged between Princess Zhaoyang and the servants of the Marquis of Yangwu's residence caused a great uproar in the surrounding area.

The adjutant reacted the fastest, immediately kneeling down and saying, "Your humble servant, Qu Wu, the Commandant of the Utopia City Army, pays respects to Your Highness!"

A young man in his twenties, holding an imperial sword, with a princess beside him...

This combination immediately reminded Qu Wu of two people.

The envoy Jia Lian, and Princess Zhaoyang, who was originally to marry into the Oirat Mongols!

In this vast desert thousands of miles from the capital, the only possible reason for the appearance of both the imperial sword and the princess is that these two people are present at the same time.

Logically, these two should be at Ganning Pass or on their way back to the capital, and shouldn't be here. Reliable sources indicate that Princess Zhaoyang, though briefly kidnapped, was rescued by the imperial envoy Jia Lian.

This is also an important reason why Jia Lian's heroic deeds can still be passed down in the desert today.

But he didn't dare to gamble.

Even if they guessed wrong, they could be convicted according to the law afterward.

But if they guessed correctly, then neither the imperial envoy nor the princess were people that low-ranking officials like them could afford to offend.

When Qu Wu knelt down, everyone else, whether officials, soldiers, or civilians, looked at each other and, without hesitation, knelt down as well, loudly congratulating him.

At this moment, Aqi had already taken the thin young man from Jia Lian's hands. Princess Zhaoyang then walked to Jia Lian's side. Seeing Jia Lian looking down at her, she explained, "My birth mother came from the Yangwu Marquis's mansion. The current Yangwu Marquis is my maternal uncle. He served as the Anxi Military Governor a few years ago."

"I see."

Jia Lian understood. So he was the Empress Dowager's nephew. With such a relationship, as long as he wasn't too useless, it wasn't surprising that he could be a military governor in charge of a region.

However, although Anxi Prefecture was remote and barren, its territory was larger than several provinces in the Central Plains combined. Naturally, it was more important and more powerful than the military governors in the interior who only governed a prefecture or county.

Seeing Jia Lian's thoughtful expression, Princess Zhaoyang couldn't help but chuckle softly, "Is Erlang upset that I came out and stole your thunder, preventing you from showing off more in front of the little beauty?"

Jia Lian smiled.

He originally did not want Princess Zhaoyang's identity to be exposed.

Although this is Han territory, it is still on the border, and there may be potential dangers. Therefore, we want to find out the situation here first and make sure there is no danger before we proceed.

Now that we know Princess Zhaoyang is the niece of the Anxi military governor, and this place is the Anxi military governor's territory, we can naturally feel much more at ease.

Moreover, the subsequent matters will be handled much less troublesome.