Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Princess Zhaoyang had no intention of putting pressure on Jia Lian, but seeing that he already had a plan in mind, she changed the subject and started talking about her maid.

"Does Erlang know why I gave Yuan Yao to you?"

"Yuan Yao, are you referring to the person from just now?"

"Yes." Princess Zhaoyang nodded. "She is a daughter of the Hu family, and also a member of the Hu Consort's maternal family in the palace. Her father is currently the Marquis of Liu, the military commander of the Imperial Guard."

"Four years ago, when she was first selected to enter the palace, she was given to me by the Empress Dowager. She can be considered a playmate who grew up with me."

As Princess Zhaoyang spoke, her lithe and graceful body turned and sat in Jia Lian's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck in an extremely intimate manner.

Is the Marquis of Liu, commander of the Imperial Guard, in charge of the army?

The official rank wasn't high, only fifth or sixth grade. And military officers of fifth or sixth grade didn't have a particularly high status.

However, his duties were quite special. The so-called "Marquis Liu overseeing the army" was a city gate guard who was responsible for guarding the city gates year-round.

Jia Lian vaguely understood what Princess Zhaoyang meant.

Princess Zhaoyang was pleased to see that Jia Lian seemed to understand her meaning, so she didn't keep him in suspense.

"His father, Hu Zhong, was in charge of the Xi'an Gate."

If I am able to return to the capital this time, I plan to plead with the Empress Dowager to allow me to move out of the palace and establish a princess's residence.

As long as I have my own princess residence, not only will I be able to act more freely in the future, but I can also follow the ancestral system and have my own princess residence.

With my own team, I think I won't feel as powerless as I do now if something happens against my will in the future.

Moreover, only in this way can we help Erlang.

Princess Zhaoyang stared intently at Jia Lian, her expression very serious.

Jia Lian was not a fool, and naturally understood what Princess Zhaoyang meant.

Princess Zhaoyang, though residing in Weiyang Palace and deeply favored by the Empress Dowager, was known as the most beloved daughter of the imperial family.

But in the end, she was just a pampered little girl with no voice.

If a princess were to move out of the palace and establish her own residence and garrison, then, aside from anything else, according to the ancestral system of the Great Wei, she could also have a certain number of guards and servants, just like a prince.

You need people at your disposal to get things done.

As for giving him a trusted maid with some background, it was naturally so that the two of them could easily interact in the future.

Since the Jia family mansion was located in the western part of the city, the most direct way to enter the imperial city from the western part was through the Xi'an Gate.

Since Hu Yuanyao is the daughter of the gatekeeper of Xi'an, it will naturally be more convenient for her to travel between the Jia family mansion and the princess's mansion to deliver messages than for others.

Another point is that giving him a woman with such a background can be considered as giving him an extra helping hand.

Jia Lian understood Princess Zhaoyang's good intentions, but he still looked down at her and said softly, "Actually, you don't need to think so much. Leave these matters to me. You can continue to be a carefree princess of the imperial family, just like before..."

"Can I really still be the same as before?"

Princess Zhaoyang asked a playful question, and seeing Jia Lian remain silent, she laughed heartily.

As a princess whose marriage alliance failed, if she could return to the capital and marry a prince in peace, she might have been able to live a simple and peaceful life.

But it's obvious that she would never do that.

Even if she hadn't met Jia Lian, she wouldn't have been willing to live such a mediocre life.

Now that she has met Jia Lian, and Jia Lian is a remarkable man with a heart for the world, she naturally wants to do everything she can to help him. This was the promise she made to Jia Lian back in Hu Tian's farmhouse.

Moreover, she also considered that Jia Lian at present was indeed not qualified for her, a princess, to follow him without any title or status. But what if Jia Lian became a powerful figure second only to the emperor in the future?

At that time, anything is possible.

However, that's still too far off. All she wants now is to lend a helping hand to Jia Lian on his path to success, in order to repay the kindness of her beloved husband.

But then she thought about it again and asked with a smile, "Does Erlang think like other men in the world, believing that women should stay at home to support their husbands and raise their children, be obedient and not cause trouble?"

If that's the case, then please give your orders, Erlang, and I will obey them.

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian sighed inwardly.

He finally understood Princess Zhaoyang's feelings.

To be honest, although Jia Lian did not believe that women's virtue lay in their lack of talent, he did not particularly want his women to manipulate power.

However, Jia Lian also knew that the path to power would inevitably be accompanied by unpredictable disasters and risks, and even the most capable person could not always escape them.

If one could have the help of some extraordinary people, things would naturally be much easier.

Princess Zhaoyang, as a legitimate princess of the imperial family, may seem to have little power, but she is able to communicate with Emperor Ningkang, and even the Empress Dowager and the Emperor Emeritus!

If he were to receive genuine help from this woman, it would undoubtedly be a tremendous asset to him.

Well, judging from this woman's appearance, she is not a person with extreme views or a strong desire for power. Moreover, she is wholeheartedly planning for herself, which shows how much she has done for me. If I were to refuse her, it would be disheartening.

Therefore, he shook his head and said, "Qingran, you are overthinking it. I had no such intention. It's just that Qingran is a proud daughter of heaven, a person of elegance and refinement. I really can't bear to see you toiling away for me in such mundane matters."

However, if Qingran insists, I will certainly support and appreciate it.

As Jia Lian spoke, he tightly embraced Princess Zhaoyang's waist, letting her feel his affection.

Princess Zhaoyang smiled knowingly and lingered in Jia Lian's arms for a long time before getting up to let him leave. Then she sat quietly on the couch, lost in thought.

She considered herself and Jia Lian to be intelligent people, so there was no need for them to spell things out.

She could guess some of Jia Lian's thoughts, and she was grateful for his magnanimity in not suppressing her.

She was determined to do something upon returning to Beijing.

Otherwise, as she is today, her life, death, wealth, and status are almost entirely controlled by a few low-ranking officials, leaving her with no say whatsoever!

This time, Jia Lian stepped in to help her resolve the trouble. But will it be the same in the future? Surely she can't keep relying on Jia Lian for protection forever? And will she leave all the potential problems between them to Jia Lian to face alone?

She couldn't do it. Not only did she not want Jia Lian to protect her all the time, she wanted to protect Jia Lian in return.

Previously, she had always been under the Empress Dowager's protection and had never considered such matters. Having gone through this experience, she should naturally learn how to use her position to achieve her goals and desires!

As for sending a maid to Jia Lian, the ostensible purpose was as Jia Lian thought, but there was an even more important purpose.

After returning to the capital, given Jia Lian's cautious nature, he will surely handle his relationship with her carefully.

It's possible that he'll find it difficult to even take the initiative to visit her.

A man as rare as Jia Lian must have no shortage of female confidantes.

She was afraid that, over time, the mark she had painstakingly left in Jia Lian's heart would fade away.

Therefore, Hu Yuanyao was the bridge she deliberately left for the two of them.

This would allow her to have a clear understanding of the situation around Jia Lian, and she could also use this person to send messages whenever she missed Jia Lian in the future.

That's the most important thing.

That night, at Jia Lian's residence.

Zhao'er was a servant who took care of Jia Lian's daily life. He was not a combatant and did not go to war with Jia Lian. So he was naturally safe and sound.

However, since Jia Lian returned, his job has been taken over by A Qin countless times.

Zhao'er, being quick-witted, naturally had no intention of competing with Aqin for favor. Every night, whenever Aqin changed out of her military uniform to serve Jia Lian, he would voluntarily step aside.

"Second Master, what did you say during the long stay you spent in the princess's palace?"

After washing Jia Lian's feet, Aqin, who was wiping them with a towel, asked seemingly casually. But the doubt in her beautiful eyes, which were constantly glancing at Jia Lian, made it easy for him to see through her thoughts.

Jia Lian was very pleased; it seemed that Aqi was indeed a girl who kept her mouth shut. Even now, she hadn't revealed anything about his relationship with Princess Zhaoyang to her sister.

Otherwise, Ah Qin's eyes wouldn't just be filled with suspicion.

"It's nothing, just some normal official business."

"oh."

Ah Qin was clearly not satisfied with Jia Lian's reply.

Although she was very happy that Jia Lian, her sister, and the princess had returned safely, she also had many doubts.

First of all, my sister and the second master wandered in the desert together for so long, and when they came back, she was still a virgin!

It would be understandable if her own sister had no feelings for the Second Master, but it was clear from her long observation that her sister, like her, had long harbored feelings for the Second Master.

Or perhaps, it's because the older sister's looks weren't attractive enough to the second master?

That was utter nonsense. She was certain that her sister's looks were on par with hers, and that when she was with the Second Master, he had personally told her that her sister's figure was very alluring...

Therefore, this result is quite unreasonable.

She then thought of Princess Zhaoyang, who was traveling with Jia Lian.

She had already seen through Princess Zhaoyang's lustful intentions towards Jia Lian, and she knew that Princess Zhaoyang must have taken advantage of this opportunity to make a move against the Second Master.

The reason why the Second Master has not been able to have his sister must be because Princess Zhaoyang was jealous and prevented him from getting close to his sister along the way.

Only this explanation makes sense. However, in the past few days, she repeatedly questioned her sister and the second master, but the two of them remained tight-lipped and did not reveal anything, which made her very unhappy.

But it doesn't matter anymore; no matter what, the sisters are of one mind. Since the older sister is useless, then she, as the younger sister, will lend her a hand.

So, pretending nothing was wrong, she helped Jia Lian to bed and then, without saying a word, crawled into his quilt.

Jia Lian did not object to this. He wasn't so pedantic as to pretend to be virtuous with his woman in his own room.

But he clearly underestimated the woman's cunning. When he was aroused by her and couldn't resist pulling her out of bed to punish her, she stopped him anxiously.

At first, Jia Lian thought it was about sexual pleasure, but after seeing Aqin's serious refusal, he finally frowned.

Seeing Jia Lian's displeasure, Aqin nervously explained, "Second Master, please forgive me, I... I got my period..."

"Which one?"

Even Jia Lian, a veteran of countless battles, was stunned for a long time before finally smiling helplessly. He grabbed Aqin's lips and scolded, "You little vixen, if that's the case, how dare you seduce me like this? Aren't you just deliberately making fun of your second master?"

Ah Qin smiled apologetically, then made a sly look.

"I was wrong... but I really didn't lie to you, Second Master, it really is my period."

Once Jia Lian was certain that the young woman wasn't lying to him, he glared at her irritably before turning over and lying down.

Ah Qin then snuggled up to him, glanced at Jia Lian twice, and then whispered in his ear with a smile, "Second Master, don't be angry. I have another way to make you calm down, hehehe."

Jia Lian glanced at him sideways, trying to see what he wanted to say.

"Second Master, you forgot that my sister is still outside? Why don't I go and take over her night watch now, so she can come in and serve you?"

Don't worry, my life is different from my sister's, hehehe~

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian suddenly realized what was going on.

No wonder, when he came back tonight, he found that Aqi had changed into women's clothing for the first time ever, and her eyes were darting around when she saw him.

I'm afraid all of this is the deliberate work of Ah Qin.

Thinking of Aqi, Jia Lian naturally recalled the promise he made to her in the desert. At that time, Aqi refused to offer herself to him, citing her sister's unknown fate.

Now that he's back, Aqin is safe and sound. And it's quite obvious that Aqin would love for Aqi to come with him too.

If he doesn't say anything about this tonight, even if Aqi is very determined, she might easily start overthinking.

It's time to keep our promise.

He patted Aqin's delicate bottom and sighed, "You're very thoughtful, little girl. Let's do as you say."

Aqin was somewhat surprised by Jia Lian's decisiveness today.

But she was still very happy that her goal was achieved, so she smiled and said "Yes, ma'am," then turned around, put on her clothes, and went out.

A short while later, Aqi, who looked eight parts like Aqin but was more agile and athletic, followed closely behind.

Tonight she wore a light green horse-face skirt, sparsely adorned with a few beautiful pieces of jewelry. To be honest, the color and style of the dress didn't quite suit Aqi. In fact, it diminished Aqi's charm by a bit.

However, considering that Aqi usually dresses in a tight-fitting outfit and is somewhat unfamiliar with women's clothing, and given her nervousness, it is understandable.

At worst, we can just stop her from wearing women's clothing and have her serve the emperor in traditional female attire...

While Jia Lian was casually thinking about some unusual romantic ideas, he gave Aqi a kind smile and waved.

Aqi took a deep breath. Having received numerous instructions from her younger sister beforehand, she naturally wouldn't back down now.

She slowly walked up to Jia Lian, her ten fingers twisted together, looking bewildered.

Jia Lian sat on the couch, gently placed her in his arms, and asked softly, "Are you ready?"

"Um."

She gave a soft "hmm," and suddenly mustered her courage, looking up at Jia Lian's handsome face with a gaze as intense as the sunlight.

Jia Lian was startled when he saw it.

Thinking about it carefully, Ah Qin and her sister had been with him for quite some time, but from the very beginning, he only took Ah Qin as his concubine.

The two sisters were always inseparable, and on many occasions, the younger sister, Aqin, was even favored.

Given this situation, one can imagine the anticipation and expectation they felt.

Having grasped this point, Jia Lian no longer hesitated. He lowered his head and kissed her deeply for a moment before laying this extraordinary grassland beauty down on the wooden bed.