Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

That afternoon, Jia Lian went to the Military Affairs Office to hand over his duties and then began preparations for heading south.

As for the Divine Machine Battalion, Jia Lian simply doesn't have the energy to take care of it. He only visited the Divine Machine Battalion's headquarters after the Grand Court Assembly to meet the main generals and those in charge, and then basically didn't concern himself with anything there.

Although understanding and reforming the firearms of the Great Wei Kingdom would be an important task in his future plans, he wasn't in a hurry and would have to wait until he returned from Jiangnan.

When he returned to the mansion in the evening and entered the east wing, Liu Xianglian came to report.

"Have you taken care of everything at home?"

"Reporting to the Marquis, everything has been arranged. I also troubled Brother Zhao and the others to arrange accommodations for me in this manor. From now on, I will be living here."

Liu Xianglian was already handsome, and now, having shed his carefree and irreverent attitude, he donned a simple, fitted outfit that not only showed his competence but also made him appear even more dashing.

Although Liu Xianglian changed his appearance without his instructions, Jia Lian was naturally very satisfied. He nodded and said, "I heard from Baoyu and Lai Shangrong that you also have a property in the capital. Actually, there is no need to move to the mansion. You can just come over to report every day."

Liu Xianglian's family had fallen on hard times, but they were still considered poor. It was rumored that they had two or three servants at home. After moving to the east wing, they could only live in the servants' quarters, and their conditions were naturally incomparable to those at home when they had servants.

"Thank you for your understanding, Lord Marquis. However, I have no elders, wife, or children at home, so I have no family ties. Why not move here and train with Brother Zhang and the others every day? This way, I can not only strengthen my bond with my brothers, but also be ready to serve you at any time."

Liu Xianglian saw things very clearly.

Jia Lian not only held the de facto positions of Commander of the Western Military Command and Deputy Commander of the Divine Machine Battalion, but he was also frequently entrusted with important tasks by the emperor, including serving outside the capital. This demonstrates the high esteem in which the emperor held him.

What's most remarkable is that Jia Lian is still so young, and he has only just been granted the title of Marquis, leaving a vacancy for him.

Now that he has this opportunity and has been recruited by Jia Lian, if he cannot seize the chance to gain Jia Lian's trust and reliance, then he would be truly foolish.

Therefore, even if he was originally a wanderer, and even if he had any attachments, he had to put them aside for the time being and focus all his attention on Jia Lian.

"Very well, in that case, I will not break my promise to you. From today onwards, you will be the third deputy captain of my personal guard. Hmm, how about this, the dozen or so personal guards transferred from the Military Command will be under your command from now on."

"I won't say much more. I'll just say one thing: I, Jia Lian, never mistreat my own people, especially my brothers. So, don't worry about not having anything to do if you follow me. My only worry is that you don't have the ability to do things well. Do you understand?"

Jia Lian patted Liu Xianglian on the shoulder. He noticed that he was a little taller than Liu Xianglian. Indeed, Liu Xianglian's looks couldn't surpass his, he was a bit shorter, and his physique was also more delicate. Not to mention his social status, he didn't need to worry too much about this subordinate overshadowing him in the future.

Liu Xianglian had no idea what his master was thinking. He was filled with righteous indignation, and when Jia Lian patted him on the shoulder, he immediately knelt down on one knee and said solemnly, "Your subordinate understands. From now on, I thank Your Master for your guidance and cultivation!"

"Hehehe, get up. By the way, make preparations. Tomorrow morning, I will host a banquet in this hall and invite Xue Pan over. When the banquet arrives, you can toast him a few times, apologize, and from then on, your affair with the Xue family will be over."

You have no objection to this, right?

Liu Xianglian, of course, had no doubt about this and nodded in agreement.

So Jia Lian instructed someone to go to the Xue family to invite Xue Pan to a banquet the next day, and then he went to see Jia Zheng.

Jia Zheng told him that he had decided to petition the palace to allow the Imperial Concubine to return home to visit her family on the Mid-Autumn Festival, August 15th.

"The Mid-Autumn Festival?"

It's only the first month of the lunar calendar, and there are still more than half a year until the Mid-Autumn Festival. Actually, Jia Lian wanted to invite Yuan Chun back home to visit her family as soon as possible, because that way, he could get Daiyu, Baochai, and the others to move into the Grand View Garden as soon as possible.

The Grand View Garden would be incomplete without the Twelve Beauties of Jinling.

However, considering that the Grand View Garden is not yet fully built and arranged, it will take at least two or three months to be fully prepared.

Secondly, inviting Yuan-chun home definitely requires an auspicious date. Considering all the possibilities, the Mid-Autumn Festival is indeed the best day.

Well, anyway, I'll be going back to the capital in at least April or May. So, with another two or three months of preparation, I'll have plenty of time to handle the grand event of Yuan Chun's visit to her family.

Therefore, they agreed with Jia Zheng's decision.

So the uncle and nephew divided the work again. Jia Lian went to prepare his own affairs, while Jia Zheng continued to prepare for the garden and arrange for writing a memorial to invite Yuan Chun home.

The next day, Liu Xianglian's apology to Xue Pan went smoothly.

Xue Pan was a carefree and easygoing man who only knew how to drink and value loyalty. With Jia Lian acting as a peacemaker, and with Jia Lian also inviting Jia Baoyu and Lai Shangrong to be witnesses, Xue Pan not only smiled and acted as if nothing had happened after Liu Xianglian earnestly toasted him three times, but also kept calling Liu Xianglian "good brother."

Even Jia Baoyu, though not particularly pleased that Liu Xianglian "condescended" to be Jia Lian's bodyguard, was still pleased that it allowed Liu Xianglian to stay at the Jia mansion permanently and that he could meet with him frequently. Thus, the apology banquet ended quite satisfactorily.

It is worth mentioning that Xue Pan also sent Jia Lian a letter and a thousand taels of silver, saying that his second uncle had died before the New Year, and his aunt had sent a letter to inform him that Aunt Xue was unwell and unable to return home, so he could only send a letter home to express his condolences.

As for the sacrificial silver, it was naturally in the form of silver notes. After Xue Pan asked Jia Lian to go south, he instructed someone to exchange the notes for silver and send them to his second uncle's house.

Although he had anticipated Baoqin's father's death, Jia Lian still couldn't help but sigh upon hearing the news, lamenting how short lifespans were for people in those days.

Once you reach a certain age, even a serious illness can easily take your life.

Indeed, it is rare for someone to live to seventy, and those who live as long as Grandmother Jia are truly exceptional. Therefore, it is no wonder that people at that time spoke of accumulating good fortune and referred to those who died young as people without good fortune.

As a result, Jia Lian became even more determined to train his body every day, and that night he trained for an extra hour.

Unexpectedly, when he was about to go home to take a shower, he encountered a woman.

A woman with some attractive features, carrying a food box.

"Second Master Lian..."

At dusk, a woman's voice, feigning coquettishness and flirtatious manner, greeted him. Jia Lian looked up and glanced at her.

It turns out she was Qingwen's cousin-in-law, the legendary wife of that scoundrel, Miss Duo!

Initially, Qingwen felt sorry for her cousin and his wife and begged Jia Lian to take them into the Rongguo Mansion so they could have food. Because the man was skilled at butchering, the couple helped out in the main kitchen…

Speaking of which, this girl is a famous character in the original work.

With her good looks and dissolute personality, she thrived in both Jia family mansions, and almost "slept with" all the men in both mansions.

Not only did she make the charming and frivolous Jia Lian fall at her feet, but she also forced the pure and innocent Jia Baoyu onto the bed and took advantage of him...

She can be described as the most romantic woman in the Dream of the Red Chamber.

Although this woman was someone he was destined to meet, Jia Lian certainly wasn't interested in her, so he simply nodded and walked straight ahead.

Seeing that Jia Lian ignored her, Miss Duo seemed a little annoyed. She stomped her foot and saw Jia Lian about to walk over. At this moment, seeing Jia Lian's handsome figure up close, the bulging muscles on his bare arms, and the faint heat emanating from Jia Lian in the cold wind, she was captivated by his beauty.

An idea immediately came to mind. He fell over, pretending to be a sheep, and threw himself onto Jia Lian.

Jia Lian never expected this woman to dare to do such a thing. Firstly, she was carrying something in her hand, and secondly, considering that she was Qingwen's relative, he did not kick her immediately. This gave her an opportunity, and in the instant she fell towards him, her hands began to grope him.

"Are you tired of living such a comfortable life?"

The icy voice sent a chill down Duo Guniang's spine as she threw herself at Jia Lian, unable to resist his alluring "manly" aura.

She timidly released Jia Lian, looked up at him, and said awkwardly, "What do you mean by that, Second Master Lian? I'm just grateful for your kindness in taking me in and want to repay you..."

Seeing that Jia Lian remained unmoved, she became aggrieved again, "Although I am not as naturally beautiful as my sister-in-law, I am not ugly either. Why is Second Master so unromantic?"

She dared to flirt with Jia Lian because she knew that Qingwen was favored by him and that he was kind to his servants.

In fact, since entering the Rongguo Mansion, the couple lived a relatively comfortable life there, thanks to Qingwen's connections.

Because of this, she went to great lengths to find many men she could approve of as her lovers... Of course, those who could give her benefits and those she didn't quite like were also acceptable.

As for Jia Lian, she didn't dare to harbor any covetous thoughts at first.

She just happened to run into him today, and couldn't resist. Based on her extensive experience with men, she knew that no man was immune to infidelity. She had no intention of climbing the social ladder by marrying Jia Lian, nor did she intend to gain any benefit from him. She simply wanted to have a night with him, and she felt that there should be some opportunity.

Seeing Jia Lian looking down at her as if she were a dead person, she felt fear and regret. Her already slender and delicate body shrank even further.

Seeing her like this, Jia Lian's expression softened a little.

"First, I have no interest in you, and even less interest in a woman who sleeps with anyone. Do you need me to be more explicit?"

Faced with Jia Lian's still cold and stiff attitude, Duo Guniang could only awkwardly agree.

"Secondly, the reason I took you in was only because Qingwen begged me so earnestly. I only allowed you to enter the manor and receive a share of the communal meals because of her."

You've been in this household for quite some time now, you should know the rules. If you want to live well, you must abide by the rules, otherwise…”

"No, I wouldn't dare again, I'll never do it again, please spare my life, Your Highness..."

Lust can cloud judgment, and the same applies to women.

Previously, he was blinded by lust and lost all sense of propriety. Now, after being reprimanded by Jia Lian, he finally remembered the consequences.

Putting aside the fact that Jia Lian is a ruthless general in the outside world, killing a person should be a very simple matter in his eyes. If Second Mistress Lian knew about this, she would be in deep trouble.

Therefore, he hurriedly knelt down and begged, not daring to arouse Jia Lian's true anger.

"Go down."

"Yes, thank you for your forgiveness, Your Excellency..."

Watching this woman, even more alluring and vulgar than Aunt Zhao, sway her hips and leave, Jia Lian turned around and shook his head.

He was always quite tolerant of women, and this woman was one of Qingwen's only two relatives in the world, which is why Jia Lian let her off so easily.

But on second thought, it's not surprising that the woman was so bold; perhaps his charm was just too strong, making even such an experienced woman unable to resist.

More importantly, he remembered that in the original story, Jia Lian took the initiative to seduce this woman and even spent money on her! But now, this woman couldn't wait to pounce on him as soon as she saw him, which shows that his charm is not just due to his handsome body.

More importantly, his own charisma is simply too captivating!

Thinking this through, although Jia Lian was still disgusted by being touched by that woman, he wiped himself off with his sleeve and prepared to leave.

To my surprise, when I looked up, I met a pair of beautiful and gentle eyes through the lattice window on the wall in front of me.

Jia Lian was taken aback, then walked over.

It turns out that both Feng Jie's courtyard and Li Wan's courtyard were behind Madam Wang's courtyard, but Li Wan's courtyard was directly opposite Madam Wang's courtyard, while Feng Jie's courtyard was a little to the west.

Since the east wing is located to the east, Jia Lian would pass by Li Wan's courtyard every time he returned home. Sometimes, in order to take a shortcut, Jia Lian would even go directly from behind Li Wan's courtyard and enter Feng Jie's courtyard through a side path.

Therefore, Li Wan's presence here is not surprising at all.

As you get closer, you can see that Li Wan is still holding scissors in her hand, so you know that she was pruning flowers in her own courtyard and happened to witness what just happened.

"Sister-in-law, you seem to be in a good mood. Hmm, this begonia is growing really well; it's clear you take good care of it."

Li Wan had been trying to stay out of the way, which was why she had been watching the play for so long. Suddenly, she realized that Jia Lian had seen her and was walking towards her. Her first instinct was to slip away.

But then I thought, I'm holding scissors and pruning flowers, what's there to be afraid of?

Moreover, Jia Lian was outside the wall, while I was inside the courtyard, with a wall separating us, so there was even less of a problem.

Therefore, he calmed himself down and responded to Jia Lian's words.

She felt a pang of regret for her impulsiveness today. Usually, she would just sit inside and watch from afar through the window, but today, seeing Jia Lian pass by for so long, she couldn't resist coming out to trim the flowers.

My second uncle shouldn't misunderstand, right...?

That shameless wife of that scoundrel! I didn't believe it when the servants told me before, that she was such a lewd woman. Luckily, Uncle Lian is not that kind of person.

Thinking of what she had seen before, Li Wan couldn't help but feel angry, furious that the other party was like a toad trying to eat swan meat.

But when she thought of how decisively Jia Lian had rejected the woman's advances, Li Wan was secretly pleased. Heaven knows how nervous and worried she had been when that shameless harlot pounced on Jia Lian.

"What's your sister-in-law thinking about?"

Jia Lian was very generous; just seeing Li Wan inside, dressed in a moon-white dress, looking elegant and refined, made him feel happy.

Knowing that Li Wan had witnessed his virtuous image of being unmoved by women, he felt even more pleased. It was like doing a good deed and having no one know about it always felt like casting pearls before swine, but doing a good deed meant that someone would see it, and that person just happened to be the school beauty.

Only those who have experienced it can understand this feeling.

Therefore, Jia Lian stood outside the courtyard wall without any hesitation, talking to Li Wan through the wall while watching her reaction.

Seeing the furtive look in her eyes, he asked directly. He felt that in Li Wan's mind, he must now be a tall and mighty figure.

Li Wan knew she should avoid him at this moment, but seeing Jia Lian's open and honest demeanor, she felt too embarrassed to run away.

Therefore, she lowered her head and after a while replied in a low voice, "Second Uncle is often, often... by the maids and wives in the mansion, like that..."

Good heavens, what am I even asking myself!

Jia Lian's eyes lit up, and he laughed, "What are you talking about, sister-in-law? Oh, you mean what happened just now..."

It's not very frequent, but I do encounter some every now and then.

If they're born good-looking, I'll give them a lecture; but if they're born ugly like the one my sister-in-law saw earlier, I'll teach them a lesson as a warning for next time.

"Does my sister-in-law think I did the right thing?"

Li Wan blushed and turned away.

She had no idea why she asked that question. She should have pretended not to have seen it.

My second uncle was the same; he didn't realize he had asked the wrong question, yet he answered with such a serious expression.

Moreover, although Jia Lian's tone was calm and showed no frivolity, his words gave her a strange feeling... as if he was flirting?

But it doesn't seem quite right! As the daughter of the chief priest and the eldest daughter-in-law of the Rongguo Mansion, no one has ever dared to flirt with her, so she can't quite tell.

"That woman, she doesn't look that ugly to me..."

These were Li Wan's thoughts, which she unconsciously murmured aloud. Little did she know that even though she spoke so softly, Jia Lian still heard her.

"Whether it's ugly or not depends on who you compare it to. Compared to my sister-in-law... Suyun and Biyue beside her, it's far inferior."

Jia Lian was just saying it casually; neither Su Yun nor Bi Yue could be considered outstanding beauties, only passable among the maids.

Aside from being young and innocent, her looks are probably not much different from those of other girls.

However, comparing Duoguniang to Li Wan is naturally far inferior.

Jia Lian hadn't expected Li Wan to bring up the topic of Duo Gu Niang, but he was happy to continue the conversation.

Putting everything else aside, just seeing Li Wan, who is usually austere and appears detached from worldly desires, reveal a shy and delicate demeanor is a rare sight indeed.

Jia Lian wanted to see more of this scenery, but he still made a mistake by not knowing how to handle the situation properly.

Li Wan, being from a respectable family, could easily dismiss any inappropriate remarks made during their normal conversation as a momentary lapse in judgment.

But if she still couldn't understand the flirtatious tone in Jia Lian's words, she felt that Jia Lian should doubt her intelligence.

Therefore, as if bitten by a snake, he shuddered and, dressed in sheep's clothing, frowned and gave Jia Lian a displeased look.

Everyone said that early spring was still chilly, but Jia Lian was only wearing a thin undergarment with a thick outer jacket over it...

Jia Lian glanced down at himself, then saw Li Wan looking like she wanted to look but dared not, and couldn't help but laugh, "Sister-in-law, won't you invite me in for a bit? I haven't seen Lan'er in a long time, I miss him terribly."

"No, no, Lan'er is reviewing her lessons! Second Uncle, you must have just finished practicing your boxing, you should go back and take a bath and rest first..."

Li Wan bowed slightly, not daring to look at Jia Lian any longer, and turned to leave.

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