Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Just as the master and servant were enjoying themselves, they suddenly heard a soft knock on the door.

Ah Qin looked up at Jia Lian before asking, "Who?"

There was a moment of silence outside the door. Just as Aqin was wondering who would dare to bother Jia Lian so late at night, a gentle voice rang out from outside: "This humble servant is Xu Shi. I have a request to see you, sir, regarding matters concerning salt administration... If it is inconvenient for you, I will come again tomorrow..."

Although the person outside tried to keep their voice calm, a hint of nervousness and trepidation crept in as they spoke.

Ah Qin understood that Madam Xu had come with ill intentions, but she dared not make a decision for Jia Lian.

"Come in."

Jia Lian didn't think much of it, patted Aqin's head to comfort her, and then gave the order.

Thus, Aqin could only re-tie Jia Lian's handkerchief and other items, lift Jia Lian's feet up, wipe them clean, and place them by the bedside before calmly carrying a full basin of foot-washing water out the door.

Meanwhile, Madam Xu and her daughter, under Aqi's instructions, settled down in a side room.

She had no time to think about how simple the side room was compared to her own room; Madam Xu was preoccupied with recalling her previous conversation with Jia Lian.

She couldn't help but care, because the safety of her son, and the fate of the entire An family, rested on Jia Lian's shoulders. No matter how cautious she was, it was the right thing to do.

The daughter, An Cai'er, seemed very curious about Jia Lian, constantly asking her questions such as whether Jia Lian was a good person or a bad person, and whether he could help save her younger brother.

When Madam Xu got annoyed by the questions, she put on a stern face and ordered her to go to sleep, which finally calmed her down.

After locking the door and lying down next to her daughter, Mrs. Xu couldn't fall asleep. Her mind was even clearer than usual as she pondered and weighed everything that had happened over the past few months, her thoughts gradually becoming clearer.

She understood that at this point, the An family's only chance of survival was to rely on Jia Lian. Compromising with Wu Zhirong and the others would be nothing short of asking a tiger for its skin.

Her husband used to be one of their comrades, and even held a high-ranking official position, yet they abandoned him so easily. Now that her husband is dead, the An family is even less of a concern to them.

They are kept here only because the imperial court's attention remains on this place.

Once Jia Lian leaves, the An family will likely become their only option to take the blame. At that point, not only her son, but also she and the entire An family will have no chance of survival.

But why would Jia Lian help her and the entire An family? It's common for officials to protect each other, which is why she didn't initially intend to expose Wu Zhirong and the others' true colors.

She knew she couldn't fight city hall.

Although Jia Lian has expressed a desire to reform the salt administration, the extent of his sincerity remains to be seen. Even if he were truly capable of reforming the salt administration, he would likely be too lazy to care about the fate of the An family.

Given her husband's amiable and unassuming lifestyle, the salt administration under his supervision had made such a huge mistake. Unless she had a capable person to help her, she was destined to be convicted.

Once the husband is convicted, Anjia's life will naturally be over.

Therefore, for a family to live peacefully, the husband must not be convicted. Even if he is convicted, it cannot be a serious crime that implicates his family.

At this point, she couldn't think of anyone else capable of exonerating her husband.

She didn't know much about her husband's former colleagues, and besides, at this juncture, even if they were capable, why would they get involved in this mess for the sake of a worthless family?

If even those with whom one has a relationship act this way, then by the same token, why would Jia Lian go to such lengths to help the An family?

Based on the evidence of the salt merchants' crimes that she possessed?

Judging from the fact that Jia Lian wasn't in a hurry to have her find the evidence and hand it over, it was clear that he didn't value those things much. She was also an official's wife, so of course she knew that in official matters, evidence was often only supplementary; the key was the relative power of each party.

With these complicated questions on my mind, and not wanting to bother my daughter, I gradually became irritable.

Turning her head to look at her daughter, she saw that she had been sleeping peacefully, perhaps because she had been worried and frightened all day. Looking at her beautiful and serene face, Madam Xu suddenly made up her mind, lifted the quilt, and silently got out of bed.

The man is dead, so she has to bear all the responsibility.

She had to assure Jia Lian that he was willing to save the An family and her son. But at this point, it was extremely difficult to find anything about the An family that could sway Jia Lian.

Silver? The An family certainly doesn't lack silver. But, putting aside whether Jia Lian is greedy, even if he is, can the An family compare to those wealthy salt merchants?

Moreover, a greedy person is bound to be unrighteous. Given the current state of the An family, even if they took her money, it would be perfectly normal for them to sell the An family off in the future, and it would also prevent any trouble.

Therefore, Jia Lian is a good official who is not greedy for money, and he is actually her hope for settling down.

When dealing with good people, you can't be driven by self-interest; you can only appeal to their emotions and reason. What are emotions and reason? If you want to build a relationship with someone of that status in the shortest amount of time, the simplest approach is nothing more than romantic love.

Fortunately, she has the looks to make men's hearts flutter, and fortunately, she lives in this courtyard right now, giving her this opportunity.

So, it was all fate, all for the sake of Anjia and for her son. With this thought uttered silently, Madam Xu resolutely opened the door.

Standing on the veranda, looking at the quiet courtyard, Madam Xu felt a chill run down her spine, as if she were being watched by something.

She looked closely, but found nothing. Nevertheless, Madam Xu became even more cautious and walked carefully toward the main house.

She thought she had been careful enough, but as soon as she stepped onto the main corridor, she heard a cold voice behind her:

"What are you doing?"

Madam Xu was startled and quickly turned around, only to find that it was the female guard who had been standing at the main entrance earlier, now standing in front of her, scrutinizing her.

"This concubine wishes to request an audience with His Majesty the Imperial Envoy..."

After stammering out these words, seeing that the woman still had no expression, she explained, "The master asked me some questions earlier, which I did not answer clearly. After returning to my room, I have thought about many things, so I wanted to present them to the master in person."

This sentence makes much more sense.

The woman seemed to frown, then said in an even colder tone, "Raise your hands."

Unaware of what was going on, Madam Xu obediently raised her arms slightly under the woman's cold gaze.

The woman held the sword hilt, patted her a few times, then sheathed the sword, turned around without a word, and stood in the shadows.

Madam Xu then understood that the purpose was to check if she was carrying any sharp weapons, and she felt even more awe towards Jia Lian.

After straightening her clothes, she slowly walked to the door of the main room, took a deep breath, and gently knocked on the door.

The door wasn't locked, so she entered the room without any trouble, only to find that one of the only two women around Jia Lian was serving him by wiping his feet.

If she remembered correctly, when she brought her daughter back to the house earlier, she had seen this beautiful woman carrying a basin of water into the house...

What kind of feet do you need to wash for so long?

Having been through similar experiences herself, she naturally thought of some romantic escapades, which made her heart skip a beat, though she didn't show it on her face.

She stood quietly to the side, pretending not to see the woman who passed by and gave her an unpleasant look. Having made up her mind, she had to try, regardless of the outcome; shame was a burden at this moment.

"What are you doing here?"

Jia Lian sat half-upright on the bed, watching with some curiosity as Madam Xu, who seemed like a completely different person after only a short while.

Madam Xu, who had been barely managing to maintain her composure, finally lost her composure under Jia Lian's gaze and questioning. As soon as the door behind her closed, her soft, smooth cheeks suddenly flushed red.

Fortunately, Jia Lian's handsome appearance, which was unparalleled among men throughout history, and his gentle voice made her feel more at ease.

Therefore, she mustered her courage, walked three steps in front of Jia Lian, looked him straight in the eye, and said, "You said before that if I were willing to offer myself to you, you would be willing to take me in. Is that true?"

Madam Xu originally wanted to be more reserved, preferably to start with some serious topics, and then subtly display her beauty and figure, making Jia Lian unable to resist, and finally achieving a happy ending. That would be the best approach.

This is probably what they call a honey trap.

However, she knew that she had come to Jia Lian's room late at night, and anyone with a brain should be able to understand her intentions.

Jia Lian didn't seem like a fool at all. So, facing Jia Lian's gaze, which seemed to see right through her, she suddenly decided that being more honest might win him some favor.

As expected, Jia Lian was not surprised at all upon hearing this, and even looked at her with great interest: "Oh, when you suspected me of having ulterior motives before, didn't you glare at me coldly? Why did you suddenly understand? This makes me have to suspect your intentions."

For some reason, after expressing her purpose directly, Madam Xu's fear and shame dissipated considerably. Upon hearing this, she said solemnly, "I didn't know your character before. I thought you were a bully who preyed on the weak, which is why I was disrespectful to you."

At this moment, realizing that the lord was not such a person at all, but rather a righteous and upright official who served the country and its people, he willingly served at the lord's bedside.

Jia Lian shook his head and smiled, "I originally thought that Madam was an honest person, but I didn't expect... Never mind, I probably already know why you came. Don't worry, since I have agreed to save your son, I will definitely not just make excuses."

As for the An family… if it is truly as you say, that Lord An was coerced by the salt merchants and Wu Zhirong, I can assure you on behalf of the court that the blame lies solely with Lord An and will not implicate the Zhang family. In that case, you can rest assured.”

When Jia Lian pointed out her thoughts, Madam Xu's face suddenly turned bright red, and a sense of shame immediately returned.

Jia Lian's intelligence surpassed her expectations, and he seemed completely uninterested in her. After seeing through her thoughts, he not only didn't take the opportunity to accept her, but also shut her up with his first words.

This left her feeling somewhat lost.

Because her confidence in her appearance and figure, as well as Jia Lian's previous reactions, all indicate that Jia Lian is interested in her.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have had the courage to come here.

Confused and undecided, she could only watch Jia Lian's expression, hoping to find the answer. Unfortunately, Jia Lian only looked at her with a smile, his eyes showing neither lust nor contempt.

She let out a sigh of relief and bowed, saying, "Although I dare not deny it, I do indeed have a request to make of you, sir."

However, my coming here this time is also... out of the best of my heart...

Mrs. Xu felt that she hadn't been this nervous and apprehensive in a long time, just like when she was young and shy in front of the boy she liked.

"Besides, having been summoned here by you tonight, my reputation is ruined no matter what. Since that's the case, I might as well lay bare all my might and serve you well this time, as a small way of repaying your kindness."

Unless you, sir, find my humble appearance unappealing, then I will tactfully withdraw and dare not disturb you.

Before Madam Xu arrived, she was only worried that Jia Lian would not be genuinely helpful to her after receiving the benefits, but she never thought that Jia Lian would refuse.

This made her feel a sense of loss, and she didn't follow Jia Lian's advice to leave. In fact, her words implied that she wanted to stay!

This made her feel ashamed.

Faced with this young woman who had come to him willingly, Jia Lian couldn't help but admire her beauty.

She has a tall and slender figure, narrow shoulders and a slim waist, along with a typical oval face and well-proportioned features, making her a standard beauty.

Moreover, she looks very young and beautiful. According to Aqin, she is indeed comparable to You Shi.

Madam You had the advantage of looking younger, while Madam Xu had the advantage of a more supple and slender figure. Especially now that she was dressed in white mourning clothes, her beauty was even more striking, making her very attractive.

Jia Lian thought to himself, judging from the woman's current appearance, she must have been a stunning beauty in the surrounding area back then. By his standards, she was probably a nine-out-of-ten beauty who could arouse his desire to collect her.

"Regarding the matter of reputation, it is indeed something I have not considered thoroughly. However, after this matter is resolved, I will have someone clear your and your daughter's name."

Upon seeing the young woman, Jia Lian impulsively decided to use his lustful nature to lower the guard of those who were watching him. He also wanted to take the opportunity to inquire about her.

I didn't consider the other party's reputation too much.

But it doesn't matter. There are no cameras in this era, so whether someone is innocent or not is just a matter of what people say.

Once he exposes the collusion between the salt merchants and the Yangzhou government, then spreading the news of today's events is merely a tactic to lull the corrupt officials into a false sense of security. Given the An family's insignificant status, it's unlikely anyone will care much.

Besides, Anjia wouldn't be able to stay in Yangzhou after this, so as long as he went to another place, it wouldn't be a problem.

Madam Xu was unaware of Jia Lian's considerations. When the matter of reputation was brought up, she still remembered the resentment she felt when she thought Jia Lian was going to defile her and her daughter. Therefore, she couldn't help but give Jia Lian a reproachful look, "Although you are of noble status, you probably can't control what others say about such matters."

However, I don't care anymore. If I could serve you, my lord, with my lowly status, even once, I would die without regret. I hope you will grant my request.

As she spoke, Madam Xu gracefully bowed to Jia Lian.

She was already very close to Jia Lian, and when she went out, she deliberately wore less of her undergarments. Now that she was kneeling down, the beauty of her figure beneath the white mourning clothes was fully revealed to Jia Lian.

She held that position for a moment, and seeing that Jia Lian was somewhat stunned, she then revealed a sorrowful expression, "I understand now. It was I who shamelessly tried to climb the social ladder. I will take my leave."

Madam Xu's words were not entirely feigned grievance; she genuinely felt heartbroken.

She's only in her early thirties, and usually a pampered, high-ranking official's wife, whose status and looks are the envy of countless others. Who would have thought that even after such a humble act, she would still be rejected?

"Wait a minute."

"Hmm?" Madam Xu suppressed her surprise and turned to look at Jia Lian.

Jia Lian laughed and said, "When did I grant you permission to take your leave? I always keep my word. Since I said that if you were willing to offer yourself as my bedmate, I would gladly accept it, I will not go back on my word."

"Perfect timing! I also find the lady to be beautiful and captivating. On such a fine night, wouldn't it be a pity if I couldn't share a bed with her?"

For Jia Lian, seeking out beautiful women was nothing special.

To say that his previous flirting with Madam Xu was all a lie would be self-deception. However, Jia Lian disliked forcing others to do things against their will, and he couldn't bring himself to abuse his power to defile a newly widowed woman.

That's so tasteless.

However, since it is a beautiful young woman who has voluntarily offered herself, the situation is different now.

To be honest, he had quite a few women, but in all this time, the only married woman he had ever truly been with was Madam You.

Wang Xifeng's own wife, Qin Shi, was a virgin and could not be considered another man's wife.

Even so, some people still subtly mocked him as the prime minister, which is utter nonsense; he is far inferior to the prime minister.

Even this one today is just a widow, not a wife.

Jia Lian didn't really want to do anything to her, but firstly, her looks were undeniable, and secondly, she had come to his room in the middle of the night and gone this far. If he were to simply kick her out, people would think that he, Second Master Lian, wasn't very capable!

This is naturally unacceptable.

Besides, a young woman with children like this probably wouldn't cling to him. If both parties are willing, there shouldn't be any problem with them comforting each other.

At worst, we can treat her like we treated Qingwen, letting her take full advantage until she leaves on her own.

Regardless of Jia Lian's considerations, Xu Shi paused on the spot after hearing Jia Lian's words, her fingers twisting the corner of her white linen dress, looking somewhat at a loss.

Not daring to test Jia Lian's patience, she quickly prepared herself mentally, turned to the side, and began to untie and remove the already simple mourning clothes from under her ribs...

Looking at the white mourning clothes hanging on the ground, Madam Xu's cheeks grew even hotter. She had also heard the saying that women should dress in mourning clothes, but she did not intend to use it to seduce Jia Lian. It was just that she was the only one dressed in the room at the time, and had no other choice.

Just as she was wondering whether she should take off her inner clothes as well, she noticed Jia Lian beckoning to her. Madam Xu had no choice but to step forward gracefully, letting Jia Lian's unrestrained gaze linger on her.

"Indeed, indeed. With your beautiful face, you could easily pass for twenty years old. Who would have guessed that you are already the mother of two children?"

"Sir, please stop..."

She muttered a disapproving remark, looking embarrassed and not daring to look directly at Jia Lian.

Jia Lian, however, found it increasingly intriguing. Seeing her pair of slender, white hands folded at her waist, so delicate and elegant, he sat up, picked them up, and pulled her close to the edge of the couch. He admired and caressed them for a moment, then chuckled, "Madam, you just kept saying you'd serve me, yet now you stand here so blankly. Isn't that a lie? Or perhaps, Madam simply doesn't know how to serve a man?"

Madam Xu blushed deeply and couldn't explain herself. After thinking for a moment, she reached out to take off Jia Lian's clothes.

"That's enough." Jia Lian grasped her trembling hand and said, "I've been quite exhausted lately, Madam, please massage my legs and feet first."

"Yes."

Madam Xu didn't take it seriously. She glanced at Jia Lian's bare feet on the bed after he had washed them, and said nothing more. She squatted down by the bed and tried to massage Jia Lian.

Jia Lian then realized that this woman was just like Wang Xifeng at first, completely ignorant of the meaning of love and pleasure. It seemed that if he wanted to have some fun tonight, he would have to put in some effort to teach her a thing or two.

(End of this chapter)