Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

The flower boats drifted leisurely on the river, stopping and starting as they pleased, with no fixed destination.

Even if tourists see the beautifully decorated flower boat, hear the occasional melodious music and singing, or even catch a glimpse of a beautiful figure behind the bamboo curtain if the angle is right, everyone knows that the people seeking pleasure on that flower boat are no ordinary people because of the flower boat itself and the several small boats following closely behind, which are full of soldiers.

Some could even guess the other party's identity from their demeanor, so they hurriedly ordered their servants and disciples not to offend them.

Even those who tried to curry favor with him were driven away beforehand, so no one ever came to bother him.

Thus, Jia Lian could enjoy the pleasures of this gentle and wealthy land while admiring the beauty's graceful movements.

Out of pity for the beauty, he couldn't bear to see her knowingly doing something impossible and forcing herself, so he soon pulled her up and held her in his arms to comfort her.

Lady Shen was somewhat embarrassed, "It's my fault for being useless and disappointing you, sir..."

Like all the other courtesans on the ship, Shen Pan'er was a leading lady in various brothels, a geisha—the kind who, according to popular belief, sold her art but not her body. At least, that was the case before she got married.

So Shen Pan'er only seemed to know everything on the surface, but in reality she had no experience at all. Therefore, despite her efforts, she still couldn't satisfy Jia Lian, and she felt very guilty.

Jia Lian, on the other hand, was quite composed. He touched her delicate, oval face and offered a few words of comfort with a smile.

In fact, she was becoming increasingly satisfied with Shen Pan'er. Putting everything else aside, her figure and appearance alone could give a man endless satisfaction.

As for being a little less skilled, what's there to be afraid of? As long as he has the skills in the future, he can naturally make her practice to the same level as her dancing!

Jia Lian's magnanimity and comfort did not make Shen Pan'er happy.

She even sounded somewhat resentful: "Does the master perhaps look down on Pan'er because of her background as a courtesan, and therefore refuses to take her in?"

Seeing the beautiful woman's earnest yet aggrieved expression, Jia Lian shook his head and smiled: "If I said that I'm not employing you now for the sake of your future, would you believe me?"

"I don't understand." Although Shen Pan'er was questioning, she nestled obediently in Jia Lian's arms, her jade hand gently stroking his chest. Such a docile appearance made it difficult for anyone to feel any ill will towards her.

"As you probably know, I not only already have a wife, but I also had a past entanglement with the current princess... Most importantly, I still have more than a year to complete my mourning period, so it is impossible for me to take a concubine during this time, and I shouldn't even take any concubines. Therefore, I cannot take you in for the time being..."

Perhaps because it concerned her own future, Shen Pan'er sat up before Jia Lian could finish speaking, facing him and said, "Of course I know that you already have a beautiful wife, and I know that I am of lowly status and cannot compete with the Marquis's wife for anything. After I enter the household, I will treat her as my mistress and serve her."

Even if she doesn't like me and refuses to let you take me as a concubine... that doesn't matter. As long as I can stay by your side, even if I'm just a maid, I'm willing.

As for Her Highness the Eldest Princess… Although I don’t know what happened between you and the Eldest Princess, I imagine she didn’t even make things difficult for the Marquis and his wife, so it’s even less likely that she would make things difficult for a lowly maid like me…

Furthermore, as you have said, we are still in the period of filial piety, which is a matter of great human relations and propriety and cannot be ignored. However, since I have already stated that I am willing to serve as your maid, I believe there will be no problem.”

Seeing her counting on her fingers as if she had already planned everything out, Jia Lian couldn't help but laugh and say, "With your looks and talent, are you really willing to just be a maid? Hehehe, even if you are willing to be a maid, do you think being a maid in a noble family is easy?"

Wherever there are people, there is conflict. Especially since you're so attractive, people will come looking for trouble even when there's nothing wrong with you. And since I am a military officer, I will inevitably have to lead troops in the future. If you are bullied then, I won't be able to protect you.

What Jia Lian said was exactly what Shen Pan'er had considered. Upon hearing Jia Lian say the same thing, she immediately became nervous.

Her eyes darted around, catching sight of the imposing sisters, Aqi and Aqin, beside her. An idea came to her: "If that's the case, then I won't be a maid anymore. I'll just be a servant by your side, just like the two of them, okay?"

Shen Pan'er had long noticed that these two women, whose appearances were slightly different from those of women from the Central Plains, were inseparable from Jia Lian. She felt that if it was really difficult to establish herself in the government, she might as well become a female servant. In this way, she could not only go out with Jia Lian at any time, but also prevent others from bullying her.

Although she had never been inside a noble family's mansion, she knew that the people there, from top to bottom, looked down on women of the night. Therefore, if she didn't get protection inside, she would definitely be bullied. It would be better to be a maidservant; although it would be more tiring, the benefits were obvious.

"You want to be like them?" Jia Lian laughed as if he had heard a joke.

Aqi and Aqin gave her an annoyed look. They thought to themselves, "With your pathetic, weak demeanor, always throwing yourself at men after only three sentences, you think you can steal their jobs?"

Sensing being slighted, Shen Pan'er retorted, "My lord, please don't look down on me. Although I claim to be a weak woman, I've practiced dance diligently since childhood and am very hardworking. Besides, I'm quite strong..."

Shen Pan'er raised her arm as if to prove her strength, but when she rolled up her sleeves, a pair of excessively slender, snow-white arms, seemingly fragile enough to break at the slightest touch, were revealed. In this moment, silence spoke louder than words, and Shen Pan'er was momentarily speechless.

"Hahaha, don't even dream about it. Don't think they're just my personal attendants. In terms of status, they're equivalent to the Prefectural Magistrate of Yangzhou, holding the rank of fifth grade. They're third-class imperial guards. Do you think it's that easy to get a position like that?"

"what?"

Shen Pan'er was taken aback and immediately stared wide-eyed at Aqi and her sister.

She grew up in Jiangnan, and anywhere except the capital, a fifth-rank official would be considered a high-ranking official.

Even the prefects in most places were only of this rank.

In the military, a fifth-rank officer would likely command a thousand soldiers. Definitely a big shot; I never expected there to be two here!

She hadn't thought much of it before, assuming she was just an ordinary maid, but now that she knew her identity and remembered that the other woman had seen all the embarrassing things she had just done, she suddenly felt very ashamed.

But her resolve only grew stronger to follow Jia Lian.

She had never seen any other royal guards, but just hearing that a third-rank guard was already a fifth-rank official was enough to tell her how noble their status was. And what kind of powerful and prestigious man could have such a noble royal guard protecting him so closely?

So she immediately compromised: "Then I'll serve you two elder sisters from now on. Don't worry, my lords, I will definitely practice my skills diligently. I think martial arts and dance are different in expression, but they are related in essence, and I can master them too..."

Aqi and Aqin noticed that Shen Pan'er was looking at them differently, and they felt a little uneasy.

Although they themselves did not boast about the status bestowed upon them by Princess Zhaoyang, they were still deeply moved by Jia Lian's ability to readily acknowledge their elevated position to others. Everyone desires respect from others, and they were no exception.