Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

The next morning, as soon as Jia Lian woke up, a strange fragrance entered his mind.

Suddenly realizing where he was, he immediately opened his eyes. The familiar colorful silk curtains hanging from the ship's beams immediately brought back many scenes from the previous night.

With a slight frown, he released the soft body in his arms, sat up, and after just one glance, his expression became unnatural.

He was currently in the inner cabin connected to the ship's main hall. Unlike the almost completely open main hall, this inner cabin was a normal-looking private room, and he was sitting in the center on a soft couch that was two or three times larger than a normal bed.

There is a difference between a tatami mat and a bed. In terms of form, a tatami mat usually does not have any extra things such as bedposts or bed curtains. It is a flat surface, which can be described as a low table covered with a mattress.

None of that matters. The key thing is that at this moment, all his extra clothes are gone, leaving him with only a close-fitting robe.

On and under the couch, springtime was in full bloom, with delicate bodies on display!

More than a dozen beauties were lying down, sitting up, crookedly or sprawled on the edge of the couch. Almost all of them were wearing only a bodice and a pair of close-fitting trousers, with only two or three wearing simple thin shirts over them.

Correspondingly, there were scattered headdresses and jewelry, and disheveled colorful clothes, all combined with the lingering fragrance of fruit wine in the air, perfectly echoing Bai Juyi's poem:

"Her jeweled hairpin and silver comb shattered as she struck the rhythm; her blood-red silk skirt was stained with wine."

Seeing the absurd scene before him, Jia Lian slapped the beautiful woman's buttocks with a displeased expression, causing Shen Pan'er, who was still drunk, to let out a soft moan.

It was because of this woman that, last night, under her instigation and encouragement, after thoroughly experiencing the flute skills of countless famous courtesans from Jiangnan, he then led a group of beauties in drinking and revelry, which lasted almost all night.

The specific details are now blurred, but I remember that after everyone got drunk and excited, the beauties had a contest of skills, and the loser had to loosen a belt or take off a skirt.

Perhaps this is why all the beauties are barely clothed at this moment...

As for why his clothes were also gone, it's probably because the beauties stripped him off in order to be fair.

He had a slight headache. He remembered that when he boarded the ship last night, he only thought about listening to some music, watching some dancing, and maybe seeing some beautiful women and drinking some wine, that was all.

"You're awake, sir. Have some hangover tea."

Ah Qin noticed Jia Lian's awakening the moment she did, and since she was in the tea room, she immediately poured him a bowl of tea.

Because the place was filled with beautiful women, she could only walk over cautiously, as if dodging a trap, which made her smile knowingly at Jia Lian.

Jia Lian felt a little embarrassed. After taking a sip of the tea, he asked, "Didn't you sleep last night?"

"She's asleep. But she woke up while you were still drinking with the beauties, sir. You know perfectly well that my sister and I usually take turns sleeping with them. Otherwise, if there were assassins among these beauties, who would protect you? And last night you were..."

"Cough cough~"

Jia Lian coughed lightly to interrupt Aqin, and quickly said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Indeed, the allure of pleasure is a hero's grave. Even someone as cautious as him let his guard down after indulging in pleasure last night.

Although these beauties all look delicate and charming, you can't judge a book by its cover. If one of them really wanted to assassinate him, there was a possibility that they might succeed under physical intimacy.

This matter is worth learning from and reflecting upon.

However, having seen the ocean, one finds it hard to be satisfied with a river. Having had this experience, he should at least be less likely to fall for a woman in the future. After all, the beauty, talent, and even intelligence of these twelve women were all exceptional.

Even an emperor who could gather beauties from all over the world to serve him would find it difficult to produce so many beauties of such quality at once, let alone others.

Perhaps that's why he insisted on staying last night; he wanted to challenge his weakness.

The result was very successful. Even in the end, when the drunken beauties had their eyes downcast and were begging him for everything, he still stuck to his original plan and did not give up.

Ah Qin originally wanted to tease Jia Lian a bit, but seeing the beauties around her waking up one after another, she took the bowl and went back.

The beauties who woke up were suddenly struck by their embarrassing situation, and each one of them panicked. You see, they were all high and mighty courtesans, who could look down on ordinary men and their sisters in the brothel who could only please men with their bodies, pure and chaste maids.

After briefly observing the scene, they scrambled to find their own clothes to put on.

During the process, it was inevitable that they would pull and argue with each other, waking up everyone else.

Jia Lian quietly observed everything before him. Perhaps it was due to their beauty, but even a scene that would normally be caused by ordinary women appeared elegant and beautiful, without the slightest hint of vulgarity.

Fortunately, it was already late spring, and the weather was not as cold as before. In addition, the cabin was not only lit by a charcoal fire, but also decorated in a very luxurious and cozy manner. Even the floor was covered with fur. Otherwise, the beauties who had been lying on the ground drunk would have caught a cold.

Perhaps because they slept most comfortably on the couch, Shen Pan'er and Gu Qingyi, who were on either side of Jia Lian, were the last to wake up.

As for Lady Shen, she had been sleeping almost entirely in Jia Lian's arms. As for Gu Qingyi, although she was also sleeping on the couch for some reason, she was quite far away from Jia Lian, and when Jia Lian woke up, she was facing away from him.

Seeing that she was the only one who was relatively well-dressed, Jia Lian pulled her into his lap as she was about to get off the bed.

The beauty was initially quite flustered, but then she remembered something, and a hint of shyness and resignation appeared on her face as she quieted down.

Jia Lian then stopped looking at her and instead glanced at the eleven beauties standing in a row in front of him, whose clothes were not very neat.

Eleven stunning beauties—even by Jia Lian's standards, at least half would be a nine out of ten or higher, and the other half would hover around eight or nine. In other words, in terms of looks alone, even the weakest among them could be compared to Xiren and Yuanyang in the household, and with their respective talents and charm, they would clearly surpass them.

These dozen or so beauties, all dressed in spring attire, stood in a row like a beauty pageant contestant, gazing at him shyly and timidly. The sight alone was incredibly alluring. Perhaps this was why he was intoxicated by the atmosphere last night, even without drinking!

Thinking of the beauty pageant, Jia Lian couldn't help but sigh that even the most powerful entertainment companies in later generations would probably find it difficult to find more than ten beauties like them.

Putting everything else aside, the youthful age of these geishas, ​​if placed in later generations, would mostly be equivalent to high school students.

Only in this era, with its extreme power and wealth, could such a thing be created.

The beauties were clearly recalling the absurdity of the previous night, feeling both ashamed and embarrassed. Now, being scrutinized by Jia Lian, they were all even more uneasy.

Unfortunately, someone's stomach betrayed them, suddenly letting out a clear "gurgling" sound. In the quiet scene, everyone was startled, and then they all touched their stomachs in unison.

As top-tier geisha, they had long since developed the habit of avoiding food before and after their performances, aside from tea and sake. At most, they could only have a little snack.

There are many reasons for this, such as avoiding a bloated stomach that affects body shape and flexibility, preventing food residue from remaining in the mouth, and preventing the involuntary expulsion of gas produced during food digestion...

In short, from yesterday afternoon until now, none of them have eaten anything substantial, so it's normal for them to feel hungry now.

Jia Lian couldn't help but laugh when he saw the beautiful woman who had made the sound blush and try to hide behind someone.

"I haven't seen you eat anything last night, you must be starving! Someone, come here..."

Jia Lian smiled and told the maid to go and tell the servants to order a top-quality meal from Wangjiang Tower and send it over. After the beauties thanked him, they noticed that Jia Lian was still naked and asked him if he wanted to change.

Jia Lian nodded, and only when the beauties went to look for his clothes did he have time to look down at the beauty in his arms.

A beauty who can compare to, or even surpass, Miaoyu needs no description; whether in appearance or in her bone structure, this woman can be called perfect.

Although this perfection may seem deliberately crafted, it is precisely because of this that it feels impeccably exquisite.

Jia Lian couldn't help but lift the beauty's pretty face and sigh softly, "Like a lotus emerging from clear water, naturally beautiful without artifice, that perfectly describes a beauty like the girl in green, doesn't it?"

This was the first time she had heard Jia Lian praise her since he boarded the ship. Slightly taken aback, she almost instinctively replied, "You flatter me, sir. I am but a willow branch, I am unworthy of your praise..."

Before she could finish speaking, her face turned bright red with embarrassment.

One reason was that Jia Lian was completely naked from the waist up at this moment, and his broad chest and strong muscle lines made her, a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, feel terrified.

Another reason, of course, is the absurdity of last night.

She remembered that she clearly resisted and even loathed powerful and influential people, treating them like playthings, but she didn't know why she had been dragged into a gathering for pleasure last night in a daze.

She woke up dressed perfectly, but that doesn't mean she always was. In fact, because of her special status, her friends had targeted her the night before, deliberately trying to get her drunk. At first, she could refuse, but after a while, she couldn't resist.

Anyway, she knew that her clothes had fallen off several layers, but she had managed to get up and put them back on with great willpower just before falling into a deep sleep.

The others weren't entirely honest either. For example, those who lost everything secretly wore some modesty coverings when no one was looking. Otherwise, what Jia Lian saw when he got up would have been even more erotic...

"This is not an exaggeration. There is a maid in my room whom I have always doted on. Even though she is sharp-tongued and has an eccentric personality, I have never been too harsh on her, simply because I have used the same words to praise her."

You are the second woman I have praised so highly, so I am willing to give you more opportunities and patience.

But no matter how much patience and opportunity you have, it's useless if someone doesn't cherish it. While beautiful women are precious, I don't like beautiful women who are indifferent to me.

Therefore, if you truly are not following me willingly, do not force yourself. Speak up now, and I will certainly let you return to be my number one courtesan. If you keep silent, and one day I can't resist taking you as my concubine, you'll regret it.

Jia Lian chuckled as he gently traced his index finger across the beauty's flawless face before turning over and getting off the couch, leaving the beauty sitting on the couch, touching her face, both shy and stunned.

If we're talking about the group of beauties who drank with Jia Lian last night, the one with the most complicated feelings is probably Gu Qingyi.

It should be noted that apart from a few newly crowned courtesans, even the most famous among them, such as Shen Pan'er and two or three others, were merely her defeated opponents.

Despite being the reigning queen of the beauty pageant for two consecutive years, she received far less attention from Jia Lian last night than she deserved.

On the contrary, Shen Pan'er seemed to be identifying herself as the "female protagonist." She thought about it for a long time but still didn't quite understand.

It would be understandable if Jia Lian disliked her, but from his words and the occasional glances he gave her, she could tell that he genuinely admired her. So why did he treat her like an ordinary courtesan last night?

Now, having finally received a special compliment from Jia Lian, she had regained some confidence. But Jia Lian's tone shifted abruptly, revealing a hint of coldness.

Does that mean she was cold and indifferent to him? Does it mean she wasn't obedient enough or enthusiastic enough towards him?

Indeed, she couldn't compare to Shen Pan'er's enthusiasm for him. Thinking of Shen Pan'er, Gu Qingyi still felt resentful. Last night, it was she who ran around instigating everyone to do all those things, while Jia Lian didn't show any eagerness. In the end, it seemed as if these self-righteous courtesans were taking turns seducing him.

This is why they felt so ashamed after sobering up. Indeed, Jia Lian's looks, status, and great reputation were fatally alluring to these courtesans. Even though they were all outstanding, it couldn't hide the fact that they were just women of the night, from the lowest social class.

If she were chosen by Jia Lian to serve him, not only would she have someone to rely on for life, but if she were to bear him a child or two in the future, her social class would undergo a leap forward.

There were countless reasons why they found Jia Lian irresistible. So, before drinking, they could maintain a reserved attitude, but once they drank and their minds became active, they couldn't care less about anything else, and countless women threw themselves into their arms overnight.

She alone maintained a high degree of elegance and composure. If she hadn't been forced to get drunk by her jealous sisters, she would never have done anything out of line.

She even thought that her self-respect and self-love would earn her Jia Lian's respect and special treatment.

Who knew that in his eyes, she was worthless! When he said he didn't like her being cold to him, he meant she wasn't obedient enough. When he told her to go back to being a courtesan, he meant she was born to be a geisha!

That's how she understood it.

Waaah, my life is so hard, I want to cry...

Little did Jia Lian know that a few casual words would nearly shatter the beauty's dreams!

Actually, he just felt that these courtesans were already unlucky, and they had finally made it this far. If he didn't want to take them away, so be it; a chance encounter between them was a beautiful experience, and neither side suffered any loss. But if he wanted to take them away and possess them all, he had to make good arrangements for their remaining lives.

For example, this Gu Qingyi. He didn't say it outright, but he was actually willing to take her with him. However, this woman had a certain arrogance. You could call it pride, which is a good thing, but if she maintained such a high level of pride all the time, bringing her home would be a hassle.

What Jia Lian did was to prevent her from having too high expectations of herself from the start. In short, he was trying to curb her arrogance.

For example, the reason why he decided to bring Shen Pan'er back to the capital without much consideration was not only because she was beautiful and talented and had some of Qin Keqing's charm, but also because she had a clear self-positioning and would not cause trouble for him after taking her in.

Ignoring Gu Qingyi's aggrieved expression, and as the beauties helped him put on his clothes, he suddenly asked Shen Pan'er, "Last night you all said that you are now living in the Zhou family manor, the same Zhou family manor where I first saw you?"

"Yes, that's right. We'll stay there until you leave Yangzhou, so we can perform for you whenever we want. Of course, if you'd like, you can take us back to your residence..."

Shen Pan'er chuckled softly. After receiving Jia Lian's promise to take her away, she became increasingly relaxed and at ease in front of him.

Jia Lian then retrieved the house deed he had just acquired from his person and placed it in Shen Pan'er's hands, saying, "Going to the government office is fine; the affairs within the yamen are too chaotic and not suitable for you to live there. Here are the house and land deeds for that manor, as well as the list of servants in the manor. Keep these safe. From today onwards, I will entrust the management of that manor to you. Whatever you want to eat or use each day, just tell them to get it. The Zhou family has plenty of money; you don't need to save them any money."

"My lord, this..."

Shen Pan'er was stunned for a moment. She wanted to say something, but Jia Lian closed her hand, patted it, and interrupted her, saying, "Alright, after you finish eating, go back together. I will leave a team of soldiers to escort you."

After giving that instruction, he left.