Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

The sky was shrouded in mist at the Grand Canal wharf outside Yangzhou city.

Sailing ships fluttered in the wind, and officers and soldiers stood in rows.

Jia Lian stood on the deck of the official ship in the center, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Jia Yu and Yang Xun, and said: "This time, escorting silver to the capital is a great responsibility. I hope that you two will cooperate carefully along the way and avoid any mistakes."

"I will certainly live up to your trust."

Jia Yu and his companion had solemn expressions and were filled with excitement, because the official ship behind them was carrying more than five million taels of silver!

The matter was of utmost importance; it could be said that any mishap on this trip would be enough to cost them both their lives.

Fortunately, Jia Lian assigned over a thousand soldiers to accompany them, so they had no worries about their safety on this trip.

As for why he wanted to transport five million taels of silver back to the capital first, Jia Lian gave two explanations: firstly, the imperial court was urging him to hurry, and secondly, he wanted to get the silver back to the capital as soon as possible so he could feel at ease.

Otherwise, having so much silver piled up in the Salt Commissioner's office would be too conspicuous.

As for why he chose these two, Yang Xun's reasons are self-evident. As Jia Lian's deputy, if the journey back to the capital required splitting into two groups, he would naturally lead one. This way, he could also return to the capital first to report to the court.

Of course, he also suspected that Jia Lian might have intentionally lured him away to carry out other operations. But even if he had suspicions, he wouldn't be foolish enough to make wild guesses.

He basically got all the benefits he was entitled to just by sitting back and going down the river with Jia Lian. Moreover, he had established a relationship with Jia Lian, which would make it easier for him to get an official position in the capital in the future. What more could he ask for? Why wouldn't he obey Jia Lian's orders?

After all, even if there were other benefits, they were not something he was qualified to obtain. Therefore, being able to safely deliver the five million taels of silver back to the capital and transfer it to the national treasury meant that his mission was a complete success.

The rest is all Jia Lian's business.

As for Jia Yu, it was purely because he intended to develop his career in the capital, and Jia Lian also intended to transfer him to the capital, so he gave him the job of escorting him so that he could go to the capital first and familiarize himself with it.

Watching the dozen or so official ships sail away in a grand procession, Jia Lian remained remarkably calm.

Five million taels of silver may sound like a huge sum, and even the court officials would probably be quite shocked if they knew, but compared to the assets confiscated from his home this time, it's less than half of that amount.

However, many of the other assets have not yet been sold off and liquidated.

This is also the main reason why he stayed.

But in reality, even without this reason, Jia Lian would still find another excuse to stay in Jiangnan, because he had some private matters to attend to.

"Second Master, shall we return to the yamen?"

"Okay, Zhang Yong, go back first and prepare for the trip. We'll leave for Suzhou early tomorrow morning."

Jia Lian gave the order and then led the rest of his men toward the Zhou family manor.

"It's a rare treat for you, sir, to come all this way. My sisters and I have just finished rehearsing two dances today, one a Tang Dynasty dance and the other a Song Dynasty dance. Which one would you like to see first?"

Inside the lavishly decorated flower hall, perfect for a dance performance, Shen Pan'er invited Jia Lian to sit on the soft couch in the center, then sat down beside him and asked with a smile.

Seeing Jia Lian hesitate, she continued, "The Song dance is graceful, while the Tang dance is unrestrained. The lead dancers are Sister Qingyi and me, respectively. If you wish to see me lead the dance, please select the Tang dance. If you wish to see Sister Qingyi, please select the Song dance."

"Let's start with the Song Dynasty."

Jia Lian thought that it wouldn't be good to start off too unrestrained, as it might easily lead to something going wrong. He decided to start with something clear and refined first.

Seeing that Jia Lian still didn't choose Tang Wu despite her reminder, Shen Pan'er pouted slightly, seemingly unhappy. However, after Jia Lian slapped her on the bottom, she smiled and followed the other sisters to change clothes and touch up her makeup.

The geishas were all exceptionally beautiful and skilled. After they took turns performing, it was inevitable that some intimate and romantic encounters would occur.

Just like that night on the pleasure boat on the Xiaoqinhuai River.

The difference is that when they first met that night, they were all quite reserved with each other, and even the later romantic encounters were mainly due to the numbing effect of alcohol. But now, the women have become increasingly familiar with Jia Lian, and knowing that Jia Lian's departure from Yangzhou is imminent, they are becoming more and more eager to win his favor.

Therefore, it was common for her to flirt with Jia Lian during her performances. It was not surprising that she would deliberately dance to Jia Lian's side, pretend to fall into his arms, and then refuse to get up.

Some shows don't require all members to be on stage, which means that as the show progresses, more and more beauties accumulate on Jia Lian's couch. The fragrance of the beauties, along with the faint scent of their sweat, is enough to make any man's heart flutter.

Jia Lian naturally wouldn't be polite to a beautiful woman who willingly let him take advantage of her, since he had come here today specifically to seek pleasure.

Suddenly he frowned, and the beautiful woman in his arms, who was already panting heavily, caught a glimpse of it. Startled awake, she turned pale with fright.

Without a second thought, he immediately jumped off the bed and knelt on the ground, trembling.

Her actions not only puzzled the other beauties on the bed, but also caused the other beauties who were still dancing in front to quietly stop and look at each other in bewilderment.

As the beauties rose from their beds one by one, looking at him helplessly, Jia Lian rubbed his fingers, wondering if he had inadvertently discovered a fake. Slightly speechless, Jia Lian said coldly, "Get up and speak."

Hearing Jia Lian's unfriendly tone, the beauty's tears fell even more.

Shen Pan'er vaguely guessed what was going on. She carefully observed Jia Lian's expression, then boldly stepped forward and led the beauty up, whispering, "The master is kind and gentle, not a harsh person. Just tell him the truth, and he won't be too harsh on you."

Upon hearing this, the beauty, though still showing signs of panic, was somewhat relieved. She knelt down again, weeping, and said, "Please forgive me, my lord. I did not mean to deceive you. I am not, I am not a virgin..."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of all the beauties changed.

In order to curry favor with Jia Lian, the salt merchants used courtesans from all over Jiangnan, whether they were from their own brothels or specially invited.

And that's probably what the salt merchants assured Jia Lian as well.

If this incident causes Jia Lian to become angry and punish the salt merchant family behind him, wouldn't it cause further turmoil in Yangzhou, a city that has only just begun to stabilize?

The stakes involved are far beyond what a few lowly courtesans like them could bear.

Although they were in a place of pleasure, they could understand each other. But at this moment, such a thing happening would inevitably diminish their importance in Jia Lian's eyes.

If Jia Lian misunderstands all of them because of this, wouldn't all their efforts over this period of time be in vain?

Therefore, many people couldn't help but look at her with anger and disdain, which made the beautiful woman feel even more ashamed and embarrassed.

"Not a virgin? So, you've had other men before?"

Jia Lian asked expressionlessly, his thoughts impossible to discern.

The beautiful woman, with tears streaming down her face, looked pitiful and heartbreaking.

At this moment, she could only place her hopes on Jia Lian's mercy, so she replied, "It was this servant's shamelessness that led her to give herself to another without informing the brothel. Therefore, if you are angry, please punish only this servant; it has nothing to do with the brothel or the person who invited me to perform..."

At this moment, a beautiful woman couldn't bear it and stepped forward, saying, "Sister, you gave your body to the young master He back then, didn't you?"

The beauty trembled slightly, but did not deny it.

Seeing that there was something to eat, the women hurriedly asked more questions.

The man then told her what she knew about the whole story.

It turns out this beauty was from Songjiang Prefecture. Two or three years ago, there was a talented scholar from Songjiang named He Ziyi, who came from a poor family. He met this beauty, and they admired each other. Later, the talented scholar, with the silver taels of silver sponsored by the beauty, went to the capital to retake the imperial examination and surprisingly ranked among the top in the second class. Judging from the stories that have been passed down between the two, it is a typical tale of a talented scholar and a beautiful woman.

The ending, however, is obvious.

"Back then, when I heard that the young master He had passed the imperial examination, I was happy for my sister, thinking that she had a discerning eye. Who knew that the young master He would disappear without a trace, while my sister remained the most beautiful courtesan at Yixiang Pavilion."

It is clear that in this world, there are ultimately more heartless wanderers than truly affectionate and devoted people.

Hearing others sigh and recount her ordeal, the beauty could no longer hold back her tears.

Seeing this, the others also changed their expressions and looked at her with sympathy.

For courtesans, befriending talented men was commonplace. However, they would not easily give themselves away.

Unless, of course, you've already decided on the other person and are ready to take the plunge.

Clearly, losing the gamble not only means wasting one's innocence, but even regaining the title of the most sought-after courtesan is difficult.

In her situation, if she honestly told the brothel what was going on, she'd be fine; at worst, she'd get a beating. Because with looks like theirs, even if they weren't prostitutes, they could still bring a lot of value to the brothel, it just wasn't worth the expense of grooming them.

Those like her, who conceal their wrongdoing, may continue to enjoy the limelight for the time being. The risk is that one day, when a truly important person takes notice, they discover that she is no longer innocent. Those benefactors who feel deceived are not many who are easy to talk to.

Not only is their own future uncertain and their life or death unpredictable, but they could also easily implicate the brothel behind them.

This is why she is afraid at this moment, and also why everyone sympathizes with her.

Looking at the once vibrant and lively flower hall, now transformed into a desolate and sorrowful scene, Jia Lian felt a sense of helplessness.

He just wanted to enjoy the dance and music, and look at the beautiful women; he didn't want to gossip or gossip. Was he wrong?

"Why are you crying? Do you want me to help you capture that heartless lover and bring him back to vent your anger?"

Upon hearing Jia Lian's question, the beauty was taken aback and quickly shook her head.

"Then why are you kneeling on the ground, looking so pitiful? Get up!"

Seeing Jia Lian's complexion soften, the beauty was somewhat incredulous. She looked at Jia Lian carefully for a few moments before daring to stand up.

Fearing Jia Lian's anger, Shen Pan'er sat down next to him again and said with a smile, "She deceived you, sir. Aren't you angry?"

Jia Lian then lifted her chin with his hand: "She's not my woman, why should I be angry? Or are you lying to me too?"

"Hehehe, I wouldn't dare deceive you, sir. If you don't believe me, you can examine my body yourself. If you find that I've lied to you, I'll accept whatever punishment you give me..."

Looking at Shen Pan'er's charming smile and confident demeanor, Jia Lian shook his head and then looked at the others: "Among you, who else is like her? Speak up now, and I will not pursue the matter of what you have concealed."

"But if you don't speak now, once I take you to the capital, I won't be so accommodating."

The other beauties' expressions changed, and they exchanged glances. Finally, a timid beauty stepped forward and said, "Please forgive me, sir, I didn't mean it either... I'm just like Sister Mengyun..."

"Oh, so you also gave yourself to some great talent?"

"No, that's not it..."

Perhaps seeing that Jia Lian truly had no intention of punishing her, or perhaps not daring to deceive Jia Lian, the woman finally blushed and said resentfully, "I was forced by the young master. He was afraid his father would find out, so he threatened me not to tell anyone, and that he would take me back to the manor after he took over the family in the future. Therefore, I absolutely did not intend to deceive you, sir."

Although it was reasonable for such things to happen to these women, Jia Lian still felt somewhat disheartened.

Without saying anything, he dismissed them, leaving only Shen Pan'er and Gu Qingyi.

Seeing Jia Lian looking at the two of them, Shen Pan'er smiled irritably and threw herself into Jia Lian's arms, while Gu Qingyi sat down behind the guqin with a calm expression and began to play as if no one else was around.

"Are you really not angry with them, sir?"

Shen Pan'er took a pastry and fed it to Jia Lian, while squirming and giggling in his arms, seemingly trying to use her delicate body to completely dispel Jia Lian's displeasure.

Jia Lian had no interest in bringing up the matter again. He wasn't so pretentious as to want to enjoy the charm of courtesans while demanding their purity; it was a paradox.

However, this did make him make a decision.

"I see that each of you has a maidservant attending to you?"

"Yes, although we are slaves, we are treated like young ladies in terms of clothing, food, housing and transportation."

Take me for example. Not counting the people who follow orders when I perform, I have two maids who serve me personally on a regular basis.

But what I'm talking about is nothing compared to Sister Qingyi. She's even more amazing. Not only does she have four personal maids serving her, but all the zithers, pipa, and other items in her room are of the highest quality.

"Hey, sir, look! This guqin in front of her was made by a master guqin player from the previous dynasty. It's called 'Crescent Moon.' It's said that the Thousand Gold Laughing Pavilion spent a fortune to find it for her."

And when you first saw Sister Qingyi on the ship that day, the jade flute in her hand was called "Soul-Startling," a priceless treasure... Waaah, the more I talk about it, the more envious I become.

If any adults get similar items in the future, please remember to buy them for Pan'er.

Jia Lian found it strange: "Oh, I see you have quite a reputation in Jiangnan, don't you have a treasure or two?"

Shen Pan'er said somewhat embarrassedly, "The Jiaofangsi is not like other brothels. If there are really good things, they won't get a chance to use them. So, what we have now are just some ordinary items."

Jia Lian listened and gained some insight.

Well, it's fair to say that working within the system has its advantages. Working for a large company outside the system also has its advantages.

For example, Shen Pan'er, the most beautiful courtesan in the brothel, clearly received far worse material treatment than Gu Qingyi, who came from a brothel supported by the Zhou family.

Then, with a smile and a pensive look, he said, "You're still envious? Didn't I already give you this garden, worth far more than 100,000 taels of silver?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Pan'er immediately perked up: "Really for me?"

Seeing Jia Lian nod, Shen Pan'er couldn't help but glance back at Gu Qingyi, then turned back and smiled, "It just so happens that I've always dreamed of having my own garden. If you say so, then I'll take your word for it."

Since that's the case, and they feel the name "Zhou Family Villa" doesn't sound good and want to change it, is that alright?

"as you like."

Jia Lian naturally didn't care. As long as it wasn't changed to "Jia Lian's Separate Residence," it wouldn't have much of an impact, and he figured the Zhou family wouldn't dare to say anything.

"Hehe, so what does Your Excellency think of 'Chen Garden'?"

"Shen Garden?"

Jia Lian felt the name sounded familiar.

But then they saw that Shen Pan'er had already stood up and, still wearing the dancer's costume she hadn't taken off, began to dance gracefully on the spot.

As she danced, she parted her lips slightly and sang a love song:

"Red, delicate hands, yellow wine, spring colors fill the city, willows line the palace walls~"

"The east wind is cruel, our joy is fleeting... Our vows remain, but letters cannot be sent. Alas, alas, alas~"

"The world is fickle, human relationships are cruel, and flowers easily fall as the rain falls at dusk..."

Poetry is meant to be sung, especially these Tang and Song dynasty poems. In brothels, countless versions of melodies were created, and it wouldn't be surprising if they were even set to dance music.

While Shen Pan'er was dancing, Gu Qingyi, standing beside her, was also plucking the strings of her zither and harmonizing with her singing.

After the dance, Shen Pan'er nestled into Jia Lian's arms and laughed, "These are two poems called 'The Phoenix Hairpin' by Lu You and Tang Wan. I really like them. And since their surname is Shen, we named it Shen Garden. I hope you won't be angry that I named it after my own surname?"

When a beautiful woman acts coquettishly, even if she's angry, a man can't easily show it.

Moreover, Jia Lian didn't care at all. After all, he could even put the garden under Shen Pan'er's name, which showed how wealthy he was at the time.

"I'm asking you maids because I want to tell you two things. First, I have some personal business to attend to in Suzhou. After I return, I'll probably be heading back to the capital, so you should prepare accordingly."

Another thing is that you should send your maids back as soon as possible. Once you arrive in the capital, I will arrange for people to serve you.

If it's truly difficult to part ways, you can only bring one person at most, is that alright?

"No problem."

Upon hearing this, Shen Pan'er knew that Jia Lian's words were mainly directed at Gu Qingyi. After all, Gu Qingyi had four maids by her side.

Gu Qingyi seemed to frown slightly, but meeting Jia Lian and the other man's gaze, she immediately nodded. At the same time, she felt a sense of relief; Jia Lian had thus publicly stated that he would take her back to the capital.

"Hehehe, should we tell the others about your instructions, sir? Or is it that among the ten of us, you've only decided to take me and Sister Qingyi back to the capital? If so, there's no need to tell them, lest they become envious."

The two women who had previously confessed to not being virgins had already been automatically excluded from the group of sisters by Shen Pan'er. She knew that unless Jia Lian was prepared to take them all away, those two women had absolutely no chance. Indeed, it was good enough that he didn't blame them, let alone bestow favors upon them?

Jia Lian originally intended to decide on this matter after returning, but considering that he was going to Suzhou anyway, there was no point in keeping these beauties here.

"Tell them that I have left Yangzhou and do not know when I will return. If they wish to go back, they may leave."

As he spoke, Jia Lian pulled out a small stack of silver notes from his sleeve. "They accompanied me in Yangzhou for ten days, so I cannot leave without showing my appreciation. When they leave, give them ten times the usual reward they receive when they go out to perform. You are in charge of arranging this."

"How could we accept more money from you, sir? We already received silver before we came to Yangzhou..."

Shen Pan'er subconsciously said something, and seeing that Jia Lian's expression left no room for doubt, she counted the amount in her hand and laughed, "Even if it's ten times, it still won't cost this much silver."

"Keep the extra."

"Hehehe, my lord, you're so kind to me, aren't you afraid that Sister Qingyi will get jealous?"

"..."

……

wap.