Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

The journey north by boat was long, and unless one was in a particular hurry, it was necessary to dock at each station to resupply.

On this day, while the boat was moored, Jia Yucun invited Jia Lian to his official boat for a drink.

"After you return to the capital, I'm afraid you'll be promoted again."

Jia Yucun picked up his wine cup, personally poured a cup of wine for Jia Lian, and then laughed heartily.

Jia Lian didn't react much to this, only smiling politely in return.

"However, my dear brother, you must also be prepared. This time, you have stirred up such a big wave in Yangzhou and forced the salt merchants to pay such a large amount of back taxes. I'm afraid those behind them may not let it go. After you return to the capital, there may be some petty people who will find an excuse to cause you trouble."

Jia Yucun was a proper scholar who passed the imperial examinations and had been involved in officialdom for more than ten years, so he had certain insights into court affairs.

Although he didn't know what instructions Jia Lian had received from the emperor before leaving the capital, he was certain that Jia Lian had affected the interests of so many people this time, and that someone would definitely cause trouble for Jia Lian after he returned.

In his opinion, Jia Lian had previously sent five million taels of real gold and silver to the capital, and the amount of gold, silver, and precious artifacts on the ship on this voyage must also be considerable.

Such a vast amount of wealth would be impossible for one person to count and calculate flawlessly even if it took several months or half a year. Yet Jia Lian moved it all back to the capital in less than a month. Jia Yucun did not believe that there were no flaws or mistakes in the process.

Those who harbored resentment towards Jia Lian would naturally start from these aspects.

As long as they find something to hold against Jia Lian, regardless of whether Jia Lian actually embezzled, they would likely not hesitate to accuse him of embezzlement.

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Yucun. However, as the saying goes, when soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will dam it. As long as Your Majesty trusts my loyalty, some petty villains will not be able to harm me."

Facing the river breeze, Jia Lian took a sip of wine and replied rather nonchalantly.

Jia Yucun laughed heartily, "Absolutely, absolutely! I was overthinking it. With your background and abilities, coupled with His Majesty's trust, you have nothing to fear from any false accusations or framing, and you can sit securely in your position. Unlike me, I come from humble origins, and although I entered officialdom by chance, I am ultimately like a rootless duckweed, with an uncertain future."

"Brother Yucun, you flatter me. You didn't rely on your family background; you rose to the rank of third-grade official in just over ten years through your own abilities. How many people in the world can achieve such a rapid promotion?"

"Hehehe, if it weren't for your esteemed master's recommendation that day, I probably wouldn't even have been able to become an official, let alone get promoted."

A knowing smile appeared on Jia Yucun's face. Because what Jia Lian said was also what he was most proud of.

Coming from humble beginnings, rising to the third rank in ten years is certainly a rare feat, not just in this dynasty, but throughout all dynasties.

However, his rapid promotion was not entirely due to his own efforts. In fact, relying solely on his own abilities, his career path had been ruthlessly cut short by his superiors many years ago when he was a prefect!

If he hadn't later used Lin Ruhai's connections to climb up to the Jia and Wang families, where would he be today?

Clearly, it's always good to take shelter under a big tree! That's just how the world is, so it's no wonder he's so scheming and opportunistic.

"Take this time for example. Although I was transferred to the capital to await a vacancy, the higher-ups have not yet decided where I will be assigned or what position I will hold."

"Since I am neither good at managing relationships nor am I from the capital, it is entirely possible that the Ministry of Personnel will arbitrarily transfer me to some place. At that time, it will be difficult for me to enjoy a few drinks with you like this again."

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.

As expected, Jia Yucun needed his help, and that's why he started to subtly try to trick him.

It's not hard to guess Jia Yucun's thoughts. Having risen to officialdom for the second time, he must be ambitious and determined to wash away all the humiliation he suffered in the past.

Such an ambitious person would naturally want to stay in the capital and serve as an official, because only in the capital can one frequently interact with the bigwigs in the central government and thus rise through the ranks quickly.

However, there are only so many good positions in the capital, and he is not confident that he can win them on his own. Therefore, he needs the help of Rongguo Mansion, the head of the Duke of the State, who has deep roots in the court, to put in a good effort.

As for whether the Jia family had the ability, others might doubt it, but Jia Yucun certainly didn't, because it was Jia Zheng and Wang Ziteng who had promoted him to the position in Yingtian Prefecture, bypassing his rank.

At that time, Jia Zheng could fully represent the Jia family.

However, Jia Yucun understood that now that Jia Lian had emerged in the Jia family, Jia Zheng's influence had naturally diminished. He couldn't afford to only curry favor with Jia Zheng and miss out on Jia Lian; that would be foolish. This is why, even though he was over forty, he shamelessly addressed the twenty-year-old Jia Lian as "my worthy brother."

He did this without feeling guilty at all, after all, back then, in order to be reinstated, he was willing to acknowledge Jia Zheng, who was not more than ten years older than him, as his uncle.

What he was thinking was not revealed on his face. Jia Lian pretended to ponder and said, "Given Brother Yucun's achievements in Yingtian Prefecture, it's unlikely that he would be transferred so easily..."

"My dear brother, you are mistaken. Although I have achieved some success, there are quite a few people in the eighteen provinces of the country who have achieved more than me."

Moreover, many of those people are sons of princes or nobles, or have connections with several high-ranking officials in the central government. Someone like me, without any background, certainly cannot compete with them.

Jia Lian thought for a moment, nodded in agreement with Jia Yucun's statement, and then said, "Brother Yucun's words are not without reason. However, Brother Yucun need not worry too much. After you go to the capital, you can make some arrangements. With Brother Yucun's background in the imperial examinations and his abilities, you will definitely be able to get a good position."

Unfortunately, I am only a low-ranking military officer with little influence in the court; otherwise, I would have certainly offered Brother Yucun many suggestions.

Jia Yucun paused, then raised his cup with a smile: "Look at me, I invited you, my worthy brother, to come and drink and have fun today because the spring scenery is so beautiful. But I brought up such mundane matters, which has unnecessarily tarnished this beautiful scenery. I should be punished, I should be punished."

As Jia Yucun spoke, he downed the wine in his cup in one gulp, signifying his self-punishment.

Jia Lian smiled and drank a cup with him. They talked about romance and nature for a while before Jia Lian took his leave.

After Jia Yucun saw Jia Lian off the boat, he returned but did not go back to his cabin to rest. Instead, he continued to sit and drink alone.

"master."

Suddenly, Jia Yucun saw Jiao Xing come out and asked her, "Are you going to see Madam Zhen?"

"Um."

"You've been in contact with them for so long, are you sure about the influence of Madam Zhen and her daughter on Marquis Zhenyuan's side?"

Jiao Xing was taken aback, then remembered that Jia Yucun had told her to interact more with Madam Feng, not just to rekindle the bond between mistress and servant. So she sat down beside him and explained, "Madam naturally has nothing to say, but Xiangling is indeed very much loved by the Marquis of Zhenyuan."

As she spoke, Jiao Xing recounted everything she knew to Jia Yucun in detail.

"That's great. Since you have this connection with them, you should cultivate a good relationship with them. It will also benefit me."

Okay, you can go now.

"Yes……"

……

Back at the Lin family's fleet, Jia Lian first went to check on the boats of several courtesans.

Upon returning to Yangzhou that day, he discovered that none of the twelve courtesans had left; they were all still waiting for him in Yangzhou.

After his romantic escapades, Jia Lian ultimately chose two more women he liked from the remaining group to keep, while the rest were given generous rewards and sent back home.

With Gu Qingyi and Shen Pan'er added, there are exactly four, enough to form a group of dancers without being too ostentatious.

After all, those twelve women were quite well-known in the pleasure quarters of Jiangnan. If he were to take them all away at once, his reputation as a womanizer would spread far and wide.

At that point, it will be too difficult to deceive Daiyu and the others.

At this moment, he sat on the grand chair, with one arm around the alluring beauty Shen Pan'er, while enjoying the dance of the two beauties in front of him.

These two beauties are Wan Qiyun, a courtesan from Jinling with a clear and melodious voice, and Wei Shishi, the youngest of them all, who is plump and beautiful, resembling Yang Guifei from the Tang Dynasty.

In fact, the fact that these two beauties caught Jia Lian's eye is enough to prove their attractiveness.

Seeing Jia Lian intently watching the two sisters' dance, Shen Pan'er, nestled in Jia Lian's arms, couldn't suppress her loneliness. She lifted one leg, and her skirt naturally slipped down, leaving only her smooth breasts pressed against Jia Lian's chest and abdomen.

Jia Lian was immediately drawn to the white light and couldn't help but touch it with his hand.

Shen Pan'er was secretly pleased, so she leaned close to Jia Lian's ear and whispered with a smile, "My lord, are my legs prettier, or are Sister Qiyun and Sister Shishi's dance moves more beautiful?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian glanced down at the beautiful woman in his hand. Even though he didn't want to agree with her, he had to admit that Shen Pan'er was indeed a skilled dancer, and her legs were truly beautiful.

Tall, fair-skinned, and perfectly proportioned, she was absolutely perfect.

Such beautiful legs are truly rare. Even Jia Lian was speechless, only gently stroking them to express his silent praise.

So Shen Pan'er chuckled and rubbed her legs against Jia Lian more brazenly. Suddenly, she noticed Gu Qingyi sitting next to her frowning and glancing at her with a hint of disapproval in her eyes, which immediately made her unhappy.

I may not be as famous as you, and my skills with the qin and xiao may be a notch below yours, but I can barely accept that. However, when it comes to the fact that even Jia Lian is so fond of her, I absolutely do not think I am inferior to Gu Qingyi.

Then, with a flick of his eye, he deliberately stretched out his leg, reaching over the armchair, and approached Gu Qingyi, teasing her, "Since you won't answer my question, Sister Qingyi, you are the most upright and incorruptible person. Could you please tell me if my legs are pretty or not?"

Gu Qingyi was playing the zither for Wan Qiyun and the other person when she suddenly saw a slender, jade-like foot flying towards her and dangling in front of her. She couldn't help but darken her face and glare at Chen Pan'er.

Startled, Shen Pan'er immediately shrank back, hugging Jia Lian's body and whispering coquettishly, "Sister Qingyi's eyes are so fierce, I'm so scared."

Thus, not only Gu Qingyi, but even Jia Lian was speechless.

If he were a modern person, he would probably just think that Shen Pan'er was being too strange, but Jia Lian, who came from an internet background, could easily see through her. This woman was simply the embodiment of a certain tea!

However, it seems quite interesting.

Jia Lian had no intention of criticizing her; he simply wanted to see how far she could go on this path based on her own understanding.

Shen Pan'er was completely unaware of Jia Lian's thoughts. After a little mischief, she chuckled and whispered in Jia Lian's ear.

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian remained silent, but his gaze involuntarily drifted towards Gu Qingyi's legs.

Intuitively, Jia Lian knew that Shen Pan'er's breasts were definitely of superior quality. He remembered seeing them that night on the Little Qinhuai River, but unfortunately there were too many people and all he could see was white, so he couldn't really tell who was who.

Jia Lian's gaze made Gu Qingyi involuntarily hide her legs further under the zither, while letting out a sorrowful sigh in her heart.

She realized that she could never compete with Shen Pan'er, because she knew she couldn't be as charming and seductive as Shen Pan'er.

After the dance ended, Wan Qiyun and the other woman came forward and asked Jia Lian what else he wanted to see.

Before Jia Lian could think, Chen Pan'er laughed and said, "Why don't you play the flute for the master again?"

As she spoke, she winked at Jia Lian.

She nestled in Jia Lian's arms, using her body to seduce him, and naturally anticipated all of Jia Lian's reactions.

Seeing Wan Qiyun's cheeks flush red and her looking rather bewildered, Jia Lian couldn't help but slap her buttocks.

"Why did you hit her, sir? Are you implying that she made the sisters suffer? If you wish for her to play the flute for you, that's fine, but it would be best if Sister Qingyi did it; her flute skills are the best."

Looking at the beautiful woman's smiling face, Jia Lian didn't know what to say to her.

But surely he wouldn't go so far as to correct her against his conscience?

After all, he came here to have fun and relax. If he pretended, wouldn't he be asking for trouble? If he went along with her, Jia Lian always felt that he would eventually fall into this woman's hands.

He took a deep breath, stood up and straightened his clothes, then solemnly instructed the four beauties: "These next few days, you should rehearse some elegant dances, or other musical performances. When the time comes, I will invite you to the main ship to perform for your future mistress."

"The future matriarch?"

Shen Pan'er and the others were puzzled.

"Isn't the Marquis's wife in the capital? How come she's on the ship again?"

Jia Lian didn't have time to explain in detail, so he gave a brief explanation and left in a hurry.

Watching Jia Lian leave, Shen Pan'er turned back to look at Gu Qingyi and the other two, and said, "Sisters, did you all see clearly? Even though we tried to seduce you like this, the master did not have any intention of taking our bodies. I'm afraid he is just worried about the Marquis's wife and this future mistress."

This shows that these two women held a position in the Marquis's heart that far surpassed that of us courtesans.

Therefore, we sisters must not assume that everything will be fine once we follow the Marquis to the capital. After arriving in the capital, we must be extremely careful in everything we do; otherwise, this opportunity we've worked so hard to obtain may end up being nothing at all.

Strangely, Shen Pan'er at this moment was completely different from her previous charming demeanor, and even had a wise and intelligent air about her.

Gu Qingyi and the others didn't find it strange at all. Instead, they all frowned and nodded to show their agreement with her words.

"However, there's no need for everyone to worry too much. With your abilities, since you dared to bring us back to the capital, as long as we don't make any mistakes, I doubt anyone would dare to risk offending you and bully us."

Moreover, I'm curious to see what kind of woman could be so beloved by someone as important as you, sir. So, let's all rehearse diligently as instructed by you, sir.

"Oh, by the way, when you return to the capital, you will be handing over your position as Imperial Envoy. So from today onwards, let's still address you as Marquis, Marquis Zhenyuan. That is your true identity, ladies, please don't forget it."

……