Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Jia Zheng was summoned by someone sent by Jia Lian.

At any time, using Jia Zheng to deal with Jia Baoyu is the most effective method.

Although Jia Zheng was ultimately unable to do anything to Jia Baoyu despite the presence of Grandmother Jia, the fact that Jia Baoyu was so frightened by Jia Zheng's overwhelming aura that he trembled like a little quail hiding behind Grandmother Jia was enough to demonstrate the power of the situation.

Being willful and throwing a tantrum also requires a certain presence. When Jia Baoyu faced Jia Zheng, all his confidence was stripped away. Where was the domineering aura he had shown when facing Daiyu and Xiangyun? And when facing Jia Lian and the others, he could only cower and let others laugh at him.

In addition, since Jia Baoyu's birth, his grandmother, who had always doted on him and even obeyed his every word, today, for the first time ever, imposed sanctions on Jia Baoyu...

Not only did they order the blockage of the nearest passage to Daiyu's side, but they also ordered people to restrict his freedom of movement.

It can be said that from now on, whenever anyone sees that newly built wall or the servants who stand guard at the entrance of Daiyu's courtyard all day long, Jia Baoyu's status in the eyes of the people in the mansion will continue to decline.

The once infamous troublemaker, whom no one in the Rongguo Mansion or even the entire Jia family dared to provoke, is now destined to never return to his former status as a "living dragon."

The idea that Jia Lian is the most honorable and inviolable master of the fourth generation of the Jia family will be firmly ingrained in the minds of every member of the Jia family.

This is the effect that Jia Lian has been trying to create all along; however, today's incident has completely set the tone.

Grandmother Jia's birthday banquet was not yet over, and there were still guests to keep her company. Therefore, after dismissing Jia Zheng, Grandmother Jia led the main group back home.

Out of consideration for Jia Zheng's hasty arrival to help him maintain order, Jia Lian personally saw him off from Rongqing Hall.

"Lian'er, don't worry. When we get back, I'll have your second aunt discipline Baoyu properly. If he listens and behaves himself from now on, that's fine. But if he continues to disobey and dares to do something as disrespectful and immoral as he did today, I'll skin him alive!"

Upon hearing Jia Zheng's calm, solemn, and resolute words, Jia Lian simply smiled.

As long as Grandmother Jia is alive, Jia Zheng will never be able to get rid of Jia Baoyu. He'll probably be punished by Grandmother Jia the moment he even has the idea.

However, since Jia Zheng had such an attitude, Jia Lian still respected him. So he bowed, clasped his hands, and said, "You flatter me, sir."

At the same time, she also noticed Jia Zheng's choice of words. Because Jia Zheng and Lady Wang had been in charge of the Rongguo Mansion for more than ten years, the titles of "Master" and "Madam" were already deeply ingrained.

Therefore, everyone in the mansion referred to Jia Zheng as "Master" and Lady Wang as "Madam." Even when Jia Zheng mentioned Lady Wang in front of him before, he would say things like "Tell your Madam" or "Your Madam." But from some point onward, Jia Zheng also began to use the more accurate term "Second Aunt" to refer to Lady Wang.

Although it was a small change in address, it showed that Jia Zheng acknowledged Jia Lian's status as the eldest son of the main branch, and at least no longer treated Jia Lian with a condescending attitude.

Back in Daiyu's room, the others had all left, leaving only Baochai, Xiangyun, and the three sisters of the Spring Festival to keep Daiyu company.

I don't know what they were talking about, but the tense atmosphere that had been so intense before was gone, replaced by a lively and cheerful atmosphere.

Even Daiyu's tear stains had disappeared, replaced by a shy blush. As Jia Lian entered, she was trying to tear Tan Chun's mouth apart, despite Baochai's attempts to stop her.

Seeing Jia Lian enter, she awkwardly gave up, turned around and sat back on the couch, not daring to look directly at Jia Lian.

"Hehehe, look, our second sister-in-law is shy, isn't she?"

Daiyu gave up the fight, but Tanchun seemed to have no intention of letting her go. Seeing Daiyu's appearance, she smiled even more brightly.

"Third girl, if you keep talking nonsense..."

Daiyu was extremely embarrassed and wanted to glare at Tanchun to death. Tanchun was so frightened that she quickly hid next to Jia Lian. This prevented Daiyu from following her gaze, which made Tanchun even more smug.

Jia Lian then tapped Tan Chun's forehead with one finger and said with a laugh, "Don't you dare bully your Sister Lin."

Tan Chun is the most active of the three sisters. Today is the first time she has heard this "big news." Without asking, she knows that she must have been the one who started making fun of Daiyu.

Tan Chun covered her head and let out a haughty cry. Seeing that Jia Lian ignored her and walked straight towards Daiyu, she punched Jia Lian in the back, silently accusing him of taking sides.

This action naturally made Yingchun and the others laugh, and even Xiangyun, who had been looking somewhat listless, couldn't help but laugh along.

Baochai saw Jia Lian pull up a stool and sit in front of Daiyu, but Daiyu was too shy to face him directly and moved further to the side. She then waved to Yingchun and the others.

The sisters understood and then followed Baochai out the door.

"Lin Daiyu?"

Jia Lian called out several times, but Daiyu only responded with a soft "hmm".

She was startled when she noticed Jia Lian holding her small hand. She quickly pulled her hand back and turned around, only to find that Tan Chun and the others had already left.

Once she relaxed, she let Jia Lian hold her small hand and place it on his lap, but she still couldn't help but roll her eyes at Jia Lian.

Seeing how charming and endearing she looked, Jia Lian couldn't resist reaching out to wipe away her tears. However, as soon as he raised his hand, Daiyu thought he was about to do something to her again, so she immediately tilted her head back and dodged, her eyes turning fiercely yet innocently.

"Haha, what exactly happened? You were crying like that, it broke my heart, you know?"

Jia Lian was laughing and joking at first, but when he got to the second half of the sentence, his tone became somewhat affectionate.

He should have left it at all, but as soon as he asked, Daiyu's eyes narrowed, her lips pursed, and her grievances were immediately revealed in her expression.

Upon seeing this, Jia Lian immediately sat down on Daiyu's couch, embraced her, and gently patted her to comfort her.

This made Daiyu unable to hold back her emotions any longer, and she hid in Jia Lian's arms, sobbing softly.

However, Daiyu had always disliked complaining, so even though Jia Lian questioned her repeatedly, she only shook her head and gave a few perfunctory replies without saying anything.

It was Zijuan who came in to serve tea to Jia Lian. Seeing that Jia Lian genuinely wanted to know the specifics, she then recounted the events to him verbatim.

"If it weren't for Miss Shi speaking up for our young lady today, we don't know how much injustice our young lady would have suffered."

It's just a pity for Miss Shi. Because she said a few words in support of our young lady, she completely angered Master Bao, causing him to smash the jade. I'm afraid the Old Madam and Madam will dislike Miss Shi a bit now.

Zijuan only dared to say this because she was sure no one else was in the room. She had a deeper meaning: she didn't want the righteous Shi Xiangyun to be wronged, so she specifically told Jia Lian, hoping that Jia Lian could protect Xiangyun.

After all, given Jia Baoyu's erratic and delirious state at the time, the maids dared not provoke him, feeling guilty for implicating Xiangyun.

Jia Lian had only guessed that Jia Baoyu had caused trouble in Daiyu's room after finding out the truth, but he did not know the details.

Hearing this, I couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. I wondered if I could use a little trick to remove that thing from Jia Baoyu's body, so that Grandmother Jia and the others wouldn't keep calling it "precious root" or "life-giving root" all day long, as if it were a priceless treasure, which was annoying.

Since Zijuan had already spoken up for her, Daiyu no longer kept her thoughts to herself. She sat up and looked at Jia Lian: "You told me to treat Baoyu as an ordinary cousin, but you have no idea what he said about me today."

He said that I married you because I was after your power and wealth, and he called me a sycophant. Waaah…

The more Daiyu spoke, the more aggrieved she felt, to the point that she could not fully express what she wanted to say.

Jia Lian, however, could not empathize with Daiyu at this moment, because what Daiyu said made him want to laugh.

Power and wealth? Opportunism?

Anyone who knows Daiyu should know that these points have absolutely nothing to do with this girl.

Jia Baoyu couldn't possibly be unaware of Daiyu's personality, so for him to say such a thing must have been because he was angry.

However, Jia Lian dared not laugh now, otherwise Daiyu would not forgive him. So he pretended to be indignant and scolded, "Well, I thought he was just a child, willful and ignorant. I never expected that he would slander our Lin sister like this!"

Others may not know, but surely I do: Lin Daiyu was the most indifferent to fame and fortune in the world, regarding money as dirt.

He dared to say such things about you; he's utterly absurd.

Besides, in terms of power and wealth, how could Lin Daiyu be weaker than me?

Lin Daiyu is a "County Lady" personally bestowed by the current emperor, holding the rank of fourth grade, while I am only a fourth grader, serving as the commander of the Western City Military Command.

Therefore, Lin Daiyu and I are clearly of equal status. Why would she need to rely on my power?

As for wealth? Little did he know that the dowry his uncle left for his sister alone was far more than the combined silver reserves of the two Jia family mansions! With Lin Daiyu's immense wealth, how could she possibly covet the meager sums in my room?

In that light, isn't what he said utterly ridiculous?

Although she already knew Jia Lian was good at flattering people, Daiyu was still stunned and forgot what she had wanted to say.

Although she considered herself no ordinary person, she wasn't arrogant enough to think she was the most indifferent person to fame and fortune in the world. She felt she still cared about her status as a daughter of an official. As for regarding money as dirt…

She simply doesn't love money. If she had money, she would gladly keep it; she wouldn't treat it like dirt...

What Jia Lian said next left her speechless. Leaving aside the wealth, Jia Lian had told her about it after taking stock of the Lin family's assets, and she had indeed been astonished by the generous dowry her father had left her.

But to say that she was on the same level as Jia Lian is absurd. Noble rank and official rank cannot be equated. If we follow Jia Lian's logic, his marquisate would be a first-rank official!

Not to mention, her status as a village lord was merely for prestige; in terms of power, it was practically nonexistent.

Therefore, Daiyu stared blankly at Jia Lian, as if trying to see through his eyes why he would lie so blatantly!

Jia Lian, however, did not think he was wrong at all. He put his arm around Daiyu again and continued to coax her, "But Lin Daiyu doesn't need to be angry with Baoyu. He has been spoiled by the old lady and the madam since he was a child, so it is normal for him to be a little arrogant."

Besides, does Lin Daiyu not know why he lost his temper today?

"What?"

Daiyu feigned ignorance, but lowered her head.

Girls of this age are far more mature than boys. So although Jia Baoyu is a year older than Daiyu, he is definitely not as mature as Daiyu in matters of the heart; to put it more clearly, Jia Baoyu is more immature than Daiyu.

Daiyu, however, understood why Jia Baoyu was angry. Even if she hadn't understood before, when Jia Lian came over, he bluntly stated his "hatred at having his wife stolen." Stealing his wife—did Jia Baoyu's motives need further explanation?

Jia Lian knew Daiyu was faking it, but he didn't expose her. He simply laughed and said, "What else could it be? It's because he also likes Lin Daiyu."

"Pah, damn it, you're talking nonsense again~" Daiyu was so embarrassed that she pretended to pinch Jia Lian twice.

Even if Daiyu was progressive in her thinking and disregarded worldly conventions, she still couldn't bear to be in Jia Lian's arms and hear him say that others liked her, even if it was obvious.

Jia Lian immediately grabbed Daiyu's small hand and laughed, "What's the big deal? Others liking you only proves your excellence. What's there to be shy about? In my opinion, the more people who like Lin Daiyu, the better. It only proves that my judgment is good. My Lin Daiyu is a fairy descended from heaven, with unparalleled beauty. She is a first-rate beauty throughout history."

"Pah, pah, pah, you're getting more and more ridiculous. I'm ignoring you."

Daiyu, after all, hadn't been influenced enough by Jia Lian to openly accept such remarks. She punched Jia Lian a few times, then stood up and walked away.

Instead of leaving the room, she went to her dressing table in the corner to check her makeup.

She herself didn't realize that all the grievances in her heart had vanished with just a few words from Jia Lian. Not only that, knowing how Jia Lian viewed today's events, even if someone said the same thing to her again in the future, she wouldn't feel as aggrieved or depressed as she did today.

Seeing Daiyu leave Jia Lian, and Jia Lian propping himself up on the bed, just smiling and watching Daiyu's back, looking completely unconcerned, Zijuan hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and said, "Since Second Master is here, I'd like to complain to you about something. I wonder if you'll take it in?"

Jia Lian was taken aback, and even Daiyu, who was standing in front of the dressing table, couldn't help but turn around and glance at him.

"Who are you going to sue?"

"The one I'm accusing is none other than Qingwen, the eldest daughter of Second Master!" Zijuan raised her head, carefully observing Jia Lian's expression.

Jia Lian frowned, then smiled and said, "How did she offend you? For your young lady's sake, just tell me. If it's really her fault, I'll definitely bring her here to apologize to you."

Although Jia Lian spoke generously, Zijuan still sensed his protectiveness towards Qingwen. Otherwise, he wouldn't have specifically said, "If it really is Qingwen's fault," implying that she should let the trivial matter go.

The more this happened, the more determined Zijuan became to file a complaint.

"She didn't offend me; I'm just speaking up for our girl!"

Hearing Zijuan say this, Jia Lian finally took it a little more seriously. He looked at Daiyu, but Daiyu shook her head, indicating that she knew nothing about it.

"Tell me about it," Jia Lian said, sitting up.

So Zijuan told Jia Lian in detail what Xueyan had told her before.

Upon hearing Zijuan's complaint, Jia Lian's expression turned serious, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. After all, Qingwen was right; he had indeed been unable to leave at the time...

Therefore, strictly speaking, Qingwen cannot be entirely blamed for this.

However, if she doesn't want Xueyan to come to him, she can just come and inform him herself. It's clear that the girl has some ulterior motives, and she still needs to be taught a lesson.

Jia Lian's silence made Zijuan feel that Jia Lian did not take her complaint to heart, so she immediately said, "I know that this is just a small matter in the eyes of the Second Master, but it is not a small matter for our young lady!"

Today, Aunt Qingwen can stop Xueyan from going to see the Second Master. Tomorrow, Yuwen and Xuewen will be able to stop me, and even the young lady, from going to see the Second Master.

Our young lady was originally a guest in this mansion, and the only people she could rely on were the old lady and the second master.

The old lady is getting on in years and shouldn't be bothered by every little thing. If even we, the Second Master, aren't qualified to see her, then who will the young lady confide in and seek justice from if she suffers any injustice in the future?

"Zijuan, stop talking..."

Beside her, Daiyu's face was already clouded with worry, and her tone was downcast. It wasn't that she was particularly angry, but Zijuan's words had stirred up her sensitive thoughts.

She was not only living under someone else's roof, but she was also not Jia Lian's "official wife". No matter how good Jia Lian was, it was impossible for him to make the people in his house and under his command as good as him.

Therefore, it's quite normal for them to look down on themselves and even make things difficult for themselves...

Jia Lian knew that Daiyu was most sensitive to such matters and was prone to getting stuck on them, so he didn't explain anything for Qingwen. Instead, he said to Zijuan, "Okay, I understand what you're saying. When I get back, I'll discipline her properly!"

Don't think I'm just making empty promises to appease you. If she doesn't repent after today and something like this happens again, I'll tie her up and let your young lady deal with her herself, how about that?"

Jia Lian understood that although Qingwen was somewhat arrogant by nature, she was also aware of hierarchy. Her pride was mostly directed at those of the same rank as her or those of lower status.

She probably doesn't know about Daiyu's engagement to him yet. If she did, she certainly wouldn't dare to neglect Daiyu anymore.

If she were to repeat the offense in the future, and were handed over to Daiyu, given Daiyu's temperament, she wouldn't really do anything to her...

Jia Lian deceived Daiyu.

Sure enough, upon hearing that Jia Lian had no intention of protecting Qingwen, both Zijuan and Daiyu felt somewhat relieved.