Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

At the banquet in Ningxuan Hall, the feast continued, but Old Lady You kept asking questions, which made even Jia Lian, with his composure, gradually become impatient.

Suddenly, he felt a soft little foot touch him from under the table. Jia Lian, who was already familiar with this, immediately glanced around at the people at the table without making a sound. Naturally, he met Qin Keqing's obviously suspicious gaze.

The woman had probably finished eating by now. She rested one hand on the table, propped her chin up, and blinked at him, seemingly trying to coax him: "Good uncle, just bear with it a little longer, I'll show you some fun things to do later..."

Jia Lian couldn't help but smile to himself; he had no idea how the man had discerned all this from just a glance.

He couldn't help but be surprised. He and Qin Keqing were sitting face to face, and the table was quite large. He wondered how the beautiful Qin had managed to stretch her small feet over so subtly. He could only sigh that his previous judgment was correct; this woman's legs were indeed very long.

With the comforting and teasing of a beautiful woman, Jia Lian's mood indeed returned to normal, even better than before.

"Hey, buddy..."

Old Lady You took a sip of wine, and then, as if thinking of something, turned her head to speak to Jia Lian. However, Madam You grabbed her arm and said with a smile, "Old Madam, you've drunk too much today. Why don't you go back and rest early?"

Old Lady You was taken aback at first; she hadn't drunk much, only urging Jia Lian to drink. Meeting Madam You's gaze, she immediately realized what was going on.

"Ah, yes, yes, hehe, I'm getting old and get drunk easily, so I won't bother you here. I'll go back and rest first. Second sister, take good care of your second brother and make sure he drinks a lot, you hear me?"

As she spoke, Old Lady You stood up with Madam You's help. Second Sister You stood up and replied, "Yes." Third Sister You also took Old Lady You's other arm, preparing to follow her, but Madam You stopped her: "You stay here too. If your sister doesn't take good care of anything, keep an eye on her. I'll go back."

Yu Sanjie was stunned for a moment. With something on her mind, she couldn't help but feel guilty. She watched helplessly as Yu Shi helped Old Lady Yu leave.

Qin Keqing had already put away her beautiful feet and got up to follow. But before leaving, she not only gave Jia Lian a familiar look, but also pretended not to notice as they passed each other, brushing her fragrant sleeve against Jia Lian's head and cheek, letting Jia Lian smell her fragrance on his nose and mouth. In an instant, he didn't know how many heartstrings were touched by the beauty.

Looking up, I noticed that there were hardly any people left in the hall.

Besides Sister You Er, Sister You San, and the two maids who were standing behind them, who were probably their personal maids, there was only one beautiful zither player gently playing the strings behind the screen.

"You should go and rest too."

Qin Niang was slender and somewhat pretty, but compared to the two You sisters, she was far inferior, so Jia Lian didn't pay her much attention.

The onlookers dispersed, and Sister You's face turned even more ashamed, all because of Old Lady You's actions before she left, which practically revealed her intention to give her to Jia Lian.

Fortunately, there was Sister You. This girl was naturally quite carefree. Although she felt a little guilty after being made to look bad by You Shi, she didn't take it to heart after You Shi left. When she turned around and saw her sister standing there shyly, she smiled and pushed her to Jia Lian's side.

"What are you standing there for? Have you forgotten what your mother told you before she left? Pour him some wine and let him drink more."

"Oh, okay..."

Jia Lian could clearly sense that You Xiaosan was showing him less and less respect.

Having already realized that she had concealed what happened yesterday, Jia Lian was not prepared to grant her wish. As You Erjie poured herself some wine and she was about to return to her seat, he grabbed her wrist, pulled her to his side, and then spread his left leg, allowing her to sit steadily on his lap.

Seeing You Sanjie lost in thought, Jia Lian asked with a smile, "What's wrong? Your mother only asked your sister to take care of her, but not you?"

Sister You blushed deeply and scolded, "My sister is still here! Instead of trying to please her, you're trying to provoke your sister-in-law. How shameless..."

"I'm shameless; I didn't see anyone being reserved yesterday either..."

"You... I'm ignoring you now."

Knowing she was in the wrong, You Sanjie glanced at You Erjie, who seemed lost in thought, and dared not argue with Jia Lian.

Jia Lian turned around, glanced at You Erjie with an appreciative look, then took her hand and led her to sit on his other lap.

Jia Lian was no polite man. Leaving aside the fact that these two beauties were practically his, he couldn't very well refuse the kindness shown by Old Lady You and the others. Therefore, he unceremoniously pulled the two beauties into his arms and said to one of them with a smile, "Since we both have responsibilities, you can pick up the wine your sister poured and feed it to me."

Jia Lian's actions left the two remaining maids in the room stunned. They exchanged a glance, smiled shyly, and then lowered their heads like quails, determined not to disturb the romantic scene before them.

You Sanjie had long harbored feelings for Jia Lian and had received his promise. She had even given herself to him, so she was extremely tolerant of his behavior.

Although the scene of the sisters sitting together in Jia Lian's lap made them instinctively feel a little ashamed, since no one had taught them, they let Jia Lian do as he pleased.

Seeing that things had come to this point and there was no way to hide it anymore, Sister You San decided to be straightforward and said, "Alright, I'll feed you then."

As she spoke, she chuckled and picked up the cup of wine, then held Jia Lian's face and poured it into his mouth. It was clearly the first time she had done such a thing, yet her demeanor and actions subtly resembled those of a beautiful woman serving nobles in a brothel, exuding an indescribable alluring charm.

……

After escorting Old Lady You back to her room, Madam You did not return to the banquet hall. Instead, she sent Yindie to check on the situation before going back to her own room.

After Yindie explained to her what she had seen from behind the curtain, Madam You smiled and ordered that no one should disturb her. Then, under the influence of alcohol, she took a nap on the kang (a heated brick bed).

She awoke abruptly, checked the time, and then a maidservant came in to ask, "How is the Second Master?"

"The Second Master has gone back, and the Second Aunt and the Third Aunt (Grandma is an honorific title, and Aunt here means cousin) have also gone back to their rooms."

Madam You then regretted oversleeping. Fortunately, after inquiring and finding that everything was alright, she felt somewhat relieved.

After a quick wash, Qin Keqing's maid came over and said, "Madam, the young mistress requests your presence."

"Oh, what is it?"

"I don't know, the young mistress only said she was waiting for you at Tianxiang Restaurant."

Madam You paused abruptly, and after a long while said, "I understand, you can go back now."

After dressing up and dawdling, it was already a quarter of an hour later when Lady You arrived at Tianxiang Tower.

As she entered Qin Keqing's changing room, Madam You subconsciously looked around. Apart from seeing Qin Keqing's increasingly brightly and tastefully decorated room, she did not see anyone else.

"Why did you call me over in such a hurry?"

Thinking she had been tricked, Madam You's attitude was not very good. This surprised Qin Keqing slightly, but then she suddenly smiled.

She didn't say anything, but simply took Madam You's hand and led her to a more spacious area inside, pointing forward with her chin.

When Madam You saw this, she felt embarrassed.

Jia Lian, dressed in a black and white robe and wearing black leather boots, was leaning against the headboard, watching her with a leisurely air.

"Hehe, it's not that I was in a hurry to call you over, Grandma. I originally planned to show him a new dance I learned, but he said it's better to share than to enjoy it alone, and he insisted on calling you to watch with him. I'm a little embarrassed. Let me make this clear, if I don't dance well, Grandma, you're not allowed to laugh at me."

Qin Keqing smiled sweetly and took off the long robe covering her body, revealing her beautiful dancer's attire underneath.

Madam You remained silent, took a few steps forward blankly, and then didn't know what to do.

The young, handsome man and beautiful woman had met here, and with this kind of entourage, even a fool would know it wasn't simply for the purpose of studying dance and music. I wonder why they called me here...

"What are you standing for? Come and sit down."

Hearing Jia Lian's invitation, Madam You didn't refuse and went over to sit on the couch next to him. However, she noticed Jia Lian patting his leg, and she felt awkward. She couldn't help but turn around and glance at Qin Keqing, who was happily making arrangements.

After hesitating for a moment, she took a step forward and gently placed her ample buttocks on Jia Lian's lap. She felt unbearably ashamed and didn't dare to glance at Qin Keqing, who seemed to have noticed something and cast her gaze over her.

Seeing the beauty so gentle and shy, Jia Lian knew it was because of Qin Keqing and her status. He smiled to himself and took the opportunity to put his arm around her soft waist.

Earlier, accompanied by the two You sisters, Jia Lian had a meal that wasn't exactly a brothel, but was even more extravagant than a brothel, and he was already quite drunk.

To his surprise, after returning home, he was not sleepy at all, and even sobered up quite a bit. Jia Lian then remembered Qin Keqing's invitation, and that's why he sneaked out of the garden and came here.

At that time, Qin Keqing, who thought he wouldn't accept the invitation, was sitting in the room, cursing him with a belly full of resentment. This made Jia Lian realize that a beauty like Qin Keqing could be so charming and lovely, even pitiful, when she scolded her lover.

As his drunkenness subsided, he thought of the four beauties of Ningguo Mansion. He had already appeased three of them, but abandoning You Shi, who had contributed the most and was the first to marry him, seemed unfair. In addition, he had just promised You Sanjie a request and needed You Shi's cooperation, so he coaxed Qin Keqing to call You Shi over, which led to the current situation.

While Qin Da Meiren was preparing, and to ease some of You Shi's tension, Jia Lian put his arm around her and laughed, "Your third sister is a woman with ambitions that rival any man. Yesterday, she came with me to the drill ground and watched me train the troops. After that, she also wants to be my guard."

I initially refused, but when I came over today, I forgot to bring her a gift, and she insisted on having it. So, I had no choice but to agree.

Upon hearing Jia Lian bring up serious matters, Madam You immediately put aside her other thoughts and asked in surprise, "This... she's still so young, how can she be your personal guard? Won't that interfere with your business? Don't spoil her, let me talk to her."

Lady You knew that Jia Lian had two highly trusted female guards, who were rumored to even hold official positions. However, those two women came from a harsh, cold region; it was one thing for them to engage in such swordplay, but how could Lady You San possibly allow it!

Jia Lian shook his head. "Actually, it's not impossible. I've seen her. That girl is indeed more agile than others and has the potential to practice martial arts."

But she is, after all, your sister, and I can't really let her suffer with me or go to the battlefield. That's what I'm thinking. I don't know if it's just a passing interest or if she's truly serious about it, so I'll just have to test her out first.

Therefore, I intend to have you select seven or eight maids from the household for her to train with first. If she becomes lazy after a while, that's fine; but if she can truly persevere, then perhaps we can give her a chance.

I originally intended to train a group of female guards with some martial arts skills. In the future, whether they were guarding the inner quarters or protecting the women going out, they would be more convenient than my personal guards.

Lady You knew Jia Lian was busy with many things, but she never expected him to want to train a group of female guards! Although she had heard of women serving in the military since ancient times, it was still a completely new thing in this dynasty. However, considering that it was Jia Lian who proposed it, it suddenly didn't seem so abrupt anymore.

"Really? Can she really do it?" Madam You thought that even if Jia Lian had this idea, he should ask someone else. She always felt that her third sister was not the type to accomplish anything.

"It's alright. Just tell her that I will come over from time to time to guide her on how to train female soldiers. As long as she can achieve results, I might be able to make her a deputy squad leader under me. It's even possible that she could fight alongside me on the battlefield in the future."

Jia Lian also wanted to see if You Sanjie could keep her temper in check. Anyway, it was just a small matter, and if things went wrong, he could just treat it as a way to make her happy.

After considering it for a moment, Madam You nodded, but then glared at her and said, "Just keep spoiling her."

Jia Lian smiled and asked suspiciously, "Do you know she's already my woman?"

Madam You smiled and said, "I knew as soon as she came back yesterday, after all..."

Madam You gave Jia Lian a meaningful look: after all, she knew Jia Lian's situation all too well; how could a little girl like him possibly handle it?

Having grasped some of You Shi's meaning, Jia Lian couldn't help but feel a surge of satisfaction. He not only tightened his grip on the young woman's arm but also raised his other hand to fondle her red lips a few times. Just as he was about to speak, another voice suddenly rang out:

"Are you done talking? People have been waiting for quite a while."

Hearing Qin Keqing's slightly displeased words, Jia Lian and You Shi looked up and saw that the beautiful Qin had been standing in front of them at some point.

"Alright, you can begin."

"Hehe... This is the 'Phoenix Soaring to the Nine Heavens' dance that Miss Pan'er taught me. She danced it so beautifully and gracefully. I don't even know how much I've learned. If I mess it up later, none of you are allowed to laugh at me, otherwise, hmph..."

Both Jia Lian and You Shi were older than Qin Keqing, and You Shi had even been her mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Therefore, in front of Jia Lian and You Shi, Qin Keqing was naturally the younger generation, and it was perfectly natural for her to act coquettishly.

Jia Lian and the other man both nodded, and they also saw the five colorful ribbons—four yellow and one red—hanging from the roof beams in the room. They understood that the meaning of "flying to the heavens" originated from this.

So, Madam You added, "Whether you jump well or not is another matter, but be careful and don't fall."

"Thank you for your concern, Mother-in-law."

The beautiful Qin returned to the center with a charming smile, and as usual, struck an elegant pose before gracefully moving about.

Qin Keqing possessed a captivating figure and alluring demeanor, making her a natural-born dancer. However, her lack of prior training limited her potential.

But setting aside professional judgment, from a purely male perspective, it was undeniably beautiful. Even though Jia Lian had seen Qin Keqing's dance several times, he was still moved by the exquisite and meticulously planned performance.

He couldn't help but glance at Madam You beside him. Just then, Madam You, also curious about what it would be like for a man to see such a beautiful woman dancing, turned around and stole a look at him.

So Jia Lian didn't stand on ceremony and raised his hand to touch the beauty's red lips again.

Lady You immediately understood. She had been sitting in Jia Lian's lap for half a day, and her mind was disturbed by Jia Lian's actions. At this moment, when Lady Qin was dancing passionately, she took off the outermost layer of her few clothes while dancing, which made the whole dance change from the previous beautiful and elegant to more hot and unrestrained.

The atmosphere wasn't abrupt, so Lady You couldn't bear to refuse. She had never known how to refuse Jia Lian, so she lowered her head shyly and then, without making a sound, leaned onto the wooden board and silently practiced her jade flute to dance with Qin Keqing.

Inside the cozy and inviting room of the beautiful woman, everything unfolded as expected.