Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Inside an inner hall of the Daming Palace, Jia Lian and his two companions, led by a eunuch, entered to dine.

The eight or nine dishes, though each one exquisite, were all small dishes and snacks, and did not appear extravagant. It is clear that Emperor Ningkang was usually quite frugal and not a person who indulged in pleasure.

Why aren't you eating?

The Fourth Prince was probably really hungry. After sitting down, he ate a few bites, and then he noticed that neither his elder sister nor Jia Lian had touched their food. Not only did they not touch their food, but the two of them were also looking at each other, exchanging knowing glances.

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian cupped his hands in greeting: "Princess, please go first."

Princess Zhaoyang didn't stand on ceremony. She picked up her silver chopsticks, took a slice of bamboo shoot, put it in her mouth, and nodded, saying, "The imperial chefs in the palace are very skilled. This stir-fried bamboo shoot with pork tastes quite good. Marquis Zhenyuan, please try it too."

"Really? I'll give it a try."

The Fourth Prince stood up, reaching for food, but Princess Zhaoyang frowned at his uncouth behavior. Without a word, she picked up the stir-fried bamboo shoots and venison, placed it in front of Jia Lian, and smiled slightly at him. Turning her head, she saw the Fourth Prince's bewildered expression and casually scooped a chicken leg from the soup into his bowl.

"snort."

The fourth prince, like a wronged wife, dared not speak out in anger. He sat down, picked up the chicken leg with his bare hands, and began to tear it apart fiercely.

Jia Lian watched coldly from the sidelines, unable to show his thoughts on his face, only sighing inwardly that siblings were indeed destined to be enemies. This fourth prince was fearless and dared to argue with anyone, but he was helpless against Princess Zhaoyang. Jia Lian alone had witnessed him being humiliated by Princess Zhaoyang several times.

To avoid incurring the Fourth Prince's resentment over a small dish, Jia Lian didn't immediately pick up a piece to eat. He thanked Princess Zhaoyang and then changed the subject: "Your Highness's initiative in volunteering to speak to the imperial family is admirable in its courage and filial piety. May I ask, Your Highness, do you have a good plan in mind?"

Sure enough, when the Fourth Prince heard Jia Lian ask about this matter, he was no longer indignant and turned his gaze to his elder sister.

Although he was not particularly concerned with politics, he knew that the members of the imperial family were conservative and mercenary, and it would be very difficult to get them to cooperate with the court and pay land taxes.

Princess Zhaoyang, however, took a leisurely bite of the dish before smiling and asking Jia Lian, "Lord Zhenyuan, is it because you don't trust my abilities and are worried I'll mess this up?"

"No, Your Highness's bravery, decisiveness, and resourcefulness are well known to me. If even Your Highness cannot shoulder this responsibility, then I fear there is no one else who can relieve Your Majesty's worries."

"Hehehe, Your Excellency is still so eloquent... However, I really don't have any good ideas, but I'll just agree to this matter first."

"However, the Marquis of Zhenyuan has always been exceptionally intelligent. If he has any strategies to teach me, I will listen attentively and repay him in the future."

"Hey, can you two stop praising each other like that? I can't stand it anymore!" The Fourth Prince always felt that with Jia Lian around, his elder sister spoke strangely. How to put it? Pretentious!

"I'm telling you, sis, if you weren't confident, why did you take on this thankless task? Father has so many capable ministers and generals under his command; he could have just sent one of them to do it. Why did you have to be so stubborn? Now you regret it, don't you?"

The fourth prince's tone was slightly sarcastic.

Princess Zhaoyang glanced at him and realized that with this idiot around, she and Jia Lian wouldn't be able to communicate effectively. So she gave Jia Lian a look and then stopped talking and focused on her meal.

……

After the meal, Jia Lian was summoned by Emperor Ningkang.

What they were doing was merely inquiring about the progress of firearms, and...

"It is rumored that your Jia family owns thousands of acres of fertile land in the north and south, exceeding the imperial limit of 100,000 acres per mansion for duke families. Is this rumor true?"

"Your Majesty, it is indeed true. Since the time of our founding emperor, our Jia family has received imperial favor and great honors. However, our ancestors did not know how to better manage our family business. Whenever we had savings, we used them to buy land. Today, with the addition of the rewards bestowed by the emperors of past dynasties, our Jia family owns nearly 300,000 mu of mountains, forests, and farmland. Even after deducting the ancestral shrine land, we still have more than 250,000 mu."

Emperor Ningkang asked casually, but to his surprise, Jia Lian immediately gave a detailed answer with all the specific numbers.

It's unclear whether he anticipated this question or whether he truly served his lord with utmost loyalty and sincerity.

Even if he had anticipated this question, his ability to answer so decisively and clearly demonstrates his uprightness.

After all, if someone like King Chungshun could only stammer and give vague answers, how could they dare to come up with a specific number?

"Oh? If that's the case, then what's your opinion on the court's newly revised tax law?"

"This is undoubtedly a great achievement for all ages and a sound solution for all generations. Your humble servant is willing to represent my family and fully support the court in achieving the great success of reforming the tax law."

Jia Lian had studied politics, and while I can't speak for other things, his sophisticated rhetoric was unmatched by most people in this era who wanted to flatter him.

"Really? If the new policy is implemented, the extra 100,000 mu of land belonging to your Jia family will require the collection of several thousand shi of grain every year, equivalent to ten years' worth of your salary. Aren't you worried at all, or rather, aren't you afraid your family will complain?"

Jia Lian said solemnly, "A gentleman loves wealth, but he acquires it in a proper way. Not to mention that my Jia family enjoys the best treatment in the country, even if my Jia family were just ordinary people under the rule of the Great Wei, as long as it is beneficial to the court and the people of the world, the Jia family will certainly give its full support."

The family is the smallest unit of the nation, and the nation is the largest family. Without a great nation, how can there be a small family?

Therefore, Your Majesty need not worry about me. Not only does my Jia family not have such ungrateful individuals, but even if there were, I would educate and discipline them, and would certainly not allow them to become the slightest obstacle to Your Majesty's new policies!

Several thousand bushels of grain were indeed equivalent to ten years' worth of his salary and stipend. However, when you add it all up, it's only a few thousand taels of silver!

With several thousand taels of silver and the favor of Emperor Ningkang at stake, how could Jia Lian hesitate?

Moreover, although the Jia family's two mansions exceeded the limit, Jia Lian did not believe that the tax rate for fertile land, forests, and estates would be the same! If fertile land were included within the limit and forests and estates were used to pay taxes, the amount would likely be much lower.

Besides, even if others didn't know, surely he did: Emperor Ningkang had promised to make up for the losses suffered by members of the imperial clan and relatives through annual rewards.

In other words, Emperor Ningkang had no intention of taking profits from the imperial relatives and nobles. What he wanted was for the imperial relatives and nobles to stop becoming a protective umbrella for the small and medium-sized landowners and a haven for them to hide and evade taxes.

It's conceivable that if Emperor Ningkang's matter could be accomplished—not even fully accomplished, but merely implemented—the imperial family, noble clans, and scholars would all be eager to return the "unexplained" donated land they held...

It seems that this is the real issue that Emperor Ningkang and his court officials truly care about.

Although Jia Lian felt that if the imperial relatives and nobles started paying taxes, the palace might make up for the loss in the first few years, but now that the matter was settled, the so-called subsidies would certainly be difficult to guarantee...

Perhaps this was Emperor Ningkang's original intention; otherwise, why wouldn't he have written the regulations down instead of simply having a lobbyist make the promise? That way, even if he didn't keep his promise in the future, he could easily shift the blame. Alas, my poor princess, she'll be sold off by her father again.

Sigh, I guess I'll just have to take the blame. If I want to get power from the emperor, how can I justify it without helping him take the blame? Isn't he the same?

So Jia Lian readily agreed, "Therefore, if Your Majesty requires, this humble subject can even take the initiative to set an example among the meritorious officials, being the first to declare my land holdings after the new tax law is implemented, and paying the full amount of taxes every year, thus becoming a vanguard of Your Majesty's new policies!"

Emperor Ningkang looked at Jia Lian for a long while and said, "If everyone in the world were as loyal to the emperor and devoted to the country as you, how could the world be in turmoil or the administration be corrupt! I could also relax a lot..."

Well, Your Majesty, you must be dreaming. Not to mention here, even three thousand years from now, the world probably won't be as you describe it.

Moreover, I dare not tell you, but if more people like me were to travel through time, let alone whether the world would be peaceful or the government would be clean, the country would be shattered and the people would suffer.

Emperor Ningkang had no idea what Jia Lian was thinking. He was quite pleased with Jia Lian's words, gave him a few words of encouragement, and then let him leave the palace.

……

Back at the Rongguo Mansion, perhaps because of the distance, the farce on the long street did not cause any turmoil for the Jia family.

However, in the study of the east courtyard, Hu Yuanyao sent a message from Princess Zhaoyang, inviting him to meet outside the city the next day.

This was to be expected; Jia Lian agreed and went home.

It was September, and the house was chilly. But under the eaves, Jia Lian saw a large pile of fruits and vegetables, such as pumpkins and eggplants, and there were quite a few of them!

Jia Lian glanced at her twice, but didn't pay much attention. He went straight into the house and saw Ping'er sitting alone doing needlework. "Second Master is back."

Ping'er always had that peaceful demeanor. When Jia Lian entered the room, she was neither cold nor obsequious. If it weren't for the fact that she was more enthusiastic and considerate than her mistress in bed, Jia Lian would sometimes wonder if this girl was simply forced into this relationship by the rules of propriety.

Jia Lian grunted in acknowledgment, walked to the seat Ping'er had previously occupied, and casually picked up her needlework to examine it. It was a strapless top, gold-threaded and yellow.

"Your own?"

"I made these for my second grandmother. She burned two old ones the other day, and I was worried she wouldn't have enough to replace them, so I made her two extra."

Ping'er stood beside Jia Lian and offered this explanation.

Jia Lian pulled her onto his lap, his hand slipping into her bosom. After a moment, he said very seriously, "There are so many maids in the courtyard, it doesn't matter who makes them for her. Look, yours are worn out too, why don't you make yourself a couple of new ones?"

Ping'er, whose face was already flushed from Jia Lian's touching, earnestly explained, "Second Madam isn't used to wearing clothes made by others. Besides, how is this old? This dark green one was just made and worn by me half a month ago..."

Women of this era were generally skilled in needlework, so apart from their outer garments, which weren't too demanding, they mostly made their own personal items.

The people in his courtyard were no exception.

However, Sister Feng didn't have much free time and was too lazy to deal with such trivial matters. Therefore, Ping'er usually took care of most of her personal clothing.

As for Jia Lian, most of the details on his person were Qingwen's handiwork. Xiangling wasn't very good at needlework; she loved reading.

That said, when Jia Lian heard Ping'er's words, he immediately asked curiously, "Dark green? Let me see if you're lying?"

Seeing Jia Lian actually grabbing her collar to peek inside, Ping'er felt both helpless and amused. Covering her chest, she advised, "Second Master, don't be silly. We have guests today; don't let them see us and make a fool of themselves."

"Oh? What kind of guest?"

"He wasn't a particularly important guest. He was a country girl who had a family history with Second Grandmother. He had visited Second Grandmother once that year, and Second Grandmother treated him well, giving him some money."

Now that things are going better for them, they brought a lot of vegetables to visit Second Grandmother. Unexpectedly, the Old Madam heard about it and insisted that they come over to see her. So Second Grandmother went with them, but hasn't returned yet.

I was planning to sit for a while and then go take a look, but then Second Master came back.

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian embraced his beautiful concubine and laughed, "Oh, is this guest surnamed Liu?"

"It is indeed Granny Liu. How did you know, Second Master?"

Ping'er sat up straight, somewhat curious. If she remembered correctly, the Second Master was clearly not home when Granny Liu came to beg for money that year.

Jia Lian smiled without saying a word, not taking the matter to heart. Ping'er, seventeen or eighteen years old, was as beautiful as a flower, and after holding her for a moment, he couldn't resist the urge to do something naughty.

Ping'er tried to dissuade him but to no avail. She was also aroused by Jia Lian's actions, so she stopped Jia Lian's hand from undressing her, brushed her hair aside, and looked at him with clear, bright eyes.

"Does Second Master still remember the promise he owes Ping'er?"

"Oh, when did this happen?"

Jia Lian didn't think it through. Seeing that Ping'er wouldn't let him take off his clothes, he went and kissed her neck instead, thinking that this little girl was only decent on the outside, but once she fell in love, she was quite an interesting person.

"I knew Second Master didn't take this to heart. People kindly reminded Second Master. The first time Madam Xiao Rong came, the time Second Master succeeded, people helped you cover up the lie in front of Madam Xiao Rong. Second Master promised to do them a favor."

Jia Lian then remembered that it was indeed true.

"That's true. What do you want?"

Jia Lian released Ping'er and sat on the stool, looking slightly displeased. Ping'er never made demands of him, so bringing this up now was probably an attempt to persuade him to give up.

Ping'er straightened up and, seeing Jia Lian's expression, understood his feelings perfectly.

She smiled knowingly, offering no explanation, and continued to brush aside the strands of hair that Jia Lian had ruffled. She leaned close to Jia Lian's ear and chuckled, "Second Master, do you still remember that year, before Second Mistress entered this door…?"

"I came to this mansion with Second Mistress. The mansion arranged a room for Second Mistress to stay in. Second Master came to find Second Mistress in a hurry, but Second Mistress had gone to see Madam. At that time, I was alone in the room."

"That year, I was only thirteen years old..."

Ping'er's soft voice easily brought Jia Lian's thoughts back to his memories.

Flipping through his ex's messy and nonsensical memories, Jia Lian vaguely recalled some of them.

At that time, Jia Lian was only sixteen or seventeen years old. The two families were arranging a marriage between him and Feng Jie, so Feng Jie, who used to come over often, hadn't been to the Jia family for a long time.

It just so happened that Jia Lian came over that time, and he excitedly ran to find Sister Feng.

Instead of finding Sister Feng, I saw a maid sitting upright in the room with red lips and white teeth, delicate features, and a dignified yet obedient demeanor.

He knew, of course, that she was one of Sister Feng's personal maids. If she were an ordinary person, he would naturally not dare to harbor any evil intentions.

However, by then, he knew that the great beauty, Sister Feng, would most likely fall into his hands. Once Sister Feng married into the family, if he wanted, this little beauty would naturally be his as well.

Thinking this way, Jia Lian became bolder and stopped looking for Feng Jie. He stayed in the room and, after testing her with words, discovered that Ping'er had no intention of having an affair with him. So he decided to use some "forceful means".

His thinking at the time was understandable. If he had succeeded then, under those circumstances, Ping'er would have had no choice but to comply, at most asking for a formal title later. That was something that Master Jia could afford to do.

Who would have thought that this seemingly gentle and frail maid was actually quite difficult to fool? Unlike other maids he had imagined who would half-heartedly comply, she instead threatened to expose him if he continued to disrespect her.

Just as Jia Lian was furious and caught in a dilemma, his maid came and saved him from the predicament, leaving him sullenly.

He was still afraid afterwards, but after probing and inquiring, he learned that Ping'er had not told him about what happened that day. This made Jia Lian both respect and fear Ping'er, but also feel a strong urge to get closer to her.

Unfortunately, Wang Xifeng was a formidable wife. After marrying into the family, she refused to allow him to touch anyone around him, which allowed someone later to reap the full benefits.

Jia Lian had no idea what Ping'er meant by bringing this up at this time. Was she trying to embarrass him on purpose?

If that's the case, she's probably miscalculated. It's not like she did this embarrassing thing herself. If it were him, since things had already gone this far, why would he give up halfway? In short, Jia Lian is still too cowardly!

Ping'er saw Jia Lian smiling without saying a word, knowing that he was recalling the past, and her smile deepened.

"I'm saying this not for any other reason than to ask Second Master, are you still angry with him for what happened back then?"

Now that things have come to this, what could Jia Lian say? He could only feign righteousness and say, "No, you were too young back then. How could I, Jia, have such thoughts? I am truly a scoundrel!"

Clearly, the Jia mentioned here specifically refers to the former Jia.

Ping'er chuckled, seemingly reminiscing, and said, "No, later I asked myself, if I hadn't stopped Second Master that day, would I already be Second Master's woman? And I wouldn't have had to... wouldn't have had to wait those few years..."

Ping'er blushed as she spoke, but Jia Lian suddenly felt a little displeased. He had only been in this world for a little over a year, and he had already won Ping'er over.

Ping'er said she had waited for several years, which clearly included the influence of that lecherous man.

So he unconsciously tightened his grip on Ping'er's waist a little, "Why talk about that now? Didn't we already get married a long time ago?"

Ping'er had only meant to express her affection, but little did she know that the situation was far more complex than she had imagined! Noticing Jia Lian's grip on her arm, she assumed he was attracted to her body, and thus gave a soft "hmm," before whispering teasingly, "If Second Master isn't angry with me, Ping'er would like to ask if you'd be willing to try what it would have been like if no one had come to interrupt you that day…"

"Um!

'

Jia Lian reacted quickly, suddenly regaining his senses and looking at Ping'er with utter astonishment.

His swift reaction only strengthened Ping'er's resolve to continue the game. Smiling, she slipped out of Jia Lian's embrace and explained softly, "Second Master, please wait a moment while I go out and come back in. Just pretend I'm still just a little maidservant to Second Mistress. And Ping'er will only see Second Master as the Second Master of the Jia family. If Second Master tries to do anything to me, I won't agree. I'll resist, I might even shout. What I can do will depend on Second Master's own abilities."

This is what Ping'er wants Second Master to do. Is Second Master willing to indulge Ping'er's folly this once?

Jia Lian calmed himself down, gave Ping'er a thumbs up, and then got up and went straight outside without saying a word.