Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

The next day, after Jia Lian went to the palace to meet the emperor, he encountered the crown prince on his way out of the palace.

The Crown Prince's palanquin was parked beside the palace road, seemingly waiting for him.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

"Marquis Zhenyuan, there's no need for such formalities."

The Crown Prince held up the sedan curtain with one hand, looking at Jia Lian with a warm expression.

"I heard that Marquis Zhenyuan is about to go to Tianjin, so I have come to see him off. I wish him success in building new warships, strengthening our navy and enhancing our national prestige."

"Your Highness's kind words have been kind to me. I will do my utmost to repay Your Majesty's great kindness and Your Highness's expectations."

"Hehehe."

The Crown Prince chuckled, then said to Jia Lian in a sincere voice, "I am aware of what happened at Weiyang Palace that day. It was all due to the Crown Princess's arrogance, and it was also my fault. I beg you, Marquis Zhenyuan, not to take it to heart. Furthermore, please convey my apologies to the Zhen family on my behalf."

Jia Lian was surprised that the Crown Prince would bring up the events in the palace that day and even express his apology. It's worth noting that after returning home that day, Grandmother Jia and the others had tried to force him to go to the Crown Prince's residence to apologize.

Then he thought that so many days had passed, and if the Crown Prince truly felt sorry for the Zhen family, even if he didn't go to the Zhen family in person to express his apology, sending an eunuch to the Zhen family to convey his imperial decree of grace would be better than just saying it casually in front of him.

Although he questioned the Crown Prince's sincerity, he was ultimately satisfied with the attitude he had shown. After replying that His Highness was too kind, Jia Lian also cupped his hands and solemnly said, "Logically speaking, the Crown Princess is superior and I am inferior. Therefore, no matter what the Crown Princess is like, it is not my place to comment."

However, this humble subject believes that Your Highness, as the Crown Prince, will inevitably ascend the throne. If the Crown Princess lacks tolerance, then Your Highness's harem will surely be unstable. An unstable harem is neither a blessing for our Great Wei nor for the people of the world. I hope Your Highness will consider this matter carefully.

After Jia Lian finished speaking, he bowed deeply to the Crown Prince and then left.

The Crown Prince kept his eyes narrowed as Jia Lian spoke, but he didn't interrupt him. Even after Jia Lian's figure had disappeared from sight, his gaze remained deep, and then he sighed, "Such a person, if he could be completely used by me, what would I have to worry about..."

The old woman beside him overheard the Crown Prince's words and replied with a smile, "Why should Your Highness feel sorry? According to the Marquis of Zhenyuan, once Your Highness ascends the throne, why worry that the Marquis of Zhenyuan cannot be of use to Your Highness? At that time, not only the Marquis of Zhenyuan, but even the entire world will belong to Your Highness..."

The crown prince glanced at him, too lazy to pay him any attention, and threw down the curtain, ordering him to return to his residence.

……

Given Jia Lian's current status, he no longer needs to be so humble as to not dare to speak a single truth when facing imperial power.

On the contrary, the more he demonstrated his principles and will, the more he let the Crown Prince and others know that he was not someone who could be manipulated at will, and the more they felt that he was not a two-faced person.

For example, if the Zhen family is bullied like this by the Crown Princess, and he, as the sworn brother and an important official in the court, doesn't dare to say a word and just agrees, then the Crown Prince and others will either think he is a good-for-nothing or that he is too cunning and harbors evil intentions.

This was not the effect Jia Lian wanted. Therefore, he directly stated to the Crown Prince that the current Crown Princess was not a person capable of being a mother to the nation, and since she was not a person capable of being a mother to the nation, she was naturally unworthy to be the Crown Princess.

That's considered filing a complaint.

He didn't think he would offend the Crown Prince because people don't complain to someone they dislike when they've been wronged. If he did complain to the Crown Prince, it meant that he considered him someone who could uphold justice.

Jia Lian knew that the Crown Prince was not stupid; he should be able to sense the loyalty that Jia Lian was intentionally creating for him.

After leaving the palace, Jia Lian made a detour to the Linzi Earl's residence to visit his father, and then returned home to pack his bags in preparation for his trip to Tianjin.

Of course, before leaving, Jia Lian had to make a trip to the Green Bamboo Nunnery, as he had not forgotten his promise to Miaoyu.

Winter has come again, and the plum blossoms at Longcui Temple are in full bloom.

Facing the cool fragrance of the flowers, Jia Lian walked on the bluestone slabs to the hillside behind Longcui Nunnery, and found the figure more beautiful than the flowers among the plum trees.

She stood quietly before an early-blooming red plum tree, dressed in a gorgeous white goose-down collar dress. The midwinter mist enveloped her, making her, who already possessed a cold and beautiful aura, appear even more like a lonely fairy standing apart from the world.

Jia Lian walked toward her, and the beauty turned around at the sound. In the blink of an eye, the faint joy that bloomed on her jade-like face immediately dispelled the surrounding mist and chill. The whole little world seemed to have turned from winter to spring in an instant.

"you……"

The beautiful woman parted her lips slightly, but before she could finish speaking, she fell silent again.

Jia Lian knew what she wanted to ask, and replied with a carefree smile, "I came to see you. Your maid said you were admiring the plum blossoms in the back, so I came up here."

As he spoke, Jia Lian walked to her side, looked up at the lightly blooming red plum blossoms around him, took a deep breath, and sighed, "Indeed, the plum blossoms of Meiling are fragrant, a fairyland on earth. It was worth all the effort I put into having these plum trees transplanted and planted here."

Miaoyu glanced at the handsome man beside her, seemingly remembering something. Her face showed a mixture of shyness and joy, and she quickly covered it with a spitting sound.

"You only planted them. If it weren't for my careful care over the past year, they would just be twenty or thirty ordinary plum trees. How could they have such a sight?"

"Hehehe, yes, yes, you are the one who has worked the hardest. Not to mention these few plum trees, even the entire Longcui Nunnery would be nothing more than a simple monastery in the mortal world if it weren't for the good fortune of having you, a fairy, to take up residence there. How could it have such a prosperous atmosphere today, with even me, the current Marquis, often coming to seek scriptures and inquire about the Dao, and to offer incense?"

Jia Lian glanced at the beauty out of the corner of his eye, shook his head, and smiled. This girl, indeed, is competitive and sharp-tongued.

Miaoyu knew that Jia Lian was teasing her and was about to retort, but then she remembered that Jia Lian must have come to say goodbye and that she didn't know when she would see him again. So she quietly stopped talking and stood side by side with Jia Lian to enjoy the scenery together.

Suddenly, she felt a tightness around her waist as her slender body nestled against that familiar, warm chest. This wasn't unexpected, so she merely frowned slightly before asking softly, "Leaving tomorrow?"

"Um."

"I knew it. Otherwise, you wouldn't have thought of seeing me."

Faced with the beauty's coquettish complaints, Jia Lian did not explain. He simply turned around and looked down at the beauty in his arms. With a smile, he cupped her head in his hands and, with an irresistible force, gently kissed her unadorned lips.

The beauty's lips were slightly cool, her breath sweet and fragrant, her beauty intoxicating.

Perhaps Jia Lian wasn't the only one captivated. After a long while, looking at Miaoyu, who was nestled obediently in his arms, with rosy cheeks, affectionate eyes, and incomparably beautiful appearance, Jia Lian couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Although she couldn't see Jia Lian's face, she could tell from his voice that he was smug. Embarrassed, Miaoyu hardened her heart, grabbed Jia Lian's waist with her slender hand, twisted it hard through his thick clothes, and took advantage of Jia Lian's pain to break free from his embrace, glaring at him angrily.

Jia Lian deliberately rubbed his aching lower back, then approached Miaoyu again with a malicious look. Under Miaoyu's wary gaze, he whispered in her ear with a smile, "Do you still remember our agreement from last time?"

Miaoyu was startled at first, then stumbled back several steps. When Jia Lian looked over, she was nowhere to be seen; she resembled a frightened deer, her face flushed red and her expression panicked.

"W-what...agreement..."

The whispered voice revealed the beauty's guilty conscience.

Jia Lian laughed heartily, moving even closer to her and staring down at her intently, saying, "What, you still want to renege on your debt?"

"Pah, why do you keep thinking about those things? Can't you just...?"

Miaoyu, her face flushed with shame and indignation, glared fiercely at Jia Lian, then turned away in embarrassment, her beautiful back to him.

Seeing this, Jia Lian's smile widened, and he quietly stepped forward to embrace the beauty from behind. Noticing the beauty's delicate body tremble and tense up, Jia Lian was even more delighted. He couldn't help but take a deep breath of her snow-white, fragrant neck, and then whispered, "Isn't that because Fairy Miaoyu is too beautiful? No man in the world can resist her, and I, a mere mortal, am no exception."

Miaoyu did not reply, but her body gradually went limp, almost collapsing into Jia Lian's arms.

So Jia Lian bent down, picked up the beauty around the waist, exchanged a glance with the shy beauty, and then turned to walk back.

As they were about to return to the Green Bamboo Nunnery, Miaoyu was overcome with shame, believing that Jia Lian intended to carry her inside and commit indecent acts, even forcing her to do such shameful things. However, she had been bewitched by him last time and agreed, so even if she wanted to go back on her word, she couldn't find a way to back out…

Just as Miaoyu was pondering how to face what was to come, she noticed that Jia Lian had put her down.

Miaoyu looked closely and indeed saw that they had returned to the Green Bamboo Nunnery. Her servants could appear at any moment, which startled her, and she immediately stepped back from Jia Lian's side. She looked at Jia Lian, opened her mouth but didn't know what to say.

Refuse to let Jia Lian leave? But he's leaving the capital tomorrow, and this might be the last time I see him this year.

But if we keep him...

Seeing that Miaoyu's thoughts were written all over her face, and that she looked so adorable, Jia Lian couldn't resist teasing her a little more, so he took two steps forward.

Miaoyu immediately withdrew, warning in a low voice, "It's not dark yet, someone might have seen us..."

Hehehe...

Jia Lian laughed, the beauty's tone becoming increasingly hesitant. Seeing that the beauty was already leaning against the wall with nowhere to retreat, Jia Lian did not let her off the hook. He stepped forward, pressed his body against hers, and gently kissed her before whispering in her ear, "I'll let you off the hook for now. When I return, if you try to deny it again, I will not allow it."

"Um……"

Unexpectedly, Miaoyu responded so obediently. Overjoyed, Jia Lian couldn't help but lightly peck her lips again, then looked at her closely before turning and striding away.

Miaoyu didn't withdraw her gaze until long after Jia Lian's figure had disappeared. She slowly squatted down along the corner of the wall, just as she had done when she parted from Jia Lian at Xuanmu Panxiang Temple. However, compared to then, she felt less shame and indignation, and more sorrow and grief at parting.

When Jia Lian entered Xiaoxiang Pavilion, Zhen Yuhuan very sensibly made an excuse to leave the main room, but before leaving, she gave Jia Lian and Daiyu a playful glance.

Daiyu was therefore more embarrassed than usual. After Jia Lian sat down, she pretended to be indifferent and said, "Didn't you say that yesterday was a farewell for you, and there was no need to say goodbye to everyone? What are you doing here?"

"Lin Daiyu was different from others."

The matter-of-fact tone in his words made Daiyu outwardly dismissive, but inwardly she accepted it with equanimity.

After thinking for a moment, he turned around and rummaged through the box next to him for a long time before carefully finding two items.

Looking back, Jia Lian's eyes lit up, clearly looking very expectant. She then slowly walked over with the gift, saying, "This is for you. If you don't mind, you can take it."

Jia Lian took the silk and unfolded it to see a pair of shoes and a hat with ear flaps. Judging from the fine stitches and exquisite style, it was clearly made by Lin Daiyu.

In fact, this wasn't the first time Jia Lian had received a gift from Daiyu. In fact, every time he went on a long trip, unless it was a last-minute decision, Daiyu would secretly prepare something she had made herself for him. This had even become a habit. Just now, before he arrived, Jia Lian was wondering what Daiyu would prepare for him this time.

Indeed, these two items are clearly more in line with the qualities of a virtuous wife compared to things like gloves or fan pendants from before.

In fact, Daiyu is just as skillful as Qingwen, but she is too lazy. Even Jia Lian rarely gets anything made by Daiyu herself.

After receiving the two gifts, Jia Lian examined them carefully and couldn't help but laugh, "Since Sister Lin prepared gifts for me, why didn't you give them to me before, or yesterday? Did you not plan to give them to me today because I didn't come?"

Daiyu snorted and said, "It was just made today. If you hadn't come, I naturally couldn't give it to you."

Okay, I'd be a fool to believe you.

After carefully wrapping the shoes and tucking them into his bosom, Jia Lian wanted to try on the hat that Daiyu had made by hand. However, the hat was quite exquisite, and even though Jia Lian was facing Daiyu's dressing table in the distance, he couldn't get it all put on properly in a moment.

Upon seeing this, Daiyu said, "You call yourself a marquis, yet you can't even wear a hat properly. Let me do it."

As she spoke, Daiyu walked up to Jia Lian, gently raised her jade arm, and tidied up for him with tenderness and dexterity.

At Daiyu's age, even when Jia Lian sat on a high stool, he was almost the same height as her. At this moment, when she raised her hand to help Jia Lian adjust his hat, she pressed herself completely close to him, so that Jia Lian could not only smell her unique fragrance, but also feel her body temperature.

The only regret is that Daiyu was still too naive. In the past, when Fengjie helped her with her hair and makeup, she was often unable to see the true face of Mount Lu, simply because she was in the mountain herself.

At first, Daiyu didn't notice anything amiss. But after she had fastened the ear flaps for Jia Lian, she noticed that Jia Lian looked intoxicated. She was suddenly shocked to realize how intimate their actions were, and hurriedly tried to back away.

She accidentally kicked the stool behind her, but luckily, before she could panic, Jia Lian, quick-witted and agile, had already reached out and pulled her back.

After the initial shock subsided, Daiyu felt embarrassed again. It turned out that Jia Lian hadn't gotten up yet. Instead, he pulled her back and embraced her tightly with his strong body. She stood obediently in front of Jia Lian, their faces pressed together.

Daiyu's body was soft and delicate, and it felt wonderful to hold her. But Jia Lian knew Daiyu was shy, so before she could speak, he deliberately loosened his grip on her slightly and teased her, "What are you so nervous about?"

"Who's nervous? Loosen your grip, it's making me uncomfortable..."

Daiyu wasn't against Jia Lian hugging her; after all, he had kissed her many times on the boat when they returned from Yangzhou at the beginning of the year.

However, before returning to the manor, she had made an agreement with Jia Lian that he was not allowed to bully her anymore. Moreover, there was an outsider in Xiaoxiang Pavilion now, and she would be very embarrassed if he saw her like that.

"I'm leaving early tomorrow morning, and I won't be able to see Lin Daiyu for a long time. Let me give my Lin Daiyu a good hug. I love her so much."

Jia Lian buried his head in Daiyu's ear and spoke softly. Daiyu was a sentimental person, and upon hearing Jia Lian's words, her heart was filled with emotion, her eyes reddened, and she no longer cared about refusing Jia Lian.

Jia Lian had just finished inhaling Daiyu's scent when he suddenly felt a warm, wet sensation on his cheek. Looking up, he was startled to find that Daiyu's face was covered in tears. He immediately forgot about taking advantage of her and quickly wiped away her tears, saying some comforting words to coax her.

Daiyu was simply unable to bear hearing hurtful words. In truth, she knew that Jia Lian would not be gone for long this time, so she recovered in no time.

Even noticing that it was already dark outside, she urged Jia Lian, "You should go now. Sister Feng is probably still waiting for you at home. Don't linger outside too long and make her worry."

Well, Jia Lian looked at Daiyu carefully and saw that she had even sat down by the west window and picked up a book to read. She obviously didn't have time to pay attention to him anymore. Only then did Jia Lian get up and say that he would probably be back in a while and that she shouldn't worry, before he was about to leave.

After taking a few steps, he came back.

"What are you doing?"

Jia Lian smiled, and seeing Daiyu's nervous expression, he hooked her head with one hand, gently kissed her forehead, and then left with a smug look on his face.