Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Seeing that Sister Feng and Princess Zhaoyang met and showed no sign of confrontation, but instead held hands and "confessed their feelings to each other," Jia Lian felt a strange mix of emotions.

But no matter what, this is a good thing for him.

Moreover, he could see that in the first direct confrontation between the two women, Princess Zhaoyang was ultimately superior, completely suppressing Sister Feng's momentum.

There was nothing that could be done about it; Princess Zhaoyang was of noble birth, which naturally put her at a disadvantage compared to Sister Feng.

Taking advantage of a lull in their conversation, Jia Lian stepped forward, looked at Princess Zhaoyang, and asked with concern, "You're not feeling well, why did you still ride here on horseback? Didn't I send someone to fetch you?"

Princess Zhaoyang smiled and replied, "I've wanted to see you for a long time, but I thought the carriage was too slow, so I rode here on horseback. Don't worry, I know my health; there's nothing seriously wrong."

Jia Lian didn't say anything more, as he wasn't one to fuss over trivial matters.

Hearing their conversation, Sister Feng felt a pang of sadness. She knew they were talking about Princess Zhaoyang's pregnancy.

Although Princess Zhaoyang was facing Jia Lian, she paid much attention to Feng Jie beside her. Seeing that Feng Jie looked gloomy, Princess Zhaoyang, who knew Feng Jie very well, easily understood what she was thinking.

In fact, this was also a prerequisite for her meeting with Sister Feng.

For Sister Feng, there was some fear of meeting Princess Zhaoyang, but for Princess Zhaoyang, how could she not be afraid to face her directly?

Although Princess Zhaoyang's status is far higher than that of Sister Feng, matters of love between men and women cannot be judged solely on the basis of status.

Feng Jie and Jia Lian were a married couple, and she was the one who came between them. Moreover, her grandmother, the Empress Dowager, had tried to steal her husband using her imperial status but failed. All of these factors undoubtedly contributed to her lack of confidence when facing Feng Jie.

Unless she uses her status to pressure him. But that would obviously displease Jia Lian, and Princess Zhaoyang understands that with Jia Lian around, even if she wanted to rely on her status, she might not be able to win.

Therefore, only after having Jia Lian's bloodline did she have the confidence to face Sister Feng, regardless of her social status.

Seeing that Sister Feng was indeed disappointed, she smiled at Jia Lian and said, "I was very happy to meet you today, and I have so much to say to you. Would you do me the honor of letting me be alone with you for a while, Lord Marquis?"

Seeing that Princess Zhaoyang wanted to send him away, Jia Lian hesitated. Princess Zhaoyang was born into the royal family and had been trained in literature and martial arts since childhood. Her knowledge and talent were far superior to those of Feng Jie, and he was afraid that Feng Jie would suffer.

"I suppose you, sister, also have many things you want to say to me, just like me. These are private matters between women, and I'm sure you, a dignified marquis, wouldn't feel comfortable eavesdropping on them, would you? Or are you afraid I'll bully you while you're not here? In that case, why don't you leave a few people here to watch over me..."

Perhaps sensing Jia Lian's worry, Princess Zhaoyang said jokingly.

Jia Lian smiled and said, "In that case, I'll go to the training ground first. Once you've finished speaking, just send someone over to let me know."

After saying this, Jia Lian left the two sisters, Aqi and Aqin, as messengers, and departed with the rest of his guards.

Seeing Jia Lian leave, Feng Jie became somewhat nervous. Turning back, she saw Princess Zhaoyang smiling at her, and her anxiety intensified. She couldn't help but call out, "Princess..."

"Hehe, it's a rare treat to see such beautiful spring scenery today. Why don't you accompany me for a walk ahead, sister?" Princess Zhaoyang pointed in the direction where Jia Lian had previously taken Feng Jie to explore.

Having no reason to refuse, Sister Feng bowed and replied, "As the princess commands."

……

In early spring, there is a slight chill in the air.

Feng Jie lagged half a step behind Princess Zhaoyang, listening to the other's gentle voice as she introduced the situation of the entire firearms camp training ground to her, which was even more detailed than what Jia Lian had told her before.

From the other party's words, Sister Feng could easily tell that Princess Zhaoyang was not only visiting for the first time, but that she had also been involved in the initial construction of this firearms camp.

Although it wasn't surprising, Sister Feng still felt a little uncomfortable.

After all, she only knew about Jia Lian's affairs outside the home, while he seemed to be able to easily get involved.

But this thought only flashed through her mind. From the beginning, she knew that Princess Zhaoyang could provide Jia Lian with assistance that she could not match.

"elder sister?"

"Oh, Princess, please speak..."

Princess Zhaoyang smiled slightly, not at all annoyed by Feng Jie's distraction.

She stood with her hands behind her back on the hillside where Jia Lian and Feng Jie had previously parked their horses, facing the open view, and asked again, "Sister, when did you and Erlang meet?"

"Erlang? That's what they call a heartless person, isn't it?" Sister Feng felt even more jealous.

After being married for many years, she had never addressed Jia Lian so intimately!

Sister Feng realized that in just the fifteen minutes she had met Princess Zhaoyang, she had felt jealous countless times.

Therefore, she keenly realized that this was something the other party had done intentionally or unintentionally. It seemed they wanted to use this to demonstrate their heartless and unfeeling feelings…

Realizing this, for some reason, Sister Feng suddenly felt much more relaxed.

It turns out the other party wasn't as powerful as they seemed.

There are also these little thoughts of a young woman.

She regained some of her composure and answered with some confidence, "Your Highness, my lord and I have known each other since childhood. Our families are old friends, and my aunt married into the Jia family very early on. When I was little, she often took me to the Jia family to play, and that's how we met."

Princess Zhaoyang glanced back at Feng Jie and said with a smile, "So it turns out that you and Erlang were childhood sweethearts. No wonder Erlang cared so much about you. For you, he even defied my grandmother's decree."

Upon hearing the words "Emperor's Grandmother" from Princess Zhaoyang, Feng Jie's newly risen confidence vanished instantly. Her expression became somewhat unnatural, clearly recalling the fear she had felt when she was controlled by the Empress Dowager.

Seeing this, Princess Zhaoyang's smile deepened, but she did not press her advantage further.

Turning back, she sighed softly after a long silence: "Does my sister hate me?"

Sister Feng looked somewhat awkward. "Princess, you jest..."

"Sister, don't worry. We're both women, so I understand. If I were you, I would hate anyone who tried to steal my husband."

Sister Feng opened her mouth, but what could she say? At this moment, nothing she said would be right, so she could only keep quiet and listen to what the other person had to say.

"Therefore, I can understand my sister, and it's understandable that she hates me."

"Your Highness, you flatter me. I don't hate you. It's all my fault. I'm not good enough for the Marquis. The Empress Dowager was right. Only a woman as outstanding as you, Your Highness, is worthy of him..."

Feng Jie was only trying to explain, but as she spoke, she suddenly felt an urge to cry.

The reason was simple: the scene of the Empress Dowager seizing upon her weakness and summoning her to Weiyang Palace to reprimand her was too deeply etched in her memory. She had even woken up from her dreams countless times because of it.

Princess Zhaoyang paused for a moment, then turned around to face Sister Feng.

"Today, it's just the two of us sisters here, so I have something I'd like to say to my elder sister. I wonder if she'd be willing to listen?"

"Please speak, Princess."

Princess Zhaoyang said, "Back then, the Empress Dowager took a liking to Erlang and wanted to make him her husband. Although it was the Empress Dowager's idea, I dared not deceive my elder sister. From that time on, I began to admire Erlang."

However, seeing how determined he was for his sister, the younger sister knew that she could never surpass her sister in this life, so she decided to give up.

As my sister probably knows, not long afterward, I was ordered to go to the Oirat Mongols for a marriage alliance.

Sister Feng nodded. Of course she remembered; she was very relieved when she heard the news.

"But things are unpredictable. Perhaps my little sister is destined for a difficult life, and that marriage alliance between the Oirats and our Great Wei is nothing more than a conspiracy to seize our Great Wei's territory."

If Erlang hadn't risked his life to protect her, I'm afraid my little sister would have perished in the borderlands and never had the chance to return to her homeland.

It was Erlang who rescued me from the midst of a vast army, and then led me from beyond the Great Wall into the desert, traversing thousands of miles to escape from a foreign land.

Can your sister understand the relief of being protected in a life-or-death moment? Or the unforgettable feeling of having someone by your side, never abandoning you, during a chase?

Feng Jie listened quietly. She didn't quite understand why Princess Zhaoyang was telling her these things. Was it to show off her experience of sharing life and death with that heartless person?

She probably knew about what happened back then, because Jia Lian had explained it to her.

But hearing Princess Zhaoyang's words again, she could still sense the danger from before. Therefore, she didn't pay much attention to Princess Zhaoyang's insights, but instead felt worried for Jia Lian once more.

She almost didn't make it back! Come to think of it, it's all the woman's fault. If it weren't for her, that heartless woman wouldn't have gone on that dangerous adventure beyond the Great Wall.

"So, the younger sister was completely moved and decided to follow her heart and pursue what she wanted."

Since we didn't know if we could return to the Central Plains safely at that time, it might be more appropriate to say that we were indulging ourselves.

Fortunately, we did return to the Central Plains.

For those who survived the disaster, the competitive spirit they once had has faded.

Having shared a bed with Erlang for many years, my sister should know that no woman could make the decision to leave after experiencing Erlang's tenderness.

My younger sister is no exception.

Therefore, from that moment on, the younger sister made up her mind that she would be with Erlang no matter what, even without any official status.

These words gave Sister Feng a slight jolt.

I was shocked by Princess Zhaoyang's determination to have Jia Lian, and also by the sacrifices she was willing to make for him.

To be fair, if she were Princess Zhaoyang, she absolutely could not have done it. Not only would she not have, she would probably have used her status to forcibly take what she wanted.

I felt somewhat ashamed.

She never doubted her love for Jia Lian, but she discovered her shortcomings in Princess Zhaoyang.

There was no need to doubt Princess Zhaoyang's words too much, because she had already proven them with her actions over the past year or so.

The dignified princess was actually following a man without any explanation, which she found unbelievable every time she thought about it.

Before Feng Jie could react, Princess Zhaoyang suddenly bowed deeply to her, which startled Feng Jie. She quickly helped her up with both hands and asked in surprise, "Princess, what's this?"

Princess Zhaoyang did not rise, but looked at Feng Jie and said, "This bow is my apology to my elder sister."

"My elder sister is two years older than me and met Erlang before me, so no matter what, this 'elder sister' is the one I should call her."

If the younger sister were an ordinary woman, she should serve her older sister as a younger sister.

However, since my younger sister comes from the imperial family, which has strict rules, there are some things that I can only ask my older sister to do in a way that is difficult for me.

But please rest assured, sister, no matter how our identities change in the future, this address of "sister" will never change.

Erlang has the world at heart; he is a heroic figure who will surely lead our Great Wei to an even stronger future. As his woman, I sincerely hope to live in harmony with my elder sister and do not wish to see Erlang worry about our conflicts.

I believe my sister feels the same way, doesn't she?

Faced with Princess Zhaoyang, who bowed gracefully to her and spoke sincerely, Feng Jie felt no resistance whatsoever.

She understood what Princess Zhaoyang was saying.

The so-called "making her suffer a little" means asking her to give up her position as the first wife.

This was entirely expected. Could it be that Wang Xifeng really had the audacity to ask the Princess to be her "younger sister"?

What's remarkable is that when Princess Zhaoyang said this, there wasn't a hint of aggressiveness in her tone.

On the contrary, judging from all the groundwork she laid out beforehand, she was genuinely trying to negotiate with me in kind and gentle words.

Sister Feng doesn't think she has that much influence!

Therefore, she knew very well that if it were her, she wouldn't be so polite.

After thinking it over, I can only conclude that it's because the other party is heartless.

She couldn't quite understand. Had this girl really been reduced to such a lowly position by that heartless person? As a princess, would she not dare offend her enemy just to avoid upsetting him?

Regardless of what the other party is really thinking, at least they have given me, the "former first wife," enough face. If I can't accept that, I'll only be the one who gets embarrassed.

Besides, Sister Feng was also somewhat indignant. Why was the other party speaking to her from the perspective of someone who had no conscience? It was as if the other party cared more about someone who had no conscience than she did!

So Sister Feng hurriedly helped Princess Zhaoyang up, saying, "Princess, you are too kind. When you marry into the Duke's mansion in the future, if you are not too bothered and allow me to call you 'elder sister,' that would be a great favor."

According to the laws of the land, the princess is the ruler, and I am the subject. According to the rules of the household, the princess is the mistress, and I am the servant.

Even if I am ignorant of etiquette, how dare I be unaware of the ebb and flow of fortune, and ask the princess to call me "elder sister"? Wouldn't that be like reversing the roles of yin and yang?

"Your Highness is too kind to me."

Feng Jie'er's reaction was somewhat unexpected by Princess Zhaoyang.

In Princess Zhaoyang's eyes, Sister Feng was nothing more than a shallow woman who didn't read books. Judging from the situation at Weiyang Palace last time, she didn't seem like someone who would easily submit.

Unexpectedly, the other party took the opportunity to leave as soon as he mentioned the matter of "status".

This rendered some of her other preparations useless.

That's actually a good thing. If Sister Feng were an ungrateful person, it would indeed be a problem for her, since all she ever did was try not to make things difficult for Jia Lian.

She didn't want Jia Lian to feel that accepting her was a burden.

As for Sister Feng herself, she didn't really care much about her.

Seeing that the other party not only didn't persist but also spoke tactfully, he realized that perhaps she too had been prejudiced by the rumors. He also understood that Jia Lian's reluctance to give her up might not be entirely due to her good looks.

He seriously considered making friends with her.

Princess Zhaoyang lifted up Fengjie's hands and said, "Sister, you don't need to belittle yourself. What I just said is absolutely true."

Although this is our first meeting today, we have long been acquainted in spirit, and I suppose we are not strangers to each other.

I can tell that my sister is no ordinary woman.

If you and I were to act like ordinary wives and concubines, scheming and fighting over trivial matters, causing unrest in our household, it would not only belittle Erlang, but also demean ourselves.

In my opinion, you and I should set aside our prejudices and become true sisters. In the future, one of us can work in the inner palace and the other in the outer palace, assisting Erlang in achieving great things. Perhaps this will become a legendary tale.

It wasn't hard for Sister Feng to understand what Princess Zhaoyang was saying; she simply didn't want any conflict with her and wanted to be frank with her.

If it were the truth, she would naturally have no reason to object.

The other party is a princess, how could she dare to scheme against her? All along, she has only been worried about the other party dealing with her.

However, she didn't quite understand: "One inside, one outside?"

I've only ever heard of the saying that there's an insider and an outsider in a marriage.

Princess Zhaoyang smiled and said, "I am naturally lazy and probably will not be able to serve my elders and parents-in-law in the Rongguo Mansion according to etiquette. So I'm afraid I will have to rely on my elder sister to handle this matter in the future."

As for me, in my opinion, rather than going to the Duke's mansion and annoying my sister every day, it's better to stay in my Princess's residence. Perhaps, I can still be of some help to Erlang.

The brief explanation deeply moved Sister Feng.

She could tell from her voice that Princess Zhaoyang didn't seem to have any intention of entering the Rongguo Mansion!

Indeed, I've heard that the Princess's residence is much larger than the entire Rongguo Mansion, so it's understandable that she wouldn't look down on even a small plot of land in the Rongguo Mansion.

In other words, if the other party doesn't enter the Rongguo Mansion, they naturally won't compete for their rights within the mansion.

Is this a show of sincerity from the other party in an attempt to win me over?

If that's the case, it would definitely be great news for her!

Lin Yatou is a sickly beauty who doesn't compete with the world, and besides, her father left her a decent dowry, so she won't compete with me for anything.

If this princess is the same...

In other words, the only thing he might lose is the title of a legal wife. In that case, it could be considered a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.