Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

The atmosphere in Weiyang Palace was solemn and imposing.

Princess Zhaoyang was summoned away as soon as she entered, and Jia Lian was left waiting for quite a while before he finally got to see the Empress Dowager.

"Jia Lian, do you know your crime?"

The inner palace was quiet, with hardly any palace maids in sight. Only Jia Lian was kneeling on the ground, and above him stood the Empress Dowager, whose bright eyes and beautiful face were filled with frost.

"Your subject acknowledges his guilt."

"Hmph. I thought you were a rare talent, which is why I wanted to marry Zhaoyang to you. Who knew you would be so ungrateful and dare to defy my decree?"

Who would have thought that you would secretly steal from Zhaoyang and cause her to become pregnant, bringing shame upon my imperial family? Do you really think my imperial family is easy to bully?

The Empress Dowager's voice grew increasingly icy. She stared directly down at Jia Lian, clearly ready to unleash her fury at the slightest dissatisfaction from him.

"The Empress Dowager's rebuke is justified. It's all Jia Lian's fault for being blinded by his own narrow-mindedness and failing to live up to the Empress Dowager's good intentions. I am willing to accept any punishment from the Empress Dowager."

The Empress Dowager had not expected Jia Lian to be so straightforward, stating that he would do whatever he wanted without offering any explanation or rebuttal, which left her somewhat at a loss for words.

After a long while, she waved her arm, placing the arm that was pressing on her left leg on her right side, and said coldly, "If Zhaoyang hadn't pleaded so desperately just now, I would have certainly reported to the Emperor and punished you for defiling the princess."

"We can discuss the punishment later. Now, let me ask you, what are your plans for Zhaoyang and the child in her womb?"

"Your Majesty and I are mutually in love. I am grateful for your acceptance of my marriage. I am willing to do everything in my power to marry you. I hope Your Majesty will grant my request."

Jia Lian's decisive action once again struck the Empress Dowager as absurd. If Jia Lian had acted this way back then, why would she have gone through all that trouble, only to fail in the end!

"That sounds nice, but what about your Wang family member? Do you intend to make Zhaoyang your concubine?" the Empress Dowager mocked.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured. Lady Wang is a woman of great virtue and understanding. Moreover, she already knows about the affection between me and the Princess and is willing to help me achieve my goal. Your Majesty need not worry about this."

The Empress Dowager remained silent for a moment. Based on her understanding of Jia Lian, she shouldn't be so pragmatic.

She had prepared a whole host of questions to get Jia Lian to comply. Now, she had no chance to say them.

After giving Jia Lian a deep look, the Empress Dowager said, "In that case, I will give you three months to prepare, clear up all obstacles, and get the wedding ready. I want to see Zhaoyang's wedding three months from now."

"Let me make this clear from the start: if you fail to do this, or if within these three months you do anything that displeases me, or cause Zhaoyang any injustice, I will not let you off lightly, and I will not go back on my word."

"I obey your decree."

Empress Dowager: "..."

If it weren't for the fact that the face below was still the same, and the expression was as calm and composed as ever, the Empress Dowager would have suspected that this Jia Lian was not the same Jia Lian as before.

The Empress Dowager opened her mouth, wanting to say something more, but ultimately decided that in front of the sensible Jia Lian, it would be nothing but tedious talk. So she gave up and simply said sullenly:

"You were previously on official business in Tianjin by imperial decree, but now that you've returned to the capital, you should spend some quality time with Zhaoyang."

She is pregnant, and that's your responsibility.

"Your Majesty, I understand. Thank you for your guidance."

"you……"

Even though she had achieved her goal and Jia Lian no longer contradicted her, the Empress Dowager still felt uneasy.

She decided to ignore Jia Lian and looked at the screen, coldly saying, "You come out too."

Princess Zhaoyang emerged gracefully from behind the screen, took the Empress Dowager's hand, and swayed it gently from side to side: "Grandmother, it's all my fault, please don't be angry, okay?"

"snort."

Faced with Zhaoyang's coquettish attempts to please her, the Empress Dowager finally understood why she was feeling uncomfortable.

She was the one who initially chose this marriage, but when she tried to play matchmaker for both sides, one refused and the other declined, so it didn't work out in the end. Now, it's great that the two of them don't need her to matchmake them up; they're secretly getting together.

Looking back, doesn't she seem more like a hindrance than a help? Moreover, now that the two of them are on the same side, she seems to be caught in the middle.

"I can let your matter drop. But I can't guarantee anything about your grandfather and your father."

I can put in a good word for you with your grandfather, but as for your father, you'll have to figure that out yourselves.

"Hehehe, Zhaoyang knew it. Grandmother is the best. I like Grandmother the most."

As Princess Zhaoyang spoke, she leaned in and kissed the Empress Dowager.

"presumptuous."

The Empress Dowager scolded him with embarrassment and quickly glanced at Jia Lian.

Princess Zhaoyang was raised by her, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her her mother. It would be fine if they were a little intimate in private, but to do so in front of foreign officials naturally made the high and mighty Empress Dowager feel that it was a loss of face.

Princess Zhaoyang, however, paid no attention and continued to cling to the Empress Dowager.

Just then, an old palace maid whispered something in the Empress Dowager's ear, and the Empress Dowager's expression changed. She said softly, "Let them in."

A moment later, two palace maids came and said, "Your Majesty, this is a bowl of nourishing herbal porridge that our Lady cooked today. She specially prepared it for us to bring to Your Majesty."

The Empress Dowager said gently, "The Consort is very kind. Please thank her for me. Bring the rewards."

"Thank you, Your Majesty..."

On the other side, Princess Zhaoyang had already walked to Jia Lian's side and helped him up.

Seeing the confusion in Jia Lian's eyes, she explained, "They are from Changchun Palace."

Without even looking at Jia Lian's expression, she knew that Jia Lian must be even more puzzled, so she said, "That woman in Changchun Palace has been making trouble for my grandmother for so many years, but she has never been able to do anything about it."

After being confined to her quarters by my grandfather at the last birthday banquet, she perhaps felt remorse and took the initiative to apologize to my grandmother. I don't know what method she used, but my grandmother actually stopped holding it against her, and the two of them are now on very good terms. That person even sends gifts to please my grandmother every few days...”

Although by blood, the one in Changchun Palace was closer to Princess Zhaoyang, being her biological grandmother.

But who has ever seen a grandmother who, in order to disgust her love rival, schemes to send her own granddaughter away as a sacrifice?

Therefore, it is not surprising that Princess Zhaoyang referred to Consort Li as "that one from Changchun Palace" in her words.

After politely seeing off the people from Changchun Palace, the Empress Dowager saw Jia Lian and his wife whispering to each other, looking very affectionate, and she was very displeased.

"If you two have nothing else, you may leave. I am tired."

After saying this, the Empress Dowager got up and went to her bedchamber.

A palace maid brought in the bowl of flower soup and asked, "Your Highness, what should we do with this bowl of porridge?"

The Empress Dowager glanced at it, her expression turning colder.

"Take it to feed the flower slaves."

Huanu is the name of a cat in Weiyang Palace. The palace servants say that the Empress Dowager's cat has recently gained quite a bit of weight.

……

Inside the carriage leaving the palace, Princess Zhaoyang nestled in Jia Lian's arms and said softly, "Qingran was very happy with what Erlang said at Weiyang Palace."

Although she had persuaded Wang Xifeng to voluntarily relinquish her position as the principal wife, she had not discussed it with Jia Lian.

Jia Lian's ability to so easily handle the Empress Dowager's attack at Weiyang Palace today clearly shows that he had already considered all the pros and cons. This indicates that she wasn't the only one thinking about their future; Jia Lian was also keeping this matter in mind.

Jia Lian stroked Princess Zhaoyang's head and sighed, "There's no need to thank me. What I've done is nothing compared to what Qingran has done for me."

Princess Zhaoyang chuckled, "You can't say that. It was they who tricked Erlang into coming to the borderlands and even devised a scheme to lure him. Erlang fell for their trick. So it's only right that they treat Erlang well."

Jia Lian smiled wryly. What could he possibly say?

Although Princess Zhaoyang was indeed more proactive at the time, she was a princess, after all. She was a truly born noble princess, not just someone who knew magic.

Jia Lian had used his cunning to pursue some charming women, but with Princess Zhaoyang, he enjoyed the feeling of being pursued.

How could he not like a woman like that?

Princess Zhaoyang, unaware of Jia Lian's thoughts, made a teasing remark and said, "Speaking of which, Erlang hasn't yet had a proper tour of my princess residence, has he? It's still early today, why don't you come and have a good look around my residence?"

As she spoke, Princess Zhaoyang leaned close to Jia Lian's ear with a rather mysterious air and said, "If Erlang agrees, I have a surprise for you."

Putting aside the allure of Princess Zhaoyang, now that he has laid his cards on the table in front of the Empress Dowager, there is indeed no need to hide his affair with Princess Zhaoyang any longer.

Although there are still obstacles, since the Empress Dowager said that she would handle things with the Emperor Emeritus, it is naturally not a problem.

At Emperor Ningkang's place...

After all this time, Jia Lian couldn't believe that Emperor Ningkang hadn't noticed anything amiss. Since the emperor hadn't said anything and continued to value him as always, it meant that as long as he was sensible, the other party wouldn't make things too difficult for him.

To be honest, although he had been inside the Princess's residence, he had done so secretly and hadn't really explored it properly.

So he smiled and said, "Okay."

Princess Zhaoyang's face lit up with joy, and she immediately ordered the carriage to go straight into the princess's residence.

Following Princess Zhaoyang from the ceremonial gate all the way to the inner chamber of the main hall, Princess Zhaoyang ordered someone to prepare a meal. Turning to Jia Lian, she said, "Second Brother, you must be tired after a long day's journey. Why don't you take a bath first, and then I'll accompany you for the meal?"

Without giving Jia Lian a chance to refuse, he ordered his men to take Jia Lian away.

As the two palace maids walked through the deep palace, they entered a tall pavilion. Inside, there was a spacious pavilion with a white jade pool in the center. More than ten palace maids, divided into four or five groups, were moving back and forth, orderly pouring hot water into the pool.

Steam rose from the hot water, enveloping the beams and hanging brocade curtains, creating a scene of ethereal beauty.

Before long, the palace maids dispersed, leaving only the two maids who had led the way. They stepped forward, one on each side, and said with a touch of shyness, "This servant will help the Marquis undress."

After saying this and seeing that Jia Lian did not object, she carefully undressed Jia Lian.

Fortunately, Jia Lian was no ordinary man and was already accustomed to such service. Otherwise, if it were the Jia Lian of the past, with beautiful palace maids serving him during his bath, he would probably have been distracted and lost all sense of place.

Stripping down to just a robe and trousers, Jia Lian stepped into the warm pool, enjoying the soothing sensation of his skin being soaked in hot water.

Noticing someone approaching, Jia Lian turned around and saw that it was the two young maids timidly wiping his body with handkerchiefs, so he paid no more attention to them.

He thought that would be it. Although it wasn't as pleasant as bathing with his beloved Xiangling and pretty Qingwen at home, this was the princess's residence. Jia Lian could almost imagine that Princess Zhaoyang usually bathed here, served by countless palace maids, and smelled wonderful.

Suddenly, I heard light footsteps. I opened my eyes and saw the curtains swaying in front of me, and three beautifully dressed women were walking gracefully towards me.

"We, your humble servants, have come to perform this dance on the princess's orders..."

Faced with the beautiful woman's sweet voice, Jia Lian gave a soft "hmm," and couldn't help but admire Princess Zhaoyang's magnanimity once again.

What a thoughtful girlfriend! She even arranged for music and dance to keep him entertained while he showered? Doesn't she worry about getting carried away and getting carried away herself...?

Well, she's really not afraid.

Watching the dancers slowly begin to dance, occasionally stealing glances at him or sending him flirtatious looks, Jia Lian secretly praised them, saying that the royal family really knew how to enjoy life.

Taking a bath while watching beautiful women dance is truly a refined experience.

He also wanted to have a bathhouse in his house, and he kept several stunningly beautiful geishas...

He shook his head. The bathhouse behind the flower hall was nice, but it was too small. It was just right for bathing, but if you wanted to watch the beauties dance along the way, it wouldn't be very cheap.

Unless you open up the Yuan Chun Palace in the Grand View Garden, the bathing pavilion inside is not much worse than this one.

Three dances had already passed quickly. Whether the beauties were enjoying themselves or were attracted by Jia Lian's half-submerged body in the water, Jia Lian felt that the beauties' dance was becoming more and more passionate and full of allure.

Just as Jia Lian was thinking that since Princess Zhaoyang wasn't present, he could just grab a beauty and molest her, and they probably wouldn't betray him, so there shouldn't be any trouble, the scheming Jia Lian caught a glimpse of the beauty's changing eyes and movements.

He turned around casually and, sure enough, saw Princess Zhaoyang, dressed in light robes, had entered the pavilion at some point and was walking gracefully toward him.

Seeing Jia Lian turn around, Princess Zhaoyang smiled and asked, "What does Erlang think of this place?"

"Very good."

"Hehe, this place was originally called 'Taoyuan Pavilion,' which is said to be the place where Prince Yizhong and his beloved concubines used to bathe and play."

Later, it fell into my hands, and I made some minor modifications and renamed it "Xiaoyuxuan".

In autumn, resting here and listening to the patter of rain outside the window is a truly unique experience.

Jia Lian understood. It was rumored that the old prince was a romantic prince, and he was basically a sure thing to become the future emperor. It was not surprising at all that he had built such a place for leisure.

"You may all leave."

"Yes."

Princess Zhaoyang dismissed the palace maids and dancers, untied the ribbon around her waist, and then pulled her hands back, revealing her flawless skin as her silken clothes fell to the ground.

When Jia Lian turned around upon hearing the sound, Princess Zhaoyang was only wearing a pale yellow bodice and trousers to cover her body.

Seeing Princess Zhaoyang, so beautiful and graceful with an elegant smile, walking slowly down the stone steps into the water, a feeling of amazement arose in Jia Lian's heart.

Princess Zhaoyang was undoubtedly a beauty; otherwise, she wouldn't have been admired by so many princes and noblemen.

But when they first met, she didn't impress Jia Lian much.

At least, on that day at the Crown Prince's villa, her charm was completely overshadowed by the Empress Dowager in Jia Lian's eyes, to the point that Jia Lian almost mistook the Empress Dowager for Princess Zhaoyang.

However, with each deeper encounter, Jia Lian was repeatedly captivated by this woman.

What kind of woman is she?

It could be said that if Jia Lian did not have memories of two lifetimes, he would not have possessed such arrogance stemming from a perspective far beyond his own.

Jia Lian believed that if he were just an ordinary person of his time, even a top young talent, he would easily fall for her, just like Feng Ziying and Zhang Tao.

Jia Lian judged this woman objectively: she was also a woman who, to a certain extent, transcended the limitations of this era.

Because Jia Lian could hardly sense any superiority from her stemming from a higher-latitude civilization.

Her innate elegance and grace transcend her physical appearance, making her even more captivating than mere physical beauty.

As Princess Zhaoyang stepped into the pool and gently touched the water's surface with her delicate hands, she noticed Jia Lian's prying gaze and said shyly, "What are you looking at!"

"Qingran is so beautiful."

"That's a lie. In Erlang's eyes, no one else is as beautiful as Wang Shi, otherwise Erlang wouldn't have rejected her for her sake."

It was that unsolvable topic again, and Jia Lian knew that she would probably talk about it for the rest of her life.

Helpless, Jia Lian stood up, walked over and embraced the beautiful princess, then lowered his head to kiss her passionately.

After a long while, realizing that Jia Lian had gone too far, Princess Zhaoyang took the initiative to part her lips and glared at Jia Lian: "What are you doing? Be careful of the child."

Jia Lian said, "Actually, it's okay if you're careful..."

Princess Zhaoyang just smiled and shook her head firmly: "This is our first child, and I won't allow you to ruin him."

Ok.

Jia Lian had to admit that they were right.

Seeing Jia Lian's mournful face, Princess Zhaoyang found it amusing. She then took the initiative to put her arms around Jia Lian's neck, kissed him on the cheek, and whispered with a smile, "Second Brother, do you still remember what I said earlier, that there was a surprise for you?"

"Oh?"

Jia Lian was surprised. Was the surprise not a bath, or arranging for beautiful women to dance for him?

Sensing Jia Lian's restlessness, Princess Zhaoyang didn't keep him in suspense any longer and said somewhat shyly, "I heard from Yuan Yao that Erlang (Jia Lian's courtesy name) is fond of romantic affairs involving 'beautiful women playing the flute,' and he even makes the women kneel down. It's so unfair!"

"Huh? Nonsense, she's talking complete nonsense, you little vixen, how dare you slander me..."

Jia Lian was seething with anger, yet utterly helpless. While he didn't mind Hu Yuanyao revealing some of his information to Princess Zhaoyang, who knew this woman would even report such private matters to her superiors!

If I had known, I shouldn't have bothered with her in the first place.

Princess Zhaoyang, who had initially been somewhat hesitant, completely believed Hu Yuanyao's words after seeing Jia Lian's unusually exasperated state.

She giggled, then whispered in his ear, her breath sweet as orchids, "Really? I was just thinking that if Erlang really liked it, I might give it a try. Since it's not true, then never mind..."

This……

Jia Lian turned to face the beautiful woman so close to him. Sensing her sincerity, Jia Lian hesitated and said, "Although I'm not particularly fond of it either, since Qing Ran is so interested in such refined pursuits, why don't we give it a try?"

Princess Zhaoyang reached out and tapped Jia Lian on the forehead, then turned to leave with a reproachful look on her face.

Seeing this, Jia Lian quickly pulled him away.

Princess Zhaoyang rolled her eyes at him: "Second Brother, do you perhaps intend to have Qingran try it in this pool?"

Jia Lian was stunned, but in reality, he was already filled with joy.

……

Xiaoyuxuan truly lives up to its reputation as a pleasure retreat built by the previous prince.

Not only is there a bathtub and a stage, but behind the bathtub, in front of a huge screen, there is also a high couch.

On the soft couch, not only were there brand-new and clean furs laid out, but on the side couches on both sides, there were also brocade quilts and brocade clothes.

Jia Lian always felt that Princess Zhaoyang was a girl who planned things out before acting.

Take today's incident for example; he suspects the other party had planned it all along.

For example, as soon as he arrived at the princess's residence, the palace maids had already prepared a full pool of hot water. For example, all the spare items on this soft couch.

At this moment, Jia Lian was casually wearing a large cloak and sitting high on the edge of the soft couch.

Before him, the noble princess, draped in a light veil, knelt on the carpet, serving him attentively, just like Ping'er at home.

In the empty attic, a cold wind occasionally blew through his cloak and hit Jia Lian's bare chest, but it did not make him feel cold at all.

After an unknown amount of time, Princess Zhaoyang straightened up and said reluctantly, "I'm not coming anymore, my neck is sore."

"Should we hold on a little longer?"

Jia Lian looked distressed; anyone could tell that giving up halfway was shameful.

If it were the maids like Ping'er and Qingwen, who naturally didn't have this problem, Jia Lian could have easily indulged his desires.

However, Jia Lian really didn't have a good solution for Princess Zhaoyang's strike. This girl was so open-minded; if he offended her, he might lose all his future benefits.

Therefore, all we can do is coax and persuade them gently.

However, Princess Zhaoyang was a woman with a very strong will. She could simply decide not to do something.

Jia Lian was helpless in this situation. Oh well, this girl's abilities aren't that great anyway. He could just call Aqin to the carriage when they returned to the manor later.

Jia Lian thought to himself, his face full of displeasure.

"Hehe, is Erlang angry?"

"No……"

"But my neck is really sore."

Princess Zhaoyang glanced at Jia Lian with amusement, until she realized he wouldn't even look at her. Then she shook her head with a smile, turned back, and called out loudly to the door, "Who's serving outside?"

"Your Highness, this servant is Yuanxi."

"This servant is Ziwei."

"You two come in."

Hearing the door open, Jia Lian quickly threw off his cloak to cover his face, then looked at Princess Zhaoyang with feigned ignorance.

Princess Zhaoyang, seemingly oblivious, tightened her clothes and sat down beside Jia Lian, smiling, "Since I promised Erlang, how could I not let him enjoy himself? But I'm truly tired, so I had to ask someone to do it for me. I hope Erlang won't mind?"

"Well, if Qingran is tired, that's fine. There's really no need for this..."

Even so, a strange look in Jia Lian's eyes couldn't be involuntarily revealed. His right hand also naturally embraced Princess Zhaoyang, gently stroking her waist as a reward for her understanding nature.

Princess Zhaoyang glanced at Jia Lian with disdain, then looked down at the two maids standing there, unsure of what to do after the door was closed.

"What are you standing there for? Get up here."

"Yes."

Two palace maids, dressed in tight-fitting clothes and very simply, hesitated as they walked up to the high platform.

Jia Lian couldn't tell their identities at a glance, because the maids and palace servants in Princess Zhaoyang's residence all dressed in a generally ordinary manner, mainly focusing on being clean and neat.

I just felt they looked familiar; I must have seen them before.

"These two have been with me for many years, and they are two of the sixteen sword attendants I brought to Erlang's camp today. Erlang, do you think they are suitable?"

What could Jia Lian say? Even if these two girls were just passable, let alone good ones, would he have the nerve to pick and choose at this point?

"Qingran is so thoughtful." Jia Lian embraced Princess Zhaoyang and kissed her.

The two maids, who had a premonition after entering the pavilion, blushed even more upon seeing their mistress and the Marquis's intimate behavior.

Princess Zhaoyang, freeing herself from Jia Lian's harassment, asked the two girls, "Are you two willing to serve the Marquis?"

In this situation, the "service" the princess mentioned was clearly not just about helping her change clothes.

However, the two pretty maids exchanged a glance and nodded shyly. Not to mention that the Marquis was handsome and dashing, a world-renowned hero, even their princess was willing to submit to him, so why wouldn't they?

Besides, they had no choice but to obey the princess's orders.

"Since you're willing, why don't you come over here?"

"Yes……"

The empty hall was even more serene than before, yet seemed even more enchanting.