Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

The next day, Sister Feng returned from the palace and summoned Qingwen.

"Second Grandma..."

When Qingwen walked up to Fengjie step by step, Fengjie looked her over with a sneer.

Qingwen lowered her head, not daring to look directly into Fengjie's eyes.

"Pfft~"

"Are you embarrassed?"

Sister Feng chuckled and had Ping'er fetch a gold ornament, then beckoned to Qingwen.

"You've been with us for many years, and now that you've become your Second Master's man, you've finally achieved your goal."

Your second master doted on you and originally planned to hold a grand coming-of-age ceremony for you, but coincidentally, the Dowager Consort in the palace passed away.

Furthermore, your second uncle still has a year until the mourning period ends, so I advised him not to do this. We can handle things however we want after the mourning period ends next year.”

As Wang Xifeng spoke, she thoughtfully placed the jewelry in Qingwen's hair, then held her shoulders and looked her up and down.

"Tsk tsk, she really is a stunning beauty!"

Qingwen was young after all, and was made very shy and embarrassed by Fengjie's actions and words.

But this also made her appearance even more delicate and charming.

Looking at her, Sister Feng recalled how Ping'er had eavesdropped on her the night before, and suddenly felt like teasing her. She laughed and asked, "How did you feel last night? Was it more painful or more comfortable?"

Little Qingwen couldn't bear such a question. She stamped her foot and hurriedly spat, "Second Madam~ you're so improper..."

He appeared completely lost, but involuntarily recalled the feeling of last night.

The unforgettable experience of a young girl losing her virginity, the soul-stirring, dreamlike pleasure of being with the man she loves.

Xinyin replied: "I am mostly comfortable."

But then I thought about it again, and it must hurt quite a bit.

The Second Master was too reckless and didn't know how to cherish her. If she hadn't quickly come up with a plan to call her good friend Xiangling to save her, she felt that she would have died under the Second Master's body.

As a result, she didn't dare to go out today, because her legs just wouldn't obey her commands.

Feng Jie was unaware of what the little maid was thinking; she only laughed because she had embarrassed Qingwen.

Then, taking Qingwen's small hand, he smiled and said, "From now on, you and I are sisters, and we should work together to serve your Second Master well."

You're smart; you should know that your second master is a greedy man.

From now on, I'm counting on you to keep an eye on your second master and make sure he doesn't bring any shady women home.

That's all I can tell you. Ping'er is honest, and Xiangling is a bit dim-witted. They both obey your Second Master without question and have no opinions of their own.

Therefore, among all the people in this house, you are the only one capable of advising your second master.

Qingwen was worried that if she shared in Fengjie's benefits, Fengjie would target her, but to her surprise, Fengjie not only didn't have that intention, but also took the initiative to befriend her.

In particular, Feng Jie praised her for being resourceful, unlike Ping'er and Xiangling who were completely obedient to Jia Lian. Feeling pleased, Xiangling developed a great liking for Feng Jie.

"Don't worry, Second Grandma, I've remembered everything you said."

Qingwen nodded solemnly.

She's always been this way; if someone treats her with respect, she'll treat them with even greater respect. If Sister Feng truly relies on her, she won't hesitate to listen to her advice.

Sister Feng saw her expression and her smile widened.

"Very good, I knew I hadn't misjudged you."

Alright, you should rest well in the house for the next two days. I've already told the kitchen to make you some ginseng chicken soup; remember to eat plenty of it, it will help you recover.

Qingwen felt a little embarrassed, but even more touched, and quickly kowtowed to thank her mistress for her kindness.

"Alright, go ahead if you have nothing else to do."

"Um."

Seeing Qingwen leave happily, Feng Jie's smile faded, replaced by a hint of sneer.

If she wanted to manipulate this little brat, it would be incredibly easy.

However, with Qingwen successfully entering Jia Lian's inner quarters, her long-lost sense of crisis resurfaced.

She unconsciously touched her slender, flat, and unchanged belly.

"Second Grandma..."

Ping'er brought over a cup of tea, interrupting her thoughts.

After hesitating for a moment, Sister Feng beckoned to Ping'er, then asked in a soft voice, "How much do you know about your Second Master's past favoritism towards Xiangling?"

what?

Ping'er gave Feng Jie a strange look. "Why is Second Mistress asking this?"

"You little hussy, are you still hiding things from me? No matter how I ask, just tell me if you know or not!"

Ping'er blushed, but finally nodded, saying somewhat shyly, "I know a little bit..."

She said she was being modest, but in reality she knew very well, because Jia Lian hardly ever hid his true feelings in front of them.

Feng Jie understood, giving Ping'er a meaningful look. She had no intention of humiliating her at this moment, but simply sat up straighter and whispered, "So, in your opinion, Xiangling has been serving your second master for almost a year, how come her belly hasn't shown any signs of pregnancy? Is it because your second master...?"

Although Sister Feng didn't explain herself clearly, Ping'er easily understood what she meant.

Meeting Feng Jie's hopeful gaze, Ping'er shook her head.

Sister Feng's expression darkened, and she asked unhappily, "Why?"

Ping'er knew the matter was of great importance and was no longer embarrassed, saying frankly, "In my opinion, Second Master probably doesn't intend for Xiangling to get pregnant too early..."

Perhaps out of pity for their young age, or perhaps, in the Second Master's heart, he also wanted the Second Mistress to give birth to the eldest son first.

"How so?"

Ping'er then whispered a few words in Feng Jie'er's ear, causing Feng Jie'er to turn around in surprise.

Ping'er dared not meet his gaze and could only lower her head.

Seeing this, Sister Feng knew that Ping'er was not lying.

Feng Jie had also argued with Jia Lian about the issue of having children.

Although Jia Lian insisted that it was her fault, she was not entirely convinced, because she had at least given birth to a daughter for Jia Lian.

Now that so much time has passed, and Ping'er and Xiangling have made no move, her resentment has only intensified.

Although the outcome would be the same for her whether it was her problem or Jia Lian's problem, she would feel more at ease if it was Jia Lian's problem.

After all, compared to Qin Keqing's reluctance to conceive and Ping'er's unwillingness, she had been receiving irrigation all along.

Unfortunately, no crops could grow on her land, which made her anxious and somewhat ashamed.

Only then did he remember to ask about Xiangling's situation.

The result was not ideal. Ping'er told her that Xiangling, like Ping'er, had almost never received positive reinforcement.

This made her reasons for questioning Jia Lian insufficient.

As a result, I had to start to doubt myself again.

After thinking for a moment, Sister Feng instructed, "Starting tomorrow, you don't need to accompany me to the palace. You secretly go out and find me some reliable prescriptions. Remember, don't let anyone know..."

Ping'er nodded in agreement, but couldn't help asking, "Why rush such an important matter?"

Since there was no one else in the room, Sister Feng didn't mince words, "How can we not be anxious? Just like you said, whether your Second Master pities Xiangling and the others or considers the bigger picture, the time he leaves us is ultimately limited."

Not to mention, right now there are only a few of us in our courtyard. When your second master finishes his mourning period next year, not to mention Lin girl, I'm afraid some other people might suddenly appear out of nowhere!

Leaving aside distant matters, don't you know that Madam You's two younger sisters in the East Mansion are entangled with your Second Master?

By then, I'm afraid even your second master won't care about me anymore.

Therefore, the best-case scenario is that she conceives your second master's eldest son this year, and then everything will be settled!

As Sister Feng finished speaking, a resolute expression appeared on her face.

Ping'er saw through Feng Jie'er's determination and felt that what Feng Jie'er said made sense, so she no longer had any doubts and began to plan how to help Feng Jie'er achieve her wish.

……

Jia Lian was naturally unaware that Feng Jie, in her desperation to conceive, had resorted to desperate measures, even seeking out folk remedies.

He's not in a hurry at all.

Firstly, he felt he was still young and there was no need to rush.

Secondly, since Daiyu and Baochai haven't entered the family yet, he doesn't want to have too many children of his own, making the two beauties feel awkward.

Most importantly, he wasn't as insecure as Sister Feng.

He was quite certain that the problem between him and Sister Feng lay with Sister Feng.

First, he and Sister Feng have a daughter. Second, he can even make something beautiful bloom in the barren land of Lady You, and even make twin flowers bloom on the same stem, so what is there to worry about?

Therefore, apart from Sister Feng, he tried his best to prevent other women around him from getting pregnant.

Of course, it wouldn't matter if he were to fall for it like Princess Zhaoyang, since with his current financial foundation, he wouldn't be afraid of not being able to support his wives, concubines, and children.

West Imperial City, Firearms Training Ground.

Jia Lian took the musket from Wu Youquan, aimed at the wooden rake in front of him, and gently pulled the trigger.

"Bang!"

With a deafening sound and billowing smoke, the bullets in the gun barrel flew out at a speed completely invisible to the naked eye, struck the wooden rake, and then shot out with unstoppable force.

"what?"

Such power even made Jia Lian let out a soft exclamation.

Wu Youquan, standing nearby, laughed and said, "This is a newly made musket after we listened to the Marquis's advice and added rifling inside the barrel."

Unexpectedly, not only did the power of the muskets increase significantly, but their accuracy also improved dramatically.

As Wu Youquan spoke, his gaze toward Jia Lian was filled with admiration.

His family was a family of craftsmen, and he had a fondness for studying mechanisms and tools since childhood. Later, after being recruited by the imperial court, he came into contact with firearms and fell in love with studying them.

However, despite his years of dedicated research, he believed his understanding of firearms surpassed that of other craftsmen. Yet, in front of Jia Lian, he was like a child.

Often, a casual suggestion from Jia Lian could greatly inspire him.

The key point is that, after the final experiments, almost all of them proved that the direction provided by Jia Lian was correct.

As a result, many craftsmen in the firearms battalion now believe that Jia Lian is the reincarnation of Lu Ban (a legendary carpenter). They all say that if Jia Lian could join the "craftsmen's school," he would surely make the school flourish.

Of course, it's just a thought.

How could someone as distinguished as the descendant of a meritorious official and a marquis of the court possibly give up his wealth and honor to become a lowly craftsman?

Jia Lian stroked the musket in his hand, its texture noticeably better than before, knowing it had been fitted with superior steel. He then asked, "How effective is this musket at penetrating armor?"

"Within a hundred paces, ordinary armor is completely ineffective against them."

"good!"

Jia Lian couldn't help but praise him.

It was initially thought that his limited knowledge of firearms would prevent him from providing the craftsmen with much advanced technology, thus slowing down the process of upgrading and replacing firearms.

Unexpectedly, Wu Youquan and his team overcame the technical difficulties so quickly and created a musket with such power and stability.

It seems that there are always many talented people in every era!

Although the musket in his hand was still a flintlock musket, its power, which could ignore ordinary armor within a hundred paces, far exceeded that of ordinary bows and crossbows.

In addition, unlike bows and crossbows, which require high arm strength and day-to-day training, firearms can be used effectively by any soldier after a little training.

If we then arrange them in a gun formation...

Jia Lian could already imagine the despair and fear those barbarians wielding swords and spears would feel when they faced our musket formation.

Perhaps, it is not far off when he will recreate the scene of British soldiers slaughtering our Qing warriors.

"With the current manpower in the camp, how many of these muskets can be manufactured within a month?"

Jia Lian asked the officer in charge of the artisan camp standing next to him.

"Reporting back to the Marquis... this gun has a rather complex structure. With our manpower, if we were to work at full capacity, we could probably only produce about one hundred and fifty of them within a month."

Although he felt that 150 cannons were a bit few, Jia Lian thought that he didn't have many craftsmen to begin with, and most of them were responsible for making Zhenyuan cannons.

With a wave of his hand, he said, "Alright, I'll allocate you one hundred men. I need three hundred of these muskets within a month. Is that possible?"

The officer gritted his teeth, wanting to argue that simply having manpower without land and more steelmaking equipment wouldn't significantly increase productivity. However, seeing Jia Lian's unwavering gaze, he finally nodded firmly: "Mission accomplished!"

Jia Lian then smiled.

How could he not know the limitations of the firearms battalion's production capacity? He had no way to solve it in the short term, so he could only put pressure on his men.

He thought it was time to propose to Emperor Ningkang that a large-scale arsenal be built outside the city.

Within the imperial city, space is ultimately a constraint. Moreover, pollution will become a problem as productivity increases in the future.

It's likely that Emperor Ningkang wouldn't want severe industrial pollution in his own backyard, so he would easily agree to this proposal.

As was customary, the craftsmen who had contributed to the modification of the muskets were rewarded. When Jia Lian left the firearms camp, it was already close to noon.

Just as they were gathering their troops to leave the capital, they encountered the Third Prince's entourage, so Jia Lian waited to the side to make way.

"Whoa!"

The carriage slowly came to a stop in front of us, and the curtain was lifted to reveal the Third Prince's fair face.

"Where did the Marquis of Zhenyuan come from?"

"Your humble servant has just returned from inspecting the firearms camp."

The Third Prince appeared unusually humble and said with a smile, "The Marquis of Zhenyuan was appointed by my father to establish and command the firearms battalion, and he has already made great contributions."

Even in this time of national mourning, he remains so diligent in his official duties; he is truly a model subject, and I, the King, deeply admire him.

"Your Highness flatters me. I was merely doing my duty. It is Your Highness who is exceptionally talented and deeply favored by His Majesty. Now, you have been entrusted with an important mission by the Emperor and Father. You are truly the foremost among all the princes."

"Haha, it's just that my father saw that I was somewhat diligent, so he let me temporarily take on some tasks as a way to train myself."

The Third Prince chuckled and said, "By the way, speaking of duties, I just remembered something."

Previously, I was ordered to assist in disaster relief efforts, and I am grateful for the strong support of Marquis Zhenyuan and the Xue family, the imperial merchants.

As is customary, I have already instructed the Ministry of Revenue to produce a plaque to commend the Xue family's achievements.

Just as I was about to send it over, I unexpectedly encountered Marquis Zhenyuan here. How about I trouble Marquis Zhenyuan to make the trip for me?

The Xue family donated 50,000 taels of silver and 5,000 shi of grain to the imperial court for disaster relief, although those in the know understood that it was intended as atonement money for Xue Pan.

But since the donation was in the form of real gold and silver, and the amount was considerable, it was reasonable for the imperial court to commend them with a plaque.

"How could I dare disobey Your Highness's command? Where is the plaque?"

"They are still at my residence. How about Marquis Zhenyuan accompanies me to retrieve them personally?"

"I will comply."

……()