Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 698 Writing Lyrics and Composing Music

Just as Jia Lian was about to follow Daiyu into the side room, Xiangling walked to the main corridor and said that hot water had been prepared.

So Jia Lian went to take a bath first. When he came back to look for Daiyu, the maid said that Daiyu had already returned to the garden.

"Why didn't you invite her to stay for dinner?"

"Second Master knows Miss Lin's temperament. If Second Madam were at home, she might be willing to stay, but now that things are like this, she certainly won't."

Ping'er smiled and handed the bowl of rice and silver chopsticks to Jia Lian.

Jia Lian nodded, and seeing that Ping'er had picked up another pair of chopsticks and stood beside him, clearly intending to serve him food, he waved his hand, signaling her to sit down and join him for the meal.

Ping'er did not refuse and sat down opposite the table with great poise.

Soon, Qingwen and Xiangling finished tidying up the bathhouse and carried Jia Lian's old clothes into the room. Seeing Ping'er sitting there with Jia Lian for a meal, Qingwen said, "Oh, so someone still considers himself a loyal subject. Second Mistress has only been gone for less than a month, and you've already gotten used to this position? I'm afraid you won't be able to let go of it later!"

Ping'er pretended not to hear and didn't argue with her.

Jia Lian glared at her. But Qingwen had already gone into the inner room with the clothes, clearly just making a habitual, casual remark. When she came out again, Jia Lian laughed and scolded, "If you want to eat, just bring a stool and sit down. If you keep being jealous, be careful of the family rules."

Upon hearing the words "family discipline," Qingwen's imposing aura instantly dissipated.

She glared at Jia Lian a few times, but didn't dare to get close to him. She just retorted, "I don't have that kind of luck! It's more comfortable to eat in our own room."

After saying that, he pulled Xiangling away.

After the meal, Jia Lian took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Ping'er.

"I bought some supplies from Tianjin, and they should be delivered back soon. When they arrive, send people to distribute them according to what I wrote down."

Ping'er, who was already doing assignments for the first time, took the slip of paper and glanced at it. Seeing that it was just some local specialties and snacks, she didn't ask any more questions and nodded in agreement.

"Thank you for your hard work."

Ping'er glanced at Jia Lian, then suddenly smiled and said, "Why do you say that, Second Master? I'm more than happy to be able to do things for you. It's not hard work at all."

As she spoke, she took out a clean handkerchief, bent down in front of Jia Lian, and gently wiped the grease from the corner of Jia Lian's mouth.

Feeling Jia Lian's large hand naturally fall on her waist and then caress her buttocks, her heart felt both soft and warm.

As Jia Lian and his wife's housekeeper and capable assistant, Ping'er often did errands for Feng Jie and Jia Lian.

She was a maidservant brought by Sister Feng from the Wang family as part of her dowry. Sister Feng treated her well, but it was impossible for her to do what Jia Lian did, making her feel respected as a person and pampered both physically and mentally.

Therefore, she was extremely devoted to and loyal to the man in front of her, and was willing and enjoyed doing things for him.

She could automatically overlook some of Jia Lian's shortcomings and only have his good points in her heart.

Jia Lian, who was sitting down, originally intended to use Qiao Ping'er's beauty to help him digest his food, but unexpectedly he found that the girl's gaze towards him was so intense that it was frightening.

I thought to myself, maybe this is what they call "eyes drooping".

Feeling a surge of pride, he lovingly embraced Ping'er and whispered sweet nothings in her ear, but was too embarrassed to do anything excessive.

……

Ningguo Prefecture.

The main courtyard, the steward's office.

Qin Keqing put down the last account book in her hand, then took out another book from the side and handed it to the housekeeper's wife, instructing her: "This is a list of items the manor needs in the near future, along with the quantities and requirements. Take it and make the purchases accordingly, without delay."

"Yes." The housekeeper's wife took the booklet and went to do so.

Seeing that the matter was settled, Qin Keqing straightened her back. Her graceful and beautiful figure was immediately accentuated by this languid movement, causing the female servants in the room to feel a pang of regret.

As the maidservant helped her up, they walked to the main courtyard. Suddenly, they heard the sound of horses' hooves from the outer courtyard. Qin Keqing's heart skipped a beat, and she beckoned someone to go and inquire.

A moment later, a maid returned and reported: "Reporting to Madam, it's Second Master Lian who's here. It seems he went to Ningxuan Hall."

Qin Keqing was secretly delighted upon hearing this and pressed for an answer: "Who is accompanying you?"

"There are two guards, and Miss Xiangling."

Qin Keqing, who had subconsciously lifted her leg to walk towards Ningxuan Hall, stopped in her tracks.

Thinking to himself, since Uncle Lian had just arrived here and he had rushed over to him, if this happened too often, others would inevitably become suspicious.

After hesitating for a moment, I gritted my teeth and walked back to my own yard.

On the other side, Jia Lian came to Ningxuan Hall, naturally to see the two little ones, Jia Heng and Jia Wu.

Unfortunately, the two fair-skinned little ones were taking a nap, so Jia Lian did not linger in Ningxuan Hall.

After he came out, he was hesitating about where to go when Ruizhu, Qin Keqing's personal maid, stopped him.

"This servant greets the Second Master."

"Hmm... How is your grandmother?"

"In reply to Second Master, our mistress is in good health. It's just that the eldest mistress has been away from the capital for a long time, and she has to take care of all the big and small things in the mansion, which is a bit tiring for her."

When Ruizhu spoke, she kept her head down and didn't dare to look Jia Lian in the eye.

"She's a capable person, and I reckon these matters in your household won't be too difficult for her."

Jia Lian gave a casual reply before getting to the point: "Did you come to see me for something?"

"My grandmother sent me to invite Miss Xiangling over so we can have a chat."

"I?"

Behind Jia Lian, Xiang Ling, who had been standing obediently, looked up in surprise upon hearing this. Then, as if realizing something, a reluctant expression appeared on her face.

But she was gentle by nature and didn't know how to refuse, so she looked up at Jia Lian.

Jia Lian chuckled, glanced at Ruizhu, and then said to Xiangling, "Since she's the one who wants to talk to you, you should go."

After Jia Lian spoke, Xiangling had no further objections and obediently stepped forward. After Ruizhu and Jia Lian bowed, she followed her to Qin Keqing's courtyard in the east.

Although she was familiar with the paths and courtyards here, the spacious and elegant Qin Keqing Courtyard seemed like a ghost to Xiangling, making her want to retreat and stay away.

Finally, they arrived at a familiar place and met Qin Keqing, the beautiful eldest daughter-in-law of the Ningguo Mansion.

Before she could even bow, the other person walked up to her, helped her up, and gave her a warm smile like an older sister would show to her younger sister.

At that moment, Xiangling knew in her heart that she had probably guessed correctly.

As expected, the noble young mistress did not look down on her humble origins at all, and took her hand and pulled her into her boudoir.

I don't know what they talked about, but after a long time, the young mistress finally let her out.

Xiangling lightly brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, glanced back at the door, and then quickly left.

Along the way, some people from the Ningguo Mansion greeted her, and she responded shyly to them all.

But when she rushed straight to Ningxuan Hall, she didn't notice Jia Lian's whereabouts. So she stopped a maid on duty in the corridor and asked, "Sister Xiaohui, do you know where my second master went?"

Xiangling was one of Jia Lian's most favored maids. Even in the entire Jia family, she was a maid with a first-class status, quite different from other maids.

The maid, Xiao Hui, was surprised that such an "important person" knew her name. Moreover, she spoke softly and her pretty face was full of obedience, unlike the arrogant and domineering confidantes of other mistresses.

Overjoyed, Xiao Hui quickly said with a smile, "Just now I saw Second Master Lian go north after he went down the corridor. It looks like he either went to Tianxiang Tower or went back to the garden. Why don't you go and ask at Tianxiang Tower?"

"Thank you, Sister Xiaohui."

Xiangling bowed in thanks and left, arriving at the outside of Tianxiang Tower.

But the sound of celestial music could be heard, lingering around the beams.

Following the sound, Xiangling arrived at the main hall of Tianxiang Tower and saw the landmark figures associated with Jia Lian—Aqi and Aqin, dressed in white and light armor. Xiangling knew that they were indeed there.

Nodding to the two sword-wielding women who were scrutinizing her, Xiangling took small steps into the room, moving through the unobstructed light. Once her eyes adjusted to the environment, she could immediately see the situation inside.

Although the Jia family's two mansions were only public residences, many of the buildings within them were suspected of violating regulations.

Take, for example, the main hall of Tianxiang Tower. Although it can only be called a "hall," its size and layout are exactly the same as the "palace" of the Prince's Mansion.

Especially after Gu Qingyi and the other three beauties moved in, with the support of Madam You, many places in Tianxiang Tower were rearranged, so much so that in terms of luxury, the main hall was no less than the main hall of the Prince's Mansion.

Inside this magnificent hall, amidst the overlapping curtains, a few graceful maids stood sparsely.

In the middle of the area they surrounded, behind a dark-colored low table, sat a handsome and dignified young man in a brocade robe, holding a beautiful woman's delicate hand and teaching her to write something.

A woman in gorgeous clothes, with unparalleled beauty and ethereal temperament, sat reclining in his lap. Her serene and beautiful face, seemingly otherworldly, revealed a hint of surprise and admiration as the words he was writing appeared on his pen.

Nearby, several other beautiful young women sat on the ground, leaning over low tables, also observing what they were writing.

A scene of gentle prosperity in a rural area.

Xiangling dared not disturb them and consciously walked to the side to stand quietly, but her eyes couldn't help but glance at the table. She was very curious about what Jia Lian was writing that had attracted so many beautiful women to vie for a look.

Finally, it seemed that the writing was finished, but the serene scene was broken, and then the sweet voices of beautiful women rang out.

"Have you finished writing? Your Excellency is truly remarkable; the words you wrote are excellent."

"Yes, especially this line, 'We only ever see the new bride laughing, but never hear the old bride crying,' sob sob, it makes me so sad."

Back in Yangzhou, it was clearly me who was the one who fell for you, my lord. Who would have thought that after you got together with Sister Qingyi, you would forget about me?

Just like today, the young lady in green can sit in the Marquis's lap, while others can only watch longingly from the sidelines. Isn't this exactly "seeing the new bride laughing, but not hearing the old bride weeping," "a new generation replacing the old"? Waaah, the more I talk about it, the more I want to cry.

Hearing her friends' self-deprecating jokes, Gu Qingyi, whose attention was entirely on the manuscript she was holding, felt a little embarrassed and quickly stood up from Jia Lian's arms.

It's no wonder she was so frivolous, sitting in Jia Lian's lap in front of all the sisters to curry favor. The truth is, after she and Shen Pan'er performed a duet of "West Sea Love Song" on the qin and xiao, everyone praised it and asked Jia Lian if he had any new lyrics or music.

Unexpectedly, Jia Lian smiled but did not shake his head. He only said that there was a love song that needed to be performed by her, a beauty of unparalleled grace, before he would allow it to be performed in the world.

Of course, the reason she could accept such a request so easily was not only because she had already devoted herself to Jia Lian, but more importantly, because all the sisters, including her, had long been captivated by Jia Lian and were willing to serve him.

Indeed, where in the world can one find a man of Jia Lian's status and talent?

Not to mention that Jia Lian never looked down on or humiliated these women of low birth. While providing them with protection, he was also willing to show them patience and gentleness.

Just before Jia Lian arrived, some servants from the Rongguo Mansion delivered many things and items, saying that Jia Lian had brought them back from Tianjin and specially bestowed them upon them.

They all inquired and learned that this batch of rewards was mainly intended for the young ladies and misses of the Grand View Garden, as well as a few of them.

This is not the first time this has happened.

Therefore, even if Shen Pan'er and the other two women had already submitted to Jia Lian, as arrogant as she was, she would have long since resigned herself to her fate. Otherwise, she wouldn't have offered herself to Jia Lian in the first place.

What puzzled her was that, even now, Jia Lian had only taken her as his concubine, while he had not made any real moves on the other three women, Shen Pan'er, whose looks were not much inferior to hers, as if he had other plans.

Jia Lian, who stopped writing and smiled, was not swayed by the compliments of the beauties.

He had long desired to enrich the culture and entertainment of this era, and since he had talented women like Gu Qingyi at his disposal, he naturally did not hesitate to select some of the best pieces from his repertoire and pass them on to them, so that they could spread and promote them in this era.

In fact, the lyrics and melodies he taught, no matter how "classical" they were, were unique and novel for this era.

New things are not always easily accepted by the public.

For example, the "Mandarin Duck and Butterfly Dream" he just taught was too straightforward and reckless for Gu Qingyi and the others.

The reason they praised him so highly was twofold: firstly, to give him face, and secondly, because everyone knew that any piece of music composed by him must be exceptionally beautiful and melodious.

Sure enough, after praising them, Gu Qingyi and the others asked if there was any music to accompany their performance.

Compared to these straightforward lyrics, they are clearly more looking forward to the new song.

"Of course, there's music too. You four have all learned sheet music, right? Now I'll hum a tune, and you four can write it down. Let me see who can remember it the fastest and most accurately."

Jia Lian laughed.

Upon hearing this, everyone knew that they were no match for Gu Qingyi in terms of composing music. After all, back in Jiangnan, Gu Qingyi had already composed many popular qin pieces for scholars and literati, and was just short of establishing her own school and taking on disciples.

However, they knew that Jia Lian didn't really want them to compete with Gu Qingyi, but just to create a lively atmosphere. So they all smiled and had their maids bring over low tables and writing implements, sitting around Jia Lian like real students.

Jia Lian smiled as he looked down at the four beauties sitting upright with expectant eyes, and suddenly felt a little guilty.

Even now, Gu Qingyi and the others still believe that he must be able to compose music, otherwise he wouldn't be able to teach them one classic piece after another.

However, Jia Lian seemed to prefer giving instructions to these beauties in person, so he preferred to pass on the instructions orally rather than giving them the music he had composed.

Jia Lian had actually secretly looked at some of the musical scores, and even observed and memorized them when Gu Qingyi was composing the music.

He felt he was almost there. Before long, he should be able to compose music directly on paper without the help of Gu Qingyi and the others.

……