Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Although Yuanyang longed to spend more time with Jia Lian, she knew that Qingwen and the others would be back soon.

Therefore, suppressing her reluctance, she broke free from Jia Lian's embrace and whispered, "Second Master, please wait here for Qingwen and the others. I'll go first."

"Where are you going?"

"The old lady wants to see my brother, I'll go and call him."

"Why is the old lady seeing your brother so late?"

Jia Lian, who had only asked the question casually, suddenly became suspicious.

"I don't know, the old lady didn't say, but she seemed very anxious."

Yuanyang was also curious, because she rarely saw Grandmother Jia like this. She guessed it was related to Jia Lian, because after seeing Jia Lian, Grandmother Jia suddenly wanted to see his brother.

"I'm in a real hurry..."

Jia Lian seemed to be deep in thought. He asked Yuanyang a few questions about Grandmother Jia's situation after he came out, but he didn't get any useful information.

Upon seeing this, Yuanyang lifted her leg to leave.

"Things aren't peaceful outside these days, so I'll take two old women with me when I go out."

Jia Lian's sudden words of advice warmed Yuanyang's heart.

Her elder brother and sister-in-law originally lived in the servants' quarters behind the Rongguo Mansion. Later, the mansion demolished all of these quarters to build the Grand View Garden, so Yuanyang's brother's family also moved to the back street.

Although it wasn't far, it was still outside the mansion.

She had just been trying to take a shortcut through the back gate of the Grand View Garden to get to her brother and sister-in-law's house, which is why she came out of the back room and ran into Jia Lian and Qingwen's affair.

Nodding, Yuanyang strode away with her slender legs.

Yuanyang is actually very prudent in her actions, especially when it comes to matters concerning Grandmother Jia.

Grandmother Jia was so eager to see her brother that Yuanyang knew something important must be wrong. If anyone else had asked, she wouldn't have given an honest answer.

She was willing to talk about everything, big or small, with Jia Lian, because she was eager to help him in any way she could.

As for whether this would interfere with Grandmother Jia's plans, she hadn't thought that far ahead. Indeed, at this point, it was uncertain whether she was more loyal to Grandmother Jia or Jia Lian.

After Yuanyang left, Jia Lian was still pondering what Grandmother Jia wanted to do when he saw Qingwen and Xiangling approaching.

Xiangling remained as gentle and naive as ever. Qingwen, on the other hand, stood with her hands behind her back, craning her neck to look in the direction Yuanyang had gone, her eyes darting around furtively.

"I never imagined that even Sister Yuanyang is already Second Master's woman. It seems that in this manor, anyone with a decent appearance is destined to be in Second Master's grasp?"

Qingwen said, half-jokingly and half-sarcastically.

Jia Lian would naturally not be as polite to maids like Qingwen and Xiangling, whom he had already taken advantage of, as he was to Yuanyang.

He glared at her, then waved to her.

"what?"

"Go to the east courtyard and find Aqin or Aqi, and tell them..."

Jia Lian whispered some instructions in Qingwen's ear. Although Qingwen was somewhat unwilling, she still obediently did the errand-running errand.

Looking at the dazed girl left behind, Jia Lian smiled slightly, bent down and picked her up, just as he had picked up Qingwen before, and then strode home.

……

The familiar night path, the familiar courtyard wall, the familiar screen wall—behind lies the familiar courtyard.

The courtyard was bustling with people, each busy with their own tasks, but they all stopped and greeted Jia Lian as soon as he entered.

The voices of the maids and wives alerted the people inside the east wing.

Wang Xifeng walked out, carrying Qiao'er in one arm, and stood gracefully before the steps.

Her face glowed with a rosy hue, and her beautiful eyes were deep and focused.

She stared straight up and down at the man in front of her.

Although she had already learned from the servants that Jia Lian was safe and sound and was moving around the mansion with ease, she still couldn't help but check it herself.

She was heartbroken if her husband, who was wise, brave, handsome, and whom others said she had accumulated eight lifetimes of good fortune to have, even if he was just slightly bumped or bruised, would break her heart.

"Daddy, hug me~"

Jia Lian slowly stepped forward, took his daughter from Feng Jie'er's hands, and looked down at her.

My daughter, who is almost three years old, has gradually shed her babyish innocence and become exquisitely beautiful, with the air of a precious gem.

A genuine smile involuntarily appeared on Jia Lian's face.

Although he raised Qingwen and Xiangling almost like half daughters, they were ultimately different from his biological daughters.

Holding Qiao'er in his arms, he felt a joy of blood connection, a love like that of an old ox protecting its calf.

He reached out and teased her with his finger, only to find that the little girl was no longer just giggling as before, but seemed somewhat disgusted by his unwashed, dirty hands. Jia Lian gave up there, then looked up at Feng Jie with displeasure and said, "What, you can't recognize me after just a few days? This is never going to end...?"

Although Jia Lian didn't utter his full retort, Feng Jie, who knew Jia Lian well, easily deciphered his hidden meaning.

That was a sibling version of a phrase she used to like to use as a curse.

"Where's your dad?"

She glared at Jia Lian with annoyance, then, having had her words suppressed, Feng Jie changed the subject and said with a smile, "It's rare for the Marquis to return to the manor today. I originally thought of throwing a welcome banquet for him. But I was afraid that the Marquis would be tired from his journey and wouldn't want to be exhausted, so I didn't dare to make the decision on my own."

"Now that the kitchen is fully stocked with dishes and snacks, may I ask if Your Excellency would like to host a simple family banquet and invite the Old Madam, the Second Madam, and all the brothers and sisters in the family to come and have a drink?"

Managing household chores, hosting banquets, and planning ahead are all things that Sister Feng excels at.

Therefore, Jia Lian was not surprised at all by Feng Jie's thorough preparations. On the contrary, he was satisfied with Feng Jie's increasingly humble and submissive manner, thinking that this woman had probably been trained.

"Let's call it a day for tonight, tomorrow. Tell the old lady and Ying'er that I'll be hosting a small banquet at home tomorrow at noon, and invite them over for a friendly gathering."

"Yes, Your Majesty's decree will be obeyed."

It is said that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and naturally, Sister Feng did not want outsiders to disturb the beautiful evening.

She gave Jia Lian a perfunctory bow, then led him to the main room, coaxing him to take Qiao'er in.

"I want Daddy to hold me!"

"Qiao'er, be good. Daddy's just gotten home and he's very tired. Let him rest..."

"No, no, I want Daddy to hold me."

"Hmm~! Sweetie, go play with Xiaohong and the others first. Daddy hasn't eaten yet. I'll play with you after I finish eating."

Sister Feng has a stern face, and there are few people in the whole mansion who are not afraid of her, let alone Qiao'er, a three-year-old girl.

Although extremely unwilling, she obediently got off Jia Lian and was led away by the maid and wet nurse.

The reason why Sister Feng sent her daughter away was naturally because she had something to discuss with Jia Lian. So, after helping Jia Lian change his clothes, while Ping'er and the others were setting out the meal in the outer room, she sat down with Jia Lian on the couch and they exchanged secrets.

It's no wonder Wang Xifeng couldn't hold back. Putting aside Jia Lian's mysterious instructions before leaving the capital, the current turmoil in the capital and Jia Lian's sudden appearance as a "grandson of the emperor" made it impossible for her to ignore.

She had many questions, waiting for Jia Lian to answer them for her.

If it were Wang Xifeng a few years ago, Jia Lian certainly wouldn't have revealed too much to her, lest she cause trouble.

However, after two years of observation, Jia Lian felt that although Feng Jie was not yet a qualified empress under his guidance, she was barely qualified to be a ruler who maintained the status quo.

At least she kept her mouth shut and knew how to keep secrets.

Therefore, Jia Lian did not shy away from the matter and briefly explained the changes at Tiewang Mountain to Feng Jie, letting her know the general situation.

Sister Feng was stunned, and it took her a long time to recover before she asked with concern, "So, you really are the Emperor's grandson, Master, really the Emperor Emeritus's illegitimate son?"

Jia Lian nodded.

Feng Jie's expression suddenly became fascinating; her rapidly shifting eyes left even Jia Lian unable to fathom what was going on in her head.

So she gave Sister Feng a sharp rap on the forehead and scolded her, "What kind of wicked scheme are you plotting now?"

Sister Feng covered her head and glared at Jia Lian with great dissatisfaction.

She felt annoyed; this heartless man had become addicted to hitting her, striking her every now and then.

Do you really think she's that lowly slut Ping'er?

Staring at her own hand, as if pondering whether she had hit him too hard, Feng Jie'er's phoenix eyes flickered, and she snuggled closer to Jia Lian, bringing her face close to his and asking in a low voice, "So, you're going to be a prince?"

This woman, as expected, still thinks like an ordinary person.

It's incredibly vulgar.

"What, you really want to be a princess?"

"Hehe, what does it matter whether I want to or not? Anyway, we women are all bound to follow our husbands wherever they go. If you become a prince, then I will naturally be happy to be your princess and manage your beauties and concubines for you."

As Sister Feng spoke, she suddenly remembered Princess Zhaoyang.

There was no way around it; Princess Zhaoyang had such a profound influence on her that she could never forget that woman, even in her dreams.

She was thinking that if Jia Lian was a grandson of the emperor, then wouldn't he and Princess Zhaoyang be cousins?

She already knew that the Empress Dowager had betrothed Princess Zhaoyang to the Fenwu General's Mansion. Now that this relationship has been exposed, doesn't it mean that the woman's influence on her will be reduced indefinitely in the future?

This is obviously another good thing for her.

She was secretly pleased, but Sister Feng knew she couldn't deliberately provoke this trouble. After all, neither the princess nor Jia Lian were people she could afford to offend.

Jia Lian certainly knew the allure of the title "Princess Consort" for women...

Perhaps those women who are indifferent to fame and fortune and act on their emotions are better off, but for a pragmatic woman like Sister Feng, she is simply too appealing.

So Jia Lian said with a hint of mockery, "Your Highness, you'd better not even think about it. The fact that His Majesty spared my life this time is already a blessing in disguise."

Sister Feng was stunned: "What? Didn't you say that the Emperor almost failed in his coup, and that you arrived in time with your troops to help him? Why is he still trying to kill you?"

"The details of this matter are too complex to explain to you in a short time. Just know that His Majesty does not intend to publicly acknowledge my background. From now on, I am still the second master of the Rongguo Mansion and the Jia family."

Sister Feng blinked. Although she didn't read books, she had seen many plays and was quite clever, so she vaguely understood some of the underlying principles.

Seeing that Jia Lian had no intention of explaining further, she gave up asking and instead laughed, "Your identity as a grandson of the emperor is already known throughout the city, yet you still insist on remaining the second master of the Jia family..."

"Hehe, aren't you worried about how the Jia family will view you when you walk among the two mansions and eight branches of the family?"

As expected, Sister Feng adheres to the principle of "marrying a chicken, following the chicken." Not long ago, she still referred to herself as the eldest grandson's wife of the Jia family, constantly referring to "our family" and "our household." Now that she has just learned that Jia Lian is not a descendant of the Jia family, she immediately becomes "one of those Jia family members."

Jia Lian laughed too, turning Feng Jie's face towards him: "What, are you afraid of being kicked out by the old lady and the others?"

"If you're not afraid, why should I be? Anyway, I've always been thick-skinned. Back when the Empress Dowager ordered me to return to my parents' home, I stubbornly refused to leave your house."

I'm sticking with you for life; wherever you go, I'll go.

Although he knew that Sister Feng was just making fun of herself, Jia Lian was still quite moved when he heard her say that.

A man may want many things in his life, but he may also want very few.

So many that they could contain the whole world, yet so few that they only crave a single thread of sincerity.

To have a woman who follows you wholeheartedly is something many men dream of.

As for Jia Lian, he already has one, and possibly more than one.

How fortunate we are.

Although Sister Feng was not as adept at understanding people's hearts as Jia Lian, she had been flirted with by him so many times that when she saw Jia Lian's serious expression, she guessed that he had probably been flirted with in return.

Feeling smug, she took advantage of the situation and said with a smile, "The old lady was in such a hurry to call you over just now, she must have been talking about your identity, right?"

It seems she already knew?

That's true. She knows you're not her biological grandson, but she still loves you so much, so she definitely wouldn't be willing to kick you out.

I'm just curious, how come you, an outsider, hold a title in the Jia family? Isn't this the legendary case of a cuckoo taking over someone else's nest? Aren't you ashamed?

I remember you, Second Master Lian, aren't a shameless person.

Sister Feng is typically asking herself the question she cares about most in a teasing way.

She originally thought that Jia Lian was a legitimate imperial grandson, and it wouldn't be difficult for him to be granted a princely title.

In that case, the Jia family's noble title would naturally be useless.

However, Jia Lian told her that the emperor was not prepared to acknowledge his status as a grandson of the emperor, which would make things difficult.

She had no desire to lose her status as a first-rank imperial consort.

Jia Lian, however, seemed not to understand Feng Jie's meaning. He flipped over and pinned her beneath him, laughing, "What, are you afraid of the Second Master and Second Madam? You want me to return the title to their second wife and then kick us out?"

With her hands held captive by Jia Lian, Feng Jie feigned fear and whispered, "A little. You told me before that you would drive the Second Madam and the others out of the mansion and let me be the head of this household."

Now let's see how you fulfill your promise...

Jia Lian's expression faltered slightly. Although he couldn't recall whether he had said such a thing, considering what Feng Jie had said, if he really wasn't of the Jia family bloodline, not only would he have taken over someone else's hereditary title, but he would also have driven the legitimate descendants out of the mansion. It did seem a bit too much.

He began to seriously consider how to get along with the second wife going forward.

However, there were still some doubts he hadn't figured out, so he couldn't come up with a definite idea for the time being.

So he didn't bother to think about it for the time being. Instead, he raised his hand and tore open his wife's thin clothes, saying nonchalantly, "If we can't make it happen, so be it. We have plenty of money now. Even if we get kicked out, we can easily rebuild a mansion and live on our own."

It's mid-April now, and the weather is getting hot. His slender and graceful wife has been snuggling against him for a long time, and Jia Lian has been itching to vent the killing karma he accumulated on Iron Net Mountain.

Sister Feng was immediately startled. Her face flushed red, and she quickly covered her chest with her free hands, saying coquettishly, "What are you doing? We'll eat soon... After we eat and take a bath, then..."

Sometimes even the Jia family was curious: they were clearly an old married couple, so why was this woman still so shy?

She's not even as good as some little girls.

If he hadn't been unable to find any clues, Jia Lian would have been tempted to suspect that Wang Xifeng was an ancient version of a naive and innocent woman, so good at pretending.

"We can eat later, but we can't wait even a moment longer."

As soon as Jia Lian finished speaking, he moved his hands and feet at the same time, not caring at all whether Feng Jie's clothes were expensive or not. He quickly stripped Feng Jie half-naked and half-revealed her, and then they went to enjoy the wonderful pleasure of lovemaking.

From beginning to end, Sister Feng was only half-heartedly refusing.

How could she possibly refuse?

I believe any woman in this situation would be happy to cooperate and even delighted.

After all, Sister Feng still remembered that when she was having private conversations with some not-so-proper noblewomen, they said that men were all cats who would steal fish and had no energy to take care of the flowers at home.

They also made fun of her, saying that her man was so handsome, famous, and powerful that countless women would throw themselves at him for a night.

How often does the Marquis of Zhenyuan usually take care of her, and how much energy does he have each time?

Do you always find yourself completely drained of energy by those little devils outside after returning from a long trip?

At such times, she could only smile wryly or respond with a playful retort, avoiding any further discussion.

But she always kept it in her heart.

Although she herself was not enthusiastic about such things, she knew that whether her husband was willing to spend energy on her was a sign of whether he loved her or not.

Fortunately, Jia Lian never discouraged her in this respect.

When she thought of Jia Lian mentioning money, she immediately remembered that there were ten boxes of gold stored in this very room.

Those were all given to her by Jia Lian, each box containing around three thousand taels, totaling a full five hundred thousand taels of silver!

With just this much gold, the mansion built would probably be no less magnificent than the Rongguo Duke's mansion.

Of course, the construction of Rongguo Mansion certainly didn't cost that much money back then, since it was built on land approved by the emperor and commissioned by the government.

Moreover, if they move out, the mansion they build can at most be called a Marquis's Mansion, not a Duke's Mansion...

This was even after Jia Lian had taken his title with him.

Thinking about all this, Sister Feng felt that her life was almost complete.

Being a first-rank imperial consort, with inexhaustible wealth in her hands—wasn't this the life she had always dreamed of?

All of this was given to her by Jia Lian, so she relied on this man and was willing to make him happy.

This is the fundamental reason why she was willing to humble herself before Jia Lian.

Human hearts are always mutually reinforcing; they are not so easily tamed.

……