Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

In Rongqing Hall, Grandmother Jia did not invite the group of noble ladies to the inner hall for a chat, but instead sat with them in the main hall.

When Fengjie finally returned, the Lady of the Marquis of Xiangyang and others immediately surrounded her, anxiously asking Jia Lian what he meant.

Originally, these founding heroes were led by the Four Kings and Eight Dukes, and the Prince of Beijing, who had influence with the emperor, was not in the capital.

The remaining family is the Jia family, led by Ba Gong, and the current head of the Jia family is undoubtedly Jia Lian.

The rumors that Jia Lian is the heir to a prince have made them see him as a lifeline.

Facing a group of aunts and uncles, Sister Feng replied solemnly, "Our Marquis said that he is deeply concerned and regretful about the fate of Uncle Niu, Uncle Qi, and my brother."

If possible, he would like to lend a helping hand.

It's just a pity that even our Lord Marquis is now in dire straits.

My aunts and uncles probably don't know yet, but in this upheaval of the court, our Marquis has also been implicated. Just yesterday, the Emperor dismissed him from all his official posts and ordered him to stay home to fulfill his filial duties to his father, forbidding him from leaving the palace without a valid reason.

Therefore, even if our lord wanted to save them, I'm afraid he would be powerless to do so.

When Sister Feng said this, not only were the others taken aback, but even Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang were astonished. If it weren't for the presence of outsiders, they would have pressed for answers.

The Lady of the Marquis of Xiangyang's residence and others were even more astonished: "How could this be? Wasn't it rumored that the Marquis of Zhenyuan led his troops to protect the emperor during the Crown Prince's rebellion and made unparalleled contributions? How could the Emperor dismiss the Marquis of Zhenyuan from his post?"

"Yes, Marquis Zhenyuan has always been highly trusted by the Emperor. Now, rumors have spread that he is the grandson of the Retired Emperor. How could the Emperor possibly dismiss him from his post..."

Sister Feng waved her hand helplessly and said, "I don't know the specifics, but that's the fact. Our Marquis didn't even go to the yamen for his daily report today. Think about it, the Emperor has even dismissed our Marquis from his post, so how could he possibly save someone from His Majesty's clutches..."

The group looked at each other in bewilderment, remaining completely silent.

Yes, they originally thought Jia Lian was favored by the emperor, which is why they wanted to ask him to save them.

But if Jia Lian himself is disliked and suspected by the emperor, then even if Jia Lian is willing to risk saving people, it will probably only have the opposite effect.

For a moment, everyone was worried. Even those whose families had not yet been affected were afraid that they would be caught up in this storm and no one would be able to help them.

As the mistresses of various mansions, they knew far more than ordinary people.

Some of them had already guessed the reason why Jia Lian was dismissed from his post.

Although the outside world says this is a rebellion by the crown prince, many people actually know the real story.

In the eyes of these people, it was reasonable for Jia Lian to be dismissed from his post and placed in idleness by Emperor Ningkang. After all, if Jia Lian were truly the grandson of the retired emperor, he would be a ticking time bomb for Emperor Ningkang, so it was inevitable that he would be suspected and suppressed by Emperor Ningkang.

The retired emperor had also used this as a pretext to persuade Jia Lian to defect.

Therefore, in the eyes of these people, even the vast Jia family might not be so secure, and might be dealt with by Emperor Ningkang one day...

To get rid of these people as quickly as possible, Sister Feng reassured them, "But aunts and uncles, there's no need to worry. Our Marquis said he's keeping an eye on the situation in the court. If there's an opportunity to help, he'll do his best. Please rest assured."

Those who already had little hope for the Jia family, upon hearing this, had no desire to linger any longer and could only bid farewell and seek other solutions.

Only Madam Mei remained persistent, and after most of the people had left, she spoke up again: "Well, my Qi'er is not like Lord Niu and the others. He is of low status and is only imprisoned in the detention center. I reckon that with the prestige of the Marquis of Zhenyuan, even if he doesn't hold an official position in the court, the Northern Garrison Command would still give him some face. Perhaps if the Marquis of Zhenyuan is willing to intervene, they will release him..."

Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang were speechless. Sister Feng even said sarcastically, "You know what the Northern Garrison Command is. Those Embroidered Uniform Guards are always arrogant and domineering. Apart from the Emperor, why would they give face to anyone?"

"Your Mei family isn't some insignificant clan; have they ever given you any face?"

"you……"

Aunt Xue couldn't take it anymore and shouted, "Enough! You were the ones who kept refusing the marriage agreement back then, and now that your son is in trouble, you have the nerve to use this to blackmail him!"

"You may leave now. We cannot and will not help you with this matter. You should find another way."

Mrs. Mei was stunned. Judging from Aunt Xue's tone, was she not going to acknowledge the marriage?

How dare she...

"You, you...you should think this through! The engagement was arranged long ago. If my son dies, your girl will be left a widow..."

Aunt Xue was so angry that she trembled all over.

She finally saw through the true colors of the Mei family. They used people when they needed them and discarded them when they didn't. This was true then, and it's even more so now.

Such a lack of faith and integrity means that even if Qin'er marries into their family in the future, she may not bring any benefit to the clan.

Not to mention that Mei Qi is also involved in a major treason case, and it's uncertain whether he can survive. Why let Qin'er wade into this mess?

Anyway, Qin'er is still young. At worst, we can discuss it with her mother again and find a family of lower social standing!

Once she made up her mind, Aunt Xue became even more assertive. Knowing that Grandmother Jia and the others wouldn't be able to kick her out because of the Xue family's reputation, she took the initiative to expel the guests.

"Fine, fine, you wait. Once my son is out, even if you beg us to honor the marriage agreement, we will absolutely not agree!"

Madam Mei stormed out of the Jia mansion.

Her servant asked, "Madam, didn't Master say that only the Jia family could save the eldest son? You've already fallen out with them like this, what will happen to the eldest son?"

"How would I know what to do? The Jia family? Haven't you heard? Jia Lian has been dismissed from his post. The Jia family is barely able to protect themselves. You still expect them to help us save her? Come on, let's go back to the manor and discuss saving Qi'er with Master again..."

……

After Rongqing Hall was finally quiet, Lady Wang and the others helped Grandmother Jia into the inner hall.

But Grandmother Jia hadn't forgotten the most crucial matter: "Feng'er, you just said that Lian'er has been dismissed from his official post?"

Sister Feng nodded.

"What exactly happened? This child didn't tell me when he came home last night!"

Grandmother Jia was a little nervous. She grew up in the mansion of a founding marquis and had been married into the Jia family for almost sixty years. In that long time, she had seen far too many things.

Being dismissed from office means losing the emperor's trust, and for a subject, losing the emperor's trust is quite dangerous.

Sister Feng could only smile bitterly and say, "It's not just the old lady; he didn't tell anyone. If it weren't for what happened just now, even I wouldn't have known."

Grandmother Jia frowned and suddenly sighed.

She wasn't senile yet, and she already had some guesses.

"Did he say how the emperor intends to deal with him?"

"No, he only said that the emperor had dismissed him from his post and told him to stay home and observe mourning for his father. He didn't say anything else."

While Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang were deep in thought, Sister Feng suddenly laughed and said, "Oh, right, he also said he'd invite you, Grandmother, Second Madam, and Aunt, to our house for a feast at noon. As far as I'm concerned, since he still has the leisure to invite everyone for a feast, the Emperor probably won't do anything to him. Perhaps he really is just giving him a holiday so he can stay home and fulfill his filial duties?"

This is actually why Sister Feng isn't too worried.

She had just witnessed how carefree and content Jia Lian was in his mansion, and combined with the hints he had given her, she simply didn't believe that Jia Lian would be defeated so easily.

Seeing that Sister Feng was not worried, Grandmother Jia and the sisters who had gathered around felt much more at ease.

That's true. If her husband isn't worried, why should they be? Do they think they know more than Sister Feng?

So Grandmother Jia thought for a moment and said to Aunt Xue and her sisters, "In that case, Aunt Xue, come with us for a drink later. It's a rare occasion since her father passed away."

Grandmother Jia was initially quite tired and didn't really want to move. But when she thought about Jia Lian's status, she felt she had to go today.

She wanted everyone to know that even though Jia Lian was a grandson of the emperor, he was still a member of the Jia family, and they remained as close as family. This would greatly reduce gossip.

Lady Wang and Aunt Xue naturally had no objections to this. After sitting for a while in Grandmother Jia's room, they, along with Grandmother Jia and a large group of people, made their way to Jia Lian's courtyard.

……

Jia Lian didn't actually drink much at Tianxiang Tower.

Even the wine that the You sisters fed him was mostly forced back into their mouths by him, which is why they got drunk so quickly.

After Sister Feng left, Jia Lian didn't enjoy himself at Tianxiang Tower for long. He took Gu Qingyi, passed through Huifang Garden, and took a detour from Grand View Garden to go home.

Just as they approached the garden gate, they happened to run into Daiyu and her maid, Zijuan, and Jia Lian immediately hurried after them.

Daiyu also saw Jia Lian. She originally wanted to run away, but with her thin arms and legs, how could she outrun Jia Lian? She was caught up with in just a few steps.

"Lin Daiyu, why are you running away?"

"Mind your own business. I have legs, I can run whenever I want."

Jia Lian blocked Daiyu's path, looking at her who was turning her head away and not daring to look at him, and said with a wicked smile, "Oh, is that so? I'm afraid even if you had legs, you would never escape my grasp in this lifetime."

Daiyu was immediately furious. She glared at Jia Lian and raised her foot as if to stomp on him. Seeing that Jia Lian had no intention of stomping, she only gave him a symbolic stomp before walking past him and continuing on her way.

Suddenly, Jia Lian took her hand, and Daiyu dared not remain silent.

"What are you doing, pulling and tugging in public? What kind of behavior is this...?"

"Oh, so you mean it's okay to flirt and jostle each other in private?"

"Pah, you lecherous scoundrel!"

Daiyu tried to shake him off but couldn't, so she slowly lowered her head. She was thinking about what happened last night, and felt her whole body burning up.

Behind them, Zijuan and Gu Qingyi, mistress and servant, looked at each other in bewilderment.

Gu Qingyi, in particular, was seeing Jia Lian coaxing a little girl for the first time. She was very envious, but she also understood the importance of this girl, who seemed like she could be blown away by a gust of wind, in Jia Lian's heart.

And so, Jia Lian coaxed and teased Daiyu as he led the group home.

When they arrived at the flower hall, everyone's eyes, inside and out, naturally fell on Jia Lian holding Daiyu's hand.

Some people were surprised, some were secretly envious, and some even chuckled.

The surprise stemmed from the two's generosity, while the envy was directed at Daiyu.

As for those who were secretly laughing, they were mostly the older sisters who were older than Daiyu.

There was no way around it; Jia Lian was seven feet tall, and although his physique wasn't exactly burly, he was still robust and tall.

As for Daiyu, she was less than five feet tall, and was also thin and frail.

Therefore, the way this big hand is holding the little hand doesn't look like a divine couple at all; it looks more like a father holding his daughter's hand.

Daiyu hadn't expected so many people to be there; even Grandmother Jia had come.

In a panic, she quickly shook off Jia Lian's hand, walked to Jia Mu's side, and lowered her head, too embarrassed to look at anyone.

Grandmother Jia and Aunt Xue, along with other elders, were all smiles. Grandmother Jia even took Daiyu's hand and patted it, then laughed and said, "Good, good, good. Seeing that you two siblings have such a good relationship, I'm relieved."

Grandmother Jia's words made Daiyu even more embarrassed, and she bowed slightly before sitting down next to Tanchun.

Grandmother Jia said, "You don't need to sit here. Go over there and sit at the same table as your Sister Feng, next to her."

Daiyu was at a loss for words.

There were only three tables in the hall. One table was for Grandmother Jia, Aunt Xue, and the sisters of the family, and the other table was for the men, including Jia Baoyu, Jia Cong, Jia Huan, and Jia Lan.

At the last table where Feng Jie was seated, only Madam Xing, Madam Wang, and Li Wan were present. Feng Jie, having risen to greet Jia Lian upon his entry into the hall, was standing to the side.

Clearly, this last table was occupied by the wives of the Jia family.

Grandmother Jia's arrangement clearly excluded her from the group of sisters and placed her in the ranks of Jia family wives.

Seeing Daiyu's embarrassment, Fengjie stepped forward and helped her back with a smile, saying, "Come on, Grandma doesn't love you anymore, but I do. Don't be envious of their table. When we get here, you'll be the youngest, and Madam and I will make sure you get the best food first."

Unlike here, where this is the old lady's precious treasure, and that is her heart and soul, she simply can't take care of everyone!

Feng Jie's words not only caused laughter throughout the room, but also perfectly resolved Daiyu's embarrassment, making Daiyu very grateful. She obediently followed Feng Jie to sit at the last table.