Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

The next morning, at Hengwu Garden.

Shi Xiangyun, who had stayed up very late last night, got out of bed still half asleep and found that Baochai, who never liked to wear makeup, was actually putting on her morning makeup in front of the mirror, and she looked very serious about it.

She rolled out of bed, wearing only a thin dress, and walked over. She leaned on Baochai's shoulder, looked at Baochai's beautiful and flawless face in the glass mirror, and said with some envy, "Sister Bao, you are so beautiful, just like Yang Guifei in the book."

Baochai helplessly exchanged a glance with Xiangyun in the mirror.

If someone else had said she resembled Yang Guifei, she would have been displeased, thinking they were mocking her for being fat. But Xiangyun was straightforward and honest, and naturally wouldn't have thought that way.

Even so, Baochai ignored her and focused on applying her makeup.

"Sister Bao, let me help you."

Xiangyun stepped forward to help, but Baochai quickly stopped her.

"No, I'm already done. I'll give you my spot; you should do it yourself. I wouldn't dare let you help me with my makeup."

Baochai was aware of her own advantages, and she understood even more clearly that a man like Jia Lian would certainly not like a woman who wore heavy makeup.

Xiangyun was a little sullen. She loved it when Baochai helped her with her hair and makeup, but Baochai clearly didn't trust her skills and aesthetic sense, and didn't like having her help with her makeup.

"Sister Bao, are you going out again today?"

"Yes, I need to go out for a bit..."

"Sister Bao, where are you going? Can you take me with you?"

"You... My uncle said he was coming to visit my mother and me, so I have to go back home. Are you coming along too?"

"Oh, then forget it."

Even though the news of Prince Teng's entry into the cabinet had not yet become widely known, his official positions such as the Military Governor of the Capital Garrison and the Commander of Nine Provinces had already made him famous throughout the court and the country.

Although Xiangyun was not as afraid of seeing "corrupt officials" as Jia Baoyu, as a child, she was naturally afraid of seeing elders of such high status.

"Miss, Second Master Lian has arrived."

Following Ying'er's message, Jia Lian's tall and imposing figure walked in.

When Xiangyun heard that Jia Lian had arrived, she was initially quite happy, but then she suddenly remembered that she was dressed in very thin clothes and there was no time to go back and change. So she could only shyly greet Jia Lian.

Jia Lian nodded to her, then said to Baochai, "The carriage is ready. Is everything prepared?"

"Um."

"In that case, you go with Aqin to the carriage and wait for me. I'll go get Lin Yatou."

"it is good."

The conversation between the two left Xiangyun completely confused.

Baochai wanted to go back to see her uncle, and Lian Ergege accompanied her. She could barely understand it, since Wang Ziteng and Jia Lian were officials in the same court, and it was normal for them to take the opportunity to meet.

Why does Brother Lian still need to pick up Sister Lin?

Seeing that Jia Lian was about to leave, she quickly asked, "Why, is Second Brother Lian accompanying Sister Bao home, and Sister Lin is going along too?"

Jia Lian smiled and said, "I promised you that I would take Sister Bao and Sister Lin out for a stroll outside the city today."

Xiangyun's eyes immediately lit up: "A stroll outside the city? Can you take me with you? I haven't been outside the city in ages, I really want to go out and explore..."

Xiangyun twisted the hem of her clothes with her fingers, looking at Jia Lian and Baochai with a mixture of coquettishness and anticipation.

Baochai didn't speak, she just looked at Jia Lian.

Jia Lian hesitated for a moment as he looked at the little girl who had come closer to him.

However, for the sake of the bigger picture, Jia Lian reluctantly refused her.

"Next time, we don't have enough time this time. Next time, I'll not only take you, but also San Ya and the others out of town for a good time."

Xiangyun didn't expect Jia Lian to refuse her "reasonable" request. After all, Baochai and Linjie had already brought their own, so there was no reason for her to be an extra one.

Although somewhat disappointed, Jia Lian usually took good care of the sisters, so his straightforward refusal must have been due to some inconvenience. Therefore, she didn't press the matter and simply replied, "Alright then, remember to take me, my third sister, my second sister, Qin'er, and Xiao Xichun with you next time..."

"it is good."

Jia Lian patted Xiangyun's little head, then turned and walked out.

Upon arriving at Xiaoxiang Pavilion, Lin Daiyu was still sleeping in!

Jia Lian was speechless. He sat on the edge of the bed and nudged her. The little girl muttered something in dissatisfaction, then wrapped herself in the quilt and turned over to continue sleeping.

"Lazybones, get up! The sun's already high in the sky!"

With two sharp slaps, Jia Lian gave Daiyu's bottom two slaps.

This finally woke people up.

Daiyu sat up, clutching the quilt, and glared at Jia Lian with furrowed brows.

The weather is so nice today, perfect for sleeping, but this person has to come and disturb me. How annoying!

"Get up! The weather's nice today, I'll take you out of town for some fun!"

Ok?

Daiyu immediately woke up and looked at Jia Lian suspiciously, asking, "Really?"

Daiyu couldn't remember when Jia Lian last took her out of the city to play, but she vividly remembered the time when Jia Lian took her to visit temples outside Suzhou when she was nine years old.

"If you keep lying in bed, then you're not serious."

Daiyu pouted, but ultimately couldn't resist the temptation of going out of the city to play, and obediently got out of bed.

Zijuan and Xueyan, who had been waiting nearby for a long time, immediately came forward to help her get dressed and wash up.

In the past, Daiyu would have chased people away at this time, but not now, since these people are impossible to get rid of anyway.

While Daiyu was doing her hair, Zijuan served Jia Lian a cup of tea and then asked, "Second Master, have you told the Old Madam that you're taking our young lady out of town for a trip?"

Jia Lian glanced at her. "No. If you think it's necessary, you can let them know."

Zijuan didn't quite understand what Jia Lian meant. In her opinion, it was essential for a young lady to inform her elders before going out.

But considering the relationship between Jia Lian and Daiyu, and the fact that she was going out with Jia Lian, what could possibly go wrong?

So he said, "In that case, let Xueyan and I come along. The young lady is frail; with us taking care of her, Second Master will feel more at ease."

"That's how it should be."

Daiyu had no idea that someone was already waiting outside. Since she was going out to play, she naturally wanted to dress up beautifully.

Therefore, it took Daiyu quite a while to finish getting ready.

Jia Lian was worried that Baochai was getting impatient, so he hurriedly led Daiyu toward the back gate of the Grand View Garden.

Before leaving, Zijuan secretly asked a maid in the courtyard to inform Grandmother Jia.

Along the way, Daiyu naturally asked all sorts of questions, such as why she suddenly wanted to take her out of the city to play, and where to go, etc.

Upon arriving at the back gate, they saw two carriages, one large and one small, parked facing the street. The smaller one was an ordinary-sized carriage, while the larger one was naturally the special carriage that Jia Lian and Feng Jie often used.

It was only then that Daiyu remembered Sister Feng, and hesitantly asked Jia Lian, "Didn't you call her Sister Feng?"

She didn't see the maidservant next to Sister Feng.

"I took your sister Feng to this horse farm last time, but she won't be going this time."

This statement dispelled Daiyu's worries, and she began to wonder which carriage she should get on.

The fact that she was riding in the large carriage meant she might have to share a ride with Jia Lian. Given Jia Lian's personality, who knows how he might bully her on the way?

It doesn't seem very reasonable to put a younger one in the carriage. It's one thing for me to be crammed together with Zijuan and the others, but to leave Jia Lian all alone in the large carriage feels like he's being isolated.

Without her having to think it through, Jia Lian made the decision for her, taking her small hand and leading her towards the luxurious carriage.

Daiyu then boarded the large carriage, while Zijuan and Xueyan obediently went to the carriage behind.

When Jia Lian helped Daiyu into the carriage and lifted the curtain, she was immediately stunned.

Inside the luxurious and spacious carriage sat a stunningly beautiful woman!

Jia Lian came up from behind and saw Daiyu standing at the door. He took her hand and led her inside, saying in surprise, "Why are you staring at each other like that? Don't you recognize each other?"

Daiyu gave a soft snort, turned around and sat down on the north side, facing Baochai from the south.

Baochai took a deep breath and calmly greeted Daiyu, "Lin girl."

Daiyu felt embarrassed to ignore her, so she asked in a less than friendly tone, "What are you doing here, Sister Bao?"

Baochai did not answer, but looked at Jia Lian.

She didn't discuss many things with Jia Lian; she simply trusted him to handle them. As for being bullied by Daiyu, she was mentally prepared and didn't care at all.

"Last night I had a banquet at my aunt's house, and we talked about how the weather is perfect right now, ideal for a trip to the suburbs. If it gets hotter in a few days, it won't be so nice."

A flawless version after careful inspection!

Your older sister said she hadn't been out of town for a long time, and I suddenly realized that I hadn't taken you out of town in a long time either. Since I finally have some free time, I thought I'd take both of you out of town for a good trip.

"Yeah?"

Daiyu glanced at Jia Lian with a meaningful look, then turned to Baochai and said coldly, "So, I was able to come out today thanks to Sister Bao's good fortune?"

This wasn't the first time Baochai had encountered Daiyu's sarcastic remarks, but she seemed completely unconcerned, saying only, "Originally, I didn't really want to come out, afraid of disturbing you and Brother Lian. But Brother Lian said it wouldn't matter, and that it would be more lively with more people, so I came."

"Since he said it would be more lively with more people, why didn't you invite Yun'er and Qin'er, but only you?"

No matter how open-minded Baochai was, she was helpless against Daiyu's blunt and uncompromising words.

She stopped talking and looked at Jia Lian again.

At this point, there was really no need to hide anything. As long as Daiyu wasn't stupid, she should have guessed it all; she just wanted to see what Jia Lian was going to do.

She believed that Daiyu shared the same thoughts as her.

Faced with two pairs of eyes, each with a different expression but equally beautiful, Jia Lian felt a chill run down his spine.

He coughed lightly, lifted the curtain, and said to Zhang Yong and the others outside, "Let's go to He's Congee Shop first."

After saying that, he turned to Baochai and said, "When I went to call her, she was still sleeping in and hadn't had breakfast yet. Let's take her to have some breakfast before we set off."

Jia Lian had led troops in battle and knew that the enemy's forces were currently too strong, so it was best to avoid direct confrontation for the time being.

As expected, Jia Lian's words caused the two women's eye contact to falter.

Daiyu felt a little embarrassed. Although it was thanks to Grandmother Jia's kindness that they didn't have to pay their respects early every morning, and the young girls could be lazy and sleep in.

But sleeping until this hour is not exactly something to be proud of.

Baochai naturally understood that Jia Lian's move was a delaying tactic, so she shook her head and gave a mocking smile.

In the carriage behind, Zijuan, Xueyan, and Ying'er sat there staring at each other blankly.

Xueyan, being young, couldn't contain herself any longer: "Sister Ying'er, what are you doing here?"

"I'll stay here the way you are."

Ying'er is not like Baochai; she doesn't have the awareness to give way to Xueyan.

In her heart, her daughter was no less than Miss Lin, and perhaps even better.

Xueyan had only asked the question politely, but after Ying'er's retort, not only the intellectual Zijuan, but even she herself felt something was amiss.

"The Marquis took our young lady out of the city for a stroll; we accompanied her!"

"You came out with your girls, so naturally I came out with our girls too!"

Zijuan stopped Xueyan, who was about to argue with Ying'er, and asked, "So, Miss Bao is also in the carriage ahead?"

He was noticeably more polite to Zijuan Ying'er, nodding in agreement.

Zijuan frowned deeply.

As expected, the girl's worst fears came true. She wondered what was happening inside the carriage ahead.

Zijuan was a little worried about Daiyu, wondering if Daiyu, with her temperament, could handle the current situation.

The carriage and Jia Lian's personal guards slowly drove away from Ningrong Back Street. Before they reached the east side of the street, several fast horses suddenly caught up from behind.

"My lord, an imperial decree has arrived, ordering you to come to the palace for an audience immediately!"

The sudden sound startled Jia Lian, who was about to break the silence inside the carriage.

Why is the emperor in such a hurry to see him when he is not busy eliminating dissidents and supporting his own faction?

Could it be that she's come to her senses and no longer intends to ignore him, or has encountered some unsolvable problem and thought of him again?

Seeing Jia Lian's reaction, Baochai and Daiyu inside the carriage also looked surprised.

Baochai immediately said, "Your Highness Lian has been summoned to the palace, so you should hurry up and go. As for the sightseeing, we can talk about it later."

Daiyu opened her mouth, but when she realized that Baochai had already said everything, she remained silent.

However, Jia Lian said, "It's not easy to have the opportunity to take the two of you out for a trip, how can we give up halfway?"

"Please wait a moment. If it's not something urgent, I'll be back as soon as possible."

Although Baochai disagreed with Jia Lian's idea of ​​disregarding the imperial decree, seeing that Jia Lian had made up his mind, she nodded and said, "In that case, Lin and I will wait for you at my house. You don't need to rush. Even if you are delayed today, you can play again tomorrow. The important matter is the matter at hand."

Baochai was very familiar with this road, so she naturally knew that the carriage was just a short distance from her doorstep.

Daiyu, however, was unhappy that Baochai had made the decision for her so easily, so she said, "You can go ahead, anyway, you haven't gone far. Zijuan and I will go back on our own. We can talk about going out to play when you've finished your business."

From Daiyu's tone, Jia Lian could tell that Daiyu was no longer very interested in going out of the city for sightseeing.

He didn't want Daiyu's heart to grow cold completely, otherwise he would have to spend even more effort to win her back.

So he took Daiyu's hand and said, "I might be back soon. Listen to your sister Bao, go and rest at your aunt's house first."

"Have you forgotten how well your aunt took care of you when you were in the Grand View Garden? She would be heartbroken if she knew you passed by her home without going in."

Jia Lian's words made Daiyu hesitate.

Like Jia Lian, Daiyu always had a good impression of Aunt Xue. And whatever the reason, Aunt Xue was indeed very kind to Daiyu, which Daiyu remembered.

Seeing Daiyu hesitate, Jia Lian continued, "As you know, I'm currently in some trouble, and I don't yet know why the Emperor summoned me to the palace."

You wouldn't want me to be in the palace worrying about you all, would you?

"Be good, listen to me. What's wrong? We'll talk about it when I get back, okay?"

Jia Lian's words were rather shameless, a typical example of deceiving a gentleman with false pretenses.

But the results were astonishing.

Even if Daiyu disregarded worldly conventions, she knew that Jia Lian's career was crucial to him and even to the Jia family.

Didn't you see how nervous the whole family was yesterday when I heard that Jia Lian had been dismissed from his post?

She didn't want to bear the crime that Jia Lian had pinned on her.

"Alright then. I'll go check on Auntie."

As Daiyu spoke, she looked at Baochai, her eyes seeming to say, "I only went to your house because of my aunt, not because of you."

……