Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Jia Lian was unaware that Emperor Ningkang harbored resentment towards Yuan Chun because of a remark made by the former Emperor Emeritus, and thus neglected her.

Now that he knew he had probably misunderstood Yuan Chun, Emperor Ningkang felt apologetic. However, he was indeed too busy, which was why he sent Jia Lian to visit Yuan Chun, knowing that Yuan Chun and Jia Lian had an excellent sibling relationship.

Although Yuan Chun tried to conceal it, he could not help but see through her repeated efforts to speak well of Jia Lian in front of him.

After leaving Daming Palace, they arrived at Fengzao Palace in the inner palace, only to be told that Yuan Chun was not in the palace, but had gone to Kunning Palace.

Jia Lian recalled that day on the imperial carriage, when the Empress seemed to be very kind to him and even wanted him to be adopted as her son.

Jia Lian didn't pay much attention at the time, only thinking that having an empress as a mother was a win-win situation.

However, after thinking about it carefully, he realized that with his current status as the grandson of the retired emperor, if he were to be adopted by the empress, he would immediately become the fourth in line to the throne!

Once the third, fourth, and fifth princes also die one after another, no one in the entire imperial clan will be more qualified to inherit the throne than him.

No wonder Emperor Ningkang did not agree at the time; he probably sensed the connection as an emperor.

Jia Lian didn't know whether the Empress was unintentional or intentional, but since the Empress was willing to show him goodwill, he certainly wouldn't hesitate to reciprocate.

Therefore, he immediately decided to go to Kunning Palace to pay his respects to the Empress.

Kunning Palace is located behind Daming Palace, so we almost turned back the same way.

Jia Lian was lost in thought on the way, until the eunuch leading the way reminded him that they had arrived outside Kunning Palace.

"Thank you for your trouble, young eunuch. This place is very close to the former imperial court. After I pay my respects to the Empress, I will leave the palace on my own. You may proceed as you see fit."

Even though it was already rumored in the palace that Jia Lian was humble and polite, and even treated lowly palace maids and eunuchs with great courtesy, the eunuch who was leading the way still felt flattered when he actually heard Jia Lian address him as "Little Eunuch".

So he chuckled and said, "You're too kind, Duke. But your status is not what it used to be. The title 'Marquis' is no longer worthy of you. You should change your title as soon as possible."

Jia Lian simply referred to himself as "this Marquis" out of habit, and then he realized what he had said.

Seeing that this young eunuch dared to correct him, Jia Lian smiled and asked, "What's your name?"

"Your Excellency, my name is Liu San. You may call me Xiao Sanzi."

Seeing that the young eunuch was quite clever, Jia Lian subconsciously touched his pocket.

Jia Lian's political principle was to cultivate good relationships.

Just like Zhou Xianming, who provided him with important intelligence that day, if it weren't for his reputation, he, as Hu Jin's subordinate, would not have thought of coming to find him.

Although these characters are minor, they often play an unexpected role when the occasion calls for it.

As long as you cultivate enough good relationships, over time you can build a deep-rooted network of connections within this empire.

Of course, those he had already offended, or those who dared to oppose him, such as Wang Fu and Han Zhe, would naturally be dealt with severely if given the chance.

Jia Lian wanted to make good connections, but when he touched his sleeves, he realized he had no money on him.

He casually touched a jade pendant he was wearing at his waist.

Then he remembered that he usually gave these jade pendants that he always wore to his sisters or young ladies in the family. He felt a little uncomfortable giving them to a eunuch.

Jia Lian froze involuntarily.

But the eunuch Liu San seemed to have noticed his actions and looked at him with expectant eyes.

Jia Lian withdrew his hand and asked, "Do you have any money on you?"

"Um... I have some money on me."

"Lend me some."

"..."

"What, you think I won't pay you back?"

"Your Excellency is too kind. If you need any of the money I have, please feel free to take it; you don't need to return it."

Although the young eunuch didn't understand the significance of the gift, he felt it was a great honor to be able to borrow money from Jia Lian. Therefore, he hurriedly took out his money pouch from his chest and respectfully handed it to Jia Lian.

Jia Lian took it, weighed it in his hand, and laughed, "Not bad, quite a lot."

"You flatter me, my lord."

The young eunuch was surprised that Jia Lian was so easy to talk to, so he flattered him with a smile and said, "Your Excellency, you don't know, we eunuchs don't have much fun on a daily basis. After we finish our shifts, we like to go out and have some fun outside the Shenwu Gate."

There are brothels run by the chief eunuchs of the Twenty-Four Departments, exclusively for our eunuchs' entertainment. I've been having good luck lately, so I plan to go and have some fun after my shift, which is why I brought a little extra..."

Jia Lian smiled upon hearing this. Of course, he knew that cats had their ways and mice had theirs.

There were at least two or three thousand eunuchs in the palace. They weren't made of wood; they naturally had their own spiritual needs. Gambling was, of course, the best way to pass the time.

Perhaps this is why most eunuchs were greedy for money.

"If you give me the money, won't you be out of money to gamble?"

"Hehehe, it's my greatest blessing that this little bit of money of mine can be of use to you, sir. As for gambling, there are always places to gamble, so a day or two won't make a difference."

Jia Lian tossed the money pouch in his hand and then threw it back into Liu San's arms.

"Here you go, this is a reward."

"..."

"Don't frown just yet. What was a loan before is a reward now; these are two different things."

"Alright, I... I didn't bring any reward money today. You should know how much money you have in your pocket. Go outside Linjing Gate and find my personal attendants; they have money on them. Have them return the money I lent you."

As Jia Lian spoke, he walked straight toward the palace maid on duty in front of Kunning Palace and asked her to announce his arrival.

Standing there, Liu San watched Jia Lian's retreating figure, opened his mouth, and finally knelt down, kowtowed to Jia Lian, and then turned and left.

He would never go to Jia Lian's attendants to return the money!

Being able to talk to Jia Lian for so long is a great asset to boast about.

Not to mention, given Jia Lian's status and position, this opportunity might be a lifesaver in a critical moment. He wouldn't be foolish enough to waste it on a few taels of silver or a few strings of cash...

……

Jia Lian had not expected that, in addition to Yuan Chun, there would be other guests in the Empress's palace.

"My sworn brother..."

After Jia Lian paid his respects to the Empress and the others, Zhen Yuhuan, who was standing next to the Empress, couldn't help but call out softly.

A rare and handsome face, looking somewhat aggrieved, but his eyes remained bright.

Jia Lian paused for a moment, then simply nodded.

The Empress glanced at Zhen Yuhuan, who was clearly showing affection for her son, shook her head, and said to Madam Zhen, "I did not expect the Crown Prince to have such an incident. It was my oversight that almost delayed Yuhuan's future."

Let's drop everything from what we discussed before; there's no need to bring it up again.

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Zhen immediately stood up and kowtowed repeatedly to the Empress, expressing her deep gratitude.

When do you plan to return to Nanjing?

"I plan to take Yu Huan back to Nanjing in two days to inform the old lady of the matter..."

"Alright."

The Empress sighed.

It was supposed to be a good thing. Everything, even the ceremony, had been arranged. All that was left was for the royal hunt to end so that a marriage could take place.

Who knew that the Crown Prince would run into trouble at this critical juncture?

This not only caused the Zhen family to waste so much time in the capital, but also dragged them into the Crown Prince's case for no reason, which made the Empress feel bad.

After having Madam Zhen sit down again, the Empress turned to Jia Lian and asked, "I heard that His Majesty has promoted you to the rank of 'Duke of Rong'?"

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Zhen, who had just sat down, stared in astonishment.

She wasn't as well-informed as the Empress about what had just happened.

From the moment the riots began in the capital, she was in a state of utter chaos, constantly fearing that the Imperial Guards who were after the Crown Prince's faction would storm into her home.

She finally found her pillar of support when the Empress returned to the capital.

She did consider asking the Jia family for help, but she also heard that Jia Lian was in dire straits and had been implicated and dismissed from his post, so she naturally didn't go to the Jia family.

Unexpectedly, Jia Lian was granted the title of Duke in just two days?

"Your Majesty, I am indeed honored by His Majesty's favor and have been granted the title of Duke."

"I have always thought highly of you, and His Majesty has a discerning eye for talent. However, you must not slack off in the future, but should work even harder to live up to His Majesty's trust in you."

"Your Majesty, I will obey your decree."

"Hmm, what brings you to see me?"

"There's nothing particularly important, it's just that I've finally made it to the palace, so I thought I had to come and pay my respects to Her Majesty."

"Hehehe."

The Empress is old enough to be Jia Lian's mother, so there's nothing wrong with Jia Lian saying that.

"You're here to see your sister, right?"

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"Well, this was just a side matter... His Majesty ordered me to visit my sister on his behalf. But coming to pay my respects to Her Majesty was my own idea."

The Empress shook her head; she finally understood why Emperor Ningkang had called Jia Lian slippery.

"Furthermore, I have a small request."

"Oh, go ahead."

"I was granted the title of Duke by His Majesty's grace. According to custom, my wife can also be promoted to the rank of First-Rank Duke's Wife."

Her Majesty the Empress holds the Golden Book and the Phoenix Seal, so I dare to ask Her Majesty for a favor: please bestow upon me an official seal so that I may take it back to my wife and make her happy.

"Your Majesty doesn't know, but my wife is extremely vain."

Upon hearing Jia Lian's words, not only were the Zhen family mother and daughter speechless, but Yuan Chun hurriedly said, "Brother, you mustn't be rude. There are proper procedures in the palace for bestowing titles and honors; how can you ask for them on your own..."

The Empress smiled and waved her hand, saying, "It's alright."

"He's right. He's already a Duke, so his wife should naturally be promoted to Duchess as well."

After saying this, the Empress actually ordered someone to fetch the golden book and phoenix seal, and immediately issued an imperial edict to Jia Lian.

This undoubtedly showed Zhen's mother and daughters the extent to which Jia Lian was favored by the Emperor and Empress.

Jia Lian and the Empress were not close, and there was no familial bond between them. Therefore, after Jia Lian received the imperial decree and was praised, there was no reason for him to stay.

The Empress then ordered Yuan Chun to take Jia Lian back so that the two siblings could have a chat.

Jia Lian and his companion left Kunning Palace and walked towards Fengzao Palace, exchanging only trivial conversations along the way.

Most of the time, it was Yuan Chun asking about the situation of her elderly mother and grandmother.

It wasn't until they returned to Fengzao Palace and sat down that Yuan Chun's expression became serious.

However, seeing Jia Lian raising his cup to sip his tea, and noticing his handsome face and carefree expression, Yuan Chun smiled and said, "When I heard that Your Majesty had dismissed you from your post, I was very worried about you."

I'm so glad you're alright now.

"Thank you for your concern, sister."

Jia Lian continued to sip the tea from Fengzao Palace, maintaining a cool and aloof demeanor, seemingly not giving anyone a second glance.

Yuan Chun chuckled and said, "You're a grandson of the emperor now, and you still call me 'elder sister'?"

"Um, he's a grandson of the emperor now, so can't I call you 'sister' anymore?"

Jia Lian finally turned around, seemingly quite surprised.

"Not really..."

Yuan Chun suddenly didn't know how to respond.

She was recalling the scene from last year's visit home, when Jia Lian embraced her.

At the time, she didn't think much of it because Jia Lian was her cousin, but now that she knows about Jia Lian's background, it naturally has a different meaning when she thinks about it.

After all, apart from the emperor, Jia Lian was the only man who had ever held her.

After a moment of silence, she asked, "His Majesty bestowed upon you the title of Duke of Rong?"

"Um."

Yuan-chun frowned, pondering some matters, but finding them unclear. Therefore, she directly asked Jia Lian, "Do you think His Majesty's actions have some deeper meaning?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian's expression deepened. He glanced at the room that Yuan Chun had emptied and slowly said, "His Majesty does not acknowledge, or rather, he has no intention of revealing my background to the world. He wants me to continue being the descendant of a meritorious official and a subject who can serve him."

Yuan Chun nodded; she could understand that.

The imperial clan was the foundation of the emperor's power, and similarly, the people the emperor truly had to guard against mostly came from the imperial clan.

With so many members of the imperial clan, why are so few truly given important positions?

Are all the members of the royal family really useless and incompetent?

not necessarily.

The real reason is that members of the imperial family, regardless of their bloodline, are likely to be legitimate princes and grandsons of the emperor if they trace their lineage back a few generations.

Therefore, if someone's abilities are average, the emperor can simply use them. But if someone's abilities are truly outstanding, reaching the level of being able to govern the country in civil affairs and command the army in military affairs, then the emperor will become uneasy.

Jia Lian has already demonstrated this level of ability; if Emperor Ningkang were to acknowledge his status as a grandson of the emperor...

Putting aside the possibility that Jia Lian might rebel against him under the guise of rescuing the retired emperor, just consider this: after he passes away, isn't he worried that Jia Lian might rebel against his son?

This is the fundamental reason why so many people believed that even if Emperor Ningkang didn't kill Jia Lian, he would never trust him again.

Yuan Chun was quite pleased to learn of Emperor Ningkang's plan.

She had previously worried that Jia Lian would leave the Jia family and return to the imperial clan.

If that were the case, given the Jia family's current situation, it would truly be difficult for them to continue.

So she hinted, "Actually, His Majesty's arrangement is a good thing for you. If he really acknowledged your status as the grandson of the emperor, you would find yourself in a difficult position."

Now that His Majesty has not abandoned you, and you possess both loyalty and ability, it is time for you to serve the country and realize your lifelong ambitions, thus living up to your innate talents.

Faced with Yuan Chun's undisguised praise, Jia Lian laughed and said, "Sister, is that really what you think? Don't you feel that I'm usurping the Jia family's title and property, which is unfair to Bao Yu and the others?"

Yuan Chun was taken aback and suddenly became worried, thinking that it must be because her family had this thought that Jia Lian asked this question, which was half-joking and half-serious.

"What are you saying? You grew up in the Jia family. In my heart, you are my younger brother and the only one who can lead the family to prosperity."

Even though I'm in the palace, I know about the contributions you've made to the family over the years.

It's fair to say that without you, the family wouldn't be where it is today. Since you built everything the family has, it's only right that you inherit it and protect it.

As for Baoyu and the others...

Even without you, they would only be holding onto the title of general, barely managing to maintain their original situation and prevent the family from declining too quickly.

On the contrary, with your help, they can still live very well even without a title. As long as they have the ability, fame and fortune will be within their grasp.

Therefore, please don't hold any grudges against us because of our background.

Have you forgotten the vow you made to me, to join me in restoring the glory of our ancestors?

"Oh, I didn't expect you to still remember those impulsive words from back then?"

"How could I not remember? I remember every single word you said..."

Yuan Chun suddenly realized something was amiss and quickly added, "Besides, you forgot how much you've given me... In short, in my heart you're my own brother. Don't ever say things like that again, or I'll take it as you looking down on us and not wanting to be close to us."

Jia Lian smiled faintly: "I have remembered your teachings, sister."

……