Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Not long after Jia Lian arrived at Fengzao Palace, the Zhen family mother and daughter followed him.

After offering polite congratulations, Zhen Yuhuan hugged Jia Lian's arm and whispered, "Brother, I'm going back to Nanjing in a couple of days, but I haven't even said goodbye to Sister Yingchun and Sister Lin yet..."

Jia Lian understood the implication, but he was still preoccupied with the matter of Daiyu and Baochai and did not want to cause any further trouble, so he smiled and said, "You'll have to ask your mother what she thinks."

Zhen Yuhuan immediately looked at her mother.

When Mrs. Zhen saw her daughter holding Jia Lian's arm in such an intimate manner, she understood to some extent what her daughter's feelings were.

While admiring Jia Lian's charm, she did not object to her daughter being close to him. After all, given Jia Lian's current status and position, it would be a great fortune for her daughter and the Zhen family to have a good sibling relationship with him.

Especially for the Zhen family right now!

"Before we go back, we should logically pay our respects to the old lady. However, we still have some matters to attend to, so let's visit her later."

As Mrs. Zhen spoke, she gave her daughter a look and admonished her, "Your sworn brother has just been promoted to a noble title, and he must have a lot of important matters to attend to. Don't bother him."

"oh."

Zhen Yuhuan subconsciously loosened her grip slightly. Seeing that Jia Lian didn't speak but only smiled at her, she knew that her mother was right.

Although she was somewhat disappointed that she couldn't go back with Jia Lian, she immediately cheered up when she heard her mother say that she would visit later.

"That's fine then." Jia Lian stood up, patted Zhen Yuhuan's head to comfort her, and then bid farewell to Yuan Chun.

When he went to Daming Palace to bid farewell to Emperor Ningkang, the emperor did not see him again, but only sent out a eunuch to let him leave the palace on his own.

Just as Jia Lian was about to leave, an armored military officer came out of the South Study.

Upon seeing Jia Lian, he immediately quickened his pace and caught up.

"Your humble servant Zhao Quan pays his respects to the Duke of Rong."

"Heh, Old Zhao, you're quite well-informed. No wonder you're in charge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"Your Excellency is too kind. The news of your conferment of the title of Duke has already spread throughout the palace and beyond. It would be difficult for me not to know even if I wanted to."

Jia Lian pursed his lips and said, "Speak, what do you want?"

"Hehehe, it's nothing much. It's just that you, sir, are rarely seen. It's rare to run into you here, so how could I not pay my respects?"

Although I was unable to visit Iron Net Mountain last time, I have heard of your glorious deeds, Your Excellency.

If it weren't for the Duke's decisive action in the face of danger, leading troops to rescue the Emperor and avert the crisis at Iron Net Mountain, not only would His Majesty's great cause be difficult to achieve, but we, those who follow His Majesty, would all likely have perished without a burial place.

Now, among those of us who are close to His Majesty, who is not grateful to the Duke, and who does not admire him to the point of prostration?

It is regrettable that I was ordered to patrol the capital and was unable to witness Your Excellency's brilliance in person.

Jia Lian laughed upon hearing this.

He realized that besides flattering and trying to build a relationship, the guy was also subtly boasting.

The gist of it is that you, Jia Lian, have rendered great service to His Majesty and are a favorite of His Majesty. I, Zhao Quan, am guarding the capital by imperial decree and am also doing quite well by His Majesty's side. We two brothers should get closer.

"Lord Zhao, you flatter me. We are merely serving His Majesty with utmost loyalty. There is no difference between us; it is simply our duty. There is nothing to boast about."

"Your Excellency is right; I was indeed ignorant."

"However, Lao Zhao, you just mentioned patrolling the capital. There is something I'm quite dissatisfied with about you."

Zhao Quan was startled and quickly asked, "What is it you mean, sir?"

"After I returned to the capital, I heard that not long ago... about the day after the turmoil in the capital, a group of guys who called themselves the Embroidered Uniform Guards carried out large-scale extortion in the city under the pretext of arresting traitors."

If they did not offer a considerable sum of money as they desired, they would forcibly enter the house and search it.

Such behavior is no different from that of bandits.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Quan's face immediately showed a hint of unease.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard was an informal, non-organized army that recruited mostly local wandering knights and militiamen, commonly known as unemployed individuals.

Even if these people joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard and became the emperor's personal guard, their bandit nature remained unchanged.

In addition, most of the things they handled involved confiscating property and exterminating families. How difficult it was to expect these people to be honest and law-abiding?

Therefore, Zhao Quan knew that what Jia Lian said was definitely true. Not only was it true, but he, as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, also received a considerable share of the money that those people "seized".

He simply didn't mention that his subordinates were all intelligent people who knew which families they could and couldn't touch. He himself had repeatedly instructed them to be more discreet.

Unexpectedly, the news even reached Jia Lian's ears. The key point is that Jia Lian actually cared about such a trivial matter, and even went so far as to reprimand him for it?

Zhao Quan couldn't help but become suspicious.

"This... I had no idea such a thing existed... Could it be a misunderstanding? After all, the capital was in chaos those days, with rebels and traitors everywhere. It's possible that some petty villains took advantage of the situation to tarnish the reputation of our Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"Perhaps. But Lord Zhao may not know that my wife's family has an aunt who married into the Xue family in Jinling."

The mistress of the Xue family now lives in the capital, right on the back street of my Jia mansion.

On the day the incident occurred, the Xue family was also among those being extorted.

On the day I returned to the capital, my wife told me about this matter, and I was very angry at the time.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard is, after all, the emperor's personal guard, and they serve His Majesty. How could they commit such banditry? Wouldn't that tarnish His Majesty's reputation?

Hearing Lord Zhao's words now, I realize that perhaps I have misunderstood. Please forgive me, Lord Zhao.

Zhao Quan isn't stupid; how could he not understand what was going on after hearing this?

He had heard of the Xue family's reputation; they were imperial merchants for centuries, renowned for their immense wealth. He figured that their subordinates had initially set their sights on the Xue family, and now Jia Lian was standing up for them.

Seeing that Jia Lian was still bowing to him, acting as if he had misunderstood, Zhao Quan became even more wary.

This is a two-faced wolf. It seems his rise to power wasn't entirely due to his privileged background or his skill in flattering the Emperor…

"I have remembered what you said, Your Excellency. Please rest assured, Your Excellency, whether someone is impersonating my Embroidered Uniform Guard or someone in my Embroidered Uniform Guard is disregarding the law and engaging in extortion, I will definitely investigate thoroughly and give you an explanation," Zhao Quan said solemnly.

Jia Lian smiled, cupped his hands, and said, "Lord Zhao, you flatter me. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."

"Please take care, Your Excellency."

As Jia Lian's figure gradually disappeared below the white jade steps, Zhao Quan slowly straightened up, his eyes slightly narrowed.

As the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the nominal leader, he held great power and was not afraid of Jia Lian.

However, Jia Lian had many identities, and in this situation, not only was he not punished, but he was also granted a title by Emperor Ningkang, which surprised him and aroused his strong sense of apprehension.

Such a formidable figure, who has survived the storms of controversy without being swept away, is someone you should avoid offending if possible, and it would be even better if you could befriend them.

After all, they were all close advisors to Emperor Ningkang, and maintaining good relations with each other was for the sake of the overall situation.

Therefore, he would definitely fulfill the promise he made to Jia Lian. He was in the wrong, and if Jia Lian reported this to Emperor Ningkang, although the emperor might not punish him for such a small matter, it wouldn't be a good thing.

……

When the sound of horses' hooves broke through the long street and rang out in front of the Xue family's gate, Aunt Xue straightened her posture and went out to greet them.

Seeing Jia Lian stride confidently across the ceremonial gate towards her alone, Aunt Xue felt that Jia Lian was even more handsome and natural than before, and that he seemed to be surrounded by an aura of nobility and holiness that made people dare not look at him.

An almost fawning smile unconsciously appeared on her face.

"I was unaware of the Duke's esteemed presence. I apologize for failing to greet you properly and hope you will forgive me."

Faced with Aunt Xue's feigned formality, Jia Lian, who had already reached her side, simply extended a hand to support her and then asked, "Where are Bao'er and Lin'er?"

"When Lin heard that you had been granted the title of Duke, she knew that you would not have time to accompany them out of the city to play, so she went back ahead of time."

Bao'er is taking a bath.

Taking a shower again? Didn't you just shower last night?

Seemingly sensing Jia Lian's thoughts, Aunt Xue smiled and said, "Bao'er has always been sensitive to heat, and she needs to bathe almost every day in the summer. However, she's not usually this diligent; I don't know what's wrong with her today."

As Aunt Xue spoke, she gave Jia Lian a meaningful look.

This book was recently updated at ##!! Update!

Jia Lian understood perfectly well that it was probably the same idea as a woman dressing up for her lover.

In fact, Jia Lian didn't know that although Baochai had taken a bath last night, his actions had made the young woman very uncomfortable.

When they returned to Hengwu Garden, it was already late at night, and not wanting Ying'er and the others to notice anything amiss, they had no choice but to reluctantly go to sleep.

Then I tossed and turned all night and couldn't sleep.

Seeing Daiyu return, Baochai thought that Jia Lian would probably come to the Xue family again, so she wanted to take the opportunity to rest and reorganize herself so that she could face Jia Lian in the best possible condition.

Upon entering the room, Aunt Xue saw that Jia Lian had sat down without saying a word. She dismissed the maid who had poured tea, then approached Jia Lian with some trepidation and asked, "Lian'er, are you still angry with me about yesterday's events?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian put down his teacup, looked at Aunt Xue, and said with a half-smile, "When Aunt wanted to break the contract before, did you consider this situation today?"

It wasn't that Jia Lian was a petty person who had gotten ahead; it was simply because Aunt Xue was a good person in many ways, but she was somewhat short-sighted.

This is the attitude you have to have towards these kinds of people.

Aunt Xue looked somewhat embarrassed, but in reality, she was already filled with deep regret.

She had a good relationship with Jia Lian, but it almost backfired because of her misjudgment.

She glanced at the door, then went directly to Jia Lian, pressed down her skirt, and knelt down.

"Lian'er, it's all my fault. I was blind and almost made a terrible mistake."

But all of this is my fault, and has nothing to do with Bao Yatou. She believed from beginning to end that you wouldn't lose, and trusted that you wouldn't let her down, so she never thought of breaking the contract.

If you're angry, you can take it out on me, but please don't make things difficult for Bao'er, okay?

Aunt Xue rested her hands on her knees and raised her head, looking exactly like a child admitting their mistake. Where was the slightest bit of the dignity of an elder?

Even Jia Lian hadn't expected Aunt Xue to be so single.

Although I made her kneel last night, I was still angry because I had been so devoted to the Xue family and had put in so much effort, only to be betrayed by them. My attitude was naturally assertive.

Now that his anger has subsided, seeing Aunt Xue like this makes him feel somewhat uneasy.

After all, Aunt Xue was not only Feng Jie's aunt, but also Baochai's biological mother. According to his feelings for Baochai, she was his mother-in-law.

So he felt embarrassed to keep up the argument and simply said, "Since you know you were wrong, don't do such disheartening things again."

Otherwise, even if I liked Baochai very much, I might not have had the same patience for the Xue family.

"Alright, get up now. It wouldn't be good if Bao'er saw this."

Upon hearing this, Aunt Xue thought to herself, "Now you know it's not good if Bao'er sees this. Why didn't you say that when you were so fierce last night and made people kneel down?"

Anyway, her dignity had already been torn away by Jia Lian, and there was no one else in the room. As long as she could eliminate the estrangement in Jia Lian's heart and win back his attitude towards the Xue family, her, and Baochai, she was willing to risk everything.

Instead of getting up as instructed, she pretended to kneel down and took two steps forward, placing her hands on Jia Lian's legs and saying ingratiatingly, "Okay, Auntie will obey your orders and arrangements from now on, and will never do anything to wrong you again..."

"Um... you only took Bao'er and Lin'er out of town today, are you planning to reveal Bao'er's identity to Feng'er and the others?"

Looking at Aunt Xue, who had squeezed between his legs, Jia Lian narrowed his eyes slightly.

Based on his understanding of women and Aunt Xue, he did not believe that the other party's actions were unintentional.

Is it because he can't stand the loneliness, or because he's tasted the sweetness of it, or perhaps he has some other ulterior motive?

Jia Lian didn't bother to guess; he only knew that Baochai might come looking for him at any moment.

Therefore, after subconsciously reaching out to touch Aunt Xue's still smooth face, he stood up and said, "You guessed right, from today onwards you can also announce your relationship with me to the public."

I will have a marriage certificate drawn up soon, and then invite a respected person to act as matchmaker. If Aunt has any ideas, she can bring them up, and I will try my best to accommodate them.

"Alright, the ground is cold, you should get up. I'll go outside and wait for Bao'er."

After Jia Lian finished speaking, he left the room, leaving behind a stunned and resentful Aunt Xue.

Aunt Xue smiled gently, rubbed her forehead, and stood up.

They even said that he was truly unrestrained and lawless, having his mother and daughter completely under his thumb.

So it turns out he can be afraid too.

Although her actions just now were mainly intended to express repentance, they were not without a hint of testing and revenge.

Wasn't he so capable last night? Did he really think he wasn't afraid of being caught by Bao Yatou?

She used to worry about it, but after what happened last night, she now knows for sure where Baochai is in Jia Lian's heart.

So she stopped worrying.

She even wanted to take the initiative and flirt with Jia Lian.

While Jia Lian's reaction left her with a slight sense of regret, it also filled her with admiration and relief.

I admire Jia Lian; he is indeed a man capable of great things, not one who can be swayed by momentary impulses.

She was relieved that she had chosen the right person from the beginning and let Bao Yatou go with him; it was the right choice.

Thinking of Jia Lian's words that they could announce their relationship starting today, Aunt Xue became even more delighted.

After this, who will dare to look down on the Xue family, and who will dare to covet their wealth...?