Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

"Miss Lin, Miss Lin..."

A clear, slightly childlike voice echoed outside the corridor, causing Daiyu, who was doing her hair, to turn around and ask, "Who is it?"

"It's Fangguan from Tianxiang Pavilion," the maid replied.

Daiyu and Zijuan faced each other, and then Zijuan asked, "What is she doing here?"

The maid outside didn't reply, but soon led in a clean-cut and clever-looking girl who looked about ten years old.

The young maidservant stepped forward and bowed deeply to Daiyu before smiling and saying, "Miss Lin, the Duke sent me to invite you. He said a distinguished guest wishes to see you at Tianxiang Tower."

Both Daiyu and Zijuan found it strange, as this was the first time Jia Lian had allowed Daiyu to go out and meet guests since their engagement.

And it wasn't at Rongqing Hall, but at Tianxiang Tower.

Everyone knows that the Tianxiang Tower in Ningguo Mansion is where Jia Lian keeps several beauties he brought back from Jiangnan.

Therefore, Daiyu asked, "What distinguished guest?"

"I don't know, but I heard the Duke call her Miss Wei, so she must be a young lady from some noble family."

Upon hearing that it was a woman, Daiyu frowned and did not respond for a moment.

This undoubtedly made Fangguan somewhat uneasy. She thought to herself that Miss Lin was indeed extraordinary. If others heard that the Duke had summoned her, they would have hurriedly prepared themselves to go over, lest they be late and be reprimanded by the Duke.

Therefore, she looked at Daiyu with some nervousness, not wanting to make a mistake on her first errand for Jia Lian.

Fortunately, Daiyu didn't put her in a difficult position and immediately asked, "Is he here?"

"Are you asking about the Duke? He's here. He personally led that Miss Wei in."

"Okay, you can go now. I'll be there shortly."

"Oh……"

Fangguan glanced at Daiyu twice before taking her leave respectfully, a stark contrast to her lively and energetic demeanor upon arrival.

At almost the same time, Baochai from Hengwu Garden was also summoned.

The messenger was another of the twelve officials, named Rui Guan.

"Who is this Miss Wei?"

"This servant does not know, but her status must be quite high. This servant noticed that the Duke treats her very politely."

"Okay, I understand."

As soon as Ruiguan left, Xiangyun, Tanchun, and the others immediately surrounded her.

"Sister Bao, do you know this Miss Wei?"

"Yeah, why does she want to see you...?"

Having been interrogated by her sisters all afternoon, Baochai was eager to take this opportunity to escape. Therefore, she didn't bother to tidy herself up. After checking herself in the dressing mirror and finding nothing wrong, she hurriedly left Hengwu Garden with Ying'er.

Walking along the mountain path on the east side of the Grand View Garden, by sheer coincidence, at the foot of Longcui Mountain, they encountered Daiyu's mistress and servant, carrying a round fan and approaching gracefully.

The two spotted each other almost simultaneously, and both stopped in their tracks.

Then, surprisingly, Daiyu took the first step and walked towards Baochai.

"Oh, isn't this Sister Bao?"

Baochai stood still, waiting for Daiyu to approach before asking, "Are you also going to Tianxiang Tower, sister?"

Daiyu immediately gave a half-smile: "From what you're saying, sister, are you also going to Tianxiang Tower to see that Miss Wei?"

Seeing that Baochai remained silent, Daiyu laughed again, "I wonder who this Miss Wei is? It's one thing for her to be so eager to see me, but why does she have to trouble you, Sister?"

Baochai knew perfectly well that Daiyu was mocking her, but fortunately, she had prepared herself mentally for Daiyu's reaction from the beginning, so she didn't feel too uncomfortable. She just smiled and waved to Daiyu.

Daiyu was taken aback. She didn't want to listen to Baochai, but her good upbringing made her take two steps unconsciously.

Baochai then whispered a few words in her ear.

Daiyu immediately stopped laughing, stepped back, and asked Baochai with some doubt, "Really?"

"If it were someone else, why would they need to see just the two of us? If it were someone else, why would they need to hide it? Brother Lian wouldn't have let us go out to see her anyway."

Her surname is Wei, so that's probably it.

Like Baochai, Daiyu began to ponder who this "Miss Wei" was after receiving Jia Lian's summons.

Now that she had heard Baochai's analysis, she immediately believed it.

Why would someone be so secretive about wanting to see her and Baochai, and even have Jia Lian act as the middleman? Who else could it be but that legendary princess?

Daiyu immediately had second thoughts.

It wasn't that they were afraid of the princess's status, but rather that this princess had been involved in numerous "scandals" with Jia Lian long before their engagement.

And it was a classic case of a woman pursuing a man.

Just like when she faced Sister Feng, she was afraid of incurring the other party's jealousy.

But Sister Feng was someone they had known for a long time, having lived under the same roof for so many years, and they knew each other's personalities.

This princess, however, was completely different.

Judging from her past actions of instructing the Empress Dowager to steal someone else's husband, she is probably not a kind person.

Baochai saw through Daiyu's thoughts at a glance, and she didn't want to scare Daiyu away.

"Sister, don't be nervous. No matter what happened between this Miss Wei and Brother Lian in the past, now that Brother Lian's background has been revealed, there is no possibility for them to be together anymore."

Besides, she's already engaged...

"She's betrothed to someone, but whose?" Daiyu asked in surprise.

Baochai looked at her speechlessly.

You've been engaged to Lian Er Gege for over a year, and you haven't even bothered to find out the basic situation of such a formidable rival?

Is he really so detached from worldly affairs?

Perhaps sensing Baochai's surprise, Daiyu quickly explained, "Who doesn't have time to care about these things? Besides, he's always been fond of flirting with other women outside. Even Sister Feng can't control him, let alone me."

As she spoke, Daiyu glanced at Baochai.

That one glance almost broke Baochai's guard, making her realize that she had been too naive before.

"Anyway, it's good for us to go and meet her. Given her status, she probably won't make things difficult for the two of us. At the very least, we have Brother Lian here."

Baochai's words finally dispelled Daiyu's hesitation.

If it weren't for the fact that Jia Lian was also there, Daiyu wouldn't have bothered to see any distinguished guest.

So he nodded and, together with Baochai, passed through the moon gate connecting the Grand View Garden and the Ningguo Mansion, heading towards Tianxiang Tower.

The first meeting between the two sisters after they established their relationship was surprisingly harmonious due to the presence of an outsider, and no major sparks flew.

……

In the main hall of Tianxiang Tower, Jia Lian and Princess Zhaoyang sat together on a cool couch.

Jiang Yun bowed and stepped forward to ask if he would like a beautiful woman to perform.

Without a second thought, Jia Lian ordered Gu Qingyi to perform a song.

Of the four beauties, Gu Qingyi is the most proud. To this day, she disdains flattery and is more like someone who focuses on music.

Although Princess Zhaoyang didn't seem to mind that he was surrounded by beautiful women, Jia Lian wasn't so foolish as to deliberately get in her way.

After Jiang Yun accepted the order and left, Princess Zhaoyang smiled at her retreating figure and said, "This woman is so beautiful; she must have been an absolute beauty in her youth. How could Erlang treat such a beauty as nothing more than a servant?"

Those who didn't know better might have thought Jiang Yun was some middle-aged woman, a beauty past her prime, upon hearing Princess Zhaoyang's words.

Little did people know that Jiang Yun was not even thirty years old yet.

"She had a difficult past, and now she is my wife who is close to me."

Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!

"Oh, so she's the eighth concubine of the Zhao family, the salt merchants of Jiangnan, whom you rescued and then gave to a servant?"

Jia Lian glanced at Princess Zhaoyang and nodded.

Princess Zhaoyang certainly understood the meaning behind Jia Lian's glance, but just as Jia Lian dared to openly allow his woman to see her, she also did not shy away from letting Jia Lian know that she was very knowledgeable about his affairs.

After all, Jia Lian knew that Hu Yuanyao was her person, yet he still dared to place her in the important place of his study, which in itself was a form of trust.

Princess Zhaoyang then laughed and said, "I had never seen this woman before and thought her looks were just average. Now that I have seen her, I am truly curious about what Erlang was thinking when he bestowed such a beauty upon this servant?"

Is Erlang perhaps ill?

Princess Zhaoyang blinked, her eyes full of mockery.

Nobles are often perverse. Just as some people like to share their women with others, some people prefer other men's wives.

Her question clearly indicated that she suspected Jia Lian might also have some unusual fetishes.

Jia Lian was amused by this divine question and couldn't help but reach out and pull her into his arms, then casually slap her on the bottom.

"Don't you know whether I have a disease or not?"

Princess Zhaoyang felt embarrassed and obediently nestled in Jia Lian's arms.

After a long while, she asked with some curiosity, "Second Brother, aren't you going to ask me why I want to see my two younger sisters?"

"They're not anyone shameful. If you want to see them, you can. What else could it be for?"

Princess Zhaoyang smiled inwardly. She liked Jia Lian's confident and composed demeanor, as if he wasn't afraid of her knowing anything.

"Isn't Erlang worried that I'll be jealous?"

These words seemed to finally make Jia Lian reflect. He lowered his head and lifted Princess Zhaoyang's face: "Then, were you jealous?"

"Yeah, I'm jealous, really, really jealous."

"Oh, what should we do then? Should I try to comfort you?"

"Yes, you have to coax me nicely, or I'll get angry."

Jia Lian was captivated by the princess's coquettish demeanor, so without thinking twice, he pinched the chin of the reigning princess and lowered his head to kiss her.

Princess Zhaoyang's eyes widened suddenly, as if she hadn't reacted yet.

But as the familiar, pleasurable sensation surged through her lips and tongue, reaching her brain and every part of her body, she couldn't care less about anything else. She wrapped her arms around Jia Lian's neck and kissed him passionately.

Gu Qingyi entered carrying her zither, and frowned upon seeing the scene.

She recognized Princess Zhaoyang.

When Yuan Chun was lonely in the deep palace, she summoned her to the palace to study the art of the zither. Naturally, she was also favored by the Empress Dowager, who was also skilled in this art.

She had met this princess in the Empress Dowager's palace.

But aren't they cousins?

Is the rumor wrong, or...?

They didn't pay too much attention to it. It has always been common for noble families and dukedoms to have many outrageous affairs, especially the royal family.

At least in her opinion, Jia Lian was relatively virtuous and self-disciplined.

So she walked even lighter and lighter to the side behind the screen and sat down. After composing herself, she didn't say a word and started plucking the strings.

The music only awakened Princess Zhaoyang from her reverie when it resonated in the hall.

Princess Zhaoyang immediately broke free from Jia Lian's embrace and looked toward the source of the sound.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that there was only one person, and that it was Gu Qingyi. She turned around and gave Jia Lian a coquettish glare.

Jia Lian, however, didn't care at all. After all, they were all his women, and he had seen far more outrageous things than this.

Gu Qingyi's casual pluck of the strings was meant to remind the two engrossed in their music; having achieved her purpose, she bowed and inquired, "May I ask what piece the Princess and Duke Rong would like to hear?"

Jia Lian looked at Princess Zhaoyang.

Princess Zhaoyang said, "I heard Yuan Yao say that Erlang once composed some pieces for the singing girls in his household to perform, and these pieces even reached the outside world, astonishing many great musicians who came to ask for his guidance, but Erlang refused them all?"

"It was something we did together in our spare time, and it was a joint effort. I can't take all the credit."

Princess Zhaoyang nodded, agreeing that this was more in line with her opinion.

Although Jia Lian was already extraordinary in many ways, she still couldn't believe that Jia Lian could surpass everyone else in everything he did.

If he had some serendipitous encounters with his concubines and beauties, and together they composed some fine music, it wouldn't be so strange.

After all, among his concubines was Gu Qingyi, a true master whom even his grandmother praised.

Seeing that Princess Zhaoyang believed Jia Lian's excuses, Gu Qingyi opened her mouth as if to defend Jia Lian, but ultimately said nothing more.

Jia Lian was talented, but he did not care for fame.

For him, perhaps being too talented and famous is also a burden, which is why he is always humble and hides his shortcomings.

Perhaps he himself didn't even realize it, but the talent he inadvertently revealed was enough to amaze the world.

When Princess Zhaoyang asked Gu Qingyi to play a piece that had been played by Jia Lian, Gu Qingyi didn't think much of it and began to play "The Tomb of the Passionate Lover".

Outside the hall, two exceptionally beautiful young women, who had been standing there for a long time, finally couldn't delay any longer and asked Jiang Yun to go in and announce their arrival after the music finished.

Princess Zhaoyang, who was enthusiastically discussing music with Jia Lian, immediately stopped when she heard the main characters arrive. She sat up straight and ordered, "Let them in."

Unconsciously, she reverted to the dignity and demeanor of a princess, seemingly forgetting that her current identity was "Miss Wei".

Jia Lian, however, did not feel that Princess Zhaoyang was putting on airs. He could tell that even someone who could easily control Feng Jie was a little nervous, which was quite unexpected.