The Cloud Feather of the Red Chamber: A Marriage Arranged with Gong Yuanzheng at the Start

Gong Yuanzheng was somewhat surprised to hear Jia She's words.

"Uncle, do you mean you're going to go to sea with the palace gate's ship?"

Jia She corrected Gong Yuanzheng, saying, "It's not that I want to go to sea with your ship."

"It was His Majesty who allowed me to go to sea on your ship."

With the palace gates going to sea in the past two years, they have brought back many imported goods and also many rumors about overseas.

The emperor clearly also developed an interest in the world beyond.

The purpose of having court officials accompany them was also to better gather information.

Jia She became the most suitable candidate.

He was not only the emperor's confidant, but also the maternal uncle of Lady Zheng, the wife of the palace gatekeeper.

Gong Yuanzheng raised an eyebrow. He wasn't worried about who the court would send, but...

"If you go to sea, will you leave everything at home to your sister-in-law?"

Gong Yuanzheng has come to a thorough understanding of Jia Lian's character over the years.

He does have some ability, but he is too lecherous.

He's only slightly better than Xue Pan.

Jia She was also pondering this question. Once he left, it would probably be at least a year or two before he returned.

Everything at home must be arranged properly. Xing Shi need not worry; Wang Xifeng can handle it.

This Jia Lian...

Before he could finish thinking, a servant ran in.

"Master, Second Master Bao has arrived. He says he's bringing a birthday gift for Xiao-ge'er."

"Let him in."

Jia She was not surprised by Jia Baoyu's arrival.

In the past two years, Jia Baoyu has given quite a few gifts to his two grandchildren from the eldest branch of the family.

Some of the gifts were not particularly valuable, but it was clear that Jia Baoyu had put a lot of thought into them.

Compared to Wang Shi and Jia Zheng, Jia Baoyu was definitely a good bamboo shoot emerging from a bad one.

After learning what his mother had done, he immediately came to him to apologize.

Jia She was a man of great stature; he could naturally tell whether Jia Baoyu's feelings were genuine or feigned.

He was a sincere child, but unfortunately they were destined to be on different paths.

No matter how outstanding Jia Baoyu is, his path to success will still be cut short.

Upon entering the study, Baoyu was pleasantly surprised to see Gong Yuanzheng and Qingyu there as well.

"Brother-in-law! Qingyu!"

"Second cousin!"

Qingyu greeted Jia Baoyu warmly.

Gong Yuanzheng responded softly and shifted back a little uncomfortably.

Yue'er hasn't paid attention to the Jia family's affairs for the past two years, but he has been keeping a close eye on them.

They naturally knew that the men of the Jia family were not averse to either meat or vegetables.

Although Jia Baoyu wouldn't do something like Xue Pan, he was still somewhat afraid...

Jia Baoyu was completely unaware of Gong Yuanzheng's unusual behavior; he was thinking of someone else.

My cousin's husband means that Sister Lin was there too, so Sister Lin must have been there as well!

Jia Bao couldn't help but feel excited; he hadn't seen Lin Daiyu for two years.

"Where is Lin Daiyu? Why can't I see her?"

The smile on Qingyu's face vanished instantly.

Jia She: "What nonsense are you talking about? Yu'er is naturally in the backyard, how could she be here?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Baoyu was about to speak when he was about to say that he would go to the backyard to deliver the gift.

Unexpectedly, Jia She interrupted him.

"After lunch, Xiao Ge'er will come to the front yard. You can give him this birthday gift in person then."

Jia Baoyu: "......"

Sir, you've ruined my excuse...

After dealing with Jia Baoyu, Jia She resumed discussing the voyage with Gong Yuanzheng.

At first, Jia Baoyu was curious and listened intently.

Gradually, he became restless, looking up at Qingyu and Gong Yuanzheng several times, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

With a "crack," Gong Yuanzheng pinched a crack in the armrest of the sandalwood chair.

He took a deep breath and told himself to be patient.

Jia Baoyu is not Xue Pan; there is not a trace of evil in his eyes.

Qingyu was playing with the dagger in her hand.

This was just given to him by Jia She; it is said to have been passed down from the previous dynasty.

Jia She discovered it by chance while collecting antique fans.

Remembering that Qingyu was currently practicing martial arts, they bought it as well.

After noticing Jia Baoyu's gaze countless times, Qingyu could no longer hold back.

He assumed Jia Baoyu was curious about the dagger, so he readily handed it to him.

"Second cousin, here you go."

Jia Baoyu was taken aback, then quickly refused with a smile, saying, "I have never practiced martial arts and do not know anything about knives or spears."

"I just, just..."

Jia Baoyu finally asked the question.

"I haven't seen Lin Daiyu for many years, and I wonder how she is doing now."

The smile on Qingyu's face faded slightly.

"My second sister is so wonderful! These days, she's been busy helping Sister Zishang forge new firearms, and she's been hammering away at the furnace every day!"

Jia Baoyu's face went blank for a moment. "Forging...forging?"

He naturally knew that Lin Daiyu had taken a female martial arts practitioner as her apprentice and had been learning how to forge firearms.

The old lady was dissatisfied with this for a long time.

But Lin Daiyu forging iron was something he never expected.

He always thought that Lin Daiyu was just learning to draw blueprints.

“Yes!” Qingyu said proudly, “My second sister is very quick to learn; she can now forge weapons on her own.”

Jia She and Gong Yuanzheng also heard Qingyu's words.

Jia She immediately became interested, "Yu'er actually has such abilities? Truly, heroes emerge from among the young!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a servant rushed into the study.

"Master, something terrible has happened! Second Master Lian has taken his sword and gone to the backyard!"

He had barely finished speaking when Gong Yuanzheng disappeared from his chair.

Jia She's face turned ashen. "What's wrong with him?!"

The servant's words startled the people at the palace gate, and they unconsciously stopped eating.

Gong Yuanzheng looked anxious. "Gong Yuanzheng, please hurry! We absolutely cannot let anyone hurt Yue'er!"

"Second Master Lian..." Young Master Xue murmured, "Isn't he Miss Feng's husband?"

If you are Miss Feng's husband, why are you taking up a sword to find someone?

Gong Zishang frowned. She had a special fondness for Feng Lazi and didn't want to hurt her.

------

"Let's not talk about these unpleasant things anymore." Wang Xifeng smiled and poured Lin Qingyue a full cup of tea.

"Sister, please try this. It's the freshest tea sent from the estate."

"Although it is wild tea, its taste is quite unique."

Lin Qingyue knew Wang Xifeng's taste, and immediately became interested, picking up the tea and taking a small sip.

His eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "It's smooth on the palate and has an unforgettable aftertaste. This tea is really good!"

Wang Xifeng's face immediately lit up with a smile. "I still have some here. I'll have Ping'er pack two jars for you to take home and drink slowly."

As the two were talking, a commotion arose outside the door, accompanied by shouts of fighting and killing.

Lin Qingyue was somewhat surprised, as today was the birthday of the eldest grandson of the main branch.

Under Sister Feng's ruthless methods, how dare the servants in this mansion be so unruly?

Wang Xifeng was startled; she recognized Jia Lian's voice.

"Ping'er! Go quickly and see what's happened!"

Ping'er, whose attention was entirely on Xiao Ge'er, immediately obeyed the order and quickly walked outside.

Just as she reached the doorway, before she could even lift the curtain, Ping'er was suddenly thrown to the ground by a powerful force.

Then Jia Lian, holding a long sword, rushed into the house.