Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

While Wang Xifeng was busy with Jia Baoyu and the others, Ping'er had someone prepare pillows, bedding, and other items and personally delivered them to Jia Lian.

Jia Lian knew that although Wang Xifeng had a bad personality, her maid Ping'er was a good person, so he was friendly to Ping'er's arrival.

While Ping'er was letting the old women go in to help Jia Lian make the bed, she pulled Jia Lian aside and handed him a small box at the door.

"This is medicine for treating external injuries that my grandmother asked us to bring. In a little while, Second Master will have Zhao'er and the others apply it to him, and his injuries will heal quickly."

Jia Lian accepted it and said, "Thank you."

Seeing that Jia Lian didn't mention Wang Xifeng at all, Ping'er knew he was still angry, so she whispered, "Second Master, please don't be angry with Second Mistress. She actually cares about you a lot. You don't know, but at noon I heard that you were beaten badly by the Master. Second Mistress was very worried and immediately sent Wang'er's wife and the others to find out what happened. She also asked me to go to the Old Madam's room to inform the First Madam so that she can go back and plead for you with the Master."

Jia Lian smiled and looked up at Ping'er carefully.

He had been talking about how Wang Xifeng had suddenly shown him kindness by offering "warmth," and now, hearing Ping'er constantly praising her mistress, he was even more convinced that this was not Wang Xifeng's intention.

It's hard to believe this girl is so loyal. Doesn't she know that by coming to see him behind Wang Xifeng's back and bringing gifts, it's easy for Wang Xifeng to misunderstand that she has ulterior motives?

Jia Lian knew that Wang Xifeng was a jealous person. Not only did she use all her skills to get rid of the "remnants" in Jia Lian's original household, but she was also very wary of the people who came with her as part of her dowry, not allowing them too many opportunities to come into contact with her.

Perhaps it's because this girl is upright and doesn't fear Wang Xifeng's suspicion, that she acts this way.

By the light of the lamp on the eaves, Jia Lian took a deep look at Ping'er.

The young girl, at the tender age of sixteen, exuded youthful energy and possessed an impeccable appearance. Grandma Liu's description of her as "beautiful as a flower and the moon" was not an exaggeration at all.

What's most remarkable is her clear and calm gaze, her proper demeanor, and her overall air of authority. She doesn't seem like a maid at all, but rather like a young mistress of the house.

No wonder even Li Wan teased Wang Xifeng, saying that she was not worthy of serving such a maid, and that she and Ping'er should switch places.

Ping'er wanted to mediate between Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng to prevent them from developing any further rifts.

She had thought Jia Lian was an easygoing and straightforward person who would take the opportunity to back down, but today, after hearing her words, he only smiled and remained silent, his demeanor quite different from before. She couldn't quite grasp Jia Lian's meaning.

Seeing that he was staring straight at her, she couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed, so she quickly slipped inside and went to help make the bed.

……

Jia Lian settled down in the outer study, but his daily schedule was reported to Wang Xifeng in detail.

"The Second Master went to the First Master's courtyard to pay his respects early in the morning, but the First Master did not see him. Then the Second Master took Wang'er, Zhao'er, and Xing'er and went out."

The Second Master didn't seem to have any particular purpose; he simply strolled around the streets for half a day, buying some trinkets. After lunch, he went to the vicinity of the Imperial College to drink tea and listen to music, where he happened to run into two acquaintances from his school days. The Second Master sat with them and drank tea for half the afternoon before returning home.

"After paying his respects to the First Master, the Second Master went to the Imperial Academy..."

"Second Master still went to the Imperial Academy..."

For three or four days in a row, Jia Lian's itinerary was not only simple, but also surprisingly consistent. He wandered around the Imperial College, inviting everyone he met to drink tea and wine, chatting and laughing. He even skipped his favorite brothels.

This once made Wang Xifeng wonder if Jia Lian knew she had planted spies around him and was doing this on purpose to show her.

She immediately shook her head. Given Jia Lian's personality, even if he knew, he wouldn't pretend like that. What would he be after?

Could it be that he has really changed his ways and wants to strive for advancement, study hard, and pass the imperial examinations, which is why he is now making friends with scholars again?

A chill ran down Wang Xifeng's spine, and she shook her head vigorously.

Given Jia Lian's level of understanding, which was not much different from hers, if he could utter even half a sentence in a refined manner, she would never have pointed her finger at him and cursed him.

Unable to understand the situation, Wang Xifeng felt unusually agitated and irritable.

Since they met as children, this was the first time Jia Lian had given her a feeling of being unable to see through him. As a result, she had been unable to sleep well or eat well for the past few days. She, who was usually decisive and energetic, felt her spirits declining.

Even Madam Wang asked her if she had been too busy with household affairs lately and had forgotten to rest.

Only then did Wang Xifeng realize that she wanted Jia Lian to come back.

But she was too proud to admit defeat and couldn't bring herself to do it.

She wondered, "Could it be that Jia Lian has really stopped paying attention to her from now on?"

For a moment, he couldn't help but curse Jia Lian in his heart for being heartless and cold-hearted, and he was secretly saddened by the thought.

If a woman who has been married for less than two years has lost all interest in living together, why would she want to become like a stranger to her husband and sever all ties?

On the other hand, Jia Lian didn't have the same complicated thoughts as Wang Xifeng.

He has been wandering around the Imperial College these past few days, not because he really wants to restart his studies and try to gain fame and fortune.

His predecessor's foundation was too weak, and he himself had studied mathematics, physics and chemistry. In this imperial examination competition that only tested Chinese and politics and was more difficult than the later Tsinghua and Peking University entrance examinations, it was too difficult to catch up from the beginning.

He simply wanted to use the students' words to learn more about the political situation in the court and among the people.

After all, scholars are always the most concerned about current affairs, and they have the most inside information.

As a student who had not yet graduated from the Imperial Academy, it was quite easy for him to get close to them by spending some money on tea and wine, so after a few days, he had gained quite a bit.

As for going to pay his respects to Jia She every day...

He didn't want to go either, and that old bastard Jia She didn't want to see him either; he hadn't let him in even once in the past few days.

But he had to go.

It wasn't just because the morning and evening greetings were a rule, but because after much thought, he discovered a simpler, more fundamental truth:

Compared to painstakingly seeking power and position, a simpler scenario is that with Jia She's death, he might be able to obtain a hereditary title from the Duke's mansion for free.

Once he had this title, his situation completely changed.

He no longer needed to associate with scholars; instead, he could directly befriend powerful figures and even stand in the imperial court to behold the emperor's face...

That's right, he ultimately thought the same thing as the original owner of this body: he hoped the old man would die soon.

However, this idea must absolutely not be known to anyone else. To reveal even a hint of it, or let anyone else know even a little bit, would mean certain death. A death of utter disgrace, far more devastating than sleeping with Jia She's concubine.

People say that the more you want something, the less you should show it. So not only could he not curse Jia She, he also had to show the utmost filial piety, and he had to make sure everyone could see it.

In this way, if Jia She were to suddenly die someday in the future, it would be even less likely that others would suspect him.

Therefore, even though Jia She explicitly exempted him from the daily morning and evening greetings, and even refused to show his face when he came over, he still insisted on going to pay his respects every day.

He also decided that from now on he would do everything he could to be good to Jia She, in a way that would be obvious to everyone...

……

Jia Lian guessed that Wang Xifeng was not at home, so he went back to change his clothes and headed to the outer courtyard.

The cold war with Wang Xifeng was not for any other reason than to curb her arrogance.

Even if it caused gossip among the people in the manor, or even linked it to the incident a few days ago, he didn't care.

Anyway, even if it weren't for that, those who were supposed to hear about it probably already had. To Jia Lian's surprise, after Jia She stopped pursuing the matter, it had almost no negative impact on him.

Aside from his own constant suspicion that others' perception of him is tainted by ulterior motives...

"Second Master, the Master requests your presence."

Before he reached the study, the steward, Lin Zhixiao, stopped him.

"Is it at Mengpo Studio?"

"Indeed, the master is waiting over there, Second Master, please go quickly."

Lin Zhixiao, as the second steward of Rongguo Mansion, has the advantage of being serious and unsmiling, but this is also his disadvantage. No wonder he and his wife are known as "the deaf and mute" in the mansion.

But that's fine, at least I don't have to guess whether his eyes have any special meaning...

Jia Lian felt like he was going crazy; he felt like everyone was looking down on him. This was one of the reasons he was always going out—people outside wouldn't know what was going on with him, right?

Mengpo Studio was Jia Zheng's private study.

Jia Zheng, the head of the Rongguo Mansion, is Jia She's younger brother.

He and Wang Xifeng managed the household in the Rongguo Mansion, which meant they were essentially working for Jia Zheng. So it's fair to say that Jia Zheng was their boss.

Mengpo Studio is located east of Rongxi Hall, the main hall of Rongguo Mansion. When Jia Lian arrived, he saw that only Jia Zheng was there, and there were no guests or scholars who usually came in groups of three or five. He knew that Jia Zheng had come to see him about family matters.

"master."

It's a sad thing about Jia She. Although he was older than Jia Zheng, people in both households usually called Jia Zheng "Master," but to distinguish the two of them, they called Jia She "Big Master."

Although it's a small detail, it reveals the multifaceted oppression Jia Zheng exerted on Jia She...

Jia Zheng looked much younger than Jia She, around forty years old. He was rather thin, but had a square face and a rather dignified appearance.

He was engrossed in writing something, and upon hearing Jia Lian's voice, he only slightly raised his head before asking, "The birthday celebration of the Dowager Lady of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion is in two days. Have all the gifts for the occasion been prepared?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, everything is ready. A list has been prepared. Would Your Excellency like to review it?"

Although he and Wang Xifeng came together to help manage the household, with Wang Xifeng in charge of internal affairs and him in charge of external affairs, how could the internal and external affairs be completely separated?

Wang Xifeng also loved to seize power and show off her strength and ability, so in managing the household, Wang Xifeng's power had long surpassed his.

Nowadays, apart from some welcoming and sending-off affairs that truly require the man's attention, or things that Jia Zheng directly instructs him to do, almost all other matters, big and small, in the mansion are handled by Wang Xifeng alone, and then she only needs to report to Madam Wang.

Jia Lian naturally had no intention of competing with Wang Xifeng for the power to manage the household, so in the past few days, there were only two or three things that needed his attention, and he naturally wouldn't delay.

Jia Zheng didn't seem inclined to ask any further questions. He nodded, buried himself in writing for a while longer, then sighed and said, "A letter from Yangzhou says your aunt has passed away."

Jia Lian's heart skipped a beat.

Has Jia Min finally passed away?

So, does that mean Daiyu is going to the capital?

Unable to express his feelings, Jia Lian could only ask, "Does the old lady know?"

Jia Zheng nodded. "Your wife has already sent the letter in."

Seeing Jia Lian remain silent, Jia Zheng sighed again, "Her illness has dragged on for so long. Now that she's gone, it might be a relief for her, but the old lady will probably find it hard to let go. Of all the brothers and sisters in the family, she loved your little sister the most."

"You don't need to be too sad. The dead cannot be brought back to life. I called you here because I have something to tell you."

"Your aunt has passed away; the old lady must be heartbroken. You must take good care of her from now on. Also, select a reliable person from the household to go to Yangzhou to offer sacrifices on her behalf. This matter is important and cannot be taken lightly."

As Jia Zheng was giving instructions, a servant's voice came from outside the door: "Master, the old lady wants to see you."

Jia Zheng sealed the letter in front of him and handed it to Jia Lian, saying, "This is the eulogy I wrote. Have the leader take it to the south and burn it in front of your aunt's grave. It will be as if I went to see her in person."

"You should come along too."

……

As Jia Zheng and I left Mengpo Studio one after the other, before we even passed Rongxi Hall, a graceful woman came running towards us.

"I was just about to go find the master when I unexpectedly ran into him here..."

The woman gave a perfunctory bow and then stood next to Jia Zheng, pushing Jia Lian to the back.

Jia Zheng was somewhat displeased. "What do you want with me?"

The woman smiled and began to coax, "Master~"

Jia Zheng snapped, "Nonsense! What time is it? Speak quickly, the old lady has matters to attend to!"

The woman then dared not cause any more trouble, and said tearfully, "It's all because of Huan'er, sir! Huan'er is of school age now, why won't you let him go to school with Bao Yu and the others? Sir, Huan'er is your own son too..."

Jia Lian stood behind, quietly watching Zhao Yiniang, Jia Zheng's concubine.

With fair skin, large eyes, thin lips, an oval face, and a remarkably curvaceous figure, she was indeed a stunningly beautiful young woman. No wonder she could melt the heart of even the dignified Master Jia Zheng, bearing him a son and a daughter, becoming the only servant in the household who dared to challenge the matriarch, Madam Wang…

"It's a good thing that Huan'er wants to go to school, why don't you ask Madam?"

"Madam said that Huan'er is still too young and it is not appropriate for her to start school too early. In addition, the teacher at Xiyuan is a scholar whom the master hired at great expense. Huan'er is naughty and may offend him. It would be better to wait another year or two and then send her to study at home..."

Her tearful and aggrieved complaint made Jia Zheng immediately suspect that Lady Wang had ulterior motives.

Although there is a difference between legitimate and illegitimate children, they are all his sons after all, so it's not a big deal to put an extra desk in the school.

However, Jia Zheng never liked trouble and would never make things difficult for his wife over such a small matter, so he said, "What you say makes sense, Madam. I will make arrangements for Huan'er's schooling."

"Master~"

Aunt Zhao was somewhat unwilling and wanted to argue further. Perhaps knowing how to most easily move Jia Zheng, she unconsciously brought out the tone she used in the inner chambers.

Jia Zheng blushed and subconsciously glanced back.

At that glance, he saw that Jia Lian seemed to be looking at Aunt Zhao.

Suddenly recalling the recent rumors circulating in the manor, Jia Zheng's expression turned serious, and he said to Aunt Zhao, "Zhao, you may go back now!"

His stern tone startled Aunt Zhao. She glanced at Jia Zheng twice, but ultimately dared not disobey and could only leave dejectedly.

Jia Lian naturally noticed Jia Zheng's unusual reaction.

Heaven have mercy, he did nothing and said nothing from beginning to end.