The Second Master of the Red Chamber

Chapter 743: Erlang doesn't care, Qingran doesn't care either
"May I have your name."

"In reply to the Marquis, my name is Zhou Xianming, and you can just call me Zhou Er."

Zhou Xianming was a little nervous. For a middle- and lower-level military officer like him, a figure like Jia Lian was naturally someone he looked up to.

"Zhou Er, right? I heard that you are under Hu Jin's command. Is Captain Hu doing well this time?"

Hearing Jia Lian mention Hu Jin, Zhou Xianming immediately said, "My Lord, I am a subordinate of Lord Hu Jin. I have been following Lord Hu since he was transferred to the Guard Camp. I was able to be promoted to the commanding position thanks to Lord Hu's support..."

"Lord Hu is fine, but Lord Hu is in charge of guarding the Xi'an Gate and did not accompany the emperor out of the capital this time. I and others were transferred here by Commander Feng."

Jia Lian smiled.

Hu Jin was originally a deputy captain of the Guard Camp. Because of Hu Yuanyao, with the secret help of Jia Lian, he was successfully promoted to become the defender of Xi'an Gate.

Although his official position was not particularly high, it occupied a relatively important position. This was one of the reasons why Princess Zhaoyang gave Hu Yuanyao to him.

Of course, he also knew that Hu Jin stayed in the capital. The reason he mentioned it was not only to get closer to him and reduce his nervousness, but also to simply test his identity.

Jia Lian got straight to the point, "Why did you come to see me?"

Once it came to serious business, Zhou Xianming no longer cared about currying favor with Jia Lian. His face became serious and he glanced around Jia Lian.

Jia Lian's expression also became more serious, and he motioned Liu Xianglian and others to wait outside the tent.

However, Zhang Yong behind Jia Lian stood still. Although he had been searched, the more critical the moment, the more he had to guard against the villain's actions.

Zhou Xianming saw this and knew that Zhang Yong was Jia Lian's absolute confidant, so he didn't care. Instead, he took two steps forward and said in a low voice: "I am here because I have an important news to tell the Marquis..."

……

Zhou Xianming didn't think that Jia Lian would provoke the third prince for the sake of the Tian brothers.

After all, even Feng Sheng did not dare to get involved in this matter, and Jia Lian had no connection with the Tian brothers, and secondly, he himself seemed to be in trouble.

So he did not inform Tian Liang before coming to see Jia Lian.

The main reason why he chose to tell Jia Lian this important inside information was to give himself a chance.

As Hu Jin's direct subordinate, he certainly knew some of the inside stories of Hu Jin's promotion, and also learned more about Jia Lian through this.

He had long known that Jia Lian was a good and strong partner, and had long wanted to get close to him.

But for no reason, he certainly didn't think he could successfully get this support.

But this time it's different.

The inside information that the Crown Prince might have been murdered by the Third Prince might be just a topic of conversation behind closed doors for others, but for Jia Lian and other close ministers around Emperor Ning Kang, it was definitely important news.

In particular, most people now believe that Jia Lian is the bloodline left behind by the retired emperor, so the crown prince and the third prince can be considered Jia Lian's cousins.

Jia Lian would definitely be interested in the life-and-death struggle between brothers.

Even if Jia Lian didn't plan to do anything after knowing the news, at least he left a name in Jia Lian's eyes.

Although he also had some doubts, because many people said that it was precisely because Jia Lian was the blood of the retired emperor that Jia Lian would be suspected by Emperor Ning Kang and thus lose power.

In other words, there is a certain risk in trying to get close to Jia Lian now.

But Zhou Xianming felt that a person like Jia Lian would definitely not fall down like this.

In other words, it is precisely because Jia Lian is in adversity that his loyalty seems more sincere.

The main reason was that he had no better choice, so he finally decided to give Jia Lian this political bargaining chip, which he was not even sure how big it was.

But what Zhou Xianming did not expect was that after Jia Lian heard his complete narration, he actually fell into deep thought.

It seems that he also wants to vent his anger for the Tian family father and son?
Could it be that, as the rumors say, Lord Zhenyuan is a man who hates evil and cannot tolerate any grain of sand in his eyes?
……

Zhou Xianming is gone.

He left the Firearm Battalion with a slightly nervous but extremely excited mood.

After he left, Jia Lian sat in Liu Xianglian's small tent and did not move for a long time, until Jia Yu, Liu Xianglian and others rushed into the tent and disturbed him.

"Master Hou?"

The people under his command had not seen Jia Lian so solemn for a long time, and they were all a little surprised and suspicious.

Jia Lian glanced at them, ignored them, and walked out of the tent.

Sure enough, Ah Qi, dressed in white armor, was already waiting outside. Jia Lian waved to her and whispered something in her ear.

Ah Qi glanced at Jia Lian twice, nodded, and left.

Jia Lian walked back to his tent alone, poured himself a cup of tea, and sat waiting quietly.

Jia Lian was not at all surprised that the Crown Prince might die at the hands of the Third Prince. In his mind, the Third Prince was the one who could do such a thing.

It was just a guess before, but after what Zhou Xianming said, it was almost certain.

Although this was just unofficial history reflecting reality, he clearly did not have much affection for the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, so logically he should not care about this matter.

But for some reason, when it was confirmed that the Crown Prince was really killed by the Third Prince, Jia Lian suddenly felt a strong sense of crisis.

This sense of crisis was even stronger than when the emperor revealed his "background" in public.

After careful consideration, Jia Lian understood what he was worried about.

The crown prince was dead, so the third prince was the only candidate for the crown prince. After Emperor Ningkang died a hundred years later, the third prince would be the next emperor.

Emperor Ning Kang was a diligent and self-disciplined emperor, which was completely different from the emperor emeritus.

In addition, he had just fallen into a coma due to anger over the death of the Crown Prince and his wife, so Jia Lian was very worried about how long Emperor Ning Kang could remain in power.

Once Emperor Ningkang passed away and the third prince ascended the throne, Jia Lian had no confidence in maintaining a good relationship with this emperor who was deep-minded, decisive and ruthless.

Perhaps, he was willing to please the Third Prince like he had tried to please Emperor Ning Kang. In the beginning, when the Third Prince needed his help to consolidate the throne, the two would get along very well.

But family members know their own business. Jia Lian believes that he is not a people-pleasing person, nor is he a loyal and kind person without ambition.

One day, he will surely do something that the Third Prince cannot tolerate. At that time, he will not be sure that he can escape unscathed from the hands of an emperor like the Third Prince.

In other words, a "heroic" emperor like the Third Prince, once his throne is secure, will one day do things and behave in ways that he cannot tolerate.

When that time really comes, compromise?

Compromise once, twice, or countless times?

Some things can be compromised, and some things are destined to be non-negotiable.

The reason why Jia Lian could always maintain a close relationship between the monarch and his subject with Emperor Ning Kang was, on the one hand, because he was extremely weak before and had to rely on Emperor Ning Kang.

The second reason is that Emperor Ning Kang was a good emperor and there was no obvious conflict of interest with him, so naturally there would not be too much sense of crisis.

This time the crisis was caused by the retired emperor's deliberate instigation of discord.

But the third prince was obviously different.

The Third Prince's personality is already there. The key is that the Third Prince is one year younger than him. It is destined that once the Third Prince comes to power, Jia Lian will probably live under the shadow of the Third Prince for the rest of his life!
This is something Jia Lian doesn't want to see, and even can't tolerate.

A truly confident and wise person should not ignore the danger when he knows it is happening, but should even expect the danger to come and bravely fight it to the death.

That is reckless behavior.

His choices have always been to plan ahead and try to put himself in an advantageous position.

Since it has been confirmed that the Third Prince is a dangerous person, the best way is to get rid of or depose him while his foundation is still weak.

In fact, this thought had flashed through Jia Lian's mind when the third prince had arrogantly tried to recruit him.

But he had no idea at that time, but now, because of Zhou Xianming's tip-off, he had some ideas.

However, the Third Prince had a different status after all, and even he did not dare to attack the Third Prince easily, so he needed to make some preparations...

Not long after, several riders arrived at the Firearms Camp under the cover of darkness. After getting off their horses, Princess Zhaoyang felt inexplicably uneasy and even a little uneasy.

Looking at the tent that Aqi had opened for her, she took a deep breath before walking in.

The military tent was not big and the facilities were very simple, with only a table, a chair and a bed.

Of course, Princess Zhaoyang only glanced at these things. Her attention was mainly focused on the man who stood up from the chair.

Unlike what she had imagined, it seemed that the current situation and those rumors had not affected him.

He still looks so handsome and uninhibited, and the light in his eyes is still so confident and elegant.

I couldn't help laughing in my heart:
He is worthy of being my man.

but……

Princess Zhaoyang shook off her inexplicable emotions and said with a smile, "I thought Erlang didn't even plan to see me again."

Although her expression was playful and her address remained the same, Princess Zhaoyang herself did not realize that she was standing at the door of the tent and talking, which was completely different from her previous behavior when she could not help but approach Jia Lian as soon as she saw him.

As a mature man, Jia Lian could naturally guess Princess Zhaoyang's emotions at the moment.

If one were to speak, the person who had the greatest influence on the words spoken by the retired emperor this morning was not Jia Lian, but the woman in front of him.

After all, she was not like him. As a man, and a man from later times who did not completely regard himself as a contemporary person, her ability to accept everything was far beyond that of ordinary people.

No matter how smart and free-spirited Princess Zhaoyang is, she is still a woman after all.

No matter which woman, when she finds out that the man she deeply loves might be her blood cousin, it will be difficult for her to remain calm.

The fact that she can speak like this without complaining about herself shows that she is mentally strong.

Jia Lian also knew that any of his actions and words at this moment would have a crucial impact on the woman in front of him.

So Jia Lian walked up to Princess Zhaoyang and gently stroked a strand of her hair that was blown by the wind behind her ear, as he always did.

"Silly girl, what nonsense are you talking about. No matter what, you are my Qingran. I have already said that if I betray you in this life, even God will not forgive me."

Princess Zhaoyang was feeling upset and depressed all day.

She had long wanted to find Jia Lian and pour out her heart.

But she didn't dare. It wasn't because she was afraid of being talked about by others, but because she was afraid of seeing an expression on Jia Lian's face that she didn't want to see, and hearing words from Jia Lian's mouth that she didn't want to hear.

That would make her sad and unbearable.

From their first meeting in the Prince's Villa, to the Queen Mother forcing them to marry, to their journeys across the Great Wall and the northern desert, to everything that happened after they returned to the capital...she had long loved this man deeply, and was willing to lay the foundation for his ambitions behind his back.

She was even willing to give everything for him.

Therefore, she was very afraid that her love and everything she had done for the other person would become a joke.

At the end of the day, she resisted the urge to see Jia Lian.

Jia Lian didn't go to see her either.

She could understand, she knew that Jia Lian, like her, needed time to deal with such an unexpected situation.

Although she could understand it, she still couldn't help but have wild thoughts.

In the evening, Aqi came to see her and she was really happy.

But after being happy, she couldn't help feeling uneasy.

She didn't know what to say to Jia Lian when she met him, or how to face their new identities.

She was even more afraid that Jia Lian would abandon her because of concerns about his reputation.

So, after hearing Jia Lian's sweet words of love again and realizing that her worries were probably unnecessary, her eyes became moist.

Regardless of everything, she threw herself into Jia Lian's arms, hugged him tightly, and was unwilling to let go for a long time.

Feeling the slightly trembling body in his arms, Jia Lian's expression was somewhat complicated.

Sometimes, Jia Lian couldn't help but wonder why God had to make things so difficult for such a brilliant woman, making everything she thought about be full of ups and downs and tribulations.

From the Queen Mother's marriage proposal, to the marriage with the Oirat Mongols, to the tragic loss of her own flesh and blood later on.

Every time, when she made great efforts and things seemed to be going well, there would always be unexpected events and obstacles of one kind or another.

Is it because she had such a happy and privileged childhood that God deliberately wore her down?

Patting Princess Zhaoyang's beautiful back with some heartache, Jia Lian comforted her, "Well, isn't it just that the emperor said some nonsense? Maybe the emperor just wanted to sow discord between your majesty and me, or maybe he is too old and confused?"

Princess Zhaoyang wiped her tears secretly, and after escaping, she gave Jia Lian a displeased look.

Only Jia Lian dared to say that the emperor was senile and confused.

After hesitating for a moment, she asked, "What if it's true?"

"Really? If that's true, I'll be in big trouble. His Majesty will surely be suspicious of me because he's worried that I might betray him."

Princess Zhaoyang naturally understood Jia Lian's current situation and was worried about him, but this was obviously not what she wanted to say at the moment.

"I mean, if what Grandpa Huang said is true, what should we do about you and me..."

Princess Zhaoyang lowered her head.

Jia Lian looked at her and said after a while, "Qing Ran cares about this?"

"What about Jiro, do you care?"

"I do not mind."

Jia Lian smiled.

Of course, Jia Lian still cared a lot about what the retired emperor said, after all, it had a great influence on him.

He had decided that once the situation on the mountain had calmed down, he would set out to verify the truth of the incident.

However, if you ask whether he will change his attitude towards Princess Zhaoyang because of this incident, the answer is definitely no.

First of all, he doesn't quite believe this matter yet, because it seems that the words of the emperor were forced out because of the emergency situation.

The credibility of the words in this situation is not sufficient.

Besides, even if the emperor did not lie, he had no intention of letting it shake his relationship with Princess Zhaoyang.

First, even if what the retired emperor said was true, he had no intention of accepting this new identity, because he knew that Emperor Ning Kang probably would not accept it either, unless he really did not want to work under Emperor Ning Kang.

Second, strictly speaking, he is not Jia Lian at all.

Although he inherited Jia Lian's body.

But it is just a shell. His personality and thoughts are always his own.

If it is said that Princess Zhaoyang is his biological sister, it may be difficult to say. After all, their blood relationship is too close, which will affect the safety of future generations.

Third, and most important.

If it was an ordinary woman of his, he might have given up and taken care of her like a brother in the future.

But Princess Zhaoyang treated him so sincerely and sacrificed so much for him, how could he bear to betray her?

Therefore, unless Princess Zhaoyang herself couldn't figure it out and wanted to leave him, Jia Lian would definitely not do anything to hurt her.

Princess Zhaoyang looked at Jia Lian's gentle face and couldn't help but shed tears again.

She said emotionally: "Erlang doesn't care, and Qingran doesn't care either."

The look in each other's eyes is the truest love.