The Second Master of the Red Chamber

Drinking and composing poetry with a group of beautiful ladies of all ages who are outstanding in appearance and talent is not only enjoyed by Jia Baoyu, but also by Jia Lian.

I don’t know if it’s because the wine doesn’t make people drunk, but Jia Lian was drunk before the poetry club was over.

When he woke up again, it was no longer sunny outside, but dusk had fallen.

Jia Lian sat up and shook his neck. Feeling his mind was extremely clear, he patted the little head lying on the edge of the bed.

With a few moans, Xiangling slowly raised her head, rubbed her eyes, and said, "Second Master, you're awake..."

"Why am I here, and where are the others?"

"Hey, Second Master, have you forgotten? You were drunk and fell asleep on Miss Lin's lap. It was me and Sister Ping'er who helped you back.

When the others saw that you were drunk, they lost interest in playing and soon left. "

Jia Lian smiled and then he remembered it.

In fact, he was not completely drunk at that time, but only about 70% tipsy. It seemed that he was deliberately trying to tease Daiyu, so he pretended to be drunk and lay on Daiyu. "

I don’t know if it was because the feeling of lying on Daiyu’s legs in public was too good, but after a while I actually fell asleep.

"Is Second Master going to get up? Let me help you change your clothes."

Xiangling stood up to get her clothes, but Jia Lian hugged her and pulled her onto the bed.

Xiangling, who had long been accustomed to this, was not panicked. She just blushed and said, "Master, it's getting late. You promised Miss Bao that you would go to Xue's house for a drink. Have you forgotten?"

Jia Lian looked at the sky after hearing this, then lifted up Xiangling's little face and pecked her, saying with a smile: "Then I'll let you go for now, and I'll love you again when I come back. Hmm... my Xiangling girl is so sweet and cute..."

Although Xiangling felt embarrassed when Jia Lian rubbed her face against her, fortunately there was no one else in the room, so she could only patiently endure Jia Lian's favor towards her.

She waited for Jia Lian to get up before she was about to get up, but unexpectedly Jia Lian picked her up again and laid her flat on the bed. Then she saw Jia Lian standing on the ground, bending down to take off her shoes and clothes.

"Second Master...?"

"Don't move! You're too obedient, I told you to stay by the bed and you just lie here obediently. What if you catch a cold?
Since you are so honest, just listen to me and lie down here and have a good sleep. Hehe, this is a blessing from heaven for you, sleeping in the bed that I warmed for you..."

Xiangling really wanted to say, it’s summer now, who needs someone to warm the bed?

But she, who had always been obedient, didn't know how to refuse Jia Lian. She could only lie there obediently, allowing Jia Lian to take off her shoes, socks and outer clothes, and then be put into the quilt by Jia Lian.

Needless to say, the quilt that this second master had slept in was indeed more comfortable than my own quilt...

Jia Lian saw that Xiangling was being manipulated by him like a puppet, but her beautiful and gentle eyes kept looking at him. Jia Lian could not do anything bad to her, so he told her not to move, then walked to the south window and called two maids in to help him change his clothes.

The two maids in charge of guarding the door came in and saw Xiangling lying safely on her master's bed. Both the tidy bedding and Xiangling's innocent eyes proved that she did not get in by herself, but was forced in by Jia Lian.

The two little girls were so envious in their hearts.

Jia Lian changed into his casual clothes and went out. When Feng Jieer came back, she saw Xiangling folding the quilt and making the bed.

"Where is your second master?"

"The Second Master has gone out."

Xiangling secretly felt lucky that she did not indulge in pleasure and stay in bed, otherwise the Second Mistress would come in and see her and would definitely be unhappy.

……

Jia Lian took his two maids, Aqi and Aqin, and went directly to Xue's house in a carriage.

He originally planned to take Ah Qin with him. Because he had not taken her away from Beijing before, she was already quite resentful, so Jia Lian wanted to make up for it after he came back.

When he went to call her, the two sisters were there, so Jia Lian took them along as well.

Xue family.

Before the poetry club started, Baochai asked Ying'er to come back and inform Aunt Xue to prepare dinner.

When the poetry club ended, Baochai rushed back as soon as possible and personally prepared some of Jia Lian's favorite meals in the kitchen.

During this time, Aunt Xue came to visit twice. Seeing her daughter willingly cooking soup for her lover, she opened her mouth several times but said nothing.

It was not until it was getting dark that she asked someone to call Baochai into the house and said earnestly, "Bao girl..."

Baochai, who had been busy all afternoon and was slightly sweaty, saw this and said in surprise, "Mom, just say what you want to say. Why are you hiding anything from your daughter?"

Aunt Xue glanced at Ying'er who was beside Baochai, and Ying'er tactfully left the room.

Then Aunt Xue sat down next to Baochai and looked her up and down. Baochai felt a little embarrassed after looking at her so much.

"Mom just wants to talk to you about you and Lian'er."

Hearing this, Baochai immediately calmed down, "Mother, please speak."

Aunt Xue didn't know how to start the conversation, so she had to beat around the bush: "Girl, do you like your second brother Lian very much?"

"Why do you say that, mother? Wasn't it you who made the decision to give your daughter to Brother Lian?"

"Although this is the case, you and your brother are both my favorite. If you don't want to, can I force you to do it?"

Baochai was unsure of Aunt Xue's intention for a moment, and after a moment's hesitation, she replied, "Mother, you are worrying too much. Second Brother Lian is a very good person, and he is also very good to me. I... have nothing to object to..."

How could Aunt Xue not know her daughter? Upon hearing this, she knew that her daughter still liked Jia Lian.

She sighed secretly and suddenly asked, "How far have you and your Lian'er come? Has he ever bullied you?"

Aunt Xue remembered that Baochai stayed in the Grand View Garden every day. Although Xiangyun and Baoqin were there, since her daughter and Jia Lian were interested in each other, it would be easy for them to do something extraordinary.

Baochai was so smart that she understood what Aunt Xue wanted to ask as soon as she opened her mouth.

She immediately said in shame and anger: "What did mother say..."

Baochai wanted to refute, but after all, she was her mother. She endured for a while and explained, "Second Brother Lian is a gentleman. He naturally wouldn't bully others, let alone his daughter."

Aunt Xue was in a trance for a moment when she heard her daughter righteously say that Jia Lian was a gentleman. "That's good..."

Aunt Xue took her daughter's hand, patted it, and said earnestly: "You should have heard about Lian'er being dismissed from office in their house today..."

Before Aunt Xue finished speaking, Baochai immediately looked up, somewhat surprised and shocked, but she finally said quietly, "What do you mean by saying this, mother?"

"Alas, you are my only daughter, so whatever I do, you are the first thing I consider.

Although your second brother Lian is an extremely outstanding person, ambitious, capable, and has a good interpersonal relationship, I was completely relieved when I promised you to him.

But then again, he already has Feng Yatou and Lin Yatou...

For your future, I want to have an open heart talk with you. Are you really willing to follow him, even if you have to be inferior to Feng Yatou and Lin Yatou in the future?"

Baochai didn't say anything, but just stared at her mother in a daze.

Aunt Xue flinched at her daughter's look and said hurriedly, "Don't lose face. While things between you and Lian'er haven't been finalized yet, you might as well think about it carefully.

With your appearance and character, any young man in the world is a good match for you. There is no need to put yourself in a difficult position."

Baochai understood Aunt Xue's thoughts at this time, and she said slowly: "At the beginning, it was mother who wanted to save my brother and took the initiative to promise me to Second Brother Lian.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

Thanks to my second brother Lian who did not abandon me and never used this as a threat, he allowed me to make my own decisions about my life.

After her mother's persuasion, the daughter finally made up her mind and decided to stay by his side for the rest of her life.

But now, because Second Brother Lian is temporarily out of power, Mother has started to regret her decision. Isn't this ungrateful and ruthless? "

Aunt Xue blushed at what Baochai said, and immediately retorted: "How can you say that about your mother? I am doing this for your sake!"

If you are really determined to follow him and are willing to sacrifice yourself for him, would I still force you?

It's just that there's still room for things to turn around, and I want you to think about it carefully again, and don't wait until one day in the future to regret it. This is my mother's love and care for me, and you don't appreciate it, but you say I'm ungrateful and ungrateful. "

"I won't hide it from you. After I came back from their house, I sent someone to inquire about it.

It is true that your second brother Lian was dismissed from office, not only from the position of commander of the West City Military Department, but also from the position of commander of the Imperial Guard Firearms Battalion, which your second brother Lian had built himself.

Now the court has issued a new appointment, and the new official has taken office!
It’s not that I’m so short-sighted as to value these two official positions. With your second brother Lian’s ability, as long as he is willing, what kind of official position can’t he get?

I’m worried about something else…”

Baochai frowned and asked, "Mother, are you talking about Second Brother Lian's background?"

"Isn't that right?"

"You are also a smart child. It has been a few days since the incident in the capital, and there have been countless rumors outside.

They all say that the prince is plotting treason, but who can tell the real reason?
You may not know this, but your uncle returned to Beijing this morning."

"Uncle?" Baochai was shocked. The Xue family now had little to rely on.

In addition to the old friends and relatives accumulated over the past hundred years, the Xue family's biggest support at present is her uncle Wang Ziteng.

Wang Ziteng is also someone that anyone needs to think carefully before having any bad intentions towards the Xue family.

Aunt Xue nodded and said, "Your uncle is a veteran official of two dynasties and is in charge of nine provinces. How come he came back out of nowhere?

This morning I sent someone to deliver a visiting card to your uncle's house, but your uncle said that he had just returned and was too busy at home to receive us. He would come to visit us again when he was free in two days.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, I asked someone to get a lot of information from your uncle's entourage.

In fact, your uncle was not summoned back to Beijing by the emperor, but he led troops back from outside the Great Wall..."

Aunt Xue told Baochai all the news she had heard, as well as some of her own speculations.

"In short, judging from all aspects of the situation, this is definitely not as simple as the Crown Prince's rebellion. Considering that the emperor returned to the capital yesterday and killed so many old ministers, I am afraid that it is true what those people said, that the current emperor and the emperor emeritus are fighting each other."

In fact, Emperor Ningkang's attempt to abdicate and the failure of the retired emperor were no secret among the powerful people in the empire. After all, the retired emperor denounced Emperor Ningkang for treason in front of so many officers, soldiers and ministers.

Therefore, many people know the truth, but they dare not spread it, so the truth can only spread in the form of rumors.

Aunt Xue was only a woman in the inner chamber, and the incident happened not long ago, so it was difficult for her to obtain accurate and useful information.

However, she was able to pinpoint the truth based on only the information circulating in the outside world and her own guesses, which was quite a feat.

If she is like this, let alone Baochai, who is even better than her teacher.

Baochai immediately recalled the conversation between Jia Lian and Aqin at noon, which contained a lot of key information.

“I wasn’t sure at first, but after learning that Lian’er was dismissed from all official positions, I finally figured out all the key points.

Think about it, if the current emperor really forced the emperor to abdicate and seize power, given your second brother Lian's status, how could he not be afraid?

No matter how much the emperor originally valued your second brother Lian, under this premise, even if your second brother Lian does not lose his life in the future, I am afraid he will never be able to make a comeback.

Don't blame me for being heartless, but our Xue family really can't stand the failures.

Whether it's for the Xue family or for yourself, if your second brother Lian is destined to have no hope of a career, what are you trying to achieve by following him so humbly?"

Baochai couldn't tell what her mood was, but looking at Aunt Xue's frank eyes, she believed that her mother was indeed thinking about her. Maybe not entirely, but definitely some of it.

"I understand what mother said. Your daughter will seriously consider it."

Aunt Xue was delighted when she heard this: "Don't feel any psychological pressure. Your second brother Lian is not a cruel person. Even if he is unhappy, he will not do anything to you or me for the sake of our relationship."

Baochai suddenly felt sad when she heard this: "Even if Second Brother Lian is magnanimous and doesn't bear grudges, how can you and I face him again in the future?"

Aunt Xue was speechless, but then she became firm again.

There was nothing to be embarrassed about. She had already paid the price to save her son, and he was the one who specifically asked for it.

He was the one who said at the beginning that he would not force his daughter and that everything would depend on her wishes. Now I am not forcing my daughter to go back on her word, I am just asking her to think more about it. What's wrong with that?
...(End of chapter)