Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 251: The Merit of Rescue
Jia Lian really wanted to rush to the front and appear in front of the emperor with blood all over his face, so that the whole play would come alive.

But it was just a thought. As soon as he took a step, he was held down by Zhang San and his son. The seven or eight family generals in front blocked any possible risks. These family generals did not persuade Jia Lian, but directly used their strength to hold him down, not giving him any chance to take risks.

Jia Lian could only sigh and look at the backs of the Shenjiying troops marching to the beat of drums in front of him.

The dull air was particularly depressing, smoke rose behind the fire, and the pungent smoke lingered for a long time.

Go forward, stop, raise your gun, and shoot.

Jia Lian could only stand two hundred meters away and watch it all.

The breeze brought a slight smell of blood, which gradually became strong and nauseating.

Jia Lian was already used to it and just sniffed slightly.

The gunfire continued. Even though the believers who had attacked Xihua Gate had fled in all directions, the Shenji Camp still refused to let them go.

Finally, I heard a sentence: "Fit the bayonet!"

The square formation in front finally dispersed, and the Shenji Battalion entered a free pursuit state.

This isn't called war, it's just like a game.

It's just a bloody game.

Jia Lian totally couldn't understand these people's train of thought. How could a mere few hundred people dare to charge into the imperial palace?

This must be a coincidence, because the man in Xishan couldn't be that stupid.

In the Qianqing Palace, when Emperor Chenghui heard the shouts and screams, he was angry at first, but then he sat quietly with his clenched fists on the desk, opening and closing them.

Qiu Shian was out and not around, so a young eunuch came in every quarter or so to report the news.

"Saint, the guards at Xihua Gate are still holding their ground."

"Saint, more than half of the guards at Xihua Gate have been killed or wounded, and the palace gates have been closed."

"Saint, the guards at Xihua Gate have repelled the thieves temporarily."

"Saint, the Divine Machine Battalion appears."

As soon as the eunuch left, Empress Zhou came in, walked silently to Emperor Chenghui, sat down with him, and held his hand.

The couple smiled at each other, and their expressions became relaxed.

After Qiu Shian lit an incense stick, Qiu Shian appeared and said, "Sage, Lord Jia led the Shenji Camp to drive away the thieves. Would you like to see him?"

Emperor Chenghui showed a relaxed expression and said calmly: "No need, Jia Lian will come to report after he finishes his work, don't delay him."

In a private house, Dai Quan was followed by a dozen followers, who were holding the door tightly. At the moment, Dai Quan was in a very miserable state. He didn't know where his golden crown was lost, and his shoes were also lost. He looked terrified and didn't care about his wet crotch.

Knock, knock, knock! Someone was banging on the door, shouting, "Open the door! The Five Cities Army is here to arrest the rebels."

When his men looked over, Dai Quan finally breathed a sigh of relief, sat down on the ground and said, "Move the ladder and take a closer look."

Soon the men came back, "It is indeed the Five Cities Military Command. Jia Lian is also outside."

Dai Quan's face was completely distorted. Why was it this bastard again?

"Open the door!" Dai Quan really didn't want to open the door, but he knew very well that Jia Lian would not mind breaking in and shooting him to death. Therefore, he should not resist and take the initiative to open the door. This was the way to survive.

The door opened, and the people from the Five Cities Army rushed in. Jia Lian, who was outside the door, stamped his feet in annoyance when he learned that Dai Quan was inside. He thought that the idiot would find a place to hide. If he was outside, he could kill him without any care. But in a private house, there were residents around, and killing him openly would cause too much trouble in the future and could not be solved.

I could only sigh regretfully: "I'll go in and take a look."

"Oh, isn't this Chief Steward Dai? What's that smell?" Jia Lian glanced at the embarrassed Dai Quan and raised his hand to cover his nose. The smell was too strong. He wanted to humiliate him severely, but before he even started, Dai Quan showed a reckless expression and said, "Master Jia, if you have anything to say, just say it. If I get angry, I will lose."

MD, this old guy without eggs is really not simple.

Just one word "ha" made Jia Lian speechless, but Jia Lian had no intention of letting him go.

"I have something to discuss with Chief Steward Dai alone. Everyone who is not involved please leave."

What are irrelevant people? Of course, they are people other than the parties involved. Jia Lian’s family guards did not go out.

It’s not that Jia Lian wants to use his superior numbers to bully the weak, he just doesn’t want to get his hands dirty.

Dai Quan knew that he couldn’t get through the day, so he closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, squatted down, and held his head.

The expected beating did not occur, but several hot streams poured on his head. Dai Quan even licked it, and then his eyes went dark and he fainted.

Jia Lian walked forward and took a look. He saw blood coming out of the corner of his mouth. Great, he had vomited blood.

"Let's go!" After letting out a breath of anger, Jia Lian hummed a little tune happily, recalling the women of different skin colors who were half-naked and needed him to save on the streets of Los Angeles or Seattle.

"Alas, it can only be a memory." Jia Lian said to himself. The family guards were used to it and always heard some strange content.

Before entering the palace to ask for an audience, Jia Lian deliberately stepped in a pool of blood before stepping forward to request notification.

"Hey, young master, don't wait for the notification. Hurry up and come in with us." Qiu Shian appeared. He had actually been waiting and was getting a little impatient.

Jia Lian thanked him with a smile and followed slowly behind. Qiu Shian didn't say much either, but it was obvious that there was a slight difference in their attitudes, and the barrier between the two seemed a little thinner.

When he stepped over the threshold and saw Emperor Chenghui standing in the middle of the hall with Empress Zhou standing beside him, Jia Lian straightened his clothes first, then stepped forward with a serious face and bowed respectfully: "I, your humble servant Jia Lian, kowtow to your majesty and to Her Royal Highness the Empress. Long live the emperor, and long live Her Royal Highness."

For the first time, Emperor Chenghui did not show any false affection, nor did he stop Jia Lian from bowing. Instead, he pulled the queen along and accepted Jia Lian's great courtesy. Then he said, "Stand up!"

Jia Lian stood up, and when Emperor Chenghui looked at him carefully, Empress Zhou said, "Your Majesty, the young master's shoes are dirty."

Jia Lian subconsciously pulled his feet back, trying to hide his bloodstained shoes. Emperor Chenghui laughed and said, "Don't hide it. There's still blood on the front of your clothes."

"I have failed to behave properly in front of Your Majesty and have startled Her Majesty the Queen. I am guilty."

Emperor Chenghui smiled but said nothing. Empress Zhou spoke up, "If you are guilty, many people will die today."

Jia Lian wanted to speak, but Emperor Chenghui raised his hand to interrupt him: "Tell me what happened."

Jia Lian did not tell a single lie, and he did not even hide the fact that he had made the enemy look bad. Instead, he said indignantly, "I regret that I was unable to kill this thief."

According to Jia Lian, the first meritorious service went to Captain Yang, followed by the officers and soldiers of the Shenji Camp, and then the Wucheng Bingma Division. He did not mention his own merits, but Emperor Chenghui knew very well that Jia Lian was the first meritorious service today. He did not mention it because it was unnecessary. The emperor was not stupid, and boasting would only bring down his reputation.

"My dear, is Dai Quan a suspect?" Emperor Chenghui asked this question suddenly. Jia Lian had already made many preparations, but he still hesitated for a long time before answering: "I dare not speak rashly. I think Dai Quan just happened to show up. His original intention was to cause trouble for me."

"How should I deal with this matter? Do you have any suggestions?" Emperor Chenghui threw out another painful question.

"Your Majesty, I think that you should summon all the cabinet ministers immediately to discuss this matter." Jia Lian had no choice but to answer like this. Since the emperor asked, he had to answer. Even if there was no clear answer, he had to give a reasonable suggestion.

"As for you, I don't know how to describe you. If you say you are calm, you do things that make people laugh and cry. It would be better to chop that guy off with a knife and leave him a useless guy who hates you to the core. There will be so many tricks waiting for you in the future. If you say you are erratic, you always push others out at every critical moment." After saying this, Emperor Chenghui rubbed his forehead, wanting to be angry and laugh.

Queen Zhou smiled and said, "Your Majesty, Jia Lian is still a child."

"You are a fifth-rank minister, how can you be a child? I am troubled by your contribution in saving the emperor this time."

The couple must have discussed this and performed a duet. Empress Zhou immediately took over and said, "Marquis Jia En can be awarded a title."

Jia Lian immediately said, "Your Highness, my father should just forget it."

Empress Zhou seemed to be arguing with Jia Lian. When she heard him politely decline the reward for Jia She, she asked with a smile, "What about the reward for Baoyu from the second wife?"

When Jia Lian heard this, he cooperated and remained silent for a while. Emperor Chenghui was obviously trying to hold back his laughter, as he enjoyed seeing this guy make a fool of himself.

"My wife is pregnant, and Your Highness insists on rewarding me. Why not wait until my wife gives birth to a child before rewarding her?" Jia Lian was really not generous at all. This kind of benefit would never be given to outsiders.

When Empress Zhou heard this, she said to Emperor Chenghui: "Your Majesty, I beg for mercy."

Emperor Chenghui smiled and agreed: "As long as I can do it, please ask."

"Jia Lian is a family-oriented child, and he will definitely be a good father in the future." Empress Zhou said with a smile, and Emperor Chenghui clapped his hands and said with a smile: "Then I will remember it first. When his wife gives birth to a child, I will reward him."

Jia Lian lowered his head and twisted his mouth. This couple are really good actors.

Qiu Shian appeared: "Saint, Your Highness, the ministers are here."

Queen Zhou stood up and said, "I will take my leave."

Jia Lian also said, "I will take my leave."

Emperor Chenghui nodded, and when Jia Lian left, he met Kong Zhao, Liang Daoyuan, and Guo Yan who was jogging towards him, but he did not see Li Sanjiang and Li Chi.

Jia Lian greeted him politely, but Kong Zhao grabbed his wrist and asked, "What's the situation outside?"

Jia Lian pretended that he had not broken free and answered angrily, "The bandits attacked Xihua Gate but were stopped by the guards. I was patrolling with my men and happened to run into them and defeated them. The Nine Gates Control Office has already been notified, so there should be people guarding the gates by now."

After Jia Lian left, Emperor Chenghui said to Qiu Shian, "The Cabinet is not far from the Palace of Heavenly Purity. Normally, it would only take about a quarter of an hour to walk there, right?"

Qiu Shian knew what Emperor Chenghui meant, and replied with a smile: "Perhaps the ministers were frightened."

Emperor Chenghui stared out the gate, his hands behind his back, in a daze, and didn't say anything for a long time. Qiu Shian had said everything he needed to say, so he stood aside quietly. What do you mean by frightened? It should be said that they are waiting for the situation to calm down. It's not that the elders are afraid of death, but they are waiting for the result.

What the ministers feared was the open fighting between the two generations of emperors. If they got involved, they would die at the least, but their families would be implicated at the worst.

This is the normal logic of the civil officials in the imperial examination. On the contrary, people like Jia Lian, who come from a noble family and have already chosen their side, will rush forward regardless of everything and defeat the bandits. If it were not a coincidence, Jia Lian would not do it, but would wait for orders and proceed to the next step.

The three cabinet ministers entered, and Kong Zhao took the lead in apologizing: "I am late and deserve the death penalty!" Liang Daoyuan followed.

Guo Yan said something else: "I came from the Ministry of Rites. The streets along the way were in chaos and I was delayed. I deserve the death penalty."

One sentence made the matter clear. The first two were in the cabinet, just a few steps away from the Qianqing Palace.

Kong Zhao and Liang Daoyuan knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I am guilty of death!"

He didn't even make any excuses and simply admitted his guilt.

Emperor Chenghui looked at them silently for a few seconds before speaking: "Get up, this happened suddenly and I am confused. What crime have you committed?"

The two ministers then stood up, and Kong Zhao continued, "Your Majesty, Jia Lian showed up in time to drive away the rebels, and he should be credited with the greatest merit in protecting the emperor. I think that not closing the street is not enough to reward him for his merit."

Liang Daoyuan followed suit, seemingly without any brains.

Guo Yan once again attacked his two superiors: "Your Majesty, Jia Lian is still young, and I am afraid that a generous reward will hurt his foundation."

Liang Daoyuan immediately retorted: "In ancient times, there was Gan Luo..."

Guo Yan immediately interrupted him: "I know you want to say this, but you better not say it. What was Gan Luo's fate?"

This sentence made Liang Daoyuan blush, but fortunately Emperor Chenghui said in time: "Okay, stop arguing."

It is said that Empress Zhou did not return to the Qianqing Palace, but turned around and went to Yuanchun.

Yuanchun, who was pregnant, learned that the Queen had arrived, and went out to greet her with her bulging belly.

Empress Zhou quickly asked someone to help her up: "No need to be polite, just help her up quickly."

After staying for about half an hour, Empress Zhou said goodbye and left. Before she left, she said, "Jia Lian has done a great service in saving the emperor. Your Majesty will reward him with the child in Wang's belly."

After hearing this, Yuanchun nervously pressed her stomach. Seeing this, Empress Zhou couldn't help but laugh and said, "Don't let your imagination run wild."

On the way back, Empress Zhou raised her lips slightly, thinking, "Who doesn't know the relationship between the first and second houses of the Jia family? My cousin is still one level lower. I can make some trouble with the third uncle. Unfortunately, the third uncle is not good at doing things. He has not done anything for his three uncles. He is too embarrassed to see Jia Lian now. I have to ask someone to remind him."

After leaving the palace, Jia Lian couldn't help twitching his cheeks when he thought of Kong Zhao's previous actions. You guys are so smart.

Jia Lian soon found out that there were even smarter people. Li Sanjiang and Li Chi were stopped by the Nine Gates Commander and could not enter the inner city. When Jia Lian found out, he could not help but take a deep breath.

Jia Lian was also busy at the moment, doing the aftermath work. The officers and soldiers of the Shenjiying Camp and the Wucheng Bingmasi from all over the inner city gathered outside Xihua Gate, waiting for Jia Lian's dispatch. When Sun, the commander of the Nine Gates, arrived, he was stopped by the Wucheng Bingmasi.

Ning Yuanhou was extremely nervous at this moment. The reason why he was transferred back from Liaodong and appointed as the commander of the Nine Gates was not because of his great merit, but because he had a bad relationship with the people in Liaodong and was an outlier among the nobles.

As a result, after taking office as the commander of the Nine Gates, he encountered various constraints and sidelining. Before he could get control of the situation, something went wrong.

After learning that the gaffe was calmed down by Jia Lian, he immediately ordered the nine gates to be sealed and no one was allowed to enter or leave. Then he wanted to meet Jia Lian before entering the palace to see the emperor and understand the situation, but he didn't want to be stopped.

Fortunately, Jia Lian did not make things difficult for him and still invited him in.

The two men had not chatted for a while when Ning Yuanhou's men came to ask for instructions on whether Li Sanjiang and Li Chi, who were stopped outside the inner city, should be released.

(End of this chapter)