Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 350: It’s just a test, you really take it off!
The person who came this time was Eunuch Sun, the Queen's close confidant, and his attitude was very good.

Eunuch Sun waited for Lady Jia and others to pay their respects and stand up, then announced the Empress's decree, granting each Lady Jia and Wang Xifeng a piece of imperial robe to wear when they entered the palace on the third day of the first lunar month.

What did you say, Madam Wang? Your rank is not high enough! Your husband is only a fifth-rank official. He was able to enter the palace thanks to Yuanchun's blessing.

After Eunuch Sun left, Grandmother Jia seemed drunk, her face red and her neck thick, and she was staggering as she walked. Wang Xifeng was even more miserable, as she had not been able to stand up when Eunuch Sun left just now, and this time she had to be supported when she walked.

Just as Grandmother Jia was about to speak, another maid came in through the door and spoke incoherently: "Someone from the palace... is coming!"

Grandmother Jia wanted to stand up, but she was a little weak. Yuanyang reached out to help her up and said, "Oh my God!"

Before they left, Qiu Shian had already walked into the courtyard. Seeing Grandmother Jia, he took the initiative to step forward and raised his hand to support her: "Old Lady, there is no need to bow. We are here to give the Jia family some New Year's goods."

Before Lady Jia could say anything polite, Qiu Shian turned to Wang Xifeng and bowed slightly: "Madam, some of the New Year's goods are specially prepared for the little county lady!"

Qiu Shian came and left quickly. After explaining everything clearly, he indicated that there was no need to be polite and there was no need to see him off, and then he turned and left.

Grandmother Jia still struggled to see them to the door, and saw a carriage parked in the front yard, piled high with New Year's goods bestowed by the Emperor on the Jia family.

As for who represents the Jia family, the blind man eating dumplings knows it well.

Three waves of people came to the palace one after another, each one more powerful than the last. When Jia's mother returned to her room, she felt exhausted and said, "I'm tired. Let's go and rest for a while."

Grandmother Jia went straight to the back to rest. Lady Wang, Wang Xifeng and others watched her go, and then they all left as nothing happened.

From beginning to end, Mrs. Wang managed to remain calm. After returning to the Central Courtyard, she was really dissatisfied with everything, but she couldn't get angry.

Seeing Baoyu running all the way, the maids and servants behind him were panting and could no longer restrain themselves.

"What the hell are you doing here, you useless bastards? If Baoyu runs so fast, who's to blame if he falls? Come on, slap him ten times in the face."

Jia Baoyu thought that he was going to be beaten and his face turned pale with fear. His mother had always loved him, so what happened today?
Several servants came out and slapped the four maids and servants around Baoyu ten times on the face. After that, their faces were covered with slap marks.

Mrs. Wang saw that Baoyu was frightened, and she could not help but pull his hand and sit down with a distressed look on her face, saying, "Son, you must strive to be good and study hard. Your mother's reputation is all counting on you."

There was a look of confusion in Baoyu's eyes, as if he was saying, why does mother force me to study?
Wang Xifeng tried hard to keep a straight face but couldn't suppress the smile. When she returned home, she finally could no longer hide her smile.

The bright smile seems to light up the gloomy sky!
"Ping'er, go check out what New Year's goods Qiaojie has, and don't let those idiots into the warehouse."

Ping'er left as told, and Wang Xifeng, who sat down, finally felt completely proud.

It's not easy to be the head of Rongguo Mansion. There's pressure from Grandmother Jia above, Lady Wang in the middle to consider, and people below who pretend to obey but actually disobey.

After what happened today, if anyone dares to disobey and play tricks in the future, even Grandmother Jia will not be able to protect them.

Humph, along the way, some women who used to rely on their age and said they were obedient but not really obeyed, let's see which one of them dares to disobey in the future.

What happened today must have been known to everyone, especially Qiu Shian’s attitude at that time. Who doesn’t know who His Majesty asked Qiu Shian to deliver the New Year’s goods for?

The so-called New Year's goods for the young county lady are actually nothing special, just some clothes and daily necessities, but you have to see who gives them.

If it can be said that Lady Jia found a little bit of the charm that the two dukes had in the past, what Wang Xifeng felt was the power second only to one person in the backyard.

Will Mrs. Wang's words still be heard in Rongguo Mansion from now on? Believe it or not, when Mrs. Wang asks someone to do something, 80% of them will ask Wang Xifeng first.

What happened to my dear aunt? The second wife occupied the middle courtyard, which was equivalent to occupying Rongxi Hall. This should have been the place of the first wife.

Jia Lian was very busy today. First of all, he had to distribute benefits to his subordinates. The inspection team was simple and crude, with each person receiving a New Year's gift of fifty silver dollars. After distributing the money, they announced a holiday, and the clerks arranged shifts. The overtime pay for the New Year's duty day was five taels of silver, enough for a family of five to spend during the New Year.

Then I went to the Research and Development Department. There were more things to be distributed here. In addition to money, there were also food and clothes. Everyone went home with big and small bags when they went on holiday. If we were to say which department worked the hardest during the Chinese New Year, it would naturally be the Wucheng Military Department. They were responsible for public security, water and fire, and sanitation. During the Chinese New Year, they took turns on duty to ensure that they could dispatch enough people at any time to deal with unexpected banquets.

The treatment of the Wucheng Bingmasi was also very good, which was the premise to ensure that the most reliable armed forces in Jia Lian's hands obeyed his orders. The New Year's goods were simply distributed to avoid outsiders being jealous, and the New Year's fees were very generous. After a year, all the various fees collected were reserved for next year, and the rest were distributed. The lowest-level soldiers were each given ten silver dollars.

It can be said that after Jia Lian came to the Wucheng Bingmasi, the overall welfare benefits increased significantly. As for the imperial censors who patrolled the city, they usually had ways to make money, but Jia Lian did not allow them to share the profits with the soldiers.

Thinking of the time last year when he was drinking sand in Zhangjiakou, Jia Lian was very emotional. He arranged to be on duty during the New Year, and Jia Lian took the initiative to request to be on duty on New Year's Eve, and the others would take turns.

After completing the arrangements, Jia Lian went to the south of the city. After comforting the twin sisters, his work for the day was considered over.

Just when Jia Lian was about to go home, Ni Er came and handed over an envelope with both hands. Jia Lian took it out and looked at it, then smiled and said, "You've done well this year! Where's the 20,000 taels?"

Ni Er quickly said, "Thanks to Second Master's care, otherwise I wouldn't be where I am today."

Jia Lian handed the silver to his sister with a smile, and said, "Keep an eye on your own affairs, and keep the people under you in check. If anything goes wrong during the New Year, I will deal with you. Also, how about that fake nun?"

"After leaving Xuanzhen Temple last time, he moved into Tiekan Temple again. He has been relatively well behaved. Don't worry, Second Master. I have sent someone to keep an eye on him."

Jia Lian was quite surprised by this answer. His intuition had always told him that the fake nun was not simple, but her fate also showed that she was closely related to the Zhen family. The Zhen family was now driven into poverty by the emperor, waiting for the day when the emperor died. As soon as the emperor died, the Dragon Guard would rush into the Jia family.

Could the Zhen family not see that the situation was not good? Impossible, unless the Zhen family were all stupid.

The life and death of the Zhen family, who were far away in Jiangning, had nothing to do with Jia Lian. What Jia Lian was worried about was that the family would become desperate and cause an accident.

It is not difficult for the Great Zhou military to get an igniter, but what if they are fired upon by dozens of guns or muskets on the road?
"Let's go out of the city today while we are still free. We still have time." Jia Lian thought for a moment and decided to go to the wrong place rather than go to the wrong place. The snow on both sides of the road was very thick, and there was a thin layer of ice on the road surface, which made the horseshoes click when they stepped on it. With such a road surface, even if you want to run fast, you are afraid of hurting the horseshoes.

A group of more than 20 people arrived at Tiekan Temple. Jia Lian dismounted from his horse. A little nun named Zhineng stuck her head out to take a look and then turned around and shouted, "The second master of the master's family is here again."

Jia Lian was speechless for a while. Am I that scary? The panic-stricken look gave Jia Lian a sense of déjà vu that [the Japanese devils have entered the village again]!
Little nun, don't think I don't know about your affair with Qin Zhong!
I stepped over the threshold in disappointment. All that was left of the peach tree in the front yard was the trunk. With a slight breeze, the snow began to fall off the trunk.

Planting peach trees to ward off evil in a place full of filth and dirt is a sign of self-awareness.

The old nun came out in panic. In the courtyard of the west wing, the fake nun stopped acting and came out dressed like an ordinary girl. She stood behind the half-high courtyard wall and looked at Jia Lian.

People like the old nun can be dealt with by paying a little money, so it's not difficult to deal with them, and they keep their mouths shut. Jia Lian turned his head and glanced at her, then went to the west wing without even looking at her.

Zhuzi came forward and stuffed a hundred-liang silver note into his hand: "New Year's money!" Then he stuffed two silver dollars into Zhineng's face, which looked frightened: "You have some too!"

The old nun looked at Jia Lian's back eagerly, thinking that there would be more to come after Youshi. She was also thinking about introducing a few resentful women in the boudoir to her and making some money.

"Let's go in and talk?" He found that there was only a maid in the yard. This woman didn't look like a death warrior at first glance, so Jia Lian was naturally not afraid.

After entering, Jia Lian sat down on the kang with his horse and sword, tilting his head to look at the pitiful woman in front of him.

"Who are you?" Jia Lian had never figured out her background, so he just went straight to the point.

"Poor homeless man!" The fake nun still looked pitiful, but if she became more impatient, she would pounce on him and push him down on the kang.

"Although there is no evidence, I don't believe a word you say. I'm not afraid to tell you, this is the capital, and someone has informed me of your every move."

The fake nun's body stiffened for a moment, but soon returned to normal. "My name is Zhen Huan, and I am the daughter of the concubine of the former Jinan Tongpan. I was not allowed to marry into the family because my mother did not allow me to marry into the family. I was implicated in the Jining Rebellion, and my father was imprisoned and later beheaded at Caishikou. My mother died of illness after hearing the news, and I went to Beijing alone to collect her body. If you don't believe me, just go and check."

Jia Lian was shocked and stood up suddenly: "Why, are you still a daughter of the Zhen family?"

"My father is already five generations away from the family. If it weren't for the success in the imperial examination, the Zhen family wouldn't even acknowledge this relative. I came to them for help, but they gave me a little change. I'm afraid I'll be implicated!"

The woman spoke slowly and logically, so slowly that Jia Lian even thought he had made a mistake.

Am I too sensitive? Jia Lian muttered silently in his heart, slowly sat back down, and suddenly stood up again, staring into Zhen Huan's eyes with a sharp gaze: "Since you are homeless, why don't you be my concubine? Otherwise, how can a weak woman, alone in the capital, make a living?"

I thought I could tell something from her eyes, but she closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, then opened them and looked at Jia Lian, lowered her head, and whispered, "If you don't mind, I will obey you." Jia Lian was speechless. Why did you agree? You can act, right? I want to see how well you can act.

"Just agree to it. It's better to do it now than to wait for another day. Let's do it now. Let the maid close the door and get the good thing done first." Jia Lian stood up and walked forward with a sly smile on his face.

"Can't we wait until tonight?" Zhen Huan's body trembled slightly, and her voice trembled. Jia Lian gritted his teeth and hardened his heart. Weak women are meant to be bullied: "Now!"

Zhen Huan lowered his head, slowly raised his hand and put it down again. After twice, he finally put his hand on the buttons for the third time and unbuttoned one with great difficulty.

Jia Lian was dumbfounded. I was just testing you. Are you really going to take it off?

He dared not stay any longer, or his conscience would be breached. Jia Lian walked forward, pulled the maid who was closing the door, pushed the door open and went out, and then turned back and said, "Take care of yourself!"

"I will wait for you to come next time, sir! I am not going anywhere!" Zhen Huan still lowered her head when speaking, and her tone became much smoother and a little more delicate.

Jia Lian was secretly annoyed. How could I have such a moral bottom line? How great it would be if I could have the same moral standards as Xue Pan in the original novel.

"I am sending you off!"

After Jia Lian got on his horse, he bowed his head and said to the old nun, "Take good care of her! Report any problems immediately!"

"Don't worry, Second Master!" The old nun quickly agreed. Jia Lian took out a hundred-yuan bill from his sleeve, threw it to the old nun, turned around and rode away, not wanting to stay any longer.

He was involved with Youshi because of Jia Zhen's actions and the future of the East Palace. He would not be able to live with his conscience if he ruined the body of a woman just because of suspicion for no reason.

Of course, there was one last doubt, Jia Lian had to wait until someone was sent to investigate. Who should he send to investigate? Of course, it was Xia Gang.

From the perspective of identity, Zhen Huan really has no flaws. It seems that she is quite hostile to the Zhen family, which makes Jia Lian a little hesitant.

On the way back, the sky, which had been gloomy all day, finally started to snow, and it seemed like it was going to snow heavily.

When he returned to the Jia Mansion, he saw goose feathers falling all over the sky, covering the capital's sky. It looked like it would continue to snow all night, and Jia Lian could not help but frown.

Never underestimate the snow. Every winter when it snows heavily, at least dozens of people freeze to death in one night. It is normal to collect them and drag them out of the city the next morning and bury them in pits.

What a good place it is. There are so many poor people and beggars. Jia Lian can see them.

"Master is back, is it holiday?" Wang Xifeng, who had been excited all day, came out to greet him with a red face. Jia Lian didn't know what was going on, so he answered casually: "It's snowing heavily, I'm afraid I'll be busy tomorrow. Maybe this holiday will be delayed!"

"Doesn't the Five Cities Military Department have a new head censor? Why does my father still need to worry about it?" Wang Xifeng asked in confusion. She actually knew what the job of the Five Cities Military Department was.

"If you have this power, you must do your job well. Otherwise, how can you collect all kinds of fees? Without money, how can you support the people below you? How can you make the soldiers below you obey? Besides, when something happens, they don't recognize me, especially at the end of the year. After a long time, the soldiers below don't recognize me, and no one will listen to me in the future. Don't just see the benefits of being in power, but also grab the power. Power is something that cannot be seen or felt. In fact, it is very simple. If someone does what you say, then that is power."

Jia Lian did not say anything about being short-sighted, but explained patiently. The closest person in the Jia family is Wang Xifeng, and he has no patience with her, so how can he be assured of the backyard?

(End of this chapter)