Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 52 Guo Shilang’s choice
  Mrs. Wang seemed calm, but in fact she was disgusted by Jia Lian! The nails in the cuffs pricked the palms of his hands, and he suppressed his anger.

If there weren't too many people, Mrs. Wang could jump up and grab Jia Lian's neck and yell: "Yuan Chun is my daughter! My daughter was granted a title by the Jin Dynasty. What does it have to do with this old immortal? Why is it all her fault?"

It's a pity that Mrs. Wang did not dare to express any dissatisfaction. Among the women in the Jia family, Jia's mother was the god.

Any dissatisfied behavior by Mrs. Wang will be interpreted as "unfilial" by the world. This is etiquette!

How do cannibals eat according to ethics? This is one of the concrete manifestations. The daughter-in-law has no right to speak in front of her mother-in-law.

Jia's mother in the crowd attracted everyone's attention, and Mrs. Wang wished she could take her place. Of course, we can only think about it, but it is impossible in reality.

Seeing Mrs. Wang forcing a smile, Jia Lian felt very happy. He knew that there was a kind of person who felt uncomfortable when he saw other people's beauty. Mrs. Wang is probably the same kind of person. Seeing Jia Mu's beauty, she feels very uncomfortable.

It’s okay if it doesn’t feel good! If you don't feel good, I'm happy!

Jia's mother loves liveliness very much. If something happens, she will set up a table to make it lively. Now she will go ahead and set up a drink to celebrate.

When Jia Lian left Rongxi Hall, the lanterns were already on. After drinking a little wine, Jia Lian walked out for a few dozen steps and looked back at the lights in the night and the laughter and laughter in the banquet. What he thought of was that no one had ever thought about Yuan Chun. Is it the wealth gained in a lifetime?
  Jia Lian couldn't help but laugh when he thought of this. He had limitations in looking at the problem with modern thinking. Not to mention the women in the palace, even the women in the Jia Mansion, none of them can go out when they want. They must have a serious name to tell the outside world in order to get out of this high-walled compound. Otherwise, they will be accused of being in public and not observing women's ethics.

For women in this era, the outside world is wonderful, but the outside world is dangerous.

As the Chinese New Year was approaching, the court also had a holiday. It was rare that Jia She didn't go out to hang out and waited for the Chinese New Year at home.

Jia Lian was planning to find an opportunity to formally talk to Jia She and Jia's mother about studying in the Imperial College after the new year. When he didn't want to get up early to say hello, Jia She saw him and said: "Yesterday, the Minister of Rites, Guo Shilang, sent a greeting card. We agreed to come today and don't run around." After hearing this, Jia Lian's face darkened and he thought to himself: "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Seeing his ugly face, Jia She wanted to curse a few words, but he gave up after a second thought. This little beast is no longer what he used to be. His husband is Zhang Ting'en, and his friend is also His Highness the Third Highness. Whether this big room in the east courtyard can overwhelm the second room or not, it depends on him to return to the Hall of Rongxi.

So he said in a tactful and kind tone: "It is better to reconcile enemies than to make enemies. So, if Minister Guo is willing to reconcile, what do you think after we have a fight over everything between the children? You will all be classmates in the Imperial College in the future."

It was rare for Jia She to be so honest here, but Jia Lian was thinking of another possibility. After thinking about it, he asked, "Isn't Guo Shilang a civil servant?" Jia She heard this and smiled and said, "It's true that he is a civil servant. He can't stand up to the chief assistant and the third minister." Your Majesty has approved the three speeches. On the other hand, for the debt settlement, we and the honorable ministers have joined forces, and Your Majesty has made concessions. The Minister of Rites is probably going to join the cabinet. Guo Shilang is determined to take further steps, but his former supporter has fallen. What do you think?"

I'm guessing, did Guo Shilang really vote for Xungui? How stupid does this have to be?

It's not surprising if you think about it carefully. The Xungui Group is extremely powerful at the moment. Didn't Jia Yucun also surrender?

"I guess, I don't care about the affairs of the imperial court." Jia Lian responded casually, with no intention of continuing to ask questions. However, it made Jia She unable to speak out the words he was holding in his mouth. He suddenly felt a little uncomfortable and couldn't bear it. He scolded me again: "You little beast, besides causing trouble, what else can you do? Go to the Imperial College and study hard in the next year, and don't cause trouble again."

Jia Lian simply walked away with his arms folded, muttering to himself as he returned to the yard, I couldn't follow his arrangement, I had to mess with him.

Without saying anything, he went home, changed his clothes, called Xiao An, and the two quietly walked out of the door. Unexpectedly, the concierge saw Jia Lian and Xiao An and quickly stopped them: "My master has given me an order. The second master cannot go out."

Jia Lian, who was always smiling on weekdays, suddenly turned his face at this moment and shouted angrily with a gloomy face: "Get out of here!"

The concierge did not dare to stop him. After all, Jia Lian was the master of the house. He immediately begged: "The second master knows the master's temper. If the villain lets the second master go out, the master is afraid that the villain will be skinned." bone."

Jia Lian raised his foot to kick him, but the concierge turned sideways to avoid it, but did not move away. The kick was neither light nor heavy, and he passed by with a slight tilt of his body. Before he could stop Jia Lian, the porter made a painful plea and watched Jia Lian walk away. Before leaving, he left a very cruel word: "I'll stop you next time." I'll throw it into the dry well in the back garden."

After Jia Lian left and disappeared, the porter gently patted the footprints on his calf. This was the second master Lian in the Rongguo Mansion. If it had been another master, this foot would have been bruised for several days. The concierge felt regretful in his heart [Unfortunately, the second master is not in charge of this Dongkua Courtyard, otherwise the big guy would have had an easier time. 】

Jia Lian didn't go shopping and came to Zhang Ting'en's house. If he was an unfamiliar person, he had to do what Guo Shilang did, and send a greeting card one day in advance. The host's family would send someone to reply and accept the visit. Only then could he come to see him. Otherwise, It's very rude to show up uninvited.

"Ritual" has been immersed in Confucian culture for a long time, penetrated into every aspect of ancient people's lives, and was engraved in people's bones.

As Zhang Ting'en's disciple, Jia Lian would come to visit him at any time, so it was natural that he would not be rude.

Jia Lian, who was familiar with the family, successfully met Zhang Ting'en in the study who was "recuperating". He said he was recuperating, but he really was recuperating. After all, given his age, there was something wrong with him. The imperial doctor in the palace prescribed warm and nourishing prescriptions to slowly recuperate the body.

If it's not a recuperation, there's nothing wrong with it. If you don't believe it, look at one of the two maids your Majesty gave to Zhang Ting'en. Her complexion is much better than before, and her skin is rosy and moist. This place is not deserted.

Perhaps because of the hot weather, the maid went out with a red face. Zhang Ting'en coughed and pretended to be calm.

Jia Lian could only turn his head and look out the window. In the bright winter sun, the shadows of the trees in the courtyard were mottled.

"Why did you come here empty-handed!" Zhang Ting'en shamelessly wanted to turn his back on guests, but he didn't have the confidence to speak.

"I don't care about those who are here to escape!" Jia Lian tried hard not to laugh.

Fortunately, another maid came in with a plate with two hot towels on it. Zhang Ting'en took one and motioned to Jia Lian: "Sit down and talk slowly, escape? It's an interesting statement."

Jia Lian sat down, wiped it with a hot towel, and put it back on the plate. He waited until the maid left before speaking: "Guo Shilang from the Ministry of Rites wants to pay a visit and say he is here to apologize for what happened to Guo Song. He made a very good excuse. It's good, but it's a pity that I don't admit it. But I can't afford to offend that good-for-nothing at home, so I have to escape and hide for a while, and I'll go back tomorrow."

The words were simple and understandable, and Zhang Ting'en naturally heard them clearly. He nodded and said: "The Chief Assistant has already made three remarks! Your Majesty did not reject it this time, but agreed."

When he heard that there was something to eat, Jia Lian suddenly became excited and said, "Why are you so impatient?"

Hearing such direct words from Jia Lian's mouth, Zhang Ting'en showed a satisfied expression. This is the disciple's trust in his husband. Zhang Ting'en still taught him a lesson with a serious face: "You are not allowed to say this outside, and you are not afraid of disaster coming from your mouth." Jia Lian didn't take it seriously at all and said with a crooked mouth: "What the student said is that this Guo Shilang wants to go to a higher level. Lou’s thoughts.”

Zhang Tingen exposed it directly without giving any face: "Do you believe this?" Translation, you even lied to yourself.

Jia Lian smiled and said, "Isn't this why you don't allow nonsense?"

Zhang Ting'en put away his serious expression and said calmly: "I am not afraid of losing the face of a scholar when I speak in plain language."

"I'm so honored!" Jia Lian spoke righteously. Zhang Ting'en paused, smiled bitterly and shook his head. There was nothing wrong with him.

Although I also studied and took the imperial examination, I came from a noble family. This label will stick with me for the rest of my life. Not based on personal preference. There is a saying that Jia Lian did not say, that is, "accompanying the king is like accompanying a tiger." The reason why I didn't mention it is also very simple. Judging from the content of the novel "Dream of Red Mansions", the emperor is still relatively benevolent. The people in the Jia family are so desperate that they ransack the house and still keep Jia Zheng and Jia Lan.

Looking at it this way, even if Zhang Ting'en is to be used as cannon fodder in the future, the outcome will not be too bad. As long as you are not the kind of person with poor mental tolerance, you should be able to enjoy your old age in peace.

"Shilang Guo will be sixty during the Chinese New Year, can you not be anxious?" Zhang Ting'en brought the topic back and explained the reason.

Jia Lian's idea was rather strange. He was thinking of Guo Song's age and couldn't help but ask: "Isn't Guo Song his legitimate son?"

It is also common for men to still be fertile at the age of sixty. Women generally have less fertility after the age of forty. That's why Jia Lian asked this question. Zhang Ting'en laughed and said, "Mrs. Guo is Xu Xian, the youngest sister of the former wife."

So it turned out that Jia Lian suddenly realized that this Guo Shilang was quite unique in terms of family. The ex-wife didn't want to renew her relationship and went straight to her sister-in-law. Tsk, tsk, tsk, maybe she had been thinking about her for a long time. Thinking of Guo Songsheng's appearance, it's not too much to call him a young man. Guo Shilang must also be handsome. This is normal. In ancient times, the imperial examination really judged people by their appearance. Because of their appearance, the imperial examination results were obviously very good, and there were many people whose rankings were affected. People like Zhong Kui are special cases.

Taken together, these news make the future of the Jia family even more worrying.

Think about it, a minister from the Ministry of Rites actually took refuge with a powerful person. What does this mean?
  It shows that the Xungui Group headed by the Four Kings and Eight Dukes is extremely arrogant!
  Wait a minute, judging from the outcome of the Jia family, it can be inferred that the subsequent disintegration of the Xungui Group was the work of His Majesty.

From this we can see that His Majesty is really tolerant! I was bullied like this by the Xungui Group.

A more specific explanation is that there was a tacit understanding between the Xungui Group and the Civil Service Group. In order to break this tacit understanding, Emperor Chenghui took over the chief assistant. What followed was bound to be a fight for the position of chief minister. Due to such a change in the peaceful court situation a year ago, Emperor Chenghui could see more things and operate in more places.

Thinking of this, Jia Lian couldn't help but shuddered and said in a voiceless voice: "What a good idea!"

The two masters and disciples had a good understanding of each other. Zhang Tingen also smiled slightly and said, "See through but don't tell!"

"That's natural!" Jia Lian nodded repeatedly.

"You were right to hide from me! I will send someone to bring a message to your father, saying that I have called you here because of something unexpected."

The two have the status of master and apprentice, so Zhang Ting'en naturally wants to settle Jia She's affairs for Jia Lian.

Let's put it this way, from now on, Jia Lian and Zhang Ting'en will belong to a community of interests. For the time being, Jia Lian will not be able to play a big role. In view of his status, he can be a nail embedded in the powerful group in the future. This is the value of Jia Lian.

Without this value, let alone Emperor Chenghui, Zhang Ting'en might not take a second look at Jia Lian.

A carriage stopped outside the separate gate of the east courtyard of Jia Mansion, one gate of Rongguo Mansion. This incident became the laughing stock of the capital. However, at this moment, Guo Shilang appeared here. Seeing the submissive expression on Guo Song's face as he got off the car, Guo Shilang sighed deeply in his heart. This son was abandoned. Fortunately, he was still young and could be saved.

The dismissal of the chief assistant gave Guo Shilang a lot of stimulation. He was not a mediocre person, but in his sixties, his strong desire to make further progress prompted him to move closer to the Xungui Group. The group of nobles and nobles united to force the emperor to give up his debts, but the chief civil servant was forced to resign because of a "trivial matter".

As long as he can be a minister, the shameless Guo Shilang no longer cares.

Standing at the gate of the East Crossing Courtyard, Minister Guo handed over a greeting card: "Please let me know, Guo Yan is here as promised."

In the Dongkua courtyard, Jia She was like an ant on a hot pot, jumping angrily: "Where is the little beast?"

Guixiang and the other servants stood at the edge, all bowing their heads and saying nothing. In the past, if Jia She didn't kill the two of them, it would be considered a conscience discovery, but now he won't mess around. He always has to consider Jia Lian's feelings.

It is obvious that outsiders do not know the reality of Jia's family. How can Jia She not know? Especially when Yuanchun, the second room's wife, was granted the title of Jin, Jia She was under greater pressure. Jia Lian is his hope for turning around in the future. There was no hope before and Jia She lay flat and rotten. Now there is hope. He can't break the hope with his own hands, right?
  "The second master didn't let me talk, maybe he was called by his teacher." Guixiang replied with an ambiguous sentence.

"You careless little beast, turn around and break his legs." With these harsh words, Jia She hurriedly stepped out to greet him.

After all, the person who came was a minister. King Beijing paid great attention to it and reminded Jia She that he must receive the minister Guo well and build a good relationship with him.

Jia She was greeted at the side door. Guo Yan didn't see Jia Lian, so he was a little surprised: "Brother Enhou, where is your son?"

Jia She laughed twice and said: "That little beast, ah, Master Zhang, the master of Quanzi, summoned you. I don't know what happened."

Hearing this, a trace of embarrassment flashed across Guo Yan's face. He was also a minister, but Zhang Ting'en's status on the emperor's side was obviously much higher, and he was also much younger. How should I put it, age is a treasure.

No wonder the Jia family pays more attention to Zhang Ting'en, which is understandable.

(End of this chapter)