I'm in the Red Mansion

Jia Lian, who had been in prison for more than two years, was pardoned.

When Jia Lian walked out of the cell, the dazzling sunlight outside made him squint his eyes.

After leaving the cell, Jia Lian walked towards Ningguo Mansion.

Rongguo Mansion has been taken back, and now he doesn't know where Ping'er and Qiaojie have gone.

Now, Jia Lian was very nervous and worried.

Ping'er and Qiaojie were his only relatives in the world.

Well, actually there are also ancestors and people from the second house.

But after encountering such a disaster, they didn’t know where they had ended up, and now they still don’t know what’s happening to them!

After all, Rongguo Mansion has many relatives and old friends. They can't just sit back and watch when Rongguo Mansion falls into trouble, right?

This is not necessarily true.

When the Zhen family in Jiangnan was in trouble, who helped them?
Now that their Rongguo Mansion is in trouble, others are trying to avoid it as much as possible.

Cong Ge'er is capable of helping them, but he has been severely offended by the Rongguo Mansion before.

Brother Cong has always disliked the Rongguo Mansion, so it is unknown whether he will help.

Jia Lian was making random guesses in his mind and became increasingly nervous.

Soon, more people appeared on the road.

When these passers-by saw him, they acted as if they had seen a ghost. They all covered their noses, turned sideways, and took a detour.

Jia Lian frowned, looked down at his tattered clothes and the strong stench that was emanating from him, and couldn't help but sigh.

What is the environment like in prison?
Two years in jail had already taken its toll on him.

For a moment, he himself could no longer smell the stench, but it annoyed passers-by.

Jia Lian did not care about much else and hurried along the way. After walking for half a day and feeling very hungry, he finally arrived at the gate of Ningguo Mansion.

When the gatekeeper at the entrance of Ningguo Mansion saw Jia Lian, he drove him away with a big stick from a distance.

Fortunately, Lin Daiyu was very strict in managing the household and strictly forbade the servants in the Ningguo Mansion to bully others by taking advantage of their power. Once discovered, they would be severely punished.

If it were the former servants of Rongguo Mansion, they would have been beaten out with sticks long ago.

Jia Lian hurriedly explained his identity.

After hearing this, Menzi did not dare to delay and reported it quickly.

After hearing this, Mrs. Mei also sighed and ordered someone to invite Jia Lian in.

Jia Lian was so slovenly that he was ashamed to see people.

I hurriedly asked him to take a bath and change into new clothes before I came to see him.

Mrs. May agreed.

It took him half an hour to wash away the sour smell on his body.

After changing into new clothes, Jia Lian managed to show some of his former spirit.

Then he paid a visit to Mrs. Mei, and Jia Lian couldn't wait to ask about the whereabouts of the Rongguo Mansion family.

Soon, Jia Lian learned of their whereabouts.

It turned out that after the Rongguo Mansion was ransacked, Cong Ge'er gave it a three-story courtyard and several hundred taels of silver.

The Xue family and the Lin family also sent a lot of silver.

However, all this money was squandered by the playboy Jia Baoyu.

Later, after Jia Baoyu got married and had children, he could no longer make a living.

I had no choice but to sell the big house and bought a small house in the south of the city.

Now the whole family depends on Jia Baoyu to write letters, copy books and paint for others to support them.

Of course, since Mrs. Xing, everyone in the family has been busy.

She also made a living by doing needlework at home or washing clothes for others.

Ping'er also stayed, and was filial to the ancestors and Mrs. Wang, and treated Qiaojie as her own daughter.

Although the family lived in poverty, they managed to get by.

Hearing this, Jia Lian felt mixed emotions and was speechless for a moment.

One is that she was angry that Jia Baoyu, who was not in charge of the household, did not know how expensive firewood and rice were and spent money extravagantly.

If he hadn't ruined his family, how could he have fallen to such a state?
However, now the whole family depends on Jia Baoyu for survival.

Now, after experiencing hardships, Baoyu has truly matured.

If there were no Baoyu, who knows what would have happened to this family.

Thinking about the past wealth and then thinking about the current poverty, it seems like a dream.

Jia Lian felt extremely aggrieved, and he vented all of his feelings at once, unable to help but burst into tears.

Mrs. Mei also shed tears, and ordered people to prepare a banquet for Jia Lian.

There is no proper male master at home in Ningguo Mansion now. Fortunately, Jia Lian is a family with them, so he doesn't need anyone to accompany him.

After eating and drinking, Jia Lian expressed his gratitude and asked Mrs. Mei to send someone to send him to the second house of the Jia family.

Mrs. Mei ordered someone to prepare a carriage and some gifts, and asked someone to send Jia Lian over.

Soon, Jia Lian arrived at the south of the city, and the carriage quickly drove into the dirty and muddy alley.

Now Jia Lian is no longer the eldest son of the Duke's Mansion. After spending three years in prison, he does not feel that this place is dirty and filthy.

Soon, the carriage stopped at the door of the second branch of the Jia family.

Looking at the dilapidated courtyard in front of him, Jia Lian couldn't help but sigh after getting off the car.

Then, with a nervous mood, he walked to the door and knocked on the doorknob.

Soon, a woman's voice was heard from inside.

"Who?"

Squeak!

With the sound of a door hinge turning, a woman poked her head out.

When she saw Jia Lian, she was stunned.

After a long while, she shouted in surprise: "Second Master? Second Master! Second Master is back, wuwuwuwu..."

When she said this, she couldn't help but burst into tears.

It turned out that this woman was Ping'er.

Hearing Ping'er's crying, Jia Lian couldn't help but shed tears.

He couldn't help but walk forward and hugged Ping'er into his arms: "Ping'er, you have suffered a lot in the past few years."

The master and servant hugged each other and cried bitterly.

After a long while, Ping Er finally calmed down. She shyly pushed Jia Lian away and said, "Second Master, you are still at the door. What will happen if outsiders see you?"

Jia Lian finally reacted and hurried to the car to take down the things that Madam Mei had sent.

He originally wanted to reward the driver with a piece of silver, but his pocket was empty and he couldn't take out a penny.

She just blushed, said thank you, and sent the driver away.

However, people in the courtyard had heard the noise outside and couldn't help but come out to greet them.

Grandmother Jia walked out tremblingly, supported by Lady Xing and Lady Wang.

Jia Baoyu and his wife also came out of the house to greet them.

Jia Lian hurriedly strode to the front of Jia's mother, knelt on the ground and said, "Grandson, I pay my respects to the old ancestor. It is all because of your unfilial behavior that you have caused the old ancestor to suffer."

Grandmother Jia also said with tears in her eyes: "Brother Lian, please get up and talk. How can you be blamed for this?"

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back. Your second uncle has also been pardoned. I'm afraid he will be able to come back in a few months."

"Then our family will be able to be reunited again."

Jia Lian was pulled up.

At this time, Baoyu also stepped forward and bowed, "Brother Lian is back. This is good. The family has a backbone now."

Jia Lian stared at Jia Baoyu for a long while before he recognized him. He couldn't help asking, "Are you Brother Bao? You've been through a lot these past two years."

"If it weren't for you, I don't know what would happen to this family!"

Jia Baoyu expressed his shame for a few words and asked his wife to meet Jia Lian.

After the greetings, Jia Lian asked Ping'er where Qiaojie had gone.

Ping Erh said hurriedly, "Qiao Jie is taking a nap at noon. I'm afraid she won't wake up for a while."

"If she knew that the Second Master was back, she would be so happy!"

After the family talked for a while, Grandmother Jia asked Jia Lian to go back to his room to rest.

Ping'er and Qiaojie lived in the side room. Although it was a little small, it was barely enough to accommodate Jia Lian.

I went back to the room and looked at Qiaojie who was sleeping soundly.

Jia Lian, who had not tasted meat for two years, naturally had to hug Ping'er for some pleasure.

Afterwards, Jia Lian couldn't help but think about the future.

This family could not survive solely on Jia Baoyu's writing of letters and painting.

Not to mention anything else, once the ancestor passes away, we won’t even be able to afford the funeral.

Or if something unexpected happens to a family member, such as a disease, it can ruin them.

Moreover, although they have not split up now, they will inevitably have to split up once their ancestor passes away.

If he doesn't find a way to make a living, how can he support Ping'er and Qiaojie?
By the way, there is also his honorary mother, Mrs. Xing.

However, Jia Lian is also a playboy, and he is good at pursuing women, drinking and spending money.

I just can’t lift things with my hands or carry things on my shoulders, so I can’t do any work.

Even if he wanted to learn from Baoyu to write letters and paint for others, he couldn't do it because he didn't have the skills to do so.

However, Jia Lian also has his own strengths.

That means he is very thick-skinned!

Although their Rongguo Mansion has declined, the Ningguo Mansion is now in its heyday and very wealthy.

It's a pity that Baoyu, who has a mountain of gold but doesn't know how to look for treasure, and just goes out writing letters and copying books for others, what can he achieve?
As long as you give up your skin, you can get wealth and honor anywhere.

Jia Lian thought so and made a plan in his mind.

Not long after, Qiaojie woke up and saw Jia Lian, but she didn't dare to recognize him at first.

As we got to know each other gradually, we became intimate.

There is not much to remember about this day.

On the second day, Jia Lian asked Ping'er for several dozen coins.

He went out and bought some cakes, then carried the cakes back to Ningguo Mansion.

Yesterday, Lin Daiyu and her daughters, along with a few little ones, were playing in the Grand View Garden.

When Jia Lian came yesterday, Mrs. Mei did not disturb them.

They happened to be at home today, so naturally they wanted to come and see Jia Lian.

When Lin Daiyu, Xue Baochai and Xue Baoqin saw Jia Lian, they couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Originally in Rongguo Mansion, they often saw Jia Lian.

Although Jia Lian at that time was ridiculous and incompetent, he had a very good appearance.

He can truly be called a handsome and elegant young man.

But now, he looks much more mature, how can he still look like a young master?

After the tea was served, everyone sighed for a while.

Jia Lian's face turned red, and the words came to his lips, but he couldn't say them for a moment.

He came here this time to seek wealth and honor.

Yesterday he laughed at Jia Baoyu for being too embarrassed and thin-skinned.

I didn't expect that the same thing would happen when it was my turn.

Considering that he was the legitimate son of the Duke's Mansion, when had he ever begged anyone in such a shameless manner?
However, Jia Lian's hesitation made Mrs. Mei notice something strange.

She couldn't help but ask, "Brother Lian, what do you want to say?"

"If you have any problem, just tell me. We are a family. If I can help, I will not refuse."

Mrs. Mei is still Jia Lian's aunt in name only.

Of course, Mrs. Mei had already divorced Jia She at that time - Mrs. Mei was just a concubine, so it couldn't even be considered a divorce.

When she left Rongguo Mansion, she had no relationship with Jia She anymore.

But Jia Cong and Jia Lian were brothers by blood. Although Cong didn't like their branch, it would be difficult for him not to help them if they ran into trouble.

Let’s talk about Jia Lian. When he heard what Mrs. Mei said, his face turned red.

The next moment, he hardened his heart and knelt down on the ground.

He said, "Madam, I was pardoned yesterday. When I returned home, I found that my family's livelihood was really difficult."

"Not only is the old ancestor old, but the wife and second wife are also old."

"The whole family actually depends on Baoyu alone."

"If the family encounters any difficulties, I'm afraid the whole family will not be able to survive."

"I shouldn't have mentioned this in front of my wife, but my family is in financial difficulty right now and I can't care less."

"I am not here to ask for help from Madam this time. After all, emergency relief cannot help the poor."

"I only hope that Madam will have pity on me and give me a job, whether it's being a shopkeeper or doing a job of welcoming guests."

"These errands still need people to do them. I just hope that Madam will be merciful and give my nephew this opportunity."

"If my nephew really does not do well, you don't need to ask me, I will resign on my own initiative. All you need to do is watch my actions."

It turns out that what Jia Lian wanted in his heart, wealth and honor, was actually to come to Madam Mei to ask for a job.

This is just a piece of cake for Mrs. May.

But for Jia Lian, it was a good business that could support his entire family.

Asking for help from others can only help you survive temporarily.

And if you can find a good job to make a living, you can live a lifetime!

Jia Lian knew that Mrs. Mei was kind-hearted, and his request was not excessive.

Mrs. May may not necessarily refuse to agree.

In fact, if Jia Baoyu could put aside his pride, he would have come to beg Mrs. Mei long ago.

I'm afraid he would have found a way to make a living a long time ago. Isn't that better than writing letters and painting for people?

It's just that he couldn't bear to give up his face, so he couldn't blame others.

If you don't ask for it yourself, Mrs. Mei will naturally not take the initiative to ask him to do the job.

Mrs. Mei hurriedly ordered someone to help Jia Lian up, thought for a while, and was about to speak.

Lin Daiyu couldn't help but smile and said, "Madam, this is a coincidence. My sisters and I are planning to open a shop together."

"We are currently lacking a shopkeeper, but it is difficult to find an experienced and reliable shopkeeper at the moment."

"Now that Second Brother Lian has asked, why not ask Second Brother Lian to help? What do you think, Madam?"

Mrs. Mei couldn't help but smile and said, "My son, this is a very good thing."

Mrs. Mei asked Jia Lian again, why would Jia Lian refuse?

And it was a pleasant surprise.

Although Jia Lian had never been a shopkeeper, even if he had never eaten pork, had he never seen a pig run?
As long as you work hard, you will not be afraid of not being able to learn.

Moreover, he is the shopkeeper of Lin Daiyu's shop.

As long as I do well, and mention it a few times in front of Cong Ge'er, maybe he can give me some help.

Jia Lian naturally agreed without hesitation.

Lin Daiyu told Jia Lian the news about the shop, and at the end she asked someone to bring him ten taels of silver as an advance salary.

Jia Lian took the silver and left with many thanks.

After returning to the Jia family, Jia Lian told Lin Daiyu that he was going to be the shopkeeper in her shop.

The whole family was also very happy.

Now that Jia Lian is back, he is no longer a burden and has found a good job so quickly.

Life at home will be much better.

However, Lady Jia, Lady Xing and Lady Wang, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, were very surprised to think that the legitimate descendant of the Rongguo Mansion was going to become the manager of the Ningguo Mansion.

For a moment, my heart was filled with mixed feelings.

Back then, both families were dignified dukedoms, and the Rongguo Mansion was even slightly superior to the Ningguo Mansion.

And now, they have fallen to such a state.

At this moment, Grandmother Jia suddenly thought of Granny Liu who had come to their house twice to beg for money.

How similar are they today to Granny Liu back then?

It’s a pity that in the early years, everyone in the family laughed at Aunt Liu.

Now they themselves have become Liu Laolao.

……

However, after Emperor Tianci ascended the throne, he dismissed those restless ministers or put them into jail.

For a time, the only people left in the court were flatterers.

Next, Emperor Tianci reused Prime Minister Qin, raised the butcher knife, and slaughtered the royal family members.

Emperor Tianci himself came to the throne by illegitimate means, and he was probably afraid that other royal family members would follow his example.

Therefore, it is better to eradicate them all beforehand.

Emperor Tianci had just ascended the throne, but he was already so foolish and absurd that shocked the court and the common people.

No wonder the retired emperor did not pass the throne to him.

But God was blind and allowed this kind of person to succeed in his rebellion and ascend to that seat.

One month after ascending the throne, Emperor Tianci issued another decree, ordering all parts of Daxia to send beautiful girls to the palace.

The royal family is going to conduct a large-scale selection campaign.

He was planning to build another palace and asked the Ministry of Revenue to raise money.

Today, Daxia’s treasury is still empty.

In fact, due to the promotion of three crops in the past two years, tax revenue has increased a bit.

It was just because a huge amount of silver was spent to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun.

The Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun had just been recovered, and the imperial court exempted taxes for five years.

After we get through these five years, the situation will gradually improve.

Unfortunately, before he could survive these five years, Emperor Tianci attempted to seize power and usurp the throne.

There was no silver in the national treasury, but Emperor Tianci asked the Ministry of Revenue for silver to build a palace.

Any official who disobeyed was either dismissed from office or imprisoned.

Now, those who are left are all shameless people.

In order to keep their official hats, they would try every possible means to produce silver even if there was no silver in the national treasury.

Isn't there no money in the treasury? It doesn't matter, can't we just increase taxes?

So they submitted a report requesting a 10% tax increase.

And Emperor Tianci was originally Prince Zhongshun.

He is a prince who likes to listen to operas and enjoy himself. How could he know the sufferings of the people?

Therefore, when he saw the memorial requesting a 10% tax increase, he immediately applauded.

Yes, isn’t there no silver in the warehouse?

Wouldn't it be better to just increase taxes and get more money?
How could the emperor, his third brother, and the ministers in the court not be able to figure out such a simple question?

It's really ridiculous!
It seems that Daxia is destined to be revived in my hands!

Emperor Tianci waved his red pen and not only approved it, but also directly increased it from 10% to 30%.

This report was quickly spread to all directions.

The whole of Daxia was in uproar.

Countless scholars and common people secretly cursed Emperor Tianci for being a tyrant.

Jia Cong was in Youzhou, so he naturally learned about these things, and he couldn't help but be stunned.

He also had not expected that Prince Yizhong's previous rebellion had failed.

Instead, it allowed Prince Zhongshun to succeed in his rebellion.

As for Prince Zhongshun, no matter how absurd and licentious he was when he was a prince, he only brought disaster to the people in the royal palace.

The harm is limited, but if such a person becomes the emperor, it will be a disaster for Daxia.

Although Emperor Yonglong was suspicious, he was a man of great talent and strategy, and he knew how to make choices.

He would not easily move before completely resolving the Qing Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms Disaster.

Of course, I will gradually make the Yanyun area impenetrable.

He certainly wouldn't be afraid of the imperial court.

Both parties will maintain a certain tacit understanding.

But now, with the incompetent Emperor Tianci ascending the throne, everything is hard to say.

This tyrant is capable of doing anything.

And now, Lin Ruhai and Kou Xiang have been imprisoned by this foolish emperor.

Jia Cong always felt that there was something strange here.

How could a foolish man like Prince Zhongshun easily seize power and usurp the throne?

He could never do this by his own ability.

Could it be that there is another Sanfan behind this?
In this case, I am afraid that the third uprising is imminent!

Next, Daxia will fall into complete chaos!

Jia Cong sighed and prepared to send people to secretly bring his family to Youzhou.

However, this matter cannot be rushed.

After all, Lin Ruhai and Kou Xiang are both imprisoned in prison.

If I take my family away and this tyrant finds out, both of our lives would be in danger.

How to think of a way to rescue these two people first and then deal with it.

And the other news is that there will be a general amnesty.

Jia Lian and Jia Zheng were both pardoned of their crimes.

Jia Lian has now returned home and even begged for a job as a shopkeeper at the mansion.

Although Lin Daiyu was the one who decided on this matter, she had to inform Jia Cong afterwards.

After Jia Cong learned about this, he didn't take it to heart.

He just disliked the Rongguo family, but he had no intention of killing them.

But it's just giving him a business as a shopkeeper, which is nothing.

However, the development of Yanyun area needs to be accelerated.

Jia Cong prepared to recruit more soldiers.

It is expected that the total military strength will be expanded to as many as 300,000.

An army of 300,000 is not only enough to protect itself, but also has the power to sweep across the country.

……

In the Great Xia Palace, it was another morning court session.

After discussing the matter, Emperor Tianci yawned and was about to leave the court.

Yesterday he had sex with three beauties at the same time and was busy until three o'clock in the morning. He was feeling sleepy now.

He didn't hear clearly what was discussed in the meeting just now.

As for the affairs of the court, with Prime Minister Qin and others by my side, nothing will go wrong.

Emperor Tianci thought that it would be better not to hold morning court in the future.

It's really too early to get up. Where can I get up?
At this time, an imperial censor said, "Your Majesty, I impeach the Marquis of Guanjun. The Marquis of Guanjun has a rebellious heart. I hope Your Majesty will call him back to investigate!"

Champion?
Upon hearing this name, Prince Zhongshun suddenly became much more sober.

He was not unfamiliar with Guanjun Hou.

He is indeed the most powerful general of Daxia!

However, this champion marquis actually has a rebellious heart?

Emperor Tianci suddenly became alert. (End of this chapter)