Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 76 Imperial Order

Taking advantage of the pre-meal chatter, Jia Baoyu pushed aside the sisters who had also gathered around Jia Lian wanting to ask questions, and spoke first:

"Second Brother Lian, you said you beat the prince's son terribly. Just how badly?"

A ten-year-old brat who usually only misbehaves in the mansion is already being ruthlessly scolded by his father. Jia Baoyu finds it hard to imagine that Jia Lian would dare to fight outside, especially against the heir of another prince's mansion!

Jia Lian's gaze had already fallen upon the three maids in front of him—two tall and one short, all adorable girls, a pleasing sight to behold. He then glanced at Daiyu, who sat motionless beside Grandmother Jia but whose eyes frequently darted over, before replying to Jia Baoyu:

"Not much, basically, there's not a single visible part of his face. As for the rest of his body, I can't see either, he's wearing too many layers."

Jia Lian spoke lightly and jokingly, but it made Yingchun and the other two girls' faces tense.

Tan Chun clenched her little hands and exclaimed, "Second Brother Lian, I never thought you would hit someone! And hit them so hard..."

I've only ever heard of Brother Lian being beaten by the master, I've never heard of Brother Lian hitting people.

Jia Lian sat on the stool, turned around and looked at her, and laughed, "Why are you so nervous? I'm not going to hit you."

Tan Chun instinctively took a step back, then glared at Jia Lian with annoyance. "You want to hit me? If you yell at me, I'll cry!"

Yingchun was two or three years older than Tanchun and was more sensible. She was a little worried about Jia Lian, "You beat him so badly, won't he take revenge on his brother in the future?"

"We'll deal with whatever comes our way. If he's still not convinced, we can just beat him up again."

When Jia Lian said this, Grandmother Jia, who was overheard it, was displeased.

"Stop teaching them bad things! You're lucky this time, with the Emperor helping you, the Prince Duan's Mansion probably won't dare to say anything more."

Do you want to beat him up again?

"I'm warning you, if you don't learn your lesson and continue to act so recklessly, you never know when something might happen! What will you do with Feng'er and her daughter then? They're all grown up, don't they know how to be careful?"

Faced with Grandmother Jia's admonition, Jia Lian replied with a smile, "Thank you for the reminder, Grandmother. I understand."

Since Jia Lian's attitude was so good, Grandmother Jia didn't say anything more. After a while, Lady Wang and the others came to report that the meal had been prepared, and Grandmother Jia led everyone to the dining hall for dinner.

After the meal, Jia Lian saw that there was really no reason to stay, and the sisters did not dare to act presumptuously in front of Grandmother Jia and the others, remaining quiet and having little opportunity to joke or make fun, so he took his leave.

As soon as they stepped out of Rongqing Hall, Qingwen, who had been lurking in the shadows for who knows how long, suddenly jumped out.

"Second Master, are you really going to become an official outside the capital...?"

As soon as Qingwen appeared, she asked this most important question.

Jia Lian stopped and replied with a smile, "Yes, otherwise I wouldn't have the money to support you."

"Nonsense, how much do I get paid each month?" Qingwen clearly refused to take the blame.

Jia Lian tugged at the little braid next to her head, "You still think your monthly salary is too low? One tael of silver a month, that's what only the highest-ranking maids in the mansion get."

Qingwen pouted; she wasn't doing the work of a maid...

Suddenly, Qingwen blushed, then looked away and continued, "But if you go to the border, won't you be gone for a long time?"

Qingwen was very concerned about this issue.

If she were still just a maid, it wouldn't matter, but she is no longer one, and Jia Lian is now her only support.

She didn't want Jia Lian to leave home, and was even more worried that something might happen to him if he went to a dangerous place.

Jia Lian knew what she was thinking, and was pleased that the girl cared about him so much. He suddenly squatted down, wrapped his arms around her thighs as before, and lifted her up upright.

Qingwen instinctively hugged Jia Lian's neck tightly, then glanced at the darkening sky and realized they were not far from home before calming down.

Leaning on Jia Lian's shoulder, Qingwen suddenly said, "How about Second Master takes me with him? I can go with you and serve you."

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian raised his hand and slapped her bottom, laughing, "What do you think I'm doing, taking you along..."

"Why not? I've heard that other officials are allowed to bring their families when they go to serve in other places."

Jia Lian chuckled.

If he were to actually bring such a beautiful concubine to the border, even if Prince Teng could tolerate him, the emperor would likely not let him off easily if he found out.

Although Qingwen didn't quite understand, she could tell that Jia Lian wouldn't take her out, and she was very unhappy.

When they arrived at the courtyard gate, Jia Lian saw that Qingwen didn't speak, so he patted her on the back, put her down, and laughed, "Alright, it's not like I'm leaving and never coming back. You little brat, just stay at home and learn from Xiangling, learn more characters, and when I come back, I'll make you a proper concubine."

Upon hearing this, Qingwen almost asked, "Really?"

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, he hesitated for a moment before saying, "Second Master smells of sweat. I'll go tell them to prepare hot water so he can take a bath!"

After saying that, he turned and went up the corridor.

……

That evening, Wang Xifeng lay on her couch, still resentful that Jia Lian had ignored her advice and insisted on going to the border.

Jia Lian smiled and comforted her for a few moments, then hugged her in his arms. "Alright, this isn't something I can decide on my own. Think about it, it's an imperial decree issued by His Majesty the Emperor himself. Do you think I have any room to bargain?"

Besides, haven't you always wanted an imperial title? Now that I'm a captain, if I perform well on this border patrol with your uncle, I might get a fifth-rank or higher official position. Wouldn't that qualify me to petition for an imperial title for you?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Xifeng's expression indeed paused.

The conferment of titles upon ladies of the highest rank in the Great Wei Dynasty was far easier than in previous dynasties.

According to regulations, officials of the fifth rank or above appointed by the imperial court were permitted to request imperial titles for their mothers or wives.

Of course, the regulations also stipulated that a wife must be kind and virtuous, and her husband's wife must be filial, virtuous, and able to assist him before she could be granted an official title. This regulation was practically meaningless; after the founding of the Taizu Emperor, almost no official of the fifth rank or above who requested an official title by imperial decree was refused.

As a result, the prestige of the title of Lady of Imperial Decree was naturally not as high as in previous dynasties, so much so that some aloof officials simply did not bother to request the title for their wives.

After all, being a Lady of Imperial Decree is ultimately just an honor, with a meager salary of a few taels of silver, and that's about it.

But it's clear that Wang Xifeng really liked this thing...

Her pouting red lips unconsciously fell, and her eyes darted around as if she were calculating gains and losses.

On one hand, she had to endure her husband being away from the capital; on the other hand, there was the potential for a rich reward. It was a difficult choice.

Seeing her behavior, Jia Lian couldn't help but curl his lips. She was indeed a woman with a strong desire for power. Perhaps if she were given a different gender, she would be even more adept at social maneuvering than Jia Yucun and would thrive in the officialdom.

"The First Madam already has the title of First Rank Lady, so there's no need for me to request a title for her. Therefore, if I get promoted, I will naturally only request a title for you."

"But you must be careful. If you want to become a noblewoman, you can't have any moral failings that anyone can use against you. Otherwise, if I become qualified in the future and submit a memorial for you, but it gets rejected by the court, then you'll have no face left to save." Jia Lian reminded him casually.

This trip with Prince Teng to inspect the border, although the emperor only said that he was to escort grain and fodder, and did not necessarily mean that he would stay at the border for a long time.

However, Jia Lian was determined not to return until he had achieved something significant!

As for the dangers... there may be dangers, but to put it bluntly, given his status as the grandson of the Duke of Rongguo and the nephew of the commander-in-chief, Prince Teng, it is extremely unfair to those who are truly risking their lives on the battlefield for wealth and status.

If he doesn't dare to take the plunge and fight for military merit given these conditions, then he's really no different from a good-for-nothing.

Therefore, he didn't know how long this trip would take.

I wonder if Wang Xifeng will cause any trouble in the capital, just like in the original story.

So I gave her a heads-up beforehand.