The Splendor of the Red Chamber

The next morning.

After arranging the reply to the capital, Jia Lian went to bid farewell to Lin Ruhai.

Lin Daiyu escorted him all the way to the outside of the hanging flower gate. Although she said that she could take good care of her father and that Jia Lian did not need to worry, her lingering attachment and dependence could not be hidden from anyone.

With her father, Lin Ruhai, paralyzed in bed and unable to move, and her clan filled with greedy and short-sighted people, Daiyu could only rely on Jia Lian.

Not only did Lian Erge do everything perfectly, but he also took great care of Daiyu, always considering her feelings first.

So after spending more than a month together, Lin Daiyu unknowingly developed a sense of dependence on Jia Lian, feeling like he was her elder brother and father.

Jia Lian naturally noticed her reluctance to part with her, and thinking about how he had secretly plotted against his lonely cousin, he couldn't help but feel ashamed.

But there's no going back on regrets; the only way to make up for Lin Daiyu's past is in other ways.

To avoid causing Daiyu any further trouble from the Lin family, Jia Lian made sure to take that "Third Uncle" with him when he left.

The journey has been smooth sailing.

They arrived at their destination by the evening of the sixth day.

Because of the hasty arrival, no one was sent ahead to scout ahead. The Wang family only learned that Jia Lian had come to Ningbo Prefecture when he came to visit them.

After a period of chaos and turmoil, Jia Lian was talking with Aunt Wang and several of his cousins ​​when Wang Ziteng sent a personal guard to deliver a message, asking Jia Lian to come to the commander's mansion to see him.

Jia Lian dared not delay and hurriedly followed the personal guard to the government office of the governor of nine provinces.

To Jia Lian's surprise, Wang Ziteng's yamen looked rather dilapidated, and the guards were undisciplined and lacked the solemnity and discipline that should be present.

This really doesn't seem like something Wang Ziteng would do.

During his tenure as the military governor of the capital, he was known for his strict discipline of the army. From the commanders of the three guards down to the ordinary soldiers, everyone was trembling with fear as if walking on thin ice.

How come things have turned out like this after only a few years in the South?

Is it because the emperor is far away that Wang Ziteng has become lax?

Jia Lian entered the yamen with a belly full of questions. Just as he reached the center of the square in the front yard, two burly soldiers suddenly blocked his way.

"Son-in-law, please forgive me!"

The two men clasped their hands in a fist salute to Jia Lian, and then, without saying a word, they started punching and kicking each other.

These two were clearly skilled soldiers. With their combined efforts, even though Jia Lian's physical abilities far surpassed those of ordinary people, he was still beaten so badly that he was forced to retreat seven or eight steps.

However, Jia Lian had already guessed that this was probably Wang Ziteng trying to test his abilities.

He gritted his teeth and decided to stop retreating and dodging, bracing himself against the fists of the two soldiers and fighting back.

Those two soldiers were Wang Ziteng's personal guards, and no matter what, they wouldn't dare to lay a hand on Wang's son-in-law. Therefore, Jia Lian risked taking a few punches and immediately turned the tide.

Finally, he spotted an opening and punched the soldier on the left shoulder hard.

With a crack, the soldier staggered a few steps, clutching his shoulder, unable to lift his entire arm.

"That's enough!"

Just as Jia Lian was about to press on and deal with the remaining soldiers, he heard Wang Ziteng's voice coming from the steps.

Jia Lian and the soldier each took a step back, cupped their hands in greeting, and said, "Jia Lian greets the Grand Commandant."

"Hmph~"

Wang Ziteng snorted and said, "It seems the ancestral blessing is true—come inside and talk to me."

With that, he turned and went back to the hall on his own.

Jia Lian bowed to the injured retainer and followed Wang Ziteng into the main hall.

After the guests and hosts were seated, family members served fragrant tea.

Wang Ziteng waved his hand and said, "Everyone, step back. Don't keep anyone around."

The servants and the two guards quickly disappeared outside the door.

Wang Ziteng stared at Jia Lian from head to toe for a moment, then sighed and said, "What a pity. If you had been born twenty or thirty years earlier, you might have achieved something great. Now... alas, what a pity."

Hearing him repeatedly express his regret, Jia Lian felt uneasy and quickly stood up to ask, "If there is anything inappropriate, please enlighten me, Uncle."

Wang Ziteng, however, changed the subject, pointing outside and asking, "What do you think of this Commander's Mansion?"

"Uh~"

Jia Lian thought for a moment and then spoke the truth: "It seems that it is not as solemn and orderly as when my uncle was serving as the military governor of the capital."

"Hahaha~"

Wang Ziteng laughed a few times, but there wasn't a trace of a smile on his face: "It's not just inferior, it's like comparing heaven and earth! Do you know why?"

Seeing that he was being coy, Jia Lian quickly bowed again: "This humble nephew is dull-witted, please enlighten me, Uncle."

"Sigh~"

Wang Ziteng sighed, "Because emphasizing civil affairs over military affairs and suppressing meritorious officials were established by Emperor Taizong in his later years, and both the late emperor and the current emperor have followed this policy."

Because I was involved in the Prince Yizhong case, I was considered a loyal subject of the current emperor, which is why I was promoted to the position of military governor.

However, after the current emperor consolidated his power, he still transferred me away from the capital, in order to prevent the power of the noble families from growing stronger again.

The title of Commander-in-Chief of the Nine Provinces in the Southeast sounds prestigious, but how many soldiers are actually capable of fighting in the heart of the Southeast? Besides, the navy is not under my command.

Now that I'm guarding these exhausted and weak troops, if I don't know when to stop, I'm afraid even the greatest merits and goodwill will be completely wasted.

Jia Lian had never heard of this saying at home. Whenever the Rong and Ning mansions mentioned that Grand Commandant Wang had been transferred to the position of Commander-in-Chief of Nine Provinces, they would say that he had gained the utmost honor and prestige in the southeast.

But Grand Commandant Wang had no need to coax his nephew-in-law.

Jia Lian felt a chill run down his spine, and after bowing, asked again, "Then the Duke of Yingguo...?"

"The Duke of England is a loyal subject!"

Wang Ziteng waved his hand and said, "He is over sixty years old and has only one young daughter. He has never associated with other nobles. The Emperor appointed him to take charge of the Beijing Garrison in order to lull those nobles who cannot see the situation into a false sense of security."

Most of the mid-level officers he promoted in recent years were not from noble families, and among the younger generation, only Liang Xuan stood out as a member of a noble family, but he was an illegitimate son who could not inherit the title.

Needless to say, the Rong and Ning families must be among the nobles who fail to see the situation clearly.

Jia Lian hadn't expected his plan to lead to a dead end from the very beginning, and somewhat unwillingly asked, "According to what you're saying, Uncle, I shouldn't have gone to the army for training?"

"With this physique, where else can you go but the army?"

Wang Ziteng countered with a question, then added, "After all, your family is well-established, and with my influence, it shouldn't be difficult for you to gain a foothold in the army."

"At most, you can only reach the rank of a general of the third rank. To climb higher, you'd need an extraordinary event like Prince Yizhong."

Then, Prince Teng shook his head vigorously: "But His Majesty only has one son, and the Crown Prince's position is as secure as Mount Tai. How could there be any struggle for the throne?"

Left and right generals?

Isn't that the position of Gu Tingwei's father?

The Beijing Garrison consisted of three guards: the Dragon Guard, the Tiger Guard, and the Eagle Guard. Each guard had a commander-in-chief—for example, the commander-in-chief of the Eagle Guard was General Feng Tang.

Below the Commander-in-Chief are the Left and Right Generals, who are considered the second and third in command of each guard.

This position is indeed somewhat different from Jia Lian's expectations.

However, Jia Lian's real purpose in joining the army was not to restore his ancestors' glory, but to gain a foothold in the army and thus have a certain say in the family.

So when he heard that only the upper limit was locked, Jia Lian actually breathed a sigh of relief.

So he solemnly bowed and said, "I am grateful for the help and blessings of the two old dukes. Now I only ask that I do not fail my ancestors and have a clear conscience. As for how far I will end up, that is not something I should be thinking about now."

Upon hearing this, Wang Ziteng felt a sense of appreciation for Wang Ziteng's talent.

After all, there are countless soldiers with great strength, but very few who can remain calm and composed like Jia Lian in the face of both honor and disgrace.

So he pulled Jia Lian aside for a serious talk, and finally sighed, "You are a smart person, but it's a pity that you've been held back—if you want to make a name for yourself in the army, you need to catch up on your studies first."

The next day, Wang Ziteng introduced Jia Lian to a scholar and a warrior.

Wen was his trusted advisor when he served as the military governor of the capital, and was known for his keen insight into the current situation and the political affairs of the court.

Wu was the head of the Wang family's generals, and he was proficient in all kinds of weapons, including swords, spears, and clubs. He also had the unique skill of hitting a willow leaf from a hundred paces away.

Wang Ziteng specifically instructed, "I'm lending these two to you for now. How much you learn before you return to the capital depends on your abilities."

It's not that I, as your uncle, am stingy; it's just that these two have already made their relationship public. If they were to return to the capital with you, it would inevitably arouse suspicion, which wouldn't be good for either of us."

…………

Two days later.

Jia Lian returned to Yangzhou with a scholar and a warrior. Every day, besides talking with Lin Ruhai and Lin Daiyu and writing letters home to advise Wang Xifeng, he also studied and practiced martial arts under their supervision.

With his strong physique as a foundation, Jia Lian's martial arts skills improved by leaps and bounds.

After all, he had taken political classes and spent a long time among royalty and nobility. He used to be unwilling to put his brain into this, but now he was eager to learn and understood many things very quickly.

Gradually, I gained a better understanding of the situation in North Korea.

Before we knew it, it was early March.

On this rare day, Jia Lian took a day off and went for a spring outing outside the city with Lin Daiyu.

As a result, just after returning to the Lin residence in the evening, he received an urgent letter from Wang Ziteng.

The letter contained only six characters, yet each one was written with such force that it seemed to penetrate the paper:

Is it timing, fate, or destiny?

Jia Lian was puzzled and was about to write a letter to Wang Ziteng to ask what was going on when the Rongguo Mansion sent another urgent message.

It is said that in the middle of last month, the crown prince, who had just gotten married, contracted the plague and died in less than half a month.