The Splendor of the Red Chamber

Hua Lan's choice to come at this time clearly indicates that she knew Jia Lian was coming.

Shulan had initially felt sorry for her cousin, but now she couldn't help but feel annoyed.

She stood up and said, "Let Xiaodie serve Second Master his meal first. I'll go and send her away before I come to keep Second Master company."

Seeing that Jia Lian did not object, she straightened her clothes and went out to greet him.

Seeing Hualan waiting obediently in the corridor, Shulan suppressed her displeasure and questioned, "Sister, why are you here again? Didn't I already make things clear to you?"

"Good sister."

Hua Lan grabbed her hand and pleaded, "I was forced into this situation. Please let me see Master Lian and speak up for your brother-in-law."

When Shulan heard that she wanted to meet Jia Lian, she exclaimed in surprise, "How can this be? This...this is hardly proper!"

As she spoke, she tried to pull away from Hua Lan's fair and delicate hand.

Hua Lan was unwilling to let go, so she tightened her grip and continued to plead, "In urgent situations, we should act expediently. Besides, from my sister's perspective, we are relatives, so it wouldn't be too impolite for the older sister to meet her brother-in-law."

"My dear sister, I can't write two '盛' characters with this one stroke. Please, for my sake, help me this once!"

She wasn't originally the type to be so persistent, but unfortunately, if she couldn't get this done, her situation in her husband's family would likely be even more miserable, and Yuan Wenshao would probably turn against her. So she had no choice but to bite the bullet and keep pestering him.

Shulan was not good at talking, and her wrist was sore from being gripped so tightly that she didn't know what to do.

Just then, someone suddenly said from the side, "Since you know that you can't write two '盛' characters in one stroke, you shouldn't be forcing my sister like this!"

It turned out that Sheng Changwu had heard the news and rushed over.

He stepped closer and looked down at Hua Lan, saying, "My sister is now merely Lian Er Ye's mistress. If she angers him, this relationship can be severed at any moment—doesn't my cousin consider my sister's feelings at all?!"

"I... this..."

This time, Hua Lan was at a loss for words, but she had finally mustered the courage to come over, and she was really unwilling to back down like this.

Just as the situation was at a stalemate, Xiaodie came out and said, "Second Master wants to talk to Second Madam Yuan inside."

Hua Lan felt as if she had been granted a pardon, and quickly bowed deeply to Shu Lan, saying, "Sister, I was rude and offended you today. I will definitely apologize to you properly later."

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name 12199.99]

As he spoke, he hurriedly followed Xiaodie into the house.

Shulan and Sheng Changwu looked at each other, and had no choice but to follow behind.

Hua Lan entered the room and gracefully bowed to Jia Lian, saying, "This humble woman greets Second Master Lian."

Jia Lian looked her up and down. She was also a beautiful young woman, with fair skin and delicate features, but her temperament was completely different from Shulan's, somewhere between gentle and dignified and lively and cheerful.

Even though she was feeling uneasy, her posture remained poised and graceful, and her smile was as bright as spring sunshine.

"I do not understand."

Jia Lian slowly spoke: "Yuan Erming is clearly only pretending to be a loving husband and wife in order to get an official position. Aren't you afraid that he'll revert to his old ways after all this effort for him?"

Hua Lan didn't expect Jia Lian to ask so directly right away, but she didn't panic. Instead, she said calmly and confidently, "With Second Master Lian here and Sister Shu Lan here, how could Er Lang dare to change his mind so easily?"

Besides, husband and wife are one, sharing both prosperity and adversity. Even if he regrets it later, I can still be considered an official's wife, and my child will have a good background.

Moreover, only if Erlang obtains an official position will my husband and I have the confidence and opportunity to break free from the cage and no longer depend on others or be at their beck and call.

Therefore, I have disregarded etiquette to plead with you today, Second Master, not only for Yuan Erlang's future, but also for my and my child's future.

As she spoke, she bowed gracefully to Jia Lian once more.

These words were spoken with conviction and propriety, which impressed Jia Lian, but also gave him a strange sense of déjà vu.

The Second Master couldn't recall where he had seen her before, so he stared at Hua Lan and unconsciously drifted off into a daze.

Hua Lan waited for a long time without hearing anything, and subconsciously raised her eyes, only to find that Jia Lian was staring at her intently.

She was startled, but dared not reprimand or accuse Jia Lian of being rude. So she lowered her head and pretended not to notice, maintaining a poised and elegant demeanor as he watched.

Shulan and Changwu, who were standing nearby, naturally saw it too, but each of them had their own thoughts and neither dared to say anything.

In the end, it was Xiaodie, with her straightforward temper, who couldn't stand it anymore and coughed lightly from the side.

Jia Lian then snapped out of his daze and said calmly, "What you say makes some sense. For Shulan's sake, and for the sake of your Sheng family, I agree to this."

Hua Lan was overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly bowed in gratitude once more.

Jia Lian pressed further, "What position is Yuan Er seeking? Where is he stuck? Is it a problem with the rules and procedures, or is there something else going on?"

"this……"

This question stumped Hua Lan. Yuan Wenshao hadn't expected her to confront Jia Lian directly, so he hadn't explained these details at all.

Seeing this, Jia Lian waved his hand and said, "Since you don't know these details, you should go back and ask about them first."

Hua Lan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, obediently replied "Yes," and then bowed and withdrew.

Shulan and Sheng Changwu escorted her to the gate of the courtyard.

As Hua Lan's figure disappeared into the night, Shu Lan was about to go back to serve Jia Lian when her younger brother grabbed her arm.

"Sister, may I speak to you in private?"

Sheng Changwu pulled his sister aside and whispered, "Do you think your brother-in-law had any feelings for my eldest cousin just now?"

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

Shulan was startled and immediately scolded, "How dare you speak ill of Second Master behind his back! Be careful, or he'll hear you!"

"How is this making fun of Second Master? Besides, would my sister sell me out?" Sheng Changwu turned to look into the room and whispered, "Sister, do you think brother-in-law has that kind of fetish?"

"That kind of fetish?"

"that is……"

Sheng Changwu lowered his voice: "Like Cao Mengde."

"Nonsense!"

Shulan refuted again, but she couldn't help but have doubts in her heart. There were plenty of young and beautiful girls, but the Second Master had chosen her, who had been married before.

Could it really be...?

She shook her head, suppressing the thought, and nudged Sheng Changwu, saying, "Stop thinking nonsense, go back to sleep!"

After chasing Changwu away, Shulan returned to her room, feeling somewhat uneasy.

Seeing this, Jia Lian picked her up and teased her, "What's wrong? Do you regret becoming my concubine?"

Upon hearing this, Shulan solemnly replied, "I have many regrets, but the one I regret least is following the Second Master. I just used to think that I was having a hard time, but I didn't expect that my cousin was also suffering in her husband's family."

There are many women in this world who suffer hardship.

Jia Lian sighed and said, "Not to mention anything else, just take our household as an example. My stepmother comes from a humble family and is just a figurehead at home. Everything is decided by my father, and she will obey him no matter what sordid things he does."

My second aunt's family is very prominent, and now that her daughter has become a concubine, she naturally wields considerable power in the household.

But her second uncle might only visit her room a few times a year, and with her eldest son having died young, wasn't her life also one of hardship?

Hearing Jia Lian talk about the Rongguo Mansion, Shulan nestled in his arms and couldn't help but ask, "What about the Second Mistress?"

"she?"

Jia Lian laughed and said, "She's the kind of person who doesn't suffer losses. We've been childhood sweethearts and are usually quite affectionate, so it's not exactly a hardship. It's just that she's always been competitive and competitive, and she's always making things difficult for herself."

As he spoke, he carried Shulan toward the bed, saying, "Let's not talk about her. It's late, let's get some rest."

Shulan hurriedly called Xiaodie over to stand on her back.

Xiao Die cried out in pain last time, but now she seems to have gotten a taste for it. She shyly but actively clings to Xue Xue again. The two of them work together to set up trap after trap, eventually turning that hundred-times-refined steel into a soft, yielding touch.

…………

The next morning.

Jia Lian, full of energy, bid farewell to Shulan and led Sheng Changwu out through the side gate, where they happened to bump into the Yuan family's carriage heading back.

Second Master stared at the carriage for a while, then suddenly realized and said, "I was wondering why. Your cousin is just as capable in her words and actions as my husband, though she has a broader perspective and a more generous heart."

Sheng Changwu seemed lost in thought, wanting to speak but then stopping himself.

Jia Lian, however, did not notice anything amiss and went off to dawdle at the Nan'an Prince's Mausoleum.