Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

His wife's coquettish pouting made Jia Lian's mouth water.

Since they were in his own room anyway, Jia Lian didn't stand on ceremony and directly pressed him down on the couch to quell his morning rage.

"Stop fooling around. Aren't you going to visit your second uncle today? If you're late, people will laugh at you."

A moment later, Wang Xifeng, panting, pushed and shoved Jia Lian.

Her husband's adoration for her body made her feel proud, but sometimes she also felt a little overwhelmed.

Jia Lian didn't go too far. After rubbing his hands together briefly, he got up and asked with a smile, "Why don't you come with me?"

"Let's skip it today. Second Uncle just returned to the capital. Let's wait a couple of days. Maybe Aunt will send someone to invite us then. That way, it won't seem abrupt."

Wang Xifeng was shrewd in interpersonal relationships. Jia Lian could visit Wang Ziteng as soon as he returned to the capital because they were both officials and could exchange information and help each other.

However, as a member of the inner circle of the family, she couldn't rush over. She wanted to wait two more days and then take her youngest daughter to visit Prince Teng.

Besides her husband Jia Lian, her uncle Wang Ziteng was her biggest support.

Take this incident for example. Since Grandmother Jia and others couldn't do anything about Jia Lian, why didn't they do what the Empress Dowager did and force her to leave on her own initiative?

Firstly, Grandmother Jia might indeed have some lingering affection; secondly, it was also because of her uncle, Prince Teng. Even the Jia family couldn't afford to offend the Wang family.

That's why she was able to wait safely until the clouds parted and the moon shone through.

Naturally, she also needs to maintain a good relationship with her uncle and aunt.

……

Because of Wang Ziteng's connection, the Wang family's standards have become increasingly high.

However, despite Jia Lian's status, he was not treated with any disrespect. Even though the Wang family seemed somewhat flustered, the Wang family steward still greeted Jia Lian in the front courtyard and said with a smile, "Second Master Lian, please wait a moment. My master is receiving guests in the hall. Please allow me to inform him first."

"Thank you for your trouble."

A moment later, the butler came out and reported, "The master requests your presence."

Upon entering the main hall and seeing the room filled with crimson and purple robes, Jia Lian knew that Wang Ziteng intended to promote him, a junior. Otherwise, he could have easily finished entertaining other guests and then summoned his nephew-in-law privately.

"Jia Lian paid his respects to his uncle and welcomed him back to the capital in triumph."

Half a year has passed, and Wang Ziteng's demeanor remains unchanged, but his face seems to have become more weathered.

When he saw Jia Lian, his smile deepened, and he asked with a smile, "You've come at the right time. Most of the people here are my former subordinates. You may not recognize some of them, so let me introduce you."

"Since you will both be serving as officials in the capital in the future, you can support and look after each other."

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian felt a surge of gratitude.

Wang Ziteng served as the military governor of the capital for more than ten years. It can be said that, in terms of military power alone, no one in the capital could compare to him.

Even the highest-ranking officers of the Imperial Guards were not allowed to do so.

Therefore, Wang Ziteng naturally had many former subordinates. Sure enough, he had just returned to the capital when these people came to pay their respects to their former leader.

Wang Ziteng's words were essentially telling these people that this was a junior member of his family, and that they should take better care of him in the future, out of respect for him.

Sure enough, seeing Wang Ziteng's attitude, those present who had been secretly sizing up Jia Lian, a member of the Jia family with a "pretty good" reputation recently, felt a hint of mockery in their hearts.

At this moment, she couldn't help but subtly change her attitude, and her gaze towards Jia Lian became much warmer.

Jia Lian, following Wang Ziteng's instructions, met with all these people one by one.

It was only then, through Wang Ziteng's actions, that Jia Lian realized that the clan and marriage relationships practiced at the time were still quite reasonable.

For a century, the four great families had been closely connected. When the most powerful Jia family had no descendants, the political legacy was inherited by the capable Prince Teng.

Now that Prince Teng has reached the pinnacle of his power, he has seen a capable member emerge from the Jia family and has decided to promote him instead.

It is conceivable that if this tradition continues, when he grows up in the future, he can also mentor the younger generation of the Wang family. It can be said that each link is interconnected, which can ensure the long-term prosperity of the family to the greatest extent.

No wonder the four great families have maintained their positions at the center of power for over a century.

However, this method of inheritance also has a drawback, which is that one must be accurate in judging people.

If one were to choose a heartless ingrate like Jia Yucun, then all the relationships that previous generations had worked so hard to maintain would come to an end.

Since most of the people present were military officers, after exchanging pleasantries, they sat down to discuss matters such as the border situation and the new orders from the Ministry of War.

After saying about that, the meeting ended.

As a junior, Jia Lian wanted to stay behind to discuss some personal matters.

So, after seeing everyone else off, Wang Ziteng led Jia Lian to his study, and the first thing he said after sitting down was, "I've heard about what happened in your family."

You did well. A real man should not seek his future and wealth by divorcing his wife.

Moreover, although the sons-in-law of the emperor can serve as officials in the court, there are still certain limitations. This might be true for others, but you, as the direct grandson of the Duke of Rong, have unlimited potential; how could you possibly covet this shortcut?

"Uncle's teachings are correct, but I hadn't thought that much about it before. I just felt that I had been married to Feng for many years and she hadn't let me down, so naturally I couldn't do anything unfaithful."

Jia Lian knew, of course, that Wang Ziteng knew more than just about his resistance to the marriage.

It's just that the matter concerning the Ningguo Mansion is not something that sounds pleasant to talk about, so Prince Teng deliberately didn't mention it.

Upon hearing Jia Lian's reply, Wang Ziteng's expression showed even more appreciation.

How could anyone not like such a loyal and trustworthy junior? Even from a purely self-interested perspective, there's a greater incentive to nurture and mentor such a person.

After I pass away, out of consideration for our shared lineage, the other party will take even better care of the Wang family.

So he laughed and said, "You saw those people just now too? Although I wouldn't dare say they were all promising talents, they are the connections I've built up in the capital over the years."

Judging from His Majesty's intentions, he probably won't let me interfere in the affairs of the capital garrison anymore. Therefore, try your best to befriend these people; it will benefit you in the future.

Besides, you are a descendant of the Dukes Ning and Rong, so most people in the Beijing garrison will give you face. If you're willing, it shouldn't be difficult to befriend them.”

"Thank you for your advice, Uncle. I will remember it."

Although the main force of the Beijing Garrison was not very large, both the five city garrisons within the city and the several large camps near the capital were under its jurisdiction.

Before Wang Ziteng, the previous military governor of the capital garrison was Jia Daihua, the son of the Duke of Ningguo.

Moreover, Jia Daihua served in the Beijing Garrison until he could no longer work before retiring.

As for going further back... it is said that the Beijing garrison was mostly formed by the former subordinates of the Dukes Ning and Rong.

Therefore, the Beijing Garrison bears a strong imprint of the Jia family.

Perhaps this was also Wang Ziteng's intention. Since the emperor no longer allowed him to interfere with the Beijing Garrison, he would transfer this power back to Jia Lian.

Jia Lian felt that it wouldn't be that easy.

After so many generations of personnel changes, in the Beijing garrison, the character "Wang" is probably more useful than "Jia".

The Jia family's greater strength lay in those old men who had been promoted to the Ministry of War. Although they didn't usually manage affairs, they were influential figures when it came to crucial moments.

Those people were genuine subordinates of the Dukes Ning and Rong, so naturally they were more sentimental than others.

"There's something else I need to tell you. Do you know why I'm back in Beijing this time?" Wang Ziteng's expression suddenly became much more serious.

Jia Lian dared not be negligent and adopted a serious listening posture.

"This border battle was mainly a war between us and the Tatars."

Although it was called a war, neither we nor the Tatars deployed many troops; strictly speaking, it was just a large-scale skirmish.

Because His Majesty advocated taking the initiative, we gained a good advantage and forced the invading Tatar tribes to retreat to the north.

However, the Tatars' desire to invade our territory has not died!

Over the years, the various Tatar tribes have gradually unified and become stronger. They no longer have any enemies on the grasslands, which is why they have begun to harbor thoughts of attacking us.

Although this battle forced them to negotiate peace with us, I have received reliable intelligence that the Tatars are allied with the Oirats and other Western tribes, preparing to launch a joint attack on our western frontier.

This matter is of great importance, which is why His Majesty summoned me back to the capital so that we can thoroughly investigate the situation and discuss countermeasures together.

Upon hearing these words, Jia Lian's first thought was, "There's going to be another war!"

He then realized that he had become like a warlike warrior. He was a good young man who loved peace and life!

After thinking about it, I realized that there were no warmongers at all; they were just people who wanted to gain military merit through war in order to quickly improve their strength and status.

Quickly regaining his composure, Jia Lian asked doubtfully, "But I heard before that the Oirat sent an envoy to befriend our dynasty, and I heard that he was a prince."

If the Oirats also harbored designs against us, would they dare send a prince to his death?

Wang Ziteng looked at Jia Lian and asked, "How can you be so sure they've come to make peace and surrender, and not to probe the strength of our dynasty?"

Jia Lian understood.

Indeed, the Oirat were much more docile than the Tatars, but don't forget that they were also the largest Mongol tribal court besides the Tatars.

At its peak, it also crushed the Tatars of Eastern Mongolia.

Although we are now weaker than the Tatars, we are not necessarily willing to submit.

In reality, its submission to the Great Wei was merely a means to leverage the Great Wei's power to restrain the Tatars and prevent itself from being swallowed up by them.

If given the opportunity to grow stronger, it would likely not let it pass by.

Seeing Jia Lian deep in thought, Wang Ziteng smiled and said, "But there's no need to worry too much."

Rumor has it that the Oirat king is old and has long lost his ambition, and has been paying tribute to our dynasty for years. Furthermore, if he dares to unite with the Tatars and the various tribes of the Western Sea, isn't he worried that the Tatars might launch an invasion after the alliance is formed?

The Oirat Mongols are no match for the Tatar cavalry these days. If it weren't for their fear of the Great Wei Dynasty, the Tatars would have invaded the Oirat Mongols long ago.

Since the division between Eastern and Western Mongolia, there has never been a Tatar or Oirat royal court that did not want to unify the vast grasslands.

Therefore, the imperial court was quite confident in winning over the Oirat king.

"The Oirats are in the northwest of our dynasty, separating the Tatars from the various tribes of the Western Sea. As long as the Oirat king dares not rebel, the Tatars' planned alliance is simply out of the question."

Wang Ziteng appeared confident and composed.

This battle with the Tatars gave him new insights into dealing with steppe cavalry, and he believed that if he were to lead troops again next time, he would do even better.

In response, Jia Lian smiled and echoed Wang Ziteng's words, without expressing much opinion.

He's only a fourth-rank official now, and he's been stripped of that rank. He has very little say in such important national affairs.

What he needs to do is be ready at any time, but if given the opportunity, like last time, to grab as many military merits as possible while ensuring his safety.

Wang Ziteng merely offered Jia Lian a few words of advice, without genuinely asking for his opinion.

After telling the story, he smiled and said, "It's almost noon, stay for lunch before you go back."

Last night, your aunt told me that Feng'er gave birth to a girl last year. Why don't you bring her over so I can see her?

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian smiled and said, "Originally, Feng'er had planned to bring the child to kowtow to Uncle early this morning, but she suddenly remembered that Uncle had returned to the capital from a long journey and had not yet had a chance to rest."

The child was being noisy, and I was worried it would upset my uncle. So I suggested that he rest for a couple of days, and then she and I would come to pay our respects together with the child. That's the proper etiquette for younger generations.

Wang Ziteng smiled and shook his head, without saying anything more.

……

After leaving the Prince's Mansion, Jia Lian went to the Linzi Earl's Mansion to visit the old master.

The old man may be old, but he's young at heart. He cares most about matters of national importance. Telling him the news we got from Wang Ziteng will make him happy.

Back on Ningrong Street, I dismounted in front of the main gate of Ningguo Mansion.

"Second Master Lian".

"Um."

The Ningguo Prefecture was still in a state of utter desolation.

After the Ministry of Justice closed the case, the Jia family retrieved Jia Rong's body and placed it in the mourning hall along with Jia Zhen's.

Of course, given that Jia Rong was an unfilial son, the family didn't pursue the matter much, but they also didn't intend to hold any special events for him. They just let him benefit from his father's fame.

All the sacrificial rites were directed at Jia Zhen.

Jia Jing is truly a scoundrel!

Everyone says that Jia Zheng is lazy and doesn't like to manage things, while Jia Jing is much more capable than him.

Instead of handling his own son's and grandson's funerals, he's been spending his days with a bunch of Taoist priests, burning elixirs and chanting scriptures. This has left Jia Zheng running around taking care of everything!

What's this called? The big lazybones bosses around the little lazybones, and the little lazybones bosses around the threshold!

Jia Lian sadly discovered that he might have been the threshold in the past.

It's not that Jia Zheng is incapable of managing things; he simply has free labor at his disposal, so he's unwilling to move.

"Second Master..."

"Second Uncle..."

Upon arriving at the mourning hall, he bowed three times to Jia Zhen.

The group of women mourning the dead naturally came into contact with him.

Jia Lian didn't care much at first.

Suddenly, two delicate voices, one in front and one behind, rang out, carrying a strange sense of shyness.

"Brother Lian Er~"

Jia Lian looked in the direction of the sound and saw that two pretty and delicate figures had appeared beside Madam You at some point.

The older one looked to be fourteen or fifteen years old, with fair skin, a delicate and radiant complexion, and a sweet and charming appearance. Her temperament was somewhat similar to Yingchun's.

The little one was about the age of a teenager, with an oval face, a delicate complexion, and eyes that kept darting around; she was clearly a clever little devil.

Those around them couldn't help but smile inwardly as they watched Jia Lian sizing up the two women.

Sister-in-law You's two sisters are indeed beautiful; even the arrogant Master Lian couldn't help but take a second look at them.

Madam You hurriedly introduced, "Second Uncle, these are my two younger sisters. There are many things going on at home right now, and my wife and I can't manage them all, so we called my mother and sisters over to help."

Jia Lian nodded to indicate that he understood, then bowed and clasped his hands in greeting to the two young ladies, saying, "Greetings, my two younger sisters."

Perhaps moved by Jia Lian's extraordinary demeanor, the older one lowered her head shyly, not daring to look him in the eye. The younger one stared at Jia Lian intently for a few moments, only looking away when she heard her elder sister talking to him about something else.