Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 95 Zhang Mansion

At the Rongguo Mansion of the Jia family, Wang Xifeng was so happy to hear that Jia Lian had returned that she couldn't sit still for a moment.

Always fond of being busy, she left her tasks to the housekeepers and went back to her room to touch up her makeup and change into a fitted but not overly flamboyant outfit. Knowing that Jia Lian would likely visit Jia She in the east wing after returning home, she dressed in a dutiful manner and went to the east wing to serve Jia She his medicine…

Suddenly hearing a noise outside, she quickly went out to greet them.

Before the ceremonial gate, I saw several men in full armor, looking exceptionally brave and imposing, walking out of the gate.

Her pride as the matriarch prevented her from going over on her own; she simply stood in front of the door and waited.

Sure enough, Jia Lian saw her and strode towards her.

Unlike Emperor Ningkang, Wang Xifeng immediately thought that Jia Lian was more heroic and handsome than before.

When Jia Lian approached, upon closer inspection, it seemed that Jia Lian was darker than before... "weathered" would be a more appropriate description.

The Jia Lian of the past had a fair complexion and always had a smiling face, except when he looked at her. How could he be like this now? He was clearly still the same person, but when he walked up to her, she could feel an invisible aura and pressure.

She didn't quite understand why, but guessed that the heartless man must have suffered at the border, which was why he had become less wealthy and approachable.

"You, you're back..."

He had so much to say, but he couldn't express it in front of all the servants and lackeys, so he just gave a dry greeting.

Jia Lian also looked Feng Jie up and down, smiled at her, and then asked seriously, "How is Master?"

Hearing Jia Lian's question, Wang Xifeng realized that this was not the time for sweet nothings, and quickly put on a sorrowful expression, "Master, he's really not well, Second Master, please go in and see him quickly..."

Without further hesitation, Jia Lian, with his sword at his waist, headed straight for Jia She's main courtyard.

Without even glancing at the group of ordinary women inside and outside Jia She's room, Jia Lian went straight to Jia She's bedroom.

A strong medicinal smell, mixed with a putrid odor and the scent of cosmetics, wafted through the air, creating a pungent and unpleasant stench.

Jia Lian frowned, forced himself to stay still, and went to Jia She's bedside, looking down at Jia She who was lying quietly on the couch.

He was wrapped tightly in the blanket, and from his exposed face alone, Jia Lian could tell at a glance that the old man really didn't have many days left to live.

Her already thin and aged face was now even more withered and fleshless, making her look twenty years older than Grandmother Jia.

With bluish lips and purple eyes, at first glance, it looked like a sign of poisoning.

Jia Lian knelt down in front of the bed, wondering whether he should burst into tears to make the performance convincing, when Madam Xing arrived and relieved his predicament.

"Lian'er, you're finally back! Look at Master, look at the state he's in..."

Hearing Madam Xing's sobs, Jia Lian turned around and offered a few words of comfort before asking, "What's wrong, sir? I remember you were perfectly fine before we set off."

Madam Xing then tearfully recounted everything that had happened to Jia She after he left.

In order to clear herself of any involvement, Madam Xing had already become clever. Not only did she shift the blame onto the women who were Jia She's new favorites, but she also borrowed the methods of Grandmother Jia and placed the main blame on the Taoist priest Yuan Dan.

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian was naturally furious. He went outside and ordered the Yuan Dan Daoist to be arrested and interrogated.

The Daoist Yuan Dan tried every excuse, but Jia Lian didn't argue with him. He quickly had someone tie him up and lock him up in the woodshed.

Zhao Sheng and Wang Teng swiftly and efficiently removed the man from his position. When Yuan Dan Daoist tried to protest his innocence, they slapped him across the face, silencing his unnecessary words.

Perhaps because he had never seen such a fierce scene before, Jia Cong, who was next to Madam Xing, tugged at her sleeve and called out, "Madam."

Jia Lian turned around and saw this scene. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "When did Madam become so close to Cong'er?"

Madam Xing used to treat Jia Lian very casually, after all, Jia Lian was still her son by law.

However, at this moment, she felt guilty, and Jia Lian's demeanor was not as imposing as before. Therefore, when he asked, she replied somewhat weakly, "Her aunt is not feeling well, so she entrusted Cong'er to me and asked me to take care of him for a while..."

Jia Lian glanced at her, then at Jia Cong, who looked somewhat timid and frightened under his gaze, and smiled, "That's good. In the past, Madam only doted on me and indeed paid less attention to Cong'er. It's time to make it up to him."

After saying that, he ignored their reaction, lifted the curtain, and went inside.

Wang Xifeng didn't follow Jia Lian into the room because Qingwen had slipped in at some point and whispered a few words in her ear.

Wang Xifeng frowned, told Ping'er to stay here and look after Jia Lian, and then followed Qingwen to the front.

Sure enough, she hadn't noticed before, but now she saw that besides Zhang Yong and a few other soldiers she recognized, there were two more waiting outside.

And it's a woman!

When Wang Dashuan saw Wang Xifeng approaching with a scrutinizing expression, he knew something was wrong, but he still braced himself and went up to the two women, introducing them as, "This is Second Mistress Lian."

As Wang Xifeng sized up the two women, two women dressed in military uniforms were also looking at her.

Women from beyond the Great Wall have never seen such a beautiful woman with such fair skin, like a fairy princess.

The most beautiful woman they had ever seen was their mother, but at this moment, their mother paled in comparison to the woman before them.

Therefore, they themselves couldn't help but feel saddened.

So the general has such beautiful wives and concubines at home, no wonder he doesn't care about their beauty.

"This servant, Aqin, greets Grandmother."

She saw someone bowing down to her, and although his tone sounded strange, he was still someone who had submitted to her.

She turned her gaze to another woman who seemed somewhat cold and arrogant.

Wang Dashuan hurriedly replied, "Second Madam, she doesn't speak Mandarin very well."

Wang Xifeng raised her eyebrows: "A woman from the frontier?"

There was an undeniable hint of disdain in his voice.

People from the Central Plains look down on women from the harsh and cold border regions. After all, what outstanding beauties could emerge from the harshness of wind, frost, snow, and rain?

Although these two looked quite different from what she remembered, since they were Hu people, they were not a concern.

As a member of the Jia family, Wang Dashuan naturally knew Wang Xifeng's character. Forcing back the cold sweat from his brow, he reluctantly introduced, "Yes, Second Mistress Lian. They were originally the daughters of the leader of the Qingyan tribe of the Tatars. Later, the Qingyan tribe was destroyed by the Yachaha tribe. Just then, Second Master led a large army to pursue and suppress a branch of the Yachaha tribe, and rescued them. Second Master took pity on them and made them his guards."

Wang Xifeng was too lazy to listen to any talk about this or that department, or the daughter of some leader. She figured that a tribe that could be so easily wiped out couldn't possibly be that big, and she completely lost interest in finding out more.

"Did your second master really take you to the battlefield?"

Wang Xifeng felt a lingering fear. If she hadn't just seen Jia Lian and knew he was alright, she probably wouldn't be able to stand up right now.

The Wang family ancestors were also granted the title of Earl for their military achievements. Although they were far inferior to the Jia family, they still had some members who had served on the battlefield.

Just by listening to the idle chatter of the elderly, one can understand how terrible the battlefield is. Therefore, these younger generations are all filled with fear of the battlefield.

The fear of death is human nature.

"Yes... But don't worry, Second Madam, Second Master is fine. It's just that kid Feng Fei was shot in the back by an enemy arrow during a chaotic battle, which almost cost him his life..."

Wang Xifeng nodded casually; she didn't care about the life or death of her servants.

He glanced again at the two women wrapped in heavy military uniforms, suppressed his thoughts, and led Qingwen and the others back to the Rongguo Mansion.

If you have any questions, just ask the heartless person tonight.

She had long realized that Jia Lian didn't like her interfering in his affairs without his consent, and that she had to talk to him about everything first.

Jia Lian has just returned; she wouldn't be foolish enough to quarrel with him over something that has no basis in fact.