In the south study room, Dai Quan came back to resume his life.
"Did Zhaoyang accept everything?"
"Replying to your majesty, the princess has accepted them all. When the servant passed by, the princess was talking to the Queen Mother. She liked the things your majesty gave her very much, and asked the old slave to thank your majesty for your favor."
"Oh, the Queen Mother is here, what did she say?"
"The Queen Mother... By the way, the Queen Mother asked about Zhenyuan Marquis."
Emperor Ning Kang said hurriedly: "Oh?"
"I didn't say anything specific. I just heard that the Queen Mother seemed quite satisfied after hearing that His Majesty gave the Marquis Zhenyuan such a generous seal."
Emperor Ning Kang was slightly surprised, and then he also laughed.
Speaking of which, Emperor Ningkang also hesitated about whether to grant Jia Lian the title of Marquis.
After all, although Jia Lian has made great achievements this time, his actions are also in line with his wishes. After all, the promotion was a big deal. According to his original intention, it would be enough to promote Jia Lian to the first rank. In this way, other people in the court could not say anything.
However, after a confrontation with Jia Lian, he finally decided to break the rules and directly promote Jia Lian's title to marquis. There is only one major step, four levels left, to catch up with his ancestor, the first-class Rongguo Duke.
Of course, he had his own considerations in this, such as completely subduing Jia Lian for his use, and another example, winning over the old noble forces headed by the Four Kings and Eight Dukes.
In fact, there are also some relationships with the Queen Mother involved.
Ever since he asked Princess Zhaoyang to marry him, although the Queen Mother had not done anything drastic on the surface, she really didn't have a good face every time she saw him.
Although Emperor Ningkang was the emperor, he didn't like to look at people's faces. But he also knew why the Queen Mother was like this. Not only did he know, but he also felt guilty.
Especially after the government and the public learned that the marriage with Wala was just a conspiracy of Prince Wala, Emperor Ningkang became more and more aware that he was in the wrong, so naturally he could only silently endure the cold attitude of the Queen Mother.
Since he didn't want to continue like this, the only way was to resolve the Queen Mother's dissatisfaction.
He knew that as long as Princess Zhaoyang returned to the capital safely, most of the Queen Mother's anger would disappear. Thirdly, he also remembered his original promise to the Queen Mother, that when Jia Lian was older and had some qualifications and merits, he would give heavy rewards again.
In this way, as long as the Queen Mother knows that he has indeed reused Jia Lian as promised, she will naturally accept his favor.
As for Soyang...
Originally, Emperor Ning Kang also thought of recruiting her to talk to the emperor to comfort his father and daughter. But she was also apologetic for the inconvenience of meeting each other, so she only asked Dai Quan to send a lot of luxurious and expensive things from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, hoping that she would be more tolerant and not blame his old father too much.
Dai Quan looked at Emperor Ning Kang and could guess what Emperor Ning Kang was thinking.
Suddenly remembering something, he deliberately smiled and said: "I heard that when Marquis Zhenyuan left, his face was full of spring breeze, and he solemnly kowtowed to the South Study Room before leaving.
Thinking about it, Marquis Zhenyuan felt so grateful for His Majesty's kindness. "
Emperor Ning Kang changed his mind and couldn't help but smile. Jia Lian's reaction after leaving the south study room has been reported by the eunuch who sent Jia Lian his royal uniform.
He was satisfied with this.
Although the monarch rewards his ministers, it is to make the ministers work harder for him.
But kindness comes from the top, and monarchs naturally don't want their ministers to have unsatisfied desires. A minister who can be grateful is a good minister worth cultivating.
"However, if His Majesty rewards the Marquis of Zhenyuan this time, I'm afraid that the adults in the court will criticize the Marquis of Zhenyuan..." Dai Quan said.
Do you have any criticism of Zhenyuan Hou?
I'm afraid it's not just the Marquis of Zhenyuan.
Perhaps those people would also say that Emperor Ningkang favored and trusted Emperor Ningkang, which was unfair!
But he doesn't care.
All he cares about is whether he can get the rewards he deserves for doing so.
As for Jia Lian being criticized and even ostracized by the courtiers...
Jia Lian himself was an honorable minister and relied on his kindness. He did not need the approval of the civil servants.
He would not be happy if all the civil servants bowed to an honorable minister.
However, although Jia Lian has the hereditary title of Duke Rong as his foundation, he was promoted to marquis after only a few years in the court. I am afraid that not only the courtiers, but even the generals in the army will be jealous and grievances.
But this may be just what he wants.
Jia Lian is young, energetic, capable, and comes from a deep-rooted lineage of old ministers. He is the sharp sword he plans to use to break the dynasty's situation.
Since it is a sharp sword, of course it should only be used by him!
The four princes and eight princes have too much influence in the army. He just hopes that Jia Lian will serve as a benchmark, and does not hope to cultivate another leader among them.
Therefore, it is a good thing to let Jia Lian, the direct grandson of Rongguo Gong, have some discord with the generals in the army.
What's more, he has another worry.
Most of those honorary ministers listened more to the words of the Supreme Emperor. Jia Lian was also born in the old honour, and it was rumored that the Supreme Emperor and the second-generation Rong Guogong were childhood playmates in the past. He was also afraid that if one day the Supreme Emperor had a whim and summoned Jia Lian to show him favor, he was afraid that the peach he had worked so hard to cultivate might be picked away by the Supreme Emperor.
Although he knew the possibility was low, it was not impossible.
And as long as the Supreme Emperor knew that Jia Lian was his favored minister and that his rank was not earned solely through merit, then the Supreme Emperor's pride would definitely no longer look down on such a flattering minister as Jia Lian.
Of course, Emperor Ning Kang did not reveal these considerations to Dai Quan. He just casually said that only people with no talent and virtue will be jealous, so don't pay attention to it.
…
Jia Lian went directly to the side door of Lin Mansion and entered the house familiar with the way.
As the residence of the seal officer of Lantai Temple, Lin Ruhai's official residence looks very elegant.
However, this time the entire Lin family seemed even more deserted than before. Not even a few servants were seen along the way.
After asking the butler, the butler sighed: "Since the master became seriously ill, I ordered the slave to send away all the extra servants in the house."
Jia Lian understood that when Lin Ruhai came to Beijing to become an official, he did not bring many servants of the Lin family with him.
Most of the handymen in the mansion were recruited later.
Now that Lin Ruhai has made up his mind to resign, he will naturally not keep these people around.
"How is my uncle's condition?
I learned from His Majesty that my uncle submitted his resignation to the court last winter? "
"Oh, I don't dare to hide the second master's illness. I'm afraid...
In the past few months, even the imperial doctors from the palace have been here several times. They all said that the master's illness is an old illness caused by overwork. In addition to taking good care of himself, it can be cured by non-medicinal stones. "
Jia Lian heard this and didn't know what to say.
Everyone has his own persistence and choice. At the beginning, he did his best to get Lin Ruhai's favor to return home for rest.
Who knew that Emperor Ning Kang could not help but restart Lin Ruhai after only half a year because of the lack of available people around him.
Lin Ruhai, who was still recovering from his illness, saw that Jun was so kind, so he rushed to the capital with a few people.
This is Lin Ruhai's choice and he cannot interfere.
It's just a pain for Daiyu. If Lin Ruhai's illness cannot be improved this time, she will feel the pain of bereavement again.
"Um, I would like to ask, has the Second Master really been promoted to Marquis?"
Xu Shi saw that Jia Lian was as friendly as ever and did not put on airs just because he was a servant, so Lin Youquan dared to ask.
Hearing this, Jia Lian smiled slightly and raised his sleeves, "Second-class Marquis Zhenyuan, it's true. If Uncle Quan doesn't believe it, wait until next time I put on clothes and come and show Uncle Quan a look?"
"Hehehe, Mr. Hou is joking."
Lin Youquan was very touched. As Jia Lian, he was willing to lower his status and laugh with him, which made him feel flattered.
So he said with a smile: "Maybe I heard that the Marquis returned to Beijing today, and our master looks a lot better today, but I didn't expect that the Marquis would come to visit at this time.
Our master is currently waiting in the Nuan Pavilion. Mr. Marquis, please come in. "
…
Although he had expected it, when he saw Lin Ruhai again, Jia Lian felt inexplicably sad because he was so thin and haggard.
It is a pity to think about a generation of flower lovers who only knew their destiny at a young age and came to the end of their lives.
Lin Ruhai himself didn't have any sad emotions. He leaned on the bed, looked at Jia Lian, and then said with a smile: "Yes, after going out for a trip, I really got the experience, and I became more and more like the old prince." My style."
Jia Lian just smiled at this and was still concerned about Lin Ruhai's condition.
“You don’t have to worry too much about me.
Throughout my life, I took the high school science examination and was selected as an editor in the Hanlin Academy. I have made my way step by step, and now I am a second-rank minister.
The nobleness of people and ministers has almost reached the end. Even if the ice melts and collapses now, there is nothing to regret.
only……"
Lin Ruhai seemed to have something to say, and Jia Lian did not push him. However, after waiting for a while, he did not hear anything more from Lin Ruhai. Instead, he asked, "I heard that His Majesty has promoted you to a noble title, and now you are a Marquis?"
Jia Lian nodded respectfully: "Thanks to His Majesty's grace, I have been granted the title of second-class marquis."
"Okay, very good. In this way, Master Taishan can be regarded as having a successor..."
As the son-in-law of Rong Guofu, Lin Ruhai had naturally seen the style of Duke Rong Guo.
Duke Rong Guo was also one of the few people Lin Ruhai admired.
After nodding and smiling for a while, Lin Ruhai couldn't help but feel sad.
The Rongguo Mansion has a successor, but the Lin family has almost lost its heirs.
I still remember my old father's ecstatic look when he won the first grade in spring.
Later, she gained the favor of the current Duke Rong, and married his legitimate daughter to him in a high-profile manner, which made countless people envious of her.
Now that decades have passed, the people of the past have passed away, and he, Lin Ruhai, has also reached the fate of following the path of his predecessors.
It's not a matter of unwillingness, but there is some regret after all.
But the most regrettable thing is that I still hate myself for not trying my best to find a satisfactory marriage for my daughter for so many years.
With these thoughts in mind, his eyes kept falling on Jia Lian, who was sitting in front of him with his hands down, observing the etiquette of a junior in a humble manner.
Even in Lin Ruhai's eyes, Jia Lian, who was seven feet tall, had red lips and white teeth, and a beautiful face, could find no fault with him.
Furthermore, the fact that he is now a noble lord has secretly added an inviolable noble temperament to him.
It's a pity that such a young talent was discovered a little late, otherwise he might have become the son-in-law of my Lin family.
The daughter of the Wang family was also very lucky. Although she was also an orphan who lost her parents, she married the man she wanted.
At the beginning, the Queen Mother wanted to grant Jia Lian a marriage. Although she advised Jia Lian not to go against fate, in her heart, she still felt very fond of Jia Lian for his kindness and trustworthiness, and for not leaving his poor wife in court.
Only a man who keeps his promises and keeps his word can be worthy of such a reputation as a hero of the country!
After asking Jia Lian about many matters during his trip, he didn't pay too much attention to Lin Ruhai's current situation, and the topic soon turned to what was on his mind.
"By the way, when you picked up Yu'er from Yangzhou, you promised me that you would take care of her for me.
There is something I want to ask you now. "
"Uncle, please speak."
"In these years, besides you and Baoyu, has your sister seen other men from relatives and friends in your family?"
Lin Ruhai now doesn't have as many worries as before. He wants to know the specific situation of Daiyu in Jia's house in the past few years.
Seeing Jia Lian's suspicious expression, he explained: "You don't have to worry too much, I have no other intentions.
But with my current situation, I'm afraid I won't be able to survive much longer. Therefore, I want to make some arrangements for your sister Lin's life-long affairs while I can still be in charge, so that after I leave, she will have nothing to rely on in this world. "
When Jia Lian heard this, he was shocked, but facing Lin Ruhai, he still replied in a calm voice: "Reporting to uncle, Sister Lin has been raised by my old lady these years.
My family has a large number of people and a lot of rules, and Sister Lin has a pure temperament. Apart from me and Baoyu, and the two younger concubines in the family, I am afraid that I will not have the opportunity to meet other young men. "
When Lin Ruhai heard this, although he knew it was unlikely, he still refused to make any mistakes and asked Jia Lian about the situation of the other two concubines in Rongguo Mansion.
With Jia Lian's keenness, it was natural to see at this time that Lin Ruhai really wanted to choose a son-in-law for Daiyu.
Although he didn't know why even Jia Cong and Jia Huan Lin Ruhai were concerned, he immediately told them about their situation.
Speaking of which, considering the situation of these two concubines, Jia Lian did not need to deliberately smear them. He only needed to highlight some areas that Lin Ruhai might care about, and Lin Ruhai's expression became doubtful.
Obviously, based on Lin Ruhai's understanding of his daughter, it is impossible for these two mediocre, even inferior children to catch Daiyu's eyes.
However, if Daiyu can see it according to what Jia Lian said, it can only be a direct descendant of the Jia family. Considering that Jia's family has been in the family for a century, and Jia's mother is the Duke's wife, it is impossible for her husband to see Daiyu easily.
Therefore, what Jia Lian said must be correct.
But if it’s not one of Jia Baoyu, Jia Cong, and Jia Huan, who could it be?
Suddenly, feeling blessed, Lin Ruhai immediately raised her head and looked at Jia Lian.
Could it be that he was in the dark under the lamp?
But if this is really the case, it will be difficult.
Lin Ruhai fell silent.
After Jia Zheng and his wife refused to get married, he actually didn't want to stick to the family view at all. I thought, if my daughter really has a sweetheart, she might as well make it happen.
Even if the other party is a commoner, he still recognizes it.
But if it were Jia Lian...
He didn't think that Jia Lian, with his temperament that dared to resist even the marriage offered by the Tian family, would divorce his wife and marry another for his Lin family.
While his mind was changing, he suddenly said: "Brother Lian, I heard that you haven't taken a concubine yet?"
Lin Ruhai felt that she must be crazy, why would she ask this at this time.
In fact, he just thought of many things about Jia Lian, and suddenly wondered why Jia Lian had not taken a concubine so far.
After all, even though everyone envied him and the legitimate daughter of the duke's palace, the fairy Juannu, they ended up taking two concubines a few years after they got married because of their children.
It was his wife Jia Min who took the initiative to help him.
However, he knew that Jia Lian had no children but had never taken a concubine, which made him quite curious.
But as soon as the words came out of his mouth, he knew he shouldn't. Normally, as an elder, he could ask questions at will.
But he had just mentioned to Jia Lian that his daughter's marriage was not settled. Wouldn't it be misleading to ask this now?
When Jia Lian first heard what Lin Ruhai said, his heart skipped a beat, and then he was overjoyed.
But out of years of caution, he immediately calmed down. He knew that what he had hidden in his heart for many years was not that simple.
Sure enough, when he saw Lin Ruhai's expression next, he knew that he might have misunderstood.
My heart suddenly sank again.
He didn't speak immediately, his brain started working quickly.
His thoughts about Daiyu have become much clearer to him as he watched Daiyu grow up in front of him over the years and become more and more like a down-and-out little fairy.
Therefore, over the years, he has been taking care of Daiyu overtly and covertly, showing concern in everything.
Therefore, he was granted the title of Marquis this time, and he didn't even have time to return home, so he came to visit Lin Ruhai first.
Because he knew that if he said that he had any unreasonable thoughts about Daiyu in the past, it would be ridiculous and would make him lack of confidence.
So, when he was promoted step by step, from getting a title to being promoted to a Marquis, and became a Marquis that attracted everyone's attention, he felt that he seemed to have some qualifications.
Speaking of which, Jia Lian is actually not a self-centered person.
Although he liked Daiyu, he didn't want to possess her from the beginning.
He had also considered that if Daiyu was really destined to be with Jia Baoyu, even if he was "in the way" in the middle, Daiyu would still like and admire Jia Baoyu, so he might as well be a flower protector. Just keep her safe for the rest of her life.
This was the reason why he didn't try every means to prevent Jia Baoyu and Daiyu from living in the same courtyard.
"The Ronin Begins with Douluo"
He just did his best and listened to God's will, telling Daiyu the precautions between men and women, magnifying Jia Baoyu's shortcomings as much as possible, and letting Daiyu know, that's all. He felt that he was already a gentleman.
The facts were developing in the direction he expected.
Although Daiyu had never shown any emotion towards him beyond that of a cousin in these years, he could tell that the little girl must have some different feelings towards him.
At least, they are closer, more trusting, and more intense than Jia Baoyu!
In this case, he will naturally not talk about the conduct of a gentleman.
The opportunity has been given to Xiao Baoyu, but if he can't seize it, he can't blame his brother for his clever methods.
