Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 83 Rumors

Jia Lian followed closely behind Lady You.

He roughly understood what the young woman in front of him was thinking.

In fact, he thought that Madam You was a good person, quite upright.

Although he had teased him when he was young and naive, it was only because he couldn't suppress the restlessness in his heart.

He even saw Jia Erbao snuggling into Wang Xifeng's arms. Damn it... if he weren't still a child, he would have been given a good beating!

Therefore, even in Jia Lian's view, You Shi's actions were understandable.

After all, with a husband like Jia Zhen who was unruly and utterly depraved, her emotional infidelity was already quite respectable.

In fact, he had long been eager to make a move on You Shi, but he was never sure about her feelings, so he never succeeded, and he was extremely itchy inside.

Yu Shi seems to be exactly the type that the original owner liked the most.

According to Jia Lian at this time, Lady You's appearance was indeed of superior quality.

Her skin was incredibly white and flawless, and her features were delicate and beautiful. She possessed a beauty that, while not immediately striking, grew on you the more you looked at her.

In addition, her tall stature, exquisite figure, and voluptuous hips made her walk with a swaying gait, exuding a captivating beauty.

Jia Lian nodded secretly. Her looks were no less than those of the playboy sister-in-law over there, and she was even more charming.

"Silver Butterfly, I noticed that the First Madam didn't bring a hand warmer. Could you go back and fetch my gilded hibiscus one?"

Upon hearing that Lady You had sent her last maid back, Jia Lian couldn't help but stroke his chin.

Heh, that's interesting...

The winter wind was chilly, and on the long and quiet stone-paved road, only he and You Shi walked side by side, one in front of the other. An invisible, enchanting scenery gradually overshadowed the desolate winter landscape.

Finally, we arrived at the foot of Tianxiang Tower. The terrain here is long and narrow, and apart from the tall buildings, there is nothing to see.

Lady You glanced back at Jia Lian, her face like a peach blossom, her eyes like spring water, seemingly affectionate yet unintentional.

She walked slowly, and it seemed that in another seven or eight steps she would be able to leave this narrow area and reach an open space.

Suddenly, I felt a strong force coming from my waist, and then I was thrown into a young and strong embrace.

The force was somewhat savage and domineering, forcibly bringing her into the Tianxiang Pavilion, to a room whose purpose was unknown.

In the dim light, the woman, seemingly still shaken, quickly pulled away from Jia Lian's embrace and asked suspiciously, "Second Uncle, why did you bring me here...?"

Even she herself felt ashamed and embarrassed by what she said.

"There's something I'd like to discuss with my sister-in-law."

"What is it?"

Yu glanced at the half-open wooden door and wondered if he would grab her and force himself on her if she ran out.

"About Brother Zhen..."

"Um?"

Lady You looked up abruptly, staring at Jia Lian with a puzzled expression.

"I wonder if my sister-in-law has heard the rumors circulating in the household recently?"

"What rumor?"

Lady You didn't understand. With so many people in the two mansions, how could they possibly forget to gossip? There were countless rumors about Jia Zhen, that scoundrel who had turned the Ningguo Mansion upside down. What was there to pay attention to?

If we're talking about rumors, she's more interested in gossiping about Jia Lian.

For example, there was his ambiguous relationship with Jia She's concubine a few months ago; and yesterday, he hit the heir of Prince Duan, which led to him being arrested and taken to the palace by the emperor. I don't know how the emperor reprimanded him...

Jia Lian wasn't sure if Madam You had genuinely not heard the rumors or was pretending not to understand, so he could only speak frankly: "Regarding the rumors circulating in both households that Brother Zhen is coveting Rong'er's wife..."

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, Lady You immediately forgot all her romantic thoughts and looked up at Jia Lian in disbelief.

Although she didn't have much status in front of Jia Zhen, she was, after all, Jia Zhen's rightful wife, the matriarch of the Ningguo Mansion, and the matriarch of the Jia family.

Is her husband coveting her daughter-in-law?

This incident undoubtedly caused her great harm, and of course, it also greatly harmed Jia Rong, but that kid has never cared about any dignity or respect, so there's no need to elaborate.

Therefore, even though such rumors have already spread within a small circle of the Jia family, no one has dared to pass them on to You Shi's ears so far.

"Don't spout nonsense! These are shameless words spread by some scoundrels; they're utterly inhuman..."

Lady You was furious. After all, if Jia Lian hadn't been spreading rumors, the entire household would have lost face once such gossip spread!

Jia Lian's lips twitched. In this world, he truly didn't need to act like a son. He and that old bastard Jia She had reached the point of life and death, so of course there couldn't be the slightest bit of fatherly affection between them.

"I've heard about this. My sister-in-law can find out as soon as she asks around."

I'm just curious, is this just a rumor, or is there some truth to it?

After hearing Jia Lian say this, Lady You basically believed it and was at a loss for what to do.

As the matriarch of the Ningguo Mansion, You Shi naturally noticed and appreciated the extraordinary care and affection Jia Zhen showed her after the new bride entered the household.

To be honest, she had her suspicions that Jia Zhen might have ulterior motives.

However, she was, after all, his own son's wife. Even Lady You felt that Jia Zhen was just thinking about it and would never actually do such a heinous thing.

Now that such rumors have spread, even Jia Lian has heard about them, it's clear that it's not just one or two people gossiping.

Madam You appears dull-witted but is actually quite calculating. She is adept at self-preservation and keeps to herself, which is why she seems incompetent.

She knew that there was no smoke without fire, and if such rumors were to spread, it was hard to say that something was actually brewing.

Seeing that Lady You was deep in thought, Jia Lian did not disturb her.

He told Madam You about this on a whim.

The rumors were indeed deliberately spread by him.

Given Qin's special status, we cannot allow her to die under any circumstances!

Jia Zhen was indeed a scoundrel, but as a third-rank general, he should have some dignity, right? In the original story, because his adopted nephew was too handsome and their relationship was too "intimate," others suspected that they were a male-on-male relationship across generations! As soon as the rumors started, he hurriedly settled Jia Qiang in a separate courtyard, which shows that he had not yet reached the point of being completely unrestrained.

At least, before his father Jia Jing died, he still had reservations.

Therefore, regardless of whether Jia Zhen has made a move against Qin Shi yet, Jia Lian should spread the rumors first. As long as Jia Zhen still has some sense of face, he will have to consider things and will be careful to avoid suspicion in the future.

Furthermore, if even he could find out about the special nature of Qin's identity with his efforts, then Jia Zhen must also know, or even know more than him.

When his wicked intentions are not exposed to others, he may harbor a侥幸心理 (a sense of侥幸, a feeling of getting away with something) and dare to make a move against the Qin family.

Now that Jia Lian has revealed his intentions to the public ahead of time, he will surely know, and the royal family may also find out. Under such circumstances, unless he has completely lost his mind, he probably wouldn't dare to take any action against the Qin family!

This is the simplest and most effective way for Jia Lian to deter Jia Zhen.

As for the impact of the rumors on the Qin family, there will definitely be an impact, but as long as the Qin family remains innocent, it is still within an acceptable range.

It's better than her being exposed after Jia Zhen's advances, being too ashamed to face the world, and choosing to commit suicide.

Now that Jia Lian has told You Shi about this, he wants to add another layer of insurance.

Even if Lady You couldn't control Jia Zhen, as Qin's mother-in-law, she could effectively sever the connection between Jia Zhen and Qin if she wanted to.

Therefore, Qin's identity was revealed to You.

"You mean, Rong'er's wife might have royal blood?"

As expected, Lady You was startled once again.

As a concubine who was later elevated to the position of principal wife, she certainly wasn't qualified to access such top-level secrets of the Jia family, and Jia Zhen would definitely not tell her.

But when Jia Lian spoke, she suddenly remembered. No wonder Qin Shi, despite being merely the adopted daughter of Qin Bangye, a minor official, from an orphanage, was able to marry into the Ningguo Mansion as its eldest daughter-in-law. No wonder so many people of high status, who shouldn't have been there, came on Rong'er's wedding day…

"Although it's just a rumor, once this gets out, it will not only have a great impact on the reputation of my sister-in-law and Brother Zhen, but it may also bring a lot of trouble to our Jia family."

Therefore, I urge my sister-in-law to be extra careful in the future and to make sure Brother Zhen avoids any suspicion. Unless there is concrete evidence, the rumors will naturally dissipate over time.

Lady You nodded repeatedly upon hearing this and said to Jia Lian, "Thank you for telling me such an important matter. I will take note of it."

After this was told, the scene fell silent for a moment.

Only then did Madam You realize that she and Jia Lian, her uncle and sister-in-law, were alone in this cramped room.

Furthermore, recalling how Jia Lian had suddenly pulled her into such a dark room just to talk to her about Jia Zhen and Qin Shi, she couldn't help but feel resentful.

Given Jia Lian's habits, shouldn't he have taken advantage of her the moment he brought her in?

Even if we're going to talk about serious matters, we'll do it after we've finished those... Could it be that I'm really too old and not as attractive as those teenage girls, so he's lost interest in me? But, all things considered, I'm only twenty-five years old...

"If Uncle Lian has nothing else to say, let's go out. Staying here too long will arouse suspicion."

Lady You glanced at Jia Lian and suggested that it was time to leave.

Unexpectedly, Jia Lian reached out and pulled her into his arms again, taking a deep breath against her neck, and then praised, "Sister-in-law is still so charming..."

Lady You blushed. Just as she was thinking about how to refuse Jia Lian, she heard Jia Lian say again, "However, I am no longer an ignorant youth. I am not yet capable of protecting my sister-in-law's safety, so how could I dare to easily ruin her reputation?"

"Wait for me. When I reach the same level as Brother Zhen, or at least make him wary of me, then you'll be mine."

As Jia Lian spoke, he kissed Madam You on the forehead, then released her and strode out of the room.