bullyxtreme Chapter 1: The battle is won before the battle even begins.
Chapter 1: The battle is won before the battle even begins.
Ningrong Street is a very famous street in Beijing.
Legend has it that after Emperor Taizu decided to move the capital from Nanjing, he personally issued an edict to build mansions in the new capital for meritorious officials who had made outstanding contributions to establishing the dynasty. The Dukes of Ningguo and Rongguo, whose merits were renowned and whose status was highly respected, were naturally listed at the top of the imperial edict.
Furthermore, since the Dukes of Ningguo and Rongguo were brothers born of the same mother and had a close relationship, the imperial court, out of consideration, chose to build the new Duke of Ningguo's mansion and the Duke of Rongguo's mansion together in one place, with the two mansions alone occupying a two-mile-long street.
Ningrong Street got its name from this.
As a result, although Ningrong Street was located on a bustling thoroughfare in the capital, the people all knew that it was the private property of the two government offices. Not only did ordinary people like peddlers and laborers dare not set foot there, but even petty thieves dared not cause trouble there. As a result, Ningrong Street was always much more peaceful and quiet than the surrounding alleys.
However, deep within a solitary black-lacquered gate on the west side of Ningrong Street, a major case occurred today, quickly turning a corner of the majestic Duke's Mansion into chaos.
"Oh no! Second Master Lian has fainted!!"
"Sir, please stop! If you keep hitting him, someone will really die..."
"That damned beast, it's good he's dead! He's dead! He's dead!"
From the few words that came from inside the courtyard, the servants on the outer corridor knew that their Master Lian had fallen into the master's hands again. Based on past experience, poor Master Lian would inevitably suffer another beating.
But judging from the commotion today, it's much more intense than usual. And listening to the stewards inside pleading for mercy, could it be that Master Lian really did beat Second Master to death?
Driven by this curiosity, the servants sneaked into the inner courtyard, which they were not allowed to enter on ordinary days.
They didn't get to see the main event. After finally managing to get into the courtyard, they only saw the backs of the housekeepers and their wives helping Master Lian away. In the main corridor, one of the most powerful masters in the two households, the master, was leaning against the gatehouse, panting heavily, his anger still simmering.
The stewards, concubines, and maids nearby all dared not approach him.
Seeing this, the servants dared not provoke him further. They either quietly retreated or lowered their heads and brows, not daring to glance at him again.
"If a single word of what happened today gets out, they will all be killed!!"
The heavy wooden bolt slammed onto the steps, then bounced onto the white stone floor with a series of clanging sounds. Those around, hearing the master's stern words, trembled involuntarily, then hurriedly responded…
……
Jia Lian felt sore all over and his head was very foggy. Strange images kept appearing in his mind, like a nightmare that he couldn't shake off.
He forced himself to sit up, opened his eyes wide and looked around, and soon froze.
Just as he was filled with questions and his mind was racing, a soft creaking sound startled him.
Turning my head, I saw that the wooden door had been pushed open, and a young woman slipped in.
The woman was tall and slender, dressed in a stunning ancient costume, making her quite eye-catching. However, she moved somewhat furtively. After closing the door, she glanced around the room and, perhaps noticing him, her face lit up with joy, and she rushed over quickly.
"Second Master, you're awake!"
The deliberately coquettish female voice was impossible for Jia Lian to ignore. He opened his mouth and blurted out, "Qiu Tong...?"
Qiu Tong was taken aback, then said irritably, "Second Master got a beating, don't you even recognize me anymore?"
As she spoke, thinking she had seen through Jia Lian's trick, she snorted, "You don't need to pretend to coax me. I know you're too ashamed to show your face! Second Master is used to being ruthless and indiscriminate, but don't you think about it? That Aunt Mei is someone who has been favored by Master. How dare you act recklessly? As the saying goes, 'If you walk by the river long enough, you're bound to get your shoes wet.' You didn't take any precautions, and now Master has caught you... In my opinion, Second Master deserved this beating."
Upon hearing these words, Jia Lian appeared stunned, but his mind gradually cleared.
Looking at Qiu Tong, whose thinly trimmed eyebrows stood up high with a mocking expression, which inexplicably reduced her attractiveness to the opposite sex, he took a deep breath and turned his head away.
He knew that he had probably indeed traveled through time.
The blurry images in my mind were actually memories of my past life.
After a moment's thought, he realized that his current identity was actually a character from the novel "Dream of the Red Chamber," which is hailed as the foremost classic work of literature—the Second Master Lian of the Rongguo Mansion.
That is, the husband of Wang Xifeng, the most powerful woman in the Dream of the Red Chamber and a beautiful woman!
Before he could express his true feelings, he realized what had happened from Qiu Tong's words and the vague impression in his mind, and exclaimed "Good heavens!"
To be honest, as a young man who had read countless novels in later generations and lived a carefree life, he had naturally fantasized about time travel and imagined a different kind of life. But now that he had actually experienced it, he felt like he was taking the blame for someone else and had stepped into a huge pit!
He stole the old man's mistress, got caught red-handed, and then the enraged old man grabbed a door latch and beat him mercilessly until he lost consciousness...
Is this really something an ordinary person could pull off?
In this strict feudal clan society, even adultery could result in being drowned in a pig cage. So what should be done about such audacious behavior?
Fire stand? Oil cooking? Sky lantern lighting?
Thinking about the series of possible consequences, especially the fact that he might have to bear them all now, Jia Lian, a first-time time traveler, couldn't help but fall into deep thought...
Seeing Jia Lian's listless expression, Qiu Tong, who was sitting to the side, thought he was still scared, so she comforted him, "Second Master, you don't need to worry too much. Master's anger has probably subsided by now. When Madam rushed back at noon to ask for a doctor for you, Master didn't strongly object... Besides, Master had already said that no one is allowed to talk about what happened today, so Second Master doesn't need to worry about Second Mistress Lian finding out."
In the end, Qiu Tong couldn't help but reveal a hint of sarcasm again.
If she hadn't known that the person in front of her was a henpecked husband, and that Second Madam Lian was a domineering and ruthless woman, she would have moved to that room long ago. Why would she have stayed here so miserably?
Jia Lian didn't pay attention to Qiu Tong's expression, but he did hear what she said.
He suddenly asked, "How is Aunt Mei?"
Jia Lian thought that if he, the "Second Master," was beaten half to death on the spot by Jia She, his father, then Aunt Mei, who was one of the parties involved and was an even more vulnerable woman, would probably suffer an even worse fate.
"Hmph, even at a time like this, you're still thinking about her!"
Qiu Tong was both angry and resentful, and she stretched her lips, which were heavily rouged, into a wide grin.
"Don't worry, she's only recently had her face opened, but the master is so fond of her. I heard he knelt in that room for half an hour. When the madam came back, I saw her already in that room serving the master wine."
"Ha, I'm not afraid to tell you this, but in the master's eyes, you're probably not even as important as Aunt Mei. And yet, you got beaten half to death and still turn around and worry about her..."
Although dissatisfied, Qiu Tong didn't want to truly anger Jia Lian. Seeing that Jia Lian stopped speaking, she changed her expression and smiled, "How are your injuries, Second Master? Look, this is some medicine I just stole from Master's room, specifically for treating external injuries."
Qiu Tong took out a delicate little wooden box from her bosom and opened the lid. Inside was a dark, sticky ointment, accompanied by a strong smell of Chinese medicine.
"With this medicine, Second Master's injuries should heal faster. Hmph, those clumsy old women are always trying to curry favor with the powerful and bully the weak. Seeing that Second Master has angered the Master, they probably left without even applying the medicine properly. I'll apply it to you again now."
Qiu Tong lifted Jia Lian's sleeve, gently rubbed the wounds on it, and then went to get some medicine to apply it.
She was deliberately trying to curry favor. After this ordeal, Jia Lian will probably never dare to sneak over here again when the master is away.
Not only will they find it difficult to see Jia Lian in the future, but as time goes by, he might even forget about them.
"No need..."
When their skin touched, Jia Lian instinctively pushed his hand away in refusal.
To be fair, if he had no knowledge of the original work, he would have been happy to accept a girl's offer to apply medicine to his wounds at this moment.
However, he knew that Qiu Tong was no good person, and more importantly, she was a maidservant of Jia She.
His predecessor had good teeth and liked to touch both fragrant and foul-smelling things, but he doesn't.
Seeing Qiu Tong's expression change, he hesitated for a moment and then said, "Thank you... but... Master might still be angry, so it's not good for you to stay in my room any longer. It wouldn't be good if someone saw you and told Master. You should go back first; I can apply this medicine myself."
Jia Lian realized that Qiu Tong still held some influence with Jia She. In this era of "ruler and subject, father and son," it would be difficult for him, given his status, to escape Jia She's influence. Therefore, it was best not to offend Qiu Tong for the time being, as she might be of help in the future.
The original owner of the body usually called Qiu Tong "elder sister" or "beauty," but he was somewhat unable to bring himself to say it, which made his explanation sound a little hesitant.
Qiu Tong didn't pay any attention, assuming that Jia Lian was just frightened. Also, she was afraid of being seen if she stayed too long, so she put down the medicine, gave him instructions on how to use it, then gave him a couple of flirtatious winks before sneaking away.
After Qiu Tong left, Jia Lian slumped back onto the kang (a heated brick bed), his mind elsewhere.
He actually became Master Lian!
Alas, he became Master Lian...
I had long heard of the decadent lifestyle of ancient nobles, and had also heard the famous saying, "Except for the stone lions at the gate, everything is clean." Now, experiencing it firsthand, it has truly cleansed my soul and broadened my horizons. The ancients were right.
Shaking off the jumbled thoughts in his mind, Jia Lian tilted his head slightly and saw the smooth, cool quilt he was holding. It was made of the finest silk fabric, a luxury item that had always been a luxury, something only the wealthy could afford.
Another glance inside the house revealed that although it was once his residence and he no longer lived there often, all the furnishings and utensils inside were quite valuable. If many of them were sold, a single item could make an ordinary family rich for several months.
As expected of the Duke's mansion, I really want to continue lying low and living a peaceful life as a rich second-generation heir. Not only do I have wine to eat and plays to watch, but I also have a beautiful wife and a warm bed. What a wonderful life...
In the end, it can only be a thought.
He forced himself to sit up. Having experienced such a bizarre event, not to mention the long-suppressed resentment towards mediocrity that had been buried deep in his heart for many years, his current situation did not allow him to act this way.
The old man's anger, his own reputation, and the fate of his family... He remembered that the Jia family, with two dukes, would eventually be destroyed in a few years.
As the old saying goes, "When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken," it seems that even the Second Master Lian of the Rongguo Mansion will not escape this fate.
This is not the ending he wanted to see!
However, we can't worry about that right now. The most urgent thing is to figure out how to deal with the old man Jia She's anger.
In this era, the saying "If a father wants his son to die, the son has no choice but to die" seems to be more than just a saying.
Touching his visibly swollen head again, Jia Lian knew that Jia She had definitely gone all out in beating him earlier. If he hadn't arrived at the right time, there probably wouldn't be a "Second Master Lian" in this world.
Moreover, Jia Lian knew that even if Jia She really beat him to death, it wouldn't be a big deal for him.
Perhaps, the other party would even grit their teeth and curse, "That damned little beast, it's good that he's dead!"
Then they continued drinking and womanizing as usual...
Such is the way of the world, and Jia Lian has no way to plead for his predecessor. What he cares about is whether the old man will come over and beat him again if he finds out that he didn't die.
This is only the beginning. Although he died before he could even begin his training, he didn't want to die physically, especially not in such a humiliating way as to be beaten to death by some old geezer!
However, Jia She holds a noble title and is also his nominal father. If he is determined to get rid of him, he will have nowhere to hide!
How can we break this deadlock?
Jia Lian, who was feeling a great headache, suddenly noticed a precious sword hanging steadily on the wall to the side, and his eyes were immediately fixed on it.
There's a saying... "Strike first, strike hard."