The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 756 The Rising Star Father-in-Law
Although it was the first day of the Lunar New Year, Sun Chengzong, as a cabinet minister, happened to be on duty. After a brief chat, he went to his duty in the cabinet. Meanwhile, Jia Huan, Liu Yi, Zhang Zhilong, and other colleagues from the Diecui faction left the capital together, planning to have a drink in the nearby Lidefang as a New Year's gathering and to celebrate Jia Huan's achievements.

However, when the group arrived at Lide Lane near Donghua Gate, they asked at several restaurants, only to find that they had all been booked by a "Master Tian".

Jia Huan couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Who is this Master Tian? He's so generous, booking out several high-end restaurants for a banquet in one go!"

Zhang Zhilong said with a stern face, "Besides Tian Hongyu, who else would be so flamboyant!"

It turns out that Tian Hongyu is the current emperor's father-in-law. Well, Jia Zheng is also the emperor's father-in-law, but the difference is that Tian Hongyu is a "rising star" father-in-law, enjoying great popularity, much more so than Jia Zheng's father.

Tian Hongyu was from Yangzhou, with ancestral roots in Shaanxi. He once served as a battalion commander, a low-ranking military officer. Although he was not highly educated, he had a keen business sense and was skilled at investing. However, his investments were not in any financial products, but in his own daughter.

It is said that Tian Hongyu had a daughter named Xiuying, nicknamed Panpan. She was beautiful and delicate, a beauty from a young age. Although Tian Hongyu was not wealthy, he was very willing to spend money on his daughter. From a young age, he hired tutors to teach her music, chess, calligraphy, painting, singing, dancing, opera, needlework, and even riding, archery, and cuju (ancient Chinese football).

Of course, Tian Hongyu's move was not out of love for his daughter, but rather an "investment" to sell her at a higher price. Moreover, Tian Hongyu's investment was not in vain. When Tian Xiuying grew up, she became a graceful and beautiful young woman, slender and charming, and also very talented and skillful.

About two years ago, Tian Xiuying, who was only fifteen years old, was selected to enter the palace through the imperial concubine selection because of her outstanding talent and beauty. She quickly gained the favor of Emperor Qiansheng, and the Tian family rose to prominence as a result.

It is said that Consort Tian not only had extremely beautiful handwriting, but was also skilled in painting. Her painting "A Hundred Flowers" was deeply loved by Emperor Qiansheng. Moreover, Consort Tian had a graceful figure and superb horsemanship. When she rode her horse around, it was as beautiful as a ribbon, which fascinated Emperor Qiansheng. In less than half a year, she was promoted to the rank of Imperial Consort.

As the saying goes, when one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. With Consort Tian enjoying exclusive favor in the harem, the Tian family naturally became increasingly prominent. In just two years, Tian Hongyu was promoted from a seventh-rank officer to a fourth-rank commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The emperor also bestowed upon him a mansion and hundreds of acres of land. Even Consort Tian's brothers, uncles, nephews, and cousins ​​received various rewards.

In the latter half of last year, Consort Tian gave birth to a prince. This was extraordinary; without hesitation, Emperor Qiansheng immediately bestowed upon Tian Hongyu the title of Earl of Anle. It's truly infuriating how many soldiers risk their lives on the battlefield for such a precious title, which Tian Hongyu so easily obtained.

However, a nouveau riche is still a nouveau riche. As he became more and more powerful, Tian Hongyu's true colors were gradually revealed. Relying on his daughter's favor, he acted arrogantly, bullied and monopolized the market, and extorted money and property. He was extravagant and indulged in luxury. He had been impeached by officials many times for this, but Emperor Qiansheng had always ignored him.

Seeing that the Tian family was favored, the powerful eunuch Shi Dayong also rushed to curry favor with them, and his henchmen from the imperial guards and secret police became the Tian family's henchmen.

As a result, the Tian family became even more lawless, daring to abduct women in broad daylight and seizing other people's property and land without restraint. They were truly unrestrained and aroused the wrath of both gods and men.

Zhang Zhilong was an upright and honest man who could not tolerate any wrongdoing. He had even impeached Tian Hongyu in anger, but to no avail, as Emperor Qiansheng's favor towards Consort Tian had reached an unbelievable level.

While Emperor Qiansheng was not exactly a brilliant strategist, he was certainly not a foolish ruler either. However, as he grew older, he seemed to gradually become senile. He began to exhibit all the characteristics of a foolish ruler, including extravagant construction projects, complacency, indulgence in pleasure, and obsession with women.

Getting back to the main point, Jia Huan and the others had no choice but to continue wandering the streets. Finally, they found a small restaurant that looked fairly clean, ordered a table of food and drinks, and sat down to eat and chat.

Liu Yi raised his glass first and said, "At the beginning of the new year, the whole world is celebrating. Let's all raise a glass to Ziming and congratulate him on his triumphant return to the capital. He will soon have double happiness at his doorstep."

Liu Yi married Jia Yingchun and is now Jia Huan's brother-in-law. Naturally, he is very well-informed about the Jia family's internal affairs and already knows that Jia Huan will marry both Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai at the same time.

Jia Huan smiled and raised his glass, saying, "Thank you, Senior Brother. The fifteenth of this month is my wedding day. I hope all my fellow disciples will grace my humble abode with their presence and join me for a celebratory drink."

"Definitely, definitely! I'll be attending Junior Brother Jia's wedding!"

"On your wedding night and the day you pass the imperial examination, congratulations, Senior Brother Jia!"

"Haha, two beauties have entered the house, what a blessing to have two wives! I'm truly the envy of everyone!"

Those present at this moment, besides Liu Yi and Zhang Zhilong, who were friends from the same year, also included Huang Cong, Zhang Yixia, Zhang Yiqing, Niu Guanfeng, Su Yucheng, and other colleagues from the Diecui School. They all came from Diecui Academy and raised their glasses to congratulate Jia Huan.

Zhang Zhilong, a natural chatterbox, downed his cup with his head held high, and his conversation flowed freely. He said with deep feeling, "Back then, Ziming was dismissed from his post for refusing to marry the princess, and we all felt sorry for him. Who would have thought that during his trip to Hami, Ziming not only won the heart of the beauty but also achieved great merit in expanding the territory. Now, he has even wiped out the bandits and is about to be ennobled. It's truly enviable! At this moment, I must recite a poem: 'Why shouldn't a man carry a Wu hook, to seize the ten prefectures of Wu? Please ascend the Lingyan Pavilion for a moment; which scholar has ever become a marquis of ten thousand households?'"

Haha, how magnificent! Let's raise a big toast! Come, everyone, let's change to big bowls and drink three big bowls for Ziming!

Everyone clapped and cheered, then quickly replaced their bowls with larger ones, filled them with wine, and drank heartily. Junior students, especially Zhang Yiqing and Zhang Yixia, all looked at Jia Huan with admiration.

Jia Huan's excellence is beyond doubt. When he was studying, he achieved the highest score in the imperial examinations. Now that he has entered officialdom, he is still making great strides. He not only holds military and political power in a province, but also, as a civil official, has fought on the battlefield and made great contributions, earning the title of Marquis. He is simply a miracle.

In short, Jia Huan has now become the flag bearer and benchmark of Diecui Academy, an idol worshipped by his juniors. If he were to take some time to return to Diecui Academy to give a lecture, it would surely ignite the entire venue.

It is worth mentioning that since Jia Huan achieved the highest rank in the imperial examination, the reputation of Diecui Academy has become increasingly renowned, attracting more and more students. Today, it has more than 600 students, second only to Donglin Academy in size. If it weren't for the limited space available for the academy, the number of students would probably more than double.

In the foreseeable future, more and more students from Diecui Academy will pass the imperial examinations and gain official titles, and the influence of the Diecui faction in the court will also grow. This will undoubtedly be a boost for Jia Huan.

The banquet lasted until noon. Jia Huan, slightly tipsy, returned to the Rongguo Mansion and found the gates wide open, bustling with visitors. The threshold had been worn down by the sheer number of guests coming to pay their respects.

This is understandable, as the saying goes: "When poor, no one recognizes you in the bustling city; when rich, even distant relatives come to visit." Jia Huan is now a highly sought-after figure in the court, a provincial governor, the Marquis of Dingyuan, and, most importantly, he commands a large army—real power indeed. Naturally, many people are eager to curry favor with him.

However, Jia Huan had no interest in socializing, nor did he have the energy to meet with everyone. So he left it all to his father, Zheng, and the steward, Lin Zhixiao, while he went to the back of the house to pay his respects to Grandmother Jia. After that, he went straight back to the garden.

As usual, Jia Huan went straight to Xiaoxiang Pavilion as soon as he entered the garden. The macaw hanging under the eaves was probably seven or eight years old this year, and it was speaking more and more fluently. As soon as it saw Jia Huan, it shouted, "Third Master is here! Good sisters, Third Master is here! Xueyan, quickly lift the curtain! You naughty girl, where have you been running around causing trouble again?"

A soft laugh suddenly came from inside the room. Xueyan lifted the curtain and came out of the room. She knocked on the birdcage and said with a laugh, "You little feathered beast, who are you calling a brat? I'll stew you later."

"It's the New Year, dear sister, please spare it!" Jia Huan said with a smile as she walked into the house, only to be startled.

There was a large group of women, including Baoqin, Tanchun, Xichun, Li Wan, Qin Keqing, Qiaojie, Ping'er, Qingwen, Zijuan, Ying'er, Xiangling, Shishu, Ruhua, and even Lin Zhixiao's wife and Zhou Rui's wife... but Daiyu and Baochai were nowhere to be seen.

Jia Huan was stunned, not expecting it to be so lively, and blurted out, "Are people going to... a market?"

Everyone burst into laughter, and Baoqin giggled, "See what I told you? As soon as Brother Huan returns to the manor, he will definitely come to Sister Lin's place first. We can't go wrong by waiting here."

Li Wan laughed and said, "Huan-ge'er shouldn't have come here. Ping'er, Qingwen, why don't you quickly invite your master back to Yuewei Residence?"

Jia Huan asked, puzzled, "Why do you say that, sister-in-law?"

Lin Zhixiao's wife said with a forced smile, "Third Master Huan, you may not know this, but according to the custom since ancient times, once the wedding date is set, the man and woman cannot meet before the bride enters the bride's home, otherwise it will be very unlucky. So please go back, Third Master!"

Jia Huan suddenly realized what was going on and laughed, "I've never believed in these things."

Lin Zhixiao's wife hurriedly and solemnly said, "I dare not disbelieve you. Even if it's for the good of Miss Lin and Miss Bao, Third Master Huan should bear with it."

Upon hearing this, Jia Huan could only nod and reluctantly left Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

　Sorry, there was a slight lag, so this will be only one update today.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)