Dream of the Red Chamber: Start by gaining Zhao Yun's martial prowess, and be ennobled in a sin

Jia Jing's words left Grandmother Jia bewildered. She didn't know if Jia Jing was exaggerating to scare her or if he genuinely believed it.

As a noble family, the Jia family was no ordinary household. They were protected by the legacy of three dukes, and now they had produced a powerful marquis like Jia Jing. You couldn't expect to pin a minor crime on them.

Seeing that Grandmother Jia did not believe him, Jia Jing explained:

"In the past, it was alright since there weren't many eyes watching our family. Now that I hold a more important position outside, I've had quite a few struggles with Wu Xun, the commander of the Jingnan Army, and officials from the Ministry of War in order to do my job well."

"The old lady also knows that the Marquis of Linchuan and others were killed by me. Although they deserved to die, the Jingnan Wuxun and the others will not think so."

"They see me as a formidable enemy, waiting to find fault with the Jia family so they can put me to death!"

"I am not afraid of doing anything wrong, but I am afraid that the second master and others will be implicated and dismissed from their posts, or even have their property confiscated and be executed."

"It would be a real joke if the master were to be implicated and punished for the sake of a few lawless lackeys!"

"Grandma, you'd better think this through carefully, lest you cause a huge disaster and regret it too late!"

Upon hearing Jia Jing's words, Grandmother Jia was startled. Forgetting her embarrassment at being scolded, she exclaimed in surprise:

"Is it really that dangerous? A few servants' petty offenses could implicate Baoyu's father?"

"In our Wu Xun family, which family doesn't have its share of troubles? Isn't that how we all get through it?"

The reason why Grandmother Jia reacted this way was because Jia Jing's words accurately reflected her worries these days.

She hasn't been eating or sleeping well at home lately, fearing that Jia Jing has made too many enemies outside, which could lead to the entire Jia family suffering.

Jia Jing said calmly:

"Some things, if you don't weigh them, they're nothing; but if you do weigh them, they're worth a ton."

"If no one reports it, this little thing is naturally nothing to our Wu Xun family."

"But right now, our family is in the eye of the storm; any small disturbance could trigger a major risk!"

"Therefore, these seemingly small matters are not insignificant; they could very well become ammunition for our political enemies in the court to attack our family!"

"This is by no means an exaggeration! Political struggles in the imperial court are not child's play, but a life-or-death battle!"

"The court is currently rife with undercurrents, with various factions vying for power both openly and covertly. There are certainly many who secretly want to get rid of me."

"They will not only use the illegal acts of our servants to attack my family, but they may even bribe the servants to fabricate charges to smear us."

"Therefore, the situation is different now than before, and it is absolutely necessary to reorganize the servants in the manor."

"Because it is no longer a trivial matter concerning only the servants, but a matter of life and death for the entire household!"

"Your household must govern with military discipline and strictly manage your servants in order to prevent problems before they arise!"

"I understand that the old lady cherishes old friendships! But compared to the safety of all the masters in the manor, which is more important? The old lady surely understands this!"

Grandmother Jia was stunned by Jia Jing's words, and the expressions of Lady Wang and the others in the hall also changed.

In their eyes, Jia Jing's words were indeed very reasonable and did not seem like an excuse to discipline the servants.

So, does this mean the servants in this household absolutely need to be disciplined?

After a long while, Grandmother Jia finally sighed. Compared to the safety of Jia Zheng, Jia Baoyu, and others, the Lai family was nothing!

"What terrible things have I done to deserve all this trouble!"

"Jing-ge'er! I'm getting old now. I don't expect anything else, I just hope to stay in Gaole for a few more years. As for the affairs of the household, you should handle them as you see fit!"

"I'll only tell you one thing. Whether you want to rule the manor or act like a tyrant outside, it's up to you."

"But there's one thing you must remember: when you're doing things outside, you must always be loyal."

"As long as you can uphold this word, even if you do something wrong, it shouldn't implicate your uncle and Baoyu in the family."

"Don't blame me for being heartless! Your father is dying now, and I only have Baoyu's father as my son."

"You're standing your ground against me, and I won't argue with you. If you want to discipline the servants in your household, I'll do as you please."

"Whether you are granted the title of Duke or King in the future, or rise to the highest position in the government, we do not seek to benefit from your glory. Our Jia family has been a family of military heroes for generations, and the legacy of our old Dukes is enough for our family to enjoy for several generations."

"But we must not be implicated by you. From now on, you will be in charge of the affairs of the household, so you must take on this responsibility and never let outside affairs harm Baoyu's father and Baoyu."

"Otherwise, I will never let this go!"

Grandmother Jia slapped the couch and warned Jia Jing in a stern voice.

She knew that she couldn't control her grandson Jia Jing now; after all, the world was dominated by men.

Women are confined to the inner quarters and bound by the traditional virtues of obedience and chastity, so they have little way to contend with the men outside.

Now that the matter of disciplining the household servants has become linked to the power struggles in the imperial court, it is no longer permissible for this old lady to interfere recklessly!

Otherwise, if we really lose our children and grandchildren, that would be incredibly foolish and a complete loss!

Grandmother Jia had no choice but to relinquish power to Jia Jing, but she also set a bottom line: under no circumstances should outside affairs affect the masters of the mansion.

Grandmother Jia's words left everyone in the hall speechless with astonishment.

These words may seem harsh and inhumane, even appearing overly cold towards Jia Jing.

But in reality, everyone knew that this was just a polite way for Grandmother Jia to save face.

Just as Jia Jing couldn't leave the Jia family back then, the Jia family can't really leave Jia Jing now either.

If Jia Jing really messed things up, how could the Jia family not be implicated?

To put it bluntly, if Jia Jing commits a serious crime, the Jia family will definitely be implicated. This is an indelible blood connection that cannot be erased and is beyond the control of Grandmother Jia.

Therefore, although Grandmother Jia's words sounded stern and cold, their actual effect was minimal.

If something really happens, what grounds will Grandmother Jia have to hold Jia Jing accountable?

It's just empty bravado; it has absolutely no threatening effect whatsoever.

On the contrary, the meaning of relinquishing power implied in this sentence is quite obvious.

Grandmother Jia has made it clear that Jia Jing will be in charge of matters in the mansion from now on. Whether it's disciplining the servants in the inner quarters or handling the official business of the gentlemen outside, you can handle it however you want.

Grandmother Jia's words definitively established the future power structure of the Jia family under Jia Jing's control, and also sealed the fate of the servants in the household.

Upon hearing this, Jia Jing's expression softened considerably. He glanced at the solemn-looking Lady Wang and the others in the room, and said loudly:

"The old lady is indeed wise! The household and the outside world are one. Promotions and demotions, rewards and punishments should not be treated differently."