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

Jia Jing was also somewhat surprised that Baochai could say such insightful things, although not everything she said was correct and many of her theories were just generalities.

However, he has clearly improved a lot compared to the last time he discussed current affairs in his own courtyard.

Moreover, the salt administration issue was just a casual question I raised earlier; I didn't expect Baochai to offer any insights, nor did I give her any time to prepare.

To be able to articulate these points clearly, even if it's just rote memorization, requires reading a considerable number of current affairs articles.

Nodding slightly, Jia Jing smiled and said:

"Sister Xue, you are ambitious and knowledgeable. From which books did you learn that?"

In fact, Baochai's line, "A favorable wind lends its strength, sending me soaring to the clouds," already reveals her temperament.

In the original novel, during the episode of the Imperial Concubine's visit to her family, Baochai says to Baoyu, "The one wearing the dragon robe upstairs is your elder sister!"

Seeing Jia Jing's approving expression, Xue Baochai felt a little proud, which meant that her efforts during this period had not been in vain and that she had won the approval of her third brother.

"These days, my brother has collected some old official gazettes and Beijing gazettes, as well as historical books and various books such as 'Anecdotes of the Current Dynasty' and 'Collection of Memorials by Famous Officials of All Dynasties'."

"I was bored at home, so I just browsed through it casually."

As Xue Baochai spoke, her almond-shaped eyes shimmered with emotion, and her face flushed slightly.

Although her words were surprising, in today's world, it is actually not appropriate for women to see or even discuss these things.

If it weren't for Jia Jing's interest in current affairs, and to have more topics to discuss with him, she wouldn't have bothered to specifically collect and read these things, and even if she had, she wouldn't have mentioned them in public...

Of course, she herself also enjoyed the feeling of discussing politics at this time.

Perhaps what we talk about isn't important; what matters is who we talk to!

Baochai thought to herself.

Upon hearing this, Daiyu pursed her lips. What do you mean, "Brother collects and casually flips through"?

You didn't mean it that way. Would your brother collect these books? He's not a book lover.

Baochai's true intentions were clearly not what they seemed; she was after Third Brother...

However, seeing that Jia Jing seemed to approve of Xue Baochai's performance, Daiyu felt a pang of bitterness welling up in her heart.

Jia Jing felt a pang of emotion; Xue Baochai had put in a lot of effort.

Jia Jing knew all the books and newspapers she mentioned, but it was precisely because he knew them that he found them difficult to understand.

The Imperial Gazette of the Han Dynasty was the most authoritative and direct official channel for understanding the politics of the court.

The official gazette was issued uniformly by the imperial court and transmitted to local government offices through various channels, including the Office of Transmission, the Six Ministries, and the Supervisory Commissioner.

Its contents mainly include core political information such as imperial edicts, official memorials, and appointments, removals, promotions, and demotions of officials.

Ordinary officials and their male children can see it.

For someone like Xue Pan, a descendant of a royal merchant who held a nominal position in the Ministry of Revenue, it was possible to obtain such a document through deliberate effort.

The Beijing Gazette, on the other hand, emerged with the rise of private newspaper shops during the Han Dynasty, and was available for public sale and printing.

The content was basically a copy of the official gazette, and the readership expanded to include officials, gentry, and the sons of wealthy merchants.

Therefore, even if there were no officials in their families, the sons could still obtain information by subscribing or purchasing it.

As for other popular books, they can all be bought at the bookstores in Shenjing City.

However, the book Baochai mentioned, "Memorials and Discussions of Famous Officials Throughout History," is a huge volume, which is equivalent to buying a "large-scale collection of historical materials" in modern times.

This type of book is voluminous, consisting of 350 volumes, and compiles more than 8,000 memorials from famous ministers from the Shang and Zhou dynasties to the early Song dynasty, making it a veritable database of governance case studies.

It is not only complicated, but also quite expensive.

Jia Jing has a set of these in his own room, but he hasn't memorized them completely yet.

Unexpectedly, Xue Baochai was also reading this book.

Jia Jing pondered for a moment and said:

"The problems with the salt administration did not arise overnight; they involved a wide range of issues. It would be impossible to implement sweeping reforms to promote benefits and eliminate abuses without a strong determination."

"While Sister Xue's insight may not be entirely correct, it is not far off!"

Baochai was pleased to receive Jia Jing's affirmation and said:

"I'm just talking theory. If I really want to do something good for the country and its people, I need to see a high-ranking official like my third brother."

Jia Jing said in a deep voice:

"Salt tax is crucial to the national treasury. His Majesty and the officials of the court have their own plans, and the reform of the salt administration is not far off!"

Upon hearing this, Baochai blinked, suppressing the slight increase in her heartbeat, and tentatively spoke again:

"I'm afraid it's because Third Brother decisively defeated the puppet Qing in Liaodong, and with his successful military training, the court is now preparing to vigorously implement new policies!"

Jia Jing glanced at Baochai with approval in his eyes, it seemed that she had indeed done a lot of research on her.

I had a brief chat with her about the new policies last time, and this time she was able to apply what she learned to other situations, showing her quick thinking.

"If Sister Xue were to enter the imperial court as an official, she would certainly be a capable and efficient minister!"

Upon hearing this, Baochai felt even more pleased.

However, being stared at by Jia Jing's sharp gaze, she felt a little flustered and subconsciously looked away, whispering:

"How can we young ladies enter the court? Even if we just want to study more or leave our boudoirs, it will cause a lot of gossip and accusations of not following the rules and etiquette."

"However, just being able to have this conversation with my third brother has already brought me more joy than any other woman! Will my third brother think I've overstepped my bounds?"

Although Jia Jing's attitude was gentle and approving, Xue Baochai was still somewhat worried that Jia Jing might harbor resentment towards her reading "miscellaneous books" and discussing current affairs.

Jia Jing comforted him, saying:

"It is enough to be a person of integrity and good character. I have never believed that women cannot talk about these things. National affairs are closely related to the fate of every individual."

"In the past, there were women who rose to high positions, such as Qin Liangyu, the female general of our Han Dynasty, who made great contributions to the country and was posthumously honored as the 'Marquis of Loyalty' by Emperor Chengzu."

"She is a heroine, a true heroine, and worthy of admiration."

"My Jia family is a family of military merit, and we do not follow the many etiquette and rules of scholars."

"I also need to talk to my third sister about this. Don't be too reserved with the younger sisters in the household."

"Those who love reading should read, those who love riding should ride, and they should not be sheltered young ladies who never leave their homes."

Hearing Jia Jing say this, Baochai finally felt relieved. She pursed her cherry lips and said softly:

"Only someone as young and promising as my third brother could have such a broad mind."

"If we girls were illiterate and ignorant, that would be fine, but now that we've read and learned, how could we not think... It's just that the world is ultimately..."

As Baochai spoke, she looked up at Jia Jing sitting opposite her. Meeting his calm and deep eyes, she was momentarily lost in thought.

For some reason, a sentence popped into my mind: A good match is hard to find, and a true friend is even harder to come by.