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

Jia Jing didn't pay any attention to it, his expression remained unchanged, and he simply said:

"Well, maybe something's come up with the old lady. Let's wait until she gets here."

Before she finished speaking, Yuanyang led a maid carrying a bundle, wearing a light green silk jacket and red shoes, into the room one after the other.

The maid looked to be only a teenager, but she was beautiful and clever, with a face like a lotus flower and eyebrows like a painting. Her eyebrows and eyes were somewhat like Lin Daiyu's, but she had her own unique charm.

She had sloping shoulders, a slender waist, fair and delicate skin, and thin, narrow, willow-leaf eyebrows.

Beneath his delicately arched eyebrows were a pair of handsome eyes, their lively gleam flowing between a half-smile and a half-smile, like spring water just beginning to melt, or autumn frost yet to set.

With a delicate nose and cherry-like lips, and her fingernails painted with rose-red rouge, her face held a mixture of longing and timidity.

Yuanyang walked up to Jia Jing, bowed respectfully, and greeted him with a gentle smile:

"My lord!"

Jia Jing nodded, put down his chopsticks, and looked calmly at the two of them, asking:

"Yuanyang, instead of taking care of the old lady, why did you have time to come over here this morning?"

A smile graced Yuanyang's pretty face. After her private chat with Jia Jing yesterday, she felt a greater sense of closeness to him.

He replied:

"It was the old lady who instructed me to send a maid over to the Marquis."

"The old lady said that you are busy with military affairs and housework every day, which is very tiring. It is a bit too lonely to have only two maids, Xiangling and Xiaohong, to serve you."

"I specially asked you to select one of your best maids to send over to take care of your daily life."

Yuanyang's words made the little maid carrying the bundle behind her secretly roll her eyes.

The old lady noticed that the Marquis looked rather thin, so she specially sent herself over.

It was clearly the old lady who remembered Bao Er Ye's injuries that morning and prepared to take herself to Bao Er Ye's courtyard.

As a result, Sister Yuanyang advised him, saying that the Marquis had a hard time at home, and that yesterday, thinking of the old lady's health, he had even sent her some calming incense, showing his filial piety. She said that the Marquis should be given a maid to take care of him.

After much deliberation, the old lady finally changed her mind and offered herself to the Marquis.

How come in Sister Yuanyang's mouth, it all turned into the old lady caring about the Marquis!

Upon hearing this, Jia Jing frowned. Just yesterday, Grandmother Jia was so angry with him that she had a headache, and today she was sending him a maid?

This sounds so unbelievable!

It's likely that Yuanyang overheard his words yesterday and somehow persuaded Grandmother Jia, which led to Grandmother Jia sending a maidservant.

Just as she was secretly pondering Grandmother Jia's intentions, Yuanyang had already pulled the maid carrying the bundle in front of Jia Jing and introduced her:

"My lord! This is Qingwen. She was originally bought by the Lai family to serve the old lady, and she has been serving her for several years."

"The old lady said she was good at needlework, nimble-fingered, and knew how to serve others. So she asked me to bring her to the Marquis for him to see."

Upon hearing this, Jia Jing didn't think much of it and turned his gaze to Qingwen, looking at the maid who was the head of the secondary register of the Twelve Beauties in the original work.

Qingwen had her head down, her eyelids drooping, and her eyelashes trembling from time to time, clearly indicating that she was not at peace.

This was the first time Jia Jing had seen Qingwen since returning to the mansion. He might have seen her in Grandmother Jia's room before, but he hadn't paid any attention to it.

His impression of Qingwen mainly came from the original work, which included her good looks, needlework skills, fiery temper, and strong and pure character, as well as famous scenes such as Qingwen tearing the fan.

Now look at it closely,

Judging from her appearance alone, she was indeed more beautiful than the average maid.

She has a slender, oval face with fair and delicate skin, and her thick eyebrows, reminiscent of Lin Daiyu's, add to her outstanding charm.

No wonder later generations referred to "Qing as Daiyu's shadow, and Xi as Baochai's counterpart".

In terms of appearance, Qingwen does indeed resemble Daiyu in some ways, but she is less sickly and more sharp-tongued.

Their ultimate fates were similar: one died from exhaustion of tears, while the other was driven out of the Jia family mansion by Lady Wang and died after calling for her mother all night at her brother and sister-in-law's house.

A clear moon is hard to find, colorful clouds easily disperse. A heart higher than the heavens, a lowly status; charm and wit invite resentment. Early death often stems from slander; the amorous young man's longing remains in vain…

Qingwen's tragic end was partly due to her own actions.

They live life to the fullest, displaying their talents and passions, yet they are ignorant of the wickedness of human nature, choosing instead to protect themselves and bide their time.

However, compared to those who say all the right things but do all the wrong things, Qingwen's death still evokes a sense of regret.

This maid is quite loyal and can be used. She and Xiangling, one strong and one gentle, make a good match.

As Jia Jing was pondering, Yuanyang smiled gently and said:

"My lord, Qingwen has always been dutiful and responsible in her work at the manor, and she is also very straightforward and honest."

"It's just that sometimes I'm too upright and can't stand things that are filthy or corrupt. I hope Your Excellency can be more tolerant..."

Yuanyang gave her best friend a heads-up in front of Jia Jing, so that Qingwen's fiery temper wouldn't clash with him later.

Jia Jing nodded, feigning sudden realization, and said:

"That's right! No wonder the old lady suddenly decided to send me a maid; it turns out she specifically found a 'fierce' young girl to keep me in check!"

Upon hearing this, Yuanyang couldn't help but chuckle, covering her mouth as she laughed:

"Your Excellency is joking! The old lady did not mean that."

"She knew that the Marquis might not be interested in ordinary maids, so she sent the most clever and outstanding maid in her room to the Marquis."

Yuanyang tried her best to speak well of Grandmother Jia, also in an attempt to ease the tension between the grandmother and granddaughter caused by yesterday's household management.

Meanwhile, Qingwen, who was standing to the side, took advantage of Jia Jing and Yuanyang's conversation and secretly glanced at Jia Jing, the master of the mansion whose prestige was growing day by day.

Her understanding of Jia Jing mostly came from conversations among the maids and his ruthless management of the household the previous day.

Although on the way here, Yuanyang repeatedly told her that the Marquis was a good master and that she didn't need to worry.

However, she still felt a mix of anticipation and apprehension about her fate after this journey.

Her longing stemmed from the fact that nowadays, no maid in the entire household didn't want to enter the Marquis's courtyard. She, too, had secretly hoped for this opportunity, as it was a true chance for a maid to rise to the top in one step.

The fear stemmed from the possibility that the Marquis was strong-willed and stern, and difficult to serve.

Moreover, she was sent to the manor by the Lai family. Yesterday, the Lai family was severely punished by the Marquis. I wonder if he will have any objections to the person sent in by the Lai family.

With a mix of complex thoughts in her mind, Qingwen glanced at Jia Jing discreetly, only to find that he was also looking at her. Startled, she quickly lowered her head.

Jia Jing saw Qingwen's panic but remained calm, only asking in a deep voice:

"You've been serving the old lady for several years, what did you do on a regular basis?"