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

Then came the sound of the curtain being roughly pulled open, and a strong smell of alcohol wafted in, causing Aunt Xue and Xue Baochai to frown.

"Mom, sister, are you still awake?"

Xue Pan walked in with unsteady steps, his eyes glazed over with drunkenness as he looked at Aunt Xue and Xue Baochai inside the room, and asked in a muffled voice.

He was wearing a bright red robe with the collar open, his round face was flushed, and his eyes were glazed over.

He reeked of alcohol and slumped into a chair by the table as soon as he entered, looking somewhat unsteady on his feet.

When Aunt Xue saw her beloved son return, she quickly got off the couch and poured him tea to help him sober up.

He complained with a hint of affection:

"You wretched child! You're like a wild horse that's been let off its bridle, never coming home."

"Where did you come from? How did you get so drunk?"

Xue Pan took the tea that Aunt Xue handed him, gulped it down, and laughed loudly:

"Brother Zhen and Brother Rong from the East Mansion invited me to Fanlou for drinks. Brother Zhen has made a fortune recently."

"His uncle arranged for him to assist in the reorganization of the army in the Beijing garrison, where he held considerable power."

"Not only was he incredibly powerful, but he also amassed a fortune. The soldiers and officers in the Beijing garrison who didn't want to be laid off or disciplined all had to flatter and fawn over him."

"Fanlou is such a den of iniquity that I would feel terrible if I went there even once on a normal day."

"He's practically lived there for the past month, and today he even ordered eight male prostitutes in one go..."

"Snapped!"

Before Xue Pan could finish speaking, Aunt Xue slapped him on the back, interrupting him.

"You bastard! You've drunk a few ounces of cat piss and you've forgotten who you are, spouting nonsense!"

"It's one thing for you to fool around and cause trouble outside, but how dare you bring these foul words home to say in front of your sister?"

Baochai blushed and turned to go back to her room.

Xue Pan quickly patted his big head and apologized to Baochai:

"Little sister, don't be angry! Look at my sharp tongue!"

After saying that, he narrowed his eyes to slits and explained vaguely:

"It's because Brother Zhen made me drink too much today. I don't know what's wrong with him. He was listening to a little tune and he was having a good time."

"But when he heard the news that the Marquis of Champion had been promoted to First-Class Duke, his face darkened and he became unhappy, then he relentlessly challenged me to a drinking contest!"

"He was also cursing the Champion Marquis, saying he was a scoundrel and that he stole his daughter..."

Upon hearing Xue Pan's words, Xue Baochai frowned slightly and stopped in her tracks, which was about to leave!

Aunt Xue thought for a moment, then sighed and said:

"It seems that Zhen-ge'er from the East Mansion really hates Jing-ge'er!"

"Last time he cursed Jingge'er to have something happen to him, and Jingge'er ordered his men to beat him up and make him kneel in the ancestral hall for several days."

"He is, after all, the Lord of the Eastern Palace and a military officer of the imperial court. How can he easily swallow this insult?"

"No wonder he's rarely seen visiting the old lady at the West Mansion these days; he still harbors resentment towards Jing-ge!"

Last time Jia Zhen was punished, You Shi came to the West Mansion late at night to plead with Grandmother Jia. Aunt Xue was also present and knew about it.

just,

She hadn't expected that after so long, Jia Zhen would still harbor resentment towards Jia Jing; wasn't that a bit too vengeful?

The two brothers had a small rift; why did it have to come to this?

As for the "Ke'er" mentioned by Xue Pan, it was Qin Keqing's maiden name, which Aunt Xue did not know, so she did not pay attention to it.

They assumed Xue Pan was drunk and talking nonsense.

Xue Baochai frowned, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes, and slowly said:

"The old master of the East Mansion has only been gone for a short time, yet Jia Zhen is already so dissolute and unrestrained."

"Furthermore, during the period of mourning, he frequented brothels, which was not only a moral transgression but also a violation of the court's etiquette and regulations."

"If a censor were to impeach me, I would likely face dismissal from my post, and might even lose my title in the Eastern Palace!"

"Brother, you should avoid associating with someone who lacks loyalty, filial piety, and integrity!"

Baochai's words carried a rare hint of annoyance, and she no longer addressed Jia Zhen with respect, instead calling him by his given name.

She didn't make baseless accusations against Jia Zhen. In recent days, besides studying the "Yan Family Instructions" in depth, she also read a lot of court gazettes and books on current affairs.

She clearly understood that the "Great Han Code" explicitly stated:

During the period of mourning, officials are prohibited from engaging in entertainment. They are forbidden from drinking alcohol, making merry, getting married, attending operas, let alone visiting brothels or other places of entertainment.

If a person is impeached by an imperial censor for "violating the mourning period regulations," they will be immediately dismissed from their post once the facts are verified.

Even if they are not reported, if their misconduct is exposed, the Ministry of Personnel and the Imperial Clan Court will record it as an act of "filial impiety" during their assessment, and they will be barred from returning to their post for life.

This is not only a moral transgression, but can also be directly converted into criminal penalties.

Although Jia Zhen was not a scholar-official but a military general, he had greater leniency in these etiquette and legal systems.

For example, he could continue to serve in the Beijing garrison as usual, without having to observe mourning for his parents like civil officials.

However, going to brothels is an overly sensitive topic.

Even if he is a military hero, once exposed, he could easily become a target for political enemies, triggering a double crisis of "morality and the court".

Xue Pan shook his big head and chuckled when he heard his younger sister's words of advice.

He didn't think too much about it, only assuming that Jia Zhen was hostile to Jia Jing, which displeased his younger sister.

Xue Pan, hands on his knees, strained to open his eyes wide and laughed gruffly:

"I know, I know! I never intended to drink with him again, but he dared to have ill intentions towards my...brother-in-law."

"I just didn't understand at the time, otherwise I would have slapped that son of a bitch across the face..."

Xue Pan was well aware of his younger sister's feelings for Jia Jing.

It should be noted that the various books and official gazettes that Xue Baochai has been reading these days were all things he had painstakingly searched for and brought home from all over the place.

His attitude towards his sister's relationship with Jia Jing was one of unwavering approval.

Jingge'er has already been granted the title of First-Class Duke!

This is such immense power and influence that he was stunned when he heard the news today!

If I had a brother-in-law who was a first-class duke, wouldn't I be able to do whatever I wanted in the capital?

Those nobles and aristocrats who used to look down on them will now open their eyes wide and think more highly of them!

Xue Pan imagined the imposing scene he would be in after becoming Jia Jing's brother-in-law, and he couldn't help but smile.

"Snapped!"

Aunt Xue slapped Xue Pan hard on the back again, pretending to be angry as she scolded him:

"You wretched child! You start spouting nonsense after only a few words!"

"What brother-in-law? This concerns your sister's reputation, how dare you spout such nonsense!"

Xue Pan was immune to Aunt Xue's scolding and laughed:

"This is just us family talking behind closed doors! I've never said anything like that outside!"

"Even if I'm a complete scoundrel, I know that Mom and my sister are my closest people, and I've always stood up for you both!"

At this point, Xue Pan sighed with a hint of self-reproach:

"It's also my fault as the older brother. I failed to support the family business and even killed someone in Nanjing."

"This has forced my mother and sister to come to the capital and suffer, living as dependents!"

As Xue Pan spoke, tears welled up in his eyes, which immediately broke Aunt Xue's heart.