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

Madam Wang's eyes flickered, and she understood somewhat. She smiled and said:

"Well, his uncle and his wife didn't care before, but they've been serving in the army in Liaodong these past two years and haven't had time to talk about these things, so it's been delayed!"

"However, the old lady has mentioned this matter recently. I heard that many noble families and old friends have expressed their intention to marry their daughters to Jing-ge, but Jing-ge wrote to say that he will wait until he returns to the capital to discuss it."

"I think the old lady also intends to marry that girl from the Shi family to Jing-ge, which would be a way to strengthen the ties between the Jia and Shi families."

Aunt Xue pondered for a moment and said:

"Xiangyun is a good girl, with a good personality and a generous spirit. It's just that her parents passed away a little too early."

"The fact that the old lady has such thoughts shows that she truly values ​​Jing-ge'er, her grandson born out of wedlock. I just wonder who will decide Jing-ge'er's marriage!"

"Since ancient times, marriage has always been an important matter, decided by parents and arranged by matchmakers. I wonder what Jing'er's parents are thinking!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Wang laughed dismissively:

"What could they possibly think! I reckon this mainly depends on Jing-ge'er's own opinion and the old lady's opinion."

"You haven't met Jing-ge'er. He's a very upright person, and now that he has such power, I reckon in the end the old lady will have to respect his own opinion."

After Madam Wang finished speaking, she looked at Aunt Xue meaningfully and said:

"Does your sister have any thoughts on this?"

Aunt Xue, under Madam Wang's gaze, remained unmoved, merely smiling faintly:

"Yes, some people have asked me to inquire, saying they have a daughter in her teens, who is very beautiful, sensible, and intelligent..."

"Hehe! I think it's best for you to be cautious, sister! After all, Jing-ge is on the battlefield. To put it bluntly, even a clay pot can break at the wellhead, and a general can die on the battlefield. Who knows what will happen in the future!"

"And with parents like that, his new wife will probably have a hard time when she comes in."

Madam Wang smiled and persuaded Aunt Xue to give up her idea.

She understood what her younger sister was thinking.

I reckon he was provoked by seeing Jia Jing's power and prestige today, and that's when he had this idea.

However, she also quite liked Baochai. She was well-educated, gentle, and virtuous, a rare and good match for her own Baoyu.

She's much better than that sharp-tongued Lin girl.

"Then I must make it clear to them that we can't rush things! It would be terrible if we ruined their daughter's life!" Aunt Xue had some concerns in her mind.

Each with their own thoughts, they chatted animatedly, their conversation laced with hidden meanings.

…………

Jia Mansion West Road.

Sister Feng's Courtyard.

As Fengjie and Jia Lian were talking, Ping'er was serving them.

Jia Lian flirtatiously touched Feng Jie's face and said with a smile:

"Now I'm not afraid that Jing-ge'er will steal my title! He earned his hereditary military rank through his own abilities."

"It's much better than our nominal noble title. They probably never even cared about our title."

Fengjie dodged Jia Lian's hand. These past few days, Jia Lian had been sneaking around outside and hadn't cleaned up the mess properly. Fengjie found out and made a big scene. They've been giving each other the cold shoulder for days now.

However, when the topic of Jia Jing's promotion and advancement came up, Feng Jie couldn't help but speak up, saying coldly:

"You know how capable he is! You're born of the same father. Look at him, and then look at you. He doesn't even beg you to go to the battlefield and earn some official rank or title."

"If only I could focus more on my work and spend less time flirting with those vixens, I'd be so grateful!"

Jia Lian, completely unconcerned by Feng Jie's sarcasm, laughed and coaxed her:

"Everyone has their own destiny! Jing-ge is out there fighting on the front lines, while I'm at home taking care of household chores and welcoming guests. We're each doing our part!"

"Besides, it's inevitable for a man to have some casual affairs when he's out and about! But I've always had you in my heart!"

Fengjie knew that men shouldn't be pushed too hard; one had to know how to gauge the situation. Seeing that Jia Lian had given in, she stopped pressing him and said rather irritably:

"You're just trying to fool me!"

Then, with a hint of worry, he asked:

"Now that Jing-ge'er has gained power, do you think he'll hold a grudge against us? When he was bullied by those old women in the courtyard and had a hard time, we didn't help him at all."

Jia Lian, upon hearing this, dismissed it, saying:

"We didn't help him, but we didn't bully him either!"

"It's all because the master treated him badly, what does it have to do with us!"

Sister Feng breathed a slight sigh of relief, thought for a moment, and then instructed Ping'er, who was standing beside her:

"Ping'er, tomorrow send a bottle of the newly arrived rosewater to Xiaojiao'er and Yingchun's rooms."

Rosewater was a tribute from Jiangnan to the palace, extremely rare, and hard to buy even if you had money.

Sister Feng herself didn't have much; it was brought to her by Aunt Xue from Jinling. She never drank it herself, only using it to give away.

Ping'er responded, but Jia Lian asked, puzzled:

"Is it really necessary? You wouldn't even drink this rosewater yourself, yet you're sending it to them? Xiao Jiao'er is just a little maid."

Sister Feng raised her willow-leaf eyebrows and said with a half-smile;

"You wouldn't know this! The people Jing-ge cherishes most are probably Xiao Jiao'er, Yingchun, Tanchun, Xichun, and Daiyu!"

"Every time something is sent back from Liaodong, their portion is always the most valuable, except for the old lady's. Last time, they gave Xiaojiao a gilded longevity lock with auspicious symbolism; I estimate it's worth several hundred taels of silver."

"And Yingchun also gave us a chessboard made of white jade; it looks incredibly valuable!"

"So, it really depends on fate! Little Jiao'er only delivered meals to Jing-ge'er for a few months, and now he not only has a powerful backer in the manor, but he's also received such great benefits...tsk tsk!"

Sister Feng was quite moved.

It should be noted that her monthly allowance in the Jia family was only five taels of silver. Even with the monthly allowances of Jia Lian and the maids around her, it was only a little over twenty taels a month, and a little over two hundred taels a year.

But Jia Jing gave Xiao Jiao'er and Ying Chun a gift worth several hundred taels of silver.

How could this not shock and envy Wang Xifeng?

Feng Jie admitted that she was a little envious, but what she wanted more was to gain some benefits by currying favor with Jia Jing.

Upon hearing Feng Jie's words, Jia Lian smiled in surprise:

"Jing-ge'er has made a fortune in Liaodong! He's an official there, so he must be getting a lot of kickbacks and making a lot of money."

"We've won many battles on the battlefield, capturing all sorts of supplies, warhorses, weapons, and provisions. It's impossible not to get rich. I've heard that there's a lot of ginseng, medicinal herbs, and various animal hides in Liaodong. I wonder if Jing-ge has any connections there!"

Jia Lian seemed to be deep in thought. He and Jia Jing were brothers. If there really was a way to make money, he would be willing to swallow his pride and ask Jia Jing to help him.

After all, he had heard that Feng Ziying of the Divine Martial General's Mansion and Han Qi of the Marquis of Jinxiang's Mansion had been promoted several ranks under Jia Jing's guidance and were about to be promoted to the fifth rank.

He doesn't aspire to be an official, nor does he have the skill to fight on the battlefield, but doing business and entertaining guests are his strengths.

Sister Feng smiled, pursing her lips:

"Now you know why I'm trying to build a good relationship with Yingchun and the others! Jing-ge is on the verge of success, and he's one of our brothers. Wouldn't it be foolish not to try and maintain that relationship?"

Jia Lian said thoughtfully:

"Yes, you're right. Let me think about it!"

…………