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

Jia Jing showed a hint of regret on his face, as if he found it hard to believe that his mother was so muddle-headed and ignorant!

At this moment, Grandmother Jia, sitting on the high couch, was already pale, dizzy, and about to collapse.

Her mind was filled with thoughts like: Here it comes again!

This is only my first day back home, and we've barely been apart for half a quarter of an hour when he started lecturing me again!

That senile old fool who can't tell what's important! This wretched child didn't even change the word!

All that polite and intimate behavior I just displayed was a complete waste of time and energy!

That wicked grandson, that scoundrel, he even pretended to be disappointed, it's simply outrageous!

What sins have I committed that at my age, Heaven still sends this wretched grandson to torment me!

Grandmother Jia was speechless and choked with emotion. Her eyes were fixed on the beams of the hall, and her eyes even reddened.

Meanwhile, Madam Wang, standing to the side, broke out in a cold sweat, rubbing the Buddhist prayer beads in her hands again and again, feeling both fearful and relieved at the same time!

Thank goodness I was cautious and held back from speaking, otherwise I would be the one getting a lecture now!

Thinking back to the scene when Jia Jing publicly rebuked her as an ignorant and foolish woman, it still fills me with heartache!

However, it seems that this illegitimate son just called his own Baoyu a "spoiled brat" again. Although he didn't name names, I shouldn't have misunderstood!

Hmm? ...Never mind! The illegitimate son is powerful right now, so let's swallow this anger for now and make a plan later!

Madam Xing quietly hid behind Madam Wang, keeping her eyes, nose, mouth, and mind focused, looking as if she were in deep meditation!

Jing-ge is in a bad mood right now, so it's best not to get too close to avoid getting caught in the crossfire!

Even on Aunt Xue's fair face, there was a hint of worry and fear. This son-in-law was indeed of noble status, but his personality was far too difficult to get close to!

He would reprimand his own mother without any mercy over a single disagreement.

If I were to be criticized like this when I become his mother-in-law, I would be utterly ashamed!

Yuan Chun, Tan Chun, and the others pretended not to hear Jia Jing's words, and looked at each other with a smile!

Although they also felt that Jia Jing's reprimand of Grandmother Jia lacked respect for his elders, their words, though rough, were true; their third brother was right!

This argument is presented openly, with good intentions and profound consideration! It points out Grandmother Jia's absurd remarks from the perspective of the person in charge of the clan, and it is reasonable and well-founded!

Besides, my third brother is of noble status, so his words to the old lady are well-intentioned, and the old lady should be able to accept them!

Xing Xiuyan, however, was seeing Jia Jing in such a cold and aloof manner for the first time, and her usually calm and gentle face showed surprise.

She had just seen how approachable Jia Jing was to the women in the household and how he had made proper arrangements for her parents' livelihood, so she thought he was a kind and gentle person.

did not expect……

But then I thought about it again and it made sense. After all, he was a renowned general on the battlefield. How could he not have a temper?

However, most people are more inclined to treat their subordinates than their superiors, while the third brother treats his superiors more than his subordinates. It can be said that an extraordinary person must have extraordinary deeds!

But the one who felt this most deeply was actually Li Wan.

Jia Jing rebuked his mother for being too soft-hearted and pointed out that the most important thing for a man to do things is to be clear-headed and strong, highlighting the differences in teaching boys and girls!

This made her think about the upbringing of her own son, Lan-ge, and reflect on whether she had made the same mistakes as Grandmother Jia in educating Jia Lan.

It must be said that Jia Jing may be as stern as thunder when he is strict, he may sometimes be difficult to approach, and he may have various "flaws".

But without a doubt, Jia Jing's words carried immense weight in the hearts of the women in the inner quarters of the Jia family.

They actually knew that Jia Jing was right, and even admired his strong and manly character!

After all, they all understood that for Jia Jing to achieve such a historically significant accomplishment at such a young age, he must have possessed extraordinary talent!

He was a peerless hero in the entire Han Dynasty, a rare gem that appeared only once in a century. His achievements are undeniable and beyond question!

Therefore, even though Li Wan never said it, she always regarded Jia Jing as a role model for her own son, Jia Lan.

In recent days, as Jia Jing's influence has grown, she has been secretly studying his way of dealing with people, hoping to use it as a standard to educate her own son!

She didn't ask Jia Lan to be granted a duke at a young age and rise to the highest position like Jia Jing; she only hoped that he could pass the imperial examination with flying colors, and that would be enough for her to have no regrets in this life!

Therefore, Li Wan's first reaction to Jia Jing's criticism of Grandmother Jia was not to care about Grandmother Jia's feelings.

Instead, he secretly memorized Jia Jing's words, thinking that he would go back and carefully ponder their deeper meaning, and find an opportunity to accurately impart them to his own son, Lan Ge'er!

This "Mingqiang" probably means wise and strong.

Just as Li Wan was silently doing "reading comprehension" in her mind, Sister Feng blinked her phoenix eyes beneath her willow-leaf eyebrows. Her mind raced, and she quickly smiled and smoothed things over, saying:

"Third brother, don't be angry! The old lady has always been kind and compassionate, and she can't bear to see her children suffer. She may have said something wrong for a moment."

Fengjie's words made Grandmother Jia's heart skip a beat. She lowered her head abruptly, her eyes widened, and her face was full of disbelief!

What is that?

His grandson scolded me, his grandmother, and in the end, you advised him not to be angry.

Is this still my fault? Did I say something wrong?

Are you blind or deaf? It's one thing to flatter him, but do you think you can take advantage of an old woman like me?

The people in the hall also felt a sense of absurdity, as if the scene was unreal!

They never imagined that one day they would hear "bad things" about Grandmother Jia from Sister Feng's mouth.

Jia Jing picked up the teacup, took a small sip, turned to look at the plaque above Rongqing Hall, and said in a slightly softer voice:

"Kindness is certainly good! But kindness must be judged according to the person and the situation. If one indiscriminately loses kindness towards lawbreakers and wicked people, then that is to be unable to distinguish right from wrong and to condone evil!"

The Huainanzi states: "Small acts of kindness are the enemy of great kindness."

"If we cannot bear to remove Jia Zhen and the other two from the clan today, ten or a hundred people in the clan will follow suit tomorrow; if we condone one evil today, a hundred evils will arise tomorrow."

"Therefore, it is not that I am harsh and do not know how to be kind, but that many times I have to be ruthless and punish one to warn a hundred."

"Governing a family is like governing an army. To be merciful to petty people is to be unkind to virtuous people. If we show pity to a few troublemakers, who will show pity to the thousands of law-abiding members of the clan?"

At this point, Jia Jing sighed and said to Tan Chun and the others standing beside him:

"A swift and decisive approach reveals a compassionate heart! Punishment is a means to avoid further punishment."

"Those in positions of authority govern with righteousness, not with excessive favors. You who manage the household from now on should understand this principle!"

When faced with Jia Jing's admonition, Tan Chun, Yuan Chun, and the others all nodded slightly, their beautiful faces showing respect.

Grandmother Jia was furious to see Jia Jing using her, the matriarch, as a negative example to educate the sisters in the family.

She first glared at Sister Feng, then turned to Jia Jingcang and said in a low voice:

"Fine! Fine! Fine! I'm just an old woman, and I can't argue with you with all this high-sounding principles. I'm just pleading for Zhen-ge'er, and you're just waiting for me with all this 'good talk'!"

"Zhen-ge'er, do whatever you want with him! Don't even mention removing him from the clan as clan leader; even if you turn the clan upside down, I won't care anymore!"

Jia Jing looked at Grandmother Jia and nodded, then said calmly:

"There won't be any chaos within the clan. As long as it's not illegal or disorderly, I don't have time to meddle in other people's business!"

"However, the clan's atmosphere does indeed need to be rectified. Now that my influence is growing, many clansmen are taking advantage of my name to commit illegal acts outside."

"If we don't punish them, they'll become increasingly audacious and cause serious trouble! The Jia Zhen incident serves as a cautionary tale!"

"What? Removing Zhen-ge'er from the clan isn't enough, you really intend to take action against the clan members??" Grandmother Jia's expression changed, and she asked incredulously.