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

In Rongqing Hall,

Jia Jing's praise of Xue Baochai drew countless curious and scrutinizing glances.

But Jia Jing seemed oblivious, his expression calm, and he continued unhurriedly:

"Those who inherit the title of our Wu Xun family must, and above all, possess abundant martial virtue!"

"Those descendants of Rong and Ning who have not fought on the battlefield and rendered meritorious service have absolutely no chance of inheriting the Eastern Mansion title!"

If a family of martial heroes were to inherit titles based on morality rather than martial virtue, then they would be putting the cart before the horse!

"Hmm! I think Third Brother means the same thing!"

Baochai's fair face brightened slightly, and her melodious voice carried a touch of gentleness.

Third brother should understand his own feelings, so his response can be seen as an affirmation of himself!

A person who is learned and knowledgeable should be no less intelligent than someone who is naturally gifted!

"Does one have to fight and earn merit on the battlefield to have a chance to inherit the title? Isn't that asking too much?"

Grandmother Jia's expression changed slightly, and she asked in a hoarse voice.

She had no interest in the budding romance between her young children, but was instead troubled by Jia Jing's request to inherit the title!

Such stringent requirements not only completely excluded Jia Baoyu, but also made the matter of inheriting the title full of variables!

If no one can meet this requirement, does that mean the title of Ningguo Mansion will remain vacant and no one will be chosen to inherit it?

Jia Jing took a sip of tea and said calmly:

"The old lady shouldn't view the family with outdated perspectives; perhaps in the past, it was difficult for members of the family to meet these requirements!"

"However, nowadays, the clan school has hired renowned teachers to teach the clan's children classical texts, literature, horsemanship, archery, and military tactics."

"Given time, talented individuals skilled in both literature and martial arts will surely emerge from among them. How can all the dozens of sons of the Jia family's eight branches in the capital be mediocre?"

At this point, Jia Jing paused, then pointed to Li Wan standing to the side and said:

"Putting aside other things, isn't Lan Ge'er a good example? He's so young, but I heard he's already passed this year's county examination in Shuntian Prefecture."

"Although I failed the prefectural examination, as long as I work hard in the future, passing the imperial examination with flying colors is only a matter of time!"

Jia Lan participated in the county and prefectural examinations of Shenjing Shuntian Prefecture in February and April of this year, respectively.

Originally, I just wanted to try it out and gain experience; I didn't have high hopes.

Unexpectedly, I did well in the county exam and passed directly. I was just a little short in the prefectural exam, but my score was still pretty good!

This was a piece of good news for the Rongguo Mansion not long ago.

Although the county examination was just a minor test, it was still the first step on the road to the imperial examination!

It is said that when Jia Zheng learned that Jia Lan had passed the imperial examination, he was overjoyed and shed tears on the spot, calling him "my family's unicorn grandson"!

After that, he paid even more attention to Jia Lan, frequently inquiring about his studies and showing him great care and concern!

Upon hearing Jia Jing's words, Grandmother Jia's expression was somewhat wistful, filled with both joy and sorrow.

What pleased her most was that Jia Lan, as her great-grandson, had achieved such success, which made her quite gratified.

What worries him is that Jia Lan, as a great-grandson, has already passed the county examination at a young age.

But Baoyu, being of the same generation as his uncle, has accomplished nothing, which makes him seem somewhat incompetent in comparison!

Grandmother Jia turned her gaze to Li Wan, who was standing to the side. The young woman had a face like a silver plate, fair and delicate skin, and gentle and peaceful features, without any sharpness.

He was of moderate build, with upright shoulders and back, and exuded a dignified and respectful demeanor in every gesture.

"Lan-ge'er is indeed good. He works hard on his own, and his mother has taught him well!" After a moment of silence, Grandmother Jia praised Li Wan.

Grandmother Jia held Li Wan, her eldest granddaughter-in-law, in high esteem and showed her special favor.

Not only because Li Wan came from a prominent family of officials in Jinling, but also because her father, Li Shouzhong, had served as the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, making them a distinguished and scholarly family.

Furthermore, Li Wan became a widow in her early twenties, yet she remained steadfast in her duties as a woman, much like a withered tree in the face of death, making her a model of "chastity and virtue" admired in the world at that time.

The original text also explicitly states: Grandmother Jia always liked Li Wan for her virtue and for her young age and chastity, which earned her respect and admiration.

Therefore, Li Wan's economic treatment in the Jia family was extremely generous, nearly five times that of Wang Xifeng.

For example, her monthly allowance was exceptionally increased to twenty taels, the same as that of Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang, in addition to the rent from the garden and the annual dividends.

This blatant "favoritism" is both a public compensation from Grandmother Jia for the "loss of benefits" suffered by her orphans and widows, and an example for future generations to treat widows well.

Tan Chun, who was holding a teacup and sipping her tea, heard Jia Jing and Grandmother Jia mentioning Jia Lan.

She raised her eyebrows, smiled, and interjected softly:

"Lan-ge'er is truly outstanding; he has set a good example for the family's sons in the imperial examinations!"

"After he passed the county examination this year, I followed my third brother's wishes and awarded him thirty taels of silver from the government."

"The expenses for his studies, and all his expenses during his exams, were covered by the household!"

This was the task that Jia Jing assigned to Tan Chun when he put her in charge of the household: to provide strong support and a good environment for the children in the mansion who excelled in their studies and martial arts.

Upon hearing this, Li Wan nodded and thanked her with a smile:

"The Third Miss went to great lengths recently. When Lan-ge went out to take the exam, she specially arranged for servants and old women to take care of his daily life along the way."

"The food and writing materials for the exam were prepared meticulously! The Third Miss played a crucial role in helping Lan-ge'er pass by sheer luck!"

Tan Chun's lips curled up, and a hint of a smile appeared in her eyes as she said:

"Sister-in-law, you're being too polite. Lan-ge is a member of our Jia family. His good grades make me proud too."

"Those are just things we're supposed to do, what's the big deal?"

"Besides, I was just doing what my third brother instructed. I only hope that Lan-ge'er can study hard, pass the imperial examinations, and become an official, bringing glory to our family!"

Tan Chun spoke eloquently, and Li Wan didn't exchange many pleasantries with her.

She had taken care of the three sisters-in-law, including Daiyu, and they all had a deep bond with each other.

Li Wan bowed again to Jia Jing and said softly:

"Third Uncle, Lan'er's academic progress is largely thanks to the excellent teacher you invited to the clan school."

"When Lan came back, he told me that Qin, the scholar who taught him classical studies, was learned and responsible, and that Lin, the instructor who taught him riding, archery and martial arts, was also a very capable person."

"Although the curriculum at the clan school is now ten times more demanding than before, students are also learning ten times more."

"Furthermore, the atmosphere of the clan school has been greatly transformed, a world of difference from before..."

Li Wan looked grateful as she carefully considered her words, her delicate hands, hidden in her sleeves, constantly twisting her handkerchief.

Although he was mindful of the feelings of Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang, he didn't say much.

However, his admiration for Jia Jing's efforts in reforming the clan school was clearly expressed in his words!

Hearing Li Wan's words, Xiangyun, her apple-shaped face flashing with a mischievous glint, patted Lin Daiyu's arm and laughed:

"There's a martial arts instructor named Lin in the clan school..."

Lin Daiyu's starry eyes flickered, she rolled her eyes at her, and couldn't be bothered to pay any attention to her!