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

In Rongqing Hall,

Seeing that others could only dream of such a good thing, Grandmother Jia avoided it like the plague.

Yuan Chun, who was sitting sideways on the embroidered stool, could no longer contain herself. Wen Ning, with a hint of urgency in his eyes, spoke up:

"Grandma, Jingdi is the elder brother at home and a high-ranking official in the court. His time is priceless!"

"What a rare opportunity it is for him to personally step forward and admonish the young men of your household!"

"If Baoyu could receive even a single word of guidance from him, it would be enough to benefit him for a lifetime. What is there to hesitate about in this matter..."

Yuan Chun naturally knew that Jia Jing didn't really mean to teach Jia Baoyu a lesson; it was just a joke!

But to my surprise, Grandmother Jia seemed to really believe it, and her reaction was so extreme. She even said that Baoyu was a child, which shows that she was spoiling him to the point of being confused!

After offering a word of advice to Grandmother Jia, she turned directly to Jia Jing and earnestly said:

"Jingdi! Baoyu was indeed spoiled rotten before. I only found out about his situation after I returned to the manor."

"You are the elder brother. From now on, if he makes a mistake or is not up to par, you should discipline him as you see fit, without hesitation..."

"No!"

Before Yuan Chun could finish speaking, she was hurriedly interrupted by Madam Wang, whose expression changed slightly.

How could Madam Wang feel at ease entrusting her precious son to the care of that stubborn, illegitimate son of the eldest son?

Even without actually doing it, just hearing about it made Madam Wang feel like a huge stone was pressing on her heart, making it almost impossible for her to breathe!

Seeing Yuan Chun looking over with displeasure, Madam Wang suppressed the turmoil in her heart and forced a smile, saying:

"Jing-ge'er's time is precious; there's no need to trouble him with Bao-yu's affairs."

"Besides, Jing-ge'er is, after all, a military officer, while Bao-yu will take the imperial examinations to enter officialdom and become a high-ranking official."

"The difference between civil and military officials is vast; it's best not to trouble him!"

Lady Wang's words carried a mysteriously confident resolve, clearly indicating that she genuinely did not want Jia Jing to interfere in Bao Yu's upbringing.

Grandmother Jia, who was standing to the side, nodded hurriedly and said:

"Baoyu's mother is right, Baoyu will become an official in the future."

"He and Jing-ge are a scholar and a warrior, respectively, working together to bring glory to our Jia family! He's still young now, but he'll naturally learn to study hard when he grows up!"

Xiangyun, who was holding a teacup and sipping her tea, couldn't help but cough slightly upon hearing this.

She seemed to have choked on the tea, as even her increasingly plump apple-shaped face trembled slightly.

Seeing that Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang were so ungrateful, Yuan Chun lowered her head slightly, her face filled with sorrow, and her expression became dejected.

How foolish the old lady and the wife are! They acted like they were possessed whenever they encountered Baoyu. It's truly incomprehensible!

Yuan Chun opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but in the end it all turned into a long sigh.

Grandmother Jia also didn't want to bring up the matter again, so she quickly changed the subject:

"Jing-ge'er, there's something else I didn't want to say, but I have to remind you."

"You're already twenty-one years old. All the young men your age in the household are already married. You need to start thinking about your marriage!"

According to the laws of the Han Dynasty, men could generally marry at the age of 16.

Of course, given the current social customs of aristocratic families, and considering factors such as marriage alliances, career prospects, and the health of offspring, the average age for marriage is around 20.

Regardless of the circumstances, Jia Jing has definitely reached the age to get married!

After Grandmother Jia finished speaking, seeing that Jia Jing's expression remained unchanged and he showed no sign of objection, she continued in a hoarse voice:

"During your absence from the capital, several imperial concubines and princesses from the princely residences, the matriarch of the Duke's mansion, and members of the Nian family have visited our residence several times, all hinting at a marriage alliance with you!"

"And those from other marquis's residences, minister's residences, vice minister's residences, military officers and civil officials—the number is countless!"

"You are a military officer, holding a noble title and serving as a high-ranking official in the court. It's not proper for you to remain unmarried!"

"And your father's days are numbered, and his children must not marry during the mourning period."

"If you don't settle on a marriage proposal during this time, it will take at least four more years after he leaves. You need to think this through!"

"Of course, I'm not trying to interfere with your marriage, I'm just letting you know that this is a serious matter and shouldn't be delayed any longer!"

When Grandmother Jia spoke of Jia She's impending death, her expression was tinged with sadness.

After all, he was his own son. It's hard for an older person to completely let go of the pain of losing their own child.

As for why she said it would take four years, it was because the marriage process in large families was complicated.

From discussing marriage, matching birth dates, and betrothal to the wedding, it usually takes one or two years. Adding the three years of mourning, it naturally takes at least four years.

Upon hearing Grandmother Jia's words, everyone in the hall perked up and their expressions changed slightly!

Jia Jing's marriage is not just a small matter concerning him personally, but a major event that concerns the future fate of everyone in the Jia family!

Regardless of who Jia Jing ultimately chooses as his principal wife, it is foreseeable that...

Such a Duchess, a first-rank imperial consort, once she arrives at the Jia family, will bring about new changes in the Jia family's situation, especially in the layout of the inner quarters!

If she is difficult to deal with, then everyone from Grandmother Jia down to the four sisters-in-law will be greatly affected in the future!

The hall fell silent for a moment. All the sisters of the Jia family had tense expressions and different thoughts, waiting for Jia Jing's response.

Lady Wang, sitting to the left of Grandmother Jia, paused slightly as she turned the Buddhist prayer beads in her hand, and couldn't help but glance at Jia Jing with her indifferent gaze.

Although her expression showed no change, she was secretly praying that Jia Jing would not choose the Nian family's daughter.

The young lady from the Nian family is well-educated, polite, and of noble status; she is already the daughter-in-law that Nian family has arranged for her to marry her son, Baoyu!

With Baochai clearly already having someone in her heart, Nian Shilan became her only thought, and she couldn't let him be taken away by the eldest son of the concubine!

It must be said that Madam Wang had considerable confidence in the marriage between her son Baoyu and Nian Shilan!

Firstly, every time Nian Shilan came to the Jia family mansion, she would intentionally or unintentionally praise Jia Baoyu in front of Grandmother Jia to win her favor, giving Lady Wang the illusion that the Nian family girl was quite fond of her own Baoyu!

Secondly, Lady Wang thought that if Jia Jing didn't choose Nian Shilan as his principal wife, then given her close relationship with Nian Gengyao,

When the time comes, we might as well let this illegitimate son act as a matchmaker for Baoyu and bring together this good match between people of equal social standing!

With Jia Jing's influence and the mutual affection between the young people, this matter shouldn't be too difficult!

Just as Madam Wang was frantically praying to the gods for protection, Madam Xing beside her also paused slightly.

Having not dared to speak all night, she now looked intently at her usually quiet and gentle niece!

At this moment, Xing Xiuyan also had a faint blush on her face, seemingly caught off guard by the topic of marriage that Grandmother Jia had suddenly brought up.

Madam Xing's eyes flickered as she silently analyzed the information she had gathered from her observations throughout the night.

In her opinion, Jingge'er also had feelings for her niece.

The reason was that she noticed Jia Jing would glance at Xing Xiuyan every half incense stick's time, and would nod gently from time to time!

Compared to the fact that he didn't even glance at his mother once throughout the entire night, his attitude towards Xing Xiuyan was clearly much closer!

Isn't this differential treatment something worth pondering?