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

Meanwhile, Jia Jing, Aunt Xue, and Xue Baochai, accompanied by a group of old women and servants, left Grandmother Jia's courtyard.

Aunt Xue only took a few steps before saying she remembered something urgent in the courtyard, and left with a group of old women and maids.

Then Xue Baochai and Jia Jing were left to walk slowly, accompanied only by Ying'er at a distance.

The bright moon hung high in the sky. Jia Jing was slightly ahead of Xue Baochai by half a body length. His bright red robe with gold thread shimmered in the moonlight, making his figure appear as imposing as a mountain.

His steps were neither fast nor slow, the soles of his boots making a dull, rhythmic sound on the bluestone slabs.

Moonlight filtered through the branches overhead, dappling his shoulders like broken silver.

Xue Baochai walked beside him, half a step behind, wearing a honey-colored jacket.

Because it was chilly at night, she wore a silver fox fur half-sleeved garment when she went out. The cool moonlight shone on her fair and plump face.

Her skin appeared even more radiant and snow-white, with a subtle pinkish hue, as if the finest mutton fat jade had been soaked in milk.

A gentle breeze carried a refreshing, cool fragrance emanating from Baochai to Jia Jing's nose.

Jia Jing paused slightly and glanced at Baochai.

Sometimes one has to admit that Baochai truly deserves to be ranked first among the Golden Hairpins, alongside Daiyu!

Compared to Daiyu's elegant and graceful demeanor, Baochai's poised and charming style is in no way inferior!

However, one is melancholy and delicate, while the other is calm and dignified; their temperaments are completely different!

Smelling the cool fragrance that suddenly approached again, Jia Jing's gaze sharpened. Breaking the silence between them, he asked in a gentle voice:

"Is Sister Xue experiencing a relapse of her symptoms recently? Is she taking Lengxiang Pills?"

Xue Baochai paused slightly, then nodded, her voice soft as she said:

"Xiangling and Third Brother must have said that? I have a heat toxin that I was born with, but fortunately I am naturally strong, so it is not a problem."

"Ordinary medicine won't work, but luckily a bald-headed monk gave me a prescription from the sea years ago, called Cold Fragrance Pill."

"Speaking of which, this prescription is quite peculiar. The ingredients are limited, but the word 'coincidence' is rare."

"I want twelve ounces of white peony stamens that bloom in spring, twelve ounces of white lotus stamens that bloom in summer, twelve ounces of white hibiscus stamens that bloom in autumn, and twelve ounces of white plum blossom stamens that bloom in winter."

"Dry these four flower stamens in the sun on the spring equinox of the following year, mix them with the powdered medicine, and grind them together."

"The amount of rainwater on the day of Rain Water is twelve coins, the amount of dew on the day of White Dew is twelve coins, the amount of frost on the day of Frost's Descent is twelve coins, and the amount of snow on the day of Minor Snow is twelve coins."

"Mix these four ingredients together with water, add the medicine, then add twelve qian of honey and twelve qian of white sugar, roll them into pills the size of longan fruits, put them in an old porcelain jar, and bury them under the roots of flowers."

"If the illness flares up, take one pill and swallow it with a decoction of twelve parts Phellodendron bark; it should help!"

"This pill is complicated to make, but luckily I obtained it within one or two years and finally managed to mix it into one batch. Now it has been brought from the south to the north and is buried under the pear tree in Rika-in."

"The weather has been getting hotter lately, and I've been feeling a bit irritable, so I took a few pills."

While explaining the origin and prescription of the Cold Fragrance Pill to Jia Jing in detail, Xue Baochai cast her bright and clear gaze at the young man beside her.

This was actually the first time she had ever taken a walk and talked with Jia Jing alone like this!

As Jia Jing listened to Baochai's words, his gaze deepened, and a sense of contemplation arose in his heart.

One is the bald-headed monk mentioned by Baochai. This monk and Taoist priest in the world of Dream of the Red Chamber are quite mysterious, and their origins are unknown!

He had also sent his Imperial Guards to secretly investigate the two men, but they found nothing and left no trace!

Secondly, Baochai's illness is also unique; she is clearly a "cold beauty" but is born with heat toxins.

This heat toxicity is probably not just a physical illness, but also a psychological disorder!

According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, the body and mind are inseparable; the human body and mind have always influenced each other and are interdependent!

Therefore, Baochai's illness is different from Daiyu's physical weakness.

Daiyu was born with a deficiency, while Baochai was born with a strong constitution; it seems that the two are reversed!

Jia Jing pondered for a moment, then slowly said with a meaningful tone:

"This prescription uses white flowers from all four seasons. White represents purity, simplicity, and coolness."

"All four flowers have white stamens. In traditional Chinese medicine, there's a saying that 'the five colors correspond to the five internal organs,' with white corresponding to the lungs."

"Sister Xue's ailment is 'wheezing and coughing,' which is located in the lungs, and using white flower stamens is perfectly appropriate."

"Twelve is the extreme number of the year cycle, representing perfection and the ultimate. It is nourished by the wind, frost, rain and dew of the four seasons, with the sweetness of honey and white sugar in the beginning and the bitterness of taking it with cork tree bark in the end."

"This prescription may seem like a cure for illness, but it is actually a way to cultivate the mind. Only by experiencing the vicissitudes of life and tasting all its joys and sorrows can one cultivate a pure and noble character! It is truly ingenious and rare!"

Upon hearing this, Xue Baochai's face twitched slightly, her eyes filled with a hint of amazement.

She never expected that Jia Jing would utter such profound truths about life after only hearing the prescription for the Cold Fragrance Pill once.

However, this discussion of character seems to have a hidden meaning...

Xue Baochai raised her bright, watery eyes, remained silent for a moment, then her gaze swept over Jia Jing's profile, and she said softly, as if casually:

"Such a pure and innocent quality could probably only be possessed by a celestial being like Lin Daiyu, right?"

"Didn't Third Brother once describe her as having the noble and aloof quality of 'coming from purity and returning to purity,' preferring to remain untainted by the world?"

Jia Jing was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, and couldn't help but recall the time last winter when he, Daiyu, and Baochai composed poems about the snow.

Lin Daiyu used snow as tears, and he praised her as a lonely fairy who "came into purity and returned to purity".

At the same time, Xue Baochai was praised as a pure and noble scholar in the mountains, as clear as snow.

Unexpectedly, Xue Baochai remembered his casual comments to this day.

They even use this analogy to test his feelings.

Jia Jing smiled but chose not to say anything more.

The two walked for a while and passed a rockery. Several clumps of green bamboo grew among the rocks, their leaves rustling in the wind and casting dappled shadows in the moonlight.

When Baochai saw that Jia Jing remained silent, her eyes flickered, and her heart was filled with some panic.

For a moment, she thought she had said something wrong and displeased Jia Jing. Her fair face was as white as paper, her almond-shaped eyes misty with tears, and she said in a trembling voice:

"Third brother, did I say something inappropriate? I..."

Jia Jing remained calm and slowly said:

"Why should Sister Xue compare herself to Sister Lin!"

"Lin Daiyu was a person of noble character. She truly possessed the purity of a child's heart and the untainted frankness of a person. She had clear likes and dislikes, was elegant and aloof, and had a pure character."

"But Sister Xue is also virtuous and kind, upright and honest, insightful and worldly-wise, and thorough in her dealings with others. She has her own unique wisdom in her character."

"You two, one pure and one virtuous, are neither superior nor inferior, neither right nor wrong; you simply have different philosophies on life. Why create trouble for yourselves?"