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

On the way to the Jia Mansion, Jia Jing gave Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai the evaluations of purity and virtue, respectively!

In Jia Jing's mind, both Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai had their strengths and weaknesses!

Just like in Chapter 63 of the original novel, when the beauties held a night banquet, the flower fortune slips that the two women drew were a testament to their fate.

Baochai drew the peony, and wrote the poem "The most beautiful flower among all flowers," which included the line "Even the heartless are moved by it."

The peony is the king of flowers, elegant and luxurious, yet "heartless".

This ruthlessness is not cold-bloodedness, but rather a ruthlessness that is not easily swayed by emotions and maintains a rational approach.

This is the ultimate expression of "virtue," but it is also the tragedy of "virtue."

While being virtuous is good, extreme virtuousness involves suppressing one's true nature, making it difficult to be truly happy!

Daiyu drew the hibiscus flower, and wrote the poem "Wind and Dew, Clear Sorrow," with the line "Do not blame the east wind, but lament your own fate."

The lotus grows in water, pure and aloof, yet cannot withstand wind and frost.

She was too genuine, so genuine that the world couldn't accept her.

This is the ultimate expression of "purity," but it is also the tragedy of "purity."

Because while purity is desirable, extreme purity cannot sustain life in the real material world!

Daiyu's "purity" is an inward-looking, self-perfecting spiritual fastidiousness;

Baochai's "virtue" is an outward-looking way of life that reconciles with the world.

One lived a life of poetry, the other a life of reason; one was born for love, the other for propriety.

There's no right or wrong, no superior or inferior; it's just that everyone has different life experiences and different beliefs!

The world is vast and diverse, allowing for a hundred flowers to bloom, and allowing everyone to have their own flaws and quirks!

Therefore, there is no need to compare or differentiate; just maintain your own unique characteristics and live a wonderful life!

In fact, Baochai was well aware of these principles, after all, she was a clever and intelligent person.

However, as Jia Jing's power and influence grew, the gap in status and position between the two became too large.

She was so eager to find out Jia Jing's feelings that she acted so anxiously and indecisively!

When Baochai heard Jia Jing's evaluation of her and Daiyu, her heart trembled slightly, and her moist almond-shaped eyes under her willow-leaf eyebrows flickered.

She pondered the words "virtuous and kind" several times in her heart, and her mood brightened considerably. She gently bit her cherry lips and softly said:

"Third brother is right! I misspoke, please don't take offense!"

Baochai felt that she had just been mistaken; why did she bring up Lin Daiyu for no reason?

This is just bringing up a sore spot; it only makes you seem petty and intolerant!

She was a clever girl after all, and in a flash she realized that what she had just said was somewhat sarcastic!

"It's just a casual chat in private, what's so strange about it!" Jia Jing said with a light smile.

"Sister Xue is well-educated, polite, and understanding. She is a good wife and mother. I admire her character."

"Little sister, you don't need to be so careful around me. Just relax and say whatever you want!"

Jia Jing still expressed his approval of Baochai's temperament.

Whether from personal experience or from intelligence gathered by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Xue Baochai is quite outstanding in terms of appearance, talent, and other aspects!

Although there is a rather controversial point about Baochai in the original work,

That was when he tricked Daiyu while chasing butterflies, but in reality, the relationship between the two was one of mutual teasing and banter, with back and forth between them.

Moreover, considering the circumstances at the time and Baochai's overall character, this was by no means an intentional attempt to harm anyone, but merely an emergency response under duress.

When Baochai chased butterflies to the Dripping Green Pavilion, she overheard Xiaohong and Zhuier discussing the private matter of "passing love with handkerchiefs".

Her immediate judgment was:

"No wonder those who commit adultery and theft throughout history have all been quite cunning... and speaking like that, they are clearly afraid of being discovered."

Her first thought was to protect herself...

If the maid finds out that she has overheard the secret, given Xiao Hong's "quite cunning" personality, she might "rebel in desperation" and cause unnecessary trouble.

So she used the "golden cicada shedding its shell" trick, deliberately taking heavy steps and shouting with a smile:

"Pin'er, let's see where you hide!"

He even pretended to have searched for a long time, then asked Xiao Hong, "Where did you hide Miss Lin?"

Baochai blurted out "Pin'er" not because she hated Daiyu or wanted to harm her, but because:

Firstly, Daiyu was the only "reasonable" choice at the time.

Baochai was playing in the garden, while Daiyu, who was always alone and liked to play "hide-and-seek" games, often teased Baoyu.

Therefore, choosing Daiyu is the least unexpected choice and the best way to deceive the maids.

Secondly, she believed that it would not cause any real harm to Daiyu.

Daiyu was the apple of Grandmother Jia's eye, while Xiaohong was just a third-class maid.

Even if they suspected that Daiyu had overheard, they would never dare to question her, much less spread rumors that were detrimental to her.

Thirdly, she didn't have time to think about it.

Xiao Hong was about to open the window, and Baochai had to react within half a second, so she couldn't think carefully about which was better.

She subconsciously chose Daiyu, who was the most familiar to her and best suited the situation at the time.

In reality, this incident did not cause any substantial loss to Daiyu; it was merely used as a pretext!

Moreover, judging from Baochai's overall behavior, she can only be described as having a keen mind, but not as a treacherous person!

For example, after discovering that Daiyu was secretly reading miscellaneous books, she did not make a scene or report it.

Instead, he privately offered heartfelt advice based on his own experiences, thus protecting Daiyu's reputation and dignity.

When Baochai saw that Daiyu needed recuperation due to illness, she keenly sensed Daiyu's predicament of being "dependent on others" and unable to speak out.

They proactively offered to supply the daily required amount of bird's nest, and carefully prepared it along with the sugar for making porridge.

This thoughtfulness, which transcends any misunderstanding and genuinely cares about the other person's health,

Ultimately, he completely moved Daiyu, leading them to share their deepest feelings and become confidants.

Daiyu was such a sensitive and intelligent person that she eventually came to approve of Baochai, which shows Baochai's character.

This includes his generous donation to host a crab feast for Shi Xiangyun, and his private offer to redeem Xing Xiuyan's cotton-padded coat, among other things.

They are considerate of the other party while also respecting their feelings, demonstrating thoughtfulness in their actions.

In conclusion, there are reasons why she can be ranked alongside Daiyu as the first of the Twelve Beauties in the official register; it is by no means a random ranking!

Therefore, according to Jia Jing, it is wrong to judge Baochai's character solely based on her chasing butterflies; that would be nitpicking and generalizing from a single instance!

After all, no one is perfect, and even Jia Jing himself is not as bright and noble as he appears on the surface, without any selfishness or flaws. So how can we expect others to be perfect in every way?