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

The reason was that Yuan Chun in the palace might have encountered some trouble, so she sent someone to deliver one hundred and twenty taels of silver.

He ordered Jia Zhen to lead the men of the household to Qingxu Temple to "hold a three-day peace ritual, perform operas, and offer sacrifices."

Upon learning this, Grandmother Jia, out of concern for Yuan-chun's situation and the family's fortunes, also took the initiative to lead a team to the destination.

So on the first day of the fifth lunar month, carriages and horses lined up in front of the Rongguo Mansion and set off in a grand procession.

At Qingxu Temple, they followed the rules to "kneel and offer incense to Buddha," and Jia Zhen "draw lots" before the gods to determine the plays, signifying that the gods' choice was absolute and could not be disobeyed.

Of course, there were also two incidents: Sister Feng hitting the young Taoist priest and Jia Zhen ordering someone to spit on Jia Rong, which were quite ironic.

The "Peaceful Ritual" was actually a common large-scale prayer and disaster-avoidance activity for the upper-class nobles in the capital.

In addition, there are some small-scale prayer activities for individuals or local groups.

For example, the offering of "sea lanterns": In the original novel, when Baoyu was scalded, Grandmother Jia followed Granny Ma's advice and offered "sea lanterns" for Baoyu at home, promising to offer five catties of sesame oil every day.

Other ways to pray for blessings include copying scriptures for offering, donating money or valuables, making and fulfilling vows, and sending a substitute person in one's name.

Of course, the simplest and most common way to pray for blessings is to do what Madam Wang did: hold prayer beads in her hand all day long, chant scriptures and worship Buddha.

To be honest, Jia Jing didn't really believe in these things.

After all, in the original novel, the Jia family made many offerings to both Xuanqing Temple and Tiekan Temple, but in the end, they still could not escape the fate of having their property confiscated and falling into ruin.

However, considering the many wonders of this world and his own origins, Jia Jing remained silent for a moment, then calmly said:

"Logically speaking, our family takes cultivating virtue as the foundation of our character, and should not be enthusiastic about ethereal gods and Buddhas."

"Those who pray to gods and Buddhas are simply seeking peace of mind, but peace of mind is not something that can be obtained from external sources, but rather originates from the innate conscience within one's own heart."

"What more needs to be said about a pure and upright heart! If a person is upright and honest and does not do anything wrong, he will naturally be immune to all evils and enjoy lasting good fortune."

"On the contrary, if a person has a dark and guilty conscience, no matter how many gods or Buddhas he worships, he will not be able to fill the hole in his heart that is leaking blessings, let alone seek good luck and peace of mind."

"Like Jia Zhen and others, their tragic ends are largely due to their lack of moral cultivation; they brought it upon themselves and suffered the consequences!"

"Therefore, cultivating oneself and one's virtue is the way for a family to prosper in the long run. This is something that the old lady and all the sisters must understand!"

"However, since the old lady is willing to pray for the family and seek some comfort, it's not a bad thing."

"Just treat it as a short trip, as long as you don't make a big fuss or get too obsessed with it!"

Jia Jing agreed to Grandmother Jia's suggestion, but at the same time, he did not forget to give her some advice.

The reason he emphasized this issue was because he considered that many people in the Jia family seemed to be obsessed with the Taoism of gods and Buddhas, and the family's values ​​seemed to have gone astray!

As for Grandmother Jia, the original text records many of her acts of faith in gods and Buddhas, such as praying to heaven, holding peace rituals, and offering sea lanterns.

The second wife, Madam Wang, also spent her days pretending to chant Buddhist prayer beads, reciting mantras but not cultivating her mind, putting the cart before the horse.

Furthermore, Yuan Chun, who proposed the Ping An ritual in the original work, probably also quite agreed with this practice.

Needless to say, Xichun would probably have already considered becoming a nun if it weren't for his repeated admonitions.

There are also Aunt Zhao, who conspired with Granny Ma to cast a spell on someone, and Jia Jing, who cultivates Taoism in the East Mansion, among others.

It can be said that half of the masters in the Jia family were superstitious about gods and Buddhas!

Perhaps the least superstitious person in the Jia family was Sister Feng, just as she once said:

"You know me well; I've never believed in any kind of retribution in the underworld or hell. Whatever it is, if I say it's going to happen, it will happen."

However, her lack of superstition is more of a pragmatism.

Essentially, it is a pseudo-strongman's attitude of fanatically believing in real power and money, and an ignorance of reverence for cause and effect.

It is not true materialism, nor is it a state of inner enlightenment to the point of having no shame in one's face!

of course,

Superstition was not unique to the Jia family; in feudal times, very few people could truly refrain from talking about strange phenomena and supernatural beings.

Even among emperors, there were many who practiced Taoism and Buddhism, not to mention these women in the inner quarters!

Considering the limitations of the era, Jia Jing ultimately only gave a warning and did not stop the matter!

"Jing-ge'er is right! A family that accumulates good deeds will surely have abundant blessings, while a family that accumulates evil deeds will surely have abundant calamities."

"A family that cultivates virtue and good deeds will be blessed; a family whose members are knowledgeable and reasonable will prosper!"

"Of course, we must not neglect the gods and Buddhas either; we must still offer them sacrifices and respect at all times!"

It was rare for Grandmother Jia to agree with Jia Jing's words so much; she nodded and smiled as she addressed everyone.

Feng Jie's phoenix eyes, framed by her willow-leaf eyebrows, darted around, and she sneered inwardly:

Murderers and arsonists live in luxury, while those who build bridges and roads are left without a trace. In this world, good and evil are reversed, and there are far too many good people who go unrewarded!

The old lady was naive; she actually believed her third brother, a general who had killed countless people, when he talked about cultivating virtue and self-discipline!

Isn't this obviously a scam?

Madam Wang clenched her prayer beads tightly, her face grim. She felt as if she had been subtly mocked by the eldest son of the illegitimate branch of the family once again!

What does it mean to have a dark heart? No matter how many Buddhas you chant, you can't fill the hole of your heart that leaks blessings.

He was the only one in the entire household who chanted Buddhist scriptures!

Isn't this like pointing at a monk and calling him a bald monk?

After discussing the wedding ceremony with Jia Jing, Grandmother Jia paused, sighed, and spoke again:

"There's one more thing I need you to decide on, Jing-ge!"

"Now that Zhen-ge'er and Rong-ge'er are to be exiled to Qiongzhou, and you're saying you'll remove them from the clan, I doubt they'll ever be able to return to the capital!"

"They made a mistake, so just punish them and that's it!"

"But Madam You and Madam Qin are innocent. They both come from humble backgrounds and have no way of controlling men from outside."

"I heard from Feng that they are having a hard time making ends meet because of the affairs of the East Mansion, and they also have to face a lot of gossip. They are having a very difficult time!"

"Especially Madam You, her unscrupulous stepmother forced her to divorce and remarry, to the point that she almost cut off her hair and became a nun a few days ago."

"After all, Madam You and Madam Qin are the eldest and youngest mistresses of the East Mansion, and their relationship is crucial to the reputation and dignity of our Jia family."

"Moreover, Madam You and Madam Qin have always respected me, and I can't bear to see them suffer a bad end."

"Look, shouldn't the clan step in and properly settle them?"

Grandmother Jia brought up the issue of how to settle You Shi and Qin Keqing after Jia Zhen and Jia Rong were exiled.

Although You Shi and Qin Keqing were not implicated in the East Mansion case due to the Jia family's operations, they did not become criminals.

However, Lady You's official title and all their assets were definitely confiscated by the government!

With Jia Zhen and Jia Rong convicted and sentenced by the court, the fate of You Shi and Qin Keqing became a matter for the Jia family to consider.