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

Jia Jing's expression turned solemn as he asked in a low voice, "Died in the battle of Liaodong? Didn't the imperial court provide any compensation?"

The old woman gave a bitter laugh and said, "Compensation? Compensation..."

She emphasized the word, as if she were listening to a joke, and said through gritted teeth:

"They said there would be a pension, but we haven't seen a trace of it."

"Go and ask, they say it has been distributed; ask where it has been distributed to, they say it has been distributed to the garrison; ask the garrison again, they say it has been distributed to the centurion."

"We couldn't even get into the gate of the centurion's house. Seven or eight taels of silver, the lifeblood of his family, just vanished so inexplicably."

"These days, ordinary people's lives are worthless!"

"After his father passed away, there was no one to work in the family. The five acres of saline-alkali land were not suitable for growing anything. After paying the rent, there was not enough left to eat."

"They can't even get enough to eat, so they have to dig up grass roots and tree bark to survive. They can't even eat the food they grow themselves. What kind of logic is that!"

"We adults can still endure it, but the children just can't take it anymore. My daughter-in-law... who is the mother of these children... went out and borrowed a few bushels of grain."

"But a few days later, he was dragged away by the steward of the Duke of Shan's mansion to pay off his debts. After returning, he hanged himself, leaving behind only these three children and me, this old codger..."

The old woman's lips trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes as she finished speaking.

The eldest of the three children, the girl, was clearly sensible, and her face showed sorrow.

Jia Jing remained silent for a moment.

He looked at the old woman's withered face, then at the three emaciated children behind her, and then at the bowl of watery wild vegetable soup on the stove.

It felt like a stone was pressing on my heart. I opened my mouth as if to say something, but in the end, I sighed softly and swallowed the words back.

At this moment, the expressions of Jia Huan, Jia Cong, and Jia Lan were quite varied.

Jia Cong's eyes were slightly red and a little sore, and he took a deep breath.

He thought that someone like him, a son of a concubine in a duke's family, who was unloved by his father and mother from a young age and whose birth mother died early, had already suffered the most.

But looking at the environment here and those few children, I realized what true poverty is! What it means for a person's life to be as worthless as grass!

Jia Huan's expression was now solemn, and he no longer seemed as agitated as he had been when he arrived. He also stopped worrying about whether his new shoes were dirty.

He stood there for a long time, his expression cold, and squeezed out a low, hoarse "kill".

Jia Lan, however, pursed her lips tightly and, like a little adult, exclaimed, "Those adorned in silk robes are not the silkworm raisers!"

He then took out a string of copper coins from his purse, placed them in front of the door, and silently followed Jia Jing and the others.

Subsequently,

The group visited several households along the village, and the situations were all similar: poor, struggling, their farmland had been seized, many were unfortunate, and they were starving and waiting to die.

Almost all the military households who could escape fled, and only some elderly, women, and children who could not escape stayed behind. Less than one in ten households in the entire village survived!

After leaving Liangxiang Camp, Jia Jing and his group walked east for about two or three miles, when a different scene suddenly appeared by the roadside.

A large expanse of flat land was enclosed by a high wall, with the eaves of a pavilion peeking out from the top of the wall, and the blue-tiled stone pedestals gleaming in the sunlight.

Two stone lions crouch at the main gate, baring their teeth and claws, taller than a person, and imposing in their presence!

A plaque hangs above the gate, with six large characters in gold on a black background: "Pingyuan Marquis's Villa".

The courtyard wall is about twelve feet high. Looking in from the outside, you can see inside, with carved beams and painted rafters, rockeries and verdant hills, flowing water, winding corridors, and pavilions scattered about.

Several strings of wind chimes hang from the eaves, tinkling and ringing in the wind with a crisp, jarring sound!

Several mule carts were parked at the entrance, and several servants were carrying things, including whole slabs of pork, baskets of fresh fish, and jars of fine wine.

The servants were all dressed in blue silk robes, each with their chins held high and their eyes filled with undisguised arrogance.

On the dirt road directly opposite the gate, several people were kneeling.

A man in his thirties, with tanned skin and wearing a tattered brown robe, knelt in the dust, a straw marker stuck in front of him.

Kneeling beside him was a little girl of about five or six years old, with two small braids tied at the ends with red ribbons. The red ribbons were old and faded, but they stood out starkly in the drab environment.

The little girl was thin and frail, seemingly unaware of what she was doing. She would timidly glance around from time to time, then lower her head and play with her fingers.

Jia Jing stood by the roadside, looking at the bright red gate that seemed to be stained with blood, and then he remembered the wild vegetable soup on the old woman's stove. His brows furrowed and his face turned cold.

Xuanwu stepped forward a few paces and whispered to Jia Jing:

"My lord, this is the villa of the Jiang family of the Marquis of Pingyuan. It covers an area of ​​over 300 acres and has gardens, ponds, a stage, and stables. There are more than 200 servants just to serve the garden."

"The Marquis of Pingyuan's estate has seized land for military farming in various parts of the capital region, totaling more than 12,000 mu, with no less than 4,000 mu in the Liangxiang area alone."

Jia Jing nodded, then pointed to the few people kneeling by the roadside and gave the order:

"Go ask those men if they are military households? Why are they selling themselves?"

Xuanwu responded and stepped forward, asking a few questions to the passersby. He then returned and lowered his voice, saying:

"They were military households. They owed the Jiang family rent and couldn't pay it back, so they sold their daughters to pay off the debt."

Jia Jing nodded, his eyes growing even colder. He stood quietly by the roadside, looking at the men and then at the vermilion gates of the Marquis of Pingyuan's mansion.

The man lowered his head, looking dejected and desperate, his shoulders trembling, not daring to raise his head.

Several other soldiers were kneeling nearby, selling people—some were selling their daughters, some their wives, and some themselves.

From the high-walled compound behind them, the faint sounds of string and wind instruments and the clamor of urging others to drink could be heard.

Before long, a man who looked like a steward walked out of the gate. He was fat and had big ears. He wore a royal blue silk robe and a gold sash around his waist.

He strolled up to the man, lowered his head, pinched the little girl's chin, and looked her over as if he were choosing livestock.

"She's alright looking, just a bit thin. Take her back and let her rest for a few days, then send her to the second young master's room as a lowly maid. She'll only be worth a tael of silver. Here!"

He took out a piece of silver from his sleeve and threw it on the ground.

The silver coin fell into the dust, rolled twice, and stopped in front of the man.

The man didn't pick it up; instead, he stared intently at the little girl in the housekeeper's arms, his shoulders trembling even more violently.

The little girl was being held by the chin by the butler, and she was so frightened that she dared not move. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she dared not cry out!

Jia Jing watched as the steward bought people one by one like livestock, his expression solemn and expressionless.

After a while, as the vermilion gates of the Marquis's mansion closed, Jia Jing turned around and led his group forward.

After walking several hundred steps, the wall of the high-walled compound turned a corner and stretched all the way to the end of the field of vision.

Outside the wall were vast expanses of flat land. The wheat had already been harvested, and sorghum was planted in the fields, growing very well, lush and green, rustling in the wind.

Wooden signs were stuck along the ridges of the fields, with the words "Pingyuan Marquis's Estate Fields" written on them. There were signs every few dozen steps, and the fields stretched as far as the eye could see.

Jia Jing stood on the edge of the field, facing the gentle breeze, looking at the wooden signs, and remained silent for a long time.