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

Jia Zheng was also filled with mixed emotions, and looked at Jia Jing, saying:

"Jing-ge'er has profound insights into matters, and he is fair and discerning in both governing the army and managing the household. I am far inferior to him! It is truly commendable that you have put in so much effort..."

Just as Jia Jing and the others were talking, Xuanwu walked up to the group in the courtyard, holding a scroll in his hands. He unfolded it and began to read it slowly and deliberately.

His voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the courtyard could hear it clearly:

"Jia Baoyu, as a member of the Jia clan, is prone to throwing tantrums and acting willfully, smashing jade for no reason, repeatedly causing disturbances in the household, hurting relatives, and alarming elders. His frivolous and dissolute nature remains unchanged!"

"Jia Qiang opened a theatrical troupe in the East City. Under the guise of performing, he actually acted as a matchmaker and swindled money from people. There were six victims, and he was swindled out of a total of 1,200 taels of silver."

"Jia Qin, in the grain shop in the south city, withheld the wages of the shop assistants, acted arrogantly, and embezzled the payment for goods, resulting in a deficit of 430 taels of silver."

"Jia Rui, using the name of a member of the Jia clan, went on credit to drink and dine at brothels, accumulating a debt of three hundred taels. Creditors came to his door many times to demand payment, thus disgracing the family."

"Jia Jun, using the name of the Duke, bullies others and colludes with members of the East City Canal Gang to open gambling dens and swindle people out of their money."

"Jia Ping, took over a lawsuit at Tielan Temple, and lent money at exorbitant interest rates..."

……

As Xuanwu read out the crimes of each person who had been beaten, clearly explaining them to everyone, the clansmen in the courtyard finally understood the reason for Jia Jing's punishment.

Many clansmen never expected that Jia Qiang and others, who seemed quite decent on the surface, would actually be involved in such swindling and deceitful activities behind the scenes!

From this perspective, being beaten was not unjust at all!

After closing the document, Xuanwu continued:

"The above individuals shall be punished with thirty strokes of the cane in accordance with Articles 17, 19, and 23 of the clan rules."

"The money and property obtained through fraud shall be returned within three days; the gambling debts owed shall be settled by the person himself; all duties under his jurisdiction shall be revoked and replaced by others."

"The crimes committed need to be addressed by finding the victims, making amends to each one, and seeking their forgiveness..."

After Xuanwu finished speaking, the caning punishment carried out by the personal guards was basically over.

After thirty strokes of the cane, the victim's trousers were so badly stained that their original color was barely visible. Dark red blood seeped through the fabric, seeping into a sticky, dark patch under the sunlight.

Where the skin and flesh were torn apart, white flesh and blood foam were mixed together, like old cotton wool that had been torn apart.

Everyone had stopped making a sound; only gasps escaped their throats, like a chicken whose throat had been stepped on.

The person lay hunched over the bench, their back still rising and falling slightly, but the rise and fall was shallow and rapid, as if the thread might break at any moment.

Especially Jia Baoyu and Jia Rui, one was too delicate and pampered and hadn't been disciplined enough, and the other had become weak from frequenting brothels.

After thirty strokes of the cane, he was barely breathing and had fainted!

Jia Jing glanced around, said nothing more, and then faced the crowd in the courtyard, loudly instructing them:

"Everyone witnessed what happened this time. These people will serve as examples for anyone who dares to break the clan rules in the future!"

"No matter who it is, regardless of their relationship to the family, as long as they are a member of the Jia clan, they must be severely punished!"

"This time, considering the serious consequences they caused and that it was their first offense, we're only giving them a light punishment as a warning, just a slap on the wrist and a fine for their ill-gotten gains."

"If anyone dares to commit crimes or break the law again, I will not let them off lightly. Don't say I didn't warn you!"

"Furthermore, from now on, I hope that each of you will thoroughly study the 'Great Han Law' and the 'Clan Rules', and know what you should and should not do."

"If you want to succeed, work hard and be diligent. I'll give you opportunities in studying, martial arts, and other endeavors! Just don't misbehave!"

"You should know that the foundation of my Jia family's wealth and prosperity for a hundred years was built by the two Dukes Rong and Ning through hard work and battles, not by using petty tricks or taking crooked paths."

"Today's rectification of clan customs is for the purpose of getting back to basics and ensuring the long-term prosperity of the clan. Only when the clan prospers can each of you prosper!"

"I don't expect each of you to make a difference for the country or your family, but you should be able to stand up for your family and be upright people, so as not to bring shame to your family and ancestors."

"Alright! That's all for today. Go back and think it over!"

After giving him some instructions, Jia Jing didn't say much more and then announced the meeting was adjourned.

After all the clansmen had left, Jia Jing kept Jia Zheng behind alone, while Jia Baoyu was sent to the West Mansion by someone else.

The two sat in chairs, Jia Zheng's refined face showing a hint of doubt as he asked:

"Jing-ge'er, is there something you need to tell me?"

After a moment of contemplation, Jia Jing told Jia Zheng about yesterday's coup, the Xing prison incident, and the capital inspection.

He was about to go to the Twelfth Regiment to take charge, and Jia Zheng was the only official from the Jia family. In order to prevent him from being taken advantage of, Jia Jing thought it was necessary to give him a heads-up first.

It must be said that although Jia Zheng was relatively upright in his personal conduct, he lacked political acumen and resourcefulness in his official duties.

As later evaluations of the original work stated:

"He wanted to be a good official, but he was ignorant of worldly affairs. He only knew how to bow and scrape, and sat in a servile position all day long. He was like a clay statue and was easily deceived, which ruined his reputation."

Upon hearing Jia Jing's words, Jia Zheng's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed in surprise:

"How could this be? With such massive purges and inspections in the capital, will the court never have a day of peace again?"

Jia Jing said:

"This is exactly what I wanted to tell my second uncle. From this day forward, the capital city will be turbulent and turbulent."

"I'm about to go to the 12th Regiment to take charge, and I won't be back for at least a month. Second Uncle, you need to be careful in the capital and avoid getting involved in these matters!"

"The Emperor's fury this time indicates his determination to thoroughly rectify official corruption and purge the court officials!"

Jia Zheng, with a sorrowful expression, sighed deeply:

"Jing-ge'er, please rest assured, I know what's important. I won't and wouldn't dare to interfere recklessly in this matter!"

"To be honest, if I weren't afraid of being blamed by the court, I would have resigned and returned home long ago. I'm not particularly attached to my job at the Ministry of Works, and my own abilities are just average."

Jia Zheng wasn't speaking carelessly.

In the original work, he himself stated, "I secretly wish I didn't have to be an official, but I dare not retire."

The "dare not" here probably refers to both fear of being punished by the imperial court and fear of being blamed by Grandmother Jia.

After all, Jia Zheng's official position was granted by Jia Daishan in his dying will. Although it was only a fifth-rank official, it was still a powerful position and was hard-won.

As Leng Zixing said in his speech about the Rongguo Mansion:

"The second son, Jia Zheng, loved reading from a young age and was the most beloved by his grandfather. Originally, he was intended to pass the imperial examination. However, when Daishan was on his deathbed, he submitted a memorial to the emperor. Out of compassion for the deceased minister, the emperor immediately ordered the eldest son to inherit the official position and asked how many other sons he had. The emperor then introduced them to the emperor and bestowed upon Jia Zheng the title of Principal Clerk and promoted him to Assistant Minister of Works."

Jia Jing said:

"It's good that Second Uncle understands! This matter is of great importance. Officials in the capital will surely be secretly working together to resist the imperial court's might."

"Whether they say they want to submit a memorial together or gather to criticize the court and the emperor, you should just ignore it."

"For my sake, as long as you don't actively get involved, Grand Secretary Zhang and Vice Minister Nian of the Ministry of Works won't make things difficult for you!"

"As for your position in the Ministry of Works, you can hold onto it for now. Later, when the opportunity arises, I'll see if I can find you a position as an educational commissioner in another province!"

Given Jia Zheng's personality, being a respectable and noble official is undoubtedly more suitable for him than being a practical official!

Upon hearing this, Jia Zheng, who had been feeling somewhat melancholy and worried, was instantly moved and looked at Jia Jing, saying with emotion:

"Jing-ge'er, I don't even know what to say to you for going to so much trouble..."

……