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

The words are divided into two parts.

Rongqing Hall, the courtyard is locked in deep night.

The night was heavy, pressing down on the eaves of Rongqing Hall. The copper bells hanging from the eaves were stirred by the evening breeze, making a few scattered soft sounds before quickly falling silent.

Most of the candles in the hall had burned out, with only a few still burning. The glow spread in circles on the blue brick floor, cutting the shadows in the hall into fragments of light and shadow.

The carved lattice doors were half-closed, the curtains hung low, and the tassels at the corners of the curtains remained motionless.

On the high platform and soft couch, Grandmother Jia lay reclining, her face etched with worry. The red-gold hairpin with pearls dangling from her temple shimmered slightly in the candlelight; it was the only thing still in motion for her that night.

Madam Wang sat to her left, expressionless, slowly turning the prayer beads in her hand, grinding each bead on her fingertips as if she were deep in thought.

However, unlike before, her fingers, which were holding the prayer beads, seemed to have been stained black by ink.

Madam Xing sat opposite Madam Wang, clutching a handkerchief in her hand, occasionally sipping her tea and yawning, as if she were feeling a little sleepy!

Feng Jie, Li Wan, the four sisters, Daiyu and Baochai, Xiangyun, Xing Xiuyan and others sat below in order.

Her once radiant and beautiful face, adorned with vibrant colors and dazzling hues, now carried a hint of solemnity.

Huh?! And Wang Ziteng's wife, Madam Zhu, is also here.

Zhu had originally come to visit Lady Wang today, but in the evening, Grand Secretary Zhang Tingyu and Jia Jing were attacked one after another, and martial law was declared in the capital. It was inconvenient for her to go back for the time being, so she stayed.

Only the occasional crackling of candlelight remained in the hall, along with the distant sound of the night watchman's drum echoing from the courtyard.

After a long pause, Grandmother Jia looked at Tan Chun below the hall and asked in a hoarse voice:

"Third Sister, didn't Jing-ge send a message back saying everything was fine? Why hasn't he returned to the manor yet, even at this hour? Is there still no news from the East Mansion?"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the hall seemed to come alive, and everyone unanimously turned their gaze to Tan Chun, whose eyes were bright and eyebrows delicate.

Sitting beside Tan Chun, Daiyu, dressed in a light purple dress, slightly furrowed her brows, her bright eyes sparkling with autumn waves, and pursed her cherry lips.

Upon suddenly hearing about Jia Jing's attack today, she felt a mix of panic and fear that she had never experienced before!

Although the dangers he encountered on the battlefield in the past may not have been any less than those he faced today, his personal experience now is undoubtedly more profound!

If his personal guards hadn't returned to report that he was safe, he would probably still be in a state of anxiety and unease!

I don't know where this vicious and short-lived bandit came from, he deserves to die!

Baochai picked up the teacup from the small table in front of her and leisurely sipped the tea, her almond-shaped eyes slightly lowered.

Upon closer inspection, one can see that her delicate, pear-shaped face is now noticeably paler.

However, compared to her previous deathly pale appearance, she had recovered somewhat after receiving news that Jia Jing was unharmed.

When she first heard the devastating news, she even considered committing suicide for love. If Jia Jing really died, there would be no point in her living!

Tan Chun's expression was solemn as she spoke in a clear voice:

"They've been waiting at the East Mansion! If Third Brother returns, news will surely come!"

"I reckon something this big has happened. The imperial court is investigating these damned rebels. Third Brother is in charge of the military and can't leave for the time being!"

"Grandma, there's no need to worry. I've already asked around carefully. My third brother is a seasoned veteran who anticipated the enemy's moves and emerged unscathed. On the contrary, none of the perpetrators escaped unscathed; they were either killed or captured."

Hearing Tan Chun say this, the expressions of everyone in the hall relaxed a little more.

Seeing the weariness in Grandmother Jia's expression, Yuan Chun said softly:

"Grandma, it's getting late. Your health is important. If you're tired, why don't you go and rest? We'll wait here for Jingdi!"

Grandmother Jia glanced at the vast night outside, and sighed deeply, saying:

"I can't sleep until I see Jing-ge'er return safely! He absolutely cannot have anything happen to him..."

It must be said that although Grandmother Jia had a lot of headaches about her third grandson, she absolutely did not want to see anything really happen to Jia Jing!

Firstly, the Jia family was not large in number; the Rong and Ning mansions together only had a few male members.

Furthermore, she wasn't completely senile; she still understood many things.

Jia Jing is the current head of the Jia family and the clan leader. If he doesn't behave well, the entire Jia family will be in turmoil!

Of course, most importantly, this third grandson has offended far too many people outside!

Last year, it was only the Jingnan lineage that had military merits. The Duke of Zhao and the Marquis of Linchuan were fine, since their founding lineage had always been at odds with the Jingnan lineage.

But this time, after returning to Beijing from the Northwest, this wretched child acted as if he had some kind of hysteria.

First, he punished his own beloved son, Baoyu, and rectified his clan. Then, in the imperial court, he proposed launching a major purge to strictly investigate factions and the capital inspection.

According to Zheng'er, just last month, more than 200 civil officials in the court were arrested and imprisoned, and countless others were beheaded, had their homes confiscated, or were exiled.

This is like stirring up a hornet's nest.

Even an old lady from the inner quarters knew that those civil officials all had relatives, fellow villagers, classmates, and classmates from the same year.

They suffered, how could their relatives and friends not hate their own grandson?

Of course, this could also be described as a contest between civil and military officials, and it can be considered a last resort!

However, Jia Jing killed dozens of people in the Twelfth Regiment last month.

She truly couldn't understand why they even beheaded Ning Ge'er and Zhu Ge'er from the Pingyuan Marquis's Mansion and the Shanguo Duke's Mansion, both members of the founding lineage!

The nearly century-long friendship between the founding lineage of the dynasty and the military officers involved was one of mutual support and assistance in the court, with regular exchanges during holidays and festivals.

These were all clearly our own people, so why were they all killed over such a trivial matter?

After such a series of "bold and reckless" actions, his third grandson offended most of the civil and military officials. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was an enemy of the entire court!

Furthermore, if he hadn't acted so recklessly, without showing any mercy, and hadn't gone too far in killing, he wouldn't be facing such a deadly revenge today!

If he were really gone, that would be a relief, but with so many enemies he's made, who in the household would be able to deal with them in the future?

Therefore, even if Grandmother Jia still has some complaints about her third grandson, she absolutely does not want anything to happen to him.

With him around, at least we can hold on a little longer.

Without him, those enemies would probably tear his entire family apart!