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

Grandmother Jia opened her mouth, as if to say something more, but in the end it turned into a long, melancholy sigh.

Lady Wang had been helped back to her seat by Yuan Chun. She was trembling all over from Jia Zheng's scolding, her face was pale, her lips were tightly pursed, and tears of heartache were streaming down her face. She did not utter a word.

But the Buddhist prayer beads hidden in his sleeve were almost crushed, and he felt extremely embarrassed, resentful, and indignant.

What terrible crime have I committed to deserve such repeated humiliation in court?

Zhu Shi sat to one side, her expression constantly changing, her face flushed. She didn't really care whether Madam Wang was beaten or not!

However, she was extremely dissatisfied with Jia Zheng's statement that her son, Li Ge'er, was not even as good as Jia Baoyu!

With Jia Baoyu's chubby, dark-skinned appearance, how could he have the audacity to compare himself to his own son, Li Ge'er!

However, seeing Jia Zheng's cold expression, she couldn't bring herself to refute him. She could only lower her head slightly and express her bad mood with an unpleasant look.

Upon hearing Jia Zheng's words and seeing the weeping Lady Wang, Baochai frowned, a hint of dissatisfaction appearing in her watery almond eyes!

Whoever's husband is the one who cherishes him!

If my uncle hadn't told me, I would never have imagined that my Jinglang was working so hard outside, taking such great risks, and walking on thin ice!

But his aunt always caused him trouble at home. It was indeed a breach of virtue for a woman to interfere in other people's affairs and not distinguish between internal and external matters!

Daiyu's bright eyes flickered, and she couldn't help but think to herself that although her second uncle was not good at practical matters and was usually a bit too upright, he was not a muddle-headed person after all!

No wonder his father spoke highly of him, and his third brother treated him with even more respect than the old lady; there must be a reason for it!

Tan Chun's bright, spirited eyes held a complex expression. This commotion meant that her mother would never be able to interfere in her marriage again.

But the rift between the mother and daughter is widening, and no one knows what to do in the future!

Yuan Chun's dignified face showed some emotion. She had served as a lady-in-waiting in the palace and had witnessed the secrets of the palace and the fierce struggles in the harem. Naturally, she knew that her father was right.

The struggles in the imperial court are not the petty tricks and tripping each other up between women; they are real killings that can wipe out an entire family at the slightest provocation, and there is no room for the slightest mistake!

My mom can be a little... confused sometimes!

Sigh! It's better to scold them than to cause real trouble later, leading to a complete breakdown in the marriage and no chance of reconciliation!

And... my mother just said she wanted to arrange a marriage for me too. Judging from her eye for finding a husband for my third sister, I might have escaped this disaster by some twist of fate!

But... does my marriage also have to be decided by my younger brother Jing, just like my third sister's?

Thinking of this, her face couldn't help but blush slightly!

Yingchun, Xichun, Xiangyun, and Xing Xiuyan watched the whole scene from beginning to end, each with a different expression, but their impression of Madam Wang turned negative to some extent!

The second wife always causes trouble, disrupting the peace of the entire household, and seems to have some character flaws.

Just as the hall was silent, a maidservant suddenly came to report from outside the door:

"Third Miss, Old Madam, the Duke has returned to the manor!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked. They had been worried all night, and they were finally back!

Grandmother Jia hurriedly said;

"Yuanyang, go quickly to the East Mansion and see if Jing-ge'er is injured. Tell him to come over when he has time, and that all the ladies in the mansion are worried about him!"

Yuanyang quickly responded, then left Rongqing Hall and jogged towards the East Mansion.

Soon,

A maidservant came to announce that the Duke had arrived!

The sounds of maids and old women greeting and bowing came from afar.

Wearing a red cloak and silver armor, Jia Jing strode in, his hand on his sword. The lamplight poured out of the hall, covering him and casting a warm glow on his armor.

The moment his face lit up in the lamplight, the entire Rongqing Hall fell silent for a moment.

The hem of the cloak was damp with night dew, and there were dark marks on the boots, which faintly shimmered with moisture under the candlelight.

A few strands of his hair were ruffled by the night wind, but there was no weariness in his eyes, only a calm after the dust had settled, like a deep well, but the ripples on the surface had subsided.

The hand on the sword rests on the hilt, the knuckles slightly white, as if it is used to that kind of firm grip.

Behind him was the thick, impenetrable darkness of night, and in front of him was a sea of ​​bright lights. He stood between the two, his figure a dazzling interplay of light and shadow!

Just then, a gust of wind suddenly rushed in from behind him, blowing a corner of his cloak and making a rustling sound with the armor plates, which was particularly clear in the quiet hall.

This scene caused everyone in the hall to be slightly stunned, and a moment of silence ensued!

In Daiyu's bright, dark eyes, shimmering with inner brilliance, a poem inexplicably surfaced in her mind: "The frost still lingers on my cold armor, the night is not yet over in my red robes. Returning under the lamplight, each step is a step towards Chang'an."

Perhaps it is because the young man is out there calming the storm with his sword that they can have a brightly lit room inside!

After a moment of surprise, everyone in the hall rose to their feet. Jia Zheng, having composed himself, was the first to greet them, saying:

"Jing-ge'er, are you alright?"

Shi Xiangyun, her charming and romantic face also showing concern, quickly stepped forward and blurted out:

"Third brother, I was worried about you all night!"

Xi Chun also stepped forward and said:

"Third brother, are you alright?"

Although the others were also staring intently at him with worried expressions, they did not show it too obviously in front of everyone.

Jia Jing nodded to each of them, indicating that he was alright. He then looked at Baochai and Daiyu carefully before saying nothing more.

After everyone was seated again, Grandmother Jia noticed that Jia Jing looked travel-worn and guessed he hadn't eaten yet. She instructed Yuanyang to tell the kitchen to prepare some food, and then asked:

"Jing-ge'er, why are you so busy so late? Where did you come from?"

Jia Jing picked up his teacup, took a sip, glanced around at everyone in the hall, and said in a deep voice:

"The Imperial City Guard and the Five City Garrison are still arresting people. Tonight, we'll try to clear out the entire capital. The affairs are numerous and complicated, and I have to make decisions on everything!"

He paused, then continued:

"Just came from the Imperial City Prison."

"Imperial Prison?" Grandmother Jia looked surprised; this was a place that people feared!

Jia Jing said:

"Yeah, they've arrested so many people lately, the cells over there are getting full!"

These words seemed to press the pause button on the previously boisterous atmosphere in the hall.

This... the imperial prison can't hold them all? Just how many people have been arrested?

"Arresting so many officials like this? Isn't that a bit inappropriate...? I mean, won't it disrupt the normal operation of the imperial court?"

Grandmother Jia felt a chill in her heart. She wanted to ask if there would be endless trouble in the future, but in the end she held back!

Jia Jing remained silent and said in a deep voice:

"Our great Han Dynasty has nurtured scholars for a hundred years; the world lacks all kinds of people, but it has no shortage of those who want to be officials!"

Not only are there no shortages, but perhaps clever people have already seen so many vacant positions and are secretly using their connections to make arrangements!

Never underestimate the ambition of those in officialdom who want to advance!

With this in mind, Jia Jing gave the following advice:

"Recently, there have been quite a few people coming to our mansion seeking official positions! Second Master, you should close the door to visitors, whether they are students, former officials, old relatives, or colleagues, do not see anyone."

"The old lady should also avoid receiving any relatives from any family. Let's wait until things calm down before making any decisions."

These words suddenly made the previously peaceful atmosphere seem somewhat eerie!

Everyone turned their gazes to Zhu, who was sitting in the hall with her head down, pretending to be invisible.

When Grandmother Jia saw that Jia Jing's gaze had also fallen on Zhu Shi, her heart tightened, and she forced a smile and quickly explained:

"I haven't been seeing any guests lately. Even when the wives of the founding family came, I made excuses to be sick and refused to see them!"

"This is Baoyu's maternal aunt, Wang. She was invited in by Baoyu's mother. She said she wants to strengthen family ties through marriage and is discussing the marriage of your third sister... Baoyu's mother wants to agree, but I will not allow it!"

"Your second uncle just hit Baoyu's mother because of this, saying that the court is not clean these days and she shouldn't interfere in Sanya's marriage. It's best if you make all the decisions about the household affairs, including the marriages of your sisters!"

It's just a pity for Baoyu's mother; her old bones simply can't bear the blame from her third grandson.

At this moment, Madam Wang's face was as pale as paper, she felt like she had a thorn in her back, a fishbone stuck in her throat, and she was sitting on pins and needles!

Zhu Shi, facing Jia Jing's sharp, sword-like gaze, was filled with trepidation.

She really didn't understand why she had just gone to propose marriage, and now she was facing a quarrel between husband and wife and a glare from the Duke, as if she were walking through the gates of hell!

She really couldn't stand staying in the Jia family for even a second longer!

Thinking of this, Madam Zhu quickly stood up and said with a forced smile:

"I originally intended to strengthen family ties through marriage, but I didn't expect it to cause so much trouble. It's all my fault now! Since it can't work out, that's fine. Grandmother, Duke Jing, I'll head back to the Wang family now!"

"What talk of the Wang family? From this day forward, there is no more Wang family!"

Jia Jing's indifferent voice rang out, immediately startling everyone in the hall!