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

Jia Jing picked up his teacup, calmly took a sip, and quietly looked at everyone present. He noticed that apart from Jia Zheng and Jia Tanchun expressing their objections, no one else spoke up casually. He nodded with a slight sense of relief.

After these repeated admonitions, educations, and reprimands, no matter what the people in the Jia family thought in secret,

At least outwardly, they showed reverence for the laws and regulations of the imperial court, understood their own position, and stopped speaking recklessly.

After a moment of silence, Jia Jing said solemnly:

"The second master and the third sister have a very good understanding! In this matter concerning Wang Ziteng, it is not only wrong to show favoritism, but also impossible, unacceptable, and unthinkable to show favoritism."

"It is true that the four families have a century-long friendship and are closely related. But being closely related means helping each other, supporting each other, and walking the right path together. It does not mean covering up for each other, colluding with each other, or being above the laws and regulations of the country."

"The reason why the ancestors of the four major families were able to come together and establish such a large family business was because of their loyalty, ability, and shared ideals."

"First, only when you can stand firm can you unite as one. If you can't even understand this simple principle, then the phrase 'shared destiny' will become a shackle that drags the four great families down with you."

"In my opinion, if the four great families want to stand firm and secure in the Han Dynasty for a long time, they will not rely on the phrase 'being of the same blood and lineage,' but on truly walking the right path."

"Use the law as the rope, not sentiment as the net; base yourself on morality, not power; prioritize the people, not profit; and pursue knowledge, not personal gain."

"Abiding by the law and discipline is the bottom line; cultivating morality and character is fundamental; loving the people and the country is one's duty; studying and practicing martial arts are the right paths. In this way, no matter how fierce the storms outside, no matter how setbacks or losses one experiences, one can stand firm and one day rise again!"

At this point, Jia Jing softened his tone and continued:

"Of course, I'm not saying this to completely distance the Jia family from the Wang family. We will still help within the reasonable and legal scope, and we will still do what we should do."

"For example, when Wang Ziteng was in the imperial prison, I would have people take care of him, avoiding torture as much as possible, and preventing people from falsely accusing him and causing him to be wronged."

"As for the Wang family residence, we will also instruct the Imperial City Guard to take care of things and not disturb the inner family members or involve innocent people. These are all acts of kindness that can be done without violating the law."

"But I cannot use my power to cover for him, exonerate him, or bend the law for him. Wang Ziteng chose the path of bribery to gain an official position; now that the matter has been exposed, he should bear the consequences himself!"

"This is the same principle as the clan's practice of learning from past mistakes to avoid future ones. It's not about forgetting old friendships or being unaware of protecting one's own relatives, but about upholding righteousness and eliminating evil to prevent the four major families from falling into the same trap. This is the true meaning of mutual support and righteousness among relatives!"

"Does everyone understand what I've said?"

Jia Jing brought up the matter of Prince Teng in order to use this opportunity to help the four great families break free from the old pattern of "being of the same blood" and embark on a new path centered on "righteousness."

They established their own distinct rules for the four major families, thereby truly uniting them into a single force for their own use.

After all, it must be understood that the four major families have intermarried and have a history of friendship and shared interests spanning hundreds of years. It is impossible for them to completely ignore or sever ties.

Putting aside other things, the Xue family has Baochai, the Shi family has Grandmother Jia and Xiangyun, and the Wang family has Tanchun, Yuanchun, and Fengjie. This is an unbreakable blood connection.

To put it bluntly, if anyone from the Shi, Wang, or Xue families committed a heinous crime, it would implicate the Jia family.

Therefore, after Jia Jing did not choose to leave the Jia family at the beginning, he intended to become the new political leader of the four major families.

The four major families and the system figures are Jia Jing's unchanging core base, hmm? Perhaps the Lin family should also be added.

However, with the existence of Wang Ziteng, an ambitious and restless member of the Wang family, Jia Jing was not in a hurry to take action among the four major families!

Now that the Jia family's internal purge is complete, Shi Ding of the Shi family has been brought under their control, Xue Baochai has confirmed their relationship, and Prince Teng has finally fallen from grace...

The time was ripe, so he naturally began to take over the four major families, redefining the rules and values ​​among the Jia, Shi, Wang, and Xue families.

Of course, taking over is only the first step. After that, we still need to find an opportunity to clean up the dregs, remove the bad and promote the good, and support a new generation of independent, self-reliant, virtuous and talented people!

After Jia Jing finished speaking, everyone in the hall seemed to have figured it out. Could this be an opportunity to draw boundaries and establish new rules for the relationship between the four great families?

Although Zhu's face still showed panic and fear, compared to the terrifying consequences of the crime of being a traitor as Jia Jing had previously described,

At this moment, Jia Jingming's promise to take care of things, to avoid torture, to prevent false accusations, to keep the inner quarters quiet, and to keep innocent people out of trouble, inexplicably gave him a sense of security, and he no longer felt the panic of being completely lost.

Although the master has fallen, at least his son should have been protected, and the family's legal property should have been preserved as well!

As for the master, we can only let him suffer a bit...

Baochai gazed quietly at the young man, her cheeks flushed, her bright eyes sparkling, and a thought suddenly flashed through her mind:

With a heart that encompasses mountains and rivers, he naturally develops his own methods. This applies to governing an army, managing a family, and governing a clan, and it is also true for managing the relationships between the four great families today.

When he speaks, he never just talks about one thing; he takes a broad view, paving the way for many years to come and setting the tone for the entire situation.

Sister Feng raised her plump, fair face. Her slightly pale cheeks, illuminated by the candlelight, appeared even more radiant and rosy, like a blooming flower.

She sighed softly, her voice carrying a hint of genuine submission and a cautious, folded-wing-like deference:

"Third Brother's words were profound, hitting the nail on the head. If they had been said two years earlier, probably no one would have listened; but in the current turbulent situation, saying them brings a sense of reassurance!"

Because of Madam Wang, the relationship between Sister Feng and Prince Teng had become quite cold over the past year!

Therefore, her concern for Prince Teng's safety was rather superficial. What truly worried and concerned her was the fate of herself and her brother Wang Ren and other members of the Wang family!

Although Jia Jing didn't give any guarantees, the implication in his words was undoubtedly that he would take care of the other members of the Wang family!

Jia Zheng sighed, looked at Jia Jing with a touch of emotion in his eyes, and said with mixed feelings:

"What Jing-ge says is very true. Such actions are both in accordance with the law and human feelings. Every word and deed is thought-provoking. The sense of proportion is just right, which is admirable."

Madam Xing also started soliciting business online at this moment. She glanced at Madam Wang, her eyes flashing, and said sarcastically:

"You really have to admit, men are the ones who lead the household. Their words and actions command respect! Unlike some stay-at-home women who only think about their own families, about marrying off their daughters, and resorting to crooked means!"

Madam Wang, who was being criticized, trembled all over, her face turned ashen, she opened her mouth, but in the end she lowered her head, her eyes flashing coldly, but she did not utter a word!