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

With Jia Jing's current official rank,

The next highest ranks are First-Rank Grand General and First-Rank Grand Marshal of the Armed Forces of the Realm. These are positions held by princes and the emperor himself, and it is almost impossible for officials to obtain them!

Above the nobility is the title of King, the highest-ranking non-royal nobility that is tied to the fate of the nation. Crossing this rank is extremely difficult.

Just look at the fact that the Han Dynasty was established for more than a hundred years, and only four people were granted titles at the founding of the dynasty, and you can know how difficult it was!

When Grandmother Jia said this, she was actually implying that it was too early to say that Jia Jing had surpassed his ancestors; they should wait until he was granted the title of king or promoted to the first rank.

Otherwise, as long as he is still a second-rank official or a duke, his status would be almost the same as hers as the duke's wife!

Beside her, Sister Feng's phoenix eyes, framed by her willow-leaf eyebrows, darted around, and her cherry lips, painted with rouge, parted slightly as she chuckled softly:

"I see that my third brother is no ordinary person. At such a young age, he has already been granted the titles of First-Class Duke and General of the Cavalry. It's likely that he will be promoted even further within the next three to five years!"

"After all, I still vividly remember the scene from three years ago when he stood in the hall in all white, speaking with such conviction!"

"Who could have imagined back then that he would reach such an astonishing level three years later! I've come to realize that he's not someone who can be measured by ordinary standards!"

Although the old lady knew a bit about court affairs, she never made accurate predictions about her third brother.

A noble title is difficult to bestow, but it also depends on the individual.

Madam Xing paused slightly, feeling a subtle dig at Sister Feng's mention of what happened three years ago.

At this moment, as Lady Wang listened to everyone discussing Jia Jing's promotion with joyful expressions, she gripped her Buddhist prayer beads tightly, unable to suppress her irritation and disgust!

Weren't they just discussing how to save Baoyu's uncle? How come after a few words they've started talking about that illegitimate son of the eldest son's family again?

With everyone getting promoted and ennobled, Baoyu's uncle is about to be executed. Doesn't anyone care?

And what about my silly little sister? Why is she also beaming with joy? Wasn't she just looking like she was about to faint? How did she change so quickly?

Even if the eldest son of the concubine becomes a high-ranking official, what does it have to do with you? Your precious girl hasn't even entered the family yet!

Besides, the eldest son of the illegitimate family might have ascended to his position by stepping on the corpse of Baoyu's uncle. Such a ruthless and vicious person will be punished sooner or later!

Frowning, Madam Wang couldn't help but speak up:

"Now that Jing-ge has been promoted, shouldn't he also give an explanation regarding Bao-yu's uncle's matter?"

Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell silent. Yuan Chun looked at her mother beside her, sighed inwardly, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

My mother's been indulging in wild thoughts again! How come she hasn't made any progress after copying the "Four Books for Women" for so many days?!

Although she was also very worried and heartbroken about her uncle's situation,

But in the end, this matter violated the law and regulations. The emperor himself issued the decree, so what explanation does Jingdi need to give?

Seeing her father's face darken, Yuan Chun's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly said:

"Mother! Uncle's matter was decided by the Emperor. Father just said that even upright officials who pleaded for him were imprisoned. What explanation can Jingdi possibly give us?"

"Besides, Jingdi said yesterday that he would arrange for someone to take care of Uncle, to avoid torture, to prevent false accusations, and to protect the family. He's done everything he could. What else can he do?"

"Besides, with so many people being punished together, we can't let him show favoritism and let my uncle off the hook!"

Tan Chun frowned slightly, nodded, and said:

"My third brother made this very clear yesterday: while there can be favoritism and mutual assistance among the four great families, there can be no abuse of power or bending of the law!"

"We shouldn't put him in a difficult position!"

Seeing that it was once again her two daughters who spoke up for the eldest son of the illegitimate family, Madam Wang was filled with anger and raised her voice:

"But Baoyu's uncle was arrested by Jingge'er's men yesterday! If it weren't for all the trouble he caused and the discovery of the account books, Baoyu's uncle wouldn't have suffered such an undeserved disaster!"

"Now he's been promoted, but Baoyu's uncle is being skinned alive. Isn't that his responsibility?"

Madam Wang couldn't help but go crazy. The thought of her own brother ending up in such a miserable state while the eldest son of the illegitimate branch benefited from it made her heart bleed!

Originally, her older brother was such a successful person, a pillar of the four great families, and a support that she and Baoyu could rely on.

But ever since the eldest son of the concubine returned from the army, everything has gone wrong for him, as if he has been cursed.

First he was dismissed from his post, then he was imprisoned, and now he's facing the death penalty. Is there any justice left in this world?

Jia Zheng: "..."

His brows furrowed, and he said in a cold voice:

"What does Baoyu's uncle's matter have to do with Jing'er? Why are you making trouble again?"

"He broke the law himself. Could it be that Jing-ge'er, who is fair and just and devoted to the country, has done something wrong?"

Madam Wang's expression changed; her hand, gripping the prayer beads tightly, turned white at the knuckles as she said sorrowfully:

"But what terrible crime did Baoyu's uncle commit to deserve such a tragic end?"

Jia Zheng's expression was solemn as he said:

"What do you, a woman, know about matters of state? I've already told you repeatedly how dangerous the situation outside is!"

"No one wanted Baoyu's uncle to end up like this! But this matter is absolutely not Jing'er's fault, and there is no reason to drag the lives of hundreds of members of my Jia family into this just because we tried to save him!"

He paused, then his expression turned cold as he said:

"Wang, this isn't the first or second time you've made a scene over your family's affairs. I pretended not to know about your secret subsidies to your family before, but you caused another scene yesterday, and now you're doing it again today. Don't you know the principles of obedience to your parents?"

"You need to understand, you are now a member of the Jia family, not a daughter of the Wang family! If you really can't let go of the Wang family, I won't force you. Why don't you go back to the Wang family for three to five years and do your best for your family, so that my Jia family can have some peace and prosperity for a while!"

Jia Zheng's words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing Lady Wang's anger and resentment!

What does it mean to tell someone to go back to their parents' home for a few years?

Does this mean he's going to divorce me?

You should know that even if a married woman dies, she can only be buried in her husband's family's ancestral grave. There's no reason for her to go back to her parents' home to live for several years!

Or perhaps the master sees that he has no family to rely on and wants to divorce his wife and marry someone else?

Sure enough, all these members of the Jia family were targeting her; not one of them could be trusted!

Madam Wang's resentment and insecurity grew wildly, and her face became so gloomy that it even looked somewhat distorted.

Seeing her son and daughter-in-law arguing again, Grandmother Jia was also very troubled and quickly said in a low voice:

"Zheng'er! Baoyu's mother is just too worried. I can't bear to hear that Baoyu's uncle has ended up like this, let alone her!"

Then, turning to Madam Wang and Aunt Xue, he said:

"Baoyu's mother, his aunt, and Baoyu's uncle, please don't blame Jing'er for this. Unexpected things can happen at any time, and fortune can change in an instant. In officialdom, things are always up and down, and no one can predict what will happen!"

"Besides, we women can't interfere in outside affairs. We can only try to be more open-minded and take things less seriously, otherwise we'll just be making ourselves miserable!"

These words made Madam Wang feel even more upset. The old lady was also cunning. She didn't dare to offend the eldest son of the illegitimate family, so she came to support her own side!

Apart from Baoyu, there isn't a single good person in the Jia family!