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

Accompanied by a series of light footsteps, four figures emerged from behind the artificial hill.

By this time, it was already quite dark. The light from the lanterns on the eaves shone through the cracks in the rocks of the artificial hill and fell on the four people, illuminating their four very different faces clearly.

The person in the lead was Madam You, with Qin Keqing standing beside her. Behind them were two unfamiliar young women, who looked no more than seventeen or eighteen years old, following Madam You one in front and one behind.

The person in front wore a light red double-breasted shirt, with a moon-white embroidered vest over it. She was graceful and slender, with narrow shoulders and a slim waist. Her movements exuded a natural gentleness. Her long black hair was tied in a very simple bun, secured with only two silver hairpins. The hairpins had two small, plain orchids at the tips, without any other adornment.

Her skin was extremely fair, her figure was plump, she had an oval face, soft features, light, arched eyebrows, gentle almond-shaped eyes with slightly downturned corners, and she always looked at people with a timid, innocent look like a fawn.

Her lips were thin and pale, like peach petals washed with water. At this moment, she seemed to be looking at the young man not far away with a look of surprise on her face.

The other woman wore a pomegranate-red vest with lace detailing, and a light green silk cotton skirt underneath. A pea-green palace sash was tied around her waist, with a small silver sachet hanging from it. It jingled incessantly with her movements, as if she were carrying a string of tiny bells.

Her long, jet-black hair was not styled into a neat bun, but loosely tied into a droopy bun, with a red-gold hairpin with pearls dangling diagonally beside it. Her eyebrows and eyes were much more striking than the previous one, with thick, black willow-leaf eyebrows that slanted into her temples, giving her a natural air of heroism.

His eyes were upturned phoenix eyes, with dark and bright pupils. There was not a trace of fear in his gaze; instead, there was an almost unrestrained curiosity and frankness. He had a high nose bridge, bright red lips, and slightly upturned corners of his mouth. Standing behind Madam You, he craned his neck slightly to look at the young man.

Just as the group came out, Jia Jing and Xue Baochai stopped talking and turned to look at them.

Jia Jing frowned, his gaze sweeping over the four approaching figures. He roughly understood the identities of the two women accompanying Madam You.

Who else could it be but Sister You Er and Sister You San?

The two have been visiting their sister, Lady You, at the East Mansion frequently these days. Although Jia Jing has never met her, he has heard Xuanwu report on it. In other words, without his approval, the two would not be able to enter the East Mansion.

"It's Madam You and Madam Qin!" Baochai stepped forward, her almond-shaped eyes beneath her willow-leaf eyebrows twitching slightly as she spoke softly.

As a relative living away from home, Baochai naturally had to be addressed more formally. In addition, since Jia Zhen had been removed from the family register, it was inappropriate to address him as "Grandma Zhen."

Today, Lady You was dressed in a moon-white jacket with a front opening, and wore only a plain silver hairpin in her hair. She had no other ornaments on her body, making her look even more simple and elegant than usual.

Just then, she looked up and saw Xue Baochai walking out from behind Jia Jing. She paused slightly, a look of surprise and astonishment on her face.

Her watery eyes froze for a moment, then a hint of panic appeared. She quickly lowered her head, slowly walked closer, and respectfully bowed, her voice tinged with a tentative, cautious tone:

"I was unaware that the Duke was here. I apologize for my intrusion!"

A man and a woman alone together in the evening, how could nothing happen?

I really underestimated the methods of this Xue family's younger sister...

Qin Keqing stood beside Madam You, dressed in a light blue jacket with a yellow handkerchief tied around her waist. Her figure was graceful, and her natural charm was impossible to suppress.

She stepped forward and gracefully curtsied, her head bowed, her voice as soft as an evening breeze brushing across a pond:

"Greetings, Uncle and Miss Bao!"

Qin Keqing and Xue Baochai were not related by blood, and in fact, they never crossed paths in the original novel. Calling her "Miss Bao" at this time is a respectful way of addressing an unmarried girl.

However, the way he addressed Uncle Jia Jing was unusually intimate!

Baochai ignored the slightly surprised and suspicious looks from the two men, and without any hesitation, she returned their greeting gently, then focused her gaze on Jia Jing without saying a word.

Jia Jing glanced at the two women, nodded slightly in acceptance of their greeting, and then asked calmly:

"What are you guys doing here?"

Madam You pursed her cherry lips, her face showing a hint of timidity, and whispered:

"Reporting to the Duke, after dinner, I saw that it was still early, so I took them out for a walk to digest our food. We were just heading towards the pine and cypress forest when we unexpectedly ran into the Duke and Miss Xue here."

It must be said that Lady You adopted an extremely humble attitude towards Jia Jing!

The reason for this was, of course, that Jia Jing was of noble status and usually appeared dignified and imposing in the mansion, which instilled a certain degree of awe in her.

Secondly, because Lady You's father and mother had both died, her current mother was Lady You's father's second wife, whom he had married after her mother's death. She was not good to her, and since Jia Zhen was exiled, he had even tried to force her to remarry in order to seek benefits for her.

In other words, Lady You now has no legitimate relatives or support. If it weren't for Jia Jing's arrangement to provide her with a place to stay in the East Mansion, where she could receive a monthly allowance and have no worries about food and drink, her fate would probably be dire!

Therefore, her attitude towards Jia Jing also had a hint of ingratiation.

Jia Jing nodded and said:

"Taking a walk after dinner is good for your health! You all look much better than before!"

Qin Keqing's bright eyes, framed by willow-leaf eyebrows, seemed to reflect the swaying lanterns on the eaves. She sighed softly and replied gently:

"If it weren't for Uncle's care, we unfortunate people would be wandering around somewhere now, and we wouldn't have such a peaceful life today... Uncle's kindness is something I could never repay even if I were to repay it in my next life."

This sentence probably refers to Jia Zhen's incestuous relationship with his wife and his tolerance of not forcing them to remain chaste!

Upon hearing this, Jia Jing remained calm and waved his hand, saying:

"The best way to repay you is to live a good life from now on!"

"I imagine the old lady and the others have already spoken to you! You are still young. What I mean is, there's no need to live a life of widowhood. Whether or not you remain chaste is entirely up to your own wishes; we won't force you! If one day you wish to return to the clan and remarry, you can simply say so, and the clan will not stop you!"

Although Lady You and Qin Keqing seem to be living well in the East Mansion now, no one can predict what will happen in the future. Making things clear in advance can reduce their concerns.

A hint of seriousness appeared on Qin Keqing's fair skin and jade-like face as she softly said:

"Thank you for your understanding, Uncle. I... right now I just want to stay in the East Mansion and live a quiet life. I have never thought about remarrying."

As she spoke, her gaze involuntarily swept quickly across Jia Jing's face before immediately lowering it again, a faint blush creeping up her ears.

While Jia Jing and Qin Keqing were talking, You Shi stepped aside to let the two young women behind her come forward. With a smile on her face, she introduced them, her lips slightly parted:

"These two are my younger sisters from my maternal family. My mother went to the capital a few days ago, and since my sisters are of marriageable age, she brought them along. I was just thinking of bringing them to pay their respects to the Duke these past few days, and it's quite a coincidence that we've run into each other today."

"Second sister, third sister, come quickly and greet the Duke!"

Yu's eyes flickered, and her words seemed to carry an unusual meaning.

What does it mean to have reached marriageable age and come to pay respects to the Duke?

Jia Jing frowned slightly. With the help of the remaining light from the lamp, he could see things more clearly now that he was closer.

You Erjie appeared even more gentle and quiet, twisting the hem of her clothes with her hands, her head lowered, looking somewhat timid!

Sister You San, on the other hand, possessed a touch of heroism, with a beautiful face and a hint of fierceness in her eyes!

Even when facing Jia Jing's clear and cold gaze, she showed no fear. Instead, she raised her bright eyes and stared directly at Jia Jing, her gaze filled with undisguised curiosity and...admiration.

The two stepped forward, bowed, and said in unison:

"Greetings, Your Excellency!"

Sister You spoke in a voice as soft as a kitten's meow, and after performing her greetings, she withdrew.

Sister You blinked her beautiful eyes beneath her delicate willow-leaf eyebrows, her gaze lingering on the tall, imposing young man in a dark red robe with a cross-collar, his face cold and stern. A hint of excitement crossed her pretty face as she said in a sweet voice:

"My Lord! I never expected to see him alive today! The battle in the Northwest at the beginning of the year was truly gratifying! I was in Yulin City at the time..."

Madam You gently tugged at her sleeve and whispered reproachfully:

"Third Sister, what are you saying! How can you be so rude in front of the Duke!"

What, alive? Have you ever seen anything dead?

You Sanjie then said "Oh," stopped talking, and reluctantly took half a step back, but her eyes were still fixed on Jia Jing, as if she had seen some extraordinary person.

Jia Jing, however, became somewhat interested and asked in a deep voice:

Have you ever been to Yulin City?

Here we have to talk about the origins of Sister You Er and Sister You San!

According to the original work, Sister You Erjie and Sister You Sanjie did not originally have the surname You; it was their stepfather's surname.

Their mother, Old Lady You, became a widow after giving birth to the two sisters with her first husband. Later, she remarried into the You family, and the sisters took the You surname.

Because the You family originally had an eldest sister, namely Madam You, the two of them were renamed Second Sister and Third Sister.

I wonder what kind of family their biological fathers came from. They probably weren't too poor, otherwise they wouldn't have been betrothed to the Zhang family, the head of the imperial grain depot.

Logically speaking, the Han Dynasty was at the peak of feudal Confucianism, and widows from families with even a little wealth and status were expected to remain chaste.

Old Lady You had already given birth to two children for her deceased husband, although they were not sons, and their family's financial situation should have allowed her to remain a widow. However, she still wanted to remarry, which was considered an extremely bold act at this time.

One possibility is that her husband's uncles and aunts took advantage of her not having a son, seized her inheritance rights, and ate away her entire fortune.

Another possibility is that she hoped to marry into the You family, which was wealthier or more powerful than her deceased husband's family.

In the end, the still-attractive widow happily married Old Man You, bringing with her two little children.

However, not many years after Old Lady You remarried, her second husband also died, which might explain the situation!

Before Old Lady You could have a son with Old Man You, she became a widow again. Her two children were both daughters from her previous marriage, so her status and future in the You family were predictably bleak.

By this time, she was past her prime and could no longer remarry to improve her quality of life.

Her only hope rested on her daughter, but unfortunately, the Zhang family, to which her eldest daughter, You Erjie, was betrothed since childhood, had fallen into ruin. If she married into the Zhang family, she would only suffer. So she had to find a way to break off the engagement.

In the end, Old Lady You set her sights on her stepdaughter, Lady You, who was the mistress of the Ningguo Mansion. She brought her second and third daughters, Lady You, to the capital to seek refuge with Lady You, hoping to have someone to rely on for the rest of their lives.

So here's the question: where exactly did Old Lady You bring Second Sister and Third Sister You to the capital from?

This is not recorded in the original work!

Hearing Sister You San mention Yulin, could it be that they came from the Northwest?

However, it doesn't seem impossible, since the You family, to which You Shiyong belongs, is based in the Northwest.

Upon hearing Jia Jing's inquiry, You Sanjie's beautiful face, more delicate than any flower, lit up with excitement, and she replied hastily:

"Our family came to Beijing from Yulin City just a few months ago! It was because of the invasion of the puppet Qing and the Northern Yuan that the Northwest was not safe, so my mother made up her mind to come to Beijing to seek refuge with my eldest sister."

"However, we didn't expect the Mongol Tartars from the Northern Yuan to arrive so quickly. Before we could leave, we were besieged in Yulin City."

"...At that time, everyone in the city thought that this time they could not escape disaster. At the critical moment, it was you, Duke, who led the troops to arrive, charged into the enemy lines alone, defeated 50,000 Mongol Tatar cavalry of the Northern Yuan, killed a general and raised the flag, and turned the tide of the crisis!"

"After the war, the whole city was abuzz with the Duke's fame. At first, I didn't quite believe it, so I disguised myself as a man and went to the city gate to see for myself, only to find out it was all true!"

She became more and more excited as she spoke, her face flushed red, and her eyes shone like two flames. Completely forgetting her manners, she continued:

"You don't know, when we came from the Northwest, the Northern Yuan Tartars came south almost every year to raid for food, livestock, and people. The people on our side have a deep-seated hatred for them."

"Your annihilation of them is an immense favor to us! People from our area say you are a celestial being descended to earth, a great hero of our Han Dynasty, and many have even secretly erected shrines and temples in your honor!"

Sister You looked up with her face as beautiful as a peach blossom, her expression full of emotion at seeing her idol, just like a star-struck fan of later generations.

At this moment, Sister You Erjie raised her head and softly said:

"After arriving in the capital, Third Sister was overjoyed to learn that the Duke and Eldest Sister were still family. She kept begging Eldest Sister to let her meet you!"

Madam You, with a somewhat cautious smile, said:

"My third sister is always like this, with a tomboyish personality. Please don't take offense, Your Excellency!"

At this moment, Jia Jing's expression softened, his gaze calm, and he said in a clear voice:

"Third Sister is so genuine, what's so strange about that!"

"However, the calamity of the Northern Yuan was not a sudden occurrence; the pacification of the border troubles was not the work of one person alone. Without the strong support of the imperial court and the countless soldiers on the frontier fighting bloody battles, even ten Jia Jings could not have conquered Langshan."

"Since you come from the Northwest and have personally experienced the suffering of war, you should know how hard-won today's peace is. From now on, you don't need to thank me; just remember that this peace was bought with the lives of countless people. Living a good life is the best way to honor them."

This can be seen as a warning to the two unfortunate women!

In the original novel, You Erjie died by swallowing gold, and You Sanjie committed suicide by cutting her own throat. Although both of them had the stain of submitting to Jia Zhen and his son, they were just pitiful people oppressed by feudal ethics!

Jia Jing originally had no prejudice against the two, because in his eyes, neither of them had done anything harmful. Perhaps You Erjie was somewhat greedy for wealth and status, but how many people in the world are not greedy for fame and fortune?

As long as you don't do anything illegal or disorderly, then it doesn't count as violating his principles.

Fortunately, Jia Zhen and Jia Rong are no longer alive, so their fates should change in the future!