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

Hearing Jia Jing's approachable and gentle words, You Sanjie raised her beautiful eyes and stared intently at the young man in a python robe and jade belt, exuding an air of unparalleled nobility.

Seeing his calm expression and deep eyes, her heart skipped a beat, and an indescribable joy welled up within her.

Such a legendary figure, who was granted the title of Duke at a young age, was so kind and gentle to her, a woman of humble status, and spoke words of wisdom that she truly admired day and night as a hero!

Originally, her admiration for him stemmed from watching numerous storytelling performances and hearing the common people's private praise of him during this period in the capital.

The gratitude felt after Jinzhou was saved and the shock of witnessing the mountains of corpses and seas of blood outside the city gave rise to a distant and vague longing.

She used to think that someone who could achieve such a feat must be a warrior with three heads and six arms, a booming voice, and a menacing aura.

But upon seeing it today, it is not like that at all.

The young man in front of him was so young and handsome. Although his eyes and brows showed the coldness of someone who had been through many battles, he did not have a trace of rudeness.

His voice was not loud, but every word was clear, and he was as calm as a bottomless pool of water.

What surprised her even more was that he showed no impatience or contempt for her, this impetuous and unruly girl whom even her sister disliked for being undisciplined.

That statement, "Third Sister is truly genuine; what's so strange about it?" might have sounded like just a polite remark to others.

To her, it was like throwing a pebble into a calm lake, the ripples spreading outwards in circles, impossible to contain.

Having lost her father twice since childhood, Sister You San lost her father and, along with her mother, Old Lady You, had witnessed the coldness and warmth of human relationships. The most common comments she heard from others were "unruly," "not like a proper young lady," and "wild girl."

Only he, this figure standing on the clouds, called her "genuine."

It's no exaggeration to say that these three words, once spoken by him, will stay with her for a lifetime!

Sister You lowered her eyes, trying to hide the strange flutter in her heart, but a faint blush appeared on her usually carefree pretty face, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously curved up.

She suddenly felt a little glad that she had worn this pomegranate red vest today. Although it could not compare to the exquisite and luxurious ones worn by ladies from noble families, at least the color was bright and made her skin look fair. It should be pleasing to the eye, right?

She was also a little annoyed that she had spoken too quickly and too loudly, like a rude and uncouth girl. Would he think she wasn't dignified enough?

The young lady Xue beside him was so quiet and gentle, every smile and frown was just right, that seemed to be the way a lady from a respectable family should be.

Thinking of this, a complex and indescribable feeling welled up in her heart.

At this moment, Jia Jing had no idea that his casual, gentle response would stir so many ripples in the heart of a young girl he was meeting for the first time.

It can only be said that with his current power and status, even if he sits still and doesn't say a word, he has an undeniable presence, and even in normal conversation, he can arouse endless fantasies in the hearts of women.

As the saying goes, you won't know how proactive girls can be until you're young and accomplished!

Of course, it requires careful consideration to determine how much of this initiative is genuine and how much is feigned.

Just as the scene fell into a brief silence, Madam You, standing to the side with a cautious smile, carefully considered her words and then asked softly:

"Lord Duke, tomorrow is the old lady's birthday. Keqing and I were thinking that we should go and pay our respects to her, show our filial piety?"

"However... given our current status, we fear that if we go rashly, it might bring bad luck to the Duke and the old lady. Therefore, we dare not act on our own initiative and would like to ask for the Duke's opinion."

Jia Jing glanced at her, his tone calm and his expression indifferent, and said in a deep voice:

"It's the old lady's birthday, so you, as the younger generation, should naturally go. Although Jia Zhen and Jia Rong got into trouble, you, as their daughters-in-law, haven't done anything wrong, so you don't need to take the blame for them."

"From now on, whenever there are any events in the two mansions during festivals, you and Keqing can attend as you are supposed to. There's no need to be too reserved."

"You should go there early tomorrow so you can help out your third sister and second sister-in-law. They're already exhausted from running around taking care of everything."

The leniency shown towards the You and Qin families stemmed partly from Qin Keqing's concealed identity and partly from consideration of the tolerance expected of the new clan leader.

Moreover, Lady You and Lady Qin are indeed capable and useful people.

There's no need to elaborate on Qin Keqing; just look at what she said to Fengjie in a dream after her death in the original novel.

Although many people in later generations called Lady You a cowardly and indecisive "saw-mouthed gourd," in truth, she did have some ability to handle affairs and was kind to others.

In the original novel, when she was ordered by Grandmother Jia to organize Wang Xifeng's birthday celebration, she not only made the banquet "very lively", but also secretly returned the money given by Ping'er, Yuanyang and Aunt Zhou and Aunt Zhao, saying, "You poor things, where do you have such spare money? Feng'er knows, I will take care of it."

After Jia Jing's sudden death, she single-handedly handled the funeral arrangements, locking up the Taoist priest for interrogation and personally presiding over the selection of an auspicious day for the encoffining. Her actions were clear and organized, and she handled everything in an orderly manner. Even Jia Zhen, who rushed back, praised her endlessly.

However, Lady You came from a humble family with no power. Her father's second wife, Old Lady You, was unkind to her. As the second wife of the Ningguo Mansion, not the first wife, she was naturally of lower status than the first wife under the patriarchal system. Moreover, she had no children to rely on and lacked a voice in the era when "a mother's status depends on her son."

In addition, Jia Zhen was a dissolute and dissolute playboy, and the atmosphere in Ningguo Mansion was corrupt from top to bottom. As the mistress of the house, she was only in name and had no real power. Even if she had talent, she could not make use of it!

Upon hearing this, Madam You felt a weight lifted from her heart, her eyes welling up slightly. She quickly curtsied and said in a choked voice:

"Thank you for your consideration, Your Excellency. I will go there first thing tomorrow morning and will certainly not let you down."

Qin Keqing raised her head, pursed her pink lips, and looked at Jia Jing with increasingly gentle eyes. She also curtsied and said softly, "Thank you, Uncle."

Hearing this from the side, You Sanjie became even bolder, seeing that Jia Jing treated her sister and Qin Keqing with gentleness.

She took a half step forward, tilting her face up to look at Jia Jing with bright, sparkling eyes, and asked in a clear, cheerful voice:

"Lord Duke, what about me? Can my second sister and I go too? I've heard that the old lady of the West Mansion is very kind to the poor and weak, and we'd like to offer our birthday wishes to her!"

Madam You was startled and quickly tugged at her sleeve, scolding in a low voice, "Third Sister! How could you go like that..."

If she were still the mistress of the Ningguo Mansion, it would be understandable for her to bring her two younger sisters to the old lady's birthday banquet, but how convenient is it now!

Upon hearing this, Jia Jing remained calm. Meeting You Sanjie's expectant gaze, he thought for a moment and said:

"The old lady has always enjoyed lively gatherings and meeting young women. Since you are relatives, it wouldn't hurt for you to join in the fun!"

It's just a matter of adding two more pairs of chopsticks, there's no need to refuse!

Upon hearing this, Sister You's face immediately broke into a bright smile, and she said in a clear, crisp voice:

"Thank you, Your Excellency!"

Then he felt that simply thanking her verbally wasn't enough, so he imitated Qin Keqing's gesture and gave a proper curtsy, only the movement was a bit too exaggerated, and the silver sachet at his waist jingled for a while.

Sister You's beautiful face also showed a smile. She hurriedly followed behind her younger sister, bowed her head, and whispered her thanks.

Jia Jing nodded slightly, said nothing more, but turned his head to look at Baochai, who had been silent beside him.

Baochai understood, smiled gently, took two steps forward, curtsied to You Shi and Qin Keqing, and said softly:

"It's getting late, Grandma You and Sister Qin, please continue your stroll. We'll take our leave now."

He then turned to Sister You Er and Sister You San, smiled and nodded as a greeting.

Jia Jing glanced at the group, said to Madam You and the others, "Go back and rest early," then turned around with his hands behind his back and walked along the path by the pond toward the pine and cypress forest.

Baochai followed beside him, half a step behind, still maintaining that composed and dignified demeanor.

The shadows of the two were stretched long by the light of the lanterns on the eaves, and were cast on the surface of the pond. They swayed gently with the ripples before disappearing into the shadows of the pines and cypresses.

After watching the two figures disappear, Madam You turned around, let out a soft breath, and instead of continuing her walk, led Qin Keqing and her two younger sisters back slowly along the edge of the pond.

After walking about ten steps, the second sister of the You family, who had been huddled behind Madam You, suddenly let out a soft sigh, raised her hand to pat her chest, and spoke in a soft, delicate voice, as if afraid the sound would be blown away by the wind:

"I've finally met him today... He truly lives up to his reputation as the renowned Marquis of Champion and Duke of Jing. With such bearing and majesty, I didn't even dare to breathe loudly in front of him, let alone utter a word."

Upon hearing this, Sister You chuckled and teased:

"My second sister is always like this. She's timid and submissive in front of others, never daring to lift her head, but she immediately starts sighing and lamenting in private."

"Just now in front of the Duke, you lowered your head so much that it was almost buried in your collar, putting on a shy and pitiful act. It was all an act!"

When Sister You was teased like that, two red clouds immediately rose on her fair skin, and she mustered up the courage to retort:

"Are they all like you? A crazy girl, spouting whatever comes to mind, 'a star descended to earth,' 'a great hero standing tall and upright,' even saying nonsense like 'I saw him alive!'"

"If we don't have any ladylike modesty, people will think we're from a humble family and don't know any manners."

That's what she said, but in her heart, Sister You Erjie actually admired her younger sister's courage!

"Even the Duke said that this is called being true to my nature!"

Sister You tossed her head back, the red-gold hairpin with pearls dangling from her hair shimmering in the lantern light, her bright, clear eyes sparkling, and her lips curving into a triumphant smile as she spoke in a sweet voice:

"Besides, what did I say wrong? You didn't see it. That day outside Yulin City, the scene of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, I still dream about it often! I'm telling the truth. Even the Duke didn't blame me, but you're blaming me."

Having finally gained the upper hand, Sister You was unwilling to let her off easily, and covered her mouth with a laugh:

"Yes, yes, you're so genuine, so very genuine. Your eyes are practically glued to the Duke. I've seen you stare at him the whole time."

"You're still standing on tiptoe to look after them after they've left. Aren't you afraid that if you stretch your neck too far, you won't be able to pull it back?"

When Yu Sanjie was poked like that, her beautiful face flushed red, and she reached out to pinch Yu Erjie's mouth:

"What nonsense are you spouting! Who's got their eyes glued to him? I admire him! Don't you understand admiration? Who in the Northwest doesn't admire the Duke? You're just full of ulterior motives, always trying to drag that into everything!"

The two chased and dodged each other, laughing and frolicking on the path by the pond. The silver sachets at their waists jingled incessantly, adding a touch of liveliness to the quiet twilight.

Qin Keqing watched from the side, frowning slightly, her expression changing slightly, her eyes showing some complexity, but she did not interrupt.

Madam You shook her head, a helpless smile playing on her lips. After letting them fool around for a while, she finally spoke:

"Alright, alright, how old are you? Still acting like a child! If the old woman on night patrol sees you, she'll start gossiping about you!"

Only then did Sister You let go and walk back to Madam You's side, her face still flushed from the laughter and playfulness.

She took a few steps, then suddenly stopped smiling, glanced thoughtfully at the pine forest again, and asked in a low voice:

"Elder sister, tell me, what's the relationship between that Miss Bao from earlier and the Duke?"

She paused, seemingly choosing her words carefully, and said softly:

"Although she didn't say a word or make any intimate gestures, I always felt that her relationship with the Duke was more than just ordinary!"

It must be said that women are very perceptive about certain things, especially women like You Sanjie who are clever, shrewd, and fearless. They can always capture hidden meanings from certain details.

Upon hearing this, Sister You Erjie stopped laughing and joking, nodded gently, and echoed in a soft voice:

"I think so too! Although Miss Xue was quiet the whole time, her gaze was always fixed on the Duke, especially the undisguised look in her eyes... it's not like that of ordinary relatives!"

Sister You Er was too embarrassed to say the word "love" out loud!

Qin Keqing glanced at Madam You, frowned, and slowed her pace slightly.

She had her own suspicions; no matter what, it was unusual for the two of them to be alone so late at night!

Madam You stopped and turned around, her gaze sweeping over the faces of the three young women one by one.

The lantern light shone on her face from the side, casting a play of light and shadow on her usually docile features, momentarily giving her a serious air of a matriarch. She frowned and sternly admonished:

"Regardless of their relationship, you are not allowed to utter a single word of what you see or hear here today. Understand?"

Whether such things exist or not, it's not their place to meddle, much less to discuss them casually.

Sister You was taken aback by her solemn tone, then said seriously:

"Don't worry, elder sister, I'm not stupid. I wouldn't dare to spread the Duke's affairs even if you gave me ten lives."

After she finished speaking, she couldn't help but sigh softly, her gaze lingering on the pine and cypress forest. Her voice was much lower than before, carrying a hint of melancholy that even she herself might not have noticed.

"I just never expected that Miss Xue would be so fortunate as to catch the Duke's eye. I just observed her closely, and her entire demeanor, figure, and appearance were dignified and elegant..."

Second Sister You picked up the conversation, her bright eyes beneath her beautiful brows flickering as she thoughtfully pondered:

"The Xue family's daughter is indeed very beautiful, but I heard from my mother that the Xue family is merely a royal merchant family, not a powerful and noble one. Given the Xue family's status, I'm afraid she wouldn't be able to become the Duke's principal wife, would she?"

In fact, over the past few months, Old Madam You had already thoroughly investigated the situation of the Rong and Ning mansions, especially the men, who were constantly keeping an eye on the news, their intentions self-evident!

Therefore, Second Sister You also had some basic knowledge of the people in the mansion.

After a pause, Sister You lowered her voice further, as if talking to herself, yet also seemingly with a deeper meaning:

"However, to be fair, someone like the Duke, if one could gain even a little genuine affection from him, even as a concubine, bearing him a child or two, would ensure a secure future and a chance to rise above one's circumstances!"

After listening, Madam You remained silent for a moment, then slowly spoke, her tone carrying a hint of wisdom and感慨 from someone who had been through it all:

"The Xue family's daughter is indeed lucky! Everyone outside is saying that the Duke will definitely be made a prince in the future."

"According to the rules of the imperial court, even a prince's concubine has a rank and an imperial title. Just think about it, a first-rank imperial title is something that many officials' wives could never achieve in their entire lives. If she can really reach that level, the Xue family will have truly climbed the social ladder."

Her words were meaningful, and her gaze lingered on the faces of Sister You Er and Sister You San for a moment before moving away.

She understood perfectly well what her two younger sisters were thinking.

Since the Third Sister came to Beijing from the Northwest, she has been talking about the "Champion Marquis" all the time. The Second Sister doesn't say it, but her words just now revealed a hint of longing.

Or rather, in the capital city, how many young women and wives could resist the charm of that young man?

To be honest, she was actually quite happy about this, otherwise she wouldn't have let her two younger sisters keep running to the East Mansion!

If one of her two younger sisters could catch Jia Jing's eye, then she, as the elder sister, would truly have a firm foothold in the East Mansion, and wouldn't have to live in constant fear of being kicked out one day.

However, there's no need to say these things now, and the young man didn't seem to have given his second and third sisters much of a look, but he did glance at Madam Qin before leaving...

The night breeze swept through the pine and cypress forest, carrying the distinctive bitter scent of pine needles, and felt cool and refreshing on my face.

Yu Shi snapped out of her thoughts, tugged at the half-arm draped over her shoulders, and strode forward, with the other three following behind.

Only Sister You lagged behind, her steps unhurried, but her mind had already drifted off to who-knows-where.

She quietly turned her head and glanced again at the pine and cypress grove, which was now shrouded in deep shadows, with only the sound of the pine trees rustling and a few lanterns on the pond, their lights flickering like someone's unspoken thoughts.

……

The next day, the Rongguo Mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, a stage was set up, and a banquet was prepared. Everyone was busy from early morning!