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

Sister Feng opened her mouth wide in exaggerated surprise and exclaimed:

"He's about to be ennobled! Third Brother, your promotion is really fast! According to what you said before, Ancestor, this appointment as a general probably means he'll be promoted to a third-rank general!"

"A general capable of commanding 100,000 troops! Right? My third brother is only twenty years old; he truly has a bright future!"

Grandmother Jia straightened her expression and replied:

"He was only a fourth-rank official before, but now that he's beheaded the Qing army commander, he'll probably be promoted to a third-rank official! I heard from your second master that the Grand Secretaries and Commanders-in-Chief of the court have been discussing this matter these past few days!"

"However, commanding 100,000 troops will likely be no easy feat!"

"The capital city only has two major military camps: the Capital Garrison and the Balang Garrison. The Capital Garrison is currently under the command of Lord Niu!"

"The Ba Shang camp has always been under the command of Wu Xun, the commander of the Jingnan Army. Last time, Lord Niu wanted to recommend Bao Yu's uncle for the position of military governor, but it didn't work out. I'm afraid it won't be Jing Ge's turn either!"

"I reckon he might be appointed as a battalion commander in the Beijing Garrison, or he might be given a command position in the Imperial Guards within the palace. After all, Jing-ge is still young and needs more experience."

Sister Feng smiled and said:

"It must be just as our ancestors said! Our ancestors had experienced so much, they knew everything."

Aunt Xue chimed in from the side:

"The old lady is a daughter of the Wu family, and now she's the Dowager Lady of Rongguo. She knows everything about the affairs of Wu Xun!"

The room was immediately filled with laughter and chatter around Grandmother Jia, creating a cheerful atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Xiangyun, Daiyu, Sanchun, and others sitting in the hall were all looking forward to their third brother's return.

They had thought Jia Jing wouldn't be able to return to the capital until early next year, but his return was so quick that it surprised and delighted them.

With a thoughtful expression on her plump face, Sister Feng asked again:

"Grandmother, surely the palace isn't hosting a banquet for Third Brother? If he ate lunch at the palace, we'll be waiting a long time! Some dishes are already being prepared!"

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at Grandmother Jia, waiting for her to explain.

Grandmother Jia frowned and thought for a moment before saying:

"Probably not! I've heard that His Majesty rarely invites his officials to dine with him. Even Uncle Baoyu, who recently returned from his border inspection and went to the palace to report, wasn't offered a banquet. Jing-ge'er probably doesn't have that kind of luck!"

Sister Feng's upturned eyebrows twitched slightly, and she laughed heartily:

"Then I'll have the kitchen prepare as usual!"

Before she could finish speaking, Jia Zheng walked in with a worried expression. Grandmother Jia asked:

"Weren't you entertaining guests up front? What are you doing here?"

Jia Zheng hesitated for a moment, then spoke:

"Lord Niu just came to my residence after court and told me about Jing-ge's audience with the Emperor!"

Seeing that Jia Zheng's expression was not good, Grandmother Jia's heart sank, and she quickly said:

"Has something gone wrong? Did Jing'er not receive a title, or did he offend His Majesty by not understanding palace etiquette?"

When Grandmother Jia asked this question, everyone present looked at Jia Zheng with some concern.

The whole household is waiting for Jing-ge'er today. Hopefully nothing unexpected will happen!

Jia Zheng replied:

"No, that's not it! I heard from Uncle Niu that His Majesty has already conferred the title of Marquis Jingwu on Jingge'er and promoted him to the rank of General Zhen Dong, a third-grade official."

"He was treated with great courtesy. When Jingge'er met the Emperor, the Emperor personally went to the gate of Qianqing Palace to greet him. When Jingge'er bowed, the Emperor even descended the steps to help him up."

As soon as Jia Zheng finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hall became light and cheerful again!

Tan Chun and the others exchanged messages with their eyes below.

Third Brother has been granted a title!

Marquis Jingwu!

He even paid homage to the Third-Rank General Who Guards the East!

The emperor treated him with great courtesy!

Considering that Jia Jing had been ennobled and appointed general in just two short years, achieving victory after victory,

Xiangyun and Tanchun both had expressions of longing and pride on their faces, their spirits high.

Although Grandmother Jia had anticipated this outcome, she was still somewhat worried because things were not yet settled. Now that things were finally settled, she breathed a sigh of relief.

He then said to Jia Zheng in an annoyed tone:

"Then why did you rush to the backyard looking so worried? Were you making fun of this old woman?"

Jia Zheng hurriedly said:

"How dare I! It's just that Uncle Niu said that Jing-ge'er and the Duke of Zhao had a minor conflict in the Qianqing Hall..."

Before Jia Zheng could finish speaking, Grandmother Jia said with some surprise:

"The Duke of Zhao? Jing'er just returned, how did he get into a conflict with him?"

"He is the Right Commander-in-Chief of the Five Armies Commandery, a high-ranking and powerful figure, deeply trusted by the Retired Emperor, and the leader of the military forces of the Jingnan Campaign!"

Madam Wang, Madam Xing, Aunt Xue, Madam You, and others present all frowned.

As the matriarchs of the household, they frequently interacted with the wives of Wu Xun and were well aware that this Duke of Zhao was no ordinary person!

Putting aside his own title of Duke, as the Right Commander of the Five Military Commissions, he was among the top figures in the entire Han Dynasty's military achievements.

I hope that Jing-ge'er's conflict with such a person won't cause him any trouble!

Madam Wang frowned and said:

"I heard from Baoyu's uncle that the Duke of Zhao saved the Emperor Emeritus's life, and the Emperor Emeritus trusts him greatly, frequently summoning him to the palace for discussions and bestowing upon him numerous favors. He is a person not to be trifled with!"

Grandmother Jia was well aware of these things, but she was much more composed than Lady Wang and the others, saying:

"What caused the conflict between Jing-ge and the Duke of Zhao? If it's just a minor conflict, they are both officials in the same court, so there's no need to worry too much!"

"My lineage, the founding line, and the lineage of those who fought the Jingnan Rebellion have never been on good terms! I don't think Jing-ge'er will cause any major trouble now that he's just returned to the capital!"

Although Grandmother Jia appeared calm on the surface, she was actually secretly worried: I knew this illegitimate grandson was no pushover. He offended a powerful duke as soon as he returned. Who knows how much trouble he will cause in the future!

He is still young, and having suddenly risen to a high position, he is impatient and doesn't know how to be low-key and cautious!

"A minor conflict?!"

Jia Zheng's expression was somewhat strange. He stammered, opening his mouth but not knowing how to put it into words!

Grandmother Jia's face darkened, her heart skipped a beat, and she said:

"What? In the Qianqing Hall, with His Majesty present, could it be that Jing-ge'er could actually beat up the Duke of Zhao?"

Grandmother Jia was somewhat puzzled. In front of the Emperor, even the biggest conflicts were nothing more than verbal disputes.

This is a common occurrence among officials; what's so strange about it?

My youngest son isn't some ignorant person who's never seen the world, so why is he acting like this?

Even if a fight breaks out, there are eunuchs to break it up. Why can't we just say it outright?

Meeting Grandmother Jia's gaze, Jia Zheng simply spoke frankly;

"They didn't actually hit him, but they did give Duke Zhao a good scolding..."

Grandmother Jia said with exasperation:

"You used to be a fifth-rank official, so is it really a big deal for you to have a quarrel or argument in court?"

"You came to my yard looking completely distracted, what kind of behavior is that! I bet you don't even have as much composure as Jing-ge!"

Feeling somewhat embarrassed at being scolded in front of the children, Jia Zheng lowered his head and replied:

"A quarrel is nothing serious! But Jing-ge'er cursed the Duke of Zhao so badly that he vomited blood and fainted. The Duke of Zhao is still being treated by the imperial physician!"

"Ah..." Grandmother Jia was startled upon hearing this.

He vomited blood from all the cursing? Is he still in emergency treatment?

What's going on?

Her mind was a bit muddled!

If Jia Zheng hadn't always been a steady and reliable person who didn't like to joke, she would definitely have thought someone was playing a joke on her!

How could a mere argument cause a duke to vomit blood?

Isn't this a complete fantasy?

It's such a small thing, is it really worth making a fuss about?

The Duke of Zhao's mental fortitude is truly appalling!

Could he be faking it?

Countless thoughts flashed through Grandmother Jia's mind in an instant.