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

With a unified shout, the two hundred cavalrymen simultaneously reined in their horses and slowly came to a stop in front of the Rongguo Mansion.

The fierce and iron-blooded aura of the personal guards, honed by years of battlefield experience, shocked everyone in the Jia family.

Most of them were pampered young masters who had never experienced such an aura, and their faces turned pale.

Jia Jing was at the very front, clad in full armor, wearing a bright silver lion helmet, snowflake fish scale armor, and holding a bright silver dragon spear. He was tall, imposing, and valiant!

Although the name of the Dragon Gallant Silver Spear remained the same, its internal structure was completely different. Jia Jing ordered skilled craftsmen in the army to reforge it, fusing the Dragon Gallant Silver Spear, the Overlord Spear, and the Fangtian Halberd into one. Not only did it increase in weight by more than a hundred catties, but it was also more sturdy and sharp, and its appearance was quite awe-inspiring.

When Jia Jing's horse stopped moving, Jia Lian, along with Jia Zhen and other members of the Jia clan, bowed and said:

"Welcome back victorious, Lord Marquis!"

Meanwhile, the old women, stewards, and servants of the Jia family knelt on both sides of the ground, offering their congratulations in unison:

"Welcome back victorious, Lord Marquis!"

Today's etiquette was personally discussed and decided by Grandmother Jia and others, who took the principle that national etiquette takes precedence over family etiquette, thus giving Jia Jing ample face! It is also hoped that he will behave himself after returning to the mansion.

Previously, these servants from the Lai, Lin, and Shan families would show some respect even to their masters, such as Jia Rong and Jia Lian, but today they had to kneel to welcome Jia Jing back to the mansion.

Of course, given Jia Jing's achievements, he deserves this treatment.

Jia Jing dismounted and said loudly, "Get up, everyone!"

Jia Lian stood up first, came to Jia Jing's side, and said with a smile:

"Third brother, you're finally back! The old lady and the others have been waiting for you since they woke up this morning; they've been waiting almost all day!"

"You haven't gotten home yet, and the old lady is so worried that she barely ate lunch."

Grandmother Jia didn't eat lunch, naturally because she was worried about Jia Jing making the Duke of Zhao vomit blood.

But in Jia Lian's words, it became what Jia Jing was thinking.

Jia Jing smiled slightly, not quite believing it.

Although Grandmother Jia gave him an eighth-rank official position, her attitude at the time was more like wanting to drive her unruly grandson far away than welcoming him back.

However, Grandmother Jia had indeed shown him kindness. Although the old lady might have been a little biased, she hadn't really done anything seriously wrong.

As long as she doesn't cause trouble while Jia Jing is managing the household, Jia Jing will still tolerate her.

Upon returning to the mansion, Jia Jing naturally intended to thoroughly reorganize the family and become the Jia family's sole political spokesperson—a plan that had been in place for some time.

Since the Jia family cannot be separated from it, it should not be allowed to become a burden or a drag on us.

Of course, not all of the Jia family, or even the entire Jia clan of several hundred people, were good-for-nothings, bullies, or wealthy young masters like Jia Baoyu.

Take Jia Lian, for example. Perhaps his private life is a bit chaotic, but his manners in dealing with people are quite commendable.

No one is useless; it's just that people are often misplaced and their talents are not fully utilized.

In ancient societies, the power of clans was not to be underestimated.

What I need to do is select those who can be trained, give them opportunities, and provide them with more experience so that they can become my assistants in the future.

Of course, we must also resolutely crack down on and eliminate the bad elements; we cannot let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch.

Managing a household is a very delicate task. Jia Jing is now very confident, so he is not in such a hurry and can arrange things step by step.

First, unite everyone who can be united, consolidate your own base, and then strike at a small group.

This was true both in the imperial court and within the Jia family.

As for his core support base, it naturally consists of the Jia clan, those who aligned themselves with him among the founding military officers, and military power.

At this moment, Jia Zhen, who was standing to the side, also stepped forward and said;

"Third brother, this campaign has been a series of victories, leading to your titles and appointments as general. This has truly enhanced the prestige of our Jia family. I offer my congratulations once again!"

Jia Zhen offered his congratulations, but there was no real smile on his face.

He didn't like Jia Jing very much. First of all, their names clashed. Jia Jing and his father Jia Jing had almost the same name, with the same pronunciation, only the tone was slightly different.

He disliked the name Jia Jing very much because people called him "father" as if he were calling him "old man."

Secondly, he had a very good relationship with Jia She and had always heard Jia She speak ill of Jia Jing, so he had a very bad impression of Jia Jing.

Of course, he wouldn't show it on the surface.

The other members of the Jia clan also came to Jia Jing's side, wanting to say a few words and leave a good impression.

"My lord, congratulations on your promotion! I am Jia Rui, and I am currently helping out at the clan school."

"My lord, I am the son of the fourth sister-in-law in the west corridor. I extend my greetings to you!"

"My lord, I am Jia Hui, here to tend to the flowers and plants in the manor!"

"My lord..."

Jia Jing nodded in acknowledgment, then said loudly:

"Dear relatives! Thank you all for coming to welcome me today! I deeply appreciate your kind gesture!"

"It's getting late today, and Jing needs to go back to visit the old lady and the eldest master. After the ancestral worship tomorrow, I will invite you all to dinner, where we can reminisce about our clan."

When Jia Jing returned home after being enfeoffed as a marquis, he would naturally first have to offer sacrifices to his ancestors in order to remember his roots and demonstrate filial piety.

When Jia Jing announced that he would treat everyone to a meal after the ancestral worship ceremony the next day, the Jia clan members present cheered enthusiastically.

"Okay! See you tomorrow!"

"My lord, please go ahead with your business. I will certainly offer you a toast tomorrow!"

"My lord, tell us about what happened on the battlefield tomorrow!"

"My lord, don't forget me if you find a good job!"

……

Amidst the commotion, the Jia clan members gradually departed.

Jia Jing watched the Jia clan members leave, then instructed Lin Zhixiao, who was standing nearby:

"Steward Lin! Arrange for my personal guards to be well taken care of! Their food, clothing, and lodging must be taken care of properly. They are brothers who fought alongside me on the battlefield; they cannot be neglected!"

Lin Zhixiao bowed and accepted the order with some delight.

With so many stewards around, I never expected the Marquis to actually ask me to arrange his personal guards. This shows that he trusts me.

Jia Jing only had a few people he found acceptable among the servants in the Jia family, and Lin Zhixiao was one of them.

Lin Zhixiao and his wife were known as "deaf and mute," and they were very careful in their words and deeds at home, and they were quite disciplined.

"Third brother, the old ancestor has arranged for you to live in that large courtyard near Pear Fragrance Courtyard, which connects to North Street. A small number of the personal guards can live in the courtyard, while the rest will live near North Street," Jia Lian said with a smile.

"Okay, let's arrange it like this for now!" Jia Jing nodded.

Lin Zhixiao immediately led his personal guards and Zhuque and others to settle in North Street.

At the entrance of the Rongguo Mansion, only the masters and servants of the Rong and Ning mansions remained.

Jia Lian's face turned solemn, and he said in a sorrowful voice:

"Third brother, come with me to see Father first! He was attacked and is still seriously injured and unconscious in bed."

Jia Jing's expression changed, and he exclaimed in surprise:

"How could this happen? Our communications were working perfectly fine just a while ago. Have you found out who did it?"

Seeing the sorrow and anxiety in Jia Jing's expression, Jia Lian and the others secretly sighed: "The master used to be so harsh on Jia Jing, but unexpectedly Jia Jing was able to repay evil with kindness. He is truly a benevolent and filial person."