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

"Actually, it's not just Jiangnan. I saw and heard the same things all the way from Jinling to the capital."

"In many places, the old policies still apply. Even if the fields are abandoned, people don't get a chance to cultivate them. Many disaster-stricken refugees beg along the way, sell their children, and even resort to cannibalism..."

Jia Jing nodded heavily and asked:

"So, Sister Xue, do you think the court's new policies are good or bad?"

Seeing that Jia Jing seemed to be testing her, Xue Baochai blinked, her heart beating slightly faster, and pondered for a moment before saying:

"What's good for the common people may not be good for officials and gentry..."

Jia Jing nodded approvingly and said:

"That's right! The new policies aim to rectify official corruption, reform taxes, reduce the burden on ordinary people, and decrease official corruption."

"This is a good policy for the court and the people, but it's not good for officials and gentry who have vested interests!"

"They don't want the court to take away their vested interests, they don't want to be severely punished by the court, and they don't want their privileges to be abolished. Of course they're unhappy!"

"I didn't expect that Sister Xue is also a discerning person, able to see through the trick."

Jia Jing glanced at Baochai, his face showing approval.

Baochai and Jia Jing's cold, deep eyes met, and she suddenly felt a jolt in her heart. Her fair face flushed slightly, and she said in a shy, coquettish voice:

"Many people aren't blind to the truth; they're just pretending not to because it involves their own interests!"

As soon as Baochai finished speaking those shy words, even the somewhat dazed Xiangling sensed that something was wrong.

Wasn't Third Master discussing politics with Miss Bao? Why does she suddenly seem shy?

The girl is usually so dignified and poised, why is she acting like a little girl so often today!

The young lady wouldn't be interested in Third Master...

My goodness! We've only met twice in total!

What Xiangling didn't know was that Xue Baochai had long been curious about Jia Jing.

It wasn't just the aura of being granted a title at a young age, nor just his exceptional literary talent, nor just a certain alignment of their values...

What touched her even more was that Jia Jing could talk to her, a young woman confined to her chambers, about official careers, economics, and national affairs.

There was none of the contempt that other men showed towards women, the belief that a woman's virtue lay in her lack of talent.

They viewed women as ignorant women confined to the inner quarters, only capable of needlework, unable to leave the inner quarters or step outside.

This is extremely precious and rare for Baochai, who harbors the ambition of "relying on the favorable wind to send me soaring to the clouds".

Baochai believed that men should study, practice martial arts, and become officials to realize their ideals of governing the country and benefiting the people, rather than spending their time in the inner quarters like Baoyu.

Therefore, in the original work, she also advised Jia Baoyu to take the imperial examination.

Now, Jia Jing perfectly matches all her fantasies about a life partner, so she inevitably develops feelings for him and behaves differently.

Just as Xue Baochai was at a loss, a sweet voice came from the courtyard gate again:

"Oh! I've come at a rather unfortunate time!"

Everyone looked towards the entrance, and there came Lin Daiyu, surrounded by maids and servants such as Zijuan and Xueyan.

Today she wore a crimson feather gauze cloak with white fox fur lining, paired with red fragrant sheepskin boots with gold-embroidered cloud patterns, and tied with a blue-gold and green double-ringed sash. She also wore a snow hat on her head.

Her red and white outfit was both bright and cool, making her look like she had stepped out of a painting as she walked in the snow.

Xue Baochai and Xiangling were the first to stand up to greet them. Xue Baochai smiled and asked:

"How is it just bad luck?"

Lin Daiyu walked to the pavilion, glanced suspiciously at Xue Baochai and Jia Jing, her eyes sparkling, and said:

"If I'd known you were coming, I wouldn't have come!"

Jia Jing: "..."

Familiar taste.

What did Daiyu mean by those words?

Could it be that I'm playing the role of Jia Baoyu?

Xue Baochai was equally puzzled, wondering if she had somehow offended Lin Daiyu, and asked earnestly:

"What do you mean by that?"

"You come today, I'll come tomorrow, so that we can stagger our visits and the courtyard won't be too lively or too deserted."

"Sister, how can you not even understand such a simple principle!"

As Lin Daiyu explained to Xue Baochai, she smiled sweetly at Jia Jing and said:

"I was planning to come and thank my third brother for the bird's nest he sent a few days ago, but I didn't expect your place to be so lively. It seems I've become an uninvited guest!"

Jia Jing smiled and said:

"I had long heard that Lin Daiyu was eloquent and naturally gifted, but today I have finally witnessed it firsthand."

Xue Baochai smiled and removed the hat that Lin Daiyu had put on her head, saying with a smile:

"Pin'er, your mouth is already quite famous!"

The young actor standing to the side also laughed:

"Miss Lin, you're here! Come and have some hot pot, hehe!"

She was noticeably more affectionate towards Lin Daiyu than towards Xue Baochai.

Daiyu sat down next to the little girl, pinched her cheek, and snorted:

"Why haven't you come to play in my yard these past few days? Now that you have Third Brother, you don't want Sister Lin anymore! You little traitor!"

The young man smiled ingratiatingly and said:

"No! I was planning to go play in the girl's courtyard today! But it's snowing, so I'd like to have some hot pot first!"

"You look so beautiful today, girl! Hehe!"

Baochai, her eyes crinkling with a smile, looked at Daiyu and exclaimed in admiration:

"She is indeed a beauty swayed by the wind. When I glanced at her just now, she looked like a red plum blossom in the snow, exceptionally beautiful."

Jia Jing said:

"Even if Lin Daiyu doesn't come today, I'll still go looking for you."

Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu was somewhat surprised and said:

"What's wrong, Third Brother?"

Jia Jing beckoned Xiangling over and said with a smile:

"My maid wants to learn some poetry. I see she's quite diligent and has a bit of talent, so I'm thinking of having Lin Daiyu be her tutor and teach her!"

Xiangling was surprised that the master Third Master wanted to find for her was Miss Lin, and waved her hands somewhat awkwardly, saying:

"No, that would be too much trouble for Miss Lin!"

Jia Jing laughed and scolded:

"You silly girl, Miss Lin is the only daughter of the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination. She excels in poetry and is more than capable of teaching you. She's a teacher many would kill for, and you're still thinking about other things!"

Hearing Jia Jing's praise, Lin Daiyu felt a surge of joy inside, but she humbly replied:

"How could I possibly be considered skilled in poetry in front of my third brother? He himself is quite talented in literature, why doesn't he teach her himself!"

Jia Jing said:

"I'll be going to take up my post in the military camp in a few days. This time I need to properly reorganize and train the troops. I probably won't be back often after this, so I won't have the time."

Lin Daiyu was usually impatient with such troublesome matters, but it was her third brother who personally spoke up.

My third brother has always taken good care of me, and now is the perfect opportunity to repay him.

Furthermore, she observed that Xiangling was quite well-behaved and obedient, so taking on a student wouldn't be a problem.

Therefore he said:

"Poetry isn't that difficult! And it's worth learning!"

"It's just a matter of introduction, development, transition, and conclusion. The development and transition section consists of two couplets, with level tones paired with oblique tones, and abstract tones paired with concrete tones, and concrete to abstract tones. If there's a truly remarkable line, even the tones and abstract tones don't have to match. Since you have this kind of ambition, you're sure to achieve something elegant."