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

really,

Grandmother Jia, seated high above, frowned and shouted coldly, "What? Haven't you made enough of a scene yet? Do you have to make a huge fuss and ruin the Jia family's reputation before you're satisfied?"

"What kind of behavior is this! The father isn't behaving like a father, and the son isn't behaving like a son!"

"You people can't stand to see me have a single day of peace. You want to drive me to my death, right?!"

Grandmother Jia's words immediately frightened everyone in the room, who knelt down in fear and begged for forgiveness.

Grandmother Jia's power in the Rongguo Mansion far surpassed that of Jia She.

She was not only the daughter of the Marquis of Pauline, but also of noble birth.

She was also the wife of the Duke of Rongguo, a first-rank imperial consort, who could directly meet the Empress and the Empress Dowager.

Not only was he powerful, but he was also of high seniority.

It could be said that when she got really angry, even Jia She couldn't handle it.

"Jing-ge'er, I understand the situation. Your father's judgment was unfair. If you don't want to hear it, fine, but will you listen to what I'm saying?"

Grandmother Jia looked displeased and ignored Jia She and the others kneeling on the ground, only asking Jia Jing in a deep voice.

This grandson of hers has certainly broadened her horizons today.

He has a strong personality and seems to possess some martial arts skills, bearing a resemblance to the late Duke Rong.

Originally, I was thinking of letting Jia She temper his temperament so that I could cultivate him in the future and find him a helper for Baoyu.

But little did anyone know that Jia She, his father, could no longer control him.

He was arrogant and disrespectful to his elders, and even hit Lai Da in front of her!

You must know that the Lai family were her servants, brought with her as part of her dowry; they were her people!

How is this any different from hitting Wang Shanbao's wife in front of Madam Xing? Her old face must be hurt too!

Therefore, she no longer had the same goodwill towards Jia Jing as before, and only wanted to get rid of him far away, not wanting him to disturb her peaceful life.

"The old lady is very reasonable and fair in her dealings, so Jing naturally listens to her."

Jia Jing cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, leaving room for maneuver in his words.

"Very well! I will have this matter investigated. If it is true, Wang Shanbao's entire family will have their legs broken and be sold off. There will be no leniency."

Grandmother Jia disliked her eldest daughter-in-law, Madam Xing, for her greed and shortsightedness.

This matter was caused by her maidservant, so she was naturally severely punished, which vented her anger.

Selling the servants of these powerful families was the cruelest punishment imaginable, even more painful than being beaten to death.

Upon hearing this, Wang Shanbao's wife's eyes rolled back and she fainted.

"Grandma, this..."

Madam Xing wanted to speak, but Grandmother Jia just glared at her with a gloomy expression, and she swallowed back the words she was about to say.

"As for you, Jing-ge, although you are in the right, you have twice resorted to violence, acting arrogantly and aggressively. What kind of behavior is that?"

"You're not young anymore. Since you keep talking about your ancestors, I'll give you a chance."

"I will have your uncle recommend you to work under Lord Niu in Liaodong. Our Jia family started out by following the founding emperor on the Liaodong battlefield."

"Now the prestige of the Tartars in Liaodong is growing stronger, and the court has repeatedly said that our families of military merit should help the country in times of crisis, set an example, and send our sons to serve in the front-line army."

"Your father was useless. He couldn't endure the hardships of the Liaodong battlefield for more than three months and fled back to the capital, which almost caused him to lose his title of Duke of Rong."

"Later, the imperial court, mindful of the Jia family's generations of meritorious service, reluctantly granted me the title of First-Class Divine Might General."

"But this is just a title in name only. He has no military power, no personal guards, no fief, and can't even have a halberd stand in front of his door. What kind of military merit is this, that he shares the fate of the country with us!"

When Grandmother Jia spoke of this, she was genuinely indignant, and her voice carried a rare hint of sternness.

Back when the late Rongguo was alive, the Rongguo Mansion was incredibly prestigious.

Those who came and went were all princes and ministers, and even the imperial court bestowed gifts upon them during festivals.

Now, not to mention becoming a laughing stock in the capital, since Jia She inherited the title, the heads of the four kings, eight dukes, and twelve marquises from the founding line have rarely come to visit.

During holidays, they would only send the housekeeper to deliver a gift; even the lady of the house rarely came to visit.

This is also why, coupled with Jia She's incompetence and his indulgence in pleasure after inheriting the title, and the fact that Grandmother Jia was getting old, she would spend her time in the backyard enjoying the company of her grandchildren.

When Grandmother Jia denounced him, Jia She simply ignored her spitting and turned a blind eye.

How brutal those Tartars were!

If he hadn't run so fast back then, the grass on his grave would be several meters tall by now!

After giving Jia She a few disappointed looks, Grandmother Jia continued:

"Now that you're ambitious and seem to have some martial arts skills, go and hone your abilities on the battlefield!"

"When the Duke was alive, he often said that he would send all the sons of his family to the battlefield for a few years to train them. Whether they were heroes or cowards, the battlefield would tell!"

"Among the children in the family, Huan-ge'er, Cong-ge'er, and Lan-ge'er are still young, and although Bao-yu is strong, he is physically weak. You, on the other hand, are the right age and capable!"

"My Jia family has some influence in the military; recommending you for an eighth-rank military officer shouldn't be a problem!"

"What do you think? I don't expect you to kill enemies and achieve great feats on the battlefield, but if you can stay for a few years without deserting, then you'll be a good man who keeps his word!"

"And if it really brings honor to the family, wouldn't it be possible for you to be the one calling the shots in this family from now on?"

"If you can't do it well, then you should learn the lesson that knowing is easy but doing is hard, and don't come to this old woman of mine again to spout empty talk and boast!"