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

Fengjie looked at the maids and smiled at Jia Jing:

"Third brother, you really spoil them! I'm not eating. I have so much to do, I don't even have time to eat."

"If we eat this meal, we'll be busy until well past midnight!"

Daiyu was quite close to Wang Xifeng, and had received a lot of care from her in the mansion over the years.

Upon hearing this, he disregarded the fact that he had almost been teased to tears by Wang Xifeng earlier and asked:

"Why are you so busy lately? We used to have time to eat and chat together!"

Wang Xifeng parted her lips slightly and said:

"The east wing used to be managed by the master and mistress, but now that the master is seriously injured, I've taken over the management there."

"I'm not used to the old women and maids in the courtyard, so I've been rearranging the staff these days. I have to personally oversee many things."

"Otherwise, something bad is bound to happen. I'll only offer you a toast at most; I really can't stay any longer..."

Wang Xifeng said with a mix of worry and joy that her power as the head of the household had greatly increased these days.

Not only was he busy with the east courtyard, but he also had to outwit and outmaneuver Madam Wang.

Not to mention, she and Jia Lian were secretly checking the accounts from the past few years, thinking of using Jia Jing's influence to overthrow those old stewards and take complete control of the Rongguo Mansion.

Many things require personal involvement, and one must not let anyone hear a word about them.

Jia Jing glanced at Feng Jie. He was now fully aware of the affairs of the Rongguo Mansion and knew exactly what Feng Jie was busy with. He smiled and said to Daiyu:

"You don't need to worry about her; she's probably enjoying it!"

He then reminded Sister Feng:

"Secrets can be dangerous if they are not kept in secret! Some things cannot be rushed, so Second Sister-in-law should proceed with caution."

A hint of doubt appeared in Wang Xifeng's phoenix eyes:

"What chicken? How is it harmful?"

She has never read or read, so she wouldn't understand the meaning of this sentence.

"Pfft!" Lin Daiyu clutched her stomach and burst out laughing, and Baochai couldn't help but chuckle as well.

Wang Xifeng was somewhat puzzled and asked in confusion:

"Did I say something wrong? Everyone knows I don't understand your classical Chinese, so why bother making things difficult for me!"

Daiyu explained with a smile:

"What my third brother said about 'secret matters leading to harm' comes from the 'Appended Remarks, Part I' of the Book of Changes: 'If a ruler is not discreet, he will lose his ministers; if a minister is not discreet, he will lose his life; if secret matters are not kept, harm will result. Therefore, a wise man is cautious and does not reveal his secrets.' It means that if important matters are not kept secret, disaster will follow!"

Lin Daiyu tried her best to explain this sentence in a simpler way so that Fengjie could understand it.

Sister Feng suddenly realized:

"Oh, I see. No wonder we suddenly got onto the topic of chickens!"

"It seems like it's still good to study. I'll go to the training class my third brother is running when I have some free time. Maybe we can even have a poetry gathering together sometime in the future..."

Wang Xifeng smiled and changed the subject, clearly wary of the old women and maids around her.

Although Daiyu and Baochai knew that Jia Jing and Wang Xifeng might have some secrets, neither of them were meddlesome, so they naturally didn't bring it up.

The group chatted and laughed for a while, then Fengjie left first, followed closely by Baochai. Daiyu then marked the key points for Xiangling to read the poem before slowly departing.

…………

The next day, after the snow, Jia Jing had a meal with Wu Xun, a member of the founding line, as well as the Wang and Shi families, and became acquainted with them.

Apart from the founding generation of military officers who were not in Beijing, almost everyone else who could come, except for a few, did!

Jia Jing remembered all those who hadn't come.

For example, although Wang Ziteng of the Wang family was in Beijing, he did not come in person, but sent his son Wang Yi to the banquet.

Notably, Shi Nai, the Marquis of Baoling, did not come; only Shi Ding, the Marquis of Zhongjing, did.

A series of initial consensuses were reached at the dinner table.

After the meal, Jia Jing held a small meeting with Niu Jizong, Feng Tang, the head of the Han family, and other military officers who still held military ranks.

The banquet and conversation continued into the evening, the details of which remained unknown to outsiders.

After seeing Niu Jizong and the others off, Jia Jing asked Xiao Hong to call Zhu Que over.

The front hall of Jingwu Academy

Jia Jing, dressed in a bullfighting outfit, sat on the upper chair, while Zhu Que, dressed in a qilin outfit, sat below.

Jia Jing picked up his teacup, took a sip to sober up, and asked:

"How's business going these days?"

Zhuque composed herself, cupped her hands, and said:

"Some of the Embroidered Uniform Guards have already left the capital to develop their own forces, while another 800 elite cavalrymen have been transferred from Liaodong. They were all personally selected by General Qin."

"In addition, some of the artisans, tools, and finished products from that area are gradually being moved to Shenjing."

After Jia Jing was ennobled, he had an additional 300 personal guards, so he transferred people from Liaodong.

In addition, manpower is needed in Shenjing, and our own people need to be placed in the Bashang camp, otherwise the military power will be unstable.

The Jia family also needs manpower for defense. With undercurrents surging in the capital, danger is inevitable.

Jia Jing nodded slightly and said:

"Okay, you can arrange all of that! I've already spoken with the Founding Hero today, and I'm planning to go to the Ba Shang camp tomorrow. How's your investigation of the intelligence and evidence regarding Ba Shang and the Jingnan Hero?"

Zhuque said in a deep voice:

"Apart from those who are not in the capital, such as Duke Fu De of Ying, Marquis Mei Zu of Runan, Marquis Wang Zhi of Liu'an, and Marquis Lu Heng of Ji'an, the investigations into those who are in the capital, such as Marquis Hu Mei of Linchuan, Marquis Zhu Zu of Yongjia, Marquis Zhao Yong of Nanxiong, and Marquis Lu Ju of Zhongqin, have been basically completed, and some relevant evidence has been obtained."

Upon hearing this, Jia Jing felt somewhat relieved, but at the same time, he couldn't help but marvel at the strength of the Jingnan Wu Xun.

Today I met the military merits of the founding lineage. Apart from the Prince of Beijing, myself, the Shi family, and the Feng family, the highest military rank is that of Niu Jizong, the first-class earl.

Of the four kings, eight dukes, and twelve marquises, only a handful still hold military titles. Although they still wield considerable military power, the number of military titles is more than half that of the founding period.

The Emperor Emeritus's defeat resulted in heavy casualties among the founding line's military leaders and elite disciples, leading to a current generational gap in the founding line.

As for the lineage of Jingnan, of the four dukes and eight marquises, only three dukes and seven marquises remain.

Although the Duke of Cao was stripped of his title, and the descendants of the Marquis of Jiangxia only inherited the rank of Second-Class General, the other dukes and marquises still retained their titles and military power.

The three dukes who still exist from the Jingnan lineage are the Duke of Cheng, the Duke of Ying, and the Duke of Zhao.

Although the Duke of Zhao was saved, he knew he had lost the emperor's favor and had already submitted a memorial to resign from his position as commander of the Five Armies. He was so badly criticized by Jia Jing that he really had no face to stay in the court.

The Duke of Chengguo was reinstated a few days ago and took over the position of Right Commander of the Five Armies of the Duke of Zhaoguo.

Duke Fu De of Ying and Marquis Mei Zu of Runan were stationed on the southwestern border, commanding an army of 200,000. However, they were the only two generals among the Jingnan generals who were not very close to the retired emperor.

Marquis Wang Zhi of Liu'an was in Jinling, in charge of the local garrison.

Marquis Lu Heng of Ji'an was in charge of the important town of Yulin on the northwestern border, and had an army of nearly 100,000 men under his command.

The remaining four—Marquis Hu Mei of Linchuan, Marquis Zhu Zu of Yongjia, Marquis Zhao Yong of Nanxiong, and Marquis Lu Ju of Zhongqin—along with some earls, viscounts, and barons from the Jingnan Wuxun faction, remained in Shenjing to serve in their posts.

Hu Mei, the Marquis of Linchuan, and Lu Ju, the Marquis of Zhongqin, were the deputy military commissioners of the Ba Shang Camp. They were originally the assistants to the Duke of Cheng in commanding the Ba Shang Camp.

Marquis Zhao Yong of Nanxiong and Marquis Zhu Zu of Yongjia served as commanders of a unit in the Imperial Guards of the palace.