Dream of the Red Chamber: Starting from Immortal Martial Arts

Chapter 127 Sharing the Worries is Pleasant!

On the 29th day of the third month of the seventh year of Changwu, in the Rongguo Mansion in Xianjing, in the small courtyard of Sanchun.

Although the courtyard was not large, it had more than a dozen halls and side rooms. After Tan Chun became the commander of the inner guards of the mansion, she converted the east side room into a study, which she used as a place to handle official business.

At this moment, in the study in the east wing, Tan Chun, dressed in a silver gauze embroidered skirt and a silver-patterned phoenix-embroidered jacket, with a red-gold phoenix-shaped hairpin in her hair, was looking intently at the slave register in her hand.

The slave register is a list of all the servants and relatives of the Ning and Rong mansions, covering three generations of ancestors, and is listed in great detail.

This was the first formal task that Jia Tang and Grandmother Jia gave to Lin Daiyu and Tan Chun: to select a new batch of maids, servants, and maids from the two mansions to fill the personnel and expenses of the newly established Marquis of Weihu Mansion, which was to open on May 1st.

Lin Daiyu took a break and, with Qingwen's help, took charge of the Ningguo Mansion, while Tanchun was responsible for taking stock and determining the candidates for the Rongguo Mansion.

The Duke's mansion, which had been prosperous for over a hundred years, housed nearly a thousand servants, not to mention the accumulated slave registers from generation to generation and the servants born in the estates outside the city, making it an exceptionally complex place.

Tan Chun rubbed her temples. Although she was quite tired, the sharp glint in her eyes remained undiminished.

"Big sister, submit the current list to Brother Tiger and the Ancestor."

On the left, Jia Yuanchun, who had just returned from the palace, wore a satin brocade dress with cloud patterns and a silver-threaded jacket with flying clouds and auspicious symbols. A smile appeared on her elegant and beautiful face. As she nodded upon hearing this, the red phoenix hairpin in her hair made a crisp clinking sound.

ring.

"good."

Tan Chun glanced at Jia Yuanchun, who had just returned home in her early twenties, and a smile appeared in her eyes.

The person before me looked quite different from when I first left the palace. The solemn and cold palace had suppressed her inner feelings for years, and although her face was pretty, it looked sallow.

Less than a month after returning home, the other person, reunited with family, became even more radiant with warmth and affection, but the traces of sadness in their eyes could not be concealed no matter what.

Tan Chun sighed inwardly. After all, she had only been able to leave the palace because of her stepmother's death. This eternal separation was truly unpleasant.

In addition, since Wang had been expelled from the Jia family and her name was removed from the family genealogy, and her maternal clan was also wiped out, Wang's children were not allowed to wear mourning clothes in the mansion.

After all, she and Jia Baoyu share the same surname, Jia!

Tan Chun came to her senses and, remembering the news Lin Daiyu had revealed the day before, said with a smile, "Congratulations, eldest sister!"

A hint of doubt appeared on Jia Yuanchun's face, and she asked softly, "What's there to be happy about?"

"Brother Tiger said yesterday that the Inner Guard is responsible for the women's affairs in the inner quarters of the three mansions. It is a means of close protection and combat readiness. Some lower-level inner soldiers are needed, similar to the Tiger Guard and the Wu Soldiers. Firstly, they can serve as reserves, and if there are any losses, they can be replenished immediately. Secondly, they can serve as regular forces to be deployed in the inner courtyard."

"This first batch of female soldiers in the inner court is initially planned to number about 120, with 40 assigned to each prefecture. Tiger Brother's idea is for Eldest Sister to lead and manage them!"

"I?"

Jia Yuanchun's red lips parted slightly, her beautiful eyes widened, and she pointed blankly at herself, asking, "What merit do I possess to command soldiers?"

"Oh, big sister, what are you saying!"

Jia Tanchun stepped forward, took the other woman's hand, and praised her with a smile, "Elder sister has risen step by step from a minor official to a lady-in-waiting in the Phoenix Palace, handling all the affairs under her jurisdiction with remarkable efficiency. Our three palaces' inner guards and soldiers are all newly built, so of course we can't do without you!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Yuanchun sighed, "Even in the palace, I heard about the conflict between my stepmother and my brother, and I wrote to advise my stepmother many times, but I never expected it to come to this."

"As the Wang family's own daughter, how can I, having brought shame upon the household, have the face to control the affairs of the palace guards?"

Jia Tanchun shook her head and sighed, "Perhaps the palace is full of intrigue and scheming, making you forget about this, sister. This is our home!"

Jia Yuanchun stared blankly at the radiant Tan Chun, waiting for the next part to continue.

"Once it's over, it's over, and nobody will think about the past anymore."

"Moreover, Brother Hu is in charge of the household. He loves us relatives the most, and as long as we are capable, he will give us important responsibilities, regardless of whether we are from the main branch or collateral branch."

"Besides, this matter of the inner guard was personally chosen by Brother Tiger, so you can rest assured."

"As long as we share the surname Jia and our hearts are with Jia, nothing will be a problem."

Jia Yuanchun's heart stirred slightly, and she thought to herself, "Jia Cai is alright—this subtle reminder shows that my third sister has truly grown up."

"Alright, big sister, what's there to hesitate about? Let's go find the ancestor with me, and then go to Lin's place to cultivate."

Jia Yuanchun thought that as soon as she returned to the mansion, her father took her to the underground room to learn the family's secret methods for protecting the clan. She knew the meaning behind this.

Very well, entering the palace first was for the sake of the family's grand plan, and this kind of cultivation and inner guard training is also part of the family's strategy.

The only difference is that I have family members by my side.

Daiyu's courtyard, a spacious courtyard, became the training ground for the girls' martial arts practice.

Lin Daiyu, the four sisters, Xue Baochai, Shi Xiangyun, and others were practicing martial arts. Jia Tang stood under the covered corridor, sipping his tea with a smile in his eyes.

With a sip of the tea that Qingwen was holding, Qingwen used her divine sense to cover all the women, giving them one-on-one guidance in their cultivation, and also sending a wisp of her divine sense to communicate with Jia Kang about the current situation in the mansion.

"How are Huandi and Congdi doing lately?"

Jia Kang, who was at the Ningguo Prefecture training ground, transmitted his thoughts: "According to the commander of the martial soldiers, they are doing well so far, and have all entered the second realm."

Jia Tang nodded slightly. These two had started cultivating around the same time as San Chun, and their progress was roughly the same, but their aptitude was still not as good as San Chun's.

Because the martial arts students practiced all-weather training, which lasted for about eight hours a day, while the three springs followed Lin Daiyu and only had four hours a day, it was a typical case of doing twice the work for half the results.

But it's alright, it just consumes some Yuan Medicine for the Skin Refining and Flesh Refining Realm, it's not a huge drain.

As the world changes more and more, people's division of cultivation stages becomes clearer and clearer. For example, in the past, there were five stages of cultivation. Those with good talent would spend two years refining the skin, three years refining the flesh, four years changing the tendons, six years forging the bones, and eight years refining the blood. All of these refer to the intermediate stage of cultivation.

Starting cultivation at the age of six, one can access the path to immortality before the age of thirty, seeking the method of tempering the body to break through and advance. If resources are sufficient, cultivation time can be further shortened.

For example, the direct descendants of the eight noble families of Xianjing for four generations all possessed profound cultivation foundations and broke through to the next level around the age of twenty-five.

Now, the vital energy is becoming increasingly abundant, and the cultivation time of the past twenty-odd years of the mortal refinement is gradually shortening. In particular, the initial three realms of skin, flesh, and tendons can be quickly improved as long as resources are accumulated.

The real slow progress comes from the Bone Forging and Blood Refining realms, which require gradual, painstaking accumulation.

Like Lin Daiyu now, the cultivation technique she obtained from the Zhuyu Bay Secret Realm last year, combined with her top-notch physique, rich spiritual energy, Jia family's elixirs, and exotic pills, allowed her to successfully temper her jade skin two days ago and is now attempting her first bone forging.

Breaking through three realms in a year is due to both one's own talent and the overall environment.

In short, the conditions for cultivation are getting better and better.

"Where is Baoyu?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Kang paused slightly and replied, "Second Master Bao often studies at the clan school, but it's not very effective, so he spends his days lounging around."

"What about the others in the clan school?"

"That's often the case!"

Come to think of it, most of the members of the clan school were from collateral branches of the family. Those with good character were transferred to the estate to train with the soldiers. The rest were all scoundrels.

Just then, all the women in the courtyard finished their work by circulating their qi and exhaling, and the maids waiting nearby hurriedly stepped forward to serve them.

Lin Daiyu drank a cup of nourishing soup brought by Zijuan, then she sheathed her long sword behind her back, her eyebrows curved and a smile on her lips, and she walked lightly to the corridor.

"Brother~"

Jia Tang smiled and nodded upon hearing this, then asked, "Are you tired?"

Lin Daiyu shook her head and teased, "Brother, did you think I was the frail person I was before? You really underestimate your little sister."

As they were talking, Xichun came running over, her hair, which Ruhua had tied up with a hairpin, loosened a little as she moved.

Seeing this, Jia Tang hurriedly said, "Slow down, slow down, can't you just behave for a moment?"

Xi Chun's smiling face turned serious, and she stopped walking unhappily, turning around to walk to Lin Daiyu's side, ignoring Jia Tang.

Lin Daiyu smiled and pinched Xichun's cheek, saying with a smile, "Fourth Sister has become quite temperamental now, she even dares to give our Marquis a hard time."

Xi Chun wasn't annoyed by this and replied with a smile, "As the saying goes, one is influenced by one's company. Brother often talks about Sister Lin's petty temper, and I've learned it all from her."

This remark made everyone burst into laughter.

Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu's beautiful eyes widened slightly, and her pretty face flushed: "Pah, you little brat! I've spoiled you so much, I'll settle the score with you later."

Immediately, with a hint of embarrassment and annoyance in her eyes, she asked Jia Tang, "Brother, when have I ever been petty, and why do I often talk about this with Fourth Sister?"

Jia Tang smiled helplessly; he had truly only said it once.

"I'm not saying this to be mean, but my sister is dignified, gentle, and kind. How could she be petty?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu stepped forward and quietly asked, "Between me and my sister-in-law, who is more dignified and who is more poised?"

Jia Tang's face stiffened, and he chuckled dryly twice: "Of course, it's my sister who's more magnanimous."

"snort!"

Lin Daiyu glared at him resentfully. Some time ago, he said he was going out to sign an alliance with a certain power, but later she found out it was Li Wan's maternal clan, and they were going together.

Furthermore, given Jia Tang's past protection of Li Wan in the mansion, before he fully grasped the nature of this relationship, he only thought it was due to adherence to rules. Now, it seems that it was probably much earlier—

"By the way, Bao'er told me that although the Xue family, as relatives of the Wang family, were spared from disaster, it is not suitable for them to live in the mansion, and they are planning to move out soon."

Lin Daiyu spoke up, then asked with a half-smile, "Brother, is Sister Bao moving or not?"

"Anything is fine."

"All right?"

Lin Daiyu repeated, then huffed, "Ha, it seems brother already has his mind made up?"

Jia Tang shook his head and said bluntly, "Regardless of whether it's settled or not, you're still above them."

"Besides, it's just the Xue family. Whether they stay or leave is up to you. If you're annoyed, just kick them out."

"But if you stay, you can't cause any more trouble for me if anything happens in the future, okay?"

Lin Daiyu's pretty face changed slightly. This meant that the other party had ideas but would listen to her opinions.

However, once an opinion is made, it cannot be changed.

She can stop one today, but what about in the future? She can't stop everyone.

impossible!

Thinking this, Lin Daiyu turned her head slightly and looked at Xue Baochai, who was talking to Jia Yuanchun.

The two women were of similar height, one graceful and the other dignified, one gentle and the other virtuous.

"That's strange, why are you comparing her to the older sister?"

On the other side, Xue Baochai noticed the scrutinizing gaze and discovered that it was Lin Daiyu, who was standing next to Jia Tang. The two were talking about something, which caused Lin Daiyu's expression to change slightly, and they both began to look at her.

Her gaze held scrutiny, distress, relaxation, and a hint of sisterly affection.

Xue Baochai's heart stirred slightly, guessing that her words of confronting Lin Daiyu had been relayed to Jia Tang.

So he quickly put on a smile and looked directly into Lin Daiyu's eyes.

Seeing this, Lin Daiyu sighed inwardly and said to Jia Tang, "Why move? It's all in the past. Besides, we won't be able to come here to practice martial arts as often after we move."

"I'll listen to my sister."

Lin Daiyu snorted: "Then brother should thank sister properly for making sister willingly help you solve a difficult problem."

Jia Tang feigned ignorance and asked, "What's so difficult about the Xue family?"

"She isn't, but her sister is!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Tang burst into laughter, stepped forward, pinched Lin Daiyu's fair and rosy cheeks, and said with a smile, "This is called 'little sister sharing her brother's burdens.'"

"Pooh!"

Lin Daiyu spat at him and said coquettishly, "You filthy scoundrel, you're trying to pin all your bad intentions on me."

"Clearly, it's not a good one."

"As long as my sister is well, that's all that matters. She's gentle, kind, and understanding."

Jia Tang praised her a couple of times, then said, "In the next few days, you and Third Sister, along with Eldest Sister, will set up the platform for the inner guards."

o

Lin Daiyu nodded slightly and asked, "Where are the people?"

"In the village outside the city."

Jia Tang explained, "The Inner Guards are the families of the Tiger Guard soldiers, but the Inner Soldiers are not. They must be selected from respectable families. Once they enter, they cannot return home or get married unless they die in battle."

Lin Daiyu's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. More than a hundred people! That meant once they came in, they wouldn't be able to get out.

"elder brother--"

"Needless to say, this is the difference between men and women serving in the military!"

Jia Tang gently tucked a stray hair behind her ear and said softly, "If you want to manage a household, you need to know when to be soft-hearted and when to be hard-hearted!"

"Go."

Lin Daiyu remained silent for a moment, then nodded emphatically.

For the next half month, Jia Tang did not leave the mansion. He stayed in Xianjing, attending court and listening to government affairs, training soldiers in the camp, and watching Lin Daiyu and the other two form the inner guard. He also occasionally guided the women in their cultivation, played in the water with Qingwen and Amber, and, at Jia She's urging, planted seeds twice more. He was living a very comfortable life.

However, troubles arose within the territory of Dazhao.

First, the Lianghuai Linlang Literary Alliance offered a bounty in the cultivation world for the murderers who attacked and killed Lü, Sheng, and Lin at Longmen in Xuanfu. Furthermore, a literary Daoist appeared and was killed while investigating, and finally disappeared in the Juyongguan area.

Immediately afterwards, a great battle broke out in the prosperous area of ​​Taiping Prefecture. The headquarters of the Wenxiang Sect, which was hidden there, was razed to the ground by a True Person who used the Azure Sharp Wind Divine Power Scroll, a martial art of different elements.

This resulted in the deaths of one third-tier demon, six second-tier demons, and a host of first-tier demons, all of whom were left without a complete corpse!

Unexpectedly, this attracted two third-tier demons from the Wuwei Sect, one of whom was an exceptionally powerful mid-stage demon, but both were killed in the attack.

The world only saw the bandit leader being abandoned at the headquarters of the Fragrance Sect; the specific details were unknown, only rumors circulated that a Taoist master had intervened.

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