Dream of the Red Chamber: Starting from Immortal Martial Arts

"The daughter-in-law was originally the daughter of an official. Her mother died in childbirth, and her father died suddenly in the government office six months later. Her uncles sent her to an orphanage in order to divide the family property. She was taken away by Qin Ye when she was three years old."

"I met my daughter-in-law by chance at a temple fair. She was graceful, elegant, and beautiful. She was the eldest daughter-in-law of our Ning family for five generations. After making inquiries, I learned that she was a daughter of the Qin family. So I asked my second uncle, Zheng, to help with the betrothal."

After hearing the explanation, Jia Tang remained silent and stared quietly at Jia Zhen.

After a short while, just as Jia Zhen was filled with fear and drenched in cold sweat, Jia Tang spoke up, saying, "I originally planned to find Rong'er a daughter of a military meritorious family after I was granted a title, but since things have come to this, let's give up on that idea."

"Rong'er is already married. From now on, don't disturb the young couple's life. Give him some face and don't beat or scold him at the drop of a hat."

Just then, Jia Rong rushed in carrying a small yellow cloth bag. After hearing Jia Tang's words, he glanced at it gratefully.

Seeing this, Jia Zhen breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly asked:

"Why did this day pass by?"

Jia Rong replied with a forced smile, "Today it wasn't received at the Ministry of Rites, but at the Guanglu Temple's treasury. I only received it after going to the Guanglu Temple. The officials at the Guanglu Temple all said they wanted to send their regards to Father, saying they hadn't seen him for many days and really missed him."

Jia Zhen forced a smile and said, "They don't really miss me. It's almost the end of the year, they're either thinking about my things or my games and wine."

As he spoke, he glanced at the yellow cloth bag, which bore the four large characters "Eternal Imperial Grace" and the seal of the Ministry of Rites' Sacrificial Office. On the other side was a line of smaller characters that read, "Granted by the Emperor the title of Duke of Ningguo, Jia Yan, and Duke of Rongguo, Jia Yuan, two portions of the Eternal Spring Sacrifice Reward, netting a certain amount of silver. Received in court on a certain date by Jia Rong, a candidate for Imperial Guard of the Dragon Guard. By the current Temple Assistant." Below was a red ink signature.

After looking at it, he took out the silver and placed it on a tray to the side. He then instructed Jia Rong, "Go and burn the bag in the ancestral hall's large incense burner. Then go to the West Mansion and ask your Aunt Lian if she has decided on a date for the New Year's feast. If she has, have the study prepare a list. When we invite others, we can't repeat the same mistake. Last year, we unknowingly invited several families. It wouldn't be that we weren't careful, but rather that the two families had agreed to send a perfunctory invitation to avoid trouble."

Just then, a servant ran in, carrying a report and an account book, and announced: "Master, Second Master, Wu Zhuangtou from Black Mountain Village has arrived."

Due to the war, Wu Jinxiao and his entourage, who were delayed by a month or so, finally arrived in Xianjing. They drove their caravan to Ningguo Mansion and, under Lai Sheng's leadership, began unloading the goods.

Inside the main hall, Jia Zhen and Jia Tang were looking at the rent payment list from Wu Jinxiao, which included the following items: fifty large deer, seventy roe deer, seventy juveniles, forty Siamese pigs, forty stewed pigs, forty dragon pigs, forty wild boars, forty domestic cured pigs, forty wild sheep, forty blue sheep, forty domestic stewed sheep, forty domestic wind-dried sheep, five sturgeon, and five hundred catties of various miscellaneous fish.

Five hundred live chickens, ducks, and geese; four hundred wind-dried chickens, ducks, and geese; and three hundred pairs of pheasants and rabbits.

Thirty pairs of bear paws, forty catties of deer tendons, seventy catties of sea cucumber, sixty deer tongues, sixty ox tongues, and fifty catties of dried razor clams;

Five bags each of hazelnuts, pine nuts, peaches, and apricots; eighty pairs of large prawns; four hundred catties of dried shrimp; two thousand catties of top-grade silver frost charcoal; three thousand catties of medium-grade silver frost charcoal; and forty thousand catties of firewood and charcoal.

Four shi of Imperial Rouge Rice, seventy hu of Green Glutinous Rice, seventy hu of White Glutinous Rice, seventy hu of Pink Rice, seventy hu of Mixed Grains and Millet, and two thousand shi of Regular Rice for Subsidiary Use;

A cartload of various dried vegetables, grains sold outside, and livestock worth four thousand taels of silver. Gifts for the young masters and ladies from the outer gate: three pairs of live deer, six pairs of live white rabbits, five pairs of black rabbits, two pairs of live golden pheasants, and two pairs of Muscovy ducks.

Jia Tang pondered to himself how it was written in the original text, only remembering that there were more than two thousand taels of silver, but he couldn't recall anything else.

Although the Jia family's decline after this incident was not as severe as in the original story, these scoundrels from far and wide were adept at deceiving their superiors and concealing the truth from their subordinates.

First, send someone to investigate the estate in the north. Once they return from the south, thoroughly search the area inside and outside the manor. Some of those who deserve to die should also be on their way.

Jia Zhen nodded in satisfaction and said happily, "Not bad, not bad. It seems that it was the right decision for me to entrust the estate to you."

At this moment, Jia Tang called out, "Lai Sheng, take some men to deliver a pair of white rabbits to each of the maids in the West Mansion, and a pair of black rabbits to my sister-in-law, my niece-in-law, and the two sisters-in-law in the West Mansion."

"Yes, I'll go right away." Lai Sheng accepted the order and hurriedly led his men to deliver it.

"You really do meddle in everything," Jia Zhen joked.

Jia Tang ignored her and took Qingwen to the West Mansion for a meal, where there were many people and it was lively.

···

On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, both mansions changed their door gods, couplets, and plaques, and freshly painted peach wood charms, giving them a brand new look.

From the main gate, ceremonial gate, main hall, warm pavilion, inner hall, inner three gates, inner ceremonial gate and inner side gate, all the way to the main hall, the main gate was wide open, and on both sides of the steps, there were tall vermilion lights, which looked like two golden dragons.

On the morning of New Year's Eve, Grandmother Jia rode in a sedan chair carried by eight men, accompanied by officials from both mansions who had been granted official titles. All of them, dressed in court attire according to their rank, went to the palace to offer their congratulations. After paying their respects and receiving a banquet, they returned and disembarked at the warm pavilion of Ningguo Mansion.

Those sons and younger brothers who did not accompany the emperor to court lined up in front of the Ning Mansion gate to wait before being led into the ancestral hall.

The group stepped through several ancestral halls adorned with imperial plaques and couplets and entered the hall. Inside, the halls were brightly lit with incense and candles, and decorated with brocade curtains and embroidered screens. Although the ancestral tablets were displayed, they were not clearly visible.

Jia Jing still hasn't returned this year. The Jia family members are lined up according to their generational order: Jia She is the chief officiant, Jia Zhen is the assistant officiant, Jia Tang offers the libation, Jia Lian offers the silk, Jia Rong holds the incense, and two others spread out the prayer mat and guard the incense burner.

The musicians in blue robes played music, three libations were offered, the bowing and rising were completed, silk was burned and wine was poured, the ceremony was finished, the music stopped, and they withdrew.

The crowd followed Grandmother Jia to the main hall, where brocade curtains hung high, colorful screens were set up, and incense and candles shone brightly. In the center of the hall hung the portraits of the Ning and Rong ancestors, both adorned with python robes and jade belts; on either side were several scrolls of portraits of other ancestors.

The members of the Jia clan lined up one by one from the inner gate to the corridor of the main hall.

Outside the threshold were the men, and inside were the women; all the servants and young men were outside the ceremonial gate.

After everyone arranged the offerings and sacrificial items in order, they returned to their positions and stood in line again.

Those whose names contain the radical for "writing" are led by Jia She, followed by those with the radical for "jade" by Jia Zhen, and then those with the radical for "grass" by Jia Rong. The order is left and right, with men to the east and women to the west. Only after Grandmother Jia burns incense and bows does everyone kneel down. The five main halls, three side halls, inner and outer corridors, and the two red steps above and below the steps are filled with flowers and brocade, leaving no empty space.

There was complete silence, except for the clanging and tinkling of golden bells and jade pendants, and the rustling of boots.

After the ceremony was completed, Jia She, Jia Zheng, and the others hurriedly withdrew and went to the Rong Mansion to pay their respects to Grandmother Jia.

After Grandmother Jia returned to the main hall and sat down, the Jia clan members, both men and women, went through the proper greetings together.

Chairs were set up on both sides, and then people sat down in order of seniority to receive greetings.

The men, women, servants, and maids of both households also paid their respects according to their rank and status, and distributed New Year's money, purses, and gold and silver ingots, and set out the reunion banquet.

The men sat down to the east and the women to the west. They were offered Tusu wine, Hehuan soup, auspicious fruits, and Ruyi cakes. After that, Grandmother Jia got up and went into the inner room to change her clothes, and then everyone dispersed.

That night, incense was burned and offerings were made in front of the Buddhist temples and the Kitchen God in various places, and red lanterns were lit everywhere in both mansions.

Everyone, from top to bottom, was dressed in their finest attire. The night was filled with the clamor of voices, laughter, and the constant sound of firecrackers.

At the fifth watch of the first day of the lunar new year, everyone dressed up in full regalia according to their rank and entered the palace to offer congratulations.

After returning from the banquet, he went to the Ning Mansion to pay respects to his ancestors before returning to receive the ceremony. He then changed his clothes and rested.

After that, the two masters were busy every day inviting people to New Year's banquets. The halls and courtyards were filled with entertainment and drinking, and relatives and friends came in an endless stream. It was only after six or seven days of this that they finally had some free time.

At 7 PM on the seventh day of the month, Jia Tang, who had just returned from the Duke of Li's mansion, first went to Ruihu Courtyard to bathe and change clothes. Carrying the gifts he had prepared in advance, he led Jia He, who had just come out of seclusion that afternoon, out of the courtyard gate.

Qingwen, watching her master leave the courtyard, sighed softly.

···

On the seventh day of the first month of the sixth year of Changwu, at the hour of Xu (7:15 PM).

Jia Tang walked forward with his hands behind his back, followed by Jia He, who was carrying gifts in his arms. The two swaggered toward Li Wan's courtyard, which was located behind Rongxi Hall and south of Wang Xifeng's courtyard.

He vividly remembered that when he was seventeen, he helped eight-year-old Jia Lan invite a first-class scholar from Yuhe Academy and obtained a certificate from Jia Zheng for studying abroad. This moved the usually indifferent Li Wan to tears, and she held a banquet to express her gratitude with tears streaming down her face.

Finally, he spent the night there, still hungover, and secretly returned to the East Mansion through the Pear Fragrance Courtyard tunnel at dawn the next day.

From then on, Jia Tang came to test Jia Lan on the seventh day of the month for several consecutive years, and because he always appeared at Ningguo Mansion the next day, no one suspected anything except his closest relatives.