Dream of the Red Chamber: Madam, please have some self-respect!

"Good! Good!" Grandmother Jia beamed with excitement, immediately instructing Yuanyang beside her, "Reward! Generous rewards! Throw money around! Quickly throw money around! Let everyone share in the joy!"

At Yuanyang's signal, a servant boy, who had been prepared in advance, carried out a basket of newly minted copper coins and scattered them out with a "clatter," eliciting cheers from the servants in the mansion who were there to announce the good news.

Amidst the clamor of congratulations, Jia Yun calmly accepted the commemorative letter symbolizing the beginning of his academic success.

Although his face was slightly flushed, he showed no signs of ecstatic joy or losing control.

When Jia Yun entered Rongxi Hall surrounded by people, maids had already brought out embroidered stools and invited him and Bu Shi to sit down.

When had Madam Bu ever experienced such a scene? Not to mention having a seat in a place like Rongxi Hall, she only dared to sit on the edge of the chair, her body tense, not knowing where to put her hands and feet.

Standing at the back of the crowd, Lady Wang looked at the radiant Jia Yun before her, and then thought of her own Bao Yu, whose heart still belonged to women. Her heart was filled with a mixture of emotions, like a jumbled bottle of mixed flavors.

She forced a smile and offered her congratulations, but the handkerchief in her hand was almost torn to shreds—Baoyu hadn't even achieved any official rank yet, and a grandson from a collateral branch had already beaten him to it. How could the Wang and Jia families possibly save face like this!

Jia Zheng was so excited that his face was flushed, and his hand stroking his beard trembled slightly.

From a young age, he dreamed of taking the imperial examination as his main path, but due to the vicissitudes of life, his dream was fulfilled by one of his collateral grandsons.

How could this not make him happy?

Jia Zheng seemed to see hope in the family's tradition of scholarship and praised repeatedly, "Excellent! Excellent! Truly worthy of being a son of the Jia family! Someone, quickly go and invite Jia Zhen over to discuss opening an ancestral hall to honor our ancestors!"

At this moment, Aunt Zhao, who had been standing to the side, rolled her eyes and seized the opportunity to be the first to squeeze in front of the terrified and uneasy Madam Bu.

She affectionately took Madam Bu's hand and said in a sweet, cloying voice, "Oh my, Yun'er's mother, this is truly a joyous occasion! I knew it! Yun'er has always seemed extraordinary, so clever and quick-witted, and I was right! Congratulations! From now on, you can just relax and enjoy your retirement!"

Madam Bu felt even more embarrassed as she held her hand, her face flushed red, and she stammered, unable to utter a complete sentence, only whispering, "Auntie, you flatter me, I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it..."

Lady Wang coldly observed Aunt Zhao's fawning manner, and then noticed Madam Bu's trembling yet still pretty face. She cursed inwardly, "A pair of shameless vixens! All they know is how to flatter and fawn!"

Not long after, Jia Zhen and his wife strolled in leisurely.

Jia Zhen first paid his respects to the elders, including Grandmother Jia, Jia Zheng, and Jia She, with his usual ambiguous smile on his face.

When Jia Zheng saw him arrive, he recounted the story of opening the ancestral hall to worship his ancestors.

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhen looked troubled and drawled out his words.

"Second Uncle, it's not that I'm unwilling to do this. It's just... our Jia family is, after all, a Duke's mansion, with strict rules. Yun-ge'er has only just entered school and obtained the title of Xiucai. If we open an ancestral hall to worship our ancestors in such a grand manner now, it might be against the rules and make us a laughing stock... In my opinion, it would be better to wait until he passes the Juren exam before opening the ancestral hall."

Jia Zhen naturally wanted to put on airs, and besides, he looked down on Jia Yun's mannerisms.

Grandmother Jia slammed her sandalwood cane on the ground with a dull thud. "Rules? What rules? Bringing honor to our ancestors and encouraging future generations are the greatest rules! I'm not dead yet, and my word is law! You give me a word today: open the door or not? If you don't want to open it and find it troublesome, I'll have a carriage prepared right now, and I'll go to the Imperial Clan Court myself to talk to them! I want to ask if we shouldn't inform our ancestors that a young scholar has emerged from our clan!"

Jia Zhen was so frightened by Grandmother Jia's words that his face turned pale and he broke out in a cold sweat.

This old ancestor got angry and went to the Imperial Clan Court. If the emperor finds out, he'll probably be stripped of his third-rank generalship!

Jia Zhen immediately feigned panic, waving his hands and bowing repeatedly: "Grandmother, please calm down! Grandmother, please don't be angry! I was wrong, I was confused! I will go and prepare right away, all the incense, candles and offerings will be prepared according to the rules, and the ancestral hall will be opened first thing the day after tomorrow to worship our ancestors in a grand manner! I dare not delay!"

As the noise subsided and the guests dispersed, only confetti and firecracker debris remained on the floor of Rongxi Hall.

Jia Yun and his group had already returned to the small courtyard under the west corridor.

While tidying up the courtyard efficiently, Qingwen whispered to Jia Yun, who was gazing absently into the twilight, "Second Master, when Master Zhen came over just now, his face turned pale and then red, it was really quite unpleasant. I'm afraid he was feeling uneasy about something."

Jia Yun was well aware of the resentment the West Mansion held towards him. He turned his gaze to the old locust tree in the courtyard, which was swaying gently in the evening breeze, as a few pieces of colored paper drifted down from its branches.

Jia Yun's lips curved slightly into a smile, and she said calmly, "It's alright. This is just the beginning."

The ceremony was naturally held at the Tianxiang Tower in Ningguo Mansion.

This place enshrines ancestors such as Ning and Rong, and is the site for important clan celebrations and sacrifices.

On that day, the Tianxiang Tower was filled with the fragrance of incense and candles, creating a solemn and dignified atmosphere.

Almost all the prominent male members of the Jia family were present, led by Jia Zhen, Jia She, and Jia Zheng, with Jia Lian, Jia Baoyu, Jia Huan, Jia Lan, and others also in attendance.

Jia Yun, dressed in brand-new casual clothes, stood in front of everyone. Although he was the youngest, his composure was in no way inferior to that of the others.

Jia Zhen, as the clan head of Ningguo Mansion, presided over the ceremony.

He glanced at Jia Yun with mixed feelings, and said loudly, "Ancestors above, your unworthy descendant Jia Zhen (Jia She, Jia Zheng, etc.), along with all the male members of the clan, respectfully offer incense, candles, and sacrificial offerings to announce before our ancestral spirits: Today, Jia Yun, a descendant of the Cao generation of our Jia family, has diligently pursued his studies in his youth and, through the boundless grace of the Emperor, has achieved ninth place in the Shuntian Prefecture Examination, thus being granted the title of Xiucai! This is the blessing of our ancestors and the good fortune of our family! We humbly pray that our ancestral spirits will silently bless this son, encouraging him to continue his efforts, bring glory to our family, and uphold the virtues of our ancestors!"

As the sound faded, bells and chimes resounded in unison.

Jia Yun stepped forward, burned incense, knelt down, and performed the grand ceremony of three kowtows and nine prostrations.

He silently prayed, "Ancestors above, Jia Yun's modest achievements today are entirely due to my mother's hard work and the support of the clan. This is only the beginning; one day I will surely achieve great success, restore the family's reputation, and live up to everyone's expectations!"

The ceremony is complete.

Firecrackers went off in unison, deafeningly loud.

On the streets surrounding the Ning and Rong mansions, onlookers were discussing the matter, all saying that the Jia family had produced another talented person.

The Jia family members all wore different expressions, a mixture of joy, envy, jealousy, and complex emotions, all blending together amidst the noisy firecrackers.

As Jia Yun listened to the commotion around him, he knew that from this moment on, his status in the Jia family, and even his future life, had quietly changed.

Becoming a scholar is just the beginning.

Jia Yun's goal is to reach higher and farther places.

After the joy of passing the prefectural examination and the hustle and bustle of the ancestral worship, Jia Yun returned to his usual quietness the next day, burying himself in his studies in his small courtyard.

With the autumn imperial examinations approaching, Jia Yun dared not slack off in the slightest. He knew that the title of Xiucai (a lower-level scholar) was just the starting point, and the next step, the Juren (a higher-level scholar) title, would be the real leap over the dragon gate.

Just as he was engrossed in reading the Spring and Autumn Annals with Jia Zhu's annotations, his mother, Lady Bu, led in Su Yun, Li Wan's personal maid.

"Second Master Yun," Su Yun curtsied and respectfully handed over a letter from her bosom, "This is what my grandmother asked me to give you."

Jia Yun thanked him and accepted the gift.

Upon opening the envelope, one could see that the letter was written in Li Wan's elegant handwriting.

The letter was concise and to the point: his father, Li Shouzhong, already knew that he had passed the prefectural examination with flying colors, and the original agreement was valid. Jia Yun could take this letter to the Imperial Academy to find him as a student, and he could also arrange for Jia Yun to study there.

Holding the letter, Jia Yun was thrilled and prepared to visit his teacher the next day.

However, when Jia Yun subconsciously reached for the jade pendant at his waist, his hand found it empty!

Jia Yun's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly got up and searched his body.

After searching for a while without finding it, Jia Yun carefully searched through the clothes he was wearing that day, the desk in his study, and the bed, but there was still no trace of the mutton-fat jade pendant.

If it were an ordinary item, losing it would be fine, but if this item were lost, it would not only betray the Prince's favor, but if it fell into the hands of someone with ulterior motives, it could also bring unnecessary trouble or even disaster!

Jia Yun forced herself to calm down and carefully recalled the past.

He had subconsciously touched it before and after the ancestral worship ceremony yesterday, and then everything went into chaos... It was Tianxianglou!

It must have been during the worship at Tianxiang Tower in Ningguo Prefecture that the rope was accidentally worn off or snagged and lost while kneeling, standing up, or exchanging pleasantries with others!

Should we go to Ningguo Prefecture to inquire?

But Jia Yun's mind raced, and he immediately rejected the idea.

His relationship with Jia Zhen and his son Jia Qiang was already distant, and they even had some disagreements over some minor issues.

Now that I'm just starting to make a name for myself, they might be polite on the surface, but they could harbor resentment behind my back. If I were to ask them rashly, even if they found it, would they be willing to return it readily?

Will they use this as an excuse to do something? Or even... will they take the opportunity to steal the jade pendant and frame themselves for "losing a gift from the emperor"?

We can't rely on them! We have to find it ourselves!

Jia Yun already had a plan in mind.