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

Seeing that the beast was hiding behind Grandmother Jia, Jia Jing was helpless and had only managed to slap it a few times before his anger subsided.

His gaze then fell on Jia Yun, who was being supported and whose back was still stained with blood.

A complex look flashed in his eyes as he walked straight up to Jia Yun.

"Yun-ge'er, today's events were caused by my good-for-nothing son framing you, leaving you unjustly accused and suffering this physical pain. This is the evil he sowed, and it is also an entanglement for me, a person who cultivates in seclusion. I am now a person beyond worldly affairs, and I do not concern myself with worldly matters, but the cycle of cause and effect cannot be ignored."

"How do you intend to resolve this? If you wish to report it to the authorities, I am willing to testify for you and recount what I witnessed regarding the 'qi' (vital energy). Jia Zhen's actions have violated human ethics and the law, and he deserves to be punished by the imperial court! Rest assured, I am a Taoist practitioner, unafraid of worldly power, and only seek to have a clear conscience and avoid karmic consequences!"

These words shocked the entire room once again!

Jia Jing showed absolutely no mercy to Grandmother Jia and Jia Zhen, even going so far as to send his own son to the authorities for investigation!

His identity as a Taoist practitioner freed him from the constraints of family interests, allowing him to focus solely on "cause and effect" and "state of mind"!

All eyes immediately turned to Jia Yun.

Jia Zhen looked ashen-faced, staring at Jia Yun in terror, then pleadingly at Grandmother Jia.

Grandmother Jia's lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but seeing Jia Jing's resolute expression, she ultimately couldn't speak.

Despite the excruciating pain in her back, Jia Yun shook her head at Jia Jing and said in a hoarse voice:

"I am deeply grateful for your noble sentiments, sir. However... reporting this to the authorities would have far-reaching consequences, potentially causing family scandals to be exposed and damaging the family's reputation, which is not what I wish for."

Before everyone could even catch their breath, Jia Yun abruptly changed the subject, his voice rising sharply as he spoke, each word distinct and clear:

"However, I cannot let this beating go unpunished; I deserve some compensation. I do not want gold, silver, or land; I only wish for one thing to atone for today's humiliation and to serve as a warning for the future!"

"What do you want?"

"I want the tiger-headed, gold-inlaid spear, weighing thirty-six jin, that was enshrined in the Tianxiang Pavilion of the Eastern Mansion, left behind by my ancestor, the Duke of Ningguo!"

Tiger-head gilded spear!

These words caused a third uproar in the room!

Everyone was stunned! That spear was the symbol of military merit in the Ningguo Mansion, a family heirloom! Jia Yun actually demanded it?! This was even more painful for Jia Zhen than reporting it to the authorities!

Just as Jia Zhen was catching his breath from his father Jia Jing's harsh scolding and beating, he was still in shock when he heard that Jia Yun dared to demand the Ningguo Mansion's heirloom. He was so angry that he was practically raging.

Ignoring his pain and disheveled state, he roared hoarsely, "You're dreaming! That's a relic of my Ningguo family ancestors! A family heirloom! A symbol of our ancestors' military achievements! How could I give it to you... this insolent brat!"

"You won't give it to me?" Jia Yun interrupted him with a cold laugh, her eyes filled with a resolute determination to risk everything. "Then I'll drag myself to the county government right now, even with these injuries! I'll crawl there, even if I have to! You can try, and see if I dare! Let's see if your Ningguo Mansion's old weapon is more important, or the future and reputation of the entire Jia family!"

Jia Zheng, Jia She, and the others were completely panicked at this moment.

Jia Zheng stamped his foot in frustration and grabbed Jia Zhen's arm, saying, "It's just an old weapon. Although it's an ancestral heirloom, it's still an inanimate object! Just give it to him! Let's keep the peace! If we really anger His Majesty and he punishes us, who among us can bear the consequences?!"

Jia She, unusually serious, lowered his voice and advised, "Zhen'er, listen to your second uncle! A small act of impatience can ruin a big plan! This Yun-ge'er has nothing to lose now; if he really goes all out, we can't afford to lose him!"

Even the usually taciturn Jia Rong, seeing his father's stubborn expression and recalling the humiliation he had suffered, couldn't help but mutter softly, "Father, you should...you should just give it to him..."

Looking at Jia Yun, whose attitude showed no room for negotiation, and then at her children and grandchildren around her who were trying to persuade her, Grandmother Jia knew that if she didn't agree today, this wolf cub Jia Yun, who had been driven to the brink, might really do something that would lead to mutual destruction.

She sighed deeply, waved her hand weakly, and said to the still unwilling Jia Zhen, "So be it...so be it...give it to him...it's just a spear...it's better than ruining the family's reputation...give it to him, let him go..."

Upon hearing this, Jia Jing gave Jia Yun a deep look.

He turned to Grandmother Jia and the ashen-faced Jia Zhen, his tone firm and resolute: "Since the aggrieved party demands this, it is most fair to settle the matter with this item. Jia Zhen, immediately order someone to fetch the gun! If you dare hesitate, don't blame me for disregarding our father-son relationship and personally escorting you to the government office!"

Faced with Jia Jing's intimidating presence and Jia Yun's resolute determination to destroy everything, Jia Zhen collapsed to the ground, and even Grandmother Jia could only remain silent.

Finally, the tiger-headed, gold-inlaid spear, exuding a menacing aura, was brought before Jia Yun.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Jia Zhen was forced to compromise in front of everyone, even the most dignified and rule-abiding matriarch.

Suddenly, a surge of anger overwhelmed him. He felt a sweet taste in his throat, and before he knew it, everything went black. He fainted without even uttering a sound!

"Brother Zhen!"

"Zhen'er!"

"Quickly! Summon a doctor!"

Chaos erupted once again inside Rongxi Hall.

Jia Yun merely watched coldly from the sidelines.

And so the matter was concluded. Jia Yun and Qin Keqing were found innocent, and Jia Zhen was not framing them.

The incident was attributed to the notorious Mandarin Duck Thieves, who had recently gained notoriety. Jia Zhen, hearing the commotion, went to investigate but was injured on the head by the thieves.

However, he misunderstood Jia Yun, which led to him being beaten.

Naturally, the Ningguo Mansion also offered a gun as compensation.

When Jia Yun returned to the courtyard, he was exhausted. The sharp pain in his buttocks and back and the dizziness caused by blood loss made him almost unable to stand.

When his mother, Madam Bu, and Qingwen, who had been anxiously waiting, saw this, they were terrified. They quickly helped him to the bed and made him lie down.

Qingwen bit her bright red lower lip, forcing back the tears welling up in her eyes, and quickly fetched some warm water.

When she carefully cut open Jia Yun's robe with scissors, which was already stuck to the torn flesh, and saw the gaping wounds on his back and buttocks, even she, with her strong and fiery nature, couldn't help but gasp.

Her tears fell like beads from a broken string, landing on Jia Yun's uninjured skin, carrying a scalding heat.

Qingwen took a soft cloth, dipped it in warm water, and gently cleaned the blood and grime around the wound, sobbing as she cursed under her breath, "Damn servant! Heartless bastard! So cruel... This isn't discipline, it's clearly beating someone to death, trying to kill them..."

Jia Yun lay on the couch, listening to Qingwen's tearful yet heart-wrenching curses, and his resentment lessened somewhat.

He turned his head with difficulty, looking at Qingwen's eyes, which were red and swollen like peaches from crying. He deliberately forced a weak smile and said, "Silly girl, why are you crying... I... I'm tough and resilient, I won't die. But you... you've seen everything about me, inside and out. You'll have to take responsibility for this later, you can't run away even if you want to..."

These words were quite ambiguous and bold. Qingwen was taken aback at first, not expecting that the Second Master would still have the mind to say such things despite being so injured.

Immediately, her pretty face turned bright red, and even her ears and neck were tinged with an alluring blush.

Qingwen was so ashamed she wanted to disappear. She instinctively stomped her foot and scolded, "Second Master! You're injured like this, and you still have the mind to spout nonsense! Who...who wants to see you! Shameless!"

Although she retorted sharply, her movements as she bandaged him became increasingly gentle.

"If you hadn't delivered the letter and scriptures to Sister-in-law Rong in time, I probably wouldn't be in such a good situation." Jia Yun also marveled at Qingwen's speed. "But... even riding a horse wouldn't be that fast, would it?"

Qingwen sighed and said, "Yes... Madam Rong... I saw her maid Ruizhu when I went out. It turns out she was afraid Master Zhen would harm you, so she invited Master Jing here this morning. But..."

"But what?" Jia Yun asked, puzzled, while marveling at Qin Keqing's thoughtfulness and consideration.

"I noticed that Master Jing wasn't someone easy to talk to when he first arrived. His face darkened even more after he secretly opened your letter, but his expression changed after he saw that scripture. Second Master, what's the background of that book?"

"It's nothing, just a book." Jia Yun felt a mix of emotions upon hearing this. He had guessed that the book would be useful to Jia Jing, but he hadn't expected it to be this useful.

Looking back now, it's true that you reap what you sow. If he hadn't copied books for Prince Xin, he wouldn't have gotten this treasure.

However... it seems now that Master Jing's so-called noble principles were probably just driven by self-interest.

Mrs. Bu stood by helplessly, watching the terrible wounds on her son's back, already weeping uncontrollably.

She was heartbroken, yet filled with fear and anxiety for her son's future.

After Qingwen had finally applied the medicine and carefully bandaged the wound with a clean white cloth, the wound was completely sealed.

She rushed to the bedside, tightly grasping Jia Yun's cold hand, her eyes brimming with tears as she pleaded, "Yun'er, my child... you've suffered so much... it breaks my heart to see you like this... but... but the Old Madam is, after all, the elder, the head of the family, holding the power of life and death. Today... today you defied her in court, and... and even insisted on demanding their family heirloom from the Ning Mansion, this... this has offended the Old Madam and Master Zhen to the core! How can they tolerate you in the future?"

"How about... once you're feeling better and can get out of bed, I'll go with you to kowtow to the old lady and sincerely apologize? Say a few kind words? We're just a widow and her orphan, all alone and helpless, ultimately... ultimately we still have to rely on the manor to survive... I'm afraid... afraid they'll make things even worse for you in the future..."

Normally, if Jia Yun heard his mother's weak and yielding words, he would be both anxious and angry, feeling that she was not up to par.

But at this moment, Jia Yun was lying on the couch, and the stinging pain in his buttocks and back made him more awake than ever before.

Although the mother's words sounded frustrating and weak, they pointed out a bloody reality—this was the Han Dynasty, which ruled the world with loyalty and filial piety!

Etiquette and law are paramount!

Grandmother Jia was a first-rank duke's wife, a title of nobility, and was highly respected for her virtue and influence within her clan and among the noblewomen of the capital.

If she was determined to ruin herself, she wouldn't need to resort to family discipline. She could simply casually reveal to outsiders, especially to those upright officials and mentors who held the power of the imperial examinations and the selection of officials, that he was "unfilial," "unruly," and "morally deficient."

Even if Jia Yun's path to the imperial examinations is not completely cut off, it will be fraught with difficulties and he will hardly make any progress!

Fame and fortune are easy to obtain, but a good reputation is hard to establish.

A person who is disliked by his family elders and has the stigma of being "unfilial" is like a flawed jade in the officialdom. Which superior who cherishes his reputation would dare to promote and give him important responsibilities easily?

This soft knife kills, a thousand times more vicious than a hard, fiery stick! It's enough to make him never recover!

After figuring this out, Jia Yun felt a chill run through her body.

I must endure... I have to endure it some more!