The Red Mansion in its bustling glory

Feng Tang's army has left.

Perhaps they had already gathered all the necessary items here.

Soon, news of the "great victory of the royal army" spread throughout Nanjing.

Victory was inevitable, after all, the Japanese pirates of today are no longer a force to be reckoned with, just a few small groups.

As for the exact number of casualties, that remains unknown.

Jia Jue still cared about Zhu Shang. After hearing of the royal army's triumphant return, he wrote a letter and sent it to the capital by fast horse to inquire about Zhu Shang's situation.

The reply was quite satisfactory. Feng Tang said that Zhu Shang was brave and resourceful in battle, and that he had been promoted to military commander during the war, almost regaining his original position.

Hearing that Zhu Shang was doing quite well in the army, Jia Jue was relieved.

This concludes my trip to Nanjing.

Originally intended to pray for the Dowager Empress, but unexpectedly, instead of receiving blessings, they gained a sworn brother, a close maid, and even helped a talented but unsuccessful man.

This trip wasn't entirely fruitless!

Therefore, he should pack up and prepare to return to the capital.

Just as he was packing his things in the Rongguo Mansion, a maidservant hurried over and handed him a letter.

"What is this?" Jia Jue picked it up to take a look.

It turned out that the Xue family had sent it, saying that he should go to their residence for a banquet before noon the next day.

"Okay, I understand," Jia Jue said. "Has the messenger not left yet?"

The little girl replied, "We haven't left yet."

"Tell him," Jia Jue said. "Greetings to Auntie, Brother Xue, and Sister Bao. I will definitely go tomorrow. Thank you for your concern."

Having said that, he waved his hand, dismissing the maid.

The next day, it was sunny.

Jia Jue arrived at the Xue residence.

He followed the servant who was greeting him at the door to the backyard.

There is a large table in the backyard.

The table was already laden with delicacies.

There was a stage opposite me.

It seems they've hired an opera troupe today.

Upon seeing Jia Jue arrive, Aunt Xue and the others naturally chatted warmly with him before sitting down.

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

Aunt Xue then said, "I didn't ask you to come here today for any other reason than that we are about to leave Jinling for the capital. We don't know how long you will stay in Jinling, so we asked you to come and have some fun."

Jia Jue then said, "To be honest, Aunt, I am also leaving Jinling for the capital."

Aunt Xue exclaimed in surprise, "Is Jue-ge'er leaving too? I thought we'd be staying in Jinling for a while longer. Since we're leaving soon anyway, why don't we travel together? It just so happens that the old lady in the capital heard we were coming to the capital and wants us to stay at the Rongguo Mansion."

Upon hearing that he would be staying at the Rongguo Mansion, Xue Pan's expression turned somewhat displeased.

Because he had always been afraid of someone as rigid and pedantic as Jia Zheng, fearing that he would be controlled by him.

However, it's not appropriate to refute him in front of Jia Jue now.

After Jia Jue left, Xue Pan said to his aunt, "Mother, we already have a house in the capital, why should we stay at your house temporarily? Why don't we have someone clean it up first, and then we can stay in our own home?"

Aunt Xue sighed, "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking! Your aunt and I haven't seen each other for many years, and it's finally a chance for us to reunite and chat. So, when you get to the capital, you can go and live outside, and I won't interfere with you, okay?"

Xue Pan fell silent.

-

A few days later, it was time to set sail.

Xue Pan decided to continue his carefree lifestyle for a while longer and therefore did not return to the capital with Jia Jue.

Jia Jue didn't force him, but gave him some silver and told him to take care on his journey.

Jia Jue also left the two men, one carrying a sword and the other carrying a book, in Jinling to assist Jia Jue in honing their abilities and talents, until they returned to the capital for the imperial examinations the following year.

As Jia Jue was parting ways with Jia Jue, he said, "Although I have not been in Jinling for long, I have seen that most of the clan's youths are dissolute and uneducated. If this continues, it will surely bring disaster! Brother Jue, you are a wise man. I hope you will take good care of the ancestral property in Jinling, so that we unworthy descendants will not have the face to face our ancestors when we enter the underworld!"

Jia Jue also said, "Don't worry, Jue-ge'er, I've taken good care of Jinling. You can work hard in the capital, and I'll make sure you have no worries! But there's something I have to say, and you might not like to hear it."

Jia Jue asked in surprise, "Oh? What do you mean?"

Jia Jue said, "Although most of the young men in the Jinling clan are uneducated and incompetent, I have been to the capital before, and from my own observation, I find that the young men in the capital are actually even more so than those in Jinling. When you return, I hope you will try to persuade the old lady or the master and other elders. If they can offer some advice, things will be much better!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Jue sighed deeply and said, "Brother Jue has only been to the capital once, yet he has already seen the signs of decline in my Jia family. One can only imagine what state my Jia clan is in now, both in the capital and throughout the land! Alas! The future of our family is uncertain. We can only strive forward and try our best to avoid defeat!"

After saying this, the two bid each other farewell, and Jia Jue watched Jia Jue board the boat and leave.

The fleet returning to Beijing this time is even larger than the one that came to Nanjing.

First, the Rongguo Mansion's ships must return intact.

Secondly, the Xue family also had many ships of various sizes traveling with them at this time—now that his family was preparing to send Baochai to the palace to select female officials, they were also making plans to live in the capital for a long time.

Although the Rongguo Mansion served as a temporary residence, one could not rely on others indefinitely.

Even though they have their own families and careers, they don't look like decent people.

However, the old lady liked lively atmospheres, and as soon as she learned that they were going to the capital, she sent someone to write a letter asking them to stay in her mansion.

Aunt Xue didn't want to offend the old lady, and besides, she hadn't seen her sister for a long time.

They had no choice but to stay in the Rongguo Mansion's courtyard, while their own family would cover their food, clothing, and other necessities.

The scenery along the way was beautiful.

Xue Pan was a restless man, and he also felt constrained by being on the same boat as his mother and sister, so he boarded another boat by himself to have some fun. Aunt Xue couldn't stop him, so she had no choice but to let him go.

However, Aunt Xue especially liked Jia Jue. She found him to be cute and polite, and naturally won his heart.

So they invited Jia Jue to come aboard their boat and travel together.

Jia Jue couldn't refuse his elders, so he had no choice but to agree.

The day was sunny and the boat sailed to a secluded spot, surrounded by green willows, a scene of poetic beauty.

Baochai also took the rare opportunity to leave the cabin and go to the deck for some fresh air.

Just then, Jia Jue happened to be there as well, and the two of them started chatting.

As they chatted, they came to talk about Jia Jue's journey from the capital to Jinling.

Upon hearing that Jia Jue had met Abbess Huixin and her disciple at a temple outside Yangzhou, Xue Baochai remarked, "Abbess Huixin is renowned throughout the land; surely her disciple must also be a truly enlightened cultivator?"