Dream of the Red Chamber: A Refined and Elegant Young Man in a Turbid World

Having settled things with Feng Tang, he made an appointment with Feng Ziying to go hunting at Tiewang Mountain again in a few days before taking office, and then have a good drink together.

Jia Cong prepared another generous gift for Sun Tai. Even though he had now entered officialdom, his martial arts skills were still at the third level, and he dared not slack off.

Sun Tai's face flushed with joy, and he repeatedly cupped his hands in congratulations.

"Third Master has endured hardship and toil, so he deserves this joy. I dare not accept any credit for my small contribution."

Jia Cong smiled and forcefully stuffed the silver into the other person's hand.

"Master Sun, you flatter me. I hope you will put in more effort for next year's imperial examination."

Upon hearing this, Sun Tai patted his chest with a sense of pride.

"Third Master, please rest assured. Even in the Imperial Examination, there are rarely disciples at the fourth level of Martial Realm. With your skills, Third Master, as long as you don't become lax, you will certainly not fail even if you don't make it into the top three!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Cong also became interested. It turned out that the difficulty of the martial arts palace examination was not low at all. Even with his third level of martial arts, he could not make it into the top three.

Sun Tai nodded heavily. "Third Master's calculations are accurate! The Palace Examination gathers the top martial arts masters from aristocratic families. It's not just about hand-to-hand combat and archery; it also tests military strategy and policy. The top three positions are mostly held by veterans who have trained in the military and broken through the third or even fourth level of the martial arts realm, or by scions of aristocratic families in border towns who have been training since childhood. Third Master is young, having reached the third level before even turning twenty, which already places him among the elites of the capital. However, the competition for the top three positions is always fierce. Even if you don't go for the undergraduate exam, you can hone your skills in the garrison and break through the realm later. It's not too late to compete for the top three positions then!"

Jia Cong was secretly alarmed upon hearing this, but he simply cupped his hands and smiled, saying, "I am entirely grateful for Master Sun's guidance. I will first make sure I can secure my current position, and I certainly will not neglect my martial arts. I will follow Master's arrangements for next year's imperial examination."

Sun Tai accepted the silver and gave him some more Cypress Dew. Then, with a mysterious air, he carefully pulled a bottle of pills from his sleeve and handed it to him.

"Third Master, please keep this safe. It is a secret pill passed down through my family. Although it cannot help one break through to a higher realm, it can save one's life in a life-or-death situation. Third Master, take one before your battle in the palace examination, and I guarantee your strength will be formidable!"

Jia Cong hurriedly accepted it with a beaming smile. This old fellow really did have some treasures on him. Looking at the porcelain bottle, there were only two pills, called Tiger Warrior Qi-Strengthening Pills. It was a secret formula of Sun Tai's family that was not passed down to outsiders. Back then, he relied on these pills to fight his way out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood.

The pill was a bright red and glossy color. When the plug was removed, a strong medicinal fragrance wafted out. I guessed that this thing must have side effects, but Sun Tai spoke with such certainty that I decided to keep it for now, just in case.

After the Begonia Club was established in the Grand View Garden, Jia Cong did not join in the fun. Everyone understood that he had now been granted an official position and needed to make good preparations. However, he dawdled and came to Hengwu Garden that day, intending to apologize for his previous frivolous behavior towards Baochai.

Jia Cong was clutching a small box containing a hairpin he had bought from Cheng Rixing, an antique dealer, intending to give it to Baochai as an apology.

After the maid announced her arrival, Baochai lifted the curtain and stepped out. She was dressed in a peach-red silk jacket, with a jade hairpin in her hair. Her eyebrows and eyes were gentle, and her expression was dignified.

Upon seeing Jia Cong, her cheeks flushed almost imperceptibly, then she lowered her gaze, a hint of shyness in her eyes. "Brother Cong, what brings you here? It's precisely at this time of year that you're preparing for your new post; how come you have time to come and sit with me?"

Jia Cong hurriedly stepped forward and presented the box with both hands. "Sister Bao, I was drunk and confused at the banquet last time, and I have felt very guilty these past few days. I have come here today to apologize to you. If you are still angry, you can scold me a few times, but please don't take it to heart."

"Brother Cong, you're too kind. It was just a slip of the tongue after drinking, nothing you intended. I never took it to heart. Now that you've just been granted an official position, it's the time to focus on your duties and be mindful of your conduct. Don't let such a small matter bother you and disturb your peace of mind."

She spoke calmly, but her neck secretly flushed. The feeling of him holding her that day, the warm breath on her cheek, still made her heart tremble slightly when she thought about it. Far from feeling offended, she felt a sweetness that even she herself found delightful.

Upon hearing this, Jia Cong felt a huge weight lifted from his heart. Just as he was about to thank her again, Xiangyun's cheerful and lively laughter suddenly rang out from outside.

"Sister Bao, Sister Bao, we've finally found you!"

Before she finished speaking, Xiangyun lifted the curtain and rushed in, dressed in an apricot-yellow jacket and skirt, clutching a piece of plain paper in her hand, her brows and eyes full of urgency.

Seeing Jia Cong also looking surprised, he smiled and said, "Oh, Third Brother is here too? What a coincidence!"

Jia Cong stood up to greet her, and Xiangyun, not being reserved, grabbed Baochai's hand and said in a flurry, "Sister Bao, our Begonia Poetry Club has just started, and I was thinking of hosting it to express my feelings."

Baochai listened to her talk for a while, her brows furrowing slightly, her tone gentle yet her words earnest.

"Hosting costs money! I know your family's situation. You can't make decisions, and your monthly salary is meager. You're barely making ends meet. Now you insist on doing this trivial thing. If your aunt hears about it, she'll definitely complain again. Besides, even if you take out all your monthly salary, it definitely won't be enough to host this. Are you going to go home and ask for more?"

These words made Xiangyun hesitate, her brows furrowing. "I know it's inappropriate, but I really want to be the host, and I'm at a loss for what to do."

Seeing her distress, Baochai softened her tone.

"You don't need to worry. I already have a plan. One of the shop assistants in our pawnshop grows crabs in his field. He sent over a few pounds a few days ago. They were all plump and fresh. Now, most of the people in this garden, from the old lady to the maids and servants, love to eat crabs. The other day, my aunt said she wanted to invite the old lady to the garden to enjoy the osmanthus blossoms and eat crabs, but she was delayed by some trivial matters and hasn't had time to invite her yet."

She paused, then said, "For now, put aside the idea of ​​hosting the poetry club gathering. Just invite us to a regular event to admire the osmanthus blossoms. After everyone leaves, how many poems can't we sisters compose? I'll send someone to tell my brother to get a few baskets of the fattest and largest crabs, and also get a few jars of good wine from the shop, and prepare four or five tables of fruit platters. Wouldn't that be easier and more lively for everyone?"

Upon hearing this, Xiangyun's face lit up with joy, and all her hesitation vanished.

"Good sister, thank you for being so thoughtful! How could I not have thought of that? I don't know how long I would have been in trouble!"

Before Baochai could give any instructions to the servants, Jia Cong, having understood the situation, immediately stepped forward and said, "Sister Bao, you've gone to so much trouble. Sister Yun, you don't need to feel bad about it. I'll take care of the expenses for this event."

Upon hearing this, Xiangyun's eyes lit up, and she quickly grabbed Jia Cong's sleeve, "Third Brother, do you really have this much silver?"

Baochai looked up at him, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, which quickly turned into a lingering, ambiguous feeling.

"My brother Cong has been granted an official position and also has a workshop to run, which is much better than us idle people who have to ask for money."

Jia Cong simply smiled and waved his hand.

"Sister Yun will still be the host, and the title will still be yours. I will only be responsible for providing the money to prepare crabs, good wine and good food. I will also send people to handle all the trivial matters. Let's just invite more people and not bother with these mundane affairs."