Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Although cultures differ, the principles are the same.

Especially since such a simple yet philosophical story was easy for even Grandmother Jia and others to understand, they couldn't help but ponder it.

Only Jia Baoyu asked, "And then, did the king forgive this person?"

Jia Baoyu is a person who can empathize with all things, even if it's just a story, he has already immersed himself in it.

It was as if he had become Damocles, in that unimaginably luxurious palace, watching countless beautiful maids come and go, of foreign races, perhaps not dressed at all, the kind that were uncivilized...

Therefore, he was very concerned about whether the male protagonist lived or died.

Jia Lian saw through Jia Baoyu's naiveté, but he didn't let him have his way. He just shook his head and said, "This is just a story. The point isn't the ending of the characters. As for Brother Bao's question, I don't know."

I'm telling this story only to answer the question my third sister just asked.

She asked me, since the burning was intended to be done, why I made the servants write down the amount of money they had embezzled...

"I intend to hang a Damocles' sword over the heads of these lackeys, so they know that their power is bestowed upon them by the palace. If they do not know reverence and will henceforth behave themselves, that Damocles' sword could fall at any moment."

Jia Lian's explanation was far more accurate and impactful than Jia Baoyu's half-baked interpretation of "Cao Cao burning the letter."

Baochai stood behind her sisters, quietly watching Jia Lian, who was sitting in the hall talking animatedly. Although Jia Lian was not sitting in the center, it was as if wherever he went, that place became the center of attention.

Baochai felt somewhat unsettled.

Given Jia Lian's status, it's not too surprising that he could use his authority to subdue powerful servants.

What's remarkable is that he can still say such insightful and philosophical things.

Practice what you preach!

But didn't he not study?

Logically speaking, he shouldn't even have the first step, "knowledge," so how does he seem like a great scholar of Neo-Confucianism at this moment?

Many others shared Baochai's doubts.

Although Grandmother Jia and the others were surprised that Jia Lian knew so much, she still frowned and said, "Didn't you dislike reading? How come you can even tell these foreign stories now?"

The Great Wei Dynasty already had many foreign visitors, and since Grandmother Jia lived a long time, she naturally knew some things about foreign countries.

After Jia Lian finished telling the story, he waited to see the reactions of Tan Chun, Dai Yu, and the others, but they remained quiet and shy, not uttering a single word. Upon reflection, he guessed that it was his earlier remark that he had "no interest in beautiful women" that had caused them discomfort.

The girls are so cute.

"My grandson couldn't speak either, and he really did find studying mentally and physically exhausting."

However, His Majesty the Emperor disliked illiterate brutes and often instructed his grandsons to study diligently…

Everyone smiled slightly.

Grandmother Jia asked with a smile, "Is it because the Emperor wants you to study that you've become so diligent and determined to study hard?"

"Yes, even today when I went to the Daming Palace to express my gratitude, His Majesty warned me to read more books, especially military books. If I don't understand them, he will never let me go to the battlefield to make merit again."

There was no other way but to follow His Majesty's orders and study military strategy and the art of governing an army.

Then I realized that reading wasn't actually that difficult...

When I get tired of reading serious books, I often read some unofficial histories and anecdotes in my spare time, which is quite interesting.

The story my grandson just told me was from a foreign book translated by someone before me…”

When Jia Baoyu heard Jia Lian brazenly say that he was reading unofficial histories and anecdotes, he grinned with envy.

He also enjoyed watching this kind of thing, but he never dared to publicize it. If Jia Zheng found out, he would skin him alive!

Lian Er Gege is so lucky to have no father...

"Look, my concubine, it's true that the emperor's words still carry the weight for them."

In the past, their grandfather and I would tell them a thousand times to study hard, but they just wouldn't listen.

Now that they've become officials, a single word from the emperor is enough to motivate them to study and improve themselves. Hehehe…”

As Grandmother Jia habitually boasted to Aunt Xue, everyone laughed.

But as they laughed, the laughter stopped being so funny, because everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

Master Lian is truly remarkable; even the Emperor himself urged him to study more. Such imperial favor is something no one dares to mock.

Because generally speaking, only fathers urge their sons to study.

Although the emperor is nominally the father of the people, who would dare to actually try to establish that relationship?

Madam Wang unconsciously clenched her fists, then relaxed them.

She finally understood why her daughter, Yuan Chun, a royal concubine, had specifically instructed her not to treat Jia Lian the same way she had before.

Lian'er's backer is now the emperor.

……

As night deepened, Aunt Xue, accompanied by Baochai, bid farewell to Grandmother Jia and then to Lady Wang at the entrance of the north-facing path in Lady Wang's backyard before returning to Pear Fragrance Courtyard.

Because the mother and daughter had not been able to exchange opinions and views while at Rongguo Mansion, they instinctively went into Aunt Xue's inner room together after returning home without separating, and exchanged opinions and views on what they had seen and heard at Rongguo Mansion.

Aunt Xue sighed, "Now it seems that your cousin-in-law was convinced that the servants in his household were greedy and disloyal, which is why he took such drastic measures to deal with them."

Although your aunt didn't say it, you could tell that she tacitly approved of it, probably because their family's finances were really not doing well.

However, their old lady, who had enjoyed a life of luxury and kindness, didn't want to see her family's generations of servants humiliated, so she was quite unhappy. Ultimately, she couldn't persuade her children and grandchildren otherwise.

Baochai nodded silently, her mother's opinion basically the same as hers.

Aunt Xue continued, "Actually, their family is considered quite good. With their matriarch in charge and your aunt and uncle keeping an eye on them, even if the servants are a bit pampered, it's only to a limited extent, unlike our family..."

At this point, Aunt Xue couldn't help but feel sad.

Every family has its own troubles, but the Xue family's situation is the most difficult.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have needed to abandon their ancestral home and travel thousands of miles to the capital to seek refuge with their sister and brother-in-law...

If the servants of the Jia family wanted to be greedy, they would only do so by skirting the rules while handling official business. The reason they were all so wealthy was because it had been accumulated over many years.

But the Xue family... anyone who has their eyes on the Xue family's legacy built over generations, who doesn't open their blood-red mouth wide and bite off a huge chunk of flesh?

If they don't go to the capital to seek refuge with their sister, the enormous wealth accumulated by the Xue family over generations will likely be devoured by those people sooner or later.

And so, those old managers and employees continued to nibble away at the family's wealth and assets...

Unlike the Jia family, who could easily suppress problems with Jia Lian's high-pressure tactics, the servants were forced to return everything they had taken in, with interest.

Their Xue family, however, didn't even have a man who could take charge.

Son Xue Pan? Forget it, he's lucky if he can even protect himself.

We can't very well send our daughter Baochai out to deal with those people, can we?

Baochai was naturally aware of the family's situation, but she didn't focus on trivial matters like Aunt Xue.

With the Xue family's accumulated wealth through generations of imperial merchants, as long as no major problems arise, even if the managers and employees are corrupt, it's just a minor ailment that won't harm the Xue family's foundation.

When my older brother grows up and is able to take charge, those people will naturally quiet down...

Of course, if the older brother grows up but is still incapable of managing affairs, then there's nothing to talk about, indicating that the Xue family is destined to fail and no one can save them.

This was the rule of the times; ultimately, only men could stand up and take charge.

She and her mother could only offer her brother support behind the scenes.

She thought her mother was just expressing her feelings and would simply complain as usual, but to her surprise, Aunt Xue looked at her and said, "Our family lacks nothing, except a capable and competent man like your cousin's husband."

Your brother doesn't seem like a capable person at all. He's naive and only cares about being generous. He'll be deceived without even realizing it.

If, I mean if…

Seeing her mother hesitate, Baochai said, "Mother, just say what you want to say. There are no outsiders here."

"I mean, if you hadn't been chosen by the palace, that would have been great. That way, we wouldn't have to worry about rarely seeing each other in the future, and we could also find you a good husband."

With your qualifications, you're sure to find a son-in-law who is both virtuous and capable. He might even be able to help your good-for-nothing brother. That way, both of you will be settled, and I can rest easy even in the afterlife.

As Aunt Xue spoke, she carefully observed her daughter's expression.

As expected, Baochai wasn't so easily fooled. She immediately grasped the key point and asked, "Is there news from the palace?"

Aunt Xue quickly replied, "No, that's not it. The officials from the Ministry of Rites said the results wouldn't be available until late March, and there's still more than half a month to go..."

Baochai simply refused to believe it.

How could she not know how much effort her parents had put into getting her into the palace? If they hadn't heard the news, why would they have mentioned her failure to be selected?

It must have been her mother who was afraid she would be upset on the day the results were announced, so she gave her a heads-up beforehand to prepare her mentally.

"Is it because of your brother's murder case?"

"No, it has nothing to do with your brother. Your brother's case was closed in Nanjing, so how could it be related to this?"

As Aunt Xue explained, she ultimately found it difficult to look her daughter in the eye.

Baochai understood the situation immediately.

In the palace, whether it was selecting concubines or princesses and county princesses for their best officials, status was considered first, followed by virtue, while appearance was secondary.

After all, she hadn't even met the important person, so her looks were of no use.

If you are eliminated in the first round, it is naturally due to the first two factors.

As a lady from a respectable family, she rarely left her home and had no moral failings.

The only thing they had was an older brother who loved to cause trouble. And just the year before, this brother had killed someone and was facing a murder charge!

This is a stain on her character, and it would be reasonable for the palace to remove her from office because of it.

Aunt Xue watched her daughter silently weep, unsure how to comfort her.

Sigh, maybe this is for the best.

As she said, her daughter wouldn't have to leave her side, and she could even find a capable son-in-law in the future.

It would be even better if the other party were willing to become a live-in son-in-law, as that might bring them some support to the family...