[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber":3,"chapter-my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-33":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","My Life as a Rising Force in the Red Chamber",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2310831,4515,"Chapter 33: Reputation First Shown","my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-33",33,"\u003Cp>Zhi Shao waited in the small courtyard in Xicheng until nightfall, but Jia Cong still didn’t return; she began to grow anxious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She endured another lonely night until midnight, still no sign of Jia Cong; Zhi Shao was truly frightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She huddled in a corner of the room, wrapped in an unsettling darkness, clutching her knees as she wept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For years, Zhi Shao had accompanied Jia Cong every night; now that he was gone, she couldn’t sleep at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until the east turned pale, and then until the sun rose high overhead, the harsh daylight pierced the yellowed window paper, flooding the room with brightness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Cong still didn’t appear; Zhi Shao’s tears seemed dried up, her body frozen like a clay statue, as if even her shadow in the sunlight had stiffened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She suddenly jerked, as if waking from a daze: “Third Master must have forgotten I’m here—he must have returned to the mansion himself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll go back to the mansion to find him, back to the mansion to find him…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She rushed out of the courtyard, muttering to herself; the bright outside light made her dizzy—she hadn’t taken a drop of water in a full day and night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But her heart burned like a fire; she felt no weakness in her body, charging straight toward Juede Fang against the snowstorm that had not ceased since nightfall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Daiyu had also been paying attention; she heard that the literary gathering was attended by the great scholars and eminent literati of Shenjing, who would surely compose poems and lyrics there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Jia Mu didn’t care; she didn’t understand literary gatherings at all, only thought her grandson always stirred up trouble, and the thought alone made her frown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet until dusk fell, none of them had seen Jia Cong return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She imagined Jia Cong would bring back something, so she could see what these outside scholars could actually write in their poems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, it was that bastard’s doing—nothing but misfortune since the day he was born.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As far as he knew, none of the colleagues in the Ministry of Works had been invited to the literary gathering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia She and Lady Xing sneered inwardly, stung with shame and anger; they’d heard that the second son of the Western Courtyard had even prepared a carriage and a servant for Jia Cong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baoyu scoffed at Jia Cong’s attendance at such a gathering—it was just a bunch of traitorous officials flattering each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Cong looked like a refined young man; to go to such nonsense was to disgrace himself, and Baoyu felt genuinely sorry for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Young ladies confined to their embroidery chambers and gardens were always curious and yearning for the world beyond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s the point? He’s not even his own son—why put on a show for whom?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he goes to some damn literary gathering? Better he died out there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was waiting for Jia Cong to return so he could hear about the gathering’s anecdotes and poems, to have something respectable to discuss with his colleagues later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for that, how would they have been demoted to the Eastern Courtyard all those years ago?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many in Rongguo Mansion had heard that Jia Cong had attended the Nanxi Literary Gathering yesterday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the senior officials of the Ministry of Works were all jinshi graduates, the Ministry was the most tedious and busiest of the Six Ministries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those two in the Second Branch loved playing the bodhisattva, earning good reputations while subtly putting down our side—their schemes run too deep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Zheng cared most among the Jia elders about Jia Cong attending the Nanxi Literary Gathering; though he himself had never had the chance, now one of his kin had, and he was secretly pleased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And daily dealings with construction projects and trivial matters had long worn away any literary grace or brilliance; few colleagues ever stood out in literary pursuits, so he had always been utterly disconnected from the Nanxi Literary Gathering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the sisters, Tan Chun and Ying Chun were the most concerned, both waiting for Jia Cong to return and recount the events of the Nanxi Literary Gathering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Zheng knew Prince Jiaoshun had always favored Jia Cong; perhaps he had been invited to spend the night at the villa and would return tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Zhi and the two servants hadn’t returned to report either—useless fools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Chun waited until the lamps were lit, then sent Shishu to the Grain Storehouse; Shishu returned saying Third Master hadn’t returned, and Zhi Shao was gone too—the courtyard was pitch black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third Master hadn’t returned, and even the maid Zhi Shao was missing; Tan Chun felt a bad premonition, but didn’t know whom to tell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old lady had never liked Jia Cong—she certainly wouldn’t care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The First Master’s side was too distant to approach, and Tan Chun knew well how he’d always treated Jia Cong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could go to her own father, but she knew Jia Zheng cared more about Jia Cong’s attendance at the Nanxi Literary Gathering than she did—he’d surely been watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon Ying Chun came to Tan Chun’s room to ask; as the outside darkened, both sisters felt heavy-hearted; Shishu ran again, and returned saying no one was there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She added that the First Master’s side was brightly lit, drinking merrily with several concubines—clearly he didn’t care at all that his younger son hadn’t returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Cong spent the night away; everyone in the mansion had different thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The candles burned out, the east turned pale; Tan Chun, Ying Chun, and others with worries on their minds woke early, keenly attentive to outside movements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Zheng went to the Ministry of Works early, but his mind was preoccupied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had barely sat down when Zhao Li, also a Deputy Minister, came over with a smile: “Cunzhou, I never expected the Jia family to produce such an outstanding youth—why didn’t you ever mention him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Zheng looked puzzled: “Brother Zhao, what do you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Li chuckled: “You didn’t know? My elder brother is the Director of the Imperial Academy; he attended the Nanxi Literary Gathering yesterday and said a young lad composed a plum-blossom lyric that stunned everyone—his calligraphy was also extraordinary.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only later did they learn it was your elder brother’s son, Jia Cong—nobility’s blessings truly run deep, or how could such a prodigy emerge?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Li then pulled out a sheet of paper, on which was copied Jia Cong’s poem “Bu Suan Zi: Ode to Plum.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cunzhou, look at this plum poem—he crafted it with exquisite intent and noble bearing; truly an excellent lyric. Even Master Jing’an praised it publicly, saying it will be recited for a hundred generations.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Zheng was stunned by this sudden good fortune; after a long pause, he asked: “Master Jing’an? You mean the former Minister of Rites?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Li smiled: “Is there another Master Jing’an in the world besides that literary sage?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Zheng glanced at the poem, too overwhelmed to judge its merits; his heart burst with joy—Jia Cong had gone to the Nanxi Literary Gathering and earned such renown! He’d always believed in him—he truly had discernment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Cong’s plum poem had been praised by Master Jing’an as a masterpiece to be passed down—something he’d never dared dream of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just days ago, Jia Cong’s calligraphy had already brought great honor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he’d revealed astonishing poetic talent too—how could someone so young achieve such mastery in both poetry and writing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a stroke of heavenly fortune—our Jia family has such a literary prodigy! Ha! Let anyone now dare call the Jia clan crude military nobility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other colleagues who’d heard the news gathered around to offer congratulations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The literati who attended the gathering had returned to the city early, so the anecdotes from the event had already spread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These high-ranking officials, all within Shenjing’s official circles, were among the first to learn the news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But one thing they didn’t know: nearly everyone at the gathering had silently avoided mentioning that someone had been murdered there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, to spare Prince Jiaoshun’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, Zhou Junxing of the Judicial Office had already intervened in Wu Jinrong’s murder, telling Prince Jiaoshun that Wu was likely killed by remnants of the Hidden Sect—words many had heard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This matter involved not only Zhou the Tyrant, infamous for framing others, but also the Hidden Sect, deemed a grave threat to the throne—who didn’t know how dangerous this was?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone who didn’t want to die young kept silent, fearing words would bring disaster; they wished they’d never encountered the incident, so they all played ostriches, pretending ignorance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the situation was strange: a high-ranking Hanlin Academy scholar had been murdered, yet half a day and night later, those uninvolved in Shenjing still knew nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, Jia Cong’s outstanding performance at the gathering became the talk of the town, spreading rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Zheng had served in the Ministry of Works for years; today was the most honorable day of his memory. As he basked in the glow, a servant came to say Secretary Li wanted to speak with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at his colleagues’ envious glances, Jia Zheng felt as if he were floating on clouds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1533,"2026-06-20T12:19:54.434Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","ad5e2d67e11898e4c297c0c4a8f255eda9dc62476659df3deeedc7a3b6f897ae","my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-34","my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-32",920,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-cover.jpg"]