[{"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-35":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},2310833,4515,"Chapter 35: Daiyu Reads the Ci","my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-35",35,"\u003Cp>Jia Zheng’s face was heavy with sorrow: “If Cong er gets into trouble, I’ll never be able to show my face again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Mu frowned: “What nonsense are you spouting? What does it have to do with you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mother doesn’t know—Cong er made a huge name for himself at the Nanxi Literary Gathering: his calligraphy was astonishing, and he wrote an exquisite plum blossom ci.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Minister Liu Jing’an said this poem could endure for a hundred generations—it brought great honor to the Jia family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, all my colleagues in the Ministry of Public Works congratulated me; even Minister Li pulled me aside and spoke at length, saying our younger relatives should associate more with Cong er.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words left everyone in the hall stunned; Jia Mu’s eyes nearly glazed over, her mind a blur, her chest tight with unease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Jia family had long grown accustomed to steady, uneventful wealth; their sons like Jia Lian and Baoyu drifted through life in dull complacency, never stirring a ripple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could such a son emerge from within our walls? No one had ever seen one so disruptive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single couplet last year sparked countless troubles—then he went to a literary gathering even the elders struggled to attend, and was kidnapped by bandits.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now they say he wrote a poem destined to last through ages, praised by so many—it’s nonstop upheaval, wild highs and lows, enough to shatter a heart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Chun’s poetic skill, though slightly inferior to Daiyu’s, was still proficient; she immediately recognized the ci’s merit and felt genuine joy for Jia Cong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old lady waved her hand: “I don’t understand such things—let Lin Yatou read it. Is it truly that good?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Baoyu frowned, his broad face showing disdain and resentment, his eyes fixed on Daiyu; suddenly, he felt the urge to smash his jade—but his father was here, so he dared not act up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Zheng pulled out the copied ci he’d taken from Zhao Li and moved to hand it to Jia Mu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daiyu smiled: “This ci is exquisite—clear and strange, yet full of upright ambition. I’ve read countless plum blossom ci’s, and none have moved me more—Cong san-ge is truly remarkable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Mu knew Daiyu’s father was a third-place palace examination laureate—the finest scholar of his time—and that Daiyu, raised on countless texts, was famed as a gifted young lady; if she said it was good, it must be.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she took the copied manuscript from Jia Zheng, Daiyu’s heart quickened involuntarily; she noticed the expectant glances of her sisters around her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This grandson had always been disliked by me, and his parents despised him too—yet the flower inside the wall scented the outside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Liu Jing’an—I know that old man well; he’s famous indeed. Your father had some dealings with him. This man was deeply respected even by the Retired Emperor—could this poem really be that good?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daiyu’s voice was clear and lively, like a mountain spring tinkling, echoing softly through Rongqing Hall.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To write a single ci and be called a masterpiece of eternity—how did everything become so easy for him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Chun and Ying Chun felt a quiet ache, filled with worry for Jia Cong; Tan Chun regretted again she wasn’t a boy—then she wouldn’t be sitting here helplessly, but could act on her own to save him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outsiders took him seriously, which left Jia Mu with a strange, indescribable unease.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Mu asked: “Lin Yatou, is this ci truly that good?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that they said Jia Cong had written an outstanding ci, even called a timeless masterpiece, though still worried, she felt a flicker of curiosity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She read two lines, and the emotion in the poem stirred her spirit; her delicate cheeks flushed faintly red. When she finished, her eyes shone with wonder and reverence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ying Chun thought: What a rare talent this younger brother is—I only hope he escapes this danger. Though I’m poor with words, I’ll urge him to stay home more in the future.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fair, yet doesn’t vie for spring—only heralds its coming. When the mountain flowers bloom in splendor, she smiles among them!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daiyu was truly surprised by this Cong san-ge—how could one person generate so many extraordinary events? At such a young age, his calligraphy was astonishing—rare indeed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daiyu unfolded the copy and read aloud: “Wind and rain send spring away, flying snow welcomes spring’s return. Already, cliffs hang with ice a hundred zhang deep—yet still, plum blossoms stand proud.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baoyu had some talent, well-versed in verse and couplets; though inferior to Daiyu, he could still recognize the ci’s quality, lamenting that Jia Cong associated with those money-grubbing fools, wasting such a spirited soul.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of silence, the old lady said to her son: “Don’t wait for your brother—send Lai Da with your letter to Zhen’an Prefecture and ask them to help search.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Zheng ordered a maid to relay the message to Lai Da to act at once, then added: “For our Jia family to produce such a literary prodigy is ancestral blessing—we must protect him well, that’s the way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Baoyu and the sisters naturally agreed; nearby, Li Wan thought: If Cong er returns, perhaps Lan er could associate more with him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Lady’s face remained expressionless at her husband’s words, though her prayer beads turned faster…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Mu wasn’t truly senile—having a capable grandson was surely a good thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But years ago, her eldest son quarreled over a courtesan, making a great spectacle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His father’s illness worsened; that bitterness had festered in Jia Mu’s heart for years—only death could free her from it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She glanced again at the handsome Baoyu, and hearing her son’s words, she felt a fresh pang of discomfort.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, she recalled many old matters: “He may have talent, but he mustn’t throw the whole household into chaos—these past two months have brought so much trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a family like ours, the most important thing is steady wealth and security. Heaven never gives without taking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it grants you talent, it denies you peace—always finding ways to torment you, like a debt collector.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Better to be those country folk who can’t read a single character—give them a humble name, and they live to eighty. Wasn’t my Zhu er more talented than him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, Jia Mu’s eyes grew red. Now she doted on Baoyu—but back then, Jia Zhu was even more dutiful; how could she not have loved him equally?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nearby, Li Wan wept uncontrollably. Wang Lady also wept, her prayer beads stilling…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Zheng recalled his eldest son’s many virtues—once, he had made his father proud—and his heart ached.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the old lady favored the second branch, and the eldest had been worthless, it wasn’t just that—Jia Zhu’s excellence was the real reason they lived in Rongxi Hall.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she favored her younger son, she was never foolish.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Zhu excelled in his studies from childhood; we hoped Rongguo Mansion would produce another Jia Jing, a palace examination graduate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We even arranged his marriage to the daughter of Li Shouzhong, Director of the Imperial Academy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shouzhong was a renowned scholar-official from Jin Ling; marrying his daughter was meant to carve a path for us in the civil service.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We planned this to extend our family’s wealth for decades—but Jia Zhu died so young.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Mu added: “I see his father and he follow different paths. If you like that he reads, guide him sometimes—make him more composed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We don’t need him chasing fame or glory. Our household doesn’t lack for his keep—let him grow up peacefully, and we’ll all be spared worry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Wang Lady’s expression shifted slightly: The old lady told her husband to watch over Cong er—could she be softening? What then of my Baoyu?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Mu’s eyes flickered, catching her daughter-in-law’s face; she sighed inwardly and said:”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s only four or five years away. Though he’s a concubine’s son, he won’t be mistreated—then give him a house or two, some land, and send him off to live his own life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Wang Lady breathed easier.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Chun thought: Such an outstanding Cong san-ge, and still he’ll be sent away to live apart—she felt a pang of kinship with his fate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daiyu watched coldly, recalling her own situation, and a fresh sorrow rose in her heart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>New book stage—please follow, collect, and recommend. Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Readers who’ve entered this book, when reading earlier chapters, please click the latest chapter and browse—it helps build reader momentum. New author, new book, hard going—please support us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1425,"2026-06-20T12:19:54.434Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a1af614b0adabefe59e348b8659ffac03388497eaa717b23de6f1870e3434707","my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-36","my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-34",920,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-cover.jpg"]