[{"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-920":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","My Life as a Rising Force in the Red Chamber",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":12,"novelImage":21},{"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},2311718,4515,"Chapter 920","my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-920",920,"\u003Cp>Rongguo Prefecture, Rongqing Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Mu smiled and said, “Though Cong-ge is not at home, you sisters spend much time by his side and have learned his insight and methods—you can now make firm decisions on major matters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Lin Yatou’s words just now, this response is certainly correct; the matter is settled now. You sisters talk among yourselves—we old folks are no fun to keep company with.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daiyu and Yingchun rose to take their leave. As they passed through the hall’s entrance, Wang Lady said, “Grandmother, must we simply allow Master’s official position to be stripped without resistance?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, Jia Mu’s expression remained unmoved. “I know your thoughts. Even noble houses with hereditary titles face rises and falls—it’s only natural.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You must think more broadly. These past days, since Cong-ge was promoted, relatives and old family connections have been visiting, always speaking of the military supply leak case—it’s grown extremely dangerous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duke Qi, Chen Yi, is the only one among the Eight Dukes still holding his dukedom, and he remains a high official in the Five Military Commissions. His political roots in the bureaucracy are now deeper than Jia’s.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even such a man—his grandson Chen Ruichang was proven guilty of leaking secrets—and within mere days, Emperor himself dismissed Chen Yi from his post as Deputy Commander.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, how could Cong-ge, so young, have risen so swiftly to the rank of Commander? Among old family circles, rumors spread that Chen Yi was escorted back to the capital under Embroidered Uniform Guard escort and may be stripped of his title and demoted.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You see how deeply the Emperor despises military supply leaks. Though Zheng-er was not directly implicated, due to Xue Pan’s involvement, he has still obstructed official affairs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Duke Qi could not escape punishment—how could Zheng-er walk away unscathed? As Lin Yatou said, if Zheng-er is merely demoted and exiled, that’s already walking away whole.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Think long-term. Don’t cling to empty titles. As long as both Eastern and Western Prefectures remain stable, and Zheng-er supports the Second Branch, the whole family will be secure—you won’t suffer greatly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Mu had pierced Wang Lady’s thoughts; her face burned. Her intentions were fully exposed—she dared not utter another word, lest she be utterly humiliated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Mu sighed: “You all once resented me, saying I favored Lin Yatou more than my own granddaughters. Today you’ve heard her words.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This girl comes from a scholarly official family, steeped in poetry and prose. Before she reached marriageable age, she was already so astute and perceptive—her insight surpasses ordinary girls.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among our girls, all fall somewhat short of her. Don’t be fooled by her delicate exterior—she’s fiercely strong-willed inside, and now her temperament has grown brighter and better still.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she becomes a matriarch of a noble house, she may surpass even us. That’s why I wished to betroth her to Baoyu—though fate ultimately denied it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s a pity Lin’s family is a southern scholarly house, long stripped of noble titles, and Ruhai holds office in Yangzhou—Lin has no roots in the capital. What a waste.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who will be lucky enough to win this golden gem of a girl—beautiful, talented, fit for household and family, wise in guiding her husband and raising children? What fortune for him to enjoy such blessings…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Lady’s mind was cold and narrow, her nature stubborn and cruel. She most disliked intelligent, spirited women, seeing them as too clever, lacking propriety, and born restless.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had disliked her sister-in-law Jia Min in the past; now she disliked her daughter Daiyu for the same prejudice. Seeing Jia Mu praise Daiyu excessively, she felt deeply irritated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet she caught the implication in Jia Mu’s words: Jia Mu now valued Cong-ge’s power and considered uniting Lin Yatou with him—but ultimately found it inappropriate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Lin’s family was scholarly, they were confined to the southern frontier with no power base in the capital—thus lacking in merit. Only the Shi family of Baoling Marquis was truly fitting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Shi family in the capital held two marquisates and was Jia Mu’s own natal house. Third Lord Shi Ding was a pillar of the Emperor’s court—only a Jia-Shi marriage could greatly elevate both families’ power.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Lady herself came from a noble house; she understood this obvious truth. Though that boy from the Eastern Prefecture showed signs of imperial betrothal, he still carried the glory of dual noble titles.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grandmother has long schemed to merge the two bloodlines, hoping to unite Jia Cong with Xiangyun—not for one or two days. The Jia and Shi families likely share this unspoken understanding.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To think that her own Baoyu could only marry a merchant’s daughter, while that boy from the Eastern Prefecture enjoyed such glory—choosing among noble daughters and official ladies—truly it was unjust…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bo Marquis’s residence, inner garden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spring breeze drifted gently; the stone path was cool and secluded. Daiyu and Yingchun returned from the Western Prefecture and strolled idly through the inner garden, talking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wore a gold-embroidered, open-front long jacket, a coral-red collar undergarment, and a peach-pink pleated skirt—elegant as orchid and orchid, slender waist, skin like congealed jade, ethereal and delicate, graceful in bearing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yingchun said, “Lin Meimei, according to your words just now, Elder Brother Chen helped greatly. If not for his suggestion that Second Lord submit a self-accusation, Father might have faced grave punishment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cong-di is not at home now, and both Prefectures lack leadership. If matters truly reached that point, when he returns and sees Second Lord in ruin, how heartbroken and anxious he would be.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daiyu replied, “Second Sister, there’s something I didn’t fully reveal to Grandmother just now. Elder Brother Chen’s visit wasn’t merely due to his brotherhood with Third Brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yingchun looked puzzled. “What do you mean, Meimei? Is there some hidden reason behind Elder Brother Chen’s aid?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daiyu said, “You’re unfamiliar with the Chen family, so you wouldn’t think deeper. But Elder Chen once helped Father rise in his career; our families have long been close.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since I’ve lived under Grandmother’s care, Father’s letters often instructed me on affairs in the capital, urging me to absorb the manners of the capital’s elite. He frequently mentioned Minister Chen of the Ministry of Personnel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This elder statesman has weathered many storms in officialdom. During the imperial harem’s upheaval, he was implicated, his career rising and falling repeatedly—until he reached the pinnacle of the Six Ministries. He is a man of meticulous thought and deep bureaucratic skill.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Father says he is experienced, deliberate, never impulsive. Elder Brother Chen’s visit is no small matter—it must have been ordered by the elder statesman.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second Uncle’s guilt in the Feng Yuan case is tied to the military supply leak scandal. Yet the Chen family urged him to submit a self-accusation—this implies hidden interference in governance, even obstruction of the Emperor’s perception.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Chen is a wise man; by reason, he wouldn’t act so aggressively—unless he judged such action harmless. Historically, when officials are investigated and sentenced, authority rests entirely with the Ministry of Personnel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The official document suspending Second Uncle and confining him to his residence must be approved by both the Emperor and the Ministry of Personnel. Former Deputy Commander Chen Yi was already dismissed from his Mongol campaign post due to his grandson Chen Ruichang’s crime.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Third Brother, as the new Deputy Commander, has had his own kin implicated in a major crime. Twice in succession—what face does the Emperor and court retain? What morale remains in the Mongol campaign?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daiyu glanced around, then lowered her voice: “So, Elder Brother Chen’s aid to the household must have been ordered by Elder Chen—and Elder Chen acts under the Emperor’s will…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yingchun was stunned. Then Daiyu added: “The truth must be this—but such words are too dangerous. Rongqing Hall never keeps secrets.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third Brother once said the Western Prefecture is full of spies, and Second Aunt has such a nature—her words and actions cause worry. How could I speak openly? I understand it myself—that’s enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, Second Uncle has had fortune: even if he bears guilt now, no great disaster will follow—ultimately, it’s all due to Third Brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third Brother earned military merit outside the city; the Emperor’s rewards were generous. Now, with Elder Brother Chen’s involvement, it’s clear the Emperor holds great expectations for Third Brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I only hope Third Brother’s path remains smooth—that he wins further glory, returns victorious soon. These household matters are trivial—they’ll vanish like smoke.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>North of the capital, west of Yunyan, Yuanzhou City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sky stretched vast and gloomy; the towering, majestic city stood like a heavenly barrier, stretching east to west, rooted in earth and sky—as if it could halt all earthly tides.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sturdy, weathered walls were pockmarked with scars—marks of arrows and blades. Soldiers on the ramparts stood alert, spears and halberds bristling, bows strung and ready.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below the walls, overturned ladders lay scattered, piled with dead soldiers—each corpse bore a different death: slashed by swords, pierced by arrows, or fallen from great heights.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the fallen bodies, a few Zhou soldiers lay mixed in—each died horribly, slashed and hacked, limbs twisted and broken, killed in hand-to-hand combat as they fell from the ramparts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the heaps of corpses, flaming arrows still burned, searing flesh, sending thick black smoke curling upward, releasing nauseating stench of charred meat and suffocating blood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world was bleak, thick with the scent of slaughter. Human lives were as grass; flesh and blood dissolved into yellow earth. Whether marching to victory or collapsing in defeat, every step was painted with blood.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1599,"2026-06-20T12:19:58.587Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","609f83509aecfd0be4ad2a3a7c984858a8cd4c98a9c8b7858acd55fd24a6e373",null,"my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-919","https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-cover.jpg"]