Chapter 132

Jia Jing walked ahead of Yuan Yang, looking at the sky beyond the corridor eaves, and his tone grew ever more solemn and firm:

"I act without seeking anyone's understanding; I only demand that I be true to my heart."

"The internal reorganization of the household is to keep the family from falling! The battles on the frontier are to prevent the state from tipping."

"When the family and nation are unsettled, one must cut away the rotten flesh with a sharp blade and rescue the peril with iron‑blooded resolve."

"I can bear scornful names, I can be stained with blood; as long as the Jia Family's foundation does not collapse, as long as the Da Han Empire's borders remain peaceful, and the nation stays strong…"

"Even if one day I am condemned by ten thousand people, it will not be in vain of my life's ambition!"

"... If it serves the nation's life and death, I will not shun it because of fortune or misfortune. This decisive, ruthless resolve you may not comprehend!"

Jia Jing's expression was somewhat complex; these words were not only spoken to Yuan Yang, but also served to reaffirm his own philosophy of governing the family and the state.

The Jia Family's reorganization was still a minor matter, involving only a few hundred people within the household.

Given the situation of the Da Han Empire, to turn the tide, revive the nation's strength, reform the bureaucracy, and pursue vigor, the number of future deaths would far exceed ten thousand, perhaps a hundred thousand.

Only then would the heads truly roll in countless numbers, and the heavens and earth would change color.

Without iron‑blooded resolve and steadfast belief, such great deeds could never be accomplished!

But if these matters are left undone, the world will later collapse, millions of civilians will die, and even the divine lands may sink, surnames and attire will be changed, the nation will perish along with the world.

Governing a family is like governing a state; if the family enterprise does not prosper and the nation is not vigorous, his iron‑blooded original intention will not change a iota.

"Today I speak these words to you not to explain anything, but merely to gauge your loyalty; since the matter has arisen, I tell you so you may hear it."

"You have your duty to protect the matriarch, and I have my responsibility to safeguard the family and the nation; though our paths differ, our protective hearts are the same."

Yuan Yang listened to Jia Jing's words, and her heart was greatly stirred.

Although she did not grasp everything, she could feel the generous bearing, the steadfast masculine heroism, and the faint sighs that no one else could understand in his tone.

It was a feeling she had never experienced from the other men in the household, and for the first time she gained a renewed understanding of the three characters "great man" in the books.

She suddenly realized that the young man before her bore not only the rise and fall of a single family, but also the survival of an entire clan, and perhaps even the nation's security.

Yuan Yang's jade-like face froze, her emotions roiled, and she stared blankly at Jia Jing's rugged profile.

Her heart also surged with a previously unknown, complex stirring, mingled with a hint of affection she herself might not even have realized.

She had originally harbored some reservations about Jia Jing's sharp rebuke of Jia Mu today, but now she had none at all, only reverence.

She knelt again on the ground, this time with solemn bowing:

"Lord, your efforts are evident to heaven and earth! I, your servant… I previously spoke recklessly, meddled in family affairs, failed to appreciate your toil; I beg you to punish me…"

Jia Jing helped her to her feet, his tone softened:

"When you return, take several boxes of calming incense from my courtyard and light them for the matriarch each night as she rests."

"They are imperial-made items; I believe they will help the matriarch settle her mind. If she has any worries in daily life, she may inform me as well."

"The matriarch is advanced in years; let her spend her later years in Rong Qing Tang with fewer worries."

Yuan Yang rose, nodded, and seeing Jia Jing already walking forward without a word, she steadied her mood, her complexion brightened, and she hurriedly kept pace.

Under the corridor eaves, Jia Jing's silhouette stood as solitary as a pine, with Yuan Yang's figure close behind, forming a picturesque scene.

……

They passed the Inner Ritual Gate and circled past several artificial hill clusters.

Soon, the two arrived before Lin Daiyu's small courtyard.

At that moment, in the pavilion before Daiyu's courtyard, someone had been waiting for a long time.

"Uncle!"

Qin Keqing was wrapped in a silver‑fox fur cloak, standing in the shadow of the pavilion.

She had been waiting here for nearly half an hour, her pretty face flushed pink, her slender fingers tightly gripping the edge of the cloak.

Seeing Jia Jing and Yuan Yang approach, she looked somewhat uneasy yet with a hint of joy, and called out to Jia Jing.

Only her close maids Baozhu and Ruizhu accompanied her, without the usual crowd of older women and servants.

Hearing the voice, Jia Jing looked over, saw Qin Keqing, furrowed his brows slightly, and asked:

"Rong's sister-in-law, why are you here?"

Jia Jing's tone was calm, yet his gaze held a hint of questioning—what does it mean to see his own face alight with joy?

Jia Jing did not think Qin Keqing was there to see Lin Daiyu; if she wanted to see her, she should have done so already, and besides, why wait here without entering the courtyard to see Lin Daiyu?

When Qin Keqing heard Jia Jing's question, she lifted her eyes cautiously, waterlight shimmering in them, and said softly:

"Niece-in-law… I have some matters to seek uncle about."

Saying so, she glanced again at Yuan Yang beside Jia Jing.

Yuan Yang, bright-eyed and quick-witted, immediately understood that Qin Keqing had a private matter to tell Jia Jing.

Although she felt that a niece-in-law speaking privately with her uncle was unseemly, it was a matter between masters, and as a maid she could not intervene.

Yuan Yang smiled and said:

"I'll first go see Miss Lin; the matriarch is concerned about her condition. If I finish early, I can report back to the matriarch so she won't worry."

Having finished, without waiting for Jia Jing or Qin Keqing to nod, Yuan Yang walked alone into Lin Daiyu's small courtyard.

When Yuan Yang walked away, Qin Keqing looked at Jia Jing's tall, upright figure and spoke again:

"Uncle, may I have a moment to speak?"

Qin Keqing's speech was measured, with a hint of inquiry, yet the knuckles gripping the cloak had already whitened.

Jia Jing did not answer immediately; he examined the woman praised as the "most beautiful in the Red Chamber."

Although he had seen her a few times before, it was always in public view, and as a younger brother‑in‑law he could not scrutinize his niece‑in‑law closely.

Now, looking closely, she indeed possessed a few striking features, a graceful complexion, and a lithe figure.

Between her brows and eyes there was a natural, flowing elegance that seemed gentle and compliant, yet carried a few distinct charms unlike others.

In appearance she resembled Xiangling to some degree, but Xiangling gave him a sense of childish loveliness.

Yet Qin Keqing bore a touch of bewitching charm, her figure graceful and slender, especially her eyes hinting at wistful pity, making one involuntarily want to cherish and protect her.

Judging by appearance alone, even Daiyu and Baichai, compared to her, lack a bit of the allure of a mature woman.

Among the women of the Jia Mansion, Qin Keqing truly counts as having the utmost beauty.

Jia Jing sighed inwardly: such outstanding looks, yet lacking a matching family background and means, it's no wonder Jia Zhen disregards secular propriety, insisting on carrying on an affair with this daughter-in-law.

Having thought this through, Jia Jing already understood Qin Keqing's intent.