Chapter 305

At the second gate.

Jia Jing and Daiyu exchanged a few words, after which he instructed that Xiao Jiaoer should not be overly indulged.

He then turned his gaze to the side, where Xue Baichai stood, her skin lustrous and her bearing graceful.

"In the blink of an eye four months have passed; Third Brother, you have endured several campaigns abroad—truly you have worked hard!"

Before Jia Jing could speak, Xue Baichai stepped forward two paces and softly asked a question.

As she walked, the ruby pendant at her ear swayed lightly, its swing exceedingly slight.

Jia Jing's gaze lingered on the ruby pendant and the rouge on Baichai's snow‑white, pear‑blossom‑like face, and a strange feeling stirred in his heart.

Baichai has always been of a nature that is externally simple and internally restrained; she usually dresses plainly, her quarters are modest, presenting to the outside an image of dignity embodied by 'cherishing her beauty and keeping her door closed by day'.

Today's slightly made‑up appearance, coupled with the rare wearing of red ornaments, seems to betray an overly strong desire to please oneself.

Moreover, this proactive gesture of stepping forward to greet, compared with the passive response of Daiyu and others, appears somewhat warmer.

Thinking of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's report on the Xue family, Jia Jing roughly figured it out!

His countenance was calm, his brows slightly relaxed, and he gave a light chuckle, saying:

"To toil for state affairs—what hardship is that? It is merely a bit of wind and frost!"

"Speaking of which, after not seeing each other for several months, I notice that Sister Xue has grown a bit thinner!"

Upon hearing this, Xue Baichai pressed her lips together, the limpid light in her almond eyes shimmering as she fixed her gaze on Jia Jing, about to reply.

Meanwhile, Xiang Yun burst into a clear, cheerful laugh and spoke loudly:

"Third Brother, you are truly heroic! In this great battle in the northwest you pacified the grasslands, overthrew the Northern Yuan, shook the world with your might, and will leave fame for ages."

"Such astonishing achievements, yet you call them merely a bit of wind and frost! If the barbarians of the Northern Yuan and the False Qing heard you say that, they would surely die of shame!"

Xiang Yun, while speaking, walked to Jia Jing's side, one hand resting on his python robe, and she tilted her head to look at him.

Her apple‑shaped face was full of smiles, and, if interested, she continued:

"Third Brother, could you tell me about the fighting in the northwest? I'd like to hear it!"

"Just tell me how you took an enemy commander's head amid ten thousand troops, and about your sealing the rites on Langju Xu Mountain and fixing the Tian Shan with two arrows—would that be alright?"

At this moment Xiang Yun wore a large‑red arrow‑sleeved garment, with two large red silk flowers pinned in her hair, her movements and demeanor showing her unique frankness and openness.

Baichai, seeing her unrestrained manner, could not help but sigh inwardly; she had still wanted to speak a few more words with Jia Jing.

Jia Jing, seeing Xiang Yun's cheerful demeanor, could not help but smile slightly.

Xiang Yun's candid, unpretentious nature is rare among young ladies of this era, and it carries a masculine vigor.

It must be said that, in the original Red Chamber, Shi Xiangyun's character is also one he admires.

Especially the famous scene of Xiang Yun drunk and reclining among the peonies fully reveals her unrestrained generosity and innocent charm.

It is merely a pity that, in the original work, Shi Xiangyun's underlying tone is 'joy amid sorrow'.

This 'heroic, broad‑minded, magnanimous' golden hairpin, in the latter half of her life tasted all the bitterness and humiliation of the world, becoming one of the most shocking sacrifices after the Jia mansion collapsed.

"What are riches and honor? Parents part in infancy. In a blink, the setting sun tilts, the Xiang River flows away, and the Chu clouds fly."

This verdict implies that her happiness after marriage is brief like the 'slanting light', and her good match will ultimately vanish like 'the Xiang River flowing away and the Chu clouds flying'.

In the Bureau of Ill Fate, her name, the verdict, and the song all point to her ultimately experiencing the shattering of family and state and the separation of husband and wife.

She may have had a brief spell of good fortune, but it soon ended in tragedy, and she herself fell to become a boat prostitute or a lowly commoner, as the 1987 TV series set it, or to spend the latter half of her life in displacement.

Although the ending given to her in the 1987 version of the Dream of the Red Chamber TV drama is not necessarily accurate, it is still one of the major possibilities!

In it, it is deduced that after her family's decline, Xiang Yun was sold into becoming a boat prostitute.

After Baoyu left the Prison God Temple, he saw her, stricken, by the riverbank, and the two embraced and wept bitterly.

Even before his transmigration, Jia Jing, upon seeing Shi Xiangyun's such fate, could not help but lament her miserable plight!

Especially that scene where Shi Xiangyun, seeing the destitute Baoyu, repeatedly cries on the boat, 'Beloved brother, ransom me…'—it is somewhat heart‑shaking.

But fortunately, in this life I am here, so her fate will be completely different, including her marriage to Wei Ruolan.

Gazing at Shi Xiangyun's smiling face before him, Jia Jing felt a fleeting sigh in his heart, then laughed and said:

"Let's talk later when we have time! Today it's getting late; we should first go to Rong Qing Tang to see the grandmother!"

Yuan Chun beside him obviously shared this intention, smiling as she replied:

"What Brother Jing says is reasonable; the grandmother and the others are probably anxiously waiting, so let's go over first."

Thus,

The party turned and walked past the second gate, Jia Jing taking Xiao Jiaoer's hand with one hand and Xichun's with the other, heading toward the grandmother's residence!

Dusk gathered from all directions, and the horn‑shaped lamps beneath the halls of Rong Qing Tang had already been lit.

The yellowish light filtered through the gauze, spreading a series of halos on the blue‑brick steps, and was made to sway slightly by the night wind.

Figures moved to and fro, skirts rustling, the lowered voices of speech sounded like distant pond frogs—now you hear one, now you don't.

When Jia Jing and the others arrived at the gate of the grandmother's residence but had not yet entered, they saw Lady Xing, Lady Wang, Aunt Xue, Li Wan, and Feng Jie, among others, already waiting at the door!

Lady Xing stood in front, wearing a stone‑green waistcoat, with gold and silver hairpins, and her face powder was noticeably thicker than usual, giving her a somewhat pallid look.

Lady Wang stood beside Lady Xing, wearing a blue‑satin waistcoat; though she wore a smile, it seemed somewhat forced.

Only when they saw Jia Jing, clad in a python robe and jade belt, being escorted by the crowd, did Lady Xing and the others feel a jolt in their hearts, their expressions slightly moved.

Feng Jie was the first to react; she quickly gestured to the maids and servant women inside the courtyard, and then came a chorus of salutations:

"Welcome home, victorious Duke!"

Then Feng Jie and Li Wan followed with a bow, speaking in sweet voices:

"Congratulations, Third Brother, on your victory and ennoblement as a duke!"

Then Lady Wang and Aunt Xue also slightly lowered themselves, while Lady Xing remained rooted, squeezing out after a while:

"Jing'er, you have returned! You have worked hard…"

Her voice was a little tight, carrying a sense of cautious, ingratiating tone!

Even though Mrs. Xing had already rehearsed this scene many times in her mind—what to say, what to do when she sees Jia Jing, to show closeness.

But now, truly facing their dignified, stern expression, many words suddenly could not be spoken!

Jia Jing walked slowly to the front of the crowd, lightly scanning the people at the courtyard entrance.

Except for Jia Mu, the household's masters had basically all stood at the courtyard entrance to welcome.