Chapter 312: Mrs. Xing: When I get fierce, even I scold myself

Jia Jing's expression was solemn; he hadn't expected that an offhand remark would draw unanimous praise from the sisters.

However, upon reflection, this remark comes from the political essay "Reflections Two: Discussion on Relocating the Capital and Establishing Fiefs" by Chen Danran, a late Qing dynasty juren; it indeed had not yet been published, so it's no wonder.

Meanwhile, Jia Mu's aged face kept shifting colors; hearing Tan Chun call it "profound" on the left and Xiang Yun call it "insightful" on the right left her somewhat numb.

Although she knew they didn't mean to target her, she still couldn't hide her feeling of desolation.

Nowadays, does this Rong Guo Mansion still have any room for her, this old matriarch, to speak?

Since this third grandson returned, so many people have switched allegiances, no longer coaxing this old lady for her favor, but instead flocking to fawn over his stinky feet—is there any justice left?

Jia Mu frowned, opened her mouth, breathed lightly while staring at Jia Jing, and finally sighed, a wave of helplessness welling up inside her.

Given Jia Jing's current status and his aloof, unyielding nature toward elders, Jia Mu truly has no way to deal with him.

The last time Jia Jing returned after being ennobled as a marquis, she still thought she could somewhat restrain him.

But now he has been made a first-class duke, established this awe-inspiring feat that shakes the world, and even the emperor in the palace shows him three parts of respect,

What can she, an old lady with a high status at home, possibly do to him!

Although filial piety is indeed very important in the Da Han Empire, even said to outweigh all other morals, not even a corrupt minister in the court is known to be unfilial!

But this thing is ultimately nominal and empty; as long as Jia Jing doesn't go overboard, she cannot blame him for being unfilial!

After all, as a first-class Duke of Jingguo who has served the nation, brought glory to his ancestors, and wields tremendous power, how could just anyone lightly insult him!

Thinking this, Jia Mu involuntarily felt a surge of defeat, her expression grim as she waved her hand and said:

"Forget it! Do as you like, think as you like! Anyway, you always have your own reasoning!"

"Whether it's mansion affairs or clan matters, just make your own decisions; you don't need to tell me, this foolish old hag!"

"From now on, don't talk about straightening out the clan; even if you later rise in office and, relying on your power, toss aside all my Jia family's elders and old acquaintances, I won't utter another word of complaint!"

Jia Mu's words were full of helplessness and complaint; evidently she was too lazy to bother with this third grandson's meddling.

Of course, she hadn't originally intended to intervene, but as the conversation drifted to this point, being scolded a few times by Jia Jing with "foolish" made her a bit heated, prompting her to speak up to dissuade him.

Upon hearing this, Jia Jing glanced at Jia Mu and secretly thought: Indeed, this Red Chamber world lives up to its reputation for cryptic prophecies.

Jia Mu's offhand remark will surely come true before long.

He has already been secretly preparing to rectify the martial officials of Shenjing; when the time comes, many of the Jia Mansion's elders and old acquaintances who are cleared out will surely not be few.

However, this matter differs from the minor affair of tidying up the clan; Jia Jing naturally won't leak even a hint of it now.

Jia Jing lifted his teacup, calmly sipping tea, and did not continue to press Jia Mu.

Speaking of which, his taking Jia Mu as a raft upon returning to the mansion also serves, in a way, to warn the women of the inner quarters of both mansions not to cause trouble—like killing a monkey to scare the chickens.

After all, during his absence from the mansion, some people there have lived too comfortably, their petty schemes and tricks constantly emerging; to some extent they fail to see the situation clearly and lack reverence.

Frequently giving them a shake—making their faces flush, sweat pour, bells ring, breezes blow—is more conducive to long-term peace and stability within the Jia Mansion.

The hall fell silent for a moment; the candle flame burst into a flower, crackling, especially crisp in the quiet.

Yuan Yang poked half her body in from outside the door, somewhat startled by the low pressure inside the hall, and whispered:

"Sir, matriarch, the tables are set; are we ready to eat?"

Jia Mu said nothing; she was already full of anger, and even if mountain delicacies and sea flavors were laid before her, she couldn't eat!

Jia Jing rose to his feet, the lower hem of his python robe draping down, casting a shadow in the candlelight, and nodded,

to Yuan Yang, saying:

"Set out the meal; everyone's probably hungry."

Following Jia Jing's instructions, the maids and servants began arranging tables and chairs, serving dishes and laying out wine.

This time, since Jia Jing had specifically instructed not to make a big fuss and to keep things simple, it therefore wasn't overly extravagant.

Even Jia Baoyu, Jia Lan, Jia Huan and others still studying in the clan school— the youths of both mansions—did not return.

After the banquet had been enjoyed, unnoticed, night fell, and everyone subsequently reseated themselves to chat.

Jia Mu's mood had somewhat recovered; sitting on the upper bed, with Yuan Yang massaging her head, she sighed:

"Now the Dong Fu is to be stripped of its rank; afterwards, only the Rong Guo Mansion will remain of the two Rong-Ning mansions—I truly don't know how, a hundred years from now, to explain myself to the two dukes of Rong and Ning!"

Feng Jie's phoenix eyes, beneath her willow-leaf brows, shifted; her lips, painted with rouge, moved as she soothed:

"Matriarch, you needn't worry overly; although the Dong Fu's rank is gone, haven't we also gained the Jingguo Duke's mansion of the third brother?"

"The title of Jingguo Duke held by the third brother isn't just a nominal honor— isn't it actually superior to the Ning Guo Fu?"

"I reckon that, when ancestral sacrifices are held in the future, the forebears will all be puzzled, wondering when the Ning Guo Fu changed its name to Jingguo Fu."

Feng Jie's remark was amusing, causing everyone in the hall to break into low laughter for a moment.

Jia Mu glared at Feng Jie; the old lady still harbored some resentment, having just been backstabbed by Feng Jie, so she couldn't easily let go.

She laughed and scolded:

"You wretched good-for-nothing, even the ancestors can be made fun of!"

Feng Jie chuckled as she walked over to Jia Mu's side and said:

"The ancestors are such broad-minded people, just like you, old lady; they're great figures capable of holding a boat in their bellies—how could they quarrel with a wretched good-for-nothing like me?"

"Besides, after all, we have the third brother's prestige here."

"The ancestors, knowing the family has produced such a promising junior, would surely be delighted—how could they bother to quarrel with an ignorant woman like me who lacks worldly experience?"

Feng Jie once again displayed high emotional intelligence, with one sentence praising both Jia Mu and Jia Jing, while also lifting up the ancestors!

To be frank, as long as she doesn't have to choose between Jia Mu and Jia Jing, Feng Jie is still happy to dress in colorful clothes to entertain her parents and cheer Jia Mu up!

Mrs. Xing, standing nearby, had long intended to flatter Jia Jing a bit; seeing this scene, she felt an opportunity arise, her mind racing, and she laughed as she chimed in:

"If the ancestors knew that Ning Guo Fu's third-rank general had been swapped for Jing'er, this first-class duke, they'd probably wish our Rong Guo Mansion were also stripped of its rank!"

Everyone hearing this froze in expression— … Is this really kind words?

Although the inner meaning also has a few good points, the stripping of Ning Guo Fu's rank is not merely the loss of a title.

The heirs of Ning Guo Fu, Jia Zhen and Jia Rong, were also exiled, and Jia Zhen even nearly faced execution!

If someday Rong Guo Mansion is also stripped of its rank, that would inevitably mean it has done something wrong.

Even if we could bring back a first‑rank duke, the fates of Jia She, Jia Lian, Feng Jie, and even Jia Mu would probably not be good!

Upon further thought, it seems that Mrs. Xing herself, as the matriarch of the main household, would also be hard to escape responsibility!

So, does this mean that Mrs. Xing, with a single sentence, directly offended Jia Mu and Feng Jie, and even ended up berating herself?