Chapter 317

At Rong Qing Hall,

Thus Qingqing Hall is Rong Qing Tang.

Jia Jing's word of praise to Baichai drew countless probing and assessing gazes.

But Jia Jing seemed unaware, his expression calm, and he continued unhurriedly:

"In our martial family, those who inherit the title must first and foremost possess abundant martial virtue!"

"Only descendants of the Rong and Ning houses who have fought on the battlefield and earned military merit have any chance to inherit the Dong Fu title!"

"If a martial house discusses morality instead of martial virtue when inheriting its title, that puts the cart before the horse!"

"Hmm! I reckon Third Brother means the same!"

Baichai's snow‑fair face brightened a little, and her round, jade‑like voice carried a hint of gentleness.

Third Brother must have understood his own feelings, so his response could hardly fail to be an acknowledgment of them!

Being well‑read and knowledgeable surely isn't inferior to natural cleverness, right?

"Do we really have to go to the battlefield, kill and earn merit, just to have a chance to inherit the title? Isn't this demand too high?"

Jia Mu's expression shifted slightly, and she questioned in a hoarse voice.

She had no mind to pay attention to the youngsters' vague romance, but found Jia Jing's inheritance demand somewhat difficult!

Such a stringent requirement not only completely excluded Jia Baoyu, but also made the inheritance matter full of uncertainties!

If no one can meet this requirement, will the Ning Guo Fu title simply remain vacant, with no one to inherit it?

Jia Jing took a sip of tea and spoke calmly:

"Grandmother, you can't view the family with outdated eyes; perhaps in the past the younger generation struggled to meet this condition!"

"But now the clan school has hired renowned teachers to instruct the juniors in the classics, literature, and martial arts."

Given time, talented individuals who excel both in literature and martial arts will surely emerge; how could the dozens of juniors from our Jia family's Shenjing Eight Houses all be mediocre?

Having said that, Jia Jing paused, pointed to Lady Li beside him, and said:

Besides, isn't Lan'er a fine example? At his young age, I hear he has already passed this year's Shuntian Prefecture county examination.

Although he stumbled at the prefectural exam, with continued effort, seeing his name on the golden list is merely a matter of time!

Jia Lan took the county exam in February and the prefectural exam in April this year at the Shuntian Prefecture in Shenjing,

Originally he just wanted to try it out to gain experience, without any real hope.

Unexpectedly, his county exam score was good enough to pass outright; he fell just short of the prefectural exam, but his score was still respectable!

This also counts as a modest but notable piece of good news for the Rong Guo Mansion recently.

Although the county exam is merely a minor test, it at least marks the first step on the path of the civil service examinations!

Upon hearing that Jia Lan had made the list, Jia Zheng was overjoyed, tears streaming down his face, and he called him 'our family's qilin grandson'!

Afterward, he paid even more attention to Jia Lan, frequently inquiring about his studies, showing concern for his comfort, and caring for him wholeheartedly!

At this moment, upon hearing Jia Jing's words, Jia Mu's expression showed a touch of sentiment, her heart filled with both joy and worry.

Naturally, the joy came from her great‑grandson Jia Lan achieving such results, which also pleased her greatly.

The worry stemmed from the fact that her great‑grandson, still so young, had already passed the county exam.

Meanwhile, Jia Baoyu, of the uncle generation, has accomplished nothing, making him look rather inadequate by comparison!

Jia Mu turned her gaze to Lady Li beside her; the young woman's face was like a silver plate, her skin white and delicate, her brows and eyes gentle and harmonious, without a hint of sharpness.

Her stature was moderate, her shoulders and back upright, and her every movement bore an air of chaste composure and propriety.

"Lan'er is indeed fine; he works hard, and his mother has raised him well!" After a brief silence, Jia Mu praised Lady Li in those words.

As for Lady Li, the eldest grandson's wife, Jia Mu still held a special respect and fondness for her!

Not only because Lady Li came from a distinguished official family in Jinling—her father Li Shouzhong once served as chief librarian of the Imperial Academy, a family of refined scholarly lineage—

but also because, widowed in her early twenties, she could uphold wifely duty as steadfastly as withered wood and dead ash, embodying the 'chaste and heroic' ideal praised by contemporary society.

The original text also plainly states: Jia Mu has long liked Lady Li for her virtue and youthful chastity, which inspires reverence.

Consequently, Lady Li's financial treatment in the Jia household is exceptionally generous, amounting to nearly five times Wang Xifeng's income.

For example, her monthly stipend was specially raised to twenty taels, equal to that of Jia Mu and Lady Wang, plus she receives rent from the garden lands and annual dividends.

This blatant favoritism serves both as an open compensation from Jia Mu for the loss suffered by widowed mothers, and as a model for future generations on how to treat widows kindly.

Meanwhile, Tan Chun, who had been holding a teacup and sipping tea quietly, heard Jia Jing and Jia Mu mention Jia Lan's affairs.

She raised her eyebrows, smiled, and interjected softly:

"Lan'er is indeed splendid; he has opened a promising start for the family's juniors on the path of the civil service exams!"

"After he passed the county exam this year, I, following Third Brother's intention, awarded him thirty taels of silver from the household."

"The money is for his study expenses, and all his examination‑period costs are covered by the household."

This is the task Jia Jing set for Tan Chun when he put her in charge of household affairs: to strongly support the juniors who excel in study and martial arts, and to provide them with a favorable environment for progress.

Lady Li, upon hearing this, nodded and smiled, thanking:

"Recently, Third Miss went to great trouble; when Lan'er set out for his exam, she even arranged for a servant and a maid to attend to his daily needs along the way."

"She prepared food and writing supplies for the examination site, leaving nothing to chance! Lan'er's lucky pass was thanks to her great effort!"

Tan Chun's mouth curled up, a hint of smile in her eyes, and she said:

"Sister‑in‑law, saying that makes you sound distant; Lan'er is one of our Jia family's juniors—when he does well, I also share in the glory."

"Those are merely part of my duty; what's there to thank for?"

"Besides, I'm only following Third Brother's orders, hoping Lan'er will study well, enter officialdom through the exams, and bring honor to our gate."

Tan Chun spoke eloquently, and Lady Li did not engage in excessive pleasantries with her.

San Chun, Daiyu, and the other young nieces used to be under her care, and they all share a deep affection.

Lady Li then bowed again to Jia Jing and spoke softly:

"His third uncle, Lan'er's academic progress owes much to the fine teachers you invited to the clan school."

Lan Ge'er came back and told me, the professor who teaches him the classics and righteousness, Qin Juren, is erudite and conscientious; the professor who teaches archery and martial arts, Lin the instructor, is also a capable person with real talent.

Although the clan school's lessons are now ten times tighter than before, what one learns is also ten times more.

Moreover, the atmosphere of the clan school has completely changed; compared to before, it's literally a world of difference.

Li Wan's face showed gratitude; she carefully weighed her words, and the white hand hidden in her sleeve kept wringing the handkerchief.

Although she was mindful of Jia Mu and Lady Wang's feelings, she didn't say much.

But her words clearly expressed admiration for Jia Jing's rectification of the clan school!

Meanwhile, Xiang Yun, hearing Li Wan's words, flashed a mischievous look on her apple-shaped face, patted Lin Daiyu's arm, and said with a smile:

"There's a martial arts‑savvy instructor Lin in the clan school..."

Lin Daiyu's starry eyes flickered; she gave her a white-eyed glance and couldn't be bothered to respond!