Chapter 474: then the title translation, then ===GLOSSARY=== then list of named entities

In Rong Qing Tang,

Jia Mu's smile had already faded; she had thought that Nan'an Imperial Consort and Dongping Heir Apparent's Consort were merely coming to ask for a favor, hoping she would intercede on Jia Jing's behalf,

Little did she expect that beneath the words lay hidden barbs, seeming to carry blame and even veiled mockery.

This made her somewhat uncomfortable; no matter how reckless her third grandson was, he was still family—she could scold him, but for outsiders to come in and speak with sarcasm was simply rude!

One must say, this is the difference between Jia Mu and Lady Wang: although both dote on Jia Baoyu as their treasure, Jia Mu's stance as a Jia family member is firm, with a clear 'Jia-first' consciousness.

This is clearly evident in the original text.

For example, the Shi family is Jia Mu's natal family; she feels affection for them, and Shi Xiangyun was raised by her own hands.

Yet, in terms of substantive family interests, a search through the whole book shows Jia Mu never used any Jia Mansion resources to subsidize the Shi family, even though the Shi family's finances have always been strained.

Moreover, Jia Mu's attitude toward the Wang family is thought‑provoking: Lady Wang is her daughter‑in‑law, Wang Xifeng is her most beloved granddaughter‑in‑law, so by rights the Wang family should hold a high position in the Jia Mansion.

Yet Jia Mu consistently kept a subtle distance from the Wang family; whenever they held banquets or celebrations, she never wished to attend.

This is because she clearly sees that the Wang family has infiltrated the Jia Mansion through marriage, leveraging Jia political resources to supplant the Jia family's foremost position among the four great families, thereby somewhat damaging Jia interests.

Her face darkened, and Jia Mu spoke coldly:

«These are nothing but the gossip of those foul‑mouthed, long‑tongued women outside, slandering my Jia Jing. »

«Although I am a woman of the inner quarters and know nothing of state affairs, I still understand reason! »

«I have also heard of the matter concerning the two sons of the Jiang and Shi families; they were executed for disobeying orders and violating military law in the Twelfth Regiment Camp—there is nothing to criticize, for the army has its own rules. »

«I recall the late Duke of Rong often saying that military law is as immovable as a mountain, allowing no favoritism. If even one's own kin were to break the law and be let off, how could a commander ever lead troops? How could battles be fought? »

«The Imperial Consort and the Heir Apparent's Consort, too, come from military families and are sensible people; surely they understand this even better than I! »

Lifting her teacup to moisten her throat, Jia Mu shifted her tone, adding a touch of deeper meaning:

«As for the Virtuous Consort's affair, it was her own ignorance of her place—a woman of the inner quarters who meddled in state affairs, angered the emperor, and was thus banished to the cold palace; what does that have to do with Jia Jing? »

«For us women, minding our own household is our duty; stretching our hands too far only invites disaster upon ourselves. »

«As for the extermination of those two families, I also feel it a pity, but it cannot be blamed on Jia Jing! »

«If they truly had any grievance or dissatisfaction toward Jia Jing, they could simply submit a memorial to the emperor, ask the court to investigate thoroughly, and seek justice openly. »

«Yet they neither sought an audience nor filed a memorial; instead they secretly colluded with civil officials, hired assassins, and struck in Shenjing—is that what an innocent family ought to do? »

«Their fate of utter extermination was not brought upon them by Jia Jing; they themselves paved the road to ruin. »

After a brief pause, Jia Mu gathered her thoughts and continued:

«To claim that Jia Jing's official rank was climbed upon the corpses of old friends is utterly baseless. »

«He defeated the False Qing in Liaodong, destroyed the Northern Yuan in the Northwest, sealed the Wolf's Lair, and won ten battles out of ten— which of these is not genuine military merit? Which is not plain for all to see? If anyone says Jia Jing's rank was dyed red with someone's blood, it is the blood of the enemy and his own! »

Perhaps under Jia Jing's influence she has made progress; her rebuttal now is reasoned, evidence‑based, and rings true.

She even subtly pointed at mulberry while cursing locust, speaking between the lines: not only did she cite the late Duke of Rong as endorsement, she also used the Virtuous Consort's affair to hint that Nan'an Imperial Consort and Dongping Heir Apparent's Consort neglect their duties as women of the inner quarters.

Faced with Jia Mu's words, the Nan'an Imperial Consort, mature and shrewd, showed no change in expression.

The Dongping Heir Apparent's Consort, however, was a bit inexperienced; her face flickered between pale and flushed, and she hurriedly protested:

«It's just outside gossip; I was only telling the old lady for her reference—please don't misunderstand! I've never been a talkative person! »

Jia Mu's face grew sombre, as if she were about to say something:

«I know your character! »

Seeing that she gained nothing from this, the Nan'an Imperial Consort fell silent for a moment, her eyes flickering, and she spoke in a hoarse voice:

«The affairs of the Duke of Shan Guo's mansion and the Pingyuan Marquis's mansion are past and need not be spoken of! But now, regarding the three military orders from the Bureau of Military Affairs, shouldn't Jia Jing give them more thought? »

«This is not alarmist talk; yesterday, when those three military orders were issued, the entire military establishment of Shenjing was in an uproar, all saying they were digging up their roots and driving people to desperation. »

«When I came to the mansion today, I saw many Guard Post officers and Shenjing military personnel causing a disturbance before the gates of the Ministry of War and the Five Military Governor's Office! »

«Military matters are never trivial; if they spark mutiny or rebellion, the aftermath will be ugly. »

As for why they do not go to the Bureau of Military Affairs to protest, it is simply because that bureau lies within the Imperial City, where ordinary people cannot enter!

Noticing Jia Mu's expression shift slightly, the Nan'an Imperial Consort continued with a hint of deeper meaning:

«Surely you, elder sister, are aware of the recent disturbance in the Jingying camp—the case of Vice Minister Wang and the Young Master Zhen of Ning Guo Fu is a recent warning! »

This is nothing but picking at a sore wound and issuing a warning!

The Jingying camp's reorganization sparked mutiny, Wang Ziteng was stripped of office and dismissed, and the heir of Ning Guo Fu lost his title and was exiled—you surely do not wish history to repeat itself!

Just then, the Princess Consort of Bei Jing suddenly spoke:

«Imperial Consort, do you only know that Vice Minister Wang's military reorganization failed, yet you are unaware of the Duke of Jing Guo's successful reorganization in the Bashang Daying and the Northwest? The Marquis of Linchuan and others have also caused trouble, though their outcomes…»

«How could Wang Ziteng compare to the Duke of Jing Guo? That's heaven and earth apart! »

The Nan'an Imperial Consort replied without expression:

«Vice Minister Wang is a civil official who speaks of benevolence and righteousness; naturally he lacks the ruthless resolve of Jia Jing! »

«However, now that the investigation of garrison farms is underway, the opposition comprises all Guard Post officers and Shenjing military personnel across the empire; the situation is far more complex and grave, and a single misstep could plunge the realm into chaos! »

«You must know that the Da Han Empire's Guard Posts total over four hundred; assuming each has more than five thousand troops, the Guard Post forces nationwide exceed two million. Even counting only the capital region, there are over a hundred Guard Posts with five to six hundred thousand troops—dealing with their reorganization is no child's play! »

The Nan'an Imperial Consort was clearly well prepared; her words were logical and coherent!

Empress Dowager, your words are mistaken!