Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 274 The Patriarch's Inheritance

Rongxi Hall, three main rooms in the east corridor.

The big kang by the window in the room was covered with scarlet fur, and there were two bright red money python-patterned backrests and an azure money python-patterned pillow.

Jia Zheng and Mrs. Wang sat on the left and right sides of the big kang respectively. In front of the kang was an armchair with a silver and red flower-sprinkled chair, on which Jia Cong sat quietly.

Jia Cong will set off for the north tomorrow, so he came today to say goodbye to Jia Zheng and Mrs. Wang.

Mrs. Wang knew that when Baoyu, Jia Huan and others came here, they were usually instructed or even scolded by the master. They usually stood and never sat down.

But when Cong came in, the master had already arranged a seat for him. He treated him better than his own son.

But it's no wonder, this kid is really capable. He has become a sixth-rank official at such a young age. I have never heard of such a thing before.

The master found in this boy all the things that he had been seeking for a long time in Baoyu.

Mrs. Wang looked at Jia Cong who was sitting quietly, with a kind expression on her face, but she felt an indescribable feeling in her heart.

My Baoyu will be old enough to dance with elephants in a few years, but he has not even entered school. If he could have half the hard work of this boy, I would be content...

……

Jia Zheng twirled his beard with his right hand, his eyes warm as he asked, "Cong'er, you will be heading north on a mission tomorrow. Have you finished the things you were preparing for?"

"Master, rest assured. I have already completed all the necessary matters in the past two days. It will be easy to set off tomorrow."

Jia Zheng continued, “You are going north to a place of war this time. Although you are accompanying Minister Gu on a border patrol, there is no danger as usual, but you must not be careless.

Naturally, doing the king's business well is the most important thing, but there is another important thing, which is to leave safely and return safely.

I went to the armory at home and found a set of blue rhinoceros armor. Back then, my grandfather followed the late emperor in the northern campaign to wipe out the remnants of Mongolia and made great contributions, so the late emperor gifted him this precious armor.

Later, it was passed to Grandpa. I heard that it was made of the carapace of the rare Western beast Qingxi, which can protect against swords, spears and arrows. You should carry it with you just in case. "

As he said this, he asked Caiyun to bring a bulging package to Jia Cong, which should contain the green rhinoceros armor.

When Mrs. Wang heard what Jia Zheng said, her expression changed. She had been married into the Jia family for so many years, so naturally she knew a lot of old stories in the family.

This blue rhinoceros armor is a treasure bestowed upon the Jia family by the late Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. It has been passed down through several generations of dukes and is almost a symbol of the head of the family.

The master was also confused. He wanted to give Cong'er something to defend himself. There were many pieces of armor in the family's arsenal, so why did he only give him this one?

Cong'er is just a bastard's son. If this gets out, it will cause rumors. This is the inheritance of the head of the family. Only my Baoyu is qualified to get it.

Although Mrs. Wang would not say anything to offend her master in person, the look in her eyes when she looked at Jia Cong was somewhat gloomy.

Jia Cong did not take the package, saying, "Master, this is a treasure bestowed upon the Jia family by the late emperor, and it has been used by successive great masters. Cong is only a concubine's son, how can he accept it?"

Only Brother Lian or Baoyu would like to have this thing, otherwise it would cause gossip and disappoint the master's kindness."

After hearing what he said, Jia Zheng felt a little emotional.

Brother Cong is about your age, but he is open-minded, polite, and knows when to advance and retreat. This is a more rare quality than natural talent and literary talent. He is a talent of the Jia family.

The more Jia Cong refused, the more Jia Zheng felt that he was doing the right thing.

"You shouldn't be too self-deprecating. Your biological mother was posthumously conferred an imperial decree by the emperor. This is a great favor. Although you are a concubine's child, you are not much worse than a legitimate child.

Your second brother is not a bad person, but he is only good at doing secular work. It is impossible for him to be an official or engage in military affairs, so he cannot use this precious armor.

As for Baoyu, humph, he is the same age as you, and it has been many years since he started learning, but he can't even read the Four Books clearly. How can he wear the Qingxi armor if he is given it?"

……

When Mrs. Wang heard this, she spun the rosary in her hand quickly and said, "Baoyu is still young. Master, please teach him more. He will eventually become sensible and make progress."

Jia Cong laughed dryly in his heart. If Jia Zheng said this in front of Lady Wang, it would definitely be reported to you, Grandmother Jia. Wouldn't this bring hatred upon himself again?

So he said, "Master, don't worry. Studying and going to school are different for different people. Baoyu is smart and talented. If he studies hard for two years, it will not be difficult for him to go to school.

Master, your kindness is great. Cong thanks you very much for your gift." He was afraid that Jia Zheng would get angry and say something unpleasant to Baoyu, setting himself up for trouble, so he simply accepted the armor and took the package from Caiyun.

Jia Cong did this because he didn't want to deepen Mrs. Wang's jealousy. The women from wealthy families like her sometimes have darker minds than men.

This trip to the north is not short, and she has no way to deal with herself. It would be very convenient for her to take advantage of her absence to attack the maid in Qingzhizhai.

By then, I will be out of reach and will have to be on guard.

When Mrs. Wang saw Jia Cong accept the green rhinoceros armor, she felt a sense of loss in her heart, thinking that things that belonged to Baoyu were gradually falling into the hands of this boy.

But Jia Cong had just spoken for Baoyu, so it was not easy for her to stop him.

I just feel that this guy is becoming more and more weird. No matter what happens when I encounter him, I am always restricted and things will get out of control in the end.

The old lady said that he had a hard fate, which was absolutely true. He was also very eloquent and always had the advantage in everything, and no one could stop him...

Jia Zheng said, "You are now in the Ministry of War and in charge of the Firearms Bureau. You have strayed a little from the right path of a civil official. I regret it.

With your literary and artistic talent, it is certain that you will enter the cabinet in the future. However, since it is the grace of His Majesty, both civil and military affairs are related to state affairs.

Apart from you, I’m afraid that the other children in the family will not be able to succeed…”

When Mrs. Wang heard this, her eyelids twitched again. She thought that this must also include Baoyu. My Baoyu is just too young, how can he not succeed...

But she didn't think about it. Jia Cong and Baoyu are of the same age, one has achieved great success in everything, while the other is still hanging around in the inner house. How could Jia Zheng like Baoyu?

……

In fact, Jia Zheng knew the meaning of this blue rhinoceros armor, and he had his own reasons for doing so.

When the Rong Kingdom was passed down to the Wen family, the two brothers, he and Jia She, were both mediocre in talent and could only barely support their family by relying on the legacy left by their ancestors.

The wasted generation could still get by, but when it came to the Yu generation, Jia Lian, Baoyu, Jia Huan and other children were even worse than the previous generation.

The Ningguo family was simply stripped of their titles and their property was confiscated.

The grace of a gentleman is cut off after five generations. If two generations in a row are so decadent, Jia Zheng is worried whether the ancestral business of Rongguo can be passed on.

Fortunately, three years ago, the first wife had a child like Cong Ge'er. It was the blessing of the ancestors that gave birth to such a talented child.

As a father, he also has selfish motives. He also wants his Baoyu to inherit the family business, but he also knows that if the family business is really passed on to Baoyu, it will only decline faster...

As the heir of the Rong Kingdom, how could he have the face to meet his ancestors after his death?

"I gave you the Blue Rhinoceros Armor because you will choose the path of martial arts in the future. I hope you can inherit the power of your ancestors and bring glory to the Jia family's military achievements again!"

In fact, Jia Cong had no interest in bringing honor to the Jia family, but he was still very grateful for Jia Zheng's kindness to him.

"Cong will definitely do his best to live up to the master's expectations!"

……

After Jia Cong left Rong Xi Tang, he walked around the rooms of Daiyu and other sisters to say goodbye.

When Daiyu saw him coming, her eyes were red, but as they were about to leave, she didn't want to upset him, and she didn't cry until she saw Jia Cong leave.

Tanchun was charming and generous. Although she felt a little sad, she was not heartbroken. She just said that when he returned, it might be March, and she would host a poetry gathering and fly kites!
Yingchun was a gentle and taciturn person. Although she was reluctant to let her brother go, she knew that he was a capable person and could not be kept at home. Such things would happen frequently in the future, so she just let him go early and come back early.

When Jia Cong passed by Lixiangyuan, he thought about it and decided to go in and say goodbye to Baochai.

When he entered Qingzhizhai, he saw that the gate was ajar, as if waiting for him to come back.

It snowed for half a day, and the gap between the doors was filled with snow. It took some effort to push the door open, and it made a slight creaking sound.

After entering the yard, I saw bright candlelight coming from the window frames of the main house and several graceful figures walking back and forth, and my heart felt slightly warmed.

(End of this chapter)