Chapter 14: The Sage Says

In the Ningguo Mansion, after breakfast, Shen Ning strolled slowly through her courtyard while listening to You-shi report on the results of Jia Zhen’s overnight efforts.

On the pomegranate tree in the corner of the wall, two magpies chirped as they flew back and forth, free and carefree.

"Lai Sheng’s wife was just dismissed from her post?"

Shen Ning took the ledger from You-shi’s hand, flipped to the end, and tossed it back to her. "Who are you trying to fool with this?"

Everyone else had been caned and their entire families driven back to the estates, yet this wife of Lai Sheng had managed to escape unscathed.

In her opinion, within the Ning and Rong mansions of the Jia family, the Lai family were the greatest parasites.

After the Grand View Garden was built, Mother Lai’s family had acquired a fine courtyard of their own, with servants at their beck and call, and her grandson had even purchased an official title. In the end, even Jia Zheng had to borrow silver from them—and the ridiculous part was, they hadn't even lent it to him.

If it was like that in the Rong Mansion, it was even worse here in the Ning Mansion.

Shen Ning discovered that Lai Sheng’s three sons had also sought the favor of having their slave status removed at birth, which was why there were no Lai family members in Jia Rong’s inner circle.

Had the Lai family long since abandoned the Jia family?

It was laughable that her "good eldest son" still considered them loyal and devoted.

"Qingzhu, get..."

Just as she was about to tell Qingzhu to fetch the ruler Jia Jing often used, she saw Qingping hurry into the courtyard. "Mistress, Master Zheng from the West Mansion is here."

He had come, just as expected.

Shen Ning raised an eyebrow. "Did the Second Mistress come too?"

The Wang family, who had been preparing to have the Jia descendants practice martial arts so they could reclaim the majority of the power within the Jia family’s military influence, should be the first to feel uneasy.

Although Mistress Wang, the Second Mistress, was always a step slow in her reactions, she was meticulous; what she couldn't think of in the moment, she would certainly figure out once she returned home that night.

And as for Jia Zheng...

Shen Ning slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. "Let’s go, let’s go greet them."

You-shi hurried over to support her.

They were all members of the Jia family; there was no need to be overly concerned about avoiding suspicion.

The ceremonial hall outside the second gate had front and rear partitions. Back when Jia Jing was still active, Jia Zheng often came to ask for academic guidance, and Mistress Wang would always accompany him. Naturally, they were still meeting there now.

"Sister-in-law!"

Jia Zheng bowed early.

At over forty years old, he wore a short beard and a light green floral robe. Though his expression was indifferent as he bowed, his voice was exceptionally gentle. Anyone who didn't know him would surely think he was a gentleman as refined as jade.

In terms of appearance, Jia Zheng was leagues ahead of Jia She.

It was no wonder that Mother Jia, who was a bit of a face-value enthusiast, doted on this second son the most.

"Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law, sit!"

When Mistress Wang also bowed, Shen Ning gave her a slight lift. "There was a commotion at the school yesterday, so I guessed that Second Brother would come."

Jia Zheng’s expression cleared slightly. He raised a hand toward the bowing You-shi. "Sister-in-law, I have already heard from Wang-shi about the school reforms." He had just roughly looked over the new school regulations and the reward and punishment system that Jia Zhen had put together, and he felt they were actually quite good. "However, this matter of practicing martial arts under Jiao Da... is highly inappropriate."

"Inappropriate?"

Shen Ning asked with a smile.

"Inappropriate!" Jia Zheng said. "Sister-in-law should have heard from Brother Jing why our brothers' names all contain the character 'Wen' (literary). This was a decision made by our ancestors, and we brothers have all studied literature. How can a place as important as the school allow Jiao Da to teach martial arts?"

"An important place for the school?"

Shen Ning looked at him with a half-smile. "Second Brother, you know what kind of mediocre talent Jia Dairu is, don't you? Even if you didn't know before, since he has been in charge of the school, not a single clansman has achieved anything—you should know by now that he is not suited for the school."

What was he pretending to care for?

Where was this concern before?

"Mencius said, 'When Heaven is about to confer a great office on any man, it first exercises his mind with suffering, and his sinews and bones with toil, and exposes his body to hunger.'"

Shen Ning looked at him. "Since the Sage has said so, what is wrong with letting the children follow Jiao Da for half an hour a day to toughen their bones and strengthen their bodies?"

Jia Zheng: "..."

He had countless rebuttals, but under Shen Ning’s citation of the Sage, he couldn't utter a single word.

"Or is it that Second Brother looks down on Jiao Da, thinking he is just a slave?"

"How could I dare! How could I dare!"

Jia Zheng repeatedly denied it.

Jiao Da had, after all, saved his great-grandfather, the Duke of Ning.

"It is just that Sister-in-law knows the current situation of the Jia family."

He glanced at the servants standing around. When Shen Ning waved her hand, Qingzhu and the others bowed and exited together. "What was agreed upon in the beginning..."

"What was agreed upon?"

Shen Ning’s voice was cold, cutting him off. "It is just letting the children learn some martial arts to strengthen their bodies; it’s not like we are sending them to join the army. What is there to talk about? Or is it..." She glanced at Mistress Wang. "That because the Jia family has abandoned all power in the military, from now on, it is a sin for the clan’s descendants to even go for a run?"

The Jia family’s power in the military had ultimately been seized by Wang Ziteng.

In the eyes of those in power, what did that count for?

Wang Ziteng was a military general; he had been promoted and was in his prime. Why did he die as soon as he fell ill?

If she were the one in the position above, she wouldn't spare these people either.

"Yesterday, everyone reached a consensus. If Second Brother does not agree, then Baoyu and Huan’er need not go to the school, and that five-hundred-tael annual donation..."

Shen Ning paused. "Zhen’er, write a public notice and post it at the clan school: Baoyu and Huan’er are not included."

"Ah?"

Jia Zheng and Mistress Wang’s expressions changed.

Neither of them had expected this eldest sister-in-law to be so blunt and disrespectful.

Post a public notice?

How would the clansmen view them as a couple? How would they view Baoyu?

Neither of them cared much for Jia Huan.

Mistress Wang had never intended to pay that five hundred taels of silver for him.

"This? Second Uncle..."

Jia Zhen was currently terrified of his mother.

You-shi had just given him a look as she entered, clearly showing that his mother was very dissatisfied with how he had handled Lai Sheng’s wife.

"Sister-in-law, I didn't say I didn't agree."

Jia Zheng’s face had turned somewhat pale. "I just came to ask."

Was that what he meant?

That clearly wasn't what he meant at all!

For the first time, Jia Zheng felt that this sister-in-law was difficult to deal with.

"Just asking~"

Shen Ning twirled the jade bracelet on her wrist and switched to a smiling face. "Then I must have misunderstood Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law." Her voice softened. "I know that Second Brother is a scholar, and hearing that Jiao Da is to teach the children martial arts might be hard to accept. But Second Brother should know that the county exam, the prefectural exam, the academy exam, the provincial exam, the metropolitan exam, and the palace exam—except for the final palace exam, the time for each exam is not short. Without a good body, for any one of these exams, one risks losing half their life."

This?

Jia Zheng sighed.

He longed for the imperial examinations; though he had no chance, he knew well that every year, many students in the examination hall were physically unable to cope, fainting and missing their chance at the exams.

"The children have grown up in luxury and have never suffered."

Shen Ning reminded him lightly, "They don't know the hardships of the examination hall, but even if they don't know, we as elders cannot afford not to consider it."

If they had planned ahead and paid attention to Jia Zhu’s health, perhaps he wouldn't have died.

From the original owner’s memories, she knew that Jia Zhu and Yuanchun had both been raised with meticulous care.

If Jia Zhu hadn't died, he would have always been a pillar of support for the Jia family’s daughters.

"Sister-in-law is right."

Jia Zheng hadn't thought of his son Jia Zhu; at this moment, he was thinking of the retired Scholar Shen. He felt a sense of admiration for Shen Ning’s foresight. "Today, Zheng... was rash."

"We are family, why talk of being rash?"

Shen Ning smiled. "Second Brother came to ask because you care about the clan and the school. It’s good that it’s cleared up. Second Sister-in-law, don't you agree?"

"...Yes!"

Mistress Wang lifted the corners of her mouth and smiled softly.

You-shi, watching from nearby, silently lowered her head. She always felt that the look exchanged between her mother-in-law and her second aunt was filled with slaughter.