Dream of the Red Chamber: I can upgrade my entries!

Chapter 1: The World of Dream of the Red Chamber, Entry Upgrade System!
In the sixth year of the Yongping reign, in the capital city, at the Ningguo Mansion, in the backyard.

A tall and slender figure stood silently beneath a pine tree, his face as handsome as jade, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes. He wore a black brocade robe with gold trim and cloud patterns, and a hint of youthful innocence still lingered between his brows.

'The Jia family is not a fraud; their halls are made of white jade, and their horses are made of gold.'

The young man exhaled a long breath, a strange light flashing in his eyes. He never expected to find himself here, in a world that seemed both real and unreal, the Dream of the Red Chamber, becoming Jia Yan, the second legitimate son of the Ningguo Mansion of the Jia family.

In 1644, an irreversible change occurred in this world: Li Zicheng, the rebel leader, entered Beijing, Emperor Chongzhen (Zhu Youjian) hanged himself on Coal Hill, and the country fell into chaos.

Some court officials in the south supported the ascension of the Ming imperial family to the throne and established the Southern Ming. Wu Sangui, the general guarding Shanhaiguan, surrendered to the Later Jin and let the Qing army enter the pass. There were also forces such as the Great Western Army entrenched in Sichuan and Zheng Zhilong occupying the Fujian coast.

An outstanding figure emerged from the Qin clan of Jinling, namely Qin Yu, the founding emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty. He summoned his clan members to become soldiers, and heroes such as Jia Yan and Jia Yuan, Niu Qing, Liu Biao, Chen Yi, Ma Kui, Hou Ming, and Shi Meng joined him. They raised the banner of "Expelling the Tartars and Restoring China" and captured Jinling, sweeping across Jiangnan.

Within a few years, he pacified the Southern Ming, the Shun army, and the Western army, eliminating figures like Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong. He then marched north to confront the Qing army, killing Ajige and Dodo, achieving a great victory, and completely driving the Jurchen Tartars out of Shanhaiguan, restoring the Han Chinese territory of two capitals and thirteen provinces.

They established their capital in Jinling, taking the meaning from the Book of Changes: "Great is the Qian principle, from which all things originate, and which governs all under Heaven." The name of their state was Daqian.

At the beginning of the founding of the Great Qian Dynasty, the founding emperor rewarded those who had made contributions, enfeoffing four kings, eight dukes, and twelve marquises, thus establishing the lineage of founding nobles.

During the reigns of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Shunkang (Qin Yi), the barbarians invaded the borders, reaching as far west as Gansu and as far east as Shanhaiguan. War raged everywhere, and every household wore mourning clothes. Even Jia Daihua, the second-generation head of Ningguo Prefecture, died on the battlefield. After a year and a half, the situation was finally stabilized, the Liaoxi Corridor was recovered, and the nine important border towns were re-established.

To honor the soldiers who fought bravely for the country, Emperor Shunkang bestowed the title of Marquis upon nine men, who became the lineage of the Yuan Cong nobility.

Six years ago, Emperor Shunkang abdicated and moved to Daming Palace, becoming the Retired Emperor. His fourth son, Qin Zhao, ascended the throne, residing in Qianqing Palace, and changed the era name to Yongping, becoming Emperor Yongping.

Two suns hang in the sky!

Jia Yan rubbed his temples, his mind wandering.

His current identity is no simple matter. He is the great-grandson of Duke Ningguo Jia Yan, the grandson of Jia Daihua, the military governor of the capital garrison and the hereditary first-class general Shenwei, and the second son of Jia Jing, a Jinshi of the Yimao year and the hereditary second-class general. He is also a full brother of Jia Zhen and Xichun.

Anyone can renounce their identity as a member of the Jia family, but he cannot, because he is a legitimate son.

The Jia family had two dukes who served under three emperors: Taizu, Shunzhi, Kangxi, and Yongping. On the surface, they seemed to enjoy great favor, even surpassing the four princes of different surnames. In reality, their prosperity was at its peak, but they had reached the most dangerous point.

At the beginning of the founding of the dynasty, Emperor Taizu of the Great Qian established hereditary titles and honorary titles. Hereditary titles were hereditary and perpetual, inherited based on merit, and granted with fiefs and stipends, sharing the prosperity of the nation. They were divided into five ranks: Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, and Baron. Dukes, Marquises, and Earls were all above the rank of official, while Viscounts were of the first rank and Barons were of the second rank.

Nobility was conferred not based on merit, but descended in rank over three generations. The bestowal of titles was below the fifth rank, which included marquises, county marquises (rank three), township marquises (rank four), and pavilion marquises (rank five). After that came the founding county earl, who was rank six.

The Lin family of Gusu were marquises, and in principle, the title could only be passed down for three generations. However, Lin Ruhai's father received imperial favor and was granted an extra generation, so the title was lost when it was passed down to Lin Ruhai.

The Grand Commandant, Wang Gong, was granted the title of Earl of the Founding County, a title that could only be passed down to one generation. As a result, the Wang family enjoyed the wealth and honor described in the saying, "The East Sea lacks a jade bed, so the Dragon King invites the Prince of Jinling." This shows how prestigious the title was at the beginning of the founding of the dynasty.

In the twelfth year of the Shunkang reign, Emperor Qin Yi issued an edict abolishing the honorary titles and establishing noble titles and hereditary positions.

The noble titles were divided into three ranks: First-Class General, Second-Class General, and Third-Rank General, which were equivalent to the First Rank, Second Rank, and Third Rank, respectively.

Hereditary titles: Light Cavalry Captain (rank 4), Cavalry Captain (rank 5), Cloud Cavalry Captain (rank 6), and Grace Cavalry Captain (rank 7). The ranks of nobility decreased in that order. Hereditary titles were passed down from generation to generation. They only received a salary and did not have a fief or real power.

Within the Rongguo Mansion, there is still the second-generation Rongguo Duke Jia Daishan who has inherited the title. His wife, Lady Shi, is a first-rank imperial consort, and his eldest son, Jia She, is a first-class general. If there are no unforeseen circumstances, the title can be passed down for at least two more generations.

The Ningguo Mansion has reached its last generation. The current head, Jia Zhen, is only a third-rank general. Without military merit, Jia Rong will not be able to inherit the title. According to the system, if a noble loses his title, the imperial court will take back the mansion and land bestowed upon him.

Emperor Shunkang (the retired emperor) still remembered some of the good things about the Jia family, but Emperor Yongping was different. The Qianlong Emperor had gone through three reigns, and the government was riddled with problems that he could not extricate himself from. He had been a figurehead emperor for six years, and his heart was filled with countless ideals and ambitions.

Once the retired emperor passes away, the Great Qian Dynasty will be ruled by an ambitious Emperor Yongping, whose first blow will inevitably fall on the nobles, with the Jia family, the founding line and the family with two dukes, bearing the brunt.

A virtuous concubine and the Grand View Garden exhausted the last bit of vitality of the Jia family, ultimately leaving them with nothing but a desolate, white expanse of land. How lamentable!
[Ding dong, congratulations host for awakening your innate wisdom. The attribute upgrade system is currently binding you.]

A sudden mechanical notification sounded in Jia Yan's mind, and the overwhelming information that flooded his mind left him stunned for a while. When he came to his senses, his bitter expression had been replaced by a smile. The golden finger might be late, but it would never be absent.

The affix upgrade system, as the name suggests, allows you to upgrade affixes. All affixes are divided into white, green, blue, purple, gold, and red, from low to high, and each affix has a special power.

Besides being triggered by himself, Jia Yan can collect affixes by defeating or killing enemies. He has one upgrade opportunity per month, and the selected affix will be randomly upgraded to a higher level affix.

"System, check the entry."

Without the slightest hesitation, Jia Yan silently recited in his heart. The next moment, a series of entries appeared before his eyes: [Erudite and knowledgeable (purple)], [Concealing one's abilities and biding one's time (purple)].
Most of the entries are related to his two incarnations, including many purple and blue entries.

Soon, his gaze focused on one of the blue entries: 【Exceptional Roots (Blue)】: Unique skeletal structure, naturally suited for martial arts, able to achieve unparalleled success in martial arts.

The world of Dream of the Red Chamber is a low-level martial arts world with trace amounts of spiritual energy. Starting from the pre-Qin period, the ancients tried to utilize spiritual energy through breathing exercises to strengthen themselves. This continued until the Three Kingdoms period, when the most brilliant era of martial arts was born.

Nowadays, martial arts has formed a complete system, divided into four stages: Ming Jin, An Jin, Hua Jin, and Dan Jin. Ming Jin mainly improves strength, speed, and endurance through external tempering of the body, and the strength can reach 300 jin.

Further developing hidden strength involves training the mind and controlling the body's vital energy through the pores, connecting the fascia and bone marrow. The vital energy generated by internal movement is transformed into hidden strength through the pores and then struck out. To transform this strength, it is necessary to connect the entire body, regulate the internal organs, master the training of the organs, and reach the four extremities. Hidden strength spreads throughout the body, making the tendons and bones strong and the bone marrow full.

When one reaches the level of "Transformation of Strength," striking someone is as easy as hanging a painting; the skill is so deeply ingrained that one is not afraid of ordinary firearms, and one can be called a martial arts master.

The Dan Jin spirit is inwardly concentrated, embracing the elixir and returning to its origin, condensing the essence, energy, spirit, blood, and marrow of the whole body into a single point, causing the muscles and bones to resonate, the blood to be as pure as lead and mercury, and the marrow to be as smooth as frost, with the sound of tigers and leopards echoing within the body, making one a grandmaster, also known in ancient times as an enemy of ten thousand men.

It is said that there is a step above Dan Jin, where the body's strength bursts forth, penetrating through the air and striking outwards. Gang Qi is formed, and its power is so strong that it can tear apart the air currents. This is the Gang Jin Grandmaster. It is said that only Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, Lü Bu, the Marquis of Wen, Li Cunxiao, the Flying Tiger, Li Yuanba, the King of Zhao of the Tang Dynasty, and Ran Min, the Martial King, have reached this step.

The first two dukes, Ning and Rong, were both martial artists. Among them, Duke Rong, Jia Yuan, killed Prince Yu of the Later Jin Dynasty, Dodo, and annihilated 200,000 Qing troops, driving the Jurchens out of Shanhaiguan. This laid the foundation for the first great achievement of the founding of the Great Qian Dynasty.

"System, upgrade!"

Jia Yan made a decision and used her first upgrade opportunity on the blue attribute "Exceptional Root Talent".

As a burst of colorful mist enveloped the attribute, [Exceptional Talent] was directly upgraded to the purple attribute [Martial Arts Prodigy].

[Martial Arts Prodigy (Purple): An exceptional individual, born with all meridians open, able to quickly master any martial art, cultivation speed +100%!]

'Whoosh!'

Instantly, a burning light flashed in Jia Yan's eyes. With this entry, he could gain the ability to protect himself by practicing martial arts.

"Someone is coming."

"Second Master!"

A tall, slender maid with an oval face, dressed in a plain blue spring-welcoming silk dress, stepped forward and greeted them.

The maids in the Ning and Rong mansions were divided into first, second, and third classes. First-class maids received one tael of silver per month, second-class maids received one string of cash per month, and third-class maids received five hundred cash per month. Jia Yan, the eldest son of the Ning family, had four first-class maids serving him: Jingzhe, Mangzhong, Bailu, and Xiaoxue.

"Jingzhe."

"Go and inform the front yard."

"Starting tomorrow, the meals delivered will be mainly nourishing, with plenty of beef, mutton, and eggs, and the portions will be large."

With a wave of his hand, Jia Yan gave an order.

"Yes."

Without asking any further questions, Jingzhe hurried towards Ning'an Hall with small, quick steps.

The Ningguo Mansion and Rongguo Mansion have similar layouts and are no different from the royal mansions. The mansion covers an area of ​​300 acres and is divided into the front yard, Huifang Garden and the back yard.

The front courtyard is divided into three sections: east, west, and central. The east section is adjacent to the Rongguo Mansion and is where the Jia family ancestral hall is located. The central section is the Ningguo Mansion's main hall, Ning'an Hall, and its auxiliary buildings. The west section is divided into two independent courtyards, north and south, which were the residences of Lady You and Jia Rong, respectively.

Huifang Garden features scattered rockeries, winding corridors, pavilions, ponds, flowers and trees, as well as buildings such as Tianxiang Tower, Ningxi Pavilion, Dengxian Pavilion, and Doufeng Pavilion.

The backyard is the largest, covering about 150 acres. The western courtyard was where Jia Yan lived, while the eastern courtyard was the former Ningguo Mansion's martial arts training ground, which included a drill ground, barracks, stables, armory, and a military tower. Since the death of the first Duke of Ningguo, this place has been neglected for a long time, overgrown with weeds, and quiet and secluded.

This has made things convenient for Jia Yan; he can practice martial arts, archery, and horseback riding here without attracting attention.

PS: The original novel mentions that Yuan Chun is Jia Zheng's eldest legitimate daughter, Ying Chun is Jia She's illegitimate daughter, Tan Chun is Jia Zheng's illegitimate daughter, and Xi Chun is Jia Zhen's younger sister, born of the legitimate wife.

(End of this chapter)