The Splendor of the Red Chamber

That afternoon.

Jia Lian and Jia Qiang left Ningguo Mansion by carriage and headed straight for Fanlou.

Fanlou was the most prestigious tavern in the capital, located in Jingmingfang outside Donghuamen, adjacent to the imperial palace, and a gathering place for high-ranking officials, nobles, and imperial relatives.

Jia Lian is hosting a banquet tonight to thank the sons of his family friends, and Fanlou is naturally the best choice.

Seeing Jia Qiang's listless and low spirits on the way, Jia Lian assumed that he was worried that he wouldn't be able to handle the funeral arrangements.

So he said, "Brother Qiang, if there's anything you don't understand, ask quickly, otherwise it will be too late to help me once I set off south."

Jia Qiang slowly shook his head: "Uncle has already set the rules. As long as I follow them, I won't make any big mistakes."

Seeing that he didn't seem to be lying and appeared to be worried about something else, Jia Lian didn't press him further. Instead, he gave him some advice on how to deal with the sons of noble families.

After walking through several long streets, we arrived at our destination before we knew it.

This Fanlou is composed of five three-story buildings connected by flying bridges and railings, with open and closed spaces, capable of accommodating banquets for thousands of people.

Inside, the buildings are adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, beaded curtains and embroidered lintels. At night, rows of glass lanterns illuminate the area, making it as bright as day. It is a renowned scenic spot in eastern Beijing.

The shop assistants at the gate spotted the Rong and Ning mansions' convoy and came to greet them early in the morning, leading the carriages through the side gate into the backyard.

Before Jia Lian even got out of the carriage, he heard Xue Pan's hearty laughter. This tyrant loved to organize drinking parties, so he took the initiative to come and help pave the way.

Besides Xue Pan, there were several others who came early to help, some of whom were close friends and relatives of the Rong and Ning families.

For example, the old lady's maternal grandsons, the brothers Shi Yunjin and Shi Yunchen from the Shi family of Baolinghou;

Another example is Feng Ziying, the son of the Eagle Guard Commander and the Divine Martial General.

And Gu Tingwei, the third son of the Marquis of Ningyuan.

Some of them came specifically to curry favor.

For example, the Yuan brothers from the Zhongqin Earl's Mansion, the son of the Qiu family, the Assistant Magistrate of Shuntian Prefecture, and Sun Shaozu, who was waiting for a vacancy in the Ministry of War.

Upon seeing Jia Lian and Jia Qiang arrive, these people surrounded them in layers.

"Second Brother Lian."

Gu Tingwei stepped forward and first bowed to apologize, saying, "My elder brother is unwell, so I can only attend in his place today."

Gu Jia Dalang has been sickly since childhood and never shows his face on such occasions.

Jia Lian reached out and patted Gu Tingwei on the shoulder, teasing him affectionately, "The first time I went to the Ningyuan Marquis's residence, you weren't even as tall as the table. I never imagined that you would be able to socialize on your own like this."

Jia Lian is twenty-four years old this year, while Gu Tingwei is only fifteen, a full nine years apart.

Gu Tingwei scratched his head and chuckled, "It's not that my second brother isn't in the capital, otherwise he would have brought me out."

Feng Ziying chimed in from the side, "I really don't know what your second brother was thinking. He's clearly skilled in martial arts, but he insists on abandoning martial arts to pursue literature and take the imperial examinations."

"I don't know what my second brother was thinking."

Gu Tingwei was clearly puzzled as well, but he didn't dwell on the matter. Instead, he excitedly pressed on, "Second Brother Lian, there's a rumor that you've received a blessing from your ancestors that grants you immense strength, and you're preparing to go to the army to show your talents. Is that true?!"

"Of course it's true!"

Before Jia Lian could speak, Xue Pan began to boast excitedly, gesturing wildly, "My second brother Lian can lift a 300-pound stone screen with one hand and carry it for several blocks without even breaking a sweat!"

Hearing Xue Pan's exaggerated words, everyone was skeptical.

Gu Tingwei and Feng Ziying then urged Jia Lian to demonstrate the divine power bestowed upon him by his ancestors.

Jia Lian waved his hand and said, "There must be quite a few people as curious as you. Let me demonstrate in public after the banquet starts."

As he spoke, he chatted for a few more minutes with his two cousins ​​who were historians.

As for Sun Shaozu, the Yuan brothers, and the son of the Assistant Magistrate, Master Lian's simple bow and apology of hard work were enough to make them feel flattered.

After 5 PM, guests began to arrive one after another.

Two families sent representatives to the four princes who were not of the same surname: one was the younger brother of the Prince of Nan'an, and the other was Wei Ruolan, the brother-in-law of the Prince of Beijing.

Of the eight founding dukes, seven families attended—only the current military governor of the capital, the Duke of Yingguo, did not send anyone because he had no sons and only an elderly woman of marriageable age.

Other noble sons, such as those from the Dongchang Marquis's Mansion, Jinghai Marquis's Mansion, Yongchang Earl's Mansion, and Jinxiang Earl's Mansion, numbered about thirty or forty in total.

Then there are the sons of officials, whose numbers are slightly smaller, but there are still twenty or thirty families.

Such a magnificent and prosperous scene would be unimaginable to Jia Lian, who had not lived two lives, as the Rong and Ning mansions were on the verge of collapse.

After several rounds of drinks...

Jia Lian first toasted the representatives of the two princes' mansions, and then raised his wine cup to Qi Heng of the Qi State's mansion: "Brother, your father, the Duke of Qi, has been away on official business for the past few years, so our two families have had less contact. Now that he has returned to the capital, we should visit each other more often."

Military ranks in this dynasty are reduced after three generations. For example, Jia Jing, the father of Jia She and Jia Zhen, was reduced to a first-class general.

Currently, only two families in the Eight Dukes' Mansion truly hold the title of Duke: one is the still vigorous second-generation Duke of Yingguo; the other is the Duke of Qiguo, who married the late emperor's adopted daughter, Princess Pingning, and was granted the special honor of not being demoted.

[PS: The official rank system in *Dream of the Red Chamber* was a deliberately created code to avoid taboos. No matter how you write it, there will always be loopholes. Plus, this book is linked to the plot of the TV series *The Story of Minglan*, so please don't take this too seriously.]

Qi Heng, a scholar focused on the imperial examinations, stood up straight and said formally upon hearing Jia Lian's words, "Brother is right. Our families have been friends for generations. Previously, when I accompanied my father on the salt inspection in Dengzhou, we became estranged due to the inconvenience of visiting each other. Now that I have returned to the capital, we should rekindle our old friendship and visit each other more often."

The two had just finished their meal.

Xue Pan, Feng Ziying, Wei Ruolan, Gu Tingwei and a few other young men gathered around, clamoring for Jia Lian to show them his skills.

Jia Lian was happy to take the opportunity to make a name for himself, so he grabbed Xue Pan and Feng Ziying by the arm and carried them around the hall before gently putting them down.

Xue Pan and Feng Ziying were both tall young men, weighing at least 300 jin (150 kg) together.

Jia Lian's ability to handle heavy tasks with such ease, without expending a breath or changing expression, truly justifies the claim of having immense strength.

It immediately won a standing ovation.

Those who were already acquainted with Jia Lian were even more amazed and envious, and believed the saying that the ancestors had bestowed blessings upon them completely.

Wei Ruolan couldn't help but sigh, "The Rongguo Mansion is indeed blessed with good fortune. First, there was Baoyu, who was born with a jade in his mouth, and now you, Second Brother, have received blessings from our ancestors..."

"Second Brother Lian, Second Brother Lian!"

Before he could finish speaking, Gu Tingwei scratched his head and pressed on, "So, compared to my second brother, Liang Dalang of the Dongchang Marquis's mansion, and General Zheng of the Tiger Guard, who is more powerful now?!"

Liang Xuan, the eldest son of the Dongchang Marquis's family, and Zheng Xiao of the Tiger Guard are both well-known young generals in the army; Gu Tingye, the second son of the Gu family, was also an unrivaled playboy before he abandoned martial arts for literature.

Hearing Gu Tingwei compare the three of them to himself, Jia Lian laughed and said, "Right now, I'm just stronger and quicker than the average person. I haven't formally started practicing martial arts yet—actually, I was planning to become Uncle Gu's apprentice and learn the spear and staff techniques of your Ningyuan Marquis's mansion."

"That's wonderful!"

Gu Tingwei was overjoyed, jumping for joy: "Ever since my second brother abandoned martial arts for literature and went to Bailu Academy, Father has been focusing on me alone, constantly reminding me to be more disciplined. If my second brother Lian could come and help me share the burden, I would be more than happy to do so!"

"You're celebrating too soon."

Jia Lian shook his head and smiled, "I've been ordered by the old lady to escort my cousin from my aunt's family south to visit relatives tomorrow. The matter of becoming her apprentice will probably have to wait until later."

As he spoke, he raised his wine cup to the assembled noblemen and said, "Therefore, Jia Lian invited everyone here today, firstly to express his gratitude on behalf of the Rong and Ning mansions for the kindness and assistance of all our relatives and friends, and secondly to bid farewell to all my sworn brothers—I will drink this cup of wine in advance as a sign of my respect."

Nearly a hundred people in the hall rose in unison, raised their glasses, and replied, "Cheers!"