In the turbulent feudal era, Jiafu, a once-glorious family, is facing an unprecedented crisis. As night fell, the sky was dotted with stars, but Jiafu was shrouded in a shadow of unease. Although the wedding of Baochai and Baoyu was gorgeous, it seemed to be the final prelude to the glory of Jiafu. Just as the festive atmosphere permeated the mansion, an unexpected event suddenly happened, breaking the brief silence.
Jia Yuanchun, the member of the royal family who once had a high status in the palace, suddenly sent someone to send a precious brocade as a gift. This brocade, colorful and embroidered with gold threads and pearls, is gorgeous enough to amaze anyone. However, when this brocade was displayed in front of Jia Mu, she was taken aback, and her face instantly turned pale.
1. The luxurious life of Jiafu and the enlightenment of "Shangyong" brocade
In the world of "Dream of Red Mansions", every detail of Jiafu reflects its wealth and luxury. Jia Mu sat on a delicate rosewood chair with a carved mahogany table in front of her. The house is hung with heavy embroidered curtains, and the floor is covered with soft Persian carpets, which is a magnificent scene.
On that day, an envoy dressed in the garb of a palace guard hurried into Jiafu, holding a magnificent brocade. This brightly colored brocade horse embroidered with a golden phoenix and a dragon soaring through the clouds and mists seems to be a treasure of the inner court. The messenger respectfully presented the brocade to Jia's mother, saying that it was a congratulatory gift specially sent by Yuan Chun from the palace.
Jia Mu took the brocade and looked at it carefully. Her eyes were filled with surprise and unease. She is no stranger to this brocade, it was Jiafu that was carefully selected and sent into the palace by Wang Xifeng in order to please the royal family. Seeing this situation, Wang Xifeng, who was next to him, was shocked and hurriedly stepped forward to explain.
"Old lady, this brocade was indeed selected by me, how could it appear here?" Wang Xifeng asked uneasily.
Jia Mu was silent for a while, and said slowly: "This matter is very unusual, our Jia Mansion can have something more precious than the Imperial Palace. ”
"Old lady, this may be Yuan Chun's desire to show his closeness to us. Wang Xifeng tried to reassure.
"But these treasures can only be used by the royal family. Jia Mu frowned, obviously uneasy.
Jia Mu's worries are not unfounded. In feudal society, each object had its own specific identity and status symbol. Jiafu's extravagant use of such brocade is undoubtedly invisibly challenging the boundaries of feudal hierarchy.
Signs of such hierarchical disregard abound in all corners of Ja province. In the hall, there are priceless calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls, each of which is the work of a famous artist, in the study, there are all kinds of rare books, many of which are forbidden books, and in the garden in the backyard, there are all kinds of exotic and exotic plants. These were all ways for Jiafu to show its wealth and status, while also revealing its conflict with feudal social norms.
However, Jia Mu is not ignorant of these rules. She knew that in a feudal society, excessive luxury and extravagance often led to criticism and even disaster. She clearly remembered that some large families eventually attracted the attention of the government because they were too aggranditized about their wealth, and even led to the collapse of the family.
At this moment, a servant of Jiafu hurriedly came to report: "Old lady, there are officials from outside to visit." ”
After hearing this, Jia Mu felt even more uneasy. She knew that this could be a consequence of the luxurious lifestyle of Jia Mansion. She told her servants: "Go, invite the officials in, and I will meet them personally." ”
The official entered the Jia Mansion and his eyes swept over the luxurious décor and expensive furniture, his face surprised. Jia Mu did her best to stay calm and entertain the officials warmly. But she knew in her heart that the luxurious life of Jiafu, which transcended the feudal social hierarchy, had long become the focus of attention from the outside world.
2. The hierarchy of feudal society and the crime of transgression
The luxury of Jiafu was not limited to material decorations and treasures, but also reflected a disregard for feudal social norms in its daily behavior. One day, the people of Jiafu were busy preparing for a grand banquet. At the banquet, a variety of delicacies filled the long table, including rare tea leaves and exotic wines from foreign tributes. In the feudal society of the time, these foreign treasures were usually only enjoyed by the royal family and a very small number of nobles.
At the banquet, the members of the Jia Mansion were dressed in sumptuous garments, mostly made of high-grade silk, which exceeded even the standards of ordinary officials. Guests marveled at the luxury of Jia Mansion, but at the same time expressed varying degrees of jealousy and misgivings about this luxury. In feudal society, people have a deep understanding of the boundaries of class, and the extravagance of Jiafu undoubtedly touches this boundary.
At the banquet, the hosts of Jia Mansion entertained the guests and allowed them to taste a variety of precious delicacies. The guests were somewhat uneasy as they tasted the delicious food, knowing that such extravagance might cause the royal family to be dissatisfied. A guest in Jiafu whispered to the people around him: "I heard that this tea can only be enjoyed by the emperor." ”
The person next to him replied, "It is indeed rare for Jia Mansion to have such items. ”
"But isn't that too much?" asked the first guest.
"Who can tell?" replied another, with helplessness in his words.
After the banquet, the news quickly spread in the capital, and the luxury and luxury of Jiafu became the focus of discussion. Some well-intentioned people began to secretly observe Jiafu, trying to find some opportunities to take advantage of.
Soon after, another poetry meeting was held in Jiafu. What is different from the past is that all the supplies at this poetry meeting, from tea sets to poetry paper, all show an elegant and expensive atmosphere. At the poetry meeting, the members and guests of Jiafu vied with each other to recite verses and praise the beauty of life. However, this elegant celebration also reveals Jiafu's disregard for feudal social norms.
While the poetry meeting was underway, an official quietly observed all this. He saw that the people of Jiafu were enjoying a life beyond their identity, and he had a strong suspicion of Jiafu's behavior in his heart. In feudal society, every official has the responsibility to maintain social norms and order, and Jiafu's actions are undoubtedly challenging this order.
After the poetry meeting, the official quietly left Jiafu, already having a decision in his heart. He believed that he had to report the actions of Jiafu to his superiors and let the royal family know all about it. He knew that once the royal family became suspicious of Jiafu, Jiafu could face unprecedented risks.
In the days that followed, Jiafu maintained its luxurious lifestyle. Banquets and poetry meetings are still held frequently, and there is an endless stream of guests. But behind these joys, the eyes and ears of the royal family have begun to pay attention to Jiafu's every move. The luxury and extravagance of Jiafu not only violated the norms of feudal society, but also gradually aroused the vigilance of the royal family.
3. Corruption in the bureaucracy
At this time, Jiafu was still unaware of it, trying to maintain his social status by buying and selling officials, and one day, an elder of the family in Jiafu was plotting how to consolidate their political status by buying officials. They invited an influential intermediary who was ready to do this through his channels.
The intermediary is a shrewd and capable person, he has been chasing officialdom for many years, and he is well versed in the rules and unspoken rules of officialdom. He told the elders of the Jia family that in order to successfully buy an official, not only does he need a lot of money, but he also needs to find the right time and object.
"Be cautious in this matter, and do not act rashly. The intermediary reminded.
"We know, but we have to act as soon as possible. The Jia family replied.
"I will keep an eye out for opportunities and let you know as soon as a suitable official position is available. The intermediary said.
"We are ready and waiting for your news. Jia's parents responded.
After the intermediary left, the Jia family began to raise the huge amount of money needed to buy the official. They privately sold some of the family's precious antiques and jewelry to ensure that there was enough money to make the deal.
Soon after, the intermediary brought in the news that a high-ranking official position was about to become vacant and that it was an excellent opportunity. The Jia family immediately prepared a large amount of gold and silver, and prepared to send it to the high-ranking officials who could decide the ownership of this official position through an intermediary.
Just when the deal was about to be completed, news came from the capital that the Zhen family had been raided. The Zhen family is also a big family, and was investigated and punished by the imperial court for selling official positions. The news exploded like a bomb in the upper class of the capital, leaving everyone shocked and panicked.
When the elders of the Jia family heard the news, they immediately gathered the other members of the family to discuss countermeasures. They knew that if they weren't careful, they might also follow in the footsteps of the Zhen family.
"The matter of the Zhen family is a wake-up call for us. An elder said.
"We have to be more careful not to expose ourselves. Another elder responded.
"The deal may need to be put on hold for the time being. Another elder proposed.
"We need to rethink our strategy. The elders agreed.
Under the influence of Zhen's house being raided, Jiafu's plan to buy officials was forced to be suspended. They began to act more cautiously to avoid attracting the attention of the government.
However, even so, the activities of Jia Fu in the officialdom did not completely cease. Through various covert ways, they continue to keep in touch with powerful officials, trying to consolidate and enhance their position in the officialdom through gifts, marriages and other means.
Although this behavior brought certain political benefits to the Jia family in the short term, in the long run, it exposed the political and moral instability and degeneration of the Jia family. In Dream of Red Mansions, these actions of Jiafu are not only a pursuit of personal wealth, but also a challenge to social order and moral norms.
With the passage of time, Jiafu's various behaviors in officialdom gradually accumulated into a huge hidden danger. While they pursue power and status, they also invisibly lay the groundwork for their own decay. The decline of Jiafu was not a one-day cold, but was caused by a long period of political corruption and moral degeneration.
Fourth, the comprehensive factor analysis of the decline of the Jia family
In Dream of Red Mansions, the decline of Jiafu is the result of a combination of factors. With the passage of time, these factors gradually emerged, and together they promoted the process of Jiafu from prosperity to decline.
These factors intertwined, and gradually formed an unstoppable trend of the decline of Jiafu. While members of Jha have tried to address these challenges through a variety of means, their actions have often only exacerbated the complexities of the problem. With the passage of time, the political status of Jia Province gradually wavered, and its social status also declined day by day.
This is the first time that Jia's mother was shocked when she saw the brocade, after all, she was an old lady who had experienced several generations of Jiafu, and her keen political sensitivity suddenly returned, and she reacted that something was wrong.
Jia Mu took the brocade and looked at it carefully, and suddenly her face changed greatly, and her eyes showed a look of horror. She said in a trembling voice: "This brocade is made in the palace, and Yuan Chun's niece must have been appreciated by the palace when she got it." However, this brocade also indicates that the fate of Jiafu is doomed and can no longer be recovered. ”
Between Jia's mother's words, a deep helplessness and sadness were revealed. In her mind, Jiafu has always been a symbol of glory and wealth, but now it is destined to decline because of a brocade. She couldn't help but think of the former glory of Jiafu, and her heart was mixed.
In fact, this brocade was not an ordinary gift, but the product of a power struggle in the palace. Jia Yuanchun was appreciated by the palace through his skillful wrists, so as to obtain this precious brocade. However, behind this brocade, there is a hidden crisis that Jiafu is about to face.
Jia Mu knew that the fate of Jia Mansion had been closely linked to this brocade. She couldn't help but think of the former glory of Jiafu, and her heart was mixed. She knew that the future of Jiafu was irretrievable, and she could only watch it go into decline.
Dream of Red Mansions