Chapter 190: Promoting Merit and Conferring Filial Honor

The wife of Jia Zhen was the wife of the head of the Jia clan and also held a third-rank title. She was more accustomed to the ways of the official world and clearly heard the words "issuing an imperial decree." She questioned the matron who brought the message again.

She said, "Old Matriarch, this proclamation is different from a regular decree. A proclamation from the Ministry of Rites means either a promotion or the conferring of a title. I have long heard that Brother Cong of the West Prefecture was capable, and today I have finally seen the truth."

"This is a great joy, Old Matriarch! Since it is a proclamation from the Ministry of Rites, having only Brother Cong receive it alone would be too thin and disrespectful. It would be best for the Old Master and the titled ladies of the manor to welcome it together."

Upon hearing this, Jia Mu felt like vomiting from anger; a breath was stuck in her chest, and her whole body felt limp.

A few days ago, she had gone to welcome the gift bestowed by the Empress in the palace, and it had turned into such a scene that she really didn't dare to provoke anything again.

She said to Lady Wang, "Since that boy is now being raised in the Second Branch, you and Feng Yaotou go and welcome him. Also, go to the East Courtyard and call Lady Xing to come along; that is her son, there is no reason for her to keep hiding away in leisure."

……

In the Qingzhi Studio, Jia Cong was with the sisters, chatting and playing chess, in a harmonious and happy mood.

Ping Er, having received instructions from Wang Xifeng, hurried to the courtyard to pass a message to Jia Cong, telling him to go to the Rongxi Hall to receive the decree, saying that the official from the Ministry of Rites had already passed the ceremonial gate.

Even Ping Er and Yuanyang, who were guarding outside the hall, and Liu Wuer and Qing Wen, who had rushed over to the Qingzhi Studio to hear the news, all knelt to listen to the decree.

"Burning firewood until dawn, breaking open scrolls to master the classics, continuing the grace on Our behalf, copying the twelve volumes of the Buddha's true scrolls—your filial piety and righteousness are commendable."

Behind him followed eight ritual officials dressed in red fifth-rank ceremonial robes, entering in two columns. Their expressions were solemn, their etiquette rigorous, and their movements uniform. They were completely different from the usual inner-palace eunuchs who delivered decrees.

In the Rongxi Hall, Jia Cong, Jia Zheng, and the others all knelt together to receive the decree.

After a short while, a ritual official from the Ministry of Rites wearing fifth-rank official robes walked into the Rongxi Hall. Jia Cong recognized this person; it was Liu Jizu, a director of the Ancestral Rites Department of the Ministry of Rites.

"Borrowing inner virtue to cultivate together, upholding parental grace regardless of legitimate or concubine status, feeling the pure filial piety of life and death, honoring the mother through the son's nobility, descending with the glory of promoted grace, bestowing upon your biological mother, Lady Du, whose inner virtue is cultivated and whose moon-chamber is refined, for giving birth to and raising a fine son."

Zhi Shao, Liu Wuer, Qing Wen, and the other maids were in a flurry, hurriedly helping Jia Cong change his robes and tidy his appearance. Once he was slightly composed, Jia Cong hurried to follow Ping Er to the Rongxi Hall.

After that incident cooled down for a year, Jia Mu finally lifted the restriction on his movements, and Lady Xing continued her daily routine of paying respects to the West Prefecture.

Lin Daiyu and the three sisters were all greatly surprised, and then happy for him. They all knew he had performed meritorious service in Jin Ling, and they feared it was the Emperor's decree of reward that had arrived. This time, they didn't know what rank he would be granted.

"Seventh-rank Chengshilang Jia Cong, your literary brilliance is dazzling, your calligraphy is pure and elegant, and at the age of learning, your reputation is far and wide."

"The Japanese pirates disturbed Our Jin Ling, and the fierce rebels disrupted Our maritime administration. You assisted Prince Ning as a consultant, performed miraculous strategies, cracked key cases, and executed the fierce rebels. Your meritorious service is exceptional. Although the state has rules for rank, a talented person has the necessity of added merit."

Liu Jizu unfolded the imperial decree and read:

Jia Cong and Jia Zheng hurriedly went up to pay their respects to Liu Jizu. Liu Jizu smiled at Jia Cong and said, "Chengshilang, yesterday the Ministry of Rites received the Emperor's imperial decree. Today, I have specifically come to the manor to proclaim it. Chengshilang, please welcome it."

Just now, Wang Xifeng had gone to invite her, saying that the Ministry of Rites was going to issue a decree for Jia Cong. Lady Xing felt disgusted and originally didn't want to go and give face to that beast, but hearing that it was the Old Matriarch's word, she had to bite the bullet and come.

"It is hereby posthumously granted the rank of fifth-rank Yiren, to manifest filial righteousness. The golden paper has just arrived, and the purple decree has come from afar. Respect this."

The eight ritual officials each held a black lacquer tray, on which were placed the imperial decree, a brocade box, a pearl crown, brocade robes, a rosy cape, a jade belt, a ruyi, and embroidered boots.

……

However, after this incident, the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had soured. Everyone just kept up appearances on the outside. Except for the daily rituals of paying respects, Lady Xing did not appear in the West Prefecture, having been a transparent person for more than two years.

Jia Cong also saw that Lady Xing was present and couldn't help but be slightly stunned. Two years ago, during the witchcraft incident in the East Courtyard, Lady Xing, because of Wang Shanbao's wife, could not clear her suspicion and had been confined by Jia Mu in the East Courtyard for a year.

If it weren't for the fear of it spreading and confirming that the First Branch had used witchcraft to harm the Second Branch, Jia Mu would have long ago let Jia She divorce her.

When they arrived at the Rongxi Hall, many people were already waiting there. Lady Wang and Wang Xifeng were both there, and Jia Zheng, hearing the news, had also rushed over.

Liu Jizu finished reading the imperial decree and, according to the established fifth-rank titled lady etiquette of the Ministry of Rites, had the eighth-rank ritual officials present the book of investiture, as well as the fifth-rank Yiren pearl crown, brocade robes, rosy cape, jade belt, ruyi, embroidered boots, and other titled lady grand attire.

Although Jia Cong's biological mother, Du Jinniang, had passed away more than ten years ago, when the imperial court posthumously grants a title, the fifth-rank Yiren titled lady attire is still bestowed.

According to ritual and clan rules, it would be enshrined in the ancestral hall, using the clothing and crown to represent the person, receiving the blood sacrifices and incense offerings of descendants.

Jia Zheng, kneeling beside Jia Cong, felt his heart surging. He was in the official world and naturally knew that Jia Cong was only a scholar and had already been granted a seventh-rank official status.

According to the official system of the Great Zhou, even if he had performed great meritorious service in Jin Ling, he could not be promoted again.

The Emperor had only then promoted grace to his deceased mother. The descendants' merit was so high that there was no title left to confer, so he had to confer Filial Honor.

The state governs the world through filial piety, and promoting grace through Filial Honor is a glory even greater than being promoted or ennobled oneself.

This is something to be recorded in history, passed down in the clan genealogy, used to instruct later generations, and to leave a good name for a hundred generations.

With this anecdote, the Jia family's reputation and prestige would rise with the tide. This was something that family status and titles could not bestow. How could Jia Zheng not be overjoyed?

Ping Er, kneeling outside the Rongxi Hall, was stunned upon hearing the imperial decree. Could it be that her mistress's mouth had been blessed? What she said this morning had actually come true so quickly. This Brother Cong had really earned a title.

Wang Xifeng, kneeling behind Jia Cong, felt her heart churning. Although she had long known that Jia Cong was always wicked, she hadn't expected that this boy was someone who couldn't stand being talked about.

She had just said that this morning, and in the afternoon, the Ministry of Rites came to proclaim the decree and confer the title. Why hadn't her other words been so effective?

"I even said his concubine mother died too early and was unfortunate, but I never dreamed that even if she died early, she would be much more fortunate than me."

A fifth-rank Yiren—that was the same rank as the Lady. The Old Master had been an official for more than ten years, and the Lady had only earned a fifth-rank Yiren title.

Yet that boy hadn't even started being an official in earnest, and he had already become like this. If this continued, it would be incredible.

To speak of women, no matter how competitive one is, it's useless. The old saying is right: being able to give birth to a capable son is what really matters.

Just like this boy's concubine mother, giving birth to such a son, one beauty covers a hundred flaws. All the previous talk was covered up.

Thinking of this, Wang Xifeng felt both jealous and envious.

Lady Wang, after hearing the proclamation, simply couldn't believe her ears. She knew this boy was wicked, but she hadn't expected it to reach this point.

How could there be such an outrageous thing? That was a lowly, despicable flower-courtesan, yet she was granted the same title as herself. It was simply absurd to the extreme.

A mother is honored through her son, and similarly, a son is honored through his mother. The rules of the great clan had always been like this. His birth mother was a fifth-rank titled lady; wouldn't this boy be on equal footing with her Baoyu in the future!

Liu Jizu finished proclaiming the imperial decree and the gift-bestowing ceremony, and smiled, "Chengshilang, with a seventh-rank official status, has been granted the grace by the Emperor to confer the title of fifth-rank Yiren upon his biological mother. This is a special honor of imperial grace. It is something to be happy and congratulated about."

Jia Zheng and Jia Cong wanted to invite him to have tea and thank him, but Liu Jizu declined on the grounds of being busy with official business.

Liu Jizu was a regular official of the Ministry of Rites, not one of those inner-palace eunuchs who delivered decrees. Jia Zheng and the others knew the proprieties and naturally wouldn't do anything embarrassing like offering a bribe.

Both sides exchanged a few more polite words, and Jia Zheng and Jia Cong saw him all the way to the ceremonial gate to bid farewell.

And the news that Jia Cong had been granted grace by the Emperor to confer the title of fifth-rank titled lady upon his deceased mother spread rapidly throughout both the East and West Prefectures of the Jia family.

……

In the Rongqing Hall, when Jia Mu heard this news, it was like a bolt from the blue, and she was so shocked and angry that she almost fainted.

Thinking back more than ten years ago, because of this woman, the Rongguo Prefecture had undergone such drastic changes, becoming a laughingstock for all the nobles in the Love Shenjing, and even the former Duke had died because of it.

For more than ten years, she had been unable to let go of this knot in her heart, and she had distanced and neglected this wretch born of a courtesan for more than ten years.

Now, the courtesan she hated most had actually been granted the title of fifth-rank titled lady by the Emperor.

This news would probably spread throughout the Love Shenjing in less than a day. She didn't know how those old noble relatives would look at her as a laughingstock.

Thinking that after she passed away, she would have to share the ancestral hall with that woman's spirit tablet and receive the incense and offerings of descendants together, she was truly about to vomit from anger!

In the Rongxi Hall, Jia Cong held his biological mother's titled lady decree, his heart surging with a hundred emotions. This was the foundation the Emperor had bestowed upon him to establish himself. His heart was somewhat moved, and the haze of his background could be considered completely washed away.

But the Emperor putting on such a grand display would surely stir up waves that would be anything but small. Jia Cong realized that the aftermath of this matter would be difficult to calm.

For a titled woman, no matter how obscure her original status, once the decree is issued, entering the clan genealogy, being listed in the ancestral hall, and manifesting imperial grace are all inevitable paths. Jia Mu would think of this, and naturally, Jia Cong thought of it too.

(End of chapter)