Chapter 296

Jia Zheng heard that Jia Cong was promoted two levels this time, from the sixth grade to the fifth grade, which is a rare honor in the officialdom.

He is so young, yet his official position is already above his own; however, this was obtained by Cong'er fighting for his life on the battlefield, which is well-deserved and has a promising future!

Guo Lin saw Jia Zheng's face full of joy after hearing the imperial decree, but a look of pity flashed slightly in his eyes.

As Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's trusted inner attendant, he naturally knows many secrets that outsiders do not know.

After the official of the Imperial Clan Court went to the Jia Prefecture to negotiate the change of heir and returned in defeat, and the news reached the palace, this imperial decree rewarding Jia Cong was drafted.

The Emperor was just waiting for a suitable opportunity to announce the decree.

If the Jia family had really let Jia Cong become the heir to the title this time, the Emperor would have really looked at him differently; with the Emperor's regard for Jia Cong, the Jia family might have been able to get more benefits.

It is a pity that apart from Jia Cong, there is no one else in the Jia family who understands; what is there to be happy about with a fifth-grade General of Martial Virtue? It might just have exchanged the Jia family's wealth for decades.

……

……

Because Jia Cong was still in Liaodong, although few heads of families came to visit, they all sent close nephews to congratulate him, or at the very least sent trusted stewards with gift lists to visit.

But what can be done about this? Apart from him being able to toss and turn, if other children of the Jia family want to be officials, besides inheriting the hereditary title, they can only rely on buying official positions with silver.

There is even a vague connection between the two; it seems that their letter to Jia Cong persuading him to decline the title actually did something.

But I didn't expect that just after cutting off Jia Cong's hope of inheriting the title, he was immediately promoted by the palace, and promoted two levels at that; it seems like the royal family deliberately chose the time to slap her old face.

……

Daiyu, Seeing Tan Chun, Yingchun, and others did not expect that just after Jia Cong sent a letter declining the title, the royal family gave him an official reward.

Wang Xifeng even felt lucky in her heart; if this kid had really snatched the position of heir to the title and the two sides had formed a grudge, with this kid's evil nature, she really wouldn't be his match.

I didn't expect him to be promoted by the royal family in the blink of an eye; is there no end to this? Although Lady Wang was unwilling in her heart, what could she do?

Jia Mu just felt that Jia Cong gave up inheriting the title, and there seemed to be resentment in the letter, which made her mood truly complicated.

Wang Xifeng didn't care about this; as long as the hereditary title still belonged to her man, her position of honor could not run away, and whether the Third Master Cong was promoted or not had nothing to do with her.

At the speed at which this kid is being promoted, I'm afraid that in a few years, his official position will be higher than inheriting the title; when people talk about today's events then, the Jia family won't be laughed to death.

Those are all one-off deals; an official title can be carried for a lifetime, unlike this kid who is promoted every three days.

If it looks like this, the hereditary title that she views as a precious treasure doesn't seem to be much to this kid; no wonder this kid declined it so decisively.

The three of them were full of joy and smiled at each other; it became a somewhat uncoordinated scene amidst the indifference and helplessness in Rongqing Hall.

In fact, such things have happened more than once in the past few years; Jia Cong passed the imperial examination twice and was promoted several times due to merit, all of which made the Jia family prosperous.

Whenever Jia Mu thinks of this, she just feels a tightness in her chest…….

When the news of Jia Cong's promotion to a fifth-grade official position reached Rongqing Hall, everyone in the hall had different expressions.

Lady Wang was already a bit numb to Jia Cong's continuous brilliance; this person had been cut off from the hope of inheriting the hereditary title, and she originally thought that he would just be like that in the future.

In the next few days, as the news of Jia Cong's promotion due to military merit spread, the gate of the Rongguo Prefecture began to become lively, and the nobles and old acquaintances who were on good terms with the Jia family came to congratulate him one after another.

But after all, it was her own correction of chaos and return to order, and the family style was not in chaos, so she felt at ease.

Jia Mu is a person who loves face the most; encountering such a thing, her mood is naturally not bad, but this time she is a bit uneasy and has mixed feelings.

This time, the Imperial Clan Court made a scene of changing the heir to the title, forcing Jia Mu to disrupt her original plans, which made her very angry.

How could Jia Mu not notice the coldness and alienation in Jia Cong's letter declining the title? She knew that after this incident, a huge chasm had been drawn between Jia Cong and the family.

In the past, she had thought about winning over this grandson so that he could protect Baoyu and the family more in the future, but now these tricks have become hypocritical and ridiculous.

Jia Mu vaguely felt that she had preserved the family's hereditary title, but the benefits she lost seemed to be even greater.

……

Jia Mu was feeling depressed when she suddenly saw Jia Zheng bring two people to visit.

One was Jia Xiao, a disciple of the Ningguo branch, and the other was Jia Jing, who had been practicing in Xuanzhen Temple, which was a great surprise to Jia Mu.

Ever since Jia Zhen died unexpectedly last time, Jia Jing had been seriously ill; after all, he was an old man, and the illness came fiercely.

At that time, the Jia family really couldn't afford to have any more disciples have accidents, so Jia Mu specially invited an imperial physician to Xuanzhen Temple to diagnose the illness, and sent several capable servants to serve, and sent a lot of precious medicinal materials.

It was not easy to stabilize Jia Jing's condition and pull him back from the gates of hell, otherwise, the Jia family would have to hold another funeral.

Jia Jing had been ill for half a year and had just recovered; how could someone who had been in Xuanzhen Temple all year round suddenly run to the Rongguo Prefecture?

Moreover, the expressions of Jia Jing and Jia Xiao were a bit strange, and they seemed to have something to say, which made Jia Mu feel strange in her heart.

Finally, Jia Xiao spoke:

"Old Ancestor, my eldest brother and I came this time, first to congratulate Third Master Cong; the child is promising, not only does he read well, but he can also make military achievements, which is truly amazing!

These are all due to the Old Ancestor's good teaching,... it's just a pity that this child is only a concubine-born son in Rongguo...."

Jia Mu felt useful when she first heard it; after all, it was her own grandson who was being praised.

It's just that Jia Xiao said a lot of nonsense, and suddenly said it was a pity that Jia Cong was a concubine-born son, and then he stammered, not knowing how to go on.

Jia Mu frowned when she heard this and said, "Brother Xiao, what do you want to say? Why am I so confused?"

……

Jia Xiao saw Jia Jing on the side looking at him with urging eyes, so he couldn't beat around the bush anymore; this matter was initiated by him and Jia Jing, so naturally, he had to come forward to mediate.

"Old Ancestor, ever since Ningguo was raided and stripped of its title, the disciples of the Ningguo branch have had a hard life; now Brother Rong has been exiled to Qiongzhou for thirty years, let alone whether he can come back.

My eldest brother's direct line is about to have no heirs, which is a shame to the ancestors, so my eldest brother and I discussed a way and came to ask for the Old Ancestor's instructions."

Jia Mu found it rare; the direct line of Ningguo currently only has Brother Rong left, and his situation must be unable to leave any bloodline; what other way is there to think of?

"Old Ancestor, we heard that this time Third Master Cong made military achievements in Liaodong, and his reputation is very loud, even the Imperial Clan Court came to discuss letting him inherit the title, but it's a pity that this child is a concubine-born son and cannot inherit the title.

My eldest brother and I discussed it and wanted to let Third Master Cong inherit the succession and be adopted under my eldest brother's knees; wouldn't it be a win-win situation for the Ningguo direct line to have successors and for Third Master Cong to become a legitimate son of the direct line?"

Jia Mu's face sank when she heard this, and she sneered, "You really know how to think of good things."

But in her heart, she was scolding the wasteful things in the East Prefecture who had tossed away all the family business left by the ancestors.

Now that a promising disciple has appeared in the Rongguo Prefecture, they immediately thought of coming to pick peaches; how shameless!

Jia Mu frowned and said, "Now that the Ningguo Prefecture has been raided, it won't help even if you let Third Master Cong be adopted there."

Although Jia Mu was never close to Jia Cong, it would be different if he were to be adopted into another branch.

After all, he is her own grandson, and he is a capable one, so she is naturally reluctant in her heart.

She doesn't like him, but he is still her own thing; there is no reason to give him to others for nothing; it is just human nature.

……

Jia Jing, who had been silent, could no longer hold back and said, "Old Lady, as long as Third Master Cong can be adopted into the Ningguo direct line, he will naturally be able to handle it!

When the raid happened, an imperial decree was issued; the Emperor pitied the Ningguo ancestors for their merits to the country, and after Ningguo was stripped of its title, the title would be sealed for three years; if the disciples of the Ningguo branch made military achievements, they could restore the title.

Now Third Master Cong has just made the first merit in Liaodong; as long as he is adopted under my nephew's knees, he will be the legitimate son of the Ningguo eldest branch, and my nephew will immediately ask the Emperor to restore the title.

Everyone outside says that the Emperor values Third Master Cong very much; when Third Master Cong was still a scholar, the Emperor gave him an eighth-grade official position; as long as he is adopted into Ningguo, the Emperor will definitely let him inherit the title!"

Jia Mu felt that it made some sense when she heard this, but she felt very uncomfortable in her heart.

It turns out that we in Rongguo raised a capable disciple specifically to earn a title for you in Ningguo, and it has nothing to do with our Rongguo....

Jia Xiao on the side hurriedly helped and said, "Old Ancestor, my eldest brother and I have thought about it carefully; this is a win-win situation, and there is nothing better than this.

As long as Third Master Cong is adopted into Ningguo to inherit the succession, it won't take long for the glory of the Jia family's dual titles to return; besides, even if Third Master Cong is adopted, isn't he still your own grandson?"

This last sentence of Jia Xiao hit Jia Mu's heart; even if Third Master Cong is adopted, he still has the blood of the Duke of Rongguo, and she is still his own grandmother.

He has no way to inherit the title in the Rongguo Prefecture, so letting him be adopted into the Ningguo Prefecture to inherit the title will also give her face, and it can be considered worthy of him; would he still be unwilling?

Jia Mu glanced at Jia Xiao and thought to herself that this Brother Xiao is a sensible person; why didn't she see it before?

Jia Xiao is a branch of the Ningguo line; when he was young, he relied on the remaining shade of the Ningguo Prefecture and was also a dissolute young master who walked horses and fought chickens; even after forty, he was still accomplished in nothing and idle.

In fact, there are quite a few disciples like him in the Ningguo line.

When the Ningguo Prefecture was still there, festival gifts would be distributed every year, and there would be many errands in the prefecture's fields and shops that could earn silver.

These dissolute disciples could also live a life of food and clothing by relying on the remaining shade of these Ningguo ancestors.

However, as the Ningguo Prefecture was stripped of its title and raided, the fields and shops accumulated for generations were all raided and confiscated by the court, which suddenly caused these Ningguo disciples to lose their livelihood.

Jia Xiao had been dissolute for half his life and had no ability to make a living; in the past few months, he had been living by pawning things; if this continued, he would be hungry one meal and full the next.

Although he was a young master, his brain was still quite bright.

In the past few days, the news of Jia Cong's military achievements, the Imperial Clan Court's discussion of the title, and the court's decree to promote him had spread throughout the Ning and Rong streets and all the branches in the Divine Capital.

When Jia Xiao heard the news, he had a flash of inspiration and thought of this method; because he had been a companion to Jia Jing for a period of time when he was young, the brothers were very familiar with each other.

So he went to Xuanzhen Temple and persuaded Jia Jing; ever since Ningguo was stripped of its title, Jia Jing had almost died of shame and anger; hearing his idea, how could they not hit it off immediately.

(End of chapter)