Chapter 314

Lady Rongguo Prefecture, Rongqing Hall.

Ever since the 6th day of the 6th month, when the grand Liaodong captive-offering ceremony was held at the Meridian Gate, with thousands of troops guarding and hundreds of officials bowing, the scene was magnificent.

After the officials returned, it naturally spread by word of mouth, quickly becoming a sensation, and the streets and alleys of the Love Shenjing were talking about it.

And the scene of Jia Cong leading the army to offer captives that day was seen by the officials and envoys of various countries, making Jia Cong of the Lady Rongguo Prefecture famous in the Love Shenjing once again.

Ever since the Retired Empress Dowager bestowed gifts and Jia Cong returned to the capital, the female relatives of the noble families who had friendships with the Jia family had been visiting every few days.

A few days ago, when Shi Shi Xiangyun was picked up to stay at the Jia Prefecture, the wife of the Hou Jue of Lady Bao Ling, Lady Chen, and the wife of the Hou Jue of Hou Jue Zhongjing, Lady Li, came together.

The excuse was naturally to visit Jia Mu, the aunt of the Shi family, and to visit the eldest niece who was staying at the Jia family.

In addition, several wives of the collateral branches of the Jia family in the Love Shenjing were also present.

Jia Mu also called her granddaughters, such as Lin Daiyu, Seeing Tan Chun, and Shi Xiangyun, who were good at answering, to accompany them in the hall.

Naturally, Jia Zheng heard these things from people outside. His understanding of this was limited, but because it was related to Brother Cong, Jia Zheng would pay special attention to it.

"I said this child was good a few years ago. I didn't expect him to reach this point. The Old Lady's family education is excellent to have raised such an outstanding descendant."

These two nieces-in-law of his came to see her, but it was just a convenience; seeing Sister Yun was just an excuse. People were sent by Lady Chen herself, so what was there to see?

Over the past few days, the wives and daughters-in-law of the Four Kings and Eight Dukes had almost all shown their faces in Rongqing Hall. This momentum was truly not small.

If they praised the Jia Baoyu she raised as outstanding, it would be more like it, but she didn't even believe that Jia Baoyu was a young hero; at most, she would say Jia Baoyu was filial and good-looking.

At this moment, Rongqing Hall was full of pearls and jade, and the fragrant breeze was intoxicating.

They visited frequently, mostly for the sake of that boy. She heard that a few days ago at the Meridian Gate captive-offering, that boy had once again stolen the limelight.

Jia Mu had heard these things repeatedly while receiving the old relatives over the past few days, and her ears were almost calloused.

Shi Xiangyun, on the side, was just thinking that she had heard some things about captive-offering from her uncle before, but was it really rarer than the scene of Third Brother Cong entering the city?

Jia Mu had heard more than once over the past few days that people praised her for raising a young hero like Jia Cong, which made her face burn every time she heard it, always feeling that these words were somewhat unreal.

Because today the visitors were all close female relatives of the Jia family, Jia Mu didn't restrain herself.

A couch was placed in the upper position, complete with pillows, backrests, and footstools. The Old Lady leaned half-sitting and half-lying, talking to the female relatives in the hall.

Hearing these good words, Lin Daiyu and Seeing Tan Chun smiled at each other, but they had no concept of what the captive-offering was like, which was somewhat regrettable.

And her grandson had performed the first merit in pacifying the Jurchens, and with the background of the Lady Rongguo Jia family, the rewards for him would be even more eye-catching.

Yesterday, she heard her son Jia Zheng say that from whether Brother Cong could be granted a title and reused, one could see the Emperor's attitude toward these old noble relatives.

Jia Mu knew a little bit about the meaning of this. After the current Emperor ascended the throne, these old nobles of the Four Kings and Eight Dukes had all been pushed to the side.

"Aunt, a few days ago at the Meridian Gate captive-offering ceremony, your Cong-ge'er showed his face again. Now, among all the civil and military officials and foreign envoys, there is no one who doesn't know him."

What these noble wives cared about most was titles and imperial mandates, because the wealth and glory of their lives came from these two things.

Even Lady Li, the wife of the Hou Jue of Hou Jue Zhongjing, who was usually kind, could not be an exception in this regard.

Although Jia Mu was old, she was not yet completely senile.

And after the captive-offering ceremony in the palace, the imperial edicts rewarding the meritorious generals of the Liaodong battle had been issued one after another.

Lady Li said again: "I heard from our Old Master that this time Cong-ge'er's merit is the first merit in sweeping away the Jurchens. Being granted a first-class Viscount title is definitely certain."

"Perhaps the Emperor will grant extra grace and bestow three generations of non-descending titles. How old is he? This is truly incredible."

When Jia Mu heard this, her heart trembled. She had been a super-grade Duchess for half her life and knew the imperial title system of the dynasty very well.

The Great Zhou's system of non-imperial titles inherited the laws of the former Song Dynasty, divided into five ranks: Duke, Hou Jue, Earl, Viscount, and Baron, each divided into three levels.

Although the Emperor had felt that the title system was cumbersome over the past few years and wanted to cut the Viscount and Baron ranks, only setting up Duke, Hou Jue, and Earl, it had never been finalized.

All titles in the dynasty could only be granted for military merit. This was also the reason why Ningguo could not restore its title without descendants joining the army to perform meritorious deeds.

The Duke and Hou Jue titles were the most precious, generally only granted at the beginning of the founding of the country, or for merits in saving the country and pacifying chaos, or for the deeds of suppressing evil and destroying countries.

There had been no precedent for granting a Duke title in times of peace, and even granting a Hou Jue title was very rare.

In the more than ten years of the Emperor Jia Zhao reign, only one person had been granted a Hou Jue title, and that was Liang Liang Chengzong, the current Regional Commander of Liaodong and Governor of Liaodong, a true frontier official.

Liang Liang Chengzong had guarded the border for more than twenty years and had defeated the Mongol Yuan Tu Man tribe five times with his own army, making the Mongol Yuan forces trapped outside the Nine Borders, unable to cross the line.

This person had been granted an Earl title for his merit when the Retired Emperor was in power, and this was how he was promoted to Hou Jue of Pingyuan.

In times of peace, having such martial strategy and being able to perform such war merits was already a very rare opportunity.

As for her grandson, everyone outside said he performed the first merit in pacifying the Jurchens. Jia Mu didn't know exactly how formidable he was.

However, this boy was so young and had been in the army for less than a year; his qualifications were too shallow.

A Hou Jue title shouldn't be thought of, and an Earl title didn't sound like it either. Being granted a Viscount title would be just right.

However, for a super-grade Duchess like Jia Mu, a first-class Viscount title didn't count for much.

But if the Emperor granted the grace of three generations of non-descending titles, then the weight of this Viscount title would be completely different!

Although the Lady Rongguo Prefecture was granted a Duke title at the beginning, it was a descending hereditary specification. In fact, Jia Jia Daishan being able to be a Duke for one generation was already an imperial grace. By the time Jia She inherited it, it had been downgraded to a first-class General.

If the Lady Rongguo title was passed down for another three generations, it would only be a Grade 5 level, and by then, the title property and status would be greatly reduced, leaving only a hollow name.

If that boy was really granted a first-class Viscount title and could inherit it for three generations without descending, then three generations of descendants would still be first-class Viscounts, which would have already surpassed the descending hereditary Lady Rongguo title!

And according to convention, as long as the family did not commit any crimes and followed the rules, after three generations of non-descending titles, there would often be a grace of one more generation, which would be four generations of non-descending titles...

For a noble family, sudden great wealth is not as good as long-lasting wealth. This is a universal truth.

Thinking of these things, even though Jia Mu had seen the world, her heart was burning...

She hurriedly asked Lady Li: "Your Old Master has always been esteemed by the Emperor. Did he inquire about what title will be granted to Cong-ge'er?"

Lady Li was stunned when she heard this and said with difficulty: "Although the Old Master is esteemed by the Emperor, everyone knows that the Jia and Shi families are close relatives, so it is not easy to inquire too much to avoid suspicion."

"I heard from the Old Master that only the main officials of the Grand Secretariat, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry of Rites know the list of rewards."

Lady Chen, the wife of the Hou Jue of Lady Bao Ling, had eyes shining brightly. Three generations of non-descending first-class Viscount—that was over a hundred years of wealth. This was incredible.

What was more important was that Brother Cong was not much older than Sister Yun. With his ability, he wouldn't be stagnant for his whole life. In the future, Earl and Hou Jue titles were likely to be obtained!

Lady Chen felt regret in her heart that she hadn't raised a daughter.

Ever since Jia Cong passed the provincial examination as the top scholar that year, Lady Chen had met him once in Rongqing Hall and felt that among the descendants of the aunt, this one was the most promising, with impeccable appearance and learning.

She didn't expect that in two years, his success would be a bit frightening. For the past two years, whenever Shi Xiangyun wanted to stay at the Jia Prefecture to play, Lady Chen would send her out without hesitation.

Now hearing such news, she felt that this niece she had raised should really stay at the Jia family for a few more days, and besides, her aunt loved Shi Xiangyun so much.

Lady Chen asked: "Shi Xiangyun went out the day before yesterday and specifically went to the Xiande Gate to see Cong-ge'er enter the city. Why didn't I see Cong-ge'er today?"

Jia Mu's expression was indifferent when she heard Lady Chen mention Shi Xiangyun. Lady Chen's little schemes couldn't be hidden from her.

In Jia Mu's heart, Shi Shi Xiangyun was the eldest legitimate daughter of her eldest brother's branch. This status was as golden and precious as when she was unmarried, or when her daughter Jia Min was waiting to be married.

How could she match a concubine-born son? Even if it was her own grandson, it was inappropriate...

In Jia Mu's view, Xue Baochai of the Xue family was a better match for that boy, which would also save her second daughter-in-law and her sister from messing with that "Gold and Jade Connection."

It was said that this boy and Bao-girl knew each other in Jinling, and the famous poem he wrote was first written for Bao-girl. It sounded like there was some story.

Jia Mu even felt whether she could match this matter, this grandson, although not close to her, had obvious ability and talent, which was more than enough to match the Xue family's daughter.

So that her two Jade-girls could be smooth in the future...

In Jia Mu's heart, only her granddaughter Lin Daiyu, regardless of family background and appearance, was the best in the world, and only such a child could match her Jia Baoyu.

So she said: "He is a horse without a halter. He has been in Liaodong for half a year, and he can't stay at home when he returns, running out every day. Yun-er is a guest, and he, as a cousin, didn't even treat her well."

At this moment, Jia Mu's maid, Sister Hupo, entered Rongqing Hall in a hurry.

(End of chapter)