Chapter 496: Double Titles and Joint Titles

Da Zhou Imperial Palace, Qianyang Palace.

After Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao finished reading Jia Cong's memorial, he saw that between the lines, although there were thoughts of family etiquette and kinship, there was also no lack of sincere loyalty to the monarch and dedication to duty, and his heart softened slightly.

Jia Lian is Jia Cong's elder brother by the same father, the person with the closest blood ties to Jia Cong.

Now that Jia Lian has committed a crime and is facing the death penalty, if Jia Cong were to worry about his official career and future, using the excuse that the law does not tolerate personal feelings to cast this matter aside, he would seem beyond reproach in terms of national law and family etiquette.

But if Jia Cong were to truly do so, he would fall into a lower tier in Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's heart, and I fear that from then on, he would leave an impression of being cold and heartless in the Emperor's mind.

Just imagine, if a person can coldly discard even his own elder brother by the same father for the sake of his official career and to avoid being tainted by karma, putting righteousness above family, and discarding him like a worn-out shoe, then how much true sincerity is there in his heart for loyalty to the monarch and service to the country?

Especially for a figure like Jia Cong, who was granted a title at fourteen due to his merits, is skilled in both literature and martial arts, and possesses a reputation surpassing that of ordinary people, if he could still achieve a state of being heartless and cold-blooded, it would be no different from the bearing of an ambitious hero.

By that time, Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao would absolutely not treat him with the same favor and esteem as before, but would instead use his strengths, strictly guard against him, and even eliminate him when necessary to avoid future trouble.

For Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao, who rules the world, he does not like officials he esteems to be flawless, emotionally detached, and iron-willed ministers who are hard to find faults in, because such people are too difficult to control.

Only those officials who can both be loyal to the monarch and dedicated to their duties, yet inevitably have private feelings and desires—those who can be used for their strengths and tempted by their desires—are more reassuring and easier to control.

Now, this memorial from Jia Cong, which contains thoughts of seeking grace and showing favoritism, conforms to the enthusiasm and mentality a young man should have, and also conforms to what the Emperor hopes for in his heart.

……

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao had Guo Lin pass Jia Cong's memorial to Guo Youchang for review, saying: "Jia Cong has submitted a memorial wishing to waive his own mourning period, re-enter the Firearm Office to serve, and seek grace to exempt his brother Jia Lian from death.

This matter relates to the regulations of the Ministry of Rites. What does Guo Guo Aiqing think?"

Guo Youchang said: "Jia Cong submitting a memorial to plead for his elder brother arises from the grace of kinship and can be considered human nature, but the etiquette of mourning is due to the death of a father and cannot be waived because of brotherly affection; this does not conform to etiquette and law.

After reading Jia Cong's memorial, I thought of the Grand Preceptor's discussion regarding the succession of the Rongguo title, and because the second branch, Jia Zheng, has no descendants with the qualifications to inherit the title, he suggested abolishing the Rongguo title; this statement is quite biased."

Prince Zhongshun felt unhappy upon hearing this. As the Grand Preceptor of the Imperial Clan Court, he naturally knew the succession of noble titles in great detail.

Regarding the fact that the descendants of the Rongguo second branch had no qualifications to inherit the title, he had already thought and calculated it beforehand, and naturally knew there was no bias to be picked at.

Guo Youchang was now nitpicking, but he was not afraid of the other party saying anything flowery, so his face showed quite a bit of confidence and disdain.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao heard Guo Youchang say that after reading Jia Cong's memorial, he thought the Grand Preceptor's words were biased, and his heart stirred slightly, saying: "Guo Guo Aiqing, let us hear it."

Guo Youchang said: "The Grand Preceptor stated that descendants such as Jia Baoyu, Jia Huan, and Jia Lan under Jia Zheng's knees either have conduct that defies the monarch or have lost their fathers due to generational gaps, and none have the qualifications to inherit the title, causing the Rongguo title to be difficult to continue.

Yet he does not know that the succession of noble titles from elder brother to younger brother requires the bloodline of the elder brother's branch to be severed before it can be carried out.

Jia Lian of the Rongguo elder branch has committed a crime and no longer has the qualifications to inherit the title, but the elder branch still has a second son by a concubine, Jia Cong. Therefore, the bloodline of the elder branch is not severed. How can one speak of succession from elder brother to younger brother?"

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao had a look of contemplation in his eyes after hearing Guo Youchang's words.

Prince Zhongshun, who was sitting below, said: "Guo Guo Aiqing's words are wrong. Although Jia Cong is of the Rongguo elder branch's bloodline, Jia Cong has already been granted the title of Count Weiyuan by His Majesty due to his merits. How can he still inherit the hereditary Rongguo title?"

Guo Youchang said: "May I ask the Grand Preceptor, in the etiquette and laws of the Da Zhou Imperial Clan, is there any explicit written regulation that a person who has obtained a title cannot inherit a hereditary title?"

Prince Zhongshun was momentarily speechless upon hearing Guo Youchang's questioning, because the Da Zhou etiquette and laws indeed had no such provision.

……

Prince Zhongshun was a military man by origin. It was only years after Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao ascended the throne that he was appointed Grand Preceptor of the Imperial Clan Court by the Emperor. Although he had performed imperial clan affairs for many years and had become familiar with various clan etiquette and laws,

Guo Youchang had been an official in the Ministry of Rites for decades, rising all the way to Grand Preceptor of the Ministry of Rites. His familiarity with Da Zhou laws and etiquette was something Prince Zhongshun, who had changed careers midway, could not compare to.

Guo Youchang would surely think of the corners that Prince Zhongshun did not know. Since he asked this way, he must be confident.

If Prince Zhongshun wanted to play tricks with Guo Youchang on the explicit text of etiquette and law, it would be nothing more than showing off before an expert and bringing humiliation upon himself.

Therefore, upon hearing Guo Youchang's words, he immediately fell into a passive position and did not know how to turn the conversation back for a moment.

Guo Youchang said: "Just now, the Grand Preceptor spoke with certainty, forcefully proving that none of the descendants of the Rongguo second branch had the qualifications to inherit the title, and the reasoning was sufficient. This official also had no way to refute it.

If it were not for this, this official would not have thought of the fact that the bloodline of the Rongguo elder branch was not severed."

Prince Zhongshun felt some regret in his heart. Because Jia Cong had already been granted a title, he naturally ignored him and only made a big fuss about the descendants of the second branch inheriting the title.

He did not expect that this man surnamed Guo would actually find a lead from Jia Cong to oppose his own theory of title abolition, which was truly unexpected.

Guo Youchang said: "Fortunately, the Rongguo elder branch still has a bloodline like Jia Cong, and with Jia Cong's talent and conduct, he possesses the qualifications to inherit the title. I believe no one will have any doubts.

Otherwise, for a dignified Duke's mansion to have its noble title abolished because no descendants have the qualifications to inherit it, it would be too sensational, causing petty people to make groundless criticisms, polluting the ears and eyes, and it would definitely damage the dignity of the imperial court!"

As the Grand Preceptor of the Ministry of Rites, Guo Youchang spoke with a heart of righteousness and etiquette, his spirit clear and his bearing dignified.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao, sitting above, had his expression change slightly upon hearing these words, while Prince Zhongshun frowned tightly as he looked at Guo Youchang, who was speaking eloquently.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao had cut off Jia Cong from being betrothed to the daughter of the Zhen family of Jin Ling, so he concealed the crime behind Jia She and let his son Jia Lian take the blame for his father.

However, in Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's will, Jia She, as a noble, had committed the major crime of smuggling salt and iron, and according to the law, Rongguo was enough to have its title abolished.

It was just that because he had to conceal the crime behind him, he could not make the abolition of the Rongguo title open and aboveboard.

And the Grand Preceptor, Prince Zhongshun, because he had always been at odds with the Jia family of Shenjing, perhaps he had guessed the Emperor's heart, or perhaps due to some other reason, he was very resistant to the Rongguo succession.

Therefore, by using the theory of succession from elder brother to younger brother, he belittled all the descendants of the Rongguo second branch as having no qualifications to inherit the title, and even Grand Preceptor Guo Youchang could not pick out any faults. All of this was exactly what Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao wanted.

He was just thinking that he could complete the schemes in his heart, that the Jia family of Rongguo was about to follow in the footsteps of Ningguo, and that the Four Kings and Eight Dukes were about to lose another title.

At that time, by following the example of Ningguo and granting the opportunity of the Rongguo title for three years, there would be no more criticisms inside and outside the court.

As for whether Rongguo would be able to restore its title in three years, Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao was not worried at all. With the decadence and incompetence of descendants like Baoyu of Rongguo, restoring the title would be nothing more than a fool's dream.

Just when Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao thought things would develop according to his vision, he originally wanted to hint in his words to let Minister of Rites Guo Youchang think of the intention of assisting the footnote.

It was just that this Grand Preceptor of the Ministry of Rites was too obsessed with etiquette and laws in his heart, and it seemed he was not very easy to submit.

What Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao did not expect even more was that at this juncture, Jia Cong submitted a memorial to plead for his elder brother Jia Lian, making Guo Youchang think of the fact that the bloodline of the Rongguo elder branch was not severed.

Things turned so suddenly, making Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao feel quite helpless in his heart.

……

Moreover, just as Guo Youchang said just now, if the Rongguo title were abolished on the grounds that no descendants of the Rongguo mansion had the qualifications to inherit it, the reason would be too far-fetched and deliberate, making it difficult to cover the mouths of the court and the public.

Although Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao wanted to achieve his wishes through strange paths, he also needed a civil official of etiquette and law like Guo Youchang as a standard to refer to and weigh this matter.

He had ascended the throne for more than ten years and had achieved remarkable results in governing the country. Although he was deep in schemes and suspicious, it could not be denied that he was a capable and diligent monarch.

His imperial heart-art was no weaker than that of the wise monarchs of the Da Zhou dynasty, so he naturally would not act arbitrarily and be too dictatorial in handling matters.

He would not turn a blind eye to Guo Youchang's reaction and attitude toward this matter.

Because for a civil official like Guo Youchang, his reaction and attitude toward this matter almost represented the thoughts of most civil officials in the imperial court, and also indicated what kind of waves the abolition of the Rongguo title would cause in the court and the public.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao could be swift and decisive in dealing with Qian Shaoyang, the Regional Commander of Datong, for his involvement in corruption and lawlessness, and Sun Zhanying for smuggling salt and iron, using force to resist them.

But for a group of civil officials like Guo Youchang, he would not adopt a direct approach, because these civil officials represented the hearts of the people, and he must act cautiously, combining firmness with flexibility.

Therefore, when Guo Youchang proposed that Jia Cong, the second son of the Rongguo elder branch, inherit the Rongguo title in the way of holding two titles, he was not blindly disgusted, but wanted to hear how the other party would explain this matter.

The reason why he wanted to take the opportunity to cut off the Rongguo title of the Jia family was nothing more than to strike and weaken the power gathered by the Four Kings and Eight Dukes.

If there were other ways to achieve such a purpose and be accepted by public opinion inside and outside the court, why would he not be happy to do so?

And from the double titles held by one person mentioned by Guo Youchang, he seemed to vaguely discover such an opportunity…….

……

Guo Youchang continued: "Actually, the matter of one person holding multiple titles is not rare in every dynasty. In every founding dynasty, it is mostly a time of war and chaos, a situation that sweeps the world, and a time when brave generals emerge.

Father and son are passed down in a single line, both are founding military generals, both receive the country's noble titles, and later the descendants inherit double titles. There are many such people, and it is not a rare move.

When the Taizu founded the country, there was a case of father and son holding titles together. It was just that in the first two generations of the Da Zhou founding, there were frequent wars with the remnants of the Mongols, and both father and son holding titles were brave, mostly dying on the battlefield, so this kind of noble title inheritance was severed.

Whenever the clan records show cases of double titles, there are generally two types: double title inheritance and joint title inheritance.

Double title inheritance is passed down by descendants in separate titles and branches; joint title inheritance is passed down by combining double titles into one, and passed down by descendants in a single title and single branch.

Therefore, this official submits a memorial to His Majesty to increase and supplement the Da Zhou etiquette and laws, requesting that Jia Cong inherit double titles alone, to harmonize with the clan etiquette and laws, to pass on the hereditary merits of Rongguo, and to manifest the grand grace of the Emperor."

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao thought for a while after hearing Guo Youchang's words and said: "Although what Guo Guo Aiqing said makes some sense, this matter is not ordinary after all. It needs to be discussed in the court and decided later."

For the theory of double titles held by one person proposed by Guo Youchang, Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao naturally would not agree on the spot. He would always observe the wind and the situation, think carefully, and then make a plan.

Besides, the matter of abolishing or inheriting the title of the mere Rongguo mansion could not be considered a major event in the Emperor's heart. Delaying it was no big deal. Now, his focus was not on this.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao said: "The most urgent matter at the moment is the defection of Datong Commander Sun Zhanying to the enemy. This act damages the national dignity of Da Zhou. Guo Guo Aiqing, as the Grand Preceptor, is involved in foreign relations.

I want you to consult with the Ministry of War, select suitable envoys to go outside the pass, negotiate with Anda Khan of the Tu Man tribe, and let him hand Sun Zhanying back to Da Zhou to be dealt with by national law!

The day after tomorrow, Guo Guo Aiqing and Gu Yankui of the Ministry of War will enter the palace to report the strategy of the mission to me for a decision."

A border army commander of Da Zhou defected to the Mongol Tu Man tribe. As a great country, it naturally could not be silent. Declaring the retrieval of the defector through an envoy to the barbarian state was a matter of national righteousness and a necessary move.

Guo Youchang received the imperial order and withdrew from Qianyang Palace, preparing to find Minister of War Gu Yankui to discuss this matter.

When he stepped over the high threshold of Qianyang Palace and was blown by the cool autumn wind outside the palace, this Grand Preceptor of the Ministry of Rites could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

As the Minister of Rites, Guo Youchang had seen too many treacherous waves in the officialdom and naturally understood that Prince Zhongshun had started the topic, and the Emperor was noncommittal on the surface.

However, they had reached a tacit understanding between monarch and minister, using the stupidity of the Rongguo second branch descendants and the name of having no qualifications to inherit the title to try to abolish the Rongguo title.

The Emperor hoped that this cabinet minister of the Ministry of Rites would agree. With the endorsement of the dignified Grand Preceptor of the Ministry of Rites, the abolition of the Rongguo title would become more convincing.

However, as the head official of the Ministry of Rites, Guo Youchang bore the responsibility of upholding the orthodoxy of etiquette and law, and had decades of clean reputation in the officialdom.

For such a move that did not conform to the etiquette and laws of the nobles, he would never dare to easily agree unless it was a matter of life and death.

Fortunately, at the juncture of being in a dilemma, there were repeated changes in Qianyang Palace today.

First, the Embroidered Uniform Guard reported that Sun Zhanying of Datong had defected to the enemy, causing the palace to be filled with hostility, and then the eunuch sent Jia Cong's memorial pleading for his brother.

This gave Guo Youchang a chance to breathe, and in the name of the bloodline of the Rongguo elder branch not being severed, he implicitly rejected the schemes of Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao and Prince Zhongshun. This was also the greatest effort he made to maintain the orthodoxy of etiquette and law.

If Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao and the Grand Preceptor, Prince Zhongshun, still insisted on doing so, at least he, Guo Youchang, could stay out of it and avoid the danger of being implicated in a bad reputation.

As for remonstrating with the monarch to the death for the Rongguo title, he probably would not do such a thing…….

Guo Youchang suddenly felt a strange feeling in his heart when he thought of this.

He remembered that when Jia Cong won the top spot in the courtyard examination that year and was falsely accused by a fellow scholar, not only did he not suffer any damage, but because his biological mother's status was low, the Emperor felt empathy for him.

Ultimately, by leveraging the dispute over the Empress Dowager's funeral rites, Jia Cong not only cleared his name of false accusations but also turned misfortune into a blessing; as a mere scholar, he was granted the rank of an eighth-grade official, marking his debut in the Da Zhou court.

If this time, because of his own words of pushing away and clearing himself, he really ended up with the honor of holding double titles, then things would be truly…….

Guo Youchang could not help but feel surprised when he thought of this. This Jia Yuzhang was not only talented in both literature and martial arts, but his strange luck and fortune were truly extraordinary.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

Originally, since Jia Lian's incident, Wang Xifeng's limelight had become cold.

But ever since Zhang Youshi diagnosed her with a pregnancy, her popularity in the mansion had become lively again.

Every morning, Jia Mu would chat with granddaughters like Daiyu, and then, as usual, take people to visit Baoyu's room.

At the moment, the busiest people in the mansion were Li Wan and Seeing Tan Chun, because they had to manage the household affairs for Wang Xifeng, and it was rare for them to have time to accompany Jia Mu to chat in Rongqing Hall.

Yingchun was also busy with the miscellaneous affairs of the East Mansion daily, and those who could often find time were only Daiyu and Xichun.

Now, whenever Jia Mu talked with Daiyu and others, she did not forget to call Wang Xifeng to join in the fun. Besides asking about her well-being every time, she often advised her to walk around more during these months, which would be better for the fetus.

For noble women, descendants were the first priority. Wang Xifeng had only missed her period for two months and had not yet shown her pregnancy. In Jia Mu's eyes, she was becoming more valuable because of her child.

Now Wang Xifeng had also opened her heart, seeing the bloodline in her womb as the most important thing, and her thoughts on power had faded a little. She let Seeing Tan Chun and Li Wan handle the household affairs, only focusing on nourishing her body.

Besides, she had already spoken about Ping'er's matter, pulling her connection with Jia Cong closer by a layer.

In the future, it was destined that the second branch would be in charge. It was only a matter of time before she could not manage the household. Letting go early was also clean for herself. As long as she stood firmly by the big tree of Jia Cong, it was better than messing around in the West Mansion.

Another major event in her heart was the result of Jia Lian's sentencing.

After entering the hall today, Jia Mu noticed that she was somewhat restless, so she carefully asked her the reason.

Wang Xifeng replied: "Yesterday, Second Sister sent over some top-quality bird's nest and snow ginseng, and also said that Brother Cong had already submitted a memorial to the Emperor to plead for our Second Master, but there is still no news yet."

Jia Mu felt some excitement in her heart upon hearing this and hurriedly called Yuanyang to call Jia Cong over to talk.

After a while, Jia Cong entered Rongqing Hall with Yuanyang, and Jia Mu asked about the memorial.

Jia Cong said: "Yesterday, I had already submitted a memorial to the palace, requesting the Emperor to waive the mourning period and re-enter the Firearm Office to serve the Emperor, in order to seek the Emperor's leniency for Second Brother.

I exercised the right of direct memorial. I think the Emperor must have already reviewed the memorial, but until now, there has been no news from the palace, and the Emperor has not summoned me to the palace to ask about the matter."

Wang Xifeng asked worriedly: "Brother Cong, is it possible that the Emperor is unwilling to be lenient to your Second Brother, which is why there is no response?"

Jia Cong said: "That is not necessarily the case. Now that the major case of salt and iron smuggling in Datong has broken out, involving three other noble families, the matter is of great importance. It is possible that the Emperor has no time to respond for the time being.

Compared to those three noble families, Second Brother's crime is much lighter.

And Second Brother is only a descendant of Rongguo, while those three families are all title holders. Compared to them, they are much more troublesome than Second Brother.

I heard that all three of them have had their titles abolished now, and whether their titles will be abolished and their homes confiscated is still a matter of debate."

Lady Wang, who was on the side, was startled when she heard about the abolition of titles and confiscation of homes. Her sensitive nerves were touched, and she blurted out: "Brother Cong, you are a person in the officialdom and understand things outside.

Now that those three families have also committed salt and iron matters, and there is talk of confiscating homes and abolishing titles, it sounds panic-inducing. After Brother Lian's incident, there has been no news about the inheritance of the title in the family.

Is there any talk about it?"

When Lady Wang said this, the expressions of everyone in the hall were a bit strange. Wang Xifeng's expression was a bit ugly, she just lowered her head, and her two beautiful phoenix eyes were a bit red.

Jia Mu also frowned when she heard Lady Wang say this. Her second daughter-in-law was too impatient.

As the saying goes, one does not speak of a lamp being dark in front of a blind person. Now that the elder branch had lost its title, Feng Yatou was at her most uncomfortable time. Why was it necessary to bring up this topic at this juncture? She was not ashamed.

Jia Cong's expression was indifferent, and he said: "Auntie, you don't need to worry too much. Second Brother is not the heir to the Rongguo title. Although he is currently trapped in prison, it is very different from those three families.

According to common sense, our mansion will not have the risk of having its title abolished. Although the elder branch can no longer inherit the title, according to the clan etiquette and laws, it will mostly be passed from elder brother to younger brother, and the title will be passed to the Master.

The Master still has Baoyu and Huan'er under his knees, and they will also be able to inherit the Master's family business in the future."

Lady Wang was extremely unwilling in her heart when she heard this. The Master's future title and family business would only be passed to my Baoyu. What does it have to do with Huan'er, a son born to a maid?

This Brother Cong's words are too unreasonable. How can Huan'er be mentioned in the same breath as Baoyu?

Could it be that he is a son by a concubine himself and is jealous that Baoyu will be the master of Rongguo in the future, so he is unbalanced in his heart and deliberately brought up Huan'er? It's truly ridiculous! Jia Mu also felt strange in her heart when she heard Jia Cong's words. Jia Huan's position in her heart was also dispensable and could not be mentioned in the same breath as Baoyu.

It was just that Jia Mu's reaction was not as strong as Lady Wang's. She thought it was just Jia Cong speaking casually and had no specific meaning. After all, Jia Huan was also Jia Zheng's biological son.

However, Wang Xifeng, who was sitting there, was a first-class shrewd person.

She had always known that Jia Cong was a meticulous person. Whatever he said, it was mostly not without a target, and it must have deep meaning.

Can this family business be inherited by two descendants? Could it be that Third Brother Cong means that Huan'er can also inherit the family business, and Baoyu cannot? (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 497 =====