Chapter 500: Submitting a Memorial to Request Hereditary Nobility

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

The weather in Shenjing this year was unusually mild. As the time entered the twelfth lunar month, the first heavy snow of the 15th year of Emperor Jia Zhao arrived unexpectedly.

At the end of the year, the floor of Rongqing Hall was covered with carpets, and the embroidered screens were brand new.

In the center was a three-legged gilded enamel brazier with rhinoceros beasts, burning pine and cypress incense and lily grass, and the hall was filled with a mild and fragrant atmosphere.

Jia Mu sat on the soft couch in the front, with a new scarlet felt spread underneath, set with large red Su Zhou-embroidered longevity pillows and backrests, and a black sable fur cover spread on it, which was unusually luxurious and warm.

Lady Wang, Li Wan, and Seeing Tan Chun were all wearing thin brocade jackets, with gold and jade jewelry, and luxurious clothes, each sitting on a carved lacquer chair below, with gray mouse chair cushions spread on the chairs, and a large copper foot stove placed under each chair.

Although Jia She of the Rongguo Mansion died and the eldest grandson of the elder branch was convicted and exiled, it can be said that it was hit hard, but it did not seem to affect the luxury of the Jia family. At the end of the year, the rich atmosphere of Rongqing Hall was the same as usual.

Approaching the end of the year, it was the busiest time of the year for the Rongguo Mansion. Jia Mu and Lady Wang often discussed household affairs with Li Wan and Seeing Tan Chun in Rongqing Hall.

Since Wang Xifeng fell ill, although Li Wan and Seeing Tan Chun acted as agents for the household affairs, after Wang Xifeng became pregnant, Jia Mu asked them to discuss with Wang Xifeng when dealing with affairs daily.

This was just some inner-mansion thoughts of Jia Mu, because the elder branch failed, and the second branch was rising, but the bloodline of the elder branch was continued.

Jia Mu had the idea of using it to check and balance the second branch, so that the second daughter-in-law would not know the height of the sky and the earth, lose her scruples, lose the respect in front of her, and affect her high happiness.

Seeing Tan Chun naturally had no objection. Although she was smart and ambitious, and her strange thoughts and strategies were not comparable to ordinary women, she was at a young age after all, and her playfulness was still heavy, and she had no heart for secular affairs.

According to her meaning, she wished she didn't have to manage these miscellaneous household affairs, and played with her sisters in the East Mansion, practicing calligraphy, reading, and talking with Jia Cong, which was truly interesting.

Jia Mu asked her to discuss more with Wang Xifeng, she naturally begged for it, letting Wang Xifeng make the decision, and she saved herself from spending more thought.

It was Li Wan who was very interested in managing the Rongguo household affairs, which could be considered to have fulfilled her wish for many years.

According to the last memorial of Jia Daishan, and with the grace of the Retired Emperor, the eldest son of the Rongguo Mansion, Jia She, inherited the title, and the second son, Jia Zheng, inherited the mansion.

According to common sense, the mistress of the imperial-built Rongguo Mansion should be Li Wan, the eldest daughter-in-law of Jia Zheng.

It is a pity that Lady Wang calculated too deeply and was full of narrow prejudices of inner-mansion women, feeling that the daughter-in-law was just an outsider, and she only trusted bloodline and partiality in her bones.

Therefore, she pushed her own niece, Wang Xifeng, to assist in managing the Rongguo household affairs.

And with the rules of the widowhood of the eldest daughter-in-law, it was not suitable to show her face to manage the household affairs, and she disguisedly took away Li Wan's power to manage the household.

These rules of etiquette for widows were truly dignified, and even Jia Mu had to agree.

Li Wan was widowed at a young age and lived a lonely and bitter life. Even the opportunity to contact secular affairs to send away was stripped by her overly deep-thinking mother-in-law, and she could only be helpless.

……

Now, times have changed. The elder branch has completely declined, and the title and mansion of Rongguo have become the property of the second branch.

Lady Wang changed her mind for Baoyu's long-term calculation, and met Wang Xifeng who was lying on the bed in danger, and took the opportunity to let Li Wan and Seeing Tan Chun manage the household affairs.

Because Li Wan and Seeing Tan Chun were both people of her second branch, Li Wan had been widowed for many years, and Lady Wang, as a mother-in-law, had the great etiquette of filial piety, so she could naturally pinch her firmly.

Seeing Tan Chun was educated by Lady Wang since she was a child. It was not that she was so compassionate, but to decorate the good name of loving the daughter of a concubine.

Moreover, although Zhao Yiniang was her biological mother, Seeing Tan Chun's marriage and marriage matters were firmly held in the hands of the legitimate mother according to the rules of the noble family.

Marriage is a major life-saving event for women. Lady Wang was not afraid that Seeing Tan Chun would not submit to her, and she didn't have to worry about this daughter of a concubine disobeying her when she managed the household.

Originally, this calculation of Lady Wang was quite proper and reassuring, and even Jia Mu could not pick out half a fault.

But now the situation has become confusing. Jia Lian left Shenjing to be punished in Liaodong, and more than a month has passed, and Wang Xifeng, who is pregnant, has already started to have morning sickness.

However, the inheritance of the Rongguo title is still like a stone sinking into the sea, and there is no movement in the palace and the Imperial Clan Court, as if everyone deliberately forgot about this matter.

As the saying goes, if something goes wrong, there must be a demon. Jia Mu and Lady Wang are both women with long hair, but they are not completely ignorant, and they all noticed that something was wrong, and they were already like ants on a hot pot.

Even Li Wan felt a little anxious in her heart, because the second branch inherited the title, and she could sit firmly as the mistress of the house, so she didn't have to be as boring as guarding the inner mansion for a lifetime.

Moreover, Seeing Tan Chun will marry in the future, naturally there is no taboo. She became the mistress of the Rongguo Mansion, and her Jia Lan will have more reliance in the family.

Jia Zheng, as the master of the Rongguo Mansion, also noticed that something was wrong with the unusual delay of the title of his late elder brother.

But with his status and temperament, he really couldn't pull his face to ask others about this matter.

……

Today, like usual, Jia Mu and Lady Wang listened to Li Wan and Seeing Tan Chun talk about the affairs of the mansion at the end of the year. Except for Seeing Tan Chun, the others were lazy.

Jia Mu heard that Wang Xifeng had morning sickness recently, so she asked Amber to call Wang Xifeng over to talk.

Jia Mu also had meaning recently, as if she was afraid of neglecting her. Whenever Lady Wang, Li Wan, and others were in the hall, she would always find an excuse to let Wang Xifeng come over.

After a while, Wang Xifeng brought Ping'er into the hall. Although she had morning sickness, she had not yet shown her pregnancy, and she could walk around daily.

She was wearing a white-bottomed blue-patterned cotton jacket, a stone-green carved silk gray mouse fur cloak, a gray-white foreign crepe silver mouse fur skirt, and a small copper hand stove in her hand.

Ping'er followed her side, holding a small soft rattan box in her hand, filled with sour plum and peach strips.

She entered the hall, and Jia Mu naturally asked about the pregnancy. Li Wan reported the affairs of the mansion at the end of the year as usual. Because Wang Xifeng was used to these things, her thoughts were clear.

Wang Xifeng said a few words casually, and happened to see Lady Wang's expression was calm, just turning the prayer beads on the side. Wang Xifeng's eyes turned, and her heart couldn't help but move.

This person's temperament is shrewd and spicy, and she is best at observing words and colors. She naturally knows that the situation has changed greatly, and her aunt does not like her to manage the household affairs.

But her aunt's calculation had a situation. Jia Lian was convicted and left the capital for more than a month, but the inheritance of the Rongguo title was still like a stone sinking into the sea.

Such a major event, with Wang Xifeng's shrewdness, how could she not think of it.

However, now that things have changed, she also saw her aunt's worldliness and indifference. At the moment, she only gloated over the obstruction of the second branch's title inheritance.

Thinking of what Li Wan said about the end of the year, she smiled and asked: "I just thought that Sister-in-law said about the end of the year, there is a major one, and it cannot be forgotten.

Every end of the year, the imperial court will issue spring sacrifice grace to the nobles. According to the height of the title, they will be given an equal amount of sacrifice silver, all packed in yellow silk bags, with the four words 'Imperial Grace Forever Given' written on them.

Our family is not short of this few taels of silver, but this silver is stained with imperial grace, placed for ancestors to worship, and receiving the Emperor's grace is also the blessing of descendants for their ancestors.

Even if the family uses 10,000 silver to honor their ancestors, it is not as decent as this.

Yesterday, Second Sister came to see and said this matter. Because Third Brother Cong is now a Count who has established a mansion, and his mother is also posthumously granted a fifth-grade title.

So the Guanglu Temple has already informed the East Mansion to go to receive the spring sacrifice silver this year on time. I just remembered this matter, so I have to remind Sister-in-law.

This is a matter of glory and decency that distinguishes noble families from other families, and it must not be missed. Last year, Second Master went to Guanglu Temple to receive it.

Now we need to send a reliable male to handle this matter. I see that the son of Fifth Sister-in-law in the West Corridor, Brother Yun, is a legitimate bloodline of the Rongguo collateral branch and a solid child, so he can be sent to handle it."

Jia Mu also knew that there was such a thing, but she was the old ancestor of the Rongguo Mansion. Where did she need to worry about such things in previous years? If it weren't for Wang Xifeng mentioning it, she really wouldn't have thought of it.

Jia Mu asked Li Wan: "Since the East Mansion has received the message from Guanglu Temple, the West Mansion should be the same. Has anyone come to the door to say it?"

Li Wan and Seeing Tan Chun looked at each other.

Li Wan said: "We let the steward maids and maids report all matters inside and outside the second door twice every morning and evening, and never heard anyone say this. Guanglu Temple must have no one to come."

Jia Mu and Lady Wang felt a sink in their hearts when they heard this. The spring sacrifice grace silver representing the noble family, the East Mansion received the message, but the West Mansion, which was only a wall away, actually had no one to pass the message.

This is not a good sign. This kind of official yamen matter is all one-by-one, and the rules are strict. If it weren't for the root cause, there would never be a leak. They thought of Jia Lian's conviction and exile, more than a month had passed, and there was still no news about the Rongguo title inheritance. Comparing the two, I am afraid that most of them will be bad.

Jia Mu had lived in a noble family all her life since she was born. If the family's title had a change in her old age, she really didn't know how to live.

Lady Wang had been dreaming for half a lifetime, and finally managed to wait for the death of the eldest master and the waste of the eldest son of the elder branch. The title was like a duck to her mouth. If there was a change, she would really be depressed to death.

Wang Xifeng saw the astonishment and worry of Jia Mu and Lady Wang, and a joy rose in her heart. She couldn't get it in her life, and others couldn't get it easily, which was truly what she wanted.

At this time, she had some morning sickness and nausea. She opened the small soft rattan box in Ping'er's hand, took a honey-brewed sour plum from it and put it in her mouth, feeling that the taste was really sour and refreshing, and the stuffiness in her chest disappeared.

……

At this time, Lady Wang suddenly said: "Grandmother, Brother Cong is a person in the officialdom, and he has a wide range of people outside. Perhaps he will know something, so it is better to call him to ask."

When Wang Xifeng heard this, she didn't understand. Her aunt was looking forward to the title falling to the second branch early, but it couldn't be what she wanted. She was a bit sick and went to the doctor.

The royal family didn't issue spring sacrifice silver to the Rongguo Mansion. What's the use of asking Third Brother Cong? Even if he could say flowers, if the imperial court didn't issue silver, it wouldn't be issued.

Jia Mu felt that it made sense when she heard Lady Wang's words. The East Mansion had received the message to receive the spring sacrifice silver, and her grandson finally had ability.

Even in front of the Emperor, he had some face, so it was better to call him to ask what was going on, and let him inquire about the title inheritance, which might be more reliable.

Her pedantic son couldn't be counted on, and a group of women thinking blindly would eventually be useless.

Jia Mu looked at Amber, who was holding a beauty hammer to beat her legs, and said: "You go to the East Mansion to call Third Brother Cong over, saying I have something to say to him."

……

Yuanyang received Jia Mu's instructions, left Rongqing Hall, passed the back garden, walked the small door of the two mansions, and when she arrived at Jia Cong's courtyard, she didn't see him.

Wu'er said that Cong Sanye went to the firearm workshop early in the morning, and he would go every few days recently.

Yuanyang felt regretful and wanted to go back. Just then, news came from outside the second door that Cong Sanye had just returned to the mansion.

She felt lucky, so she waited in Jia Cong's courtyard for a while, and saw the handsome figure moving at the gate of the courtyard.

Jia Cong entered the courtyard and saw Yuanyang standing under the eaves, with a wasp waist and thin shoulders, white skin, pretty eyebrows, bright eyes, wearing a water-red silk thin jacket, an indigo single-color vest, and a white crepe silk sweat towel.

He asked with a smile: "Why is Sister Yuanyang free to come and stroll?"

Yuanyang smiled: "Where is there such leisure? Grandmother asked me to invite Cong Sanye over, she has something to say to Cong Sanye."

Jia Cong was slightly stunned when he heard this. He had understood in the past few years that whenever Jia Mu wanted to talk to him, there was mostly nothing smooth.

He asked: "Why did Grandmother suddenly have something to say? Is there anything?"

For these years, whenever Jia Mu wanted to find Jia Cong, it was almost Yuanyang who passed the message. Every time Jia Cong asked for the reason, Yuanyang would reveal it without a trace. This had almost become a tacit understanding between the two.

Yuanyang said: "Grandmother heard that the East Mansion had received the message from Guanglu Temple to go to receive the spring sacrifice silver, but the West Mansion has had no news until now.

Auntie said that Cong Sanye is a person in the officialdom and knows more things than others, so she called Cong Sanye to talk."

Jia Cong heard that it was Lady Wang who brought up the topic, and he guessed the meaning.

Spring sacrifice grace is a grace specially issued by the imperial court to nobles, and Rongguo Mansion can receive it every year, but only this year it won't work. No wonder Jia Mu and Lady Wang care.

But Jia Cong knew deeply that they didn't care about the few spring sacrifice silver, but the noble title behind the spring sacrifice grace.

Jia Lian went north to be punished, and more than a month had passed, and there was still no news about the Rongguo title inheritance. Jia Mu and Lady Wang felt something was wrong, and Jia Cong naturally felt bad.

When the two entered Rongqing Hall, Jia Mu saw Jia Cong and asked: "I heard that the East Mansion had received the message from Guanglu Temple to go to receive the spring sacrifice silver."

Jia Cong replied: "Yes, this year is the first year of the East Mansion's establishment, and Mother is a fifth-grade title granted by the Emperor. This spring sacrifice silver is also the first time for the East Mansion."

Lady Wang felt uncomfortable when she heard Jia Cong call her mother, thinking that the flower girl was now on an equal footing with her, which was ridiculous enough.

Jia Mu felt uncomfortable when she heard Jia Cong call her mother.

In a noble family, only the legitimate mother is worthy of being called mother. The biological mother of a son of a concubine is even a transgression to call her a mother, and can only be called an aunt by the children.

Jia Cong's biological mother, Du Jinniang, was the woman Jia Mu hated most in her life, but this lowly woman gave birth to such an outstanding son, robbing the Jia family of all its glory.

Even if Jia Mu has the filial piety of a grandmother, she has many scruples in front of this grandson. Sometimes when she thinks of this, she feels a bit evil, as if that ghost woman came back to ask for debt.

According to common sense, it is a great virtue for the son of that lowly woman to call her aunt, but now it is called mother by this boy. It is also clan etiquette, and others can't pick out half a fault.

But Jia Mu still has something to be angry about. Jia Cong's spring sacrifice silver, is there no share of her eldest son, but he only mentions his biological mother in front of her and doesn't take his biological father to heart at all.

However, Jia Mu can only keep this in her heart. If she cares about it in person, everyone will have no face.

……

Jia Mu suppressed her unhappiness and said: "Third Brother Cong, according to reason, the imperial court issues spring sacrifice grace every year, but this year the East Mansion has received the news, but the West Mansion has had no movement until now.

You are a person in the officialdom and often walk outside, so you should know what this means."

Jia Cong said: "I understand Grandmother's words. The spring sacrifice grace of the imperial court is only issued to noble families and is related to the height of the noble title.

The West Mansion did not issue spring sacrifice grace, it must be because the hereditary title is hanging in the balance, so the imperial court has reservations."

Jia Mu and Lady Wang felt even deeper worries when they heard Jia Cong's words. Although they had different thoughts about Jia Cong, they had an irresistible conviction in what he said because of Jia Cong's ability.

Third Brother Cong, your brother went to Liaodong to serve his sentence, and more than a month has passed, and the imperial court's title inheritance edict has no movement.

Jia Mu said: "Third Brother Cong, you are also a descendant of the Jia family. The hereditary title of Rongguo is something left by your own father, but it can't land. As a son, shouldn't you exert some strength?

I know you have always been valued by the Emperor and have some face in the palace. I want you to submit a memorial to the Emperor to help the family ask for the title early.

If you do this, everyone in the family will remember your goodness, but whatever you like, as long as I, the grandmother, have it, I will give it to you."

Wang Xifeng saw Jia Mu speak bluntly, and her pair of phoenix eyes rolled, and she happened to see Yuanyang beside Jia Mu, and suddenly looked at Jia Cong, her face blushing inexplicably.

Wang Xifeng felt a fire of gossip in her heart, and thought by mistake that when the eldest master wanted to take Yuanyang, the girl would rather die than agree.

At that time, her stupid sister-in-law shouted out, saying that Yuanyang liked Jia Cong and secretly made shoes for him.

Later, it was said that Yingchun made shoes for her brother, because Yingchun was ill, and Yuanyang kindly helped to make them, so this matter was mixed up.

Now seeing Jia Mu say whatever I have, I will give it to you, and then this girl Yuanyang blushed, it seems that the family of Jin Wenxiang was not talking nonsense.

Grandmother is learning and selling now, it is clear that she is playing with the tricks she has left, but if this kind of thing is done too much, Third Brother Cong will not eat this set, fortunately she started early enough…….

Wang Xifeng was blindly thinking about gloating in her heart.

She heard Jia Cong say loudly: "Grandmother's words, please forgive Cong for not being able to follow!"

Wang Xifeng's bright eyes lit up. Third Brother Cong is going to be energetic, there is a good show to watch! (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 501 =====

Then they heard Jia Cong say in a resonant voice: "Regarding this matter Grandmother speaks of, please forgive Cong for being unable to comply!"

Wang Xifeng's bright eyes lit up; Third Brother Cong was getting fired up, and there would be a good show to watch! (End of chapter)