Chapter 200: with translation of chapter title

Rong Qing Tang

Jia Mu was bothered by Lady Wang's firm opposition, giving her a slight headache.

Jia Mu was bothered by Lady Wang's firm opposition, giving her a slight headache.

Let's do: 【2】 Jia Mu was bothered by Lady Wang's firm opposition to the point of a slight headache.

She couldn't quite understand; Baoyu's mother wasn't like this before!

How come she keeps acting foolishly now, unable to see the situation!

... So: 【5】 You still want to go complain to the Empress? As a fifth-rank noble lady, what gives you the right to sue a high‑ranking, powerful second‑rank marquis!

... So: 【6】 Even if you file a complaint, what could you possibly say?

... So: 【7】 Are you saying the main branch is meddling in the second branch's household affairs? Or that you don't want your daughter to leave the palace, but want her to gain favor and be made a consort to compete with the Empress for men?

... So: 【8】 This isn't something that can be said openly! Your little thoughts can't even be hidden from Feng Jie, yet you still want to hide them from the Empress of the Central Palace?

... So: 【9】 If you really dare to file a complaint over this, the Empress will slap you hard!

... So: 【10】 Why would Jia Mu agree to Jia Jing's proposal to bring Yuan Chun back home? It's because she considered that the Empress might also not want Yuan Chun to remain in the palace.

... So: 【11】 Over the past two years, Yuan Chun has failed to advance in the Empress's palace—this is hardly not the Empress secretly intending to suppress her.

... So: 【12】 Your family has a brother who holds military power as a great general, yet you still want your daughter to be favored and made a consort?

... So: 【13】 If she truly became a consort, she would threaten the Empress's and the princes' status and authority; how could the Empress be so foolish as to cultivate a rival for herself?

... So: 【14】 What would happen if she gave birth to a prince?

... So: 【15】 Or perhaps she'd even try to seize the heirship!

... So: 【16】 So, Jia Mu could agree to this; after all, she was thinking more for the second branch and Baoyu, not wanting them to fall into the danger of imperial power struggles.

... So: 【17】 Who would have thought, Lady Wang doesn't understand her painstaking efforts; instead, she speaks shamelessly here, refusing absolutely, simply utterly foolish!

... So: 【18】 Jia Mu's aged face showed a hint of displeasure, brows furrowed; seeing Lady Wang's unmoving stance, she let out a long sigh.

... So: 【19】 This is an affair of the second branch; since Lady Wang disagrees, she really can't just force her to agree.

... So: 【20】 Moreover, it wouldn't do to go alone and rashly seek the Empress; otherwise, trouble would ensue and dignity would be lost.

... So: 【21】 She considered that she could only first consult Jia Zheng, then decide.

... So: 【22】 Just then, the hall fell into a moment of silence.

... So: 【23】 Suddenly, a servant woman hurried from outside the hall, her steps quick but orderly; she first bowed to Jia Mu and the others, then, with a look of surprise, said:

... So: 【24】 "Granny, Third Mistress, Second Lady, an imperial envoy has come from the palace!"

... So: 【25】 Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall froze, their faces filled with doubt.

... So: 【26】 It's not a festival or holiday—how could there be an imperial envoy from the palace?

... So: 【27】 Lady Wang's face darkened; in this household, the servant women now report matters to Jia Mu, Tan Chun, and Wang Xifeng.

... So: 【28】 She, as the second lady, seemed to have become a marginal figure like Mrs. Xing, completely lacking presence.

... So: 【29】 Tan Chun's lovely face showed a hint of surprise as she asked:

... So: 【30】 "How did the envoy come? Have you clarified what's going on?"

... So: 【31】 As the Jia mansion's stewardess, she naturally could take the lead in inquiring.

... So: 【32】 "Yeah! Could it be that something happened on Jing'er's side?"

... So: 【33】 Jia Mu's face showed a bit of worry.

... So: 【34】 For Rong Guo Mansion to warrant an imperial envoy, after thinking it over, only Jia Jing's side could be the cause.

... So: 【35】 But Jing'er just went to the northwest; how could there be news so soon?

... So: 【36】 Could it be that something went wrong?

... So: 【37】 Lady Wang's face showed a hint of joy; if something bad happened to the main branch's illegitimate son, that would be great!

... So: 【38】 However, the hint of joy on Lady Wang's face hadn't even appeared before it vanished due to the servant's subsequent report.

... So: 【39】 The servant woman, meeting the concerned gazes of Jia Mu and the others, smiled and said:

... So: 【40】 "Granny, Third Mistress, it's not a palace eunuch envoy; it's an imperial attendant from the Empress's side!"

... So: 【41】 "She brought many pearls, jewelry, headpieces, and silks bestowed by the Empress, as well as plenty of tea offered as tribute from Siam!"

... So: 【42】 "It says the marquis has already led his troops to Yulin, achieved merit at the front, and specially bestowed these items for the ladies of the mansion to use and wear."

... So: 【43】 Upon hearing this, the hearts of everyone in the hall that had been suspended immediately settled.

... So: 【44】 Daiyu, Baichai, Xiang Yun, and others couldn't hide their joy; they hadn't expected Third Brother to have achieved merit so quickly—truly, speed is essential in warfare!

... So: 【45】 Tan Chun laughed and said:

... So: 【46】 "I knew that as soon as Third Brother went, the front would surely sing songs of victory! These years he's been in the army, he hasn't suffered a single defeat!"

... So: 【47】 Jia Mu also felt a slight joy; though this turtle‑grandson is hard to get close to, his skill in battle indeed bears some resemblance to his grandfather's.

... So: 【48】 And Feng Jie, glancing at Lady Wang, slightly furrowed her fox‑brows, covered her mouth and laughed:

... So: 【49】 "These palace gifts really came at the perfect time; it's as if they were sent especially…"

... So: 【50】 Though she didn't finish her sentence, everyone present knew what she meant!

... So: 【51】 It's practically as if it were meant to slap Lady Wang in the face—she had just said she'd go complain to the Empress about Jia Jing, and then the Empress sent the gifts!

... So: 【52】 Lady Wang's expression was ashamed and annoyed; she certainly understood Feng Jie's hidden meaning, but what could she do now?

... So: 【53】 Soon after,

... So: 【54】 the Empress's attendant Shangyi and a few palace grannies were brought by the Jia mansion's servant women to Rong Qing Tang.

... So: 【55】 According to the Da Han system, the Empress's female officials are divided into the 'Six Bureaus and One Office'.

... So: 【56】 That is, the Attendant Bureau, the Rites Bureau, the Attire Bureau, the Food Bureau, the Sleep Bureau, the Merit Bureau, and the independent supervisory Palace Justice Office.

... So: 【57】 These female officials all hold ranked positions, are not concubines, and specifically manage palace affairs.

... So: 【58】 The heads of each bureau, the 'Shang'-ranked female officials such as the Attendant, Rites, etc., and the Palace Justice, are the highest rank in the palace female official system, being of the fifth rank, upper grade.

... So: 【59】 The 'Si'-ranked female officials, such as the Scribe, Speaker, and Registrar, total twenty‑four offices, and are of the sixth rank, upper grade.

Female officials of the "Dian" class, such as Dianji, Dianyan, etc., are of the seventh rank (zheng pin).

Female officials whose titles contain the character "Zhang", such as Zhang Ji and Zhang Yan, are of the eighth rank.

Finally, there are ordinary female historians like Yuan Chun of the Jia Family, responsible for document recording and other auxiliary work, holding the ninth rank.

If following the original story's development, Yuan Chun should have been promoted step by step to the position of Shangshu of the Fengzao Palace, which is the highest-ranking female official of the fifth rank in the Empress's palace.

Then she was favored and promoted to become one of the four consorts, the Virtuous Consort.

Among them, the Shanggong is the head of the Six Bureaus, overseeing all their affairs, directly responsible to the Empress, wielding the greatest authority, and can be called the chief female official of the harem.

The Shanggong daily attends to the Empress's side, handling various documents, transmitting orders, conducting ceremonies, bestowing rewards, and other important duties, just like Xia Shouzhong beside Emperor Jing Sheng Di.

She is a crucial aide for the Empress in exercising authority over the harem, and also the Empress's confidant.

However, when the Empress usually sends someone to an official's home to proclaim an edict or bestow gifts, she only needs to dispatch a female official of the sixth rank, the Siyan; she would not send a Shanggong.

This time, Empress Zhou Huang Hou sent the Shanggong to the Jia Family also to demonstrate her high regard for the Jia Family and her deep imperial favor.

Jia Mu saw the female Shanggong walk in, hurriedly rose to her feet, and stepped down from the high couch.

This is not an official imperial edict from the court, so there is no need for Jia Mu and the others to go to the Rongxi Hall to kneel and welcome.

But the female official Shanggong ultimately came representing the Empress to bestow favors, so Jia Mu and the other ladies must not be rude!